Call of Duty publisher Activision has issued a rare, if brief, comment to seemingly deny a claim it planned to launch a standalone Zombies game.

Earlier this week, Call of Duty leaker TheGhostofHope stated on social media that Activision was prepping two separate Call of Duty games for the launch of Microsoft's next-gen Xbox console (currently expected to launch in 2027 at the earliest).

The claim described these two launches as "a traditional Call of Duty multiplayer and a standalone Zombies title presumably developed by Treyarch," and likened their release to when "Infinite Warfare and Modern Warfare Remastered where [sic] both released together."

That leak was then picked up by gaming blog Dexerto, to which Activision has now responded using its official Call of Duty social media account: "The rumor factory working overtime," Activision wrote. "This ain't it."

Activision typically does not respond to rumors or speculation, making this intervention notable. That said, the vague nature of the denial makes it unclear exactly which parts of the original claim Activision is now saying are untrue, or whether some element of this claim was true until plans ultimately changed.

On social media, Call of Duty's response comes specifically in reply to a thread of tweets discussing the standalone Zombies title, and the claim it was being prepped as a launch title for Microsoft's next console.

The original rumor suggested that Microsoft's shifting release plans for its next Xbox hardware had meant that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, the franchise's most anticipated upcoming release, would no longer be a launch title for the next-gen Xbox, as apparently had been planned. While not yet officially confirmed, Modern Warfare 4 is expected by fans to be this year's Call of Duty entry — but there's absolutely no suggestion that Microsoft is planning to launch new consoles this year.

Still, some kind of shakeup to Call of Duty's forthcoming release schedule is expected, following Activision's recent pledge to make significant changes to the franchise following the underperformance of Black Ops 7. The publisher has said it will never release back to back games in the same sub-brand (Modern Warfare, Black Ops) again, meaning it will likely need to come up with other options if it continues with an annual release schedule.

As for Microsoft's plans for new consoles, the company has confirmed it has fresh hardware in the works on several occaisons. In 2024, former Xbox president Sarah Bond said Microsoft was "moving full speed ahead on our next generation hardware, focused on delivering the biggest technological leap ever in a generation." A year later, the company publicly confirmed its partnership with AMD on its next-generation Xbox project. But a recent report suggested that 2027 was now a conservative estimate for the company's new hardware — which instead could now arrive later.

Sony is also reportedly considering delaying the launch of PlayStation 6 to 2028, or potentially even later, due to the ongoing AI-fueled chip crisis.

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

Amazon Games has canned its failed battle royale King of Meat, following its dismal Steam performance that only ever saw a few hundred people playing.

Although the game only released in October — that's just four months ago — developer Glowmade has confirmed the game will be formally sunsetted on April 9, 2026, after which time it will no longer be playable. All players are invited to apply for a refund via the store of the platform they bought it on (Steam, PlayStation Store, etc.), including any premium currency — called Stamps in this case — purchased, too.

Amazon had reportedly aimed for a player count in the hundreds of thousands for King of Meat, which it spent big on promoting via The Game Awards and a collaboration with YouTube star MrBeast.

"Despite the creativity and innovation Glowmade brought to King of Meat, the game has unfortunately not found the audience we hoped for," the team wrote. "As a result, we have made the difficult decision to conclude our investment in the game, and King of Meat's servers will close on April 9, 2026. Players will be able to access and play all existing content until then, so we encourage you to enjoy your remaining time in the game with your fellow Contenders.

"We want to sincerely thank every player who supported King of Meat and the wonderful community that formed around it. Your enthusiasm, imagination, and feedback have meant the world to us and to the team at Glowmade. We're grateful for Glowmade’ s partnership and passion throughout this journey and wish them continued success in the future."

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the team stressed that, from this point on, there are no further content updates, balance changes, or bug fixes planned for King of Meat during this sunset period, and the game — and the currency for it — can no longer be purchased.

It follows the similarly brutal action of Riot Games last week when, less than a month after the launch of its free-to-play 2v2 tag-team fighting game, 2XKO, Riot announced it was scaling back its development team. Admitting the news was "difficult to share," producer Tom Cannon said that despite securing a "passionate core audience," the new game "hasn't reached the level needed to support a team of this size long term."

Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world's biggest gaming sites and publications. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.

Pokémon celebrates its 30th birthday this week and, as part of the celebrations, the brand has just revealed an astonishing 1025 variations of its 30th anniversary logo. Each design features a different creature peeking out of a Pokéball — and every single Pokémon species gets its moment to shine.

The official Japanese Pokémon account on X/Twitter is currently running a social media campaign. If you click the image in the post below and retweet it, you will receive one of the logos. Pokémon hunting Twitter users have until March 9 to 'catch' their Pokémon logo.

大阪なんば駅 pic.twitter.com/2ghHZc4192

— adi (@redlaysdedo) February 23, 2026

The logos can also be hunted down in five major cities across Japan. Large digital signboards that cycle through all the logos can be found in prominent locations, including Tokyo’s Shinjuku Station and Osaka’s Namba Station. The signboards feature all of the different logos arranged in a color spectrum on a white background.

The colors of each logo match the colors and elements of their respective Pokémon. Of course, well-known Pokémon like Pikachu, Charizard and Bulbasaur have their own logos, but newer and more obscure Pokémon are also being shown love, such as Paradox Pokémon Iron Bundle and the matcha-themed Poltchageist. Pokemon fansite Serebii.net has been cataloging the logo variations with help from the community.

Various releases to mark three decades of the game, anime and TCG franchise are also on the way. The original FireRed and LeafGreen are getting rereleased on Nintendo Switch on February 27th (the date on which the games were first launched in Japan back in 1996) — though there has been some controversy over their launch method and pricing, plus Pokémon Home compatibility.

Stateside, this month’s TIME Magazine has a special feature on Pokémon, complete with different cover variations. The Pokémon Trading Card Game is getting the First Partner Illustration Collection - Series 1, out on March 20th. These nostalgic cards celebrate the bond between the Trainer and their starter Pokémon. TCG will also be getting Perfect Order on March 27, a new expansion focusing on Pokémon from the Legends: Z-A game.

Over in Japan, the first permanent Pokémon theme park opened on February 5th — PokéPark Kanto (more about that here). As for new games, Pokémon Pokopia, the franchise’s first ever cozy farming/life sim, is coming to Switch 2 on March 5 — check out our video report on playing the preview version.

Expect to hear much more about the future of Pokémon later this week with the company's annual announcement broadcast Pokémon Presents, which is set to air this Friday, February 27 at 6am Pacific / 9am Eastern / 2pm UK.

Verity Townsend is a Japan-based freelance writer who previously served as editor, contributor and translator for the game news site Automaton West. She has also written about Japanese culture and movies for various publications.

Ahead of his big debut in Avengers: Doomsday as Doctor Doom, Academy Award-winning actor Robert Downey Jr. has officially been named the godparent of the Disney Adventure, Disney Cruise Line's newest and largest ship that is set to make its maiden voyage next month.

The Disney Adventure will first sail out of its home port in Singapore on March 10, and part of Downey Jr.'s responsibilities will be to "christen the ship, vowing to bring it a little luck and a lot of love." The godparent tradition is a huge one that goes back hundreds of years.

"It’s impossible to describe the majesty of the Adventure, and to be its godparent is an honor. As the largest ship in the Disney fleet, a gargantuan blessing must be bestowed … I’ll do my darndest,” Downey said.

“Our new ship continues Disney Cruise Line’s tradition of bringing great stories to life at sea, and we are honored that Robert Downey Jr., who has guided audiences through unforgettable Marvel stories, is the official godparent for the Disney Adventure,” added Josh D’Amaro, Chairman, Disney Experiences and incoming Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company.

Downey Jr. being the ship's godparent is quite fitting, as there will be tons of Marvel-themed activities for guests to enjoy, including Tony Starks' Ironcycle Test Run. Alongside being inspired by the character Downey Jr. played in the MCU, it will be the first roller coaster on a Disney Cruise Line ship and the longest of its kind at sea.

There will also be an 'Avengers Assemble!' live stage production in the open-air Disney Imagination Garden area, and a Marvel WEB Workshop inside Disney's Oceanner Club for young recruits to "try out new Super Hero suit prototypes and conduct training simulations using top-secret Avengers technology."

It's that time of year: filing your tax return. It's a good day for people who overpay their taxes throughout the year and receive a nice fat check in return. It's not so good of a day for people who have claimed too many exemptions. Whatever the case, most Americans will need to file a tax return no later than April 15 and that's just two months away.

File Your Federal and State Tax Returns for Free

Wolfbox just released a new model in its "Mega Flow" series of electric air dusters. The Wolfbox MF60 Cordless Electric Air Duster has a list price of $49.99, but Amazon is offering a 36% off coupon code "3WAQD8AD" that drops it to $31.94 with free shipping. The MF60 looks nearly identical to the $80 MF100 but with slightly less powerful airflow and fewer accessories. At less than half the price, it's definitely a better value. Wolfbox is well-rated for its great build quality and sustained, powerful cfm output at an affordable price.

Wolfbox MF60 Cordless Electric Air Duster for $32

New release

Now is the time to retire that pedal-powered bike of yours and upgrade to electric. The price of electric assisted bikes has plummeted over the past year. Nowadays you can find a decent bike for well under $500. To kickstart the new year, AliExpress is offering the 5th Wheel AB17 500W 375Wh Electric Bike for a super low price of $279.41 after you apply $40 off coupon code "USSS40". This bike ships locally from a warehouse in the United States, with most orders being delivered within a week. That means you don't have to worry about tariffs, import fees, or egregiously long shipping times.

5th Wheel AB17 500W 375Wh Electric Bike for $279.41

I have absolutely no business adding to my backlog, yet here we are. This week’s multi-platform drop is one of those quietly dangerous ones where the quality ceiling is high and the prices are suspiciously low. I have played most of these, paid full freight for a few, and can confidently say some of these discounts sting in retrospect.

Contents

• Retro
• Nintendo
• Xbox
• PlayStation
• PC

This Day in Gaming 🎂

In retro celebrations, I’ve lit 21 stylus-themed candles for the original Nintendo DS. To say I was excited when I slapped down my A$199 at launch would be quite the understatement. This was, after all, Nintendo’s first bona fide step into something truly different and 3D-capable after 16 years of resizing Game Boy footprints while steadily beefing up their innards.

A bright frontier (that was actually well backlit) opened up to me when I lifted the two (!!) screen clamshell of this strange silver beast. The happy days that followed were punctuated by wireless PictoChat messages of questionable taste, circle strafing duels in the bundled Metroid: Prime Hunters: First Hunt demo, and mild RSI from doing so. In the fullness of time, the DS birthed the DS Lite, DSi, and DSi XL to the tune of 154M units sold. It also gave us iconic experiences like Mario Kart DS, Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow, and New Super Mario Bros. to name but a few bangers in its insane 3,000+ games library. Make no mistake; I simply adore my DS.

Aussie birthdays for notable games.

- Nintendo DS launch, 2005. eBay

- Super Mario 64 DS (DS) 2005. eBay

- Metroid Prime Hunters: First Hunt (DS) 2005. eBay

- WarioWare: Touched! (DS) 2005. eBay

- Black (PS2,XB) 2006. eBay

- Kirby's Epic Yarn (Wii) 2011. eBay

- Bulletstorm (PC,PS3,X360) 2011. Redux

Nice Savings for Nintendo Switch

• REANIMAL (-11%) - A$49 A grim co-op horror that feels built for siblings who enjoy mild trauma bonding. Short, sharp, and stylish, though the discount is modest. Worth it if the aesthetic already has you.
• BioShock: The Col. (-61%) - A$35 Three all-timers in one tidy package. Rapture still drips atmosphere, and Columbia still swings big. Shooting feels dated in spots, but the world-building carries it easily at this price.
• Tales of Vesperia: Def. Ed. (-31%) - A$54.90 A confident, character-driven JRPG with combat that opens up beautifully after a slow start. Yuri remains one of the series' better leads. Thirty percent off makes the time investment easier to justify.
• Kingdom Come Deliverance: Royal Ed. (-90%) - A$7.90 Stubbornly realistic and occasionally cruel, but unmatched if you want medieval life without fantasy padding. Expect friction. At under eight dollars, that friction feels earned rather than punishing.
• Pokemon Sword (-26%) - A$59 Streamlined and divisive, yet still a comfortable loop of catching and battling. The Wild Area was a clear turning point. Not the cheapest ever, but solid for newcomers.

Or gift a Nintendo eShop Card.

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Exciting Bargains for Xbox

• Baldur's Gate 3 (-25%) - A$78.70 Dense, reactive, and almost suspiciously generous with player choice. Turn-based combat sings once systems click. Still premium priced, but you are buying months of decisions.
• Cyberpunk 2077 (-65%) - A$31.40 Finally the sleek, systems-driven RPG it promised to be. Gunplay feels tight and Night City breathes properly. Early scars linger in memory, not in performance.
• Prince of Persia The Lost Crown (-62%) - A$19 A slick Metroidvania pivot that respects the series' roots while moving briskly. Combat is snappy and traversal smart. At under twenty dollars, it is hard to argue.
• DOOM Eternal (-80%) - A$10.90 Relentless, demanding, and still one of the best arena shooters ever made. Forces you to play properly. Ten bucks for this much adrenaline feels almost rude.
• It Takes Two (-80%) - A$11.90 Inventive co-op that refuses to repeat itself. Every level throws a new mechanic at you. Requires a reliable partner, which may be the real challenge.

Xbox One

• XCOM 2 (-57%) - A$29.90 Still brutally fair in that special Firaxis way. Missed shots hurt, victories feel earned. Performance is not perfect, but the tactics remain elite.
• Diablo III: Eternal Col. (-56%) - A$44.30 Polished loot treadmill with years of refinement behind it. Seasonal play keeps it fresh. Not groundbreaking anymore, but comfort food ARPG done right.
• Overcooked! All You Can Eat (-50%) - A$28.60 Chaotic couch co-op that tests friendships with surgical precision. Simple systems, escalating panic. Half price is fair compensation for the yelling.

Or just invest in an Xbox Card.

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Pure Scores for PlayStation

• Final Fantasy XVI (-40%) - A$50.60 A bold action-forward swing with spectacular boss fights. Story leans heavy and serious. Forty percent off softens the departure from classic party systems.
• Tales of Arise (-44%) - A$30.80 Flashy combat and a surprisingly grounded character arc. Pacing wobbles late, but the early hours are strong. Under thirty one dollars feels right.
• Astro Bot (-19%) - A$89 Pure platforming joy with hardware flex built in. A celebration of PlayStation history. Discount is light, yet the craft is obvious.
• God of War Ragnarok (-29%) - A$89 Bigger, denser, and more confident than its predecessor. Combat options expand meaningfully. Still a premium tag, but the production value is absurd.
• Armored Core VI Fires of Rubicon (-55%) - A$44.90 Tight, mission-based mech combat with deep build tinkering. Bosses demand adaptation. Half price is the sweet spot for experimenting with loadouts.

PS4

• Borderlands 3 (-66%) - A$34 Slick gunplay and mountains of loot, even if the humour misses occasionally. Co-op remains its best form. Two thirds off makes the chaos easy to recommend.
• Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor (-75%) - A$6.20 The Nemesis system still feels ahead of its time. Combat borrows confidently from Batman. For six dollars, it is a fascinating design study.
• NieR Replicant ver.1.22 (-70%) - A$26.90 Melancholic, strange, and structurally bold. Combat is improved over the original, though repetition lingers. Seventy percent off suits its cult status.

Or purchase a PS Store Card.

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Purchase Cheap for PC

• Disco Elysium - The Final Cut (-75%) - A$14.20 Razor sharp writing wrapped in a broken detective spiral. No traditional combat, just consequences. At this price, it is essential if you value narrative craft.
• What Remains of Edith Finch (-75%) - A$7.40 Short, inventive, and emotionally precise. Each vignette experiments with perspective. Not long, but unforgettable, and priced accordingly.
• Metro 2033 Redux (-90%) - A$2.90 Claustrophobic survival shooter with real bite. Ammo scarcity keeps you honest. Three dollars is barely a commitment for this much tension.
• Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii (-70%) - A$29.90 Wild premise, earnest heart. The series' shift toward turn-based systems still works, though side content will distract you for hours.
• Star Wars Jedi: Survivor (-75%) - A$18.70 Larger, moodier sequel with refined lightsaber combat. Performance issues once dominated the conversation. At seventy five percent off, the force feels balanced.

Or just get a Steam Wallet Card

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

Dell and Alienware Coupons

Alienware Area-51 Gaming PC Deals

If you're seeking the absolute best of the best in PC gaming performance, look no further. Dell unveiled the new Alienware Area-51 gaming PC at CES 2025. The product photos don't give it due justice; this is a big chassis that towers over the Aurora R16 model with superior build quality and a redesigned cooling system with even greater airflow. This is the only model that can be configured with the hot and power hungry GeForce RTX 5090 graphics card. The first wave of Area-51 systems featured Intel CPUs exclusively, with AMD X3D options only available since late November.

Alienware Aurora R16 Gaming PC Deals

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

Alienware Aurora Gaming Laptop Deals

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

Alienware Area-51 Gaming Laptop Deals

Alienware 18 Area-51 (18")

Alienware 16 Area-51 (16")

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

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

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.

PlayStation’s Direct store is holding a sizeable sale on PS5 games, controllers, and even consoles, but there’s an added incentive for fans of Hideo Kojima’s Death Stranding 2: On the Beach.

The game is (for the time being), a PS5 exclusive, and marked one of 2025’s biggest releases on PS5, and you can snag its limited edition DualSense at a $20 discount right now.