One of the best Audible deals for Black Friday and the upcoming holiday season has started early at Amazon. From now until December 31, non-current Audible subscribers are eligible for three months of Audible Premium Plus for $0.99 per month. Premium Plus is Audible's best plan and three months would normally cost you about $44.95. You also get a free audiobook of your choice each month that you get to keep indefinitely.

Note: The fine print says that anyone who does not have a current Audible subscription is eligible. Normally with trials like these, Amazon explicitly states "current and past" subscribers aren't eligible. I'm not sure if that means previous Audible members who have let their subscriptions lapse are allowed to get in on this deal. If you're one of those people, there's an easy way to check: After you log into your account, if you see the $0.99 promo banner right on Amazon's Audible page then you're eligible and if you don't then you're not.

3 Months of Audible Premium Plus for $0.99 per Month

• See deal in the UK - £0.99/month for three months (was £7.99)

Audible is a subscription service that gives you access to hundreds of thousands of the best audiobooks without ever having to purchase them. There are two paid membership plans: the lower tier Audible Plus ($7.95/mo) and the higher tier Audible Premium Plus ($14.95/mo). The biggest difference between the two is the size of the audiobook library. Whereas Audible Plus only lets you listen to a selection of about 10,000 audiobooks, the Audible Premium Plus plan gives you access to a whopping 500,000 audiobooks. These include all-time classics like Frank Herbert's Dune, Harry Potter, Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire), The Witcher, The Sandman Series,and The Lord of the Rings.

Although the seriously expanded library is the main draw of the Audible Premium Plus membership, there are some other nice perks as well. Every month Premium Plus members get to pick one audiobook to keep in their library indefinitely, even after the membership expires. Also, Premium Plus members can get 30% off any additional audiobooks they wish to purchase in addition to exclusive limited-time discounts.

If you were already planning to purchase a couple of audiobooks, then it makes more sense to pay less than $3 to get three audiobooks you get to keep indefinitely and enjoy all the benefits of Audible Premium Plus for three months. This deal only pops up a few times per year (usually only during Prime Day and Black Friday), so don't waste your "first-time subscriber" eligibility status on a short 30-day trial.

Looking for more free trials? Check out the best streaming services with free trials.For more deals, head over to our Prime Day megapost to see our cherry-picked list of the best deals we've found, including TVs, 4K UHD and Blu-ray movies, gaming consoles, and more.

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.

This super popular deal is back ahead of Black Friday. Amazon is currently offering a brand new 9th gen (2021) Apple iPad 10.2" Wi-Fi 64GB tablet for only $199.99. That's 40% off the $329 list price and the lowest price we've seen. This is the most affordable iPad model you can get brand new with warranty. Right now you would have to pay an extra $100 to upgrade to the newest 10th gen Apple iPad, whichi may not be worth it for most people.

2021 9th Gen Apple iPad 10.2" 64GB for $199.99

For most people, the iPad (not the Air, Mini, or Pro) is the best model to get. Despite its very low price tag, the 9th gen Apple iPad is a fully featured and capable tablet. The 10.2" Retina display is bright and crisp, and the Apple A13 Bionic chip offers good CPU and GPU performance. The iPad is also equipped with both a front-facing camera for voice chat and rear camera for taking photos and videos. This is a great option for school, work, or simply relaxing with your favorite movie, book, or streaming service.

Check out our other iPad resources:

• Which iPad Model Is Right for You?
• The Best Times to Buy a New iPad
• A Full History of iPad Release Dates

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.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard's launch has already made it EA's biggest ever single-player game on Steam, topping the charts and beating out the concurrents for 2023's Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.

At the time of publication, Dragon Age: The Veilguard's peak was about 70,414 concurrents, putting it just outside the top 10 most played games on the platform with mostly positive reviews. It sits one spot ahead of Baldur's Gate 3, which continues to enjoy ongoing success thanks to the introduction of mods and other new features. EA previous high watermark was Jedi Survivor, which managed an all-time peak of 67,855.

EA CEO Andrew Wilson predicted success for Dragon Age during Tuesday's earnings call, saying that BioWare had "returned to its strengths," and that it would be benefit from limited competition thanks to Ubisoft's decision to delay Assassin's Creed Shadows.

We wrote in our own review, "Dragon Age: The Veilguard refreshes and reinvigorates a storied series that stumbled through its middle years, and leaves no doubt that it deserves its place in the RPG pantheon. The next Mass Effect is going to have a very tough act to follow, which is not something I ever imagined I'd be saying before I got swept away on this adventure."

Overall it's a solid start for BioWare's new RPG given that it launched on a day when most of its fans are either at work or in school. It'll be worth keeping an eye on its performance heading into its first full weekend as players properly dig into the first new Dragon Age release since 2014.

For more, check out our guide to Dragon Age: The Veilguard's major choices and consequences as well as our romance guide.

Kat Bailey is IGN's News Director as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.

According to a new report, we should get ready to see Westeros on the big screen.

That comes via a new The Hollywood Reporter article today, which says Warner Bros. has been "quietly" developing a feature film based on George R.R. Martin's fantasy universe, originally adapted in HBO's megahit Game of Thrones. The report notes that "at least one" film is in the works, hinting that WB could have even more cinematic plans for the franchise.

Still, it should be pointed out that the project is apparently in very early development, with no creatives or cast attached yet. And forget The Winds of Winter — the winds of Hollywood are fickle, and film development can take a very long time. Still, it's big news that WB is considering capitalizing on one of its biggest hits ever by taking it to the big screen.

IGN has reached out to Warner Bros. for comment.

The best high-end prebuilt PCs command premium prices, but that doesn't mean you can't find great deals that will still save you a lot of money. In many cases, you can get a prebuilt for less than the cost of building a comparable DIY system. As part of its Early Black Friday Sale, Dell is offering an Alienware Aurora R16 GeForce RTX 4090 gaming PC for $2999.99 after a $700 instant discount. A standalone RTX 4090 GPU will run you $1,800 by itself, which means building your own DIY PC could easily run you the same price or more. Although building your own PC certainly has its merits, a prebuilt gaming PC is ready to go out of the box and can give you peace of mind with an all-inclusive warranty.

Alienware Aurora R16 RTX 4090 Gaming PC Deals

This Alienware Aurora R16 gaming PC is equipped with an Intel Core i9-14900KF CPU, GeForce RTX 4090 GPU, 32GB of DDR5-5200MHz RAM, and a 2TB NVMe SSD. The 14th gen Intel Core i9-14900KF is the most powerful consumer Intel CPU you can get right now. The chip is known to run pretty hot, but fortunately it's cooled by a robust 240mm all-in-one liquid cooler. The entire system is powered by an energy efficient 1000W 80PLUS Platinum power supply.

The RTX 4090 is likewise the most powerful GPU on the market. No other video card, either from NVIDIA or from AMD, comes close. In his RTX 4090 review, Chris Coke writes "The RTX 4090 may be huge and expensive, but holy smokes if it doesn’t blow the competition out of the water... Until the rest of the pack can catch up, between its impressive hardware specs and its DLSS 3 AI wizardry, even the $1,599 price doesn’t seem unreasonable for the unrivaled frame rates that this card can crank out." You'll be able to run any game in 4K with ultra settings and ray tracing enabled and still pump out high framerates, even the newest, most demanding titles like Black Myth: Wukong or Warhammer Space Marine 2.The 4090 is also the consumer card of choice for AI thanks to its 24GB of GDDR6X VRAM.

A note on Alienware's newest "R16" desktop chassis

The R16 is Alienware's current 2024 desktop PC design. It's 40% smaller in volume compared to previous iterations. It features a simple yet proven airflow pattern; air is drawn in through the side intake vents over the GPU area and a 120mm fan at the front of the case, and exhausts by way of a 120mm rear fan and two 120mm top fans. A 240mm radiator for the all-in-one liquid cooling system is mounted to these top fans. Some configurations don't actually include the liquid cooling system, but we rarely include them in this roundup. That's because Alienware's liquid cooling solution is far superior to their stock air cooling and is easily worth the price premium.

More Alienware Gaming PC Deals

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.

Walmart just added yet another reason to sign up for the Walmart+ membership. Moving forward, Walmart+ members can enjoy 25% off any Burger King digital order every day. In addition, members can receive a free flame-grilled Whopper sandwich with any purchase every 3 months via the BK app or bk.com. For those looking for a convenient, delicious, and quality snack or meal, the Burger King dining benefit is just one extra perk added to the laundry list of benefits you’ll enjoy from a Walmart+ membership.

The original Secretlab Titan Evo has been our longstanding overall pick for the best gaming chair, but now that the Secretlab Titan Evo Nanogen Edition has officially arrived, that’s about to change. With a brand-new, softer, and more durable leatherette fabric, and a new NanoFoam Composite cushion, the best has gotten even better.

Secretlab Titan Evo Nanogen Edition – Design and Features

From afar, the Nanogen Edition is a ringer for the 2022 version. Its bucket-style seat is exactly the same, as is the bolstered backrest and the design of the seat, so if you’ve seen a Secretlab, you already know what to expect about its shape, size, and general features. But take a closer look – or reach out and touch it – and you’ll immediately notice the difference.

If you haven’t heard about it (and how have you not at this point if you’ve ever been in the market for a gaming chair), the Secretlab’s Titan Evo line is the classic racing style gaming chair, evolved. The Nanogen Edition is the latest version and pushes comfort to the next level. It has the same general stylings as the 2022 Evo, which was built upon the original Titan in 2020. It features the same aesthetic bolsters (wings) on either side of the seat and backrest, but the sitting area is wider so those wings don’t hug you into place. The chair itself has the same measurements as its predecessor (52.8 tall with a diameter of 27 inches), so it has a slightly larger footprint than many gaming chairs – but not by much. The Nanogen Edition comes in either Regular (recommended for up to 6’2” and 220lbs) and XL (5’11 or taller and up to 395lbs) sizes, just like the original, but note that there’s no Small at launch.

The foam is thick and hides its steel frame well enough that you should never feel it. Like its predecessor, the Nanogen Edition uses custom-developed cold-cure foam that’s made to hold its firmness and support over at least five years of heavy use – my 2019 Omega uses the same material and has held up well under daily use. The firmness of Secretlab’s foam has been one of the most common complaints dating back to the company’s earliest chairs, nearly a decade ago. Secretlab will tell you that it settled on this density to provide proper support for those long gaming sessions, but the complaint about the previous versions has merit: the Titan Evo, and Omega before it, both require a lengthy break-in period and still remain firmer than many other gaming chairs even after months of daily use.

But with the Titan Evo Nanogen Edition, Secretlab has addressed that criticism head-on. This new model is by far its most comfortable right out of the box, and hits the sweet spot between softness and support. It accomplishes this with brand-new, in-house-developed Nanogen hybrid leatherette and a fresh nanofoam composite seat cushion.

Secretlab makes big claims about its new multi-layered leatherette. It’s supposed to be 14 times more abrasion-resistant than normal polyurethane leather, more stain-resistant, and the white version (white and black are available at launch) is UV resistant to avoid yellowing over time. The company described the intensive testing process in preview materials and it is, indeed, impressive – the abrasion test in particular. I’ll spare you too many specifics (see this video for the actual test that was performed), but essentially, the fabric was strapped to a machine and run against an abrasive surface with triple the recommended weight pressing it into the material. Under these conditions, it was able to run for 10 kilometers (just shy of four miles) before developing a hole. No human butt is going to approach that level of violence and intensity.

I don’t have a microscope or a firm grasp on the cutting edge of upholstery science, but if Secretlab’s claims on its long-term durability hold true, the leatherette really is something special. Unfortunately, those aren’t the kind of qualities that can be tested in a launch review, so be sure to check back over time for updates on long-term wear and tear.

What I can say now is that the leatherette is exceptionally soft and pleasant to touch. It’s the softest, most comfortable leatherette I’ve felt on a gaming chair and bears a strong resemblance to Brisa – an “ultrafabric” frequently found on high-end task chairs and as a premium leather replacement on a wide array of (usually very expensive) luxury products.

The new upholstery feels immediately softer to the touch, but it’s when you sit in the chair that it all comes together. The nanofoam composite seat renders the old complaints about firmness a thing of the past. That said, Secretlab hasn’t done away with its medium-firm cold-cure foam entirely. Instead, the traditional foam is just underneath the nanofoam layer, making the latter a bit of a seat topper, while the two are bonded with a special adhesive. This allows the seat to feel soft and cushiony but still offer proper support when your full weight is applied to it. Cleverly, the pad is thickest at the front and tapers off toward the back, so your legs to your bottom experience the most plush feel.

These two additions, but particularly the new Nanogen hybrid leatherette, highlight one of Secretlabs’ strengths. Though the overall shape and “bucket seat” style of its chairs is similar to countless others, it is one of the few gaming chair companies able to invest heavily in materials science and R&D to develop its own fabric and foam technologies. It’s also able to produce its own products and doesn’t need to rely on shared factory lines like many others (hence why so many look so similar). This allows Secretlabs to innovate and produce chairs that share design characteristics but that look and feel distinctly higher quality in person. With the Nanogen Edition, that perception is even more profound.

Fabric and padding aside, this is still a Titan Evo underneath, and it carries through all of the major features of the excellent 2022 original. It has a four-way lumbar support that’s adjustable with knobs on the backrest for height and depth. It still reclines to a full laying position and can lock its angle. It still makes use of magnets to hold the headrest and armrest cushions in place, making for a modular, easy-to-swap system. And those armrests are 4D adjustable for depth, width, height, and angle.

While you can change the armrest pads, you probably won’t want to. The Nanogen Edition comes stock with Secretlabs’ PlushCell foam armrests, which are soft and comfortable but keep your arms well supported. Trimmed in black or gray velour, depending on whether you choose the black or white version of the chair, they’re perfectly matched to the chair in both look and feel.

Secretlab Titan Evo Nanogen Edition – Assembly

Assembling the Nanogen Edition is straightforward if you’ve ever built a gaming chair before – and exactly the same as the original Titan Evo 2022. If you haven’t had the pleasure, Secretlab provides detailed instructions and all of the tools you’ll need right in the box. They even included a large foam square to protect your floor and the finish on your wheelbase and casters during the process.

You’ll begin by attaching the backrest to the seat base. The armrests are already attached, so you won’t need to worry about fastening those. You do need to put the PlushCell foam tops on, but since they’re attached by magnets it’s tool-free and quick. From there you fasten the tilt base, then put the piston, its shroud, and the casters onto the aluminum wheel base, and insert the other end of the piston into place on the bottom of the chair. Flip it upright, slap on the magnetic covers for the arm brackets and the magnetic pillow, and you’re done. The whole setup took around X minutes.

Secretlab Titan Evo Nanogen Edition – Performance

While it might seem like a small update to simply change the fabric and add more padding to the seat, the Nanogen Edition turns out to be a major upgrade over the standard Titan Evo. I’ve been able to test a huge range of gaming chairs over the years, and the only bucket-style seat that even comes close in softness and comfort is the LFGaming Stealth, which retails for an eye-watering $1,695 and uses memory foam and Brisa upholstery to achieve its comfort. Meanwhile, the Titan Evo Nanogen is even more comfortable, while retailing for less than half as much.

I was skeptical at first, but the new Nanogen leatherette was a pleasant surprise. There’s a slight pattern difference compared to Secretlab’s normal Neo leatherette, but nothing stood out to me upon seeing the material for the first time as I opened the box. Taking it out of the bags, I knew in just one touch how much better it was going to be. It doesn’t feel exactly like leather anymore; The tactility and texturing of it is close enough that you can tell it is a leatherette, but it’s removed from the stiffer variety usually found on gaming chairs. Almost like leather and silk had a baby: soft, breathable, pliable, but still in the leather family.

The new seat cushion is also very nice. This is the first time I’ve sat in a Secretlab chair and felt like the seat was actually cushy. Still, the cold-cure foam base prevents you from sinking in. It’s a balance – just soft enough to be relaxing, just firm enough to keep your spine well-supported and your worries of the chair becoming too soft over time at bay.

I’m a pretty average-sized guy, 5’9” and around 170 pounds, and after my initial test-sitting I found myself crawling under the chair to move the armrests in from their wide-set default position. While there is a width adjustment built into the 4D armrests, you can also loosen several screws on the bottom of the chair and adjust the depth of each entire arm. They come fully extended and even with all of the adjustments pushed to their limits, I wasn’t able to get them exactly where I wanted them without breaking out a screwdriver.

Taking this extra step was a bit of a pain. There are long slots where each arm connects to the chair, but crawling beneath your chair is never fun. Ultimately, though, it was worth it. Properly positioned, I was able to adjust them for everything from typing to supporting my elbows while I played on mouse and keyboard or kicking back with a controller.

The PlushCell foam armrest tops are amazing, as is the magnetic neck pillow. The tops match the look of the chair well, but also help it stand out from the Titan Evo 2022 which came with standard PU tops. But really, it’s their softness that impressed me. You can press your elbow into these all day long without a hint of soreness, and the velour feels downright pillowy against the skin. The neck pillow is similar and comes with matching velour trim. The magnets gave it enough range to be able to adjust its height from behind my head to behind my neck. Like the armrests and Nanogen fabric, it felt nice against my skin. Other chairs with cheap strap-on pillows forced my head forward, and eventually forced themselves right into the closet. Not here. It’s what a neck pillow should be: comfortable and alluring for the relaxation it can provide.

As was the case with the Titan Evo 2022, the lumbar system is excellent. Using knobs on either side of the backrest, you can adjust the curve in or out and up or down to perfectly match your body. It took me some adjustment to find the exact right position, but once it was in place the full comfort of the chair unlocked.

And good news if you were planning on picking up the Ergonomic Recliner add-on. It’s fully compatible, installs just the same, and really ties the whole experience together. The softness of the Titan Evo Nanogen Edition, combined with the comfort of the recliner, pushed this chair well above any other gaming seat I’ve tested since 2013 (when I first began reviewing them professionally). With this optional enhancement installed, this is the only bucket-style gaming seat that really does feel like a recliner and is easy to take a power nap in. More than once I’ve reclined back, put my hands behind my head, put my feet up, and slipped away.

Throughout my testing, I did everything from short, 30-minute sessions (both napping and awake) to six-plus-hour marathons. There simply was nothing the Evo couldn’t handle. It’s the perfect blend of softness and support, at least for me. While I won't be trading in my $1,500 Steelcase Gesture anytime soon, I might very well have made a different decision if the Titan Evo Nanogen had been available when I was buying my personal gaming chair. Unless you're prepared to spend multiple times as much, it doesn’t get much better than this.

A Star Wars artist revealed a last-minute change George Lucas made to The Phantom Menace that would have pretty significant implications for the Obi-Wan Kenobi we know today.

Concept and storyboard artist Iain McCaig gave a wide-ranging interview to StarWars.com in honor of The Phantom Menace's 25th anniversary and in it, he revealed that Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan originally had their names swapped — but there's a reason for it. He explains:

“For a time, the older Jedi was named Obi-Wan and the younger Jedi was named Qui-Gon. It was very poignant that at the end, as Obi-Wan dies and Qui-Gon defeats Darth Maul and stays with his Master as he passes away, he not only takes on his Master’s quest, but he takes on his name. Qui-Gon becomes Obi-Wan. That’s why when you see Alec Guinness in A New Hope, he puts his hood down and goes, ‘Obi-Wan? Now that’s a name I’ve not heard….’ Because he’s not Obi-Wan, he’s Qui-Gon. And right at the end, George changed it.”

Today's daily deals include Anker's highest-capacity power bank, the Logitech G29 racing wheel, and inexpensive air purifier for your gaming desktop, Corsair's most affordable gaming chair, a massive 85" TV that's tailormade for PS5 and Xbox Series X consoles while still being very, very affordable, an Xbox wireless controller, and more.

Featured in this article

You can quickly browse through all of the listed products on sale above. For more information on each product and why they are worth your consideration, read through below.

Anker Prime 27,650mAh 250W USB Power Bank

Walmart+ Membership Includes a Paramount+ Subscription

Logitech G29 Racing Wheel (PS5, PC)

GoveeLife Mini HEPA Smart Air Purifier

Corsair TC100 Relaxed Gaming Chair

85" Hisense QD7 4K 144Hz QLED Smart TV

Ninja BL770 Mega Kitchen System

Wingspan Board Game

Xbox Wireless Controller

Free 2TB 990 Pro SSD with Select Samsung Gaming Monitors

Samsung has kicked off its Early Black Friday Sale with some interesting deals on a few of its highest-end gaming monitors. Not only are these gaming monitors discounted by up to $600 off – thus matching the prices at retailers like Amazon or Best Buy – they're bundled with a free 2TB Samsung 990 Pro SSD. The SSD promotion is only available through Samsung direct, and since it currently sells for $169.99 everywhere, you don't want to miss out on this potential freebie.

SK Hynix Platinum P41 2TB PCIe Gen4 x4 M.2 SSD

32" Alienware AW3225QF 4K OLED Gaming Monitor

Lenovo Legion Go 512GB

SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Wireless Gaming Headset

This article contains spoilers for the Agatha All Along finale.

Well witches, we’ve finally hit the end of the road. Was there closure? No. Was there a jaw-dropping finale reveal? Kinda! Did we have fun along the way? Mostly, yeah.

So, Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn) is dead, Billy Maximoff (Joe Locke) has realized he has mommy’s proclivity for creating realities but evidently doesn’t need earth-shattering emotional distress to do so, and Jennifer Kale (Sasheer Zamata) is the only member of the coven who gets to fly off into the sunrise. It’s a pretty cut and dried ending to Agatha’s portion of the story, but there’s still plenty of Billy in our future. Let’s take a look at what’s to come for the witches of the MCU.

Will There Be an Agatha All Along Season 2?

We don’t have confirmation one way or the other, but the immediate answer is a strong “probably not.” Agatha’s story is, for all intents and purposes, mostly wrapped up until she manages to find closure and one day musters the will to face her son in the afterlife. In the meantime, ghost effects ain’t cheap. Expect to see Marvel’s own wicked witch pop up now and again in future stories, but it’s unlikely she’ll get another season of television devoted solely to her escapades.

Where Is Tommy?

Usually, we’d turn to the comics origins to get answers here. But, given that the MCU has basically turned Billy and Tommy Maximoff’s stories on their heads, the comics aren’t a lot of help. Still, it feels worth mentioning that in those origins he ends up a government test subject. In the MCU — at least for now — he just seems to be having a really, really bad time at the pool.

As Tommy’s new body takes its final breaths, Billy is able to will his brother’s soul to take over. Now, all the boys have to do is find each other. Given that Auntie Agatha seems to have made it her mission to help the two reunite, we’ll likely be catching up with the twins sooner than we think.

Why Is Agatha Helping Billy?

Agatha Harkness is a fickle yet complicated witch. All she does is slaughter covens and steal power. Still, Billy’s belief in the witch mirrors that of the audience who has actually grown to care for her despite her indiscretions. Agatha’s helping Billy for the same reason she’s been helping him all along — he reminds her of her son, Nicky.

Early in the season, I found her protectiveness of Billy to be from out of left field. She killed the boy’s dog not four years ago! But as things progressed we started to see her softness toward the Maximoff boy grow. Point of fact, he’s the only witch we see her stealing power from that she does not kill. So, wittle Billy and Auntie Agatha’s adventures it is!

How Did Jennifer Kale Survive the Witches Road if It Was Fake?

As mentioned, Jennifer Kale is the only one who manages to survive Billy’s road illusion. Immediately after her disappearance, Agatha says it’s because “she got what she wanted from the road,” which, to Billy’s mind (which was creating the illusion from the start) was true. As for getting what she wanted, it was a mere happenstance that she came to the realization that Agatha was the one who had bound her all those years ago. Jen is then able to free herself from the spell she was trapped in for a century before Agatha has the chance to kill her.

Why Does Death Cry When Agatha Sacrifices Herself?

Because Wile E. Coyote isn’t meant to catch the Road Runner, that’s why. And, not for nothing, but those two witches are in love love. They hate each other because fate has dealt each of them a complicated hand. Death took away what Agatha loved most because keeping the balance between the living and the dead is the sole purpose of her existence. Agatha evades Death at every turn because she can’t bear to face the son she failed or that the woman she loved took what she cared about most from her.

Why Does Death Let Billy Go?

The second verse is the same as the first. Death made a deal with Agatha. Billy Maximoff is an abomination to the very balance that Rio is meant to protect. But also she made a promise to her ex-girlfriend and she’s gonna keep it. She’s probably gonna be big mad about Tommy but, just like Billy, she can’t force him to come with her. If either boy dies, they’ll simply reincarnate again.

The House of the Dead will be the latest video game to head to the big screen, and it's got a seasoned adaptation director at the helm.

Per a Deadline report on Thursday, Paul W.S. Anderson will write and direct the big-screen version of The House of the Dead, the Sega horror shooter series. He'll also be producing alongside his longtime creative partner Jeremy Bolt.

And it seems Anderson just can't stay away from this genre, with The House of the Dead marking his fourth adaptation of a video game property. Previously, Anderson directed Mortal Kombat (1995), Resident Evil (2002), and most recently Monster Hunter (2020).

A trio of new Lego movies is in development, although these ones might look a little different than what you're expecting.

Deadline reports on Thursday that Universal is developing three live-action Lego movies, and it's already tapped three buzzy directors for the job. Patty Jenkins (Wonder Woman), Jake Kasdan (Jumanji), and Joe Cornish (Attack the Block) are attached to direct one movie each.

Plot details are being kept under wraps, but Deadline's report does reveal the writers of each film. Jenkins' was written by herself and former DC Entertainment President Geoff Johns; Kasdan's was written by Andrew Mogel and Jarrad Paul based on an original idea and previous draft by Matt Mider and Kevin Burrows; and Cornish is rewriting a draft by Heather Anne Campbell (Rick & Morty, One Punch Man) based on a treatment by Simon Rich.

EA and Respawn Entertainment are making a change to Apex Legends that will no longer allow players to access the game via Linux OS, including Steam Deck using Linux.

The developers announced the shift away from Linux support in a post on its website. Although it’s a move that will no doubt surprise those affected, EA says dropping support for the OS option is part of the company’s wider initiative to maintain “competitive integrity” and fight off cheaters.

As we gear up for Season 2 of Squid Game, the highly anticipated follow-up to Netflix's 2021 breakout smash, we've just gotten our latest trailer — and it looks like there's a couple twists to the games in store.

There’s no stopping the game 👧🏻 Squid Game Season 2 arrives December 26. pic.twitter.com/z1yDgowXxs

— Netflix (@netflix) October 31, 2024

The trailer shows Lee Jung-jae reprising his role as Seong Gi-hun, as we find him in the deadly Squid Game once again after winning Season 1's competition. There's a look at the familiar — namely, the iconic Red Light Green Light game from Season 1 — but this latest trailer also presents an interestingly new rule: after each game, the contestants will place a vote. If the majority agrees, the games will end and the surviving contestants can take the money they've accumulated and leave. Barring that, however, the games will continue.

Unsurprisingly, that voting mechanic sets up some new drama, with Gi-hun urging the other contestants to do whatever they can to get out of there. It doesn't seem like that's going well, though, as the others ignore his pleas and push to continue.

In addition to Gi-hun, we get a look at another familiar face as well: there's a brief glimpse of Lee Byung-hun, who's returning as the mysterious Front Man. Wi Ha-jun is returning too as Hwang Jun-ho, a detective on his own relentless mission.

Netflix also unveiled some new key art and images, which you can see below.

South Korean thriller Squid Game quickly became a massive international hit after its 2021 release, garnering rave reviews and word-of-mouth with its dark story of a secret contest that saw 456 players risking their lives for a massive cash prize. A second season was confirmed the following year, and it'll end with a third season in 2025.

Squid Game Season 2 will premiere on December 26. In the meantime, check out our 9/10 review of Season 1, where we called it a "candy-coated battle royale that thrives on making its players — and audience — squirm."

Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she's not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.

A reboot of 1993 action-thriller Cliffhanger has officially been confirmed, but it'll be missing a key star.

Production company Rocket Science announced on Thurday that it's in production on a reboot of Cliffhanger, and that this version will star Lily James and Bond actor Pierce Brosnan. However, Variety reports that original star Sylvester Stallone, who was part of the reboot's initial package, has dropped out amid a "creative overhaul."

Rocket Science has also unveiled a first look image and a behind-the-scenes photo, both of which you can see below.

The Dell Early Black Friday Sale has commenced and Dell has once again come out in front with some pretty outstanding deals on Alienware Aurora R16 gaming desktops and Alienware m-series and x-series gaming laptops. Check out all of the deals below, and we'll keep adding to the list as we find more.

Early Black Friday Dell Gaming PC Deals

Early Black Friday Dell Gaming Laptop Deals

You can quickly browse through all of the listed products on sale above. See below for our favorite picks.

The 2024 Alienware "R16" desktop chassis is a major improvement.

The R16 is Alienware's current 2024 desktop PC design. It's 40% smaller in volume compared to previous iterations. It features a simple yet proven airflow pattern; air is drawn in through the side intake vents over the GPU area and a 120mm fan at the front of the case, and exhausts by way of a 120mm rear fan and two 120mm top fans. A 240mm radiator for the all-in-one liquid cooling system is mounted to these top fans. Some configurations don't actually include the liquid cooling system, but we rarely include them in this roundup. That's because Alienware's liquid cooling solution is far superior to their stock air cooling and is easily worth the price premium.

Alienware Aurora R16 i9 RTX 4090 Gaming PC

Alienware Aurora R16 RTX 4080 Super Gaming PC

Alienware Aurora R16 i7 RTX 4070 Super Gaming PC

Alienware Aurora R16 i7 RTX 4060 Ti Gaming PC

Alienware Aurora R16 i9 RTX 4070 Ti Super Gaming PC

Alienware m16 R2 16" RTX 4060/4070 Gaming Laptops

Alienware m18 R2 18" i9 RTX 4070 Gaming Laptop

Alienware x16 R2 16" Intel Core Ultra 7 RTX 4060 Gaming Laptop

Dell G15 15" AMD Ryzen 7 RTX 4060 Gaming Laptop

15% Off 32" Alienware AW3225QF 4K OLED Monitor

And bonus $250 Dell promotional gift card with purchase

It's still October and Amazon just wrapped up its fall Prime Day sale earlier this month, but it's never too early to start looking at Black Friday deals. Amazon offers one of the largest Black Friday sales out of any online retailer every year, and we expect 2024 to follow this same pattern. The Amazon Black Friday sale will be the best time of the year to buy pretty much anything, but when exactly will it start?

We've been covering Black Friday deals for years, and using this expertise, we should be able to pretty accurately predict when Amazon's sale will actually begin in 2024. We've gathered our prediction below, as well as what deals you can likely expect as the sale kicks off this November. There are already quite a few deals worth taking a look at right now if you're impatient to start shopping.

Best Early Deals on Amazon Today

When Will Amazon Black Friday Start in 2024?

The actual date for Black Friday this year lands on November 29, but we expect the deals to arrive much earlier than Thanksgiving week. The Amazon Black Friday sale officially kicked off about seven days before actual Black Friday last year. We expect the retailer to follow this same pattern this year, which would mean Amazon Black Friday 2024 will likely start on Friday, November 22 this year.

What Deals Should You Expect?

Although we don't know everything that will be on sale during Amazon's Black Friday sale this year, we know enough from previous sales to put together an idea of what you can expect in 2024. We've highlighted some of the key categories we expect to see significant discounts this year below, as well as insights into what deals you likely won't see.

Amazon Devices

The most obvious discounts we expect to see from the Amazon Black Friday sale are on Amazon's own devices. It has discounted these during all of the Prime Day sales and Black Friday should offer the same, if not better, price reductions. This includes all of the Fire TV devices, which will likely be bundled with Xbox Game Pass again now that you can play Xbox games with a Fire TV Stick. Echo speakers and displays will also see significant discounts alongside Blink and Ring security cameras. We also expect to see some of the best Kindle deals of the year, since we didn't really get those during Prime Day this year.

Video Games

Throughout 2024, we've reviewed some really great video games. Unfortunately, we don't expect a lot of the newer games to actually be discounted during Black Friday. That being said, Black Friday is the very best time to buy video games and most popular games from last year will go on sale. This includes games like Starfield, Baldur's Gate 3, and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom to name a few. You will likely be able to nab older PS5 and Switch games for less than $30 in most cases if you are a few years behind the latest game trends.

Apple Products

While it's true that Apple has a Black Friday sale of its own every year, the best Apple Black Friday deals are usually at Amazon. If you're hoping to buy the new AirPods or any of the latest iPads at a discount, you will most likely find these deals at Amazon. The online retailer has been offering discounts on Apple devices throughout all of 2024, but Black Friday is still the best time to buy an iPad, Apple Watch, or pair of AirPods at a significant price reduction. The only deals you likely won't see on Amazon are discounts on the new iPhone 16 models, but you can certainly expect discounts on the best iPhone accessories at the very least.

Video Game Consoles and VR

Black Friday is the best time every year to buy a new console. With the new PS5 Pro still available to preorder and Nintendo Switch Black Friday bundles already announced, we have a decent idea of what to expect. Xbox consoles will likely see the biggest direct discounts, with the Xbox Series S being the overall best deal. There will also most likely be good PS5 Slim bundles available thanks to the release of the PS5 Pro. In terms of VR headsets, we already know that we are going to see some discounts on the Meta Quest 3, because those deals already started earlier this year with the release of the new Quest 3S.

TVs and Monitors

The best time to buy a TV every year is Black Friday. This has been true since before online shopping was even a thing and will be true long after in-store shopping fades away. Since it isn't really hard to find a good TV for cheap these days, Black Friday is more like the best time to buy an expensive TV at a discount. Some of the best gaming TVs like the LG C4 or the Sony Bravia 7 that just recently came out will likely get some of their biggest discounts on Amazon during this time.

For similar reasons, Black Friday is also a great time to buy a gaming monitor every year. If you're trying to decide between a TV and a monitor for your console or PC, you should have plenty of options available from popular brands like Samsung Odyssey and LG UltraGear.

Laptops

There are a few times a year where we see really good laptop deals and Black Friday/Cyber Monday is one of them. Some of the better laptop deals will be direct from brands like Dell and Lenovo, but Amazon always has some great discounts on Asus, Acer, and Samsung laptops during Black Friday. It also tends to have the best overall deals on the popular gaming laptop brands MSI and Razer. Additionally, you can usually find a pretty good price on a new MacBook from Amazon that you won't find from Apple directly.

Gaming PCs

Black Friday is arguably the best time to buy a new gaming PC every year. Whether you're looking to buy a prebuilt gaming rig or build one yourself, Amazon always has some great deals that make it worthwhile. The main brands we expect to see on sale at Amazon are CyberPower and iBuyPower, which usually come packing some of the latest Nvidia GPUs. You most likely won't find big discounts from major brands like Dell on Amazon, but these other brands will often come in at much lower prices during this time of year.

LEGO Sets and Toys

Due to its proximity to the holidays, Black Friday is always an amazing time to find discounts on popular toy brands. For example, some of the most expensive LEGO sets in existence tend to only really drop in price during Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales. This makes these sales a great time to find discounts on LEGO sets, but also other popular brands like Hasbro, Hot Wheels, Fisher Price, Bandai Namco, and Nerf. If you're hoping to pick up gifts for the kids, or even a Nerf Gun for yourself, Amazon is one of the best places to do so.

Books and Comics

Amazon is one of the best places to buy books and one of the best places to buy manga online. This means it's also one of the only places you can consistently find deals on physical copies of popular books and comics. During both Amazon Prime Days this year, we saw some of the lowest prices of the year on book sets, illustrated editions, and collectible hardcovers. You can expect similar discounts during Black Friday to start early with a buy two, get one free sale that Amazon usually offers the week before.

Streaming Services

With Amazon's Prime Video service wrapped up into it's subscription, the retail giant tends to offer some of the best deals on streaming services every year. You can choose to add services like Paramount+, Apple TV+, and more to your Amazon subscription via add-ons, and every year these end up getting discounts for Black Friday. You can check out our guide to Black Friday streaming deals for more details about what to expect in 2024.

Tips for Shopping Amazon Black Friday Deals

With Black Friday still a month away, it's a good time to start planning your shopping in earnest. Here are a few Black Friday tips that you should be considering ahead of the event:

1. Set a Budget – Keeping track of how much money you can actually spend is important to avoid overspending. When everything is on sale, it can be easy to buy more than you really should just because things are at their lowest price of the year.
2. Create a Shopping List – Knowing exactly what you're trying to find discounts on is a great way to avoid making unnecessary purchases. It can also make it easier for you to compare prices between retailers or set price drop alerts ahead of time.
3. Compare Prices – Although Amazon tends to automatically price match most things, it's still good to compare prices to other retailers before you buy. You can also use the website CamelCamelCamel to compare current prices against Amazon's historical pricing.
4. Find Unbiased Reviews – Amazon reviews have gotten somewhat better in recent years, but you should still do research outside of the site before making a decision. Seek out unbiased reviews on expensive purchases before you buy. IGN's Tech reviews, for example, are a great place to look.
5. Be Wary of Sponsored Products – Search results in Amazon include sponsored sales that may not be what you're looking for. Look for the little 'sponsored' tag before you click. You may want to scroll past those.
6. Make Sure to Clip Coupons – One of the easiest ways to save money on Amazon that many folks seem to miss is the clipping of coupons. There are a ton of coupons available for Prime Members, and all you need to do is check a box on the product page for additional savings.

Note: This review specifically covers the Zombies mode in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. For our thoughts on the other modes, see our single-player campaign review or our multiplayer review.

You ever wonder how we got here? Not in an existential, “where did we come from?” kind of way, but more specifically “how did a one-off, co-op survival mode in a video game that used to put quotes about the horrors of war on screen when you died turn into this?” 16 years on, it’s hard to reconcile what the original Nazi Zombies mode from 2008’s World at War used to be with the outrageous, Resident Evil 6-inspired campfest Zombies has become. I’m not saying any of this in a bad way, mind you; Black Ops 6’s take on the mode is thrilling and unique thanks to all new movement mechanics, good map design, some absolutely killer Easter Eggs, lots of truly absurd guns, and the glorious return of round-based gameplay. Zombies hasn’t been the thing it was in World at War for a while, and I still find myself wondering how we got here, but I’m definitely not complaining about the end result.

Let’s carve out the bloody guts of this thing, shall we? Black Ops 6’s Zombies mode features two all-new maps: Terminus, a prison complex-turned-bio-research-station, and Liberty Falls, a small town in West Virginia whose slice of quaint Americana is about to test itself against The Worst Day Ever (spoiler: it doesn’t seem to be going well for the Americana). The story itself is a direct sequel to the Zombies campaign in 2020’s Black Ops Cold War, and if you, like me, have largely forgotten what happened in the intervening four years, there doesn’t seem to be much attempt to catch you up. That means you’re going to hear a lot of proper-noun-filled dialogue that could be important or fun references, but instead had me going “I vaguely remember that person,” a little too often. That said, there are some neat story beats here that I unfortunately can’t talk about without spoilers, and you’ll get more out of each map if you pay attention to the subtle details.

I wish I could say the same for the mid-combat dialogue. Mostly, I wanted the voices in my ear (and the characters I was playing) to shut up. They have what I’m going to call The Modern Video Game Character Problem™, which is to say they all talk too much – especially since half the time they’re just broadcasting their thoughts out loud. I’m not saying each and every one of them is a deeply annoying, terminally unfunny, outrageously unlikeable person, but I’m not not saying that, either. Their mid-combat banter is like something compiled from a Schwarzenegger film penned by ChatGPT – I’m not expecting poetry here, but at least give me Gears of War-level banter, you know? I can only hear lines like the one where someone is complaining about how the zombies make them so mad they “boil their piss” or how we need a mop to clean up all the brains we’re splattering everywhere so many times before I want to turn my gun towards my allies instead. Some of it is admittedly funny — I like Grey’s one about how she wanted a protractor to calculate an impact angle — but mostly it’s just kinda there.

You know what’s pretty sick, though? The gameplay. The biggest change here is Omnimovement (Zombiemovement?), Black Ops 6’s complete overhaul of Call of Duty’s basic movement mechanics. You can sprint, slide, and dive in every direction, even chaining these moves together. You’ve also got a full 360 degrees of motion, which means you can do sick stuff like sprint backwards, pull off a retreating dive, mow down the zombies approaching you from every angle, and then get up and keep moving before they even get close. We haven’t seen zombie-killing moves like this since Resident Evil 6, minus a few suplexes here and there. (Dear Treyarch, please add suplexes. Love, Will.) Even if Treyarch misses what might be the easiest post-launch, patch-introduced layup with that, though, the point I’m making is that this feels good, and I like it. That said, I feel like Omnimovement is more of a cool addition rather than something you’ll use all of the time, especially as the zombies get more numerous in the later rounds.

My favorite thing about this year’s Zombies are the maps themselves. I prefer Liberty Falls over Terminus because I vibe with its more open areas and the unique travel options you have, like the extremely entertaining ziplines that let you zoom from roof to roof. I also enjoy its more traditional structure of “pay Essence to open doors and access new places” over Terminus’s “restore power to the generators and defend them from zombies so you can earn the ability to open doors” twist, but that’s not to say Terminus doesn’t do anything cool. At one point, you’ll have to use a little outboard-powered raft to venture to the smaller islands around the main area to do the next step in the map’s Easter Egg-fueled story mode. Even then, you’re not going to escape any zombies that were chasing you on the mainland. When my team and I landed on a beach, a horde of zombies popped out of the ground like a bunch of really angry, undead cabbages, but c’est la vie, right? C’est la undead? I don’t speak French.

What I do really like are the Easter Eggs unique to each map. Black Ops 6’s Zombies mode has you constantly moving, unlocking new areas, and trying to complete that map’s Main Quest during each round. That means a lot of running for your life and trying to earn enough Essence (which you get from offing zombies) to open the way to the next area, buy a new weapon, or upgrade a gun you like at a Pack-a-Punch Machine, which does exactly what it sounds like. Discovering the Easter Eggs is most of the fun. You’ve got your Main Quest ones, of course, like solving the math equations in Terminus’s science lab to build your Wonder Weapon (an incredibly powerful gun you’ll need to progress the Main Quest) or using that weapon to shoot some ceiling tentacles you’ve summoned to find the hard drive they’ve eaten. But the truly fun stuff are the optional Easter Eggs. Finding all the bowling shoes on Liberty Falls and going zombie bowling, for example, or shooting a hidden skull on top of the church to do your own cover of It’s Raining Men for extra resources. I don’t want to spoil all of these, but there are a lot of them, and they’re all fun, some in some pretty wild ways.

My only complaint is that, to do the fun stuff, you’ll essentially need a pre-built group. Every matchmade group I ran with either had no idea what they were doing or didn’t feel like talking, so our ability to make progress was limited. To complete the Main Quest on Black Ops 6’s Zombies, you’re going to either have a lot of patience and be willing to learn or know how to do it already. And I don’t just mean the Easter Eggs. You’ll need to know what perks, like increased speed and faster reload times or buffed health, to buy first from the soda machines (and where the machines are, so you can eventually grab them all), when to Pack-a-Punch your weapons with Essence and upgrade their rarity with Salvage, where to buy armor upgrades, what Easter Egg goodies to save for the late game, how to keep a single Zombie alive at the end of a round to progress the Main Quest more easily, and a whole lot more. There are a lot of mechanics in Black Ops 6, and you’ll need to know how to take advantage of… most of them.

The only one I found not getting a lot of spin in my runs were Gogglegums, single-use candies that return from Black Ops 3 and provide unique power-ups during matches. Essentially, you bring a customized pack into matches, and then spend Essence at Gobblegum machines to get them mid-match, though you can also earn them. It’s a cool idea, and there are some strong Gobblegums out there, like Perkaholic, which gives you every perk on the map, or Wonderbar, which will give you a guaranteed Wonder Weapon the next time you use a Mystery Box – but my team generally felt it was better to spend money on more expensive, guaranteed boons like a Pack-a-Punch upgrade than to gamble on the less expensive Gobblegums. We basically never used them. I don’t think they’re bad, per se, I just don’t think they’re necessary, either, given everything else you have access to and how tight Essence can sometimes be.

Don’t get me wrong: learning to make sense of all of this stuff is part of the fun. If you’ve played Zombies before, some of it will come naturally, but it does require a lot of coordination. And if don’t have that, well… based on some of the groups I got matched with, some folks just aren’t going to have much fun. Treyarch plans to provide an optional, more guided, story-focused version of the mode later on to preserve the sanctity of the Easter Egg hunt – that will disable Easter Eggs and Side Quests, but I kind of wish it was here now so I didn’t have to roll the matchmaking dice every time my friends were busy. At least any account progression you earn in Zombies carries over to the multiplayer if you wanna take a break, though. Get you some new guns before you go into matchmaking.

Oh, and if you want to do the Main Quest, you’d better be in it for the long haul. Completing a map can take a hours, even if you’re doing it right, and you can’t save your progress unless you’re playing solo – the first time I cleared Liberty Falls, for instance, it took our group about three hours; we were, admittedly, doing a lot of optional stuff, but that is still a long time. So, for the optimal experience, you’ll need a team, all available at the same time, a few spare hours, and for nothing to go wrong. Getting near the end of a map and dying is soul-crushing, not because you failed, but because of how long it can take to do it all again. One night, we got most of the way through a map, died, and then… tried again for about ten rounds before all of us realized we were exhausted and should probably just pick things back up tomorrow.

There are also some annoying bugs. Sometimes, I couldn’t interact with objects and my teammates would have to so we could progress, or trying to pick our Wonder Weapon would always drop the same, super-upgraded Pack-a-Punch gun instead of the cheap one we wanted to give up, or we’d have mid-match disconnects or stuttering. No big multiplayer game launches without similar problems, but they’re no fun either way. Once, we couldn’t even get out of a match properly. We didn’t lose progress, thankfully, but it was still obnoxious.

Sometimes playing No More Room in Hell 2 feels like actually being in hell. One minute, you're approaching a console to start flipping switches with friends, and the next, you're completely stuck – no keyboard inputs work, you can't equip any of your items, and your teammates have to try and lure a zombie over hoping it will put you out of your misery. Issues like this are part of a large pile of problems that could be excused by its Early Access label on Steam; there's only one map released so far, character models are incomplete, and there are plenty more bugs to encounter. But that grace only goes so far. While No More Room in Hell 2 is technically playable, it's not close to actually feeling Early Access-ready. And even if it weren’t riddled with bugs and light on content, it still doesn't have a distinct identity to differentiate it from being yet another co-op survival horror shooter.

No More Room in Hell 2 follows a similar structure to its predecessor's objective-based game mode. Eight players are dropped onto a forest-covered map, and must complete tasks while trying not to get killed by zombie hordes. As is common in survival horror games, you'll have to scavenge for weapons, health items, ammo, and other gear to get a leg up, all of which will be in generally short supply. The first No More Room in Hell took a lot of inspiration from George Romero's Dawn of the Dead with how the zombies (here called "stiffs") function, and that continues to be to its benefit in the sequel: They're slow and shambling, but are huge threats in groups. And the further you get into the map, the more dense the hordes get.

This is all pretty standard for a co-op zombie shooter, but No More Room in Hell 2 uses some smart tricks to help you boost both your kit and your team. You'll spawn randomly at one of eight points around the edges of the sole map, called Power Plant, and work your way towards the middle, completing objectives along the way that'll provide you with all-important gear but also up the difficulty as the hordes get bigger. The map isn't huge, but it's large enough that you might not run into another player until the final area at the center – your teammates don't even show up on your HUD unless you're in a party (in which case you’ll also spawn near them), and you'll only hear them through voice chat if they're physically close enough. That does mean a lot of each round involves going out of your way to team up, but it's an excellent added objective that can make things feel more tense. If you fail, you'll be stuck with some poor loot and nobody to help you up if you go down. It also adds a sense of progression that changes up the map as you go, and a great way to make it feel like your actions are rewarded.

This is the key area where No More Room in Hell 2 excels: fostering cooperation. Sure, I may have been trapped in a horrible glitch that prevented me from evacuating successfully with the rest of my team, but at least I got to watch them try everything they could to free me from my prison. As you all descend on the final area, you're cleverly forced to work together, and you form some temporary camaraderie as a result. If you squint through the egregious bugs — clipping through walls, zombies not dying despite taking damage, guns not dealing damage at all — you can see a game that emphasizes teamwork in smart ways. And despite having just one map, it's the perfect place to watch your crew's story unfold.

The Power Plant offers plenty of opportunities for grouping up through optional objective locations. Completing them will provide you with loot: guns, bullets, health, and sometimes special items that give passive bonuses. You could potentially make it to the end without stocking up at one of these points, but this is a survival horror game where supplies are scarce, so you will want to get through at least one of these areas. They're also easy to find; you can either navigate towards one with the help of your map and compass, or you'll just stumble upon them. When one of two commanders comes over the radio (one of which is surprisingly voiced by Deux Ex's Elias Toufexis) and tells you that there's a church nearby with supplies or a bar that's been booby trapped, I always wanted to swing on by — and any other player in the vicinity usually did too.

Gradually, you'll find your teammates at these locations, where you'll have to work together to complete a series of tasks for your reward. Usually that involves things like finding fuses and placing them inside fuse boxes to power up rooms, turning on generators, or connecting wires within wire boxes. Most require basic puzzle solving and timing to complete, but that's infinitely more difficult when you're being hounded by zombies. Additionally, solving these puzzles brings you into a separate menu that you have to exit if you want to fight back. It's times like these where it becomes important to watch your teammate's back. If they can focus on the task at hand, and you somehow defeat all the zombies, you can move onto the next one. There are even tasks that involve having one player read a randomly-generated code to another to unlock a screen or move a process forward.

By the time you reach the final objective, everybody still alive will have grouped up naturally. Of course, this is when the difficulty is amped up, all but requiring you to work together and coordinate your moves. It’s a tense finale where you're running around, flipping switches, and entering codes to boot the plant back up — all while trying to avoid the biggest zombie horde yet. You can all split up and handle different parts of this objective, but you will all still be in the same area working toward the same goal, and it's, quite frankly, impossible not to help your teammates at least a little bit since there are so many zombies to kill.

Outside of a few tips (save your ammo, jump on cars to get away briefly, etc.), you won't get any in-depth tutorials when you first launch No More Room in Hell 2, and your first round will likely be stressful and confusing as a result – especially if you run into a game-breaking bug. Since there's only one map, it doesn't take long to figure out how to complete the various objectives and where to go to successfully complete a run, but this is also where things get the most repetitive. The first time you encounter some of these locations, like the Lookout Tower or the Ranger's Station, it can be a tense battle to turn on the power, fill up generators, and hit all the correct buttons before getting overrun by zombies or going through all your supplies. After a few rounds, though, you start running through those areas easily. At least, that is until you run into some unwelcome difficulty spikes depending on if you happen to encounter a teammate or have enough gear.

You also don't need to approach every zombie encounter by making a decision to shoot or not to shoot. The tools you have in your arsenal and how you use them have an impact, too. You're always equipped with a flashlight, but having it on will alert zombies. Using a shotgun can disperse a group, but will quickly alert even larger groups waiting nearby. There are items that can let you control crowds, such as a radio or a deployable lamp, but they're rare and tough to throw down in late-game scenarios where you're completely surrounded by zombies, making them interesting ideas that aren’t very useful in practice.

There's a sort of immersive sim quality to how you complete each No More Room in Hell 2 run. Beyond how you approach combat, you can take multiple routes to different locations – there isn't a lot of variety, but it's enough that you can run in any given direction and most likely find a path forward. The level design is on its way to being excellent, with strategically placed dirt piles or trucks that let you climb over fences and lead you to alternate routes. That said, there are also a few areas that are too large or feel outright unnecessary to begin with that can lead to you getting lost.

There are also multiple character types you can choose from before starting a run, each with forgettable names and descriptions like "Football MVP" or "Marine Veteran." They all provide distinct but small buffs to things like two-handed melee damage, stamina, or flashlight battery lifespan. You don't get a choice of character on your first run, but after you die, you'll select between three randomly-generated types each time. As long as you don't die, you can continue building these characters up through experience and supplies collected during a run. If you do die, you lose everything, and you’ll still lose progress if you leave a match early to try and avoid death. It incentivizes you to do well and provides an actual end if you die in-game (and come back as a zombie your teammates can kill). That connection would be more impactful, however, if there were more than the small handful of character models that frequently repeated.

It's these cut corners that currently pull me out of what could be a game on track for a standout full release one day. Yes, there's a lot of leeway you can give to an Early Access launch, but many of the pieces of No More Room in Hell 2 aren't even close to complete. For all the things I like about the map, there are also paths on it that quite literally lead to nowhere. While there are plenty of objectives scattered around, they're obnoxiously inconsistent in terms of difficulty; Some feel downright insurmountable in small groups, while crossing a bridge after opening its gates — something that should feel like a huge moment — can be completed by simply running forward and occasionally strafing.

Then there are the bugs — so, so many bugs. Every Early Access game (and most fully released ones, for that matter) has them, but many here are inexcusable. When I first started playing at launch last week, shotguns didn't always do damage. I was clipping through walls into closed off rooms where I quickly became trapped by zombies, some of which didn't die despite constantly being peppered by bullets. Objective markers wouldn't show up on the HUD, which is kind of a problem when you're a newcomer and don't know where you need to go. Sometimes I'd look at a teammate and they'd just be a floating head. It's a mess.

To its credit, developer Torn Banner Studios has been working diligently on hotfixes since launch, and has released some very impactful updates over the course of my review period. Shotguns are now more reliable, map markers consistently show up, and I can actually accomplish puzzles without getting stuck or clicking on a switch multiple times before it responds. There is still a long way to go before it reaches an acceptable state, but prioritizing hotfixes instead of working on the planned content roadmap is the right call in the short term, and has already resulted in some huge improvements.

Unfortunately, those content updates are desperately needed, too, and ideally something in them to help it stand out from the pack. It's been eight years since No More Room in Hell 2 was first teased, and over a decade since the original No More Room in Hell was spun off from a Half-Life 2 mod into its own standalone game. While the sequel follows a similar structure to its predecessor, with the same darkness-drenched atmosphere, scarce loot, and relatively weak characters, it doesn't offer the same ethical dilemmas and tension building. Gone are the child zombies that were much faster than the standard ones and left you understandably uncomfortable about killing them, for example. The goal was to build a world that felt like an actual apocalypse, where your choices mattered beyond just survival. In contrast, No More Room in Hell 2 is on its way to presenting a world that feels like it's falling apart around you, but in terms of tone and the underlying story, it's just another standard zombie shooter with a focus on getting rescued at the end.

Can any TV series rival The Simpsons for the sheer number of Halloween episodes? Since Season 2, the series has given fans one new "Treehouse of Horror" anthology episode every single year. Early on, these stories were more directly horror-centric, but since then "Treehouse of Horror" has become something of a clearinghouse for stuff the writers can't do during a "regular" episode. And we love it. Well, usually...

In honor of this Halloween tradition, we've ranked every single "Treehouse of Horror" episode so far, up through Season 35's "Treehouse of Horror XXXIV." Some of them are good enough to rival the best episodes from the show's golden years. Others… well, it's hard to bat a thousand over three decades. Read on for our full list, and after you're done, be sure to check out our recently updated best Simpsons Episodes list and see a preview of a classic Treehouse of Horror comic.

35. "Treehouse of Horror XXII" (2011)

"The Diving Bell and the Butterball" is the single-worst "Treehouse of Horror" segment ever, and it's not particularly close. It's essentially one long, profoundly unfunny fart joke. The final segment is an Avatar parody that, like Avatar, has not aged well.

34. "Treehouse of Horror XXXII" (2021)

We'll give this episode a slight bit of credit for trying to shake up the formula and tackle five segments instead of the usual three. But predictably, that only means this batch of horror spoofs feels even more rushed and underdeveloped than usual. The biggest disappointment here is "Bong Joon Ho's 'This Side of Parasite,'" which adds absolutely nothing to the satirical horror film it lampoons.

33. "Treehouse of Horror XXIV" (2013)

Guillermo del Toro was responsible for the opening sequence of this episode, but after that it's really bland. None of the segments are good in the slightest. In particular, the second segment, "Dead and Shoulders," involves Bart's head being attached to Lisa's body, which is a trope that has been handled seemingly dozens of times before, including in a previous "Treehouse of Horror" episode.

32. "Treehouse of Horror XXXI" (2020)

This episode is particularly frustrating in that it probably could have been a winner had the concepts been fleshed out more. "Toy Gory" is a deeply uninspired spoof of the Toy Story movies, and "Be Nine, Rewind" misses the mark with its time travel humor. This episode does at least have the somewhat amusing Marvel parody "Into the Homer-Verse," but even that ultimately recycles a similar premise from the much more successful "Treehouse of Horror XIII."

31. "Treehouse of Horror XXV" (2014)

"The Others" is a fun segment where the "ghosts" of the original Simpsons designs haunt the current Simpson family. It's fun to hear Dan Castellaneta do his old Walter Matthau-esque Homer voice again. On the other hand, "School is Hell" is an example of an unfortunate trend that started to plague these episodes as things went on; super gory gross-out humor that is unsubtle and unpleasant. Call it a mixed bag.

30. "Treehouse of Horror XXVII" (2016)

This recent addition to the series is so unmemorable you may very well not recall a single segment. That means none of them are particularly good, but also none of them are particularly bad. It's thoroughly mediocre. Also, this is the 600th episode, which feels unfortunate, but it did get us a semi-fun song tacked onto the end. You'd like such a significant milestone to be marked by something other than a bland collection of stories that includes an uninspired James Bond/Kingsman parody.

29. "Treehouse of Horror XXXIV" (2023)

This episode is another real mixed bag. The segment spoofing NFTs and Crypto Bros feels dated on arrival, and the Kylie Jenner cameo doesn't help. "Lout Break" is a half-hearted spoof of pandemic movies that never really connects. But there is fun to be had in "Ei8ht," as the series again brings in Kelsey Grammer's Sideshow Bob for a story set in an alternate universe where the beloved episode "Cape Feare" ended very differently.

28. "Treehouse of Horror XXX" (2019)

The 30th Treehouse special also happens to be the show's 666th episode, a fact that yields some comedic gold in the Omen-inspired intro sequence. Beyond that, however, there's not much to write home about with this one, even as The Simpsons finally gets around to spoofing Netflix's Stranger Things in "Danger Things."

27. "Treehouse of Horror XXVI" (2015)

Sideshow Bob finally got to kill Bart. That's amusing in concept, although the segment isn't actually all that enjoyable. For such a "momentous" event, it didn't really stick the landing. "Homerzilla" is no "King Homer," but it's decent enough. One imagines it can be hard to keep coming up with new "Treehouse of Horror" segments, but it'd be nice for the execution to be a bit higher than these more recent ones, nevertheless.

26. "Treehouse of Horror XXIX" (2018)

Like many of the more recent specials, Treehouse XXIX tries and mostly fails to do justice to the classic horror fare it spoofs. It's particularly frustrating seeing the series struggle with classics like Invasion of the Body Snatchers and Jurassic Park (though the latter got all the parody it ever needed way back in Season 6's "Itchy & Scratchy Land"). But this episode does hit paydirt with a much more recent film, as "Multiplisa-ty" turns out to be a surprisingly entertaining riff on M. Night Shyamalan's Split.

25. "Treehouse of Horror XVIII" (2007)

"Mr. & Mrs. Simpson" is a parody of Mr. and Mrs. Smith, which has nothing to do with Halloween. However, it's also the best segment in this episode, and a good, entertaining one overall. It's certainly an argument in favor of "Treehouse of Horror" stepping out of the Halloween and horror world. That's also true of the final segment "Heck House," which is definitely spooky, but equally mundane. The opening segment is an E.T. parody that's fine.

24. "Treehouse of Horror XX (2009)

The opening segment is really fun, especially if you like the idea of Frankenstein's Monster dressing like SpongeBob. "Don't Have a Cow, Mankind" is a solid zombie story, although not as good as "Dial 'Z' for Zombies," which we'll talk about in a bit. The final segment is weird, because it's quite meta. It's basically the characters from the show putting on a parody of Sweeney Todd. However, that also makes it feel fresh, which is impressive 20 episodes in.

23. "Treehouse of Horror XIII" (2002)

The clone story is funny, especially the dig at Family Guy they sneaked into it. On the other hand, "The Island of Dr. Hibbert" isn't funny in the slightest, and is one of the worst "Treehouse of Horror" stories. The first two segments are carrying that one to make this a middle-of-the-road outing.

22. "Treehouse of Horror XXI" (2010)

This episode features an of-the-moment parody of Twilight, a very much not-of-the-moment parody of Dead Calm, and a -- now, anyway -- suddenly of-the-moment parody of Jumanji. They are all fine, although the Jumanji bit is surprisingly dark. That is if you consider the idea of two 10-year-olds being hanged dark.

21. "Treehouse of Horror XII" (2001)

There is a lot of potential in a Harry Potter parody, even in 2001 when that franchise was still mostly known in book form. But "Wiz Kids" only partially succeeds. Pierce Brosnan is fun as the voice of a killer house in "House of Whacks," and the first segment is decent enough. This particular edition of "Treehouse of Horror" came at a time when popular opinion was starting to turn against The Simpsons, and also at a time when these Halloween episodes were airing in early November. Both of these things went against this episode, but time has revealed it as being an OK half-hour of TV.

20. "Treehouse of Horror XXXIII" (2022)

For a recent Treehouse of Horror installment, this one is unusually decent. "The Pookadook" is a surprisingly effective sendup of The Babadook, and if nothing else, "Death Tome" offers a welcome chance to see the world of Springfield rendered in full-blown anime style. The real highlight here, though, is "Simpsons World," an extremely meta parody of HBO's Westworld series that gleefully and repeatedly calls back to the show's golden era.

19. "Treehouse of Horror XVII" (2006)

"The Day the Earth Looked Stupid," a parody of the (alleged) panic stemming from Orson Welles' "War of the Worlds" broadcast, has an interesting idea it doesn't execute in ideal fashion. It does eventually turn into a satire of America's invasion of Iraq, which you would think would date things, but… On the other hand, Richard Lewis voicing a neurotic golem is quite funny. Then Fran Drescher shows up and this Halloween episode gets rather Jewish (to its tremendous benefit).

18. "Treehouse of Horror XV" (2004)

"The Ned Zone" is really good, because it builds on Ned Flanders' mild-mannered personality, and also his sometimes antagonistic relationship with Homer. When a story is a flight of fancy, it's a lot easier to accept Homer being a complete jerk and doofus, and the stakes can be higher. Like, the destruction of Springfield through nuclear meltdown higher. The other two segments are pretty good, and we do get to hear Yeardley Smith put an English accent onto her Lisa voice.

17. "Treehouse of Horror XVI" (2005)

Here is a case where every single segment could be met with "Eh, I guess that was OK." That makes for a decent episode of television, but also one that is somewhat difficult to discuss critically at length. At least The Simpsons got to take a shot at baseball in its opening sequence. At this time, the MLB playoffs were pushing "Treehouse of Horror" into November, which one imagines the folks on the show weren't too happy about.

16. "Treehouse of Horror XXVIII" (2017)

This episode is easily among the best of the more recent Treehouse specials. That's thanks in no small part to the fact that the series finally gets around to lampooning The Exorcist (with Maggie as the demonically possessed child, naturally). This episode also gets props for its visually ambitious tribute to Neil Gaiman's Coraline in "Coralisa."

15. "Treehouse of Horror XIV" (2003)

"Reaper Madness" is one of the top 10 "Treehouse of Horror" segments of all time. Maybe even top five. Homer becomes the Grim Reaper, and the story ends with Homer trying to outrun God on a motorcycle in a parody of action chases everywhere. It's hilarious and a delight. On the other hand, the other two segments (including one with the late Jerry Lewis) aren't up to that level. In fact, the final segment kind of blows. This ranking is almost entirely thanks to the excellent "Reaper Madness."

14. "Treehouse of Horror" (1990)

Where it all started. At the time, this idea was fresh. The Simpsons stepping out of their real world and telling stories was remarkable. We were introduced to Kang and Kodos! This is definitely a noteworthy episode. It just isn't quite as funny as other installments. Hey, it was a new idea. They had some kinks to work out. It may have been cool to hear James Earl Jones recite "The Raven" on The Simpsons, but is anybody going to try and argue that segment is funny at all?

13. "Treehouse of Horror X" (1999)

A parody of I Know What You Did Last Summer. A story built around Xena: The Warrior Princess. A segment all about Y2K. Yes, this "Treehouse of Horror" is very much of its time. That being said, all these bits are at least pretty good. It has some memorable lines, and features a funny appearance from Tom Arnold. This episode will remind you of the importance of putting your fog lights in, and also maybe make you crave some Sugar Crisp.

12. "Treehouse of Horror II" (1991)

Since the idea of "Treehouse of Horror" was still fresh, The Simpsons decided to put these fantastical stories into context. As such, here Homer, Bart, and Lisa all eat too much candy and then have sugar-induced nightmares. The stories are all strongly geared towards the horror and Halloween theme, which is nice, and the twist at the end of Bart's story (he awakes in horror because he has a tender moment with Homer) is clever.

11. "Treehouse of Horror IX" (1998)

"Hell Toupee" and "The Terror of Tiny Toon" are both good segments. The latter is particularly strong, because Bart and Lisa are sucked into the television, which leads to a lot of fun stuff, including interactions with a live-action Regis and Kathy Lee. The last segment, though, wherein we find out Maggie is an alien and the family goes on Jerry Springer, is a little lackluster. The overall episode is good, though.

10. "Treehouse of Horror XIX" (2008)

For a later "Treehouse of Horror," this edition is particularly amusing. There is a funny segment where Homer kills celebrities so that their images can be used in ads without their consent. Alas, two of the people he killed are the now actually dead Prince and Neil Armstrong (watch your back, George Clooney). However, the final segment, a violent parody of "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown," is the highlight. It's a pitch-perfect spoof, but also funny and clever beyond that.

9. "Treehouse of Horror XI" (2000)

None of these three stories are iconic standouts, but they are all good. The opening sequence, a Munsters parody, is also cool, at least if you remember The Munsters. Homer as a ghost is entertaining, and so is the tale of dolphins rising from the oceans to overtake humanity. Additionally, a Hansel and Gretel parody includes a great twist on the old gag of somebody making up a fake name based on something they see in the room. This feels like one of the first instances of that twist, perhaps the very first.

8. "Halloween of Horror" (2015)

Maybe this episode is more of an honorable mention, since it's not technically part of the Treehouse series. But considering that it's also one of the best Halloween-themed Simpsons episode of the 21st Century, it really deserves a place here. "Halloween of Horror" bucks the anthology format for a single, more straightforward story about Homer trying to help a badly spooked Lisa learn how to enjoy the holiday again. It's a surprisingly heartfelt celebration of their father/daughter bond.

7. "Treehouse of Horror III" (1992)

For all the talk of "Treehouse of Horror" getting away from horror stuff in recent years, that trend really started almost as soon these specials became a thing. The third edition of the series features a (decent enough) parody of King Kong. The other two segments are horror-centric, and also better, including "Dial 'Z' for Zombies," which allows Homer to finally shoot Flanders. The evil Krusty doll story is particularly good, and features Homer's iconic "That's good/That's bad" conversation with a mysterious shopkeeper.

6. "Treehouse of Horror XXIII" (2012)

This special proves there's still gold to be found even with the more recent seasons. The middle segment, a Paranormal Activity spoof, is decent, and probably necessary. They couldn't avoid doing a found footage horror parody around this time. Meanwhile, the other two segments are really good, especially for being from the 23rd edition. The first one isn't really a parody. It's just a smart, amusing story about a black hole. Then there is "Bart and Homer's Excellent Adventure," which is one of the best segments ever. There's time travel, Artie Ziff, and "The United Federation of Homers Through History."

5. "Treehouse of Horror VIII" (1997)

The top five really take things to another level. "Fly vs. Fly" is great. It features the hilarious line, "The pants are a dead giveaway." Sure, without context that may not be funny, but in context it's great. Watch the episode. It's wall-to-wall wonderful. Homer as the (seemingly) last man on Earth is also a joy. Even "Easy Bake Coven," which isn't quite as good as the other two segments, is memorable and as satisfying as a caramel cod.

4. "Treehouse of Horror IV" (1993)

"The Devil and Homer Simpson" is definitely memorable. After all, Homer sells his soul for a donut. It may not be side-splittingly funny (or groin-grabbingly transcendent), but the execution is still a lot of fun. That being said, "Terror at 5 ½ Feet" and "Bart Simpson's Dracula" are both really strong. Plus, there are the wraparounds, which were written by Conan O'Brien. Need you be reminded of the most horrifying painting of all? The one of the dogs playing poker? Of course you don't, because it's iconic (and hilarious).

3. "Treehouse of Horror V" (1994)

All of these episodes are great, and feature iconic "Treehouse of Horror" segments. This is the episode where Groundskeeper Willie gets an axe in the back in all three stories. There's the one where the adults of Springfield Elementary kill and eat all the children. Homer building a time machine out of a toaster and experiencing the perils of the butterfly effect is super funny. Then, of course, we can't forget "The Shinning." No TV and no beer make Homer something something…

2. "Treehouse of Horror VI (1995)

All three of these segments are impeccable. You can try and quibble with them, but your quibbles are faulty. Lard Lad coming to life to get his donut back? Awesome. Groundskeeper Willie as Freddy Krueger in the segment that gave us the quote "Lousy Smarch Weather?" Fantastic. Homer in 3D? Super cool and incredibly fun, even before he enters the real world (and then enters an erotic cake store). This isn't just a great "Treehouse of Horror." It's one of the very best Simpsons episodes period. And yet, it isn't quite the best "Treehouse of Horror" of the bunch.

1. "Treehouse of Horror VII" (1996)

That's because of this episode. "The Thing and I," with Bart's long-lost twin Hugo, is really good. So is "The Genesis Tub." However, if we are all being honest, this is mostly about "Citizen Kang." "Citizen Kang" is the best "Treehouse of Horror" segment, hands down. It's brilliant. It's one of the most iconic bits of Simpsons history, period. From beginning to end, it's hilarious and full of memorable moments and lines. "Don't blame me, I voted for Kodos" is one of the quintessential Simpsons lines. Thanks to the power of "Citizen Kang" this is the best of all the "Treehouse of Horror" episodes. Abortions for some, miniature American flags for others!

What's your favorite "Treehouse of Horror" episode? Let's discuss in the comments...

Note: This story was updated on October 31, 2024. It originally ran on April 15, 2018.

Chris Morgan is the author of The Ash Heap of History and The Comic Galaxy of Mystery Science Theater 3000. Wisely or not, he's also on Twitter.

It’s Mac week at Apple. And while the Cupertino company didn’t host a big event like it did in September for new iPhones, we still got announcements for three new Macs. Apple has announced new upgrades for the iMac, Mac Mini, and MacBook Pro, all powered by the brand-new M4 (or M4 Pro/Max) chip. All of these machines are now available for preorder in a variety of configurations (and, in some cases, colors) and will be released on November 8. Let’s take a look at what’s new and where you can preorder.

Apple Mac Mini with M4 Chip (2024)

Apple iMac with M4 Chip (2024)

Apple MacBook Pro with M4 Chip (2024)

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