High on Life 2 is our IGN First “cover story” game for December, which means we’ve got exclusive coverage all month long. We’ve already posted plenty of new gameplay, and today we’re thrilled to announce one of High on Life 2’s brand-new weapons: Say hello to the Flint Turtles, flame-spitting reptiles who can be wielded like flamethrowers or tossed like fire-belching sentries.

Take a look at some footage of the Flint Turtle in action in the video below, and for more exclusive High on Life 2 coverage – don't miss our first weapon reveal of Travis.

High on Life 2 will be released on February 13, 2026 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S – including launching on day one into Xbox Game Pass.

Ryan McCaffrey is IGN's executive editor of previews and host of both IGN's weekly Xbox show, Podcast Unlocked, as well as our monthly(-ish) interview show, IGN Unfiltered. He's a North Jersey guy, so it's "Taylor ham," not "pork roll." Debate it with him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan.

As usual, there were a bunch of horror movies to check out in 2025. The genre never has a lack of new contributions, thanks in part to its relatively low bar of entry for up-and-coming filmmakers, as well as to audiences’ never-ending appetite for stuff that will thrill them. Some of these new horror flicks of 2025 were great, some were good, some were just OK, and plenty were, shall we say, not great at all.

There were sequels like The Conjuring: Last Rites, Final Destination: Bloodlines and Five Nights at Freddy's 2. There were fresh new concepts like Weapons and Sinners (more on those two below). And there were dog POV ghost stories too! (Actually, even Steven Soderbergh got into the ghost point-of-view party with Presence this year.)

Oh, and let’s not forget Stephen King adaptations. The author’s legacy was present on the big screen throughout the year (and the small screen as well with Welcome to Derry), from Osgood Perkins' fun adaptation of The Monkey to Francis Lawrence’s intense The Long Walk and, most recently, Edgar Wright’s non-horror spin on The Running Man.

But what was the best horror of the year? Read on…

Runner-Up: 28 Years Later

It hadn’t actually been 28 years since the last movie in the series (just 22), but the return of director Danny Boyle and screenwriter Alex Garland, who gave us the original tale of the Rage Virus back in 2003, was certainly a cause for celebration. However, rather than return to Cillian Murphy’s Jim for this sequel, we were instead introduced to a new batch of (wildly different) characters in the strange new world that has evolved since folks started gettin’ angry and spittin’ up blood at each other. As IGN’s Tom Jorgensen said in his review, “28 Years Later is as potent and timely an exploration of cultural strife as the original, and Danny Boyle and Alex Garland tug at the heartstrings with bloody, deadly skill.”

Runner-Up: Bring Her Back

The Philippou brothers, Danny and Michael, may have started as YouTubers, but their 2023 debut feature Talk to Me left an eerie mark on the horror genre. And so their follow-up film was always going to be a “do they really have what it takes” test. And you know what? It turns out they do. The supernaturally tinged Bring Her Back is anchored by Sally Hawkins’ performance as a foster mother who takes in the teenage Andy (Billy Barratt) and his sister Piper (Sora Wong) after their father dies. Not surprisingly, Hawkins’ Laura is not quite what she seems, and the resulting scares, blood, and chills prove that the Philippous are here to stay.

Runner-Up: Sinners

Frequent collaborators Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan reteamed (again) for Sinners, taking a step into the horror genre along the way with a tale of vampires, generational sin, and Black history. The Fruitvale Station/Creed/Black Panther team gave us a picture filled with blood and pointy fangs, yes, but also one packed with emotion and sexiness and, by the way, amazing performances across the board – and in particular by Jordan in a dual role as twin brothers Smoke and Stack Moore. Said Eric Goldman in his review for IGN, “Other frequent Coogler collaborators like cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw and costume designer Ruth E. Carter do remarkable work bringing the brothers’ world to life. Sinners also puts music to beautiful use, as we’re reminded that vampirism is but one way to achieve immortality.”

Runner-Up: Together

Writer-director Michael Shanks made his feature-length debut with this body horror flick about a young couple who, well, learn that being together sometimes means changing… Real-life couple Alison Brie and Dave Franco star as the girlfriend/boyfriend duo who perhaps should actually not be together anymore, but old habits die hard… and sometimes in increasingly horrific, hilarious ways, as Together shows us. Siddhant Adlakha sums it up in his IGN review: “What if you literally couldn’t be separate from your partner? Together answers that question with an obvious metaphor that Alison Brie and Dave Franco turn into a hilarious action-body-horror blast.”

Winner: Weapons

Writer-director Zach Cregger followed up his 2022 hit Barbarian with this creepfest about a town where 17 school children inexplicably all disappeared from their homes at the same moment one night. Told through different “chapters” which relay the various characters’ points of view, Weapons cleverly keeps the audience guessing as to what’s really going on even as our loyalties and feelings about certain characters are subverted: For example, Josh Brolin’s angry dad, who shows up briefly in Julia Garner’s school teacher’s “chapter” to blame her for the kids’ disappearance, comes across as hostile and in the wrong… until we join him in his own chapter and are suddenly on his side.

As with Barbarian, Cregger is willing to delve into the truly weird and surreal. But it works better in Weapons in so far as – without giving too much away if you somehow haven’t yet heard what the film’s twists are – the more supernatural aspects of the story are believable in this world. And they’re also horrifying at times, which is why Weapons is IGN’s Best Horror Movie of 2025!

Read our Weapons review.

What do you think? Was Weapons the best horror movie of the year? Should it have gone to Sinners or another of these titles? Let’s talk in the comments, and don’t forget to vote in the poll above. And don’t forget to check out all our IGN Awards for 2025 across film, TV, gaming, anime, and comics!

With the Switch 2 having launched in June, 2025 marked the beginning of a whole new console generation for Nintendo. The more powerful hybrid console has seen an extremely busy first six months, filled with excellent first-party games, surprising third-party ports, and highly-anticipated indies. And even deep into its ninth year, the original Switch provided its players with plenty to do, too, with the long-overdue arrivals of Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Xenoblade Chronicles X, and a few cross-generation Nintendo games that made it to both Switches.

Nintendo itself published a whopping 16 games in 2025 – spread across new Switch 1 and 2 games and enhanced Switch 2 editions of older games – and along with the higher volume of third-party support brought on by a new console, it’s a crowded field to choose the best of the best from this year. But ranking things is what we do at IGN, so here are the Nintendo Switch games we went bananas for in 2025, starting with the honorable mentions…

Honorable Mentions

Our staff voted for a wide variety of games, but not all of them can make our shortlist of the top five Nintendo Switch games of the year. They still deserve a nod, though, and we start with Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time, a Switch 2 launch game for the cozy gamers that combines chill action RPG systems with life sim mechanics. The Pokemon series wasted no time debuting on Switch 2 with Pokemon Legends: Z-A, a cross-generation release in the more experimental Legends subseries. It shook up the formula by introducing a more action-focused battle system in an adventure set entirely within Lumiose City. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment was another strong entry in the Zelda spinoff series, with flashy action that remixed Tears of the Kingdom’s abilities in clever ways. And while it arrived too late into the year to have been included in our ballot, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is finally here, eight years after it was first teased at E3 2017. I reviewed it, and it turned out great, with highs that rival the best moments in the whole series. Now, let’s move on to our four runner-ups…

Runner-Up - Mario Kart World

Mario Kart World had a lot of expectations placed on it. Its predecessor, Mario Kart 8, established itself as the definitive kart racer over the course of the Wii U and Switch years, and it was tough to see how Nintendo would improve upon it in a sequel. On top of that, World was also the flagship launch game for Switch 2, meaning it had the responsibility of leaving a strong first impression of the generation to come. While it feels like Mario Kart World is still living in 8 Deluxe’s shadow, at least for now, it’s still a fantastic game in its own right. It’s a gorgeous showcase for Nintendo’s new console with its vibrant, exaggerated art style, and its tight controls are the most polished of any entry in the series. Plus, its frankly enormous soundtrack is an absolute treat for longtime Mario fans, with catchy remixes of tunes drawn from across the entire franchise, from old Mario Kart games, to platformers like Yoshi’s Island.

The implementation of its open world is uneven overall, but its miles and miles of interconnected roads allow for World’s standout new mode: Knockout Tour. This tense cross-country race eliminates the bottom four drivers at designated cutoff points, leading to moments where you lean forward in your seat and press the A button even harder in an attempt to will your kart across the finish line. It’s a brilliant evolution of Mario Kart that will no doubt be a staple on family game nights for years to come. And we can’t end this without shouting out Cow, the new playable character who stole our hearts.

Runner-Up - Kirby Air Riders

Switch 2’s first-party lineup featured a couple of fascinating risks in its first six months: instead of a 3D Mario, we got a 3D Donkey Kong. And instead of starting work on a new Smash Bros., Masahiro Sakurai instead directed Kirby Air Riders; a surprise sequel to a niche GameCube racer that no one saw coming. Air Riders turned out to be fantastic – Sakurai truly gave the Smash Ultimate treatment to Air Ride – and it’s hard to imagine a better realization of this formula. It’s overflowing with wildly different modes, meaningful unlockables and achievements to chase, and a borderline absurd amount of customization. There’s an extreme level of polish and attention to detail throughout every pocket of Air Riders that makes the whole thing shine brightly. Its unique – and admittedly somewhat limited – one or two-button control scheme isn’t going to be for everyone. But if you meet Air Riders on its own terms and click with it, you’ll find a cult classic in the making that’s unlike many other triple-A games out there.

Runner-Up - Hollow Knight: Silksong

This year, both generations of Nintendo Switch got two long-awaited metroidvania sequels that were, in hindsight, probably announced far too early: Metroid Prime 4, and our next runner-up, Hollow Knight: Silksong. While Prime 4 has some visible scars from its troubled development, Silksong somehow managed to arrive sparkling like a masterpiece whose artists just didn’t want to stop adding more to it. As IGN’s reviewer Tom Marks put it, “The whole world may have been waiting for Hollow Knight: Silksong’s cocoon to finally crack open, but it sure doesn’t seem to have been burdened by that pressure. This excellent sequel to an all-time great has more than managed to live up to the high expectations I had set for it, standing as both a smart continuation of the original Hollow Knight and a fantastic game of its own.” Silksong may not be developed by Nintendo, but it feels right at home on Switch 2, because of both its obvious debt of inspiration to the Metroid franchise, and the fact that the first Hollow Knight really took off after it was ported to the original Switch in 2018.

Runner-Up - Hades 2

The first Hades was a runaway success – it even won IGN’s Game of the Year award in 2020 – so it’s remarkable that Supergiant Games managed to outdo itself with a sequel. Hades 2 is an incredible refinement of the innovative story-driven roguelite blueprint laid out by its predecessor. As IGN’s reviewer Leana Hafer said, “There is no one out there doing what Supergiant does as well as it does, and this exceptional action roguelite is some of this team’s best work on nearly every level (which is an astonishingly high bar to clear)... The art is breathtaking, the characters are captivating, the combat is fast, fun, endlessly varied, and tactical, and the music is spectacular.” Just like the first, Hades 2 launched in 1.0 as a Nintendo console exclusive (alongside its PC release), giving Switch 1 and 2 players one of the year’s very best. Hades 2 is also one of only two games this year to score our highest rating on IGN: a 10 out of 10 masterpiece. But the other game that scored a 10 also happens to be a Nintendo game…

Winner - Donkey Kong Bananza

The safe option would have been to release a new 3D Mario game in the Switch 2’s launch window. But Nintendo made a bold move instead, choosing to bring one of its original mascots back in-house for the first time in 20 years. The result is Donkey Kong Bananza: an ambitious, masterful 3D platformer that brilliantly redefines one of gaming’s oldest characters while simultaneously paying loving tribute to every era of the great ape. DK and Pauline’s journey to the planet core was the Switch 2’s first essential adventure, and our staff’s pick for the best Nintendo game of 2025.

Few games feel as satisfying to play as Bananza. DK’s moveset is fast, expressive, and powerful, and the way the meticulously designed breakable world is structured around his destructive toolkit is incredibly impressive. Just ripping a chunk out of the ground leads to so many dynamic options: you can throw it, swing it, double jump, or even surf. Romping around each detailed sublevel and hunting for hundreds of well-hidden collectibles as the world crumbles before you is a blast. It’s always exciting to see what new twist the next layer’s terrain will bring, and Bananza’s focus on platforming by way of destruction is a completely fresh idea that pushes this genre in groundbreaking new directions.

Bananza also takes clear inspiration from Nintendo greats like Breath of the Wild in the way it approaches player freedom. Not only can you tear every level down to the studs, Bananza is ready for almost any sequence break you throw at it. Did you skip a layer’s challenge entirely by cleverly platforming around it? Pauline will comment on it when you’re diving to the next area. Nintendo doesn’t stop you from playing how you want, always allowing for a rewarding amount of flexibility, but it’s bold enough to also let you know the development team thought of all these tricks first.

Donkey Kong has gone through so many phases and stewards: from Shigeru Miyamoto’s legendary arcade original, to Rare’s classic Donkey Kong Country trilogy, to Retro’s fantastic revivals. But with Bananza, Nintendo finally brought Donkey Kong home again and kicked off a brand new era that’s hopefully just getting started. Donkey Kong is Nintendo’s king of 2025.

What was your favorite Nintendo game this year? Let us know in the comments! For more IGN awards, check out our pick for the best Xbox game of the year. And for a deeper dive on Nintendo’s 2025, check out our pair of year-in-review episodes of the Nintendo Voice Chat podcast over on the IGN Games YouTube channel or your favorite podcast app.

The past few years have felt like an embarrassment of riches when it comes to RPGs, and so expectations were high going into 2025. Thankfully, the last 12 months certainly lived up to such a bar. While that's good for gamers, it made things more than a little tough when whittling down our list of the best role-playing games of the year, especially because we had a wide variety of RPG styles that satisfied different tastes.

Avowed gave us some of that Obsidian magic in a fantasy world that was tighter and more focused than many of its contemporaries, resulting in a game that didn’t feel as overwhelming as typical open-world RPGs. Deltarune’s new chapters elevated the ongoing Undertale-adjacent saga to new heights with increasingly clever gameplay twists and sharper narrative chops. And if you had 100-plus hours to spare, Octopath Traveler 0 offered a stunning conclusion for an unforgettable journey to cap off the year.

The definition of RPG is fairly free-flowing these days, so you’ll see games with elements of the genre in our other award categories. But we made careful considerations for games with RPG mechanics at the forefront of their gameplay, along with deep stories, for this particular list. However, there can only be five games and one winner, so the IGN team voted and deliberated on which games would make up this year’s list. We believe the genre is in good hands with the games we picked, and the game we've chosen as the Best RPGs of 2025 is something very special.

Runner-Up – Trails in the Sky: 1st Chapter

The Trails series, part of the larger Legend of Heroes franchise, has been gaining more and more traction over recent years. But it’s tricky to recommend as it now numbers 13 entries, all of which are part of a continuous timeline. Remake Trails in the Sky: 1st Chapter helps rememdy that problem, as it went right back to the beginning to create one of strongest and sharpest games in the series – and now, it’s the easiest one to recommend.

Trails revolves around a deeply developed world with captivating geopolitical drama at its heart. 1st Chapter does such a good job of painting that broad picture, which is seen in detail through the eyes of its two leads, Estelle and Joshua. As budding Bracers (a peacekeeping guild) whose father is a legend in the guild, they're perfect conduits to provide a pretty intimate understanding of the world's various regions and how they feed into the larger story. The turn-based battles feature a fantastic blend of action combat and the series’ unique positioning system, which creates a gameplay flow that ushers you through this expanded version of this classic RPG. The true magic of Trails lies in the multifaceted stories from multiple perspectives, but it all starts here in Trails in the Sky, and this remake is a terrific representation of that.

Runner-Up – Dragon Quest 1&2 HD-2D Remake

Square Enix has done excellent work in revitalizing the Dragon Quest games of yore, and Dragon Quest 1&2 HD-2D Remake is the best example yet. The high-definition pixel art makeover is more than just a sensible way to pretty-up these classics, it also lets them stay true to the spirit of their original look without the weird pixel smoothing effect of past remasters. These Remakes also retain the turn-based combat system and characters without sacrificing the distinct spirit of the original games from all those years ago (frustrating difficulty spikes and all), but even then, quality of life improvements make sure they’re still enjoyable in a modern sense. Combined with the DQ3 HD-2D remake, these games complete the "Erdrick trilogy" of Dragon Quest games, and you can see how the series pioneered the genre, especially with the second entry’s emphasis on characters and storytelling. This package is one of the best examples of modernized nostalgia – faithful to the originals and approachable in today’s gaming landscape. And it’s some of the best role-playing we experienced this year.

Runner-Up – The Outer Worlds 2

When it comes to RPGs and letting players dictate how they interact with the world, Obsidian is one of the best studios to do it. The Outer Worlds 2 improves on the first game in almost every way, from punchier gunplay to much deeper role-playing systems. The options you have to build your character and make pivotal choices have a larger impact on what you can do in combat, but also create specific avenues for how quests play out. We keep pointing to the Flaws system, which was present in the original, but has been expanded in unpredictable, creative ways by giving you some serious pros/cons to consider based on your playing habits. However, the much more expansive areas, smarter level design, and dynamic combat encounters make sure the actual gameplay experience is a significant leap over the first game. And you can’t have an RPG of this style without choice and consequence at the heart of the story, and Obsidian reminds us with The Outer Worlds 2 that it still has the chops, even in a post-Fallout: New Vegas era.

Runner-Up – Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is an investment that pays back multiple times over in its 120-hour runtime. It’s a commitment - a slow-burn game you have to want to live in. But it’s also an action-packed cinematic adventure that proves to have an emotional range that the original didn’t. You might be just "some guy" as Henry, yet that role often lets you see the world for what it is, whether you’re doing seemingly mundane activities or the pivotal story quests where your choices matter. What this game does better than most, though, is first-person melee combat, a tough thing that even the mighty Elder Scrolls franchise has struggled with for so long. It is intricate, skill-based, and stays engaging even as you get deeper into the furthest corners the campaign. Although developer Warhorse Studios arguably tries to bite off more than it can chew at times, you’ll find the quality writing and great combat leads you to a satisfying conclusion. This sequel might pick off where the first ended, but jumping into Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 regardless of your experience will open you up to a rare RPG that deserves its flowers, 2025 or otherwise.

Winner – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Suprise, surprise – the Best RPG of 2025 is Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and for good reason. The folks at development team Sandfall Interactive drew direct inspiration from Japanese RPGs like Final Fantasy 10 and Persona 5 (their words, not ours), and made the kind of game they wanted to play. We know there’s still a huge appetite for good turn-based RPGs, and Clair Obscur is further proof of that, but it’s the mechanics built into the combat system that makes it stand out. The active timing inputs keep you engaged in each fight, and recognizing attack patterns so that you may parry and inflict damage on an enemy turn is some of the most satisfying stuff we’ve experienced in a turn-based system. Each party member plays uniquely and has their own unique gameplay gimmick, as to represent a Job or Class, but there's then the Picto/Lumina system that lets you stack on perks and wild buffs – at some point it feels like you’re breaking the game. However, the toughest challenges ensure the game pushes back on you to really test your mastery and understanding of its more intricate mechanics. It’s one of the best combat systems we’ve seen in a good long while, and it keeps that momentum throughout its story and optional content.

But Expedition 33 wouldn’t be a true homage to JRPGs without a melodramatic and heartwrenching story. While it immediately hits you with the theme of time wiping away swathes of people – friends and loved ones disintegrating before your eyes – it grows into a meditation on grief and how it changes people, seen through the eyes of fully formed characters who change alongside each other. Whether or not you want intricate systems, fun combat, or deep stories from your RPGs, Clair Obscur delivered all of that in a way that won the hearts of us here at IGN.

For more of our end-of-the-year celebrations, be sure to check out our list of awards and nominees, which is being updated daily in the lead-up to our official Best Game of 2025 announcement.

Michael is the tech reviews editor at IGN, but regularly contributes to games coverage with reviews, features, and news.

Capcom's Resident Evil Requiem trailer that revealed Leon S. Kennedy also featured yet another familiar face from the series' past, fans believe.

Blink and you'll miss it, but the trailer also includes a blonde female character speaking to Leon over comms, who fans believe is none other than Sherry Birkin — and, listening to the voice performance, they may well have a point.

Sherry first popped up in Resident Evil 2 (where she met Leon for the first time) but more recently featured in Resident Evil 6. Compare Sherry's voice actress from Resi 6 to the dialogue heard in Capcom's new Requiem trailer, and the two sound remarkably similar, if not identical. Take a listen via the fan comparison embedded below.

The character speaking to Leon is most likely Sherry Birkin, the voice is the same as hers in Resident Evil 6, the hair color is exactly the same, and she also works in the same organization as Leon, DSO.#REBHFun pic.twitter.com/mYXTGAfYYa

— Waleed (@Waleedx2007) December 15, 2025

Capcom has remained coy about confirming Sherry, perhaps to give Leon his moment in the spotlight, but there seems no reason it couldn't be her. After all, Resident Evil 6 showed her working for the Division of Security Operations, the FBI-like government agency that also employs Leon. And with Leon involved, it seems straightforward enough that Sherry is also along for the ride.

Despite Leon's recent confirmation, and Capcom's subsequent explanation that the floppy-haired fan favorite will feature in around half of the game, Requiem is said to still hold plenty of mysteries.

This week, as Resident Evil fans peer closer at Leon's reveal trailer and celebrate the Resident Evil 4 star entering his "hot uncle" era, there has also been concern over a nasty-looking mark glimpsed on the hero's neck. Is it a zombie bite, or new infection? Could Capcom really bring Leon back just to kill him off, rather than let him retire in peace? Whatever's going on, Capcom has said Leon holds "a big secret" — hopefully Sherry can help him out.

Last week also brought word of yet another returning Resident Evil character who will apparently also make an appearance, Rosemary Winters. A product listing for Requiem's Deluxe Edition that was leaked by GameStop mentioned the inclusion of extra costumes for the character, who Capcom has so far not mentioned at all.

There's still a couple of months to go until Resident Evil Requiem releases on February 26, 2026, and until then, Capcom has certainly given fans plenty to discuss. Is there anyone else from the series' past that you'd like to see pop up?

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

For LEGO fans, the holiday period is a nice time to focus on building new sets. If you're on the hunt for something new to work on, Woot is here to help. The Amazon-owned online retailer is offering a $30 discount at the moment on the incredible LEGO Icons The Lord of The Rings: Rivendell set, dropping it to its lowest price yet at $469.99.

Save $30 on The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell LEGO Set

This is one of our favorite Lord of the Rings LEGO sets and one of our favorite LEGO sets overall, so whether you're looking to grab it for yourself or to give as a gift over the holidays this year, now is a great time to make a move on it. Keep in mind that this deal at Woot is only live for six more days or until it's sold out, so you'll want to be quick.

The LEGO Rivendell set is no small undertaking, either. It comes with a whopping 6,167 pieces that form a detailed recreation of Rivendell. It's packed with 15 minifigures as well, including nine of the Fellowship: Gandalf, Legolas, Gimli, Aragorn, Boromir, Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin. The other six minifigures are of Gloin, Arwen, Elrond, Bilbo, and two elves. Given its huge size and amount of detail, it's a set that's recommended for adults as well.

If you're curious what it's like to take on this massive set, have a look at our Rivendell We Build. Writer Kevin Wong said that it's "a beautiful but fragile set" highlighting that, because of how delicate it is, it's definitely meant for adults. He continues on to say that "the designers sacrificed sturdiness for incredible aesthetics. But for most adult LEGO fans, that's a worthy trade."

Hannah Hoolihan is a freelancer who writes with the guides and commerce teams here at IGN.

2000’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas celebrates its 25th anniversary this year — and with that, the cast has been reminiscing about shooting the project, particularly highlighting an on-set incident where star Jim Carrey shut down a scene in which his young costar Taylor Momsen was moments away from being hurt.

“I remember when we were shooting the scene coming down the mountain on the sled. It was this real sled that was up on a giant spring that was being controlled and moving from side to side, very aggressively,” Momsen revealed to Vulture in its oral history of the making of the film.

She continued: “Jim is leaning over and being extravagant Jim. There was a moment where I almost fell out of the sled, and he freaked out. He called cut and started checking in on me. I was having a great time. I was laughing; I wasn’t thinking about the fact that I just almost fell very high off the ground."

Steven Spielberg’s next sci-fi thriller, Disclosure Day, has a debut trailer and a release date: June 12, 2026.

The mysterious new movie is created and directed by Hollywood legend Steven Spielberg, and stars Oppenheimer and A Quiet Place’s Emily Blunt as well as Josh O’Connor (Challengers, The Crown), Colin Firth (The King’s Speech, Kingsman franchise), Eve Hewson (Bad Sisters, The Perfect Couple), and Colman Domingo (Sing Sing, Rustin).

A film by Steven Spielberg. Disclosure Day is in theaters 06.12.26. pic.twitter.com/ziKewjQLvF

— Universal Pictures (@UniversalPics) December 16, 2025

The trailer revolves around a shocking global secret that looks set to be revealed to the world's public all at once. We see Emily Blunt struggle to deliver the weather report live on air, her voice slowly transforming into a creepy clicking noise. It sounds like this could be about aliens, but we don’t see any in the trailer.

What we do see are a lot of very concerned people doing strange things while hooked up to machines. Eyes change, and we see people perform actions using these machines that are then mirrored by others. Is this a movie about mind control? Meanwhile, we see a crop circle emerge in real time, and in one shot, a woman miraculously turns into Emily Blunt’s character.

It looks like Disclosure Day will deal with some big, existential questions normally reserved for philosophy debates. And there's a clear religious theme here. The trailer asks: “Why would He make such a vast universe, yet save it only for us?” Well, perhaps in Disclosure Day, He didn’t.

The tagline is:

If you found out we weren’t alone, if someone showed you, proved it to you, would that frighten you? This summer, the truth belongs to seven billion people.

We are coming close to … Disclosure Day.

David Koepp, whose previous work with Spielberg includes the scripts for Jurassic Park, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, War of the Worlds and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, wrote the screenplay based on a story by Spielberg.

Image credit: Universal Studios.

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Home Alone director Chris Columbus is part of a truly solid crop of American directors who excelled in the comedy space in the 80s and 90s — but he isn’t quite as fond of the comedic efforts that came after his work in the Home Alone franchise. In fact, he recently went as far as to call the other installments “really bad.”

"It's been revisited with really bad sequels," Columbus said while speaking at a screening at the Academy Museum recently. "Sorry to insult anybody, but they've completely f***ed it up. It started with Home Alone 3 and then it just went downhill from there; Home Alone 3 is sort of the best of the bunch of the bad movies."

He didn’t name drop any of the other titles specifically, but after Home Alone 3, there were three more sequels featuring different protagonists: 2002’s Home Alone 4, 2012’s Home Alone: The Holiday Heist, and 2021’s Home Sweet Home Alone. For Columbus, a big part of the problem was in the wirework, which gives a “false sense of the stunt" and makes the franchise’s classic stunts look unnatural.

That said, we could have a really great Home Alone sequel — if 20th Century Studios would just listen to original star Macaulay Culkin, who recently had an excellent idea for a legacy sequel film that he shared during a show on the A Nostalgic Night with Macaulay Culkin tour.

In his concept, his original character, Kevin McAllister, is an adult father. "I'm working really hard and I'm not really paying enough attention and the kid is kind of getting miffed at me and then I get locked out,” Culkin explained. “He won't let me in… and he's the one setting traps for me.”

Honestly, we think he might be onto something, so 20th Century, you should listen up. The original Home Alone is available to stream now on Disney+.

Lex Briscuso is a film and television critic and a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter at @nikonamerica.

Nintendo recorded more than 30 minutes of extra conversations featuring Metroid Prime 4: Beyond's chatty companion characters that don't currently appear in the game.

The voice lines have now been datamined and uploaded to YouTube (thanks, VGC) where fans can listen in to long stretches of cut Metroid Prime 4 banter, recorded for the Galactic Federation troops Samus encounters.

Specifically, these conversations would have played out at Base Camp, between much-maligned mechanic Miles MacKenzie, and later NPCs such as the robot VUE-995, Private Armstrong, Sergeant Duke and Corporal Tokabi.

Listening in to the conversations, these are all non-essential chats that add to each character's backstory and personality. Most are designed to be humorous, such as the chats between hulking mech VUE-995 and Private Armstrong talking about working out, getting a tattoo-like custom paint scheme, and Armstrong's love of dogs. Armstrong even discusses her pet pooch back home, named Bowser.

Speaking with Sergeant Duke, VUE-995 is told he needs greasing up, as the other troops are complaining that he's squeaking. As a group, the team also discusses eating jerky. (There are no voice lines featuring Samus, for obvious reasons.)

It remains to be seen whether this dialogue is ever used for anything, or made available in-game via a future update. (Perhaps it's being saved for the launch of a New Game Plus mode?) Alternatively, the fact the dialogue has been cut could be a sign that Nintendo knew its cheery marines might come across as an odd fit in Metroid Prime — a series known for its themes of isolation, with a famously silent protagonist and little to no other dialogue.

Notably, Nintendo held back all mention of these characters' presence until a pre-release preview just a month from the game's launch date. Their inclusion then became a focal point of discussion among fans, and part of the game's critical consensus upon release.

"It doesn't take psychic powers to see the ideal vision Metroid Prime 4: Beyond was aiming for," IGN wrote in our Metroid Prime 4: Beyond review. "It tries to mix the excellent Prime formula with a character-focused story and a large hub world to explore. It doesn't quite reach that ambitious goal, with an outdated open desert area that mostly feels like padding and a cast of characters that provide both a handful of memorable moments and too much chatter at times."

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

Larian has confirmed that its upcoming role-playing game, Divinity, is indeed turn-based following speculation from the developer's fans.

Following the announcement of Divinity at The Game Awards, fans had wondered if it would follow 2023’s Baldur’s Gate 3 and prior games in the Divinity series by offering turn-based combat, or mark a significant shift for Larian and move to more action game-oriented combat. Confirmation that it is sticking with turn-based comes from a Bloomberg interview with Larian boss Swen Vincke.

“This is going to be us unleashed, I think,” Vincke said. “It’s a turn-based RPG featuring everything you’ve seen from us in the past, but it’s brought to the next level.”

Vincke took part in a round of interviews with the media following the announcement, and spoke to IGN in an interview of our own on what to expect from Divinity. Key points he made in our interview include:

• Divinity is a single-player game with cooperative multiplayer, as with Baldur’s Gate 3
• Larian has been working on Divinity for two years already, and it is now in full production.
• Larian owns Divinity, so it is free from the Dungeons & Dragons shackles it built Baldur’s Gate 3 with.
• Divinity is “bigger” than Baldur’s Gate 3.
• Divinity will “most likely” use early access prior to full launch, as Baldur’s Gate 3 did, but Larian is undecided.

Check out IGN’s Divinity interview with Swen Vincke for the complete lowdown. We've also got comments from Larian on Divinity's gruesome
reveal trailer, which was not designed to shock the audience. And be sure to check out everything announced at The Game Awards 2025 for more, as well as the winners list in full. And if you’re wondering what all this Divinity business is about, check out our handy explainer here.

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Ahead of the hotly-anticipated launch of Fallout Season 2 on Prime Video, a Samsung executive has discussed the optimal TV picture settings for watching the show — and even got Bethesda development chief Todd Howard asking questions of his own.

Optimal settings became part of the discourse around Stranger Things Season 5 after co-creator Ross Duffer called on fans of the Netflix series to turn off what he described as “garbage” TV settings because they “destroy the color” and present an image that is “not the filmmakers’ intent.”

So in a recent interview with Kevin Beatty, Head of Product for Samsung Gaming, Interactive Experiences, and Emerging Tech (Bethesda and Xbox recently announced a partnership with Amazon and Samsung to stream Season 1 for free on Samsung TV Plus), we asked him for his optimal picture settings recommendation for watching Fallout.

Bethesda chief Todd Howard was in the same interview, and he got pretty excited about the question. “I look this stuff up,” he said. “I want to know as well. This is the best question!”

Replying, Beatty pointed to HDR10+, the High Dynamic Range (HDR) format that uses dynamic metadata for scene-by-scene or frame-by-frame adjustments to color, contrast, and brightness. It's supported by major brands and streaming services like Amazon Prime Video, where Fallout Season 2 kicks off today, December 16.

“... HDR10+ and with AI processors now we are upscaling these things,” Beatty said. “And so, these are actual capabilities that exist in every single line that you're buying off the shelf, that is going to improve the experience when you're watching it on Amazon Prime.”

Determined to find out more, Howard asked a question of his own:

“No, but legit, backlight 20 or 11? I sit there and mess with it.”

Beatty responded: “Oh, well, I think it depends on the lighting of your room.”

At this point in the interview we’re told HDR10+ does this automatically. “Yeah, but sometimes it clicks it on and off,” Howard countered. “It's not the fault on your TV, I'm just saying.”

Beatty added: “I think it also depends on your room though, right? If you're in a room that is well lit versus completely dark…”

At this point Howard made one thing very clear: “Not dynamic mode though, you turn that off. That's for stores.”

In Ross Duffer’s TV settings post, he expressed particular disdain for what he called the “worst offender of all: TruMotion, aka smooth motion, “or the dreaded soap opera effect.”

Then, Duffer added: “whatever you do, do not switch on anything called ‘vivid’ — because it’s going to turn on all the worst offenders, it’s going to destroy the color, and is not the filmmaker’s intent.”

We put Duffer’s comments to Beatty, and while he didn’t want to respond to them directly, he did say he understood where Duffer was coming from as a creative.

“I was mentioning to Todd, I came from Disney prior to Samsung, and so worked really closely with a lot of the creators, and so there is absolutely a bias on, this content has to look this good, and it has to have this type of color variation and sensitivity,” he began. “I think it really depends. I can't comment on necessarily Stranger Things 5, of what works best, but I would say though that HDR10+ generally speaking will improve it the most.”

And on Duffer’s comment on TruMotion specifically, Beatty replied: “Yeah. I could see where he's probably coming from, where he thinks that it's adding creative flexibility on top of what he's trying to come up with. And these are settings that people can turn off, if they want.”

Fallout Season 2 starts tonight, December 16, on Prime Video after Amazon brought the release date forward by a day. Check out IGN's Fallout Season 2 Episodes 1-6 review to find out what we think of it.

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

For the Animal Crossing fans looking for new dialogue or major overhauls to what exists in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, you may not want to hold your breath for the 3.0 Update or the Nintendo Switch 2 version. The announcement for anything new for the five-year-old game was already a delightful surprise (especially after Nintendo previously said they were done with major updates years ago), but there don't seem to be many secrets or surprises beyond what was shown in the reveal trailer. IGN was invited by Nintendo to get a hands-off look at what's coming to ACNH on January 15, 2026, and the roughly 25-minute demo confirmed certain ACNH fan factions' excitement and disappointment: namely, this one is for the decorators. That being said, as someone who does love decorating in Animal Crossing, this update is an exciting reason for me to play more regularly again.

The Switch 2 version's three main features aren't all that interesting, though the speed and graphical updates are pleasing. In the demo, I saw and had it confirmed that the Switch 2 exclusive Megaphone tool is limited to calling residents who can actually hear. So, it won't impact anyone inside a building, which makes it less useful for tracking down a particular character. Then, the final major benefit to playing on Switch 2 is being able to play with up to 12 people total in multiplayer, though that hinges on everyone in the session playing on a Switch 2. I feel lucky I know even three people still playing, leaving this update as the least impactful.

The hotel is by far the biggest change out of everything. It was explained that, like other facilities in ACNH, the hotel is something you'll unlock. Since it's tied to the pier, it cannot be moved and getting it is not optional. I didn't see what's involved in building the hotel, but once it's there, it'll receive season-appropriate decor like other facilities. Inside is the welcoming site of Kapp'n's family. The main activity you'll do in the hotel is decorating rooms similar to the Happy Home Paradise DLC, with the key difference being that you have a list of room themes to choose from (such as Ranch Room, Skyscraper Room, and plenty more) and are free to do what you will with it… or skip using a theme entirely and freestyle the design.

If you use a theme, you're provided a selection of items that match. Though unlike HHP, you're not required to use any specific items even if you do opt to use a theme. Then, when you're done, you'll receive a reward of the new hotel currency, tickets, once per day. You can keep decorating the eight guest rooms, but you won't receive any extra currency. Tickets can then be spent at the hotel gift shop that has hotel-related items along with new furniture, most of which I did not get to see. The other way to earn tickets is by crafting requested items for Kapp'n. The new bulk crafting feature wasn't shown in my demo either.

Tourists who stay in the hotel can roam your island in the customizable outfits displayed in the hotel, which helps to clearly identify them. Unfortunately, there wasn't much interaction with tourists in my demo. The one conversation with a tourist didn't make it clear whether or not they can be invited to stay on the island, though it was mentioned in the demo that if the visitor is convinced, they could potentially become a resident.

The four new characters coming to ACNH with 3.0 (two from Splatoon, two from The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom) weren't present in the demo, though the items that get added to ACNH after scanning one of their respective series amiibo were. It was clarified that to get one of the new Splatoon or Legends of Zelda characters and the associated special items, all you need to do is scan any one amiibo from their respective franchise, rather than any specific amiibo. The items looked great peppered around the item, and it seems most of the items are interactive.

For those looking for even more decorating, Slumber Islands await. We unfortunately again didn't see much of the special Slumber Island space beyond what was shown in the reveal trailer. This feature requires a Nintendo Switch Online subscription. With that, you'll get access to three island save spots and can create a small, medium, or large island, with the large size being close to being the size of the normal island. The Animal Crossing community has come up with some amazing island designs over the years, and the Slumber Islands feature is primed to encourage even more of that. Whatever you've collected will be available on the Slumber Islands, and anything you do or use in the dreams won't impact your main island. It was confirmed during the demo that there won't be any new additional custom design save slots, though, so players will need to get creative with what's already available if custom designs are a key part of their island design process.

Our demo didn't show Resetti's new suite of cleanup services, all the new items coming with the hotel, or how much it costs to upgrade storage. There wasn't a chance to ask the developers questions either, so it's still unclear whether we should expect any other ACNH updates beyond this. I'm eager to see the patch notes whenever Nintendo releases them to see if there are any secret small quality of life updates or item updates for holidays (will we get a 2026 balloon arch for the New Year's event?), but, as I mentioned earlier, I'm skeptical we'll see any major changes other than what's been announced. Even still, I'm enjoying having a reason to return to my island and get it cleaned up for future tourists.

Miranda Sanchez is the executive editor of guides at IGN and a member of Unlocked. She's a big fan of stationery, reading, and bouncing between forever games. You can sometimes find her on Bluesky.

Three years ago, I sat down to watch Avatar: The Way of Water with one big question on my mind: Could James Cameron deliver a sequel to his 2009 blockbuster that’s worth a thirteen-year wait? Three hours and twelve minutes later, it was abundantly clear that yup, dude’s still got it.

Earlier this month, when I sat down to watch Avatar: Fire and Ash, I had a lot more questions. A couple were about loose ends from the previous film, but my more pressing queries were about the film itself. Would a new Avatar film after just three years pack as much of a punch as one that benefited from a middle schooler’s lifetime of anticipation? Also, Cameron’s made some of the best sequels of all time, but what does a James Cameron threequel look like? Well, three hours and seventeen minutes later, I didn’t have quite as definitive an answer to either of those questions… but I did have one huge smile on my face.

Avatar: Fire and Ash picks up immediately after the events of The Way of Water. Jake (Sam Worthington), Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña), and the rest of the Sully family are mourning the loss of their eldest son, Neteyam (played by Jamie Flatters in The Way of Water). They’ve finally been accepted into the Metkayina clan, but aside from the looming threat of retaliation from the RDA, there are a couple factors preventing them from properly settling down. For one, Jake’s favorite form of grieving involves preparing for war with the humans, an interest the Metkayina clan doesn’t share. Two, they have a kid who can’t breathe. Their adopted son, Spider (Jack Champion), still needs a rebreather to survive in Pandora’s atmosphere, and they only have one backup battery – which, to put it lightly, is stupidly risky. So, Jake makes the unpopular call that Spider should go live with other humans, and to soften the blow, proposes that they make a family vacation out of it by hitching a ride with the nomadic airborne Tlalim clan, aka the Wind Traders.

Aside from all the grieving, Fire and Ash looks and feels very similar to The Way of Water in the early part of the film. While that’s by no means a bad thing, it’s initially lacking in the spectacle, novelty, or for lack of a better word, “newness” I was hoping for from another Avatar. However, that quickly changes with the arrival of the Wind Traders. The Avatar movies have always been a visual feast, but an armada of vessels suspended from enormous flying jellyfish-like Medusoids pulled by cephalopodian Windrays literally and figuratively blows the more familiar imagery out of the water, especially in 3D on a huge screen.

Cameron has always had a flair for large-scale spectacle, but I was equally impressed with the shots of the Wind Traders hocking their wares. In terms of narrative or action, nothing particularly exciting takes place in these shots, but they’re so densely packed with detail, activity, and stuff that I sat forward in my seat. If you’re not as impressed by baskets and gourds at a Na’vi swap meet as I am, don’t worry, the Fire Nation shows up soon enough.

They are the Mangkwan clan – a ruthless and quite literally godless group of Na’vi led by Varang (Oona Chaplin), who is one of the highlights of the film. Chaplin’s performance is properly terrifying, and her whole crew looks and acts more like denizens of Mordor than Pandora. Varang has no qualms about breaking Eywa’s laws, and is extremely eager to get her hands on human weapons. And you know who has access to a lot of those, and a similar penchant for torching Na’vi villages? Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang). Naturally, they hit it off like gasoline and an open flame.

When Quaritch showed up in the first film, I didn’t think he was anything to write home about. Lang gave a decent enough performance as an extremely hateable badass, but when it was announced that he was attached for all four sequels, it didn’t move the needle for me. His performance in Fire and Ash, however, has elevated him to one of my favorite villains in recent memory, especially in his scenes with Chaplin. The two of them don’t chew scenery – they devour it like a five-course meal.

Another character who unexpectedly grew on me was Spider, which is good, because he’s basically the linchpin of the whole film. In The Way of Water, he’s introduced as the annoying neighborhood kid who’s always hanging around, somewhere between The Simpsons’ Milhouse Van Houten and Eli Cash in The Royal Tenenbaums. In Fire and Ash, Spider is part of the family, and I found Champion’s performance to be fully endearing, resembling the combination of earnestness and obnoxiousness that Cameron brought out of Edward Furlong’s John Conner in Terminator 2: Judgment Day.

Speaking of which, Cameron has given us some of the most badass moms in movie history. Neytiri definitely kicks some ass in The Way of Water, but it pales in comparison to one particularly explosive sequence that puts her right up there with Ellen Ripley in a Power Loader or Sarah Connor racking a shotgun one-handed. Zoe Saldaña has always been a highlight of these films, but she’s in top form here.

My one hangup about Fire and Ash, if you can even call it that, is that it gave me a sense of déjà vu. Some of the visuals and story beats tread very close to those in the previous films, to the point that it almost felt like deleted scenes or alternate takes intercut with new material. But, looking at Cameron’s past work, it’s safe to assume this is a feature and not a bug. George Lucas once described the Star Wars prequel trilogy’s relationship to the original by saying, “it’s like poetry, they rhyme.” I would argue that Cameron’s sequels have a tendency to amplify and echo; rather than taking a familiar concept, theme, or visual and presenting it as a flipped mirror image, his sequels take something we know and present a grander, more operatic version. “Once more, with feeling,” as the saying goes. Fire and Ash is the first “Part 3” he’s ever done, so I wasn’t sure how it’d shake out. Does it get louder? Does it rhyme? Does it do something completely different?

Watching The Terminator and Terminator 2 back to back, they both open on tandem time travelers, escalate into shootouts and truck chases, then culminate in factory showdowns. Alien and Aliens both feature a crew investigating a distress signal on LV-426, taking some casualties, and misreading a motion tracker with terrifying results before featuring a tense final sequence in which a flamethrower-toting Ripley rescues a loved one before blowing a xenomorph stowaway out of an airlock. In both cases, these similarities are obscured by better effects, incredible action sequences, great characters, and the delightful twist that unlike in the first film, where a scary android character tries to murder the heroine, this time the android is her friend instead.

The Way of Water didn’t subvert Avatar as much as it did submerge it. Jake’s training sequence and rite of passage to join the Omatikaya clan in the first film happened all over again, underwater with the Metkayina. But The Way of Water does have its share of little twists too, In the first film, Jake earned the Omatikaya’s respect by bonding with the vicious killer pterodactyl everyone fears and respects; in the second, Jake’s son is shunned when he bonds with a huge murderer whale that they all fear and hate because of complicated politics, like, one time. In both cases, the big cool animal shows up in the final battle and saves the day.

This is a spoiler-free review of Fallout Season 2’s first six episodes, which start streaming weekly on Prime Video from December 16.

Amazon bet big on the weird apocalypse when it decided to turn Fallout into a TV show. With its kitchy “atompunk” visuals, near-overwhelming amounts of lore, and b-movie violence sitting as equals next to rich conspiracy plots and complex character work, it had every chance of baffling general audiences… and ran the classic risk of annoying the game’s loyal fanbase with even the smallest changes to the established fiction. But that bet paid off. And what do you do when you win big? You go to Vegas. Or, at least in the nuclear wastes of tomorrow, you go to New Vegas – the setting of what many consider to be the best game in Fallout’s long history.

With such a move comes risk again: it’s no easy thing to create something that can stand up to the reputation of one of the greatest RPGs of all time. But while showrunners Graham Wagner and Geneva Robertson-Dworet don’t hit the jackpot immediately, this second season quickly finds its identity, and it’s a more authentic adaptation of New Vegas than I ever expected. The writing team has shaped this year’s story around competing factions and figureheads, the game’s flagship feature, making for a tinderbox of a season that’s overflowing with warring tensions, difficult decisions, and backstabbing betrayals. I’ve only been able to watch six out of the total eight episodes ahead of the season’s premiere, but even if the conclusion turns out to be less appetising than a 200-year-old box of Yum Yum deviled eggs, this will still have been a largely worthy follow-up to one of the most surprising success stories in video game TV.

At its core, Fallout Season 2 is once again focused on the journeys of three people. The quests of Ella Purnell’s Lucy MacLean and Walton Goggins’ The Ghoul have combined, and together they trek across the Mojave wasteland and into New Vegas itself in search of their respective families. It’s a road trip that takes a little while to get into gear – across the first couple of episodes the duo finds themselves in overfamiliar territory – but when things do step up, the resulting character development is strong. That’s particularly true of The Ghoul, who now needs to wrestle with his hollowed-out sense of morality in the face of potentially being reunited with the people he loves. Lucy’s evolution is a little more typical of this kind of fish-out-of-water scenario, as she’s forced to adapt to a more ruthless world while trying to hold onto her humanity, but Fallout’s distinct personality keeps this all very entertaining – there’s violence and drugs aplenty for our wide-eyed heroine to contend with this year.

After having been a close companion of Lucy in Season 1, Aaron Moten’s Maximus spends most of his time with the Brotherhood of Steel this year, which significantly shifts the faction’s role in the story. Now in control of the Cold Fusion relic, the Brotherhood is a major player throughout the entire season, rather than just the backdrop for Maximus’ story. In fact, the ruthlessly ambitious aims of Elder Cleric Quintus (Michael Cristofer) threaten to overshadow Maximus’ own development within the first couple of episodes, and remain central to the plot as the season unfolds.

That’s not to say Maximus is demoted from his protagonist status. The brewing conflict between the Brotherhood’s uneasy alliance of members acts as a stage upon which he can be both part of a greater power-armoured ensemble as well as a lead character – he’s kept in line as one of Quintus’ dogs in the season’s opening act, but as a visitor (Kumail Nanjiani) from Boston’s Commonwealth chapter of the Brotherhood shapes him, he’s able to shape the faction in return. Maximus may feel a touch more like a cog in a greater machine this time, but he’s clearly the largest gear.

While Lucy and The Ghoul’s journey is very clearly the season’s central throughline, and Maximus’ struggles with the Brotherhood is the parallel support beam, the show’s scope has undeniably expanded beyond the trio that defined the first season. Now structured more akin to Game of Thrones, there are multiple other concurrent storylines that make Fallout feel like the story of the wasteland itself as much as it is the tale of its key characters. All of this does make for a very packed season, and there are inevitable casualties.

There’s no clearer example than the interconnected vaults 31, 32, and 33, which remain a consistent part of the show despite Lucy’s distant departure. Each bunker now has its own storyline, the most pressing of which is the unfolding conspiracy of 31 and its army of frozen Vault-Tec middle managers, discovered in last year’s finale by Moisés Arias’ Norm MacLean. But while it feels significant, that story fights for space against the seemingly inconsequential plotlines unfolding in vaults 32 and 33. An intriguing mid-season reveal suggests maybe better things are still to come and that we haven't been totally wasting our time, but this is outweighed by a lot of trivial baffoonery. I do very much like Fallout’s comedic approach to its clueless vault dwellers, but it so far feels like this was a joke best left in Season 1.

Out on the surface, there are further stories that deal with the New California Republic and Caesar’s Legion, two significant factions from the New Vegas video game. While the Legion is notably well realised and both groups are elegantly woven into Lucy and The Ghoul’s larger journey, long-time fans who have been waiting 15 years to see more of these factions may well be disappointed that they have, at least within the context of the first six episodes, little bearing on the overall plot, and are only in the spotlight for a single chapter. There’s also no attempt to choose which one of New Vegas’ many endings is “canon”, although I’d argue it was a wise decision to not get tied up in all those details. The narrative solutions Wagner and Robertson-Dworet have devised to sidestep such a problem are strong, and the Legion’s current situation in particular feels like it’d make an exceptional questline in a theoretical New Vegas 2. The NCR gets dealt a weaker hand, but that’s made up for by the way they’re utilised as part of The Ghoul’s story – these factions are used to enrich the journeys of the main characters, rather than be significant players themselves.

There is one New Vegas figurehead that does get to take the spotlight, though: Robert House. The new antagonist of the pre-apocalypse flashbacks, he’s played to slimy perfection by Justin Theroux. Fallout keeps its cards close to its chest with regards to House’s motives, and while fans will already know what his deal is, the involvement of The Ghoul’s former self, Hollywood star Cooper Howard, means there’s still plenty of original, unpredictable material interacting with the established lore.

In my review of Season 1, I wrote that I found Maximus to be Fallout’s most compelling lead, as his deep flaws made him the show’s most complex character. That continues to be true in Season 2, where Maximus’ weaknesses see him crushed and manipulated by a number of other forces, and his attempt to find some kind of a redemption arc is one of the strongest throughlines. However, I suspect by the time the finale’s credits roll, The Ghoul will have ascended to become my favourite of the season. He’s given much more depth this time around, with rare-but-vital flashes of vulnerability. There’s a stronger sense of connection between The Ghoul and Cooper, emphasised by the smart crosscutting of scenes across the timeline that help draw parallels and establish contrast between the man he was and the monster he’s become. Goggins is, as before, exceptional at portraying both sides, but he’s particularly strong during the flashback sequences, where he’s forced to wrestle with his wife’s involvement in the looming apocalypse, and how he could play a role in stopping it… if only he gives into a more violent path.

While Goggins is on track to be this year’s undisputed headliner, everyone pulls their weight. Particularly enjoyable this time around is Kyle MacLachlan as Hank MacLean, whose larger, quirkier role allows him to be very, well, Kyle MacLachlan. Any details about his activities in the Mojave wasteland are strictly off-limits in a spoiler-free review, but there’s a lot to dig into from as early as the first episode, with fascinating links established between him, Lucy, and a number of other characters.

While characters remain Fallout’s most valuable triumph, all the efforts that go into building the world around them continue to be top-shelf in this second season. The initial excitement of seeing the video games’ iconic designs rendered in live-action has admittedly worn off, but it’s still great to see the many newly realised places and creatures. Much has been made of the Deathclaw, which was teased during the credits of Season 1’s finale, and the big, bullish brute doesn’t disappoint. But there are other, even nerdier joys - among them the old T-45 power armour and the television-faced Securitron robots, both lovingly built by an incredibly talented prop department. There’s similar skill demonstrated by the set builders, too, with locations like the Lucky 38 casino and Dino Dee-lite Motel appearing exactly as you remember. They’re not just authentically realised, but smartly employed to create a bond between show and game: I certainly got a kick out of seeing Lucy metaphorically wear the beret of New Vegas’ beloved marksman, Boone, by making a sniper’s nest in the mouth of the motel’s giant model T-Rex, Dinky.

As with the first season, Fallout likes to effectively wink into the camera whenever it’s doing something video game-y, and there’re multiple good examples of that across these six episodes, such as Lucy walking herself through options A, B, and C when faced with a sticky situation, all of which translate to the different branching pathways of a choice-driven RPG like Fallout. Previous video game adaptations have failed at paying homage to their parent medium – see Halo’s bizarre first-person battle sequences – so it’s great to see Fallout continue to successfully remould its foundations into a new format.

After the mammoth success of Baldur's Gate 3, many fans and the industry at large were eager to learn what developer Larian Studios would announce next, and we finally got that answer at The Game Awards 2025 with the reveal of a brand new game in the Divinity series. Divinity is the next big a turn-based RPG from Larian, and it looks to be just as sprawling in scope and gruesome in its brutality as the developer's previous release.

Shortly after the reveal, IGN interviewed Swen Vincke, founder of Larian Studios and game director of Baldur's Gate 3. Along with sharing his thoughts on that viral tease for Divinity ahead of The Game Awards 2025, he also spoke about the lessons learned from the success of Baldur's Gate 3, and why it was important for Larian to return to the series that built the developer.

Be sure to check out everything announced at The Game Awards 2025 for more, as well as the winners list in full. And if you’re wondering what all this Divinity business is about, check out our handy explainer here.

Editor's Note: This interview has been edited for clarity and readability.

IGN: Firstly, were you surprised by how quickly fans kind of figured out what that mysterious statue was and that it tied in to you all?

Swen Vincke: With the speed with which they discovered the statue? Well, Geoff Keighley tweeted it, so we're not surprised by how it turned out after that. I mean, I actually thought we were gonna make it, that it wasn't gonna leak until the show. But yeah, bureaucracy was against us because it was too fast [and too close to the show]. Normally, it takes more time for something like that to be filed, and here they filed really, really fast.

Resident Evil fans are worriedly discussing new screenshots of fan-favorite character Leon S. Kennedy, which look to feature an ominous-looking mark on his neck.

The past week has been a rollercoaster for Leon fans, with leaked artwork confirming the character's long-rumored presence in Requiem, followed by his official unveiling in a trailer at The Game Awards last Thursday.

But now there's concern for Leon's future — as fans analyse screenshots from Capcom's latest trailer that seemingly show a dark, bloodied wound on the hero's neck, and following a comment from Resident Evil: Requiem producer Akifumi Nakanishi who stated that Leon is hiding "a big secret."

IGN has revisited last week's official Resident Evil Requiem trailer that aired during The Game Awards, and enhanced the screenshots you can see below.

Valve has outlined what's new in Dota 2 patch 7.40 and provided a rundown of its latest hero, Largo.

"Dota is an ensemble cast, but keen observers looking through the collection of rogues, wizards, druids, and knights (not to mention two characters named 'ranger') may have noticed the absence of that most maligned of hero classes: the bard. At least, up until now," Valve teased, before introducing Largo himself.

Largo is the shamanic head of the bardmonk order, and unlike bards that "sing about current events and chord changes," he "tailors every song to his exact circumstances, raising his allies' spirits or, if necessary, their foot speed as they run toward battle (or away). As a frog, his prehensile tongue has, shall we say, all kinds of tricks."

One such trick is his Catchy Lick, in which he targets someone, licks them, pulls them back a short distance, and applies a basic dispel. If they're an ally, he pulls them out of harm's way, and if they're an enemy, his tongue deals damage. By dispelling an effect from a target, Largo gets a brief health regen, too. He can also fire froglings that stomp the ground every second, dealing damage and ministuns, and minimize ally mana costs with his Croak of Genius skill.

His ultimate skill is Amphibian Rhapsody. To be honest, with a name as incredible as that, I don't even care what it does, but for those wondering, it's essentially a mini-rhythm game.

"Largo gets ready to groove," Valve explains. "He is disarmed and his ability bar switches to three song abilities, each with different effects. Songs are only effective if strummed on the beat.

"Every time he strums successfully, he gains a stack of Groovin'. Each stack gives him bonus armor and reduces the mana cost of every song, but he loses a stack if he misses a beat. Stacks linger for a short duration when Largo's song ends."

As is tradition, the full patch notes are so huuuge they're too big to publish on Steam itself, but you can find them on the Dota 2 website right here.

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.

Point Break is reportedly getting a TV show set 35 years after the events of the iconic ‘90s movie.

Deadline reports that AMC is developing a TV series based on the 1991 film starring Patrick Swayze, Keanu Reeves, Lori Petty, and Gary Busey.

Point Break, directed by Kathryn Bigelow, follows rookie FBI Agent Johnny Utah (Keanu Reeves) who goes undercover to infiltrate a gang of Southern California surfers led by the charismatic Bodhi (Patrick Swayze), who are suspected of pulling off bank robberies as the "Ex-Presidents.” Utah ends up drawn into their adrenaline-fueled lifestyle, and falls for a surfer girl named Tyler (Lori Petty).

According to Deadline, this new TV series revolves around “a dangerous heist crew with ties to the Ex-Presidents gang.” It's set in 2026, 35 years after Point Break's 1991 setting. The series is from Dave Kalstein, whose credits include Amazon’s Daniel Dae Kim thriller Butterfly, and CBS’ NCIS: Los Angeles, ABC’s Quantico, and USA Network’s Treadstone. That’s all the information we have right now. There’s no word on new characters, a new cast, or whether Keanu Reeves himself might pop up in some fashion.

This isn’t the first attempt to revive Point Break. A 2015 remake came and went without making much of a splash at all. IGN’s review returned a 5/10. We said: “Point Break gets the stunts right, but is lacking everything else needed to make an enjoyable film experience.”

Hopefully this new TV series fares better.

Photo by Richard Foreman/Fotos International/Getty Images.

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

The announcement of both Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis and Tomb Raider: Catalyst has sparked retcon speculation among the franchise's fandom.

At last week's The Game Awards, Catalyst’s first trailer was immediately followed by the reveal of Legacy of Atlantis, a “reimagining” of the original 1996 classic. Built with Unreal Engine 5, Legacy of Atlantis is due out next year as the franchise marks its 30th anniversary, with Catalyst set to follow in 2027.

While some, quite naturally, suggest starting at the beginning makes sense given the anniversary, others are wondering if the announcement of the new game means the team has to go back and retcon some aspects of Lara Croft's story to make sure everything makes sense in the character's 30-year-old canon timeline.

"There are many theories about why the reimagining of TR1 is happening. Some say it’s only because of the 30th anniversary but I personally think it’s happening because it HAS to happen. We’re entering a new unified timeline where some things need to be retconned and some need to be reimagined," suggested X/Twitter user Merychxrry.

"This kind of reimagining will likely need to happen for every mainline game, but especially for these four story-heavy titles: Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation, Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness, Tomb Raider: Legend, and Tomb Raider: Underworld.

"You might ask, 'Why not TR2-3 first?' Well, they’re not story-heavy. As much as I’d love to see them remade, we first need to unify these four story-focused games. Otherwise, it would take too long to reach them, and their stories would need to be retconned."

As Mery added, the order itself likely doesn't matter — "it could be 4 and 6 first, then Legends and Underworld, or vice-versa" — but since the assets for Legacy of Atlantis will be available first, "it shouldn't take too long to produce these games."

"That is actually genius!" replied one commenter, while another said: "Yes! This exactly!" "I feel like LOA is a test, like the [Resident Evil 2] remake was, suggested someone else. "TR1 was the safest choice they had for a reimagining because of its simple story."

As game director Will Kerslake recently told GamesRadar+, Catalyst fits into the timeline after the events of Tomb Raider: Underworld. The most recent games, known as the Survivor reboot trilogy — 2013's Tomb Raider, 2015's Rise of the Tomb Raider, and 2018's Shadow of the Tomb Raider — are still considered as part of Croft's origin story.

While the news of the recasting was a surprise for some, actor Camilla Luddington — who portrayed Lara Croft in the Survivor Trilogy — shared a bittersweet Instagram post about her time as the lead this week, saying she loved the fans and Croft will "forever be a part of [her]." Alix Wilton Regan will now play Lara Croft in both Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis and Tomb Raider: Catalyst.

Meanwhile, there's the upcoming Amazon TV show to consider. The live-action Tomb Raider Prime Video series, which will star Game of Thrones alum Sophie Turner, will “reinvent the franchise on a massive scale” and will interconnect “live-action television series and video games into a unified storytelling universe.”

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.

Copyright takedowns are targeting what appears to be a leaked version of Marvel's first Avengers: Doomsday trailer, which is now being snapped out of existence across social media.

Uploads of the video file began yesterday, and were initially easy to find across social media. But today, copyright notices have replaced numerous instances of the file on X and reddit, and the original video is nowhere to be seen YouTube.

Warning! Potential spoiler for the Avengers: Doomsday trailers follows:

As for the video itself, it features a blurry first glimpse at a returning character not seen since the last Avengers movie: Steve Rogers, the original Captain America, played once again by Chris Evans.

The trailer begins with a figure on a motorbike pulling up to a familiar-looking 1950s house, which Marvel fans may recognize from Avengers: Endgame's closing scene. Inside the house, the figure is revealed to be Steve Rogers, as he folds away his Captain America uniform and picks up a young baby. On-screen text then reads: "Steve Rogers will return in Avengers: Doomsday."

Marvel is, of course, yet to formally announce that Steve Rogers will be part of Doomsday's story. But filming reports from this summer appeared to show this same house being secretly constructed, sparking speculation of the character's return. Fans also spent a good deal of time analysing recent photos of Evans' real-life arms, and noted that he appeared to have gotten his physique Captain America ready.

When asked about not being part of Doomsday filming, Evans previously offered the following answer which did not specifically deny he was part of the movie: "Yeah, I talk to [the cast] all the time," Evans told ScreenRant in June this year. "It's where Pedro [Pascal] is right now. I mean, it's sad to be away. It's sad to not be back with the band, but I'm sure they're doing something incredible, and I'm sure it's going to be that much harder when it comes out and you feel like you weren't invited to the party."

Narratively, Rogers' return would make sense. The character was last seen living happily in the 1950s with Peggy Carter, having presumably completed his final mission of returning the Infinity Stones to their original places in the timeline. Unpicking this happy ending might prove controversial, but story-wise there's certainly room for Rogers to be involved in years of further adventures before he hands over his shield as an old man — something Endgame also showed.

Rogers' mission of returning the Infinity Stones may also explain why he's in Doomsday, the finale of Marvel's Multiverse Saga which has seen numerous heroes repeatedly meddle with parallel universes despite dire warnings of the consequences (looking at you, Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, Wanda, Captain Marvel, Loki...). It's easy to see how Cap's antics could rope him into fixing a larger multiversal problem he unwittingly contributed to.

Doomsday could also be used to explain how Rogers managed to get back to the main MCU reality in order to hand his shield over (according to MCU time-travel rules, he should technically be in a new branch of reality instead). It's a minor plot point in the grand scheme of things, but one that Avengers director Joe Russo hinted back in 2021 that he and his brother Anthony had considered as a clear idea for more story featuring Steve Rogers.

"One thing that's clear that Anthony and I have discussed, I don't know that we've discussed this publicly at all, Cap would have had to have travelled back to the main timeline," Joe Russo said. "That's something that, yes, he would have been in a branch reality, but he would have to travel back to the main timeline to give that shield to Sam Wilson."

Of course, there are also far more straightforward reasons for Steve Rogers' return. The character was one of the original Avengers and played a key part in the $2.7 billion-grossing Avengers: Endgame. Having the original Captain America back will undoubtedly be a huge audience draw, especially for those who have lost interest in Marvel over the past few years amid a string of underwhelming entries in its Multiverse Saga (and some highlights, looking at you Thunderbolts*).

Having Evans back alongside his former co-stars Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Hemsworth (Thor) would undoubtedly help cement Doomsday as an Avengers-level movie event (while also simultaneously highlighting Disney's failure to replace its previous leads with similarly beloved stars in the years since).

Disney is expected to officially release the first Avengers: Doomsday trailer this week, attached to its latest blockbuster Avatar: Fire and Ash. A recent report suggested that four separate trailers would launch over four weeks, in a move designed to encourage repeat viewings of Avatar and keep audiences entertained with a series of big reveals. Confirmation of Steve Rogers' return would certainly be a strong start.

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

The Resident Evil Requiem from The Game Awards finally confirmed that Leon S. Kennedy will return as the game’s second playable protagonist. Although he has aged a bit since we last saw him, Japanese fans have been taking to social media to praise Leon’s suave, older look.

Slated for a multiplatform release on February 27, 2026, Resident Evil Requiem is the ninth mainline title in Capcom’s survival horror series. It will introduce new main character Grace Ashcroft, an FBI analyst who is investigating a series of mysterious deaths that seem to be linked to Victor Gideon, a former Umbrella Corp. researcher. While it seems that Grace’s parts of the game will play more like typical survival horror, the new trailer, below, gave fans a peek at Leon’s more action-orientated zombie-battling gameplay, complete with chainsaw. “Grace’s gameplay style is based on Resident Evil 2, whereas Leon’s is based on Resident Evil 4,” director Akifumi Nakanishi revealed in a recent interview with Denfaminicogamer.

Although Leon has always had his fans, the D.S.O agent’s middle-aged incarnation is getting much praise from Japanese speaking users on X. He’s already being affectionately called ikeoji (literally, “hot uncle” — a cool and attractive older guy). “Leon’s gradually becoming a hot uncle” one user mused. Sharing some screenshots, another user chimed in with “Leon’s aging in a cool way.” Another user summed up: “Resident Evil 9’s Leon is too hot. He’s 49 in this (as of 2026)? He’s so suave."

Fans are also getting inspired to draw Leon’s new look. “Leon in Resi 9’s new trailer is too damn fine,” said one user, posting the following fan art. “He’s aging in such a wonderful way, while retaining his coolness. I’m really looking forward to meeting this Leon,” enthused another user. “He’s turning into a hot older guy, like Keanu Reeves!” said one commenter.

RE9新トレーラーのレオンが良すぎて。 pic.twitter.com/PIkrWuylo1

— □ (@dbox_2525) December 12, 2025

Other eagle-eyed trailer viewers have noticed that Leon seems to have some kind of rash on his neck, prompting concerns that he has been infected. While many seem to be enjoying middle-aged Leon’s looks, others are worried as to whether he should still be fighting off mutants at his age, with one person saying: “I love Leon, but they should let him rest.” In the previously mentioned Denfaminicogamer interview, Resident Evil Requiem’s director revealed that Leon has a “major secret” that will have significant implications (but he’s keeping quiet on what exactly that is).

コメントで教えてもらったけど
レオン..感染してるのかい？...#バイオハザードレクイエム pic.twitter.com/6GY05WqofY

— それいけジェットでやってみよう！ (@neko_sougo) December 12, 2025

Legendary Japanese game developer Hideki Kamiya also weighed in on Leon’s new appearance and how some of Capcom’s beloved characters are getting long in the tooth. “Uncle Leon, at the very least, I would like for you to live happily in your old age,” Kamiya commented, sharing a timelapse of Leon’s aging face. In response, another user wrote that, although they were fine with game characters getting older, they hoped that Resident Evil and Devil May Cry characters could receive the happy ending they deserve. Replying to this, Kamiya mused: “Even if Dante became happy, won’t he always be poor?”

レオンおじさん…せめて老後は幸せに暮らして欲しい… https://t.co/EzsvnVHp54

— 神谷英樹🍀 Hideki Kamiya🍀 (@HidekiKamiya_X) December 12, 2025

Resident Evil Requiem’s devs have already revealed that switching between playing as Grace and Leon will be like “jumping into a cold bath after a hot sauna,” such is the contrast between the tense survival horror sneaking and Leon’s no-holds-barred action. According to director Akifumi Nakanishi, there will be an almost equal split between newcomer Grace and fan favorite Leon. "Although he’s a character who carries a lot on his shoulders, we took a lot of care in refining him into an 'ikeoji',” Nakanishi concluded. "The reactions to the trailer on that front have made us happy (laughs).”

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.

Monster Hunter Wilds Title Update 4 is finally here, and it makes a long list of gameplay and balance changes, as well as CPU/GPU improvements, load reduction, and the optimization of "PC-specific processes and addition of options and presets to reduce processing load."

Its development roadmap — detailed last week — hopes to address the myriad issues impacting the PC version. Despite director Yuya Tokuda's commitment to stability and improvements, dissatisfaction persists, and even with new content and seasons, fans remain unhappy with the state of the game.

Capcom said Title Update 4 introduces "an array of performance improvements across all platforms," focusing on CPU and GPU optimization and reducing processing load "with more than 100 under-the-hood improvements, among others."

"We'll follow this up in January with a PC-specific update with even more improvements, and are looking into further optimization for implementation in the February content update," the team explained last week. "We're committed to making Monster Hunter Wilds a great experience for all players. Thank you for your patience and continued support."

Monster Hunter Wilds Update 1.040 patch notes:

Major Additions and Changes

Monsters

• Arch-tempered Jin Dahaad has been added. (It will be made available in a future Event Quest.)
• Gogmazios has been added. Reach HR 100+ to unlock an extra mission that unlocks Gogmazios.
• Additional 9★ tempered monsters (Doshaguma etc.) will be added as event quests.
• Tempered (9★) Rathalos will now roam the Scarlet Forest, Oilwell Basin, and Wounded Hollow at Hunter Rank 100 or above.
• For quests with two or more targets, the minimum quest time has been raised, resulting in longer quest durations overall. For existing saved Investigations, if the quest time falls below the new minimum time, it will be adjusted accordingly.

Player

• Added new Support Hunters—Griffin (Great Sword), Nightmist (Light Bowgun), and Nadia—which will become available to join quests after completing the main mission "A Hunter's Pride." Nadia will only be available during a limited-time seasonal event, excluding certain quests.

Story Progression

• The extra mission "An Ancient Resting Place" has been added. (This mission becomes available after having completed the main mission "A First Cry" and reaching HR 100.)
• The extra mission "Ghosts Pay No Heed to Tomorrow" has been added. (This mission becomes available after having completed the extra mission "An Ancient Resting Place.")

Bases and Facilities

• A new Festival of Accord event will be held from December 19, 2025 to January 14, 2026.
• The following features will be temporarily modified during the Festival of Accord: the Handler's Outfit; Seikret decoration; the Diva's song list; the Grand Hub decorations; the Canteen's menu; Barrel Bowling; and Barrel Bowling Bombs.
• In the Grand Hub, The Diva's song list has been updated.
• Added new pin setups to Barrel Bowling.
• Added options to upgrade to and reinforce Gogma Artian Weapons at the Smithy.
• Added an option to perform Transcendent armor upgrades at the Smithy.
• In the Reinforce Artian Weapons menu at the Smithy, the default sorting order in the weapon selection list has been updated, and new sorting criteria have been added while existing ones have been adjusted.
• In the Dismantle Artian Weapons menu at the Smithy, new sorting criteria have been added for the weapon selection list while existing ones have been adjusted.
• When smelting Armor Spheres and ore at the Smelting Foundry, the Smelting Points obtained from certain monster materials has been increased.
• Added new sorting options for the following categories at the Quest Counter:
  Investigations: Most Attempts Left / Least Attempts Left
  Lobby Member Quests: No Passcode / Newly Started Quests / Open Member Slots
• Adjusted the ordering of completed side missions within the Recommended sort option for Optional Quests at the Quest Counter.
• Adjusted the ordering of quests displayed under SOS Flare Quests, Lobby Member Quests, and Link Member Quests at the Quest Counter so that quests set to Auto-accept appear before those set to Manual Accept, making Auto-accept quests easier to identify."
• Added a Quest Last Played quick access option to the Quest Counter menu.
• Removed the Settings category from the Quest Counter menu. Settings can now be accessed directly via a shortcut button which varies by platform.
• When beginning a Field Survey or saving as an Investigation from the map, a Begin Survey prompt has been added to the summary and the corresponding tooltip icons have been adjusted.
• Added a feature that sends an important message notification at the start of a quest to remind players to use a Lucky Voucher. (This notification can be toggled on or off in the Quest Counter Settings.)
• Added an option to reset settings to their default in the Training Area.
• When opening the Customize Radial Menu screen from the Start Menu, the game will now automatically detect the input device in use and display the appropriate controller or keyboard-specific screen.
• Adjusted the display of monster icons, bonus rewards, and quest difficulty to improve visibility for the following Environment Overview events:
  – Monsters troubling settlements
  – Multiple target quests
  – Pack quests

System

• CPU/GPU optimization will be implemented across all hardware by:
  – Applying frame distribution, reviewing collision detection, and reducing the number of simultaneous effects to optimize processing time.
  – Reducing the overall load by eliminating unnecessary processing.
  – Implementing over 100 performance improvements for players, monsters, Seikret, Palicoes, NPCs, GUI, effects, gimmicks, and more.
• When a communication error message is displayed, player movement and camera control will now remain available.
  Note: Depending on your settings in Open Menu Controls, player movement may still be disabled.
• The Hunter Friends list will now display in order of most recent login time.
• SOS Flare Quests will now include Arch-tempered monsters as targets.
  Note: These are treated as separate targets compared to regular monsters.
• The following Event Quests can now be accepted even during offline mode:
  – A Silent Flash (Arch-tempered Rey Dau)
  – These Roots Run Deep (Arch-tempered Uth Duna)
  – Be Cursed, Ye Shadowy Flame (Arch-tempered Nu Udra)
  – Planetes Protocol (Savage)
• 2 Dragon Ammo can now be obtained during one round of crafting.

Miscellaneous

• Made adjustments so that the player can no longer be pushed by the handler while in Photo Mode.

Bug Fixes and Balance Adjustments

Bases and Facilities

• Sorting armor by skill now also highlights the individual armor pieces that have the skill.
• The "Equipment Skills" sort criterion in the Equipment Box now only displays available skills possessed by equipment you own.
• Equipment appearance loadouts now include an option for registering the currently applied hair design data.
• Layered armor in the Equipment Appearance menu can now be filtered by α and β types.

Monsters

• Fixed an issue where, if the player moves locales after the Jin Dahaad notification appears (indicating that Jin Dahaad is moving from the Iceshard Cliffs to Rimechain Peak) but before Jin Dahaad completes its move, the Jin Dahaad quest will fail to spawn.
• Fixed an issue with the High Purrformance Barrel Puncher where Focus Strikes were not contributing correctly to the combo count.
• Fixed an issue where Uth Duna's veil destruction animation could be canceled by another action, causing the veil to remain intact.
• Fixed an issue where canceling Arkveld's Unleashed state (in which its chainblades sweep out in a wider area) during certain actions would fail and instead restore the damage required to cancel the state.

Player

General

• Increased the max elemental values possible for the player's status.
• Reduced the size of the reaction when performing a Perfect Guard against an attack that would cause a small knockback when guarding.
• You can now chain from a Perfect Guard reaction more quickly into certain actions after performing a Perfect Guard against a powerful attack when using the sword & shield, great sword, lance, gunlance, charge blade, or heavy bowgun.
• Fixed an issue where the Hook Slinger's range would be reduced when the capture net is equipped.
• Fixed an issue where there was not enough guide info displaying when the player receives a restraining attack from a large monster.
• Fixed an issue where the player would move much more quickly than intended during certain actions.
• Fixed an issue where using The Blackest Night behind a Giant Ice Chunk during Jin Dahaad's powerful attack could cause the player to still take damage from the attack.
• Fixed an issue where you could take damage from the Palico's Water Gun reaction when carrying a Barrel Bowling Bomb.
• Fixed an issue where certain inputs during the Pumpkin Head gesture could prevent you from being able to dash.
• Fixed an issue where the Water Gun gesture could not be performed when equipped with Omega's Sword or Omega's Rod.
• Fixed an issue that would cause the player to thank Support Hunters at unintended times in response to their support actions.
• Fixed an issue that prevented the Fender collaboration gesture from appearing correctly to other players during online play.
• Fixed an issue where the player's longsword would not sit correctly in its sheath when performing the pose Battle-Ready Pose (Extra).
• Fixed an issue where canceling the Pumpkin Head gesture under certain conditions would temporarily cause the player's hair to disappear.

Great Sword

• Raw damage and elemental scaling for Charged Slash, Strong Charged Slash, and True Charged Slash have been increased.
• Fixed an issue preventing the player from guarding again for a while depending on whether any directional inputs occurred after a Perfect Guard.

Long Sword

• Special Sheathes will now take longer to be automatically deactivated if the player is waiting during a Special Sheathe.
• Spirit Release Slash will no longer hit captured monsters.
• Fixed an issue preventing the player from unsheathing their weapon for a while if there is no directional input after a Spirit Release Slash.

Sword & Shield

• Adjusted the hitbox of Perfect Rush to make it easier for some inputs to land.
• Forward Slash raw damage has been increased.
• Forward Slash now combos into Lateral Slash more smoothly than before.
• Perfect Guard now transitions into a regular Guard slightly more quickly.
• Perfect Guard now combos into a Lateral Slash slightly more quickly.
• Fixed an issue where the Sidestep Slash behavior during Focus Mode differed depending on the control type settings.
• Fixed an issue that prevents you from performing basic actions after drawing your weapon from a stationary position.

Dual Blades

• The amount of weapon sharpness consumed while performing Focus Strike: Turning Tide or Turning Tidedrill has been reduced.
• Made adjustments to keep Demon Boost Mode active even after sheathing your weapon.
• You can now exit Demon Mode mid-movement after performing a Demon Dodge in Demon Boost Mode.
• Fixed an issue where the Focus Strike: Turning Tide action was canceled after deflecting off certain monster parts.
• Fixed an issue with Type 2 Directional Controls that prevented you from moving in the intended direction after dodging in Demon Mode.

Hammer

• During a Follow-up Spinslam, you can now use movement inputs to extend your movement distance during the attack.
• Fixed an issue where portions of Focus Blow: Earthquake were dealing fixed raw damage.
• Fixed an issue with Type 2 Directional Controls where moving in certain directions after an Overhead Smash would cancel the movement.

Hunting Horn

• Performance Beat raw damage has been increased slightly.
• Fixed a bug where the performance effects and attack timings were misaligned with player actions during certain performances.

Lance

• High Thrust III and Mid-Thrust I, II, and III raw damage has been increased.
• Grand Retribution Thrust and Double Counter-thrust raw damage has been increased.
• Triple Thrust raw damage and elemental scaling have been increased.
• Perfect Guard now chains into other actions more quickly.
• The damage reduction rate for large guard reactions during a guard or Perfect Guard has been increased.
  Note: The Guard Up damage reduction rate will apply for attacks that become blockable due to the skill effect.
• Fixed an issue with Type 2 Directional Controls where Leaping Thrust could not be performed in the intended direction from a stationary position.

Gunlance

• The Wyrmstake Cannon was adjusted to make it easier to hit monsters.
• Wyrmstake Cannon attacks in Focus Mode have been adjusted to make it easier to fire in the direction of the reticle.
• The damage reduction rate for large guard reactions during a guard or Perfect Guard has been increased.
  Note: The Guard Up damage reduction rate will apply for attacks that become blockable due to the skill effect.
• Fixed an issue where Wyrmstake Shots would disappear if a Wyrmstake Cannon attack hit another player.

Switch Axe

• Sword: Counter Rising Slash can now be chained into a sidestep.
• Sword: Counter Rising Slash has increased invulnerability to knockback, and can be quickly chained into an evade.
• You can now evade while charging Unbridled Slash and Full Release Slash.
• You can now quickly chain into an evade when landing after performing a Zero Sum Discharge Finisher.
• Focus Assault: Morph Combination was adjusted to make it easier to hit wounds and weak points.
• Focus Assault: Morph Combination raw damage has been increased.
• Raw damage has been increased for Sword: Overhead Slash, Sword: Right Rising Slash, Sword: Left Rising Slash, and Sword: Heavenward Flurry.
• Unbridled Slash raw damage has been increased.
• Element scaling for multi-hit attacks and raw damage has been increased for Element Discharge and Zero Sum Discharge.
• Axe: Spiral Burst Slash raw damage has been increased.
• Raw damage has been increased for Sword: Downward Fade Slash, Sword: Morph Double Slash, and Axe: Morph Rising Double Slash.
• Sword: Morph Slash raw damage has been increased when chaining from an evade in Sword Mode.
• Fixed an issue where the values on the status screen for Dragon Phial, Poison Phial, Paralysis Phial, and Exhaust Phial would show a higher number than the maximum possible value. *This does not change the actual functionality, just the numbers that are displayed.

Charge Blade

• Hit stops that occur during multi-hit attacks in Power Axe Mode have been reduced.
  Note: "Hit stops" are visual effects where your movement temporarily freezes or slows down when an attack connects with a monster.
• During Axe: Morph Slash, the window for utilizing guard points or executing a Perfect Guard has been extended, and the actions will now trigger sooner.
• Savage Axe Slash raw damage has been increased.
• Axe: Element Discharge and other attacks now chain into moves like Axe: Morph Slash more quickly.
• The first hit of Axe: Element Discharge II now chains into Axe: Morph Slash.
• Focus Slash: Double Rend can now chain into Axe: Morph Slash.
• Focus Slash: Double Rend can now chain into other actions more quickly.
• Fixed an issue where Axe: Element Discharge II couldn't chain into Axe: Amped Element Discharge when certain inputs were used.
• Fixed an issue when initiating a guard where there was a delay before turning in the intended direction.
• Fixed an issue where the button guide display differed from the actual inputs during certain Sword: Morph Slash combos.

Insect Glaive

• You can now chain into a Descending Slash using short button inputs. The Charge Level will increase depending on the preceding attacks.
  Note: With the right timing, you can use △+○ (PS5) / Y+B (Xbox) / Default Left + Right Click (PC) to chain into a Descending Slash.
• Sidestep Slash and Sidestep Slash Combo raw damage has been increased, and attack speed after harvesting all three extracts has been raised.
• The player will no longer be knocked back after initiating a Rising Spiral Slash.
• Jumping Slash/Strong Jumping Slash can now chain into a Descending Slash/Strong Descending Slash.
• Fixed an issue where certain charged attacks would not chain into a Descending Slash during Focus Mode, even after releasing the charge.
• Fixed an issue where the Kinsect behaved abnormally while performing a Focus Strike: Leaping Thrust on certain monsters, such as Nu Udra.
• Fixed an issue where the Kinsect stopped moving after encountering ledges in certain terrain.

Light Bowgun

• Focus Blast: Eagle Strike Rapid Fire Gauge recovery amount has been greatly increased.
• Chaser Shot responsiveness has been improved, and it is now easier to chain into evades or other shots after firing.
• Rapid Chaser Shot responsiveness has been improved, and it is now easier to chain into evades or other shots after firing.
• Burst Step now chains more easily into Rapid Chaser Shot.
• Adhesive Ammo explosions now restore the Rapid Fire Gauge.
• Wyvernblast raw damage has been increased, and the cooldown time has been greatly reduced.
• It is now easier to chain into basic actions after setting up a Wyvernblast.
• Normal Ammo raw damage has been increased.
• Normal Ammo Chaser Shot raw damage has been increased.
• Normal Ammo Rapid Chaser Shot firing rate has been increased.
• The raw damage of the final shot of Normal Ammo Rapid Chaser Shot has been increased.
• The number of shots from Pierce Ammo Rapid Chaser Shot has been increased.
• Spread Ammo Rapid Chaser Shot firing rate has been increased.
• The raw damage and elemental values of elemental ammo Rapid Chaser Shot (excluding Dragon Ammo) has been increased.
• Elemental ammo Rapid Chaser Shot (excluding Dragon Ammo) firing rate has been increased.
• Dragon Ammo Rapid Chaser Shot firing rate has been increased.
• Dragon Ammo has shorter time between hits and is more likely to hit monsters.
• Dragon Ammo max effective range has been increased.
• Rapid Chaser Shot firing rate has been increased when using Poison Ammo, Paralysis Ammo, and Sleep Ammo.
• Reduced the amount of Rapid Fire Gauge consumed by ammo that can be used for rapid fire.
• Fixed an issue where moving diagonally while aiming could cause you to move much slower than intended.

Heavy Bowgun

• Wyverncounter Ignition now restores Ignition Gauge upon a successful offset.
• The player is no longer knocked back when firing Wyverncounter Ignition.
• The responsiveness of Wyverncounter Ignition between loading and firing the attack has been improved.
• Wyverncounter Ignition now chains more easily into other actions after firing.
• You can now chain into guarding or sidestepping when readying Wyvernblast Ignition or Focus Blast: Wyvern Howl. The evade performed when readying or after firing these moves has also been changed to a sidestep.
• Reduced the amount of Ignition Gauge that Wyvernblast Ignition consumes.
• Wyvernblast Ignition raw damage and Fire damage has been increased.
• Wyvernblast Ignition now chains more quickly into guards, evades, and other actions after firing.
• Wyvernpiercer Ignition raw damage and max number of hits has been increased.
• Wyvernheart Ignition raw damage has been increased.
• Focus Blast: Wyvern Howl now restores Ignition Gauge when hitting weak points or destroying wounds.
• The responsiveness of Focus Blast: Wyvern Howl between loading and firing the attack has been improved.
• Focus Blast: Wyvern Howl now chains more easily into other actions after firing.
• Focus Blast: Wyvern Howl raw damage has been increased.
• Dragon Ammo has shorter time between hits and is more likely to hit monsters.
• Dragon Ammo max effective range has been increased.
• Ignition Mode ST I and II damage multiplier scaling has been increased. (Affects Wyvernpiercer Ignition, Wyvernheart Ignition, and Focus Blast: Wyvern Howl.)
• Fixed an issue where, under certain conditions, player actions would become erratic while performing Stalwart Guard.

Bow

• Dragon Piercer and Arc Shot raw damage has been increased.
• Increased the raw damage of Tracer arrows and Fuse arrows.
• Charged Shot, Power Shot, Power Volley, and Thousand Dragons raw damage and elemental scaling has been increased.
• Power Coating and Piercing Coating raw damage scaling has been increased.
• Coating application speed has been increased.
• You can now chain from a Charging Sidestep into loading a Tracer arrow.
• Fixed an issue where damage scaling and the effects of the Partbreaker skill were not reflected properly when destroying multiple wounds or weak points at the same time with Focus Fire: Hailstorm.
• Fixed an issue where stamina would not naturally recover under certain conditions when performing a backward Discerning Dodge.

Skills

• Guard Up: Now also reduces damage taken when guarding regardless of the attack. The skill details are now as follows:
  Reduces damage taken when guarding and allows you to guard against ordinarily unblockable attacks.
  Level 1: Reduces damage taken by 10%, plus an additional 20% when conditions are met.
  Level 2: Reduces damage taken by 20%, plus an additional 30% when conditions are met.
  Level 3: Reduces damage taken by 30%, plus an additional 50% when conditions are met.
• Charge Up: Now also boosts the damage of Hammer charged attacks.
• Ballistics: Now also boosts the raw damage of Level 3 shots made at critical range.
• Elemental Absorption: Reduced the cooldown time between skill activations.
• Flayer: Increased the activation rate and effect strength.
• Flayer: When activated, the skill deals bonus damage even if a monster part has exceeded its maximum wound limit.
• Flayer: Fixed an issue where the skill activation notification would not display in high-rank quests when triggering bonus damage (after enough buildup value has been accumulated).
• Binding Counter (Set Bonus Skill): Increased the effect duration.
• Flawless Armor (Set Bonus Skill): Increased the effect strength.
• Protein Fiend (Set Bonus Skill): Increased the effect duration and the Level 2 effect strength.
• Bad Blood (Set Bonus Skill): Reduced the cooldown time between skill activations, and increased the effect strength.
• Scorcher (Set Bonus Skill): Reduced the cooldown time between skill activations, and increased the effect strength.
• Whiteflame Torrent: Reduced the cooldown time between skill activations, and increased the effect strength when used together with the set bonus skill Scorcher.
• The following weapon moves for each weapon have been added to the pool of moves that can trigger bonus damage skills:
  Long Sword: Spirit Thrust, Spirit Helm Breaker, Spirit Blade II
  Hammer: Charged Upswing, Mighty Charge Upswing, Mighty Charge Slam
  Lance: Triple Thrust
  Gunlance: Wyrmstake Cannon, Wyrmstake Full Blast, Multi Wyrmstake Full Blast
  Charge Blade: Sword: Condensed Element Slash, Axe: Amped Element Discharge, Axe: Super Amped Element Discharge
  Insect Glaive: Descending Thrust, Strong Descending Thrust, Descending Slash, Strong Descending Slash
  Heavy Bowgun: Wyvernheart Ignition, Wyvernpiercer Ignition
  Bow: Thousand Dragons, Piercing Coating on normal arrows and Tracers, Power Shot (excluding when Piercing Coating is applied), Power Volley (excluding when Piercing Coating is applied), Flying Swallow Shot (excluding when Piercing Coating is applied)
• Binding Counter (Set Bonus Skill): Fixed an issue where the skill activation would unintentionally carry over after resetting a challenge quest.
• Bubbly Dance (Set Bonus Skill): Fixed an issue where the required evasion count for activating the skill would not reset during challenge quests.

Support Hunters

• Slightly increased the attack power for Olivia, Rosso, Mina, and Kai for when the quest leader is at HR 50 or higher.
• Improved the response of Support Hunters when the player has not performed any attacks for a certain period of time: it is less likely for Support Hunters to stop attacking, and they also return to combat faster after the player resumes attacking.
• Fixed an issue where Support Hunters could lose health and faint even after a quest has been completed.
• Fixed an issue where Support Hunters would go into standby near a trap placed for a Nerscylla Clone (during the Omega Planetes hunt) even if the trap would have no effect.
• Fixed an issue where in some situations Support Hunters would not attack Omega Planetes even when standing near it.
• Fixed an issue where Mina would aim for out-of-reach body parts on certain monsters.
• Fixed an issue where a monster would not enter the Power Clash state when Rosso successfully triggers a Power Clash.
• Fixed an issue where system messages would not properly appear when the host player received melody effects from Kai's Performances.
• Fixed an issue where Support Hunters would unintentionally and repeatedly use Flash Pods or traps.
• Fixed an issue where weapon and slinger ammo would unintentionally disappear upon hitting a Support Hunter mounted on a Seikret.

Seikret

• When riding a Seikret and attempting to use an item, the item use will not be cancelled even if the Seikret performs an automatic evasion at the same moment.
• It now takes less time for the Seikret to be able to speed up again after performing an automatic evasion.
• Fixed an issue where performing a jumping dismount from the Seikret could unintentionally call the Seikret again even if no inputs were made at the time.

Miscellaneous

System

• Limited bounties under the categories "Research Help: Monsters", "Research Help: Fishing", and "Research Help: Endemic Life" have been adjusted to reward more armor spheres.
• Fixed an issue where some lobbies where joining is limited to Lobby ID Search could still be joined via Hunter Friend Search.
• Fixed an issue where you could not post or join quests in online lobbies after switching your crossplay settings from "Disable" to "Enable" in the title screen options.
• Fixed an issue where, under certain conditions, a chat notification claiming a seasonal event would be "Ending Soon" would mistakenly appear even if there is significant time left for the event.
• The squad member list now shows the name of your active squad in the header.
• You can now also send Hunter Friend requests from the squad member list.
• Made slight adjustments to the flow for editing and deleting widgets in the Hunter Profile.
• Removed the confirmation window that appeared when finishing editing Hunter Profile widgets.
• Fixed an issue where the The Equipment Loadouts widget in the Hunter Profile would show mistakenly updated reinforcement bonuses for Artian weapons.
• Exiting your Hunter Profile now prompts a confirmation window.
• Added a confirmation window to the Reset Widgets function in the Hunter Profile (to help prevent accidental resets).
• In addition to how many you currently own, the save data selection screen now shows you the max number of Character and Palico Edit Vouchers you can own.
• New text has been added to the end of each Support Hunter profile briefly explaining their strengths.
• Moved the in-game tips related to Lagiacrus from "Hunting" to "Lagiacrus" in the Tip List category of the Play Guide.
• Using the Take All function with Nata's Material Retrieval feature now displays the names and amount of all items you are obtaining.
• Omitted the confirmation window that appears when selecting an item for Material Retrieval.
• Added an option to the supply item confirmation window to let you discard items from the item pouch.
• The endemic life menu at Ecological Research now shows how the current number of captured creatures and the max number possible.
• Adjusted the icons so that, when outside of combat, parts removed from monsters (such as tails) are easier to find.
• The red wave effect on the health gauge (the effect that triggers when your health is at critical levels) is now disabled when the "Health Gauge Warning" option is set to "Do Not Display".
• A new "Hide During Combat" setting has been added to the "Hide Other Seikret" option.
• A new "Radial Menu Selection Type" option has been added.
• Adjusted the text and icons that appear in the fishing controls.

Handler

• The Handler will now avoid getting too close to large monsters.

Palico

• Fixed an issue where the Palico would cancel in-progress support moves when the player performs certain actions, such as a Focus Strike with a bow.
• Fixed an issue where the Palico would continue to glow after performing certain inputs during the Hocus Palicosus gesture.
• Fixed an issue where your Palico could become stuck and unable to descend the cliff at the entrance to Area 17 in the Oilwell Basin.

Other

• Fixed an issue where some voice lines would not trigger properly.
• Fixed various text issues.
• Fixed other miscellaneous issues.

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.

Gaston, the swole villain from Beauty and the Beast, will reportedly be the next Disney baddie to get the live-action movie treatment.

Following in the footsteps of Maleficent and Cruella de Vil, Deadline reports that development has begun on a Gaston standalone picture.

It's believed that the movie will feature an all-new version of the character — depicted in Disney's 1992 animated classic as a self-entitled sexist. Luke Evans previously portrayed the character in live-action in the 2017 Emma Watson-starring Beauty and the Beast remake.