I feel like we've earned a reprieve today from the news chaos of tariffs and Nintendo Switch 2 pricing, so here's something fun (?) for your Friday: IGN played Mario Kart World at a Nintendo event in New York this week, and confirmed that yes, the new Cow character can in fact eat burgers and steak (and many others things as well).

If you're wondering what on earth we could possibly be talking about, allow me to point you to the recent announcement of Mario Kart World, which included the introduction of the Moo Moo Meadows Cow as a playable racer. The Internet, of course, is thrilled about this, already coming up with dozens of memes and fanart of the adorable Cow that, until recently, was nothing more prominent than a fun background character in a single Mario Kart track.

However, as news of Cow spread throughout the land, fans began pointing out a potential, erm, problem, with another element of the Mario Kart World reveal. In the Nintendo Direct 2 trailer from Wednesday, Mario eats a burger. Burgers are (typically) made of beef. Would Cow, whose people are ostensibly a source of beef, consume beef herself? Fans really wanted to know.

Well at the Nintendo preview event, we found out. You see, the food items we saw in the trailer are obtainable in Mario Kart World at Yoshi's diner locations scattered across courses. They function like a drive-thru, allowing racers to drive up and grab a bag of take-out just like they would an item box. There are a lot of different food items that can be inside, including burgers, steak kebabs, pizza, and donuts.

And yes, Cow can eat them all.

Yes, Cow CAN eat steak in Mario Kart World. pic.twitter.com/qN5PZ9IIM4

— IGN (@IGN) April 4, 2025

During our session we also saw Cow eat a number of other items, including the burger. We're still a little hazy on what these items are actually doing for Cow — other racers change costumes when consuming them, but Cow doesn't seem to experience any effects. Could she be eating beef just because she enjoys it? Is there a secret power-up she gets from burger consumption that we just don't know about yet because Nintendo hasn't revealed it? Or perhaps are these veggie burgers and Beyond meat kebabs?

IGN reached out to Nintendo to try and clear all this up, but we haven't heard back yet. I'm sure it's because they're busy at their New York event, and not because this is an unhinged question to ask their PR about. Yeah, that's probably it.

Anyway go check out our preview of Mario Kart World, the video version of which features an appearance by our friend Cow.

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.

Gaming fans are feeling the heat after Nintendo announced its Switch 2 U.S. pre-order date was delayed as a direct result of the newly announced tariffs posed by the Trump Administration.

Wednesday morning, Nintendo fully unveiled its hybrid console sequel alongside plans to open pre-orders come April 9 — news that Donald Trump would soon implement sweeping tariffs across the globe arrived just hours later. It was a moment of whiplash that the industry is still struggling to come to grips with, and now, two days later, the average gaming fan is already feeling the impact.

“Pre-orders for Nintendo Switch 2 in the U.S. will not start April 9, 2025 in order to assess the potential impact of tariffs and evolving market conditions,” Nintendo said in a statement shared with IGN. “Nintendo will update timing at a later date. The launch date of June 5, 2025 is unchanged.”

I really hate being right. I kept telling folks that things can literally change tomorrow. People kept yelling at me that the tariffs won't affect us...aight man 😒

— JG (@UTxJGTheDon) April 4, 2025

46% tariff on Vietnamese imports announced now.

Nintendo Switch 2 are produced there…

It’s so fucking over. pic.twitter.com/5N1iAMI2Jm

— Pory (@pory_leeks) April 2, 2025

they’re gonna make it even more expensive pic.twitter.com/5Y8FL9FZF6

— Just Some Bread (@garliclessbread) April 4, 2025

“Wait a minute… are you saying we have to pay the tariffs??” one Reddit user commented. “Who could have possibly foreseen this?!”

While pre-order timing for other territories, including the UK, remains unchanged, Nintendo didn’t mince words when it came to how tariffs will affect those in the United States. However, changes to a release schedule, even when it comes to something as simple as pre-order timing, signal that Nintendo has more on its mind than it has revealed thus far.

There were fears that Nintendo’s proposed $450 Switch 2 price and $80 games might be too big of an ask pre-tariffs — a movement aiming to get Nintendo to lower its price plans already began shortly after that initial reveal — but the struggle for affordable games is just getting started. While some analysts had suggested Switch 2 prices were calculated with potential tariffs in mind, Nintendo’s announcement today suggests those numbers have room to increase.

So then

Those WERE the pre tariff prices

Yeah the Switch and Mario Kart bout to be 650 after taxes

— Colin (@IntroSpecktive) April 4, 2025

Americans checking the updated Switch 2 prices after complaining about the old ones https://t.co/fsC60LU5YE pic.twitter.com/t4RwqXia8J

— imonlyhereforpikmin (@onlyhereforpkmn) April 4, 2025

Nintendo hasn’t announced when or if its Switch 2 prices will change, but there is plenty of reason to worry they will shift in a more expensive direction. What began as a wave of frustration aimed at the current Switch 2 price has now evolved into an ocean of people who, of course, are still angry, but now they are just hoping they’ll be able to afford the new console.

“This unironically frustrates me so much,” another Reddit user added. “The switch 2 was already going to be quite expensive (compared to the OG) but I was still okay with paying the extra money for it. The games were another blow. Was too expensive already but whatever. But this? Huge tariffs Plus Sales tax Plus tariffs on the games???

“I don’t want to pay 130$ for a damn copy of a game or 600$ for the new Switch. I genuinely (think) this will impact the amount of people able to buy into all of this. I shouldn’t as an average person be priced out of this, yet I probably will be. Augh…”

I feel bad for all my US followers. If you thought the Switch 2 price was expensive before. It looks like its going to get even worse due to new tariffs.

— Genki✨ (@Genki_JPN) April 4, 2025

We've spoken to other industry analysts who acknowledge that these unprecedented tariffs have gamers and game-makers walking into uncharted territory and that there's no telling what exactly will happen with the Switch 2. While some believe we could soon see a price increase, others aren't so sure, but all agree that the industry will no doubt feel the impact of the Trump Administration's wide-reaching tariff plans.

The Switch 2 is Nintendo’s latest groundbreaking console, but a suddenly increased price could be just the start of what’s to come. We spoke with Entertainment Software Association (ESA) spokesperson Aubrey Quinn to learn more about how Trump’s unprecedented tariffs will impact video game fans moving forward. As many have already feared, the ESA says there’s no reason to believe the damage will stop at Nintendo.

It does not stop at Nintendo Switch 2 btw.

-PC parts like CPU's and GPU's are gonna go up

-Laptops going up

-Anything Tech related is going up.

Next PlayStation and Xbox gonna require a blood sacrifice.

— Mightykeef (@MightyKeef) April 4, 2025

The prices of your consoles, tech, and pretty much every daily necessity are about to go up.

There's a good chance Nintendo is about to announce a price hike for the Switch 2. Do not be surprised if Sony and Microsoft follow suit.

PC market is already screwed. https://t.co/M40UFMyRH5

— KAMI (@Okami13_) April 4, 2025

The Nintendo Switch 2 is priced at $449.99 at the time of this piece’s publication. For more, you can read up on how we think it’s original price announcement impacted how players felt about the Switch 2 Direct. You can also click here to see the full launch lineup so far.

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

At CinemaCon this week, Amazon MGM had a notable array of star-driven upcoming films to tout that are opening in theaters (before streaming) over the course of 2025 and 2026, including Chris Pratt and Rebecca Ferguson in Mercy and Chris Hemsworth and Halle Berry in Crime 101. And while it might take awhile before we see James Bond again – though executives promised newly-hired producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman are hard at work developing the next film – it was clear the studio has especially high hopes for Project Hail Mary.

Despite opening a full year from now, in March 2026, Project Hail Mary was the film Amazon MGM opened their presentation with, showing an extended preview for the film. Based on Andy Weir’s book of the same name, Project Hail Mary stars Ryan Gosling, with Phil Lord and Christopher Miller directing, all of whom were in attendance (it was Lord’s second appearance of the week, since he’d also been at Sony’s CinemaCon presentation to announce Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse’s new 2027 release date).

Lord and Miller are known for funny and eclectic projects like 21 Jump Street, The Lego Movie and the Spider-Verse films (the latter of which they write and produce, with others directing), but the footage indicates Project Hail Mary has a different vibe to it from their previous work. The story follows Gosling’s mild-mannered school teacher turned astronaut, Ryland Grace, whose knowledge and skill leads him to be sent into space on a mission to save humanity, when it’s discovered that the Earth’s sun is one of many stars that are dying.

There was certainly a good amount of humor to be found in the footage, as Ryland panics over what he’s being asked to do, declaring at one point: “You have the right stuff! I have the wrong stuff!” But overall, it felt more subdued than their broader comedies, or even the heartfelt yet frequently very funny Spider-Verse movies, appearing to have a more poignant and awestruck overall feeling, as Ryland goes on his incredible mission to the far reaches of space - leaving Gosling at one point sporting long hair and a bushy beard.

The big added element here is screenwriter Drew Goddard, whose credits include projects like Cloverfield and Cabin in the Woods. But most notably, when it comes to this film, Goddard wrote the Academy Award-nominated screenplay for The Martian, which was also adapted from a book written by Andy Weir. And there’s definitely a similar feel between that film and Project Hail Mary, with its science-friendly, warm-hearted and witty look at a man alone in space…

…well, alone at first. Because as the footage teased at the end via a quick shot of a strange hand reaching out, Ryland comes to encounter an alien he names Rocky, who Miller noted “is trying to solve the same problem” in order to save his people. The footage concludes with Ryland sending a message back to Earth in which he declares “So… I met an alien! He’s kind of growing on me. Not growing in me. …Which was a concern for a while.”

Miller described Project Hail Mary as “the biggest challenge we’ve taken on,” with Gosling saying “It’s an insanely ambitious story that’s massive in scope. It seemed really hard to make and that’s kind of our bag.”

CinemaCon is an event aimed at movie theaters, and as the group were touting the big screen visuals of the film – despite them stressing none of the effects were final, what we saw looked quite good even this early – Miller remarked: “Movies are meant to be seen on the biggest screen possible with the weirdest-looking novelty popcorn bucket possible!”

Also starring Sandra Hüller and Milana Vayntrub, Project Hail Mary opens March 20, 2026.

For more CinemaCon coverage, here’s we learned about The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Avatar: Fire and Ash, Thunderbolts, Predator: Badlands, Superman, Mortal Kombat II, Resident Evil, Spider-Man: Brave New Day, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, John Wick 5, Jurassic World Rebirth, Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, Masters of the Universe, The Beatles, The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender, TRON: Ares, and Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning.

The GeForce RTX 4090 is a generation older than the new Blackwell 50 series GPUs, but this doesn't change the fact that it's still one of the most powerful cards out there, eclipsing the GeForce RTX 5080 or RTX 4080 Super or the Radeon RX 9070 XT or RX 7900 XTX. Only one GPU performs better - the RTX 5090 - and you'll need to use up a lifetime of luck to find one that isn't marked up by hundreds, even thousands of dollars.

Because the RTX 4090 has been discontinued, it's getting harder to source as well. Fortunately, Dell has two prebuilt gaming PC models that can be equipped with a 4090 GPU, and at reasonable prices. The base model costs $2,999.99. The upgraded model with a more powerful processor, more RAM, and more storage costs $3,599.99. These are currently the best prices we see for an RTX 4090 equipped gaming PC, and many other manufacturers - including Lenovo and HP - no longer carry RTX 4090 prebuilt gaming PCs at all.

Alienware Aurora R16 RTX 4090 Gaming PC for $2,999.99

It’s been a wild news roller coaster for U.S. gamers this week. It began with the celebratory full reveal of the Nintendo Switch 2 in all its glory and games, followed closely by audience dismay over its $450 price tag and $80 for Mario Kart Tour, only for everyone to reel once again this morning as Nintendo announced it would hold off on pre-orders for the system until it could assess the impact of the Trump Administration’s sudden, sweeping, unprecedented tariffs on just about every nation in the world.

We’ve written elsewhere about why the Nintendo Switch 2 cost so much to begin with, and what impact the industry’s trade association thinks these new tariffs are likely to have on games writ large. But right now, the real question on everyone’s minds is, what’s Nintendo going to do? When pre-orders do open, will the Nintendo Switch 2 be even more expensive?

Normally, when there are questions to the tune of “what is going to happen with video games?”, I go ask a panel of expert industry analysts. While they can’t literally predict the future, most of the time, they have a pretty solid consensus understanding, backed by evidence and data, of what’s most likely to happen, and I turn around and write about that. I’ve already done it twice this week.

But for the first time since I started interviewing analysts on such topics, every single analyst I spoke to was effectively stumped. Several had guesses one way or another: Nintendo will raise the price, or won’t. But every single one of them heavily caveated their response with an emphasis on the chaos of the moment. This has never happened before, it’s all happening very fast, and absolutely no one can accurately predict what Nintendo, Trump, or anyone will do tomorrow, next week, or months down the road.

So with that rather astonishing disclaimer in mind, here’s what all the analysts I spoke to did say:

Sky-High Switch

With everyone I spoke to taking their best wild guesses on what was going to happen, I ended up with a pretty divided panel. On the side of “Nintendo will raise prices” was Dr. Serkan Toto, CEO of Kantan Games. Though he says he at first thought it was too late for Nintendo to raise prices after it had announced them, this delay has changed his mind. At this stage, he doesn’t think Nintendo has much of a choice.

“It is very difficult to predict, but Nintendo will likely take a few days to run simulations and then announce hikes, not only for the system itself but also games and accessories,” he said. “I hope I am wrong but if sustained, these sky-high tariffs leave them no choice. Would you be surprised now to see Switch 2 hit US$500 for the base model? I wouldn't.

“What I also want to add is this: Why on earth did Nintendo not wait for the US to fix their tariffs first and then decide on pricing during a Direct a few days later? This made no sense.”

Mat Piscatella, senior analyst at Circana, heavily caveated his opinion (as did basically everyone else) with a reminder that this is all unprecedented and unpredictable. But ultimately, he too came down on the side of games prices generally, including Nintendo prices, likely going up. But how much, and on what is anyone’s guess. “Based on the conversations I'm having, the breadth and depth of the tariffs surprised everyone, not just consumers,” he said.

Piscatella told me that Nintendo likely had some assumptions in mind about what the tariffs would be when it set the price originally. But when the actual tariffs came in on Wednesday, it was probably much higher than Nintendo, or anyone, anticipated.

“Every reasonable and responsible business that relies on international supply chains will be reevaluating its US consumer pricing at this point. They have to.

“Some territories and regions globally have historically been subject to higher pricing than other parts of the world when it comes to video games. The US could certainly be joining that group because of these tariffs. The haphazard and chaotic nature of the tariffs and their announcement obviously has many scrambling to navigate the fallout.”

Manu Rosier, director of market analysis at Newzoo, also predicts that hardware prices will increase, though he suggests software will likely not be impacted in the same way.

“While physical versions might be subject to tariffs, the growing dominance and lower cost of digital distribution would likely limit any broader effect,” he said.

“Regarding hardware, however, the situation is more sensitive. If a 20% tariff—or any substantial increase—were to be introduced, it’s unlikely that companies like Nintendo would absorb the additional cost by cutting into their margins. In such cases, the burden could shift to consumers in the form of higher retail prices.”

Holding the Line

On the other side of speculation, again with a heavy dose of telling me how unprecedented this is and how no one really knows what will happen, I find Joost van Dreunen, NYU Stern professor and author of SuperJoost Playlist. He acknowledges that a price increase on the Nintendo Switch 2 is possible, especially given the high tariffs on Vietnam. But he thinks the company will try very, very hard to avoid that.

"I believe the volatility from the Trump tariffs was already considered in the Switch 2's $449.99 pricing,” he said. “Given the first Trump administration's impact, Nintendo, like other manufacturers, has since restructured its supply chain to mitigate such geopolitical risks. Historically, Nintendo has aimed for a launch price around the $400 mark, adjusted for inflation, suggesting that the current price already reflects an anticipation of potential economic challenges stemming from ongoing trade disputes.

“Nevertheless, the unpredictable nature of these tariff decisions—exemplified by the recent situation in Vietnam—injects a significant amount of uncertainty into the market. This could compel Nintendo to find ways to absorb or offset additional costs, especially when initial product margins are typically narrower. While I expect Nintendo will strive to maintain the $449.99 price point, the external economic pressures may eventually force a reassessment if the trade landscape deteriorates further."

Piers Harding-Rolls, games researcher at Ampere Analysis, agrees, saying that Nintendo runs the risk of consumer backlash if it raises prices further:

“The extent of the tariffs and its impact on Vietnamese exports are really bad news for Nintendo,” he says. “The company is now in between a rock and a hard place, having already announced the launch price. I have already suggested that the pricing would stay as announced until 2026 at the earliest but then might be adjusted if the tariffs stay in place. This delay in pre-orders is to give the company more time and it will be hoping some sort of solution will be found over the next few weeks. This is a pretty fluid situation after all. Nintendo will not want to change the price having announced it, but I think everything is on the table now. If the pricing does change, it will impact the brand and the US consumer’s view of the product at launch. I don’t think that will put off loyal fans, but it might put off broader consumers who will take a wait a see approach. That’s particularly important during its first holiday season.”

Living in Unhinged Times

Finally, I spoke to Rhys Elliott, games analyst at Alinea Analytics. Elliott joined the first camp of analysts in predicting higher prices on both Nintendo hardware and software due to Trump’s tariffs. He also pointed back to his comments in my previous analyst piece, where he spoke on Nintendo announcing cheaper digital editions of Nintendo Switch 2 games in certain markets. “It seems the lower prices in other markets were to nudge Switch 2 buyers to digital, as I mentioned my comments to IGN about Mario Kart World’s pricing. Nintendo might have wanted to do something similar in the US, but the tariff situation is so chaotic that Nintendo was in ‘wait and see’ mode — and decided to hedge its bets to see if it needed to offset the tariffs.”

Elliott went on to project a rather grim picture of what will happen to the games industry more broadly as a result of the tariffs, with his predictions in line with what a spokesperson from the Entertainment Software Association warned me of earlier this morning on the same topic. He says that the tariffs will result in a “weaker, poorer nation”, with consumers ultimately paying the price. Here’s the rest of Elliott’s take on this:

“Some manufacturers – Nintendo included – have been shifting their manufacturing to non-tariff-impacted markets,” Elliott says. “And even if companies can afford to switch up (no pun intended!) their supply chains, who knows which markets will get tariffs next – as recent news supports. Companies cannot just lift up their whole supply chain and move everything to the US. It’s just not logistically possible. Under current law (I can’t believe I have to qualify this, but here we are), Trump would not be in power anymore by the time such a move would be completed – for Nintendo and other manufacturers. We are living in … there’s no other word for it .. unhinged times driven by an unhinged man (and other forces).

“These extreme tariffs will also be bad for consumers in the US but are positive for the US administration’s populist façade. Policies that lead to higher prices for everyday people amid a cost-of-living crisis are deplorable. They're bad for gamers and the games business. I won’t comment on the real reason for the US tariffs, but ‘a much stronger, much richer nation’ is not it.

What’s more, time and time again, data has shown that tariffs harm the economy. Comparative advantage is a core principle of international trade theory. Basically, consumption and economic well-being are stronger when countries focus on producing goods they can efficiently produce (at the lowest cost compared to other goods) – and trade for goods they are less efficient at producing. The trade war flies in the face of these core economic principles.”

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.

FragPunk is a 5v5 tactical hero shooter featuring 13 unique playable characters, known as Lancers. Each Lancer is equipped with at least three otherworldly Abilities, so whether you want to slide around the map with an electric guitar modified into a shotgun, teleport your entire team to quickly rotate to another site, or heal your allies after a narrowly won gunfight, there's a Lancer for you.

FragPunk's hero roster is mostly well-balanced at the moment, allowing all Lancers to thrive in optimal situations or when handled by players who recognize a character's weaknesses and leverage their strengths. But that doesn't mean all Lancers are created equal. While some may flourish on Attack or Defense, or when combined with specific team compositions or Shard Cards, others stand above the rest and provide consistent value no matter the circumstances.

Determining the best characters in the current meta is especially important in FragPunk because many of the game's Lancers must be unlocked using Gold, FragPunk Coins, or Lancer Trophies. So before you spend your hard-earned Gold on the worst character in the game, this FragPunk tier list will break down every Lancer and place them in a tier from S to B based on their ease of use, versatility, and consistency of value:

FragPunk Tier List

S-Tier Characters: Nitro, Hollowpoint, Pathojen, Spider, Kismet

A-Tier Characters: Serket, Broker, Zephyr, Sonar, Corona

B-Tier Characters: Jaguar, Axon, Chum

S-Tier: Nitro

Nitro is a Lancer limited only by your imagination, and her lack of mobility options. Nitro’s Chug Chug deploys a remotely-controlled combat drone that can dish out 20 damage per projectile, but the drone's greatest strength is its ability to gain intel while Nitro hides in relative safety. Nitro's The Wall ability enables you to create unique and unexpected sightlines, climb onto otherwise inaccessible areas, block incoming damage, and force enemies to reveal their location as they spray to destroy these surprisingly sturdy shields.

Nitro’s Mr. Pewpew sentry turrets can monitor most doorways and entry points, and they can also be used as a sneaky offensive tool. Use them to guard flanks, or when you know an enemy is expecting your advance, toss a turret in line of sight of your foe. This will force them to either accept the incoming damage from the turret, or they'll turn to destroy it, opening up a brief window for you to peek and gun them down.

S-Tier: Hollowpoint

Hollowpoint is a gifted sniper that provides players with a supercharged railgun that can one-shot enemies to the body in medium-range duels, or one-tap enemies to the head from just about anywhere. Hollowpoint's Meteora railgun is also a great recon tool because aiming down sights detects enemies in the field of view, even if they're an invisible Zephyr. The value of Hollowpoint's Meteora simply cannot be overstated because it essentially acts as a second primary weapon, and as a free sniper rifle that disregards the Shard Clash rule that prevents you from selecting a weapon type after two deaths using them.

Hollowpoint's Smoke Screen is among the best vision control abilities in FragPunk because it's forward-moving, goes through walls, pings all enemies hit by the screen, and can be stopped at will to block off sightlines. Lastly, her Paparazzi trap is especially useful because it attaches to enemies and exposes them until they remove it by holding their interact key for a brief time.

S-Tier: Pathojen

Since this tier list is focused on highlighting the Lancers that provide consistent value regardless of your team composition, weapon, or Shard Cards, Pathojen's AOE healing field all but automatically places her in S-Tier because it's the only healing ability in FragPunk. While many Shard Cards can grant healing, increase your team's Max HP, or reduce incoming damage, Pathojen's Emotional Rescue ability bypasses the RNG Gods and ensures your team can restore their HP no matter what.

On top of that, her Shroom Wall is a respectable defensive tool that grants cover, creates blockades in narrow chokepoints, and completely blocks off doorways. Finally, Pathojen's Killer Queen ability forges a triggered or manually activated trap. Killer Queen is perfect for slowing enemy advances, it can be used offensively by tossing it toward unsuspecting enemies, and don't forget to place one on planted Converters to ensure enemies can’t defuse for free.

S-Tier: Spider

Spider may be the most controversial S-Tier pick on this list because his strongest ability, Teleporter, relies heavily on team coordination to extract maximum value. But because the Teleporter facilitates creative plays, safe disengages and full team site rotations, Spider’s potential is simply too high for a lower ranking. Meanwhile, Spider’s Spirited Away trap is a demoralizing ability that teleports enemies to the spot where the skill was initially cast. Catching an enemy with Spirited Away almost guarantees an easy charged knife kill or one-tap, but be sure to communicate with your team when teleporting more than a single target because you’ll likely require the follow-up.

Spider Trap is also an excellent defensive gadget that nearly covers an affected enemy’s entire screen for roughly three seconds while slowing them. Hide Spider Traps near choke points leading to your teleporters to prevent enemies from camping your TP.

S-Tier: Kismet

Kismet is an elite offensive Lancer in large part because of her Walk on the Wild Side ability that makes her invisible and invulnerable for a brief period. Walk on the Wild Side is the only movement ability in FragPunk that provides both invisibility and invulnerability, but you won’t be able to see enemies for its duration. Still, it allows you to sneakily cross wide-open sightlines or long corridors, before getting to cover. Walk on the Wild Side can also be used as a get-out-of-jail-free card, when cornered or low on HP.

Hello, Goodbye provides a short-range scan that penetrates walls, and though you may be unimpressed by this ability’s range initially, its effectiveness increases as you familiarize yourself with maps and common enemy angles. Kismet’s final ability, Misery Angel, is a complimentary one that can damage enemies regardless of intervening barricades. Misery Angel is a surprisingly lethal threat that deals close to 100 damage and has a large blast radius.

A-Tier: Serket

Serket is an all-around offensive threat that provides intel, can teleport, has a forward moving smoke, and an AOE crowd control tool. Serket’s movement ability, Station to Station, casts a controllable beacon that you can teleport to for a limited time, or cancel to remain in the cast location. When controlling the beacon, any enemies in your line of sight will appear as sandstorms. On paper, this ability may seem broken, but the beacon has a low health pool and can quickly be destroyed. So while the area Serket can cover will decrease as you climb the ranks, even spotting a single enemy’s location is incredibly advantageous.

Serket’s Gold Dust Woman releases a dust tornado that moves forward and slows enemies caught in it. The tornado can also be manually stopped to temporarily block a sightline. Serket is also equipped with a projectile that pulls enemies toward the center. When caught, it’s very difficult for enemies to escape the pull, but landing it consistently has a bit of a learning curve. Outside of throwing it toward enemies you know are pushing through a corridor, Dilemma can also be used to pull enemies from behind cover before quickly lining up a shot. Though Serket may be a few steps behind her S-Tier castmates, she’s just one beacon HP or speed buff away from joining the elite Lancers.

A-Tier: Broker

Like Serket, Broker is another Lancer on the cusp of reaching the S-Tier ranking because of his excellent area denial, smoke, and explosive abilities. Broker’s Goddard’s Vengeance ability allows him to wield a rocket launcher that instantly kills enemies hit directly. While hitting a target dead-on may become more inconsistent in high-rank lobbies, it’s almost guaranteed to inflict a staggering amount of damage and the rocket can also be used to swiftly dismantle a defensive setup. So even if you don’t get your one before being eliminated, Goddard’s Vengeance will ensure one of your enemies leaves the gunfight battered and bruised.

Broker’s Smokestack Lightning is inarguably one of the most versatile smokes in FragPunk because it’s thrown and casts smokes along the flight trajectory, even after bouncing off walls. Though Smokestack Lightning is an insanely useful ability that can be used to cover or obscure just about any area of the map, the prevalence of recon abilities can quickly detect your push. Broker’s final ability, Cherry Bomb, is great for denying space, and though the bombs are easily destroyed and avoided, the info gained when enemies fire at or run through the bombs makes it worthwhile.

A-Tier: Zephyr

Were it not for the pervasiveness of traps and recon abilities in FragPunk, Zephyr and her stealthy kit would undoubtedly be S-Tier. Zephyr is an elusive Lancer whose Midnight Rambler ability grants temporary invisibility, at the cost of becoming unable to fire weapons without decloaking. Her second ability, Fade Away, casts a large zone that allows Zephyr to remain invisible indefinitely, so long as she doesn’t exit the zone or shoot her firearm. These two abilities used in concert can be incredibly lethal on sites, but her loud footsteps and traps remain a constant liability.

Thankfully, Zephyr has a built-in escape strategy in the form of her Get Back teleport beacon. Place a beacon before going for a stealthy backstab or aggressing on a site, and if your invisibility is running out, teleport back to quickly disengage.

A-Tier: Sonar

Sonar’s character design is deeply rooted in gathering information for you and your squad, but we’ve bumped her down to A-Tier because of her lack of mobility and reliance on team follow-up. Sonar’s Echolocation deploys a sensor that scans for moving enemies every few seconds. Though Echolocation is an undoubtedly powerful recon ability, it can be gamed by walking between the sensor’s scans. Nevertheless, at a minimum, Echolocation will slow enemy pushes and make their movements easier to predict.

Sonar’s Sonic Surge is another recon tool that launches a charged-up sonic wave that exposes all enemies hit and knocks them back. Because Sonic Surge can travel through walls, it’s amazing at gathering intel on enemy setups. Finally, Sound of Silence dampens your footsteps and the steps of surrounding teammates for a very brief period. The shortness of this ability’s timer makes it near useless in solo queue, but when on a coordinated squad, the silent pushes can be fight winning.

A-Tier: Corona

Corona’s kit is arguably one of the most harmonious in FragPunk because all of his abilities are meant to be used in concert. Corona’s Fast Lane is a quick dash that allows you to swiftly reposition between cover, but it’ll often be deployed just after casting Hothead. Hothead transforms Corona into a flash that briefly blinds all enemies looking at this Lancer. Corona players will time their Hothead flash, dash into line of sight, and blind all nearby enemies.

While this combo can be round winning, it tragically leaves Corona in no man’s land unless he has team follow-up. Corona’s last ability is Ashes to Ashes which creates a spell field that damages enemies, and grants Corona damage reduction and increased movement speed while in the zone. Though Corona sits in the A-Tier, he’s one of the best 1v1 duelers in FragPunk, making him a major asset in overtime matches.

B-Tier: Jaguar

Despite receiving a buff in a recent balance patch, Jaguar remains a B-Tier Lancer simply because there are Lancers that outmatch each of his abilities. Jaguar’s Live Wire trap deals an impressive amount of damage but not enough to secure kills, and it doesn’t reveal enemies unless you also use his I Can See for Miles skill. I Can See for Miles detects the number of enemies directly ahead, enemies on critical HP, or opponents affected by Live Wire or Electric Avenue.

Electric Avenue summons a cage around enemies scanned by the cast ability, but again, you’ll only be able to see the enemy inside if you use I Can See for Miles. Electric Avenue also lacks agency because it’ll automatically surround the nearest enemy in range. This isn’t always advantageous as teams can strategically bait your push before entering or exiting the cage.

B-Tier: Axon

Axon is one of the most aggressive Lancers in FragPunk, but like Zephyr, his kit is heavily reliant on the enemy team being distracted or lacking recon traps. Axon’s Electric Guitar deals a hefty, yet inconsistent amount of damage, but you’ll need to get into close-range engagements for it to be effective. Sticky Fingers are Axon’s grenades which can stick to targets or bounce off the environment, making them decent when you know an enemy’s precise location, but they rarely get value otherwise.

Axon’s final ability, Super Freak, is unquestionably the most niche in FragPunk because it makes him immune to flashes. While many believe Super Freak becomes near useless when facing off against a squad with no blinds, that isn’t necessarily the case. Super Freak can still get value if you throw flashes and quickly swing toward your enemy to blind them without getting flashed yourself. Despite Axon being one of the more fun and high-octane Lancers in the cast, a skilled marksman like Hollowpoint will decimate him on maps with long sightlines, so stick to running him on maps with tight flank routes.

B-Tier: Chum

To be clear, Chum is still a perfectly viable pick in B-Tier, but his reliance on his bestie Chomper places him at the bottom of the list because Chomper can be destroyed relatively quickly. Chomper is a deployable friend who can patrol a given area, enter Explosive Mode to chase down enemies, or enter Smoke Mode to release a controllable stream of smoke.

Chomper enters Explosive Mode when fed Chum’s Explosive Bait trap, and enters Smoke Mode when fed Smoke Bait. Smoke Bait can also be thrown to create a smoke cloud when the projectile hits the ground. Smoke Mode Chomper can be rather effective, but you’ll become vulnerable while controlling him, so be sure to get coverage from your teammates. Lastly, Chum’s lack of mobility options make him one of the easiest Lancers to isolate unless you keep Chomper by your side and limit your playmaking.

For more FragPunk guides, check out our explainer of FragPunk's ranked mode, plus How to Get Ultimate Material, and How to Slide in FragPunk!

Warning: this article contains basic plot spoilers for The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

This year’s CinemaCon has been especially eventful, including the reveal of the title of Tom Holland's next Spider-Man movie and an extended look at James Gunn’s Superman. CinemaCon has also given us a closer glimpse of Marvel’s upcoming The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Along with finally seeing Julia Garner’s Silver Surfer in action, this new Fantastic Four footage dropped a major bombshell. Vanessa Kirby’s Susan Storm is pregnant.

Anyone familiar with the Fantastic Four comics will know that this is a big deal for the team. Marvel Studios is about to introduce arguably the most powerful mutant in existence. And maybe his super-genius sister for good measure? Let’s take a closer look at why Sue’s pregnancy has major implications for the MCU and the Marvel movie multiverse.

The Children of the Fantastic Four: Who Are Franklin and Valeria Richards?

There’s a reason the FF are known as “Marvel’s First Family.” They’re a loving (if somewhat dysfunctional) family first and a superhero team second. That family element only becomes all the more pronounced once Reed Richards and Susan Storm become parents. In the comics, Reed and Sue currently have two children. Their elder son Franklin was introduced in 1968’s Fantastic Four Annual #6. Franklin’s younger sister Valeria followed in 2002's Fantastic Four #54.

As you might expect from parents whose bodies were inundated with cosmic radiation, Franklin and Valeria are both far from ordinary children. Franklin is easily one of the most powerful beings in the Marvel Universe. He has the ability to warp reality and matter at will, a power that even allows him to create entire pocket dimensions out of nothing. This power also manifests in other ways, giving Franklin everything from telepathy and telekinesis to the ability to project his consciousness across the astral plane.

Essentially, Franklin is the one being on Earth whose power is so great it rivals that of cosmic entities like the Celestials and Galactus. And he’s destined to only grow more powerful with age. The FF have met multiple adult versions of Franklin from the future, suggesting that he’ll one day grow to become an immortal defender of the entire Marvel Universe.

That’s a tough act to follow, but Valeria has never had much trouble holding her own in the Richards clan. She doesn’t have any superhuman abilities (not yet, at least), but her mind more than makes up for that. Despite her young age, Valeria is every bit as brilliant a scientist as her father. She’s a skilled inventor and an integral member of the Future Foundation, a team spearheaded by Reed that brings together the most brilliant young minds in the Marvel Universe.

As they’ve grown older, Franklin and Valeria have begun to take a more active role in the Fantastic Four’s adventures. They even have their own superhero codenames (Franklin is Powerhouse and Valeria is Brainstorm). Whatever the future holds for the Marvel Universe, Franklin and Valeria will be there to shape it.

LEGO has recently released a brand new set to its LEGO Disney line for 2025. Unlike many of the other LEGO Disney sets we've seen from this collaboration, the newest addition is targeted more at adults than kids. The massive LEGO Beauty and the Beast Castle is a whopping 2,916 pieces of pure Disney magic filled with little scenes from the classic film.

This isn't the first adult LEGO set from Disney, but it certainly is a break from the norm when it comes to LEGO castles. Usually these types of sets come with a lot fewer pieces and more play-friendly elements, but the Beauty and the Beast Castle was meant to be displayed in all its glory. If you're an adult fan of the animated movie and LEGO, this set was meant for you.

The LEGO Beauty and the Beast Castle Is Now Available

The Nintendo Switch 2 has finally been revealed, and while it brings huge improvements over the original console, it doesn’t exist in the same vacuum that the original handheld did. With the introduction of devices like the Steam Deck and Asus ROG Ally X, a ton of handheld gaming systems out there can play AAA PC games on the go.

So, while the Switch 2 will automatically have a niche carved out for being a system that plays, well, Nintendo games like Mario Kart World, anyone that’s buying a Switch 2 to play multiplatform games will have to reckon with devices like the Steam Deck – especially with the Switch 2’s $449 price tag.

Now that Nintendo has given a sneak peek into the hardware that’s running its new console, we can take a look at how exactly it will run, and whether or not its 4K promises are more than empty words.

Nvidia’s Custom Chip

The SoC (System on a Chip) that runs the Nintendo Switch 2 is probably the most important part of the console, but it’s the thing we know the least about. We do know that it’s a “custom Nvidia processor” that supports DLSS and ray tracing, but beyond that, neither Nintendo nor Nvidia have revealed any specifics. Luckily, there are a ton of leaks that suggest the Nintendo Switch 2 is using the aging Ampere graphics architecture behind the RTX 3080.

Going all the way back to 2023, there were leaks suggesting that the Nintendo Switch 2 would be using the Nvidia Tegra T239 SoC. This APU uses 8 ARM A78C cores, combined with an Nvidia Ampere GPU with 1,536 CUDA cores. Napkin math puts that at 12 Streaming Multiprocessors, which would be significantly smaller than even the smallest Ampere GPU – the RTX 3050 for laptops. However, assuming Nvidia didn’t nerf the Ampere SMs in the T239, each SM would have four Tensor Cores and an RT core, making for a total of 48 and 12, respectively.

To be fair, the Steam Deck is using a custom AMD APU that’s built on 8 AMD RDNA 2 GPU cores, which is smaller than what Nintendo is offering here. But, you have to keep in mind that the Steam Deck has a lower resolution display, and pumps more power into it. Plus, AMD Z2 processors are coming out over the next year, with the Z2 Extreme featuring 16 RDNA 3.5 GPU cores, which will be a huge upgrade. Though, systems with that chipset are going to be much more expensive than the Switch 2.

That small of a GPU basically makes 4K gaming an impossibility natively, but because the Tensor Cores are there, DLSS is going to be a major factor in how the Nintendo Switch performs when docked – assuming this is the SoC that’s actually in the system. However, with so few Tensor Cores, even upscaling to 4K is going to be a stretch in everything but the most lightweight games.

Instead, most games are likely going to target 1080p, even if they don’t natively render at that resolution. There are games like Donkey Kong Bananza that do seem to be rendering at a native 1080p resolution, according to Digital Foundry’s hands-on demos. However, third-party games like Cyberpunk 2077 seem to be relying heavily on upscaling, with native resolutions as low as 540p. I wouldn’t expect the Nintendo Switch 2 to ever be able to handle Cyberpunk 2077 at 4K, even with DLSS, though Nintendo will definitely have better luck with any game it can get running natively at 1080p.

The Ampere cores in the rumored T239 also have RT cores, which should theoretically allow for ray tracing in Nintendo Switch 2 games. Though, again, this will be heavily constrained by the processor’s 12 RT cores. Ray tracing will be possible, but don’t expect any jaw-dropping implementations of the technology, and especially don’t expect it in games like Cyberpunk 2077.

Even with RT cores, ray tracing is an extremely expensive workload for the GPU, and the T239 is limited by more than just its small SM count – power is a huge limiting factor, too. I spoke with Richard Leadbetter over at Digital Foundry, who told me that the entire system likely consumes as little as 10W, including the display, the SoC, and the mainboard. We won’t know exactly what the T239’s actual TDP (thermal design power) is until someone finds a way to measure it, but it likely leaves only 5-6W for the SoC itself – a third of the power of the Steam Deck’s AMD APU.

However, while the Nintendo Switch 2 might not be able to produce the same amount of power as a handheld gaming PC like the Asus ROG Ally X, that doesn’t mean there won’t be gorgeous games running on the system. After all, games like Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza look stunning, and it goes to show how clever Nintendo developers are at getting the most out of the hardware in the Switch.

After all, the original Nintendo Switch was powered by the Nvidia Tegra X1, which was built on the now-ancient Maxwell graphics architecture and only packed 256 CUDA cores. Ampere is orders of magnitude more efficient than Maxwell even on its best days, and there are six times more cores in the Switch 2’s GPU. The Nintendo Switch 2 should be way faster than the original console, which bodes well for cross-generation ports like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

Battery Life

While a total system power budget of 10W means the system isn’t quite as fast as it could be, it does mean the battery will have a much better time keeping up. Nintendo has come out and said it should last around 2 hours at a minimum. That’s less than was quoted for the original Switch, but that shouldn’t be too surprising, due to its higher-resolution display and more powerful processor.

The Nintendo Switch 2 has a 5,220mAh battery, a large step up from the 4,310mAh battery in the original console. That’s a sizable jump, and if its battery has the same voltage of the original Switch, that would equate to around 19Whr. That’s a smaller battery than the Steam Deck, which is probably why Nintendo quotes a similar battery life to the Steam Deck, despite its less power-hungry processor.

Nintendo probably could have put a more powerful battery in the Switch 2, but its decision likely came down to size constraints. There’s only so much battery that’ll fit while retaining the same thickness as the original Nintendo Switch, after all.

The Display

The most striking difference at first glance between the Switch and Switch 2 is probably going to be the display. While it doesn’t have the OLED screen that made the Switch OLED such a marvel, the display is bigger and has a higher resolution. The Nintendo Switch 2 sports a 7.9-inch LCD display with a resolution of 1920x1080 with HDR 10 support. The display is also fast, supporting variable refresh rate up to 120Hz. That’s honestly a bit overkill considering the silicon powering the thing, but it does mean that older games or indie titles will feel extremely smooth – assuming they have unlocked frame rates. 120Hz is also a useful refresh rate for games that target 40fps since that makes for a clean ratio that won’t result in excessive stuttering.

Nintendo hasn’t released any information about the brightness of the display, but the HDR 10 certification means it needs to at least have a peak brightness of 1,000 nits, so it’s going to be a bright screen. We don’t know exactly how color performance will turn out either, but Nintendo does claim that it supports WCG, or Wide Color Gamut.

The display is probably going to be the thing that lifts the Nintendo Switch 2 above its competitors. The Steam Deck LCD has an 800p display with a peak brightness of 400 nits, and it doesn’t support WCG. The Steam Deck OLED does offer a much nicer display, but it’s still an 800p display. The Nintendo Switch 2 screen is also a huge upgrade over the original, which had a 6.2-inch, 720p LCD display.

Is the Nintendo Switch 2 a Worthy Upgrade?

In a vacuum, the Nintendo Switch 2 is massively better than the original Nintendo Switch. It’s leagues faster, has a screen that’s bigger, brighter and sharper, and has Joy-Con that you don’t have to wrestle with to disconnect. The only problem is that the Switch doesn’t exist in a vacuum anymore.

There are a ton of handheld gaming systems out there now, and while most of them are more expensive than the $449 Nintendo Switch 2, they likely offer a better gameplay experience in multi-platform games. The real appeal of the Switch 2 is going to be Nintendo’s catalog of first-party games, just like with the original console. Nintendo is known for making great games that make the most of its – relatively – weak hardware. If you’re the type of gamer that falls in love with Nintendo games, then the Nintendo Switch 2 makes a lot of sense. However, if you’re just going to get this thing to play Cyberpunk or Elden Ring on the train, there are better gaming handheld options out there.

Jackie Thomas is the Hardware and Buying Guides Editor at IGN and the PC components queen. You can follow her @Jackiecobra

For seven years, Metroid Prime 4 was just a logo. Fans obsessively tuned into every Nintendo presentation hoping for an update on the game to no avail until 2024 when a trailer was finally released and footage of the game in motion was actually revealed. This year, not only is Metroid Prime 4: Beyond getting released but it’s also getting some really interesting visual and gameplay upgrades on Nintendo Switch 2. We’ve played Retro Studio’s latest installment in the classic sci-fi action adventure series on Switch 2 and we have lots to tell you about. Read on to find out more.

Beyond Beautiful

The first thing we noticed with Metroid Prime 4 was how gorgeous it was. It’s got an incredibly clean and stylish aesthetic and Nintendo was advertising it as running in 120 frames per second on Switch 2. This won’t be the case on Switch 1 and it’s tough to track how much Nintendo will be able to stick to that number on the full game, but it’s an ambitious goal either way. So far, Prime 4 has a really great sense of scale. We fought a bunch of grunt-like enemies, saw a massive, hulking mech strut into the battle, and then took down a large boss that featured several different attack phases. The area we demoed was just a small glimpse at what the full game might offer so we’re hoping we see some grander setpieces and large, open environments, some of which have been teased already in trailers.

But Metroid games are also about cramped tunnels and dark corridors and we got to see a few of those, too. Like previous Prime games, a quick button press instantly pops Samus from first-person aiming into third-person morph ball mode, allowing her to traverse some areas she can’t reach otherwise. We got to test this out a bit and it works great so we can’t wait to search around every nook and cranny of this game looking for missile upgrades, energy tanks, shortcuts, and more. This is the most detailed Metroid game yet and these sections are no different, giving us a glimpse of battles happening between warring factions happening beneath you as you roll around in tunnels above them. But wait, how does it all play?

Samouse Aran (Or, Of Mice and Metroids)

One of the most fascinating additions to Metroid Prime 4 on Switch 2 is the optional mouse controls. Looking back, the Prime series has experimented a ton with unique control options across various games. The first two Metroid Prime games were built around the fairly traditional Nintendo GameCube controller (although there was nothing traditional about turning a historically 2D sidescrolling game into a first person action adventure game with third person ball rolling mechanics) but after that, all bets were off. Metroid Prime: Hunters on Nintendo DS had touch screen controls. Metroid Prime 3 on Nintendo Wii had pointer and motion controls. Metroid Prime Pinball on DS shipped with a Game Boy Advance cartridge shaped rumble pack. We don’t talk about Metroid Prime: Blast Ball on Nintendo 3DS.

And now, Metroid Prime 4 on Switch 2 lets you turn your right Joy-Con 2 sideways, place it on a flat surface, and control Samus’ aiming with a snappy and precise mouse pointer complete with haptic feedback for every shot. Even neater, the game seamlessly allows you to switch from traditional stick controls to mouse controls on a whim, with no need to pause to go into the settings. We could see plenty of people deciding this is their preferred way to play Metroid Prime 4, and the ease of which you can swap back and forth between mouse and pointer controls makes it so you can choose to only plop the Joy-Con 2 on the table when it’s time for a serious combat sequence, and use traditional controls for the more chill exploration segments Prime 4 will surely deliver. Or maybe you’ll want to play the whole game in handheld mode or with a Pro Controller. Either way, you’ve got options.

The "Nintendo Switch 2 Edition" Upgrade Path

One thing Nintendo isn’t being totally clear on just yet is where Prime 4 sits in their awkward transitional Switch 1 to Switch 2 titles list. While some original Switch games like Echoes of Wisdom and Link’s Awakening are getting free upgrade patches for Switch 2, others like Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom are charging $10 for visual upgrades (and a few bells and whistles) while some games like Kirby and the Forgotten Land will receive $20 upgrades that improve visuals and add new content. Which of these categories will Metroid Prime 4’s mouse controls and 120FPS options be in when they come to Switch 2?

Well, like its release date and base game price, we just don’t know yet. You’ll be able to buy the base game and the “Switch 2 edition upgrade pack” individually or as a bundle in a bright red Switch 2 branded box but as of now, we have no idea how much any of those will cost you. Our best guess is that it will be $10 more for the Switch 2 version given that it’s not coming with an expansion like Mario Party’s “+ Jamboree TV” and Kirby’s “+ Star-Crossed World”, but we’re not 100% sure yet. Samus has unlockable psychic powers in Prime 4 so we might just have to ask her. She’s usually not very talkative, though.

Metroid Prime 4 doesn’t have a release date just yet but it’s coming to Switch 1 and Switch 2 in 2025 so hey, at least we won’t have to wait seven years again to find out more. Keep it locked to IGN for all things Metroid, and be sure to read up on our hands-on coverage of the Nintendo Switch 2 hardware, Donkey Kong Bananza, and Mario Kart World.

Brian Altano and Logan Plant love Metroid and talk about it frequently on Nintendo Voice Chat, IGN's weekly Nintendo podcast. Check it out on Fridays on IGN.com, YouTube, and podcast services.

It’d be difficult for any TV series, let alone an anime series, to be greeted with higher expectations than Lazarus. And, as Lazarus proves, it’d be equally difficult to live up to those expectations. The series comes from Shinichirō Watanabe, creator of the undisputed anime masterpiece Cowboy Bebop. With action overseen by John Wick director Chad Stahelski and a soundtrack featuring original compositions by the tantalizing trio of Kamasi Washington, Floating Points, and Bonobos, it would seem Lazarus promises nothing but slick and exciting visuals, storytelling, and atmosphere. In the first five episodes, only some of those promises are fulfilled. The opening chapters of Watanabe’s mildly compelling mystery anime remain watchable not because of the style on display or how much we care about the characters, but because of its heightened, apocalyptic stakes.

The beginning of Lazarus gives you no time to breathe: It instantly hits you with bucket loads of context and double-exposed imagery that define its vision of the future. The year is 2052, and a miracle painkiller called Hapna has exploded in popularity across the globe, ending humanity’s relationship to pain and putting a large chunk of the population in a perpetual sleepwalk. Believing this was a mistake, the drug’s creator, Dr. Skinner, announces that within 30 days, everyone who has ever taken Hapna will die. The sensory overload and intrigue surrounding this information is almost enough to paper over the clunky dialogue and poor acting (in the English version, anyway) that relays it.

Dropping such a nuclear event in the first episode is a bold decision. My brain was flooded with curiosity as to how the world would react and questions of how this was even possible, and why someone would decide that genocide on this level was the answer. It’s completely ridiculous, but Dr. Skinner’s speech announcing his intentions is packed with enough shock, intrigue, and mystery that it propelled me through the next four episodes – despite some of the less interesting turns they take.

Watanabe opts for a cold visual approach with Lazarus, with desaturated colors and metallic production design. That chilliness – also reflected in the steely, detached members of the Suicide Squad-like team looking to get a cure from Dr. Skinner – means that the plot and action need to deliver in order for the show to remain engaging. On this front, the results are mixed.

The style of action on display is apparent from the scene that introduces Axel, an inmate being recruited for the dangerous mission at the center of Lazarus. Taking advantage of the situation, Axel uses his almost superhuman kung fu and parkour skills to escape, something he apparently has done over 100 times. The 2D animation is slightly aided by CG in these fight scenes, to great effect. It puts us extremely close to the action – with punches flying right past us – while still letting us understand what’s happening on screen, thanks to the added mobility of the camera in CG. Even when the combat on Lazarus feels a little familiar – Stahelski’s blessing and curse, having now reshaped action filmmaking twice over as a stunt performer and coordinator in The Matrix movies and the architect of the John Wick franchise – the way it’s presented still feels intense and spectacular.

Yet there’s still room for Lazarus’ action to improve in future episodes. Axel and his colleagues are so capable at hand-to-hand combat that there’s no tension or peril in these scenes – despite the unerringly good soundtrack’s best efforts to establish those feelings. As such, I’m thankful for the one thrilling sequence that bucks this trend, involving a helicopter and a Green Goblin-esque glider.

A bigger problem is just how functional the characters are. They’re a group of hyper-competent spies who are too aloof to seem like they care about their assignment – which is, as a reminder, to prevent the deaths of billions of people. Lazarus frustratingly shies away from emotion in the middle of this doomsday scenario in favor of a cool factor that never actually feels that cool. Axel is meant to be the character we see this new world through, but he seems to find everything so easy, like he knows he’s going to survive no matter the challenge. I want to feel the effect of each hour passing, bringing us closer to doom. I want to understand the exhaustion and panic that must come with being tasked to save the world. Instead, Axel treats everything like a game – which could make for an interesting character arc past these five episodes, if Lazarus hadn’t sacrificed my investment in him as a person from the get-go. (A similar constraint affects the side characters as well.)

Watanabe has something to say through Lazarus, but it’s watered down and held back in these five episodes. The message about the way modern society sees and deals with pain is limited to monologues at the start of each episode, in which various characters detail their first encounters with Hapna. In a short span of time, a lot is said about how people desire numbness, and how readily available and monetized it is. But these first passages of Lazarus only touch on these topics briefly, leaving the big questions posed in the premiere – about Skinner’s motivations and how the world at large might react to its impending doom – to be answered (or not) by the episodes to follow.

If you are planning a PC build and have been waiting patiently to get ahold of one of the new Nvidia Blackwell graphics cards, here's an opportunity that's as good as you're going to get. Right now Amazon has Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Gaming OC graphics cards in stock starting at $899.99 shipped. Inventory is reserved for Amazon Prime members only.

TLDR; Here's a quick list of the GPUs that we've found in stock:

• Gigabyte RTX 5070 Ti Eagle OC GPU for $899.99
• Asus The SFF-Ready Prime RTX 5070 Ti OC GPU for $939.99
• Gigabyte RTX 5070 Ti Gaming OC GPU for $969.99
• Gigabyte RTX 5070 Ti Aero OC GPU (White) for $979.99
• Zotac Gaming RTX 5070 Ti Solid Core OC GPU for $999.99
• Gigabyte RTX 5070 Ti Master GPU for $999.99
• MSI Gaming RTX 5070 Ti Vanguard SOC GPU for $999.99
• Asus TUF Gaming RTX 5070 Ti OC Edition GPU for $999.99

Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti GPU in Stock on Amazon

Amazon Prime members only for some models

Although the MSRP for these cards range from $899.99 to $999.99, a reference GeForce RTX 5070 Ti card is actually supposed to sell for $750. More advanced cooling designs, a more uncommon colorway, or overclocking out of the box add to the cost, but even then, admittedly, these cards are still priced higher than AMD originally intended.

The reality is that even third party manufacturers like Gigabyte, MSI, Asus (and pretty much everyone else) are also taking advantage of the high demand by marking prices up from the get-go. Unfortunately, you'd be hard pressed to find another RTX 5070 Ti GPU for this price or less. RTX 5070 Ti GPUs are generally selling for over $1,000 on eBay.

The RTX 5070 Ti GPU Has Excellent 4K Gaming Performance

Of all the Blackwell cards released thus far, the RTX 5070 Ti offers the best bang for your buck, especially when pitted against the previous generation GPUs. It performs neck-and-neck with the RTX 4080 Super and already marginalizes the RTX 5080, which is only about 10%-15% faster but costs 33% more. This GPU is capable of high framerates in nearly all games, even at 4K resolution with ray tracing enabled. Heck, even if you plan on using this card for AI, the RTX 5070 Ti might be the better value than the RTX 50870 since both are equipped with the same 16GB of GDDR7 VRAM.

Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.

Spider-Man and Wolverine are undoubtedly the two biggest characters at Marvel Comics, but it’s not often that their paths directly cross. Even during that very brief period when Peter Parker was a teacher at the Jean Grey Institute, Logan was enjoying the sweet embrace of death. So it’s a pretty big deal that Marvel has revealed a new monthly team-up series called Spider-Man & Wolverine.

Why are these two iconic heroes joining forces? What threat is so great that it requires both Spidey and Wolverine to fight it? And can these two fiery personalities put aside their differences long enough to get the job done? IGN spoke with writer Marc Guggenheim and artist Kaare Andrews via email to learn more about the new series. First, check out an exclusive preview of Spider-Man & Wolverine #1 below, and then read on to see what they had to say.

The Legacy of Spider-Man vs. Wolverine

Apart from the occasional big crossover like 1984’s Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars, Spider-Man and Wolverine didn’t have a long track record of teaming up in the first several decades of their Marvel careers. That only really changed with 1987’s Spider-Man vs. Wolverine, a dark crossover special that ends on a particularly bleak note for Peter Parker. That issue set the tone for every Spider-Man/Wolverine team-up that followed.

Given its lofty status, we were curious if Guggenheim and Andrews felt at all intimidated in taking on this assignment. How long a shadow does Spider-Man vs. Wolverine cast over this new series?

“I’m a huge fan of the 1987 one-shot,” Guggenheim tells IGN. “I loved it as a kid and it really left an impression on me. I wouldn’t say, however, that I’ve found myself intimidated by it. It may set a bar in terms of quality, but it’s very tonally different from what I’m trying to do. (Though issue #2 features a pretty bonkers fight between Peter and Logan.)”

“You know, I just don’t look at life as a series of intimidations,” Andrews says. “I look at everything as opportunity and risk—and the bigger the opportunity, the bigger the risk that is required. And I’m constantly betting the bank on whatever I’m doing. Not every endeavor works with that sort of instinct, but comics does. And this is why comics can be the greatest job in the world. You create your own risks, are rarely held back from leaping off of tall objects, and the crashing and tumbling to the floor is the energy it takes to draw the work—to tell the stories.”

Andrews continues, “I loved that first book and was always haunted by the small panel sequence at the end of the story, the same images that haunted Peter Parker. A repeated panel that lingers with Peter after the job is done. That’s pure comics language. You can’t replicate it in any other medium. If anything, I’m looking to be inspired by that sense memory, that residue. I’m looking for new ways to leave our readers with that same haunting. Maybe not in the same way—but in some way. Thank God I loved that comic so much. It makes it a joy to take on these pages and real benchmark to not just hit—but at some opportunity to better. Nothing would be worse than not being inspired, than not having risks, than not measuring yourself up against everything you love. Working to exhaustion on projects with high risk/rewards is a gift that comics gives me. I love this thing. This medium. This language.”

Neither creator is a stranger to Spider-Man or Wolverine at this point. For his part, Guggenheim worked on both the ongoing Wolverine and Amazing Spider-Man comics in the ‘00s, including serving as one of the rotating writers on Marvel’s controversial Spider-Man Brand New Day initiative (the inspiration behind the next MCU Spider-Man movie). Is it difficult to settle back in with these characters after some time away? Has either Peter or Logan really changed in that time? As Guggenheim reveals, he’s the one that’s really changed over the years.

“I don’t think Peter and Logan have changed all that much since I first wrote them,” Guggenheim says. “What’s truly different is how much I’ve changed as a writer. I wrote Spider-Man and Wolverine very early in my writing career and I feel like I’ve evolved immeasurably since those early days. One of the appeals of this project for me is the chance to revisit these two icons as, quite frankly, a better writer.”

Whether or not Andrews is a better artist than he was two decades ago, he’s certainly a different one. One of the hallmarks of Andrews’ art style is that he has no set style. His work evolves and shifts with each new project. But as Andrews explains, Spider-Man & Wolverine is a case of him revisiting an earlier era of Marvel, drawing inspiration from the comics he loved as a young reader.

“You know, my favorite martial artist was Bruce Lee,” Andrews says. “And what Bruce did to revolutionize martial arts was to both abandon and combine styles. To create ‘All Styles Combat’. And that’s how I view artmaking. One time it’s Judo, one time it’s Greco-American Wrestling, one time it’s Kung-Fu or Boxing. And at the same time I know it’s the ‘wrong way’ to do this job. How do you build a fanbase by constantly changing? But I’ve never really been interested in building fanbases. I’m interested in ART. I’m interested in IDEAS. I’m interested in THE NEW. And sometimes the ‘new’ is a revitalization of the ‘old.’ A loop back. You know, I’ve always been experimental—wanting to zig while the world zags. And for a while, that meant my comic art became pretty out there. But now every comic seems a little out there. And I’ve found the most subversive, the most exciting pocket for me is this return to the kinds of comic art I grew up reading. A sort of ‘retro-nouveau’.”

Andrews continues, “At the moment, I’m interested in the kind of comic art that used to hit me right in the middle. Not a recreation of anything in particular but an inspiration of how I remembered those books. And it’s not nostalgia. It’s not homage. It’s life. It’s taking chances and doing the wrong thing because it feels right. If you’ve been following some of my covers for the past couple of years, it’s in line with those. And you know, those covers—I started doing them as a sort of exploration of the past. Of my past. Comics. Fandom. And I found so much joy, so much energy, so much ‘taboo’ that that energy has sort of taken over my body and I’m just radiating with it. For now. Because everything changes. Everything grows. And eventually dies. But until then—you go to LIVE, baby. Whatever that means to you. LIVE.”

Spider-Man and Wolverine’s Dynamic

Peter Parker and Logan have certainly had a rocky relationship over the years. They’ve been at each other’s throats, they’ve been fellow Avengers, and they even went on a cross-dimensional caper together in Jason Aaron and Adam Kubert’s Astonishing Spider-Man & Wolverine. But where do things stand these days? How is the dynamic between these heroes in 2025?

“Well, the beauty part of teaming up Wolverine and Spider-Man is that even when they’re allies, there’s friction. It’s like a buddy action comedy,” Guggenheim says. “That being said, there’s something that causes more than friction between Peter and Logan. It’s actually rather combustible. Expect a lot of fireworks.”

“You know there’ll be some friction. You know they’ll be allies, they’ll be foes, they’ll be a team-up and against,” Andrews adds. “But why this time? Why this book? How many times can we team up Wolverine and Spider-Man and make it meaningful? I will tell you this. These are my two favorite Marvel heroes in existence. I have never drawn them together before. Never told stories with them before. And this one will be special. We are telling stories I didn’t think they’d allow us to tell. This is the new. This is the real. If you love comics or have loved comics you NEED to pick up this book.”

As far as what brings the two characters together again, Guggenheim teases, “The narrative gets kickstarted by something called ‘the Janus Directory’ — a comprehensive database of the true identities of every undercover operative in the world going back decades. Without spoiling things, I can say that Peter and Logan both have very good reasons to want to keep the Directory out of enemy hands.”

Wolverine is practically the poster child for superheroes with shadowy pasts, and even the Parker family has a few skeletons in its closet at this point. Marvel has teased that the new series will delve into both characters’ respective pasts, but Guggenheim confirms that readers needn’t worry about being well-versed in the history of either hero. Spider-Man & Wolverine will be exploring new revelations surrounding these characters, not returning to the Weapon X well.

“[It’s] not really anything I can go into too much detail about at the moment,” Guggenheim says. That being said, my approach to continuity — Peter and Logan’s respective pasts, specifically — is designed to be completely new reader-friendly. Whenever we reference the past, we’ll do more than reference it — we’ll show it. No homework required.”

In general, Spider-Man & Wolverine is designed to be as accessible as possible to Marvel newcomers. While the series will reflect each character’s current status quo, as established in the upcoming Amazing Spider-Man relaunch and Marvel’s X-Men: From the Ashes initiative, it’s telling a standalone story that only requires a basic familiarity with Spider-Man and Wolverine.

“We’ll definitely be referencing what’s happening in the parent titles — Peter’s current girlfriend shows up in Issue 1, for example — but this series is really designed to be enjoyed on its own,” Guggenheim says. “It’s not entirely an ‘evergreen’ but that’s the general approach we’re taking with it. We really want this series to be able to stand on its own and stand the test of time. No pressure, obviously.”

Spider-Man & Wolverine #1 will be released on May 7, 2025.

Guggenheim is keeping plenty busy this year. He recently launched the new Prequel-era series Star Wars: Jedi Knights and is making his debut at Comixology later in 2025.

Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on BlueSky.

A Minecraft Movie just hit theaters, but fans are already able to preorder the limited edition steelbook of the new film. Starring Jack Black and Jason Momoa, the new Minecraft movie is a fun comedy for the entire family. Whether you've played the best-selling video game or are an armchair observer of the Minecraft phenomenon, this new steelbook is potentially worth adding to any video game movie collection.

The new limited-edition steelbook is priced at $37.99 and does not currently have a release date. Standard Blu-ray and DVD copies of the movie are up for preorder too, but these are less likely to sell out.

A Minecraft Movie 4K Steelbook Is Up for Preorder

It’s been a wild 48-hour news cycle if you follow economics at all, and wilder still if you’re a Nintendo fan.

On Wednesday, we learned that the Nintendo Switch 2 would cost $450 in the United States, a painfully high price that analysts say was partly due to expectation of tariffs, and partly due to other factors like inflation, competition, and component costs.

Then, last night, the Trump Administration announced wide-reaching 10% tariffs on essentially every country, with much higher tariffs on numerous nations such as China, the EU, Japan, Vietnam, Canada, Mexico, and many, many others. In response, China announced this morning a 34% reciprocal tariff on all U.S. goods. And just hours ago, in the wake of all this, Nintendo announced it would be postponing Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders in the U.S. while it evaluated the impact of tariffs on its console plans.

It’s an unprecedented situation for everyone, both within and outside of gaming, and one that analysts, experts, and the general public are still trying to make sense of. Which is why just a short 30 minutes before Nintendo dropped its shocking pre-order news, I was on the phone with Aubrey Quinn, a spokesperson for the Entertainment Software Association, to discuss the impact these tariffs would have on the industry writ large.

The ESA, like everyone else, is still trying to figure out how all this is going to play out. Broadly, she says, they have some expectations. They knew tariffs of some sort were coming – both due to Trump’s past actions in his first administration and his repeated discussion of them on the campaign trail. And, once implemented, Quinn says they expected there would be risk of retaliation from other countries like China, as well as even more future tariffs and levies from the U.S. But the jury is still out on how this will ultimately play out.

What the ESA does feel confident saying, though, is that these tariffs will have a negative impact on video games:

“We really are, at this point, just watching and trying not to have knee-jerk reactions, because we don't think that what President Trump announced this week is the end of the story, but what was announced this week and the tariffs as outlined, we do expect these tariffs will have a real and detrimental impact on the industry and the hundreds of millions of Americans who love to play games,” Quinn says. “And so our goal is to work with the administration, to work with other elected officials to try to find a solution that doesn't damage U.S. industries, U.S. business, but also American gamers and families.”

When Quinn says there will be a detrimental impact, she doesn’t just mean the cost of systems, though she says it’s “hard to imagine a world where tariffs like these don’t impact pricing.” She says consumer spending will also be impacted, which will in turn impact company revenue. If companies see their profits drop, that will in turn impact jobs, as well as investment in research and development, and even what the next generation of consoles looks like. “The entire consumer ecosystem is connected,” she says.

So what’s the ESA doing about it? Well, a few things so far, but Quinn acknowledges it’s been difficult to get started. Even though the tariffs didn’t come as a surprise to anyone, she says the Trump Administration hasn’t been back in office for long – really just two months. Trump’s cabinet and administration is almost entirely made up of new people, too, so the ESA hasn’t been able to leverage relationships from his last term in office. And some of them were only appointed weeks ago.

“But yes, the short answer is we know who the conversations need to be happening with, and we are working on making connections and making sure that they understand that we are eager to work with them to find solutions that this is about public, private sector conversations happening, so we can understand and make sure that they see the impact and the risk of impact to business, to consumers, and really everything that's happening within the US borders,” she concludes.

Quinn points to the recent news that the ESA had already joined a coalition of trade associations to reach out to U.S. trade representative Jamieson Greer and express their concerns prior to the tariff news earlier this week. And they’re asking for meetings with a number of legislations and members of the administration to discuss similar topics.

Is it working, I ask? Are they being heard?

“Yes. I can tell you conversations are happening with... I don't want to say every level,” she responds. “I've not met with Trump, right? So I don't want to say every level of government, but certainly we've met with members of the administration. We've met with employees at the White House, we've met with employees at USTR [the office of the United States Trade Representative], so yes, we are having conversations and we're also doing that in partnership with other associations to make sure that... This isn't a video game issue. I represent the video game industry, so I'm very aware of the impact on the video game industry, the potential impact, but it's not a video game industry. This is going to affect all consumer products from food to fashion to electronics.”

So what can consumers do about it if they’re concerned? Reach out to their representatives, Quinn responds. Write letters, call, send emails, tweets, whatever it looks like to let their elected leaders know they’re concerned. “I think the more members of government, elected officials, and their staff who hear that their constituents are concerned, the more likely we are to be heard and to potentially make an impact.”

Nintendo announced its hold on Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders due to the tariffs just minutes after our conversation had concluded. When I reached out to Quinn for further comment on that, she said the ESA doesn’t comment on what individual companies will do. But I did mention the Nintendo Switch 2’s already-high pricing at the end of our conversation, and Quinn had this to say:

“You know what? It's been interesting with media coverage around video games and tariffs because just unfortunate coincidental timing that the Switch [2 reveal] was the same day as President Trump's announcement. There are so many devices we play video games on. There are other consoles, but as I was saying, VR headsets, our smartphones, people who love PC games, if we think it's just the Switch, then we aren't taking it seriously. This is going to have an impact.

“And even American-based companies, they're getting products that need to cross into American borders to make those consoles, to make those games. And so there's going to be a real impact regardless of company. This is company-agnostic, this is an entire industry. There's going to be an impact on the entire industry.”

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.

Blogroll image credit: Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP via Getty Images

FromSoftware unveiled a new exclusive for Nintendo's new console during this week's Switch 2 Direct. The Duskbloods had an ominous trailer, showing lots of action, horrors, and magic. In a new interview, we're now learning much more about FromSoft's plans for this multiplayer experience.

Nintendo posted a three-part interview series with The Duskbloods director Hidetaka Miyazaki, going over what The Duskbloods is, and how it's different from other FromSoftware games.

Despite the multiplayer PvPvE focus, Miyazaki has assured fans that FromSoftware will keep making single-player focused games. But with The Duskbloods, the studio is experimenting, with everything from general game type to having a cute hub keeper.

Here are some of the major takeaways we've learned about The Duskbloods from this new set of interviews.

The meaning of 'The Duskbloods'

While the name, aesthetic, and constant mention of blood might bring to mind another FromSoftware title, Miyazaki said The Duskbloods refers to the Bloodsworn themselves. These Bloodsworn—the characters players control—are people who have achieved superhuman abilities through special blood, similar to vampires.

"We tried to extract the sort of romantic aspects we found interesting from concepts such as vampires and 'blood' and reinterpreted them as the Bloodsworn," Miyazaki said.

The Duskblood is a collective term for these characters, who all partake in a bid for First Blood, which flows during an event known as the "Twilight of Humanity."

There's no set time or place for The Duskbloods

Because the Twilight of Humanity takes place across different times and locales, there is no "fixed era or location" to pin down when or where The Duskbloods takes place.

"There are more traditional Gothic- or Victorian-style maps as well as those depicting the closing years of the early modern period, like the one glimpsed in the trailer with the train running through it," Miyazaki said.

You can choose between different characters

In a manner that sounds similar to the upcoming Elden Ring Nightreign, players can choose from "over a dozen" characters in The Duskbloods. Each character can also be customized, and you'll swap between those options in a main hub area.

While characters will each have their own abilities, it sounds like some skills are universal. The Bloodsworn fighters are essentially superhuman, so they can sprint, super jump, and double jump. Additionally, every character is equipped with "some means of attacking from a distance," which Miyazaki said he feels is one of The Duskblood's "unique aspects" when compared with previous FromSoftware games.

Progression doesn't rely solely on victory

A key component of The Duskbloods is the PvPvE set-up. Online matches support up to eight players, vying for a win. Miyazaki said online matches are "generally" last player standing, but there are "certain cases where victory conditions differ." He gave the example of players being tasked with teaming up to take down a powerful boss, or "other special circumstances."

"Regardless of whether it’s PvP or PvE, the idea is to provide players with an experience that allows them to learn and hone their skills as they play," Miyazaki said. "We’ve therefore designed the PvE boss encounters to present a tough challenge and a sense of accomplishment upon defeating them."

Obtaining "Victory Points," which ultimately decide the outcome of a match, can happen in a few different ways. Direct combat is one, but engaging in more "opportunistic behavior" is also an option. And Miyazaki noted that when players return to the hub after a match, they receive a reward whether they won or lost.

Events can shake up the match

There will be world events through the event system, which has the potential to shake up a match. This can range from special enemy spawns to additional objectives, all with bonus rewards offered.

Miyazaki drew attention to a portion of The Duskbloods trailer, where a giant stone face loomed in the sky. "This is one example of the events that can occur in a match," Miyazaki said. "In this case, the appearance of this stone face affects the environment and changes match rewards, which can have an immediate impact on player motivations and objectives."

Players will have personal objectives and roles, too

While First Blood is something worth chasing, Miyazaki said there will also be "personal objectives" to provide separate rewards for players.

It's unclear whether these fully tie into another system Miyazaki also mentioned, called "roles." While online, roles offer players unique circumstances and opportunities to interact with each other. He outlined a few examples, like the "Destined Rival," which tasks a player with finding and defeating another player. Doing this will count as a personal goal, separate from the overall victory conditions.

Roles can be assigned to characters through customization, so players can roleplay a bit and, as Miyazaki said, add to the "drama" of these engagements.

Lore will be delived through customization

FromSoftware is no stranger to putting some deep lore in its games. And there will, of course, be lore in The Duskbloods.

"One thing I love doing in any game I direct is leaving fragments of lore and worldbuilding details, allowing the player the fun of using their imagination to make connections," Miyazaki said. "The Duskbloods is no exception to this."

However, for The Duskbloods, Miyazaki said the team is going about it a little differently from previous games. Fragments are found in character customization items, the "blood history and fate." Customizing characters, analyzing and altering their blood history and fate, will reveal more information about the world and its story.

"Focusing these elements on the concept of 'blood' or 'blood history and fate' allowed for a deeper exploration of customization and is another reason we placed the Bloodsworn as the protagonists," Miyazaki said.

FromSoftware is certainly painting an interesting picture, but we'll have to wait a little bit to see the image fully realized, as The Duskbloods is currently planned to be a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive sometime in 2026.

For now, you can check out more info about the Switch 2 by reading over our first-hands on with Nintendo's newest console, or read up on the sudden delay of Switch 2 pre-orders here.

Eric is a freelance writer for IGN.

If there’s one actor we’d like to see return for the Matrix 5, it’s Laurence Fishburne. But unfortunately, it seems as though that might not be in the cards for the legendary actor. He recently revealed that he made himself available for the fourth film, The Matrix Resurrections, but was turned down to reprise his role as Morpheus — so being in the next one isn’t looking so promising.

During a recent appearance on The View, Fishburne explained that his experience with Resurrections didn’t exactly go as hoped, so it’s anyone’s guess what will happen in the future.

“It depends on the circumstances, who is involved, how well the script has been written. If they offer [it to] me,” the actor said of Matrix 5. “I offered my services to the fourth Matrix, and they didn’t respond well to that. It’s not like I didn’t say, ‘I’d like to offer my services.’ I did. And for whatever reason, that didn’t happen.”

Morpheus is regarded as one of science fiction's best characters, so it’s interesting that the creatives behind the upcoming film wouldn’t have wanted him to return for The Matrix Resurrections, especially considering he appeared in all three original installments.

However, there could be a fairly simple explanation there: Morpheus dies in the MMO game The Matrix Online. That specific event in the game is considered canon because the writer-directors, the Wachowskis, gave their approval to the game.

That said, because his death was part of an in-game event, it could very well have been retconned. Instead, Resurrections features Yahya Abdul-Mateen II portraying a version of the character that is actually a hybrid program with Agent Smith created by Neo himself — and also alludes to the fact that the real Morpheus, played by Fishburne, died in the 60 years between the second film The Matrix Revolutions and Resurrections.

A fifth Matrix film is currently in development with Drew Goddard attached to write and direct.

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

Considering what it offers, Disney Plus is one of the best streaming services on the block. From classic Disney animated films to the latest Marvel shows and Star Wars movies, excellent kids' programming like Bluey, and so much more, Disney Plus puts an incredible range of high-quality viewing options at your fingertips. And with so much to check out, including season 2 of Andor on April 22, you'll want to find a plan that best suits you. We're here to help.

At the moment, one of the best Disney Plus bundle deals available is the massive Disney Plus, Hulu, and Max streaming bundle. This starts at $16.99/month to get you all three streaming services with ads. It's one of the best bundles available at the moment, but we've included more Disney Plus bundle deals worth exploring below. If you're looking for more streaming deals from other services, check out the best Hulu deals and bundles and the best Max deals.

How to Get the Disney Plus, Hulu, and Max Streaming Bundle

The Disney Plus, Hulu, and Max streaming bundle can be purchased through any of the three streaming services and starts at $16.99/month for the ad-supported tier or $29.99/month for ad-free access across the three platforms.

If you currently own all three and want to cut down on costs, this is a great way to bundle them together and save big on what you'd pay for them separately per month – 43% on the ad-supported plan and 42% on the ad-free plan.

What Is the New Paid Sharing Plan on Disney Plus?

In an effort to crack down on password sharing, Disney has unveiled a paid sharing plan for individuals outside of your household. Basically, anyone using your account that's not within your household will have to be added as an "Extra Member" to your account. This costs an additional $6.99/month for the ad-supported Basic subscription and $9.99/month for the Premium ad-free plan, and only one Extra Member slot is available per account. You can learn more from Disney's paid sharing explainer here.

What Are the Different Disney+ Subscription Tiers?

Disney+ is available in a couple of different tiers. You can get the least expensive option (called Disney+ Basic) for $9.99/month, which gives you access to everything except the ability to download select shows to watch on the go. This tier is ad supported. If you want to get rid of ads and be able to download certain shows, you can spring for the $15.99/month or $159.99/year Disney+ Premium package.

What Are the Different Disney+ Bundles?

Want a way to save on your Disney+ membership? Bundles are a great, affordable way to go. As far as bundles go, there are two ad-supported bundles and two ad-free bundles. Here's the breakdown:

• Disney+, Hulu Bundle Basic is $10.99/month and comes with subscriptions to Disney+ and Hulu. This plan lets you stream on multiple devices at once and comes with ad-supported versions of both services.
• Disney+, Hulu Bundle Premium is $19.99/month and comes with Hulu and Disney+ with no ads. It also includes Disney+ Premium features like the ability to download shows to watch on the go.
• Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ Bundle Basic adds ESPN+ (With Ads) to the mix alongside Disney+ (With Ads) and Hulu (With Ads), bumping up the price to $16.99/month. You can also download and watch select content on ESPN+ at this level.
• Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ Bundle Premium is $26.99/month and comes with ESPN+ (With Ads) and ad-free versions of Disney+ and Hulu. You can also download select content across all three streaming services.

Disney+ Gift Cards

If you want to help someone out and give them a gift that will keep on giving, gifting a one-year Disney+ card is a great way to go. It provides all the great things Disney+ offers and it costs a fraction of what it would take to buy even a small sampling of those movies physically.

What Can You Watch on Disney+?

There is a bonkers array of shows and movies you can watch on Disney+. Let's start at the top and simply talk about the verticals on offer here with the base subscription.

Here's what you get:

• Disney
• Pixar
• Marvel
• Star Wars
• National Geographic

Disney on Disney+

On the Disney front, you have awesome classic movies like The Sword In The Stone, Robin Hood, 101 Dalmations, Hercules, and Sleeping Beauty, modern classics like The Princess & The Frog, Tangled, and Frozen, and a wide range of animated shows, including Phineas & Ferb.

You also gain access to a ton of vintage content like Escape to Witch Mountain, The Apple Dumpling Gang, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes, The Love Bug, and a whole lot more. The Disney Junior section is home to absolutely top tier animated shows like Bluey (which, for my money, is worth the price of admission on its own).

There's way more on offer, too, including a ton of Muppet movies, new live-action films and adaptions, nature programs, documentaries, Pirates of the Caribbean, and musical programs featuring Taylor Swift (like her wildly popular The Eras Tour), Elton John, Ed Sheeran, and more.

Pixar on Disney+

When it comes to computer generated films, Pixar stands alone. Kicking off the revolution with Toy Story, Pixar has consistently put out fantastic films, and they are all here. From the Toy Story series to Finding Nemo, Cars, and more recent hits like Inside Out 2, there is a ton to love.

Beyond even that, there are incredible shorts like Bao and Party Central, as well as a wide range of originals and series based on major films, such as Dory's Reef Cam, Forky Asks A Question, Cars On The Road, and more.

Marvel on Disney+

The MCU has become a true juggernaut, and there are many viewers who subscribe to Disney+ purely for access to nearly the entire MCU lineup of films and shows.

Whether you are a fan of the blockbuster action films, you are an appreciator of the classic 90s runs of "Saturday morning" cartoons like X-Men, or you are currently vibing to the funky theme of the 1981 Spider-Man series, there is a ton of Marvel to enjoy on Disney+. And with new movies and shows being added to the MCU all the time, including most recently Deadpool & Wolverine and Your Friendly Neigborhood Spider-Man, there is always more coming.

Star Wars on Disney+

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, there was a film that changed everything. The original Star Wars is a seminal sci-fi fantasy work that inspired generations of creators, but there is still nothing quite like that far away galaxy. Disney+ grants access to all things Star Wars, including the remastered versions of the original trilogy (hopefully some day they'll add the theatrical cuts, too), as well as the prequels and sequels.

You can also stay up-to-date on all the latest shows, including The Mandalorian and the critically-lauded Andor, which some viewers say is "the best Star Wars has ever been." There are also fantastic short series like Star Wars Visions, and longer-form series like The Clone Wars, The Bad Batch, Young Jedi Adventures, and a whole lot more.

Take a look at our list of Disney+ alernatives for additional streaming services. To play while you watch, see our roundup of the best LEGO Disney sets. For more deals, dive into our Daily Deals page.

Hannah Hoolihan is a freelance writer who works with the Guides and Commerce teams here at IGN.
Original story from Brian Barnett.

No matter which platform you prefer, there's an excellent variety of video game deals to check out right now. Whether you're gaming on PS5, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, or PC, we've rounded up the best offers to help you get more for your money, including the excellent new PS5 Slim and Astro Bot bundle. And while not a deal, we've also included where you can preorder Elden Ring Nightreign, in case you're itching to return to The Lands Between. Best Buy's also offering a free $10 gift card with your purchase on that one -- what can be better than that?

PS5 Slim + Astro Bot Bundle

Preorder Elden Ring Nightreign

Best PC Game Deals

Humble Choice April 2025

Best Physical Video Game Deals

If you're looking to save on physical games right now, there are plenty of deals worth checking out across PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch. We've included just a few of our favorites above, but if you'd like to see more game deals for each platform, check out our individual roundups for these consoles: the best PlayStation deals, the best Xbox deals, and the best Nintendo Switch deals.

Best PlayStation VR 2 Deals

Best Xbox Accessory Deals

Best PS5 SSD Deals

Best Gaming PC Deals

Do you prefer to play on a dedicated PC tower? Navigating the options online can be quite the ordeal. Desk space, portability, and price point are often factors in the decision. However, there are some great PC deals that pop up every now and again that are worth jumping on. One of our favorite deals at the moment is on the Alienware Area-51 RTX 5080 PC for $4,649.99. To see even more PC deals, check out our roundup of the best gaming PC deals.

Today’s deals are all about keeping your game library full and your storage problems in check. We’ve got serious discounts on recent releases like College Football 25 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, a clearance price on Advance Wars 1+2, and rare price drops on official storage for Xbox and PlayStation consoles. Humble’s Spring Shonen manga bundle is also still going strong, and if you like high-stakes demon battles and beautifully absurd haircuts, you’re going to want in on that.

Gaming And Manga Deals for Today

I think what makes today’s lineup so solid is how much value you’re getting without compromising on quality. These are recent titles and brand-name accessories — not knockoffs or old stock. Catch up on campaigns, back up your growing digital backlog, or read your way through Kodansha’s finest chaos backwards, there’s something here that earns the cart space.

College Football 25 Standard Edition - Xbox Series X

Seagate - Game Drive for PlayStation Consoles 2TB External USB 3.2 Gen 1 Portable Hard Drive

Humble Spring Shonen Special By Kodansha

Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp - Nintendo Switch

Atomfall Merchandise

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Standard Edition - PlayStation 5

Seagate - 1TB Storage Expansion Card for Xbox Series X|S Internal NVMe SSD - Black

Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet - Prismatic Evolutions Booster Bundle

Pokemon TCG: Stacking Tin (Q1 2025)

Humble Choice April 2025

Pokémon TCG: Scarlet and Violet - Paldean Fates Booster Bundle

PureArts Assassin's Creed Preorders

Pokemon TCG: Scarlet and Violet Shrouded Fable Elite Trainer Box

INIU Portable Charger, Slimmest 10000mAh 5V/3A Power Bank

INIU Power Bank, 20000mAh 65W USB C Laptop Portable Charger

Great On The Go Humble Sale

INIU Portable Charger, 22.5W 20000mAh

Metaphor ReFantazio - Gallica - Statue

INIU Power Bank, 25000mAh 100W USB C Laptop Portable Charger

INIU Portable Charger, Smallest 22.5W 10000mAh Power Bank

Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet - Surging Sparks Booster Bundle

Insignia - 55" Class F30 Series LED 4K UHD Smart Fire TV

Outright Games Game On! Bundle

Insignia - 65" Class F50 Series LED 4K UHD Smart Fire TV

Death Stranding 2 - DHV Magellan - Model Kit

LG - 65” Class UT70 Series LED 4K UHD Smart webOS TV (2024)

Samsung - Galaxy Watch Ultra Titanium Smartwatch 47mm LTE

Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet—Journey Together Elite Trainer Box

Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet—Paldean Fates Booster Bundle

Best of Boomer Shooters 4: Badda Bing Badda Boom

Pokémon TCG: Scarlet and Violet Shrouded Fable Elite Trainer Box

Street Fighter TCG Alpha Warriors Dreams Preorder

Pokémon TCG: Paradox Clash tin: Iron Leaves ex or Walking Wake ex

Pokémon TCG: 3 Booster Packs & 1 Random Foil

Nintendo has taken the unprecedented decision to delay Switch 2 pre-orders in the U.S., blaming the impact of Trump’s tariffs and “evolving market conditions.”

Pre-orders were set to go live in the U.S. on April 9. Nintendo did not share an updated kick-off date, but did promise that the June 5, 2025 release date of the Switch 2 itself remains intact.

Nintendo issued IGN the following statement:

Pre-orders for Nintendo Switch 2 in the U.S. will not start April 9, 2025 in order to assess the potential impact of tariffs and evolving market conditions. Nintendo will update timing at a later date. The launch date of June 5, 2025 is unchanged.

Nintendo has confirmed the pre-order delay is specific to the U.S. In the UK, for example, Nintendo's pre-order delay remains unchanged.

Nintendo announced the Switch 2 at $449.99, with a Mario Kart World bundle priced $499.99. Mario Kart World itself is priced $79.99.

Nintendo Switch 2 comes with the following:

• Nintendo Switch 2 console
• Joy-Con 2 controllers (L+R)
• Joy-Con 2 Grip
• Joy-Con 2 Straps
• Nintendo Switch 2 Dock
• Ultra High-Speed HDMI Cable
• Nintendo Switch 2 AC Adapter
• USB-C Charging Cable

Nintendo’s statement issued today raises the prospect that it could hike the price of the Switch 2 and its games further amid what is already an angry backlash to its next-gen pricing strategy.

Speaking in a video on their YouTube channel, former Nintendo of America PR managers Kit Ellis and Krysta Yang criticized Nintendo for the way it revealed the $449.99 price of the Switch 2 and the $79.99 price of Mario Kart World following this week's Nintendo Direct.

“I don’t want to blow things out of proportion, but this does feel like a true crisis moment for Nintendo,” Ellis said.

U.S. markets tumbled today after China hit back against Donald Trump's raft of tariffs. China, which faces a 54% import tax, has retaliated with an additional 34% tax on U.S. goods from next week.

Moments before the U.S. markets opened, Trump said "China played it wrong, they panicked," and insisted his policies would "never change."

The world is now left facing economic uncertainty, with some mainstream news media declaring the era of cheap goods now over for the American consumer as higher tariffs are automatically passed through to inflation and higher prices.

Tariffs are essentially taxes placed on the cost of importing certain goods. While it's possible for companies in the supply chain to simply eat these costs, more often than not these taxes are passed onto consumers. And unfortunately for gamers, rising prices are very likely to impact tech and gaming goods.

Niko Partners analyst Daniel Ahmad had warned that Trump's surprise tariffs on countries such as Vietnam, where Nintendo had shifted some of its Switch 2 manufacturing in anticipation of U.S. tariffs on China, might have caused a rethink.

"While the company has shifted some of its manufacturing to Vietnam to offset U.S. tariffs on China, the looming threat of reciprocal tariffs prior to the Switch 2 showcase will have also forced Nintendo to consider a higher price for the rest of the world," Ahmad said. "The reciprocal tariffs on Vietnam and Japan have come in higher than expected, and Nintendo will feel the impact of this if the tariffs go into full effect."

For more, check out everything announced at the Switch 2 Nintendo Direct, and what the experts have to say about the Switch 2 price and Mario Kart World’s $80 price tag.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

FromSoftware has shared some more info about its recently announced Switch 2 exclusive, The Duskbloods. The partnership with Nintendo seemed to affect not just the style of game FromSoft is making, but even the design of the keeper of The Duskbloods' hub area into something different — something... cute.

The trailer shown during the Switch 2 Direct this week closed on a shot of a winged rat character, with glowing glyphs drawn all over it, looking at the camera. Curious fans might have wondered what this rat's deal was. As it turns out, this is our new hub companion.

"That character shares a similar role with the fire keepers from the Dark Souls series. They remain in the hub area, providing the player with advice and guidance," director Hidetaka Miyazaki said in an interview with Nintendo.

"I suppose you could say we tried doing something a little Nintendo-esque in the spirit of the partnership."

When asked what Miyazaki means by that, he added: "We tried something cute for a change. Although I will say this character is actually an elderly gentleman (laughter)."

FromSoftware's shrine keepers have been central figures for player's journeys through their worlds. Familiar faces like Melina, the Maiden in Black, the Doll, and others are characters you return to over and over on your trip, often offering power to help you move forward.

With a PvPvE game like The Duskbloods, though, it remains to be seen what kind of advice and guidance the winged rat will offer. Miyazaki said the team at FromSoft has tried its hands at introducing "a lot of new and interesting ideas," so expect the unexpected when it hits Nintendo Switch 2 sometime in 2026.

We've got plenty more on The Duskbloods, including Bloodborne fan reaction, and Miyazaki's comments on whether FromSoft plans to leave single-player behind.

Meanwhile, if you're looking for more Switch 2 news, check out our first hands-on with Nintendo's newest console, its big launch title Mario Kart World, and the upcoming Donkey Kong Bananza.

Eric is a freelance writer for IGN.

It's official: The Nintendo Switch 2 is coming very soon. June 5, to be exact! Following a lengthy Nintendo Direct that showed off new games for the highly-anticipated console alongside more information on the Switch 2 hardware itself, some items are starting to go up for preorder. This includes microSD Express cards, which are the only storage cards the Switch 2 will be compatible with.

Preorder MicroSD Express Cards at GameStop

One of the biggest surprises of the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct this week was its exclusive FromSoftware reveal, The Duskbloods. It's a PvPvE game developed by the Soulsborne studio, but director Hidetaka Miyazaki said this doesn't mean the company has shifted direction moving forward.

In a new interview with Nintendo, Miyazaki spoke about the decision to make The Duskbloods a PvPvE game. The director said he's "always found" the structure interesting, as it allows for a broad range of game-design ideas while also letting FromSoftware leverage its experience in designing challenging enemy encounters.

"As a side note, please allow me to address one thing," Miyazaki said. "As we previously mentioned, this is an online multiplayer title at its core, but this doesn't mean that we as a company have decided to shift to a more multiplayer-focused direction with titles going forward."

He continued: "The Nintendo Switch 2 version of Elden Ring was also announced, and we still intend to actively develop single-player focused games such as this that embrace our more traditional style."

Since the release of Elden Ring in February 2022, FromSoftware has certainly experimented a bit. Its DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree, tried out some interesting new power scaling methods in the form of Scadutree Blessings. There's also Elden Ring: Nightreign, an upcoming co-op survival action game that blends the usual Souls style with an encroaching storm, loot, and character archetypes. The studio even went back to its mecha days with Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon.

So with The Duskbloods, FromSoftware is trying something a little different again. In the interview, Miyazaki said the company's outline for The Duskbloods was "still very bare-bones" when the team presented it to Nintendo — "more a loose string of ideas than a proper presentation," and the concept was "different from anything [FromSoftware] had done before."

Nintendo was interested in making it happen though, and while a small team started the project for the original Switch, Nintendo approached FromSoft with the idea of moving to the Switch 2 instead. "The new hardware's focus on online features allowed us to stay as true to the original vision as possible, which was very good news for us," Miyazaki said.

So while The Duskbloods might be a little different from the usual FromSoftware game, it sounds like the studio isn't completely leaving the "traditional" style you'd expect behind. Put differently: let FromSoft cook on this one.

But what could FromSoft's next single-player focused game be? Miyazaki has said the developer is not currently considering making Elden Ring 2, but late last year left the door open to the possibility in the future. It's probably not Bloodborne 2, either, much to the frustration of fans.

For more on the Nintendo Switch 2, check out our round-up of everything announced at the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct this week, and read over our recent chat with analysts about the sticker-shock of both the Switch 2 console and some of its games.

Eric is a freelance writer for IGN.

It turns out our favorite Hell's Kitchen villain Wilson Fisk is off limits for the big screen — according to Daredevil: Born Again star Vincent D’Onofrio himself.

"The only thing I know is not positive," D’Onofrio explained to Josh Horowitz on the podcast Happy Sad Confused recently. "It's a very hard thing to do, for Marvel to use my character. It's a very hard thing to do, because of ownership and stuff."

He continued: “I’m only usable for television shows. Not even a one-off Wilson Fisk movie. It’s all caught up in rights and stuff. I don’t know when that would work out — or if it ever would work out at all.”

That appears to rule out D’Onofrio's take on Fisk making an appearance in any Marvel Cinematic Universe movie, thus also ruling D’Onofrio out of appearing in the upcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Avengers: Doomsday (I guess we won't be seeing D’Onofrio's name on a director's chair in the future). Could this also throw a spanner in the works of any potential standalone Charlie Cox Daredevil movie, where you'd reasonably expect D’Onofrio to appear as a villain?

D’Onofrio first appeared as Fisk, New York City’s most powerful crimelord and future mayor also known as Kingpin, in Marvel’s Daredevil. The 2015 Netflix original had three seasons and ended with just shy of 40 episodes in 2018. D’Onofrio’s portrayal has been praised up and down by fans and critics alike over the years, so it should come as no surprise that he puts a lot of thought into how he wants Fisk to be perceived — especially when it comes to the influences he pulls from.

“Anytime they were in a fight, or they were holding a gun, they looked nervous,” D’Onofrio explained to IGN last month about the everyman performances of the likes of Harrison Ford and other older greats that inspired his own multifaceted villain.

“They carried their own humility into the action scenes with them. And I always thought that that was the way to go. That made it look real to me. Gary Cooper in Sergeant York, when he takes aim, when he becomes the sniper, it's the humility in his eyes that you see. It's amazing. I think that helps action stuff a lot. We're all very conscious of that.”

Season 1 of Daredevil: Born Again is currently airing week-to-week on Disney+ and will premiere its finale on April 15, 2025.

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

The expensive price tag on its new games is one of the drawbacks of the Nintendo Switch 2, of which preorders have already been going live early (Amazon included). Luckily, ShopTo is taking the sting off for UK customers by allowing you to get Donkey Kong Bananza for only £63.50.

While this is still more than the £58.99 RRP for digital copies, it's the best price possible right now for those who want to actually own their games, and hold them in their hands like a newborn bab. This handy bargain comes as the result of using ShopTo's "SPRING" coupon code, which allows you and other future Nintendo Switch 2 players to knock 5% off various games, consoles, gift cards, and more across your order on the website.

Amid the ongoing backlash to Nintendo’s shock pricing for the Switch 2 and Mario Kart World, two former Nintendo PR managers have described the situation as “a true crisis moment for Nintendo.”

Speaking in a video on their YouTube channel, former Nintendo of America PR managers Kit Ellis and Krysta Yang criticized Nintendo for the way it revealed the $449.99 price of the Switch 2 and the $79.99 price of Mario Kart World.

“I don’t want to blow things out of proportion, but this does feel like a true crisis moment for Nintendo,” Ellis said.

Mario Kart World isn’t the only Nintendo Switch 2 game to cost $79.99. Some Nintendo Switch 2 Edition titles, such as The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, also cost $79.99.

Nintendo has even come under fire for charging for the Switch 2 tutorial video game experience, Welcome Tour, which fans have said should be a free pack-in. Astro's Playroom, for example, comes pre-installed on every PlayStation 5 console, serving additionally as a free tech demo for the DualSense controller.

Anger at the pricing has even spilled over into Nintendo’s Treehouse livestreams, which are overrun with viewers spamming “DROP THE PRICE” in the chat.

Ellis and Yang were particularly critical of the way Nintendo revealed the price of the Switch 2 and its games. They pointed to the lack of a price in the Direct itself as a "deliberate" omission that caused confusion and misinformation as fans scrambled to find out pricing confirmation elsewhere.

The Switch 2 and Mario Kart World pricing was “intentionally omitted from the Direct for a reason,” Yang claimed, “but handled poorly in terms of the information being in all these different places and you’re expecting the fans or the consumer to piece it all together.”

Ellis added: “It just shows some disrespect to the consumer, where, ‘oh, you just saw the Direct you’re so excited, you’re just gonna throw your money at us blindly, you’re not going to even ask the question of how much it cost because you’re so excited, aren’t you?’ "

“It’s a little bit degrading almost to the intelligence of the consumer,” Yang said.

The former NOA communications staff then went on to discuss Nintendo’s failure to address the pricing concern, either with a public statement or in interviews with the press. This, they said, was causing rampant speculation to fill the void with misinformation.

“They are enabling the story to get out of hand, out of control,” Yang said. “They have lost control of this,” Ellis added.

So what went wrong? Ellis and Yang suggested Nintendo now lacks the consumer mindfulness it once had, following former NOA boss Reggie Fils-Aimé’s retirement and the tragic loss of former Nintendo head Satoru Iwata.

Nintendo’s communications team will now be recommending the company release an official statement, Yang said, but the approval process will be painful, with many people involved before it even gets to current Nintendo boss Shuntaro Furukawa.

Nintendo will also be out of practice because it hasn’t spoken to its community or press in such a long time, the pair said, nor has it had to deal with this sort of negativity since the Nintendo 3DS price debacle of 2011.

Now there is concern for staff manning demo stations at the public-facing Switch 2 hands-on sessions. Fans will have reasonable questions at these public events and might put those to staff who are manning demo stations. If they respond with any sort of answer, that could end up online and framed as Nintendo’s official response.

What happens next? It remains to be seen, but neither Ellis nor Yang expect a price drop of either the Switch 2 or its games before launch.

For more, check out everything announced at the Switch 2 Nintendo Direct, and what the experts have to say about the Switch 2 price and Mario Kart World’s $80 price tag.

Photo by DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP via Getty Images.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

inZOI has sold 1 million copies in a week, developer and publisher Krafton has announced. That’s the fastest sales milestone ever for a game published by the South Korean megacorp.

Krafton’s The Sims competitor launched on PC via Steam in Early Access form on March 28 and quickly hit the headlines after players discovered they could run over and kill children. Krafton responded to say it had patched out what it called an "unintended bug."

Despite this hiccup, inZOI has a ‘very positive’ user review rating on Steam, and saw a peak of 175,000 concurrent viewers on Twitch, ranking third in the Games category. It rose to number one on Steam’s Global Top Sellers List (by sales revenue) just 40 minutes after release.

Meanwhile, Canvas, inZOI’s in-game user-generated content (UGC) sharing platform, saw over 1.2 million “participants” on launch day, and over 470,000 pieces of content uploaded.

IGN’s inZOI Early Access review returned a 6/10. We said: “inZOI is a visually striking life simulator with plenty of ambition, but not enough depth as of its Early Access launch.”

Clearly, inZOI is doing the business for Krafton, which highlighted its work promoting the game ahead of launch and its communication with the community as helping to build trust and momentum for release. The inZOI global showcase and demo build “particularly attracted high interest,” Krafton added.

CEO CH Kim commented: “We are grateful and excited to present inZOI to players around the world through Early Access. We will continue to actively communicate with players and foster inZOI as Krafton’s long-term franchise IP.”

As for what’s next, Krafton said future updates will introduce new content, including mod support and new cities, with all updates and DLC provided for free until full release.

In a recent note to players, Krafton said it will “quickly” apply fixes for reported issues through hotfixes during April amid complaints from some players about the state of the game. The scale of inZOI’s global community is “a next-level experience for us,” Krafton said, before admitting it’s “going through some trial and error in finding the optimal means of communication.”

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Nintendo has confirmed some of its Switch 2 game sizes, and, thankfully, they’re relatively small.

The Japanese My Nintendo Store lists a number of Switch 2 games alongside their file sizes.

The Nintendo Switch 2 features 256 GB of internal storage, which is a significant upgrade on the 32 GB available on the OG Switch and Switch Lite and the 64 GB on the Switch - OLED Model.

Another big difference is that the Switch 2 requires microSD Express cards for up to 2 TB of extra storage, meaning the microSDXC cards the current Switch models support cannot transfer over to the new console.

But, based on the file sizes revealed on the Japanese store, that 256 GB of internal storage should keep most players going for a while.

Nintendo Switch 2 game storage sizes:

• Mario Kart World: 23.4 GB
• Donkey Kong Bananza: 10 GB
• Nintendo Classics: GameCube app: 3.5 GB
• Super Mario Party Jamboree – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition ＋ Jamboree TV: 7.7 GB
• Kirby and the Forgotten Land – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition ＋ Star Crossed World: 5.7 GB

The biggest file size here is, as you’d expect, Mario Kart World, but at 23.4 GB it only takes up around 10% of the Switch 2’s total internal storage.

Mario Kart World is relatively slim compared to the beefy Cyberpunk 2077, which weighs in at 64 GB on Nintendo Switch 2. That's a chunky 25% of the Switch 2’s internal storage.

Nintendo also recently confirmed that several new Switch 2 game cards won’t always carry an actual game, but instead contain a key for a game download. This isn't the case for Cyberpunk 2077, though.

For context, one of the biggest games on the original Switch, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, was just 16 GB.

It’s worth noting that the GameCube app’s size is expected to grow as new games are added to the library. At launch, the GameCube app contains The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, F-Zero GX, and SoulCalibur 2.

So, how is the Nintendo Switch 2 able to get away with relatively small game sizes while offering up to 4K resolution?

In January, the internet spotted a Nintendo patent, filed July 2023 but published for the first time earlier this year, that described AI image upscaling technology that would help keep video game download sizes small enough to fit on a physical game cartridge while offering up to 4K textures. It was thought at the time that this applied to the Nintendo Switch 2, and could relate to Nvidia DLSS graphics technology.

Nvidia DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) is an AI-powered technology that uses machine learning to upscale lower-resolution images in real-time, enhancing both performance and image quality in games.

This week, in the wake of the Nintendo Direct, Nintendo and Nvidia confirmed the Switch 2’s custom GPU enables AI upscaling via DLSS and ray tracing.

Nvidia described it as a “custom Nvidia processor featuring an Nvidia GPU with dedicated RT Cores and Tensor Cores for stunning visuals and AI-driven enhancements.”

Those upgrades include up to 4K gaming in TV mode and up to 120 FPS at 1080p in handheld mode. Nintendo Switch 2 also supports HDR, and AI upscaling “to sharpen visuals and smooth gameplay.”

The new RT Cores bring real-time ray tracing, delivering “lifelike lighting, reflections and shadows for more immersive worlds,” Nvidia continued.

Tensor Cores, meanwhile, power AI-driven features like DLSS, “boosting resolution for sharper details without sacrificing image quality.”

Details are thin on the ground, however. In a hardware-focused roundtable Q&A in New York this week, attended by IGN, Nintendo representatives confirmed the Switch 2 uses DLSS, but did not specify which version of the tech, or whether it had been customized for Switch 2. It was a similarly vague response when Nintendo confirmed the Switch 2’s GPU is capable of ray tracing.

And what about the GPU itself? Tetsuya Sasaki, General Manager at Nintendo’s Technology Development Division, and Senior Director at its Technology Development Department, chimed in to say Nintendo prefers not to get in the weeds on things like the GPU.

“Nintendo doesn't share too much on the hardware spec,” he said. “What we really like to focus on is the value that we can provide to our consumers. But I do believe that our partner Nvidia will be sharing some information.”

For more, check out everything announced at the Switch 2 Nintendo Direct, and what the experts have to say about the Switch 2 price and Mario Kart World’s $80 price tag.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Remember Marathon? It’s Destiny developer Bungie’s next game, and it looks like we’re about to finally see more of it.

Marathon is a PvP-focused extraction shooter set on the mysterious planet of Tau Ceti IV. Players inhabit the bodies of Runners, cybernetic mercenaries who have been designed to survive the planet’s harsh environments, exploring the lost colony that once inhabited Tau Ceti’s surface.

It has been some time since we saw or heard of Marathon. In October, Bungie released a lengthy development update video that shed light on Marathon's mechanics, but stressed how early in development the game was. Player character models were, at that point, still "coming together," while enemy models were still in an "early state."

Now, though, half a year later, it looks like Bungie is finally ready to reveal what it’s been working on. A tweet from the official Marathon account, below, revealed a typically cryptic image and accompanying garbled signal noise. As fans have noticed, there’s ASCII art of footage from the debut Marathon trailer. Given this is Bungie we’re talking about, a developer known for its mysterious teasers, hidden clues, and Easter eggs, there’s probably much more here to discover, and fans are already working to find out what it all means.

Either way, it very much looks like it’s finally happening for Marathon after what has been a troubled development.

pic.twitter.com/6NBgIdRVK2

— Marathon (@MarathonTheGame) April 4, 2025

Marathon was revealed in May 2023 as a reboot of the classic Bungie franchise, but with all its themes of "mysteries, eeriness, and psychological creepiness." But Bungie itself has suffered several controversies in recent years, headlined by the laying off of 220 staff members, meaning 17% of its workforce, in July 2024: a move even industry peers criticized.

This came less than a year after 100 other layoffs at Bungie, at which point staff told IGN the atmosphere was "soul crushing" at the studio.

Further controversy came when a report released weeks after the 220 job losses alleging former Marathon director Chris Barrett was fired after an internal misconduct investigation at Bungie. Barrett subsequently sued Sony Interactive Entertainment and Bungie for more than $200 million.

This all comes as Sony rethinks its focus on live-service games. Sony president Hiroki Totoki said in November 2023 the company was committed to launching just six of the 12 live service games it was working on by March 2026, in a shift in strategy that saw The Last of Us multiplayer game cancelled.

While Arrowhead’s Helldivers 2 was a breakout hit, becoming the fastest-selling PlayStation Studios game of all time with 12 million copies sold in just 12 weeks, Sony’s other live service games were either canceled or suffered disastrous launches.

Indeed, Sony’s Concord is one of the biggest video game disasters in PlayStation history, lasting just a couple of weeks before it was brought offline amid eye-wateringly low player numbers. Sony later decided to kill the game entirely and shut its developer.

And earlier this year, Sony reportedly canceled two unannounced live service games, one a God of War title in development at Bluepoint, the other in the works at Days Gone developer Bend.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

When the Nintendo Switch 2’s $450 USD price was announced it turned heads given this is a bigger sticker price then we’ve come to expect from Nintendo in the past. However, with the rise in production costs and other economic uncertainties like tariffs, analysts did predict the Switch 2 to cost around $400 USD at least.

Maybe the bigger shock was around the cost of Switch 2 games, which not only hit the new $70 USD standard for new games but also go as high as $80 in the case of games like Mario Kart World. Add in the additional cost of the various accessories if you want the full Switch 2 experience and it all totals a hefty sum.

But if you adjust the launch cost of previous Nintendo consoles for inflation, how does Switch 2 stack up? And how does the Switch 2 price also compare to other consoles? The results might surprise you...

Nintendo Switch 2 Price Vs Previous Nintendo Consoles

NES

The NES was released in 1985 and was sold for $179 USD at launch. That sounds like a bargain these days, but if you adjust the cost for inflation it would set you back $523 USD in 2025. Woof!

SNES

Nintendo followed it up in 1991 with the SNES, which at the time cost $199 USD. It was $20 dollars more back then but taking into account the additional inflation between the two launch years, it would cost $460 USD in 2025.

Nintendo 64

Nintendo’s big 3D revolution came when the Nintendo 64 was released in 1996, which came in at the same $199 price point as the SNES. However that’s $400 USD in today’s terms after adjustments for inflation.

Nintendo GameCube

The Nintendo GameCube, whose games will be available on the Switch 2 through the Nintendo Switch Online’s classic library, hit the shelves in 2001 for $199 or $359 USD in today’s dollars.

Wii

Nintendo’s bold next step after the GameCube was the motion-controlled Wii which went on to become a global phenomenon. In 2006, the Wii hit shelves at $249 USD or about $394 USD in 2025.

Wii U

Nintendo wasn’t as successful with its follow-up the Wii U. It was released in 2012 for $299 USD at launch or $415 USD in 2025, making it closer to the Switch 2’s pricing.

Nintendo Switch

Nintendo found its groove again with the Nintendo Switch, which will go down as one of Nintendo’s most-successful consoles of all time. The system hit stores in 2017 – nearly eight years ago – and retailed for $299 USD, or $387 USD in today’s dollars, so still cheaper than Switch 2 when it hits the shelves on June 5.

So there you have it, the original NES is the most expensive console Nintendo has ever launched if you adjust prices for inflation. Does that make Switch 2's price any easier to swallow? Absolutely not.

Now that we finally have a release date and tech specs on the highly anticipated Switch successor, Nintendo Switch 2 — as well as an idea of how much first-party Nintendo games cost on the new console — thoughts turn to the cost of the system itself.

While no prices were confirmed during the Nintendo Direct presentation, regional costings have since popped up on Nintendo's country-specific websites, leading to the realisation that the cheapest way to own Nintendo's new hardware is to be Japanese.

As highlighted in a cheeky tweet from Duolingo — the education app that teaches a range of languages, including Japanese — Japan is selling two different Switch consoles: a multi-language version, which sells for 69,980 yen (around $477), and a Japanese language-only edition for 49,980 yen (about $341).

Gamers, learn Japanese to save $133! https://t.co/misNmSstIf

— Duolingo (@duolingo) April 3, 2025

As Japan is the only country in the world offering a mono-language console option for a cheaper price, this means players content to play in Japanese can save over $100 compared to the system the rest of the world has to buy, which is selling for $449.99 in the U.S.

In some experts' opinions, the inflated international price may well be a result of U.S. president Donald Trump's recently announced international tariffs.

"Nintendo probably factored in possible tariffs, the current inflationary climate in the world and the $700 Sony dared to charge for the PlayStation 5 Pro last year," said Dr. Serkan Toto, CEO of Kantan Games.

It may also be because Japan is "a key market for Nintendo," with the country accounting for a quarter (24%) of the Nintendo Switch installed base in 2024, compared with just 2% for Xbox Series X/S and 9% for PlayStation 5.

"If Switch 2 pricing in Japanese Yen was aligned with the U.S. Dollar price, it would dramatically weaken Nintendo's position in Japan, representing a doubling in the list price over the classic LCD Nintendo Switch model," explained James McWhirter, analyst at Omdia. "Yet if Nintendo continued to rely on region-specific pricing that is significantly cheaper in USD terms, they would face an issue with grey imports to other territories."

Even if you do happen to be fluent in Japanese, however, there are still barriers to getting hold of the cheaper system.

"The Japanese-Language System (Japan only) is designed for use in Japan only," states Nintendo's own website. "Only Japanese is available as the system language, and only Nintendo accounts with the country/region set to Japan can be linked to this system."

With these further limitations, coupled with the fact the Japanese-only variant is only available from the Japanese My Nintendo Store, Nintendo is essentially region-locking the console to keep costs down for Japanese players.

For more on why the Nintendo Switch 2 and its games are so expensive, check out our deep dive as we talk to industry experts.

For more on Nintendo Switch 2, you can catch up on everything shown at this week's Nintendo Direct right here.

Vikki Blake is a reporter, critic, columnist, and consultant. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.

There’s no denying the excitement of a new console reveal, and Nintendo certainly delivered when it came to the new graphical capabilities of the Switch 2. Despite still no sign of a new 3D Mario game (it’s been almost eight years since Super Mario Odyssey, why must my pain continue?), we got the open-world Mario Kart World, the return of Donkey Kong to the limelight, and a pseudo-successor to Bloodborne in the shape of The Duskbloods. But one aspect of the reveal has overshadowed everything – the price. Not necessarily just the console itself – $449.99 isn’t an outrageous cost for a piece of new technology in 2025 – but the amount of money it will take to buy the games and accessories to enjoy Switch 2 to its fullest. So is the price of admission to Nintendo’s new toys really too high? Let’s take a look.

Many headlines have been written about the $80 price tag of Mario Kart World. It’s certainly an eye-opener in an age when we’re so used to $60 or $70 being the norm. The knee-jerk reaction is to say that it’s too much and Nintendo is squeezing us for every penny as it knows it’s the one game everyone will want at launch. Throw in another set of joy-con if you want to play with friends and family and that’ll be another $90. Want people from across the world to join you? A non-inexpensive Nintendo Online membership is required. It all tots up and when the reveal trailer was so focused on 24-player co-op and the ability to roam around its world with friends, taking advantage of the new GameChat and photo mode features, it’s hard not to think it's all a bit cynical.

Of course, the counterargument is that it presents good value for money in terms of dollars to hours of enjoyment. World will likely be the only Mario Kart game to be released on the Nintendo Switch 2 if Mario Kart 8’s decade-long lifetime is anything to go by. Is $80 a reasonable amount to charge for a game that will likely provide many years of enjoyment? In an age where free-to-play games such as Fortnite are now the norm, have our perspectives of value for money been skewed? I imagine someone who puts as many hours into Fortnite over a five-year period as a Mario Kart player will likely spend $80 on battle passes and skins. Yes, these examples are apples and oranges, but in a time when a cinema trip for the whole family can easily cost $80 for two hours of animated slop, a decade of Mario Kart doesn’t seem too bad.

Granted, Donkey Kong Bananza is listed at a cheaper $69.99 price, so maybe this is a case of Nintendo knowing they can ask what they want for Mario Kart, one of the planet’s most popular game series. But it does set a worrying precedent, and with the Switch 2 versions of Kirby and the Forgotten Land and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom both also costing $80, the strategy is a little baffling. For a company like Nintendo, which has also appeared player-first and generous in its offerings, it raises the question of whether other game publishers will follow in the footsteps of these inflated game prices. GTA 6, we’re all looking at you. It also turns the attention to how generational leaps between consoles will go in the future when it comes to the cost of upgrading older games.

PlayStation has been doing this for years, consistently offering $10 upgrades to some of its PS4 games making the jump to PS5, with Days Gone doing exactly that later this month. The price for enhanced versions of Switch games on the Switch 2 is yet to be revealed though; if it’s the same as Sony charges then I doubt there’ll be much of an outcry – $10 for a superior frame rate, greater resolution in 4K, and even extra gameplay additions isn’t a bad deal. But if it’s $20 or $30, I’m not sure I’ll be investing in many of these upgrades.

For example, you can currently buy Tears of the Kingdom on Amazon for $52, a whole $28 less than the Switch 2 edition will cost. Surely the upgrade won’t be quite that much? The difference is even starker in the UK, where it’s currently £45 for the Switch version, but £75 for Switch 2. The MSRP for the original Switch version of TOTK is $70, so does that mean the upgrade will be just $10? If that’s the case, why not just buy a Switch copy from Amazon and then get the upgrade pack for another $10, saving yourself almost $20 in the process?

Of course, this is all speculation but the only indicator we have so far is the enhanced versions of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom being available as part of a Nintendo Online + Expansion Pack membership, of which the cost is currently $49.99 a year. Assuming that the price doesn’t get raised in the next two months (I wouldn’t be hugely surprised if it does at some point though, Netflix currently charges me $4 million dollars and the soul of my firstborn just to watch Love is Blind), an upgraded Zelda as part of that isn’t the worst deal in the world. But what happens if I cancel my membership? Do I have to go back to playing 1080p, slightly framey Zelda until I resub? These are all questions that need answering.

Finally, we have perhaps the most baffling choice of all: the decision to charge for Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour. This virtual exhibition littered with minigames reeks of hardware pack-in energy and is the sort of thing you’d expect to be greeted with when loading a new console up for the first time. Astro’s Playroom came free with all PlayStation 5s and was an incredibly generous platformer that both evoked Nintendo’s brand of invention and celebrated PlayStation history while welcoming the new addition to its console family. It felt like Sony learned the right lessons from Nintendo and Wii Sports, whereas Switch 2 Welcome Tour feels like Nintendo taking pages out of the borderline arrogance Sony displayed during its expensive PS3 launch.

I don’t think the Switch 2 will be a step backward for Nintendo like Sony’s jump into the high-definition generation was though. It has enough forward momentum and goodwill from the original Switch, not to mention its frankly absurd library of games, to falter massively. The Switch 2 console itself looks like an impressive if not slightly safe improvement on what’s come before. The games we’ve seen so far largely look great too, with many more to come I’m sure (Mario, come on, mate). I just hope Nintendo doesn’t get too greedy and learns from the instant backlash of the cost of some of its launch offerings. No one wants $80 to be the new standard price of video games, so let’s hope Nintendo doesn’t make that a reality.

Does the cost of the Switch 2 and its accompanying games, upgrades, and peripherals completely overshadow the reveal? Not quite for me. But it certainly didn’t result in it being the universal success that Nintendo hoped it would be.

Simon Cardy is a Senior Editor at IGN who can mainly be found skulking around open world games, indulging in Korean cinema, or despairing at the state of Tottenham Hotspur and the New York Jets. Follow him on Bluesky at @cardy.bsky.social.

It’s all kicking off in the Tekken community. This week IGN reported on how Tekken 8 players had reacted in anger to the Season 2 update because of big changes it made to the way the fighting game played.

Patch notes revealed an across-the-board buff to character damage potential and offensive pressure, which caused some within the community to complain that Tekken 8 has strayed too far from the classic Tekken experience.

The backlash got so bad that some pro Tekken players threatened to ditch the game, while others took to Steam to leave angry negative reviews.

In response, the Tekken development team at Bandai Namco issued a statement acknowledging the furore, and confirming an “emergency patch” would be released this month to address Paul and Jack specifically, with more balance changes to come.

Fighters,

we are aware of the current community feedback regarding #TEKKEN8 Season 2.
We are carefully reviewing the balance of the game; expect more information about these changes soon.

In addition, an emergency patch will be released in April to adress the following issues👇 pic.twitter.com/Gvet0IOISu

— TEKKEN (@TEKKEN) April 3, 2025

Now, Tekken development chief has waded in, tweeting one person’s complaint that the Tekken community had gone too far in directing its anger at specific staff on social media.

“In any case, it is clear to me that the result is a disconnect between what the community wants and the tuning results,” Harada said.

“I understand that whatever words I may be accused by the community about it, that is not the essential issue and it is not the time to worry about it.

“We have our Battle & Tuning team working around the clock to read through all the feedback logs from the community and work on future policies and changes for the better.

“Thanks.”

Tekken characters in Season 2 pic.twitter.com/n6UTHsSswn

— K-Wiss 🉐 (@KungFuKobi) April 3, 2025

It seems unlikely that Harada’s comment will calm the angry responses from the Tekken community, or stem the tide of negative user reviews on Steam. Recent reviews there are now ‘overwhelmingly negative’ after thousands of negative reviews were left in the last week.

“I am baffled,” reads the current “most helpful” user review. “I never seen devs so out of touch with the community.

“New season dropped and they made every character into a braindead easy mix up machine without a single buff to defense. From the start of Tekken 8 players were vocal about the prominence of easy mix-ups and the glaring nerfs to defense compared to past Tekken games and yet they do a huge patch with lots of new moves that emphasise on every aspect the players disliked about the game.

“No-one, literally no-one asked for these changes, even new players never asked for more offense in a game that clearly lacks defensive options and is easy to mash button and win like in most Tekken games.”

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

With Mario Kart World cruising its way onto store shelves at $80, Nintendo fans who were otherwise stoked about the promise of the Nintendo Switch 2 have spent the last 24 hours balking at the prospect of doling out that many coins, even for a game they feel is a must-have.

We wrote earlier today about why Mario Kart World, as well as the Nintendo Switch 2 itself and many of its accessories, are so dang expensive. But knowing the “why” of it doesn’t really ease the pain on the wallet. What’s more, we learned just this morning that a number of Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games, including The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Kirby and the Forgotten Land, will also be $80. And with the AAA game price increase from $60 to $70 still firmly within recent memory, fans are now worried that more and more games, Nintendo or otherwise, are going to start getting more and more and more expensive.

So what does the future hold? Are $80 games the new Nintendo normal?

As usual, rather than speculate ourselves, we went and found some expert analysts to tell us what they think is going to happen.

A New Nintendo Normal

NYU Stern professor and author of SuperJoost Playlist, Joost van Dreunen, believes Nintendo is using Mario Kart World as a “test case for premium pricing,” and will evaluate consumer response before applying this more broadly. Spoilers: the response hasn’t been great so far! But sentiment is not the same as sales, and Nintendo will likely measure success by how well Mario Kart World actually sells.

“If the $80 price point succeeds, Nintendo will likely extend it selectively to their most valuable franchises rather than making it standard across their first-party lineup. Franchises that could potentially justify the premium pricing include:

• The Legend of Zelda - the next mainline entry following Tears of the Kingdom could command $80 given the series' prestige and the expansive scope these games typically offer.
• New 3D Mario adventures - for major releases in the vein of Super Mario Odyssey, Nintendo could position these as premium products.
• Super Smash Bros. - the next installment of this franchise would be a strong candidate for premium pricing due to its extensive roster and competitive staying power.

“Games that likely wouldn't justify the premium price include smaller-scale entries, remasters, and series with more niche appeal. Nintendo will probably maintain a tiered pricing strategy, with their tent-pole franchises at $80, mid-tier releases at $60-70, and smaller titles at traditional price points.”

Rhys Elliott, games analyst at Alinea Analytics, had a similar take, pointing to the top 10 best-selling Nintendo Switch games as a guide for what we might see get an $80 price tag in the future. “I could see Nintendo pricing mainline Pokémon games, mainline Zelda games, and the inevitably imminent 3D Mario and Animal Crossing games at $80 physical (but $70 digital still).”

And James McWhirter, analyst at Omdia, added a suggested hypothetical Splatoon 4 to the list of possibilities, along with another thought on future monetization:

“For titles that do not adopt the $80 base price, Nintendo could lean in more heavily in alternative forms of monetisation, including those it has so far refrained from using, such as tying paid early access to higher value editions of its games.”

Grand Theft, Grand Price?

That covers Nintendo, but what about other games? Earlier this year, we covered a flurry of speculation on one specifically: Grand Theft Auto 6. At the time, we were responding to rumors and discussion that Take-Two might price the sequel to the over 200 million selling blockbuster at $80, $90, or even $100. Analysts suggested that the high end of this was rather unlikely, but what about now? Will Grand Theft Auto 6 cost $80... or even more?

Tiago Reis, market analyst at Newzoo, certainly thinks so. “For sure. Big hits that are highly anticipated (e.g., GTA 6, new CODs) can get away with it due to franchise recognition. Most people are not going to stop buying these games because they are $10 more expensive. If consumers are willing to wait, they can get it at a discount a couple of months after release. But by then, these companies have already extracted max value/price from the people who are less price sensitive.”

Reis’ colleague Lauren Universe, client services manager at Newzoo, added: “Frankly, I expect base GTA to be at least $80, with multiple options of various increased prices (like Civ 7) that include expansions, DLCs, and ‘early access.’”

Dr. Serkan Toto, CEO of Kantan Games, agreed, and even expanded on who might be interested in raising prices beyond just Take-Two. “I do believe there is a chance that companies like Microsoft or Sony could feel encouraged to raise their prices now. Would you be shocked if Take-Two now thought to themselves: ‘If Nintendo can charge $80 for a Mario Kart game, we can do the same for GTA 6 - a title thousands of people have been working on for 12 years?”

Nuno Domingues Marques, also a market analyst at Newzoo, similarly brought up Sony and Microsoft as possible candidates for price hikes. “I am unsure if Sony/Xbox will wait for their next generation to make the push or if they will adjust post-Switch launch, but certainly, it seems like the way forward. Third-party publishers will jump on it as soon as they feel it is justified, which is likely ASAP. Not all exclusive games will cost $80, in my opinion though. Games like Ratchet & Clank or other smaller niche experiences are likely to keep lower price points.”

But Elliott pushed back a bit on the idea that Mario Kart World could have opened a higher pricing floodgate. He pointed out that at least in the UK and Europe (U.S. price discrepancies are still unconfirmed), Nintendo is charging more for the physical edition of Mario Kart World than digital in an effort to push more consumers toward the digital edition. But he suspects that because the other two console platforms are far more digitally-oriented than Nintendo (something he discussed in more detail in our other piece on the Switch 2 pricing), this would be a tougher sell for other publishers.

“While I believe Take Two could charge over $70 for GTA 6, I maintain that it is a bad idea for three reasons. [One,] the real cash cow is GTA Online and its recurring revenues, so limiting the total addressable audience at launch wouldn't be smart. There’s also a cost-of-living crisis happening globally and GTA appeals to everyone – rich and less fortunate.

"[Two,] Rockstar needs to move players from GTA 5, and a higher floor for the switching cost would limit the GTA 5-to-GTA 6 player acquisition. Players not budging from GTA 5 is probably one of GTA 6's biggest threats, one GTA hasn't really faced before. After all, live services are mostly zero-sum in today's oversaturated attention economy. GTA 6 isn't just competing against competitors' games, it's competing with TikTok, Netflix, and even its predecessor.

"[Three,] Rockstar can easily charge $100 or more for an edition of GTA 6 with a week of early access, maybe with a shark card thrown in. Players with disposable income will pay for it. This is the best of both worlds for Take-Two. This is pretty much the norm for AAA games these days.”

Elliott concluded that even with all that in mind, GTA 6 nonetheless stands a better chance than any other game at withstanding a price hike with its consumer base intact. So ultimately, the question of GTA 6’s pricing remains an impossible one to answer up to the point where Take-Two finally announces it.

Living in Interesting Times

I’ll end on a hopeful note, though, which I got from both Mat Piscatella, analyst at Circana, and a couple of analysts at Newzoo. These folks told me that while we’re likely to keep seeing games get more expensive (and, as Piscatella points out, have already been for a while via Collector’s Editions and similar), we may also see them get cheaper in certain ways.

“Other Nintendo games will certainly follow suit,” said Brett Hunt, market analyst at Newzoo. “It could, however, open the door for Nintendo to have an adjusted discounting strategy for the Switch 2.”

Marques agreed. “Maybe we will see a bigger window of pricing as well, as seen from the Donkey Kong game. Creation of space for multiple different-sized games; games that cost $49.99, $59.99, etc., having distinct content depth and breadth expectations. I agree that maybe a new discounting strategy is coming from Nintendo.”

And as Piscatella put it, Nintendo may not be the only company that sees the need to break with $70 convention in more than just one way. “We certainly could see other publishers try and establish even higher base prices for some of their new games. But we could also see more significant price promotion and discounting as well.

"With all of the uncertainty in the market, we're at a point where both publishers and consumers will have to figure out where things go next. These are, after all, interesting times."

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.

If you're looking for Blox Fruits codes, IGN has what you need! In this article, you'll find all the latest and working Blox Fruits codes in April 2025 that you can redeem for free rewards and bonuses, including 2x EXP for a set time, a title, and stat resets.

Active Blox Fruits Codes (April 2025)

Below, you'll find all the active and working Blox Fruits codes in April 2025 and the rewards you get for redeeming them:

• KITT_RESET: 1x Stat Refund
• Sub2UncleKizaru: 1x Stat Refund
• SUB2GAMERROBOT_RESET1: 1x Stat Refund
• fudd10_v2: $2
• Fudd10: $1
• Bignews: "Big News" in-game title (speak to The Title Specialist under the Cafe in the Second Sea)
• SUB2GAMERROBOT_EXP1: 2x EXP for 30 minutes
• Sub2Fer999: 2x EXP for 20 minutes
• TantaiGaming: 2x EXP for 20 minutes
• kittgaming: 2x EXP for 20 minutes
• Enyu_is_Pro: 2x EXP for 20 minutes
• Sub2CaptainMaui: 2x EXP for 20 minutes
• Magicbus: 2x EXP for 20 minutes
• Sub2OfficialNoobie: 2x EXP for 20 minutes
• TheGreatAce: 2x EXP for 20 minutes
• JCWK: 2x EXP for 20 minutes
• Bluxxy: 2x EXP for 20 minutes
• Axiore: 2x EXP for 20 minutes
• Starcodeheo: 2x EXP for 20 minutes
• StrawHatMaine: 2x EXP for 20 minutes
• Sub2Daigrock: 2x EXP for 20 minutes
• Sub2NoobMaster123: 2x EXP for 15 minutes

Expired Blox Fruits Codes

Here are all the expired Blox Fruits codes that are no longer working in April 2025 and can no longer be redeemed:

• ADMINFIGHT
• BANEXPLOIT
• NOMOREHACK
• FIGHT4FRUIT
• WildDares
• BossBuild
• GetPranked
• EARN_FRUITS
• NOEXPLOITER
• DEVSCOOKING
• REWARDFUN
• ADMIN_STRENGTH
• THIRDSEA
• JULYUPDATE_RESET

How to Redeem Blox Fruits Codes in Roblox

To redeem Blox Fruits codes and get free rewards in Roblox, follow the steps below:

1. Open the Blox Fruits Roblox experience.
2. Click on the blue gift icon on the left-hand side above the Compass to open the Reward Codes menu.
3. Enter the code in the "Enter code here" box.
4. Double check it's inputted correctly and then click "Redeem!" to redeem the code.

Why Isn't My Blox Fruits Code Working?

If the Blox Fruits code you're trying to input isn't working, it's likely due to one of two potential reasons:

• There's a typo in the Blox Fruits code.
• The Blox Fruits code is expired.

When entering a code into Blox Fruits, ensure it's spelled correctly (for example, capital O and not 0 and vice versa) and that there are no accidental spaces before or after the code. The best way to ensure there are no errors is to copy and paste directly from our article.

If the code still isn't working, then it is probably expired and no longer working.

How to Get More Blox Fruits Codes in Roblox

The best way to get more Blox Fruits codes is to join the Roblox experience's Discord server. While we do check for new codes and update this article regularly, joining the Blox Fruits Discord ensures you'll be notified in real time whenever there's a new one for you to redeem. Additionally, new codes are often posted to the Blox Fruits YouTube channel by the developer.

What is Blox Fruits in Roblox?

Blox Fruits is a Roblox experience inspired by the popular pirate anime One Piece, and is available on PC, console, and mobile devices. In it, you sail the seas as either a Marine or a Pirate to undertake various quests and find Blox Fruits that give you supernatural powers.

Meg Koepp is a Guides Editor on the IGN Guides team, with a focus on trends. When she's not working, you can find her adventuring around Eorzea in Final Fantasy XIV or making miniatures.

Disney's CinemaCon presentation was filled with footage showcasing some of the upcoming films from Disney, Marvel, and more.

While the studios have yet to release most of the clips, we were in attendance and are here to break down the biggest moments for you from The Fantasic Four: First Steps to Thunderbolts* to Avatar: Fire and Ash and more.

New Fantastic Four Footage Reveals a Major Plot Point... and the Female Silver Surfer

The Fantastic Four took center stage at CinemaCon and we got a look at brand-new footage of the long-awaited film that will be released in theaters on July 25, 2025.

The footage begins with Mark Gatiss' Ted Gilbert hosting his 1960s Ed Sullivan Show-style talk show and recapping the story of the Fantastic Four. We get to see the space trip that transformed them, their popularity amongst the people, and their powers, minus the stretching abilities belonging to Pedro Pascal's Reed Richards.

We then cut to a look at the Fantastic Four's home life and see more of our favorite robot, H.E.R.B.I.E., who is cooking with Ebon Moss Bachrach's Ben. The big reveal here is... SPOILER WARNING... Vanessa Kirby's Sue Storm is pregnant.

It doesn't end there as we were then treated to the first shots of Julia Garner's Shalla-Bal, the Silver Surfer. She says, "your planet is now marked for death," and that is followed by shots of Galactus' shadow over New York.

Lastly, Reed is seen getting ready for a mission and questioning whether or not they are safe. We also saw a large crowd running through the city and a little girl finding a The Thing action figure before being enveloped in Galactus' shadow herself. The final shot is off the SIlver Surfer flying towards the camera on her surfboard.

Thunderbolts: New Footage Revealed the Sad Outcome of Bucky’s Political Career

To help with the wait until Thunderbolts* is unleashed into theaters on May 2, Marvel has revealed new footage of the upcoming MCU film.

It all begins with the team driving to Jefferson Starship's 'Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now,' and we hear Bucky (Sebastian Stan) and Red Guardian (David Harbour) talking about the Super Soldier Serum and Hydra. In the back, Yelena (Florence Pugh) is talking about her Widow's Bite bracelets with Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) and John Walker (Wyatt Russell).

The vehicle our heroes are in then smashes through glass walls and a fight breaks out where we see some of the unique skills and powers of these Thunderbolts in action. The fight is interrupted by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), who tells them to come upstairs in what is revealed as the building once known as Avengers Tower.

Valentina talks about purchasing Avengers Tower and then addresses the team one by one, all before mocking Bucky's brief time as a congressman as he couldn't even make it half a term. Bucky lunges at Valentina, but he is stopped by an unseen force that we soon learn is caused by the Sentry. His reign of terror doesn't end there either as the footage ends with him taking out our favorite new team with ease.

Avatar: Fire and Ash Footage Introduced New Na'vi Allies and Adversaries

Ahead of its December 19 release date, Avatar: Fire and Ash was given an introduction by director James Cameron before the first-ever footage was shown to the audience.

“The Sully family are really put through the ringer on this one as they face not only the human invaders, but new adversaries: the Ash People,” Cameron said in his introduction.

We got to see about five minutes of the film in 3D, and it featured two new groups of Na'vi - the Tlalim clan, a.k.a. the Windtraders, and the Mangkwan clan, a.k.a. the Ash People. The former are nomads who "sail" the skies and the latter have rejected their diety and the ways of the Na'vi after a volcano destoryed their homeland and left nothing but ash.

The next sequence starred Jak Sully, Neytiri, Lo'ak, Tuk, Kiri, and Spider living amongst the Windtraders and sailing high above the sky in their membrane-like sails that look like jellyfish. All is well until they are attacked by the Ash People.

First Predator: Badlands Trailer Shown at CinemaCon

Elle Fanning took the stage at CinemaCon to unveil the first trailer for Predator: Badlands, where the Predator is a... good guy?! This new Predator is a younger warrior who has been cast out from his tribe and chooses to work with Fanning's character.

"Something unprecedented happens in this movie," Fanning said. "My character is not the one being chased. My character actually teams up with the Predator. And you get to see him in a completley new light. And... I'll stop there!"

As for the trailer, it kicks off with Predator relics on a ship and then a Predator standing on the shore of a planet that is not Earth. He also isn't wearing his helmet. Alongside glimpses of the Predator being surrounded by giant deadly monsters and Fanning's character saying, "You're somthing that cannot be killed," the footage ends with a bang as the Predator roars and faces down another massive creature with no fear.

Predator: Badlands will be released in theaters on November 7, 2025.

Tron: Ares Footage Gives Us a Tease of the Digital and Real Worlds Colliding

Program initiated. #CinemaCon pic.twitter.com/QUan8n66ma

— Walt Disney Studios (@DisneyStudios) April 3, 2025

Tron: Ares will be released in theaters on October 10, 2025, and CinemaCon gave us a tease of this new adventure that will see the digital and real worlds collide. The footage begins with a highly sophisticated program, Jared Leto's Area, entering the real world from his digital home. This momentous occasion marks the first time humanity has encountered these AI beings in their world.

Ares can be seen speeding through a city on his red-tinged light cycle, leaving police cars in his wake that have no hope of catching him. A Recognizer can also be seen hovering over the city with terrified citizens looking on.

Gillian Anderson's character, who appears to be a business executive, makes an appearance alongside Jeff Bridges' Kevin Flynn, who can be heard saying, "Are you ready? Because there's no going back." And yes, the footage was accompanied by music by Nine Inch Nails.

Lilo & Stitch Clip Shows Stitch Causing Chaos at Jimmy's Luau

The live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch is set to be released in theaters on May 23, 2025, and CinemaCon presented us with a clip that fans of the original should be familiar with. The footage takes place at Jimmy's Luau, where Nani works, and sees Lilo and Stitch joining her. People still think Stitch is some weird dog, even David, but he doesn't behave like a good boy as he escapes his leash and has a western showdown with Lilo with a soda gun.

Zootopia 2 and Elio Steal Our Hearts With New Footage, Adorable Animals, and More

Zootopia 2 and Elio both got new looks at CinemaCon, wit helio getting roughly 10 minutes of showtime with footage we've seen in the trailers ane beyond.

For Zootopia 2, Ke Huy Quan, who plays Gary De'Snake, took the stage to share new details about the much-anticipated sequel, including that Quinta Brunson will be playing an adorable quokka therapist named Dr. Fuzzby.

🚨NEW ANIMAL JUST DROPPED🚨 Meet the newest addition to Zootopia 2 with Quinta Brunson as the quokka therapist Dr. Fuzzby! pic.twitter.com/0iIk8hEvET

— Disney Animation (@DisneyAnimation) April 3, 2025

Nick and Judy are seen chasing after Gary De'Snake and are searching for clues as to his wherabouts. Alongside the way, they stop at therapy and meet the wonderful Dr. Fuzzby.

Lindsay Lohan Flirts With Chad Michael Murray Even Though She's Really Jamie Lee Curtis in New Freakier Friday Footage

Did you feel that? Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis reunite at #CinemaCon to celebrate Freakier Friday coming to theaters August 8. pic.twitter.com/3Hv3djwG5G

— Walt Disney Studios (@DisneyStudios) April 3, 2025

After Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis took the stage at CinemaCon, footage was shown of Lindsay's Anna, who is actually housing Curtis' Tess in her body after they swap, flirting with Chad Michael Murray's Jake. Jake then asks if Tess' husband is still alive and she confirms she is and that he's very old.

Freakier Friday will be released in theaters on August 8, 2025.

With the release of Thunderbolts just a month away, some new footage was shown from the film today at CinemaCon in Las Vegas, introduced by stars Florence Pugh (“Yelena Belova”), David Harbour (“Alexei Shostakov / Red Guardian”), Hannah John-Kamen (“Ava Starr / Ghost”), Wyatt Russell (“John Walker / U.S. Agent”) and Julia Louis-Dreyfus (“Valentina Allegra de Fontaine”) - with Pugh saying how much she loved getting to jump from the second highest building in the world in the film.

In the footage, we see the team driving, making small talk, as Jefferson Starship’s “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” (used prominently in the film’s recent trailer) plays on the radio. Up front, Bucky (Sebastian Stan) and Red Guardian talk about the super soldier serum and Hydra, while in the back, Yelena is discussing her Widow’s Bite bracelets with Ghost and John Walker, and asking John about the helmet he wears in battle.

They then pull up to their destination, smashing their vehicle through the glass walls of the bottom floor. The minute they get out, we get the quick juxtaposition from the laid back vibe on the drive to how all-business they can be in fight, with them all doing fairly brutal takedowns of the soldiers attacking them, as Ghost, the most notably superpowered of the bunch, uses her phasing abilities.

The fight is then interrupted by the voice of Valentina, who tells them to come upstairs - though Bucky still punches out the guy he was fighting. It turns out they’re in what was once Avengers Tower!

In the top floor where Tony Stark once declared “We have a Hulk,” Valentina talks about how expensive it was to buy the building, and then laughs about the unlikely group in front of her - as she and Yelena face off about Valentina pitting them all against each other, only for them to become a team. Valentina goes through the group one-by-one, throwing out insults, calling John Walker “Jr. Varsity Captain America.”

However, she doesn’t recognize Red Guardian at all, asking who “Santa” is, infuriating him. On the flip side, Valentina seems to know Ghost quite well, casually calling her “Ava.” She then mocks Bucky’s brief time as a congressman (he was running for office in Captain America: Brave New World), saying it’s embarrassing he only served less than half a term.

Bucky lunges at Valentina when an unseen force stops him in his tracks, making him unable to move. That’s when we see boots coming down the stairs, clearly belonging to the Sentry, and get glimpses of him wiping the floor with the team (though we still don’t see him fully in the shots included).

For more CinemaCon coverage, here’s we learned about The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Avatar: Fire and Ash, Predator: Badlands, Superman, Mortal Kombat II, Resident Evil, Spider-Man: Brave New Day, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, John Wick 5, Jurassic World Rebirth, Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, Masters of the Universe, The Beatles, The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender, TRON: Ares, and Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning.

At CinemaCon today, Edgar Wright and cast members Glen Powell, Josh Brolin and Colman Domingo debuted the first footage from the filmmaker's new take on The Running Man. Like the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger film, Wright’s movie is adapted from the Stephen King book of the same name (written under his Richard Bachman pseudonym) about a dystopian game show where trained killers hunt you to the death - though there’s a huge cash prize if you can somehow survive. Wright said that while he enjoyed the 1987 movie, he always wanted to see the book – one of his favorites as a teenager – more properly adapted, which is where his version comes in.

The footage shown today indicates many of the details from the book discarded in the earlier film are put back in, starting with Ben Richards (Glen Powell) now much more of an everyman who volunteers for the games, thanks to financial desperation, rather than Schwarzenegger’s framed police officer who was forced to play them. Wright noted that Ben initially wants to play one of the other, less lethal games, only to end up in “the big one.”

With the wide release of the five-minute Superman sneak peek that was first shown at CinemaCon earlier this week, one thing stands out even more than Krypto’s lovable (if painful for Superman) hijinks: It’s the fact that James Gunn understands the most important thing he can do for his reboot of not just the Man of Steel, but the entire DC universe, is to make us care about the characters. All of the characters, great and small, Kryptonian and human, canine and, yes, even robot. Giggling robots.

The extended preview features footage from the film that we’ve seen before, including of course Kal-El’s incredibly cute super dog arriving on the icy scene when his master is at a real low point. But it expands on that sequence from the film’s first trailer, showing us that Krypto is very much the troublemaker Gunn has described him to be. Yes, Superman is bloodied and beaten, pleading with Krypto to take him “home,” but all the pup wants to do is play. And he makes this point by jumping on the hurt Supes with all of his super-dog strength, and even dragging Kal-El’s leg up into an extremely awkward yet entirely believable pose. “Play with me, Dad!” he’s saying, in deeds if not words. It’s all very funny and it makes you love Krypto even more than you already did. Oh yes, you will believe that a super-powered dog can fly – and be lovable.

But Superman is hurt, and Krypto finally gets it, bringing Kal to the Fortress of Solitude. And that’s where we meet that giggling robot, who is one of the keys to understanding why James Gunn is so good at what he does. But before we get to that, consider that the first time we ever saw Gunn’s version of the Last Son of Krypton in action, he was in bad shape – beaten up, bleeding, needing his dog to save him. And we don’t yet know who dished out this punishment either, so this first image of Gunn’s version of Superman battered and broken is not for the benefit of getting a villain over. There’s no “look how scary this antagonist is because they beat the hell out of the Man of Steel.” The purpose of beginning the entire marketing push for this film is to show Superman in dire straits and in need of help. It’s a far cry from the typical introduction of any superhero, let alone the superhero, and yet it makes perfect sense coming from Gunn.

It’s the Harrison Ford Syndrome. Which isn’t so much a syndrome as it is a legitimate strength of Ford’s on screen persona. Either way, think about how badly Indiana Jones gets roughed up. We don’t love him because he’s so good at fighting; it’s because he’s tired and in pain just like the rest of us. Think about the scared-as-shit look on Ford’s face when he was on the run in The Fugitive, the desperate man leaping off of a dam en route to prove his innocence. Think about the hurt on Han Solo’s face, the fully bruised ego when he thought Leia was into Luke and not him at the start of Empire. It’s an everyman appeal that few actors have ever really been able to pull off. Honestly, it might just be Ford and Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley that do it completely right. The point is, seeing your heroes beat up a little bit kind of makes you love them even more, especially when they rise to the occasion later to be, you know, heroes, despite everything they’ve been through.

Gunn knows this, and he has a track record of putting his characters through the ringer. Think back to the first time we met the Guardians of the Galaxy. The first trailer for that film shows that nobody knows Star-Lord’s name and that it stings a little. And yes, Star-Lord was a little known character from the depths of Marvel’s roster, and Superman is… well, it’s almost apples to oranges, but Gunn’s approach is exactly the same here. Let’s put some dents in our main character as quickly as we can. Let’s meet a protagonist at a moment when they’re not heroic, not saving the day, when they don’t even have the upper hand – that’s part of what makes Gunn’s superhero work resonate as well as anybody’s ever been able to.

So giving us a Superman who right off the bat has broken ribs, a jacked-up bladder, and is in awful pain even when/because his robots are healing him… it’s a very Gunn choice, and it goes a long way to getting us invested in his version of a character who, let’s not forget, has had like 10 movies and 15 TV shows or something at this point and is older than your grandparents. Superman and all his pals have been around forever, so why should we care about yet another version of his story?

And not for nothing, it’s important to remember that a significant criticism has been lobbed at Superman over the years saying his invulnerability and squeaky clean boy scout-ness are just plain boring. He was, after all, created to be the best of us, but crafting interesting narratives around an overpowered alien with only a single weakness can start to get hard after a century. So how do you make this familiar story engaging? Opening on a shot of a damaged Kal-El is a great start, but we still need to fall for the supporting cast.

And that brings us back to the giggling robot. Once Krypto gets his dad into the Fortress (which is a cool re-thinking of the classic Richard Donner ice-crystal Fortress of Solitude, only in this case one that grows out of the snowy landscape on command), the robots take custody of Superman as they carry the injured hero in to treat his wounds. In the comics we know that the ‘bot known as Kelex is usually the main caretaker of the Fortress, although here we see the main robot has the simple designation of “4” on the Superman-shield on his chest.

As they tend to Superman, 4 (voiced by Alan Tudyk) introduces the newest robot of the group: “Meet 12. She’s new.” Superman nods to her weakly, and 12 practically blushes, despite being made of metal, as she giggles and says “Oh, he looked at me!”

12 has just that one line of dialogue (we're not sure who’s voicing the character but it’s gotta be someone we know, right?), but we're already so invested in her and these other robots that we're a little embarrassed to admit it. 4 also tells Kal-El that there’s no need to thank them for their service because they have “no consciousness whatsoever. Merely automatons here to serve.” But you know what? We're calling bullshit on that right now, because you can be guaranteed that half of us are going to be crying when we see the movie and one of these robots gets killed (something that in fact has already been teased in the first trailer). There’s also something about Tudyk’s delivery of those lines, like he’s dripping with sarcasm. No consciousness my red-briefs-clad-butt.

So even while comics fans can dig in and try to figure out if 4 is Kelex or how Superman’s biology works (he has intestines!) or whatever other lore or Easter egg stuff comes to mind, Gunn isn’t actually that concerned with that stuff. At minimum, we feel comfortable saying it doesn’t seem like his first priority. Yes, he understands the geeky things, he’s a fan himself and he’s read the comics – and loves them, no doubt – but what he’s doing here is building out little character moments and beats that will make us actually care about these people. And robots. And dogs!

This isn’t gonna be a Superman movie as much as it is a James Gunn movie, and we can’t wait.

New footage from TRON: Ares was unveiled today at Disney’s CinemaCon presentation by two of its stars, Oscar winners Jared Leto and Jeff Bridges.

The footage revealed the havoc unleashed when the highly sophisticated Program, Ares, enters the real world from the digital world. It’s humanity’s first encounter with AI beings and judging from this footage, it’s not the most cordial of meetings.

Leto plays Ares, who is on a dangerous mission to our world which brings him into contact with Bridges’ Kevin Flynn, the protagonist of the prior two TRON films.

The footage showed Ares on his red-tinged light cycle zooming through a real-world city pursued by police cars who are no match to catch him. The overwhelmed citizens are terrified by the sight of a giant hovering Recognizer looming over them. There was a quick shot of Gillian Anderson’s character, who appears to be a business executive.

The emphasis of the footage -- which boasted music by Nine Inch Nails -- was on wild video game elements invading the real-world and the sort of terror and destruction they can yield.

At one point, we hear Flynn say, “Are you ready? Because there’s no going back.” And then we see Ares suiting up for action.

The cast also includes Greta Lee, Evan Peters, Hasan Minhaj, Jodie Turner-Smith, Arturo Castro, and Cameron Monaghan.

Directed by Joachim Rønning, TRON: Ares zooms into theaters on October 10, 2025.

For more CinemaCon coverage, find out what we learned about The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Avatar: Fire and Ash, Predator: Badlands, Superman, Mortal Kombat II, Resident Evil, Spider-Man: Brave New Day, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, John Wick 5, Jurassic World Rebirth, Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, Masters of the Universe, The Beatles, The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender, and Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning.

At CinemaCon in Las Vegas today, the Marvel Studios portion of Disney’s presentation featured the debut of brand new footage from The Fantastic Four: First Steps, including the first look anywhere of the Silver Surfer and a notable reveal about Sue Storm.

The start of the footage shows a talk show, The Ted Gilbert Show, clearly modeled after a 1960s Ed Sullivan Show style series, with Mark Gatiss (Sherlock, Game of Thrones) as the host. Ted Gilbert recaps the story of the Fantastic Four – with more glimpses of the footage we’ve seen previously of the space trip that transformed them – as we get footage showing their widespread popularity amongst the public, with cheering crowds, children included. We see Ben (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), Johnny (Joseph Quinn) and Sue (Vanessa Kirby) in action, using their powers - though, amusingly, we still weren’t given any shots of Reed’s stretching power in action. Gilbert then introduces the foursome onstage, and they stand together, in costume, in the shot we saw ending the first trailer.

Glimpses of the FF’s home life find more of the robot H.E.R.B.I.E. and Ben cooking together and Johnny chastising Reed (Pedro Pascal) and Sue for being late for dinner, leading to the big reveal about Sue, as Johnny is told his sister is pregnant. He then tells Sue she’ll be a great mom while teasing Reed he’ll be a terrible father.

We then got our first shots of Shalla-Bal, the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner), in all her gleaming, metallic glory, announcing “Your planet is now marked for death.” We then see more shots of Galactus’ shadow over New York, like in the teaser (though not a full reveal of the character yet).

Reed is seen readying for a mission, walking away from camera in a 4-logo labeled space suit as someone asks him “Are we safe?” He turns back towards them and grimly responds, “I don’t know.”

Shots of crowds running in panic across the city include a little girl stopping to retrieve an action figure of The Thing she’s dropped, but when she goes to pick it up, the giant shadow of Galactus falls over her.

The final shot of the footage then shows the Silver Surfer flying towards the camera on her surfboard.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps will be released on July 25, 2025!

In a pre-recorded message to CinemaCon from his post-production facility in New Zealand, James Cameron introduced Zoe Saldaña to present the first-ever footage from Avatar: Fire and Ash, in theaters December 19th.

“The Sully family are really put through the ringer on this one as they face not only the human invaders, but new adversaries: the Ash People,” Cameron said in his introduction.

Roughly five minutes from the film were presented in 3D, two sequences followed by a sizzle reel. The focus of the footage presented to an audience of theater execs and press was to show an expanded look at new corners and cultures in the world of Pandora.

Two new groups of Na’vi are introduced in this third Avatar film: the Tlalim clan, aka the Windtraders, and the Mangkwan Clan, aka the Ash People. The former are nomads who “sail” the skies like sailors from the Golden Age of Sail, while the latter are baddies who have rejected their deity and the ways of the Na’vi after a volcano left their homeland a desolate wreck covered in ash.

Zoe Saldaña is back on the #CinemaCon stage to introduce Avatar: Fire and Ash. pic.twitter.com/RS8T21L4O5

— Avatar (@officialavatar) April 3, 2025

David Thewlis plays Peylak, the leader of the Windtraders, while Oona Chaplin plays the Ash People’s sinister leader, Varang. Both are featured in the footage that was shown at CinemaCon, which began with a series of images showing the expanded look at Pandora.

Then a sequence shows Jake Sully, Neytiri, their kids Lo’ak and Tuk, Kiri, and Spider living among the high-flying Windtraders whose sky boats fly with membrane-like sails that look like jellyfish. They’re then attacked from above by a raiding party of Ash People.

It then transitioned into more of an extended trailer featuring lots of action and battles in the air and land, with Varang at one point telling Neytiri that “her God has no dominion here.”

The footage – which was as eye-popping and visceral as viewers have come to expect from the Avatar films – was presented in 3D and in a high frame rate to provide an immersive, sensory experience.

For more CinemaCon coverage, find out what we learned about Superman, Mortal Kombat II, Resident Evil, Spider-Man: Brave New Day, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, John Wick 5, Jurassic World Rebirth, Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, Masters of the Universe, and The Beatles.

Elle Fanning took the stage at CinemaCon 2025 in Las Vegas today to tout her upcoming Predator movie, Predator: Badlands, which will feature... a Predator who's a good guy!

Yes, this Predator is a young warrior who has been cast out and comes to work with humans... or at least one human that we know of so far - Fanning! Before unveiling the trailer for the film, which was played exclusively for CinemaCon, the actress teased a bit of the movie's plot.

"Something unprecedented happens in this movie," the A Complete Unknown actress told the assembled crowd of reporters and theater industry folks. "My character is not the one being chased. My character actually teams up with the Predator. And you get to see him in a completley new light. And... I'll stop there!"

The trailer was then unveiled, which showed Predator relices on a ship. “I didn’t think he survived,” someone says. We see the Predator standing on the shore... but this is not Earth. It’s another planet. We also see the Predator isn't wearing his helmet. At another point he’s surrounded by giant deadly monsters. Fanning's character says, “You’re something that cannot be killed."

The trailer features the tagline “The director of Prey welcomes you to a world of hurt,” and ends with the Predator facing down a massive creature running at him, smashing through trees. Standing his ground, the Predator roars at the creature, ready to fight.

Predator: Badlands was directed by Dan Trachtenberg and co-written by Trachtenberg and Patrick Aison. It's designed to be a standalone entry in the franchise even though Trachtenberg also directed 2022's terrific Prey and is working on an as-yet untitled third Predator film as well.

Predator: Badlands will be released on November 7, 2025.

Reporting by Jim Vejvoda and Eric Goldman.

We live in an era of getting things shipped straight to your home, without needing to leave your house. Pretty much anything I could ever want can be sent directly to me in seemingly no time flat. It's an incredible thing, and yet part of me still yearns for the experience of getting something in person. It feels like it's more of an actual event and a memory you'll have forever.

With the Nintendo Switch 2 preorders starting soon, Best Buy has announced that customers will have the option to pick up the new console at their local store at the stroke of midnight EST. It's the earliest possible time fans can get their hands on the Switch 2, with Walmart offering free deliveries before 9 a.m. on June 5. While having it shipped directly to me would be the easiest path, the idea of actually going somewhere to secure the console with my own two hands appeals to me a lot more. If I do end up getting a preorder for the Switch 2, I'm going to choose to wait in line and make a big deal out of it.

Preorders Start at Best Buy on April 9 at Midnight (EST)

Thank your own personal deity—possibly Odin the Aragami—it’s Friday! From sprawling RPGs to cosmic rhythm games, this week’s digital discounts are a goldmine for gamers across every platform. Stock up for your weekend, stay safe, save often, and I’ll catch you Monday!

This Day in Gaming 🎂

In retro news, I'm celebrating the 32nd birthday of Final Fight CD, arguably the best home version of Capcom's touchstone beat 'em up. Way more faithful than the SNES and Mega Drive versions—or the iffy Amiga one I was raised on—this must-own was scarfed by game starved Mega-CD owners, quicker than a free oil drum chicken.

• Bravely Default II (-35%) - A$52
• Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory (-44%) - A$50
• Dragon Ball Fighterz (-45%) - A$50
• Life Is Strange: Double Exposure (-31%) - A$59
• Outward Def. Ed. (-40%) - A$36
• Hades (-65%) - A$14

Expiring Recent Deals

• Epic Mickey: Rebrushed (-43%) - A$58
• It Takes Two (-40%) - A$37
• Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance (-53%) - A$48
• Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled (-42%) - A$41
• Kingdom Come Deliverance: Royal Ed. (-41%) - A$48
• Burnout Paradise Rem. (-25%) - A$30

Or gift a Nintendo eShop Card.

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The new Minecraft movie has looked interesting from the very virst trailer. With Jack Black and Jason Momoa plopped into the world of Minecraft, it's a video game movie that has the potential to be popular with a massive audience of both kids and adults. Minecraft is one of the best-selling video games of all time that has infiltrated pretty much every medium, so its jump to a feature film was all but a matter of time. In our review of A Minecraft Movie, we found it to be surprisingly funny despite its contraints.

If you're hoping to catch the new live-action Minecraft movie in theaters this weekend, I've gathered all of the details below. For those of you waiting for it to come out on streaming and digital, I've also gathered the latest info I could find about release dates for both.

Where to Watch A Minecraft Movie

A Minecraft Movie, with a wide release date of April 4, is now available in theaters everywhere. To find when and where you can watch the film near you, check the listings featured below for local showtimes.

• Fandango
• Regal Theaters
• AMC Theaters
• Cinemark Theaters
• Alamo Drafthouse

When Will It Come to Streaming?

We don't yet have a streaming release date for A Minecraft Movie, but we know that it will land on Max when it does hit streaming because it's a Warner Bros. project. There is no clear time period when we can expect the movie to make the jump to a streaming service since it depends on how the film does in the box office, but we can make an educated guess based on past Warner Bros. movies. Theatrical windows have shrunk in the last few years, some as short as 14 days before hitting VOD. For a movie with such crossover appeal like this one, we'd bet that it has a longer life in theaters and won't hit streaming for three to four months. That would place the potential streaming release date sometime in June or July 2025.

Crunchyroll’s Anime Awards are a chance to celebrate your favorite shows, characters, and performances from the previous year. While a panel of judges may decide on the nominees themselves, the winners of each category are ultimately decided by fans. Today, the anime streaming service officially announced the nominees for the 9th Anime Awards and opened voting to the public.

At the 2024 Anime Awards, the grand prize (and 10 other awards) went to Jujutsu Kaisen. In 2025, Frieren: Beyond Journey's End leads the charge with 25 nominations, though Dan Da Dan isn't far behind at 22. Here are the nominees for Anime of the Year and how you (yes, you!) can cast your votes.

Nominees for Anime of the Year

For this year's Anime Awards, Crunchyroll announced expanded eligibility requirements. Any series that aired between October 31, 2023 and December 31, 2024, which includes five anime 'seasons,' is eligible. With that in mind, here are the nominees for Anime of the Year:

Dan Da Dan

Dan Da Dan, produced by Science Saru, follows a pair of eccentric teenagers who discover that both aliens and demons are real. Season 2 of Dan Da Dan begins airing this summer, and one can hope they use an opening as catchy as the first season's.

Where to Stream: Crunchyroll, Netflix, or Hulu

Delicious in Dungeon

The only Netflix exclusive anime to make this list, the first season of Delicious in Dungeon ran for 24 episodes. Adapted from the manga by Ryoko Kui, the seinen anime follows a group of adventurers forced to find meal options in the depths of, well, a dungeon.

Where to Stream: Netflix

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End

The Elven mage Frieren once travelled in a party that defeated the Demon King, but her long lifespan means she's outlived all of her friends. As she decides to take a young human mage under her wing, she considers how to find meaning in fleeting lifetimes. Frieren is, in my opinion, the nominee most likely to make you cry or have an existential crisis.

Where to Stream: Crunchyroll or Netflix

Kaiju No. 8

Kaiju No. 8 (occasionally referred to as Monster No. 8 in English) is a play on the "Man Becomes a Monster to Hunt Monsters" trope that's always been popular in anime. Kafka Hibino originally joins a task force to take revenge on the Kaiju who destroyed his town, but a parasite flying into his mouth makes his plan a little more complicated.

Where to Stream: Crunchyroll

Solo Leveling

While every other anime on this list started off as a serialized manga in Japan, Solo Leveling instead started as a Korean web comic on WebToon. A-1 Pictures produces the anime adaptation, which recently surpassed One Piece to become the most reviewed anime of all time on Crunchyroll.

Where to Stream: Crunchyroll

The Apothecary Diaries

The Apothecary Diaries has been adapted into plenty of mediums over the years, including a manga licensed by Square Enix, but the seinen story reached new levels of popularity with its anime adaptation. Set in an alternate version of the Tang Dynasty, The Apothecary Diaries has aired for two seasons so far.

Where to Stream: Crunchyroll, Netflix, or Hulu

How to Vote in the 2025 Anime Awards

Starting today, Dell is offering an Alienware Aurora R16 gaming PC equipped with the new GeForce RTX 5080 GPU for just $2,399.99 shipped. This is one of the best prices you can get right now for an RTX 5080 equipped prebuilt, especially since most other brands seem to be jacking up prices steadily since the RTX 50 series launch in January. The only other prebuilt you can get at Dell with an RTX 5080 GPU costs over $4,000. Good luck trying to find a standalone GPU to build out your own DIY PC; you'll probably spend as much for the GPU as you would this entire system.

Alienware Aurora R16 RTX 5080 Gaming PC for $2,400

LEGO and Minecraft fit together perfectly. The popular game is all about using your imagination to build just about anything out of digital blocks, and LEGO is the ideal medium to bring that into the real world. There are already a ton of LEGO Minecraft sets out there and more are on the way. Now that A Minecraft Movie is in theaters, Amazon is offering some pretty steep discounts on older sets that are actually really cool.

Although there were some newer Minecraft Movie LEGO sets released earlier this year, none of those have gone on sale. If you're a fan of the game itself and not just interested because of the new movie, however, the sets that are on sale are worth a look.

The Best Minecraft LEGO Sets on Sale at Amazon Today

With stylish cinematography and expertly choreographed fight scenes, John Wick has cemented itself as one of the best action film franchises of the last decade. The ongoing series realized its potential with John Wick: Chapter 4, which IGN called "a modern action masterclass" and awarded a rare 10/10 review score.

With confirmation that Keanu Reeves will be returning for John Wick 5, we've compiled a complete list of where you can stream every John Wick movie online in 2025.

Where to Stream the John Wick Movies Online

Unfortunately, the John Wick movies recently got much harder to find online. While the first three movies used to be on Hulu, they got pulled from the library on March 1, 2025. Now, the first three John Wick movies can only streamed with a live TV subscription like Fubo or rented from a digital marketplace like Prime Video. At the very least, John Wick: Chapter 4 is available for free on The Roku Channel.

Here's our full breakdown of how to watch John Wick online in 2025 with links to where you can stream each movie:

John Wick Movies on Blu-ray

If you're more interested in adding to your physical collection (or maybe just less interested in another streaming subscription), every John Wick movie is also available on DVD, in 4K Ultra HD. For what it's worth, no one can take your Blu-ray collection away from you.

Future John Wick Movies

After the mostly unimpressive debut of The Continental, Chad Stahleski was able to strike a deal to have creative oversight of all future John Wick spinoffs (as well as the new Highlander re-boot), so we have some faith that the canon is in good hands from here on out.

Ballerina, a feature-film spinoff starring Ana de Armas's character Ruska Roma, was originally scheduled to hit theaters on June 7, 2024 but has since been delayed to a June 6, 2025 release date.

John Wick 5 is officially a go at Lionsgate after Reeves and Director Stahleski decided over whiskey in Japan, and we know for sure Keanu Reeves will be a part of it. Reeves is also returning for an anime John Wick prequel.

Lastly, there's the yet-to-be-confirmed Sofia Al-Azwar spinoff hinted at by actor Halle Berry. In the meantime, you can also check out our list of movies like John Wick.

Jordan covers games, shows, and movies as a freelance writer for IGN.

I'm sorry to everyone who was in earshot of me when the Mario Kart World trailer dropped at yesterday's Nintendo Switch 2 Direct. Because when I saw this, I screamed:

YOU CAN PLAY AS THE FREAKING COW?!?!!!!! MARIO KART WORLD?!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/6uIZ4A0MVF

— ☆オードリーAudrey☆ (@aitaikimochi) April 2, 2025

Yes, if you somehow haven't heard/didn't notice, Mario Kart World has gone absolutely nuts on what characters are allowed to drive motor vehicles this time around. While Super Smash Bros. has taken the path of adding characters from every Nintendo-adjacent franchise imaginable to its roster, Mario Kart has gone the other way by digging deep into Mario lore and adding every single goofy little guy you've ever seen to the line-up of kart racers. Right down to one of the cows populating Moo Moo Meadows in Mario Kart 8.

THEY REALLY ARE ADDING ANYBODY LMAO https://t.co/UcvrIXxg57 pic.twitter.com/JJdofUopVe

— No Context Super Mario (@SuperMarioOOC85) April 2, 2025

The Moo Moo, or just Cow as they're referred to in the official roster, is getting special attention online from the community. Already, people are drawing up fanart to celebrate this cute, goofy, seemingly random edition to a line-up that, up til now, has largely included the Mario series' most famous and beloved characters.

They're also, predictably, making all sorts of of memes:

Mario Kart players seeing that Cow racing pic.twitter.com/7eAN22LWPd

— SwagKirb (@Swag_K1RBY) April 2, 2025

wanted to let everyone know that this was my first thought upon seeing the moo moo meadows cow in mario kart pic.twitter.com/CCWZA0nqfL

— ticky fraggle ! (@tickyworm) April 2, 2025

The helpful lakitu when the moo moo meadow cow falls off the track in mario kart world pic.twitter.com/7gBgLg5P1u

— Regice (@reg1ce) April 2, 2025

The addition of Cow has also led to some... interesting speculation. For instance, in one shot in the trailer, Mario consumes a burger. Will Cow also consume a burger at some point in the game? What does this mean, philosophically, for Cow?

What's more, does this mean we'll get to see Cow wearing a variety of costumes like the other characters? Can we race as Cow in Moo Moo Meadows? How do all the other cows feel about this? How did a Cow get a driver's license anyway?

We just went hands-on with Mario Kart World at a special Nintendo event, and yes, we did play as Cow. Cow was one of our favorite playable characters, and we're excited to find out more about some of the other unlockable weird little guys we've seen on the courses, and potential funky costumes we might eventually see Cow donning. Hopefully Cow doesn't have to eat a burger first.

We've got everything you need to know about Mario Kart World and the Nintendo Switch 2 here at IGN, from tons of new details about both, to why the hardware and games are so dang expensive.

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.

If you want a gaming PC that can follow wherever you may roam, a gaming laptop is likely your best bet. While desktop parts will usually still beat out a gaming laptop, the best of them offer excellent performance in the latest games. Best of all, some models are able to offer peak performance while still remaining thin and light, like the Razer Blade 16, which is my pick for the all-around best gaming laptop of 2025 so far.

TL;DR – These Are the Best Gaming Laptops:

The first thing I always recommend to people hunting for a new gaming laptop is to consider is what PC games they actually hope to play. The second is what settings they hope to play them at. These two questions can guide your purchase to higher- or lower-end hardware and what trade-offs you're willing to make. Now more than ever, gaming laptops come in every shape and size, from thin and light devices to moderately heavy powerhouses like the Gigabyte Aorus Master 16. Larger performance-driven laptops (like the ones that come with a 4K display) achieve their enhanced performance with more powerful, and power-hungry, components, which means sacrificing on portability, battery life, and fan noise.

There are countless to choose from a ton of different gaming laptop brands, and finding the best for you can be more than a little daunting. I've tested dozens over the years, and I have a deep understanding of what it takes for a laptop to ascend to greatness for different types of gamers and can confidently say: These are the best gaming laptops of 2025 so far.

Looking for discounts on laptops like these? Check out our guide to the best gaming laptop deals.

1. Razer Blade 16 (2025)

Best Overall Gaming Laptop

Let's get this out of the way: The Razer Blade 16 isn't the most powerful RTX 50-series laptop. Instead, this notebook earns my top pick because of sum of its parts. See, the team at Razer understood that a huge crosssection of laptop gamers carry their machines with them every day, and flat-out making it nicer to use while also being powerful can dramatically enhance the use experience. And, as an extra, if you're willing to invest in Razer's laptop cooling pad, you can unlock the full wattage for performance that goes toe-to-toe with other RTX 5090 laptops.

Make no mistake: The Razer Blade 16 is still a gaming beast. In my review, I threw everything and the kitchen sink at it and there was nothing it couldn't run well on its crisp 1600p OLED screen. While running those games and benchmarks, the system stayed surprisingly quiet. This is a gaming laptop you could use in a school library without attracting attention.

It's true that a high-powered RTX 5080 like the Gigabyte Aorus Master 16 also recommended in this guide will get you similar, if not better, performance. What most other laptops can't offer, though, is the Blade 16's level of portability and noise.

Measuring just 0.59 inches at its thinnest point, it's a marked improvement from its predecessor and, well, most gaming laptops with such powerful hardware. It also weighs only 4.7lbs; you won't forget it's there, but it won't leave your back and shoulders sore from lugging it around every day. That portabilty makes it more appealing as a daily carry, so I didn't second guess taking it with me every day even when I might not actually need it.

The Blade 16 does a great job of feeling like the premium product it is. The chassis is milled from a single block of aluminum and feels solid and robust. It also helps with heat dissipation, but solid engineering ensures that the keyboard never gets more than warm while gaming. Its screen is also excellent with impressive factory calibration and multiple professional color modes that allow it to be used for creative applications straight out of the box. It's per-key RGB keyboard is completely programmable, complete with SOCD (Snap Tap) and macro support to better emulate a dedicated gaming keyboard.

On top of that, it also offers great battery life while gaming. Thanks to the new advancements in how the RTX 50-series handles power management, you can play games for around two hours instead of one or less like last generation.

The Razer Blade 16 is an excellent laptop that, while pricey, is something special in this space. If you want a great gaming laptop that will impress you with its portability, look no further.

2. MSI Thin A15 AI

Best Budget Gaming Laptop

3. Gigabyte Aorus Master 16

Best High-End Gaming Laptop

4. Asus Zenbook S 16

Best Work/Gaming Laptop

5. Asus TUF Gaming A14

Best Gaming Laptop for Students

How to Pick the Best Gaming Laptop

Gaming laptops have come a long way in relatively little time. Power, portability, and price have all seen dramatic improvements in just the last five years, and somehow gaming laptops are getting thinner and adding even more features.

Portability and Form Factor

Where will you be taking this gaming laptop? If you'll be taking it out every day, you’ll want something portable, such as a 15-incher or even smaller. Users who just want a laptop to live at home as more of a desktop replacement should go for a 17-inch rig or bigger for the larger screen size and greater power.

Weight is another consideration if you'll be carrying the laptop around all day. Anything more than 5lbs is going to be very noticeable. This can be an issue because gaming laptops have a tendency to be a bit bigger than competing options that don't need larger and more advanced cooling solutions. It's not impossible to find thin and light gaming laptops with great performance, but you should definitely take the time to consider what you're comfortable with and if you're willing to trade performance for portability.

With integrated GPUs, with the integrated graphics on modern processors getting to be so good, it's also possible to find gaming laptops in form factors that just didn't work before. The ROG Flow Z13 is a prime example; it is essentially a 2-in-1 gaming laptop that can double as a tablet for artists and students, but offers impressive gaming performance thanks to its AMD Ryzen AI MAX processor.

The point is, you don't need to limit yourself to bulky clamshell designs in the same way you used to. Depending on your budget and performance needs, there are more options than ever out there.

Power

The newest gaming laptops come equipped with the latest Nvidia RTX or Radeon RX graphics chips. These mobile chips are nearly as capable as their desktop version, plus they support the latest ray tracing, DLSS, and frame generation technologies.

On that front, it can also be important to consider what games you plan on playing, their minimum and recommended specifications, and what advanced features they might support. If the game is equipped with the latest version of Nvidia's DLSS, for example, and supports frame generation, you can probably get away with a lower-powered, lower-cost graphics card since the tech will improve your frame rate even on a cheaper card. As you get into higher tiers of laptop GPUs, prices skyrocket quickly.

Choosing the latest processor isn't quite as necessary, but it's nice to have and can help ensure that it doesn't bottleneck the potential performance of your GPU. If you're looking at a laptop with an Intel processor, be sure that the processor isn't more than a couple generations behind. Both Intel and AMD offer gaming processors with built-in neural processing units for enhanced AI performance. For Intel, these are referred to as Core Ultra processors while AMD dubs its lines AI and AI MAX. Both can offer great gaming performance.

If you only plan to take part in light gaming, a recent Core Ultra or AI Max processor can also take the place of a dedicated graphics card and save you hundreds in the process. Both of these chips feature powerful integrated graphics, and so long as you're willing to adjust settings and resolutions, can deliver playable frame rates. They're also great if you plan on streaming your games through the cloud through services like Xbox Cloud Gaming or GeForce Now.

Price

If you're set on a gaming laptop and just need to decide which one to get under a certain price point, then your choices will be narrowed down based on your maximum budget. If that's you, you'll probably want to explore our full list of cheap gaming laptops we'd recommend instead, but here's our top budget pick right now:

Most gaming laptops are only as portable as the nearest electrical outlet. All that power comes at a price, though. The general rule of thumb about gaming laptops is that their battery life stinks. In general, you should plan on plugging in your laptop before loading a game. Playing on battery power typically lasts an hour or less and also delivers worse performance due to the power limits the laptop imposes on the graphics card and processor. It's just not ideal, but may still be better than lugging around a heavy power brick, depending on what you're playing.

One recent exception to this is Nvidia's RTX 50-series laptop GPUs. These new chips feature enhanced power management features, so you can count on closer to two hours instead of one.

Another consideration when choosing a gaming laptop versus a gaming desktop is its price. It costs quite a bit more to stuff all those components (i.e. the built-in trackpad, keyboard, speakers, and display) into an easy-to-carry shell.

Depending on how tech-savvy you are, You can save some money by choosing a laptop with less memory and storage at checkout and upgrading these components yourself. It's usually much cheaper to do so. However, you'll want to research carefully to ensure that both are upgradable at all and, if so, are easily accessible. Some laptops hide components inside, beneath others, making them especially difficult, if not impossible, for anyone other than an expert to access. Bear in mind, however, that a laptop in general is much less upgradable than a desktop gaming PC. Outside of memory and storage, changing out other components likely means buying a whole new PC.

Gaming Laptop FAQ

Should you buy a gaming laptop or a gaming PC?

When considering a gaming laptop over a gaming desktop, ask yourself: Is the premium price worth it for the luxury of portability? In virtually every case, you'll pay more for a gaming laptop with similar on-paper specs to a well-matched gaming desktop. It doesn't stop with the cost: Just because two graphics cards have the same name doesn't mean that they're the same in all circumstances. Laptop versions of same-name GPUs usually offer reduced performance due to their thermal and power limitations. Gaming desktops provide more bang for your buck, are less expensive to upgrade and repair, and last longer before they go obsolete. See our guide to gaming PCs vs. gaming laptops for a deeper comparison.

Is the CPU or GPU more important in a gaming laptop?

Both are important, but you should consider the graphics card more than the processor. Even though a slow processor can throttle the graphics card and lower your fps, usually this is much less of a concern than simply having an underpowered GPU. Remember, it's the graphics card that renders your games and is the single most influential component to gaming performance.

Do I need a dedicated graphics card in my gaming laptop?

Not always. This depends on what you're hoping to achieve. If you're interested in running the latest games at high graphics settings and resolutions, you definitely need to invest in a laptop with a great graphics card. If you only plan to do light gaming, enjoy older games that aren't very demanding or stream your games from the cloud. A modern processor with integrated graphics can also be a good way to save some money. With that in mind, relying on an integrated graphics card hasn't always been as possible as it is today. As such, I would recommend this only for gaming laptops with AMD Ryzen 7000-series or Intel Core Ultra processors.

Do you need a laptop cooling pad?

Many modern gaming laptops come with ample cooling solutions baked into the chassis. But given their much smaller form factor than traditional desktop gaming PCs, thermal throttling can occasionally be an issue. If you are experiencing a downgrade in performance or your device seems a little too hot to the touch, a laptop cooling pad could be a simple, affordable solution. Laptop cooling pads often feature fans and ventilation slots or mesh for better airflow than when your laptop rests on a gaming desk or your lap, helping to ensure your device is working to its full potential and can even increase its longevity. If you're looking to keep your gaming laptop cool on the cheap, the Havit HV-2056 is an excellent option.

Christopher Coke has been a contributor to IGN since 2019 and has been covering games and technology for more than a decade. He has covered tech ranging from gaming controllers to graphics cards, gaming chairs to gaming monitors, headphones, IEMs, and more for sites such as MMORPG.com, Tom’s Hardware, Popular Science, USA Today’s Reviewed, and Popular Mechanics. Find Chris on Twitter @gamebynight.

Image Credit: Annalee Tsujino is a multi disciplinary designer and illustrator. Check them out on Instagram @antsu_illustrations.

Tom Cruise was at Paramount Pictures’ CinemaCon presentation Thursday to promote his upcoming film Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning, but before he did he paid tribute to his Top Gun co-star Val Kilmer, who died Tuesday, by asking the audience of theater executives and press for a moment of silence to honor him.

“I’d like to honor a dear friend of mine, Val Kilmer. I really can’t tell you how much I admire his work, how much I thought of him as a human being, how honored I was when he joined Top Gun and came back for Top Gun: Maverick,” Cruise said.

“I think it would be great if we could all just take a moment and think about all the wonderful times we had with him. Would you all mind doing that? Let’s just take a moment.”

Several of the new 2025 Samsung TVs that were showcased earlier this year at CES are now available for purchase at Samsung's official online store. Select Samsung Neo QLED and OLED TVs are currently in stock and they ship out immediately for as early as April 9-10 delivery. Alternatively, you can pick up select models at your local Best Buy. Not every TV has been released yet, but I expect more models to become available soon.

The 2025 Samsung TVs That Are Available Starting Today

The Nintendo Switch 2 rollout is somewhat complicated. While most original Switch games are compatible with the Switch 2, some are not. Some original Switch games are getting paid Switch 2 upgrades, which will improve their performance on the upcoming console. Still others are getting free Switch 2 upgrades, available at no additional cost. This last category is especially interesting, because everyone loves free stuff. Let’s see what games qualify.

Games with Free Nintendo Switch 2 Upgrades

• Arms
• Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain
• Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
• Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics
• Game Builder Garage
• The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
• The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening
• New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe
• Pokemon Scarlet
• Pokemon Violet
• Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury
• Super Mario Odyssey

So what exactly is it about these games that will work better on Switch 2 than on the original hardware? According to Nintendo, these free updates will “improve playability.” You’ll be able to download free updates for these games “may improve performance or add support for features such as GameShare in select games. The contents of these free updates will differ depending on the game.”

That all sounds pretty nice. It’s somewhat odd that the two top-down Zelda games on Switch are getting free Switch 2 upgrades, while Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom will require you to purchase the respective upgrades. It’s unclear what exactly makes Nintendo decide to offer a free upgrade versus a paid upgrade. Is it the amount of work put into it? Is it the level of improvement of the experience over the original Switch? We’ll have to wait until the Switch 2 comes out to see for ourselves.

In the meantime, if you don’t have some of these games and you want to pick them up before the Switch 2 launches, now is a good time to do so. Some games even currently have a discount, like the sale on Pokemon Scarlet and Violet going on right now.

Chris Reed is a deals expert and commerce editor for IGN. You can follow him on Bluesky @chrislreed.com.

NetEase Games is fundamentally changing its Marvel Rivals post-launch roadmap to shorten its seasons and deliver at least one new hero every month as it battles to maintain live service momentum with its players.

It’s a major update to the existing content release schedule that was teased during the new Marvel Rivals Season 2 Dev Vision Vol. 5 video. Included in the 15-minute upload were details about how Season 2 will introduce its new Vanguard, Emma Frost, at launch April 11, as well as Ultron, whose class will be revealed closer to his mid-season launch. Both promise to keep Marvel Rivals fans on their toes with new abilities, but the real changes to how playable heroes will impact matches truly begin in Season 3.

In Marvel Rivals Season 3, which is currently without a release date, NetEase will shift season lengths from being three months long to just two months. It means major content updates will progress rapidly without changing the team’s initial promise to drop at least one new hero every half-season. So, while you’ll have to wait a month and a half to play as Ultron after Emma Frost launches next week, that wait will be cut down significantly after the hero after that drops.

“Since the launch of Season 1, we’ve been deeply contemplating how Marvel Rivals can continuously deliver fun and engaging experience for you all,” Marvel Rivals creative director Guangyun Chen explained in the Dev Vision video. “During this time, several discussions on social media have certainly added some pressure on us to keep the game as exciting as it has been since December. To a certain extent, we agree.”

Chen went on to explain that NetEase wants Marvel Rivals “to fulfill everyone’s fantasies about Marvel Super Heroes,” and that means exploring new modes and flooding the scene with a dense roster of varied characters. Following what he called “extensive internal discussions and thorough evaluations,” NetEase will adjust its systems to account for the increased flow of content. More information on how this will affect players will be revealed before the launch of Season 3.

“With our goal of keeping the audience’s excitement alive just like our opening months, the real adventure with Marvel Rivals is just beginning,” Chen added.

NetEase pulled back the curtain on Marvel Rivals Season 2 just hours ago, revealing that it will soon swap out its vampire takeover theme in favor of a new storyline that focuses on the Hellfire Gala. That means new fancy outfits, maps, and characters are on the way, with more information primed to be revealed in the coming weeks.

Marvel Rivals was a smash hit when it launched in December, securing 10 million players in three days. NetEase’s free-to-play superhero team-based PvP shooter launched on December 6 across PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S. On Steam the launch was particularly huge, with 480,990 concurrent players. January's Season 1 then drew an incredible 644,269 concurrent players, making Marvel Rivals the 15th most-played game ever on Valve's platform.

But those concurrents have been on a downward slide ever since, which may have sparked the drastic roadmap change from NetEase. Still, Marvel Rivals remains hugely popular, and is one of Steam's most-played games. The launch of Season 2 will no-doubt prove a shot in the arm, and again with Season 3.

For more on Marvel Rivals, be sure to check out the patch notes for update version 20250327 as well as why Disney decided to scrap an idea for a Marvel Gaming Universe.

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

I started playing Pokémon Scarlet when it first came to the Switch back in November 2022. I was excited to get back into the usual Pokémon formula again after Legends Arceus mixed it up. The open world gameplay combined with the standard gym battle progression had me feeling like a little kid again.

Unfortunately, when the game first launched it was riddled with problems. In IGN's Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Review, we loved a lot of things about it, but found that it just ran terribly. The game has since received various patches and updates to help resolve the major issues, but it's the free Nintendo Switch 2 upgrade that is likely going to finally bring this game to its full potential.

Nintendo has listed the games that will be receiving free updates to improve performance or add extra features on the Nintendo Switch 2 console, and both Scarlet and Violet are on there. Additionally, Amazon is having a sale on physical copies of these games that brings the price down to well below many of the upcoming Switch 2 editions of older games. If you're a Pokémon fan who has been on the fence about the latest games in the series, now is the time to buy before the new console arrives.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Deals at Amazon

Paramount revealed the new title for their upcoming Last Airbender animated feature film coming to theaters January 30, 2026 and it’s The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender.

The studio made the announcement at their CinemaCon presentation on Thursday. No footage was shown but the film’s logo was revealed.

The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender’s voice cast includes Eric Nam as Aang, Dave Bautista (as a villain), Dionne Quan, Jessica Matten, Román Zaragoza, and Steven Yeun.

Lauren Montgomery, who worked on Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra, directs what will reportedly be the first of the three Last Airbender films.

For more airbending, read up on Avatar: Seven Havens and the new Last Airbender box set.

For more CinemaCon coverage, find out what we learned about Superman, Mortal Kombat II, Resident Evil, Spider-Man: Brave New Day, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, John Wick 5, Jurassic World Rebirth, Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, Masters of the Universe, and The Beatles.

Microsoft will bring Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto 5 to Xbox Game Pass and GTA 5 Enhanced to Game Pass for PC on April 15.

This striking addition to the Wave 1 April 2025 lineup was announced in an Xbox Wire post, revealing that the service’s biggest new title of the month is only a few weeks away from dropping. It’s an especially enticing reveal, as the PC Game Pass version of GTA 5 comes with that all-new Enhanced update Rockstar dropped in early March.

“No matter what version you’re playing, everyone will have access to Oscar Guzman Flies Again, the latest update where you can take to the skies — taking control of the McKenzie Field Hanger in Grapeseed,” an official description from Xbox explained. “Play new arms trafficking missions, fly new aircraft, and more.”

Its arrival in two Tuesdays will mark a triumphant return to Game Pass after Rockstar’s open-world masterpiece was previously removed from the service. However, while the addition will mark the title's first time on PC Game Pass, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows as far as many die-hard GTA fans are concerned.

GTA 5 Enhanced arrived on PC March 4 as a free update, bringing access to all the latest vehicles, performance upgrades in Hao’s Special Works, animal encounters, and visual bumps. It was a promising addition that also resulted in GTA 5 becoming Rockstar’s worst-reviewed title on Steam as players latched onto account migration issues that kept them from bringing their GTA Online profiles over to the new version.

If you’re a newcomer to Los Santos, then you likely won’t have much to worry about. If you’re returning to the world of GTA 5 Online and looking to migrate your account over to that shiny new Enhanced upgrade, you might find yourself out of luck. For now, it appears the issues with account migration are still ongoing.

Meanwhile, we’re still waiting for any news about Grand Theft Auto 6. Our last GTA 6 update ensured that Rockstar intended to deliver its next open-world trend-setter sometime this fall, though we’re still waiting on that elusive release date.

While Rockstar works out the kinks ahead of GTA 5’s return to Game Pass, you can read up on the rest of the Wave 1 April 2025 titles coming to Xbox Game Pass. You can also read up on how Rockstar is supporting the modding community by granting them access to official tools.

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

Both The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom are getting Nintendo Switch 2 versions for the new console. Alongside the in-game upgrades, Nintendo's adding a number of additional features through the new Zelda Notes option in its Nintendo Switch App, including achievements.

The Nintendo Switch App (formerly known as the Nintendo Switch Online App) will get an update adding Zelda Notes, a game-specific service exclusive to the Nintendo Switch 2 versions of both Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.

This app was shown off in the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct, allowing players to use GPS-style navigation to reach landmarks in the Zelda games. For achievements, the app will track your play data and allow players to earn in-app medals based on their records. These account for opening chests, earning rupees, and more.

In the Achievements section, Nintendo lists categories such as "Quests and Adventures Cleared," "Shrines of Light Cleared," "Locations Visited," "Lightroots Unlocked," and others. Alongside tracking those numbers, the app will also let you see how you match up with other players on a global scale.

While the achievements seem geared towards completion, it's interesting to see Nintendo experiment with these options. Granted, they exist in a phone app rather than on the Switch 2 console by itself, but I am curious to see whether other games get similar treatments in the future.

Other features of the Zelda Notes app include a Daily Bonus option for helpful resources, a Voice Memories section which adds more story and lore to the world as you explore, and an Autobuild Sharing tool. These do seem like handy tools, and especially geared towards people playing through this Zelda duology for the second time on their Nintendo Switch 2.

The Nintendo Switch 2 has a launch date set for June 5, 2025. Both Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom will have Switch 2 editions at launch, alongside a slew of other games both new and refreshed. Previews dropped this morning for some of the launch window games for the Nintendo Switch 2, including Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bananza, and general hands-on impressions of the console.

If you're looking for everything announced at the Direct for this upcoming console, be sure to check out our recap of all the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct news here.

Eric is a freelance writer for IGN.

Arzopa is offering an excellent deal on this 16" 1080p USB Type-C portable monitor. The Arzoa Z1C is normally listed at $129.99, but you can get it for $79.99 after you clip a $10 off coupon on the product page. This is an excellent way to boost your productivity by adding on a secondary display with minimal hassle and at an affordable price. It also works well as a portable standalone display for Steam Deck, Nintendo Switch, or even the upcoming Switch 2 console.

Arzopa Z1C 16" 1080p USB-C Portable Monitor for $79.99

After you've spent at least £395 on Nintendo Switch 2 preorders today, you'd better be able to better protect your shiny new console with the amFilm Tempered Glass Screen Protector for only £3.99 over at Amazon UK using code AQDWCMHS for 50% off.

Designed specifically to fit around the Nintendo Switch 2’s 7.9” screen, with listed specs showing that this handy protector is the ideal combination of intrusive yet durable.

That's because while packing a highly durable and scratch-resistant 9H-level hardness, the new amFilm screen only has an ultra-thin 0.3mm in thickness.

With so many great games coming down the pipeline, now's a great time to hop on the Xbox Game Pass bandwagon. If some titles joining the catalog this year have caught your eye and you're itching to join in on the fun, we have good news: Amazon's offering a 15% discount on a one month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership right now, so you can save a few dollars when signing up.

You can learn more about that deal, what's coming soon to Game Pass, and the big releases still to come below.

Navigate to:

• Best Xbox Game Pass Deals
• What's Coming Soon to Xbox Game Pass?
• What Games Are Leaving Xbox Game Pass?
• Biggest Games Releasing on Xbox Game Pass

Best Xbox Game Pass Deals

Helldivers 2 has been out for over a year now, and players are returning to one of its most infamous sectors to hold out against a renewed invasion effort from the Automatons. In doing so, though, a new line has been formed, and Helldivers around the world are holding out against improbable odds to rebuff the bots.

For those who don't dive, the Automatons are one of the enemy factions in Helldivers 2; terrifying, Skynet-esque machines who played a central role in the big in-game conflict a year ago. The invasion wound up centering around Malevelon Creek, whose jungle environments and deadly hail of laser fire led to its nickname of "Robot Vietnam." Helldivers 2 players fought hard, lost the planet, then liberated it in a harrowing turnaround.

The Creek became legend in the Helldivers community, with a cape commemorating the victory getting sent out to players. Now, a year later, the Automatons are back with more firepower and intent on re-taking the Creek. The Major Order went out: Defend Malevelon Creek, by any means necessary.

Helldivers 2 players started dropping into zones around the Sevrin Sector, the area of the galactic map where Malevelon Creek lies, to form a defensive line of planets. Four planets — Vandalon IV, Ingmar, Pöpli IX, and Dolph — created a barrier between the invading Automatons and the path to the Creek. And Pöpli IX has been hit hard.

"What did I miss?" asked one user in r/Helldivers, noting the sheer chaos erupting on Pöpli IX. As of this morning, the planet was at invasion level 40. The Automatons were dropping in both the Incineration Corps (special units using flame throwers and incendiary ammo) and the Jet Brigade (specialized Jump Pack models). Ammo from resupply pods was decreased to 50%, and then cryo-good transports were interrupted, reducing reinforcements (respawns) to three for all operations on Pöpli IX.

In short, Pöpli IX had everything thrown at it. As one player put it, "by protecting one legendary planet, we've created another one." But that's the fun part: Arrowhead is throwing everything but the kitchen sink at Pöpli IX, and players are loving it.

"I’ve been playing since launch, but something about the fight for Pöpli IX hits different," one thread said. "Two bot subfactions clashing at once? Absolute chaos. There’s a real sense of stakes and attrition — like the front line is constantly shifting, but everything still feels desperate. It’s not just another mission, it actually feels like a war."

The slow escalation of forces over time elicits an interesting dilemma for Helldivers, who find themselves backed further and further into a corner, holding out against the worst odds. Players have been responding, diving into the new battle lines to try and hold out.

Pöpli IX has also seen Arrowhead's systems play well with player input. As the bots neared victory with an hour left, players managed to implement the DSS Eagle Storm. This gave Helldivers an opportunity; the bot frontline could not advance for 24 hours, giving players a chance to swing the planet back.

That swing, and the ensuing ammo and respawn restrictions, just built up more excitement around holding the line at Pöpli IX. Multiple sub-factions, limitations, and a high enemy invasion level has led to drops on Pöpli IX being intense. Oh, I forgot to mention: there are intense heat warnings and fire tornadoes.

It looked like Malevelon Creek was due for another legendary conflict, but instead, the focus has shifted, and a new moment has sprung up from this invasion.

"It was the community that made malevolen creek the legend that it is today," one poster said. "And I believe Pöpli IX deserves similar status." I'm personally inclined to agree with them.

There's still, as of this writing, one day and just under 20 hours until the Major Order ends. The bots could still throw even more at the sector, trying to break through the player-built line and push towards the Creek. Either way, it feels like we've seen a new Helldivers legend form right in front of our eyes.

Eric is a freelance writer for IGN.

NetEase Games has properly welcomed all Marvel fans to Marvel Rivals Season 2’s Hellfire Gala, revealing a wardrobe of what appears to be new outfits and maybe even a few new playable characters.

The developer published a trailer today, showing off how the upcoming superhero party will shake up the meta come April 11 while finally bringing an end to months of speculation about what Season 2’s theme will be. There’s still much to be unveiled, but for now, it at least confirms the content will indeed center on the Hellfire Gala storyline, with X-Men regular Emma Frost and robot ruler Ultron playing key roles in its trailer.

“Once a year, this sovereign Mutant island opens its gates, welcoming both friend and rival alike to shape a brighter future,” an official description for Marvel Rivals Season 2 says. “Now stranded in the year 2099 by a raging temporal storm, the fate of Krakoa hangs in the balance, its ecosystem suffering from dangerous chronal energy.

“Can a night of glittering festivities bring unity over fine dining and dazzling conversation? Who among the attendees possesses ulterior motives or solely seeks to party? And who is the uninvited guest?”

Emma Frost is Marvel’s diamond-plated mutant and a force to be reckoned with, and she's been expected to join the roster for a while. The X-Men rep was first teased when NetEase mentioned a mysterious gala in an in-game Gallery Card in late February. For the keen-eyed fans who noticed it, this was all but confirmation that Emma Frost would be a playable character in Season 2.

Ultron, meanwhile, was teased long before Marvel Rivals broke onto the hero shooter scene late last year. While it is possible the metallic villain could be little more than this season's Dracula-like figure, he's past due for a proper, playable introduction.

April 11 will see Season 2 kick open the door with new heroes, skins, modes, and more, but one question is already starting to dig its teeth into the Marvel Rivals community: Where is Blade? Marvel’s infamous Daywalker vampire hunter was mentioned time and time again throughout Season 1 and even managed to pop up in-game in more than one instance. Many believed the hero was a lock for Season 2, but the community is growing concerned now that Blade appears to be a no-show at the Hellfire Gala.

She looks great but hearing that we aren't getting blade yet is still wild since the lore was kinda setting him up https://t.co/Egxrf1p2ZU

— Daboy🕷 🔜SWCJ (@Daboyui) April 3, 2025

So where’s blade

— Jasper (@xxjsprr) April 3, 2025

Still, Marvel Rivals Season 2 is still poised to bring the project’s biggest update since first revealing The Fantastic Four for Season 1 in January, and Blade could always arrive later in the future, maybe even in Season 2. For more on how NetEase has turned Marvel Rivals into the powerhouse it is today, you can read up on why some players believed Marvel was planting fake hero leaks. You can also learn more about an April Fools’ update that gave Venom the power to twerk.

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

With the overwhelming amount of actors jumping into the Avengers: Doomsday cast — like, hello, did you see the livestream?! — it’s a pretty natural step to think that maybe, just maybe, Halle Berry would return to the X-Men and reprise her iconic role as Storm. Sadly, it seems as though that beautiful theory will not be working out the way fans hoped.

“We want to see your name on a chair for Avengers: Doomsday, we want Storm,” Black Girl Nerds told Berry on the red carpet at CinemaCon in Las Vegas recently, to which the Never Let Go star replied with a chuckle and: “keep waiting. Not gonna be there.”

Fans have been eager to see Berry make her first official appearance in the MCU as it stands today, even before the Avengers: Doomsday cast reveal. She first appeared as Ororo Munroe, also known as Storm, in Bryan Singer’s 2000 adaptation of X-Men, where she starred alongside a now iconic ensemble cast of Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Hugh Jackman, James Marsden, Anna Paquin, Rebecca Romjin, Ray Park, Famke Janssen, and Bruce Davidson. She went on to reprise her role in 2003’s X2, 2006’s X-Men: The Last Stand, and 2014’s X-Men: Days of Future Past.

Each of these films were produced by 20th Century Fox before they were purchased by Disney and integrated into the current MCU — so fans seemed to be really holding out hope that she would finally make an official appearance within Marvel’s new world.

Then came last month's Avengers: Doomsday cast reveal, which was heavy on veteran X-Men actors. Kelsey Grammer, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Alan Cumming, Rebecca Romijn, and James Marsden are all now set to appear in Avengers: Doomsday, confirming the X-Men are in the film in a big way. Grammer famously played Beast in the Fox X-Men franchise before making his MCU debut via The Marvels' post-credits scene. Stewart played Charles Xavier/Professor X in the X-Men films before appearing briefly in the MCU via Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness as a member of the Illuminati. McKellen, who played Magneto, has yet to appear in the MCU. Neither has Cumming, who played Nightcrawler, Romijn, who played Mystique, nor Marsden, who played Cyclops. It begs the question: is Avengers: Doomsday secretly an Avengers vs. X-Men movie?

And then, Marvel and Robert Downey Jr. teased they’re not done yet, which led fans to believe the likes of Halle Berry and other former X-Men actors who didn't make the cut still had a chance.

Berry's next official appearance on the big screen, however, is a film called Crime 101, featuring Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Barry Keoghan, Monica Barbaro, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Nick Nolte. It is said to be releasing sometime this year.

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

In an early chapter of South of Midnight, our protagonist Hazel is coming to grips with her newfound powers - it’s an important tone-setter, because it’s representative of what developer Compulsion Games is trying to do throughout a concise 12-hour runtime. Mythical creatures straight out of folklore from the American South drive a human story that stands as a fantastic example of how the local can be universal, with the grand tapestry of that region's culture and history wrapped around an otherwise fairly straightforward action-adventure game. While there are plenty of aspects of South of Midnight that aren’t necessarily groundbreaking, it’s all uplifted by a clear and well-executed artistic vision that makes it one the more memorable Xbox console exclusives of this generation.

Hazel’s ability to manipulate the magical threads of an ethereal realm is both the weapon she uses to defeat otherworldly demons in combat and the tool she relies on to piece together the tragic pasts of her neighbors and forebears in her hometown of Prospero. It’s a fictional place, but one that’s deeply rooted in the very real experience of the South – traces of its dark history litter the dilapidated houses after a treacherous flood, contrasting with the remnants of communities that struggled to survive in those harsh conditions. These touches provide the rich context South of Midnight is working within while also unraveling a larger story about the pain, guilt, and trauma many of us experience in our own family lives.

From a gameplay perspective, South of Midnight is rather simple – you’re ushered through fairly linear levels that alternate between platforming and combat encounters, with a few secrets hidden off the beaten path like journal entries from the locals that enrich the story and extra upgrades for your powers and health. If you’ve scaled cliffsides in Uncharted, God of War, or Tomb Raider, its frequent climbing sections will feel pretty familiar – but with the authentic sights and sounds of the American South at the forefront, the detailed vistas, ramshackled towns, or rushing rivers create a strong sense of place. With Hazel’s weaving powers, you’ll zip through air, clear paths forward, or summon ethereal objects depending on what obstacles are in front of you. There isn’t really much to figure out per se, although there is an enjoyable momentum as you’re funneled from one fight to the next, or when you’re trying to outrun evil spirits chasing you down in the lengthy platforming sequences that cap off every major chapter.

Combat itself is contained in distinct arenas across each level, with the idea being that Haints – the demonic manifestations of peoples’ pain and sorrow – plague all of Prospero, and Hazel is the one who can cleanse that corruption. It’s a comfortable, if predictable, cadence that doesn’t really wear thin since it’s judicious about when you actually have to fight. This helps South of Midnight not feel repetitive, and I genuinely looked forward to each combat encounter. Similar to the platforming, these fights aren’t really pushing any boundaries, but Hazel's attack combos and spells have a certain chunkiness that I really enjoyed. That’s especially true when firing off her stun weaves and grappling strand to stack damage, then leaving a burst behind with a perfect dodge. Cycling through a shortlist of fun abilities like that makes the basics satisfying.

Haints come in various forms that give encounters enough variety. Some are swift and pesky, while others are hulking beasts that tunnel underground and cause massive area-of-effect damage. They’re mixed and matched throughout, and things like Hazel’s puppet named Crouton, who can temporarily control enemies, add an interesting wrinkle when thinking about which targets to prioritize. There are a few boss fights to heighten the stakes with a bit of spectacle as well, but they mostly tend to highlight the formulaic nature of combat by relying on derivative versions of mechanics that are used elsewhere.

South of Midnight’s foundation is perfectly competent, but it’s everything else around it that makes it truly stand out, grabbing you with its painterly character designs and striking stop-motion animation style. That unconventional choice helps special moments pop during cutscenes, although it isn’t really noticeable in the action – and if you find it too jarring, you can optionally disable the stop-motion effect altogether. Even without it, the details in characters’ faces, their expressiveness, and the superb voice acting feel like the real reward chapter after chapter. The specific accents and vernacular come across authentically, to the point where I didn’t think twice about them since it all sounded so familiar to me as someone who was born in the region.

Southern gothic folklore hasn’t really been explored in games like this, and South of Midnight showcases how rich it is by bringing these tales to life in ways we rarely see. Mythical creatures embody the pain and suffering of townsfolk, melding broader urban myths with the struggles of specific characters throughout the story. A figure like Florida’s legendary alligator Two-Toed Tom shows up as a boss, while the shapeshifting Rougarou from Cajun tales takes a form I hadn’t heard of before – and Alabama’s Huggin’ Molly has on a fascinating reinterpretation. It’s the sort of amalgamation of folklore that’s wonderful to see as someone who is familiar with some of it, but done in a way that’s still inviting for the uninitiated.

South of Midnight acknowledges the region’s real history in subtle and effective ways as well, recognizing that remnants of slavery and the Reconstruction era persist in our modern world, and that trauma can carry across generations. Passing by abandoned houses along the bayou with eviction notices from greedy landgrabbers reminds you of the rough and unfair economic conditions many of these communities face. It’s woven into its main themes about the complicated dynamics of family – the best and worst parts that can come from blood relations. With her weaving powers, Hazel can peer into the past through visions recreated using the threads that make up The Grand Tapestry – the flow of all life and memory. You’ll see a mother risking life and limb to escape abuse and give their child a fighting chance; A man ashamed of his brother who takes drastic measures to separate himself, only to live with regret forever; A kid who called out to a mythical creature in desperation to escape his abusive father.

From tragic displays of unconditional love to the horrors of the abuse our own kin can inflict on us, South of Midnight focuses on the idea of family being something we either embrace or reckon with, told in a way that’s inseparable from its setting. Through it all, Hazel is desperately chasing any possible thread to find her mother after that devastating flood at the start, but is still willing to lend a helping hand to the spirits that have endured in the afterlife. As you uncover the hard work her mom puts in as a social worker, it shows that a little empathy can go a long way.

There’s a lot I love about the stories in South of Midnight – I do wish they were more elegant or told with more finesse, however. The larger plot is missing some necessary connective tissue at times, and it’s easy to lose track of why Hazel’s journey leads from one thing to another. Characters and narrative threads are sometimes introduced as quickly as they’re resolved through story beats that feel segmented in ways that aren’t entirely clear. There are parts of Hazel’s life I’m still wondering about that get brought up as important pieces to the story, and I wish I could have tied those loose ends together before the credits rolled.

It gets the big picture right, though, and in its exploration of a region as wide-ranging as the American South, there’s an earnest interpretation. While it is also a heavily religious place, the story is more interested in the spirituality that gives rise to these folktales. And it’s not all swamps and basins out there, it’s not just Bourbon street in New Orleans, or a politically hostile place for marginalized folks – those are all part of it, for sure. But I like that we have a story that shows that people live there, and they struggle in ways that are both universal and unique to the region. South of Midnight also understands that hurt people hurt people, and knows it’s not an excuse for the terrible things that pain may drive people to do – it’s a bit of a trope when stories talk about mental health nowadays, but there’s still truth to it, and South of Midnight has its own take by focusing on this concept with regards to family.

Perhaps my favorite touch, however, is how South of Midnight uses its fantastic soundtrack to tie everything together thematically. With a mix of bluegrass, blues, jazz, and American folk tunes that weave in harmonizing choirs, church organs, or banjos and fiddles, it’s a showcase of how important music has been throughout the region’s history. Big story moments are built up through songs written as if a narrator was walking you through what the characters felt and experienced in their life, and they’re queued up at just the right time to propel you forward as you’re playing. It got me in my feelings at times, because there’s not much I love more than a fantastic soundtrack used as an effective storytelling device.

Many of us from the South have a complicated relationship with it. Born in Mississippi and adopting parts of the culture and vernacular as my family and I moved throughout the country, it’ll always have a special place in my heart. I appreciate having a game that helped me reconnect with those roots in a way that was whimsical and harrowing in equal measure, and that’s the sort of value South of Midnight has beyond just being a good action-adventure game – it’s worth playing for a little virtual tour of the South you wouldn’t see otherwise.

If you've been looking to score some Xbox deals, you've come to the right place. We're here to help you find the best deals available on Xbox games, hardware, and accessories. At the moment there are quite a few that are worth checking out, including great discounts on Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora and Star Wars Outlaws at Walmart. These deals just scratch the surface of what's out there, though. Here are the best Xbox deals available at the moment.

Best Xbox Game Deals

If you're looking to stock up on new Xbox games, there are quite a few deals worth jumping on right now. Some of our favorites are on Sniper Elite: Resistance, which has received its first discount since release, and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, which is down to just $10 at Walmart. There are so many more to look through, though. Check out some more of our favorites above.

What's Coming Soon to Xbox Game Pass

Game Pass has a nice rotation of new titles to play every month. If you're curious about what's in store for the start of April, we've got you covered. The Xbox Game Pass April wave 1 lineup is:

• Borderlands 3 Ultimate Edition (Cloud, Console, and PC) – April 3
  Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass Standard
• All You Need is Help (Console) – April 3
  Now with Game Pass Standard
• Still Wakes the Deep (Xbox Series X|S) – April 3
  Now with Game Pass Standard
• Wargroove 2 (Console) – April 3
  Now with Game Pass Standard
• Diablo III: Reaper of Souls – Ultimate Evil Edition (Console and PC) – April 8
  Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass Standard
• South of Midnight (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) – April 8
  Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
• Commandos: Origins (Cloud, PC and Xbox Series X|S) – April 9
  Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
• Blue Prince (Cloud, PC and Xbox Series X|S) – April 10
  Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
• Hunt: Showdown 1896 (PC) – April 15
  Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass

Best Xbox Controller Deals

If you're looking to pick up an Xbox controller for yourself or want to have another on-hand for co-op sessions, there are a few Xbox controller deals worth checking out right now. Some of our favorites at the moment are at Amazon and Walmart, where you can find the Electric Volt, Robot White, Carbon Black, and Shock Blue controllers for around $45.

Best Xbox Accessory Deals

Outside of games, there are plenty of Xbox accessory deals that are worth your time and money as well. At the moment, one of our favorites is on the HyperX CloudX Flight Wireless Gaming Headset, which has gotten a 40% discount at Woot. If you're looking for more storage, the WD Black C50 1TB Expansion Card is 18% off right now at Amazon and the Seagate 1TB Expansion Card is 19% off at Amazon.

When Should I Buy an Xbox?

In general, it is advisable to keep an eye out for sales and restocks throughout the year, as availability has improved since the initial launch of the console. Unlike the Nintendo Switch, there is no specific recommendation to wait for a sale regardless of the time of year. Instead, it's a good idea to monitor various retailers and online platforms for restock announcements and promotional offers.

However, certain events like Black Friday or other holiday seasons may bring about unique bundles, discounts, or promotional deals specifically for the Xbox Series X. These bundles may include additional games, accessories, or exclusive limited editions. While quantities for such promotions might be limited, they can provide an opportunity to get more value for your purchase. See our guide to Xbox Series X prices for more info.

Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S?

Choosing between the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S ultimately depends on your gaming preferences, budget, and specific requirements. Let's compare the two consoles to help you make an informed decision:

1. Performance: The Xbox Series X is the more powerful option, offering native 4K gaming, higher graphical fidelity, and faster loading times. It has more advanced hardware, including a larger storage capacity. On the other hand, the Xbox Series S targets a lower price point and offers a less powerful performance, targeting 1440p resolution gaming and upscaling to 4K.

2. Price: The Xbox Series S is more affordable compared to the Xbox Series X. If budget is a significant factor for you, the Xbox Series S provides a cost-effective option while still delivering a next-generation gaming experience. For example, the Series S can play Starfield at 1440p 30fps (vs 4K 30fps on Series X).

3. Storage: The Xbox Series X comes with a larger internal storage capacity, allowing you to store more games directly on the console. The Xbox Series S, however, has a smaller storage capacity, which means you may need to manage your game library more actively or rely on external storage solutions.

4. Disc Drive: The Xbox Series X includes a disc drive, enabling you to play physical game discs and enjoy a wider range of media options, including Blu-ray and DVD playback. The Xbox Series S, in contrast, is a digital-only console, meaning you can only play games downloaded from the digital store.

5. Graphics and Performance: While both consoles support ray tracing, the Xbox Series X provides a more immersive and visually impressive experience due to its superior hardware capabilities. If you prioritize cutting-edge graphics and want the best performance available, the Xbox Series X is the preferable choice.

Consider your gaming preferences, budget, and whether you prioritize top-of-the-line performance or cost-effectiveness. If you have a 4K TV, want the most powerful console, and are willing to invest more, the Xbox Series X is the recommended option. If you have a lower budget, a 1080p or 1440p TV, and don't mind sacrificing some performance, the Xbox Series S offers excellent value for money.

With how expensive gaming is getting in 2025, we're trying to save you as much money as possible on the games and other tech you actually want to buy. We've got great deal roundups available for all major platforms such as Switch and Xbox, and keep these updated daily with brand new offers. If you're trying to keep costs down while maintaining your favorite hobby, stay tuned for more incredible discounts.

Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.

As Nintendo had teased, Nvidia has now discussed the custom GPU powering the Nintendo Switch 2, although it failed to go into the level of detail tech enthusiasts were hoping for.

In a blog post, Nvidia confirmed what IGN had reported earlier today from Nintendo itself: that its GPU enables AI upscaling via DLSS and ray tracing.

Nvidia DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) is an AI-powered technology that uses machine learning to upscale lower-resolution images in real-time, enhancing both performance and image quality in games.

There is a little more detail on offer here on the Switch 2’s GPU. Nvidia described it as a “custom Nvidia processor featuring an Nvidia GPU with dedicated RT Cores and Tensor Cores for stunning visuals and AI-driven enhancements.”

Nvidia continued: “With 1,000 engineer-years of effort across every element — from system and chip design to a custom GPU, APIs and world-class development tools — the Nintendo Switch 2 brings major upgrades.”

Those upgrades include up to 4K gaming in TV mode and up to 120 FPS at 1080p in handheld mode. Nintendo Switch 2 also supports HDR, and AI upscaling “to sharpen visuals and smooth gameplay.”

The new RT Cores bring real-time ray tracing, delivering “lifelike lighting, reflections and shadows for more immersive worlds,” Nvidia continued.

Tensor Cores, meanwhile, power AI-driven features like DLSS, “boosting resolution for sharper details without sacrificing image quality.”

Interestingly, Nvidia said the Tensor Cores also enable AI-powered face tracking and background removal in video chat use cases, “enhancing social gaming and streaming.”

During the Nintendo Direct, Nintendo revealed the C button, which is used for new chat functionality that incorporates an external camera and the microphone in the Switch 2 itself. Nintendo made a point of saying the tech is smart enough to pay attention to the player’s voice and filter out background noise.

And here’s the big claim from Nvidia:

“With 10x the graphics performance of the Nintendo Switch, the Nintendo Switch 2 delivers smoother gameplay and sharper visuals.”

There’s no detail on how it’s determined that graphics performance. It will no doubt be left to experts such as Digital Foundry to run the numbers once the Switch 2 launches in June.

Elsewhere, Nvidia said the Tensor Cores “boost AI-powered graphics while keeping power consumption efficient,” and the RT Cores “enhance in-game realism with dynamic lighting and natural reflections.”

Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) via Nvidia G-SYNC in handheld mode “ensures ultra-smooth, tear-free gameplay.”

In a hardware-focused roundtable Q&A in New York yesterday, attended by IGN, Nintendo representatives confirmed the Switch 2 uses DLSS, but did not specify which version of the tech, or whether it had been customized for Switch 2. It was a similarly vague response when Nintendo confirmed the Switch 2’s GPU is capable of ray tracing.

And what about the GPU itself? Tetsuya Sasaki, General Manager at Nintendo’s Technology Development Division, and Senior Director at its Technology Development Department, chimed in to say Nintendo prefers not to get in the weeds on things like the GPU.

“Nintendo doesn't share too much on the hardware spec,” he said. “What we really like to focus on is the value that we can provide to our consumers. But I do believe that our partner Nvidia will be sharing some information.”

In January, the internet spotted a patent, filed July 2023 but published for the first time earlier this year, that described AI image upscaling technology that would help keep video game download sizes small enough to fit on a physical game cartridge while offering up to 4K textures.

For more, check out everything announced at the Switch 2 Nintendo Direct, and what the experts have to say about the Switch 2 price and Mario Kart World’s $80 price tag.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

There's a new Alexa in town – or at least in early access. Alexa+ is an upgrade from the standard Alexa voice assistant, now powered by generative AI. The updated assistant comes with quite a few new features, but the main pull of Alexa+ is that conversations with it can have more of a natural flow. According to Amazon, "Alexa+ is more conversational, smarter, personalized – and she helps you get things done."

Alexa+ is currently in Early Access, but only on a select few Echo Show devices – the Echo Show 8, 10, 15, and 21 – so if you have or buy one of these devices you can be among the first to experience it. Head to the link below to sign up for notifications about when Early Access will be available. After the Early Access period, Alexa+ will be available as a free Prime benefit or available to people who don't use Amazon Prime for $19.99/month.

Alexa+ Early Access

Since Alexa+ takes more of a conversational approach, you can ask it anything that comes to mind as it pops in your head. It'll help you with a variety of tasks like completing your to-do list, finding specific details from your calendar, booking at a restaurant, and more. Amazon's Alexa+ Early Access page also notes that there are "new features being added regularly," so more details about the upgraded voice assistant are sure to come after the Early Access period.

Unfortunately, not every device is compatible with Alexa+. Amazon notes that certain older generation Echo devices - such as the Echo Dot 1st Gen, Echo 1st Gen, Echo Plus 1st Gen, Amazon Tap, Echo Show 1st Gen, Echo Show 2nd Gen, and Echo Spot 1st Gen - will continue to use the old Alexa. The company says on the Alexa+ Early Access page that, "We will soon expand Alexa+ to more devices, including Fire TV and Fire tablets, and Alexa.com."

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

At CinemaCon in Las Vegas, Amazon MGM gave attendees a first look at what to expect from next year’s new Masters of the Universe film - and what they showed was very promising.

With the film only recently beginning production, no actual completed footage was shown, but rather a message from set from director Travis Knight (Kubo and the Two Strings, Bumblebee) and stars Nicholas Galitzine (“He-Man”) and Camila Mendes (“Teela”), followed by a montage of behind-the-scenes/on-set footage mixed with production artwork.

Knight noted he grew up a huge Masters of the Universe fan, which feels apparent seeing the designs for the film, which are incredibly accurate to the original toy line and animated series from the 1980s - much like what Knight did in Bumblebee with the Transformers. Production artwork of characters like the Sorceress (Morena Baccarin) and Evil-Lyn (Alison Brie) looked right out of the source material and were instantly recognizable.

Some of the characters actually shown on set in the midst of production included Trap Jaw (Sam C. Wilson) and Tri-Klops (Kojo Attah), and it was amazing how much they truly looked like the original toys in a slightly more modernized form, with someone like Trap Jaw still retaining all of his recognizable elements, including his gun arm, blue body and green face - and yes, a trap jaw! It appears Knight has managed the delicate balancing act of keeping these bigger than life characters looking wild and cool, without feeling too goofy in live-action form.

Preorders for the highly anticipated Nintendo Switch 2 officially open in the U.S. on April 9, and retailers are already vying for your business with special incentives. Best Buy has committed to a midnight launch and in-store pickup, but Walmart is making an even bolder promise: free delivery by 9am local time on launch day, June 5, for those who preorder through the retailer.

This ambitious claim, currently displayed on Walmart’s video games landing page, could sway buyers considering other major retailers like Best Buy, Target, or GameStop. If getting your hands on the Switch 2 as early as possible is a priority, Walmart’s offer might be hard to resist.

Several versions of the Switch 2 preorder listings are now available to view at Walmart before preorders go live next week, including the base console for $449.99 and a special, limited-time Mario Kart World bundle offer for $499.99. That's a $30 saving compared to buying the console and game separately, as the beloved racer will retail for $79.99 in the US.

Monster Hunter Wilds gets its first Title Update tomorrow, including quests encouraging competition for fast clear times. In light of that, Capcom is ensuring players know it will take action against cheaters engaging in any sort of fraudulent activity.

In a post from the Monster Hunter account on X/Twitter, Capcom issued the stark warning: "To ensure a fun and fair experience for our players, we will take action against accounts participating in fraudulent ranking activity, such as the use of cheating or external tools. Accounts deemed to be in breach of this may be suspended, or have restrictions placed on them, such as being unable to receive rewards from these quests."

Not cheating is one thing, but Capcom also warned that players participating in multiplayer hunts with cheaters could also result in an invalid quest completion time and the "right to rewards" revoked for everyone in the party.

"Please take caution to avoid playing multiplayer with those who are engaging in prohibited activity, or those you suspect of such," Capcom said. The company encouraged players who find themselves in a quest where fraudulent activity is taking place to report the cheaters.

These quests will ultimately offer some neat rewards in the form of cosmetic pendants. Some will be doled out to all participants, and others are granted based on Completion Time or the hunter's ranking. So it makes sense that Capcom is cracking down a bit harder on potential cheaters and suspect behavior, if it could result in issues with rewards and completion times.

The Time-Based Competition Quests go live with Title Update 1, and will all be organized through the new Arena Quest Counter in the Grand Hub in Suja. You'll need to complete the special tutorial mission to unlock the Grand Hub first, so make sure to beeline there once Title Update 1 goes live tomorrow in Monster Hunter Wilds. Check out the Monster Hunter Wilds Title Update 1 patch notes for more.

To help get your Monster Hunter Wilds adventure started, take a look at what Monster Hunter Wilds doesn’t tell you, and a guide to all 14 weapon types in the game. We’ve also got a detailed MH Wilds walkthrough in progress, a MH Wilds multiplayer guide to explain how to play with friends, and if you’ve played one of the open betas, here’s how to transfer your MH Wilds Beta character over.

Eric is a freelance writer for IGN.

For Friends alum David Schwimmer, the iconic "I'll Be There for You" theme song we all know and love had worn out its welcome by the time the show ended its 10 season run in 2004.

"I'll Be There for You" by American pop rock duo the Rembrandts set up each episode of Friends during its entire decade-long domination of global TV. It became one of best-known and most-listened to songs in the world, and remains in the public consciousness today as Friends continues to pull in viewers on streaming platforms.

“I’ll be really honest, there was a time for quite a while that just hearing the theme song would really… ” he recently told Matt Lucas and David Walliams on their podcast Making a Scene. “I just had that reaction. I mean, I just had heard it so many times.”

Naturally with the show in syndication, he was bound to be exposed to it quite a bit over the years — but according to Schwimmer, the music was everywhere beyond those classic apartment walls. “Any time you’d go on a show or a talk show or an interview, that would be your intro song,” he added. “So I just didn’t have the greatest response to it.”

Monster Hunter Wilds Title Update 1 goes live tonight or tomorrow, depending on where you are in the world, and ahead of its release date, Capcom has published the patch notes so players can get a peek at what's in store.

Over on the Monster Hunter site, the patch notes lay out everything for Monster Hunter Wilds Title Update 1. Some of this is info that's already been unveiled in previous streams, like the Monster Hunter Wilds showcase. But a few details spotlight the changes being made, both in the world and under the hood.

Title Update 1 goes live on Friday April 4, 2025 at 3am UTC / Thursday April 3, 2025 8pm PT. Capcom also provided the required space for the update:

• PS5: About 10 GB
• XBOX SERIES X|S: About 6 GB
• Steam: About 6 GB (With High Resolution Texture Pack: About 16 GB total)
• Note: Make sure to have enough additional storage to allow for slight differences in final size.

More hunts

It is Monster Hunter after all, so the new content and hunts take priority. Mizutsune arrives for HR 21 and up hunters in Title Update 1, while a Tempered Mizutsune will arrive for HR 41 and up hunters after completing the extra Mizutsune mission. The big bad Zoh Shia is now a high-rank monster, with a story mission unlocking Zoh Shia at HR 50.

Additionally, new story, extra, and side missions will be added, as well as new weapons, armor, and skills. The upgrade limit has been increased for armor of rarity 5 and above, too.

A new home

The Grand Hub, an endgame gathering location for hunters. It can be unlocked by doing a tutorial mission appearing once you've hit HR 16, and will host Barrel Bowling, the Arena Quest Counter, the Canteen, the Arm Wrestling Barrel, and the Diva.

There will also be an Expedition Record Board with rankings for time attack quests. Add on new pop-up camp gear options, new pose sets and gestures, and even some new voice lines for Alma, and there's quite a bit of new stuff to see in Monster Hunter Wilds' Title Update 1.

A tune-up

PC players will be happy to see the improvements laid out prior are being implemented in Title Update 1. VRAM usage is being improved, and the DirectStorage version will be upgraded.

Additionally, numerous bug fixes are taking aim at game crashes, disappearing monsters, and the distance between the monster and the camera for certain monsters like Gore Magala.

There are some balance changes as well, though the extent remains to be seen. The Corrupted Mantle in particular has seen its effects "adjusted," while other Mantle options like Rocksteady, Mending, and Evasion all received buffs.

The Bow is also getting some adjustments, with Dragon Piercer damage decreased but Thousand Dragons damage increased, Power Volley elemental values increased, and both Power Shot and Power Volley now affected by the Charge Master skill.

There are further updates detailed in the full patch notes here, running down all the fixes and adjustments arriving with Title Update 1 on April 4, 2025. More is expected to roll out after, with new monsters and events carrying on into the summer and Title Update 2. It seems like Capcom is determined to keep the momentum going with Monster Hunter Wilds.

Monster Hunter Wilds Title Update 1 patch notes:

Major Additions and Changes

• – New monsters can now be hunted after meeting certain in-game conditions.
• – Mizutsune has been added. Reach HR 21 to unlock an extra mission that can be started by speaking to Kanya in the Scarlet Forest Base Camp. Complete the mission to unlock Mizutsune.
• – Tempered Mizutsune has been added and will appear when you are HR 41+ after completing the Mizutsune extra mission.
• – Zoh Shia has been added as a high-rank monster. Reach HR 50 to unlock a story mission that unlocks Zoh Shia.
• – New story, extra, and side missions have been added.
• – New weapons, armor, and skills have been added.
• – The upgrade limit has been increased for armor of rarity 5 and above.
• – The Grand Hub has been added. It can be unlocked by completing a tutorial mission that appears from HR 16.
• – The following features have been added to the Grand Hub: Barrel Bowling; the Diva; Arena Quest Counter; the Canteen; the Arm Wrestling Barrel.
• – The Expedition Record Board has been added to the Grand Hub, along with rankings for time attack quests.
• – Arena Quests have been added.
• – Challenge Quests and Free Challenge Quests (Challenge Quests with no equipment restrictions) have been added and will be made available at a later date.
• – New status ailments have been added.
• – New voice lines for Alma (the Handler) have been added.
• – An arena log page has been added to hunter profiles.
• – The Change Appearance menu in the camp now has an option to change Alma's outfit.
• – New pop-up camp gear options have been added.
• – New limited bounty categories have been added.
• – New voice lines, pose sets, and gestures have been added.
• – Preparations have been made for the Festival of Accord, planned to run from April 23 to May 6.
• – 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.

Bug Fixes and Balance Adjustments

• – After unlocking the Grand Hub, the Squad Information Counter will move from the Windward Plains Base Camp to the Grand Hub.
• – Fixed an issue where consecutive uses of the BBQ Grill inside a tent could cause game controls to stop functioning.
• – Fixed an issue with the BBQ Grill where ingredients would be used but meal effects wouldn't trigger when a meal is canceled, such as when an Environment Link is disbanded.
• – Improved the response time for controls in all dialogue scenes, such as facility conversations.
• – The "Rest" command now requires 500 guild points, and investigations reward 10% more guild points than before.
• – Increased the amount of points required for "Wyverian Melding" and "Meld Decorations" at the Melding Pot.
• – Increased the amount of melding points obtained from some items and rare decorations when using them as melding materials.
• – Fixed an issue where meal invitations would sometimes be announced or show up in the Environment Overview at times when the invitation could not actually be accepted.
• – The "Transfer Items" option has been added to the Provisions Stockpile menu, allowing you to restock items outside of the tent.

• – Fixed an issue where some side missions which required specific item turn-ins could not be completed correctly.
• – Fixed an issue that prevented the completion of side mission conditions during event quests.

• – Fixed an issue where some monsters would stop moving in certain situations.
• – Fixed an issue where some monster wounds would disappear unintentionally after performing certain actions.
• – Fixed an issue where the game might crash after blocking a Gravios's attack.
• – Fixed an issue where the introductory cinematic camera (used for newly discovered monsters) would trigger on monsters you've already discovered.
• – Fixed an issue where the Smokeshroud Gekko endemic life would not appear in the Windward Plains.
• – Adjusted the behavior of some monster actions.
• – The distance between the monster and camera has been increased for certain monsters, such as Gore Magala.
• – Fixed an issue where Jin Dahaad would unintentionally disappear from the locale.

• General
  • – Fixed an issue where the hunter profile could not be edited properly.
  • – Added a feature that lets you reset hunter profile edits.
  • – Fixed an issue where sneak attacks could not be canceled when using light bowgun, heavy bowgun, or bow.
  • – Fixed an issue where weapon pendants could appear in scenes where weapons are not displayed.
  • – Fixed an unintended issue where large falling boulders could be blocked.
  • – Lance: Made it easier to land thrust attack finishers after a focus strike in which the first hit causes large knockback.
  • – Hammer: Fixed an issue where Focus Strikes could not be used quickly after coming to a stop after moving during a charge.
  • – Light Bowgun: Fixed an issue that caused Wyvernblast to react to Palico attacks.
  • – Palico: Fixed an issue that prevented stun and exhaust values from increasing when a Palico attacks a monster with a blunt weapon.
  • – Hunting Horn: Fixed an issue where certain actions that required simultaneous inputs were not behaving correctly.
  • – Heavy bowgun and light bowgun ranged attack capabilities have been adjusted when riding a Seikret.
  • – The effects of the Corrupted Mantle have been adjusted.
  • – The Rocksteady Mantle's damage mitigation has been increased.
  • – Mending Mantle and Evasion Mantle durations have been increased.
  • – Bow: Dragon Piercer damage has been decreased.
  • – Bow: Power Volley elemental values have been increased.
  • – Bow: Thousand Dragons damage has been increased. This includes when using Close-range Coating and Power Coating.
  • – Bow: Power Shot and Power Volley are now affected by the skill Charge Master.
• Skills
  • – Fixed an issue where Opening Shot did not work with special ammo.
• Support Hunters
  • – Fixed an issue that caused Support Hunters to be unable to reach certain areas.
  • – Fixed an issue that prevented guest players from receiving the effects of Rosso's Demon Ammo, Armor Ammo, and Recover Ammo.
  • – Fixed an issue that resulted in guest players not seeing any visual change when a Support Hunter would equip a mantle.
  • – Adjusted the rate at which Support Hunters use certain items.
• The Handler
  • – Adjusted the distance that the Handler keeps from the monster during hunts.

• Login Bonuses
  • – There will now be login bonus days that include a free meal voucher (one out of the different types).
  • – Login bonuses now include at least one Barrel Bowling Voucher every day.
• System
  • Steam®– Improvements were made to VRAM usage, and the DirectStorage version has been upgraded.
  • – Fixed an issue that prevented pigment information from being included in shared loadouts.
  • – Fixed an issue with some display settings on the character models on the title screen and save data selection screen.
  • – Fixed an issue where the model display toggle for pendants would not function properly when previewing armor.
  • – Fixed an issue with the visual effects of the Hope Charm.
  • – Fixed an issue so that other Link Members are now properly prioritized to be displayed in Base Camps and other shared locations.
  • – Fixed an issue that made communication errors more likely to occur when firing an SOS Flare right after the start of a quest.
  • – Background color has been changed to black for areas outside of the game's rendering range.
  • – Fixed an issue where a squad leader leaving a squad would not correctly transfer leader rights to the sub-leader.
  • – Fixed an issue that made it impossible in some instances to obtain the Powercharm or Armorcharm even after fulfilling the requirements to do so. If you have fulfilled the requirements and have not obtained the items, they can be re-obtained after proceeding through another Quest Results screen.
• Quests
  • – Fixed an issue where some NPC dialogue would be cut off when completing certain story assignments by capturing the target.
  • – Fixed an issue where accepting an Investigation but failing to depart (due to a communication error or similar) would still reduce the number of times you can accept that Investigation.
  • – Failing to join another quest while already in the middle of a quest will now forcibly end the current quest and take you back to base.
  • – Fixed an issue that would prevent game progress after departing on a quest while performing platform-related invitations.
  • – Fixed an issue where quest party size limits would not work as intended when performing certain actions.
  • – Fixed an issue where a quest would not appear in an SOS Flare Quests search if the quest host fires the SOS Flare but then leaves the quest.
• Other
  • – Fixed an issue where the stated number of Pop-up Camps and their locations would not match up with their actual data in some situations.
  • – Adjusted the placement of some ore deposits to make them easier to gather while riding the Seikret.
  • – Fixed an issue where some voice lines would not trigger properly.
  • – Fixed various text issues.
  • – Fixed other miscellaneous issues.

To help get your Monster Hunter Wilds adventure started, take a look at what Monster Hunter Wilds doesn’t tell you, and a guide to all 14 weapon types in the game. We’ve also got a detailed MH Wilds walkthrough in progress, a MH Wilds multiplayer guide to explain how to play with friends, and if you’ve played one of the open betas, here’s how to transfer your MH Wilds Beta character over.

Eric is a freelance writer for IGN.

Nintendo’s first post-Switch 2 Nintendo Direct Treehouse livestream is being flooded with angry comments from users calling on the company to "DROP THE PRICE."

A cursory glance at the YouTube chat for the stream shows a flood of complaints about the pricing of Nintendo’s move to the next-generation, which includes the $449.99 Switch 2 and, perhaps most controversially, the jump to $79.99 for Mario Kart World.

While the Nintendo Switch 2 system itself will retail for $449.99, a bundle is also available with Mario Kart World included for $499.99, saving $30 on the price of the game.

GameCube games coming exclusively to the Switch 2's exclusive online library is one of the best features of the new console. To make those membership costs just that little bit easier, UK retailer ShopTo has NSO at 35% off right now. As you get your Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders in, this is an absolute bonus bargain to consider.

While some Nintendo Classics catalogues are unlocked with the base online subscription, you'll also need the Expansion Pack to play GameCube titles on Nintendo Switch 2. What's more, while you can subscribe to a monthly model for just Nintendo Switch Online, the Expansion Pack is only available on the 12-month plan, so make a note when purchasing.

While not every character is getting the time they deserve this season, The Wheel of Time is doing an excellent job of combining plots from several of Robert Jordan’s books to keep the action moving while further weaving together the heroes as they grow as people together. Case in point: “The Shadow in the Night,” in which an old friend returns to lead a raunchy musical number while the Forsaken fight amongst themselves. It’s an episode that uses major tone shifts to great dramatic effect.

I’ve been critical of how much attention has been paid to Liandrin thus far, but I did enjoy the opening of “The Shadow in the Night,” which shows how the Aes Sedai pledged herself to Ishamael out of sheer desperation. Combined with Lanfear’s supposed interest in breaking her oaths, the examination of choice and redemption makes the villains a bit more sympathetic. It also demonstrates the strength of one of the season’s new characters, Faile, who showed her strength by fleeing when her parents tried to recruit her to join the Dark. (The other Liandrin-related piece of “The Shadow of the Night” I enjoyed is how little her costume changes in her dream of being Amyrlin – she’s Red Ajah to her core.)

The Wheel of Time has some very powerful villains, but they all have their own agendas. That’s giving the heroes a bit of an edge as two of the five Black Ajah in Tanchico die due to infighting this week. Moghedien is pulling the exact same trick that Siuan Sanche did with Min, disguising herself as a servant to go ignored among Aes Sedai since they’re just as arrogant in Tanchico as they were in Tar Valon. Her performance is too over the top, but I appreciate the symmetry in the plots.

Perrin’s storyline is the weakest part of this season, but that’s only partially the show’s fault: The character often feels like he’s too far from the real action in the books, too. But it’s not all bad: Hopefully Perrin hooking up with Faile will stop him from brooding about his wife’s death, putting an end to the worst plot invented for the show. Perrin revealing that the Horn of Valere has already been found by unveiling a goofy drawing of Mat is a great callback to the season 3 premiere, and much better than the way that information is shared in the books, where he actively hides the fact that Faile’s quest has already been completed. This section of the story also promises to pick up some steam soon with the return of Padan Fain, who has been one of the show’s best villains thanks to Johann Myers’ deeply off-putting performance.

Also making an exciting reappearance this episode is gleeman Thom Merrilin, one of the standout characters of season 1. Thom is hilariously desperate to avoid being swept up in the antics of a ta’veren but forced to intervene when he sees the daughter-heir of Andor is in trouble. It’s not surprising that Elayne would know how to sing; it's more shocking that she proves her skill by performing the local equivalent of “Baby Got Back”: “The Hills of Tanchico,” a raunchy tune that gets all the ladies in the bar jiggling their breasts. The Wheel of Time has done well by taking a page from The Witcher and breaking up its epic fantasy with a rousing, catchy musical number.

The whimsy of that scene provides a brutal contrast to what happens to Elayne and Nynaeve next, as Moghedien traps them in her web with compulsion. Zoë Robins and Ceara Coveney do a great job selling the spell’s power by dissolving into giddy giggles as they divulge all their deepest secrets to the Forsaken. It’s especially tragic for Nynaeve, who voices a revelation about hating her power that would be really important for her character growth if she could remember it.

Rand might be an outsider among the Aiel, but his interest in farming is genuine and his continued bonding with Alsera over her squashes helps charm Avienda. Rand’s guide may have been showing her contempt for her job by letting him break etiquette by grabbing Alsera’s tiny spear, but Rand comes out looking good, showing he’s learned the way to properly make amends. It’s an incredibly sweet scene that makes the tragedy at the end of the episode even more agonizing.

Egwene and Rand finally find a time to chat about their doomed relationship and Lanfear in a phenomenal demonstration of contrast between the two characters. Egwene shines throughout “The Shadow in the Night” as she demonstrates her relentless determination: She lies to the Aiel Wise Ones about being an Aes Sedai, and responds to almost being killed by Lanfear by immediately restarting her dream-control exercises. But she really unleashes on Rand, who stoically accepts her fury and explains his realization that even though he might be the most powerful and important man in the world, he’ll still never be enough for Egwene.

The touching moment and the building fury Rand feels when he learns what Lanfear’s been doing to Egwene is interrupted by an attack led by Samael, presumably the surprise Lanfear told Moiraine about earlier in the episode. When the Forsaken were all set free at the end of season 2, I was worried that some of them wouldn’t be given the attention they deserve, and that’s the case here. Samael is easily dealt with once Rand finally gets to unleash some of his power.

While the Aiel don’t blame Rand for Alsera’s accidental death, the child was a rare source of joy for Rand. He’s desperate to believe the Dragon Reborn should be able to fix anything, and seeing him acknowledge his limits is heartbreaking. It’s a testament to Josha Stradowski’s acting abilities how well he alternates between the brink of mania and cold acceptance. When Rand asked about Moiraine’s vision of Rhuidiean, all he really wanted to know about was who he might kill. This death will likely just further his belief that he’s too dangerous to be around.

Lord of the Rings legend Elijah Wood is arguably one of the most famous faces in all of fantasy filmmaking because of Peter Jackson’s beloved adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s novel series. But according to the actor, his iconic performance didn’t exactly yield the big bucks.

“Because we weren’t making one movie and then renegotiating a contract for the next, it wasn’t the sort of lucrative scenario that you could sort of rest easy for the rest of your life,” Wood recently told Business Insider at the 2025 Texas Film Awards.

The actor also noted that the company who made the picture, New Line Cinema, took “a real gamble” by shooting all three films back to back — but that risk was only made possible by offering the cast “not massive salaries.”