OK, roll with us on this one... Oscar Isaac might just be returning as Moon Knight, and in Avengers: Doomsday no less. Shocked? Us too, but there’s one particular recent development that is starting to make the theory seem plausible.

Earlier in the weekend, Star Wars Celebration’s official social media revealed that Isaac would no longer be making an appearance at the beloved convention in Japan this year “due to changes in his production schedule.”

Isaac's appearance at Star Wars Celebration was a headline-grabbing announcement back in February, sparking rumors of Poe Dameron's return to the galaxy far, far away. Rey actress Daisy Ridley appeared at Star Wars Celebration 2023 to announce she would appear in a new film, so fans were wondering if Isaac would do something similar here.

Naturally, Isaac's production schedule changes were not detailed, but considering Avengers: Doomsday is currently in production in London, it didn't take long for fans to put two and two together to come up with Moon Knight in Avengers.

He’s gonna be filming doomsday?

— James Young (@YoungJames34) April 4, 2025

Dooooomsday

— G the Gamer (@G_da_Gamer) April 4, 2025

Doomsday

— Taco John (@SWaddict_) April 4, 2025

That said, the theory is still just a theory. Marvel does like surprises, but the fact remains that Isaac wasn’t actually one of the many announced names in the Doomsday cast reveal. However, Marvel Studios producer Kevin Feige did confirm that the livestream did not include the entire cast of Doomsday — “We revealed many, not all,” he said over a video call at CinemaCon — so we can dream, can’t we?

One six-episode season of Moon Knight was released back in 2022 starring Isaac, but Marvel has yet to announce a follow-up. Avengers: Doomsday is set to hit theaters on May 1, 2026, with a whole host of returning heroes and famous faces bringing the story to life as per the epic livestream.

Meanwhile, MCU fans have also turned their inquisitive gaze upon Robert Downey Jr’s hair after the Iron Man actor recently sent out a Doctor Doom-themed invitation for this 60th birthday party.

Last month's Avengers: Doomsday cast reveal 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?

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

Michael Sarnoski, director of A Quiet Place: Day One, is reportedly set to write and direct the live-action adaptation of Kojima Productions' Death Stranding.

Per Deadline, Sarnoski will write and direct the Death Stranding adaptation with A24 and Kojima Productions producing, alongside Square Peg. Sarnoski directed and wrote for both the A Quiet Place spin-off Day One and 2021's Pig, starring Nicolas Cage. He's also the writer/director for the upcoming The Death of Robin Hood, another A24 project.

Few details were given about what the live-action adaptation of Death Stranding would entail. The original 2019 game sent players out into the wasteland to try and reconnect a scattered America amid an extinction-level event, in a world haunted by nightmarish creatures and strange happenings. It's already good movie fodder before you factor in Hideo Kojima's cinematic tendencies.

Death Stranding also featured a star-studded cast that included Norman Reedus in the lead role of Sam Bridges, as well as Léa Seydoux, Mads Mikkelsen, Guillermo del Toro, and Margaret Qualley. It'll be interesting to see if these actors reprise their roles for the live-action adaptation.

There's still more for Death Stranding in store though, as Kojima Productions recently confirmed Death Stranding 2: On the Beach will launch later this year on June 26, 2025 on PlayStation 5. The next game in the Death Stranding saga also picked up some more stars, including the likes of Luca Marinelli and Elle Fanning.

Hopefully this particular Kojima-linked project forges ahead, as the Metal Gear Solid movie is still reportedly being worked on despite slowing updates. With all the stars and cinematics though, Death Stranding certainly seems poised to make the jump to live-action.

Eric is a freelance writer for IGN.

The final chapter of the My Hero Academia manga was published last August, and the final season of the anime will air later this year. That doesn’t mean the world of My Hero Academia is over though. New movies and spin-offs like My Hero Academia: Vigilantes will hopefully help fill the void with new storylines, characters, and Quirks.

The Vigilantes spin-off manga, written by Hideyuki Furuhashi with illustrations by Betten Court, is set five years before Deku's story starts. Of course, Bones Studio returns to produce the anime adaptation, and IGN's review of the first episode describes it as "a worthy spin-off of the popular superhero anime."

If you’re wondering where to watch new episodes of My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, check out the details below.

How to Watch My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Online

If you're still catching up on the My Hero Academia timeline, Crunchyroll's free tier includes all seven seasons of the original series with ads. You can also watch My Hero Academia with a Hulu subscription.

My Hero Academia Season 8 Release Date

The final season of My Hero Academia is planned to air during the fall anime season later this year, most likely kicking off in October.

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Characters and Voice Cast

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes features a range of new and returning characters from the original series. Here's some of the show's main voice cast in English and Japanese:

• Koichi Haimawairi/The Crawler voiced by Jack Broadbent and Shuichiro Umeda
• Oguro Iwao/Knuckleduster voiced by Jason Marnocha and Yasuhiro Mamiya
• Kazuho Haneyama/Pop Step voiced by Macy Anne Johnson and Ikumi Hasegawa
• Soga Kugizaki voiced by Joshua Waters and Kohsuke Toriumi
• All Might voiced by Christopher R. Sabat and Kenta Miyake
• Shota Aizawa/Eraser Head voiced by Christopher Wehkamp and Junichi Suwabe
• Hizashi Yamada/Present Mic voiced by Dave Trosko and Hiroyuki Yoshino
• Nemuri Kayama/Midnight voiced by Elizabeth Maxwell and Akeno Watanabe

Blythe (she/her) is an SEO Coordinator at IGN who spends way too much time in character customization screens and tracking down collectibles.

If you’re a Minecraft die-hard, you might have seen one particularly sneaky Easter egg in the new film adaptation A Minecraft Movie — but all is not what it seems. According to Mojang Studios Senior Creative Director of Entertainment and producer on A Minecraft Movie, Torfi Frans Olafsson, that moment that seemed to be alluding to the 2010 Creepypasta story Herobrine isn't an Easter egg, but a mistake the visual effects team ran out of time to fix.

Warning! Spoilers for A Minecraft Movie follow:

For context, A Minecraft Movie has a scene that takes place at the Woodland Mansion where Henry (Sebastian Hansen) meets an Enderman who puts him in a state where he’s able to see a vision of Steve (Jack Black), except the character is verbally berating him as his eyes go white. Because Herobrine is characterized as Steve with white eyes, fans were convinced that the moment signified that there was a future for the Creepypasta story within the MCU (Minecraft Cinematic Universe, duh).

However, Olafsson has cast doubt on this assumption. "It’s super strange that all of their eyes were supposed to be purple but when it was rendered one of the characters eyes kept coming out white in the final rendered frames so we wound up keeping it like that, because the VFX studio ran out of time," he revealed on X / Twitter.

In the early Minecraft days, an anonymous poster on 4chan claimed they saw an in-game version of Steve with white eyes and weird powers showing up around the game. Following the post, a Creepypasta story surfaced, which “revealed” that the character anomaly was actually the spirit of a dead player.

If you're in the market for an awesome gift for the Dune fan in your life (even if that person is you), LEGO is offering its first ever big discount on the LEGO Dune Atreides Royal Ornithopter. The set includes the dragonfly-like helicopter, as well as eight minifigures including Paul and Leto Atreides, Chani, Lady Jessica, Gurney Halleck, Liet Kynes, Duncan Idaho, and Baron Harkonnen.

The discount is only the second price drop we've seen on this set, but it has officially dropped to a new low on Amazon for the first time since its launch. The Ornithopter was released just last year alongside Dune: Part 2 hitting theaters and has been sitting at or near full price pretty much since then.

LEGO Icons Dune Atreides Royal Ornithopter

A Minecraft Move just hit theaters over the weekend and is already seeing record-breaking success at the box office. This video game movie has had the support of various toy marketing campaigns from the very beginning, like Minecraft Movie LEGO sets as well as McDonald's toys targeted specifically at adults. But if you're in the market for a Nerf gun after seeing the movie in theaters, you also already have quite a few options.

Amazon is offering new discounts on a variety of Nerf Minecraft weapons based on actual Minecraft weapons. Each of these Nerf picks have the ability to shoot darts, even if they don't necessarily appear to be able to. They are also all fairly cheap compared to other Minecraft toys on the market right now.

The Best Nerf Minecraft Deals at Amazon Today

There are four Nerf Minecraft deals at Amazon right now, and almost all of them are at their lowest prices of 2025. The best deal within this list is the Minecraft Pillager's Crossbow, which has only recently droppped to its lowest-ever price of $19.99. This is one of the most affordable Nerf crossbows you can buy, and it also doubles as a wonderful Minecraft gift.

Outside of this blaster, there's also the Nerf Minecraft axe and hammer, which are each under $20 and at their lowest prices in 2025. While they don't function as effectively as a standard Nerf gun, they look awesome and are still able to fire darts.

The last Nerf Minecraft option that is on sale is the Sabrewing Motorized Blaster. Although it is arguably the coolest thing on sale right now, it is nowhere near its lowest price of 2025. It is, however, still priced below $20 and is the most enticing actualy Nerf Blaster on this list. It also has the largest dart capacity at eight darts.

Where to Buy Nerf Ammo

After you’ve secured a Nerf Blaster, grabbing some extra darts or rounds is always a good idea. If you’ve ever played with one of these before, you know that ammo goes missing way too quickly. Luckily, a range of nerf darts are on sale. Big 100 packs for an epic war with friends or smaller, ultra-cheap sets to replace a few missing darts are all discounted right now. Just be sure to grab the right ammo.

Here's your chance to get a massive, top notch OLED TV at one of the lowest prices we've seen, especially for a recent Samsung model. Right now, both Best Buy offering the 83" Samsung S85D 4K OLED Smart TV for just $1,799.99 with free delivery. This is such a big discount that even the next size down (77") at this price would have been a good purchase. This is an excellent TV to pair up with your PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X since it has HDMI 2.1 inputs and supports 4K gaming at up to 120Hz.

83" Samsung S85D 4K OLED Smart TV for $1,799.99

Hulu has been around for a while and, for our money, it's one of the absolute best streaming services available. From great movies like Anatomy of a Fall and Prey to excellent television series like the Golden Globe-winning Shogun, Abbott Elementary, and The Bear there is always something awesome to watch. Oscar Best Picture winner Anora is also now available to stream on the service, so there's no better time than now to get set up with a plan.

Below, we've detailed all of the best Hulu deals and bundles so you can get started on your streaming adventures with its library right away. This includes the Hulu, Disney+, and Max streaming bundle, which starts at just $16.99/month and is currently the best value available for the streaming services following the Disney Plus and Hulu price hikes. To see even more streaming deals, make sure to check out our roundups of the best Disney Plus deals 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 on 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 all three platforms. If you're looking to cut down on streaming costs and currently own all three of these, this is an excellent bundle to invest in. It'll save you quite a bit compared to what you'd pay for the three of them separately per month - 43% on the ad-supported plan and 42% on the ad-free plan.

Hulu deal for students — Get Hulu (With Ads) for just $1.99/month

If you're a student enrolled in a university (a US Title IV accredited college or university, per Hulu's website), you can sign up for Hulu (With Ads) for $1.99 a month. That's an excellent deal if you're a student, saving you $8 on the usual monthly price.

Hulu subscription tiers

Hulu: Bundle to Best

If you want a more affordable option when it comes to a Hulu subscription, you can't go wrong with a bundle, and Hulu has several to choose from:

• Hulu + Live TV (With Ads) — Hulu + Live TV (With Ads) is $82.99/month and includes Disney+ and ESPN+. It also gives you access to more than 75 channels with live TV and unlimited DVR functionality. The Hulu + Live TV plan also has a three-day free trial to test out the service.
• Hulu + Live TV (Ad-Free) — The ad-free version of Hulu+Live TV is $95.99/month and comes with ad-free versions of Hulu and Disney Plus, although ESPN still shows ads.
• Disney+, Hulu Bundle Basic — This is the most economic bundle. It will set you back $10.99/month and comes with subscriptions to Disney+ and Hulu. It lets you stream on multiple devices at once and comes with ad-supported versions of both Disney+ and Hulu.
• Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ Bundle Basic — This bundle adds ESPN+ into the mix alongside Disney+ and Hulu, 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 — This bundle 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.

What can you watch on Hulu?

There is a bonkers amount of shows and movies you can watch on Hulu. Let's start at the top and simply talk about the verticals on offer with the base subscription, because if we also talk about what is available via Disney+, ESPN+, or live TV, we'll be here forever. (You can also sync up Hulu with Max to gain access to things like Succession and House of the Dragon.)

Here's what you get:

• Network and Hulu Original television shows (AMC, Adult Swim, ABC, A&E, FX, etc.)
• Movies (HBO, Hulu Originals, anime films, etc.)
• Sports (NHL, Soccer, MLB, Auto Racing, NFL, College Football, PGA, Tennis, etc.)
• News (ABC News Live, Good Morning America, World News Tonight, 20/20, The View, etc.)

Hulu television

Hulu has some amazing shows, both those that are finished and many which are ongoing. For comedy, there are plenty of options to choose from, including New Girl, It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, What We Do In The Shadows, Modern Family, Cougar Town, Broad City, Abbott Elementary, and so much more.

There are also some big Hulu originals to watch, including The Bear, The Old Man, The Handmaid's Tale, and Only Murders In The Building.

As far as animated fare, there are modern adult classics like Rick and Morty and Bob's Burgers, as well as Futurama, Family Guy, and King of the Hill. Anime staples like Cowboy Bebop are also available. And if you want to bring more youth-friendly fun, Gravity Falls, Steven Universe, Adventure Time, and Curious George are just a small sample of what Hulu has available.

The future of Hulu

Hulu isn't going anywhere. As a matter of fact, beyond it being awarded the best streaming service by us and receiving a 9/10 in our updated Hulu review, it was bought in full by Disney in November 2023 and the House of Mouse has created a one-app experience for those bundling Hulu and Disney+. With an FX partnership, Hulu is also home to those shows, including the latest drama miniseries, Shogun.

Hannah Hoolihan is a freelance writer who works with the Guides and Commerce teams here at IGN.

Original story from Brian Barnett.

With PS5 games getting bigger each year and SSD prices rising, we want to make sure you can find the best amount of storage for the lowest price possible. Here, we'll point you in the direction of some of the greatest 2TB SSD deals we can find at the moment, like this acer Predator GM7000 2TB M.2 SSD down to $125.99.

It's worth noting that you can't use any old SSD and expect it to perform well on the PS5 console. You'll want to pick up a PCIe Gen4 x4 M.2 solid-state drive with at least a 5,500MB/s read speed to match the PS5's internal drive. We've gathered up SSDs that match or exceed these specs in the list below to make your search easier.

Note that Sony recommends a heatsink attached to your SSD and not all SSDs listed here have pre-installed heatsinks. For the ones that do, we'll be sure to mention it. For the ones that don't, all you have to do is purchase your own heatsink (like this one for $8) and install it yourself. For our top recommended picks for 2025, check out our full breakdown for the Best PS5 SSDs.

Predator M.2 2TB GM7000 SSD for $125.99

The following is a spoiler-free review of all seven episodes of The Last of Us Season 2. The first episode premieres on Sunday, April 13 on HBO/Max.

Season one of HBO’s The Last of Us was a superb retelling of the Naughty Dog game of the same name, both staying loyal to and enriching a beloved story. But season 2 struggles to replicate those qualities – it’s a bleak, abbreviated chapter whose key moments fall flat with too much regularity. It's by no means bad – in fact, at times it’s very good – it just kept me at arm's length, never letting me quite connect to its characters in the way that’s so crucial to The Last of Us Part 2. It's often a spectacle, crafted with skill throughout, but fails to live up to the thrilling heights of its source material or capture the heart of its first season.

If season 1 was about discovering love in the post-apocalypse, season 2 is about holding onto hate, and the more rugged production design reflects this: Fire engulfs snow, melting it away to reveal the fragility of the world these characters inhabit. Five years after Joel (Pedro Pascal) freed Ellie (Bella Ramsey) from the Firefly hospital, we see cities that have fallen apart at the seams, with cult-infused graffiti and showcases of mass murder seemingly on every street corner. It evokes the descent into hell that Ellie goes on, as everything, including the elements, turns against her, with rain pouring and darkness overwhelming sunlight with increasing frequency.

This show is dark in every sense of the word, with little aside from a few dad jokes and the occasional love song to lift the gloom. These moments that puncture through the misery and offer hope are always welcome, though, despite how deliberately eye-rolling the punchlines may seem. They’re at the crux of what makes The Last of Us still compelling, if flawed, television this time around.

I’m not envious of showrunners Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin. Adapting The Last of Us Part 2 and balancing its many reveals with moments of shocking violence and subtle revelations is a highwire act, indeed. Splitting the game into multiple seasons to adhere to a dual-perspective story that delivers its heaviest hammer blows in flashbacks was always going to be a challenge. For what it's worth, I love Part 2, even more than the original The Last of Us, but watching the HBO version has me questioning just how much of that is due to me being able to actively control its two leads, and just how much being part of this story is what makes it work.

Those coming in fresh may be as equally floored by the way the story is being told here, but I can’t say it fully works for me. I think this is largely due to some big early revelations emerging about newcomer Abby (Kaitlyn Dever). She’s a less compelling presence when she isn’t shrouded in mystery. As a whole, season 2 feels a little stop-start, a startling cadence where momentum quickly ramps up with one action scene after the next, before grinding to a halt with whole episodes dedicated to reflection and remembrance. And with only seven episodes to play with, it struggles to find its rhythm as a result.

Much like the first season and The Last of Us Part 1, season two keeps Part 2's larger plot intact. The same events still take place, albeit sometimes presented to us at different junctures, with some expanded upon to add context, but never to the extent that Bill’s story was woven into season 1. That’s not to say there aren’t frequent flashbacks – they’re often parsed out to give extra context to choices being made or emotions being felt. Pascal continues to portray Joel with an excellent, tearful humanity as he learns to live with his fateful actions in Salt Lake City. Ellie is all that matters to him now, and that’s expertly conveyed by Pascal’s eyes, which work overtime in numerous heartfelt conversations with his surrogate daughter.

The jumping back and forth in time is largely successful here, too, filling us in on fresh faces such as Jeffrey Wright’s Isaac – a deliciously performed character who is woefully underexplored in the game. But one episode that takes place almost entirely in the past doesn’t quite work, mainly due to where it falls during the season. The individual scenes are beautifully performed and often tugged my heart in several directions, but it just feels oddly placed in the series as a whole, grinding forward momentum to a halt at a critical point. It then hurtles towards its end in a slightly disorienting fashion, almost deliberately confusing us with fraying threads of subplots leading to other stories that are left dangling.

The quieter moments – Bill’s tragic romance, Henry and Sam’s doomed brotherhood – were my favourite in season one and, thankfully, the same can be said for its follow-up. The problem is they’re fewer and further between this time around. Little time is afforded for contemplation, or to form our own interpretation of the characters’ motives. Instead, everything is handed to us in quite an obvious manner, which is to the detriment of a story that should be slaloming through the grey areas of right and wrong. Catherine O’Hara’s therapist character seems mainly present to be a proxy for the audience, but rather than prod us in the right direction and make us think, she frustratingly delivers exposition dumps concerning the people of Jackson’s internal feelings, rather than letting us form our own assessments.

I fear the pendulum has swung too far from season 1’s scarce encounters with the infected. Hordes and literal avalanches of cordyceps-encrusted monsters descend regularly, especially in the season’s earlier episodes. At one point we’re treated to an almost Helms Deep-like battle sequence in which a flood of infected attempt to wipe out another pocket of humanity; the problem is, this event, although spectacular in its design and execution, overshadows what should be the pivotal moment of the whole season. The catalyst for the rest of its story is reduced almost to a sideshow. It’s a rare miss for a creative team that displayed such elegance in the way it weaved its biggest, most shocking moments into the fabric of season 1.

After a stop-start beginning, the show settles into more of a rhythm (albeit a breakneck one). A familiar feel of deadly road-tripping is resumed, with some of the game’s most threatening foes transferring over to add horror to every dark corner – and providing some of the season’s brightest highlights, too. The midpoint is where it feels most like season 2 is reliving the glory of its predecessor, compared to earlier episodes that strain to fit new characters and Joel and Ellie’s journey into the same spotlight. But The Last of Us gets back on the road soon enough, blending moments of pure horror and touching sentimentality gracefully – episode 4 proved my favourite of the bunch.

The pace skips along too breezily for a supposedly grueling suicide mission into an unknown warzone that’s told over the span of just seven episodes. What should feel like Martin Sheen's long ordeal in Apocalypse Now is presented more like a whistlestop tour of Seattle landmarks. Ultimately, the only hearts of darkness here belong to the many people who have chosen violence as a way of life – a reality seemingly inescapable for any citizen of post-apocalypse Seattle.

Tribalism is at the core of this season, and indeed the core theme that resonates through its source material. Seattle has its warring factions, and Jackson is a tribe all of its own. The problem is that Ellie has never been one for authority, stretching back to her FEDRA training days and subsequent betrayal of the fireflies at the hands of Joel. Personal ties are what powers her choices, and the internal conflict between selfishness and selflessness is keenly explored. This is aided by Ellie’s new friends Jesse and Dina, who are played fantastically by Young Mazino and Isabela Merced, respectively.

Gabriel Luna is the early episodes’ MVP. His Tommy is the rock of Jackson: tender but strong, and the cool to his often hotheaded and impulsive brother, Joel. But it’s the charismatic Merced who’s the star of the show in season 2. As Dina, she’s a great source of warmth and humour throughout – as much as can be found in this world, anyway. A fun (bordering on jarringly quippy) foil to Ellie, she gives as good as she gets but also stands strong in their many encounters with Clickers and other such threats. (And when the time comes, she knows to just run away, too.) Between this and Alien Romulus, she’s proven that she’s perfectly at home being chased by monsters.

Bella Ramsey was fantastic as a younger version of Ellie, but their performance in season 2 didn’t really sell me on the fact that five years have passed in the world of The Last of Us. Ellie just doesn’t appear to have matured, and it sits strangely next to the very mature content of season 2. Ramsey acts with more physicality, displaying impressive combat skills, but still behaves like a child in conversation. They’re great most of the time, but in the flashes of rage they’re asked to present, it feels slightly off – especially now that Abby is around: In the brief moments we spend with her, Kaitlyn Dever is a force. Ramsey mostly remains a strong interpreter of Ellie, and they’re superb at the precocious, cheeky side of the character, but upstaged by Dever in the show’s more heated moments – she’s simply able to deal a more ferocious shade of heat.

On a production level, The Last of Us remains a near-faultless display of prestige television. Beautifully shot, it captures both the scale of the depravity taking hold over nature and presents both the beautiful and horrific details that inhabit it. The lighting stands out in particular: Sentimental moments are drenched in warm sunlight, while horror is often (and appropriately) bathed in blood-red hues or hand-lit by the flame of stalking threats. At its best, the atmosphere sparks images of Ben Wheatley's thriller-come-folk horror masterpiece, Kill List, as it merges modern architecture with thoroughly medieval, violent practices – an ominous, cultlike religious group introduced in season 2 only adds to this air of doom.

But this is a story barely half-told, and as such is hard to evaluate. The further into Seattle we get, the more we’re getting scraps of things we won’t see in their entirety until later on. It could be that by the end of season 3, these seven episodes feel like an exciting piece of a greater whole. The problem is, this is television, and we’ll have to wait many months, if not years, for those gaps to be filled in. I fear, for all that makes season 2 worth recommending, it will leave a lot of people bewildered rather than intrigued. I ultimately respect the decision to largely stick with the game’s structure – it's part of what makes the steady reveal of its story and our evolving sympathies towards its characters such a masterstroke. I’m just wary that the effect hasn’t translated all too well here.

The weather may be getting warmer, but why spend your time outside when you can be inside building new LEGO sets? While there are some fun new sets dropping in April, there are a few on sale right now that have caught our eye as well. In particular, an adorable selection of Animal Crossing LEGO sets have gotten great discounts at Amazon.

These sets include K.K.’s Concert in The Plaza (down to $46.74), the Dodo Airlines Airport (down to $23.32), Leif's Caravan & Garden Shop (down to $25.49), and a Stargazing with Celeste set (down to $8.49). These deals can also be found at Target right now. Below you can learn a little bit more about each set, including what comes in each box and how many pieces they are.

Animal Crossing LEGO Sets on Sale

K.K.’s Concert in the Plaza LEGO Set

Fly With Dodo Airlines Airport LEGO Set

Leif’s Caravan & Garden Shop LEGO Set

Stargazing With Celeste LEGO Set

The first episode of My Hero Academia: Vigilantes is now streaming on Crunchyroll.

My Hero Academia is nearing its conclusion, but its first seven seasons – with their focus on the heroes-in-training of U.A. High School – have only shown us a sliver of a fascinating world where most people have superpowers (a.k.a. Quirks) and some parlay their Quirk into a lucrative career. Enter My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, an adaptation of the manga of the same name written by Hideyuki Furuhashi and illustrated by Betten Court. This is both a spin-off and a prequel to the main show,, and it’s not only a worthy expansion of the My Hero Academia universe, but a dazzling anime whose visual style pays tribute to classic superhero comics.

The anime follows Koichi Haimawari, an 18-year-old with a desire to help people despite having a less-than-stellar Quirk. His power allows him to travel quickly across any flat surface – as long as he makes contact with that surface with at least three limbs. Unfortunately, he’s no Flash: at top speed, he only moves about as fast as a bicycle. In many ways, Koichi is like My Hero Academia lead Deku: Both are big-hearted optimists and admirers of the world’s greatest superhero, All Might. In others, he’s a different kind of superhero for MHA: An everyman. The premiere does a lot of work to establish Koichi’s relatability. Sure he has a Quirk, but it’s not one that’s useful for superheroics. He tries to help people, but cowers when things get too real.

Even in the first episode, it is clear Vigilantes is giving audiences a different perspective on My Hero Academia. This is not a show about big villains with grand schemes fighting the A-listers. Its concerns are smaller, like the frustration of a convenience-store work being robbed by a small-time vandal with Wolverine claws. These are the villains that aren't prioritized or even acknowledged by cops or heroes. It’s in line with the parent series: The best parts of MHA’s world-building involve the way regular people view hero society; in its earliest goings, it portrayed heroes as celebrities who sometimes cared more about endorsements than saving lives. Vigilantes promises to be a fascinating new spin on that idea, with a street-level view of a world where superpowers don’t just exist, but are common.

Without a doubt, the visuals are the main draw of the series so far. Director Kenichi Suzuki (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders) and the animators at Bones Studio B (Mob Psycho 100) give Vigilante an art style that is distinct from the flagship series – even compared to other series adapted from manga, this one has distinctly comic-book-y aesthetic. The character outlines are thick, the shading is striking, and the colors pop. Every frame is vibrant; like the Spider-Verse movies, sounds effects are rendered as onscreen onomatopoeia. (“Bam!” “Pow!,” etc.). The first episode doesn't reach the level of epic action of My Hero Academia, but these touches make even small alley brawls feel unique and dynamic.

Vigilantes is its own, smaller-scale story completely unconcerned with top heroes and U.A. High School. But some familiar faces show up nonetheless. Fortunately, these cameos and guest appearances (in the premiere, at least) aren’t shoehorned in as reminders of Vigilantes’ roots. Instead, they’re just another example of the fully realized, lived-in world in which these episodes take place in.

Nintendo fans are presumably eager to get their hands on the Nintendo Switch 2. But one in particular seems a bit more eager than most, as he's already starting the line in front of the Nintendo New York store two months in advance to ensure he gets one.

YouTuber ChickenDog has started making the rounds as the "first" person to line up for the Nintendo Switch 2 at the New York store location. He started on April 5, two months before the planned June 5 launch of the new Nintendo console, and he said he plans to camp out and record updates as he does so.

First in line for the Nintendo Switch 2 gonna be camping out for 2 months can’t wait to see what happens throughout my journey! #NintendoSwitch2 #NintendoNYC #nintendostoreus pic.twitter.com/Vb7wrmk52y

— ChickenDog (@ChickenDog64) April 5, 2025

The "camping out" is a little more in the colloquial sense, as ChickenDog clarified in an update video that he has an AirBnB and hotel, as well as friends in the area, so he won't be braving the elements for two straight months. He's also got a crew of friends helping him hold the spot down when he's not physically there.

It’s raining for day 3 staying strong 💪 pic.twitter.com/lkFVycX2xW

— ChickenDog (@ChickenDog64) April 7, 2025

There's certainly a history of Nintendo fans camping out for big console and game releases, including a month-long wait for the Nintendo Switch. It seems like ChickenDog is looking to follow in those footsteps, waiting out the two months for Switch 2.

The YouTuber plans on recording and uploading content while he's out there, so head over to ChickenDog's YouTube if you want to follow all the updates day-after-day. Even without a tent or sleeping bag, waiting out for two months is a long, long time, so best of luck and some sunny skies to him.

Assuming ChickenDog stays the course, he'll need to hand over $450 just for a Switch 2, or $500 if he wants the Mario Kart world bundle. That is, unless the price goes up in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs, which have already caused Nintendo to delay Switch 2 pre-orders.

For more Switch 2 info, check out our big Nintendo Switch 2 interview with Nintendo of America's Bill Trinen going over price, mouse controls, and more.

Image credit: ChickenDog / YouTube.

Eric is a freelance writer for IGN.

Microsoft has created a playable "interactive space inspired" by Quake II using AI, and it's sparked a vociferous debate online.

As spotted by PC Gamer, the demo is powered by Microsoft's recently announced Muse and the World and Human Action Model (WHAM) AI system, and "can dynamically create gameplay visuals and simulate player behavior in real-time," which means a semi-playable environment has been generated entirely through AI and without an in-game engine.

"In this real-time tech demo, Copilot dynamically generates gameplay sequences inspired by the classic game Quake II," Microsoft explained. "Every input you make triggers the next AI-generated moment in the game, almost as if you were playing the original Quake II running on a traditional game engine. Enjoy the experience, share your thoughts, and help shape the future of AI-powered gameplay experiences.

"This bite-sized demo pulls you into an interactive space inspired by Quake II, where AI crafts immersive visuals and responsive action on the fly. It’s a groundbreaking glimpse at a brand new way of interacting with games, turning cutting-edge research into a quick and compelling playable demo."

All that sounds pretty impressive, but the demo itself is... well, less so.

After The Game Awards boss Geoff Keighley shared a brief video of the demo in action on X / Twitter, hundreds of people responded, with few having anything positive to say.

Microsoft has created an AI-generated replica of Quake II that you can play in browser.

"Every frame is created on the fly by an AI world model."

Play it here:https://t.co/WGQymDOmsj pic.twitter.com/35MX5aHPbF

— Geoff Keighley (@geoffkeighley) April 5, 2025

"Man, I don't want the future of games to be AI-generated slop," said one Redditor. "There will be a point where it will be easier to use AI, and then all the greedy studios will do it exclusively. The human element will be removed.

"And the worst part is gamers will buy it. They buy skins for 100 dollars. They will buy whatever you sell them."

"Microsoft's boast that they want 'to build a whole catalog of games that use this new AI model,' despite it not being clear if the current technique will ever even be capable of letting you turn around without moving to a random point on the map let alone come up with an original game, really typifies what's wrong with AI and the tech industry," added another.

"I had a better experience literally just imagining the game in my head," said another commenter.

Not everyone was so quick to dismiss it, however.

"I don't know why everything has to be doom and gloom," said a more cheery respondent. "It's a demo for a reason. It shows the future possibilities. Having an AI that is able to create a coherent and consistent world is crazy. But this cannot be used to create a full game or anything enjoyable. You cannot play this. Seems like a tool for early concept/pitching phase. This can also bring improvement in other fields in AI as what it is doing is impressive.

"This is not even a product yet but a demo showing how much they've improved from just a few months ago."

Epic Games boss Tim Sweeney had a rather different response:

pic.twitter.com/XidCvhLDTI

— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) April 5, 2025

Generative AI is one of the hottest topics within the video game and entertainment industries, which have both suffered massive layoffs in recent years. It has drawn criticism from players and creators due to a mix of ethical issues, rights issues, and AI’s struggles to produce content audiences actually enjoy. For instance, Keywords Studios attempted to create an experimental game internally using entirely AI. The game failed, with Keywords citing to investors that AI was “unable to replace talent.”

Still, that hasn’t put off a number of video game companies from using generative AI in the development of their products. Activision recently disclosed the use of generative AI for some Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 assets as part of new requirements on Steam, amid a backlash to an "AI slop" zombie Santa loading screen.

And last month, Horizon actor Ashly Burch addressed a controversial AI Aloy video that leaked online, using it to call attention to the demands of striking voice actors.

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.

As Marvel Rivals Season 1 nears its final chapter, Season 2 quickly approaches, promising dozens of hero balance adjustments, new superpowered Team-Ups, and the introduction of Emma Frost and Ultron as playable characters. But as we eagerly await Season 2’s arrival, the fight between good and evil rages on with a slightly different meta. Since the publication of our Season 1 Tier list in late January, Netease Games has implemented the Marvel Rivals Season 1.5 or Mid-Season Patch Notes, which included over 20 hero balance changes, and they made even further refinements to hero balance just under a month ago.

Now, three weeks removed from the most recent hero balance adjustments, the community has had plenty of time to solve the meta and test a near infinite variety of team compositions. With the meta crystallized, standouts like Luna Snow and Hela continue to reign, some dominant characters like Mantis and Storm have lost a bit of luster, and other heroes like Groot and Winter Soldier have improved on their already stellar performance.

This Marvel Rivals Season 1 Tier list will rank all 37 Heroes in Marvel Rivals from S-Tier down to D-Tier, to help you decide which characters to pick in your end-of-season Competitive Matches. Your character selection in these final days is especially important because the arrival of Season 2 on April 11th also brings a rank reset that will drop your rank by 9 divisions, so let’s get on with our Marvel Rivals Season 1.5 Tier list:

Marvel Rivals Tier List

• S-Tier
  • Doctor Strange, Groot, Magneto, Hela, Namor, Star-Lord, Winter Soldier, Wolverine, Invisible Woman, Loki, Luna
• A-Tier
  • Hulk, The Thing, Venom, Hawkeye, Psylocke, Storm, Cloak & Dagger, Mantis
• B-Tier
  • Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Magik, Spider-Man, Squirrel Girl, The Punisher, Adam Warlock, Rocket Raccoon, Jeff the Land Shark
• C-Tier
  • Peni Parker, Black Panther, Black Widow, Human Torch, Moon Knight
• D-Tier
  • Iron Fist, Mister Fantastic, Scarlet Witch

S-Tier

Doctor Strange

Early in Season 1, Doctor Strange was arguably the best tank in Marvel Rivals because of his versatility, ease of use, and fight-winning ultimate. Strange is a strong pick across all ranks, especially when paired with the ideal composition, but the 50 HP nerf he received in the mid-season patch, along with the rise of Magneto, has shifted the meta away from the Sorcerer Supreme in high ranks. Still, Strange just barely hangs on to his S-Tier title because most players understand how to play alongside him, his ultimate remains a threat against most comps, and his well-rounded kit performs well regardless of the game mode or map.

Groot

Despite only receiving a minor buff to his Thornlash Wall placement range in the Season 1.5 balance update, Groot has emerged as the tank with the most carry potential in the game because of his game-changing ultimate and his ability to isolate targets or block incoming damage with his walls. Groot’s early Season 1 partner, Moon Knight, has since received an ultimate nerf through a bug fix, but that doesn’t make Groot’s ultimate any less lethal. Pair Groot’s ultimate with Namor or Winter Soldier to decimate the enemy team regardless of the active support ults.

Magneto

Though Magneto had already earned an S-Tier rank at the start of Season 1, he’s emerged as one of the best, if not the best, Vanguard in Marvel Rivals. In the mid-season patch, Magneto received nerfs to his shield energy consumption and maximum duration but received a slight damage buff on his primary fire as compensation. However, Magneto’s improvement has more to do with his versatility as an enabler. Whether bubbling Venom on dives, Star-Lord as he pops his ultimate, or saving his backline, Magneto is the quintessential off-tank and excels alongside Groot, The Thing, Venom, Doctor Strange, and more. Plus, Meteor M is a great counter to ultimates such as Star-Lord’s Galactic Legend, and the projectile can still be thrown to secure eliminations through many support ults.

Hela

Hela was and remains the pick-or-ban Duelist. So long as her primary fire damage sits at 70, she’ll continue to two-tap headshot most squishies from range and take over your lobbies. As if that weren’t enough, her kit has mobility and crowd control, and she can dominate regardless of the composition, game mode, or map.

Namor

While Namor was placed in A-Tier in our previous tier list because of his ability to stave off flankers, he’s been bumped up to S because of his synergy with Groot’s ultimate and his Team-Up with Luna Snow. The Frozen Spawn Team-Up is even often the target of bans, where Luna is banned not only to avoid her ultimate but to enable a dive composition by weakening Namor. Meanwhile, pairing Namor’s Horn of Proteus ult with Groot’s ultimate unleashes enough damage to cut through most support ultimates.

Star-Lord

In the mid-season patch, Star-Lord received a buff to his Rocket Propulsion’s maximum energy, and though this undoubtedly helped his survivability, we admittedly underestimated his strength in our previous tier list. Star-Lord is heavily favored in 1v1 duels, he can chunk down tanks from range, and he’s only further enabled by the rise of Magneto. Magneto can bubble Star-Lord for added protection when popping his ultimate, or Star-Lord can call for a bubble as he uses Blaster Barrage to farm ult charge off a group of enemies. Very few Heroes can effectively deal with a good Star-Lord, his ultimate is still nuts, and he thrives in just about any situation.

Winter Soldier

Since getting buffs to the base health and bonus health he receives when using his abilities at the start of Season 1, the Winter Soldier has only further established himself among the best Marvel Rivals Duelists across all ranks. Bucky shoots projectiles the size of beach balls, his Bionic Hook can mean instant death to any kidnapped character, and his ultimate synergizes perfectly with Groot’s. Pop Kraken Impact to smash enemies imprisoned by Groot, and if you don’t instantly secure a kill, a couple of follow-up shots will almost certainly reset your slam to enable your team to dismantle your foes.

Wolverine

Wolverine has received no balance changes since the start of Season 1, but his ability to cut down tanks and kidnap targets remains uniquely invaluable. Wolverine can also deal with Groot if he’s not paired with Magneto or Invisible Woman, which elevates his stock in the current meta. Unfortunately, Wolverine’s biggest weakness is making it past the ban selection screen.

Invisible Woman

Invisible Woman was an S-Tier Strategist on arrival, and little has changed since because the only balance change she’s received is a slight ultimate cost nerf. Her ultimate grants extreme healing to all teammates within its radius, her push and pull allow her to repel divers or punish bad positioning, and she provides some of the most consistent healing and damage output in the role. Invisible Woman slots in well to just about any composition or Strategist pairing, and she can grant extra shielding to her fellow Fantastic Four members.

Loki

Though Loki was placed in A-Tier at the start of Season 1, the community has further solved this hero, and his true potential places him among the best Strategists in the game. Loki’s healing and damage are amplified by his clones, his Regeneration Domain lamp can save you or your teammates from incoming ultimates, and Loki’s copy is still broken, especially when there’s a Luna in play. Finally, don’t forget that Hela’s prevalence in the meta lets them abuse the overpowered Ragnarok Rebirth Team-Up.

Luna Snow

The frequency of Luna Snow’s ultimate was reduced in the mid-season patch, but it’s done little to remove her from the top spot in the Strategist role. Luna’s ultimate continues to provide 12 seconds of near invincibility if the enemy team hasn’t built a coordinated ult combo, her healing and damage output are excellent, and her freeze and Ice Arts provide plenty of survivability. Luna is an easy S-Tier, and she’ll likely retain the title until her ultimate receives major adjustments.

A-Tier

Hulk

Hulk’s Team-Up Anchor health bonus took a hit in the Season 1.5 patch, and though this undoubtedly impacted the length and effectiveness of his engagements, Hulk has fallen to A-Tier because other tanks get more value with less effort. Venom is better in true dive comps, The Thing is more effective when brawling, and Invisible Woman and Winter Soldier can easily disrupt his disengagements. Nevertheless, Hulk continues to be an elite Vanguard that is underutilized in the current meta.

The Thing

The Thing is the best tank in A-Tier, and he may even make a convincing argument for the final spot in S. The Thing’s Earthbound CC effect can make it near impossible to play certain Duelists, he’s immune to Invisible Woman’s pushes, and he pairs beautifully alongside a Magneto that’s generous with his bubbles. Still, The Thing suffers if Groot makes it past the ban phase, so be sure to communicate with your teammates to ensure your game isn’t miserable.

Venom

Bumped up to A-Tier in this tierlist, Venom is the best dive tank in Marvel Rivals. When paired with synergistic dive characters, Venom can slaughter enemy backlines if they’ve forgone a triple Strategist comp, and he pairs incredibly well with Magneto, who can bubble engages or disengages to maximize Venom’s uptime. Venom is also helped by his ultimate cost reduction in the mid-season patch and the Frenzied Arrival adjustment that now knocks enemies inward upon landing to set up follow-up damage.

Hawkeye

In the mid-season patch, Hawkeye received several buffs despite already sitting in A-Tier on our previous tier list. His base health was bumped up to 275, the cooldown of Crescent Slash was cut by three seconds, his ultimate now increases his bow draw speed, and its damage multiplier was increased. Hawkeye was already a formidable Duelist because of his one-shot potential, but his usage has surprisingly decreased toward the end of the season, likely because he still can’t match Hela’s hitscan firepower. But with Hela as a high priority ban, more people should be picking up the bow and selecting this A-Tier Duelist.

Psylocke

Psylocke’s only balance change in the mid-season patch was a buff to her Psionic Disc Team-Up with Magik, which improved the conversion ratio of lost health to improve her sustained combat potential. Still, her pick rate has unexpectedly plummeted in the current meta. Psylocke continues to be an A-Tier Duelist, and while she thrives in dive-centric compositions, she can also play on an off-angle to chunk down tanks and secure kills on low-health targets.

Storm

After being a terror toward the start of Season 1, Storm received nerfs in the mid-season patch, including a damage falloff nerf and a reduction to her personal damage amplification, but her ally damage amplification was slightly increased. Storm is still an excellent pick in most ranks, but her usage has seen a decline in large part because of the prevalence of Hela, Winter Soldier, and The Punisher.

Cloak & Dagger

Cloak & Dagger were a definitive S-Tier pick at the start of Season 1, but their ultimate received a hefty nerf in the Season 1.5 patch. The nerf increased the ultimate cost, its duration was reduced, and most importantly, Cloak & Dagger’s ultimate no longer stacks when the trails overlap. In a game featuring busted ultimates like Loki’s and Luna’s, this nerf has left Cloak & Dagger in a bit of an awkward spot. But because their neutral game is a reliable source of healing and damage, Cloak & Dagger are still a proficient Strategist in triple support comps or when chosen due to bans. With all this in mind, Cloak & Dagger just barely hold on to an A-Tier ranking, but they’re not far off from the Strategists in B.

Mantis

In Season 0, Mantis was praised for her consistent damage and ally damage amplification, but a nerf in the Season 1 patch has similarly knocked her down a tier. The nerf noticeably reduced Mantis’s movement speed, which has made it easier for divers and flankers to eliminate her. With that said, Mantis can still excel in triple support comps where she can focus on enabling her team, and she shines when paired with Adam Warlock for the Nature’s Soul Team-Up rez.

B-Tier

Captain America

Previously ranked in C-Tier, Captain America has since received several buffs to increase his survivability, reduce the time it takes to build his ultimate, and provide improvements to his iconic shield. These buffs have made Cap a viable pick in many situations, especially when you master the ebb and flow of engagements, but he’s still more likely to thrive in lobbies below Grandmaster.

Thor

Thor is another Hero in an awkward spot in the current meta because he essentially operates as a beefy Duelist that farms insane damage and can provide disruption in both the frontlines and backlines. Unfortunately, the nature of his playstyle and ultimate have the God of Thunder sitting on the bench behind the likes of Magneto, Groot, and The Thing. But make no mistake, Thor can be near unkillable in low elo lobbies, and his Team-Up with Hela only augments his power.

Iron Man

Early in Season 1, Iron Man was often only selected when paired with the Hulk for the Gamma Overdrive Team-Up that enhanced nearly all of his abilities. Iron Man’s has since received noteworthy damage buffs that have increased his viability without his green-colored pal. However, like Storm, Iron Man’s potency is greatly reduced by the excellence of Hela, Star-Lord, and Winter Soldier, who can handily take him down. This places Iron Man in B-Tier, but he bumps up to low A-Tier on maps with advantageous architecture.

Magik

On paper, Magik would receive a higher ranking because of the lethality of her combos and her elite brawl potential when paired with a supportive cast. Yet, Magik simply doesn’t play well into the S-Tier Heroes on this tier list, which relegates her into more of a niche role than she’s been used to. She can still farm against some team comps or on specific maps, and she grants Black Panther and Psylocke a powerful recall Team-Up to enhance their dives, but there are more prolific options in the Duelist roster.

Spider-Man

Since the Season 1.5 balance patch, Spider-Man has climbed up to high B-Tier. In the mid-season patch, his Web-Cluster uptime was increased, and his Suit Expulsion Team-Up with Venom was adjusted to provide invincibility for 1 second instead of granting 4 seconds of 50% damage reduction. This change alone has drastically increased Spidey’s pick rate and viability and arguably made him the best dive Duelist in this meta, particularly on console. But if you’re up against a reliable triple support comp or lack a Venom, you may want to consider swapping to a Hero that provides more value for less effort.

Squirrel Girl

Squirrel Girl remains on the lower end of B-Tier because of her ease of use, crowd control combos, and high burst damage. She’s far from the most reliable character in the game because securing kills can be inconsistent, but her impressive burst damage and improved ultimate can be irritating in lower elo lobbies.

The Punisher

The Punisher has always been a solid pick because of his reliable damage output, but he lacks the quick lethality and utility provided by some of the better Duelists on this list. Still, he’s the perfect character for new players because of his ease of use, and his Team-Up with Rocket drastically improves his effectiveness.

Adam Warlock

You may be surprised to see Adam Warlock in B-Tier because of his presence in pro play, where his passive, Team-Up, and ultimate abilities help keep his team in the battle. Soul Bond is also among the most powerful Strategist abilities in the game since it enables his team to survive many fight-winning ultimates. Unfortunately, Adam loses some of his luster in uncoordinated play, but he can still perform well in triple support comps or when paired with Star-Lord and Mantis.

Rocket Raccoon

The slippery Rocket Raccoon is among the most beloved Strategists in Marvel Rivals, and though we still have him in B-Tier, he’s definitely raised his stock within the tier. This is largely due to his Team-Up ability that enables The Punisher and further augments an already lethal Winter Soldier. Rocket’s rez, consistent healing, and movement make him a larger asset than we gave him credit for in the previous tierlist, but we remain unconvinced of his viability outside of triple support compositions because his ultimate doesn’t compare to the likes of Luna, Loki, Invisible Woman, and Mantis.

Jeff the Land Shark

In our Season 1 tier list, we gave Jeff the honorable badge of the worst Strategist in the game, even though many Jeff connoisseurs can turn the Land Shark into a seemingly unkillable pest. This placed him in C-Tier because we were unconvinced that the flanking Jeff playstyle was a viable one. We’re happy to report that we were wrong, as Jeff has carved a niche for himself in many triple support compositions, and he even earned some playtime in the Marvel Rivals Grand Finals. Though Jeff is still arguably the worst Strategist in the game, he’s far from a throw pick and thrives when picked in a composition that enables him to distract and eliminate unsuspecting enemies.

C-Tier

Peni Parker

Despite receiving an impressive buff to her Armor Expulsion Team-Up, Peni is still the worst Vanguard in Rivals. Though she likely farms in low elo lobbies where her mines can see a massive uptick in value, her ultimate is virtually useless, and nearly all of her abilities are comfortably outclassed by the other tanks. Thankfully, the Season 2 balance patch will increase her base HP by 100, and her primary fire will drastically improve because she’ll be able to deal critical damage, and her movement reduction when firing will get cut in half.

Black Panther

Black Panther received heavy-handed nerfs to his survivability in the Season 1 Patch, and he hasn’t recovered since. Black Panther’s viability is further damaged by the continued prevalence of triple support compositions in many ranks. This makes it far more difficult to pick off supports, and other divers like Spider-Man and Psylocke simply bring more to the table.

Black Widow

Though this may just be the most controversial ranking on this tierlist, Black Widow is moving from the depths of D-Tier to a niche C-Tier. Obviously, making the most of your Black Widow pick will be determined entirely by the consistency of your aim, but her magazine size has nearly doubled, and her ultimate has been improved. So, while Black Widow remains vulnerable to all the dive characters in the game and only thrives in compositions and maps that ensure long sightlines, she’s no longer an instant throw pick in lower elo lobbies.

Human Torch

Making his debut on our tier list, Human Torch is a mediocre Hero that’s sadly outclassed by his fellow flyers, Star-Lord, Iron Man, and Storm. Johnny received some damage buffs in the most recent balance update, but they’ve proven to be insufficient fixes, especially in a meta where his soft counters like Hela are dominating lobbies.

Moon Knight

Moon Knight was ranked in A-Tier on the previous tier list because of his ease of use and insane ultimate damage that paired perfectly with Groot’s ultimate. This combo still works in many situations, but Moon Knight’s ultimate was heavily nerfed by a bug fix that makes it far easier to survive. Pair this with the fact that his ankh gets little to no value in high-tier lobbies, and Moon Knight is, at best, a situational pick.

D-Tier

Iron Fist

Since our previous tier list, Iron Fist has gone through a bit of an identity crisis as Netease aimed to position him as more of a tank buster and less of a flanker. Iron Fist now deals damage based on the enemy’s maximum health, and he got a slight HP buff to improve his survivability. Still, his telegraphed engagements are easy to fend off with attentive supports, and he lacks the frontline presence needed to reliably take on Vanguards on his own. In the end, Iron Fist’s micro-rework is seemingly a failure, and he should only be selected by specialists who fully understand the Hero’s current limitations.

Mister Fantastic

On release, Mister Fantastic was marketed as a Vanguard and Duelist hybrid, and sadly, this identity continues to be his downfall. Sure, Mister Fantastic has impressive survivability for a Duelist, but you might as well select a Vanguard with more HP and frontline presence. Similarly, Mister Fantastic lacks the lethality of even the most average of Duelists, so selecting him can be hard to justify. Mister Fantastic sat at a niche C-Tier in our last tierlist, but he’s become one of the worst characters in the game.

Scarlet Witch

In Season 2, Scarlet Witch’s primary fire is being fine-tuned, her damage is being amplified, she’s receiving a new Team-Up, and she’ll move faster during her ultimate. Unfortunately, these balance adjustments won’t arrive until next Friday, so for now, Scarlet Witch continues to be a great pick in lower elo and a difficult one when you reach Diamond or above. She simply lacks the neutral firepower provided by most of the Duelist roster, and her ultimate is incredibly easy to avoid unless she pulls out some trickery alongside Doctor Strange.

Dio Lacayo is a freelance contributor with IGN who has an unhealthy obsession with platformers, Paddington, and Overwatch. And before you say anything, no, it's not a Jojo’s reference.

Minecraft is everywhere right now — including on your feed in the form of a few unfinished clips from A Minecraft Movie that have gone viral on social media. Two sneak peek videos of the new Minecraft film before it was finished have made their way around the internet, and it seems as though fans are getting a kick out of them following the film’s record-breaking opening weekend in the U.S.

Warning! Spoilers for A Minecraft Movie follow:

The first clip features Jack Black as Steve, the film’s central protagonist and Overworld expert, introducing his own personal Minecraft world to the viewers. Naturally, because Black is in the spotlight here, the clip features him dancing alongside cows and pandas of Overworld and it’s super silly.

GTFOH 🤣🤣🤣 https://t.co/2oYUBizgAe pic.twitter.com/X4pLsZLarz

— A.K.A. JLongb0ne (@JonsLongs) April 4, 2025

The second video focuses on a huge battle, showcasing Steve and Garrett 'The Garbage Man' Garrison (played by Jason Momoa, the film’s other lead) falling out of the sky together and landing in a body of water.

the unfinished CGI version of the minecraft movie might be the funniest movie i have ever watched pic.twitter.com/jToi57c5wo

— kooby (@iamkooby) April 6, 2025

The clips seem to be missing CGI and VFX elements, which give them this uncanny kids-show-on-a-soundstage feeling — a far cry from the effects-heavy final product of the film.

The Minecraft adaptation has been a smash hit, especially when it comes to younger theatergoers. The film’s “chicken jockey” scene — yeah, this one’s got big IYKYK energy folks, sorry — has incited major reactions among audiences to the point where the cops have been allegedly called to handle the mayhem in select screenings. Plus, the box office return has already been quite staggering, collecting a massive $301 million for its opening weekend. Needless to say, the kids have been, overall, loving this film.

IGN’s A Minecraft Movie review returned a 6/10. We said: “Napoleon Dynamite director Jared Hess puts a surprisingly specific and funny comic spin on A Minecraft Movie’s kid-friendly adventure, especially in its less antic first half.”

If you’ve seen the film, be sure to check out IGN’s A Minecraft Movie Ending and Post-Credits Scene Explained With Director Jared Hess and Minecraft's Torfi Frans Ólafsson.

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

If you're anything like me, you're constantly telling yourself you won’t buy more Pokémon cards while also keeping a mental checklist of which sets still have a shot at pulling something ridiculous. That’s exactly why I grabbed the Azure Legends Tin the second I saw it back in stock on Amazon for $29.99. Five packs for under $30 is solid, but two of those are Surging Sparks, and that alone makes this thing worth cracking open.

Pokémon TCG: Azure Legends Tin Has Two Surging Sparks Packs

My Favorite Surging Sparks Cards

I want more excuses to open Surging Sparks packs because pulling something like Pikachu ex (SIR) feels like finding a winning lottery ticket, except way cuter and slightly more legal. I think the art alone justifies framing it, and its ability to hang in top-tier decks makes it that much sweeter. I also love Latias ex (SIR) for finally giving me a reason to hunt down the matching Latios and live out my “twin dragons soaring through art” fantasy. And if you’re sleeping on Milotic ex, that’s your loss. It’s stunning, shuts down Tera Pokémon like a pro, and honestly deserves more hype.

My Favorite Stellar Crown Cards

I’m chasing Terapagos ex (SIR) like it's a gem-studded unicorn. It's visually ridiculous and feels like the set's “trophy card.” I think Bulbasaur (Illustration Rare) is perfect if you like your pulls with a side of nostalgia and Pidgey cameos, which I do. And Dachsbun ex (SIR)? It’s a bread dog. A literal loaf with glitter. I shouldn’t love it, but here we are. Don’t tell my competitive brain.

My Favorite Temporal Forces Cards

I open Temporal Forces hoping for Raging Bolt ex (SIR) and fully expecting disappointment, which somehow makes pulling it even better. It’s one of those cards that looks like it came straight out of a boss fight and hits just as hard. Iron Crown ex is another top-tier choice. It boosts Iron Hands ex damage, which basically means you’re stealing Prize cards like it’s a Black Friday brawl. And then there’s Walking Wake ex (SIR). In my opinion, it looks like a dream sequence in a prehistoric fever dream, and I mean that in the best way.

My Favorite Obsidian Flames Cards

I think it’s illegal to talk about Obsidian Flames without mentioning Charizard ex (SIR). It's the card everyone wants, including me, and somehow still feels special no matter how many versions of this dragon exist. I’m also a big fan of Pidgeot ex (SIR), which is basically the MVP of utility cards dressed like it walked out of an indie graphic novel. And then there's Cleffa (Illustration Rare) — a tiny cosmic marshmallow that looks like it wandered into a Studio Ghibli scene. I want five copies just to look at them.

Christian Wait is a contributing freelancer for IGN covering everything collectable and deals. Christian has over 7 years of experience in the Gaming and Tech industry with bylines at Mashable and Pocket-Tactics. Christian also makes hand-painted collectibles for Saber Miniatures. Christian is also the author of "Pokemon Ultimate Unofficial Gaming Guide by GamesWarrior". Find Christian on X @ChrisReggieWait.

Editor’s note: This interview was conducted on April 3, 2025, prior to Nintendo’s announcement about delaying Switch 2 pre-orders in the United States due to the potential impact of tariffs. Parts of this interview were edited for clarity.

After getting hands-on with Nintendo Switch 2 at last week’s reveal in New York, IGN spoke with the hardware leads spearheading the development of Nintendo’s newest console. Kouchi Kawamoto and Takuhiro Dohta from Nintendo’s Entertainment Planning and Development Department, along with Tetusya Sasaki from Nintendo’s Technology Development Division, talked to IGN’s Brian Altano about the technology behind Switch 2, the classic Nintendo handhelds that have inspired them and the impact former Nintendo president Satoru Iwata’s legacy had on the development of the console.

IGN: Can you talk about the SOC system on a chip the Nintendo Switch 2 was running? Is it Nvidia Tegra? If not, can you reveal which graphics architecture it's based on?

Nintendo: I think you'll find a lot of the details in NVIDIA's information that they've shared.

IGN: One of the notes in the direct suggested to hit 4K in dock mode, upscaling may be required. What kind of upscaling is this system using? Is it using AI upscaling?

Nintendo: I think probably the main kind of easiest upscaling to use is the DLSS that Nvidia provides. So from that standpoint, I guess you could say this AI.

Nintendo: That said, we're planning on providing other options of upscaling through software and so ranging from something that uses AI to something that's not. I think you'll see that as time passes. And lastly, I'll add that even though there is upscaling, there's also the option to not upscale and just output natively. So that's also an option that developers can use.

IGN: What about ray tracing? Is that something that your team experimented with?

Nintendo: Just like DLSS, that's when we're kind of making the graphics of a game. We consider ray tracing as just another tool to do that – it's not that we're going to try to use ray tracing on everything, but really trying to figure out what types of graphics, what types of screens, what types of situations are best suited for ray tracing, and then trying to apply that. That's the approach we took when we did all of our researching and experimenting.

IGN: We saw that the switch two supports third party cameras. What about third-party mice?

Nintendo: You're talking about USB mice, things like that?

IGN: Yeah, not the animal!

Nintendo: [Laughs] It really depends on the game software with the structure. So if that software supports third-party USB mice, yes.

IGN: I have a six-year-old daughter. She took my Switch and I don't get to play it anymore. She also has dropped it a lot and it's okay. What have you done with Switch 2 to make sure that it can survive a kid dropping it on the floor or dropping it down the stairs?

Nintendo: Nintendo has made very sturdy devices through the ages and I believe that this time around as well, we've made something that will be sturdy.

Nintendo: Yeah, you can drop it a little bit. I don’t recommend it though!

IGN: I also have a Steam Deck and I like it, but the fan gets very loud when I'm playing high end games. It's almost distracting. What did Nintendo do to make sure that that was taken into account when designing the hardware for Switch 2?

Nintendo: When a fan is loud it really does affect one's gameplay, so that is definitely something we had in the back of our mind during the development of the Nintendo Switch 2. The system is made to adapt depending on the processing capability so I'm kind of curious to hear from the others here what their experience has been like.

Nintendo: When I was playing it it's not like, “Wow, there's a fan in there”. It hasn’t really gotten to the point where, even through development of the hardware, it has bothered me in any way.

Nintendo: The hardware team put quite a lot of effort into making sure the airflow was smooth. So a lot is coming in but there's a lot coming out, and as such the fan noise isn't too significant.

IGN: Nintendo invented the directional pad and it's been important for video games for my entire life. What did your team do to ensure that the Dpad on the Switch 2 was great for fighting games, puzzle games, platformers, all that fun stuff?

Nintendo: You may think that every time you see the directional pad that it's just the same button being reused, but the truth is we do make small adjustments and add small changes every time. I have people – our development and game development teams – try them out when we make a new one.

Nintendo: This is a more detailed point but for the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller directional buttons, we made it so that it's even more difficult to have mistaken input. Of course, it doesn't completely eliminate that possibility but it should reduce it.

IGN: I'm a big fan of Nintendo handheld systems and always have been since the original Game Boy. What are each of your personal favorite classic Nintendo handhelds?

Nintendo: I have fond memories for each of the systems that have come out but for me personally, I think the original Game Boy really has a special place in my heart. Part of the reason for that is that since then there's obviously new systems that came out, like the Game Boy Advance for example. But I just distinctly remember my mother with the original Game Boy playing Tetris, and that’s just burned into my memory.

IGN: Some of you worked with the legendary Satoru Iwata. Is there any specific part of his legacy that inspired the Nintendo Switch 2 design?

Nintendo: There are various aspects but what comes to mind first is the magnet connector. We originally didn't adopt it for the Nintendo Switch because it wasn't as secure as we would've liked. However, we put a lot of effort into this aspect and that has come to fruition.

Nintendo: It was Mr. Iwata's concerns about the magnets that meant it didn't come to fruition [for the original Switch]. So being able to actually address all of the issues and create something that probably would've met his standards is moving and meaningful.

IGN: I love it. I think I took the JoyCon on and off 20 times yesterday!

Nintendo: I actually have a question for you. You saw the footage of the JoyCon 2 snapping on and off. Was the impression you got from that footage different from actually snapping it on and off?

IGN: Yes. I thought it was going to be like a refrigerator magnet and it was going to be wobbly loose and instead it just goes ‘snap’ and clicks in. And I was like, “Oh, that feels really nice.”

Nintendo: I'm very relieved to hear that!

IGN: Yeah, they told me I had to stop doing it!

Brian Altano has been playing Mario Kart for 30+ years, and it's crazy that 10 of those years were spent with Mario Kart 8. We haven't seen Battle Mode for Mario Kart World yet, but he's still holding out hope that Block Fort can come back. Bring back Block Fort!

Currys have been hitting us hard with the discounts lately, but the UK retailer is back with not just giving us a deal on Nintendo eShop credit, but also offering 15% off gift cards for PlayStation, Xbox, Roblox, EA, Meta Quest, and even EA Sports FC points. When you use the discount code "PERKS15APRIL" at checkout, you'll get 15% knocked off the price.

Right now, you can grab the £50 Nintendo eShop digital gift card—the one featuring Bowser—for just £42.50. That’s a straight £7.50 saving, but the real win is that you still get the full £50 credit to spend however you like on the eShop, whether that’s on games, DLC, or a Switch Online subscription.

This kind of deal is a no-brainer if you’re already planning to pick up digital games in the near future, and it's especially useful with the Nintendo Switch 2 on the horizon (preorders are now live, by the way).

Plus, Switch 2 games are going to be cheaper when bought digitally (e.g. Mario Kart World, which has been confirmed to cost £75 physically in the UK, but £67 digitally), meaning you’ll get even more value out of your eShop credit compared to physical copies.

If titles like Donkey Kong Bananza or the premium-priced Mario Kart World are on your wishlist, stacking discounted credit now is one of the smartest ways to take the sting out of next-gen pricing when buying digitally.

When it comes to the discounts on other gaming gift cards, PlayStation £150 gift card is by far the best deal in the bunch, giving you a solid £23 discount, meaning you’ll only pay £127 instead of the usual £150. With that full £150 credit, you’re looking at a lot of value.

For example, you could use it to preorder Indiana Jones and the Great Circle for £69.99, and the Digital Deluxe Edition of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach for £89.99. Together, that’s £149.98—so you’ll effectively save £22.98 by grabbing the card at the discounted price.

However, keep in mind that not every gaming gift card on Curry’s list comes with the 15% discount. Currys only seemed to have a limited number of each digital gift card available to sell, making the discount code fail if you add one out of stock item to your basket and try to apply it at checkout.

The way to tell if a gift card is still in stock is to look out for the "Get 10% off marked price" label under each item's price or the "DIGIWEEKENDER10" discount code underneath the title—part of Curry's other promotion which gives you a smaller discount of 10%.
If you see this two labels on a gift card you like, that means the product is available for you to apply the "PERKS15APRIL" code instead and get the larger 15% discount.

If you’re eager to grab the latest games or get ahead of some highly anticipated releases, it’s a good idea to act quickly and lock in this deal before it disappears.

Ben Williams – IGN freelance contributor with over 10 years of experience covering gaming, tech, film, TV, and anime. Follow him on Twitter/X @BenLevelTen.

Editor’s note: This interview was conducted on April 3, 2025, prior to Nintendo’s announcement about delaying Switch 2 pre-orders in the United States due to the potential impact of tariffs. Parts of this interview were edited for clarity.

Nintendo has finally pulled back the curtain on Nintendo Switch 2, revealing the company's vision for its next-generation console and its games. But overshadowing dicussion around what the Switch 2 is capable of, the new gameplay mechanics in Mario Kart World, and OG Switch games that will find a new lease of life on Switch 2, is a backlash to Nintendo's pricing strategy.

We sat down with Nintendo of America's Vice President of Product and Player Experience Bill Trinen to talk about the big first-party reveals like Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza, the strategy behind pricing Switch 2 at $450 and Mario Kart at $80, the decision to release Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour as a paid digital product rather than a pack-in game, his excitement for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond's mouse controls and Masahiro Sakurai's return to the Kirby franchise, and more. Plus, does Bill know what Switch 2 cartridges taste like? Read our full interview below to find out.

IGN: Congrats on finally unveiling Nintendo Switch 2. How does it feel to finally have it out there?

Bill Trinen: Well, it's just exciting to be able to get all the details out there. For us, the most important thing is that we really want people to recognize and understand that Nintendo Switch 2 is the true successor to Nintendo Switch, takes what you love about Nintendo Switch, and then builds on it with a whole lot of new features and new capabilities and new games that take advantage of those. And really takes what has evolved gaming with Nintendo into something that's a lot more social through things like GameChat, which takes what was the anytime, anywhere play of Nintendo Switch and makes it more all together, anytime, anywhere.

IGN: So you just mentioned GameChat, that was a huge part of your presentation yesterday. Why was now the time to finally introduce Nintendo voice chat, which is something that people have wanted on your consoles for a really long time?

Trinen: Well, I would say we've always looked at it from the perspective of, 'what is Nintendo's real strength and what are Nintendo's real values?' And for us, the most important thing is putting smiles on people's faces and doing it in a way that people can see and experience the smiles that they have with the people that are most important to them.

And certainly there have been other game systems with chat and things like that up until now, but what we wanted to do was to take something that could finally replicate that same room, couch multiplayer, couch co-op experience and joy, and bring that into an online space. And so for us, GameChat is why it's so important is the combination of being able to see their faces, being able to see what they're doing from a gameplay perspective and being able to feel like you've finally got a virtual space where you can have those same experiences that you might have in your living room. So that's why with the power of, I would say Switch 2, being able to finally execute that has been a big focus for us.

IGN: Cool. And we always knew if you did voice chat, it would be in the most Nintendo way, and just with the camera and the mic on the unit in the dock and you say, 'oh, don't worry the background noise won't get in.' It was a cool presentation.

Trinen: Good. And that's the nice thing is with the built-in microphone, it's like, yeah, you can just voice chat if you want and you can do that portably as well.

IGN: Well, let's talk about Donkey Kong Bananza. I love the title by the way, it's perfect. Although last night when I was scrambling to type my preview, it autocorrected to 'Bonanza' every time, and I was like, 'I’ve got to add this to my dictionary.' But I love the name and it's so exciting to see DK back in the spotlight after so long. And I noticed so many things just getting my hands on the controller for the first time. So when you guys got this game in at Nintendo of America, what stuck out to you the most? What was your favorite part about working on it from a localization perspective or anything else?

Trinen: Well, so I'll start with a really terrible joke, which is I like to call this the most groundbreaking game in video game history.

IGN: [Laughs] I used that in my preview today. I said, 'you have to break all the ground you can because you might make a groundbreaking discovery.'

Trinen: [Laughs] That's right. So for us, the number one thing that I think is probably just the most satisfying about this game is just DK the character. He's back, he's back in a big way. And DK is a character within the pantheon of Nintendo characters who has always been a bit on the more powerful side, wild at times, silly.

And all of that has just been thoroughly baked into this game. And as the character DK, you're able to use the power of his punches and you might attack an enemy in the environment, and that enemy goes flying and hits a wall and the wall crumbles and you see something there, and that then entices you to go in and start digging through the terrain to see what else you can find back there. And it just creates this incredibly rewarding cycle of destruction and discovery that is woven all throughout the game.

IGN: The discovery via destruction was a really cool cornerstone of this game from my time with it. I thought that was just really great. And the second that I started playing it, I just felt the DNA of Super Mario Odyssey and Mr. [Yoshiaki] Koizumi's team all over this in so many ways. Are they the ones that are working on this?

Trinen: It's a very good question. You'll have to stay tuned. We always like to start by showcasing the game and getting people focused on the gameplay, but we'll have some information to share about the developer in due time.

IGN: Okay. Can you tell me, is this internally developed? Because there hasn't been an internal Donkey Kong game since I believe Jungle Beat was the last one?

Trinen: Jungle Beat was the last one.

IGN: You had the NST (Nintendo Software Technology) do the Mario vs. Donkey Kongs, but...

Trinen: NST has done the Mario vs. Donkey Kong games, but this is going to be a fun one.

IGN: So nothing more on that?

Trinen: Nothing more on that yet.

IGN: Okay. I had to try. Let's talk about Mario Kart World, because there's so much great stuff in there, but I think the cow is what's stealing everybody's heart. Did you expect that reaction? There's Akira memes about the cow, it's hilarious out there. Did you know the cow was going to be a big star?

Trinen: I would say perhaps not as big as the cow has become. Internally, certainly the very first moment that we saw the cow, everybody wanted to play as Cow.

IGN: When we were playing Knockout Tour yesterday, there were just like seven cows on the track.

Trinen: Well, that's the other thing that I just love about Mario Kart World is with the interconnected world of tracks, as I'm driving, you'll start something like Knockout Tour and you'll be driving across the continent. And what used to be the Mario Kart model was there's discrete tracks and you race on a discrete track and then you choose a different track and you race on a different discrete track.

And now what I find is I'm driving through, I'm starting in a new track and driving across the terrain and, 'Oh, I just happened to pass through Moo Moo Meadows and now I'm onto the next thing.' And it's just like for somebody that's grown up playing Mario Kart for so many years, just to be able to have that experience and piece it all together mentally into this big massive continent of racing has been a whole lot of fun for me.

IGN: It feels like a theme park of Mario Kart history, and I'm driving yesterday and going through all the different segments and then all of a sudden, 'Oh, I'm in the geyser tunnel from Dino Dino Jungle from Double Dash.' But I'm wondering, so right now it seems like the races, you start at one track and end up at another, and then the final lap is one loop around that final circuit you end up at. Not in the Knockout Tour, that's different, but is there a time trial or versus race mode that’s a way to just do three laps at this track? Or are you always driving interconnected between them when you're racing?

Trinen: You will have abilities to drive three laps on certain tracks. Obviously we've got a Nintendo Direct dedicated to Mario Kart World coming. I think you'll see a lot more on the game there, and I think a lot more that will hopefully surprise you and make you really feel like, 'Wow, there's a lot to this game.'

IGN: That will be really good to see. Because right now it looks great, it plays great, but I think the talk of the town is the price tag. This is an $80 game from Nintendo in the United States and $50 if you buy the Nintendo Switch 2 bundle. But I saw somewhere on your website that that bundle is only available for a limited time while supplies last. Can you just talk about the strategy behind pricing Mario Kart World this way?

Trinen: Well, I would say it's less about the strategy of pricing Mario Kart World, it's more just whenever we look at a given game, we just look at what is the experience, and what's the content, and what's the value? Mario Kart World, I think especially as you see from the Nintendo Direct, not to give you any hints or anything, but I did read your article this morning and I think you had mentioned that you didn’t find a lot to discover when roaming around. So I would say tune into our Mario Kart Direct to see what, maybe you'll be able to find out about that.

But honestly, this is a game that is so big and so vast and you will find so many little things in it to discover. And there's still some other secrets remaining that I think as people end up buying and playing the game, they're going to find this to be probably the richest Mario Kart experience they've ever had.

IGN: Okay. And to just stay on pricing for a little bit here. I'm looking at the Nintendo Switch 2 Editions of games and some games are $70, some are $80. That's what it's looking like right now. And some are cheaper than that too. I don't think we know the U.S. price for the Welcome Tour yet, but I think we saw the Japanese price is around $10.

Trinen: Yeah, the U.S. price is $9.99 for the Welcome Tour.

IGN: $9.99. Okay, digital only.

Trinen: Yes.

IGN: I'm just wondering about the strategy behind pricing these Nintendo Switch 2 Editions at the combination of the Switch 1 retail price, usually $59.99, and then whatever that upgrade path is, like $10 for Breath of the Wild, making that a $70 game, or Tears of the Kingdom is an $80 game because it's $70 plus the $10 upgrade path. Can you just walk me through the strategy behind not offering any sort of discount for newcomers on Switch 2 and saying, 'Tears of the Kingdom is $80 now just like Mario Kart is?'

Trinen: Well, again, what I would say is that we just look at each individual game and we look at the content and the value of that game, and then we say, 'what is the right price for the value of this entertainment?' What I would probably counter to some of that is that really what you're looking at is for the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, that's the physical price for somebody that has not bought the base game.

For somebody who has bought Tears of the Kingdom or Breath of the Wild, the upgrade packs for those are $9.99. And if you happen to be a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack member, both of the Zelda upgrade packs are inclusive within that membership. So there's no additional charge for those. But I think overall, our general approach is really just focus on what's the content, what's the value, and what's an appropriate price based on that.

IGN: Okay, thanks. And then the pricing for the console itself, too. A lot of people are talking about it — $450 in the United States, and we know there are definitely global economic factors at play. Can you share anything behind the strategy for pricing of the console? Was this something that was up to the wire where you didn't know what it was going to cost until recently? Can you share any insight?

Trinen: Can't really share insight into any of that. Obviously the cost of everything goes up over time, and I personally would love if the cost of things didn't go up over time. But I think any time you're building a new system that's got new features and new tech, there's costs associated with that. So again, we look at what is the experience on Nintendo Switch? What's the experience on Nintendo Switch 2? What are the new features that it offers? And certainly there's the cost of goods and things that factor into that, but we try to find the right appropriate price for a product based on that.

IGN: Last question on price, I promise. I played Welcome Tour on the show floor and I walked away and thought, 'this is a perfect pack-in game.' It shows what the console is, it shows HDR, it shows these new technologies Nintendo is embracing — in some cases for the first time — and I feel like it's a great showcase for the console. Was there ever any talk of making this a pack-in game, and why did you make the decision to price it as a separate digital product?

Trinen: It's an interesting product. We're actually getting ready today, we're going to be doing some Nintendo Treehouse Live segments and covering a lot of games in detail. That's one of them. And I think people will be able to see through Treehouse Live probably a little bit more maybe than you were able to see on the show floor. It's a pretty robust piece of software. There's a lot of great detail in there.

For some people, I think there are people who are particularly interested in the tech and the specs of the system and things like that, for them I think it's going to be a great product. It's really for people that want more information about the system rather than necessarily a quick intro to everything it does. And for that reason and just the amount of care and work that the team put into it, I think it was decided that, 'Yeah, this feels like $9.99 is not an exorbitant price. It feels like a good value for what you're getting out of the product.'

IGN: Okay. I want to talk about some of the features of the Joy-Con 2 now because I was really impressed with the mouse functionality. I thought that it worked really, really well in something like Metroid Prime 4. I can see that being the preferred way for a lot of people to play that game. So what are your expectations for mouse controls? Are you hoping that third-party developers make great use of them? Do you think it can bring new types of games? Just talk to me about your feelings about the mouse.

Trinen: Well, personally, I'm really excited about the mouse control. I don't know what your experience with Metroid Prime 4: Beyond was, the way that to me is probably my favorite way to play is I like to play split Joy-Con. I just like the freedom of having my hands not locked onto a controller like that. So I often like to play split Joy-Con and having the freedom to just seamlessly drop the mouse down for combat and then pick it back up for split Joy-Con, to me is something, number one, you can't do with any other console, you can't do on PC.

And it makes for a really great experience for the Prime series, particularly because the Prime series is the creator of the first-person adventure genre. And so in a series where you're doing a lot of exploration that's got some combat mixed in with it, that freedom feels right. Because for me, I feel like if I'm doing a lot of exploration, I want to be split Joy-Con. That flexibility to me is amazing.

I think the other thing that probably I'm hoping people are catching onto is that, yes, the Joy-Con 2 introduced mouse control, but they introduce mouse control in conjunction with the other technology within the Joy-Con. So whereas with a PC mouse, you're moving up and down and side to side and whatnot, with the Joy-Con, you've got the added ability to apply things like the angle that you're twisting the Joy-Con at, and having that also impact the play control with the mouse.

Or you've got two Joy-Con that have mouse control each, and that means two things. It means either you can have immediate two-player mouse control gameplay right out of the box with the Nintendo Switch 2, or it means, as we see with Drag x Drive, that you can do things with dual Joy-Con control, which hasn't been done before. And so my hope is really threefold. One, is that our own development teams continue to experiment with what they can do with the mouse to create creative new ways to use it.

I hope that we start to see third-parties that are then looking at opportunities with things like dual mouse control or combination of mouse plus motion control to evolve their gameplay. But I also do hope that when you look at PC developers, for example, if they want to bring a PC-based game to console, they have to spend a lot of time revamping the control scheme and adapting it to button controls. And so having the freedom of mouse control with the Joy-Con hopefully makes PC developers a lot more eager to want to bring their games to Nintendo Switch 2.

IGN: Well, my social team really wants to know. We don't have Switch 2 cartridges here. Do they taste like Switch 1 cartridges?

Trinen: [Laughs] I don't know yet.

IGN: You haven't done a taste test?

Trinen: I have not done a taste test. I keep hoping for pistachio flavor, but that's not happening.

IGN: [Laughs] I don't think that would turn away the kids. Okay, cool. Well, my last question here is that Kirby Air Riders was a huge surprise at the Nintendo Direct yesterday. And to see that is this secret project that Mr. [Masahiro] Sakurai teased earlier this year after wrapping up his YouTube series. Cool to see him come back to work with you guys again. Can you share any details further than that teaser we got in the Direct?

Trinen: Well, I believe Mr. Sakurai has said that there will not be any additional information on the game for quite a while. The team's working very hard on it. But for me, this was probably one of the most exciting announcements for a couple of reasons.

One, I'm always excited to see what Sakurai-san is working on. Two, he created the Kirby character and the Kirby franchise. And so it's great to see him come back to lead and direct a Kirby game again for the first time in a couple of decades. But I think more importantly, I've always felt that Kirby Air Ride on GameCube was a game that was ahead of its time and maybe not fully understood at the time that it came out.

And so I'm just really excited because there's a core group of people that played that game on GameCube that love it to death. And number one, I'm just happy because for them, this is such a big announcement and it's so good to see their excitement. But at the same time, I think that with where we are in the game industry today, I think we've got a real opportunity to introduce a much bigger audience to Kirby Air Riders. And I think people will finally really begin to appreciate just what I think is the genius of Masahiro Sakurai and what he created with that game.

IGN: Well, I'm in that core group. It's like one of my big childhood games. I love Kirby Air Ride, City Trial Free Roam. That's all I was doing, so I'm very excited. But thanks so much, Bill. We're super excited for June 5 and everything else that's coming on the way.

Trinen: Great. Thank you.

Logan Plant is the host of Nintendo Voice Chat and IGN's Database Manager & Playlist Editor. The Legend of Zelda is his favorite video game franchise of all time, and he is patiently awaiting the day Nintendo announces a brand new F-Zero. You can find him on Bluesky @LoganJPlant.

Nintendo has insisted Mario Kart World justifies its shock $80 price tag in response to controversy over the $10 hike for some Switch 2 games.

Last week’s Nintendo Direct revealed the Switch 2 and launch title Mario Kart World, but it was not until after the showcase ended that the price for both products was confirmed.

The Switch 2, out June 5, currently costs $449.99 — although Trump’s tariffs, which have already delayed pre-orders in the U.S., may cause Nintendo to hike the price. The real shock, though, is that Mario Kart World costs $79.99 — $10 higher than the most expensive Nintendo-published game on Switch, Tears of the Kingdom.

It’s worth pointing out that Nintendo is bundling Mario Kart World with a Nintendo Switch 2 for $499.99, cutting the cost of the game by a huge $30 in the process. However, Nintendo has indicated this bundle is a limited-time offer, and it remains to be seen if the bundle holds at $500, given the uncertainty surrounding the tariff situation and Nintendo’s pre-order delay in the U.S.

But Mario Kart World isn’t the only Nintendo Switch 2 game to cost $80 — some of the Switch 2 Edition games announced during the Nintendo Direct also cost $79.99, such as Kirby and The Forgotten Land - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star Crossed World, Super Mario Party Jamboree - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Jamboree TV, and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition.

These Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games improve upon their original Switch versions in various ways. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, for example, gain additional support for the Zelda Notes service in the Nintendo Switch App that provides game help. They also have achievements on Switch 2.

IGN has plenty of reaction to Nintendo’s jump to $80 for the Switch 2 generation, including from analysts who have helped us understand why this has happened. But what does Nintendo have to say about it? IGN interviewed Nintendo of America's Vice President of Product and Player Experience, Bill Trinen, at a recent Switch 2 preview event in New York, to ask about Nintendo’s pricing strategy for Mario Kart World to find out.

We need to point out here that our interview with Trinen was conducted on April 3, 2025, prior to Nintendo’s announcement about delaying Switch 2 pre-orders in the U.S. due to the potential impact of tariffs.

In his response, Trinen insisted Mario Kart world justifies its price tag, and pointed to the upcoming dedicated Mario Kart World Nintendo Direct where fans will learn more about the game and what it has to offer.

“I would say it's less about the strategy of pricing Mario Kart World, it's more just whenever we look at a given game, we just look at what is the experience, and what's the content, and what's the value?” Trinen said.

“Mario Kart World, I think especially as you see from the Nintendo Direct, not to give you any hints or anything, but I did read your article this morning and I think you had mentioned that you didn’t find a lot to discover when roaming around. So I would say tune into our Mario Kart Direct to see what, maybe you'll be able to find out about that.

“But honestly, this is a game that is so big and so vast and you will find so many little things in it to discover. And there's still some other secrets remaining that I think as people end up buying and playing the game, they're going to find this to be probably the richest Mario Kart experience they've ever had.”

We also asked Trinen about the $80 cost of some of the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games. While there is a $10 upgrade path for existing owners of these games on the Switch, and both The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition ($69.99) and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition ($79.99) are available as part of the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership, Nintendo is not offering any sort of discount to newcomers on Switch 2.

Trinen’s answer here echoed his Mario Kart World response, pointing to the value Nintendo sees in its games.

“Well, again, what I would say is that we just look at each individual game and we look at the content and the value of that game, and then we say, 'what is the right price for the value of this entertainment?' " he said.

“What I would probably counter to some of that is that really what you're looking at is for the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, that's the physical price for somebody that has not bought the base game. For somebody who has bought Tears of the Kingdom or Breath of the Wild, the upgrade packs for those are $9.99. And if you happen to be a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack member, both of the Zelda upgrade packs are inclusive within that membership. So there's no additional charge for those.

“But I think overall, our general approach is really just focus on what's the content, what's the value, and what's an appropriate price based on that.”

What Trinen is saying here is that Nintendo believes its next-generation push is worth a price hike when you consider what the video games themselves have to offer. And that’s a point echoed by Piers Harding-Rolls, Research Director, Games at Ampere Analysis. He told IGN Nintendo has form when it comes to going high for the cost of its games.

"Nintendo has a bit of a history of pricing games higher than other platforms when coming to the market later than other platforms - in this case PS5 and Xbox Series,” he said.

“I remember back in the day N64 titles being more than PS1 titles for example. Some of that is related to cost of goods, but Nintendo also likes to follow its own approach and price based on its own appreciation of value."

As for the current $450 price tag of the Switch 2 itself, Trinen again pointed to value, but also highlighted the increasing costs associated with releasing a video game console.

“Obviously the cost of everything goes up over time, and I personally would love if the cost of things didn't go up over time,” he told IGN.

“But I think any time you're building a new system that's got new features and new tech, there's costs associated with that. So again, we look at what is the experience on Nintendo Switch? What's the experience on Nintendo Switch 2? What are the new features that it offers? And certainly there's the cost of goods and things that factor into that, but we try to find the right appropriate price for a product based on that.”

As IGN has reported, some Nintendo fans have expressed concern that they may be priced out of the next-generation if the company goes even higher than the already controversial prices for the Switch 2 and its games such as Mario Kart World due to the tariff situation.

What is increasingly clear, however, is that despite calls from the community for Nintendo to drop the price, the Switch 2 and its games are much more likely to get even more expensive than cheaper in the United States.

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.

Amid the furore around the $449.99 price of the Switch 2 and Mario Kart World's $79.99 price tag, there is shock at Nintendo’s decision to charge for the console’s tutorial game, Welcome Tour.

Nintendo revealed Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour during its Nintendo Direct. It’s a game set to launch alongside the Switch 2 in June that offers a guided tour of the console itself in video game form.

Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour is described as a "virtual exhibition" of the new hardware. Per Nintendo: "through tech demos, minigames and other interactions, players will get to know the new system inside and out in ways they may never have known about otherwise."

The Nintendo Direct showed footage of a small player avatar exploring a super-sized Switch 2, reading about the different features and facts about the console. It also includes mini-games such as Speed Golf, Dodge the Spiked Balls, and a Maracas Physics Demo.

IGN can now confirm that Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour costs $9.99 and is a digital-only product. That’s significantly cheaper than other Switch 2 games, but IGN has already reported to the complaints from some Nintendo fans that Welcome Tour costs money at all, with many saying it should be Switch 2 pack-in, as DualSense tech demo game Astro's Playroom was for PlayStation 5.

IGN interviewed Nintendo of America's Vice President of Product and Player Experience, Bill Trinen, at a recent Switch 2 preview event in New York, and asked him if Nintendo discussed making Welcome Tour a pack-in game, and why the company made the decision to price it as a separate digital product.

We need to point out here that our interview with Trinen was conducted on April 3, 2025, prior to Nintendo’s announcement about delaying Switch 2 pre-orders in the U.S. due to the potential impact of tariffs, and subsequent concern that Nintendo may raise the price of the console and its games further as a result.

Trinen said there’s more to Welcome Tour than it appears based on the showing during the Nintendo Direct and even during recent hands-on opportunities the media had access to. Based on what’s actually in the game, Nintendo decided $9.99 “is not an exorbitant price,” he continued.

“It's an interesting product,” Trinen began. “We're actually getting ready today, we're going to be doing some Nintendo Treehouse Live segments and covering a lot of games in detail. That's one of them. And I think people will be able to see through Treehouse Live probably a little bit more maybe than you were able to see on the show floor. It's a pretty robust piece of software. There's a lot of great detail in there.

“For some people, I think there are people who are particularly interested in the tech and the specs of the system and things like that, for them I think it's going to be a great product. It's really for people that want more information about the system rather than necessarily a quick intro to everything it does.

"And for that reason and just the amount of care and work that the team put into it, I think it was decided that, 'Yeah, this feels like $9.99 is not an exorbitant price. It feels like a good value for what you're getting out of the product.' "

Welcome Tour is of course just one part of Nintendo’s next-gen push to become embroiled in controversy, and we’ve also got Trinen’s response to questions surrounding the company’s decision to go for $80 Switch 2 games, as well as going for $450 for the Switch 2 itself.

Be sure to check out IGN’s interview with Bill Trinen in full to find out more.

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.

Streamer Valkyrae’s cameo alongside other famous content creators was cut from A Minecraft Movie, it was confirmed over the weekend. Addressing the situation, Valkyrae, real name Rachell Marie Hofstetter, told fans she would “much rather not have that 30 seconds than be sued.”

Last year, Valkyrae namechecked A Minecraft Movie star Jason Momoa when asked for her “worst celebrity or streamer experience.”

In a video interview, Valkyrae alleged: “I just saw him mistreat some of the crew. And it was pretty disappointing. It was after a very intense scene, and it was a very emotional scene, so maybe he was still in character. I don't know. But I just was surprised at how he treated some of the crew.

“He was just really mad at them that they weren’t doing something right. It was setting up the shot and stuff, and he was angry, like really mad, and like yelling. So I was like, man, this is not a good work environment. I would not be happy working under these conditions.

“I would have to say that was the worst celebrity thing I’ve seen.”

Fast forward to the weekend just gone and A Minecraft Movie’s record-breaking release, and Valkyrae’s cameo appears to have not made the cut, although some fans believe they have spotted a blink-and-you’ll miss glimpse at the streamer in the background of a certain shot.

In a livestream on Twitch, Valkyrae touched on the situation around A Minecraft Movie. She kept her cards close to her chest, dancing around the reason for her omission, but did confirm her cameo was meant to be 30 seconds long, and insisted its removal had nothing to do with Minecraft or the people behind it.

“Let’s just say I’m not gonna touch too much on it,” Valkyrae began. “But as much as you guys saw the other creators that were in it, would have been the equal amounts that you saw me in it, which is like 30 seconds. So it’s okay.

"I would much rather not have that 30 seconds than be sued. So it’s all good, okay? It’s all good.

“It really was a wonderful 10 days in New Zealand for that 30 seconds, and I’m really glad I got to visit New Zealand.

“I feel like things could have been so much worse, you know what I mean? That’s all I’m going to say about it, okay. That’s all I’m going to say.

“It’s not even Minecraft. It’s not even their fault. Don’t even worry. Don’t worry.”

IGN has asked Warner Bros. Discovery for comment.

While Nintendo's official UK preorders for the Nintendo Switch 2 aren't set to begin until April 8, the console is already proving elusive. Most major retailers—including EE, Argos, GAME, and Smyths—have gone live early, only to sell out fast. Scalpers have also started to list the console above RRP on eBay. There's turmoil in the US as well, where preorder delays and tariff concerns have muddied the waters.

But there’s some good news: Amazon UK has begun sending out its latest wave of preorder invitations for Switch 2. If you requested an invite, now’s the time to swing by the Switch 2 listings just below, and check your inbox—this could be your best (and possibly only) chance to lock in a launch-day console without the chaos.

Unlike the US, UK preorders and pricing remain rock solid, with no delays and no price hikes. For instant alerts on preorder drops, restocks, and bundle deals, make sure to follow @IGNUKDeals on Twitter/X or Bluesky so you're always first in line.

• See at Amazon
• See at EE
• See at Argos
• See at Currys

If you haven’t yet requested a preorder invite from Amazon UK, now’s the time to act. Stock is vanishing fast across major retailers, and Amazon remains one of the last places where you can still secure a Nintendo Switch 2—or the sought-after Switch 2 Mario Kart World Bundle—without resorting to scalpers or second-hand listings.

Amazon is continuing to accept invite requests and will be sending out invitations right up until June 5. The catch is invites aren’t guaranteed, they’re not based on playtime like Nintendo’s own system, and once you receive one, it expires after just 22 hours. That means speed is everything—delay too long and your shot is gone.

But the good news, there’s no upfront cost either, so Amazon won’t charge you a penny until your order is dispatched, making it a risk-free way to secure your console ahead of launch. While Some users have reported a June 7 delivery estimate, but Amazon support has confirmed this is just a system glitch—launch day delivery on June 5 is still locked in.

And if you're building your day-one kit, some key accessories are already up for grabs. A Switch 2 screen protector is currently 50% off, while a high-speed Samsung 256GB microSD Express card—fully compatible with Switch 2—is just £47.35, the lowest price we've seen. You can also preorder the new Switch 2 Camera for £49.99.

Switch 2 US Preorders Delayed Amid Tariff Uncertainty

In a surprise move, Nintendo has delayed the start of Switch 2 preorders in the United States, just days before they were set to go live. The decision comes in response to ongoing tariff concerns and what the company described as "evolving market conditions"—a direct reference to the revived threat of Trump-era import duties on electronics.

Preorders were originally scheduled to begin on April 9 in the US, but Nintendo has now put them on hold indefinitely. While no new date has been provided, the company has reassured fans that the Switch 2’s global release date—June 5, 2025—remains unchanged.

The official statement Nintendo shared with IGN: "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.”

For now, the preorder freeze applies exclusively to the US market. UK preorders remain on track, with no changes to pricing or availability. In fact, retailers like Amazon UK are actively sending out preorder invitations, all the while launch-day stock is already starting to dry up across major outlets.

Nintendo had announced that the Switch 2 is priced at $449.99 USD, while the Mario Kart World bundle—which includes the full game—is set at $499.99 USD. Mario Kart World will also be sold separately for $79.99 USD.

35% Off NSO Expansion Pack Memberships

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, and there's an extra 5% when you use code SPRING at checkout. As you get your Nintendo Switch 2 preorders 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. So, if you're the only Nintendo Switch players in your household, you can buy the individual Online + Expansion Pack plan for £24.55 or the Family Membership for £43.55 with the promo code SPRING.

If you're looking for Blue Lock: Rivals codes, IGN has you covered! In this article, you'll find the latest active and working codes in April 2025, which you can redeem for free rewards in the Roblox Experience, including Spins, Cash Boosts, Cash, and more.

Working Blue Lock: Rivals Codes (April 2025)

Below, you'll find a list of active and working Blue Lock: Rivals codes that you can redeem for free rewards in April 2025:

• KING1.5M - 10x Lucky Spins, 10x Flow Spins (NEW)
• KINGREWORK - 5x Lucky Spins (NEW)
• GOALRUSH - 5x Flow Spins (NEW)
• KAISER2M - 9x Lucky Spins, 9x Lucky Flow

All Expired Blue Lock: Rivals Codes

The following Blue Lock: Rivals codes no longer work and can't be redeemed anymore as of April 2025:

• LUCKYCODE10
• KaiserFIX
• MIRO1MCCU
• KAISERSOON
• SHARKBOY
• NELISAGI
• SORRYDELAYGGS
• KURONATOMORROW
• KURONANOW
• FINE1M
• CHROLLOCAREPACKAGE
• CHROLLO4AM
• SORRY4DELAY
• 100KCHRO
• 10KDEVS
• 1BVISITS
• DONLORENZO
• 300KCHROLLO
• 1MEVENT
• 20KCHANNEL
• 40KCHANNEL
• CHROLLO100K
• 40KAGAIN
• THECODE
• 40KKUNIGAMI
• 200KSUB
• KUNIGAMIUPD
• THX40KAGAIN
• KARASU
• 200KSUB
• THX40KLIKES
• 50KTATLIS
• MONST3R
• THX30KLIKES
• DRAGON
• 60KFOLLOWERS
• 30KLIKES
• 20KLIKESPT2
• TRAILER20K
• THANKYOU
• 300KREO
• 35KCHROLLO
• 5KVID
• 20KCHROLLO
• 5KTATLIS
• MRSPAX
• CHRISTMAS
• HOORAY
• 1MLIKES
• AIKU
• 700KLIKES
• 400KLIKES
• 300KLIKES
• 250KLIKES
• 200CRAZY
• 150KWOW
• 100KLIKES
• 70KLIKES
• 600KCRAZY
• GAGAMARU
• THANKSGIVING
• 40KLIKES
• 6KLIKES
• 3KLIKES
• 1KLIKES
• FORGIVEME
• RELEASED

How to Redeem Blue Lock: Rivals Codes

Follow the steps below to redeem Blue Lock: Rivals codes and claim your free rewards:

1. Join the official Blue Lock: Rivals Roblox Community and "Like" the game on the official BLR game page. You cannot redeem codes without doing so first.
2. Reach level 10 in Blue Lock: Rivals.
3. Once you're at level 10, click on the blue CODES icon at the bottom of the screen to open the Codes menu.
4. Enter your code into the "ENTER CODE..." field.
5. Double-check it's inputted correctly and click the REDEEM button.

Why Isn't My Blue Lock: Rivals Code Working?

If your Blue Lock: Rivals code isn't working in Roblox, it's likely down to one of the three following reasons:

• The Blue Lock: Rivals code is expired and no longer able to be redeemed.
• There's a typo in the code.
• You're not the required level to redeem the code. You need to be level 10.

When inputting a Blue Lock: Rivals code into Roblox, make sure it's spelled correctly and that there are no accidental spaces either before or after the code. All the codes on this page have been tested by us and work at the time of submission, so we'd recommend copying and pasting codes directly from this article rather than typing them out yourself to avoid any errors.

Some codes require you to be at level 10 to be able to redeem it. If the code still doesn't work, it's more than likely expired and can no longer be redeemed.

How to Get More Blue Lock: Rivals Codes

The best way to get more Blue Lock: Rivals codes is to join the Blue Lock: Rivals Discord server. This way, you can set up notifications to be notified if new codes drop. Some codes are also released in the Blue Lock: Rivals Roblox Community, so make sure to check there periodically.

Additionally, we check for new Blue Lock: Rivals codes daily, so make sure to bookmark this article for the latest new codes for free rewards.

MCU fans are known for analyzing footage to within an inch of its life as they hunt for plot clues. Now, they have turned their inquisitive gaze upon Robert Downey Jr’s hair.

The Iron Man actor recently sent out a Doctor Doom-themed invitation for this 60th birthday party, and as you'd expect it popped up online. It shows the MCU star with slightly longer curly hair; this is not the haircut of Tony Stark, that’s for sure.

Photos of RDJ at the party itself show the actor sporting a similar curly hairdo, sparking speculation about how his version of Victor Von Doom will look in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday.

Robert Downey Jr.'s Doom-themed birthday invitation featured him sporting a new curly hairstyle, a look he was also seen wearing two days ago.

Could this be an early glimpse at his portrayal of Victor Von Doom in ‘AVENGERS: DOOMSDAYʼ? pic.twitter.com/MltjPLCkoE

— Nexus Point News (@NexusPointNews) April 6, 2025

Robert Downey Jr.'s Doom-themed birthday invite showed him with a new curly hairstyle — the same look he had just two days earlier.

Possible first look at his take on Victor Von Doom in 'AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY' 👀 pic.twitter.com/YPJKhYNcRI

— MCU Film News (@MCUFilmNews) April 6, 2025

“He has this exact hairstyle right now in pictures,” redditor Overall_Affect_2782 said. “People are going to absolutely freak when it turns out this is his Doomsday look.”

“This is likely a fun little unofficial prototype version of the eventual look that we will see in Avengers: Doomsday,” added PhanStr.

Erik Voss of the New Rockstars YouTube channel suggested Marvel and RDJ may be taking Doctor Doom in an Oppenheimer-style direction, but from another universe.

“Doctor Strange? It’s Doom. I feel I have blood on my hands.” https://t.co/c7hhIL2v8U pic.twitter.com/ccD85JG1Uv

— Erik Voss (@eavoss) April 6, 2025

Others are unconvinced. “Based on this and the recent photos, I feel like Marvel just wanted Oscar Issac's hair from Moonknight to play Doctor Doom,” joked NerdyDadOnline.

“I’m laughing so hard that people think this is the legit design,” declared FewWatermelonlesson0.

Of course, this may all be nothing. It seems unlikely that RDJ would spoil Doctor Doom’s look in the MCU via a birthday party invitation. But now production on Avengers: Doomsday has begun in London, all eyes are on Marvel for secrets.

Last month's Avengers: Doomsday cast reveal 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?

Marvel and Robert Downey Jr. have teased they’re not done yet with the Avengers: Doomsday casting announcements, leading fans to believe other superhero stars could be on the way. Halle Berry, who played Storm in the Fox X-Men films, recently cast doubt on her chances of reprising the role.

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.

It looks like Nintendo Korea's website briefly gave away what sidekick may be joining Kong in the upcoming Donkey Kong Bananza.

Though the image was quickly switched out with a less revealing one, it wasn't quite quick enough for ResetEra, which managed to grab a screenshot before the website was changed.

Warning! Potential Donkey Kong: Bananza spoilers follow:

In most key art associated with the game, we see Kong smashing a fist into the ground, throwing up a shower of rocks and rubble, with the purple, rock-like Odd Rock behind him. The image on the Korean website essentially showed the same, but with one key difference: Odd Rock is missing, and a young Pauline is holding on for dear life to Kong's necktie.

Are you tired of stressing about keeping up with the latest board games, the hottest new expansions, or being on the outside looking in when wanting to start a new hobby? We’ve all been there. The barrier to entry for many tabletop, card, and board games can sometimes be high, with some games’ starter kits starting well over $100. It can be intimidating to get into certain board games due to budget, and that’s a shame.

Whether you’re getting that special gamer in your life a birthday gift or hosting a casual game night with close friends, plenty of budget options exist that are sure to scratch that itch. And we’ve compiled some of our favorites right here!

TL;DR: These Are the Best Cheap Board Games

• Qwirkle
• Boss Monster 10th Anniversary
• The Chameleon
• Decrypto
• Say Anything
• Flip 7
• Codenames
• Targi
• Hand Games 21
• You’re Getting Old
• Coup
• Couch Skeletons
• Betrayal: Deck of Lost Souls
• Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza
• Poop

Board Games Under $30

Qwirkle

Boss Monster 10th Anniversary Edition

The Chameleon

Decrypto

Say Anything

Flip 7

Codenames

Targi

Hand Games 21

You're Getting Old

Coup Card Game

Couch Skeletons

Betrayal Deck of Lost Souls Card Game

Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza

Poop The Game

I’ve got today’s top deals lined up and honestly, it’s a bit of a vibe. There’s a handcrafted MainGear rig that looks like it belongs in a design museum and crushes modern games, a Pokémon TCG tin that leaves your pulls up to fate, and a Humble Bundle full of giant alien bugs and unapologetic chaos.

MainGear Custom RTX 5070 PC, Pokémon TCG, and a Skyrim Dragonborn Helmet

Waiting on Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders? I've found a great deal on a Sandisk 256gb Micro SD Express card too . Oh, and if you’ve ever wanted to cosplay as a Dovahkiin desk ornament, the IGN Store has something special. I think it’s a solid haul; useful stuff, actual value, no sketchy third-party sellers in sight (Although Amazon is getting a bit cheeky with their Pokémon TCG mark-ups). Let’s break it down.

MainGear North RTX 5070

Pokemon TCG: Azure Legends Tin - 5 Packs

Humble Bundle: Earth Defense Force Collection

SanDisk 256GB microSD Express microSD Card

Pokémon TCG: Shining Fates Collection Pikachu V Box

The Elder Scrolls Skyrim - Dragonborn Helmet - Replica

Pokémon TCG: Scarlet and Violet Shrouded Fable Elite Trainer Box

DC Studios boss James Gunn has confirmed an August 21 release date for Peacemaker Season 2 on Max alongside a few seconds of new footage.

In a tweet, Gunn said the Season 2 premiere is “one of my favorite things ever.” The new footage shows John Cena in action, at one point smirking to the camera as a fire rages in the background. Peacemaker is “a superhero now,” he’s told.

Counting the days until Peace on Earth. I just finished the DI & Mix on the Season Premiere yesterday and wow it’s one of my favorite things ever. DC Studios’ #Peacemaker Season 2 coming soon only on @StreamOnMax August 21. pic.twitter.com/df3yOcCsdn

— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) April 7, 2025

Peacemaker Season 2 arrives after the July 11 release of Superman, the big movie kick-off for Gunn’s rebooted DCU. It will actually be the third entry in the DCU, coming after last year's Creature Commandos TV series and this summer's Superman.

The revamped cinematic universe from Gunn and co-CEO Peter Safran moves away from the widely panned DC Extended Universe, headlined by Justice League, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Man of Steel, but some elements will remain.

Peacemaker is a key example of this, as Season 1 of the show arrived in the scrapped DCEU, while Season 2 arrives in the new DCU.

Gunn has said previously that "many strands will remain consistent as far as Peacemaker's story goes," though it remains unclear what will and won't make the jump from DCEU to DCU. He has confirmed all of Team Peacemaker return with the same actors, meaning John Cena in the leading role will be joined by the likes of Frank Grillo as Rick Flag Sr., Freddie Stroma as Adrian Chase, and Danielle Brooks as Leota Adebayo.

Gunn has also said the show will canonically take place after the events of Creature Commandos and Superman, with the events of the latter even affecting Peacemaker.

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.

Bungie is finally ready to show us more of its upcoming PvP extraction shooter, Marathon, with an all-new gameplay livestream slated for this Saturday, April 12 (or 13, depending where you are in the world).

Last week, the Destiny developer dropped a mysterious tweet that included a bizarre 15-second video that immediately set fans sleuthing as part of an "extensive alternative reality game."

Players realized that within the ASCII art was "a snippet of footage from the initial trailer," and if they looked closely, they "notice[d] it's the runner sprinting down a hall from the trailer."

Another added: "WHEN WILL HE RETURN ERROR ERROR ERROR HAS OCCURRED THE ENEMY RETURNED SYSTEM WARNING: PROTOCOL BREACH EVACUATE THE BASE IMMEDIATELY ALL UNITS REPORT TO STATION INITIATE EMERGENCY PROTOCOL 7 DATA LOSS IMMINENT GOOD LUCK, COMMANDER."

"Thousands of community members across the world worked together to unlock the gameplay reveal date for Bungie’s upcoming extraction shooter Marathon," Bungie said in a statement, before revealing this weekend's livestream is set for 10 am PDT (San Francisco) / 1 pm EDT (New York) / 6 pm BST (London) / 7 pm CEST (Berlin/Paris) / 9 pm GST (Dubai) pr Sunday, April 13 at 2 am JST (Tokyo) / 3 am AEST (Sydney) / 5 pm NZST (Auckland).

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." Set on the mysterious planet of Tau Ceti IV, Marathon will see players inhabit the bodies of Runners, cybernetic mercenaries who have been designed to survive the planet’s harsh environments. While exploring the lost colony that once inhabited the surface, players will search for valuable loot, including new weapons and gear.

Since the initial reveal, however, we've seen very little else. We did get a development update video in October that shed light on Marathon's mechanics, but the studio stressed how early in development the game was.

Since then, however, and the abrupt cancelation of live-service shooter Concord, Sony is rethinking its focus on live-service games. In November 2023, Sony president Hiroki Totoki revealed the company was committed to launching just six of the 12 live service games it was working on by March 2026, with the shift signaling the cancelation of the The Last of Us multiplayer game.

Bungie itself is not without controversy, too. It laid off 220 staff — that's 17% of its entire workforce — in July 2024, less than a year after 100 other layoffs at Bungie. Just a few weeks later, we learned former Marathon director Chris Barrett was allegedly fired after an internal misconduct investigation at Bungie. Barrett subsequently sued Sony Interactive Entertainment and Bungie for more than $200 million.

To watch the Marathon reveal live, head on over to the official Marathon Twitch channel on April 12.

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.

Drug dealer simulator Schedule I has continued its astonishing overnight success as one of Steam’s most-played games, and now it has its first "proper" post-launch update alongside patch notes revealed by its developer.

Schedule I version 0.3.4 is available to test on the beta branch, developer Tyler announced on the game’s Steam page. He said it will sit on the beta branch for a day or two before being released fully, but anyone can opt into the beta branch to test it.

“This beta doesn't quite contain 100% of the features coming in the full release,” Tyler explained. “I'll be adding a few more decorative objects tomorrow [April 8]. I wanted to get this beta out ASAP so that the new wall-mounted objects and pawn shop interface can be thoroughly trialled.”

Schedule I version 0.3.4 patch notes:

Additions

• Added Bleuballs Boutique interior and functionality.
• Added Pawn Shop interior and functionality. You can now sell pretty much anything (excluding product) to Mick at the pawn shop.
• Added wooden sign.
• Added metal sign.
• Added wall-mounted shelf.
• Added safe.
• Added antique wall lamp.
• Added modern wall lamp.
• Added grandfather clock.
• Added Ol' Man Jimmy's.
• Added Château La Peepee.
• Added Brut du Gloop.
• Added silver watch.
• Added gold watch.
• Added silver chain.
• Added gold chain.
• Added gold bar.

Tweaks/Improvements

• Improved phrasing for customer recommendation dialogue.
• Added some extra null checks and validity checks.

Bug fixes

• Fixed delivery destination dropdown overflowing outside of phone screen.
• Fixed player lists sometimes not clearing properly when exiting to menu.
• Fixed non-host clients sometimes not receiving 'on day pass' and 'on week pass' events.

Schedule I was the top-selling game on Steam upon launch, with more players than big hitters such as Monster Hunter Wilds, GTA 5, and Marvel Rivals after going viral across social media, Twitch, and YouTube. In the game you go from being a small-time dope pusher to kingpin, manufacturing and distributing a range of drugs throughout the grungy city of Hyland Point. You can expand your empire with properties, businesses, employees, and more.

It’s developed and published by TVGS, aka Australian indie developer Tyler, who has called Schedule I’s explosive launch “amazing but pretty overwhelming.”

“I never expected this kind of response!" Tyler said in a post on reddit. "At the moment I’m just trying to stay focussed and get patches out ASAP. Also looking forward to getting started on content updates as soon as all major bugs are patched.”

See IGN's Schedule 1 guide where you can learn all about the basics of mixing recipes and creating new blends to maximise profit, as well as how to access console commands, and the quickest way to jump into multiplayer co-op to take over Hyland Point with friends.

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.

Video game companies across Japan have suffered a dramatic stock market plunge sparked by U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs.

White House officials signalled what they describe as specific reciprocal tariffs on roughly 60 of the "worst offenders" to go into effect on 9 April. Japan is one of the countries subject to these customised tariff rates, at 24%.

Trump's officials say these countries charge higher tariffs on U.S. goods, impose "non-tariff" barriers to U.S. trade, or have otherwise acted in ways they feel undermine American economic goals.

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.

Japan's Nikkei 225 benchmark index closed down 7.8%, the ASX 200 in Australia lost 4.2%, and the Kospi in South Korea ended 5.6% lower. The Shanghai Composite closed 7.3% lower and Taiwan Weighted Index lost 9.7%. The Hang Seng was down by 12.5% in afternoon trading.

Dr. Serkan Toto, CEO of Kantan Games, rounded up the decline in video game stocks based in Japan as the market opening in the morning of April 7. Nintendo was down 7.35%, Sony 10.16%, Capcom 7.13%, and Sega 6.57%.

It's Monday 10am in Japan where Japanese game stocks currently react to these insultingly dumb tariffs like so:

Nintendo -7.35%
Sony -10.16%
Bandai Namco -7.03%
Konami -3.93%
Sega -6.57%
Koei Tecmo -5.83%
Capcom -7.13%
Square Enix -5.23%

The mobile game companies do even worse.

— Dr. Serkan Toto (@serkantoto) April 7, 2025

Last week Nintendo shocked the video game world by announcing a delay to pre-orders of the Nintendo Switch 2 in the U.S., blaming tariffs and the uncertainty they have caused across the world. The pre-orders were set to go live on April 9, but in the U.S. specifically they were postponed, with the June 5 release date said to be on-track. Pre-orders go live elsewhere on April 9 as planned.

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

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."

Nintendo fans and analysts are now concerned Nintendo will raise the price of the Switch 2 and its games even further, even as it suffers a backlash to its pricing following the console’s reveal.

There are question marks over Sony, too, which manufactures PlayStation consoles, including the $700 PlayStation 5 Pro. IGN has asked the company if it has any comment on the prospect of increased prices in the U.S.

Goldman Sachs now forecasts there is a 45% chance the U.S. will fall into recession in the next 12 months, up from a previous estimate of 35%. JPMorgan now sees a 60% chance of a U.S. and global economic downturn.

According to a report by the BBC, Trump has defended the tariffs, saying "sometimes you have to take medicine to fix something."

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.

LEGO announced earlier this year that we'd be getting new Minecraft Movie sets, and March 2025 was finally the time for them to be released into the world. There are four new Minecraft sets that you can now buy, with two of them featuring scenes from the new film. These new sets are added to an ever-growing list of LEGO Minecraft sets that have been accumulating over the years.

Each of the new Minecraft sets features minifigure mobs, but only two of the sets offer up a tiny Jack Black as Steve. You can currently purchase all of these sets from Amazon, LEGO direct, or any of the other best places to buy LEGO.

New LEGO Minecraft Sets Available Now

Although there are four new LEGO Minecraft sets coming out, the two that are associated with the movie are The Ghast Balloon Village Attack and Woodland Mansion Fighting Ring. Both sets give us an idea of what to expect from the upcoming film. The Woodland Mansion Fighting Ring depicts some sort of gladiator style battle with Jason Momoa fighting a baby zombie on a chicken. Meanwhile the Ghast Balloon Village Attack set reveals a marshamallow-like villain from the Nether.

The other two Minecraft sets that are releasing are The Parrot Houses and The Trial Chamber. For more like these, you can check out more of our favorite LEGO Minecraft sets.

When Does the New Minecraft Movie Come Out?

LEGO tends to release new sets tied to movie releases about a month before the actual release of the film. The new Minecraft sets are following the same timeline by coming out on March 1 seeing as A Minecraft movie is now in theaters this April.

Will There Be More Minecraft Movie Sets?

So far the two sets we've featured above are the only ones set to release alongside the film. It's possible this could change now that the live-action Minecraft movie is headed for success. Either way, there are new LEGO Minecraft sets released fairly consistently and we can likely expect more to release later this year, even if it isn't directly tied to the movie.

If you are looking to buy any less current sets, there are quite a few LEGO Minecraft deals happening at Amazon alonside the release of the new movie that are worth considering.

Looking for more new LEGO sets based on movies? Check out the new LEGO Harry Potter Knight Bus set that also just came out or dive into all of the new LEGO sets released in March.

The gaming gods are smiling on us this week, with wallet-friendly wonders across all platforms (and even the chance to preorder a whole new one). Collected below is a pixel-and-polygon-packed parade of discounts, and whether you're into high fantasy, interstellar chaos, or cowboy epics, these price drops are hard to ignore.

This Day in Gaming 🎂

In retro news, I'm using a Flame Lantern to light a 20-candle cake for The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap. This Game Boy Advance must-own was technically a prequel to Four Swords (GBA, 2002) and Four Swords Adventures (GC, 2004), and you can reexperience it on a Switch today.

Aussie bdays for notable games

- Zelda: The Minish Cap (GBA) 2005. eBay

- Zelda: Four Swords Adventures (GC) 2005. eBay

- Pokémon Dash (DS) 2005. eBay

Contents

• Nintendo
• Xbox
• PlayStation
• PC
• PC Gear
• LEGO
• Headphones
• TVs

Nice Savings for Nintendo Switch

First up on Nintendo Switch, Bravely Default II (A$52) brings classic turn-based JRPG magic with a modern polish and an IGN 8/10. Meanwhile, Persona 5 Royal (A$66) adds new confidants and endings to the Phantom Thieves' stylish rebellion, and even has a cheeky nod to Lupin III hidden in its animation sequences.

Exciting Bargains for Xbox

Over on Xbox Series X, Red Dead Redemption 2 (A$20) is an epic so detailed that horse testicles shrink in the snow (amazing), while the mind-bending Metaphor: ReFantazio (A$77) channels the team behind Persona into a high-fantasy setting.

• Red Dead Redemption 2 (-78%) - A$20
• Metaphor: ReFantazio (-33%) - A$77
• Lego Harry Potter Col. (-35%) - A$39
• Lords of the Fallen (-71%) - A$30
• Sonic X Shadow Generations (-35%) - A$49

Xbox One

• EA Sports FIFA 23 (-95%) - A$5
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (-33%) - A$74
• Tiny Tina's Wonderlands (-85%) - A$15
• Persona 3 Reload (-20%) - A$87

Expiring Recent Deals

• Star Wars Outlaws (-55%) - A$49
• Star Wars Outlaws Gold (-60%) - A$68
• Monster Hunter Wilds (-14%) - A$99
• Gotham Knights (-86%) - A$15
• Tekken 8 (-42%) - A$49
• TopSpin 2K25 (-76%) - A$29
• No More Heroes 3 (-44%) - A$43
• Monopoly 2024 (-51%) - A$24

Or just invest in an Xbox Card.

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Pure Scores for PlayStation

On PS5, Epic Mickey: Rebrushed (A$39) revives the concept of forgotten House of Mouse characters. Also, Helldivers 2 (A$49) serves up frenetic co-op mayhem with a wink and a satirical nod to Starship Troopers.

• Astro Bot (-24%) - A$84
• DualSense Starlight Blue (-17%) - A$99
• Space Marine 2 (-27%) - A$79
• Epic Mickey: Rebrushed (-61%) - A$39
• Helldivers 2 (-18%) - A$49
• Death Stranding 2 (-21%) - A$99

PS4

• Digimon World: Next Order (-84%) - A$14
• EA Sports FC 25 (-65%) - A$39
• Overcooked! All You Can Eat (-25%) - A$41

Expiring Recent Deals

• Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (-57%) - A$49
• Alan Wake 2 Del. Ed. (-36%) - A$77
• Granblue Fantasy: Relink (-58%) - A$36
• Sea of Stars (-32%) - A$36
• Tales of Arise (-67%) - A$34
• Harvest Moon: The Winds of Anthos (-60%) - A$28
• Grand Theft Auto V: Premium Ed. (-64%) - A$20
• Sleeping Dogs Def. Ed. (-38%) - A$25
• DayZ (-49%) - A$40
• F1 24 (-67%) - A$36

PS+ Monthly Freebies
Yours to keep from Apr 1 with this subscription

• RoboCop: Rogue City | PS5
• The Texas Chain Saw Massacre | PS4/5
• Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth HM | PS4

Or purchase a PS Store Card.

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Purchase Cheap for PC

On PC, XCOM 2 (A$5!) is still the gold standard for tactical chaos. My favourite factoid about it: the “missed 95% shot” meme was so prolific, Firaxis tweaked the RNG under the hood just to appease Reddit. For story-rich space mischief, Guardians of the Galaxy (A$14) delivers, and yes, Cosmo the dog actually has more dialogue lines than Groot.

• Logitech G Pro Wheel (-39%) - A$1098
• XCOM 2 (-95%) - A$5
• XCOM: Ult. Col. (-73%) - A$31
• SteamWorld Heist (-90%) - A$3
• Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy (-85%) - A$14
• Sons of the Forest (-60%) - A$18
• Red Dead Redemption 2 (-75%) - A$23

Expiring Recent Deals

• Logitech G705 Wireless (-32%) - A$92
• Minecraft Legends (-100%) - FREE w/Prime
• Mafia III: Def. (-100%) - FREE w/Prime
• Session (-100%) - FREE w/Prime
• Deus Ex: Invisible War (-100%) - FREE w/Prime
• Mortal Shell (-100%) - FREE w/Prime
• Legacy of Kain Defiance (-100%) - FREE w/Prime

Or just get a Steam Wallet Card

Laptop Deals

• Apple 2024 MacBook Air 15-inch (-12%) – A$2,197
• Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 (-36%) - A$879
• Lenovo ThinkBook 16 Gen7 (-27%) - A$1,018

Desktop Deals

• HP OMEN 35L Gaming (-10%) – A$2,799
• Lenovo ThinkCentre neo Ultra (-25%) - A$2,249
• Lenovo ThinkCentre neo 50q (-35%) – A$629

Monitor Deals

• LG 24MR400-B, 24" (-30%) - A$97
• Z-Edge 27" 240Hz (-15%) - A$279
• Samsung 57" Odyssey Neo Curved (-22%) – A$2,499

Component Deals

• MSI PRO B650M-A WiFi Motherboard (-41%) – A$229
• AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D (-7%) – A$876
• Corsair Vengeance 32GB (-35%) – A$82
• Kingston FURY Beast 16GB (-30%) – A$48

Storage Deals

• Seagate One Touch Portable HDD (-24%) – A$228
• Kingston 1TB USB 3.2 SSD (-17%) – A$115
• SanDisk 128GB Extreme PRO (-63%) – A$29
• SanDisk 32GB Ultra SDHC (-53%) – A$9.90

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Legit LEGO Deals

• Jedi Bob’s Starfighter (-37%) - A$38
• Star Wars N-1 Starfighter (-36%) - A$32
• Harry Potter Mandrake Set (-35%) - A$65
• Captain America: Civil War (-34%) - A$99

Expiring Recent Deals

• Pink Flower Bouquet (-41%) - A$59
• Sunflowers (-41%) - A$14
• Cherry Blossoms (-41%) - A$14
• Lotus Flower (-41%) - A$14
• Insect Collection - A$127

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Hot Headphones Deals

Audiophilia for less

• Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro (-49%) – A$179
• Sony WH-CH520 Wireless (-27%) - A$73
• SoundPEATS Space (-25%) - A$56.99
• Technics Premium (-36%) - A$349

Back to top

Terrific TV Deals

Do right by your console, upgrade your telly

• Samsung S95D 77" OLED 4K (-19%) - A$6,499
• LG 43" UT80 4K (-23%) - A$693
• Kogan 65" QLED (-50%) – A$699

Back to top

A Minecraft Movie had a massive opening weekend at the box office and sparked pandemonium inside theaters, with popcorn being thrown, wild "CHICKEN JOCKEY!" screams, and even reports of police being called. But some are saying their experience was ruined by the chaos.

Social media was flooded with videos showing overly enthusiastic cinemagoers screaming lines from the movie, openly filming with their phones, throwing popcorn, and clapping rowdily.

One phrase in particular has risen to the top of the social media pile: "CHICKEN JOCKEY!" Jack Black, who plays Minecraft's famous playable character, Steve, says the line in the movie, and videos of screenings that took place over the weekend show it is sending teens delirious.

The line is said during a scene in which Black and Jason Momoa face a cuboid Minecraft chicken who is ridden by a baby zombie in a boxing ring. Black’s Steve declares "CHICKEN JOCKEY!" after the baby zombie falls from a crate onto the chicken; a reference to the video game itself, where certain baby zombie characters are sometimes found riding a chicken.

Given these fans had already seen the chicken jockey scene via a Minecraft trailer released in February, they were primed for release when they saw the movie in the cinema. And now, the chicken jockey line has taken on a life of its own, going viral on social media which in turn is fueling even more intense reaction.

the minecraft movie is truly one of the worst movies i’ve ever seen but the universal reaction to “chicken jockey” im seeing made it all worth it. pic.twitter.com/0mxgliSYEp

— ollie 🧡🤍🩷 (@ollie_twt) April 5, 2025

One person who filmed the reaction, X / Twitter user @ollie_twt, described the scenes: "the people behind me took their shirts off as well as the ones in the front that were standing. That was by far the loudest theater I’ve ever been in and it was awesome."

Happened to overhear a Chicken Jockey moment pic.twitter.com/TUvwMqrZRq

— Loke🌻 (@InsaneLoke) April 5, 2025

One TikTok video viewed by IGN shows a person carrying another on their shoulders, mimicking the chicken jockey itself. Another video, below, shows a teen standing ready to throw two popcorn buckets' worth of popcorn over the audience during the chicken jockey scene.

@theeggyhippo CHICKEN JOCKEY! 🗣️🔥🔥🔥#minecraftmovie #chickenjockey #chickenjockeycinemareaction #minecraft #movie ♬ original sound - TheEggyHippo

Another shows similar popcorn-throwing scenes:

@eddie_vikings13 #chickenjockey #minecraftmovie #fyp #viral @Brennan ♬ original sound - eddie_vikings13

There are even reports of police being called to eject members of the audience, and complaints from theater employees who have taken to social media and online forums to say people throwing drinks and popcorn makes their jobs even harder.

@salesmenpod This whole night was surreal and one of the most unforgettable movie experiences I’ve ever had. . . #minecraft #movie #minecraftmovie #chicken #jockey #chickenjockey #fyp #viral #reaction #funny #meme #moviereview #featureme #clips #comedy #video #videogames #games #game ♬ original sound - Salesmen: After Hours

While it’s clear a significant portion of the Minecraft movie audience is loving all the chaos, there are a number of fans who have expressed frustration that their experience was ruined by all the shouting and clapping.

I need to know, are there people who actually enjoy watching a movie like this? pic.twitter.com/v9NSSe0sqd

— Andrew (Toycat) (@ibxtoycat) April 5, 2025

Then there are the bemused audience members who aren't in on the joke. Parents taking their young children, friends and family members who aren't as... online as the rest of us.

@ickysnotbubble_ the audience was so hype 🔥 #minecraftmovie #minecraftmoviememe ♬ QKThr - Aphex Twin

Warner Bros. will no doubt be delighted by the virality of A Minecraft Movie, of course, as it heads into its second weekend. It’s already secured an incredible $301 million during opening weekend. Could it eventually beat The super Mario Bros. Movie as the highest-grossing video game adaptation of all time?

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.

The weekend is officially here, and we've rounded up the best deals you can find! Discover the best deals for April 6 below:

Save on LEGO Super Mario

Deck-building games are among the newer innovations in the ages-old hobby of playing card and board games. Like many fresh ideas, the concept of a deck-building game is startling in its simplicity. Card games where you build a custom deck before you play have been around a while. In a deck-building game, though, you build the deck while you play. Starting with a hand of currency cards, you cash them in for other, more interesting cards, and make a deck on-the-fly you think is good enough to win.

It wasn't just gamers who got bowled over by the brilliance of the concept: It was designers, too. Gaming was soon awash in copycat games, many of limited interest. Since then, the mechanic has seen redeployment into other genres of game with mixed results, but there are loads of awesome examples. These are the best deck-building board games out there right now.

TL;DR: The Best Deck-Building Games

• Slay the Spire
• Heat: Pedal to the Metal
• Lost Ruins of Arnak
• Star Wars: The Deck-Building Game
• Dune: Imperium
• The Quest for El Dorado
• Cubitos
• The Quacks of Quedlinburg
• Tyrants of the Underdark
• Legendary: A Marvel Deck Building Game
• Dominion
• Aeon's End
• Clank! Catacombs
• Undaunted: Normandy

Slay the Spire: The Board Game

Heat: Pedal to the Metal

Lost Ruins of Arnak

Star Wars: The Deckbuilding Game

Dune Imperium

The Quest for El Dorado

Cubitos

The Quacks of Quedlinburg

Tyrants of the Underdark

Legendary: A Marvel Deck Building Game

Dominion: 2nd Edition

Aeon's End

Clank! Catacombs

Undaunted: Normandy

A Minecraft Movie has enjoyed a record-breaking start at the box office, leapfrogging The Super Mario Bros. Movie to secure the biggest domestic debut in history for a video game adaptation.

The Xbox game adaptation starring Jason Momoa and Jack Black, the latter of whom also starred in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, smashed box office expectations with an enormous $157 million at North American theaters. The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which for now remains the highest-grossing video game adaptation of all time, enjoyed $146 million domestically during its opening weekend in April 2023.

A Minecraft Movie added $144 million via the international box office for a global opening weekend total of $301 million. A Minecraft Movie reportedly cost $150 million to produce before global marketing costs, so it may already be profitable for Warner Bros.

A Minecraft Movie is of course based on Mojang's Minecraft, the best-selling video game of all time. The Microsoft-owned sandbox remains one of the most popular video games in the world, and has movie tie-in DLC to capitalize on the film’s launch.

IGN’s A Minecraft Movie review returned a 6/10. We said: “Napoleon Dynamite director Jared Hess puts a surprisingly specific and funny comic spin on A Minecraft Movie’s kid-friendly adventure, especially in its less antic first half.”

If you’ve seen the film, be sure to check out IGN’s A Minecraft Movie Ending and Post-Credits Scene Explained With Director Jared Hess and Minecraft's Torfi Frans Ólafsson.

Meanwhile, Disney’s live-action Snow White looks set for disaster status after a disappointing opening weekend box office. It’s now up to $168.4 million globally ($77.5 million domestic and $90.9 million international), and with a reported $250 million production budget, a Mufasa: The Lion King-style sleeper hit comeback may be beyond it.

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.

New video game hardware announcements can become somewhat predictable. With each new generation of consoles you can expect to see near-certain staples like better graphics, faster load times, and new takes on beloved, plumber-and-turtle-oriented franchises.

Even Nintendo, which has done this consistently across several generations, from the N64 analog controller, tiny GameCube discs, wacky Wii motion controls and Virtual Console, the Wii U tablet screen, and the Switch’s built-in portability, has delivered these improvements with the Switch 2.

But being Nintendo, the company again unveiled a few genuine shockers during the Switch 2 Direct.

It's 2025 and we finally get online play.

When I was four years old in 1983, my babysitter used to roll footballs at me like Donkey Kong rolling barrels at Mario. I would jump over them, making a Donkey Kong sound effect in the air, then grab a toy hammer and smash them like Mario. That’s how long I’ve been a Nintendo fan. So I say this from a place of long-suffering experience: it’s going to be impossible to talk about this awesome reveal without revealing a little loving bitterness.

Nintendo, as we all know, does not really play online well. Satellaview and Metroid Prime: Hunters aside, Nintendo has barely scraped the surface of what’s possible with a unified multiplayer platform like those created by Sony and Xbox. It’s never as easy to find and talk with friends on a Nintendo platform. Even the Switch required a separate app for voice chat.

Shockingly, change appears to be here now. During the Direct, Nintendo unveiled GameChat, and it looks... really neat?! It's a four-player chat that supports noise suppression, video cameras for showing friends’ faces, and screen sharing across consoles, allowing you to keep an eye on up to four different displays inside a single screen. We know from the new Switch 2 accessibility features page that GameChat also supports text-to-voice and voice-to-text, allowing players to communicate multiple ways.

Now we haven’t seen what, if any, unified matchmaking interface might tie into this just yet. But it’s already a big step, and I’m hoping it means the last nail in the coffin for the abominable friend code forever.

Miyazaki is bringing new blood exclusively to Nintendo

When I saw the first frames of this trailer, I thought I was seeing Bloodborne 2. The ambiance, the character design, and the environments all screamed the FROM Software house style. Thanks to Eric Van Allen at IGN, I now know that I was watching footage from The Duskbloods, a multiplayer PvPvE game designed by the softly-smiling monarch of video game masochism, Hidetaka Miyazaki.

I do not know where this man found time to direct a Nintendo-exclusive game. I’m starting to think that he may never leave his office nor sleep, much like one of his own confused, hollowed characters wasting away in the high tower of some gothic prison. But I’m grateful. FROM doesn’t really miss anymore, so I’m anticipating a tasty treat.

A surprise to be sure, but a welcome one

Speaking of people who need a vacation, apparently Super Smash Bros. director Masuhiro Sakurai has moved on from Smash to a new Kirby game? Did not see that coming. Get that man a nap!

The original Kirby's Air Ride was, to put it bluntly, a pleasant-looking but aggressively unfun Kirby racer for GameCube. But Sakurai has made no secret of his deep affinity for Nintendo’s round, pink elder god, and it’s practically a certainty that a Sakurai-helmed take on the franchise will be a far more refined and enjoyable experience.

Control issues

It was almost a throwaway moment, but the Pro Controller 2 sounds genuinely Pro this time around when Nintendo announced the Pro Controller 2 has an audio jack now, which is another feature that’s welcome about a decade later. More importantly, they’ve added two mappable extra buttons. I LOVE customizable buttons, so this tiny surprise actually tickled me pink.

No Mario?!

This one genuinely shocked me. Near as I can tell, a lot of Nintendo’s Mario makers have been locked up in a secret bunker for years working on his next 3D adventure, which I assumed would be the big summer game for Switch. I was very wrong. Turns out the Odyssey team is the force behind Donkey Kong Bananza, the captivating new 3D platformer with a focus on destructible environments. Nintendo is once again playing against expectations as it so often does, trusting hardcore fans to flock to Donkey Kong’s biggest game in generations and saving Mario for another day.

Switch will also launch with extensive third party support and Mario Kart World. While World looks like a system-seller, I figured it would be timed as a Christmas-window family game. Nintendo usually leans on Mario, Zelda, or both to sell to their biggest fans during a console’s first year. But Nintendo is looking at Mario Kart 8’s record sales with confidence, betting their most popular party game, alongside Bananza, will help move enough Switch 2 units to make launch a success.

Forza Horizon x Nintendo was not on my bingo card

Open-world Mario Kart is here, whether it be for good or for ill. I’m betting on good, as the zany physics, weird vehicles, and combat mechanics of Mario Kart should lend themselves well to navigating between and across tracks battling friends and sewing chaos. The short look we got seems to indicate a continuous world a la Bowser’s Fury, but much larger and supporting myriad drivers.

It’s very expensive

The Switch 2 costs too much. I get that everything is expensive right now, as tariffs go up, the yen goes down, and American inflation reignites. But $449.99 USD is a hefty price by any standard, and Switch 2 is the most expensive launch in Nintendo’s 40-plus US sales history. In fact, Switch 2 costs $150 dollars more than its predecessor’s launch price, and is $100 dollars more than the next-most-expensive Wii U. Successful Nintendo consoles and handhelds have often relied on lower prices as a differentiator, but Switch 2 will be looking to succeed without a price advantage.

Jared Petty is a former IGN editor who likes writing about how wonderful and silly video games are. You can find him at Bluesky as pettycommajared.