Arc Raiders developer Embark Studios released update 1.4.0 this week, and in the patch notes teased a “very hot fix for the locked room exploits.” It turns out they weren’t kidding.

Following the release of the patch, players — as they often do — jumped into the hugely successful extraction shooter to give this fix a proper test. They’ve been able to cheat their way into locked rooms as before, but what they now find inside… well, Embark called it a “very hot fix” for a reason.

As redditor Forward_Problem_7550 discovered, locked rooms now turn you into a fireball if you glitch inside. The clip below shows the trap in action.

Reaction to the change is positive, with most players getting a kick out of what Embark has done here. “Best part of this is the clowns doing the glitch lose all their stuff to someone who legitimately opens the door with a key. CLASSIC!” enthused A_Tortured_Crab. “It's genuinely a really good fix,” added vedomedo. “Hopefully this is the mindset they keep going forward. Punish the exploiters and reward legit players.”

Now, some players are saying they’re more inclined to use their keys to enter locked rooms legitimately in the hope of finding “some dingus who hasn't read the patch notes.”

Technically this isn’t a fix, as players can still use the exploit to enter locked rooms. But it is an eye-catching workaround, and will surely put off players from trying to cheat their way inside a room after they’ve been cooked once.

“Would’ve been better if they just didn’t say anything and rolled this out,” suggested Maverixk_. “Imagine all the door glitches finding this out and losing all of their s**t before word of mouth spread. Would’ve been hilarious.”

That’s not all the update did. It’s also patched the gun quick swap exploit. Full patch notes are below.

Arc Raiders Patch Notes 1.4.0:

Content and Bug Fixes

• Exploit mitigation mechanisms have been added for all locked rooms across all maps.
• Fixed the gun exploit that allowed you to shoot quicker than intended by swapping to a quick use item and back.
• The exterior access to Spaceport's Control Tower locked room has been blocked off.
• Fixed the issue that sometimes caused low resolution textures in the Main Menu.
• Fixed players being able to push each other by jumping on each other’s backs.
• Fixed lighting artifacts that would sometimes occur upon entering maps.
• Raider Voice now correctly respects the selected voice option after restarting the game.

What if you exploit the doors now: 😂 https://t.co/JndqMjMpUn pic.twitter.com/81aFPE0ucD

— Scrappy (@TheRooster) November 27, 2025

If you're hunting for the best offers this week, we're actively rounding up the strongest Black Friday deals on video games, tech, and more. You can find all our top picks and price drops in our full Black Friday hub, or check out our relevant pages for PlayStation, Nintendo, and Xbox deals.

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

The Forge is a fantasy RPG Roblox experience, where you'll play as one of the many races that inhabit the lands. Whether that's as a human, a goblin, or a dragonborn will all depend on reroll chances. Each race has its unique perks, influencing stats such as health, damage, attack power, and more. But if you don't like the character you get given, our list of The Forge codes will help you out with additional rerolls.

It's no surprise that The Forge focuses heavily on mining. The core gameplay centers around mining for ores, in the hopes of finding rare ores to forge powerful weapons and armor. You'll then throw those ores into the forge, where the blend of resources you use allows you you make items with special traits and designs.

Working The Forge Codes (November 2025)

These are the currently active for The Forge:

• 15KLIKES - Free Rerolls x2
• 10KLIKES - Free Rerolls x2, Luck Totem x1
• 5KLIKES - Free Rerolls x2, Miner Totem x1
• BETARELEASE! - Free Rerolls x2
• POSTRELEASEQNA - Free Reroll x1

Expired The Forge Codes (November 2025)

These codes have now expired and can no longer be used:

• RELEASE

How to Use The Forge Codes

Ready to redeem the codes above? Here's what you need to do:

1. Load up The Forge on Roblox
2. Open the Settings menu in the top left corner of the screen.
3. Scroll down to the bottom of Settings to find the Codes bar
4. Copy the code from this article
5. Enter the code into the "Type Here" bar
6. Press claim

Why Isn't My Code for The Forge Working?

When a code doesn't work for The Forge, it's usually because of two reasons:

• The code for The Forge has expired
• There's a spelling mistake or an additional space in the code

Codes for Roblox experiences are typically case-sensitive, so the best way to ensure you've got a working code is to directly copy it from this article. We check all codes before we upload them, so you can guarantee they're working. Just double-check that you haven't copied over an extra space!

How to Get More Codes for The Forge

We regularly check and test new codes for popular Roblox experiences, so the best way to get more codes for The Forge is to visit this article. But if you want to mine for codes yourself, then the Discord server for The Forge is the best place to go.

When Is the Next Update for The Forge?

The Forge has just released in beta and is currently celebrating its Release Event. This is due to run until Wednesday, December 3rd, 2025. No updates have been currently announced, but the creators of The Forge have said that new features, content, and mechanics will be added to the experience. As soon as new information is announced, we'll add the information here.

Lauren Harper is an Associate Guides Editor. She loves a variety of games but is especially fond of puzzles, horrors, and point-and-click adventures.

Modern day gaming laptops today are truly "gaming-worthy". The most powerful models can run the latest games at super high resolutions and with ray tracing enabled, a notion that was unheard of just a few years ago. Now, all you need to do is find a great deal becauses price just keep going up. Fortunately, HP's Black Friday Sale has officially commenced, and with it HP's entire range of powerful OMEN gaming laptops have been brought down to the lowest prices I've seen all year.

Gamers looking for a mobile desktop replacement will find plenty of deals right up their alley. OMEN, OMEN Transcend, and OMEN MAX gaming laptops are all on sale right now with discounts of up to $1,300 off. Score an affordable yet capable RTX 5060 laptop for under $1,000 or splurge on a top-end RTX 5070 Ti or RTX 5080 powerhouse that will still keep you under $2,000. All orders ship free and all HP laptops come standard with a 1 year warranty.

OMEN MAX 16 RTX 5070 Ti Gaming Laptop

Wizards of the Coast has announced it has gone “back to the drawing board” with its Magic: The Gathering Secret Lair x Monster Hunter collaboration, admitting it wasn’t good enough.

Last week, IGN reported on the official announcement of Wizards of the Coast’s Secret Lair Monster Hunter Superdrop for Magic: The Gathering, which was set to be available December 1-22.

The collaboration includes four separate drops, each priced at $29.99, with a foil edition for $39.99. All cards involved are reprints of existing cards with Monster Hunter themes, nothing mechanically unique or new.

It’s fair to say fans reacted negatively to the announcement, and based on Wizards of the Coast’s statement on the matter, that backlash went right to the top.

“Let's cut to the chase: the Secret Lair x Monster Hunter Superdrop we revealed last week fell short of expectations,” the company said. “We heard loud and clear that you were disappointed, and we believe we can do better. So, we're going to postpone this release and rework this Superdrop entirely.

“Like many of you, we're big fans of Monster Hunter. It's why we put this Superdrop together. But in our excitement, we missed the mark on elements like card selection and faithfully integrating the world and mechanics of Monster Hunter. As a result, the overall construction of this Superdrop is not up to the standard you have come to expect.

“Pulling Superdrops back isn't something we're going to do very often, but we're committed to doing better. Capcom is on board for us to take another swing at this Superdrop as well.

“So, we're going to pull this one back and will share new details and an updated release date in a few months. Keep an eye out for more information in 2026.”

It's been a busy year for both Secret Lair and third-party Magic collabs in general, with some incredible Secret Lair card drops including Sonic, Final Fantasy, Deadpool, SpongeBob, The Office and more. We're currently eagerly awaiting the release of the Avatar: The Last Airbender Universes Beyond set, following close on the heels of Marvel's Spider-Man. Next year is looking equally stacked, with planned Universes Beyond sets featuring TMNT, The Hobbit, Marvel, and Star Trek. Now we can add Monster Hunter to 2026.

If you're hunting for the best offers this week, we're actively rounding up the strongest Black Friday deals on video games, tech, and more. You can find all our top picks and price drops in our full Black Friday hub, or check out our relevant pages for PlayStation, Nintendo, and Xbox deals.

Photo by Daniel Knighton/Getty Images.

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

A pristine copy of Fortnite has just been sold for $42,500 — which seems a lot for a free-to-play game.

To be fair, this is a boxed version of Fortnite — something that also grants access to the game's original Save the World mode, which Epic Games still requires you pay a small amount to access.

But there's no suggestion this sealed copy of the world's biggest battle royale will ever actually be played. Indeed, it has been sold encased in a box, and labelled with a 10 A++ rating from video game grading company Wata — its highest possible quality score.

Borderlands 4 has dramatically fallen to just $35 for both PlayStation 5 and Xbox in the Black Friday sales. At 50% off, that's a huge deal on a game that only came out a few months ago, and one that I truly doubt is going to stay in stock for long.

But is Borderlands 4 worth it as well? Well, I certainly think so. It's a great game! While IGN's reviewer and loot shooter aficionado, Travis Northup, felt the open world wasn’t quite as open as it could be, he still gave the game a recommendable 8 out of 10.

“Borderlands 4 gives the series the massive kick in the pants it has needed, with a fantastic open world and greatly improved combat, even if bugs and invisible walls can sometimes throw off that groove.”

The game also recently got a big balance patch, which had very positive ramifications for my chosen Vault Hunter, Amon, and the PS5 version in this deal now has an FOV slider and improved performance.

Expect Borderlands 4 to be around for a while, too. While the Switch 2 port has been delayed indefinitely, the game’s post-launch roadmap is stacked - and will include a new Vault Hunter, C4SH, who was revealed recently.

Should You Wait for Black Friday on Nov. 28?

Wait? Not for a deal like this. Black Friday proper might throw a few curveballs on November 28, but Borderlands 4 at $35 is already sitting firmly in Black Friday-deal territory, and it’s absolutely worth grabbing before the stock gets lost to the shadow realm.

Only Amazon and GameStop have it right now, so if the price gets nuked, that’s you staring down a fresh dose of Black Friday FOMO. Hopefully Walmart and Best Buy wake up and match it soon. If it’s been sitting on your wishlist, this is the best price you’re going to see, and it wipes the floor with pretty much anything else in the mix.

It also goes head to head with what I’d been calling the best PS5 game deal so far, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater at $30. And if you’ve been lurking around my bargain roundups, you’ve already seen the $20 or less list stuffed with heavy hitters, plus the under $30 guide where MGS was the star of the show.

Like BF6, those are going to disappear fast. If you want something broader, I’ve already pulled together a full sweep of the best Black Friday video game deals. Bottom line, grab the good stuff now and enjoy your Thanksgiving.

Robert Anderson is Senior Commerce Editor and IGN's resident deals expert on games, collectibles, trading card games, and more. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter/X or Bluesky.

The official Apple Black Friday event doesn't start until Friday, but Amazon and Walmart are already offering significant discounts on Apple products, including the AirPods Max for $399. These popular over-the-ear headphones are some of the best around and usually retail for $549, so this $150 discount is likely the best you're going to find for some time.

Apple AirPods Max for $399.99

AirPods Max represent Apple's top-of-the-line audio experience, featuring a custom Apple-designed audio driver, H1 chip for instant pairing and automatic switching between your Apple devices, and personalized Spatial Audio with head tracking. Similar to the AirPods Pro, these also feature Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and Transparency Mode, which allow you to seamlessly adjust the audio to suit your environment.

These are the latest AirPods Max models available, which now include up to 2x better ANC, a USB-C port for charging, and a refreshed lineup of colors: Midnight, Starlight, Blue, Purple, and Orange. The USB-C port also allows for lossless audio, which is a great addition for audiophiles.

If you're more into earbuds than over-the-ear headphones, check otu the wireless AirPods deals. Nearly all models of AirPods are on sale for Black Friday, including the refreshed AirPods 4 (with Active Noise Cancellation) for $99 and the standard Airpods 4 for $69. If you're looking for a higher-end in-ear solution, the new AirPods Pro 3 are also on sale as well, with improved ANC, an improved fit, and the ability to track workouts without an iPhone or Apple Watch needed.

For even more savings, you can shop Black Friday deals at just about every retailer right now, including Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, and Target.

Matthew Adler has written for IGN since 2019 covering all things gaming, tech, tabletop games, and more. You can follow him on the site formerly known as Twitter @MatthewAdler and watch him stream on Twitch.

Without a doubt OLED technology offers the best image quality you can find in a consumer TV and fortunately, OLED TV prices have dropped significantly in 2025. For Black Friday, OLED TVs from the biggest brand names - LG, Samsung, and Sony - have dropped to the lowest prices of the year. Note that several of these deals are constantly going in and out of stock, so check back again if the TV brand and size that you want is currently available.

77" LG Evo C5 4K OLED TV Deal with Free Soundbar at LG

LG's OLED TVs have been our favorite TVs for console gaming for three years running. The 2025 C5 uses LG's proprietary Evo panel, which is significantly brighter and offers a wider color gamut than traditional W-OLED TVs. Aside from higher production costs, there's no downside to this technology.

Sony Bravia XR8B 4K OLED TV Deals for Black Friday

Are you a staunch Sony loyalist? I can't blame you. After all, they are the company behind the PlayStation 5 console, so it stands to reason Sony TVs would make a great complement to the console (and it's true). The Sony Bravia XR8B is a 2025 release that replaces last year's XR8. It uses a W-OLED panel so image quality is comparable to Samsung's S85F and LG's B5 OLED TV models. The Bravia 8 supports HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision video formats and Dolby Atmos and DTS audio.

If You're Looking for a High-end TV, Go With OLED

Compared to any other type of TV, OLED TVs boast superior image quality thanks to their near-infinite black levels, near-infinite contrast ratio, and near-instantaneous response times. This is easily the best type of TV for streaming 4K HDR content in its intended glory. OLED TVs have also been our favorite TVs for console gaming because nearly all of them feature a native 120Hz refresh rate and HDMI 2.1 inputs for running PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X games in 4K at up to 120fps.

Size Matters, Get the Biggest TV You Can Afford

This year, shoppers are trending towards bigger TVs. Everyone who's purchased a 55" TV in the past is probably now looking to upgrade to a 65" TV, and even 77" TVs are becoming increasingly more common. Manufacturers are aware of this trend and I expect the biggest price drops to happen in the 60" to 77" size range.

If you're looking to upgrade, my advice is to get the biggest TV that can still fit in your intended space and is within your budget. One of the main reasons why people choose to upgrade is to get a bigger TV, and a larger TV will be more future-proof down the road. TV technology moves at a relatively slow pace and chances are if you're happy with the image quality of your TV right now, you'll probably also be fine with it for the long haul. But size is a different matter.

Gamers Should Look for TVs With These Features

If you have a current generation console like a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X, you'll want to make sure that your new TV has both a native 120Hz refresh rate and HDMI 2.1 inputs. These are necessary to run games in 4K at up to 120fps. Even in 2025, there are quite a few budget TVs that don't have these features, so make sure you do your due research. If you're a gamer, it is definitely worth it to splurge a little more on a TV that can run your games to their fullest potential.

Despite being a current generation console, the Nintendo Switch 2 has lax TV requirements compared to the PS5 or Xbox Series X. When the Switch is connected to its dock and a television, it is only capable of outputting a 4K resolution signal at up to 60 frames per second. It can go up to 120fps if the resolution drops to 1080p, but the data rate required for both these options is pretty much the same, and you would much rather play any game in 4K.

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

the best deals I've found so far expect to see the lowest prices of the year during Black Friday. That means brand-name OLED TVs from LG, Samsung, and Sony will probably drop to as low as $1,199.99 (or less) for a 65" model and $1,799.99 (or less) for a 77" model. Higher end models with advanced features like LG's Evo or Samsung's quantum dot technology will very likely be heavily discounted as well.

Electronics Express via eBay is offering incredible prices on the 2025 LG Evo C5 4K OLED Smart TVs. The 77" model is marked down to $1,597.59 after 20% off code "CYBERWEEK20". The 65" model is down to $1,117.56 with same code. 42", 48", and 55" sizes are on sale as well. Electronics Express is an authorized LG reseller with over 200,00 reviews on eBay and a 99.4% positive feedback rating. LG is currently the most selling OLED TVs in the global market and for very good reason.

Note that Electronic Express often expires its eBay listings quickly, possibly due to low inventory, so these deals might end well before Black Friday, which lands on November 28.

For Samsung loyalists, there is an extremely similar deal on the Samsung S90F OLED TV.

Black Friday LG Evo C5 4K OLED TV Deals

Apply 20% off coupon code "CYBERWEEK20"

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

What happens if Avatar: Fire and Ash doesn’t make enough profit to convince Disney to bankroll Avatar 4 and 5? Creator James Cameron has said he’s ready to walk away from the franchise, adding he’ll write a book to resolve the one thread Avatar 3 leaves open.

The special effects-heavy Avatar films cost a huge amount of money to produce, but they have historically made billions of dollars at the box office. Avatar: Fire and Ash, due out in December, is expected to follow suit — and the pressure is on it to deliver for Disney so director James Cameron can realize his vision and release Avatar 4 and 5 over the next six years.

Speaking on The Town with Matthew Belloni podcast, Cameron admitted he was feeling nervous about Avatar: Fire and Ash’s box office performance, and was mindful of the “forces” working against theatrical releases in 2025.

There’s the potential for “sequelitis,” Cameron noted. "People tend to dismiss sequels unless it’s the third Lord of the Rings film and you want to see what happens to everybody, which in my mind this is — this is the culmination of a story arc, but that may not be how the public sees it.”

And there’s the “one-two punch” of streaming and Covid, which means fewer people are going to the movies — 75% of what it was in 2019, Cameron suggested.

When pressed on how much Avatar: Fire and Ash cost to make, Cameron wouldn’t be drawn into divulging a figure, but did dance around the issue by suggesting it was a lot of money, and so the movie will have to make a lot of money.

“It is one metric f**k ton of money, which means we have to make two metric f**k tons of money to make a profit,” he said. “I have no doubt in my mind that this movie will make money. The question is, does it make enough money to justify doing it again?”

The Beatles Anthology 2025 is available on Disney+ now.

Fans of the Beatles have been well enabled by Disney+ since it launched in 2019 with a steady release of exclusive Fab Four documentaries, including Peter Jackson’s The Beatles: Get Back (2021), Let It Be - Restored (2024), Beatles ’64 (2025), and now the remastered The Beatles Anthology 2025.

It’s staggering to consider that it’s been 30 years since the ABC network first broadcast the original eight episodes of The Beatles Anthology in the US as a three-night event. Directed by Geoff Wonfor and Bob Smeaton, the series marked the first time that the surviving Beatles — Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr — and Yoko Ono and Sean Lennon (representing the late John Lennon estate) worked together to tell their story in their own words. The docuseries also utilized the massive collection of unused Beatles footage curated and cataloged in 1971 by Neil Aspinall, their longtime friend and manager of Apple Corps, and their own individual personal archives. The result was an exhaustive, insightful, and very personal record of their shared history, starting from their childhoods in Liverpool through to the dissolution of the band in 1969.

While that iteration of The Beatles Anthology was accepted as the definitive source for the band’s history, it was limited by what could be accomplished with the video and audio mastering of the time, as well as broadcast standards in 1995 (HDTV wouldn’t be introduced until 1998). With this updated version, not only is a worthy ninth episode added to the whole, but the overall footage restoration and upscaling is pristinely done by Peter Jackson’s WingNut Films & Park Road Post, who were responsible for the Beatles: Get Back and Let It Be restorations. That’s matched by the stellar audio remastering and remixing by Giles Martin, son of legendary Beatles producer George Martin. He utilized ‘MAL’ AI de-mixing technology to do what good AI does, achieving digital separation of audio layers to get maximum clarity with voice, instruments, and background noise. That means crisp song fidelity throughout the new episode, as well as in Lennon’s voice in the “new” Beatles songs that came from this project.

Even if you aren’t a Beatles fan, the Anthology series stands apart from most band docs because of its contextual value as a historical time capsule of the post-war global music scene. Told primarily through interviews recorded from 1991-1994 with the surviving members, and using archival interviews of Lennon, the docuseries isn’t concerned with how the outside world perceived them. This was their opportunity to reflect on the magic of their intersected lives, how they applied their working class values of non-stop gigging to evolve into a cracking little band, and their remembrances of how they weathered the global obsession of them and their music that started with "Please Please Me" in 1963 and never really stopped.

The only new material in The Beatles Anthology 2025 comes in episode nine, which is a more formal edit of the special features footage from the extras disc on the original Anthology’s DVD box set, and some unused material from the original edit. Director Oliver Murray (Now and Then - The Last Beatles Song) takes his storytelling cues from Peter Jackson and allows the band’s candid moments to speak volumes about band dynamics, from their waning days right up through the sessions for the doc in the early ’90s. Murray also constructs a timeline for the creation process behind the Lennon demos that inspired their creation of "Free as a Bird," "Real Love," and what eventually would become 2023’s "Now and Then.” As they relearn to create in a space together, there’s a lot of joy in just witnessing them collaborating and writing as a unit again. There’s warmth, rapport, and truth that blooms before our eyes, and it’s emotional to watch.

In keeping with that, episodes one through eight remain a fascinating watch, not only because of the documentation of their meteoric rise, but because of how distance from “The Beatles” informs the unique mood each brings to the interviews that assess their memories of that crazy decade of their lives. While the great Beatles experiment only lasted a decade, the music they made and the accelerated rate in which they matured musically remains singular to modern pop music. In turn, they inspired countless musicians that came after, while continuing their own musical journeys. Not many bands hit a pinnacle of success like the Beatles did, then get to reunite to set the record straight while still wrestling with their legacy in real time on camera. The Anthology remains infinitely watchable because it’s not just documenting a timeline; it captures the evolving, complicated relationships of its existing members, who on one hand can be united in mourning the loss of Lennon, yet still bristle with their memories of one another.

Sure, Black Friday may be filled with tons of great new video game deals right now, but GameStop's switching things up with a "Buy 2, Get 1 Free" sale on a ALL pre-owned games. There are some excellent picks included with this offer, too, from Ghost of Yotei to Hades 2 to Silent Hill f, and so many more.

We've picked out just a few of our pre-owned favorites from this sale event below (many are even discounted, which is a nice bonus), but if you're curious what others are available through this offer right now, check out GameStop's full Buy 2, Get 1 Free Sale on pre-owned games here.

GameStop Buy 2, Get 1 Free Sale on Pre-Owned Games

If you're a bit hesitant to jump on a pre-owned game, GameStop provides a 'Pre-Owned Guarantee', which mentions that each game is guaranteed to work, comes with a seven-day-money-back guarantee, and if you find you're not happy with it, most purchases can be returned within 30 days for free, whether that be in-store or online. They also note that the game you pick may not include the original box or manual, and the picture of it may not be accurate of the condition it was received in, which is worth keeping in mind.

Outside of GameStop's pre-owned sale, Black Friday is filled to the brim with video game deals right now. Looking for more PlayStation games? Check out our breakdown of PS5 games on sale for Black Friday. Or are you looking to add more Switch games to your library? We've gathered up every Switch game on sale during the event as well. Xbox fans have plenty to look at, too. Our roundup of every Xbox game on sale can point you towards the best deals currently available for Black Friday.

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

Ubisoft has confirmed it no longer plans to launch a second major Assassin's Creed Shadows expansion, something that previously would have formed part of the game's now-abandoned season pass.

Shadows' first — and now, it seems, only — major expansion launched in September. The 10-hour Claws of Awaji had previously been described as the "first expansion" included in Shadows' season pass, an offer that was formally scrapped a year ago when Ubisoft delayed the game's launch from November 2024 to February 2025.

As an apology to fans for the game's delay, Ubisoft said it instead would gift Claws of Awaji for free to all pre-order customers. But fans still assumed a second expansion would follow at some point, as has become custom for every other major Assassin's Creed title over the past decade.

"As of now, at this moment for Year Two, there is no expansion on the size of Awaji that is planned," associate game director Simon Lemay-Comtois said in an interview with JorRaptor.

Lemay-Comtois caveated his answer by noting some exceptional examples in the past where Ubisoft had changed its plans to make more add-on content than it had originally envisioned (such as with the recent Saudi-funded DLC that arrived two years post-launch for Assassin's Creed Mirage). But, currently, it seems clear that no second expansion is on the cards, and there's no suggestion that Shadows' post-launch plans will extend into a Year Three.

It's an extremely surprising decision by Ubisoft, which followed up the launch of 2017's Assassin's Creed Origins with two expansions (The Hidden Ones and The Curse of the Pharaohs), 2018's Assassin's Creed Odyssey with two expansions (Legacy of the First Blade and The Fate of Atlantis), and 2020's Assassin's Creed Odyssey with three expansions (Wrath of the Druids, The Siege of Paris, Dawn of Ragnarök) alongside numerous other smaller DLC drops. 2023's smaller-scale Assassin's Creed Mirage was itself originally planned as yet another Valhalla expansion, before it was ultimately released as a standalone game.

"We're still working on content for post-launch and supporting it, but it's not a full-on DLC the way a season pass would have had in the previous years," Lemay-Comtois said, confirming at least that Ubisoft still had plans for smaller additions to Shadows within 2026.

"We're trying to re-adjust for Year Two a little bit," he continued. "There's learning from Year One we can apply to Year Two. Any content we want to do in Year Two will probably be more sparse, not a drip-feed... but chunkier updates that shake things up a little more. I'm not announcing anything at this point but our strategy for Year One was to be quick and reactive, so it means smaller drops often, but for Year Two we don't need to put fires out or anything, so it's more what good, chunky little piece of meat... we can drop and have people come back and enjoy it."

Digging into Lemay-Comtois' comment, the suggestion here is that Ubisoft's decision to change course on Shadows following its pre-release reception impacted the company's plans for post-launch support, with priority placed on fighting immediate "fires." And indeed, Shadows has enjoyed a series of recent patches that have added numerous fan-requested features, in a clear bid to turn sentiment around. Going into further detail, Lemay-Comtois also suggested Shadows had been a tougher game to develop technologically, further complicating plans to get post-launch content ready.

"I think with Shadows, we had a big jump in generations," he continued. "The engine work that we had to do on Shadows took a lot of time and a lot of our resources. So the planning for the post launch was not really clear as soon as it would have been on another [game] where the technology was more stable and well known.

"We started fairly late on Shadows... because I remember during pre-launch we had the Season Pass," he admitted. "And the situation changed when we pushed back on the release date. That plan changed quite a bit and then we had to kind of adapt to the situation. So because of the new tech, because of the new generation, because of the pushes we had in production, we chose an approach that was way more, let's put our ear to the ground when the game launches... and react."

For 2026, Lemay-Comtois suggested Shadows would receive updates "not to the size of a DLC or expansion, but like yesterday's update plus," referencing the free update that arrived this week that added a new story quest, the game's Attack on Titan crossover, as well as a significant Isu Easter egg. "At minimum this size," he emphasized, without stating whether these updates would continue to be provided for free or not.

"And whether or not this is the right way to go, or a good learning, I think it's more of an experience we're trying with Shadows, to keep things small and reactive and see how the community feels about it and reacts to it," he concluded. "And the learnings that come out of that will be applied to whatever other projects we do next."

Of course, it's to be expected that Shadows' lead developer Ubisoft Quebec is already planning its next major Assassin's Creed project (and indeed, it was previously reported that the studio had begun early pre-production work last year on a now-scrapped entry set in the post-U.S. Civil War period). But the mention here of those projects is interesting, alongside confirmation of what sounds like smaller plans for Shadows in 2026 than fans have seen this year.

And then there's what else fans expect is coming: a remake of Assassin's Creed: Black Flag reportedly waiting in the wings, as well as numerous other Assassin's Creed projects that Ubisoft has already confirmed, including a multiplayer spin-off and the witchcraft-themed Assassin's Creed: Hexe. Amongst all that, and coupled with Shadows' delay drama, Ubisoft seems to have simply decided a second Shadows expansion isn't necessary.

If you're hunting for the best offers this week, we're actively rounding up the strongest Black Friday deals on video games, tech, and more. You can find all our top picks and price drops in our full Black Friday hub, or check out our relevant pages for PlayStation, Nintendo, and Xbox deals.

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

Black Friday has been filled with tons of great PS5 video game deals so far, and if you've been scooping them all up while they're on sale, you'll want to make sure you have enough space on your PlayStation to download or install them all. Thankfully, Amazon's here to save the day with a sweet 30% Black Friday discount on the 4TB Samsung 9100 Pro SSD with a heatsink, bringing it below $400 and giving you plenty of extra storage to hold all of your new games.

Black Friday Deal: Save on Samsung 9100 Pro 4TB SSD With Heatsink at Amazon

There is increasing concern that skyrocketing RAM prices will impact high-end gaming not just in the short term, but the long term.

With the explosive growth of generative AI, AI data centers are hoovering up the world's memory and storage supply, sparking price hikes that some experts fear could last for decades. Cheap SSDs, DRAM, and HDDs are pretty much a thing of the past, with prices rising as AI demand outstrips supply.

This has already caused price rises, with PC retailer CyberPowerPC announcing a hike for memory modules across the U.S. and the UK “due to market conditions.”

“Recently, global memory (RAM) prices have surged by 500% and SSD prices have risen by 100%,” CyberPowerPC said. “This has had a direct impact on the cost of building gaming PCs since 10/1/25.” Price rises thus kick in on December 7.

The impact on PC gaming could be significant and long-lasting, Epic Games boss Tim Sweeney tweeted. “RAM price increases will be a real problem for high-end gaming for several years,” he said. “Factories are diverting leading edge DRAM capacity to meet AI needs where data centers are bidding far higher than consumer device makers.”

The situation has become so out of control that, as PCWorld reports, stores are beginning to sell RAM at 'catch-of-the-day' market prices. As CyberPowerPC pointed out, these price rises come with the holidays right around the corner, which is less than ideal.

Just checked the price of the RAM that is currently installed in my gaming PC; the AI bubble cannot implode fast enough. pic.twitter.com/G7N5lthE9O

— Rin | 凛 (@TheIshikawaRin) November 24, 2025

"Bro stop being such a loser, get a gaming PC"

CPU: $500
GPU: $1000
Motherboard: $300
RAM: Notify me when available
Primary SSD: $150
CPU Cooler: $150
PSU: $150
Case: $125
OS: $50

Just take my kidney and go pic.twitter.com/nr257QpAr1

— Bahamut (@Icewallowcumin) November 23, 2025

But the issue may stretch out for years to come. “The AI build-out is absolutely eating up a lot of the available chip supply, and 2026 looks to be far bigger than this year in terms of overall demand,” Dan Nystedt, vice president of research at TriOrient, told CNBC.

As CNBC points out, AI servers primarily run on processors from chip designers like Nvidia. These AI processors heavily rely on High-Bandwidth Memory or HBM. Nystedt said AI server companies are willing to pay top dollar for premium chips. “It could be very bad for PCs, laptops, consumer electronics and automotive, which depend on cheap memory chips,” he added.

And there is concern for the price of video game consoles, too. There are online rumors that Microsoft may soon be forced to up the price of Xbox consoles again in reaction to the RAM crunch. Valve has yet to announce a price for its next-gen Steam Machine, and fluctuating RAM prices may have something to do with it.

If you're hunting for the best offers this week, we're actively rounding up the strongest Black Friday deals on video games, tech, and more. You can find all our top picks and price drops in our full Black Friday hub, or check out our relevant pages for PlayStation, Nintendo, and Xbox deals.

Photo by Mohamad Salaheldin Abdelg Alsayed/Anadolu via Getty Images.

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

Spoilers follow for the first four episodes of Stranger Things Season 5, “Chapter One: The Crawl,” “Chapter Two: The Vanishing of Holly Wheeler,” “Chapter Three: The Turnbow Trap,” and “Chapter Four: Sorcerer.”

By the end of Stranger Things Season 5, Volume 1, the Hawkins campaign against Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) is most certainly game on. Will Byer’s (Noah Schnapp) throwdown of Vecna’s Demogorgons seemingly positions him as the Dungeon Master extraordinaire. But there’s still so much that the Hawkins party doesn’t know about their adversary’s endgame, including everything at his disposal to ensure he achieves the horrific vision of Hawkins that he shared with Nancy (Natalia Dyer) in Season 4.

As always, every new batch of Stranger Things episodes opens the door for new questions, and that’s certainly the case again at the conclusion of the first four episodes of Season 5. As we’re still processing the insanity of that cliffhanger, here are a few burning questions we’ll be pondering until the next three episodes arrive on December 25, 2025.

What Is Dr. Kay’s Overall Mission?

The Duffers love their ’80s-era iconic actors. They’ve cast quite a few in some juicy parts across the seasons, including Matthew Modine as Dr. Martin Brenner, Sean Astin as Bob Newby, Paul Reiser as Sam Owens, Cary Elwes as Larry Kline and Robert Englund as Victor Creel. In Season 5, Linda Hamilton joins their esteemed, nostalgic company as the enigmatic Dr. Kay.

In the first four episodes, all we know about Kay is that she has her own well-funded and well-protected lab in the Upside Down. She’s not exactly warm with her subordinates, and is more in keeping with the behavior of Bishop the android (Lance Henriksen) from Aliens when it comes to their shared intensity regarding alien creature vivisection. But her acquired knowledge seems to have given her control of some of the critters, like the one that chokes out Hopper.

By the end of Chapter 4, we do know that she’s somehow found and forcibly taken Eleven’s (Millie Bobby Brown) fellow lab sister Eight, a.k.a. Kali (Linnea Berthelsen). We can assume that the same sound device Kay uses to immobilize Eleven also works, or worked, on Eight. Now she’s harnessing Eight’s powers in some kind of machine, but how? As a reminder, Eight can manipulate and project illusions into the minds of those around her, which begs the question: Is what Eleven and Hopper see in the lab real, or is Kali projecting whatever Kay tells her to? It’s too early to tell if Kay is a nefarious player in the military’s research or a sympathetic scientist when it comes to all things in the Upside Down.

How Did Kali/Eight Wind Up in the Upside Down?

As alluded to above, Kali Prasad/Eight was one of Dr. Brenner’s lab children that he conducted experiments on starting in 1979. Prior to One/Henry Creel/Vecna killing all of the children in the lab except Eleven, Eight had escaped the lab and collected her own family of misfit runaways in Chicago. In Season 2, Eleven seeks out the girl who escaped and they bond over their shared experiences and special powers. They part ways that same season and haven’t reconnected until Eleven finds Eight in Dr. Kay’s Upside Down lab machine. We have to imagine that she was never really as off the grid as she imagined, between Brenner’s files and perhaps even the tracking of Eight after her escape. And when Kay needed to bring Eleven into her Upside Down lab, the best bait would be Eight.

Will the Wheelers Survive?

Karen Wheeler (Cara Buono) and Ted Wheeler (Joe Chrest) got shredded as they attempted to protect their youngest, Holly (Nell Fisher), from that rampaging Demogorgon in their house. They were both slashed up so brutally that we actually felt a teensy bit bad for Ted, who has been consistently inert as a father and partner across all five seasons. The pair were both alive when they arrived at the local hospital, and Karen even was conscious enough to identify Holly’s “imaginary friend” as Henry. That said, we wouldn’t be surprised if one, or both, were sacrificed to the stakes of this finale season. On the other hand, we also wouldn’t complain if Karen survives and gets to escape the purgatory that is Hawkins suburbia.

When Is Steve Going to Call Dustin on His Shit?

As Steven Harrington (Joe Keery) has evolved from lunkhead high school jock to emotionally perceptive adopted dad of the Hawkins misfits, the writers have recognized that he’s their secret weapon for great character moments. He gets to land some truth bombs on Jonathan Byers (Charlie Heaton) in this block of episodes, but we’re really waiting for an overdue thrown down between him and bestie Dustin Henderson (Gaten Matarazzo). The typically enthusiastic science nerd hasn’t processed Eddie Munson’s (Joseph Quinn) death from last season at all, and it’s turned Steve’s little bro into an angry, bitter shadow of his former self. In turn, their bromance plays out more like a troubled marriage in these first episodes as they snipe and bicker at one another. We know it’s just a matter of time before Steve gets to the bottom of what’s going on with Dustin and when it happens, we don’t expect to survive it without some ugly sobbing.

Is the Organic Wall Connected to Vecna’s Evolved Look?

The organic matter that energizes Vecna in the attic of the Creel home has been an evolving organism ever since we first got a good look at it in the Upside Down in Season 1. We’ve seen those tendrils attach to Vecna and replenish him during his regeneration time. And then he seemed to use them to bind and contain his victims in the Upside Down version of the Creel house. But what they are and if they’re autonomous from Vecna remains a mystery.

In Season 5, the massive organic wall discovered by Hopper and Eleven in the Upside Down is reminiscent of the wall that Vecna attaches Will to in the season’s first episode, just writ large. Is the size of it now indicative of Vecna’s power? When he appears through the portal into Hawkins in "Chapter Four: Sorcerer,” Vecna looks different. His once humanoid-looking right arm is no more and matches his entire body in appearing more thorny, with active movement slithering across his form. He’s jacked too now, so maybe the size of that wall is directly connected to this more ‘roidy-looking Vecna. Is there a way to damage what the wall parallels in the Rightside Up in order to weaken the demon?

If Max Is Revived From Her Coma, Will She Be Changed Irrevocably?

For 584 days, Max (Sadie Sink) has been roaming inside Henry Creel's memories. Even though she’s found a safe space inside the rock cave — a place Henry won’t enter — the question remains: What will the cost be for Max to spend so much time trapped inside that monster’s head? Even if Holly is the key to Max’s escape from the cave and the coma, will she be irrevocably changed for the worse? The best case scenario is that her time in Henry’s head will help the gang figure out how to take the villain down. Maybe she can look to Will’s burst of power to figure how to harness what she’s learned from Henry’s memories to use them against him?

How Does Will Pull Off an Eleven Power Move — Bloody Nose and All — at the End of Episode 4?

The prologue of "Chapter One: The Crawl" makes it very clear that from the moment Will Byers was yoinked into the Upside Down, his connection with Vecna has been physical, intentional and part of a long game. It was wild to see tiny, vulnerable Will encased in organic matter and forcibly face-hugged by Vecna as he did who knows what to the kid. But it certainly confirms that every Will neck tingle, every phantom feeling, every barfed-up slug has been strengthening whatever Vecna initiated between them. What we don’t know is if Will’s Eleven-style power move at the end of "Chapter Four: Sorcerer" was always part of Vecna’s plan, or if Will’s increasing confidence paired with his love for his family and friends manifested in his siphoning of Vecna’s power, which facilitated that Demogorgon massacre? Either is interesting, but the latter is a twist that could finally tilt the power tables against Vecna.

What were your biggest questions about the first four episodes of Stranger Things Volume 1? Let’s discuss in the comments!

A gorgeous 4K TV set feels incomplete without a great sounding speaker system to back it up, so do you ears (and your wallet) a favor by upgrading to a Sonos speaker system for Black Friday. The Sonos Black Friday Sale has officially commenced, and with it the lowest prices of the year on Sonos' signature soundbars and speakers.

The audio savvy knows that a single speaker usually isn't enough to reproduce an entire soundstage. Fortunately, Sonos offers pre-selected speaker bundles that are matched together to round out a complete home theater or entertainment system. Some of these bundles have an additional discount that stacks on top of Black Friday prices.

Black Friday has been surprisingly good so far for gamers. Xbox is a little light on doorbuster offers, but there are still several standout deals that I absolutely think are worth checking out this weekend.

That includes top new games like Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater and Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds for just $30, alongside Borderlands 4 and Battlefield 6 at 50% off, both down to just $35.

TL;DR - The Best Xbox Deals for Black Friday

There's also 15% off Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Gift Cards at Target for today only, alongside Xbox controllers from just $39.99.

With that, march through the Black Friday sale weekend has very much commenced, and it's not just Xbox putting on a show, with PlayStation and Nintendo's sales also kicking into full gear today.

If live updates, be sure to bookmark this page for all the latest discounts from now through to Cyber Monday. But for now, let’s jump into the best Xbox Black Friday deals available right now.

Xbox Games

Like I mentioned, the big highlights in the Xbox Black Friday sale are absolutely on the games. A few big new deals have appear today, including Borderlands 4 for $35, alongside Battlefield 6 at the same price. Two big new games at 50% off, now that's what Black Friday is all about.

There's also one of the most popular Xbox deals of Black Friday 2025 so far, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater for just $30 at Walmart. Deals like this don't tend to stick around long, so snap them up ASAP to avoid that Black Friday deal FOMO when they inevitably run out of stock.

There's also up to 75% off digital games, which has a reasonably good selection, including The Outer Worlds 2 and Ninja Gaiden 4 for $55.99. There's also a handful a great games from the past few years that are around $10 in the sale, including Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, Sonic Frontiers, Dead Space, and more.

Xbox Controllers

Microsoft has finally showed a bit of holiday goodwill this Black Friday, trimming roughly $20 off almost every Xbox controller in the lineup. That takes some of the sting out of the accessory price hike from earlier this year, and it means most options are now sitting comfortably in the $40 to $50 range.

I'd prefer if we could get a controller at consistently $30-$35, but for the time being, these are the best deals. A lot of the popular shades have already vanished from Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart, so if you’ve been putting off replacing a battered pad, or you just want a second one for couch co op, now’s the window.

The lowest prices are on the standard Carbon Black and Robot White models at $39.99, while the more eye catching colors hover between $45 and $50, including the newer Breaker designs from September.

Xbox Game Pass

Where Are the Xbox Console Deals?

Let's just get this over with, there are no Xbox console discounts right now. None. The best Microsoft can muster is a trade-in offer where they'll hand you about $130 for a used machine, which isn't exactly the sort of thing that gets people rushing to checkout.

It's the same story across the usual suspects. Retailers that usually throw a bone around Black Friday, like Lenovo with its oddly generous promo codes, have gone quiet. No bundles, no quirky coupon stack, no surprise Amazon price drop hiding in the weeds. Just radio silence.

Why? Because Microsoft already raised prices this year on all Xbox hardware, and retailers, including Microsoft, clearly aren't in the mood to cut into their margin on a console that's already selling at a what can only be defined as a trickle. I love my Xbox Series X, and even I think this is a bit sad. No, there aren't any discounts on the Xbox Ally X, either. Fingers crossed for next year, I guess.

If you want a console under the tree this year, PS5 consoles are $100 off for Black Friday, and Switch 2 still has its money saving bundles with Mario Kart World ($30 saving), and they're not evaporating instantly either.

In other words, unless you're dead set on Xbox, your money goes further elsewhere right now, especially since the Xbox Series X costs 650 big ones in the US now, the same price as an on sale PS5 Pro.

You might have already seen my $20 or less roundup, which is still packed with heavy hitters from the last few years and perfect if you want maximum bang for your buck. I also recently covered the best games under $30 right now, sporting Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater as my top pick.

I've also got you covered if you're looking for a more comprehensive roundup of the best video game deals for Black Friday. In summary, snag these Xbox games as soon as you can, maybe we'll get some Xbox console offers next year, and have a great Thanksgiving.

Robert Anderson is Senior Commerce Editor and IGN's resident deals expert on games, collectibles, trading card games, and more. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter/X or Bluesky.

Among the bevy of OEM PC builders flooding the market, Lenovo is one of the more respected brands out there (and we like them ourselves). Lenovo Legion gaming PCs and laptops offer no-nonsense build quality and premium materials, powerful components with adequate cooling, and a stalwart warranty. They're generally priced at the higher end of the spectrum... except on Black Friday when everything is backwards.

Nay, on Black Friday Lenovo offers such deep discounts that they can out-price any other comparable system on the market. The caveat is that (1) only a few select configurations are on sale and (2) the coupons aren't advertised on its site so unless you're deal-savvy enough to check out an article like this one, you'll probably miss the deals. Fortunately, that's what we're here for. Here are the ten best Black Friday deals I've found so far.

Lenovo Legion Tower 7 RTX 5080 Gaming PC for $2,090

Stranger Things co-creator Ross Duffer has called on fans of the Netflix series to turn off what he described as “garbage” TV settings before watching Season 5, as they “destroy the color” and present an image that is “not the filmmakers’ intent.”

In a post on Instagram, Duffer walked through the process of turning off the likes of dynamic contrast, super resolution, and edge enhancer, saying: “there’s a bunch of crap in here you’re gonna want to make sure is off.”

The “worst offender of all,” Duffer continued, is ‘TruMotion,’ aka smooth motion, “or the dreaded soap opera effect.”

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

The TV settings Stranger Things co-creator Ross Duffer recommends fans turn off before watching Season 5:

• Dynamic contrast
• Super resolution
• Edge enhancer
• Color filter
• Noise reduction
• TruMotion
• Vivid

Given the huge popularity of Stranger Things, Duffer’s PSA could end up resulting in changed settings for quite a lot of television sets. Last night’s release of the first volume of episodes for Stranger Things Season 5 sparked such interest that it briefly crashed Netflix.

And, after sorting your TV out you need a brief catch-up, here’s the official blurb on Stranger Things Season 5:

The fall of 1987. Hawkins is scarred by the opening of the Rifts, and our heroes are united by a single goal: find and kill Vecna. But he has vanished — his whereabouts and plans unknown. Complicating their mission, the government has placed the town under military quarantine and intensified its hunt for Eleven, forcing her back into hiding. As the anniversary of Will’s disappearance approaches, so does a heavy, familiar dread. The final battle is looming — and with it, a darkness more powerful and more deadly than anything they’ve faced before. To end this nightmare, they’ll need everyone — the full party — standing together, one last time.

Stranger Things Season 5 debuts on Netflix in three parts, with the first four episodes arriving for the Thanksgiving holiday on November 26. The next three episodes premiere on Christmas, and the series finale will debut on the streamer and in over 350 theaters nationwide on New Year’s Eve.

Stranger Things Season 5 release dates:

• VOL 1 - November 26, 5pm PT
• VOL 2 - Christmas, 5pm PT
• THE FINALE - New Year’s Eve, 5pm PT

Check out IGN’s Stranger Things: Season 5, Vol. 1 spoiler review to find out what we think of the first batch of episodes.

If you're hunting for the best offers this week, we're actively rounding up the strongest Black Friday deals on video games, tech, and more. You can find all our top picks and price drops in our full Black Friday hub, or check out our relevant pages for PlayStation, Nintendo, and Xbox deals.

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

Tech savvy deal hunters, the wait is over; the Best Buy Black Friday Sale has officially commenced. There are hundreds of deals that are worth checking out, but only a select number are available exclusively at Best Buy. These are the deals you don't want to overlook, because they're very often the best deals you'll find for all of Black Friday. Best Buy offers free shipping on orders over $35 with the option to order online and pick up in-store. If for some reason you have to return your item, you can do so at your nearest retail location instead of dealing with return shipping. Check out the deals below.

Lenovo Legion Go S Gaming Handhelds

Sonos Arc Soundbar

Meta Quest 3S VR Headset

Nvidia Shield Android TV Pro for $169.99

Black Friday TV Deals

Year after year, you can always rely on Best Buy to deliver some of the best Black Friday TV deals. That's because Best Buy often carries exclusive models and brands that aren't available elsewhere and thus cannot be price matched. There are several reasons why you should upgrade your TV in 2025, especially since prices have fallen dramatically this year. Whatever your budget constraints and size requirements may be, there's a TV deal for you; pick up a 55" TV for as low as $170 or a wall-hugging 98" TV for under $1,000.

Acer Predator Helios Neo RTX 5070 Ti Laptop

Black Friday Gaming PC Deals

Black Friday is the best time of year to upgrade your gaming PC and get the most powerful system for the least amount of money. Best Buy has several exclusive Black Friday deals on gaming PCs from CyberPowerPC, iBuypower, Skytech, and more. They're equipped with the latest Nvidia GeForce RTX 50 series or AMD Radeon 9000 series GPUs so that you can play the latest and most demanding games without breaking a sweat.

Bambu Lab 3D Printers

There's no better time to find an excuse to start 3D printing your own products than Black Friday, because that's when 3D printers drop to their lowest prices of the year. Bambu is widely considered one of the better 3D printer brands on the market, and its most popular models are all on sale today. New for 2025, Best Buy has become an official reseller of Bambu Lab. Although Bambu Lab now ships its products from US-based warehouses if you order from them directly, I'd still recommend getting the printer from Best Buy because the return policy is much easier (simply return to your local Best Buy store) and you accrue Best Buy rewards.

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

As the debate around the use of generative AI to build video games rages on, Tim Sweeney, boss of Fortnite developer Epic Games, has waded in to call on Valve to ditch its AI Generated Content Disclosure for Steam games.

Valve’s rules mean developers must disclose their use of AI-generated content on a game’s Steam store page. For example, the Steam page for Embark Studios’ Arc Raiders includes a note from the developer on how the game uses AI-generated content: “during the development process, we may use procedural- and AI-based tools to assist with content creation. In all such cases, the final product reflects the creativity and expression of our own development team.”

Activision’s Call of Duty also includes an AI disclosure: “our team uses generative AI tools to help develop some in game assets.”

Quentin Tarantino's brand new animated Kill Bill sequence, The Lost Chapter: Yuki's Revenge, has now been glimpsed for the first time — and yes, it really does include Fortnite's famous banana.

A new trailer for the short, which is set to be included in Kill Bill's upcoming Whole Bloody Affair re-release, shows Uma Thurman return once again as heroine The Bride, via a performance captured through Epic Games' Unreal Engine.

Fortnite fans will be the first to watch the new sequence in its entirety when it debuts in-game this Sunday, November 30 at 2pm ET, as part of a wider partnership between Tarantino and Epic Games. That collaboration also sees Fortnite characters appear in the animated short, including Peely and Skull Trooper.

For those wondering what is going on, this Lost Chapter adapts a sequence that Tarantino originally intended to include within Kill Bill: Part 1, where Gogo Yubari's sister Yuki pursues The Bride back to the US in order to exact a bloody revenge. The plotline was dropped, though has been revived here two decades later.

Regular theatergoers will get to watch The Lost Chapter: Yuki's Revenge within Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair when the newly-combined movie experience gets a limited run beginning on December 5. Tickets at some participating theaters will include a GoGo Yubari Fortnite skin.

Before all of that, Thurman's The Bride will first pop up within Fortnite this Saturday, November 29 as one of the many, many characters enlisted to help save the day during the game's end of Chapter live event (alongside everyone from the KPop Demon Hunters, Superman and Scooby Doo). Attend that and you'll get the Yuki Yubari skin free, meanwhile.

If you're hunting for the best offers this week, we're actively rounding up the strongest Black Friday deals on video games, tech, and more. You can find all our top picks and price drops in our full Black Friday hub, or check out our relevant pages for PlayStation, Nintendo, and Xbox deals.

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

Handheld gaming PCs have made PC gaming more relevant than ever before. One of the greatest advantages of gaming on a PC as opposed to a console is the nearly inexhaustible library of games. Unlike consoles, which eventually lose backwards compatibility at some point in their life, even the oldest of PC games can be revisited. At this point, there are literally tens of thousands of PC games for you to choose from. The tradeoff, in the past, was mobility; either you had to settle for an immovable desktop computer, or lug around a gaming-worthy laptop. Not so anymore.

With the advent of gaming PC handhelds, your entire library of PC games is at your fingertips. Now you can play Clair Obscur, Hades, Silksong, or Baldur's Gate on a device that's not much bigger than a Switch console. Some of these handhelds are pretty expensive, and the highest end models can cost upwards of $1,000. Fortunately, a couple of SteamOS models happen to have major discounts for Black Friday, including one of our favorites. SteamOS is more intuitive to use on a handheld than Windows and anyone who wants an easy, bug-free plug and play experience that "just works" should stick with this over a Windows-based handheld.

Lenovo Legion Go S Z1 Extreme SteamOS Edition

If you're in the market for a new gaming PC or laptop, Alienware should top your wishlist. The brand has been around for ages and has always been considered a premium option that features bold aesthetics, powerful performance, reliable warranty and, unfortunately, a price tag to match. On the plus side, the prices are not so "premium" during Black Friday.

Dell officially kicks off its greater Black Friday Sale today and it covers the latest and greatest Alienware gaming laptops and desktops. This is the best opportunity to stretch your dollar and get the most powerful gaming PC your budget allows. Play the latest games like Battlefield 6 or Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 in glorious 4K with buttery smooth framerates, but also future-proof your PC for the next generation of games. If you're looking for even deeper discounts, check out some incredible price drops on refurbished "Like New" computers at Dell Outlet.

Alienware Aurora R16 Gaming PC Deals

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

Alienware Area-51 Gaming PC Deals

If you're seeking the absolute best of the best in PC gaming performance, look no further. Dell unveiled the new Alienware Area-51 gaming PC at CES 2025. The chassis is a super-sized upgrade to the Aurora R16 system with aesthetic and cooling redesigns. The internal components have been refreshed with a new motherboard, faster RAM, and bigger power supply to accommodate the new generation of CPUs and GPUs. With a high-end system like this, it's only fitting that it be equipped with an RTX 5080 or RTX 5090 graphics card, so these are the configurations I've listed here. Note that Dell Outlet refurbished PCs come with the same warranty as buying new.

Alienware Aurora Gaming Laptop Deals

Alienware's new mainstream gaming laptop for 2025 is dubbed the "Alienware Aurora" and it replaces the previous generation's x16 and m16 series of laptops. It comes in two models: the 16 and 16X. The 16 is the more economical model, but gamers should definitely opt for the higher-end 16X model. If you're looking for build quality and performance on par with the previous generation m16, then the 16X is its spiritual successor. It features an anodized aluminum lid and base, a higher quality display, a more powerful CPU, and a GPU that isn't throttled for maximum gaming performance.

Alienware Area-51 Gaming Laptop Deals

Alienware 18 Area-51 (18")

Alienware 16 Area-51 (16")

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

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

Gaming Monitor Deals

Dell makes some of the highest quality gaming monitors around. They're easily on par with the best that other brands like Samsung, LG, and Asus have to offer. For Black Friday, they're also incredibly well-priced. For example, the venerable 34" Alienware AW3423DWF for $499.99 is the lower price I've ever seen for a 34" OLED monitor. By the way, if you do opt for a Dell or Alienware OLED monitor, you also get a 3-year warranty that includes OLED burn-in protection.

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