Maybe you made a New Year’s resolution to take your game streaming more seriously, want to upgrade your current setup, or even start a podcast? A top-notch microphone is the best place to start, since you won’t grow an audience with poor-quality audio. The SteelSeries Alias Pro, which features an XLR mic and Stream Mixer, is a high-end microphone up for the task. And it happens to be available for a mid-range price, thanks to an epic nearly 60% mark down.

Regularly $369.99, you can get the SteelSeries Alias Pro for only $159.99 on Amazon. That’s the lowest price ever, beating Black Friday and Cyber Monday savings. It’s a killer deal for an XLR microphone kit, which includes a special interface, providing near plug-and-play ease of use while delivering almost studio-level quality at home.

Save $210 on the SteelSeries Alias Pro — XLR Mic + Stream Mixer

Unlike typical XLR microphones that require a separate audio interface, the SteelSeries Alias Pro streamlines the setup process by including the Stream Mixer. This Stream Mixer may look simple, but it’s capable of a whole lot. In addition to providing a powerful preamp and phantom power, it delivers programmable inputs, allows for easy on-the-fly adjustments, acts as a meter, and can even match volume levels. The Stream Mixer also features two USB ports, making it easy to connect to multiple PCs or other devices.

SteelSeries’ impressive Sonar software provides ample customization opportunities. However, in our hands-on testing of the SteelSeries Alias Pro, reviewer Chris Coke found the out-of-the-box sound to be already great. The larger capsule on the microphone captured lower frequencies better than other mics and delivered excellent clarity. He even went on to say, “The SteelSeries Alias Pro is an excellent microphone that’s capable of elevating the quality of your content. Paired with Sonar, it can completely replace more complicated setups and potentially increase quality in the process.”

While the original price of the SteelSeries Alias Pro might’ve been a bit eye-watering, with $210 knocked off, it’s a steal for such an impressive microphone kit. Whether you’re a newbie or even an experienced creator, anyone looking to take Twitch streams, Discord chats, or your latest podcast episodes to another level can benefit from this setup.

Danielle is a Tech freelance writer based in Los Angeles who spends her free time creating videos and geeking out over music history.

2025 proved to be a fairly quiet year for the Star Wars franchise, although it’s hard to sniff at something as great as Andor Season 2. Still, it’s safe to say fans are jonesing for new Star Wars content like death stick addicts. Fortunately, Lucasfilm seems poised to deliver in 2026.

2026 promises to be a much more active year on the Star Wars front. For one thing, we’re finally getting a new live-action Star Wars movie, seven years after The Rise of Skywalker landed in theaters. And with a healthy lineup of new shows (both live-action and animated), comics, and even a game, there’s a lot to look forward to in the next 12 months. Let’s break it all down.

Star Wars Returns to Theaters

Again, it’s been a surprisingly long time since there’s been a new Star Wars movie in theaters. The fairly frosty reception to The Rise of Skywalker definitely has a lot to do with that. But if anyone can reverse Disney’s fortunes on the big screen, it’s Mando and his cute little son.

Disney will release director Jon Favreau’s The Mandalorian and Grogu in theaters on May 26. This new film is a continuation of the Disney+ series The Mandalorian. In fact, all signs point to it effectively being The Mandalorian Season 4 in a more condensed form. Once again, we’re going to see Pedro Pascal’s Mando and little Grogu accept a mission on behalf of the New Republic. They’ll again do battle with the remnants of the Empire and clash with all manner of scum and villainy.

While we’ll see some familiar faces from the series return (including co-creator Dave Filoni’s character Trapper Wolf and Steve Blum’s Zeb Orelios), the film will introduce several new players in the Mando-verse. That includes Sigourney Weaver as New Republic operative Col. Ward, Jonny Coyne as an Imperial warlord, and Jeremy Allen White as the oddly buff Rotta the Hutt (whom you might remember from the original Clone Wars movie).

The Mandalorian has definitely been one of the big successes of the Disney Star Wars era, but does it have the power to pull in moviegoers in this increasingly fickle theatrical market? We’ll see, especially after the somewhat mixed reaction to Season 3. At least Disney no longer has to worry about releasing in the same period as Grand Theft Auto VI.

Beyond The Mandalorian and Grogu, we’re expecting that Star Wars fans will get a taste of Disney’s 2027 theatrical slate as well. Production recently wrapped on Shawn Levy’s Star Wars: Starfighter, so we’re almost guaranteed to get a trailer for that movie at some point in 2026 (perhaps in time for Star Wars Day?).

We also know that the long-running rumors are true about Disney releasing the classic, non-Special Edition versions of the Original Trilogy in theaters. Those three restorations will hit theaters in 2027, but hopefully we’ll see trailers for them well ahead of time and get an idea of just what this remastered footage looks like.

Star Wars on Disney+

The Star Wars lineup on Disney+ this year isn’t quite as stacked as it was in 2023 and 2024. Lucasfilm is definitely pulling back a bit with new streaming releases. Still, there are several key projects to look forward to in 2026.

While not definitively confirmed for a 2026 release, we’re hoping to see Season 2 of Star Wars: Ahsoka at some point in the latter half of the year. Season 2 will pick up right where the original left off in 2023. Rosario Dawson’s Ahsoka Tano and Natasha Liu Bordizzo’s Sabine Wren are marooned in another galaxy, while Lars Mikkelsen’s Grand Admiral Thrawn has returned to aid the dying Empire in its fight against the New Republic.

Like the first, Ahsoka Season 2 will consist of eight episodes, all written by creator Dave Filoni. Fans can expect most of the Season 1 cast to return, which also includes Ivanna Sakhno’s Shin Hati, Eman Esfandi’s Ezra Bridger, Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s Hera Syndulla, and Hayden Christensen’s Anakin Skywalker. The one major exception is that Rory McCann will replace the late Ray Stevenson as fallen Jedi Baylan Skoll.

Again, Lucasfilm has yet to confirm a 2026 release, though filming on Season 2 did wrap up back in September 2025. We’re expecting this show to be a key part of the studio’s Star Wars strategy going forward, as it’s probably going to directly set the stage for Filoni’s live-action Star Wars movie.

One show that is a lock for 2026, though, is the animated series Maul: Shadow Lord. Like Star Wars: The Bad Batch, Shadow Lord is a Clone Wars spinoff set in the early days of the Empire’s reign. Having recently escaped Republic custody, Maul is determined to rebuild his criminal empire. The series will show us how Maul came to be where he is in 2018’s Solo: A Star Wars Story, though we’ll have to see how much of the timeline it ultimately covers.

Sam Witwer will reprise his role as Maul, while the series is executive produced by Filoni, Brad Rau, Athena Yvette Portillo, and Matt Michnovetz.

Also on the animated Star Wars front, Star Wars: Visions is getting a miniseries spinoff called Star Wars: Visions Presents - The Ninth Jedi. As the title suggests, this series will be a continuation of Production I.G.’s “The Ninth Jedi” shorts from Visions Season 1 and 3. It’s a natural choice, as there’s clearly far more story left to tell in this bleak yet adventurous take on the Star Wars mythos.

Star Wars Games: Now This Is Podracing

2025 was pretty quiet on the Star Wars gaming front, with the only notable release being some DLC and a Nintendo Switch 2 port for Ubisoft’s Star Wars: Outlaws. The good news is that we can expect at least one major new release in 2026. We hope you like podracing.

Star Wars: Galactic Racer is the spiritual successor to 1999’s Star Wars Episode I: Racer and 2002’s Star Wars Racer Revenge. It’s an arcade racer where players take control of those deadly machines in high-stakes contests across the galaxy. And as the trailer reveals, the game even features Sebulba trying to reclaim his crown, so there may be more of a plot this time around.

Galactic Racer is developed by Fuse Games and published by Secret Mode. That’s a good thing, as Fuse Games is made up of several ex-Criterion Games developers. The game will release on PC, PS5, and Xbox at some point in 2026.

Beyond that, it remains to be seen if we get any new Star Wars gaming content in 2026 outside of the mobile world. We’re crossing our fingers that we’ll at least learn more about the future of the Knights of the Old Republic franchise. Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic was recently revealed at the Game Awards. That game may be too far out for another trailer next year, but you never know. And reports suggest that remakes of the first two games are still in development, so it’s always possible we’ll get a trailer for one of those.

What’s Up With the Star Wars Comics?

Normally, Marvel’s Star Wars line is one of the more dependable sources of new content each year. But there’s a big question mark hanging over that corner of the franchise heading into 2026. Despite launching several new ongoing series in 2025, it looks like Marvel is abruptly ending them in the early months of the year. Star Wars writer Alex Segura recently confirmed that his series is ending with issue #10, cutting short this saga of a post-Return of the Jedi Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Princess Leia. The Kylo Ren-focused Star Wars: Legacy of Vader is also ending with issue #12 in January.

That leaves only a handful of smaller projects on the books for 2026. We know that Marvel will publish Star Wars: Shadow of Maul, a miniseries that serves as a prequel to the upcoming Shadow Lord cartoon. There’s also a Jar Jar Binks one-shot co-written by none other than actor Ahmed Best.

But beyond that, we’re not really sure what to expect from Marvel on the Star Wars front. We assume the publisher has something in mind to fill the void left by books like Star Wars and Legacy of Vader. The franchise might not be quite the chart-topper it was 10 years ago, but they’re not going to simply phase out publishing Star Wars comics. Will they continue to flesh out the Sequel Trilogy era or move elsewhere in the timeline? Hopefully, we’ll learn more sooner rather than later.

But if you prefer novels to comics, the future is looking a little rosier. Random House has several new Star Wars novels hitting next year. That includes author Mike Chen’s Outlaws: Low Red Moon, a prequel to the game starring Jaylen Vrax and ND-5, Madeleine Roux’s Legacy, focused on Rey’s Jedi training, and Rebecca Roanhorse’s Reign of the Empire: Edge of the Abyss, the second book in the trilogy that traces the early origins of the Rebel Alliance.

And that’s what to expect from the Star Wars franchise in 2026 across film, streaming, games, and books. Which Star Wars project are you most looking forward to this year? Vote in our poll and let us know what you think in the comments below.

For more, check out every Star Wars movie and series in development.

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

God of War’s Norse-set masterpieces has cemented it as one of PlayStation’s most iconic franchises. Born during the PS2 era, the God of War franchise made a name for itself with excellent action gameplay, an intriguing tale of divine revenge, and a memorable lead in the Spartan demigod Kratos. 20 years later, God of War has grown into gaming’s seminal action-adventure series, blending that increasingly fine-tuned action with deeper lore and a stronger narrative hook, anchored by an older, more empathic Kratos.

With God of War Ragnarok having earned its place in the pantheon of all-time greats, we’ve created this chronology of the series for those interested in playing (or replaying) it from the start.

Jump to:

• How to play chronologically
• How to play by release date

How Many God of War Games Are There?

Sony has released 10 God of War games in the series — six on home consoles, two on portable consoles, one on mobile, and one text-adventure on Facebook Messenger.

We’re excluding its second mobile release, God of War: Mimir’s Vision, as this AR game doesn’t add to the ongoing narrative but instead provides players with background lore from the world of God of War. We’re also excluding PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale in this chronology, despite its comical inclusion in the God of War canon.

There are several God of War stories told through novels and comics as well, though this list only includes games.

Which God of War Game Should You Play First?

Although technically the first game in the series chronologically was God of War: Ascension, realistically you'll probably want to start with God of War (2018). Not only is it available on both PS4 and PS5, you can also play it on PC. It's a great starting point for anyone just getting into the series.

God of War Games in Chronological Order

These blurbs contain mild spoilers for each game, including characters, settings, and story beats.

1. God of War: Ascension (2013)

Ascension, the seventh God of War game by release date but the first chronologically, is a revenge tale that explores the early days of Kratos’s transformation from a Spartan demigod into the God of War.

Ascension takes place months after Kratos was manipulated into killing his wife and daughter by the Greek God of War Ares (more on this under the original God of War section below). Kratos, traumatized by the killings, refuses to honor the oath he swore to Ares, setting into motion the story of Ascension. Ares seeks revenge through the game’s antagonistic Furies, three beings tasked with punishing betrayal, whom Kratos must kill in order to free himself from his oath. The story ends with Kratos leaving his Spartan home behind, still tormented by his grief.

2. God of War: Chains of Olympus (2008)

Kratos’s next adventure is told in the PSP game aptly named God of War: Chains of Olympus. Olympus takes place halfway through Kratos’s ten-year servitude to the gods (five years before God of War) — a servitude that, once completed, will free him from the torturous visions of his past.

The main plot tasks Kratos with rescuing Helios, the Titan God of the Sun, from the underworld at the behest of Athena. There, he encounters the game’s primary antagonist Persephone, Queen of the Underworld. Persephone presents Kratos with an opportunity to reunite with his daughter, and Kratos wrestles with the apocalyptic repercussions of that reunion and his promise to return Helios to the gods.

3. God of War (2005)

Set roughly 10 years after Ascension, the first God of War game begins with Kratos succumbing to his grief and jumping off a cliff into the Aegean Sea. Before he hits the water, we flash back three weeks to discover what led the Spartan off the brink.

Kratos, nearing the end of his servitude to the gods, is given one final task by Athena: defeat Ares and save the city of Athens from his siege. With the promise of forgiveness for his past atrocites as his reward, Kratos sets out to obtain Pandora’s Box and kill Ares. The task takes him to hell and back, with Kratos ultimately facing off against the God of War. Victorious yet no less troubled by his past, Kratos jump off the bluff as we saw in the game’s opening. Athena pulls him from the water and offers him a throne on Olympus, completing his 10-year ascension to becoming the God of War.

Throughout the game, a narrator provides crucial backstory about Kratos’s life through cut scenes. Kratos once served as a revered captain in the Spartan army. On the verge of death and defeat against a massive force of barbarians, he offered himself to Ares in exchange for victory. Ares answered the call, defeated the barbarians, and claimed Kratos as his servant, fusing his arms with the Blades of Chaos.

4. God of War: Ghost of Sparta (2010)

Ghost of Sparta, the series’ second PSP game, takes place between God of War and God of War 2. The subtitle references the nickname given to Kratos due to his pale-white appearance, the result of an oracle’s curse that fastened the ashes of his wife and child to his skin.

Ghost of Sparta provides closure to two familial narrative threads: Kratos travels to Atlantis where he encounters both his mortal mother and his long-lost brother Deimos, who was kidnapped by the gods during childhood to prevent the fulfillment of Olympus’s prophesized demise.

The climax sees Kratos and his brother reunited, doing battle with the Greek God of Death, Thanatos. Despite victory, it’s another unhappy ending for Kratos. By the time the credits roll, Kratos has grown even wearier and more furious with the other Olympians.

5. God of War: Betrayal (2007)

This mobile 2D sidescroller is officially part of the God of War canon, according to Sony Santa Monica animation director Bruno Velazquez. The gods, displeased with Kratos’s bloodlust, attempt to stop his latest conquest with Argos, a many-eyed giant that serves Hera, Queen of the Gods. Kratos is framed for the killing of Argos by an unidentified assassin in an attempt to further fracture his relationship with Olympus. Later, Zeus sends a messenger to put an end to Kratos’s continued destruction. Kratos responds with violence, once again defying the other gods. Betrayal leaves players with this message, setting up the events to come in God of War 2: “Soon, the fury of Zeus would rain down upon [Kratos].”

God of War: Betrayal was released in 2007, before the rise of smartphones, and isn’t available on modern mobile storefronts. It can be skipped without consequence, but those who want to play it will have to access it via a Java emulator.

6. God of War 2 (2007)

God of War 2 pits Kratos against Zeus, the King of Olympus. Kratos, already ostracized due to his yearslong rampage, rejects Athena’s plea for peace and continues wreaking havoc throughout Greece. It’s the final straw for Olympus; Zeus descends to the battlefield and kills Kratos.

Kratos finds a new ally in Gaia, the mother of Titans and Earth. She provides Kratos with a way to rewrite the past and save his own life. After a trip to the Underworld, Kratos follows Gaia’s instructions, leading him to the Sisters of Fate. After more bloodshed, Kratos takes control of the Loom of Fate and returns to the scene of his death. Kratos’s plan to kill Zeus is thwarted when another Olympian steps in front of his blade. It’s here that we (and Kratos) learn about his true parentage. Kratos uses the power of the Loom to recruit the Titans of the past to his future war. Back in the present, Kratos leads the Titans in an assault on Mount Olympus, setting up God of War 3.

7. God of War 3 (2010)

Taking place directly after the previous game, God of War 3 concludes Kratos’ Greecian saga and resolves his war with Zeus and the Olympians.

Kratos and the Titans battle with the Olympians to catastrophic effect. Kratos (once again) has his trust betrayed and (once again) descends into the Underworld. There, Kratos teams up with an old ally to take down Zeus once and for all. Back on Earth, Kratos faces the wrath of Titans and Gods alike, leading him on an epic killing spree toward a final showdown with Zeus.

Kratos declares an end to his vengeance, and with the world in ruin, makes a sacrifice to release hope to mankind.

8. God of War: A Call from the Wilds (2018)

God of War: A Call from the Wids is a Facebook Messenger text-adventure released ahead of 2018’s God of War. The ~30-minute story introduces Kratos's son Atreus and provides background on the character's extrasensory abilities, while adding a bit of flavor to his relationships with Kratos and his mother, Faye. The story is set sometime before God of War 2018 when Faye is still alive.

A Call from the Wilds seems to no longer be playable, though like God of War: Betrayal, this is a story that can ultimately be skipped. Those who want to experience it can find complete playthroughs on YouTube.

9. God of War (2018)

Set many years after God of War 3, 2018’s God of War transports Kratos from Greece to the Norse realm of Midgard, where Kratos now resides with his son, Atreus. Kratos and Atreus plan to fulfill Faye’s dying wish: to have her ashes spread from the top of the highest peak in the Nine Realms.

Their journey is no straightforward hike; the duo travel through multiple realms, encountering friends and foes from Norse mythology, including Baldur, Freya, Thor’s sons Magni and Modi, the last living giant Jörmungandr, and Mimir. Along the way, Kratos struggles with fatherhood and the truths he keeps hidden from Atreus — about his past and Atreus’s identity.

Following their adventure, the Nine Realms enter Fimbulwinter, a three-year-long precursor to Ragnarök, the end of the world.

10. God of War Ragnarok (2022)

God of War: Ragnarok, the most recent and story-rich God of War game, is set three years after 2018’s God of War, as the Nine Realms near the end of Fimbulwinter and the beginning of Ragnarök.

Many characters return from 2018, alongside newcomers such as the All-Father Odin and his son Thor, but it remains focused on the adventures of Kratos and Atreus with a greater emphasis on the latter, who explores his newly discovered identities and powers. As Kratos and Atreus, you’ll traverse all nine realms and the Realm Between Realms on personal quests of identity and a greater quest to defeat the Asgards and survive Ragnarok.

We won’t spoil the journey, but Ragnarok leaves the door open for future God of War stories to be told. Though you can play the God of War Ragnorok New Game Plus mode if you've already finished the game.

What’s Next for God of War?

Sony has yet to announce another God of War game, though given the critical and commercial success of God of War (2018) and Ragnarok, we expect future entries in the series.

A God of War TV series is also in the works, joining a host of upcoming video game adaptations. The live-action show, in development for Amazon’s Prime Video streaming service, will adapt the story of 2018’s God of War. Production hit a snag in 2024 following the departure of showrunner Rafe Judkins and executive producers Hawk Ostby and Mark Fergus. The series is now being led by Ronald D. Moore, whose credits include Star Trek: The Next Generation, For All Mankind, and Battlestar Galactica's 2000s reboot. We got the chance to speak with Moore at Comic Con earlier this year, learning more about what drew him to the God of War franchise and how he's approaching the show adaptation.

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

The debut trailer for Sword and Fairy 4 Remake is out in the wild — and it looks a lot like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Developed by Chinese studio Up Software and published by Cube Game, Sword and Fairy 4 Remake is a single-player turn-based role-playing game made in Unreal Engine 5 due out on PC and consoles at some point.

The official trailer, dubbed “Unpredictable Divine Will,” has already drawn comparisons to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s eye-catching battle system, from the dynamic user interface to the action heavy parry system. Even the camera perspective and the way the camera moves during battle rekindles memories of Sandfall Interactive’s hugely popular RPG.

Sword and Fairy 4 Remake - Official Trailer “Unpredictable Divine Will” is here! Developed by Up Software and published by Cube Game, this single-player turn-based RPG is reborn in Unreal Engine 5 with the latest technology.
Set off on a journey to find the immortals with Tianhe… pic.twitter.com/dKlfnDJsta

— Cube Game (@CubeGameCN) December 29, 2025

“Set off on a journey to find the immortals with Tianhe Yun’s team,” reads the official blurb. “In the meantime, a hidden truth that has been sealed for a long time is revealing itself.”

The Legend of Sword and Fairy is a Chinese video game franchise that encompasses nine mainline Chinese mythology/xianxia-themed role-playing computer games. The first game launched in 1995 for PC and enjoyed critical and commercial success across China. Many sequels and spinoffs have followed in the years since.

The Legend of Sword and Fairy 4 is in fact the fifth installment in the mainline video game franchise, and acts as a prequel to the third game. The latest game, The Legend of Sword and Fairy 7, came out in 2021 as the ninth mainline entry on PC, with an English version released for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X and S in 2022 under the name Sword and Fairy: Together Forever. It was seen as an alternative to the recent mainline Final Fantasy games, which of course inspired Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s development.

Fans are drawing a line from Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 to Sword and Fairy 4 Remake, and some are accusing its developer of copying Sandfall’s game. “Totally not copy and paste combat, style, parry, from Clair Obscur Expedition 33,” said one commenter. "Is this DLC of Expedition 33?" said another. "We got Expedition-like genre now," added another fan. Others, however, are saying Sword and Fairy 4 Remake just looks like a modern turn-based RPG in the Persona style, and are pointing to previous entries in the series as evidence of its credentials.

The first E33-like is already on its way from China and it's through the announcement of the remake of "Legend of Sword and Fairy 4". pic.twitter.com/jfiVnNn42X

— Dream's Longest Day (@Dreamboum) December 29, 2025

Cube Game has said an English version of the trailer will be revealed in the coming days by a “regional publisher.” We’ll hopefully learn more about Sword and Fairy 4 Remake then.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, meanwhile, is enjoying a new surge of interest off the back of a record-breaking haul from The Game Awards 2025, where it took home the coveted Game of the Year. At the awards, Sandfall shadow-dropped Clair Obscur DLC.

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.

Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair has a debut trailer and an April 10, 2026 release date on Hulu.

The trailer for the revival shows how Malcolm (Frankie Muniz) is dragged back into his family’s orbit after shielding himself from them for over a decade. We see Hal (Bryan Cranston) and Lois (Jane Kaczmarek) demand his presence at their 40th anniversary party, but poor Malcolm, it seems, would rather be left well alone.

“My life is fantastic now,” Malcolm says in the trailer. “All I had to do is stay away from my family.” Hilarity ensues.

Indeed, the entire original cast returns with the exception of little brother Dewey. Erik Per Sullivan, who originally played the character, won’t return to the show, with Caleb Ellsworth-Clark taking over the role for the revival. Cranston recently revealed the news in a conversation on Dana Carvey and David Spade’s Fly on the Wall podcast. “I talked to Erik and I said, ‘Hey, we got the show! It’s going to come back,’” he explained. “He goes, ‘Oh, that’s fantastic!’ And I go, ‘Yeah, so we’re looking forward to having you back.’ He goes, ‘Oh, no, no, I don’t want to do it. But it’s fantastic.'”

The former actor, who is now 33-years-old, has a pretty good reason for sitting this one out. “He’s actually going to Harvard,” Cranston said during the podcast. “He’s really, really smart, and he’s getting his master’s at Harvard right now. He said, ‘Oh God, no, I haven’t acted since I was nine or something. So I’m not into it.'” Following the show’s original run from 2002-2006, Sullivan stepped back from acting just four years later at age 19 to pursue other interests.

Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair is a special four-part mini-series set for Hulu and via Disney+.

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.

Video game console sales cap out each generation at around 250 million, so how will the console manufacturers break through that barrier? By learning a crucial lesson from the videotape format war, one former PlayStation executive has suggested.

Speaking on the Pause for Thought and Naomi Kyle YouTube channel, Shawn Layden, former boss of Sony Interactive Entertainment America (SIEA), said the console video game market has hit a limit, and significant change is needed to expand beyond it.

“We talk about gaming as being this $250 billion industry, which it is, and have hundreds of millions of users, which it does,” he began. “But of course that includes if you're playing Wordle, you're a gamer. If you're playing Candy Crush, you're a gamer in that number. But the number of discrete consoles sold over any particular generation caps out about 250 million. If you line up all the PS1s, Sega Saturns, and N64s, and you go by generations, it's all about 250. The one time it popped to almost 300 was the generation that had the Wii, and people thought you could buy Wii Fit and lose weight. So, we got some non-traditional gaming audience to buy into the gaming industry at that time. But that was an anomaly and we've still kind of flattened out. So we need to crack that cap, that barrier.”

But how? Layden said the video game industry should study the past as it looks to the future, in particular Betamax’s loss to VHS in the videotape format war.

The videotape format war was a late 1970s/1980s battle between Sony's Betamax and JVC's VHS for dominance in home video recording, with VHS ultimately winning due to longer recording times, broader licensing (more manufacturers), and key partnerships with movie studios, making movies available for rental/purchase on VHS more readily, despite Betamax often having slightly better initial quality.

“Betamax lost to VHS for one reason only: that VHS licensed its format across many different manufacturers,” Layden explained. “Sony held the unique Betamax patent trademark and everything. There was a license we did with Toshiba towards the end of the lifecycle, but it never went wide like VHS.

Avatar creator James Cameron has said he’ll hold a press conference and tell the world what he would have done with Avatar 4 and 5 if he doesn’t get the chance to make the movies.

Or, the legendary writer and director has said, he’ll write Avatar novels himself, although he doesn’t think there’s a business case for books anymore.

Avatar: Fire and Ash is now up to $760.4 million at the global box office as the Disney sci-fi sequel heads towards one billion dollars from theaters. While that’s a huge amount for any movie after just two weekends in theaters, questions remain over whether Avatar 3 will end up making enough money theatrically to convince Disney to greenlight Avatar 4 and 5.

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 1 remains the highest-grossing movie of all time (not adjusted for inflation), and has earned a staggering $2.9 billion across several theatrical runs. Avatar: The Way of Water earned $2.3 billion, meanwhile, cementing it as the third-highest grossing film of all time — just ahead of Cameron's own Titanic.

Avatar 4 currently has a December 21, 2029 release date, with Avatar 5 due out December 19, 2031. Cameron, now 71, would be close to 80 years old by the time it all wraps up.

Now, speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Cameron sounded further words of caution about continuing the franchise, despite the fact Disney has set release dates for Avatar 4 and 5. And he revealed his plan if Fire and Ash flops — in Disney’s eyes, of course.

"If we don't get to make 4 and 5, for whatever reason, I'll hold a press conference and I'll tell you what we were gonna do. How's that?" he said.

An alternative is to write Avatar novels, going into significant detail on the world and telling the stories of the sequels. "There's so much culture and backstory and lateral detail in these characters that's been worked out,” he said. “I'd love to do something that's at that level of granular detail."

However, “there's no business model for it anymore. People aren't reading. But anyway, it might be good to have the canonical record of what it was all supposed to be.”

According to EW, that’s a reference to recent research from the University of Florida and University College London that states the proportion of people reading for pleasure daily in the United States has declined by more than 40% over the last 20 years.

These comments from Cameron echo those he made in the run up to Fire and Ash’s release, when he admitted he was feeling nervous about the film’s box office performance and expressed concern about the “forces” working against theatrical releases in 2025.

Speaking on The Town with Matthew Belloni podcast, Cameron said there’s potential for “sequelitis.” He added: "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 the number 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, only suggesting it was a lot of money, and so the movie will have to make a lot of money to turn a profit.

“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?”

Stranger Things is nearly over, with the Season 5 finale set to bring an end to the long-running Netflix show and finally confirm the fate of its much-loved characters.

Who will die by the time the show is done and dusted has been the big Stranger Things question for years now. There are many theories, which we’ll briefly run through below.

Warning! Spoilers for Stranger Things Season 5 follow:

Steve, played by Joe Keery, often comes up in conversations about potential Stranger Things character deaths. But there are also concerns for Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), who some believe will end up sacrificing herself to destroy Vecna, thus allowing the rest of the Stranger Things crew to survive, and Jim Hopper (David Harbour), who has already revealed himself to be on something of a suicide mission this season.

Meanwhile, some believe Will (Noah Schnapp) will bite the dust, using his new power to finally bring Vecna’s tyranny to an end but killing himself in the process. But according to IGN's poll on the matter, below, Jonathan Byers, played by Charlie Heaton, is the most popular pick for Season 5 death, with 22.4% of the vote.

We won’t know until the series finale airs at 5pm PT on New Year’s Eve, of course, but recent comments from the Duffer Brothers have hinted that fans shouldn’t expect a bloodbath when it comes to character deaths. That is to say, Stranger Things is not like Game of Thrones, and there’s no Red Wedding equivalent scene.

For the uninitiated, the Red Wedding is perhaps the most famous moment in the entire Game of Thrones saga. It sees much-loved characters, many of whom had been central to the story up to that point, murdered in graphic detail, shocking readers and viewers alike.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Matt Duffer insisted the series finale shouldn’t be compared to Game of Thrones, and jokingly singled out Steve as the most discussed character when it comes to being killed off.

“It’s not Game of Thrones. We’re not in Westeros,” he said. “I love Game of Thrones, but it’s just a very different type of show than that. There’s not going to be a Red Wedding situation. I think some things happen in the finale that are very surprising, but we’re not trying to shock or upset anyone. I hope by the time people get to the end of the finale that it just feels like there’s something inevitable about what happens, and that it doesn’t feel painful but feels satisfying. We’ll see. But as for Steve’s fate. I don’t know. I can’t say. It would be the next logical step. He keeps getting beaten up more and more. The only way we could take it further is death. (Laughs.)”

The Stranger Things Season 5 finale, Episode 8, is called The Rightside Up, and has an official runtime of 2 hours 8 minutes. It will be screened in theaters nationwide at the same time it is shown on Netflix. Ross Duffer has told fans they should only see it in theaters if they’re cool with crying in a crowded room.

"The finale. Theaters. New Year’s Eve," Duffer wrote in a social media post alongside a photo of the drawing Lucas and Max used to ask each other on a date in Season 4. "This is something my brother and I have dreamed about for years. If you don’t mind crying in front of strangers, GO. And if you’re in LA… maybe we’ll see you there."

Check out our Stranger Things: Season 5, Vol. 2 spoiler review for more.

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.

Wicked: For Good launches on VOD platforms on December 30 having crossed the $500 million mark at the global box office.

The musical sequel will be available to buy or rent from digital platforms with an exclusive sing-along version and never-before-seen deleted scenes.

Wicked: For Good currently has a global box office haul of $504 million, having hit theaters on November 21. Its digital release comes just over five weeks later.

The VOD film comes with two versions of the movie: an exclusive sing-along for fans; and over one hour of bonus features, including deleted scenes, a 50+ minute exclusive look into the making of the movie with Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, and the cast and filmmakers, and more behind-the-scenes featurettes.

Wicked: For Good exclusive bonus features when you buy or rent:

SING-ALONG - ALTERNATE FEATURE-LENGTH VERSION – Rejoicify! The time has come to raise your voice and unleash the magic of Oz. Sing with all your heart as Elphaba and Glinda’s destiny unfolds in the spellbinding Sing-Along Edition of WICKED: FOR GOOD.

DELETED SCENES

• Brick Making - A musical montage shows Munchkins busily shaping and painting brilliant golden bricks, bringing the Yellow Brick Road to life.
• Glinda Train Tour - As Glinda leaves Emerald City, the citizens erupt into musical fanfare, sending her off with radiant cheers and lavish celebration - Featuring Ariana Grande, Michelle Yeoh and Bowen Yang
• Even You, Fiyero - Elphaba retreats to her lair, wrestling with the sting of Fiyero’s betrayal and the weight of her heartbreak - Featuring Cynthia Erivo
• Return to the Governor’s Mansion - Lost and abandoned, Elphaba returns to the one place she swore she’d left behind - her childhood home - Featuring Cynthia Erivo
• Friendship Montage - A lively montage unfolds as Elphaba, Glinda, Fiyero, Boq, and Nessarose spend a carefree afternoon together—playing games, laughing, and relaxing over a cheerful picnic - Featuring Ethan Slater, Marissa Bode, Jonathan Bailey, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo
• The Wizard is Sentimental - Glinda steps into her ethereal bubble to float above Emerald City, contrasted with the Wizard’s nostalgic hot air balloon ascension as he reprises “A Sentimental Man” - Featuring Ariana Grande and Jeff Goldblum

MAKING WICKED: FOR GOOD – Step behind the curtain for an exclusive look at the magic of Oz. Through never-before-seen footage and candid interviews, discover how the cast and crew brought this epic story to life — from the artistry of building Oz brick-by-brick to the challenge of filming two sweeping productions at once. A talent-led journey you won’t want to miss.

THE TRUE WIZARD - An exploration of why Jon M. Chu was the ideal director to bring WICKED: FOR GOOD from stage to screen. See how his inventiveness as a filmmaker and passion for WICKED are key ingredients for the humanity and joy we feel in every shot.

MORE THAN JUST A PLACE - A closer look at Elphaba's new song in WICKED: FOR GOOD.

Cynthia Erivo, Jon M. Chu, Stephen Schwartz, and others reflect on its emotional resonance, Elphaba's vulnerability, and the expressive movement artists portraying the animal characters she sings to.

THE GIRL IN THE BUBBLE - A closer look at Glinda's brand new song for the WICKED: FOR GOOD film. Ariana Grande, Jon M. Chu, Stephen Schwartz, and more discuss how the song comes at such a pivotal moment for Glinda why filming the sequence was such a feat of technical mastery.

KIAMO KO - Return to Kiamo Ko, where the film's climax unfolds. Cast and filmmakers reflect on Elphaba's embrace of her identity as the Wicked Witch, the poignant reunion with Glinda, and the bittersweet consequences that follow in this emotionally charged sequence.

FEATURE COMMENTARY WITH DIRECTOR JON M. CHU

Last month, Universal Pictures indicated that plans were already underway to continue the Wicked franchise, following the success of the two movies — even though the story of the Wicked musical had now well and truly been told.

"Because of Wicked's success but also the fanship, we have almost a responsibility to figure out how we can continue in this universe," Universal chief marketing officer Michael Moses told Vulture.

Across the two Wicked movies, the 2 hour 30 minute musical's story is expanded to almost five hours. But the musical itself is based on just the first of a series of Wicked novels. Later stories largely follow a fresh generation of characters, including Elphaba's son Liir.

"I think the Glinda and Elphaba story feels complete — but there are other aspects that could be explored," Wicked's original composer Stephen Schwartz recently told The Ankler. "Gregory Maguire, the original Wicked novelist, has several books, for example.

"There's another idea that Winnie [Holzman, Wicked and Wicked: For Good co-writer] and I are discussing: not a sequel, but an adjunct. Let me put it that way," Schwartz teased.

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 third Avengers: Doomsday teaser trailer appears to have leaked online, and it revolves around the X-Men in a devastating battle.

As we know, Avengers: Doomsday is confirmed to feature a number of X-Men characters played by their original actors, including Kelsey Grammer (Beast), Patrick Stewart (Professor X), Ian McKellen (Magneto), Alan Cumming (Nightcrawler), Rebecca Romijn (Mystique), and James Marsden (Cyclops).

Warning! Potential spoilers for Avengers: Doomsday teaser trailer three follow:

As was with the case for the first Avengers: Doomsday teaser trailer, which confirmed Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers returns, this time as a father, and the second, which confirmed Chris Hemsworth’s Thor alongside his adopted daughter, Love, the third trailer has leaked online in poor quality, with takedowns following soon after.

We see Ian McKellen reprise his role as Magneto, although not in battle costume. Patrick Stewart’s Professor X wears a costume that bears a resemblance to the militaristic suit he wore in the comics, although his much-loved yellow chair is nowhere to be seen. Overall, it looks like Avengers: Doomsday is looking to the 90s for inspiration for the X-Men's design, which will no-doubt delight veteran fans of the mutant superhero team and align with the popular animated X-Men series.

It looks like the footage we see in the leaked trailer is set in the X-Mansion, also known as Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. In one shot, we see Cyclops let rip with an optic blast, and near him is a giant boot, which we presume belongs to a mutant-hunting Sentinel. Like with the Thor trailer, the tone here is dead serious. Magneto talks about death coming for everyone eventually, which is a lovely thought.

This ties into set photos that appeared to tease a huge battle at the X-Mansion. At the time, fans speculated that this battle would feature Robert Downey Jr. controlling Sentinels that attack the X-Men as part of an incursion, and that it would go very badly for the X-Men, potentially even wiping the mutants out. The theory is that this would establish the universe-ending potential of Doctor Doom, in a similar way Avengers: Infinity War kicked off with Thanos beating Hulk so badly Hulk basically went into hiding for the rest of the MCU phase.

But the highlight is a comic book accurate live-action version of Marsden’s Cyclops. This is something fans have been waiting 20 years for, after Fox’s X-Men movies made a point of distancing themselves from the comics by going with black suits. Cyclops tears off his visor and lets rip as the X-Mansion erupts in flame around him. It feels like a hail mary, and now I’m worried Cyclops is going to sacrifice himself to save the rest of the team.

The question is, who makes it out of this battle alive? Will whoever’s left of the X-Men team up with the Avengers and other superheroes confirmed to appear in Doomsday to take on Doctor Doom, or do they spend most of their time fighting each other throughout Doomsday, only putting their differences aside for 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars? Either way, the X-Mansion looks like it’s toast — again.

If Marvel Studios follows the pattern it established earlier this month, this X-Men trailer will replace the Thor trailer in theaters alongside Avatar: Fire and Ash later this week, and we’ll get the official release of the Thor trailer online. Following that, we’ll no doubt get this X-Men trailer online once its week-long run in theaters ends and is replaced by a supposed fourth teaser trailer, which fans are hoping finally reveals Doctor Doom himself.

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.

I have told myself I am absolutely not buying more games at least five times this week, and yet here we are. This batch is dangerous in that very specific way where titles you already love suddenly feel like sensible purchases. I have played most of these, I can vouch for them, and yes, my backlog is a crime scene.

Contents

• Retro
• Nintendo
• Xbox
• PlayStation
• PC
• PC Gear
• LEGO

This Day in Gaming 🎂

In retro news, it's time to hold onto yer butts and celebrate the 32nd birthday of (arguably) the best Jurassic Park game of the '90s. My "friend of SNES-owning convenience" who lived over the road from me had this. We spent hours marvelling at a movie tie-in title that was way better than it had any right to be (the Wolfenstein 3D sections were particularly ambitious for the hardware).

Avatar: Fire and Ash is now up to $760.4 million at the global box office as the Disney sci-fi sequel heads towards one billion dollars from theaters.

$217.7 million has now been made domestically, but Avatar: Fire and Ash is doing particularly well internationally, where it has an impressive $542.7 million haul after an impressive 25% overall drop. Avatar 1 and 2 were the world’s number one film for a number of weeks following launch, and each ended up earning over $2 billion. The hope for Disney is that Avatar 3 shows similar staying power in theaters, and it's drip-feeding Avengers: Doomsday teaser trailers alongside the movie to encourage repeat viewings from super fans. James Cameron’s three Avatar films have now earned over $6 billion to date globally, including Fire and Ash.

The lingering question for Cameron is whether Avatar 3 does enough business to convince Disney to greenlight Avatar 4 and 5. Avatar: Fire and Ash launched to a huge $345 million at the global box office, which was enough to secure the second largest opening weekend of 2025 so far. But it was down significantly on its predecessor Avatar: The Way of Water’s opening weekend haul.

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 remains the highest-grossing movie of all time (not adjusted for inflation), and has earned a staggering $2.9 billion across several theatrical runs. Avatar: The Way of Water earned $2.3 billion, meanwhile, cementing it as the third-highest grossing film of all time — just ahead of Cameron's own Titanic.

Avatar 4 currently has a December 21, 2029 release date, with Avatar 5 due out December 19, 2031. Cameron, now 71, would be close to 80 years old by the time it all wraps up.

But Cameron has sounded words of caution recently. 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 the number 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, only suggesting it was a lot of money, and so the movie will have to make a lot of money to turn a profit.

“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?”

And on that point, Cameron admitted he was “absolutely” ready to walk away from Avatar if Fire and Ash flops.

“I’ve been in Avatar land for 20 years,” he said. “Actually 30 years because I wrote it in ‘95, but I wasn’t working continuously on it for those first 10 years. Yeah, absolutely, sure. If this is where it ends, cool.”

But what about open story threads?

“There’s one open thread. I’ll write a book!” Cameron responded.

While the holidays may be over, there are still many great deals live. We've rounded up the best deals for Sunday, December 28, below. Don't miss your chance to save on these late discounts or gifts!

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora From The Ashes Edition for $29.99

Target is offering gift cards up to $100 with the purchase of select Logitech gaming gear, including some already discounted items. One of the best deals I’ve come across is on the Logitech G502 X Plus Wireless Gaming Mouse. This mouse is already on sale for $139.99, knocking $40 off the regular price. On top of that, you’ll receive a $55 Target gift card, so you’re essentially getting this ergonomic, highly-capable gaming mouse for only $85. While the gift card deal lasts until January 3rd, the Logitech G502 X Plus is only $40 off until December 29th, so be sure to grab it now to stack the savings.

The catch? A Target Circle membership is required to score this deal. Luckily, it’s completely free to become a member and simple to sign up. After logging into your Target Circle account, you can just apply this deal at checkout, and the gift card will be added to your account for use towards another purchase.

Get $55 Target Gift Card With the Already Discounted Logitech G502 X Plus

In IGN expert Mike Epstein’s hands-on testing of the Logitech G502 X Plus Wireless Gaming Mouse, it received a rave review, scoring a 9/10. From the sleek, modern design accented by a flashy RGB lightbar to the Hero 25K sensor for responsive and snappy performance, this is one of the best gaming mice you can grab.

The Logitech G502 X Plus is comfortable to grip during even marathon gaming sessions, and features 12 buttons, the majority of which are customizable. That’s an excessive number of inputs for a non-MMO mouse. Still, those extra controls can be useful, letting you rest your keyboard hand a bit and potentially leading to more reactive gameplay. And its Lightforce switches deliver some tactile feedback.

Getting this elite gaming mouse on sale, along with a $55 Target gift card, is one heck of a deal. However, if you’re not interested in the gift card, you can find it discounted at Best Buy and Logitech for $129.99. While that’s not nearly as good a deal, it’s not a bad price.

Check Out These Other Logitech Target Gift Card Deals

Target has plenty other Logitech gaming gear that includes an additional Target gift card with Circle membership. Below, I’ve highlighted a couple of items worth checking out. However, not all these gift card deals are that great. I’d steer clear of the Logitech racing wheels that come with a $100 Target gift card, as you can find them cheaper from Amazon, Best Buy, or Logitech.

Marvel and DC have a lot riding on 2026. After a year that ranged from decent to disastrous, it’s tough to argue that “fatigue” isn’t a factor, but true believers are holding firm that next year will change everything. Spider-Man is going back to the streets, Supergirl is poised to build on Superman’s momentum, and all eyes are on Avengers: Doomsday – the ultimate test of Marvel’s remaining muscle.

The stage is set for box office redemption and a new path forward for superhero cinema. It’s the end of the post-post-pandemic era, a once-in-a-generation chance for a fresh start. If they mess this up, the genre might be truly cooked; next year could be the last chance to save comic book movies and shows from their flop era. That’s why we’re looking forward to 2026, the make-or-break year for superhero media.

One caveat before we begin: All dates are subject to change. Schedules can and likely will slip, but as far as we know, this is what’s on deck for 2026. So, let’s start with the main event…

Marvel Movies

2025 was not exactly the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s finest hour. None of the three theatrical films released under the Marvel Studios banner were the breakout successes Disney hoped for, and two of them were borderline catastrophes. Captain America: Brave New World was plagued by strike-related delays and extensive reshoots, culminating in a box-office stumble that no one could spin as a win. Thunderbolts* was even worse: The movie was good, critics and fans loved it… and almost nobody else went to see it. That’s a problem, considering that Thunderbolts* was designed to establish the New Avengers lineup that would lead us into Phase 6. Then there’s the Fantastic Four, Marvel’s flagship “first family” meant to kick off the new phase and pave the path to Doomsday.

It did not.

Fantastic Four’s box office wasn’t quite so dire, but it barely cracked half a billion and left fans mildly pleased and largely indifferent. Now Doomsday has twice the work to do to win them back, which is an uphill climb heading into 2026. Marvel and Disney need to get their act together, and next year is their best chance to do it. There are only two movies on the docket for the year, both of which could be bangers. First up...

The holidays are almost here, and we've rounded up the best deals for Saturday, December 27, below. Don't miss your chance to save on these late discounts or gifts!

Ninja Gaiden 4 for $49.99

The latest core series entry in the Doom franchise, The Dark Ages, which came out earlier this year, is seeing a major discount on physical copies of the Standard Edition for both PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. Right now, you can grab Doom: The Dark Ages for 50% off off from Best Buy during its Year-End Sale. That’s $35 in savings for one of the best shooters of 2025. It’s a better deal than Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Take 50% Off Doom: The Dark Ages for Xbox and PS5

2026 is here, and comic book fans have a whole year’s worth of exciting new stories to look forward to. Marvel will be ushering in a new era for the X-Men line and building to what looks to be one of its most consequential crossover events in years, Armageddon. DC will move forward from the DC K.O. crossover with a new wave of titles, even as they expand the fan-favorite Absolute Universe. And elsewhere in the industry, we’ve got our eyes on everything from Skybound’s Energon Universe to the new Archie Comics reboot.

Scroll down to see our most anticipated comics of 2025, and be sure to let us know in the comments what you have on your to-read list this year.

IDW’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

IDW’s TMNT publishing line has been in top form in 2025, and we see no reason why that would change in the new year. If you’ve ever considered diving into this universe, now really is the time.

The flagship TMNT comic recently underwent a major evolution, as the new creative team of Gene Luen Yang and Freddie E. Williams II just took over the series and introduced a major new villain called Ujigami. Issue #13 delivered quite the twist on that front, and we’re excited to see where the series goes from here. Plus, there are all the worthwhile spinoffs like TMNT: Casey Jones and TMNT: Shredder.

We’re also hoping that 2026 will bring more news on the future of the Last Ronin saga. We know that writers Tom Waltz and Kevin Eastman are working on a third act of the Last Ronin trilogy. Could it see release in 2026? Here’s hoping.

X-Men: Shadows of Tomorrow

It's no secret that Ninja Gaiden has had a huge 2025. Things kicked off early in the year with Ninja Gaiden 2 Black, a new version of the beloved classic brought to modern platforms with enhanced visuals. Later on, we got Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, a 2D sidescroller from The Game Kitchen. However, perhaps nothing was more exciting than Ninja Gaiden 4, the long-awaited follow-up to Ninja Gaiden 3. If you haven't had a chance to check out this brand-new entry, you can pick up a copy for $49.99 today at Walmart.

Ninja Gaiden 4 for $49.99 at Walmart

2025 has been one of the strongest years for anime in ages, building on what is clearly a new Golden Age in the Japanese animation industry. With widening viewership, more access to anime on streaming, and its popularity growing around the globe, there’s more brilliant anime than ever. From the slice-of-life shonen silliness of Sakamoto Days that took Netflix by storm, to the immense success of Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, which opened to 80 million dollars, 2025 was an epic year for some of our favorite series. But that's a different article (check out our Best Anime Series of 2025 award); instead, we're here to take a look at our most anticipated anime of 2026 – a year that could potentially top 2025 when it comes to iconic releases and anticipated returns.

Inspired by the massive success and continued cultural impact of anime, 2026 is stacked with unbelievable new series and blockbuster follow-ups, such as: the sophomore season of Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, the emotionally-driven fantasy quest that got everyone talking; a new take on Ghost in the Shell, one of the most seminal anime of all time from one of the best studios working today; and the highly anticipated debut of Witch Hat Atelier. And that’s just a few examples of the anime that could make 2026 another incredible year.

We're excited to see which genres blow up, which existential themes stick, and where the future of anime is headed. Who are our favorite creators? Which manga has been selling off the charts? What genre have we not had a hit in for a long time? We’re taking all of that into consideration as we present our list of the anime that we can't wait to watch in 2026!

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Season 2

There's a reason that Frieren: Beyond Journey's End made our Top Anime of 2024 list, and now we're closer than ever to finally finding out where our favorite adventuring party is now. Asking what happens when the war is over and the demon king is defeated, this surprisingly existential and always fantastic twist on the dungeon-raiding anime became an instant classic. The series follows the titular immortal elf Frieren as she deals with the loss of her campaign party – Eisen, Himmel and Heiter – with whom she won the war. It's only through her friendship and adventure with a new human apprentice that she begins to come to terms with her loss and what she could have done differently. This is majestically mature and magical stuff.

Oshi no Ko Season 3

Featuring one of the most insane and unique set-ups ever – a doctor and his former patient are reincarnated as twins born to their favorite pop idol, who is then murdered – this show is a total must-watch. A murdery mystery supernatural crime thriller set in the stunning landscape of idol stars, Oshi no Ko has been going strong since it debuted in 2023. The third season will follow the children, Aqua and Ruby Hoshino, as they continue their careers in the entertainment industry, which will cause a rift between them to grow. The manga upon which the show is based recently ended to much controversy, so it'll be intriguing to see if the show stays faithful to the source material or strays from that path.

Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3

After the shocking events of the Shibuya Incident, Season 3 of Jujutsu Kaisen has a lot to take on. There were tragic deaths, massive loss, and unexpected team-ups, but the biggest things that we have to deal with are the oncoming execution of Yuji and setting up the wild Culling Game arc, which will see the crew take part in an insane Jujutsu Kumite! It's one of the biggest shonen anime in the world, and one of the most-read manga too, so if you haven't caught up yet, now is the time to get ready before Season 3 hits and changes everything we know about the series.

Daemons of the Shadow Realm

Fans of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure and Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials will adore the concept of this new anime series, which will debut in early 2026. It comes from the mind of Fullmetal Alchemist creator Hiromu Arakawa, and adapts her manga of the same name. This is peak shoju storytelling with a shonen twist, as a brother and sister must fight to unite in a world where a select group of humans are able to manifest powers through "supernatural duos,” or Daemons. Together, estranged twins Yuru and Asa will have to find each other and learn how to control their powers in order to save the world from those who cannot.

Witch Hat Atelier

No one was sure if Kamome Shirahama's stunningly intricate work could be brought to the screen with as much care and detail as it needed. Bug Films actually delayed the production of Witch Hat Atelier so that director Ayumu Watanabe and his team were able to take all the time they needed to make the anime just as good as the smash hit manga deserves. In case you've yet to check out the massive Kodansha magic academy series, it centers around a young girl who wants nothing more than to master magic. When she accidentally learns the secret of the art from a visiting witch, she becomes his apprentice and discovers much more about the fantastical world she's joined. From the trailer, this looks like it’s got what it takes to become a classic; next year, we'll find out!

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 7: Steel Ball Run

It's always exciting when we get a new entry into Hirohiko Araki's insane crime epic JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. It still is, after decades, one of the most unique and entertaining anime and manga around. The new sixth season adapts the seventh manga story arc, Steel Ball Run, which features new clan member Johnny Joestar, who is a former jockey and paraplegic in the American West. Functioning more like a standalone story than any of the other arcs, this is a great place for new viewers to jump in. It certainly has an undeniable hook: Johnny must team up with an executioner to take on the cross-country horse race known as the Steel Ball Run. Expect racing, battles, and fashion that would make the most daring dressers blush.

Fate/strange Fake

Speaking of unique and vibrant takes on tropes that we love, the light novel series Fate/strange Fake is a wild take on fantasy questing as well as a thought-provoking story about how much any of us can control our destiny. Of course, we can't wait for the historical anime adaptation to come to screens, especially for those that might not know the shocking set-up or what it means for the characters we meet. For those of you who love Sword Art Online or Lord of Mysteries, or any of the other titles in the Fate series, you'll likely fall head over heels for this when it hits in 2026.

The Apothecary Diaries Season 3

As noted before, we're living in a new Golden Age of anime, and one of the biggest and best examples of this is The Apothecary Diaries, in which a street urchin is pulled into a walled palace and must use her wits to survive as she becomes entangled in never-ending court intrigue. Earning her place thanks to her incredible detective skills and abilities as an apothecary, Maomao exists in a unique setting for a series that operates on a mystery-of-the-week formula. This is an unexpectedly deep and thoughtful show that has dealt with numerous complex topics while being consistently entertaining and surprising. It'll be interesting to see how Season 3 maintains those stakes while building on the emotional heart at its core.

The Ghost in the Shell (2026)

Sure, it's another take on one of the most famous anime of all time, but it's coming from the genius minds at Science Saru, so there's no way this couldn't make it on our list. We're extremely hyped to see what one of the most adventurous and groundbreaking studios does with the trailblazing, iconic cyberpunk anime by Masamune Shirow. In case you've yet to discover Ghost in the Shell – lucky you – it follows a high-tech cyborg cop named Motoko Kusanagi, who tracks down a hacker targeting cyborgs like herself. Given its pedigree, this could be the biggest smash anime hit of 2026.

Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Calamity

Disney+ is finally back in the big-name anime game with Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War's fourth and final installment: The Calamity. Intended as the end of the epic, this will tie up all the loose ends of Soul Reaper Kurosaki Ichigo's adventures in the demon-filled world he protects. It's going to be beautiful, brutal, and one of the most talked-about anime endings in years, so make sure you don't miss the discourse and drama when The Calamity hits in 2026!

What are your most anticipated anime of 2026? Did we miss a fave? Are you even more excited than us by one of our picks? Let us know in the comments.

It’s not just holiday decor discounted today. Our favorite phone controller for mobile gaming is back down to its lowest price ever, matching Black Friday savings. The Backbone Pro has $35 knocked off its price tag, so you can grab it for just $134.99. You can find that sale pricing from Amazon, Best Buy, and Target. Sure, it’s still an expensive option, but few phone controllers offer the versatility of the Backbone Pro. Whether you’re in the Android or iPhone (USB-C) camp, if you’re looking to get in some gaming on the go, this is a deal you’ll want to check out.

Score Over 20% Off the Backbone Pro Mobile Gaming Controller

Today’s top smartphones have some unbelievable capabilities, delivering enough oomph to play console-level games. However, tapping around on a touchscreen makes the experience fall short. The Backbone Pro remedies the problem, bringing the traditional controller experience along with some handy extra features to your phone.

Just like many top phone controllers, the Backbone Pro lets you slot your phone into its expandable middle section and connect via USB-C. This Pro model, an upgrade of the original Backbone One, also adds Bluetooth support, known as FlowState. That means you’re in for a simple wireless connection to other devices, like tablets, PCs, VR headsets, and even some TVs. Dual batteries, lasting up to 40 hours on a single charge, are housed in the grips, adding some nice heft and extending playtime up to 40 hours.

In IGN expert Matthew Adler’s review of the Backbone Pro, he found many other meaningful improvements from the Backbone One, stating, “The addition of full-size thumbsticks, upgraded triggers, customizable rear buttons, and virtually silent face buttons and D-pad more than justify the ‘Pro’ name.” Overall comfort is also improved, thanks to ergonomic grips with a laser-etched surface that keeps the controller firm in your hands, even during heated marathon gaming sessions.

All of this awesome functionality pairs with Backbone’s impressive app, which combines top game streaming services with a user-friendly interface. From PS5 to Xbox games, playing on your phone should be seamless and streamlined. Additionally, a built-in retro game emulator and expanded customization options further enhance the experience.

With top-tier comfort, impressive controls, built-in Bluetooth, and ample customization opportunities, the Backbone Pro is an especially great deal if you get while it's on sale. Be sure to grab it while you still can.

Danielle is a Tech freelance writer based in Los Angeles who spends her free time creating videos and geeking out over music history.

Spoilers follow for Stranger Things Season 5, Vol. 2.

In the Season 5 episode of Stranger Things, "Chapter Six: Escape from Camazotz," Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) lays out for the Hawkins gang (and the audience) exactly what’s going on with the Upside Down. Per Dr. Brenner’s journal, all of the chaos comes down to a wormhole that’s been acting as a bridge between Hawkins and Vecna’s machinations.

If you’re an observant viewer, there have been plenty of breadcrumbs leading to this reveal, including earlier in Season 5 when Mr. Clarke (Randy Havens) was teaching his science class about wormholes. In an interview with IGN, series creators Matt and Ross Duffer said they committed to that idea going all the way back to Season 1 when Netflix required that they outline their endgame for the series.

The Duffers Have Known How Stranger Things Ends for Years

The brothers have previously said that they've known what the final scene of the show will be for "six or seven years." And it sounds like many other elements of the show's final season have been in the works even longer than that.

“Netflix came to us very early on in the writing of Season 1 and were just asking to explain some mythology,” Ross said. “We said, ‘Well, we don't want to tell the audience everything in the first season.’ It's really from the point of view of the characters, and we wanted a mystery. And they said, ‘That's great, but for us, you write it down.’”

Ross told IGN that they sat down with their writers’ room, and that’s where they developed the wormhole underpinning: “It wasn't called The Abyss then, but the idea was that there was this other dimension that all of the evil and our Demogorgons and our monsters came from. It's been in the works for a while, so it's nice to finally be able to reveal it at last.”

Asked if the complexity of the various high-concept ideas about the Upside Down, The Abyss and the science of it all ever broke their brains, Matt admitted, “Sometimes it does hurt your brain. I'm not gonna lie.”

But he also pointed to their talented writers, especially Paul Dichter who has been with the series since Season 1. Matt said Dichter has the “superpower” of being a sci-fi expert.

“He's read every single hard sci-fi book in the world. Ross and I have not,” Matt chuckled. “He's very smart in areas like this, so he's able to keep all of this in his brain. And so whenever we get confused or the other writers get confused, Paul sets us straight.”

Another key collaborator from the start is executive producer/director Shawn Levy who helped them close out the series. In fact, for the first time in the history of the show, they co-directed an episode together, "Chapter Seven: The Bridge."

Matt Duffer said initially that was just a Duffer Brothers episode, but it became impossible for them to do it alone and finish writing the series finale, and they knew they couldn’t screw that up.

Full spoilers follow for Stranger Things: Season 5, Vol. 2, which consists of three of Season 5's eight episodes. Vol. 2 premieres December 25 on Netflix and the series finale debuts December 31. Read our review of Vol. 1 here.

Fear not, Stranger Things watchers who are nervous creators Matt and Ross Duffer can’t possibly answer all of their unsolved mysteries – Season 5, Vol. 2 is an answer-palooza for many of the mythology mysteries that have plagued the residents of Hawkins going back to Season 1. There’s so much going on in this trifecta of episodes, it’s a little overwhelming to process just how much is revealed about the mythology – and between characters – in the three-and-a-half hours that span this volume.

And that’s not to mention that you might want to dig out your Texas Instruments scientific calculators, because Mr. Clark (Randy Havens), Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo), Erica (Priah Ferguson) and even Murray (Brett Gelman) will be taking us all to school — in a very entertaining way — as we get the real 411 about the Upside Down, the Rightside Up and something called the exotic matter holding it all together.

"Chapter Five: Shock Jock” is the second episode this season directed by Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption, The Mist) and picks up from the cliffhanger where Noah Schnapp’s Will the Sorcerer went all Eleven on the Demogorgons. In the wake of his destruction, the heroes of Hawkins take stock of their losses… and realize that all 12 kids have been kidnapped into the Upside Down by Mr. Whatsit/Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower). He’s plugged all of them into his hive, but they just think they’re being protected in his faux-perfect Creel house. Having learned from Holly Wheeler’s (Nell Fisher) wandering, he’s got them locked down for safe-keeping until he needs to use his “perfect vessels” for his endgame plan.

In the Rightside Up, Will and company figure out that he’s able to siphon power from Vecna because of their connection. So, unlike Eleven’s (Millie Bobby Brown) powers, proximity is required for Will to get juiced up to fight Vecna. And Lucas’ (Caleb McLaughlin) theory that November 6 will be the day that Vecna’s plans will become known triggers an implied countdown clock that fuels these episodes, and which unspool over one day. Darabont has a deft hand in keeping “Chapter Five” light on its feet, shifting between multiple settings, some high-concept quantum physics chatter, and several much-needed character moments — hello, Nancy (Natalia Dyer) and Jonathan (Charlie Heaton).

All of that is set-up for the ultimate mythology deep dive in "Chapter Six: Escape from Camazotz," directed by series executive producer Shawn Levy. Consider this the science class episode of the bunch, as Dustin downloads his big wormhole theory that connects Hawkins and Vecna’s The Abyss. All the praise to writer Kate Trefry for packing a tremendous amount of science talk into this segment while parceling it out in ways that make it understandable for all the Steve Harringtons in the house. Does all of it need to be so layered and complex? Probably not, but it’s handed off amongst several characters who excitedly share the details with one another like everyone is stupid (us included). They make the exposition medicine go down easy.

Also tempering the heaviness of those theories is the parallel adventures of Max (Sadie Sink) and Holly working together to get out of Henry’s head (aka Max’s cave). If we’re awarding MVPs for this volume, Fisher’s Holly earns a gold star for being such a charming addition to the lineup so late in the game. She holds her own in every emotional scene with Sink, and does the character work needed to invest the audience in her plight. Not an easy feat when she could have easily come across as stealing precious time from more established characters.

"Chapter Seven: The Bridge" is yet another grand convergence for the cast as all the various factions come back together at WSQK to figure out a plan strong enough to prevent Vecna from merging realities and wiping out their very existence. Everyone plays a part, including minor characters who share in the hero energy like Robin’s girlfriend Vickie (Amybeth McNulty), Mr. Clark, and another feisty turn by Karen Wheeler (Cara Buono).

Another positive is how Kali/Eight (Linnea Berthelsen) is woven into these last hours in such a satisfying way. It’s like the Duffers recognized how unfair it was that she became synonymous with the most maligned episode of the series — Season 2’s "Chapter Seven: The Lost Sister," — so they’ve given her a gracious do-over. The show’s leaning into her shared history with El means Hopper now has some competition in the familial overprotective department. Kali and Eleven’s sisterly bond is entirely unique to their history, and putting them back together adds a new layer of complications when it comes to the decisions that El makes. They survived an immeasurable level of trauma together in Brenner’s lab, so there’s a lot of weight behind Kali’s argument that it's their duty to prevent it from happening again, even if that interferes with El’s plans for a “happy ending.”

On the checklist of things that don’t work so well, Linda Hamilton’s Dr. Kay is, so far, the Duffers’ least developed of their roster of ‘80s-era actors cast in the series. Don’t get me wrong – Hamilton hasn’t lost her skills when it comes to throwing around dumb underlings, or snarling out orders. But as a well-defined character, Dr. Kay is but a pale shadow of Dr. Brenner. There’s still no context for why she’s all-in about bringing back the number program, which makes her disappointingly one-note. I would have loved to see Hamilton get Paul Reiser-quality material, but that seems unlikely with just two hours left to the series.

Also, this isn’t the best season for Winona Ryder’s Joyce, as she’s strictly been in mom mode. And while that’s important for Will’s character and their bond, it’s limiting for a character who has grown so much up to this point. It’s clear that the romance between Hopper and Joyce — which fueled all of Season 4 — has reverted to best friend mode again. Sure, they’re together, but where’s the love? They don’t need to make out but this season is robbing us of the kind of emotional scenes these two can rip our hearts out with.

Aside from those quibbles, Stranger Things Season 5, Vol. 2 absolutely moves the needle consequentially when it comes to those all-important who, what, where, and when answers to the questions the audience has been waiting for. Now, we wait for the big one… why? As Max reminds us, Vecna started out as a human and there’s still some left in there. Will that be the key to his defeat? If they figure out his secrets, can they bring him back to the light and save Hawkins too?

Boxing Day sales are usually loud, bloated, and full of discounts of the "quotation mark kind" that look better than they feel, so I went in deliberately picky this time. I've ignored the filler, skipped the eternal backlog traps, and pulled out the handful of deals that genuinely deserve attention across consoles and PC. These are the games I would recommend to mates with little to no caveat, because the price is right and the experience still absolutely holds up.

Contents

• Retro
• Nintendo
• Xbox
• PlayStation
• PC
• PC Gear
• LEGO

This Day in Gaming 🎂

In retro news, I'm celebrating the 26th anniversary of Turok: Rage Wars, pretty much the only birthday worth talking about today. I've got to be perfectly honest by saying that it didn't personally blow my mind like a shot from Turok 2's cerebral bore gun. I guess I just wasn't interested in a plotless MP-focused entry in the series at the time (and GoldenEye was still the undisputed king of 4P split-screen anyway).

That said, I still played many a round of FFA, CTF, and a goofy Frag Tag where somebody randomly became a monkey. Rage Wars also continued, and indeed expanded upon, the franchise's stable of creative and chaotic weaponry. Case in points: the "Inflator" that used needles of compressed air to violently explode people and the Aliens-tastic "Chest Burster" rifle. Pretty straightforward, that last one.