Games Workshop has announced plans to build a new Warhammer World in the United States with a late 2027 target for opening its doors.

Warhammer World, in Nottingham, England, is the focal point for Games Workshop’s various tabletop games and a social hub for the hobby. It includes an exhibition centre with dramatic, large-scale dioramas featuring everything from famous battles in the grimdark sci-fi setting Warhammer 40,000 to the fantasy world of Age of Sigmar.

For competitors, a sizeable castle-themed gaming hall lets fans play matches, often in scheduled tournaments. There’s a themed bar and restaurant, areas to paint miniatures, and an in-house store with exclusive products.

In a post on Warhammer Community, Games Workshop confirmed its plans to start work on the new Warhammer World, to be built just outside Washington DC.

“This new Warhammer World will be a flagship venue that celebrates Warhammer in all its forms: gaming, painting, modelling, storytelling, events, and community,” Games Workshop said.

“The original Warhammer World in Nottingham, UK sets a very high bar. We’re not going to replicate it brick-for-brick, but instead build something equally uncompromising on quality and experience, something worthy of Warhammer’s rich settings and of course the title ‘Warhammer World.’ And of course, at the heart of all this is creating something extraordinary for all of you — the Warhammer fans!

“Now, there’s a lot to do – but with a fair wind, and the might of the Emperor and his inexhaustible armies, we hope to open the doors late in 2027.”

With this new Warhammer World, Games Workshop is clearly hoping to reinforce its explosive success and the ever-increasing popularity of Warhammer 40,000 in particular, which in recent years has grown far beyond the confines of a tabletop game. Its loyal fandom fusses over lore, analyzes new novels for fresh insight into the setting, and speculates about future development. The smash hit video game Space Marine 2 boosted interest in all things Warhammer 40,000 — so much so that playable character Titus is now the poster boy of the tabletop game and is even at the heart of its next narrative expansion. And former Superman actor Henry Cavill’s upcoming Warhammer 40,000 Cinematic Universe for Amazon will undoubtedly take it to new heights. It makes a lot of sense to have a Warhammer World in place to capitalize on the army of newcomers Cavill’s Prime Video work will surely rally together. (Cavill once visited Warhammer World in the UK and posted a video of his tour on Instagram.)

In the shorter term, Warhammer 40,000 fans are bracing themselves for an announcement and release of the 11th Edition of the game, accompanying lore developments, and new model releases. And we’re arguably in the golden age of Warhammer 40,000 video games, with Space Marine 2 still receiving updates, Space Marine 3 in the works, and Dawn of War 4 and Total War: Warhammer 40,000 waiting in the wings.

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.

If you need more USB inputs than what's available on your PC or laptop, then here's a deal that will provide an instant solution. For a limited time, Amazon is offering the Sabrent 5-in-1 USB-C Docking Station for a mere $9.75 after you clip the $5 off coupon on the product page and apply coupon code "R2SN6S9M". You're saving 68% off the original retail price. Sabrent's USB hubs have nearly 200,000 user reviews on Amazon with an average 4.6 star rating.

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Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 is streaming on Crunchyroll, with episodes dropping weekly on Thursdays.

The Culling Game arc in Gege Akutami’s Jujutsu Kaisen manga swings on a heavy pendulum, back and forth from drawn-out battles and tedious explanations of its world’s rules to some of its best, most creative chapters across the entire story. For me, from this point until the end, Jujutsu Kaisen was a frustratingly jagged read, and I had reservations that the on-page material would be too wily to make good anime. Then again, one of the advantages of the medium is being able to whittle a story into something newly transmittable, and studio MAPPA once again confidently asserts its grasp and vision of bringing its source material to life in the first two episodes of Jujutsu Kaisen’s Culling Game Part 1. Though there’s still plenty of time to get lost in the sauce, the smart pacing, direction that seems to actively subvert anything that could be easily clipped on TikTok, and sharp animation up top sure all have me hopeful that we’re headed in the right direction.

Off the bat in the first episode “Execution,” the wordless prologue takes a tonal swing in resetting Jujutsu Kaisen after the bloodbath of the Shibuya Incident in Season 2. It opens on our main boy Yuji Itadori, still traumatized from the utter devastation Sukuna caused from his bodily takeover, seemingly alone, living off of energy bars and cleaning up the apocalyptically sparse neighborhood from an influx of cursed spirits. That is until he’s nabbed by an especially big one before being saved by a mysterious slice that crashes him and the spirit through the roof of a building.

Cut to Itadori pinned on his back at sword point by Yuta Okkutsu (watch the movie Jujustu Kaisen 0 if you need a refresher on what that guy’s deal is) on a stage in a transfixing wide shot so long that I almost thought my internet had sputtered had it not been for the specks of gleaming light. That’s interrupted by a deluge of purple blood and a cut to the title sequence – a bop as always, even if it’s not quite the series’ undefeated “Vivid Vice” opening. Just these three-and-a-half minutes are stuffed with bold cinematic choices that hint at how much of the rest of the runtime across 50-ish minutes will go: kinetic and cleverly choreographed battle sequences halt into still moments that let the whole thing – the characters, the sets, the viewers – breathe a bit.

Not long after, we’re plunged into the first new bits of world lore – the Zen’in clan appoints a new head, done in a highly stylized and shadowy back room – which made me nervous before it all played out. The Culling Game Arc will certainly balloon its cast with brand-new characters, jujutsu sorcerers who have just acquired new powers, to make up for all the ones lost in Shibuya. But these episodes show remarkable restraint, keeping the core cast small and story relatively tight before it inevitably lets out the leash.

The show obviously respects the beats of the manga it’s based on and knows how to use just enough explanatory information as is necessary, while holding more space for the darker emotional spots that color this end-game setup and, of course, very sick fights. (Alas, say farewell to most of the joke-y bits from the first season, especially with Gojo Satoru still trapped in that damn Prison Realm box.) Look no further than introducing the rules of the Culling Game itself: In the last third of the second episode “One More Time,” a not-insignificant chunk of text is plastered on the screen, but the cards don’t linger long enough to read it all, instead quickly flashing to key words and phrases. “Blah, blah, blah, you get the gist,” they’re basically saying, “we’ll explain soon.” Lo and behold, Episode 3 is titled “About the Culling Game”; prepare for a talk-y breakdown about what to expect for the rest of the season.

Once again, I’ll mention the fights since badass combat is JJK’s bread and butter, and they’ve truly never looked better than they have here. Unlike the back half of the Shibuya Incident arc, each of these sequences are carefully executed and unrushed, set to JJK’s distinctive synth-y battle score. Whether it’s Yuji and Choso cleaning up the streets in “Execution,” with flashy colors and outstanding cinematography, or Choso vs. Naoya Zen’in, the jerk of a new clan head, with its trippy visualization messing with frame rates and color inversion, the fights shine. If the rest of the season can keep up with this momentum, Jujutsu Kaisen’s Culling Game anime could transform a tricky manga arc into a thrilling televised take that’s been downsized for the better.

Last month, Larian Studios presented console players of Divinity: Original Sin 2 with a special treat: an upgraded version of the game for PS5, Xbox Series, and delightfully, Nintendo Switch 2. But while Original Sin 2 has been on Nintendo's system since 2019, Larian's next game, Baldur's Gate 3, never made it to any Nintendo console. Why not? Well, Larian at least says it wasn't its decision.

In a Reddit AMA today conducted by various members of Larian, CEO Swen Vincke took a moment to answer a question about whether or not Baldur's Gate 3 for Nintendo Switch 2 was "even possible". Sadly, his answer wasn't a happy one: "We would have loved to but it's wasn't our decision to make."

Vincke is speaking in the past tense because officially, Larian is done with Baldur's Gate 3. It's still supporting the game with minor bug fixes, but there's no reason to expect the studio to do a whole new release on a new platform now, especially since it's moved on to a new Divinity game. That leaves Wizards of the Coast in charge of the future of Baldur's Gate 3, meaning a port isn't happening without its blessing.

Which seems to be what Vincke is implying here - that Larian would have done one, but Wizards for whatever reason decided not to. We've reached out to Wizards of the Coast for comment on this.

Which is a shame for Switch owners, because Baldur's Gate is a fantastic game. We gave it a 10/10 at launch, saying that "with crunchy, tactical RPG combat, a memorable story with complex characters, highly polished cinematic presentation, and a world that always rewards exploration and creativity, Baldur's Gate 3 is the new high-water mark for CRPGs."

We covered other topics from Larian's AMA today, such as what happened to Wyll's storyline in Baldur's Gate 3 and how Larian will (or won't) use generative AI for Divinity.

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.

I wouldn’t be doing what I’m lucky enough to do for a living without Mario games. Heck, I’m not sure I’d even be playing video games if not for Mario. And so, when I reviewed Super Mario Odyssey for IGN in 2017, it checked off a career bucket list item for me. And oh how lucky I was that Odyssey turned out to be – and still very much is – one of the greatest 3D platformers ever made.

It was worth the long wait, as in case you’re too young to remember (which would be perfectly understandable at this point), the last mainline 3D Mario game before Odyssey was Super Mario Galaxy 2…all the way back in 2010. Yes, it was seven long years between headlining 3D entries in Nintendo’s biggest franchise, but fast-forward to 2026 and we’ve already surpassed eight years as we continue to wait for Odyssey’s 3D Mario successor. I thought for sure last Fall was going to be when it finally happened, as what better way for Nintendo to have celebrated the 40th anniversary of the original Super Mario Bros. than with the next mainline 3D Mario game, cementing the Switch 2 as the must-have device for its first Christmas, just as Odyssey did for the Switch 1’s first holiday on the market back in 2017? But that big anniversary came and went with nothing but a questionably priced 4K remaster of Super Mario Galaxy 1 and 2.

However, I think the wait for the true next-gen mainline 3D Mario game is finally almost over. Let’s run through the reasons:

First and foremost – and this is 90% of my argument – is that Nintendo has essentially fired every other bullet (Bill) in its chamber in recent years! What big megafranchise moves do they have left for this year? A mainline 2D Mario game? We just got that in Fall 2023 in the form of the (sensational) Super Mario Bros. Wonder. Mario Kart? After its own incredibly long hiatus, it was the Switch 2’s big day-one launch title. How about 3D Zelda? Tears of the Kingdom was just two-and-a-half short years ago, after we waited six years for it following Breath of the Wild. That means we won’t see Aonuma’s next effort for at least a few more years. What about 2D Zelda? Echoes of Wisdom was in Fall 2024, and though this year is the 40th anniversary of Zelda, last year’s 40th anniversary of Mario suggests you should set your expectation to, at best, a 4K remaster of Twilight Princess or Wind Waker.

Donkey Kong Bananza dropped in the Switch 2’s launch window and is arguably the system’s best game so far. Super Mario Party Jamboree just released in 2024. Animal Crossing is getting a Switch 2 update in just a few days, making it unlikely we see an all-new game anytime soon. Super Smash Bros., barring a miracle, is retired due its director leaving it all on the field with Ultimate. Is Splatoon big enough to really move the needle? Maybe, maybe not. Pokemon is really Nintendo’s best non-Mario bet, but we just had Legends: Z-A last Fall.

Shall I keep going? The last of Nintendo’s “Big Three,” Metroid, has shipped a 2D (Dread, 2021) and 3D (Prime 4, barely a month ago) entry in recent years. And anyway, Nintendo itself admits that Prime 4 wasn’t it. An unnamed senior source revealed to The Game Business that Switch 2 sales fell behind the pace of the Switch 1 in key markets this past holiday in large part due to the “absence of a major Western game.” Ouch – that is some serious Metroid Prime 4 slander!

But back on topic: what would fit the definition of a “major Western game” for Nintendo that hasn’t already shipped in recent years? How about the next major 3D Mario game, which isn’t just a major Western game but a major global game? Odyssey sold nearly 30 million copies – an absolutely staggering amount that could easily be replicated over the life of the Switch 2 if Nintendo delivers it this Fall…or perhaps even sooner?

That brings me to reason number two: The Super Mario Bros. Movie is the highest-grossing video game movie ever, raking in over $1.3 billion dollars at the box office. Its sequel, The Super Mario Bros. Galaxy Movie, is set to debut in theaters on April 3. What better way to capitalize on what’s likely to be another massive Hollywood hit for Nintendo than to feed those moviegoers’ enthusiasm with the next big 3D Mario entry – one that, as we’ve already established, can easily sell another 25 million copies (which, given the likely $80 price point for the next 3D Mario game, would mean $2 billion in revenue, besting the box office take of the first film – and likely the second) – not to mention a whole bunch of Switch 2’s?

Ultimately, though Nintendo is tough to reliably predict (honestly, I would’ve bet money – and lost – on the next big 3D Mario game arriving last Fall for Switch 2’s first holiday and Mario’s 40th anniversary), the planets do seem to be aligning for Mario’s next major 3D platformer to arrive sometime this year. If I’m wrong and Odyssey’s successor debuts in 2027 (or, gulp, later!), it means we’ll be going at least a full decade since the last mainline Mario, which basically means Nintendo is just torturing us.

Whenever it’s finally confirmed, the next question is, of course, what is it? Is it Super Mario Odyssey 2, or an entirely new adventure? Based on Mario’s history, I’d hope for and expect the latter – in Mario’s 3D era, Nintendo has only ever done one sequel in the form of Galaxy 2 (or two if you want to count 3D World as a sequel to 3D Land). But we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. For now, beggars can’t be choosers. We can only hope that 2026 is finally going to be the year. I think it is. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to start replaying Odyssey again, just to experience the sheer joy of New Donk City one more time.

Ryan McCaffrey is IGN's executive editor of previews and host of both IGN's weekly Xbox show, Podcast Unlocked, as well as our old interview show, IGN Unfiltered. Super Mario Bros. 3 is his favorite video game of all time. Debate it with him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan.

Here’s some good news for anyone looking to spice up the look of their Nintendo Switch 2 — at least in a subtle way. Nintendo recently announced it’s releasing a Light Purple and Light Green color variant of the Joy-Con 2 Switch 2 controllers, and now it's available for preorder. It costs $99.99 per pair and is set to release on February 12. You can preorder now (see at Best Buy). Read on for the details.

Preorder Joy-Con 2 Light Purple and Light Green

The Sims developer Maxis is kicking off the new year with an update on what its whole deal is, after plenty of rumors and concerns about the future of the franchise. Ans as a part of that, it seems to be teasing the "next evolution" of single-player PC and console The Sims games...even as its long-touted "next generation" of The Sims, Project Rene, is relegated to a mobile-only social spin-off.

This comes from a lengthy blog post on the EA website, in which Maxis speaks at length about its philosophy around The Sims in the coming year. Most of it is pretty mission statement-y, but in the middle, we get a glimpse of what's planned for the future of The Sims.

For three years now, Maxis has been teasing something called Project Rene. Initially billed as the future of The Sims that would exist across PC and mobile, EA nevertheless refused to call it The Sims 5. Since 2022, there have been multiple closed playtests, and the feedback has gradually soured as Project Rene increasingly started to look like a pretty basic mobile game. Meanwhile, while The Sims 4 community remains robust, there hasn't been much discussion on what The Sims 5 might look like, or if the console and PC base should even expect anything new at all. As recently as last August, EA Entertainment president Laura Miele insisted that it wouldn't be "player-friendly" to release one when the community had already invested so much time and money into The Sims 4.

Which is why the wording in this blog post is both exciting and nerve-wracking as a The Sims fan. The post separates out its plans for "The Sims" on PC and console, and Project Rene. For PC and console, Maxis reaffirms its commitment to new content for The Sims 4, and adds that "Single-player PC and console experiences will always be a part of our future, with more than half of our global development team dedicated to The Sims 4 and the next evolution. More news in the coming months!"

That wording, "the next evolution," is huge. While it's not exactly "The Sims 5," it's the first crumb we've gotten in years that we might see something like one eventually. What's even more promising is that EA is designating Project Rene as a social, multiplayer game that's mobile-first. That's disappointing for those who were hoping Project Rene would be an exciting new future, but it sounds like that's still going to exist in some fashion alongside whatever the actual new evolution is.

Still, Maxis has a rough road ahead. Miele is correct that one of the biggest issues with a new The Sims game is that players have spent tons of money already on expansion packs for The Sims 4, and historically brand new The Sims games have felt woefully feature incomplete when they launch with no such packs. That was the case with The Sims 4, which launched to relatively weak reviews as players adjusted to the shock of features they'd come to get used to - pets, interactive children, weather - suddenly gone, until a new paid expansion pack was released.

It would behoove Maxis to figure all this out, because The Sims 4 is over a decade old now, and starting to show its age. What's more, a number of potential competitors have come out of the woodwork in recent years, including Krafton's inZOI and the indie Paralives, both in early access.

The most recent The Sims 4 expansion pack was Adventure Awaits, which launched in October of last year.

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.

The best streaming devices can take your smart TV and home theater systems to the next level. With crisp, high-quality images and immersive audio filling your lounge, it’s easy (and affordable) to make every movie night feel like a trip to the cinema. Whether you're a movie buff, a sports fanatic, or a binge-watcher of the latest TV series, there's a perfect streaming device out there just for you.

TL;DR – Our top streaming device picks:

Although some of the best streaming devices these days are smart TVs with streaming apps built in, it's still a lot cheaper to upgrade your current TV with a streaming stick than to purchase a new 4K television.

With a good streaming device on hand, there’s no need to worry about switching between different streaming platforms like Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime Video. Our overall favorite streaming sticks and boxes, make it super easy to find what you want to watch, when you want to watch it.

1. Roku Ultra

Best Overall Streaming Device

2. Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max

Best Budget Streaming Device

3. TiVo Stream 4K

Best Ultra Cheap Streaming Device

Nvidia's Shield TV is a pricier option, but it's easily the best 4K streaming device on the market. Heck, it's one of, if not the only, streaming device to have a built-in upscaling technology. Using a process Nvidia calls "AI-enhanced upscaling," the Shield TV can turn anything you watch into a 4K video. That includes everything from blockbuster movies to Twitch streams and YouTube Videos. There's also support for HDR10 and Dolby Vision as well as DTS-X surround and Dolby Atmos for audio. Plus, you have access to a ton of different streaming services and the Google Play Store, since it's running on the Android TV platform. It even doubles as a Chromecast, so you can stream to your TV from your phone or tablet.

The remote the Nvidia Shield TV comes with is also fairly smart. It's motion-activated, so when you pick it up the buttons light up. Plus, there is a voice search, an IR blaster, and a built-in lost remote indicator. The most impressive feature of the Nvidia Shield TV, however, is you can game with the device. There are two different ways; if you have an Nvidia graphics card you can also stream games from your gaming PC to your gaming TV at 60fps. Alternatively, you can stream games directly from Nvidia's servers using GeForce Now, which currently gives you the power of a Turing-based desktop over the air.

You can also opt for the Nvidia Shield TV Pro, which is an overall pricier option that with additional features.

For Apple enthusiasts, the Apple TV 4K is the way to go, with its latest model coming in cheaper and offering upgraded performance over its predecessors' thanks to the Apple A15 Bionic chip. You do lose an ethernet port for a wired internet connection, but for $20 more, you can grab a version with that on offer, along with doubling the 64GB of storage and Thread home networking support. As for the remote, it still uses a touch-enabled clickpad for easy navigation and now charges via USB-C, though you can always use your iPhone to find media or pair the streaming box with a Bluetooth controller to play games on Apple Arcade, too.

With the Apple TV 4K, you’ll be able to watch 4K UHD footage at 60fps with HDR support, including Dolby Vision and now HDR10+. Similar to the last Apple TV 4K, advanced sensors in Face ID-enabled iPhones automatically calibrate the streaming device’s output video to tune the color, contrast, and brightness for better viewing on your TV. Beyond support for nearly every streaming app, including Apple TV Plus, there’s also iCloud or AirPlay to share photos and SharePlay for watching shows or movies and listening to music with friends from afar.

Chromecasts have long been a great way to add a bit of smartness to your TV. They let you use all your favorite smartphone apps to choose what you want to watch and then have the Chromecast stream that choice to your TV. Now, the Chromecast with Google TV has made Google's option for smartening up your TV a whole lot better. It has its own Android TV-like interface built-in, so you can install your favorite streaming apps directly onto the device, and then get smart recommendations for what to watch from Google. It's also easy to see where certain things are streaming, so you don't accidentally select an option only to find you're not subscribed to the service.

The new dongle still plugs straight into the back of your TV with an HDMI connection, where it can deliver 4K/60Hz video signal with HDR. Just like older Chromecasts, you can use your phone to cast media to it or opt for the new built-in interface. The Chromecast with Google TV also has Bluetooth, so you can pair it with a Bluetooth speaker. A serious bonus of this kit is the included controller, which can be set up to control the Chromecast, your TV, and your sound systems. It features Google Assistant for voice control of not only the Chromecast but smart home devices as well. Just get ready to power this device with its own adapter, as it requires more juice than the USB port on the back of your TV is likely to offer.

Roku’s products balance high-quality capabilities with an affordable price. At $50, the Roku Streaming Stick 4K delivers a 4K/60fps capable streaming stick with support for the most popular HDR formats, including Dolby Vision. And, since this is a stick rather than a box, you just plug it directly into the HDMI port of your TV, keeping it hidden behind the TV. Don't worry though, it still does everything a streaming box can do and even has an improved WiFi range from its predecessor.

You’ll find that Roku’s interface is easy to navigate and offers nearly every streaming app you could want. The Streaming Stick 4K has a voice remote, which lets you search for content using your voice, and there are still all of the controls you’d expect in a remote. As a whole, the snappy performance of the processor, high-quality picture, and simple controls ensure you’ll be watching all your favorite content in no time.

If you’re looking for an affordable yet top-notch streaming companion for your HD TV, look no further, because this little beauty is a game-changer. At less than $30, the Chromecast with Google TV (HD) shares the same sleek form-factor and user-friendly remote as its 4K sibling, the Chromecast with Google 4K.

Using the remote, you can access Google at the press the button. You can ask Google to find your favorite shows, answer questions, or even control smart home devices – all without lifting a finger! Many entry-level HD streaming devices cut corners on hardware features to keep costs down, but this streaming device has everything you need while remaining cheap and cheerful.

Sure, if you're thinking about future-proofing your entertainment setup with a 4K TV, investing in a 4K streaming device might be a good idea. But if you're just looking for a budget-friendly HD streaming solution that doesn't compromise on performance or features, the Chromecast with Google TV (HD) is a fantastic choice.

This powerful streaming device from Amazon delivers 4K UHD streaming in a small and compact form. It’s easy to access all of the movies and shows you want, as well as millions of songs to fill your room. While the Amazon Fire TV Cube is significantly more expensive than a Fire TV Stick, you do get a lot more, backed up by a octa-core processor.

With Alexa to hand, you can make use of the built-in microphone and speaker to control your TV, soundbar, and receivers. Navigating between devices and shows is incredibly simple, so even if you’re not particularly tech-savvy, you won’t have a problem using this streaming device.

If your home is connected with other Amazon smart devices, you can use Alexa to start calls, view your Ring cameras, check your shopping list, and more.

Everyone likes a good audiobook, or if you haven't tried them, you really should. They're perfect for bedtime, having one on in the background whilst working, or if you're like me and don't have the patience (or time) to sit down with a book. Audible Premium Plus is currently $0.99 per month for the first three months for new subscribers.

TL;DR: Deals for Today

3 Months of Audible Premium Plus for $0.99/Month

Premium Plus gives you all the access to the 10,000 audiobooks the Premium Audible membership has, but you'll also get access to another 500,000 audiobooks. Reckon you could read them all? You can also pick one audiobook a month to keep forever, so if you were after a couple of audiobooks anyway, it's going to be worth picking up this deal just to get hold of them. You'll also gain access to exclusive podcasts and Audible Originals. Not bad for less than $3, right?

Dungeon Crawler Carl Sale

Like video games? Like gaming? LitRPG (Literal Role Playing Game) books are for you. They usually involve a main character either being pulled into or living in a video game of sorts, complete with levelling systems, big bads to overcome, etc. The Dungeon Crawler Carl series is a popular LitRPG series, and pretty much every book is on offer, with the latest in the series, A Parade of Horribles, dropping on May 15, 2026 for a slightly marked-down $29.82. The best part is Amazon won't take payment until the book ships, so if you're a fan, this is a no-brainer.

PC Deals

The best deal here by an absolute mile is the iBuyPower build. The Y40 Pro has comparable specifications to the RTX 5080 build, but swaps out an Intel CPU for an AMD Ryzen 9 7900X. OK, you're not getting specific Alienware branding and Area-51 features, but for the sake of saving $1,576.01 for more or less the same value build, I couldn't care less.

More Gaming Laptop Deals

The best gaming laptop for the money here is the MSI Vector 16 HX AI for $1,648. Granted, the processor isn't as good as the $2,099.00 ROG Strix, but it's still more than capable at backing up the packed-in RTX 5070 Ti laptop GPU and rocks 16GB DDR5, which is plenty for solid high-frame 1440p gaming. The 512GB SSD isn't ideal, but it's an easy upgrade down the line. You could, of course, double your RAM, get a better CPU, and get a 2TB M.2 SSD with the ROG Strix G16, but I don't personally think it's worth the extra $450 to get there.

More Gaming PC Deals

The Alienware Aurora is the cheapest build here, but it's only got an RTX 5060 Ti. That's fine if you just want a 1080p gaming machine for Fortnite, but frankly, you're paying some brand tax even after a cheeky discount.

Whilst I'd love for everyone to have $2.6k to spend on a liquid-cooled Radeon RX 9070 XT build, I'd go with the HP OMEN 45L for $2,284.99. 32GB DDR5 RAM is going to be relevant for years to come, and that also means your motherboard is good for any DDR5 or Intel CPU upgrades down the line (check that socket type before you do!). With DLSS 4.5 and 6x Frame Generation either just dropping or coming later this Spring, an RTX 5070 Ti is going to be plenty of power for a solid 1440p experience. You could even try and push to 4K with some lower settings, but 1440p is 100% the sweet spot for PC gaming with ridiculous frame rates.

Apple iPad and Macbook Deals

If you're more about the Apple ecosystem, hats have to go off to their unified memory and M4/M5 SoCs. They're bloody rapid and perfect for all kinds of productivity and creative work, but gaming not so much. Any opportunity to shave off some Apple brand tax is a good deal, and I personally love iPad Pro M5s combined with an Apple Pencil for 3D sculpting, drawing, and painting. It's a seamless and smooth experience that rivals dedicated drawing tablets.

AMD Threadripper Sale

If you're wanting to put a Threadripper into your gaming setup, then you're wasting your money. But if you need some of the fastest rendering times, run complex simulations, manage engineering workloads, or run compile farms (and yes, fine-tuning, inference, and data pre-processing AI/machine learning), this is the CPU to get. It will also unlock support for large Gen 5 PCIe lanes, ECC DDR5 support, and AVX-512 acceleration. If none of this makes sense to you, this likely isn't an investment you need to make. But for the right person, all of these Threadripper deals are a steal.

Gaming Monitor and TV Deals

PC gaming belongs on gaming monitors, mostly due to them supporting far higher frame rates, G-SYNC/FreeSync support, and low latency. You won't be playing Fortnite at 170 FPS on any TV in 2026, sadly, but a gaming monitor will get you there depending on your budget.

That's not to say TVs aren't getting close. TCL is knocking out 120–140Hz on some of their latest panels up to 98 inches. They're more than capable of handling PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Switch 2, and PCs too. It just depends on how you want your setup to look and how you want to play.

Game Controller and Keyboard Deals

It's the most expensive on this list, but SteelSeries gear really is quality. Every keyboard and mouse I've tried from them felt amazing and purpose-made for my fat sausage fingers. In all honesty, every product listed is fantastic, but I personally would always go for SteelSeries. You've got their magical HyperMagnetic switches, which feel super responsive with a lovely bounce-back, and my Apex Pro TKL Wired Gen 3 handles absolutely everything from writing the words you're reading to Diablo IV to Fortnite.

Gaming PC and Laptop Deals

If you want a prebuilt gaming PC with legs and room for larger GPU upgrades down the line with ample cooling, I'd go with the Skytech Shadow Gaming PC. It's a good entry point for 1080p, high frame-rate gaming. Unlike the Storm and Crystal models, you're getting DDR5 RAM and an RTX 5060 Ti, which boasts higher performance over the standard 5060 and 5050 GPUs. Plus, the cheaper models only have a DDR4 RAM motherboard. If you're looking for a cheap build before RAM, GPU and SSD prices skyrocket, Skytech Shadow is a fair price by parts comparison and sets you up for future GPU upgrades without the worry of also replacing RAM and the motherboard.

If you'd prefer a gaming laptop, I'd 100% pay the extra $120 to get the Ryzen AI 9 270 CPU and RTX 5070 Mobile GPU. Yes, you're getting the same 32GB DDR5 RAM and 1TB SSD, but you're getting far better performance from the CPU and GPU.

Gaming Keyboard Deals

Gaming keyboards all do the same job more or less; it mostly comes down to the different type of switches and keycaps you prefer. If you like a low-profile laptop keyboard, Razer Joro is a good pick. If you want clicky button presses, wireless functionality and all the bells and whistles you could possibly want on a keyboard, ASUS ROG Azoth Extreme Wireless is $100 off right now.

A solid mid-range pick would be the Razer BlackWidow V4 Mini HyperSpeed Wireless. It has a massive 200-hour battery with quiet orange switches and pudding keycaps. For a budget gaming keyboard, I'd highly recommend Glorious GMMK for a cheeky 10% off right now. It has brown mechanical switches, which serve as a great hybrid for work and gaming. Plus, it's modular, making it a great modding platform.

Gaming Mice Deals

Again, it really comes down to preference when it comes to gaming mice. I prefer having something I can grip with some curves built into the sides. When it comes to a cheap wired option that's built well and has some RGB to make me game faster, I'd go for Glorious Model D (Minus) at a reasonable $28.68.

If we're talking wireless, I'd shell out $99.99 for ASUS ROG Keris II. The battery life is a respectable 127 hours, has up to 42K DPI alongside tri-mode connectivity. It's a versatile and responsive bit of kit with the ergonomics I look for in gaming mice.

Home Workout Deals

Half the challenge of going to the gym is getting into the mindset to get in there and put some graft in; it's intimidating for a lot of people. Luckily, there are a couple of ways to get a fantastic workout at home. The first route is equipment with a service, specifically Peloton. The deal is you can either pick a treadmill or exercise bike, grab a subscription and get that personal trainer experience in the comfort of your own home with all the bells and whistles of the latest high-tech, gym-quality equipment.

If you just want to go at your own pace whilst having quality gym equipment at home, EVKRun’s treadmill is $180 off right now at $399.98. It supports up to 400lbs, has 3.5HP and reaches speeds of up to 8.5MPH. If you're more interested in toning up over cardio, Pooboo's Power Cage is a squat rack, lateral pull-down system backed by a dual pulley cable configuration. It also includes various strength training attachments at a tidy $400 discount down to $1,199.99.

Portable Power Station Deals

Even if you're just looking for a power backup that you can charge at the wall, Portable Power Stations are products that you think you don't need until you get a power cut or you need some electricity whilst camping for a number of reasons.

I use an Anker SOLIX Power Station as a fail-safe for my office and gaming setup. If I have a power cut or surge, I have absolutely nothing to fear. Not only do I have that added protection of the Power Station keeping the electricity flowing as it should to my PC, but it gives me backup power to save my work or game progress before using it for something really important, like keeping my kids warm.

Picking a solar panel option makes sure you can stay powered on when camping or sitting in a field doing nothing whilst ignoring nature and gaming. Perfection.

MTG: Cheapest at Amazon

Amazon is putting out some decent pricing, with my favorite pick here being the "Game Edition" of Cloud Strife-themed Limit Break Commander Deck. It's around the same price as TCGPlayer, making it market value, with the artwork being based on in-game moments instead of the traditional MTG artwork.

The same can be said for the Marvel's Spider-Man Play Booster Box containing 30 booster packs with the following:
• 14 Magic: The Gathering cards
• 1–4 cards of rarity Rare or higher
• 3–6 Uncommon cards
• 6–9 Common cards
• 1 Land card (Traditional Foil Land replaces a Land in 20% of boosters)
• 1 card of any rarity is Traditional Foil; Foil Showcase Mythic Rare in 1% of boosters

MTG: Cheapest at TCGPlayer

Meanwhile, TCGPlayer is the place to go for MTG preorders. It's the cheapest for the Lorwyn Eclipsed Play Booster Box and Bundle, with the next Universes Beyond entry Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Play Booster Box, Turtle Power! Commander Deck and Bundle, the latter being over $15 cheaper than Amazon.

There's some gorgeous Final Fantasy scene boxes coming in cheaper than Amazon too, not to mention the standard Limit Break Commander Deck being just under $5 cheaper on TCGPlayer. It pays to shop around for sure.

Alienware Area-51 RTX 5090

2 Lisen 6.6ft 240W USB Type-C Cables

JVSCAM Cordless Electric Air Duster

Pokémon TCG: Market Value at Amazon

Well, the good news is you can get the Phantasmal Flames Elite Trainer Box with Prime delivery without getting stung. It has nine booster packs, a gorgeous Charcadet Illustration Rare promo, Mega Charizard X–themed sleeves, card dividers, a tournament-legal coin, alongside some nice-looking dice.

Cynthia’s Garchomp ex Premium Collection has four Journey Together and two Destined Rivals booster packs, so if Trainer Pokémon cards are your thing, you’re good to go.

Pokémon TCG: Cheapest at TCGPlayer

If it were me making a choice from the TCGPlayer selection here, I’d go for the Destined Rivals Booster Bundle. It’s $13 cheaper than Amazon right now and works out at $4.66 per booster pack, which is one of the best prices I’ve seen for Destined Rivals booster packs recently.

If you want a decent Mega ex card for your Grass-type deck, I’d recommend the Mega Venusaur ex Premium Collection. If you run Meganium alongside it from Mega Evolution, you can double your Grass Energy value while being able to move a Grass Energy from one Pokémon to another thanks to their abilities. That means you can set up and use Mega Venusaur ex’s “Jungle Dump” attack for 240 damage in one turn (it costs four Grass Energy).

You’ll also get the following booster packs:

• 2 × Mega Evolution
• 2 × Destined Rivals
• 4 × Journey Together

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

Amazon just discounted one of our favorite budget gaming chairs. Right now, you can pick up a Corsair TC100 Relaxed gaming chair in Black Leatherette for just $149.99 shipped after you clip the $80 off coupon on the product page. That's 45% off its original price of $270 and all other options currently cost $250 or more. Even at its original retail listing, this chair offered a ton of value for the price, so this deal is an absolute steal.

Corsair TC100 Relaxed Gaming Chair for $149.99

In the years since Baldur's Gate 3's release, Larian has put a lot of time and energy into updating the game with tons of new content, including new content for some beloved character who got the short end of the wizard staff the first time around, like Karlach. But one character is still coming up short for fans: Wyll. And at least one writer at Larian is just as frustrated by it as you.

This comes from a Reddit AMA today conducted by a number of Larian employees, during which one person asked why Wyll wasn't developed further in post-launch patches, even as other companions got storyline and even personality updates. We've known for a while that the "Blade of Frontiers" warlock Wyll was rewritten significantly from his early access version to final version.

The question was answered by Larian senior writer Kevin VanOrd, who explained that he also wished Wyll had gotten more attention, and that the lack of content compared to other companions was mostly the result of a series of unfortunate timing coincidences. Here's how VanOrd puts it:

I wish Wyll had gotten more content and a more fulfilling arc too.

As you probably know, we weren't connecting with Wyll's Early Access recruitment and initial questing, so we started over at a point when most of the other companion stories were fairly solid. A lot of decisions came later in development than was ideal - and there was a key situation near Baldur's Gate that I intended to heavily involve Wyll in (the Red War College) that got cut. That meant back to the drawing board again. We eventually tied him to Duke Ravengard and started to work on that element of his arc just in time for me to get unexpectedly ill. I was out of the office for quite a while, and again after the epilogue's release.

I think that Ansur's lair was Swen's idea - we did have the resources for a standalone dungeon, so we got to work on tying Wyll to the Wyrmway, but I couldn't get more than a dungeon boss out of it. Once the situations were in place, that was that - I had to start writing them.

Wyll's content is sparser than I'd have liked as a result. He's also split into two stories, really - the Mizora story and the Ravengard story, and that might have been a mistake in hindsight. I also wish I could given him a stronger endpoint - it always bugged me that he can end up just as he started, as the Blade of Frontiers, without any meaningful difference. All that said, I love the Blade and I am really proud of him, his sincerity, his good nature, and his eager heroism. I'm truly sorry I didn't give you more quality time with him.

It's worth pointing out that it's not that Wyll received no updates post-launch. Patch 7 made some light tweaks to Wyll's dialogue that helped those pursuing him romantically have a more interesting time, though it didn't really give him any new story content. But that's nothing compared to Karlach, who got an entirely new ending in the same patch. Karlach, like Wyll, was considered to be one of the character who had been given the least love in terms of story content in the 1.0 release, and has consistently been a popular favorite. Recently, one fan broke down how many minutes of dialogue every character in Baldur's Gate 3 had, and Wyll's down below most of the other companions with just under 9 hours speaking. Still, it's not as bad as Halsin, Minthara, Jaheira, and Minsc, though admittedly those four companions are a little more complex to recruit and you can't even get them until Acts 2 or 3.

So, perhaps cold comfort to Wyll fans, but it's comforting to know that he wasn't intentionally sidelined. We're proud of him too.

In the same AMA, CEO Swen Vincke addressed concerns about generative AI use on the studio's next game, Divinity, following a controversy around some of Vincke's comments from an interview last year.

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.

Bam Margera will appear in the newly-confirmed Jackass 5, after signing an agreement that allows previously-unseen archive footage of himself to be used in the movie.

Variety has reported that Margera is not currently set to appear in any new stunts for Jackass 5, though this may change in the future.

Right now it's not clear what the unseen footage of Margera involves, though the skateboarder and stuntman is known to have filmed more for 2022's Jackass Forever than made the final edit, before he was dramatically booted off the project for allegedly failing a sobriety test.

For today only, Best Buy is offering an iBuypower Element RTX 5070 gaming PC for just $1,349.99 with free shipping or in-store pickup. It's paired with an Intel Core Ultra 7 CPU and 32GB of DDR5 RAM. The RTX 5070 is an excellent choice for gaming at 1080p or 1440p, and is even an affordable option for 4K, especially with DLSS4.

iBuypower Element RTX 5070 Gaming PC for $1,349.99

There's no shortage of good horror comics on the stands these days, but IDW Publishing's IDW Dark line has quickly risen above the pack thanks to a winning blend of original concepts and spinoffs of iconic movie franchises (like the wildly successful Event Horizon: Dark Descent). IDW Dark's latest prequel series is focused on a more recent success story in the horror scene - Smile. Smile: For the Camera is a new story set in this twisted universe from The Exorcism at 1600 Penn and The Exorcism at Buckingham Palace creator/writer Hannah Rose May and Disney Villains: Cruella De Vil artist Miriana Puglia.

IGN recently spoke with May about this prequel series and its connections to the previous two movies. Read on to learn more about the newest Smile adventure and to see newly revealed cover art for Smile: For the Camera #3.

May reveals that this series has been in the works for a little over a year, with its origins dating back to NYCC 2024 and the original debut of IDW Dark's licensed movie comics.

"This project originated at NYC 2024 when we were debuting The Exorcism at 1600 Penn," May tells IGN. "I was on a panel for the launch of IDW Dark where they unveiled their new list of Paramount-licensed titles. They mentioned that they were currently reading pitches for Smile and asked if I had any interest in pitching. I'm a sucker for brilliant marketing, and Smile had one of the most genius campaigns that had me hooked before I even bought a ticket. What Parker Finn has built with The Smile universe is going to terrify people for decades to come."

Magic: The Gathering is about to kick off its 2026 roadmap with Lorwyn Eclipsed, but 2025 will certainly go down in the history books. While some sets were certainly weaker than others (yes, we’re looking at you, Spider-Man), others soared to new heights, like Universes Beyond: Final Fantasy, Tarkir: Dragonstorm, and Edge of Eternities.

Still, which cards are the ones to emerge from 2025 with the highest price? From high-value reprints to serial-numbered cards and the game’s first Infinity Stone, it’s been a wild year for collectors.

Here are 2025’s most valuable Magic: The Gathering cards, as calculated by TCGPlayer’s pricing guides.

Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER (Borderless Surge Foil) - $501.50

Black Mirror fans, rejoice — there’s more terror on its way. Creator Charlie Booker just revealed that the hit series, which began its run on the UK's Channel 4 before moving to Netflix in its third season, will return to the streamer for Season 8.

“Black Mirror will return, and hopefully it’ll be more Black Mirror than ever,” Booker revealed in a recent interview with Netflix’s Tudum site. “Luckily it does have a future, so I can confirm that Black Mirror will return, just in time for reality to catch up with it. So, that’s exciting. That chunk of my brain has already been activated and is whirring away.”

In the chat, he also opened up about how creating the new season has been like making a music album. “It’s a useful thought experiment when approaching a new story,” Booker said. “I’ll often think of, ‘Well, what haven’t we done yet, and what tone am I looking for? … Where does this track come on the album, and what musical direction are we going to go into?’ We’ll find out. Very unlikely you’ll ever see a Black Mirror hoedown.”

Other than that, he was mum about what fans can expect next season.

Interestingly enough, Booker’s announcement comes just ahead of the Golden Globes this coming weekend, where the series has picked up its very first nominations for Season 7. It will be vying for best TV limited series and anthology series, as well as two acting awards for Rashida Jones and Paul Giamatti, who star in the episodes “Common People” and “Eulogy,” respectively.

Season 7 of the now beloved show was released back in April 2025 and even featured a sequel episode to the highly praised “USS Callister” episode from Season 4. We don’t have a release date yet for Season 8, but hopefully we’ll see it arrive late this year or early next.

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

Nvidia Gsync has been around since 2013, and while this variable refresh rate technology was a game changer when it came out, it was expensive and required gaming monitor manufacturers to implement a complicated module to make it work. At CES 2026, though, Nvidia has introduced a new form of Gsync that needs special firmware: Pulsar.

Rather than simply syncing your display’s refresh rate with your game’s frame rate, Pulsar uses strobe backlighting to simulate a much higher refresh rate – up to 1,000Hz, according to Nvidia. The goal is to add more visual smoothness to game motion, something Nvidia has been fixated on since Frame Generation first debuted with the GeForce RTX 4090 in 2022. Is Pulsar more of the same?

What is Gsync?

When Gsync came out, there really wasn’t anything like it. At the time, PC games were notorious for screen tearing, where differences between your refresh rate and frame rate would literally cause a vertical tear in your screen.

Gsync was huge because it eliminated that problem – if you had an Nvidia graphics card – by syncing your refresh rate and your frame rate, eliminating the cause of screen tearing entirely. This was initially possible because Nvidia developed a chip it sold to gaming monitor manufacturers that would act as a liaison between your PC and monitor, making sure everything was synced up. But then, of course, Freesync launched.

AMD’s Freesync billed itself as a direct competitor to Nvidia’s Gsync and had the same goal – syncing refresh rates and frame rates. However, Freesync was at first a little less flexible, only really working within a narrow range of frame rates. The difference was that with Gsync, once the frame rate got down to a certain threshold, the refresh rate of the monitor would change to be double the frame rate, which avoided screen tears.

But eventually, Freesync caught up enough that Nvidia launched the ‘Gsync Compatible’ program, which opened up variable refresh rates on Nvidia graphics cards without needing a gaming monitor with an expensive Gsync module. Then, over time, gaming monitors that were exclusively Gsync started to fade out of relevance.

Over the last few years, even, variable refresh rates have become so common that most gaming monitors are expected to support it, and most TVs and game consoles support it in one way or another.

Perceived Smoothness?

There are two reasons to chase super high frame rates: visual smoothness and lower latency. For the former, the idea is that the quicker frames are sent to the display, the more accurate the display will be at any time. At a high enough frame rate, you can virtually eliminate motion blur, but it’s incredibly hard to do in modern games. So, Nvidia has come up with another solution with Gsync Pulsar.

While it doesn’t really do anything to improve latency or responsiveness, Gsync Pulsar uses a strobing IPS display to improve motion clarity by essentially tricking your eye into thinking something is moving faster. The way Nvidia described it to me was if you have an object moving fast in front of your face, you’re going to naturally perceive some blur. But, if you have that same object disappear and reappear fast enough, it’ll be less blurry. I’m not sure if that actually works, but that is what the strobing backlight is meant to simulate.

Strobing backlights and black frame insertion (BFI) in IPS displays are nothing new, but in the past they've been tied to the maximum refresh rate of the monitor. There have been some attempts to tie BFI to variable refresh rate, most commonly with Asus’ ELMB (Extreme Low Motion Blur) Sync in some of its monitors – though it was imperfect. Through the new Gsync module, created in partnership with Mediatek, Nvidia was able to force the backlight to speed up or slow down, depending on the current refresh rate of the display, which results in less blurry motion. However, while this does seem to be more flexible than systems like ELMB, Gsync Pulsar does have limitations.

By default, Gsync Pulsar will be set to turn itself off whenever the refresh rate and frame rate drop below 90Hz. This is because of the strobing backlight – if it slows down too much, the strobing itself becomes noticeable, and is going to be uncomfortable to sit in front of. You can set it all the way down to 75Hz if you want to, but that is the hard lower limit at the time of writing. Nvidia did claim that it was working on a way to enable it at 60Hz as well, but only time will tell if that’s going to be any good.

But Does it Work?

When I visited Nvidia at CES 2026, it had a couple of demos showing Gsync Pulsar in action, and the most compelling one was in Anno 117: Pax Romana. That’s not the kind of game I’d typically associate with high-framerate gaming, but by quickly panning around the map, the difference in motion clarity was pretty obvious. However, that’s only one demo in a controlled environment.

Gsync Pulsar is going to live or die by how well it handles refresh rates that are actually, well, variable. The motion seemed extremely smooth when it was running at 200+ fps on a high-end GPU, but what happens when the frame rate starts dipping down towards that 90 fps lower limit?

Luckily we won’t have to wait too long to find out. Gaming monitors with Gsync Pulsar will start hitting the market in the next week, so I’ll be able to get it into the lab and really put it to the test. But for now, from what I saw at CES, it’s looking promising – just don’t expect it to actually make you better at video games.

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

Red Dead Redemption 2 fans have made progress towards solving the game's newly-discovered spiderweb mystery, and now believe they've reached its final clue.

Earlier this week, attention was thrown on a major new discovery within Rockstar's epic cowboy sequel, dubbed the biggest uncovering of hidden content in years.

An intricately-placed breadcrumb trail of spiderwebs was found and plotted, leading to a further set of marked telegraph poles. These then pointed to a collection of guitars within the game's Fort Wallace location, where the trail temporarily went cold. Now, however, fans have pushed forwards — to what seems like a final clue beyond the edge of Red Dead Redemption 2's map, and a sense of what this whole mystery might actually be about.

Once again, progress on the discovery has been brilliantly chronicled by YouTube channel Strange Man, who picks up the trail back at Fort Wallace by showing that these guitars acted as signposts, guiding players to the roof of the location's tower.

On this roof, two tiny engravings of flying birds were then spotted, pointing in the direction of Giant's Birds, right at the very north of the game's map within Calumet Ravine. Heading here and using binoculars allows you to see a tiny, faint, but unmistakable "?" symbol on a mountain in the distance. The design of the question mark across the far hillside is such that it is only visible from this particular location.

Once again, it's a smart set of clues — which is perhaps why this mystery has taken over seven years to be discovered — and once again, progress has stalled. But there's a sense now, with this latest clue way beyond the boundary of the map, that the trail has reached its final stage. As Strange Man suggests, it now seems likely that the mystery's denoument is right here, though the trigger remains elusive.

"Let's solve this before GTA 6 arrives!" Strange Man wrote, asking for further ideas from fellow fans.

Everyone likes to be feel special and game developers are no different, so congratulations to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Ghost of Yotei, the two games absolutely dominating the Annual D.I.C.E. Award Nominations. Both games scored eight nominations each, including for Game of the Year.

Held by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences the 29th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards will take place on February 12 in Vegas, and will be hosted by Kinda Funny Games' Greg Miller and Stella Chung.

“First, thank you to our peer panelists. Your dedication and expertise in our judging process, and yourwork in selecting the best games of 2025, is truly appreciated,” said Meggan Scavio, President of the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences.

“And on behalf of all of us at the Academy, I extend my congratulations to all of our finalists. Each of these games has impressed us through its creativity,artistry, and technical achievement, and we look forward to celebrating your accomplishments at the 29th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards.”

Full list of nominations

Outstanding Achievement in Animation

• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
• Ghost of Yotei
• Monster Hunter Wilds
• South of Midnight
• The Midnight Walk

Outstanding Achievement in Character

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - Esquie

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - Maelle

Dispatch - Courtney/Invisigal

Dispatch - Robert Robertson III/Mecha Man

Ghost of Yotei - Atsu

Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition

• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Ghost of Yotei
• Herdling
• Mario Kart World
• Sword of the Sea

Outstanding Achievement in Audio Design

• Arc Raiders
• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
• Ghost of Yotei
• Lumines Arise
• Split Fiction

Outstanding Achievement in Story

• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Consume Me
• despelote
• South of Midnight
• The Drifter

Outstanding Technical Achievement

• Arc Raiders
• Assassin's Creed Shadows
• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
• Donkey Kong Bananza
• DOOM: The Dark Ages

Action Game of the Year

• Absolum
• Arc Raiders
• DOOM: The Dark Ages
• Hades II
• Ninja Gaiden 4

Adventure Game of the Year

• Blue Prince
• Dispatch
• Donkey Kong Bananza
• Ghost of Yotei
• Hollow Knight: Silksong

Family Game of the Year

• LEGO Party!
• LEGO Voyagers
• Lumines Arise
• MARVEL Cosmic Invasion
• POPUCOM

Fighting Game of the Year

• 2XKO
• Capcom Fighting Collection 2
• FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves
• Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection
• WWE 2K25

Racing Game of the Year

• EA SPORTS F1 25
• Kirby Air Riders
• Mario Kart World
• Wheel World

Role-Playing Game of the Year

• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
• Monster Hunter Wilds
• The Outer Worlds 2

Sports Game of the Year

• EA SPORTS FC 26
• PGA Tour 2k25
• MLB The Show 25
• NBA 2k26
• Rematch

Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year

• The Alters
• Drop Duchy
• Europa Universalis V
• The King is Watching
• StarVaders

Immersive Reality Technical Achievement

• Ghost Town
• Hotel Infinity
• Marvel's Deadpool VR
• Star Wars: Beyond Victory - A Mixed Reality Playset
• Unloop

Immersive Reality Game of the Year

• Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked
• Ghost Town
• Marvel's Deadpool VR
• The Midnight Walk
• Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow

Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game

• Baby Steps
• Blue Prince
• Consume Me
• despelote
• Dispatch

Mobile Game of the Year

• Persona5: The Phantom X
• Umamusume: Pretty Derby
• WHAT THE CLASH?
• Where Winds Meet

Online Game of the Year

• Arc Raiders
• Battlefield 6
• Mario Kart World
• Marvel Rivals
• Split Fiction

Outstanding Achievement in Game Design

• Arc Raiders
• Blue Prince
• Hades II
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
• Öoo

Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction

• Blue Prince
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Ghost of Yotei
• Hades II
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II

Game of the Year

• Arc Raiders
• Blue Prince
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Dispatch
• Ghost of Yotei

Rachel Weber is the Senior Editorial Director of Games at IGN and an elder millennial. She's been a professional nerd since 2006 when she got her start on Official PlayStation Magazine in the UK, and has since worked for GamesIndustry.Biz, Rolling Stone and GamesRadar. She loves horror, horror movies, horror games, and French Bulldogs. Those extra wrinkles on her face are thanks to going time blind and staying up too late finishing every sidequest in RPGs like Fallout and Witcher 3.

For those who have been looking to stock up on some new games to play this winter, we've been finding some great deals to help you save while building your library. Donkey Kong Bananza is one of those discounts that's crossed our radar, currently sitting at $62.99 at both Amazon and Walmart. This is a $7 discount from its original retail price of $69.99, and marks a return to its lowest price yet. If it's been on your radar, now is a great time to make a move on it.

Donkey Kong Bananza for $63

It may only be January, but I say it’s never too early to look towards the future and try to predict what the best games of 2026 will end up being. I don’t have a crystal ball or some sort of undiagnosed superpower, but I do have a long list of all the games coming out over the next 12 months and a modicum of taste to guide me, though.

Of course, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 secured a pretty convincing sweep of wins during the end-of-year 2025 awards, but who truthfully saw that coming before its April release date? So, what could surprise us this year? And will a left-field project have what it takes to steal this year’s IGN Best Game award away from the very obvious contender we can see coming from a mile off? Let’s take a look ahead and try to predict what will be the 2026 game of the year, fully aware that whatever’s here has a not-insignificant chance of being proven completely wrong, and you can all come back here in December and tell me what an idiot I am.

GTA 6

The quite enormous elephant in the room is, obviously, Grand Theft Auto 6. But no GTA game, or, for that matter, no Rockstar game, has ever won IGN’s overall game of the year prize. That includes all of those PS2 classics from Vice City to San Andreas, and more recent creations, such as 2013’s GTA 5, which lost out to The Last of Us, and Red Dead Redemption 2 (my favourite game of all time), which got edged out in 2018 by God of War. Sadly for me, the vote doesn’t all come down to my opinion, so I guess I’ll just have to get over it. One day.

So, does GTA 6 have a shot at taking home our biggest prize? Obviously, it does. It’s arguably the most anticipated game of all time, a feat achieved by Rockstar’s recent trend of receiving 10 out of 10 review scores, and we expect (or at least hope) the studio builds upon those successes with whatever it releases this November. If Rockstar can avoid implementing a delay yet again, we won’t have to wait too long after that release date to see if the IGN staff (and the voters behind other award ceremonies) determine it as the greatest game of 2026.

Chances: Could Rock, and also take the Star prize.

Resident Evil Requiem

Similarly, Resident Evil is another series that has never won IGN’s game of the year. It did come very close to doing so, though, when the Resident Evil 2 remake narrowly missed out on the 2019 award, coming in as our runner-up to Remedy’s Control. The soonest to release on this list of contenders, Resident Evil Requiem could have a shot at winning this year, though, if it fulfills the promise of its many teaser trailers. Combining the classic third-person action-horror magic of the likes of Resident Evil 4 with the more modern first-person scares from the likes of Village could prove a perfect cocktail to suit everyone’s tastes. We’ll find out just how good it is when it comes out on February 27, but then face a 10-month wait to see if anything rises above it for the rest of 2026.

Chances: Scarier things have happened.

Control Resonant

Speaking of the 2019 awards, could Control go back-to-back on game of the year wins when its sequel, Control Resonant, arrives this year? You can always bank on something interesting coming from Finnish developer Remedy Entertainment, and it doesn’t look like it's resting on its laurels either, with the follow-up to Jesse Faden’s supernatural-powered action-adventure mixing things up quite a bit by putting us in control of her brother in a wide-open Manhattan. A switch to melee-focused combat certainly has us excited, as does a story that looks deeply rooted in the events of Alan Wake 2, as Remedy continues to build out its connected universe, but will it be enough to secure another game of the year win?

Chances: Could be just the Remedy needed after FBC: Firebreak.

Marvel’s Wolverine

Insomniac has delivered consistently amazing games, but the studio has never quite secured one of our overall game of the year awards. Both Marvel’s Spider-Man games made the shortlist in their respective years, and Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart also impressed in 2021, but will the angriest of the X-Men have a better chance? Yes, while it doesn’t yet have a release date locked in, Marvel’s Wolverine is the Sony studio’s project for 2026, and it looks highly impressive from the little we’ve seen so far. It’s actually been a whole eight years since a PlayStation exclusive won the IGN game of the year award, so could Wolverine be set to claw back that record?

Chances: We wouldn’t lose sleep if Insomniac came out on top.

Saros

Sony will have more than one opportunity this year, though, as Saros arrives in April. Housemarque’s follow-up to its critically acclaimed looper shooter, Returnal, hopes are definitely high for this PS5 exclusive. Returnal made our shortlist back in 2021, but ultimately lost out to Xbox, exclusive (at the time, anyway) Forza Horizon 5. If Saros displays the exquisite shooter design skills that Housemarque has honed throughout Super Stardust, Resogun, and many more over the years, as well as a thrilling story and engaging world, then it may well have the juice to claim the number one spot in 2026.

Chances: The House(marque) always wins, but will it here?

Fable

It may have won our award back in 2021, but Playground Games certainly won’t be resting on its laurels when it comes to Fable. A reboot of the long-dormant RPG series originally developed by Lionhead Studios, the Forza Horizon developer will be taking on an entirely different type of open world in this fairy tale-infused universe. Could it be the best game of 2026, though? Well, fantasy RPGs have traditionally done very well when it comes to game of the year, with Dragon Age: Inquisition, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Elden Ring, Metaphor: ReFantazio, and, of course, most recently, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 all winning the IGN vote since 2014. That track record bodes well for Playground, and we can’t wait to see its take on Fable at the upcoming Xbox Developer Direct.

Chances: Would be a Fairy Tale ending to Fable’s development.

007 First Light

There’s no doubt that IO Interactive knows how to make a fantastic assassin game, but how about spies? Well, we’ll find out in 2026 when the Hitman studio turns its attention to James Bond in 007: First Light. Will this stealth action-adventure blend the best of Agent 47 with spectacle worthy of Uncharted? If it manages to, maybe it will find itself in game of the year consideration.

Chances: 007 to 1 odds.

Nintendo

A big question mark for 2026 is what games Nintendo has cooking as it approaches the Switch 2’s second year in the wild. Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza set the console off to a good start, but neither quite had what it took to win game of the year. So, what could stand a chance? Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Wealth is the upcoming 18th entry into the tactical RPG series, and while we know little about it yet, FE has traditionally set a high quality marker. There’s also Switch 2 exclusive, The Duskbloods, and if there’s anything Hidetaka Miyazaki and the team at FromSoftware know about, it’s winning game of the year awards. Let’s see if this upcoming PvPvE action RPG can do something similar.

While it may be fanciful to expect a new mainline Zelda anytime soon, it has been many years (far too many, if you ask me) since a new 3D Mario game. Nothing is hinting at one arriving in 2026, but we can dare to dream, because if history is to go by, when that plumber starts jumping, he more often than not enters the game of the year conversation.

Chances: A surprise Nintendo hit would Switch things up nicely.

Half-Life 3

Haha, it could happen, couldn’t it? Not that the rumours have ever truly died, but over recent months, whispers have started to get louder and louder about the arrival of a new Half-Life game. A new Steam machine is due out early in 2026, and it would be the perfect launch game, after all. We won’t seriously consider Half-Life 3 a game of the year prospect until we have it in our hands, though, and who knows if that will ever happen. If Valve does decide that the time is now, then it’s certainly a strong contender, as we gave Portal 2 our biggest award back in 2011, as well as Half-Life 2 in 2004.

Chances: Hahahaha

Potential Breakout Hits

As I mentioned at the beginning, it’s not always the games you expect at the start of the year that end up taking home the game of the year prize. So let’s look at a few that are a little more under the radar than those listed above. Replaced has received a lot of buzz and is a 2.5D action-platformer from Ukrainian developer Coatsink. Its beautiful pixel art depicting a sci-fi city with a distinctly Blade Runner-like look could surprise a few that aren’t familiar with it when it arrives on March 12.

Then there’s Mixtape, the new coming-of-age retro adventure from Australian studio Beethoven & Dinosaur, who made a few game of the year shortlists back in 2021 with the psychedelic The Artful Escape. Its nostalgia-laced tale, supported by a soundtrack of ‘80s favourites, could hit just right if it all comes together like the trailers suggest it might. And finally, Mewgenics is an upcoming roguelike tactical RPG from the creators of Super Meat Boy and The Binding of Isaac that has been in development for many, many years. The buzz is high for it as it finally looks set for a February 10 release. Could the cat get the cream come December time?

Chances: We all love an underdog story. But what about an undercat?

Verdict

So, who do I think will actually win? Well, it is impossible to ignore the behemoth that is GTA 6, but seeing as I’m still not 100% convinced that it’s arriving this year, I’m going to go with Saros as my pick. I think that Housemarque’s reputation has only grown over time, and more and more people have gotten around to playing Returnal since its 2021 release, and would love to give the studio its flowers in 2026 if Saros turns out to fulfill its potential.

What do you think will win IGN’s game of the year 2026 award? Will it be a game that hasn’t even been revealed yet? Let us know in the comments!

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

Baboo! Are you looking for Heartopia codes? You've come to the right place. Here you'll find all the codes that we've collected for the cozy sim. Redeeming these will give you currency, resources, and extra Gold to help you settle into your new home.

Working Codes for Heartopia (January 2026)

• z4p6n8r2 - Quality Timber x10, Chef's Special Saladx2, Branches x20 (NEW!) (Valid Until: 31 March 2026)
• letsdressup - Wishing Star x15, 5,000 Gold, Growth Booster x10 (Valid Until: 31 March 2026)
• letsbuild - Wishing Star x 15, 5,000 Gold, Fertilizer x10 (Valid Until: 31 March 2026)
• a7k9m2q8l - Wishing Star x5, Repair Kit x3, Blueberries x10 (Valid Until: 31 March 2026)
• mylittlepony - Moonlight Crystalsx100 (Valid Between: 8 January 2026 and 7 February 2026)
• heartopia0108 - Moonlight Crystalsx 100 (Valid Between: 8 January 2026 and 7 February 2026)
• specialgift0103 - Moonlight Crystals x100 (Valid Between: 8 January 2026 and 7 February 2026)

Expired Codes for Heartopia

There are currently no expired codes for Heartopia, so you've got lots of goodies to redeem above!

How to Use Heartopia Codes

Looking to play Heartopia and want to know how to redeem codes? Follow these steps:

1. Launch Heartopia on your phone or PC
2. Create your character and select "complete"
3. Press Tab on PC or tap the watch in the top-right corner
4. Click Setting
5. On the General Tab, look for the Redeem Code bubble button in the bottom right
6. Copy the code from this article and paste it into the bar that reads "Case Insensitive"
7. Click Redeem and if the code has been successful, it will say "Redeemed! Please check the mailbox for rewards."

FAQs for Heartopia

Have a particular question about Heartopia and codes? See our answers to frequently asked questions below.

How to Collect Heartopia Rewards

Rewards are automatically sent to your Mailbox once you've redeemed codes. To find your Mailbox, press Tab or tap the watch in the top-right corner. Click Mailbox. All of the gifts you've received can be then be claimed. You can do this individually by opening each mail, or by pressing Claim All in the bottom left corner.

Why Isn't My Code for Heartopia Working?

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

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

Codes for Heartopia are not case-sensitive, but sometimes, a series of letters and numbers. 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 Do I Get More Codes for Heartopia?

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

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.

Nintendo's classic Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance is now available on Switch 2, if you have a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription.

Originally released in 2005, this 3D strategy role-player is one of the better games in the Fire Emblem series, and the first to feature its turn-based combat in 3D, as the series shifted onto the GameCube following various entries for Game Boy Advance and SNES.

Path of Radiance is also notable for introducing its blue-haired hero Ike, who later returned in Wii sequel Radiant Dawn, and arguably found even greater fame as part of the Super Smash Bros. series cast.

"Two races, the human beorc and the half-human laguz, share a history of strife, mistrust, and uneasy compromise," reads a Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance blurb.

"Now, sinister forces have emerged from the shadows to shatter the fragile peace, pitting the two against each other. Only the young mercenary Ike and his colorful band of soldiers-for-hire stand between Tellius and chaos."

Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance's arrival for Switch 2 was first teased during Nintendo's Switch 2 Direct last April, and it's notable that of the 11 titles shown, we're still waiting for Super Mario Sunshine, Pokémon Colosseum and Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness.

Back in 2023, IGN listed Path of Radiance in ninth position within our 10 Best Tactics RPGs of All Time ranking. "Path of Radiance stays true to its predecessors’ core game systems, like the weapons triangle, but upgrades everything from the skills system to the flow of battles," we wrote at the time.

"Its innovations and tweaks have influenced every Fire Emblem game since then. The Battle Preparations and Base screens add important story details and character interactions, while expanded shove and rescue functions make for more strategic combat, and a smart bonus rewards system keeps battles flowing by setting turn-limits and providing specific sub goals.

"If you only know Path of Radiance because it introduced the world to Ike (of subsequent Smash Bros. fame), you’ll find a criminally underplayed strategy RPG that’s every bit as rewarding today as when it surprised GameCube owners back in 2005."

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

Larian’s Reddit AMA on Divinity has concluded, and with it comes a number of new details on the Baldur’s Gate 3 developer’s next game.

We’ve rounded up all the new information revealed during the Reddit AMA from the various Larian members of staff who took part.

First up, Larian CEO Swen Vincke explained how the developer itself has changed since the blockbuster launch of Baldur's Gate 3 back in 2023. "We were 411 people at the end of BG3 and have around 500 people working on Divinity now," he confirmed. "Our teams evolve in function of the games we try to make and what we think the size of the market is. We grew a lot during BG3 because we wanted to make a cinematic RPG with loads of choice and consequence but we also knew there was a market and scaled accordingly. Our growth has slowed down a bit as we have most of the team in place to make a big cinematic RPG but there are still a few things that we didn’t do before that we are doing now."

Moving on, Larian confirmed Divinity’s looting system will include handcrafted items, as Baldur’s Gate 3 did, as opposed to random and level dependent loot seen in the Divinity: Original Sin games. As you'd expect, Divinity will have mod support via modding tools, but it's unclear if they will be available for launch.

Larian confirmed Divinity will have co-op at launch, and that modders will be able to up the player count. “Yes, coop will be available for release!” technical director Bert van Semmertier said. “The amount of players playing together will be depending on the final party size. But since modding is planned for this project as well, player will be essentially free to extend this. There is no hard limit to the amount of coop players.”

However, Divinity will not support native keyboard movement controls such as WASD right out of the box, which means modders will have to do their thing again, as they did for Baldur’s Gate 3.

Meanwhile, Divinity will run on Larian’s proprietary engine, which includes “significant changes.” “For each game, we are bringing significant changes to our engine,” head of gameplay Artem Titov said. “Since Divinity Engine is fully our own creation, it makes it easier to alter it to serve a new game rather than write a new engine from scratch.”

Divinity finally adds swimming to a Larian RPG?

As for new mechanics, head of design, Nick Pechenin, teased: “There was something that bothered me when I explored the starting areas of DOS1, DOS2 and BG3. It stares you right in the face if you think about it. In Divinity I can finally do the thing I wanted to do in every previous game.” Most believe this is about swimming.

As for the camera perspective, Divinity’s camera will work “very similar” to Baldur’s Gate 3’s, so expect a hybrid of top down and third-person camera.

Larian CEO Swen Vincke couldn't say when we'll see Divinity gameplay. "We'll see," he commented. "We're in full production mode now but still have truckloads of work." Larian wouldn't be drawn on the playable races and classes, either, but did say there are clues as to Divinity's races in the much-discussed announcement trailer.

Divinity tone, lore, and story

Writing director Adam Smith discussed the tonal difference between Divinity and Divinity: Original Sin 2, saying: "it's more grounded and you might have picked up on some folk horror vibes in our trailer. But with games the size of DOS 2 and Divinity, there are lots of tonal variations as you move through the world and meet new characters. I hope it'll make you laugh, frighten you, shock you and delight you."

Smith also commented on Divinity's place in the overall Divinity series lore. "It's in the same continuity, but it's a standalone story," Smith said. "Long-term Divinity fans will find lots of familiar things but it's never just fanservice - it has to serve the story we're telling. The Divinity universe is full of weird and wonderful characters, and I'm really excited to be part of that legacy."

Bert van Semmertier also touched on this, saying: "Divinity is a different universe than Baldur's Gate. While you do not need to play the previous Divinity games, it would certainly improve your enjoyment if you do! You'll perhaps recognize certain characters or situations or learn to explore the large universe the was already built for Divinity!"

Nick Pechenin confirmed Divinity will not keep the magic armor system from DOS2. "There will be ways to protect your characters from harm, but you will not have to wait before you can use your fun skill on enemies," he said. "We are still cooking a system that makes sure that you have to work harder to stunlock solo bosses with."

Divinity's character customization will be "even better" than Baldur's Gate 3's, art director Alena Dubrovina said, "more colors, more options, more control!"

Size and scope of Divinity compared to Baldur's Gate 3

Vincke touched on the size and scope of Divinity compared to Baldur's Gate 3, saying: "Divinity takes everything we learned from BG3 & D:OS 2 and improves from there. In regards to BG3 - I think the main thing will be more agency and a rulesystem that was made for videogaming in addition to higher production values. Oh - and some really cool new friends to meet."

Then: "more agency, more consequences. We don't know ourselves yet how big it will be. We're still making it."

Larian will do its best to make Divinity playable on Steam Deck, given how popular Baldur's Gate 3 proved on Valve's portable game machine.

Here's a fun one: will the new engine render moving ropes correctly and will we be able to look up in to the sky?

"There is no real engine limitation to allow looking at the sky," technical director Bert van Semmertier replied. "How the camera works is entirely a design choice. Alternative camera angles are always considered. If they benefit the game, we will for sure add it. As for the ropes: you can expect substantial changes to our physics engine in the future games!"

Divinity's combat and character progression systems

Head of design, Nick Pechenin, said Divinity will have a brand new combat system. "We went through our original ideas for DOS1 and DOS2, looked again at how they worked out in practice, picked up some inspirations from our BG3 EA and post-release journey, consulted the star charts to see what we need to do to stay competitive - and cooked a new action economy and character progression system," he said.

"Feedback from BG3 players trying DOS2 for the first time has been especially interesting to us, seeing the two worlds colliding. We hope that both fans of BG3 and fans of DOS2 will find the new system intuitive but deep."

It sounds like Divinity may indeed come to Nintendo Switch 2, eventually. "We have just released Divinity Original Sin 2 for Switch 2! We love the platform and we will certainly consider Switch 2 for the next Divinity game," technical director Bert van Semmertier said.

Lizard romance?

As a Larian RPG, romance will of course be in Divinity. And it sounds like the developer expects lizards to get on well with each other. Vincke said he was particularly excited for players to experience a spot of lizard romance: "there's a lot [he's excited for players to experience] but we prefer to show and not tell. That said - Lizard romance seems like it's going to be popular."

And will the orcs have a special twist in Divinity? "Without saying which species are in the game, all of them have something unique," is all Vincke would say.

As for companions, Adam Smith acknowleged the common criticism that Baldur's Gate 3's party members don't have as much of a relationship between each other or talk to each other as much as party members do in some other games. This is something Larian is looking to improve for Divinity. "Yeah, the goal is to have more interactions between party members, and it won't always just be talking," he teased.

Divinity senior writer Kevin VanOrd expanded on companion relationships, noting the narrative improvements he'd like to see for the game: "firstly, to have more interaction between companions - not just with more and better banter, but to have them develop deeper relationships with each other, just as they do with players. Secondly, to ramp up player friendship and romance more subtly, so relationship building feels natural."

Is Divinity going to be just like that gruesome announcement trailer?

What about Divinity's gruesome announcement trailer? Vincke responded to one fan who said they were put off playing the game because the trailer is "so nihilistic and viscerally depressing." Is the trailer an accurate depiction of what fans should expect from the game itself?

"We're creating a dark world so you can be the light in the darkness. It's a story about hope," Vincke insisted. "But of course - we do want you to experience agency - so there’s also plenty of ways to take away that hope and be the darkness that snuffs out the light."

Adam Smith also spoke of being this "light in the darkness." "If you've seen our announcement trailer, you have an idea of how dark the world of Divinity is," he said. "We want to give players the opportunity to be the light in that darkness - an inspiration, a hero, a champion. We'll also let them leave the world even worse than they found it. We're pushing as far as we can on player agency."

Larian, Divinity, and generative AI

As expected, Vincke addressed the generative AI controversy that emerged following Divinity's announcement. He insisted Divinity would not include any generative AI art, and confirmed it has ditched genAI tools during concept art development. However, Vincke confirmed Larian is using genAI across other areas of development.

Here's Vincke's full statement from the Reddit AMA:

"So first off - there is not going to be any GenAI art in Divinity. I know there’s been a lot of discussion about us using AI tools as part of concept art exploration. We already said this doesn’t mean the actual concept art is generated by AI but we understand it created confusion. So, to ensure there is no room for doubt, we’ve decided to refrain from using genAI tools during concept art development. That way there can be no discussion about the origin of the art.

"Having said that, we continuously try to improve the speed with which we can try things out. The more iterations we can do, the better in general the gameplay is. We think GenAI can help with this and so we’re trying things out across departments. Our hope is that it can aid us to refine ideas faster, leading to a more focused development cycle, less waste, and ultimately, a higher-quality game.

"The important bit to note is that we will not generate 'creative assets' that end up in a game without being 100% sure about the origins of the training data and the consent of those who created the data. If we use a GenAI model to create in-game assets, then it’ll be trained on data we own."

Machine Learning Director Gabriel Bosque expanded on this last point in a bit more detail:

"This is all new technology, so I totally understand why it’s difficult to see where the positive uses are. We believe Machine Learning is a powerful tool to accelerate and make game development more efficient and streamlined. This means that our creatives have more time doing the work that makes their jobs more rewarding and the game a richer experience.

"The important bit to note is that we do not generate 'creative assets' that end up in a game without being 100% sure about the origins of the training data and the consent of those who created the data.

"With over 100,000 voice lines scheduled to be in the game, recorded by hundreds of actors, and even hundred thousands more to be recorded that will not end up in the game, there are useful tools for us to reduce the ‘mechanical legwork’ and free up time for teams that would be bogged down doing tasks that kept them away from what they really want to be doing. Additionally, our ML R&D team monitors and experiments with anything that is state of the art and that might influence game development pipelines of the future. This is important to us because we make our own engine.

"But we draw lines in the sand too. We explicitly committed in our actor agreements to not using the recordings to train or build AI voice modelers, because we are aware of how sensitive it can be to artificially generate an actor’s voice. Even if an actor were willing to agree to this if we'd compensate them, we don’t currently feel comfortable with including an AI-generated voice in our games."

Writing director Adam Smith confirmed this stance on generative AI applies to writing, too. "We don't have any text generation touching our dialogues, journal entries or other writing in Divinity," he said.

"We had a limited group experimenting with tools to generate text, but the results hit a 3/10 at best and those tools are for research purposes, not for use in Divinity. Even my worst first drafts - and there are a LOT of them - are at least a 4/10 (although Swen might disagree :p), and the amount of iteration required to get even individual lines to the quality we want is enormous. From the initial stub to the line we record and ship, there are a great many eyes and hands involved in getting a dialogue right."

So what areas do Larian use genAI on and what does it mean by a "creative asset"? "There is currently one example of ML generated assets that end up in the game and that is within our cinematics and animation pipeline," Bosque explained. "In this pipeline we try to capture the actor's performances as best as we can, so we use ML models to clean, retarget and even add motion when it's not motion captured. These models are trained exclusively with Larian data."

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.