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The LEGO Super Mario Piranha Plant Drops to $41.99 on Amazon After a Rare 30% Discount

Nintendo and LEGO fans rejoice, because one of our favorite sets just got a major discount. Amazon has lowered the price of the LEGO Super Mario Piranha Plant 71426 to just $41.99 with free shipping after a 30% off instant discount. The 18+ rating means this is relatively challenging build, but having built it myself, and I think it's a great set for builders of all ages with a little bit of guidance. It also happens to be the most affordable Mario-themed 18+ LEGO set you can get.

40% Off LEGO Super Mario Piranha Plant 71426

The LEGO Piranha Plant measures 9" high, 4.5" wide, and 6.5" deep – about the size of a potted plant – and consists of 540 bricks. The Piranha Plant makes for a fantastic display; it has numerous articulation points located at the head, mouth, stalk, and each of its leaves, and the jaw is also hinged, all of which allow for myriad customizable poses. There's even a cool little easter egg: A piggy bank is built into the pipe with two golden coins included to get you started on your stash. Despite the small brick count, this set is intended for ages 18+, so novice builders may need guidance. Once completed however, this adorable looking set is sure to be a hit with people of all ages, even if they didn't join in on the build.

Kevin Wong built this set for IGN and wrote, "As far as LEGO builds are concerned, the new Piranha Plant is just about perfect – vibrantly colored, well-proportioned and sized, and reasonably priced. Whether you're new to bricks or you're a dedicated hobbyist, this set captures that signature Mario franchise whimsy – cute but not too cute, menacing but not too menacing, and imbued with lots of personality."

Check out the LEGO Game Boy set

Another excellent LEGO x Nintendo collab is the LEGO Super Mario Game Boy 72046. This is a near 1:1 replica of the original Game Boy released back in 1989. The set comes with two game cartridges: Super Mario Land and The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening and even includes their respective lenticular screens. Seth Macy built this set and loved it.

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

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Who Is the New Lady Whistledown? Bridgerton Cast Reveals Their Prime Suspects

Full spoilers below for Bridgerton Season 4, now streaming now on Netflix.

Season 4 of Bridgerton just premiered on Netflix, and the final episode dropped a huge bomb on the audience: There’s a new Lady Whistledown, and we have no idea who she is. Departing from Julia Quinn’s books, the season finale revealed that there’s a new gossip maven in town, sure to torment, tease, and stimulate the Ton once Season 5 arrives.

For those unfamiliar, the original Lady Whistledown (voiced by Julie Andrews and portrayed on screen by Nicola Coughlan) was one Penelope Featherington, a wallflower friend of the Bridgertons who used her quill to inform and scandalize the London upper class. Penelope’s identity was slowly revealed, first to us, then to the show’s characters, causing scandal and delight alike. In Season 3, Penelope publicly came out as Whistledown and married Bridgerton sibling Colin (Luke Newton), leaving a gaping hole in the show’s appeal.

Well, now Lady Whistledown is back. And this time, it’s not Penelope. I sat down with the cast of Bridgerton Season 4 who revealed their prime suspects for the show’s big new mystery.

Luke Thompson (Benedict Bridgerton)

“It could be so many people. I don't know where it's going to go from there. We've only just discovered who [the previous Whistledown] is. And now we have to start all over again.

“It could be [Benedict].”

Yerin Ha (Sophie Baek)

“[We only had] one season to enjoy Penelope as Lady Whistledown. Back to square one. I kind of wish it was [youngest Bridgerton sister] Hyacinth or someone young trying to get their voice out into society.

“It could be Alice [Mondrich, the Queen’s lady-in-waiting]. It could be me. It could be Footman John.”

Hannah Dodd (Francesca Bridgerton)

“There's quite a few characters who I think it could be. We all came up with quite different names when we were chatting about it. But I don't want to know. So I'm trying not to give it too much thought. So I really want that moment, that payoff.”

Katie Leung (Lady Araminta Gun)

I was very, very surprised [at the Whistledown reveal]. And then obviously you start thinking, ‘Who is it? Who is it?’ I think it'd be really interesting if she were a he, because I feel like people might not expect that.

Isabella Wei (Posi Li)

“I was saying I'd love for it to be Eloise [Bridgerton. It would] bring a really interesting perspective. [But] I had no idea that was coming. I'm sure it was a surprise to most of us. So it was great.”

Victor Alli (Lord John Stirling)

“I love to go on that sort of hunt and I feel like I know who it is. I don't want to say.”

While the cast of Bridgerton has a lineup of suspects for the new Lady Whistledown, there’s one person who knows the character's identity for sure: Showrunner Jess Brownell. Brownell says that, even though the new mystery was a surprise reveal, it’s been in the works since 2024 and has been definitively planned out.

“[Lady Whistledown’s identity] has been decided,” Brownell says. [Executive Producer] Shonda [Rhimes] and I had a big conversation all the way back in Season 3 when we were [discussing] ‘What are we doing with Whistledown?’ Knowing that Penelope is coming out publicly. We knew we couldn't sustain that for too long, that there weren't as many stakes and there wasn't as much drama in that. So we thought, ‘Well, what will we do afterwards?’ And we went, ‘OK, Whistledown will come back.’ And then we developed our suspect.”

A second Lady Whistledown is a dramatic departure from the show’s source text: Julia Quinn’s series of novels. But Brownell says that’s a small price to pay if it means Julie Andrews can continue on the show.

“It's a departure from the books,” Brownell says. “But the voice of Whistledown and specifically the voice of Julie Andrews has become such a hallmark of the show. It's not only part of the style of the show, but it's also thematically really useful for us. The way that Lady Whistledown can provide a bit of conflict is really important. Now that Penelope has gone through an evolution in her character and is a better person, she’s a less incendiary Whisteldown. It makes sense for the character to move on to something else. And now we can have someone come in and stoke the fire a little bit more.”

Season 4 of Bridgerton is now streaming on Netflix.

Michael Peyton is the Senior Editorial Director of Events & Entertainment at IGN, leading entertainment content and coverage of tentpole events including IGN Live, San Diego Comic Con, gamescom, and IGN Fan Fest. He's spent 20 years working in the games and entertainment industry, and his adventures have taken him everywhere from the Oscars to Japan to Buenos Aires, Argentina. Follow him on Bluesky @MichaelPeyton

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Highguard to Permanently Shut Down on March 12, Wildlight to Release One Final Update With a New Warden, a New Weapon, Skill Trees, and More

Wildlight has announced that it will be permanently shutting down Highguard on March 12. Before then, it will release one final update that adds a new Warden, a new weapon, account level progression, and skill trees for those who want to get their final matches in.

Wildlight shared the news on X/Twitter, saying, "Today we’re sharing difficult news. We have made the decision to permanently shut down Highguard on March 12.

"Since launch, more than 2 million players stepped into Highguard’s world. You shared feedback, created content, and many believed in what we were building. For that, we are deeply grateful.

"Despite the passion and hard work of our team, we have not been able to build a sustainable player base to support the game long term. Servers will remain online until March 12th. We hope you’ll jump in with us one more time to show your support and get those final great matches in while we still can.

"The team is excited to release one final game update to enjoy in the remaining life of the game. We'll be adding a new Warden, a new weapon, account level progression, and skill trees! Full patch notes are coming, and we're targeting tonight or tomorrow morning for patch release.

"From all of us at Wildlight, thank you for playing, for supporting us, and for being part of Highguard’s story."

Wildlight was first announced at The Game Awards 2026, and it was the big finale for the show. Geoff Keighley had enjoyed what he played of the game, and he then offered the coveted last spot to Wildlight for Highguard.

It didn't go quite as well as planned, and Josh Sobel, a developer who worked on Highguard before being let go from Wildgate, shared that the game, and by extension its team, "turned into a joke from minute one, largely due to false assumptions about a million-dollar ad placement."

"Within minutes, it was decided: this game was dead on arrival, and creators now had free ragebait content for a month," Sobel continued. "Every one of our videos on social media got downvoted to hell. Comments sections were flooded with copy/paste meme phrases such as 'Concord 2' and 'Titanfall 3 died for this.' At launch, we received over 14k review bombs from users with less than an hour of playtime. Many didn't even finish the required tutorial."

Highguard did launch on January 26, 2026, and the team at Wildgate stayed very quiet between The Game Awards and its launch day, but the game did start off strong with Steam concurrents reaching nearly 100,000. Unfortunately, it also had a "mostly negative" user review rating on Steam.

Wildgate was quick to address issues with the game, and even added a 5v5 game mode to counter the 3v3 complaints. Shortly thereafter, most of the studio was laid off, but the game kept on.

Reports kept coming out about the game, including how it came to be and that it was quietly backed by Tencent, and now its story will sadly come to an end after 45 days of being online.

We enjoyed what we played of Highguard, and scored it a 7/10.

"Highguard’s compelling gunplay, impressive pace of updates, and killer Raid mode have made its exciting attack-and-defend encounters quite memorable, even if the version we have right now feels a bit like a rough draft," IGN's Travis Northup said in his review. "The unique competitive matches definitely have room for improvement, with maps that can feel a little empty and rounds that are somewhat uneven between their slow looting lows and chaotic raiding highs.\

"Plus, with just nine characters, a handful of maps and bases, and only one game mode served up in a few different flavors, there’s not a lot of meat on this bone just yet. But what is here at the moment is still a lot of fun on its own, and I can already feel the makings of something that could be pretty stellar if it’s able to survive long enough to fully realize that potential."

Adam Bankhurst is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst, Instagram, and TikTok, and listen to his show, Talking Disney Magic.

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AliExpress Has a 350W Adult Electric Scooter With a Top Speed of 19mph Starting at Just $109

There are many reasons why an electric scooter might be a better fit for you than an electric bike. They're lighter, more compact, and usually less expensive. Electric assisted scooters give you more range and speed for less effort, and the brushless motor is pretty quiet. You'd think upgrading to one would cost you a lot of money, but that's not the case.

For a limited time, AliExpress is offering the very popular LADPED LP80 350W electric scooter with 10.5Ah battery for just $114.46 after coupon code "16USAFFS". Alternatively, the LADPED LP60 350W electric scooter with 5.2Ah battery is $109.01 after code "16USAFFS". Both scooters ship free from a local US warehouse.

AliExpress marketplace vendor AOVOPRO is the official manufacturer of these scooters and has plenty of reviews and sales to back up its reputation. Since they've already been shipped from overseas, any tariffs have already been paid for and you also don't need to worry about egregiously long shipping times.

Electric Scooter Deals Starting at $109

The LADPED electric scooters are solid entry level options for adults. Both models are equipped with a peppy 350W brushless motor that can push the scooter at speeds of up to 19mph. The LP80 is equipped with a 36V 10.5aH battery that lasts up to 18 miles on a single charge. The LP60 has a much smaller 36V 5.2AH battery that will give you half that range. Both scooters weigh about 34 pounds (the LP60 is a bit lighter because of the smaller battery) and can be folded for easier transport and storage. They're equipped with standard 8.5" maintenance free tires ideal for paved surfaces.

Other than that, there's not much more you could ask for from a sub-$150 scooter. More well-known scooter brands are a lot more expensive; the Segway Ninebot E2 and the Niu KQi 100P scooters both cost about $350, and they're also made in China (Segway was purchased by Ninebot in 2015, and is technically a Chinese company now). If cost was the reason that had been holding you back, than the prices on these LADPED scooters are a convincing excuse to get one now.

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

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Alan Wake 2 Deluxe Edition for PS5 Has Hit a New Low Price at Amazon

The arrival of a new Remedy game this year is a great excuse to jump back into some of the studio's older releases. Alan Wake 2, in particular, is one we absolutely love (our favorite horror game of 2023, actually). If you haven't added it to your library yet, this is an excellent time to do it as its PS5 Deluxe Edition has hit a new low price at Amazon of $34.96 (see it here). Head to the link below to scoop it up at this price while it's still on sale.

Alan Wake 2 Deluxe Edition (PS5) for $35

There's quite a lot to enjoy with this Deluxe Edition as well. Not only does it come with the main game, but you'll also get the two expansions, Night Springs and the Lake House. It also comes with cosmetics and items for both protagonists, Alan and Saga, including the Nordic Shotgun Skin, Crimson Windbreaker, and Lantern Charm for Saga, and Celebrity Suit and Parliament Shotgun Skin for Alan. In addition, you'll even get the digital edition of Alan Wake Remastered, so you can play through Alan's complete story across both games. It's a real treat for just $35 with this deal.

As mentioned before, it took home our top prize as the best horror game of 2023. As for why it earned this acknowledgement, IGN's Matt Purslow said "On the surface, Alan Wake 2 looks like Resident Evil, but beyond that familiar over-the-shoulder perspective is a game with unmatched vision. Its confident direction, using all manner of visual and audio tricks, drags you into a creepy world that offers unexpected surprises in every chapter."

Of course, our review had very high praise for it as well. IGN's Tristan Ogilvie said it, "delivers one of the boldest and most brain-bending survival-horror storylines this side of Silent Hill 2, presents it with uniformly immaculate art direction and audio design, and reinvigorates the series’ signature light-based shooting as though it’s been locked and loaded with a fresh pack of Energizers."

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

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This $19 Iniu 20,000 Power Bank Quadruples Your Nintendo Switch 2 Play Time

If you're looking for a high-capacity power bank to extend your Nintendo Switch 2 or Steam Deck playtime on especially long trips, then this deal is perfect for you. Amazon is offering the Iniu 20,000mAh 45W Power Bank for just $18.86 after you clip the 45% off coupon on the product page. Any 20,000mAh power bank priced under $20 is a good deal, but this one is even better because of the higher 45W power output and the built-in USB cable.

Iniu 20,000mAh 45W USB Power Bank for $18.86

This Iniu power bank boasts a generous 20,000mAh, or 74Whr battery capacity. If you factor in 80% power efficiency, here are the approximate number of times you can fully recharge each gaming handheld:

  • Nintendo Switch (16Whr) about 3.7 times
  • Nintendo Switch 2 (19Whr) about 3.1 times
  • Steam Deck (40Whr) about 1.5 times
  • Apple iPhone 17 (14.3Whr) about 4.1 times
  • Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max (19.8Whr) about 3 times

The Iniu power bank has three output ports: one built-in 45W USB Type-C cable, one 45W USB Type-C port, one USB Type-A port with up to 18W of power. The 45W of Power Delivery is enough to charge the Nintendo Switch 2 (19W) and Steam Deck (40W) at their fastest rate. This power bank is also a solid choice for charging your Apple iPhone 17.

The built-in cable is a popular feature on newer and generally pricier power banks because you no longer have to bring along your own USB Type-C cable. When you're on the go, the USB plug can be clipped onto the power bank to form a handy little lanyard. The cable itself is quite sturdy with a respectable break strength of 44 pounds and the lanyard loop when clipped to the power bank itself has a break strength of 13 pounds.

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

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Today’s Top Deals: Free Tote with Pokémon Pokopia, LEGO Super Mario Piranha Plant, Anno 117 for PS5

Pokémon Pokopia comes out on Thursday, and if you preorder it from Best Buy, you can get an adorable free canvas tote while supplies last. That’s not the only deal today, as the Ace Ventura Limited Edition Steel Book and Anno 117 for PS5 are both half off. Plus, score $200 on the Breville Barista Pro Espresso Machine, and there are plenty more deals worth checking out below:

TL;DR - The Best Deals Today

Pokémon Pokopia Preorder Comes With Free Tote

Pokémon Pokopia for Nintendo Switch 2 is set for release this week, and the preorders are up now at major retailers for $69.99. It even comes with an in-game gift with purchase if you get it from Amazon. But if you grab the preorder from Best Buy, you can score an awesome canvas tote.

In the game, you play as Ditto transformed to look more human-like as you rebuild a drought-stricken land with the help of Pokémon friends. In our review of Pokémon Pokopia, it earned a 9/10 rating, with Rebekah Valentine stating it’s “an enjoyable, personality-packed building simulator set in a surprisingly deep world.”

Pokémon Mega Evolution - Ascended Heroes Elite Trainer Box Drops to $115.99 on Amazon

Get the Pokémon Mega Evolution - Ascended Heroes Elite Trainer Box for $115.99 on Amazon. That’s Amazon’s lowest price ever. Admittedly, this isn’t the best deal, but it's cheaper than the $119 it was selling for last week and right around market value. It’s also shipped and sold by Amazon for added peace of mind, and it’s actually in stock. With the Trainer Box, you get 9 Ascended Heroes booster packs, a full-art foil promo card featuring N’s Zekrom, 65 card sleeves, 40 Energy cards, 6 damage-counter dice, a competition-legal coin-flip die, a plastic coin, a collector’s box, and a player's guide.

Save 30% on the LEGO Super Mario Piranha Plant

The LEGO Super Mario Piranha Plant is down to $41.99 on Amazon for 30% savings. This fun 9-inch-high, 540-piece model is perfect for popping on a bookshelf or desk. The head, mouth, stalk, and leaves are all poseable too. Plus, it comes with two coins, which will be much easier to grab than when you’re actually playing the game. Just note that this set is best for adults.

Save 45% on Astro Bot

While the Astro Bot deal might be out of stock on Amazon, Walmart has price-matched it, so you can still grab this awesome PS5-exclusive title for only $32.99. That’s 45% off the list price. Earning IGN’s Game of the Year Award in 2024, this 3D platformer brings fun for the whole family and even a bit of PlayStation nostalgia. In our review of Astro Bot, Simon Cardy found that with the “collection of endlessly inventive levels and fantastically fun abilities, it delivers joy in spades, never once becoming even remotely dull or repetitive.”

Half Off Anno 117: Pax Romana for PS5

Anno 117: Pax Romana for PS5 is half off on the Amazon-owned Woot, and Prime members even get free shipping. The same game is currently $10 more on Amazon. This antique city-building game set during the Roman Empire in 117AD, hence the name, looks amazing. From building modest homes and planning out districts to naval combat and trade systems, there’s a whole lot of exciting possibilities. It even scored 9/10 in our review, and at this price, Anno 117 is definitely worth grabbing.

Preorder the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra "On Us" at T-Mobile

No trade-in or port-in required

Preorder the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra 256GB smartphone through T-Mobile and save $1,299.99 in bill credits over 24 months when you sign up for a new line on the Experience Beyond plan with AutoPay. Trade-in and port-in are not required to take advantage of this deal. Note that there is a one-time $35 connection fee.

The Experience Beyond plan costs $100 per month for a single line with AutoPay (plus taxes and fees). The plan gives you unlimited talk, text, and 5G premium data. Other perks include Netflix (Standard with ads), Apple TV, and Hulu subscriptions, unlimited mobile hotspot, full-flight texting and Wi-Fi with streaming where available, phone upgrade eligibility every year, and a 5 year price guarantee. International travelers can also benefit from unlimited text and 30GB of high-speed data in Canada and Mexico and unlimited text and 15GB of high-speed data in over 215 other countries.

Save $200 on the Breville Barista Pro Espresso Machine

The Breville Barista Pro Espresso Machine is down to its lowest price ever on Amazon. If you’re serious about espresso and want to pull the perfect shot, this semi-automatic machine can help. With auto grinding and dosing, the ideal amount of coffee will be ground into your portafilter with minimal effort on your part. Then, the water pressure and temperature gauge help extract a flawless espresso. Of course, it also comes with a milk streamer to make specialty coffee house drinks at home. I’ve played around with a similar machine, and it’s the ideal option for those looking to delve a little deeper into the world of espresso.

51% Off Ace Ventura: Pet Detective Limited Edition Steelbook

Jim Carrey has been all over my news feed this week after his honorary Cesar Award in Paris. While it was likely not his clone at those awards, Jim Carrey himself was definitely in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. Right now, you can grab the Limited Edition Steelbook for only $21.99. That’s 51% off. Beyond the stunning case, it features a 4K transfer from the original 35mm camera negative, audio commentary with director Tom Shadyac, and more.

$15 Off MTG x TMNT Commander Deck

Ahead of its release on Friday, the Magic: The Gathering TMNT Commander Deck preorder is $15 off. The Turtle Power Commander Deck is down to $54.89 from the list price of $69.99, which is below the market price on TCGplayer. Best of all, if the price drops anymore before Friday, Amazon has an awesome preorder guarantee. With this Commander Deck, you’ll receive a 100-card deck with 43 new cards, 1 deck box, 10 double-sided token cards, a strategy insert, and a reference card.

Save $50 on the MTG x TMNT Collector Booster Box

If you’re after premium treatments, the Collector Booster Box is down to only $400.91. These awesome cards feature textured foils, alternate frames, and more unique art for an often stronger resale value and just all-around cooler deck. Thanks to this discount, 12 Collector Booster packs come out to just $33.41 each. Individual packs are selling for $37.99, making for one heck of a deal.

Be sure to check out some other MTG x TMNT preorders below, or pick up some of the MTG x Marvel Superheroes preorders, too.

Half Off the Anker 747 4-Port 150W GaN Foldable USB-C Charger

Top up all your devices quickly with the Anker 747 4-Port 150W GaN Foldable USB-C Charger. It’s an awesome deal on the Amazon-owned Woot today, costing just $49.99, and Prime members get free shipping. This exact wall charger is $99.99 on Amazon, so it’s one heck of a deal. It comes with two USB-C ports and two USB-A ports to charge up to four devices simultaneously. For top speeds when topping up laptops or the best handheld gaming PCs, plug your device into one of the two USB-C ports for up to 100W power delivery.

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Save 48% Off the Liquid Cooled Lenovo Legion RTX 5070 Ti Gaming PC, Now $1,736.99 With Coupon

Nowadays it's quite difficult to find an RTX 5070 Ti prebuilt for under $2,000, but not impossible. For a limited time, Lenovo is offering a Legion Tower 5 RTX 5070 Ti gaming PC for just $1,736.99 after coupon code "EXTRASAVEAFF". Note that this is technically an exclusive perks offer reserved for VIP members, but I've been able to proceed all the way through checkout without signing into an account.

Thinking of saving money by building your own DIY RTX 5070 Ti system? Think again. With the rising prices of GPUs, the RTX 5070 Ti graphics card is currently selling for at least $250 over MSRP. Other comparable options, such as the Radeon RX 9070 XT or RTX 5080, also have a steep markup.

Lenovo Legion Tower 5 RTX 5070 Ti Gaming PC for $1,737

This Lenovo Legion Tower 5 Gen 10 configuration is equipped with a liquid-cooled Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU, GeForce RTX 5070 Ti 16GB GPU, 32GB of DDR5-5600MHz RAM, and a 1TB SSD.

Something to note is that this PC is equipped with an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU on a customized Intel HM870 mATX motherboard. The 275HX is traditionally a laptop CPU, and laptop CPUs are permanently soldered onto the motherboard. That means you won't be able to swap out the CPU for a better one in the future. If you don't intend on swapping the CPU (and let's face it, most of us who buy prebuilts probably never will), then you'll get excellent performance out of this chip.

The RTX 5070 Ti offers the best bang for your buck amongst the new Nvidia Blackwell cards in terms of 4K gaming performance. It performs neck-and-neck with the previous generation RTX 4080 Super and pulls ahead in any game that supports multi-frame generation, especially with the recent DLSS 4.5 update.

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

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Marathon Confirms Seasonal Resets, Which Means Everyone's Gear, Contract and Faction Progression, and Player Level Wipe Every Few Months

Bungie has outlined what to expect from Marathon upon launch, and confirmed plans for seasonal wipes that mean all players lose their gear every few months.

Seasonal updates will introduce new gameplay, including gear, Runner shells, zones, events, and more, Bungie said, and they’ll be free for all players to access or earn, so there’s no expansions or DLC required.

Each season brings a “clean slate for the whole community,” Bungie explained, with progression resets that include everyone’s gear, contract progression, faction progression, and player level.

However, players will keep their achievements and cosmetics, titles, and other rewards from reaching milestones. Your Codex progression also carries over. Elsewhere, your liaison contract progression carries over, so you don’t need to unlock the factions every season.

“Seasonal resets mean that the game stays dangerous, loot feels meaningful, and there’s always a good opportunity to get back into the game or bring a friend in without feeling behind the curve,” Bungie said, explaining its decision. “It’s a way to say goodbye to the old, welcome the new, and kick off a journey from zero-to-hero with new ways to play, content to master, and things to discover.”

The extraction shooter launches on March 5 alongside Season 1, called First Step. This includes a community drive to unlock the way into orbit and the fourth zone, called Cryo Archive, although Bungie didn’t say what the community unlock will involve.

“Prepare your mind and shell to take on this end-game zone on the Marathon ship, where you’ll solve security puzzles, unseal frozen vaults, and come face-to-face with an entity even the UESC fears,” Bungie said. Then, during the second half of March, Ranked mode will unlock. We don’t have much information on how it will work, but Ranked mode will offer exclusive rewards.

Bungie also outlined the Marathon launch content:

  • Complete faction and contract progression
  • All six factions, including Sekiguchi Genetics
  • All six launch Runner shells, including Thief
  • Three zones, including Outpost
  • Outpost will unlock the day after launch, giving the community time to gear up and unlock the zone at Runner Level 12
  • 28 weapons, plus mods, implants, cores, and more to craft your perfect builds
  • Earnable cosmetics, achievements, and storytelling through the Codex

Bungie even went as far to reveal Season 2, called Nightfall, which will bring a nighttime version of Dire Marsh, a new Runner shell, and new weapons, mods, cores, and contracts. Nightfall will introduce the Cradle, a new system “designed to give you more autonomy over your Runner shell’s statistical strengths and weaknesses.”

“As we build upon each season, Marathon will continue to grow and evolve,” Bungie said. “The game and world today and a year from now should feel meaningfully different as we add new features and go on the journey of discovering what happened to the colonists of Tau Ceti... and what happens when you dig up secrets that are better left buried.”

We’ve got plenty more on Marathon, including one Bungie developer’s commitment to “fontslop.” Check out IGN's Marathon review so far to find out what we think.

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.

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Life is Strange TV Series Reveals Live-Action Max and Chloe

The live-action Life is Strange adaptation in the works for Amazon Prime Video has found its Max Caulfield and Chloe Price.

Photography student Max, the protagonist of Life is Strange's original and beloved video game, will be played by TV newcomer Tatum Grace Hopkins, who previously has acting credits on Broadway. Max's rebellious blue-haired bestie Chloe, meanwhile, will be portrayed by Maisy Stella, who previously appeared in TV drama Nashville and the Aubrey Plaza-starring indie comedy My Old Ass.

The duo were first detailed on a poster for the series, published on social media:

First poster for the ‘LIFE IS STRANGE’ TV series.

Coming soon to Prime Video. pic.twitter.com/CLQM7B8Ofl

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) March 3, 2026

The Prime Video series is expected to adapt the original Life is Strange game's story, something that fans of the game have reacted to with intrigue, considering its various narrative choices.

TV showrunners will have to choose whether to flirt with Max and Chloe's popular romantic relationship or keep things platonic, and ultimately pick between one of the game's two divergent endings (although the franchise's upcoming video game finale, Life is Strange: Reunion, is set to nullify this choice to a large degree).

Amazon announced it had greenlit its long-awaited Life is Strange TV adaptation last September, almost a decade after plans to adapt the game were first announced. Charlie Covell, writer of Channel 4's The of the F***king World and Netflix's Kaos, will head the series as executive producer and showrunner, with video game publisher Square Enix and Amazon MGM Studios both on board.

According to an official blurb, the series will follow Max, "a photography student, who discovers she can rewind time while saving the life of her childhood best friend, Chloe. As she struggles to understand this new skill, the pair investigate the mysterious disappearance of a fellow student, uncovering a dark side to their town that will ultimately force them to make an impossible life or death choice that will impact them forever."

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

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Tales, Elden Ring Publisher Bandai Namco Teases New RPG Reveal

Bandai Namco, the publisher behind FromSoftware titles such as Dark Souls and Elden Ring, as well as its own RPG series such as Tales, has confirmed plans to reveal a new role-playing game.

The announcement will premiere via YouTube later this week on Thursday, March 5 at 3pm Pacific / 6pm Eastern / 11pm UK. A description for the yet-to-be revealed trailer simply states: "A serenity soon to be disturbed."

Of course, there's already speculation over what this game might be — and yes, Elden Ring 2 was one of the first suggestions (to be fair, the announcement's lettering looks somewhat similar to Elden Ring's logo). But an announcement of that magnitude seems better suited to a major announcement showcase, rather than just appearing online on a random Thursday.

So what else could it be? There's a decent possibility this is the next game in Bandai Namco's venerable Tales series, following 2021's popular Tales of Arise. Five years on, it feels time for a glimpse at an all-new adventure.

Other possibilities exist too, though, including this being a new RPG for the Digimon franchise, which Bandai also owns the rights to. The company has also published FromSoftware's Armored Core. Then there's Bandai Namco's Dragon Ball games.

"With an excellent story and cast and a reinvigorated combat system, Tales of Arise is the shot in the arm the long-running Tales RPG series needed to recapture its best moments," we wrote in IGN's Tales of Arise review, which returned a 9/10. Is it finally time for another chapter? Stay tuned for more later this week.

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

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GDC Festival of Gaming 2026 Launches on March 9

Since 1988 the Game Developers Conference has been a place where the people that make the games you love have gathered to share their insights, show off the latest innovations and share their stories from behind the scenes of the games industry. In 2026 the GDC Festival of Gaming carries on that legacy, with over 1000 speakers across more than 700 sessions. IGN will be there reporting from the frontlines, and presenting a panel of its own.

Some of the talk highlights this year include talks focused on Clair Obscura: Expedition 33, Battlefield 6 and Diablo Immortal. It's not just about the conference during the day either, GDC Nights has a whole program of evening entertainments waiting for attendees, with the Independent Games Festival (IGF) Awards, Game Developers Choice Awards (GDCA) and a live concert from composer Austin Wintory and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

IGN will be hosting a panel titled How Do I Get My Game on IGN? with Peer Schneider, Ryan McCaffrey, Justin Davis and Miranda Sanchez speaking about how developers can best collaborate with IGN.

"In a time of great change, we can build walls or build bridges — and the game industry has always thrived by coming together," said Mark DeLoura, GDC’s Executive Director of Innovation and Growth. "The GDC Festival of Gaming strengthens those connections, celebrating creativity and supporting everyone who brings games to life, from napkin sketch to global launch."

GDC Festival of Gaming takes place March 9-13, 2026 in and around San Francisco’s Moscone Center.

Rachel Weber is the Head of Editorial Development 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, Red Dead Redemption 2, and her Love and Deepspace boyfriends.

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Dungeons & Dragons Takes Inspiration from Live-Service Video Games, With a New Plan For Themed Seasonal Releases

Dungeons & Dragons is taking a page out of the live-service video game play book by introducing themed seasonal content updates. New expansions, sourcebooks and other products will be tied into unifying themes, beginning in April with a three-month "Season of Horror."

The tabletop titan has decided to group all of its major product releases through the rest of 2026 into distinct seasons, each anchored by a major book release (thanks, Nerdvana). Even this year's product roadmap looks like something released by Bungie or Blizzard:

Running from April until June, Dungeons & Dragon's inaugural Season of Horror will include the long-awaited return to Ravenloft in a fresh sourcebook, Ravenloft: The Horrors Within, which promises creepy new subclasses, species, backgrounds and Dark Gift feats. Priced $59.99, it launches in June, and will be accompanied by the tarot-inspired Tarokka card deck ($24.99), and a Horrors Within DM screen ($24.99) and map pack ($24.99).

Next up, from July through September, is the Season of Magic. This will include the Arcana Unleashed sourcebook (available in September, priced $49.99) that details high-magic character creator options and a new system for magic items that lets them grow in power alongside your character level. The season will also add Arcana Unleashed: Deadfall, a Red Wizard-themed adventure expansion ($29.99), and further cards.

Finally for 2026, the Season of Champions will pick up from October through December — though its range of themed products is yet to be revealed.

Earlier this year, former Nintendo of America boss Doug Bowser joined the board of Hasbro, the company which owns D&D publisher Wizards of the Coast. D&D continues to enjoy huge interest, helped in turn by the breakout success of Baldur's Gate 3. Previous comments from Hasbro have suggested that another Baldur's Gate game will follow at some point, once a studio to make it has been found. Meanwhile, a Baldur's Gate TV series is in the works for HBO.

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

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Outlander Season 8 Episodes 1-3 Spoiler-Free Review

Outlander Season 8 premieres Friday, March 6 on STARZ. New episodes drop weekly on Fridays.

After 12 years, the Outlander team is saying “feumaidh mi falbh” – Gaelic for “I have to go” – to its fans with this eighth and final season. Overall, the series has been a pretty faithful adaptation of author Diana Gabaldon’s bestselling Outlander books, which document the time-traveling love affair between Scottish Highlander Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan) and former WWII Army nurse Claire Randall (Caitríona Balfe). However, what’s most interesting about this final season is that the Outlander TV series writers have found themselves in a Game of Thrones situation. They’ve caught up to the storylines in Gabaldon’s 2021 book, Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone, and now they’ve had to forge their own original ending. And though Gabaldon is a series consultant and sometime episodic writer, she has yet to complete her last book to close out her Fraser chronicles, which has book purists sweating.

In the first three episodes of Season 8 made available for review, there’s a compelling balance in following the everyday lives of the core characters at Fraser’s Ridge, North Carolina, with the forward movement towards resolving outstanding story arcs like the impending Revolutionary War and the more supernatural elements of the series present from the very first season. The loyal audience is also subtly rewarded with clever inclusions of the show’s deep bench of characters that add to the sense of finality driving this season’s storytelling.

Smartly, Outlander has always been brave enough to craft several original storylines over its eight seasons. Both creator Ronald D. Moore (God of War) and current showrunner Matthew B. Roberts have diverted from Gabaldon’s text before, and this final season features one of its most dramatic departures with the revelation that Jamie and Claire’s first child, Faith – who they thought was stillborn – may have survived. In fact, she may have grown up to have her own children, one of which is named Fanny and came to live with the Frasers at the end of Season 7B. It’s a brain-bender for sure, but it’s also in keeping with the story’s central conceit that Claire and her kin can travel through time via standing stones. The opening episodes add more substance to that mystery and showcase the great work of actress Florrie Wilkinson, who imbues an ‘old soul’ quality into young Fanny. Her scenes with Balfe and Heughan are some of the most memorable of the early episodes.

Speaking of Heughan, this season changes up the dynamic for Jamie as the usually steadfast patriarch of the Ridge has to weather some emotional curveballs. Heughan not only gets fiery while exploring Jamie’s lingering rage over what happened between Claire and Lord John Grey (David Berry) in Season 7, but he also revisits the haunted and unmoored version of Jamie that is dredged up whenever Frank Randall/"Black Jack" Randall comes back into the story. That opportunity arises after reuniting with Brianna (Sophie Skelton) and Roger (Richard Rankin), who give Jamie a book written by Claire’s first husband, historian Frank Randall (Tobias Menzies), that cites the date and battle of Jamie’s “destined” demise. Unsure if the book – titled The Soul of a Rebel – is meant to torture him or act as a genuine signpost of a moment in time to avoid, Jamie has to wrestle with this knowledge, adding a throughline of pathos that reveals new facets of Jamie’s character.

Balfe continues to play Claire with her signature feistiness and compassion as the rural doctor continues her practice of trying to combat 18th century maladies with 19th century knowledge. And there’s plenty of spice left between the aging Claire and Jamie (their wigs and makeup look the best they ever have this season), as their passion gets more screen time than ever. Behind the scenes, Balfe gets to direct an episode for the first time – "Prophecies” – which showcases her fine eye in capturing intimate, emotional scenes between characters.

Outlander continues to work best when Jamie and Claire are interacting with their family.

For a final season, the variety of side stories is a bit too ambitious. There’s no shortage of new characters introduced, including potential Ridge adversaries who represent the Loyalists to the crown and the burgeoning local militia who have no sympathy for the Tories. While many of these side characters end up tying into main storylines, sometimes they feel like a distraction from getting back to the main cast. There’s also a lot of precious time given to Jamie’s eldest son, William Ransom (Charles Vandervaart), who is far less petulant than in prior seasons but still doesn’t warrant the generous amount of time given to him.

Outlander continues to work best when Jamie and Claire are interacting with their family. The rapport built up between the leads and their supporting cast over the years shines through. Whenever they’re given quiet moments to just be open and genuine with one another, those scenes are the most memorable, and remind us why Jamie and Claire are such enduring characters. Regardless of their characters’ weird situation in time, Heughan and Balfe always manage to ground the pair in the realness of their character’s love and dedication to one another and their extended family.

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Game of Thrones Film Now Reportedly in Development, May Revolve Around a Character Never Before Seen in Any of the Shows

A Game of Thrones movie is reportedly now in development at Warner Bros, and may revolve around a character never before seen in any of the shows.

TheWrap said that while those plans may change, the Game of Thrones film is now “firmly” in development. House of Cards showrunner and Andor writer Beau Willimon is reportedly writing the screenplay, and has allegedly submitted an initial draft.

That’s all the information we have for now, but according to Page Six Hollywood, the story could revolve around dragonlord Aegon I, also known as Aegon the Conqueror and Aegon the Dragon. Aegon I was the first Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and king on the Iron Throne, founding the ruling Targaryen dynasty of Westeros that is at the heart of George R.R. Martin’s hugely popular fantasy universe.

"Sources tell P6H that WBD’s leadership team was pumped on Willimon’s draft, and that the storyline may center on Aegon I, who spawned the Targaryen dynasty and united six of the seven kingdoms through bloody conquest about 300 years before the original Game of Thrones pilot," the report reads.

A source told the publication: “All of Game of Thrones stems back to him, and you’ve never seen him on any of the shows."

TheWrap adds caution to its story, pointing out that Game of Thrones spinoffs have a habit of falling by the wayside, and that Warner Bros. is in the midst of being acquired by Paramount. Assuming Paramount gets the regulatory approval it needs for the Warner Bros. deal, it may come in and decide against moving forward with the project.

P6H carried similar caution, saying "it’s an open question whether the GOT project will see the light of day given the uncertainty surrounding Warner Bros. current slate now that Paramount Skydance has started the process of acquiring the storied Burbank studio."

There's a lot going on in the world of Game of Thrones, although confirmed projects are, for now, limited to TV shows. House of the Dragon and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms are each set for new series on HBO, taking fans up to 2028. In January, HBO was said to be in "very early development" on a Game of Thrones spinoff starring Arya Stark, following the collapse of a previous sequel idea that would have featured Jon Snow. A new Game of Thrones prequel is set to dramatize the events of Robert's Rebellion, and debut on the UK stage this summer.

Meanwhile, George R.R. Martin himself has said there's no plan if he dies before completing Winds of Winter, and the Game of Thrones series simply "won't be finished."

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.

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Apple Announces New MacBook Air and MacBook Pro Laptops

Apple just dropped a bevy of announcements, including for its next MacBook Air and MacBook Pro laptops, now equipped with its in-house M5 and M5 Pro and Max chips. The machines will all be up for preorder starting March 4, and available to buy outright starting March 11.

M5 MacBook Air

The MacBook Air – aka Apple’s best laptop – gets a couple of significant changes, including to its minimum SSD storage, which Apple says has been bumped up to 512GB and is twice as fast as that of the previous generation. The laptop also gets Apple’s custom N1 wireless chip, which adds Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6. The same chip is found in the new iPad Air that Apple announced yesterday, where it also adds Thread, a wireless protocol tightly associated with smart home control via the Matter standard.

Returning to the MacBook Air are dual Thunderbolt 4 ports and support for two external displays, a 500-nit LCD built-in display with a 12MP webcam in the cutout at the top, and up to 18 hours of battery life, according to Apple’s announcement. Like the M4 MacBook Air, the M5 version will feature a 10-core CPU and up-to-10-core GPU with “Neural Accelerator” in each GPU core, along with a 16-core Neural Engine for helping with on-device AI tasks. The company says the M5 MacBook Air “delivers up to 4x faster performance for AI tasks than MacBook Air with M4, and up to 9.5x faster than MacBook Air with M1.” The laptop starts at $1,099 for the 13-inch, while the 15-inch starts at $1,299, with either size available in sky blue, midnight blue, starlight, and silver.

MacBook Pro

The new 14- and- 16-inch MacBook Pro laptops will debut the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, Apple’s upper-crust chips for heavy, professional workloads. As with the MacBook Air, these laptops will feature Neural Accelerators in each of the machines’ up-to-32 GPU cores. (Other options include 16-core and 20-core.) On the CPU side of things, Apple is now touting what it calls super cores. The M5 Pro chip will have either five super cores and 10 performance cores for a total of 15 cores, while a second M5 Pro tier and the M5 Max will get 18-core CPUs with six super cores and 12 performance cores. That’s compared to the vanilla M5 of the base MacBook Pro and MacBook Air, which has four super cores and six efficiency cores. You can read more about their performance in Apple's standalone announcement for the M5 Pro and Max chips.

Apple has dropped the 512GB storage tier here, so now every MacBook Pro comes with a 1TB or 2TB SSD at minimum, depending on the model, and is configurable up to 4TB, except for the M5 Max version, which can go as high as 8TB. They’ll start with 16GB of RAM (for the base M5 MacBook Pro), 24GB RAM (M5 Pro MacBook Pro), and 36GB RAM (M5 Max MacBook Pro) and can be configured up to between 32GB or 128GB, depending on model.

Beyond storage and performance upgrades, the other new thing is that the new MacBook Pros now have Apple’s N1 wireless chip, which again means Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 connectivity. Otherwise, look for a lot of the same in terms of the laptops’ 120Hz variable refresh rate mini-LED displays with up to 1,600-nit peak brightness and 1,000-nit everyday brightness. They’ll have a variety of ports, including three Thunderbolt 4 ports, HDMI, and an SD card slot, and they’ll be rechargeable via the company’s proprietary MagSafe 3 charging port. They’ll support between 2 and four external displays, depending on the model.

The new MacBook Pro laptops start at $1,699 (M5), $2,199 (M5 Pro), and $3,599 (M5 Max) for the 14-inch models. And they'll come in space black and silver, as before.

Wes is a freelance writer (Freelance Wes, they call him) who has covered technology, gaming, and entertainment steadily since 2020 at Gizmodo, Tom's Hardware, Hardcore Gamer, and most recently, The Verge. Inside of him there are two wolves: one that thinks it wouldn't be so bad to start collecting game consoles again, and the other who also thinks this, but more strongly.

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The Legend of Vox Machina Season 4 Release Date Announced Alongside Teaser

The Legend of Vox Machina Season 4 finally has a release date: June 3, 2026.

The animated series from Critical Role and Titmouse will see a three episode weekly rollout for Season 4 on Prime Video.

In Season 3, the Chroma Conclave’s path of destruction spread like wildfire while the Cinder King hunted down Vox Machina. Our lovable band of misfits ultimately saved their loved ones, Tal’Dorei, and all of Exandria, but also suffered heavy losses. Season 4 finds our heroes scattered across the globe on separate journeys, but when a cataclysmic threat befalls Exandria, they must reunite to face a foe darker than they could imagine.

Something is brewing...#TheLegendofVoxMachina returns June 3, only on Prime Video. pic.twitter.com/0XNBpXiSnB

— The Mighty Nein and The Legend of Vox Machina (@LVMandM9onPrime) March 3, 2026

Here’s the official blurb:

In Season 4, we find ourselves a year after the Chroma Conclave. Vox Machina has separated, searching for love, family, and purpose. But as always, the call of adventure is a breath away. When a long-slumbering evil awakens to threaten the realm, they must reunite to take on an epic foe.

The Legend of Vox Machina stars Critical Role founders and cast members Laura Bailey (The Last of Us: Part II), Taliesin Jaffe (World of Warcraft), Ashley Johnson (The Last of Us), Liam O’Brien (Marvel’s Avengers), Matthew Mercer (Baldur’s Gate 3), Marisha Ray (Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft), Sam Riegel (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), and Travis Willingham (Dispatch).

At San Diego Comic-Con 2025, The Legend of Vox Machina was renewed for a fifth and final season with a Season 4 teaser in which the main characters plot a heist designed to steal a secret scroll from a heavily guarded vault inside a Cobalt archive. This is all part of the team’s bid to save the world from the apocalypse, of course.

"It's so rare for any television series to get to tell a complete story, beginning to end, exactly as it was envisioned,” said executive producers and Critical Role co-founders Sam Riegel and Travis Willingham at the time. “We're so grateful to our fans, the critters, our partners at Prime Video, and the original Kickstarter backers for bringing this show to life, and turning the numbskulls of Vox Machina into animation legends."

Critical Role is the Dungeons & Dragons livestream sensation that now has two of its fantasy role-playing campaigns adapted into animated shows for Prime Video. The Legend of Vox Machina is based on Critical Role’s first tabletop adventure, whereas The Mighty Nein adapts Campaign 2. The Mighty Nein is set in the same world as Vox Machina (Exandria), but takes place around 20 years later, with its main cast playing different characters. Critical Role has a video game on the way, too.

Image credit: Prime Video.

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.

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The Sims 4 Will Open an Official Marketplace to Let Content Creators Sell Mods for a Share of 'Moola'

The Sims 4 will introduce a brand new "Maker" program, allowing content creators to publish and sell custom mod packs on an official marketplace.

This new was announced today by Maxis, which unveiled The Sims Maker Program and Marketplace. Beginning March 5, designers can apply to join the Maker program, which will allow them to submit their work to the Marketplace when it opens on March 17. Only vetted and approved Makers will be allowed to publish and sell their creations. Makers must be 18 years old or older, be able to communicate proficiently in English, cannot reside in one of EA's embargoed regions, and must complete a technical evaluation by submitting two assets for review. Per Maxis, all submitted content will be reviewed by humans before it can be published.

The Marketplace itself will contain Expansion Packs, Game Packs, Stuff Packs, and Kits created internally by The Sims developers, as well as "Maker Packs" made by the Makers. Items on the Marketplace will be purchased with "Moola", a virtual currency that can be purchased in set increments (200 Moola for $2.49, 500 for $4.99, 1,000 for $9.99, 2,600 for $24.99, and 5,500 for $49.99). Moola is the only way in which players can purchase Maker Packs, though official The Sims packs can still be bought directly with regular currency. There is no way to earn Moola in-game; it must be purchased, is non-refundable, and it does not transfer from platform to platform. Neither Moola nor Maker Packs can be transferred from player to player.

Makers will receive "approximately 30%" of the purchase price from each sale, with Maxis offering the example that if someone spends 100 Moola on a Maker Pack, that Maker gets $0.30 USD. Makers determine the contents and costs of their packs.

Maxis says that it will continue to allow mod makers to create and distribute work outside of the Marketplace, provided they do not charge for it and remains free, as is currently stipulated in The Sims' mod policy. However, Maker publications on the Marketplace cannot be available for free or at a cost outside the Marketplace - they must be exclusive.

Marketplace will launch on March 17, 2026 on PC and Mac, and will come to PlayStation and Xbox at a later date.

Just last fall, a number of popular The Sims 4 content creators quit the EA Creator Network in protest after it was confirmed that EA would be acquired by an investor group composed of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), Silver Lake, and Jared Kushner's Affinity Partners in a transaction valued around $55 billion.

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

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Fallout 4 Anniversary Edition Is Coming to Nintendo Switch 2, Here’s Where You Can Preorder It

A selection of Bethesda games are officially making the jump to Nintendo Switch 2, including Fallout 4. Its physical Switch 2 Anniversary Edition is available to preorder right now from a variety of retailers for $59.99 (see it here at Amazon), and its release date lands on April 28. That's not too long of a wait at all. Head to the links below to preorder a copy for your physical games library, and further down you can learn more about what comes in this Anniversary Edition alongside the main game.

Preorder Fallout 4 Anniversary Edition (Switch 2)

Even though Bethesda has announced that Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is getting the game card treatment for Switch 2, this edition of Fallout 4 will arrive as a code in the box instead. You will need to download the game to your Switch 2, rather than play from a card.

What Comes in the Fallout 4 Anniversary Edition?

Alongside the base game for you to play, the Fallout 4 Anniversary Edition also comes with six official expansions:

  • Automatron
  • Wasteland Workshop
  • Far Harbor
  • Contraptions Workshop
  • Vault-Tec Workshop
  • Nuka-World.

There are also over 150 Creation Club items, including unique weapons, power armor sets, building packs, paint jobs, homes, and even other dog breeds that you can change Dogmeat to. That's a whole lot of game to enjoy.

Bethesda also notes in the announcement of the Anniversary Edition that, "There is no Creations menu in the Nintendo Switch 2 version of Fallout 4: Anniversary Edition. The 150+ included Creations have been built into the game."

What Is Fallout 4?

Developed by Bethesda, Fallout 4 is, as its title suggests, the fourth mainline game in the Fallout series. It's a game that earned a very high score in its review from us back when it was initially released, with reviewer Dan Stapleton saying, "The world, exploration, crafting, atmosphere, and story of Fallout 4 are all key parts of this hugely successful sandbox role-playing game. Great new reasons to obsessively gather and hoard relics of happier times, strong companions, and sympathetic villains driving tough decisions make it an adventure I’ll definitely replay and revisit."

More Preorder Guides

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

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'There's Been a Lot Misreported' — Kristen Bell Pours Cold Water on $60 Million Frozen Sequels Pay Claim

Frozen star Kristen Bell has played down a report that claimed she was set to pocket $60 million for voicing Princess Anna in Frozen 3 and 4 — while acknowledging she's still paid "very well" overall for the blockbuster Disney franchise.

Bell portrays Princess (and later Queen) Anna in the Frozen franchise, which so far consists of two feature films and an array of other spinoffs. Two more movies are now in production, with Frozen 3 set for November 24, 2027, and Frozen 4 to follow after.

Late last year, as the saga's cast recorded Frozen 3's dialogue, a report published by The Wrap claimed that Bell was set to earn an enormous $60 million for the two films, via an upfront lump sum as well as further awards tied to each movie's box office performance.

The same amount was reportedly set to be paid to both Idina Menzel and Josh Gad, who play Anna's sister Elsa and her snowman sidekick Olaf. Now, however, Bell has suggested this figure was "misreported."

"I think there's been a lot misreported about that Frozen deal," Bell told Entertainment Tonight, via EW. "No, no, no, no, no that's somebody making a lot of things up.

"Am I happy to have that job and does it pay very well because it’s a successful franchise? Yes," Bell continued. "And I'm so grateful for it, and I will continue to do it for the rest of my life if they'll have me."

Bell was reportedly paid $15 million for Frozen 2, so an increase to $30 million each for Frozen 3 and Frozen 4 would be a large leap — though you'd assume Disney would be keen to keep its cast happy as the franchise continues to be one of the company's most lucrative.

Disney has high hopes for Frozen 3, following the breakout success of the franchise's original two films. The first Frozen earned $1.28 billion back in 2013, an amount then topped by Frozen 2's $1.45 billion run in 2019.

Disney has released no details of Frozen 3's plot, though has suggested the film's story will be big enough to spread across two movies — with Frozen 4 necessary to wrap up the tale. Fans have long been hoping that Frozen 3 will finally give Elsa a love interest, while there's an expectation that the movie will also show Anna and Kristoff married.

"Coming out of Frozen 2, we still have some questions," writer and director Jennifer Lee teased back at D23 Expo, after showing off the movie's first concept art. "A lot of questions actually. Now, you see why we need two films to tell this story." The image, above, shows Elsa and Anna riding through a forest, with Olaf perched on the back of Anna's horse. A floating city in the sky can be seen, which the two look to be headed towards. An ominous horned figure holding a spear is also visible in silhouette. Mysterious!

Image credit: Amy Sussman/Getty Images.

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

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Heartopia Codes (March 2026)

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 (March 2026)

  • tangyuan0303y -Wishing Star x5, Apples x10, Fertilizer x10 (NEW!) (Valid Until: 31 March 2026)
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  • SPRINGFEST2026 - Moonlight Crystal x10, 8,888 Gold (Valid Until: 31 March 2026)
  • love214 - Snowfeather Rose x5, Colorful Sparkler x2, Colorful Cold Firework (Valid Until: 31 March 2026)
  • x8r2m9q5l7 - Wishing Star x5, Mermaid Fish Attractor x3, Fertilizer x10 (Valid Until: 31 March 2026)
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  • heartopia10m - Wishing Star x10 - (Valid Until: 31 March 2026)
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  • happy2026 - Moonlight Crystal x10, 8,888 Gold - (Valid Until: 31 March 2026)
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  • true5mthks - Quality Timber x10, Chef's Special Salad x2, Branches x20 (Valid Until: 31 March 2026)
  • heartopia5m - Wishing Star x5 (Valid Until: 31 March 2026)
  • r4a8x2n - Wishing Star x5, Growth Booster x10, Orange x10 (Valid Until: 31 March 2026)
  • top1thanks - Wishing Star x5, Mermaid Perfum x2, Mandarin x10 (Valid Until: 31 March 2026)
  • b8n2k5l- Flawless Fluorite x2, Rare Timber x6, Stone x10 (Valid Until: 31 March 2026)
  • letsparty - Wishing Star x15, 5,000 Gold, Repair Kit x3 (Valid Until: 31 March 2026)
  • dcthx4u - Wishing Star x10 (Valid Until: 29 June 2026)
  • m7r9q4a - Mermaid Perfumex2, 10,000 Gold, Egg x10 (Valid Until: 31 March 2026)
  • x2l8k6p - Wishing Star x5, Fertilizer x10, Apple x10 (Valid Until: 31 March 2026)
  • h9q3a7m5 - Roaming Oak Timber x2, Milk x10, Timber x10 (Valid Until: 31 March 2026)
  • z4p6n8r2 - Quality Timber x10, Chef's Special Salad x2, Branches x20 (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)

Expired Codes for Heartopia

The following Heartopia codes have expired and can no longer be redeemed for their rewards:

  • mylittlepony - Moonlight Crystals x100 (Expired: 7 February 2026)
  • heartopia0108 - Moonlight Crystals x100 (Expired: 7 February 2026)
  • specialgift0103 - Moonlight Crystals x100 (Expired: 7 February 2026)

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 - Where Is The Mailbox?

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 they are often 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.

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Cyberpunk 2077 Headlines Xbox Game Pass March 2026 Lineup

Microsoft has announced the Xbox Game Pass March 2026 lineup, confirming the addition of CD Projekt’s Cyberpunk 2077.

It’s the headline game for Wave 1 of this month, which also includes Planet of Lana II: Children of the Leaf as a day one release, and Hollow Knight: Silksong on Game Pass Premium, according to Xbox Wire.

Out today, March 3 (and already announced), are Final Fantasy III (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, and PC) and Kingdom Come: Deliverance II (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, and PC), both on Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, and PC Game Pass.

Tomorrow, March 4, sees the addition of to a T (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, and PC), now with Game Pass Premium, and EA Sports F1 25 (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, and PC) via Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.

March 5 sees the day one launch of Planet of Lana II: Children of the Leaf (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, Handheld, and PC) on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. Moving on to March 10, and subscribers have Construction Simulator (Cloud, Console, and PC) via Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, and PC Game Pass, and the aforementioned Cyberpunk 2077 (Cloud and Console) via Game Pass Ultimate and Game Pass Premium. PC Game Pass was not mentioned for Cyberpunk.

Then, on March 12, Hollow Knight: Silksong (Cloud, Console, Handheld, and PC) joins Game Pass Premium (it's already on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass). rounding out Wave 1 of March's lineup is DreamWorks Gabby’s Dollhouse: Ready to Party (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, and PC) on March 17, via Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, and PC Game Pass.

As always, a number of games are set to leave Game Pass. You can save up to 20% off your purchase to keep playing.

Games leaving Xbox Game Pass on March 15, 2026:

  • Bratz Rhythm & Style (Cloud, Console, and PC)
  • Enter the Gungeon (Cloud, Console, and PC)
  • F1 23 (Cloud, Console, and PC)
  • He is Coming (PC)
  • Lightyear Frontier (Cloud, Console, and PC)
  • Mythwrecked: Ambrosia Island (Cloud, Console, and PC)

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.

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'It F***ing Sucks, and in a Way Is a Compliment' — Resident Evil Requiem Is Proving Tough for Fans With Arachnophobia, Though the Inevitable Thomas the Tank Engine Mod Is Here to Help

Arachnophobia sufferers are having a tough time with Resident Evil Requiem, but there is help at hand from fellow players — as well as in the shape of a certain cheery choo choo train.

Warning: Spoilers for Resident Evil Requiem follow

Requiem features a giant spider as a major boss fight in Raccoon City, and the knowledge that this sequence is in the game has spawned many, many, many different threads on reddit from Resident Evil fans who experience arachnophobia. In most cases, fans are requesting more information on how horrible the game's spider section is (it's quite horrible), while others who made it through the battle are reporting in with their experiences.

Some fans are stuck in a dilemma — they want to play the big new Resident Evil game, but are also dreading reaching a section with a very realistic giant spider boss that's creepy enough even for those without an actual phobia.

"Trying to be as vague as possible in the title, how is that f***ing giant spider mid-game?" reads one such message, from reddit user saekhama. "Does it come in a jumpscare or you can predict the moment it's gonna make its first appearance/attack? For reference, I'd say the Skyrim and Witcher 3 spiders are some of the worst, as they're hairy, realistic and move fast. I don't think I'm gonna not buy the game because of it, but I might ask a friend to come and play this part for me."

"It's horrible," answered another fan, Tasty_James, in reply. "As someone who can't get through the Aragog/Shelob scenes in their respective [Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings] films, this has been a f***ing nightmare. It's huge, hairy, detailed, and f***ing fast... Genuinely the most terrifying experience I’ve ever had during any videogame (and I could probably expand that to all media as well, tbh).

In other discussion threads, players have been offering tips on how to kill the spider boss fast, in order to get it off their screens as quickly as possible.

"I got to the spider boss section! I wasn't expecting that until the last minute I was like 'Wait a damn minute... these are webs!' took me a while to realize it then BOOM, big spooder: Hello There >:)" wrote TheSkateDude6. "How many shots or melee attacks does it take to finish it off? I'll be playing without my glasses since it will help slightly in a way. If it's too much for me, I'll wait for an arachnophobia mode."

Common tips for this section are to make use of the areas explosive barrels, and of course your Requiem gun. (IGN's walkthrough also has plenty of advice — and you can find the spider boss fight section here.) Some fans with arachnophobia have reported using less conventional tactics, meanwhile, such as playing without wearing their glasses, or even moving to a smaller TV screen.

"My strategy so far has been to take off my glasses (I'm severely near-sighted)," Tasty_James said, "and sort of look vaguely away from the screen so as to keep it blurry and in my peripheral vision at all times. I haven't beaten its boss fight yet, obviously, and I have no idea if I'm going to be able to."

"I played this without my glasses, it's a blessing in disguise somehow," wrote Typical-Mixture4376 in another thread. "The smaller ones are freaking me out more than the large one lol," EqualAd-1348 wrote, in yet another conversation. "Thankfully, I think I will at least be able to manage by playing that segment on my other TV (32")."

As well as an enormous spider that Leon has to fight, a swarm of mini baby spiders is also featured as part of the same area. On the upside, though, once outside of the one spider section, the game does not feature the enemies ever again.

"It was genuinely the worst experience I've ever had with my arachnophobia in a video game," concluded TheUberMensch123. "It fucking sucks, and in a way is a complement, that the thing moves and looks so goddamn real. I almost had to shut the game off. Hopefully an arachnophobia mod comes out soon."

While there isn't an arachnophobia mode add-on yet, NexusMods does host the customary Thomas the Tank Engine mod. While unavailable on consoles, PC players can at least choo choo choose to see Thomas' giant smiling face bearing down upon Leon rather than that of an enormous arachnid. We'll leave it up to you to decide which is worse.

Choo choo! https://t.co/Ax5AFzhVEk pic.twitter.com/dsZFt2SIBN

— 🏳️‍🌈 ΛLISTΞR 🏳️‍🌈 (@xZombieAlix) March 2, 2026

Whether you're battling spiders or zombies, IGN's Resident Evil: Requiem guide will help you every step of the way through RE9. Take note of these key tips and tricks before you get started, and focus on finding these important items early. Plus, our comprehensive walkthrough will make sure you don't miss a single Bobblehead or file as you try to survive from the Rhodes Hill Chronic Care Center all the way to Raccoon City.

Image credit: xZombieAlix.

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

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Nintendo Indie World Showcase March 2026: Everything Announced (Updating Live!)

Nintendo is about to present its latest Indie World Showcase, which promises to reveal roughly 15 minutes of news and updates on indie games coming to Nintendo Switch 2 and Nintendo Switch. The fun begins at 6am PT / 9am ET / 2pm UK time today, and we'll be gathering all the reveals right here to ensure you don't miss a thing.

We'll also be updating this article live as the show happens, so be sure to keep checking back! Oh, and let us know what you are most excited for below!

Denshattack! Kicks Off the Nintendo Indie World Showcase In Style

Denshattack!, the game lovingly referred to as Tony Hawk with Japanese trains, kicked off the Nintendo Indie World showcase by revealing new gameplay, sharing its June 17 release date, and announcing that a demo is available today!

Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault Needs You to Be the Best Shopkeeper and Dungeon Explorer

Run a shop and go explore dungeons in Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault. The further you delve, the greater the reward, but it won't be easy. You'll have to master both parts of your life when Moonlight 2: The Endless Vault launches later in 2026.

My Little Puppy Looks to Be a Heartwarming Tale of Our Best Friends After They Cross the Rainbow Bridge

My Little Puppy is headed to Switch on May 29, 2026, and it looks to tell a heartwarming tale of our best friends after they cross the rainbow bridge. It's a tale about meeting, parting, and reuniting, and the team hopes it will be remembered in the hearts of everyone who loves their puppies.

Woodo Is a Cozy 3D Diorama Game That Already has Our Hearts

Follow the story of Foxy the Fox and the Ben the Frog while you get cozy and build 3D dioramas that have already stolen our hearts. Woodo will be available in summer 2026.

Developing...

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

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