The long-awaited Metroid Prime 4: Beyond finally released in December, and well, not everyone is happy with it.
The game’s focus on NPCs and a literal desert of an open world did not resonate with gamers as well as Retro Studios had hoped. I hate to admit it, but I agree with the loud people on the internet. None of the people complaining about the dialogue better be Xenoblade fans, though. I’d rather listen to Myles MacKenzie’s unprompted advice than the childish blathering of the Nopon or inane technobabble that makes Star Trek’s sound like Shakespeare.
January persists, but so do we! Welcome to another edition of Box Art Brawl.
Last week, we matched up three different covers for Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition, and the results weren’t even close. The moody European variant walked away with a dominant 69% of the vote, leaving North America in second with 28%, and the Japanese design picking up the crumbs with the remaining 4%.
This is the 51st Maximus Cup (also known as a Grand Prix) and will take place between 8th January 2026 and 12th January 2026. As usual, when you earn a total of 100 event points, you’ll unlock a new theme featuring unique art, music and Tetrimino designs. This is all “inspired by the updated content in the Animal Crossing: New Horizons game”. You can see it in motion in the gameplay trailer above.
Warhammer 40,000 lore fans are in overdrive after a single page of a new campaign book teased something that’s never happened before in the setting: the meeting of two loyalist primarchs.
Only two loyalist primarchs are confirmed alive and active in the current Warhammer 40,000 setting: Ultramarines boss Roboute Guilliman, who returned to the galaxy during the Gathering Storm event in 2017, and Dark Angels chief Lion El’Jonson, who miraculously popped back into existence as part of the Arks of Omen storyline in early 2023.
Ever since Lion El’Jonson’s shock return to Warhammer 40,000, fans have wondered when he’d finally bump into his brother, Roboute. Now, it looks like that long-awaited family reunion will take place in the coming months, after a new campaign book teased a meeting of the Emperor’s sons.
Word comes from Warhammer 40,000 lore expert Arbitor Ian, who IGN has partnered with for a number of explainer videos, such as the one above. Arbitor Ian got an early look at 500 Worlds: Titus, a soon to be released Warhammer 40,000 campaign book and narrative expansion that features 80 pages of lore covering the beginning of the Ultramarian Reclamation, and published a new video on its most explosive lore reveal.
To back up briefly, Lieutenant Titus from the Space Marine 2 video game has become one of the most recognizable faces in Warhammer 40,000 following its enormous success. To capitalize on Titus’ newfound fame, Games Workshop promoted him to Captain and made him Master of the Watch, which means he’s in charge of defending the 500 Worlds of Ultramar, the realm of Space Marine poster boys, the Ultramarines. With Roboute Guilliman off gallivanting with his Indomitus Crusade, Titus is now in charge of keeping things safe and sound back home, where new Necron threats have emerged, as they always do.
According to the new video from Arbitor Ian, 500 Worlds: Titus has a crucial piece of new lore, found right at the back of the book, that teases a meeting between Guilliman and Lion El’Jonson. It is an intergalactic message written by Lion El’Jonson and intended for Roboute Guilliman that reads: “Brother. We need to talk.”
This seemingly innocuous message teases a momentous plot development for the Warhammer 40,000 universe. Never before have two loyalist primarchs met in the current setting. Of course they spent a great deal of time with each other before the 41st millennium. They were, generally, pals during the glory days of the Great Crusade, for example. All the primarchs (apart from the two we don’t talk about) were active during the foundational events of the Horus Heresy, which took place 10,000 years before the current setting. And we just got our first novel set during the era known as The Scouring, which saw the loyalist primarchs enact their revenge on the traitor legions in the aftermath of the Horus Heresy.
The question now is, how will this meeting between Lion El’Jonson and Roboute go? It’s hard to tell. Some fans are speculating the Lion will be a bit miffed at Roboute, who has alarmed more than a few inquisitive minds with his Indomitus Crusade. Others think (hope?) the brothers will join forces to help drive back the forces of Chaos and rekindle the glory days of the Imperium. Given this is Warhammer 40,000 and everything is… awful, I suspect that plenty will go wrong, no matter the Lion’s feelings about his brother.
And then there’s the speculation around the message itself: “Brother. We need to talk.” That doesn’t sound aggressive necessarily, but it does suggest a matter of some importance needs to be brought to Guilliman’s attention. What does the Lion know that his brother doesn’t? Does he carry a warning? Has he discovered some grand conspiracy about their father, the Emperor? Does he bring good news? Is another loyalist primarch about to return?
Arbitor Ian speculates that the Lion may be upset with Guilliman because he believes his brother to be trying to usurp the Emperor with all this Indomitus Crusade and Ultramarian Reclamation business (there’s a whole thing about Roboute potentially doing something similar during the Horus Heresy when it looked like Chaos might win). Alternatively, Arbitor Ian suggests the Lion will reveal some new threat that becomes central to the plot of the next Warhammer 40,000 campaign book, perhaps to do with would-be fifth Chaos god Vashtorr the Arkifane.
Whatever Games Workshop has up its sleeve, it looks like we’re set for some answers over the next few months. At least, that’s the hope. Fans have been waiting three years for the Lion and Guilliman to get together. If Games Workshop just sat on this tease for another few years, well… that would be very Games Workshop, wouldn’t it?
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.
Every once in a while, a game rocks up that so quickly finds itself in my Steam wishlist I don’t even remember clicking the button. Today, that game is Rakshasa, Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines and Baldur’s Gate inspired first-person RPG set in modern India where you must face off against demi-gods and “centuries-old flesh-eating monsters” inspired by Indian folklore. Yeah! Hell yeah! Yeah, yeah sign me up!
Wizard Pool! It is, probably, exactly what you think it is. You are a wizard, and you play pool. Well, admittedly there is a smidge more to it than that, alongside a healthy amount of charm. Styled in a way that looks like an N64 game in the kind of way you remember that era looking rather than how it actually looked, you play as Kue, a budding young wizard tasked by his uncle to complete a trial in the form of a tower filled with magical, illogical pool tables.
We’ve rounded up the best deals for Saturday, January 10, below. Don’t miss your chance to save on these deals!
Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 for $58.99
Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 released for Nintendo Switch last Fall, and today, you can score this double pack for $58.99 at Woot! These two adventures are some of Mario’s greatest, making this a must-own game for any Switch owner. Plus, there’s a free update for Nintendo Switch 2 that enables 4K support.
Fantasian Neo Dimension for $26.70
Fantasian Neo Dimension is the latest game from a legendary creator who needs no introduction: Hironobu Sakaguchi. This incredible turn-based RPG is a joy to play through, featuring a great story with music from the all-time great Nobuo Uematsu. Pick up a Nintendo Switch copy today and add it to your collection for only $26.70.
Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound for $31.12
Ninja Gaiden had an incredible 2025, and today, you can score one of the franchise’s most unique entries for $31.12. Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound released in August and was created by The Game Kitchen. In our 9/10 review, we wrote, “Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound looks and sounds incredible, and the fast but thoughtful combat is so satisfying it’s hard to put down.”
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom for $46.99
Tears of the Kingdom is one of the best games of the decade, maybe even ever. The expansive world and formula that Breath of the Wild introduced was perfected on, with Sky Islands and The Depths adding to an already gigantic world. Right now, you can take home a physical copy for $46.99, which is 33% off the usual price.
Save on The Art of DOOM: The Dark Ages
Art books are a great way to gain greater insight into the development of your favorite games. This DOOM: The Dark Ages art book was released a few weeks ago, and it’s already on sale for just under $31. Featuring over 200 pages, you can dive into behind-the-scenes art of the Doom Slayer, his weapons, and even enemies or locations.
Silent Hill 2 for $27.39
Silent Hill 2 is available for $27.39 at Amazon. The Bloober Team-developed remake brought new life to the iconic Konami game, depicting the story of James Sunderland as he travels to Silent Hill after receiving a letter from his dead wife. With revamped combat, a rerecorded soundtrack, and new story additions, Silent Hill 2 is a fantastic horror game that is worth experiencing.
Devil May Cry 5: Official Artworks for $24.59
Devil May Cry 5 had a fantastic group of artists working on it, and you can take home the Official Artworks book this weekend for $24.59. This hardcover 256 page book packs in concept art, weapon designs, locations, storyboards, and more. It’s the perfect addition to any DMC fan’s collection.
I think as long as you make a new year’s update post before the incredibly arbitrary date of January 13th, you’re still able to do so without me thinking “come on, it’s almost February”, which is exactly what EA did with their new years Sims update post. Perhaps reassuringly, after word came last year of EA’s concerning acquisition, the post opens by doubling down on what the team has previously said regarding staying committed to their values (those values including inclusivity is welcome though I wish they’d be more explicit about who is being included). But the post also, sort of, goes into what’s next for the series.
Hear ye, hear ye, another extraction shooter is almost upon us, this time the smaller but still quite bold in scope Sand: Raiders of Sophie. Last time I personally heard of this game it was just called Sand, which doesn’t sound great for that whole search engine thing, though I’m not entirely convinced by the subtitle. Anyway, this extraction shooter is set in an alternate 1910 where you get to roam the desert in a steampunky fortress with legs, and it’s got a release month!
As someone who witnessed its initial release, I’m delightfully baffled that Nintendo is resurrecting the Virtual Boy. We aren’t just getting a passing mention or a trophy in a Smash Bros. game; we’re getting a full-blown revival, including a dedicated NSO app, a $100 authentic replica peripheral, and a $25 cardboard cutout for the Labo diehards.
All this for the console that married Game Boy visuals with Vectrex-style wireframes, stuffed them into a View-Master shell, and doused the whole package in a colour palette straight out of a 19th-century darkroom.
