I maintain that the bounties of Hollow Knight: Silksong’s drum-tight action and hyper-intricate world exploration ultimately outweigh its repeated acts of smirking sadism. It’s a fine dining restaurant where the waiters insist on bashing your kneecaps out with claw hammers before serving the most delightful, perfectly layered mille-feuille you’ve had in your life. It’sh delishush, you mumble through a full mouth and agonised tears.
Still, sometimes I’ll fancy a taste of the good stuff without necessarily having my skeleton destroyed. To that end, I’ve been taking regular breaks from Silksong’s usual heroics to pursue the simpler life of a package courier for Pharloom’s surviving insects.
There’s been some fairly heated debate since the announcement of Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2, over the remastered collection’s hefty price tag. It’s quite a lot of money for a pair of Wii games, as absolutely phenomenal as they are, there’s no getting around it.
However, we do already know that the games present at 4K/1080p on Switch 2 (1080p docked on Switch 1), and that they offer up a sprinkling of new features such as a new Assist Mode, a new chapter of Rosalina’s storybook, amiibo support, and what’s described as “visual enhancements”. How very vague of you, Nintendo.
Borderlands 4 players have discovered an infinite damage build so broken it kills bosses in seconds — even on the hardest difficulty levels.
As reported by PC Gamer, YouTuber NickTew released gameplay showing a Vex build that makes a mockery of Borderlands 4’s toughest enemies. And now the build is spreading like wildfire, fans are convinced Gearbox will soon nerf it into the ground. So, as NickTew suggested: “abuse it while you can.”
To make this build work you need the Vampiric Vivisecting Throwing Knife with the Penetrator Augment. Land a hit with this knife and subsequent damage to the target are automatic critical hits for five seconds.
Here’s the trick: add bleed stacking and each tick of the bleed effect registers as a critical hit. Yep, every one is a crit.
That’s brilliant for every class, but it’s even better for Vex because of her Bloodletter passive. This makes your gun and skill critical hits have a chance to apply bleed, which counts as gun damage and is based on the initial damage dealt.
Vex’s Contamination passive adds to the carnage, because it causes critical hits to increase status effect application chance up to 100%, ensuring the bleed re-procs infinitely. So, throw the knife, land one big shot on the boss, and watch the numbers get bigger and bigger as the bleed ticks it down.
NickTew nukes a boss with a level 32 weapon on the Ultimate Vault Hunter Level 5 difficulty, just to show how effective the build really is. This difficulty means enemies have an additional 350% HP, and the boss still goes down in seconds.
The problem is, a knife with this augment is a rare find (hopefully you didn’t sell or drop one you picked up early game!), so you’ll probably need to do some farming to get it (Splashzone seems like a good shout). Once done, though, the build is essentially complete.
It’s worth noting that there appears to be an issue with using this build in co-op, although we’re not sure why.
Obviously, Gearbox will take a look at this one, although Borderlands 4 creative director Graeme Timmins has said the developer won’t “knee jerk react to anything.” Indeed, fans are saying this build should be nerfed, as it’s clearly operating in a way that breaks the game.
“I honestly think this has to get nerfed,” said one YouTube commenter. “There’s OP build and then there’s this. It just trivialises the game to the point that the guns don’t even matter anymore. Just apply the penetrator debuff and bleed and then watch it go exponential in damage. Probably not an interaction the devs picked up on in balance testing.”
Gearbox has a lot to contend with right now, including improving performance (while Randy Pitchford tweets through it), adding a field of view (FOV) slider to the console version, and working on post-launch content.
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
The Crew Unlimited, a fan project making Ubisoft racerThe Crew playable again following its unceremonious shutdown last year, released yesterday, September 15th. There’s been some early issues to rectify, with the developers having put out two hotfixes already and emphasised that they’re “not responsible” for any problems caused by people having grabbed “broken/corrupted game files” from “shady sources”.
As we reported earlier this month, The Crew Unlimited’s devs started working on it not long after Ubisoft pulled the racer’s official servers offline in March 2024, rendering it unplayable. Cue a group of fans deciding to set up a server emulator that’d allow them to get it up and running again for players who still had the game files installed.
Sega has reignited its old rivalry against Nintendo in a spicy trailer for Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds that doesn’t hold back on its comparisons with Switch 2 launch title Mario Kart World.
In a voiceover for CrossWorlds’ “Come Race on Our Level” trailer, Sega highlights the differences between the two games, hyping up its game’s multiverse-spanning racetracks and cross-platform gameplay. The same voiceover then noticeably sounds bored when referencing the other game‘s ability to “roam around on the open world” — a clear nod to Mario Kart World, whose open-world gameplay has garnered a mixed response from fans.
What looks to be actual footage of Mario Kart World is even featured in the trailer — although Sega has pixellated the video, presumably to avoid getting sued.
The excitement levels from both games are represented visually with a sleek and speedy racecar for Crossworlds, compared to a dusty, old-fashioned RV for Mario Kart World. One shot shows it stall next to a cow (a likely nod to the game’s breakout Cow character) and a tortoise — an animal not known for its speed.
“We all know that kart racing game,” the trailer’s voiceover states. “It’s great, we don’t need to show it to you. But what if you could blast through and race on a whole other level? What if you could warp across different dimensions, fully customise and build out your machine and compete head-to-head across different platforms?
“Or, er, what if you want to… roam around on the open road…”
Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds launches for PC, PlayStation 4, PS5, Switch 1, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S on September 25, just six months after the arrival of Mario Kart World on Switch 2.
A Switch 2 version of CrossWorlds is also on the way, but curiously not this month. Could this be Sega knowing it would do better to leave more of a gap between CrossWorlds and Mario Kart World on Switch 2, or has Nintendo suggested it would rather Sega not release a direct competitor so soon?
Whichever is the case, here’s hoping Nintendo still has a sense of humor when it sees this.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
Sega has released a new trailer for the upcoming Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, and with it has reignited its rivalry with Nintendo (albeit in a cute, harmless sort of way).
In an effort to pay homage to its Sega Genesis vs. SNES advertisement from the early ’90s, the new trailer highlights CrossWorlds’ high-speed action, broad customisation, and cross-platform compatibility, all the while throwing slight shade at Mario Kart World.
Seamlessly Access Your Gaming Library, Apps, and Play History in One Place with Xbox on Windows PCs and Handheld
Jason Beaumont, VP of Experiences, Xbox
Summary
Xbox is bringing your gaming library, select third-party apps, and PC storefronts together in one convenient place.
Everyone now has access to the new aggregated gaming library.
Coming soon, everyone will be able to access their cloud-playable titles and play history across all devices.
Starting today, we’re excited to share that new updates are rolling out for Xbox on PC and handheld that make it easier to launch and manage your games and apps – all in one place.
In response to feedback we’ve heard from Xbox Insiders and our community, we’ve introduced several new features to enhance your gaming experience on Windows PCs and handhelds. The aggregated gaming library, cross-device play history, and updated app functionality give you more control over how and where you play, helping you quickly jump back into the games you love.
Aggregated Gaming Library to Launch Your Games
Bring your game collection together with the new aggregated gaming library that shows your installed games from multiple PC storefronts, including your Xbox library, Xbox Game Pass, Battle.net and other leading PC storefronts, making it easier than ever to access your games in one place, whether you’re on a Windows PC or handheld device.
When you install a game from a supported PC storefront, it automatically appears in “My Library” within the Xbox PC app, as well as the “Most Recent” list of titles in the sidebar, so you can jump back into your favorite games with just a click.
Control What You See in Your Library
Games installed from supported PC storefronts will automatically appear in My Library and in the Most Recent section of the Xbox PC app.
Prefer a more simplified view?
Select your profile picture
Head to Settings
Go to Library & Extensions
Find the storefronts listed
Toggle any listings you’d prefer not to see
Once disabled, those titles will no longer appear in your library, giving you full control over how your library looks and feels.
Get to other PC Storefronts Faster with My Apps
This new tab in my library brings third-party apps and storefronts together in one convenient place, supporting the aggregated gaming library so you can find, download, and launch games from multiple locations, without switching between apps or your desktop.
Just Pick Up and Play
Coming later in September your cloud-playable games and game play history will follow you across all your devices.
To find out which games are cloud playable, select the “cloud playable” filter in “My games” to view your catalog of supported titles.
Once this feature is released, look for the “Jump back in” list on the Home screen of your console, PC, or handheld to find your recent play history and pick up where you left off.
Help Shape the Future of Xbox
Stay tuned to Xbox Wire for future updates and the latest and greatest Xbox news. For support related to Xbox updates, visit the official Xbox Support site.
Today’s roundup is stacked with some of the biggest Nintendo Switch 2 releases of 2025, covering every confirmed first-party game and amiibo on the calendar.
On top of that, Kirby fans can look forward to Kirby Air Riders and a fresh wave of themed amiibo arriving in November. It’s rare to see such a complete slate of first-party releases lined up this early, which makes today’s deals list worth bookmarking if you plan on building out a Switch 2 library.
TL;DR: Deals For Today
But that’s not all, today’s roundup also features Pokémon TCG deals that fall below market value. In several cases, Amazon’s pricing has dipped under TCGPlayer’s, which is usually the lowest benchmark for sealed product.
AliExpress is offering an outstanding deal on a popular entry level electric bike. Right now the Amyet V9-G60 Electric Bike with 1,000W (1,500W peak) motor and 48V 20AH battery is on sale for just $477.47 after you apply $100 off coupon code “USDEAL100” during checkout. You’re buying it from Amyet’s official store on AliExpress. It ships free locally from the United States and arrives within 1 to 2 weeks. You’d be hard pressed to find a new electric bike for under $500 stateside, especially one that has a 1,000W motor (the least expensive bikes cost more and are usually rated for 750W). The same bike is priced at $500 plus $165 shipping on Amazon, so you’d paying nearly $200 more buying it from there.
Pokémon TCG Price Watch
If you’re looking to stock up on sealed Pokémon TCG product, TCGPlayer remains the most reliable place for market-low pricing across the board. The vast majority of booster packs, tins, and trainer boxes are sitting cheaper there than on Amazon, often by $5-$15.
Bundles like the White Flare Binder Collection and the Shining Fates Collection Pikachu V Box are up to $40 off, deals that everyone should be snapping up right now. It’s worth keeping an eye on these dips, since Amazon tends to fluctuate prices more often than dedicated TCG retailers.
Silver Tempest has proven to be one of the most collector-driven sets of the Sword and Shield era, with prices pulled between nostalgia, competitive play, and limited supply. The clear winner is Lugia V (Alternate Full Art) 186/195, which has surged 68% since July to $427, cementing itself as the set’s chase card.
Trainer Gallery standouts like Rayquaza VMAX TG20/TG30 and Blaziken VMAX TG15/TG30 have also doubled or tripled in value thanks to strong artwork and nostalgia, while even Lugia VSTAR continues climbing on competitive strength. At the same time, cards like Regidrago V (Alternate Art) and Alolan Vulpix VSTAR have cooled as the meta shifted away from them, with values slipping back toward the $12–$14 range.
Snag Classic Mega Evolution Cards Before Market Rise
The market for XY-era Mega Evolution Pokémon cards is heating up fast ahead of Pokémon Legends: Z-A and the upcoming Mega Evolution TCG set. Collectors aren’t waiting for modern reprints, they’re chasing the originals, and prices are showing it. Some cards have exploded in value, while others have steadied after sharp climbs, creating both momentum plays and entry points for buyers. Leading the surge is M Rayquaza EX (Shiny Full Art – Ancient Origins), which has skyrocketed over 426% this year, from $275 in January to $1,450 today.
M Gengar EX (Secret Rare – Phantom Forces) isn’t far behind, up nearly fivefold to $415, cementing its place as one of the most sought-after Megas. Other heavy-hitters include M Rayquaza EX (Full Art – Roaring Skies), now at $656, M Charizard EX (X – Flashfire) climbing past $349, and Primal Groudon EX (Shiny Full Art), which has more than doubled to $349. These climbers show how nostalgia, unique mechanics, and iconic artwork are driving a collector frenzy.
But not every Mega Evolution is running away in price. Some cards have plateaued after strong early-year gains, leaving a rare buying window before the next spike. M Mewtwo EX (Full Art – BREAKthrough) climbed from $37 to $145 but has leveled off in recent weeks, while M Alakazam EX (Full Art – Fates Collide) sits steady just under $100 after jumping from $28 earlier this year.
Even Charizard is showing signs of cooling, M Charizard EX (Generations) and M Charizard EX (Full Art – Evolutions) have tripled since January but are holding in the $190-$200 range for now. These pauses don’t signal weakness; rather, they reflect consolidation before the broader Mega Evolution wave hits with new set releases. For collectors and investors, the message is clear: the grails are climbing fast, but the plateaued cards may be the smarter pickups before Mega hype takes over the market again.
Crown Zenith Prices Are Rising
The Crown Zenith market has been showing two very different stories this month. On one hand, several Galarian Gallery Ultra Rares are slipping as hype fades, with fan-favorites like Leafeon VSTAR and Suicune V dropping more than 20% from their peaks.
On the other hand, the gold Secret Rares are climbing steadily, led by Giratina VSTAR and Arceus VSTAR, as collectors chase the scarce, high-end pieces of the set. This split reflects a maturing market: casual collectors are less interested in mid-tier Eeveelutions and V cards, while serious players and investors are doubling down on the big four golds.
Among the crashers, Leafeon VSTAR has fallen from nearly $50 to the $43 range, and Glaceon VSTAR is down 26% since February, hovering in the mid-$30s. Deoxys VMAX has slipped under $37, while Suicune V and Raikou V both lost more than a quarter of their value since spring. These are still striking artworks, but set fatigue and limited competitive relevance are pushing prices down.
Meanwhile, the climbers are commanding all the attention. Giratina VSTAR (Secret) has surged nearly 20% since July to $180, making it the definitive chase of Crown Zenith. Mewtwo VSTAR is also up more than 30% this summer, with its Charizard battle artwork driving collector demand. Rounding out the gains, Arceus VSTAR, Origin Forme Dialga VSTAR, and Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR are all trending higher as well, thanks to their powerful abilities and limited supply. Taken together, the set still holds broad collector appeal, but it’s clear the market is consolidating around the golden Secret Rares as the safest long-term holds.
First Party Nintendo Switch 2 Preorders
Nintendo’s 2025 first-party lineup is shaping up to be one of its strongest in years. Pokémon Legends: Z-A is set to arrive in October, followed closely by Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2 bundled together for Switch 2.
Then in December, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond lands with its own set of new amiibo figures, alongside Kirby’s big return in Kirby Air Riders. Between new entries in cornerstone franchises and fresh collectible amiibo launches, fans will have plenty to keep their Switch 2 libraries stocked through the holidays.
Third Party Switch 2 Preorders
The third-party slate for Switch 2 is just as impressive, with several big franchises making the jump to the new hardware. Mortal Kombat Legacy Kollection launches in December with a full set of classic fighters, while Borderlands 4 and Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake hit this fall.
Beyond that, titles like Hades II, Octopath Traveler 0, and Cronos round out the lineup for RPG fans. Whether you’re into fighters, shooters, or sprawling JRPGs, the Switch 2’s preorder catalog already feels packed, and today’s deals cover every one of them.
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.
Hollow Knight: Silksong didn’t need to do much; it just needed to be ‘more Hollow Knight‘. That’s a huge task in itself; a slightly bigger, slightly better version of an already amazing, genre-defining game. But it’s clear that, after seven years of refining and perfecting and toiling, Team Cherry wanted more than just ‘more Hollow Knight’. Hours and hours of love have been poured into every single aspect of Silksong, where the attention to detail is off the charts, and the surprises just keep coming. It elevates map design and purposeful challenge effortlessly, and is an improvement on Hollow Knight in every single way.
I knew from the moment I first stepped into Pharloom and was wowed by its beautiful colour palette and its eclectic mix of bug NPCs, I would fall in love with this game. But the moment that truly cemented it for me was when I was struck with a revelation (very literally) by being hit by an enemy for two masks of damage instead of one. Barbs, spikes, and booby trap benches lay in waiting to catch me off guard. Sawblades and pits are just out of view to punish a dashing Hornet. One time, I stood on a switch that activated a blade that killed me in one hit after a tricky platforming challenge. I couldn’t stop laughing; I owe Primal Aspids an apology.
We can finally confirm that Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is set to release for Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 on December 4. This time Samus is dispatched to Planet Viewros, where she discovers some interesting psychic abilities in addition to her standard ones. She also goes up against Sylux, another bounty hunter who isn’t happy with the Galactic Federation, or Samus. The game is now available to preorder in physical and digital editions (see it at Amazon). You can also preorder some awesome looking amiibo to go along with it. Let’s dive in.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is available to preorder on the original Switch and in an enhanced version on Switch 2. It’s available in physical or digital format, and if you buy on Switch but get a Switch 2 later, you can purchase an upgrade pack, just like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.
Preorder Metroid Prime 4: Beyond Amiibo
Launching alongside the game are a trio of ridiculously awesome looking Metroid Prime 4: Beyond amiibo. There’s Samus solo, aiming her blaster arm. There’s Samus on the extremely cool Vi-O-La motorcycle you get to ride in the game. And there’s the villainous Sylux. Nintendo hasn’t announced what in-game functionality scanning the amiibo will offer, but they’re sure to do something.
Let’s say you buy the game for the original Switch, and then you get a Switch 2 later. In that case, you can purchase the upgrade pack for $9.99 on the Nintendo eShop. This turns a standard Switch version (even a physical copy) into the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition of the game.
The benefits of the upgrade include enhanced resolution, frame rate, and load times, plus the ability to aim by using a Joy-Con 2 controller as a mouse. Here’s Nintendo’s official description of the specifics of the upgrade:
“Two display modes let you choose how to experience the adventure. Enjoy more detail in Quality Mode, which runs at 60 frames per second in 4k while docked and in 1080p while in handheld, or prioritize super-smooth action with a higher frame rate in Performance Mode, which runs at 120 frames per second in 1080p while docked and 720p in while in handheld. Both choices are HDR compatible.”
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond Preorder Bonus?
At the time of this writing, there are no preorder bonuses for buying the game. If that changes, I’ll update this section.
What Is Metroid Prime 4: Beyond?
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is a long-in-the-works sequel to the 2007 Wii game Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. It’s had something of a troubled development cycle; after being announced at E3 2017, Nintendo announced in 2019 that development was being restarted. But here it is, six years later, finally coming out.
This game puts you in the boots of the bounty hunter Samus and sends you to planet Viewros. There, you’re equipped with a very cool-looking motorcycle called Vi-O-La that lets you zip around large areas quickly. You can jump off ramps and fight aliens while riding, skidding into them as a form of attack.
As with previous Metroid Prime games, exploration plays a big role. You can scan the alien flora and fauna to find out more about them. You also gain psychic abilities. If you buy the Switch 2 version, you get improved graphics and load times. You can also use the Joy-Con 2 controller as a mouse for aiming, which may offer more precision than the sticks.
