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The Rogue Prince of Persia Outlines 2026 Roadmap, Includes New Elements, Difficulties, Weapon Affixes, Tools, Parkour, And Arenas

While the promise of a Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake disappeared along with several other games earlier this year, Prince of Persia fans still have spin-off The Rogue Prince of Persia — and now its team has unveiled a sizable 2026 spring roadmap.

Via Steam, developer Evil Empire wished its community a happy 2026, and confirmed the addition of a Flaming Horses tool as a nod to lunar new Year of the Horse. This tool unleashes a herd of flaming horses that “charge forward, leaving a burning trail behind them.”

“We’ve always wanted a burning tool that works like Altan’s Bracelets, and the year of the fire horse provided the perfect creative spark,” the team teased. “Plus, when you talk about Persian culture, you have to talk about the horse! From the Nisean Horse and the Royal Road to the legendary Rakhsh from the Shahnameh, horses are legendary.”

That’s not all, though. The “Breathless” update is slated to arrive with a public beta at the end of March, promising a “quicker and more intense” experience. This includes a rework of the game’s first hour, tighter pacing and improvements to when and how you unlock new game content and new mechanics, as well as changes to bosses’ difficulty. “Reworks of the level design of the first few biomes will also highlight our iconic wall-run move and make each biome quicker and tougher,” developer Evil Empire said.

There are changes for established players, too, including a new Freeze element, which is coming with a new weapon, the slingshot, arenas — “zones that lock you in, and the only way out is to defeat wave after wave of enemies!” — and weapon affixes which can “make each weapon that appears in your run much more interesting and varied, giving you some difficult choices to take…”

Here’s the full update:

The “Breathless update” will arrive with a public beta around the end of March! As you can guess from its title, this update means making the whole experience quicker and more intense, leaving you… breathless!

We have done a big rework of the pacing of the first hour, including when and how you will unlock new game content and new mechanics, as well as the bosses’ difficulty. Reworks of the level design of the first few biomes will also highlight our iconic wall-run move and make each biome quicker and tougher.

For veteran players who have been looking forward to new toys to play with, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! First up, we’re introducing a new element – freeze – which is coming with a new weapon, the slingshot!

Next on the list is the arenas – zones that lock you in, and the only way out is to defeat wave after wave of enemies!

Most importantly, weapon affixes are coming too!! These affixes will make each weapon that appears in your run much more interesting and varied, giving you some difficult choices to take…

End Game Update

That’s it for the first update, let’s quickly talk about the second one!

We’re planning for it to land in early May, and some of the content may change, but we know what we’d like to do… It will focus on the End Game, plus bringing more challenges like Speed Run mode and Daily Awakening.

You’ll be able to really test your skill and push the limit with this update coming! Speed, precision, and strategy—show us what you’ve got.

From 2025 to 2026

Looking back on 2025, it was a big year for The Rogue Prince of Persia. We finally graduated from Early Access and increased the game’s Steam review score from 70% upon Early Access release to 88% so far with your support and help!

Of course, we’re not just on Steam, we’ve also successfully brought the game to Switch, Xbox, and Playstation! Right now, we are almost at the point of having 1 million people who’ve played our game!

Even though we are only in the second month of 2026, the game has already achieved something else: we have been included in the Bafta awards longlist and gained 4 nominations at the french game awards ceremony PEGASUS, including best game. We’re crossing all the fingers and toes we have until March.

Following the awards season, vinyl and physical collector editions are also on the way! We believe it will be a great year for the rogue prince of persia, and we can’t wait to make this game better with you guys in 2026!

Ubisoft began this year by announcing a sizable company restructure, resulting in the cancelation of six games, including its Prince of Persia: Sands of Time remake, and a delay to a further seven titles. Two Ubisoft studios will close completely as a result of the changes, while others are subject to further layoffs.

Prince of Persia creator Jordan Mechner recently reacted to Ubisoft’s cancelation of its Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake, describing the loss of any project as a “brutal experience” for developers. “A cancelation so close to release can be particularly devastating for younger team members who don’t have decades of past shipped titles on their resumé,” he said. “It’s tough to suddenly absorb that the past four years of hard work you were proud of, and looking forward to seeing out in the world as your new calling card, will now never see daylight.”

Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world’s biggest gaming sites and publications. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.

.Hack//Z.E.R.O. Is Our First .Hack Game in Almost 10 Years

Surprise! Japanese studio CyberConnect2 is marking its 30th anniversary with the announcement of a new .hack game: .hack//Z.E.R.O.

To whet our collective appetites, we’ve even been treated to a teaser trailer, which you can watch below.

.hack is a series of action RPG games that explore a virtual game-space called The World, with action taking place both there and in our real world, branching off of a multimedia franchise that extends to a collectible card game, a Japanese-only MMORPG, plus animated movies, manga, and live-action TV shows.

It’s been the best part of ten years since we last had a .hack game — the last was .hack//G.U. Last Recode in 2017 — but don’t let that put you off: Hiroshi “Piros” Matsuyama recently told Famitsu that the new release won’t link directly to any previous title, so you don’t need to come into the game with any prior knowledge.

Although .hack has always been developed by CyberConnect2 and has usually been published by Bandai Namco, Bandai Namco has given CyberConnect2 permission to “manage the entirety of the project from planning and development to release.”

As for what to expect? “World-renowned violinist Taro Hakase has penned the music, kick-starting the project to the dexterous tune of his violin. .hack//Z.E.R.O. will be a novel RPG experience that blends the series’ trademark duality of fantasy (game world) and reality (real world) with modern expectations, infused with 100% pure CyberConnect2 spirit.

“The game will be enjoyable for both veteran fans and new players alike,” the team said. “Please look forward to this newest iteration of .hack.”

Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world’s biggest gaming sites and publications. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.

Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile Servers Will Be Turned Off in April, Activision Confirms

Activision has confirmed Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile will go dark on April 17, 2026.

We already knew that Activision had decided to walk away from Warzone Mobile — the publisher admitted last May that it “unfortunately has not met [Activision’s] expectations” — but now we have a specific date as to when the smartphone battle royale will be taken offline.

In a brief statement posted to its official website, the team thanked players for their “dedication and passion,” and said “as a final step in the previously communicated service changes to Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile, the servers for Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile will go offline on April 17, 2026, after which the game will no longer be available for play.”

Up until that time, players can still play and “engage with existing content,” but refunds are not available for any unused COD Points or previously purchased in-game content, so you’re advised to use them up before the game shutdowns in April.

Mobile fans are encouraged to migrate to the free-to-play Call of Duty: Mobile — a different game, albeit with a confusingly similar title — “which offers franchise-favorite game modes, including Battle Royale, Multiplayer, and Zombies, as well as the new extraction-based DMZ: Recon.

“The standalone Call of Duty: Mobile delivers frequent seasonal content updates that include Ranked Play, Events, and the tier-based Battle Pass rewards system offering,” the team explained. “Call of Duty: Mobile is available to download through Google Play and Apple’s App Store. Additionally, Call of Duty: Warzone is available on PC and console and is also free to play.”

Warzone Mobile launched in March 2024 on iOS and Android as a Warzone-specific Call of Duty mobile experience that offered battle royale for up to 120 players, with cross-progression to the PC and console versions of Warzone, Modern Warfare 2 and 3, and, later in the year, Black Ops 6. It struggled right out of the gate, though, and failed to make a mark with “mobile-first players like it has with PC and console audiences,” leading to Activision’s decision to cull it just a little over a year later.

IGN’s Call of Duty Warzone Mobile review returned an 8/10. We said: “Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile includes all the best elements of Warzone, while speeding up and streamlining matches and using cross-progression to make this a meaningful extension of the traditional experience.”

Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world’s biggest gaming sites and publications. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.

Almost a Year On, Assassin’s Creed Shadows Post-Launch Support Continues With the Addition of a Jump Button

It’s been almost a year since Assassin’s Creed Shadows released, and Ubisoft is not done updating its feudal Japan-set stabathon. This month brings the addition of a manual jump option, alongside two other fan-requested changes.

As part of the 1.1.8 update going live today, February 17, Ubisoft will add a manual jump option to the game (if you’ve toggled on your Advanced Parkour setting), which returns from previous titles in the series.

Two other small additions are also set to become available: a detailed stat page so you can analyze your build in granular detail, and some visual improvements to when you make a critical hit. All of these changes had been requested by fans, so are likely to be positively received.

That said, this is a pretty small set of additions that look like the game’s only major update across the first three months of this year. Update 1.1.7 launched back in December, capping off a first nine months of post-release additions that had arrived pretty much every month.

Today’s update to Assassin’s Creed Shadows is the first notable addition to the game of 2026, and according to a Winter Roadmap released by Ubisoft looks to be the only one coming ahead of the game’s March 20 anniversary, which the company will celebrate with a livestream and giveaways. Here’s hoping we hear more of what’s coming to the game in its second year then.

The only other item of note before then is the Switch 2 launch of the game’s Claws of Awaji expansion, which caps off the game’s main narrative and now looks to be the only major expansion the game will get. It’s hard not to compare the level of support for Shadows with that for the series’ previous game Valhalla, which received three major expansions, an Odyssey crossover DLC, an epilogue DLC and several major new modes, and feel like Shadows has been underserved in comparison.

Earlier this month, a report stated that Ubisoft had scrapped a multiplayer Assassin’s Creed game that originally began as Shadows DLC. The DLC would allegedly have involved four Assassins joining forces to take on a series of scripted missions with up to four players that would have ultimately concluded the story told in the game’s now-canceled Season Pass.

Meanwhile, 2026 is widely-expected to be the year Ubisoft releases its long-awaited Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag remaster, which has leaked more times now than a very old pirate boat. As of yet, however, the project still officially remains under wraps.

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

The Secretlab Presidents Day Sale Has Great Deals on Limited Edition Themed Gaming Chairs

The Secretlab Presidents Sale has officially commenced and with it are a couple of different promotions that are running concurrently (some are stackable). For starters, you can save up to $139 off across Secretlab’s lineup of Titan Evo gaming chairs and Magnus gaming desks, including themed editions from One Piece, Jujutsu Kaisen, Star Wars, Demon Slayer, and more. Secretlab’s highest-end gaming chair, the Titan Evo Nanogen, has also ben discounted.

In addition to these instant discounts, you can get extra tiered savings by hitting a certain order amount for each category. These should be stackable with the instant discounts, although some themes are excluded.

  • Extra $40 off Chair orders of $850+ with code “SLEV-MINCPRES26“
  • Extra $50 off Desk orders of $1,489+ with code: “SLEV-MINDPRES26“
  • $100 off all orders of $1,999+ with code: “SLEV-MINSWPRES26“

Finally, Secretlab’s Genshin Impact themed gaming chairs gets some love of its own. The Ninguang and and Xiao inspired gaming chairs are on sale as well, to coincide with the Lantern Rite event that’s going on right now in-game.

Save $50 off Secretlab Titan Evo gaming chairs

The Titan Evo is Secretlab’s most iconic and best selling chair. Over 70 different styles are currently on sale, with prices ranging from $529 to $634 after a $50 off instant discount across the entire lineup. It’s available in small, medium, and large sizes, which is great for smaller people because most gaming chairs sold here in the United States are huge. Discounted upholstery optioins include Neo Hybrid leatherette and SoftWeave Plus fabric.

Signature features include a solid steel frame with aluminum wheelbase, firm and supportive cold-cure foam upholstery, adjustable four-way lumbar system, full length backrest with 165 degrees of recline, full metal 4D armrests with magnetically attached PU cushions, and a memory foam headrest pillow. Check out our own glowing Titan Evo review.

Genshin Impact themed chairs see their first discount ever

Genshin Impact’s annual Lantern Rite in-game event is going on right now, coinciding with the actual Chinese New Year, which lands on February 17. In celebration of the event, Secretlab has discounted two Genshin themed chairs inspired by Liyue characters: Xiao, an anemo adeptus, and Ningguang, the geo-wielding Tianquan of the Liyue Qixing (she’s basically a royal). This is the first time a Genshin chair has gone on sale, so if you’re a Hoyoverse superfan, don’t miss it.

Secretlab’s flagship Titan Evo Nanogen is also on sale

The Titan Evo Nanogen Edition is Secretlab’s highest end chair and is rarely discounted. It normally sells for $799 at Secretlab direct, but both the white and black colors have been discounted by $50 during the Presidents Day Sale. If your budget can accomodate it, this is the best gaming chair. In our recent Titan Evo Nanogen Edition review, Chris Coke wrote that “the Secretlab Titan Evo Nanogen Edition deserves every bit of the overwhelming praise I’ve given… The Titan Evo Nanogen Edition is class-leading, and is hands-down the most comfortable gaming chair I’ve ever used.”

Sadly, Titan Evo Pokemon Edition preorders aren’t discounted

Secretlab’s recently announced lineup of Pokémon gaming chairs is, not surprisingly, still listed at full price. Even so, these chairs are so cool that they’re worth a mention. These chairs showcase one of three iconic Pokémon – Gengar, Pikachu, and Eevee – with ostentatious use of color, patterns, and figures. My personal favorite is the Eevee edition, with its detailed embossing of Eevee’s myriad evolutions; it also seems to be the top seller, since it’s already on its third wave of preorders.

Unusual for a collab, Secretlab opted to go with its Softweave Plus fabric instead of leatherette, and I for one am happy with that decision. Fabric ages more gracefully, feels softer, and doesn’t stick to your sweaty skin on hot days.

Save $30 off the Titan Evo recliner add-on (it’s worth it)

Also on sale for the first time, Secretlab’s new recliner add-on is $30 off for Christmas. This is a nice upgrade for anyone who already owns the Titan Evo chair. In our recliner add-on review, Chris Coke wrote that “while both comfort and value are subjective things, the recliner is able to take the Titan Evo and transform it from one of the best racing style gaming chairs to standing head and shoulders above the competition at its price point.”

Secretlab Magnus deals are also on sale, including Genshin

Not only are the Magnus and Magnus Pro discounted for Presidents Day, you also get the desk mat topper (your choice of style) free of charge. The Magnus is a traditional fixed-frame gaming desk while the Magnus Pro ups the ante with practical electric sit-stand functionality. Both desks feature a metal desktop surface, solid steel frame, and clever cable management, but the Magnus Pro has some unique features including a power cable that runs internally inside one of the telescoping legs and an in-line control panel. Check out our Magnus Pr0 review review for hands-on impressions.

Secretlab has the best “racing-style” gaming chairs

It’s no secret that we love our Secretlab gaming chairs. Three of the eight chairs in our best gaming chair roundup are Secretlab models. Of all the gaming chairs we covered in our “Budget to Best” roundup video earlier this year, my colleague Akeem Lawanson considered the Secretlab Titan Evo to be the most comfortable. No good chair comes cheap and Secretlab chairs definitely cost a premium, but we think the craftsmanship, materials, and customizability are worth 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.

The Best Presidents Day Deals Today: Donkey Kong Bananza, PS5 Games, and Jim Henson Steelbooks

It’s Presidents Day, which means all of those awesome weekend sales are likely expiring today. Be sure to grab all the deals at Best Buy, Amazon, and other retailers while you still can. Plenty of video games have been discounted, including Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater for PS5 and Donkey Kong Bananza for Switch 2. You can even grab an awesome espresso machine or some Jim Henson Steelbooks for cheap. Check out all the top deals below:

Save $10 on Donkey Kong Bananza for Switch 2

The Amazon-owned Woot has Donkey Kong Bananza for only $59.99 today. Prime members can even enjoy free shipping. This best game of 2025 runner-up is rarely on sale, so it’s nice to see about $10 taken off the price tag. Earning a rare 10/10 rating in our review, Logan Plant even went on to say, “Donkey Kong Bananza is a truly groundbreaking 3D platformer, with satisfying movement, powerful abilities, impressive destructible environments, and clever challenges that all come together in complete harmony to create Nintendo’s first Switch 2 masterpiece.”

Best Best Buy Presidents Day Deals

The Best Buy Presidents Day sale has some killer deals worth checking out. Everything from Apple products like the AirPods Pro 3 and MacBook Air to TVs and video games is seeing solid discounts for the holiday. However, the sale ends today, so it’s your last chance to score major savings on this wide range of products. If you’ve been in the market for some larger appliances, Best Buy’s Deal of the Day is definitely worth a look, as washing machines, refrigerators, dishwashers, microwaves, and electric ranges have gotten serious price cuts.

Refurbished Ninja Luxe Café 3-in-1 Espresso, Drip Coffee, and Cold Brew Machine

My favorite semi-automatic espresso machine I’ve ever reviewed, the Ninja Luxe Café 3-in-1 Espresso, Drip Coffee and Cold Brew Machine, is only $249.99 at the Amazon-owned Woot, and Prime members enjoy free shipping. It’s a refurbished model but comes with a 90-day limited warranty for added peace of mind. The same machine is going for $599 new or $449.49 for a refurbished model on Amazon right now, meaning you’re in for some epic savings.

I absolutely love this machine, as it’s great for beginners who are just getting into espresso. It automatically tells you of the ideal grind settings, grinds the perfect amount of coffee beans into the portafilter, and then brews a solid espresso. It can even steam and froth milk to your liking for coffeehouse drinks at home. It’s not only espresso, this machine also brews individual cups of drip coffee of various sizes; all that’s required is a grind size setting change.

PS5 Video Game Discounts on Amazon

While Amazon’s Presidents Day sale continues today, a whole batch of PS5 games are on sale. Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 are only $30, while games like Silent Hill f, Civ VII, Double Dragon Revive, and more are at thier lowest prices ever. If you’ve been waiting to grab any of these games, now is a great time to buy.

New Low Price on the Razer Kishi Ultra

One of our top phone controllers has hit its lowest price ever on Amazon. The Razer Kishi Ultra is just $62.99 when you clip the coupon on Amazon. With a retail price of $159, that’s nearly 60% off. Working seamlessly with all the top smartphones, including Android and iPhones, and even some smaller tablets, this controller is ideal for gaming on the go. Pro-grade controls flank either side of your device. From HD haptics and solid ergonomics to Hall Effect triggers and programmable buttons, there’s a lot to love, especially at its current discount.

For more on this phone controller for mobile gaming, check out our review of the Razer Kishi Ultra.

LG Presidents Day TV Sale

Need a new TV? Well, the LG Presidents Day TV sale is happening now. You can save up to 40% on select OLED TVs, which are perfect for those after incredible contrast, vibrant colors, and near instantaneoues response times. A few LG QNED models are also discounted, and while you won’t get the individual pixel lighting of an OLED, the LCD panel still looks incredible. The majority of these displays also make for great gaming TVs.

Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal Limited Edition Steelbooks Hit New Low Price

Unfortunately, Amazon’s BOGO 50% off select movies deal has expired, but there are still some awesome discounts happening now. As a big Jim Henson fan, I was particularly excited to see The Dark Crystal: Limited Edition Steelbook and Labyrinth: Limited Edition Steelbook for over $13 off each. That’s the lowest price I’ve seen. Physical media collectors will want these fun fantasy films featuring unbelievable puppetry, and each Steelbook comes with loads of bonus content, too

The Art of Borderlands 4 Is Almost Half Off

The Art of Borderlands 4 is a stunning oversized coffee table book. Inside, you’ll find 224 colorful pages featuring line art, concept art, sketches, and commentary on the development of the latest installment in the Borderlands game series. It’s a great statement piece for anyone who’s a fan of the iconic looter shooter, and it’s at its lowest price ever on Amazon. You can get this fun-to-flip-through hardcover book for just $28, which is almost half off.

Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition for $39.88

Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition is on sale today for $39.88 at Walmart. This massive RPG adventure released in 2025, offering a massive open world to discover and explore. Using giant machines called Skells, you can traverse throughout Mira and soar high into the skies in this sci-fi epic.

AirPods Pro 3 for $209.99

The Apple AirPods Pro 3 are on sale for $209.99 today. These are the latest in the Pro line, and they’re packed with upgrades over the 2nd generation. There’s an in-earbud heart rate sensor to track your heart rate while exercising, and the entire earbud has been redesigned for better fit, sound isolation, and comfort.

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze for $39.88

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is one of the best games on the Nintendo Switch, and you can pick up a copy today for $39.88 at Walmart. If you played Donkey Kong Bananza on Switch 2 and are searching for another adventure with DK and friends, Tropical Freeze is an amazing choice.

Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 3 Limited Edition Blu-ray for $49.99

The conclusion of Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War is almost here, with the final cour, The Calamity, set to premiere this July. Today, you can score the limited edition Blu-ray of Part 3, The Conflict, for just $49.99. This set only released last month and features all 14 episodes of Part 3, plus a 72-page production booklet, the NYCC 2024 panel, creditless opening/endings, and more.

Alienware Gaming Desktop PC for $1399.99

Desktop PC components have continued to climb in price thanks to demand for datacenters and AI, but you can score a solid prebuilt Alienware desktop PC this weekend at Best Buy. You can save $400 off this PC, which includes a 5060 Ti 8GB, 1TB of storage, 32GB of RAM, and an Intel Core Ultra 7 265F.

If you’re looking for more savings on Alienware PCs and laptops, check out Dell’s Presidents Day Sale.

The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening for $39.88

The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening is one of the best Zelda games on Nintendo Switch. This Presidents Day weekend, you can score a copy of the game at Walmart for $39.88. If you’re playing on Nintendo Switch 2, you can play the game at 60FPS with a higher frame rate in both docked and handheld modes.

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

Avatar has taken over the world once again with the release of Avatar: Fire and Ash, the third film in the Avatar saga thus far. If you’re itching to experience more of Pandora, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora from Ubisoft was a sleeper hit that’s on sale this weekend. This edition of the game features both the base game and its expansion, which is perfect for new players.

Noah Hunter is a freelance writer and reviewer with a passion for games and technology. He co-founded Final Weapon, an outlet focused on nonsense-free Japanese gaming (in 2019) and has contributed to various publishers writing about the medium.

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

There’s a Whole Bunch of Disney Lorcana Cards on Sale at Amazon Today

Amazon has some excellent deals on Disney Lorcana cards today, and in particular, you can currently pick up a Booster Display set of Azurite Sea for just $90.50. That’s a significant 37% drop from the list price of $143.99, and one of the best deals we’ve ever seen on the booster set.

That includes 24 Packs with 12 cards in each, so that’s a total of 288 cards, with each pack guaranteeing at least six common and three uncommon cards, alongside two cards of rare, super rare, or legendary rarity, and finally 1 randomly selected foil card amongst these.

But, it’s also worth noting that this is a limited-time lightning deal at Amazon, and once it’s gone, it’s gone. At this price, I wouldn’t be surprised if fans snap these up as soon as possible, as there’s still plenty of trading potential in Azurite Sea.

Otherwise, there are loads of other great Lorcana deals to check out at Amazon this week as well. That includes the Gateway Board Game down to just $16.30 – 35% off, and it is basically the perfect way to start playing Lorcana, or even teach you and a friend how to start off on one of the most promising new TCGs in recent years.

My other favorite in the sale is on the Azurite Sea Stitch Collector’s Gift Set, which includes six collector cards and four Booster packs of 12 additional game cards in each. That’s down to just $33.94 right now, and another tidy drop from the $49.99 list price.

In other Disney Lorcana news, there is a brand new Gift Set and Collection Set up for preorder at Amazon today, featuring Scrooge McDuck and Stitch respectively.

Robert Anderson is IGN’s Senior Commerce Editor and resident deals expert on games, collectibles, trading card games, and more. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Bluesky.

Star Wars: Galactic Racer Includes ‘A Good Mix of Familiar Faces and New Characters,’ Developer Says, Following Sebulba and Ben Quadinaros Reveals

Star Wars: Galactic Racer developer Fuse Games has said its racing adventure will feature a “good mix” of new faces and classic characters from a galaxy far, far away, following the reveal of Phantom Menace returnee Ben Quadinaros.

Speaking to IGN as part of a wide-ranging interview on Star Wars: Galactic Racer’s track-based design, story mode and innovative boost gameplay, creative director Kieran Crimmins teased that fans will be able to look forward to more characters from previous Star Wars movies and games joining the fray.

“There’s going to be a good mix of familiar faces and new characters,” Crimmins said. “Obviously we want to get that mix right, so no matter what kind of Star Wars media you’ve engaged with, whether it be a movie or game, there’s a bunch of familiarity in there when it comes to the space. Otherwise it wouldn’t feel like an authentic Star Wars experience.

“So there’s both familiar faces and new characters,” Crimmins continued, acknowledging Sebulba and Quadinaros. “We can’t talk about who exactly they are just yet though, sorry.”

Who else might appear? While less well known, it’s possible that other participants seen in Episode 1’s podrace might appear, alongside Sebulba and Quadinaros. The Boonta Eve Classic had 18 participants, though poor Ratts Tyerell died during the race, while Anakin Skywalker… well, we all know what happened to him.

“We’ve seen racing as an activity and as a sport in Star Wars has been around in many forms, right?” Fuse Games founder and CEO Matt Webster said at another point, going on to potentially hint at racers from other parts of Star Wars being included. “Episode 1’s podracing we all know and love, Bad Batch’s riot racing in Season 2 was just awesome. Star Wars Resistance has got the Aces and low-altitude starfighter racing.”

Galactic Racer is set sometime after Return of the Jedi, so anyone could potentially put in an appearance. It seems unlikely we’ll see Luke Skywalker, who was quite busy doing other things during this period, but who knows? He sure knows how to race a speeder bike across Endor.

Last week brought our best look yet at Star Wars: Galactic Racer, though we delve much deeper into its clever two-tier boost system, environmental effects, and how the game will let you nuture rivalries and interact with characters on foot in our big Star Wars: Galactic Racer interview that you can go read right now.

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

Should the God of War Trilogy Remake Bring Back the Sex Minigames?

Last week, after years of hopeful speculation, Sony’s Santa Monica Studio announced it will be remaking the original God of War trilogy. T.C. Carson, the original voice actor behind Kratos, stepped in front of the camera to reveal that the project is in the “very early” stages of development, and that we’ll have to wait a little longer for any of our questions to be answered. And there are a lot of questions.

Will this be a graphical facelift à la Bluepoint’s Demon’s Souls, or are we revisiting Greece with the Norse duology’s controls and overhauled game design? If the latter, will Kratos have a companion accompanying him to Pandora’s Temple and the Isle of Fates? Will there be a blacksmith NPC popping up in expected places to provide armor and weapon upgrades? Will we be able to jump and fly, like in the original games? And what about those sex minigames?

That last one almost sounds like a joke, but fans who’ve brought them up seem to be deadly serious. “You better not edit out Aphrodite,” one of the top comments on the announcement video posted to the official PlayStation YouTube channel warns, referring to the particularly graphic minigame from God of War 3. “Do not censor original material,” reads one of the – as of the time I’m writing this article – 256 replies to that comment. “Dont ruin it.”

Fan fixation with these minigames makes sense, and not just because of the franchise’s initial target demographic. They are, for better or worse, as much a part of the Greek saga as the Blades of Chaos, appearing in every mainline title except for Ascension. Even the two handheld games, Chains of Olympus and Ghost of Sparta, have their own versions of them: one in Attica, while fighting off the Persians, the other at a brothel back in Sparta.

They’re also a product of their time, one when both gamers and game developers were overwhelmingly male, little if any thought was given to the way women were represented, and hack and slashers generally relished in all things lewd and bloody and pubescent. But times have since changed, and changed profoundly at that. Once taken for granted, today the minigames stand out like a sore thumb. They are perhaps the only aspect of the Greek saga I could envision its developers regret adding in, and hence it’s unclear whether they will return alongside the togas, sandals, and cyclopes.

Personally, I’d be surprised if they did. Santa Monica Studio seemed to have soured on the minigames as early as 2013, when the team working on Ascension decided not to include one – maybe in response to backlash, maybe out of post-orgasm clarity after visiting Aphrodite. In that game, Kratos’ obligatory trip to the bordello plays out in a cutscene, and the women there turn out to be an illusion created by one of the Furies.

The minigames help convey Kratos’ downward spiral into sadism and nihilism.

At the same time – and, please, hear me out here – I do think there’s a place for them in the Greek games, at least in concept. More than a crude joke, I always found that they contributed to the saga’s story and themes. In the first God of War, the sex minigame – like that part where you burn the caged soldier to progress through Pandora’s Temple, or condemn the ship captain to his death after taking his key – adds a welcome sense of moral ambiguity. It demonstrates that Kratos is not a conventional hero, and suggests there’s more to his quest to kill Aries than the desire to avenge his family. If visions of his dear, dead wife haunt him so, how could he lie with other women? At least, that’s what went through my head when I encountered the minigame for the first time.

Both God of War 2 and the trilogy’s final entry make clear what the first game only insinuated: that Kratos’ vengeance is not a crusade for justice, but an excuse to kill and destroy for the sake of killing and destroying. In both games, the minigames help convey his downward spiral into sadism and nihilism. In God of War 3, for example, you enter Aphrodite’s chambers right after killing her husband, Hephaestus; a tragic, ultimately well-intentioned character who, up until this point, acted as your only ally, Athena and her ulterior motives notwithstanding. At every turn, the developers stress that Kratos cares for nothing except the gratification of his own, basest desires. At this point, lust and bloodshed are the only things he lives for, and that won’t change until he meets Faye and fathers Atreus.

The horniness of the Greek saga also feels somewhat appropriate when considering its source material. The ancient myths woven into Kratos’ world are full of sex, as is the Greco-Roman visual culture that inspired Santa Monica Studio’s talented concept artists. The goddess of love and beauty is not the only one with her nipples out: Kratos, Zeus, Hades – everyone, man and monster, is bare-legged and bare-chested, their bodily features every bit as sculpted as the marble statues at the MET.

Most importantly, perhaps, the minigames help bring home the Greek games’ meta-commentary – a commentary present throughout the trilogy but most pronounced in its concluding chapter, where Kratos is at his ugliest, meanest, and most pathetic, and the franchise’s cinematic endorphin rushes pivot from tasteful indulgence into nauseating overindulgence. Where impaling Aries was uncomplicatedly epic and triumphant, Kratos’ actions in God of War 3 hit differently. Brutalizing Poseidon’s and Hercules’ faces, ripping off Hades’ mask, cutting off Hermes’ legs, snapping Hera’s neck, beating Zeus until the screen becomes completely covered in blood – each “victory” leaves the player feeling a little uneasy, ashamed, hollow. Boss battles in the first God of War and its sequel made you feel like David taking down big, mean Goliath; no matter how brutal the finishing moves, your opponents had it coming. In God of War 3, you’re more like a playground bully, kicking another student when they’re down.

The minigame with Aphrodite also veers into garish over-indulgence, but to a slightly different effect. Instead of making you feel like a bully, you just feel like an idiot. I certainly did when, playing with a childhood friend, we just sat next to each other in awkward silence, going through the motions to get all the red orbs while keeping an ear out for my mom walking up and down the hallway. Very manly indeed.

Some might think that the Norse games walked back on the Greek saga’s abundance of sex and nudity because the gaming industry decided to chase inclusivity, and Barlog and his team tried to stay on the good side of a culture that considered the minigames offensive and misogynistic. This is not the case. First and foremost, the Norse saga walked back on these things because they play no part in this leg of Kratos’ story. Once again, his wife has died. But this time, he channels his grief into something more constructive: rather than destroying the world, he tries to be a better parent to his son.

For the remakes to succeed, they have to communicate – as effectively, if not more effectively, than the original trilogy – how Kratos ends up at the personal low-point from which the Norse games set off. If the sex minigames are in any way included, this is the purpose they should serve. If they’re removed on account of being tasteless – not unthinkable, as that was kind of their point – no matter. Surely, Santa Monica Studio can think of other, more respectful ways to convey Kratos’ downward spiral, and for players to go down that spiral along with him.

Tim Brinkhof is a freelance writer specializing in art and history. After studying journalism at NYU, he has gone on to write for Vox, Vulture, Slate, Polygon, GQ, Esquire and more.

‘This Is a Premium Experience. That Is the Transaction. Full Stop’ — Crimson Desert Dev Rules Out Microtransactions or a Cosmetic Cash Shop

The developer of Crimson Desert has confirmed that the upcoming open world action adventure game does not have a cosmetic cash shop or microtransactions of any kind.

Crimson Desert, due out March 19 priced $69.99, is set in a huge and seamless open world packed with enemies, NPCs, and all sorts of things to do. But one thing players won’t have to contend with is a cosmetic cash shop.

“I can say that definitively: there is not a cosmetic cash shop,” Will Powers, director of marketing at Pearl Abyss America, told weekly talk show Dropped Frames (via @Okami13_). “This is made to be a premium experience that you buy and you enjoy the world, and not something for microtransactions.

“It’s a monetization model. If you do free-to-play then you need to make up the revenue in a different way. This is a premium experience. That is the transaction. Full stop.”

So, that’s microtransactions ruled out, which is sure to go down well with gamers who are hoping for a traditional single-player experience from Crimson Desert. The game has been slowly gaining hype over recent years, but that’s ramped up significantly in the last few months as Pearl Abyss shared more gameplay footage.

Crimson Desert’s huge open world has been a topic of debate recently. Pywel is divided into five distinct regions: Hernand; Pailune; Demeniss; Delesyia; and the Crimson Desert itself. The main quest revolves around protagonist Kliff’s journey, but you’re free to explore the world in any order, taking faction-driven quests, large-scale battles, fortress sieges and smaller, character-focused missions.

Pearl Abyss confirmed that as the story progresses, two additional playable characters become available, each with unique combat styles, skills and weapons. Exploration is a big part of the game — you travel on horseback, climb terrain, glide across distances, and later access advanced traversal options such as a missile-firing mech and a dragon. You can even ride a bear.

Pearl Abyss said the world is filled with hidden treasures, ancient mechanisms, puzzles and points of interest “designed to reward curiosity and discovery.” As for combat, expect to face enemy soldiers, sorcerers, beasts and machines.

Powers has called Crimson Desert’s open world “absolutely massive,” bigger even than that of Bethesda’s Skyrim and Rockstar’s Red Dead Redemption 2.

Speaking on the Gaming Interviews YouTube channel, Powers said that describing the size of Crimson Desert’s world in terms of numbers doesn’t do it justice, because doing so fails to capture the scope and scale of the game. But he did go as far as to compare it to two of the biggest open-world games around.

“I don’t think numbers really do it justice because, how big is that in terms of scope and scale?” he said. “But what we can say is that the world’s at least twice as big as the open world, the playable area, of Skyrim. It’s larger than the map of Red Dead Redemption 2.”

Powers went on to insist that the size of Crimson Desert’s open world wouldn’t determine its quality. Rather, what you actually do in it is the key factor. “The continent of Pywel is absolutely massive, but size doesn’t really matter if there’s nothing to do,” he said. “Open-world games are about doing things, having activities, having distractions. So we wanted to create a world that’s not only massive, but is also incredibly interactive.”

Last month, Powers said the developers were doubling down on the “optimization phase” in a bid to get performance as smooth as possible across all platforms ahead of Crimson Desert’s release date.

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.