Fortnite developer Epic Games has announced that 10.5 million players just tuned in for Zero Hour, the highly-anticipated live event that featured heroes from the world’s biggest franchises turning up Avengers: Endgame-style to save the day. Online, at least 3 million more watched the event via streaming platforms.
Iron Man, Superman, Godzilla and the KPop Demon Hunters were just some of the characters who made appearances within the event, as Fortnite’s finest gathered to defeat the Dark Presence, the game’s latest Big Bad. Many of the characters appearing in the event had been teased ahead of time, though exactly what would happen was left uncertain. And indeed, despite going multiple rounds with King Kong and a Star Destroyer, the Dark Presence was still left standing.
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the event was quite how much Fortnite celebrated its own beloved lore, with the Dark Presence finally defeated thanks to a last-ditch decision by Jonesy to call in the game’s villainous Cube.
Full Fortnite Zero Hour live event gameplay! š¬
Epic just pulled off its own version of Avengers Endgame š„
Fans are now sharing gameplay of the event and finding numerous Easter eggs, such as characters from Steal the Brainrot being featured in the background, and Hatsune Miku joining the battle while perched on Godzilla’s head. I particularly love this fan creation, which overlays Avengers: Endgame’s score on top of Zero Hour’s “portals” sequence:
There’s plenty here, too, for Fortnite lore fans to digest. As Hope herself questioned, who was piloting the Mecha Team Leader mech? (A member of the Seven?) Will the destruction of the Cube lead to its mothership reappearing? (Yes, see below!) And how is Epic Games going to top this next year?
With the event’s gameplay portion complete, some players reported seeing their games abruptly crash as an unexpected cutscene began to air. The cinematic, which you can watch in full below, quickly sums up Fortnite’s clearly now-revived original storyline and makes absolutely clear that the game is returning to its focus on its heroic Seven, and their battle against the Cube’s civilization, dubbed The Last Reality.
After that, players were treated to a quick glimpse at what’s next for the game (and yes, Epic Games couldn’t resist making a 6-7 joke in the process). Fortnite Chapter 7 will begin with our heroes enjoying life on a new map themed around the southern US. There are Fortnite-y versions of Hollywood and Area 51 to explore, while fresh gameplay changes include wingsuits and drivable Reboot Vans. Everything seems pretty chill, until The Last Reality’s mothership does indeed turn up (and promptly blows up Fortnite’s beloved Battle Bus!)
And after that, for those still connected, Fortnite really did call it a day. The game is now offline for a number of hours, with the launch of Chapter 7 due as the game comes back online later tonight.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
Since 1986 the Metroid series has gone from 2D to 3D (and back to 2D) and to consoles and portables, with plenty of Samus appearances and cameos in other games along the way. Itās responsible for co-creating the Metroidvania genre, leading to games like Hollow Knight and Ori and the Blind Forest and dozens more. And hey, it’s even dabbled in pinball and soccer.
With Metroid Prime 4: Beyond on the way, itās the perfect time to look back on this incredible series. Here are what we consider the top 10 Metroid games, judged by the all-important factors of level and map design, progression, innovation, and lasting legacy.
10. Metroid 2: Return of Samus
These days, one of the most basic functions expected of a Metroidvania game is map screen that slowly reveals itself as you explore its maze-like network of corridors and hidden rooms. But back in 1991, when Metroid 2: Return of Samus arrived on the Nintendo Game Boy, that wasnāt exactly standard practice yet. That makes Metroid 2 feel a bit on the obtuse side, especially since its main focus is sending Samus to SR388 on a planet-wide quest to hunt down every last Metroid left with no real way to track their locations.
But if you persevered and played along with your own hand drawn map (or one tucked inside an issue of Nintendo Power) you were rewarded with a pocket-sized Metroid game complete with all of Samusā signature moves and weapons from the NES game, even if the benefits of portability also meant playing on a fuzzy little puke-green Game Boy screen. Still, from its big character sprites, tense chiptune music, and lonely, claustrophobic setting, thereās something really special about Metroid 2. And for people wishing Metroid 2 had a few more modern features, 2017ās excellent 3DS remake from MercurySteam totally delivers on that front, but hey, weāll talk about that one more in a bit.
9. Metroid
Inspired by the 1979 sci-fi film Alien as well as previous Nintendo hits like Super Mario Bros and The Legend of Zelda, the original Metroid game was unlike anything else at the time. Sure there had been tons of space shooters and platforming games released by the time Metroid arrived in 1986, but none of them had ever brought so many elements of those genres together in the same place, complete with a huge map with horizontally and vertically scrolling screens. What made Metroid especially unique at the time was the way its protagonist Samus controlled and explored through unique power-ups, like the ability to turn into a ball and explore hidden tunnels, or the āscrew attackā jump that allowed you to rapidly flip up walls and corridors, tearing through ugly space monsters along the way.
It also established grotesque creature villains like Kraid, Ridley, and Mother Brain, all of whom continued to show up in Metroid games for decades to come. And it concluded with one of the most clever NES game ending sequences ever: a frantic escape from a ticking time bomb after defeating the gameās main boss. And perhaps one of the coolest surprises was its multiple endings, several of which revealed that bounty hunter Samus Aran was a woman the entire time, a concept that was pretty uncommon for video games in the mid ā80s. So much of what makes modern Metroid games so incredible can be traced back to the revolutionary original NES game, and the same can be said for the entire Metroidvania genre as a whole.
8. Metroid: Samus Returns
Metroid: Samus Returns took all of the promise of the original Game Boy game Metroid: Return of Samus and completely rebuilt it from the ground up and presented it in full color, glasses-free 3D, complete with totally overhauled graphics, newly remade music, and a much improved combat system that gave Samus an uppercut style melee attack to knock back enemies between bursts of arm cannon blasts and morph ball bombs.
Itās still ultimately a remake of a fairly one-note Metroid game, but finally having a map (viewable at all times thanks to the 3DSā second screen,) snappy, fluid player movement, and offensive options against adversaries makes Samus Returns feel distinctly like its own thing. After Team Ninjaās wobbly and unsatisfying Metroid: Other M in 2010, fans were justified in worrying that another outside developer handling the Metroid franchise wouldnāt exactly lead to the best results, but MercurySteam proved it had what it takes to make a very good Metroid game. And, eventually, it would even make a great one.
7. Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
While nowhere near as revolutionary as its predecessor, Metroid Prime 2 is a rock solid sequel that introduces a really cool light and dark parallel dimension mechanic; a classic Nintendo gameplay trope established in The Legend of Zelda: Link to the Pastās light and dark worlds that allows you to explore alternate versions of the same levels to hunt for power-ups and suit upgrades that help you better survive in each one. With that concept Prime 2 also introduced Dark Samus, a character that sounds exactly like what youād expect: a dark, evil version of Samus, which unsurprisingly turned out to be really cool. So cool, in fact, that Dark Samus went on to become an assist trophy and eventually a fully playable character in the Smash Bros. games.
Prime 2 also introduced a pretty barebones Metroid multiplayer mode that felt like a response to the success of games like Halo at the time, and while four different colored versions of Samus strafing in circles while they shoot at each other might not seem like the most interesting thing to do in a Metroid game, it was somehow entertaining enough to work in short bursts between trying to one hundred percent the main campaign.
6. Metroid Fusion
After an eight year hiatus from Metroid games (the series skipped over the entire Nintendo 64 generation, after all) the year 2002 brought us two new entries in the series across the GameCube and the Game Boy Advance, the latter of which was a classic 2D sidescrolling Metroid game with gorgeous pixel art and an endlessly replayable campaign. Metroid Fusion built on all of the excellent gameplay established in the SNES classic Super Metroid, and although it didnāt quite hit the same highs, itās still a very awesome game on its own, held back only by its slightly more linear exploration and overly talky commanding officer character, Adam Malkovich.
Still, Metroid Fusion immediately stood on its own as a tight, briskly paced Metroid game that instantly became a huge hit with the speedrunning community thanks largely to its multiple ending unlocks that appear depending on completion time and percentage finished. Samus came back in a big way in 2002 and reminded people that Metroid was here to stay as one of the best video game franchises ever created.
5. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
By 2007, the Metroid series had gone 2D, 3D, had touch screen controls, and had become a rumble pack-infused pinball game, so obviously the natural next step was a Nintendo Wii motion and pointer controlled game, as was tradition at the time. Luckily, Metroid Prime 3 largely avoided many of the frustrations and pratfalls that several other franchise sequels stumbled on during the awkward “waggle era” of gaming that weāve largely moved on from as a species. And while some of the motion control implementation in Prime 3 felt a little finicky at times, pointing a Wii remote at the screen to blast away at enemies was immensely satisfying.
Better than that, though, Prime 3 also capped off the excellent Prime trilogy with a more beautiful and breathtaking world that added more verticality and cool new traversal methods, along with āhyper modeā which gave Samus the option to go full on attack frenzy at the expense of her health. Metroid Prime 3 was a fantastic send off for the Prime franchise at the time when none of us had any idea it wouldnāt get a sequel for eighteen years. Unless, of course, you count the 3DS game Metroid Prime: Federation Force… which we definitely wonāt, even if it did tease Metroid Prime 4 in its secret ending. True story.
4. Metroid: Zero Mission
The second Metroid game on the Game Boy Advance is also a remake of the first Metroid game ever released, with a stunning new 16-bit pixel art overhaul, taking notes from Super Metroid and Metroid Fusion to improve the original NES game in just about every conceivable way. Every boss fight feels bigger and better, the improved soundtrack rocks, and hey, thereās even an actual map now! And if you ever get nostalgic for the original, itās unlockable here, too.
On top of that, multiple difficulty options made their way to Zero Mission, along with new cutscenes, a time attack mode, and a gallery of images that you can uncover by performing specific criteria. While the original NES game was revolutionary at the time and still has its charm today, Zero Mission is truly the best way to experience the game that started it all for the Metroid series.
3. Metroid Dread
While the remake Samus Returns for the 3DS was MercurySteamās first effort at a Metroid game, Metroid Dread was a totally original adventure that added a whole new twist, creating one of the most tense and exhilarating Metroid experiences to date. Being constantly hunted by E.M.M.I, the fast, hulking, and intelligent killer robots ready to end Samusā mission in seconds, meant that the typical explore-at-your-own-pace gameplay of the traditional Metroid mission was frequently replaced with tense and dangerous urgency.
MercurySteam also took the melee combat and parrying system from Samus Returns and improved it, making close quarters fights feel better than ever, which, with the snappier controls and increased player speed, allows Metroid Dread to go pound-for-pound with the best modern Metroidvanias. Dread is also the toughest game in the series since the original NES Metroid, but manages to never feel cheap or padded thanks to its brilliant map design and liberal checkpoint system. In an ideal world, MercurySteam is giving us a new 2D Metroid every few years while Retro Studios continues to make 3D Prime games, giving us the best of both worlds for this legendary series.
2. Metroid Prime
On the N64, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Super Mario 64, and Donkey Kong 64 all proved that once 2D Nintendo franchises could successfully make the jump to 3D, but unfortunately, this era didnāt involve a brand new 3D Metroid game, or really, any new Metroid game at all. But in 2002, Retro Studios did the unthinkable: it successfully transformed the classic feel of Super Metroid into a stunning, atmospheric, and revolutionary first-person action platforming game with fantastic shooting mechanics and an incredible world to explore. From seeing small drops of condensation build around Samusā visor to the first time we stepped into the icy Phendrana Drifts as the camera panned out and the piano music swelled, we knew we were experiencing something magical.
Everything from morph ball exploration to suit upgrades and an ever evolving arsenal of weaponry and traversal tools made their way into our hands in Metroid Prime after the franchise had been largely dormant for eight years. Boss fights and explosive set pieces brought the series to epic new heights, setting the stage for future Metroid Prime games for years to come. At the time, standard first person shooters were a dime a dozen, but there was really nothing like Metroid Prime. Not only that, but twenty years later, Prime still holds up well, as proven by the Nintendo Switch release of Metroid Prime Remastered.
1. Super Metroid
Almost three decades later and after a wide variety of experimentation across various genres, perspectives, and control methods, Super Metroid still remains the greatest Metroid game of all time. In fact, Super Metroid set the bar so high that the team behind it couldnāt figure out how to top it during the entire Nintendo 64 era, so the Metroid series just took that generation off like it was a victory lap. Super Metroid still feels amazing and is still enjoyed by new players and hardcore speedrunning obsessives alike.
But why? Well, it’s perfectly paced and has some of the most rewarding exploration, meticulously crafted level design, pulse pounding music, and some of the best looking pixel art of all time. Like several of its most successful Super Nintendo contemporaries, it took everything that worked in the previous NES installment and improved it, making one of the greatest and most iconic sidescrolling action games ever made. Super Metroid helped define both the future of the series and the genre as a whole. Itās a master class in game design and one that both indie and triple-A game developers have been citing as an inspiration for nearly thirty years now. Itās not only the best Metroid game, itās one of the best video games ever made.
And there you have it, the top 10 Metroid games leading up to the launch of the highly anticipated Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. Once the new instalment releases it will join a lineup of fifteen games with Metroid in the title, all of which I made sure to give a nod to in this article, even if only ten of them made the list. So whatās your favorite Metroid game ever made? Which game do you wish made the list or got bumped higher or lower? Are you a diehard defender of Metroid: Other M or Federation Force? Did you play hundreds of hours of the Metroid Prime Hunters: First Hunt demo when the Nintendo DS launched like I did? Morph ball bomb into the comments below and tell me all about it.
The Forge is a fantasy RPG Roblox experience, where you’ll play as one of the many races that inhabit the lands. Whether that’s as a human, a goblin, or a dragonborn will all depend on reroll chances. Each race has its unique perks, influencing stats such as health, damage, attack power, and more. But if you don’t like the character you get given, our list of The Forge codes will help you out with additional rerolls.
It’s no surprise that The Forge focuses heavily on mining. The core gameplay centers around mining for ores, in the hopes of finding rare ores to forge powerful weapons and armor. You’ll then throw those ores into the forge, where the blend of resources you use allows you to make items with special traits and designs.
Working The Forge Codes (November 2025)
These are the currently active for The Forge:
100K! – Free Rerolls x3 (NEW!)
40KLIKES – Free Rerolls x5
20KLIKES – Free Rerolls x2
15KLIKES – Free Rerolls x2
10KLIKES – Free Rerolls x2, Luck Totem x1
5KLIKES – Free Rerolls x2, Miner Totem x1
BETARELEASE! – Free Rerolls x2
POSTRELEASEQNA – Free Reroll x1
Expired The Forge Codes (November 2025)
These codes have now expired and can no longer be used:
RELEASE
How to Use The Forge Codes
Ready to redeem the codes above? Here’s what you need to do:
Open the Settings menu in the top left corner of the screen.
Scroll down to the bottom of Settings to find the Codes bar
Copy the code from this article
Enter the code into the “Type Here” bar
Press claim
Why Isn’t My Code for The Forge Working?
When a code doesn’t work for The Forge, it’s usually because of two reasons:
The code for The Forge has expired
There’s a spelling mistake or an additional space in the code
Codes for Roblox experiences are typically case-sensitive, so 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 to Get More Codes for The Forge
We regularly check and test new codes for popular Roblox experiences, so the best way to get more codes for The Forge is to visit this article. But if you want to mine for codes yourself, then the Discord server for The Forge is the best place to go.
When Is the Next Update for The Forge?
The Forge has just released in beta and is currently celebrating its Release Event. This is due to run until Wednesday, December 3rd, 2025. No updates have been currently announced, but the creators of The Forge have said that new features, content, and mechanics will be added to the experience. As soon as new information is announced, we’ll add it here.
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.
TCGPlayer is joining in on the Black Friday and Cyber Monday fun with their Cyber Weekend event.
Starting on November 28 at 9 am ET, trainers will get 10% back in store credit on their TCGPlayer account from whatever they buy.
This promotion will be running until December 1, 11 pm ET. So if you’ve been waiting for your favorite chase cards to go down in value to snap them up, this is it.
Scarlet and Violet has been one of the best era’s in recent memory for chase cards with multiple banger sets, and yes I know Evolving Skies from Sword and Shield was insane, more on that later. 151, Black Bolt/White Flare, Destined Rivals, Prismatic Evolutions and Twilight Masquerade collectively hold the most expensive chase cards of this era.
Umbreon is never going to be knocked off the top spot, not even Charizard can do that, but it’s going to be the best time to snap it up on TCGPlayer. Let’s do some quick math; 10% of $1,294.99 is $129.49, which is going to be the minimum cashabck you’ll recieve after purchasing Sunbreon. That means you could put that credit towards Roaring Moon ex SIR from the same set and grab it for $42.14 instead of $171.63. Oh, then you’d also get another 10% cashback from that purchase which is $17.16. It’s the best kind of snowball i’ve ever seen.
But even with the cashback, Sunbreon will still cost a fortune regardless of how good the deal is, so let’s pick out something that you’re other half won’t kill you (as much) for. Greninja SIR ex from Twilight Masquerade absolutley pops and is easily one of the best artworks in the Scarlet and Violet era. Whilst you might think $325 is steep, this card was touching $380 just a week or two ago. So getting $32.50 back as 10% cashback to effectively get this card for $292.50. Now that’s a great investment, which is also the near-mint price.
Now considering the exclusive Elite Trainer Box is currently going for $500 sealed right now, the $119 price tag for the card is actually quite cheap. And when you consider the $11.90 cashback you’d get off buying the card, that’s not a bad deal at all.
Keeping in with the Pikachu theme, one of my favorite promos from Scarlet and Violet that I actually own is Pikachu with Grey Felt Hat. This costs even more than the ETB at $547.99 right now, which is a big drop from around $647 just days ago. I’ve written about the full story behind this infamous card previously, but this is a fantastic time to get this card thanks to the extra $54.79 you’ll get in cashback this weekend.
The Best Sword and Shield Chase Cards You Can’t Miss
Yes, we’re about to talk about Evolving Skies, well done for waiting until the end of the article. I remember walking into stores on release and not being able to move for Evolving Skies boosters, premium collections and Elite Trainer Boxes, often below MSRP. It’s frankly insane how much this set it worth compared to how available it used to be.
It’s the home of the most valuable Sword and Shield era chase cards for the most part, including Moonbreon, Rayquazza VMAX Alt Art, Umbreon V Alt Art, Dragonite V Alt Art, most of the Eeveelution VMAX Alt Arts and the stunning Rayquaza V Alt full art.
Apologies for just going mad listing cards, but this is why it’s costing north of $2,000 just for a Booster Box. Of course you’d also get $200 in cashback which is awesome, but just wow. If you’re looking to get some big chase cards for a steal in TCGPlayer’s Cyber Weekend, start with Evolving Skies.
Sword and Shield isn’t just about one set though, Fusion Strike, Lost Origins and Silver Tempest also have some god tier level grails. The Secret Alt Art of Gengar VMax for example is currently $730, which is over double the worth of the next Fusion Strike chase card down the line, Espeon VMAX Secret Alt Art, running at $329.58 right now.
Whilst this climbs to 3% after a years membership, subscriber will get a boosted 13% cashback over cyber weekend on top of their usual cashback. For longtime members, this could equate to 16% cashback, which is frankly insane.
For even more card recommendations in TCGPlayer’s Black Friday/Cyber Weekend sale, check out our brand new Riftbound and Magic: The Gathering roundups as well.
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.
Board game nights thrive on novelty. So if your board game collection could use some updating, Black Friday is the time to do it. Thatās when you can save up to 50% off board games of all kinds. Plenty of games are discounted right now, from family-friendly board games to more serious strategy board games. Read on to see what games we recommend picking up for cheap before Black Friday ends.
The Best Black Friday Board Game Today
You want to see all the best Black Friday board game deals in one place? Thatās easy, my friend, just scroll through the catalog above and youāll get them. If youād rather separate the more in-depth heavyweight board games from the family-weight games, keep on reading, because I have them divvied into those categories below. Almost all of the discounts are available in Amazon’s Black Friday sale, but there are a few from Walmart and Target we’ve featured as well.
Board Games for Adults on Sale
Note that these are board games for adults, rather than adult-oriented board games. Thereās nothing naughty going on in these. Theyāre aimed at adults in that theyāre a bit too complicated for younger board gamers to grasp. They involve strategy. They might involve horror. Theyāre complex and may require patience. You can still play them while drinking, though, so donāt worry there if your board game group enjoys tipping a glass.
Family-Friendly Board Game Deals
Many of these family-friendly board games can be perfectly fun to play with your board game group, but you can also pull them out when the kids are looking for something to do and theyāve used up all their screen time. Some of these are super basic games for younger kids. Others are a little more complicated and intended for slightly older kids. Many of them are timeless classics, like Mouse Trap or Hungry Hungry Hippos. Others are newer hits like Exploding Kittens and What Do You Meme?
What Makes a Good Board Game Deal?
The one thing all the games on this list have in common is that theyāre on sale for Black Friday. But what makes a good board game deal? It’s tough to pin down, because it all depends on the game. Unlike LEGO Black Friday deals, for instance, board games are published by a variety of different companies and available at various retailers.
I focus my attention on Amazon, because it has the most board game Black Friday deals, and prices there are easy to track. I checked all of the prices above on the Amazon price-tracking site Camelcamelcamel to make sure theyāre good deals. Most of them are at their all-time low prices now, so you can feel free to purchase, knowing youāre getting a big discount. If you branch out to other games, or other retailers, you can also use the site to check against Amazon’s price history to get an idea of how good the deal is yourself.
Chris Reed is a commerce editor and deals expert for IGN. He also runs IGN’s board game and LEGO coverage. You can follow him on Bluesky.
Amazon is offering Magic: The Gathering Spider-Man Collector booster boxes (12-packs) for just $349.99 (originally $455.88), saving you over $100 for a chance to crack open some of the hottest Magic cards in awhile. The Spider-Man expansion isn’t the only set getting a price drop on Amazon either; Avatar: The Last Airbender and Tarkir: Dragonstorm sealed products are on sale, as well.
Spider-Man Collector Booster Box Discounted For Black Friday
While the MTG Spider-Man set wasn’t the most well-received in terms of mechanics and playability, collector booster packs like this offer a nice chance to open some expensive chase cards. These packs, which contain 15 cards just like a regular booster pack, may seem pricey, but compared to normal booster packs, they tend to come with with more foils, which are shiny, holographic versions of every card available in the set. They also often come with very sought-after alternate prints of existing cards and a higher chance for Rare or Mythic Rare cards.
For individual cards, I’d recommend checking out online card retailer TCGPlayer. From today until December 1, it’s running a Cyber Monday deal on everything it sells ā for every purchase you make, you get 10% cashback in store credit, or 13% back if you’re a subscriber. So if you’re a long-time player looking for metagame staples, this is a good opportunity to get more than you were expecting to finish some decks.
More Magic: The Gathering Items On Sale
Be sure to have a look at our handy Magic: The Gathering gift guide for more deals and inspiration for that card player in your life. In it we cover everything from accessories, playmats, dice, sleeves, and so much more. And if you’re a big fan of the Final Fantasy expansion, Amazon’s Black Friday sale on playmats has some of the most iconic character mats at discounted prices as well.
The problem is it’s $80 price tag, just yesterday it was $63.75 down from $79.99, now it’s down from $94.90. In a period of time when we’re forced to buy sealed product for more than MSRP (In this case, $39.99), it’s my job to make sure you’re paying a little premium as possible.
TCGPlayer also has listings available for Mega Venusaur ex Premium Collection starting from $61.59. They’re also having a Cyber Weekend event that gives buyers 10% cashback as account credit on any purchase.
If you’re a subscriber, this bumps up to 13% on-top of your existing subscriber cashback for a total of 16% cashback between now and the end of Cyber Monday. That means you’ll get from $6.15 to $9.85 cashback credit just for buying this collection at the best price currently. Win-win, right?
Inside the Mega Venusaur ex Premium Collection is:
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.
That’s not all, though, as the Shadow of the Erdtree edition for PS5, usually listed with a huge $79.99 price tag, has dropped back to its lowest price yet of $39.99. Tarnished, if you’ve yet to become Elden Lord, now is the best time to do it.
Elden Ring Black Friday Deals
Elden Ring won Game of the Year back in 2022 ā and earned a glowing 10/10 IGN review, to boot. The Shadow of the Erdtree expansion also earned a 10/10 review score from IGN. Needless to say, they’re both absolutely stellar picks that you’re sure to have a blast immersing yourself in.
If you’re craving even more after playing the main game – and its expansion, if you opt for that edition – FromSoft’s co-op multiplayer outing, Elden Ring Nightreign, is also on sale right now during Black Friday. It’s currently marked down to $34.99 at Amazon. So, if you want, you could set yourself up with hours and hours of Elden Ring fun over the holidays.
For those looking to add even more video games to their library while the Black Friday sale is still going on, there’s an abundance of discounts to look through. We’ve broken down some of the best gaming deals available right now from PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo so you can stock up on the best offers from your favorite platforms. And if you’re curious to see some of the best gaming deals overall, check out our breakdown of 30 Black Friday gaming deals that are worth your time and money.
Hannah Hoolihan is a freelancer who writes with the guides and commerce teams here at IGN.
Amazon has dropped its new LEGO deals for Black Friday, which includes the intricately-designed 2,651-piece Pac-Man Arcade set, currently down to $188.99 (30% off), its lowest price ever according to camelcamelcamel. If you’ve had your eye on other sets, make sure to check out other retailers like Target or go directly LEGO to see its specific Black Friday deals.
LEGO Icons Pac-Man Arcade On Sale For Black Friday
Licensed LEGO gaming builds are plentiful these days, and the more than 12-inch high, 10-inch wide Pac-Man Arcade set is one of the most detailed and impressive we’ve ever assembled, and filled with a ton of Easter eggs. By turning the crank on the side, the Pac-Man and Ghosts on the screen will actually move, and the figures on top will rotate. It even has a light-up coin slot ā an awesome detail that recreates that old-school arcade feel.
More LEGO Black Friday Deals at Amazon
Amazon’s LEGO Black Friday sale also has a few other great licensed sets, like the Star Wars Battle Droid buildable figure and the Disney Cruella De Vil car. And there’s a tidy 30% discount on a LEGO build of NASA’s Mars Perseverence rover.
LEGO Sets Retiring Soon That Are On Sale
Amazon also is also discounting a handful of LEGO sets that are retiring soon, so now’s the perfect time to get in on those. I may finally pull the trigger on the LEGO Star Wars Droideka, myself.
Trading card game players rejoice; TCGplayer is having a nice Black Friday promotion. From November 28 at 9 AM ET to December 1 at 11 PM ET, you can get 10% cash back in store credits on all purchases.
This includes both single cards and sealed products. Plus, if you’re a TCGplayer subscriber, you’ll get 13% or more back (12% base plus 1-3% monthly loyalty bonus). That’s pretty great, all things considered.
With Riot and UVS Games’ Riftbound League of Legends TCG fresh on the Western market after just launching a few of weeks ago, taking advantage of this promotion is a great way to pick up singles and build your decks with all upside incentives.
Sealed Riftbound product has been fairly hard to come by for consumers, but for those of you lucky enough to get your hands on cards and follow the metagame, we’ve picked out 10 cards you should have on your radar.
And with Riftbound’s second set, Spiritforged, scheduled for English release in February of 2026, there’s ample time to pick up the cards you need for your deck and get the most out of them.
Read on for detailed breakdowns of our picks, listed from least expensive to most expensive.
I wanted to focus on metagame staples some players might not have on their radar, as well as some cheaper alternatives mixed with high-end late-game bombs.
Stacked Deck
One of the few draw spells in the game so far, this is an easy three-of in any Chaos (purple) deck. It’s single Energy cost without having to recycle Runes is an extremely valuable rate both on turn one and in the late game.
It’s going for around $5-$6, so as an uncommon it’s a bit pricey.
Tasty Faefolk
Tasty Faefolk sees play in most Calm (green) decks. It’s a great late-game finisher on a budget, currently sitting at around $7.
I might not play three of these due to its high cost, but it depends on the deck it’s slotted in.
Darius Trifarian
Darius is a considerably good mid-game drop in Fury (red) decks. Midrange strategies like Sett the Boss will often play a copy or two, and you’ll likely see him taking up space in the top-tier Kai’sa, Daughter of the Void decks as well.
At $10, it’s reasonably priced for a powerful effect.
Falling Star
Speaking of Kai’sa, Falling Star is another card this deck typically considers including three copies of.
The two Power, two Energy cost disrupts your tempo a bit, but it can be an extremely efficient boardwipe in a pinch. I’d also consider playing this in any other red deck like Jinx, Loose Cannon, especially at the reasonably-priced $13.
Baited Hook
Veteran Magic: The Gathering players will recognize this as Riftbound’s answer to Birthing Pod. It’s a great combo card that pairs nicely with cards like Machine Evangel.
In go-wide strategies like Viktor, Herald of the Arcane, Baited Hook can be a great finisher if you’re able to stomach the $37 price tag.
Master Yi
One of the strongest Legends in the game so far, Master Yi, Wuju Bladesman’s $38 cost is due to both his popularity and scarcity.
You can only get him in the Proving Grounds box (as well as three other exclusive Legends), and getting your hands on that is currently a bit of a chore. But if you’re looking to quickly build the second-best meta deck, singles are readily available.
Thousand-Tailed Watcher
One of the best cards in the game as a whole, every Mind (blue) deck will consider auto-including three of these, even with its high cost.
Thousand-Tailed Watcher is incredible late game finisher to score your last points, and strategizing your Battlefields and units in conjunction with it will mean the difference between victory and defeat. Because of this, it’s currently sitting at around $40.
Dazzling Aurora
One of the only cards in Riftbound Origins I would consider borderline unfair and actually broken, Dazzling Gleam is an incredibly powerful finisher in decks like Master Yi ramp.
Its nine Energy cost is worth considering, but spitting out massive Units like Deadbloom Predator for free will quickly win the game, especially since not many decks run much Gear removal.
Kai’sa Survivor
The end-all, tier-1 meta deck in Riftbound Origins. Her aggressive cost mixed with her extremely powerful effect ensures she sees play in most red decks.
If you’re running Kai’Sa, Daughter of the Void as your Legend, playing three Kai’Sa Survivor is a no-brainer. That is, of course, if you’re able to get your hands on three copies. She’s currently sitting around $73, so I wouldn’t blame you if you found some budget replacements.
Time Warp
Personally, I’m not the biggest fan of extra turn effects in TCG’s, since they often give an unfair edge when used. Regardless, Riftbound’s Time Warp is an extremely powerful, high-cost effect that is the metagame’s current most expensive staple, sitting at around $86-$90.
Most blue decks run at least one of these, so it may be worth it to pick up a single copy to build up store credit.
More Riftbound Cards to Keep an Eye On
Naturally, these aren’t the only format staples or expensive cards Riftbound has to offer in its over 300-card Origins set.
There are dozens of much more expensive alternate versions of many Legends and Champions, and more metagame staples that will break the bank a bit.
But if you’re more interested in the collector value of these cards over their competitive use, we have a list of the 15 most expensive Riftbound cards you can buy.
We also have a handy buying guide if you’re new to Riftbound. While sealed product can be hard to find right now and price hikes are rampant, but knowing what’s available is always a good move when a new TCG launches.
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