99 Nights in the Forest is a survival horror Roblox experience that will see you scavenging for supplies by day and protecting your camp at night. While the main aim is to explore the forest and rescue four missing children, it’s not quite as simple as it seems. Entities will stalk you at night, and there’s the addition of cultists that will periodically visit your camp and attack.
Updates often bring new enemies to contend with and new ways to enhance your base. One of the earliest updates that the popular experience launched was the Classes Update. There are now over 20 classes in 99 Nights, all with their own perks. To buy new classes, you need Diamonds, and that’s where the 99 Nights in the Forest codes come in handy!
Working 99 Nights in the Forest Codes (October 2025)
These are the currently working codes for 99 Nights in the Forest:
afterparty – 15x Gems
Expired 99 Nights in the Forest Codes (October 2025)
There are currently no expired 99 Nights in the Forest codes.
How to Redeem 99 Nights in the Forest Codes
When you launch into 99 Nights in the Forest, these are the steps you need to follow to redeem codes:
Locate the Diamond icon next to the green plus in the bottom left corner
When the Diamond menu opens up, find the blue codes button on the right
Click codes
Copy and paste the code from this article
Hit submit
Why Isn’t My 99 Nights in the Forest Code Working?
Codes for Roblox experiences are usually 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!
When is the Next 99 Nights in the Forest Update?
The next update scheduled for 99 Nights in the Forest is on Saturday October 4th. This will be the Taming Update, that will allow you to keep a tamed animal as a pet and have it protect you.
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.
Helldivers 2 developer Arrowhead Studios still doesn’t have a solution for the shooter’s groaning installation size on PC — but it is working on it.
In an update posted to Steam earlier today, Arrowhead’s deputy technical director, Brendan Armstrong, penned the first in a series of posts in which the engineering team talks about the “technical health” of the game, as well as the “technical challenges we’re working through.”
Admitting that the installation size “seems to be a hot topic right now” — at 150GB, Helldivers 2 takes up three times the space on PC than it does on console — the developer revealed that one of the reasons the PC size is so much bigger is because of data duplication and mechanical hard drives.
“The main issue with a mechanical HDD is seek time,” Armstrong explained. “An HDD stores data on a spinning platter, and a physical arm with a read head has to move across the platter to find and retrieve data. The time it takes for this arm to ‘seek’ or move to the correct location is a significant performance bottleneck.
“Imagine a large game level with various objects — trees, rocks, buildings, props. If the data for these objects is scattered all over the hard drive, the read head has to physically jump around the disk, which adds a lot of time to the loading process.”
This, the director added, is why Arrowhead deliberately duplicates certain data files like a common tree texture or a sound effect and “place copies of them in physically close proximity to where they would be needed in the game.”
“Much of the data in the PC version of Helldivers 2 is duplicated. The practice of duplicating data to reduce loading times is a game development technique that is primarily used to optimize games for older storage media, particularly mechanical HDDs and optical discs like DVDs,” the director explained. “This practice is largely unnecessary for games deployed on Solid State Drives (SSDs) which is why the console versions of Helldivers 2 do not do this.”
That said, the post admits that with the advent of SSDs — which store data on flash memory chips that have no moving parts — seek time is virtually nonexistent, but as long as mechanical HDDs are part of the minimum spec PC requirements, it has to be included. Steam user surveys are “unable to give us data on mechanical HDD use in the overall gamer population,” but Arrowhead’s “best estimates” put it at around 12% of all PC gamers.
“Until we can more accurately determine the number of mechanical HDDs that Helldivers 2 is installed on, it is difficult to know how many players will be impacted by reducing the amount of data duplication,” the post said. “Even if that number is small, keep in mind that the load time for each player dropping into a mission is determined by the slowest member of the squad.”
While Arrowhead grapples with this issue and tries to get better data on how many of their players use mechanical HDDs, the team said it’s made “some small gains in the next update” by sweeping for unused assets and “obvious problems,” but admits we “will not likely notice them because the new stuff we’ve added will eat those gains.”
In the longer term, the team will make improvements to the engine to ensure the game doesn’t waste RAM loading common data that isn’t needed.
“Beyond that, the remaining work is a bigger, riskier, more speculative project where we apply some kind of compression to the game data and potentially replicate some of the de-duplication we do on consoles,” the post concludes. “We don’t yet know if the impacts to load-times could make these approaches infeasible.
“We’re taking your concerns very seriously but there are no easy solutions. Until we live in a world where we know that most of our PC players are using SSD drives, sacrificing some extra hard drive space is necessary to ensure we’re all able to load into missions in a reasonable amount of time. We’ve clearly reached the limits of how much duplicated data is acceptable so smarter solutions and compromises are now required. We are very carefully weighing up the costs and tradeoffs of the options we have, and we’ll be sure to find a better balance between loading times and installation size soon.”
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.
Sony has been on a roll lately with custom designed PS5 DualSense controllers. We’ve seen limited-edition controllers with themes based on Ghost of Yotei, Astro Bot, Death Stranding 2, and more. The next one to release is now available to preorder at Amazon. It’s a God of War-themed PS5 controller that’s made to celebrate the series’ 20th anniversary. The God of War 20th Anniversary Limited Edition controller costs $84.99 and will release on October 23, 2025.
God of War 20th Anniversary DualSense PS5 Controller
The design itself is elegantly understated. It’s a white controller, with a jagged red stripe starting on the right trigger and going down the front of the device, past the face buttons and onto the grip. It’s an instantly recognizable design, as the stripe matches the Omega tattoo on Kratos’ face. The white body of the controller also echoes Kratos’ skin, which is white because the Oracle cursed him to wear the ashes of his dead family forever (fun times!).
The face buttons are white, with all-red symbols (circle, triangle, square, and cross), and the D-pad is white with tiny red arrows on each direction. The touchpad is also white. Unlike most other PS5 controller colors, the inside of the grips and the area around the thumbsticks is also white. On the back of it there’s a God of War 20th Anniversary logo.
The original God of War launched in 2005 for PlayStation 2. Since then, our boy Kratos has appeared in a whole lot of games across nearly every piece of PlayStation hardware released in the meantime. He’s killed gods on PS3, PS4, and PS5, as well as the handheld platforms PSP and PS Vita. He’s killed gods in Greek mythology and Norse mythology. No mythology is safe.
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.
Few games have given us as many iconic one-liners as NetherRealm’s fighting franchise, Mortal Kombat, but this week we’ve learned that the voice behind one of the most famous — “Toasty!” — is leaving the studio.
Audio director Dan Forden worked at Midway and its successor NetherRealm Studios since 1989, most famously on the Mortal Kombat franchise. It’s his voice we hear cry “Toasty!” in falsetto when we pull off an impressive uppercut. First appearing in 1993’s Mortal Kombat II, Toasty went on to become one of the most recognizable lines of dialogue in all video games.
Now, however, Forden is leaving NetherRealm, writing in a heartfelt message on social media that he was “really proud of what [the studio] accomplished.”
“Wednesday was my last day at NetherRealm. We made a lot of fun stuff over the years. I’m really proud of what we accomplished as well as how much fun we had making that stuff,” Forden wrote on Instagram. “There are so many smart, talented people there — look for more great things to emerge over the next several years. I love the little touches that people left around the studio like this little Toasty homage on the bathroom mirror.
“I wouldn’t have lasted 37 years in the industry if fans weren’t out there playing the games we made. Thanks to all of you for supporting what we’ve done. Live long and… Toasty!”
Asked in the comments why he was leaving now, Forden explained: “I figured I’d been around long enough. Want to reclaim that time for my own interests.”
In August, development chief Ed Boon said Mortal Kombat 1 had sold over 6.2 million copies. Its predecessor, Mortal Kombat 11, became the best-selling game in the franchise by passing Mortal Kombat X’s nearly 11 million units sold worldwide soon after launch. By 2022, Mortal Kombat 11 had sold more than 15 million copies worldwide. Clearly, Mortal Kombat 1 has underperformed compared to previous games in the series.
NetherRealm has said it shifted to “focus to the next project in order to make it as great as we possibly can,” but it has yet to say what it is. Current speculation points to Injustice 3, a continuation of NetherRealm’s DC fighting game series.
As for what else is happening in the Mortal Kombat world? Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection, developed by Digital Eclipse and published by Atari, launches at the end of October. Movie sequel Mortal Kombat IIhas been delayed from October 24, 2025, to May 15, 2026. It’s thought Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema believe the movie — which stars Karl Urban alongside Adeline Rudolph, Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson, Ludi Lin, Mehcad Brooks, Tati Gabrielle, Lewis Tan, and more — will perform better at the summer box office given the wild fan response to the trailer.
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.
Rock Band 4 is being delisted from both the Xbox and PlayStation digital stores this weekend due to expiring lusic licenses, developer Harmonix has confirmed.
The news was posted across the game’s official Discord channel and its subreddit. The warning has come with just days to act, and arrives on the eve of the game’s 10th anniversary.
“On Sunday, October 5, 2025, Rock Band 4 turns 10,” reads the team’s statement. “What a ride it’s been.”
“With this milestone comes one big change: the original licenses for the core soundtrack are expiring. Because of that, Rock Band 4 will be removed from the PlayStation and Xbox digital stores. If you already own the game, nothing changes — you’ll keep full access and still be able to download the game and songs to any new, compatible devices. The same applies to Downloadable Content (DLC): songs will come down as they hit the 10-year mark, but anything you’ve purchased will remain in your library.
“We’re so grateful for the passion this community has shown. From the team, it’s been a special experience to serve you with Rivals challenges, a super deep DLC library and a best in class band sim. If you’ve been meaning to grab a few last songs, now’s the time.”
As of Sunday, Rock Band 4 and the Rock Band 4 DLC songs that were specifically released on its launch day will no longer be available to purchase. It has been clarified on Discord that DLC tracks from prior Rock Band games (released before Rock Band 4) are not being delisted “yet”, but the team “will be figuring those out over the coming months.”
Rock Band’s unique approach to DLC has resulted in the ability for owners to carry their libraries of songs (plus exports of the tracklists of past Rock Band games) across three generations of console hardware. The approach has seen thousands of pieces of bespoke DLC released for the series since 2007, almost all of which can be played within Rock Band 4.
The last DLC of the Rock Band 4 era was released in January 2024, after eight years of weekly content. The news that the axe is now looming for all Rock Band content, however, marks a sad moment in the history of the 18-year-old series.
Luke is a Senior Editor on the IGN reviews team. You can track him down on Bluesky @mrlukereilly to ask him things about stuff.
OpenAI’s Sora 2 generative video app has gone live, and immediately it’s been used to create countless videos featuring licensed characters, such as Mario, Pikachu and an array of other Pokémon.
While videos featuring Pikachu in Saving Private Ryan, or Mario in Star Wars, might look surprising, a statement from OpenAI earlier this week suggested the company knew exactly what people would be getting up to when Sora 2 arrived — and what the company’s own algorithms had apparently been trained on.
According to a Wall Street Journal report, OpenAI has already begun contacting movie studios and other intellectual property owners to discuss next steps — and offer them the chance to retroactively opt out of their fictional characters being available within Sora 2’s AI videos.
But, for now, it’s open season on Pikachu and his pals, as these initial results from Sora 2 demonstrate (thanks, Nintendo Life):
Ever wondered what Pikachu would sound like if he could actually chat away in human speech (and wasn’t secretly Ryan Reynolds)? Well, wonder no longer — though you may regret listening to this.
While characters are fair game, OpenAI has previously said that real-life people, whether that’s users of the app or the those seeking to use the likeness of celebrities, will need to have manually opted in to having their appearances generated. Of course, OpenAI boss Sam Altman has allowed for his likeness to be used — so here he is having a lightsaber battle with Pikachu:
Alongside Pokémon, Nintendo’s own Mario characters have been getting plenty of use. And then there’s the final clip below, which mashes together Valve’s Portal and Activision’s Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater (and also Twin Peaks).
This is my favorite Sora 2 generation I’ve made so far.
It can seamlessly combine the disparate gameplay elements of Portal and Tony Hawk Pro Skater and then slip in a Twin Peaks reference… and generate in 1.5 minutes. Unreal. pic.twitter.com/C3XUEzgHsH
— 🌟twinstar🌟 ଘ(✿˵•́ ᴗ •̀˵)੭🧁 (@1ketaminepatch) October 1, 2025
Is any of this legal? “In short, we don’t have a definitive answer yet,” business lawyer and creator of the Virtual Legality podcast Richard Hoeg told IGN today. “There are indications in some quarters that training on protected materials is likely going to be deemed legal so long as the materials themselves were acquired for some lawful purpose (and not pirated). But on the output side, the Disney/Dreamworks lawsuit makes some good arguments for why/how the law should expect these platforms to police prompts for infringing requests, especially if they are already policing for something else (porn, bigotry, etc.). But all of those are still just arguments, not settled law..
Hoeg continued: “The law moves slowly, far slower than technology, which is why you see these tech companies racing ahead of it a bit. My best guess is that OpenAI is probably going to be okay long term on the training sets they used (assuming they weren’t pirated), and that the ‘opt out of training’ option therefore won’t do much of anything. Where they really need to concern themselves is on the output side and/or if they are marketing their software’s abilities with protected content themselves.”
IGN has contacted Nintendo and The Pokémon Company for comment.
Last week, the famously litigious The Pokémon Company formally responded to the use of Pokémon TV hero Ash Ketchum and the series’ theme tune by the Department of Homeland Security, as part of a video showing people being arrested and handcuffed by law enforcement agents. “Our company was not involved in the creation or distribution of this content,” a spokesperson told IGN, “and permission was not granted for the use of our intellectual property.”
I enjoy a good bout in a fighting game from time to time, with Bandai Namco’s Tekken being my favorite 3D fighter out there. Conveniently enough, I am also a fan of board games, so when these two passions of mine mingle with one another, such as with the Guilty Gear Strive or Street Fighter V board games, I make sure to check them out. Now, thanks to a successful crowdfunding campaign over on Gamefound, it’s time for the King of Iron Fists to enter the cardboard ring with Tekken: The Board Game.
The game is made by Go On Board, the publisher of The Witcher: Old World and Cyberpunk 2077- The Board Game among others. I’ve had a chance to get some rounds in with a prototype of Tekken: The Board Game, graciously sent to me by the developer, and I have to say, it may have nailed the feeling of “reading your opponent” in a fighting video game better than any other board game I’ve played.
In Tekken, two players (the final release will include a solo mode and optional tournament expansion for up to eight) pick from their favorite fighters and duke it out until one player’s life is gone. Characters I got to try out and that will be included in the base game are Jin, Kazuya, Paul, King, Nina, Asuka, Yoshimitsu, and Jack-8, each coming with detailed minis featuring the character and a pretty nifty colorful accent.
Playing a match of Tekken feels a bit like a game of Rock-Paper-Scissors, and is fairly quick to pick up and learn. Matches are short, too, taking 10 to 15 minutes. Attacks are dictated by cards that you play in front of you, which show not only the area they are targeting, either high, mid, or low, but also the effects and damage the attack will do, indicated by icons.
At any given time, only one person is on the offense, laying out cards and trying to dish out damage. The idea behind this system is born out of the need to keep Tekken feeling fast and dynamic, Go On Board told IGN. “To truly capture the dynamic feeling of the video game, we needed a mechanic that keeps the fight fast-paced and full of tension. In Tekken, reading your opponent’s intentions and reacting at the perfect moment is crucial – blocking a key attack can break a combo and turn the tide of battle. The ‘guess the right card’ mechanic embodies that essence. It’s simple and intuitive, like pressing a button on a controller, but mastery comes from deeply understanding your opponent and predicting their moves. It’s all about timing, reading, and skill – just like in the original game.”
For the defending player, your only goal is to read the opponent and try to guess which area the attacker’s card is going to target, indicated by a card played face down in front of them. Guessing correctly will stop the attack in its tracks, and the defending player becomes the attacker, with their first attack being unblockable. Guessing wrong, however, not only will let the attack go through and connect, but the player who played the card continues their assault and is able to play another card, extending their combo and potentially triggering added bonuses based on their character’s specific combos or how lanes on cards may line up with the next.
Only three attacks can happen before roles reverse, with the exception of a once-per-game HEAT action that each player can take, which allows one additional attack to be played, or lets the player continue attacking after a correct guess by the defensive player.
This element of trying to read your opponent to guess what they are going to do next is an intrinsic part of fighting video games. Having it condensed in such a way to a one-in-three chance to guess correctly works shockingly well. The actions that an attack can trigger are also rather straightforward: you can deal damage, move your character, push an opponent, or sweep an opponent, causing them to fall down, letting you deal extra damage. Your character’s special Rage attack is a bit more complicated, but my friends and I never felt overwhelmed.
Tekken also uses mechanics that make it feel like you’re playing, well, Tekken. Pushing an opponent into the wall causes a wall bounce, dealing damage. You can break through stage walls or floors into other areas and dish out that extra hurt on the ground. Even the small arenas you fight on feel very Tekken-like, giving you enough space to move around, but not so much that it turns reaching your opponent into a chore.
Tekken has never been about playing keep-away and hurling fireballs at one another; instead it’s about getting in close and letting loose devastating punch-and-kick combos, and I think Go On Board has captured that spirit perfectly. “Each fighter in Tekken: The Board Game feels truly unique thanks to a combination of design elements. Each character has a distinct deck composition, combo structure, and a Rage ability that reflects their iconic playstyle from the video game. Some characters also feature unique components or mechanics that set them apart even further.”
When the game comes out, fighters will have a variety of ways to check out Tekken and prove themselves. The core box contains eight fighters (Jin, Kazuya, King, Paul, Jack-8, Yoshimitsu, Asuka, and Nina) and four stages (Sanctum, Urban Square, Descent into Subconscious, and Into the Stratosphere). Or, if you just want a taste, a starter set featuring Jin and Kazuya and the Descent into Subconscious will also be available.
But any Tekken fan knows that one of the defining aspects of the series is its characters, and Go On Board is bringing many of them over through various expansion sets that you can purchase separately, too. These include the following.
Expansion 1
Fighters: Jun, Leroy, Xiaoyu, Panda
Stage: Yakushima
Expansion 2
Fighters: Heihachi, Reina, Lee, Kuma
Stage: Secluded Training Ground
Expansion 3
Fighters: Azucena, Leo, Lili, Shaheen
Stage: Ortiz Farm
Expansion 4
Fighters: Lidia, Eddy, Victor, Raven
Stage: Seaside Resort
Expansion 5
Fighters: Lars, Alisa, Claudio, Zafina
Stage: Rebel Hanger
Expansion 6
Fighters: Hwoarang, Law, Steve Fox, Feng
Stage: Arena
Expansion 7
Fighters: Dragunov, Bryan
Stage: Midnight Siege
“Legendary” Expansion
Fighters: True Ogre, Mokujin
Stage: Tekken 3 Stage “Carnival”
When asked about what went into deciding the character pairings, the design team not only wanted to make sets that played well together, but also ones that made sense from a narrative standpoint. “When creating the character packs, we took into account several key aspects. We wanted each box to include characters that work well together mechanically, but also share meaningful narrative connections. For example, the pack featuring Jun, Xiaoyu, Panda, and Leroy with the Yakushima board was designed this way because Yakushima is Jun’s stage. Xiaoyu once fought off the Jacks units attempting to reach the Sanctum near Yakushima, while Panda is Xiaoyu’s close friend, and Leroy served as her mentor.”
With so many characters, including my personal favorites Leo, Steve, and Hwoarang all making appearances, it has my blood pumping, and I can’t wait to see how they play. Even in the core box, I could already tell that care was being put into highlighting qualities of the characters to make them feel different from one another, such as King’s ability to throw opponents around or Yoshimitsu’s special wheel that lets you bid life to spin for a potential big payoff. I can’t wait to see how all the other characters feel.
From the different stage hazards, the quick-to-learn systems, and highly detailed miniatures, Tekken: The Board Game has quickly shot up my list as one of my most anticipated board games next year. My biggest worry is that, with just how many characters they’re promising, some will run the risk of feeling samey. Time will tell how successfully the team is able to avoid that potential pitfall, but considering that by taking the expansion approach with the characters, not to dissimilar to something like Unmatched, means fans can pick and choose from those packs they want, and aren’t required to buy them all. Even the core box offers a good bit of variety on its own. You can have a perfectly good time with that alone.
While Tekken’s initial campaign is over, late pledges will be starting soon with an expected delivery date of April 2026, but if you want to try it out for yourself, head over to Board Game Arena right now, or check out the WIP rules.
Scott White is a freelance contributor to IGN, assisting with tabletop games and guide coverage. Follow him on X/Twitter or Bluesky.
It’s all well and good to grab ridiculously expensive Pokémon TCG cards regardless of the climate, and I’m absolutely writhing in jealousy at those who can.
But imagine going back in time and pulling one of those epic chase cards straight off the shelf? Of course, you could today if you hate your bank account that much, but what about the most expensive Pokémon cards in packs right now?
Just to note, the chances of pulling these cards are extremely slim, so if you plan on spending massive amounts of money on Booster Bundles, Booster Boxes, and ETBs, bear in mind that the actual value of the card itself is usually cheaper than ripping packs. Unless you’re mega lucky, of course.
10. Mega Lucario ex – 179/132
This new Special Illustration Rare of Mega Lucario ex currently fetches about $280, and it’s easy to see why.
With Aura Jab accelerating Fighting Energy and Mega Brave hitting for a massive 270, Lucario slots perfectly into aggressive decks.
The art, by 5ban Graphics, depicts Lucario mid-leap with fierce energy bursts against a Mega Venusaur, a dynamic visual that mirrors its high-impact playstyle.
9. Mega Gardevoir ex – 178/132
Both sitting as the one of the highest-priced cards in Mega Evolution, and being the most popular, it’s not difficult to understand why this Mega Gardevoir ex is the biggest chase card in the set.
Gardevoir’s Overflowing Wishes accelerates Psychic Energy across your bench, while Mega Symphonia scales into massive damage with enough Energy in play.
Takuya’s art envelops the card in a symphony of pinks and whites, making it as enchanting as it is powerful in Psychic archetypes.
8. Pikachu ex – 238/191
Pikachu ex SIR is partially to blame for the Pokémon TCG boom that kicked off this time last year, and is still rocking on today. After peaking at $485 at the end of 2024, it’s finally stabalized at a much for reasonable $300 at the time of writing.
It’s a good time to snap it up, if you’ve got the cash, but the amount of nostalgia and detailed yet soft artwork on this card will make it climb back up as the Scarlet and Violet era moves into the rearview mirror.
7. Greninja ex – 214/167
Greninja ex SIR is my favorite in this article as I have it graded in a 10 and I’m being completely bias. Joking aside (I’m not) but this is one of the best artworks outside of Prismatic Evolutions in the Scarlet and Violet era.
Twilight Masquerade was a slept on set in my opinion, but the chances of pulling this are stacked. If you have the money upfront, i’d put it into this card instead of trying to rip packs. But I also obviously hate having fun, so the choice is yours.
6. Sylveon ex – 156/131
It’s such a shame Fairy typing didn’t come back for Sylveon ex SIR, because I can’t think of a more Fairy type Pokémon card ever. It’s another stunner with a cute stance and a pastel color pallete that just makes it. There’s that much pink it just works, a fantastic card and its easy to see why it’s over $400, especially as it’s one of the most popular Eeveelutions.
5. Zekrom ex & Reshiram ex – 172/086 / 173/086
The new Black White Rare versions of Zekrom ex and Reshiram ex combine the strong movesets of their Special Illustration Rare counterparts with a prestige look worthy of their legendary status. Zekrom ex uses Slash for [CC] as an easy setup, while Voltage Burst for [LLC] scales with your opponent’s Prize cards, offsetting its 30 recoil thanks to 230 HP and synergy with Flaaffy or Miraidon ex.
Reshiram ex mirrors this on the Fire side, with Slash for [2] into Blaze Burst at [1RR], hitting 130 plus 50 per Prize card taken while discarding just one Energy. Both serve as late-game swing attackers that slot neatly into Lightning or Fire builds.
What sets them apart is the new Black White Rare treatment. The monochrome foil gives a trophy-like finish that makes them true chase pulls, striking a balance between collector prestige and competitive play. They’re the rare kind of cards you can sleeve up to win games or showcase as centerpiece collectibles.
4. Victini – 171/086 / 172/086
Victini as a Black White Rare feels special because it combines flashy collector appeal with real deck potential. At just 80 HP it’s fragile, but V-Force hits for 120 damage with only [RR] if you keep your Bench full, making it a sneaky closer in fast Fire builds that flood the field early.
The monochrome foil treatment looks incredible and gives Victini a prestige feel that stands out, while still being a card you’ll want to try competitively just for the thrill of pulling off big trades with such a tiny attacker. The alternate 172/086 version from the White Flare half of the set is essentially the same card, with a similar price value as well.
3. Team Rocket’s Mewtwo ex – 231/182
What a beast of a card! Mewtwo ex SIR captured that Mewtwo’s Revenge energy so hard, immense amounts of nostalgia in this card for me. It looks like everyone agrees considering it’s currently around $450. Destined Rivals cards are up and down day after day, so no doubt we’ll see this settle at a cheaper pricepoint before it crossed the vintage checkpoint in years to come.
2. Mega Lucario ex & Mega Gardevoir ex – 187/132 / 188/132
According to TCGPlayer’s Mega Evolution pull rate data, these “Mega Hyper Rare” cards (what a bizarre rarity name by way) on average only appear one in every 1 out of every 1260 packs of Mega Evolution.
That’s around 35 booster boxes, before you find even potentially find a single one of these cards. Holy bankruptcy, Batman!
The gold finish, courtesy of 5ban Graphics, turns these cards into a gleaming centrepiece. Competitive players want it, collectors covet it, and together they’ve pushed it to the very peak.
The golden Mega Hyper Rare Mega Lucario ex card is topping Pokemon TCG listings charts at a staggering $600 market value, with some listings reaching $1000 or more.
Just like its gold-finished Mega Lucario counterpart, this painfully elusive Mega Gardevoir ex is also sitting at around a $500 market price, with some listings even reaching $1200 right now as well.
1. Umbreon ex – 161/131
Even after Destined Rivals, Black Bolt/White Flare, AND Mega Evolution, this is still the undisputed champ of rare cards. We always knew it was going to be insanely priced, and we needed a cheaper Umbreon chase card after Umbreon VMAX (Moonbreon).
Granted, it’s still a mental market price, and still sitting around $1,000 right now. But it won’t get cheaper solely because it’s Umbreon and almost anything linked to this dark type Eeveelution holds its value, trust me on this. If you’re brave enough to drop $1,000 on Prismatic Eeveelutions boosters, or even this card standalone, I salute your efforts, and your bank account.
Honorable Mentions: Destined Rivals & More
Look here’s the thing, Pokémon cards are expensive. And it can be hard for us to hit absolutely everything that’s worth chasing right now. We only have so much time in the day! But, I still thought it would be worth mentioning several other highly sought after and valuable cards that just missed out on the top ten list.
With new sets coming out every few months, this list can get shaken up a lot, so it’s worth bookmarking and even checking back in every so often to see what else is skyrocketing in value right now.
We also can’t finish up without a brief mention of Prismatic Evolutions’ Eeveelutions. The money in these chase cards is insane, and it always will be, which is why these need a dedicated section to themselves.
One of my favorite cards across the whole TCG is Jolteon ex SIR from Prismatic Evolutions. There’s been some banger Jolteon Cards in the past, for me that would be Jolteon from the Brilliant Stars Trainer Gallery and the Jolteon V Sword and Shield Promo Card, but this one has unlimited energy. Just look at how expressive this card is, perfectly showcasing Jolteons speed and agility with one of the coolest backgrounds i’ve seen in a Pokémon card.
Another beautiful pastel artwork with Espeon ex SIR. On top of Espeon being a fan favorite, it’s easy to see why this card is now over $300. I’ve never seen that many shades of purple in such a small space before, such a stunning piece of art, imagine pulling this, getting a 10 then getting it in your slabbed collection? Stuff of dreams.
Christian Wait is a contributing freelancer for IGN covering everything collectable and deals. Find Christian on X @ChrisReggieWait.
This article includes contributions from Robert Anderson and Ben Williams.
Starbreeze has canceled Project Baxter, its co-op Dungeons & Dragons game, laid off a significant portion of its development team, and announced plans to double down on its Payday franchise.
Project Baxter was announced in December 2023 as an Unreal Engine 5 D&D game that would “carry the signature Starbreeze cornerstones of co-operative multiplayer, lifetime commitment through a Games as a Service-model, community engagement and a larger than life experience.”
The plan then was to launch Project Baxter on all major platforms in 2026 with crossplay. But news has been scarce, with a social media post showing off a single in-engine image in September 2024.
In November last year, Starbreeze said it was still hiring for Project Baxter, with work on the game continuing “at full speed.” “Internally, we have weekly playtests of Baxter, and active discussions with a number of industry-leading players regarding potential collaborations around Baxter’s development and launch,” the studio said at the time. As of November 2024, Starbreeze had 191 total employees, most of which were based at its head office in Stockholm, Sweden.
The decision to cancel Project Baxter has cost the Swedish company SEK 255 million (approx. $27.2 million) in a write-down of development costs.
CEO Adolf Kristjansson called it a “difficult but necessary decision,” but failed to mention any particular issues with the development of Project Baxter that might have factored in.
“Our strategy is clear: Payday is one of the most iconic IPs in gaming, with unmatched reach and potential,” Kristjansson said in a prepared statement. “By focusing our investment and talent here, we can accelerate delivery, engage players with more content, and reinforce Starbreeze’s position as the clear leader in the heisting genre. This is about sharpening our focus to create the strongest long-term value for our players, our people, and our shareholders.”
“Part” of the Baxter team will be redeployed across Starbreeze’s projects, mostly within Payday, but around 44 full-time employees across staff and contractors will lose their jobs.
“We are doubling down on what our players love – and what we do best – owning the heisting genre,” Kristjansson continued. “Payday is more than a game — it’s a genre we created and continue to lead. By redeploying talent and capital, we can bring innovation to heisting gameplay faster, while also laying the foundation for the future expansion of the genre.”
Starbreeze said Payday has had more than 50 million players worldwide and generated close to SEK 4 billion (approx. $427 million) in lifetime gross revenue.
“With increased focus and resources, Starbreeze will accelerate its roadmap, delivering more frequent updates, new content drops, and continuous live-engagement,” the company said. “The discontinuation of Baxter, combined with an increased focus on the Payday franchise, will enable Starbreeze to become cash-flow positive in 2026.”
Kristjansson added: “I want to sincerely thank the Baxter team for their passion and creativity, and express appreciation to Wizards of the Coast for their support. Though we have made the decision to not continue forward with this project, we are proud of what was achieved in Baxter, and those contributions will carry forward into Payday and the future of Starbreeze. By concentrating our efforts on Payday we give Starbreeze and all our employees the best chance to succeed.”
So, what does the future hold for Starbreeze? The 12-year-old Payday 2 still has significantly more players than Payday 3 on Steam, but the developer insisted Payday 3 “is being developed into a scalable live-engagement platform to engage millions of players worldwide.” The Payday 3 team will grow to about 50 employees before the end of the year “and continue to grow in line with increased player engagement.”
Meanwhile, Starbreeze said it has new heist games in the works, too, including spinoffs and narrative-driven projects, and plans to expand Payday into new platforms. Meanwhile, it’s offering its services as a work-for-hire studio.
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 long-awaited Mega Evolution era has finally arrived in Pokémon TCG following the Japanese releases of Mega Brave and Mega Symphonia in August 2025. With their towering HP values, spectacular full-art designs, and that notorious 3-Prize rule when a Mega ex is knocked out, these cards are already shaking up both the collector market and early deck-building experiments in Japan, and we expect the same to happen worldwide, too.
Like every major set, certain chase cards have risen to the top. That’s whether for playability, stunning artwork, or simply the popularity of their featured trainer or Pokémon. Below, we’ve ranked ten of the most expensive Mega Evolution cards in today’s market on our favourite dedicated marketplace, TCGPlayer, starting from the lowest on the chart and working up to the crown jewel.
The original Mega Brave and Mega Symphonia expansions have already delivered some of the most eye-catching and valuable cards of the year, with the 10 most valuable of which from the combined Mega Evolution set can be found below, for those who don’t feel like scrolling through the whole larger list.
However, with the set only just being released, TCGPlayer’s exact most valuable card rankings are changing rapidly, due to continuous market price changes. So, be sure to also check out the live page showing the most expensive Mega Evolution Pokémon cards on TCGPlayer right now.
Still, as for our top 15 picks, from dazzling behemoths like Mega Venusaur ex and Mega Gardevoir ex, to nostalgic Special Art Rares of fan-favourite trainers like Lillie’s Determination, collectors are still scrambling to secure them before prices climb higher. Here’s a proper look at fifteen of the most expensive cards currently dominating the Mega Evolution market.
15. Mega Venusaur ex – 155/132 (Ultra Rare)
Mega Venusaur ex cards in general thrive on endurance, and Mega Evolution’s is no different. Solar Transfer lets you freely move Grass Energy around, while Jungle Dump delivers 240 damage and heals 30, making it tough to topple.
5ban Graphics’ artwork reinforces that bulk, with Mega Venusaur ex crouched under vibrant petals in a pose that radiates raw power. Both a sturdy option in Grass decks and a visually commanding card, it’s a sought-after Ultra Rare.
14. Vulpix – 138/132 (Illustration Rare)
Gameplay-wise, Vulpix won’t shake the meta with Stampede and Combustion, which are serviceable but underpowered. What makes this card stand out is its Illustration Rare art by saino misaki, showing the fox Pokémon curled up by a fireplace in a warmly lit, rustic room.
It’s a cosy-looking slice-of-life card that collectors are eager to chase, proving once again that atmosphere and nostalgia can lift even a low-power card into a high-value slot.
13. Bulbasaur – 133/132 (Illustration Rare)
Already a major seller amongst Pokémon TCG collectors on TCG player, this Mega Evolution Bulbasaur’s Bind Down is a deceptively disruptive move, trapping your opponent’s Active Pokémon in place while chipping away at their board state.
This utility, combined with Bulbasaur’s nostalgic allure as the original Grass starter, gives it both competitive and casual appeal. Artist mashu delivers bold, swirling colours that make Bulbasaur appear almost dreamlike, enhancing its chase factor. Along with being playable, it’s one of the most visually striking cards in the set.
12. Ivysaur – 134/132 (Illustration Rare)
Razor Leaf offers a reliable 60 damage for two Grass Energy, positioning Ivysaur as a useful bridge to Mega Venusaur in dedicated Grass decks. The artwork, again by mashu, captures Ivysaur leaping forward with fierce determination against a backdrop of glowing foliage and vibrant petals.
As part of the full Kanto starter line, collectors are eager to build the evolutionary trio, and its combination of steady damage and stunning visuals cements its rising market value.
11. Lillie’s Determination – 169/132 (Ultra Rare)
Although not as dazzling as its more artistic counterpart below, this UR of Lillie’s Determination is already one of the hottest chase cards of the Pokémon TCG’s Mega Evolution set. Atsushi Furusawa’s stunning full-art design captures Lillie with delicate, vibrant detail, and the card effect remains a flexible draw option.
While it may not dominate the competitive scene, it is almost guaranteed to headline binders and display cases. It can be easy for newcomers to underestimate Lillie’s immense popularity, but that doesn’t stop its position near the very top of the set’s value list.
10. Marshadow – 146/132 (Illustration Rare)
Marshadow is one of the more competitively promising Illustration Rares. Shadowy Side Kick deals respectable damage, and its effect of blanking damage to Marshadow on the following turn if it takes a KO can stall opponents effectively. Altogether, this card straddles the line between competitive tech and collector gem.
9. Mega Kangaskhan ex – 182/132
Mega Kangaskhan ex is a surprise standout in the most valuable card lists, and currently sits at around $90 market price.
It’s another beautiful art set by 5ban Graphics, and features Mega Kangaskhan and its wee bab breaking out into their “Rapid Fire Combo” .
8. Mega Absol ex – 161/132 (Ultra Rare)
Absol has always had a cult following since its debut in Gen III , and this new Mega form captures that same aura of menace. Mega Absol Ex’s Ultra Rare gives us an eye-catching, almost gothic rendering, making it look like it has stepped out of a noir film, with its mix of black and yellow tones.
Competitively, its Terminal Period attack is an intriguing win-condition attack, knocking out foes that line up perfectly on damage counters, while Claw of Darkness offers raw power plus disruption. Though it’s a little clunky in the current fast-paced meta, Absol’s fan appeal ensures this one holds value.
Few Trainers hold the same sway in the secondary market as Lillie. Not only does the floral artwork of Lillie’s Determination by Atsushi Furusawa give off endless warmth and nostalgia, the actual effect of this Trainer card is great as well: refreshing your hand with six new cards or even eight when behind, presenting real utility in control and comeback strategies.
On top, Lillie’s sheer popularity, though seems to be additionally driving the price tag into the around-$200 stratosphere, just as we’ve seen with her earlier Sun & Moon prints.
6. Mega Latias ex – 181/132 (Special Illustration Rare)
At approximately $200, Mega Latias ex offers versatility in combat to go with its striking visuals, immediately showing why it’s one of the Pokémon TCG’s most in-demand cards from Mega Evolution.
Its Strafe attack enables clever switching plays, while Illusory Impulse deals a blistering 300 damage at the cost of discarding Energy.
Akira Egawa’s colourful, swirling art makes the Dragon-type legend look like it’s bursting straight out of the card. It’s as playable as it is collectable, and it earns its spot as the set’s tenth hottest seller.
5. Mega Venusaur ex – 177/132 (Special Illustration Rare)
Our third-most valuable card in the Pokémon Trading Card Game’s new Mega Evolution set, Mega Venusaur ex is a true battlefield tank, with Solar Transfer enabling seamless Energy redistribution and Jungle Dump delivering 240 damage while healing itself.
In terms of gameplay, this makes it one of the most flexible and durable attackers in the set. The SAR artwork by mashu is extraordinary, depicting a lush, chaotic jungle scene bursting with colour, where Venusaur looms as a dominant presence. The synergy of competitive utility and jaw-dropping art is what has pushed this card into the top tier of value.
4. Mega Lucario ex – 179/132 (Special Illustration Rare)
This Special Illustration Rare of Mega Lucario ex currently fetches about $280, even though its market price is currently $75 lower, and it’s easy to see why.
With Aura Jab accelerating Fighting Energy and Mega Brave hitting for a massive 270, Lucario slots perfectly into aggressive decks.
The art, by 5ban Graphics, depicts Lucario mid-leap with fierce energy bursts against a Mega Venusaur, a dynamic visual that mirrors its high-impact playstyle.
3. Mega Gardevoir ex – 178/132 (Special Illustration Rare)
Priced at over $500 at the time of writing, Mega Gardevoir ex stands as the Pokémon TCG’s crown jewel of the Mega Evolution set. Whilst Overflowing Wishes accelerates Psychic Energy across your Bench, Mega Symphonia converts that fuel into devastating damage.
Raita Kazama’s museum-quality artwork, full of pastel tones and floral elegance, perfectly matches the card’s grace and strength. It’s this union of competitive power and striking style that cements this beautiful piece of cardboard as the set’s most coveted prize.
2. Mega Gardevoir ex – 187/132 (Hyper Mega Rare)
Just like its gold-finished Mega Lucario counterpart, this painfully elusive Mega Gardevoir ex is sitting at around a $500 market price, with some listings even reaching $1200 right now as well.
According to TCGPlayer’s Mega Evolution pull rate data, these “Mega Hyper Rare” cards (what a bizarre rarity name by way) on average only appear one in every 1 out of every 1260 packs of Mega Evolution. That’s around 35 booster boxes, before you find even potentially find a single one of these cards. Holy bankruptcy, Batman!
1. Mega Lucario ex – 188/132 (Hyper Mega Rare)
The golden Mega Hyper Rare Mega Lucario ex card is topping Pokemon TCG listings charts at a staggering $600 market value, with some listings reaching $1000 or more.
With Aura Jab enabling Energy recovery and Mega Brave delivering 270 damage like its other versions, this card exemplifies the high-risk, high-reward nature of Mega ex.
The gold finish, courtesy of 5ban Graphics, turns Lucario into a gleaming centrepiece. Competitive players want it, collectors covet it, and together they’ve pushed it to the very peak. If you have one of the cheaper versions of Mega Lucario ex, it’s better to keep this one safe in your binder rather than put in your deck.
Ben Williams – IGN freelance contributor with over 10 years of experience covering gaming, tech, film, TV, and anime. Follow him on Twitter/X @BenLevelTen.
This article contains contributions from Robert Anderson.
