Category: IGN

While supplies last, Gamestop is offering the excellent Super Mario RPG remake for Nintendo Switch for only $24.99. Pro members can get it even cheaper at $22.49. You can get free shipping on orders over $79 or choose in-store pickup, otherwise pay a $6.99 shipping fee. This game is a brand new and sealed physical copy so you can sell or trade it off when you’re done with it.

Note that this is part of a greater Gamestop Sale Event that’s discounting other games at the lowest prices we’ve seen, like Dragon Age: Veilguard for only $24.99.

Super Mario RPG for $24.99

2025 has already kicked off with a few different video game sales at various retailers, and as we make our way into February, the discounts just keep dropping. GameStop currently has a selection of games on sale for Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch that are down to just $24.99, including Dragon Age: The Veilguard, Super Mario RPG, Starfield, and more.

Below you can see some of our favorite picks from this sale, but to see the full list of available discounted options head to GameStop’s sale page here.

Select Games on Sale for $25 at GameStop

Games Workshop has brought missing-in-action Warhammer 40,000 animation Astartes 2 back from the dead with an incredible teaser trailer that has wowed fans of the hobby. However, there’s a catch: nothing in the teaser will be in the new animation.

Astartes 2 is Games Workshop’s follow-up to the fan-made original Astartes animation, created by Syama Pedersen. It is widely accepted as the greatest Warhammer 40,000 animation ever made, official or unofficial, only perhaps bettered by Amazon’s recently released and excellent Space Marine 2 animation for the Secret Level anthology series.

Indeed, Astartes was so good that it inspired Saber Interactive’s hugely successful Space Marine 2, and Games Workshop eventually brought Syama in-house to work on the sequel.

But fans hadn’t heard a peep out of Games Workshop on Astartes 2 for years, leading some to wonder whether the company had quietly cancelled it. Fast forward to today, January 29, and the surprise reveal of the teaser trailer, which is a feast for Warhammer 40,000 fans.

It’s not even February yet and the Ws for 2025 won’t stop coming! Astartes is back, Brothers! pic.twitter.com/sYhu5LjwiC

— Champions of the Ice (@ChampionsOTIce2) January 29, 2025

The teaser suggests an animation on a scale never-before-seen from Warhammer 40,000 at this quality level, with melee combat, shooting, vehicle combat, and even spaceship battles all showcased. We see a number of different Space Marine chapters in battle across varied environments, and multiple enemy races, including Tyranids, Orks, and Tau.

It certainly hypes up Astartes 2, but it turns out nothing in the teaser will be in the animation itself when it finally launches in 2026 exclusively on Games Workshop’s subscription-only Warhammer+ streamer. According to a post on the Warhammer Community website:

“This teaser trailer is not actually clips from the new animation, instead showing a compilation of shots that represent the former lives of the characters that will appear in the show. There’s a pretty unsubtle hint at the end as to the nature of the final story… We’ll leave you to speculate and start putting the pieces together yourselves.”

So, while the teaser is certainly cool, that’s all it really is for now. We still haven’t seen anything of Astartes 2, and the lack of a disclaimer on the trailer probably won’t do it any favors in the long term. A fan who catches this teaser would reasonably expect what it shows to appear in Astartes 2; most won’t see the Warhammer Community post.

Still, it’s hard not to get excited as a fan and speculate about what it all means. It looks like the characters in the trailer end up in an Inquisition-led Deathwatch Terminator squad, based on the final image. But that’s about all I’ve managed to glean from it so far.

Meanwhile, I’ve already seen Space Marine 2 fans look jealously upon the Astartes 2 teaser and hope for some or all of it to make its way across to the game. Capes are an early shout. Saber is continuing to update the game, so perhaps it’s time for the developers to take some inspiration from Astartes once again.

Image credit: Games Workshop.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket has received its long awaited trading update today and, despite players slamming the mechanic upon developer Creatures Inc. revealing how it would work last week, it’s somehow launched to an even worse reception.

Players have taken to social media to share their frustration at the trading feature, criticizing it for having too many requirements and too many restrictions. While the latter were revealed upon trading’s announcement last week, the former was veiled under the statement “items must be consumed in order to trade.”

Unlike the Wonder Pick feature or opening booster packs, every instance of trading will require two separate, new use of items. The first is similar to those other mechanics, where in order to trade players must have Trade Stamina. This recovers over time or can be exchanged for Poké Gold, meaning real world money.

Trade Tokens

The other item is what’s causing a stir amongst the Pokémon TCG Pocket community, however. Trade Tokens are also required for trading any card at 3 Diamonds or higher. 120 Trade Tokens are required to trade a 3 Diamond card, 400 are required to trade a 1 Star card, and 500 are required to trade a 4 Diamond card, meaning an ex Pokémon.

Trade Tokens can only be obtained by essentially selling cards. Players can delete from their collection a 3 Diamond card for 25 Trade Tokens, a 1 Star card for 100, a 4 Diamond card for 125, a 2 Star card for 300, a 3 Star immersive card for 300, and a Crown gold card for 1500. Cards of lower rarities are worthless, though require no Trade Tokens to trade either.

This means players must sell, for example, five ex Pokémon before they can trade one ex Pokémon, or five 1 Star card (the rarest available to trade) before they can trade one 1 Star card. What’s more, selling one Crown rarity card, which are the rarest in the game and may not be obtained even after months of playing, will only net players enough tokens to trade three ex Pokémon.

Selling one of the next rarity, the 3 Star immersive art cards used a selling point for Pokémon TCG Pocket itself, doesn’t grant enough Trade Tokens to trade either a 1 Star card or a 4 Diamond card.

‘A Monumental Failure’

“The trading update is an insult,” wrote hurtbowler on Reddit in a post with over 1,000 upvotes, a player who vowed not to spend another penny on the game. “It’s just frustrating. The greed is just so excessive I can’t be inclined to spend another dollar. They should probably remove ‘Trading Card Game’ from the title screen. It’s just insulting to look at.”

“It’s silly to have to burn two immersive cards to be able to trade just one 4 Diamond ex,” said someone in the comments. “I understand they want to keep people from creating bots and exploiting the system, but this is currently absurd.”

Others called it “hilariously toxic” and “monumental failure,” and lamented that a “safe way for the community to connect more” was sacrificed for something “so laborious.” Exchanging something for Trade Tokens also takes around 15 seconds, meaning many will have to spend minutes in menus before they can trade a single card.

“If these are the trade costs, the app should be renamed to Pokémon Card Game Pocket wrote Darkmalice in the comments of a post discussing the high costs. “I don’t think they want people trading at all,” said another user. “That’s why they made it so bad.”

Pay Day

Fans have complained trading is fairly clearly being implemented as a means of increasing revenue for Pokémon TCG Pocket, which is estimated to have made $200 million in its first month, before trading was possible.

This is also evidenced by the inability to trade cards of 2 Star rarity or higher, as if players could immediately trade for their missing cards, they wouldn’t need to spend $10 or $100 or more for a random chance of getting them. It cost one player around $1,500 just to complete the first set, for example, and the third in three months will be available tomorrow.

“The trading system is predatory and downright greedy,” wrote ACNL on Reddit, who outlined the Trade Token conversion rates. “That’s just messed up man. Like who designed this? If there were other ways to get tokens, this might be passable, but at the moment there are no other ways to get tokens.

“This isn’t sustainable at all. On top of that, you can’t even burn a card unless you have three copies of it. If you want to trade in this game, you better buy a ton of packs and keep buying them.”

Creatures Inc. Stays Quiet

Creatures Inc. has not yet commented on the backlash to trading. Doing so is a rare move for the developer but it did so for the initial complaints when trading was revealed last week. “Your concerns are seen,” it said at the time. “Once this feature becomes available, I’d like to invite everyone to try it and provide feedback. This way, the game can continue to evolve in an enjoyable way for everyone.”

This response made it sound as though things may be better than fans expected, but that is certainly not the case. IGN as asked Creatures Inc. for comment on this reaction and if any changes are planned.

As mentioned by some users, the trading mechanic could be rectified somewhat by Pokémon TCG Pocket including Trade Tokens as rewards for missions and such. It’s more likely Trade Stamina will feature in these though, as it has so far included adjacent items like Wonder Stamina and Pack Hourglasses as rewards.

Regardless, the introduction of such a poorly received mechanic today is a bad look for a game about to debut its next big update, which will introduce Diamond and Pearl Pokémon such as Dialga and Palkia to the digital card game.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.

Konami has hailed the success of the Silent Hill 2 remake after it shot through the 2 million sales mark.

Silent Hill 2 remake, developed by Bloober Team, went on sale on PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam on October 8, 2024 (there’s no word on an Xbox Series X and S version yet), and just a few days later had sold one million copies. This was thought to have made Silent Hill 2 remake the fastest-selling Silent Hill game ever, but Konami has yet to rubber stamp that potential record.

“Since its release, Silent Hill 2 has received a multitude of accolades including several ‘perfect’ review scores, multiple award wins and nominations cementing itself as a timeless entry in the horror video game genre,” Konami said.

IGN’s Silent Hill 2 remake review returned an 8/10. We said: “Silent Hill 2 is a great way to visit – or revisit – one of the most dread-inducing destinations in the history of survival horror.”

The sales success of the Silent Hill 2 remake will perhaps embolden Konami’s plans for the franchise, which have ramped up significantly in recent years. Silent Hill f and Silent Hill: Townfall are both still in the works, but perhaps Konami will also continue to remake past Silent Hill games. There’s a film adaptation of Silent Hill 2 coming, too.

Modders are doing eye-catching things with the Silent Hill 2 remake on PC, too, including removing hair sheen, the game’s famous fog, and even turning it into Sunny Hills.

The Silent Hill 2 remake features several new puzzles and redesigned maps, so if you need help navigating through it all, head to our Silent Hill 2 Walkthrough Hub. We’ve also got a comprehensive guide to the Silent Hill 2 Remake endings, all Key Locations in the game, and what changes in New Game+.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Dino Crisis and Dino Crisis 2 are back from the dead with re-releases on PC via GOG.

Both cult classic PlayStation survival horror games are available on the CD Projekt-owned platform DRM-free, with their original content fully intact as part of GOG’s Preservation Program.

Capcom released Dino Crisis on the original PlayStation in 1999 and then Dino Crisis 2 just a year later. Dino Crisis 3 launched as an original Xbox exclusive in 2003 and fans have yet to see a new game since.

Despite the occasional groundswell of opinion that Dino Crisis should return with a brand new entry in the series or a HD remake, Capcom seems uninterested. Indeed Capcom’s 2022 announcement of Exoprimal, a multiplayer-focused action game featuring dinosaurs, was seen as the final nail in the coffin for Dino Crisis. And in August last year, Dino Crisis creator Shinji Mikami said the popularity of Capcom’s Monster Hunter doesn’t leave room for a reboot or remake of the beloved PlayStation game.

The PC ports of the first two Dino Crisis games were difficult to find and tricky to get up and running on modern machines, so GOG’s work here is welcome.

“Thanks to the tremendous efforts of Capcom and GOG, Regina’s iconic line, ‘You’re extinct!’ no longer applies to the game itself,” GOG said of Dino Crisis. “The timeless thriller that defined a generation of gamers is made to last forever, enhanced for today’s systems, featuring all the original content you loved with numerous improvements.”

Dino Crisis PC: what to expect with GOG’s version of the game:

• Full compatibility with Windows 10 and Windows 11
• All 6 localizations of the game included (English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, and Japanese)
• Original, Arrange, and Operation Wipe Out modes included
• Improved DirectX game renderer
• New rendering options (Windowed Mode, Vertical Synchronization Control, Gamma Correction, Integer Scaling, Anti-Aliasing, and more)
• Increased rendering resolution to ~4K (1920p) and color depth to 32-bit.
• Improved geometry calculation, more stable transformation and texturing.
• Improved alpha transparency
• Improved game registry settings
• Issue-free animation, video, and music playback
• Issue-free saving (the game no longer corrupts save files after leaving dropped weapons)
• Full support for modern controllers (Sony DualSense, Sony DualShock4, Microsoft Xbox Series, Microsoft Xbox One, Microsoft Xbox 360, Nintendo Switch, Logitech F series and many more) with optimal button binding regardless of the hardware, hotplugging and wireless mode

Dino Crisis 2 PC: what to expect with GOG’s version of the game:

• Full compatibility with Windows 10 and Windows 11
• All 2 localizations of the game included (English, Japanese)
• Easy difficulty, Dino Colosseum and Dino Duel included
• Improved DirectX game renderer
• New rendering options (Windowed Mode, Vertical Synchronization Control, Gamma Correction, Integer Scaling, Anti-Aliasing and more)
• Improved music playback and volume scaling
• Improved item rendering and fogging
• Improved cartridge boxes alignment
• Issue-free video playback, task switching and game exit
• Full support for modern controllers (Sony DualSense, Sony DualShock4, Microsoft Xbox Series, Microsoft Xbox One, Microsoft Xbox 360, Nintendo Switch, Logitech F series and many more) with optimal button binding regardless of the hardware and wireless mode

Meanwhile, GOG announced its Dreamlist, a community-based tool anyone can use to vote for the games they want to see revived or added to the platform. These votes help GOG show community interest to IP owners and bring these games to life on the platform, it said.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Hideaki Nishino has been promoted to the sole CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, with his new position effective on April 1, 2025.

This comes from a press release dropped this evening, which also reveals that Sony CFO Hiroki Totoki is being promoted to president and CEO of the entire company. He replaces Kenichiro Yoshida, who served as CEO of the company since April 2018, succeeding Kazuo Hirai. Additionally the SVP, finance, corporate development and strategy Lin Tao is being promoted to CFO.

Just last year, it was announced that Nishino and Hermen Hulst would split the leadership of SIE between them after former CEO Jim Ryan’s retirement, with Hulst serving as head of PlayStation Studios and Nishino overseeing hardware and tech. With this change, Nishinio now oversees the entire SIE operation as well as leading the platform business group, while Hulst will remain in his role heading up PlayStation Studios specifically.

Nishino has worked with Sony since 2000, previously serving as SVP, platform experience group.

“I am truly honored to take the helm at Sony Interactive Entertainment,” he said. “Technology and creativity are two of our biggest strengths as we continue to focus on developing experiences that deliver entertainment for everyone. We will continue to grow the PlayStation community in new ways, such as IP expansion, while also delivering the best in technology innovation. I want to thank Hermen for his expertise and leadership as he continues his role as CEO, Studio Business Group. I am deeply grateful for the PlayStation community and their continued support and I am very excited for what the future holds.”

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.

From dry deserts, bustling forests, blazing volcanos to even frozen tundra, a variety of environments appear throughout the Monster Hunter series, each with its own unique ecosystem created by a diverse cast of monsters. The experience of adventuring through an unknown world, walking across its lands as you hunt, is one of the great joys when playing Monster Hunter.

This holds true for Monster Hunter Wilds, the newest game in the franchise. After the Windward Plains and Scarlet Forest, hunters will take their next step into the harsh lands of the Oilwell Basin, a place covered in flames and oilsilt. Once there, they’ll find their path blocked by dripping, viscous oil and all-blazing magma. While it may seem to be a sterile, lifeless place, one can see the sluggish movements of small creatures wriggling around in the mire. And here and there in the Oilwell Basin sits what looks like the remains of some ancient civilization.

Yuya Tokuda, director of both Monster Hunter: World and Monster Hunter Wilds, describes the Oilwell Basin to us.

“During the Fallow, the Oilwell Basin is a place filled with mud and oil. When the Inclemency known as the Firespring comes, it burns away that oilsilt, and at times during the Plenty the burned-away oil and soot vanishes, revealing the minerals, microorganisms and the original color of the manmade artifacts hidden underneath,” he says.

Down in the Muck

What kind of concept did the development team have in mind when constructing the Oilwell Basin? We ask Kaname Fujioka, director of the first Monster Hunter as well as executive director and art director for Wilds.

“We had two horizontally broad locales in the Windward Plains and Scarlet Forest, so we decided to make the Oilwell Basin a vertically connected place,” he says. “The environment there changes slightly when you travel between the top, middle and bottom strata. Sunlight reaches the top strata, where oil gathers like mud, and the lower you go, the hotter the place becomes, with lava and other substances.”

Tokuda continues: “From the middle to bottom strata, you’ll find creatures not unlike aquatic life that may remind you of the deep seas or underwater volcanoes. In World, we created the ecosystem of the Coral Highlands using the idea of what it would look like if aquatic creatures lived on the surface, and we’ve used the knowledge we gained in the process to create the Oilwell Basin’s creatures and ecosystem.

It’s a blazing and barren wasteland that becomes filled with vitality once the Plenty comes. Fujioka says he wants players to enjoy this contrast.

“During the Fallow and Inclemency, smoke comes out of everywhere in the Oilwell Basin like it’s some sort of volcano or hot spring,” he explains. “But during the Plenty, it takes on a clear, marine-like tone as we just mentioned. Look closely at the environmental biology and you’ll find that it’s even a region inhabited by the kinds of creatures you’d expect to find on the ocean bed.”

The Oilwell Basin’s environment is made in a way that differentiates it from other locales. While it may look lifeless when covered in oilsilt, not only do shellfish like shrimp and crabs live under it, so do small monsters that provide raw meat. Large monsters eat small monsters, small monsters filter out and consume microorganisms from the environment and oilsilt, and microorganisms derive energy from the heat of the earth. If the Windward Plains and Scarlet Forest are ecosystems built upon sunlight and vegetation, the Oilwell Basin is an environment belonging to creatures that live by way of geothermal energy.

The large monsters that live in the Oilwell Basin are distinct from those found in other locales as well. One such monster is Rompopolo, a globular and noxious creature with a mouth resembling thin needles. What ideas could have led the developers to Rompopolo’s bizarre design? Fujioka explains

“We designed it as a tricky monster that lives in swamps and creates chaos for players by using its stored up toxic gas,” he says. “The idea of a mad scientist came up often when we were trying to depict this trickiness. We were inspired by this concept when giving it a slightly chemical purple color and glowing red eyes. The equipment you can craft from it is surprisingly cute, though. So is its Palico equipment.”

While Tokuda categorizes the Rompopolo Palico equipment as “amusing,” I could see exactly what they both meant when I got to play with it myself. I hope you’ll craft the equipment and check it out, too.

Flames of Ajarakan

Another new monster appearing in the Oilwell Basin is Ajarakan, a monster that feels like a massive gorilla enveloped in flames. That said, unlike the Scarlet Forest’s Congalala, it seems to have a slimmer sort of silhouette.

Another new monster appearing in the Oilwell Basin is Ajarakan, a monster that feels like a massive gorilla enveloped in flames. That said, unlike the Scarlet Forest’s Congalala, it seems to have a slimmer sort of silhouette.

While we saw many scenes of Rompopolo and Ajarakan fighting for turf in this video, we actually see it grab Rompopolo’s body with both arms to give it a bear hug. Its martial arts-inspired movements make frequent use of its fists, giving it a charm unlike that of fanged beasts we’ve seen before.

“Normally when we design fanged beasts, their hips are low to the ground, putting their heads at about eye level with the hunter,” says Tokuda. “We thought that this can make it harder to sense the threat that the monster poses. That’s why we were conscious of giving this monster a more top-heavy and towering silhouette. We then added flame elements that are at home in the Oilwell Basin, as well as grabbing attacks reminiscent of a wrestler that highlight its physical strength. It’s a monster that combines strength, physical attacks and flames, like its attack where it melts something and tosses it at you.”

Fujioka also comments on Ajarakan’s design: “With one unique monster after the next making an appearance, we thought that this might be a good time to add a monster whose strengths are easy to understand. That’s how we got Ajarakan. It just punches or slams its fists on the ground to make flames shoot up, making it the kind of monster that’s strong by way of all its super-straightforward attacks.”

Ajarakan occupies a fairly high position in Oilwell Basins’s ecosystem. Compared to Rompopolo, which makes full use of poison gas and oilsilt, Ajarakan really does stand out with its flashy appearance, with flames and magma accompanying each one of its attacks, making you very conscious of the area’s pecking order.

“At first it was just kind of a physically powerful monster,” says Fujioka. “That’s why I talked quite a bit with our artists and designers about giving it more personality in some way. It’s a monster in a fiery location, so I wanted to make use of flames and heat. That said, I didn’t want it to simply breathe fire or create flames. That’s how we ended up with a design where the monster seems to be wearing flames on its back, similar to the Buddhist deity Acala. From there we got the idea of Ajarakan’s rising internal temperature giving it enough heat and power to melt anything in front of it, which seemed to give it so much more personality. Ajarakan will grab the hunter or hug Rompopolo, and we wanted to make players think about how much they’d want to avoid getting hugged by an absurdly hot creature. We decided to make it seem scary by making it so hot that it’ll melt anything and everything around.”

Unlike the tricky Rompopolo, Ajarakan’s design focuses on straightforward power. As there’s the risk of its concept of depicting simple strength leading to no-frills movements, Fujioka says the team kept giving it flashier and flashier moves as they reached the end of development.

“We kept adding lots of different interesting techniques, like it jumping into the air, balling itself up and falling to the ground,” he says.

A monster generations in the making

Ruling over the Oilwell Basin’s ecosystem as its apex predator with octopus-like tentacles is the “Black Flame,” which we can finally name for the first time: Nu Udra. With its slimy body covered with the flammable oil it secretes, it stretches and wriggles around the Oilwell Basin in every direction. Just as the Windward Plains’ Rey Dau controls lightning and the Scarlet Forest’s Uth Duna envelops itself in water, Nu Udra coats itself in flames. The two developers say that apex predators in Wilds are designed with the element of their region strongly in mind. Of course, finding an octopus in a scorching hot area is odd. Was this really the animal that inspired the monster?

“Yes, it was octopuses,” says Fujioka. “We also wanted its silhouette to be striking when it rises up and gave it what look like demonic horns, but we also tried designing it in a way where you can’t tell where its face is.”

Tokuda explains that even the music that plays when fighting Nu Udra is based on demonic imagery.

“We had the composers include phrases and musical instruments reminiscent of black magic,” he says. “I think it ended up being a unique and good piece of music.”

The squirming movements of Nu Udra’s tentacles apparently follow in the footsteps of monsters like Lagiacrus, which appeared in Monster Hunter Tri. A tentacled monster like this is a concept that both Tokuda and Fujioka have long wanted to make a reality.

“One of the concepts in Tri was underwater combat, so I did write a proposal for an octopus-shaped monster at the time, emphasizing its distinctive underwater movements,” says Tokuda. “I had fun coming up with all kinds of ideas, like ‘It has lots of legs, which means lots of parts you can sever!’ There were challenges keeping us from making that a reality, though, including technical ones. But even so, I’ve been holding onto that proposal for all this time.”

We’ve seen monsters in the past such as Yama Tsukami and Nakarkos that wriggle around as they use appendages like their tentacles. I ask Fujioka if they took the movements of these past monsters into consideration when developing Nu Udra.

“We’re always interested in using monsters who move like that in moments where they’d stand out, as their silhouette and the impression they give are nothing like standard monsters with limbs and wings,” he says. “While including too many unique monsters will cause players to get tired of seeing them, dropping one in at just the right moment leaves such a strong impression. That’s why we had Yama Tsukami appear in the game the way it did,” he says, referring to the scene in Monster Hunter 2 (Dos) where you encounter Yama Tsukami floating over the mountains in a deep forest. “You glance up, see it flying above you, and think, ‘What the heck is that?’ I think there’s a kind of adventurous feeling you get from seeing something a bit odd, similar to cryptids.”

Hearing this, Tokuda adds with a nostalgic tone, “You know, I’m the one who put that (Yama Tsukami) there.” While they weren’t able to create the same kind of actions for Yama Tsukami as they have for Nu Udra due to the technology at the time, they say they wanted to find some way for it to leave an impression.

A constant feeling I get throughout this interview is one of just how sincere Monster Hunter’s team is throughout the development process about creating monsters, and that they make use of so many techniques in the process. Even if it can’t be done with current technology, these creators have countless ideas in their heads about how they want to use a monster. Then when they develop a new title, they draw on this stockpile when creating new monsters. In that sense, you could call the realization of a monster that makes full use of its tentacles like Nu Udra a major accomplishment for both Tokuda and Fujioka.

“While Yama Tsukami and Nakarkos were monsters that attacked you with their tentacles while fixed there in a stage, Nu Udra makes use of its physical traits as a cephalopod to freely move around the area. In that way, the gameplay it enables could be seen as something we’re trying for the very first time here.”

Fujioka continues: “Monsters with tentacles like that pose a lot of technical challenges, like controlling it with respect to the terrain and its target. When we began development on Wilds, the technical department’s tests went incredibly well, and so we felt like we could really make it happen this time.”

“When we saw the tests, we also thought to make it the apex predator of the Oilwell Basin,” adds Tokuda. “That’s just how much of an impact this monster has.”

“While there are countless proposals that I’ve had rejected due to technical reasons, it feels like I’m finally getting to attempt one of those this time around.”

Even outside of hunting, I get the sense that fine attention was placed on Nu Udra’s animations. After you deal it enough damage, it wraps itself around what looks like an ancient ruined pipe in order to wriggle its way around the area. It even enters into small holes in the terrain without any trouble at all. Every one of Nu Udra’s movements posed a challenge to the art team led by Fujioka.

“We did quite a lot of work on depicting flexible bodies this time with Nu Udra,” he says. “At the start of development, we try coming up with pretty unreasonable ideas, whether or not we can actually achieve them. It’s a challenge to ourselves in a way, and while it does cause a lot of challenges for our artists, the final product looks so amazing if we’re able to actually make it take shape.”

The team uses new technologies to make possible the ideal expressions they’ve accumulated as the series progresses. They give it a try even if they aren’t sure they can make it happen. I even get a sense of what it feels like to be on the Monster Hunter development floor when I hear these two talk.

“When we first implemented the movement of it going inside a hole, an animator told me, ‘When you weaken it and it starts heading back to its nest, please wait here for a moment!’,” says Tokuda. “Apparently they wanted me to see it going into its little hole, and I still remember replying, ‘Oh, that really is amazing!’ The animator looked so satisfied as well.”

“It might not be easy to get the chance to see it, but the way it squirms around while wrapped around a pipe is so well made too,” says Fujioka. “I do hope you check it out. Only games are able to depict things like that in real-time instead of as some premade scene. I’m incredibly proud of it as a crystallization of the staff’s efforts.”

Fujioka’s tone of voice gives me a strong sense of just how satisfied he is with the level of detail of Wilds’ monsters and how proud he is of the team who created this game.

Once I actually try taking on Nu Udra, I have significant trouble finding an opening on its flexible and ever-changing body. If I let my guard down and stick too close to it, it uses its head to launch a powerful counterattack. While I struggle, I somehow manage to focus enough of my attacks to successfully break a tentacle part, only for its severed tip to thrash around on the ground. Is it possible to destroy all of its many legs?

“You can cut off so many tentacles,” Tokuda explains. “While I suppose it depends on how you count them, all of the parts that resemble legs that touch the ground can be severed. While the tentacles do move right after they’ve been cut off, they begin to rot after some time passes. If you try to carve a part that’s rotten and no longer moving, you won’t get good materials from it. The same also applies for breakable parts of other monsters, like tails.”

“Nu Udra uses its tentacles to launch attack after attack on its target. We were conscious to give its attacks a unique tempo through a combination of focused attacks, and area-of-effect attacks using its head and flames. We wanted to make it a massive monster that still seemed to launch a barrage of attacks. With all of its tentacles, though, it’s possible that it becomes difficult to tell who it’s targeting in situations like multiplayer hunts. That’s why we’ve made it so that it has sensory organs at the tips of its tentacles that use light to indicate when and who it’s going to attack.”

At times, Nu Udra will hold its tentacles in the air and slam them into the ground as an attack. Like Tokuda says, its area that would correspond to the palm of a human hand gives off light when it does this. This light-emitting section of its body is Nu Udra’s sensory organ. But as it doesn’t use vision to understand the world around it, Flash Bombs don’t affect it.

Nu Udra poses a significant challenge. I ask Tokuda what players can do to start working toward defeating it.

“Its body itself is fairly soft, and it has lots of breakable parts,” he replies. “I think hunters should think about how to determine where to attack. Cutting off a tentacle will also shorten its area of effect attacks, making it much easier to move around. You could also call it a monster made for multiplayer, as that means its targets will be split up. You may be able to enjoy it even more by using SOS flares, Support Hunters included.”

Fujioka expands further. “As we designed this monster, I thought it’s one that can be tackled in a way that’s very much like an action game in the sense that destroying its parts can help you get closer to defeating it. Gravios is another monster where you discover a way to defeat it as you destroy its tough armor, right? The ability to carefully watch a monster’s movements and use that to make a decision fits perfectly with Monster Hunter’s overall approach.”

A welcome reunion

In his answer, Fujioka brings up the name Gravios. That’s right, players can reunite with Gravios, who hasn’t been seen since Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate, in the Oilwell Basin. As a monster covered in what looks like a rocky carapace and which emits hot gas, Gravios really is a perfect monster for the area.

I ask Tokuda what led them to decide to have Gravios make another appearance (for more details, check out this Gravios interview as well).

“When we were thinking of monsters that match the Oilwell Basin’s environment, make sense in the game’s overall progression and don’t play too similarly to any other monsters, we thought that we could make Gravios seem like a fresh challenge and decided that it would reappear,” he says.

As Tokuda says, the reappearing Gravios had become a monster with an even harder body than I remembered. Its massive presence is overwhelming when compared to the other monsters in the Oilwell Basin. When I somehow figure out a way to attack its rocky carapace, I’m able to form red wounds on its body like any other monster and unleash a Focus Strike.

“When bringing Gravios over to this game from previous titles, above all else, we wanted to make sure it still had its distinguishing features like its hardness,” says Tokuda. “From a game design perspective, we also wanted it to be a monster that appeared after you’ve progressed a good bit and had gone through everything the game’s design has to offer. That’s why I came up with the idea of it being a monster where it’s difficult to figure out a way to defeat its hard body at first, only for hunters to find more and more clues as they make good use of the wound system and part breaking.”

If Gravios is making an appearance, does that mean we’ll also be seeing its juvenile form, Basarios? I ask the question, only for Fujioka to simply reply, “Sorry, but Basarios will be taking this one off.” It seems like the time isn’t quite right yet, and we’ll have to wait longer before we see Basarios again.

As the two explained during our interview about monster selection, the Monster Hunter team is careful to not make offhanded decisions about having monsters reappear, only doing so if they can be used to their fullest in a game. That means that the team must have decided to not include Basarios in this game after multiple discussions. Though a bit unfortunate, many other monsters not touched on in this article will also make an appearance in the Oilwell Basin. I can’t wait for the day when I get to go hunting there, Cool Drink in hand.

Monster Hunter Wilds is scheduled for release on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC on February 28. For more, check out our exclusive 4K gameplay videos hunting Ajarakan and Rompopolo in the new Oilwell Basin area, our interview with the development team on how Monster Hunter has evolved over the years, and details on the game’s delicious food system. And look out for more monstrous exclusives throughout January as part of IGN First!

Shuka Yamada is a freelance writer for IGN Japan. This article was translated by Ko Ransom.

Marvel Rivals Season 1 introduced Invisible Woman and Mister Fantastic to the rapidly growing Hero roster, debuted two new Maps alongside a new game mode, and promised to shake up the meta with a massive slate of Hero Balance Adjustments. Now that the dust has settled a little on the new season, the meta is finally beginning to solidify as players adapt to the changes and continue to learn how to min-max their favorite Marvel Heroes.

While some S-Tier Season 0 standouts like Doctor Strange, Hela, and Luna Snow have refused to give up ground to their counterparts despite receiving nerfs, other Heroes like Storm, Moon Knight, and Wolverine have seen a noticeable upgrade to their competitive viability.

Without further ado, let’s get to our Marvel Rivals Season 1 tier list:

• S-Tier
  • Hulk, Doctor Strange, Luna Snow, Cloak and Dagger, Hela, Magneto, Invisible Woman, Storm, Mantis
• A-Tier
  • Groot, Namor, Loki, Star-Lord, Psylocke, Iron Man, Winter Soldier, Hawkeye, Moon Knight, Wolverine
• B-Tier
  • Thor, The Punisher, Venom, Adam Warlock, Magik, Black Panther, Rocket Raccoon, Squirrel Girl
• C-Tier
  • Captain America, Peni Parker, Jeff the Land Shark, Mister Fantastic, Spider-Man, Iron Fist
• D-Tier
  • Black Widow, Scarlet Witch

S-Tier

Hulk

• When he makes it past the ban phase, when paired with competent Strategists Hulk can be nearly impossible to eliminate, despite his gamma shield losing 50 HP in the recent patch. His mobility allows him to create space and pressure the enemy support line, but one of Hulk’s biggest strengths is inarguably his Gamma Charge Team-Up with Doctor Strange and Iron Man. The Gamma Charge Team-Up boosts the damage and radius of Strange’s Maelstrom of Madness ability and substantially increases the damage of Iron Man’s Repulsor Blast and Unibeam.

Doctor Strange

• Despite receiving a noticeable nerf to his Maelstrom of Madness and Gamma Maelstrom, Doctor Strange is still one of the best Vanguards in Marvel Rivals. With an impressive damage output, an 800 HP shield that can block or dampen many fight-winning ultimates, and a TP that allows your team to take engagements on your terms, Doctor Strange is a jack-of-all-trades. If you can manage it without bans, pair Strange with Hulk to take advantage of the Gamma Charge Team-Up buffs.

Luna Snow

• Like Doctor Strange, Luna Snow was nerfed and can no longer spam healing and damage boost during her ultimate, but this has had little to no impact on her viability. Luna Snow remains arguably the best and most versatile Strategist in the game thanks to her high damage and healing output, easy-to-land freeze, and ultimate which all but makes your team unkillable for 12 seconds.

Cloak and Dagger

• With the recent balance updates, Cloak and Dagger received a buff to their Dagger Storm Cooldown and their ultimate ability gained an additional dash. This only further cements Cloak and Dagger in the meta, as the sustain and damage provided by this two-in-one Hero cannot be overstated. Just look out for the Magnetos that will surely look to solo ult you after you pop your own ultimate ability.

Hela

• This season, Hela’s base health was reduced by 25 HP and her season bonus was reduced from 20% to 15%. These nerfs have failed to knock her off her throne as the best Duelist in Marvel Rivals and elite Hela players continue to act as server admins when uncontested. Though she continues to dominate, Hela’s nerfs have changed several breakpoints, so you’ll need to be more precise with your hitscan aim to continue having a similar impact as you did in Season 0.

Magneto

• The only balance update Magneto received this season is a buff to the father-daughter Team-Up of Metallic Chaos. Yet, Magneto has steadily risen through the ranks to contest for the spot of top Vanguard in Season 1. Because of the impenetrable sustain provided by some of the most OP support ultimates in the game, Magneto’s ultimate has emerged as a reliable solution. The immense damage of Magneto’s ultimate can one-shot ulting Strategists such as Cloak and Dagger, Mantis, and even Luna Snow in ideal situations. Magneto’s bubble or Metal Bulwark ability also stands out because it allows you to temporarily save allies kidnapped by Wolverine or Winter Soldier, or protect a teammate using an ultimate that leaves them vulnerable.

Invisible Woman

• Marvel Rival’s newest Strategist is arguably the Hero that most resembles the support archetype because of her top-notch healing output, insane utility, and fight-saving ultimate. Because of her cleaving primary fire, Invisible Woman thrives in stacked team compositions or on maps with tight chokes. While she’s undoubtedly more of a team-based Strategist, using her pull to hinder disengaging dive tanks or knock enemies off high ground will differentiate a good Invisible Woman from a great one.

Storm

• Storm is undoubtedly the biggest winner of Season 1 after receiving four buffs. Her damage has been augmented, increasing her pick potential, and her ultimate allows Storm to briefly retain her 450 bonus health after the ability has ended. This enables the Omega-level mutant to be far more aggressive when casting her ultimate.

Mantis

• With Luna Snow and Cloak and Dagger often being subject to bans, Mantis continues to be a top-tier Strategist because of her high damage output and potent defensive ultimate that simultaneously provides healing over time and movement boosts for nearby allies. Mantis took a small hit from a movement speed nerf in this patch, but her reliable sleep and Allied Inspiration DPS boost allow her to excel when you land critical hits to generate Life Orbs instantly.

A Tier

Groot

• In Season 1, Groot’s value has increased despite receiving no balance updates. This is due to the prevalence of three support compositions, plus his sustain. Pair Groot with a Namor or Moon Knight, then combo your ultimates for a near-guaranteed fight win. Even stacking support ultimates can’t heal through the overwhelming amount of damage. Groot’s Ironwood Wall ability is another highlight of his kit because hitting enemies within 10 meters of the wall grants Bonus Health that can balloon Groot’s HP up to 1100. Of course, Groot’s walls are always a threat because of the potential to wall off supports, trap enemies out of position, or prevent your enemies from reaching the objective.

Namor

• Namor is the bane of all flanking Duelists. His primary fire can two-tap most of the squishy Heroes in the game, and his summons can rack up damage as they autofire on enemies across the map. As mentioned above, pairing Namor’s ultimate with stuns such as Groot or Doctor Strange’s ult makes for sure-fire fight wins, though Moon Knight’s ult packs more punch.

Loki

• Because Loki is one of the most complex Strategists, his full potential has yet to be unlocked. In the meantime, his Regeneration Domain immortality field is incredible and his ultimate allows him to copy supports with overpowered ultimates such as Luna Snow. Alternatively, you can copy Heroes with game-changing offensive ults such as Magneto to instakill an enemy, but remember that you do not need to cast your copied ultimate right away.

Star-Lord

• Star-Lord is a reliable Duelist whose incredible mobility enables him to function on any map or game mode. Star-Lord’s ultimate continues to be a near-guaranteed kill regardless of your rank, and the reloads provided by his Stellar Shift make him a threat in just about every 1v1 duel. Pair Star-Lord with an Adam Warlock to unlock the Leader’s Soul passive which allows you to resurrect yourself every 120 seconds.

Psylocke

• Like Star-Lord, Psylocke is a versatile Hero who can work in almost any composition, but she thrives when off-angling in line of sight of her supports. Though Psylocke is one of the greatest threats to companionless supports, she can also play wide of her team to help cut through solo Vanguards. The prevalence of triple support compositions makes all flankers slightly less viable, but Psylocke remains one of the best, especially when sharing the battlefield with Magik to unlock a recall ability.

Iron Man

• Because Iron Man’s biggest threat Hela often doesn’t make it through the ban phase, Iron Man gets to rain down damage from the skies while remaining relatively safe. Though Iron Man’s ultimate can be fairly telegraphed, its burst damage in a triple support meta heightens its value. Lastly, when paired with Hulk, Iron Man’s Repulsor Blast and Unibeam receive substantial damage increases.

Winter Soldier

• Winter Soldier was already a relatively popular pick in Season 0 and he received buffs to his base HP and the bonus health earned when using Bionic Hook and Tainted Voltage. Now tankier, Winter Soldier provides consistent mid-range damage and Bionic Hook allows him to pull enemies away from their team for a free pick. Bucky’s ultimate continues to be impactful, and combining him with Rocket’s Ammo Invention Team-Up temporarily grants the Winter Soldier infinite ammo.

Hawkeye

• After spending Season 0 as one of the best Duelists alongside Hela, the nerf to Hawkeye’s medium to long effective range has made him slightly less of a consistent threat. Still, Hawkeye remains the only Duelist with a ranged one-shot, and the pick potential alone places the archer in A-Tier.

Moon Knight

• At the launch of Season 1, Moon Knight received two ultimate buffs that have drastically increased his usage, especially when paired with Groot. When your Groot pops his ultimate to imprison your enemies, quickly use your Hand of Khonshu ult on top of them to decimate your foes. When well-timed, this ult combo is nearly impossible to survive even if your enemy stacks support ultimates.

Wolverine

• At the start of Season 0, Wolverine was seen as one of the worst Duelists in Marvel Rivals, but this communal opinion has shifted as players continue to familiarize themselves with this iconic Hero. Toward the end of Season 0, Wolverine was well-known for preying on, hunting down, and eating tanks alive. Yet, he still received buffs to his base health to further cement his place amongst the elite DPS.

B-Tier

Thor

• In Season 1, Thor’s base HP increased by 25, and his ultimate gained crowd control immunity to prevent Luna, Peni, and others from canceling it. As the rest of the Vanguards continue to get banned in high ranks, Thor players have adapted to use their Storm Surge ability to displace tanks and boop them into the waiting arms of their allies. Thor’s ultimate is also one of the few tanks with an ultimate that can reliably one-shot most non-Vanguard Heroes.

The Punisher

• The Punished is Mr. Reliable. Both of The Punisher’s primary attacks received a spread decrease buff in the Season 1 patch, and his easily understandable kit makes him a great character to select if you’re new to hero shooters. Still, he doesn’t provide as much mid-fight pressure as some of the other Duelists on this list, and his ult is difficult to get value from in higher elo because your enemy will typically kite and retreat behind natural cover.

Venom

• Venom is a solid Vanguard with high mobility that he uses to disrupt enemy backlines before disengaging with his sizeable health pool. Venom is likely in need of a minor damage buff to secure one of the top spots in this meta, but for now, he’s a perfectly acceptable pick on most Maps.

Adam Warlock

• Adam Warlock is a damage-heavy support who’s all about second chances. His Regenerative Cocoon passive lets him resurrect himself every 105 seconds, his Team-Up grants Star-Lord and Mantis the ability to rez themselves, and his ultimate can respawn all allies within range. When using his ult, remember that the resurrection range is centered on Adam, so you can cast your ultimate from a safe area, then walk out toward your fallen teammates to bring them back into the fight.

Magik

• Magik is amongst the best brawl Duelists in the game and she can singlehandedly carry your games when expertly handled. Magik’s first passive, Limbo’s Might, converts damage inflicted into Bonus Health. Meanwhile, her Team-Up ability is also fantastic, as it grants Black Panther and Psylocke the ability to rewind to return to their previous position and gain missing health like the dual-pistol-wielding mascot of another well-known hero shooter. Magik also received an ultimate buff this patch which increased Umbral Incursion damage in Darkchild form from 115 to 135.

Black Panther

• Black Panther is a menace in the backline when he stacks his dashes with his Vibranium Mark and passes back and forth through your enemies. In addition to the overwhelming sustain provided by triple support comps, Black Panther is only hindered by his recent nerfs which reduced the additional health earned when refreshing Vibranium Marks.

Rocket Raccoon

• Rocket Raccoon is a shifty Strategist with significant healing and the ability to resurrect an enemy that has fallen early in a team fight. This can be a game-changer when tanks or supports die first, because not only will your teammate quickly rejoin the fight, but your enemy likely invested lots of resources to eliminate your ally. Rocket is a perfectly capable Strategist but his ultimate is lacking compared to top-notch supports like Luna Snow and Invisible Woman.

Squirrel Girl

• In this patch, Squirrel Girl’s ultimate was adjusted and the Squirrel Tsunami now tracks enemies at the cost of 300 HP. This makes the ultimate more lethal in most ranks, and her burst damage makes her one of the few Heroes who can burst through the massive amounts of sustain provided by supports. Unfortunately, she still falls short of her fellow Duelists because she has less sure-fire kill potential than Heroes like Hela or Psylocke.

C-Tier

Captain America

• Captain America sits somewhere between B and C, but he’s been placed in C-Tier because of his lack of solo carry potential. Though he’s a great disruptor, Cap is not as much of an offensive threat as his fellow Vanguards and many players have yet to learn how to play alongside him. Captain America has the potential to rise through the ranks as the community continues to solve him, but for now, the buffs he received this patch don’t seem potent enough to grant him a seat alongside Hulk, Doctor Strange, and the other elite tanks.

Peni Parker

• Though Peni Parker is the lowest-ranked Vanguard in this tierlist, she remains a solid choice in lower elo and can control narrow chokepoints when defending on Convoy and Convergence maps. Peni’s defensive playstyle is heavily reliant on her Bionic Spider-Nest which decreases her viability in higher ranks, but her Team-Up with Venom grants her 50% damage reduction and dishes out 50 damage on release, followed by 50 damage per second for 4 seconds.

Jeff the Land Shark

• The adorable, fan-favorite Jeff the Land Shark is the worst Strategist in the game. Though you may have encountered some slippery Jeffs who are seemingly immortal because of the land shark’s best-in-class self-heal, Jeff is unfortunately nowhere near as competitive as top-tier supports like Luna, Cloak and Dagger, or Invisible Woman. While we’ve placed him in C-Tier, Jeff’s viability immediately increases on Maps where he can use his ultimate to spit enemies to their death.

Mister Fantastic

• Mister Fantastic is a Duelist and Vanguard hybrid, but unfortunately, he doesn’t excel in either category enough to justify selecting him over the first-class DPS or Tank Heroes in the cast. Mister Fantastic’s incredible survivability ensures he’s difficult to take down, but he poses little threat against mobile DPS or supports with peel, and his ultimate leaves a lot to be desired. This doesn’t mean Mister Fantastic is a throw pick since he can work well alongside two other Vanguards, but other Duelists simply provide more for your team.

Spider-Man

• Spider-Man, like Iron Fist below him, is looking to pressure and eliminate backlines, but with the prevalence of triple support compositions, they’re simply outmatched. Great Spider-Man players will be able to get value from the friendly neighborhood hero by maximizing combos and quickly disengaging after securing eliminations, but if you hope to climb out of Silver with Spidey, you may be in for a grind.

Iron Fist

• Iron Fist is arguably the worst flanking Duelist in the roster because he lacks the speed or stealth of Heroes like Psylocke, Black Panther, and Spider-Man. Even worse, the triple support meta will make killing Strategists near impossible, so it may be best to shelf Iron Fist unless you’re an expert on this Hero.

D Tier

Scarlet Witch

• Scarlet Witch may terrorize lower-tier lobbies with her auto-aim primary fire and team-wiping Ultimate, but her value will steadily decline as you climb the ranks. Her primary fire damage is unimpressive even when leeching off enemies with high Max Health, and she’s simply outclassed by the damage, versatility, or utility provided by the rest of the DPS cast.

Black Widow

• Though Black Widow can be viable on maps with long sightlines or when protected by peeling supports, it’s hard to rationalize picking her over the other Duelists in Marvel Rivals. Use Black Widow to pub stomp in Quick Match, but switch to Hela or Hawkeye in Competitive if you want to flex your aim.

As the Marvel Rivals community continues to learn and master the roster of over 30 Heroes, the meta will evolve and get shaken up by the imminent mid-season patch. Until then, who do you think are the S-Tier Heroes in Marvel Rivals Season 1? Which Heroes would you like to see nerfed or buffed? Let us know in the comments before queuing up your next comp match.

Fans of the super-soccer Roblox experience Blue Lock: Rivals have scored another update in the form of the Lunar New Year event patch.

This update aims to usher in the new year with themed cosmetics and additional content for players to unlock. Most of the offerings are neatly wrapped up in a short event pass that asks competitors to complete challenges, such as playing matches and racking up assists, to earn XP, and, of course, some rewards.

The Blue Lock: Rivals Lunar New Year event pass itself comes with a rideable dragon and Styles, with the real prize being a stylish Dragon Cape to wear into each match. Other limited rewards include the Lantern Goal Effect, a fire-breathing Roar emote, a Lanterns cosmetic, and the red-and-gold Lunar player card. It’s all available from today through January 31, so make sure to start scoring goals now if you want to nab everything before it’s gone.