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Marvel Rivals Fans Fear NetEase Is Planting Fake Hero Leaks to Throw Off Dataminers — but What’s Really Going On?

The Marvel Rivals community was sent into a frenzy last week after the rumor spread that developer NetEase Games may be planting misleading information in the game’s code to catch leakers — even if there’s little evidence to suggest such a thing is actually happening.

Video games sometimes leave behind traces of in-development content as developers work tirelessly to publish updates for the public. Sleuths known as dataminers spend their time sifting through code to uncover these traces and often report them back to excited fans, with one Marvel Rivals example including references to the Fantastic Four being discovered before their official confirmation earlier this month. It started with inclusions like Blade and Ultron and quickly ballooned to the point that there are now around 20 names rumored to join the hero shooter’s roster of playable characters. As the list has grown, players have let the excitement carry them from patch to patch while they wait to see what NetEase has up its sleeve. That anticipation turned into confusion and suspicion last week.

Alarm bells rang when Marvel Rivals Leaks Discord user and content creator KeoneSpirit shared a post suggesting that NetEase is using a few elaborate tricks to throw dataminers for a loop. In their now-viral post, they accuse the developer of setting up “fake characters to catch leakers” both in the code and “potentially” with other sources, too. With so many Marvel heroes rumored to be included post-launch, fans have now found themselves questioning if any of the leaks they’ve seen are real or “plants” part of a larger scheme. Keone attempted to clarify by sharing a lineup of characters they had “been told” were “very likely fake.”

The list includes:

  • Quicksilver
  • Professor X
  • Cyclops
  • Colossus
  • Paste Pot Pete
  • Jia Jing
  • Gambit
  • Rogue
  • Nightcrawler
  • Jubilee
  • Beast
  • Locus
  • Crystal

If accurate, it would mean many hopeful X-Men inclusions and comic book deep cuts were simply rumors or maybe even planted in the code to mislead would-be leakers. Keone’s post could result in months of speculation coming to an end as thousands of excited fans regroup — or it could mean nothing at all. While Keone’s comments spread like wildfire, a few dataminers from the self-taught group at X0XLeak say they aren’t so sure NetEase is intentionally working to throw fans off its scent. They believe there’s enough evidence to suggest that the aforementioned list of heroes isn’t off the table.

The way I see it, they could have made it way easier if their goal was it to troll us.

“Could they be intended troll by NetEase? I guess,” X0X member and dataminer VISCERAL told IGN. “Would it make sense, in my opinion? No. The way I see it, they could have made it way easier if their goal was to troll us.”

In light of the news surrounding potential hero plants, VISCERAL published a lengthy X/Twitter thread to provide evidence that some rumored characters can be found in Marvel Rivals’ code. It’s a series of examples lined with proof that many of the characters mentioned in Keone’s Discord post are included with more than just their names but ability tables, too, and as you might have guessed, finding this information wasn’t simple.

X0X’s matfacio told IGN that, if NetEase had truly tucked away bait to trick leakers in this way, it would need to know exactly how dataminers are rummaging through the Marvel Rivals backend, explaining: “I think it would require reverse engineering a reverse engineer.”

The existence of new, hidden hero names in Marvel Rivals doesn’t totally poor cold water on the idea that the developers are attempting to mislead, but some believe the studio would have to go through a lot of trouble — likely more trouble than it’s worth — just to keep the more dedicated fans on their toes.

While rumors of NetEase’s tampering haven’t been squashed among fans, X0X has several other theories that might hold more weight. There is always the chance, for example, that NetEase didn’t actually intend to ship an update with mentions of an army of unannounced playable heroes, and that they may still be added to the game eventually. VISCERAL and matfacio also aren’t ruling out that a few heroes may have been left on the cutting room floor after a major, pre-launch development shift, such as NetEase’s rumored switch from Unreal Engine 4 to Unreal Engine 5.

“I have a new theory that every hero discovered was most likely in a ready to go state when the game was reportedly still on UE4,” matfacio adds, “then they switched to UE5 and took their time to fix several performance issues between presumably porting over characters they already made.”

X0X isn’t convinced that NetEase is toying with Marvel Rivals fans, but if the developers aren’t leading everyone on, then how did this start? Although the trail leads back to Keone’s post, fears of tampering also stem from Marvel Rivals Leaks Discord admin and popular Marvel Rivals X user @Rivals_Leaks. When new leaks were discovered suspiciously grouped together in the code earlier this month, one of their sources claimed they had no knowledge of the characters in question being included. With a reliable source’s information not matching up with dataminers’ findings, a theory was born: what if NetEase is planting fake heroes?

“I had gained info from a reliable inside source that they had once again not heard of any of these characters before they were leaked, leading to the possible theory that they were all plants along with some possible evidence,” Rivals_Leaks explained, “so I had decided to warn the Discord server about the possibility of plants and I had Keone make an announcement, which was a bit poorly worded and several people around the internet took it the wrong way.”

Keone said their post spread before edits could be made, creating a snowball effect that saw many members of the Marvel Rivals community latching onto a message that was founded on a “misinterpretation.” While Keone and Rivals_Leaks had their suspicions regarding NetEase’s potential involvement in recent leaks, neither of them intended to start the chain reaction that resulted in large portions of the community accepting their theory as fact. This latest Marvel Rivals drama sent so many leak-obsessed players back to square one, but its origin boils down to one thing: a miscommunication.

“The primary assumption from the main leakers (separate from me, the ones who have most info) now is that the ‘plants’ are in fact still real. And the developers did not intend for us to find them,” Keone says. “That’s why I edited the original post and since deleted it, and have worked to help clear up confusion surrounding it.”

If you’re reading this piece to find out if Colossus or Professor X are going to be added to Marvel Rivals, I’m sorry to say there’s still no answer for that, and there probably won’t be one for a while. So far, NetEase has only confirmed The Thing and Human Torch as the next new heroes to join the fight. When they release in the coming weeks, they’ll team up with the already-released Mister Fantastic and Invisible Woman, who launched as part of Season 1 earlier this month. Season 2, which is (still) rumored to include Blade, is expected to launch sometime this April, with more updates and skins set to drop in the meantime.

NetEase has set high expectations by promising to release at least one new playable superhero every half-season, but with or without leaks, we won’t really know who’s coming until NetEase is ready to talk. At the very least, the Marvel universe is packed with memorable superpowered characters, so as long as Marvel Rivals continues to find success, there’s a good chance you’ll see your favorite face show up at some point down the line.

Even if every rumored and datamined character really is in development at NetEase, the team could scrap any of the aforementioned names for any reason at any time. Regardless of how certain you might be about the validity of a leak for any game, it might be a good idea to take some of what you hear online with a grain of salt. Keone, at least, wishes they had been a bit more cautious before sharing their findings and theories.

“A server that started small to spread information has now become a cornerstone of information across the entire community, and sometimes we can misinterpret things or make mistakes,” Keone added. “We’re a group of people working hard to find and share information, and there’s never malice behind what we post. We’ll work hard to make sure things don’t spread like wildfire again unless it’s been verified first, and are grateful for everything we’ve been able to share thus far.”

IGN has asked NetEase for comment.

Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP.

Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).

Assassin’s Creed Shadows Is Not the Ninja Splinter Cell Game I Hoped For

When I visited Ubisoft Quebec last year to see Assassin’s Creed Shadows for the first time, I was encouraged by the development team’s enthusiasm for stealth. While I’ve enjoyed Assassin’s Creed’s foray into RPG territory, after hundreds of action-heavy hours I think it’s about time the series rediscovered its sneakier genes. Not by way of Mirage’s “back to basics” approach, but by reaching forward to provide some much-needed evolution in the series’ stealth design. Shadows’ promise of a Splinter Cell-style lighting system had me excited, but after playing a three-hour demo build, I’m not quite convinced that it’s delivering a meaningful change for Assassin’s Creed.

The demo’s quest chain, set in Harima Province, had me infiltrating a variety of strongholds, from small gardens with just a couple of guards to towering castles packed with opponents. If you’ve played an Assassin’s Creed before, the fundamental approach to all this is practically unchanged; you’ll be scaling to highpoints to identify guard placements, using simple distraction techniques to create opportunities, and stabbing a lot of people in the neck with a hidden blade. All of this can be achieved using the same techniques you’ve relied upon for years, and many of the flaws that have previously hampered such techniques also make a return. For example, the hidden blade can once again be foiled by high-level opponents, neutering planning and positioning in favour of skill points and upgrades. Incredibly sticky environments continue to be the norm, which ensures you never fall from a rooftop or slip during an ascent, but being glued to surfaces often proves catastrophic when it comes to quickly reacting to enemy threats. Emergency escapes feel like you’re fighting against a magnetic leash that really wants to lock you in a bad place.

If you’ve read IGN’s recent hands-on preview you’ll know that our writer, Alessandro, really enjoyed Shadows’ revamped take on stealth. While I feel differently, having left Ubisoft’s playtest room somewhat disappointed, it’s important to note that Shadows is fulfilling its promise of taking stealth seriously. One of its two playable characters is Naoe, a ninja wholly dedicated to stealth. Aside from the prologue in which I had to play as combat-focused Yasuke for tutorial purposes, I was able to play as Naoe for the entire duration of the demo. While Shadows often asks if you’d like to switch roles, it had no issue with me choosing Naoe every single time.

Standing notably shorter than her heavily armoured companion, Naoe is able to avoid enemy sightlines more easily. Her slender frame allows her to do things the bulkier Yasuke can not, such as slip through narrow gaps and hide in boxes, while her grappling hook opens up access to rooftops and ledges that have no climbing handholds. Playing as Naoe opens up new routes and pathways through Shadows’ world… or perhaps, more accurately, playing as Yasuke closes the door on many established Assassin’s Creed traditions. He’s unable to perform any of the series’ staple stealth actions, aside from using his bow for silent ranged attacks.

Those stealth staples become more interesting (at least on paper) thanks to refreshed ideas. Shadows’ title partly refers to its new approach to detection. Staying in the dark renders you invisible to enemies, and the closer you move towards a light source the more visible you become. This is clearly spelled out by a meter on your HUD that fills and empties as you move around. The clever bit, though, is that you can manipulate the environment to create advantages. Lanterns can be destroyed with blades or thrown shurikens, plunging rooms into darkness so that you may draw blood completely unseen. It’s an idea that was prevalent in the era of Thief and Splinter Cell, but has fallen by the wayside since stealth largely became an optional approach in action games rather than its own dedicated genre.

I found the presence of light rarely impacted my progress or forced me to devise smarter methods of approach.

The adoption of this approach sounds like a complete game changer, but in reality it had minimal impact on a playstyle I’ve honed across 13 prior games. I don’t doubt that, under the hood, the engine’s enemy AI routines are influenced by this new simulation. But when it comes to actually playing Shadows, I found the presence of light rarely impacted my progress or forced me to devise smarter methods of approach. I could stand on rooftops with a full visibility meter and no one would see me. Traditional sightlines seemed to be the only factor I truly had to consider.

This sense of same-but-different persists across many of Shadows’ ideas. Naoe is able to lie prone and crawl on her stomach, which certainly did make a difference when it came to invisible repositioning. But the environment I encountered in the demo made little creative use of this ability. For example, I was disappointed to discover that a tunnel beneath a house didn’t have a hatchway into the room above. Instead of acting as an alternative entry point, all this crawlspace offered was the same pathway that could be faster accomplished by simply scaling across the rooftop.

A more positive shift can be found in the positioning of enemies, with encounters offering an increased challenge over Mirage’s overly-simple arrangements. I was caught out more than a couple of times by overlapping vision cones and patrols, and the resulting high alert state does seem to make guards more persistent in their hunt for you than in previous games. Simply hiding on a roof and tracking foes using eagle vision did seem enough to easily avoid them, though, at least on the default difficulty.

Because of the better guard placements, there is an increased and welcome emphasis on assessment and planning. Gone is the drone-like bird of the last few games, replaced with an over-the-shoulder zoom, meaning scouting and marking enemies can only be done from your own sightline. It’s a good change, one that forces you to explore an area on foot and spend more time considering your angles of approach. But when it comes to executing a plan, things return to the very familiar.

Naoe’s toolbelt holds kunai throwing knives for insta-kill headshots and smoke bombs for concealing attacks and escapes, both of which are necessary but vanilla stealth tools. The same can be said for repositioning guards, which is done either by luring them to your position with a whistle, or baiting them to a specific spot with a thrown bell. There’s the obvious combos, such as encouraging a guard towards an explosive barrel that you then detonate with a throwing knife. But beyond that, at least in this demo, there didn’t seem to be the canvas for anything more experimental or exciting.

To choose a stealth character and then be forced to engage in direct combat with a boss does feel like being told your decision is invalid.

Shadows seems reliant on a lean and familiar set of abilities, at least as far as stealth goes. Even options that initially seem to be fresh are repackaged tools from the past; you can call on an allied brawler to charge at a designated target, which works as both a distraction and a method of remotely eliminating enemies, but this is really just a thematically different take on the berserk darts that have appeared in a number of prior Assassin’s Creed games.

Naoe does have a detailed skill tree, allowing you to build and hone her abilities beyond those standard tools. But all the exciting options are combat focussed, such as the elaborate nine-strike Guard Breaker, or Eviscerate with its kick-flip finisher. When it comes to stealth, the most exotic option I could find was the ability to slow down time for a few seconds. As far as this demo was willing to show me, there’s nothing along the lines of traps, disguises, or other more advanced stealth ideas. Perhaps the changing of the seasons, which I didn’t get to experience and is promised to change the landscape considerably, is where Shadows’ more interesting stealth challenges lie.

Instead, the toughest challenges I faced were direct clashes. Shadows effectively has two combat systems; Yasuke’s feels like a direct continuation of Valhalla, but tuned up to feel significantly swifter and a little more tactical. I liked it a lot, at least as far as I could tell in the limited time I played as him. Naoe, meanwhile, is nowhere near as strong as her samurai counterpart and so takes considerably more damage and cannot block as effectively. This forces her fight style to prioritise dodging and staying nimble. I really like the concept that drives this – that each character provides a distinctly different version of the same experience – but on the battlefield I found myself frustrated. Playing as Naoe, it feels like the rhythm of combat runs at a different tempo to the attack animations, and so I constantly tripped up over awkwardly-timed dodge and parry windows.

In most instances, the brutal punishment inflicted by combat forced me to take stealth seriously. Its classic carrot vs stick stuff, and an effective stick at that. What I’m less enthusiastic about is my pure stealth playthrough being derailed by mandatory bosses with huge health bars. I wish, when playing as Naoe, these bosses were reconfigured as stealth-focused assassination challenges in the mould of Assassin’s Creed Unity’s centrepiece missions. Instead I’m forced to defeat my foe in a one-on-one duel that’s clearly designed to fulfill the samurai fantasy side of Shadows’ offering. I appreciate that Shadows always gives you the option to switch to Yasuke (and prior to one of these fights even prompted me to), but to choose a stealth character and then be forced to engage in direct combat does feel like being told your decision is invalid. Maybe, with several more hours of practice and a combat tune-up prior to release, duelling with Naoe will feel less like a punishment.

After three hours of play, I’m fairly confident in saying that Assassin’s Creed Shadows will be the best stealth experience of the series’ RPG era. Having a character and toolkit entirely dedicated to the approach signifies that Ubisoft is taking this fundamental part of the franchise seriously for what feels like the first time in many years. But, as dedicated fans will know, stealth never actually went away – it was just eclipsed by the action. Shadows lets that stealth step back into the limelight. However, just because stealth now has prominence doesn’t mean it’s undergone any meaningful change. For all the studio’s talk of Splinter Cell-like detection systems, Shadows feels like Assassin’s Creed getting back to business as usual rather than exploring a new, sneakier frontier. For many exhausted by the reign of Spartans and Vikings, that will likely be enough. But if what I’ve played is representative of Shadows as a whole, I think Ubisoft has missed a huge opportunity to capitalise on the advanced stealth potential of one of history’s most recognisable clandestine assassin groups.

Matt Purslow is IGN’s Senior Features Editor.

Is Starfield Coming Out on PS5? Phil Spencer Won’t Rule It Out

Amid Microsoft’s multiplatform video game push, all sorts of Xbox games are rumored to be set for the PlayStation 5 and the recently announced Nintendo Switch 2. But could Bethesda’s Starfield be among them?

In an interview with IGN’s former Director of Video Content Strategy, Destin Legarie, for his new Patreon-funded show Save State Plus, Microsoft’s gaming boss Phil Spencer was asked directly whether he could confirm that Starfield was staying Xbox exclusive for the time being.

“No,” was Spencer’s response.

“There’s no specific game… this kind of goes back to my red line answer. There’s no reason for me to put a ring fence around any game and say this game will not go to a place where it would find players, where it would have business success for us. What we find is we’re able to drive a better business that allows us to invest in great game lineup, like you saw. And that’s our strategy. Our strategy is to allow our games to be available, Game Pass is an important component of playing the games on our platform. But to keep games off of other platforms, that’s not a path for us. It doesn’t work for us. What we’re doing now, we think really enables us to build the best platform for the world’s best games.

“The world’s biggest games are available in multiple places. And more and more creators are asking us, ‘how do we stay connected when our game might be playable in all these different places?’ And we want Xbox to be absolutely the platform that enables that.

“We think that makes us unique. Most of the other platforms out there are single platform on single device. Whether that’s PC, whether that’s mobile, whether it’s a console. And we want Xbox to be a platform that enables creators across any screen that people want to play on.”

Starfield and MachineGames’ Indiana Jones and the Great Circle were both reported as being considered for PS5 as far back as March 2024. Indy ended up confirmed for PS5 with a spring 2025 release window, a few months after its release on PC and Xbox Series X and S. But Starfield is yet to be confirmed for PS5, although Spencer’s comments here certainly suggest it’s on the cards.

A number of Xbox games are currently available on PS5, including Rare’s Sea of Thieves, Tango Gameworks’ Hi-fi Rush, and Obsidian’s Grounded and Pentiment. Microsoft already publishes Minecraft games on PlayStation consoles, among many other platforms, and is set to publish Doom: The Dark Ages and Ninja Gaiden 4 on PS5 later this year. There are even reports that Microsoft is finally ready to release Halo on PlayStation after decades of Xbox exclusivity.

Meanwhile, Spencer has teased Microsoft’s plan to release Xbox games on Nintendo Switch 2, reinforcing recent reports that indicate the company is set to back the next-gen console in a big way.

Spencer has said Xbox’s multiplatform push is in part about bringing in more money to Microsoft’s gaming business — with the pressure now on to deliver following its eye-watering $69 billion acquisition of Call of Duty maker Activision Blizzard.

“We run a business,” Spencer said in August last year. “It’s definitely true inside of Microsoft the bar is high for us in terms of the delivery we have to give back to the company. Because we get a level of support from the company that’s just amazing and what we’re able to go do.

“So I look at this, how can we make our games as strong as possible? Our platform continues to grow, on console, on PC, and on cloud. It’s just going to be a strategy that works for us.”

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.

Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap Review

It occurs to me that the Orcs Must Die! series – and the tower-defense genre as a whole – are something like a cousin to factory games like Satisfactory and Factorio. Those games focus on feeding raw resources like iron and coal into complex machines to efficiently produce spaceship parts, while Orcs Must Die! is about feeding hordes of cartoon monsters into machines that produce… mulched cartoon monsters. Maybe one day we’ll learn to build spaceships out of that goop, but for now just creating it is plenty of fun on its own.

Deathtrap, the fifth OMD game (if you count the now-defunct Unchained), shifts its reliable action-tower defense gameplay into a new structure: rather than a linear series of levels to figure out one at a time, we’re put through a roguelite-style gauntlet of randomly selected stages, each with a mix of modifiers that can make both you and the orcs more powerful in sometimes interesting ways, capped off by a boss fight. Burning through those can be a blast, especially with up to three friends in the new co-op cap of four, but like a lot of run-based games it does eventually get a little too grindy (and not the kind where you’re grinding up orcs) and repetitious for its own good.

I say that in part because after more than 60 hours playing Deathtrap in both co-op and single-player, I’ve only seen three of its four bosses and defeated two. While it’s generally IGN’s policy to complete a game’s content before writing a review (and if we don’t, we’ll tell you and explain why), this is one of the rare cases where it’s become clear that it’s meant to take a very long time to check all the boxes, and also that I’ve already seen the great majority of what’s here. Over the course of dozens of runs I’ve unlocked every trap, played all six characters, and seen all but probably the final boss and his map. I’ve also not yet seen a potential ending story cutscene, but considering Deathtrap is even lighter on storytelling than Orcs Must Die! has traditionally been, I think I can safely tie a bow on this review without grinding out the rest of the skill tree and unlocking the character skin set that’s on display for 99,999 skulls (AKA in-game money).

Sophie is a cat with curved swords and throwing stars who summons a skeleton warrior buddy. Of course that’s your first choice.

Setting out on your first run is as easy as picking a character and diving in, which is a no-brainer because one of the options is Sophie, an anthropomorphic cat with curved swords and throwing stars who summons a skeleton warrior buddy and lays bear traps. Of course that’s your first choice for a third-person action game like this, unless you’re playing co-op and someone else gets to her first. In that case it’s understandable that you’d fall back on an old-school OMD archetype like Vaan, who wields a crossbow (that’s actually a machine gun for all intents and purposes) and can temporarily prevent the rift you’re protecting from taking any damage from orcs. After cycling through them all, including tanky bear-man Kalos, Riftkin sniper Mac, and Harlow, the blunderbuss lady with a pet dragon, I settled on Wren the mage as my favorite: her rifle-like wand includes an active reload minigame for bonuses, she summons floating proximity mines, recharges traps for quicker kills, and conjures two clones of herself to attack in triplicate. It’s a strong cast as a whole, though, and while there’s not much by way of a plot beyond “kill the orcs” for them to act out, they all have distinct personalities that come through in their various jokey combat shouts.

Immediately thereafter you’re presented with a choice of three levels to tackle, but this comes with a catch that complicates it and – for me – almost always overrides my preference for one map over another: each is randomly assigned a modifier that ranges from increasing orc damage by 25% to a specific special enemy type being guaranteed to show up every time, or maybe you’ll always see an unstable rift appear that must be quickly destroyed before it spews out even more enemies. These modifiers carry extra weight because they don’t just affect that one map, but all of the rest going forward on this run, and the tough ones can put a fear in me. If I’m playing as a sniper, I definitely do not want the one that reduces headshot damage by 50% (because zoomed-in headshots are my whole thing!) – and when you’re playing in co-op you have to make a group call that screws you all over the least.

The tough modifiers can put a fear in me.

That’s not to say the choice of map isn’t important. They’re mostly fairly large – bigger than what’s been standard for the series, but smaller than Orcs Must Die! 3’s War Scenarios – and after playing each one what feels like a dozen times or more, I’ve definitely developed favorites for those where I know how to control the orcs’ paths and eye-rolling dislikes for those that are more wide open and almost impossible to fully wrangle unless you’ve lucked into certain upgrades. As long as the randomized modifier price isn’t too high I’ll go for one where I know I can force incoming waves into a narrow path of movement-slowing tar traps lined by threshing machines on the walls and lasers, acid, or poison raining down from above, all while auto-targeting turrets knock down annoying flying enemies before they can slip by my barricades. Those feel like guaranteed wins.

It’s worth noting that while Deathtrap’s orcs and maps look very much like the previous OMD games because of its cartoony art style, the lighting is notably improved, and that’s something that’s on full display when the nighttime and rain modifiers are in effect. Those aren’t just for looks and come with randomly spawning skeleton orcs and water elementals, respectively, that can spring into existence behind your barricade lines. That’s a good way to keep us on our toes when we’re feeling like we’ve got things locked down – you’ve always got to keep an eye on the minimap when you hear the telltale sound effects and warning calls.

Lighting is notably improved, and that’s something that’s on full display when the nighttime and rain modifiers are in effect.

If I must, though, I’ll choose a stage like the Dry Docks map: a shipyard where the rift can be in one of several locations and there are more paths to each of them than the default number of barricades can block off. The opening phase of any Orcs Must Die! map, and the unlimited-length pauses between waves, are spent figuring out the puzzle of how to control the coming flow of enemies. They will usually approach from four different doors that gradually open up, and the idea is to send them on the longest routes that overlap as much as possible, creating killzones where your traps will provide the most bang for your buck. Efficiently obstructing paths is tricky, but the ghostly previews showing where orcs are able to run based on the options available to them help to spot and plug holes. There are almost never enough barricades to go around, so you’ll often have to make the best of a bad situation and decide what holes you’re going to have to fill with your own magical bullets.

“Why not simply buy more barricades?” OMD veterans may ask. Well, Deathtrap revamps the way barricades are handled in a fairly radical way: rather than being a trap item you can buy for increasing amounts of cash, your team gets a set number that can be placed for free (and are replaced between waves if they’re destroyed). Overall I like this change because it’s an acknowledgement of how crucial it is to block off portions of the map, but it also serves as the number one way I know if a run is going to go well or not. If I don’t luck into at least a few more via the random upgrades you pick from at the end of each round (or better yet, the upgrade that makes the barricades I have twice as large) I’m probably gonna have a rough time when the going gets tough.

Boosting the number or shape of your barricades is far from a sure thing, though, because even though each player gets to pick a new upgrade card from a set of three randomized options at the end of every wave – six per level and a bonus at the end – there are so many of these “thread” cards in the mix, especially as you unlock more and more with in-game achievements, that it’s easy to wind up with everything but.

My other issue with how barricades are handled is that, when you’re playing in co-op, the team’s supply is evenly divided between you and your teammates. It sounds fair, but it’s often annoying when you’re the person with the plan but have to stop halfway through executing it to call over whoever has barricades left and instruct them on where to place them. Also, if a barricade breaks during combat, the most barricade-minded person is going to be the one who’s completely out and has to call someone else to rush over and plug the hole. So while it makes sense to have traps and cash divided between teammates because it encourages you to use each of your inventory slots wisely and synergize which death dealers work well together, I feel like barricades would’ve been much better off as a shared pool.

Barricades would’ve been much better off as a shared pool.

To be fair, some of those other thread cards can be quite powerful, so not all is lost if you don’t draw barricades. They could lend your default attacks major bonuses to ammo capacity, give them burn, freeze, or shock damage, or provide extra uses of special abilities, among many other things. Wren, for example, can have four proximity mines out at a time by default, but I’ve raised that as high as seven. One card makes you shoot extra-large projectiles for some reason (they don’t do more damage, they’re just big). But none I’ve seen matches the impact of having more barricades, which makes even the Cursed card that grants 10 additional blocks but makes all your traps cost 10 times more potentially worthwhile if you’re on a team of three or four (their traps aren’t affected).

Which traps you put where is the other big part of the puzzle, and since you can only carry a handful of them with you (especially in co-op) for each level, you have to carefully examine the map layout to see where you can place the best combos of floor, wall, and ceiling traps to both deal damage and rack up scoring combos with multiple types of damage on single targets (which charge up your most powerful abilities). There are a few dozen of these, the vast majority of which are old stalwarts like the Brimstone floor tiles that set enemies ablaze, flippers that launch them into the sea, arrow walls right out of Indiana Jones, saw traps, freeze traps, acid traps, poison traps, you name it. A few new ones round out the arsenal, such as the harpoon that snags enemies to pull them in and a heavy ice turret – I’ll be interested to see how the creative types out there combine all of these.

All in all it’s a more than healthy mix of enemies that keeps things interesting for a long while.

Enemy variety is also largely recycled from Orcs Must Die! 3’s dozens of trolls, ogres, elementals, flying guys, and hunters who ignore traps and barricades to chase down Warmages, but it does build at least a bit on what came before with around a dozen or so new types. The Stonebat, for example, petrifies you with a projectile that takes you out of the action for several seconds and can be extremely annoying if you don’t take them out, and there’s an orc suspended by a balloon that seems functionally similar to the various bats but takes a few more hits. There’s also a big floating cyclops who sails over traps and then blasts you with a damage-hose laser beam from his eye if you stand between him and the rift, a drummer who doesn’t attack but buffs other orcs, shielded ogres, troll archers, and a lizardman thief who hunts you down and steals your coins, among others. All in all it’s a more than healthy mix that keeps things interesting for a long while.

At the end of each map you’re given the option to cash out with the money you’ve made thus far or wager half of it on whether or not you’ll be able to beat the next map before enough orcs make it to your rift, which has a persistent “health.” It’s a smart mechanic because sometimes you’ll just barely eke out a win with one or two rift points remaining and have to make a call about whether to go on or go home and level up, and I much prefer this to feeling like I had to beat every level of previous OMD games without a single orc making it through my defenses to really feel like I’d beaten it.

If you make it to the boss fights, Deathtrap at least makes an effort to change up its style: there’s only one large wave to deal with and you get a big chunk of change to spend, but there’s an extra powerful enemy walking or teleporting around the map while you do it. So you can go all-in on inflicting as much damage on them as possible or try to hold out until you exhaust the wave of enemies before turning your attention to the main target. But in my experience, the boss fights don’t turn any major ideas on their heads.

Win or lose, you’ll return to your fortress and use your cash to buy permanent upgrades that are sometimes meaningful, like the ones to each individual Warmage that unlock or amplify abilities or let you do +50% damage to bosses, and others that give you an almost imperceptibly incremental improvement to trap damage, speed, or other stats. Given that upgrades often get dramatically more expensive as you go, it can be a bit frustrating to spend so much for so little to improve your chances on the next run.

What eventually slowed my progress to a crawl was the fact that as you progress from one map to the next in your run, the orcs steadily get stronger and more durable rather than more numerous. In the first mission you’ll tear through waves solo, one-shotting most enemies before they can even reach your kill zone. But by the fourth, I was emptying entire 45-bolt crossbow magazines into a single heavy orc’s face and having to stop to reload before polishing him off. It gets tiring, frankly, especially when dealing with enemies with magical armor that diminish the impact of your weapons and traps even further.

Considering that each run consists of several missions, starting with three and going up by one every time you beat a boss, runs become excessively long. I’ve beaten two, so I currently have to do five missions of six waves apiece before the boss fight, and each one can take around half an hour. You can save between missions in single-player but not in co-op, so that becomes a serious time commitment if you’re playing as a team. Also, I wish there were a way to skip the first one or two missions, which are effectively a foregone conclusion for me now, and go straight to the challenging ones.

While I’m on my feature wishlist, this four-player co-op game (which has full cross-play support between PC and Xbox/Game Pass, though not cross-progression) is notably without split-screen functionality of any kind.

Daily Deals: Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster Collection, Sonic X Shadow Generations, Metroid Prime Remastered, and More

The weekend is officially here, and we’ve rounded up the best deals you can find! Discover the best deals for Sunday, January 26, below:

Metroid Prime Remastered for $30

Metroid Prime Remastered is one of the best adventure games available on Nintendo Switch, and you can pick up the physical copy from Walmart this weekend for only $30. Starring Samus Aran, you’ll take control of the feared bounty hunter and explore the planet Tallon IV. If you have yet to experience the Metroid Prime series, this is the perfect starting point, especially with Metroid Prime 4 on the way later this year.

Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster Collection for $44.99

The first six Final Fantasy titles paved the way for the series as we see it today. Many fans still regard both Final Fantasy IV and Final Fantasy VI as some of the best that Final Fantasy has to offer, with gripping narratives and engaging gameplay. This package includes all six Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters, which feature updated graphics, soundtracks, font, and more.

Sonic X Shadow Generations for $29.99

Sonic X Shadow Generations for PS5 is $20 off at Woot right now. This package includes a remastered version of Sonic Generations and a brand-new campaign focused on Shadow. Both 2D and 3D levels are included, making for the ultimate package for any Sonic fan.

Save $400 Off This ASUS Vivobook S 14 Copilot+ PC

Walmart has a great deal on this ASUS Vivobook S 14 that is packed with features. This laptop has a 14″ OLED screen, with a Intel Core Ultra 7 Series 2 as its processor. Compared to the last generation, this chip delivers up to three times the performance per thread, which is an excellent jump. Also included inside this laptop is 32GB of LPDDR5X RAM, a 1TB PCIE Gen 4 SSD, and more. For $799, this is a fantastic laptop deal that likely won’t last for long.

Meta Quest 3S 256GB for $349

Amazon has the Meta Quest 3S 256GB VR Headset with Batman: Arkham Shadow for $349 today. This headset is perfect if you’re just entering the VR space, and it’s equipped with everything you need to experience all the latest games out there. In our 9/10 review, we stated, “Raw processing power, full-color passthrough, and snappy Touch Plus controllers make the Quest 3S a fantastic standalone VR headset that also brings entry-level mixed-reality gaming to the masses for – arguably – the very first time.”

Pre-Order Twin Peaks: From Z to A

Twin Peaks is one of the most beloved projects of the late David Lynch, inspiring countless creatives across TV, film, and even video games. Currently, a reprint of the Twin Peaks: From Z to A Blu-ray set is up for pre-order at Amazon, and it’s discounted to $55.29 for a limited time. This 21-disc set includes all three seasons of Twin Peaks, the Twin Peaks: Fire Walks With Me film, and over 20 hours of special features.

Black Myth: Wukong for $54.99

Black Myth: Wukong was one of the biggest games of 2024, and for a limited time, you can score a physical PS5 copy of the game for just $54.99 at Woot. There are over 100 bosses to defeat throughout Black Myth: Wukong, with a variety of collectibles, enemies, and locations to discover. In our 8/10 review, we wrote, “Despite some frustrating technical issues, Black Myth: Wukong is a great action game with fantastic combat, exciting bosses, tantalizing secrets, and a beautiful world.”

Unicorn Overlord for $28.81

Unicorn Overlord for PS5 is available at Amazon for $28.81. This title was developed by Vanillaware, most recently known for 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim. Over 60 unique characters are available to choose from within Unicorn Overlord, where you command armies in tactical battle. We gave the gave a 9/10 in our review, stating “Unicorn Overlord is a visual delight that’s brimming with creativity, and an absolute must-play for any fan of strategy RPGs.”

Pyra & Mythra amiibo Up for Pre-Order at GameStop

The Pyra & Mythra 2-pack amiibo has been one of the hardest to find in recent years, with very limited availability at launch and no reprint on the horizon—unitl now. GameStop has opened pre-orders for a Pyra & Mythra amiibo reprint, making now the perfect time to harness the power of the Aegis and secure these amiibo for your collection. This 2-pack is set to release alongside Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition on March 20.

Silent Hill 2 for $44.99

Bloober Team’s remake of Silent Hill 2 is on sale at Woot this weekend for $44.99. Recreating one of Konami’s most beloved titles was never going to be easy, but the Silent Hill 2 remake delivers an immersive horror experience that preserves almost everything that made the original so great. In our 8/10 review, we said the game “smoothly polishes down the rough edges of the original game’s combat while taking a piece of heavy grit sandpaper to scuff up every rust and mold-covered surface of its nightmarish environments, successfully making them appear far more abrasive and menacing to explore.”

Karma: The Dark World Understands That Horror Lives in Your Head

Stephen King once famously wrote that there were three levels of terror: the gross-out, when blood and guts are everywhere; horror, as King put it, “the unnatural, spiders the size of bears, the dead up and walking around, it’s when something with claws grabs you by the arms”; and terror: “when the lights go out and when you feel something behind you, you hear it, you feel its breath against you, and you turn around, there’s nothing there.” King believed terror was the finest emotion of the three, and it’s the one he always tried to evoke in his readers. And make no mistake, terror is an emotion. Horror is something you experience. Terror is the work of the mind, the imagination of what’s absent, of what might be under the rug or around the corner. It is what you live through. Karma: The Dark World has its share of horror, yes. But it is primarily concerned with terror. And more to the point, it is good at it.

There were times during my roughly two-hour demo when I was playing at night, with headphones off, and I had to pause and take a breath. Horror games don’t generally “scare” me. I don’t jump, don’t yell, don’t scream. I know the tricks. But it was two in the morning and I was tired and alone and wearing headphones and something had wormed its way into my brain, and when I had to climb into that vent to enter that blocked-off, red-tinged room, I decided that was enough for the evening.

Karma is full of little moments like that, where you don’t want to go forward, don’t want to bear witness, but you must. Karma is set in an alternate-history 1976, and you’re stepping into the shoes of Roam Agent Daniel McGovern. Daniel is what they call a Nightcrawler. An employee of the omnipresent Leviathan Corporation’s Thought Bureau, he spends most of his time inside other people’s heads. As my demo started, he was being sent to investigate Sean Mehndez, who was accused of stealing something from the Winston Research Institute. You’re to investigate that, as well as an “unusual incident” that took place in the clerical office around the same time. It sounds, as Daniel notes, fairly routine. It isn’t.

Big Brother is Watching

Karma’s world is explicitly dystopian, and you’ll notice how wrong everything feels right off the bat. Some people have televisions for heads. Everyone has a social level, and every minor infraction is recorded, catalogued, tracked, and held against you – even things as seemingly insignificant as having a stain on your work uniform or applying makeup during work hours. Telescreens requiring user IDs, shaped like floppy disks, are tied to social level and hang in every room. Leviathan’s all-seeing eye is watching you. None of this stuff was explained in the demo I played. It didn’t need to be; you understand it immediately, the way you understand a weight hanging around your neck, the same way you understand a noose. This world is wrong, which only adds to what’s to come.

Karma is a first-person game, which only adds to the dread that creeps into you as you play. You are always aware of what you can’t see, what you have to look away from to progress, what might happen if you do. Daniel’s investigation starts off innocently enough. You explore the Research Institute, piecing together what has happened and solving simple puzzles. You need an ID to open the storage room, so you piece together the code by reading a diary entry and using that to find the clue you need in the world. But soon, The Horrors ™ start to creep in. “Don’t look back” appears scrawled on a wall when you flick off a lightswitch. If you do, you’ll see… something, a man, a shape, a ghost, appear and then vanishes. When you examine the recordings of infractions, some…thing with too many legs seems to be in the image. Something is deeply wrong here.

Karma builds dread in more subtle ways, too. Musical stings that appear and then vanish as suddenly as they came, seemingly at random. The lighting of a room. The destroyed area you’re to investigate. It always feels like you’re moving towards something, witnessing something, and often, you won’t want to. Daniel even moves slowly, lumbering, like he knows he shouldn’t be here, that advancing will lead him to a place he doesn’t want to go.

Splinters in the Mind’s Eye

The most memorable moment of my time with Karma came after I found the evidence of Mehndez’s crime. When I went to return it via the pneumatic tubes that dispensed my orders, I saw Mehndez walking, like a ghost, through the hallway. I followed him, and he led me into a dark room, with a single door. When I entered, I found myself in what I can best describe as Twin Peaks’s Black Lodge: red curtains everywhere, mannequins, a family around a table. It took me a moment to realize I was seeing Mehndez’s memories – his life, his fears, maybe. Something. I read about his daughter, saw her room, and then when I returned, they had moved in front of the TV, and eventually, they led me to an elevator going down. I descended.

What followed was one of the most disturbing sequences I’ve ever experienced in a horror game. Alarm clocks hanging from the ceiling, going off. Bodies covered in some sort of black goo, mannequins splattered with blood, lying haphazardly along gurneys. I learned about what had happened to Mehndez, to his wife, his daughter. I watched their home disintegrate; I put my hand into a computer and watched a man, strung up by his arms, explode; I entered an office and watched it go mad, the mannequins inside cowering in fear. At one point I turned around, tried to go another way, and they were all suddenly behind me, hands up, forcing me to go forward. Sometimes, the greatest horror is to be forced to watch. And I thought of Revelation. And a voice said “come and see,” and I looked.

I saw those mannequins hover, saw the black goo cover the floor, saw Mehndez’s home disintegrate further, learned what befell his family. And the curtains around me, always the red curtains. Then back into the office, answering the ringing phone, previously silent. “War. Peace. Freedom. Slavery. Ignorance. Strength,” said the voice on the other end. I recognized the words. Orwell. 1984. Big Brother is watching you. And I followed them, followed them until I reached an office where I could walk through the screen and see the big eye that had been watching me, and I saw that eye sprout more eyes, and I watched it follow me as I climbed stairs supported by nothing, and I saw three doors leading nowhere, and another phone, and I answered it, and someone, a woman, told me that she was sorry, that none of this was supposed to happen. And I entered the door in front of me, and something came after me, something I barely glimpsed but that horrified me all the same, and I fell. And then Daniel woke up, and I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding.

Was it real? Had it happened? Had Daniel imagined it? Did it matter? Like him, I had experienced it and I will remember those images, real or not. We can be haunted by what seem like dreams, by the unreal, the uncanny, the wrong. It is where horror lives. In the mind. There was more to my demo past this, but terror is best experienced, so I will end here, and say Karma: The Dark World beckons you to come and see. And if developer Pollard Studio can deliver that feeling, that dread that compels, that horrifies, that you feel, for the rest of Karma: The Dark World’s runtime, then it is a journey that I will be happy to live through. My eyes are open.

Shrouded Fable ETB UK Deal: I Want Every SIR and IR Please

Have you been waiting to dip into Pokémon TCG Shrouded Fable? Now’s the time to rip open some packs thanks to the Elite Trainer Box dropping to under £40 on Amazon right now. This set has jaw-dropping cards, including Pecharunt ex and a lineup of stunning SIRs and IRs. For players and collectors, this expansion delivers playable cards and art that deserves a spot in your binder.

Shrouded Fable ETB UK Deal

It’s easier than ever to hunt for The Loyal Three and heavy hitters such as Persian IR and Cassiopeia SIR. We’ve got the deals and my take on some of the best cards in this set. Brilliant artwork will always hold its value and look the best in a trainer’s binder. I’ll die on this hill, so let’s dig in:

My Favourite Illustration Rares from Shrouded Fable

There’s plenty of illustration rares to catch in Shrouded Fable, but these are my favourites. Here’s what each one is going for by singles value at the time of writing, which should give you a few reasons to grab an ETB or five and get some Shrouded Fable opened.

  • Duskull 068/064: Currently going for around £20, which has shot up £7 since November 2024
  • Dusclops 069/064: Recently sold listings are £15 and £16, give or take, raising by a couple of bones from roughly £12 in November 2024.
  • Dusknoir 070/064: This bad boy has been sitting on the £20 fence since release.
  • Cresselia 071/064: £10-£14 is the current going rate, slightly up from its £9 kick-off beginning of November 24.
  • Munkidori 072/064: This cheeky Monkey is valued at around £13, up from £10 on November 24.
  • Fezandipiti 073/064: We’ll be generous and say The Fez is currently selling for around £8, which is where it’s been perched since Shrouded Fable dropped.
  • Okidogi 074/064: Another cheap yet stunning IR at around £7 right now, which has mostly stayed at the same value since launch.
  • Persian 078/064: This literal bad boy is fetching up to £60 right now, making this an insane chase card. It’s doubled in value since launch, making this an excellent card to keep ahold of.

SIRs I’d Love To Pull From Shrouded Fable

SIRs are usually more valuable than IRs due to their rarity and playability, but it also comes down to their artwork and is anyone actually likes the Pokémon. Here’s my favourites, good luck pulling these (pocket) monsters:

Okidogi ex 090/064: At around £20, the price for Okidogi ex has dropped by around £5 since launch. This means we can expect £20 to be around the going rate until Shrouded Fable goes out of print.

Munkidori ex 091/064: At roughly £18, this Monkey hasn’t climbed at all really since launch.

Fezandipiti ex 092/064: The Fez ex’s value dropped from £35 at launch to around £26, but it’s still a stunning card.

Pecharunt ex 093/064: We’re looking at £15 to £20 on this one right now, with highs going up to as much as £25 at launch.

Cassiopeia 094/064: At the time of writing, Cass sells between £30 and £40, which is an excellent price for THE chase card of this set. Similar to Persian IR, this card used to double its value back in November 2024.

Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet—Shrouded Fable Elite Trainer Box

The Elite Trainer Box is your starter kit for Shrouded Fable. It includes nine booster packs, a full-art Pecharunt ex promo card, and accessories like themed sleeves and damage dice. It’s priced right for anyone looking to rip open packs with a shot at secret rares. The storage box keeps your collection neat, while the sleeves help protect any high-value pulls.

Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet—Shrouded Fable Kingdra ex Special Illustration Collection

This set highlights Kingdra ex with a beautiful full-art promo and foil cards for Horsea and Seadra. It also comes with five booster packs, giving you extra chances to pull something special. The Kingdra ex card alone is worth the purchase if you’re a fan of aquatic Pokémon or just love cards with bold artwork.

Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet—Shrouded Fable 3-Pack Blister – Pecharunt

The 3-Pack Blister is the way to go for anyone on a budget. Three booster packs and a Pecharunt foil promo make this an easy pick for testing your luck without spending much. It’s small but mighty, offering solid value and the potential to pull a card that could make your week.

Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet—Shrouded Fable Booster Bundle

Six booster packs in one bundle at £23.95 is a strong deal. This set is excellent for building up your collection or hunting specific cards from Shrouded Fable. It’s straightforward, affordable, and gives you plenty of chances to land something rare without buying a larger box.

Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet—Shrouded Fable Booster Bundle

Once you start pulling shiny hits, keeping them safe is a must. The 9-Pocket Portfolio holds up to 252 cards and features bold artwork of Pecharunt and the Loyal Three. At £12.99, it’s perfect for showing off your collection or keeping everything organized after a pack-opening spree.

Daily Deals: Metroid Prime Remastered, ASUS Vivobook S 14 Laptop, Black Myth: Wukong, and More

The weekend is officially here, and we’ve rounded up the best deals you can find! Discover the best deals for Saturday, January 25, below:

Metroid Prime Remastered for $30

Metroid Prime Remastered is one of the best adventure games available on Nintendo Switch, and you can pick up the physical copy from Walmart this weekend for only $30. Starring Samus Aran, you’ll take control of the feared bounty hunter and explore the planet Tallon IV. If you have yet to experience the Metroid Prime series, this is the perfect starting point, especially with Metroid Prime 4 on the way later this year.

Save $400 Off This ASUS Vivobook S 14 Copilot+ PC

Walmart has a great deal on this ASUS Vivobook S 14 that is packed with features. This laptop has a 14″ OLED screen, with a Intel Core Ultra 7 Series 2 as its processor. Compared to the last generation, this chip delivers up to three times the performance per thread, which is an excellent jump. Also included inside this laptop is 32GB of LPDDR5X RAM, a 1TB PCIE Gen 4 SSD, and more. For $799, this is a fantastic laptop deal that likely won’t last for long.

Meta Quest 3S 256GB for $349

Amazon has the Meta Quest 3S 256GB VR Headset with Batman: Arkham Shadow for $349 today. This headset is perfect if you’re just entering the VR space, and it’s equipped with everything you need to experience all the latest games out there. In our 9/10 review, we stated, “Raw processing power, full-color passthrough, and snappy Touch Plus controllers make the Quest 3S a fantastic standalone VR headset that also brings entry-level mixed-reality gaming to the masses for – arguably – the very first time.”

Pre-Order Twin Peaks: From Z to A

Twin Peaks is one of the most beloved projects of the late David Lynch, inspiring countless creatives across TV, film, and even video games. Currently, a reprint of the Twin Peaks: From Z to A Blu-ray set is up for pre-order at Amazon, and it’s discounted to $55.29 for a limited time. This 21-disc set includes all three seasons of Twin Peaks, the Twin Peaks: Fire Walks With Me film, and over 20 hours of special features.

Black Myth: Wukong for $54.99

Black Myth: Wukong was one of the biggest games of 2024, and for a limited time, you can score a physical PS5 copy of the game for just $54.99 at Woot. There are over 100 bosses to defeat throughout Black Myth: Wukong, with a variety of collectibles, enemies, and locations to discover. In our 8/10 review, we wrote, “Despite some frustrating technical issues, Black Myth: Wukong is a great action game with fantastic combat, exciting bosses, tantalizing secrets, and a beautiful world.”

Pyra & Mythra amiibo Up for Pre-Order at GameStop

The Pyra & Mythra 2-pack amiibo has been one of the hardest to find in recent years, with very limited availability at launch and no reprint on the horizon—unitl now. GameStop has opened pre-orders for a Pyra & Mythra amiibo reprint, making now the perfect time to harness the power of the Aegis and secure these amiibo for your collection. This 2-pack is set to release alongside Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition on March 20.

PS5 Disc Drive Available at Target

If you are a recent PS5 Slim or PS5 Pro owner, it’s likely you have ran into some trouble looking for in-stock PS5 Disc Drives. These sell out quickly each time they are restocked, but Target has the item available right now for $79.99. If you’ve been looking for a PS5 Disc Drive, grab one before they’re gone.

UK Deals: Find These Insane Pokémon TCG Pulls With These ETB Deals

We’re at the point in Pokémonia 2025 (Thanks, Prismatic Evolutions) where trainers are looking for ways to not pay over the odds for ripping open booster packs, which is where I come in. My gameplan for 2025 is to keep an eye on what cards are worth picking up for each set on store shelves and get my Pokémon TCG following some bargains. As much as I’d love to guarantee chase cards and pulls, that’s not how it works, but what I can guarantee is more fun spending your pocket money trying to find Pokémon to add to your collection without getting ripped off on the secondary market. Pokémon is working to get new stock out ASAP, which we’re already seeing the results of, albiet slowly.

UK Deals: Find These Insane Pokémon TCG Pulls With These ETB Deals

The name of the UK Pokémon TCG deals game today is Paradox Rift, that’s still knocking around online and in store. There’s plenty of products to choose from, with Elite Trainer boxes being the best value for money right now, but why open this set in particular?

Here are some of my favourite pulls from Pokémon: Scarlet and Violet – Paradox Rift. This isn’t about the newly coined “pokéinvesting” term; it’s about showing everyone how to enjoy Pokémon cards to ensure everyone has their fair share of going in-store, ripping packs with friends and family and having fun with the hobby. Let’s get into it:

Yveltal – 205/182

It’s hard to see why Paradox Rift was such an oferlooked yet, but it seems other trainers are catching on to its illustration and Secret Art Rares in 2025, This stunning Yveltal card has jumped from around £10 around October 2024 straight to around £25 looking at recent sold listings, so this would be a great card to look after on a trainers binder.

Groudon – 199/182

Another epic card showing Groudon doing what he does best, teraforming Earth whilst wiping out life, Nice lad. He’s currently going for around £80 right now, which is a steep climb from £39 back at the end of November. Those UK deals are looking better and better now, right?

Gholdengo ex – 252/182

The Cheesestrings dude is well at home in Paldea now, so he shall now be known as Gholdengo. This card is currently going four around £25, which has gained an extra £10 from around October last year. I think this will be a slow burner alongside Ghimeghoul Secret art that has matches artwork. It’s a set of art cards that trainers will want to focus on pulling regardless!

Garchomp ex – 245/182

Garchamp is a beast, just look at that incredible artwork. The best part is that whilst the value of Garchomp ex – 245/182 is rising, it’s still at a reasonable £30. It’s value are more than double since October 2024, which means it’s going to be a solid pull that will slowly climb up in value as Paradox Rift goes out fo print and off store shelves in 2025.

Roaring Moon ex – 229/182

Roaring Moon ex has suprised me value wise, kicking off at around £5 mid-2024 and just about double to around £10. Personaly I think this has potenial to hits the £40 mark in 2025 thanks to the Pokémon popularity due to it being able to knock any Pokémon out in one hit and a powerful stadium card-based 220 attack. Playable or not, the artwork just rocks.

Here’s some links to the Pokémon TCG: Paradox Rift products on sale online right now. Feel free to also check stock in your local bricks and mortar stores too. Half the fun of collecting is showing off and making friends through trading, right?

Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet—Paradox Rift Elite Trainer Box – Roaring Moon

The Roaring Moon Elite Trainer Box is as fierce as its namesake. Packed with nine booster packs and an exclusive full-art foil card featuring the mysterious Roaring Moon, this box is a must for fans of Pokémon’s darker, more primal vibes. The themed sleeves, dice, and other premium accessories tie the set together, making it a collector’s dream and a player’s powerhouse. For just £42.12 on Amazon, it’s the perfect mix of flair and functionality.

Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet—Paradox Rift Elite Trainer Box – Iron Valiant (9 Booster Packs, 1 Full-Art Foil Card & Premium Accessories)

The Iron Valiant Elite Trainer Box delivers for trainers who prefer their Pokémon sleek and futuristic. It includes nine booster packs, a stunning full-art foil card of Iron Valiant, and a collection of accessories that feel like they’ve been pulled straight out of Paldea’s future. At £44.89 on Amazon, this box is a little pricier but worth it for anyone hunting for the aesthetic of high-tech dominance.

Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet—Paradox Rift Booster Display Box (36 Booster Packs)

If you’re serious about your pulls, the Paradox Rift Booster Display Box is where it’s at. With 36 booster packs, this box gives you the best odds of pulling those elusive Special Illustration Rares or Secret Rares. It’s perfect for building your decks, trading, or feeding that pack-cracking addiction. You’re not just buying cards—you’re buying the thrill of the hunt.

Pokémon TCG Paradox Rift Sleeved Booster Pack

Sometimes, you want a quick shot of Pokémon TCG magic without committing to a full box, and the Paradox Rift Sleeved Booster Pack is perfect. Whether hunting for a specific card or just looking for a casual unboxing experience, these single boosters are an affordable way to scratch the itch. Grab a couple, rip them open, and see what fate has in store.

Pokemon TCG: Scarlet & Violet 4 – Paradox Rift – Build & Battle Stadium

The Build & Battle Stadium is for trainers who like to jump straight into gameplay. It comes with two Build & Battle Boxes, each loaded with a pre-built deck, booster packs, and promo cards. Add in the extra accessories, like damage counters and dice, and you have everything you need for an epic showdown with a friend. It’s a great pick to play competitively without spending hours fine-tuning a deck.

Still looking for where to buy Prismatic Evolutions? Here’s where to find all of our links that we update to give you all the best chance of finding them

Christian Wait is a contributing freelancer for IGN covering everything collectable and deals. Christian has over 7 years of experience in the Gaming and Tech industry with bylines at Mashable and Pocket-Tactics. Christian also makes hand-painted collectibles for Saber Miniatures. Christian is also the author of “Pokemon Ultimate Unofficial Gaming Guide by GamesWarrior”. Find Christian on X @ChrisReggieWait.

Dress to Impress Codes (January 2025)

If you’re looking for DTI codes, IGN’s got you covered! In this article, you’ll find a list of all the active and working Dress to Impress codes in January 2025 that you can redeem for free rewards and bonuses in DTI, including outfits and accessories like hats, bags, and jewelry.

Active Dress to Impress Codes (January 2025)

Here are all the active Dress to Impress codes in January 2025 and the free rewards you get for redeeming them:

  • LNY2025 – Cheongsam Dress and Tang Suit (NEW!)
  • YEAROFTHESNAKE – Snake jewelry (NEW!)
  • HAPPYNEWYEAR – Hanfu (NEW!)
  • 1CON1CF4TMA – Sweater dress
  • B3APL4YS_D0L1E – Doll accessory
  • MEGANPLAYSBOOTS – Boots
  • CH00P1E_1S_B4CK: Streetwear outfit set
  • S3M_0W3N_Y4Y: Axe
  • UMOYAE: Blue dress
  • KREEK: Bear hat
  • FASHION: Black and white dress
  • LANA: White shorts, shirt, and legwarmers
  • LANABOW: White bow
  • BELALASLAY: Black jacket with pink halter top
  • LANATUTU: White dress
  • IBELLASLAY: Red, green, and blonde hairstyle
  • M3RM4ID: Orange mermaid set
  • TEKKYOOZ: White handbag
  • M0T0PRINCESSWAV: Gold crown
  • LABOOTS: Black boots
  • ITSJUSTNICHOLAS: Black jacket
  • ASHLEYBUNNI: Bunny slippers
  • LEAHASHE: Sweatshirt and sweatpants
  • KITTYUUHH: Black cat
  • C4LLMEHH4LEY: Puffy dress and bear headband
  • SUBM15CY: Necklace and eyelashes
  • D1ORST4R: Bag and bow

All Expired Dress to Impress Codes

Below, you’ll find a list of expired DTI codes that no longer work and can no longer be redeemed as of January 2025:

  • NY2025
  • WINTERUPDATE (Was only redeemable between 8 AM – 11 AM PT on Saturday, 14 December!)
  • 4BILLION
  • CHOOPIE10K
  • THEGAMES
  • EYELASHES
  • REWARD4CLASS1C

How to Redeem Dress to Impress Codes

Follow the steps below to redeem Dress to Impress codes and claim free rewards in DTI:

  1. Open the Dress to Impress Roblox Experience.
  2. Click on the handbag icon on the left-hand side to open the DTI Codes menu.
  3. Enter your code in the “Type here…” field.
  4. Check for any spelling mistakes or errors.
  5. Click the checkmark icon to redeem the code.

Why Isn’t My Dress to Impress Code Working?

If the code you’re trying to redeem in DTI isn’t working, it’s likely because of one of two reasons:

  • The Dress to Impress code is expired
  • There’s a spelling mistake in the code

When inputting a DTI code in Roblox, make sure it’s spelled correctly (for example, a capital I isn’t a lowercase l, 0 and not O, and vice versa) and that there are no spaces before or after the code. We’d recommend copying and pasting codes straight from our article to ensure they’re correct as we’ve tested and verified that the codes on this page are working ourselves.

If your DTI code still isn’t working after checking for typos, it’s more than likely expired and can no longer be redeemed in Dress to Impress.

How to Get More DTI Codes

To get more Dress to Impress codes, the best way is to join the official DTI Discord server. While we check for new codes daily, the quickest way to know about new Dress to Impress codes is to follow the Roblox experience’s official Discord server where updates are posted in real time.

You can also check the Dress to Impress X account and the official DTI Roblox Group page.

Are There Any Upcoming DTI Codes?

Currently, we don’t know of any upcoming DTI codes now that the Winter Update is here. We’ll update this once any information on new codes is shared.

What is Dress to Impress in Roblox?

Dress to Impress is a popular dress-up Roblox Experience available on PC, console, and iOS and Android mobile devices. In it, you put on your best outfit to complete a specific theme and walk the runway in a bid to earn votes from other players and become a top model. As you gain votes, you gain ranks and can access more clothing and accessories, so make sure you’re truly dressed to impress!

Meg Koepp is a Guides Editor on the IGN Guides team, with a focus on trends. When she’s not working, you can find her playing an RPG or making miniatures.