Category: IGN

When I first got my hands on Skull & Bones during its last closed beta in August, I was stunned that this legendarily elusive game actually existed. Now, with a release date in February of next year fast approaching, it would seem any doubt that this seafaring adventure won’t see the light of day is fading. Now I just want to know if it’s going to be good, and after another six hours in the most recent closed beta this past weekend, I find myself more hopeful than ever that this plundering simulator might actually capture the attention of me and my friends. Though the most recent beta included some odd and unexpected changes to the story, my friends and I dove deep into the waters of this ship-based adventure’s RPG mechanics and came away pleasantly surprised.

First off, if you haven’t seen our preview from a few months ago, you should go and check that out, because the vast majority of my praise and cautious optimism still applies. Having a chance to develop my sea legs a few months ago, me and two of my fellow skallywags spent a good chunk of the weekend tinkering with our boats and exploring as much of the map as we could before running into horrifyingly overpowered enemy crafts that turned us into driftwood in one second flat.

Upgrading and customizing your very own piracy vessel remains one of the coolest things Skull & Bones offers, and that’s especially true after the first few hours once I acquired the means to craft class-based ships with specific strengths and weaknesses to suit my playstyle. For my part, I like to prioritize DPS and enjoy getting in close and smashing the enemy craft to pieces, so I built “The Rammer,” a ship that’s great for doing as much damage as possible. Meanwhile, the other members of my party built a tank-y ship called “The Defender” and a support-focused ship called “The Sentinel,” so that when we fought as a crew, we had the perfect diversity of specializations we needed to absolutely crush any poor landlubbers who dared set sail in our seas.

Combining these different ship types with various kinds of weapons like long-ranged sniper cannons that do lots of damage versus others that blast large volleys of close-quarters fireballs, and attachments that adjust various resistances and armor scores, made Skull & Bones feel like a true naval RPG, and it felt like my crew had only just begun scratching the surface of what’s possible, with dozens upon dozens of more powerful options locked out for vessels of our level.

After the previous beta, I praised Skull & Bones for having a story that was surprisingly more fleshed out than I was expecting, and while that still held true in this second beta, there were also some really bizarre changes to the narrative I don’t fully understand. For example, in the early moments of the previous beta I found a dying pirate captain, Abel Rassler, who served as a jumping off point for the rest of the story, but in this latest version, when I went to loot that same ship, the good captain had already expired, leaving me to quietly grab his stuff before leaving.

I’m really not sure why this major story change happened! Maybe Ubisoft got feedback that there was too much talking in the early part of their cannonball-focused pirate game, or perhaps they just cut this part out of this beta since participants were only allotted six hours of playtime, but it wasn’t the only big one I noticed. There were also a few significant dialogue changes, and one of my main crewmates had been replaced by a new character altogether. It’s pretty surprising that, after all these years of development, they’re still making significant story changes in the four months since the last beta. But then again, I suppose that’s what betas are for. Here’s hoping that’s not a sign that the script’s going through too many last-minute rewrites this close to launch.

Today, the ABK Workers Alliance published a statement opposing a recent return-to-office mandate that is impacting hundreds of Activision quality assurance (QA) workers. While the company has been allowing hybrid work situations up to this point, the group says that on November 30, QA workers in Minneapolis, Austin, and El Segundo working primarily on Call of Duty were told they must fully return to office five days per week beginning in late January. Activision is offering severance to those who depart from the company as a result of this mandate.

On November 30th, Activision QA employees in Minneapolis, Austin, and El Segundo received an email announcing that hybrid work will be ended in January for QA employees.

Below is our statement regarding this decision. pic.twitter.com/UKyRH2BggH

— ABetterABK 💙 ABK Workers Alliance (@ABetterABK) December 18, 2023

IGN has viewed the text of an email sent to impacted IGN QA workers about the change, which says the move to full-time office work came after Activision “found that our Central QA team is much more effective on in-office workdays than on remote workdays. Much of this is attributable to commercial broadband speeds, in-person team engagement leading to faster alignment, and better access to hardware in the office.”

The message continues by noting that the change “may not align with everyone’s personal and professional goals,” and offers a one-time separation package of a minimum of 12 weeks pay, 2023 bonus, 12 months of healthcare, and unused vacation time payout to anyone who voluntarily separates due to the mandate. It concludes by stating that there are “no current plans” for other similar changes elsewhere in the organization.

When asked for comment, an Activision spokesperson offered the following statement regarding return to office, which echoes the email IGN viewed:

After returning to the office in April, we’ve learned a lot about how our teams can work best. In particular, we saw our QA team in Minneapolis, Austin and El Segundo work more effectively and efficiently in person, thanks to improved broadband speeds, seamless team coordination, and better hardware access. As a result, we’ve made the decision to move from a hybrid work schedule to a full-time, in-office working model for Activision QA in Minneapolis, Austin and El Segundo to foster a best-in-class QA function and best deliver for our players.

ABK Workers Alliance Responds

In response, ABK Workers Aliiance has published a statement opposing the mandate, and accusing Activision of not doing enough to support workers who want to keep their current jobs but need to work remotely for a variety of reasons. The group says that many QA employees have been communicating with Activision’s accommodations team since the start of hybrid work earlier this year in an effort to receive permanent work-from-home accommodations due to “disability, financial issues, or other factors.” However, they say that many of their requests have been denied entirely, while others were offered in-office accommodations that were insufficient to meet their needs.

The statement also notes that “many employees” were hired during full lockdown, live “a significant distance” from the offices, and will feel an impact both to finances and work-life balance for having to commute.

“This has resulted in many employees being forced out of the company in a soft layoff,” reads the statement from ABK Workers Alliance. “It is our belief that the removal of hybrid work will result in many, many more employees being forced out of the company and into a desperate situation.”

In addition, IGN has spoken to several Activision employees who have expressed opposition to the mandate. QA employee Kate Anderson told us that the mandate “ensures that the needs of our most vulnerable employees are not met.” Another QA employee who wished to remain anonymous told us they had been successfully working remotely for three years now, but have spent much of the last year going through Activision’s accommodations process to receive the right to work remotely due to a disability.

“One of Activision’s company values is Champion DE&I, but imposing this return to office policy on the entire department is inherently inequitable,” they said. “The vast majority of our team worked remotely for the entirety of 2021 and 2022 without issue, so we’ve already proven our jobs can successfully be performed while working remotely. In the e-mail announcing the change, they cited that the team is more effective when working on-site, but correlation does not equal causation. I implore them to look into other factors that have contributed to our success over the past year.”

Another QA tester, Andrew Snell, similarly disagreed with the company’s statement that working from the office was the cause of Activision’s recent successes. “Since the COVID-19 quarantines, Activision Blizzard King has set sales records on their Call of Duty franchise titles, including their mobile division, all while most of their workforce was required to work fully remote. Since April of this year, we have worked under a hybrid in-office/work-from-home setting that greatly benefits those who have medical necessity and for working families. With the decision to return to the office full-time, many of my co-workers are concerned for their futures and are weighing the options of whether or not they can take this deal.”

An Activision spokesperson additionally supplied the following statement with regard to accommodations in response to IGN’s request for comment:

We take our support for employees with disabilities, differing abilities, mental health requirements, and changing medical needs seriously. We are focused on finding appropriate, reasonable accommodations for team members who experience barriers to performing their essential job functions. We thoroughly manage all requests and work with the individual confidentially to understand their medical needs and offer a variety of individualized solutions.

Ongoing Clashes with Activision Blizzard

The ABK Workers Alliance was formed in 2021 in response to a California lawsuit filed against Activision Blizzard alleging discrimination and harassment against employees of the company. The group has since been involved in organizing multiple walkouts at the company and in supporting the unionization of both Raven Software QA workers and Blizzard Albany. Currently, the group is working on further collective efforts in light of ABK’s new parent company, Microsoft, pledging union neutrality.

“A one-size-fits-all mandate harms us all,” ABK Workers Alliance concludes. “Everyone loses: the company, the products, the players, and, most of all, the employees. We stand firm in our resolve that the decision to WFH or RTO should be made on an individual basis with consideration to the needs of each employee.”

In the last year, a number of major companies have implemented return to office mandates that have sparked frustration from workers who adapted or expected to be able to continue working from home. Blizzard, for instance, was allegedly creating “crisis maps” due to a mass exodus of employees in response to a forced return-to-office, among other issues. And over at Ubisoft Montreal, developers flooded an internal messageboard with hundreds of comments, many of which claimed the company had broken a promise of permanent remote work to its employees.

IGN has also reached out to Activision parent company Microsoft for comment.

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.

This story was updated post-publication with Activision’s response.

The developer of hit indie horror Iron Lung, which mega YouTuber Markiplier is turning into a film, has told those who don’t agree with the game’s recent $2 price rise to “go pirate it or something”.

David Szymanski tweeted to respond to the backlash caused by Iron Lung’s price increase from $6 to $8, insisting the hike was entirely justified.

“Since people keep trying to gotcha me over this… once again, Iron Lung’s price went up because the game is worth $8 so I want to charge $8, because I want to earn more money. If you don’t agree with this price, I don’t want your money. Go pirate it or something. I don’t care.”

Then, responding to those who have said he’s “only doing this for the money”, Szymanski tweeted: “Yes, no f**king s**t. I make games for a living. If I didn’t want to earn money from them I wouldn’t charge money for them.”

“I like the business model of ‘I want money so I make something that I think is worth money, and you pay me that money and you get the thing, and we’re all happy’,” Szymanski continued. “That’s it. There’s nothing complicated or hidden here.

“If you don’t think the things I make are worth the money I charge, that’s completely okay. Don’t buy them, or wait for a deep sale, or go the sneaky route and get them for free or whatever, and please tell me that so I can adjust the prices for whatever I release next.

“This will be the last I have to say about the Iron Lung price change. I don’t expect to do any after release price adjustments in the future, so hopefully this won’t ever need discussed again.”

Sales of Iron Long have dropped since the price hike, a trend Szymanski said he expects to continue. “Note that this is not a bid for sympathy,” he added. “This was a gamble I knowingly took hoping it will be the right decision in the long term.”

Iron Lung. Coming soon to theaters. pic.twitter.com/vxP28YC9Vd

— Mark (@markiplier) October 14, 2023

Markiplier is currently directing and starring in a film adaptation of Iron Lung, the short 2022 horror game that sees a convict exploring an alien moon’s blood ocean in a cramped submarine.

Markiplier helped popularize Iron Lung after playing it in 2022, but this wasn’t the only event that propelled Iron Lung to relative indie stardom — earlier this year, the game saw a spike in sales (which Szymanski said “feels so wrong”) after the disappearance of the Titan submersible due to the game’s similar premise.

Markiplier also revealed that he had to turn down a role in the recently-released Five Nights at Freddy’s movie to focus on Iron Lung. Iron Lung’s movie doesn’t yet have a release date, but it’s headed to theaters, and the team behind the latter film revealed its first blood-drenched teaser in October.

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.

Max Payne actor James McCaffrey has died aged 65, according to a report by TMZ.

TMZ published a statement from a rep revealing McCaffrey passed away Sunday, December 17, surrounded by friends and family after a battle with bone marrow cancer.

“One of Dick Wolf’s proteges, McCaffrey went on to a successful 35-year career in television and film. Trained at the Actor’s Studio, he never lost his love for creating characters; however, his good looks often pushed him toward leading man roles,” said McCaffery’s representative to TMZ.

Kevin Dillon, who played Johnny “Drama” Chase in HBO comedy series Entourage, was first to report McCaffrey’s death in a post on Instagram, saying: “we were lucky to have known you. My best friend you will be missed.”

McCaffrey played Max Payne across Remedy’s three-game series, as well as roles in other Remedy games, such as Alan Wake and Control. Most recently, McCaffrey was the voice of Alan Wake 2‘s Alex Casey, a character with a physical appearance based on Remedy’s Sam Lake.

Remedy issued its own statement in a post on X/Twitter: “We are deeply saddened to hear about the passing of our beloved friend and collaborator James McCaffrey, the iconic voice of Max Payne and Alex Casey. His remarkable talent gave life to our characters and left an enduring impact on our community. Our hearts go out to his family.”

McCaffrey also had a varied TV and film career, including playing Jimmy Keefe in Rescue Me. McCaffrey is survived by his wife Rochelle Bostrom and daughter Tiernan.

Image credit: Photo by John Paul Filo/CBS via Getty Images

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.

Significant Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League story spoilers are now online following apparent leaks stemming from a recent closed alpha test.

The oft-delayed Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is an open world co-op action title that lets up to four players to play as Harley Quinn, King Shark, Deadshot, and Captain Boomerang.

Audio from a key story cutscene is now online showing the fate of one important character, as well as video and images confirming the return of characters from developer Rocksteady’s Batman Arkham series of games.

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League spoilers follow.

X/Twitter user BossBigBoss revealed assets that show what looks like a child-like Poison Ivy. This villain’s appearance in Suicide Squad comes as some surprise because she died at the end of 2015’s Arkham Knight. The suggestion here is that some part of Ivy survived and, like Guardians of the Galaxy character Groot, has revived as a child.

💫 Images of Poison Ivy and Joker and Bruce Wayne characters in the Suicide Squad Kill The Justice League released.#SuicideSquadGame pic.twitter.com/K9qU6s62Az

— BossBigBoss (@BossBigBoss73) December 18, 2023

Even more surprising is what looks like a very different Joker than the one in the Arkham games (Joker died at the end of 2011’s Arkham City, although the villain returned in Arkham Knight via flashback/visions). Some sort of alternate version of Joker from another dimension perhaps? A vision? A flashback? It’s unclear.

We also see the same Batman from the Arkham games voiced by the late Kevin Conroy, who famously played the Caped Crusader in Rocksteady’s Arkham games and in the Batman 1990s Animated Series. Conroy passed away in 2021 following a short battle with cancer.

A separate leak reveals audio from a cutscene involving Batman and the Suicide Squad, which has already sparked a vociferous debate among fans.

Final spoiler warning for Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.

Suicide Squad KTJL Leak pic.twitter.com/Nn0CiEGtcu

— Sad Clown Man (@LeakerofCringe) December 18, 2023

The audio apparently confirms “evil” Batman’s death at the hands of the Suicide Squad, with the suggestion that Harley Quinn pulls the trigger.

While some fans have said they’re unsurprised a game called Kill the Justice League results in the death of Justice League members such as Batman, others have lamented this apparent end for Rocksteady’s Batman. Further audio leaks have confirmed the Suicide Squad’s plan to kill Superman (gold Kryptonite bullets), as well as Superman’s apparent voice actor (Nolan North). It’s worth pointing out these leaks present snippets of gameplay out of context. We do not know what will appear in the final game.

Is Suicide Squad in fact the end of Rocksteady’s Arkhamverse? With movie director James Gunn’s upcoming DCU set to reboot the universe, some fans had wondered. Indeed, in a recent post on Threads, Gunn said he was excited about Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and expressed hope at more games set in the Arkhamverse. Gunn also published and then deleted a post that said there were “no plans” for Suicide Squad being the last Arkhamverse game.

Warner Bros. Games has yet to comment on the leaks. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League comes out February 2, 2024, with an offline mode due out at some point later.

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.

The Persona 5 subseries has sold more than 10 million units following the launch of Persona 5 Tactica in November 2023.

Publisher Atlus revealed the milestone on X/Twitter alongside a celebratory illustration from series artist Shigenori Soejima featuring Persona 5 protagonist Joker and his cat companion Morgana.

“The worldwide sales of the Persona 5 series have surpassed 10 million units,” Atlus said. “To celebrate, check out this special thank-you illustration from Shigenori Soejima. Thank you so much to our players for your continued support.”

The worldwide sales of the Persona 5 series have surpassed 10 million units! 🎉

To celebrate, check out this special thank-you illustration from Shigenori Soejima! Thank you so much to our players for your continued support.#P5D #P5R #P5S #P5T pic.twitter.com/uTdN85VgsS

— Official ATLUS West (@Atlus_West) December 15, 2023

The Persona 5 series specifically references the fifth main entry and its spin-offs, so Atlus isn’t including the likes of Persona 3 or Persona 4 Golden in this sales total. Four spin-offs have been released alongside Persona 5, including rhythm game Dancing in the Starlight, an expanded version of the base game called Royal, the Dynasty Warriors-style action game Stikers, and the tactical role-playing game Tactica.

Though Atlus hasn’t released specific stats for Tactica, it was likely its launch in November that pushed the series beyond the 10 million mark. This one earned an 8/10 in IGN’s review. “Persona 5 Tactica is a big bag of bite-sized Phantom Thieves adventures that keeps the spirit of the series alive and shows that it can work great with a grid-based battle system,” we said.

Looking to continue the momentum, Atlus is releasing a remake of the third game called Persona 3: Reload on February 2, 2024. As a from the ground up remake, Persona 3 Reload features a brand new voice cast, updated graphics, and more.

The game was finally announced at the 2023 Xbox Games Showcase following a string of rumours and one final leak ahead of the event. It will specifically recreate Persona 3, not Persona 3 FES or Persona 3 Portable, meaning there won’t be a female protagonist or any of the other additional content those versions brought.

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

With the record-breaking GTA 6 trailer analysed to within an inch of its burgeoning life, fans have now turned their attention to official art for the game and reckon they’ve spotted something pretty revelatory.

Redditor InevitableLibrary387 pointed to what they think is a tease for the GTA 6 map hidden within the only piece of official art developer Rockstar has released for the hotly anticipated sequel.

“Please tell me I’m not the only one who sees it, Vice beach on the right, a city in the middle, and scattered islands around it,” InevitableLibrary387 said.

A couple of days ago we saw Microsoft make the decision to slash the price of the Xbox Series X in the US, and we thought that it was just going to be a case of the US getting a good deal and the UK missing out. But then, to our surprise, Microsoft decided to bring the fantastic Xbox deals to us. They’ve brought the price down on a handful of models and bundles, but the thing we’re getting excited about is the fact that you can get a Series S plus 3 months of Xbox Game Pass ultimate for just £190. This is a seriously good deal so order it now to snap it up in time for Christmas.

The Series S bundle isn’t the only deal worth mentioning though. If you want a Series X instead, then head over to Amazon where you can pick up an Xbox Series X for just £343. If you want to bundle it up and get an Xbox Series X Plus Diablo 4 then you can do so for just £376. Crazy savings.

If you’re jsut looking for some accessories, then you can get an Xbox Elite Series 2 Core Controller for just £78.48, which could be the cheapest we’ve ever seen the controller fall to. The Elite Series 2 core edition only includes the gamepad, so you won’t get any of the little extra goodies. If you do want the extras, then grab a Black Elite Series 2 controller, which is also on sale and includes them. It’s down to £99.99, which is once again the cheapest we’ve ever seen. Bethesda’s Starfield has also dropped to just £34.99 at Amazon if you’re interested.

It remains to be seen whether or not this is just a flash holiday sale from Microsoft, or if it means that there are any hardware announcements on the horizon. We’ll have to wait and see, but we can all enjoy these Christmas deals for now.

We’re only a week and a half out from December 25, meaning that time is running out to take advantage of deals this holiday season. From games to tech, there are dozens of great deals that won’t be available for much longer. This is one of the last opportunities to get great deals in time before things start to sell out or arrive after the holidays. Here are the best deals available for Sunday, December 17.

HP OMEN 16 – 16″ 165Hz Full HD Gaming Laptop for $1199.99

An amazing deal on an HP OMEN laptop is available at Best Buy. This laptop comes equipped with an AMD Ryzen 9-7940HS, 16GB of RAM, an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070, and a 512GB SSD. That’s a huge amount of power that should be able to fill any need you might have. Recent releases like Starfield or Lies of P will run with ease on a system like this. This deal ends today, so act fast if you’re keen on picking up a gaming laptop.

Xbox Series X for $349

The Xbox Series X is still on sale after Black Friday and Cyber Monday! For a limited time, you can score a new console for only $349. That’s $150 off MSRP, which is a steal this holiday season and even better than Cyber Monday deals. Depending on your location, you might see the Xbox Series X listed for $399. That’s still $100 off, but it’s worth keeping in mind if you can’t seem to find the $349 deal in your area.

Save 20% Off Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon

The latest Armored Core title has a nice sale after it was released this August. You can get 20% off from Amazon right now, which hits a new low for the title. We gave the game an 8/10 in our review, stating it had “excellent, explosive combat that manages to take very complex systems and mechanics and make them easy to understand and execute.”

Save $50 on Meta Quest 2 and Get $50 Credit

While the Meta Quest 3 has released, the Quest 2 is still an exceptional VR headset available at a very reasonable price. That especially applies to this deal, which is $50 off either the 128GB or 256GB model. Additionally, purchasing either model will give you $50 of digital credit for Amazon, so you’re really saving $100 in total on a new Quest 2.

Theathrhythm Final Bar Line for $19.99

If you’re a rhythm game fan, this is the perfect deal for you. Theathrythm Final Bar Line has over 350 tracks to play through, selected from all of the released Final Fantasy titles. Recent DLC added songs from Final Fantasy XVI, NieR, and even Xenogears. This title arrives just in time for the holiday season.

Cowboy Bebop Complete Series Blu-Ray for $28.99

Amazon has the 25th Anniversary Special Edition Blu-ray of Cowboy Bebop for only $28.99. This set comes with all 26 episodes of the original anime, in addition to five discs filled with bonus features. Some of these features are a 25th Anniversary Retrospective, a 20th Anniversary Interview with Koichi Yamadera, and more. If you’re a fan of Cowboy Bebop, this is an amazing deal to add to your collection.

Apple Watch Series 8 [41mm] (Product) RED Edition for $249

This deal on the Apple Watch Series 8 is hard to pass over. At $249, you’re saving $150 on a recent Apple Watch. The Series 8 has features like temperature sensing, an all-day battery life, sleep tracking, crash detection and fall detection, and an always-on retina display. This model includes a (Product) RED alumninium case and a (Product) Red Sport Band.

Master Detective Archives: RAIN CODE for $39.99

A sleeper 2023 release, Master Detective Archives: RAIN CODE, is the latest title written by Kazutaka Kodaka. $39.99 is the lowest this game has ever been, meaning this is a great deal if you’re a fan of puzzle games or visual novels. It is a Nintendo Switch excluisve for the forseeable future, with no other platform releases announced at this time.

Akira 4K Blu-Ray for $14.99

The iconic movie is on sale for half off for a limited time. This 4K remastered edition of Akira remixes the audio and includes a boatload of bonus content. Some of this includes music, trailers, interviews, and more. If you’ve never seen Akira, this is a great time to pick up the movie and see what all the talk is about.

Get NieR: Automata The End of Yorha Edition for Only $29.99

NieR: Automata is highly regarded as one of the greatest action games of the last decade. The unique storytelling of Yoko Taro combines with flashy action combat from PlatinumGames to create a very memorable title. The Nintendo Switch version of the game includes the exclusive 6C2P4A118680823 DLC for free, which includes new costumes, accessories, and pod skins.

Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 for $39.99

Great news for stealth action fans: Walmart has listed Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 at $39.99, which matches the previous low we saw during Black Friday. This is a great package with the first three Metal Gear Solid games, in addition to Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake. If you’ve yet to play through the Metal Gear series, the Master Collection is how to do so on modern platforms.

Get Almost Half Off the Collector’s Edition Guide for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

If you’re gifting or getting The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom to someone this holiday season, this is the perfect companion item. This hardcover book has almost 500 pages of content to showcase every single shrine, enemy, weapon, location, and more inside the game. It’s the perfect guide to assist you in your quest to find Princess Zelda.

Grab Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora – Limited Edition for $49.99

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora has hit $49.99 on Amazon, matching a previous low. With the limited edition of the game, you’ll get a unique weapon and an exclusive character gear set to adjust your appearance. You’ll get to experience a full open world with Frontiers of Pandora, exploring and fighting enemies with plenty of Na’vi weapons at your disposal.

Final Fantasy XVI for $39.99

Now is the perfect time to pick up the latest mainline Final Fantasy title. The first wave of DLC, titled Echoes of the Fallen, just released for Final Fantasy XVI last week. The second DLC, The Rising Tide, is set to launch in Spring 2024. We gave Final Fantasy XVI a 9/10 in our review, stating it is “a game worthy of an orchestral Final Fantasy victory fanfare.”

Alienware Aurora R16 RTX 4060 Ti Gaming PC for $1199.99

Right now Dell has the 2023 Alienware Aurora R16 Intel Core i7 RTX 4060 Ti gaming PC for only $1199.99. This is actually $100 less than the best price we saw for this exact config on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. It’s equipped with an Intel Core i7-13700F CPU, GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8GB GPU, 16GB of DDR5-5600MHz RAM, and a 1TB NVMe SSD. The i7 processor is cooled by a 240mm all-in-one liquid cooler. The RTX 4060 Ti 8GB video card is the perfect GPU for 1080p gaming, although it’s also capable of handling 1440p gaming. It’s about 5%-10% faster than the RTX 3060 Ti at 1080p and supports the newer DLSS 3.0 and 3.5 technology. It’s also about 20%-25% faster than the RTX 4060 in 1080p gaming.

2021 Apple iPad 10.2″ 64GB for $249

Amazon is offering a brand new 2021 Apple iPad 10.2″ Wi-Fi 64GB tablet for only $249. This iPad normally retails for $329, so you’re saving about 25%. This is the lowest price we’ve seen for what is already the most affordable iPad you can get. These are brand new and include a 1 year Apple warranty.

Note that the iPad may come a few days after Christmas. Although if it’s intended to be a gift, I’m sure the recipient will forgive you for such an awesome present.

Xbox Series S for $229.99

This is the Starter Bundle that includes 3 months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. The Xbox Series S is normally priced $200 less than the Xbox Series X but can still play all of the same games. It doesn’t have the power of the Series X, so games are displayed at 1440p resolution instead of 4K in order to maintain the consistent 60fps-120fps graphics you’ll find in most games. If you don’t have a 4K TV or feel like the $200 could be better spent elsewhere (or in this case, $300), then the Xbox Series S might be a smarter purchase.

Naruto x Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections for $49.99

The latest Naruto Storm title recently released, in the form of Naruto x Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections. This title provides dozens and dozens of characters to choose from and is the perfect gift for any Naruto fan. This title will ship in time for the bulk of the holidays with December 25.

The Complete Calvin and Hobbes Box Set for $58.91

Amazon has the Complete Calvin and Hobbes Paperback Box Set for only $58.91 after you clip the coupon on the product page. This is a pretty huge price drop from its $135 MSRP and matches the best price we saw during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The complete paperback box set includes four full-color paperback volumes (1,440 total pages) in a sturdy slipcase and includes all Calvin and Hobbes cartoons that ever appeared in syndication, from its initial publication in 1985 to Bill Watterson’s retirement in 1995.

Apple AirPods Pro with USB Type-C for $199.99

There’s no better holiday gift than a new pair of AirPods. Amazon has dropped the price of the 2nd gen Apple AirPods Pro truly wireless noise cancelling earbuds with the universal USB Type-C connector by $50, now only $199.99. Best of all, it can be delivered to you well before Christmas, December 25 without paying any additional shipping fee. With this current gen AirPods Pro, Apple has replaced the proprietary Lightning port with the more universal USB Type-C. For people who want to bring along a single charging cable for all of their mobile devices, this is a godsend.

Sonic Superstars Still 50% Off

If you’re a fan of the blue hedgehog and have yet to pick up the latest 2D title, this is a great chance to do so! Sonic Superstars is still marked down at $29.99 across all platforms following last weekend. The game should arrive with plenty of time before the peak of the holiday season.

49″ Samsung Odyssey OLED G9: The Best Ultra-Wide Gaming Monitor

This popular Black Friday deal is back! Amazon has the 49″ Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 G95SC gaming monitor for only $1199.99. That’s $600 less than MSRP and matches what we saw during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The Odyssey OLED G9 replaces the Neo G9 as Samsung’s highest end Odyssey G-series gaming monitor. Unlike the Neo G9, which uses a Mini-LED panel, the OLED G9 uses a quantum dot OLED panel. OLED panels boast individual self-lit OLEDs that can turn on and off independently of each other, which allows for true blacks and incredible contrast ratios. The image quality, especially in HDR, is far better than what you’ll see with traditional IPS, VA, or TN panels. Samsung’s quantum dot (or QD) OLED panels are even better because they are brighter and support a wide color range than regular OLED panels.

We’re only a week and a half out from December 25, meaning that time is running out to take advantage of deals this holiday season. From games to tech, there are dozens of great deals that won’t be available for much longer. This is one of the last opportunities to get great deals in time before things start to sell out or arrive after the holidays. Here are the best deals available for Saturday, December 16.

HP OMEN 16 – 16″ 165Hz Full HD Gaming Laptop for $1199.99

An amazing deal on an HP OMEN laptop is available at Best Buy. This laptop comes equipped with an AMD Ryzen 9-7940HS, 16GB of RAM, an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070, and a 512GB SSD. That’s a huge amount of power that should be able to fill any need you might have. Recent releases like Starfield or Lies of P will run with ease on a system like this. This deal ends tomorrow, so act fast if you’re keen on picking up a gaming laptop.

Xbox Series X for $349

The Xbox Series X is still on sale after Black Friday and Cyber Monday! For a limited time, you can score a new console for only $349. That’s $150 off MSRP, which is a steal this holiday season and even better than Cyber Monday deals. Depending on your location, you might see the Xbox Series X listed for $399. That’s still $100 off, but it’s worth keeping in mind if you can’t seem to find the $349 deal in your area.

Save $50 on Meta Quest 2 and Get $50 Credit

While the Meta Quest 3 has released, the Quest 2 is still an exceptional VR headset available at a very reasonable price. That especially applies to this deal, which is $50 off either the 128GB or 256GB model. Additionally, purchasing either model will give you $50 of digital credit for Amazon, so you’re really saving $100 in total on a new Quest 2.

Cowboy Bebop Complete Series Blu-Ray for $28.99

Amazon has the 25th Anniversary Special Edition Blu-ray of Cowboy Bebop for only $28.99. This set comes with all 26 episodes of the original anime, in addition to five discs filled with bonus features. Some of these features are a 25th Anniversary Retrospective, a 20th Anniversary Interview with Koichi Yamadera, and more. If you’re a fan of Cowboy Bebop, this is an amazing deal to add to your collection.

Apple Watch Series 8 [41mm] (Product) RED Edition for $249

This deal on the Apple Watch Series 8 is hard to pass over. At $249, you’re saving $150 on a recent Apple Watch. The Series 8 has features like temperature sensing, an all-day battery life, sleep tracking, crash detection and fall detection, and an always-on retina display. This model includes a (Product) RED alumninium case and a (Product) Red Sport Band.

Akira 4K Blu-Ray for $14.99

The iconic movie is on sale for half off for a limited time. This 4K remastered edition of Akira remixes the audio and includes a boatload of bonus content. Some of this includes music, trailers, interviews, and more. If you’ve never seen Akira, this is a great time to pick up the movie and see what all the talk is about.

Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 for $39.99

Great news for stealth action fans: Walmart has listed Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 at $39.99, which matches the previous low we saw during Black Friday. This is a great package with the first three Metal Gear Solid games, in addition to Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake. If you’ve yet to play through the Metal Gear series, the Master Collection is how to do so on modern platforms.

Get Almost Half Off the Collector’s Edition Guide for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

If you’re gifting or getting The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom to someone this holiday season, this is the perfect companion item. This hardcover book has almost 500 pages of content to showcase every single shrine, enemy, weapon, location, and more inside the game. It’s the perfect guide to assist you in your quest to find Princess Zelda.

Final Fantasy XVI for $39.99

Now is the perfect time to pick up the latest mainline Final Fantasy title. The first wave of DLC, titled Echoes of the Fallen, just released for Final Fantasy XVI last week. The second DLC, The Rising Tide, is set to launch in Spring 2024. We gave Final Fantasy XVI a 9/10 in our review, stating it is “a game worthy of an orchestral Final Fantasy victory fanfare.”

Alienware Aurora R16 RTX 4060 Ti Gaming PC for $1199.99

Right now Dell has the 2023 Alienware Aurora R16 Intel Core i7 RTX 4060 Ti gaming PC for only $1199.99. This is actually $100 less than the best price we saw for this exact config on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. It’s equipped with an Intel Core i7-13700F CPU, GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8GB GPU, 16GB of DDR5-5600MHz RAM, and a 1TB NVMe SSD. The i7 processor is cooled by a 240mm all-in-one liquid cooler. The RTX 4060 Ti 8GB video card is the perfect GPU for 1080p gaming, although it’s also capable of handling 1440p gaming. It’s about 5%-10% faster than the RTX 3060 Ti at 1080p and supports the newer DLSS 3.0 and 3.5 technology. It’s also about 20%-25% faster than the RTX 4060 in 1080p gaming.

2021 Apple iPad 10.2″ 64GB for $249

Amazon is offering a brand new 2021 Apple iPad 10.2″ Wi-Fi 64GB tablet for only $249. This iPad normally retails for $329, so you’re saving about 25%. This is the lowest price we’ve seen for what is already the most affordable iPad you can get. These are brand new and include a 1 year Apple warranty.

Note that the iPad may come a few days after Christmas. Although if it’s intended to be a gift, I’m sure the recipient will forgive you for such an awesome present.

Save $15 Off Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

The most popular Switch title is on sale this holiday season. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is $44.99 from Best Buy, and this deal won’t last long. It’s the perfect game to play with friends or online with players around the world. The Booster Course Pass DLC adds 48 new tracks to the game and can be purchased from the eShop for $24.99 or included free with the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership. This is a title that rarely goes on sale, so pick this one up while you can.

Xbox Series S for $229.99

This is the Starter Bundle that includes 3 months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. The Xbox Series S is normally priced $200 less than the Xbox Series X but can still play all of the same games. It doesn’t have the power of the Series X, so games are displayed at 1440p resolution instead of 4K in order to maintain the consistent 60fps-120fps graphics you’ll find in most games. If you don’t have a 4K TV or feel like the $200 could be better spent elsewhere (or in this case, $300), then the Xbox Series S might be a smarter purchase.

The Complete Calvin and Hobbes Box Set for $58.91

Amazon has the Complete Calvin and Hobbes Paperback Box Set for only $58.91 after you clip the coupon on the product page. This is a pretty huge price drop from its $135 MSRP and matches the best price we saw during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The complete paperback box set includes four full-color paperback volumes (1,440 total pages) in a sturdy slipcase and includes all Calvin and Hobbes cartoons that ever appeared in syndication, from its initial publication in 1985 to Bill Watterson’s retirement in 1995.

Apple AirPods Pro with USB Type-C for $199.99

There’s no better holiday gift than a new pair of AirPods. Amazon has dropped the price of the 2nd gen Apple AirPods Pro truly wireless noise cancelling earbuds with the universal USB Type-C connector by $50, now only $199.99. Best of all, it can be delivered to you well before Christmas, December 25 without paying any additional shipping fee. With this current gen AirPods Pro, Apple has replaced the proprietary Lightning port with the more universal USB Type-C. For people who want to bring along a single charging cable for all of their mobile devices, this is a godsend.

Grab Super Mario Odyssey for $44.99

One of the greatest Mario titles ever is on sale for $44.99. Super Mario Odyssey is still one of the greatest games available on the Nintendo Switch, with dozens of hours of gameplay available. You’ll head on an adventure across unique kingdoms with Mario and Cappy to stop Bowser from marrying Princess Peach. The fun doesn’t stop after the campaign, as you can treck across each of the worlds to collect all of the moons.

49″ Samsung Odyssey OLED G9: The Best Ultra-Wide Gaming Monitor

This popular Black Friday deal is back! Amazon has the 49″ Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 G95SC gaming monitor for only $1199.99. That’s $600 less than MSRP and matches what we saw during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The Odyssey OLED G9 replaces the Neo G9 as Samsung’s highest end Odyssey G-series gaming monitor. Unlike the Neo G9, which uses a Mini-LED panel, the OLED G9 uses a quantum dot OLED panel. OLED panels boast individual self-lit OLEDs that can turn on and off independently of each other, which allows for true blacks and incredible contrast ratios. The image quality, especially in HDR, is far better than what you’ll see with traditional IPS, VA, or TN panels. Samsung’s quantum dot (or QD) OLED panels are even better because they are brighter and support a wide color range than regular OLED panels.