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Call of Duty QA Workers Win First Union Contract With Microsoft After 3 Years

Quality assurance workers at Raven Software, one of the developers of Call of Duty, have officially ratified their first union contract with Microsoft three years after they first unionized.

In a press release, the union shared several highlights of the new contract, including a guaranteed 10% wage increase over two years plus additional raises through merit and promotions, significant restrictions on mandatory overtime, layoff protections, expanded disability accommodations, and more.

“After more than three years of organizing and bargaining, seeing it finally pay off feels incredible,” said bargaining committee member and QA tester Erin Hall in a statement. “From day one, we made it a priority to include every voice in the room, and the contract we came out with reflects what we need—better pay, real career paths, and protection from burnout. It’s a contract that actually values the work QA does. I’m proud of what we accomplished, and I hope it shows other game workers that organizing works—and it’s worth it.”

Raven Software’s QA union has had a long road to get here. The inciting incident for its unionization was a round of layoffs back in December of 2021 as a part of a studio restructure instituted by then-parent company Activision Blizzard. The following day, employees walked out to protest the cuts, garnering the support of employees at other Activision Blizzard companies. Raven Software continued to strike for weeks before the company finally responded in January, only to be acquired by Microsoft just over a week later. By the end of the month, Raven QA workers had announced the formation of Activision Blizzard’s very first union. While Activision Blizzard declined to recognize the union voluntarily, the group won its union election the following May anyway.

Since then, a number of other groups under Microsoft Xbox have unionized, both within Activision Blizzard and in other subsidiaries such as ZeniMax. This past May, QA workers at ZeniMax Media reached a contract agreement with the company, while many others are still at the bargaining table.

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

Fatal Fury Pro’s Dramatic Reaction to Losing at EVO 2025 Goes Viral — but It Was Actually 10 Years in the Making

One pro fighting game player’s reaction to losing at Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves was so dramatic that it’s going viral on social media and already showing signs of becoming a meme.

If you’ve been looking at game-related sections of social media today, chances are you have stumbled across a picture or clip of Japanese player Kazuyuki ‘Kojikog’ Koji, mouth open in a scream and clutching his head, while fellow player Goichi “GO1” Kishida looks on with a mixture of concern and bemusement. A couple of stills were even shared by EVO2025’s official X account.

The player in question is KojiKOG, an esports pro from Japan who mainly specializes in fighting games like Street Fighter, the King of Fighters and Guilty Gear. This weekend, he took on fellow Japanese player GO1 (Goichi) in the Winners’ Semi Final for Fatal Fury: City of Wolves at the Evolution Championship Series 2025 (EVO2025).

Although GO1 won both rounds (and went on to win overall), the fights were very close. Upon being defeated, KojiKOG clutched his head with his mouth open in a continuous scream worthy of… well, Edvard Munch’s painting The Scream. This dramatic emotional outburst, plus GO1’s bemusement, resulted in a number of meme-worthy shots.

KojiKOG eventually snaps out of his losing pose and can be seen chatting to GO1 and tidying up. It is clear from this that he was acting. However, shorter clips on social media have caused some who are unfamiliar with KojiKOG’s antics to worry that he was having a real breakdown.

KojiKOG is known for being a bit of a comedian, often doing his screaming pose and pulling funny faces in interviews (like at EWC2025). His dramatic reaction to losing this weekend was likely a reference to when he previously faced off against GO1 at EVO15. As seen in the video below, he did a similar screaming pose- puzzling the Japanese commentators as his antics weren’t well known back then.

Commenting on this, legendary pro fighting game player Daigo Umehara mused that KojiKOG’s reaction was like a character in the SAW movies having their leg cut off. This is why many Japanese fans colloquially refer to KojiKOG’s dramatic pained reaction as the “leg cutting incident” and the like.

Although KojiKOG lost against GO1 at EVO2025, he came in joint fifth place overall, winning 80% of his matches in Fatal Fury: City of Wolves.

Verity Townsend is a Japan-based freelance writer who previously served as editor, contributor and translator for the game news site Automaton West. She has also written about Japanese culture and movies for various publications.

Dynasty Warriors: Origins Set for ‘Large-Scale’ DLC, Koei Tecmo Announces Mystery Remaster of a ‘Classic Series Title’

Koei Tecmo is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its Dynasty Warriors series with a number of announcements. Chief among them is confirmation of a “large-scale” DLC coming to Dynasty Warriors: Origins, and a mystery remaster of a “classic series title.”

That’s all we have for now. Koei Tecmo said further updates regarding upcoming games and special anniversary events will be gradually announced on the new website.

Dynasty Warriors is a tactical action series of games that spans over 20 years and has shipped over 21 million units worldwide. Traditionally, players take on the role of officers from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms while battling through hordes of soldiers in 1 vs. 1,000 gameplay.

The latest game is the aforementioned Dynasty Warriors: Origins, which saw developer Omega Force return to the series’ roots in what is considered one of the best entries in the franchise in years.

IGN’s Dynasty Warriors: Origins review returned a 9/10. We said: “Dynasty Warriors: Origins doesn’t just have the largest amount of enemies the series has thrown on screen at once, it also deepens its combat, improves its storytelling, and provides a healthy amount of replayability.”

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

My Top Deals For Today: Best Places to Buy Pokémon Cards and Magic Boosters Right Now

TCGplayer is absolutely crushing it today. I’ve been watching prices across Amazon and the secondary market as usual, and it’s not even close. The latest Pokémon products like White Flare Binder box, while older set products like Destined Rivals Tripple Blister is $8 cheaper, especially the Elite Trainer Box running about $3 cheaper than Amazon’s lowest price last week.

Scarlet and Violet 151 is still shifting fast too. Charizard ex, Blastoise ex, and Venusaur ex are climbing, but the Illustration Rares of Charmander, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle have dipped, which makes this a solid time to grab those before prices settle again.

Over in Magic, the Fallout Commander Deck bundle is cheaper at TCGplayer by around $4, with the other commander decks saving around $10 per deck, which really adds up if you’re grabbing the full set.

TL;DR: My Best Deals For Today

Outside of trading cards, there’s some fun stuff dropping today. I’ve already preordered the Vault Boy Fallout Pop Vinyl, but I’m tempted to pick up the rest of the lineup now that they’re all available for $14.99. If you’re into mini PCs, there are a couple of solid builds going for under $175. They’re perfect for work-from-home setups, light gaming, or just keeping your desk tidy.

Pokémon TCG Price Check

Whilst there’s a couple of savings on Amazon today, TCGplayer is knocking big box retailers out of the water. The White Flare binder box is a couple of dollars cheaper on Amazon, but looking at older sets like Destined Rivals show a clear gap in market value and the notorious Amazon mark ups of 2025. Destined Rivals Elite Trainer Box is currently sat at $85 on TCGplayer, for example, which is cheaper than the Amazon sale price last week of £88.

Pokémon TCG Crashers and Climbers

Scarlet and Violet 151 card prices continue to shift, with Charizard ex, Blastoise ex, and Venusaur ex SIRs climbing steadily thanks to standout artwork, competitive playability, and high collector demand. Charizard has jumped to $210, Blastoise is up 28% to $84.99, and Venusaur is up 27% to $69.99. Zapdos ex and Alakazam ex are also on the rise, with Alakazam seeing the biggest gain of 35% to $44.98.

On the other hand, prices for Kanto starter Illustration Rares like Charmander, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle have dipped as more product floods the market. Charmander is down 14% to $44.44, Bulbasaur is down 18% to $32.20, and middle evolutions like Charmeleon and Wartortle are following the same trend. While the final evolutions remain the most sought-after, now is a good time to pick up the earlier stages at a more reasonable price.

Magic: The Gathering Deals

Once again it’s TCGplayer and the secondary market values saving MTG players and collectors a small fortune over Amazon. Even sale pricing of the Fallout Commander Deck – Science! is $4 cheaper, with my favorite deal in this lineup being for the four pack bundle of Fallout Commander Decks. Amazon works out at $47.07 per deck, with TCGplayer massively undercutting here at $41.56. That’s well over $10 saving per deck, with even more savings compared to Amazons single pricing overall.

Fallout Funko Pop Preorders

Dropping throughout December 2025, these Fallout Pop Vinyls focused on the Fallout TV series should drop around the same time as Season Two. There’s also chances to get a random rare variant, which is about as much Funko hype as I can handle. I’ve preordered Vault Boy already, but I might get the whole lineup before preorders run dry.

Mini PC Deals

Mini PCs are great for a work from home setup, a bit of light gaming or just saving some space. Both of these models have decent specs whilst being good enough to run Minecraft and your day-to-day productivity apps. Plus they’re dirt cheap, so there’s nothing to loose.

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.

Amid Metroid Prime 4: Beyond Delay Rumors, Nintendo Recommits to 2025 Launch

As fans continue to wait for a final release date, Nintendo has reaffirmed that Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is still on track for 2025.

After a long and bumpy development that has stretched much of the past decade, fans are eager to hear when the highly-anticipated Switch and Switch 2 exclusive will arrive.

But as the months roll on and gossip spreads of the game needing more time than initially expected, Nintendo has now re-stated that Metroid Prime 4: Beyond will still launch before the end of the calendar year.

Indeed, in a news post advertising the company’s upcoming preseence at Fan Expo Canada, Nintendo has stated that Metroid Prime 4: Beyond will be playable there ahead of it becoming “available later in 2025.”

It’s unclear if this hands-on opportunity is a new demo, or the one made available to members of the public who attended the Switch 2’s pre-launch tour. Still, it’s a positive sign the game and its launch are in Nintendo’s sights — and still coming at some point within the next five months.

The statement comes amid online discussion surrounding the fact that Nintendo has not released new details on the game or fresh footage of it for a little while. The last new Metroid Prime 4: Beyond trailer uploaded to the Nintendo of America YouTube account comes from the company’s Nintendo Switch 2 full console reveal back in March. Since then, the biggest news about the game’s launch has been the advertising slip-up that saw the game promoted as being “Out Now” in a billboard on the London Underground. If only!

At the same time, Nintendo leaker KiwiTalkz had prompted concern among fans that the game was originally due sooner, closer to the Switch 2’s launch, but has been held up due to last-minute snags. This, just days after Nintendo’s recent third-party focused Partner Direct (where Metroid Prime 4 would not have featured anyway) has contributed to a sense of unease among fans over the game’s arrival.

It has been a long wait for a new 3D Metroid game, lengthened further by Nintendo taking the decision to reboot the project’s development back in 2019 after an earlier incarnation being made by Bandai Namco did not meet Nintendo’s expectations.

Nintendo’s current Switch 2 release schedule for the remainder of 2025 includes Drag x Drive (August 14), Kirby and the Forgotten Land — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star-Crossed World (August 28) and Pokémon Legends Z-A (October 16), plus Kirby Air Riders and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, which do not have set dates.

Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social

Guilty Gear Strive DLC Character Lucy From Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Can Quickhack Like She’s in Cyberpunk 2077 — Here’s How It Looks in Gameplay

At the Evo 2025 fighting game tournament, Guilty Gear Strive developer Arc System Works revealed a first look at Lucy from Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, and confirmed an August 21 release date for the DLC guest character.

Lucy is the final playable character from Strive’s Season Pass 4, and is lifted from the hugely popular Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Netflix anime that followed the release of CD Projekt’s Cyberpunk 2077. And anyone who’s played the game will instantly recognize the hacking mechanic we see in the gameplay trailer, below.

Time pauses as Lucy selects from a number of Quickhacks, such as Algorithm Malfunction, Optics Inhibition, and Energy Siphon, using Cyberdeck Ram in the same limited fashion you do in Cyberpunk 2077.

We then see Lucy’s opponent afflicted with the hacking debuffs via icons that display above their character. These icons are the same from Cyberpunk 2077, and appear to clear quite quickly.

So, does Lucy mark the end of DLC for Guilty Gear Stive? Four years after its launch, it seems more is to come. Arc System Works tweeted to say Guilty Gear Strive “will continue… we look forward to your continued support.”

That message came alongside a video that revealed Strive has had 3.5 million players since launch, and announced Guilty Gear Strive 2.00, coming at some point in 2026. What that means for gameplay is anyone’s guess right now. Perhaps of more interest, the video teased two new characters, which fans are speculating are Robo-Ky and Jam Kuradoberi.

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Of Course Omni-Man Is a Playable Character in Invincible VS — Here’s Our First Look at Gameplay, and Some Info on How He Works

Invincible supervillain Omni-Man is a playable character in fighting game Invincible VS. The announcement came as part of the EVO tournament alongside a first look at gameplay.

Invincible VS is the upcoming 3v3 tag fighting game set in the Invincible universe. It’s developed by Skybound Entertainment’s first in-house game studio, Quarter Up, and already has a number of confirmed playable characters, including Mark Grayson (Invincible), Atom Eve, Thula, Bulletproof, Rex Splode, and Battle Beast. Now we can add Omni-Man to the list.

Here’s the official blurb on Omni-Man:

A versatile and brutal fighter, Omni-Man is an excellent pick for or against any team composition. His versatile move set offers options at all ranges: he can apply pressure from a distance with his concussive blast, punish reckless advances with anti-air tools, or close the gap in an instant with his sudden and devastating takedowns. Balanced, efficient and relentless, Omni-Man is a top-tier “point” character for players who want to set the pace from the very first hit.

Of course, this isn’t Omni-Man’s first foray into the world of fighting games. He was a popular guest character in the equally gory Mortal Kombat 1, which included some of his iconic scenes as Fatalities.

So, we now know seven playable characters in Invincible VS. There will be more, of course. But just how many? Based on comments from Invincible creator Robert Kirkman in an interview with IGN at San Diego Comic-Con 2025, Invincible VS will have a massive roster.

Fresh from his SDCC 2025 panel where he announced Battle Beast for Invincible VS, Kirkman told IGN that if fans are wondering if a specific character from either the Invincible comic or the Prime Video animated series will be in the game, there’s a “99%” chance they will be.

“There’s so much care being put into being true to the Invincible universe,” Kirkman began. “So if you’re a fan of the comics or the show and you’re like, ‘Oh, there’s a fighting game coming, who would I like to be in that fighting game?’ There’s a 99% chance they’re going to be in the game. I’ll just say that. That’s a spoiler. I might get in trouble for that. I don’t know.”

Kirkman continued: “The lineup is going to be absolutely insane. I’m so glad that we announced Battle Beast. You can’t do an Invincible fighting game without having Battle Beast be one of the playable characters. There are other characters like that that will more than likely be in the game. So we’ll see. We’ve got a lot of announcements to roll out. There’s a really great team working on this and I can’t wait for people to see everything is going into it.”

Who would you like to see playable in Invincible VS? Let us know in the comments below.

As for when Invincible VS will be released, Kirkman said 2026, which we already knew, but then he added: “Sooner than you may think… But next year. I’m not being specific.”

Check out IGN’s roundup of everything announced during Robert Kirkman’s Invincible panel at SDCC 2025 for more.

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

The Best Deals Today: Elden Ring Nightreign, Razer BlackShark V2 X Headset, and More

We’ve rounded up the best deals for Sunday, August 3, below, so don’t miss out on these limited-time offers.

Elden Ring Nightreign Deluxe Edition for $39.49

Elden Ring Nightreign is a great time with friends, and you can save on the Deluxe Edition of the game this weekend at Amazon. This edition of the game includes additional DLC content, featuring additional playable characters and bosses, in addition to a digital artbook and mini soundtrack. Bandai Namco has continued to release new content for Nightreign, so this is a great time to jump in.

M4 MacBook Air for $799

This weekend at Amazon, you can save $200 off an M4 MacBook Air. This 13-inch model includes 16GB of Unified Memory and 256GB of SSD storage, making it ideal for multitasking and running intense applications. All 2025 models support Apple Intelligence features as well.

Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake for $34.99

Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake was one of the most enjoyable RPGs of 2024, featuring a gorgeous remade HD-2D world and voice acting. If you haven’t had the chance to check this one out yet, Amazon has copies available for only $34.99. The Nintendo Switch version even got a Nintendo Switch 2 update this week, so you can experience the game with higher resolution and frame rates on your new console! This is by far the definitive way to experience this classic, and now is the perfect time to catch up before Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake this Fall.

Nintendo Switch 2 Available at Walmart & Target

While Nintendo Switch 2 has been quite challenging to find if you didn’t secure one at launch, both Target and Walmart have the highly popular console in stock. This is the Mario Kart World bundle, too, which packs in a digital copy of Mario Kart World for $50. The Nintendo Switch 2 is an upgrade to Nintendo Switch in almost every way possible, featuring a 1080p display with a 120Hz refresh rate, improved Joy-Con, and much more.

Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition for $46.99

Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition launched earlier this year, and it’s still one of the biggest RPGs you can jump into on any platform. The remaster introduced numerous quality-of-life updates that were much needed, in addition to a brand-new epilogue chapter. We gave the game a 9/10 in our review, stating, “Xenoblade Chronicles X was already one of the Wii U’s best games, and this Definitive Edition does more than enough to justify another trip to planet Mira.”

Lexar microSD Express 512GB Card Available

The Nintendo Switch 2 requires microSD Express Cards, so you aren’t able to use the standard microSD cards that worked on Nintendo Switch. As a result, microSD Express Cards have been incredibly hard to find, often only having a few minutes worth of stock at a time. Right now, Amazon has the Lexar 512GB Play PRO microSD Express Card in stock, so if you’ve yet to upgrade your Switch 2 storage, don’t wait to do so.

Marvel VS Capcom: Ultimate Complete Works Up for Pre-Order

Amazon has opened pre-orders for the brand-new Marvel VS Capcom: Ultimate Complete Works hardcover art book from Udon Entertainment. This book contains 336 total pages, with over 140 pages of new artwork to discover. Set to release in December, this is the perfect time to lock in your pre-order.

Wall-E & EVE LEGO Set Up for Pre-Order

New LEGO sets are always being announced, and this one is no exception. You can now pre-order the LEGO Disney & Pixar Wall-E & Eve set, featuring WALL-E, EVE, M-O, and Hal as buildable characters. Each character has movable heads and arms, so you can pose them however you’d like.

Razer BlackShark V2 X Headset for $30

Amazon has the wired Razer BlackShark V2 X Gaming Headset on sale for only $30 right now. While this is a wired headset, you’re not sacrificing on sound quality, as the BlackShark V2 X packs in 50mm Drivers into its lightweight design. If you’re looking for a cheap, quality headset to use for Xbox or PC, look no further than this one. However, if you want something more high end, don’t hesitate to check out the Razer BlackShark V3 Pro.

2TB Samsung 990 EVO Plus SSD for $129.99

Amazon has this huge 2TB Samsung 990 EVO Plus SSD listed for $129.99 this weekend, and if you’re the owner of a PlayStation 5 or PC, this is a great option for upgrading your storage. Especially for PlayStation 5 owners, 2TB of extra storage is a godsend, as you no longer have to enter the cycle of uninstalling and reinstalling your favorite games to save space.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth for $34.99

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth was my favorite game of 2024, and it’s available for just $34.99 at Woot this weekend. This is the lowest I’ve seen the PS5 copies so far, and I cannot recommend picking it up enough. Cloud and the rest of the party leave Midgar to step into the open world of Gaia for the very first time, and there is well over 100 hours of content available for you to complete.

5 Pokémon Puzzles That Make Great Gifts for Adults and Kids

Pokémon is one of those franchises that has infiltrated pretty much every medium. Whether you’re a fan of the Pokémon games, anime, or the trading card game, there is a seemingly endless amount of new content for you to peruse at any given time. There’s so much, in fact, that it can almost be hard to find the perfect Pokémon gift for yourself or the fan in your life without trudging through piles of search results.

Thankfully, if you’re specifically looking for a really cool Pokémon jigsaw puzzle, I have scouted out this specific topic for you. Below I’ve listed out some of the very best options currently available on Amazon for both adults and kids of varying ages. Some of these puzzles are a lot more challenging than others, so just make sure you check the piece count before you bite off more than you can chew.

Ravensburger Pokémon Challenge Jigsaw Puzzle

A good challenge for adults

The first Pokémon puzzle I’d recommend is for more advanced puzzlers. It’s 1,000 pieces and is stamped with the Ravensburger “Challenge” title, meaning it’s not going to be a quick one. Featuring all of the original 150 Pokémon all in one picture, it’s a nostalgic blast from the past and fun to put together. It also comes from Ravensburger, which is one of the most-trusted jigsaw puzzle brands out there.

Buffalo Games Retro Pixel Pokémon Chart Puzzle

For fans of the video games

If you’re anything like me, you likely have fond memories of playing Pokémon on your Game Boy for hours on end and this puzzle hits a similar nostalgic vein. This glorious 2,000 piece jigsaw puzzle from Buffalo Games showcases the original 150 Pokémon once again, but this time they are pixelated and perfectly organized. With the higher piece count and nice blue border around the edges, this Pokémon puzzle is a great option for anyone looking to proudly frame and display their completed work.

If you like the piece count on this puzzle, you should also check out our list of the largest puzzles available now. They scale up beyond 40,000 pieces.

Buffalo Games Pokémon Fan Favorites Puzzle

For younger kids

The first two puzzles on this list are targeted more toward adults, but if you’re looking for a good option for younger kids, this 100 piece puzzle is my top pick. It features a ton of fan favorite Pokémon, primarily from the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th generation. You can see Rayquaza right in the middle there and Pikachu all the way at the bottom. At 100 pieces it’s fairly easy for younger kids to piece together while still providing a really cool image for fans of the franchise.

Buffalo Games Four Pokémon Puzzle Boards

Starter option for preschoolers

If you’re looking for a good puzzle gift for kids just getting into puzzles, this four pack is an excellent option. It says it’s made for ages 4+, but I got this same pack for my niece and nephew when they were around three years old and they had no problem putting it together. Each puzzle depicts a different set of Pokémon and features between 12 and 48 pieces so kids can scale up the difficulty if they are really into it.

3D Master Ball Puzzle

The best Pokemon puzzle gift

Some of the absolute best Pokémon toys on the market are Poké Balls. So naturally, there is a 3D puzzle version available. At only 54 pieces, it’s fairly easy to put together and even easier to display. It comes with a stand that will hold your completed puzzle up on a shelf or a desk. This is one of the best puzzle gifts currently available for Pokémon fans right now.

Tips for Buying Pokémon Puzzles

As someone who has done quite a bit of puzzle research (and quite a bit of puzzling), I have a few suggestions to help you narrow down your search for the perfect fit. Here are a couple of key things to look out for when buying a Pokémon puzzle:

Make sure it’s a trusted brand

The first thing you’ll want to do before you buy any jigsaw puzzle online is check what brand it’s from. There are some puzzle brands that are more trusted than others, many of which I’ve featured on this list already. A good brand tends to have higher quality puzzles, which means higher quality materials. And for Pokémon puzzles specifically, they will likely be selling the puzzles in an official capacity via licensing the IP.

When in doubt, I’d suggest reading through Amazon reviews to see what people thought. Things to watch out for are missing pieces, thin cardboard, and obvious AI usage.

Get the right piece count for the occasion

Another important thing to think about is who you’re buying the puzzle for. If it’s a gift for an experienced puzzler, 1,000 pieces and above is probably ideal. But if it’s for a novice or a younger audience, then 500 or below is probably your best bet. Larger puzzles tend to take a lot longer and if you don’t have a dedicated space set up for puzzling you’ll likely never finish. This is where a decent puzzle table really comes in handy.

Mistborn: The Deckbuilding Game Review

I love it when passions of mind mix together into something awesome. So as someone who loves board games and books from epic fantasy author, Brandon Sanderson (specifically the Cosmere series), Mistborn: The Deckbuilding Game really hits that sweet spot. With Era 1 characters Marsh, Shan, Vin, and Kelsier, each depicted with beautiful art alongside more than 100 cards showcasing people, places, and events from the books, Mistborn is a treat for fans like myself. And thankfully, it has some solid gameplay backing it up.

What’s in the box:

  • 1 Rulebook
  • 4 character cards
  • 4 sets of 8 metal tokens
  • 4 health dials with 4 matching colored cubes
  • 8 mission cards
  • 4 starter decks
  • 82 market cards
  • 36 Lord Ruler challenge cards
  • 1 Lord Ruler card
  • 1 dominance track card
  • 16 Atium tokens
  • 14 boxing tokens
  • 1 target standee
  • Lord Ruler dial with 8 tracking cubes

Designed by John D. Clair and published by Brotherwise Games, Mistborn: The Deckbuilding Game, as its name suggests, is a deckbuilding board game and features many of the staple mechanics of the genre. Players begin the game with a weaker small deck of cards, which they will slowly add to throughout the course of the game by purchasing new cards from a shared shop that strengthens their deck with new abilities and better resources. Just because it adopts many of the traditional systems of a deck builder doesn’t mean Mistborn doesn’t offer up anything new, though!

Pulling from the source material, the big additional element here is the idea of burning and flaring metal—the signature trait of the Allomancers from the world of Scadriel. On your turn, the cards you can play require you to burn one of eight possible metals in order to use the card. As the game progresses you become a better-trained Allomancer. You are able to burn more metals per turn, but at the start, you can only do this once, which is where flaring a metal and playing cards as a resource comes into play.

Flaring lets you use one of your metals, not counting towards your turn burn limit; however, you will not regain this metal until you take a special “refresh” action on a future turn, discarding a card from your hand that matches that metal. Additionally, you can spend a card from your hand as another required metal cost that matches the type as shown in a small vial at the bottom of the cards, making every card you put into your deck not only a potential action but also a resource. I am a big fan of board games that incorporate risk-versus-reward into the gameplay and the fact that played cards have multiple use cases adds that extra little dash of a strategic element to the economy that I just devoured.

Before each game starts, three missions are selected that players will be able to progress on, earning them bonuses and, once completed, permanent buffs. These can allow you to draw extra cards during your turn, provide a static attack bonus each turn, or even a one-time-use heal among other possibilities. With eight possible mission cards to pick from, this helps keep games feeling a bit fresh after multiple playthroughs, and I’ve never been one to shy away from games with more replayability options.

In my experience, games that try to allow their game to be played both competitively and cooperatively tend to end up being more skewed towards one or the other, with the one option coming off feeling like an afterthought add-on and doesn’t provide the same level of depth or enjoyment in its gameplay. Thankfully Mistborn manages to avoid this by offering strong options for both audiences that want to wail on one another and those that want to team-up, in this case against the immortal Lord Ruler himself.

Competitive play is pretty straightforward with everyone trying to be the last person standing as they beat up on each other with one small change—only one person, the target, can be attacked at any given time. Once that person is attacked, they are able to pass on the target token to anyone of their choice or keep holding onto it if they so choose, allowing them to attack anyone they wish. I thought this was a really interesting idea, and at first thought would be incredibly unfair to the person that is targeted. But the fact that once they get attacked, are able to make someone else the target has led to some really interesting negotiations during my games where people try to wheel-and-deal so that they won’t become the target. I sort of dig it.

As fun as the competitive ruleset was, I found myself enjoying the cooperative one even more. Teaming up against the Lord Ruler felt more on-brand with the books than everyone fighting one another, and it actually was pretty challenging too! The Lord Ruler comes with his own deck of cards full of minions and edicts, special cards that have nasty effects like dishing out tons of damage, killing your allies (persistent cards that are out in front of players that trigger various effects when certain metals are burned) or fully healing the Lord Ruler. While this is my preferred way to play Mistborn, I do find that it is more engaging of an experience at lower player counts. With four players, I felt the Lord Ruler couldn’t quite provide the same challenge, so I would advise maybe opting for cooperative at lower player counts. Playing solo, the Lord Ruler is SCARY, and as someone who historically isn’t much for solo board games, I think Mistborn is a great solo game.

My issues with Mistborn have less to do with the mechanics of the game and more with the fact that I wish that the game went a bit further with what it includes. The four characters are nice, but I would have loved a couple more options so when playing four players, the roster wasn’t always the same. While Allomancy is represented well, the more I played, the more I kept wishing that there was some sort of representation of Feruchemy and Hemalurgy, and why aren’t there rules to allow someone to actually play as the Lord Ruler? The more I have played Mistborn the more my mind wandered and brainstormed how all of those things would work in the system that Brotherwise has built. I can only hope that Mistborn did well enough that we will get an expansion at some point, maybe roping in crew from Wax and Wayne’s Era 2, that will introduce some of those features, or better yet, the idea of Twinborns that can do both Allomancy AND Feruchemy. Oh man, my brain is already thinking up ideas.

Go read the books if you haven’t already