Category: IGN

I’ve rounded up some killer deals today, stuff I’d actually grab myself. We’re talking fan-favorite book sets, a vinyl gem for Pokémon collectors, and a fresh wave of PC games from Humble Choice. There’s even a white noise machine and a bladeless neck fan in the mix, both priced low and ready to save your summer sanity.

TL;DR: Deals For Today

From cozy farm sims and cat pirates to the grimdark chaos of Warhammer and Westeros, this list covers all kinds of tastes. If you’re looking to cool down, gear up, or zone out, there’s something here worth checking out before prices shift or stock vanishes.

Coke Zero Sugar 12 Pack

Dreamegg Portable White Noise Machine

FrSara Neck Fan

Prismatic Evolutions Super-Premium Collection

The Witcher Boxed Set

George R. R. Martin’s A Game of Thrones 5-Book Boxed Set

Humble Choice

Symphonic Journeys Pokémon Red & Blue Vinyl

Assassin’s Creed: Shadows Limited Edition (PS5)

M3GAN 2.0 – Limited Edition Steelbook (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital)

WOWBOX 32 PCS Clear Plastic Drawer Organizer Set

Tunise Rechargeable Portable Neck Fan

The Silmarillion Deluxe Illustrated by the Author

Amazon Prime Day Is Coming

6 Months Free Amazon Prime For Young Adults

3 Months for $0.99 Audible Deal

3 Months Free Kindle Unlimited

Pokémon TCG Price Comparison

Some of the pricing here by Amazon is insane, but there’s some deals to be had when comparing these products to TCG Player. For example, Prismatic Evolutions Super-Premium Collection was a massive 56% below market value, but TCG Player is coming in cheaper now at $195. On the other end of the scale, TCG Player has Cynthia’s Garchomp ex Premium Collection at a massive 48% below Amazon’s current price, which is very close to MSRP. I’ve compared all the prices in the carousel above, but another pro tip is clicking through to eBay to see if there’s any new bargains to be had.

This Weeks Pokémon Card Crashers and Climbers

I’ve been keeping a close eye on the Pokémon TCG market this month, and we’re seeing two very different stories unfold. On one side, Surging Sparks cards are going through a steep correction.

On the other hand, Crown Zenith cards are showing early signs of what could be a long-term value surge. The bottom line? If you’re a collector or investor, now is the time to buy into both.

I’m picking up what I can from both sets. The current dip in Sparks is a glimmer of hope for long-suffering 2024-2025 collectors. And Crown Zenith is a train I want to be on before it leaves the station.

Pokémon TCG Classic

The Sam’s Club Pokémon TCG Classic deal is back, and it’s massively undercutting other big box retailers and the secondary market. Just for comparrison, the top four cards from this set, Charizard, Blastoise, Venusaur and Mewtwo, are worth the same price as this discounted offer. This deal is well worth it and should be snapped up as soon as possible.

Mega Evolution Pokémon Cards Are Climbing

I can’t believe the X Y era of Pokémon cards came out 12 years ago, but it was an amazing era for the TCG introducing the Mega Evolution mechanic. Mega’s will be returning later this year with the start of the Mega Evolutions era and the end of Scarlet and Violet, so snapping up these top Mega cards before prices go even higher is a wise move. We know how it’ll play out, no one will be able to grab the new sets at launch, then the nostalgia will kick in and these cards will skyrocket. Just the Charizards and Rayquazzas alone are worth a look.

Magic: The Gathering Price Comparison

MTG doesn’t seem to be struggling to keep up with demand despite it being one of the biggest trading card games on earth, but that doesn’t stop big box retailers getting cheeky when they notice a peak in demand. Like with Pokémon TCG, i’ve gone through the majority of MTG stock on Amazon and compared their pricing to market values on TCG Player. The Theros Beyond Death booster made me spit out my tea. Amazon is listing a single booster for $378.08, but these can be picked up any day of the week for $5.59 on TCG Player. Go figure. Another big difference is Marvel’s Spider-Man – Play Booster Box. Amazon has their preorder price guarantee on this, but it’s still 17% cheaper to preorder on TCG Player.

This Weeks MTG Crashers and Climbers

As we covered in our recent synergies feature, Harmonic Prodigy gives double Wizard triggers – nice! That means it’s gone up by 118.70% in the past month (246.76% in three) – not so nice!

That’s good for those that own the card, not so good for those who are looking to pick it up standalone. Still, market is still just $12.75 right now, so it could be a lot worse.

Moving away from Vivi, Tifa’s getting some love from Bristly Bill, Spine Sower. This Outlaws of Thunder Junction card can help power up our martial artist heroine, but at a cost of almost $40 now.

Another nifty synergy that’s climbing is Perch Protection. This Instant has climbed from a dollar to almost $6, since it handily ties into Chocobo decks.

WAOAW Sleep Mask w/ 3D Eye Cups & Adjustable Strap (Black)

Amazon has the Pokémon TCG Prismatic Evolutions Super Premium Collection in stock and listed at $208.31 right now. That’s a big jump from its original MSRP of $89.99, and while still cheaper than the $259.99 it peaked at recently, it’s clear this set is being treated as a premium collector’s item rather than a typical retail product.

Microsoft has reportedly canceled long in development Rare game, Everwild, as layoffs confirmed today sweep across Xbox.

IGN reported on the cuts, revealed a memo sent to staff by Xbox boss Phil Spencer and reviewed by IGN. Reports indicate over 9,000 staff across Microsoft may be hit, with Candy Crush developer King and Bethesda both hit hard.

VGC was first to report the Everwild news, which IGN sources have corroborated. IGN has asked Microsoft for comment.

In the memo, Spencer failed to confirm specifics, telling staff “any organizational shifts will be shared by your team leaders in the coming days.”

The following message from Phil Spencer was shared to all gaming staff today:

Today we are sharing decisions that will impact colleagues across our organization. To position Gaming for enduring success and allow us to focus on strategic growth areas, we will end or decrease work in certain areas of the business and follow Microsoft’s lead in removing layers of management to increase agility and effectiveness. Out of respect for those impacted today, the specifics of today’s notifications and any organizational shifts will be shared by your team leaders in the coming days.

I recognize that these changes come at a time when we have more players, games, and gaming hours than ever before. Our platform, hardware, and game roadmap have never looked stronger. The success we’re seeing currently is based on tough decisions we’ve made previously. We must make choices now for continued success in future years and a key part of that strategy is the discipline to prioritize the strongest opportunities. We will protect what is thriving and concentrate effort on areas with the greatest potential, while delivering on the expectations the company has for our business. This focused approach means we can deliver exceptional games and experiences for players for generations to come.

Prioritizing our opportunities is essential, but that does not lessen the significance of this moment. Simply put, we would not be where we are today without the time, energy, and creativity of those whose roles are impacted. These decisions are not a reflection of the talent, creativity, and dedication of the people involved. Our momentum is not accidental — it is the result of years of dedicated effort from our teams.

HR is working directly with impacted employees to provide severance plan benefits (aligned with local laws), including pay, healthcare coverage, and job placement resources to support their transition. Employees whose roles were eliminated are encouraged to explore open positions across Microsoft Gaming, where their applications will be given priority review.

Thank you to everyone who has shaped our culture, our products, and our community. We will move forward with deep appreciation and respect for all who have contributed to this journey.

Phil

In February, Spencer issued an update on Everwild following repeated no-shows at various Xbox livestreams since its 2019 announcement.

In an interview with XboxEra, Spencer listed Everwild as one of the games yet to come out that he was excited for, adding he’d recently visited Rare, which runs live service pirate adventure game Sea of Thieves, to get a look at Everwild and the progress the developers were making.

“Yeah, State of Decay is just one of the franchises I love back from the original one, so that one stays on the board. I do think the work that Double Fine’s doing and how Tim [Schafer] kind of solicits feedback from the team. And the other one, I’ll say because I was recently out at Rare. It’s nice to see the team with Everwild and the progress that they’re making.”

Spencer said Microsoft had been able to give the developers of those games (State of Decay, the next game from Double Fine, and Everwild) time while still having a packed schedule of releases (bolstered, obviously, by the acquisitions of Bethesda and Activision Blizzard).

“We can give those teams time,” Spencer said. “And next week I’m going to be up in Vancouver with the Coalition [Gears of War developer] — and how fun is that?”

Everwild had faced concern amid reboot reports and the exit of creative director Simon Woodroffe in 2020. Rare filled the director’s chair with veteran designer Gregg Mayles, who previously worked on Donkey Kong Country, Banjo-Kazooie, Viva Pinata, and Sea of Thieves.

What was Everwilds? Reports indicated it was a third-person adventure game with god game elements, but given how long it was in development, that may have changed. The last Everwilds trailer, released in July 2020, carried the following description: “Everwild is a brand new IP from Rare. A unique and unforgettable experience await in a natural and magical world.”

Microsoft has made a huge number of cuts to its gaming business since acquiring Activision Blizzard for $69 billion. It laid off 1,900 staff in January 2024, then made further cuts just a few months later when it closed Redfall developer Arkane Austin and Hi-Fi Rush developer Tango Gameworks. In September 2024, Microsoft cut a further 650 staff from its gaming business. And in May this year, Microsoft cut an eye-watering 6,000 staff, or 3% of its entire workforce. Today’s round of layoffs is the fourth to hit Microsoft’s gaming business in 18 months.

Speaking to IGN in June 2024, Xbox boss Phil Spencer said: “I have to run a sustainable business inside the company and grow, and that means sometimes I have to make hard decisions that frankly are not decisions I love, but decisions that somebody needs to go make.”

The cuts come hot on the heels of Microsoft’s confirmation that it plans to release next-gen Xbox consoles, and has a strong presence at video game show gamescom.

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.

Microsoft has today made significant layoffs to its gaming division, per a memo sent to staff by Xbox boss Phil Spencer and reviewed by IGN.

A source told IGN that Candy Crush developer King was hit hard, but the cuts affect other parts of the gaming business. IGN understands parts of Microsoft-owned Bethesda, including its London office, were also affected by the cuts.

In the memo, Spencer failed to confirm specifics, telling staff “any organizational shifts will be shared by your team leaders in the coming days.”

The following message was shared to all gaming staff today:

Today we are sharing decisions that will impact colleagues across our organization. To position Gaming for enduring success and allow us to focus on strategic growth areas, we will end or decrease work in certain areas of the business and follow Microsoft’s lead in removing layers of management to increase agility and effectiveness. Out of respect for those impacted today, the specifics of today’s notifications and any organizational shifts will be shared by your team leaders in the coming days.

I recognize that these changes come at a time when we have more players, games, and gaming hours than ever before. Our platform, hardware, and game roadmap have never looked stronger. The success we’re seeing currently is based on tough decisions we’ve made previously. We must make choices now for continued success in future years and a key part of that strategy is the discipline to prioritize the strongest opportunities. We will protect what is thriving and concentrate effort on areas with the greatest potential, while delivering on the expectations the company has for our business. This focused approach means we can deliver exceptional games and experiences for players for generations to come.

Prioritizing our opportunities is essential, but that does not lessen the significance of this moment. Simply put, we would not be where we are today without the time, energy, and creativity of those whose roles are impacted. These decisions are not a reflection of the talent, creativity, and dedication of the people involved. Our momentum is not accidental — it is the result of years of dedicated effort from our teams.

HR is working directly with impacted employees to provide severance plan benefits (aligned with local laws), including pay, healthcare coverage, and job placement resources to support their transition. Employees whose roles were eliminated are encouraged to explore open positions across Microsoft Gaming, where their applications will be given priority review.

Thank you to everyone who has shaped our culture, our products, and our community. We will move forward with deep appreciation and respect for all who have contributed to this journey.

Phil

Developing…

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.

Age verification will be coming into force for European and British modders using Nexus Mods.

Last month, Nexus Mods founder Robin “Dark0ne” Scott said that for both “my and the community’s best interest,” the “time has come to step back from the day-to-day running of the site.”

However, these changes do not come at the behest of the new owners, but are part of the company’s legal obligation to comply with the UK government’s new Online Safety Act and the EU’s Digital Services Act.

“Due to the Online Safety Act and Digital Services Act, we are required as a UK-based company to ensure we continue to remove illegal content and add additional restrictions to children’s access to certain adult content,” the company explained.

“As a business, this leaves us with a choice: remove adult content for all UK and EU-based users, or make adjustments to our policy, including adding age verification for some adult content.

“Adult content is a core part of what makes Nexus Mods what it is; we don’t consider removing it a viable option. We are aware that some users may find the changes irritating; however, we are obligated to do this to ensure we can continue to host adult content legally.”

We can expect more information when the finalized Adult Content Guidelines are ready, but the team said that in the meantime, it would be updating its terms of service “to include a clearer, more detailed definition of what counts as illegal content under UK law and how we protect children from harm whilst on the site.”

“While this kind of content was already not allowed on the site, we’re tightening the language to be absolutely clear,” Nexus said. “All users will be notified when the Terms of Service are updated.”

Nexus will also be introducing automated detection for illegal or abusive content, with “any content of this nature immediately removed, and the user responsible will be banned and reported to the National Crime Agency.”

We can also expect revised tags for adult content, an improved block and mute system, and better spam detections. Eventually, there’ll be age verification checks for “the majority of adult content hosted on the site” for all UK and EU users, while users outside of Europe will “not be subject to age verification.”

“The current approach to verifying you are above 18 years of age will remain the same unless we are legally required to change this to operate in your country,” the team added.

In related news, Stellar Blade director and producer Kim Hyung Tae reportedly “fully supports” mods, which is just as well, really, as there are almost 600 of them listed on Nexus, covering everything from new skins to reshaders and VR to nail polish. There are also dozens more hidden from public display and categorized as “adult.” Let’s leave it at that, shall we?

Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world’s biggest gaming sites and publications. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.

Since Death Stranding 2: On the Beach released last week, players have been discovering various unexpected collaborations and Easter eggs in the game. Some of these rely on specific knowledge of cultural phenomena. If you have taken Dollman for a relaxing soak with Sam in the hotsprings already, you may have stumbled across a Japanese comedy tribute that has delivered a nostalgia hit to many players in Japan, but may be unfamiliar to overseas audiences.

Lugging cargo across Death Stranding 2’s vast Mexican and Australian open worlds is back-breaking work for everyone’s favorite porter Sam. Waiting to be discovered in hidden locations, Ghost of Tsushima-style, are hotsprings. These not only give you a chance to make Norman Reedus take off his kit again, but also reward the player with various buffs. If it wasn’t amusing enough that putting a bucket on Sam’s head while in the hotspring allows him to fast travel, the hotsprings also hold other secrets. If you take Dollman for a dip and ask him to sing, he will turn into Japanese comedian Cha Kato. He will then start belting out a catchy tune, with a bemused Sam doing a dance along with him. This song and dance is from the long-running Japanese comedy show “8ji da yo! Zennin shuugou! (It’s 8 o’clock! Everyone gather round!).” Naturally, Dollman starts serenading you at 8pm in-game time, adding an extra detail to this tribute.

FromSoftware has released a new patch for Elden Ring Nightreign, although it focuses on bug fixes and not new features or balance changes.

Highlights for update 1.01.4 — available now for Elden Ring Nightreign across all platforms — include the weapon type now being displayed in each Armament Information menu, a bug fix for matchmaking failing after two players joined and left your team at the same time, and achievement-related problems.

There’s also a fix for an exploit that let playable characters revive from a near-death state without being defeated during the battle with the third-day boss after leaving a session and returning from the title screen. Patch notes are below.

The patch does not add the much-wanted duos mode, which FromSoftware has said is on the way. The developer has promised further updates are set to be released as the developer’s first live service game takes shape.

Meanwhile, FromSoftware announced that the Everdark Sovereign version of the Sentient Pest will land in Limveld at 6pm PDT today, July 7.

We’ve got plenty of Nightreign tips and tricks to help you take down all the eight Nightlord Bosses, and if you’re wondering how to unlock the two locked Nightfarer Classes, check out How to Unlock the Revenant and How to Unlock the Duchess, plus How to Change Characters.

Elden Ring Nightreign update 1.01.4 patch notes:

Bug Fixes

• The Weapon Type will now be displayed in each Armament Information menu.
• Fixed a bug where matchmaking would continually fail after two players joined and left your team at the same time.
• Fixed a bug where the acquisition of the gesture “It’s Raining!” through Multiplayer would not register properly.

Note: You can obtain the gesture by meeting the conditions, even if you have met them before.

• Fixed a bug where playable characters might revive from a near-death state without being defeated during the battle with the third-day boss after leaving a session and returning from the title screen.
• Fixed a bug where the background music in the Recluse Remembrance would not play properly when certain conditions were met.
• Fixed a bug where quitting the game incorrectly immediately after fulfilling the clearing conditions of the “Shifting Earth: Crater”, the “The Crater” achievement would not be awarded despite clearing the area.

Note: Even if you have already earned the achievement, meeting the “Crater” clear conditions will award you with the clearing credit again.

• Fixed several other instances of bugs.

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.

A new Horus Heresy book has left Warhammer 40,000 lore fans debating the true nature of the carrion Emperor and the Golden Throne — and the possibility that two classic pieces of early art work may well offer a canon look into the setting.

Era of Ruin (the special edition of which forced Warhammer.com offline when preorders went online) is an anthology of short stories designed to bookend the Horus Heresy, the galaxy-spanning civil war between loyalist and traitor Space Marines that occurred 10,000 years before the current Warhammer 40,000 setting. The Horus Heresy saw the Emperor finally defeat his Chaos-fueled primarch son, Horus Lupercal, and save the Imperium of Man from destruction, but at a terrible cost: the near-death Master of Mankind was interred upon the Golden Throne as a carrion Emperor sustained by the daily sacrifice of thousands of psykers.

The iconic art of the God-Emperor by John Blanche, below, is seared into every Warhammer 40,000 lore fan’s mind. This is how the Emperor looks in the 41st millennium: grim, dark, and barely there at all.

But is this actually how the Emperor looks in the setting? Era of Ruin’s final short story, The Carrion Lord of the Imperium by Aaron Dembski-Bowden, is also its most interesting. It suggests the image of the God-Emperor we see in John Blanche’s art is just that in the setting: an image.

Mecha Break speaks to a very specific kind of sicko: the kind of person who plays multiplayer games looking for perfection. Not overall – there’s no such thing as a “perfect” piece of art. But perfect moments? The perfect shot, the clutch dodge, confirming the last kill that wins you the match? They’re out there, in that things come together just the way you need them to. I’ve only gotten to play a couple hours of Mecha Break ahead of launch (which, if you’re reading this, has just happened) so I have a lot more to see, do, and unlock in this robot-themed hero shooter, but I can already say it’s a game that lets you build your own stories.

Over the course of a two-hour preview event (playing on PC) I got to play five matches and try out five of the 15 different mechs available (with the free-to-play model Mecha Break is using several of the ones I tested will need to be unlocked once it goes live, but we had free reign for our preview). One of the things I appreciated most was how much variety there is, both in mechs and match types. Mecha Break has every kind of mech you could want: heavies like the Stego with the ability to plant itself in the ground, sit behind a shield, and launch a massive missile barrage; the Falcon, which transforms into a plane, Starscream-style, making it an ideal choice for folks who like to zoom across the expansive battlefield and rain death from above; and my personal favorite, the Alysnes: a medium-weight, more traditional mech that becomes smaller and more agile after its armor is blown off. Survive long enough in this form and you can reapply your armor, like some kind of mech-flavored Magical Girl. Everyone has different armaments to manage, and I had to tailor my playstyle to the mech I tried. Picking the right one is important, because once you’re locked in and the match starts, you’re stuck with it.

This list catalogues a small amount of what’s available, and since the mode we were playing kept our six-person team from having duplicate mechs, it led to some really great fights. I had a particularly tense rivalry in one game where my Alysnes faced off against another player’s camo-enabled, melee-focused Stellaris. We clashed several times, and they were long, drawn-out duels that tested everything from our overall map awareness and positioning to when we decided to attack. We were building rivalries in real time, and it made for some memorable moments. Some I lost, others I clutched out, but the fights were all exciting.

Other matches showcased that there’s a ton of variety when it comes to modes, even if none of them is anything too far out of the box. We started in a traditional deathmatch (first to eight kills wins), but we also played King of the Hill, another mode where you have to destroy points that appear on the map, one that asked us to capture launch keys and deliver them to a launch facility, and good ol’ fashioned payload escorts. I had fun no matter what the objective was, and I appreciated that Mecha Break let me contribute no matter what I was doing. Even keeping another mech distracted while your team hits the objective (or killing them outright) can swing a game, especially because respawns take a hot second longer than they do in most comparable games. If you can take a piece off the board for a bit, that matters. For example, while piloting a Stego against another player in the same heavy-hitting mech on the opposite team, keeping him out of the fight long enough for us to secure the last objective helped decide that match.

The maps themselves are a smorgasbord of interesting locations. One is a combination mountain range with a valley and a destroyed city. I could set up and snipe at other mechs from the high ground with the Stego, but to get the objectives (and stay in the fights over them) I needed to head down where I was more vulnerable. Another is at a missile launch facility where you can choose between fighting outside with limited cover, or getting up close and personal in the tight corridors of the facility itself. There’s even one set on the moon that includes both open skies and large craters and small canyons just big enough to squeeze through, ideal for dodging enemy fire or moving around out of sight. The real trick there is the pulse storms, which damage your mech unless you take cover.

Each map felt distinct and forced me to approach situations in different ways depending on where I was and what mech I was piloting. A Stego’s long-ranged firepower is amazing in open space, but its slow speed makes it a liability in areas with less elbow room. The Alysnes’s versatility, on the other hand, means it’s right at home in both but never hits quite as hard as a Stego in the right conditions. You’ll probably just make use of its melee weapon less when you’re fighting across open ground.

Naturally, two hours isn’t nearly enough to wrap up a review of a game like this, so I have a lot left to see in Mecha Break: I want to get a feel for more of the mechs and the other modes, and see what progression feels like. But so far it’s made a good first impression. I’ve come away liking the little moments, and the stories I’ve already been a part of in a short session. Now we just have to figure out if Mecha Break has the juice to keep telling them for the long haul. If you’re jumping in to play at launch, let us know if anything cool has happened to you thus far.

Postapocalyptic open-world survival game Once Human is launching its Annual Version 2.0: Dreamveil, and developer Starry Studio is hosting a special program to mark the occasion. There will be a celebration of all the game has achieved so far, as well as news and updates about what’s coming in the future. IGN will carry a livestream of the full program, so here’s all the details for how you can watch and what to expect as part of the show.

Once Human Special Program Date, Time, and How to Watch

If you’re in the United States, the program will be streaming at night. It’ll begin on Wednesday, July 2 at 9 p.m. Pacific, which means it’ll be at midnight that night in the Eastern time zone. You can watch it live on any of these IGN channels:

IGN.com (our homepage)

IGN’s Facebook

IGN’s Twitter

IGN’s Twitch

IGN’s YouTube

If you can’t stay up late to watch it live, don’t worry. We’ll save the show in its entirety on our YouTube page, so it’ll be waiting for you the next morning.

What to Expect from the Once Human Special Program

This being the game’s annual version, there’s sure to be a look back at the past year and what’s happened in the Once Human universe since release. That includes the game’s four scenarios so far: the PVE-focused Manibus and The Way of Winter, and the PVP-focused Evolution’s Call and Prismverse’s Clash. It also includes the game’s mobile version that was released in April. There have been rumblings of a console version also being in the works, but nothing official has been confirmed so far. Could that be part of this show?

There have been trailers and dev logs that have given some sense of new content that’s on the horizon, but the special program will go into more detail. We know a nightmare-themed scenario called Endless Dream is already in Early Access, but if you haven’t played it for yourself, expect a deep dive into the new story and deviants you’ll face and new content and locations being added.

We also know a new class system is being introduced with three classes available: Chef, Gardener, and Beastmaster. Expect a breakdown of each of the classes and what makes them unique. There also will be announcements of new events, in-game rewards, and other updates to celebrate the new annual version. Plus, the developers are likely to reveal a roadmap of future content. If you haven’t played Once Human yet and want to give it a try before seeing the updates, you can play it for free right now on PC and mobile.