Konami may be known for Castlevania and Metal Gear, but the studio’s beloved RPG series Suikoden is starting to make a comeback. The release of Suikoden I & II HD Remastered earlier this year brought the first two games to a whole new generation of players. Amazon has now given the collection a solid 40% discount as part of this year’s Prime Day sales, bringing the price down to $30.
Suikoden I & II HD Remastered Drops to $30
Originally released on the OG PlayStation, Suikoden I & II set in place a number of mechanics and systems that became series staples, including the 108 characters that you can recruit, base building and management, a mix of more traditional turn-based encounters, and large-scale army skirmishes. IGN’s review of the original Suikoden doesn’t hold back on praise, calling it “one of the best RPGs ever made.”
Suikoden I follows the young son of the famed General Teo as he seeks out the 108 Stars of Destiny to bring about peace. Its follow-up takes place three years later, putting you in the shoes of the adopted son of the hero Genkaku as you once again have to recruit 108 more Stars of Destiny to stand against the invading Highland Kingdom.
These HD remasters include upgraded backgrounds, effects, and handy QOL features like auto-saves and fast forwarding in battles, both of which really make a difference. The 40% discount applies across the Switch, PS5, and Xbox Series versions.
The original Suikoden and Suikoden II are notoriously expensive, so it’s such a joy that we got this remaster after years of begging and pleading for it. For fans of turn-based RPGs who want to experience the classics, this deal makes it an easy recommendation.
Astro Bot just got a brand new update, adding five new challenge levels complete with their own new special bots to unlock. And two of the new bots are from a series that had previously gone unrepresented in the game, despite being beloved by PlayStation fans.
If you don’t want it spoiled, we’ll just say that you can unlock one of these bots by rescuing it from the challenge level High Inflation, while the second bot comes only after you beat all five brand new challenge levels in the Vicious Void Galaxy and rescue the other bots inside.
Warning! We’re going to spoil exactly who all the bots in the DLC are below the video, so if you don’t want to know, get outta here!
The two bots in question are Cloud and Sephiroth, both from Final Fantasy 7. Cloud is the reward from High Inflation, and Sephiroth shows up if you beat all five new challenge levels.
Final Fantasy representation, and specifically from 7, has been long-requested by Astro Bot fans. The game launched with a whopping 173 bot cameos from PlayStation history, so the lack of Final Fantasy 7 — a game traditionally associated with PlayStation both in its original and remake forms — was surprising. When asked at the time, Astro Bot developers attributed this to the choice of publisher partners, meaning it sounds like Square Enix wasn’t previously willing to play ball. But it seems the company has changed its tune more recently.
Cloud and Sephiroth aren’t the only bots you’ll find in the new DLC, and not even the only Square Enix representation. In fact, it sounds like Square was happy to hand over several cameos, with 2B from Nier: Automata and Serge from Chrono Cross also showing up to be rescued. Atsu from Ghost of Yōtei also shows up, though we already knew she’d be in this update.
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.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 is almost here! The legendary franchise returns on July 11 (or 10, depending upon where you are in the world and what platform you’re playing) with everything you loved, only this time expect more skaters, new parks, gnarlier tricks, eardrum shattering music, plus a whole lot more.
While most people will be able to play from midnight local time this coming Friday, July 11, those who bought the digital deluxe edition are able to jump in early from midnight their time on Tuesday, July 8 (although Steam and Battle.net users get a head start on their head start and can play from9pm on July 7).
We thought the long-anticipated remake was great, slapping it with a 8 and writing in the IGN’s Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 review: “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 proves yet again the series’ over-the-top skateboarding formula is totally timeless, even if some of the changes to THPS4 miss the mark and the soundtrack has been fumbled.”
Activision is also running a Grind to 100 competition that rewards the fastest player to secure all in-game achievements with a set of real-life bespoke 24-carat gold skateboard trucks worth £100,000.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 global release times — early access for Deluxe Edition:
Tuesday, July 8, 2025
AEST (Sydney):
12.01am
BRT (São Paulo):
12.01am
BST (London):
12.01am
CEST (Berlin):
12.01am
EDT (New York):
12.01am
GST (Dubai):
12.01am
JST (Tokyo):
12.01am
PDT (Los Angeles):
12.01am
Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3 + 4 global release times — standard access, including Xbox Game Pass:
Friday, July 11, 2025
AEST (Sydney):
12.01am
BRT (São Paulo):
12.01am
BST (London):
12.01am
CEST (Berlin):
12.01am
EDT (New York):
12.01am
GST (Dubai):
12.01am
JST (Tokyo):
12.01am
PDT (Los Angeles):
12.01am
Please note: The UBI Connect release date is TBD at this time.
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.
With anticipation for Fallout Season 2, fans are wondering if Bethesda will capitalize on the smash hit Amazon show in a more significant way this time around.
Fallout Season 1 hit Prime Video in April 2024 and was an instant breakout hit. While the show’s popularity sparked a flood of new players across all Fallout games, Bethesda — and by extension parent company Microsoft — failed to make the most of it with, for example, the release of a new Fallout game.
That mention of “creative liberty” is a reference to the Fallout TV show’s canon status within the Fallout timeline, and the fact it takes place after all the existing Fallout games. While this has meant Fallout lore fans have analyzed the TV show to within an inch of its life, its creators were able to move on from what’s gone before and tell a brand new story. If a new post-Fallout 4 video game had come out at the same time, Bethesda and the TV showrunners would have faced a tricky job ensuring all their Fallout timeline ducks were in a row.
But will Microsoft and Bethesda fail to capitalize on Season 2 of the Fallout show? When it comes to Fallout 76, at least, it sounds like tie-in content is indeed planned.
Speaking to Variety, Bethesda Game Studios’ Fallout 76 creative director Jon Rush said the development team is “always focused on the game,” but confirmed the two teams (TV show and video games) do talk to each other about “lining things up with the seasonal releases of the show.”
“I think a distinct trait of the Fallout 76 game is that we’re the furthest back in time,” he said. “And it’s kind of funny, because the show’s the furthest into the future. So there’s a lot of room where we don’t necessarily need to overlap. There are some things that we could overlap the stories, that could exist, but we largely try to keep those pretty simple.
“So the show is very effective storytelling, great storytelling, very Fallout, being made by folks that are big fans of the game and the series, and so are we. The two go together really well. So folks see the show and want more of that same kind of story, and they’re going to come into 76, they’re going to come into Fallout 4, or come into Fallout 3.
“Lining things up with the seasonal releases of the show, it’s stuff that we talk about all the time, and we do have plans for things here and there. I’m not going to go into detail on any of those now, but the two teams do talk to one another.”
So, we don’t know what exactly Bethesda is planning for the launch of Fallout Season 2, but we do know something is in the works for Fallout 76. There are still a lot of unanswered questions. For one, we don’t have a Fallout Season 2 release date yet. Could Bethesda have a new Fallout video game in the works to go alongside the show? There is about as much anticipation for a new Fallout game as there is for Fallout Season 2 — and the speculation to go along with it as remaster and remake rumors swirl.
“For other Fallout games in the future, you know, obviously I can’t talk about those right now, but I would say, sort of rushing through them, or we kind of need to get stuff out that is different than the work we’re doing in 76… we don’t feel like we need to rush any of that,” he said. “The Fallout TV show fills a certain niche in terms of the franchise and storytelling.”
Of course, a brand new Fallout game is coming down the pipe, with Howard confirming Fallout 5 is in the long-term plan, potentially after The Elder Scrolls 6 comes out. As for Fallout Season 2, it’s off to New Vegas, the setting of Obsidian’s much-loved Fallout: New Vegas.
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.
OG developer Studio Wildcard immediately distanced itself from the discussion, clarifying on social media that Ark: Aquatica was not being developed by its team. It also revealed Ark: Lost Colony, a new expansion for Ark: Survival Ascended that will lead into the sequel, although since missing its previously planned late 2024 release window, the future of Ark 2 remains unclear.
ARK: Aquatica introduces the first submerged ARK with above-water islands, “challenging players with new survival mechanics, extreme environmental hazards, a huge explorable map area, and unique gameplay elements”.
The underwater biome adds 21 new tameable creatures, 74 new Engrams — including seven tek Engrams — and underwater survival thanks to features like air pockets and propulsion vehicles.
“I am 200% sure that this update was created to kill all existing mods and plugins,” added another YouTube commenter.
ARK: Aquatic is in development by Studio Sirens to “commemorate the 10-year anniversary of ARK: Survival Evolved” and will be available exclusively on PC. A price has yet to be confirmed.
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.
Nintendo will discontinue its Switch Game Vouchers scheme, which currently allows Nintendo Switch Online subscribers to buy Switch 1 games at a discount.
Detailing its plans in a lengthy FAQ page published today, the company said Switch Game Vouchers would be ditched as of January 30, 2026 — meaning fans still have six months should they still wish to buy more.
Nintendo Switch Game Vouchers were first introduced in 2019, and offer a flat purchase price for two Nintendo Switch games bought within a 12-month period. In the UK, this price is set at £84, meaning you pay an average of £42 for a game.
This typically represents an £8 saving per game from the standard £50 Switch game RRP — and an even greater saving on the select games that Nintendo prices at £60: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
And while Nintendo has not extended the scheme to Switch 2 games, fans have realised they can still use vouchers to buy the original, Switch 1 versions of games with paid Switch 2 upgrades, such as Zelda: Breath of the Wild, offering a cheaper method of obtaining those too.
For example, Switch 2 owners can currently buy a pair of Switch Game Vouchers and redeem them to play cross-generational games such as Metroid Prime: Beyond, or the upcoming Pokémon Legends: Z-A, which is due for launch in October. Z-A is priced at the usual £50 for Switch 1, or £60 for its Switch 2 Edition. Buy it using a Game Voucher, and you can still get the £8 saving for Z-A’s Switch 1 edition, before simply paying the £10 upgrade fee to access the Switch 2 Edition.
As ever, Switch Game Vouchers must be redeemed within 12 months after purchase, though Nintendo has said that additional Switch titles will continue to be added to the Game Voucher catalogue throughout 2026.
Japanese developer Cygames published a list of rules for fans wanting to visit the real-life horses behind the characters in its anime racehorse-girl management game Umamusume: Pretty Derby, which got a long-awaited global release this June.
Yes, anime racehorse-girl management game, you heard that right. In the world of Umamusume: Pretty Derby, racehorses are reborn as cute anime girls, complete with equine ears and tails. The franchise started off in 2018 as an anime, followed by a Japan-only release of the mobile game in 2021. In the game, players can talk to, train and manage horse-girls like Special Week and Mejiro McQueen, sharing in their triumphs and losses. As a result, the Umamusume franchise has inspired a cult following, and apparently many fans have become interested in the real-life Japanese racehorses behind their favorite characters.
However, in their enthusiasm, it seems that some fans may have caused distress to their favorites and their owners in real life. As previously reported by Dexerto, Cygames shared guidelines for those who want to visit real-life racehorses in Japan, reminding people that you can’t just rock up to a ranch and that horses are easily startled by loud noises and camera flashes.
The 9-point guideline was created by the Racehorse’s Hometown Information Center. The first two points urge would-be visitors to check with the center for tour availability and to confirm tour times before visiting. The rules also remind visitors to follow the instructions of ranch staff at all times, to refrain from smoking on-site, and not to enter stables or pastures without permission. The rest of the rules are centered on the horses’ wellbeing — don’t make loud noises and refrain from touching, feeding or taking flash photography of the horses.
Developer Cygames has been fostering strong connections to the Japanese horse racing world — it often shows up alongside and provides support for racehorse-related exhibits at events in Japan, and has donated to the Retired Racehorse Association of Japan (source: Automaton). As part of promotions for the mobile game’s global, English-language release, Cygames looked stateside, partnering with the Kentucky Derby back in May and setting up a booth where people could play the demo of Umamusume Pretty Derby.
If you are interested in seeing what all the fuss is about, Umamusume: Pretty Derby is available now in English via Steam, Google Play, and the Apple App store. All three seasons of the anime are currently on Crunchyroll.
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.
Subnautica 2 is officially delayed to 2026, publisher Krafton has confirmed to IGN. The news follows a report that claimed the delay may cost the development team a $250 million bonus.
Krafton, the Korean company behind smash hit battle royale PUBG, acquired the $500 million-valued Subnautica developer Unknown Worlds in October 2021. At the time, Krafton insisted Unknown Worlds would continue to operate as an independent outfit. Following its announcement, the hotly anticipated Subnautica 2 was set for an early access release later in 2025.
Cleveland subsequently revealed on Reddit that while he and his colleagues believed Subnautica 2 was “ready for early release… that decision is in Krafton’s hands.” Krafton issued a community update of its own, suggesting a delay was incoming.
Then, earlier this week, Bloomberg reported that Subnautica 2 was delayed to 2026 — just months before it was due to pay a $250 million bonus to the development team. Bloomberg added that the delay was “against the wishes of the studio’s former leadership,” and that the $250 million bonus would have kicked in if Unknown Worlds hit certain revenue targets by the end of 2025. Without Subnautica 2 coming out this year, hitting those revenue targets is unlikely, and the bonus won’t be paid out.
Per Bloomberg:
Unknown Worlds’ leadership planned to share the additional money with all of the studio’s employees, which number around 100. Staff who were at the company at the time of the acquisition were told they were eligible for bonuses ranging from hundreds of thousands of dollars to seven figures, the people said.
Now, Krafton has made Subnautica 2’s delay to 2026 official, but in a statement to IGN, it insisted the decision had nothing to do with “any contractual or financial considerations.” Instead, Krafton claimed, the delay was about responding to feedback from playtests, and delay talks were already under discussion before Cleveland, McGuire, and Gill were outed.
Here’s Krafton’s statement in full:
During playtests for Subnautica 2, we received valuable feedback from our community that reinforced our confidence in the game’s direction. At the same time, the feedback highlighted a few areas that could benefit from further refinement before release.
As community voices play a central role in how we shape our games, we’ve made the decision to give the development team more time to implement that feedback and deliver a more complete experience. As a result, Subnautica 2’s Early Access launch has been rescheduled for 2026.
This decision was based solely on our commitment to quality and to delivering the best possible experience for players. It was not influenced by any contractual or financial considerations. Additionally, the decision had already been under discussion prior to recent leadership changes at the studio.
For fans, the wait for Subnautica 2 goes on.
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.
Both LEGO aficionados and Nintendo fans should check out this new deal that just popped up at Walmart. The imposing LEGO Super Mario The Mighty Bowser 71411 set is currently on sale for $219. As of this moment, this deal is exclusive to Walmart and doesn’t seem to be an official part of Prime Day (it’s still $270 on Amazon). The Mighty Bowser has been in production since October of 2022, so this set is expected to be retired within the next year.
20% Off the LEGO Super Mario The Mighty Bowser 71411
The Mighty Bowswer is still the largest LEGO x Nintendocollaboration with a total of 2,807 brick pieces. The finished build measures 16 inches wide and 12.5 inches tall. Kevin Wong built this actual set and loved it. It’s both scary and adorable at the same time. It treats adult LEGO builders to a challenging build with advanced techniques and yet it is also durable enough to be interacted with, without fear of limbs falling apart. It brings out the best of both LEGO and Nintendo. Kevin wrote that “It is as perfect a merging as one could have hoped for. Ideally, this would be the first in a series of ‘third path’ sets that will recreate the gameplay and characters from our childhoods. And not just for Mario either. What about Zelda? Or Metroid? Or Pokemon? The possibilities are endless.”
More LEGO Sets on Sale for Prime Day
Mighty Bowser isn’t the only set currently on sale for Amazon Prime Day. Check out these other adult-themed sets from Walmart, Amazon, and even the LEGO Shop, including the Milk Way Galaxy, the LEGO Technic BMW M 1000 RR Motorcycle or the LEGO Icons Land Rover Classic Defender 90, which is expected to be retired later this year.
Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn’t hunting for deals for other people at work, he’s hunting for deals for himself during his free time.
Prime Day is still going on until this Friday, July 11, and there are countless great deals available in a wide variety of categories. There happens to be a significant amount of Legend of Zelda-related items in these sales, so I’ve gathered some of the best and put together a little Prime Day gift guide for that Zelda fan in your life. Amazon has everything from games, books, and apparel on sale, so Hyrule is your oyster.
Some of the Best Legend of Zelda Gifts to Grab During Prime Day
Legend of Zelda Video Games
Of course, the Legend of Zelda video games are the bread and butter, and we wouldn’t have any of these other snazzy gifts without them. While the discounts on these aren’t as steep as I’d like, it’s never a bad time to experience Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom for the first time. The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is the highest discounted of the bunch at 15% off, and I highly recommend it if you enjoy the classic top-down 2D style like I do.
Part of Prime Day is a buy 2, get 1 free promotion on dozens of physical media. A handful of Zelda books are included in this at a discount, so if you’ve had your eye on these, you can bundle and save for some great coffee table books. Of note, while the Legend of Zelda Encyclopedia is sitting at 55% off, it isn’t included in the buy 2, get 1 free sale like Hyrule Historia and Art & Artifacts.
Then you have the Legend of Zelda manga series, covering the stories from most of the games like Twilight Princess and Ocarina of Time. Another odd selection of these is included in buy 2, get 1 free, but the box sets of the entire library of Zelda manga is still discounted for Prime Day. Check them out below.
Legend of Zelda Manga Box Sets
Buy 2 Legend of Zelda Books, Get 1 Free
The Legend of Zelda Animated Series
You’re likely familiar with the “well excuuuuuuse me, Princess” meme at this point. It originated in the incredibly cheesy and campy animated series from the 80’s. Luckily for us, the complete series on DVD is on sale during Prime Day and qualifies for the buy 2, get 1 free promotion. You can save an additional 10% off the already discounted 43% with the attached coupon.
The Legend of Zelda Apparel
We all love a good graphic tee, and the Legend of Zelda selection is pretty good. There are countless styles, sizes, and colors available and discounted for Prime Day, but here are some of my favorites. The Retro Kanji Link Portrait is an awesome recreation of the classic Link design and goes with any style. These are all 30% off, so if you’ve been looking to upgrade your wardrobe with awesome nerdy shirts Prime Day has you covered.
Other Great The Legend of Zelda Gifts
There are countless cool gifts to pick from, it really was hard to narrow down this list without making it too extensive. Below are some more of my favorite things I’d actually get for my home office, light the heart container light and the Majora’s Mask LED neon sign. The ceramic ocarina actually works and comes with a song book with music from the games, as well as an easy explainer for how to play it. These are going for between 20% to 42% off for certain items and make great additions to bookshelves, desks, what have you.
