Fortnite‘s Sidekicks, the adorable little pets that accompany you on your Fortnite adventures, have caused quite a stir with Fortnite fans — and not necessarily for all the right reasons.
As described by Epic Games, Sidekicks are new pals in Fortnite that join your adventures in Battle Royale, Fortnite Save the World, Fortnite Festival (your Sidekick will stay backstage), LEGO Fortnite, and developer-made experiences (Sidekicks can only tag along with you if the Island Developer has enabled Sidekicks in their island). They let you “enjoy their company as they react to the world around you.” You can design them yourself, including their personality and physical traits, all of which will be locked in as “permanent” details, but you’ll be able to change their name and accessories — think hats, hoodies, that kind of thing — at any time. And no, they do not offer a gameplay advantage of any kind, nor can be hurt or killed in combat. (Phew!)
The first is Peels, the super sweet pup made of bananas, who’ll unlock with tomorrow’s (November 1) Battle Pass. More, including Bonesy, Spike, and Lil’ Raptor, are set to drop on November 7, with something for cat lovers coming “not long after.” Bonesy will be granted to players who own the Bonesy Back Bling on the same date.
So far, so cute, right? The bit that’s really raising eyebrows, however, is the cost. As shared on the Fortnite subreddit, prices will differ, with Lil’ Raptor and Spike costing 1,200 V-Bucks, and Flopsticks and Cuddle Team Jr. a little more expensive at 1,500. As some are pointing out, this is a pretty steep price for the new feature, with the Fishstick-themed Sidekick, Flopstick, costing more than the original 1,200 skin.
It gets even worse, though. Epic has cofirmed you can customize the appearance of your Sidekick one time and it’s permanent (you can unlock clothes for them, though and can change those whenever you want). This means that if you want to change your pet’s colors after making that initial, permanent one-time change, you have to buy the same pet again.
“You can customize the Appearance of your Sidekick one time after obtaining it,” Epic said. “You can purchase a Sidekick multiple times and give them different Appearances; however, each Sidekick customization you own in your Locker must be unique. Duplicate Appearances are not allowed.”
“The fact they locked customization behind needing to buy the same pet multiple times is probably the greediest thing Epig [sic] has ever done. Which honestly is a huge accomplishment for this company,” said one unhappy player.
“[This is] the death of reasonable microtransactions in Fortnite,” replied another. “Remember when they released Wraps, and unlike most games where you needed to unlock skins for each gun individually, wraps could be used on anything? Now we’re getting customization locked on bought items. No reason for this, except greed.”
“Either make them this price and have all styles selectable or lock the styles and put them at 500-600,” suggested someone else. “If you do both nobody is gonna bother.”
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.
Looking for Grow a Garden codes? Plenty of Roblox experiences have codes, and Grow a Garden is no exception. Way back during the Lunar Glow Event, a code redemption system was added. Since then, however, we hadn’t seen a new code until the Zen Update. Even if they’re few and far between, every time there’s a new code in GaG, IGN will have you covered.
Working Grow a Garden Codes (October 2025)
RDCAward – RDCAward (Cosmetic Item)
BEANORLEAVE10 – Green Bean Chamber (Cosmetic Item)
Torigate – Whispering Torri (Cosmetic Item)
Expired Codes for GaG (October 2025)
Unfortunately, these codes have now expired:
LUNARGLOW10 – This gave players 3x Seed Packs.
How to Redeem Grow a Garden Codes
Now that there’s a code redemption system in the Roblox experience, here are the steps you need to follow to use Grow a Garden codes:
Launch the Grow a Garden Roblox experience
Look in the top left corner to find the Settings cog next to the icon of the backpack
Click settings and scroll down to the bottom
Copy and paste codes from this article into the Redeem Codes box
Press claim and enjoy your goodies!
Why Isn’t My GaG Code Working?
Code not working? There are usually two reasons why this happens. It’s either because:
The code is expired
The code has been entered incorrectly
If a code has been entered incorrectly or is expired, it will say the “code is invalid.” To stop this from happening, we’d recommend copying and pasting the code directly from this article. We check and test each of the codes before we add them to our articles. However, when copying them, you can sometimes accidentally include an extra space somewhere, so always double check there’s no additional spaces!
Where to Find More Grow a Garden Codes
If new codes are added to the game, we’ll update this article, so you can always check back here and keep up-to-date with the latest codes. Grow a Garden has its own dedicated Discord server where codes will be announced, as well as game updates.
What is Grow a Garden in Roblox?
Grow a Garden is a new Roblox experience that’s become incredibly popular since it launched. The gardening simulator allows players to show off their green fingers, as you buy seeds and plant a variety of crops from basic carrots to exotic dragon fruit trees.
As fruit and vegetables finally sprout, you’ll be able to harvest them to sell for Sheckles. To go from a beginner gardener to a pro worthy of awards, you’ll want your crops to experience mutations that increase their value. This can happen randomly, with Gold and Big mutations being down to chance, while weather events like snow can increase your luck of a Frozen mutation. There’s also gear, and even pets now, that can affect how fast your crops grow, their value, and more.
When is the Next Update in Grow a Garden?
Grow a Garden hosts new events each weekend, where players can come together and try out the fresh content for the ever-expanding game. The next update is planned for Saturday November 1, 2025.
There isn’t any known information about this update yet. Events now typically run for two weeks, with the first week being the time they’re introduced, and the second week when additional rewards are added to the event.
As always, to stay up to date with everything in the new event, visit our Grow a Garden guide. We put out new content as soon as the event goes live, and keep it updated all through the week.
Lauren Harper is an Associate Guides Editor. She loves a variety of games but is especially fond of puzzles, horrors, and point-and-click adventures.
Battlefield 6 players are trading theories about Easter Eggs and future updates after one fan discovered a mysterious hidden room in the firing range.
Speculation about EA and Battlefield Studios’ secret room began after Reddit user Mobile_Cyberdemon_as shared footage of their character clipping into a previously undiscovered, hidden area. The unlit space is tucked behind the cramped weapon testing room, with only a sealed door — which features a red “keep door closed” sign — hinting at its existence.
After a few minutes of trying (and lots of awkward crouching) on PlayStation 5, we were able to recreate the moment seen in the clip and confirm the hidden Battlefield 6 room exists. We can also confirm this mysterious hiding spot is, unfortunately, pretty boring, as it only features little more than a workbench and an empty gun rack.
It’s easy enough to see areas like this and assume they are simply unfinished assets left on the cutting room floor, but fans have other ideas.
Battlefield 6 launched just weeks ago, so there’s no telling what BF Studios could have had planned for this room when sneaking it behind the firing range. However, some details have given players more than enough ammunition to start crafting theories about what the hidden room was — and what it could be.
“Judging by the gates, it’s a vehicle hangar in the works,” one fan theorized. “I hope they eventually add a real shooting range, not just one room.”
Other Battlefield 6 fans have also proposed theories related to a firing range expansion, hoping that, if the hidden room wasn’t an official vehicle testing area, it could become one in the future. It’s an add-on the community has shown interest in for some time, as players spent the weeks since launch using precious helicopter and jet spawns just learning how to leave the ground.
Many of the ideas related to the Battlefield 6 mystery stem from desires players would like to see fulfilled. The firing range enigma could absolutely be an Easter Egg, unfinished feature, or future content update, but there’s also the possibility that players have been looking at the room long before Mobile_Cyberdemon_as made their discovery.
“You can see that stripey background in that customize weapon screen,” one popular fan theory said. “I guess that’s why the firing range loads so fast, because you’re actually in it the whole time.”
“That’s my assumption is when you’re in the menus you’re actually just in that room with your view locked to a UI and with different walls or areas serving as backdrops for certain screens in the menu system,” another player added.
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
Pokemon Legends: Z-A is getting an update that will make rewards from Ranked Battles, specifically a desirable set of Mega Stones, much easier to obtain.
In an official news post, The Pokemon Company revealed that at the start of Season 2 of its online Ranked Battle mode, players will be able to receive Greninjite at Rank Y, and Delphoxite at Rank S. Previously, in Season 1, players had to achieve Rank K to receive Greninjite (Delphoxite was not yet available).
This is a pretty big deal, as the difficulty of obtaining these Mega Stones has been a point of criticism from the community ever since they were first announced as rewards. The trio of original Kalos starter Pokemon: Fennekin, Froakie, and Chespin, are available fairly early on in Pokemon Legends: Z-A, and all three of them have new Mega Evolutions. However, those Mega Evolutions can only be unlocked via the items obtained as rewards from online Ranked Battles, and aren’t available in the story campaign at all. This was frustrating for many players, as plenty of people don’t touch online play at all and would rather just play through the story only.
This update doesn’t make it possible to obtain the rewards without engaging in the online component of Z-A, but it does make them much easier to obtain. With Season 2, you’ll basically be able to get a Greninjite with a single Ranked Battle, even if you lose, as you can get rank points for actions taken in battle as well as actually winning. And you can move up multiple ranks in one go if you play well enough, making it pretty fast to go from Z to S for that Delphoxite. And it looks like Game Freak is updating how points are distributed to make it even easier to gain ranks.
Additionally, if trends continue this way, it sounds like the Season 3 update will introduce Chesnaughtite at a similar rank to Rank S, and lower the rank requirement for Delphoxite to something even easier as well. Per the announcement, “Mega Stones will continue to be reissued frequently in future seasons.”
Overall, this is a pretty good change for folks wanting to collect all the Mega Stones. A couple of Ranked Battles in Season 2 and 3 will net you all three stones with very little effort, and then if you prefer you never have to play Ranked again.
Pokemon Legends: Z-A’s Season 2 starts on Wednesday, November 5.
I reviewed Pokemon Legends: Z-A and gave it an 8/10, saying that it “finally feels like Game Freak hitting its stride in Pokemon’s 3D era, with a fun setting to explore, a well-written story, and a total battle system overhaul that works surprisingly well.” The game sold almost six million copies in its opening week.
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.
Back in 2020, Blaze Entertainment made a splash in the retro gaming market with the introduction of the cartridge-basedEvercade platform. Ever since, the platform has grown to include a variety of handhelds, consoles, andbartop arcades, along with more than 650 games across 78 – and counting – cartridges.
In late 2023, the company created the new brandHyperMegaTech to release a series of simpler GameBoy-like handhelds with built-in games, which also happen to accept Evercade cartridges. As with the growing number of other Evercade-compatible devices and cartridges, the Super Pocket series is already up to a half-dozen variations. Although the Super Pocket series may not have the best screen size and resolution, or the most ideal controls for every game, it’s still a value-packed portable companion, filling a completely different market than a handheld gaming PC. However, depending upon your gaming preferences, certain models may prove better values than others.
HyperMegaTech Super Pocket – Design and Features
Other than aesthetic themes and associated colorways, every Super Pocket edition features exactly the same hardware. The only other differentiator between models is the types and number of built-in games, which are themed to a specific publisher like Taito, Capcom, Atari, Technos, NeoGeo (SNK), or Data East. Sometimes limited editions will feature an additional cosmetic variation, like with the Atari Edition or NeoGeo Edition, with a woodgrain look for the former and MVS styling for the latter.
As a plug-and-play device, each Super Pocket package comes with the handheld, USB-C to USB-A charging cable, and quick start guide. You just need to charge, then power on.
When first powering on, you are prompted to answer a few questions, including your language and preferred difficulty (Easy or Normal) across all included games. Naturally, these and other settings are available to change after the fact by pressing the Game Menu button and choosing Settings.
At 3.07 x 4.92 x 0.98 inches and 0.36lbs, the Super Pocket is slightly smaller and lighter than the original Game Boy that clocked in at 3.5 x 5.8 x 1.3 inches. The sleeker body does support a slightly larger display at 2.8 inches (2cm larger than the Game Boy’s), although that’s still rather small for modern handhelds.
The IPS screen has a resolution of 320×240, a 4:3 aspect ratio. Overall, the display is colorful with good brightness and viewing angles, although the small screen size and low resolution do mean loss of detail in some places, particularly with text or games that don’t have a native 4:3 aspect ratio. While good close-up vision always helps when it comes to handheld displays, just keep in mind that certain games on the Super Pocket will not have an optimized viewing experience.
Display options include Original, Pixel Perfect, or Full Screen aspect ratios, as well as Shaders/Scanlines. Original aspect ratio ensures the original game’s graphics are not stretched or distorted, but may result in black bars on the sides or top of the screen. Pixel Perfect aspect ratio maps the original pixels to a “perfect” square of pixels, but may result in an even smaller active display than Original. Full Screen aspect ratio stretches a game’s image to fit the entire screen, which eliminates any black bars or dead space on the display, but also stretches or distorts in-game objects. Shaders/Scanlines include None, Subtle, or Strong, the latter two of which are meant to mimic how classic CRT displays processed pixel graphics. Subtle adds thin scanlines with minimal screen darkening, while Strong adds thick scanlines with more prominent screen darkening.
Below the display is the Game Menu button, direction pad, front speaker, Select/Insert Credit button, Start Game button, and the A, B, X, and Y face buttons. Both the direction pad and face buttons use standard membranes, so they have a softer feel and no real click but are still responsive enough for most games.
Each Super Pocket comes with a blank dummy cartridge to protect the rear slot. Also on the rear of the unit is a volume control, and R1, L1, R2, and L2 buttons, the latter two of which are used to fast scroll in menus. Below the buttons is a rear speaker, which provides clear, distortion-free sound output even at maximum volume when combined with the front speaker, although you’ll still want to use a good pair of wired headphones for the best possible audio. (Like other Evercade-compatible hardware, Bluetooth audio isn’t supported.
At the bottom of the Super Pocket is the USB-C charging port, power switch next to an indicator light that’s blue when on, and 3.5mm headphone jack. Between the power switch and charging port is a charging indicator light, which shows red when charging and green when fully charged.
With its modest 3000mAh battery, you’ll only get up to four hours or so of run time depending on play volume and game type. On the plus side, the battery does a tremendous job of holding a charge. I’ve gone many months without using some of my charged Super Pockets and they’re still ready to play with 100% capacity when I do grab them again.
HyperMegaTech Super Pocket – Built-in Game Options
Blaze has a history of working around certain licensing restrictions on how certain games can be sold by building them into both their Evercade and HyperMegaTech hardware. While some of these restrictions have loosened of late – meaning, you’re starting to see some previously built-in only games coming to cartridge – a product like the Super Pocket is still one of the more reliable ways to guarantee access to games not yet, or may never be, on an Evercade cartridge. You can read the full lineup that comes preloaded on each edition in this sheet.
Each Super Pocket features the original games from their original platforms, so they’re not scaled to or optimized for the display. This is not an issue for many of the games, but for some – especially arcade games with a vertical/portrait (aka TATE) display – the active area can be quite small unless you choose to purposely distort the image with the Full Screen aspect ratio option. Examples of portrait display arcade games include Kiki Kaikai on the Taito Edition Super Pocket and BurgerTime on the Data East Edition Super Pocket, the latter of which highlights how difficult it can also sometimes be to make out text. In general, though, there are always enough games, even on the 12-game Capcom Edition, that work just fine within the display’s constraints.
You also have to consider that the direction pad and four face buttons are not the best way to control every game. For example, Operation Wolf included on the Taito Edition is a light gun game in the arcade, so using the direction pad to drag the targeting cursor across the screen is less than ideal. Similarly, a game like Street Fighter II: Hyper Fighting on the Capcom Edition is controlled with six buttons. Normally, this wouldn’t be an issue, but the rear buttons on the Super Pocket are not ideally positioned to both hold the handheld and easily and consistently press those buttons, particularly in the heat of battle. Games that need four or fewer buttons, which is admittedly most of what’s included, are not a problem.
On the plus side, when you’re in any game, you can press the Game Menu button to Save or Load your place in one of six slots, as well as reference the controls. You can also change the Display settings, reset the game, or quit back to the main menu.
Between the six current editions, the Atari Edition features the most games at 50, and also the most games from (five!) different platforms. While some of the arcade games like Super Breakout or Crystal Castleshave portrait displays or native controls that don’t map well to a digital direction pad, for the most part, the other games work quite well on the Super Pocket thanks to the modest controls and resolutions of the original consoles and handheld. Of course, older arcade and 8-bit console games may have less appeal to some people than what’s featured on something like the Capcom Edition Super Pocket, even with just 12 games.
If you want a slightly newer mix of arcade and console games, the Technos Edition might be more for you, though it only features 15 games with a good amount of overlap. For a little better variety, the 18-game Data East Edition might be more desirable, although that also features a few games not particularly optimized for the display. Finally, there’s the NeoGeo Edition with 14 games, but each are well-optimized for both the controls and display as the Super Pocket’s setup closely matches what the MVS arcade machine offered, making it arguably the best choice if you can choose only one.
HyperMegaTech Super Pocket – Cartridge Games
The HyperMegaTech Super Pocket’s ace in the hole is its cartridge slot, which provides access to hundreds ofadditional games from nearly every genre across dozens of cartridges. There’s some overlap, like withTaito Arcade 1, but in general, these games are only found outside of what’s built into any of Blaze’s hardware.
Every cartridge is compatible, but not every game included on them is optimized for the Super Pocket’s display or controls. They are, however, tuned or tunable for the mainline Evercade hardware; theEvercade EXP-R handheld, for example, has an 800×400 resolution 4.3-inch IPS screen, and can also enter TATE mode to better display portrait-oriented arcade titles. The two pairs of shoulder buttons are also far easier to reach and press in the heat of action.
The other functionality missing from the Super Pocket that the mainline Evercade hardware gets is online connectivity. That means that the Super Pockets don’t get access to firmware updates or free games of the month, nor can they apply any updates to cartridges. On the rare chance a cartridge needs an update to run properly, it needs to be done on a mainline Evercade console, handheld, or bartop before it can be used in a Super Pocket.
In general, if you want the full Evercade experience, you’re better off with the EXP-R handheld, theVS-R console, or the Alpha bartop. Fortunately, this is not a zero-sum game as the Evercade platform is designed to expand as your wants and needs evolve. To put it another way, investing in one or more cartridges (and one or more pieces of hardware) allows you to play a particular game or games however you want. The Super Pocket, in mimicking the general Game Boy design, certainly has its appeal, as does its ability to simultaneously host both its internal games and a cartridge that can nearly double its available content on the go.
A new Pokémon TCG deal as appeared in the wild, this time it’s the Mega Evolution-themed Mega Latias ex Box at market via Amazon. That means $37.30 for two Mega Evolution, one Destined Rivals and One Journey Together boosters alongside a very playable promo Mega Latias ex card and not-so playable jumbo card.
Pokémon TCG: Mega Latias ex Box
The Best Pokémon Cards you could pull from Mega Latias ex Box
It’s really awesome to think about the chase cards you have a chance of pulling in this ex box, but that chance is usually quite slim. If I have a chase card I’m after and I don’t have packs to rip off-hand, I usually check out TCGPlayer for the best price and sort myself out that way. Considering booster boxes for any set are going near or over $200 right now, you’d be suprised at how much money you’ll save over opening booster packs. Here’s the top ten Pokémon card you can pull right now from mega Evolution, Destined Rivals and Journey Together, their values and where to buy them:
Christian Wait is a contributing freelancer for IGN covering everything collectable and deals. Christian has over 7 years of experience in the Gaming and Tech industry with bylines at Mashable and Pocket-Tactics. Christian also makes hand-painted collectibles for Saber Miniatures. Christian is also the author of “Pokemon Ultimate Unofficial Gaming Guide by GamesWarrior”. Find Christian on X @ChrisReggieWait.
The third anniversary of Goddess of Victory: Nikke arrives in November, and today it launched its biggest in-game event yet that includes the culmination of the main “Rapture Queen” storyline and the largest-scale battles the game has seen.
If you don’t know about Goddess of Victory: Nikke, it’s a free-to-play third-person idle shooter from Korean developer Shift Up that’s available on Android, iOS, and PC. Downloaded more than 45 million times since its launch in November 2022, it has a roster of more than 160 “Nikke,” android soldiers who you take into battle in an effort to reclaim the overworld from a vicious race of aliens called Raptures who forced humanity to flee underground.
That conflict comes to a head in this new story event, which will see players face off in a final battle against the evil Rapture Queen. But that’s just scratching the surface of what’s coming in the anniversary update. The other big addition is the new Surface Beta mode, which features large-scale simulation-style battles where you assemble Nikke squads, fight Raptures, collect resources, and capture strongholds.
And, of course, it wouldn’t be a major update without new recruitable characters. New SSR characters Nayuta and Liberalio will be recruitable through the normal gacha system, while SSR Chime will be a free anniversary event character. Nayuta and Liberalio will take center stage in the new story content, with Nayuta rallying her Pioneer Squad against the Rapture Queen, who Liberalio reveres as a mother figure.
The anniversary event adds a new gacha costume for Red Hood and pass costumes for Crown and Siren. Plus, it’s bringing back a re-run of the powerful Pilgrim characters, letting you choose one of Modernia, Dorothy, or Red Hood as your exclusive event pull. And there will be limited-time challenges like new boss fights, a new Union Raid, Solo Raid, and multiple minigames and events.
With the third anniversary fast approaching, we chatted with game director Yoo HyungSuk. He’s a 15-year veteran of the Korean gaming industry who started his career as a combat planner on MMORPGs. His previous work also includes being the director/planning director for games like Overhit and Lost Ark. He joined Shift Up in 2020, when he was named game director of Goddess of Victory: Nikke. We talked to him about the game’s successful three-year run, how the dev team approached the new anniversary content, their plans for the future, and more.
According to your livestream, the new anniversary story content leads to what is a “final battle.” Could you explain why such a storyline is being launched at this point?
Yoo HyungSuk: Since launch, Nikke has had a considerable number of stories that are spread in all directions. We realized the need to slowly gather the stories that have branched out over the past three years into a single storyline, and the third anniversary is the starting point of this plan.
Nayuta, the featured character for the third anniversary update, is unique compared to previous Nikke characters. Can you talk about the concept behind the development of this character and the different abilities they have?
Yoo HyungSuk: All members of the Pioneer squad are based on classic JRPG parties. Snow White is the heavily armored knight and tanker. Scarlet is the agile swordswoman and DPS. Rapunzel is the priest who heals. That’s how it works.
Nayuta is the fourth member, so she was designated as the monk who supports. We didn’t want her to be stronger than the other three members in combat, so we developed her to focus on utility, which led to the abilities she has now. Her main ability is using her clones to learn massive amounts of information. As a former D.E.E.P. member, she’s also familiar with over-technology.
You’re also introducing a new gameplay mode called Surface Beta to launch alongside the third anniversary. Can you tell us more about it?
Yoo HyungSuk: As its name suggests, the Surface Beta content allows players to explore the biggest world in Nikke. To make the experience more immersive, we decided to adopt a simulation-style battle system instead of the existing shooting battle format. We incorporated fun elements across the expansive field, such as uncovering hidden areas and solving puzzles. Mainly, we want players to experience the battles against Lord-class Raptures. As Raptures have basic gimmick patterns based on the surface, it is important to choose the squads’ locations wisely. We will also introduce even stronger bosses in the future, so stay tuned for more!
Your dev team has consistently created new minigames throughout Nikke’s three-year run. What factors are usually considered when deciding what type of minigame to develop?
Yoo HyungSuk: In major events like this anniversary, minigames are not mini. Given how important this update is, we put more effort into the game mode, with this one featuring a never-before-seen genre with unique visuals and an impressive scale. It’s a management simulation-style game where you restore Eden, which was destroyed for a mysterious reason.
Just the fact that we’re here celebrating the three-year anniversary shows how successful the game has been and how it’s maintained a connection with the community. What do you think are the reasons for that success?
Yoo HyungSuk: We think our Commanders enjoy unique content and stories that are different from other games. In this age of content overload, providing gameplay, visuals, and stories similar to other titles would be nothing short of boring.
Fans of our game have a deep understanding of our content and stories. Since we have to keep delivering excellent content and narratives without disappointing them, we really try to emphasize to the whole development team that they should truly love the game and then it’s not just work. We will continue keeping this in mind and work harder to make our game better, so please stay tuned.
Since Nikke first launched, what have been the biggest difficulties you’ve run into and how did you overcome them?
Yoo HyungSuk: In the past three years, our biggest problem has been figuring out how to adapt to this fast-changing era and deciding what content and stories we should deliver to bring players for maximum fun. This issue has persisted for three years and will continue into the future. We are game developers, and fun is the core value of any game, so it’s only right that we face this challenge and keep bringing more fun and new content to our players. So it’s both a joyful and difficult journey.
That’s an interesting perspective. Do you think needing to adapt to that change has helped keep the dev team engaged? I imagine it can sometimes be difficult working on the same game for years even after release, dealing with complacency or burnout. But do you think having those consistent challenges to overcome helps with that?
Yoo HyungSuk: Yes, when we set endless goals it’s indeed possible to encounter problems like job burnout. Like boxers, we need to constantly compete, prove our ability, and have strong mental resilience.
This is why, from the very beginning, we’ve emphasized to the development team that, rather than aiming for zero mistakes, what matters more is learning from the mistakes and growing. After adopting this mindset, we noticed that continuously setting goals actually helps improve the team’s focus.
You’ve been able to collaborate with some big franchises, from Evangelion to Stellar Blade to Nier: Automata to the recent Resident Evil. What’s the process in deciding who to collaborate with?
Yoo HyungSuk: Collaborations are decided through various discussions, but recently, we’ve focused on finding IPs that players who like Nikke will enjoy, even if they’re not familiar with it. We designed the Resident Evil minigame with this perspective in mind, and we hope players are having fun with it.
Nikke has also shown up at some surprising real-life events, like the San Diego Padres baseball game and on the Hudson River in New York. Will we see Nikke at other real-world events in the future?
Yoo HyungSuk: Of course! Bringing multifaceted enjoyment that goes beyond the game to our Commanders makes us happy. In particular, seeing Rapi throw the first pitch at Petco Park in San Diego was especially an honor for us. We’ll continue to do our best, so please keep watching us.
Speaking of the future, what does Shift Up have planned for Goddess of Victory: Nikke in 2026?
Yoo HyungSuk: In 2026, we will continue to work hard to give you fun experiences, both in-game and beyond. We’re preparing various events and updates to surprise you, and we’re ready to bring more special surprises for the 3.5 and fourth anniversaries. I’m already excited now. In 2026, we also plan to improve the quality of our operations to provide a more stable experience. Hope you all enjoy the game.
Since the third anniversary’s story is centered around the “final battle” theme, could you give us a hint about what comes next?
Yoo HyungSuk: We hope in 2026 our story could move on to the next stage. We plan to gather the countless stories we’ve told so far, converge them into one culminating point, and then move forward.
Nikke has built up quite a following of passionate fans around the world in its three years. As we celebrate the anniversary, is there anything you want to say to the players who’ve been on this journey with you?
Yoo HyungSuk: This year, we participated in the LA Anime Expo with Cosmograph and had the opportunity to talk to American players in person. Many of them expressed their gratitude, and some even shed tears of excitement upon meeting us. This left a lasting memory in my heart.
For those of us who spend all day in the office, this opportunity to meet players in person is extremely invaluable. Being able to personally feel the love from fans is truly blissful. Although developing the game and providing live service is sometimes hard and exhausting, the support from players pushes us to overcome difficulties and pick ourselves back up over and over again, and come up with more exciting and fun events.
Goddess of Victory: Nikke is available to download for free on the game’s official website, or on the App Store or Google Play. You can also join the game’s community on Discord, Twitter, Facebook, or YouTube.
That sparked concern for The Lord of the Rings MMO. Now, one former Amazon Games developer hit by the cuts has indicated the game has indeed fallen by the wayside.
“This morning I was part of the layoffs at Amazon Games, alongside my incredibly talented peers on New World and our fledgling Lord of the Rings game (y’all would have loved it),” the developer said in a now-deleted post on LinkedIn.
“It’s always tough to see such a strong team go through something like this — I’ve been lucky to work with some of the most skilled, creative, and kind developers I’ve ever met here.”
The line “y’all would have loved it,” does suggest The Lord of the Rings is now dead. Neither Amazon nor Lord of the rings rights holder Embracer have responded to IGN’s request for comment.
Although The Lord of the Rings was announced in 2023, in August last year, Amazon Games boss Christoph Hartmann told IGN it was still early days. “We’re still trying to find the hook, find that idea of what it is because we don’t just want to go and do the same thing over,” Hartmann said at the time.
“While it’s tempting sometimes with an existing IP, that’s not the point of doing it. You’ve got to find a fresh twist, and we’re still, I think, in that period where we really want to find out what could be the hook, what could be the thing which is different to all the other games out there. So it’s a little bit early.”
In 2023, Embracer said it needed to be “exploiting Lord of the Rings in a very significant fashion” by turning it into “one of the biggest gaming franchises in the world.” Embracer bought the rights to The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit in August 2022 and announced plans to explore opportunities to create new games, movies, and more based on the famous intellectual property soon after.
This isn’t the first time Amazon has canceled a Lord of the Rings MMO. In 2021, it halted a Lord of the Rings MMORPG that was first announced in 2019 amid a contract dispute with Tencent.
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.
Resident Evil Requiem is set to release for PS5, Xbox, Switch 2, and PC on February 27. It puts you in the shoes of Grace Ashcroft, an FBI intelligence analyst who, unlike most Resident Evil protagonists, is not used to fighting horrific enemies. It will also let you switch between first- and third-person perspectives at any time.
RE Requiem is available to preorder now (see it at Best Buy). It’s coming out in a number of editions, with some neat extras to go along with it, so read on for a breakdown of what comes in each one.
Four weapon skins including S&S M232 Weapon Skin: Apocalypse
Two charms including Charm: Mr. Raccoon
Audio Pack: Raccoon City Classic
Files: Letters from 1998
Switch 2 Pro Controller – Resident Evil Requiem Edition
Switch 2 Pro Controller Resident Evil Requiem Edition
Here’s an unusual one for Nintendo. You can get an official Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller that’s etched with Resident Evil Requiem imagery. It costs $99.99 and will arrive February 27, the same day as the new game.
Switch owners who have missed out on the last two mainline Resident Evil releases can pick up a three-pack for Switch 2. The Resident Evil Generation Pack comes with Resident Evil 7 and all its DLC, Resident Evil Village and all its DLC, and Resident Evil Requiem. It comes in a tasteful box to house all the games.
Resident Evil Requiem amiibo Announced
They’re not available for preorder yet, but Capcom has announced it will release a Grace Ashcroft amiibo in summer 2026.
Resident Evil Requiem Preorder Bonus
Preorder the game, and you’ll get the following in-game item:
Grace’s Costume: Apocalypse
What Is Resident Evil Requiem?
The game kicks off when a body is discovered in an abandoned hotel. The person seems to have died from a strange, unidentified disease. You, as FBI analyst Grace Ashcroft, are sent to investigate the mysterious death, which just so happens to have occurred at the same hotel where your mom died eight years ago.
As you face your traumatic past, you also uncover a connection between this new body and the events of Raccoon City — where your mom was a reporter, who escaped from the carnage.
As for the gameplay, you can swap at any time between first-person and third-person perspectives. There seems to be another murderous character chasing you through the game, as our game critic discovered during a Resident Evil Requiem hands-on preview. We’ll have more info as Capcom trickles it out ahead of the game’s release in February 2026.
More Preorder Guides
Chris Reed is a commerce editor and deals expert for IGN. He also runs IGN’s board game and LEGO coverage. You can follow him on Bluesky.
Nintendo has brought Animal Crossing: New Horizons back into the big time with a Switch 2 Edition and a free update to the base game.
Both launch January 15, 2026, with preorders coming soon, Nintendo said.
Here’s the official blurb:
With enhanced resolution, mouse controls using the Joy-Con 2 controller, expanded online play, and more features exclusive to Nintendo Switch 2, players can get even more out of the island life in Animal Crossing: New Horizons — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition!
Plus, a free update is coming to Animal Crossing: New Horizons for players on both Nintendo Switch 2 and Nintendo Switch to enjoy. The free update includes a new resort hotel, additional amiibo functionality, collaboration items, updates to online play, and more.
We can’t wait for you to see everything new on the island January 15, 2026!
Nintendo Switch 2 players who already have Animal Crossing: New Horizons on Nintendo Switch can upgrade to the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition by purchasing the upgrade pack.
Most fans had accepted that Nintendo had left Animal Crossing: New Horizons behind, despite it being the second best-selling game on Switch with an enormous 48.19 million units sold. Animal Crossing: New Horizons launched in March 2020 and benefited from play-at-home gaming fueled by lockdowns, but Nintendo failed to capitalize on its popularity with significant DLC throughout the last five years. IGN’s Animal Crossing: New Horizons review returned a 9/10. We said: “Animal Crossing: New Horizons is an expanded, polished, next-generation reboot of a classic Nintendo game that’s full of surprises.”
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.
