A man in the UK has been arrested after police discovered he was harboring a cache of stolen Pokémon cards worth £250,000 (approx. $332,500).
The hoard was discovered after Greater Manchester Police raided a home in Hyde, Tameside, on the outskirts of Greater Manchester. It contained cards still in their original plastic labelling and price tags, with some individual cards worth up to £560 (approx. $744).
As spotted by the BBC, a police spokesman joked in a post on Facebook: “Gotta catch ’em all.” The force is now trying to reunite the cards with their rightful owners.
“An interesting warrant in #Hyde yesterday morning, supported by your Neighbourhood policing teams,” the statement from Tameside Police read. “Seizure of thousands of stolen, high-value Pokémon cards with an estimated worth of over £250,000. Attempts will now be made to return the cards to the original owners. One male arrested.
Perhaps that’s why finding Pokémon cards in 2025 isn’t as easy as it should be. Between Destined Rivals preorders vanishing in seconds, new split expansion sets in Black Bolt and White Flare, and Journey Together chase cards dominating every feed, Pokémon TCG has never felt more intense. But if you’re trying to keep up with Pokémon TCG without getting ripped off or left behind, check out our guide on the best places to start, including the latest update on what can be bought where from trusted retailers in the U.S.
Vikki Blake is a reporter, critic, columnist, and consultant. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
Warner Bros. Games has announced and released Mortal Kombat 1: Definitive Edition, which it described as “the most extensive version” of the gory fighting game. But for fans, the release of the Definitive Edition has sparked significant concern that NetherRealm has now moved on from the game, and that it won’t see any new DLC characters or significant content updates.
The Mortal Kombat 1: Definitive Edition offers the main game packaged together with previously released downloadable content, including the Khaos Reigns story expansion, Kombat Pack 1, and Kombat Pack 2.
The Definitive Edition also adds new character skins for Johnny Cage, Kitana, Scorpion, and Shao Khan “inspired” by the upcoming Mortal Kombat 2 film, the Mortal Kombat (2021) movie character skin for Sub-Zero; and the tournament themed character skin (outfit) for Liu Kang.
For fans, The Definitive Edition feels like a line has been drawn under Mortal Kombat 1. While Warner Bros. is known for its definitive and ultimate editions, and indeed NetherRealm games tend to get them, this time there is a sense of finality to the release. And with no announcements forthcoming about a Kombat Pack 3 or anything else meaningful for Mortal Kombat 1, fans believe that’s that.
If true, it’s a big disappointment for hardcore Mortal Kombat 1 fans, who had hoped for significantly longer term support for the game. Indeed, many are now pointing to a September 2024 tweet from NetherRealm development chief Ed Boon, who moved to reassure fans already concerned that the studio had moved onto its next game by saying: “NetherRealm is still fully committed to supporting Mortal Kombat 1 for a long time to come.”
“The game is done, it’s their way of saying ‘Goodbye! Come back the next year or two for another overly priced game bloated with guest characters!’ ” said a clearly disgruntled redditor.
“MK1 officially has a shorter content lifespan than the f***ing Texas Chainsaw Massacre game lmao,” said another.
For context, in July 2021, NetherRealm announced it had started work on its next project (Mortal Kombat 1) and, as a result, there would be no further DLC for Mortal Kombat 11. That announcement came two years and three months after the release of the game. NetherRealm is yet to make a similar announcement for Mortal Kombat 1.
T-1000 Terminator was the final DLC character added to Mortal Kombat 1 as part of the Khaos Reigns expansion, and follows playable fighters Cyrax, Sektor, Noob Saibot, Ghostface, and Conan the Barbarian. Fans have wondered for some time now whether developer NetherRealm plans a third set of DLC characters, or a Kombat Pack 3, amid questions about Mortal Kombat 1’s sales success.
Most fans of the studio’s work expect it to release a third game in its DC fighting game franchise, Injustice, although neither NetherRealm nor Warner Bros. has yet to confirm that. The first game in the series, Injustice: Gods Among Us, launched in 2013, with its sequel, Injustice 2, coming out in 2017. NetherRealm released Mortal Kombat 11 in 2019 and for a time it seemed like the studio would alternate between Mortal Kombat and Injustice games, but it went on to release another Mortal Kombat, the soft reboot that is Mortal Kombat 1, in 2023 instead.
In an interview with IGN in June 2023, Boon spoke in vague terms about this decision. “There were a number of factors, some of which I can talk about, some of which I probably shouldn’t,” Boon said.
Two reasons Boon was willing to discuss were the unfortunate onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the team’s choice to switch to a newer version of the Unreal game engine (Mortal Kombat 11 runs on Unreal Engine 3, whereas Mortal Kombat 1 runs on Unreal Engine 4).
“But we did go to a new graphics engine, Unreal,” Boon said. “We really wanted to be careful with COVID and all that stuff and everybody staying safe. So there were a bunch of variables involved that eventually we realized, ‘Okay, let’s do another Mortal Kombat game and hopefully we’ll get back to the Injustice games.’ “
Just to be sure, we wanted to confirm with him directly that the door was not closed on the Injustice franchise.
“Not at all,” Boon answered.
Mortal Kombat 1 has sold 5 million copies, with the franchise now up to 100 million. Mortal Kombat 11 became the best-selling game in the franchise by passing Mortal Kombat X’s nearly 11 million units sold worldwide. By 2022, Mortal Kombat 11 had sold more than 15 million copies worldwide. Clearly, Mortal Kombat 1 has underperformed compared to previous games in the series.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
Electronic Arts has announced to employees that it will be ending its remote working policies permanently, and implementing a full return to office.
In an email sent to employees today viewed by IGN, CEO Andrew Wilson said that in-person work results in “a kinetic energy that fuels creativity, innovation, and connection, often resulting in unexpected breakthroughs that lead to incredible experiences for our players.” He then went on to broadly outline that “hybrid work” would now be defined as a “minimum of three days a week in your local office,” and that “offsite local roles” would be gradually phased out.
In a follow-up email from EA Entertainment president, Laura Miele, also viewed by IGN, she clarified further details, describing the company as moving from “a decentralized approach to a globally consistent, enterprise-wide work model”:
These changes will not take effect immediately. Employees should continue working as directed by your Business Unit until further notice, regardless of where you live.
Work model transitions will come with a minimum 12-week notice period before any changes are implemented. The timing will vary by location and will be communicated locally with plenty of notice.
Hybrid work will mean working from your local office at least three days per week–this aligns with what’s outlined in Andrew’s EA Action.
We are introducing a new 30-mile/48-km radius around EA locations.
What this means:
Employees who live within 30-miles/48-km of an EA location will transition to a Hybrid work model.
Employees who live outside the 30-mile/48-km radius will be considered remote unless their role is designated as On Site or Hybrid.
We will also sunset the Offsite Local work model. Depending on your location, this transition may take 3 to 24 months.
Any work model exception and future Remote hires will require a CEO Direct’s /my approval.
Several sources within EA speaking to IGN anonymously said that employees were upset and confused, with some employees sharing hours-long commutes they were now being expected to make, or expressing concerns regarding childcare or personal medical conditions that had benefited from remote work. Others, classified as remote and outside the 30-mile range, expressed concern for what would happen to their roles if they were unwilling or unable to move closer to an office long-term. Two sources explained to IGN that per the breakdown sent by Miele, existing remote workers would have their “exemptions” to return to office “sunset” sometime in the next 3 to 24 months.
While remote work has long been prevalent in the video game industry, it became exceptionally popular during and after the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, when stay-at-home mandates forced most AAA companies to adapt remote work as a long-term solution. In the years since, more and more companies have hired more and more remote workers, and existing near-office workers have reported moving to cheaper cities away from offices, under the impression that remote work was permanent.
However, other major video game companies have recently been calling workers back to office, resulting in frustration and, at times, employee turnover as workers were forced to choose between expensive or challenging relocation and their jobs. Companies such as Rockstar Games, Ubisoft, and ActivisionBlizzard have all faced criticism from within and without as a result of these policies. However, the return to office mandates have appeared to move apace, with more companies such as EA opting to require an in-office model once again.
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.
You can now do your best Link impression with a playable ocarina from Deekec. The 12-hole handmade ceramic flute looks exactly how it does in the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and comes with a songbook with 20 iconic songs from the game, like the Song of Time and Song of Storms. It’s on sale for $17.99 (10% off) at Amazon right now and is part of a Lightning Deal, meaning only a limited number of these are available at this price.
Grab a Playable Ocarina and Legend of Zelda Songbook
Aside from the ocarina itself and the songbook, you also get a neck strap, a protective bag for storage, and a nice ceramic display stand that looks incredible on any collector’s shelf. The songbook includes songs from the entirety of the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time’s iconic library of music and comes with easy to understand instructions for first-time ocarina players, as well as real sheet music for more experienced musicians. There’s also a quick visual guide on how to hold the ocarina properly before playing.
Sony has announced the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog additions for May 2025, unveiling a list of titles that includes newcomers such as Sand Land, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Legends of the Zone Trilogy, Battlefield 5, and more.
The full lineup of titles coming to its gaming subscription service was revealed in a PlayStation.Blog post today. It’s a collection of six games for PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium subscribers that will all drop come May 20, delivering a variety of experiences for fans of different genres and eras of gaming.
Those starting at the Extra tier can take advantage of a whopping nine new titles coming to the Game Catalog for May 2025. Headlining the list of PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 games is Sand Land, an action RPG adaptation of the Akira Toriyama manga of the same name.
Other PS4 and PS5 highlights include Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted – Full Time Edition and the three-in-one S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Legends of the Zone Trilogy. An enhanced version of the latter was announced for PS5 (as well as PC and Xbox Series X | S) just this morning and is also set to arrive May 20. Developer GSC Game World says those who own the original trilogy release on console will receive the Enhanced Edition for free, though it’s unclear if this same offer is extended to those who play on PlayStation Plus.
PlayStation Plus Premium members, meanwhile, get one new classic title in the form of Battle Engine Aquila. Available on PS4 and PS5, this sci-fi action game puts players in the cockpit of a mobile war vehicle that can fight off enemies from both the air and on the ground. You can see the full list of May 2025 PlayStation Plus Game Catalog titles below.
PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium Game Catalog Additions – May 2025
While we wait to dive into this month’s PlayStation Plus additions, you can read up on which games joined the Essential tier’s monthly games for May 2025. You can also see Sony’s list of April 2025 Game Catalog additions here.
Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor 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).
Ubisoft’s extreme sports game Riders Republic is the latest in a long line of video games heading to the silver screen. The publisher announced today that a feature film adaptation of 2021’s Riders Republic is underway, and it already has a directorial duo seated behind the camera.
In a press release, Ubisoft Film & Television annnounced it’s partnering with Gaumont for the adaptation of Riders Republic. Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, the Belgian duo who directed Bad Boys for Life and Bad Boys: Ride or Die, are already signed on to direct.
The script adaptation will be penned by Noé Debré, whose credits include Stillwater and The World Is Yours.
Not much has been said about the direction, other than the adaptation is “poised to be an electrifying action movie, delivering non-stop thrills, humor, and spectacular stunts on the snowy slopes of the Alps,” per Ubisoft.
2021’s Riders Republic mixed elements of extreme sports simulation with open-world exploration, akin to Ubisoft’s The Crew games. “Riders Republic is an excellent, arcadey extreme sports sandbox with bonkers multiplayer events, an impressive open world, and unfortunate server issues,” wrote our reviewer in IGN’s 8/10 review of its launch version.
In the years since, Ubisoft has gradually added more to the experience, with Season 14 adding a Park Creator for players to form their own playgrounds. It certainly seems like players have been gradually poking away at Riders Republic over time.
As for a feature film adaptation, it remains to be seen what narrative might be concocted around all the extreme sports action. Hopefully there’s at least some sick tricks and crazy stunts, if nothing else.
Video game adaptations are certainly picking up in earnest, though. From box office successes like the Sonic and Mario movies, to recent attempts like Until Dawn, to upcoming adaptations like Clair Obscur and Death Stranding, everyone seems to be getting in on the video game adaptation trend. So why not Riders Republic?
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has many memorable characters, but few might inspire as much joy as Esquie, the game’s lovable giant pal who might as well be a mascot character. The studio is warning against issues with fake merch sales around him, but also teasing an official plush Esquie that’s in the works.
In a post on X/Twitter from the official Expedition 33 account, Sandfall Interactive said it has seen a number of “suspicious” websites pop up selling Esquie plushies.
“To be clear: any third-party websites selling Esquie plushies are NOT officially licensed,” the studio said. “Many of them are using AI-generated artwork to advertise, and we strongly recommend against purchasing from these sources. They could be scams.”
To balance out the wheee with the whooo though, as Esquie might say, Sandfall confirms it is looking into making official Esquie plushies, and wants to get them out as soon as it can. “In the meantime, please be patient — and don’t get scammed!” the studio said.
Those who have played the game probably get why an Esquie plushie might be in high demand. If you haven’t gone on Expedition 33 yet, Esquie is a giant helper you meet in Act 1 of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 who becomes both a traveling companion and overworld travel method. He’s got the same vibe as Big Hero 6’s Baymax.
With that in mind, it’s easy to see how an Esquie plush might garner some interest, so it’s good to know Sandfall is working on an official solution. A cursory search on Google pulled up both an unofficial site, and a few threads asking about Esquie plush peddlers. If you want the real thing from Sandfall and Kepler, you’ll have to wait a bit. No news on whether the real-life plushie will also be filled with wine, though.
Last week, Sandfall Interactive released patch 1.2.3 for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, addressing some balance tweaks around Maelle’s Stendhal ability. French President Emmanuel Macron also recently praised the game, calling its developers a “shining example of French audacity and creativity.”
GSC Game World has announced S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Legends of the Zone Trilogy – Enhanced Edition, a next-gen upgrade version of the original S.T.A.L.K.E.R. trilogy of games due out across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S on May 20.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Legends of the Zone Trilogy – Enhanced Edition includes upgraded versions of Shadow of Chornobyl (2007), Clear Sky (2008), and Call of Prypiat (2009). Expect an overhaul for each game with upgraded visuals, next-gen console optimizations, and expanded mod support.
GSC Game World said players who own the S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Legends of the Zone Trilogy on Xbox Series X and S or PS5 already get the Enhanced Edition of the corresponding games for free.
As for PC, “to thank our loyal fans,” GSC Game World said owners of the original S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games get the Enhanced Editions free, and buyers of the Enhanced Editions receive the original versions included. The trilogy is available as a bundle for $39.99 or individually at $19.99 per title.
Cross-platform saves between PC and consoles are not supported. Your saved data will be specific to the platform you are playing on.
On PS5 and Xbox Series X and S, players will have multiple frame-rate options available for S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Legends of the Zone Trilogy Enhanced Edition. These options include standard modes at 30 FPS and 60 FPS. In addition, there will be specific modes targeting 40 FPS and up to 120 FPS. However, these 40 FPS and 120 FPS options are exclusively available for displays that support VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) technology.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Enhanced Edition on consoles features different graphical and performance modes, including a Quality Balanced mode, a Performance mode, and an Ultra Performance mode.
Xbox Series X, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 5 Pro: Quality (native 4K/30 FPS), Balanced (upscaled 4K/40 FPS), Performance (upscaled 4K/60 FPS), Ultra Performance (upscaled 2K/120 FPS).
Xbox Series S: Quality (native 2K/30 FPS), Balanced (upscaled 2K/40 FPS), Performance (1080p/60 FPS).
(Both the Quality Balanced mode and the Ultra Performance mode are exclusively available when using a display that supports VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) technology.)
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Legends of the Zone Trilogy – Enhanced Edition visual upgrades (all platforms):
Enhanced lighting with godrays, screen space reflections, and global illumination for a more immersive atmosphere.
Upscaled textures and detailed 3D models for NPCs, weapons, and environments.
Advanced shaders for water and wetness effects, paired with upgraded skyboxes for a more dynamic world.
4K pre-rendered cinematics for dramatic storytelling and improved weapon FOV for better combat visibility.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Legends of the Zone Trilogy – Enhanced Edition console enhancements and new graphic mods (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S):
Xbox Series X, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 5 Pro: Quality (native 4K/30 FPS), Balanced (upscaled 4K/40 FPS), Performance (upscaled 4K/60 FPS), Ultra Performance (upscaled 2K/120 FPS).
Xbox Series S: Quality (native 2K/30 FPS), Balanced (upscaled 2K/40 FPS), Performance (1080p/60 FPS).
Keyboard & Mouse Support: Available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S for a tailored experience.
Mod.io Integration: Create and share mods across PC and consoles via mod.io (https://mod.io/).
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Legends of the Zone Trilogy – Enhanced Edition PC features:
Steam Deck Optimized: Play the trilogy on the go with full Steam Deck compatibility.
Steam Workshop Integration: Access a vast library of user-generated mods.
Cloud Saves: Seamless progress backup across devices.
Gamepad Support: Full controller compatibility for a console-like experience on PC.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
The Nintendo Switch 2 version of Hogwarts Legacy will include sharper visuals, faster loading times, and make use of those all-new mouse controls, too.
As demonstrated in an all-new comparisons teaser trailer, while players of the original game had to sit through loading screens when players moved in or out of Hogsmeade, the Switch 2 version enables players to transition seamlessly from area to area.
That’s not all, either. Playing on the Nintendo Switch 2 also boosts frame rate, textures, shadows, and even the color saturation of Hogwarts and its surroundings — you can see it for yourself in the trailer below:
As for mouse controls? We’re intrigued, too. For now, though, developer Warner Bros. isn’t ready to expand on that, but we wonder if the new mouse functionality could be used while spell-casting perhaps.
Much like other Switch 1 games, players with Hogwarts Legacy on the OG system will be able to upgrade to the new, improved version for $10.
Hogwarts Legacy is an immersive, action, open-world role-playing-game set in the 1800s wizarding world. Beginning as a fifth year, players embark on a journey through new and familiar locations, explore and discover magical beasts, craft potions, master spell casting, upgrade talents, and customize their character to become the witch or wizard they’ve always wanted to be. It’s coming to Nintendo Switch 2 the same day the console releases, June 5.
We had an amazing time with Hogwarts Legacy, awarding it 9/10 in the IGN Hogwart’s Legacy review, writing: “in almost every way, Hogwarts Legacy is the Harry Potter RPG [we’ve] always wanted to play.”
Vikki Blake is a reporter, critic, columnist, and consultant. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
Eagle-eyed Helldivers 2 fans have spotted what looks like a leak from PlayStation that suggests players will end up fighting back against the Illuminate on the streets of Super Earth.
This week, developer Arrowhead launched the full Illuminate invasion, adding new enemy types in the process. The in-universe wording of the invasion suggested the Illuminate were heading straight for Super Earth, and now a leak coming out of the official Czech Republic Threads account suggests that the Illuminate will not only make it to our home planet, but we’ll have to fight them off there.
Redditor xTekshi spotted the now-deleted post, which spoke of a “Heart of Democracy” update coming on May 20. While Heart of Democracy is referenced in the official working around this week’s update, neither Sony nor Arrowhead have confirmed it in relation to a May 20 release.
Adding further fuel to the fire is the fact a May 20 release would fit with the timing of the end of the current Major Order.
Official Playstation account for the Czech Republic dropped info on the next title update. “Heart of Democracy” – May 20th#Helldivers2pic.twitter.com/gelJbnYMqR
This all feels pretty much inevitable, and that’s the wording Sony and Arrowhead have used for this update (“High Command believes this Fleet’s ultimate objective to be the invasion of Super Earth itself” and “Battle on Super Earth is inevitable”).
So, fans think the Czech account accidentally leaked Helldivers 2’s next major update, and with it plans to fight on Super Earth itself. If true, this would be a significant upgrade for the explosive third-person action game, which currently includes alien planet maps only. Playing on Super Earth would certainly offer something different.
Warning! Spoilers for Helldivers 2 follow:
Now, in a recent development, gameplay of Super Earth Mega Cities has leaked online, via social media account IronS1ghts and their YouTube channel. The gameplay shows Super Earth as a destination in Helldivers 2. You’re able to choose from a variety of city missions, as you can on other planets (“York Supreme” is a city in North America).
On the surface we see future Earth urban areas, with the Illuminate invasion ongoing. SEAF (the equivalent of the national guard or militia) soldiers are fighting alongside the Helldivers. For me, this reminds me a lot of Halo 3: ODST, with the Covenant invading Earth.
How is this gameplay possible? Apparently the Super Earth content is in the Helldivers 2 game files already, waiting to launch.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
