The entanglement of war with simulation continues with the discovery that a video of a US battleship shooting down an Iranian fighter jet is very likely a clip from videogame War Thunder, depicting ordnance from the World War 2 era. The clip in question has circulated on social media to the tune of millions of views. It has also been shared around by at least one sitting US Republican statesman, Texas governor Greg Abbott, who reposted it with the caption “Bye bye”. The tweet in question has since been deleted.
The Pokémon Company has issued an official objection after the White House used Pokopia for a meme, pushing back against the Trump administration’s repeated use of its intellectual property on social media.
On March 5, the official White House X / Twitter account shared a “Make America Great Again” meme that looks like the recently released spinoff, Pokémon Pokopia. While unconfirmed, it appears that the meme is an AI-generated graphic in the style of Pokopia, which released on the Nintendo Switch 2 this week. The text, “Make America Great Again,” is similar to the Pokopia font. Familiar Pokémon can be seen in the background. At the time of this article’s publication, the White House’s tweet had been viewed 18.6 million times.
The Pokémon Company issued a statement in which it stressed that it did not grant the White House permission to use its IP for social content.
“We are aware of recent social content that includes imagery associated with our brand,” a company spokesperson told The New York Times. “We were not involved in its creation or distribution, and no permission was granted for the use of our intellectual property. Our mission is to bring the world together, and that mission is not affiliated with any political viewpoint or agenda.”
“We are aware of a recent video posted by the Department of Homeland Security that includes imagery and language associated with our brand,” The Pokémon Company International said in a statement shared with IGN at the time. “Our company was not involved in the creation or distribution of this content, and permission was not granted for the use of our intellectual property.”
Many fans have suggested The Pokémon Company should defend its intellectual property by launching legal action. However, the corporation’s former legal chief told IGN last year that he “wouldn’t touch this.”
Don McGowan, Pokémon’s veteran ex-legal chief, told IGN in September that he believed any such action was highly unlikely. “I don’t see them doing anything about this for a few reasons,” McGowan, now principal at Extreme Grownup Services, said. “First, think of how little you see [The Pokémon Company International]’s name in the press. They are INSANELY publicity-shy and prefer to let the brand be the brand.
“Second, many of their execs in the USA are on green cards. Even if I was still at the company I wouldn’t touch this, and I’m the most trigger-happy CLO [Chief Legal Officer] I’ve ever met. This will blow over in a couple of days and they’ll be happy to let it.”
As pointed out by The New York Times, Trump administration spokesperson Abigail Jackson has previously commented on their social media strategy, which shows no sign of backing off the use of entertainment company’s IP.
“Through engaging posts and banger memes, we are successfully communicating the president’s extremely popular agenda,” Jackson said. “There’s a reason so many people try to copy our style — our message resonates.”
The Trump administration has form when it comes to using AI images to promote the President. In May last year, Trump sparked a backlash from some Catholics after posting an AI-generated image of himself as the Pope. The picture, which was shared by official White House social media accounts, was released as Catholics mourned the death of Pope Francis and prepared to choose the next pontiff.
And earlier this week, the White House posted a video on social media that mixed footage from its bombing operations in Iran with Call of Duty gameplay. IGN has asked Activision for comment, but it has yet to respond.
Phot by Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images.
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.
As part of its Spotlight showcase today, Capcom took the time to acknowledge the 30th anniversary of Resident Evil. This special occasion will officially take place on 22nd March 2026, and to kick things off, it’s today shared multiple announcements.
Fresh Looks at Pragmata, Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection and More in Capcom Spotlight 2026
Joseph Bustos, Social Media & Community Manager, Capcom USA
Today, Capcom Spotlight shared exciting news and updates for Capcom’s packed line-up of games, with a little something for everyone. We’re proud to share new info ranging from returning franchises like Monster Hunter, to completely new titles like Pragmata, and more! Read on for the details.
Hack Deeper into the Mysterious World of Pragmata
Capcom Spotlight debuted a stunning new look at the long-awaited sci-fi action-adventure game, Pragmata. Additionally, we’re happy to announce the updated release date for the game, which now lands one week earlier on April 17, 2026!
Have a look at the new trailer, which includes a look at a new friend that will help guide you while you’re in the Shelter.
Pre-order Pragmata ahead of launch on Xbox Series X|S and check out the Deluxe Edition for some extra in-game costumes, rare digital artwork, and more.
If you haven’t tried the game yet, check out the Pragmata Sketchbook Demo to try out the game’s unique mix of hacking and shooting. Be sure to complete it multiple times to uncover its secrets and different endings.
The gameplay demo, Sketchbook, lets you try out this combat system that engages both sides of your brain, while you also get to experience what it’s like to traverse the lunar research station.
*This demo supports English and Japanese voice.
*Some in-game features may differ from the full game.
*Ray tracing is not supported on Xbox Series S.
Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection Launches March 13!
Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection arrives next week, reaching new heights for this turn-based, story-rich RPG story set in the world of Monster Hunter. Have a look at the game’s launch trailer, which delves further into the deep and dramatic story that awaits.
Two countries, twin Rathalos. One Rider and their trusted Rathalos, alongside their companions, must navigate the conflict between these two Azuria and Vermeil, all while the looming disaster of the Crystal Encroachment threatens the world.
As you get ready for launch, here’s a rundown of the various bonuses you can get. Players with save data for past Monster Hunter games can get special layered armor for the protagonist.
Monster Hunter Wilds save data – Hope Layered Armor set
Monster Hunter Stories save data – Hakum Rider Outfit
Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin save data – Mahana Rider Outfit
Monster Hunter Rise save data – Kamura Garb
Additionally, linking your Capcom ID account will allow you to receive the adorable Catcom Works outfit for Rudy! We’re also releasing two free cosmetic DLCs at launch: the Gold Circlet accessory for the protagonist, and the Wind Wyvern’s Friend Layered Armor for Simon.
Interested in giving the game a test ride? Try out the content packed Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection demo now for free and transfer your save data to the full version at launch!
Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection Trial Version
This is the trial version of Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection.
You can play the beginning portion of the game for free.
Save data will transfer to the full version.
The third entry in the Monster Hunter Stories RPG series is here!
Twin Rathalos, born in a twist of fate.
Monster Hunter Stories is an RPG series set in the Monster Hunter world, where you can become a Rider, raising and bonding with your favorite monsters.
The Story
Azuria and Vermeil: two countries, on a path to destruction.
When all hope seems lost, an egg is found. Inside is a Rathalos, a species thought to be extinct.
But this quavering light of hope is quickly extinguished, giving way to the darkness of despair.
Born from the egg is not a single Rathalos, but twins, bearing the Skyscale marking that hearkens back to the disastrous civil war of 200 years prior.
The natural world teeters on the verge of destruction, with countless monster species facing extinction. In the shadow of these dark times, the flames of war rekindle.
Two countries, and two Rathalos.
A Rider and their trusted Rathalos, buffeted by the winds of fate, set out on a journey for the truth.
Online Features Revealed for Mega Man Star Force Collection
Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection arrives on Xbox Series X|S on March 26! Capcom Spotlight showed off the collection’s new online features, including the ability to search across all three titles to find a match quickly, or choose between Friend, Casual and Ranked Match based on your preference.
Trading and the Brother List features have been improved in this collection as well. Choose a card and trade it with your partner to acquire the cards you’re looking for! With the Brother List, you can add up to one hundred Brothers per game, a big improvement over the original limit of six.
Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection – Geo Stelar and Omega-Xis Character Model Pack Pre-order Bonus
This product includes selectable character models of Geo Stelar (casual outfit) and Omega-Xis for the Main Menu.
Special arrangements for four music tracks are also included for the Music Player.
Note: This pre-order bonus may also become available at a later date.
*This pre-order bonus is available until March 26, 2026, 23:59 (local time).
The Mega Man Star Force series, which expanded into an anime, is back in the Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection! This collection includes seven games and additional features like a gallery of illustrations and music! Online play is also supported!
The following titles are included in the collection:
Mega Man Star Force Pegasus
Mega Man Star Force Leo
Mega Man Star Force Dragon
Mega Man Star Force 2 Zerker x Ninja
Mega Man Star Force 2 Zerker x Saurian
Mega Man Star Force 3 Black Ace
Mega Man Star Force 3 Red Joker
It is the year 220X, and the world has seen rapid advancements in Wave technology. Our protagonist, 11-year-old Geo Stelar, refuses to go to school as he mourns the disappearance of his astronaut father.
One night, Geo is at the observatory gazing at stars as he usually does. Suddenly, his Transer picks up a signal from space and he is hit with a powerful electric shock!
When he finally comes to, an alien with an electromagnetic wave body called Omega-Xis is standing over him…
Note: The toy link features found in the original versions are not supported.
Alex Makes His Entrance in Street Fighter 6 on March 17!
The dark devil himself, Alex, steps into the ring as part of Street Fighter 6 Year 3 on March 17! Alex uses pro wrestling techniques, overpowering and overwhelming opponents both in and outside of the squared circle.
Motion capture for Alex was performed by the legendary pro wrestler, Kenny Omega, adding authentic touches to his walk-out sequences, Super Arts, and more! JAM Project also contributed an original track for Alex called “Go! Alex! Hope is Born! – Alex’s Theme”! In anticipation of Alex’s release, the Alex Arrives! Fighting Pass will bring exciting content across each game mode.
Finally, the swimsuit series of outfits continue with Outfit 4 for Dee Jay and Elena, also launching alongside Alex! Even though it might not be sunny weather, these two outfits are sure to heat things up.
Here comes Capcom’s newest challenger! Street Fighter 6 launches worldwide on June 2nd, 2023 and represents the next evolution of the series.
Powered by Capcom’s proprietary RE ENGINE, the Street Fighter 6 experience spans across three distinct game modes featuring World Tour, Fighting Ground and Battle Hub.
Diverse Roster of 18 Fighters
Play legendary masters and new fan favorites like Ryu, Chun-Li, Luke, Jamie, Kimberly and more in this latest edition with each character featuring striking new redesigns and exhilarating cinematic specials.
Dominate the Fighting Ground
Street Fighter 6 offers a highly evolved combat system with three control types – Classic, Modern and Dynamic – allowing you to quickly play to your skill level.
The new Real Time Commentary Feature adds all the hype of a competitive match as well as easy-to-understand explanations about your gameplay.
The Drive Gauge is a new system to manage your resources. Use it wisely in order to claim victory.
Explore the Streets in World Tour
Discover the meaning of strength in World Tour, an immersive, single-player story mode. Take your avatar and explore Metro City and beyond. Meet Masters who will take you under their wing and teach you their style and techniques.
Seek Rivals in the Battle Hub
The Battle Hub represents a core mode of Street Fighter 6 where players can gather and communicate, and become stronger together. Use the avatar you create in World Tour to check out cabinets on the Battle Hub floor and play against other players, or head over to the Game Center to enjoy some of Capcom’s classic arcade games.
Your path to becoming a World Warrior starts here.
Online Play
Capcom provides various online services for this game, including online-only content.
* Certain elements of this game cannot be accessed without an internet connection.
* A Capcom ID is required to use online-only content.
* For information on the services related to Capcom ID and how to use it, please visit the official Capcom ID website (https://cid.capcom.com/). Please note that there may be cases wherein use of Capcom ID is age-restricted.
* For online-only content, a separate paid membership service (Game Pass Core) is required.
* Capcom may temporarily suspend online services in the event of unforeseen circumstances.
Today’s Capcom Spotlight presentation shared details on a mix of titles, including the upcoming releases of Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection, Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection and Pragmata, as well as news on Street Fighter 6 and Mega Man Dual Override.
The launch trailer for Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection gives you a dramatic look at the upcoming turn-based, story-rich, RPG set in the Monster Hunter universe. In this epic adventure, you are the heir to the throne of Azuria, and the leader of a group called the Rangers. While the two countries of Azuria and Vermeil stand on the brink of war, an ecological threat known as the Crystal Encroachment threatens the fabric of the world.
Together with your fellow Rangers and your monsties – monster partners that you’ll form bonds with as a rider – you’ll journey towards unknown lands on a search to uncover the truth. Meet new friends, discover new lands, and bond with iconic monsters from across series history in a sprawling and memorable RPG adventure.
We can’t wait to welcome you to the world of Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection when it launches next week, March 13. Riders and Hunters alike with past save data in Monster Hunter Stories, Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin, Monster Hunter Rise, and Monster Hunter Wilds can receive different bonus outfits for each. And, if you link your Capcom ID account to your PlayStation account, you’ll receive the Catcom Works outfit for Rudy.
Try the demo now, and transfer over your save data to the full game next week.
The long wait for Pragmata is nearly over. Even better, we’re excited to share that the game will now arrive one week earlier than its previously announced launch date. The new launch date is…April 17!
In our latest trailer, we showcased glimpses at never-before-seen locations and enemies, new abilities for Hugh, and a bit more of the mystery surrounding the lunar research station’s rogue AI: IDUS. We also showed how the Shelter – your safe space away from the action – can continue to grow, as well as your helpful new bot assistant in the Shelter, Cabin. Don’t worry, this one is a friend.
Fight as Hugh and Diana together to escape the lunar research station and make it back to Earth. Can they make Diana’s dream of visiting Earth a reality? Pragmata launches on PS5, April 17.
Get familiar with Pragmata’s tactile, hybrid gameplay that mixes shooting and hacking with the free Sketchbook Demo.
Mega Man Dual Override powers up on PS5 and PS4 in 2027. Shortly after we first announced the game at The Game Awards 2025, we kicked off the Robot Master Design Contest. We asked the community to design a Robot Master who has a right arm with immense suction powers, and out of many entries, we’ve narrowed it down to the final six designs.
Download the image
Download the image
Download the image
Download the image
Download the image
Download the image
The development team will now choose one winner that will appear in the final game when it launches, so stay tuned.
While you wait for the launch of Mega Man Dual Override, check out Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection, coming to PS5 and PS4 on March 27. The collection includes seven total games:
Mega Man Star Force Pegasus
Mega Man Star Force Leo
Mega Man Star Force Dragon
Mega Man Star Force 2 Zerker x Ninja
Mega Man Star Force 2 Zerker x Saurian
Mega Man Star Force 3 Black Ace
Mega Man Star Force 3 Red Joker
Experience these games with enhanced graphics and music, new customization features, and new online features like matchmaking across all three titles, Friend, Casual, and Ranked Matches, and improvements to trading functions and the Brother list.
Acknowledge the arrival of the dark devil, Alex, when he makes his entrance on March 17 as the third fighter from Street Fighter 6 Year 3. The Alex Arrives Fighting Pass will also be available with new content across multiple game modes.
Outfit 4 for Dee Jay and Elena also launches on March 17, the same day as Alex.
That’s all from the Capcom Spotlight. Be sure to check out the full presentation on our official Capcom channels for more info on the games above.
Somehow, Pragmata was announced almost six whole years ago. Where did those years go? I certainly didn’t allow them to go anywhere! Originally slated for release in 2022, it was eventually delayed into 2023, then indefinitely, before Capcom finally locked in a 2026 release date. Which it will not be making, technically, as while it was originally slated to launch on April 24th, it’ll no longer be doing so… because it’s coming out earlier. Teehee, I fooled you, what a little trickster I am!
What a day! We’re still bustling through Resident Evil Requiem, Pokopia’s out today, and on top of that, Slay the Spire 2 is out in early access. And in the shadows of these giant releases, Slay the Spire 2 is doing particularly well. As I type this, it’s reached 177k concurrent players on Steam, and that number is still actively rising. That’s a new record for a roguelike on the platform, just weeks after Mewgenics smashed the previous record.
As reported by Eurogamer back in February, previously, Hades 2 held the crown for the highest concurrent player count on Steam for a roguelike at 112k players. The weekend of its launch, Mewgenics managed to surpass it, reaching 115k concurrent players.
Slay the Spire 2 is currently the fourth most-played game on Steam right now, behind Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, and Arc Raiders, and just ahead of Rust. It’s even doing better (at the moment) than Resident Evil: Requiem, which at the time of this piece had around 115k concurrents (though its peak is at 344k, considerably higher). I’m almost tempted to sit here refreshing the page just to see if it can get past 200k before I publish.
That’s a fantastic debut for this long-awaited sequel to the popular deckbuilder roguelike Slay the Spire which we called ‘Amazing’ at the time, and awarded a 9/10, saying: “Slay the Spire takes some of the best parts of deckbuilding games, roguelikes, and dungeon crawlers, and mixes them into a wholly new and extremely satisfying package.” Slay the Spire 2 is currently only available on PC for its early access period, but it seems likely to get console versions once it’s fully released.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.
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