Fans of the super-soccer Roblox experience Blue Lock: Rivals have scored another update in the form of the Lunar New Year event patch.
This update aims to usher in the new year with themed cosmetics and additional content for players to unlock. Most of the offerings are neatly wrapped up in a short event pass that asks competitors to complete challenges, such as playing matches and racking up assists, to earn XP, and, of course, some rewards.
The Blue Lock: Rivals Lunar New Year event pass itself comes with a rideable dragon and Styles, with the real prize being a stylish Dragon Cape to wear into each match. Other limited rewards include the Lantern Goal Effect, a fire-breathing Roar emote, a Lanterns cosmetic, and the red-and-gold Lunar player card. It’s all available from today through January 31, so make sure to start scoring goals now if you want to nab everything before it’s gone.
The team behind the update detailed a few other highlights in its patch notes. New maps have been introduced, with the developers teasing that this fresh selection is “way more optimized.” There are also new teams, a volley system, and Keybind options now available for players, too. Finally, the Lunar New Year update is said to include “lots” of bug fixes and quality-of-life changes, though what these specific changes are remains unclear.
Blue Lock: Rivals takes inspiration from the manga and anime series of the same name by pitting players against one another in high-octane, powered-up soccer matches. While other popular Roblox experiences prioritize action and tower-defense gameplay, the team behind this unofficial spinoff has carved out a place for itself as one of the biggest draws for sports and anime fans. The Lunar New Year event comes as the latest patch since launch arrived last July, with another recent update including the Yukimiya and Hiori Style and Flows as well as a rework for Bachira that came with three new abilities.
For more on Roblox sports experiences, you can read up on a December Blade Ball update that brought along Christmas present to open for dodgeball fans. For everything else on Blue Lock: Rivals, you can see our full list of all active codes here. Finally, you can see the full list of patch notes for all of today’s new content below.
Blue Lock: Rivals Lunar New Year Event Patch Notes
LUNAR NEW YEAR UPDATE LOG:
– Lunar New Year Event!
– New Maps (Way more optimized)
– New teams!
– Volley System
– New Limiteds
– Keybinds!
– BUG FIXES
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).
Welcome to the latest instalment in our nostalgia-inducing column, Memory Pak, where we deep-dive into some of the most memorable moments in gaming – good and bad.
Today, to mark the 25th anniversary of Resident Evil 2‘s N64 launch in Japan, Ollie reflects on a curious short comic book story that, against all logic, made him sympathise with a Tyrant…
Today is release day for The Game Kitchen’s The Stone Of Madness, an isometric tactical stealth game set in an 18th century monastery – “isometric tactical stealth game” being a pretty clinical way to describe the plight of sundry lost souls exploring a maze of hellish Catholic art populated by guards and ghouls.
In 2025, MLB The Show is celebrating its monumental 20th anniversary, a milestone that honors two decades of baseball history, innovation, and unforgettable memories for baseball fans around the world. To mark this special occasion for San Diego Studio and PlayStation Studios, MLB The Show 25 proudly features not one, nor two, but three cover athletes for the first time ever — Paul Skenes, Elly De La Cruz, and Gunnar Henderson. These rising stars join a rich history of legendary cover athletes, symbolizing the future of baseball as we celebrate 20 incredible years of the franchise.
Paul Skenes’ journey began in high school and continued through college, where he cemented his status as one of the most talented young pitchers in baseball by winning a national championship before being selected as the No. 1 overall pick by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 2023 MLB Draft. The following season, Skenes made his MLB debut and became the first player in MLB history to start the All-Star Game just one year after being drafted. He capped off an incredible 2024 season by earning National League Rookie of the Year honors and being named to the All-MLB First Team. His story and skillset align perfectly with Road to the Show, where you can chart your own path to greatness.
Elly De La Cruz’s meteoric rise from the minors to the majors perfectly captures the excitement of working up to a big league debut and becoming a star. Since making his Major League debut in 2023 with the Cincinnati Reds, Elly has consistently proven to be one of the most electrifying players on the field. He became one of the youngest players in MLB history to hit for the cycle and is renowned for his blazing speed on the bases and his cannon-like arm, further cementing his status as one of the league’s most promising talents. The 2024 All-Star showcases an impressive five-tool skillset and a dynamic switch-hitting approach — exactly what MLB The Show fans dream of when developing or acquiring their starting shortstop in Franchise mode.
Rounding out this triple play of talent is the 2023 American League Rookie of the Year, Gunnar Henderson. Selected 42nd overall in the 2019 MLB Draft, Gunnar quickly ascended through the Orioles’ farm system, making his MLB debut late in the 2022 season. Heading into 2023, he was named the #1 prospect on MLB’s Top 100 list. In his first full season in the majors, Gunnar became a cornerstone of the Orioles’ young core, helping lead the team to its first postseason appearance in seven years. His outstanding performance earned him AL Rookie of the Year honors and a Silver Slugger Award. Gunnar’s star continued to rise in 2024, as he was selected to start in the MLB All-Star Game and compete in the Home Run Derby. His MLB journey resonates deeply with MLB The Show fans who strive to dominate head-to-head competition in their pursuit of greatness on the diamond.
Sign up for The Scouting Report
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For all the fans, make sure to sign up for the MLB The Show Scouting Report to stay updated on all the latest features, updates, and legends coming to MLB The Show 25, while unlocking amazing rewards along the way. Starting in April 2025, subscribers will receive a unique pack every month through December 2025*, packed with incredible in-game rewards. Plus, the Golden Ticket Sweepstakes will return in 2025, with winners selected every month for amazing prizes like Packs, Stubs, clothing, autographed items from Elly De La Cruz, Gunnar Henderson, and Paul Skenes, along with even more surprises we can’t wait to reveal. Don’t miss out—sign up today on theshow.com!
While you’re there, don’t forget to also set up your MLB The Show account and prepare for Opening Day. MLB The Show 25 allows you to easily move from platform to platform and keep access to your entire inventory of cards**. Head over to https://account.theshow.com/ and create your MLB The Show Account. After creating your MLB The Show account, log in with your platform account and link it to your MLB The Show account. You are all set.
MLB The Show 25 launches on March 18, 2025
We are also thrilled to announce that MLB The Show 25 will launch on March 18, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch. The game will not be on platform subscription services in 2025. Early Access begins on March 14, for anyone who purchases the Digital Deluxe Edition.
Look forward to even more weekly feature reveals, including Feature Trailer Deep Dives featuring MLB Network host Robert Flores, and the return of Feature Premieres from the development team at San Diego Studio.
Pre-orders for all editions (Standard Edition and Digital Deluxe Edition) will open on February 4 at 6:00 AM PST on theshow.com, platform stores, and participating retailers.
** Cross-platform progression requires an internet connection, and for each platform, you play on: 1) a copy of the MLB The Show 25 game compatible with your console (other platform versions sold separately); and 2) a platform network account linked to your platform network account linked to your MLB The Show account.
Grand Theft Auto 5 actor Steven Ogg wants co-protagonist Trevor to be killed off in the opening of GTA 6 in a full circle moment for the character.
Ogg told ScreenRant he wanted a moment similar to Trevor’s own murdering of GTA 4: The Lost and the Damned protagonist Johnny Klebitz, who appeared not long after Trevor’s own introduction in GTA 5 only to be killed off by him.
“It would be fun if Trevor appeared in it just to be killed at the beginning,” Ogg said. “I think that would be cool, because it also acknowledges the fans of like, ‘Hey, thank you.’ Pass the torch, stomp Trevor’s head in, and sort of put an end to that and allow a new generation to take over.”
This act would have to be carried out by one of GTA 6’s dual protagonists, Lucia or Jason, though neither has been portrayed to be as wild as Trevor was in GTA 5. Only a single trailer for GTA 6 has been released, however, and Grand Theft Auto has few limits when it comes to violence.
Did you have a tamagotchi as a kid? I did, and yes, I too let it die. I am thankful that the handheld LCD graphics of the era did not allow me to witness my companion blob’s amiable decline into shit-caked starvation. I am also thankful that my tamagotchi did not itself have a tamagotchi, because the only life principle I ever taught my tamagotchi was neglect. This is also the reason I may never play the reportedly pretty decent virtual pet game Yoke Heroes: A Long Tamago, whose developers 14 Hours Productions are defying God and Man by developing another virtual pet sim inside it.
A Grand Theft Auto superfan is recreating the GTA 6 map in GTA 5 based on the snippets of information released by Rockstar so far.
YouTuber Dark Space is chronicling the work on their channel and on X/Twitter, showing how Vice Beach and the Venetian Islands are inside GTA 5 as fully detailed maps.
Despite the fact Rockstar has so far only released one trailer for GTA 6, fans have mapped out the playable area they expect to see in the game, which is due out fall 2025 on PS5 and Xbox Series X and S.
For my next video, I’ve been working hard at making the GTA 6 community map real. Here’s a look at my progress so far: pic.twitter.com/ejPu3EWKqa
Take-Two may take an even dimmer view of Dark Space’s work, given it attempts to recreate the map from the upcoming GTA 6. Dark Space admitted to IGN that he was “always worried” about a reprisal from Take-Two, but pointed out some key differences between his work and others that have suffered setbacks, such as the GTA Vice City Nextgen Edition project.
“This is a bit different from what I’ve been told by people who also make content like this for FiveM servers,” Dark Space said.
“Vice City mod is a whole game remade in GTA 4. Not good for Rockstar. Also makes them look bad. Liberty City Preservation project ripped a whole game map from 4 to 5 eliminating the need for Rockstar to ever do that.
“This is just me making my own fan-made map myself. All within GTA 5 itself. Any assets are from GTA 5 itself. A typical practice.”
Dark Space said the lack of GTA 6 news from Rockstar is fueling fan interest in projects such as his. Depending on how things go, he may expand the map to completion.
One former Rockstar developer has defended the company’s actions here, saying both Take-Two and Rockstar are protecting their business interests.
“Take2/R* are a commercial company,” former Rockstar Games technical director Obbe Vermeij tweeted. “They will take down mods that interfere with their business interests.
“The VC NextGen Edition mod for GTA4 directly competes with the Definitive Edition. The Liberty City preservation project (GTA4 in GTA5 engine) would interfere with a possible GTA4 remaster. (No idea whether they’re working on that. I think they should.)
“There’s no point getting angry about it. This is what companies are supposed to do. The best we can hope for is that they allow mods that don’t interfere with their business. Such as DCA3 (GTA3 for Dreamcast). Afaik they have recently been decent about letting these projects continue.”
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.
Nintendo is going all in on the Donkey Kong redesign spotted by fans in the Mario Kart 9 gameplay debuted during the Nintendo Switch 2 reveal event.
Donkey Kong has had the same design for years now, even decades, and has appeared as such in the likes of Mario Kart 8, Mario Tennis, Donkey Kong Country Returns, and more, but Nintendo is now pivoting to a look many think is similar to the incredibly successful The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
The handful of products show Donkey Kong with perhaps a friendlier look headlined by his once furrowed brow being rounded out. “They’re giving him the Kirby treatment, but backwards,” SmallBlueSlime said in the comments. “Instead of making him angry, they’re making him chill.”
“They really are dead set on redesigning DK,” said another user. “I’m gonna miss that eyebrow looking down. Always made DK seem both kind and strong,” added someone else. “It’s alright in my opinion,” added a fan in favor of the new look. “They probably did it to make him look more goofy and less angry.”
Nintendo of America is back with its first big eShop sale of 2025, bringing some sweet discounts to thousands of games across the storefront until 9th February at 11:59pm PT.
So beefy is this ‘Supercharge Sale‘ that we’ve decided to make it a little easier to see the cream of the crop at a glance (and a good few scrolls). Below, we have assembled every game in the eShop sale that we awarded 9/10 or higher, listed in alphabetical order and accompanied by their discounted price — hey, you’re welcome.
