IGN Fan Fest is back! From Diablo IV to HBO’s The Last of Us, we’re excited to bring you a ton of exclusive interviews and sneak peeks from some of the biggest movies, shows and games you love. If you’re wondering what types of reveals happened at Fan Fest last year, including which special guests made an appearance, here’s a list of everything announced at Fan Fest 2022. Some key franchises covered last year included Sonic, Marvel, DC, LEGO, TMNT, WWE, The Walking Dead, as well as coverage around indie games, anime, horror, action, and so much more. Many big actors in the gaming, comics, and entertainment spaces joined the fun last year, including Jim Carey, Idris Elba, Michelle Yeoh, Jamie Lee Cutis, Stephanie Hsu, Ke Huy Quan and Ryan Reynolds, to name a few!

This time around, you can look forward to even more special cast and crew interviews across big fandom titles, plus never-before-seen clips, images and footage for a jam-packed, two-day Fan Fest in 2023. Keep reading for the full lineup!

Jump to:

• When is IGN Fan Fest?
• Giveaways
• IGN Fan Fest Day 1 (Schedule for Feb 17)
• IGN Fan Fest Day 2 (Schedule for Feb 18)
• Where to Stream Fan Fest

When is IGN Fan Fest?

IGN Fan Fest 2023 is a two-day event, taking place on Friday, February 17 and Saturday, February 18.

TL;DR

• Monday, Feb. 13 – Thursday, Feb 16: Exclusive IGN Fan Fest preview content all week long
• Friday, Feb. 17: Day 1 of the IGN Fan Fest livestream begins at 10am PT
• Saturday, Feb. 18: Day 2 livestream begins at 10am PT

Fan Fest Giveaways, Freebies and Deals!

In addition to the below breakdown of panels and coverage you can expect from the event, there will be even more surprises to come. We’ll be hosting giveaways and freebies during, including giving away free game codes during the streams on February 17 and 18. More info below so you don’t miss out!

1. Game Codes

We’re giving away an average of 1 free game code per minute* during the streams (2/17 and 2/18)

• You can expect codes for Street Fighter V, Resident Evil Village, and many more.

2. Upcoming Giveaways via IGN Rewards:

One grand prize winner will win a copy of the Hogwarts Legacy Collector’s Edition for PS5. Hogwarts Legacy is an immersive, open-world action RPG set in the world first introduced in the Harry Potter books. Sweepstakes is open to US residents only.

• ENTER HERE ON FEB 17TH.

I am Jesus Christ Game Giveaway: Walk in the footsteps of Jesus in this incredible first-person retelling of the story of Christ from birth to resurrection.

• ENTER HERE ON FEB 18TH.

3. Deals via IGN Store:

Lastly, the IGN Store is hosting 3 deals for Fan Fest this week only, so be sure to get some discounted merch for yourself before the deal ends, (valid through Feb 20th at 11:59pm PT).

• SHOP THE NEW COLLECTION HERE.

Fan Fest 2023 Full Schedule

Fan Fest takes place February 17 and 18 starting at 10am PT each day. The below schedule outlines some of the biggest panels confirmed and everything you can expect during Fan Fest 2023:

IGN Fan Fest Preview Days

Monday February 13 – Thursday February 16

Advance looks at some of your favorite upcoming games, movies, and shows (and some others that are sure to be your favorites very soon) including:

According to Embracer Group, Valheim’s long-awaited Xbox version will be released in March 2023 and it will be on Xbox Game Pass on day one.

The news comes by Embracer Group’s Q3 FY 22/23 earnings report, in which it says, “Valheim, developed by Iron Gate and published by Coffee Stain, is planned for release on Xbox Game Pass in March.”

While we don’t have an exact date, fans won’t have too long to wait until they can jump into the Norse mythology survival game on a new platform. Oh, and it will feature full cross-play with the Microsoft Store and Steam versions of Valheim.

Valheim was announced to be coming to Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and Xbox Game Pass during June 2022’s Xbox Showcase Extended presentation, where it was also confirmed to be arriving on PC Game Pass.

In our Valheim Early Access review back in February 2021, we said it “is already a paragon of the survival crafting genre, with excellent art and music highlighting a world that generates endless exciting stories from only a few simple ingredients.”

To prepare for Valheim’s Xbox version, be sure to check out why we included it on our list of the 10 best survival games and take a look at our full Valheim Wiki so you can learn how to be the best of the best and handle anything the game tries to throw your way.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Let’s talk Game Pass. There’s news about Game Pass cannibalizing sales (though is anyone surprised by that?), but I’m more interested in using this space to share some neat games you can play on Game Pass now that may go overlooked. With a whopping 379 console games and 448 on PC as of this writing, there’s a lot to check out.

I try my best to play games outside of my comfort zone and, generally, grab ones that just look cool. Unfortunately, some of my favorite gems on Game Pass have been removed, but with those large aforementioned numbers, there’s no shortage of games to check out. The following games are all on Game Pass and are scheduled to stay through at least the month of February.

A Quick Mental Scrub

With as heavy as things are these days, sometimes you just need a quick run of something that doesn’t involve dropping into a massive (or small) map with other humans and something that won’t threaten to send you into a spiraling rage. The games below are easy to pop on and dip out of, or, they’ve got some sort of relaxing element to them.

Totally Accurate Battle Simulator (Xbox, PC)

Starting with the most chaotic and joyous option, Totally Accurate Battle Simulator pits your selected group of fighters against another preset challenge. Once you’ve got your fighting group ready to go you sit back and watch the battle playout, featuring, as the official description puts it, “wobbliest physics system ever created.” The ragdolls are fantastic, the eyes are goofy, and the victors of each battle aren’t always the ones you’d expect! Whether you’re interested in solving battle puzzles using your limited resources to select the right kind of fighters or playing around with weird matchups, these quick rounds are almost always a delight. Even better, there’s local and online co-op and multiplayer!

My Time at Portia (Xbox, PC)

If you’re still on the hunt for the right farming simulator, give My Time at Portia a try. I reviewed this back when it was released in 2019 and found it to be one of the most pleasant post-apocalyptic worlds I’ve explored. Combining farming, relationship building, combat, mining, building, and all sorts of activities in one, My Time at Portia is one of the few persistent simulation games I miss and plan on going back to.

DJMax Respect V (Xbox, PC)

DJMax Respect V isn’t the best rhythm game I’ve ever played but it’s certainly a fun one in quick bursts. If you’re a fan of the Hatsune Miku games, Guitar Hero, or other input-based rhythm game, DJMax Respect V is quick to get into with plenty of fun music. There are some more challenging inputs to figure out on controller, but ultimately it’s a quick download and a fun distraction if you’re looking to rest your thoughts.

A Longer Journey

Tinykin

I mentioned this one on Podcast Unlocked previously, but in case you missed it, Tinykin is a pleasant trip down memory lane for those of us who grew up with adventure platforming games that gave us a space littered with an abundance of trinkets to collect while working to reach the next area of our journey. Tinykin features a small extraterrestrial man exploring a bug-infested home in search of a way to get back to his home planet. With the help of creatures called Tinykin, you’ll platform, solve environmental puzzles, and investigate secrets. Every time I hop in to explore a new area I come away happy. Tinykin taps into that kid-like wonder of exploring something bigger than yourself and having fun while doing it.

Prey (Xbox, PC)

For folks looking for something more intense, you’ve gotta check out Prey. No, this game is not new nor is it all that unknown (I’d like to assume), but come on y’all if you haven’t played it, this is your reminder that it’s on Game Pass and it rules. In Arkane’s Prey, you’re left alone on a ship with a mysterious lifeform out to get you. And, unfortunately for you, it could be literally anywhere and mimicking anything. This first-person shooter is a tense, neat journey with an excellent DLC.

Up Next

Below are a few titles I’m interested in checking out soon. You can also check out my backlog on my Playlist page.

• Genesis Noir (Xbox, PC) – I’ve had this one on my list for a long time. It’s a stylish puzzle game and that’s really all I needed to see to be interested.
• Soccer Story (Xbox, PC) – Did you ever play Backyard Soccer or the other Backyard sports kids games? This vaguely reminded me of those and I’m interested to see how its story about a magical soccer ball in a world where soccer is forbidden plays out.
• Signalis (Xbox, PC) – Ever since IGN’s Senior Features Editor Matt Kim described this survivor horror game to me I’ve wanted to play it. I’m not usually great with horror, but the – perspective makes it seem like something I could handle and enjoy.
• Opus: Echo of Starsong – Full Bloom Edition (Xbox, PC) – This looks like a rather dreamy adventure and I like that it’s described to put its story front and center. I had a brief stint of digging deep into visual novels and I’m curious how it blends those elements with its puzzles and resource management.

Got a Game Pass recommendation you think has gone unnoticed? Don’t keep it to yourself! Share it in the comments below. You can check out other columns from the rest of the Podcast Unlocked crew on our show’s column page.

Miranda Sanchez is the executive editor of guides at IGN and a member of Podcast Unlocked. She’s a big fan of stationery and fountain pens. You can find her on Twitter and Twitch.