I am in the dusty basement of Manchester cathedral. On the streets above me, there are police searching for anyone who would challenge the state. Someone like me. I am supposed to be working on a weapon to use against these fascists. It isn’t a gun or a bomb, it is a machine that eats books.
At least, that’s what I should be doing; instead, I’m searching for the final letter between the members of a love triangle of 1950s academics. I’ve tracked down all their trashy novels and papers on temporal dynamics, but I want to find the last bit of saucy gossip. Smashing the state can wait a moment.
There is a lot I won’t tell you about TR-49, Inkle’s latest puzzle game. I don’t want to ruin any of the epiphanies that lie in wait for you. But it is a treat for anyone looking to get all up in the personal lives of some long-dead fictional authors.
I know there are many of you curtain twitchers out there.
Last week, the PlayStation Blog revealed a demo for Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties would be released for the PlayStation 5. It’s now been officially confirmed for the Switch 2 and multiple other platforms.
Tips for Taking on Iconic League of Legends Champions in 2XKO, Available Today for Xbox
Julia Shen, Writer, Riot Games
Summary
2XKO launches today on Xbox Series X|S as a free-to-play title.
Team up with a friend or fight solo in 2v2 matches.
Find your main with 12 different champions to play.
Finally. 2XKO, the free 2v2 fighting game featuring League of Legends champions, launches today on Xbox Series X|S.
If you’ve been dying to get your hands on the game, you probably want to jump in right away. At the same time, booting it up for the very first time can be a little overwhelming. From champions, to Fuses, to teamplay mechanics, there’s a lot of information to absorb – especially for anyone new to tag fighters, or fighting games in general.
Here are some quick tips to help you get in-game and start having fun right away.
Grab a Duo Partner
2XKO is a 2v2 game, which means you can team up and fight as a duo. Whether you’re testing combos in Training mode or climbing the Ranked ladder together, the highs and lows of fighting games are better with friends.
Use your champ’s Assist moves by pressing A or back + A when they’re offscreen. Each champion has unique Assists, but here’s how to use a few:
When Braum uses Stand Behind Me Assist (back + A), he leaps to shield his ally from an attack. If you’re under pressure from the enemy team, this Assist can help you get some space back.
When Blitzcrank uses Rocket Grab Assist (A), they’ll extend their robotic arm to pull an enemy champion towards your team. Use this Assist to bring in opponents and follow up with your big hits.
When Vi uses Crater Maker Assist (back + A), she punches the ground and creates a hextech aftershock. It can hit opponents out of the air, so try this move if they’re jumping in.
When you’re playing with a friend, they can swap to you by hitting A right after your champion Assists. Coordinate to attack together, defend each other, and pull off tricky combos.
Find Your Main
Each character in 2XKO has a unique playstyle. For your first games, just pick the ones that look the coolest to you – you can always choose someone new in the next game.
Caitlyn, the Sheriff of Piltover, is our newest addition to the roster. Use her traps and deadly aim to stay ten steps ahead of the enemy duo.
Don’t forget that you’ll have two champions on your team, and they can play off of each other. If you’re looking for team-building suggestions, here are a few:
Caitlyn and Vi
Caitlyn uses her hextech-powered rifle to line up headshots, while Vi loves to brawl up-close. With their combined strengths, you’ll take down opponents at any range.
Darius and Ekko
Darius deals massive damage with his battle axe and makes opponents Bleed, but he’s on the slower side. Ekko can keep enemies guessing with fast movement and a teleport. Use Ekko to jump in (or out), and land big hits with Darius.
Ahri and Braum
Ahri is a quick spellcaster who excels in the air, while Braum is a supportive champion that can defend allies with a shield. Use Ahri’s magical foxfire to blast opponents, and if you find yourself under pressure, bring in Braum’s shield to retreat or position for your next move.
Try Pulse Combo
A combo is when you put together unique moves to damage an opponent. This can feel complicated when you’re still learning what your champion can do, but Pulse Combo is here to help.
In champion select, press RT to enable Pulse Combo. Once it’s on, you can press the same attack button repeatedly to automatically do a combo (if you land the first hit).
There are unique autocombos for the X, Y, and B buttons. Try each one to get an idea of the moves your champion can combine.
Play Tutorials
If you’re looking to improve your game, there are tons of tutorials to choose from in the Learning Hub. Here are the different types available:
Bot Beatdown: Win battles against bots to unlock chromas that change the color palette of four champions.
Tutorial: A series of fights to teach the basics of 2XKO, including movement, attacking, blocking. Completing this unlocks a set of cosmetics for your avatar.
Combo Trials: Learn combos for each champion, from beginner to expert-level difficulties.
Advanced Lessons: Level up with more advanced techniques for offense, defense, teamwork, and movement.
You can also find Training mode in the Learning Hub, where you can play against bots at your own pace.
Experiment with Fuses
Fuses are playstyle modifiers that change how your team works together. You pick your team’s Fuse after choosing your champions, so you can try each one out to see what suits you best.
Here are the Fuses that are available when you launch 2XKO for the first time:
Juggernaut: Play as a single champion with extra power. You can’t use Assists, but gain a few buffs, including bonus health, damage reduction, and additional bars of meter.
Sidekick: Your Point champion gains health and a defense boost. Your Assist champion can’t tag in, but gains supporting abilities.
Double Down: Combine your Point and Assist champions’ Super attacks.
There are two more advanced Fuses that can be unlocked by completing tutorials in the Learning Hub: 2X Assist and Freestyle.
2XKO is available for free in the Microsoft Store for Xbox. Check out the 2XKOwebsite and YouTube channel for more on how to play and to get a look at each champion. See you in the lobby!
TEAM UP. TAG IN.
Welcome to 2XKO, the free-to-play fighting game from the makers of League of Legends and VALORANT.
2V2 COMBAT
In 2XKO, good teamwork makes the difference between victory and defeat. Fight solo to control both champions on your team, or grab a friend to duo with. Switch up your game every match with Fuses, powerful playstyle modifiers that change the rules your team plays by.
LEGENDARY FIGHTERS
League of Legends’ iconic champions take the stage with fresh movesets inspired by the MOBA and reimagined for fighting games. Immerse yourself in the world of Runeterra with beautifully crafted stages, cutting-edge 2D graphics, and original music tracks that bring your battles to life.
LOBBIES & MATCHMAKING
Step into a virtual arcade where your next duo partner—or rival—awaits. Ranked, Casual, and Private lobbies let you play your way whether you wanna compete, spectate, or just mash. Plus, with best-in-class rollback netcode and anti-cheat systems, 2XKO delivers fair, lag-free gameplay every time you queue up.
Any game built around gacha mechanics needs to have a certain hook to keep things interesting in the long term, especially if there’s potential to invest your hard-earned dollars into it. For all their systemic sins, Game of Thrones: Kingsroad and Persona 5: The Phantom X at least piqued my interest by expanding on already-revered lore, allowing me to intertwine myself in their beloved worlds. The much more enjoyable Zenless Zone Zero, on the other hand, pulled me in with a mix of high-octane combat, endearing character development, and Y2K flair. Arknights: Endfield is the latest competitor in this genre’s fierce attention economy, offering not only an engrossing sci-fi open world to explore, but another mechanically moreish addition: base building and automation. After approximately twenty hours of Endministrating, it’s clear there’s a lot more to uncover here beyond its sticky login loop, but crucially, I’m keen to expand my horizons in search of character motives, upgrades, and ultimately rewarding depth.
In Arknights: Endfield, you play as the Endministrator (or Endmin for short) who, after a 10-year absence and an unfortunate case of amnesia, returns to the world of the living to reinhabit the planet of Talos-II. Taming the wilds is no small task, though, and on top of trying to remember who you were before your big sleep, you’ll also face off against a range of evil entities, including leather-clad maurauders, shifting zoomorphic creatures, and other mythic, well-dressed baddies. It’s an intriguing premise, unfortunately told through an exposition-heavy opening with awkward stop-and-start pacing. Still, if you brave its dialogue-dense beginning, Arknights: Endfield eventually opens up, delivering visually enticing battles and a captivating atmosphere that help make up for it.
Your job primarily involves adventuring with your team to the surface of Talos-II to hunt for resources, solve simple environmental platforming puzzles, and eventually clear out whole areas which you can access in the metagame to build and automate machinery. To do this, you’ll use a team of up to four Operators who, under your control, fight and collect items to push the lengthy story ever onwards. Early on, you’ll have a limited pool of story-specific characters to play as, like the masked Endmin, the empathetic mission-oriented Perlica, and the spirited Chen Qianyu, though eventually you’ll be able to use a specially earned gacha currency to pull new characters, too. It’s not the most imaginative gameplay, with many of the puzzles involving finding and pressing a few buttons on a small map to find success, or trawling through the same few groups of bad guys to push through an area. Still, this is all set against a striking cyberpunk backdrop that makes it surprisingly easy to sink hours into.
As you can imagine, there is an eye-watering array of currencies to consider here — a painful staple of the genre. On top of the usual gacha pulling, which allows you to randomly unlock unique characters and weapons, there’s also a paid Battle Pass that rewards you with resources that can be filtered into systems that help speed up progression, that is, if you can figure them out. It’s hard to say from only the week I’ve spent with it so far whether this feels balanced or not, but I’ve not run into any significant roadblocks that would encourage me to pull out my wallet in the early game – though only time will tell, and based on what I’ve seen so far, I’m not overly confident I won’t eventually find a few.
A lot of effort has been put into worldbuilding and character design.
While my humble crew was more than enough for me in the beginning, once I’d earned the currency needed to try out the character lottery firsthand, my feelings began to shift. In my first pull, I drew Estella, an adorable beanie-wearing warrior who compelled me with their nonchalant attitude and stylish techwear garb. Soon after that, I fell in love with Da Pan, a hungry panda whose leather jacket and belt combo gave him the aura of a dad navigating a midlife crisis. I’d like to say I stopped becoming attached to the characters as I kept pulling more. Alas, the range of unique designs, alongside their quippy one-liners, was effective enough to tug on my heartstrings. While I wouldn’t pay for currency with my own money beyond what is provided organically, I was happy to see that, if I did, developer Hypergryph has put a lot of effort into its worldbuilding and character design.
It helps that a character’s personality also tends to shape how they move in battle, and throughout my time with Arknights: Endfield, the flashy combat quickly became my favourite aspect. Hits are delivered with vibrant visual payoff, so much so that even my silly mistakes looked like intentional moves. As you explore, you’ll encounter groups of various enemies camped out, like violent blobs of possessed water or sword-wielding bandits, all of which feature level indicators hovering above their heads. Once ready to engage, you run directly at them, weapons brandished, and start swiping away.
Instead of controlling the Edmin alone, you switch between all the members of your team in battle, applying button-mashing combos that feel engaging in motion. Each character has a dodge, a light attack, and a special attack that string together nicely, delivering well-choreographed combos. Once you knock back an enemy and start to juggle them, you can call in your compatriots to deliver electrifying blows that feel slick – the Endmin’s sword slashes away with golden strikes, while Da Pan delivers belly bounds and butt slams with his towering form.
Outside of combat, the rest of your time is spent investing in the infrastructure of your base. Unlike the complex, automation-based gameplay of beloved factory management simulators Factorio and Satisfactory, Arknights: Endfield’s base building is much more tame, at least early on. And, thanks to lengthy explanations delivered by NPCs, it’s a process that ensures even the most build-averse players can learn how to create a functioning base of operations.
First, you’ll plant electric pylons and connect them with relay towers to supply electricity to the area. Though soon enough, you’ll also be able to implement mining as well as machinery that can refine and process raw materials. As someone who hasn’t always enjoyed the intense, efficiency-focused approach of similar automation games, Arknights: Endfield provides a friendly alternative that’s ripe for community collaboration – something I hope develops post-launch.
There’s still so much to see before I deliver my final score, like expanding the factories, fully automating my production, and leveling up my team and gear – and that’s before I uncover the truth behind the Endmin’s amnesia. So far, though, I’ve found myself comfortable in its world, and I’m keen to get stuck in and see how far I can push before I hit an inevitably uncomfortable grind.
Fortnite appears to be getting The Office content in Chapter 7 after rumors suggested Epic Games was working on a crossover.
Fans of TV and video games were thrown for a loop earlier today when Epic shared a not-so-cryptic tease on social media. It’s the kind of thing that would seem completely nonsensical to the uninitiated, but those who are even peripherally aware of the NBC comedy will recognize “Build. Beets. Battle Royale.” as a reference to one of the most memorable quotes from The Office.
A meeting between Fortnite and The Office, though never considered to be impossible, is unexpected, but some recent rumors had players believing confirmation was only a matter of time. Popular Fortnite content creator Shiina said they heard The Office could soon show up just last week. At the time, they suggested a rumor about “a nostalgic duo from a live-action TV series” was tied to the show but neglected to share more.
Which members of the Dunder Mifflin crew could be recreated in Epic’s battle royale mega-hit remains a mystery, but references to names like Michael Scott, Dwight Schrute, Jim Halpert, and Pam Beesly seem the most likely. It’s also unclear when exactly we’ll learn more about the potential Fortnite crossover, but some fans are already taking the tease as an opportunity to share their excitement.
Shiina, meanwhile, has already posted an update since the Fortnite The Office tease reared its head. Their new video comes with the suggestion that the classic workplace comedy is coming soon, with content for Regular Show and Ed, Edd n Eddy also in the works at Epic. Players may want to take all of today’s information with a grain of salt, but with Fortnite’s track record for wild crossovers in mind, it wouldn’t be much of a surprise.
Fortnite launched into Chapter 7 in November with an Avenger-style team-up event. Crossovers added since then include skins for Kim Kardashian, Bleach, and South Park. We’ll hopefully learn more about everything included in The Office teaser in the near future.
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).
Anime is awesome. Board games are also awesome. Put the two together, and you get tabletop fun that not only shows off some of the hottest anime series out there, but can also capture the wild nature of the animated media and their associated tropes.
While there are plenty of games that have animed-themed versions like Naruto Monopoly or Dragonball Z Yahtzee, this list instead focuses on games that use the IPs they feature as a theme rather than simply being an anime reskin, and games that do a great job in replicating the look, feel, or tropes of this beloved art form.
Featured in this article
Just as a side note before we get into the list itself, this will only feature board games and won’t go into the plethora of solid anime TCGs that exist, like Digimon and One Piece, or TTRPGs either. Those are out there, and I recommend seeking those out, too, if that is more your style.
Re;ACT – The Arts of War
Fast-paced matches with hot-looking anime characters, each with dynamic and unique mechanics? Sign me up! Re;Act from Brother Ming Games puts players in the roles of artists who’ve been granted powers based on their respective art forms and are pitted against one another in a 1v1 showdown. Described as “Yugioh meets chess” by the creator Ming Yang Lu, where the importance of positioning from chess crosses over with the interrupts and actions of Yugioh, where you will declare your intentions by playing a card before allowing the opponent to play a reaction, acting akin to a trap card. From super-powered Calligraphers to Dancers, Animators, and Painters, Re;Act: The Arts of War is shonen anime in a box and a blast to play.
Millennium Blades
Crack packs, build decks, and outfit yourself with the coolest deckbox out there in Millennium Blades – a board game about competing in a card game. Players are pro TCG players who are all vying to win the most points by doing well in the game’s three tournaments. Outside of the actual tournaments, which see you playing cards to score points, there are real-time trading and buying phases where you will trade cards with other players or the store, and buy packs of cards using Monopoly-esque money.
Just like the real world, the meta of the game will change as the game progresses and force you to adjust your approach and swap out cards. There are so many clever nods and homages to other games and anime that give Millennium Blades a wonderful identity, but don’t let its silliness fool you – it’s a tense and highly strategic game with plenty of content, so you’ll never play the same game twice.
Power Rangers: Heroes of the Grid
This may be splitting hairs a bit since TECHNICALLY, Power Rangers, aka Super Sentai, isn’t anime, but their motif and idea can be found in plenty of anime, and Super Sentai and its sibling Kamen Rider are just as much a part of Japan’s entertainment history as anime, and so Power Rangers: Heroes of the Grid is on this list.
Heroes of the Grid is a cooperative boss battler in which the Ranger players attempt to take out the chosen monster of the week and big bad like Rita Repulsa before their forces overwhelm Angel Grove. Each Ranger has a unique deck and the respective zords they play with to get the job done, and with the plethora of expansions this game has, you can use your favorite ranger teams and villains. Heroes of the Grid is a great co-op board game with teamwork and strategy being front and center. It’s sure to delight Power Ranger fans.
Guilty Gear -Strive- The Board Game
One of the most stylish anime fighting games of the modern video game generation is the Guilty Gear series by Arc System Works. The same anime flair carries over into the board game adaptation, Guilty Gear Strive: The Board Game, which was released last year.
This 1v1 dueling game features 20 characters from Strive, each with their own decks to play that highlight the styles and moves from the video game counterpart. It uses the Exceed card game system, so positioning of your character is crucial in Strive with attacks requiring different spacing to pull off and rewards keeping the momentum and pressure on. Set-up is fast and matches are over quickly, making this a great quick board game to act as a filler between bigger ones or playing a bunch of rounds. Like we said in our review, this game captures not only the look of the source material but also what we love about fighting games. Fans of Guilty Gear or of fast-paced card games will find something to like with Guilty Gear Strive: The Board Game.
One Piece: Luffy’s Bento Panic
Perfect for anime conventions or parties with friends, One Piece: Luffy’s Bento Panic is a silly party game based on the hit anime featuring Luffy, Nami, Zoro, Sanji, and the rest of the Straw Hat Pirates. In Bento Panic, players take on the role of their favorite Straw Hat and celebrate a recent victory in the best way they know how – with a feast! Sitting in a circle, using their hands, all at once, players show a different gesture to declare their action from their turn, either pulling food tokens from the blind bag, stealing food from a neighbor, blocking a steal, or eating food. Points are scored by eating sets of food tokens, with the game only ending when Luffy wakes from his food coma a third time. Luffy’s Bento Panic makes a great party board game, since everyone takes their turn at once. And like we mentioned in our review, even folks who aren’t necessarily fans of One Piece will have a good time with this one.
AEGIS Combining Robots: Second Ignition
For nearly as long as anime has existed, super robots and combining robots have been a part of it. AEGIS Combining Robots: Second Ignition lets players assemble teams, led by powerful Commanders with special abilities, of mecha from five different classes – Assault, Evasive, Guard, Intel and Support – and duke it out to try and be the team that comes out on top.
While the mechs are strong by themselves, things really heat up when they start combining, turning the game from a strategic tactics game into something reminiscent of the fights out of GunBuster or GaoGaiGear. Manage your energy and pick the right time to combine your bots and grasp victory. For folks who prefer a more cooperative approach, additional modes are included, letting you and a friend take on buffed boss bots that will put your teamwork to the test.
With 100+ mecha, each with its own skill loadout and standee, AEGIS gives you plenty of options for how to make your team, and Second Ignition is compatible with the first game, AEGIS: Combining Robot Strategy Game, which just saw a reprint, giving you even more options. Fans of mecha and tactic games should give AEGIS a look.
Cowboy Bebop: Space Serenade
As crew members of the spaceship Bebop, in Cowboy Bebop: Space Serenade, you play as bounty hunters racing to take down nefarious criminals, all based on the legendary anime Cowboy Bebop. Space Serenade is a semi-cooperative deck builder that’s reminiscent of games like Star Realms, where you play cards for their resources and effects to buy new ones to add to your deck or to try and capture your targets.
Each of the four playable characters from the show – Spike, Ed, Faye, and Jet – comes with a set of cards special to them in addition to the generic ones that compose your starting hand. From there, it’s a race to collect bounties and earn victory points to prove that you are the best bounty hunter in the galaxy. This game features plastic miniatures of your characters and cards depicting scenes from the anime, creating an authentic and fun deck builder for fans of the genre and source material.
Bullet Star Board Game
Adopting the shoot-’em-up genre of video games for the tabletop, the Bullet series puts you in the role of different anime-like heroes as you avoid quickly approaching bullets and survive long enough to be the last one standing. The Bullet series is a real-time, pattern-matching puzzle game, and instead of shooting at the other players, you frantically attempt to remove the incoming bullets from reaching their own life points.
Over the course of three-minute rounds, players blindly pull bullet tokens from their bags and spend action points to help rearrange the tokens on their boards into patterns that allow bullets to be destroyed. At the end off each round, the destroyed bullets are moved to the player on their left to be added to the mix, similar to dropping Tetris blocks on your opponent. Bullet is a fast-paced game whose real-time countdown component and puzzle-based gameplay make it a refreshing anime addition to your board game shelf.
Scott White is a freelance contributor to IGN, assisting with tabletop games and guide coverage. Follow him on X/Twitter or Bluesky.
Play Anywhere, Slay Everywhere: Greedland XPA Hits Windows with a Major Update
VaMP He, solo dev
Commanders,
VaMP He here — the lone creator behind Greedland— and this isn’t just another launch. Today, Greedland arrives on Windows PC with full Xbox Play Anywhere support, and it brings with it the massive Version 1.0 Update — a true milestone in our journey together.
Buy once, own it everywhere: Xbox Series X|S and Windows. Your progress, your arsenal, your relentless runs — all seamlessly synced across platforms.
First — Thank You.
Your support has been the fuel for this four-year journey. Greedland 1.0 is here, and this update represents a major milestone in our fight together.
What’s New in 1.0 — The Fire Rises
New Map: Lava Area
You’ve survived the Jungle, Desert, and Icefield. Now descend into the molten core of Greedland. The Lava Area introduces ten fiery new levels, plus endless mode, with new environments, deadlier mutants, and greater rewards. The heat is truly on.
New Mode: Base Defense
The alien swarm is launching a counterattack. Defend our mercenary outpost in this brand-new gameplay mode. Hold the line — and when overwhelmed, call in the Titan Mechas.
Titan Mechas: Unleash the Giants
Customize your loadout like never before. Pre-equip two devastating mechas:
Bipedal Titan
Light Titan
Build “Titan Power” during your run and summon these war machines from the sky to break enemy sieges.
New Equipment & Arsenal Expansion
The Logistics Department has delivered:
Two new Power Armors
Two new wide-area damage weapons
Five new equipment items
Three new fused equipment
Gear up — the Lava Area won’t go easy on you.
NewEquipment – IceCyclone
FusedEquipment – PhantomGuard
New Achievements — 1000G Added
For the completionists and the glory seekers: the 1.0 update brings a full 1000 Gamerscore in new achievements. Master the Lava Area, dominate in Base Defense, unleash the Titans, and collect every piece of new gear to prove your mercenary legacy.
But a Quick Note on Multiplayer
While XPA lets you play anywhere, local co-op remains a shared-screen experience. This means cross-platform play between Xbox and PC is not supported — the mutant-slaying partnership is designed for couch-to-couch chaos, not cross-play.
The Time to Act Is Now
Whether you’re a PC veteran or a dual-platform devotee, Greedlandis ready for you. Suit up, sync up, and unleash devastation — anytime, anywhere. Get it once, play it everywhere with Xbox Play Anywhere.
Your progress travels. The mutants don’t rest. Neither should you.
Play Anywhere, Slay Everywhere: Greedland Hits Windows with Xbox Play Anywhere & Major 1.0 Update!
Commanders,
VaMP He here — the lone creator behind Greedland — and this isn’t just another launch. Today, Greedland arrives on Windows PC with full Xbox Play Anywhere support, and it brings with it the massive Version 1.0 Update — a true milestone in our journey together.
Buy once, own it everywhere: Xbox Series X|S and Windows. Your progress, your arsenal, your relentless runs — all seamlessly synced across platforms.
Developer Embark Studios says Arc Raiders update 1.12.0 patched some infamous out-of-bounds exploits – but players say “rats” still live in the walls of Stella Montis.
Community lead Ossen took to the official website to publish full patch notes for the January 20 adjustments, revealing a smaller set of targeted fixes for the massively popular extraction shooter. Exploits are in the line of fire this time, with the update said to fix glitches related to item and ammo duplication, the ability to damage other players from behind certain geometry, and a bug that let players reach out-of-bounds locations – specifically on Stella Montis.
The cold, labyrinthian halls of Stella Montis have already garnered a reputation for being perhaps the most cutthroat topside area Arc Raiders has to offer, and its abundance of cheaters isn’t helping. Streamers and everyday Raiders alike have reported dying to cheaters on the high-difficulty map for some time, with the out-of-bounds exploit proving to be especially problematic for months. The clip (above) showcases how the glitch has been used to steal some of the best Arc Raiders loot from players who are looking to extract back to Speranza or even just play some music.
Finally, update 1.12.0 is here to take care of what is maybe Embark’s most infamous exploit, but it sounds like it’s more of a speed bump than a stop sign. Just as the patch made its way to players across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X | S, Discord users began to report they were still losing runs to Raiders behind walls in Stella Montis. The developer’s patch notes do say that “various” – and not necessarily all – out-of-bounds map locations had been addressed, but that isn’t stopping fans from expressing their disappointment.
“There is still a wall glitch in Stella (somewhere in the lobby area),” one Discord user said. “Embark is incapable of fixing their game.”
“So, I guess they didn’t fix wall glitches because I just got killed by 3 people inside the seed vault extract in Stella Montis,” another added.
“This patch notes seems like it only attracted rats into walls on Stella,” another player said.
Disattisfaction with the update seems to stem from a December 11 patch, which was said to have tackled an out-of-bounds glitch related to zipline use on Stella Montis, only for players to find themselves still dealing with cheaters weeks later. Players have also shared reports of wall exploits at Dam Battlegrounds and Spaceport, with an ongoing issue related to an unopenable door in Stella Montis adding to the pile of glitches riling up the community.
Embark shared earlier this month that out-of-bounds glitches had been added to a list of anti-cheat fixes it hoped to implement “over the next few weeks,” suggesting update 1.12.0 may be just one step in a larger plan. While players have waited weeks for exploit fixes, and Stella Montis may have a few holes to fill yet, some say they’re willing to give the studio more time to get Arc Raiders into shape.
“I don’t know much about game design, but I’m sure it takes a while to find and fix problems within coding,” one Reddit user argues. “So I think people should be happy that they’ve fixed the exploits that have been such a source of complaints for so long.”
Arc Raiders launched October 30, 2025, for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X | S. Recent content updates include the introduction of Stella Montis November 13, as well as the limited-time Cold Snap event December 16. While streamers and PvP fans both battle cheaters on and off stream, two contentcreators have (temporarily) found themselves caught in the line of fire of Embark’s anti-cheat efforts. We’ll have to wait and see just how long it takes for the studio to get wall exploits – and cheaters as a whole – under control.
Arc Raiders Update 1.12.0 Patch Notes
Hey, Raiders!
The store rotation is going live now and with it a few fixes:
Fixed an item duplication exploit.
Fixed an ammo duplication exploit.
Fixed some cases where players were able to damage others from behind geometry.
Fixed various out of bounds map locations on Stella Montis.
Restart your client to download.
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).
Newly-released sandbox adventure game Hytale originated as a Minecraft mod, Hypixel, only to eventually be spun off and transformed into the early access, standalone game we now know. But even so, I don’t think anyone had “Minecraft x Hytale crossplay” on their Bingo card.
This wizardry comes from modder u/ssquadteam, also known as iamcxv7, a 15-year-old modder who has also managed to get things like Windows 95 running in Hytale and, separate from the guy who did it pre-launch, Doom. iamcxv7 has managed to figure out how to get Hytale and Minecraft to talk to one another so that players in one can play alongside players in the other, seeing one another’s characters rendered in their own game’s style, interact, build, chat, and even fight one another.
What. On. Earth. How? I’m not savvy enough to parse the technicalities behind this, but here’s iamcxv7’s explanation for it: “It’s all just Packet Trickery. You could say I am running a Minecraft Server in the Hytale JVM which uses the Coordinate System of the Hytale World (As its the same) As well as takes a Snapshot of the Hytale World and reconstructs it and then send it to to the Client via Packets”
But a bit more simply, what’s cool here is that Hytale and Minecraft are so similar in how their worlds are constructed and what kinds of things they invite players to do that gameplay in one can easily map to the other. There’s still some work to do: the mod isn’t public yet, as iamcxv7 says it’s still “really unstable” and there are some features, such as world generation and how to render certain blocks that exist in Hytale but not Minecraft, still missing. Given that Hytale is only a week old, this feels extremely reasonable! The fact that this is going to be possible at all is brain-breaking enough.
If 2025 felt busy, 2026 is already shaping up to be a big year for the Pokémon TCG with the expansions it’s got coming up.
The Pokémon Trading Card Game is charging into its 30th anniversary year with the rest of the Pocket Monsters franchise, with a renewed focus on Mega Evolution, anniversary celebrations, and tightly curated sets designed to keep both collectors and competitive players fully locked in.
While the full year’s roadmap hasn’t been revealed yet, three major products are already confirmed, and they give us a very clear idea of what kind of year we’re in for.
Here’s everything we know so far about the confirmed Pokémon TCG releases for 2026, including when they launch, what makes them special, and where you can actually buy them right now.
Mega Evolution: Ascended Heroes – Releasing Jan. 30, 2026
The 2026 TCG year officially kicks off with Ascended Heroes, the first English Mega Evolution expansion of the new era since the base set launched in September last year.
Ascended Heroes leans heavily into classic Mega Pokémon, new Tera cards, Team Rocket Pokémon, and even a Stadium card, with 290 cards coming to the set altogether.
Preorders have initially opened up, but availability has varied widely depending on the retailer — with Target already sold out and Best Buy’s range listed as “Coming Soon”, both listing products at MSRP. The only options currently available are those not sold out due to being listed at prices higher than market value.
Magic Madhouse has announced it will be stocking Ascended Heroes, but it looks like it won’t be available there until launch. The big ticket item of any Pokémon TCG expansion, Ascended Heroes’ standard ETB (with nine booster packs, a promo card, and much more) is currently available at TCGplayer and Walmart: with TCGplayer’s being the best option at $119, with Walmart’s being distant backup at $178.
The next-most desirable product of an expansion, the six-pack booster bundle for Ascended Heroes is still way above MSRP, but is currently most affordable at Walmart for around $79, followed by TCGplayer at just over $82.
Both the Charmander and Ghastly Tech Sticker Collections (three booster packs, promo card, and stickers) are currently listed for the best prices at Amazon at just under $50 each — with TCGlayer offering much larger price points for now.
Meanwhile, the Heroes Collections around Erika and Larry, each with boosters and promo cards can be found cheapest at Walmart, and $10 more expensive, if you want the Larry version as a guarantee.
Ascended Heroes will also have a variety of mini-tins featuring many key Pokémon — Clefairy & Chikorita, Zorua & Cramorant, Riolu & Darumaka, etc — but these can currently cost upwards of $190 at TCGplayer. If you don’t mind getting a random tin, though, these are thankfully available for $29.99 at Walmart.
Finally, each Premium Poster Collection (one for Mega Lucario and another for Mega Gardevoir) can currently be found best at TCGplayer for just over $85 each — with Walmart’s sitting at $120.
Pokémon TCG: Pokémon Day 2026 Collection – Releasing Jan. 30, 2026
Pokémon’s 30th anniversary is on February 27, but you’ll be able to celebrate early when the commemorative Pokémon Day 2026 Collection also drops on January 30 with Ascended Heroes.
Announced back in December 2025, this is a very small release with one confirmed card: a unique stamped foil promo card of Pikachu looking cute as standard, along with a logo’d metallic coin, and a trio of TCG booster packs from different sets. Available imagery seems to show the packs being a mixture of one Phantasmal Flames and two Mega Evolution, but we like to warn that the contents may always differ from unit to unit.
The Pokémon Day 2026 Collection is currently marked as “Coming Soon” at Best Buy, but it can be bought now at Amazon for $49.99, or from around $64 on TCGplayer if that sells out.
Mega Evolution: Perfect Order – Releasing March 2026
If Ascended Heroes is going to be setting the foundation of what the Mega Evolution set’s expansions are going to look like, Perfect Order’s going to kick things up a notch. Just announced this month and arriving in March, Perfect Order is going to be honing in on many of the Pokémon featured in the Legends: Z-A game.
Among the cards announced from the 120-card set so far, we know we’re going to be seeing many of the game’s starring Mega Pokémon; Mega Zygarde ex, Mega Starmie ex, and Mega Clefable ex; but also some surprising extra additions like Meowth ex.
At the time of writing, there are no pre-orders of Perfect Order products to buy, but we’ll be updating this article as soon as they are.
Pokémon TCG: 2025 Release Calendar – A Look Back
Despite the Pokemon TCG’s ongoing supply issues driving prices up, 2025 was one of the most packed years for the trading card game, both in expansions releases and just how expensive some products and chase cards have been worth.
Still, even for casual collectors, the hundreds of new cards released have had plenty that are still worth grabbing in 2026, if you can find a price you’re happy with. Most notably, 2025 included the launch of the new Mega Evolution series, with the aptly named Mega Evolution set, and the final release of the year, Phantasmal Flames.
Featuring six booster bundles, there’s still every chance that you’ll pull a Mega Charizard X ex double rare, alt rare, or even Secret Art Rare or Gold Rare. I’ve pulled three normal ‘Zard ex’s so far, so no need to worry about deck building with Phantasmal Flames.
They also had the Phantasmal Flames Elite Trainer Box live, which is actually available for $74.99 right now, though it’s been going in and out of stock as the months have gone by. With that, I’d suggest keeping an eye on that too.
What made this set even more exciting is its size, with about 90 cards before secret rares, which makes it the smallest English set in nearly a decade. For collectors like me, that usually means a much more manageable chase, while still packing in plenty of heavy hitters for players.
The product lineup altogether for Phantasmal Flames was pretty stacked, too. We got the usual booster packs and booster box (36 packs), a 9-pack Elite Trainer Box featuring a shiny new Charcadet promo, and an Ultra-Premium Collection built around Mega Charizard X ex.
On top of that, two theme decks for Mega Gengar ex and Mega Diancie ex arrived a few weeks early on October 24, which was a fun way to get a taste of the set before launch. If you’re like me and love cracking packs, the booster box was the way to go, but the UPC already looked like the big collector piece this time around.
What tied it all together was the Japanese set Inferno X, which hit shelves there in late September. That set had only 80 cards, and once you added in the Mega Gengar and Mega Diancie decks, you basically got the full Phantasmal Flames lineup.
We’d already seen some killer reveals, including the Mega Charizard X ex secret rare previewed at Worlds, so I fully expected that to be the chase card when this launches. Between the smaller set size, Charizard hype, and some solid gameplay cards, I’m not surprised this one flew off the shelves and I’m definitely glad I locked in my preorder.
Announced at Japan’s Championship tournament, the two new sets featuring Mega Lucario ex and Mega Gardevoir ex marked the popular trading card game stepping away from its Scarlet and Violet era.
Finding sealed products like these at a fair price became a challenge very quickly. Some stores were holding MSRP, others were and still are inflating prices, and secondary marketplaces have had their own dynamics to keep in mind, too.
But the gist is: collectors who must have the ETB, Best Buy and Walmart were worth constant refreshing. If reliability matters more, TCGplayer has been the most straightforward (though slighty more costly) option.
While we can expect products from this set to be hopefully keep joining Pokémon TCG deals further down the line, huge initial demand will definitely see certain cards become price juggernauts among upcoming crashers and climbers.
2025 was shaped up to be a huge year at that point, sobut here’s everything else from the rest of the Pokémon TCG big releases last year. As always, IGN will keep tracking the buy links, both here and on socials at @IGNDeals.
Pokémon TCG 2025 Holiday Calendar – Released Aug. 22, 2025
The Pokémon Company started releasing annual holiday calendars back in 2022, inspired by the Pokémon Countdown Calendar from 2008.
These products are surprisingly good value in the current TCG market, as well as for casual fans of the series in other forms. You can see the listing here at Amazon or scroll on for more details.
The 2025 Pokémon Holiday Calendar released on August 22 and initially retailed for $49.99 at Target before quicklly selling out. It’s now available at Walmart for a pricier $64.99 or at Amazon for $69.
Black Bolt and White Flare – Released Jul. 18, 2025
If you haven’t secured any boosters for Black Bolt and White Flare sealed products, you can still try your luck at local brick and mortar or online, or even online retailers like Amazon right now.
Alternatively, TCGplayer pricing for sealed product has occassionally been crashing, so I reckon we’ve well been seeing the usual price crash post-launch — as it what happens with some expansions.
What do I think of the set? I think it’s great and possibly the best opportunity to pull Illustration Rares in the Scarlet and Violet era, it’s ending on a high note.
Personally I’m not a fan of stuffing the set with Pokéball and Masterball rares, but in terms of quality and presentation, they look cool. It would be grand to see Mega Evolution additionally double down on the dual format and loads of Illustration Rares going forward, but this is an encouraging sneek peek into what’s next for Pokémon TCG.
Black Bolt and White Flare focus on the 156 Pokémon originally discovered in the Unova region. Each Unova Pokémon appear as either an illustration rare or a special illustration rare card, with different versions available in Black Bolt and White Flare products.
July 18, 2025: Scarlet & Violet Black Bolt/White Flare ETBs (9 boosters, promo, accessories); Binder Collection (5 boosters, Zekrom/Reshiram album); Unova Poster Collection (6 boosters, Snivy/Tepig/Oshawott promos, poster); Unova Mini Tin (2 boosters, art/sticker card).
August 22, 2025: Booster Bundle (6 Black Bolt/White Flare boosters).
Destined Rivals – Released May. 30, 2025
Things really kicked off on May 30with Destined Rivals. This set brought back Trainer’s Pokémon, reintroduces Team Rocket for another round of villainous fun, and includes some of the best card art we’ve seen in ages.
Destined Rivals top chase card prices are also finally stabilizing, making it a great time to snap some up. Team Rocket’s Mewtwo ex SIR has been going for anything over $450 since release, but is starting to settle on a more respectable $310.
A while back, the Destined Rivals singles market was bouncing all over the place. Some cards were doubling in price overnight and it was tough to tell what was hype and what would hold. Now, prices feel a lot more stable by comparison.
Some have dipped. Some Destined Rivals bangers are just cruising right at market. It feels like we’re finally seeing what these cards are actually worth.
Above are the ten of the most expensive cards you can find in the set right now. A couple of them are legit strong in decks. A few are pure collector bait. Team Rocket’s Mewtwo ex was the hottest card in the set for a while and it’s still holding close to market. The artwork is what does it for me, personally.
Mewtwo looks like it’s about to explode, floating in this dim lab setting with everything glowing around it. The ability makes it tough to use unless you’re running a full Rocket build, but once it’s active, Erasure Ball gives you some serious power. Definitely still a top-tier pull even with the market calming down.
Journey Together – Released Mar. 28 2025
It’s about time we got a set like this. Bringing back nostalgic Trainer’s Pokémon cards from the Gym Heroes era. N’s Zoroark ex and Lillie’s Clefairy ex end the chaos of endless secret arts for a more curated, collectible experience.
With just 16 Pokémon ex, 11 illustration rares, and three hyper rare gold cards, it’s been easier to track what’s worth pulling without feeling like you need a PhD in pack odds.
Fancy snagging the Enhanced Booster Display Box with its bonus N’s Reshiram illustration rare or pull Iono’s Bellibolt ex? This set screams nostalgia with a new coat of paint.
Rare Cards and Collector’s Highlights
If you’re into collecting, this set hits the sweet spot. It’s got 16 Pokémon ex, six unique illustrations rares, and just three hyper rare gold cards, which means you won’t have to mortgage your house chasing every rarity. As for the artwork. illustrating rares like N’s Zoroark ex will look incredible in your binder.
Pokémon Center’s Enhanced Booster Display Box is the one to grab for preorder exclusives. It comes with a bonus N’s Reshiram illustration rare card — a little extra flex for your collection.
Prismatic Evolutions – Released Jan. 17 2025
Prismatic Evolutions, kicked off 2025, and it’s all about Eevee and its many evolutions. This set is doing things differently, which is probably why stock sells out as soon as it comes in.
This is another 151 situation, but there were plenty of stock refeshes coming throughout 2025, with hopefully more coming eventually in 2026. You won’t find these cards in the usual booster packs.
Instead, they’ve be released in boxed sets throughout last year, each packed full of exclusive cards celebrating Eevee and friends. With over 175 cards, including unique designs and new game mechanics, Prismatic Evolutions is shaping to be a hit with collectors and competitive players alike.
Rare Cards and Collector’s Highlights
For collectors, Prismatic Evolutions isn’t short on treasures. Each Eevee evolution has its special illustration and hyper-rare gold Pokémon ex card, making them must-haves for anyone building a showcase-worthy collection.
The set includes 32 illustration rares featuring detailed artwork for Pokémon ex and Supporter cards, so plenty of eye candy is here. With so many unique finishes and designs, it’s bound to make a few waves among fans.
Between the fresh artwork, inventive mechanics, and the undeniable charm of Eevee and friends, Prismatic Evolutions is set to be one of 2025’s standout sets. Collectors and players alike will still find something to love here, from stunning illustration rares to powerful new game cards that can make a real difference in play.
Ben Williams – IGN freelance contributor with over 10 years of experience covering gaming, tech, film, TV, and anime. Follow him on Twitter/X @BenLevelTen.
New Map: Lava Area
New Achievements — 1000G Added
