Amazon has produced yet another brilliant Pokémon TCG deal ready for the weekend, and it’s once again on the latest Mega Evolution set, Phantasmal Flames.

While we’re looking forward to Ascended Heroes at the end of the month, it’s a mighty bit of fresh air to finally get some reasonable prices on boosters for the popular Mega Charizard sporting set from last year.

Pokémon Go looks set to add another battle currency to the ever-popular mobile game, this time focused around raids for Mega Pokémon.

As Pokémon Go prepares to roll-out the first of Pokémon Legends Z-A’s new wave of Mega Evolutions next month as part of its upcoming Go Tour Kalos event, the game also appears to have a major rework of its Mega Raid system in the offing.

Datamined information published by The Pokémod Group have spilled details of Link Charges, a new in-game resource that the game’s files refer to as “enhanced currency.” An in-game description states that Link Charges “can be used to enter Mega Raid in place of Raid passes” and will now be “required to enter Mega Raids remotely.”

The addition of a new type PVE battle resource for Mega raids comes as something of a surprise, as Mega battles have existed in the game for years, accessible simply via regular raid passes.

While details remain unconfirmed and subject to change, Link Charges sound like something of a cross between existing raid passes and the Max Energy system introduced more recently specifically for use in Dynamax/Gigantamax battles. The introduction of Link Charges would certainly also delineate Mega raids from regular raid battles — similar to how the use of Max Energy sets Max battles apart.

Unreleased in-game text states that players will be able to “earn Link Charges from activities such as Weekly Challenges, Campfire Check-Ins, and opening Gifts,” all of which are free. That said, images showing the Link Charges themselves (which look like futuristic USB sticks) in various bundles suggest the resource will, of course, also be sold via the game’s in-game shop.

A new item called “enhanced currency” has been added, along with some variations featuring “RRP” (remote raid pass? idk).
It looks like something that could be sold in the shop, but we’re not sure what it does yet.

Seeing this item alongside a remote pass is a bit scary.… pic.twitter.com/gIROUW4DlT

— The Pokemod Group (@thepokemodgroup) January 22, 2026

As ever, Pokémon Go’s highly-engaged community have been reacting to the datamined details with their usual mix of excitement and healthy scepticism.

“Are we cooked?” wrote Kind_Cheesecake_8297 on top Pokémon Go reddit The Silph Road. “Asked the frog in the pot,” replied EquivalentReality988. “This is just another temperature increase, we’ve been boiling for years.”

But while the introduction of another PVE battle resource has naturally prompted questions over how plentiful it will be (and how much it will cost via the in-game shop), many others have agreed that the game’s Mega raids do need some form of shakeup.

Following their most recent rework years ago, Mega raids typically provide enough in-game resource to Mega Evolve a specific Pokémon within a few battles. After that, Mega Pokémon can be set as a Buddy Pokémon to generate Mega Energy for free. Beyond hunting for a Shiny or better stat version of a particular creature, there’s little need to then continue raiding — and as an active player, I have to say I don’t consider Mega creatures when deciding what to spend my daily raid pass on.

While this is fine for players who have all Mega Pokémon unlocked already, this leaves newer players without others to battle Mega raids alongside (and most Megas require multiple people to take down). Providing an additional resource to battle Mega raids means players can choose to take on the battles in addition to regular raids — just as the Max Particle system works for Dynamax and Gigantamax battles now.

Nintendo has just confirmed a release date for Super Mario Bros. Wonder’s expanded Switch 2 Edition, which will include a suite of new minigames and the ability to play as Rosalina, ahead of her big screen debut in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup In Bellabel Park, to give its full name, will arrive on March 26. As that extremely lengthy title suggests, the upgraded version of Nintendo’s 2023 platformer includes the additional Bellabel Park area to explore, which comes stuffed with extra activities.

The Switch 2 Edition will be available to purchase separately, or existing Switch owners of the game can alternatively purchase an upgrade pack.

#SuperMarioBrosWonder – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park arrives March 26!

Look forward to new boss courses with all 7 Koopalings, two new playable characters, Rosalina, and Co-Star Luma, and more!

Pre-order today: https://t.co/jflxAzIJGB pic.twitter.com/8AKPoiJRMc

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) January 22, 2026

Bellabel Park’s Local Multiplayer Plaza features 17 new co-op or versus minigames, with support for up to four local players (and yes, your pals can join even if they don’t have the game, via GameShare). Game Room Plaza, meanwhile, features six minigames for either local or online play — with the latter option supporting up to 12 players.

A third area, Camp Central, features the adorable Captain Toad and his Toad Brigade, who set challenges based on existing courses. Complete them all and you’ll become an elite Toad Brigade explorer yourself. Lastly, the Koopalings are also back — having stolen treasure from Bellabel Park, you’ll need to search through the game’s levels and defeat them.

Helpful additions to the game include Co-Star Luma, who offers a way for a second player to join in as an assist character, while Assist Mode lets you explore the game without fear of damage or falling down a pit. Handy!

Riftbound, the new trading card game (TCG) from Riot Games, released on October 31, 2025, in the West, and has since seen incredible growth, both in terms of overall interest and card listings at online storefronts.

According to new data provided by TCGplayer.com, daily searches for the game have increased by over 300% since launch, compared to the preorder period (about 2 weeks prior to launch). Globally, the term “Riftbound” was searched over 6,300 times per hour, and that’s just by TCGplayer users.

TCGplayer CEO Rob Bigler also provided comment to IGN on the new TCG’s immense success so far: “Riftbound’s early success is a huge positive for the hobby and reinforces that fans are excited to engage with the worlds and characters they love in new ways. Trading card games are a compelling and social way to extend fan affinity when developed authentically and thoughtfully – and we see this via the demand on our marketplace.”

With a property as popular as League of Legends, supplementary media such as Netflix’s Arcane and the upcoming fighting game 2XKO have garnered significant mass appeal, with many fans staying true to their favorite characters from all mediums.

Per TCGplayer, the most popular Riftbound card searches between October 17 and December 7 included some of the most iconic League characters. Jinx, the star of Arcane, had over 65,000 searches, while other fan-favorite character Ahri had more than 54,900. Other popular searches included other League of Legends characters like Sett, Teemo, and Darious, each with over 43,000 searches on the site.

TCGplayer is the biggest online storefront for all things TCGs in the world, and the launch of Riftbound exploded exponentially with related card and sealed product listings.

It’s no secret that getting your hands on sealed Riftbound product was (and still is) a bit tough, but the marketplace saw a 750% increase in listings a month after launch; October 30 saw more than 68,600 listings, while October 31 saw that number almost double, with over 118,100 listings. As of November 30, the number of listings was sitting at more than 585,000.

Riftbound’s second set, titled Spiritforged, is scheduled to launch in the West on February 13 after launching in China on December 12. Preorders are now open for Spiritforged products.

Myles Obenza is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Bluesky @mylesobenza.bsky.social.