Category: IGN

Amazon recently discounted the 2025 27″ Samsung G5 OLED to $349.99, making it the lowest price I’ve ever seen for an OLED gaming monitor. Today, the deal just got even better because you can now get a free Resident Evil: Requiem game code with purchase. The offer will automatically be applied during checkout. Resident Evil: Reqiuem is now available and with this voucher you’ll be able to download the full version of the game. Check out our Resident Evil: Requiem review.

The monitor also includes a 3 year warranty with burn-in coverage.

27″ Samsung Odyssey OLED G5 Gaming Monitor for $349.99

Free Resident Evil: Requiem game code with purchase

Charizard – love it or hate it, there’s no denying that this Pokémon is an icon in its own right. It may be #0006 in the Pokédex, but it’s #1 in the hearts of Trainers across the globe. Since taking place front-and-center on Pokémon Red’s cover art 30 years ago, this Fire-type is iconic in its own right.

Since its debut in the Base Set of the Pokémon Trading Card Game, back in 1996, Charizard has been printed on a whopping 50 unique cards. But which is the most iconic? Let’s settle it, once and for all.

10. Charizard VMAX (Champion’s Path 074/073)

I almost feel sorry for Browt and Gecqua. How is an angry little leafy bird and a damp blue gecko meant to compete with the face card that Pombon showed off in the reveal trailer for Pokémon Winds and Waves? A tiny, smiley Pomeranian with eyes that could melt hearts as quickly as the fire he, in all likelihood, breathes, I fear that I already know I would die for him.

The thing is, when it comes to starter Pokémon, I’m not even traditionally a fire-type guy. I still insist to this day that there’s no cooler Pokémon than the hydro-pumping, water cannon-strapped Blastoise, so, naturally, my choice in that original generation was always going to be Squirtle. I’m not going to sit here making Brock’s Gym and Mt Moon harder for myself than it needs to be. That penchant for water transferred straight into Gold and Silver, with Totodile more often than not being my first Pokémon of choice. Just look at his little fanged face. Adorable.

And so, I would switch between elemental types for the next couple of decades, picking tactically, and thinking about what would make my onward journey the most fun and frictionless. I’m normally one to utilise an analytical approach to these things and not rush into a quick decision. So, when today’s Pokémon 30th anniversary stream ended with Gen 10’s reveal trailer, and inside of it hid our first peek at Winds and Waves starters, it was frankly embarrassing how quickly I decided that Pombon would be sitting snuggly in my very first Poké Ball. I’m not saying it’s as easy to give me an adorable little smile to get me on side, but in this case, the Pomeranian only went and did it.

Of course, we don’t yet know what any of these three starters will evolve into — I think it’s safe to assume larger birds, dogs, and geckos — but already I don’t even care. Sure, we’ve had our fair share of fire dogs over the years in Pokémon, perhaps most notably Cinnabar Island natives Growlithe and Arcanine, but Pombon is a fierce new breed, and one I will likely arm with quick attack, bite, and ember until he’s a big enough boy to incinerate any flammable fool stupid enough to stand in his way. Yes, even your tiny little Browt, if you, for some reason, decide that he’s the one for you in 2027.

The official Pokémon website describes Browt as a “lively but clumsy Bean Chick Pokémon”. Why would you want to hang out with a clutz? Gecqua is listed as an “intelligent Water Gecko Pokémon”. Brains are overrated; manners are everything. That’s why I’ll be making the actual smart decision and going with Pombon, the “friendly Puppy Pokémon”.

Stick with me, boy, I’ll keep you safe. Fire, come walkies with me.

Simon Cardy is a Senior Editor at IGN who can mainly be found skulking around open world games, indulging in Korean cinema, or despairing at the state of Tottenham Hotspur and the New York Jets. Follow him on Bluesky at @cardy.bsky.social.

Sony has confirmed that Resident Evil Requiem is the first game to use its upgraded PSSR upscaler on PlayStation 5 Pro.

The company made it official in a post on the PlayStation Blog, where Mark Cerny, Lead Architect, PS5 and PS5 Pro, said the upgraded version of PSSR (PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution) is rolling out globally to PS5 Pro players in the coming weeks.

PSSR is an AI library that analyzes game images pixel by pixel as it upscales them, and it’s been used to boost the effective resolution of over 50 titles on PS5 Pro to date, Cerny explained.

“We’ve been hard at work on a new version of PSSR, which takes a very different approach to not only the neural network but also the overall algorithm,” he added. “We are happy to share that Resident Evil Requiem — shipping today — is the first title to use this more advanced PSSR, which is helping to keep both frame rate and image quality high.”

Capcom’s Masaru Ijuin, Senior Manager Engine Development Support Section R&D Foundational Technology Department, commented: “With Resident Evil Requiem, we focused on enhancing the presentation quality of the protagonist through an upgraded version of RE Engine to deepen the player’s immersion in horror. For example, each individual strand of hair and beard is rendered as a polygon, allowing it to move realistically in response to body motion and wind. The way light passes through his hair changes depending on how the strands of hair are overlapped as well. This detailed expression of texture is one of the many details that we would especially love for our fans to see.

“The upgraded PSSR has allowed us to elevate our expressiveness by successfully processing these details and textural particularities, which are traditionally difficult to upscale because of their intricacy. We hope you will experience this unprecedented level of horror and visual fidelity, and the new gameplay feel it delivers.”

To illustrate the point, Sony published one screenshot of Resident Evil Requiem featuring original PSSR upscaling alongside the same image featuring the new PSSR upscaling. The strands of hair do look slightly more defined in the second screenshot.

Cerny said the algorithm and neural network used in the new PSSR stems from Sony’s Project Amethyst partnership with AMD. “Through AMD’s FSR 4 upscaling technology, PC gamers have already seen the benefits of our collaboration,” he said. “With the updated PSSR, we’re delivering the very latest of this co-developed technology with a further six months of refinement for PS5 Pro players.”

Sony said multiple existing games will be upgraded to the improved PSSR in March, but there’s no word yet on which games will be included. There will also be a system software update at that time; selecting “Enhance PSSR Image Quality” in Settings on PS5 Pro will allow you to experience the new PSSR with any PS5 Pro games that currently support PSSR.

“Once the system update releases next month, try it and see, some games may have noticeably crisper graphics,” Cerny said.

The February 2026 Pokémon Presents might be one of the most anticipated presentations the series has seen in years, and we’re here to catch all of the highlights.

We’re just moments away from seeing how The Pokémon Company plans to build on the global phenomenon as it heads into yet another year with new monsters to catch and games to play. Pokémon Day 2026 is a special one, though, as this year’s anniversary celebration marks 30 years since the franchise began with the release of the Red and Green video games. Viewers are expecting bombshell updates and reveals to help commemorate the occasion, with most gaming fans on the edge of their seats, hoping to see even the smallest glimpse at Pokémon generation 10.

With Nintendo Switch ports for FireRed and LeafGreen out today, what exactly will be shown is a mystery, but updates for projects like Pokémon Champions, Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket, and other spinoffs seem likely. We’ll only need to wait a few more minutes to find out what’s behind the curtain, so be sure to keep refreshing this page to see everything announced at the February 2026 Pokémon Presents when it goes live on Twitch and YouTube at 6am PT / 9am ET / 2pm UK time.

Developing…

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).

Nintendo has finally detailed when its Resident Evil Requiem amiibo figurines will be ready — and there’s still a significant wait yet for fans, despite the game’s official launch today.

As detailed in a fresh post on Nintendo’s website, the Grace Ashcroft and Leon S. Kennedy amiibo will go on sale on July 30 — a date which is still five months away.

There’s no word on why the amiibo won’t be ready sooner, and an image of the two posted today shows the same figures as revealed previously (which attracted some fan criticism for the design of Leon’s rather basic-looking features). Perhaps July will mark the arrival of some new Requiem content? Or perhaps Nintendo knows fans will buy the amiibo regardless.

Amiibo figures for third-party games are rarer than those for Nintendo’s own titles and characters, but far from unheard of. Dark Souls and Diablo both received a tie-in amiibo figurine, while Nintendo has also decided to create one for Resident Evil publisher Capcom’s upcoming Pragmata.

Earlier today, Nintendo flagged that a last-minute day one update for Resident Evil Requiem was now available, which the company said contained “several fixes” for issues that fans should install before booting up the game. While the game has only been available a few hours, Requiem is already Steam’s biggest ever launch for a Resident Evil title. Meanwhile, fans are still puzzling through a convoluted in-game mystery that has stumped players with early copies — it’s more complicated than anything seen in the franchise to date, and something we’re keeping a close eye on.

“Like the result of an experiment conducted in an underground Umbrella Corporation lab, Resident Evil Requiem successfully splices two separate strains of survival horror together into the one highly infectious new mutation,” IGN wrote in our human-authored Resident Evil Requiem review, awarding the game 9/10.

IGN’s Resident Evil Requiem guide will help you every step of the way through RE9. Take note of these key tips and tricks before you get started, and focus on finding these important items early. Plus, our comprehensive walkthrough will make sure you don’t miss a single Bobblehead or file as you try to survive from the Rhodes Hill Chronic Care Center all the way to Raccoon City.

Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social

Amazon is going through something of a massive restocking mission this week for Pokémon cards, and it comes at just the right time for Pokémon Day and the 30th anniversary celebrations.

There’s a whole bunch of great deals already live (including discounts on cards, games, and toys), but I wanted to draw attention to one of the best deals out there right now as well.

That’s on the Pokémon TCG: Scarlet and Violet – Journey Together Booster Bundle, which is now back in stock at Amazon, and with a significant reduction to boot.

There’s a whole bunch of great Pokémon deals available right now online as part of Pokémon Day and the 30th Anniversary celebrations. That includes Pokémon TCG as well, with Amazon going through something of a massive restocking mission this week, and at just the right time.

The biggest highlights from Amazon’s selection include the Journey Together Booster Bundle, now back in stock, and scoring a sizable reduction. It’s now just $34.97 at Amazon, but I can see these selling out fast today, so snap one up ASAP.

Ascended Heroes – Elite Trainer Box, now available and in stock for trainers, matching market price at $119,99 as well, alongside the Pokémon Day 2026 Collection, which, considering the ongoing 30th anniversary celebration, should absolutely be at the top of your buy list right now.

This features a specially stamped foil Pikachu promo card, a metallic coin featuring the 30th anniversary logo, and a random variety of three booster packs from Phantasmal Flames and Mega Evolution.

While the stamped foil promo card of Pikachu isn’t a unique illustration, its status as the first official 30th-anniversary product might be worth something to completionists in a few years. I’d recommend picking up two if you’ve got the space – one to hold onto as an investment, one to rip.

You can also secure both of these at TCGplayer right now at slightly reduced prices (without considering delivery), but I’ll leave it up to you to decide where you want to buy today.

Beyond the headliners, it’s also worth flagging last year’s Prismatic Evolution-themed Pokémon Day 2025 collection, which Amazon has quietly restocked at $40.64.

The set comes with two Prismatic boosters, a metallic Eevee coin, and a foil Eevee promo stamped with the Pokémon Day 2025 logo. It pairs nicely with the new 2026 collection if you’re looking to bulk out a themed pickup.

Stock has also resurfaced on a few other notable bits, including the Phantasmal Flames Three-Pack Blister at $32, the Mega Lucario ex Figure Collection, and several Scarlet & Violet Unova-era items like the Poster Box, assorted tins, and the Illustration Collection.

Robert Anderson is IGN’s Senior Commerce Editor and resident deals expert on games, collectibles, trading card games, and more. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Bluesky.

Where Winds Meet is taking us back to “one of China’s most glorious eras,” the Tang Dynasty, with its next major update, the Hexi expansion, which kicks off, for free, on March 5.

Between March and May, the team will release Hexi’s three chapters in sequence, taking wanderers “from desert to ice fields to grasslands,” starting with Jade Gate Pass next week.

“In ancient China, friends would write poems for each other. Think of these three chapters as our poem to all of you,” the team explained, stressing that this marks “a much more cinematic approach to storytelling” that feels “quite different from our previous storytelling.”

Set in a vast desert landscape, developer Everstone Games said the Hexi expansion represents the “biggest expansion since the game’s launch, and will offer up brand-new narratives, new bosses, fresh gameplay features, and martial art styles.” We can expect three major maps, which, combined, boast nearly 20 sub-regions, 11 unique bosses, seven Jianghu Legacies, “dozens” of side quests, and “so much more.” There’s also a new path called Bamboocut-Dust, with two new martial arts for Umbrella and Roped Dart. Umbrella’s Spring Dreamscape is “all about agility,” while Rope Dart’s Fleeting Clouds is “all about big, sweeping AOE attacks.”

The stream showed off some of those aforementioned boss fights in detail;, including Jade Gate Pass’ campaign boss, Guo Xin, the aging general and last grand protector who “remains at his post defending the land to the very end.” He’ll come at you with “sweeping combos and summon veterans to fight alongside him,” so you’ll need to use your deflects wisely to protect against his attacks. His second phase, on the other hand, boasts “sands swirl and time reverses” as the call of his army “jostles him back to his prime,” enabling him to unleash his full power.

We also get a sneak peek at Wandering Ark, which, I’m delighted to say, is exactly what it sounds like — a huge ship. Once a messenger, it’s now obsessed with finding its way home through the desert. If you hang on after the main presentation finishes, there’s also a good chunk of the battle against Hexi’s Moongazing Maiden boss fight, too, where all the skills and weapons are related to the moon.

While the stream focused primarily on the desert, we also paid fleeting visits to the upcoming Liangzhou and Qingchuan maps, too. The former is a city known for its fine wine and precious jade in our first snow mountain region, and the latter, your final destination, where you’ll cycle through all four seasons on one map and find warring factions everywhere you turn.

Best of all, though, Everstone stressed that all your progress carries over from season to season, including character levels, talents, and arsenals, so there’s “no need to start from scratch.”

As for goodies? Here’s just some of what you can expect:

• 30+ Lingering Melody
• 90+ Resonating Melody (includes pulls obtained via free Echo Jade earned through exploration)
• 100+ Appearances and items
• Win exclusive Whirl of Radiance outfit (obtained through exploration)
• 100+ Exquisite Rewards, including Appearances like Burlap Sack, Bride’s Bloom, War Drum and more, the White-Headed General Avatar, the Radiant Horizons Nameplate, and the Who Else? And Pluck Stars Emotes

That’s not all! Everstone also revealed a slew of new quality-of-life updates, too, which we’ve summarized below:

Cross-platform optimization and improved stability

• Performance and stability optimizations:
  • Performance and memory usage have been optimized across all platforms. This effectively reduces crashes, ensuring a more stable and reliable overall experience.
• Dynamic scene enhancements:
  • Optimized object motion in dynamic scenes to make screen transitions and movement processes smoother and more natural.
• Unified cross-platform experience:
  • Through comprehensive adjustments across all platforms, we have improved the consistency of the gameplay experience on different devices.
  • Optimized notifications for Compendium, Achievements, Events, Martial Arts, and Guilds. We hope to ensure timely and clear information delivery for all players while minimizing distractions and repetitive alerts.

Console control upgrades and smoother interactions

• PS5 controller optimization:
  • Adjusted controller inputs for the Taiping Mausoleum and select events to enhance intutitiveness and handling.
• Focus and cursor display optimization:
  • Optimized the logic for controller focus display and fixed cursor issues, making UI navigation clearer and more stable.
• Polished console experience:
  • Further improved interaction details on consoles to minimize control interference and improve overall gameplay experience.

Inventory management upgrades

• Recycling and sorting improvements:
  • Optimized the interaction of the recycling interface to support the quick recycling of multiple item types, improving sorting efficiency.
• Fast recycle now available:
  • Added a Fast Recycle function to quickly process expired, discarded, and recyclable items in bulk.
• Item categorization and stacking optimization:
  • Introduced new item categorization methods and increased the stack limit for certain Life Materials, keeping your inventory clean and organized.

Gameplay and social updates

• Guild gameplay updates:
  • Added various Guild-related gameplay modes and challenges to enrich combat styles and play choices.
• Guild War optimization:
  • Adjusted league and command mechanisms to reduce interference, ensuring smoother combat flow.
• Social feature upgrades:
  • Added multiple chat channels and group chat functions to facilitate interaction among players and allow sharing of Jianghu stories.

Where Winds Meet’s Hexi expansion can be pre-downloaded from today (February 27). “To wrap up, Hexi is a cinematic open world experience. Three chapters, tons of creative storytelling. We really hope this passion project brings something fresh to all of you,” the team said.

The Wuxia open-world action-adventure RPG set in ancient China debuted on PC and PlayStation 5 on November 14, topping 9 million players in just two weeks. The mobile version released on December 12.

It didn’t take long for players to find creative — and highly amusing — ways to make use of the game’s chatbot NPCs, including taking a novel approach to solving riddles by… simply telling the game’s AI-powered chatbot NPCs that they have solved the game’s riddles.

Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world’s biggest gaming sites and publications. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.

Pokémon Day 2026 is a particularly special celebration for fans, as it’s officially the 30th anniversary of the famous Red and Blue release in Japan in 1996. There’s plenty of excitement going into the day, which also makes it one of the best times to check out the best deals on everything Pokémon.

TL;DR: The Best Pokémon Day Deals

Whether that’s restocks or price reductions on the latest and greatest Pokémon TCG releases, or some sizable discounts for almost every Pokémon game on Nintendo Switch – I’ve done the hard work for you, and found the best offerings available today.

Pokémon TCG: Restocks and Best Prices

Quite surprisingly, there’s actually a whole lot of great Pokémon TCG restocks and deals available right now online, with Amazon having some of the best around. The online retailer has gone through something of a massive restocking mission this week, and at just the right time.

Pokémon Day Finds at Amazon

The biggest highlights from Amazon’s selection include the Ascended Heroes – Elite Trainer Box, now available and in stock for trainers to freely buy. It’s matching market price, at $119,99 as well.

There’s also the Pokémon Day 2026 Collection, which, considering the ongoing 30th anniversary celebration, should absolutely be at the top of your buy list right now.

Besides those standouts, I also wanted to highlight the Prismatic Evolution themed Pokémon Day 2025 collection that released last year. Listed for $40.64, Amazon has recently restocked the special edition set.

It includes two Prismatic boosters, a special metallic Eevee coin, and a foil Eevee card that features a unique Pokémon Day 2025 logo. That’s absolutely worth picking up alongside the new 2026 collection, if I say so myself.

I also want to call out availability on the Phantasmal Flames – Three Pack Blister, for $32, alongside the Mega Lucario ex Figure Collection, and several of the Scarlet & Violet Unova series, like the Poster Box, Tins, and Illustration Collection.

Pokémon Day Finds at TCGplayer

TCGplayer has also pulled out all the stops for Pokémon Day, and has several of the most popular Pokémon TCG sets in stock and at market price.

In terms of sealed sets, I want to highlight the Perfect Order booster boxes, which are currently available for $201.18 market price at TCGplayer. That’s a remarkably good price for the upcoming set releasing on March 27, and probably one of the best deals I’ve seen all year.

Featuring 36 booster packs, you’re looking at about $5.50 per pack, which is as close to MSRP as I think we’re ever going to get. Compare this to Phantasmal Flames booster boxes, which are currently going for $320 or more, this is a huge saving. I’d snap this up ASAP before prices spike again as we get closer to release day.

My next best suggestion is to consider The Pokémon Center Exclusive Ascended Heroes ETB, which is currently available for just $246.84 market price at TCGplayer. Considering this was selling for $400 just a few weeks back, I’d consider this one of the best deals available right now for the biggest Pokémon TCG fans out there.

Nintendo Switch Games on Sale Today

Amazon’s Woot store has been known to offer a bunch of deals in the past, but it might just have outdone itself this time around with its brand new “Video Games For All!” sale that includes a whole slew of Pokémon games on Nintendo Switch. Just use promo code LEVEL20 to access the new bargains.

The biggest standout is on Legends Z-A, which is down just $35.92 on Nintendo Switch. IGN’s Rebekah Valentine gave the game an 8 out of 10 in her review last year, saying “Pokémon Legends: Z-A finally feels like Game Freak hitting its stride in Pokémon’s 3D era, with a fun setting to explore, a well-written story, and a total battle system overhaul that works surprisingly well.”

You can upgrade to the Switch 2 version digitally as well for just $10 after making your purchase, making this a certified bargain. But, and this is a big but, these are certified Pokémon Day deals that will expire by the end of today (February 27, 11:59 PM CT, to be exact). So, act fast to avoid disapointment.

Pokémon Funkos, Toys and Plushies

I couldn’t wrap things up without at least mentioning several amazing Pokémon plushies that are on sale at Amazon right now. That includes an adorable and massive 20-Inch Torchic Squishmallow that’s down to just $30.99, which is lowest price in the past 30 days.

There’s also a great deal on Lugia and Snorlax 12-Inch plushies, which are just perfect, and also at 30 day price lows right now at $22.99 each (down from $34.99).

It’s also worth mentioning the brand new lineup of Pokémon Funkos. A select few are now available, while several others are still up for preorder.

There are some bangers in here as well: an angry, electricity-summoning Pikachu, an angry, vine-summoning Venusaur, and more. Take a look and see if you want to order any from Amazon for Pokémon Day.

Pokémon LEGO Back in Stock and Now Available

There’s also a trio of new Pokémon LEGO sets that are now available from today! There’s an adorable Eevee, a dynamic Pikachu, and a pricy (yet incredible) set depicting Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise. All sets are now back in stock and available to purchase, exclusively at the LEGO Store.

My favorite from this is definitely on the Eevee LEGO set. This LEGO version is definitely going to be popular, so I’d snap it up ASAP before it sells out again fast.

We recently built this set as well, so you can check out our full impressions over there. Long story short, it’s a gorgeously designed set that manages to turn a pile of blocks into a smooth and fluffy-looking critter. In addition to the loveliness of this set, the price is right as well.

For more on Pokémon’s 30th Anniversary celebrations, be sure to check out our roundup on best Pokémon games of all time.

Robert Anderson is IGN’s Senior Commerce Editor and resident deals expert on games, collectibles, trading card games, and more. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Bluesky.