Surprise! It looks like a 30th Anniversary Edition of Rayman is on the way.
Though not formally confirmed by Ubisoft, the unannounced game has popped up on the Australian Classification website, and it’s apparently coming to both Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5.
While the franchise is owned by Ubisoft, both the developer and publisher are listed as Atari, which has previously distributed physical editions of games and remakes. Sadly, the listing gives us very little detail on what to expect aside from confirmation that it has “very mild” violence (thanks, Gematsu).
We already knew that Ubisoft was set to celebrate all things Rayman as it got ready to mark the series’ 30th anniversary, promising last September that it was working on the “future” of the series. Though the official Rayman X/Twitter account had long been dormant, only resurfacing a handful of times in 2020, then once in 2021, in September it was resurrected to bring us up to speed on what’s happening in Rayman’s world.
“Rayman turns 30! Join us on our official channels to celebrate an incredible legacy,” the account exclaimed at the time, attaching a brief video. In the video, brand producer Loic Gounon — who has been working on the Rayman franchise since 2006 — revealed that “a very talented team at Ubisoft Montpellier and Ubisoft Milan are currently working together on the future of Rayman.”
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.
Though we’ve heard very little since, Highguard reemerged last week with the promise of a launch showcase that confirmed the January 26, 2026 release date. The showcase will offer a “full gameplay deep dive, year one plans, and much more.”
In Highguard, players will “ride, fight, and raid as Wardens, arcane gunslingers sent to fight for control of a mythic continent,” although it has suffered from a degree of negativity online since that The Game Awards reveal.
Highguard is set to launch across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S. Confirmation of its release time comes from SteamDB, which of course relates only to the global Steam launch, but it is likely Highguard will go live simultaneously across all platforms.
Highguard global release times:
Depending on where you are in the world, Highguard is set to go live on:
Monday, January 26, 2026:
PST (San Francisco):
10am
CST (Austin, Mexico City):
12pm
EST (New York):
1pm
GMT (London):
6pm
CET (Paris):
7pm
Tuesday, January 27, 2026
JST (Tokyo):
3am
CST (Beijing):
3am
AEST (Sydney):
5am
NZST (Wellington):
7am
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.
A reliable leaker has revealed Sony’s main PlayStation Plus Monthly offering for February, more than a week before it becomes available.
Boxing game Undisputed will headline next month’s lineup, according to Dealabs‘ billbil-kun, who says that the liscensed punchup title will be the month’s main game available. So, while other titles are expected, Undisputed will be February’s main addition.
Undisputed is expected to become available on February 3, for PlayStation Plus subscribers across all tiers from Essential upwards. As ever, it should remain available for a month, until March 3. We’ll follow up with February’s other PlayStation Plus Monthly games whenever Sony announces them.
January’s PlayStation Plus Monthly games are of course currently still available to claim, including Disney’s Epic Mickey: Rebrushed, Core Keeper and Need for Speed Unbound.
Originally launched in October 2024 for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, Undisputed is notable for being the first major licensed boxing video game in over a decade, since the EA-published Fight Night Champion.
“Developer Steel City Interactive’s approach to boxing in Undisputed is on the right track, but there’s a long road ahead of it,” IGN wrote in its Undisputed review, which returned a 6/10 score.
“Its emphasis on realism, preparing for fights using RPG-like mechanics, and creating an adrenaline-filled experience in the ring are significant building blocks. Still, the fluidity of its gameplay animations and reactiveness of its commentators don’t come close to living up to the high bar that was set by the Fight Night series back in the late 2000s, and its realistic fighting can be a little dull if you’re in the mood for a KO instead of a TKO.”
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
With Lorwyn Eclipsed now out, our attention will soon sharply be turning to the next Magic set of 2026, which is also the first “Universes Beyond” release of the year: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
And, if you’re already sold on meeting up with cardboard versions of the Heroes in a Half Shell, their friends, and their foes, then good news – Amazon is once again discounting booster boxes, which are now down to their lowest ever price, and even lower than a previous best we saw just a couple of weeks ago.
Now down to just $124.99, and containing 30 of your finest Play Boosters (each containing 14 cards), this is a certified $84.71 in savings compared to its original $209.70 list price. That’s also just over $4 for each booster ($4.17, to be precise), which is more than a couple of bucks off what you’d usually pay when buying them individually.
In comparison, the market price for these is still sitting around $139, according to data at the trusted resale marketplace TCGplayer. While this will likely continue to drop (fallen 45.71% in the past three months), you’re certainly ahead of the trend if you pick up the preorder at Amazon right now.
Also, just a heads up, as it’s important for those looking to buy: Amazon doesn’t charge until dispatch (so your card won’t be charged until closer to release on March 6. Plus, the retailer also has a preorder price guarantee, so if it drops even further or somehow goes back up in price, you can be absolutely certain that you’re paying the lowest price possible.
This is also even better than the deal we saw just before Christmas, and now even lower than the next best price at Amazon from earlier this month ($148.20). Although it does make you think, is the discount indicative of Wizards of the Coast’s expectations for the set? Let’s hope not!
In December, the price dropped to $159.99, bringing the Universes Beyond box of Play Boosters to around the standard price of a Universes Within box, but dropping even further to just $125, this seems like a mighty good deal for what is already looking like a very popular set.
We saw similar drops for Spider-Man, which would be a little worrisome if Avatar hadn’t got the same treatment – and that set was great. For more on Magic: The Gathering, check out the wild ride that is the game’s 2026 set lineup, as well as our guide to buying the first set of the year, Lorwyn Eclipsed, which just launched, and already has some mighty impressive cards that are racking up a tidy price on resale.
Robert Anderson is Senior Commerce Editor, and IGN’s resident deals expert on games, collectibles, trading card games, and more. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Bluesky.
This article also contains contributions from Lloyd Coombes. Lloyd is an experienced freelancer in tech, gaming and fitness seen at Polygon, Eurogamer, Macworld, TechRadar and many more. He’s a big fan of Magic: The Gathering and other collectible card games, much to his wife’s dismay.
We’ve rounded up the best deals for Sunday, January 25, below. Don’t miss your chance to save on these deals!
Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree for $20.37
Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree was a surprise hit from Bandai Namco in 2025, featuring a brand new cast of characters and world to discover. Dubbed as Bandai Namco’s first roguelite, this game features a unique mechanic where you constantly switch between two swords to replenish their sharpness. You can pick up a Nintendo Switch copy this weekend for only $20.37.
Octopath Traveler 0 for $40.61
Octopath Traveler 0 was easily one of the most overlooked RPGs of 2025. This massive game packs in a huge amount of content, with over 100 hours required to 100% the game. In our 9/10 review, we wrote, “Octopath Traveler 0 asks you to stick with a 100-hour journey, and it rewards you with the kinds of moments only lengthy RPGs can pull off with its overarching story, an intricate turn-based combat system, and a soundtrack that’ll leave you absolutely floored.”
Yakuza Kiwami 1+2 is $40.61
Yakuza Kiwami and Yakuza Kiwami 2 are remakes of the first two entries in the series, offering enhanced visuals and updated gameplay mechanics. Recently, SEGA went back and updated these releases for modern consoles, and the double-pack is discounted this weekend to $40.61. With over 80 hours of content available between the two, this is an excellent deal, especially for newcomers to the series.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition for $64.99
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond was only released in December, and today, you can save $5 off a physical copy of the Switch 2 Edition at Amazon. The latest adventure of Samus Aran takes place on the planet Viewros, and you’re given new psychic abilities to utilize in navigating the secrets of the planet. In our 8/10 review, we wrote, “Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is an excellent, if relatively uneven, revival that reaches heights worthy of the Metroid name in its best moments.”
Tekken 8 for $20
We’ve seen this deal before, but it’s a great one! Tekken 8 is on sale for Xbox Series X for $20 at Amazon. With two years of DLC down, this a great time to hop in and prepare for Year 3, which will likely be revealed soon.
Forza Horizon 6 Up for Pre-Order
Xbox and Playground Games finally revealed a first look at Forza Horizon 6 this week, and the game is set to launch this May for Xbox Series X|S and PC. Tokyo is Horizon’s biggest city ever, with over 550 cars to discover and all sorts of new mechanics to explore. Lock in your copy today at Amazon and prepare for the biggest Horizon Festival yet.
Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 for $58.99
Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 released for Nintendo Switch last Fall, and today, you can score this double pack for $58.99 at Woot! These two adventures are some of Mario’s greatest, making this a must-own game for any Switch owner. Plus, there’s a free update for Nintendo Switch 2 that enables 4K support.
Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion for $40.61
As the sequel to 2019’s Daemon X Machina, Titanic Scion had plenty of room to expand. The combat has been overhauled with new armor, gameplay mechanics, and more. However, the real star of the show is Titanic Scion’s open world, which is much expanded from the original game. If you’re a mecha fan, don’t hesitate to grab a PS5 copy this weekend and take Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion for a spin.
Return to Silent Hill 4K Steelbook Up for Pre-Order
If you watched Return to Silent Hill in theaters or are just waiting for the home release, Amazon has opened pre-orders for the 4K Steelbook this weekend. This exclusive edition also features a 4×6 lenticular of Pyramid Head, which you cannot get at any other retailer.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park up for Pre-Order
Finally, Super Mario Bros. Wonder’s Nintendo Switch 2 Edition is set to launch in late March. Pre-orders have opened up, and you can secure your copy today. If you’re wanting to save by grabbing the upgrade pack separately, you can pick up a Nintendo Switch copy at Woot for $46.99, which saves you $14.
Noah Hunter is a freelance writer and reviewer with a passion for games and technology. He co-founded Final Weapon, an outlet focused on nonsense-free Japanese gaming (in 2019) and has contributed to various publishers writing about the medium.
2025 marks 40 years since Akira Toriyama’s ground-breaking Dragon Ball manga first hit shelves in Japan. The Dragon Ball Genkidamatsuri was held in Japan over the weekend to celebrate the global manga, anime and video game phenomenon. Taking up the huge Makuhari Messe event space near Tokyo, the event featured everything from exclusive merch, live game contests, and specially-curated exhibits of original artwork. The main stage was packed with exciting announcements about where the series is headed after the death of series creator Akira Toriyama, including two new anime TV series, a new game and a “massive” new DLC for Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero.
Dragon Ball Super: The Galactic Patrol Anime
The event kicked off with a brief talk between Son Goku’s Japanese VA Masako Nozawa and Dragon Ball series executive producer Akio Iyoku, followed by the premiere of a special video marking the 40th anniversary of Dragon Ball. Featuring music specially composed by Hans Zimmer, the film celebrates the evolution of Dragon Ball over the years, from Toriyama’s original manga drawings through to its various anime adaptations. The end of the video revealed a brand new anime series, Dragon Ball Super: The Galactic Patrol, prompting excited clapping from the audience.
Dragon Ball Super: The Galactic Patrol will adapt the Moro or Galactic Patrol Prisoner Arc (Chapters 42 to 67) of the Dragon Ball Super manga. It follows on from the Universe Survival Arc of the Dragon Ball Super anime, which aired between 2015 to 2018. Dragon Ball Super: The Galactic Patrol is currently in production, and fans will have to wait until 2027 to see Son Goku and Vegeta battle it out against Moro.
Age 1000 Game Project
Next, Iyoku was joined on stage by Dragon Ball Games producer Masayuki Hirano, who revealed a flashy trailer for a brand new game project, Age 1000. However, the game’s official title will be announced later.
The Age 1000 project is good news for fans who thought they would never see any new creations from Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama after his death in 2024. Apparently, Bandai Namco started developing Age 1000 around seven years ago, and Toriyama himself put a lot of work into the game’s worldbuilding and brand new characters. The trailer shows a mysterious grey-haired young man decked out in Capsule Corp gear, with Hirano revealing that “I asked Toriyama sensei to create this character especially for the game.” Although the new character seems like a new Super Saiyan, Hirano was tight-lipped about who he is. However, fans will have to wait for Dragon Ball Games Battle Hour 2026 (to be held on April 18-19 in LA) for further details.
The project’s name calls to mind Dragon Ball Online, which took place in the age 1000- so it seems the new game will also be exploring this time period. “We have spent a long time carefully crafting this project.” Iyoku explained. “I think this game will allow us to experience a brand new part of the Dragon Ball world.” Age 1000 is slated for a 2027 release.
Announcing a New Dragon Ball Game Project, “AGE 1000”, set for 2027! A new world and new characters brought to life by Akira Toriyama!
The latest updates will be unveiled at Dragon Ball Games Battle Hour 2026 in the U.S. on April 18-19. Stay tuned for more information. pic.twitter.com/ouBqvz5FwA
Dragon Ball Sparking! ZERO to get “massive” new DLC
Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero producer Jun Furutani revealed that the fighting game will be getting a “massive” new DLC this summer. The trailer for the DLC teased even more playable characters (including Super Android 17 and Demon King Piccolo), new costumes, new super attacks for Vegeta and Goku, as well as new stages and modes.
The upcoming DLC will also have its own theme song, Zero, sung by series veteran Hironobu Kageyama- who is known for his many Dragon Ball Z theme songs. Kageyama performed the new song, saying he was honored to contribute to Dragon Ball again after 18 years. With Zero, he aimed to create a cheerful and powerful song that will energize anyone who hears it.
For those who can’t wait, producer Furutani also reminded PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Steam players that Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero is getting a free DLC on January 26, the Mission 100 single player mode (which longtime fans will remember from Dragon Ball Budokai Tenakichi 3). He announced that Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 versions of the game will be getting the DLC at a later date: “please bear with us a little longer.”
Absolutely limit-breaking.
New characters. New costumes & Super Attacks. New stages. New mode. New DLC for DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO coming soon. #DBSZpic.twitter.com/CS1aRhVQsx
After lunch, Dragon Ball series executive producer Akio Iyoku and Son Goku VA Masako Nozawa returned to the stage alongside VA Koichi Yamadera for another new anime series announcement. Dragon Ball Super: Beerus, a remake of Dragon Ball Super’s first arc, is coming in Fall 2026.
Iyoku describes Dragon Ball Super: Beerus as an “enhanced version of the story.” The upcoming anime series is designed to be “more faithful to the original manga” created by Akira Toriyama. Dragon Ball Super: Beerus will feature enhanced visuals, redrawn and newly added cuts, narrative reworks, and promises to deliver “even more immersive battle scenes” than the original Dragon Ball Super anime.
Dragon Ball Super: Beerus also aims to show Beerus in a more serious light than the mischievous villain people are used to. “Beerus is a powerful enemy and a powerful character, so I wanted to make sure to bring that out this time.” Iyoku explained. Beerus’s voice actor Yamadera added, “You think he (Beerus) is just a weird uncle talking about food (…) but he’s actually the God of Destruction!”
Dragon Ball Super: Beerus will be airing on Japan’s Fuji TV in Fall 2026, with details about international distribution expected to be announced soon. For now, check out the trailer, below.
Despite Akira Toriyama’s passing, Dragon Ball fans have plenty to look forward to over the next two years. Which announcement are you most hyped about?
Image credit: Toei Animation.
Verity Townsend is a Japan-based freelance writer who previously served as editor, contributor and translator for the game news site Automaton West. She has also written about Japanese culture and movies for various publications.
We’ve rounded up the best deals for Saturday, January 24, below. Don’t miss your chance to save on these deals!
Octopath Traveler 0 for $42.99
Octopath Traveler 0 was easily one of the most overlooked RPGs of 2025. This massive game packs in a huge amount of content, with over 100 hours required to 100% the game. In our 9/10 review, we wrote, “Octopath Traveler 0 asks you to stick with a 100-hour journey, and it rewards you with the kinds of moments only lengthy RPGs can pull off with its overarching story, an intricate turn-based combat system, and a soundtrack that’ll leave you absolutely floored.”
Yakuza Kiwami 1+2 is $40.61
Yakuza Kiwami and Yakuza Kiwami 2 are remakes of the first two entries in the series, offering enhanced visuals and updated gameplay mechanics. Recently, SEGA went back and updated these releases for modern consoles, and the double-pack is discounted this weekend to $40.61. With over 80 hours of content available between the two, this is an excellent deal, especially for newcomers to the series.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition for $64.99
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond was only released in December, and today, you can save $5 off a physical copy of the Switch 2 Edition at Amazon. The latest adventure of Samus Aran takes place on the planet Viewros, and you’re given new psychic abilities to utilize in navigating the secrets of the planet. In our 8/10 review, we wrote, “Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is an excellent, if relatively uneven, revival that reaches heights worthy of the Metroid name in its best moments.”
Forza Horizon 6 Up for Pre-Order
Xbox and Playground Games finally revealed a first look at Forza Horizon 6 this week, and the game is set to launch this May for Xbox Series X|S and PC. Tokyo is Horizon’s biggest city ever, with over 550 cars to discover and all sorts of new mechanics to explore. Lock in your copy today at Amazon and prepare for the biggest Horizon Festival yet.
Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 for $58.99
Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 released for Nintendo Switch last Fall, and today, you can score this double pack for $58.99 at Woot! These two adventures are some of Mario’s greatest, making this a must-own game for any Switch owner. Plus, there’s a free update for Nintendo Switch 2 that enables 4K support.
Return to Silent Hill 4K Steelbook Up for Pre-Order
If you watched Return to Silent Hill in theaters or are just waiting for the home release, Amazon has opened pre-orders for the 4K Steelbook this weekend. This exclusive edition also features a 4×6 lenticular of Pyramid Head, which you cannot get at any other retailer.
Noah Hunter is a freelance writer and reviewer with a passion for games and technology. He co-founded Final Weapon, an outlet focused on nonsense-free Japanese gaming (in 2019) and has contributed to various publishers writing about the medium.
Magic: The Gathering’s Lorwyn Eclipsed set is here, with plenty of pricey cards for you to keep an eye out for. Still, if you’re looking to build a typal deck, or just want to find out a little more about the creature types in Lorwyn Eclipse, then this is the page for you.
Below are some of our favorite cards from the set, from Goblins to Elementals, to Giants, Treefolk, and much more. Planning to build a deck around any of these? Let us know in the comments!
Lorwyn Eclipsed Bestiary: All Creature Types Explained
Kithkin
In a lengthy blog post, Wizards said it wanted to stay true to the original Lorwyn creature types, and pushed to ensure the Limited environment brings creatures together with a playstyle in mind.
Kithkin lean into the green-white colors and a ‘go wide’ strategy, and while they might seem relatively adorable, Champion of the Clachan shows they’re able to tame bigger beasts, too. It’s a 4/5 with Flash, and buffs your other Kithkin with +1/+1.
Merfolk
Merfolk excel in white-blue and lean into blue’s general mischief and white for buffing your other creatures into a tangled web of counters.
Our favorite is Sygg, Wanderbrine Shield. He’s a 2/2 that can’t be blocked, but transforms into Sygg, Wanderwine Wisdom. Doing so protects one of your cards, and when he transforms, he can turn damage into card advantage.
Elves
As is often the case, Elves exist in Green primarily, but don’t discount black, either, with handy mill and graveyard payoffs like Dawnhand Eulogist and Gloom Ripper.
We’re a big fan of Selfless Safewright. It’s a 4/2, five-cost Elf Warrior creature with Flash and Convoke, and turns creatures of a chosen type hexproof and indestructible until the end of the turn.
Goblins
Goblins and Red go together like a dream, and Hexing Squelcher takes our pick. It’s an uncounterable 2/2 creature for two mana that has Ward (2 life) and stops your other spells from being countered while also giving them Ward (2 life).
Elsewhere, Auntie Ool is already becoming pretty popular since they appeared in the Blight Curse precon deck.
Elementals
Elementals take up all five colors, just like their precon, and there are big-hitters like Avenger of Zendikar and Muldrotha the Gravetide to be found in there.
As for our pick, I’ve gone for Moonshadow. It’s a 7/7 card that only costs one mana, but you don’t unlock its full potential until cards hit the graveyard and you get rid of its -1/-1 counters.
Faeries
Just as mischievous as they were in Wilds of Eldraine, Faeries exist across primarily blue and black.
For our favorite, I’ve picked Bitterbloom Bearer. It’s a low-cost flying card with flash, but it turns your life into small Faerie creature tokens.
Giants
There aren’t a ton of cards in the Giant category, but cards like Grave Titan are reprinted.
Burdened Stoneback, not unlike Moonshadow, enters with counters present. These ones can be removed, however, with a mana ability that can turn other creatures indestructible.
Treefolk
Again, not a huge number of treefolk here, but still some great options like Blighted Blackthorn and Sinister Gnarlbark.
Still, it’s Ferrafor, Young Yew who takes our top spot for Treefolk. It’s a 4/7 Treefolk Druid that doubles counters with its tapped ability, and creates a bunch of Saproling creature tokens when it enters, too.
Lloyd Coombes is an experienced freelancer in tech, gaming and fitness seen at Polygon, Eurogamer, Macworld, TechRadar and many more. He’s a big fan of Magic: The Gathering and other collectible card games, much to his wife’s dismay.
Riftbound, the League of Legends trading card game, is set to launch its next expansion, Spiritforged, in the West on February 13. Like Origins before it, there are a handful of different products you can buy to crack packs and build out your collection.
Riftbound: Spiritforged – Where to Buy
But also like Origins, getting your hands on sealed product was tough, with stores and even Riot’s own merch store selling out fast. With Spiritforged, you can pre-purchase these products on TCGplayer, although at significant markups, so just keep that in mind.
Riot’s online merch storefront still has each item at MSRP, and will likely resupply their preorder stock soon, even if it’s currently sold out, so be sure to check back often and sign up for a Riot account.
Otherwise, as always, one of the best ways to buy any TCG product is through your local game store, and Riftbound is no different. Be sure to utilize the official store locator to find shops in your area and support local businesses.
Spiritforged has four main products with its upcoming launch, with a total of 221 new cards to play with. You can get individual booster packs, each containing 14 cards to bolster your collection; you’ll receive seven commons, three uncommons, one rare, one foil of any rarity, another random foil or rare, and either one token or Rune card.
One booster pack is currently going for $14.75 on TCGplayer. Then you can pick up a booster box, which is a sealed box of 24 booster box. With boxes, drop rates aren’t entirely random. One in three boxes will contain an alternate art Overnumbered edition, while one in 30 will contain an ultra rare signed version. From here, you can purchase a booster display case, which is a collection of six booster boxes, if you can stomach the price.
For newer players, you can two preconstructed Spiritforged Champion decks. Fiora and Rumble are the Champion decks this time around, featuring a 56-card prebuilt decks focused on their respective mechanics. You’ll receive their Legend card, their corresponding Chosen Champion cards, their Signature Spells, three Battlefields, and a Spiritforged booster pack.
Riftbound: Origins – Where to Buy
Still enjoying cracking Origins packs? If you’re able to find them in stock, there are a handful of different product to get your hands on before Spiritforged drops.
A new lawsuit filed by shareholders of Hasbro against the company and its directors alleges that company leadership has mismanaged Magic: The Gathering by overprinting sets of cards, thereby devaluing existing ones. It also, quite notably, claims that Hasbro leadership “concealed the true reason” that its widely-criticized, incredibly expensive Magic: The Gathering 30th Anniversary Set was pulled from sale within an hour of its initial release.
The lawsuit, filed in Rhode Island earlier this week, is filed by shareholders Joseph Crocono and Ultan McGlone against Hasbro CEO Christian Cocks, a number of fellow company directors, and Hasbro itself. The lawsuit alleges breaches of fiduciary duty, unjust enrichment, waste of corporate assets, gross mismanagement, abuse of control, and violations of the Exchange Act.
Specifically, the shareholder plaintiffs claim that, under Cocks’ leadership, Hasbro has been printing far too many Magic: The Gathering sets, thereby reducing the value of existing sets. This complaint probably sounds familiar to avid Magic players, as Wizards of the Coast has been printing significantly more sets per year than it used to. This handy chart made in 2022 by jacobwillson2727 at Only on Tuesdays helps illustrate the problem, and it’s only gotten worse in the years since:
As noted in the lawsuit, Wizards of the Coast released more sets than ever before in 2020, which served to double the revenue of the Wizards segment of Hasbro between 2018 and 2021, and in 2022, Hasbro released over five times as many Magic sets as it had in 2016. It’s worth noting that both the chart above and the lawsuit itself are somewhat generous in what they consider to be a Magic “set.” For example, the lawsuit also claims Wizards released 39 separate Magic sets in 2022 – that strikes me as a little high, and most likely includes Secret Lair collaborations in addition to every other possible kind of set.
Regardless of how you count them, it is true that the card release volume has gone up lately, as anyone who’s grouchy about the number of Universes Beyond collaborations in 2026 will tell you. But the issue the shareholders have is that the volume, they claim, is exceeding consumer demand, and that Hasbro leadership is only releasing this many to get quick cash to cover up shortfalls elsewhere in the Hasbro business.
The lawsuit itself is 76 pages long, but there are two major accusations that stand out. One is an allegation that Hasbro management used something called the “Parachute Strategy.” Allegedly, leadership plotted to “parachute in” new Magic sets whenever there was a shortfall somewhere else in Hasbro. These parachute sets initially consisted of “Masters” sets – largely reprints with low production costs. However, as it grew, more sets got involved, including the aforementioned Secret Lair collaborations and the Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur’s Gate set. Per the lawsuit, “As such, the explosive growth in the Magic business noted just prior to and during the Relevant Period [September 2021 – October 2023] was in fact the result of the Parachute Strategy. Notably, in 2022 such ‘parachute’ Magic sets accounted for 46% of all Magic releases.”
The second, and perhaps even spicier, accusation is the allegation that Hasbro management essentially faked being out of stock of the controversial, extremely expensive Magic 30th Anniversary Set in order to encourage demand. If you’re not familiar, this was an unhinged $999 box that contained four booster packs of non-tournament legal reprints of original Magic cards, some of which Wizards had sworn it would never reprint. This box garnered massive criticism due to its price, the fact that the cards weren’t even usable, and the seemingly broken promise on the part of Wizards not to reprint classics such as, say, Black Lotus.
According to testimony from several members of leadership shared in the complaint, following the negative reaction from players at this announcement, management made a plan to “pause” sales of the set if it became apparent that they were weaker than anticipated. The company said the “sale has concluded, and the product is currently unavailable for purchase,” in a post on X (then Twitter), implying they had sold out, effectively making it look like the product was far more popular than it actually had been. In the lawsuit, plaintiffs accuse the company of claiming the product was “out of stock.”
What happened to the unsold cards after sales were paused, then? The lawsuit goes on:
“[Former Employee 6] likewise stated that the Company paused its sales of the Magic Anniversary Set less than an hour after its release, only selling a portion of its available inventory. FE 6 further noted that shortly after the set’s release, he and other Wizards employees viewed photographs of Magic Anniversary Sets dropped off at a Texas landfill alongside older Magic products.”
The plantiffs are asking the judge to rule that they, as shareholders, are adequate representatives of Hasbro and therefore can sue on behalf of the company itself, and that each of the individual defendants failed in their fiduciary duties. They are also asking that Hasbro be awarded damages from each individual defendant, and that the shareholders be given significantly more power on the board of the company.
IGN has reached out to Hasbro for comment.
This is far from the first time shareholders have expressed displeasure with Hasbro’s handling of Magic. Mentioned multiple times in the suit is a deep dive done by Bank of America back in 2022 on this exact issue of overprinting, which prompted analysts to claim Hasbro was hurting its long-term value with so many frequent set releases.
This year’s first set, Lorwyn Eclipsed, is doing all right at least, having seemingly sold out in most places amid excitement at a return to a beloved plane from Magic’s history. It’s even got a host of super expensive rare cards, topped off with a Showcase Fracture Foil version of Bloom Tender that’s going for over $600 at the time this piece was written.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.
