It’s been almost a year since Assassin’s Creed Shadows released, and Ubisoft is not done updating its feudal Japan-set stabathon. This month brings the addition of a manual jump option, alongside two other fan-requested changes.
As part of the 1.1.8 update going live today, February 17, Ubisoft will add a manual jump option to the game (if you’ve toggled on your Advanced Parkour setting), which returns from previous titles in the series.
Two other small additions are also set to become available: a detailed stat page so you can analyze your build in granular detail, and some visual improvements to when you make a critical hit. All of these changes had been requested by fans, so are likely to be positively received.
That said, this is a pretty small set of additions that look like the game’s only major update across the first three months of this year. Update 1.1.7 launched back in December, capping off a first nine months of post-release additions that had arrived pretty much every month.
Today’s update to Assassin’s Creed Shadows is the first notable addition to the game of 2026, and according to a Winter Roadmap released by Ubisoft looks to be the only one coming ahead of the game’s March 20 anniversary, which the company will celebrate with a livestream and giveaways. Here’s hoping we hear more of what’s coming to the game in its second year then.
The only other item of note before then is the Switch 2 launch of the game’s Claws of Awaji expansion, which caps off the game’s main narrative and now looks to be the only major expansion the game will get. It’s hard not to compare the level of support for Shadows with that for the series’ previous game Valhalla, which received three major expansions, an Odyssey crossover DLC, an epilogue DLC and several major new modes, and feel like Shadows has been underserved in comparison.
The Secretlab Presidents Sale has officially commenced and with it are a couple of different promotions that are running concurrently (some are stackable). For starters, you can save up to $139 off across Secretlab’s lineup of Titan Evo gaming chairs and Magnus gaming desks, including themed editions from One Piece, Jujutsu Kaisen, Star Wars, Demon Slayer, and more. Secretlab’s highest-end gaming chair, the Titan Evo Nanogen, has also ben discounted.
In addition to these instant discounts, you can get extra tiered savings by hitting a certain order amount for each category. These should be stackable with the instant discounts, although some themes are excluded.
Extra $40 off Chair orders of $850+ with code “SLEV-MINCPRES26“
Extra $50 off Desk orders of $1,489+ with code: “SLEV-MINDPRES26“
$100 off all orders of $1,999+ with code: “SLEV-MINSWPRES26“
Finally, Secretlab’s Genshin Impact themed gaming chairs gets some love of its own. The Ninguang and and Xiao inspired gaming chairs are on sale as well, to coincide with the Lantern Rite event that’s going on right now in-game.
Save $50 off Secretlab Titan Evo gaming chairs
The Titan Evo is Secretlab’s most iconic and best selling chair. Over 70 different styles are currently on sale, with prices ranging from $529 to $634 after a $50 off instant discount across the entire lineup. It’s available in small, medium, and large sizes, which is great for smaller people because most gaming chairs sold here in the United States are huge. Discounted upholstery optioins include Neo Hybrid leatherette and SoftWeave Plus fabric.
Signature features include a solid steel frame with aluminum wheelbase, firm and supportive cold-cure foam upholstery, adjustable four-way lumbar system, full length backrest with 165 degrees of recline, full metal 4D armrests with magnetically attached PU cushions, and a memory foam headrest pillow. Check out our own glowing Titan Evo review.
Genshin Impact themed chairs see their first discount ever
Genshin Impact’s annual Lantern Rite in-game event is going on right now, coinciding with the actual Chinese New Year, which lands on February 17. In celebration of the event, Secretlab has discounted two Genshin themed chairs inspired by Liyue characters: Xiao, an anemo adeptus, and Ningguang, the geo-wielding Tianquan of the Liyue Qixing (she’s basically a royal). This is the first time a Genshin chair has gone on sale, so if you’re a Hoyoverse superfan, don’t miss it.
Secretlab’s flagship Titan Evo Nanogen is also on sale
The Titan Evo Nanogen Edition is Secretlab’s highest end chair and is rarely discounted. It normally sells for $799 at Secretlab direct, but both the white and black colors have been discounted by $50 during the Presidents Day Sale. If your budget can accomodate it, this is the best gaming chair. In our recent Titan Evo Nanogen Edition review, Chris Coke wrote that “the Secretlab Titan Evo Nanogen Edition deserves every bit of the overwhelming praise I’ve given… The Titan Evo Nanogen Edition is class-leading, and is hands-down the most comfortable gaming chair I’ve ever used.”
Sadly, Titan Evo Pokemon Edition preorders aren’t discounted
Secretlab’s recently announced lineup of Pokémon gaming chairs is, not surprisingly, still listed at full price. Even so, these chairs are so cool that they’re worth a mention. These chairs showcase one of three iconic Pokémon – Gengar, Pikachu, and Eevee – with ostentatious use of color, patterns, and figures. My personal favorite is the Eevee edition, with its detailed embossing of Eevee’s myriad evolutions; it also seems to be the top seller, since it’s already on its third wave of preorders.
Unusual for a collab, Secretlab opted to go with its Softweave Plus fabric instead of leatherette, and I for one am happy with that decision. Fabric ages more gracefully, feels softer, and doesn’t stick to your sweaty skin on hot days.
Save $30 off the Titan Evo recliner add-on (it’s worth it)
Also on sale for the first time, Secretlab’s new recliner add-on is $30 off for Christmas. This is a nice upgrade for anyone who already owns the Titan Evo chair. In our recliner add-on review, Chris Coke wrote that “while both comfort and value are subjective things, the recliner is able to take the Titan Evo and transform it from one of the best racing style gaming chairs to standing head and shoulders above the competition at its price point.”
Secretlab Magnus deals are also on sale, including Genshin
Not only are the Magnus and Magnus Pro discounted for Presidents Day, you also get the desk mat topper (your choice of style) free of charge. The Magnus is a traditional fixed-frame gaming desk while the Magnus Pro ups the ante with practical electric sit-stand functionality. Both desks feature a metal desktop surface, solid steel frame, and clever cable management, but the Magnus Pro has some unique features including a power cable that runs internally inside one of the telescoping legs and an in-line control panel. Check out our Magnus Pr0 review review for hands-on impressions.
Secretlab has the best “racing-style” gaming chairs
It’s no secret that we love our Secretlab gaming chairs. Three of the eight chairs in our best gaming chair roundup are Secretlab models. Of all the gaming chairs we covered in our “Budget to Best” roundup video earlier this year, my colleague Akeem Lawanson considered the Secretlab Titan Evo to be the most comfortable. No good chair comes cheap and Secretlab chairs definitely cost a premium, but we think the craftsmanship, materials, and customizability are worth it.
Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn’t hunting for deals for other people at work, he’s hunting for deals for himself during his free time.
It’s Presidents Day, which means all of those awesome weekend sales are likely expiring today. Be sure to grab all the deals at Best Buy, Amazon, and other retailers while you still can. Plenty of video games have been discounted, including Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater for PS5 and Donkey Kong Bananza for Switch 2. You can even grab an awesome espresso machine or some Jim Henson Steelbooks for cheap. Check out all the top deals below:
Save $10 on Donkey Kong Bananza for Switch 2
The Amazon-owned Woot has Donkey Kong Bananza for only $59.99 today. Prime members can even enjoy free shipping. This best game of 2025 runner-up is rarely on sale, so it’s nice to see about $10 taken off the price tag. Earning a rare 10/10 rating in our review, Logan Plant even went on to say, “Donkey Kong Bananza is a truly groundbreaking 3D platformer, with satisfying movement, powerful abilities, impressive destructible environments, and clever challenges that all come together in complete harmony to create Nintendo’s first Switch 2 masterpiece.”
Best Best Buy Presidents Day Deals
The Best Buy Presidents Day sale has some killer deals worth checking out. Everything from Apple products like the AirPods Pro 3 and MacBook Air to TVs and video games is seeing solid discounts for the holiday. However, the sale ends today, so it’s your last chance to score major savings on this wide range of products. If you’ve been in the market for some larger appliances, Best Buy’s Deal of the Day is definitely worth a look, as washing machines, refrigerators, dishwashers, microwaves, and electric ranges have gotten serious price cuts.
My favorite semi-automatic espresso machine I’ve ever reviewed, the Ninja Luxe Café 3-in-1 Espresso, Drip Coffee and Cold Brew Machine, is only $249.99 at the Amazon-owned Woot, and Prime members enjoy free shipping. It’s a refurbished model but comes with a 90-day limited warranty for added peace of mind. The same machine is going for $599 new or $449.49 for a refurbished model on Amazon right now, meaning you’re in for some epic savings.
I absolutely love this machine, as it’s great for beginners who are just getting into espresso. It automatically tells you of the ideal grind settings, grinds the perfect amount of coffee beans into the portafilter, and then brews a solid espresso. It can even steam and froth milk to your liking for coffeehouse drinks at home. It’s not only espresso, this machine also brews individual cups of drip coffee of various sizes; all that’s required is a grind size setting change.
PS5 Video Game Discounts on Amazon
While Amazon’s Presidents Day sale continues today, a whole batch of PS5 games are on sale. Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 are only $30, while games like Silent Hill f, Civ VII, Double Dragon Revive, and more are at thier lowest prices ever. If you’ve been waiting to grab any of these games, now is a great time to buy.
New Low Price on the Razer Kishi Ultra
One of our top phone controllers has hit its lowest price ever on Amazon. The Razer Kishi Ultra is just $62.99 when you clip the coupon on Amazon. With a retail price of $159, that’s nearly 60% off. Working seamlessly with all the top smartphones, including Android and iPhones, and even some smaller tablets, this controller is ideal for gaming on the go. Pro-grade controls flank either side of your device. From HD haptics and solid ergonomics to Hall Effect triggers and programmable buttons, there’s a lot to love, especially at its current discount.
Need a new TV? Well, the LG Presidents Day TV sale is happening now. You can save up to 40% on select OLED TVs, which are perfect for those after incredible contrast, vibrant colors, and near instantaneoues response times. A few LG QNED models are also discounted, and while you won’t get the individual pixel lighting of an OLED, the LCD panel still looks incredible. The majority of these displays also make for great gaming TVs.
Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal Limited Edition Steelbooks Hit New Low Price
Unfortunately, Amazon’s BOGO 50% off select movies deal has expired, but there are still some awesome discounts happening now. As a big Jim Henson fan, I was particularly excited to see The Dark Crystal: Limited Edition Steelbook and Labyrinth: Limited Edition Steelbook for over $13 off each. That’s the lowest price I’ve seen. Physical media collectors will want these fun fantasy films featuring unbelievable puppetry, and each Steelbook comes with loads of bonus content, too
The Art of Borderlands 4 Is Almost Half Off
The Art of Borderlands 4 is a stunning oversized coffee table book. Inside, you’ll find 224 colorful pages featuring line art, concept art, sketches, and commentary on the development of the latest installment in the Borderlands game series. It’s a great statement piece for anyone who’s a fan of the iconic looter shooter, and it’s at its lowest price ever on Amazon. You can get this fun-to-flip-through hardcover book for just $28, which is almost half off.
Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition for $39.88
Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition is on sale today for $39.88 at Walmart. This massive RPG adventure released in 2025, offering a massive open world to discover and explore. Using giant machines called Skells, you can traverse throughout Mira and soar high into the skies in this sci-fi epic.
AirPods Pro 3 for $209.99
The Apple AirPods Pro 3 are on sale for $209.99 today. These are the latest in the Pro line, and they’re packed with upgrades over the 2nd generation. There’s an in-earbud heart rate sensor to track your heart rate while exercising, and the entire earbud has been redesigned for better fit, sound isolation, and comfort.
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze for $39.88
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is one of the best games on the Nintendo Switch, and you can pick up a copy today for $39.88 at Walmart. If you played Donkey Kong Bananza on Switch 2 and are searching for another adventure with DK and friends, Tropical Freeze is an amazing choice.
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 3 Limited Edition Blu-ray for $49.99
The conclusion of Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War is almost here, with the final cour, The Calamity, set to premiere this July. Today, you can score the limited edition Blu-ray of Part 3, The Conflict, for just $49.99. This set only released last month and features all 14 episodes of Part 3, plus a 72-page production booklet, the NYCC 2024 panel, creditless opening/endings, and more.
Alienware Gaming Desktop PC for $1399.99
Desktop PC components have continued to climb in price thanks to demand for datacenters and AI, but you can score a solid prebuilt Alienware desktop PC this weekend at Best Buy. You can save $400 off this PC, which includes a 5060 Ti 8GB, 1TB of storage, 32GB of RAM, and an Intel Core Ultra 7 265F.
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening is one of the best Zelda games on Nintendo Switch. This Presidents Day weekend, you can score a copy of the game at Walmart for $39.88. If you’re playing on Nintendo Switch 2, you can play the game at 60FPS with a higher frame rate in both docked and handheld modes.
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora From the Ashes Edition for $29.99
Avatar has taken over the world once again with the release of Avatar: Fire and Ash, the third film in the Avatar saga thus far. If you’re itching to experience more of Pandora, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora from Ubisoft was a sleeper hit that’s on sale this weekend. This edition of the game features both the base game and its expansion, which is perfect for new players.
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.
Danielle is a Tech freelance writer based in Los Angeles who spends her free time creating videos and geeking out over music history.
Amazon has some excellent deals on Disney Lorcana cards today, and in particular, you can currently pick up a Booster Display set of Azurite Sea for just $90.50. That’s a significant 37% drop from the list price of $143.99, and one of the best deals we’ve ever seen on the booster set.
That includes 24 Packs with 12 cards in each, so that’s a total of 288 cards, with each pack guaranteeing at least six common and three uncommon cards, alongside two cards of rare, super rare, or legendary rarity, and finally 1 randomly selected foil card amongst these.
But, it’s also worth noting that this is a limited-time lightning deal at Amazon, and once it’s gone, it’s gone. At this price, I wouldn’t be surprised if fans snap these up as soon as possible, as there’s still plenty of trading potential in Azurite Sea.
Otherwise, there are loads of other great Lorcana deals to check out at Amazon this week as well. That includes the Gateway Board Game down to just $16.30 – 35% off, and it is basically the perfect way to start playing Lorcana, or even teach you and a friend how to start off on one of the most promising new TCGs in recent years.
My other favorite in the sale is on the Azurite Sea Stitch Collector’s Gift Set, which includes six collector cards and four Booster packs of 12 additional game cards in each. That’s down to just $33.94 right now, and another tidy drop from the $49.99 list price.
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.
Star Wars: Galactic Racer developer Fuse Games has said its racing adventure will feature a “good mix” of new faces and classic characters from a galaxy far, far away, following the reveal of Phantom Menace returnee Ben Quadinaros.
“There’s going to be a good mix of familiar faces and new characters,” Crimmins said. “Obviously we want to get that mix right, so no matter what kind of Star Wars media you’ve engaged with, whether it be a movie or game, there’s a bunch of familiarity in there when it comes to the space. Otherwise it wouldn’t feel like an authentic Star Wars experience.
“So there’s both familiar faces and new characters,” Crimmins continued, acknowledging Sebulba and Quadinaros. “We can’t talk about who exactly they are just yet though, sorry.”
Who else might appear? While less well known, it’s possible that other participants seen in Episode 1’s podrace might appear, alongside Sebulba and Quadinaros. The Boonta Eve Classic had 18 participants, though poor Ratts Tyerell died during the race, while Anakin Skywalker… well, we all know what happened to him.
“We’ve seen racing as an activity and as a sport in Star Wars has been around in many forms, right?” Fuse Games founder and CEO Matt Webster said at another point, going on to potentially hint at racers from other parts of Star Wars being included. “Episode 1’s podracing we all know and love, Bad Batch’s riot racing in Season 2 was just awesome. Star Wars Resistance has got the Aces and low-altitude starfighter racing.”
Galactic Racer is set sometime after Return of the Jedi, so anyone could potentially put in an appearance. It seems unlikely we’ll see Luke Skywalker, who was quite busy doing other things during this period, but who knows? He sure knows how to race a speeder bike across Endor.
Last week brought our best look yet at Star Wars: Galactic Racer, though we delve much deeper into its clever two-tier boost system, environmental effects, and how the game will let you nuture rivalries and interact with characters on foot in our big Star Wars: Galactic Racer interview that you can go read right now.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
Last week, after years of hopeful speculation, Sony’s Santa Monica Studio announced it will be remaking the original God of War trilogy. T.C. Carson, the original voice actor behind Kratos, stepped in front of the camera to reveal that the project is in the “very early” stages of development, and that we’ll have to wait a little longer for any of our questions to be answered. And there are a lot of questions.
Will this be a graphical facelift à la Bluepoint’s Demon’s Souls, or are we revisiting Greece with the Norse duology’s controls and overhauled game design? If the latter, will Kratos have a companion accompanying him to Pandora’s Temple and the Isle of Fates? Will there be a blacksmith NPC popping up in expected places to provide armor and weapon upgrades? Will we be able to jump and fly, like in the original games? And what about those sex minigames?
That last one almost sounds like a joke, but fans who’ve brought them up seem to be deadly serious. “You better not edit out Aphrodite,” one of the top comments on the announcement video posted to the official PlayStation YouTube channel warns, referring to the particularly graphic minigame from God of War 3. “Do not censor original material,” reads one of the – as of the time I’m writing this article – 256 replies to that comment. “Dont ruin it.”
Fan fixation with these minigames makes sense, and not just because of the franchise’s initial target demographic. They are, for better or worse, as much a part of the Greek saga as the Blades of Chaos, appearing in every mainline title except for Ascension. Even the two handheld games, Chains of Olympus and Ghost of Sparta, have their own versions of them: one in Attica, while fighting off the Persians, the other at a brothel back in Sparta.
They’re also a product of their time, one when both gamers and game developers were overwhelmingly male, little if any thought was given to the way women were represented, and hack and slashers generally relished in all things lewd and bloody and pubescent. But times have since changed, and changed profoundly at that. Once taken for granted, today the minigames stand out like a sore thumb. They are perhaps the only aspect of the Greek saga I could envision its developers regret adding in, and hence it’s unclear whether they will return alongside the togas, sandals, and cyclopes.
Personally, I’d be surprised if they did. Santa Monica Studio seemed to have soured on the minigames as early as 2013, when the team working on Ascension decided not to include one – maybe in response to backlash, maybe out of post-orgasm clarity after visiting Aphrodite. In that game, Kratos’ obligatory trip to the bordello plays out in a cutscene, and the women there turn out to be an illusion created by one of the Furies.
The minigames help convey Kratos’ downward spiral into sadism and nihilism.
At the same time – and, please, hear me out here – I do think there’s a place for them in the Greek games, at least in concept. More than a crude joke, I always found that they contributed to the saga’s story and themes. In the first God of War, the sex minigame – like that part where you burn the caged soldier to progress through Pandora’s Temple, or condemn the ship captain to his death after taking his key – adds a welcome sense of moral ambiguity. It demonstrates that Kratos is not a conventional hero, and suggests there’s more to his quest to kill Aries than the desire to avenge his family. If visions of his dear, dead wife haunt him so, how could he lie with other women? At least, that’s what went through my head when I encountered the minigame for the first time.
Both God of War 2 and the trilogy’s final entry make clear what the first game only insinuated: that Kratos’ vengeance is not a crusade for justice, but an excuse to kill and destroy for the sake of killing and destroying. In both games, the minigames help convey his downward spiral into sadism and nihilism. In God of War 3, for example, you enter Aphrodite’s chambers right after killing her husband, Hephaestus; a tragic, ultimately well-intentioned character who, up until this point, acted as your only ally, Athena and her ulterior motives notwithstanding. At every turn, the developers stress that Kratos cares for nothing except the gratification of his own, basest desires. At this point, lust and bloodshed are the only things he lives for, and that won’t change until he meets Faye and fathers Atreus.
The horniness of the Greek saga also feels somewhat appropriate when considering its source material. The ancient myths woven into Kratos’ world are full of sex, as is the Greco-Roman visual culture that inspired Santa Monica Studio’s talented concept artists. The goddess of love and beauty is not the only one with her nipples out: Kratos, Zeus, Hades – everyone, man and monster, is bare-legged and bare-chested, their bodily features every bit as sculpted as the marble statues at the MET.
Most importantly, perhaps, the minigames help bring home the Greek games’ meta-commentary – a commentary present throughout the trilogy but most pronounced in its concluding chapter, where Kratos is at his ugliest, meanest, and most pathetic, and the franchise’s cinematic endorphin rushes pivot from tasteful indulgence into nauseating overindulgence. Where impaling Aries was uncomplicatedly epic and triumphant, Kratos’ actions in God of War 3 hit differently. Brutalizing Poseidon’s and Hercules’ faces, ripping off Hades’ mask, cutting off Hermes’ legs, snapping Hera’s neck, beating Zeus until the screen becomes completely covered in blood – each “victory” leaves the player feeling a little uneasy, ashamed, hollow. Boss battles in the first God of War and its sequel made you feel like David taking down big, mean Goliath; no matter how brutal the finishing moves, your opponents had it coming. In God of War 3, you’re more like a playground bully, kicking another student when they’re down.
The minigame with Aphrodite also veers into garish over-indulgence, but to a slightly different effect. Instead of making you feel like a bully, you just feel like an idiot. I certainly did when, playing with a childhood friend, we just sat next to each other in awkward silence, going through the motions to get all the red orbs while keeping an ear out for my mom walking up and down the hallway. Very manly indeed.
Some might think that the Norse games walked back on the Greek saga’s abundance of sex and nudity because the gaming industry decided to chase inclusivity, and Barlog and his team tried to stay on the good side of a culture that considered the minigames offensive and misogynistic. This is not the case. First and foremost, the Norse saga walked back on these things because they play no part in this leg of Kratos’ story. Once again, his wife has died. But this time, he channels his grief into something more constructive: rather than destroying the world, he tries to be a better parent to his son.
For the remakes to succeed, they have to communicate – as effectively, if not more effectively, than the original trilogy – how Kratos ends up at the personal low-point from which the Norse games set off. If the sex minigames are in any way included, this is the purpose they should serve. If they’re removed on account of being tasteless – not unthinkable, as that was kind of their point – no matter. Surely, Santa Monica Studio can think of other, more respectful ways to convey Kratos’ downward spiral, and for players to go down that spiral along with him.
Tim Brinkhof is a freelance writer specializing in art and history. After studying journalism at NYU, he has gone on to write for Vox, Vulture, Slate, Polygon, GQ, Esquire and more.
The developer of Crimson Desert has confirmed that the upcoming open world action adventure game does not have a cosmetic cash shop or microtransactions of any kind.
Crimson Desert, due out March 19 priced $69.99, is set in a huge and seamless open world packed with enemies, NPCs, and all sorts of things to do. But one thing players won’t have to contend with is a cosmetic cash shop.
“I can say that definitively: there is not a cosmetic cash shop,” Will Powers, director of marketing at Pearl Abyss America, told weekly talk show Dropped Frames (via @Okami13_). “This is made to be a premium experience that you buy and you enjoy the world, and not something for microtransactions.
“It’s a monetization model. If you do free-to-play then you need to make up the revenue in a different way. This is a premium experience. That is the transaction. Full stop.”
So, that’s microtransactions ruled out, which is sure to go down well with gamers who are hoping for a traditional single-player experience from Crimson Desert. The game has been slowly gaining hype over recent years, but that’s ramped up significantly in the last few months as Pearl Abyss shared more gameplay footage.
Crimson Desert’s huge open world has been a topic of debate recently. Pywel is divided into five distinct regions: Hernand; Pailune; Demeniss; Delesyia; and the Crimson Desert itself. The main quest revolves around protagonist Kliff’s journey, but you’re free to explore the world in any order, taking faction-driven quests, large-scale battles, fortress sieges and smaller, character-focused missions.
Pearl Abyss confirmed that as the story progresses, two additional playable characters become available, each with unique combat styles, skills and weapons. Exploration is a big part of the game — you travel on horseback, climb terrain, glide across distances, and later access advanced traversal options such as a missile-firing mech and a dragon. You can even ride a bear.
Pearl Abyss said the world is filled with hidden treasures, ancient mechanisms, puzzles and points of interest “designed to reward curiosity and discovery.” As for combat, expect to face enemy soldiers, sorcerers, beasts and machines.
Speaking on the Gaming Interviews YouTube channel, Powers said that describing the size of Crimson Desert’s world in terms of numbers doesn’t do it justice, because doing so fails to capture the scope and scale of the game. But he did go as far as to compare it to two of the biggest open-world games around.
“I don’t think numbers really do it justice because, how big is that in terms of scope and scale?” he said. “But what we can say is that the world’s at least twice as big as the open world, the playable area, of Skyrim. It’s larger than the map of Red Dead Redemption 2.”
Powers went on to insist that the size of Crimson Desert’s open world wouldn’t determine its quality. Rather, what you actually do in it is the key factor. “The continent of Pywel is absolutely massive, but size doesn’t really matter if there’s nothing to do,” he said. “Open-world games are about doing things, having activities, having distractions. So we wanted to create a world that’s not only massive, but is also incredibly interactive.”
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is widely regarded as another masterpiece from Kojima Productions, with all the sweeping scope, drama, and weirdness fans have come to expect. Now those fans can delve even deeper into this unique world with the release of Titan Books’ The Art of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach.
IGN can exclusively reveal a new preview of The Art of Death Stranding 2 ahead of the book’s release. Check it out in the slideshow gallery below:
The Art of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is a 240-page hardcover book featuring concept art from the game. The book offers a closer look at character designs, equipment, locations, and creatures from the game, with plenty of pieces from acclaimed artist Yoji Shinkawa.
Here’s the official summary for the book:
The official art book for the action video game DEATH STRANDING 2: ON THE BEACH, from legendary game creator Hideo Kojima, including artwork by acclaimed artist Yoji Shinkawa.
With DEATH STRANDING 2: ON THE BEACH, step by step, legendary game creator Hideo Kojima changes the world once again. Embark on an inspiring mission of human connection beyond the UCA. Sam—with companions by his side—sets out on a new journey to save humanity from extinction. Join them as they traverse a world beset by otherworldly enemies and obstacles.
The Art of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is packed with hundreds of pieces of concept art for the characters, equipment, locations and creatures featured in the game, as well as early and unused concepts, including artwork by character and mechanical design director, acclaimed artist Yoji Shinkawa.
The Art of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is priced at $50 and will be released on February 17, 2026. You can preorder a copy on Amazon.
God of War creator David Jaffe has slammed the series’ new side-scrolling spinoff Sons of Sparta for being “boring” and “an insult” both to fans of the series and its original creative team.
God of War Sons of Sparta was announced and then shadow-dropped on PlayStation 5 last week at the end of Sony’s big State of Play broadcast. A Metroidvania-inspired action platformer from indie retro developer Mega Cat Studios, Sons of Sparta is designed as a prequel to the original God of War trilogy, featuring a young version of Kratos and his brother as they train together.
In an initial YouTube video posted after playing an hour of the game, Jaffe made his frustrations with the project’s concept clear: essentially, that it was too different in tone from the original trilogy, despite his initial excitment to see a side-scrolling take on the series.
“This is the kind of game I’ve always wanted in terms of 2.5D God of War, super into it — but this, to me, is not what I was talking about. I bought this game, it’s a $30 game, I don’t like it, I don’t recommend it,” Jaffe began, before turning his attention to the executives at Sony who decided to greenlight the project.
“I wanted to make a video more about what are they thinking, like what the f*** were they thinking? It’s not a bad game by any means, it’s fine, it controls decently… but to me the more fascinating part of this is, why is this in existence? I don’t understand.”
After an hour’s worth of play, Jaffe said he couldn’t continue with the game as its characters kept “stopping over and over [to] talk and talk.” He added: “This is not God of War.”
“Let’s just make him some generic f***ing kid, like we’re watching a Kids WB TV show or something,” Jaffe continued on. “It’s probably some bulls*** writer going, ‘Oh people want to know why, how did people become this way?’ No one cares. It’s a dumb idea… [Fans] wanted something like Blasphemous, in terms of it’s violent, it’s bloody, it’s serious, it has the tone of the early God of the War games.
“If you pulled God of War out of it, and you just said, ‘hey, we’re making a game about this kid,’ most people would say ‘that doesn’t sound like a very compelling idea for a video game character,’ because it’s not.”
“Maybe it gets better, I’m sure it does,” he further continued. “There’s nothing offensive about it. The only thing offensive about it is its genericism. The only thing offensive about it is its inability to reflect the license, the brand. It’s like you get the John Wick license and you make a movie where he’s just sitting in a coffee shop talking. Now that might work when you have Keanu Reeves as he’s so compelling, and the character’s interesting.”
Jaffe said he had been keen to see a 2.5D God of War game more similar to titles such as Ninja Gaiden Ragebound, Neon Inferno, or Shinobi. “Why would you even put this out? All it does is leave a bad taste in God of War fans’ mouths, in my assumption,” he concluded.
“Every time you make a new game, you don’t have to go, ‘You know what? Let’s not go back to the great character that people love that built this franchise. Let’s see him as a little kid, some generic boring little f***ing kid.’ It’s just insulting to the fans. It’s insulting to people who worked on the games that they would think this character right here is what people want. It’s crap. It’s dumb. It’s stupid. I would say avoid this f***ing thing.”
While Jaffe had said he wouldn’t return to Sons of Sparta, he then went back and played a further three hours, at which point he posted an even more in-depth video that critiques the game on a more granular level for more than 30 minutes.
Specifically, Jaffe addressed points around “confusing visual noise during combat,” “gameplay breaking visual inconsistencies,” a “buggy and confusing user interface,” the suggestion that “level design and character motion feels off,” and “kiddie level dialogue and poor voice actor performances.” Ultimately, he branded the game as “not ready for release.”
Final Fantasy Remake Part 3 director Naoki Hamaguchi has discussed the impact of expanding the platforms on which the Final Fantasy 7 Remake series is available, insisting that going multiplatform “will not in any way lower the quality of the third instalment.”
In an interview with Automaton, via Eurogamer, Hamaguchi said both the Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox versions of the game’s prior instalments “have been incredibly well received and generated a lot of buzz online,” but did note some community concerns.
“Both the Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox versions have been incredibly well received and generated a lot of buzz online,” Hamaguchi said. “That attention has also made me realize how many people are worried about this issue. However, our decision to go multiplatform with the FF7 Remake series will not in any way lower the quality of the third installment.
“Our development structure simply doesn’t work that way to begin with… I suppose I’ll just have to keep saying it,” he said, laughing. He also stressed that because of the growing popularity of gaming on PC both in Japan and beyond, the game has been built with PC “as the foundation.”
“While PC gaming is gradually expanding in Japan, overseas growth has been even more rapid,” Hamaguchi added. “The market has broadened tremendously across both consoles and PC. The FF7 Remake series has sold very well on platforms like Steam and the Epic Games Store, so we develop assets with the broad PC market in mind. In fact, our 3D assets are created at the highest quality level based on PC as the foundation.
“When FFVII Rebirth launched, there was talk about how the PC version looked better than the PS5 version, and our philosophy will not change for the third instalment,” he concluded. “As our fundamental principle, we do not design assets to meet the lowest baseline. Instead, we create them for high-end environments first.”
Last month, Hamaguchi teased that the “core game experience is almost complete,” and while he “really want[s] everyone to play it as soon as possible,” the team has now moved on to “refining and polishing.”
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.
