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Best Apple Watch Bands To Buy in 2023

The Apple Watch is one of tech companies’ most popular products. The smartwatch is sleek, stylish, very useful for everyday life, helps you achieve your health goals, and it’s very customizable to suit your personality. If you landed on this shopping guide too soon and want to see which Apple Watch you should first buy, start here: Best Apple Watches and Apple Watch deals.

In fact, when you consider all the different watch faces, sizes, types, cases, and watchbands, there are thousands upon thousands of combinations and styles available. Apple even has an Apple Watch Studio to help pinpoint options for you.

While there are loads of excellent Apple Watch bands out there, it might be a little overwhelming to pick one. So we’re here to help you narrow down which one will work best for you. From sporty to fashionable, classic to contemporary, or budget-friendly to luxurious, here are the best Apple Watch bands to buy in 2023.

TL;DR – These are the best Apple Watch bands to buy

Apple Watch Sport Loop

Best Nylon Band

Made from double-layer nylon, the Apple Watch Sport Loop is best for breathability for workouts and sports. The interior of the loop is softer with a cushioning that rests on your wrist, while its exterior is durable and clasps together with Velcro.

It comes in a few colorful two-tone designs, such as Blue Jay and Abyss Blue, Dark Cherry and Forest Green, Lavender gray and Light Lilac, and more. In fact, Apple updates these colorway options seasonally to keep the watch band line fresh.

Fullmosa Silicone Apple Watch Band

Best Overall Budget Pick

Let’s face it, the Apple Watch is already an expensive smart device starting at $249. It’s asking a lot to spend another $49 or so for a different wristband. Enter the Fullmosa Silicone Apple Watch Band, a wallet-friendly band that’s made from acid-resistant and non-toxic silicone that’s dustproof and water-resistant.

Starting at just $8, the watch band is sleek enough for everyday casual use, while it’s sweatproof and breathable for workouts and other physical activities. It comes in eight colorways, including black and Pumpkin Orange, black and blue, black and red, Pale Pink, and more.

Apple Watch Sport Band

Best For First-Timers

The Apple Watch Sport Band is the most popular watch band with Apple Watch users. This is because it’s the one that comes with the Apple Watch itself, so it’s considered the default and basic watch band.

Made from smooth fluoroelastomer (synthetic rubber) and designed with a pin-and-tuck clasp, the Sport Band is also the one that many Apple Watch users return to again and again—thanks to its durability, sleekness, ease of use, and wide range of color options, like Abyss Blue, Bright Green, Midnight, and more.

Nike Sport Apple Watch Band

Best for Runners

While Apple discontinued the Nike Apple Watch, the tech company simply made its apps and the Nike Sport Band available for anyone who wants to convert their Apple Watch into a Nike Apple Watch.

It has a sports-focused fluoroelastomer design with perforations lining the band for a completely breathable experience when working out or playing sports. The Nike Sport Band is also sweatproof and water-resistant, so it’s a good pick for going out for a run or swimming laps in a pool. The watch band comes in three colors, such as Anthracite and black, Magic Ember and Crimson Bliss, and Pure Platinum and black.

Apple Watch Solo Loop

Best For Athletes

If you’re looking for a smartwatch band that’s both sporty, yet stylish, then the Apple Watch Solo Loop is our pick. Made from Liquid silicone rubber, this watch band is intended to stretch over your hand onto your wrist for a quick and secure fit without any closures or clasps. It’s ideal for workouts or going for a run because it’s sweatproof, while this watch band is stylish and lowkey enough for professionals and casual situations.

It comes in six colors, including Sprout Green, Canary Yellow, Purple Fog, and more.

Marge Plus Genuine Leather Apple Watch Strap

Best Budget Leather

On a tight budget? The Marge Plus Genuine Leather Apple Watch Strap hits the mark between high quality leather and affordability. Starting at $10, the watch band has a fashionable and professional look and feel without breaking the bank—thanks to its premium soft top genuine leather, classic stainless steel buckle, and sweat-resistant polish.

The watch band comes in eight colorways, such as red and green, brown and silver, red and silver, and more.

Apple Watch Milanese Loop

Best Stainless Steel Band

The Apple Watch Milanese Loop is made from stainless steel mesh and uses a magnetic clasp to securely fit around your wrist. At $99, it’s elegant, refined, and has a premium look and feel, while it’s a considerable upgrade from the Apple Watch Sport Band that comes with the Apple Watch out-of-the-box. The watch band is also very adjustable, so it will fit on just about anyone’s wrist.

The loop comes in three colors, including silver, gold, and graphite.

Apple Watch Band Leather Link

Best Leather

At $99, the Apple Watch Band Leather Link is our pick for best leather band—thanks to its handcrafted Roux Granada leather that’s made in France, powerful and secure magnet attachments, and premium look and comfortable feel. This watch band is very sleek since there’s no buckle to fasten the Apple Watch, while it looks like one solid piece of leather around your wrist at first glance.

It comes in three colors, such as Umber, Dark Cherry, and Midnight.

Casetify Saffiano Leather Initial Apple Watch Band

Best For Fun Options

Although they’re sleek and stylish, a lot of Apple Watch bands are pretty vanilla. However, if you’re looking for a watch band that’s fun and has a bit of panache, then check out the Casetify Saffiano Leather Initial Apple Watch Band.

Made from Saffiano biodegradable leather and stainless steel, these bands come in exciting colors and designs, including Ink Dots, Cheetah Florals, Leopard and Cow Prints, and more. All watch bands are water-, scratch-, and sweat-resistant too.

Apple Watch Band Link Bracelet

Best Bracelet

The Apple Watch Band Link Bracelet is an elegant addition to the Apple Watch itself. It’s made from the same 316L stainless steel alloy as the Apple Watch itself, while it also features over 100 components to link it together. The premium watch band also has a custom butterfly closure that neatly fastens the smartwatch to your wrist. In fact, you can even add or remove components to really customize and adjust your own fit.

It comes in two colors, silver and Space Black. Starting at $349, the Apple Watch Band Link Bracelet is pretty versatile too and can be worn for just about any social occasion from a boardroom to a ballroom.

Apple Watch Band Trail Loop

Best For Trail Runners

Made for the Apple Watch Ultra (but can also be used for other models), the Apple Watch Band Trail Loop is designed for outdoors running—especially off-the-beaten-path running. The watch band should last for miles and miles on the trail. It’s sweatproof, lightweight, and durable enough to withstand harsh elements in the great outdoors, while it’s able to securely strap the Ultra to your wrist via a hook-and-loop Velcro system.

The Apple Watch Band Trail Loop comes in three two-tone color designs, like black and gray, blue and gray, yellow and beige.

Apple Watch Band Ocean Band

Best For Water Sports

If you’re a deep sea diver or an avid swimmer, then the Apple Watch Band Ocean Band is best for keeping the Apple Watch Ultra secure to you when you’re in the water. Rest assured, your Apple Watch will not plunge into the water with this band.

Made from high performance fluoroelastomer, the Ocean Band stretches and is intended to fit snugly on your wrist, even if you’re wearing a wetsuit. In fact, you can also get an extension band (an additional 50 millimeters, or about two inches), if you need the extra length for thicker wetsuits. It features a double clasp system with titanium buckles that slides and locks into the band’s tubular design for extra security.

It comes in three colors; Midnight, yellow, and white.

Apple Watch Band Alpine Loop

Best For Adventures

At $99, the Apple Watch Band Alpine Loop is rugged, durable, and ideal for the Apple Watch Ultra. It’s made from layered and woven polyester, the band features a titanium “G-hook” system that slides and locks into one of the rows of top loops to securely fasten to your wrist. It’s specifically designed for outdoor activities like hiking, climbing, or biking, while its color options—orange, green, and Starlight—will stand out in rough terrain.

OtterBox Terrus Apple Watch Band

Best Budget Sweatproof Pick

The OtterBox Terrus Apple Watch Band is made from recycled materials and it’s comfortable to wear. It features a subtle spotted design, while it’s also soft-to-the-touch. The watch band is water-resistant and sweatproof, so it’s ideal for workouts and training sessions.

Starting at $16, it’s a good choice for a wallet-friendly sweatproof Apple Watch band. It comes in 15 color options, including Clay and Stone, orange and blue, black, and more.

Apple Watch Hermès Gourmette Metal Double Tour Leather Band

Best the Ultimate in Luxury

Apple partnered with French design house Hermès to give the Apple Watch some luxury and opulence with the Apple Watch Hermès Gourmette Metal Double Tour Leather Band—which is ideal for the Apple Watch Series 8.

Retailing for a whopping $849, the band is made from soft Swift leather and polished stainless steel links that wraps around your wrist twice that mimic’s the curb chain on classic Hermès horse bridles. While the Hermès Gourmette Metal Double Tour Leather Band comes with the design house’s iconic packaging, it doesn’t come with exclusive watch faces that you’d get with the Apple Watch Hermès.

The watch band comes in two colors: Stainless steel and Noir.

What to Look For in an Apple Watch Band

One of the best things about the Apple Watch is its included watch band is detachable, so it can be swapped out with something else. While there are just about endless combinations and possibilities, picking the best Apple Watch band really depends on you and the activities you enjoy the most.

Active vs Casual Wear

If you’re active, a runner, a swimmer, or you just like to work out at the gym, then a sports band is a good pick. These bands are generally made from sweatproof and water-resistant materials—like silicone rubber, fluoroelastomer, or nylon—so they’re comfortable to wear, breathable, and durable. For the rugged adventure, go for watch bands suited for the Apple Watch Ultra, such as the Apple’s Ocean Band or Alpine and Trail Loops.

However, if you want to wear your Apple Watch to the office, in a business meeting, or to a Michelin-star restaurant, then look for watch bands made from leather or stainless steel. These watch bands convey a more professional or fashionable look.

Size

Be sure to look for the correct size band that will fit your Apple Watch—either 38, 40, 4mm; 42, 44, 45mm; or 49mm. If you’re unsure, the size and series type are printed on the back of each smartwatch. For the best fit on your wrist, you can use this printable band size tool for detailed assistance to pick the most comfortable size for you—sizes 1-to-12.

Since Apple Watch bands are detachable and interchangeable, you can also pick up more than one for multiple situations and outings. It’s like wearing a different watch for just about any scenario.

Rudie Obias is a contributing freelance writer and editor for IGN with a speciality in all things Apple products.

How to Find Every Lightroot Location in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

One of the biggest surprises to come out of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom was an entirely new area of the map. Not only can you can explore the skies above Hyrule, you can also dive down into The Depths below and traverse an equally enormous area.

Similar to the shrines located across Hyrule above, The Depths has a series of fast travel points you can activate throughout the darkness called Lightroots. Every Lightroot is directly below a shrine above, meaning you can find them based on the shrine locations or vice versa.

How Many Lightroots are There?

There are a total of 120 Lightroots located in The Depths, which directly correlates with all 120 shrines located on the surface of Hyrule. Not only are all of the Lightroots directly below the shrines, the names of each one are actually the same name of the shrine above, but backwards.

How to Find All Lightroot Locations in Tears of the Kingdom

Because the Lightroots are directly beneath the shrines across Hyrule, the easiest way to pinpoint their locations is to mark the shrine points on the map above and make your way toward them below. Alternatively, if there are any Lightroots you’ve found in The Depths that sit below an undiscovered shrine, you can do the same to find the shrine quest above. Take a look at our guide to all of the shrine locations in Tears of the Kingdom to find the ones you’ve missed.

Use Our Interactive Tears of the Kingdom Map

If you haven’t already found all of the shrines on the surface of Hyrule, you can also take advantage of our interactive Tears of the Kingdom map to guide you to every location. Whether you’re trying to figure out where to go in The Depths or are hoping to find all of the shrines on the surface and sky, our map has you covered — including all Lightroot locations.

You can also find various armor locations and points of interest that we’ve already found for you. The map makes it easy to find everything in Tears of the Kingdom.

Looking for game help? Take a look at our Tears of the Kingdom Walkthrough for quest info and guides.

Alan Wake 2 Will be Digital-Only to Keep Price Below $70

Remedy Entertainment revealed that Alan Wake 2 will be a digital only release across all platforms.

In a frequently asked questions page on the Alan Wake website, Remedy explained, “There are many reasons for this. For one, a large number of have shifted to digital only. You can buy a Sony PlayStation 5 without a disc drive and Microsoft’s Xbox Series S is a digital only console. It is not uncommon to release modern games as digital-only.”

Remedy continued by saying that not releasing a disc helps keep the price of the game at $60 on console and $50 on PC. The studio didn’t want to want to ship a disc and have it require a download for the game either as it wouldn’t be a great experience. There are also currently no plans to produce a physical copy of Alan Wake.

Since the standard version of the game is kept at a lower price point, the digital Deluxe edition will cost $70. It includes the expansion pass containing the Night Springs Expansion and Lake House Expansion, a parliament shotgun skin and celebrity suit for Alan, as well as a nordic shotgun skin, crimson windbreaker, and lantern charm for Saga.

Those who preorder the game wll receive the ornate revolver skin for Alan and survival resources pack for Saga.

It’s interesting to see some publishers refuse to increase their prices on new releases, as others like Nintendo and Microsoft did with The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Redfall, respectively. However, those two games also were available in physical discs.

Alan Wake 2 launches on October 17 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.

George Yang is a freelance writer for IGN. He’s been writing about the industry since 2019 and has worked with other publications such as Insider, Kotaku, NPR, and Variety.

When not writing about video games, George is playing video games. What a surprise! You can follow him on Twitter @Yinyangfooey

Metal Gear Solid 3 Remake Also Confirmed for Xbox and PC

Konami’s Metal Gear Solid 3 remake won’t just be for PlayStation 5. Following today’s PlayStation Showcase stream, Konami put out a press release that also confirmed that the new project — titled Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater — will also be coming to Xbox consoles and PC.

This is big news for Xbox and PC fans, not the least because Metal Gear Solid has historically had strong ties to Sony. Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater was initially confirmed for PlayStation 5 during today’s PlayStation Showcase, with confirmation that it would be coming to other platforms revealed later.

First revealed in a CG trailer during the PlayStation Showcase, Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater (pronounced “Metal Gear Solid Delta”) is the first proper Metal Gear Solid game since Hideo Kojima departed Konami following the release of Metal Gear Solid 5. Konami has since released a handful of in-game screenshots revealing the in-game graphics.

There is precedent for Metal Gear Solid being on Steam — Metal Gear Solid 5 released on the platform alongside console back in 2015. Fans used the opportunity to make numerous mods, such as replacing Snake with Keanu Reeves.

Whatever platform it’s experienced on, Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater promises to be a faithful retelling of the original game, including implementing the original voice acting featuring David Hayter.

Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater does not yet have a release date, but it’s expected to be out in 2024. Check out our full recap of everything announced at today’s PlayStation Showcase.

Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater – 11 Details You May have Missed in the Trailer

Even though the trailer for Konami’s remake of Metal Gear Solid 3 is just over two minutes long, it’s packed with easter eggs and nods to the original game if you look hard enough. Some of them may be blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moments, but don’t worry! We’re here to help you spot them all. These are the 11 details you may have missed when watching the trailer.

Shagohod Incoming

One of the coolest details was just under a minute into the trailer, when the green parrot (more on that later) is swooping above the canopy of the forest, a dead frog in its claws. But it’s what’s in the distance that’s interesting, because when lightning lights up the sky it’s possible to make out the shape of the Shagohod being airlifted by several Mil Mi-24 Hind Helicopters. This is a direct reference to what happens in the game, as Volgin readies the Shagohod to take over the USSR. While it’s too far away to see it in detail in the trailer, we’ll definitely be getting much more up close and personal with it in the Metal Gear Solid 3 remake.

Friend of The End

The green parrot that has more air time in the trailer than Snake himself has to be the feathered-friend of ancient sniper The End. Anyone who played Snake Eater will remember how the parrot acted as The End’s spotter, waking him when Snake approaches.

Some days you just have to feed on a tree frog. The parrot appears to agree, clutching a tree frog which it carries through the dark sky before landing on a floating log in the middle of a lake. Moments later, a huge snake bursts from the water and snaps at the parrot, which narrowly escapes, minus a few feathers.

Crocodile Rock

Just as the snake pounces on the parrot, it is attacked by an Indian Gavial, which if you remember can be captured and eaten in Metal Gear Solid 3. It’s hard to make out in the trailer, but a screenshot released alongside the announcement gives us a better look at the croc and its pointy snout. It’s also the basis for one of the most amusing cosmetics in the game, the Crocodile Cap, which when worn in the water can trick enemies into thinking you’re a deadly animal, instead of just the world’s deadliest man.

Here Comes The Fear

Going back to the bosses of Metal Gear Solid 3, there’s a dead Poison Dart Frog early on in the trailer, which can be found in game and actually help you in a fight against The Fear — a member of the Boss’ Cobra Unit, who poisons Snake with a venom-coated crossbow bolt.

During the battle Snake is able to drop poisoned (or rotten) food like the Dart Frog, which The Fear will eat if he runs low on stamina. This in turn poisons him, which makes him vomit moments later, seriously depleting his stamina further still.

The Food Chain

The entire trailer is one extended sequence of the food cycle. Small ants eat into a frog, which then gets picked up by a bird, which then gets attacked by a large snake, which then gets into a fight with a big crocodile. All of it leads to a reveal of the pointy top of the food chain, Naked Snake.

The visualization of the food chain in the wilds of nature is a recurring motif in the Metal Gear series, something we saw in Metal Gear Solid 4 as a snake is seen eating a guinea pig in the opening of Act 2. Metal Gear Solid 3 also made this metaphor a gameplay feature as Snake is forced to hunt and cook his own food while in the wilds of Tselinoyarsk.

Attack of the Giant Ants

Digging a little deeper into the different animals on the screen, however, you’ll find that each creature is a nod to something from the original Metal Gear Solid 3. For example, the first animal is a line of ants marching toward their food.

If you listened to every codec conversation in the original Metal Gear 3, you might remember hearing movie-buff Para-Medic talk about the movie “Them”, which features ants “so big they filled up the entire screen. The whole movie theater was screaming.”

Death From Above

As the camera zooms through mangroves and pans in on Snake, the light shines through the trees in a way that is reminiscent of Ponizovje South, one of the coolest areas in Metal Gear Solid 3. Set along a winding river, Snake must ford a river while avoiding GRU soldiers buzzing through the skies on flying platforms. He can do this by ducking under the water’s surface or eventually finding rocks and boats to hide behind. Wading through the river and its trees was a highlight of Metal Gear Solid 3’s level design and represented creator Hideo Kojima’s vision of wanting the player to feel like they were traversing a real forest.

Fenced In

The river and the trees from Ponizovje South is just one of the familiar locations in the trailer. Earlier, the Green Parrot flies through an electrified fence, similar to the ones that guard Bolshaya Past South area. While the teaser is purely cinematic, it’s a good indication of what real areas in the game could look like in this remake.

The four screenshots that accompanied the trailer give us a better look at the areas of the game, including one where a backpack is hanging from a tree – which most will remember from the beginning of the original game, when Snake has to retrieve his belongings after halo jumping behind enemy lines.

Tiger Stripes

Even though it’s dark and Snake is caked in mud, you can just about make out the uniform he’s wearing, which is the tiger stripe camo you begin the game with. Of course, one of Metal Gear Solid 3’s most interesting features was the ability to unlock and switch camos to suit your environment, or wear totally inappropriate attire like the tuxedo, and we hope everything makes it into the remake.

Delta Force

The title for the remake won’t be Metal Gear Solid 3, however. Konami is calling it Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater.

It’s unclear exactly why Konami chose to subtitle the remake with Delta. It’s the fourth letter in the Greek alphabet, which doesn’t make much sense as it’s a remake of the third game in the Metal Gear Solid line, and the fifth game overall in the Metal Gear franchise.

The title could be a reference to the United States Delta Force, a counter-terrorism unit famous for its covert enemy operations, which lines up nicely with the plot of the game, but also applies to all of the games in the series. Finally, Metal Gear character Roy Campbell famously is a former Delta Force member but he does not appear in MGS 3.

Hopefully, Konami explains the reasoning behind the new subtitle, but even if it’s just there to sound cool, that’s part of the Metal Gear ethos too, so it works.

Oh, and one other cool detail about the delta logo – when it disperses the leaves turn white and then red, which is a nod to the final battle in the game.

Snake Eater

The teaser ends with a brief snippet of Metal Gear Solid 3’s famous theme ‘Snake Eater,’ originally performed by Cynthia Harrell. We’ll have to hear the full thing to make a judgment call, but the theme does sound remastered. It’s potentially a new version of the song recorded for the remake. This was something that was teased earlier this year when Donna Burke posted a photo of herself holding a folder titled ‘Snake Eater.’ Burke, it should be said, is a singer who has done numerous songs for the Metal Gear series, including ‘Heavens Divide’ from Metal Gear Solid: Peacewalker ‘Sins of the Father’ from Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.

Did you spot any other references in the trailer? Let us know in the comments below.

Matt T.M. Kim is IGN’s Senior Features Editor. You can reach him @lawoftd.

Ghostrunner 2 Reveals Vehicular Combat in First Look Trailer at PlayStation Showcase

Ghostrunner 2 is on the way, and its protagonist now has his very own ninja motorcycle.

The sequel to One More Level’s action-platformer was shown for the first time during today’s PlayStation Showcase, with vehicular combat prominently featured. The official release claims that it will “up the ante from the original in every conceivable way” as Jack explores the wasteland beyond the Dharma Tower.

In addition to the gameplay reveal, 505 Games also released numerous screenshots, which you can see below.

Originally released in late 2020, the first Ghostrunner turned heads with its neon-drenched visuals and fast-paced action. Our review called it a short-lived but memorable action game that was a “speedrunner’s dream.”

Ghostrunner 2 will attempt to expand on that formula with its new vehicular combat and other features. It will be available later in 2023.

In the meantime, there were plenty of other announcements at today’s PlayStation Showcase. You can find the complete recap right here.

Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.

World of Warcraft Introduces WoW Token Into Wrath Classic, Sends Community Into Chaos

Blizzard has just made a major change to how World of Warcraft Classic: Wrath of the Lich King’s economy works, and the community is completely furious. Yesterday, it introduced WoW Tokens into Wrath Classic.

On its face, the announcement looks relatively innocuous:

“The WoW Token is now available in Wrath of the Lich King Classic,” it reads. “This in-game item is a great way to exchange gold for game time in a convenient and secure way.”

Blizzard first introduced the WoW Token to World of Warcraft retail back in 2015, during the Warlords of Draenor expansion. Here’s how it works: players can buy a WoW Token with real money, and then sell the WoW Token in World of Warcraft to other players for in-game gold, effectively allowing them to “buy gold” in a legitimate and authorized way. Players who purchase WoW Tokens with their in-game gold can then exchange a token for a month of game time, effectively letting them spend in-game gold to avoid paying a regular subscription fee with real money.

The idea at the time was to curb illegal gold farming operations by offering a legitimate way for players to sell in-game gold, while also letting those who had time to play but were low on real-world funds continue spending time in WoW. While the move was somewhat controversial within the community at the time, and it was never fully able to stop the illegal gold selling economy. Plus, there was a significant upheaval of the system again in 2017 when Blizzard started letting players exchange WoW Tokens for Battle.net balance, temporarily throwing the in-game economy into chaos.

Not So Classic After All

WoW Tokens did eventually become a normal and accepted part of World of Warcraft’s economy and community, and the economy stabilized around them. But now, with their introduction into World of Warcraft Classic: Wrath of the Lich King, the community seems even more torn over the issue than when the token was first introduced.

While WoW Tokens in Wrath of the Lich King Classic work exactly the same as they do in the retail version, there are a few key differences that have the Classic community in turmoil.

For one, Blizzard neither hinted nor otherwise communicated that this change was coming — many players have expressed feeling blindsided by the news and are angry that the in-game economy is going through such a significant upheaval without warning.

But the bigger issue is that many players feel the “integrity” of World of Warcraft Classic is being thrown aside for a quick cash-grab on Blizzard’s part. Blizzard gets a cut of every WoW Token purchase, so adding the tokens to Wrath Classic is a pretty obvious additional revenue source for the developer. But the original Wrath of the Lich King expansion, released in 2008, didn’t have WoW Tokens. And while Blizzard has made some changes to how the expansion works for its Classic release, up until now its most significant shifts were largely quality of life adjustments that the playerbase (largely) was fine with. But it doesn’t seem like many people asked for WoW Tokens.

Rule 4, Suspended

The frustration is so palpable that yesterday, the official World of Warcraft Classic subreddit “officially suspended” its rule prohibiting discussion of private servers and cheats for older versions of the game, resulting in a wave of advertisements for alternative playing methods. It’s a bit ironic, given that World of Warcraft Classic originally started as Blizzard’s answer to players creating private servers because the original version of WoW was unavailable in an official capacity.

All that said, not everyone is angry about the tokens. Some people within the community are pointing out that World of Warcraft Classic has had a severe botting problem for some time now, and given that bots tend to be associated with gold farming, this is a logical way to reduce that issue. They also point out that if gold farms were so successful as to need curbing, people who play the game were clearly buying enough gold to warrant them in the first place. Those who are angry, however, have countered that Blizzard didn’t appear to be doing enough to address the major botting problems prior to this, and feel frustrated that seemingly the developer’s first resort was to introduce monetization, rather than using other methods.

While previous upheavals around WoW Tokens have eventually settled, the issues with this specific rendition of it seem poised to change the Classic community for the long haul, though it remains to be seen exactly how. We’ve reached out to Blizzard for comment on the issue and will update if we get a response.

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.

Our Favorite Tears of the Kingdom Moments So Far

Tears of the Kingdom is without question the game of the moment, impossibly huge in both scope and scale, as well as sales numbers. With so much to see and explore, with so many options at the fingertips of every player, the opportunity for spectacular moments is limitless. Ask a dozen people how they solved a particular shrine and you’ll get a dozen different answers. But for each person, there’s at least one moment in Tears of the Kingdom that stands above the others, whether it’s a crazy creation, a puzzle solution that seemed like it just shouldn’t work, or an impactful story beat.

The wider NVC crew shares their favorite moments below, but be advised, this is spoiler territory. But if you haven’t played yet, what’s your deal? This game rules!

ALSO: Unsurprisingly there are SPOILERS for the game The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom below. If you don’t want anything spoiled, you’ve been warned.

Kat Bailey

Ultrahand has justifiably received the Lynel’s share of attention as fans assemble everything from killer mechs to podracers, but Tears of the Kingdom’s lesser-known abilities have done just as much to enhance my moment-to-moment exploration of Hyrule.

The Ascend ability is pure joy, forcing me to think in three-dimensional terms

To wit, the Ascend ability is pure joy, forcing me to think in three-dimensional terms as I examine ceilings and pillars for entry points. It’s an ability that ties in well with Tears of the Kingdom’s overall design philosophy, which makes a firm point of introducing the Z-axis wherever possible. I especially love the visual of Link swimming through a wall and emerging with an audible “shmmp” before pulling himself out of the floor.

Tears of the Kingdom’s puzzles are designed to encourage use of these abilities whenever possible, and they’ve quickly become second nature. As Seth alludes to in his own answer, the Wind Temple almost feels like a final test, encouraging you to use your full set of abilities as you ascend into the heavens. It was this sequence in particular that really drove home Tears of the Kingdom’s scale, making it my favorite so far, and it’s all thanks to Tears of the Kingdom’s well-designed abilities.

Peer Schneider

My favorite thing about the game so far isn’t any one specific moment – though dropping out of the sky all the way down into the “Mines of Moria” is quite special – it’s those moments when you feel like you’re the only person to solve a puzzle a certain way. We wrote an article about people building long bridges, so I know I’m not special. But my sons watching me play were dumbfounded when they saw me glue together an implausible amount of tree trunks just to cross the chasm to Rito Village. “If you talk to that NPC, they’ll tell you an easier way to get over there,” they said. “I don’t take directions from NPCs”, I said.

We’re still so used to limitations in games that when something like this works, we can’t help but be impressed. Someone programmed this, someone made the game systems flexible enough for it to work. It’s not long ago that characters in open world games were stopped dead in their tracks by tiny fences. Or you failed a puzzle not because you didn’t understand it, but because you didn’t stand in exactly the right place when hitting the button.

There’s no better feeling than playing a game that removes those age-old limitations and just lets you go wild.

There’s no better feeling than playing a game that removes those age-old limitations and just lets you go wild. My favorite moment in Tears of the Kingdom is that sense of freedom and how it beckons players to experiment. It instantly turns side quests and minor diversions into a crucial part of the experience – and the player becomes the story, instead of just witnessing it.

Brendan Graeber

I’ve been relentlessly bombarded by favorite moments for over 100 hours now, but let’s go back to one of my first: The Depths. Every time Nintendo showed a glimpse of Hyrule, or teased a few sky islands, I knew they were holding something close to the chest, but I only had guesses at what. When we finally got a few glimpses of dark underground areas in early leaked commercials, I thought I had it all figured out. I still wasn’t ready.

There’s so much about this place that is wild to me. The fact that something this big is introduced as some small side plot to the main quest. The fact that they just ask you to jump down a hole with not even a hint or warning of how massive and foreboding this literal dark world is. The fact that hours later, I still get a chill down my spine each time the loud horn heralds my arrival.

I thought I had it all figured out. I still wasn’t ready.

I could handle the altered terrain of Hyrule’s surface, and I could deal with a collection of strange floating islands. But getting my first look at The Depths was when it really hit me that Nintendo wanted me to stop focusing on what had carried over from Breath of the Wild, and start focusing on how much the rules had changed.

Seth G. Macy

The wait for Tears of the Kingdom was almost unbearable for me, a fully grown man who otherwise leads a normal life. I was beyond excited when I finally started it up and set out on my new journey, but there was a problem. Breath of the Wild has been my favorite game, period, ever since its release, but Tears of the Kingdom was only meeting, not exceeding, my love for its predecessor.

That is, until I hit my first dungeon.

I had read, and heard, dungeons were back for Tears of the Kingdom, something everyone had said they wanted for years. But I had also heard they weren’t “Zelda” dungeons in the traditional sense. There was no secret item locked away you had to first uncover before you could solve the puzzles, no iron boots to allow Link to sink to the bottom of a water hazard or hookshot to swing across open gaps.

I felt a level of satisfaction that I didn’t know I needed in my life.

That remains true, but I would argue the dungeon are as “Zelda” as they come, but they smartly use the vocabulary of Tears of the Kingdom and all its varied powers and abilities in a way that makes them feel perfectly familiar without feeling tired. As I made my way through my first one, using the powers of Ultrahand and Ascend and Rewind, I found puzzles requiring me to use the special powers of my companion, which is what makes these classic dungeons afterall. “How do I get there?” was a question I found myself asking quite a lot, but the solution was always within my reach, it just wasn’t always immediately apparent to my mental grasp.

Once I completed my first dungeon (I’ve taken great pains not to say which one I did first), I felt a level of satisfaction that I didn’t know I needed in my life, and I looked back at my time with Breath of the Wild with a touch of sadness. It was a bittersweet realization that Tears of the Kingdom is now my all-time favorite game, but I don’t know if I have any reason to return to a post-Calamity Hyrule in Breath of the Wild ever again.

Reb Valentine

When I first played Breath of the Wild, I liked the game immediately. But I didn’t love Breath of the Wild until a magical moment early on when I, with only a few hearts and a smattering of stick and rusted weapons, followed a series of quests and landmarks to the top of a mountain where I met the dragon Naydra. She was covered in Malice, and despite being weak and barely able to handle the cold around her icy form while stuffing my mouth full of peppers, I fought off the Malice and saved her.

Nothing about this game is as memorable to me as the sudden and unexpected moments of pure magic born out of nothing more than curiosity.

Once she was set free, I flew with her across the plains below, riding on her icy updrafts, surrounded by frosty magic and wonder. The encounter with Naydra, totally organic and born of my own curiosity, was the first moment of pure magic I experienced in Breath of the Wild, and it colored my experiences of the entire game from then on.

A few nights ago in Tears of the Kingdom, I was trying to sneak around a guy who wouldn’t let me explore some ruins in Kakariko Village when I suddenly saw her: Naydra. She was descending into a nearby chasm. I immediately dove from the nearest cliff after her, riding in the winds alongside her snake-like body until we arrived in the Depths, where her blue glow was the only light around.

I drifted onto her snout and sat there, transfixed, as we floated through almost total darkness for several minutes, before finally riding straight up through another chasm for a patrol around eastern Hyrule. After some time, she looped back to Kakariko Village, and I said my goodbyes.

I could praise the puzzle design, or the open world, or the witty NPC writing, or the music, or anything else about Tears of the Kingdom all day. But nothing about this game is as memorable to me as these sudden and unexpected moments of pure magic born out of nothing more than curiosity and a world that moves on its own, with or without my input. Thanks for the ride, Naydra.

Brian Altano

Diamonds are one of the rarest and most valuable resources in Tears of the Kingdom, and while selling them off to buy armor sets or upgrades for Link’s house is certainly a good bet, fusing them to certain weapons can create some really strong and durable results. Unless you’re an idiot like me. Early on in my adventure across (and above and below) Hyrule, I got my hands on a Royal Shield, a fairly tough shield with good defense.

There’s always a chance your really great idea turns out to be a really dumb one.

At this point I had already experimented with lots of creative weapon fusions and had mostly gotten lucky with the outcomes so I confidently tried sticking my one and only diamond to my shield thinking it would create some incredibly shiny, beautiful, and super tough shield that would last me for hours against hordes of Bokoblins and even a Stone Tallus or two. Instead I got a.. Shield with a big ass diamond stuck to the front of it. It made no sense and it made perfect sense at the same time, and it’s stupid to part with or destroy, so I’ve kept it 90 hours later as a reminder that not all fusions are created equally and to never get too cocky or confident in Tears of the Kingdom because there’s always a chance your really great idea turns out to be a really dumb one.

So there you have it, our favorite moments so far. Feel free to share yours in the comments, I read them. Seriously!

Sega Lays Off 121 Staff at Relic Entertainment

Sega Europe has laid off 121 employees at Relic Entertainment, while blaming the “incredibly difficult” decision on “external factors” affecting the games industry.

“Relic Entertainment and SEGA Europe want to share the difficult news that our studio has been impacted by layoffs, affecting 121 employees,” read a Twitter statement from the Vancouver-based studio.

“This comes at a time when external factors are challenging our industry more than ever, and we made this decision to restructure our organisation to ensure maximum focus is placed on our core franchises.”

The newly announced layoffs affect a significant proportion of the studio’s workforce, spanning from concept artists to audio and VFX designers. Over the years, the workers at Relic have developed a number of well regarded strategy games in the Company of Heroes, Homeworld, and Age of Empires franchises.

“Relic and SEGA remain fully committed to supporting and investing in our titles, including the recently released Company of Heroes 3,” continued the studio statement. “We’re confident that following this necessary restructuring, Relic will be in a position of strength to continue delivering outstanding experiences to players all over the world.”

In the wake of the announcement, many members of the gaming community reached out with messages of support for those who had found their professional lives upturned by the layoffs, while some industry professionals extended leads where former Relic employees might find new employment.

As reported by VGC, Sega recently announced in an earnings call that it was considering raising the price of its games to $70 – a move which would bring them in line with those developed from other publishers including Ubisoft and Nintendo.

Anthony is a freelance contributor covering science and video gaming news for IGN. He has over eight years experience of covering breaking developments in multiple scientific fields and absolutely no time for your shenanigans. Follow him on Twitter @BeardConGamer

The Five Accessibility Successes of 2023 So Far

May 18 marked the 12th annual Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), a day to celebrate and raise awareness for accessibility across varying industries. Not only does it help to highlight new innovations, it also continuously reinforces the notion that disabled people need assistive tech to thrive. For games, studios regularly refine and create new options and design practices seeking to eliminate as many barriers as possible.

2023 is already off to a strong start, with options and design practices pushing accessibility beyond some of last year’s biggest hits. It’s quickly becoming apparent that disabled players no longer need to hope for accessibility to be included in a game, but rather can comfortably join in the excitement of new titles. But beyond adding features, many of 2023’s announcements and releases demonstrate the necessity to explore new types of accessibility and even open entire systems to a significant group of disabled players. To celebrate GAAD, let’s explore some of my favorite accessibility highlights from the past five months.

Access Controller

In January, during PlayStation’s CES conference, the studio revealed Project Leonardo, an adaptive controller designed for physically disabled individuals. With approximately eight customizable buttons, a control stick with three different shapes and sizes, and even four 3.5mm AUX ports, PlayStation finally addressed its lack of accessible hardware.

This is my most anticipated release, and arguably, my favorite announcement from this year. Despite the software accessibility that PlayStation studios like Naughty Dog, Sony Santa Monica, and Insomniac Games regularly incorporate into their titles, I’ve never been able to play a PS5 game. And several years after the release of the PS4, I lost the ability to hold standard controllers, meaning that I haven’t been able to experience PlayStation’s accessibility efforts, even in games like The Last of Us Part II. The Access Controller is what I’ve been wanting, and quite frankly needing from a studio that actively shut physically disabled players like me out for years. While it’s still too early to know information like cost, and even button and stick sensitivity, its announcement is indicative of PlayStation’s continuous growth in accessibility.

Dead Space

Motive Studio’s remake of the original Dead Space includes common accessibility options like customizable controls, subtitles, and colorblind settings. Yet, the extensive content warnings and censors are why I’m choosing to highlight this game. Content warnings in games aren’t new – Arachnophobia Modes in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor and Grounded, warnings of self-harm and suicide in Doki Doki Literature Club, and even Chicory: A Colorful Tale lets players skip scenes that deal with depression. But Dead Space seamlessly integrates mental health accessibility while still maintaining the core themes of isolation and fear.

Traumatic images and themes can be censored, like suicide, or even specific phrases that deal with self-harm in text logs. Yet, Isaac Clarke still must survive within the abandoned halls of the USG Ishimura. What makes Dead Space stand out amongst incredibly accessible games is the fact that it chooses to incorporate and highlight mental health accessibility in a way that doesn’t diminish the fear that players feel. Horror, like all genres, can be accessible for those with varying mental health disabilities, and Dead Space demonstrates how horror can be both entertaining and accessible.

Forza Motorsport

Xbox recently announced a new set of accessibility features for its flagship racing series. Blind Driving Assists offer numerous audio cues and steering assists that seek to remove barriers for blind/low vision players when racing. Whether turning, driving on straightaways, or even when changing speeds, each action is conveyed through aural messages.

Forza’s accessibility efforts are in line with the greater accessibility movement. However, blind/low vision players still cannot fully enjoy most titles in this industry. What makes Blind Driving Assists one of my favorite reveals of this year is that it opens a new genre to a group of disabled players. Despite my disability, I still have my preferred franchises. I can usually purchase a new game and complete it without assistance. Blind/low vision accessibility still seems like it’s in its infancy despite the continuous rise and acceptance of accessibility in this industry. While we still don’t know how effective Blind Driving Assists will be for disabled players, Turn 10 Studios’ attempts to eliminate unintentional barriers is worthy of mention.

The Last of Us Part I Remake

On March 28, PlayStation released The Last of Us Part I on the PC. Not only was it the first in the series to become available to PC players, but it also featured extensive accessibility settings. When discussing accessibility, we often ask questions pertaining to software. How are studios implementing accessible options and designs? What settings are necessary for players with physical disabilities? A key aspect that is often overlooked in these conversations are talks about hardware. For the first time since the original release in 2013, I was able to play The Last of Us.

Yes, the port was filled with numerous bugs, even those affecting accessibility. In my playthrough, I constantly encountered key binding issues that absolutely increased my physical exhaustion. And yes, I frequently witnessed visual bugs that were regularly shared on social media sites. Even though it’s a shame my first experience with The Last of Us series was marred with baffling glitches, I was finally able to experience an iconic game for myself.

Global Accessibility Awareness Day shouldn’t be a singular day just to highlight new announcements. We should celebrate by examining the industry’s successes throughout the year. It should also be a day to remind the greater gaming industry that disabled people exist. Disabled writers and reporters, content creators, and developers are active participants alongside disabled consumers. It’s one thing to be able to play games, but to be able to unapologetically be ourselves in an industry that is still unsure of how to properly treat disabled people is proof that more work is required. If anything, this GAAD demonstrates that accessibility is a continuous journey, one that gets even more exciting with each passing year.

Grant Stoner is a disabled journalist covering accessibility and the disabled perspective in video games. When not writing, he is usually screaming about Pokémon or his cat, Goomba on Twitter.