We've rounded up the best deals for Saturday, January 3, below. Don't miss your chance to save on these deals!
Fantasian Neo Dimension is the latest game from a legendary creator who needs no introduction: Hironobu Sakaguchi. This incredible turn-based RPG is a joy to play through, featuring a great story with music from the all-time great Nobuo Uematsu. Pick up a Nintendo Switch copy today and add it to your collection for only 26ドル.70.
If you're a Nintendo Switch 2 owner, a microSD Express Card is an absolutely essential purchase. The internal 256GB of storage is nowhere near enough for most players, especially with huge games like Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade set to take up over a third of that space later this month. You can save 20ドル off this 256GB microSD Express Card at Amazon and instantly double your Switch 2 storage.
Tales of Graces f was one of Bandai Namco's earliest 2025 releases, marking one of the first initiatives in the Tales of Remastered Project. At 19ドル.79, you're getting a classic RPG that has been remastered for modern times, featuring a dash button, autosave, accessibility features, and much more. It's perfect for anyone who wasn't able to experience the original in 2012.
Resident Evil 2 is one of the greatest remakes ever made, and you can take home a physical copy of its best version today on PS5 for only 14ドル.99. This legendary game released in 2019, and it's going to be essential to experience it before the arrival of Resident Evil Requiem next month.
Gears of War shockingly hit PlayStation for the first time in its history as part of Xbox's multiplatform approach earlier this year. This enhanced and remastered edition of the first game is the perfect entry point for PlayStation players, and you can save 15ドル off a physical copy today at Target.
If you're on the hunt for an excellent gaming mouse, look no further than the Logitech G309 Lightspeed for 59ドル.99 today at Amazon. This wireless mouse features a 300 plus hour battery life with AA battery, with unlimited battery using the Powerplay mousepad. The included HERO 25K sensor is perfect for tracking at maximum precision, and the lightweight nature is great for competitive gaming.
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.
The Witcher 3 maker CD Projekt has a secret new expansion for its beloved role-playing game in the works, various reports have suggested.
Word that the studio was planning more content for its 2015 blockbuster originally dates back to a report published online last summer, in which Polish games industry insider Borys Nieśpielak first spilled details of the supposed project.
At the time, Nieśpielak claimed that development was being handled by Fool's Theory — the studio that CD Projekt has also tasked with remaking The Witcher 1. Today, in a report by Eurogamer, Nieśpielak doubled down on his initial claim and pointed to a recent hint by CD Projekt itself that the content was quietly in the works.
"Given our current progress, there is a chance that new content hinted upon in recent calls and reports may see release in the coming year," CD Projekt chief financial officer Piotr Nielubowicz said in the company's latest financial report, published in November 2025. Without naming the content, Nielubowicz went on to suggest that it could have "an impact" on the company's upcoming results — potentially suggesting it would arrive relatively soon, and be relatively meaninful in scope.
This isn't the only official mention of an unnamed project, either. In a follow-up investor call following the aforementioned results, joint studio CEO Michał Nowakowski also made mention of an "other project" that Fool's Theory was working on, in the same breath as mentioning its The Witcher 1 remake and support for the upcoming The Witcher 4.
Yet another whisper of the project came just before the end of last year from Polish analyst Mateusz Chrzanowski, who said he expected "the next paid add-on (DLC) for The Witcher 3 to be released in May 2026." All of this points to CD Projekt, via Fool's Theory, having something new for The Witcher 3 fans in just a few months' time — an exciting prospect, and one that would make some sense.
As "full production" on The Witcher 4 continues, CD Projekt has cautioned fans not to expect its launch in 2026, as the company plans an ambitious six-year roadmap in which it will also launch The Witcher 5 and The Witcher 6. Before all of that, there's a window this year for even more Witcher, and a fresh slice of content that could potentially help bridge the gap.
A new DLC feels like a smart idea to reawaken lapsed interest ahead of the series' next chapter, via extra content sold to The Witcher 3's existing audience of more than 60 million players. This content could be used as a reason to sell the game anew, to bring fresh fans to the decade-old role-player, and potentially set up plot points to be expanded upon in The Witcher 4.
Finally, of course, it could offer fans one last oppurtunity to play as Geralt — before the franchise's next trilogy focuses on Ciri. So, one last adventure?
Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
]]>Physical copies of Star Wars Racer Revenge are suddenly selling for over 300,ドル as word spreads that an exploit in the game can be used to jailbreak PlayStation 5 consoles.
Recently-completed eBay listings for the PS4 re-release of Star Wars Racer Revenge show multiple copies selling for 300ドル or more over the past 24 hours — with prices only increasing.
On December 31, more than a dozen copies of the game were sold through eBay priced between 80ドル to 166ドル. On January 1st, a further 11 were shifted, with prices ranging between 180ドル and 364ドル.50. And now, dozens more copies have been listed for sale — with prices currently around the 300ドル-400ドル mark or even higher.
Why the sudden rush to buy boxed copies of a Star Wars racing game for PlayStation 4 that launched back in 2019? Well, Racer Revenge's code is reportedly crucial to fire off a new method of jailbreaking PlayStation 5 — essentially unlocking the ability to play illegally pirated games — when the game's physical disc is present.
Of course, this isn't to say that every copy sold or up for sale on eBay will be bought by someone who's definitely going to do this. Indeed, retail site Resell Calendar has issued an alert to anyone with a copy (or who might know local pre-owned game shops that might have one) advising them that they're suddenly sitting on a game that's just shot up in perceived value.
Originally launched for PlayStation 2 in 2002, Star Wars Racer Revenge was re-released by Limited Run Games with a PS4 print run believed to be around 8,500 copies. Prior to the past week, copies were sold on eBay for around 20ドル each.
The news comes just weeks after the announcement of an all-new Star Wars racing game, Star Wars: Galactic Racer, that's being made by some of the former developers behind Need for Speed and Burnout. Announced at The Game Awards 2025, the project will arrive later in 2026 for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.
Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
]]>Deus Ex lead actor Elias Toufexis has branded the franchise's owners as "psychopaths," as the wait continues for a new entry in the dormant stealth action series.
In a post on X, Toufexis laid out his work schedule for 2026, which he said included Bungie's upcoming shooter Marathon and three unannounced projects. Of course, this tease prompted Deus Ex fans to suggest that at least one of these mystery projects was a long-awaited new Deus Ex sequel — something Toufexis was quick to shut down.
"...no Deus Ex because the people in charge are psychopaths," Toufexis wrote.
Toufexis has been vocal in support of a new Deus Ex game materializing over the years, though it has now been a decade since the arrival of 2016's Deus Ex: Mankind Divided. Developed by Eidos Montreal, the game arrived on PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One to positive reviews.
But rather than develop a follow up, the next few years saw Eidos Montreal put to work on Square Enix's failed Marvel's Avengers live-service game, as well as its own take on Guardians of the Galaxy, alongside its continuing role as a support studio for the Tomb Raider franchise. With these franchises taking priority, Deus Ex fell by the wayside.
Fan excitement for a new Deus Ex was rekindled after Square Enix sold Eidos Montreal — and the Deus Ex franchise — to publisher Embracer, and indeed, a new game in the series was reportedly worked on for two years. Alas, this project was reported to have been canned in 2024, amid Embracer's widespread restructuring.
"As you guys all know, Jensen is one of the characters I’ve played who is near and dear to my heart. It seems I will always be associated with him and that’s just fine with me," Toufexis wrote in a subsequent reddit post, after word of the game's cancellation spread.
"Alas, his story seems done. I’m relatively certain the game that was canceled was not an Adam Jensen story, so the cancellation angers me more than anything else because friends at Eidos got laid off. Video game companies right now are in a weird place. I hope it gets straightened out."
A year ago, Insider Gaming reported that Eidos Montreal was once again pitching an idea for a new Deus Ex title, though there was no suggestion this idea had been successful. Next up for the series will be Aspyr's recently-delayed Deus Ex Remastered, a polished up port of the franchise's original entry, which has been pushed from its original February 2026 launch date following fan concerns over its quality. The project currently lacks a new launch window, and pre-orders have been refunded.
Toufexis previously claimed he spent two years working on Far Cry 3, recording lines as the game's protagonist Jason Brody, before Ubisoft replaced him in the role. The voice actor claimed the reason for this switch was his work as the Deus Ex protagonist, whose voice had become too "popular" and recognizable.
Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
]]>I have a bad habit of saying I am done buying games, then immediately proving myself wrong. This week was one of those moments where curiosity, discounts, and a slightly weak spine all lined up. I have played most of these, loved many of them, and a few still live rent free in my brain years later.
Contents
Today in My God You're Aging News, it's a thin list for birthdays to celebrate. Nevertheless, I happily baked a 10-shaped cake for Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, a WiiU classic. This was basically a minigame found within Super Mario 3D World that was red mushroomed up into a full title experience. Obviously, old mate Shroom Head didn't have the same abilities as Muzza, but he can pick up items to clock familiar Mushie Kingdom foes as you solve environmental puzzles. Brilliant for casuals and OGs alike, the Switch version is a treasure worth tracking.
Aussie birthdays for notable games.
- Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (WiiU) 2015. Get
Or gift a Nintendo eShop Card.
Xbox One
Or just invest in an Xbox Card.
<br><br>
PS4
Or purchase a PS Store Card.
Or just get a Steam Wallet Card
Adam Mathew is a passionate connoisseur, a lifelong game critic, and an Aussie deals wrangler who genuinely wants to hook you up with stuff that's worth playing (but also cheap). He plays practically everything, sometimes on YouTube .
]]>Happy new year, or almost new year, or just... whatever time it is when you’re reading this. For me, it’s the very tail end of 2025, and what better time to take a look ahead at some of the games coming out in the new year? Here are 2026’s biggest game releases
Before we get into it, just a heads up that this is by no means a 100% comprehensive guide to all the games coming out in 2026, as many of those haven’t even been announced yet. Also, as always, release dates are subject to change - I made something very much like this exactly a year ago in which I told you that GTA would be the biggest game of 2025... assuming it came out in 2025, which it didn’t. So, this is true in our regular monthly game release updates, but it’s especially true when we’re talking about games that are 11 months away, or games that don’t have release dates yet.
On January 15, Animal Crossing: New Horizons gets a new lease on life, and also a new mortgage to pay off when the beloved debt, yard work, and interior decoration sim comes to Switch 2 - and if you happen to be one of the 50 million people who bought Animal Crossing on the original Switch, you’ll be happy to hear that you can upgrade to the Switch 2 version for just 5 bucks. Meanwhile, if you’re still playing on Switch 1, you’ll still be getting access to a ton of new features with the 3.0 update, which adds a ton of new features including hotel renovation, and in-game items based on other Nintendo properties, as well as LEGO’s line of Animal Crossing sets.
You can’t spell "Purchase a Game In January" without JRPG, or a lot of other letters, but this is the time of year when fans of that particular genre are bound to be especially busy. Still on the 15th, there’s The Legend of Heroes: Trails Beyond The Horizon, which is the seventeenth installment in The Legend of Heroes series, or the thirteenth installment in the Trails series, and a direct sequel to 2022’s Legend of Heroes Trails Through Daybreak II. That’s coming to all the Switches, PlayStations, and PC.
On the 22nd, Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade comes to Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox Series as well as Xbox on PC - this includes the base game, all the visual and technical improvements that it got when it was ported to PS5, a whole side story that follows Yuffie, and this latest release will add a new streamlined mode that maxes out your party’s stats and has all attacks do 9,999 damage so you can just blow through the story.
Not quite a JRPG, but JRPG-adjacent, Dynasty Warriors Origins also hits Switch 2 that day, alongside the Visions of Four Heroes DLC expansion, which also comes to the other platforms the game’s already on.
On the 26th, Highguard drops, which is the new PVP raid game from a bunch of ex-Respawn devs who worked on Titanfall and Apex Legends - and while you can see some similar DNA, it’s clearly going a very different direction, and instead of bunch of a bunch of wallrunning dudes and Neil Blomkamp mechs, it’s got more fantasy flair - so if you’ve ever wanted to bear arms while riding a bear, go nuts. That’s free to play on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series.
Finally, rounding out January’s JRPGs, on the 28th there's The Seven Deadly Sins: Origin, an open-world RPG based on the hit anime series for PS5, PC, and mobile. And then on the 30th, there’s Code Vein 2, the sequel to Bandai Namco’s 2019 vampire anime soulslike, which is on PS5, Xbox Series, and PC.
At some point in January, 2XKO will hit PS5 and Xbox series, which is Riot Games’ 2v2 fighting game featuring a roster of characters from League of Legends - that’s been in early access on PC since October.
On February 5, Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined hits PS5, Xbox Series, both Switches, and PC. Originally released stateside for PS1 in 2001, and then 3DS 15 years after that, it’s now getting a full modern overhaul. JRPGs aren’t exactly known for being concise, but this one is pretty infamously beefy, and don’t be surprised if you sink 100 hours into this just doing the main quest.
If you’d rather just make a bunch of colorful characters hit each other, My Hero Academia: All’s Justice is a 3v3 arena fighter featuring several dozen characters from the beloved anime series. That’s on PS5, Xbox Series, and PC February 6.
Also on the 6th is Nioh 3, the third installment in Team Ninja’s tough-as-balls soulslike series that is actually its first true sequel, as Nioh 2 took place before the events of the first game - which probably has no bearing whatsoever on the moment to moment combat that’s the main selling point here. That’s on PS5 and PC.
On February 11, Romeo is a Deadman is the latest whackadoo action game from Suda51 and the fine folks at Grasshopper Manufacture, who gave us such cult classics as Killer7 and No More Heroes - this latest one looks to be as stylish, absurd, and over-the-top as we’ve come to expect. That’s on PS5, Xbox series and PC. I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing a lot of really interesting people in this job, and Suda is one of my favorites - we did one with him years ago where we asked a bunch of really stupid questions rapid-fire and he didn’t skip a beat. So anyway, I’m happy to see he’s keeping busy making weird cool games.
On the 12th, Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties hits everything but Xbox One. Yakuza 3 was originally released for the PS3 back in 2009, and though it was included with the remastered collection in 2019, that version didn't get any major graphical or gameplay improvements. Kiwami 3, on the other hand, is a full modern overhaul, so this’ll play as great as it looks - and the Dark Ties expansion is a whole new side story.
Still that day on Switch 2 is Mario Tennis Fever, which may sound like a fun casual sports game, but it’s also a very serious medical condition that can be deadly if not treated immediately. If you develop symptoms of Mario Tennis Fever while playing this game, please consult a Dr. Mario.
On the 13th we’re getting High on Life 2, the follow-up to the excellent 2022 first-person metroidvania - and between the first game, its High on Knife DLC, and now this, I gotta give the team at Squanch Games credit for shipping two and a half Metroid Prime-likes in half the time it took Retro to get Metroid Prime 4 out the door. Also, High on Life 2 is the only way you can legally purchase the classic 1991 Wisdom Tree platformer Bible Adventures for current consoles.
Another notable February 13 release in Reanimal, the two-player co-op horror game from Tarsier Studios, the original developers of Little Nightmares. The demo for this one is playable right now on Steam, PS5, and Xbox Series, which are the same platforms the final version will drop for on the eve of Valentine's Day.
On February 20, Ys X: Proud Nordics is the latest Japanese action RPG rooted in Scandinavian folklore - and it’s actually an enhanced re-release of 2023’s Ys X: Nordics, but with enough added abilities, bosses and levels that it’s apparently very proud of itself. That’s coming to PS5, PC, and Switch 2.
On the 24th, Tides of Tomorrow hits PS5, Xbox Series and PC, which is set in a vibrant post-apocalyptic ocean world that’s riddled with microplastics, and where the choices made by other players in their game will affect how the narrative in yours unfolds.
On February 27, Resident Evil: Requiem - or the ninth mainline entry, if you’re keeping count - hits Xbox Series, PS5, PC, and Switch 2. I’m fairly late to the Resident Evil party, but as someone who liked 7, loved 8, and adored the remakes, I’m fairly lukewarm on what I’ve seen of this one so fair - but I’m also willing to give it a shot, since that team has been knocking it out the park with this series.
Any Switch 2 owners looking to play catchup, Resident Evil 7 and 8 - AKA Biohazard and Village - are also coming to the hybrid handheld that day as well. They got cloud-streamed versions on Switch 1, but this is the first time they’ll be playable locally on Nintendo hardware.
On March 5, Pokemon Pokopia comes to Switch 2, which sort of looks like Animal Crossing, except you play as a ditto who is masquerading as a human being, something that will never not be totally unsettling.
Hitting PC, Xbox Series and PS5 on March 12, John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando is a post-apocalyptic co-op FPS that’s been developed by the World War Z team with some input from the legendary horror filmmaker turned grouchy hardcore gamer, and it looks as though it’ll sit well with anyone wishing the Left 4 Dead franchise hadn’t been... abandoned in a seemingly deceased state. That’s on Xbox Series, PS5, and PC.
That same day on PC is Solasta 2, the follow-up to the very well-received 2021 tactical CRPG, which should click with anybody who’s had their fill of Baldur’s Gate 3 and needs to kill some time before Divinity.
Also on March 12, Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly Remake hits all the newer consoles and PC, and that’s a modern do-over of the 2003 survival horror game that’s sort of like Pokémon Snap but with scary ghosts instead of cute animals.
If you’d prefer a game about making friends scary animals, on the 13th, there’s Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection for those same platforms, which puts a more conventional turn-based JRPG spin on Capcom’s hit creature clobberer series.
If you’re more into big huge sprawling open-world RPGs with fast-paced realtime combat, on the 19th there’s Crimson Desert, the single player spinoff of Black Desert Online. That’s on Xbox Series, PS5, and PC.
If you’d rather just shoot olde tymie cartoon criminal critters, Mouse: P.I. For Hire looks to like a boomer shooter with Cuphead aesthetics - that’s on everything
On March 26, Screamer hits PS5, Xbox Series, and PS5 - I heard about this game a while ago, and was wondering what was taking so long since the gameplay looked like it was in a pretty good state. The trailer that dropped during The Game Awards answered the hell out of that question: in addition to being a racing game, this is also a cyberpunk anime, and it sure looks like those cutscenes took a while. So, if you’ve ever wished for a cross between Redline and Initial D with playable races, here you go!
On April 16, yet another game with literary inspirations is Cthulu: The Cosmic Abyss, a first person thriller mired in the unthinkable cosmic horrors of the works of H.P. Lovecraft, so that should be a nice cheerful jaunt. That’s on Xbox Series, PS5, and PC.
On April 24 arrives Pragmata, which is a totally new sci-fi property from Capcom that pairs third-person shooting with some realtime hacking minigames, which seems cool.
On a similar note, on April 30, the folks who gave us Returnal are back with Saros, a roguelite third-person bullet hell, which stars the wonderful Rahul Kohli and takes place in a sci-fi setting that’s cribbing from Robert W. Chambers' proto-lovecraftian classic, The King in Yellow.
On May 8th, Mortal Kombat 2 hits theaters, the first of two very fun-looking fighting game movies. Something I very much appreciated about the first game is they didn’t make use of the whole roster, and saved some big names for round two - namely, Johnny Cage, who looks to be very much the central focus of the sequel, and he’s being played by the ever-delightful Karl Urban. Very excited to watch him do a split and punch someone in the groin.
On May 27, we’ll get high speed chases and every other kind of action in 007 First Light, a game I’m trying not to get too excited about, but which i can’t not - after all, it’s from the team behind Hitman: World of Assassinaiton, which is already basically the best James Bond game to date, except this one’s actually about Ian Fleming’s legendary spy. Anyway that’s coming to all the newer consoles and PC.
LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight is the closest thing to an Arkham game we’ll be getting anytime soon, and while it might not have quite the massive roster of playable characters as TT Games’ previous LEGO titles, it looks to be making up for it with much tighter combat. That’s on all the newer boxes and also PC on May 29.
Illfonic, the studio that gave us asymmetrical multiplayer horror games based on Friday the 13th, Killer Klowns from Outer Space, and Predator are giving the granddaddy of all slashers the same treatment with John Carpenter’s original Halloween, which’ll also have a single player mode this time around. That’s coming to Xbox Series, PS5 and PC on September 8.
On September 12, Phantom Blade Zero hits PC and PS5, which looks like a soulslike or a hack and slash action game, and while it is an action RPG with lots of hacking and slashing, it’s apparently doing its own thing that’s somewhere in the middle - whatever the hell it is, buzz on this one is killer.
Not a game, but obviously worth including is the newest Street Fighter movie, which looks like an absolute blast and I’ve been hyping this movie up since the first casting announcements trickled out - it’s directed by Kitao Sakurai, who is best known for his work with Eric Andre on the Eric Andre Show and the film Bad Trip, which has involved a lot of people getting injured in entertaining ways in public places as well as a few cars getting destroyed, so I think this movie is going to kick ass. That hits theaters October 16 and I will be there opening night.
And of course, the biggest game of 2026, the 2020s as a whole, and possibly all time, assuming it ever comes out, is Grand Theft Auto 6, which is hitting Xbox Series and PS5 on November 19 - a date which basically every other game in development is steering clear of. At this point we’ve been waiting so long for this game that it’s just stopped seeming like something I’ll ever get to play - but someday, I’ll get to actually play it, I think, and I hope it’s this year!
Now, that takes us to the very end of games that currently have release dates - but there a whole lot more that just have vague 2026 releases planned, so here’s what we’ve got right now:
Battlestar Galactica: Scattered Hopes is expected sometime in the first quarter of 2026, which lets you strategically square off with Cylons on PC.
At some point in 2026, Starfield is supposedly coming to PS5, and while Bethesda's dropped a handful of updates post-launch, I feel like players weren’t quite over the moon for this one - but who knows, maybe it’ll get some more tweaks and content alongside its eventual PlayStation version.
Super Meat Boy 3D adds a whole extra dimension to Team Meat’s beloved indie platformer, and that’s coming to PS5, Xbox Series, and PC.
Zero Parades: For Dead Spies is the latest offbeat and extremely cerebral CRPG from the developers of Disco Elysium. This is clearly a spiritual successor, but rather than take cues from detective fiction, Zero Parades is all about the world of espionage - specifically, the nerve-racking deception-based kind, not the sexy hollywood kind. That’s coming to PC and PS5.
If you want a game that takes place inside books, but involves a lot less reading, Chronoscript: The Endless End is an exploration based action-adventure sidescroller - or maybe more accurately, page turner. That’s on PS5 and PC as well.
Thick as Thieves is a PvPvE stealth game from Warren Spector, who was behind the original Deus Ex, and that’s sneaking onto PS5, Xbox Series, and PC at some point in 2026
If you’re sad we haven’t gotten a brand new Metal Gear Solid game in over a decade, you might want to keep an eye on Mudang: Two Hearts, which looks like like a similar blend of stealth, action, tactical military stuff, and over the top sci-fi nonsense, and that’s coming to PS5, Xbox Series, and PC as well.
If you like sequels, don’t worry, they’re still making lots of those: if you want to go on a power trip, you can be a tyrannical dictator in Tropico 7. If you’d rather feel utterly powerless, you can get punched so hard your soul flies out of your body in Mortal Shell 2. Those are both on the big consoles and PC. On Switch 2 and PC, you can go dungeon-crawling through even more bullet hells in Enter the Gungeon 2.
Onimusha: Way of the Sword marks the long-awated return of Capcom’s PS2-era supernatural samurai series, and that’s coming to Xbox Series, PS5, and PC.
If you want to travel through time and fight some ex boyfriends, there’s Scott Pilgrim EX, the long-awaited follow-up to hit beat-em-up based on Bryan Lee O’Malley’s beloved Canadian manga, which is on basically everything.
Speaking of Canadians, Marvel’s fan favorite canucklehead finally slices and dices his way onto PS5 sometime in the fall - Insomniac’s long-awaited Wolverine game is clearly not shying away from an M-rating, but hopefully it’s got as much brains and heart as it does blood and guts.
Two other Marvel games are also in the works expected in 2026 at some point: Skydance’s Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra, which features Cap and Black Panther’s grandpa, who is also Black Panther, fighting in World War 2 on PS5, Xbox Series, and PC. And then there’s Marvel Tokon Fighting Souls on PS5 and PC, a fighting game from Arc System Works that looks like it could be a proper spiritual successor to Marvel Vs Capcom - just, without the Capcom.
Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve is the latest entry in the long running jet pilot sim to try to tempt me into playing it with sequences of stuff happening outside of a jet that are so impressively realistic it makes me forget that I don’t actually enjoy the part where you fly the jet. Don’t get me wrong, I think jets are the coolest thing ever invented and this game looks gorgeous, but aerial dogfighting in video games just never clicks for me. Can I just play the parts where you eat hamburgers and drink beer with your friends on an aircraft carrier? Anyway, that’s on PS5, Xbox Series, and PC
Remedy’s David Lynchian interconnected universe gets a bit bigger with Control: Resonant, which is a continuation of IGN’s 2019 game of the year, but also connects with Alan Wake 2 and FBC Firebreak - and even if you’re not keeping track of what’s going on, this looks like it’ll still be a good time.
I’ve always wondered why nobody’s made any first-person soulslikes, and the trailer for Decrepit answered that question very loudly: because they’d be too fucking scary. Get this shit outta here. Too scary! Just awful! No thank you! That’s on PC for now, so if you play on console, you’re safe from its horrors for the time being. Did you see that spider? Fuck off!
Less scary looking, but from a studio with some major horror chops is Ontos, which is from the folks behind Amnesia and SOMA and takes place in a hotel where a lot of weird stuff is happening, which is to be expected from a hotel that’s on the moon.
If you want something nice and cute in space, there’s the two-player co-op adventure Oribitals on Switch 2 which looks just gorgeous. Lots of games look like anime, but this one specifically looks like a bubble era OVA, which has not just a specific aesthetic, but a certain VHS graininess and poppy sound quality as well, and that’s such a pretentious delineation but as a reformed weeaboo whose formative years were filled with badly dubbed "Japanimation" from Manga Video, I applaud this attention to detail.
Another co-op adventure coming this year is Out of Words, which is all stop-motion featuring handcrafted puppets. I have this theory that Geoff Keighley really loves puppets, and if you make a game with puppets in it, he’s more likely to feature it prominently in one of his shows - Out of Words was one of two puppet-centric games that debuted at Summer Game Fest, the other being Felt That: Boxing, and it showed up again at The Game Awards in between Miss Piggy appearances. Anyway that’s coming to the new consoles and PC.
Star Wars: Galactic Racer is hitting PS5, Xbox Series, and PC at some point in 2026, and I am stoked - like 10 years ago, when it was announced that EA had the Star Wars license, I was like, "Get the people who do Burnout and Need for Speed to do a podracing game." -And well, it took a minute, but we’re getting something even better: a studio founded by a bunch of ex-Criterion devs is making a game like that and EA has nothing to do with it! Also, this isn’t straight podcasting - it’s got a bunch of other speeders and stuff, which reminds me of the criminally underrated 2000 vehicular combat game Star Wars Demolition.
If you thought that was a stupid joke, well, bad news because Stupid Never Dies - which is the name of a video game that’s coming out at some point on PC and PS5. This is a dungeon crawler action game that has some major Lollipop Chainsaw vibes, but it’s actually from a new studio founded by Hiroyuki Kobayashi, who, among other things, worked on Devil May Cry, Resident Evil, and Dragon’s Dogma.
Tankrat is a game where you drive a cool tank around and shoot stuff while also exploring and finding new stuff to make your tank even cooler - and it reminds me of modern version of Blaster Master. You guys remember Blaster Master? No? Well it sort of looked like this except really old. Tankrat is coming to PS5 and PC.
A whole lot of games just have a vague "TBA" release window, which means that they’ll probably come out someday. And while 2026 seems like a safe bet for most of these, some might even be further down the road, while others might never come out.
If you ever wished they’d do a Star Wars XCOM... well, they’re doing it! Zero Company, or ZCOM for short, is from a studio of ex-Firaxis devs, and looks like a turn-based tactical good time. That’s coming to Xbox, PS5, and PC.
Cinder City is an open-world MMO tactical shooter that looks like it has literally everything in it, and that’s coming to PC at some point - though looking at this game in action, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was a 2027 game.
Lords of the Fallen 2 is the sequel to the 2023 soulslike, which was itself the reboot of a game already titled Lords of the Fallen, so this is technically the third Lords of the Fallen game, but who’s keeping track? That’s on the newer non-Nintendo consoles and PC.
All we’ve seen of Road Kings is a cinematic trailer where a dude drives his 18 wheeler straight toward a tornado, but that seems like it was enough to get people hyped. And it’s from Saber, the studio that gave us Mudrunner and Snowrunner and the recent Road Craft, and as a very casual truck game enjoyer, I’m curious to see what their spin on a long-haul trucking sim is like. That’s on PC, Xbox Series, and PS5.
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 4 is the first installment in the fan-fave RTS series in almost a decade, and while it’s not from Relic, the studio that made the first three games, it is from the team behind another well-received RTS, Iron Harvest. That’s coming to PC.
Tomodachi Life might not have quite the same name-brand recognition as Animal Crossing, but the original mii-centric social game released in 2014 was the 11th best-selling 3DS game of all time, so it’s a surprise it’s taken Nintendo this long to make another one. Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream will be on Switch.
Somebody put The Elder Scrolls 6 on our list of upcoming game releases, and while that’ll probably come out someday, I would be shocked if it dropped in 2026. However, if you’re after a big pretty fantasy RPG from Xbox Game Studios, Fable seems a lot more likely for a fall release. This one is from Playground Games, the studio that gave us Forza Horizon, so I’m stoked to see how they tackle wizard stuff.
Speaking of Forza Horizon, the sixth entry is expected sometime in 2026, and though there have been rumblings it might launch in the first half of the year, nothing official on that front aside from the fact that it’s set in Japan this time around. Fable and Forza Horizon are both hitting Xbox Series and PC, with PS5 versions probably arriving later on, if recent Xbox release strategy is anything to go on.
Gears of War turns 20 in 2026, and to mark the occasion we’re hopefully getting a brand new installment with E-Day. This is a prequel set 14 years before the first game and will follow Marcus Fenix during the events of Emergence Day, when the big scary guys you’ve been shooting at and chainsawing into pieces in all the other installments first started coming out of holes in the ground. That’ll be on Xbox and PC for sure, and again, maybe PS5 at some point too.
Another major franchise celebrating a big anniversary is Tomb Raider, which turns 30 - To celebrate, we’re getting Legacy of Atlantis, a full ground-up Unreal Engine 5 remake of the original Tomb Raider. It certainly looks pretty, but I’m curious how much it plays like the originals. That’ll be on Xbox Series, PS5, and PC.
If you ever wished for a distant prequel to the Plague Tale games that swapped the medieval European setting for an ancient Greek one, well... you’re in luck! Because that’s exactly what Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy is - and that’s coming to Xbox Series, PS5, and PC
The Adventures of Elliott: The Millennium Tales is the latest game from the folks behind Bravely Default and Octopath Traveller, and hopefully you won’t have to wait a thousand years to play - that one’s coming to all the newer consoles and PC.
Usually it’s bad when a game freezes, but sometimes that’s a feature, not a bug - like the bleak frigid survival game Blackfrost: The Long Dark 2, or Frostrail, a survival game that’s also bleak and frigid, but at least you have a train - those are both coming to PC - and there’s also Ikuma: The Frozen Compass, a coming of age story set in the arctic, which seems frigid, but less bleak - which is on PC, as well as Xbox Series and PS5.
If you’d like to try your hand at surviving while submerged in melted ice, ie: water, Subnautica 2 is hitting early access on PC and Xbox any day now. And by "now" I mean at some point in the coming year.
If you’d rather go on adventures above the waves, Sea of Remnants is a bright and colorful ocean-world RPG, which is slated to hit PC and PS5 at some point. If you prefer rails to sails, there’s also Denshattack, which looks like Jet Grind Radio, except you play as a train. Sure why not! That’s on PC as well as Xbox Series and PS5.
At some point The Duskbloods is coming out, which is FromSoftware’s Switch 2 exclusive foray into the world of PvE multiplayer, and I know I’m not the only one who’s disappointed that something that looks so much like Bloodborne isn’t an action RPG. Still, as arcane as this game looks, my intelligence is high enough that I’ll pump a few points into having faith that Hidetaka Miyazaki and company know what they’re doing.
If you ever wished Hotline Miami was about actual animal men and not just men in animal masks, well, get a load of Kusan: City of Wolves - it’s exactly what I just described. That’s coming to PC as well as Switch, Xbox Series and both PlayStations.
The Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake has been in development for several dumptrucks worth of hourglass-grade silica powder, but at some point this year, that’s supposedly coming out - and hopefully it’s worth the wait.
Another Ubisoft remake we’ve been hearing about for almost as long is Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag, which isn’t even officially announced, but will presumably come to modern consoles and PC if and when it ever gets released.
Valor Mortis is another first-person action soulslike from the studio behind Ghostrunner, which seems like a novel enough idea and hopefully has less spiders than Decrepit - and it’s coming to Xbox Series, PS5, and PC.
Originally slated for a fall 2025 release, Directive 8020: A Dark Pictures Game is the latest cinematic choose-your-own-adventure game from the folks at Supermassive, which is coming to Xbox Series, PS5, and PC.
Dune: Awakening has been going strong on PC for a while now, and at some point in the foreseeable future, it’ll be getting Xbox Series and PS5 versions as well.
And last but not least, 2026 marks the 30th anniversary of the launch of the Pokémon series. In addition to Pokopia, we’re also getting the strategy game Pokemon Champions - I have a hunch those aren’t the only two Pokémon games that’ll be dropping this year, but they’re the only two we officially know about right now.
So, there you go! That’s a look ahead at the biggest games coming in 2026 that we know about right now. Some of these might not actually come out in the next 12 months, but a whole lot more that I didn’t mention here that definitely will. If you want regular and slightly more accurate breakdowns of what games are coming on a more timely basis, keep an eye out for our monthly big game release videos - in fact, we should have one about January’s games, including a few that didn’t make it into this video.
I have no doubt in my mind that there’s some big huge obvious game coming out in 2026 that we forgot to mention, so please, whatever we forgot, share it in the comments. But also, and I always say this and very few people pay attention - tell us what the games we left out are about! Why should people care? Sharing a cool recommendation is one of the best feelings in the world, so if there’s a game you’re stoked on, tell us about it!
]]>2026 is a huge year for Persona, with the series celebrating its 30th anniversary. If you've yet to catch up on the series, now is the best time to do so. Beyond the standard mainline games, Persona has seen spin-offs here and there, but Persona 5, in particular, has seen a suite of them.
Persona 5 Strikers from Omega Force is actually set after the events of Persona 5, and the recently released Persona 5: The Phantom X brings many new characters into the fold. However, the most interesting spin-off is arguably Persona 5 Tactica, a strategy-based spin-off that is similar to XCOM. If you've yet to check out this game, Best Buy has a great deal to pick up a copy for only 10ドル.
Persona 5 Tactica falls in line with the story of Persona 5, with the game actually taking place during the base game. One day, the party is transported away to an alternate reality called a Kingdom, and these worlds are where Tactica takes place. DLC was also made available for Persona 5 Tactica, in the form of Repaint Your Heart, which brought back familiar faces Goro Akechi and Kasumi Yoshizawa.
In each Kingdom, you control up to three characters and move them around a grid-based map to take down enemies. Many of Persona 5's unique combat mechanics are implemented here in familiar ways, such as the 1 More mechanic when attacking an enemy and knocking them to the ground.
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.
Sony has announced the PlayStation Plus monthly games for January 2026, and the new year kicks off with Need for Speed Unbound, Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed, and Core Keeper.
As detailed by PlayStation.Blog, these three games will be available to all PlayStation Plus members from January 6 until February 2.
This is also a great time to remind PlayStation Plus members that they also have until January 5 to add December's games to their library, which include Lego Horizon Adventures, Killing Floor 3, The Outlast Trials, Synduality Echo of Ada, and Neon White.
2022's Need for Speed Unbound leads the pack on PS5 and will give racers a chance to try out the latest entry in the beloved franchise. Unbound has separate single and multiplayer campaigns and encourages players to "race against time, outsmart the cops, and take on weekly qualifiers to reach The Grand, Lakeshore's ultimate street racing challenge."
In our Need for Speed Unbound review, we said it "hasn’t strayed very far from the fundamentals of 2019’s Heat, but its bold new animated style impresses."
Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed is up next on PS4 and PS5, and it's a gorgeous remake of the 2010 title that first appeared on Nintendo Wii. In this 3D platformer, players become Mickey Mouse and venture to the Wasteland, a realm of forgotten Disney characters. And yes, you do get to encounter Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, who was Walt Disney's first big character before Mickey.
In my preview of Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed, I said, "what impressed me the most about Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed is how much it looks and, perhaps most importantly, feels like a 2024 game."
Rounding out the bunch is Core Keeper on PS4 and PS5, a 1-8 player mining sandbox adventure where you can "harvest relics and resources, craft advanced tools, build your base, and explore a dynamically evolving world waiting to be unearthed."
Core Keeper is getting a big Void & Voltage Update (and a Switch 2 release!) on January 28, 2026, so this is a great time to jump aboard. The update includes a new biome called Breaker's Reach, a new boss named S.A.H.A.B.A.R., an Advanced Automation Table, and much more.
For more, check out which game we crowned the best PlayStation game of 2025 alongside all of our other big winners of the year.
Adam Bankhurst is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst, Instagram, and TikTok, and listen to his show, Talking Disney Magic.
]]>I always like to think New Year’s Eve is for reflection, but in practice it is also when my willpower collapses and my wishlist wins. While everyone else is arguing over fireworks positions and sparkling wine, I am quietly locking in deals I will absolutely be playing into January. This batch feels like a proper end of year send off, stacked with games that reward long nights and bad sleep decisions.
Contents
In retro news, I'm using this fire flower to ignite a 30-candle cake baked for Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, a SNES must-own. If it were any other series, Yoshi’s Island would just be a long-forgotten spin-off. But since this is Nintendo we’re talking about, this SNES game made a much bigger impact on the wider Mario universe, with the features Yoshi’s Island introduced still influencing Nintendo games of today.
I can remember being thoroughly delighted with Yoshi's moveset expanding him from being a simple steed to a flutter-jumping, ground-pounding, and egg-chucking hero in his own right. Likewise, the shift from obstacle course platforming to collectathon progression was right up my kleptomanic alley. Throw in a bold crayon-based art style, and I was coloured Tickled Pink with the entire package.
Aussie birthdays for notable games.
- Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (SNES) 1995. Get
- Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense (PS) 1999. eBay
On Switch, these picks balance absurd value with games that feel perfectly at home in handheld mode, whether you are planning ten minutes on the couch or three hours you did not schedule.
What's Big on the Radar?
Current hotcakes selling
Or gift a Nintendo eShop Card.
On Series X, this batch leans hard into cinematic scale and systems heavy RPG design, the kind of games that quietly eat entire weekends.
What's Big on the Radar?
Headed out the door quick
Or just invest in an Xbox Card.
PS5’s selection mixes modern spectacle with razor sharp writing, all running smoother and sharper than their last gen counterparts.
What's Big on the Radar?
Fast movers shifting
Or purchase a PS Store Card.
On PC, the value here is borderline silly, especially for games that only just stopped dominating the charts.
Or just get a Steam Wallet Card
Adam Mathew is a passionate connoisseur, a lifelong game critic, and an Aussie deals wrangler who genuinely wants to hook you up with stuff that's worth playing (but also cheap). He plays practically everything, sometimes on YouTube .
]]>Actor Idris Elba is knighted in the New Year Honours. The 53-year old Hollywood star from Hackney, London can now officially be called Sir Idris.
Sir Idris, who rose to prominence for playing Stringer Bell in HBO series The Wire and DCI John Luther in BBC series Luther, more recently played the British Prime Minister and the President of the United States, in Heads of State and A House of Dynamite respectively, both of which came out in 2025. Elba is no stranger to the world of video games, either, having played Solomon Reed in the Cyberpunk 2077 expansion, Phantom Liberty.
He was knighted for services to young people in recognition of his charity work at the Elba Hope Foundation, which supports community empowerment, education, youth advocacy, and sustainable development. In particular, Elba has been outspoken on knife crime. He said: "I hope we can do more to draw attention to the importance of sustained, practical support for young people and to the responsibility we all share to help them find an alternative to violence."
Meanwhile, the actor and comedian Meera Syal (The Kumars at No 42) is being awarded a Damehood for services to Literature, Drama and Charity, while the composer Max Richter is being awarded a CBE (Commanders of the Order of the British Empire) for his services to Music. Actor Warwick Davis is also being recognised for services to Drama and Charity with an OBE (Officers of the Order of the British Empire). Davis said: "This is the best thing that's ever happened to me — and I've been in Star Wars."
An MBE (Members of the Order of the British Empire) went to Wicked star Cynthia Erivo, and the author and television presenter Richard Osman (Thursday Murder Club) is being awarded an OBE for his services to literature and broadcasting.
1,157 recipients have been awarded from every part of the UK, with a particular focus this year on those who have gone above and beyond for their communities.
Photo by Daniele Venturelli/Getty Images for The Red Sea International Film Festival.
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.
]]>Whether it’s Snake’s elevator ascent to the rainy cliffs of Shadow Moses or the climactic battle between student and mentor in the final moments of Snake Eater, Hideo Kojima and Konami’s epic spy thriller franchise, Metal Gear, is home to some of gaming’s most iconic moments. Telling a story that spanned multiple console generations and pushed the creative capabilities of video games to their limits, Solid Snake and Big Boss’ adventures are legendary, so much so that many claim they’re among the most important releases the medium has ever produced.
Back in 2015, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain seemingly ended the franchise for good, with Kojima leaving Konami and the Metal Gear Solid IP behind to form his own studio. However, Konami has started resurrecting the series through re-releases and remakes, like Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater coming out later this year. With so many new players experiencing this world of undercover espionage, shady government conspiracy and gruff-voiced dudes with cool eyepatches for the first time, we’ve laid out the chronological order of the Metal Gear Solid series so newcomers and returning fans can catch up.
Jump to:
Not including remakes, ports or remasters, there are 17 total Metal Gear games: 11 mainline games, five on handheld devices and one on mobile. Although that’s a lot of games, a decent chunk of them are considered non-canon, with their stories overriding events from the main saga and spinning off into their own unique takes on the universe.
2018’s Metal Gear Survive takes place in an apocalyptic reality where a zombie virus has overtaken the world, so it falls outside the main canon. As for the PSP’s Metal Gear: Acid and Metal Gear: Acid 2, they veer from the timeline and tell a new story, making them alternate-timeline spin-offs. Then there’s the Game Boy Color’s Metal Gear: Ghost Babel, which is an alternate-universe Metal Gear sequel that wipes away the events of Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, thus removing it from the timeline. And finally, Metal Gear Mobile and Snake’s Revenge have since been deemed non-canon by the community and Kojima himself in interviews.
That leaves 11 games within the main storyline. Each game is considered part of the true Metal Gear Saga, spanning from a fictional alternate-history 1960s to the late 2010s. So, let’s run you through all the games in that story.
We recommend two potential starting points for Metal Gear. For those interested in the complete saga, we recommend 2023's Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1, which includes the best available versions of Metal Gear Solid 1–3. Alternatively, for those interested in simply trying out the franchise (and for those with a lower tolerance for older games), we recommend starting with the series' most contemporary iteration, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.
These blurbs contain mild spoilers for each game, including characters, settings, and story beats.
The first slot in the saga’s timeline and the most recent game to get a modern remake, Snake Eater follows a US Special Forces operative codenamed Naked Snake during the events of the Cold War. Sent to locate and extract a Russian scientist from the Soviet Union to prevent him from building a weapon of mass destruction known as the Shagohod, Snake’s shocked to find his former mentor, The Boss, has betrayed the US government and sided with the Soviets.
After a heated battle, Naked Snake is brutally defeated and left for dead in the jungle. Surviving the encounter, he’s tasked by his commanding officer, Zero, to return to Russia, find his mentor and kill her, all the while tracking down the Shagohod to prevent nuclear war. By the end of the story, Naked Snake adopts the moniker of Big Boss, becoming a legend among the US Special Forces. However, his battle with The Boss and the secrets he’s uncovered throughout his adventure leave him disillusioned with his duty and the government he serves.
Read our original review of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater or our new review of the MGS3 remake .
Set six years after Big Boss’ climactic battle with his former mentor, Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops picks up the legendary soldier’s story as he goes head to head with his former squad, FOX Unit. The game begins with Big Boss learning FOX has gone rogue, betraying the CIA and staging a revolt.
Captured and tortured on a Colombian base by FOX Unit, Boss breaks free but learns he’s been accused of treason. In a bid to clear his name, he decides to hunt down his former allies and pursue their ruthless leader, Gene. By the end of the game, Big Boss learns of Gene’s desire to create a nation of mercenary soldiers known as Army’s Heaven and acquires the mass of funds and equipment saved for the project. Returning to the US, he later forms a squadron of special ops soldiers known as FOXHOUND.
Read our review of Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops .
Four years after the events of Portable Ops, we catch up with Big Boss, who has left FOXHOUND and the Patriots. Since leaving, he’s formed a new band of mercenary soldiers known as Militaires Sans Frontières (or MSF) with Kazuhira Miller. Using their newfound army to protect countries that don’t have the forces or means to defend themselves, Big Boss and Miller wage war against an armed militia known as the Peace Sentinels after they invade Costa Rica.
During his investigation, Big Boss soon realizes that his former mentor, The Boss, is somehow involved in the Peace Sentinels' plans. Worse, they have access to nuclear weapons, wielding a supremely powerful mech called the Peace Walker. Rallying on an off-shore oil rig known as Motherbase, Snake and the Militaires Sans Frontières take the fight to the Peace Sentinels, attempting to discover their true motive and secrets. The game ends with Big Boss battling his former ally Paz, who turns out to be a secret agent of Zero’s shady government organization, Cipher.
Read our review of Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker .
A few months following the events of Peace Walker, Ground Zeroes acts as a prologue to the fifth entry in the Metal Gear Solid series: Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. The story sees Big Boss embark on a new mission after learning that Paz survived their climactic battle during the final moments of Peace Walker and is being interrogated by Cipher at a mysterious military base known as Camp Omega. Knowing that she has crucial information about Cipher and could reveal secrets about MSF to the shadowy organization, he rushes to extract her.
While infiltrating the base, he discovers a mysterious Cipher cell known as XOF, which is led by a sadistic, severely burned commander called Skull Face. The prologue ends with Snake extracting Paz only to realize his allies are being attacked by the XOF back at Motherbase. The onslaught destroys the oil rig and eradicates Militaires Sans Frontières, leaving Big Boss on the cusp of death.
Read our review of Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes .
Nine years later, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain opens with a severely injured Big Boss waking up in a hospital in Cyprus. Evading an assassination attempt where he’s attacked by a man covered in flames, a telekinetic soldier and a master sniper, Boss is saved by Revolver Ocelot and returns to action as he leads a new mercenary group known as the Diamond Dogs.
Swearing to stop the XOF after they destroyed Militaires Sans Frontières, he adopts the codename Venom Snake and heads to Africa to pick up their trail, learning that the former-Cipher-affiliated group went rogue. Their leader, Skull Face, is instead working on a devastating parasitic weapon with the power to eradicate the Western world. The game ends with Big Boss setting in motion his plans to create a military nation known as Outer Heaven, where soldiers are free to live without being used to further shady government plans.
Read our review of Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain .
11 years later, the story catches up with the first entry in the series: Metal Gear. The game follows Solid Snake: a rookie soldier and member of FOXHOUND. FOXHOUND is once again run by Big Boss, who acts as Snake’s mentor and commanding officer. On his first mission, Solid Snake is sent to track down a weapon of mass destruction being constructed in a military nation known as Outer Heaven.
During his mission, he finds another agent codenamed Grey Fox, who was also sent to track the weapon. Grey Fox reveals the mysterious weapon is a mech codenamed Metal Gear, which has the power to launch nuclear bombs. The game ends with Solid Snake and Big Boss coming to blows, with the latter revealing he was behind Outer Heaven's plans.
Read our review of Metal Gear .
Four years later, Solid Snake returns to action after he learns Big Boss survived the events of the previous game and is currently constructing a new Metal Gear for the fictional nation of Zanzibar Land.
Teaming with various characters, Snake infiltrates Zanzibar Land and attempts to destroy the weapon of mass destruction, battling Big Boss and his army of soldiers along the way.
See more about Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake .
Six years after Metal Gear 2, Solid Snake returns in a new mission. This time he’s sent to battle his former unit, FOXHOUND, which has gone rogue, turned against the US and taken over a mysterious government facility on an island known as Shadow Moses. Shadow Moses is allegedly a test site for a secret Metal Gear, with FOXHOUND threatening to use its nuclear weapons if they aren’t supplied with Big Boss’ corpse and a large sum of money.
Snake heads to the facility and fights various members of FOXHOUND, including Revolver Ocelot, Psycho Mantis and a Cyborg version of his former ally, Greyfox. He also meets the eccentric leader of FOXHOUND, Liquid Snake. The game ends with Snake being declared killed-in-action by Colonel Campbell and presumed dead by the government after they intended to double-cross him. He flees Shadow Moses alive.
Read our review of Metal Gear Solid or see more of the best PS1 games .
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty opens two years later, with a now-rogue Solid Snake infiltrating an oil tanker while hunting down a new Metal Gear being transported to the US. There he discovers a prototype Metal Gear known as Metal Gear Ray, which is subsequently stolen by Revolver Ocelot. Ocelot sinks the tanker and escapes, while Snake is blamed for the tanker’s destruction.
Two years later, we shift to a new protagonist: Raiden. An agent of FOXHOUND, Raiden is sent on a mission to an off-shore decontamination facility known as Big Shell, which was constructed to clear the crude oil spill caused when the oil tanker was destroyed during Solid Snake’s mission. Big Shell has been hijacked by a militant group known as the Sons of Liberty, which has taken the US president hostage.
Infiltrating the facility, Raiden soon discovers things aren’t quite what they seem, looking into Big Shell’s secrets and meeting a junior lieutenant named Iroquois Pliskin, who’s clearly hiding a big secret. By the end of the game, Solid Snake joins Raiden’s mission, telling him he’s going after Ocelot (who it’s revealed is possessed by the will of Liquid Snake) and the Patriots.
Read our review of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty or check out more of the best PS2 games .
Marking the end of the main story and Solid Snake’s final mission, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots catches up with Snake three years after the events of Sons of Liberty. Due to the cloning process used to create Snake and the rampant FOXDIE virus still coursing through his veins, we discover that his body is rapidly aging, with the protagonist being told he only has a year left to live. Donning a new nickname, Old Snake, he returns for one final mission.
He’s to assassinate Liquid Ocelot, who is currently running a new version of Outer Heaven which is comprised of some of the biggest private militaries in the Middle East. Equipping his body with nanomachines, Snake sets out to bring Ocelot down, learning that his nemesis intends to once again locate Big Boss’ corpse and execute a mysterious plan. As Snake battles his age and the lingering FOXDIE mutating in his body, he makes his way towards a final confrontation with his most ruthless enemy.
Read our review of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots .
The final story in the current Metal Gear timeline, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance focuses on Raiden who, as we learned during Guns of the Patriots, has transformed into a cyborg. The story picks up four years after Metal Gear Solid 4, revealing that Raiden now works with a private military company called Maverick Security Consulting.
During an operation in Africa, Raiden is attacked by a rival private military group known as Desperado Enforcement. Wounded and left for dead by its commander, Jet Stream Sam, Raiden continues his investigation into Desperado and learns some sinister secrets about the group and its allies. As the revelations about the private military grow darker, Raiden swears to bring them down, setting off on his own to deliver violent justice.
Read our review of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance .
Now that we've gotten our hands on the Snake Eater remake, questions remain about what we might see next in the stealth franchise. Konami hasn’t confirmed whether they ever plan to make original Metal Gear games without Hideo Kojima. What we do know for sure is the original games' messaging about the digital age is as poignant as ever in 2025.
That being said, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater developer Virtuous Studios did tease that remakes of other Metal Gear games aren’t off the table. Speaking with IGN, the team said, "Regarding remakes of previous games in the series other than Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, we will listen to player demand and consider accordingly." True to their claims, the studio is rumored to being spreading a poll after Tokyo Games Show that lets fans vote on which Metal Gear game to remake next.
For more game timelines, also see Assassin's Creed Games in Order and a list of Far Cry Games in order.
Callum Williams is a freelance media writer with years of experience as a game critic, news reporter, guides writer and features writer.
Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed franchise has covered a lot of ground in its 18 years. The Assassin-Templar conflict has taken players across five continents, from Ancient Greece to Victorian London, spanning 2,300 years of history over the course of 13 mainline games.
With the upcoming release of Assassin's Creed Shadows, we’ve put together this chronology of the Assassin’s Creed timeline so far. This chronology only includes mainline Assassin’s Creed games; spinoff games aren’t included on this list given their lack of importance to the ongoing Assassin’s Creed narrative.
Jump to:
There are currently 14 Assassin's Creed games in the main series and 17 additional spinoff games. Outside of video games, there is also an Assassin's Creed board game and an Assassin's Creed TV series supposedly in the works at Netflix.
There's quite a few places you could start in the Assassin's Creed timeline, and I personally recommend picking the game set in an era that you find most interesting. That said, it's hard to deny that the original Ezio trilogy (Assassin's Creed 2, Brotherhood, and Revelations) has some of the best writing in the series. If you're interested in more recent games, Black Flag is a solid entry point with seafaring pirate gameplay, while Assassin's Creed Odyssey lets you dive into world of ancient Greece.
There are two ways to look at the Assassin’s Creed chronology. First: In the order of the games’ modern-day storylines. This option makes sense considering the connective narrative of each mainline game is told through the present day. The present-day story progresses chronologically with each release, so if you’d like to play the games this way, simply scroll down to the section how to play the Assassin’s Creed games by release date. If you’re committed to playing through the entirety of the franchise, this is the order we recommend, as it’s the best way to follow the overarching story and experience the franchise’s evolution from stealth-action games to open-world RPGs.
The second option (detailed below) presents the games in order by their historic settings. These stories aren’t as intertwined as their modern-day counterparts, but they’re where you’ll spend the vast majority of your time in Assassin’s Creed. This is more useful as a matter of interest than a practical playing guide.
With series newcomers in mind, the brief plot synopses below contain only mild spoilers such as broad plot points, historical settings, and character introductions.
Set nearly 400 years earlier than any other mainline game, Assassin's Creed Odyssey expanded on the RPG elements introduced in Origins to complete its genre-turn from stealth-based action to open-world RPG.
You play as Cassandra or Alexios, the grandchildren of Sparta's King Leonidas I. Odyssey is set during the Peloponnesian War between Sparta and Athens, and features key historical figures from that period, including Hippocrates, Socrates, and Plato. It weaves the period's history with its mythology, introducing creatures such as the Sphinx, Cyclops, and Medusa.
Odyssey is set before the formation of the Assassin and Templar orders, though it does feature a key Piece of Eden* in the Spear of Leonidas.
*Pieces of Eden are powerful technological artifacts created by a precursor race of beings known as The First Civilization. The pieces of Eden and the First Civilization are constants throughout the mainline games that connect the past and modern storylines.
After releasing a new Assassin's Creed game each year from 2009-2015, Ubisoft took a year off and returned in 2017 with Assassin's Creed Origins, a soft reboot of the franchise and the series' first game to introduce RPG mechanics.
Origins is primarily set in Ancient Egypt during the reigns of Ptolemy XIII and Cleopatra, though its historic inspiration extends to Rome and the rule of Julius Caesar. Many Assassin's Creed stories kick off as tales of vengeance, only to unfurl into larger-scale tales of political conspiracy. Origins follows this pattern: The death of Bayek and Aya's son serves as the impetus for their journey, though as the story progresses, the duo uncover a proto-Templar organization called the Order of the Ancients and ultimately form the Hidden Ones, the first incarnation of the Assassins.
The modern story, meanwhile, introduces Layla Hassan, who serves as the present-day protagonist for Origins, Odyssey, and Valhalla.
Released in 2023, Assassin's Creed Mirage is the series' most recent installment. Rather than a full-priced open-world RPG, Mirage is a 50ドル USD stealth-focused adventure designed as "an homage to the first Assassin's Creed games." Ubisoft describes it as "a shorter, more narrative-driven game than recent entries in the series."
Assassin's Creed Mirage stars a 17-year-old Basim Ibn Ishaq, a street thief with "nightmarish visions" who'd go on to play a critical role in Assassin's Creed Valhalla. Mirage will tell the story of Basim, with the guidance of his mentor Roshan, escaping Baghdad en route to the Hidden Ones' fortress of Alamut.
Unlike the other entries on this list, Mirage doesn't prominently feature the present-day storyline. You can read our full review of Assassin's Creed Mirage for more details.
Assassin's Creed's Valhalla is the series' venture into Norse history and mythology. It's easily the series' biggest game; the average time to complete its main story is 60 hours, according to How Long to Beat (15 hours longer than the next biggest, Odyssey). Like Odyssey, Valhalla integrates its setting's history with its mythology, introducing real-life characters — King Harald Fairhair, King Aelfred the Great, Rollo — and mythological figures such as Fenrir and Odin.
It continues the conflict between the Hidden Ones and the Order of the Ancients while balancing the more personal tale of Eivor and their clan's pilgrimage from a resource-barren Norway to the more fertile lands of England.
The modern-day story seemingly concludes the three-game arc of Layla Hassan.
The first Assassin's Creed takes place 300 years after Valhalla and introduces us to the series' original protagonist, Altair Ibn'La-Ahad. Assassin's Creed laid the groundwork for the franchise's next 15 years of success, introducing foundational gameplay elements like climbing and assassinations while also laying the groundwork for the time-hopping Assassin-Templar narrative.
It introduces key narrative concepts like the Pieces of Eden and the Animus, the in-universe device that allows each game's modern-day protagonist to relive the memories of their historic counterparts through DNA.
The past story sees Altair hunting down nine Templars during the Third Crusade, while the present-day story introduces Desmond Miles and the modern Assassin-Templar conflict that runs through AC III.
Assassin's Creed 2 introduced the series’ longest-lasting protagonist, Ezio Auditore da Firenze. A favorite among Assassin's Creed fans, Ezio's story ran from 2009's AC II through 2011's AC: Revelations.
Ezio seeks to avenge the death of his father and brother, though his hunt for vengeance leads him to uncover a bigger conspiracy and places him at the center of the fight between the Assassins and Templars. Assassin's Creed II takes players throughout Italy, from Florence to the Vatican, and introduces Ezio to historical figures like Leonardo Da Vinci, Niccolo Machiavelli, and Pope Alexander VI.
In the present day, Desmond begins his work with the Assassins.
Assassin's Creed Brotherhood is a continuation of AC II in both the past and modern-day storylines. The fallout from AC II creates a new antagonist for Ezio, who embarks on another revenge quest while working to rebuild Rome's weakened Assassins Guild and retrieve the Apple of Eden.
In the present day, Desmond and the modern Assassins head to Italy in search of that same Apple of Eden, a Piece of Eden that may help them prevent the prophesized end of the world.
The conclusion of the Ezio trilogy unites the narrative of the Italian assassin with his predecessor, Altair. An older Ezio travels to Constantinople in search of Altair’s hidden library, which was thought to contain invaluable wisdom. In Constantinople, Ezio searches for the keys needed to open the library — each of which possesses a key memory in Altair’s life. Assassin's Creed Revelations ultimately reveals Ezio's role in the wider AC narrative.
In the present, a comatose Desmond is trapped in the Animus, where he works with a past Animus user to escape "the Black Room" and return to consciousness.
Revelations also features one of the series' best trailers (above) first shown at E3 2011.
The newest Assassin's Creed game heads to Feudal Japan during the civil wars in the late Sengoku period. Assassin's Creed Shadows features dual protagonists, each with unique gameplay, though Ubisoft has emphasized that players won't be missing out by only playing one route. Yasuke is an African mercenary who becomes a samurai in service of Oda Nobunaga. That service leads him to the Iga province, home of shinobi-in-training Naoe, and tragedy brings the two together in a quest for vengeance.
Like Mirage, Shadows doesn't have its own modern-day protagonist. Instead, the new game coincides with the release of the Animus Hub, which brings the Assassin's Creed franchise into a single platform and adds additional "modern-day subplots" as well as a reward system to the game.
Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag is best remembered for introducing the series' naval gameplay. It's set two centuries after Ezio's trilogy and roughly 40 years before the previously released Assassin's Creed III.
Black Flag stars Edward Kenway, an 18th-century pirate and the grandfather of AC III protagonist Connor Kenway. It features notorious real-life pirates of the era, such as Edward Thatch (Blackbeard), Benjamin Hornigold, and Mary Read. It also introduces Adéwalé, the protagonist of the DLC-turned-standalone-spinoff Freedom Cry. After unknowingly killing an Assassin, Edward finds himself embroiled in the Assassin-Templar conflict and on the hunt for a secret First Civilization site known as The Observatory.
The modern-day story stars an unnamed Abstergo employee tasked with reliving Connor’s life in order to create a film (though, unsurprisingly, Abstergo’s true intentions are more nefarious).
Assassin's Creed Rogue serves as a narrative bridge between AC III and AC IV. It stars Shay Patrick Cormac, an Irish-American Assassin turned Templar hunting down a Piece of Eden. Templar Grand Master Haytham Kenway, the son of AC 4 protagonist Edward and father of AC III protagonist Connor, appears throughout the story.
In the present, you play as another Abstergo employee, referred to as "Numbskull," doing the bidding of the modern-day Templars.
Following a 1754-set sequence during which you play as Haythem Kenway, Assassin's Creed 3 begins in earnest with Haythem's son Ratonhnhaké:ton, a.k.a Connor. Set largely during the American Revolution, Connor seeks to protect his tribe from the war and the First Civilization's Grand Temple from the Templars.
AC III is loaded with historical figures, including George Washington, Sam Adams, Charles Lee, and Benjamin Franklin.
The present-day story concludes Desmond's arc, as he and the other modern-day Assassins gather in the aforementioned Grand Temple to prevent the prophesized end of the world on December 21, 2012.
While Assassin's Creed Unity features scenes that span from 1307 to the mid-1900s, it's primarily set during the height of the French Revolution from 1789 to 1794. It stars French Assassin Arno Dorian, who becomes involved in the Assassin-Templar conflict while embarking on yet another quest for vengeance.
Historical figures include Napoléon Bonaparte, Marquis de Sade, and King Louis XVI.
Unity's modern-day story is among the least memorable, as it removed gameplay entirely in favor of cutscenes and ultimately proved inconsequential to the ongoing narrative. You play as a gamer playing Helix, Abstergo's Animus-powered gaming software created to push Templar propaganda and collect unsuspecting users' DNA.
Assassin's Creed Syndicate stars dual protagonists Jacob and Evie Frye, twin Assassins clearing London of Templar control while seeking a Piece of Eden. While a certain side mission extends the timeline to WWI, the majority of Syndicate is set in 1868. Notable historical figures include Alexander Graham Bell, Charles Darwin, and in the future sequence, Winston Churchill.
Syndicate stars the same modern-day character as Unity, who's working with the Assassins to locate another Piece of Eden in London.
Ubisoft's latest AC game is Assassin's Creed Shadows. We have tidbits of information about the next mainline Assassin's Creed game, codenamed titled Assassin's Creed Hexe, which will feature "witchier" vibes. Several remakes of older Assassin's Creed games are also in development, according to Ubisoft's CEO. The one remake we know for sure is in the pipeline is Black Flag, with the new 'Resynced' version theoretically launching in March 2026.
As far as we know, a live action Assassin's Creed show is still in the works at Netflix, while Tencent's mobile-exclusive game, Assassin's Creed Jade, was delayed to 2025.
Jordan covers games, shows, and movies as a freelance writer for IGN.
]]>When you have a series that's consistently gotten new games for almost 40 years, you have to think about how younger generations will be able to play them. That, and, of course, thinking about your bottom line, has led every publisher to lean more and more into multiplatform releases. On top of PC ports, Square Enix has released a decent amount of remasters and special editions of the Final Fantasy series specifically for Nintendo's handheld.
The Final Fantasy games hitting Switch isn't entirely unprecedented. The connection between Final Fantasy and Nintendo dates back to the series’ infancy, when the first game debuted on Nintendo's Famicom system in 1987. In fact, the first six mainline Final Fantasy games debuted on Nintendo platforms before Square Enix jumped to PlayStation as the series’ primary platform with Final Fantasy 7.
We've got a lot to look forward to on both Switch systems in 2026, including Final Fantasy VII Remake Integrade on Switch 2 and physical Switch editions of Final Fantasy VII through IX. Below, we’ve compiled a complete list of Final Fantasy games available on the Nintendo Switch and what to expect next.
There are 21 Final Fantasy games you can play on the Switch — 12 mainline games, one prequel, and eight spinoffs. These games have been split into two sections below: mainline games (ordered by original release date) and other games (ordered by Switch release date).
The first six Final Fantasy games are all available on Switch as part of Square Enix’s Pixel Remaster collection. Each game has been overhauled with new graphics, rearranged soundtracks, updated UIs, and new galleries for players to explore the creatures, illustrations, and music from all six games. If you're interested in diving into the original Final Fantasy experience, this is the best way to do it.
The Pixel Remasters are available individually (12ドル–18 USD/each) or as part of the six-game Final Fantasy I–VI bundle (75ドル USD). If you're looking at the games individually, I'd recommend FF6, as it has one of the more immersive storylines.
One of the series’ most beloved games, Final Fantasy VII, is also available on Switch. This is not a remastered version of the game but rather a port of the 1997 original with three extra features: a 3x speed mode, the ability to turn battle encounters off, and a battle enhancement mode to make encounters easier. While the newer remasters, Remake and Rebirth, introduce modern action RPG mechanics to Cloud Strife's battle against Sephiroth, the Switch edition of FFVII is one of the best opportunities to experience what made the original PlayStation game so impactful.
The series’ next entry is also available on Switch as Final Fantasy VIII Remastered. This updated version was released in 2019, 20 years after FF8 originally debuted on PlayStation. Additions to the remastered version include a 3x speed mode, the ability to turn off random encounters, and battle assist options to lessen the difficulty of combat.
Final Fantasy IX on Switch, like FFVII before it, is a port of the original RPG, which, despite not being quite as "famous" as Final Fantasy VII, is considered to have one of the best storylines in the series. The Switch version includes a few extras compared to the 2000 original, including high-speed and no-encounter modes, an autosave feature, and HD cutscenes and character models.
Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster is a bundle of Final Fantasy X and its sequel X-2 (the series’ first-ever direct sequel). The two games feature over 100 hours of RPG content, according to IGN sister site How Long to Beat, and include upgraded graphics and reworked audio (with the ability to switch back and forth between the new and original sounds).
Skipping the now-shuttered MMORPG Final Fantasy XI, the series’ next mainline game available on Switch is Final Fantasy XII The Zodiac Age. The Zodiac Age, a remaster of the 2006 original, features HD graphics and a re-recorded soundtrack, as well as the Zodiac Job System, an increased battle tempo, an optional high-speed mode, and autosave functionality.
Final Fantasy XIII and XIV: Online are not available on Switch, which brings us to Final Fantasy XV Pocket Edition HD. It’s the latest mainline game available on the platform, as FFXVI is still only available on PS5 and PC.
Final Fantasy 15 Pocket Edition HD is an abridged version of the original game with cartoonish character models, simplified combat, a reduced skill tree, and fewer side quests. Pocket Edition HD does, however, retain the full FFXV story, boys on the road and all.
World of Final Fantasy Maxima, co-developed by Square Enix and prolific Japanese developer Tose, came to Switch with new content and the subtitle ‘Maxima’ two years after it was first released on PS4 and Vita. It’s an accessible RPG aimed at younger audiences that combines the series' Active Time Battle system with the ability to capture Mirages (i.e., creatures) to use in battle.
Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon: Every Buddy! is a remastered version of the 2007 Wii game Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon. This Final Fantasy spinoff is a turn-based RPG with randomly generated dungeons and a buddy system that allows players to bring other creatures or characters along for the dungeon-crawling chaos.
This collection of three Mana games is on this list due to its inclusion of the 1991 Game Boy game Final Fantasy Adventure. Despite beginning as a Final Fantasy spinoff, the Mana series dropped those ties with the release of its second game, Secret of Mana, and has since remained an independent franchise.
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition is an enhanced version of the 2004 RPG/dungeon crawler originally released for GameCube. Crystal Chronicles for Switch features a cute aesthetic, online co-op, and the addition of English voiceover for the first time. It’s a graphical improvement upon the original that also added new areas, monsters, weapons, and a higher-difficulty option.
Collection of SaGa Final Fantasy Legend compiles three Game Boy games: Final Fantasy Legend I–III. We’ve included these games in service to creating a comprehensive list, though these are only Final Fantasy games in name; the SaGa games belong to an independent franchise of RPGs inspired by but not necessarily connected to Final Fantasy. The first three SaGa games were given the Final Fantasy name to capitalize on the brand recognition with western audiences.
The collection adds a high-speed mode and Switch-specific enhancements like adjustable screen magnification and the ability to play with your Switch oriented vertically (when in handheld mode, with Joy-Cons detached).
A prequel to Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core –Final Fantasy VII– Reunion is a remastered version of the 2007 PSP RPG. The game stars a young warrior named Zack Fair, whose connection to Cloud and FFVII is revealed throughout the story. Reunion features remastered graphics, new character and background models, fully voiced dialogue, a newly arranged soundtrack, and a refined battle system.
A rhythm game that celebrates the music of Final Fantasy, Theatrhythm Final Bar Line launched with 385 tracks from across the Final Fantasy series, though that has since grown to include music from other Square franchises for a total of 505 tracks. The Final Fantasy music pulls from 46 games, according to Squre, including FFI–XV. Theatrhythm Final Bar Line features over 100 characters and online multiplayer support for up to 8 players.
Chocobo GP is a Final Fantasy-themed kart racer developed by Arika (Tetris 99). While there are better kart racers available on Switch, Chocobo GP is a fun respite from the more involved RPGs that make up the majority of the Final Fantasy franchise. Like other kart racers, it features time challenges, tournament-style races, and options for multiplayer racing.
A remake of Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles recently came to PS5 and Switch with enhanced graphics, voiced dialogue, and various quality of life improvements over the original PS1 game. Ronny Barrier's review for IGN says the remake of the tactical RPG removes "the cruft of Final Fantasy Tactics while surfacing what made it special through smart UI tweaks, convenience features, and excellent new voice acting."
Square Enix has confirmed that all of the Final Fantasy VII remakes will be making their way to the Nintendo Switch 2 over time. While the Switch 2 has been available for a while now, we only recently got news of the first remake coming to the new console at the September Nintendo Direct. Final Fantasy 7 Remake Integrade is finally being released on the Switch on January 22, 2026 and preorders for the game happen to come with a free MTG booster pack.
Jordan covers games, shows, and movies as a freelance writer for IGN.
God of War’s Norse-set masterpieces has cemented it as one of PlayStation’s most iconic franchises. Born during the PS2 era, the God of War franchise made a name for itself with excellent action gameplay, an intriguing tale of divine revenge, and a memorable lead in the Spartan demigod Kratos. 20 years later, God of War has grown into gaming’s seminal action-adventure series, blending that increasingly fine-tuned action with deeper lore and a stronger narrative hook, anchored by an older, more empathic Kratos.
With God of War Ragnarok having earned its place in the pantheon of all-time greats, we’ve created this chronology of the series for those interested in playing (or replaying) it from the start.
Jump to:
Sony has released 10 God of War games in the series — six on home consoles, two on portable consoles, one on mobile, and one text-adventure on Facebook Messenger.
We’re excluding its second mobile release, God of War: Mimir’s Vision, as this AR game doesn’t add to the ongoing narrative but instead provides players with background lore from the world of God of War. We’re also excluding PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale in this chronology, despite its comical inclusion in the God of War canon.
There are several God of War stories told through novels and comics as well, though this list only includes games.
Although technically the first game in the series chronologically was God of War: Ascension, realistically you'll probably want to start with God of War (2018). Not only is it available on both PS4 and PS5, you can also play it on PC. It's a great starting point for anyone just getting into the series.
These blurbs contain mild spoilers for each game, including characters, settings, and story beats.
Ascension, the seventh God of War game by release date but the first chronologically, is a revenge tale that explores the early days of Kratos’s transformation from a Spartan demigod into the God of War.
Ascension takes place months after Kratos was manipulated into killing his wife and daughter by the Greek God of War Ares (more on this under the original God of War section below). Kratos, traumatized by the killings, refuses to honor the oath he swore to Ares, setting into motion the story of Ascension. Ares seeks revenge through the game’s antagonistic Furies, three beings tasked with punishing betrayal, whom Kratos must kill in order to free himself from his oath. The story ends with Kratos leaving his Spartan home behind, still tormented by his grief.
Kratos’s next adventure is told in the PSP game aptly named God of War: Chains of Olympus. Olympus takes place halfway through Kratos’s ten-year servitude to the gods (five years before God of War) — a servitude that, once completed, will free him from the torturous visions of his past.
The main plot tasks Kratos with rescuing Helios, the Titan God of the Sun, from the underworld at the behest of Athena. There, he encounters the game’s primary antagonist Persephone, Queen of the Underworld. Persephone presents Kratos with an opportunity to reunite with his daughter, and Kratos wrestles with the apocalyptic repercussions of that reunion and his promise to return Helios to the gods.
Set roughly 10 years after Ascension, the first God of War game begins with Kratos succumbing to his grief and jumping off a cliff into the Aegean Sea. Before he hits the water, we flash back three weeks to discover what led the Spartan off the brink.
Kratos, nearing the end of his servitude to the gods, is given one final task by Athena: defeat Ares and save the city of Athens from his siege. With the promise of forgiveness for his past atrocites as his reward, Kratos sets out to obtain Pandora’s Box and kill Ares. The task takes him to hell and back, with Kratos ultimately facing off against the God of War. Victorious yet no less troubled by his past, Kratos jump off the bluff as we saw in the game’s opening. Athena pulls him from the water and offers him a throne on Olympus, completing his 10-year ascension to becoming the God of War.
Throughout the game, a narrator provides crucial backstory about Kratos’s life through cut scenes. Kratos once served as a revered captain in the Spartan army. On the verge of death and defeat against a massive force of barbarians, he offered himself to Ares in exchange for victory. Ares answered the call, defeated the barbarians, and claimed Kratos as his servant, fusing his arms with the Blades of Chaos.
Ghost of Sparta, the series’ second PSP game, takes place between God of War and God of War 2. The subtitle references the nickname given to Kratos due to his pale-white appearance, the result of an oracle’s curse that fastened the ashes of his wife and child to his skin.
Ghost of Sparta provides closure to two familial narrative threads: Kratos travels to Atlantis where he encounters both his mortal mother and his long-lost brother Deimos, who was kidnapped by the gods during childhood to prevent the fulfillment of Olympus’s prophesized demise.
The climax sees Kratos and his brother reunited, doing battle with the Greek God of Death, Thanatos. Despite victory, it’s another unhappy ending for Kratos. By the time the credits roll, Kratos has grown even wearier and more furious with the other Olympians.
This mobile 2D sidescroller is officially part of the God of War canon, according to Sony Santa Monica animation director Bruno Velazquez. The gods, displeased with Kratos’s bloodlust, attempt to stop his latest conquest with Argos, a many-eyed giant that serves Hera, Queen of the Gods. Kratos is framed for the killing of Argos by an unidentified assassin in an attempt to further fracture his relationship with Olympus. Later, Zeus sends a messenger to put an end to Kratos’s continued destruction. Kratos responds with violence, once again defying the other gods. Betrayal leaves players with this message, setting up the events to come in God of War 2: "Soon, the fury of Zeus would rain down upon [Kratos]."
God of War: Betrayal was released in 2007, before the rise of smartphones, and isn’t available on modern mobile storefronts. It can be skipped without consequence, but those who want to play it will have to access it via a Java emulator.
God of War 2 pits Kratos against Zeus, the King of Olympus. Kratos, already ostracized due to his yearslong rampage, rejects Athena’s plea for peace and continues wreaking havoc throughout Greece. It’s the final straw for Olympus; Zeus descends to the battlefield and kills Kratos.
Kratos finds a new ally in Gaia, the mother of Titans and Earth. She provides Kratos with a way to rewrite the past and save his own life. After a trip to the Underworld, Kratos follows Gaia’s instructions, leading him to the Sisters of Fate. After more bloodshed, Kratos takes control of the Loom of Fate and returns to the scene of his death. Kratos’s plan to kill Zeus is thwarted when another Olympian steps in front of his blade. It’s here that we (and Kratos) learn about his true parentage. Kratos uses the power of the Loom to recruit the Titans of the past to his future war. Back in the present, Kratos leads the Titans in an assault on Mount Olympus, setting up God of War 3.
Taking place directly after the previous game, God of War 3 concludes Kratos’ Greecian saga and resolves his war with Zeus and the Olympians.
Kratos and the Titans battle with the Olympians to catastrophic effect. Kratos (once again) has his trust betrayed and (once again) descends into the Underworld. There, Kratos teams up with an old ally to take down Zeus once and for all. Back on Earth, Kratos faces the wrath of Titans and Gods alike, leading him on an epic killing spree toward a final showdown with Zeus.
Kratos declares an end to his vengeance, and with the world in ruin, makes a sacrifice to release hope to mankind.
God of War: A Call from the Wids is a Facebook Messenger text-adventure released ahead of 2018’s God of War. The ~30-minute story introduces Kratos's son Atreus and provides background on the character's extrasensory abilities, while adding a bit of flavor to his relationships with Kratos and his mother, Faye. The story is set sometime before God of War 2018 when Faye is still alive.
A Call from the Wilds seems to no longer be playable, though like God of War: Betrayal, this is a story that can ultimately be skipped. Those who want to experience it can find complete playthroughs on YouTube.
Set many years after God of War 3, 2018’s God of War transports Kratos from Greece to the Norse realm of Midgard, where Kratos now resides with his son, Atreus. Kratos and Atreus plan to fulfill Faye’s dying wish: to have her ashes spread from the top of the highest peak in the Nine Realms.
Their journey is no straightforward hike; the duo travel through multiple realms, encountering friends and foes from Norse mythology, including Baldur, Freya, Thor’s sons Magni and Modi, the last living giant Jörmungandr, and Mimir. Along the way, Kratos struggles with fatherhood and the truths he keeps hidden from Atreus — about his past and Atreus’s identity.
Following their adventure, the Nine Realms enter Fimbulwinter, a three-year-long precursor to Ragnarök, the end of the world.
God of War: Ragnarok, the most recent and story-rich God of War game, is set three years after 2018’s God of War, as the Nine Realms near the end of Fimbulwinter and the beginning of Ragnarök.
Many characters return from 2018, alongside newcomers such as the All-Father Odin and his son Thor, but it remains focused on the adventures of Kratos and Atreus with a greater emphasis on the latter, who explores his newly discovered identities and powers. As Kratos and Atreus, you’ll traverse all nine realms and the Realm Between Realms on personal quests of identity and a greater quest to defeat the Asgards and survive Ragnarok.
We won’t spoil the journey, but Ragnarok leaves the door open for future God of War stories to be told. Though you can play the God of War Ragnorok New Game Plus mode if you've already finished the game.
Sony has yet to announce another God of War game, though given the critical and commercial success of God of War (2018) and Ragnarok, we expect future entries in the series.
A God of War TV series is also in the works, joining a host of upcoming video game adaptations. The live-action show, in development for Amazon’s Prime Video streaming service, will adapt the story of 2018’s God of War. Production hit a snag in 2024 following the departure of showrunner Rafe Judkins and executive producers Hawk Ostby and Mark Fergus. The series is now being led by Ronald D. Moore, whose credits include Star Trek: The Next Generation, For All Mankind, and Battlestar Galactica's 2000s reboot. We got the chance to speak with Moore at Comic Con earlier this year, learning more about what drew him to the God of War franchise and how he's approaching the show adaptation.
Jordan covers games, shows, and movies as a freelance writer for IGN.
]]>The debut trailer for Sword and Fairy 4 Remake is out in the wild — and it looks a lot like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
Developed by Chinese studio Up Software and published by Cube Game, Sword and Fairy 4 Remake is a single-player turn-based role-playing game made in Unreal Engine 5 due out on PC and consoles at some point.
The official trailer, dubbed "Unpredictable Divine Will," has already drawn comparisons to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s eye-catching battle system, from the dynamic user interface to the action heavy parry system. Even the camera perspective and the way the camera moves during battle rekindles memories of Sandfall Interactive’s hugely popular RPG.
Sword and Fairy 4 Remake - Official Trailer "Unpredictable Divine Will" is here! Developed by Up Software and published by Cube Game, this single-player turn-based RPG is reborn in Unreal Engine 5 with the latest technology.
— Cube Game (@CubeGameCN) December 29, 2025
Set off on a journey to find the immortals with Tianhe... pic.twitter.com/dKlfnDJsta
"Set off on a journey to find the immortals with Tianhe Yun’s team," reads the official blurb. "In the meantime, a hidden truth that has been sealed for a long time is revealing itself."
The Legend of Sword and Fairy is a Chinese video game franchise that encompasses nine mainline Chinese mythology/xianxia-themed role-playing computer games. The first game launched in 1995 for PC and enjoyed critical and commercial success across China. Many sequels and spinoffs have followed in the years since.
The Legend of Sword and Fairy 4 is in fact the fifth installment in the mainline video game franchise, and acts as a prequel to the third game. The latest game, The Legend of Sword and Fairy 7, came out in 2021 as the ninth mainline entry on PC, with an English version released for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X and S in 2022 under the name Sword and Fairy: Together Forever. It was seen as an alternative to the recent mainline Final Fantasy games, which of course inspired Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s development.
Fans are drawing a line from Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 to Sword and Fairy 4 Remake, and some are accusing its developer of copying Sandfall’s game. "Totally not copy and paste combat, style, parry, from Clair Obscur Expedition 33," said one commenter. "Is this DLC of Expedition 33?" said another. "We got Expedition-like genre now," added another fan. Others, however, are saying Sword and Fairy 4 Remake just looks like a modern turn-based RPG in the Persona style, and are pointing to previous entries in the series as evidence of its credentials.
The first E33-like is already on its way from China and it's through the announcement of the remake of "Legend of Sword and Fairy 4". pic.twitter.com/jfiVnNn42X
— Dream's Longest Day (@Dreamboum) December 29, 2025
Cube Game has said an English version of the trailer will be revealed in the coming days by a "regional publisher." We’ll hopefully learn more about Sword and Fairy 4 Remake then.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, meanwhile, is enjoying a new surge of interest off the back of a record-breaking haul from The Game Awards 2025, where it took home the coveted Game of the Year. At the awards, Sandfall shadow-dropped Clair Obscur DLC.
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.
]]>Codes for The Forge will grant you additional rerolls if RNG isn't on your side and you don't get one of the best classes on your initial rerolls. In this RPG Roblox experience, you'll be able to play as a human, goblin, dragonborn, and more. Each race has its unique perks, influencing stats such as health, damage, attack power, and more.
It's no surprise that The Forge focuses heavily on mining. The core gameplay centers around mining for ores, in the hopes of finding rare ores to forge powerful weapons and armor. You'll then throw those ores into a forge, where the blend of resources you use allows you to make items with special traits and designs.
Want to know how to get rerolls for The Forge? Use these currently active codes:
These codes have now expired and can no longer be used:
Ready to redeem the codes above? Here's what you need to do:
When a code doesn't work for The Forge, it's usually because of two reasons:
Codes for Roblox experiences are typically case-sensitive, so the best way to ensure you've got a working code is to directly copy it from this article. We check all codes before we upload them, so you can guarantee they're working. Just double-check that you haven't copied over an extra space!
We regularly check and test new codes for popular Roblox experiences, so the best way to get more codes for The Forge is to visit this article. But if you want to mine for codes yourself, then the Discord server for The Forge is the best place to go.
The Winter Expansion - Part I launched in The Forge on Thursday, December 25. This introduced the new Frostspire Expanse region filled with new enemies, ores, and more. This update also added new weapons, armor, and a Christmas event. Aside from weekend events that bring boosts, the next update is a new cave scheduled for Saturday, January 3.
Lauren Harper is an Associate Guides Editor. She loves a variety of games but is especially fond of puzzles, horrors, and point-and-click adventures.
I have told myself I am absolutely not buying more games at least five times this week, and yet here we are. This batch is dangerous in that very specific way where titles you already love suddenly feel like sensible purchases. I have played most of these, I can vouch for them, and yes, my backlog is a crime scene.
Contents
In retro news, it's time to hold onto yer butts and celebrate the 32nd birthday of (arguably) the best Jurassic Park game of the '90s. My "friend of SNES-owning convenience" who lived over the road from me had this. We spent hours marvelling at a movie tie-in title that was way better than it had any right to be (the Wolfenstein 3D sections were particularly ambitious for the hardware).
Aussie birthdays for notable games.
- Jurassic Park (SNES) 1993. Get
- DBZ: Budokai Tenkaichi (PS2) 2005. eBay
Or gift a Nintendo eShop Card.
Xbox One
Or just invest in an Xbox Card.
PS4
Or purchase a PS Store Card.
Or just get a Steam Wallet Card
Adam Mathew is a passionate connoisseur, a lifelong game critic, and an Aussie deals wrangler who genuinely wants to hook you up with stuff that's worth playing (but also cheap). He plays practically everything, sometimes on YouTube .
]]>Boxing Day sales are usually loud, bloated, and full of discounts of the "quotation mark kind" that look better than they feel, so I went in deliberately picky this time. I've ignored the filler, skipped the eternal backlog traps, and pulled out the handful of deals that genuinely deserve attention across consoles and PC. These are the games I would recommend to mates with little to no caveat, because the price is right and the experience still absolutely holds up.
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In retro news, I'm celebrating the 26th anniversary of Turok: Rage Wars, pretty much the only birthday worth talking about today. I've got to be perfectly honest by saying that it didn't personally blow my mind like a shot from Turok 2's cerebral bore gun. I guess I just wasn't interested in a plotless MP-focused entry in the series at the time (and GoldenEye was still the undisputed king of 4P split-screen anyway).
That said, I still played many a round of FFA, CTF, and a goofy Frag Tag where somebody randomly became a monkey. Rage Wars also continued, and indeed expanded upon, the franchise's stable of creative and chaotic weaponry. Case in points: the "Inflator" that used needles of compressed air to violently explode people and the Aliens-tastic "Chest Burster" rifle. Pretty straightforward, that last one.
Aussie birthdays for notable games.
- Turok: Rage Wars (N64) 1999. eBay
Or gift a Nintendo eShop Card.
Xbox One
Or just invest in an Xbox Card.
PS4
Or purchase a PS Store Card.
Or just get a Steam Wallet Card
Adam Mathew is a passionate connoisseur, a lifelong game critic, and an Aussie deals wrangler who genuinely wants to hook you up with stuff that's worth playing (but also cheap). He plays practically everything, sometimes on YouTube .
]]>I spend an embarrassing amount of time watching prices move, partly out of professional duty and partly because I hate paying full price. This week’s crop finally rewarded the obsession. There are a few deals here that feel less like discounts and more like apologies. Happy hoidays and even happier savings to you all.
Contents
In retro news, I'm celebrating the 29th birthday of Christmas NiGHTS into Dreams, arguably gaming's greatest seasonal freebie. Mind you, last year's Christmas level update for Astro Bot sure does come a close second.
Sega threw Chrissy NiGHTS in with my purchase of a select Sega Saturn game, and it was basically a little advent calendar whose content shifted in sync with my console's internal clock. Beating a level (reskinned in a wintry and/or outright Christmas theme) earned you limited chances to solve a tile-matching puzzle to unlock 25 "Presents." The best of the bunch? A mini-sandbox level starring Sonic the Hedgehog that ends with a satisfying Eggman scrambling. I adore this demo disc and replay it every year without fail.
Aussie birthdays for notable games.
- Link: The Faces of Evil (CD-i) 1993. eBay
- Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon (CD-i) 1993. eBay
- Christmas NiGHTS into Dreams (SAT) 1996. eBay
- Art Academy (DS) 2009. eBay
Or gift a Nintendo eShop Card.
Xbox One
Or just invest in an Xbox Card.
PS4
Or purchase a PS Store Card.
Or just get a Steam Wallet Card
Adam Mathew is a passionate connoisseur, a lifelong game critic, and an Aussie deals wrangler who genuinely wants to hook you up with stuff that's worth playing (but also cheap). He plays practically everything, sometimes on YouTube .
]]>CD Projekt has said huge discounts on Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition displayed on the Nintendo Switch 2 eShop this week were a mistake, but it will honor any sales made at the discounted prices.
Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition for Nintendo Switch 2 went on sale with a whopping 75% off in the U.S. earlier this week, making the normally 69ドル.99 game just 17ドル.49. Making this deal all the more eye-catching is the fact the Ultimate Edition includes the DLC expansion Phantom Liberty. This DLC normally costs around 30ドル (or around 21ドル with a discount), which meant the base game plus the DLC was cheaper than the DLC itself if you bought it with the discount. As you'd expect, plenty of people bought the game at that price. "I couldn’t believe it lmfao," one fan said. "I bought as soon as I saw the price. I had been waiting for it to go on sale but was amazed at the discount." Said another: "I was on the fence for a few hours, and would have skipped it if it was 20ドル. So they got money out of people like me who weren’t super interested. Bought it on PC years ago and barely started it. Hoping the switch 2 edition/cross save gets me to finish the game."
Now, CD Projekt has corrected the discount so Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition costs 39ドル.99 (a 42% discount). The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition, meanwhile, now costs 14ドル.99 with a 75% discount properly applied.
CD Projekt issued the following statement on social media:
The discounts for Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition displayed on Nintendo Switch 2 eShop in the Americas on December 22, 2025 were incorrect.
The situation is a result of an error we made when submitting the discount. We have corrected the error and new discounts have now been applied.
Purchases made at the previous discount rate are unaffected by this change.
As you'd expect, CD Projekt's statement is going down well with fans of the company and its games, and in particular with those who jumped on the discount error before it was corrected. "At that price it's basically a no-brainer impulse buy. Props to CDPR for honoring it though, lot of companies would've just cancelled the orders and blamed a 'system error.' Makes me want to support them more," said one fan.
If you’re jumping into Cyberpunk 2077 for the first time this Christmas, check out our huge guide. Similarly, if you’re getting to grips with The Witcher 3, we’ve got a sweeping guide to help.
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.
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