Thursday, April 30, 2026

Man Arrested After Hiding Inside Closed Best Buy Ahead of Pokémon Card Restock

A man in Pasadena, California, has been arrested after he hid inside a closed Best Buy ahead of a Pokémon card drop.

As reported by NBC Los Angeles, 45-year-old Patrick Keys managed to hide inside a Pasedena Best Buy location after it had closed and was seen walking around the store by employees monitoring the camera feed. Employees called the police, and Keys was arrested on suspicion of burglary. Police say there were no signs of a forced entry, suggesting he found somewhere to hide when the store closed for the night.

Fans will often line up outside retailers for hours in hopes of getting cards ahead of new drops and restocks, either to collect or resell for profit. Witnesses who had been lined up outside the Best Buy speculated that Keys may have been hiding inside the store so he could have an advantage in snagging Pokémon cards. From what we can tell, there has not been a new card drop since the Mega Evolution — Ascended Heroes bundles came out April 24, meaning Keys hid out for a restock.

Pokémon cards are extremely lucrative, which sometimes leads to people taking desperate measures to get the jump on them. IGN’s Max Scoville recently put together a feature about the many controversies of Pokémon across its 30-year history, highlighting just how strange and dark the world of Pokémon can be at times.

High-value Pokémon cards have sold for as high as $16 million, proving just how significant the market for these trading cards can be. This has led to frustration among some fans, as they simply want to collect and battle with their cards, but resellers make efforts to buy up stock and make them difficult or expensive to collect.

Cade Onder is a freelancer for IGN's news team. He covers all things entertainment, including gaming, film, and more. You can find him on Twitter @Cade_Onder.



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Subnautica 2 Finally Gets Early Access Release Date

Subnautica 2 finally has a concrete release date for its early access, and it’s very soon.

Subnautica 2 will enter early access on PC and Xbox Series X|S on May 14, 2026, at 8am PT. The game will cost $29.99, making for a very accessible price point in a crowded month for games. The deep-sea game will be released right before the highly anticipated releases of LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight and 007 First Light, but each game targets different audiences.

“We’re excited for players to experience Subnautica 2, beginning May 14!” said Ted Gill, CEO of Unknown Worlds, in a press release about the date reveal. “Our team cannot wait to hear your feedback as the game evolves throughout Early Access.”

Subnautica 2 has had a long and bumpy road to release. The first game was a surprise hit that inspired the team to take a lot of the core ideas and expand upon them for a sequel that also features co-op multiplayer. It has been in the works since 2022 and was targeting a 2025 release date, but it hit a major snag last summer. Unknown Worlds leadership, including CEO Ted Gill, were removed from the studio by parent company Krafton, which stated that leadership was working on other projects, distracting them from getting Subnautica 2 ready for launch.

The Gill and the other let-go leadership employees filed a lawsuit, alleging they were fired and Subnautica 2 was delayed because Krafton didn’t want to pay out a $250 million bonus for hitting key revenue targets in 2025. Ultimately, a judge reinstated Gill and the leadership team at Unknown Worlds in March 2026 and stated that Krafton didn’t have a valid reason for firing them. Shortly thereafter, it was confirmed that Subnautica 2 would launch sometime in May.

Cade Onder is a freelancer for IGN's news team. He covers all things entertainment, including gaming, film, and more. You can find him on Twitter @Cade_Onder.



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FFXIV Director Explains Plans to Sunset PS4 Version, Estimated to Last Through Patch 8.3

As part of a wide-ranging keynote presentation at Final Fantasy XIV Fan Fest, Director and Producer Naoki Yoshida announced that the PlayStation 4 version of FFXIV will be phased out in the coming years.

Yoshida emphasized that the next expansion, Evercold (which is due January 2027 along with Patch 8.0), will be fully supported on PS4. It will continue with some of the post-launch content updates as well, with him stating, "We currently believe we'll probably be okay up until about [Patch] 8.3," which would hit sometime in early 2028.

"It's the size of the game that is the hurdle right now."

Yoshida noted that, "While cooperation with Sony's wonderful engineers has allowed us to limit break a few more times than we thought even possible, but it will soon be impossible to physically contain all of FFXIV on the PS4 hard drive."

Considering how expansive the game has become, along with the visual overhaul that came with the Dawntrail expansion and Patch 7.0 in 2024, the almost 13-year-old PS4 has been struggling to keep up. There aren't any changes coming to the system requirements on PC in the near future, but for those still on PS4, Yoshida said, "You got two years to save up for a PlayStation 5!"

In a roundtable interview at FFXIV Fan Fest, Yoshida further explained his comments about the sunsetting of the PS4 version.

"Perhaps it was the way I explained it that may have caused a little bit of [confusion]. While we are going to fully support [Evercold and Patch] 8.0, we did ask for perhaps considering transitioning [to PS5]," Yoshida said. "Some people were mentioning on socials about how we're going to close down the PS4 service and that's why [we're] going to go over to the Switch 2. But that is not the case."

He continued explaining the team's plans, saying that "the reason we are looking to transition from PS4 to PS5, or encouraging players to do so, is because of the hardware limitations of the PS4. It's the size of the game that is the hurdle right now. We are reaching towards the limit of the hardware, considering how large of the capacity and requirements this game has. We are reaching the point where the game is getting so big that the hardware itself will not be able to handle it."

While it is estimated to at least last through Patch 8.3, which is a ways out, Yoshida said, "Not right away, but we want people to slowly consider transitioning to the PS5. Again we're not saying that we are going to cease support for the PS4 – that's another point that we want to emphasize."

It might be tougher than previous years considering that the PS5 has only gone up in price since its launch almost six years ago, and the cost of PC components haven't fared any better. However, maybe it's time we put the aged PS4 to rest, in due time at least.

For more on the critically acclaimed MMORPG, check out my breakdown of the upcoming Switch 2 version of FFXIV, the Neon Genesis Evangelion crossover raid content, and everything you need to know about Evercold.

Michael Higham is an editor at IGN who regularly contributes with reviews, previews, features, and news in written and video form. He's usually entrusted with covering long RPGs and tech products, but he's got range when it comes to games. You'll also catch him at events and hosting video content, including IGN's weekly podcast Unlocked.



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Wednesday, April 29, 2026

Tony Hawk Once Modded His Friend’s PS1 to Get Early THPS Feedback

Tony Hawk once modded his friend’s PlayStation 1 in order to get feedback on early builds of the original Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater. This is according to the Birdman himself, who told the story during a panel at iicon (a new conference for video game industry professionals) about the lasting legacy of the THPS series.

Back in 1998, Hawk was working with Neversoft on early versions of the soon-to-be legendary skateboarding game, which at the time was borne out of a modified version of the failed Bruce Willis-branded game Apocalypse.

“Every week they would burn a CD for me, and I played it on my modified PlayStation 1,” Hawk said. “I would make comments, and then the next week I get a disc in the mail with all the updates.”

“I was really excited about it, but I was also kind of isolated in my excitement because I was the only real skater working on it, and so – I hope I don’t get in trouble for this, 20 plus years later – but I started making copies of the burns and sending them to skaters that I knew were hardcore gamers.”

Hawk said at one point he modified his friend Atiba’s PS1 – presumably referring to skater and photographer Atiba Jefferson, who later appeared in THPS 4 – to be able to play the burned game discs in order to give him feedback.

“He really did have valuable feedback, and he started letting people come over to play the game. I mean, we were going rogue,” Hawk said.

But at one point, Hawk started hearing rumors within the hardcore skate community, with comments like “have you guys played ‘the game?'” starting to circulate.

“That's when I knew we did something right, and that the skateboarders were going to enjoy this," Hawk said. “And to me, that was the mark of success. I had no idea that it would ever transcend just the skateboard world, but the fact that they just referred to it as ‘the game’ gave me a sense of pride.”

"The fact that they just referred to it as ‘the game’ gave me a sense of pride.”

Elsewhere in the panel, Hawk commented that, if they get to make another one, Tony Hawk’s Underground is the next game he’d like to see remastered.

“What’s next, that’s always the conversation. Because we are now making our way through the series as remasters and remakes, and to be honest, the most noise that I hear about remastering the game, is for Underground, and has been for the last few years. I don’t know who I’m pitching this to, but that’s the one, if we get to do it.”

However, the developerment team behind the recent THPS 3+4 remaster, Iron Galaxy, faced another round of layoffs earlier this month which follows a significant round of layoffs from 2025.

For more from iicon, check out our writeup of Take Two CEO Strauss Zelnick’s comments about the much-debated price point of GTA 6.

Bo Moore is IGN's Senior Manager of Tech. You can find him online @usebomswisely.



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Undisputed Developer Ends Support to Focus on Sequel; Adds Talent from Rockstar and EA Sports

Steel City Interactive, the team behind Undisputed, has announced that it will be ceasing support for the boxing game ahead of a sequel.

Undisputed was released back in 2024 after spending nearly two years in early access. It was the first licensed boxing game since EA’s Fight Night, and was an earnest attempt to make something from next to nothing. The team was eventually able to attract real boxers and major boxing organizations to help make the game more authentic.

Undisputed received mixed reviews from critics, including IGN (we gave it a 6), but many see the potential in Steel City’s vision. As a result, the studio has announced via a YouTube video that it will be ending post-launch support for Undisputed to focus its efforts on a sequel. Not much has been revealed about the sequel, but Steel City’s CEO, Ash Habib, stated the developer has recruited renowned talent from Rockstar Games, 2K, and EA Sports.

Ultimately, the decision to end support for the first game came down to the fact that the foundations for the original game were rocky, and difficult to build upon. To resolve this, Undisputed’s sequel will be built on a new engine with world-class AAA talent. The studio has a deal in place with Muhammad Ali’s team and has extended it until 2037 as a show of commitment to continuing with the Undisputed brand. A release window and further details are being kept under wraps for the time being, but more details will be shared in the future.

EA’s Fight Night franchise went defunct back in 2011 with the release of Fight Night Champion, and although there were rumblings that EA might bring the series back, it never happened. Instead, EA has invested in UFC, which has become a more dominant combat sport. UFC 6 is scheduled to release on June 19, 2026 for Xbox Series X|S and PS5, ensuring combat sport fans will still have something to enjoy while waiting for Undisputed 2.

Cade Onder is a freelancer for IGN's news team. He covers all things entertainment, including gaming, film, and more. You can find him on Twitter @Cade_Onder.



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GreedFall Developer Is Shutting Down

GreedFall developer Spiders has confirmed that it is shutting down and will cease operations immediately. The gaming industry has been experiencing a lot of woes in recent years, with numerous studios being shut down or losing large amounts of talent due to layoffs. The reasons for this vary case by case, but most of the major gaming giants have been impacted on some level. Unfortunately, even some of the smaller studios are also being hit.

Spiders is a French video game developer that has been around since 2008. The studio was able to find its niche in helping port titles to Xbox 360, but eventually began making its own original titles in the 2010s. The team is best known for its work on the RPG series GreedFall and operated in the “AA” space, a term often used for mid-budget titles. GreedFall found success and sold over 2 million copies in its first three years, prompting Spiders to develop a sequel, which entered early access in 2024 and saw a full release last month.

Just weeks prior to the game’s release, Spiders’ parent company, Nacon, filed for insolvency and attempted to sell Spiders to a different company. Unfortunately, a buyer couldn’t be found, and as a result, Spiders will shut its doors for good immediately. The company took to its X page to announce its closure and provide an update on what will happen with GreedFall: The Dying World's DLC.

“After a long period without clear answers, we have received confirmation that Spiders is being liquidated,” reads the statement. “What does it mean? This means the company as a whole no longer exists. We'll cease our functions immediately. The planned DLC will release via Nacon, and then-- well, that's it. We're sorry that it's come to this and would like to thank each and every one of you for your support over the years. If you have any questions or run into issues with your games, please contact Nacon directly as we'll no longer be able to reply.”

It’s unclear if any of Spiders’ IP or assets will be sold off or used by Nacon in other ways. It seems relatively unlikely, given Spiders doesn’t own any other major or notable franchises, and GreedFall: The Dying World was also met with a mixed reception from fans and critics.

Cade Onder is a freelancer for IGN's news team. He covers all things entertainment, including gaming, film, and more. You can find him on Twitter @Cade_Onder.



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Tuesday, April 28, 2026

The Blood of Dawnwalker Has a Release Date and a New Story Trailer

The Blood of Dawnwalker has finally set its release date: September 3, 2026. That’s across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S.

The single-player, open world vampire role-playing game is from Rebel Wolves, which was founded by former developers of The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk at CD Projekt. Rebel Wolves describes The Blood of Dawnwalker as “the first chapter” in a “brand new role-playing saga.” It's set in 14th-century Europe, with a dark fantasy tone.

The early September release date is comfortably ahead of GTA 6’s November launch, so it should have plenty of headroom to make an impression.

Alongside the release date announcement, we also have a new story trailer. Here's the official blurb:

The new story trailer introduces a cast of characters that Coen will encounter on his journey – some will become allies, others enemies, but all of them play a crucial role in the game’s story. Rebel Wolves also showcased never-before-seen locations across Vale Sangora, a mysterious region in the Carpathian Mountains, and offered deeper insight into the creative process behind bringing the game’s open world to life.

The developers also showcased over 10 minutes of footage captured on the most recent PC build, focusing on narrative-driven open-world activities. Meanwhile, former UFC champion Jan Błachowicz contributed to motion capture performances for one of the game’s antagonists, Bakir, a vampire from Brencis' clique.

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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Man Arrested After Hiding Inside Closed Best Buy Ahead of Pokémon Card Restock

A man in Pasadena, California, has been arrested after he hid inside a closed Best Buy ahead of a Pokémon card drop. As reported by NBC Los...