The critically acclaimed video game Cuphead and its animated series spinoff The Cuphead Show are both a visual feast for classic animation fans. So it seems only fitting that the series is now the latest addition to Dark Horse's ever-growing library of gaming art books.

The Art of The Cuphead Show is written by Deeki Deke, who also serves as lead writer on the animated series. The book aims to give fans a much closer look at the making of The Cuphead Show. It features a mix of concept art, character designs and creator commentary from various artists who worked on the series.

The Art of The Cuphead Show is a hardcover volume priced at $49.99. The book is slated to hit bookstores and online retailers on June 27, 2023 and comic shops on June 28. Preorders should open shortly, but in the meantime, you can also order Dark Horse's previous The Art of Cuphead book, which focuses on the original game.

The Cuphead Show debuted on Netflix in February 2022. IGN's Rafael Motomayor gave Season 1 a 9, writing, "The Cuphead Show is a hilarious, surreal, chaotic cartoon that adapts the fan-favorite video game by mixing classic animation techniques with modern timing and humor. Though fans of Cuphead might miss the iconic finger guns from the game and may wish for a more faithful adaptation of the story, the show still provides one hell of a good time, with a focus on memorable characters, slapstick scenarios, and gorgeous animation."

Netflix released a second batch of episodes for The Cuphead Show in August 2022, with a third season dropping earlier this month. The game was also recently given an expansion in the form of Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course.

Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

Cross-play and cross-progression are coming to Rainbow Six Siege on December 6 as part of the upcoming season Operation Solar Raid, which also brings a new map, operator, and more.

As reported by Eurogamer, Rainbow Six Siege PlayStation and Xbox gamers will automatically matchmake together and should benefit from lower wait times as a result, but the setting can also be turned off if a player wishes.

PC and streaming platforms such as Luna will be kept in a separate matchmaking pool, and Ubisoft currently has no intention of merging the two.

Players can invite friends through both PlayStation and Xbox platforms, as well as through the Ubisoft connect overlay. Voice communications will also work in the new console cross-play system, assuming voice comms are enabled and, of course, you’re on the same team.

Player rank history will also be shared between Xbox and PlayStation consoles when using the same Ubisoft Connect account but will again remain separate from PC and streaming platforms. The player's highest rank will also be transferred to each console alongside the furthest Battle Pass progression.

Credits and Renown will be pooled across all platforms, as will packs, operators, boosters, and cosmetics. Penalties for problematic online behaviour will also be shared. In-game options, operator loadouts, and equipped cosmetics meanwhile will remain specific to each console and platform.

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

To commemorate the 17th anniversary of the release of the Xbox 360, video game peripheral maker, Hyperkin has officially announced today that it is resurrecting the iconic video game controller.

As noted in a press release, the Hyperkin Xenon is an officially licensed, wired gaming controller replicating the iconic controller that served as the primary gamepad for Microsoft's second home gaming console. The device is named after the codename used for the Xbox 360 ahead of its official unveiling at E3 2005.

The Xenon will be compatible with the Xbox Series X/S and Windows 10 and 11 devices. As you can see from the images below, the Hyperkin Xenon is a slightly modernized take on the Xbox 360 controller. The most notable changes are the dedicated Menu, View, and Share buttons commonly found on the latest iteration of the Xbox Series X/S controllers. Xbox

This is not the first time Hyperkin has brought back an Xbox controller from the dead. In 2018, the company released a replica of Duke, the first controller for the original Xbox known for its oversized design. And then, in 2021, to celebrate the release date for the original Xbox and Halo: Combat Evolve, Hyperkin released the Xbox 20th anniversary and Halo 20th anniversary Cortana edition variants of the Duke controller.

The Hyperkin Xenon will be available in four colors: black, white, pink, and red. No release date or price has been announced yet, sadly. However, Hyperkin is expected to release the Xenon controller sometime early next year.

Taylor is the Associate Tech Editor at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.

To commemorate the 17th anniversary of the release of the Xbox 360, video game peripheral maker, Hyperkin has officially announced today that it is resurrecting the iconic video game controller.

As noted in a press release, the Hyperkin Xenon is an officially licensed, wired gaming controller replicating the iconic controller that served as the primary gamepad for Microsoft's second home gaming console. The device is named after the codename used for the Xbox 360 ahead of its official unveiling at E3 2005.

The Xenon will be compatible with the Xbox Series X/S and Windows 10 and 11 devices. As you can see from the images below, the Hyperkin Xenon is a slightly modernized take on the Xbox 360 controller. The most notable changes are the dedicated Menu, View, and Share buttons commonly found on the latest iteration of the Xbox Series X/S controllers. Xbox

This is not the first time Hyperkin has brought back an Xbox controller from the dead. In 2018, the company released a replica of Duke, the first controller for the original Xbox known for its oversized design. And then, in 2021, to celebrate the release date for the original Xbox and Halo: Combat Evolve, Hyperkin released the Xbox 20th anniversary and Halo 20th anniversary Cortana edition variants of the Duke controller.

The Hyperkin Xenon will be available in four colors: black, white, pink, and red. No release date or price has been announced yet, sadly. However, Hyperkin is expected to release the Xenon controller sometime early next year.

Taylor is the Associate Tech Editor at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.

Avatar: The Way of Water director James Cameron has admitted the upcoming sequel would need to be the "third or fourth highest-grossing film in history" to turn a profit.

Cameron told GQ in a recent interview that The Way of Water was "very f***ing" expensive to make, though he didn't share an exact figure to support or refute claims that the production budget was around $250 million. He did, however, refer to the movie as "the worst business case in movie history" before revealing that the long-awaited sequel would need to rank highly in the global box office charts just to break even.

"You have to be the third or fourth highest-grossing film in history," Cameron said about turning a profit on the movie. "That's your threshold. That's your break even."

The original Avatar movie currently sits at the top of the worldwide box office chart with $2.9 billion. Following that is Avengers: Endgame with $2.7 billion, Titanic with $2.2 billion, and Star Wars: The Force Awakens with $2.07 billion. According to Cameron, The Way of Water needs to overtake The Force Awakens and push that movie to the fifth spot, currently occupied by Avengers: Infinity War, to make money.

Cameron previously indicated that the box office performance of The Way of Water and the as-yet-untitled Avatar 3 will ultimately determine whether the fourth and fifth Avatar movies end up getting made, telling Total Film: "The market could be telling us we're done in three months, or we might be semi-done, meaning: 'OK, let's complete the story within movie three, and not go on endlessly,' if it's just not profitable."

Cameron has been notably vague on the future of Avatar past the third installment. As of right now, Avatar: The Way of Water is set to hit theaters on December 16, and Avatar 3 is due out in 2024. The other sequels are also pencilled in, with Avatar 4 eyeing a December 2026 release and Avatar 5 lined up for December 2028 — although Cameron might not helm all of the upcoming sequels if they end up happening.

Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.

Avatar: The Way of Water director James Cameron has admitted the upcoming sequel would need to be the "third or fourth highest-grossing film in history" to turn a profit.

Cameron told GQ in a recent interview that The Way of Water was "very f***ing" expensive to make, though he didn't share an exact figure to support or refute claims that the production budget was around $250 million. He did, however, refer to the movie as "the worst business case in movie history" before revealing that the long-awaited sequel would need to rank highly in the global box office charts just to break even.

"You have to be the third or fourth highest-grossing film in history," Cameron said about turning a profit on the movie. "That's your threshold. That's your break even."

The original Avatar movie currently sits at the top of the worldwide box office chart with $2.9 billion. Following that is Avengers: Endgame with $2.7 billion, Titanic with $2.2 billion, and Star Wars: The Force Awakens with $2.07 billion. According to Cameron, The Way of Water needs to overtake The Force Awakens and push that movie to the fifth spot, currently occupied by Avengers: Infinity War, to make money.

Cameron previously indicated that the box office performance of The Way of Water and the as-yet-untitled Avatar 3 will ultimately determine whether the fourth and fifth Avatar movies end up getting made, telling Total Film: "The market could be telling us we're done in three months, or we might be semi-done, meaning: 'OK, let's complete the story within movie three, and not go on endlessly,' if it's just not profitable."

Cameron has been notably vague on the future of Avatar past the third installment. As of right now, Avatar: The Way of Water is set to hit theaters on December 16, and Avatar 3 is due out in 2024. The other sequels are also pencilled in, with Avatar 4 eyeing a December 2026 release and Avatar 5 lined up for December 2028 — although Cameron might not helm all of the upcoming sequels if they end up happening.

Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.

The Steam Autumn Sale returns today, November 22, and brings with it early Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals that see the likes of Cyberpunk 2077, Stray, and more discounted.

Kicking off Nov. 22 at 10am Pacific / 1pm Eastern / 6PM UK (so 4am on November 23 AEST), the Steam sale will run for exactly one week and end on November 29.

Valve's announcement trailer features its usual long list of heavily discounted games, spanning a library of new and old hits, major publishers, and smaller indie projects. Alongside Cyberpunk 2077 and Stray, Hitman 3, Hades, V Rising, Disney Dreamlight Valley, Slime Rancher 2, and Satisfactory were also shown off to tease the sale.

IGN has reviewed several of these games, saying of CD Projekt Red's latest that "Cyberpunk 2077 throws you into a beautiful, dense cityscape and offers a staggering amount of flexibility in how you choose to take it from there."

We called Stray "a delightful cat-based platforming adventure in a cyberpunk world worth exploring," and said Hades is "a one-of-a-kind rogue-lite that does a brilliant job of marrying its fast-paced action with its persistent, progressing story through a vividly reimagined Greek mythological underworld."

To take these games on the go, Valve's portable PC gaming platform the Steam Deck seems to have eliminated its lengthy waiting list, meaning a reservation is no longer needed. Just make sure the games you pick up are on the Steam Deck Verified Games list if you want optimum performance.

H2 The Best Black Friday Sales and Deals

Andrea Shearon is a freelance contributor for IGN covering games and entertainment. She's worn several hats over her seven-year career in the games industry, with bylines over at Fanbyte, USA Today's FTW, TheGamer, VG247, and RPG Site. Find her on Twitter (@Maajora) or the Materia Possessions podcast chatting about FFXIV, RPGs, and any series involving giant robots.

The Steam Autumn Sale returns today, November 22, and brings with it early Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals that see the likes of Cyberpunk 2077, Stray, and more discounted.

Kicking off at 10am Pacific / 1pm Eastern / 6PM UK (so 4am on November 23 AEST), the sale will run for exactly one week and end on November 29.

Valve's announcement trailer features its usual long list of heavily discounted games, spanning a library of new and old hits, major publishers, and smaller indie projects. Alongside Cyberpunk 2077 and Stray, Hitman 3, Hades, V Rising, Disney Dreamlight Valley, Slime Rancher 2, and Satisfactory were also shown off to tease the sale.

IGN has reviewed several of these games, saying of CD Projekt Red's latest that "Cyberpunk 2077 throws you into a beautiful, dense cityscape and offers a staggering amount of flexibility in how you choose to take it from there."

We called Stray "a delightful cat-based platforming adventure in a cyberpunk world worth exploring," and said Hades is "a one-of-a-kind rogue-lite that does a brilliant job of marrying its fast-paced action with its persistent, progressing story through a vividly reimagined Greek mythological underworld."

To take these games on the go, Valve's portable PC gaming platform the Steam Deck seems to have eliminated its lengthy waiting list, meaning a reservation is no longer needed. Just make sure the games you pick up are on the Steam Deck Verified Games list if you want optimum performance.

Andrea Shearon is a freelance contributor for IGN covering games and entertainment. She's worn several hats over her seven-year career in the games industry, with bylines over at Fanbyte, USA Today's FTW, TheGamer, VG247, and RPG Site. Find her on Twitter (@Maajora) or the Materia Possessions podcast chatting about FFXIV, RPGs, and any series involving giant robots.

Following his announcement that he's taking a break from acting, MCU star Chris Hemsworth has also revealed he's ready to "close the book" on his time as Thor. Speaking to Variety, the actor said he would want his next potential appearance in the MCU to be Thor's final chapter.

"I feel like we'd probably have to close the book if I ever did it again, you know what I mean?" Hemsworth said. "I feel like it probably warrants that. I feel like it'd probably be the finale, but that's not based on anything anyone's told me or any sort of plans. You have this birth of a hero, the journey of a hero, then the death of a hero, and I don't know — am I at that stage? Who knows?"

The end of this year's Thor: Love and Thunder teased that Thor would return. However, director Taika Waititi and Hemsworth were both surprised when the note appeared, as they are currently unaware of plans for a Thor 5. Even with no plans on the books for now, Hemsworth is open to the idea of returning to Thor for one last ride.

"I'm completely open to it, if there is something unique and fresh and unexpected to do with the character and the world. I've always loved the experience. I've been very thankful I've been able to do something different each time."

Hemsworth appeared National Geographic's Limitless, where he learned that he's genetically pre-disposed to develop Alzheimer's disease. Following this, Hemsworth said the experience "really triggered something in me to want to take some time off,” and he's planning to simplify his life and spend more time with his wife and kids after wrapping up his current commitments.

Thor has been a pillar of the MCU for over a decade. Hemsworth has starred in four solo Thor movies, which is the most of any MCU character. He's also appeared in all four Avengers movies.

Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN covering video game and entertainment news. He has over six years of experience in the gaming industry with bylines at IGN, Nintendo Wire, Switch Player Magazine, and Lifewire. Find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.

It looks like an internal logo for Nintendo Switch’s codename, “NX,” has been discovered and leaked online.

The NX logo was found through a prototype build of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe dated October 18, 2016, two days before Nintendo officially revealed the name of the Switch.

The logo itself features a circle with a blue dot that rolls counter-clockwise and features the letters “NX” right next to it. It also sports a similar light blue color as the Wii U’s logo did rather than the Switch’s red color.

The Nintendo Switches Codename was the NX and this was an early Logo / Boot Up animation used during development of the Console ( It was found in the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Prototype ) This was never seen outside Nintendo pic.twitter.com/B1bS5zCKOu

— Paul Kelly (@PaulFelixKelly) November 20, 2022

While we can't fully verify the legitimacy of the boot up sequence, and given that it's Nintendo we will likely not get an official confirmation. But this is a rare glimpse of an early prototype from Nintendo.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was a Switch port of the Wii U’s Mario Kart 8 but with all of the latest DLC included. The game even got more DLC courses this year as well, in the form of the Booster Course Pass. It has become so successful that it has surpassed those of Mario Kart Wii, making it the best-selling game in the franchise, but it has also become the best-selling racing game in US history.

It seems like Nintendo is in no rush to create Mario Kart 9 since Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is doing so incredibly well. However, a successor is reportedly in active development with some sort of "new twist" on the series formula.

The Switch is nearing its sixth birthday, so a successor to the device could be coming soon. So far, there aren't any details or codenames, but Nintendo said that it is working on not repeating the same mistakes as it did with the transition from the Wii to Wii U.

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

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