Elden Ring offers what is probably FromSoftware’s best ever introduction for new players, thanks to an optional tutorial dungeon located just before you enter the main world of The Lands Between.

The Souls studio has what could charitably be called a patchy history when it comes to teaching you how to play its games. A few messages on the ground to explain basic attacks, guards, and parries is pretty much all you usually get in its action-RPGs, with everything else taught through experimentation, failure, and usually a lot of help from other players.

Elden Ring’s tutorial dungeon is a different story. Called the Cave of Knowledge, this optional series of chambers introduces Elden Ring’s fundamental mechanics one by one. Starting with the use of Sites of Grace (similar to Souls’ Bonfires), it goes on to cover familiar things such as light/heavy attacks, weapon skills, and blocking, as well as new mechanics such as the Stakes of Marika checkpoint system, guard counters, and how to best use long grass and stealth to overcome your enemies. Each system is explained by a pop-up window that offers much much more transparent detail than FromSoftware has typically done in the past.

This tutorial culminates in a boss fight. However, unlike other FromSoft ‘tutorial’ bosses such as the Asylum Demon or Iudex Gundyr, this is not the actual first boss of the game; it’s essentially a generic training enemy to introduce you to the concept of big health bar boss fights. Completing the Cave of Knowledge will reward you with a new gesture, so there’s a small reward for even seasoned FromSoft veterans.

In execution, there are similarities to Dark Souls 2’s Things Betwixt, which offered a more comprehensive tutorial zone than other Souls games via its collection of optional training chambers. But the concept of Things Betwixt is combined with Sekiro’s more direct teaching approach with the use of pop-up directions, creating something that feels distinctly like a crash course for Elden Ring.

It’s the most new player-friendly introduction that FromSoftware has produced for a Soulslike game so far, and possibly a recognition that Elden Ring stands to be the company’s biggest hit with players from beyond the traditional Souls community. Plus, if you really want the old-school, no hand-holding approach, you can skip it entirely.

For more from Elden Ring, check out our glowing review. If you're concerned about surviving, you can always use the easier than ever co-op system to explore the game with friends. Our Elden Ring guide is already in progress, but will grow when the game is released, helping you across The Lands Between.

Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer.

Spider-Man: No Way Home finally has its Blu-ray release date, with the film swinging into our living rooms on April 12 in the US, and April 4 in the UK. Preorders for the film on 4K UHD and Blu-ray have been live for some time, but fans should be pleased to know they can get their hands on the film, alongside a hundred of minutes of extra content or deleted scenes, come this April.

If you're just looking to watch the film again at home, digital download purchases for Spider-Man No Way Home will also be available from March 22. Both sets of news were announced by Marvel on Twitter, alongside a great reference to the famous pointing Spider-Man meme.

Where Can I Preorder Spider-Man No Way Home on Blu-ray

Preorders are currently live for Spider-Man No Way Home on 4K UHD, Blu-ray, DVD, and digital download. We've listed the relevant preorder pages for Amazon below, including both the UK and the US. The film will cost $29.99/ £24/99 in 4K UHD, and $19.99/ £14.99 on Blu-ray.

Spider-Man No Way Home UK Preorders

Spider-Man No Way Home Deleted Scenes

Spider-Man: No Way Home DVD and Blu-ray release will include over 100 minutes of bonus footage – and that seemingly includes some additional scenes from some of the coolest cameo appearances. Insider Amit Chaudhury recently revealed that the upcoming Blu-ray release would include all new content alongside, making this another perfect reason to pick up the film to watch again.

When Is Spider-Man No Way Home Out on Blu-ray?

Spider-Man No Way Home will be available on 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD on April 12 in the US, and April 4 in the UK. Marvel announced the release date on Twitter, alongside a reference to the famous Spider-Man meme.

Of course, we got THE meme. #SpiderManNoWayHome swings home on Digital March 22 and on 4K UHD & Blu-ray on April 12!

Pre-order now: https://t.co/RNWdKiZJMp pic.twitter.com/JxPwYaaBVQ

— Marvel Entertainment (@Marvel) February 23, 2022

Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.

Spider-Man No Way Home is out very soon on 4K UHD and Blu-ray. If you're looking to pick up a copy on release day, we've got all the relevant info you need. For starters, the best deal on No Way Home right now is at Amazon, with the Blu-ray copy down to just $22.96, DVD for $17.96, and the 4K copy being just $27.96.

No Way Home will be swinging into our living rooms on April 12 in the US. Those in the UK will have already gotten their hands on a physical copy of the film, as it was released slightly earlier on April 4. Preorders for the film on 4K UHD and Blu-ray have been live for some time, but fans should be pleased to know they can get their hands on the film, alongside around 80-minutes of special features.

Spider-Man No Way Home 4K UHD and Blu-ray Preorders

Preorders are currently live for Spider-Man No Way Home on 4K UHD, Blu-ray, DVD, and digital download. We've listed the relevant preorder pages for Amazon below, including both the UK and the US. The film will cost $29.99/ £24/99 in 4K UHD, and $19.99/ £14.99 on Blu-ray.

Spider-Man No Way Home Now Available in the UK

Spider-Man No Way Home 4K Retailer Exclusives and Steelbook

There will be four separate retailer exclusive Spider-Man No Way Home copies on April 12. Each of Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, and Target have an exclusive 4K cover available to fans. Best Buy is the only retailer to have the exclusive No Way Home Steelbook edition, and it will cost $34.99.

Both the Amazon and Walmart copies are currently available to preorder, but the exclusive copies from Target and Best Buy are not. We're expecting more stock for these by April 12. Make sure you follow @IGNDeals on Twitter and stick notifications on to be alerted when they become available.

Spider-Man No Way Home Deleted Scenes

Spider-Man: No Way Home DVD and Blu-ray release will include over 100 minutes of bonus footage – and that seemingly includes some additional scenes from some of the coolest cameo appearances. Insider Amit Chaudhury recently revealed that the upcoming Blu-ray release would include all new content alongside, making this another perfect reason to pick up the film to watch again.

When Is Spider-Man No Way Home Out on Blu-ray?

Spider-Man No Way Home will be available on 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD on April 12 in the US, and April 4 in the UK. Marvel announced the release date on Twitter in February, alongside a reference to the famous Spider-Man meme.

Of course, we got THE meme. #SpiderManNoWayHome swings home on Digital March 22 and on 4K UHD & Blu-ray on April 12!

Pre-order now: https://t.co/RNWdKiZJMp pic.twitter.com/JxPwYaaBVQ

— Marvel Entertainment (@Marvel) February 23, 2022

Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.

The creator behind Marvel's Netflix series Luke Cage has shared his hopes of the characters making their MCU debuts, now that the show is officially leaving the streamer.

Luke Cage showrunner and executive producer Cheo Hoadri Coker has expressed his concerns over what will happen to the superhero series after it is removed from Netflix, given that it will no longer be available on the platform from March. In a series of tweets this week, he considered what the future might hold for Luke Cage and how the characters could return.

"Rewatching Luke Cage while I can on Netflix," Coker wrote in the first tweet of his lengthy thread addressing the series. "They're going to do what they do. It's theirs. I just hope they don't sit on it for years to allow for an easier reboot, or re-air it with a different mix, or the N-Word muted. I'd love to do commentary tracks, or the original credits."

Rewatching Luke Cage while I can on Netflix. They're going to do what they do. It's theirs. I just hope they don't sit on it for years to allow for an easier reboot, or re-air it with a different mix, or the N-Word muted. I'd love to do commentary tracks, or the original credits

— Cheo Hodari Coker (@cheo_coker) February 21, 2022

Netflix's Marvel TV shows are now all prefaced with a removal notice, which states that "this show is available until 1st March." This brief warning is not only presented at the beginning of Luke Cage but also Daredevil, Jessica Jones, The Punisher, Iron Fist, and The Defenders, leaving a window of just a few days before these titles are removed from the streamer.

"Regardless of whether or not I'm asked back, I really hope they keep Mike [Colter] as Luke and Simone [Missick] as Misty, and everybody else as everybody else," Coker added in another tweet, speaking of Luke Cage's future at Marvel Studios. "It's kinda like Bond. There might be another Bond, but I got to write for Sean Connery, Lois Maxwell and Ursula Andress."

Additionally, Coker reflected on the show's production, sharing lots of little-known facts and behind-the-scenes tidbits, including details of the original credits that featured Luke jogging to Bill Withers' "Harlem," and plenty of other moments that ended up on the cutting room floor. He also gave props to the cast and crew who helped to elevate the episodes.

"The best scene I've ever written in my life, hands down, was in 'Code Of The Streets' on the roof with Mahershala, Theo Rossi, Warner Miller, Alfre Woodard, and Rob Morgan. I remember watching it and I forgot I wrote it. They took it to another level," he said, though he admitted that he had "so many favorite scenes" throughout the series.

"Writing for Mike, Simone, Alfre, Theo, Mahershala, Reg E Cathey, Rosario, Ron Cephus Jones, Frank Whaley, Mustafa Shakir, Thomas Q, Gabrielle, Karen Pittman, Jeremiah Craft, Sean Ringgold, Curtiss Cook, Latanya and so many others was such a joy," he added in his commendations, which also included shoutouts for director Paul McGuigan and Lucy Liu.

Warning: Spoilers ahead for Spider-Man: No Way Home and the Hawkeye series.

Last year, Marvel regained the live-action rights to Jessica Jones and The Punisher from Netflix, meaning that all of the Marvel characters Netflix previously held the live-action rights to, including Daredevil, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist, reverted back to Marvel and opened the door for some of those characters to appear in MCU projects.

Recently, Charlie Cox reprised his role as Matt Murdock for a cameo in Spider-Man: No Way Home, while Vincent D'Onofrio made an appearance as Kingpin in the Disney+ show Hawkeye. There hasn't been any news concerning the return of other characters from Netflix's Marvel shows, but Cox believes there's at least more Daredevil and Kingpin in the MCU's future.

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

LEGO has reportedly partnered with BioShock and Borderlands publisher 2K to develop a series of LEGO sports games.

VGC reports that the partnership will produce several games including a football/soccer game developed by Sumo Digital, the developer of Sackboy: A Big Adventure and Team Sonic Racing.

It also said an open world LEGO racing game is already in development from NBA 2K and WWE 2K developer Visual Concepts, matching previous reports of the developer advertising jobs for a game of the same description.

This also aligns with Visual Concept's new Twitter bio, which reads: "NBA 2K, WWE 2K, a new AAA game that will blow your mind."

It wouldn't be the first time LEGO has displayed interest in an open world racing game either, as Forza Horizon 4 received a LEGO Speed Champions expansion, and the track-based LEGO Racers was released in 1999 for N64 and PlayStation.

The new partnership between 2K and LEGO allegedly comes as the company's previous exclusivity deal with TT Games - developer of LEGO DC Super-Villains, LEGO Star Wars, and so on - supposedly comes to an end.

Aside from the Forza Horizon 4 expansion, LEGO games have generally followed the same formula for the last 15 years, with only a handful of games like LEGO Dimensions and LEGO Worlds breaking the mould.

IGN said one of the franchise's latest releases, LEGO DC Super-Villains, was "good" as the game "is a unique twist on the aging LEGO game premise."

The next confirmed game, LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, portrays all nine mainline films from the Star Wars series and even includes new creatures based on existing LEGO pieces.

For fans seeking more LEGO than game, however, the company recently announced a Horizon Forbidden West Tallneck set featuring an Aloy minifigure.

The hit action-RPG Nier: Automata is being made into an anime.

Announced today by developers Square Enix during the game’s Fifth Anniversary Livestream, the adaptation will see the Japanese videogame become a TV anime series.

A brief teaser trailer gives us a glimpse of the animation style. Along with the trailer, Square Enix also revealed an image of 2B along with her Pod companion robot:

According to a translated official statement, the story sounds as though it hews close to the original game. Humans have fled to the moon in the face of the "overwhelming force" of machines life forms, and combat android 2B has been sent to recapture the planet.

Aniplex, the studio responsible for Fullmetal Alchemist and Sword Art Online is said to be involved in the production of the Nier: Automata anime.

The original Nier: Automata is set during a proxy war between alien-created machines and human-made androids, vying for control of planet Earth. The story follows the tales of combat android 2B, scanner android 9S, and rogue prototype A2 – requiring multiple playthroughs to unlock the full story.

It was released on February 23, 2017, to resounding critical acclaim. IGN’s own review said: “Nier: Automata is a crazy, beautiful, and highly entertaining journey full of nutty ideas and awesome gameplay. It may not include the most sensical story or compelling characters, but its frenzied combat -- coupled with beautiful visuals and a stunning soundtrack – make it too much fun to pass up.”

Although the game was considered to be one of our top 25 PS4 titles, the PC version was met with some criticism – especially its Steam version, which received a slew of fixes last year, including 4K UI textures, improved cut scenes, and more.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

The upcoming Blade reboot just added Krypton star, Aaron Pierre.

According to Deadline, the 27-year-old British actor will co-star alongside Mahershala Ali in the upcoming reboot of Marvel’s vampire hunter franchise.

Known for his role as Dev-Em in the Man of Steel prequel, Krypton, Pierre also recently starred as the rapper Mid-Sized Sedan in the M. Night Shyamalan movie, Old.

It’s currently unknown which role Pierre will take. The Blade reboot will see Mahershala Ali take over from Wesley Snipes as the half-vampire vampire hunter.

Although the film’s plot is currently being kept firmly under wraps, it’s also thought that Marvel’s Black Knight will appear in the movie after he was approached by Blade during a mid-credits scene in Marvel’s Eternals.

Played by Kit Harrington, the Black Knight was last seen reaching for his iconic Ebony Blade, and as Blade himself seemingly intervenes, it feels like a team-up waiting to happen. Director Bassam Tariq has already teased that Marvel takes “big swings”.

“I didn't think [Blade] was going to happen, just to be very honest,” he said. He also hinted that he has a clean slate when working on the reboot. “I think the reality is there is no Blade canon, you know?” he added. “If you ever read the comics, they're always changing… Unfortunately, the [comic series] never lasted that long."

As well as the addition of Aaron Pierre, it looks as though Delroy Lindo has joined Blade in an unknown role. Meanwhile, original Blade Wesley Snipes responded to Mahershala Ali’s casting.

Need a refresher course on all things Blade? Check out our history of Marvel’s day-walking vampire hunter. And if you’re wondering how Blade will fit into the MCU, here’s what we think will go down.

Blade will star Mahershala Ali, Delroy Lindo, and Aaron Pierre. Bassam Tariq will direct the movie with a script from Stacy Osei-Kuffour, based on characters created by Gene Colan and Marv Wolfman.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

Guerrilla Games has released its first post-launch patch for Horizon Forbidden West, which fixes several gameplay, graphics, and quest bugs – and stops the game crashing as much.

Version 1.05 doesn't fix all known issues within the game, as Guerrilla acknowledged in a Reddit post that it's still working on some of the visual problems players have reported – but it does address some.

Two gameplay fixes have been made for the Second Chance skill and the camera jumping to random angles when using certain weapon techniques.

Several glitched quests have also been fixed, including the main quests Reach for the Stars, The Eye of the Earth, Cradle of Echoes, and The Sea of Sands, alongside a handful of side quests, errands, and world activities.

Several general fixes have been deployed as well, including images incorrectly sharpening in HDR mode, the HUD flickering when looting, Aloy's jittering when climbing, and Petra's teleporting in the Chanscrape brewery.

Some issues that the developer is aware of but has not addressed yet, it said, were the "high priority" graphical issues regarding shimmering, sharping, and screen saturation; some players experiencing infinite load screens to the Melee Puts; Aloy being blurry in Photo Mode; and an issue in Reach for the Stars where Aloy can't interact with a carcass, blocking progression.

While patch notes can often be a dry affair, Guerrilla opted to include a bit of humour in its post, saying "a rogue Tallneck that would sometimes change the direction of its route has been disciplined," and "NPCs that seemed to suffer from insomnia and would gather in large groups at night in settlements should act more naturally now."

The problems don't appear to affect the game's overall enjoyability too much as IGN said the PlayStation exclusive was "amazing" as "Horizon Forbidden West is an absolute blast and fantastic showcase for the power of the PS5."

Be sure to check out our guide as well for the best place to start in Forbidden West, the most powerful skills to acquire, the most important things the game doesn't tell you, and more.

The full notes can be viewed below:

Horizon Forbidden West 1.05 Patch Notes

Main Quests

• Fixed an issue in main quest ‘Reach for the Stars’ where reloading a certain auto-save after completing the first quest could block progression.
• Fixed an issue during interlude ‘The Eye of the Earth’ where Aloy could fall out of the world after skipping a cinematic.
• Fixed an issue in main quest ‘Cradle of Echoes’ where Varl would wander off on a reload from save.
• Fixed an issue in main quest ‘The Sea of Sands’ affecting several grapple points.

Side Quests and Errands

• Fixed an issue in side quest ‘Blood Choke’ where Atekka would appear to fall out of the sky.
• Fixed a progression issue in side quest ‘In The Fog’ related to fast travel during the quest.
• Fixed an issue in errand quest ‘Night of Lights’ where a pullable box could get stuck and block the quest progression.

World activities

• Fixed an issue where Relic Ruin: The Daunt could not be started in certain circumstances.
• Fixed an issue in salvage contract The Greenswell: Plowhorn and the Plants where an optional objective could not be completed if the required item was sent to the player stash.
• A rogue Tallneck near The Sand of the Sentinels that would sometimes change the direction of its route has been disciplined.

Gameplay fixes

• The Second Chance skill should now work correctly.
• Fixed an issue where the camera had an unintended position when using certain weapon techniques.

General fixes

• Image oversharpening in HDR mode has been corrected.
• Fixed an issue where some settlements would stream in, then stream out in certain circumstances.
• Fixed an issue where the HUD would flicker when the player performs a loot action.
• Fixed an issue where rapidly opening and closing the map could cause graphical anomalies.
• Fixed an issue where Aloy's animation would sometimes jitter rapidly when climbing after picking up a plant has been fixed.
• Fixed a global issue where the direction of Aloy's gaze, or that of certain NPCs, was incorrect.
• Fixed several instances where Aloy, NPCs or enemies could get stuck in geometry.
• Fixed an issue where roads and icons on the map would sometimes appear with a delay.
• Fixed several streaming issues and unintended loading screens.
• NPCs that seemed to suffer from insomnia and would gather in large groups at night in settlements should act more naturally now.
• Petra will no longer teleport into her seat inside the Chainscrape brewery if followed immediately after the initial conversation with her.

Crash fixes

• Fixed several crashes.

Other

• Various performance improvements.
• Various other minor fixes and cosmetic improvements.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer who occasionally remembers to tweet @thelastdinsdale.

Valve has released a new tool that will let you see exactly which games from your Steam Library will be compatible with the Steam Deck.

Those interested in seeing which games Valve's upcoming handheld gaming PC will be able to run can head over to the Steam Deck Compatibility page and log in with their Steam account to see if their Steam Library games are Deck Verified, Deck Playable, Unsupported, or Untested.

Deck Verified games will be "fully functional" right out of the box, Deck Playable games will work but “might require extra effort to interact with or configure,” Unsupported means a game is currently not functional on Steam Deck, and Untested means Valve simply hasn’t checked the game for compatibility yet.

As an example, the games in my Steam Library that are Deck Verified are Vampire Survivors, Stick Fight, Disco Elysium, Half-Life 2, The Messenger, Return of the Obra Dinn, South Park: The Stick of Truth, Stardew Valley, Portal 2, Sonic Generations, Super Meat Boy, FTL, and Left 4 Dead 2.

My Deck Playable games include The Forest, Among Us, Before Your Eyes, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Final Fantasy VII, Divinity: Original Sin 2, Civilization VI, Valheim, 7 Days to Die, Loop Hero, Path of Exile, Kerbal Space Program, Pillars of Eternity, The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition, Antichamber, Don't Starve Together, Mafia II: Definitive Edition, and Command & Conquer: Remastered Collection.

My Unsupported games are Lost Ark, Duck Game, New World, Half-Life: Alyx, Scavengers, and Bright Memory: Infinite. Lastly, I currently have 78 untested games in my Steam Library.

Valve notes that the Steam Deck review team is "testing more games every day, working our way through the Steam catalog."

The Steam Deck will be released on February 25, and you can check out everything you need to know about Valve's upcoming handheld gaming PC with our Steam Deck explainer.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Valve has released a new tool that will let you see exactly which games from your Steam Library will be compatible with the Steam Deck.

Those interested in seeing which games Valve's upcoming handheld gaming PC will be able to run can head over to the Steam Deck Compatibility page and log in with their Steam account to see if their Steam Library games are Deck Verified, Deck Playable, Unsupported, or Untested.

Deck Verified games will be "fully functional" right out of the box, Deck Playable games will work but “might require extra effort to interact with or configure,” Unsupported means a game is currently not functional on Steam Deck, and Untested means Valve simply hasn’t checked the game for compatibility yet.

As an example, the games in my Steam Library that are Deck Verified are Vampire Survivors, Stick Fight, Disco Elysium, Half-Life 2, The Messenger, Return of the Obra Dinn, South Park: The Stick of Truth, Stardew Valley, Portal 2, Sonic Generations, Super Meat Boy, FTL, and Left 4 Dead 2.

My Deck Playable games include The Forest, Among Us, Before Your Eyes, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Final Fantasy VII, Divinity: Original Sin 2, Civilization VI, Valheim, 7 Days to Die, Loop Hero, Path of Exile, Kerbal Space Program, Pillars of Eternity, The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition, Antichamber, Don't Starve Together, Mafia II: Definitive Edition, and Command & Conquer: Remastered Collection.

My Unsupported games are Lost Ark, Duck Game, New World, Half-Life: Alyx, Scavengers, and Bright Memory: Infinite. Lastly, I currently have 78 untested games in my Steam Library.

Valve notes that the Steam Deck review team is "testing more games every day, working our way through the Steam catalog."

The Steam Deck will be released on February 25, and you can check out everything you need to know about Valve's upcoming handheld gaming PC with our Steam Deck explainer.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.