Magic: The Gathering \u2013 Secret Lair x Sonic: Turbo Gear<\/p>\n
Crucially, it isn\u2019t just the megabrands that have benefitted. At this same time, the expansion of digital distribution platforms like Steam and streaming have empowered formerly niche communities to reach new heights as well. If you like chill, cozy games<\/a>, they\u2019ve never been bigger. Or if you\u2019re like me and want to optimize conveyor belts<\/a> and production chains, automation games are also having a moment. On the streaming side, we all have a friend that has found some amazing new subtitled show no one is watching but them, but might blow up into the next big thing (looking at you, Peer). Nowhere is this feeling more prevalent than the incredible growth of anime and manga over the last three decades. <\/p>\n In other words, whatever you\u2019re into, pop culture has evolved to allow you to go deeper into your passions, or discover something amazing and new you didn\u2019t even know you were interested in. <\/p>\n In short, it\u2019s an exciting time to be a fan of\u2026. just about anything. <\/p>\n At IGN, we\u2019re privileged to have been right in the middle of this all for 30 years. IGN Entertainment company co-founder Peer Schneider has published an image gallery from the very earliest days of IGN you have to see<\/a>. <\/p>\n “I am what I choose to become”<\/p>\n In some ways the entertainment landscape has been completely transformed from what it was in our earliest days. One somewhat startling fact is that IGN has been around longer than YouTube, Netflix, and Xbox, just to name a few. But in other ways, everything old becomes new again. In 1996 we were dreaming about what Zelda would look like on the Nintendo 64. In 2026, we\u2019re dreaming about what Zelda will look like in theaters<\/a>. Tomb Raider made its debut in 1996, and now in 2026 we\u2019re excited to be covering both the new show<\/a> and the duo of upcoming games<\/a>. It\u2019s like poetry\u2026 they rhyme<\/a>. <\/p>\n But it\u2019s these rare periods of more rapid transformation – like the one we\u2019re in right now – that have always fascinated me most. I joined IGN in 2011 as Mobile Games Editor, reviewing games like Angry Birds Star Wars<\/a> and Infinity Blade<\/a> (bring it back you cowards!). I spent another couple years running features, and had a lot of fun (and headaches) shepherding insane projects like the Top 125 Nintendo Games<\/a>. I recently moved into a role overseeing IGN\u2019s absolutely amazing editorial team.<\/p>\n After more than 15 years, the thing that excites me most about working here is still the same: it\u2019s the moment when someone says \u201c…what if we tried this?\u201d when thinking about how to solve a tricky problem.<\/p>\n Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis Screenshots Around 20 years ago, a little website called YouTube was just taking off. More video game fans were interested in watching videos about their favorite games and movies, and not just reading about them. IGN adapted quickly<\/a>, and we now have 35 million subscribers watching more than 2 billion videos every year. <\/p>\n Around 10 years ago, Snapchat<\/a> was the biggest thing on the planet, with TikTok<\/a> and Instagram reels<\/a> hot on its heels. IGN got on board, and now has more than 60 million social followers watching more than 5 billion vertical videos annually. <\/p>\n A decade later, we\u2019re now in the midst of another transformative moment. In an online landscape increasingly dominated by text, videos, and entire people that were created at the click of a button, authenticity, transparency, and helpfulness are more important than ever. <\/p>\n Every single piece of IGN content is created by a human.\u201c<\/p>\n You\u2019ve seen a little bit of this from us already, and we\u2019re excited to double down across the rest of 2026 and beyond. As one small step, we\u2019re now including an extended discussion with our critics<\/a> at the end of most reviews, to learn more about the reviewer\u2019s specific tastes, history with the genre or franchise, and more. <\/p>\n Every single piece of IGN content is created by a human. We will give you more opportunities to get to know individual creators\u2019 quirks and tastes in ways beyond just our stable of podcasts, including more letters from the editor like this one. (Seriously – hit me up if you\u2019re playing any new factory automation games). <\/p>\n We\u2019re also doubling down on making ourselves as helpful to all of you as possible, in big ways and small. HowLongToBeat<\/a> does exactly what’s in the name: work with the community to log data on exactly how many hours it takes to clear any video game. Tools like Maxroll<\/a> and Mapgenie<\/a> have also joined the IGN family in recent years, serving as complement to our human-powered cultural commentary, helping you get the most out of your games. <\/p>\n Finally, just as we want to find more opportunities for you to get to know us, we\u2019re also excited to connect with and open a closer conversation with all of you more directly, as well. Again, this isn\u2019t something brand new. Among other things, our annual Reddit AMA<\/a> gives us a chance to chat with you all directly and hopefully demystify how IGN works a bit. The AMA has been one opportunity for us to remind everyone that IGN reviews have never and will never be paid for – every once in a while it\u2019s important to restate the obvious. <\/p>\n But for me personally, IGN Live<\/a> is the most exciting way we show up for our audience, and it\u2019s been amazing to see so many of you show up for us, too. The (for now) once-a-year event kicked off in 2024, with attendees getting to play dozens of unreleased games, and to see live on-stage interviews with head of Xbox Phil Spencer<\/a>, the cast of Critical Role<\/a>, film director Eli Roth<\/a>, and plenty more. We grew to a second floor in 2025. And in 2026 we\u2019re excited to share more soon about what we have in store. But it may not surprise you to hear it’s not just going to be a look ahead at this year\u2019s biggest games, shows, and movies, but will double as a massive celebration 30 years in the making. <\/p>\n I\u2019d love to see you there this June.<\/p>\n A Year-Long Celebration<\/p>\n In addition to IGN Live, you\u2019re going to see special 30th anniversary-themed content on IGN all year long. <\/p>\n In IGN30: Icons, we\u2019re conducting deep dive, longform interviews with industry luminaries from across gaming and entertainment to learn more about what they were doing in 1996, get their take on the last 30 years of groundbreaking changes, as well as their look ahead at the next 30 years. <\/p>\n 1996 was an incredible year for games, featuring the debut of Super Mario 64, Crash Bandicoot, Tomb Raider, Resident Evil, and Pokemon Red & Blue, just to name a few. And although we didn\u2019t want too much of our IGN30 celebration to just be pure nostalgia, we couldn\u2019t pass up this opportunity to revisit those all-time greats. So this year we\u2019ll be producing special IGN30 editions of Art of the Level, Is It Still Fun Today?, and more. IGN Cinefix is also joining in on the fun, with Art of the Scene: IGN30 Edition.<\/p>\n This year we\u2019re getting you involved in the celebrations too, via interactive face-offs, polls, and brackets to help settle some of the greatest and most storied characters, games, and consoles from the past three decades.<\/p>\n Finally, IGN Store and Humble Bundle will be getting in on the IGN30 celebrations, with throwback merchandise and a best-of-the-best game bundle. <\/p>\n I want to close with a genuine thank you, whether you\u2019re here with us every day, or if this is your first time back in a while. I grew up poring over issues of EGM, and then just a few short years later obsessively checking websites like CheatCC, AICN, The GIA and yes, ign64.com<\/a> (among so many others). So to have the opportunity to talk about the games, movies, and shows I love for a living is truly a dream come true. <\/p>\n It\u2019s an honor and a privilege to have you here with us at all, and on behalf of everyone at IGN, I\u2019m so excited to celebrate with you this year. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n