There are a lot of different Lord of the Rings gifts out there, but if you're specifically interested in finding some wall art, I think I've stumbled upon the perfect thing. There's a company called ZeWood that makes officially licensed 3D wooden maps of Middle Earth and they look pretty awesome.

The company has two different versions of the map available on Amazon in various sizes, with the cheapest option available for under $150. The effect of layered wood creates a wonderfully textured piece of wall art perfect for an office or living room space.

Of the two Middle Earth maps ZeWood has to offer, the multicolored version is my favorite. It's the more expensive option, with the base 10-inch by 8-inch size starting at $229.50, but the addition of green trees and a darker Mordor are undeniably cool. The art itself is made up of natural birch plywood that has been laser cut and stained to get the effect.

The cheaper Middle Earth map comes in a longer rectangle version, with the larger 15-inch by 8-inch size starting at $149.50. It has the same mountain texture and the blue stain on the ocean, but without the trees and Mordor getting highlighted with additional colors. Because of the shape of this map, however, you do get a look at what lies to the east of Mordor.

If you do a quick search for Middle Earth maps to use as wall art, there are a lot of different options available on Amazon and Etsy. ZeWood's maps are unique in that they are made of layered pieces of stained wood. They are really the only company making such a high-quality product right now and also the only ones who are officially licensed to do so.

As for how the maps are actually made, you can find the full production process directly from the ZeWood website. Every product goes through an extensive design process, which creates molds for laser cutting. Once the designs are cut, the pieces get smoothed and colorized with natural finishes before getting glued, framed, and ready to be shipped. While the company began as just two people crafting fantasy art for an Etsy shop back in 2019, it has since become a full-scale workshop producing officially-licensed masterpieces.

Looking for more LotR gifts? Check out our guide to The Lord of the Rings Illustrated editions.

Jacob Kienlen is a Senior Audience Development Strategist and Writer for IGN. Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, he has considered the Northwest his home for his entire life. With a bachelor's degree in communication and 10 years of professional writing experience, his expertise is spread across a variety of different pop culture topics -- from TV series to books and the latest Pokémon games.

Final Fantasy VII Revelation director Naoki Hamaguchi opened up on the game’s connection to the Advent Children film, saying that more than one of FF7’s spin-offs are going to tie into the game’s ending.

In an interview with YouTuber Ashif’s Release Notes at Final Fantasy XIV Fan Festival Berlin 2026, Naoki revealed that he’s well aware of the fan theories surrounding the next game in the Remake trilogy, particularly where ties to other properties in the FF7 universe are concerned.

He assured Ashif that he’s carefully considering all of these titles, specifically mentioning Dirge of Cerberus, Crisis Core, and of course, the Advent Children movie.

"I see a great deal of that discussion. I've seen a lot of people discussing and speculating off the back of interviews with myself and with Kitase-san, 'Is the ending of this going to connect to Advent Children?'” he began.

“But it's not a question. I don't want to sit here and say it connects to this, it connects to that. But obviously, there are a lot of other titles within the VII universe. So, we're talking about Advent Children, we're talking about Dirge of Cerberus, Crisis Core. And we want to bring all of those in and make sure we're not leaving those out.

“And then on top of that, once we have all of those in place, we're looking towards the ending. And then the question is, what kind of ending are we going to head for in Revelation that still has those ties? And I think that's something that I really hope players will look forward to finding out."

While Hamaguchi was careful not to say anything that would outright spoil things, his answer has certainly fueled an animated debate within the community, especially following similar comments previously made by other devs working on the Remake trilogy.

Hamaguchi made similar remarks in an August 1 interview with Automaton, confirming that the Remake series is a “new, overarching universe that encompasses the lore of the many various spin-offs” in the FF7 universe — “not just Advent Children, but also Dirge of Cerberus and Crisis Core.”

“We’re not denying the possibility of the ending tying into FFVII AC, but rather, we’re saying that FFVII AC has just been incorporated into the overarching FFVII remake series, including the ending. However, I won’t comment on whether the ending is positioned to lead into it,” he told the outlet.

And in 2023, producer Yoshinori Kitase told Eurogamer very definitely that this is the case: "We are finally going to link up with Advent Children, that is going to be part of canon," he said. "The overall storyline, the developments, will not go wildly out in a way that will not add up to Advent Children in the end. I don't think anyone wanted that, that's not what we're looking to create here.

"[But] to make sure it doesn't become stale and people know exactly where it's going, [that it] doesn't just follow the original word for word, we add in extra elements which add that little bit of doubt. Getting the right balance of that is so key. Ultimately, we're not trying to change the Final Fantasy 7 story into something really different. The overall balance wouldn't really allow for that anyway."

Hamaguchi’s latest comments have created stirred up a heated conversation within the fanbase, with some lamenting the trilogy’s shift away from the original game’s storyline in favor of a metaverse-style combo of all FF7 properties, while others remain cautiously optimistic about what this entails for the fates of Cloud, Tifa, Barret, and co.

In June, Hamaguchi spoke further about Revelation’s ending, saying that while players will be able to shape the story in some way, everyone will ultimately come to a "singular ending."

"The idea is to kind of change the approach and the depth of these story moments for these characters in this final chapter," he said. "We hope players look forward to that moment in the game."

Final Fantasy VII Revelation releases in spring 2027 on Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store.

Virginia (she/her) is IGN’s News Editor. With ten years of experience reporting on games and entertainment, she’s got a storied background in the fighting game community, influencer news, and viral online trends. Find her on Twitter at @TheeMissGlaze.

Leon Kennedy is coming to the real world… Well, sort of.

Capcom is preparing for Resident Evil’s 30th anniversary exhibition in Shibuya, and to celebrate, it’s commissioning a life-sized statue of the beloved horror series’ poster boy, Leon S. Kennedy.

Kennedy will join the oodles of other life-sized Capcom character statues that decorate the company’s corporate offices and physical stores, alongside icons like Street Fighter’s Ryu charging up a hadouken and an adorable Palico from Monster Hunter Wilds.

As you can imagine, Resi fans are already going wild at the possibility of seeing Leon in the flesh (so to speak), and the posts that have resulted from Capcom’s announcement are… interesting, to say the least.

“I’m about to pull off a heist that they’re going to write about in textbooks for decades to come,” one player joked on X. (We get the feeling they weren’t actually joking, though.)

“That Leon statue is NOT going to be safe,” another remarked.

“You’re gonna need all the ‘Do Not Touch’ signs,” yet another warned.

I’m about to pull off a heist that they’re going to write about in textbooks for decades to come https://t.co/HYlezcrrvc

The Resident Evil 30th Anniversary Exhibition will take place from October 30 to December 24, 2026 at the Shibuya BEAM Gallery, but tickets are already on sale as of August 3. A map of the exhibition has been released, though many of the activations therein are still labeled as ‘Coming Soon.’

The few that have been announced are Evidence of Horror, The World of Resident Evil Theater, and Memories of Those Who Stood Against Them, as well as the sale of exclusive promotional items.

Evidence of Horror has been described as a gallery featuring the iconic items and creatures from the Resident Evil franchise, which will include “life-sized models of villains crafted with meticulous detail,” as per SaigaNAK.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Memories of Those Who Stood Against Them focuses on Resident Evil’s heroes and protagonists, following them from their first appearances to their latest interactions in the series’ most recent games. This is where Leon’s life-sized statue will be displayed.

And finally, The World of Resident Evil Theater will prepare attendees before they begin the exhibit, showing scenes from the series on a large screen, “enhancing immersion and excitement in the world of the story.”

Resident Evil is certainly having a moment lately, what with Requiem's staggering success and the Code Veronica Remake garnering over two million wishlists on Steam — not to mention the film adaptation (or rather, reimagining) of the series from the mind of Zach Cregger coming to theaters this September.

Virginia (she/her) is IGN’s News Editor. With ten years of experience reporting on games and entertainment, she’s got a storied background in the fighting game community, influencer news, and viral online trends. Find her on Twitter at @TheeMissGlaze.