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While showing off an early concept photo of the aged-up Team Avatar at a San Diego Comic-Con panel on Thursday afternoon, Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender director Lauren Montgomery recalled one of the films' earliest leaks in a rollout that's been plagued by unfortunate leaks. The image in question was what Montgomery called the "Avengers shot," with the characters posing together that leaked out of CinemaCon in 2024 before it was taken down.
"This was one of the very first funny stories about this image. We had a version of this image, exact same painting. The characters looked a little bit different," Montgomery said. "Our production designer Jake [Panian] was never really happy with it. And then Paramount comes to us and says, ‘We want to go to CinemaCon.’ Jake is, like, ‘Absolutely not. It's gonna leak.’ They're like, ‘No, no, no, no. It won't leak. Everything's safe.’ Everything leaks. [Jake]'s like, 'Well, if they're gonna leak it, I'm gonna repaint the whole thing.' And he did. And it looks beautiful, and it looks amazing, and we've used this image a lot of times. And of course, it leaked. Cell phone camera footage of it from a weird angle. And then it's used as, like, official artwork in freakin’ interviews and posts everywhere. So, good time."
Moving on from the anecdote, Montgomery walked through a slideshow of early character design concept art. She showed an Aang with a chinstrap-style beard, many iterations of Zuko's hairstyle, multiple versions of Sokka ("The note was alsays don’t let 'Sokka get TOO hot,'" Montgomery said), Toph in a "metalbending police get-up," and a pregnant Katara. "We moved away from that for our own reasons but a lot of those versions influenced the final version of Katara we see in the film," Montgomery said.
"We're trying to keep this art form alive a little bit longer.”In mapping out how the team would then animate these rendered images for the feature film, Avatar co-creator Bryan Konietzko reflected on maintaining the importance of Avatar's defining animation style in the same panel that was attended by his fellow Avatar creator Mike DiMartino and most of the core voice cast of the movie. “One of the first things that we talked about was what the medium was going to be. No one told us, but we just assumed: It's a feature film. There's incredible stuff, like Spider-Verse, Arcane… people are doing really stylized, beautiful things with 3D characters that are kind of pushed more towards to 3D. So we just assumed initially, 'Oh, I guess that's what we'll do.’ And we started trying to figure out what that would look like.
"But then one day it just hit me," Konietzko continued. "I was like, ‘What are we doing? This is Avatar. This is a love letter to Japanese anime. This needs to stay 2D. These characters need to be hand drawn.’
Our friends and peers in the industry — in the Western industry, especially — they want to do 2D, but they're being forced to do 3D. And again, there's beautiful stuff being done in 3D, but as artists, we should be able to explore all these different mediums. Mike and I were just like, 'You know what? We're gonna do 2D,' and luckily, our bosses were not forcing us to do 3D. So that's what we did. We're trying to keep this art form alive a little bit longer.”
Creating a New Langauge SystemKonietzko also walked through the process of creating a new written language for the universe moving forward, called Avatarian.
A look at the written language!#SDCC2026 #ATLA #AvatarAang pic.twitter.com/AtkpZyt8h8
— Cartoon Universe (@CartoonUV) July 23, 2026“When we came back to do Avatar studios, we were working with our cultural consultants," Konietzko said. "Now that we had more time and resources for some projects, we had some discussions and realized doing the traditional thing we've been doing, where we're using Chinese as the rhythm language for the Avatar world. That was great, and we love that stuff, but it didn't make as much sense with all the kind of real-world cultures that we pull from for inspiration in Avatar. So I was like, ‘All right, I'm going to create a written language for Avatar.’
"So I just locked myself in my office for like three months. But I never like in fantasy stuff when the fantasy language just looks like English in cosplay, you know? It just looks like the Roman alphabet in cosplay. I was really inspired by Hangul, which I had studied when I was working on Avatar in Korea. I built this language that it's a phonetic language that — if anything can be expressed with IPA, the International Phonetic Alphabet, it can be translated to Avatarian, and it creates these little syllable blocks, kind of Hangul. And then I use, like, these really simplified four element symbols as our kind of base radicals for the language.“
Other Avatar Aang reveals from the SDCC panel:The first trailer for Avatar: Seven Havens, a 26-episode 2D animated series about a new, post-Korra earthbending Avatar, along with an October 9 release date on Paramount+.New Legends Will Rise. Avatar: Seven Havens, coming to Paramount+ Oct 9th pic.twitter.com/oKc3zXiLNn
— Paramount+ (@paramountplus) July 23, 2026 Tagah, the new airbender introduced in the film voiced by Dave Bautista, will be an upcoming playable character in Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game, which we gave an 8.The movie's soundtrack will be available to stream on July 25. It's the first time Avatar music is available the same day the project comes out, DiMartino noted, and teased a physical media release down the line.Speaking of physical media, Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender is getting an art book packed with behind-the-scenes details. It will be available in November.Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender comes out on Parmount+ Saturday, July 25. We gave it an 8, calling it a "lovingly crafted and gorgeously animated movie" with "action scenes and settings [that] are thrilling and deserved to be seen on the big screen instead of streaming after a scuttled theatrical release and unfortunate leak changed plans that would have made this more of an event for fans."
Leanne Butkovic (she/they) is an Editorial Project Manager at IGN, where they've also written about TV, movies, and games.


The wait is finally over for Riftbound’s Vendetta booster set, as its release is now just around the corner. This will be the League of Legends TCG’s fourth big drop with pre-release events at local stores starting July 24th with the global release on July 31st. That’s right! With the game having about a year under its belt now, fans finally have a synced-up release with both English and Chinese languages for the first time. Not only is this great for the meta, but players will also have some new deck combinations to mess around with as the set introduces new legends with opposing colors or domains and, of course, new mechanics like Flow to give some extra options out of hand. Not to mention, some overnumbered cards are getting a sleek take on rivalries, with diptychs or cards that can be displayed side-by-side to show a full art piece. From what I’ve seen so far, Vendetta is looking to be a fun set as players get deep into deck brewing with what could be one of the freshest meta for the game to date.
With new keywords brings some form of power creep, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see new staples in every deck of this upcoming meta. First and foremost, there’s the Flow keyword, which allows players to play cards from their discard pile and remove them from the game. This is great as a surprise move if opposing players forget to check what’s in your trash. Even then, it’s a good threat to have even if they are paying attention. Either way, it’s an easy way to keep your options open if your hand size gets too small. As long as you have enough resources to pay the cost, Flow can really turn the tide of a showdown. For example, the signature spell Public Execution allows the player to kill an opposing unit if it has less might than a chosen friendly unit for the spell. When it’s in the discard pile, you can pay the heavy cost of five runes and recycle two runes to play it again and remove it from the game. Playing from the discard is a huge advantage, so it makes sense that they never stay in the discard pile after use in that way. The Public Execution spell is a signature of the legend Ambessa, and one of her new champion units, Ambessa The Wolf, fits with this quite well. If empowered or upgraded, Ambessa The Wolf gains +3 might and can’t be dealt damage unless in combat. With a total might of seven, Ambessa at base can use Public Execution to safely take one unit out of the equation during showdowns as other units go on the offensive. Whether it’s to conquer or defend a battlefield, using cards via Flow are game changing.

Speaking of Empowered, it’s another new keyword that enables the upgrade of certain cards for the rest of the time that they’re on the field, unless otherwise reversed or negated. For instance, Helm of Suppression is a gear that can be empowered with a cost of 4 runes and one calm recycle. Its basic form applies a one-rune tax to opposing players’ spell cost, but when Empowered, it adds an additional tax of one rune recycle. That’s pretty devastating when spells are so often used to support units during a showdown. If not careful, players can be greatly limited in their options as long as an opposing Helm of Suppression stays on the field. Not to mention, it seems to be rare to disempower gear specifically so players will need some gear removal if you want to tech against this taxing helm. Another cool card showcasing Empowered is Kharox. When Empowered, an opponent Burns or discards three cards from the top of their deck. After doing this, the owner of Kharox may play a unit in their opponent’s trash onto the field while ignoring its cost. So essentially as the Kharox player, you’re rolling the dice by forcing cards into your opponent’s trash to then steal control of one of their units. If you’re lucky, you might be able to steal a 10 cost/10 might Corrupted Dragon in your favor. Empowered has some really cool effects with some cards gaining powerful passive abilities, while others have strong one-time uses for every instance of being Empowered.
At least now, players will get to enjoy all the new cards equally and figure out the best decks for some time before the Riftbound team even considers any kind of impactful action like bans or restrictions.That leads us to the last new keyword briefly mentioned already, Burn. For the most part, it goes hand-in-hand with Flow, since players need cards in the trash to even use Flow in the first place. With this keyword, a typical TCG player’s mind would go to a mill deck, but running out of cards in a deck is not a lose condition in Riftbound. Instead, running out of cards in a deck initiates a Burn Out, where the player shuffles their trash back into their deck and awards the opposing player a point. In some ways, a mill deck could win, but it’s not instantaneous like other TCG games. With that said, Burn seems to be most fitting with purple/chaos decks like the new Kennen and Zed Legends, since those chaos cards tend to have discard and now Burn. Red/Fury is also another consistent route to get more cards in your trash, with past cards already allowing discard. If you choose to only use one of these domains for a Burn/Flow deck, the Shadow Temple battlefield is helpful with Burn 3 if you hold it. These keywords have been quite fun to strategize around with so far, with Burn and Flow being the most impactful based on my experience.
Looking ahead to the upcoming meta, the most exciting part is having global players all on the same footing as we get into the new cards this competitive season. No longer will delayed regions get the benefit of seeing what’s best in China and capitalizing on that success when the English language cards are released. That’s part of what leads to bans in some cases, which means fewer cards and decks for players to enjoy by the time a new set releases in their region. At least now, players will get to enjoy all the new cards equally and figure out the best decks for some time before the Riftbound team even considers any kind of impactful action like bans or restrictions. That’s what makes a new set of cards so thrilling. Having folks print out proxies from the initial spoilers to deep testing of new decks up until the first few tournament events is where competitive players thrive. As time goes on, everyone else catches on what works best, but it’s hard to beat the experience of piloting these new decks for a longer period of time.
With that said, some top decks from the last set still always have a good chance of appearing so soon after a new set releases. Like I mentioned, experience and comfortability goes a long way, especially when a tournament is on the line versus playing a completely new deck that’s not nearly as tested. Based on the bigger recent tournaments, the Irelia Blade Dancer deck of purple/chaos and green/calm is one of those tried and true decks that can make top cut. The deck thrives on movement alongside some counterspell and survivability with the low unit count. Looking at the new Vendetta cards, spells like Twilight Step and Resonating Strike allow for further movement of units, which the deck likes to do. Since Empowering is new, the deck could tech in a Sanction spell just in case to disempower any annoying units. Units-wise, we don’t want to add too many new ones considering this is a spell-heavy deck, but a sticky unit like Akali Silent, who can’t be targeted by spells or abilities unless in combat, is a good choice. Kennen Storm of Shuriken is also a possible add, with all the potential spells that could be given Flow for further options out of hand. Tweaks like this still keep the deck competitive without sacrificing too much of what makes it perform.

Another deck that sees top cut action is Master Yi, Wuju Bladesman with green/calm and orange/body domains. Similar to the Irelia Blade Dancer deck, there are the usual green counterspells, the sticky unit Irelia Fervent, and the helpful Scuttle Crab in the Master Yi deck. The differences, of course, are the orange/body cards like Rengar Trophy Hunter, Master Yi Tempered, and pumping orange spells like Punch Fist. Another perk of the deck is defending battlefields with one unit alone with the +2 might passive from the Master Yi Legend. So with the Vendetta cards, units like Gangplank and Renekton might be worthwhile additions. Gangplank, an IGN exclusive reveal, becomes harder to remove from the field when he’s Empowered. Single-targeting him becomes limited due to the effects he can nullify, which can be quite annoying to play around. For Renekton, he becomes Empowered when he becomes 10 might or more. With the Master Yi buff of +2 might when Renekton is defending alone, he’s only four might away from ten, which is a simple jump with orange/body spells. As for spells, having another buffer with Onslaught is also handy in orange, plus it has a Flow cost to boot for an additional use. Cataclysmic Duel is another great addition that works as a board wipe, but also leans into the solo-defender strategy of Master Yi by allowing both players to save just one of their units. Overall, these top-tier decks have some nice new tools to tinker with in the upcoming competitive season.
As far as completely new decks coming out of this set, the newly introduced leaders with opposing domains are intriguing to build around. Not just because they’re new, but because the domain/color combination wasn't possible before they existed. The one that grabs my attention the most is Akali Rogue Assassin with red/fury and green/calm domains. When I first played the game, I really enjoyed the movement of the Yasuo decks. Now we have decks like Irelia, which are the best form of this kind of archetype so far. With Akali, I can attack with the champion unit Akali Deadly Weapon to ping damage to then move back to base to possibly swing in again to shoot additional damage. It’s kind of like kiting in League of Legends, which lines up with what the designers sought out to do when figuring out Akali’s playstyle – as we learned with our chat with Riot. Alongside the green/calm cards that can move or buff, the access to red/fury cards means buffing with Assault on attack or ping additional damage with its spells. Combined with Akali’s poke and retreat strategy, the new Legend deck is what I’m looking forward to playing the most.
Of course, we have to highlight the beautiful new art on these cards. In addition to the usual overnumbered variants and new Legends to the card game, Riftbound is getting diptychs for the first time, showcasing certain rivalries. This means two cards that can be put side-by-side to show a larger art piece or scene. The set introduces 22 of these rivalry variants, meaning there are 11 sets of diptychs to chase for and admire. It’s a nice addition in an already visually stunning game. Between the signature variants to the various costumes or skins that each Legend can pull from, there’s a whole library of new art that the Riftbound team can make use of. For example, another addition is the new Crystal Rose variants celebrating the art from Wild Rift, the League of Legends mobile game. There’s a lot more art to love this set, so both players and collectors have much to chase for.
Between the new additions in gameplay – from the keywords and Legend color combinations – and the beautiful art, Vendetta is looking to be one of Riftbound’s biggest sets yet. Plus, the first global release sync is such a big sigh of relief for competitive players which means a fairly healthy meta throughout the length of the Vendetta competitive season. For more on Riftbound, check out our hands-on impressions of the two player pre-constructed kit, Zed vs. Shen Showdown Decks, and also our interview with Riftbound senior designer Jon Moormann about some new Vendetta Legends.
Mike Mamon is a Syndication & Digital Specialist at IGN, devil fruit user, and world-renown JoJo poser. Let's chat anime or TCGs on Bluesky @xpmnms.bsky.social


In the summer of 2009, I took a vacation to Wuhu Island. I spent the days swordfighting in its arena, wakeboarding around its shores, playing frisbee on its beaches, and refining my archery skills deep within its central volcano. It was a great summer spent playing Wii Sports Resort, the followup to the original cultural phenomenon and the game that introduced us to the new and improved Wii Motion Plus accessory (that would later be built into the Wii Remote itself). It was fun to play with family and friends, but I was always most intrigued by the setting itself.
Wuhu Island was a paradise; a theme park disguised as a tropical resort constructed entirely around sports and the spirit of competition. I loved whenever I got to return to Wuhu Island in later Nintendo games. It appeared as the main setting of Pilotwings Resort on the 3DS’s launch day, a trio of tracks in Mario Kart 7, and a stage in Super Smash Bros. There was a time when Wuhu Island was planned for so many Nintendo games that Shigeru Miyamoto told Satoru Iwata the island itself was becoming a Nintendo character. But then, it disappeared, as 2018 marked our final trip to Wuhu Island for the next eight years.
But now, Nintendo Switch Sports Resort takes us back to my favorite vacation destination for a new era of motion-controlled sports action, and I was so happy to be back. During a demo at San Diego Comic Con, I got to try four of Resort’s 12 sports: archery, bowling, power cruising (which is a trademark-free way of saying jet skiing), and thumb wrestling, which Nintendo’s Yoshiaki Koizumi famously demonstrated for us in last month’s Nintendo Direct.
I think Resort is already poised to avoid some of the shortcomings of its predecessor.This series has not changed all that much in 20 years. Each sport used either a single Joy-Con or a split pair of them, relying almost entirely on simple motion controls with the occasional button press. I played 100-pin bowling, returning from the original Wii Sports Resort, where a lone red pin denotes the front of an army of pins to knock down. This was a classic back on the Wii, and I’m glad to see it back after it wasn’t included in 2022’s Nintendo Switch Sports.
In fact, I think Resort is already poised to avoid some of the shortcomings of its predecessor. Nintendo Switch Sports felt very light on content at launch, with only a few sports worth playing One of its sports was wasted on a pretty boring take on soccer, complete with the leg strap accessory that was put to much better use a couple of years earlier in Ring Fit Adventure. It also added multiple sports months or even years later that would have been nice to have at launch.
But Resort’s 12 out-of-the-box sports matches the number from the Wii original, even if the lineup is pretty different. One of the new additions is thumb wrestling, where you hold a single Joy-Con with your thumb on the trigger (like in Arms) as you weave your hand back and forth, trying to outsmart your opponent. When you get pinned, you can shake the Joy-Con 2 as fast as you can to escape it. I’m not sure about the replayability of this one: it seems to lack the depth of something like swordfighting, which was easily my favorite sport in the original, and a far more compelling one-on-one battle than thumb wrestling was when I tried it.
My other favorite sport on Wii was archery, and it’s great here. The lack of cable between the Joy-Con controller – like the Wii Remote and Nunchuck had – meant I could draw my arrow back even further, and it was fun battling the wind to try and hit targets set up around the beaches of Wuhu. There was another course I didn’t get to try on the Plains of Wuhu Island, and I’m excited to perfect each one.
Nearby, in the ocean, I tried power cruising, but I didn’t really play in the ideal conditions. I raced alone and cruised around a very simple course on a timer. All of Switch Sports Resort’s modes are designed with multiplayer in mind, and I imagine it’d be a lot more fun to race against others, but I can’t speak to that just yet. I do love whenever Nintendo brings jet skis back, though, as it always feels like a nod to Wave Race 64.
Something interesting compared to the Wii Remote and Nunchuck is that every sport in Resort had me holding the Joy-Con 2 in a different way. I held a single Joy-Con vertically for bowling, the thumb grip I described earlier while thumb wrestling, and I held the pair of controllers like handlebars when power cruising, and it was a cool feeling to rev the engine for a boost. The gyro aiming on Switch 2 is already a huge improvement over Switch 1’s drifty motion controls, finally allowing the versatility of these little controllers to really shine.
Something interesting compared to the Wii Remote and Nunchuck is that every sport in Resort had me holding the Joy-Con 2 in a different way.All that said, though, I can’t help but feel like the peak of this franchise is far behind us. Wii Sports had a huge hand in changing the gaming landscape in the 2000s, and there was a time when it was so novel to invite family and friends over to make Miis and play Wii Sports. I am genuinely excited to play the rest of the sports and have Switch Sports Resort enter the rotation of casual party games for the rest of the Switch 2 generation, but most of that is rooted in nostalgia rather than love for this style of gameplay in 2026.
I’m also disappointed that Nintendo continues to push the generic new “Sportsmate” characters in this series. Miis are so intertwined with Wii Sports, and I think they have legitimately stronger character design than the basic avatars introduced in the first Switch Sports. You can still play as a Mii in Resort, I just think they should be front and center again, especially after Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream launched Miis back into popularity earlier this year.
Those issues aside, I did enjoy my return to Wuhu Island in Nintendo Switch Sports Resort. Seventeen years later, I still love the concept of an island fit for all forms of competition, and I’m looking forward to seeing the rest of it through the eight sports I haven’t tried yet. It’s still an excellent vacation destination.
Logan Plant is the host of Nintendo Voice Chat and IGN's Database Manager & Playlist Editor. The Legend of Zelda is his favorite video game franchise of all time, and he is patiently awaiting the day Nintendo announces a brand new F-Zero. You can find new episodes of NVC every Friday on the IGN Games YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app.


Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls has revealed its first Year 1 DLC character alongside its opening movie during a panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2026.
The first DLC character for the upcoming 4v4 tag team fighting game is Phoenix Cyclops, voiced by Ray Chase. Chase voices Cyclops in Disney+ show X-Men '97 and hero shooter Marvel Rivals. The DLC character is inspired by his Phoenix Five incarnation from Avengers vs. X-Men, and uses the power of the Phoenix Force, made famous by fellow X-Men mutant, Jean Grey. Phoenix Cyclops is due out fall 2026 as the first of four DLC characters and one new stage coming during the game's first year.
"Unleash devastating Optic Blasts, relentless close-range pressure, and the cosmic flames of the Phoenix Force," Arc System Works said of Phoenix Cyclops' fighting style.
Meanwhile, we have the Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls opening movie below. Developer Arc System Works said the opening movie was inspired by classic fighting games and early 2000s anime openings. It was made by Japanese animation studio Sanzigen, under the direction of Daisuke Suzuki.
The song in the opening movie is called Stronger as One, and will be available on streaming platforms from 9pm PST tonight.
Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls launches on PC and PlayStation 5 on August 6.
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.


Woot, which is owned by Amazon, just launched one of the best deals I've seen this year for a Nintendo Switch 2 console. For a limited time, you can pick up a Grade "A" Refurbished Nintendo Switch 2 Mario Kart World Console Bundle for just $419. Amazon Prime members get free shipping, but even if you don't have a membership the shipping is only $5. This is an additional $20 price drop compared to the original deal last week, which had the Switch 2 console pegged at $439. Keep in mind that the Switch 2 console will go up in price starting September 1.
The refurbished Switch 2 console with 90-day Woot warranty. According to Woot, "this item has been inspected and guaranteed to have minimal cosmetic damage & has successfully passed a full diagnostic test which ensures like-new functionality & removal of any prior-user's personal information. Bundle includes OEM accessories and retail box." According to this forum post by a Woot staffer, "the [Mario Kart World] code was either not used by the original customer and is still in the box or a new game code has been added to the box."
Nintendo Switch 2 Mario Kart World Bundle for $419Several major Switch 2 video games have been released: Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bananza, Pokemon Legends: Z-A, Kirby Air Riders, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, Pokemon Pokopia, and much more. Several high-profile titles have been announced, like the Star Fox remake and Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave.
Triple-A ports are also making their way to the Switch 2 console, including Cyberpunk 2077 and Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade, making the Switch 2 a veritable competitor to pricier handheld gaming PCs. The Switch 2 hardware is powerful enough to run these games at a very playable clip, a feat that's impossible on the original Switch's increasingly outdated hardware.
The Switch 2 will go up in price starting September 1Nintendo officially announced that the Switch 2 console will go up in price starting September 1. This means that the console sans game will cost $499.99 instead of $449.99. The time to upgrade from your Switch console is now.
How to Follow IGN Deals RecommendationsThe IGN Deals team has over 30 years of combined experience finding the best discounts and preorders available online. If you want the latest updates from our trusted team, here’s how to follow our coverage:
Sign up for our IGN Deals NewsletterSet IGN as a preferred source in GoogleFollow us on social mediaIGN Deals on XIGN Deals on InstagramIGN Deals on FacebookIGN Deals on TiktokEric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.

Sturmgrenadier is more organised, more active, and more structured than most guilds you would come across in WoW. We believe this gives us a distinct advantage in being the best guild we can be for our members, because everyone knows where they stand, and are treated equally. Players with negative attitudes will not be tolerated. That means that there is no epeen measuring, no belittling of other players, and no trolling.

EVE Online is Sturmgrenadier’s longest-played game, with over 16 years of continuous influence throughout New Eden. Traditional hallmarks of our gaming syndicate; organization and leadership, have propelled our in-game history to include participation in many of the defining moments of EvE gameplay.

New World is an upcoming massively multiplayer online role-playing video game by Amazon Game Studios set to release in May 2020. Set in the mid-1600s, players colonize a fictional land modeled after British America in the Atlantic Ocean. Players scavenge resources, craft items, and fight other players.




