IGN Turns 30 in 2026

Key Takeaways

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Various companies are releasing special Pokémon-themed products to commemorate the 30th anniversary, including toys, skateboards, and collectibles from Uniqlo, LEGO, Bandai, Takara Tomy, Jazwares, and Santa Cruz Skateboards.
The week-long Pokémon GO event that ran from March 3 to March 9, 2026, offered trainers the opportunity to complete special tasks for rewards such as Rare Candy, Silver Pinap Berries, Golden Razz Berries, and encounters with unique Pokémon.
IGNs history began in September 1996 with N64.com, launching alongside the Nintendo 64s U.S. debut. Over the past three decades, IGN has grown to become the largest Western video game news entity, strengthened by acquisitions of European sites like Eurogamer and Rock Paper Shotgun.
Some content from IGNs early years is still available online, showcasing the evolution of gaming journalism and the growth of IGN as a platform for daily news and reviews about various console games.

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IGN will celebrate its 30th anniversary on September 29, 2026. The company’s history began with N64.com, its first site, which launched alongside the Nintendo 64’s U.S. debut in 1996. IGN Entertainment was officially founded in February 1999. A host of companies are planning special releases to mark the anniversary: Uniqlo: The Pokémon 30th Anniversary Collection, featuring watercolor artwork from Generation I, will drop in March 2026. LEGO: The LEGO Pokémon partnership debuted its first sets on January 12, 2026, with preorders starting the same day and the official release following on February 27, 2026. Bandai: The Pokémon Kids toyline will commemorate its 30th anniversary in 2026 with two figure sets, arriving on March 2 and May. Takara Tomy: Launching on February 27, 2026, is a fresh wave of MonColle anniversary sets, a new Pikachu Comfy Friends Poke Fuwa with lights and sounds, and a reissue of the original 1997 Tomy lifesized Pikachu plush toy. Jazwares: Plans are in place to release 30th Anniversary-themed plush and figures throughout 2026.

Santa Cruz Skateboards: A collection of skateboards inspired by the Pokémon Trading Card Game is coming in Fall 2026, with blind bags based on card designs from the TCG’s 30-year history. A Pokémon GO event, celebrating the milestone, ran from March 3, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. to March 9, 2026, at 8:00 p.m. local time. In addition, a celebratory drone show took place on February 27, 2026. During the week-long Pokémon GO event, 149 of the original 151 Pokémon from the Kanto region were featured. Trainers could complete special event-related tasks to earn Rare Candy, Silver Pinap Berries, Golden Razz Berries, and encounters with unique Pokémon.

The “Pokémon 30th Anniversary: All Out” portion of the festivities brought back almost every Pokémon that has appeared in Pokémon GO. Players could also collect GO Points to level up and earn extra rewards by completing tasks with the GO Pass Deluxe, which was available for $7.99 (or the equivalent in local currency). For those seeking a head start, the GO Pass Deluxe + 10 Ranks could be purchased for $9.99, instantly boosting players to Rank 11. GO Pass rewards expired on March 15th, 2026, at 7:59 p.m. local time. Throughout the event, Ditto transformed into different Pokémon in the wild, while Pokémon originally discovered in the Kanto region appeared more frequently. Specifically, Farfetch’d, Kangaskhan, Mr. Mime, and Tauros were appearing in select regions. IGN’s roots trace back to September 23, 1996, with an early article covering Howard Lincoln’s comments on the N64’s price reduction. This piece predated the launch of N64.com by only a few days. Fuelled by the advent of 3D console gaming, IGN aimed to deliver daily content about the N64, PlayStation, and Saturn, exceeding the limitations of monthly print magazines.

IGN’s Evolution and Resilience Over Three Decades

While content preservation wasn’t a priority in the 90s, many original articles survive online. These include pre-launch texts addressing concerns (such as “Why is the site so slow?”), early examples of now-common formats like image-based unboxings, and previews for games that were ultimately never released. Some content was unfortunately lost due to media server migrations or a failure to confirm article retention preferences after Saturnworld.com merged with IGN.com in 1999. Today, IGN stands as the largest Western video game news entity, a position strengthened by its acquisition of European sites Eurogamer, Rock Paper Shotgun, and Gamesindustry.biz in 2024. This milestone anniversary is set to be a momentous occasion.

In Case You Missed It

In our quest for more adventure and challenge, Bruno Pferd’s “Donkey Kong Bananza Enhanced by DLC Island DK + Emerald Hunt” (published on September 16th, 2025) is a must-read, offering an exciting exploration of the newly released enhanced version of Donkey Kong Bananza on Nintendo Switch. Bruno masterfully dissects the game’s roguelike mode and permanent rewards system, making it an excellent guide for both seasoned players and new adventurers eager to dive into this banana-fueled escapade Donkey Kong Bananza Enhanced by DLC Island DK + Emerald Hunt. Meanwhile, if you’re interested in how the gaming industry’s layoffs and AI advancements are shaping journalism, don’t miss Sophie Laurent’s insightful piece on “Aftermath, Rogue, and Journalism in the Era of Layoffs and AI”. Published on 2025-11-09, this post delves into the emergence of Aftermath and Rogue, two new gaming news sites launched by former journalists from notable outlets like Kotaku and Polygon. Sophie explores how these sites are navigating the challenges posed by PR releases, AI-generated texts, and changing audience preferences amidst significant industry layoffs Aftermath, Rogue, and Journalism in the Era of Layoffs and AI.