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Siliconera Sunday, February 8, 2026 3:00 PM
Sometimes, Capcom makes weird or unusual games! I'm talking about things even more unconventional than Mega Man Soccer. Like we're talking Under the Skin sorts of weird with identity stealing or the Kabu Trader Shun stock market simulation game. While Pragmata is a third-person shooter, it also reminded me of those types of titles when I had the chance to play through a hands-on demo session. The puzzle-hacking element is unconventional and even odd, but starts to make sense after you get used to it.
Hugh awakes on a lunar research station completely alone, surrounded by hostile enemies, and hoping to make contact with people back on Earth. The only person there is Diana, an Android that looks like a young girl and seems to consider some of the artificial lifeforms and robots her friends. The catch is that these mechanical beings see the duo as a threat and tend to attack on sight, and Hugh's guns alone aren't strong enough to defeat them. So while there is the third-person shooter element, you need to regularly use Diana's hacking ability to strengthen shots and apply buffs.
I got to play through an early snippet of Pragmata that felt like an opportunity to test out some of Diana's in and out of battle hacking. The goal is to restore power to the station, and that means traversing some sections, using her ability to flip some switches to open a door, and facing a giant robot boss. While hacking to start the unlocking process, make platforms move, or reach areas is as easy as aiming in the right direction and pressing a button, the hacking for enemy fights is more involved.
Admittedly, that did take some getting adjusted to, though I found I was okay with it by the time I reached the boss. On the upper right side of the screen, there will be a 4x4 grid with elements to highlight in certain directions, perhaps a power-up or buff that Hugh collected when exploring the world, maybe a blockade or two, and a green power symbol. Your goal is to go through the lines in the right direction to trigger the damage bonuses and get to the power sign so Diana can help Hugh deal real damage. My biggest issue honestly came from remembering that this is tied to the ABXY buttons. My brain kept thinking, "I'm moving up, left, right, and down, so I should be using the directional pad!"
While this seems like a lot to consider, the hacking element with Diana in Pragmata takes so little time and offers such substantial bonuses that it begins to feel like second nature. You see an enemy? Quick go through the grid to power up while moving Hugh with the analog stick to evade any attacks. Once you get used to it, you could be through that in a few seconds. That carries over for a bit, and I found I'd head back to it when switching weapons or reloading to re-up the benefits. In the case of the boss fight, additional sub-weapons appeared around the area, so even taking advantage of Hugh moving to grab those while going through the hacking segment felt like a way of being efficient while preparing my next assault. Especially when it meant a defensive boost or allowing an attack to hit multiple foes instead of just one.
The area of Pragmata I got to sample did feel like more of a tutorial segment, so it is entirely possible that Diana's hacking could feel more challenging or taxing. But in this early slice of the game, it didn't feel invasive or annoying. It made sense in the moment. Plus the buffs that came from it really air with survivability. It's weird, but perhaps in a good way! I look forward to seeing more so I can properly decide.
Pragmata will come to the Switch 2, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC on April 24, 2026, and a demo is available. A Diana amiibo will also be released.
The post Preview: Pragmata Hacking Starts to Feel Natural appeared first on Siliconera. |
Destructoid Sunday, February 8, 2026 5:06 PM
The upcoming title Mewgenics is going to launch soon on PC, and this guide will help you keep track of the launch.
Made by Edmund McMillen and Tyler Glaiel, Mewgenics is an interesting take on the turn-based and roguelite genres. Instead of heroes and fantastic beasts, you'll be building up a cat army. If you don't want to waste a moment, this guide's countdown will help you with that.
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Mewgenics release countdown
Mewgenics will go live on PC on Tuesday, Feb. 10. The release date was announced previously by the developers, and the following countdown will expire once the launch goes live.
The countdown is based on the following timings.
The timings mentioned here are based on the information available on SteamDB. Any change ahead of the launch will be duly updated on this guide.
What to expect from Mewgenics
Mewgenics will be your dream video game if you ever plan to raise a cat army. You'll have to assemble a team of cats in Boon County. These aren't ordinary cats, as they have their mutant powers and class-specific collars. Your task is to lead this team in turn-based adventures where they will face strong enemies.
You can choose to combine 1000+ unique abilities, 900+ items, and environmental interactions. No two rounds will be the same, and you'll have to be on the top of your wits to guide your cat buddies. An important aspect is breeding your cats to create the ultimate mutant that can sweep every enemy they face.
If you're interested in playing the game, you can wishlist Mewgenics on Steam to stay on top of the launch.
The post Mewgenics release countdown: Exact date and time appeared first on Destructoid. |
Destructoid Sunday, February 8, 2026 3:43 PM
The first major update in Rust, the Naval update, has added the Deep Sea location to the game, and you'll need your own boats to reach the location.
The boats we are talking about are completely modular; they can take any shape and size, open to your imagination. This guide will help you build your first boat so that you can set sail as quickly as possible.
Table of contents
How to build a boat in Rust
Building a boat isn't an easy task, and more so if you're just a beginner. You're going to need a bunch of blueprints to build.
Once you have the parts, you can start crafting your boat. First, it will be an extremely basic boat. If you want to build a boat with engines, you're going to need a level 2 workbench. Here's a list of items you'll need to build an engine.
How to use the Boat Building Station in Rust
The Boat Building Station allows you to build all the modular parts required for making your ship. Once you craft the station, place it in the deep water. Drop it at the location, and the station will turn blue and become active.
Next, you'll find a construction grid in front of it. You'll be crafting the skeleton of your boat on this grid and placing the different parts. You'll need to redeploy the station whenever you want to rebuild your existing ship or build a new one.
All ship components in Rust
Every ship has three core parts.
Additionally, you can place ramps and plans on your boat if you want. However, these are optional parts and building them depends on your plans.
Interact with the Helm to finish the construction, and get the boat ready to move. Always have a security lock on your Helm to prevent your boat from being stolen. Once done, you're all set to sail for the Deep Sea location.
The post How to build a boat in Rust's Naval update appeared first on Destructoid. |
Destructoid Sunday, February 8, 2026 3:39 PM
The month of February 2026 has been a big one for ARC Raiders players as far as augments are concerned.
The last week of January gave us the Headwinds update, and with it arrived two new Epic-tier augments. If you weren't happy with the options that were already there, the Safekeeper and Revival augments offer you more choices.
However, it costs resources to build these augments, and not all of them are meta. This guide will help you figure out the three best augments and an honorable mention.
Table of contents
Three best augments in ARC Raiders (February 2026)
Every augment in ARC raiders have their own set of pros and cons. Uncommon and Rare loadouts have fewer benefits, but they are less resource-intensive. That said, here are my top three suggestions in the current meta.
Looting Mk. 3 (Survivor)
The Survivor is still the best augment in my books, and for good reason. It comes with an 80 kg carry weight limit and three safe pockets. Unlike the Safekeeper, you can't store weapons in the safe pockets. However, it's the best augment in the grand scheme of things. The three safe pockets are perfect if you're going on a Queen/Matriarch run. I play in friendly servers, so I rarely lose guns to another raider. Having the extra inventory slots, safe pockets, and weight capacity lets you bring more loot back from a raid.
Looting Mk. 3 (Safekeeper)
You, unlike me, might not be playing in PvE-focused friendly servers. If you're playing in a PvP server, you're always running the risk of losing your weapons to another player. Losing those Epic and Legendary-rarity weapons after getting killed can feel incredibly unfair (especially if they're fully modded).
The Safekeeper, compared to the Survivor, has fewer slots and just one safe pocket. However, you can store any item, including those fully-built weapons, in the safe pocket. Of course, you'll have to be quick to move the weapon to the safe pocket while trying to dodge the incoming attacks.
Tactical Mk. 3 (Revival)
The Revival is a pretty fun augment to run on your raids. The bag has 16 slots and two safe pockets, along with five quick-use slots. The augment restores one health every five seconds. Taking damage pauses this effect for 30 seconds, but the healing over time is essential if you're playing on a PvP-focused server.
The Revival blueprint also comes with an integrated defib that can be used once every 240 seconds. If you're playing in a party, having an extra defib every four minutes saves a lot of medical resources and frees extra quick-use slots.
Honorable Mention - Looting Mk. 2
The Looting Mk. 2 is one of the best augments to run in any raid if you don't want to risk an epic augment. It has a 60 kg weight carry capacity, 22 slots, and two safe pockets. There are three extra slots for trinkets you can find in the raid.
Unlike the names mentioned above, you can craft it on Gear Bench level two, and also buy it from Lance. While the likes of Revival and Safekeeper are better, Looting Mk. 2 is my most used augment, and for very good reasons.
The post Best augments in ARC Raiders (February 2026) appeared first on Destructoid. |
Destructoid Sunday, February 8, 2026 3:37 PM
Overwatch 2, soon to be just Overwatch once again, is yet to receive its major overhaul that'll add five more heroes, start off its fresh narrative-driven roadmap, and even change the very title of the game back to what it was prior to the sequel's release.
But just the thought of Overwatch being "so back" once again seems to have driven waves of players to come back and warm up for the game ahead of this massive new patch.
Ever since its initial release, when it peaked at around 75,000 concurrent players on Steam, Overwatch 2 has failed to recapture those initial players, floating around 50 percent of that number on average. Anticipating the new update, players are massively returning to the game, bringing it to numbers not seen since its launch month in 2023. At the time of writing, Overwatch 2's 24-hour peak is 64,000, the biggest it's been since the first few days after release.
This is a major development, even if the game was more than alive even prior to Blizzard's latest announcement.
It's almost in the top 30 most-played games at the moment, just shy of Call of Duty but above the super-popular and free-to-play Delta Force. It's on track to surpass Battlefield 6 as well, though that game has suffered significant player losses over the past few months as it failed to retain most of its base (which will no doubt return once major patches start rolling out any day now).
Overwatch 2 remains at just a 27 percent positive rating on Steam following a massive review-bombing campaign in 2023. It's going to take a long while for that number to bounce back into mixed or, God forbid, positive reviews, but it's not altogether impossible.
The numbers above also just reflect Steam itself, which isn't the platform of choice for many, if not most, Overwatch 2 players, who are probably flocking back to the game just as much on Battle.net and consoles.
I, for one, welcome this new Overwatch and cannot wait to see what Blizzard comes up with throughout the roadmap that is going to revitalize this otherwise static title.
The post Overwatch 2's title-changing update isn't even here yet but players are already flocking back in droves appeared first on Destructoid. |
Destructoid Sunday, February 8, 2026 2:38 PM
Just when you thought fishing simulators could be nothing but cozy, think again. The world of UMIGARI is vast and full of suffering, where the curse hopes to make sense of it and provide some much-needed change. But is it for the better?
Here is a full rundown of the strangest Chilla's Art title, UMIGARI.
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UMIGARI plot, summarized
The goal in UMIGARI is to find the three tablets to unlock the shrine that'll point you across the horizon, to the island where the omnipotent whale waits, so that you may bring this curse to an end. The flooded landscape is full of bizarre sea creatures that only get stranger the further you go. Fins made of human limbs, fish wearing schoolgirl uniforms, lips and giant eyes on hammerhead sharks, fish talking to you after being reeled in, and human faces plastered onto stingrays; there's a lot to fear in this creepy installment.
There's not much luck with humans either, as their behavior has turned truly bizarre, with violent outbursts and, in some cases, cannibalism. Taking NPC requests to a whole new level, UMIGARI makes DREDGE and Subnautica look truly cozy. There's no denying this fishing simulator is cursed beyond belief.
UMIGARI story, explained
What is the curse?
The curse in UMIGARI is that fish were transformed into humans, and humans into fish. Fish don't understand how to be human. They wake with extreme hunger and resentment towards mankind for years of being hunted. Perhaps a social commentary on fishing in Japan, or of the global suffering of animals, UMIGARI's surreal gameplay and narrative demonstrate the continual (and unnecessary) abuse of fish.
The main reason to fish in this game is to upgrade your boat, where the only real and important upgrade is your speed level. This is so that you can evade the sea spirit that hunts you between locations. Yet, the addictive gameplay loop and the fact that the fish get pricier the further you travel means the game quickly shifts gear into greed and farming to extinction. But the natural response to have when playing UMIGARI is to feel sickened that you're actually hunting and selling humans.
The curse befell mankind, curtesy of an omnipotent whale that grew tired of being hunted. Fish developed a hatred and resentment to the sailor, resorting to violence and cannibalism when it was their turn to try their hand at being "human." UMIGARI's message is about the destruction and suffering of animals for monetary reward and how we would have a very different take on fishing if we could communicate, hear, or understand the animals' suffering.
The fish-turned-humans appear unreasonable, mad, and incoherent, but their behavior isn't far from mankind. Through listening to the cries of his people, the whale decided to curse the land so that fish and man swapped places. But the fish-turned-human adopted the worst of humanity's traits, which begs the question—are humans truly evil? That is what UMIGARI is asking us.
What is the UMIGARI monster?
The main monster of UMIGARI is the Umiga. This is a giant female ocean spirit that waits in the open waters. She hates the sound of bells, which you must find and place on buoys to keep her at bay so you can travel to a new location. Though this curse isn't so much explained in-game, the Umiga could be similar to the Umi nyōbō, which hunt humans. Alternatively, the Umiga could be a large-scale version of the Nure-onna. Her appearance is a giant female head that transforms into a mouth when closing in on a boat she's pursuing. Inside the mouth are arms that reach out to drag the boat under.
There is also the Umibōzu, a sea giant. This is a yōkai of a gigantic shadowy figure that capsizes boats. It appears in the latter half of the game and attempts to consume you when you board the Spirited Away-like train inside the Suspicious Dome.
Other monsters that appear in UMIGARI seem to reference Japanese folklore, such as the Nure-onna and Ningyo. The Nure-onna is a yōkai with the head of a woman and the body of a snake. You must hunt once of these for Local Granny, opposite the Umino Maternity Hospital. The Ningyo are mermaid-like creatures that are a sign of a bad omen, yet are rumored to grant immortality. Yuria from Ominous City wants you to hunt them for her eyesight.
UMIGARI endings, explained
There are two endings in UMIGARI. You're asked questions by the omnipotent whale about your experience as a "human hunting fish." This is the Girl in School Uniform's father, who is a prominent figure in the game, as she's the whole reason you want to go to the island. The whale wants to know: "Were the humans you met evil itself?" Whether you see what you've been doing this whole time as an act of evil or that the actions of the fish-turned-humans were no different to mankind, the ending will change depending on your answer.
Much like mankind, the fish-turned-humans have grown complex in their values and desires. The Merchant doesn't want to go back because he believes there's still more for him to do. Meanwhile, the Girl wants everything to go back to how it was because we (the protagonist) still committed acts that caused suffering. They no longer hold hatred for mankind, for nothing positive came from it.
Ending A
The curse will be lifted if you tell the omnipotent whale that "humans," including yourself, were evil. The final cutscene shows the ocean flooded with drowned corpses—humanity eradicated in the blink of an eye. This ending implies that even if another species replaced humanity, they too would succumb to their greed, worst desires, and violent urges. If humanity is truly evil, then change isn't possible, so it's safer to rid the Earth of it before there's any more suffering. It is a cynical conclusion to UMIGARI and one that may make you question what all of this was for. But that's the point.
Ending B
The other ending is by answering no to all the omnipotent whale's questions. We then suggest that fish and humans can co-exist by giving all aquatic creatures the "power to think." The curse remains, where fish are still humans, and humans still fish. Yet, the world is vastly different. The cutscene shows an end to suffering, where fish-humans have jobs, communities, and go to school. They have bartering systems and children, and mankind continues to live in water, experiencing the ultimate freedom. Humanity has the chance to "be good" and face a new meaning of existence. There is peace and harmony in this totally wild and outlandish conclusion that is fitting for Chilla's Art's most surreal title yet.
The post UMIGARI story and endings, explained appeared first on Destructoid. |
Destructoid Sunday, February 8, 2026 1:55 PM
The 1 of 3 88+ Encore Icon Player Pick SBC can be your direct ticket to a guaranteed Icon in FC 26 Ultimate Team.
EA Sports has improved the Icon casino challenge we received last week. We are now entitled to three cards, and keep the one that we like the most. Let's look at all the available cards in the pool of rewards before you choose to invest your fodder.
Table of contents
Complete FC 26 1 of 3 88+ Encore Icon Player Pick SBC rewards
The 1 of 3 88+ Encore Icon Player Pick SBC features Icons from the following promos: Base, Thunderstruck, Unbreakables, Winter Wildcards, Champions, and Time Warp. Only cards rated 88 or higher are included.
Base
Winter Wildcards
Thunderstruck
Unbreakables
Time Warp
Champions
The post All FC 26 1 of 3 88+ Encore Icon Player Pick SBC rewards appeared first on Destructoid. |
Destructoid Sunday, February 8, 2026 1:51 PM
ARC Raiders is truly an amazing game. It's a title that somehow made extraction shooters fun and approachable, streamlining the experience from start to finish. But sometimes it can falter, and the lighting, particularly, has been a popular point of contention among players.
Entering dark areas in any game, especially competitive ones, should always be a daunting experience. By its very nature, darkness instills a sense of dread in every player, immediately heightening the tension and keeping everyone on edge. In ARC Raiders, though, it's anything but that.
You can't see anything whatsoever, and flashlights only help others to spot you since they don't illuminate jack but also shine brighter than the sun to those looking at you. This client-sided jank produces situations where you're actively putting yourself at a disadvantage by utilizing one of the most powerful and valuable tools in a post-apocalyptic setting.
Players, naturally, have been vocal about this. In a post referring to Stella Montis in particular, some ARC Raiders players are asking Embark Studios to somehow go in and fix the lighting, at least on this map, but preferably elsewhere, too.
"Even daytime Stella raids seem to be like 50 percent blackouts. Not even emergency lighting, just dark," said the original poster. "Anybody else feel like flashlights do f*ck all," another asked, with many agreeing that no, flashlights don't seem to help in these situations, as they seem only to be good for "revealing your location" to others.
Some have compared the game's flashlights to those keyrings that "shine" symbolically.
"I'm just kind of tired of being totally blinded. At this point, it's just a battle of monitors and settings, and the game doesn't feel good when you're just unable to see constantly," the OP further explained. And yeah, some monitors, especially those that correct for darkness much more and are blacker as a result (OLEDs), will be at a major disadvantage.
Hardware should ideally never be the deciding factor in any competitive shooter, but Embark Studios did show how inclined they are toward fair play with their quick and summary fix of the console exploit a month or so back.
The studio seems to always be monitoring these kinds of things, and I have no doubt a hotfix is coming soon.
The post Flashlights are supposed to be invaluable in the post-apocalypse—but in ARC Raiders, 'they're great for revealing your location,' and fans can't wait for a change appeared first on Destructoid. |
Destructoid Sunday, February 8, 2026 1:42 PM
Baldur's Gate 3 is going to be adapted into a TV show, with no involvement from Larian. While that itself is a bummer, a good number of talented folks have been brought on to bring the story to the little screens, likely twisting it into something different, original, and adjacent to the game rather than straight-up copying its plot.
And they should model the show around the Dark Urge character and its homicidal god, Bhaal.
The Dark Urge, for those who hadn't played the old games, was the central character of Baldur's Gate 1 and Baldur's Gate 2. The spawn (offspring) of the murder-god Bhaal, the Dark Urge had to combat their nature and always stay on the run, avoiding the bloodfiend's goons and monsters along the way.
Baldur's Gate 3 upped the ante for this character, giving you a lot of control over how they'll turn out. You could succumb to the urge, embracing your old self and restarting the path to chaos and carnage, or fight it out, accepting this new chance at a normal life, free from the freedom-promising shackles of Bhaal and his host of slaughter.
This storyline is perhaps the best-written and most dramatic of all the characters you can select. It allows for a totally custom character, but also one that has a semi-preset story where you are the one who alters parts of it.
The human side to it, where one must wrestle with their own nature as something they did not choose to be, is a perfect dramatic theme for television. It's something that, while super close to its fantasy background and part of a broader fantastical world, separates itself from low-level, kid-friendly fantasy that most of the genre has become saturated with nowadays.
The Dark Urge and Bhaal are serious, gritty, bloody, and even disgusting to a degree, but all of that plays into refining the tone of the story that leans more to the mature side rather than retaining the superficial glee of DnD fantasy.
The very city of Baldur's Gate, too, is centered around Bhaal and his cult thriving underground in the sewers and ancient ruins, so even if the story doesn't follow that thread directly, it still has to make it a strong presence. At that point, since you're incorporating a fundamental aspect of the setting (the city), you might as well elevate your central plot and make it fit in with its surroundings, i.e., by making the main character(s) related to the city, its cults, nature, history, and culture.
Without Bhaal and the Dark Urge as key components, I fail to see how just another Forgotten Realms story is going to be worth consuming.
Then again, I'm cautiously optimistic to see how this'll play out, and God forbid I be wrong about something.
The post The Baldur's Gate TV show should focus on the Dark Urge and Bhaal, because we need more serious fantasy in this world appeared first on Destructoid. |
Destructoid Sunday, February 8, 2026 1:28 PM
The Prince from Arenys Evolution has arrived in FC 26, and you can upgrade one of your cards to walk in the steps of Cesc Fabregas.
The latest evolution can be unlocked for 45,000 coins and offers plenty of boosts. Let's look at the best options for this evolution based on the offered upgrades and requirements.
Table of contents
FC 26 The Prince from Arenys Evolution requirements
Here are the requirements of The Prince from Arenys Evolution in FC 26.
FC 26 The Prince from Arenys Evolution upgrades
The evolution has five levels of upgrades, each with certain conditions to fulfill.
Level 1 upgrades
Level 2 upgrades
Level 3 upgrades
Level 4 upgrades
Level 5 upgrades
Level 1 upgrade requirements
Level 2 upgrade requirements
Level 3 upgrade requirements
Level 4 upgrade requirements
Level 5 upgrade requirements
Best players to use in The Prince from Arenys Evolution
Here are some of my best recommendations for inclusion in the evolution.
While the upgrades are significant, you will be able to include these cards in future evolutions to create a chain and evolve their stats further.
The post Best players for FC 26 The Prince from Arenys Evolution appeared first on Destructoid. |
WGB Sunday, February 8, 2026 5:01 PM Rayman creator Michel Ancel hints at a potential HD re-release or reboot of the original Rayman game, suggesting improvements for non-skilled players, alongside other upcoming Rayman projects. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Sunday, February 8, 2026 1:59 PM According to new reports. The post Microsoft May Combine PC Game Pass With Xbox Game Pass Premium appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
iDev Games Feed Sunday, February 8, 2026 3:50 PM Experience the final minutes of a dinosaur fighting against an otherworldly threat.... |