The brutal combat system in Of Ash and Steel can be pretty tricky, but finding the Meoran Rapier will make things slightly easier.
The piercing weapon has decent damage, but it also offers 110% attack speed. Once you invest sufficient points in Dexterity, the Meoran Rapier should easily carry you to the latter chapters. This guide will help you find out the weapon, and its location can be quite confusing.
How to obtain the Meoran Rapier in Of Ash and Steel
To obtain the weapon, you've to clear all the quests in the lead up to the first chapter. Starting Act 1 will be necessary to find the weapon. We will begin from the starting point (your hut) that you use as your base for clearing the quests. Chances are that you won't have access to the map, so we will use different structures for navigation.
Image via tinyBuild
Take the path that goes straight from the main entrance (as shown above) and continue straight until you reach a point where the road divides. Turn left, and continue straight on the new path. You'll come across a few broken-down structures to your right. Go past those until you come across a bridge on a set of rocks. There's an enemy at this location, and try not to engage it.
Image via tinyBuild
There are a few treehouses at this location (three of them), and the Meoran Rapier is in the highest one. To begin our ascent, use the rocks to reach the bridge. Run straight and jump from the ledge to get the first house. This place doesn't have anything to offer.
From there, jump on the nearest rock, and then jump once again to reach the second tree house. You'll find a book inside, and a ladder in front. Use the ladder to reach a set of creepy-crawlies. Climb to get on a platform. You'll now find a house in front of you.
Image via tinyBuild
This will be the most dangerous jump out of all, and you'll need to have momentum. Once you jump successfully, you can then find the Meoran Rapier inside the house. Make sure you have sufficient Dexterity actually to wield the weapon.
Assassin's Creed Shadows probably won't get a second major DLC expansion on the scale of Claws of Awaji, Ubisoft's associate game director Simon Lemay-Comtois has revealed. It's a blow to fans who are accustomed to getting a couple of major expansions per Assassin's Creed, and a boon to people who haven't even played Shadows yet, let alone the 10-hour-long Claws of Awaji, and are getting dry heaves from FOMO. It's me, I am people.
Sweeney's argument is broadly that all videogames will use generative AI tools at some stage, so you and I might as well stop hearing about it. He thinks tagging things as made with generative AI is only necessary when there's a formal need to prove legal authorship, or help buyers understand whether they have rights to a piece of digital art. There's no sense letting regular old videogame players learn that stuff. It will only make us upset, and possibly less willing to play videogames with generative AI in them, like Fortnite.
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 hasn't sold as well as publishers Paradox predicted. As such, the company have announced plans to write-down 355 million Swedish Krona (approximately £28 million/$37 million) of the game's development costs - essentially the financial way of saying something along the lines of 'oops, this isn't worth as much as we thought it was'.
Earlier this year, Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord's War Sails naval expansion had its release pushed back from June 17th to November 26th. You can give it a go right now if you fancy, so it obviously made that second date. Prior to the DLC dropping, I chatted with Bannerlord senior producer Falk Engel about what went into the decision to ditch the initial summer date, and why custom naval battles were only confirmed to be arriving with its launch quite late in the day.
It's that time of year. The holiday season is approaching and Black Friday 2025 is upon us, which means checking sales to find games as gifts for Switch and Switch 2 owners and Siliconera's annual guide. This year we're showing up right ahead of the sales events to help figure out things to keep in mind and consider either getting for yourself or someone else you know and love.
First, there are no special bundles to pick from this year. Nintendo already clarified that, but also noted that people should see the Switch 2 Mario Kart World option for $499.99. The only discount I've seen is Walmart selling that for $499. There are some demo events, with a GameTruck tour showing up at select Walmart stores in the US with Switch 2 game demos.
As for games, there are some standard Switch first-party physical copy sales that are universal. You can get Nintendo Switch Sports, Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door, Splatoon 3, and Super Mario Odyssey for $29.99 everywhere. Donkey Kong Country Returns HD, Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, Luigi's Mansion 3, and Princess Peach: Showtime are $39.99 at multiple retailers.
When it comes to games, it was a fantastic year for the Switch and Switch 2! Both consoles ended up with a lot of different games available, and we're seeing a lot of them on sale so far. Here are all of the ones we most recommend this year, in case you're shopping around. In the case of the Switch titles, they should all be playable on the Switch 2. (Switch 2 games are not playable on the original system.) I also noted the Black Friday 2025 sale and store where I've seen it the cheapest so far.
Here's Siliconera's 2025 Switch and Switch 2 game gift guide, complete with Black Friday 2025 sale prices.
Ace Attorney Investigations Collection (Switch) – $24.99 at Amazon
Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy (Switch) – $24.99 at Amazon
Balatro Special Edition (Switch) – $19.99 at Amazon
ARC Raiders continues to receive update and patches, and even though not all of them are equally big, they are all equally meaningful.
This time around, Embark Studios has gone for minor tweaks in an effort to curb exploits, cheats, and other unsportsmanlike behavior, sprinkling a bit of trolling and fun on top of it all in an entirely unique way to deal with nefarious players.
Here is everything included in the ARC Raiders 1.4.0 patch released on Nov. 27.
Everything included in ARC Raiders Patch 1.4.0
Image via Embark
As stated in the intro, ARC Raiders Update 1.4.0 is a minor one, focusing primarily on fixing exploits and cheats that saw players glitching through locked doors to access great loot at no cost and those who utilized weapon swapping to increase their rate of fire.
These two fixes are a highlight of the patch, especially the former, where Embark Studios has implemented a mechanic that burns anyone glitching through doors to a crisp, leading to some fun and hilarious moments shared across social media. The exploit that allowed players to "shoot quicker than intended by swapping to a quick use item and back," has also been patched, with shootouts now more likely to play out fairly and without cheating.
Outside of these focused fixes, the following has also been changed, tweaked, or introduced:
Spaceport's Control Tower locked room can no longer be accessed from the exterior.
Low resolution textures should no longer appear in the main menu.
Players cannot push one another by jumping on each others' backs anymore.
Lighting artifacts on map loading have been fixed.
Raider Voice options stay after reloading the game.
While admittedly small, the patch's quality-of-life fixes are going to make the game a better place, especially when it comes to players being disallowed from nefariously obtaining high-quality loot that usually requires keys (and, therefore, a lot of experience and luck).
One of the earliest quests in Of Ash and Steel requires you to find Nerest's Supplies, and it can be pretty tricky if you don't know where to look.
Once you start the first chapter, you'll find Nerest's Hut. The location is impossible to miss, and you'll find plenty of items inside to loot. You'll also find a bag to open, which includes various resources, and Nerest's Note. The note will inform you about a few missing supplies that you'll have to find.
Nerest's Supplies location in Of Ash and Steel
To find Nerest's Supplies, read the note that you get from his hut. Next, exit the hut, and go left. You'll find an entrance that leads you to the nearby pond. You'll first have to find a shovel to excavate the treasure. Finding the shovel is quite simple, and it's situated close to the hut.
Screenshot by Destructoid
Head straight from the entrance mentioned above, and you'll find a stumble near the pond. Turn left, and go straight to find the shovel planted in the ground. Once you pick it up, move the shovel from your inventory to a quick slot and equip the item.
The next part of the quest is to unearth the hidden treasure. To do so, you'll need to use the shovel at the correct location. Interestingly, the treasure is hidden right where the shovel was planted. It's at the exact spot, and a big chest appears once you complete the digging process.
The chest has useful rewards for you to get that will help you complete various quests. You'll also get Gold, which is always pretty useful. The chest also includes a Dexterity Potion, which is a Legendary item. It also grants you three lockpicks, which can prove to be of use at any given moment.
The first chapter has plenty of interesting quests, and it all leads up to you finding the map in Of Ash and Steel. Until then, you'll essentially have to depend on buildings to navigate yourself.
Rockstar Games has made many controversial games in its history. One might even argue every game it has ever produced has been controversial. But none ever reached the levels of Manhunt and its brutal, horrifying displays of violence. Now it's coming back, not as a game, but a fan-made movie.
As shown by IGN, Manhunt is the title of the upcoming fan-made movie adaptation of the eponymous 2003 game, whose release was covered in controversy and even forbidden in certain countries. Never has a title generated so much bad rep and anti-gaming press, which is not least because there was a strong crowd at the time advocating for banning video games because they were "teaching" kids to be violent and cruel.
Rockstar's output was particularly targeted due to the nature of its sandbox titles, where one could take out a chainsaw and cut down an entire city of people, or, as was the case in Manhunt, play as a brutal serial killer going after people in the most despicable ways possible, all while making sure it's all filmed and documented. Essentially, players were tasked with making snuff films, and while the game has many merits and thematic depth, that fact alone caused quite the stir.
Over two decades later, it's getting made into a movie. And that, of course, means even more blood, gore, guts, and violence on full display with no artistic compromise.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XER6U0O7W7Q
The style of the movie appears to closely follow that of the game, with a retro camera filter over the entire screen, emulating the sense of "snuff" in question. In just 40 seconds of footage, we can see heads split open, blood flowing in rivers, and chainsaws going to work. It takes what Manhunt the game is and elevates it to a whole different level, making significant use of our advances in technology and practical and digital effects, as well as of the fact that this is a movie and not a game.
All the limitations of the original seem to have been overcome, allowing for a true R-rated horror fest that is bound to be a super fun splatterpunk flick.
Now I'm not saying I particularly love horror movies like this (even though I am a fan of Rob Zombie), but this seems to be quite a faithful, thoughtful, and, most importantly, fun adaptation that turns a game that hasn't aged so well into something worth watching.
If the story has been expanded or refined, we could be looking at the ultimate way to experience Rockstar's most controversial game, now in a better time when there are no groups of politically motivated gaming haters trying to shut it down.
The Locked In Evolution offers a flash upgrade option in FC 26 Ultimate Team, which allows you to upgrade a card of your choice.
While the evolution is available for free, there are specific requirements. The upgrades are also more suited to certain positions. Let's look at the best options to consider for the upgrades based on the requirements and boosts.
Here are the requirements for the Locked In Evolution in FC 26.
Overall: Max 85
Pace: Max 89
PlayStyle: Max 10
Not Rarity: World Tour Silver Stars
Not Position: GK
FC 26 Locked In Evolution upgrades
The Locked In Evolution has only one level of upgrades. To obtain the boosts, you'll need to complete specific tasks.
Level 1 upgrades
Overall: +2
Def. Aware: +15|87
Slide Tackle: +12|88
Weak Foot: +1|4
Level 2 upgrades
Heading Acc.: +12|88
Interceptions: +15|88
Stand Tackle: +12|87
PlayStyles: Anticipate|6
Level 1 upgrade requirements
Play 1 match in Squad Battles on min Semi-Pro difficulty (or Rush/Rivals/Champions/Live Events) using your active EVO player in game.
Level 2 upgrade requirements
Play 2 matches in Squad Battles on min. Semi-Pro difficulty (or Rush/Rivals/Champions/Live Events) using your active EVO Player in game.
Best players for Locked In Evolution in FC 26
You can include plenty of different cards in this evolution. I have considered those items that are best suited for the offered upgrades.
Hegazi FC Pro Live
Unai Lopez Primetime
Zielenski Captains
Hojberg Captains
Leon Goretzka Flashback
Wijnaldum FC Pro Live
Doue Ultimate Scream
Cabal Ultimate Scream
These are arguably some of the best options you can include in this evolution. You don't have to put them in any older evolutions, and the upgraded versions can be included in future options to improve them further.
A brand new Flash Evo is now live in FC 26 Ultimate Team in the form of the Speed Surge Evolution, and it allows you to boost the ratings of a card of your choice.
The evolution is available for free, and you can include 85-rated cards for the first time in this cycle. Let's look at the best possible candidates for receiving the upgrades based on the requirements.
Here are the requirements for the Speed Surge Evolution in FC 26.
Overall: Max 85
Defending: Max 80
Speed: Max 80
PlayStyle: Max 10
Not Rarity: World Tour Silver Stars
FC 26 Speed Surge Evolution upgrades
The Speed Surge Evolution has only one level of upgrades. To obtain the boosts, you'll need to complete specific tasks.
Level 1 upgrades
Overall: +2
Acceleration: +12|88
Sprint Speed: +15|89
PlayStyles: Quick Step|6
Level 1 upgrade requirements
Play 3 matches in Squad Battles on min. Semi-Pro difficulty (or Rush/Rivals/Champions/Live Events) using your active EVO Player in game.
Best players for Speed Surge Evolution in FC 26
You can include a wide variety of items in this evolution. I have considered those cards that will benefit the most from the upgrades, and don't require being combined with other evolutions.
Unai Lopez Primetime
Leon Goretzka Flashback
Zielinski Captains
James McLean MOTM
Lucas Paqueta TOTW
Romelu Lukaku Ultimate Scream
Choupo-Moting FC Pro Live
Mateta Ratings Reload
Yeremy Pino Primetime
Grealish World Tour
These are arguably some of the best options you can include in this evolution. None of them requires to be put into any older evolutions, and you can include them in future upgrade options to further enhance their stats.
The Hit the Weights Evolution is a brand new Flash Evo released in FC 26 Ultimate Team as part of the Black Friday celebrations. It's available for free, and you can upgrade a card of your choice.
Not only can you include an 85-rated card in this evolution, but they will also get stat upgrades, new roles, and playstyles.
Here are the requirements for the Hit the Weights Evolution in FC 26.
Overall: Max 85
PlayStyle: Max 10
Not Rarity: World Tour Silver Stars
Not Position: GK
FC 26 Hit the Weights Evolution upgrades
The Hit the Weights Evolution has only one level of upgrades. To obtain the boosts, you'll need to complete specific tasks.
Level 1 upgrades
Overall: +2
Aggression: +15|89
Jumping: +12|87
Stamina: +12|87
Strength: +12|88
Weak Foot: +1|4
PlayStyles: Bruiser|6
Level 1 upgrade requirements
Play 3 matches in Squad Battles on min. Semi-Pro difficulty (or Rush/Rivals/Champions/Live Events) using your active EVO Player in game.
Best players for Hit the Weights Evolution in FC 26
You can include a wide variety of items in this evolution. I have considered those cards that will benefit the most from the upgrades.
Unai Lopez Primetime
Timothy Weah Ultimate Scream
Zielinski Captains
Theo Hernandez
Jordan Henderson Captains
Giorginio Wijnaldum FC Pro Live
Kieran Tierney Man of the Moment
Matheus Silva Primetime
Collins Captains
Khephrem Thuram Cornerstones
These are arguably some of the best options you can include in this evolution. None of them requires to be put into any older evolutions, and you can chain them in the future to further upgrade the stats and roles.
Over 40 special promo items have been added to FC 26 Ultimate Team as part of the Thunderstruck Best of Re-Release batch, and it's the best time to open as many packs as possible.
All the items have been released previously in Ultimate Team. However, they have made a return to Ultimate Team packs for a limited time. This guide will provide you with a list of all the cards that are part of the batch before you start opening your packs.
Complete list of FC 26 Thunderstruck Best of Re-Release players
The following table has all the cards you can expect to find in packs as part of the Best of Re-Release campaign. Whether you find them depends on your luck, but there's a higher chance of packing promo items from packs.
Name
Promo
Overall
Thuram
Cornerstones
85
O'Sullivan
Cornerstones
85
Crystal Dunn
Ratings Reload
85
Unai Lopez
Primetime
85
Rafael Leao
Ultimate Scream
86
Beerensteyn
Ultimate Scream
86
Asllani
FOF: Captains
86
Igor Jesus
Primetime
86
Hamano
Primetime
86
Estevao
Primetime
86
Nmecha
Primetime
86
Salma Paralluelo
Ratings Reload
86
Nico Williams
Cornerstones
87
Tijani Reijnders
Cornerstones
87
Claudia Pina
Cornerstones
87
Maatsen
Primetime
87
Haraslin
Primetime
87
Giuly
Primetime
87
Bernardo Silva
Captains
87
Caroline Weir
Captains
87
Christian Pulisic
Ultimate Scream
87
Trinity Rodman
Ratings Reload
87
Yaya Toure
Ultimate Scream
88
Georges
Primetime
88
Salgado Fernandez
Primetime
88
De Rossi
Primetime
88
Lionel Messi
Ratings Reload
88
Julian Alvarez
Ratings Reload
88
Florian Wirtz
Cornerstones
89
Laudehr
Primetime
89
Lamine Yamal
Primetime
89
Eden Hazard
Primetime
89
Cristiano Ronaldo
Captains
89
Debinha
Ultimate Scream
89
Mariona
Ultimate Scream
89
Paulo Futre
Ultimate Scream
89
Antonio Di Natale
Ultimate Scream
89
Ousmane Dembele
Ultimate Scream
90
Vinicius Jr.
Ultimate Scream
90
Virgil Van Dijk
Captains
90
Caroline Graham
Primetime
90
Harry Kane
Captains
91
Kylian Mbappe
Captains
92
Erling Haaland
Primetime
92
If you missed getting any of these items previously, now's your best opportunity. If you open on Thursday, you'll also have plenty of TOTW items in the pool. The best time to open the packs will be on Friday, once Thunderstruck Team 1 is available in Ultimate Team.
Once Thunderstruck Team 1 goes live, there will be over 60 promo cards available in packs. On top of that, there are over 50 TOTW items, making it the best time to open your Ultimate Team packs.
ARC Raiders has a noticeably small number of cheaters. In my few dozen hours of playing, I don't think I've come across any at all, and that's saying something for a modern shooter. However, it does have exploiters, and they're now being dealt with in the best way possible.
Yes, you've read the title: they're being burned to death. People who didn't want to farm keys or rely on RNG to enter locked doors, which usually lead to rooms filled with exceptional loot, most notably weapons, blueprints, and rare components and parts, would resort to nefarious ways to "skip" unlocking them by merely glitching through. As of the latest patch, this will now result in severe punishment, though not one that most people would have expected.
Cheaters won't fall through the floor, nor shall they be issued a ban. Somehow, the devs have programmed in a detection system that, once it figures out you're glitching through doors, engulfs you in hellfire until you're little more than a pile of ash crawling on the floor. If you're in solo play, this is your surefire (pun intended) way to go back to Speranza posthaste, with no loot to speak of.
As you can see in the video above, shared on Reddit, there's a fiery awakening lying in wait for the cheaters who do not want to go through the same process as the rest of us. And I have to say it's inventive, much like most of ARC Raiders is inventive. It's a game that favors style in almost every case, and that's a rare thing in this day and age, and I cannot say that I'm not thrilled that they've extended that artistic drive to even punitive punishment of unsportsmanlike play.
Once actual cheats start posing a problem (and they probably will, it's 2025 after all), I'm genuinely excited to see how Embark Studios will react. Are there going to be outright bans? Quips and funny jokes in the ban message? Other forms of trolling, like the one above? The possibilities are endless, and it'll hopefully set a precedent for other devs, because banning cheaters is one thing, but making fun of them is simply better.
Splash Damage is undergoing a studio-wide consultation process likely leading to job losses, following its acquisition by a private equity firm, aiming to adapt in a challenging market.
CD Projekt Red reports Cyberpunk 2077 is their main revenue source, surpassing 35 million copies sold, and outpacing The Witcher 3's sales growth, while also developing The Witcher 4 and Cyberpunk 2.
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Thursday, November 27, 2025 12:14 PM
.png?width=690&quality=85&format=jpg&auto=webp)
