GamersHeroes Wednesday, February 19, 2025 9:41 AM A top-down, adrenaline-fueled, lightning-paced shooter, players will be able to electrify their days with the limited-time demo of Shotgun Anaconda's DeadWire. The post Top-Down Cyberpunk Shooter DeadWire Demo Now Available appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
Kotaku Wednesday, February 19, 2025 9:15 AM  It can be hard to keep track of the huge cast of Three Kingdoms characters in hack 'n slash action game Dynasty Warriors: Origins, but one name is especially easy to remember: Lu Bu. The infamous folkloric warlord leaves a huge impression when he first appears in Chapter 2, between his rocking theme song and the… |
Kotaku Wednesday, February 19, 2025 9:00 AM  The next big Game Pass RPG, Avowed, is finally here and it's really good. However, perhaps you're wondering if the game is on Steam? Or if you can play it with a friend via co-op? Or maybe you just want to know how much space it will take up on your Xbox's SSD? |
PCGamesN Wednesday, February 19, 2025 9:52 AM  What are some cool Minecraft build ideas? The sandbox game remains one of the best of all time over a decade on from its release, but such a long time in one game means you might be running out of ideas. We've been there: you've already built a city, a castle, or even a Wild West outpost, so what's next? Luckily, there are plenty of unique builds, farms, and creations out there to inspire your next Minecraft project. Unlike our favorite Minecraft house ideas or Minecraft castles, for example, this list is more varied and contains plenty of inspiration. From a stylish Minecraft Nether Portal to automated farms, from massive decorative builds to homely aquariums, these ideas can be copied directly or simply used to inspire your future Minecraft builds. Continue reading 37 Minecraft build ideas for 1.21 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Minecraft seeds, Minecraft skins, Minecraft mods |
PCGamesN Wednesday, February 19, 2025 9:46 AM  I'm loving the Hades-like renaissance happening right now. Plenty of excellent projects are taking what Supergiant Games created and morphing it into something totally new. I've been playing The Callisto Protocol spinoff [Redacted], the King Arthur-infused Sworn, and Windblown to name but a few. There are so, so many more waiting to be played, however, and Reignbreaker is one of them. With a demo you can play now and the release date coming soon, you can step into the shoes of an anarchist with an awful lot of weapons. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best roguelike games, Best indie games, Best action-adventure games |
PCGamesN Wednesday, February 19, 2025 9:26 AM  Crossplay is a must-have for many online titles these days. The feature lets you play with your friends (or enemies, if you're that way inclined) no matter the platform they are on - after all, who can even afford to own more than one platform these days? The recently released Civilization 7 does have crossplay, but it's technically disabled on PC. Luckily, Firaxis has offered a workaround, meaning you can still play with console players, it'll just take a tiny bit of work to get things up running. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Civilization 7 review, Civilization 7 leaders, Civilization 7 Ages |
PCGamesN Wednesday, February 19, 2025 9:21 AM  What is the next Monopoly Go event? With so many limited-time events in Monopoly Go, it can be hard to keep track of the rewards you can get your hands on. Monopoly Go events can last anywhere from a few hours to a week, so bookmark this page as we'll keep it regularly updated with the next events and their start and end dates. Monopoly Go is the latest online board game sweeping the globe, but completing all of these events won't be easy without some free Monopoly Go dice links, so check out our daily updated guide for some freebies and rewards before you get started on the next Monopoly Go tournament. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best board games, Monopoly Go events, Monopoly Go dice |
PCGamesN Wednesday, February 19, 2025 8:08 AM  What are the best KCD2 dice? It isn't all murder and mud in KCD2; sometimes you get a chance to take it easy, have a bit of a sit-down, and play a game of dice. Easily one of the most popular pastimes in Bohemia, you'll find this activity in most drinking establishments across the land. Earning KCD2 money is fairly easy if you know how: find a target, play dice, and win. Easy, right? Dice, or Farkle as it's also known, may appear to be a game of chance at first glance, but once you have a few specific dice in your possession, winning becomes an inevitability, rather than a possibility. Here is every Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 dice, and our picks for the best combination. Continue reading All Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 dice MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 review, Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 mods, Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 map |
PCGamesN Wednesday, February 19, 2025 7:57 AM  In what might be one of the strangest peripheral announcements that I can remember, Ubisoft has chosen to partner with Lexip for its Assassin's Creed Shadows range of PC gaming gear. This isn't the first time that Ubisoft has opted to avoid huge names in the peripheral world to produce licensed gear, and the designs from Lexip are certainly striking, but the gear itself is incredibly disappointing when compared to modern alternatives. While Lexip isn't a name many will associate with the best gaming headset, mouse, controller, or any peripheral, really, credit has to be given to the effort that has gone into the design of the peripherals revealed so far. Assassin's Creed Shadows is due out next month, and now you can prepare for it with these branded PC gaming peripherals, and even bag a copy of the game in one of the bundles, all of which are available on Amazon. Continue reading These Assassin's Creed Shadows PC peripherals are so disappointing MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best graphics card, Best gaming PC, Best SSD for gaming |
PCGamesN Wednesday, February 19, 2025 7:35 AM  It was choppy, unreliable, and populated almost entirely by screamy mic spammers, but my word, do I miss the days of Half-Life Deathmatch Source. It's one of the enduring images of my own PC gaming past - a team of HLDM Source players, all wearing the G-Man skin, sprinting through the Black Mesa lab map and coating the walls with satchel charges. Half-Life 3 may very well be in the works, but Valve hasn't forgotten about the classics. Counter-Strike Source, Day of Defeat, Team Fortress 2, Half-Life 2 Deathmatch, and my beloved my HLDM have all gotten sudden, surprise patches. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best FPS games, Best multiplayer games, Best old games |
PCGamesN Wednesday, February 19, 2025 7:30 AM  If you're in the market for a new keyboard and you have a penchant for mini boards, this Razer Blackwidow V3 Mini deal has come along at the right time. You can save $100, effectively halving the price of the board, at Best Buy right now, but you'll need to be quick, as stocks are limited. We consider this Razer board to be one of the best mini keyboards, specifically the best wireless option in the sub-75% market. You can read our Blackwidow V3 Mini review to see why we rate it so highly. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Razer Viper V2 Pro review, Razer BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) review, Best gaming mouse |
PCGamesN Wednesday, February 19, 2025 7:29 AM  Who are the Marvel Rivals characters? With any new Marvel game comes playable Marvel characters, and in Netease and Marvel Games' new 6-vs-6 shooter, there are plenty to choose from. Spanning across some of the biggest and best comic book series, you can pick from a growing list of legendary heroes and villains. There are 35 Marvel Rivals characters as of Season 1, each bringing their unique flair to the multiplayer game. Check out all the upcoming characters at the bottom of this list to see who's joining the cast next. Who will you decide to play as in Marvel Rivals in your bid to be the best around? This primer aside, our Marvel Rivals tier list can also help you make that decision. Continue reading All Marvel Rivals characters and full roster MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Marvel Rivals codes, Marvel Rivals characters, Marvel Rivals tier list |
PCGamesN Wednesday, February 19, 2025 7:16 AM  The Sims works great as a playground for taking your OCs, or even pre-established characters, and building little worlds for them where all sorts of shenanigans can take place. Except sometimes, you just want to build a cool house without the fear of it being wrecked by an unruly NPC that can't tell up from down. Enter Architect Life: A House Design Simulator, a new upcoming sim game that's all about building your dream home, without any pesky people around to get in the way. Best of all, you can try out the game for yourself right now, as a demo is available to check out on Steam as of today. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best simulation games, Best building games |
PCGamesN Wednesday, February 19, 2025 6:55 AM  What are the best Balatro mods? The indie smash hit made by one person in his spare time, topped the best games lists across the board last year and was a Game of the Year nominee at The Game Awards. Can a game like this be made any better? Well, whether or not you think there's room for improvement, there are a bunch of cool Balatro mods that make mechanical and aesthetic changes to the card game. Previous official updates have added card variants inspired by the likes of Stardew Valley and Cult of the Lamb, but what if you want Sailor Moon or Pokemon in Balatro? Luckily, you're not alone, and hard-working modders have you covered. Continue reading The best Balatro mods MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best roguelike games, Best card games, Best new PC games |
PCGamesN Wednesday, February 19, 2025 6:39 AM  A fresh Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti leak has suggested that the number of the cards available to actually buy on launch day will be "on the same level as 5080/5090." In other words, they're likely to sell out in a flash and leave gamers waiting potentially weeks or months for fresh stock to arrive. The development goes against a general hope and belief among many people that the smaller GPU dies used in these lower-end cards would allow for a greater volume of card production than for cards based on larger dies. That is, if Nvidia can produce, say, twice as many smaller RTX 5070 Ti dies per silicon wafer than larger RTX 5090 dies, it stands to reason that we could expect twice the number of cards at launch. When it comes to RTX 5070 Ti stock, though, it's looking like this won't be the case. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: RTX 5090 review, DLSS explained, Best graphics cards |
PCGamesN Wednesday, February 19, 2025 6:57 AM  Who is on the Avowed cast list? Just like our favorite musicians or on-screen actors, we love to hear our favorite voice actors pop up in the latest releases. These people will keep you company throughout your journey, and that's especially the case with companion characters. The Avowed voice actors' names are out there, though unfortunately, the game's credits don't attribute them to their character. While the talent behind the four main Avowed companions was confirmed before launch, only a couple of other matches have popped up. Below you'll find a rundown of the actor/character pairings we know of. We've also noted any unconfirmed duos from the adventure game, plus some of the better-known Avowed voice actors who have offered their vocal brilliance at the bottom of this guide. Continue reading Avowed voice actors and cast list MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Avowed review, Avowed map, Avowed builds |
PCGamesN Wednesday, February 19, 2025 6:04 AM  What are all the Dreamlight Valley recipes? Cooking is crucial to success in the Disney life sim as you'll need to cook up some tasty grub to earn Dreamlight, make friends, and keep your stamina up. There are over 200 recipes in the base game so far, and even more in the DLC - that's a lot of recipes to keep track of. Luckily, once you've made a recipe once it automatically saves to your in-game cook book, so we're here to fill your recipe book up to the brim. The way to the hearts of all the Dreamlight Valley characters can be found through their stomachs, but it's equally important to keep yourself well-fed, too. Some Dreamlight Valley recipes - like the Dreamlight Valley bouillabaisse recipe - offer more stamina than others, and while some can be obtained from completing quests, others are unlocked by trying different ingredients together. To make it easier to get the most nutritious meals, we've compiled all the current Dreamlight Valley meals below, including those available in DLCs, with five-star recipes offering the most energy. Continue reading How to cook all Disney Dreamlight Valley recipes MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Disney games, What's the next Dreamlight Valley update?, Disney Dreamlight Valley guide |
PCGamesN Wednesday, February 19, 2025 6:06 AM  Former VP of Prime Gaming at Amazon Ethan Evans admits that despite the company's size, "Goliath lost" when it decided to face Steam in the videogames market. Valve's storefront has been the most popular place to buy games and communicate with other players for some time now, and Evans has explained just how Amazon attempted "to challenge" the platform but ultimately failed to do so. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Steam FAQ, Steam family sharing, Steam in-home streaming |
PCGamesN Wednesday, February 19, 2025 6:26 AM  February 19, 2025: We checked for new NBA 2K25 codes. What are the active NBA 2K25 codes? It's another year in the NBA 2K calendar, and as is tradition there are plenty of freebies to collect. Over the lifetime of each game in the storied basketball series, 2K dishes out a slew of locker codes that can be punched in, rewarding you with everything from free packs to top-rated stars as the season progresses. In NBA 2K25, you can expect a similar slurry of goodies to come your way, helping you make the most of your time in the sports game. Of course, NBA 2K25 locker codes don't last forever, so you'll have to act fast when a new code does pop up. Fortunately, we're keeping our eagle eyes eagerly on the latest codes, which you can find below. Continue reading NBA 2K25 codes February 2025 - all locker codes MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best sports games, Best multiplayer games, New PC games |
PCGamesN Wednesday, February 19, 2025 6:09 AM  Who are the latest Fortnite NPCs? Fortnite NPC locations change with every new season, much like everything else, with more added throughout the season as well. This makes it difficult to keep track of the latest NPC locations. That's where we come in. There are a few reasons you might want to find a Fortnite NPC location in the battle royale game. You can hire Fortnite NPCs for a helping hand, get a rift out of the storm, or buy some of the best Fortnite weapons and items. There are often new hostile Fortnite NPCs to defeat too, but if you're looking for someone a little more friendly, we have every NPC location marked on the Fortnite map, as well as a list of all of the special items or services you can buy in Chapter 6, Season 1. Continue reading All Fortnite NPCs, character locations, items, and hireable NPCs MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Fortnite map, Fortnite skins, Fortnite weapons |
PCGamesN Wednesday, February 19, 2025 5:22 AM  What are the Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 console commands and cheats? Life in Bohemia is tough; in the beginning, you have to fight for every meal, you're forced to use sub-par gear, and your skills are so low that you won't be able to hit a barn door with an arrow at ten paces. Console commands and cheats can change that, though, if you're so inclined. Even with the best KCD2 swords and KCD2 armor, you can struggle on occasion in the sprawling open-world RPG that is Kingdom Come Deliverance 2. Your enemies are numerous, and it can sometimes feel like an uphill battle, even hours into your adventure. With KCD2 console commands, you can turn the tide and get the upper hand with ease. Continue reading All Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 console commands and cheats MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 review, Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 mods, Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 map |
PCGamesN Wednesday, February 19, 2025 4:43 AM  February 19, 2025: We had another good look around for new Death Ball codes. What are the new Death Ball codes? If you're looking for some free gems to afford the anime-inspired skin of your dreams or the best blades and skills you need to keep up with the competition, then you've come to the right place as we're here with some codes to help you win a round of Death Ball. Of course, this is a very similar game to one of the most popular Roblox experiences out there, but with an anime twist. Incidentally, we have all the latest freebies in one place if you're looking for the latest Blade Ball codes, and if you prefer anime gems, these some Haze Piece codes, Fruits Battlegrounds codes, or Anime Champions Simulator codes will get you free stuff there too. Continue reading Death Ball codes February 2025 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Roblox games, Roblox promo codes, Roblox music codes |
PCGamesN Wednesday, February 19, 2025 4:33 AM  February 19, 2025: For those of you forgiven by this week's unban wave, run through the list of working Blade Ball codes below to see what you might have missed. What are the new Blade Ball codes? Those who want to stand out while playing this dodgeball game can splash out on new weapons, skills, and even explosive effects. To get them, though, you need coins, and there are ways to instantly get a small amount of coins to roll the dice while getting a chance to open crates and maybe pull a rare sword skin. There are other similar games on the Roblox platform, so be sure to get all the latest Arm Wrestle Simulator codes to get yourself ripped or learn the secret of Berry Avenue codes if you'd rather live a calmer virtual life. Here are all the latest Blade Ball codes, how to enter them, and where to find more. Continue reading Blade Ball codes February 2025 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Roblox games, Roblox promo codes, Roblox music codes |
PCGamesN Wednesday, February 19, 2025 4:34 AM  February 19, 2025: Get your own cool drone with this week's new Berry Avenue code. What are the new Berry Avenue codes? Rather than being a conventional Roblox game that uses tower defense, RPG, or shooting game-style mechanics, Berry Avenue is a playground where you can buy a house, work a job, or drive around without a care in the world looking fabulous. However, you may have noticed that everyone else looks much more stylish than most Roblox experiences. Is this because of the time they spent playing the roleplay sandbox game or perhaps linked to how much they paid in real-world money? While you're here, you should know that we also keep lists of Blox Fruits codes, King Legacy codes, and Anime Adventures codes to get you some free items and rolls for those games. Continue reading Berry Avenue codes February 2025 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Roblox games, Roblox promo codes, Roblox music codes |
PCGamesN Wednesday, February 19, 2025 4:36 AM  February 19, 2025: Is this week's new Brookhaven code Bad Apple by Hatsune Miku or a Miku version of a classic Apple ringtone? Find out. What are the new Brookhaven codes? Brookhaven is one of the most popular sandbox games on the Roblox platform, allowing you to meet up with friends and explore the town's bustling streets and sleepy suburbs. Our Brookhaven codes can put a little pep in your step as you act out different scenarios with some free music for your portable speakers. Brookhaven offers a ton of freedom, so there are no pesky limitations to sidestep – you can snap up new houses and tear up the tarmac with various cars and bikes. Our Brookhaven codes grant you access to a whole playlist of popular tunes to serve as your soundtrack while you're at it. We've also got Doors codes, King Legacy codes, and Anime Adventures codes if you're searching for all the best goodies available across the Roblox platform. Continue reading Brookhaven codes February 2025 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Roblox games, Roblox promo codes, Roblox music codes |
PCGamesN Wednesday, February 19, 2025 4:39 AM  February 19, 2025: With a new lead developer almost in place, we're looking around for celebratory new Combat Warriors codes. What are the active Combat Warriors codes? In this fighting game where you can wield ranged and melee weapons, it's a brutal brawl to the death. In order to survive, it's important to find the best gear and the knowledge to use them. To get ahead, you need the help of Combat Warriors codes to get bonus experience and the money needed to buy your next weapon. The codes situation is a bit bleak, but we've still found some ways that you can get some freebies and will be on the lookout for more codes as and when they arrive. If you want more codes for Roblox games, check out the list of Arsenal codes, as well as some for adventure games like Treasure Quest codes. Continue reading Combat Warriors codes February 2025 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Roblox games, Roblox promo codes, Roblox music codes |
PCGamesN Wednesday, February 19, 2025 4:31 AM  February 19, 2025: We've cleaned up the list of working Bee Swarm Simulator codes. What are the active Bee Swarm Simulator codes? Whether you're in the market for some free items to help you get started farming honey, or you need that extra boost to your bee's effectiveness at collecting pollen, there's no quicker way to get your hive started than to redeem a whole bunch of codes. However, it's not always easy to know where to find ones that work. So, if you want to give your little pollinators a helping hand, we have many tried and tested active Bee Swarm Simulator codes to redeem that give you valuable free items and boosts. We also have freebies for other popular Roblox games, including Blade Ball codes, Blox Fruits codes, and Murder Mystery 2 codes to help you get ahead. Continue reading Bee Swarm Simulator codes February 2025 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Roblox games, Roblox promo codes, Roblox music codes |
PCGamesN Wednesday, February 19, 2025 4:27 AM  February 19, 2025: We had another good hunt for new Anime Dimensions codes. What are the active Anime Dimensions codes? No doubt you're no stranger to Roblox's anime offerings, as there are loads of them out there. However, this one is a good option if you ever want to transform into the likes of Goku, Luffy, or Naruto and punch/Ki Blast/ninjitsu your way through hordes of enemies. There are plenty of other anime-inspired games on the Roblox platform with redeemable codes for free in-game currency and more. This includes Anime Adventures codes, Project Slayers codes, and Kage Tycoon codes. For now, though, here are some Anime Dimensions codes that can get you free gems and boosts for your chosen fighter. Continue reading Anime Dimensions codes February 2025 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Roblox games, Roblox promo codes, Roblox music codes |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Wednesday, February 19, 2025 10:00 AM  Cosmo D's unwavering passion for pizza is infectious. It's also possible that the pizza I've just made in the demo for Moves Of The Diamond Hand is infectious, though I have invested all my points into the cooking skill, so hopefully not. You should be able to play the demo yourself by the time you read this. It's one for Betrayal At Club Low fans, taking the failure-is-fun dice rolling RPG systems from that, spicing them up, and letting you properly explore freely in first person this time. I first-personed my way straight to the nearest pizza shop. It almost literally killed my character, but I have baked a pie, and now I feel like a god. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Wednesday, February 19, 2025 9:48 AM  Valve have unleashed Team Fortress 2's client and server game code into the wilds of the internet by way of a Source software development kit update, allowing modders to release their own Steam games based on the long-serving hat-powered FPS – as long as they give them away for free. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Wednesday, February 19, 2025 7:25 AM  Marvel Rivals is this year's current free-to-play PC game success story, attracting many millions of players over its opening weekend and making regular appearances in the Steam Most Played top 10 ever since. It garnered an estimated $136 million in January. So naturally, it's time to start laying people off. Last night, one of the project's game directors, Thaddeus Sasser, revealed that an undisclosed number of US-based NetEase Games employees had been dismissed, including level designers Gary McGee and Jack Burrows. NetEase have now confirmed the news, calling it a move to "optimize development efficiency" and assuring players that they "are investing more, not less, into the evolution and growth of this game". Just not so much the people working on it. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Wednesday, February 19, 2025 5:22 AM  This article contains moderate spoilers for the closing events of the Wedding Crashers quest in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. It's impossible, I think, to play Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 without playing a boozer, even if you're only boozing in cutscenes. The game's 15th century world is greased by many splendours of hooch, from the wine used in potion-brewing through the finer vintages at banqueting tables to the viral pondwater they sell in seedier taverns. A lot of the time, the writing views alcohol as a means of teeing up some slapstick debauchery reminiscent of Paul Bettany's character in A Knight's Tale. It venerates the spectacle of having a large one, with custom dialogue and voice-acting for protagonist Henry when you woozily explain your antics to guards. But sometimes, perhaps despite itself, it expresses something about the culture of drinking and the unpleasantness of being militantly exhorted to drink. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Wednesday, February 19, 2025 5:09 AM  The psychology of people who cheat in competitive games remains deeply mysterious to me, but I'll hazard a guess it stems from a love of ruining someone's day rather than any real sense of accomplishment. Something I am interested in, however, is the idea of play as transgression. There is, for example, a subset of people who get very irritated at the concept of speedruns. I suspect this is because, even if we aren't consciously engaged with a game's story, there's an underlying sense of what I'm going to very clumsily call 'narrative correctness' that's absolutely shattered when, say, Leon Kennedy starts shuffling up stairs at superhuman speeds. Glitches, warps, and other exploits expose the shroud of storytelling conjured by every little piece of a game's design, pulling off the mask so the underlying grey box is painfully visible. They call art a liar. Competitive FPS Cheaters Cheetah initially seems like pure transgression against any sense of fair play or even level design, but the key here is that everyone gets cheats like aimbots, wallhacks, and spinbots. "This creates a unique dynamic," reads the game's Steam page, "where everyone knows everyone else's position, leading to intense mind games and thrilling battles". It sounds like it's either going to be a complete disaster or incredibly interesting, probably both. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Wednesday, February 19, 2025 4:24 AM  War Rats is sort of trash, but I love it all the same. Oh, you're giving me a 'ratvolver' and letting me build 'turrats' and there's a dramatic close-up of swinging rat balls in the intro montage for each stage? Yeah, go on then. It's got the vibes of something made by the guy you knew in secondary school who exclusively drew pictures of cartoon dicks but, like, they were undeniably really good dicks. Absolute cock prodigy, that guy. Pablo Dickasso. Anyway, I'm probably making it sound like there's a serious dick to rat ratio here but it's really just those balls. There are some great rat animations though. It's a 2D strategy tug-of-war where you push through stages summoning troops and building structures, and when you do, you're treated to a bunch of rats with hammers piling up construction barriers. When enemy rats fall, either to your own guns or your army of Ratineeers, gangs of regular-sized rats come to nibble on their corpses. They also say things like "Tell my wife…squeak". Also I am 95% sure your Ratvolver fires legally distinct warpstone. They saw me coming, I tell you. |
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Siliconera Wednesday, February 19, 2025 9:30 AM
A special event to announce the release date of Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Arc will take place on March 1, 2025 at 7:00 PM. There will also a special event, the Corps Assembly, leading up to this announcement.
The Corps Assembly feature the voice actors of Tanjiro (Natsuki Hanae), Nezuko (Akari Kito), Zenitsu (Hiro Shimono), and Inosuke (Yoshitsugu Matsuoka). It'll take place in Ikebukuro, with details on the precise location to appear later. During the event, there'll be a parade, as well as a wanko soba eating event. After watching a pre-recorded video of Shimono and Matsuoka trying to eat 1000 cups between each other, eighty guests can also try to finish it all. Afterwards, there'll be a quiz, then a free live stream of some of the voice actors' favorite episodes.
For the 7:00 PM announcement, the cast for the Hashira will appear to help Hanae reveal the release date of Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Arc. Then, at the very end, Hanae will play the prologue of The Hinokami Chronicles 2. Hanae actually has a YouTube channel where he uploads Let's Plays, and has played several Demon Slayer games in the past.
Demon Slayer is available on streaming platforms like Crunchyroll. We'll know the release date of Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Arc on March 1, 2025.
The post Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Arc Release Date Will Be Revealed in March 2025 appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Wednesday, February 19, 2025 9:05 AM
Xenoblade Chronicles X came up at a weird time in my life. I played it. I beat it. However, I didn't get to do absolutely everything in the game due to an eye injury that kept me from spending a ton of time staring at a screen. Two weeks after I recovered, I needed to catch up to work and never got a chance to get back to it. In my first hours returning to Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition on the Switch, I really get to appreciate getting back to the game and experiencing life on Mira again.
As this is a Definitive Edition of an existing game, the introduction is as straightforward as always. Fleeing an alien threat, humans evacuated Earth on ships intended to help them find new homes in the galaxy. The White Whale crash lands on the planet Mira, and a BLADE member known as Elma finds the player's pod a few months after everyone else started to get settled. What follows is finding a place for yourself in this new world, assisting other survivors/settlers, growing as a person, and hopefully finding answers to some of the mysteries that popped up around you.
Now, the early hours of Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition on the Switch are identical to the Wii U version, in that they're mainly preparing you for life on Mira. You're restricted in these early chapters, in some ways. The path between Elma finding your White Whale pod and getting to New Los Angeles is relatively straightforward during the introduction, as an example. Even so, it's possible to experiment and push limits in a way that isn't present in most game tutorials. You choose how to get to the city, after a certain point, which can immediately put you in harm's way. If you spend enough time goofing around and exploring in this area (guilty as charged), you can max out the starting Drifter class and already be heading down the Assault, Commano, or Enforcer track before you even get to the barracks and commit to BLADE membership.
What I appreciated, now that I went through early chapters again, is how much freedom Monolith Soft gave us when heading out into this new world. You aren't forced back onto course if you step off the path for a bit to collect materials or see if you are strong enough to challenge some monsters. While there will be an introduction to joining Divisions, it isn't hammered over your head and you get to explore what being a Curator or Reclaimer is like via doing after making your decision. You can take on a number of sidequests and even start seeing Heart-to-Heart events with allies. I get the distinct impression it respects my time and intelligence when I started going through it again.
However, I will say that now that I'm wading back in to Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition, I feel a bit like I appreciate the "mainline" entries' combat systems a bit more. To be fair, this is also quite good. It similarly pulls from MMOs, in that your avatar automatically attacks and you select specific skills when cooldowns allow. Your allies will shout out and highlight when certain moves would be advantageous to use. This is still incredibly fun and cohesive, and the ability to "react," with Soul Voice responses involving boons like HP restoration. It still feels really fresh and unique in a way some other JRPGs don't. I do appreciate the third entry's combat most, but we can still see the growth of various systems even in this earlier installment.
It's a delight to return to Xenoblade Chronicles X with the Definitive Edition and be reminded of how strong of a start Monolith Soft offers.. We're introduced to this open world and loosely guided through it. We're able to start going off the "safe" path right away, exploring our options and building ourselves up. There are also mysteries presenting themselves right away, tempting you to explore whenever possible, take on extra quests, and get to know Mira and its new residents better.
Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition will come to the Nintendo Switch on March 20, 2025, and the original game is on the Nintendo Wii U.
The post Preview: Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition Reminded Me How Much I Missed It appeared first on Siliconera. |
Destructoid Wednesday, February 19, 2025 9:17 AM
Borderlands games are all about the guns. Collect a bunch, sift through all the bad ones, and you're left with some high-power badassery. With all the guns we have collected over the years, here are ten weapons we hope to return in Borderlands 4.
All the weapons listed below are from previous games. The list is also subjective, with a lot of our wish lists most likely being vastly different. If this game is more ambitious and with more weapons than in previous games, it'd be awesome for at least one of these to make a return in Borderlands 4.
Complex Root
The gun that really tested peoples' GPUs; the Complex Root was a DLC weapon in Borderlands 3 that was more than meets the eye. Despite being a sniper, this thing cleared entire maps of enemies with a few shots, granted you had enough splash damage in your build.
While a lot of interactions with this gun were probably unintended, especially with splash mechanics killing everyone, including the user, it'd be cool to see this come back more refined and less taxing on the eyes.
Brainstormer/ Reflux
The whole chain lightning aspect of these legendaries made them as awesome as they were deadly. No matter which class you choose, these things shred up all opposition in Borderlands 3.
Hyperion shotguns are typically very standard with a few exceptions (remember the Conference Call from Borderlands 2?), but the Brainstormer and Reflux added some great mobbing potential.
Throwable Hole
Tediore– or "Feriore" weapons kind of suck, but some did have some really unique effects when reloading. From throwing a walking turret or a bomb, one that really sticks out was the Throwable Hole from Tiny Tina's Wonderlands.
This thing, on reload, would spawn a black hole where it's thrown, sucking in enemies and dealing tick damage. The more you throw, the bigger and stronger the hole gets. It's an ammo guzzler that's great for mobbing and bossing.
Crit
Moxxi weapons were mainly used for the healing aspect, which is already a nifty feature. However, the Crit is one of those weapons with a huge drawback if you aren't careful when firing it.
It's one of the strongest Moxxi weapons in Borderlands 2 and 3, but there is a chance that you will drop the weapon every time you reload it. That was one of its best effects, though. A weapon so strong that, if you reload it in front of a chasm and it drops, you can lose it forever. Treat this with care.
Grog Nozzle
The Grog Nozzle wasn't a weapon you could keep unless you decided to never finish the "Beard Makes the Man" quest in Borderlands 2. The weapon itself wasn't anything spectacular, but it was more of the fact that it was a stat stick.
Similar to other stat stick weapons in this franchise, like the Guardian 4N631 and the Unforgiven, this was mostly used for its healing effect and increased projectile count that can be applied to other weapons via switching or pause-swapping.
Catatumbo
Jakobs weapons are already some of the more unique ones in general, having that ricochet mechanic. The Catatumbo from Wonderlands, however, does that, but with a bolt of lightning striking the enemy if they are struck by a critical hit.
The effect is similar to other weapons like the King's and Queen's Call weapons of Borderlands 3, but deals splash damage instead. It brings the best of both worlds, from critical builds while also dipping into splash damage, making it good for either build type.
Bane
The Bane was such a troll weapon in Borderlands 2. It had such an annoying but hilarious voice when wielding it, along with a huge penalty to your movement speed. On the other hand, this thing had really strong damage output.
Do the pros outweigh the cons? Probably not, but the whole annoying screaming mechanic of it, especially in co-op sessions, made this gun such a blast to use.
Excalibastard (The Pre-Sequel)
Melee builds in Borderlands game have been neglected pretty hard. Everything always goes back to just using guns with bayonet attachments, some kind of interaction with an Action Skill to get anything going, or boosted melee stats that scale melee damage on guns.
This weapon, while being the same as most other "melee" type weapons in the Borderlands series, was awesome because of the Cryo Nova. Just freeze one enemy, melee them, and freeze everything around it for easy follow-up kills.
Blade Fury
We just mentioned that melee builds are essentially relegated to guns that scale with the stat, but in shooter games where you would have to target enemies from afar, we need just that.
The Blade Fury was the ultimate answer for people running melee builds who needed to close the gap on things like flying enemies, giant enemies, or enemies perched up in areas that aren't reachable with punches. Amara mains ate good when this thing came out in BL3.
Long Musket
It's unfortunate that the first flamethrower that doubles as a walking turret in Borderlands ended up being a direct reference to one of the worst people serving the US political system right now. If this could be renamed to something else or be made as a meme weapon that performs poorly to reflect the character and business of the said person, then I'd be all for it, too.
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Destructoid Wednesday, February 19, 2025 9:08 AM
One of the most important events you'll find in Monopoly GO is Golden Blitz. Since you can't trade gold stickers outside of this event, it's a rare opportunity to get specific cards during brief 24-hour periods before being restricted to card pack opening again.
It's also rare for Golden Blitz events to repeat past cards, meaning you might miss out on one you need if you're not online during a specific time. Let's check out every past Golden Blitz sticker during the Monopoly Games season to determine whether you'll still get an opportunity to trade a particular card.
Updated February 19, 2025: Added information about the latest Artful Tales season's Golden Blitz events.
All past Golden Blitz stickers in Monopoly GO
Since Monopoly GO's Artful Tales Season began on January 16, 2025, we have had three opportunities to explore Golden Blitz, with the latest running between February 18 to February 19. Golden Blitz allows you to trade up to two different gold stickers with others. The rarities typically range from mid-tier four-star stickers to rare, high-value five-star ones that can give you thousands of dice if you complete their respective albums.
Scopely originally confirmed we'll get another Golden Blitz event sometime after February 17, officially beginning on February 18. However, there's no word of how many we'll encounter throughout the season. With that in mind, here's the complete list of Golden Blitz events from this season, including the stickers involved, their rarities, and the start and end dates.
Since we've only experienced three Golden Blitz events with Artful Tales so far, it's hard to tell what its pattern will be. They are weekly so far, giving us plenty of chances to trade some gold cards between now and the season's end.
The previous season, Jingle Joy, had no real pattern with its Golden Blitz event timing aside from having at least one every week. That said, let's also look at Golden Blitz events from the previous season to get an idea of what future ones, including Artful Tales, might look like:
Scopely surprised us during Jingle Joy by releasing a shorter season with weekly Golden Blitz events. Before, we were lucky to see more than two in one month unless it was in the season's second half. Artful Tales seems to take a similar approach, but only time will tell how it unfolds.
There's no word on when the next Golden Blitz will start. Although they typically begin a few weeks after a new season, knowing a season's event patterns can be tricky. Nonetheless, we anticipate the next Golden Blitz in late February at the earliest, if not early March.
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Destructoid Wednesday, February 19, 2025 9:00 AM
I've held out hope for a Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition since the original Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition got the remaster treatment on the Nintendo Switch back in 2020. Don't get me wrong, I love the mainline Xenoblade Chronicles series, but Xenoblade Chronicles X is uniquely special.
Xenoblade Chronicles X essentially takes the Xenoblade formula and shifts from high fantasy to a futuristic spacey sci-fi setting. This change creates an incredibly fun and immersive experience for a series built around exploration and a massive open world.
I recently got some hands-on time with the early chapters of the upcoming Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition. I poured hundreds of hours into the original game back on the Wii U, but that was almost a decade ago. Truth be told, I was itching to revisit the world of Mira in XCX, and my hands-on experience just left me wanting more.
The story of Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition starts in the pretty near future in the year 2054. Two warring alien races engage in open combat in space above Earth, putting the planet and humanity in the crossfire. As a last-ditch effort, humanity launches a fleet of interstellar Ark ships with the hope of finding a new planet to call home. Only a few of the ships survive, including one called the White Whale. After a couple of years in space, the White Whale is attacked and crash lands on an alien planet called Mira, with the life pods carrying the colonists from Earth being scattered across the planet.
One of those colonists is you. After being rescued from your life pod by a character named Elma, you join BLADE (Builders of the Legacy After the Destruction of Earth), a private military organization determined to ensure humanity's survival. As a member of BLADE, it's up to you to join Elma and other members in finding and rescuing more colonists in the life pods scattered across the surface as well as exploring Mira and learning more about the planet.
As I said before, exploration is where XBX really shines. Mira is a massive open world teeming with alien life including dangerous creatures of all shapes and sizes. In between progressing through the main story of XBX, you have plenty of other things to do including taking on side missions from BLADE and exploring and surveying the planet. The exploration also ties in with the main story, so it creates this really epic feeling of actually exploring, surveying, and discovering an unknown alien planet.
If you've played any other Xenoblade game, you'll feel right at home with Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition's combat system. It's still based around the more methodical MMORPG-lite battle style. You'll engage in combat with mostly auto-attacks but have the opportunity to execute various skills, each with its own effects and cooldowns. Some skills simply do increased damage, or deal cleave or even area of effect damage. Others, however, can interrupt your opponent's attacks, heal your allies, or even inflict various status effects if you successfully attack an enemy from the side or behind. It's an extremely satisfying combat system that rewards you for actually taking the time to learn both your own toolkit—that continues to grow as you level up—and that of your enemies so you know how to combat them with the skills you have available effectively. Of course, a big change in XBX is that you wield both ranged and melee weapons, so you'll seamlessly switch between the two in combat, and in turn some skills will require you to be in melee range or a minimum distance away from your enemy.
The definitive treatment does wonders for Xenoblade Chronicles X. I honestly think the original still looks pretty good for being almost a decade old at this point, but the improved visuals of the definitive edition are very evident throughout the RPG. Character models are less blocky than in the original, especially around the face. The world of Mira is more beautiful than ever with what looks like more vibrant foliage, and the creatures that inhabit the planet are more detailed.
But visuals aren't the only enhancement in Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition. There are several quality-of-life improvements such as multiple save slots, an improved HUD and UI, and the addition of an on-screen assist guide for performing Overdrive combos. Perhaps the most impactful addition, however, is a new system called Quick Recast. Players can charge up their Quick Recast over time and then use it to be able to instantly use skills again before the cooldown for them is up. It's a great system that makes the combat of XBX even more enjoyable.
My hands-on preview experience reminded me just how great of an RPG Xenoblade Chronicles X is, and I'm excited to see what new content the definitive edition adds to later parts of the game. The massive open world teeming with life creates a truly immersive experience that actually feels like a living breathing world, something few games have pulled off successfully in the 10 years since XBX originally released. If you're a fan of MMORPGs, Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition makes you feel like you're playing in an MMO world, which is a ton of fun. I can't wait to continue exploring Mira when Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition launches on the Nintendo Switch on March 20, 2025.
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Destructoid Wednesday, February 19, 2025 8:54 AM
During Avowed's 'Shadows of the Past' main quest, you'll explore some ruins, pass three trials, and emerge victorious, learning a little more about your journey to reach the Garden. As you leave, however, you'll speak with Ryngrim and Lodwyn and are left with a tough choice: side with Lodwyn and destroy the ruins, or side with Ryngrim and sever the Adra putting an end to the Dreamscourge once and for all. Here are the consequences and rewards if you destroy the ruins or sever the Adra in Avowed.
What are the arguments for siding with Lodwyn and siding with Ryngrim?
Two arguments are being made here. Ryngrim argues that by severing the Adra inside the ruins, she can put an end to the spread of the plague in this region, and stop further Dreamthrall from being created in Shatterscarp. The downside is that to do so, it'll require an extraordinary amount of Essence, which will result in dozens or even hundreds of lives across Shatterscarp being lost in sacrifice.
Lodwyn argues that Ryngrim's plan doesn't destroy the Dreamscourge but merely slows it down, and involves sacrificing the very people we're trying to save. The counter to Lodwyn's plan of destroying the ruins and killing the Dreamthralls within is that it's also a short-term measure and will eventually result in the same number of casualties. Possibly even more.
What happens if you destroy the ruins?
By destroying the ruins, a cutscene will play out showing the Steel Garotte bombard the ruins with a barrage of flaming arrows.
Afterwards, conversations will play out where you'll learn you've upset Ryngrim and Yatzli. Ryngrim will say you've destroyed a great place of power and a part of your heritage. She warns that your decision may yet still kill thousands and that we don't know the kind of casualties that will follow.
Impressed by her abilities, Ryngrim will also invite Yatzli to become her apprentice. This happens regardless of the decision you make, but Yatzli and Ryngrim will agree that if she does decide to take up the opportunity, they'll only join forces once your mission as the Envoy is over.
Lodwyn will be pleased by your decision and inform you that there's still a chance for the two of you to save the Living Lands in the way she and your Emperor intended.
Over to Thirdborn, Temerti will ask what happened as she heard them falling to rubble. She'll deem your choice unfathomable, but then begin speaking in rhyme. It turns out Temerti may already be infected with the Dreamscourge and so she tells you to leave.
From a gameplay perspective, you'll get the 'Scion of the Immortal Land' Godlike ability. This is an active ability that increases your damage and grants Health regeneration for 12 seconds. In my opinion, this is the better of the two Godlike abilities, so if you're focused more on the gameplay here, this is the choice to make.
What happens if you sever the Adra in Avowed?
If you choose to sever the Adra, Ryngrim will appreciate that you've made a difficult decision and she'll begin severing the Adra from the Living Lands. After a brief cutscene, you'll look around to see members of the Steel Garotte dead on the floor. Ryngrim will let you know that you've dealt with the Dreamscourge but there will still be "some cleaning up to do."
Ryngrim will again offer Yatzli an opportunity to join her as her apprentice.
You can then speak to Lodwyn, who will scold you for cutting dozens of innocent lives short. She also implies you're merely Sapadal's puppet and that you have no idea what they're trying to do and the consequences you will incur.
You'll now need to go to Thirdborn to see Temerti, who is enraged that you've killed three dozen innocent people in the town. She claims the costs were too great to put an end to the Dreamscourge and will say she never wants to see you again.
From a gameplay perspective, you'll get the 'Severed Branch' Godlike 'active' ability, which grants maximum Move Speed for 20 seconds. It's not quite as good as the Scion's Branch in my opinion, but may be viable for builds focused on getting in and out of combat quickly.
Should you sever the adra or destroy the ruins in Shadows of the Past?
From a narrative perspective, the choice to sever the Adra appears to be the more appealing one. While you'll kill hundreds in doing so, the death toll could rise into the thousands if the Dreamscourge wasn't finally put to an end. Temerti's angry regardless of what decision you choose, though won't be showing signs of infection if you sever the Adra. Yatzli will be invited to join Ryngrim either way, so don't let these be deciding factors.
It's worth noting that at the time of writing, it's unclear how significant an impact this decision may make in the overall outcome of the story. As soon as we learn of any consequences, we'll update this post and let you know.
From a gameplay perspective, the 'Scion of the Immortal Land' Godlike ability you get for destroying the ruins is the better option. It does mean you have to side with Lodwyn though, and depending on how you feel about her methods, that might not be something you want to do.
I decided to sever the Adra. Knowing the Dreamscourge was put to an end felt like the right choice to make for the Living Lands. I won't use the 'Severed Branch' ability, but that's a price I'm willing to pay.
What decision did you make? Let us know in the comments below. For more guides to help you with Avowed's tough decisions, we've got you covered on whether to give Keipo the Leviathan Heart, whether to put the relic in the statue in the Dawntreader side quest, and if you should confront the smugglers or report the refugees to Captain Aelfyr.
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Destructoid Wednesday, February 19, 2025 8:47 AM
We're only a few weeks into 2025 and already we've been getting some pretty solid games coming our way. Along with Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, many of us have also been enjoying Obsidian's latest RPG, Avowed.
If you were lucky enough to get the game in Early Access, you've had a chance to get a head start on those of us who waited until the official release date. Still, at least it became available on Game Pass, so we've got that going for us.
Of course, not everyone is playing on console, so what about those who've been exploring Eora on PC? Better yet, for those who have a Steam Deck, you may be wondering whether Avowed is compatible with Valve's mobile system.
Playing Avowed on the move
Now, if you're planning on picking up the game on PC anyway, there's no harm in checking to see if it'll run on the Deck. Now, according to the game's Steam page, Avowed is considered "playable" on the device.
For those who aren't aware, there are basically three tiers for determining compatibility on the Steam Deck: "verified," which means it'll run without any issues, as intended (almost as if you're just playing it on a home PC), while "playable" means it will run, but you may encounter some issues. There's also "unsupported," which is self-explanatory, but doesn't necessarily mean there isn't a workaround.
In the case of Avowed, you should be able to comfortably play it on Steam Deck without any hassle. The one note that's given simply warns that "entering some text requires manually invoking the on-screen keyboard." So bear that in-mind for, say, naming your character when you start a new game.
Other than that, you should be good to go. According to this post on Reddit, a couple of people have said they've played it via their Deck and have not had many issues, though it seems it may be a good idea to reduce the graphics settings to counter any drops in the framerate.
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Destructoid Wednesday, February 19, 2025 8:41 AM
Wondering how to kill Sims in The Sims 2? It may sound macabre, but comical Sim deaths are an intrinsic part of the series. Whether you're completing a challenge or are simply curious, here are all the ways you can kill Sims in The Sims 2.
All Sims 2 deaths
There are currently 17 ways Sims can be killed in The Sims 2. The following table lists all of these ways, how to make it happen in your game and which expansion packs you may need to do so.
That completes our list of 17 ways to kill Sims in The Sims 2. If you're also looking to complete a WooHoo challenge, see our guide to all WooHoo locations in The Sims 2 or check out our list of the best Sims 2 mods to spice up your gameplay.
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Destructoid Wednesday, February 19, 2025 8:35 AM
Niantic is reportedly negotiating the sale of its entire gaming division—including its flagship title, Pokémon GO—to Monopoly GO publisher Scopely.
The potential deal was first reported by Bloomberg on Feb. 18, describing it as a transaction that "could be announced in the coming weeks." This likely stems from Niantic's failed attempts to expand beyond Pokémon GO, including its June 2023 layoffs of 230 employees and the cancellation of a Marvel game.
According to Statista, Pokémon GO has struggled to maintain its pre-pandemic revenue levels, generating an estimated $544 million in 2024—its worst revenue year since 2017 and a 6.8% decline from 2023.
Scopely, best known for Monopoly GO, has amassed several billion dollars in revenue since its 2023 release. However, not all of its ventures have succeeded—the company canceled an unannounced title in Sept. 2024, and its Marvel Strike Force playerbase has repeatedly criticized lack of support and aggressive monetization.
Nothing is ever entirely good or bad. Based on months of experience playing both Pokémon GO and Monopoly GO, here's what I believe could happen in the best- and worst-case scenarios if the sale goes through.
Best Case: Pokémon GO stays the same or gets more frequent free fewards
For players already happy with Pokémon GO, nothing changes. But for those who feel the game could improve, Scopely could enhance free rewards by adding more Raid Passes—maybe even remote ones, who knows?—, Incubators, or PokéCoins as part of research tasks and collection events.
Scopely could also introduce extra, shorter events between global events, allowing players to earn free items at any time. This is what happens with Monopoly GO, where there's always an active event offering rewards—a system that could make Pokémon GO feel more rewarding, but also a bit more like a chore.
Worst Case: Pokémon GO gets aggressive ads, pop-ups, and FOMO-driven monetization
Pokémon GO could become cluttered with ads and sale pop-ups, appearing when opening the game, after catching a Pokémon, or after gym battles, just like what happens in Monopoly GO.
Scopely is known for heavily pushing limited-time sales, using FOMO tactics to encourage spending. Instead of focusing on large, one-time purchases, Scopely leans into frequent, small-value microtransactions, creating a constant pressure to spend on small advantages rather than long-term value.
While the deal could be happening soon, there's no confirmation it's close to being completed. Niantic declined to comment on the matter with Destructoid.
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Destructoid Wednesday, February 19, 2025 8:28 AM
If you're a Nintendo fanatic, you're probably used to snagging up Gold Points with each purchase as a reward. It's a great way to earn some discounts on games for your Switch, even if it's a small one. Unfortunately, this is coming to an end, as Nintendo has announced they are officially discontinuing Gold Points on March 24, 2025.
In an official statement from Nintendo's website, Gold Points will no longer be able to be earned from both digital and physical purchases, as well as preorders and gift cards. The entire rewards program will be coming to an end on March 24 at 9:30 PDT.
Say goodbye to Nintendo Gold Points, as Nintendo is set to discontinue the program in March
The good news is that your Gold Points won't completely go to waste if you've accumulated some already. You will have one year to redeem the points you've stored up, or 12 months from the purchase date. This is the typical amount of time it takes Gold Points to expire anyway, so luckily you won't lose them early. However, if you choose not to use them, they'll simply be removed from your account.
Up until the end date, you're still able to earn and spend the points as usual, so if you've been saving them up for a while, now's the time to put them to use. Plus, if you've got any Nintendo games on your wish list it's best to get them now so you can earn the rewards. You have until March 24 to redeem the Gold Points from purchases, and the standard 12 months to use them up.
Platinum Points, the other rewards offered by Nintendo, are also not going away. The Platinum Point system will remain the same, where you can complete in-game events to earn them and spend them on special gifts like icons, backgrounds, and more. Whether the Platinum Points will follow to the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 is unknown.
It's unknown why Nintendo has decided to pull the plug on the Gold Points, and if they plan to replace them with a new rewards system. However, since the Platinum Points system will be sticking around, they likely have no plans to roll out a new system.
While the Gold Points system was never a main draw for the Switch, it's still sad to see any program that rewards players for purchases go away. Even if you only get 25 cents off of your purchase.
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Destructoid Wednesday, February 19, 2025 8:25 AM
Like a lot of you, I picked up a copy of Avowed yesterday, and looked forward to diving into the world of Eora. Despite having not played Pillars of Eternity, I have been excited to explore Obsidian's new RPG even deeper.
It's been getting some pretty solid feedback already, with Steam showing that it's currently sitting pretty on "Very Positive," though it's early days yet. Our reviewer Kristina gave it a mighty 9 out of 10, calling it one of the best RPGs they've played so far in 2025.
As such, we can't be surprised to see that Avowed is – at the time of writing – at the number two spot on Steam's Top Sellers list. Why is it not number one? Well, according to the above screenshot from Reddit user HomeMadeShock, it was. At least very briefly. This means that, for a short period of time, Obsidian's new game was ahead of the Steam Deck.
(Admittedly, you can make the argument that Avowed is number one in terms of video game titles, considering the Deck is a piece of hardware.)
Why is this noteworthy?
If you ever follow the Steam charts, you'll quickly note that Valve's portable gaming device is pretty much always at the top, looking down at everything else below it. It remains steadfast in that position, so a game knocking it off, even just briefly, is pretty interesting.
This has happened a few times in the past, particularly when it comes to something that's been hyped in the gaming world. Last year, for example, Helldivers 2 did the same thing, before the Steam Deck very quickly reclaimed its place at the top.
As I say, these things don't usually last, but it is at least noteworthy to see some games can just shoot straight to the top of the Steam charts, powered by initial hype, early access, and a boost in sales from day one. It is very much a "blink and you'll miss it" moment, so it'll be interesting to see future game will give the Steam Deck a momentary run for its money.
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Destructoid Wednesday, February 19, 2025 6:50 AM
Marvel Rivals developer NetEase Games caught players by surprise on Feb. 18 when former U.S. employees announced on LinkedIn that they had been laid off.
All six members of the Marvel Rivals U.S. team were let go, according to a former employee's comment to Destructoid. These employees were actively involved in the game's development.
"We want to reassure our fanbase that the core development team for Marvel Rivals [...] in Guangzhou, China, remains fully committed to delivering an exceptional experience," NetEase Games wrote to Destructoid in a statement about the layoffs. "We are investing more, not less, into the evolution and growth of this game." You can read NetEase's full statement at the end of this article.
Marvel Rivals layoffs came at an odd time
On the same day the layoffs were revealed, NetEase confirmed that The Thing and Human Torch will be joining Marvel Rivals, reinforcing that the game remains in active development.
The layoffs also came just weeks after Blizzard acknowledged that Marvel Rivals' success is pressuring the Overwatch 2 team, as it emerges as a major competitor in the hero shooter space once dominated by Blizzard.
While Blizzard still views its competitor as "similar" to Overwatch 2, the company has not directly echoed former Blizzard leadership's claims that Marvel Rivals is copying Overwatch.
Full NetEase Games statement on Marvel Rivals' U.S. layoffs
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Destructoid Wednesday, February 19, 2025 6:47 AM
Specs in Verse Piece can be a huge boost to your damage if they are powerful enough to compete with the sword you are wielding. Rimuru spec is one of the best DPS specs you can have in Verse Piece. So, to help you obtain it, we prepared the following guide on how to get Rimuru spec in Verse Piece.
Complete Verse Piece Rimuru Spec Move Showcase
Rimuru spec in Verse Piece has very high damage and an excellent buff F move that increases your damage by 25%. Because Rimuru's moves are all multi-hit attacks, you should use the Ice artifact to freeze enemies permanently. What makes Rimuru even better is that you can switch to your sword after casting all of your abilities for the maximum burst damage. The only downside of the Rimuru in Verse Piece is its low M1 damage and range.
How to Get Rimuru Spec in Verse Piece
To get the Rimuru spec in Verse Piece, first, you need to get the Demon Lord title, Dragonic race, 1 Slime Core, 5 Tempest Ore, 250 Slime, and 10k Gems. Then, go to the Snow Village and interact with the Rimuru NPC on top of an iceberg. You can earn Gems easily by equipping the best title you have and then selling materials at the Adventure Shop. Defeating Bosses also awards you with a lot of Gems.
How to Get Demon Lord Title, Slime Cores, and Tempest Ore in Verse Piece
As for the other Rimuru components in Verse Piece, you will have to run numerous Tempest Dungeons to get them. You can spawn the Tempest Dungeon at the Runes Island. All enemies in the Tempest Dungeon drop Slimes and Slime Cores. The Rimuru Boss, however, is the only one that drops the Demon Lord title, Tempest Ores, and the Rimuru's Coat accessory, all at a very low rate. Alternatively, you can also trade for these materials with other players.
Obtaining the Dragonic Race for the Rimuru Spec in Verse Piece
You can get the Dragonic race by using Race Rerolls from your inventory. However, keep in mind that the Dragonic race is of Exotic rarity in Verse Piece, which means you only have a 0.025% chance to get it when rerolling. If you run out of Race Rerolls at any point, you can get more through fishing, chests, and trading. The Adventure Shop also has a few Race Rerolls in stock from time to time.
That sums up everything you need to know on how to get the Rimuru spec in Verse Piece. If you are looking for some meta swords to pair them up with the Rimuru spec, then make sure to check out our guides on how to get Cid V2, Sung Jin Woo, and Toji V2 in Verse Piece.
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Destructoid Wednesday, February 19, 2025 6:42 AM
There are a number of 'Ancient Memories' to track down in Avowed's various regions. Each one provides some contextual lore and grants you with another Godlike ability. Unfortunately, they're not the easiest things to track down. Here's where to find The Voice's memory in Emerald Stair and what Godlike ability it rewards you with.
Emerald Stair Ancient Memory location in Avowed
The Ancient Memory can be found at the top of the Ranger Outpost. This is west of Fior mes Iverno, and north of the 'Low Forest Clearing Beacon' fast travel point. I've marked the exact location in the screenshot below.
To reach the Emerald Stair Ancient Memory, make your way to the top of the tower by using the various ladders and ledges. The first thing you'll need to find is the wooden ramp leading up to a ladder at the foot of the tree that the Ranger Outpost is built around.
From there, it's a straightforward route to the top. However, one thing to keep in mind is the region might have changed if you've already completed the 'Ancient Soil' quest. Without diving into spoilers too much, the Steel Garotte might have a larger presence in Emerald Stair. As a result, you might have to fight them on your way to the top of the Ranger Outpost. They're not that challenging though, so it shouldn't slow you down or stop you from reaching the memory at the top.
The Ancient Memory can be found on the ledge, right at the top between two large braziers. You can see exactly where in the screenshot below.
Interact with it and you'll get more contextual lore to your relationship with 'The Voice' as a Godlike. Once the cutscene is finished, you'll be awarded with a new Godlike power. This is 'Remembrance of Enhekala' a passive ability that increases your maximum essence by 10%.
This is particularly useful if you're a big fan of using Godlike abilities, Grimoire spells, or Wand attacks. Even if you use these as a backup to your trusty melee weapon, a 10% increase to your maximum essence will save you from running out as frequently.
That's everything you need to know on where to find the Emerald Stair Ancient Memory location in Avowed. Looking for the others, we've got guides for Dawnshore's Ancient Memory location, and where to find The Voice's memory in Shatterscarp, too.
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Destructoid Wednesday, February 19, 2025 5:35 AM
There are plenty of weapons to get in Avowed, and the Unique ones can be obtained via different method from your exploration.
Weapons are of different types, and you'll have to choose them based on your class and abilities. Unique weapons refer to the rarer ones you can come across in Avowed, and finding some of them can be pretty difficult.
All Unique weapon locations in Avowed
As you continue on your adventures in Avowed, you can also find Unique armors to obtain for your character. The game also allows you to equip an amulet/trinket, and up to two rings, and there are plenty of Unique accessories to collect.
The post All Unique Weapons in Avowed and How to Find it appeared first on Destructoid. |
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