Jun 15, 14:00


Kotaku Sunday, June 15, 2025 12:00 PM
    

You know what we all need sometimes? A little advice. How do I plan for a future that's so uncertain? Will AI take my job? If I go back to school and use AI to cheat, will I graduate and work for an AI boss?

Read more...


Kotaku Sunday, June 15, 2025 9:00 AM
    

Opinions are like Kotaku — they're a bunch of assholes! I think that's how that saying goes. Anyway, this week, we liked Pragmata and hated Crimson Desert, felt skeptical of Xbox's forthcoming handheld and thankful for the Switch 2, and, perhaps most urgently, had a great many things to say about promotional popcorn…

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PCGamesN Sunday, June 15, 2025 1:09 PM
    

Delta Force developer Team Jade is warning players against modifying the free-to-play shooter's game files, after catching some doing it to change in-game assets. Team Jade assures that it's already taken action against accounts it's found maliciously editing the game like this, as some players are even sharing how to change the game online.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Delta Force guns, Delta Force operators, Delta Force loadouts

PCGamesN Sunday, June 15, 2025 12:37 PM
    

Hearts of Iron 4 has just celebrated its ninth birthday, and the WW2 grand strategy game remains the most popular of its type on Steam, reaching highs of more than 50,000 active players on a near-daily basis. Yet developer Paradox clearly still has ideas for how to keep building on its core; 2024's Götterdämmerung expansion delivered big changes to central players in the conflict such as Germany, Austria, and Hungary. Now, in a new developer blog, the studio explains that it plans to overhaul the way HoI 4 factions work.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: The best Hearts of Iron 4 mods, Hearts of Iron 4 DLC guide, The best grand strategy games on PC

PCGamesN Sunday, June 15, 2025 11:23 AM
    

Fallout 76 Gone Fission has arrived, and with it comes the arrival of fishing in the Bethesda MMORPG. The new update for the online survival game is pretty substantial, but it's far from everything we can expect. At Summer Game Fest 2025, we spoke to creative director Jon Rush and lead producer Bill LaCoste about what's coming to Fallout 76 seasons for the rest of the year, and there's a promise of a major upgrade to make building easier, alongside a tease for "one of the biggest, most impactful patches" we've ever seen.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best games like Fallout, Fallout 5 release date, Best Fallout 4 mods

PCGamesN Sunday, June 15, 2025 11:23 AM
    

I adore the cyberpunk genre's juxtaposition of low-life and high-tech. These worlds might have robotics and computers beyond our wildest dreams, but 99% of the people that exist within them struggle to afford to see it. I also love the infinite replayability and build variety of roguelikes. It's almost addicting to come up against challenges on repeat until they're beaten, with Dead Cells and Risk of Rain just a few of my favourites. If you're similarly inclined, you'll enjoy Kiborg, which puts the cyberpunk genre and roguelikes in a blender. If you missed it at launch, a new update and sale make now the ideal time to give it a shot.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best roguelike games, Best fighting games, Best cyberpunk games

PCGamesN Sunday, June 15, 2025 11:11 AM
    

Slick parkour, brutal melee combat, and plenty of zombies to pulverize - at first glance, Dying Light The Beast looks like just what the undead doctor ordered: more Dying Light. The thirst for the zombie-slaying open-world series has been immense over the past decade, and its third mainline entry is almost upon us. Once planned as DLC for Dying Light 2, starring the first game's beloved protagonist, Kyle Crane, The Beast has mutated into something much more ambitious. Ahead of its launch in a couple of months, I got to play a roughly 40-minute slice of The Beast at Summer Game Fest, and while it doesn't stray massively far from Techland's winning formula, some new additions and shakeups make for a more isolated, focused, and survival-oriented experience.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best zombie games, Best open-world games, Best co-op games

PCGamesN Sunday, June 15, 2025 10:11 AM
    

June 15, 2025: We added new Blue Lock Rivals codes to our list for the latest update.

What are the new Blue Lock Rivals codes? While your metavision may let you play the perfect pinpoint pass, you'll need a little extra assistance perceiving all the freebies the Roblox game offers.

Blue Lock Rivals throws you into world soccer's biggest pressure cooker, putting your skills to the test as you channel the playstyles of the hit series' biggest hitters on the field. You'll need to be on your A-game to succeed in this Roblox experience. Read on to find out the anime game's latest codes and how to redeem them.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Roblox games, Roblox promo codes, Roblox music codes

PCGamesN Sunday, June 15, 2025 10:02 AM
    

It's astonishing to think that it's been over 18 months since sci-fi action RPG Gatekeeper first impressed me with its early Steam prologue, but the run-based Diablo rival is almost ready to conclude its journey through early access. Confirming the Gatekeeper 1.0 date for the start of August, indie studio Gravity Lagoon gives us an in-depth look at its ninth playable character, and they're an area-control walking tank that's ideal if you've struggled to keep up with some of the faster members of the roster.


PCGamesN Sunday, June 15, 2025 10:00 AM
    

What are the new Anime Shadow 2 codes? While still in beta testing, this Roblox adventure is scooping up players at a pace, suggesting it's an experience well worth trying before its full release. This list of Anime Shadow 2 game codes should get you all the boosts and new top-tier Shadows you'll need to help you catch up to (or eclipse) your friends.

For general Roblox freebies, check out the latest Roblox promo codes. And for roleplaying games, use these Roblox music codes to add some ambience to your place or set up a street party. And if you're looking for recommendations, Grow a Garden codes continue to be popular. Blue Lock Rivals codes just keep coming, too.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Roblox games, Roblox promo codes, Roblox music codes

PCGamesN Sunday, June 15, 2025 9:55 AM
    

What are the new Anime Rising codes? Just in time for the release of this new anime Roblox game from Daireb, the creator of Anime Champions and Anime Fighters, we've collected all the new and active Anime Rising game codes you could need to snag free revive scrolls, coins, XP boosts, and more.

If you tend to bounce between games, give these general Roblox promo codes a go for some free UGC. And if you have a favourite roleplaying game you use as a hangout spot, Roblox music codes can get the party pumping. Lastly, give the latest Grow a Garden codes a go if you're interested in the retro-inspired phenomenon. And for soccer fans, new Blue Lock Rivals codes are a weekly treat worth keeping on top of.

Continue reading Anime Rising codes June 2025
MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Roblox games, Roblox promo codes, Roblox music codes

PCGamesN Sunday, June 15, 2025 7:34 AM
    

Back in May, SCS Software shared a 22-second video of a coach pulling out from behind a big rig in Euro Truck Simulator 2, and it sent the community into a frenzy. That's because players have been asking for coaches in ETS2 for years, even going as far as to mod them in themselves instead of waiting. Now, SCS has finally confirmed that coaches are in development, and they're definitely a game changer.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Euro Truck Simulator 2 system requirements, Best simulation games, Best truck games

PCGamesN Sunday, June 15, 2025 7:29 AM
    

The Witcher 4 is being developed with consoles first in mind, as developer CD Projekt Red aims to avoid a similar fiasco to the launch of Cyberpunk 2077. A recent Witcher 4 Unreal Engine 5 tech demo gave us our first big preview of how the new RPG is shaping up, and it certainly looks stunning. But the showcase was running on a standard Playstation 5, rather than the typical PC demos we're often used to seeing for such presentations, and the studio says this decision was a result of the "many problems" it encountered during its previous release.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: The Witcher 4 release date, The Witcher 4 Unreal 5, The Witcher 4 School of the Lynx

PCGamesN Sunday, June 15, 2025 6:19 AM
    

The first sign that Dune Awakening had something special going was at its head-start launch, where its active players managed to break six figures on Steam despite requiring a deluxe or ultimate edition purchase to get in. But a consistent audience that keeps coming back is the lifeblood of MMOs, so developer Funcom is naturally tremendously pleased that ten days on, and nearly a week after its full release to all, the Dune Awakening player count has just leapt up dramatically again, while also pushing to the top of Valve's best-selling chart in America and the United Kingdom.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best survival games, Best MMOs, Dune Awakening release date

PCGamesN Sunday, June 15, 2025 6:08 AM
    

Red Dead Redemption's John Marston says there's some "exciting news" seemingly linked to the series coming in the next few days, but has remained tight-lipped on what we can expect. Rob Wiethoff, who plays Marston in both RDR and Red Dead Redemption 2, made the tease during a Twitch stream of him playing the 2010 original. With Grand Theft Auto 6 now delayed into next year, it seems even more likely that Rockstar will want to close the gap with something to keep us all busy, whatever that might be.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: GTA 6 release date, Best western games, Best story games

PCGamesN Sunday, June 15, 2025 6:00 AM
    

A lot has changed in the industry since Lost Soul Aside's original reveal. Starting development back in 2014, this hack-and-slash action game was later brought into Sony's China Hero Project in 2016, and despite multiple trailers, after all that time, it felt like it would never come. Fortunately, it is finally releasing in just a few months, and you can grab this Final Fantasy-inspired experience at a discount ahead of its launch.


Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Sunday, June 15, 2025 11:00 AM
    

Hello reader who is also a reader, and welcome back to Booked For The Week - our regular Sunday chat with a selection of cool industry folks about books! No cool industry person this week. Instead, you are stuck with me. In an elevator. And I have eaten nothing but cabbage-wrapped beans for a week. You'll doubtless want something to keep your mind off that, so let's talk about books instead.

Read more


Twinfinite Sunday, June 15, 2025 12:12 PM
    
If you can't afford a cool football, use these Roblox One Touch codes.

Twinfinite Sunday, June 15, 2025 11:50 AM
    
I'm digging a hole, diggy, diggy hole!

Twinfinite Sunday, June 15, 2025 8:17 AM
    
This is the place where you can find all the latest info on Anime Rising codes!

Twinfinite Sunday, June 15, 2025 6:16 AM
    
Achieve Gojo-level aura with Anime Rails codes.

Siliconera Sunday, June 15, 2025 9:00 AM
    

I Wish Camper Van Make It Home Was More Comfortable to Play 1

I got excited about the idea of Camper Van: Make It Home, as it almost seemed like an original take on the Unpacking idea. Optimize a teeny living space. Make it cute. Manage to organize everything. While the finished game is fine, it isn't always comfortable or easy to enjoy.

Camper Van: Make It Home starts out simply, as its a rather freeform simulation. You are heading out in various kinds of campers. Your goal in each is to properly organize everything you own within them. As you do, you also get to play around with these spaces and see the different sorts of special features each one has. While this is about us going through different places and seasons, I didn't feel like it had a story in the same way Unpacking told a tale. Rather, it's more about tidying up and organizing for fun.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jwhg68_RUik&ab_channel=CamperVan%3AMakeitHome

Engaging in this process is pretty simple. You'll find objects in or around your camper. You'll then need to put them in what you feel are the proper places for them in the vehicle. This means searching for spots in places like cabinets, drawers, or a fridge. Some of the items can also be clicked to interact with them, such as a handheld gaming console. In so doing, you basically get to decorate as well as solve the cleaning up puzzles.

The thing about Camper Van: Make It Home is the game gives you very little direction. After you get and decorate your first van, you find yourself on a beach. Instead of there being an array of items I could see I needed to place in certain positions or at the right parts, it was more like I needed to hunt for things to actually arrange. There were no explanations or tutorials, beyond ones introducing me to the camera functions and general controls. In Unpacking, which is a similar sort of game, we're more properly introduced to concepts and it's easy to see where items are to place. 

Camper Van: Make It Home also feels like a game you'd need to play with a mouse. I went through it on a handheld gaming PC initially. Getting the exact positioning with the analog stick and buttons can be a bit difficult. When I then went over to a laptop, it felt much easier to play, control, and place objects. Given the exact nature of the game, I think it's much wiser to play it when you have access to a mouse for more precise controls. This is compounded by small hitboxes for tiny items and pieces of clothing, as it happened with not only a bikini top, but some stationary goods, glasses, and keys.

I think Camper Van: Make It Home is the kind of game that will be fun after a few patches. It's a good idea. But due to the controls, hit boxes, and some other elements, it doesn't feel quite there yet. With some minor adjustments though, Malapata Studio could be on to something good.

Camper Van: Make It Home is available for the Switch and PC

The post I Wish Camper Van: Make It Home Was More Comfortable to Play appeared first on Siliconera.


Destructoid Sunday, June 15, 2025 12:30 PM
    

A promo cover image for FIFA Rivals where the ball is in the net

FIFA Rivals provides an effective way to score goals in the form of your Super ability, and recharging it fast can make the difference between a win and a loss.

For starters, your Super can be used as an effective strategy in both offence and defence. However, you'll have to charge up your ability first to use it. As of writing, you can save up to two Supers at a point in time, but there are a few tips and tricks to follow if you want to outpace your opponent. These tips will help you accelerate your ability faster than your opponent and trigger them quicker (which is an important factor).

How does the Super Ability work in FIFA Rivals?

The Super Ability can be used in two ways.

  • Thwart your opponent as they try to score a goal and capture the ball back. You can then send it to your attackers to try to score a goal. The objective is to use the Super to stop your opponent from scoring, especially after triggering their ability.
  • Trigger the Super in offence to push the defenders and goalkeeper away and potentially score a goal. The resulting shot travels extremely fast, making it nearly impossible for the goalkeeper to dive and save it.

Timing also matters. In defence, try to trigger your Super after your opponent has done the same and is about to take the goal-scoring shot. In offence, try to reach at least close to the penalty box (it's better if you're inside it) before taking the shot. Don't swipe too fast - remember that the shot will travel as quickly as possible anyway. Just concentrate on landing the ball inside the goal.

A match scene in FIFA Rivals between two players
Screenshot by Destructoid

How to charge your Super fast in FIFA Rivals?

Recharging your Super isn't rocket science, but the game explains very little about it. I have learnt this after spending nearly 30 hours with the game since its global launch (and the beta).

  • You'll have to use players with high Explosiveness and try to do activities with them. This can include carrying the ball, dribbling with it past defenders, tackling and winning the ball pack, and passing to teammates. Ideally, it's best to have as many cards with high Explosiveness as possible.
  • Keep the ball in your possession. Not only does it increase your chances of scoring a goal, but you'll also charge up your ability faster.
  • Travelling in the ball recharges your ability slightly faster (this might be a placebo, but I have noticed this for both myself and my opponents). However, be careful not to get tackled by the opponent.

That's how easy it is to charge your ability quickly in FIFA Rivals. Lastly, remember to use them and time their usage to make the most of this fun mechanic.

The post How to charge up your Super Ability fast in FIFA Rivals appeared first on Destructoid.


Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Sunday, June 15, 2025 1:48 PM

iDev Games Feed Sunday, June 15, 2025 12:23 PM
     Ready for Round 2? Sing against Sonic the Hedgehog in 2 new tracks!Are you ready?...

Jun 15, 08:00


PCGamesN Sunday, June 15, 2025 7:34 AM
    

Back in May, SCS Software shared a 22-second video of a coach pulling out from behind a big rig in Euro Truck Simulator 2, and it sent the community into a frenzy. That's because players have been asking for coaches in ETS2 for years, even going as far as to mod them in themselves instead of waiting. Now, SCS has finally confirmed that coaches are in development, and they're definitely a game changer.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Euro Truck Simulator 2 system requirements, Best simulation games, Best truck games

PCGamesN Sunday, June 15, 2025 7:29 AM
    

The Witcher 4 is being developed with consoles first in mind, as developer CD Projekt Red aims to avoid a similar fiasco to the launch of Cyberpunk 2077. A recent Witcher 4 Unreal Engine 5 tech demo gave us our first big preview of how the new RPG is shaping up, and it certainly looks stunning. But the showcase was running on a standard Playstation 5, rather than the typical PC demos we're often used to seeing for such presentations, and the studio says this decision was a result of the "many problems" it encountered during its previous release.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: The Witcher 4 release date, The Witcher 4 Unreal 5, The Witcher 4 School of the Lynx

PCGamesN Sunday, June 15, 2025 6:19 AM
    

The first sign that Dune Awakening had something special going was at its head-start launch, where its active players managed to break six figures on Steam despite requiring a deluxe or ultimate edition purchase to get in. But a consistent audience that keeps coming back is the lifeblood of MMOs, so developer Funcom is naturally tremendously pleased that ten days on, and nearly a week after its full release to all, the Dune Awakening player count has just leapt up dramatically again, while also pushing to the top of Valve's best-selling chart in America and the United Kingdom.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best survival games, Best MMOs, Dune Awakening release date

PCGamesN Sunday, June 15, 2025 6:08 AM
    

Red Dead Redemption's John Marston says there's some "exciting news" seemingly linked to the series coming in the next few days, but has remained tight-lipped on what we can expect. Rob Wiethoff, who plays Marston in both RDR and Red Dead Redemption 2, made the tease during a Twitch stream of him playing the 2010 original. With Grand Theft Auto 6 now delayed into next year, it seems even more likely that Rockstar will want to close the gap with something to keep us all busy, whatever that might be.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: GTA 6 release date, Best western games, Best story games

PCGamesN Sunday, June 15, 2025 6:00 AM
    

A lot has changed in the industry since Lost Soul Aside's original reveal. Starting development back in 2014, this hack-and-slash action game was later brought into Sony's China Hero Project in 2016, and despite multiple trailers, after all that time, it felt like it would never come. Fortunately, it is finally releasing in just a few months, and you can grab this Final Fantasy-inspired experience at a discount ahead of its launch.


PCGamesN Sunday, June 15, 2025 5:00 AM
    

There are mysteries hidden everywhere. That's the essence of Blue Prince, a stunning puzzle game from indie developer Dogubomb that fuses fiendish brainteasers with roguelike randomization. It's also true to real life, as I learned during an expedition with a historian to a medieval church to crack a mystery from a manuscript over half a millennium old.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Blue Prince review, Best puzzle games, Best single-player games

PCGamesN Sunday, June 15, 2025 4:57 AM
    

June 15, 2025: We checked for the latest Monopoly Go dice links for free dice rolls.

How can I get free Monopoly Go dice links? The household favorite board game has been reimagined as a free-to-play app on smartphones, allowing everyone to experience the thrills of Monopoly on practically any device. Everything that makes the board game special is here in Monopoly Go, so you'll be collecting properties and building hotels as you go around the board, and there are a variety of multiplayer minigames to get through along the way.

You're going to need to get your hands on Monopoly dice rolls, but they are difficult to come by no matter how far you are into the board game. There are ways to earn additional dice rolls, including logging into the game every day to collect daily bonuses, progressing further in the game, and inviting friends to try Monopoly Go. While you can also spend real money to unlock more dice rolls, you may want to give our list of Monopoly Go dice links a try instead, especially if you're waiting for the next Monopoly Go Golden Blitz event. Take a look at all the currently active Monopoly Go free dice links for today.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best board games, Monopoly Go events, Monopoly Go dice

Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Sunday, June 15, 2025 6:00 AM
    

The weather is supposed to be pretty nice by Sunday afternoon, according to the forecast as I write this, which means that Sundays are for going to the park to read. I'm making my way through Tokyo These Days, a short manga series by Tekkonkinkreet and Ping Pong author Taiyō Matsumoto, about a manga editor who quits his job at a publisher after his magazine folds, but decides to enlist the creators he admires to launch something of his own. Hm.

If you don't understand the Switch 2, you won't understand the modern world, argues Stephen Bush in the Financial Times. The FT paywall their content and there's nothing I can do about that, but I'm sure you can figure it out.

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Twinfinite Sunday, June 15, 2025 6:16 AM
    
Achieve Gojo-level aura with Anime Rails codes.

Twinfinite Sunday, June 15, 2025 4:13 AM
    
If there's something strange in your neighborhood, who you gonna call? SPECTER codes!

Jun 15, 00:00


Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Saturday, June 14, 2025 5:55 PM
    

I feel like money laundering is one of those concepts you see in a lot of crime TV shows but it's not really something that seems to come up much in games. I certainly can't think of any games that feature money laundering as an actual mechanic, but I'll be able to add one to the list next week: GTA Online. The multiplayer game is getting a new update this coming June 17th called Money Fronts, and is literally all about buying up small but generally lucrative businesses that you can sneak some money through.

Read more


Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Saturday, June 14, 2025 4:27 PM
    

I'm not much of an MMO person, I've dabbled over the years like with RuneScape in my youth, and a bit of Final Fantasy 14. These days it's the level of commitment that puts me off, even though I really do love being able to partake in what feels like living, breathing worlds, the hustle and bustle of actual people going to and fro. Luckily, I think I have a lower-key way to get this kind of feeling in the upcoming action roguelite Starlight Re:Volver.

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Destructoid Saturday, June 14, 2025 4:15 PM
    

Rematch promo art of a player shooting the ball

Popular football game Rematch is about to be released worldwide very soon, as of this writing. This guide will help you know the exact time when the game goes live.

Developed by Sifu-makers Sloclap, the sports title is available in three different editions. Naturally, the three editions have different launch calendars, thanks to early access available with the Pro and Elite versions. We have added a countdown for all editions so you can remain on top with the upcoming release.

Rematch early access release countdown

Sloclap will follow a simultaneous launch schedule instead of going with regional releases. Hence, the release time will differ based on your location. Let's first take a look at when the early access will launch. You can enjoy up to three days of early access, starting June 16, with either the Pro or the Elite Edition.

Promo Art for Rematch where two players are celebrating together
Screeshot via Sloclap

Time Zone Release time
PST 3:00AM
CST 5:00AM
EST 6:00AM
BST 11:00AM
CEST 12:00AM
JST 7:00PM
ACT 8:00PM
NSZT 10:00PM

Once early access goes live, the following countdown will be over.


[hurrytimer id="1078352"]

Rematch release countdown

The Standard Edition of Rematch goes live on June 19. The release timings are practically the same, but you will have to wait for three extra days if you decide against getting either the Pro or the Elite edition.

Time Zone Release time
PST 3:00AM
CST 5:00AM
EST 6:00AM
BST 11:00AM
CEST 12:00AM
JST 7:00PM
ACT 8:00PM
NSZT 10:00PM

Here's a countdown for the Standard Edition release.


[hurrytimer id="1078353"]

Is Rematch early access worth it?

Based on my experience with the beta, I won't stress too much about the three days of early access. If you loved the gameplay in the previous betas and are desperate to play as early as possible, getting early access becomes necessary. The benefits of the Pro and Elite Editions aren't restricted solely to early access.

Both editions cost extra, but they also offer extra in-game goodies for your in-game progression. The early access, in fact, is a nice bonus on top of everything extra you find in the Pro and Elite Editions.

The post Rematch release countdown for all editions appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Saturday, June 14, 2025 4:13 PM
    

Ronaldo Lima in EA FC 25

The 1 of 10 Historical Player Pick SBC is an interesting challenge to complete in EA FC 25, especially if you're looking to add new Heroes and Icons to your Ultimate Team squad.

For starters, it offers you to pick one out of ten options. The options will include every Hero and Icon released in Ultimate Team before April 14. In simpler words, the SBC's rewards include every promo that came before TOTS.

All EA FC 25 1 of 10 Historical Player Pick SBC Icon rewards

Let's first take a look at all the Icon cards available as part of the rewards.

Centurions

  • Sol Campbell CB 87
  • Gianluca Zambrotta RB 87
  • Hernan Crespo ST 88
  • Pavel Nedved LM 89
  • Edwin Van der Sar GK 89
  • Bastian Schweinsteiger CM 89
  • Michael Laudrup CAM 89
  • Ruud van Nistelrooy ST 90
  • David Beckham RM 91
  • Foudy CM 91
  • Franck Ribery LM 91

Thunderstruck (Some of the card ratings have been upgraded)

  • Roy Keane CM 88
  • Ashley Cole LB 88
  • Gennaro Gattuso CDM 88
  • John Barnes LW 89
  • Ian Rush ST 89
  • Lilian Thuram RB 90
  • Juan Riquelme CAM 90
  • Fernando Hierro CB 90
  • Patrick Vieira CM 90
  • Wayne Rooney ST 91
  • Kelly Smith ST 91
  • Jairzinho RW 91
  • Lothar Matthaus CM 92
  • Zico CAM 93
  • Ruud Gullit CAM 93
  • Zinedine Zidane CAM 96

Ultimate Succession Icon

  • Steven Gerrard CM 89
  • Picon ST 89
  • Kaka CAM 90
  • Philip Lahm RB 90
  • Alessandro Del Piero CAM 91
  • Franco Baresi CB 92
  • Roberto Baggio CAM 92
  • Paolo Maldini CB 93
  • Ronaldinho LW 94

Winter Wildcards

  • Nemanja Vidic CB 88
  • Kenny Dalglish ST 88
  • Paul Scholes CM 89
  • Gheorghe Hagi CAM 89
  • Mia Hamm ST 99
  • Carles Puyol CDM 90
  • Ronaldo ST 90
  • Xavi CM 91
  • Gianluigi Buffon CM 91
  • Rivaldo LW 92
  • Carlos Alberto CDM 92
  • Homare Sawa CM 92
  • Carlos Alberto CB 92
  • Homare Sawa CAM 92
  • Kenny Dalglish ST 93
  • Birgit Prinz ST 93
  • Mia Hamm ST 94
  • Ronaldo ST 95

TOTY Icons

  • Nemanja Vidic CB 88
  • Kenny Dalglish ST 88
  • Paul Scholes CM 89
  • Gheorghe Hagi CAM 89
  • Mia Hamm ST 99
  • Carles Puyol CDM 90
  • Ronaldo ST 90
  • Xavi CM 91
  • Gianluigi Buffon CM 91
  • Rivaldo LW 92
  • Carlos Alberto CDM 92
  • Homare Sawa CM 92
  • Carlos Alberto CB 92
  • Homare Sawa CAM 92
  • Kenny Dalglish ST 93
  • Birgit Prinz ST 93
  • Mia Hamm ST 94
  • Ronaldo ST 95

Grassroot Greats

  • Didier Drogba ST 92
  • Ian Wright ST 93
  • Foudy CM 93
  • Franck Ribery LM 93
  • Roberto Baggio CAM 94
  • Diego Maradona CAM 96

Future Stars

  • Alan Shearer ST 91
  • Bobby Moore CB 91
  • Lotta Schelin ST 91
  • Rio Ferdinand CB 92
  • Emilio Butragueno ST 92
  • Lev Yashin GK 93
  • Samuel Eto'o ST 94
  • Bobby Charlton ST 94
  • Garrincha RW 94
  • Johann Cruyff CAM 96

FUT Birthday

  • Marco van Basten ST 92
  • Emmanuel Petit CM 91
  • Sol Campbell CB 93
  • Gary Lineker ST 92
  • Marinette Pichon ST 92
  • Kenny Dalglish ST 94
  • David Beckham CM 94
  • Patrick Vieira CM 94
  • Ronaldinho LW 95

Dreamchasers

  • Marcel Desailly CB 92
  • Claude Makelele CDM 92
  • Birgit Prinz ST 94
  • Raul ST 94
  • Edwin van der Sar GK 93
  • Lilian Thuram RB 94
  • Rivaldo LW 94
  • Xavi CM 94
  • Kaka CAM 94

Immortals

  • Gianfranco Zola ST 88/CAM 93
  • Javier Zanetti CM 89/RB 93
  • Laurent Blanc CAM 89/CB 94
  • Gianluca Zambrotta RM 89/RB 93
  • Pavel Nedved CAM 89
  • Wayne Rooney CAM 89/ST 93
  • Lothar Matthaus CB 90/CM 94
  • Kelly Smith ST 90/93
  • Gareth Bale LB 90/ST 94
  • Angerer GK 91/95
  • Luis Hernandez ST 91
  • Alessandro Del Piero CAM 92
  • Camile Abily CM 93
  • Jairzinho RW 93
  • Steven Gerrard CM 93
  • Zico CAM 94
  • Paolo Maldini CB 94
  • Thierry Henry ST 95
  • Gianluigi Buffon GK 95
  • Ronaldo ST 96
  • Franz Beckenbauer CB 96
  • Mia Hamm ST 96
  • Eusebio ST 96
  • Pele ST 97

All EA FC 25 1 of 10 Historical Player Pick SBC Hero rewards

The rewards will include plenty of Heroes from all the promos that have been released in EA FC 25 until April 14.

Base Heroes

  • Ludovic Giuly RM 86
  • Dirk Kuyt CAM 86
  • Williams CM 86
  • Joan Capdevilla LB 86
  • Guti CM 86
  • Park Ji-Sung LM 86
  • Smolarek ST 86
  • Riise LB 86
  • Sonya Bompastor LB 86
  • Robbie Keane ST 86
  • Sydney Govou ST 86
  • Jerzy Dudek GK 86
  • Ledley King CB 86
  • Jamie Carragher CB 86
  • Kanu ST 86
  • Freddy Ljunberg LM 86
  • Landon Donovan CAM 86
  • Mostovoi CAM 86
  • Tomas Rosicky CAM 86
  • Rui Costa CAM 87
  • Ivan Cordoba CB 87
  • Marek Hamsik CB 87
  • Claudio Marchisio CM 87
  • Campos GK 87
  • Yaya Toure CDM 87
  • Georges CB 87
  • Hidatoshi Nakata CAM 87
  • Brolin ST 87
  • Harry Kewell LW 87
  • Joe Cole RW 87
  • Stephen McManaman RM 87
  • Ze Roberto LM 87
  • Dimitar Berbatov ST 87
  • Jaap Stam CB 87
  • Antonio Di Natale ST 88
  • Maicon RB 88
  • Javier Mascherano CB 88
  • Mario Gomez ST 88
  • Eden Hazard LM 88
  • Paulo Futre LW 88
  • Nadine Kessler CM 88
  • Vincent Kompany CB 88
  • Diego Milito ST 88
  • Diego Forlan ST 88
  • Rafael Marquez CB 88
  • Wesley Sneijder CAM 88
  • Carlos Tevez ST 88
  • Enzo Francescoli CAM 88
  • Ricardo Carvalho CB 88
  • Bixente Lizarazu LB 88
  • Jari Litmanen CAM 88
  • Jay-Jay Okocha CAM 88
  • Rudi Voller ST 89
  • Jean Pierre Papin ST 89
  • Abedi Pele CAM 89
  • David Ginola LM 89
  • Celia Sasic ST 89
  • Gianluca Vialli ST 89
  • Jurgen Kohler CB 89
  • Lucio CB 89
  • Fernando Morientes ST 89

Prime Heroes

  • Jamie Carragher CB 88
  • Noor CAM 88
  • Blaise Matuidi CDM 88
  • Williams CM 88
  • Guti CM 88
  • Japp Stam CB 89
  • Tim Howard GK 89
  • Yaya Toure CM 89
  • Ze Roberto LM 89
  • Marek Hamsik CAM 89
  • Georges CB 89
  • Maicon RB 90
  • Eden Hazard LM 90
  • Celia Sasic ST 91

Track Stars Heroes

  • Gary Cahill ST 86
  • Ludovic Giuly RM 87
  • Landon Donovan CAM 87
  • Joe Cole RW 88
  • Ivan Cordoba CB 88
  • Harry Kewell LW 88
  • Jay-Jay Okocha CAM 89
  • Bixente Lizarazu LB 89
  • David Ginola ST 90
  • Lucio CB 91

Ultimate Succession

  • Clint Dempsey CAM 87
  • Rui Costa CAM 88
  • Sonya Bompastor LB 87

Winter Wildcards

  • Ole Gunnar Solksajaer ST 88
  • Jorge Campos ST 88
  • Alex Scott LB, RB 88
  • Steven McManaman RB, RM 88
  • Antonio Di Natale ST, LW 89
  • Javier Mascherano CDM, CB 89
  • Diego Milito CB 89
  • Vincent Kompany CB 90
  • Carlos Tevez ST 90
  • Yaya Toure CDM 90
  • Eden Hazard LM 91

Grassroot Greats

  • Tim Cahill ST 89
  • Abedi Pele CAM 90
  • Japp Stam CB 91
  • Marek Hamsik CAM 91

Fantasy FC

  • Kanu ST 90
  • Tim Howard GK 91
  • Robbie Keane ST 92
  • Joe Cole RW 92
  • Enzo Francescoli CAM 92
  • Mario Gomez ST 93
  • Gianluca Vialli ST 93
  • Williams CM 93
  • Jerri Litmanen CAM 94
  • Ze Roberto LM 94
  • Eden Hazard LM 93
  • Jamie Carragher CB 94
  • Georges CB 94
  • Blaise Matuidi CDM 95

FUT Birthday

  • Ricardo Carvalho CB 91
  • Ledley King CB 91
  • Smolarek ST 92
  • Govou ST 92
  • Marchisio CM 92
  • Gervinho LW 93
  • Celia Sasic ST 93
  • Doumbia ST 93
  • Wesley Sneijder CAM 93
  • Victor Ibarbo RW 93
  • Okocha CAM 93
  • Ramires CDM 94

Dreamchasers Hero

  • Ivan Cordoba CB 92
  • Harry Kewell LW 92
  • Bixente Lizarazu LB 92
  • Nadine Kesler CM 93
  • Lucio CB 94

Immortals Hero

  • DaMarcus Beasley LB 88/LM 92
  • Mostovoi CAM 90
  • Al Jaber ST 90
  • Javier Mascherano CB 92
  • Sonya Bompastor LB 92
  • David Ginola LM 94

The post All EA FC 25 1 of 10 Historical Player Pick SBC rewards appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Saturday, June 14, 2025 4:12 PM
    

Like with any board game, adapting Monopoly to the gaming world is a challenging proposition. You can slavishly stick to the original formula or turn it into a nightmarishly exploitative mobile game—or both. At least that seems to be the trend these days.

Well, travel back two decades with me to find a lovely gem for an exception – one that used the Monopoly license as a springboard to create something unique.

Monopolizing my free time

While the gameplay and execution are quite imaginative for this Monopoly tycoon game, its title—Monopoly Tycoon—most definitely is not. But hey, we are talking 2001 here, a time of RollerCoaster Tycoon and Transport Tycoon and Tycoon Game Maker Tycoon (ok, that one might be fake), so it made sense to capitalize on the craze.

And it's not like it's an inaccurate title. You are looking at a business sim, one that takes the Monopoly game board and reimagines it as distinct plots of land that you can build businesses and apartments on. Your utilities and railroads are also present, and – here is the key part – every square of real estate can go up for sale at an auction.

monopoly tycoon city map
The city is your oyster. Screenshot by Destructoid

Otherwise, it would be like any run-of-the-mill business empire, plopping down shops based on what the peeps would like to buy, adjusting (read: jacking up) the prices wherever possible and jockeying for space and market share with your business rivals. But things get a whole lot more hectic once the auctions roll around, giving you an opportunity to outright buy specific map squares, which will stop anyone else from building on them (and force them to pay you rent for the shops that are already there), and should you get a monopoly by buying up all squares of the same color, make them watch helplessly as you buy out their stores at discounted prices. Apartments, hotels, and bankruptcy also come into play, making for some fun chaos.

The presentation also adds a lot to the charm. Your opponents are all based on the various classic Monopoly board pieces. Battleship is a captain with a navy hat, a white beard, and a funky shirt. Top Hat is a magician. Iron is a kind old lady with a tea set. Racecar is a racer with a moustache so Tom Selleck that he must be compensating for something. Cannon is a cigar-chomping army man. You get the point.

monopoly tycoon character selection
A colorful cast. Screenshot by Destructoid

The shops themselves appear out of nowhere and expand rapidly, accompanied by the sound of an air pump, giving everything a cartoonish vibe. In what must be the wet dream of a marketer somewhere, every citizen is carrying a colorful tote bag based on whose shop they last spent money in, making it easily identifiable who is dominating any given area of the city.

Whenever a sale is made, green bills literally fly into your account in the top right corner, accompanied by cash machine sounds and a nice bit of dopamine. As the dreaded 6am timeslot approaches – this is when you pay your utility bills and stock up your stores, so it's often a huge expense – a scary alarm signal plays as you get ready to watch your money disappear. It's all good fun and doesn't take itself too seriously. Sometimes I flew the camera to the luscious park in the middle of the city, sook out the giant statue of Mr. Monopoly, and asked it for advice.

Also, goodness me, the soundtrack has no right to slap this hard. Every day is a five-year period in the game, and each decade has a separate soundtrack – from the mellow trumpets of the '30s to the '70s disco vibes and the "we're almost in the future" electronica of the '90s, it's banger after banger after banger – and the main menu theme makes me want to run to the nearest shop, buy out its owner, and embark on a business adventure right here, right now…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9cXWQJC3Bk

It's as American Dream as it can get.

Capitalism for dummies

Returning to the game as an adult, I found that it does a good job of getting some basic capitalistic tenets across. You have a near-infinite free line of credit, meaning you can go very far into the red, with the caveat that if you have a negative balance at midnight, you have to end the next day in the black or get eliminated via bankruptcy.

So the optimal strat is to go nuts on your business empire in 1930, risk bankruptcy in 1935, barely make your money back by 1940, then repeat the process again. It also doesn't hurt if you find the real moneymakers of the game: residential buildings and taking advantage of monopolies.

monopoly tycoon stats screen
Whatever cash is, it certainly is not king. Screenshot by Destructoid

You can build apartments to house the residents of the city – there are no private homes at all, making for a somewhat dystopian affair. They pay their fees at 6am, giving you a good cushion for that dreaded time of day. It's a good racket, but it won't win you the game – you want to secure a monopoly at any cost—and the AI will make you pay top dollar for each property as you get closer to this goal—then wait for the rental payout the following day before buying out your opponents' stores. This will usually crush them in whatever business metric the scenario calls for while bolstering your own, so all you need to do is not go bankrupt. The fact that monopolies also allow you to build hotels to get exorbitant income for each visitor is just a cherry on top.

I always found that the light brown locations (Old Kent Road and Whitechapel Road) are the best way to go for your first monopoly: you only need to secure two of them, and they are nominally the cheapest on the board. From then on, the world is your oyster.

Scenarios range from daily profit quotas to total business empire value to getting a certain number of sales or winning elections, but this approach will always serve you well.

I got quite far into the game as a kid, but never quite cracked the code – and while I think I found the optimal strategy, I'd still struggle on the later levels if I were to force myself to try something else. But even if that's the only reliable way to win, it is a ton of fun to execute the strat over and over again. I wonder how cutthroat the game would be in a proper multiplayer setting—which the game does support, but, you know, good luck finding a game these days for something that relied on GameSpy.

Monopoly Tycoon was a commercial slow burner, but it ultimately sold almost two million copies by 2006, five years after its release. Unfortunately, developer Deep Red Games (now DR Studios) has never quite lived up to its promise with their later projects, though I was surprised to see that they apparently developed Terraria's mobile and console ports.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll go back to listening to the soundtrack.

The post This long-forgotten Monopoly game is still a joy to play (and absolutely bonkers) appeared first on Destructoid.


MonsterVine Saturday, June 14, 2025 5:15 PM
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MonsterVine Saturday, June 14, 2025 4:30 PM
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