GamersHeroes Thursday, July 17, 2025 7:39 PM Players will be able to run the rootinest, tootinest General Store in the Wild West when SunDust's Wild West Supermarket Simulator launches for the PC via Steam in Early Access August 7. The post Wild West Supermarket Simulator Launching August 7 appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
GamersHeroes Thursday, July 17, 2025 6:26 PM Serving as Northern California's largest pop culture event, the team behind FAN EXPO San Francisco 2025 recently confirmed that Catherine Tate (Doctor Who), Peter Facinelli (Twilight), and Jackson Rathbone (Twilight) will be Guests of Honor at the event this November. The post FAN EXPO SF 2025 Guests of Honor to Include Catherine Tate, Peter Facinelli, and Jackson Rathbone appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
GamersHeroes Thursday, July 17, 2025 5:07 PM Now available for PC and consoles, Digital Eclipse and Atari are letting players tee up for old-school fun with Golden Tee Arcade Classics. The post Golden Tee Arcade Classics Now Available appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
GamersHeroes Thursday, July 17, 2025 1:18 PM Global MapleStory has officially kicked off Part 2 of its summer Stargazer update, bringing with it the highly anticipated Dave the Diver collaboration. The post MapleStory x DAVE THE DIVER Collaboration Live appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
Kotaku Thursday, July 17, 2025 5:15 PM ![]() RoboCop: Rogue City - Unfinished Business is a newly released standalone expansion to 2023's surprisingly excellent and charming RoboCop: Rogue City. And while this new RoboCop game is built on the foundation of Rogue City, it lacks a lot of what made the first game so compelling. Still, it is fun to walk into a room… |
Kotaku Thursday, July 17, 2025 4:52 PM ![]() The vast majority of esports players use a handle when competing rather than their real name. You probably hear the name SonicFox and immediately think of the professional fighting game player, but might not recognize their real name, Dominique McLean. The practice is probably good for brand awareness, as a lot of… |
Kotaku Thursday, July 17, 2025 4:10 PM ![]() Months later, Civilization 7 still isn't quite where it needs to be. It's getting new updates all the time, but it's still getting panned by fans for lacking features and feeling incomplete by the 4X strategy series' standards. Fortunately, Civilization 6 is currently free to claim on Epic games as part of its big… |
Kotaku Thursday, July 17, 2025 3:45 PM ![]() I'll never get to see the Beatles live. I'll never get to watch a T-Rex run through the jungle. And now I can add one more entry to my list of "Cool shit I missed out on." I'll never get a chance to order and then eat McDonald's mega fries. The universe is cruel. |
Kotaku Thursday, July 17, 2025 2:40 PM ![]() The first official trailer for Tron: Ares is here, and it looks like a different but possibly very cool installment in Disney's cult classic sci-fi franchise. Seeing Tron vehicles and characters enter the real world is neat and—Oh damn it, I totally forgot Jared Leto is, like, the main star of this new Tron movie. |
Kotaku Thursday, July 17, 2025 2:35 PM ![]() Rematch is developer Sloclap's (Sifu, Absolver) latest game. It's a soccer game (or football for you Europeans)currently in early access. It's a surprisingly authentic soccer game that takes some creative liberties, such as placing a barrier on the edges of the field so the ball can't go out of bounds. |
Kotaku Thursday, July 17, 2025 2:25 PM ![]() Fretless - The Wrath of Riffson is the kind of genre-blending mismatch that's just crazy enough to work. A turn-based deck-building rhythm game clearly made by musicians with a care for the craft scratches an itch for me that a lot of more straightforward rhythm games don't. Like Hi-Fi Rush before it, Fretless'… |
Kotaku Thursday, July 17, 2025 1:50 PM ![]() When it comes to romance in most cozy video games, you usually wind up dating and marrying someone from town. Maybe they're nice, but also a little plain. Attractive, but not hot. . Well, Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma shakes up this stale formula by letting you romance literal gods of seasons, like Matsuri, the… |
Kotaku Thursday, July 17, 2025 1:43 PM ![]() Persona 5: The Phantom X has faced a sudden barrage of criticism in the wake of its western launch. The team at Black Wings Game Studio was met with backlash after it was announced the gacha game would be accelerating its story rollout to catch up to the original Chinese version, and fans discovered they'd been… |
Kotaku Thursday, July 17, 2025 1:10 PM ![]() Helldivers 2's latest battle pass rewards went live today and they include some really neat tech. In addition to new laser turrets and electrical grenades, the new Control Group Warbond lets players unlock a dark matter-powered jetpack that lets them blink around the battlefield like Overwatch's Tracer. It turns out… |
Kotaku Thursday, July 17, 2025 12:55 PM ![]() I was recently digging through the PlayStation Store's upcoming games section when I spotted a clearly AI-generated image of a shark in shoes. "Strange," I thought to myself. And then I saw another. And then three more. And then even more. That's when I realized AI slop has fully infested the PSN Store. |
Kotaku Thursday, July 17, 2025 12:44 PM ![]() Mortal Kombat II, the second film in Warner Bros. live-action reboot of the fighting game adaptation, got its first trailer today, and I hope you like Johnny Cage, because it looks like he's the star of the show this time. That's not terribly surprising, I suppose, given Cage's love of the spotlight. If nothing else,… |
PCGamesN Thursday, July 17, 2025 5:42 PM Since being a real Age of Empires competitor back in the day, Stronghold Crusader, and the broader Stronghold franchise, was dormant for many years. This has begun to change, thanks in part to new definitive editions, which update and streamline the strategy classics for modern hardware. Just a couple of days after launch, Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition is officially a hit on Steam. The game opened to strong player numbers and rave reviews. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best RTS games, Best strategy games, Best 4X games |
PCGamesN Thursday, July 17, 2025 5:22 PM The NBA 2K26 system requirements are more demanding than last year's game, which is surprising to see given that no major changes to the game engine have been announced. One confirmed change, however, comes to the game file size, which is thankfully getting smaller. While you still won't need the best graphics card from our helpful buying guide to run NBA 2K26, it can only help if your specs sit comfortably above the system requirements. Continue reading The NBA 2K26 system requirements have increased, but not by much MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best graphics card, Best gaming PC, Best SSD for gaming |
PCGamesN Thursday, July 17, 2025 4:45 PM Anime would seem like fertile ground for grand strategy. The epic space battles of Mobile Suit Gundam could be straight out of Stellaris. The mixture of political intrigue and battleground struggle make Legend of the Galactic Heroes like a Crusader Kings in space. And that's without mentioning the huge number of samurai epics (animated and otherwise) that games like Total War: Shogun have pulled from. But explicitly anime grand strategy games have been few and far between. The Great Villainess: Strategy of Lily borrows freely from both grand strategy and the most tactical JRPGs, making a mix unlike anything you've ever seen before. You can check out a new demo before the game launches in less than a week. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best JRPG games, Best grand strategy games, Best turn-based RPGs |
PCGamesN Thursday, July 17, 2025 3:40 PM The stylish free-to-play battle royale Off the Grid has finally arrived on Steam, after almost a year of Epic exclusivity. The game is a cyberpunk-themed dystopia developed in collaboration with District Nine director Neill Blomkamp, so it has real bonafides. Before each run, you can customize extensive load outs, including cybernetic limbs and kitted-out weapons, which you can call down during matches. Off the Grid looks to be cutting a unique niche in a crowded genre. However, if you decide to be pick the game up, you should be aware of its extensive and sometimes inscrutable implementation of cryptocurrency and NFTs. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best battle royale games, Best multiplayer games, Best co-op games |
PCGamesN Thursday, July 17, 2025 5:34 PM Since Disco Elysium's release in 2019, nothing else has quite matched it. To be sure, there's been some fantastic RPGs since then. Baldur's Gate 3 is a tactical and story-telling marvel. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is an incredible throwback to the golden age of Final Fantasy. Metaphor ReFantazio is a dense JRPG with a vivid fantasy world. But the exact blend of storytelling and world-building Disco Elysium provided still stands apart. However, a few games are looking to live up to its now storied legacy. One such game is The Necromancer's Tale, a story-driven, gothic RPG with a complex magic system. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best turn-based RPGs, Best story games, Best fantasy games |
PCGamesN Thursday, July 17, 2025 3:03 PM July 17, 2025: New free Bingo Blitz credits links are here. What are the new free Bingo Blitz credits? You won't be playing much bingo without them, that's for sure. Even if you've exhausted your usual free credits in Bingo Blitz through login rewards and premium subscriptions, the secret to playing another round is through our Bingo Blitz credits links. New Bingo Blitz free credits links work in much the same way as Monopoly Go dice links. One click and your account is automatically topped up with credits ready to be used on multiple rounds or one big blow-out session with multiple cards. The choice is yours. Continue reading Free Bingo Blitz credits July 2025 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Bingo Blitz credits, Best card games, Best PC board games |
PCGamesN Thursday, July 17, 2025 1:58 PM Oh, Destiny 2, my beloved. Like a toxic relationship, it keeps me coming back for more. While I'm not huge on the seasonal content between each major expansion, ever since Destiny's original release back in 2014, I've been in love with the world. After the explosive finale of the Light and Darkness Saga, Destiny 2's Edge of Fate is bringing us into a new era - one that you can already grab on sale. Continue reading Here's the cheapest way to buy Destiny 2 Edge of Fate MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Destiny 2 classes, Destiny 2 The Final Shape review, Destiny 2 builds |
PCGamesN Thursday, July 17, 2025 7:02 PM What are the free games on the Epic Games Store this week? Each week in 2025, Epic is giving away free games for you to own forever. These games are separate to the free-to-play games available on the store, and you only have one week to claim them. Epic has given away over $10,000 worth of games since 2018, and it doesn't look like they're going to stop any time soon. It's worth checking in each week to see which games are on offer. Occasionally, you can even redeem in-game goodies and exclusive items for your favorite free PC games. Let's take a look at the free Epic games right now, and what to expect from upcoming games on the Epic Games Store. Continue reading Free Epic games this week July 2025 |
PCGamesN Thursday, July 17, 2025 5:35 PM The term roguelike has become something of a misnomer these days. Once narrowly applied to games which resembled the RPG Rogue, it now applies to action RPGs like Hades and card games like Balatro. Many of these games are fantastic and put the bare bones structure of runs and permadeath to thrilling use. But, if you're like me, you may long for the old school flavor occasionally. He is Coming, the new game from the Manor Lords publisher Hooded Horse, looks to be an updated way to scratch that dungeon crawling itch. If you have PC Game Pass, you can play it right now. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best fantasy games, Best RPGs, Best auto battler games |
PCGamesN Thursday, July 17, 2025 12:28 PM July 17, 2025: We've added new 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. Continue reading Free Monopoly Go dice links July 2025 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best board games, Monopoly Go events, Monopoly Go dice |
PCGamesN Thursday, July 17, 2025 12:00 PM The price of the new AMD Ryzen Threadripper CPUs have just been announced, and you're going to need a very big budget to afford them. The prices start as "low" as $1,649 for the 16-core 9955WX, but AMD's top-end Threadripper Pro 9995WX CPU, with a huge 96 cores, will cost a whopping $11,699 to purchase. These are the first Threadripper CPUs that AMD has released in several years, but it doesn't look like AMD is changing its approach for them. Enormous core counts are what Threadrippers are all about, along with fairly big price tags, although $11,699 makes the 9995WX one of the most expensive desktop CPUs you can buy. However, they're unlikely to join our best gaming CPU guide any time soon, unless those 3D V-Cache Threadripper rumors become true. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Ryzen 7 9800X3D review, Best gaming CPU, Radeon RX 9070 XT review |
Siliconera Thursday, July 17, 2025 6:00 PM
A Plus Japan, Shanghai Bokura Technology, and Tencent announced it will hold a closed beta test for Blue Protocol: Star Resonance. Sign-ups will start on July 24, 2025. That's also when we'll learn more about when and where it will take place. The full game is also expected to launch in 2025.
At the moment, there's only a new trailer going over what to expect from both Blue Protocol: Star Resonance and the closed beta test experience. This is a new take on the MMORPG originally created by Bandai Namco for consoles and PCs. Classes will include the Frost Mage, Heavy Guardian, Marksman, Shield Knight, Stormblade, Verdant Oracle, and Wind Knight, and we'll explore locations on Regnus like the Asterleeds Region, Carniman, The Lost Andra, and Misthoen.
Here's the video showing off Blue Protocol: Star Resonance gameplay and announcing the beta.
While registration isn't open for the closed beta yet, the website is allowing someone to pre-register. At the moment, that consists of supplying an email and getting updates in inboxes when new milestones arise.
Blue Protocol: Star Resonance will come to PCs and mobile devices worldwide in 2025. The closed beta test recruitment opens on July 24, 2025. The original Blue Protocol appeared on the PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC in Japan.
The post Blue Protocol: Star Resonance Closed Beta Test Announced appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Thursday, July 17, 2025 5:00 PM
Nintendo announced its stores in Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto now carry seven new kinds of Donkey Kong merchandise. These range from a Diddy Kong plush pouch to towels. A large Donkey Kong plush is also planned, but isn't available alongside the other items on July 17, 2025.
The Diddy Kong item is the most expensive at the moment at 3,520
円 (~$24). The most affordable are two different styles of hand towels featuring DK for 990円 (~$7).
Here's the full list of everything available now and their prices:
While these new Donkey Kong items are only in the Nintendo Store locations in Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto, some of the merchandise from the first run of the collection are available in the New York and San Francisco locations. The pages for both of those show the fleece DK hoodie, the banana pouch, the barrel shoulder bag and cushion, rubber straps, and t-shirt.
Here's how those older items that are also available worldwide look:
![]()
This comes as Donkey Kong Bananza debuted worldwide. It is now available on the Switch 2 and marks a Super Mario Odyssey style adventure for DK and Pauline.
The new Donkey Kong merchandise is now available at the Nintendo Store locations in Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto in Japan. It's unknown when they might head to the US storefronts.
The post Japanese Nintendo Stores Get New Donkey Kong Merchandise appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Thursday, July 17, 2025 4:00 PM
Premium Collectibles Studio announced it will show off the Street Fighter Chun-Li statue at the 2025 San Diego Comic-Con, with the announcement teasing all three costume variants of the large figure could appear. This would mark the first appearance of them. Previously, the product page on the company website only included a placeholder image and option to submit an email to sign up for the waitlist.
We don't know exactly how tall the 1:2 Street Fighter Chun-Li statue will be, or how expensive each of the three figure variants will each be. The first teaser video didn't offer any reference items to provide a sense of scale. It did show that all three will feature her in the same time of pose she makes when a fight starts and she's preparing to attack.
As for the outfits for each of the Street Fighter Chun-Li figures, each statue will wear a costume calling back to past appearances. The Battle option is based on the Battle costume seen in Street Fighter V. Alpha looks like her Street Fighter Alpha appearance. Classic looks like the style she wore starting in Street Fighter II.
Here's Premium Collectibles Studio's teaser video:
In the past, the company also released $4,000 busts of Chun-Li. It was also behind the powerlifting figures of the character.
The Premium Collectibles Studio Street Fighter Chun-Li 1:2 statue series will debut at the 2025 San Diego Comic-Con, ahead of the figures' eventual debut. SDCC runs July 24-27, 2025.
The post 1:2 Street Fighter Chun-Li Statue Will Be at SDCC 2025 appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Thursday, July 17, 2025 3:00 PM
On July 16, 2025, the much hyped Fire at My Heels: Kitasan Black SSR Speed Support Card debuted in Umamusume: Pretty Derby, and the PC version of the game hit a new all-time peak player count milestone on Steam as a result. The new record is 87,453, according to SteamCharts. It is also showing as the top seller in the US on Steam, and number two globally.
The Kitasan Black SSR Support Card is known for being one of the best Speed options in Umamusume: Pretty Derby. It's held its position as a beneficial addition to a deck in Career in the Japanese version over the last three years. Part of this is because, as you uncap and max out the card, it increases the odds of her appearing for Speed training and offering the Friendship bonus. There are also mood bonuses, her Professor of Curvature velocity bonus on a turn is helpful, and she can also provide hints for skills like Corner or Straight Recovery.
As a reminder, the Kitasan Black SSR isn't the only featured Support Card on the new Umamusume: Pretty Derby banner. It is one of two focus cards. The other is The Will to Overtake: Satono Diamond. That's an SSR Stamina card. While it is fine, the Super Creek SSR Stamina option present since launch is considered a better option due to the Swinging Maestro skill.
This further widens the gap between the player count peak numbers for Umamusume: Pretty Derby and Persona 5: The Phantom X. They launched one day apart in June 2024. The current all-time peak for the Persona gacha game is 23,106 as of July 17, 2025, according to SteamCharts.
Umamusume: Pretty Derby is available for the PC and mobile devices. The original anime is on Crunchyroll, and the Cinderella Gray anime is on Amazon.
The post Kitasan Black Causes Umamusume New Steam Peak Player Count appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Thursday, July 17, 2025 2:00 PM
Hololive Vtuber Usada Pekora brought back her mom, referred to as Pekomama, for her latest stream. For over an hour on July 17, 2025, the two talked with viewers and other members of Hololive. Her mother appeared in honor of Pekora's sixth anniversary, as the performer debuted with the company on July 17, 2019.
This Usada Pekora and Pekomama stream ended up being purely a chatting one, with the two talking with fans of the Vtuber, then later with special Hololive guests for over 80 minutes. After talking together for about a half hour, other performers from the company started calling in. Shirogane Noel, La+ Darknesss, Kikirara Vivi, Tokino Sora, Otonose Kanade, and AZKi each stopped by to chat with her mother.
Here is the full stream. It is only available in Japanese.
Usada Pekora revealed the debut of her mom as the Vtuber Pekomama as an April Fools' Day joke on April 1, 2024. That stream started out with her mother performing alone, before Pekora joined her. This marks the second time Pekomama appeared with her model on a stream.
Usada Pekora has been a member of Hololive since July 2025. She recently also appeared worldwide as a prepper in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach.
The post Hololive Vtuber Usada Pekora's Mom Pekomama Returns appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Thursday, July 17, 2025 1:00 PM
Now that Donkey Kong Bananza is available for everyone, we know the voice actors who play various characters like DK and Pauline. Since Pauline is fully voiced, her actress varies for different languages and regions. However, Donkey Kong is played by Kouji Takeda in every region. In English, the spoken and singing voice for Pauline is Jenny Kidd.
Kouji Takeda taking up the role of DK in Donkey Kong Bananza isn't surprising, as he has been the voice actor for the character for a few projects recently. He played the character in the Japanese dub for The Super Mario Bros Movie. Then, in Mario Kart World, he reprised the part. We also heard hi as Daruk in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and its spin-offs. One of his other recurring roles is Shinichi Sato in Blue Exorcist.
We knew the Japanese voice actress for Pauline ahead of launch, due to Nintendo revealing it in an Ask the Developer interview series based on Donkey Kong Bananza. Yurianne Eve plays her.
BeardBear on YouTube shared a compilation video that highlighted Pauline's voice actresses in multiple languages. That covered samples of her performances in Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, and Spanish.
Donkey Kong Bananza is available for the Nintendo Switch 2.
The post Donkey Kong Bananza DK and Pauline Voice Actors Revealed appeared first on Siliconera. |
Destructoid Thursday, July 17, 2025 4:43 PM
Hunting data pads may not have been in your schedule when The Edge of Fate released, but the Data Pad Discovery Part One seasonal challenge may push you away from Kepler and into Empire Hunts instead.
In addition to sending you into Encore and Kell's Fall within the Portal, Strikes and Vanguard activities, plus the new Solo Ops activities, the seasonal challenge requires you to pay a brief visit to Europa by redoing some Empire Hunts. They also give you some new Portal loot and can bump your power. You can add some challenging modifiers for better drops or just breeze through these missions at the easiest difficulty, since the data pads appear in all levels. We've located them below.
Where to find all Empire Hunt Data Pads in Destiny 2: Edge of Fate
While other missions may contain more than one data pad, there's only one device in each Empire Hunt (The Technocrat, The Warrior, and The Dark Priestess). Here's where you can find them.
The Technocrat Empire Hunt Data Pad location
![]()
Hunting down Praksis will take you through the BrayTech facility in Europa, and there are plenty of locations to hide a data pad. Fortunately for players, though, this datapad is at the end of the mission, just before the boss room. Find it on top of a crate in the hallway with Fallen snipers positioned on mine-laden platforms.
The Dark Priestess Empire Hunt Data Pad location
![]()
Kridis is one of Eramis' most loyal soldiers, rising up after the former leader of House Salvation was frozen solid at the end of Beyond Light. Clear the room with the Darkness Splinter in Riis-Reborn, then enter the teleporter and look for this datapad on your left once you come out on the other side.
The Warrior Empire Hunt Data Pad location
![]()
The data pad in The Warrior Empire Hunt is at the beginning of the mission, off the Nexus zone. Instead of taking a left (which would lead you to the Glassway), the mission leads you to the right side. Clear out the Vex and shoot a Conflux to open the way to the rest of the mission, disabling a barrier around the door. Pick up this data pad sitting by a beam just in front of you before advancing.
The post All Empire Hunt Data Pad locations in Destiny 2 Edge of Fate (Data Pad Discovery Part 1) appeared first on Destructoid. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Thursday, July 17, 2025 3:15 PM
Limbus Company is arguably one of the best gachas on the entire market if you consider the ease of getting new characters, and you can find plenty of them across your save.
Unlike most gachas on the market, there are just 12 characters. However, each one has multiple Identities (IDs in short) that you can get from banners (or extract with their respective shards). While all IDs can be pretty effective when you train them up, some are better than the rest. Let's take a look at which IDs are top of the chain and which are pretty mediocre at best.
Complete Limbus Company tier list
The characters of Limbus Company are divided into five tiers.
Limbus Company SS-tier list
Limbus Company S-tier list
Limbus Company A-tier list
Limbus Company B-tier list
Limbus Company C-tier list
Any characters not mentioned on the tiers above fall under the C-tier category. I have still added a few notable names that might fill in niche roles on your squad.
New characters continue to be added with fresh updates, and Limbus Company is certainly one of the most generous gachas available on the market.
The post Limbus Company Tier List appeared first on Destructoid. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Thursday, July 17, 2025 2:38 PM
According to rumors, Call of Duty is getting a whole new subfranchise in 2027, this time developed by Sledgehammer Games. This new series won't be futuristic (God forbid) nor a continuation of SG's previous titles like Advanced Warfare, nor, unfortunately, put this tired old franchise on a hiatus.
As reported by Insider Gaming, Sledgehammer Games is allegedly going to spearhead an entirely new Call of Duty subfranchise set in modern times, probably akin to the rebooted Modern Warfare games. This new series will put movement at its core and will not feature devil-spawned jetpacks that everyone hates. What's more, the rumors also say martial arts could feature in the game, with stuff like "karate chops" coming to the series. Big sigh.
![]()
Though we should really not fan the flames with rumors and such until we get official information, if anything above is true (or if Activision doesn't put CoD on pause after this next one comes out) we're going to go down the same old, tiresome, and beaten path of new year - new CoD.
We've had countless "subfranchises" either come or be attempted, from the MW reboot, the billionth Black Ops installment, Advanced and Infinite Warfare, Ghosts, and so on. Most of these were so good that, if the above is real, Activision outright gave up on them, trying for the umpteenth time to start a new one, as if we haven't seen enough of this game already.
And yes, I said game deliberately, as MW2019 was the last time anything fundamentally changed in CoD. The stuff in between went from bad to worse, what with Vanguard, MW3, Cold War, and BO6 all being borderline the same regurgitated thing, aspiring to be as flashy as possible by using the new engine and providing literally nothing else.
New or not, this apparent upcoming subfranchise won't provide enough of a shake-up, the karate chops be damned. Activision genuinely needs to press pause on this entire series and rethink how it approaches its development. Having so many studios with so many visions (and, honestly, varying artistic capabilities) produce the same series is simply not working. Either let Infinity Ward handle the whole thing once every few years (like DICE and Battlefield) or just kill it altogether.
Either way, people only stand to win, as CoD hasn't been CoD for a very, very long time.
The post CoD reportedly getting new subfranchise in 2027, as if there haven't been too many of them already appeared first on Destructoid. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Thursday, July 17, 2025 2:12 PM
Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate added a new campaign, location, and raid, but there are also some new triumphs and quests to grind as part of refreshing older content in the game.
As part of seasonal Triumphs and unlocking new rewards, Data Pads can be found all over the Portal's activities, including Fireteam Ops. Here are the locations of all of the Data Pads as part of Vanguard Data Pad Investigation triumphs and quests in Destiny 2's Season 27: Reclamation.
Table of contents
Destiny 2 Edge of Fate - All Fireteam Ops Data Pad locations
There should be several weeks of Data Pads to find during season 27 of Destiny 2. This article will be updated with their locations whenever they are added to the game.
Destiny 2 Vanguard Data Pad Investigation - Part I
![]()
The Glassway Data Pad locations
While on the "Prevent the Vex From Swarming Europa" step, the first Data Pad can be found off to the right off where you fight the first miniboss in the Strike, a large Fallen named Warrior's Enforcer. It's location is pictured below.
![]()
The second Data Pad is found in the large open room shortly after you fight the second miniboss, another large Fallen named Technocrat's Assistant. It's found on the far right side of the room at the end of a platform sticking out from the rest, shown in the image below.
![]()
Inverted Spire Data Pad locations
The first Data Pad is found on this platform below you before you drop down into the section of the Strike where you get inside of tanks.
![]()
The second Data Pad is found after the section where you must stand on three plates and climb upwards towards the drill. You can see it on the left side of the area before jumping up.
![]()
Battleground: Conduit Data Pad locations
At the very beginning of the activity, jump down the ramp and slide into this room where the Data Pad can be found on the left side before dropping into the hole.
![]()
After hacking and defending the conflux and right before moving into the area with the final boss, this Data Pad is found on the right side of the pathway.
![]()
Battleground: Delve Data Pad locations
The first Data Pad is found immediately when you spawn in. Drop down and run up a little ways near the Radiolarian river and it can be found to your left at the base of a small pillar.
![]()
The second Data Pad is right before you enter the final boss room, on a ledge to the left of the walkway into the encounter area.
![]()
This article will be updated with new information whenever necessary.
The post All Fireteam Ops Data Pad locations in Destiny 2 Edge of Fate – Vanguard Data Pad Investigation appeared first on Destructoid. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Thursday, July 17, 2025 2:08 PM
The first trailer for the upcoming Mortal Kombat 2 movie is out, starring Karl Urban as an aging Johnny Cage fighting as much with otherworldly beings as his dwindling fame. With no powers whatsoever, Cage is tackling recognizable characters and locales in one of the better-looking game adaptations I've seen.
The new R-rated Mortal Kombat 2 movie, slated to release on Oct. 24, got its first trailer, showcasing the huge cast of recognizable faces and places, alongside a ton of references to the games. Karl Urban takes the center stage, playing the protagonist Johnny Cage, an aged actor selected to duke it out with strange creatures in the Mortal Kombat tournament. Raiden, Baraka, Shao Khan, Kitana, Jax, Scorpion and countless others (re)appear in the sequel.
The locales chosen for the film and shown in the trailer are also numerous, ranging from rainy forests to flaming hellscapes, just like in the Mortal Kombat games. It is packed to the brim with references, and even fatalities, all of which are stock-full of gruesome gore and over-the-top violence.
As adaptation fatigue is slowly setting in, this trailer has me genuinely excited. It looks pretty good, the CGI and effects are eye-catching, and Karl Urban simply rocks as Johnny Cage. His recent experience playing Billy Butcher in The Boys will certainly help him with depicting this one-liner-intensive character, and the trailer itself already has plenty of them.
If everything falls into place, we might be looking at a proper, good live-action adaptation. The first film was loved by fans of the series, even if it wasn't the best movie of all time, and if this new trailer is anything to go by, MK players are in for a true treat.
And that's amid the incredible oversaturation of video game movie adaptations, the likes of which we haven't seen since the early 2000s.
The post First Mortal Kombat 2 movie trailer shows Karl Urban uncaging the Cage—and it's looking pretty awesome appeared first on Destructoid. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Thursday, July 17, 2025 1:51 PM
The presence of different coaching Archetypes in College Football 26 allows you to apply different upgrades in the Dynasty Mode, and there's plenty to look at.
While every coach has a base Archetype to choose from, there are advanced options. All Archetypes have their dedicated skill tree to unlock and upgrade, but it's impossible to get all the improvements. This automatically means that you'll have to min-max your resources and how you spend them.
While there's always a subjective nature when it comes to the best ability upgrades, the table below will include ten perfect choices for almost any coach in Dynasty Mode.
10 Best College Football 26 Coach Upgrade Abilities in Dynasty Mode
While you start a save with a chosen Backstory, you're not restricted to it. As you gain more experience on your Dynasty save, you can unlock skills from different base and advanced Archetypes. Here are some of the best abilities that you can unlock to improve your coach.
Just like last year, my favorite one is Always be Crootin'. I don't like playing with top-tier teams, and it can be hard to attract the top-rated talents. This ability will raise the starting interest of an athlete towards joining your program.
Do note that some of the abilities mentioned here are part of advanced Archetypes, and they will take longer to unlock. Keep playing the games, but focus more on the objectives, as that will quicken up the entire process of getting new abilities.
The post Best College Football 26 Coach Upgrade Abilities in Dynasty Mode appeared first on Destructoid. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Thursday, July 17, 2025 1:49 PM
Limbus Company is one of those rare gacha games without PvP, but you'll still have to rely on online connectivity to play.
Project Moon's gacha adventure requires a persistent online connection despite all the modes being PvE. If you get disconnected at any point in time, you're likely going to lose your progress on a quest. This makes it crucial for you to be aware of the server maintenance and when it takes place. Having the knowledge will prevent you from having interrupted sessions and losing progress in the process.
How to know about Limbus Company's server status
Limbus Company has periodic server maintenance that takes place at short notice. The best way to stay aware of it is from within the game. If you're new and just getting started, checking the official notices is pretty straightforward.
![]()
This is the easiest way to keep track of all upcoming and ongoing maintenance, as the servers are always going to be taken down. An additional source of such information is the subreddit. It's the largest English-speaking community of the game, and it's also a good place to stay aware of when the servers are down.
You can also use a third-party website like Downdetector to find out if the servers are down. If all the methods mentioned here have no instances of server downtime, but you can't connect, chances are that the problems are at your end.
The post How to check Limbus Company server status appeared first on Destructoid. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Thursday, July 17, 2025 1:43 PM
We've all heard the standard "Netflix adaptations suck" phrase. And, to be clear, they very often do. However, sometimes a Netflix production can provide new life to the adapted franchise (just remember Cyberpunk: Edgerunners), which could be exactly what the dwindling Assassin's Creed series needs.
Assassin's Creed has been in the pits for several years now. Ever since Assassin's Creed: Black Flag, we haven't really seen great games in the series. Sure, Unity and Syndicate were fine, but once Ubisoft made the switch to RPG instead of immersive stealth, things started falling apart.
![]()
They retained all the glee usually associated with Ubisoft—sprawling open worlds, beautiful graphics, and so on. But the gameplay, stories, and everything in between generally lacked the quality of the older titles.
Anyone who's been around gaming for a spell knows the name Ezio Auditore. Many know Altair. Some may even know Connor and Edward. But few can remember the characters of later games, especially those like Mirage that Ubisoft seems to have treated as some kind of random content drop rather than a full-blown game.
So, this is where the Netflix series comes in.
Yes, yes, I know it's being produced by the Halo adaptation guy, and we've already had a subpar live-action Assassin's Creed. All valid points of concern.
However, a Netflix adaptation could provide a lot of vigor to a genuinely dying series. If done right (and that's a big if), it could even open Assassin's Creed up to more people, make those sales start coming in again, and give Ubisoft, partnered with Tencent, more reasons to keep chugging along.
After all, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners did just about the same with CDPR's title. The game suffered a lot of bad rep for years by the time the anime launched, the numerous patches, fixes, and updates notwithstanding. Post-Edgerunners, however, things started looking up. People started revisiting the game, CDPR kicked into overdrive to provide as much content (especially Edgerunners-themed stuff), and Cyberpunk 2077 finally started seeing green.
The same could happen to Assassin's Creed, and honestly, it's probably the series' best bet. Ubisoft surely understands this.
What's more, so does Tencent, which played no small part in making Arcane a thing, and we all know just how successful that turned out to be.
The post Hear me out—Netflix's Assassin's Creed adaptation could be exactly what the franchise needs appeared first on Destructoid. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Thursday, July 17, 2025 12:57 PM
All around the island, there are lots of characters you can team up with or speak with to unlock special items in Fortnite Chapter Six, season three. If you know where to find them, these NPCs can offer you powerful advantages or join your team to help you seize victory.
The island is quite large, so tracking down the many characters wandering around it can be a tricky task. It's much easier if you know where to look, so here's where to find all NPCs in Fortnite Chapter Six, season three.
Table of contents
All NPCs and where to find them in Fortnite Chapter 6, season 3
![]()
There are 19 NPCs you can find all around the vast island in Fortnite Chapter Six, season three. More may be added as the season progresses, and existing ones may move around, so if any changes occur, we'll add them here.
Characters you can hire in Fortnite Chapter 6, season 3
There are six characters you can hire to fight by your side in Fortnite. These characters are:
While you're exploring the island to meet these characters, be sure to pick up the quests they offer. Some quests you need to tackle are the Trials of Morgan Myst, Shadows of the Shard, Heart of the Sprites, and Brothers of Mask and Blade.
The post All Fortnite Chapter 6, season 3 NPC locations appeared first on Destructoid. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Thursday, July 17, 2025 12:45 PM
The Enchanted by Nature expansion pack for The Sims 4 expands the game with a ton of fairy and nature-themed content you can explore. Some features are initially locked behind gameplay, but you can easily skip ahead to enjoy everything right away using cheats.
There are many different kinds of cheats that work for this pack, so there are plenty of options for enhancing your gameplay experience. Here are all of the best cheats to use for Enchanted by Nature in The Sims 4.
Table of contents
Best cheats for The Sims 4 Enchanted by Nature
![]()
Here's a breakdown of all the best cheats to accompany your Enchanted by Nature gameplay. Before you attempt to use any of them, make sure you have cheats turned on for The Sims 4.
This list includes both base game cheats that will make your experience easier and those exclusive to the pack. We're also still experimenting with cheats, so we may add more to this list in the future if we discover any additional ones.
Fairy cheats for The Sims 4
![]()
There's just one cheat you can use to modify your Fairy abilities, although you can change it up a bit to achieve your desired outcome. This cheat is as follows.
In place of the X, you can choose an amount of Fairy experience you wish to gain. The bigger the number you enter, the more levels your Fairy will climb. Certain experience levels help you ascend to the next rank.
If you can download mods for your game, I recommend considering grabbing the UI Cheats mod by Weerbesu to enhance the options for cheating Fairy abilities. With this mod installed, you can essentially click to change the number of Fairy points you have, how much XP you've earned, and what level you are. It simplifies the cheating process a lot while also granting you access to abilities you wouldn't otherwise have. It makes activating all kinds of cheats much easier if that's what you're after.
Apothecary cheat for The Sims 4
![]()
Proficiency in the Apothecary skill is essential for success in the Naturopath career. To change your Sims' level in this skill, you can activate the following cheat.
Pick any number from one to 10 to replace the X with when typing this cheat. The higher the number you pick, the more skilled your Sim will become at Apothecary.
Natural Living cheat for The Sims 4
Quickly raising your Natural Living skill is crucial if you want your Sim to survive and thrive outdoors, and luckily, there's a simple cheat to do so. You can use the following command to modify your skill level.
Just like in other cheats, replace the "X" in this one with your desired new level for the Natural Living skill. It's a full 10-level skill, so you can input any number between one and 10.
Are there cheats for Ailments in The Sims 4?
So far, there are no cheats for adding or removing Ailments without the assistance of mods. You can, however, decrease how often they occur by opening "Settings," clicking "Pack Settings," and selecting the "Enable Balance & Imbalance" option.
The post Best The Sims 4 Enchanted by Nature cheats appeared first on Destructoid. |
WGB Thursday, July 17, 2025 5:58 PM The trailer for Mortal Kombat 2 reveals Karl Urban as Johnny Cage, showcasing his underdog journey and impressive fight scenes. With a bigger budget and tournament presence, it promises fun and nostalgia. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Thursday, July 17, 2025 4:23 PM A new partnership. The post Dragami Games and Nada Holdings Will Produce New Lollipop Chainsaw Projects appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Thursday, July 17, 2025 3:51 PM No longer available. The post John Wick Hex Has Been Delisted On All Platforms appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Thursday, July 17, 2025 3:30 PM Features tons of enemies. The post Killing Floor III Gets New Launch Trailer appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Thursday, July 17, 2025 3:14 PM According to Jason Schreier. The post Santa Monica's Next Game Will Reportedly Be a Reinvention appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
MonsterVine Thursday, July 17, 2025 7:00 PM Kaname Date and other familiar characters return in a new, smaller entry in the AI: The Somnium Files series that adds escape game puzzles alongside the familiar gameplay from its predecessors. No Sleep for Kaname Date – From AI: The Somnium Files Developer: Spike Chunsoft Price: $40 Platform: Nintendo Switch (reviewed), Nintendo Switch 2, PC […] |
MonsterVine Thursday, July 17, 2025 1:00 PM Kakao Games is ready to unleash a new kind of action-RPG experience with Goddess Order, a side-scrolling mobile adventure that combines nostalgic pixel-art visuals with console-style combat. Today, the South Korea-based publisher revealed the game's first global teaser trailer, offering fans around the world a sneak peek at its explosive combat, charming characters, and intriguing […] |
Level Up Thursday, July 17, 2025 12:25 PM |