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Jul 21, 18:00


Kotaku Monday, July 21, 2025 4:45 PM
    

The Stop Killing Games campaign has continued building momentum in recent weeks, even popping up during at least one publisher shareholder meeting. With over 1.4 million signatures in support, the EU petition "Stop Destroying Videogames" now has a real shot at forcing the issue with regulators there, though one of the…

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Kotaku Monday, July 21, 2025 4:25 PM
    

No Rest for the Wicked came to Early Access last year and some fans are patiently waiting for it to finally hit console. The head of developer Moon Studios recently told fans the action-RPG Soulslike will likely come to PlayStation 5 first. Xbox, where the studio's critically-acclaimed Ori games were once exclusives,…

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Kotaku Monday, July 21, 2025 3:10 PM
    

If you've taken even a moment to look at your phone, tablet, or laptop, you have probably seen the viral Coldplay "cheating scandal" clip. This wasn't a member of the pop-rock band being involved in some extramarital affairs; it was the band accidentally exposing an allegedly cheating couple at its July 15 Foxborough…

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Kotaku Monday, July 21, 2025 2:05 PM
    

Now in it's 12th year, the free-t0-play loot shooter Warframe is still going strong and the future looks bright coming off a whirlwind series of announcements and teases from TennoCon 2025. The multi-day event included details on new story expansions, new frames, and access to an alpha build for Digital Extremes'…

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Kotaku Monday, July 21, 2025 1:19 PM
    

Look-alike contests have become a viral phenomenon in recent years. What started as local gags promoted with flyers posted near city crosswalks have spread to events that go viral online as they bring together everyday citizens who look vaguely like superstars. Timothée Chalamet and Pedro Pascal are just a couple of…

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Kotaku Monday, July 21, 2025 1:10 PM
    

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora made nowhere near the splash you might expect given it's sourced from the highest-grossing box office blockbuster ever, but absurd discounts and ongoing updates have made the open world sci-fi adventure easy to recommend, especially come this December. That's when Ubisoft says a new free…

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Kotaku Monday, July 21, 2025 1:00 PM
    

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has had its many heads swirling in the mass confusion of a multiverse for the last few years. This, thank god, is soon coming to an end. MCU boss Kevin Feige has described the forthcoming abandoning of interweaving timelines as a "reset." But definitely not a "reboot."

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Kotaku Monday, July 21, 2025 12:47 PM
    

While some might argue that Nintendo hasn't ever fully capitalized on the potential of amiibos, they're still wonderful and charming collectibles for fans to geek out over. Forget those naysayers, too. Amiibos do still have uses in many games, including the brand new Donkey Kong Bananza. And in the case of this…

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Kotaku Monday, July 21, 2025 12:20 PM
    

Steam recently purged hundreds of sex games featuring explicit content, including many with themes around sexual abuse, after rolling out stricter moderation rules. PC gaming's biggest storefront appeared to blame pressure from online payment processors for the changes, which some developers worry will lead to a…

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Kotaku Monday, July 21, 2025 11:30 AM
    

In a world like S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl, the bigger the weapon and the more powerful the ammunition, the more likely you are to wield that weapon in everyday circumstances. At least, that's what I initially thought. But after playing for nearly 100 hours, I can't even begin to tell you the number of times…

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Kotaku Monday, July 21, 2025 10:37 AM
    

Donkey Kong Bananza is a great game…probably. I can't really say for myself yet. To be honest, I haven't really done much in Nintendo's latest open-world reimagining of its iconic ape's adventures. It's not because I don't want to, but because I, like several others, have found Bananza difficult to get through. This…

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Kotaku Monday, July 21, 2025 10:02 AM
    

It feels like such a long time since we had any big Pokémon news. Back in February we had our last chunk of information about this year's Switch game, Pokémon Legends: Z-A, but since then all has been tremendously quiet. Could tomorrow's extra-long Pokémon Presents be about to give us something new to chew on?

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PCGamesN Monday, July 21, 2025 5:46 PM
    

Given the current climate in the videogames industry, any live service game reaching a full year of post-launch support is genuinely something to commend. If you can go beyond that, then hats off to you. That's exactly what Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown is about to do. About to enter its fourth season, which is its last major update of a tricky Year 1, it's just confirmed a second year of support is on the way, and it contains highly requested content that makes its return from its beloved predecessors. Plus, the community will be able to vote from a list of four potential new game modes in order to divide which one will end up in Solar Crown.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best racing games, Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown review, Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown cars

PCGamesN Monday, July 21, 2025 2:28 PM
    

Forever Skies has always felt, to me, like an upside-down Subnautica. Whereas the latter sends you below sea level, Forever Skies sees you soar high above it, but the principles of survival, exploration, research, and base building all translate. Despite its novel concept of piloting an airship over the decaying rooftops of a Fallout-esque, post-apocalyptic Earth, the game's creators have acknowledged that things need to improve. One of the main ways it's going to do that is by spicing up its world, and now developer Far From Home has revealed new details about a game-changing algorithm that will do just that.

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

PCGamesN Monday, July 21, 2025 1:05 PM
    

Where Winds Meet has already proven itself as one of the year's most-hyped games. I've been hankering to try out its slick-looking Wuxia-based combat for myself, signing up for every possible test to no avail. If you're in the same boat as me, there's good news. Developer Everstone Studio is expanding the capacity of its upcoming final beta, offering a glimmer of hope.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best PC games, Best RPG games, Best free games

PCGamesN Monday, July 21, 2025 1:03 PM
    

Looking to avoid the launch disasters of its berated predecessor, 2042, there's a lot of pressure on Battlefield 6. However, it's already managed to touch a nerve with some Battlefield purists due to its class system. When it was announced, it was confirmed that specific weapons wouldn't be locked to each of the four class roles - something true of the older, more celebrated games that long-time fans want to see again. Having received plenty of feedback, Battlefield 6 is trying to find a middleground. When it drops in open beta, there will be separate playlists for those that want the old-school, class-locked-weapons experience and those that want the more flexible, contemporary approach to loadouts.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best FPS games, Best multiplayer games, Best war games

PCGamesN Monday, July 21, 2025 12:41 PM
    

The distinctive Severance keyboard is no longer going to be restricted to the bright white halls of Lumon Industries, as the cunning heads of Macrodata Refinement at Atomic Keyboard have decided to make this retro-styled computer keyboard for real. With its built-in trackball and chunky metal chassis, you could soon bin those big, scary numbers authentically from your own desktop.

With a price of $599 for early adopters, it's fair to say that this design is too niche and exclusive to make it onto our best gaming keyboard buying guide alongside the likes of Logitech and Razer any time soon, but I really love the attention to detail. Made from CNC-machined aluminum, the Atomic MDR Dasher has three swappable, modular layouts that make nods to different areas of the show. Whether you want to play at being an Innie or an Outie, there's a layout for you.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best graphics card, Best gaming PC, Best SSD for gaming

PCGamesN Monday, July 21, 2025 12:31 PM
    

One of the most satisfying aspects of any city builder is the total control you have over your people, their tasks, and how they go about them.
Intriguingly, The King is Watching does away with this core tenet because the folks you lord over are shockingly lazy and require constant supervision. Don't believe me? Well, you can see it for yourself because the game is out now on Steam.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best city-building games, Best indie games, Best strategy games

PCGamesN Monday, July 21, 2025 12:29 PM
    

Rumors have been spreading for months of a refreshed Intel CPU lineup based on its most recent Arrow Lake series. Initially it was believed these chips would bring some big upgrades to its beleaguered desktop CPUs, but a new leak suggests that Intel is planning only a modest upgrade to its Intel Core Ultra S and HX CPUs instead.

As our Intel Core Ultra 9 265K review shows, we weren't particularly impressed by the first wave of Intel Arrow Lake CPUs. Our tests showed that Intel simply couldn't compete with AMD's X3D chips when it comes to gaming performance. As such, AMD's X3D offerings continue to dominate our best gaming CPU guide. Arrow Lake performance updates have improved the situation for Intel gamers since launch, but a narrower refresh to its Core Ultra lineup suggests a revolution in Intel CPU gaming performance isn't just around the corner.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Intel Core Ultra 7 265K review, Best gaming CPU, Core i9 14900K review

PCGamesN Monday, July 21, 2025 12:17 PM
    

Back in the early 2000s, your MMO options were far more limited than what they are now. If you had a decent enough setup and 15 bucks to spare each month, you'd play World of Warcraft. For the broke kids like me, the then-$5 subscription cost and modest system requirements (it was in-browser!) made Runescape the far more palatable option. WoW has long reigned as the king of MMOs, but the recent content drought has seen even its most ardent supporters bite the bullet and give Jagex's alternative a go, only to discover what I've been saying for the past two decades: Old School Runescape is peak.

Just this week, Old School Runescape topped out at over 200,000 concurrent players, just 30k shy of the record set in December 2024. This isn't surprising, considering how en vogue one of the best MMO games is right now. Alongside the launch of OSRS' massive Varlamore update, some of the biggest streamers in the game, including 'AnnieFuschia,' 'Guzu,' and Chance 'Sodapoppin' Morris, have been turning their audiences onto the joys of fishing up Dragon Harpoons, among other dopamine-eliciting in-game activities.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best MMORPGs on PC, Runescape system requirements, Old School RuneScape: Beginner's guide

PCGamesN Monday, July 21, 2025 12:14 PM
    

Finding the best Dune Awakening settings for PC and Steam Deck is made much easier thanks to the inclusion of a benchmark tool, but you can't rely on this alone to tell you how the game will perform. Real-time gameplay is also required, and we've taken care of both to bring you our recommendations.

The Dune Awakening system requirements are incredibly detailed, and paint the picture of a game that will run even on older gaming PCs. However, to access the best performance possible in Dune Awakening, including Nvidia DLSS 4 and frame generation, you're going to need one of the best graphics card picks from our extensive buying guide.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best graphics card, Best gaming PC, Best SSD for gaming

PCGamesN Monday, July 21, 2025 11:48 AM
    

Before Lies of P's twisted take on the classic tale of Pinocchio took the soulslike genre by storm, Steelrising was an interesting attempt at offering a steampunk-style soulslike. Set in an alternative version of the French Revolution, King Louis XVI has created an unstoppable army of automatons, but as Aegis, you have the opportunity to fight back and uncover why the king has turned into a ruthless leader. Now, you can grab Steelrising's Bastille Edition for under $3 if you're fast.


PCGamesN Monday, July 21, 2025 12:11 PM
    

The AMD Ryzen 5 7600X3D, released last year as a Micro Center exclusive in the US, is finally getting a wider release. The 7600X3D could be a boon for gamers on a budget, packed with its powerful 3D V-cache tech to boost gaming performance, and it looks as though it's going to be priced well too.

When it launched, 7600X3D benchmarks revealed that it outperformed some newer AMD Zen 5 CPUs like the 9700X in games, with its use of 3D V-cache being a big part of the reason. Packed with six Zen 4 cores, the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X3D ranks below the 7800X3D, its eight-core sibling, but its six cores are still enough for most gaming needs. What's more, it undercuts the 7800X3D, which is currently the best-value X3D chip in our best gaming CPU guide, as our AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D review explains.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Ryzen 7 9800X3D review, Best gaming CPU, Radeon RX 9070 XT review

PCGamesN Monday, July 21, 2025 11:41 AM
    

July 21, 2025: We've added 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

PCGamesN Monday, July 21, 2025 11:39 AM
    

What are the best Minecraft servers? We've jumped into some of the many multiplayer servers around to find the best, friendliest, and most fun of them all. Joining any one of the varied Minecraft servers in this list will invite you into a magical world full of like-minded fans, builders, redstone masters, and survival experts. Minecraft worlds are infinite, so what better than sharing one with others?

While vanilla, single-player Minecraft is still one of the best games ever, there's nothing better than jumping into a world with friends and creating a world together. The servers below aren't just for builders, though, and there's something for you whether you want Minecraft mods, parkour, PVP, or something completely different. So, dive into the expansive world of multiplayer with these incredible Minecraft servers, or head to the bottom of the list if you need to know about hosting your own Minecraft server.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Minecraft seeds, Minecraft skins, Minecraft mods

PCGamesN Monday, July 21, 2025 11:35 AM
    

What are the best Minecraft house ideas? Here, you'll find some of the best Minecraft houses to inspire your next creation. There are many themes and materials at your disposal in the current version of Minecraft, so we've dug deep into the best house designs available to set you on your way to creating your dream home.

As you play one of the best PC games of the decade, whether you're an adventurer, builder, or Redstone engineer, you still want a nice, cozy home to return to at the end of a busy day. While constructing your perfect Minecraft house is a time-consuming venture, nothing beats that feeling of returning to the safety of your base in the survival game, pockets full of treasures from a day of exploring. Whether or not you boost the look of your builds with Minecraft shaders or texture packs, these Minecraft houses will look stylish in any world.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Minecraft seeds, Minecraft skins, Minecraft mods

PCGamesN Monday, July 21, 2025 11:19 AM
    

It's difficult to rival the cozy perfection of Stardew Valley, but Fields of Mistria is certainly doing a great job. With a 97% Steam rating from over 20,000 players, it's safe to say that this magical life sim has enchanted many since hitting early access last year. And now love is in the air, as its third major update finally adds romance and allows you to take other villagers on dates.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best farming games, Best life games, Best classic games

PCGamesN Monday, July 21, 2025 10:42 AM
    

Minecraft has been home to some great collabs over the years. We're no stranger to crossovers with other games or even movies in our favorite blocky sandbox game; we've traveled to the libraries of Candlekeep in the Dungeon and Dragons DLC, while Minecraft Legends' own mobs replaced enemies in Age of Empires 2. While some crossovers have left fans divided, it looks like the next big collab is set to make you feel blue - The Smurfs appear to be heading to Minecraft.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Minecraft seeds, Minecraft skins, Minecraft mods

PCGamesN Monday, July 21, 2025 10:41 AM
    

What's the complete list of Read or Not missions? The situation in Los Sueños is volatile to say the least, as violent crime surges across the city. Placed into the tactical boots of LSPD Commander David 'Judge' Beaumount, it's your job to crack down on crime and return Los Sueños to a peaceful state.

Ready or Not's single-player Commander mode features 18 missions in the base game, plus six more through DLC. Your first playthrough of the tactical FPS game should take around ten hours, though you'll quickly ramp up your playtime if playing on hard mode or if you're trying to rack up S-rank mission scores. Read on for the complete Ready or Not missions list.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Ready or Not missions list, Best Ready or Not mods, Best multiplayer games

PCGamesN Monday, July 21, 2025 10:38 AM
    

Many updates have come and gone since the troubled launch of Payday 3, but the heist simulator is finally starting to look and play like what ws originally promised. The best Payday 3 settings, however, haven't changed much since launch, with a few tweaks required if you plan on playing via Valve's Steam Deck.

Will you need the best graphics card from our buying guide? Thankfully, no. The Payday 3 system requirements paint the picture of a game that's easy to run if you're targeting the minimum specs, but we're here to bring you the best settings for optimal performance with a balance of visual quality and fast frame rates. Payday 3's PC settings are quite limited, but it's crucial to optimize any shooter, especially if you want to secure the loot for maximum payout.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: The best co-op games on PC, The best crime games on PC, The best FPS games

PCGamesN Monday, July 21, 2025 10:27 AM
    

What are the best League of Legends skins? You aren't made of money, but you do want to look good while racking up pentakills and taking down the enemy nexus. Whether you're trying to ration your Riot Points or are simply in need of inspiration, we've got you covered. We've rifled through every single one of League's massive 1,700+ skin catalog and picked out the best LoL skins available.

Our list of the best League skins covers champions from every role in the MOBA game, ensuring you're dripped out for that 1v1 top lane or can roam the map in style as a support. While there will be plenty of Legendary and Ultimate-tier skins featured, we've also made sure to include plenty of top-notch League of Legends cosmetics from the lower pricing tiers - some of them are iconic. So get in, Summoner, we're going shopping.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: League of Legends ranks explained, League of Legends Mythic shop rotation, LoL tier list

PCGamesN Monday, July 21, 2025 10:02 AM
    

What is the best PC controller? These gamepads push our buttons - in a good way – as they each offer a great alternative to a mouse and keyboard. We at PCGamesN have spent hours testing all the buttons, triggers, thumbsticks, and more on these gamepads to ensure we're giving you the best advice on which controller to buy.

Our top choice overall is the humble Xbox Wireless Controller. It works seamlessly with Windows and provides familiar, comfortable controls for a decent price. Plus it can work with your Xbox as well, if you have one. For high-end controllers, the Xbox Elite Series 2 is our wireless choice and the Scuf Valor Pro our wired option. And if you're on a budget, go for the EasySMX X05 that includes wireless for under $25. There are plenty of other options listed below, though, including in the Also Tested section that includes controllers we've tested that didn't quite make the top of our list. Plus, you can also read our how to choose and FAQ sections to help you find the right controller.

Continue reading Best PC controller 2025
MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best graphics card, Best gaming PC, Best SSD for gaming

PCGamesN Monday, July 21, 2025 10:01 AM
    

For a game that's over a decade old, Ark Survival Evolved has proven to be an enduring open-world survival crafter. This is in part because of the low Ark Survival Evolved system requirements, which are inviting for gamers with entry-level PCs and laptops, even as of the latest Ark SE updates and expansions.

Compared to its sequel, Ark Survival Evolved is arguably the more popular Ark game, and it still sits on our best survival games list despite the release of Ark Survival Ascended. You won't even need the best gaming PC from our buying guides to get Ark SE to run, although you might want to aim for more modern hardware if you plan on installing some of the larger and more demanding Ark Survival Evolved mods.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Ark 2 release date, Best survival games, The best Ark mods

Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Monday, July 21, 2025 12:52 PM
    

Ubisoft boss Yves Guillemot has responded to a shareholder question about the Stop Killing Games campaign - and in a very newsworthy corporate question and answer session, revealed that a new Ghost Recon game's in the works.

To quickly recap, Stop Killing Games aim to stop publishers rendering online games unplayable after the cessation of official support. They were inspired to take action by Ubisoft themselves 'sunsetting' online racer The Crew.

Ubisoft's response to their campaign comes around the time the group's petition to the EU to take action against the mass extinction of online games hits 1.4 million signatures. Despite some doubts about potential signature spoofing, the petition's recently attracted support from EU politicians and industry trade bodies, so it's no surprise Guillemot's fielding questions about it from moneyfolk.

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Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Monday, July 21, 2025 11:58 AM
    

$2,699.99 (was $2,949.99)

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Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Monday, July 21, 2025 11:36 AM
    

I recently took on a garden allotment tenancy for what I now consider the tellingly low rent of £60 a year. Arming myself with some shiny new shears, I visited my little slice of heaven and found it to be a resentful thicket of Guinness cans, sacks of worrying discarded clothing, nettles sturdier than barbed wire, and insects of a kind I have never seen before and never care to again.

At one point I got my foot stuck in a long-abandoned bucket and, while running around in a panic, put my other foot through a red ant nest. It was a lot like playing the demo for Cleanfall, except that I can't build an airship out of flying jellyfish and flamethrowers and blast this stupid allotment into submission. Mind you, Cleanfall is evidence that an airship made of flying jellyfish and flame throwers will only get you so far.

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Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Monday, July 21, 2025 11:36 AM
    

Over the past week or so, Steam Deck circles have been filled to their plastic curves with chatter over Decky Lossless Scaling: a plugin for the handheld's Decky Loader toolbox that makes the game-agnostic frame generation of Lossless Scaling work, more or less, in the Deck's main Gaming Mode. Quite the feat, considering Lossless Scaling itself is officially unsupported on SteamOS.

In truth, this is a veritable Russian doll of unofficial spinoff projects. The plugin, by developer xXJSONDeruloXx, is based on the separate lsfg-vk by PancakeTAS, which is in turn a Linux compatibility layer for the original, Windows-based Lossless Scaling (and, while I'm crediting folk, a nod also goes to YouTubeist Deck Wizard for pointing this all out first). The long and short of it is that once everything is set up, you can make your Steam Deck do its best DLSS 4 impression by attempting to double, triple, or possibly quadruple the framerate output in your choice of games – though having tried it in a few myself, I'm not convinced you'll always want to.

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Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Monday, July 21, 2025 11:24 AM
    

Cyberpunk 2077 update 2.3 dropped last week, delivering a bunch of new ways to spice up your dystopian drives and more additions to possibly the most in-depth photo mode a game's ever had. CD Projekt also added in the ability for you to dismiss the freeroam ridealong Johnny Silverhand they added in previously.

As someone who finds cyberKeanu a bit more grating at times than is socially acceptable, I was pleased. However, over the weekend a modder's released something that might tempt me into bringing him back, if only so V can respond to being told off for crashing by sarkily calling ol'Reevsey mum.

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Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Monday, July 21, 2025 11:00 AM
    

There are lots of games in the same way there are lots of crisps. Many of those games are good, in the same way that many crisps are shaped a bit like Jesus. But even a crisp shaped like Jesus ceases to delight after you've seen a few. Great, you think. Another bloody Jesus Dorito. Hurl it on the pile. You crave something transcendent. Like a Möbius strip Wotsit. Or a Salt 'n Vinegar Disco inscribed with the Corpus Hermeticum. Something that changes the way you look at crisps forever.

Anyway, Hell Clock is not that, but it does has a wicked sick knife spin attack, so carefree in its centrifugal flesh mangling that I resented every screenshot I had to take for making me move my finger off the funny spin button.

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Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Monday, July 21, 2025 10:34 AM
    

Bang bang. A Doom modder who's been busy recreating the city of Necropolis from the original Fallout as the setting for some irradiated boomer shooting has released a fresh trailer to the public for the first time in years.

Alexander 'Red888guns' Berezin looks to have been quietly beavering away at GZDoom WAD Fallout: Bakersfield since releasing its last teaser in 2022, having posted fairly regular update blogs for supporters on his Boosty profile. For the rest of us, this fresh trailer's the best look we've gotten yet at what Berezin - who's worked on classic Fallout mods like Olympus 2207 and Fallout: Sonora - has been up to when not doing stuff for publishers New Blood Interactive.

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Twinfinite Monday, July 21, 2025 10:49 AM
    
Give yourself a better chance at figuring out the impostors with Inhuman codes!

Siliconera Monday, July 21, 2025 5:00 PM
    

New Umamusume Plush Include Gold Ship and V Sisters

Sega announced it will stock six different types of Umamusume plush toys in grabbing machines in Japanese arcades starting on August 7, 2025, with one notable character being Gold Ship and the other kinds of merchandise featuring the V Sisters. Siblings Cheval Grand, Verxina, and Vivios are all part of the volume 6 release. Meanwhile, the volume 5 trio of characters involves season 3 anime characters Duramente and Satono Crown joining Gold Ship. 

All of the plush toys in these two volumes of Umamusume merchandise are wearing the Tracen Academy uniforms, so we don't get to see Gold Ship or the others in their signature racewear. However, their unique hairstyles, hair accessories, and in some cases hats are preserved. In the case of volume 5, Duramente and Satono Crown are likely included together due to the characters being roommates in game and anime series. 

In the case of the V sisters, Verxina is the oldest of the three and is the one in the middle with the long, dark blue hair. Cheval Grand is the middle sibling and one with short, brown hair and white hat. The youngest is Vivios, and she has the brown hair in pigtails with blue ribbons running through them. In real life, all three horses were also siblings.

Here's how those new plush look:

Duramente, Satono Crown, Cheval Grand, Verxina, and Vivios aren't in the global version of the game yet. None are joining in the near future just yet.

We've yet to start seeing a lot of Umamusume merchandise appear outside of Japan just yet. However, Good Smile Company has been making Nendoroids of characters for a while and Bandai Namco released some Figure-Rise model kits of characters like Silence Shizuka. 

The Umamusume volume 5 and volume 6 Sega plush of Duramente, Gold Ship, Satono Crown, Cheval Grand, Verxina, and Vivios will appear in Japanese arcades starting on August 7, 2025. It's unknown if or when we'll see them worldwide. Umamusume: Pretty Derby is available on PCs and mobile devices worldwide, the original anime is on Crunchyroll, and Cinderella Gray is on Amazon. 

The post New Umamusume Plush Include Gold Ship and V Sisters appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Monday, July 21, 2025 3:00 PM
    

10th Anniversary Ichigo and Rukia Join Bleach: Brave Souls

KLab announced that 10th anniversary events are coming to Bleach: Brave Souls to celebrate the debut of the game in July 2015, with one being a Zenith summons that includes special versions of Ichigo and Rukia. Cö shu Nie also performed the new anniversary "Won't Leave You Behind" and Tite Kubo shared a message about the occasion on a special site.

Both Ichigo Kurosaki (10th Anniversary version) and Rukia Kuchiki (10th Anniversary version) are five-star units in Bleach: Brave Souls. They both first appeared in a trailer that showed off the units after going over past anniversary characters that showed up each year. Here's that first look, which also includes Cö shu Nie's song:

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

And here's a gallery of the two pieces of official art KLab shared.

There's a more detailed trailer that looks at both the Ichigo and Rukia units in-game. Ichigo is a Mind type character with the special Gyokoeijin, while Rukia is a Speed one that can use the special Gekkasojin. He gets Human Killer+, while she has Stern Ritter Killer+. His EX Skill is EX Berserker (+30%), while hers is EX Status Ailment Spiritual Pressure Boost +35%. Both units have the Soul Trait "strong attack recharge time -14%. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WV0gx-S01lA

The banner for it ends on July 31, 2025.

Here's the full Tite Kubo statement about the Bleach: Brave Souls 10th anniversary milestone:

"Happy 10th Anniversary, Bleach: Brave Souls! There's no doubt that Brave Souls was what kept Bleach fans entertained between the end of the manga serialization and the start of the Thousand-Year Blood War anime. I'm very grateful for that. Actually, I was busy for a while and stopped playing, but when I came back after a break, I was impressed by the small details that had been added to make the game more enjoyable. When Brave Souls first started, social games weren't as ingrained in society as they are now, and while it's not for the manga's creator to say, I never thought it would last 10 years. Next up is 15 years, the same length as the manga's serialization! To everyone on the development team, please take care of yourselves and keep up the great work!"

Bleach: Brave Souls is available for the PS4, Switch, Xbox One, PC, and mobile devices, and the 10th anniversary versions of Ichigo and Rukia debut on July 22, 2025.

The post 10th Anniversary Ichigo and Rukia Join Bleach: Brave Souls appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Monday, July 21, 2025 2:00 PM
    

Fields of Mistria Dating, Harvest Festival Covered in Patch Notes

The third major Fields of Mistria patch arrived on July 21, 2025, and the full patch notes went over new additions like Dating and the Harvest Festival. It also clarified some of the other new additions, such as a fourth home upgrade, more cooking recipes, the Tier 4 and 5 Skill Perks, and Renown getting up to 95. Everything is available now, as soon as someone downloads the update via Steam.

The Dating element of Fields of Mistria is one of three types of romance changes in the patch notes, with eight heart events and the option to choose between love and friendship also being present. Based on the announcements, it seems you will need to go down the path to becoming a couple to unlock dating, then find Date Inspiration items to find ideas for things to do with your partner.

As for the Harvest Festival, that will be a yearly Fields of Mistria event taking place every Fall. It features multiple parts. One will be a Queen Berry contest that starts on Fall 7th, ahead of the actual event on Fall 10th. It marks the second event in that season, with the Halloween Festival taking place on Fall 28th each year. Past updates added the Animal Festival in Winter and Shooting Star Festival in Summer.

Here are the full Fields of Mistria patch notes for the third major update that arrived on July 21, 2025. The official name for this patch is 0.14.0. Both the new Dating, romance, Saturday Market, and Harvest Festival additions for Fields of Mistria all come up in the "highlights" section.

[Highlights]

  • 8 Heart Events for romanceable NPCs have been added to the game! During these 8H events, the player can choose whether to move forward as "Best Friends" or "Dating" with each Fields of Mistria character. Note: Players can date multiple NPCs at the same time, but will only be able to ultimately marry one. Marriage is not in this update.
  • A new Dating mechanic has been added to the game! Players will be able to take NPCs with the "Dating" status on dates each weekend. Players will also receive a Photo Card commemorating the first Date of each type. Note: To unlock Dates, players must have at least one NPC with the "Dating" status chosen. New Date types can be found and unlocked via "Date Inspiration" items.
  • The Harvest Festival arrives on Fall 10th! Participate in the Queen Berry gathering competition (starts Fall 7th) to win various rewards, enjoy a delicious feast, and even ask an NPC to dance with you after the judging!
  • Taliferro has been added as a vendor to the Saturday Market! Players can compete in his weekly Cooking Challenge for rewards and renown. Note: Players must complete the "Upgrading the Saturday Market" questline to unlock him.
  • Wheedle has been added as a vendor to the Saturday Market! He runs a shop that sells high end and unique items. Note: Players must complete the "Upgrading the Saturday Market" questline to unlock him.
  • Greenhouses can now be purchased at the Carpenter's Shop. Crops in greenhouses grow year-round and furniture items can be placed inside. Note: Players must complete the "Upgrade the Carpenter's Shop" questline to unlock greenhouses.
  • Large and extra-large storage chests are now available! The following storage chests have been updated to the "Large" size: Lovely Cottage Icebox, Obsidian Storage Chest, Coral Storage Chest, Stone Storage Chest, and the Breath of Spring Storage Chest.

[New Features]

Gameplay

  • Players can now apply 3 different buffs to their swords (Fire, Ice and Venom) using Snake Oil purchased from Wheedle's Saturday Market Stall
  • Home Upgrade 4 is available to purchase from the Carpenter's Shop! The upgrade adds a second story to the player's home. There are three placeable items that allow access to the upper floors: stairs, a ladder, or a teleportation pad. Note: Players must complete the "Upgrade the Carpenter's Shop" questline to unlock Home Upgrade 4.
  • New Cooked dish recipe scrolls are now available.
  • The Renown cap has been raised to 95, and there are new rewards for levels 91-95.
  • The Skill Cap has been raised from 45 to 60.
  • New Skill Perks have been added to the game for Tier 4 and 5:

    • Farming:

      • Earthly Essence
      • Magic Design

    • Fishing:

      • Abyssal Ascendence

    • Archaeology:

      • Natural Beauty II
      • Mist Sight

    • Woodcrafting:

      • Working with the Grain II

    • Cooking:

      • Fairy Cooking

    • Combat

      • Guardian's Shield II
      • True Strike II

  • A new Museum set has been added: the Mist Artifact Set.
  • Some monster variants from the Deep Earth biome have been updated with new behaviors: Blue Mushroom, Purple Sapling, Green Rockclod, and the Silverclod.
  • The Lava Cat, a new monster, has been added to the Lava Caves biome.
  • The Flame Spirit, a new monster, has been added to the Lava Caves biome. 
  • Players can now catch Clod projectiles with the bug net. This includes the new Silverclod's Clod Bombs, which the player can then throw themselves!
  • New requests have been added to the request board.

QOL

  • New characters have been added to the English font.

Art

  • New cosmetics have been added.
  • New furniture items have been added.

NPCs

  • New NPC dialogue has been added.
  • The NPC heart cap has been raised from 6 to 8 hearts.
  • There is a new Shooting Star Festival "Date" cutscene for when players are dating an NPC, and a corresponding photocard. 

Sound

  • New music has been added to the game:the "Harvest Festival Theme" song, and the "Shared Light" song (played during the 8H events).
  • Various new SFX added across features.

[Updates]

Gameplay

  • The Stone Refinery quest requirements have been updated to require an additional 20 Sap.
  • The Crystal Berry Pie recipe scroll can now be obtained by shipping Crystal Berries.

Note: If you previously shipped Crystal Berries, the letter with the recipe will arrive after sleeping.

  • Various woodcrafting recipes have been updated.

QOL

  • The Storage UI has been updated: there are new buttons for displaying controls info and for auto-depositing items from the inventory that are already in the storage. The controls displayed differ depending on the menu.
  • Inventory UIs controls have been updated: Q is now one of the default controls for picking up 1 of an item.
  • Unbound controls now appear in the bottom left corner as empty glyphs to indicate that there is an unbound control.
  • The description for the perk Guardian's Shield has been updated to say "reflected" instead of "nullified".
  • The text for "Throw Item" has been updated to "Give Gift / Throw Item".
  • The text for the perk "Museum Quality Two" has been updated to "Museum Quality II".

Art

  • All interiors are now dynamically lit based on time of day, weather, and the presence of light objects (lamps, fireplaces, etc). Note: This means the player can control the brightness in their rooms via placing and turning on/off lights!
  • Interior windows now display unique graphics that change depending on time of day and weather.
  • Wall furniture items now cast shadows on the walls.
  • Objects placed on tabletops now cast shadows on those surfaces.
  • Applied a second art pass on various assets for consistency.
  • Additional portraits added for romanceable NPCs.

NPCs

  • Applied various line edits & updates to early game dialogue and cutscenes.
  • Added additional early-game dialogue.

Sound

  • The teleportation SFX has been updated.
  • The music note bark now has an associated SFX.

[Bug Fixes]

Gameplay

  • Animal affection can no longer be repeatedly increased by ringing the bell multiple times.
  • Animals now eat at 10am even if players are in the barn/coop with them.
  • Animals will now eat even if the player sleeps before their eating time of 10am. 
  • Animals now eat for a full 30 minutes.
  • Using the bug net now consumes 1 stamina as intended.

QOL

  • Autosaves can no longer sometimes be overwritten by a new separate save file's autosave. Note: this bug was responsible for some confusion regarding save files. To confirm, it is possible to have multiple games/save files.
  • Overflowing Renown Rewards now drop directly in front of the Renown Rewards Chest 
  • Players who don't speak to Caldarus before breaking the fire seal will no longer be permanently locked out of the Dragon Shrine Statue to buy Skill Perks.

Art & Visuals

  • NPCs can no longer display thought bubbles showing content and characters that have not been unlocked yet.
  • Cutscene end points have been adjusted.
  • Pets no longer do their eating animations offset from their pet bowls.
  • Pets no longer continue their eating animation if their pet bowls are destroyed. 
  • Blue squares no longer appear under some trees on Hayden's Farm map.
  • The player character will no longer continue holding their arms up if they collapse while holding a Pet. 

Sound

  • Improved ambience crossfades during room transitions. 

Crash Fixes

  • Animals moving between farm buildings while the player is in the Mines no longer crashes the game.
  • Fixed a rare crash that occurs when animals graze on crops in the fields. 
  • Failing to deserialize custom item IDs added by mods no longer crashes the game.

Fields of Mistria is in early access for the PC, and the third major update arrived and added dating, friendship, and new Saturday Market and Harvest Festival additions on July 21, 2025. The 1.0 build is expected to show up in 2025 as well.

The post Fields of Mistria Dating, Harvest Festival Covered in Patch Notes appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Monday, July 21, 2025 1:00 PM
    

New Honkai: Star Rail Castorice Figure Based on Concert Art

When HoYoVerse holds concerts based on its games' music, that also involves official art of characters in special attire and playing instruments. Castorice playing a harp ended up being part of the Honkai: Star Rail Star Rail Live 2025 concert back in May 2025, and now there'll be a Myethos figure of her with that design. It's expected to release in February 2026, and it will cost ¥7,260 (~$49). AmiAmi is one of the vendors showing it, and it is listing it for ¥6,530 (~$44).

This Honkai: Star Rail concert figure of Castorice will be a 1/8 static statue. It will stand at over seven inches tall (187mm). She will wear a white dress with butterfly motif, which matches her standard attire and moveset in-game. Even the white harp she's playing has butterflies on it. A tiara appears on her head as a decorative accent, and she wears high heels.

Here's how it looks from different angles.

To compare, here's the full official art for the Star Rail Live concert. Castorice appears on the far left, next to Dr. Ratio. 

Image via HoYoVerse

That full concert recording is available online, for those who missed it. You can watch that below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAckVYINs8E

The Honkai: Star Rail Castorice Star Rail Live concert figure will debut in February 2026. Honkai: Star Rail is available for the PS5, PC, and mobile devices. 

The post New Honkai: Star Rail Castorice Figure Based on Concert Art appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Monday, July 21, 2025 12:00 PM
    

Sparkle From Honkai: Star Rail Returns to Honkai Impact 3rd

Back in November 2024, Sparkle from Honkai: Star Rail appeared in Honkai Impact 3rd as a crossover character, and she'll return to the game this week. HoYoVerse confirmed on social media that the gacha banners with her Battlesuit and signature weapon will return on July 25, 2025. As a reminder, the unit is referred to as the Thousand-Faced Maestro Battlesuit, and her Drive Core signature weapon is the four-star Volatile Sparkler.

The Sparkle Thousand-Faced Maestro Battlesuit is a Quantum type that deals Fire damage. She works best as a supporter on a fire team. She uses Drive Core weapons, and using Volatile Sparkler adds a Time-frozen Domain effect when her I am Elation skill is used. 

As a reminder, here's the trailer showing how she looks and works in Honkai Impact 3rd.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FGkdBrd8Ks

This is one of two HoYoVerse crossovers in the game. Fischl from Genshin Impact is also available in Honkai Impact 3rd. Like Sparkle, she only appears again occasionally via banners.

Honkai Impact 3rd is available for PCs and mobile devices, and the Honkai: Star Rail Sparkle crossover character and weapon return on July 25, 2025. Honkai: Star Rail is available on the PS5, PC, and mobile devices.

The post Sparkle From Honkai: Star Rail Returns to Honkai Impact 3rd appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Monday, July 21, 2025 11:00 AM
    

Atelier Yumia Azur Lane Crossover Starts This Week

Earlier in July 2025, Yostar announced an Atelier Yumia crossover for Azur Lane, and now we have a launch date and know some details about the event. The Japanese social media account said it starts on July 24, 2025. The North American account didn't share dates yet, but did show off the new unit.

When Yumia Liessfeldt joins Azur Lane, she'll be a Light Aircraft Carrier unit. She'll also be classified as a Super Rare one. Wakana Kuramochi, who played the character in the game, will return to voice her for this crossover. 

Here's that official art. It also included expressions in the righthand side, to give an idea how she'll look in different situations.

The announcement regarding Atelier Yumia also involved a confirmation that the Atelier Ryza crossover will come back to Azur Lane too. That event added Reisalin Stout, Kala Ideas, Klaudia Valentz, Lila Decyrus, Patricia Abelheim, and Serri Glaus as units. The notice only said it was scheduled, and the social media account didn't share a date.

Azur Lane is on mobile devices, and it gets an Atelier Yumia crossover on July 24, 2025. Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories and the Envisioned Land is on the Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC.

The post Atelier Yumia Azur Lane Crossover Starts This Week appeared first on Siliconera.


Destructoid Monday, July 21, 2025 3:29 PM
    

Promo art for EA FC 25 FUTTIES Team 2

EA FC 25's FUTTIES Team 3 cards could take the promo to the next level if EA Sports keeps walking on the predicted path.

As of writing, the first set of leaks is yet to arrive, but the first two teams give us a clear idea about what to expect. Team 3 should have special cards for active footballers and retired legends alike, with some of the latter potentially getting cards rated 98 or 99. We should also get some cards that feature five playstyle+, along with themed evolutions.

Here are my predictions about some of the stars we could potentially find in Team 3.

All EA FC 25 FUTTIES Team 3 players (Predictions)

  • Pedri
  • Renato Sanches
  • David Beckham
  • Diego Maradona
  • Antoine Griezmann
  • N'Golo Kante
  • Ousmane Dembele
  • Michael Olise
  • Klara Buhl
  • Theo Hernandez
  • Fermin Lopez
  • Antonio Rudiger
  • Desire Doue
  • Aitana Bonmati
  • Son Heung-Min
  • Nico Williams
  • Thibault Courtois

Do remember that these are just predictions from my end. We should be getting at least a few leaks, if not more, ahead of the official launch. While a major chunk of the cards will be added to packs, new items will be released as SBCs and objectives.

EA FC 25 FUTTIES Team 3 release date

While the cards coming to the third team of the promo are yet to be revealed, we already have confirmation of the release date. Team 3 will launch on Friday, July 25, when Team 2 expires and gets removed from packs. Until then, you can also potentially find older promo cards in FUTTIES Best of Re-Release Batch 2.

It will be interesting to see which cards release as part of the Re-Release Batch 3. EA Sports improved from 125 cards in week one to 180 cards in week two. We might finally hit the 200 mark next week, which will be great for those who enjoy the infinite grind that's easily possible during the FUTTIES celebrations.

The post EA FC 25 FUTTIES Team 3 players (Predictions & Leaks) and release date appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Monday, July 21, 2025 3:16 PM
    

Pikachu and Totodile.

With the upcoming Pokémon Presents livestream taking place in less than a day, it would be a given to think that Pokémon Legends: Z-A would be at the top of everyone's minds. Not so, given a recent series of posts.

These posts by the Pokémon Company on X seemed to convince many fans of the existence of remakes for two of the series' most defining entries, FireRed and LeafGreen.

The posts are all focused on the event's pre-show hosted by DJ Pikachu, and gained a lot of attention by way of his glasses, which seem to be inspired by the mentioned titles. Although the leaf-themed pair had already been revealed, Pikachu's new FireRed-inspired look and their countdown style were, for many, the definitive hint of the existence of the rumored remakes.

https://twitter.com/Pokemon_cojp/status/1947250215523668132

Keep in mind that the presentation has been confirmed to be 24 minutes long, which further increases the possibility of huge reveals. Less hopeful fans, however, have pointed out on social media that Pikachu's glasses might instead be hinting at the addition of the two GBA titles to the Switch Online Game Boy Advance lineup.

DJ Pikachu.
Pikachu's LeafGreen glasses. Image via The Pokémon Company

Apart from the near guarantee that news regarding Z-A will be revealed, other series like Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket, Sleep, Unite, and even GO are also highly likely to be present during the July 22 livestream. It would also not be a stretch to expect to see some Pokémon Champions! as well, as very little is currently known about the battle-focused entry.

The July 22, 2025 Pokémon Presents livestream will take place at 6 AM PT / 9 AM ET. You can catch it on The Official Pokémon YouTube channel. The pre-show, featuring DJ Pikachu, will start an hour early, although we still don't know if this will be exclusive to the Japanese broadcast, available via the Pokémon JP YouTube Channel. One thing I know for sure is that, no matter in which form, being able to play the Red and Green re-releases on newer hardware would be a welcome surprise.

The post Pokemon fans are convinced this iconic series entry is getting a remake appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Monday, July 21, 2025 2:38 PM
    

BitLife baseball player

Many people dream of becoming a famous actor, musician, or athlete. While it's difficult to achieve this dream in real life, BitLife makes it easy, as long as you have the right packs. You can even become a billionaire if you're dedicated to your craft.

Becoming a professional baseball player is no exception. Although some obstacles can get in the way, BitLife certainly makes this venture easier than the real world does. Let's dive into how to become a baseball player and what, exactly, it entails.

How to become a baseball player in BitLife

Becoming a professional baseball player in BitLife requires owning the Athlete special career pack. You can purchase it through the game's marketplace or unlock Boss Mode to acquire every current and future pack.

Once you have the Athlete job pack, you have multiple avenues for becoming a baseball player. Below is a complete step-by-step guide to achieving this the easy way:

  • When creating a new character, set your special talent to "Sports."
  • Go to the gym and take walks to keep your health high.
  • Cure any medical issues your character develops.
  • In secondary school, sign up for the baseball team. If your character's high school doesn't have one, try again in University.
  • Practice hard until your character becomes a team captain before graduating from school.

becoming a pro baseball player in BitLife
Screenshot by Destructoid

As long as your character is athletic, healthy, and graduates as the team captain of a school baseball team, you'll be eligible for the pro draft, allowing you to become a professional baseball player.

How to make money as a baseball player in BitLife

Once you become a professional baseball player in BitLife, you'll unlock a new "Professional Athlete" tab at the top of your job list. You'll find the following options under this category:

  • Your team's ranking
  • League
  • Performance Enhancer
  • Physical Therapy
  • Practice
  • Retire
  • Stats
  • Surgery
  • Trade
  • Train

Initially, the two most important aspects are practicing and training. Within the Practice tab, you'll find multiple skill categories that influence your performance each year, from hitting the ball to celebrating your victories. Your ultimate goal is to max these stats to be the best player BitLife's world has ever seen. Similarly, training will increase your fitness and reduce your risk of sustaining an injury while playing.

BitLife baseball player stats
Screenshot by Destructoid

You can take your advancement a step further by taking performance enhancers. Although this comes at the risk of getting caught through random, routine tests, it significantly raises your performance, making it easier to earn awards as you play. You don't need them to succeed, but it is an option if you want a high-risk, high-reward playthrough.

As you practice your skills and age up, you'll get an annual seasonal summary of your team's performance and your character's current stats. Your goal is to get first place to solidify your position on the team, renew your contract, and earn millions with every passing year. As long as you keep up your performance and continue practicing, you'll usually last a few decades until your character ages to the point of being unable to keep going.

How to become a famous baseball player in BitLife

Another accomplishment you can achieve as a baseball player is becoming famous. If you own BitLife's Hollywood Star item, you'll become famous instantly, letting you start on a strong note from the get-go.

BitLife famous baseball player
Screenshot by Destructoid

If you don't have the Hollywood Star, you can become famous by ranking high in a season and earning high respect. Generally speaking, if you're the one contributing to your team's success, the attention will be on your character, making it much easier to become famous. Beyond this, it's almost entirely luck-based and can take several years even if you practice your skills consistently.

The post How to become a baseball player in BitLife appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Monday, July 21, 2025 2:20 PM
    

Valkyr's Heirloom skin shown off in the Relay.

Valkyr fans have another reason to pick up the berserker Warframe. The Valkyr Heirloom collection covers her in the cosmic, crystalline skin that's common in this category of cosmetics, making for a stylish addition to your Arsenal.

Valkyr Prime was the designated drop for Tennolive during Tennocon 2025, so if you're looking for a fancy new style for this Warframe, this prestigious set might be the best choice. You can buy it with cash or platinum.

How to unlock the Valkyr Heirloom in Warframe

Valkyr shows off her Heirloom in Warframe.
The Signa works together as a set, but you can also buy it separately. Screenshot by Destructoid

The Valkyr Heirloom is available for cash or Platinum in Warframe's in-game market. If all you want is the skin without spending money, you can pick it up for 225 Platinum and call it a day. That said, the berserker's new cosmetic line also comes with a host of other items, which are all available for purchase individually with Platinum. This is what's on the Valkyr Heirloom Collection pack:

Cosmetic item Price (Platinum)
Valkyr Heirloom skin 225
Valkyr Heirloom Signa 80
Valkyr Heirloom color palette 80
Valkyr Heirloom Glyph 25
Valkyr Heirloom Sigil 25
Valkyr Heirloom Prex Card 35
Total Price 475

The Heirloom Collection pack's standard bundle is available for 400 Platinum in the in-game market, a 75-Platinum discount compared to getting the items individually. This is a good deal if you already have the game's premium currency and want to grab all available items.

The Deluxe version of the bundle is only available for cash ($24.99), and the one difference is that it comes with an extra 425 Platinum. You get all items in the bundle both ways, but paying with cash gets you a little bit of extra currency to sweeten the pot. You can't buy items separately using money, however.

Will the Valkyr Heirloom go away in Warframe?

Valkyr's Heirloom signa brings a fancy headdress with an orb between it.
The Signa and the rest of the cosmetics are staying. Screenshot by Destructoid

While the Frost and Mag Heirlooms did go away at first, Digital Extremes has learned from the experience. The Valkyr Heirloom will not disappear from the in-game market once the next line of skins drops, though it will only be accessible for Platinum once that time comes. The deluxe version of the bundle—which costs cash and grants 425 Platinum—goes away, but the skin itself will be available for Tenno.

The post How to get the Valkyr Heirloom in Warframe appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Monday, July 21, 2025 1:46 PM
    

One of the best cards to use in EA FC 25 The Sky is the Limit Evolution

The Sky is the Limit Evolution is your best chance at raising a 64-rated card to endgame status in EA FC 25, and you can do so for free.

The latest evolution doesn't allow you to use a card rated at 65 or above. While you begin with an ordinary-looking Bronze item, you can improve it drastically. You can take it all the way up to 96 overall, while adding up to four playstyle+ and more.

Let's take a look at the best possible candidates for the upgrade.

EA FC 25 The Sky is the Limit Evolution requirements

Here are the requirements of The Sky is the Limit Evolution in EA FC 25.

  • Max Pos.: 3
  • Overall: Max. 64
  • Position: LW, LM
  • Max PS: 10
  • Max PS+: 4

EA FC 25 The Sky is the Limit Evolution upgrades

There are five levels of upgrades, and here are the requirements.

Level 1 upgrades

  • Pace: +50|96
  • Agility: +50|95
  • Balance: +50|94
  • Positions: LW
  • PlayStyles: Technical, Whipped Pass|8

Level 2 upgrades

  • Overall: +50|96
  • Passing: +60|94
  • Ball control: +60|96
  • PlayStyles+: Quick Step|4
  • PlayStyles: Incisive Pass|8
  • Roles: Winger

Level 3 upgrades

  • Shooting: +60|93
  • Reactions: +50|93
  • PlayStyles+: Pinged Pass|4
  • PlayStyles: Acrobatic, First Touch|8
  • Roles: Wide Playmaker++

Level 4 upgrades

  • Dribbling: +60|96
  • Composure: +60|93
  • Weak Foot: +4|5
  • Skills: +4|5
  • PlayStyles+: Finesse Shot|4
  • PlayStyles: Trickster

Level 5 upgrades

  • Defending: +40|80
  • Physical: +40|90
  • PlayStyles+: Low Driven Shot|4
  • PlayStyles: Dead Ball|8
  • Roles: Inside Forward++

Level 1 upgrade conditions

  • Play 2 matches in any mode using your active EVO player.

Level 2 upgrade conditions

  • Win 2 matches in Rush, Rivals, Champions, or Squad Battles on Min. Semi-Pro using your active EVO player.

Level 3 upgrade conditions

  • Assist 3 goals with your active EVO player in Rush, Rivals, Champions, or Squad Battles on Min. Semi-Pro.
  • Play 2 matches in Rush, Rivals, Champions, or Squad Battles on Min. Semi-Pro using your active EVO player.

Level 4 upgrade conditions

  • Score 10 goals with your active EVO Player in a Squad Battles match on any difficulty.
  • Play 2 matches in Rush, Rivals, Champions, or Squad Battles on Min. Semi-Pro using your active EVO player.

Level 5 upgrade conditions

  • Score 20 goals with your active EVO Player in a Squad Battles match on any difficulty.
  • Play 2 matches in Rush, Rivals, Champions, or Squad Battles on Min. Semi-Pro using your active EVO player.

Best players to use in The Sky is the Limit Evolution

Here are some of the best players to use in this evolution.

  • Samuel Abifade
  • Fredy Vera
  • Manuel Polster
  • Kyle Joseph
  • Costim Amzar
  • Brad Smith
  • Fabian Greilinger
  • Clau Mendes

Your club's evo chain candidates can provide unique solutions exclusive to your Ultimate Team squad.

The post Best players for EA FC 25 The Sky is the Limit Evolution appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Monday, July 21, 2025 1:13 PM
    

CoD Beavis and Butthead

Another free event is hitting Call of Duty soon, and this one looks like the best in Black Ops 6 thus far.

The CODtoons event in BO6 and Warzone features an animated weapon camo, which was commonplace in Modern Warfare III but scarce in BO6. To unlock it for free, players must complete a set of challenges in either BO6 multiplayer, Zombies, or Warzone.

Here's everything involved in the American Dad-themed CODtoons event in BO6 and Warzone.

All challenges and rewards in BO6 CODtoons

Beavis and Butt-Head in Warzone
Image via Activision

To unlock the rewards, players can complete any of the listed challenges for each item in the mode of their choosing. Here's what you can get and how to do it:

  • "Toon In" Rare Spray

    • BO6: Get 15 kills with frag or semtex grenades.
    • Zombies: Extract 150,000 total Essence when exfiling.
    • Warzone: Complete a Search and Destroy contract 10 times.

  • "Eye Popping" Epic Large Decal and "Crate Power" Zombies GobbleGum

    • BO6: Play 25 matches of CODtoons Moshpit
    • Zombies: Get 450 kills with melee weapons.
    • Warzone: Deploy a Care Package killstreak 15 times.

  • "Smith Household" Epic Loading Screen

    • BO6: Get 15 kills with Combat Axes.
    • Zombies: Reach round 20 three times.
    • Warzone: Open 10 Loot Caches at The Overlook.

  • 30 minute double XP token

    • BO6: Get top three in any Free-For-All mode.
    • Zombies: Get 30 kills with the Shatterblast Ammo Mod equipped.
    • Warzone: Get three kills with the Hand Cannon killstreak.

  • "Highly Productive" Legendary Calling Card

    • BO6: Earn the most score in a match three times.
    • Zombies: Get a 20 Zombie Multikill with a rocket launcher 15 times.
    • Warzone: Play three matches of Warzone Havoc.

  • TR2 CQB Auto Conversion and "Clicker" Epic Weapon Charm

    • BO6: Get top three in any match five times.
    • Zombies: Get 30 kills while Frenzied Guard is active.
    • Warzone: Fly through The Overlook's Upper Skydeck

  • "Stan Special" GS45 Epic Blueprint

    • BO6: Win five matches in CODtoons Moshpit.
    • Zombies: Win three matches of Grief.
    • Warzone: Get 15 vehicle kills.

This pistol sports an American Dad design and the following attachments:

  • Muzzle: Monolithic Suppressor
  • Barrel: Long Barrel
  • Optic: Merlin Mini
  • Fire Mods: Rapid Fire

Mastery Reward: Speed Lines animated camo

Image via @realityuk_

Unlock all previous rewards to gain access to the animated weapon camo Speed Lines, which also has a variant for those who own the BlackCell battle pass, so those who have invested the extra cash will get a second, exclusive camo.

The post All challenges and rewards in BO6 and Warzone CODtoons event appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Monday, July 21, 2025 1:07 PM
    

A player running in front of a massive golden rift in the sky during a fight in Fortnite

More often than not, your success during a Fortnite match will rely on where you land and the types of weapons you pick up. After all, even if you're a skilled player, it's hard to compete against overpowered weapons. Fortnite Chapter 6, Season 3 is no exception.

Best landing spots in Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3

Here's a complete list of some of Fortnite Chapter 6, Season 3's best landing spots:

  • The Slurp Room, northwest of Rolling Blossoms Farm
  • Supernova Academy
  • The Suitcase of Patience near Foxy Floodgate

The spot you choose will largely depend on your playstyle. If you like fighting bosses and don't mind some competition from other players, a Medallion spot will seem like a no-brainer. However, stopping at The Slurp Room near Rolling Blossoms Farm can give you early access to the Wingshot Grappler from Robin for 600 gold bars, letting you zip around the map much more easily. It also prevents others from grabbing it later, as there's only one in the entire match. From here, you can visit Demon's Domain for a chance at its Medallion.

Map of the best landing spots during Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3
Screenshot by Destructoid

Alternatively, stopping at Supernova Academy will give you access to its Tech Lab and locked doors. While most of these doors are locked behind Hero Ranks, there are a few you can open at the beginning. This is a great way to obtain some loot within the first few minutes of the match, while also picking up early eliminations from anyone who attempts the same strategy.

Your last option is to drop at the Suitcase of Patience. Opening this suitcase requires ten minutes of zero interruptions, making it a risky play with mid-tier rewards. If you only care about winning your match, this isn't the best spot to drop. If you're all about flexing to others that you succeeded in opening it, though, then why not try it early on and hope for the best?

Best Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3 weapon loadout

Here's a list of the best weapons and consumables to get as soon as possible in Fortnite Chapter 6, Season 3:

First up is the Tracking Visor, a rare-quality utility item that lets you scan an area for nearby players or NPCs. In a game where you can win by stealthily eliminating others with sniper rifles, knowing exactly where someone is can make or break a round.

Next up is, of course, the Chug Jug. Shields are a huge part of gaining an edge against your opponents, and what better way to stay strong than to have a 200 capacity shield potion? Even regular rare-tier shield potions are great to have, let alone this upgrade.

Fortnite Wingshot Grappler
Screenshot by Destructoid

From here, you have two choices. If you landed at the Slurp Room and bought the Wingshot Grappler from Robin, you're good to go. Normally, once you grapple somewhere, you'll fly forward and glide your way down to the ground. However, there are some animation cancellation glitches involving weapon swapping that bypass this, making it possible to pull off some cool mid-air shots if you learn how to master this mechanic. If you miss out on the Grappler, Bass Boost is a more common alternative that works well with most weapons.

The weapon you pick will ultimately depend on your playstyle. However, we recommend grabbing Killswitch Revolvers, as combining its Hangtime ability with the Wingshot Grappler's animation-cancelling glitch can make for some fun moments. Another great alternative is the Spire Rifle if you prefer higher damage at the expense of a slower fire rate.

Last but not least, we have Unstable weapons. There are five you can pick up during your matches:

  • Unstable Yoink Shotgun
  • Unstable Voltage Burst Pistol
  • Unstable Frostfire Shotgun
  • Unstable Bounce Grenade
  • Unstable Thunderclap DMR

Fortnite Unstable Exotic shotgun dropping from Overlord Spire
Screenshot by Destructoid

You can obtain these weapons by opening S-rank Hero Caches and defeating Overlord Spires. They'll almost always be an improvement over regular weapons, even if you have the rest of your loadout set already. Better yet, you can swap out options like the Killswitch Revolver for a second Unstable Exotic if you're lucky.

Overall, we recommend going for the Frostfire Shotgun or the Thunderclap DMR. The shotgun slows enemies down, making it much easier to chase them down and get an elimination, while the DMR's bullets occasionally explode for increased damage. Nonetheless, any option is solid, and it's almost always worth trying to get one of these weapons if you want to try something new and exciting.

The post Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3– Best landing spots & meta loadouts appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Monday, July 21, 2025 1:00 PM
    

A statue of the Conductor carved out of the rock of the Desert Perpetual raid in Destiny 2. She holds her hand out as if pulling a puppet's strings, and a Vex cube appears below it.

The Desert Perpetual raid takes place inside a black hole made from the body of one of the Nine, arguably Destiny 2's most mythic (and powerful) beings. And if that wasn't enough to make you want to dive in, the raid also brings a slew of drops to obtain.

The Desert Perpetual debuted the game's anticipated new Combat Bow archetype, a heavy crossbow that fires weighty bolts at enemies. You can pick those up after firing them, and you can also grab them off live enemies.

In addition to the new crossbow, players can also grab an assortment of weapons, from an SMG to a rocket launcher. Here's what drops from each encounter in this Destiny 2 raid.

Destiny 2's Desert Perpetual raid loot table

A guardian clad in Vex gear arrives at the Desert Perpetual, which looks like the desert in the Prophecy dungeon.
It's much cooler than Prophecy. Screenshot by Destructoid

The Desert Perpetual doesn't have a linear structure, so you can take on any of the three bosses in any order. You must defeat all of them before attempting the final boss, however.

This is an in-progress loot table based on information from blueberries.gg and our experience with the raid. We will update things once more information becomes available.

Agraios, Inherent (Hobgoblin) Iatros, Inward-Turned (Wyvern) Epoptes, Lord of Quanta (Hydra) Koregos, the Worldline
Antedate (SMG) Finite Maybe (Fusion rifle) Opaque Hourglass (Combat Bow) Whirling Ovation (Rocket launcher, Exotic)
Lance Ephemeral (Sniper) The When and Where (Rocket launcher) Gauntlets Any weapon
Intercalary (AR) Helmet Leg armor Any armor piece
Chest armor Class item

All drops in the Desert Perpetual raid in Destiny 2

The Desert Perpetual introduces six Legendary weapons. These drops have a somewhat balanced distribution, with three on the Light side and three dealing Stasis or Strand damage. The Whirling Ovation Exotic is the tie breaker, adding another Dark-aligned weapon to the mix. Here's what you need to know about each.

Weapon name Type Element Archetype Slot
Antedate SMG Arc Adaptive Frame (900rpm) Energy
Intercalary AR Stasis Adaptive Frame (600rpm) Kinetic
Lance Ephemeral Sniper rifle Strand Rapid-Fire (140rpm) Kinetic
Finite Maybe Fusion rifle Solar Aggressive Frame (fires horizontally) Energy
The When and Where Rocket launcher Stasis Adaptive Frame (20rpm) Heavy
Opaque Hourglass Combat bow (Crossbow) Arc High-Impact Frame Heavy
Whirling Ovation Rocket launcher Strand Exotic Heavy

In addition to Desert Perpetual's new weapons, if you're lucky with RNG, you can get the Whirling Ovation Exotic. This Rocket launcher deals Strand damage with a little bit of Solar splashed in. As usual, the Exotic drops from the final boss in the raid, who may also drop any weapon or armor for any slot.

The Whirling Ovation rocket launcher, a charged-tube rocket launcher powered by a strand thread.
It looks like it packs a punch. Screenshot by Destructoid

  • Coronal Culmination (Intrinsic): "Hold Fire to charge, release to fire. Charged projectiles have a delayed Solar payload."
  • Anticipation (trait): "The charge speed of this weapon's next shot slowly increases over time. Anticipation builds more quickly as you deal more damage with other weapons."

The post Desert Perpetual loot table and all drops in Destiny 2 appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Monday, July 21, 2025 12:44 PM
    

An image of Madden 25 where a player is tackling another

Madden NFL 26 is going to be one of the biggest releases in August, and we are gradually moving towards the launch day.

However, the exact release schedule can always be confusing. Unlike College Football 26, Madden's next chapter will also be arriving on PC, which will have a slightly different schedule (if you bought the game from Steam). Let's quickly take a look at when you can join the action next month.

When will Madden NFL 26 come out?

The exact release date depends on the edition you get. Madden NFL 26 is available in two editions: Standard and Deluxe, with the latter offering early access. EA Play subscribers (and trial members) will also get early access.

If you plan to purchase the Deluxe Edition, the following countdown will help you keep track of the launch. Early access begins on August 11, and kicks off simultaneously across all regions.


[hurrytimer id="1093749"]

  • 9am PST
  • 11am CST
  • 12pm EST
  • 4pm UTC
  • 5pm BST

While the Digital Deluxe Edition allows you to play the game early, it's more expensive. If you're willing to wait a few days, the Standard Edition is a fine choice. Keep in mind, you do miss out on three days of early action and certain benefits that are extremely useful in Ultimate Team. Regardless, here's the Standard Edition countdown.


[hurrytimer id="1093752"]

  • 9am PST
  • 11am CST
  • 12pm EST
  • 4pm UTC
  • 5pm BST

Once again, the release date for PC will be different (irrespective of whether you purchase your copy from Epic, Steam, or EA's own website). We will add that to this piece once EA Sports confirms the exact times.

The post Madden NFL 26 release countdown appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Monday, July 21, 2025 12:37 PM
    

shining revelery key art

No matter how old I get, I will always be excited to see what Pokémon is cooking up next for the franchise.

I've been playing Pokémon since the original Pokémon Red on Gameboy, and I've dabbled in just about everything since. With Pokémon Legends: Z-A and more expected to be revealed at tomorrow's Pokémon Presents, I feel the excitement brewing, especially to see more of what Other Pokémon Champions is all about.

Pokémon Legends: Z-A promotional cover art
Image via The Pokémon Company

Pokémon has been such a versatile franchise, starting out as a trading card game and bringing about several movies and animated series, but its variety when it comes to games has also been pretty spectacular.

The mainline entries have evolved from the handhelds like Gameboy and Nintendo 3DS, now to consoles such as GameCube and soon the Switch 2, and the series has changed with it. From 2D to 3D to fully open worlds, there's been no shortage of new things to look forward to.

And then there are massively successful spin-off titles and mobile games like Pokémon GO, Pokémon Snap, Pokémon Stadium, and many others throughout the past 30 or so years. There's seemingly something for everybody, regardless of age or gaming taste. There are even digital versions of the card game!

And so now, the question begs, dear reader, which type of Pokémon game is your favorite? There are plenty of options to choose from, so which do you prefer? Sound off in the comments and answer our poll below to drum up some hype ahead of the franchise's future being revealed tomorrow.

The post Pokémon's future is about to be revealed, but what's your favorite kind of game in the series? appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Monday, July 21, 2025 10:55 AM
    

Destiny 2 Edge of Fate key art

It would not be a Destiny 2 event without some sort of controversy, unfortunately, and this weekend had its fair share.

The latest endgame activity in Destiny 2, the new raid called The Desert Perpetual, kicked off its world-first race on Saturday afternoon. The first team to conquer it (Team Nuts) did so about 16 hours later, which isn't even the first or second-longest raid in the franchise's history, but players are all pretty universal in their gripes that the raid's four bosses all have impossibly high health pools to deal with.

Destiny 2 The Desert Perpetual
Image via Bungie

Along with a number of glitches and bugs that impeded progress for many teams, forcing some to quit trying to finish the raid on contest mode (higher difficulty for the first 48 hours), the issue of boss HP was so bad that Bungie was forced to address it first thing Monday morning.

"While we absolutely wish for contest mode to challenge your loadouts, your teamwork, and your puzzle solving abilities, the highest end of damage has been reported to feel that is (Sic) requires far more than expected," Bungie said in an update. "Each raid we've shipped has been unique, especially at Contest difficulty. This will continue - and for our players who desire challenge, do not worry. We will continue to offer it. That said, we will use feedback from this weekend to inform our future as we continue to develop these experiences."

Each of the raid's four bosses required teams to get very, very creative in how to maximize their DPS and find a way to somehow whittle down the massive health bars of each Vex enemy. A common but seemingly required tactic for this race, loadout swapping, had players emptying all of their ammo during the DPS phase, then quickly swapping to a different loadout simply to have a chance of winning the fights. That doesn't seem ideal.

https://twitter.com/Substancer_/status/1947049669835813304

I've been playing Destiny for over 10 years, so seeing players frustrated with how a raid race went is nothing new. But with The Edge of Fate boasting some of the lowest Steam player numbers post-expansion the game has ever seen, I wonder how many gamers may have participated in their last raid, period.

The post Destiny 2's newest raid race had such near-impossible boss battles that Bungie had to release a statement today appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Monday, July 21, 2025 10:37 AM
    

best tennis zero styles and flows tier list

When it comes to the best Styles and Flows in Tennis Zero I like that powerful options aren't all locked behind just Secrets & Mythics. For example, the Toxic Common style can be extremely competitive if you learn how to play and the same goes for some lower rarity Flows as well. That's why I'll analyze all options and show you the best ones in this Tennis Zero Style and Flow tier list and guide.

Tennis Zero Style Tier List

tennis zero style tier list best styles
Image by Destructoid

Note that Mythic and Secret Styles in Tennis Zero have two special abilities, one in the base version and one in Awakening. For the tier list, generally I valued the power of the base version abilities and stats more than the Awakening ones because you'll be using base versions more commonly. That's why Toxic is so high up because its base ability is so competitive and that's why Liberation is A instead of S because even though the Awakening ability is OP, the base is A-Tier. Below you'll be able to see all Style abilities with ranking reasons and tips for each one.

S-Tier Styles

Style & Stats Abilities Ranking Reason/Pros + & Cons •

Void
Mythic
Base Ability: Trigger a snap that ragdolls your opponent back causing them to lose control for about 1 second.
Awakening Ability: Teleports you to the ball and you auto spike.
+ The most OP base ability in the game that guarantees points whenever it's off cooldown. Just make sure to active it just before an opponent is about to hit your shot.
+ The best Style in Tennis Zero currently
+ The Awakening move is also amazing defensively since it allows you to instantly reach hard-to-block shots and retaliate
Weaker Lobs, Dives and Serves in base form

Limitless
Secret
Base Ability: Slows down the ball mid-air allowing you to plan offense or defense better.
Awakening Ability: Slows down the enemy player.
+ The Void is a slightly easier to get Style than Limitless so I value it more but Limitless is powerful nonetheless.
+ The base ability is great defensively to block hard shots but you can also use it to disrupt enemy timing as they're about to hit the ball causing them to miss.
+ The Awakening move is one of the best in the game so far shutting down your opponent (Unless they use Void Awaken or dash moves). Just make sure to use it as you hit the ball opposite of their location
Weaker Swings and Lobs in base form

A-Tier Styles

Style & Stats Abilities Ranking Reason & Tips

Liberation
Mythic
Base Ability: Automatically pulls the ball towards you so you can set-up new plays.
Awakening Ability: Pushes the enemy player to the back of the court and ragdolls them for 1.5 to 2 seconds.
+ Strongest Awakening move in the game
+ Excellent stats for overall non-serve offense and play
+ The base ability is excellent for defense to stop shots you can't reach
Overall the base abilities of Void and Limitless are slightly stronger so I put Liberation in A-Tier but it's like A+ Tier and almost S due to the OP Awakening

Toxic
Common
Base Ability: Makes your shot curve abruptly as soon as the ball hits the ground, breaking ankles and baiting mistimed returns. + Best budget powerful style in the game that you can get in a few spins
+ One of the best base abilities for offense that will guarantee points if you master it
+ Use it on shots that are further from your opponent and will hit the ground just before they hit to trick and ankle break them with the huge curve
Weak overall stats and no Awakening ability so you'll struggle a bit more than those with Mythics and Secrets

Assassin
Legendary
Base Ability: Shoot a glitchy ball that appears and disappears every 1.85s in and out of the game being harder to see and hit. The ball can still be hit even when invisible. + The invisible ball from the base ability can be quite strong if you use it right to confuse your opponents
+ They can still hit the ball so make sure not to spam it and save it for when you hit Lobs and other difficult angle shots
+ The best ace Style for Serves, Swings, and SPikes
Opponent can still hit the ball when invisible and your Dives and Speed are bad

B-Tier Styles

Style & Stats Abilities Ranking Reason & Tips

Mist
Legendary
Base Ability: Become invisible for a short period of time. + Similar to Assassin except you're making yourself invisible which is slightly weaker but still allows for some unpredictable plays.
+ Use it on enemy Lobs for unpredictable spikes or for sneaky taps and shots. Don't use it on difficult to reach shots because your opponent will know your linear movement to block it.
Good balance of stats but weak Swing and Lob take it down to B-Tier for me.

Monster
Rare
Base Ability: Drops a cloud of smoke on the enemy court making it harder for them to see. + Quite a decent style for messing with your opponent that's much better than Mastermind
+ I still wouldn't spam the smoke since you should use it when you set-up difficult to block shots or for blocking your opponent's vision on one side of the court as you shoot to the opposite side or vice versa into the smoke
+ Best used for Spikes and Serves to mess with your opponent
While the ability is fun it's very skill-dependent on how useful it can be so you need to play smart with it otherwise you're wasting it

Hunter
Common
Base Ability: Move faster and swing quicker than normal. + Just an overall decent ability to have for offense and defense that's perfect for mid rankings
+ No huge play potential but no downside

C-Tier Styles

Style & Stats Abilities Ranking Reason & Tips

Mastermind
Rare
Base Ability: Shake your opponent's screen briefly disrupting aim. + Decent Swing, Serve and Dive
A weak ability that most players will get used to so it doesn't hinder them much

Tennis Zero Flow Tier List

tennis zero flow tier list best flows
Image by Destructoid

Tennis Zero Flows are powerful according to their rarity in most cases. There are great Common and Rare styles but they can't usually compete well with Legendaries, Mythics and Secrets. It's simply that A and S-Tier offer free points if you play right. Energy Shield is an amazing defensive move for both solo and in teams. As for B-Tier it's full of useful Flows for more specific scenarios so while they are good they are B-Tier for their lack of general flexibility and power.

S-Tier Flows

Style & Stats Abilities Ranking Reason & Tips
• Perform a super fast ball spike or serve. • Practice aiming and Lightning Spike will score you free points on shots and serves easily.
• Probably the best raw offensive Flow in Tennis Zero.
• Your next shot will have an extreme curve in the direction that you control it towards. • It's really good because you get to control the curve so you can trick opponents.
• Requires more skill than Lightning Spike to aim it but has the same potential for free points.

A-Tier Flows

Style & Stats Abilities Ranking Reason & Tips
• Adds a backspin to the ball of your next shot making it go back to the net once it hits the ground. • The important play mindset with this Flow is to always aim close to the enemy net.
• With this Flow active, the ball will then go back to the net without skipping over to your side making it extremely difficult for your opponent to reach.
• Just make sure to use it when your opponent is further away from the net or if you're going for a tap.
• Makes your next shot go low and makes it so that it doesn't require the second bounce to score. • Samurai is all about timing because you can get free points with the no-second-bounce rule bypass.
• Practice when to do it and it'll act like your free point button.
• Project a shield that blocks any one incoming shot except serving shots or if the ball is behind you. • The best defense against styles like Void or shots from Lightning Spike.
• Can even block shots that you or your teammate can't reach when deployed.

B-Tier Flows

Style & Stats Abilities Ranking Reason & Tips
• Activate to do a drastically higher jump. • Really useful move to use against enemy lobs to do a powerful spike.
• Don't spam it since enemies can then shoot a shot below you.
• Makes your next shot go as high as a lob. • Really good to make it look like you're going for a shot then use this and perform a lob to bait opponents.
• Has a faster animation than a regular lob to trick opponents into thinking you're going for a shot.
• A simple but powerful 3 second speed boost. • Adrenaline has more flexibility than Super Dive since you can use it for both offense and defense.
• It lasts 3 seconds so you can even pull of a shot into another fast shot if the opponent is close to the net.
• Just like a regular dash but goes further and faster. • Great defensive Flow giving you an extra dash in addition to your base dash.

C-Tier Flows

Style & Stats Abilities Ranking Reason & Tips
• Boosts your speed by 10% and also that of an ally if you're in a team. • A great Flow in theory but it's just too weak with that 10% speed increase being negligible.

How to Get Legendaries, Mythics and Secrets Fast in Tennis Zero

Tennis Zero is another game using Chrollo's gacha system so the three steps to getting the rarest Styles and Flows are the same across all his games:

  • Step 1: Claim our Basketball Zero codes where you can get a lot of Lucky Spins.
  • Step 2: Go into the Styles or Flows menu and on the right find the Style/Flow you want and click on it for a 10% increased roll chance boost (You'll know it's marked once the dot appears next to it).
  • Step 3: Use a Lucky Spin you got from the codes to drastically increase the chances for Legendaries, Mythics and Secrets from 2%/0.5%/0.1% to 45%/5%/1% respectively as well as removing Common Styles from the Gacha roll pool.

That's it for my Tennis Zero Style and Flow tier list and guide. The best way to get the Style and Flow you want is to claim our Tennis Zero codes above where you can pick up Lucky Spins for increased chances.

The post Ultimate Tennis Zero Style and Flow Tier List [RELEASE] appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Monday, July 21, 2025 10:34 AM
    

Measured Assembly in The Division 2

The Manhunt missions in The Division 2's Crossroads season have been pretty interesting to say the least, and week 8 has three objectives to complete.

It's still going to take over a month for the Manhunt missions to complete as we slowly work our way towards the Tinkerer mask. The main objective for the reward is to complete all the Scout missions of every previous week as released during the season.

Division 2 Scout 8 solutions

Week 8 of the scout missions is similar to the seven previous weeks. Here's the intel.

  • Let's apply pressure on the True Sons and see if we can lure one of their lieutenants out in the open.

In simpler words, you'll have to remove an HVT associated with True Sons.

All three Scout Week 8 Manhunt objectives in The Division 2
Screenshot by Destructoid

There are three further objectives to complete.

Objective Clue How to Complete
Objective 1 Hanford might be hiding at an outpost in East Mall. This task is simple. Go to the East Ball and capture a control point by clearing all enemies. Once done, the first objective will be complete. It doesn't matter at which difficulty you play, and if you just want to get it done quickly, choose Normal. Once the capture point comes under your control, the first objective is complete.
Objective 2 Lieutenant Hanford was sighted on his way to the Capitol Building. That's the next stop. Go to the Capitol Building and complete the Stronghold mission. You can pick any difficulty you want, as the objective is to simply complete the quest (and unlock all available rewards).
Objective 3 We've put a bounty on Lieutenant Hanford. Find him in East Mall. This is the easiest mission to complete. Go to Bounties, choose the East Mall location, and Hanford will appear. Unlike the two previous objectives, this quest is locked at Hard difficulty. Hence, it will be slightly difficult for relative beginners, but it's best to concentrate on his comrades first while staying under cover.

That's all you have to do to take our first of our two HVTs (the second one will unlock in future weeks), which will give us access to the climax mission before Crossroads ends. While we work our way towards the Tinkerer mask, make sure to add the Catalyst Exotic to your collection.

The post Division 2 Scout 8 solutions (Y7S1 Crossroads) appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Monday, July 21, 2025 10:31 AM
    

Fantastic Four meme

It's been a long time coming, but a handful of very popular Marvel heroes will finally be making their way into Fortnite this weekend to coincide with the latest MCU movie.

Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Ben Grimm, and Johnny Storm will be getting their own First Steps costumes after years of anticipation since Marvel first entered into Fortnite's metaverse years ago. And we've gotten a first glimpse at them, and they look fantastic.

Fantastic Four Fortnite skins
Image via Epic Games

The collection of The Fantastic Four: First Steps skins all arrive in the shop on July 25, the same day as the new film. But players will be able to earn the outfits as part of the Fantastic Four Cup, a BR squads competition that takes place on Wednesday, July 23.

"During the Fantastic Four Cup on July 23, competitors can play up to ten matches within their region's three-hour time window," Epic explained, with event timing found for each region within the game's Compete tab. Placing high will earn points, and the top earners can unlock the new skins and more for free.

The new costumes look incredible (you might even call them fantastic), sporting the looks of the actors from the film, like Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, but they come with some customizations as well.

Johnny has his own built-in "Flame On!" emote and Torch's Flame pickaxe, while Ben can transform into The Thing, Reed has a Fantastic Calculations emote and Fantastic Fists pickaxe, and Sue rounds out the squad with her Psionic Orbs pickaxe.

Epic Games did not detail the prices or bundles of the skins, but it's likely there will be one all-encompassing package that includes all four heroes and their extras, while the heroes may have their own individual bundles as well, along with the costumes being purchasable on their own.

The post Marvel's First Family finally takes its First Steps into Fortnite this week, and they look perfect appeared first on Destructoid.


WGB Monday, July 21, 2025 1:53 PM
     Ubisoft's Yves Guillemot confirmed a new Ghost Recon game is in development, transitioning to a first-person shooter format. Expected in late 2026, it may adopt a live-service model.

Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Monday, July 21, 2025 4:31 PM
    

A gameplay trailer was also released.

The post Nicktoons & the Dice of Destiny Release Date Announced appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism.


Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Monday, July 21, 2025 4:01 PM

Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Monday, July 21, 2025 3:17 PM

Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Monday, July 21, 2025 3:00 PM
    

According to a recent financial report.

The post Ubisoft Believes Microtransactions Are Fun For Players appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism.


Level Up Monday, July 21, 2025 1:15 PM
     Bloodlines 2, Still Wakes The Deep Developer The Chinese Room Cuts Ties With Parent Company Sumo Digital 2The Chinese Room, developer of Still Wakes the Deep, Dear Esther, and the upcoming Vampire:…