GamersHeroes Monday, August 11, 2025 2:02 PM Inspired by incredible works like Portal and Tron, Misty Whale has released a new demo for their logic-based puzzle game Orbyss. The post Mind-Bending Puzzler Orbyss Demo Live appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
Kotaku Monday, August 11, 2025 6:59 PM
Games media veteran John Davison got his start at PC Zone and EGM back in the late '90s The post <i>IGN</i> Boss Leaving After Latest Round Of Layoffs appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Monday, August 11, 2025 6:00 PM
Riot's director of product didn't hold back online when angry players yelled at him about a new crackdown on alt account abuse The post <i>League Of Legends</i> Dev Sends McDonald's Jobs Link To Player Who Boosts Accounts For A Living appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Monday, August 11, 2025 5:43 PM
OpenAI is reckoning with the wrath of fans for the first time The post ChatGPT Just Became A Live-Service Game appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Monday, August 11, 2025 4:29 PM
The leaked set is rumored to be arriving in October and might be the most expensive Lego set ever sold The post Here's Our First Look At The Rumored $1,000 Lego Death Star Set Containing Over 9K Pieces appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Monday, August 11, 2025 3:06 PM
The store's owner says that around $30,000 worth of inventory–including many, many Labubu dolls–were stolen earlier this month The post Thousands Of Dollars' Worth Of Labubu Dolls Were Stolen During A Late-Night Robbery appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Monday, August 11, 2025 2:10 PM
Wuyang comes from a long line of fire wielders, but he's taking up water instead The post <em>Overwatch 2</em> Goes Full <em>Avatar: The Last Airbender</em> With Its New Waterbender-Style Hero appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Monday, August 11, 2025 2:00 PM
Öoo is a puzzle-platformer that gives you all the tools to progress, then teaches you how to use them The post In This Stunning Metroidvania, You're Only Held Back By Your Own Imagination appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Monday, August 11, 2025 1:51 PM
Sometimes cutting superfluous features is the right thing to do The post You Can't Swim In <i>Mafia: The Old Country</i> And That's Fine appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Monday, August 11, 2025 12:55 PM
Weapons just helped Warner Bros. overtake two Disney movies and continued the studio's impressive box office streak The post Warner Bros. Is On A Box Office Hot Streak Unlike Anything We've Seen Before appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Monday, August 11, 2025 12:45 PM
The fan-led effort was well-intentioned, but accidentally ended up using AI-generated art The post <em>Umamusume</em> Fans Tried To Pay Tribute To Recently Deceased Racehorse, But It Didn't Go As Planned appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Monday, August 11, 2025 12:12 PM
The Switch 2's version features a fun versus mode, but how well does mouse mode work? The post Everything You Need To Know About <i>Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S</i> appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Monday, August 11, 2025 12:01 PM
Take a break from smashing up all those rocks and win some races The post <i>Mario Kart World</i>: What Are The Best Karts And Tracks For Donkey Kong? appeared first on Kotaku. |
PCGamesN Monday, August 11, 2025 5:40 PM Nexon has mostly made a name for itself creating and publishing massive mobile games. In recent years though, it's been upping its PC and console presence with big multiplayer games like looter shooter The First Descendant and Embark Studios' FPS The Finals. The release of The First Berserker Khazan earlier this year saw it publish a visually stunning soulslike for the first time. Now it's giving a "blockbuster" action game a go. The company has just unveiled Woochi the Wayfarer with a gorgeous cinematic trailer, and it'll transport players to Korea during the time of the Joseon dynasty. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best story games, Best single-player games, Best PC games |
PCGamesN Monday, August 11, 2025 4:31 PM It's been one hell of a year for breakout indie hits, and Peak is right up there as one of the biggest. A small project that spawned out of dev burnout and a cancelation, this chaotic climbing survival game has gone on to sell over five million copies. Today, it's introducing a new desert biome for players to clamber around, as well as some intriguing new items - one of which is bound to cause some… explosive… moments. However, developer Aggro Crab has tempered expectations - while there's a huge appetite for Peak, it says it's unsure when the next big content update will arrive. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best indie games, New PC games, Best PC games |
PCGamesN Monday, August 11, 2025 2:00 PM Bandai Namco returns not with another Elden Ring DLC, but with the Everybody's Golf Hot Shots system requirements, which are considerably easier to meet than its Souls-like series. Yet, for a deceptively simple game, Bandai's golf experience could reasonably challenge older laptops and PCs, and that's before a tornado hits the golf course. Everybody's Golf Hot Shots is, very simply, a single-player and multiplayer golfing game, and it certainly doesn't require the best gaming PC from our buying guide to get it running. The game itself, however, is a bit more than a simple round of golf, adding explosions, mystery boxes, falling monoliths, and some over-the-top particle effects, all of which could put the game onto our best sports games list in due course. Continue reading Everybody's Golf Hot Shots system requirements MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best graphics card, Best gaming PC, Best SSD for gaming |
PCGamesN Monday, August 11, 2025 1:51 PM Convinced the August 2025 release calendar is looking a little sparse? Well, you're maybe only looking at the big publisher picture, and indie.io is here to change that. Turn your attention to the tiny studios working just as hard and you'll find dozens of new adventures and experiences to pull you out of the triple-A rut. Publisher indie.io brings vital visibility to some of these under-the-radar gems. Continue reading Tactics and tilling highlight the top new indie.io games this August |
PCGamesN Monday, August 11, 2025 1:40 PM There's no shortage of excellent MMORPGs available, but Elder Scrolls Online's take on the iconic world of Tamriel is second-to-none. Set 1,000 years before Skyrim, and roughly 800 years before Morrowind and Oblivion, the continent is yours to explore alone or with friends, and you can catch up with the rest of the expansions and 2025's slate of content at its lowest price right now - but you don't have long. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best MMORPGs, Best fantasy games, Best single-player MMOs |
PCGamesN Monday, August 11, 2025 12:39 PM Battlefield 6 is proving just how powerful a well-oiled open beta can be for pre-launch hype. However, it seems Arc Raiders developer Embark Studios - which is coincidentally made up of plenty of ex-Battlefield devs - won't be following suit. Despite an immensely successful invite-only playtest (Tech Test 2) earlier in the year that drummed up huge support for the extraction shooter, you won't get another chance to try Arc Raiders before its launch in October. Continue reading Extraction shooter Arc Raiders says no more playtests before launch MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best multiplayer games, Best co-op games , Best PC games |
PCGamesN Monday, August 11, 2025 12:38 PM No Man's Sky is the epitome of a feel-good story of game development, a better redemption arc than Boromir. The now-iconic space game was a mess at launch, riddled with bugs and boring gameplay. However, developer Hello Games knuckled down and got to work improving things. After a lot of hard work, the game slowly brought players back on board. Once the base game was interesting, the team started expanding the experience. More vehicles, mechs, aliens, mechanics, bases... more everything, really. No Man's Sky went from being a punchline to a legitimately good game that you can while away hours in without even realising, and now it's celebrating its ninth birthday with some aliens that you can bring into your own home. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best RPG games, Best open-world games, Best space games |
PCGamesN Monday, August 11, 2025 12:33 PM The AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D has reportedly been retired, potentially bringing socket AM4 X3D gaming PCs to an end. This eight-core gaming CPU, with its powerful 3D V-cache technology, was only released in January 2024, but reports now suggest it has been discontinued, with retailer stock quickly diminishing. The AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D was one of the few socket AM4 X3D gaming CPUs still available since 5800X3D stock dried up last year. While AMD hasn't formally announced the move, losing the 5700X3D would leave those with older gaming PCs no option but to either stick with their existing CPUs or upgrade to newer AM5 chips, such as the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, which is the top recommendation in our best gaming CPU guide. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Ryzen 7 9800X3D review, Best gaming CPU, Radeon RX 9070 XT review |
PCGamesN Monday, August 11, 2025 12:31 PM New details about future Intel gaming CPUs for gaming laptops have been leaked online. Intel Nova Lake mobile CPUs in several different configurations are shown in the leak, with the most powerful one reportedly set to include up to 28 cores. Modern gaming doesn't really require a 24-core gaming CPU (yet), but many cores can be useful for heavily multi-threaded applications, such as video encoding and 3D rendering. We've also seen a recent Intel Nova Lake rumor suggest that one of these new chips is coming with a massive helping of extra L3 cache, meaning it could potentially compete with AMD's 3D V-cache, the tech that has helped its competitor dominate our best gaming CPU guide in recent years. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Intel Core Ultra 7 265K review, Best gaming CPU, Core i9 14900K review |
PCGamesN Monday, August 11, 2025 12:02 PM Competition breeds innovation, or so the saying goes. Forthcoming sci-fi 4X game Stellar Reach hopes to provide just that to genre top dog Stellaris. Where Civilization has a strangehold on Earth-based grand strategy, Stellaris has that same grip on the sci-fi subgenre. However, with the power of former Ubisoft and Creative Assembly developer James Miller behind it, Stellar Reach hopes to break that monopoly and give players a new galaxy to conquer. But can it compete with the likes of Homeworld 3, Endless Legend 2, and Sins of a Solar Empire 2 in the shadow of Paradox's behemoth? Continue reading Ex Creative Assembly dev's Stellaris rival finally gets launch date |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Monday, August 11, 2025 8:00 PM  It'd be fair to say that PC gaming isn't quite as accessible as console gaming for newcomers. Right off the bat, it's obvious that a Nintendo Switch 2 is an upgrade over a Nintendo Switch 1, but while you, the discerning RPS reader, will have some understanding of processors, RAM, and those all-important GPUs, it's not always easy for someone to jump in (short of grabbing a Steam Deck). |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Monday, August 11, 2025 1:04 PM  Former Dragon Age executive producer Mark Darrah has discussed pitching remasters of the first three games in the series to EA, and made clear in the same interview that he's encourage the developers of the next Mass Effect game to "scapegoat" Dragon Age: The Veilguard "as much as they need to". Darrah's offered a lot of insight into life at BioWare since departing the studio back in 2022, with the veteran dev having done plenty of that via his own YouTube channel. This time, though, he was interviewed by YouTuber MrMattyPlays. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Monday, August 11, 2025 12:36 PM The Battlefield 6 beta's hacking problem shows the difficulty in playing cat and mouse with cheaters  The Battlefield 6 open beta is over, and encouraging whispers of its oo-rahhable player count – peaking at over 500,000 on PC alone, so sayeth SteamDB – have been tempered with widespread reports of invading cheaters. That's despite BF6's new and unusual requirement to enable Secure Boot, a BIOS-level security feature in Windows, ostensibly to prevent such do-badding. In response, a forum post attributed to EA's anti-cheat team has played up successes in tracking and catching the beta's cheaters, whose crimes allegedly range from classic wallhacks, speed hacks, and aimbots to cheats that reduce recoil or display enemy health and weapon info. However, it also concedes that Secure Boot "is not, and was not intended to be a silver bullet" – and in doing so, highlights the immense, perhaps impossible task that developers have of keeping cheater users out of their games. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Monday, August 11, 2025 12:01 PM  The motor carriage noisily trundles down a dirt track in the Sicilian countryside. It's a beautiful evening or morning. I've lost track of which, and I'm too busy thinking to double check whether the pale sun overhead is rising or retreating. How strange it is that something so new (at least in the context it's being presented) can feel so inescapably ancient. These thoughts are about the impractical and inefficient curiosity Enzo Favara's at the wheel of, but they're also about Mafia: The Old Country itself. If you get a relative or mate who's unfamiliar with the Mafia series to play Hangar 13's latest work, I'm fairly convinced that you'll have an easier time convincing them that they'd just sampled a remaster of a game from the 2000s than a new release from 2025. That's not a bad thing in and of itself, but at a time when games attempting to draw on nostalgia feel more unrepentantly nostalgic than ever, while new games often feel increasingly desperate to convey their newness, it's certainly struck me. |
Siliconera Monday, August 11, 2025 4:00 PM
Atlus and Funko started selling the Metaphor: ReFantazio Protagonist Pop figure online. It is $14.99, which is the standard pricing for the items. It is number 1,108 in the collection. The character is showing on the official Funko storefront now, and Amazon also is selling it with a December 16, 2025 release date.
As is common with a Funko Pop, the Metaphor: ReFantazio Protagonist is about four inches tall. It features the stylized look that only has a triangle nose and two solid color eyes. One is gold and one is blue, to represent the actual heterochromia the character in the game. He's wearing his white coat uniform with black headband. He also wields a sword in his right hand.
Here's a closer look at his design.
So far, no other Metaphor: ReFantazio characters are confirmed for the collection.
While this is the first Funko Pop, there have been many other figures of characters from the game so far. Good Smile Company released a Nendoroid of the Metaphor: ReFantazio protagonist. Kotobukiya also released scale figures of Gallica, Junah, and Hulkenberg.
Metaphor: ReFantazio Protagonist Funko Pop figure is on the way.The gameis available for the PS4, PS5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X. There's also a manga adaptation in Japan.
The post Metaphor: ReFantazio Protagonist Funko Pop Figure Has Heterochromia appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Monday, August 11, 2025 3:00 PM
Pre-orders are now open for the Lucrea Hatsune Miku x Gundam Wing Endless Waltz figure that features her in attire and with wings inspired by the XXXG-00W0 Wing Gundam Zero. It will cost ¥27,500 (~$186) when it launches in Japan. It's expected to debut in June 2026. While other figures from this crossover are showing up at places that ship worldwide like Crunchyroll, AmiAmi is the only retailer with orders for this one live now.
For this figure, Hatsune Miku is posed like a conductor with a baton in her right hand. She's wearing a white uniform. The stand has her rising out of the middle of a white flower. She also has two white wings resembling the Wing Zero ones. It stands at over 10 and a half inches tall (270mm).
Here's how the Lucrea Hatsune Miku x Gundam Wing Endless Waltz figure looks.
There are quite a few pieces of merchandise pairing up Hatsune Miku with various mechs and icons from the series for this 45th anniversary event. There's the Banpresto prize figure mentioned earlier coming out in December 2025 in Japan. Another one has her hugging a Haro. There will also be standard and plush keychains.
The Hatsune Miku x Gundam Wing Endless Waltz figure will debut in Japan in June 2026.
The post Lucrea Hatsune Miku Gundam Wing Zero EW Figure Debuts in June appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Monday, August 11, 2025 2:00 PM
The next Umamusume: Pretty Derby banner update arrives on August 11, 2025, right around 3pm PT/6pm ET, and marks the debut of the first Dirt Trainee character Smart Falcon since launch. She's one of the few characters to have an A rank in the Dirt Track type. As for the new Umamusume Support Card banner, it is a focus-up one for the currently existing SSR Super Creek Stamina and Tazuna Hayakawa Pal cards. Neither one is new, but the two are among the most in-demand ones in the game.
The greatest selling point for Smart Falcon as a Trainee is that she's an Umamusume: Pretty Derby character who excels on Dirt tracks. While she's best at running Mile and Medium distances, with an A rank in each, she's also easy to use on Sprints due to having a B rating there. She's designed to be a Front runner, and her growth rates add a 20% bonus to Speed and 10% bonus to Power. Her Unique Skill isn't as striking, as Sparkly Stardom's trigger requires her to be "about to lose" during the middle of a race when she's on a straight.
Here's the official infographic highlighting everything Smart Falcon is capable of as a Dirt racer in Umamusume: Pretty Derby.
As for the Tazuna and Super Creek SSR Support Cards banner in Umamusume: Pretty Derby, both are pretty much universally valuable in races. Super Creek is valuable due to her being able to impart the Swinging Maestro Stamina skill, which recovers it on any corner. In the case of Tazuna, she's added as a Recreation partner with guaranteed health and mood-up bonuses and the possibility to impart the Concentration skill.
We also know who's coming next, thanks to the August 2025 schedule. The Trainee version of Narita Brian debuts on August 20, 2025. That is also when the SSR Sakura Chiyono O Support Card debuts.
As a reminder, Narita Taishin's focus banner is live right now too. That ends on August 13, 2025. She's now part of the general pool though, so there's a chance you can get her when trying for Smart Falcon.
Umamusume: Pretty Derby is available on the PC and mobile devices.
The post Umamusume Gets Smart Falcon and SSR Tazuna and Super Creek Banners appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Monday, August 11, 2025 1:00 PM
August 11th is the birthday of Final Fantasy VII hero Cloud Strife, and Square Enix revealed a Play Arts Shin FFVII Rebirth figure of him to celebrate the occasion. He's only showing up in the Japanese eStore at the moment for 26,400円 (~$178), as the US storefront isn't showing him yet due to the ongoing situation with President Donald Trump's tariffs. He's expected to appear in Japan on February 28, 2026.
Cloud will come with stoic and shouting face plates. He'll have a Buster Sword to wield and a number of arm parts. He can also hold one of six different types of Materia or the flower he got from Aerith.
Here are the first photos of him:
We have seen other Final Fantasy VII characters in the Play Arts Shin figure line before, as it kicked off with a FFVII Rebirth Vincent. Characters from other entries appeared in it as well. One of the most recent was Zidane Tribal from FFIX. He'll be out in February 2026, just like Cloud.
The Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Cloud Play Arts Shin figure will debut in Japan on February 28, 2026, and the second FFVII remake game is on the PS5 and PC now.
The post FFVII Rebirth Play Arts Shin Cloud Figure Revealed on His Birthday appeared first on Siliconera. |
Destructoid Monday, August 11, 2025 5:40 PM
Sunscreen is one of several new items that have been added to PEAK as part of the Mesa update, and it's tied with unlocking a new badge.
This item is very important if you want to survive the harsh nature of the Mesa biome. This biome's main threat is the harsh temperature, especially during the daytime. Sunscreen is an effective way to block out the sun's rays, and might also be essential if you want to complete the Cool Cucumber Badge.
How to find the Sunscreen in PEAK?
Sunscreen can be found at a couple of different locations, but they're all random in nature. This sun protection can be occasionally found at the crash site from where you begin your journey. Search through the luggage that lies around you, and you might be able to find them. This isn't guaranteed, and I have verified it. If you're really desperate for the Sunscreen in PEAK, you should restart your save till you find one in the starting area.
The item can also be found at the Kiln at its base. Once again, this is also random, and might not be the case for you. There are some chances for the Sunscreen to be available in random luggage trolleys lying around the island. On my playthrough, I haven't found even one from those bags, and I will update this information if my luck changes.
While you can survive the island and escape without a Sunscreen, here's why it's so important. There's a special badge you can get, but you'll need Sunscreen.
How to get the Cool Cucumber Badge in PEAK?
The Cool Cucumber Badge requires you to survive the Mesa while keeping your heat below 10 percent at all times. This might sound easy, but it's not. Surviving the biome at night is lot more comfortable, which is a strategy you can adopt if you choose to be patient enough.
If you want to take risk during the day, make sure to use Sunscreen. The ointment could make all the difference as you try to keep your body heat below the 10-percent mark.
The post How to find and use Sunscreen in PEAK appeared first on Destructoid. |
Destructoid Monday, August 11, 2025 5:10 PM
If you were feeling short of formidable foes in PEAK, think again. The Antlion can jeopardize your escape plans in a moment.
The bug, which appears quite ferocious when you see it for the first time, is part of the new update. The creature can lure you into its nest, but thankfully for players, there are ways to survive its attacks. You'll have to strategize properly, and having a friend will help. However, you can still survive its attack and earn the Megaentomology Badge.
How to get the Megaentomology Badge in PEAK?
The official description of the Megaentomology Badge makes it fairly clear what you have to do: Survive an Antlion attack. The first task is to locate its nest in the Mesa biome. It's very easy to identify if you're careful, as the Antlion lives in a pit. To lure you in, there will be luggage in the middle.
The moment you come close to its mouth, the Antlion will emerge and bite you. Just a few bites will make you faint. Here's where having a friend is crucial (and practically makes the task easier). Your friend can jump in and pull you out of the pit. If you faint, they can use a suitable item to bring you back. Your attempt will still count towards unlocking the Megaentomology Badge.
What if you're alone? In that case, you'll have to pay extra attention to the Antlion's nest. Once you locate the spot, don't go in. Make sure you have a full stamina bar and a rope in your inventory. Use the rope, and use extra pitons if they're available in the nest.
This setup will make it easier for you to escape the pit when you're playing alone. But do not escape before the Antlion manages to land an attack. If you do that, your attempt won't qualify towards completing the badge. As long as you have received one bit, it will be enough for you to unlock the Megaentomology badge.
Of course, the Antlion isn't the only pesky element in PEAK that has been added as part of the Mesa update. The biome also has small cactuses that can get stuck on your body. Once you remove all of them successfully, it will unlock the Needlepoint badge for you.
The post How to survive an Antlion attack in PEAK appeared first on Destructoid. |
Destructoid Monday, August 11, 2025 4:25 PM
There are some pesky badges to earn in PEAK, and the Needlepoint achievement requires you to get stuck by cactuses without dying.
This might seem foolish since cactuses getting stuck to you won't help you reach the top and succeed. But the secret of completing the badge is in the details themselves. While it might seem that getting stuck with the cactuses is enough, it's the extra job you need to do that will help you out.
How to earn the Needlepoint Badge in PEAK?
The actual description of the badge says "Have a lot of cactuses stick to you." Once you reach the Mesa biome, you'll find plenty of small cactuses in the sand. When you go near them, they will get stuck on your body. But you'll notice that the cactuses are getting stuck on you, and you aren't completing the Needlepoint Badge.
Here's the important part: You'll need to remove the cactuses after they have got stuck. Once you do that, you'll then need to repeat the process until you have removed at least six cactuses. Doing so completed the required task, and unlock the Needlepoint Badge in PEAK.
The cactuses are a staple of the Mesa biome, which is also part of the new update. Finding them shouldn't be a problem at all, and they will automatically get stuck on your body once you're close enough. You can remove them immediately, or have multiple get stuck before proceeding with their removal. Just make sure not to wait too long before removing them.
Needlepoint Badge isn't the only tricky badge as part of the Mesa update. The Aeronautics badge, for example, is an even trickier one to complete as you'll require to find multiple balloons. Thankfully, they're rather easy to find when you know where to look at. Make sure to check out the full patch notes to stay updated about all the new additions.
The post How to have a lot of cactuses stuck to you in PEAK appeared first on Destructoid. |
Destructoid Monday, August 11, 2025 4:11 PM
Gamers everywhere are climbing to the PEAK once again as part of its MESA update, complete with a list of new achievements to conquer.
One of the new achievements, Astronomy Badge, only has a tongue-in-cheek description on how to complete it. It's a simple achievement to get, and we've detailed below how to get it so you can continue on your journey to the peak.
Here's how to unlock the Astronomy Badge achievement and "look a little too closely at the blazing sun" in PEAK.
Table of contents
How to 'look a little too closely at the blazing sun' in PEAK
To get the Astronomy Badge achievement in PEAK, to "look a little too closely at the blazing sun," equip and use your binoculars to look at the sun. This goes against everything we've ever been taught as kids and adults, but hey, this is a silly little indie game we're talking about.
Equip the binoculars and then look up at the sun and zoom in, and the achievement should pop up shortly after.
Where to find binoculars in PEAK
In PEAK, binoculars tend to spawn right on the shore near your plane's crash site. Make sure to scour the area when you first spawn in to find some binoculars if you're looking to tackle the Astronomy Badge achievement.
Binoculars take up a slot in your inventory, so keep this in mind when heading out on your expedition.
The post How to look a little too closely at the blazing sun in PEAK appeared first on Destructoid. |
Destructoid Monday, August 11, 2025 4:04 PM
PC players currently looking to climb PEAK with the new Mesa update today are being hit with an invisible wall, halting their progress as they look to see everything the new biome has to offer.
You'd think the various antlions or the heat would be the main issue, but these invisible walls are hitting a vast majority of players who recently updated the game with a micro patch, leaving the server host stranded to the mesa depths. There has been some support of players getting through the wall through jank or by abusing mods, but we haven't been able to replicate any of them.
Logging onto the game's Discord right now showcases a bunch of players complaining about the invisible wall, while others are talking about the elusive (and also apparently bugged) 24 Karat badge with fan theories buzzing over a secret tomb accessible via a secret switch in the new desert Mesa biome. We won't tell you what you find in that tomb, but it's a pretty cool secret addition all the same.
It's disheartening to see a new update hit with such a glaring issue, especially when the game is currently attracting over 100,000 players and more than 60,000 people are watching streamers on Twitch, all of whom are also failing to get through the invisible wall.
While the devs (hopefully) patch the problem so people can get in and enjoy the mesa biome, it's been pretty interesting to watch the various players come together to find out most of the game's new items and secrets within a matter of hours. There has been a lot of community back and forth to unlock all but one of the 10 new achievements on multiple social platforms, and we imagine once the bug affecting 24 Karot has been fixed, players will soon be on their way to completing all the new things the Mesa biome has to offer.
You know, once they can ascend the mountain. Hopefully, we won't have to wait 24 hours for a new map spawn to continue playing...
The post PEAK players climbing Mesa are being hit by invisible walls appeared first on Destructoid. |
Destructoid Monday, August 11, 2025 3:28 PM
Achieve flight is one of several new objectives in PEAK, and it's linked with one of the latest items added in the Mesa update.
To complete the objective, you'll have to use balloons, which can be found all around the island. However, the job isn't as easy as you might think. Simply finding and using a balloon won't help you complete the quest and unlock the badge. Let's find out exactly how to complete and earn the Achieve Flight badge in PEAK.
Table of contents
How to get the Aeronautics badge in PEAK?
The basic task is to find and use a balloon and equip it from the inventory. The trick is to equip five balloons at the same time. You'll have to add them to your inventory first. Then, equip them (can be equipped separately) to complete the achievement.
To wrap up, you'll need to find and equip five balloons on your trek to get the badge. Here's how you can find balloons on your journey.
How to get balloons in PEAK?
Finding balloons in PEAK is relatively easy, but it will take you time to find all five for the badge. They're not found in the open. Instead, you'll have to scour through the luggage boxes. If you're lucky, you could find your first balloon at the crash site.
They can be present as a solitary piece or in a bunch. However, don't expect to find all five of them together in one spot. If you keep looking in all the luggage you can, you should eventually be able to find the required number of balloons.
Aside from completing the badge, balloons can save you from accidental fall damage when they're equipped. Having just a few balloons won't save you from all fall damage, but the more you have, the less damage you'll take from a tumble. Once equipped, they will pop up above your character's head.
The post How to achieve flight in PEAK appeared first on Destructoid. |
Destructoid Monday, August 11, 2025 3:15 PM
Marvel Rivals has been a favorite game for players the world over, racking up wins and skins daily since it launched last December. But it's not perfect.
As is the case with any live service game, Rivals is not without its share of issues or complaints. But it looks like one of the game's most-requested features since launch may be coming soon, if a community event on the official Discord server has anything to do with it.
From Aug. 4 to 22, the Marvel Rivals Discord is hosting an "Ask the Devs" event focused on Cross Progression, which would allow players to use their same accounts no matter what platform they played on.
It seems like it's meant to be an open discussion where players can post their suggestions and ideas regarding the feature, but devs will choose their favorites and reply to them on Aug. 17. Honestly, the mere fact that Cross Progression is up for discussion is a big plus.
As someone who plays on PC, I'd love it if Cross Progression was added. Sometimes when I game, I'd rather do it from the comfort of my bed than sit at a desk. Powering up my PS5 Pro to play some Marvel Rivals, ranking up the same battle pass or event pass as the one on PC, is currently not possible. Cross Progression would solve this problem.
This Discord event doesn't confirm anything, but it's the first official mention since December when NetEase confirmed that it was working towards adding Cross Progression.
"Cross-progression involves a lot of platform-specific rules, we're still looking at it and how to solve it," said Marvel Rivals creative director Guangyun 'Guangguang' Chen in an interview with Dot Esports. "Once the team is ready, once we've figured it out, we'll be sharing to everyone and players will be the first to know."
Players can use this official Discord link to add their suggestions or ideas, but acknowledgement is good news regardless.
The post Marvel Rivals may finally be getting its single most-requested feature soon, and you can help make it happen appeared first on Destructoid. |
Destructoid Monday, August 11, 2025 3:11 PM
PEAK's Mesa update has an explosive side to it, and Dynamite can be extremely dangerous if you don't know how to handle it.
This explosive item can be found in random areas of the Mesa biome. Typically, it appears to be more common along the cliffs compared to the low-level areas. The item is pretty easy to spot, but it can lead to accidental damage if you're not careful.
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How to find Dynamite in PEAK?
Dynamite isn't found in luggage bags, even though most items can be found in these bags. As I mentioned, you'll more readily find them on the cliffs. Hence, start at the Shore, reach the Mesa biome, and start scaling up the cliffs.
You'll spot Dynamite easily since it sticks out in the open. You can pick it up like common items that are usually available on the ground. However, extra steps of care have to be applied once you find some.
How to use the Dynamite in PEAK?
Dynamite is always lit up when you have it in your hand. You'll have to be extremely careful while taking it out of your luggage, as it can explode. You'll have to use your mouse cursor to aim, and then settle on power.
The more power you apply, the longer it will travel before exploding. I am not sure if you can throw it at an enemy at this point. The right way to use Dynamite is probably at the mineshaft entrance, which is blocked by a rock. You'll have to throw the Dynamite at it to crack the doorway open. Unfortunately, my attempt ended horribly in my solo gameplay. That said, this seems like the correct way to use this explosive item.
The post How to find and use Dynamite in PEAK appeared first on Destructoid. |
Destructoid Monday, August 11, 2025 2:57 PM
I haven't played most of the Overwatch 2 maps that have been released since I abandoned the game two years ago, after season four (we're in season 17). I can't describe a single part of Suravasa, New Junk City, Runasapi, Aatlis, or Samoa. I've only played Hanaoka and Throne of Anubis because Stadium mode forced me to.
I didn't want to learn a new Overwatch 2 map right after coming back. But even if I wanted to, I couldn't. The map I play in with the random people who always flame my terrible Soldier: 76 skills is picked by everyone in the match, and nobody ever votes for these new maps. I've played over 30 games in the last two weeks, and in none of them have the players picked anything other than the same nine-year-old maps, such as Route 66, Eichelwalde, King's Row, and the occasional Nepal or Illios.
Nobody wants to play the new maps, and neither do I. It's also rare for me to see players using Venture, Hazard, Illari, and other recent heroes, so my teammates mostly stick to Mercy, Reaper, Zarya, and the older characters. From my anecdotal experience, very few Overwatch 2 players are in love with the new heroes.
Did Overwatch 2 need that much new content? Even though we usually tell developers of our favorite games that we want new maps, items, and characters, I'm convinced many of us don't. We want a sign that our favorite game isn't abandoned.
Rocket League once had alternate arena layouts, which were slightly different from the standard rectangular stadiums with round edges. The very first version of Neo Tokyo, released in 2016, had elevated sides. Wasteland, another unique arena, was slightly tilted so that the ball would always roll center. It took about a year for developer Psyonix to remove both maps from game rotation because "non-standard map layouts [had] been a hot topic of debate within the Rocket League community", they wrote in August 2017. Both maps, along with all others with an alternate layout, ended up removed from casual and competitive playlists, renamed, and sent to extra modes that are hyper-casual. So, when players got the unique new content they asked for in Rocket League, they discovered it wasn't quite what they wanted.
Counter-Strike 1.6 proves we don't always want new content to stay engaged with a game. Hundreds of thousands of nostalgic players are in the game every month, with an average peak of 7,000 concurrent players in the last 30 days, all this with the current Counter-Strike 2 being free. StarCraft 2 is still around years after its glory days ended. Even Heroes of the Storm, which I thought was dead, is active after being in maintenance mode for the last three years.
Do we players really want new content, or did we get used to the constant flow of updates because developers push it?
Live service and online games still need minimal upkeep. Occasional balance updates, bug fixes, and character and map rotations are welcome so that we don't play the same game every time, especially when a character or item is so overpowered you can't have fun without it. If there's randomness everywhere in the game, such as in rogue-likes, then updates are much less needed.
Multiplayer titles that don't have campaigns and missions are the ones that I'm convinced don't need a lot of new content all the time. These are mostly competitive, like Overwatch 2. Genshin Impact, Diablo 4, and single-player or co-op games need new content, so we don't give up on them. But if the point of a new character or long mission is to keep us playing and returning every day, maybe to complete a battle pass like it's a chore, this update ultimately caters to developers, not players. There are dozens of new games coming out every day, so we don't need this new content to have fun. It's easy to replace a stale gacha with a fresh one. Devs and publishers know that, and that's why they fight so hard for our attention with new content.
The other downside of new content is when it becomes overwhelming. I feel that the most with Pokémon TCG Live, which I play casually. Whenever I take a break for a few months, all my decks feel like trash, and I don't know what to play anymore, which either forces me to spend time farming new cards or to accept that my deck is terrible and will probably be destroyed by the new ones.
That's part of why I don't want new content in the online games I play. I don't want to play a game for fear of missing out on a battle pass, and I know I won't return to a game just because a new map or hero is out. If I like the game, I like it. At the same time, I can keep playing a game for weeks without ever seeing new content just because the game is simply fun.
I really want your opinion in the comments, though. Would you keep playing your favorite online or live-service game if it never got new content again?
The post Do we really want more content in our online games? I don't appeared first on Destructoid. |
Destructoid Monday, August 11, 2025 2:51 PM
PEAK's Mesa biome is one of the toughest the game has to offer. Even if you make it past random dynamite explosions and the biome's enemies, the sun is a constant threat. That is, unless you stick to the shade or get your hands on items like the parasol.
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Where to find the Parasol in PEAK
You can obtain parasols inside luggage bags in PEAK. Although you can obtain a parasol anywhere, you're most likely to find one within the Mesa biome, a desert map that constantly cooks your character unless you get your hands on this item.
The parasol appears as a bright, colorful umbrella. It isn't a mystical item, so you can find it in any luggage bag type. Your best option is to open as many luggage bags as possible, particularly white and bright orange ones, in hopes that you'll get lucky and spot a parasol among the bunch. Unfortunately, it's possible to get unlucky and not see one at all, even after opening multiple luggage bags, so luck does factor into whether you find one.
Unlike many other items in PEAK, it won't break instantly if dynamite explodes nearby. Instead, it'll become well-done, but otherwise still be usable for the rest of your playthrough. You don't have to worry about losing it if you open some luggage and find unexpected dynamite inside.
How to use the Parasol in PEAK
The parasol is a multi-use item that protects you from the sun in the Mesa biome and acts as a glider to reduce your fall damage. As long as you have it open, burning effects from the Mesa's sun won't apply to you unless you close it while climbing or swap to another item.
The other upside to using the parasol appears while falling. If you have it open while falling, you'll slowly glide down and take zero fall damage. It has unlimited uses, giving you multiple opportunities to save your life if you're about to take a lethal fall and manage to open it before hitting the ground.
However, there are some downsides. You have to keep it open to receive its benefits. You'll close it if you attempt to climb a mountain's ledge or swap to another item, making you vulnerable to fall damage and the sun's burning effects on Mesa. Otherwise, it's a powerful and life-saving item that, unlike most others, has infinite durability and unlimited uses.
The post How to find and use the Parasol in PEAK appeared first on Destructoid. |
Destructoid Monday, August 11, 2025 2:26 PM
Jackie followed the rules of the sea, yet Static Dread still punished him. A lesson in the cosmic horror you need to deal with over the next 15 days, deciding what happens to Jackie is just one of the many moral dilemmas you'll have to face.
Here's everything you need to know about saving Jackie in Static Dread.
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Should you let Jackie into the lighthouse?
Jackie is the first NPC you meet that you can invite into the lighthouse. About to embark on his own endeavor with his crew, you learn of a new island that's appeared from nowhere. This island is deeply connected to the underwater horrors and is a place Jackie may visit again (depending on your actions). Son of the Village Elder (who has ties to the Old Keeper); Jackie provides a bit of exposition on what happened prior to your arrival.
As you're told by Chief not to let anyone into the lighthouse as it's Blackfort property, the choice to let Jackie in or not is your first real moral dilemma. What's worse is that if you already played the demo like we did, you already know how one of his routes ends. It's tradition for Jackie to look out into the sea before setting sail, so you'd think leaving him outside would set his demise. The truth is, whether you let him in or send him away, Jackie's crew will die and he will get badly hurt. The cosmic entity punishes his curiosity regardless.
If it's your first time playing, though, you will learn far more about Static Dread by letting Jackie in and speaking to him at the top of the lighthouse.
Where to send Jackie in Static Dread: Mystic Point or Outsmouth?
Jackie returns at the end of night three, and this choice is a big 'un. Ambushed by the Village Elder, who broke into the lighthouse upon hearing Jackie's voice on the radio, you must decide whether to listen to his pleas or follow Misty's request. Do you send Jackie to Mystic Point, where he'll be reunited with Misty, or Outsmouth to be with his father? Now, Jackie doesn't seem to remember much, and he's confused when you ask if he'd like to be with the Village Elder or Misty. It's only upon making your selection that you get what he truly wants: to see Misty one more time.
There's no right or wrong answer here, for neither has a good ending. One choice will save his life, but at a cost of his humanity. Because of this, we recommend choosing Mystic Point for Jackie and Misty's sake.
What happens to Jackie?
Sending Jackie to Mystic Point means he dies at the research station. Misty couldn't save him, for his injuries were too severe. He did, however, get to have his final moments with the woman he loves. Now, if you chose this first, you likely want to head back in to try and save him, but there's a catch.
If Jackie goes to Outsmouth to be with his father, he will die and be resurrected. This sounds much better on paper until Jackie shows up at the lighthouse door, his body transformed by some kind of ritual. Although Jackie was alive once more, he'll never be the same again. Missing Misty and having his body and mind fighting against one another, he's forced by his father to give in to The Great Old One. His flesh slowly transforming into scales and gills, Jackie becomes part-man-part-fish. He didn't want this, but the cosmic force overwhelmed him, manipulating Jackie into a blind sense of worship.
This means that you either send Jackie to die in Misty's arms or prevent his death, only to turn him into a fishman. Which fate would you rather see?
The post Can you save Jackie in Static Dread: The Lighthouse? appeared first on Destructoid. |
Destructoid Monday, August 11, 2025 2:11 PM
Balloons might be a child's plaything in real life, but in PEAK, they can greatly raise your chance of survival.
Any tool that can reduce your fall damage is incredibly useful as you scale the heights. That's where the balloon comes in, and is of incredible help. Let's quickly take a look at where you can find them and how to use them efficiently.
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How to find balloons in PEAK
Balloons are relatively easy to find, but they won't be out in the open. Instead, you'll need to rummage through luggage boxes all around the island. If you're lucky enough, you can find it at the spot where you crash on the island. That happened to be my case, but it seems to be random.
Don't worry if you don't find balloons around the crash site. For starters, you're not going to need any immediately. It will be most helpful once you start your ascent and scale up the rough terrain. Multiple balloons can also appear together, or you can add single pieces to make a bunch of your own as well.
So how do you use these items to survive? Let's find out.
How to use balloons in PEAK?
So, balloons can be used to survive fall damage in PEAK. When you add a bunch of balloons to your inventory, select them. Once activated, they'll appear over your head.
The balloons help you reduce your fall damage if you accidentally slip. They won't completely absorb all damage if the vertical distance is too high. In short, don't jump from the top of the mountain and think that the balloons will save you: they're not parachutes. However, these items, when equipped, will spare accidental death. Even if you take damage from your fall, it will be significantly reduced.
Using the balloons also helps you to complete the Take Flight achievement as well, if you're looking to get that badge. You'll just have to gather enough of them to make it work.
The post How to find and use balloons in PEAK appeared first on Destructoid. |
Destructoid Monday, August 11, 2025 1:51 PM
PEAK's first major content update introduced a Mesa biome. Each week, there's a chance you'll encounter this level partway through the game, allowing you to survive in the middle of a massive desert filled with dust devils, caves, and more. Here are some strategies for beating the Mesa in PEAK.
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How to find the Mesa level in PEAK
The Mesa biome is the third level that appears in PEAK. For one week starting on August 11, 2025, you're guaranteed to find this biome after beating the Tropics. From there on out, the third level on future maps will randomly rotate between Alpine and Mesa.
Before this update, the third level for every map was Alpine, a snow-filled biome with constant snowstorms, frozen rocks to send a chill down your spine, and an adorable capybara hot spring. While it'll be gone for a week during the Mesa biome's initial launch, it'll return a week later, so you don't have to worry about missing out on it forever.
Strategies to beat the Mesa biome in PEAK
PEAK's Mesa biome is a large desert that's split into three distinct sections. Initially, you'll have a relatively flat terrain with rock formations to climb up for potential luggage bags. As you approach the mountain, you'll find a cavern to cross before climbing the desert's mountain and beating the level.
Your first major threat is heat. While Alpine has snowstorms, Mesa has heat that'll burn you alive if you stand in the sun. You'll need to hide under some shade to avoid taking damage from it. Just watch out for dust devils, as they can catch you in their swirling winds and launch you into unexpected spots. Sunscreen, parasols, and aloe vera are the key to surviving against this constant threat.
Along the way, you'll find cactuses that spawn prickleberries. Although you can eat these to restore some hunger, you'll gain a cactus-specific status ailment that reduces your total stamina. Similarly, running into a cactus will cause you to get stuck and develop this status. You can recover your stamina by pulling thorns off your body.
You'll also find several enemies in the Mesa. From scorpions that pull you around the map to Antlions that hide in suspicious-looking sandpits, you'll have multiple obstacles to tackle while climbing this mountain. Overall, your safest bet from the get-go is to watch your step and not interact with anything overly dangerous or suspicious during your climb.
As you climb its mountain, you'll find plenty of luggage bags containing useful goodies, like you would on other maps. You'll also spot pickaxes that act as temporary pitons. As you hold them, watch the mountain's wall, as there's a chance the pickaxe will break away from its surface and cause you to fall unexpectedly.
Speaking of unexpected encounters, you'll also find dynamite throughout the Mesa. Although this can make for some funny interactions, its proximity activation can cause you to walk into its explosion without realizing it's about to blow. If you hear a distinct sizzle nearby, run away quickly.
As long as you avoid stepping into the sun too much, watch your surroundings for dynamite, and don't open any suspicious luggage bags, your strategy for climbing through Mesa won't differ too much from other levels. Its cave system adds some extra challenges while equally serving as an opportunity to grab more supplies for later levels. Otherwise, it's all about climbing up, keeping your stamina high (with items), and using ledges to your advantage.
The post How to find and beat the Mesa in PEAK appeared first on Destructoid. |
Destructoid Monday, August 11, 2025 1:17 PM
The Mesa update is live in PEAK, having dropped early, and has brought with it tons of new content to explore.
The highlight of the new patch is the Mesa biome, which has replaced Alpine. The Mesa will be available for every game this week and will rotate periodically. There are new items, modes, and more for players to explore. On top of that, plenty of bug fixes have also been implemented.
Full PEAK Mesa update patch notes
Let's first take a look at all the new items that have been added to the game.
There are more items that are not mentioned on this list. Once we discover them, they will be added to this list. According to the developers, there's supposed to be a surprise for us at the Kiln.
There's a new option for players to use the Bug Phobia modes. The mode will alter the appearance of arachnids and a few other creepy crawlies that might be found in the Mesa biome. Additionally, the Settings menu can now be navigated via the controller.
The fog will now rise slightly slower in the Tropics, while the Heat status will decay quickly. That said, the decaying process will take longer to begin.
Here's a list of bug fixes that are part of the new update.
As always, the developers have promised more updates in the near future, but the Mesa update should keep us busy with new content for a while more.
The post PEAK Mesa update patch notes – new items, biome, and more appeared first on Destructoid. |
Destructoid Monday, August 11, 2025 12:49 PM
PEAK's Mesa update introduced a new biome, over ten additional items to collect, and other secrets to make the game's world a little more interesting. Among these items is the Scout Cannon, which has the potential to be as powerful as items like the chain launcher and piton.
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Where to find the Scout Cannon in PEAK
You can find Scout Cannons within luggage bags around PEAK's levels. Since it isn't a regular item, you can find it in any luggage bag tier. Since white and bright orange bags have higher odds of spawning multiple items, they're worth prioritizing over their more common counterpart.
Scout Cannons appear as a red and white cannon, similar to those you'd see at a circus or during an acrobat's performance. They're almost cartoonishly colorful, making them easy to distinguish compared to other items in PEAK.
How to use the Scout Cannon in PEAK
Scout Cannons allow you to launch yourself and other players across lengthy distances. Upon grabbing it, you can adjust its launch angle before placing it down. From here, you'll light a fuse to activate it, giving you only a few seconds to hop inside the cannon and launch yourself along its trajectory. It's also multi-use, so your entire friend group can use it if they wish.
There are some potential risks with using the Scout Cannon. Since there are no guidelines to show you where you'll launch yourself, you're mostly guessing where you'll go. You also can't adjust its trajectory once you place the cannon down, so if you mess up its angle and accidentally launch yourself into a poisonous plant, lava, or against a massive wall with no ledges, you won't be able to correct its positioning unless you find a second cannon.
Unsurprisingly, you also can't use the Scout Cannon to launch yourself across massive maps or hundreds of feet into the air. It's powerful, but it isn't overpowered.
Fortunately, it's great in conjunction with rope cannons, chain launchers, and pitons. As you learn its power, angles, and limitations, you can position it to launch yourself and your group right to useful places on the map. Similarly, you can use it to reach spots such as vines on Tropics or chains on Caldera if you're not confident you'll make it through jumping or climbing.
The post How to find and use the Scout Cannon in PEAK appeared first on Destructoid. |
WGB Monday, August 11, 2025 6:39 PM Mortal Kombat 1 has sold 6.2 million copies, improving from previous figures, but still lags behind Mortal Kombat 11's 12 million. Ed Boon seeks player feedback on DLC distribution. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Monday, August 11, 2025 4:42 PM A trailer was also released. The post PEAK First Update Officially Announced appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Monday, August 11, 2025 4:16 PM Showcases several features. The post Senua's Saga: Hellblade II Gets New PS5 Pro Trailer appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Monday, August 11, 2025 3:31 PM Showcases the game's praises. The post Mafia: The Old Country Gets New Accolades Trailer appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Monday, August 11, 2025 3:11 PM In a recent post. The post Battlefield 6 Studio Says it Prevented 330,000 Cheating Attempts appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
iDev Games Feed Monday, August 11, 2025 2:32 PM A clicker game with a mission : Feed the monkeys before security catches you — click, upgrade, and race the clock!"... |
MonsterVine Monday, August 11, 2025 12:00 PM Did you ever have a satellite dish when you were a kid? Did you ever hop around the channels looking for wild feeds of live channels or weird stuff from other countries? Or did you ever have a really good cable package where they threw in all those weird channels where you never really knew […] |
Level Up Monday, August 11, 2025 1:42 PM  After <a href="https://gameinformer.com/review/battlefield-2042/battlefield-2042-review-the-battle-of-the-bugs">the bug-riddled launch of Battlefield 2042</a> back in 2021, EA has been working… |