GamersHeroes Saturday, September 20, 2025 7:36 PM Players will be able to forge their destiny and craft legends with the Steam Early Access release of Compact Core Games and GameDev.ist's Medieval Crafter: Blacksmith on September 22. The post Medieval Crafter: Blacksmith Coming to Steam Early Access September 22 appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
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Siliconera Saturday, September 20, 2025 3:00 PM
Media involving a possible romance with a reaper or shinigami aren't uncommon. A Date with Death is a recent English otome game involving the concept. Square Enix's new Bride of the Death God manga involves a similar situation, with a dying young woman meeting the reaper who is about to kill her, and him in turn saving her and becoming her personal shinigami bodyguard. What makes this story so interesting, however, is that neither of them seem to be exactly "pure" people. Each of them seem as though they might be flawed in some way, or at least ended up touched by darkness at some point, and it made me want to read more so I could find out everything going on with each of these suspicious individuals.
Editor's Note: There will be some spoilers for the first few chapters of the Bride of the Death God manga below.
The Bride of the Death God manga begins with us seeing a shinigami who relishes stealing the souls of individuals on the verge of death. He explains how he loves watching them cry in fear. It is very sadistic really, and he absolutely doesn't feel like a hero, even though he might actually be "saving" folks' souls from angels. His latest target is a young woman named Aibi. She's suffering from Bouquet Syndrome, a disease that causes flowers to bloom on individuals and eventually kill them. When he first meets her, she has seven days left to live, and she doesn't cry when he tells her. There's no fear. She actually seems happy to wait for him and see him again.
It's then that we see that Aibi is experiencing a fate that might even be worse than a disease that keeps her locked indoors, hidden away in a room, with flowers gradually overtaking her body. Her mother is terribly verbally abusive, blaming her daughter for her husband leaving the family, and wishing her dead and gone. It's then that we learn Aibi herself is going through the motions, in a way. She's determined to "be a good girl" and be an ideal that people want, to try and be loved and cherished.
The shinigami, who eventually ends up dubbed Shii-kun by her, is somehow touched by the situation. When angels come to begin what seems to be a mechanical interment process, he steps in and prevents it. He doesn't reap her. He saves her life, all because he hasn't made her cry. Even though this amnesiac only showed negative behaviors prior to that and even compared himself to a thief, he stepped in to protect her. So already, there's a conflict with one character and his nature. Especially since flashbacks seem to suggest a bloody situation for him in the past.
At the same time, Aibi and her nature is somewhat dubious. As the first volume goes on, we learn that Bouquet Syndrome, though classified as a disease, is actually a curse. She has abilities of her own tied to it. There are also some hints in the way she speaks to Shii-kun. There's almost an edge of manipulation to them. After she thanks Shii-kun for saving her the first time, she says, "I could tell at first glance that you're a good boy. Naive and sweet." Her behaviors could be a defense mechanism, especially as an abused individual, to try and curry favor and get people to sympathize with her. But the fact we also see her possibly use an ability tied to that curse is suspicious.
The first volume of the Bride of the Death God manga really sets up these two characters who have sides to them that we aren't seeing yet. Shii-kun seems dangerous, callous, and sadistic, but his behaviors toward Aibi and glimpses at his past suggest a kinder and more dependable side. Aibi first appears as a dying, sick teenager suffering from what seems to be a supernatural disease, but some of the ways she phrases things and her actions make it seem like maybe she could be a bit darker than things immediately suggest. This first volume is so formative and puts down a foundation that left me wondering if we'll be seeing major characters who are all shades of gray.
Volume 1 of the Bride of the Death God manga is available now, and Square Enix will release volume 2 on January 13, 2026.
The post Bride of the Death God Manga Follows Flawed Characters appeared first on Siliconera. |
Destructoid Saturday, September 20, 2025 6:34 PM
Have you ever wanted to work for BitLife's development or marketing team? While landing a role at Candywriter may be tough in the real world, joining them in BitLife is much easier if you know the exact steps to take to secure a position there.
How to work for Candywriter in BitLife
Here's a complete step-by-step guide to working at Candywriter in BitLife:
The first key step in working for Candywriter is having a character that lives in Miami, Florida. When creating a new character, select the United States as your country and Miami as your place. To make things easier, recreate your character until they start with high smarts stats.
Once your character graduates from secondary school, enrol into university and pursue a computer science program. If it doesn't appear right away, age up or close and reopen BitLife before rechecking the list. You can also use the Golden Diploma to obtain the degree immediately if you've purchased it from the in-game marketplace.
With a computer science degree on hand, you'll now start finding jobs related to your field. Typically, you'll find careers in database management, IT support, and app development. Our goal is to encounter either an App Tester or Jr. App Developer position in BitLife's full-time job list. If you can't find either of these, try closing and reopening the app, or age up and check again. They'll appear with a phone emoji and "App Developer" tag next to their name.
Before applying for the role, tap on the option and double-check that the menu lists "BitLife" as an employer. If it's any other company, you'll need to find another option. Otherwise, apply for the role and pass the interview to land a job at Candywriter. You'll earn the Candywriter achievement and the Teammate secret ribbon once your character passes on. You'll also progress through challenges like BitLife Baby if it's currently active or if you've purchased the Challenge Vault.
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Destructoid Saturday, September 20, 2025 3:45 PM
We're getting spoiled with BitLife's latest events. First came the Birthday Scavenger Hunt, and now, we have the BitLife Baby challenge. Its difficulty is similar to the recent Babes in BitLand event, except with a few extra twists thrown into the mix.
The BitLife Baby challenge has five objectives to complete:
Table of contents
BitLife Baby challenge guide
You won't need any paid packs or expansions for the BitLife Baby challenge. However, there are specific requirements for two of its tasks, so you'll need to complete each step in the order they appear. Having the Golden Pacifier also makes this challenge easier, but you're not required to use it if you want to stick to free-to-play strategies.
Be born in Florida
Our first objective during the BitLife Baby challenge is to be born in Florida. To do this, create a character whose starting country is the United States and whose birth city is Miami. Although you can choose any gender you wish, creating a male character will make the challenge's fourth task easier.
Normally, you can pick any Florida city you wish to knock out this task. However, choosing Miami is required this time since we need to join Candywriter in a later task.
Having high smarts stats is also required for this challenge. Although you can raise them by reading books, starting with high stats from the get-go will help. High looks stats will also make the rest of the challenge slightly easier, so I recommend refreshing your lives until you find someone that fits the bill.
Become a famous App Developer
Your next task is to become a famous app developer. To become an app developer, first graduate from secondary school and then apply for a computer science degree at a university. Upon completing your four-year program, you'll begin to spot app developer, IT support, and other related careers in your full-time job list.
There's an opportunity to knock out two birds with one stone here. Search through your job list until you find an App Tester or Jr. App Developer role in your full-time career list. If it doesn't appear right away, close and reopen BitLife or age up and recheck the list. Look for "BitLife" as an employer and apply for the job. As long as you have a computer science degree and high smarts, you shouldn't have much trouble passing the interview.
Once you become an app developer, work hard every year until you become famous. You can increase your weekly hours through the job menu to make the process faster.
Work for Candywriter
If you followed the steps above and applied for a job whose employer is "BitLife," you'll complete this task without any trouble. However, if you can't find the right position or you're denied for an interview, you can use the steps below to raise your odds of landing the job:
Alternatively, you can purchase the Golden Resume to get the job without any trouble. Although it isn't required, it guarantees that you'll land the job and never get fired, regardless of how hard you work.
Have 20 children
Now that you are a famous app developer who works for Candywriter, it's time to have some children. To do this, you can either find a romantic partner and have all 20 children with them, or hook up with random people. Either way, you can accomplish this by heading into Activities, Love, and picking either Date or Hook Up. Repeat the steps and avoid protection with each encounter until you have 20 children throughout your character's life.
Hook up with a Candywriter employee
The final task of the BitLife Baby challenge is to hook up with a Candywriter employee. To do this, navigate to Occupation, your job, and co-workers, then select any that appear in the list. Your goal is to find someone who's single and matches your character's sexuality. You can double-check this by selecting Ask Out and reading through their profile before making the advance.
Once you find someone who matches your character's preferences, head back into their profile and select Hook Up. There's a chance they'll deny the request and even report you to HR, so don't be afraid to close the app and try again if your attempt fails.
Succeeding with the advance will wrap up the BitLife Baby challenge, letting you claim a mysterious cosmetic prize. If you're just a few events away from unlocking Superstar Mode, be sure to check out how to complete BitLife's Like a Virgin challenge so you can get one step closer to opening your vault.
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Destructoid Saturday, September 20, 2025 3:30 PM
The Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution set is almost here, ushering in the start of a brand new era and the end of the Scarlet & Violet period for the game.
Focusing on its namesake, this new set ties in with the title Pokémon Legends Z-A, and brings some powerful new Mega Pokémon into the competitive fold. We have some fantastic new cards that deal whopping amounts of power, with Mega Lucario ex and Mega Gardevoir leading the pack. A new rarity for the latter two cards means they are setting the online auction sites on fire.
We also got new cards for the very popular Trainer Lillie, who is sure to be top of a lot of people's lists. Then there's gorgeous new art for popular Pokémon like Venusaur, Latias, and Kangaskhan.
Top 10 Mega Evolution cards worth money
Get your wallets ready, as Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution drops on Sept. 26 for Western collectors. There's already been a well hyped pre-release, and we can already see some of the gorgeous cards in all their glory.
To gather price information for this article, we examined several online retailers, including TCGPlayer, eBay, Price Charting, and others, to get a balanced look at all of the pre-release data. Prices are subject to change as demand shifts, and we will update this article should any major price shifts occur.
1. Mega Gardevoir ex MUR
2. Mega Lucario ex MUR
3. Lillie's Determination SAR
4. Mega Gardevoir ex SAR
5. Acerola's Mischief SAR
6. Lillie's Determination SR
7. Mega Lucario ex SAR
8. Mega Venusaur ex SAR
9. Mega Latias ex SIR
10. Mega Kangaskhan ex SIR
The post Top 10 most expensive cards in Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution appeared first on Destructoid. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Saturday, September 20, 2025 3:14 PM
FC 26 is well into its early access for PC and consoles, but problems continue to revolve around the server situation.
As of this writing, there have been numerous occasions when players have been unable to access the official servers. If you're playing the offline modes, there's no reliance on servers. But you'll need accessibility when trying to start online modes like Ultimate Team.
Knowing if the servers are working is pretty crucial, and this guide will help you stay on top.
Table of contents
Is FC 26 down
As of writing this guide on Sept. 20, FC 26 is operational in all major areas except North America. If you're located in the United States, Canada, or neighboring countries, your chances of encountering server outages are high. EA Sports has officially acknowledged the situation on the game's official X account, and a fix is being prepared.
That said, players in other regions have also mentioned encountering server issues. Sometimes, these problems tend to resolve on their own. You can just retry to establish your connection to the server. If not, it's essential to check the server status.
How to check FC 26 server status
The easiest way to check the server status is to follow the official X account. Typically, EA Sports will always post updates like the one shared above in case the servers aren't operational. If there's any routine maintenance, the servers will also be taken down.
Alternatively, you can use third-party websites like Downdetector. You can search for the game directly and check if the servers are working. A high number of red dots will usually mean that the servers aren't functioning at full capacity. This is a helpful way to check server status when there is no routine maintenance.
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Destructoid Saturday, September 20, 2025 2:47 PM
Defending in FC 26 has become incredibly difficult, and many players are currently struggling to block the opposition in their attacks.
The gameplay of FC 26 has undergone plenty of changes from FC 25 days. Many players, myself included, expected defending to be harder this year as EA Sports promised to nerf the AI. However, the reality of the ground is far grimmer if you rely on AI to bail you out.
That said, you can improve your defense gradually and move up the divisions.
How to improve defending in FC 26
While I'm not a pro, I attained Elite Division last year in Rivals and secured 10 wins on average in Champions finals. When I started playing FC 25, I couldn't even qualify for the competition. Most of the improvements I made since then were in defense, which was always my weaker area.
Life in Division 7, which comprises higher-skilled players, hasn't been easy this year. My overall record in Rivals as of writing stands at 18-7, but consistently starting a winning streak has been hard (as expected). So, how do you improve defending? The secret sauce is fundamentals.
There are four key aspects of defending well in the game.
Here's what I have been doing to improve my defense and fundamentals to win more games in Rivals (and the Early Access cup).
When you're defending, you'll want to combine these six steps. But let's come to the key point: Do we tackle, and if so, how?
At this point in the game, accurately making tackles is risky. You could get away with a few, but a mistimed tackle can create a massive opening in your defense. To reduce this, you'll want to let the attacker come towards your players. The aim isn't to win the ball back as soon as you lose it. It's to win it before the ball goes into your net. The best moment to do so will be after your opponent is committed to a certain attacking movement. That way, they can't suddenly change the track.
As long as you're jockeying well, covering the lanes shouldn't be a problem. Let go of the jockey button when you're aiming to get back into shape.
Ultimately, try to pick defenders with good playstyles like Bruiser, Anticipate, Intercept, and Jockey. Such defenders will make it easier for you to keep your defensive shape and have higher chances of success when tackling the ball.
If you're struggling in defense, you're not alone. Keep following the basics (I am doing the same) to master the concepts, and get gradually better as we spend more months in FC 26.
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Destructoid Saturday, September 20, 2025 2:16 PM
Every day, dozens of indie games pop up on Steam. But it's only a few times a year that we get something truly generational, and Megabonk is precisely one such game, upping the ante of the Vampire Survivors-like formula by going up close and personal.
Megabonk is a new indie game released on Steam on Sept. 18. In only two days' time, it has soared on Steam's charts, attracting tens of thousands of players to its incredibly addictive and fun gameplay, which is largely based on Vampire Survivors, and I don't mean that lightly. Not only does Megabonk follow the same gameplay loop, with you finding random items and weapons that automatically fire at enemies, it's also inspired by much of its art style, the pixelated UI and all.
Chests in Megabonk also function largely the same as they do in Vampire Survivors, with flashy, colorful, borderline drug-trippy visuals and dopamine hits that no amount of Instagram Reels could give. However, Megabonk kicks everything to 11, making every bit of looting in this game feel like the wildest acid trip, all the while taking a lot of inspiration from Risk of Rain and its 3D roguelike design.
You take control of a character in a 3D environment, which adds a ton of verticality to the game, and have to survive countless waves of enemies while buffing your build, combining items with others to create synergizing builds. At the same time, you can encounter chests to be opened with gold (like in Risk of Rain), as well as shrines and other buffs you can acquire via currency, also inspired by RoR.
Therefore, I'd call Megabonk the perfect blend of Vampire Survivors and Risk of Rain, and I never thought it'd be so much fun.
There are also countless memes everywhere. You can blast music from radios, make every enemy explode into gold, throw bananas at them, be called an idiot by a guy who sold you a shady item that may or may not be worth the gold you spent on it, and so on. It's hilarious, it's brutal, and it's some of the most fun I've had in a roguelike for a while.
The physics in the game, built on Unity, also play into giving it a lot more kick and feedback, making the game much more visceral than its counterparts and inspirations. When enemies burst into piles of gold, it just feels so good it's not even funny, and the visuals that accompany that add another layer of sober drug tripping Megabonk produces.
So, if you haven't already, and want to scratch that Vampire Survivors itch, hop into Megabonk and never look back. Or at your family. Or friends. It's quite enticing.
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The post Megabonk is the love child of Vampire Survivors and Risk of Rain where looting feels like an acid trip appeared first on Destructoid. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Saturday, September 20, 2025 4:34 PM A trailer was also released. The post Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO DAIMA Character Pack 2 DLC Details Released appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Saturday, September 20, 2025 4:00 PM A trailer was also released. The post Capcom TGS 2025 Online Special Program Details Announced appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Saturday, September 20, 2025 3:01 PM For the second time. The post Microsoft Announces Xbox Series Price Increase In The U.S Again appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
MonsterVine Saturday, September 20, 2025 3:00 PM Acquire, the Chiyoda-based studio led by CEO Takuma Endo, is teaming up with Red Dunes Games to bring players two ambitious upcoming titles. With Acquire leading development and Red Dunes Games handling publishing, both projects are set to make their public debut with early demos at Tokyo Game Show 2025. Visitors will be able to […] |