GamersHeroes Wednesday, December 17, 2025 1:35 PM Keep the change, ya filthy animals - Devolver Digital and Artificer's maze-building roguelite MINOS is keeping the holiday spirit alive with the free Home A-Labyrinth spinoff on Steam. The post Free Maze-Building Roguelite MINOS "Home A-Labyrinth" Released appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
GamersHeroes Wednesday, December 17, 2025 11:35 AM A grimdark deckbuilding auto-shooter - and next installment in the beloved Hand of Fate series! - the world of Spitfire Interactive and Spicy Koala of Yodo1's Hordes of Fate : A Hand of Fate Adventure will release in Q2 2026. The post Hordes of Fate : A Hand of Fate Adventure Launching in Q2 2026 appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
GamersHeroes Wednesday, December 17, 2025 10:54 AM Level Infinite has entered into a publishing agreement with SHIFT UP regarding the company's upcoming cross-platform title Project Spirits. The post Level Infinite Signs SHIFT UP Publishing Deal for "Project Spirits" Globally appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
GamersHeroes Wednesday, December 17, 2025 10:51 AM Transforming the signature Vampire Survivors formula into a turbo turn‑based, card‑driven "blobber" with roguelite elements, get your first glimpse at Poncle and Nosebleed Interactive's Vampire Crawlers with its new gameplay preview trailer. The post Vampire Crawlers Gameplay Preview Trailer Released appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
Kotaku Wednesday, December 17, 2025 1:54 PM
The long-legged starfish is just as unnerving in the show as it is in Legends: Z-A The post Mega Starmie Makes Its <em>Pokémon</em> Anime Debut, And Why Is It Oiled Up Like That? appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Wednesday, December 17, 2025 12:58 PM
The 'Thank You Update' has some devastating boss fights that are putting players through the wringer The post <em>Clair Obscur's</em> Free DLC Is Curb Stomping Even Its Best Players appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Wednesday, December 17, 2025 12:10 PM
Sony bundles flagship 1000XM5 headphones with free earbuds for less than $250. The post Sony Offloads WH-1000XM5 at Record Low, Adds Free ANC Earbuds as Bonus for Christmas appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Wednesday, December 17, 2025 12:00 PM
From Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 to Avowed, here are some of our favorite RPGs this year The post The Best RPGs of 2025 appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Wednesday, December 17, 2025 11:47 AM
Pokemon Legends: Z-A's Mega Dimension DLC is always on that grind, even at the very end of the Pokédex The post I've Never Felt This Defeated Trying To Complete A Pokédex Before appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Wednesday, December 17, 2025 11:25 AM
With a demo out now, we've spoken to the team at Butterscotch Shenanigans about their new roguelite game The post These Game Devs Want To Know How Many Dudes It Would Take To Fight 100 Toddlers appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Wednesday, December 17, 2025 11:05 AM
Dual speakers deliver DTS Virtual:X surround. The post Amazon Sells Its TV Soundbar 3 Times Cheaper Than Direct Rivals, Now at Record Low Before Christmas appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Wednesday, December 17, 2025 11:04 AM
Even with the Switch 2, November was a terrible month for new hardware The post Video Game Console Sales Just Flatlined Ahead Of The Holidays As Prices Soar appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Wednesday, December 17, 2025 10:35 AM
Give your workstation an upgrade without spending a ton. The post Apple Goes All-In on the M4 Mac Mini, Sacrificing Margins to Compete With Windows Mini PC Holiday Deals appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Wednesday, December 17, 2025 10:05 AM
Save 60% on the Dell 15 DC15250 touchscreen laptop over at Amazon, bundled with a number of useful accessories. The post Dell Pushes a 60% Clearance on Its Laptop (32GB RAM, 1TB SSD) to Empty Shelves Before Christmas appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Wednesday, December 17, 2025 9:50 AM LEGO Rescues Your Christmas Gifts, Harry Potter Hogwarts Castle at Price That Crushes All Other Sets
2660 pieces recreate Hogwarts architecture from towers down to secret chambers. The post LEGO Rescues Your Christmas Gifts, Harry Potter Hogwarts Castle at Price That Crushes All Other Sets appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Wednesday, December 17, 2025 9:47 AM
84 percent of the time spent playing on Steam this year was with games released before 2025 The post It's Horrifying Just How Little Time Steam Users Spend Playing New Games appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Wednesday, December 17, 2025 9:41 AM
Give a lifetime subscription to the premier language learning program for just $149, a huge markdown from the usual $399. The post Forget AI Translation, Learning 25 Languages for Life Is Nearly Free Thanks to Rosetta Stone's Year-End Clearance appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Wednesday, December 17, 2025 9:35 AM
For a limited time, you can get these Amazon eero Pro WiFi 6E routers for as low as just $110 each. The post Amazon Dumps the eero Pro Wi-Fi 6E System (3-Pack) at 40% Off, Breaking the Price Down to Almost Nothing per Router appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Wednesday, December 17, 2025 9:26 AM
Peak and Clair Obscur weren't the only big breakouts The post 'Friendslop' And RPGs Dominated The Top-Selling Games On Steam In 2025 appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Wednesday, December 17, 2025 9:20 AM
Dolby Atmos tracking adjusts spatial audio as your head moves. The post Sonos Offloads Ace ANC Headphones With Spatial Audio, Apple and Bose Suddenly Look Overpriced appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Wednesday, December 17, 2025 9:05 AM
Save over $100 on the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally portable gaming handheld for a limited time. The post ASUS ROG Xbox Ally Hits a Record Low With Free Xbox Game Pass Premium Included, While the Nintendo Switch Stays Full Price appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Wednesday, December 17, 2025 8:35 AM
The JBL Flip 6 portable Bluetooth speaker sees a $40 price drop for the holiday season. The post JBL Flip 6 Breaks Its Own Price Record After Another Price Crash, Leaving No Margin on This Speaker appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Wednesday, December 17, 2025 8:05 AM
For a limited time, you can save 19% on the OC Edition of the Asus GeForce RTX 5070. The post ASUS Extends GPU Clearance as RTX 5070 at All-Time Low Price Sell Out Faster Than Expected appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Wednesday, December 17, 2025 8:00 AM
A podcast, a Star Wars TV show, a cool YouTube channel, a popular anime, and more were some of our favorite non-video game things of the year The post All The Other Stuff We Loved In 2025 appeared first on Kotaku. |
PCGamesN Wednesday, December 17, 2025 12:39 PM Gritty MMO shooter Pioner has just arrived in Steam Early Access, but work needs to be done to improve an underwhelming user score. |
PCGamesN Wednesday, December 17, 2025 12:01 PM Divinity and BG3 dev Larian wants to "make better games that don't feature AI content in them" but backs developers' use of the tech. |
PCGamesN Wednesday, December 17, 2025 10:52 AM Fresh reports suggest Nvidia will severely reduce its graphics card supply for some regions, including the GeForce RTX 5070 Ti and 5060 Ti. |
PCGamesN Wednesday, December 17, 2025 9:55 AM Unrecord's developer says it can realize its goal of making "one of the most immersive games ever" now it's received backing from Tencent. |
PCGamesN Wednesday, December 17, 2025 7:07 AM Now in the Midnight beta, you'll finally be able to see the edge of your World of Warcraft housing plot thanks to a much-needed UI feature. |
PCGamesN Wednesday, December 17, 2025 7:03 AM People Can Fly and Astronauts founder Adrian Chmielarz created Painkiller, so I asked him what he thinks of the 2025 reboot. |
PCGamesN Wednesday, December 17, 2025 10:01 AM Unlock loads of easy freebies, from rerolls and gems, to limited-time characters with the latest Universal Tower Defense codes on Roblox. |
PCGamesN Wednesday, December 17, 2025 10:04 AM Plug in new Anime Celestial X codes to score free gems, gamepasses, and potions in this new Roblox anime bandit beater. |
PCGamesN Wednesday, December 17, 2025 10:02 AM Grab all the gear, weapon, and normal spins you need, plus some easy cash and runes with these Roblox Anime Final Quest codes. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Wednesday, December 17, 2025 12:43 PM  We factory sim perverts have all known the joy of combing a mile of conveyor belt tagliatelle for that one empty hopper or unplugged furnace that's stalled the entire production line. Now, imagine that the stalled production line is producing plasma swords for your army of murder droids. You need your army of murder droids to fight another army of murder droids, but unfortunately, all of your murder droids are now swordless, and therefore murder droids no longer. They advance placidly into the firestorm, falling like mown dandelions, while you run your cursor desperately over the hexagonal smokestacks. There it is! A misfiring 3D printer, right in the centre. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Wednesday, December 17, 2025 11:52 AM  The ongoing RAM shortage (and subsequent and pricing explosion) is imposing a wider range of grim effects than even the Great GPU Famine of 2020. First came the death of one of gaming hardware's most reliable memory and SSD makers, and now... uh... Larian's new Divinity game is going to be more optimised for PC than it otherwise would have been? That's what Larian CEO Swen Vincke (clearly on a media tour – here's him discussing Divinity with our Edwin) told TheGamer, anyway. Vincke notes that because the lack of affordable RAM options is making it harder to predict the horsepower of future PCs, "we already need to do a lot of optimization work in early access that we didn't necessarily want to do at that point in time." That doesn't sound especially horrible to me – higher performance on lower-end rigs ultimately means more players can join in – though nowhere in the full interview does Vincke acknowledge that the shortage is being directly caused and sustained by demand from data centres that power generative AI, a technology that Larian are using in Divinity's production, and that Vincke himself is defending the use of. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Wednesday, December 17, 2025 11:35 AM Yep, Fallout 5's world will be impacted by the happenings of the Fallout TV Show, sayeth Todd Howard -(1).jpg?width=690&quality=85&format=jpg&auto=webp) As the second series of Amazon's Fallout TV show emerges from a hole in the ground with a cog-shaped door, Todd Howard has uttered the word Fallout and stuck a five after it. He's given a verbal thumbs up - or a reminder depending on how you look at it - to the idea of the events which play out in the TV show having an impact on the next mainline entry on the series, at least in terms of being a consideration in worldbuilding. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Wednesday, December 17, 2025 10:14 AM  Steam Replay, Valve's yearly roundup of where all of the hours spent playing games in the Steamy place have gone, has emerged from its hidey-hole yet again. 2025's edition is out now - you've likely already seen it if you've hopped into Steam since yesterday afternoon. Amid all the bits telling you that you've spent 1000 hours playing Umamusume: Pretty Derby thus far, the annual report's dished out some fresh stats about how old the games everyone across the platform's user base has been playing this year are. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Wednesday, December 17, 2025 9:26 AM  There won't be any prizes for correctly guessing that Hollow Knight: Silksong's first expansion, Sea of Sorrow, will involve a) a sea and b) some kind of adverse emotion. But there is mounting evidence that the watery DLC will restore, or at be inspired by, places and bugs that developers Team Cherry had previously left on Silksong's cutting room floor – yet had been shown in in marketing for the main game as far back as 2019. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Wednesday, December 17, 2025 7:56 AM  Adhoc Studios still aren't sure whether they'll make a second season of Dispatch, their startlingly popular Telltale-style superhero comedy adventure, but they're thinking about it very "seriously". In brief, they're not confident they can bottle the lightning twice, especially if they want to release another season before 2032. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Wednesday, December 17, 2025 7:12 AM  Creative Assembly have taken us a little deeper into the biomechanical contours of Total War: Warhammer 40,000's faction design, with a new development roundtable video featuring principal creative director Ian Roxburgh, lead designer Simon Mann and product owner for battles David Petry. The short version: the starting faction balance is a question of both asymmetry and calculated familiarity. The Imperial Guard are for Total War traditionalists, with a straightforward emphasis on production and attrition. The Orks are comparably numerous, but they need to keep fighting or they'll turn on each other, and have some unique capabilities based on repourposed tech. The Space Marines are all about precise usage of very small numbers of fanatical killing machines, with less capacity to build up an economy. And the Eldar are stealthy glass cannons operating out of remote Craftworld bases, who spend a lot of time trying to avert galactic calamities rather than just wrecking the other species. |
Twinfinite Wednesday, December 17, 2025 8:18 AM  |
Twinfinite Wednesday, December 17, 2025 7:53 AM  |
Siliconera Wednesday, December 17, 2025 2:00 PM
Build-a-Bear updated its The Bear Cave Sanrio section for adult shoppers with an Aggretsuko plush. This is only available in a $61 bundle. It is also an online-exclusive, so you won't find it in retail stores.
The plush version of the character is designed to look like she does in the Aggretsuko anime series on Netflix. You get the red panda and her two-piece work suit. The top looks like it has a blue vest attached to a white shirt, with the series logo and character name on the upper left side, and the bottom is a plain blue skirt. The Aggretsuko stuffed animal plush features her happy and relaxed expression. There's no option to shift to her heavy metal, angry persona.
Here are the three photos Build-a-Bear shared showing what to expect from the stuffed animal:
This isn't the only Build-a-Bear Sanrio update for December 2025. There are also some Christmas-themed characters. The two options are Hot Chocolate Chococat and Sugar Cookie Cinnamoroll. However, those can be purchased alone or in bundles, unlike Aggretsuko.
The Build-a-Bear Aggretsuko plush is available now via The Bear Cave site, and she won't be available in retail stores. The full Aggretsuko anime series is available to stream via Netflix.
The post New Build-a-Bear Sanrio Plush Is Aggretsuko appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Wednesday, December 17, 2025 1:00 PM
Level-5 is preparing an Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road free major update, and part of it will reference Inazuma Eleven Go Galaxy and LBX: Little Battlers eXperience. The official trailer highlighted some of the additions and noted everything will be available on December 21, 2025.
The Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road free major update trailer gradually highlights all of the new elements. It starts with the Grand Celesta Galaxyelements. First, the stadiums with planet-specific effects come up. Then, we see the alien characters like Kazerma Worg, Powai Picholi, and Banda Korogyu as we watch Tenma and his team tries to help Earth win. Player transformations into animals are highlighted too.
At about the two minute mark, we get to see other elements. First, there is the LBX Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road crossover teaser. Hiro Ozora (Hiro Hughes) and Ban Yamano (Van Yamano) both show up with the LBX during that part. The Re-Story unlock and new BB Stadium Teams are shown after that. Those are followed by 2P Tag Mode, the Commander Ladder, High Speed Commander Mode, and the Fabled character rarity. The Fabled character teased here is Shiro Fubuki, and the video confirms only one Fabled-tier character can be on a team in a match.
Here is the full showcase for the free major update:
Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road is available for the Switch, Switch 2, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC, and the free major update arrives on December 21, 2025. There is also a manga based on it.
The post Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road Free Update Adds Galaxy and LBX appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Wednesday, December 17, 2025 12:00 PM
Bandai Namco announced its newest My Hero Academia Glitter & Glamours figure of Toru Hagakure will actually let you see Stealth Hero: Invisible Girl. She debuts in Japan on December 18, 2025 as a crane game prize. However, the Banpresto Amazon storefront does feature a listing for this figure and does have the Glitter & Glamours figures of Himiko Toga and Nejire Hado, so we should see her worldwide eventually too.
Toru Hagakure is The Invisible Girl in My Hero Academia, which means her Quirk makes it impossible to see her, and past figures offered a nod to that. You'll only see things like her gloves or UA High school uniform instead. We do have an idea of how she looks due to certain circumstances in the anime and manga. This Glitter & Glamours figure is based on that depiction, while also featuring her with her iconic gloves, boots, and school clothes. She's sitting on the ground, with her hands in front of her face. She's just over five inches tall (13cm).
Here's how she looks:
The My Hero Academia Glitter & Glamours figure of Toru "Invisible Girl" Hagakure will launch in Japan on December 18, 2025. We'll see her eventually worldwide via Bandai's Banpresto line, though there's no exact release window yet. My Hero Academia is streaming on Crunchyroll, and Viz Media handles the manga.
The post New My Hero Academia Toru Hagakure Figure Lets You See Invisible Girl appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Wednesday, December 17, 2025 11:00 AM
Capcom shared the release date for Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection alongside a new trailer and free anime episode gradual rollout. We'll see it on March 27, 2026. You can pre-order it now. Doing so nets you two additional, cosmetic main menu characters of Geo Stelar in casual clothing and Omega Xis and four more music arrangements, though the songs weren't revealed.
In the case of the Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection release date trailer, it primarily focuses on new features. The Assist Features come up first to offer side-by-side comparisons of how different they make the game. This lets us see how different Max-Power Buster, the movement Speed Boost, and Max Encounter Rate are. The art gallery and music jukebox come up too, as do the bonus Wave Command Cards. It doesn't offer extended looks at all seven games in it.
As for the free episode of the Mega Man Star Force anime, "Omega-Xis: The Fugitive" is on YouTube now. This is the first episode. This is the English dub of the show. The announcement and first upload confirmed this is just the start, as more new episodes will appear at 1am PT/4am ET/10am CET on every Wednesday for a time going forward and be compiled in a playlist. However, they will only be shared online "for a limited time."
Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection will come to the Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC on March 27, 2026.
The post Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection Release Date Set appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Wednesday, December 17, 2025 10:00 AM
Capcom revealed on its official Japanese Resident Evil (Biohazard) social media account that Kadoya will produce and sell the gloves worn by Leon S Kennedy in Resident Evil: Death Island. Pre-orders for the real merchandise are immediately available on LEVEL4shop via the Yahoo! Japan Shopping site.
The pair of gloves will be available in three sizes: M, L, and LL. All sizes will have the same price tag of ¥16,280 (~$110.38) before additional shipping costs. People residing outside Japan can also place orders by clicking on the Buyee banner at the top of the webpage.
Kadoya will faithfully reproduce Leon's gloves with real leather, and it will also include the "Division of Security Operations" mark and the emblem button. But while the listing page has been up since October 2025, the company will only release the actual gloves in April 2026.
Capcom revealed during The Game Awards 2025 that Leon S Kennedy will also make his return in the upcoming 2026 game Resident Evil Requiem. However, this merchandise will instead be based on his appearance in the 2023 movie Resident Evil: Death Island. Other than physical DVD and Blu-ray discs, the movie is also available physically via Prime Video and Netflix in select countries and regions.
The Resident Evil: Death Island Leon S Kennedy Gloves will be available in April 2026.
The post You Can Buy Leon Gloves From Resident Evil: Death Island appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Wednesday, December 17, 2025 9:00 AM
Dogpile is a Suika Game like puzzle, which isn't uncommon as of late, but it's one of the most intriguing due to its deck-building nature and implementation of roguelike elements. While there is a barebones, straightforward sort approach that just involves matching dogs, the real fun comes from playing around with your deck, dogs' traits, and other elements to keep successfully adding more pups to your yard.
In Dogpile, you start with a yard and no dogs. Which is no good. You need puppers in your life! Fortunately, there are small and big ones, ranging from a score of a teeny lil' dude at a "1" or a big ol' buddy that is a "King." Each hand deals you three cards you must play, which could be dogs, trainer ones that affect the dogs, or a pet store for a shopping visit. (Depending on the tags on your collar and traits, you might draw more than three.) Your goal is to keep hitting bone objectives through merging dogs to get bigger ones, to meet objectives and get to go to the dog wash for perks, while also earning money you can spend at the pet shop for more dog cards, trainer cards, and tags with perks. It's all incredibly clever, coupled with an amusing "script" that features great descriptions for items and a personable flea as a "guide."
At its heart, Dogpile is a matching game like Suika Game, since we have the well in the center of the screen and the different sized animals that merge with identical pairs of themselves to create a bigger one, continuing to merge them until they can get no bigger. But it's the implementation of the deck-building elements and sorts of traits found in roguelikes that makes it feel like we have more decisive and strategic control over things. For example, the dog wash allows us to grant one of three traits to three dogs from our deck. Maybe we go with an upgrade that improves all of them by one level? Perhaps we make them all teenier than they were before. We could also always go with making them friendly, which I love because it then automatically makes them rush over in the yard to pair up with their match.
While there are good traits like the ones I mentioned, such as making them extra good to get more currency or a pack trait that will automatically also use another dog card from your deck and deploy it, there are negative traits too. Timid will make them run away from other dogs. If one is fostered, it becomes a single-use card. A dog could end up temporarily crated, which makes it unable to match for a number of hands. And if a dog has fleas, none of its positive traits will come in. A royal dog is opposite of a miniature one, as it will be bigger than usual. Not to mention missing bone criteria via matching will mean incurring a punishment like temporary crating, fleas, or adding a rock to the yard. It makes you think about your decisions and consider adding more trainer cards like a sponge that could wash negative traits off a dog in the yard, sheers to make one in the yard miniature, or a treat to make a specific one extra good.
The tags are also great. You're limited to a certain number on your collar, and these are exclusively purchased in the pet shop. These can give you things like more bones or more money for certain actions, ensuring a certain option always appears at the dog wash, automatically assign traits to certain classes of dogs, and other bonuses for playing in certain ways if equipped. While we can only hold a certain number on our collar at a time, they can be sold back for funds and to make room for more. It's almost like they're relics like in typical roguelikes or deck-builders, offering a reason and excuse to tailor our deck and playstyle to a certain situation.
Dogpile also deviates from Suika Game to behave more like Balatro with its varied decks. If you "beat" a game by getting the Saint Bernard (King), you can unlock a new deck. These could change the difficulty of a run, depending on the situation. I also noticed that, while no new dogs appeared, I did sometimes see new tags after getting more decks.
Dogpile combines the Suika Game formula with deck-building, and I really like the results. It's quite clever and incredibly cute. I loved playing around with certain builds and trying to capitalize on putting together decks that involved certain mechanics. Did I see myself getting near the endgame? Eliminate all smaller dogs to prioritize minimized versions of larger ones in the deck! Did I want to make things easier for myself and not worry about placements? Try and add friendly and pack traits to as many dogs as possible. I really loved challenging myself and working things out.
Dogpile is available for PCs.
The post Review: Dogpile Is Full of Good Dogs appeared first on Siliconera. |
Destructoid Wednesday, December 17, 2025 1:26 PM
You better watch out, you better not die (in Call of Duty), you better not pout, I'm telling you why: Black Ops 7's Naughty and Nice event is here.
The latest seasonal holiday event for BO7 is bringing the gifts, or maybe the lumps of coal, depending on how bad you've been in CoD this year. But the Naughty & Nice event in BO7 is mostly nice, as it brings along a new free weapon and animated camo for gamers to unlock along the way.
Here's the full list of challenges and rewards you can get by playing Naughty & Nice.
Table of contents
Black Ops 7 Naughty & Nice event
There are 10 total challenges to complete in Naughty and Nice, and the two main rewards are the Sokol 545 LMG and Snowfall animated camo. Five challenges are Naughty (sacks of coal) while five are Nice (holiday gifts), and completing the associated challenge allows you to open up whatever is inside (a mystery, for now).
Naughty challenges are for the naughtiest CoD players who only chase down kills and don't care about wins or objectives, while Nice challenges are for those of you who play for the team and not just the individual accolades. But hey, both are needed and necessary!
All 10 challenges can be completed in either BO7 multiplayer, Zombies, Endgame, or Warzone. Just finishing one of the tasks listed below will unlock the reward for it, including everything from emblems, weapon charms, and a blueprint like the Sweet Tooth Peacekeeper Mk1 blueprint and more.
Several of the challenges have to do with playing limited time modes like Snowfight in multiplayer or Holiday Rush in Warzone, so make sure to be in the holiday spirit before logging on.
Naughty challenges and rewards
Completing all five Naughty challenges unlocks the Sokol 545 LMG.
Nice challenges and rewards
Completing all five Nice challenges unlocks the Snowfall animated weapon camo.
The post All challenges and rewards in Black Ops 7 Naughty and Nice event – New LMG and animated camo appeared first on Destructoid. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Wednesday, December 17, 2025 1:23 PM
The Package Delivery Evolution is now live in FC 26, and you can complete the upgrade to improve two cards of your choice.
The free evolution can be used twice, and you can also chain a single card if you want. The upgrades include some decent stat boosts and a fresh playstyle. Let's look at the best contenders for this evolution based on the requirements and upgrades.
Table of contents
FC 26 Package Delivery Evolution requirements
Here are the requirements for Package Delivery Evolution in FC 26.
FC 26 Package Delivery Evolution upgrades
The Package Delivery has only two levels of upgrades. To obtain the boosts, you'll need to complete specific tasks.
Level 1 upgrades
Level 2 upgrades
Level 1 upgrade requirements
Level 2 upgrade requirements
Best players for Package Delivery Evolution in FC 26
You can include a wide variety of items in this evolution. Cards have been included based on the upgrades on offer.
These are arguably some of the best options you can include in this evolution. Since their overall ratings remain the same, you can include them in most evolutions to upgrade them further. If you're using 83-rated cards, you can also include the single card twice to create the chain.
The post Best players for FC 26 Package Delivery Evolution appeared first on Destructoid. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Wednesday, December 17, 2025 1:13 PM
Call of Duty is continuing with its brand collaborations into 2026, and its first one is another Microsoft-owned IP that's already appeared before.
To celebrate season two of the Fallout series on Prime Video, three characters from the series look to be joining Black Ops 7 and Warzone as new operators some time next month. CoD teased the announcement today, and it can be seen below.
The silhouettes in the image are of Lucy MacLean (played by Ella Purnell), The Ghoul (Walton Goggins), and Maximus (Aaron Moten) from the critically acclaimed adaptation. Season two premiered last night, and it's already off to a great start.
These operator skins are already a marked improvement from the last Fallout-CoD collab in Modern Warfare III, which featured some pretty lazy Vault suit outfits for the game's characters like Captain Price and Ghost.
The skins are due to come to the CoD store in the Season One Reloaded update, which should arrive in the first few weeks of January as part of the midseason refresh that will also add content like new maps, weapons, and other cosmetics.
If you look closely at the teaser, you can also see what looks like new weapon blueprints in the hands of the characters. Lucy looks to be sporting her Vault suit, like the previous skins below, while The Ghoul is in his trademark cowboy outfit and Maximus dons his Brotherhood of Steel armor. And in the background, we can see CoD's Nuketown map, potentially teasing a Fallout-themed variant of the classic location.
Earlier this year, Activision said it would tone down some of the collabs in the game to help CoD maintain its identity, including outlandish Black Ops 6 skins like Beavis & Butthead or Seth Rogen. But with Fallout, it seems the company believes that it fits.
And, as I mentioned, both IPs are owned by Microsoft, so it's a natural fit. Now, where's Master Chief?
The post Call of Duty is getting another Fallout collab, but this one is way more 'okie dokie' than the last appeared first on Destructoid. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Wednesday, December 17, 2025 12:23 PM
ARC Raiders' progression is tied to various items, which often take a long while to find and discover.
The currently-ongoing event, Flickering Flames, also requires specific items to be advanced, including Water Filters, which are tied to its fourth stage. Water Filters also have other uses and are generally a valuable item, one you can either sell or keep, depending on the situation.
So, here's how and where you can find it.
Where to find Water Filter in ARC Raiders
Water Filter usually spawns in Industrial loot zones that can be found on just about every map of the game. However, I've had a lot of luck with them on Dam Battlegrounds, specifically in the Research and Administration building (itself quite a good spot for valuable loot overall). Try to loot every single container you come across in the building, and odds are you will get at least one Water Filter, if not more.
Additionally, Water Filters tend to spawn in Security Breach boxes. These can only be opened if you have the necessary skill unlocked from the Survival tree, but trust me, they're worth it. You have a great chance to find Water Filters in them, and players have reported seeing tons of Legendary items, such as Kinetic Converters, in them, and I myself have found many pinks in them.
Security Breaches are scattered across all the maps, but you can find one in the Power Generation Complex on Dam Battlegrounds, which you can visit and loot before gunning for the RnD building.
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Destructoid Wednesday, December 17, 2025 12:17 PM
Video game console sales in the US had one of its worst Novembers ever in 2025, according to a new report.
There were a total of just 1.6 million consoles sold across the US in November this year, which is typically a time of year when sales are highest thanks to Black Friday discounts and the upcoming holiday season. But the increased prices of consoles may be driving this downward trend.
The average price paid for a console in November 2025 was $439, which is the highest it's ever been. This is caused by a number of factors, like manufacturers increasing prices throughout the year due to things like tariffs in the US, and an overall increase in the price of RAM. No matter the reason, it's a rough look.
The chart illustrates a disturbing trend in the average selling price of consoles, and the data on hardware units sold paint a similar picture. Circana's Mat Piscatella detailed the findings and remarked that "correlation does not necessarily imply causation...unless it does."
2025's $439 average compares scarily to 2019's $235, when 3.9 million consoles were sold. The COVID-19 pandemic has likely had an adverse effect overall on everything since then, too, but this year has been a perfect storm of bad news when it comes to the selling of hardware.
Even with sales, the base PS5 console is $449 right now. The Xbox Series X is marked down (yeah, you read that right) to $599. The Nintendo Switch 2, which launched in June, is holding steady right at the average with its $449 MSRP. Gaming is not a cheap hobby.
Year-over-year, video game hardware spending was down 27 percent from November 2024, while spending on accessories was down 14 percent. It paints a bleak picture, especially since what is likely the biggest game of our lifetime yet was delayed out of its original launch window of this year. Grand Theft Auto 6 is now scheduled to drop on Nov. 19, 2026, so hopefully this time next year the charts will be looking quite different.
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Destructoid Wednesday, December 17, 2025 11:33 AM
If you think you've mastered the art of ghost hunting in Phasmophobia, you may be ready to put your skills to the test. Weekly challenge modes are a great way to see just how good you are.
These special trials modify how the game works, usually with rules that make the experience a lot harder. Successfully finishing the challenge gets you plenty of XP and cash, so it's well worth the effort. Here's the weekly challenge in Phasmophobia and everything you need to know to beat it.
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Phasmophobia weekly challenge mode (Dec. 14-21)
From Dec. 14 to 21, the weekly challenge is Deja Vu in Phasmophobia. In this challenge, nostalgia is the focus, and most of the equipment and modifiers are altered to reflect how this game used to be played.
How to complete the weekly challenge in Phasmophobia
To finish the weekly challenge mode in Phasmophobia, you need to correctly identify the ghost present on the featured map three times. The specific changes present in each trial mode vary, but your goal is always the same.
All Deja Vu weekly challenge modifiers in Phasmophobia
This challenge mode has several specific rules that modify the way the contract functions. Here are all the key details you need to know about this trial.
Phasmophobia Deja Vu weekly challenge mode tips
The Glow in the Dark challenge is one of the trickier ones you can attempt in Phasmophobia, so here are some of the best tips to help you get it done.
When does the challenge mode change in Phasmophobia?
The challenge mode changes every Monday at 12am UTC, which translates to 6pm CT every Sunday. You have a full week to tackle each challenge mode when it's available. All challenge modes return regularly since they're on a rotating schedule, so if you don't get to finish one, you can always try it again in the future.
Next weekly challenge mode in Phasmophobia
The next weekly challenge mode, which will run for a full week from Dec. 21 to 28, will be Tag! You're It!. This challenge mode will begin as soon as this week's featured one, Deja Vu, ends.
All weekly challenge modes in Phasmophobia
There are 26 challenge modes in Phasmophobia. A different one is available to complete each week, and the challenge order stays identical, so it's easy to know which one is coming next. Here are all of the challenges you may face in Phasmophobia.
Special challenge modes
In addition to the regular challenge modes that rotate in and out on a consistent basis, there are also sometimes special challenge modes that have only ever appeared once and left the rotation afterward. These trials are generally designed for testing out features that are new at the time, like fresh equipment and maps.
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Destructoid Wednesday, December 17, 2025 10:45 AM
Progression is crucial to any extraction shooter, and ARC Raiders is no exception. Everything you do topside brings its own host of rewards, boosting your raider's capabilities for each subsequent run.
But sometimes you might have chosen the wrong skill, gone down the suboptimal path, or overall changed your mind about your playstyle.
So, here's all you need to know about skill tree resets in ARC Raiders.
ARC Raiders skill tree reset, explained
Currently, there are two ways to perform a skill reset or respec.
You can click a button to reset your skill points for 2,000 coins per skill level, allowing you to then redistribute them however you see fit. This was added to the game with the Cold Snap update, which also brought the game up to date with the Christmas spirit.
On the other hand, you can do a complete wipe of your progression via the Expeditions that sets your character to level one and, as a result, takes away your hard-earned skills.
It's a punishing system to be sure, but not one without merit.
Instead of wiping the server and resetting everyone, ARC Raiders has a prestige system, not much unlike Hunt: Showdown, another extraction shooter where progress can be "reset" in exchange for some goodies.
At level 20, you unlock these Expeditions, which are completed in five stages, each stage requiring specific materials to be cleared. Once you've done all five, you can send your Raider beyond the Rust Belt, permanently losing them and resetting your progression to zero. Expeditions are eight weeks long, giving each player 60 days to do them in full and "prestige" their accounts.
And, while your overall progress will be back at first base, you retain every unlockable, like your Tokens, Cred, Decks, and so on. Quests, Workshops, Inventories, Stash upgrades, Coins, and Levels are totally wiped. Expeditions grant bonus level-ups, XP, and Stash slots after completion, ultimately boosting your subsequent leveling, making this total reset a bit less painful.
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Destructoid Wednesday, December 17, 2025 10:32 AM
Expedition 19, a.k.a. Corvette, is back in No Man's Sky, and you can complete several tasks to get some fantastic rewards.
Released originally with the Voyagers patch in late September 2025, this update is a great chance if you missed out the first time around. This guide will provide you with information about all the tasks, including how you can begin the expedition.
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How to start Expedition 19 Redux (Corvette) in No Man's Sky
To begin the expedition, you'll have to visit the Anomaly.
All Expedition 19 Redux (Corvette) tasks in No Man's Sky
There are five separate tasks to complete if you're looking to finish the Corvette expedition. Most of these tasks are straightforward, and the game will guide you towards what you have to do.
Phase 1
Phase 2
Phase 3
Phase 4
Phase 5
The final phase will automatically complete when your finish Phase 1-5.
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Destructoid Wednesday, December 17, 2025 9:57 AM
The annual Gift of Giving event is back, and it's brought with it some tricky tasks to get done in Disney Dreamlight Valley. One of these event missions asks you to find hidden gift boxes to claim some special rewards.
The valley is rather large, and the gift boxes are fairly small, which makes this a fairly tough quest to get done. If you're having trouble with it, here's how to find gift boxes in Disney Dreamlight Valley.
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Where to find Gift of Giving event gift boxes in Disney Dreamlight Valley
You can find the Gift of Giving event gift boxes anywhere in the main valley. They can appear in any of the biomes around Dreamlight Valley, including all of the following areas.
If you have access to DLC worlds, like Wishblossom Ranch or Storybook Vale, you will not find any presents or other event items around them. Instead, you must stick to the main village to locate them.
How to find presents in Gift of Giving event in Disney Dreamlight Valley
The presents spawn randomly for all players, meaning there's no way to know exactly where they'll appear. My first one spawned in the Sunlit Plateau biome, close to the west end by the ramp that leads up to the Forgotten Lands, while my friends appeared over near the eastern wall in the Forest of Valor.
To find your gift boxes, you simply have to scour every inch of the valley until you locate them. It's a bit frustrating and tedious, especially if your valley is decorated, but there's no way to make this process any easier.
You can try using furniture mode to scour the valley more quickly, but even this trick isn't reliable, as it can be easy to overlook the presents. I searched using this mode twice and missed the gift box entirely, only finding it when I opted to ride around with a mount.
The presents are all quite small, so be sure to check behind buildings, plants, and other such furniture you have placed. Search all corners, too, as I've previously had many key event items, like Cheshire Cracks, pop up in very small, hidden areas.
All Gift of Giving event gift boxes in Disney Dreamlight Valley
There are seven gift boxes to find over seven days in DDV. Only one spawns per day, so this is a task you must undertake regularly while the Gift of Giving event is live if you want to collect them all. All the Touch of Magic items you can claim are as follows.
Gift box reward in Gift of Giving event in Disney Dreamlight Valley
Finding and interacting with each gift box drops a recipe you can read to unlock a new Touch of Magic design. Each one is a gift you can fully customize with patterns, motifs, and colors of your choosing.
Once you've unlocked a recipe from opening one of the gifts, you must head to a crafting station to actually make it. The exact recipe for each one varies, but they can all be found under the Furniture category.
After making any of the gift boxes, open your inventory, switch to the Furniture tab, select Customize, and choose to add a new option. Locate the present you made and get to work designing it so you can then place it in your valley.
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Destructoid Wednesday, December 17, 2025 9:28 AM
Diablo 4 players have some good news waiting for them if they've been grinding season 11 content, as they can take part in the Goblin Greedings event.
The Goblin Greedings event will provide additional ways for you to obtain various rewards. As of writing, Blizzard Entertainment has only revealed a partial set of rewards, but we have more information about how to obtain them.
Disclaimer: Final list of rewards will be updated once the event goes live.
How to earn rewards in the Diablo 4 Goblin Greedings
The Goblin Greedings event will operate via an exclusive Goblins reputation board that we have experienced in past events. The reputation board will be active throughout the course of the event, which runs from Dec. 18 to Jan. 6.
To earn different rewards, you'll have to raise your reputation by killing Treasure Goblins. Treasure Goblins will spawn randomly during the event across different regions in the Sanctuary. The more goblins you eliminate, the more your reputation grows.
As mentioned above, we don't know what each tier of rewards will include, but we already know the final tier will be endlessly repeatable. You'll get a Resplendent Spark when you complete the final tier for the first time.
Once you find all four Purified Unique Essences in season 11 by defeating the four Lesser Evils, you can combine the reward item with the Resplendent Spark to create a Mythic Unique. Additionally, we will also get a Gift of the Tree Cache by returning Grim Favors while the event is live.
Blizzard has announced three extra items that will be available to all for free. To claim these items, you'll have to visit the game shop.
We will update our guide once we have more information about all the event rewards. The bottom line is that we will have to grind the current season more; the plan is to complete as many tiers as possible.
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Destructoid Wednesday, December 17, 2025 8:31 AM
With nearly 30 ghosts to choose from, it can be tough to figure out the right one in each Phasmophobia contract. Some have been around since the start, while others, like the Dayan, joined fairly late into the game.
The Dayan was added alongside the Obambo and the Gallu in an update that launched on Dec. 16, 2025. Since it's a fresher addition to the lineup, there's a good chance you may not know how to spot one. Like all ghosts, this one has plenty of unique features you can look out for, so here's how to identify a Dayan in Phasmophobia.
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Dayan evidence in Phasmophobia
You can identify a Dayan by catching EMF Level Five, Ghost Orbs, and Spirit Box evidence. The Dayan is the only ghost with this specific combination of evidence, making it fairly easy to catch if you manage to gather all three.
Dayan behavior, patterns, and clues in Phasmophobia
All ghosts have some signature behavior, patterns, and clues you can watch out for, including the Dayan. These details are unofficial evidence, meaning you won't need to mark them down in your journal, but they can be watched for to make your investigation easier. Here's everything we know about the Dayan, which will be updated anytime we learn more about them.
If it doesn't seem like the ghost you're dealing with is a Dayan, consider testing for an Obambo or a Gallu next. And once you're done with that, there are plenty of other tough tasks worth working on, like finding Slenderman, using the Sound Recorder, and getting all hidden achievements.
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Destructoid Wednesday, December 17, 2025 7:44 AM
There are 27 ghosts you may encounter while investigating in Phasmophobia, and this number has increased a few times since the game first released. The Gallu joined the roster on Dec. 16, 2025, making it a foe you're likely not as familiar with.
The Gallu is described as another form of Demon, making it one of the deadlier ghosts you can encounter if you're not careful. With a rapidly changing sanity threshold to watch out for, the Gallu is one ghost you don't want to mess with. To ensure you're ready to face one, here's how to identify a Gallu in Phasmophobia.
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Gallu evidence in Phasmophobia
The Gallu has three types of evidence you can catch in investigations, which are EMF Level Five, Ultraviolet, and Spirit Box. It's the only ghost with this specific combination, so anytime you get these three together, you know there's a Gallu present.
Gallu behavior, patterns, and clues in Phasmophobia
In addition to the official evidence you can catch, the Gallu also has an array of unique behaviors, patterns, and clues you can watch out for. Here's everything we know about these unofficial markers for the Gallu so far, which will be updated whenever we learn more about them.
If it doesn't seem like the ghost you're facing is a Gallu, consider learning how to identify an Obambo to check for this tricky ghost next. And once you're done learning about this ghost, you might work on some other tough feats like capturing unique evidence, unlocking hidden achievements, and completing Farmhouse Fieldwork.
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Destructoid Wednesday, December 17, 2025 7:08 AM
The best teams and best units in Anime Story depend on what role you need and what game mode you're playing. I'll show you the best single-target, AOE, Tank and Support units to bring to all game modes, even for farming. Here's my Anime Story tier list and unit guide.
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Best Anime Story Unit Tier List
I've split the tier list into three sections for the best DPS units in Anime Story like single-target and AOE as well as best Tanks and Supports. I'll provide individual ranking reasons for all of them below. Afterwards, I'll talk about the best teams in the game for Raids, Progression/Tower and Farming as well as best Traits and Relics to use. For now, here are the tier breakdowns:
Meta DPS
S-Tier DPS
A-Tier DPS
B-Tier DPS
C-Tier DPS
Sosuke, Youji and Agony are the worst Mythics in the game just in terms of being underpowered. They might get much better once they receive their EVOs. As for the Legendaries the best one is Levan in terms of DPS but decent options also include Acu, Xoro and Shibue for beginner comps.
S-Tier Tanks
A-Tier Tanks
S-Tier Supports
A-Tier Supports
Best Team in Anime Story
In the table below you'll see some of the best teams in Anime Story and unit combos for various game modes. I'll include the best unit (Core/must-have) for that mode and a few units you can use to support the main one. Feel free to fill out the rest of the slots with your favorite Secrets and Mythics.
Best Traits & Relics in Anime Story
Here are the best traits and relics in Anime Story for the various roles:
Anime Story FAQ
What is the best DPS unit in Anime Story? The best single-target units are Bald, Devil Cybrog, Vegito (Purple), Kaizen (Kido), Ant King and Raven (Red) while the best for AOE damage are Mazara (Susannoo) and Reaper (Bankai). What is the best Tank in Anime Story? Shadow Knight and Pride (Sun) are the best tanks where SK is more tanky but Pride deals more damage once revived. What is the best Support in Anime Story? The best supports for raw damage are Lust and Silent Bloom while Roku (Ultra) has one of the best secondary-support abilities making you go first. What is the best unit for farming resources in Anime Story? The best farm unit is Destruction because he can burst down enemy teams on-start really fast and mark them for your AOE DPS like Mazara for a quick finish. What is the best beginner unit in Anime Story? Destruction is amazing to get ASAP for everything but Levan is one of the best DPS Legendaries early while Ruki is the best early game tank. Honorable mention to Silent Bloom who just makes your team better in any team composition. How to farm Trait Rerolls in Anime Story? The best farming method is to farm Raid Towers with Destruction and Mazara but Quests are also a great way to get rerolls. Don't forget to claim all AS codes as well via the link below. What are the overall best Relics and Traits? Put the Monarch trait on all of your units and use the Katana or Baseball Bat Relics for the best damage.
That's it for my Anime Story tier list and guide. Check out our Anime Story codes for more.
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