GamersHeroes Thursday, December 18, 2025 6:03 PM A free content update for Funcom's open world survival title Dune: Awakening, Chapter 3 is set to feature a completely rebuilt endgame. The post Massive Free Dune: Awakening Chapter 3 Content Update Revealed appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
GamersHeroes Thursday, December 18, 2025 5:41 PM Now available in SEGA Europe and Two Point Studios' Two Point Museum, the world of Raccoon Logic Studios' Revenge of the Savage Planet has made its way to the title as part of a free update. The post Two Point Museum X Revenge of the Savage Planet Free Update Live appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
GamersHeroes Thursday, December 18, 2025 5:14 PM Looking for adventure this holiday season? ARTDINK and Square Enix's Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake and Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake are now on sale across a number of platforms. The post Dragon Quest HD-2D Remake Sale Live appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
GamersHeroes Thursday, December 18, 2025 4:03 PM The team behind the GDC Festival of Gaming has released the debut GDC Highlights entry, sharing a variety of stats around live service gaming. The post Inaugural GDC Insights Focuses on Live Service Gaming appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
Kotaku Thursday, December 18, 2025 5:05 PM
If you've been waiting to find the perfect cordless vacuum for you, consider this discounted Dyson model. The post Dyson V11 Cordless Vacuum Is 44% Off and Now Costs Nearly the Same as Older Models appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Thursday, December 18, 2025 4:44 PM
The departure comes after the extraction shooter was recently re-revealed The post <i>Marathon</i> Art Director Leaves Bungie Just Months Before Launch appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Thursday, December 18, 2025 4:18 PM
An avid gamer in China left his hotel room in such a horrible state that it took staff three days to clean The post Esports Gamer Reportedly Leaves Hotel Room A Horrible Mess After Two-Year Stay appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Thursday, December 18, 2025 3:35 PM
Epic's battle royale is getting cosmetics based on the popular children's book series The post <em>Fortnite</em> Leaker Wanted To 'Ruin' <em>Harry Potter</em> Surprise Because J.K. Rowling's A Transphobe appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Thursday, December 18, 2025 3:20 PM
The creator behind Luck Be a Landlord also asked people to cancel their Game Pass subscriptions, too The post Dev Asks Fans Not To Buy His Popular Indie Game On Xbox appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Thursday, December 18, 2025 3:11 PM
The Last of Us studio has notoriously struggled with overwork on previous projects The post Naughty Dog Is Reportedly Crunching Again For <em>Intergalactic</em>, Despite Planned 2027 Release appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Thursday, December 18, 2025 2:23 PM
Logic-puzzle your way to victory in a conspiracy-laden adventure The post <i>Mosaic Of The Strange</i> Is A Murder Mystery Unlike Anything You've Played Before appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Thursday, December 18, 2025 1:30 PM
Bethesda is rumored to be working on a revamped version for 2026, but it might be too late The post <i>Starfield</i> Still Doesn't Feel Like The Game It Was Meant To Be After A Surprisingly Quiet Year appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Thursday, December 18, 2025 1:29 PM
The Larian CEO has been facing backlash from angry fans The post <i>Baldur's Gate 3</i> Director Says It Would Be 'Irresponsible' Not To Experiment With AI appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Thursday, December 18, 2025 1:05 PM
Upgrade a loved one's home audio with the help of Samsung this holiday season. The post Samsung's 2025 Soundbar Is Now Priced Like Budget Earbuds With a Christmas Discount appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Thursday, December 18, 2025 1:00 PM
Also: an arcade class returns and Nintendo almost settles one of its longest-running lawsuits The post <i>Call Of Duty: Black Ops 7</i> Unleashes The <i>Fallout</i> Power Armor appeared first on Kotaku. |
PCGamesN Thursday, December 18, 2025 5:00 PM New guidance from France encourages people to use a VPN when they connect to public WiFi, posing a stark contrast to the American guidance that says to avoid them. |
PCGamesN Thursday, December 18, 2025 3:00 PM Fanatical is offering a 17% discount on Pragmata pre-orders, dropping Capcom's sci-fi adventure to its lowest price to date. |
PCGamesN Thursday, December 18, 2025 1:54 PM Whether you're dying for a holiday adventure or simply want to spend winter working the land, indie.io has a bundle for you (or a loved one). |
Siliconera Thursday, December 18, 2025 5:00 PM
YouTooz announced a YouTooz Persona 3 plush toy collection on social media. It will go on sale starting on December 23, 2025. It consists of stuffed dolls of three characters from that installment. However, the announcement didn't clarify if they are based on Persona 3, Persona 3 Portable, or Persona 3 Reload.
The three new plush are of the entry's protagonist Makoto Yuki, other lead Aigis, and Koromaru the dog. Each one is in a sitting position with their in-battle outfit on. In the case of Makoto, we can see his headphones around his neck. With Koromaru, his custom Evoker collar is around his neck.
Prices weren't revealed for these three plush yet. However, these will be limited items. They will be sold for four weeks. This means the possible last day to get one will likely be January 20, 2026.
This isn't the first time we've seen YouTooz Persona items. In September 2024, the company sold Persona 5 Tactica figures. Those aren't limited though, and you can still find them at stores like Amazon.
The YouTooz Persona 3 plush toys of protagonist Makoto Yuki, Aigis, and Koromaru will be available between December 23, 2025 and January 20, 2026. Persona 3 Reload is on the Switch 2, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC. The original game and its FES version appeared on the PS2. People can find Persona 3 Portable on the PS4, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC.
The post YouTooz Reveals 3 Persona 3 Plush Toys appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Thursday, December 18, 2025 4:00 PM
Honkai Impact 3rd character Rita Rossweisse will get a new Battlesuit called Miss Espionage when the 8.6 update arrives. This is expected to debut on January 1, 2026, based on when the current Durandal Reign Solaris Battlesuit rerun banner ends. This will be her sixth one and her fourth S-rank one. HoYoVerse shared some infographics and a teaser trailer to offer an idea of what to expect from this version of the character.
The two infographics go over elements of her design and things we'll need to know about her as a unit. She's designed to look like a secret agent, which is reflected in the style of her evening gown and her gloves. She still uses a scythe as her weapon, just as she does with other Battlesuits. While the unit itself is an Imaginary type, she deals Lightning damage. Also, since this is a Part 2 character, she does have an Astral Ring Specialization. Hers is called Wheel of Destiny. Images teasing her two new scythes and Stigmatas also appeared.
Here's the YouTube Short video offering a first look at this Miss Espionage unit.
And here's the official infographic:
Honkai Impact 3rd is available for the PC and mobile devices, and the Rita Rossweisse Miss Espionage Battlesuit will arrive alongside the 8.6 update.
The post 8.6 Honkai Impact 3rd Update Adds New Rita Battlesuit appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Thursday, December 18, 2025 3:00 PM
Ahead of the 2026 Final Fantasy XIV Fan Festival events worldwide, Square Enix opened pre-orders on its official storefront for various pieces of FFXIV merchandise tied to the events. Many of these feature an Aunt Tii's Taco's theme, based on Dawntrail. Other featured characters include Fat Cat, Mameshiba, Moogle, Odder Otter, Outrunner, Senor Sabotender, and Yan. These pre-orders are open between December 17, 2025 and January 12, 2026, but they will show up again in May 2026 after the event. They are only showing up direct through Square Enix at the moment and aren't available through other retailers like Amazon.
Here's the full list of all the FFXIV Fan Festival 2026 merchandise so far, as well as prices for different pieces.
And you can see the initial photos of the different products that Square Enix shared below.
Final Fantasy XIV is available for the PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC, and the FFXIV Fan Festival events take place in Anaheim, California between April 24-25, 2026, Berlin, Germany between July 25-26, 2026, and Tokyo, Japan between October 31-November 1, 2026.
The post 2026 FFXIV Fan Festival Merchandise Orders Open appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Thursday, December 18, 2025 2:00 PM
Bandai Namco announced on social media that it will host a new pop up shop in the Chicago area, and this time it will be a Digimon store at the Mitsuwa Marketplace in Arlington Heights, Illinois. It will open on December 19, 2025, and people can find it in the back of the store next to the One Piece Card Game storefront and Pastry House Hippo bakery.
The initial teaser on Instagram didn't bring up exactly what types of items we'll find at the Mitsuwa Digimon Pop Up Shop. It only referenced the trading card game, standard games, figures, and toys. No preliminary photo appeared to show possible products on shelves. However, when these have come up in the past, they consisted of some gashapon machines and a mix of actual devices, merchandise like plush and model kits, and other items that might be imported from Japan. This happened when the Tamagotchi pop up appeared in the spot earlier in 2025, as both the virtual pet devices and toys appeared.
This comes after a more general Bandai Namco pop up store showed in that space in Mitsuwa. The last one was a Banpresto, Nuicolle, and Ichibansho Figure temporary storefront. That included a number of figures and plush based on characters from series like Chainsaw Man, Dan da Dan, Demon Slayer, Hazbin Hotel, Jujutsu Kaisen, and One Piece. That ended its run on December 7, 2025.
The Digimon Pop Up Shop will be at the Mitsuwa Marketplace at 100 E Algonquin Rd in Arlington Heights, Illinois between December 19, 2025 and February 22, 2026. The most recent game is Digimon Story: Time Stranger for the PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC.
The post Digimon Pop Up Shop Heading to Chicago Area Mitsuwa appeared first on Siliconera. |
Destructoid Thursday, December 18, 2025 5:19 PM
The demand for certain items in ARC Raiders has gone up ever since the Cold Snap update launched, and it's essentially due to do with the Flickering Flames project.
The Flickering Flames project is a new event where you have to complete five different levels. Every level requires you to commit certain items that you can find from the raids. One such item is the Film Reel, and this guide will help you find it easily.
Best locations to find Film Reels in ARC Raiders
You'll need one Film Reel to complete the third level of the Flickering Flames project. Doing so will also net you 1000 Creds that can be put to good use. To find a Film Reel, you'll want to look for areas that are marked as Residential on any map.
The best spot should be the Village on the Blue Gate map. This is where I had found it earlier during the ARC Raiders' launch week. However, I found it at the Grandioso Apartments after the project went live. The Buried City map has plenty of great Residential areas that you can loot. You can also find other items like the Frying Pan from this map.
Ultimately, it will all boil down to your luck, as the items don't have a fixed location. If you're on the Dam Battlegrounds map, you can try looking in the Ruby Residence buildings in the northwestern part of the map. This building also spawns plenty of keys that will allow you to access locked areas.
Once you have found the Film Reel, you can commit it from the project section of the Raider tab. The Film Reel is required to clear level 3, so you'll need to clear the first two levels. However, there's plenty of time left for you to finish the project before it expires in January.
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Destructoid Thursday, December 18, 2025 4:28 PM
The Unboxing Days event has ushered in the festive spirit in UFL, and you can top it off by getting a 92-rated Michael Owen legend card for your team.
Unlike previous occasions, PC players can also take advantage of this holiday event, along with console users. There are plenty of rewards to win, with the top pick being a 92-rated legend card for Michael Owen. Let's look at how you can max out your rewards haul from this event.
How to unlock all UFL Unboxing Days event rewards
The Unboxing Days event has started earlier on Dec. 18, and it will continue until Jan. 8 of the new year. Log in every day to get yourself a guaranteed Unboxing Pack Lite. This pack can include some fantastic cards, and with something special guaranteed from every 11 pulls.
However, you'll be wanting to open the Unboxing Pack instead if you want to go for the biggest rewards, including Michael Owen. Here's how you can earn the Unboxing Pack (without dipping into microtransactions).
Some of these exclusive challenges will reward you with a bonus Unboxing Pack. I am unsure if we will get an Unboxing Pack daily or if that will appear occasionally. Outside the daily challenges, the event milestone rewards guarantee you four Unboxing Packs if you can complete all objectives. You can get a maximum of four that way.
The current season pass also allows you to get two Unboxing Packs in exchange for SP. Any of these packs has a high chance of rewarding you with the 92-rated Owen card. These packs have plenty of special cards, and you can also get other legends like Beckenbauer, Del Piero, and more.
There's also a pity system associated with the packs. You're guaranteed the 92-rated Owen card if you manage to open 15 Unboxing Packs. The acquisition method for these packs doesn't matter. If you don't want to wait, you can easily spend real-life money to get LP (and then spend the LP behind packs). However, you can just grind out the challenges and do the same to get valuable rewards throughout the course of the Unboxing Days event in UFL.
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Destructoid Thursday, December 18, 2025 4:26 PM
Call of Duty games are always filled to the brim with challenges to unlock cosmetic items like calling cards of camos, and Black Ops 7 continues that trend.
While camo challenges for Zombies, multiplayer, and Endgame are fully apparent, some are shrouded in secrecy. In CoD, these challenges are called Dark Ops, and they require some skill and quite a bit of luck to figure out how to get them done.
Here's everything we know about the Dark Ops challenges in Black Ops 7.
Table of contents
All Black Ops 7 Dark Ops challenges so far
Normally, Dark Ops challenges are data-mined in advance. But this year, Treyarch and Activision have somehow found a way to hide them pretty well. Because of this, the list of Dark Ops challenges in-game is incomplete until they are solved.
What are Dark Ops challenges in Black Ops 7?
Call of Duty Dark Ops challenges are incredibly difficult, secret challenges for all of the modes in the game. It's totally unknown what the challenges are or how to do them before they are discovered organically in the game. Completing these tricky tasks rewards special calling cards and more.
BO7 multiplayer Dark Ops challenges
BO7 Zombies Dark Ops challenges
BO7 co-op campaign Endgame Dark Ops challenges
BO7 Warzone Dark Ops challenges
This article will be updated as more Dark Ops challenges are discovered.
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Destructoid Thursday, December 18, 2025 3:56 PM
RuneScape Dragonwilds' Fellhollow update has finally added mounts, and you can cover large distances of the map on a Terror Bird.
However, you'll first have to finish a side quest to get your mount. Here's how you can get your own Terror Bird.
Table of contents
RuneScape Dragonwilds Terror Bird quest walkthrough
If you're either a beginner or a returning player, your first task is to enter Fellhollow. Then, go to the Bleak Fields Valley. You'll come across a point where three main roads branch out. Look for the gap between the paths going to the north and west, and you'll find a small structure with an NPC named Vannaka.
When you speak with Vannaka, he will ask you for three Terror Bird Hearts. This will officially mark the start of the quest that ends with you gaining your own mount.
Locating Willow Groves
The first job is to locate Willow Groves, which are essentially clusters of Willow Trees. They're easy to notice due to their unique shades. These groves are the natural habitat of Terrorbirds, and you can find them all over Fellhollow.
To find the hearts, you'll need to hunt three separate birds because I don't believe a single bird can drop more than one, and do so across multiple areas.
Best Terror Bird locations
The Terrorbirds are located all over Fellhollow, and you'll want to specifically target water bodies. When you speak with Vannaka at the beginning of the quest, he will also hint that you look at the areas around the lakes. I have marked the locations you'll want to visit to find the Terrorbird nests.
One can be found in Emberwood, which is at the western edge of the Fellhollow region. You can find the other two spots at Dragon's Run and Witchwillow Range. The former is located to the left of where you enter Fellhollow, while Dragon's Run is to the north of this region.
If you're a returning player, getting the three hearts won't be a problem. However, these creatures can do plenty of damage, and you'll also find other enemies at their locations.
Additionally, you'll be fighting the spirit versions of these Terror Birds. Once you engage one, they will inflict bleed damage. Hence, you'll require plenty of healing items because it seems impossible to dodge every attack. But once you get through the gauntlet and kill three Terror Birds, you are ready to return to Vannaka to complete the quest and unlock your own mount.
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Destructoid Thursday, December 18, 2025 3:11 PM
The Steam Winter Sale is upon us, that part of the year when our Lord and savior Gaben is most generous and provides us with the hottest (or coldest?) deals.
Of course, as the prices freeze over and collapse into bits and pieces, it can be difficult to make the right choice. I've scoured the initial listings of the sale and discovered the greatest Christmas gifts, so here they are.
Best deals of Steam's 2025 Winter Sale
For the sake of compiling this group of games, I've listed them from the most expensive to the cheapest, highlighting initially those AAA titles that rarely go for good prices even during the biggest sales, as you might have been waiting for the best moment to hop on them. With that in mind, here's what I've found.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 — $29.99
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 did not win anything at this year's The Game Awards show, but it was certainly a game that won our hearts. It did pick up some awards at other shows, which serves to highlight its importance, even if it was snubbed and (to some degree, unrightfully) eclipsed by Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
Being a fantastic game, one that takes the setting and the player seriously, it'd be a shame to miss out on it. And, with this half-price deal, now might be the best time to hop on, provided you'd already completed the first game, itself on sale for just $5.99.
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 — $23.99
Warhammer 40K is more topical than ever in the world of video games, what with the impending releases of Total War: 40K, Mechanicus 2, and Dawn of War 4, among other stuff. And, thankfully, there's also this amazing third-person shooter title that builds on the foundations of its predecessor, cranks everything up to 11, and makes the blood and gore more visceral than ever.
It's also quite cheap now, at only $23.99, one of the best prices it's ever been at. So, if you're wont to dive deeper into the grim darkness of the far future, this is an ideal starting point.
Cyberpunk 2077 — $20.99
Cyberpunk 2077 is arguably the best game in the eponymous genre, providing a unique retrofuturistic 80s-style take on a cornerstone of science fiction while modernizing it and bringing it up to snuff with today's considerations of technology. It's an incredible achievement for storytelling and art as a whole, but it has rarely gone under $30 since the launch of Edgerunners and the subsequent revitalization of the once-stigmatized game.
Now, it costs only $20.99, reaching quite low for its standards, and allowing players to jump into its virtual world. Unfortunately, the DLC, Phantom Liberty, is also $20.99, on par with the base game itself, so I'd wait before picking that up eventually, but wouldn't miss out on it due to the implications it has for the overall experience.
Red Dead Redemption 2: Ultimate Edition — $19.99
Rockstar pulled a fast one with this listing, choosing to discount the Ultimate Edition of the game instead of the base version, allowing them to put a bigger percentage on the store listing because this one costs a hundred bucks instead of the usual 60. Even so, you get the base game and more with this purchase, itself quite low for AAA standards.
Red Dead Redemption 2 also rarely goes beneath $19.99, as I've seen it reach $14.99 at most, and that's for the base edition of the game, so you might as well pick this one up while you're at it.
Resident Evil 4 Remake — $15.99
The entirety of the Resident Evil franchise is currently discounted as part of the Winter Sale, but I've decided to highlight this one in particular. It's one of the best games in the entire series, and with the remake, it became one of the best survival horror titles ever created. It ditches all the action scenes and arcade nonsense, instead grounding itself in gritty realism, dread, and terror, which serves to highlight the original game's strongest points.
Capcom really has done a tremendous job reinvigorating these old games, choosing their best parts while cutting out all the unnecessary bits, and at this price point, it's a borderline steal.
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy — $8.99
Marvel games have generally been a bit of a hit or miss in the past few years, but we did get quite a few good ones as well. Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy is one such title, flying under most people's radars despite its overall quality and fun factor, which couldn't be said of that failed Avengers game.
It's also less than $10, or just about as much as a McDonald's burger, and this one will keep you entertained much more than a trip to your local MCD.
Tomb Raider Definitive Survivor Trilogy — $7.19
This is arguably the best deal in this article, given that it's not one but three fully-fledged games, each with its own "definitive" edition. It gives you the entire reboot trilogy, following Lara Croft's journey from Japan to Russia to the deep, treacherous jungles. It's emotional, harsh, witty, and an incredibly fun adventure, and probably my favorite iteration of Lara ever made.
I'm a bit disheartened that the new, "unified" Lara did away with the reboot trilogy's design, but I think we'll probably get mods fixing that up really quickly post-release.
Hitman: World of Assassination — $2.99
The ultimate assassin meets the ultimate discount, i.e., a 90 percent cut off the original price. For just $2.99, you'll be given the chance to take on the world's worst people, killing them off in the most creative, thoughtful ways imaginable.
Of course, a lot of this game comes as separate purchases, but you should get your money's worth even from the initial experiences, because what else in the world could provide you with hours of fun for just three bucks?
Frostpunk — $2.99
Post-apocalyptic stories are great and all, but ones set in a world covered by ice and snow just have a stronger impact. It's sort of the inverse of the desert post-apocalypse we've come to know with Fallout, Kenshi, Mad Max, and other worlds, and boy does Frostpunk iterate on it well.
It's a city builder at heart, but one that places you in the role of an overseer rather than an omniscient, far-removed creator. You are involved with your city, must enact laws, keep the people at bay, and, most importantly, keep them content, because if you step out of line and sow enough discontent, you'll be banished, or worse.
For Honor — $1.49
For some odd reason, this game continues to live and thrive despite Ubisoft's abject failures on all fronts, both regarding it and its other games. I return to it from time to time, enjoying the unique gameplay and competitive side, the likes of which you will rarely find elsewhere. And that might be what's keeping it together all these years post-launch, so if you never hopped in over nearly a decade, now's the perfect time to do so at such a low price of admission.
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Destructoid Thursday, December 18, 2025 2:15 PM
The Unbreakables Challenge 3 SBC is now live in FC 26 Ultimate Team, and you can use a few lower-rated items for your club to win a free pack.
This is the third and final fodder challenge to be released as part of the Unbreakables promo. The objective is to use lower-rated fodder to win a new pack. If you're lucky, you could end up finding promo cards/walkouts from the pack.
This guide will help you complete the challenge before it expires from Ultimate Team.
Table of contents
FC 26 Unbreakables Challenge 3 SBC tasks
The Unbreakables Challenge 3 SBC has only one task, and here are the requirements.
Unbreakables Challenge 3 SBC
The stiffest part of completing the challenge is the minimum squad chemistry requirements. Forming a squad that has chemistry of at least 31.
FC 26 Unbreakables Challenge 3 SBC solutions
Here's a solution to use if you get stuck while completing the challenge.
Completing the challenge will get you an untradeable Mega Pack. This is one of the best packs to open in FC 26, and it includes a mix of 30 Gold Player and Club items. Ten of those are guaranteed to be players, with one guaranteed to be rated 82 or higher. At least 18 out of 30 items are also guaranteed to be Rare.
The Winter Re-Release batch is out with over 60 promo cards, and you could find one from the pack that you receive after completing the challenge.
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Destructoid Thursday, December 18, 2025 2:02 PM
Creative Assembly has closed the year off strongly. Total War: Warhammer 40K is the most exciting TW title in a while, Medieval 3 was confirmed, and Warhammer 3 had its affairs sorted. But 2026 is going to be even better, as CA pledged to do a lot more side quests again.
Having promised similar side quests in 2024, Creative Assembly actually delivered on them. While the Total War launcher is still there, unfortunately, the company did do what it said it would otherwise: blood packs for upcoming Total Wars have been done away with, pre-order-exclusive factions won't be in TW: 40K, and individual bits and pieces of DLCs can now be purchased if you do not want the whole thing.
All of this was outlined in the company's 2024 end-of-year blog, and based on this year's edition, there's a lot more it's aiming to do in the future.
Completely removing the launcher remains on the agenda. A new, experimental mod manager was released this year, but that's just one step. More interestingly, CA wants to go back in ots catalog, too, revisiting old titles and brushing the dust off them, introducing small-scale bug fixes but also robust updates that'll make these (g)old games deeper and more accessible.
It'll also apparently make Total War: Warhammer 40,000 into the "ultimate [40K] game" that will ditch its predecessor's sequel model, instead being the only game of its kind but (probably) packed full of DLCs and updates over 10 years (CA's words, not mine).
These are bold new missions, which would only benefit us, the players, if they were to come true. As I've said before, TW: 40K is the most exciting Total War game in a long time (at least for me), and I cannot wait to see what CA has been cooking with it. And yeah, I do pray it'll come out by the end of 2026, but CA didn't mention this as its goal, unfortunately.
The post After fulfilling last year's promises, CA pledges to make 2026 another great year for Total War appeared first on Destructoid. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Thursday, December 18, 2025 1:50 PM
The Thunder It In is a great free evolution to complete in FC 26 Ultimate Team ahead of the Winter Wildcards promo, and you can use it twice.
Not only is the evolution available for free, but it includes some massive boosts. The upgrades include new playstyles, stat boosts, and more. Let's look at the best possible choices based on the offered requirements and upgrades.
Table of contents
FC 26 Thunder It In Evolution requirements
Here are the requirements for Thunder It In Evolution in FC 26.
FC 26 Thunder It In Evolution upgrades
The Thunder It In 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 Thunder It In 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. The overall ratings remain the same while the selected cards get the boosts. This will allow you to include these cards in future evolution chains to improve the stats and add new boosts.
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Destructoid Thursday, December 18, 2025 1:34 PM
The Bandit Evolution is now live in FC 26 Ultimate Team, and you can use it twice to upgrade cards of your choice.
While the evolution costs 20,000 coins each time and doesn't raise the overall rating, it applies plenty of defensive playstyles to the chosen card. This is a perfect evolution if you're aiming to create strong evolution chains.
Table of contents
FC 26 The Bandit Evolution requirements
Here are the requirements for The Bandit Evolution in FC 26.
FC 26 The Bandit Evolution upgrades
The Bandit has three levels of upgrades. To obtain the boosts, you'll need to complete specific tasks.
Level 1 upgrades
Level 2 upgrades
Level 3 upgrades
Level 1 upgrade requirements
Level 2 upgrade requirements
Level 3 upgrade requirements
Best players for The Bandit 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. While the cards receive significant boosts, their overall ratings remain unchanged, so you'll be able to use them in future evolutions to create strong chains.
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Destructoid Thursday, December 18, 2025 1:33 PM
Larian Studios has been caught in a storm lately following comments made by chief executive Swen Vincke regarding the use of AI at the company. Now, Vincke said Larian will host an AMA after the New Year, allowing players to gain insight into the studio's creative processes.
Larian Studios uses AI, that much is unsurprising. This was confirmed on several occasions by chief executive Swen Vincke, who is rather beloved in the gaming industry, especially after Larian knocked it out of the park with Baldur's Gate 3. However, for some reason, people caught onto his latest comments about the technology, told in an interview with Jason Schreier, where Vincke highlighted that some creative processes are performed with the assistance of machine learning tech.
And that'd be fine and dandy if Vincke didn't mention it was being used for concept art, which saw countless people accuse the company of trying to replace artists with AI—a very hot topic indeed. Vincke went on to explain that no, Larian is not trying to do that, but is rather embracing new technologies and using them at various levels, eventually writing (and drawing) out anything artificial.
But that wasn't enough, and people continue to lambast the studio, despite its track record, for using AI, arguing that even slight usage benefits massive corporations like OpenAI that are actively participating in replacing people in workplaces, driving up the prices of RAM, and generally reducing the quality of art, tech, and related industries.
So, Larian is now hosting an AMA to let people in on the creative process at the studio, likely to dispel any and all presuppositions players might have based on Vincke's cataclysm-inducing interview. This was confirmed by Vincke himself, who said a lot was "lost in translation" over the past week, which the AMA could help clarify.
The exact date of the AMA is TBA, but probably sometime in January. Vincke himself seems to have also taken leave from social media, aiming to return in the first month of next year. And no wonder, given all the pressure.
I, for one, think AI should never be used by anyone striving to create valuable art. AI is an iterator, a machine made to regurgitate another's work into something falsely new, doing so on a surface level and without ever exploring the nuances and depth of the individual works that go into its "training." Sure, we as humans do the same: we read, consume art, enjoy the fruits of creativity and then rehash them into our own work, but we have to understand it, read into it, peer deeply. AI does nothing of the sort.
It takes a style, vaguely recreates it, and that's that. Using that to create further iterations alienates your creativity, traps you in an endless cycle of derivation, and limits your mind with an easy fix that rusts the cogs of your cognition. Creative blocks are the greatest opportunity for any artist, and whenever they solve them off their own volition, they produce something incredible.
AI is just a shortcut, and a bad one at that.
The post Reeling from AI usage backlash, Larian will let fans ask about their dev process 'directly' in upcoming AMA appeared first on Destructoid. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Thursday, December 18, 2025 1:19 PM
The Winter Best of Campaigns Re-Release is now live in FC 26, offering a fresh batch of older promo items that are now available in packs.
The special batch of cards belongs to older promos. They have returned to packs for a special period, allowing you to try and collect as many as you can.
Complete list of FC 26 Winter Best of Campaigns Re-Release players
The table below has all the key information about every special card that is now back in packs. I have also mentioned their promos to make it easier for you to keep track as you open your packs in Ultimate Team.
The post All FC 26 Winter Best of Campaigns Re-Release players appeared first on Destructoid. |
WGB Thursday, December 18, 2025 4:36 PM Naughty Dog's Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet is set for a mid-2027 release, facing criticism for mandatory overtime during demo polishing, despite mixed early reception and anticipation for a fresh direction. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Thursday, December 18, 2025 4:19 PM A teaser announcement trailer for the game was also released. The post Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter Announced for PC And Consoles appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Thursday, December 18, 2025 3:51 PM According to a recent interview. The post Silent Hill Developers Want To Explore Other Regions Like Central America, Russia and Italy appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Thursday, December 18, 2025 2:41 PM According to a recently spotted filing. The post Light of Motiram Delisted, Lawsuit Seemingly Dropped appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Thursday, December 18, 2025 1:55 PM Confirmed in a recent interview. The post Fallout 5 Will Reference The Events Of The Series appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |