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Siliconera Saturday, December 27, 2025 9:00 AM
Scrabdackle is one of those games where we get a front row seat to its development. Jakefriend started things with a (successful) Kickstarter that ran between March-April 2021. There were pretty regular updates on its progress since. Now the game is in early access, with basically an act released every year. Though only the first of three parts is live now, it already seems promising.
The concept behind Scrabdackle is short and sweet. Blue is a student at Wizard Academy. One day, a red mage attacks, petrifying people there like Blue's roommate Viridian. Blue gets ejected. After a brief lucid dream called a waydream, in which Headmaster White explains basic gameplay concepts in a tutorial, our hero wakes up in the Junk Heap. It's up to you to get your wand back, explore Scrabdackle as you attempt to get home, and find a way to defeat the academy's enemy.
Scrabdackle can feel a bit like going through a The Legend of Zelda game, though Blue's wand attacks can make it feel more like going through a twin-stick shooter like The Binding of Isaac. While you start with Strata Blast, which lets you survive encounters and blast through things like junk, you'll need to get additional abilities to reach new locations. However, it's very open-ended and you can take whatever path you'd like once you're in the world to explore. So while some spells are necessary to make progress through certain parts, how you approach things is up to you.
That freedom is handled really well in the first act of Scrabdackle. The backtracking doesn't feel too overwhelming, at least in these early hours. Reaching save spots does mean you'll be able to heal, refill your vials, and have enemies respawn so you can earn more currency. It does feel like certain spots will be naturally visited first, like Peanut Village since it is early on the taskroll (mission list). So while it is freeform, there's enough structure to ensure someone doesn't feel lost. I will note some of the enemies and bosses could use a bit of rebalancing, but that's something I'm sure will come following feedback and patches.
But what struck me most as I went through some of the early hours of Scrabdackle is the personality. It's a really charming and funny game! There's fourth-wall breaking that doesn't feel egregious. It's both subtly and overtly hilarious. Even explanatory segments and descriptions are silly in a fun way. It matches the sketchy and doodle-y appearance of the world, so both the artistic direction and script maintain the same sorts of sentiments.
I appreciate how open Jakefriend has been with Scrabdackle development on Kickstarter, and I'm hoping we'll see the same sense of positive progression now that it's in early access. It's really a pleasant game with a fantastic atmosphere to it. I think as long as it keeps this level of charm, it could turn out quite well even if the rest of the adventure doesn't get any deeper.
Act 1 of Scrabdackle is in early access on PCs via Steam, with two more acts in development.
The post Preview: Scrabdackle Act 1 Feels Promising appeared first on Siliconera. |
Destructoid Saturday, December 27, 2025 1:39 PM
Rainbow Six Siege has been hit by a massive server breach, which hackers exploited to grant players billions in premium currency, alongside other exclusive items, skins, and a whole lot more. Ubisoft promptly shut the servers down, but the damage caused could be quite severe.
As per Pirat Nation on X, Rainbow Six Siege players were suddenly granted "massive amounts of R6 Credits, Renown, Alpha Packs, and exclusive items," while a ton of accounts were either banned or unbanned. Streamer King George reported "thousands of people" were banned and unbanned, that over two billion of premium currency was given out, and that every player had received every single skin in the game, including those skins only available to the developers themselves.
Ubisoft is allegedly keeping an eye on player behavior, as those who had spent the fraudulent funds could be liable for a ban, so I'd advise you to steer clear of the premium currency.
This is a massive security breach, one which Ubisoft itself initially confirmed. It took hours to kill the marketplace and take the servers down, however, which could leave a lasting impact on the game and especially its economy. If Ubisoft can reverse and undo these holiday freebies, then perhaps nothing will come of it, but it still stands as one of the biggest hacks of a live-service game ever.
Rainbow Six Sige X's servers are currently offline pending investigation and the resolution of this breach, and we'll update this piece with extra information as it becomes available.
It is currently unknown when the servers are expected to be back online, but given the severity of the situation, I'd wager that's at least hours off, if not more.
The post Rainbow Six Siege ravaged by massive server breach that gave its players billions of paid currency for free appeared first on Destructoid. |
Destructoid Saturday, December 27, 2025 1:23 PM
The Frosty Dribbler Evolution is now live in FC 26, and you can use the upgrades to improve the dribbling of your chosen card.
The latest evolution is slightly expensive as you have to spend 25,000 coins, but you get some fantastic upgrades. This includes new playstyles, roles, and upgrades in the dribbling stat. Let's look at the best choices based on the requirements and the offered upgrades.
Table of contents
FC 26 Frosty Dribbler requirements
Here are the requirements for Frosty Dribbler Evolution in FC 26.
FC 26 Frosty Dribbler Evolution upgrades
The Frosty Dribbler Evolution has 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 Frosty Dribbler Evolution in FC 26
You can include a wide variety of items in this evolution.
These are arguably some of the best options you can include in this evolution. This is one of the best evolutions for creating a chain. While the card gains a new playstyle and dribbling upgrade, the overall rating stays the same. You can immediately include the card in more evolutions to add more upgrades.
The post Best players for FC 26 Frosty Dribbler Evolution appeared first on Destructoid. |
Destructoid Saturday, December 27, 2025 1:06 PM
If you're busy trying to play Rainbow Six Siege X and seeing a blank Marketplace, then you don't have any reason to be worried.
The Marketplace, as of writing, has been shut down, and it's not a bug or network issue. Instead, it's part of a deliberate action on the part of Ubisoft. The decision has been made following a massive server breach that has led to unintended consequences.
Rainbow Six Siege X servers breach explained
The story begins earlier, on Dec. 27, when many players observed messages that resembled banwaves. However, the messages were slightly different from their usual appearance, and players soon found out what had actually happened.
Upon returning to the main menu, many players reported having two billion credits in their accounts. While many players felt that the quantity must be a glitch, two billion credits were actually available in their accounts. They also reportedly gained access to the ultra-exclusive DEV skin and other high-value commodities like Glaciers.
The credits players obtained through illegal methods are premium currency. You can use it at the Marketplace to buy different cosmetics. Some players have also reportedly done so to purchase as many cosmetics as possible, which is likely risking bans.
Hence, the Marketplace has been completely shut down to prevent players from crashing the prices. An abundance of the premium currency will alter the prices in an unfair fashion. As of writing, the servers for the game are also down for the same reason.
While Ubisoft hasn't officially acknowledged the breach, the server maintenance page still lists unplanned outages for the game across all platforms. Players will likely lose all access to the content they receive illegitimately, with bans likely to follow, but it remains to be seen what specific steps the devs will take to rectify this situation.
The post Why has the Rainbow Six Siege X Marketplace been shut down appeared first on Destructoid. |
Destructoid Saturday, December 27, 2025 7:09 AM
The Missing in Action quest is the first of several missions added to Escape from Tarkov as part of the Christmas-themed Kolotun event, and completing it can be a true challenge.
The quest requires you first to find specific items and then place them across different maps—here's what you need to do.
Table of contents
Escape from Tarkov Missing in Action quest walkthrough
The Missing in Action quest begins after speaking with Prapor, who will provide you with three different pieces of equipment.
Move all three items to your backpack. You'll have to place one of each of these three items in specific areas on the following maps:
For your benefit, I have marked the location of all three spots in screenshots.
Woods
The location you need to reach is near the Outskirts extraction point, at the Scav House. Go inside the shack from the side door, and turn left. You'll reach the main room, and one of the corners will have a couple of boxes. Interact with the location to deposit all the items. You don't have to survive or extract successfully.
The quest will consider your progression once you have planted all three items.
Reserve
The location on Reserve is near the Armored Train extraction point. Go to the marked location, and you'll find a small one-storeyed house. Go inside, and turn right, and the next room will have a table by its door. Place the items at this point to complete the second set of tasks.
Interchange
The final spot will require you to visit the Expansion area in Interchange. This is a fresh area near the mall, which was added during the 1.0 update. Reach the area where the large Neon light sign of the IDEA mall is. From there, go past the wagons to find an entrance through the hills. This is the same path that you have to follow to reach the Smuggler's Tunnel extraction.
Go past the fuel tanker, and you'll find a shack to your right (in front of a yellow-colored van). Head inside, and you'll be able to plant the items. The extraction point is pretty close, so you can safely escape the map with everything that's in your inventory.
The post How to complete Missing in Action in Escape from Tarkov appeared first on Destructoid. |
