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Jul 09, 22:00


GamersHeroes Wednesday, July 9, 2025 6:54 PM
    

Leading PC manufacturer HYTE, together with Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc., agave announced an all-new PC component and peripheral line themed after the iconic MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM WING anime series. 

The post Official Gundam Wing HYTE Y70 Touch Infinite Limited Edition Case Announced appeared first on GamersHeroes.


GamersHeroes Wednesday, July 9, 2025 3:26 PM
    

The Game Kitchen, Dotemu, and Joystick have released a new in-depth look at NINJA GAIDEN: Ragebound that provides an in-depth look at its intense 2D side-scrolling action.

The post NINJA GAIDEN: Ragebound 14-Minute Gameplay Trailer Released appeared first on GamersHeroes.


GamersHeroes Wednesday, July 9, 2025 2:05 PM
    

A collaboration between indie publisher Digital Bandidos and The MIX, the new Indie Fan Fest showcase is set to showcase a number of upcoming Steam Next Fest games.

The post Indie Fan Fest Fall 2025 Announced appeared first on GamersHeroes.


Kotaku Wednesday, July 9, 2025 4:30 PM
    

Earning first place in Mario Kart World's 150cc races depends on a lot of factors, ranging from shortcuts, knowing where to wall ride, and how to deal with the uncertainty of getting bombarded with shells. That hasn't stopped players from figuring out the game's unspoken meta, locking down which vehicles and…

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Kotaku Wednesday, July 9, 2025 4:25 PM
    

Last month, during the excitement and chaos of the Nintendo Switch 2 launch, a story broke through the noise. At least one person's Switch 2 was ruined by GameStop after someone at the store stapled a receipt to the box and punctured the screen. Now, a month later, the video game retailer is auctioning off the stapler…

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Kotaku Wednesday, July 9, 2025 4:20 PM
    

Earlier this month, The Sims 4 released a new patch ahead of the July 10 release of Enchanted By Nature. As is often the case, this new patch broke some parts of the game. This time around, a lot of people are being marked as pregnant even though they aren't, and this is having some weird side effects, which have…

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Kotaku Wednesday, July 9, 2025 4:18 PM
    

Arrakis is an unforgiving planet, characterized by its vast desert and rocky terrain. Its only redeeming quality is in its spice, but that's secondary to your need to survive. You require water. Without a constant supply of hydration, the massive sandworms roaming the dunes will be the least of your worries. The game…

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Kotaku Wednesday, July 9, 2025 4:10 PM
    

Subnautica 2 is one of the most wishlisted games on Steam, and it's no longer coming out in 2025. According to a new report by Bloomberg, publisher Krafton has decided to delay the underwater survival sim until 2026 which would likely deny the developers making the game a $250 million payout. That's despite Unknown…

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Kotaku Wednesday, July 9, 2025 3:37 PM
    

There is nothing more dreadful in Mario Kart World than losing your lead because of a Spiny Shell, a.k.a. the dreaded Blue Shell. The potential threat of a power-up item that specifically targets the driver in first place ensures you never feel quite safe. Thankfully, avoiding them isn't as impossible as their…

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Kotaku Wednesday, July 9, 2025 3:28 PM
    

Queer messages, characters, and storylines being censored in media in certain territories is nothing new, but just because it's a regular occurrence, that doesn't make it any less disheartening when it happens. The latest offender is an Amazon Prime documentary, Level Up, which follows several subjects involved with…

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Kotaku Wednesday, July 9, 2025 2:40 PM
    

There are many Mario Kart tracks. But one of them, Piranha Plant Pipeline, is only available in Nintendo's mobile phone game Mario Kart Tour. However, it's only ever made playable for a limited time. This makes it arguably the rarest and hardest-to-play Mario Kart track in the franchise. And this rare track is…

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Kotaku Wednesday, July 9, 2025 2:30 PM
    

It's taken a couple of weeks for the full extent of KPop Demon Hunters to enter my field of view. For a while, all I'd seen of the Netflix animated phenomenon was the extremely…uh, exuberant early scene of its main cast of KPop idols getting real excited about their dinner, and the gifs from it being used in some…

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PCGamesN Wednesday, July 9, 2025 5:19 PM
    

Who here remembers Geneshift? Those with a love of classic, top-down Grand Theft Auto likely do. Released all the way back in 2017, the multiplayer battle royale game changed its name a few years ago to Gene Shift Auto, so that it could wear its inspiration on its sleeve. However, it's now decided to change guises yet again - and it's ditching any kind of GTA reference or homage. Gene Shift Auto is now Skillshot City.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best multiplayer games, Best battle royale games, Free Steam games

PCGamesN Wednesday, July 9, 2025 4:42 PM
    

With all attention on its Unreal Engine 5 remaster and its official servers switched off for good, Ark fans never thought they'd see an original expansion in Ark Survival Evolved again. However, to celebrate the series' tenth birthday, ASE is back in the spotlight with Ark Aquatica. While its AI-generated reveal trailer caused some backlash, it looks to be a mightily impressive expansion to Survival Evolved, which will have its official servers reinstated just for the occasion. Now, Snail Games has locked in an Ark Aquatica release date, and you don't have long to wait at all - you'll be able to head beneath the waves next week on Tuesday, July 15.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Ark 2 release date, Best survival games, The best Ark mods

PCGamesN Wednesday, July 9, 2025 2:59 PM
    

Despite seeming ready for an early access launch before the end of this year, Steam's second-most wishlisted game Subnautica 2 is allegedly being delayed into 2026. That's according to a new Bloomberg report that also claims that an enormous bonus payment of $250 million was on the cards for developer Unknown Worlds if it reached certain revenue targets - targets that would likely be achievable with the release of the game.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best survival games, Subnautica 2 release date, Best co-op games

PCGamesN Wednesday, July 9, 2025 2:27 PM
    

If you're one of the many enjoyers of football games on PC, then the Madden 26 system requirements will be of particular interest. It's another EA Sports game that comes with a relatively low barrier to entry, to the point where the requirements haven't actually changed since last year's game.

As much as I love playing sports games on PC, it's often the case that the PC versions of these games tend to be stripped back compared to their console counterparts. This trend has changed somewhat, and now games like Madden 26 don't look or play a whole lot different, with cross-play being the biggest barrier that was recently knocked down.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best graphics card, Best gaming PC, Best SSD for gaming

PCGamesN Wednesday, July 9, 2025 2:32 PM
    

We're fast approaching five years of Apex Legends, and while players have their fair share of concerns about the direction of the game, it's still one of the standout battle royale games currently still active. We're checking in on the Apex Legends system requirements so you can make sure your gaming PC is up to the task of running this fast-paced shooter.

Once you've confirmed that your gaming PC can meet the Apex Legends system requirements, you can head on over to our best Apex Legends settings guide to get a detailed rundown of how to set your game up for the best performance.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best graphics card, Best gaming PC, Best SSD for gaming

Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Wednesday, July 9, 2025 2:30 PM
    

Amazon Prime Day isn't just for smartwatches and air fryers. It's a goldmine for gamers this year, and I couldn't resist weighing up a PC build . I dove into the discounts (Don't forget that free 30-day Prime trial) and built two monster gaming rigs. One powered by Nvidia's brand-new RTX 5070 and another fueled by AMD's scorching Radeon 9070XT. I've put components together around the two GPU's I could find in Prime Deals and worked from there, so a budget of below $2,000 was kept in mind throughout. Let's get into it:

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Siliconera Wednesday, July 9, 2025 6:00 PM
    

Hello Kitty Island Adventure Sunshine Celebration and Patch 2.7 Debut

Multiple Hello Kitty Island Adventure updates appeared, with a Sunshine Celebration about to launch everywhere and the City Classics patch 2.7 coming to Apple Arcade ahead of a wider release. The update with new content is live on Apple devices now, and it is "coming soon" to the Switch and PC. As for the summer event, that starts on July 10, 2025

Sunblink shared five of the new additions in the Hello Kitty Island Adventure 2.7 City Classics update. Two have to do with the City Town location. You can open a tourist kiosk or buy items at a Tourist Shop. Three new questlines are available after the update too. One involves Kuromi and My Melody, with new furniture as part of the rewards for taking part. There are also questlines for both Retsuko and Tsunoda.

As for the Sunshine Celebration, it will debut on the same day in Hello Kitty Island Adventure this year as it did in 2024. The last time, it involved collecting lemonade and trading it for rewards. For the 2025 run, it is returning to its 2023 routes and making sunscreen the currency again. We'll take part in quests with Badtz-Maru for this year's run. Also, in addition to previous summer decorations and clothing, new items will appear. Grass skirts and hats and Hawaiian shirts will be among the cosmetics. Some of the new furniture include items to add bar, column, and palm tree elements to cabins.

Here's a trailer showing some of the event items off. It starts by looking at the beginning of the event and Badtz-Maru taking the reins away from My Melody for this year's run. We then see what it's like to collect sunscreen and turn it in for items. The latter parts of the video show the new furniture in a home.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCXOrGu5eR4

Hello Kitty Island Adventure is available for the Switch, PC, and Apple Arcade devices, and the City Classics patch 2.7 update is live for Apple products. 

The post Hello Kitty Island Adventure Sunshine Celebration and Patch 2.7 Debut appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Wednesday, July 9, 2025 5:00 PM
    

Sharp Appliances Have Great Ace Attorney Art and Voices

To celebrate the 10th Anniversary of The Great Ace Attorney, Sharp will release various home appliances featuring visuals and audio inspired by the two adventure games. These products include newly recorded voice lines by the original Japanese voice cast of the games.

In addition to new products, Customers who already own appliances compatible with COCORO VOICE can pick up the new releases. COCORO VOICE uses the character voice packs, which will also be available as separate purchases.

The first appliance in this collaboration is an air purifier available in two different versions, each featuring a different main visual from The Great Ace Attorney. It costs 121,000 yen (or about $826,42). The second and last is an electric cooking pot featuring a new visual displaying protagonists Ryunosuke Naruhodo, Susato Mikotoba, Kazuma Asogi, Herlock Sholmes, and Iris Wilson with cooking utensils. The pot costs 71,500 yen (~$488,51). The pre-orders for both Sharp x The Great Ace Attorney collaboration appliances are available in Japan between July 9 and September 30, 2025.

You can check out the new The Great Ace Attorney products here:

The first title in The Great Ace Attorney series released in Japan on July 9, 2015 exclusively for the Nintendo 3DS. Capcom teased at the end of 2024 a campaign to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the adventure game series.

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles is available on the PS4, Nintendo Switch, and Windows PC.

The post Sharp Appliances Have Great Ace Attorney Art and Voices appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Wednesday, July 9, 2025 4:00 PM
    

Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero Ranked Matches Will Return

Back on July 1, 2025, Bandai Namco announced Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero Ranked Matches bugs were causing three issues and Spike Chunsoft would start maintenance to repair them. Now the company announced on social media that the mode will return on July 10, 2025. All three problems will be completely fixed after maintenance that day, though there will be a three hour period during which all online interactions will be unavailable before that. 

The three issues that appeared at the outset of July 2025 affected Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero Ranked Matches in such a way that people were being unfairly ranked or awarded. For example, even if someone lost, they wouldn't see their win streak bonus end. Your streak from Season 0 would still affect the current season and folks' positions. Also, if you ended up demoted after Season 0, you ended up in D5 regardless of your performance during that season. All three of these issues will be resolved after the update.

This also means Bandai Namco and Spike Chunsoft are starting the Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero Season 1 from scratch again. If you took part when the issues affecting ranking and performance happened, you'll find any progress made during Season 1 wipde out and back at the start.

Before this issue came up, another major addition appeared in Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero. Bandai Namco added Shallot DLC to the game. The Dragon Ball Legends character appeared alone, outside of any of the larger packs. 

Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero is available worldwide on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC via Steam, and Ranked Matches will return on July 10, 2025.

The post Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero Ranked Matches Will Return appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Wednesday, July 9, 2025 3:00 PM
    

Palworld PS5 Data Loss Fix Means Deleting Save Files

PS5 Palworld players started reporting a data loss bug and, while Pocketpair identified the problem and a fix, people who experienced the CE-100022-5 and CE-100096-6 errors will need to delete all save files due to corruption. An official fix that should keep this problem from happening going forward will release worldwide on July 10, 2025. 

Pocketpair went into the cause of the issue in a social media announcement. The CE-100022-5 and CE-100096-6 errors would come up due to a bug caused by too many Palworld PS5 save files. It cited that causing a console system error. As a result, any kind of saves made when that would come up could be corrupted or lost. If someone didn't see either of the two errors, they should be okay to continue using existing save files without issue. However, the company noted that anyone who did will have corrupted files that would need to be deleted so the problem doesn't return. It also noted it can not help with save data repair or recovery.

It also shared the following two points from the 0.6.2 patch notes for the Palworld PS5 update that will stop the save files data loss and corruption bug. These two measures should keep instances from happening again so long as you also delete any possibly corrupted files.

• Limited the number of save data to a maximum of 10 on PS5.
• Improvements to the entire save system for stability. 
※If you have more than 11 instances of save data on your console, these will not be automatically deleted. 

The last major update to Palworld was Tides of Terraria. It added Pals and weapons from the other indie title to the game.

Palworld is available for the PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC in early access, and the data loss bug affecting PS5 save files will be fixed with the 0.6.2 patch on July 10, 2025.

The post Palworld PS5 Data Loss Fix May Mean Deleting Save Files appeared first on Siliconera.


Destructoid Wednesday, July 9, 2025 5:30 PM
    

Sniper in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.

Back in my heyday, Call of Duty was a huge part of my social life. Now, it's a ghost town.

Yeah, I said "heyday". I'm old. At 36, I feel as though I am at least double that age in the gaming community. This is just one of the reasons that CoD has felt real lonely for me over the past few years, though, but I'm also pretty sure I'm not the only one who feels this way.

CoD BO6 Season 4 operator
Image via Activision

I used to play CoD with friends every night. I formed many friendships in CoD through the years, first while playing the game and then while writing about the game from all angles, including esports. Gradually, though, over the last few years, there has been a mass exodus when it comes to people I know.

I personally don't really know anyone who still plays CoD anymore, which is interesting because the game sells millions of copies year in and year out, so plenty of gamers are buying it. Maybe it's an age thing, maybe it's the series' general direction, maybe it's a combination of things, but CoD is no longer my playground and meeting place.

Just days ago, one of my former CoD-player friend shared a viral clip of BO6's wild collab characters like Beavis, a Ninja Turtle, and the Terminator. Years ago, this sort of thing would've been nonsensical, but it's a regular occurrence as CoD continues to pump out live service content every month or so.

"It's kinda wild that CoD has gone more Fortnite than Fortnite has," they said, to which another friend in the group chat replied "What the fuck is this lol," and I couldn't help but shrug and agree. Maybe it's another reason we have grown out of the series.

Gather 'round, kids. As you get older, you sometimes drift apart from friends. It's just a natural part of life as everyone starts their own families, or games less, or make other friends, or all of the above, so CoD no longer being what it once was exacerbates the situation. That just sucks for when it comes to me to cover CoD and play it enough to write about it, and yet I can't blame them one bit.

I believe the last time I had friends to play a CoD with was 2021 in Black Ops Cold War. Since then, through CoD Vanguard, MWII, MWIII, Black Ops 6, and soon Black Ops 7, I've been a solo gamer and I've been miserable about 97 percent of that time.

Image via Activision

The game just isn't fun to me anymore, and I end up having a positive experience on CoD very, very rarely. But I still hold out hope. And so I can't help but wonder how many other gamers there are like me, hanging on in CoD (I know my situation is different since I play it for my job) while their friends have all moved on.

I also wonder aloud if CoD, similarly to the Jurassic Park franchise in the movies, is "bulletproof" and will continue making money no matter how bad the product is. With how many people I hear from whose CoD days are behind them, it certainly feels that way. But none of that money is coming from the people I once played with, and that stinks for me specifically.

Anyway, when's that BO7 pre-order info dropping?

The post Call of Duty's exodus among my friends has me dropping solo these days, but I'm probably not alone appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Wednesday, July 9, 2025 4:19 PM
    

Phoenix on fire with fiery eyes in marvel rivals

Season three of Marvel Rivals is coming faster than a speeding Wolverine who got tossed by the Hulk, so get ready to ignite the battle once again.

With season two set to be the final one, which lasts three months, season three will be a new era in the hero shooter, with content dropping at a rapid pace. While little is known about what the season will contain, we do know when to expect it to begin.

Here's what we know about the tentative start date for the game-changing season three of Marvel Rivals.

When does Marvel Rivals season 3 start?

Magik and Psylocke changing into battle with sword in marvel rivals
Screenshot by Destructoid

Marvel Rivals season three is set to begin on July 11, according to the in-game countdown on the season two battle pass. On the launch day of season two, the countdown said 90 days, which lines up to be exactly three months long, beginning on April 11 and ending on July 11.

If season three follows suit with season two, the season will begin after a few hours of downtime in the early morning hours of July 11, possibly beginning around 7am EST, so make sure to unlock all of the season two rewards you wish to get before then.

What's in Marvel Rivals season 3?

Phoenix and Blade battling side by side in Marvel Rivals
Screenshot by Destructoid

The main new addition in Marvel Rivals season three will be two new heroes, Phoenix and Blade. There will also be a new battle pass, new events, and a lot of new skins and outfits themed around both Symbiotes, Phoenix Force, and summer swimsuits.

Phoenix will be available at launch on July 11, while Blade will come at some other time. Phoenix is a Duelist and her ability set can be found below:

Ability Description Button input
Cosmic Flames
(Primary Attack)
Launch a fiery projectile forward, applying 1 Spark to enemies hit. Critical hits apply 2 Sparks. At 3 Sparks, Phoenix triggers a fiery explosion that applies 1 Spark to enemies around and Healing Over Time to self. Sparks form explosions will not stack within a brief period. LMB
Telepathic Illusion Leave behind an illusion and instantly teleport in the desired direction, followed by detonating the illusion. Enemies hit are applied with 1 Spark. LShift
Dark Ascent Merge with the Phoenix, entering a state of free flight. Gain a Movement Boost while continuously replenishing ammunition. E
Telekinesis Burst Mark a targeted area with psionic energy, followed by a series of fiery explosions. The first blast Stuns enemies, while the subsequent two explosions inflict Slow. Applies 1 Spark to enemies hit. RMB
Mind's Grace
(Passive)
Jean Grey imbues Wolverine with the awe-inspiring Phoenix Force. With this power, Wolverine's Feral Leap transforms into Phoenix Warrior. While active, he is enveloped in Phoenix flames that continuously scorch him and nearby enemies, dealing percentage damage. In this state, Wolverine's abilities gain Lifesteal when inflicting damage. -
Endsong Inferno
(Ultimate)
Soar into the sky with the Phoenix and crash down onto a selected area, dealing devastating damage to enemies while creating a shockwave that destroys enemy Summons, Shields, and any Bonus Health. Enemies hit are applied with 1 Spark. Q

Beyond that, season three will be the first season of the game that will be two months long, meaning each month will add a new hero, and there will be one new hero every month moving forward, creating an incredibly torrid pace of content updates for the live-service, free-to-play hero shooter.

Marvel Rivals Knullified Hela
Screenshot by Destructoid

Each season of Marvel Rivals also adds hero balancing changes, quality of life updates, new costumes, limited-time events, new game modes, and a new map or two to keep the experience fresh.

The post When is Marvel Rivals season 3? appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Wednesday, July 9, 2025 4:03 PM
    

Disney Dreamlight Valley Aurora

Disney Dreamlight Valley's The Storybook Vale expansion lets you unlock multiple characters, from Merida and Flynn early in your playthrough to late-game characters like Maleficent and Aurora. Aurora, in particular, is one of the last you'll meet due to her lengthy unlock requirements.

If you haven't progressed through The Storybook Vale's, be cautious, as there are spoilers for its story up ahead, including its quests.

How to unlock Aurora in Disney Dreamlight Valley

Meeting and unlocking Aurora as a permanent village resident requires meeting the following pre-requisites:

  1. Complete The Storybook Vale's first chapter, including every Fairy Trials.
  2. Unlock Merida, Flynn, and Hades.
  3. Finish the Unwritten Realm's storyline and unlock Maleficent.
  4. Complete The Ink-Stained World and The Tales That Bind.

Disney Dreamlight Valley Aurora in a cutscene
Screenshot by Destructoid

You don't need every The Storybook Vale character at max level before starting this storyline. As long as you complete the expansion's first two chapters, you'll unlock Maleficent partway through it, with Aurora following after a few additional quests.

All required Storybook Vale quests

Disney Dreamlight Valley's The Storybook Vale has a large quest list spanning across its chapters. Here's a complete list of missions you'll need to complete before unlocking Aurora:

Chapter one

  • Welcome to the Storybook Vale
  • A New Chapter
  • A Land of Myths and Legends
  • Guts & Glory
  • A Moth to a Flame
  • The Promethean Flame
  • The Marble Colossus
  • Losing Your Marbles
  • Mount Olympus
  • A Sheep in Wolf's Clothing
  • Not by the Hair on My Chinny Chin Chin
  • Curiouser and Curiouser
  • Teapot Falls
  • The Fallen Fortress
  • The Knights of the Round Table
  • The Mistress of All Evil
  • A Long-Awaited Invitation

Chapter two

  • A Storm of Stories
  • The Unwritten Realms: Maleficent's Gift
  • The Unwritten Realms: The Spinning Wheel
  • The Unwritten Realms: Maleficent's Demise
  • The Missing Princess
  • A Hero of Ink and Paper
  • The Ink-Stained World
  • Trial of Truth
  • Trial of Virtue
  • Trial of Song
  • The Tales That Bind

After completing every Chapter One and Two quest, you'll wrap up The Tales that Bind by placing Aurora's house, paying a 5,000 Star Coin fee to Scrooge McDuck, and officially welcoming her to The Storybook Vale.

We'll continue updating this page with more information as we progress through The Storybook Vale's storyline.

The post How to unlock Aurora in Disney Dreamlight Valley appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Wednesday, July 9, 2025 4:00 PM
    

Pele in FIFA 18 with a stern glance

The first set of leaks for the FUTTIES Team 1 promo has started to appear on social media, and EA FC 25 players should be able to pack these items very soon in Ultimate Team.

As the final promo of Ultimate Team, you can expect at least a few fantastic items to add to your squad, if not more. This promo will include special cards for active footballers, Heroes, and Icons. All three types will have unique designs, impressive endgame stats, and a chance of 99-rated overall.

Let's take a look at all the leaks that have emerged as of writing.

Complete list of EA FC 25 FUTTIES Team 1 players

The leaks so far for the first team of FUTTIES are slightly limited. I am confident that we will get more leaks as we move closer to the release date.

  • Georginio Rutter
  • Anthony Martial
  • Pele (Icon)

Pele could go on to become one of the highest-rated cards of the FUTTIES promo, but that needs to be confirmed over time. I will be surprised if he is rated below 99, based on historical trends. Rutter and Martial should be some of the lower-rated items of the promo, but there can always be a few surprises.

EA FC 25 FUTTIES Team 1 release date

Team 1 FUTTIES cards are expected to go live on Friday, July 11. This will officially mark the start of FUTTIES and the end of Shapeshifters, which has run for almost a month. FUTTIES is expected to continue for around six weeks, and we should have about four distinct teams before all the cards are added to the packs.

Make sure to be on the lookout for SBCs and objectives, which should also feature FUTTIES cards. Some of them can be the perfect endgame card to unlock with your fodder. We could also obtain 99-rated End of an Era and Flashback items if EA Sports follows the traditions established over the last few years. Additionally, you can always find more FUTTIES items from the Season 9 reward track that goes live on July 10.

The post All EA FC 25 FUTTIES Team 1 players (leaks) appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Wednesday, July 9, 2025 3:53 PM
    

Exploring Night City

As if it wasn't redeemed enough already, Cyberpunk 2077 continues to make tremendous strides and has been featured on the July list of PlayStation Plus games for the very first time. This marks a crucial moment in the game's history, given that it was once removed from the PlayStation Store altogether.

In its July catalog of PlayStation Plus titles, accessible for PlayStation Extra and Premium subscribers, Sony has decided to include Cyberpunk 2077, a game so notoriously bad on the PlayStation at launch that it was outright removed from the PS Store. Now, nearly five years later, we have same company inducting CDPR's retro-futuristic RPG into its premium catalog of games, which goes to show how far Cyberpunk has come.

It runs fairly well both on the PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Pro, though do not be fooled into thinking this version of the game is made of milk and honey. It makes significant sacrifices to be able to perform on Sony's hardware, which, though subpar compared to PC, still doesn't mean it's bad. Not even Sony thinks that anymore.

Cyberpunk 2077: someone on a red motorcycle shooting at an armored car.
Cyberpunk 2077 is proof that with enough effort, even a disastrous launch can be mitigated. Well, unless you're MindsEye, but that's besides the point. Image via CD Projekt Red/Steam.

CDPR's stellar RPG isn't the only game in the July PS Plus catalogue. Abiotic Factor, Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden, Bluey: The Videogame, Planet Zoo, New World: Aeternum, Tropico 6, and Risk of Rain 2, are also on offer. PS Plus Premium also includes Twisted Metal 3 and 4, alongside these mentioned. So, it seems this July you'll have more than enough to play via PS Plus alone.

Of these, I wholeheartedly recommend Risk of Rain 2, though beware that its fast-paced gameplay might warrant you to switch to PC. Come to think of it, almost every game on this list is better on PC. Because everything is.

What do you think? Is this the crown achievement of Cyberpunk 2077's redemption arc? Are you excited to see what CDPR has in store with the new 2.3 update and Edgerunners 2? Let me know below.

The post Cyberpunk 2077 washes away PS5 launch fiasco with PS Plus appearance, continuing its redemption arc appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Wednesday, July 9, 2025 3:45 PM
    

A character in a long purple and black dress posing next to a dog by a pink stained glass window in disney dreamlight valley

The final trial you have to tackle to find Aurora is The Trial of Song, and it's yet another tricky puzzle to complete in Disney Dreamlight Valley. This one is all about the gift of song, but you don't actually need to do any singing to get it done.

Instead, you're working through yet another shadow puzzle featuring musical characters and instruments. Like all other shadow puzzles, this one can be pretty tough to solve, so here's how to complete The Trial of Song in Disney Dreamlight Valley.

How to complete The Trial of Song in Disney Dreamlight Valley

Talking to Flora in Disney Dreamlight Valley
Screenshot by Destructoid

To finish The Trial of Song quest in DDV, you need to prove your musical talent by completing a special shadow puzzle. This puzzle was originally designed for Aurora, not you, so it's a tough one to get through since it was never meant to be done by you.

Talk to the stained glass Flora in the grand ballroom

To get The Trial of Song going, you first need to talk with Flora in the grand ballroom since this is her Trial. She has a bit of advice for you, but not much to really help you navigate through it.

Find a way to position the dancer's shadows

The next step in solving this puzzle is finding a way to position the dancer's shadows. On the ledge near Flora overlooking the ballroom, there are two dancing statues you can move around. Interact with each dancer once to position their shadows in the central region onstage.

interacting with a dancer statue to move it in disney dreamlight valley
Screenshot by Destructoid

Arrange the instruments in the right spots

With the dancers in place, you can now head down the stairs near Flora to enter the main ballroom area, which is where you can start working on this puzzle. On either side of the stage, there are two scrolls for you to read. Each scroll gives you hints about where to place the dancers and instruments onstage.

  • The first scroll, which is the one on the left, says, "The piano's notes ring truest from this side of the stage. The harp and the cello work best when placed beside each other. One dancer ought to be between the cello and piano."
  • The second scroll, which is the one on the right, says, "The lute sounds best on this side of the stage. There ought to be a dancer between the lute and the harp."

With the positions of the dancers already set and these clues in mind, you need to open furniture mode and move each of the instruments where they belong. To do so, you must:

  • Place the piano on the left side of the dancer on the left.
  • Place the cello on the right side of the dancer on the left.
  • Place the harp on the left side of the dancer on the right.
  • Place the lute on the right side of the dancer on the right.

Correct puzzle placement for the instruments in disney dreamlight valley
Screenshot by Destructoid

Similar to the puzzles you faced during The Trial of Virtue and The Trial of Truth, the locations for each instrument are very precise and cannot be even slightly off if you want to finish this one. The dancer on the left is touching both of the shadows, but the dancer on the right is only in contact with the harp, which can make it a bit more confusing to solve.

Pick up the Cap of Song

With the puzzle now complete, head to the front of the stage you just set up to pick up the Cap of Song. Head back up to Flora to discuss your triumph and officially conclude The Trial of Song quest.

The post The Trial of Song quest walkthrough in Disney Dreamlight Valley appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Wednesday, July 9, 2025 3:17 PM
    

Disney Dreamlight Valley Trial of Truth

Disney Dreamlight Valley's Ink-Stained World quest is officially underway. Merryweather's Trial of Virtue taught us the importance of having high moral standards by helping a knight survive against a dragon, while the Trial of Truth focuses on cute animals.

How to start Fauna's Trial of Truth

After completing Merryweather's Trial of Virtue, you'll unlock access to the Trial of Truth, where you're met with a standoff between a lion and a bird. Much like the last room, your first goal in this case is to help the bird avoid getting hurt by the lion by using your furniture menu to move items around.

Disney Dreamlight Valley lion and bird puzzle
Screenshot by Destructoid

Once you enter your furniture menu, you'll zoom in on some mouse ears and two halves of a cage. Move the two cage parts around the bird so that it's enclosed inside and the mouse ears atop the lion's head. Doing this will complete the first half of the puzzle while making the lion look a little funny.

Rabbit meal recipe

Your next objective is to cook "the right meal" for a Pegasus and a rabbit. You can do this through a kitchen on the room's left side, opposite Fauna's glass. Both animals have different palette preferences, as revealed by two hints within the kitchen.

First, we have the hint for the rabbit, as detailed below:

"The rabbit likes a hearty meal. Four ingredients should do the trick. Simply refuses to eat anything with Barley, Wheat, Onion, or Rice."

Disney Dreamlight Valley enchanted meal for a Rabbit
Screenshot by Destructoid

Using the ingredient table in the kitchen, pick up a carrot, lettuce, cucumber, and tomato before tossing everything onto the nearby stove. Doing so will make a carrot salad for the rabbit to enjoy.

Pegasus meal recipe

Next, we have the pegasus' hint, as highlighted below:

"Prefers simple meals. Something with three ingredients ought to do! He refuses to eat anything with Tomato, Lettuce, Cucumber, Onion, or Rice in it."

Disney Dreamlight Valley enchanted meal for a Pegasus
Screenshot by Destructoid

The three ingredients you need are barley, wheat, and a carrot. Using these three in the cooking pot will give you a barley salad to give to the pegasus.

Once you're ready, return to the two animals and feed them their meals. They'll love it, rewarding you with the Sword of Truth. Claiming the Sword of Truth and talking to Fauna will complete the Trial of Truth, bringing you another step closer to finishing the Ink-Stained World quest.

The post The Trial of Truth quest walkthrough in Disney Dreamlight Valley appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Wednesday, July 9, 2025 2:47 PM
    

Venom Snake with a cigar in his mouth riding a bike in Metal Gear Solid 5.

Video game cutscenes have been around for decades, bridging the gap between interactive media and cinematography, often helping to expand the story and narrative and presenting it to the player in a more transformative and meaningful way.

However, cutscenes have generally gotten stale over the years, especially with the popularization of shorter, less engaging cutscenes, which do not significantly contribute to the narrative, which is nowadays relegated to more interactions and gameplay.

I think that's not such a great thing, and decided to explore the notion of why we need more good, cinematic, narratively and directorially dense cutscenes in games.

Games used to do cutscenes better

Two soldiers in military clothing holding weapons and pointing them to the side of the camera in Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
MGS2 has some of the best cutscenes in the history of video games, and it's nearly 25 years old. Image via Konami

Ever since I completed Death Stranding 1 and 2, I started thinking about the utilization of heavy cutscenes with interspersed gameplay. Not long after, I had come to realize that yes, indeed, cutscenes can and will enhance the narrative presentation of any given story-oriented game, but also that relying on them too much leans the game too much on the side of cinema, thus reducing its nature as a video game.

I then started going back into the past, the golden age if you will, and set myself to experiencing those games that, aside from their heavy cutscenes, also had some amazing gameplay as well.

This led me to Metal Gear Solid 1 and 2, two great, old games that utilized a ton of cinematic, heavily directed and edited cutscene content. Combined with their otherwise revolutionary gameplay, these titles provided the player with a very different, very engaging experience that draws them in via strong gameplay and rewards them with a strong story via cutscenes.

Both of these games offer interspersed cutscene content that, as I've noted, feels as if you've really accomplished something once it comes up.

You can easily be stuck for a couple of hours trying to navigate a hostile maritime base where, if you're spotted even once, you're pretty much done for as tides of enemies swarm your position. Incredibly smart enemy AI as well adds to the difficulty and the challenge, as well as to the notion that you're actually dealing with human enemies and not marionettes. Once you clear this challenge and have initiated a cutscene, which is beyond anything games had in those days, you feel rewarded and additionally engaged.

All the Metal Gear Solid games feature a ton of cutscenes, the fourth one especially, and all have been directed by Hideo Kojima, who genuinely seems to believe in the power of this medium when combined with strong gameplay.

Other than him, games like Warcraft 3, for example, utilized exceptional in-game cutscenes. This title had none of the pomp and cinematography of the Metal Gear Solid games, by no means, but still managed to significantly reduce the distance between the player and the game's world. Each time a cutscene played, you'd feel like you're finally on ground level, having come down from your high spot in the sky to really take in the world you're participating in. Cutscenes here also had content that was otherwise inaccessible during gameplay, making them, too, feel incredibly rewarding.

New games need more of them

Death Stranding 2 Sam Tar wall
Death Stranding 2 chose to focus more on gameplay than long cutscenes, which genuinely made it worse than the first game. Screenshot by Destructoid

One newer game that did rely heavily on cutscenes, and perhaps too heavily, was Quantum Break. Developed by Remedy and directed by Sam Lake, the studio's overall cinematographic vibes are being heavily tested in this game. After all, this is by no means Alan Wake 2 or Control with heavy postmodern design philosophies, but is nevertheless a unique and experimental experience.

The game is half a game and half a TV show, the story broken up into episodes with live-action cutscenes in between the gameplay moments. It, like the games I've mentioned before, does a masterful thing: it brings the player closer to the world being presented to them. Cutscenes remove the limitations of gameplay and allow for a story to take place and unravel right in front of you, which is something a lot of newer games could use.

Where things are lacking, particularly in these modern times, is the overreliance on in-game cutscenes and animation reuse to haphazardly create a "cutscene-like" experience that is severely limited by the very game. You do not use the same animations for gameplay as you do for cutscenes, and if you do, you're significantly limiting what you can do with a cutscene in general.

Take The Witcher 3, for example. All the animations in its "cutscenes" (the non-pre-rendered ones, which make up the majority) are reused from gameplay. This severely takes away from the experience of the cutscene, as seeing Geralt use an animation you've already seen him use in a completely different context just adds to the video-gamey vibes. No transformation is made, no gap is bridged. You still feel like you're in a game and are never brought any closer.

Hell, even GTA San Andreas had advanced animations for its cutscenes and rarely reused gameplay elements precisely to, even if for a little while, remove the video game from the equation.

Baldur's Gate 3, too, alongside the likes of Bethesda's titles, relies too heavily on interactions and dialogue, which serve the purpose of the cutscene. There are very few dedicated cinematic moments in these games, but when they do happen, they're some of the most memorable. Oversaturation is thus not the answer, but rather expanding and improving on them to make them feel like actual rewards, like they do in the games above.

Which brings me to my conclusion: we need more good video game cutscenes to transform the video game experience into something more tangible. While we can control the character and influence the world somewhat, we are only ever given a true glimpse of what we're playing via cutscenes.

We see places we cannot see in gameplay; we experience moments that are absent from the game; we are afforded a perspective completely different from the camera.

All this is made possible via a good, cinematic, transformative cutscene, and needs to make a grand return to gaming broadly, and not only feature in post-modern metafictional titles like Alan Wake 2 and Death Stranding.

What do you think, Destructoid? How significant are cutscenes, particularly in narrative-driven games? Should they feature more prominently with dedicated direction, animations, and cinematography? Let me know below.

The post Why we need more good cutscenes in video games appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Wednesday, July 9, 2025 2:44 PM
    

A character in a long purple and black dress standing by a fairy tale book on the ground in disney dreamlight valley

Trying to find Aurora feels like a never-ending quest in Disney Dreamlight Valley. You're finally close to actually meeting up with her, though, but one of the quests blocking your way asks you to find the pieces of the Fairy Tale book.

Since this is a scavenger hunt task that only gives you vague clues to work off, it's a decently tough one to get done. If this quest has you stumped, here's where to find the pieces of the Fairy Tale book in Disney Dreamlight Valley.

Search the Vale for the pieces of the Fairy Tale book in Disney Dreamlight Valley

Taking a picture with a red book on the ground by a windmill in disney dreamlight valley

There are two pieces of the Fairy Tale book you need to find during the A Hero of Ink and Paper quest. Both of them are hidden at specific spots around the Vale. You're given two clues to track them down and are told to look:

  • Near The Fallen Fortress's crumbling walls.
  • Near a windmill in Mythopia.

Near The Fallen Fortress's crumbling walls

The first piece of the Fairy Tale book can be found in the small nook near the left end of The Fallen Fortress Trial building. It's situated in the biome of the same name, so you need to head to Everafter to find this one.

This book is fairly close to the Trial entrance in the area. If you're looking right at the Trial portal after entering The Fallen Fortress, head left around the side of it to find the Fairy Tale book. It's a small blue book, but it's highlighted with sparkles to make finding it easier.

A blue book on the ground in a corner by some crumbling walls in disney dreamlight valley
Screenshot by Destructoid

Near a windmill in Mythopia

The second piece of the Fairy Tale book can be found up on the mountain near the north end of Mount Olympus in Mythopia. It's fairly close to the bridge that connects Mythopia to Everafter. You're looking for a small red book here, and it's also near a tan windmill covered in pink flowers.

A red book on the ground by a windmill in disney dreamlight valley
Screenshot by Destructoid

With both Fairy Tale books collected, you can head back to the Lorekeeper to progress to the next stage in this quest. There's still plenty to get done after you get this task done, like tackling the Ink-Stained World and The Trial of Virtue.

The post Where to find the pieces of the Fairy Tale book in Disney Dreamlight Valley appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Wednesday, July 9, 2025 2:44 PM
    

Disney Dreamlight Valley Trial of Virtue

During Disney Dreamlight Valley's Ink-Stained World quest, you'll find three trials that prove whether you're worthy of progressing through The Storybook Vale's storyline. One of them, the Trial of Virtue, will test your ability to help a lone knight fight against a dragon.

How to find the Dragon's flame and Knight's arm in Disney Dreamlight Valley

The first step to completing the Trial of Virtue is finding the dragon's flame and the knight's arm. Reassembling these two will initiate the second half of the puzzle. You'll find the dragon's flame in the same area as the two figures, while the knight's arm is hidden in a secret room.

If you're starting from Merryweather's glass, head down the nearby staircase and run to the back wall. From here, go directly right until you reach a training dummy with a red cape, some inkies, and the dragon's flame behind them. Clear the inkies away to collect it.

Disney Dreamlight Valley Dragon flame
Screenshot by Destructoid

Next is the knight's arm. Go back the way you came until you find two bookshelves against a wall near the dragon. Interact with them to reveal a hidden passageway in the wall. Enter it to find the knight's arm.

Disney Dreamlight Valley knight's arm
Screenshot by Destructoid

Once you have both items, reattach them to the dragon and the knight before starting the puzzle itself.

How to solve the Trial of Virtue puzzle in Disney Dreamlight Valley

Solving the Trial of Virtue requires going into Furniture mode and rearranging the knight and dragon. Looking at the back wall reveals three shadows, two of which are from these figures. The third is from the Shield of Virtue, which you're currently unable to move. With that in mind, we'll use the shield as a reference point.

Disney Dreamlight Valley Dragon and Knight shadows
Screenshot by Destructoid

Your goal is to create a scene where the knight blocks the dragon's attack. Position the knight so it's standing directly under and holding the shield. The dragon should be close to but not touching the shield. Your best bet for doing this is to move it so it's touching the shield, then shift it a tile or two to the right.

Once you place them in the right spots, collect the Shield of Virtue to complete the Trial of Virtue, bringing you one step closer to completing the "The Ink-Stained World" quest.

The post The Trial of Virtue quest walkthrough in Disney Dreamlight Valley appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Wednesday, July 9, 2025 2:24 PM
    

Disney Dreamlight Valley ink-stained world

There's more to Disney Dreamlight Valley's Storybook Vale than a few biomes. During Aurora's storyline, you'll dive into a tapestry and uncover various trials within it. Doing so directly leads to the Ink-Stained World mission, which branches off into multiple mini-quests.

Explore the Storybook World

Upon entering the tapestry, you'll enter a Storybook World with your display slightly veiled by a mist-like fog. You'll also find numerous inkies blocking the way to a series of puzzles. Clear them away and descend the staircase to reveal the main part of this area.

Disney Dreamlight Valley ink-stained world enchanted glass
Screenshot by Destructoid

While you'll have time to explore the area, your goal is to reach the back of the room, enter the door, and meet the three good fairies of Aurora's story. Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather will tell you about your current situation, including your next objective: collecting three enchanted gifts. Collecting these three gifts requires completing various trials led by the good fairies.

Complete Merryweather's Trial of Virtue

One of the three trials you'll face is the Trial of Virtue, represented by Merryweather. Here, you'll find a knight and a dragon fighting one another. Before you begin, speak with Merryweather to learn more about your objective.

It turns out that the knight and dragon are missing their arm and flame, respectively. You'll find the flame on the opposite side of the room behind some inkies. Head down the staircase and run toward the scarecrows in the room's back corner, closest to the knight. Clearing away the inkies will reveal the dragon's flame.

Disney Dreamlight Valley Dragon flame
Screenshot by Destructoid

The knight's arm is slightly trickier to find. Go to the other side of the room near the dragon. You'll spot two large bookshelves near the dragon that you can interact with to reveal a hidden room. Open this space and enter to find the knight's arm. Attach the arm and flame to the two figures.

Disney Dreamlight Valley knight's arm
Screenshot by Destructoid

The final part of this trial is getting the two to face off against one another. To do this, enter furniture mode and look at the wall's shadow. Using these shadows as a guide, move the knight so it is directly under the shield and the dragon so it is close to the shield. Make sure the flames don't touch the shield.

Disney Dreamlight Valley Dragon and Knight shadows
Screenshot by Destructoid

Once you have the knight and dragon in their correct spots, collect the Shield of Virtue before returning to Merryweather. You'll complete Merryweather's Trial of Virtue following a brief conversation, knocking out one of the three trials for the Ink-Stained World quest.

Complete Fauna's Trial of Truth

Next on the list is Fauna's Trial of Truth. While the last room had a valiant battle between a knight and a dragon, this one has cute animals instead.

During the first section of this trial, you'll find a puzzle that closely resembles the previous one. This time, there's a lion and bird shadow alongside two cage halves and a set of Mickey Mouse ears. Head into the Furniture menu and move the cave pieces so they surround the bird and the ears so they're on top of the lion's head.

Disney Dreamlight Valley lion and bird puzzle
Screenshot by Destructoid

Once you save the bird from the lion's fury, you'll have a new objective to cook food for a Pegasus and rabbit. Head into the kitchen on the room's left side. Here, you'll find an ingredient table, two scrolls containing info about their diets, and a stove.

The hint for the rabbit reads as follows:

"The rabbit likes a hearty meal. Four ingredients should do the trick. Simply refuses to eat anything with Barley, Wheat, Onion, or Rice."

Since there are only eight ingredients available on the table, this eliminates half of them, leaving you with the remaining four needed for the recipe. Grab lettuce, cucumber, tomato, and a carrot before using them on the stove to make a carrot salad.

Disney Dreamlight Valley enchanted meal for a Rabbit
Screenshot by Destructoid

Next is the Pegasus. Below is the hint for its meal:

"Prefers simple meals. Something with three ingredients ought to do! He refuses to eat anything with Tomato, Lettuce, Cucumber, Onion, or Rice in it."

Like before, this eliminates most of the ingredient options required for the recipe. We're left with wheat, barley, and a carrot to use in the dish, resulting in a barley salad to feed the Pegasus.

Disney Dreamlight Valley enchanted meal for a Pegasus
Screenshot by Destructoid

With both meals on hand, leave the kitchen and ascend the stage to find the two animals awaiting their food. Feed both to unlock the Sword of Truth. Now, you can head down and pick it up before returning to Fauna, wrapping up the Trial of Truth. That's two down and only one more to go.

Complete Flora's Trial of Song

Last but not least is Flora's Trial of Song. Although this is a room centered around music, you won't be playing any instruments. Instead, you'll help dancers enjoy it using a third shadow puzzle.

Your first objective is to find a way to position two dancers so their shadows appear in their correct spots. If you're still near Flora's glass display, turn around to spot two dancer statues. Interact with both to move their shadows closer to the wall's center and activate the puzzle.

Disney Dreamlight Valley dancer during the Trial of Song

Once you have the dancers in their positions, it's time to enter your Furniture menu again and move some instruments around. To make things easier, you can read two hint scrolls in front of the stage that reveal where to move each one. Below are both hints you'll find here:

"The piano's notes ring truest from this side of the stage. The harp and the cello work best when placed beside each other. One dancer ought to be between the cello and the piano,"

"The lute sounds best on this side of the stage. There ought to be a dancer between the lute and the harp."

Now that we have these two hints, we know that the piano needs to be positioned on the far left side of the stage while the lute is on the far right. From here, we can place the cello and harp based on each dancer's position. You'll see the complete display below.

Disney Dreamlight Valley Trial of Song answer
Screenshot by Destructoid

Once you complete the puzzle, you'll receive the Cap of Song as a reward. Pick it up before returning to Flora to complete the Trial of Song.

Finishing the Ink-Stained World quest

Now that you have completed all three of the Good Fairies' trials, you're ready to wrap up the quest and meet Aurora for the first time. Return to the entrance hall where you first met the three fairies to receive your Sword and Shield of Truth, the Cap of Song, and the Hero of the Vale Coat. Equip all three to unlock the door and venture forth.

Disney Dreamlight Valley hero clothes
Screenshot by Destructoid

As you scale the tower beyond the door, you'll eventually meet Aurora, who'll reveal more about yours and her current situation. Following a brief cutscene and conversation, you'll complete the Ink-Stained World quest, leading directly into The Tales That Bind.

The post The Ink-Stained World quest walkthrough in Disney Dreamlight Valley appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Wednesday, July 9, 2025 2:10 PM
    

Tyrese Haliburton in NBA 2K26 dribbling with the ball

NBA 2K26 is available for pre-order as of writing, and there's plenty to go through before you can confirm your purchase.

The pre-orders are now available for both PC and consoles, and come in three different editions. As usual, you can opt for only one edition based on your needs and budget. This year, some changes are being made to how advanced access works and the content of the three editions. But first, let's take a look at when the game will launch.

NBA 2K26 release countdown

There are two release dates you need to keep in mind. If you own the Standard Edition, you'll be able to start playing the game on September 4. There's no countdown as of writing, as the game will be following a midnight schedule based on your region. Once it's midnight where you live, you'll be able to play. There may be some changes for PC users, but both Xbox and PlayStation consoles will have a regional launch.

https://twitter.com/NBA2K/status/1942977519084544257

If you choose to either purchase the Superstar or the Leave No Doubt Edition, you'll get up to seven days of advanced access. Unlike the global launch, the advanced access begins at the same moment. To keep yourself updated with the exact time, you can use the following countdown (set in Chicago Time). Advanced access goes live on August 28, which is precisely a week before the full launch.


[hurrytimer id="1088924"]

  • 9am PT
  • 11am CT
  • 12pm ET
  • 4pm UTC
  • 5pm BST
  • 1:30am ACST (August 29)

NBA 2K26 editions and prices

NBA 2K26 is available in three editions. Let's look at their respective contents and prices.

Standard Edition ($69.99)

  • Standard Game

Superstar Edition ($99.99)

  • Standard Game
  • 100,000 VC
  • Early Access
  • 150 Skill Boosts (25 Games)
  • 75 Gatorade Boosts (25 Games)
  • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Cover Jersey
  • One 2-Hour 2XP Coin
  • Full Series 1 Team Selection
  • Triple Threat Park Free Agen Pack
  • 5 Series 1 Packs
  • One 2-Hour 2XP Coin (My Team)

Leave No Doubt Edition ($149.99)

  • Standard Game
  • 135,000 VC
  • Early Access
  • 150 Skill Boosts (25 Games)
  • 75 Gatorade Boosts (25 Games)
  • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Cover Jersey
  • One 2-Hour 2XP Coin
  • Full Series 1 Team Selection
  • Triple Threat Park Free Agen Pack
  • 5 Series 1 Packs
  • One 2-Hour 2XP Coin (My Team)
  • Season 1 Pro Pass
  • Summer Pass (Seasons 7-9 Pro Pass)
  • NBA 2K Puffer Jacket

NBA 2K26 pre-order bonuses

The pre-order bonus includes 10,000 VC, and that's universal for all editions.

The post NBA 2K26 release countdown, editions, pre-order benefits, prices, and more appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Wednesday, July 9, 2025 2:04 PM
    

Ronaldo as one of the best cards to use in EA FC 25 Welcome to Evolutions

The Welcome to Evolutions might have been released at an odd time in EA FC 25, but it's a great free option to improve one of your lower-rated items right before the FUTTIES season.

The new evolution is available to everyone for free, but you'll need to complete a simple objective to unlock the chance. Once done, you can use a card of your choice to receive the applicable upgrades. The upgrades include stat boosts, a hike in overall ratings, new playstyles, and roles.

There are plenty of good choices, so let's take a look at the best options.

EA FC 25 Welcome to Evolutions requirements

Here are the requirements for the Welcome to Evolutions in EA FC 25.

  • Overall: Max. 92
  • Position: ST
  • Max PS: 10
  • Max PS+: 3
  • Dribbling: Max. 98

EA FC 25 Welcome to Evolutions upgrades

The evolution has three upgrades.

Level 1 upgrades

  • Overall: +2
  • Pace: +2|94
  • Shooting: +3|94
  • Weak Foot: +1|4
  • PlayStyles: Chip Shot|9
  • Roles: False 9++

Level 2 upgrades

  • Overall: +1
  • Pace: +2|94
  • Dribbling: +2|92
  • Physical: +1|92
  • Skills: +1
  • PlayStyles: Trickster

Level 3 upgrades

  • Shooting: +2|94
  • Dribbling: +2|92
  • Physical: +1|92
  • PlayStyles+: Power Shot|3
  • Roles: Advanced Forward++

Level 1 upgrade conditions

  • Play 2 matches in any mode using your active EVO player in game.

Level 2 upgrade conditions

  • Play 2 matches in Rush, Rivals, Champions or Squad Battles on min. Semi-Pro using your active EVO player in game.

Level 3 upgrade conditions

  • Win 1 match in Rush, Rivals, Champions or Squad Battles on min. Semi-Pro using your active EVO player in game.

Best players to use in Welcome to Evolutions

Here are some of the best players to consider for this evolution.

  • Thierry Henry Immortals Icon
  • Ronaldo Winter Wildcards Icon
  • Alessandro Del Piero Immortals Icon
  • Kylian Mbappe
  • Gareth Bale Immortals Icon
  • Wayne Rooney Immortals Icon
  • David TOTS Highlights
  • Jamie Bynoe Gittens Future stars
  • Neymar Winter Wildcards

As an alternative, you can also use one of your evolution chains in this upgrade option.

The post Best players for EA FC 25 Welcome to Evolutions appeared first on Destructoid.


Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Wednesday, July 9, 2025 4:09 PM
    

A trailer was also released.

The post NBA 2K26 Officially Announced appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism.


Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Wednesday, July 9, 2025 2:35 PM

MonsterVine Wednesday, July 9, 2025 7:00 PM
     It's launch week for Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4, and the game is bringing more than just nostalgia and gnarly lines. Developer Iron Galaxy has detailed a major list of accessibility, customization, and quality-of-life improvements, all designed to make the remastered package even more inclusive and player-friendly from day one. In a new official overview […]