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Jul 11, 18:00


GamersHeroes Friday, July 11, 2025 12:26 PM
    

Nexon's free-to-play fantasy MMORPG Mabinogi has launched their new summer content update Arcana: Faith and Fury.

The post Mabinogi Arcana: Faith and Fury Update Now Available appeared first on GamersHeroes.


Kotaku Friday, July 11, 2025 5:25 PM
    

After yet another week of just the most ridiculous temperatures and humidity levels (particularly here in New York City), we arrive at, well, probably another two days of ridiculous temperatures. But who knows? Right now there's a nice breeze drifting in; it says 80 on my phone, a full 15 degrees cooler than some…

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Kotaku Friday, July 11, 2025 5:15 PM
    

Since the first Jurassic Park movie, we've received many video games inspired by the original film and its sequels. Most were bad. Some were fine. And a few were really good. And the best of them all, the excellent dinosaur park builder Jurassic World Evolution 2, is only $3 on Steam right now.

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Kotaku Friday, July 11, 2025 4:08 PM
    

Before Too Kyo Games released The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy, the tactical RPG/visual novel hybrid that is, in my opinion, secretly one of the dark horses for 2025 Game of the Year, co-creative director Kazutaka Kodaka had been pretty candid in saying that the studio needed the game to be successful, lest it…

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Kotaku Friday, July 11, 2025 4:01 PM
    

Mario Kart World may boast a bunch of character costumes to race around in or explore the free roam mode with, but it does forgo the vehicle customization from the previous game. Thankfully, some vehicles still have different color variations depending on who's driving. Let's break down every kart color available in Ma…

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Kotaku Friday, July 11, 2025 3:50 PM
    

2020's Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 didn't include a photo mode. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 fixes this mistake and includes the popular option, and as you'd expect, it's great for taking photos of your skater doing cool stuff. But it's also a very powerful tool that you should use to find goals, collectibles, and new…

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Kotaku Friday, July 11, 2025 3:30 PM
    

The abundance of characters and vehicles to race with is one of the great joys of Mario Kart World. Who wouldn't want to drive around as Baby Mario or grind some rails as a Dolphin riding on the identical-looking Dolphin Dasher? Not every character or kart is built the same, however. Vehicles perform differently…

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Kotaku Friday, July 11, 2025 3:10 PM
    

Last week, BioWare announced that Anthem, the studio's ill-advised loot shooter from 2019, would finally be sunset on January 12, 2026. This wasn't a surprise for anyone who had been paying attention, but for those who weren't, it was a shock that the game hadn't already been shut down years ago. Anthem was a tragedy…

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Kotaku Friday, July 11, 2025 2:45 PM
    

There's been an undercurrent of opinion, ever since Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 took audiences by surprise earlier this year, that the approach taken by the turn-based fantasy RPG is the cure for everything that ails Final Fantasy. It delivers an old-school take on the genre that's much less flawed than both Final…

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Kotaku Friday, July 11, 2025 2:14 PM
    

Between the large open world to the brand-new Rail and Wall Riding mechanics, Mario Kart World offers plenty to discover. One notable feature that isn't explained at all are the handful of giant vehicles you can briefly take over. It doesn't take long to figure out that driving into the large question mark opening on…

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Kotaku Friday, July 11, 2025 2:00 PM
    

I'm not sure heaven is real. But when I die, if there is a big oasis in the sky waiting for me, I'll be happy to meet up with old family and friends. And then I'll ask them where the room is that contains all the (good) Tony Hawk games. If heaven is truly paradise, a place where I'll be happy forever, I expect Tony…

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Kotaku Friday, July 11, 2025 12:20 PM
    

"This is a piss-poor excuse for a controller." That's how repair-focused YouTube channel iFixit starts its negative review of the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller. The repair and tech experts suggest the pricey controller is a "nightmare" to repair and contains hardware that will likely fail one day. And all of this…

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Kotaku Friday, July 11, 2025 12:11 PM
    

Sony's beloved rhythm strategy series, Patapon, is getting another lease on life with the Patapon 1+2 Replay collection. This bundle includes the first two games with updated features such as three difficulty levels, adjusting the timing of button presses.

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Kotaku Friday, July 11, 2025 12:10 PM
    

The first Ghost of Tsushima had a black-and-white option called Kurosawa Mode. The tribute to the legendary film director was meant to add a vintage aesthetic and heightened gravity to the samurai adventure's panoramic vistas and cinematic showdowns, to varying levels of success. To be honest, I don't think it worked…

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Kotaku Friday, July 11, 2025 12:02 PM
    

I still haven't booted up Deltarune, the follow-up to 2015's biggest surprise, Undertale, but even though I haven't played a second of it, I've found it hard to escape one part of it specifically: the music. I watch a lot of music reaction videos, and as such, the algorithm tends to feed me professional musicians…

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Kotaku Friday, July 11, 2025 10:30 AM
    

The mysterious firing of Subnautica 2 studio Unknown Worlds' founders earlier this month keeps taking unexpected turns, and the latest is that the veteran game developers are now suing publisher Krafton over the dismissals, which occurred with a $250 million payout on the line. Caught in the apparent crossfire is the…

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Kotaku Friday, July 11, 2025 10:22 AM
    

Sometimes you have to remind your diehard fans to be chill around the talent, and that's just what Umamusume: Pretty Derby is doing after the horse girl gacha game has become a viral sensation. The game depicts real-life race horses as reincarnated high school student racers, and now that those horses are gaining new…

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PCGamesN Friday, July 11, 2025 5:00 PM
    

Project Zomboid's cars are fickle, treacherous machines that always seem to break down at precisely the worst moment. You need a vehicle - once you've picked clean your starting neighborhood and have designs on the big army surplus store in Doe Valley, four wheels and an engine become essential. But a lethal collision never feels far away and mechanical failure is inevitable. My car died in Louisville once. My base was in southern Muldraugh. That was a long walk. As Project Zomboid build 42 rolls on and The Indie Stone launches successive, game-changing updates, one new, car-focused mod makes the entirety of Knox Country feel more alive and real.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best indie games, Best survival games, Best zombie games

PCGamesN Friday, July 11, 2025 3:35 PM
    

July 11, 2025: We've corrected the reward for the ADVENTURESTREAM code.

What are the latest Black Desert Online codes? Since its graphical overhaul, BDO has seen a new lease of life. Not only does the MMO have one of the best character creators in the genre, but Black Desert Online's fantasy world is a thrill to explore, and it's full of complex mechanics for combat, trading, and diplomacy. All this can be intimidating for new players, but there's a way to get a head start.

If you want helpful rewards for Black Desert Online, one of the longest-running MMO games, then you've come to the right place. These BDO codes give rewards such as Memory Fragments, Cron Stones, Enhancement Kits, and more. All of these items are handy for your next session, so we've also detailed ways you can redeem them without being logged into the game.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Black Desert Online guide, Best MMORPGs, Free MMOs

PCGamesN Friday, July 11, 2025 3:00 PM
    

Dungeons and Dragons rules the roost when it comes to tabletop RPG universes, but Pathfinder isn't far behind these days. While there are plenty of great DnD videogames out there already, the younger Pathfinder is still finding its feet in that department. At Summer Game Fest, I got a chance to try out the next game in the series, and it's shaping up to be the best yet. Pathfinder Abomination Vaults takes the isometric RPG action of its predecessors, enhances the buildcrafting experience, and gives it full co-op support. While I can't foresee it toppling the DnD-aligned Baldur's Gate 3 from its throne, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Abomination Vaults and was impressed with its flexible approach to co-op play.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best co-op games, Best RPGs, Best fantasy games

PCGamesN Friday, July 11, 2025 1:30 PM
    

If you've ever wondered what an MMORPG version of Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 would look like, wonder no more, because Credenzio Studios' Lionhearts looks like it'll answer that question. This persistent medieval open-world sim blends historical strategy with large-scale multiplayer battles, and has already reached its Kickstarter campaign goal.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best medieval games, Best MMORPGs, Best multiplayer games

PCGamesN Friday, July 11, 2025 1:06 PM
    

July 11, 2025: We're on the hunt for new Mugen codes ahead of a potential weekend patch.

What are the new Mugen codes? The next in a long line of anime-inspired Roblox games is taking the player-made games platform by storm. Get a head start or catch up to your friends in a jiffy with this list of limited-time redeemables before they're replaced with fewer and fewer goodies as time goes on.

Looking for other popular games to grind on the platform? Check out the latest Blox Fruits codes to jump into a mainstay, or Attack on Titan Revolution codes if you're after a slight change of pace. And if you want something massively different, try Grow a Garden codes instead.

Continue reading Mugen codes July 2025
MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Roblox games, Roblox promo codes, Roblox music codes

PCGamesN Friday, July 11, 2025 1:00 PM
    

2024 was packed with delights, from the all-conquering Balatro to the bombastic Helldivers 2, and even Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree. But Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess was my favorite surprise of the year, a true throwback to developer Capcom's older days and the era of Okami, Onimusha, and Viewtiful Joe. It's just turned one year old, and a special anniversary update includes an 8-bit gift, along with the additional note that it's removed Denuvo anti-tamper.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best action games, Best strategy games, Best single-player games

PCGamesN Friday, July 11, 2025 1:00 PM
    

July 11, 2025: We've added a new free Bingo Blitz credits link.

What are the new free Bingo Blitz credits? You won't be playing much bingo without them, that's for sure. Even if you've exhausted your usual free credits in Bingo Blitz through login rewards and premium subscriptions, the secret to playing another round is through our Bingo Blitz credits links.

New Bingo Blitz free credits links work in much the same way as Monopoly Go dice links. One click and your account is automatically topped up with credits ready to be used on multiple rounds or one big blow-out session with multiple cards. The choice is yours.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Bingo Blitz credits, Best card games, Best PC board games

PCGamesN Friday, July 11, 2025 12:39 PM
    

The Western soulslike Tombwater's Lovecraftian aspects were enough to intrigue me when it was first announced earlier this year, but now the developers have revealed the sheer size of the game, enough to rival the likes of Red Dead Redemption 2, and I am even more invested and impressed. Going one better, you can check out a piece for yourself on Steam for free now.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best indie games, New PC games, Best PC games

PCGamesN Friday, July 11, 2025 12:36 PM
    

How do you earn easy high scores in THPS 3+4? To become the pro skater you were always meant to be, you're going to have to learn how to rack up huge high scores. After all, every level features a high score and combo score challenge, so it's worth knowing how to make these goals that much easier.

Early on in your skateboard game career, you're going to run into challenges like how to grind the molten bucket, and how to nosegrind around the horn, goals that are more confusing than difficult. Earning easy high scores in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 will be difficult at first, but once you know the trick to building your multiplier, you'll breeze through every one of these goals.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: How to unlock all characters, How to nosegrind around the horn, How to wallplant

PCGamesN Friday, July 11, 2025 12:32 PM
    

How do you make cash fast in THPS 3+4? While the act of skateboarding is free, at least in THPS, if you want to expand your selection of skaters, unlock a host of new cosmetics, and an FX pack or two, you'll need a lot of money. You can pick up the bundles of cash floating around each level, but this will only get you so far.

You will naturally accrue cash by playing through Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4, provided you can overcome the devilish challenges. Things like nosegrinding around the horn and saving Painter Neal can put a halt to proceedings if you aren't quite sure what you're doing. Luckily for you, we have guides on both.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: How to unlock all characters, How to nosegrind around the horn, How to wallplant

PCGamesN Friday, July 11, 2025 12:29 PM
    

If you've never played Rimworld, it's a hybrid and monstrous mix of sandbox games, spontaneous stories, and tough survival, fueled by warped twists and turns. Set in the outer fringes of space, where chaos breeds even more chaos, Ludeon's colony sim is already endlessly replayable, and now it's gotten even bigger with the new Odyssey DLC. If you want to give it a shot, even though it's only just been released you can already get Rimworld Odyssey at a big discount.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: The best Rimworld mods, The best games like Rimworld and Dwarf Fortress, RimWorld multiplayer guide

PCGamesN Friday, July 11, 2025 12:28 PM
    

July 11, 2025 We checked for the latest AFK Journey codes.

Looking for new AFK Journey codes? Redeeming free items is the best way to stay ahead of the curve without upsetting your wallet, especially in gacha-driven fantasy RPGs like AFK Journey. These redeem codes can help you stay competitive with the best team compositions, clear the story without issue, and reap the rewards of the PvP leaderboards. We've found and tested every code released by developer Farlight to find out which ones are active or expired.

The AFK Journey redeem codes often reward you with valuable in-game currency like AFK Journey Diamonds and Gold, which are required to pull on gacha banners and build the best characters in the AFK Journey roster. We also recommend checking out our in-depth AFK Journey tier list to ensure you're spending your freebies wisely in the anime game. Now that you're all set, here are the AFK Journey codes waiting to be redeemed.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: AFK Journey tier list, AFK Journey codes, AFK Journey reroll

PCGamesN Friday, July 11, 2025 12:26 PM
    

Cutting corners on parts for your gaming PC, whether it's during your initial build or on a quick repair job, is always a recipe for bad news. This gamer found out the hard way, with this Nvidia graphics card well and truly destroyed following a PC blowout, melting the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 Ti graphics card's backplate in the process.

As our best graphics card guide shows, Nvidia continues to be the dominant power when it comes to the GPU market, but that doesn't mean it hasn't had some bad press of late, with melting RTX power cables becoming a PR problem. While that doesn't look to be the problem here, the end result is the same: a gamer with a very wrecked PC.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 review, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 review, Best graphics cards

PCGamesN Friday, July 11, 2025 12:26 PM
    

July 11, 2025: We added a new Reverse 1999 code and moved several to expired.

What are the new Reverse 1999 codes? If you're making a start in Bluepoch's strategic RPG, you're probably burning through essential resources at a worrying rate. It's tough going in the early game while you're still finding your feet, so we've compiled all the active Reverse 1999 codes you could need for free clear drops, dust, and much more.

Reverse 1999 is another anime gacha game available on mobile and PC, joining the likes of Genshin Impact and Honkai Star Rail in the competitive genre. If you're torn between playing them all, we've got Genshin Impact codes and Zenless Zone Zero codes, too, but this guide has all the latest Reverse 1999 codes for your alt-history 20th-century Timekeeper needs. Codes aren't enough to get you through those tricky battles, so be sure to check out our Reverse 1999 tier list featuring the best characters.

Continue reading Reverse 1999 codes July 2025
MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Reverse 1999 codes, Reverse 1999 tier list, Best anime games

PCGamesN Friday, July 11, 2025 12:23 PM
    

July 11, 2025: We added one new Etheria Restart code to our list below.

What are the new Etheria Restart codes? As is standard practice with gacha games these days, Etheria Restart is overflowing with free items, upgrade materials, and banner currency locked behind promo codes. Lucky for you, we've carefully combed through the usual haunts to find them all, so you can redeem them before they expire.

Etheria Restart is the new anime turn-based RPG on the block, and with so much to offer right out of the gate, you're probably looking for the fastest, cheapest, and easiest way to skip the gacha grind. Etheria Restart redeem codes can give you the freebies you need to pull the best characters on our Etheria Restart tier list, and build your favorites to make them more powerful than ever. Here are all the Etheria Restart codes to redeem right now.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Etheria Restart codes, Etheria Restart tier list, Best multiplayer games

PCGamesN Friday, July 11, 2025 12:33 PM
    

July 11, 2025: More new Basketball Zero codes are here for the Uncle Sam update.

What are the new Basketball Zero codes? Stemming from a collaboration with the original owner of smash-hit Roblox sports game Blue Lock Rivals, the legendary developer is now letting you shoot hoops with anime icons big and small.

If Roblox is your main source of play, do consider checking out our Blue Lock Rivals codes, Volleyball Legends codes, or Anime Rangers X codes guides. We check more than 100 of the most popular Roblox games for new codes constantly, helping to ensure there's always a steady stream of freebies to grab while you wait for your favorite titles to update.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Roblox games, Roblox promo codes, Roblox music codes

PCGamesN Friday, July 11, 2025 12:00 PM
    

Frostpunk 2 mods already provide dozens of essential tools for improving and expanding 11bit's grueling city-building game. Take 'Deeper Deposits' by 'ImSamhel,' or the ongoing 'Political Overhaul' project from 'Hevi,' which introduces more laws, parties, and functions to Frostpunk 2's bureaucracy system. Like Cities Skylines 2, Civilization 7, Manor Lords, and the other titans of the building and strategy genre, FP2 needs a vibrant modding community to thrive. In recognition of that, 11bit has just launched a gigantic new competition where the greatest Frostpunk 2 mod creators can win a $10,000 top prize or one of several AMD Radeon RX 7700 GPUs.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best city-building games, Best survival games, Frostpunk 2 review

PCGamesN Friday, July 11, 2025 11:49 AM
    

The next Path of Exile 2 update, which will also mark the beginning of the third league for the new ARPG, has a date. Following several months of disruption as it got PoE 2 up and running, developer Grinding Gear Games has now returned to its intended schedule, which will see both Path of Exile games running simultaneous, alternating seasons. With the original's Secrets of the Atlas update in the books, it turns its attention to the newcomer, confirming the PoE 2 Season 3 start date.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Path of Exile 2 builds, Path of Exile 2 classes, Path of Exile 2 quests

PCGamesN Friday, July 11, 2025 12:18 PM
    

How do you unlock all characters in THPS 3+4? We know Bam Margera returns to THPS 3+4 after a last-minute shake-up, but he doesn't appear in the initial skater list. The same goes for some other classic characters, all hidden behind locked slots in the character selection screen.

Among the best skate games of all time, THPS 3+4 are back in one delicious bundle, with a partly new but equally incredible soundtrack, new levels, and a huge roster of skaters. Whether you're desperate to shred as Officer Dick again or want to unlock Bam Margera right away, here's how to get all the secret THPS 3+4 characters.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: How to unlock all characters, How to nosegrind around the horn, How to wallplant

PCGamesN Friday, July 11, 2025 11:32 AM
    

While Hobbits might enjoy an easy rural living, the Tales of the Shire system requirements demand a lot of work from your gaming laptop or PC for what looks like an otherwise cozy farm sim. If nothing else, it's considerably more demanding than its biggest rival: Stardew Valley.

Tales of the Shire appears to be Stardew Valley with a Lord of the Rings spin in 3D. Unfortunately, that's where the comparisons end, as the Tales of the Shire requirements call for an old entry from our best graphics card buying guides at the recommended specs, and even that isn't guaranteed to get you solid performance on 1440p or higher resolutions.

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

PCGamesN Friday, July 11, 2025 11:12 AM
    

AMD's newest CPU tech isn't ready for prime time just yet, but that doesn't mean the rumor mill isn't already in full operation. New rumors about next-gen AMD Ryzen gaming CPUs have just been leaked, and while the chipmaker hasn't confirmed the details, they point to an evolution, rather than a full-scale redesign.

No doubt about it, a lot of attention will be focused on how well these AMD chips perform when the company is ready to release its new Zen 6 architecture. The company has dominated our best gaming CPU guide in recent years, thanks in no small part to the ability of its 3D V-cache tech to significantly outperform the Intel competition when it comes to gaming performance.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Ryzen 7 9800X3D review, Best gaming CPU, Radeon RX 9070 XT review

PCGamesN Friday, July 11, 2025 11:11 AM
    

The Dead By Daylight system requirements are no way near as scary as the huge library of killers, both licensed and original, that asymmetrical multiplayer game has built up over the past nine years.

You've never needed any of the best graphics card picks from our epic buyers guide to run Dead By Daylight, with the system requirements calling upon hardware that is at least 10 years old. However, as is the case in any game, the better your gaming PC, the further you can push your gaming PC for improved in-game performance.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: DBD killer tier list, Best horror games, DBD codes

PCGamesN Friday, July 11, 2025 10:52 AM
    

How do you bury the bully in THPS 3+4? One of the earliest goals you have to complete in THPS 3+4 is stopping the act of bullying. A noble cause, but one that needs a bit of figuring out before you can achieve it, as simply riding into the bully won't do - you have to bury him instead.

Canada in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 has a couple of head-scratchers, with the nosegrind around the horn being a sticking point for many new players. You're not yet into the flow of figuring out the puzzles in the skateboarding game, and it can be a frustrating experience to ride around aimlessly.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: How to unlock all characters, How to nosegrind around the horn, How to wallplant

PCGamesN Friday, July 11, 2025 10:52 AM
    

You can kick back and relax when it comes to the Stardew Valley system requirements, which demand about as much from your hardware as it does from you. Just about any PC or laptop that still draws breath should be able to get you up and running in this legendary pixel farming sim.

Stardew Valley certainly doesn't require anything close to the best graphics card from our buying guide. So long as your computer turns on, you have a pretty good shot at getting stuck into rural farming, romance, mining, and more in one of the best relaxing games of all time. Even after numerous free updates, the developer ConcernedApe has kept the requirements lean, so much so that it barely takes up any storage space.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Stardew Valley multiplayer, Stardew Valley realism, The best Stardew Valley mods

PCGamesN Friday, July 11, 2025 10:51 AM
    

The Monster Hunter Wilds event quests for arch-tempered monsters will be made permanently available as Capcom responds to one of the most pertinent complaints around its new action RPG. Aside from the ongoing performance issues, which have been met with a widespread MH Wilds Steam review bomb, concerns around FOMO (fear of missing out) due to limited-time events are one of the game's most commonly discussed negatives. Thankfully, this issue will be mitigated very soon with the launch of the summer event Festival of Accord: Flamefete.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Monster Hunter Wilds armor, Monster Hunter Wilds weapons, Monster Hunter Wilds review

Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Friday, July 11, 2025 12:18 PM
    

Bestest best roguelite city builder Against The Storm is getting invaded by bats. Not the kind that swoop and screech and dive around your car in New Games Journalism articles that lean a bit too obviously on Hunter S. Thompson - bless our hearts, we've all done it - but the kind who labour at the forge and rejoice when their colleagues crumble and may even drive other workers out in order to make themselves feel better.

On the whole, I think I prefer the Fear and Loathing variety. Anyway, here's the trailer for Against the Storm's second DLC expansion, Nightwatchers, which will release on PC via Steam, GOG, Epic Games Store and the Microsoft Store on July 31st.

Read more


Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Friday, July 11, 2025 11:43 AM
    

Big piratey thing Sea of Thieves will be getting custom servers as part of a paid subscription service in "early 2026", developers Rare have announced during a first-ever community direct for the game. That's far from all of the studio's plans, with wider shakeups also in the pipeline.

This outlining of plans to make sure the good ship SOT is not only seaworthy, but can successfully broadside the many other vessels competing for its players' attention comes with some depressing and un-piratey context. It follows Rare being one of the studios affected by Microsoft's mass layoffs earlier this month, with Everwild being among the number of in-development games cancelled as part of the cuts.

Read more


Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Friday, July 11, 2025 11:37 AM
    

Having taken a Dilophosaurus to their Dennis Nedry-esque plans for AI-generated scientist portraits in Jurassic World Evolution 3, Frontier are back to talking about a more wholesome form of generation - dinosaur sex. The game's latest trailer is a brief glimpse at the new breeding features, which allow you "to synthesise male and female variants, each with visible dimorphism" and have them do the ole horizontal tango "to shape the traits and markings of future generations." Please close the curtains before clicking play.

Read more


Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Friday, July 11, 2025 10:35 AM
    

Capcom are fine-tuning the live service of livestock-murdering game Monster Hunter Wilds by making the Arch-tempered monster hunts a permanent fixture, rather than time-limited seasonal content quests. It's a bid to address the FOMO element that has dragged the game down to an Overwhelmingly Negative Steam user review consensus, though there are other things to blame for that, such as dodgy performance.

Read more


Twinfinite Friday, July 11, 2025 2:35 PM
    
Find the latest Rogueblox codes right here.

Siliconera Friday, July 11, 2025 6:00 PM
    

Death Stranding 2 Sam Nendoroid Comes With Dollman

Good Smile Company shared an update on the Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Nendoroid of Sam Porter Bridges, and the prototype included a tiny Dollman figure on his waist. There's no release window for him yet. However, since it is in a painted state, it is possible we could see pre-orders open in the next few weeks.

The Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Nendoroid of Sam involves a number of elements based on his appearance from the latest game, including the little Dollman figure. He's wearing his typical porter outfit. Lou's BB pod is attached to his chest, with the surface darkened. He's carrying some cargo in his right hand. Dollman is attached to his waist. An Odradek is attached to his back. 

Here's the photo of the current version of the prototype. It seems like the Dollman figure attached to Sam might not be completely finished yet, as the Death Stranding 2: On the Beach character doesn't have any facial features painted on in this example.

Good Smile Company also made a Nendoroid of Sam Porter Bridges based on his original Death Stranding appearance. Two versions appeared. It dubbed the more expensive one the Great Deliverer Version, due to the fact it came with additional packages to load up on his back, a hood, and sunglasses. As both are out of print, it will likely be quite expensive if you find it somewhere online like Amazon or eBay.

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is available now. There's no word yet on when the Nendoroid based on Sam will appear.

The post Death Stranding 2 Sam Nendoroid Comes With Dollman appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Friday, July 11, 2025 5:00 PM
    

VShojo Co-Founder Leaves VTuber Company VShojo Director of Talent Departed the Vtuber Company

VShojo Director of Talent Panini left the Vtuber company in July 2025. On July 10, 2025, a statement appeared on the former staffer's official social media account. No specific reasons were mentioned as a cause for the departure.

The statement from Panini noted this move happened after starting at VShojo in 2022 and spending three years with the Vtuber organization working with talent and eventually being director of talent. It also noted an intention to keep working in this sphere as a consultant or as management on individual projects. However, Panini did note anyone interested in her services would need to wait for a response and services for a "couple of weeks."

Here is the full message from Panini going over the move and what will happen next:

https://twitter.com/paninimgmt/status/1943430041398055007

Multiple current and past members of VShojo responded to Panini's statement, as did other Vtubers and individuals in the sphere. Among the performers sharing well wishes were Ironmouse, Henya, Geega, Shylily, AmaLee, CyYu, Buffpup, and Sayu Sincronisity

This is one of multiple notable VShojo departures to come up in 2025, as both Vtubers and individuals in executive and management positions left. Chief Marketing Officer and Co-Founder Phillip "MowtenDoo" Fortunat left in May 2025. That month is also when Matara Kan parted ways with the company. Two other performers who left within the last few weeks are Geega and Zentreya

The post VShojo Director of Talent Departed the Vtuber Company appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Friday, July 11, 2025 4:00 PM
    

Hatsune Miku Hugs a Haro in New Gundam Figure Prototype

Back in March 2025, MegaHouse confirmed a Lucrea Hatsune Miku Gundam figure that would pair her with a 00 Gundam Haro. Only concept art by Ixy appeared at that time. Now the company took to social media to reveal the prototype for the upcoming item.

The current design resembles the Ixy art almost exactly. Hatsune Miku is hugging a Haro that has accessories on its head that resemble hers while looking at whoever is watching the two of them. A keyboard is imbedded in the ground by her right foot, and a sword is forced into the stand near her left foot. She sits on top of a number of CRT style monitors. The flowers from the original art aren't shown on the stand in this prototype.

Here's a close-up look at the unpainted prototype of this figure side-by-side with the original Ixy concept art used for its creation.

In another photo MegaHouse shared, it is shown on display with the other Lucrea figure in this collaboration. That features the Vocaloid with a Wing Gundam Zero-inspired look.

There are multiple figures and elements to this Gundam x Hatsune Miku Anniversary Special Project. Another will be a Banpresto Evolve figure of the Vocaloid with the RX-78-02 Gundam. That one will debut in Japan in December 2025. However, the prototype of it is on display at the Ikebukuro GiGO in Japan now.

There is no release window for the Gundam x Hatsune Miku Lucrea figure of her with a Haro yet. Pre-orders are expected to appear in 2025, according to initial announcements.

The post Hatsune Miku Hugs a Haro in New Gundam Figure Prototype appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Friday, July 11, 2025 3:00 PM
    

Fantasy Life i Tops Switch Game 2025 Download Rankings so Far

Nintendo Japan shared the Switch game download rankings for the first half of 2025, and the most popular title ended up being Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time. The list consisted of the top 30 most popular games in the region. It only took into account sales made between January 1, 2025 and June 30, 2025.  [Thanks, Game Watch!]

Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time debuted worldwide in May 2025. The ranking here only applied to the Switch version of the game. It didn't include the Switch 2 sales figures. It is one of 10 2025 releases in the top 30. 

Here are all of the top 10 Switch games that topped the 2025 download rankings list in Japan for the first half of the year. All of them are titles that are available worldwide.

  1. Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time
  2. Super Mario Party Jamboree
  3. Tamagotchi Plaza
  4. Minecraft
  5. Urban Myth Dissolution Center
  6. Animal Crossing: New Horizons
  7. Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition
  8. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
  9. Donkey Kong Country Returns HD
  10. Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics

As for the other new 2025 releases that made it into the top 30 Switch games downloaded, all of them also appeared in every region. Deltarune Chapters 1-4 appeared in 12th place. Saga Frontier 2 Remaster took the 19th spot. Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma is ranked 22nd. The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy ended up being 26th. Finally, the Suikoden 1 and 2 HD Remaster found its way into 28th place.

As a reminder, Suika Game topped the 2024 Switch Download Ranking.

Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time is available on the Switch, Switch 2, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC worldwide.

The post Fantasy Life i Tops Switch Game 2025 Download Rankings so Far appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Friday, July 11, 2025 2:00 PM
    

Haru Urara 'If You're Happy and You Know It' Umamusume Video Debuts

As part of the promotions for the Umamusume: Pretty Derby game, anime, and other projects in Japan, Cygames updates its official YouTube with shorts and videos starring characters and hosts Gold Ship's PakaTube site and social media. This can also involve featured clips of other characters. Following the global launch of the Umamusume game, Cygames updated with a video of underdog racer Haru Urara singing "If You're Happy and You Know It."

In the Umamusume new video, Haru Urara sings "If you're Happy and You Know It" in Japanese. She starts by humming the tune. Then, she breaks into the first verse. This is performed complete with clapping at the designated parts.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/YzykDK-U218

Haru Urara is a one-star unit in Umamusume. Everyone gets her after starting the game. She's one of five free characters given out to new players and one of the best early options for Dirt track racers. Aside from her appearance singing "If You're Happy and You Know It," there are no other YouTube Shorts starring Haru Urara on the official Japanese channel. (You can check in the future for more of her videos there by searching for "ウララ" or "ハルウララ."

It isn't uncommon for brief clips of Umamusume characters singing popular songs to come up. When the movie Top Gun: Maverick released, Mayano Top Gun was used in part of the promotional material. While the official video is privated, that character performed part of "Danger Zone" with Gold Ship as part of PakaTube. 

You can watch a copy of that video from ウマウマ動画制作局 on YouTube below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wQlhou9CUQ

Kenny Loggins, the artist behind "Danger Zone," also responded to that performance, but that video has been made private as well. Copies of it have appeared online, one of which you can see on Precious Grain's channel:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tfWqxGdsU0

Umamusume: Pretty Derby is available on PCs and mobile devices. The original anime is on Crunchyroll, and Cinderella Gray is on Amazon.

The post See the Haru Urara 'If You're Happy and You Know It' Umamusume Video appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Friday, July 11, 2025 1:00 PM
    

Archer and Saber Have No English Voice Acting in Honkai: Star Rail

Now that the Fate series crossover is live in Honkai: Star Rail, a message in-game reminded people that there are no English voice actors for Archer or Saber. At the moment, there is no voice acting for them at all if someone selected that language option. The option to hear Japanese voice actors will come in 3.5. This also comes alongside a confirmation that Archer performs his full, 40-second long Unlimited Blade Works Incantation when performing his Ultimate.

The reminder about the absence of English voice acting for Archer and Saber comes up as a notification in Honkai: Star Rail. That noted that the Chinese, Japanese, and Korean localizations are all present instead. If you go into the News and Notices section or check HoYoLab, it also brings up the audio absences and noted the 3.5 version will let you choose their Japanese voice overs under Voice in the Profile section of Character Details. 

As for the Archer Incantation, it's now one of the longer speeches that happens before a character Ultimate in Honkai: Star Rail, and it can be about a 40-second long speech. Here's a video from Xafrel that showed it in Japanese, Korean, and Chinese.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGUjtTB2ZdQ

Honkai: Star Rail is available for the PS5, PC, and mobile devices, and the Fate series crossover based on Fate/stay Night Unlimited Blade Works runs until the end of 3.6.

The post Archer and Saber Have No English Voice Acting in Honkai: Star Rail appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Friday, July 11, 2025 12:00 PM
    

Atelier Ryza Secret Trilogy Deluxe Pack Includes Switch 2 Debut

Koei Tecmo announced the Atelier Ryza series is returning with a Secret Trilogy Deluxe Pack that will bring the three games to platforms it previously appeared on and the Switch 2 for the first time. It will launch in 2025. There will be new and old content, and Gust will go over details in a livestream at 5am PT/8am ET/9pm JST on August 4, 2025.

The announcement confirmed this Atelier Ryza Secret Trilogy collection will include the games Ever Darkness and the Secret Hideout, Lost Legends and the Secret Fairy, and Alchemist of the End and the Secret Key. The initial reveal teased new allies will be present. The first trailer for this collection started with Ryza acting as a teacher in front of a group of kids, then acting as a narrator as footage from all three games played. It also seemed to perhaps include a Serri tease.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xl1f4aYkfSU

We do know some details about this release, though! All DLC will be included, which happened with past pack releases in the series. The official website also addressed the issues of physical copies. In Japan, Atelier Ryza Secret Trilogy Deluxe Pack will be digital-only for the Switch 2 and PC versions. The US and UK English sites says it will only be sold digitally for all platforms.

Atelier Ryza Secret Trilogy Deluxe Pack will bring all three games to the Switch, Switch 2, PS4, PS5, and PC in 2025, and the showcase discussing it will air worldwide at 5am PT/8am ET/9pm JST on August 4, 2025.

The post Atelier Ryza Secret Trilogy Deluxe Pack Includes Switch 2 Debut appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Friday, July 11, 2025 11:00 AM
    

New Honkai: Star Rail and Zenless Zone Zero Nendoroids Teased

Good Smile Company announced and shared updates on seven Honkai: Star Rail Nendoroids and two Zenless Zone Zero figures. In the case of the Zenless Zone Zero characters, both are in the unpainted prototype phase. Progress on the Honkai: Star Rail Nendoroids is more mixed and includes both older characters and members of the Chrysos Heirs.  

Both of the Zenless Zone Zero Nendoroids are of characters who are part of factions tied to government organizations. Hoshimi Miyabi is a Hollow Special Operations member who is part of Section 6. She'll come with her weapon. Seth Lowell is a Criminal Investigation Special Response Team Member, and his figure will come with his shield.  

Here's how both of those look so far:

In the case of the seven Honkai: Star Rail Nendoroids, only four unpainted prototypes appeared. The only older character in the bunch is Kafka. The Herta, the five-star version of Herta, Hyacinthia (Hyacine), and Phainon are the others. The Herta, Hyacine, and Phainon are all shown with their respective weapons, and Hyacine will also include her Memosprite Little Ica. 

The initial prototype photos for all four appeared:

Some of the Honkai: Star Rail Chrysos Heirs figures are so early in development that there are no pieces of concept art or prototypes yet. These are Anaxagoras (Anaxa), Castorice, and Mydeimos (Mydei).

This comes after pre-orders for other HoYoVerse series characters appeared. Earlier in July 2025, Good Smile Company started selling the Koleda Belobog and Grace Howard Pop Up Parade SP figures and a Harumasa Asaba Nendoroid. 

Honkai: Star Rail is available for the PS5, PC, and mobile devices. Zenless Zone Zero is out on the PS5, Xbox Series X, PC, and mobile devices.

The post New Honkai: Star Rail and Zenless Zone Zero Nendoroids Teased appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Friday, July 11, 2025 10:00 AM
    

Yoshitaka Amano involved in Resident Evil Survival Unit

Yoshitaka Amano, the Japanese artist best known for his works in the Final Fantasy series, is involved in the development of Resident Evil Survival Unit. The official website for the upcoming mobile game revealed that the artist designed an original creature named Mortem.

This collaboration is made possible by another familiar name to the Final Fantasy community: Shinji Hashimoto. As a reminder, Hashimoto is no longer affiliated with Square Enix after he reached the mandatory retirement age in May 2022. However, that did not mark a complete end to his career, as he joined Sony Music Entertainment's ForwardWorks right after in June 2022.

In October 2024, Hashimoto moved to Aniplex, which is also another subsidiary of Sony Music. This eventually led to his appearance in the Resident Evil Survival Unit announcement video as the mobile game's executive producer. Aniplex is primarily working together with the Korean company JoyCity to develop this title, with Capcom supervising the whole process. This video also showcased JoyCity's finalized render of Yoshitaka Amano's original creature, Mortem.

Mortem rendered in Resident Evil Survival Unit
Image courtesy of Capcom and Aniplex

Shinji Hashimoto explained the involvement of Yoshitaka Amano in Resident Evil Survival Unit via an interview with Famitsu. The former noted in the interview that the two had been long acquainted since his previous tenure, without even directly mentioning Square Enix and Final Fantasy. Hashimoto also stated his desire to make a surprise by asking Amano to design a pure villain for this Resident Evil mobile game.

The interview also revealed that Amano gave JoyCity much freedom to convert his creature design. Hashimoto added that Amano eventually approved the final render with a "that's cool" statement. The executive producer is also preparing another surprising collaboration for the mobile game, which will appear in 2026 or later.

Resident Evil Survival Unit will launch worldwide for Android and iOS mobile devices in 2025.

The post Yoshitaka Amano Worked on Resident Evil Survival Unit appeared first on Siliconera.


Destructoid Friday, July 11, 2025 3:09 PM
    

A woman holding a gun in World War 1 in Battlefield.

Battlefield 6, EA's next game in the long-standing series, might get an open beta soon, according to a dataminer. The long-awaited game could put wind in the franchise's sails, which have been all but ripped to shreds following the horrible launch of BF2042. But I just hope it equals BF1.

As reported by Insider Gaming, the very phrase "Battlefield 6 open beta" appeared in the files of the Battlefield Labs, showing quite clearly that EA is at least planning to launch something of the sort. There are no other details regarding this potential open beta, but let's not pretend like it wouldn't do a lot of good to the franchise if it came out.

Battlefield 2042 Season 1
BF2042 ruined the franchise. BF6 can bring it back. Image via EA

Ever since the launch of Battlefield 2042, the series has been on a downward trajectory. No matter how many cool concepts the game introduced, and how much EA tried to fix its many shortcomings (which honestly was not that much), 2042 remained a generally bad game. It did go on frequent sales for as little as a couple of bucks, which did help it find a lot of players over the years, most of whom probably never stuck to it and went back to actually the best Battlefield game—that is, BF1.

That semi-realistic World War 1 setting, graphics, and gameplay are the epitome of the Battlefield formula. EA never managed to recreate its vibes nor achieve the visual fidelity it had, which has primarily to do with the company's abandonment of photogrammetry, but that's beside the point.

All that matters is that EA rebounds with this new game, whose open beta, I hope, will reach the levels of the 2016 Battlefield 1 open beta on Sinai. That was the first major new game I played on my first strong PC. Hell, I even had ambitions of becoming a YouTuber because of how much in awe I was with the gameplay, which goes to show how impactful even a sneak peek can be.

So, EA, please don't mess this up.

The post A dataminer spotted that Battlefield 6's open beta is on the way—I just hope it's as good as Battlefield 1's appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Friday, July 11, 2025 2:58 PM
    

VVD as one of the best cards for Mister Clean Sheet Evolution in EA FC 25

The Mister Clean Sheet Evolution is one of the best valued upgrade options available in EA FC 25 if you're looking to upgrade your defense without spending too much.

Released on the opening night of FUTTIES, this evolution allows you to upgrade one of your CBs with new playstyles, roles, and stat boosts. Let's take a look at the best possible options for this evolution based on the upgrades offered.

EA FC 25 Mister Clean Sheet Evolution requirements

Here are the requirements of the Mister Clean Sheet Evolution in EA FC 25.

  • Overall Max. 95
  • Position CB
  • Max PS 10
  • Max PS+ 4

EA FC 25 Mister Clean Sheet Evolution upgrades

There are five levels of upgrades, and here are the requirements.

Level 1 upgrades

  • Overall: +7|97
  • Pace: +12|92
  • Defending: +16|97
  • Agility: +8|83
  • Composure: +12|90
  • PlayStyles: Quick Step|8
  • Roles: Defender++

Level 2 upgrades

  • Passing: +4|91
  • Jumping: +8|92
  • Reactions: +12|90
  • Weak Foot: +4
  • PlayStyles+: Quick Step|4
  • PlayStyles: Anticipate

Level 3 upgrades

  • Aggression: +8|90
  • Ball control: +12|92
  • Strength: +15|95
  • PlayStyles+: Anticipate|4
  • PlayStyles: Intercept, Long Ball Pass|8

Level 4 upgrades

  • Skills: +3|4
  • PlayStyles+: Intercept|4
  • PlayStyles: Pinged Pass, Jockey|8
  • Roles: Stopper

Level 5 upgrades

  • Balance: +8|83
  • Stamina: +10|92
  • PlayStyles+: Pinged Pass|4
  • PlayStyles: Technical|8
  • Roles: Ball-Playing Defender++

Level 1 upgrade conditions

  • Play 1 match in any mode using your active EVO player in game.

Level 2 upgrade conditions

  • Play 1 match in any mode using your active EVO player in game.

Level 3 upgrade conditions

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

Level 4 upgrade conditions

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

Level 5 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 Mister Clean Sheet Evolution

Here are some of the best players to use in this evolution.

  • Vanja Milinkovic-Savic Flashback
  • Benjamin Pavard Fantasy FC
  • Jan Vertonghen End of an Ea
  • Dan Burn TOTS HM
  • Virgil Van Dijk FUT Birthday
  • Kim Min Jae TOTS HM
  • Aurelien Tchouameni Fantasy FC
  • Mohamed Simakan TOTS
  • Harry Maguire FUT Birthday

Your club's evo chain candidates can provide unique solutions exclusive to your Ultimate Team squad.

The post Best players for EA FC 25 Mister Clean Sheet Evolution appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Friday, July 11, 2025 2:11 PM
    

A raised platform in a factory in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4.

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 is finally available for everyone to enjoy. The remade classics offer a ton of maps, challenges, and difficult tricks, now in higher resolution and with some refinements.

One challenge on Foundry's list of Pro Goals is Double Kickflip the Stop the Presses Gap. It is equally difficult and obscure, as the platform required to pull it off needs specifics to come up from the ground. So, here is how you can complete this challenge and be one step closer to fully mastering the Foundry park.

Double Kickflip the Stop the Presses Gap - THPS3 guide

Tony Hawk grinding on the edge of a ramp in a factory in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4.
It is important that you have a charged-up special meter and jump off the platform at the very end. Screenshot by Dot Esports

To complete this challenge, you first need to unlock it. To access these Pro Goals, as they're called in the game, you must first clear the entire Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 roster of goals, on every map, across both games. This means doing just about everything there is to do in the game, including secrets. Once you do so, you will have unlocked the Pro Goals section on each Park in THPS 3 + 4, allowing you to 100 percent them.

Now, once Double Kickflip the Stop the Presses Gap is unlocked, you need to do the following to achieve it:

  • Once you spawn, hold X/A and immediately go to the back of the arena. I recommend following either the left or right catwalks and their railings, as you can grind them to charge up your special meter (a crucially important aspect of this challenge).
  • Once you're back there, you'll need to grind the rails and achieve Round the Bend, which will prompt the necessary platform to come up.
  • When the platform is raised (the one just prior to the Molten Bucket pit), you'll need to grind on its side and pull a double kickflip after jumping off.
  • To perform this pair of tricks, stop your skater and aim for the ramps next to the platform. Hold X/A to gain max speed and jump off the ramp and onto the platform, pressing Triangle/Y to grind on its side.
  • At just the end of the grind, use X/A to jump off, and then hold left and tap Square/X twice to pull off a double kickflip. If you stick the landing, you will have completed this difficult challenge.

It goes without saying that Double Kickflip the Stop the Presses Gap is one of the more tedious and challenging Pro Goals in Foundry, requiring a ton of skill and precise timing to be pulled off.

The post How to Double Kickflip the Stomp the Presses Gap in Foundry – Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Friday, July 11, 2025 1:57 PM
    

Milinkovic-Savic as one of the best players to use in EA FC 25 Driven Prodigy Evolution

The Driven Prodigy Evolution marks the start of FUTTIES celebrations in EA FC 25, and it's a terrific upgrade option to get a defensive reinforcement in your squad.

The latest evolution isn't only free to get, but the offered boots are amazing. Your chosen card can go up to an overall rating of 96, along with new stats and playstyles. This guide will help you to settle down on the best possible choices for this evolution.

EA FC 25 Driven Prodigy Evolution requirements

Here are the requirements for the Driven Prodigy Evolution in EA FC 25.

  • Overall: Max. 94
  • Max PS: 10
  • Max PS+: 4

EA FC 25 Driven Prodigy Evolution upgrades

The evolution has three upgrades.

Level 1 upgrades

  • Overall: +1|96
  • Acceleration: +8|93
  • Agility: +4|96
  • Vision: +5|94
  • PlayStyles+: Tiki Taka|4
  • PlayStyles: Quick Step

Level 2 upgrades

  • Balance: +6|94
  • Long Passing: +6|97
  • Short Passing: +6|96
  • Sprint Speed: +7|94
  • PlayStyles: Long Ball Pass, Relentless|8

Level 3 upgrades

  • Overall: +1|96
  • Reactions: +4|96
  • Composure: +5|94
  • PlayStyles+: First Touch

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

  • Play 3 matches in Rush, Rivals, Champions, or Squad Battles on Min. Semi-Pro using your active EVO player in game.

Best players to use in Driven Prodigy Evolution

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

  • Vanja Milinkovic Savic Flashback
  • Ciro Immobile Shapeshifters
  • Adam Wharton Showdown
  • Granit Xhaka Shapeshifters
  • Stanway TOTS HM
  • Khephren Thuram TOTS Highlights
  • Patrick Vieira FUT Birthday Icon
  • Johny Cardoso RTTF
  • Jan Vertonghen End of an Era
  • Aurelien Tchouameni Fantasy FC

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

The post Best players for EA FC 25 Driven Prodigy Evolution  appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Friday, July 11, 2025 1:54 PM
    

The Sims 4: Businesses and Hobbies key art

The latest expansion for The Sims 4, Enchanted by Nature, has been enchanting its characters a bit unnaturally in the process. And it's not the first time this has happened.

The error is making Sims pregnant, whether or not they participated in a steamy "Woo-Hoo" session, and it's affecting just about everybody. That's right, even male and child Sims are being hit with the pregnancy bug.

Two fairies smiling at each other next to The Sims 4 logo, one who is tiny and flying with wings and one who is regular Sim sized and has orange hair
Image via EA

The bug could be written off as silliness if not for the fact that Sims are unable to age while pregnant, which is a bit of an issue if you have a youngster and are looking to age them up through gameplay. Sims can't even take a pregnancy test either with the bug, so it's a bit of a mess.

Some players are reporting that repairing the game's files works to fix the issue, but players on console unfortunately do not have that luxury and are stuck with impregnated Sims, whether they wanted them or not, until a fix is deployed.

The funny or sad thing about this whole fiasco is that it's not the first time this has happened, even in 2025 alone. A patch this past February was somehow giving child Sims adult body types, thus swelling them up and making them look pregnant.

But as a recent Reddit post detailed, the game is registering kids as pregnant and are thus unable to do things like blow out the candles of their birthday cake and make a wish, stunting their growth. So, this bug seems worse than the one from earlier in the year.

It appears that The Sims 4 is still playable for now, but players whose saves are affected by the bug may have to report their issues on the forums and hope for an update, lest they stay stuck faux-impregnated forever.

The post Knocked Up 2: Birthing Boogaloo – Sims 4 players again experiencing bug that's making everyone pregnant, even men and kids appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Friday, July 11, 2025 1:35 PM
    

Survivors and killers standing over each other in Dead by Daylight.

Dead by Daylight, being an online-only live-service game, can and will suffer from connection issues from time to time.

One of the most notorious problems is Error Code 8012, produced by network disruption from either your or Behaviour's end. Sometimes, even a third party can be to blame. So, here's how you can try to resolve this nuisance of an issue.

DBD Error Code 8012, explained

A teddy bear lying on a filthy floor in a strange room in Dead by Daylight x The Walking Dead.
Online-only games tend to suffer from network issues occasionally. Image via Behaviour Interactive

Dead by Daylight's 8012 Error Code literally means that something isn't allowing the game to connect to its servers. This, of course, can be caused by myriad issues, from network outages on your machine to the game's servers being busted completely.

However, it's most frequently tied to Steam, meaning that if something is awry on Valve's end, the game will not be playable until it's resolved. This is because the game integrates Steamworks, a network hosting system provided by Valve that integrates the games on its platforms with Steam itself (and thus, its servers). If you encounter Error Code 8012, chances are that Steam's servers are down, either for maintenance (every Tuesday afternoon CDT) or because of some issue.

To check Steam's status, you can utilize SteamDB's SteamStat service, which is quite effective at tracking Steam's servers per region. Most recently, on July 11, Steam had a zero percent activity due to a brief server crash, leading to many DBD players being unable to log into their favorite game.

If Steam is up and you're still suffering from connection issues, try these steps:

  • Verify game files - On Steam, right-click on DBD, then go to Properties. Then, open Installed Files, and click on Verify integrity of game files. This will detect corrupted files and re-download them, perhaps resolving the issue for you.
  • Allow the game through the firewall - If DBD is being blocked from connecting to the internet by your firewall, it'll likely throw up the 8012 Error Code. To resolve this, navigate to the Windows Defender Firewall and click on Allow an app or feature through Windows Defender Firewall. Click on Change Settings at the top-right and press Yes if prompted. Then, select Allow another app, browse, and navigate to DBD's executable. Press Add and try to launch the game again.
  • Reinstall the game - Completely removing the title and installing it again could help resolve this issue.
  • Restart your router - Network instability might be causing your connection to crash and disallow you from accessing DBD's online services. Try restarting your router to see if it resolves itself.
  • Contact your ISP - If all else fails, there might be a bigger problem with your internet that only your ISP could resolve.

The post How to fix Dead by Daylight Error Code 8012 appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Friday, July 11, 2025 1:16 PM
    

Ronaldo Lima in EA FC 25 celebrating after scoring a goal

The FUTTIES Best of Re-Release Batch 1 players are now available in EA FC 25, and you can pack over 120 special cards in Ultimate Team.

All these cards have had their team releases in the earlier months, and they're also available on the market. However, you will be able to obtain them now from the packs once again (including both store packs and the ones in your collection). Let's take a look at the full list of cards that are part of the first batch of the re-release.

Complete list of EA FC 25 FUTTIES Best of Re-Release Batch 1 players

The table below has information about all the Batch 1 cards, along with their promos and overall ratings in EA FC 25.

Player Promo Overall
Sams FUT Birthday 88
Pululu Dreamchaser 88
Alex Scott Winter Wildcards 88
Dante NumeroFUT 88
Luuk De Jong NumeroFUT 88
Kenny Dalglish Winter Wildcards 88
Moreno Dreamchaser 88
Luciano Acosta FUT Birthday 88
Anthony Semenyo FUT Birthday 88
Jota FUT Birthday 88
Hugo Bueno Dreamchaser 88
Rachel Daly Grassroot Greats 88
Zanotti Dreamchaser 88
Giovanni Di Lorenzo Grassroot Greats 88
Mpanzu Grassroot Greats 88
Stephen Mandanda FUT Birthday 88
James Maddison NumeroFUT 88
Neymar Total Rush 88
Antonio Nusa FUT Birthday 88
Vanderson NumeroFUT 88
Vicario Grassroot Greats 88
Doorsoun FUT Birthday 88
Nemanja Vidic Winter Wildcards 88
Matej Vydra Dreamchaser 89
Steven Gerrard Ultimate Succession 89
Petrovic Fantasy FC 89
Gwinn TOTY HM 89
Guessand Fantasy FC 89
Taylor Future Stars 89
Theo Hernandez Track Stars 89
Gregor Kobel Ultimate Succession 89
Milos Kerkez Future Stars 89
N'Golo Kante Globetrotters 89
Pepe Reina FUT Birthday 89
Milito Winter Wildcards 89
Lucas Beraldo Future Stars 90
Sarr NumeroFUT 90
Endler NumeroFUT 90
Balde NumeroFUT 90
Lionel Messi Total Rush 90
Jordan Pickford NumeroFUT 90
Mohamed Salah Total Rush 90
Carlos Tevez Winter Wildcards 90
Nistelrooy Centurions 90
Frank Lampard Future Stars 90
Carles Puyol Winter Wildcards 90
Phillip Lahm Ultimate Succession 90
Jill Roord NumeroFUT 90
Sami Al Jaber Immortals 90
Sancet Fantasy FC 90
Mathys Tel Fantasy FC 90
Alexia Putellas Total Rush 91
Tim Howard Fantasy FC 91
Joao Neves Future Stars 91
Luis Figo Future Strs 91
Kyle Walker Numero FUT 91
Florian Wirtz Winter Wildcards 91
Lenny Yoro Future Stars 91
Ronald Araujo Grassroots Greats 91
Luis Hernandez Immortals 91
Ledley King FUT Birthday 91
Jamie Vardy Grassroot Greats 91
Fabio Carvalho FUT Birthday 91
Eden Hazard Winter Wildcards 91
Emmanuel Petit FUT Birthday 91
Bradley Barcola Future Stars 92
Alexis Mac Allister Grassroots Great 92
Phil Foden Thunderstruck 92
Antoine Griezmann NumeroFUT 92
Benjamin Pavard Fantasy FC 92
Marvin Schwabe TOTS 92
Babajide Fantasy FC 92
Federico Valverde TOTY Honorable Mentions 92
Pedro Bigas Rigo TOTS 92
Sam Kerr Globetrotters 92
Eli Junior Kroupi TOTS 92
Caroline Hansen Centurions 92
Antonio Rudiger TOTY Honorable Mentions 92
Smolarek Birthday 92
Marcus Rashford Thunderstruck 92
DaMarcus Beasley Immortals 92
Sonya Bompastor Immortals 92
Joe Cole Fantasy FC 92
Rafa Leao NumeroFUT 92
Homare Sawa Winter Wildcards 92
Rivaldo Winter Wildcards 92
Jairzinho Winter Wildcards 92
Emilio Butragueno FUT Birthday 92
Gary Lineker FUT Birthday 92
Paulo Dybala Grassroots Greats 93
Caroline Hansen Winter Wildcards 93
Erling Haaland Trailblazers 93
Kenny Dalglish Winter Wildcards 93
Foudy Grassroots 93
Gianfranco Zola Immortals 93
Cafu TOTY 93
Jairzinho Immortals 93
Camille Abily Immortals 93
Steven Gerrard Immortals 93
Carolin Simon TOTS 94
David De Gea TOTS 94
Rafa Leao FUT Birthday 94
Aitana Bonmati FUT Birthday 94
Bobby Charlton Fantasy FC 94
Georges Fantasy 94
Jude Bellingham Trent Alexander-Arnold 94
Trent Alexander Arnold TOTS 94
Aurelien Tchouameni Fantasy FC 94
Federico Valverde Dreamchaser 94
Joshua Kimmich Dreamchaser 94
Laurent Blanc Immortals 94
Patrick Vieira Birthday 94
Lilian Thuram Dreamchaser 94
Eusebio TOTY 95
Walsh Fantasy FC 95
Erling Haaland FUT Birthday 95
Sophia Wilson FUT Birthday 95
Khadija Shaw TOTY 95
William Saliba TOTY 95
Robert Lewandowski Dreamchaser 95
Mohamed Salah Dreamchaser 95
Cristiano Ronaldo TOTY 95
Ronaldo Winter Wildcards 95

Additionally, you can also pack all the FUTTIES Team 1 cards and the Greats of the Game items. The latter is a special promo that includes only Hero and Icon items. FUTTIES Team 1 includes some amazing cards, highlighted by 99-rated Pele, Mbappe, and Yamal.

The post All EA FC 25 FUTTIES Best of Re-Release Batch 1 players appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Friday, July 11, 2025 12:36 PM
    

Tyrese Haliburton in NBA 2K26 dribbling with the ball

NBA 2K26 is coming to PC and consoles in September, and it will have crossplay and cross-progression, albeit with certain limitations.

The upcoming basketball game will have two different versions for old-gen and current-gen systems. The availability of crossplay will be based on which generations of platforms you plan to use. Cross-progression, on the other hand, will depend on the family of platforms being used, rather than their generation.

NBA 2K26 crossplay, explained

As I mentioned earlier, there will be two versions of NBA 2K26. Gen 9, which is applicable for next-gen consoles, will be available on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and the Nintendo Switch 2. Crossplay is available on the Gen 9 version, not for all applicable platforms.

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

Players on the PS5 and the Xbox Series X|S will be able to enjoy crossplay with each other. There will be a feature to disable crossplay if anyone chooses to opt out of it. Although PC and the Nintendo Switch 2 will have Gen 9 features, crossplay won't be available. This also means that PC players can match up with or against users on the PS5 and the Xbox Series X|S. The same rule also applies to those playing on the Nintendo Switch 2 and those on the older-gen consoles of PlayStation/Xbox.

NBA 2K26 cross-progression, explained

Unlike crossplay, cross-progression will be decided by the platform being used. Those on the PlayStation consoles will have a shared wallet/VC on both PS4 and PS5. The PS5 version also comes with Dual-entitlement, which makes you the owner of both old and current-gen editions of the game.

The same rule also applies to those opting for the Xbox Series X|S version. You can enjoy the same wallet/transfer your VC between your Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One versions. If you're playing on both PC and consoles, there's no sharing of wallet. You'll also have to own NBA 2K26 separately on both platforms, and in-game progression will be different as well.

The post NBA 2K26 Crossplay and Cross-Progression, explained appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Friday, July 11, 2025 12:19 PM
    

A woman wearing Japanese robes and a straw hat and holding a katana in her hand in Ghost of Yotei.

Ghost of Tsushima was one of the most beautiful and engaging games on PlayStation when it came out, easily ranking among Sucker Punch Studio's best.

Its success, of course, warranted a proper sequel, and Ghost of Yotei, set later in history on the island of Hokkaido, aims to provide a new and equally stunning Japanese historical experience. It is also just around the corner, so here's everything we know regarding Ghost of Yotei's exact release date and time.

Ghost of Yotei release date countdown

As was announced during the July 10 State of Play, Ghost of Yotei will launch on Oct. 2 this year. Sucker Punch's upcoming narrative-driven game is aiming for a PlayStation-only release initially, with a port likely to come some time after the fact. The exact region-specific release times have not been revealed yet, so our counter below will target Oct. 2 at midnight CDT.


[hurrytimer id="1090050"]

Ghost of Yotei is not a direct sequel to Ghost of Tsushima. It is thematically and aesthetically connected to the game and shares much of its gameplay features with Sucker Punch's first title. However, it is its own story, set over three centuries after the first game's narrative—1603 to be exact.

Thus, technology is more advanced and the landscape much different, especially as Ghost of Yotei is set on the island of Hokkaido, then called Ezo. The protagonist is also different and on the path of vengeance, strikingly different from Jin's samurai-code-influenced quest to save his island from the enemy.

The post Ghost of Yotei countdown: Exact release date and time appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Friday, July 11, 2025 11:51 AM
    

Standing with Maleficent on a stone bridge in disney dreamlight valley

Although Maleficent and Hades put aside their differences to help you save the Vale, it seems like their feud isn't actually over. During the Rekindling the Fire quest, you'll have to deal with further issues between the two.

This task involves a bit of mystery and a scavenger hunt, so navigating through it can be fairly tricky. If you're struggling to get this one done, here's how to complete Rekindling the Fire in Disney Dreamlight Valley.

How to complete Rekindling the Fire in Disney Dreamlight Valley

Hitting and breaking a greek column in disney dreamlight valley
Screenshot by Destructoid

To complete the Rekindling the Fire quest, you need to figure out what Hades is up to, search for Maleficent's missing orb, and attend Flynn's art show. There are many more steps throughout this tricky quest, though, so here's a full breakdown of everything you need to get done.

Remove Hades' Greek columns from around Maleficent's Castle in Everafter

Hades vandalized Maleficent's area, so your first task is to remove 10 Greek columns from around Maleficent's Castle in Everafter. All of the columns are situated just in front of the stone bridge leading to her castle. You can get rid of them by equipping your Royal Pickaxe and swinging at each one. Once you're done, chat with Maleficent about what to do next.

Visit the largest pond near the Teapot Falls

Maleficent thinks her missing orb might be located by the largest pond near the Teapot Falls, so head over to this region in Everafter to search for it. The largest pond is the one with the massive tea cups pouring into it near the northeast end of the biome. Walk over to the end of the pathway leading up to the pond, close to the Trial entrance, to progress to the next step.

Dig up the White Feather

Standing by White Feather in ground in disney dreamlight valley
Screenshot by Destructoid

Instead of an orb, you'll find a White Feather in a digging spot close to the edge of the pond. Equip your Royal Shovel, locate the digging spot with a Whtie Feather sticking up out of it, and dig the strange item up.

Show the White Feather to villagers to figure out who it belongs to

You're not sure what happened to Maleficent's orb, but if you can figure out who the White Feather belongs to, you might be able to track it down. There are a few characters around the valley who could have dropped the feather, including:

  • Donald
  • Daisy
  • Scrooge McDuck

If you want to hear all of the quest dialogue, meet with these three characters in the order they're listed above. If you'd rather skip the extra chats and just get it done, head straight to Scrooge McDuck since the feather belongs to him.

Find the buried orb near the end of one of the curved staircases in the Bind

Orb buried by staircase in disney dreamlight valley
Screenshot by Destructoid

Scrooge McDuck took Maleficent's orb and buried it in the ground because it's a powerful dark magic item. He's not sure of the exact location where he left it, and the only clue he has is to look near the end of one of the curved staircases in the Bind.

You can find the orb in a digging spot near the staircase on the east side of The Bind. It's a small green circle just barely peeking out of a dirt mound. Equip your Royal Shovel to dig it up. Chat with Maleficent once you have it to return her lost object.

Bring the Bag of Gems to Flynn

Maleficent has another task for you, and it's to deliver a mysterious Bag of Gems to Flynn. Track him down around the valley and chat with him to pass this item over and figure out what's going on.

Follow Flynn to see his "art"

The Bag of Gems is required for some "art" Flynn is making, so follow him to see what he's working on. He'll lead you over to the very eastern edge of The Statue's Shadow biome in Mythopia by the Trial entrance, so if you lose him at any point, just teleport over there to progress the quest.

Enter the Trial area to see Flynn's "art"

Head through the portal in the middle of the area to enter the Trial and check out the "art" Flynn is creating. Once you're inside, walk down the stairs to find Flynn and Hades arguing on the lower level.

The "art" Flynn was making turned out to be caricature drawings of Hades commissioned by Maleficent. Listen as Flynn and Hades talk about it, then interact with this duo to chat about how you can fix the situation.

Take a picture of Flynn's "art"

Taking a picture with hades and hades drawings on the ground in disney dreamlight valley
Screenshot by Destructoid

The first step is to assess the damage Flynn has done, so you need to take a picture of one of Flynn's drawings. Any of the drawings of Hades will work, but it's best to choose one of the bigger ones so there's a better chance for it to register, since photo tasks are sometimes glitchy.

Clean up Flynn's "art"

Equip your Royal Watering Can and use it to remove all five drawings Flynn made. Targeting the drawings is a bit tricky on this part, so just keep walking around each one until you see a slight white tint appear on them. As soon as you do, the drawing is aimed at, so you can wash it away.

There are three large drawings down on the level where Flynn and Hades are hanging out. The other two are smaller and can be found upstairs, near where you came into the Realm. Once all five have been cleared, head back down the stairs to chat with Hades and Flynn.

Watering a drawing of hades in disney dreamlight valley
Screenshot by Destructoid

Go inside Hades' house to see what Maleficent is plotting

The "art" show was a disaster, so head over to Hades' house to see what Maleficent is actually up to. His house is located wherever you previously chose to place it upon inviting him to the valley. Once you're there, talk to Maleficent and Hades. Unfortunately, their feud has been reborn, so you need to leave his house before things escalate any further. Chat with Maleficent one last time to officially conclude the Rekindling the Fire quest.

The post Rekindling the Fire quest walkthrough in Disney Dreamlight Valley appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Friday, July 11, 2025 11:46 AM
    

Happy weekend, Destructoid. I have a lot of plans this weekend myself, so let's dive into this one to talk about what our plans are for gaming ahead of some mammoth releases in the next couple of weeks.

It's a pretty good spread of games this time, with a handful of new releases across multiple systems available, as well as some fan-favorites making a return. So there is something for everyone here, depending on your likes and dislikes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Od6GRg0GhRc&ab_channel=PlayStation

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4, plus College Football 2026, are some of the big hitters this week, with both having been launched on early access before eventually coming out later on. Both these games serve a wide niche of players and are pretty fantastic, so there are two offerings to look into.

On to one of the weirder picks, though, we have the game taking over Steam right now with Umamusume: Pretty Derby. The gacha anime waifu horse riding game has been getting some insane numbers to the point I've been slightly tempted to check it out. I remember seeing this game during countless trips to Japan I've made in the past, so it's wild to see it out in the West and doing well.

Another few anime Gacha games are also Blue Archive and Persona5: The Phantom X, but I think I'll give these a miss myself.

As for what I'm playing this weekend. I plan to dust off my old Nintendo 64 and play some Donkey Kong 64 ahead of Donkey Kong Bananza's launch next week. I need to remind myself what the game was like ahead of DK's first big outing in over 20 years. I can't wait!

But enough about that. What are you all planning to pick up and play? Let me know in the comments below and also, let me know about some upcoming games the next couple of months you are really excited for so I can put it on my radar!

The post What are you playing this weekend, Destructoid? July 12-13 appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Friday, July 11, 2025 11:37 AM
    

Jean Grey Marvel Rivals

Finding time to game as a college student while also managing a full course load and social life can be difficult, so NetEase Games wants to buff its student gamers with some freebies.

Marvel Rivals players can gain access to special perks like unique costumes in the game if they sign up for the College Perks program, using an applicable student email address to wear skins like Spider-Man's from No Way Home, or Scarlet Witch's from Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

Read on below for all the details on how to obtain your College Perks in Marvel Rivals.

What are College Perks in Marvel Rivals?

Marvel Rivals College Perks skins
Screenshot by Destructoid

College Perks in Marvel Rivals gives bonuses to players who are currently enrolled in a university and have a college email address to prove it. Signing up for College Perks gives you limited time trial access to these skins and their MVP animations (season three):

  • Captain America - Avengers: Infinity War
  • Cloak & Dagger - Twilight Duo
  • Invisible Woman - Malice
  • Jeff the Land Shark - Incognito Dolphin
  • Moon Knight - Lunar General
  • Scarlet Witch - Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
  • Spider-Man - Spider-Man: No Way Home
  • The Thing - Trench Coat
  • Thor - Lord of Asgard
  • Winter Soldier - Blood Soldier

How to unlock College Perks in Marvel Rivals

Screenshot by Destructoid

To unlock College Perks in-game, here's what you need to do.

  • Open up Settings by clicking the cog wheel icon in the top right of the main menu screen.
  • Select Community.
  • Select College Perks.
  • Select Details.
  • Select Go Verify.
  • Enter your student email address.
  • Select Get Verification Code.
  • Enter the verification code you received in your student email.
  • Select Verify.

For this to work, your email must be found on the list of academic email domains supported by the program. For example, any .edu email in the United States will work, but some schools may not be supported yet. However, NetEase says you can request it be added by utilizing in-game support.

You can request that your school be added by accessing Customer Support from the Settings menu, and providing your country/region, full university name, and student email domain.

The post How to get Marvel Rivals College Perks appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Friday, July 11, 2025 11:17 AM
    

A bunch of patapon characters, all of which are small and circular with one eye, gathered around a camp at night with a few torches providing light

Over 15 years after their initial release, PATAPON 1 and PATAPON 2 are back in the PATAPON 1+2 REPLAY bundle, and they're better than ever. Both games were already solid, but the small improvements and touch-ups included here give them new life in a repackaged format that puts them back in the spotlight again.

Mastering combat through the power of rhythm

Patapons fighting in patapon with the commands displayed
Screenshot by Destructoid

Both PATAPON games follow you, the leader of Papaton, as you command an army that only responds to sound. You must master an array of commands to seize victory, so each battle is a blend of strategic timing and melodic sounds. 

Staying on beat is crucial for success, but so is knowing when to push forward, attack, or otherwise make a move. The gameplay seems simple at first, but it's incredibly satisfying and becomes much more complex over time, giving you plenty of warm-up for what's to come in later battles. 

No more losing the beat

There are two major improvements that stuck out to me while playing. The most important one is the Help button that allows you to display all the commands you need to lead your army at any given time. As someone who really sucked at this game early on, this was truly a game-changer that helped me master the patterns over time. I eventually didn't need to have the commands displayed anymore, but early on, it made a massive difference. 

The other big upgrade is a difficulty system that allows you to swap between Easy, Normal, and Hard. These two features working together made my experience much more enjoyable than it would have been otherwise, especially because the PATAPON games have a steep learning curve for someone who's new to the series.  

Simple designs that speak volumes

A tall tree smiling with colors around it and a small patapon playing the trumpet next to it
Screenshot by Destructoid

The quirky characters and setting make the PATAPON games shine. They're simple enough not to distract from the action, but charming enough to create an eccentric world that feels entirely special. There's so much personality in every character you come across, whether it's one of your loyal one-eyed soldiers or the always itchy Ubo Bon tree. 

PATAPON 1+2 REPLAY is a stellar remastered bundle that exceeded my expectations. While it's not the type of game I'd typically gravitate toward, I now fully appreciate its unique appeal. It's one of those games everyone should try just to experience its truly one-of-a-kind gameplay. I'm sure it'll stick with me long after finishing, and I'll probably be humming "pata, pata, pata, pon" forever. 

The post PATAPON 1+2 REPLAY review – A rhythmic revival that hits all the right notes appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Friday, July 11, 2025 10:38 AM
    

Marvel Rivals' newest season, featuring Phoenix, Blade, and a new Klyntar map, is now live, but there's been an interesting update to missions as well.

In season three, daily missions have been scrapped in the hero shooter, replaced instead by weekly missions that have some bigger rewards. Players can complete six missions each week for different increments in Chrono Tokens, totaling to 1,080 of the battle pass-unlocking currency to gain.

Marvel Rivals season 3 weekly missions
Screenshot by Destructoid

But the bigger change here, in my eyes, is the addition of new missions that encourage players to try specific roles. For example, there's a week one mission that tasks players with completing seven matches as a Strategist hero. I'm willing to bet that there are some players out there who feel as if they are allergic to healing, so this is a welcome change.

Will it make that big of a difference? Probably not. There are still several other options for the missions that players can complete to level up the battle pass and unlock its Phoenix Force and Symbiote-themed rewards. There are 10 total each week, so players can continue to avoid playing other roles like the plague.

The game's unbalanced role situation (10 tanks, nine healers, and a whopping 21 DPS heroes once Blade joins) exacerbates the fact that NetEase Games refuses to add any sort of role queue or role lock, meaning in most lobbies I've seen, three players will instantly lock a Duelist and leave the rest of the team to split up healing and tanking.

And really, this just means solo tanking in the majority of lobbies, which I inevitably have to end up doing because no one else wants to, and I can't really blame them. The Vanguard role suffers in comparison to the others in the game, especially now, considering that the tank-shredding Wolverine has a team-up with Phoenix that gives him AoE percentage damage and lifesteal. Woof.

The game is relatively unbalanced, which thankfully doesn't mean too much to me since I now basically refuse to play Competitive with the way that it makes me feel, but I still wish that NetEase would do a bit more to even things out.

Having a season with its new heroes both being Duelists is just bonkers to me when it's already the most prominent role in the game. There could be several seasons of just Vanguards or just Strategists after this current one, and the distribution would still be wonky.

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

For now, I'll continue to log on solely to level up the battle pass, stacking up miserable losses because players refuse to switch roles or try something new.

The post A new change in Marvel Rivals season 3 might actually force players to try different roles occasionally, but it's still not enough appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Friday, July 11, 2025 10:29 AM
    

official kaizen 2 trello and discord links

Kaizen 2 looks like it's trying to take all that Ninja Time tries to do with the Roblox Naruto RPG niche but do it better. This also means that there's a ton of clans, weapons and jujtsu styles to keep track off. Need a place to keep track of them all? Check out the official Kaizen 2 Trello board and Discord server links below.

Kaizen 2 Trello and Discord Guide

Here's every community HUB link you need to stay informed on Kaizen 2 and all of its customization features:

The first link I recommend checking out is the Trello Board since it's full of useful information. It basically acts as a Wiki for the game with guides on the basics, starting game mechanics, customization, progression and more. It's got info on:

  • Controls
  • Ranks, Titles, the Teacher/Student system and Skill Tiers
  • All Locations
  • All Clans and clan moves
  • All Weapons
  • All Weapon skills
  • All Jutsu types including all elemental jutsu categories

You can crawl through it all to decide what you want to spin for or roll in the game. That said, I would then go to the Discord where you can stay tuned on all the latest announcements. The dev team of Kaizen 2 regularly updates the sneak peek channel. It pays to keep track of the update patch notes to see what's been buffed, nerfed or reworked.

There's also a channel for all the questions you might have for both the devs and the community. Unlike the Trello you can get answers to specific questions or opinions on the best clans or jutsu moves. Last but not least, the various Stage channels is where you can both organize groups for PVP and PVE progression or listen to dev live streams.

That's it for my Kaizen 2 Trello board and Discord server guide. Don't forget to check out our Kaizen 2 codes for a ton of free goodies in the game.

The post Official Kaizen 2 Trello and Discord – Roblox appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Friday, July 11, 2025 10:28 AM
    

Daiwa Scarlet, Vodka, and Ines Fujin perform in Umamusume: Pretty Derby.

Getting the A-rank with a Trainee in Umamusume Pretty Derby is the toughest possible task, but it's achievable with any character if you get your strategy right.

When you just start playing the game, achieving the A-rank is going to be nearly impossible. But you gradually build up your collection, improve your Umas and support cards, and get items that suit specific races. You'll still need a perfect strategy to use everything you have in your hand and get the A-rank.

Umamusume Pretty Derby A-rank guide

For starters, you don't need 3-star Umas to get an A-rank. In fact, some of the 2-star and 1-star Trainees will be better choices to get an A-rank. Irrespective of the stars on your Uma, you'll have to get the basics right. First, let's understand which factors are essential to determine the rank of your career run.

A-rank depends entirely on your Rating. Your Rating is the number shown under Uma's display picture inside the game. Ratings are decided by two factors: Stats and Skills. All other factors, like races run and won, don't have any effect on Ratings.

Stats of a Umamusume after training her in Umamusume Pretty Derby
Screenshhot by Destructoid

Stats have a positive correlation with Ratings. The higher the Stat, the higher your Rating will be. But an extremely high value in a single Stat is going to have a bigger impact on Rating. For example, a build with 1100 Speed and 300 Stamina is going to contribute more towards a higher Rating than another build with 500 Speed and 500 Stamina. In short, it's better to have lop-sided stats if you're concerned about getting a higher Rating (and a higher Rank).

Skills are divided into two types: Unique Skills and Non-Unique Skills. Each level of your Unique Skill will contribute 120 points if it's a 1-star or 2-star Uma. If it's a 3-star or higher Uma, each Unique Skill level will contribute 170 points towards your Rating. You can increase your Unique Skill level thrice in your URA Finale career by having more fans.

Any skill with a base cost between 100-140 has the same contribution to your final Rating. Hence, it's better to go with skills that cost around 100 (except skills that cost 110 and 140). You should also avoid skills that apply a double-circle condition. You'll be better off spending on two separate skills that cost around 100 SP each to get more Rating contribution.

Additionally, buying skills that match the best attributes of your Uma is going to be more beneficial. If your Uma has an S-aptitude as a Pace Chaser, any skill that corresponds with the same type will result in better ratings. Also, avoid skills that offer debuffs since they don't contribute as much to ratings like non-debuff skills.

Supporters who offer Race Bonus in Umamusume Pretty Derby
Screenshot by Destructoid

It's pretty clear you'll need to get a lot of SP to buy the skills. To do that, you'll have to win a lot of races, which will reward you with SP. Make sure to bring Supporters who have a high Race Bonus, as this will result in more SP from a winning race.

To max out your stats, the best tactic is to use a deck with Four Speed and Two Wits. This is a free-to-play method that is achievable fairly easily. But you'll need to use the following Umas to increase your chances of an A-rank

  • Haru Urara
  • Sakura Bakushin O
  • Agnes Tachyon

You can also get A-rank with other Umas, but they will have conflicting goals. We should get more SSR Supporters and build them up in the future, which will make it easier for you to get A-rank with more Umas. Currently, this privilege is only available to those who have spent real-life money to open Supporter banners.

The post How to get A-rank in Umamusume Pretty Derby appeared first on Destructoid.


Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Friday, July 11, 2025 4:56 PM
    

For the new playable character.

The post Borderlands 4 Gets New Vex Gameplay Videos appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism.


Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Friday, July 11, 2025 4:20 PM

Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Friday, July 11, 2025 3:50 PM

MonsterVine Friday, July 11, 2025 1:00 PM
     Gust and Koei Tecmo have officially unveiled the Atelier Ryza Secret Trilogy Deluxe Pack, a comprehensive collection of the beloved Atelier Ryza series, set to release in 2025 on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam. This deluxe edition includes all three titles in the Secret series—Atelier Ryza: Ever […]

MonsterVine Friday, July 11, 2025 12:00 PM
     Capcom's legendary survival horror franchise is heading into all-new territory with Resident Evil Survival Unit, a mobile-first, real-time strategy game set in a parallel universe. Co-developed by Aniplex and JOYCITY, the game was officially unveiled during today's online showcase, where pre-registration also opened on the App Store and Google Play. Unlike the traditional action horror […]

MonsterVine Friday, July 11, 2025 11:30 AM
     During a special livestream at Bilibili World, Koei Tecmo and Gust unveiled new gameplay mechanics for the upcoming RPG Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & the White Guardian, launching September 26, 2025, on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam. The game is being treated as the next official mainline entry in the series […]