Fighters will be able to punch, kick, slice, dice, burn, and blast to their heart's content when Free Lives and Devolver Digital's Stick it to the Stickman enters Steam Early Access August 18.
It's safe to say that there's a ravenous hunger for Riftbound, the League of Legends TCG that's finally getting an English release this year. Pre-orders went live earlier today, August 4, and within minutes Riftbound appeared to sell out. Fans trying to secure decks and packs of its first set, Origins, also had to fight through checkout issues and crashes on Riot's website. Now, the company has acknowledged the issues and says that it'll be "keeping a close eye on market demand" to ensure it gets in players' hands.
A universe steeped in dark lore, demonic enemies, and well over 25 years of storylines told through some exceptional videogames, Diablo seems like a more than suitable candidate for a tabletop RPG. All the way back in 2023 at BlizzCon (remember that old thing?) a Diablo TTRPG was finally announced, with Glass Cannon Unplugged at the reins. However, next to nothing has been said about it since. Finally, Diablo The Roleplaying Game has resurfaced, announcing that a Kickstarter campaign is on the way, revealing some early details, and flaunting an impressive cast of writers and designers.
Battlefield 6 may just be the most important game in the series' 23-year history, and its first chance to properly woo FPS fans is almost here. Sure, it got a flashy reveal event with a bunch of streamers playing the game. But it's not the same as you and your mates getting hands-on yourself, and that's exactly what its beta is about to deliver. While it doesn't kick off for a few days yet, it's just been made available to pre-install. Such is the fervor for Battlefield 6, it's already got an impressive player count on Steam, even without the beta going live.
Imagine Tetris but played in a bottomless ocean shaft, with linked tetronimoes serving to continue your journey down that shaft, providing you keep earning enough points to play them. This is Podvodsk, a free game jam experiment from Loop Hero developers Four Quarters.
Not played Tetris? 1) you bloody liar, and 2) let me frame this differently, then. The idea here is that you're trying to construct a tapering underwater city out of random clumps of building blocks, dangled from the bottom of a miraculously unsinkable surface platform. Each building both costs points and also, earns points based on different scoring criteria, and every time you play a piece, the screen scrolls irreversibly downward.
A group of QA workers at Call Of Duty studio Raven Software have officially signed off on their first union contract with parent company Microsoft and COD publisher Activision-Blizzard, in the run-up to the launch of Call Of Duty: Black Ops 7. The contract is the result of years of negotiations, and offers some protection against the treatment of QA workers as disposable staff - hired to quash bugs shortly before release and laid off soon afterwards, with minimal odds of personal development or progression to other roles.
HoYoVerse started teasing the 3.6 Honkai: Star Rail additions, and among them will be new character alts for March 7th and Dan Heng known as Evernight and Dan Heng: Permansor Terrae. Both of them will be five-stars. This will make the first five-star alt for the heroine and the second for the male lead.
Editor's Note: The official descriptions for the March 7th and Dan Heng Honkai: Star Rail character alts include some spoilers for the 3.0 series of Trailblaze Missions.
In the case of Dan Heng: Permansor Terrae, he will be a Preservation character in Honkai: Star Rail. This means that like Aventurine or Gepard, his role will be to shield allies in his party. When he does attack, he'll deal Physical damage. This is his Chrysos Heir form as protector of the Earth Coreflame. The social media post describing him noted he's also tied to Georios and wears his "chest," while being tied to the "Beyond the Sky" city.
As for March 7th, this Honkai: Star Rail version of her is named Evernight. This is because, as the description noted, "the third month of Amphoreus is the month reserved for the Veil of Evernight." She is a Remembrance character like the Amphoreus version of the Trailblazer. Like the standard version of March, she also deals Ice damage. The social media post also identified her city as being "Beyond the Sky." She's tied to Oronyx and is tied to the Time Coreflame.
Here's the official art for both of them:
Images via HoYoVerse
We don't have a release date for either one, aside from Honkai: Star Rail 3.6. We do know 3.5 arrives on August 13, 2025. That brings with it two more five-star Chrysos Heir characters.
Honkai: Star Rail is available for the PS5, PC, and mobile devices.
Narita Taishin is now live as a Trainee in Umamusume: Pretty Derby, and Cygames shared details about the character, a trailer going over her personality, and a concert video that includes her singing. Main Story Chapter 3: Embarking on the Dream Express is now live in-game as well. The developer also shared 50,000 Monies and a SSR Guaranteed Make Debut Ticket for a random Support Card ticket, and both ended up in players' inboxes.
Narita Taishin is the sort of character who will be running Medium and Long races, and she'll be doing so as an End Closer like Gold Ship. This means you need to prioritize stats like Power and Stamina. Her unique skill is Nemesis, which should always trigger at the end of the race as she's going through the final corner to increase her Velocity. She's also notable for the Potential Skills Sleeping Lion, an End Closer recovery skill to refill Stamina mid-race, and her Encroaching Shadow and work with Nemesis to increase acceleration when she's running as an End Closer.
As Narita Taishin is also part of the BNW trio in Umamusume, which includes Biwa Hayahide and Winning Ticket, Cygames also shared a short concert video of the three performing "Those Tears are for Tomorrow's Sake."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vsGxmIX6Co
Umamusume: Pretty Derby is available for the PC and mobile devices, and the Narita Taishin banner is available until August 13, 2025. She'll then join the general pool of characters after.
iFace announced a Kingdom Hearts collection of smartphone accessories which include iPhone MagSynq cases, card wallets, an AirPods Pro case, tempered glass phone cases, and a hand strap chain. All of the items are available on the Japanese version of the site. None of it shows up on the US storefront, as the only items there include the Sanrio and Naruto items.
The most expensive Kingdom Hearts smartphone accessories are the iFace MagSynq phone cases. Those cost 5,280円 (~$36) each. These fit iPhones, specifically models 13-16 Pro. One features a golden Sora holding the Chain of Memories cards and a Keyblade, another involves King Mickey in an Organization XIII coat, and the final one features the key art from the original game with Sora, Riku, Kairi, Donald, and Goofy.
The tempered glass clear cases based on the series come in at 4,620円 (~$32) each. These also are designed for iPhones, specifically iPhone 12-16 Pro. The same Sora and Mickey designs return, though in the case of Sora he's now paired with Riku for this case. there's a stained glass variant with Sora, a Shadow Heartless, one with monograms of famous symbols from the series, and a Halloween Town Sora, Donald, and Goofy trio.
The Kingdom Hearts AirPods Pro crown case and three kinds of MagSynq card wallets are all 4,400円 (~$30) each. The case is shaped like a white crown with the series' logo on it and a Mickey Mouse charm and logo attached. It works with first and second generation earbuds. The card wallets come in three designs. One has the series' logo and monograms of a crown, heart, keyblade, and Mickey Mouse ears. Another has King Mickey and the quote, "May your heart bye your guiding key." The Sora one features the quote, "My friends are my power." The final item is the 3,520円 (~$24) chain strap with Mickey and series logos.
Here's a YouTube trailer showing it all off.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6Hk-8ZyVBY
And here are the more specific product photos iFace shared.
Images via iFace, Square Enix, and Disney
The iFace Kingdom Hearts collection with MagSynq iPhone cases, card wallets, an AirPods Pro case, tempered glass smartphone cases, and a chain are available in Japan now.
HoYoVerse shared the 3.5 Honkai: Star Rail update release date, and it is exactly what we expected it to be. It will launch on August 13, 2025, which is the day the Blade, Firefly, and Jingliu banner ended. It will also mark the continuance of the Trailblazer mission on Amphoreus. We'll see Hysilens, aka Helektra, in the first half alongside a Kafka rerun banner, and Cerydra and Silver Wolf will in the second half of the update as focus banner characters.
Here's the official Honkai: Star Rail trailer for 3.5: Before Their Deaths. It features a number of Chrysos Heirs, before showing characters like the Trailblazer, Dan Heng, Himiko, The Herta also joining in the fight alongside new units Cerydra and Hysilens.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJ6XyhwuaMc
We got to see the full Special Program before that, which covered the Honkai: Star Rail update release date, and the full archive of that stream is below. It confirmed there will be a Gift of Odyssey login event with 10 free pulls on the banner with Star Rail Special Pass giveaways. It also went over the Chrysos Maze Grand Restaurant, Old Brews and New Friends, and Space Station Task Force events.
Excited gamers looking to play the Battlefield 6 open beta test this week were met with a confusing error, myself included.
"SecureBoot is not enabled," the error code reads, and refuses to let you launch Battlefield 6 whatsoever. This is obviously a problem, but it's something that's unfortunately an intended feature as part of the game's security.
Here's everything there is to know about Battlefield 6 Secure Boot, including how to enable it so you can play the game.
What is Battlefield 6 Secure Boot?
Image via EA
Secure Boot is a security feature in Windows 10 and Windows 11 that makes sure your PC only loads "safe software" during setup, and it's become an integral feature of anti-cheat for EA games like Battlefield 6.
"Secure Boot allows games supported by EA Javelin anti-cheat to detect and remove bad actors, resulting in fewer cheaters and a better experience for players," EA said.
Cheaters have become a serious problem in online games, using hacks like wallhacks or aimbots to ruin the experience for others. Some cheats are even more nefarious, allowing players to take over your PC remotely.
Because of this, EA says Secure Boot is a requirement to play Battlefield 6 on PC, so if it's disabled on your rig, you won't be able to launch the game at all. Enabling Secure Boot requires opening your system's BIOS menu and turning it on.
How to enable Secure Boot on PC for Battlefield 6
Screenshot by Destructoid
Here's how to enable Secure Boot on your PC, with directions directly from EA.
Select the Windows Key and search for "Change Advanced Startup Options."
Next to "Advanced Startup" select "Restart Now." Your computer will restart into Advanced Startup.
Select "Advanced Options."
Select UEFI Firmware Settings.
This will enter into your PC's BIOS.
Navigate to the "Boot" tab.
If you are having difficulty finding the correct option, many BIOS have a search function that you can use to find the correct tab and setting Pictured above the search can be accessed by hitting F9.
"Secure Boot state" should be Enabled.
If it's set to Disabled, change it to Enabled.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHFSelMXXX8
The video above also highlights how to do this properly. If you want to avoid this situation entirely, playing the game on console will be the way to go. But for many PC games now and in the future, these kernel-level anti-cheat systems will require more usage of your system than you may like or want to deal with, including Riot Games' Vanguard anti-cheat or Call of Duty's RICOCHET anti-cheat.
Titan Quest 2's early access nature is perhaps one of the biggest reasons why multiplayer in the game, as of writing, is extremely limited in scope.
If you're unwilling to take risks with the experimental side, you'll have to stick with the game's single-player content. There's the main campaign and side quests to complete. However, the game offers an experimental multiplayer mode allowing you to play with your friends.
How to play with your friends in Titan Quest 2?
Not only is the current multiplayer version unstable and limited, but you'll also need to have your friends on the same platform. There is no lobby browser yet, and your platform support (Steam friends) is the only realistic solution.
To play multiplayer, you can't use the official early access version.
Instead, you'll have to use an alternate version that you can choose from the settings.
In the alternate version, you'll find the Multiplayer option.
Choose a character and select to host a multiplayer session.
You can use the Steam lobby to invite a friend, or they can join you in your game.
Screenshot via Steam
There are a few extra rules and restrictions to keep in mind, too.
You'll need to create a new character in the unstable multiplayer version of Titan Quest 2. Builds from the stable early access version aren't usable.
You can play together in a band of up to four people.
If the person hosting the game leaves, the session will automatically end for all the remaining players. You also risk running into crashes.
There's an active feedback collection portal for players to send their complaints and help the developers improve the multiplayer version. Chances are that official support for multiplayer will be implemented soon in Titan Quest 2.
We've all seen these Silent Hill f previews showcasing the game's all-too-familiar combat system. You'd expect a survival horror title, especially one with as long a tradition as Silent Hill has, to be more tense and atmospheric. But nope, it's a Soulslike, and the devs think that's fine.
As per IGN, via GameSpark, Motoi Okamoto, Silent Hill's series producer, wanted to implement more action and entertainment into f since its inception. This wish was so strong that Konami decided to go for NeoBards and ask them to develop the game, due to the studio being "tremendously good at making action games."
One would expect Silent Hill to be developed by tremendously good horror developers, but in a world filled to the brink with action, entertainment, and, most recently, Soulslikes, that's just how things are.
And speaking of Soulslike gameplay, which appears to also be a large part of Silent Hill f given the gameplay previews we've seen recently, it was added into the game because it's, surprise surprise, popular with modern players.
The girl in this image is a Dark Souls action hero, by the way. Image via Konami
"The Silent Hill series isn't considered a game that has entertaining action per se, but as we're opening our doors to new players, we began to wonder what it would be like if we added more of those elements into the game… Challenging action games are gaining popularity among younger players nowadays, so I believed that if we implemented such elements into the game, it would resonate well even with people who are new to the series," Okamoto said.
So, yeah, Silent Hill f is an action-oriented horror game, a standalone in the series, developed by a studio well versed in action games and filled with Soulslike elements because, apparently, the modern player cannot stand to play a game without being entertained and actioned all the time.
Now I get it, we don't want the same thing as we've had with countless other horror games, not even the same as older Silent Hill titles. But turning an otherwise tense, atmospheric, hauntingly horrifying game into an action-oriented title with Soulslike elements simply doesn't ring right to me.
Let's hope the vision turns out fine in the end, at least.
The 24 hours evolution is an interesting upgrade option for EA FC 25 players, and you can upgrade a card of your choice by locking it for the next 24 hours.
Just like its name, the new evolution has four levels. It's a training camp evolution, and each level unlocks automatically after six hours. The evolution costs 75,000 coins to unlock, so let's take a look at the best possible options to consider.
The requirements determine which cards you can use in this evolution in EA FC 25.
Overall: Max 96
Defending: Max 80
Physical: Max 98
PlayStyles: Max 10
PlayStyles+: Max 4
EA FC 25 24 hours evolution upgrades
The evolution has four tasks, with each lasting for six hours. Once a level is complete, your chosen card will automatically get the applicable boosts.
Level 1 upgrades
Overall: +2|98
Passing: +10|92
Acceleration: +8|98
Sprint Speed: +8|98
PlayStyles+: Finesse Shot|4
PlayStyles: Quick Step
Level 2 upgrades
Overall: +2|98
Dribbling: +10|93
Jumping: +10|88
Stamina: +20|90
PlayStyles+: Aerial|4
PlayStyles: First Touch|8
Level 3 upgrades
Overall: +2|98
Defending: +10|80
Aggression: +10|88
Strength: +10|90
Weak Foot: +2
PlayStyles: Tiki Taka|8
Level 4 upgrades
Overall: +2|98
Acceleration: +7|98
Sprint Speed: +7|98
Skills: +2
PlayStyles+: Incisive Pass|4
Best players to use in the 24 hours evolution
With plenty of choices, here are the best options in my books.
Kika Nazareth Fantasy FC
Heung Min Son RTTF
Anthony Martial FUTTIES
Homare Sawa Shapeshifters
Jesse Lingard FUTTIES
Viktor Gyokeres TOTS
Florian Wirtz TOTS
Eden Hazard Shapeshifters
As an alternative, you can use any suitable evolution chain if that's applicable. That way, you can create a unique card, and it can also become part of a future evolution (if that case arises). Since it's a training camp evolution, you'll have to start it from your web app/companion app. You can then continue the chain from within the game directly (or continue from the web/companion app).
A versatile and brutal fighter, Skybound Entertainment's in-house development studio Quarter Up announced that the one and only Omni-Man will make his way to their 3v3 tag fighting game Invincible VS.
Battlefield 6 may just be the most important game in the series' 23-year history, and its first chance to properly woo FPS fans is almost here. Sure, it got a flashy reveal event with a bunch of streamers playing the game. But it's not the same as you and your mates getting hands-on yourself, and that's exactly what its beta is about to deliver. While it doesn't kick off for a few days yet, it's just been made available to pre-install. Such is the fervor for Battlefield 6, it's already got an impressive player count on Steam, even without the beta going live.
I first played Kill the Shadow at Steam Next Fest last year. Little did I know it had already won numerous indie awards in China, where independent developer Shadowlight is based. Soon after it had shot to the top of my wishlist, however, disaster struck. The supernatural detective RPG was removed from Steam, along with a string of other titles published by 663 Games. After acquiring a new publisher and a lengthy battle with Steam, the game is back on Valve's storefront, with a demo available to download now. Despite all the hardships, Kill the Shadow is still targetting a 2025 release.
The Pathologic series must be among the most stressful games I've ever played, and yet it is that desperate battle that fuels its dark allure. Fortunately, the Pathologic 3 system requirements aren't stressful in the slightest, granting even entry-level gaming rigs to pick up the mantle of the Bachelor.
That said, you will need a certain level of endurance if you want to make it through all 12 days of the Pathologic 3 storyline as the Sand Plague spreads and whole districts of the city burn down. You won't need the best graphics card from our buying guide if you want to render plague clouds at their best, but you'll need a fairly decent setup to meet the game's recommended specs, which are a fair step up from the 2019 Pathologic 2 system requirements.
The Arena Breakout Infinite system requirements are fairly demanding for older gaming laptops and PCs, but just a bit leaner than your average AAA tactical FPS like Battlefield 6. Yet unlike Battlefield 6, this game is free to play, so you can spend what you might otherwise have used on a Steam key on upgrading your rig if necessary.
Extraction shooters are a dime a dozen these days, but it seems developer Morefun Studios is trying to expand on the MOBA heist formula with Arena Breakout Infinite by focusing on gun customization to the extreme. While you won't need the best graphics card from our buying guide to get the game running, older devices may need to consider an upgrade if they're more than five years old.
The officially listed Blight Survival system requirements are unbelievably low, calling for hardware more than ten years old despite the fact that the game rocks a gameplay trailer with some seriously impressive graphics. Short of the most impressive upscaling or optimization on record, there is a possibility that the Blight Survival PC requirements could become much higher than what is currently stated.
For an Unreal Engine 5 title, Blight Survival should, considering what we've seen of the game so far, command the very best of the best gaming PC from our buying guides, yet the reality listed on Steam claims the opposite. The game's own developer has, however, clarified that the "Steam system requirements are definitely subject to change (and will very likely change)" but that actual minimum and recommended specs will be confirmed closer to the Blight Survival release date. Of course, we can only assume, therefore, that the current minimum requirements are either a goalpost or what gamers will need for playtesting later in the year. Unfortunately, we won't know for sure until the developer elaborates further.
Hollow Knight has always been among the more challenging 2D Metroidvania games, particularly if you're attempting a hitless run, yet the Hollow Knight Silksong system requirements are a walk in the park. They're so easy, in fact, that they're identical to the original game's demands.
No joke, Hollow Knight Silksong demands nothing more from your PC than the Hollow Knight system requirements from 2017. As such, you definitely won't need the best gaming PC from our buying guides to get the game running, as just about any PC or gaming laptop from the last 15 years should be able to meet the game's entry-level specs. That said, the official requirements could always increase prior to the Hollow Knight Silksong release date, so it's worth checking back every now and then just to ensure you're up-to-date.
An AMD gaming CPU with even better 3D V-cache potential is reportedly in the works. The rumor suggests that AMD is working on two new gaming CPUs, one of which has a total of 16 cores and a whopping 192MB of L3 cache, twice the amount we've seen in existing 3D V-cache chips like the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D to date.
The extra L3 cache provided by X3D chips like the 9800X3D is largely why AMD gaming CPUs have been able to outperform their Intel rivals. Our best gaming CPU guide shows just how much better these CPUs are for gamers, with Intel unable to provide a suitable competitor to the technology so far.
When was the Minecraft 1.21.8 release date? In 2024, Minecraft annual updates turned into smaller, more regular 'drops'. These smaller updates come around every few months, so there's always something new to discover, and now we're in full swing, here's what's next.
Minecraft updates are often announced during the biannual Minecraft Live broadcast. Still, now they're so regular, we're getting new information all the time, so keep an eye on this page and the official Minecraft socials if you want to be the first to know what's in the next Minecraft drop, and when it's arriving. With the miniscule 1.21.7 having dropped in June 2025, shortly after Chase the Skies, here's what's came to the sandbox game in Minecraft 1.21.8.
What are the best Minecraft potions recipes? Potions exist in Minecraft to aid you in difficult moments, give you interesting and useful status effects - or negatively impact foes. For example, the potion of weakness is one of the most popular, not only weakening enemies, but most prominently used to cure a zombie villager. Then there's the potion of invisibility, which, well, does what it says on the tin, preventing those pesky mobs from being able to see you creep up behind them. To make them, though, you need to know the Minecraft brewing stand recipe, and just how to use the complicated item.
Sure, Minecraft enchantments come in handy in the sandbox game when boosting your tools, weapons, and armor, but the best way to kit yourself out in Minecraft is a combination of enchantments and potions. So, before you head out on your adventure through a Nether Portal, this exhaustive guide has everything you need to know about using potions to stay alive. For different Minecraft potion recipes, the best ones to add to your hotbar, and the brewing stand recipe you'll need to make them, use the jumplinks below - or just dig deep and read the whole thing!
August 4, 2025 We checked the status of the Dune Awakening servers.
Is Dune Awakening down? While we still love single-player games, there's also something to be said for the chaotic joy to be had in multiplayer experiences, especially massively multiplayer ones.
One of the few downsides to playing with friends and strangers around the world is the instability of online servers. As a survival MMO, Dune Awakening could fall victim to severe server downtime, so if you're struggling to get into Arrakis, that could be why. Here, we've got the latest on maintenance in the crafting game, and the current Dune Awakening server status.
Cozy games are very much my jam. Whether it's farming with Doctor Harvey in Stardew Valley or fishing with Stitch in Dreamlight Valley, there's nothing that quite beats an evening spent with a relaxing game. That's why I was so excited when I saw the trailer for Everdream Village. New on the scene, the farming sim invites players to embrace their coziest dreams, exploring magical islands, building a village, and spending time on a farm. Even better, a demo is out now.
What are the Battlefield 6 classes? One of the most fundamental parts of the Battlefield experience is its class system. Having various ways to play the FPS means that you don't have to rely on being a crack shot if you want to help your team; you could fulfill the role of a pacifist medic, not firing a shot for the entire round, and still make a huge difference.
With the Battlefield 6 release date approaching and one of several BF6 betas on our doorstep, it's time for players to gear up and prepare for what's to come. One of the most important things you can decide on is which class you'll play as in the FPS game - do you want to be all guns blazing, first through the door? Or is a ranged recon role more suited to your playstyle? Here is every class in Battlefield 6.
It's good news for AMD, as the latest Steamhardware survey shows the chipmaker continuing to gain ground on Intel in the battle for supremacy in the gaming CPU market. The July 2025 Steam hardware survey shows AMD pushing above 40% adoption, the best result for AMD in nearly two decades.
Given the recent dominance of AMD CPUs with 3D V-cache, like the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, it's not a surprise to see AMD continuing to grow its market share in the face of Intel's poor competition. The Steam hardware survey is often a great bellwether for how the industry is performing, and at the moment, AMD is right on top, as our best gaming CPU guide shows.
Koei Tecmo's action-RPG threequel, Nioh 3, isn't slated to release until next year, but feedback is already glowing. The developer has released anonymised feedback from fans who have had the chance to play a recent alpha test, and it's glowing. 91% had a positive experience with the game, with 85% praising the music and sound design. The only area where players really felt let down was with switching between Samurai and Ninja styles, which 15% of players had a negative response to. Despite the overall positive feedback, Koei Tecmo is enacting numerous improvements ahead of the game's release.
How many Minecraft mobs are there? Short for 'mobile', Minecraft mobs are the creatures that can be found around the sandbox game, be they hostile or friendly. As of 1.21.8, there are now over 80 unique mobs in vanilla Minecraft.
If that's not enough for you, even more can be added with some of the best Minecraft mods, but we're purely talking about the vanilla base game here. With that in mind, we've listed every single mob in the survival game, where they can be found, and whether they're passive, hostile, or neutral. You can also read more about mob variants in Minecraft and catch up on the newest arrivals to the overworld.
What are the best Minecraft house ideas? Here, you'll find some of the best Minecraft houses to inspire your next creation. There are many themes and materials at your disposal in the current version of Minecraft, so we've dug deep into the best house designs available to set you on your way to creating your dream home.
As you play one of the best PC games of the decade, whether you're an adventurer, builder, or Redstone engineer, you still want a nice, cozy home to return to at the end of a busy day. While constructing your perfect Minecraft house is a time-consuming venture, nothing beats that feeling of returning to the safety of your base in the survival game, pockets full of treasures from a day of exploring. Whether or not you boost the look of your builds with Minecraft shaders or texture packs, these Minecraft houses will look stylish in any world.
What are the best co-op games? Games offer up magic in lots of different guises, but working with a friend to achieve a goal is, arguably, where they shine. So what are the titles that will pull friends together and offer the best cooperative group-based thrills?
The great thing about the best PC games involving co-op play is that you're not restricted to a genre. As long as there's room for two controllers on a split screen or some perfectly coordinated play over a headset, co-op games can be found among the best sandbox games, relaxing games, or even horror games. These are some of the very best co-op games for you to share with your favorite people.
August 4, 2025: We've added a new Strinova code that's active for the Summer Music Festival Celebration.
What are the new Strinovacodes? While there are plenty of amazing agents and their weapons to test out, sometimes you just need a few freebies to get an edge on the competition. iDreamSky gives you the chance to redeem limited-time Strinova codes for free rewards. These goodies could be anything from EXP boosters, dream tokens, and emotes to skins or crystal boxes.
If you're looking for Strinova redeem codes in the anime game, we have you covered. We've included all the latest promo codes below, along with some helpful instructions on how to redeem them. These freebies can help you build the best characters on our Strinova tier list, so don't forget to check back regularly.
What are the best management games? These games are all about being the one in charge, and we all think we'd do a better job. If, like us, you also want a shot at being in the hot seat, we've found the best management games to let you do just that.
All of the above is why the genre remains one of the most enduring and popular in PC gaming - it helps that managing balance sheets, planning cities, and bossing staff around is so easily translated to keyboard and mouse. From the early days of city-building games like SimCity to refining tactics in the latest version of Football Manager, the humble management sim accounts for some of the best PC games of all time, so here's our top picks.
It'd be fair to say 8BitDo knows a fair bit about peripherals, but this one still caught us by surprise. The 8BitDo Retro 87 Xbox Edition is a mechanical gaming keyboard inspired by Microsoft's original, monolithic black box.
I've been liking, even occasionally loving ghostly bicycle racer Wheel World, for several reasons. One, it's relaxing enough for post-work decompression; two, it's just competitive enough that I can enjoy winning without necessarily undermining point one; and three, it's far enough outside my usual interests that the culture and lexicon it celebrates feel fresh and interesting to learn. Those of cycling, to be clear. I obviously know loads about ghosts.
Nonetheless, I've struggled to engage with its parts system, which isn't ideal given it both determines the performance of your haunted bike and, outside of the story, acts as Wheel World's primary measure of progression. I agree with Brendy (who doesn't?) that once you earn enough metal bits to replace the rusting starter parts, there's very little to be gained from fine-tuning towards a particular spec – an all-rounder bike can win anything. And, given the game's gentle difficulty, probably will.
The new Bioshock game in development at Cloud Chamber Games is in difficulties, according to sources of the multiple and anonymous persuasion. Announced in 2019, the game has reportedly failed a recent internal progress review, with its narrative found to be in particular need of revamping.
Techno-loving hollowtooth Blade has joined the playable cast of Marvel Rivals, but he's not what I find most interesting about the free-to-play shooter's latest update. Developers NetEase Games have introduced a new system of penalties for ragequitters, keyboard-away-frommers, and other craven scumbags who abandon a competitive mode match early on because the dishwasher's overflowing, or similar.
While our man James wasn't entirely convinced by the RTX 5070 when it launched, the GPU that replaces the 4070 Super has gotten better with age following driver updates.
I was munching crisps while watching a showcase of upcoming games from THQ Nordic last week, letting the likes of a new Spongebob Squarepants game and the Gothic Remake wash over me like barely flavoured fizzy water, when Fatekeeper showed up. I straightened up, just a little. It is a fancy looking first-person RPG made with all the hyper detail and vivid lighting you might expect of a game developed in Unreal Engine 5. It is also conjuring a game worth conjuring: the heavy hitting fantasy brawlabout Dark Messiah Of Might And Magic. As I watched the below trailer, I became more and more cautiously hopeful. Looks slick, but where's the kick?
August 2025 now has as many Skyblivion developer diaries as there are modern The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion reimaginings: two, which in both cases remains a weirdly high number. But while last week's Finishing Skyblivion focused on one volunteer's attempts at getting the ambitious Cyrodiil-in-Skyrim mod over the line, this other vid makes a very specific pitch to those whose interest may have been diverted by Bethesda's official Oblivion Remastered, showcasing how Skyblivion looks to more aggressively expand and rework the original RPG.
We enter week one of RPS Post-Graham. The office Slack echoes like the Great Hall of Durin after a Balrog teaparty. Horace coils about the foot of the Treehouse like a sullen Viking serpent. The Maw seems peevish and incontinent, spurning any news we offer it. The wifi network keeps changing its name to "Execute Order 66".
It is time to smash the emergency glass and bust out a few favourites from my personal collection of morale-boosting videogame intros. Here's Red Alert, to put some spring in your step; Okami to let the light in; Colony Wars for the WRAAAOW noise at the end. And here are this week's most interesting new PC games.
iFace announced a Kingdom Hearts collection of smartphone accessories which include iPhone MagSynq cases, card wallets, an AirPods Pro case, tempered glass phone cases, and a hand strap chain. All of the items are available on the Japanese version of the site. None of it shows up on the US storefront, as the only items there include the Sanrio and Naruto items.
The most expensive Kingdom Hearts smartphone accessories are the iFace MagSynq phone cases. Those cost 5,280円 (~$36) each. These fit iPhones, specifically models 13-16 Pro. One features a golden Sora holding the Chain of Memories cards and a Keyblade, another involves King Mickey in an Organization XIII coat, and the final one features the key art from the original game with Sora, Riku, Kairi, Donald, and Goofy.
The tempered glass clear cases based on the series come in at 4,620円 (~$32) each. These also are designed for iPhones, specifically iPhone 12-16 Pro. The same Sora and Mickey designs return, though in the case of Sora he's now paired with Riku for this case. there's a stained glass variant with Sora, a Shadow Heartless, one with monograms of famous symbols from the series, and a Halloween Town Sora, Donald, and Goofy trio.
The Kingdom Hearts AirPods Pro crown case and three kinds of MagSynq card wallets are all 4,400円 (~$30) each. The case is shaped like a white crown with the series' logo on it and a Mickey Mouse charm and logo attached. It works with first and second generation earbuds. The card wallets come in three designs. One has the series' logo and monograms of a crown, heart, keyblade, and Mickey Mouse ears. Another has King Mickey and the quote, "May your heart bye your guiding key." The Sora one features the quote, "My friends are my power." The final item is the 3,520円 (~$24) chain strap with Mickey and series logos.
Here's a YouTube trailer showing it all off.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6Hk-8ZyVBY
And here are the more specific product photos iFace shared.
Images via iFace, Square Enix, and Disney
The iFace Kingdom Hearts collection with MagSynq iPhone cases, card wallets, an AirPods Pro case, tempered glass smartphone cases, and a chain are available in Japan now.
HoYoVerse shared the 3.5 Honkai: Star Rail update release date, and it is exactly what we expected it to be. It will launch on August 13, 2025, which is the day the Blade, Firefly, and Jingliu banner ended. It will also mark the continuance of the Trailblazer mission on Amphoreus. We'll see Hysilens, aka Helektra, in the first half alongside a Kafka rerun banner, and Cerydra and Silver Wolf will in the second half of the update as focus banner characters.
Here's the official Honkai: Star Rail trailer for 3.5: Before Their Deaths. It features a number of Chrysos Heirs, before showing characters like the Trailblazer, Dan Heng, Himiko, The Herta also joining in the fight alongside new units Cerydra and Hysilens.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJ6XyhwuaMc
We got to see the full Special Program before that, which covered the Honkai: Star Rail update release date, and the full archive of that stream is below. It confirmed there will be a Gift of Odyssey login event with 10 free pulls on the banner with Star Rail Special Pass giveaways. It also went over the Chrysos Maze Grand Restaurant, Old Brews and New Friends, and Space Station Task Force events.
Nintendo sent out a survey to individuals about Switch 2 game-key card system, physical cartridges, and digital downloads of games, and the link appeared online. While it isn't possible to actually leave general feedback via the survey, there are multiple questions getting into whether people prefer physical or digital copies. As this was also initially a survey intended for a smaller group, there's also no word on how long this Qualtrics questionnaire will appear online. However, while it was designated for specific individuals, anyone with the link can reply.
The Nintendo survey started out in a typical fashion. The first question asked about which consoles a person owns. After that, it asked about how many games the person responding bought for themselves, how many were bought as gifts for others, and how many were eventually resold.
It's after that point that Nintendo got into Switch and Switch 2 physical copies, digital games, and game-key card cartridges. It began by asking if people preferred physical or digital copies. Then it asked why someone wanted physical, with a number of possibilities listed and a directive to pick up to three. Ensuing questions asked about a person's openness to buying digital games. One of the most important questions involved asking which format someone would want more, with a physical copy with the full game on the cartridge, a digital copy bought at a retailer, a physical box with a download code inside of it, a digital copy from the eShop, a digital copy on an online store, or a game-key card with a physical cartridge that requires a full game download.
The Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 systems and its survey are available now, and physical copies of cartridges for the new console have a note on the cover that mentions if they are a game-key card that requires downloads. Prices on select consoles and accessories also recently went up.
HoYoVerse teased the 6.0 character Lauma back in July 2025, and now it confirmed she'll be accompanied at launch by Aino and Kyryll Chudomirovich Flins. We don't know which ones will be the fivestar units and who will be the four-star one yet, but we do know their elements and a bit about their backstories.
In the case of elements, both Lauma and Flins are handled a bit different than Aino in Genshin Impact, as they both have "Moon Wheels" instead of Visions. Lauma is a Dendro character who has the Cerva Nivea Constellation. Flins is an Electro one with a Laterna Vigilis Constellation. Aino has a Vision like other types of characters, and she is a Hydro element unit with a Cistellula Mira Constellation.
All three of them are affiliated with different factions in Nod-Krai. Aino, as we learned from meeting Ineffa in 5.8, is head of the
Clink-Clank Krumkake Craftshop near Nasha Town. Ineffa also said Jahoda, another upcoming character, often visits them there. Lauma is a Frostmoon Scion and is the Moonchanter. Finally, Flins is one of the Lightkeepers and, as such, lives at a lighthouse as a Nod-Krai Ratnik.
Here's the official art for the three Genshin Impact characters Nod-Krai characters Aino, Flins, and Lauma.
Images via HoYoVerse
Genshin Impact is available for the PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, PC, and mobile devices, and the 5.8 update is live now.
Back in February 2022, a manga about a young woman named Akane Osaki who wants to become a ranked rakugo storyteller debuted in Weekly Shonen Jump and now, in 2026, we'll see an Akane-banashi anime adaptation. ZEXCS announced it is working on the series, and the official site is open. There's no trailer for it yet.
Since Akane-banashi debuted in Weekly Shonen Jump, both MangaPlus and Viz Media offered chapters of the manga in English weekly, but there's no confirmation about any company picking up the anime yet. Akane grew up with rakugo, as her father Tohru Osaki constantly performed as a rakugoka under the name Shinta Arakawa and was going through promotion exams in the attempt to reach the highest and most respected rank of shin'uchi. However, during that exam Master Issho Arakawa didn't promote anyone and instead expelled everyone.
However, Akane still loved the storytelling art. So as she prepared to leave high school, she ended up entering training to become a rakugoka under the name Akane Arakawa. She's going through the exact same Arakawa School he did. Her goal is to show that her father and his style were deserving of honor and respect, and she wants to become a shin'uchi to prove it.
Here's the key art.
Image via Shueisha and ZEXCS
The series is currently at chapter 169 in Japan, as of August 3, 2025. Viz Media's continued to release volumes of the manga. Volume 13 will debut on August 12, 2025, and the fourteenth will follow on November 4, 2025.
The Akane-banashi rakugo anime will air in Japan in 2026, and the manga is running worldwide now.
Gust and Koei Tecmo revealed the Atelier Ryza Secret Trilogy Deluxe Pack release date and details like which new characters will be in the DX editions. Each entry gets at least two new allies, and at least one additional story. The games will release on November 13, 2025.
In the case of all the extra Atelier Ryza Secret Trilogy Deluxe Pack new characters, all of them appeared in the standard versions of the games before becoming playable in the DX releases. In the first game, Island Guardian fighter Agatha Harmon, trader Romy Vogel, and the Oren Kilo Shiness will all be playable. The one extra story looked at what happened after Kilo rescued Bos, and the other involves Ryza helping the children on Kurken with Agatha and Romy. In Atelier Ryza 2, Empel Vollmer and Lila Decyrus weren't playable, even though they were in the original, and that changes in the DX release. They'll be part of a side story and they'll explore a new Zelepsto Cave. For the third game, Clifford Diswell and Serri Glaus from the second game and recurring supporting character Kilo will be all playable. The extra story there involves Clifford and Serri and involves a Craes Island area.
Here's a trailer showing it off and all the new content.
The release date for Atelier Ryza Secret Trilogy Deluxe Pack, which includes DX versions of all three titles, releases on November 13, 2025, and it will be on the Switch, Switch 2, PS4, PS5, and PC.
August 3, 2025, is the 25th anniversary day of the Dynasty Warriors series. Koei Tecmo celebrated the occasion by publishing a new webpage and trailer while making several major announcements. One of them is a teaser for a remaster of an unspecified prior numbered mainline entry from the series.
In addition, Koei Tecmo announced that Omega Force is also working on a major DLC for Dynasty Warriors Origins. The company will reveal more details about both projects at a later time.
The announcement trailer is also available right below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ugQCzHG5tA
The Japanese webpage has a couple more announcements not included in other regions. Besides new merchandise, Koei Tecmo exclusively announced a special video that will play at the navigator consoles in Joysound karaoke outlets across Japan from August 20, 2025.
Tomohiko Sho, the chief of Omega Force, also held an informal poll about the most wanted next non-Dynasty Warriors Musou game on social media ahead of this anniversary. Samurai Warriors won the poll at 43.5%, with Warriors Orochi following closely at 37.1%. 16.1% of the 3,434 votes went for other dormant Warriors series with an emphasis on Bandai Namco's Gundam franchise, which has not had a new entry since Dynasty Warriors: Gundam Reborn came out for PlayStation 3 and Vita in late 2013 in Japan.
The Dynasty Warriors series' anniversary day is based on the release of the first Shin Sangoku Musou for PlayStation 2 in Japan on August 3, 2000. The genre-defining game was localized to the West as Dynasty Warriors 2. As a side note, the release of the first Dynasty Warriors—the PS1 fighting game known in Japan as Sangoku Musou—on February 28, 1997, is instead celebrated as the anniversary day for Omega Force as the series' development studio.
The series' latest entry as of the 25th anniversary day is Dynasty Warriors Origins, which is readily available worldwide on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC. A new major DLC for the game is in the works.
The quaint life of Middle-Earth Hobbits has captured the imagination of readers and movie-goers for years, and Tales of the Shire lets you experience that homely lifestyle. Despite its charming and promising premise, the game is so devoid of anything interesting that I wanted to march right back to Bree, Nazguls be damned.
In Tales of the Shire, you play as an original Hobbit who moves to Bywater. The villagers are all quite welcoming to you, and you can get to know them better by inviting them to your house for meals. Aside from hanging out with the other residents, you can also farm, fish, decorate your home, and buy new clothes for your Hobbit. You progress through the story by completing quests, which are usually simple ones like growing plants or fetching items.
As a disclaimer, I wasn't able to get through a lot of Tales of the Shire. Shortly before it came out, an update lagged the game so much that it was completely unplayable. While Wētā Workshop fixed that with presumably another update, my progress softlocked when a quest item did not show up where it was supposed to. I even checked another site's guide for the game to make sure I didn't misunderstand the location of the item. For three in-game days, I circled around the area while doing my usual tasks of fishing, farming, and trading, but to no avail. I literally cannot continue with my save file.
Screenshot by Siliconera
I played enough to have a good idea, though, and I have to say that I'm a little disappointed. A cozy game depicting the idyllic life of Hobbits ignorant of the horrors of war sounds like a dream game for The Lord of the Rings fans. The emphasis on community—forcing you to interact with and befriend the Bywater residents to progress—is also fun, since it doesn't allow the player to cheese the game with vast amounts of money. The problem is that the community in question isn't a very interesting one.
All the characters, including your Hobbit OC, are pretty one-note. They lack depth and interesting personalities, so it's hard to care about them at all. Talking to people outside of quests has them repeat a version of, "Hi, what's up?" with no interesting dialogue trees beyond that, so there's no point in speaking to anyone unless you have business with them. The canned lines can be inappropriately funny, like Nefi ending a conversation with, "What are you still doing here?" when we're literally at my house. It's hard to want to take part in the community when everyone feels more like bit characters than important NPCs.
Screenshot by Siliconera
The exploration and foraging's not that fun, either. Navigating Bywater is a pain, as there are a lot of winding paths and obstacles for such a small map. The birds that serve as route markers are fascinating in theory, but annoying in execution. If you take a wrong turn, it's impossible to tell when a bird is telling you to go back, meaning that I have to rely on my map more often than not. The days are also way too long for how many activities there are. I go to sleep during the evening in-game, meaning I skip an entire section of the day, and that still takes me about twenty-five real-world minutes.
Since this is a cozy game, the point is to take it slow and relax, so that's not a big deal, right? Well, the thing is that you can usually complete everything you need to by the afternoon. After that, it's just foraging and fishing. You can't even hang out and talk with the NPCs because, again, they just repeat canned lines. Between the lack of meaningful activities and character interactions, the game can feel so painfully dull that it's actively stressful, which is ironic considering its genre.
Screenshot by Siliconera
Tales of the Shire sounds like an interesting take on a Middle-Earth game, with its priority on the mundane rather than the grittier aspects of the world's history. However, it's just kind of boring, which is a shame since a cozy Hobbit game sounds like it should've been a home run. Maybe the game would have gotten more interesting as I unlocked more areas and befriended more characters, but since my progression has stalled thanks to some bizarre bug, I guess there won't be a Shire for me anymore.
Tales of the Shire is available on the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch, and Windows PC. Reviewed on PC.
Titan Quest 2's early access nature is perhaps one of the biggest reasons why multiplayer in the game, as of writing, is extremely limited in scope.
If you're unwilling to take risks with the experimental side, you'll have to stick with the game's single-player content. There's the main campaign and side quests to complete. However, the game offers an experimental multiplayer mode allowing you to play with your friends.
How to play with your friends in Titan Quest 2?
Not only is the current multiplayer version unstable and limited, but you'll also need to have your friends on the same platform. There is no lobby browser yet, and your platform support (Steam friends) is the only realistic solution.
To play multiplayer, you can't use the official early access version.
Instead, you'll have to use an alternate version that you can choose from the settings.
In the alternate version, you'll find the Multiplayer option.
Choose a character and select to host a multiplayer session.
You can use the Steam lobby to invite a friend, or they can join you in your game.
Screenshot via Steam
There are a few extra rules and restrictions to keep in mind, too.
You'll need to create a new character in the unstable multiplayer version of Titan Quest 2. Builds from the stable early access version aren't usable.
You can play together in a band of up to four people.
If the person hosting the game leaves, the session will automatically end for all the remaining players. You also risk running into crashes.
There's an active feedback collection portal for players to send their complaints and help the developers improve the multiplayer version. Chances are that official support for multiplayer will be implemented soon in Titan Quest 2.
We've all seen these Silent Hill f previews showcasing the game's all-too-familiar combat system. You'd expect a survival horror title, especially one with as long a tradition as Silent Hill has, to be more tense and atmospheric. But nope, it's a Soulslike, and the devs think that's fine.
As per IGN, via GameSpark, Motoi Okamoto, Silent Hill's series producer, wanted to implement more action and entertainment into f since its inception. This wish was so strong that Konami decided to go for NeoBards and ask them to develop the game, due to the studio being "tremendously good at making action games."
One would expect Silent Hill to be developed by tremendously good horror developers, but in a world filled to the brink with action, entertainment, and, most recently, Soulslikes, that's just how things are.
And speaking of Soulslike gameplay, which appears to also be a large part of Silent Hill f given the gameplay previews we've seen recently, it was added into the game because it's, surprise surprise, popular with modern players.
The girl in this image is a Dark Souls action hero, by the way. Image via Konami
"The Silent Hill series isn't considered a game that has entertaining action per se, but as we're opening our doors to new players, we began to wonder what it would be like if we added more of those elements into the game… Challenging action games are gaining popularity among younger players nowadays, so I believed that if we implemented such elements into the game, it would resonate well even with people who are new to the series," Okamoto said.
So, yeah, Silent Hill f is an action-oriented horror game, a standalone in the series, developed by a studio well versed in action games and filled with Soulslike elements because, apparently, the modern player cannot stand to play a game without being entertained and actioned all the time.
Now I get it, we don't want the same thing as we've had with countless other horror games, not even the same as older Silent Hill titles. But turning an otherwise tense, atmospheric, hauntingly horrifying game into an action-oriented title with Soulslike elements simply doesn't ring right to me.
Let's hope the vision turns out fine in the end, at least.
The 24 hours evolution is an interesting upgrade option for EA FC 25 players, and you can upgrade a card of your choice by locking it for the next 24 hours.
Just like its name, the new evolution has four levels. It's a training camp evolution, and each level unlocks automatically after six hours. The evolution costs 75,000 coins to unlock, so let's take a look at the best possible options to consider.
The requirements determine which cards you can use in this evolution in EA FC 25.
Overall: Max 96
Defending: Max 80
Physical: Max 98
PlayStyles: Max 10
PlayStyles+: Max 4
EA FC 25 24 hours evolution upgrades
The evolution has four tasks, with each lasting for six hours. Once a level is complete, your chosen card will automatically get the applicable boosts.
Level 1 upgrades
Overall: +2|98
Passing: +10|92
Acceleration: +8|98
Sprint Speed: +8|98
PlayStyles+: Finesse Shot|4
PlayStyles: Quick Step
Level 2 upgrades
Overall: +2|98
Dribbling: +10|93
Jumping: +10|88
Stamina: +20|90
PlayStyles+: Aerial|4
PlayStyles: First Touch|8
Level 3 upgrades
Overall: +2|98
Defending: +10|80
Aggression: +10|88
Strength: +10|90
Weak Foot: +2
PlayStyles: Tiki Taka|8
Level 4 upgrades
Overall: +2|98
Acceleration: +7|98
Sprint Speed: +7|98
Skills: +2
PlayStyles+: Incisive Pass|4
Best players to use in the 24 hours evolution
With plenty of choices, here are the best options in my books.
Kika Nazareth Fantasy FC
Heung Min Son RTTF
Anthony Martial FUTTIES
Homare Sawa Shapeshifters
Jesse Lingard FUTTIES
Viktor Gyokeres TOTS
Florian Wirtz TOTS
Eden Hazard Shapeshifters
As an alternative, you can use any suitable evolution chain if that's applicable. That way, you can create a unique card, and it can also become part of a future evolution (if that case arises). Since it's a training camp evolution, you'll have to start it from your web app/companion app. You can then continue the chain from within the game directly (or continue from the web/companion app).
If you want a new type of buggy in Grounded 2, then you'll want to find yourself some Orb Weaver Eggs.
These eggs can be hatched to create an Orb Weaver, which you can use as a buggy. They look far more menacing than Red Ants, which sold me on the idea. But finding these eggs can be difficult. So here's how to find and hatch Orb Weaver Eggs in Grounded 2.
How to find Orb Weaver Eggs in Grounded 2?
As of writing, Orb Weaver Eggs can be found at three locations: Headless BURG. L, under the tree at the Ice Cream Cart, and at the Picnic Table under the lamp post.
Location
Where to find
How to extract the eggs
BURG.L
On the remains of the headless BURG.L.
Located between the borders of Ceremony and Snackbar Front, the remains serve as a nesting area for Orb Weavers. You'll first have to clear the spiderlings and matured Orb Weavers at this location before extracting the eggs. This is the easiest area to raid in my books.
Picnic Table
Right under the lamp post
The lamp post is located to the right of the Picnic Table, and you'll find a Wolf Spider roaming the area, along with a bunch of spiderlings. Don't engage the Wolf Spider; just avoid it, take one of the entrances, go inside, and then pick up your eggs.
Ice Cream Cart
Roots of a large tree covering part of the area
This area has the highest number of Orb Weaver nests among all three locations, but I would avoid it. The areas have too many enemies, including Orb Weavers and Orb Weaver Jrs. If you want a challenge, you can raid this spot, but I haven't attempted it myself. It's just too much trouble for my liking.
Here is some advice: Get your ant first as your maiden buggy. Good luck getting the egg back to your base in one piece if you don't have an ant. You can't attack any creature while carrying the egg, making it almost impossible to return safely with the item. Just use an ant - it's safe, more convenient, and they're cute.
Screenshot via Obsidian Entertainment
How to get an Orb Weaver Buggy in Grounded 2?
So you got your egg safely back to your base, what's next? For starters, defeat the Mysterious Stranger to access the Penthouse Office. You'll get the TURBO optical disk from this location, and then use it at a Ranger Station to obtain the Orb Weaver Buggy plan.
Here's the complete list of items required to create a saddle.
Blueberry Leather x3
Red Ant Mandibles x4
Acorn Shell x3
Here's what you'll need to create a spider nest for your new buggy.
Web Fiber x6
Silk Rope x4
Weed Stem x6
Pine Needle x6
While the Orb Weaver buggy looks menacing and can slice through enemies, it can't carry any items. It's also bigger, which means the creature won't be able to enter certain areas that your Red Ant buggy can. However, it's a great option if you're on a quest to defeat challenging enemies.
Now that we know Battlefield 6 won't be getting a server browser (not a real one, anyhow), it's time we put the pressure on EA to reconsider. Portal, introduced in 2042, is not a substitute for a proper server browser with dedicated servers, manned and operated by the community.
As confirmed by Battlefield 6 producer Alexia Christofi, DICE's upcoming shooter will not feature a proper server browser, but an "improved" version of Portal, first introduced in Battlefield 2042. Christofi claims this new Portal will answer all the needs of Battlefield players who so desperately want to see server browsers and dedicated servers return. Which would be fine if Portal allowed for proper plugins, tools, and server operations, rather than being a glorified custom match mode.
Which brings me to my point: EA should give up on trying to reinvent the wheel, look at the overwhelmingly negative response to Christofi's "server browser solution" aka Portal 2.0, and put a real, dedicated server browser into Battlefield 6, just like every single other BF game had in the past, 2042 not included.
Old Battlefield games remain alive precisely because of server browsers and dedicated servers, and it's unreal that EA still doesn't want to add them back. Image via EA
It boggles the mind why EA and DICE, after seeing how much people hated 2042, would want to bring central features from that game back into their last attempt at making Battlefield a good series again. Portal, while functional, is no replacement or substitution for a real server browser, the likes of which we have in Battlefield 1, 4, 3, and just about every Battlefield ever made.
These server browsers and the dedicated community-operated servers within have kept previous games alive for so long, and they continue to run even to this day. Without them, we're again at risk of EA one day turning the game off forever, which is impossible so long as dedicated server hosting exists.
No "official" server browser should be in the game, and EA really needs to reconsider before BF6's Oct. 10 launch, as not having dedicated servers almost completely kills the community side of things. And no matter how many "custom" maps and modes people create in Portal, it'll still remain a Fortnite-like experience, with no actual community customization or experience curation at all.
When Black Ops 6 fades into the past, I think it will go down as a memorable Zombies game in the Call of Duty franchise. And there's one more ride left to take before it's gone.
Here's everything we know so far about the final BO6 Zombies map, "Reckoning," and everything else coming in BO6 Zombies season five.
Take the fight to Janus Towers in BO6 Zombies' final map, Reckoning. The team arrives and all hell breaks loose, leaving the foursome to save the day once more as part of the ongoing CoD Dark Aether storyline.
"The towers' systems appear to be critically damaged, and total failure is imminent," Activision said. "Stabilizing the Aether Reactors seems to be the initial overriding goal, before even greater threats must be faced."
The main quest for Reckoning goes live on Aug. 7 at 11am CT.
New Wonder Weapon: Gorgofex
Image via Activision
Reckoning's Wonder Weapon, Gorgofex, is a powerful hand cannon that has some unique capabilities.
"Combining fungal, floral, and insectile traits to deliver precise impact damage and gravity-defying disruption in close quarters, glowing membranes on the weapon show hints of motion and circulation under the surface," Activision said. "The weapon seems to pulse and breathe, with a beating central heart-like organ that 'pumps' energy through the weapon. Due to the saturation of Dark Aether and other unknown energies, the weapon is said to emit faint psychic vibrations."
Shooting Gorgofex will create an area-of-effect damage field that dissipates outward and inflicts damage in a wider area.
New Elite enemy: Uber Klaus
Image via Activision
The robot Klaus got a big upgrade for this final mission. Uber Klaus comes equipped with a giant mech suit as the map's new elite enemy, sure to throw a wrinkle in the team's plans.
"The secret Research and Development program of Project Janus appears to have been more evolved than originally thought, developing many more robots in the Klaus Assembly Lab than first anticipated," Activision explained. "The greatest of these threats is the Uber Klaus – a murderous automaton encased in a toughened, bulky exoskeleton – that maintains a cocky attitude, lethal efficiency, and super strength, all directed at newly-programmed threats"
New Field Upgrade: Mister Peeks
Image via Activision
Everyone's favorite demented plush bunny is a reward from an in-season event, and is a throwable Field Upgrade that "gleefully attracts normal and Special enemies and attacks any undead within his wandering radius, savaging foes until they explode in a shower of bright confetti. "
Major Augments
Dance Party
Mister Peeks becomes the life of the party, attracting nearby zombies to him, before he detonates an Aether Pulse to thin out the crowd considerably.
Arcane Fury
Mister Peeks has become a master of the elements, enhancing his regular damage with a random Ammo Mod (with an Augment from that Ammo Mod).
Apex Hunter
Mister Peeks focuses all attacks on the strongest nearby enemy other than bosses. For example, Uber Klaus would be targeted over regular foes, with increased damage inflicted.
Minor Augments
Social Butterfly
Increase Mister Peeks' attraction radius.
Peeks' Favor
Mister Peeks is good to have around Mystery Box locations. Get a free box spin if you're near one during activation!
Party Animal
Increase Mister Peeks' dance duration.
New weapons
Image via Activision
Four new weapons in season five of BO6 include the PML 5.56 LMG, ABR A1 assault rifle, Boxing Gloves melee weapon, and Gravemark .357 Revolver (mid-season), all with their own camo challenges to unlock.
Reckoning: Grief and Directed Mode incoming
Both Grief and Directed Mode for Reckoning will be coming later on in season five, Activision confirmed.
This article will be updated with more information if necessary.
I've started playing Jeanne d'Arc on the PSP as an experiment. I grew up loving to play on Game Boy Color, Advance, and Nintendo DS, but I had never put my hands on PlayStation's portable console. In 2025, I wanted to leave my Nintendo fan-boyism aside while also playing a tactical RPG, a genre I probably last played on the DS in Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift.
I normally avoid tactical RPGs because they tend to be long, slow, and repetitive. I barely finished Unicorn Overlord's demo because I hate spending several minutes setting up units only to later make a minor misplay that forces me to restart a long combat. I'm more of a Slay the Spire and Hades guy. But this time, I was also ok with being a little bored with a game if I thought I'd feel accomplished at the end.
In this attempt to detach myself from this self-imposed "I hate TRPGs" label, I decided that Jeanne d'Arc was worth a try.
But I was skeptical. Jeanne d'Arc has an 87 Metacritic score and ranks as the 11th-best reviewed PSP game ever, but it never got a sequel or remake. The game was only ported to PS4 and PS5 in July 2024, 17 years after its Western release. If it was that good, how did it not become a franchise like Tactics Ogre or Disgaea?
Apparently, Jeanne d'Arc didn't drive enough sales. It placed 190th on Japan's best-selling games list of 2006, behind other TRPGs like Disgaea 2 (100th) and Super Robot Taisen MX Portable (166th). Its developer, Level-5, ended up making other more successful franchises like Professor Layton, Ni No Kuni, and Inazuma Eleven.
What still makes Jeanne d'Arc a gem is how it mixes things up just when it's about to get boring.
Getting to the boats isn't easy. Screenshot by Destructoid.
Breaking the cycle
The game starts off slow with a few tutorial battles, which is fine. It's easy to learn its rock-paper-scissors triangle of weaknesses in Stella, Luna, and Sol spirits. As characters join your roster, you also learn more about their specific roles, like being a healer, a mage, or a situational pick for certain battles.
Still, I expected Jeanne d'Arc to fall into the boring TRPG cycle: check the battlefield, place your units, move them around, and kill all the monsters. While this is the core of the game, the shifting objectives and varied maps kept it from getting stale.
In most battles, you're expected to wipe the board. That's standard and nearly unavoidable in tactical RPGs. But a few times, Jeanne d'Arc forces you to flee the battle without letting any characters die, like getting into the boats at the end of the canal in the "Barging into Paris" story quest. Other times, it lets you ignore all the trash mobs and focus on killing a specific enemy, like defeating Slinker in the "Brother Richard" mission. The most interesting tasks, though, come in the side quests—which I almost skipped because I usually avoid them. In Castle Vilneaux, I had to lure two powerful pet-dragons back into their owner's cage without killing them or letting my team get wiped, and they had devastating area spells. In another quest, I fought 10 waves of increasingly tougher enemies in a single map in a colosseum.
Maps that add depth
The objective diversity in Jeanne d'Arc gets even better with the map diversity. No map was solved from the beginning.
In Langles Tunnel, I was stuck in a sewer with a massive golem barreling toward me. I couldn't escape or outrun it, so the only solution was to buff up beforehand and carefully position my units so the golem wouldn't crush my backline. In Raillemont, I had to use the elusive rogue Colet to build bridges across split rooftops to reach a boss, all while my team was scattered across the area. Essentially, Jeanne d'Arc constantly forced me to use different units to solve different maps, and that ended up being fun while also rewarding me with great gear to help in the main story.
Even standard "kill all enemies" maps change things up with their layout. Some maps are wide open fields, but others are filled with pillars and walls that block ranged attacks, chokepoints that only two characters can pass through at once, or branching paths that force you to split your party to deal with multiple threats at once.
These map and objective changes are what kept Jeanne d'Arc from ever getting boring, something I didn't expect from a standalone TRPG. And while those are the two biggest reasons it breaks the genre's usual cycle, it also features great character flexibility. Your characters' skills are items you can equip and swap out before each mission.
You can also think of Jeanne d'Arc as anime and play it for the plot. A big part of the game's story is made of anime cutscenes, which impressed me for a 2006 game. You can watch the story on YouTube if you want.
Jeanne d'Arc, a game I thought I'd never enjoy, became one that I played for over 30 hours during several weeks, and that made me want to play more tactical RPGs. Please drop a comment with some of your best recommendations for similar TRPGs!
"NERF THIS," you say? Sure thing. Blizzard is nerfing Overwatch 2's heroes with actual NERF guns in a special new collab this week, and it's about damn time.
With D.Va shouting her ultimate line for nearly the past 10 years, the NERF collab with OW2 is long overdue, but it seems like it's gonna be a pretty fun one when it kicks off tomorrow, Aug 5, giving heroes actual NERF guns to use in-game.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_q9JoVcImI
Several NERF-themed weapon skins are inbound as part of the collab, including Genji's Slingerang and Power Blast Bat, Baptiste's Loadout Galactic Commander, Hanzo's Big Bad Bow, Mei's Super Soaker XP100, Soldier: 76's N Series Pinpoint, and Cassidy's Maverick gun, Vortex Football grenade, and new NERF Legendary hero skin.
In a blog about the collab, Blizzard confirmed that Tracer's Gelfire Pros NERF weapon skins will be earnable in the event, which includes a mode called NERF or Nothin', which is described as "a fast-paced free-for-all where eight players drop in, and the first to hit 20 eliminations claims the win." But there's more.
You begin each round with a random hero, and every elimination turns you into a new character (think Gun Game in CoD, but with heroes). Even if you can't get a kill, you will swap after three deaths, but heroes won't repeat, and every ability has 80 percent cooldown reduction, so it's going to be madness.
Completing event challenges can unlock a spray, player icon, weapon charm, and 40,000 battle pass XP on top of Tracer's NERF weapons, before the event comes to a close on Aug. 18 and the new cosmetics disappear for good, or at least for a while.
Image via Blizzard Entertainment
If you'd like to complete the collection of NERF guns, get ready to fork over some Overwatch Coins when the NERF event begins tomorrow, Aug. 5.
Total War: Warhammer 3 is Creative Assembly's ultimate TW game. Now, you might not agree with the sentiment, and I wouldn't entirely either (Shogun 2 remains my all-time favorite), but it's true. It's the most popular, most well-known, and gets the most attention from the studio.
This always made its many flaws stand out harshly and be significantly more annoying whenever they're encountered. The biggest one of all has always been the sieges, or the lack thereof, with ladders spawning out of units' backsides, rendering walls obsolete, and turning every siege battle into a real-life war of attrition where the first one to get bored loses.
Now, years after the fact, Creative Assembly is stepping up its game and reworking the sieges alongside the community after somewhat ironing out most of the game's other drawbacks. And hell, I'll go on a limb to say it's the last piece in a master puzzle which, alongside fantastic community mods, could put Warhammer 3 on top as my number one Total War game.
A** ladders be gone
Total Warhammer 3 battles are an epic ordeal, but sieges will make any cool scene boring. Screenshot by Destructoid
The focal point of this new siege system is the abject lack of the aforementioned backside ladders. No longer will random units go up to super thick walls and spawn ladders out of thin air, rendering any sort of fortification completely useless. What's more, the magic ladders also took away from the vibes, turning sieges more into just regular battles with extra steps rather than their own thing.
In the new system, available currently through the siege beta, you'll actually have to build ladders for sieges, which are manned in the same way as siege towers or battering rams that we've had in the game for so long. While there are caveats to how the siege ladders function, i.e., they're not their own unit like the towers and depend on the infantry moving them, they're still a very, very welcome addition on the siege battlefield.
They add tremendous layers to every single altercation, make launching sieges an expensive ordeal, and give the defenders (and especially their walls) an actual chance to defend themselves. You have to really utilize your siege equipment to tackle enemy fortifications, which are now not just another obstacle to surmount, but a proper barrier standing between yourself and that new territory.
The addition of ladders as a piece of equipment genuinely gives more reasons to equip your sieging army with the other siege units as well, such as the towers and battering rams, given that walls need to be penetrated somehow. Relying on just the ladders before was the better choice since they could spawn out of nowhere at incredible numbers, but your ladder units can now easily be killed, forcing you to sometimes pivot to other siege means, whether you like it or not.
It's remarkable how one single change can so thoroughly affect sieges and how CA, despite its experience with awesome siege mechanics in Thrones of Britannia and Attila, still had a horrible system in place for Warhammer 3. But, thankfully, it's on its way out.
No more campaign siege camping
Walls actually make a difference now. Image via Creative Assembly
CA didn't just change siege battles. Campaign sieges are getting some much-needed attention, as well. Instead of approaching a settlement and engaging in a siege, thereby starting an arbitrary move counter ticking down until everyone in it is dead, CA implemented a dose of realism. Now, you can still encircle a settlement, but it won't tick down equally per turn, with the settlement having to slowly burn through its supplies before beginning to deteriorate.
This completely destroys cheesy settlement sieges and auto-resolves since it takes a lot longer for any given town to reach attrition levels. Alongside AI improvements, it also means you cannot bait the AI into attacking you outside the settlement with attrition-ridden troops, giving you an easy auto-resolve win, which you should've spent sieging properly.
Now, I hate to be the bearer of bad news after listing out so many good things about this siege rework, so I won't get into the FLAWS. There's been enough of that around already.
If, however, CA manages to patch everything up and implement a siege rework without the drawbacks which've been extensively documented by the rest of the community, Warhammer 3 will finally become the game it's meant to be.
Then we can add a hundred mods and have the best Total War experience out there.
If you think you've mastered the art of ghost hunting in Phasmophobia, you may be ready to put your skills to the test. Weekly challenge modes are a great way to see just how good you are.
These special trials modify how the game works, usually with rules that make the experience a lot harder. Successfully finishing the challenge gets you plenty of XP and cash, so it's well worth the effort. Here's the weekly challenge in Phasmophobiaand everything you need to know to beat it.
From Aug. 3 to 10, the weekly challenge is Frostbitten in Phasmophobia. In this challenge, extreme cold has taken over, making both you and the ghost much slower than usual. There are a couple of extra modifiers alongside this one, but moving slower is the main one.
How to complete the weekly challenge in Phasmophobia
To finish the weekly challenge mode in Phasmophobia, you need to correctly identify the ghostpresent on the featured map three times. The specific changes present in each trial mode vary, but your goal is always the same.
All Frostbitten weekly challenge modifiers in Phasmophobia
This challenge mode has several specific rules that modify the way the contract functions. Here are all the key details you need to know about this trial.
The Frostbitten challenge is one of the trickier ones you can attempt in Phasmophobia, so here are some of the best tips to help you get it done.
Be wary of early hunters. There's no setup time in this one, so it's possible, although unlikely, that you may be hunted as soon as you step on the map. Try to get Crucifixes down around the ghost room as soon as possible to deter this and also ensure you're always ready to run or hide as needed.
Learn Camp Woodwind's layout. Since it's an outdoor map, it's tough to investigate. Learn the map layout beforehand to make this process easier. You can explore it in a custom match with the friendly ghost option turned on, so you don't have to worry about hunts.
Loop around the map. Camp Woodwind is essentially one giant circle, so you can generally loop around it endlessly to escape the ghost during hunts. Focus on breaking line of sight with the ghost as you go to ensure it can't catch you.
Don't use temperature to find the ghost. It's snowing, and the fuse box is broken in this trial, so your temperature readings will be way off. Use a different method, like placing sensors or an EMF Reader, to pinpoint the ghost's location. Once you've found the right room, you can then use the Thermometer to check for freezing temperatures.
Play with friends. Your odds of success are a lot better with allies helping you through this tricky trial. With additional ghost hunters at your side, you can explore the map more quickly, work together to gather evidence, and continue the investigation even if you perish.
Don't give up. Since all equipment is provided for free, there's nothing to lose in this challenge. Because of this, you can keep trying without worrying about losing money or equipment. Give each contract your all and keep at it until you get it done.
When does the challenge mode change in Phasmophobia?
The challenge mode changes every Monday at 12am UTC, which translates to 7pm CT every Sunday. You have a full week to tackle each challenge mode when it's available. All challenge modes return regularly since they're on a rotating schedule, so if you don't get to finish one, you can always try it again in the future.
Next weekly challenge mode in Phasmophobia
The next weekly challenge mode, which will run for a full week from Aug. 10 to 17, is Do As I Command. This trial begins as soon as this week's challenge, Frostbitten, ends.
All weekly challenge modes in Phasmophobia
Screenshot by Destructoid
There are 27 challenge modes in Phasmophobia. A different one is available to complete each week, and the challenge order stays exactly the same, so it's easy to know which one is coming next. Here are all of the challenges you may face in Phasmophobia.
Name
Description
Map
Lights Out!
Get your candles at the ready, all the lights are out!
6 Tanglewood Drive
Speed Demons
There must be something in the air, everyone's going crazy!
Maple Lodge Campsite
Detectives Only
Put your detective skills to the test, this ghost is giving nothing away!
42 Edgefield Road
Hide and Seek: Seeker
There's a very quiet ghost hiding somewhere, can you find it?
Titan Quest 2 is out on early access, and the current build has plenty of content to keep you interested.
Based on the official news, the ARPG will receive plenty of content as it continues along its development cycle. However, the existing client already has a proper campaign for you to complete. Although it is linear, I have enjoyed the main story and what it has to offer.
Let's look at how you can beat the game, how long it will take, and a list of all the main story quests to guide your journey.
Unlike ARPGs like Diablo 4, you can easily complete Titan Quest 2, or "beat" it. This is partly due to the linear nature of the campaign and the limited content (compared to Diablo 4). You can take two routes. as laid out below.
Focus entirely on the main campaign, and bypass everything else. This will drastically reduce the time taken to complete the game; in my books, it's an imperfect experience.
Focus partly on the main story, but also enjoy the side content. Some side quests will fall along the main storyline, while others must be discovered. They won't be marked on the map; the only option is to manually talk with NPCs. I am doing this, and so should you (unless you have a backlog longer than the size of the Iliad and the Odyssey).
Screenshot via Grimoire Games
How long to complete Titan Quest 2?
Concentrating entirely on the main campaign should take around five hours or so (including the side quests you might unearth along the way). This is based on social media and Steam community chatters, but it resonates with my experience.
While I have been exploring the side content that Titan Quest 2 offers, half my main campaign is already over (I have played for about four hours as of writing). According to Grimoire Games and the game's Steam page, you can expect to enjoy about 15 hours of content. This is an estimate of how long it will take to clear every bit of content.
All Titan Quest 2 main quests
As of writing, we have only five main quest missions (excluding the prologue). The prologue has two other tutorial quests taking place in Proti Island, while Act 1 takes place at Pyrgos Village.
Prologue
The Hunt Begins
The Queen of the Mountain
Act 1
On a Strange Shore
The Town on the Hill
The Search for the Sea God
The Wild God
Whispers of the Moirai
I am pretty confident we will get more quests in future updates. Once that happens, we will add them to the list above. Naturally, that will also increase the time it takes to beat Titan Quest 2.
The Battlefield franchise is back in a big way with some more modern warfare, and it's time to kick things into gear with the game's open beta ahead of launch in October.
Battlefield 6 brings the fight in the year 2027, including modern weaponry and soldiers along with their equipment, like tanks, jets, choppers, and more, in everything from large-scale battles to smaller skirmishes.
Battlefield 6's open beta rolls out across two weekends in August 2025, and we've got all the details on how to play it as soon and as much as possible, with the earliest possible time to play coming on Thursday, Aug. 7.
The full game launches on Oct. 10, but gamers everywhere can try out Battlefield 6 in the open beta. Read on to learn more about what it all entails.
The battle royale rages on in Call of Duty: Warzone, alongside Black Ops 6's season five, including an all-new contract that may be building up to something big.
Here's what Warzone fans can expect to play when season five goes live on Aug. 7.
Season five for Warzone is a bit light on new content, but the build-up to Black Ops 7 should make things interesting over the coming months, including the opening of the Stadium POI with a new contract.
New contract: Satellite Hijack
Image via Activision
This new contract will only be available for the first week of the season, and due to its odd nature, it likely has a lot to do with BO7's reveal. Warzone events and gameplay have been used to unveil new CoD stuff over the past few years, so this year is no different.
"Breach the stadium in possibly the most impressively explosive way possible as you and other enemy squads attempt race (sic) to complete the multi-step Satellite Hijack Contract," Activision said. "Infiltrate the Stadium by any means necessary, confirming the nefarious operations and hidden compound within."
The contract includes some kind of special reward, which will be "available to every member of your squad and usable during the rest of the match as well as permanently placed in your Gunsmith."
New guns
Image via Activision
The PML 5.56 LMG, ABR A1 assault rifle, Boxing Gloves melee weapon, and Gravemark .357 Revolver (mid-season) will be entering loadouts all over Verdansk in season five.
New limited time modes
Image via Activision
Two new LTMs grace season five, including Stadium Resurgence and Deadline.
Stadium Resurgence is available in week two and includes 36 players dropping into the Stadium POI in short, 12-minute matches. Deadline is built for groups of four and includes both other players and bots in a unique new game type.
"Jump in with your squad and amass as many points as you can between each Circle Collapse," Activision said of the mode. "Naturally, racking up eliminations—by dispatching both human and Bot Hostile Agents— is a key method of increasing your points total, but you're also rewarded with points by completing Contracts, looting supplies, and spending cash at Buy Stations."
Weapon nerfs and buffs
The meta should shift in the new season once weapons are tweaked to shake things up. Check back here for more info closer to the update's launch on Aug. 7.
New Ranked Play rewards
Image via Activision
Ranked Play continues in season five, with new rewards to be earned by completing the following objectives:
First Season Win: Weapon Charm
Get 25 Eliminations: Elimination Sticker
Get 100 Eliminations: Elimination Weapon Camo
Get 250 Eliminations: Elimination SWAT 5.56 Weapon Blueprint
Silver: "Ranked Season 5 – Silver" Emblem
Gold: "Ranked Season 5 – Gold" Emblem and Calling Card
Platinum: "Ranked Season 5 – Platinum" Emblem and Calling Card
Diamond: "Ranked Season 5 – Diamond" Emblem and Calling Card
Crimson: "Ranked Season 5 – Crimson" Emblem and Calling Card
Iridescent: "Ranked Season 5 – Iridescent" Emblem and Calling Card
Top 250: "Ranked Season 5 – Top 250" Emblem and Calling Card
Season 05 Champion: "Ranked Season 5 – Top 250 Champion" Emblem
Solos return, but only for NA and EU
Solo BR is coming back in season five, but with a catch. Core Solos will only be available worldwide for 48 hours, and after that, the mode will only be available in the NA and EU regions. Casual BR Solos will be available permanently.
"In North America and Europe, Core Solos was marginally more sustainable than other regions in both phases of testing; however, the mode still suffered from match quality concerns (connection, match times) due to players preferring other available playlists," Activision explained. "In other regions, Core Solos was unable to deliver acceptable match quality. Casual Solos has proven itself to be the more approachable and globally sustainable mode. Keeping this mode live worldwide ensures that solo players everywhere have a healthy, high-quality match experience."
This article will be updated with new information whenever it becomes available.
Black Ops 6 still has some juice left in the tank ahead of the next Call of Duty launching this fall, and season five is quite juicy.
With new weapons, maps, and modes coming to multiplayer, along with the final Zombies map launching on day one, season five is a good excuse to get the gang back together for some matches to beat the heat outside.
Here's everything coming in BO6's season five, likely its penultimate season.
Before all eyes turn to Black Ops 7's full reveal and beta later in August, BO6's season five drops on Aug. 7 and rounds out the Zombies storyline while also bringing a plethora of other additions to multiplayer.
New multiplayer maps and modes
Image via Activision
Three new maps arrive at launch in season five, with one coming later at midseason. Runway (medium-sized), Exchange (small-sized), and Black Ops 1 remake W.M.D. are available at launch, while Jackpot (medium-sized) comes later on.
For those looking to try something a little different, new game modes Aim High, Snipers Only, and Cranked Demolition will refresh the fun. Cranked Moshpit, Ransack, and Blueprint Gunfight are returning modes that will appear throughout the season.
Four new weapons
Image via Activision
Three new weapons come to BO6 at the launch of season five, including the PML 5.56 light machine gun, ABR A1 assault rifle, and Boxing Gloves melee weapon, while the Gravemark .357 Revolver pistol will be added to the game during the mid-season event. Special new weapon attachments are also coming as part of event rewards.
New Scorestreak
Coming at mid-season, the Combat Bow will offer a new lethal Scorestreak option, returning for the first time since Black Ops Cold War.
"Step out of the jungle and become a lone action hero, firing single-shot, explosive-tipped arrows that explode on impact, dealing incendiary damage to all enemies caught in its trajectory and leaving a trail of fire in its wake."
Type: Lethal
Score: 500
Weapon buffs and nerfs
Sick of the same old meta? Me too! Season five's patch will be filled with tweaks to existing guns on top of the new ones. Check back here on patch day to see what's changing.
New Zombies map
Image via Activision
The BO6 Zombies content comes to an end with the final map, Reckoning, on season five launch. The fun adventures of the Zombies crew finish up at the Project Janus Headquarters and will be available to play on Aug. 7 at 11am CT when season five begins.
The new map includes a new Elite enemy, Uber Klaus, which is a zombie in a giant mech suit. But there's also a new Wonder Weapon called Gorgofex, a hand cannon that fires "a slug of Aether-based energy."
Of course, there's a new main quest, special rewards, and other kinds of zombies to deal with. Grief mode and Directed Mode for Reckoning will be coming at mid-season, along with the new Mister Peeks Field Upgrade.
New events
Image via Activision
Free rewards are up for grabs throughout August and beyond in season five as part of playable limited-time events.
'90s Action Heroes (in-season)
Total Rewards: 13, including the Boxing Gloves Melee Weapon and the Mister Peeks Zombies Field Upgrade
Operation: Hell Ride (mid-season)
Rewards Include: Gravemark .357 Revolver
Atomic Block Party (mid-season)
"It's time to commemorate everyone's favorite chaotic battleground! Engage in a Nuketown-inspired event full of rewards."
This article will be updated with more information whenever it becomes available.
Battlefield 6, being an EA title, had players anticipating it'd come to Xbox Game Pass. While that remains a possibility, we know for certain it won't happen on release. What will happen, however, is that EA Play Pro subscribers will get BF6 day one, for the low price of $17.
As spotted by GameSpot, EA is offering numerous benefits for EA Play Pro subscribers regarding Battlefield 6, including day-one availability and open beta early access. The $17 per month subscription is EA's top tier, one not associated with the integrated Xbox Game Pass version of EA Play. This means that, unfortunately, Xbox Game Pass subscribers won't be getting the latest and, hopefully, the greatest Battlefield on release, but can still subscribe to an alternative service.
If you do happen to be an EA Play Pro subscriber, you'll be able to play the BF6 open beta on Aug. 7 during the early access window. In that case, you'd do good to preload the game starting today, Aug. 4, so you don't waste time waiting for the installation to finish while everyone else is out there blowing the Brooklyn Bridge into the Stone Age.
EA Play Pro subscribers will get BF6 on launch and play its beta early. Image via EA Digital Illusions CE
All this isn't to say that Battlefield 6 won't come to Game Pass at all. Almost every EA game ever made can be accessed through Game Pass' integrated EA Play subscription, including a ton of Battlefield and other AAA mainline EA games. There are few reasons EA wouldn't eventually bring Battlefield 6, at least in a time-limited format, to Microsoft's subscription service, given how many players it tends to bring to EA's games (remember Battlefront 2).
Battlefield 6 is slated to release on Oct. 10, with two open beta weekends on Aug. 9-10 and 14-17, with an early access beta window on Aug. 7-8.
Drifting through life, seeing wherever it'll take him, Mick Carter is thrown into the deep end when he witnesses a murder and becomes the next victim soon after. But what they couldn't predict was that Carter would resurface—the same man but with a newfound existence.
What's a dead man walking got to do with his day but enact revenge on the same people that disposed of him like he was nothing?
With death around every corner, life inside The Drifter is feeling more and more like a Final Destination movie. Here we'll show you every single choice you should make to keep Carter standing long enough to unearth the mystery surrounding that dark day and clear his name as the Bucket Butcher.
All chapters and choices in The Drifter: Full walkthrough
Prologue
Screenshot by Destructoid
As this is a lead-up to the murder mystery and acts as the origin for Carter's strange resurrection abilities, there aren't really any ways you can mess up the prologue. This entire section is scripted, but here's everything we clicked on and the order we did it in:
Old tarp (click twice).
Light filters in from vents.
Heavy door.
Old feller. Bet he'll lend me a hand (click twice).
Go to your inventory and drag the tarp onto the old feller.
Rebar.
Heavy door.
Look at open door.
Flow hatch.
Dive past the door.
Flow hatch.
Chapter 1: Welcoming Party
Screenshot by Destructoid
Carter's phone dies before he can get his sister Annie's address. The hunt to recharge his phone is on.
Overpass
My phone must have fallen from my pack.
My pack's in tatters.
That looks just like...
I wonder what Bill's doing down here.
Bill might have a phone.
He must have heard those shots.
Someone's joyride ended here.
Use phone charger on wrecked car.
Bill - wrecked car.
Use keys on car.
The bonnet (twice).
Small jetty along the waterfront (walk right).
Petrol can.
Overpass (walk left).
Use petrol can on bonnet.
The bonnet.
Bill - See what's wrong with the car.
Bill - Need a replacement for the fuel line.
Way under the bridge.
Underpass
Busted washing machine (click twice).
The reporter won't just give me her knife.
She's watching what I'm doing.
Silty water drains towards the reservoir.
Overpass
Bill - Heard anything about people going missing.
Bill - The Pitt closing down.
Back to underpass.
Underpass
Reporter - Maybe there's something to what the reporter was saying (both dialogue options).
Use knife on washing machine.
Back to overpass.
Overpass
Shouts came from the jetty.
One of them wrestles with the kicking reporter.
A man waits in the boat.
Use hunting knife.
Rough hessian clings to my face.
Hands are tied behind my back.
Use knife on hands.
Rough hessian clings to my face.
Use knife on rope.
Jerry can sinks.
Combine rubber tubing with can.
Use knife on rope.
Chapter 2: Deceased Estate
Screenshot by Destructoid
Carter's back from the dead, escaping the same fate that took so many before him. What gave him this chance? How much time has passed?
Probably my best bet.
Fire's out.
Discarded newspaper.
Use newspaper on barrel.
Barrel's been moved away.
Use knife on wall.
Old outlet's blocked up (drain).
Combine rum with lighter.
Use lighter on the barrel.
Old outlet (drain).
I'm trapped under the body.
Bill's ragged form (click twice).
Use knife on Bill's jacket lining.
Creased Japanese features, narrow eyes twinkle above a wry grin (twice).
Barrel.
Combine cloth with rum bottle.
Use bottle on barrel to make molotov.
Throw bottle.
Go drain.
Screenshot by Destructoid
Herald
Heavy wooden doors.
She eyes me disinterestedly (you can exhaust all dialogue options with her, but she won't take Carter seriously).
Back out to the street.
Morning paper.
Fast asleep, hoping passers-by will read his sign.
The coins glitter from inside the cap.
Use coins to get newspaper.
An alley.
The alley continues.
Chapel
The chapel is that way.
Must be the caretaker here (twice).
A solid oak door.
Pick up the coins.
A loose brick.
Use brick on cemetery office window.
Take pamphlet near cemetery office door.
Take leaf blower.
The chapel is this way.
The caretaker's hung up his coat.
Ragged shards of glass decorate the gaping window frame (cemetery office).
Looks like it doesn't need a key from that side.
Take leaf blower.
There's a narrow window next to the office door.
He's fiddling with a panel on the wall.
Back out to the city - Newspaper office.
Herald
Give money to sleeping man.
Combine man's drink with red handkerchief.
Give bottle back.
An alley.
The smell of the dumpster.
The lid of the dumpster.
Use leaf blower on umbrella.
An umbrella.
The alley continues - Mum's final resting place.
Ragged shards of glass (cemetery office window).
Use umbrella on door and enter office.
Burglar alarm.
Leather-bound book.
Leave office.
Use handkerchief on cemetery map.
Look at map.
This headstone is half obscured by flowers.
Move the bouquet.
Chapter 3: From Out The Grave
Screenshot by Destructoid
The cold reminder hits Carter hard. A soft, comforting voice wakes him at his son's grave. It's Sarah, his wife. At least you made it to the funeral.
Speak and follow Sarah.
My sister, Annie (three times).
Show Annie the newspaper.
Take the urn.
Talk to Annie.
Talk to yellow jacket.
Give Annie the urn.
Grab the shovel.
Short path back to the entrance.
Go to the headstones and talk to Annie.
Back to main entrance.
Hide behind large headstone.
Use shovel next to tree.
Screenshot by Destructoid
Under the cemetery
Use lighter on the next vault (to your right).
Talk to Alec (twice).
Mausoleum door.
Attach wet rag to iron hook.
Use lighter on rag.
The masonry is crumbling here (twice).
Hide in the shadows and wait for the mulindji to pass.
Use hunting knife on the heavy beam.
Use umbrella on the coffin.
Climb onto the coffin.
Hide inside the coffin.
Use lighter.
Use hunting knife on coffin lid.
Scream for help (three times).
Hospital
Take out the IV bag.
Nurse call button.
Talk to yellow jacket (twice).
DI Hara - tell him about those bodies and the soldiers.
Take out the IV bag.
DI Hara - maybe he's noticed people going crazy and thinks I murdered Bill.
Check the nightstand for the TV remote and use it on the television.
Press the call button.
Something's sticking out of her back pocket.
Use the syringe on the IV bag.
Use the syringe on the cop.
The cop lays face down.
Go to hospital corridor.
Chapter 4: The Hunter Hunted
Screenshot by Destructoid
What felt like a never-ending night is coming to its end after explaining everything that's happened so far to Sarah. Finally, there's a moment of peace for Carter. But he can't rest yet, not when his sister has just joined the missing persons list alongside that reporter, Angela Grace.
Check the answer machine (twice).
Speak to Sarah - Finding Annie, the reporter, The Pitt, and the soldiers.
The platters behind Sarah (as many times as you want).
Use DI Hara's number on the phone.
Get Annie's photo off the board (under the clock).
There's a single key on the key-hook (near back door).
Leave - Mum's final resting place.
Chapel
Pick up caretaker's thermos.
Head back out into the city.
Herald
Herald front desk - Ask about Annie and show her picture.
Click on the typewriter.
Back out to the street.
Ford Transit - Annie's house.
Annie's house
Refill caretaker's thermos at the kettle.
Place Bill's mini-tape into the second slot of the cassette player.
Red phone.
Use the laptop so Sarah puts down her mobile, then ask to borrow it.
Use Sarah's mobile on red phone.
Give Sarah her phone back and leave.
Overpass
DI Hara - Annie and the Mulindji, to trace Nazari, and get into the reporter's office. Feel free to use all dialogue options. You can even offer him a cuppa.
Visit the underpass, then to the small jetty.
Old barrel (twice).
Use thermos to peel the barrel label.
Place label against street light.
DI Hara - ask him to run Trinity Biotech.
Nazari's office
Place Trinity Biotech on the X-ray lightbox and turn it on.
Nazari - Trinity Biotech, Roth, and Grace.
Chapel
Give caretaker his thermos back.
Leave.
Herald
A letter has slipped off her desk.
She missed the waste paper basket.
Annie's house
Sarah - Roth, Trinity Biotech, and 'quantum cognition' on the laptop.
Give Sarah the rejection letter.
Table next to door for Annie's registration plates.
Leave
Overpass
DI Hara - Dr. Roth and Annie's plates.
Herald
The coast is clear.
Grace's office seems to double as janitorial storage.
The computer's off.
Grace's work space - Dr. Roth.
Combine MedCon ballpoint pen with Dr. Roth's payments.
Nazari's office
Nazari - Quantum cognition, Dr. Roth, and Trinity Biotech.
Overpass
DI Hara - Trinity Biotech.
Annie's car
Use side door.
Herald
Use HDD on computer.
Computer's off.
Locate Maxwell Holden in phonebook.
Pick up phone.
Door stands open.
There's gotta be something.
Use busted trolley on massive filing cabinet.
Small barred window.
Screwdriver.
Use vacuum cleaner bag on hive.
Place bag in filing cabinet.
Move fan.
Connect extension cord to fan.
Use screwdriver on barred window.
Unplug extension cord and hang outside window.
Battered air conditioner.
The downpipe.
Downpipe's bent.
Swing over.
Use pipe on extension cord.
Combine pipe with cord.
Use hook on dumpster lid, then throw it to the roof.
Climb the rope, then fall into the dumpster below.
Chapter 5: Chains That Bind
Screenshot by Destructoid
Chasing leads, Carter finds himself on Hull Road, feeling like he's close to Biotech's location. He's safe for now, but he's heading into the eye of the storm.
Use screwdriver on car boot.
Thick bush lines.
Tracks.
Corrugated iron.
Look through grate.
Use car jack on grate.
A picture frame.
Heavy steel door.
Wooden door.
Bloody sheet.
Scripted moment with the Butcher.
Head feels weird.
Look at chain.
Heavy door.
Speak to Holden.
Holden asks what drives evolutionary change? Choose death.
Why is this ability not a good thing? Choose quantum cognition.
Talk to Peters (vent).
Pipe.
Masonry.
Meat-hook.
Use hook on masonry.
Throw masonry at plastic cup on freezer.
Use toothbrush on masonry.
Ask Holden questions.
Tap on pipe three times.
Speak to Peters (twice).
Call out for Holden and tell him about Biotech.
Throw masonry at Holden.
Tap on pipe three times.
Use cat collar button on vent.
Call for Holden.
Use masonry on broom.
Use pliers on freezer cord.
Use cord on radiator base.
Use broom to bring down Esky on top of freezer.
Grab ice.
Put ice at radiator base.
Throw masonry at Holden.
Kick Holden.
Old iron fire-door.
Grab grubby hose.
Heavy steel door.
Attach hose to gas bottle.
Wooden door.
Use iron rebar on man.
Take rifle.
Chapter 6: Best Laid Plans
Screenshot by Destructoid
With multiple surprising alliances formed, Carter is one step closer to finding Annie.
Speak to everyone.
Look at Holden's gadgets.
Road maps near back door.
Toy box.
Give Holden the battery.
Use map on laptop.
Go to steel gate.
Holden's duffel bag.
Use device on cameras (three times).
Duffel bag for metal detector and rifle.
Use metal detector on spot near gate and underneath the sun.
Swap detector for shovel.
Ventilation shaft.
Crawl through the vent.
Speak to Annie.
Use rifle on door.
Play cartridge.
Chapter 7: Rogue Hypothesis
Screenshot by Destructoid
Twists and turns keep coming at Carter, it's getting harder and harder to keep up. It's starting to look like everyone but Carter knows what's going on.
You can ask Dr. Roth seven questions.
Follow Annie.
Go into the scanner.
Talk to Angela.
Look at picture frame.
Find the elevator and go to the top floor
First floor
Talk to DI Hara.
Get screwdriver from trailer.
Look at wooden palette, use screwdriver on hessian sack, and grab a handful of coffee beans.
Third floor
Third floor - Far left door to talk to Dr. Roth.
Show Roth image of the founders.
Leave Roth's room and go down right corridor.
Enter Annie's room and pick up makeup compact.
Speak to Annie.
Swap soup for steak.
Go into next corridor to find hidden door.
Use screwdriver on it.
Return to the second floor.
Second floor
Use coffee beans on the machine.
Use makeup compact on coffee beans.
Use Annie's ticket to get a steak.
Third floor
Third floor - Use makeup compact on secret door keypad.
Go to the fifth floor via the elevator.
Fifth floor
Talk to Doctor Klein.
Interact with reactor Geiger counter, then use Holden's device.
Combine screwdriver with Geiger counter.
Show Klein image of the founders.
Take elevator down to fourth floor.
Fourth floor
Follow "Bill."
Enter interface lab, look around by interacting with everything, and talk to Sanjay.
Show Sanjay image of the founders and burnt Geiger counter part.
Third floor
Go back to the secret door on the third floor.
Open the curtain.
Cabinet.
Fifth floor
Open reactor locker to get gum.
Third floor
Use gum on the third floor leak (near secret door).
Fourth floor
Go to the accelerator lab on the fourth floor and speak to Klein.
Question Roth about the secret room.
Return to the interface lab and use gum on data needle (far right).
Go to accelerator lab and take keycard from Roth's coat pocket.
Third floor
Use Roth's keycard on his room.
Check wardrobe (twice).
Insect collection.
The shower curtain's pulled across.
Combine coat hanger and forceps.
Give Hara the hanger.
Combine screwdriver and gas mask.
Combine counter with part from gas mask.
Go to secret room and compare founders' photo with coma patient.
Tell Annie about Sofia Roth.
Fourth floor
Confront Roth in accelerator lab about his wife.
Show Klein the gas mask.
Fifth floor
Use Geiger counter on reactor sensors.
Fourth floor
Follow Roth's instructions.
Accelerator lab.
Klein - Geiger levels.
Talk to Sanjay and Annie, click on the bed next to Sanjay.
First floor
Hara - All dialogue options.
Chapter 8: A Lesson in History
Screenshot by Destructoid
Just as Carter suspected, Roth was up to something. But it's too late. He'll stop at nothing to be with his wife again.
Fifth floor
Klein.
Leave the reactor via ladder.
Use screwdriver on panel near exposed wire.
Use steak knife on panel.
Grab fire extinguisher from accelerator lab and use on fire.
Go into neighboring lab inside accelerator.
Look around Alec's hospital room.
Dr. Roth.
Pull out pistol.
Keep talking to Roth to learn his passcode.
Don't stop talking.
Use the gun on Carter.
Turn the valve inside accelerator lab.
Use hanger on panel to electrify the water.
Walk into the water.
Jump across the reactor gap.
Klein.
Repeat the same steps as you did before to get to Roth's showdown.
Insert cartridge into computer console when Roth leaves.
Use knife on cord tied around Carter's legs (twice).
Swim to the door and open it.
Chapter 9: Ascent Into Madness
Screenshot by Destructoid
The truth has been revealed. We've come full circle. It's time to put a stop to this madness. Break the cycle.
Climb the ladder (twice).
Hara.
Pick up equipment behind Carter, use it on the Mulindji.
Go to into Klein's open room to the right.
Pick up Holden's pulse coil and combine with the pole.
Use pole against Mulindji.
Go to Klein's bathroom and pick up dental floss.
Enter canteen.
Pick up plates on table.
First floor
Phone handset with an oversized antenna.
Speak to Annie and Sanjay. Get scissors off Annie.
Second floor
Use scissors on old tent in corridor to right of canteen.
Combine hook with floss and clean it at the coffee machine.
Give to Angela.
Klein - Plates.
Give plates to Hara.
First floor
Reunite with everyone on the top floor.
Follow Sanjay to the reactor.
Fifth floor
Use jerry can on fuel barrel.
Check Sanjay to get keycard.
Pick up jerry can.
Use vent the Mulindji climbed out of.
Screenshot by Destructoid
Fourth floor
Keep walking to the right and then climb up the ladder to the next floor.
Third floor
Get back to the secret room and use the keypad.
Open the curtain.
Use defibrillator on Sophia.
Open cabinet for bandages.
Go left from the secret room and open Sanjay's room.
Pick up sprayer.
Combine scissors and defibrillator.
Combine pulse coil with defibrillator.
Combine sprayer with bandage.
Go down the hatch to the reactor and use sprayer on fire.
Fifth then third floor
Use flamethrower on Mulindji in the reactor and third floor.
Use pulse coil on magnetized hatch.
Get Sophia.
Second floor
Use flamethrower on the hive.
First floor
Climb the stairs and use pulse coil on giant overhead doors.
Give Hara the pulse coil.
Grab Hara's gun to trick Roth.
Screenshot by Destructoid
Outside
Look at scrap metal.
Use scrap metal to signal helicopter.
You've broken the cycle and reached the end of The Drifter.
Updated on August 4, 2025: Reworked the entire tier list for the re-release buffs and nerfs.
I'll rank all Shikai in Type Soul from best to worst according to the re-release buffs and nerfs and recent changes. Note that I'll be taking into account build combos with Hakuda, Speed, Kendo, etc., as well as combo potentials for Shikais like Creation. Check out the ultimate Type Soul Shikai tier list and guide below.
In this Type Soul Shikai tier list I ranked Shikais according to how powerful and oppressive they are when played at their maximum potential. This is why for some I assume you're mixing them with other builds like Hakuda/Speed/Kendo which I will recommend. It's also why you'll see some Uncommons in the S-Tier because their true combo (stun-lock) potentials are amazing when you learn how to chain them into other moves from the skill trees. Lastly, I'm heavily taking into account the recent buffs and nerfs so if a Shikai like Duality used to be SSS, note that now it's much weaker. More on that below as we take a look at each Shikai individually.
Rerolling Shikais: If you want to reroll your Shikai check out our Type Soul codes for free rerolls.
S-Tier Shikai
S-Tier Shikai
Notes
Benihime Mythic
• The new rework is amazing with tons of true combo potential and works really well with Speed and Kendo builds • Stun combo potential with X and great defenses with C • Very flexible with great damage, good defense and combos
Ink Legendary
• Has one of the best passives (Ink) in the game that reduces enemy damage and slows them basically discouraging them from going for true comboes • Apply the Ink passive with C (huge hitbox so aim behind to avoid block) and critical • X is a double attack where the first one disables half the enemy moveset and the second hit disables the entire moveset • Use X immediately after guardbreak for the best results • Incredible control of your opponent and you can get really tanky if opponents go for comboes while Inked
Theatre Legendary
• The best noobstomper in the game because usually new to mid-experience players don't know how to counter Z and X which cannot be parried or blocked (You have to side dodge it) • C is an amazing counter move that true combos into Rising Swallow, Floating Strike and generally a lot of moves except into Unseen Blade which is a slight nerf • Good on a wide variety of builds
Flower Legendary
• The Flower is so powerful since every time you land any Flower move you get an aura around you that deals really great damage • Z is a great combo starter due to the stun and X is huge damage and guardbreak • Finally C is great for repositioning and can extend your comboes • The damage effects just get boosted further with max expansion
Shinso Rare
• S-Tier underrated option but I'm going to assume you're doing Shinso with Shikai Stasis since it's only competitive with it (The base crit is really weak) • This is a very versatile Shikai that has a ton of combos • Z is good for poking and canceling moves • X is a great counter that sets up other moves with a true combo like X into C • C does a lot of guardbreak and is a great mix up move at any point
Creation Uncommon
• Incredibly high skill cap Shikai that relies on you learning all the comboes you can do with it • For example, ZM1 has hyperarmor on frame 1 that mini-stuns so you can use it to prevent a move or combo it into Floating Strikes/Fast Fang • ZM2 is a true combo starter like up close into Rising Swallow or mid-range into Bisection • X also true combos into a lot of moves like Fast Fang to extend your combo • C is good for combo starting and guardbreaking but also baiting out parries and you can just leave it down to always keep your opponent on their toes • Overall an incredibly good Shikai that requires a lot of practice
Weight Uncommon
• Weight is actually really good now due to the damage and cooldown buffs as well as the passive application buff where everything applies it • Just stack up your passive and you get a free true combo from anything that pops the passive • A lot of the moves now have hyperarmor like X's second part can't be canceled • Overall a really powerful Shikai option now
A-Tier Shikai
A-Tier Shikai
Notes
Duality Mythic
• The heaviest nerf Duality got which put it in A-Tier is that your cooldowns are now shared between stances so the Black C Shift no longer resets your CDs • Still, even though it doesn't do crazy damage due to cooldown resets as before Duality is still good due to the three ZXC guardbreaks on Black, it's just not S-Tier anymore • The White moves used to be OP when you could spam them but they're still decent now that there's no CD reset with Z being unpunishable
Ice Legendary
• Z is really good if you play around distance since if you land the end of it you get an extra stun effect plus Z is really low CD • C is one of the best Shikai counters in Type Soul currently due to the massive damage it does • X is the only move that keeps Ice from S-Tier since it can be easily countered
Blood Legendary
• There's a lot of mix ups and combos you can do with Blood with Z as your starter since the second part stuns • The C is a really fast reliable move • Overall it's a really good Shikai that combos well with itself and heals you if you keep landing the moves • It deals damage to you if you miss but note that this doesn't happen if you get blocked, parried or dodged.
Judgement Rare
• The main tool of Judgement is that Z is quite powerful and allows you to stack another move right behind it to apply more pressure • Z into critical or eviscerate is really good • X's second part is a counter and deals more damage if you apply Objected with Z • C guardbreaks if you hit them with X's counter
Berserk Rare
• Like Theatre this is a noobstomper because the Z move is difficult to block/parry and gets hyperarmor below 50% HP • That said X is easy to parry even with its flexibility for mobility or hyperarmor keeping Berserk from S-Tier • C guardbreaks • Berserk is perfect in A-Tier especially when you consider Unsealed Rage
Water Rare
• Is really good with the recent Rei changes (No accessories have Rei) since Water steals Rei on hit (Really good on a Speed or Kendo build to apply pressure) • Just combo moves with Speed/Kendo moves to steal reiatsu and keep applying pressure to drain your opponent • X and C combo into a lot of Speed/Kendo moves • It's not S-Tier because it's not OP and takes a lot of setup and combo practice
B-Tier Shikai
B-Tier Shikai
Notes
Snow Mythic
• With the true stun, wind up and cooldown nerfs as well as the removal of hyperarmor (you can get parried) Snow isn't as good as it used to be • If you were a Snow veteran and know how to make the most of the moves with a Hakuda/Kido build you can still be decently competitive • Otherwise while it's decent, it just doesn't apply the same pressure as before with Kendo or Speed builds
Kyoka Suigetsu Mythic
• The main weakness of Kyoka and the reason it's in B is that it's only good if you play around your clone and your clone doesn't always act optimally which can be annoying • Still, if you get lucky and your clone cooperates and isn't glitchy, you can pull of some amazing builds with Yamato • Use Sonata Flow and Flash Fang to stun enemies as your clone movestacks without getting killed • A big weakness is that your clone can get one shot in the first few seconds when summoning if the opponent plays smart
Zangetsu Rare
• While Zangetsu deals great damage and has good guard break and ragdoll potential, the moves are a bit telegraphed and easy to parry • Overall it's a great noobstomper but you'll struggle against players who know how to dodge and parry
Assimilation Legendary
• Used to be much better before they made the Absorb stacks only go to 50 which nerfed the ZM1 and ZM2 damage • Absorb is still good for making X move really good • That said the stun potential of both X and C also got nerfed so while you have a lot of options, they just don't as much damage and stun combos as before
Suzumebachi Legendary
• While Z and C can do good damage they can be easily parried/dodged due to the slow/predictable windups • X is really powerful if you can land it and good for combo extension with Jump/Sonata or Jump/Crit
Fire Rare
• Best combined with Hakuda or Speed to stay close to the opponent and apply pressure with Z ragdoll into other moves • With X and Hakuda, knock them up to blockbreak then go Reach to extend it • Overall a decent mid Shikai that requires other skill trees to be competitive
Lightning Uncommon
• Z no longer has true stun combos with many of the skill tree moves • That said, it's still incredible for mobility and guard breaking with X and C • Easily punished if you miss
C-Tier Shikai
C-Tier Shikai
Notes
Ash Rare
• Decent with a Hakuda build but overall isn't the most powerful in terms of damage and true comboes • That said, the X into the C move is a pretty good basic combo
Wind Uncommon
• C is the MVP move here due to the long range AOE that can be used as an ender and combo starter • Decent damage but no OP synergy and combos
Poison Uncommon
• Decent damage over time damage • Can still be viable with some build comboes • Due to the effects you can usually charge up another move
D-Tier Shikai
D-Tier Shikai
Notes
Confusion Rare
• Confusion clones are way to easy to tell apart so you're not really confusing anyone • Z is horrible since it's a free punish if you mistime it • Overall gets countered by a lot of things, even something as simple as Kendo 50 • The counter is decent but doesn't save it
Shadow Uncommon
• Overall doesn't synergize and combo into many moves that it used to combo before • While Confusion is at least good for its counter Shadow is probably the worst Shikai in Type Soul
That's it for my Type Soul Shikai tier list and guide. Check out the best clans in Type Soul for more guides.
There's nothing more frustrating than tuning in for years to a show that has some of the best storytelling, most compelling characters, and unique plots, only to see the ending absolutely butcher everything they were building towards.
This week, I finally got around to finishing Squid Game, and the resounding disappointment I felt upon doing so reminded me of the only other time I've seen a show fail to stick the landing just as badly—Game of Thrones.
Image via Netflix
The first two seasons of Squid Game were nearly perfect in every way, so seeing the third and final one fall apart was so frustrating. The path to greatness was there, but instead of following it, the final season makes some truly baffling decisions.
Too much of the final season revolved around characters we barely knew or strongly disliked. I get that not everyone we liked could make it to the end, but leaving us with only Gi-hun and Jun-hee's baby to root for was rough. Maybe this choice would've been fine if less time had been spent focusing on these characters, but so much of the final season was devoted to them and ultimately felt like wasted screentime.
Easily my biggest gripe with the ending was Jun-ho's unfitting end. He spends the entire series trying to find the island, and his brother, In-ho the Front Man, only to finally get there and do absolutely nothing. People died to get him there, and he spent years trying to fulfill his mission of finding the island, only to immediately leave and end the series, no longer caring about it. He was originally one of my favorites, but after his ending, I just don't feel like there was any point to his character at all.
Image via Netflix
Everything Squid Game had been carefully building towards just seemed to fall apart in the end. I take no issue with the game continuing even after everything, but it would've been more impactful to me if Gi-hun had survived, returned to his daughter, thought he ended the games for good, then stumbled across a ddakji game in the alley. I didn't dislike him sacrificing himself for Jun-hee's baby, as it did feel like a fitting parallel to his relationship with his daughter, but I do think it could have been better.
In the end, the issue with Squid Game's ending is that so much of what was being built throughout the series resulted in nothing. There's so much more that bothered me about the ending, but overall, I did still enjoy the show. The ending isn't the worst one I've seen, either, as there are certainly parts I did enjoy. It's just frustrating since the first two seasons were nearly flawless, while the third one felt like a mess that didn't really fit with what came before it.
Image via HBO
The actual worst ending to any show I've seen is Game of Thrones. I was a bit late to the party on this one, and only got around to finally watching the series around a year or so ago. I went in with everyone warning me I'd hate the ending, but even though I was somewhat prepared for it, I really had no idea what I was in for.
The final season of Game of Thrones mostly suffers from being rushed and making giant leaps without the context and development needed to get there. The character assassination of Daenerys Targaryen, otherwise known as Dany, is a prime example of this.
Dany spends her entire life leading up to the final season fighting to free and save others. Sometimes, she could be overly harsh and brutal with it, but her sudden switch to a fully mad tyrant is completely jarring, especially when she fought so hard not to be like her father.
Image via HBO
The show essentially tried to turn a hero and beloved character into a full-on villain in less than a season, and the finale suffers greatly because of it. I'm not completely against this idea per se, but it would've needed a lot more time and development to work. I still don't really think Dany should've ended up being a villain, but if that's the choice that was going to be made, it needed to be handled more delicately.
My other big gripe with the finale is Bran ending up on the throne. He's a weird, godlike figure who is completely disconnected from humanity, so his being the one to lead them just doesn't make sense. This is also a choice that perhaps could've worked with the proper build-up, but instead felt like a rushed last-minute one made for shock value.
I've got plenty of other issues with it, too. Cersei and Jaime dying together in a pitiful way, Jon Snow ending up back at the wall, the White Walkers dying way too easily, and so much more. I still love this show, but the final season feels drastically disconnected from the greatness that came before it.
Image via HBO
Ultimately, the finales of both Squid Game and Game of Thrones suffer because they threw out a lot of what the previous season had been building toward. Sudden switch-ups or failure to follow through on storylines that were established led to botched finales that bring down otherwise great series.
So, Destructoid, what did you think of the endings of these shows? Is one of them the worst ending to a TV series you've ever seen, or is there another one that's even worse? Or, if you haven't seen them, what else have you been watching lately? Let us know down in the comments so we can discuss.
Titan Quest 2's Masteries offer plenty of skills that must be cast on your enemies, and the Spell Rage mechanic can be of great help if you know how to use it properly.
If you're using a magic-based build, Spell Rage will help you maximize your damage potential. However, you have to get access to it first. The use of Spell Rage also has to be pretty selective unless you want to waste it.
Every caster has specific abilities that they use to dish out damage. Spell Rage is a buff system that allows you to amplify the damage of your abilities. In some ways, this system works in the same fashion as your general Rage meter, but there are some key differences. The first significant difference is that, unlike Rage, Spell Rage has to be unlocked.
How to unlock Spell Rage in Titan Quest 2?
Every skill tree has two major types of nodes to activate when it comes to abilities: active and passive (there are modifiers as well, but those are separate). You'll need to focus on the passive nodes to unlock Spell Rage. The exact node will vary based on what Mastery you're using. But the core process is the same.
The effect of Spell Rage will also vary based on their in-game descriptions. While some of them directly increase the damage, others can stack. Stacking such passives is immensely beneficial, so let's find out how.
Screenshot via Grimoire Games
How to stack Spell Rage in Titan Quest 2?
Spell Rage, by default, has a cap of 10 stacks. Stacking will improve spell range, damage, and speed. The higher the stacks, the better it gets. However, what happens if your stacks go past 10? Thankfully, they don't waste.
Instead, you'll trigger Overflow, a different mechanic that adds extra effects on certain passives. Do note that you can't be out of combat for long, or the stacks will go to waste.
Best Spell Rage tips and tricks
The Spell Rage mechanic offers a lot of freedom regarding how you want to use it. However, specific tips and tricks will help you to use it more efficiently.
The best way to increase your stacks is to use low-cost spells. Energy regeneration should be key, as you can cast more spells that way.
Use Spell Rage especially with spells that have low damage or long casting timers to negate the weaknesses.
Use abilities that benefit from Overflow, because that will happen frequently.
Use Spell Rage in tandem with normal Rage, as it will also help you run hybrid builds.
Grounded 2's early access build has six Optical Disks for you to find on your adventures, which will allow you to get permanent upgrades to help you survive better.
As cool as Optical Disks are, some of them can be quite hard to locate. Thankfully, I've managed to find all of them, so this guide will help you get them and help you unlock those upgrades early.
There are six Optical Disks to find in Grounded 2, and they can be broadly divided into two types. The first type is the TURBO disks, which offer you base defense and creature upgrades. The second type is the Gray disks, which allow you to get new recipes at the Ranger Station. In my experience, TURBO disks are easier to acquire as they're part of the main campaign.
Snackbar Anthill disk location
Screenshot via Obsidian Entertainment
Go to the right of the Ranger Station's back entrance, and you'll find the entrance to Snackbar Anthill. This can be done right after completing your training. Follow the straight path until you turn right. Then, clear the pebbles with your Omni-Hammer to find a Red Soldier ant.
Defeat the ant, and you'll come across a corpse with a Buried Treasure chest in front of it. Use your Omni-Shovel to dig the item out.
Stolen Optical Disk location
Screenshot via Obsidian Entertainment
You'll be contracted via your hacked SCA.B 2K right after you hatch your first ant buggy. Contact Sloane using the Ranger Stations' Comms Array, and she will help you track the source. You'll then reach a base under a wooden platform, northwest of the Ranger Station. Use your buggy to chomp through the tunnel and proceed to defeat the ORC Northern Scorpion. You'll then find a toppled cabinet in front of a purple symbol.
Network Center Penthouse Office disk location
Remix by Destructoid via Obsidian Entertainment
This is one of the easiest disks to obtain. Go inside the Network Center, defeat the mysterious stranger (part of the Stolen disk). You'll find a desk with a BURG.L head, and the disk will be to its right.
Gray Optical Disk A location
Screenshot via Obsidian Entertainment
Optical Disk A is the first Gray disk you can find, which is located at the Toxic Anthill. You'll find the south entrance in Snackbar Front (use the pesticide can with a corpse as your visual cue). Continue straight, turn left at ten, and follow the tunnel. You'll come across a room with a spray can with a donut on top. Now, take a right, and keep following the path while avoiding the pesticide (as this will damage your buggy).
The tunnel ends in a large room, and the disk is next to a corpse. If you're just in it for the disk, it's better to collect it and run, for this location also has the Cockroach Queen boss.
Spider Den Anthill Disk location
Screenshot via Obsidian Entertainment
Go to the marked location in Pine Hill. Use the North Entrance (at the north-east part of the region), and go down to the second level to find the anthill. You'll find the hold near the Worm Holes candy container. Enter the hole, and head straight. Take the first right and get off your buggy. Locate an archway with a root hanging on top of it to use as an indicator. If you're in the correct room, the disk is located on the right side, beside a body.
Ice Cream Cart Disk location
Screenshot via Obsidian Entertainment
Track the marked location to get to the cart, and then head right to get a small tunnel entrance. Use the entrance, go inside, and keep along the right side. You'll come across a row of ice cream cones - go right and pass two popsicles. Keep following the path, and you'll come across the body with the disk on your left. This is before the cone with Raw Science.
There are scorpions at this location that you'll need to dispatch. Also, bring all required tools and consumables to survive the low temperature, lest you want to freeze to death.
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