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Dec 16, 08:00


Kotaku Tuesday, December 16, 2025 7:35 AM
    

Psvr2

Save 25% on the PSVR2 for PlayStation 5 for a limited time at Amazon.

The post Sony's Final PlayStation VR2 Clearance for Holidays, Last Units Are Hitting Their Lowest Price Ever appeared first on Kotaku.


Kotaku Tuesday, December 16, 2025 7:20 AM
    

Sea Of Sorrows

Team Cherry has big plans to give away a lot of new stuff for free in 2026

The post <i>Hollow Knight: Silksong</i>'s <i>Sea Of Sorrows</i> DLC Announced, Plus A Free Switch 2 Upgrade For The Original Game appeared first on Kotaku.


Kotaku Tuesday, December 16, 2025 7:05 AM
    

Hp Laptop

The bundle comes with free computer accessories, plus Windows 11 Pro pre-installed.

The post HP Doesn't Care About Profit With This 72% Off 15.6″ Laptop Bundle (16GB RAM, 1TB SSD), Even a MacBook Can't Compete appeared first on Kotaku.


PCGamesN Tuesday, December 16, 2025 7:49 AM
    

The Dawnless Days mod for Total War Atilla overhauls the game to add in characters, settings, and armies from The Lord of the Rings.


PCGamesN Tuesday, December 16, 2025 7:07 AM
    

Bungie's new Marathon ViDoc fills me with hope for the extraction shooter, confirming essential features like solo queue and proximity chat.


PCGamesN Tuesday, December 16, 2025 6:53 AM
    

Dota 2 patch 7.40 adds new bard hero Largo, who's vaguely reminiscent of League of Legends' Tahm Kench, as well as invulnerability changes.


PCGamesN Tuesday, December 16, 2025 6:18 AM
    

Battlefield 6 developers have thanked fans for holding them to account as they work to fix issues with the Winter Offensive update.


PCGamesN Tuesday, December 16, 2025 5:46 AM
    

Unlock loads of easy freebies, from rerolls and gems, to limited-time characters with the latest Universal Tower Defense codes on Roblox.


PCGamesN Tuesday, December 16, 2025 5:58 AM
    

Plug in new Anime Celestial X codes to score free gems, gamepasses, and potions in this new Roblox anime bandit beater.


Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Tuesday, December 16, 2025 7:35 AM
    

Sorry I'm late, I've got to drop off my non-existent offspring at the place where they learn their times tables soon. Before that, which of you wants to be dunched and bumped into a spin, as mud and discarded metal are flung about like a tornado's hit a scrapyard? This is the question asked by Wreckfest 2's latest update, which finally gives middle-aged mums and dads a suitable ride in which to wreak havoc.

Read more


Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Tuesday, December 16, 2025 6:25 AM
    

Many moons ago in the early '90s, I grew up with a copy of the Nintendo Power strategy guide for Ninja Gaiden II. That excellent tome contained bios on all of the game's enemies, and I recall being entranced by one in particular: a gourd-like axe-wielder named Pumpkin Head.

Fast forward 35 years, and Pumpkin Head returns as one of the many villains in Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, a spirited revival of 2D Ninja Gaiden lovingly crafted by The Game Kitchen. More specifically, he shows up in the first stage to chuck an array of blades at new hero Kenji, who wears a blue costume that's only a few degrees removed from series protagonist Ryu Hayabusa's classic attire.

Frankly, Ragebound is the best that 2D Ninja Gaiden has ever been, sprinting a delicate tightrope between homaging the past and offering something new.

Read more


Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Tuesday, December 16, 2025 4:59 AM
    

What's that I hear? Tinkly piano and the crashing of waves. Oh, it's Hollow Knight: Silksong's first major expansion, which devs Team Cherry have just announced will be coasting up to the shore some point next year. It's called Sea of Sorrow, and as such looks to contain plenty of somber staring into the splashy swell.

Read more


Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Tuesday, December 16, 2025 3:17 AM
    

Today sees the release of the Arc Raiders Cold Snap update, which douses the popular sci-fi extraction shooter in glittering snowfall. Ah, how gorgeous the flakes twinkling above the Spaceport gantries. How beautiful the frozen lakes of Dam Battlegrounds. It's definitely a mite nippy all of a sudden, though, isn't it? Best take shelter in that bunker before your fingers and toes turn Uncommon green and Rare blue.

Oh dear, there's another player inside that bunker and she won't let you in. Still, perhaps if you start shouting the patch notes through the door she'll relent out of curiosity? Very good, let's begin.

Read more


Twinfinite Tuesday, December 16, 2025 7:59 AM
    
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When will Retro Tower Defense codes return from the war?

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Twinfinite Tuesday, December 16, 2025 1:44 AM
    
The closest thing you'll get to Roblox codes in real life is nepotism, so enjoy these Anime Arise Evolution codes in the virtual scape.

Twinfinite Tuesday, December 16, 2025 1:30 AM
    
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Destructoid Tuesday, December 16, 2025 7:14 AM
    

The Stench of Corruption is one of the several new quests that you can complete in ARC Raiders as part of the Cold Snap update.

To activate the quest, you'll have to clear the base game content and then speak with Shani. This guide will help you complete all tasks of this quest to unlock all the available rewards.

ARC Raiders Stench of Corruption quest walkthrough

To begin the Stench of Corruption, you must complete A Toxic Trail first. A Toxic Trail is also a new quest added to ARC Raiders as part of the Cold Snap update. Once you complete the A Toxic Trail, you'll get a Spaceport key, which is required to complete the Stench of Corruption quest.

The Stench of Corruption quest can be broken down into the following parts.

  • Reach the southwest lobby of the Departure building
  • Find the staff locker room
  • Search the room for any clues to the saboteur's identity
  • Reach the tunnels below the Spaceport
  • Use the key on any Flushing Terminal to override the bypass protocol

The first task is to enter the Departure building from the location marked on the screenshot below. Go in, and turn right. Head straight, take a left, and you'll find a set of stairs that go down to the staff locker room. You'll have to search the room for clues related to the saboteur.

Departure building in ARC Raiders
Screenshot and remix by Destructoid

You'll find a couple of hazmat suits in the room. Interact with them to complete the third task of this quest. You'll get a Flashing Terminal key. Make sure to add it to your safe pocket.

With the key safe in your inventory, exit the Departure building and head to the tunnels. Use the part of the top surface that has caved in, and then head to the location marked on the screenshot below. You'll find a terminal at this location to use the key that you just found.

Terminal in Spaceport
Screenshot and remix by Destructoid

Once you complete the quest, you'll also unlock the Warden outfit to add to your in-game inventory.

The post How to complete Stench of Corruption in ARC Raiders and unlock Warden outfit appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Tuesday, December 16, 2025 7:02 AM
    

The holidays are here, and Krampus is ready to spread some Christmas cheer with Phasmophobia's special Winter's Jest event. Seasonal events bring plenty of fresh content to explore while you ghost hunt, which can make them a bit tricky to navigate.

Ghost hunting is hard enough on its own, so adding in some special holiday twists makes everything a whole lot harder. There are quite a few prizes you won't want to miss out on, though, so here's everything you need to know to complete the Winter's Jest event in Phasmophobia.

How to complete the Winter's Jest event in Phasmophobia

Christmas tree in lobby in phasmophobia
Image via Kinetic Games

The Winter's Jest event has a mix of standard and special tasks for you to get done, including:

  • Identifying ghosts correctly.
  • Completing optional objectives.
  • Finding Krampus jack-in-the-boxes.
  • Helping with the Naughty-or-Nice List.

You don't have to accomplish all of these goals in every round, but the more of these tasks you do manage to get done in each contract, the more points you earn for both yourself and the community.

Winter's Jest event maps in Phasmophobia

There are 10 unique maps featured in the 2025 version of the Winer's Jest event. Each day, only some of these locations will be decorated and available for the event, as it features a daily map rotation schedule. You can tell which maps are active on any given day by looking for the ones marked with a festive icon on the map board.

Map Size
10 Ridgeview Court Small
6 Tanglewood Drive Small
13 Willow Street Small
42 Edgefield Road Small
Camp Woodwind Small
Grafton Farmhouse Small
Nell's Diner Small
Bleasdale Farmhouse Medium
Maple Lodge Campsite Medium
Point Hope Medium

How to identify ghosts correctly for Winter's Jest event in Phasmophobia

A festive tree in a grand house in phasmophobia
Image via Kinetic Games

Your first key objective in all holiday event contracts is simply to correctly identify the ghost. This is the base goal of all contracts, so you should already have a solid understanding of how it works.

You essentially want to capture three official pieces of evidence so you know for sure what ghost is present, although you may be able to identify it with less if it has special unofficial evidence or signature behaviors. All ghosts have three key pieces of evidence you can watch for, though.

Ghost Evidence #1 Evidence #2 Evidence #3
Spirit EMF Level Five Spirit Box Ghost Writing
Wraith EMF Level Five Spirit Box DOTS Projector
Phantom Spirit Box Ultraviolet DOTS Projector
Poltergeist Spirit Box Ultraviolet Ghost Writing
Banshee Ultraviolet Ghost Orbs DOTS Projector
Jinn EMF Level Five Ultraviolet Freezing Temperatures
Mare Spirit Box Ghost Orbs Ghost Writing
Revenant Ghost Orbs Ghost Writing Freezing Temperatures
Shade EMF Level Five Ghost Writing Freezing Temperatures
Demon Ultraviolet Ghost Writing Freezing Temperatures
Yurei Ghost Orbs Freezing Temperatures DOTS Projector
Oni EMF Level Five Freezing Temperatures DOTS Projector
Yokai Spirit Box Ghost Orbs DOTS Projector
Hantu Ultraviolet Ghost Orbs Freezing Temperatures
Goryo EMF Level Five Ultraviolet DOTS Projector
Myling EMF Level Five Ultraviolet Ghost Writing
Onryo Spirit Box Ghost Orbs Freezing Temperatures
The Twins EMF Level Five Spirit Box Freezing Temperatures
Raiju EMF Level Five Ghost Orbs DOTS Projector
Obake EMF Level Five Ultraviolet Ghost Orbs
The Mimic Spirit Box Ultraviolet Freezing Temperatures
Moroi Spirit Box Ghost Writing Freezing Temperatures
Deogen Spirit Box Ghost Writing DOTS Projector
Thaye Ghost Orbs Ghost Writing DOTS Projector

How to complete optional objectives for Winter's Jest event in Phasmophobia

Optional objectives in phasmophobia
Screenshot by Destructoid

The second key event task is to complete optional objectives. All contracts have three randomly chosen bonus goals you can tackle to earn additional XP and cash. These tasks are listed on the board right between the truck cameras and the sanity monitor.

The types of tasks you'll encounter vary, with some being fairly easy to get done, while others can be quite tricky. Easy objectives are those like cleansing the area near the ghost using Incense or getting the ghost to blow out a Firelight, while hard ones may ask you to capture a video of the ghost or capture two unique paranormal sounds.

How to find and open Krampus jack-in-the-boxes for Winter's Jest event in Phasmophobia

krampus box in phasmophobia
Screenshot by Destructoid

The main special seasonal goal is to find and interact with Krampus jack-in-the-boxes around the active holiday event maps. They're small red boxes with a star on them and can be approached and interacted with to make a Krampus head pop out of them.

Krampus boxes can only spawn on the featured daily event maps, which means you'll need to venture to fresh locations each day to find them. All you need to do when you find one is interact with it to pop it open and gain some event points.

How to help with the Naughty-or-Nice List for Winter's Jest in Phasmophobia

Right outside the front door of each holiday map, there's a Naughty-or-Nice List objective you can complete for even more points. Approach the brown sack with the attached list to view the items you need to find, which are pictured next to each of the names.

You'll then need to embark on a scavenger hunt around the map to find the required items and throw them into the sack. You're searching for items like gingerbread cookies, stars, and small bears.

Naughty nice list in phasmophobia
Screenshot by Destructoid

All Winter's Jest event rewards in Phasmophobia

There are four unique rewards featured in the Winter's Jest event, some of which are exclusive to the 2025 version of it, while others are annual prizes that return each year.

  • For completing the first community goal, you unlock the Toy Soldier ID Card & Badge set.
  • For completing the second community goal, you unlock the Winter's Jest trophy.

    • If you already unlocked the trophy during last year's iteration of this event, you won't get a new one. Instead, you'll start working on the trophy upgrades right away as you contribute progress to the event.

  • For completing your first personal goal, you get the Animated Toy Soldier ID Card.
  • For completing your second personal goal, you get to upgrade the Winter's Jest trophy. This trophy can be upgraded three times.

toy soldier id card in phasmophobia
Screenshot by Destructoid

How long is the Winter's Jest event in Phasmophobia?

The Winter's Jest event is available to complete from Dec. 16, 2025, to Jan. 6, 2026. This gives you three full weeks to tackle everything it includes, which is plenty of time to get all of the exclusive rewards. If you don't manage to get it all done, some parts will return next year, granting additional opportunities to claim key event prizes like the upgradable trophy.

The post Phasmophobia Winter's Jest 2025 event guide appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Tuesday, December 16, 2025 6:40 AM
    

complete rogue piece tier list of everything in the game

Updated on December 16, 2025: Added new swords, specs, traits and races from the MHA, Tokyo Ghoul and The Misfit of Demon King Academy updates.

I'm ranking all Swords, Combat Specs, Fruits, Races and Traits in Rogue Piece so that you can make the best build. This tier list will also include equipment tips for all categories as well as how to get everything. Here's my ultimate early-mid-late PVP/PVE Rogue Piece tier list for everything in the game.

Rogue Piece Combat Spec and Fruit Tier List

rogue piece combat spec and fruit tier list
Image by Destructoid

Both Combat Specs and Fruits scale with the Power stat in Rogue Piece (RIP Strength stat). On average, Combat Specs tend to be stronger than swords on average but the Venuzdonoa sword is on another level currently. Fruits are weaker than swords with Light (the strongest fruit) being comparable to A-Tier swords (See above). Let's analyze them individually.

Spec & Fruit Tip: These go best with the Power boosting outfits like Aizen's Outfit/Akaza Beads/Garou's Outfit/Shadow Cloak and Demon race for the most Power damage possible. Also get the Soul Spirit Relic for more Power damage which is a rare drop from Chests and a 20% Enchant.

SSS-Tier Specs & Fruits

SSS-Tier Why SSS-Tier? Location

Kaneki
• Currently one of the best combat specs in the game
• Kaneki has the best M1s among combat specs that are fast, have good range and deal the best damage
• Z is mostly for PVE but X and C cover massive AOEs so they're good for both PVE and PVP
• Plus they deal massive damage when you full channel X and hit V on bosses or players
• Get One Eyed King title from the Kaneki Boss for a 20% damage boost
Sandora Island
Buy from Kaneki Teacher using materials you farm from Kaneki Boss
Farm Kaneki Boss on Abyss Hill
Spawn Kaneki boss using Kaneki's Blood from crafting

Shadow
• In my testing Garou tended to have slightly more DPS (I think because of the Title) but Shadow moves are easier to hit IMO
• It's still the top 2 DPS moveset in the entire game Z and C are fast and excellent for PVP
• X is a bit slow but is great for PVE
• Finally the V is massive AOE damage that is good for both PVP and PVE
• Overall Shadow does so much damage that you cannot go wrong with it and the Abyssbreaker damage buff on C is just a cherry on top
Rogue Town
Buy from Shadow Teacher
1x Core of Shadow
2x Shadow Eye
1x Atomic Core
100x Black Slime
All drops from the Shadow boss on Abyss Hill

Garou
• Fast M1s and a ton of multi-hit attacks for the highest PVP and PVE DPS
• There's also great utility here with X i-Frames and two cutscenes with C and V for dodging damage
• C and V deal some of the highest damage in the entire game and this gets boosted even further once you get the Garou Outfit and Soul Spirit Relic
• Easily outdamages Aizen and Sukuna

Get the Hero Hunter Title for 20% more damage
Kill Silver Fang Boss 10 times

Glacier Isle
Get Suiryu from the Garou NPC
+Complete quest
Defeat 25 Diamond Rank Players
Punch 2500 times with Suiryu
Then farm Silver Fang Boss on GI for Book of Mastery
Finally use Book of Mastery after Quest with Suiryu equipped

S-Tier Specs & Fruits

S-Tier Why S-Tier? Location

Todoroki
• While Todoroki doesn't necessarily deal the most damage, it has some of the best combo potential
• All the moves chain really well together and most have low CDs
• This means that you don't have the best burst damage but have impressive damage-per-second
• Overall a really good combat spec but not the best in the game
Throne Island
Token Exchange

One For All
• Both One For All and Shigaraki deal really good DPS but I feel like they're a bit slow for PVP
• Z has a delayed startup, X is slow to drop and only C and F are any good to hit a player
• That said OFA excels in PVE dealing massive damage with V active since it buffs all your moves
• Overall, I would use this to grind late-game content but I need to do more fights for PVP for testing since I don't really like it against players so far
• Once you unlock V and F it deals more PVE damage than Shigaraki but Shigaraki might be better for PVP
Rogue Town
One For All Teacher NPC
Finish all quests to get it
To start the quests you need 10,000 Gems and Diamond+ Rank then talk

For Unlocking V and F
Finish all quests from Full Cowl NPC at Rogue Town


Shigaraki
• Similar to OFA where it's excellent damage but slow for PVP due to slow M1s, a start-up on Z and a C grab that can be difficult to hit
• That said if you hit these moves you'll deal massive burst damage
• V does massive AOE damage though and pulls Shigaraki ahead of OFA for PVP IMO since it's easy to hit
• It also has an edge over OFA because the Destroyer title buffs it by 20%

Title is a 2.5% Drop from Shigaraki Boss

Rogue Town
Shigaraki NPC
Farm the three Shigaraki Boss resources to buy it
The boss spawns using Darkness Spirit at Rogue Town
Get Darkness Spirit from crafting

Gojo
• Gojo doesn't have as much DPS as Garou but it has a lot of stuns and iFrames thanks to the domain expansion on V
• It's one of the best PVP specs in the game and excellent for completing the Garou quest
• That said it's also good by itself for PVP/PVE
Jujutsu Highschool
Get from Gojo NPC with materials from the Gojo Boss
You also need The Honored One trait

Aizen
•Aizen overall does more burst damage with his moves than Sukuna but the CDs are longer
• Still it's some of the highest damage in the game so you'll have no trouble with bosses, PVE farming and PVP
• Your range is lower than Sukuna but you have a mobility teleport multi-hit move
• Plus, the black coffin is massive AOE damage
• IMO Gojo is better due to iFrames and Stuns and Garou deals more damage so it goes Garou>Gojo>Aizen

Defeat 10 Aizen Boss for a damage boost Title

Huecomundo
Aizen Teacher

A-Tier Specs & Fruits

A-Tier Why A-Tier? Location

Sukuna
• Sukuna has lower burst damage than the ones above but it has better combos
• The light combos with Sukuna are some of the best in the game since the M1 is so good and has range
• Plus you get good range on all of your abilities, they're fast and have lower CD than Aizen
• You have amazing AOE and damage for PVE farming and the moves can be pretty good in PVP too
• You also get a nice damage boost

Defeat 10 Sukuna Boss for a damage boost title

Windmill Village
Sukuna Teacher
On a hill

Akaza
• Akaza has some of the best M1s in terms of combat specs and overall his moves deal really good damage
• Plus they are all low cooldown so the DPS stacks up quite fast
• That said the range is low so you'll struggle a bit in PVP if you don't have good movement or you get kited
• That's why I prefer Aizen or Sukuna but don't get me wrong, Akaza is still the top 3 DPS option in the game

Defeat 10 Akaza Boss for a damage boost title

Throne Isle
Akaza Teacher

B-Tier Specs & Fruits

B-Tier Why B-Tier? Location

Light
• The best Fruit/Power in the game both in terms of DPS and mobility (The combat specs and most swords are still better)
• You get really good AOE DPS moves to complement Combat Specs
• You also have the best mobility move in the entire game with F allowing you to both move fast and reposition in PVP
• It's got worse DPS than Combat Specs and Swords but it's still a good backup to have when your Spec skills are on CD
Rogue Town
Fruit Gacha NPC
2% chance to drop

C-Tier Specs & Fruits

C-Tier Why C-Tier? Location

Blood
Power
Scales With Power
• Light is better but Blood is still a great alternative for PVE farming
• It's better than Gravity in terms of DPS for bosses even though Gravity has better range and AOE
• You also get a movement skill similar to Light with F but slower
Rogue Town
Fruit Gacha NPC
5% chance to drop

Sandevistan
• The Sandevistan is by far the worst combat spec but when compared to other Powers/Swords it's similar to Tanjiro's Sword
• You get more moves than Swords but they are all a bit slow and deal low DPS
• This can be good mid game for farming but I would overall just farm towards any of the other Combat Specs
• For example, the speed boost is cool but Akaza gets almost 3 times better speed on the final move and much higher DPS
• Sandevistan needs a buff badly
Rogue Town
David NPC
He's at the back of the island on a hill next to the water

Gravity
• Overall Gravity does have good AOE and range but the DPS is simply worse than Blood and Light
• So there's not much point using it other than early game farming if you get lucky and get it
Rogue Town
Fruit Gacha NPC
5% chance to drop

D-Tier Specs & Fruits

D-Tier Why D-Tier? Location

Quake
• Quake is better than Bomb but it's still not the best since your moves are slow and don't deal that much damage
• The only good thing is C which is a massive AOE for PVE farming but only for mobs and not bosses and it's on an incredibly high CD
• Just use Blood or Light
Rogue Town
Fruit Gacha NPC
30% chance to drop

Bomb
• Never use this
• Just use Swords to farm either better Fruits or Combat Specs if you want to build Power and then respec
Rogue Town
Fruit Gacha NPC
50% chance to drop

Rogue Piece Sword Tier List

rogue piece sword tier list
Image by Destructoid

The best sword in Rogue Piece depends on if you're looking for fast AFK/PVE grinding, high boss damage or PVP. The S-Tier covers all of these needs while the A-Tier are good alternatives. The B-Tier is mostly for PVE grinding and nothing else with Tanjiro having more DPS for bosses while the others have faster movesets/are better for farming. The C and D-Tiers are either underpowered options or good starters for PVE farming. Let's analyze them individually below.

Swords Tip: Swords go best with Sword-boosting outfits like Reaper Clothes/Yuta's Outfit/Vampire Suit/Butterfly, Arrancar race for max Sword stat boost, and their respective Titles that boost individual swords. Also get the Broken Edge Relic for more Sword damage as a rare drop from chests and the Blessed Stone for sword damage from the Gojo boss.

S-Tier Swords

S-Tier Why S-Tier? Location

Venuzdonoa
• Currently the best DPS sword in the game (damage calculations done with Ancient Spirit and Ancient One)
• Z and C are your fast low CD moves that can pull off 600k to 800k damage
• X and V are more for PVE since they're slower dealing 1 million to 1.4 million damage which is currently the highest in the game
• That said if you land X or V in PVP it's pretty much game over if they don't have Ancient One for defense
• Best combined with the Butterfly suit or Solemn Outfit and Demon King of Tyranny title from Anos boss for a 20% boost
Roll on the Venuzdonoa Banner with a 1% chance drop
Get Crimson Blood from Anos boss for spins

Solemn Lament
• Overall a very strong and fast weapon
• Solemn Lament deals fast burst damage with amazing M1s that have good AOE and range
• You can pull off about 600k with Z which is a really good PVP move along with C at 310k because they come out fast
• The X charge is good for PVE but deals lower damage than I expected but the V has a nice 750k burst with Ancient
Sandora Island
Get from the Butterfly Gacha at 1% chance drop

Dual Daggers
• SJW doesn't have the best DPS in the game anymore but it's still one of the best PVP swords in the game and great for PVE too
• This is because of fast M1s and great mobility and iFrames
• SJW Daggers give you a lot of flexibility since you have great burst/sustained damage and invincibility
• X is such a great move for PVP to get better mobility
• You can easily solo bosses with these just make sure you have the recommended loadout above

Defeat 10 Sung Jin Woo Boss for a damage boost Title

Rogue Town
Dual Dagger Seller

Abyssbreaker
• Abyssbreaker has high DPS worthy of the S-Tier but I've found myself liking it more for PVE
• The M1s are slow for PVP but you can still use it for PVP since it has high AOE burst damage
• That said it shines in PVE due to the C move which is a massive damage buff
• Always start with C and then your V and X moves that deal damage around you will nuke bosses and other players
• There's not Title for this sword yet which sucks but it's still S-Tier
Abyss Hill Island
0.5% drop from the Abyssal Beast boss

Yuta's Katana
• Requires a lot of grinding due to the low chance Rika's Ring drop from the Yuta boss but it's incredibly worth since the DPS compares to S-Tier specs
• The M1s are fast and the C and V cutscene moves deal massive damage if you can land them
• Z and X are fast for mix ups so overall you have both a really good PVP and also a great PVE option with high damage
• Plus it has its own title for a damage boost

Defeat 20 Yuta Boss for the Title that boosts Yuta's Katana damage

Jujutsu Highschool
Get Spiritual Katana from Yuta
Then grind Yuta Boss until you get the Rika's Ring 1%
+Complete Yuta's quest (Defeat 100 Bosses using SK)
Then use it while having Spiritual Katana

A-Tier Swords

A-Tier Why A-Tier? Location

Tensa Zangetsu
• Zangetsu has finally been buffed with a V2 version and it's now A+/S-
• Not the best M1s in the game but the skill damage is massive
• It's basically like Abyssbreaker where it's better for PVE than PVP but it deals really good DPS, get the title for optimal numbers
• Z and X are really fast and easy to hit and good for PVP
• C and V deal massive damage similar to Yuta's Katana so they're amazing for PVE and PVP if you can land htem

Kill 10 Arrancar users for the Tensa title for a 20% damage boost

Huecomundo
From Tensa Zangetsu Seller
Pay all the requirements including Zangetsu base
+ Defeat the Zangetsu Boss (You must be the one to spawn him)

Metal Bat
• Got a buff but still can't compare to the S-Tiers due to slower M1s and lower DPS
• That said the DPS is still A-Tier respectable from V and C mainly
• Z and X are good for mob farming while V and C are good for bosses
• You can PVP with this weapon but only via skill moves since the M1s aren't the best
Rogue Town
Fruit Gacha NPC
50% chance to drop

Hellsing Dual Pistol
• The Pistols got power-crept by all the V2 swords and some of the newer weapons but they're still really good
• They're a PVE powerhouse since all the moves deal great damage to bosses
• I probably wouldn't use them as much in PVE since most moves have a slow frontal start-up but you'll melt bosses
Spooky Island
Purchase For 25,000 Candy at the Candy Exchanger

B-Tier Swords

B-Tier Why B-Tier? Location

Gryphon
• Only two moves so less DPS than Epics and Tanjiro but they're really fast for farming
• Z can deal a fast burst of 10k damage with good Sword Stats and deals more damage than Dark Blade/Yoru Z
• X has longer iFrames than Dark Blade X
• Great for PVP due to speed and also early-mid-late game farming
Whispering Jungle
Just walk straight ahead from the mob Quest NPC

Dark Blade
• I'm comparing it to Gryphon and it deals lower damage than G's Z but higher damage with X though the iFrames are shorter
• The iFrames are really good to exploit in PVP but overall Dark Blade is just a little bit worse end-game than Gryphon so I put it in B
• Dark Blade is still the best weapon to rush early to mid-game for farming but Epics and Tanjiro outdamage it for bosses
Glacier Ice
On the little ice hill next to Mihawk's Quest NPC

Wado
• A great alternative to Gryphon and Dark Blade for PVE farming but has slow M1s
• The moves come out fast and deal about the same DPS but you're not locked in place with the X move so it's slightly better for PVP
Jujutsu Highschool
Purchase For $1,000,000 at the Wado Seller

Zangetsu
• Great AOE damage and range for PVE farming and great for bosses
• The moves are a bit slow for PVP though
• Basically there's no reason using this since the B-Tiers are better for PVE and A and S-Tiers are better for PVP
• Just use it to get Tensa Zangetsu
Rogue Town
Zangetsu Gacha NPC

Tanjiro's Nichirin
• Tanjiro's sword has more moves than Dark Blade and Gryphon for more DPS but they are slower and more awkward to land
• Still if you manage to pull out the entire rotation including the cutscene you are dealing more DPS
• But in practice Dark Blade and Gryphon are better because they are faster, especially in PVP
• So overall Tanjiro can sometimes be better for bosses but I wouldn't really get it since Dark Blade/Gryph are better mid-game and Tensa Zangetsu/Yuta/SJW are better late-game
Forge Isle
Tanjiro's Seller

C-Tier Swords

C-Tier Why C-Tier? Location

Spiritual Katana
• In general it's weaker than the above options for PVE and PVP
• That said, even for a Common the Spiritual Katana is really good for PVE grinding
• And you should definitely get it because it's a prerequisite for the S-Tier Sword Yuta's Katana
Jujutsu Highschool
Get from the Yuta NPC

D-Tier Swords

D-Tier Why D-Tier? Location

Dual Katana
Sword
Scales With Sword
• The best early game farming tool for PVE that you should rush ASAP
• Swords are the best farming tools in general and this is the first one you should get after Katana
• It's really easy to get if you claim all the codes and farm a little
• That said it gets out-DPS-ed by all swords later on
Sandora Island/Desert Island
Between the houses and the tower near the island's port

Katana
Sword
Scales With Sword
• The first Sword you'll get and what you'll use to farm for Dual Katana
• Everyone should start with a Katana to farm other stuff really fast and then you can respec later if you want to use Power-scaling stuff
Starting Island
Near where you originally spawn

Rogue Piece Race Tier List

rogue piece race tier list
Image by Destructoid

The best race in Rogue Piece goes a long way to boost your DPS based on your build. You get them from Race Rerolls and for some like the Demon race you can use specific items like Muzan's Blood. The three races in S-Tier are almost equal depending on whether you're going for a Sword stat build or a Power stat build. A-Tiers are good alternatives and B-Tier are situational picks that can be good but underpowered. C-Tier are weak but good for beginners and D are pretty much useless.

How to Get Race Rerolls: You get them from Codes, by opening Chests and from Fishing. You can get a Fishing rod from the NPC at the starting island's docks and just AFK Fish to farm Race Rerolls (See below for recommended early-mid and late-game races).

S-Tier Races

S-Tier Races Why S-Tier Race Stats

Demon
• Demon and Arrancar are about even with Demon being for Power stat builds and Arrancar being for Sword stat builds
• That said Demon has an edge for two reasons
First: Because Combat Specs like Sukuna and Aizen scale with Power and they have the best DPS in the game
Second: If you're a Demon fighting an Arrancar, Arrancar take 25% more damage from your Power stat attacks
• This means that you'll be nuking Arrancar players and overall other races with Demon if you have A Power and Sukuna/Aizen
• So in short, Demon is the best race in the game even with the 2% instant-death chance
• Gains +25% HP
• +25% Power stat damage multiplier
• If your HP is below 25%, you have a 2% chance to instantly die

• You can use the Muzan's Blood item dropped from the Akaza Boss spawned on Throne Isle via the Boss Summoner NPC for a low chance to get this race


Arrancar
• The counterpart of Demon but for Sword builds
• The best part about this race besides the Sword damage boost are the dash iFrames
• You get a 0.3 iFrame per dash which can be really strong to avoid some AOE moves
• That said your downside is really bad against Power attacks
• Still it's the best race in the game for Sword builds
• Flash Step: Your dashes have slight iFrames
• Higher defense
• +25% Sword stat damage multiplier
• You take +25% more damage from Power stat attacks

• You can use the Hogyoku item dropped from the Aizen Boss on Huecomundo for a low chance to get this race


Cursed Spirit
• Requirement for the Gojo spec
• You have to kill so many bosses to reach the 1.5x damage buff each time you log in or die so it can be tedious
• That said the damage buff is massive and it has no downside once stacked like Demon and Arrancar
• Overall the most powerful race but comes with a huge tedious farming requirement
• If you don't want to deal with that just go for Demon for Power and Arrancar for Sword builds
• Get a 0.02x damage boost each time you kill a boss stacking up to 1.5x as the cap
• Reseting your character, leaving the game or dying resets the stacks
• Sukuna's Finger also have chance to give you this race which are a drop from the Sukuna Boss on Throne Isle

A-Tier Races

A-Tier Races Why A-Tier Race Stats
• Ghoul is just straight up a better version of Dracula because you get higher lifesteal and it's always on
• This allows you to always be prepared for PVP and PVE so that you can out-tank the damage by constantly healing
• Overall dealing more damage is always better than tanking more damage so Ghoul is A-Tier since S-Tiers all boost damage a lot
• Get 25% global lifesteal that's always on unlike the Dracula race

• A 25% chance to get this race from Ghoul Eyes dropped from Kaneki Boss at Abyss Hill

B-Tier Races

B-Tier Races Why B-Tier Race Stats

Dracula
• Best B-Tier race
• Half of the time it can be really powerful for PVP and PVE tanking
• Plus you get a nice little damage boost with the Burn
• That said half of the time (during day) you have no race so play around nighttime
• Demon/Arrancar are still better overall and Ghoul Lifesteal works all the time
• The burn effect is not worth it over Ghoul since Dracula doesn't work half of the time
• Gain 20% Lifesteal healing you based on the damage you deal
• Get Burn damage on attacks
Both of these effects only work at night
• Alucard Blood also has a chance to give you this race which are a drop from the Alucard Boss

Celestial Dragon
• Get this race ASAP in the early and mid-game so that you can farm faster towards late game
• Once you have some high-tier gear from the tier list above, you can go for Demon or Arrancar
• This is the best race in the game early to mid/late for farming
• Gains +25% Gems
• Gain +25% EXP
• Gain +25% Money

Cyborg
• An okay race to get since the extra HP is useful but this game favors damage more so this is just an alternative to Demon and Arrancar
• That said if you don't like the debuffs, Cyborg is perfect but know that it is weaker overall
• Scales really well with high Defense
• Gains +50% Health

• You can use the Hardware Chip item dropped from the David Boss spawned on Throne Island via the Boss Summoner NPC for a low chance to get this race

C-Tier Races

C-Tier Races Why C-Tier Race Stats

Fishman
• The swimming part is useless since you'll be air-dashing everywhere anyway
• The Defense boost is nice and more useful than all the races below so it's okay if you can't get anything better
• Swims faster and has higher defense

D-Tier Races

D-Tier Races Why D-Tier Race Stats

Mink
• Overall useless but can sometimes work in your favor for PVP dodging
• That said it's not worth it and you should get a higher-tier race
• Runs faster and dashes quicker

Skypiean
• Similar to Mink where it's mostly useless but it can be good in PVP sometimes to dodge attacks or position yourself higher than your opponnet for a move
• That said it's not worth it and you should get a higher-tier race
• Can use air-jump 3 extra times

Human
• No buffs • No buffs

Rogue Piece Trait Tier List

rogue piece trait tier list
Image by Destructoid

The best traits in Rogue Piece are much easier to determine than Swords or Specs since it's just a simple numbers game. That said damage tends to be the best stat to boost as well as cooldown since most of the game is PVE farming and it's better to kill faster than tank more damage. That's why you'll see that some Traits that boost damage or cooldowns better are placed higher. Here's what each Trait does below.

All Rogue Piece Traits Listed

Trait & Roll Chance Effects
Ancient One (???)
Spent 18 milion Gems and still didn't get it
• +150% Increase in Damage
• +80% Increase in Cooldown
• +100% Increase in Defense
Limit Breaker (0.1%) • 100% Increase in Damage.
• 35% Increase in Cooldown.
• 25% Increase in defense.
Ancient Spirit (???) • 50% Decrease Cooldown
• 75% Increase in Damage
• 50% Increase in Defense
The Honored One (0.1%) • 30% Decrease in Cooldown
• 25% Increase in Defense
• 40% Increase in Damage
All Seeing (0.1%) • 50% Decrease in Defense
• 50% Decrease in Cooldown
Charisma (0.5%)
It's not worth replacing A-Tier traits or above
A-Tier traits and above will allow you to farm faster anyway
Due to damage boosts
• +25% Increase Money Boost
Minermaster (0.5%)
Same as Charisma
• +25% Increase Gem Boost
Shadowborn (0.5%) • 20% Increase in Damage
• 10% Increase in Defense
• 20% Decrease in Cooldown
Strongest One (0.5%) • 30% Increase in Damage
• 30% Increase in Defense
Immortal (2.5%) • 10% Increase in Damage.
• 25% Increase in Defense.
Maestro (2.5%) • 25% Increase in Damage
• 10% Decrease in Cooldown
Enforcement (5%) • 10% Increase in Damage.
• 10% Increase in Defense.
Divine (5%) • 15% Increase in Damage
• Swims faster and has higher defense
Boosted (10%) • 10% Increase in Damage
• 5% Decrease in Cooldown
Basic (10%) • 5% Increase in Damage
None (50%) • No Buffs.

That's it for my complete Rogue Piece tier list for swords, combat specs, fruits, powers, traits and races. Check out our Rogue Piece codes for a fast start to the game that you can use to get your Celestial Dragon race and buy a Dual Katanas for fast farming.

The post Rogue Piece Tier List – Swords, Specs, Races, Traits [DEC16] appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Tuesday, December 16, 2025 6:34 AM
    

Toxic barrel in ARC Raiders

The ARC Raiders Toxic Trail quest is now live in the game with the launch of the Cold Snap update, and you can complete it to earn some cool rewards.

You can begin the A Toxic Trail after finishing the older quests and by accepting it from Shani. It's part of the latest update, and requires you to find the source of a toxic barrel in the Dam Battlegrounds map. This guide will help you complete all the steps required to finish the quest.

ARC Raiders A Toxic Trail quest walkthrough

A Toxic Trail quest can be broken down into the following parts.

  • Return to the Water Intake below the Water Treatment Control building
  • Search the swamp for traces of the barrel's origins
  • Take a photo of the barrel truck
  • Search the truck for clues about the saboteur's identity

To start the quest, you'll want to head to the location marked on the screenshot below. It's towards the western boundary of the Water Treatment Control building on the Dam Battlegrounds map. You'll find a half-sunk barrel. Go close to the barrel, and the quest will update.

Toxic barrel location on Dam Battlegrounds
Screenshot and remix by Destructoid

The next task is to trace the origin of the barrel. The origin, incidentally, isn't too far from the location of the barrel. Head straight along the water body, and then turn left. Go straight, and you'll come across a truck whose wheels are sunk in the water.

Toxic Barrel truck
Image via Embark

Interact with the truck and click a photo. Then, complete the investigation to finish the questline. It's a straightforward task to complete, and you'll get plenty of resources to add to your inventory. Incidentally, you'll also get a Spaceport key that will be required in another quest.

You can also find Candleberries near the spot of this quest, which is required to complete the Flickering Flames project. The project will be live throughout the remainder of December and continue until January as part of the Cold Snap update.

The post How to complete A Toxic Trail in ARC Raiders appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Tuesday, December 16, 2025 6:08 AM
    

Cold Snap map

Candleberries are a brand-new item added to ARC Raiders as part of the Cold Snap update, and you'll have to farm them as much as possible.

The item is tied to the Flickering Flames quest. You'll need to find Candleberries for the Candleberry Banquet. While you can obtain Candleberries with Merit from the Flickering Flames event, you can farm more of them from the correct location.

Best Candleberries location in ARC Raiders

The Candleberries item appears to be attached directly to the Cold Snap event. Hence, you'll want to go on a map that has the event active. As of writing, this event is active on the Dam Battlegrounds map. Hence, I have marked the location below.

Candleberries location in Dam Battlegrounds
Screenshot and Remix by Destructoid

If you're on the Dam Battlegrounds map, head to the western part of the map near the South Swamp Outpost. Marked as a vegetation area, you'll find Candleberries growing on shrubs in the open area. They appear to be pretty common in my experience, and you can harvest them just like you obtain other items, such as Lemons and Olives.

I am unsure whether Candleberries only grow on maps with the Cold Snap modifiers. However, you're guaranteed to find them in areas marked as nature (on any map when the modifier is active). Another simple way to find Candleberries is from the Flickering Flames rewards track.

Candleberries in ARC Raiders
Screenshot by Destructoid

You will earn Merits for every 100XP that you gain from raids. Finding more Merits will allow you to hit different milestones present on the Flickering Flames. Some of these milestones will fetch you a decent amount of Candleberries that you'll have to commit to complete the project.

The post Where to find Candleberries in ARC Raiders appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Tuesday, December 16, 2025 4:37 AM
    

Cold Snap map condition

The Cold Snap update is now live in ARC Raiders, and v1.7.0 includes plenty of major changes that you'll want to explore during the raids.

Much of the fresh content revolves around the Cold Snap event, which will run well into January. A permanent cold condition will be present across all maps, making it more challenging for you to survive the chill. However, Embark has also made some critical changes to how the gameplay worked in the previous versions of ARC Raiders.

Complete ARC Raiders 1.7.0 patch notes

As mentioned earlier, there are plenty of new additions in patch 1.7.0. Here's a quick rundown of the highlights.

  • Cold Snap Map Condition
  • Flickering Flames Event
  • New Free Raider Deck "Goalie"  - coming on December 26
  • New Quests and Items
  • Expedition Departure Window
  • Added Skill Tree Reset functionality.
  • Added an option to toggle Aim Down Sights.
  • Wallet now shows your Cred soft cap.
  • Various festive items to get you into the holiday spirit.
  • Moved the Aphelion blueprint drop from the Matriarch to Stella Montis.
  • Added Raider Tool customization.
  • Fixed various collision issues on maps.
  • Improved Stella Montis spawn distance checks to address the issue of players spawning too close to each other.

Weapons and Balance Changes

Bettina

  • Durability Burn Rate has been reduced from ~0.43% to ~0.17% per shot

    • In practice, it used to take about 12 full magazines to fully deplete durability, but now it takes 26 (also accounting for the increased magazine size).

  • Base Magazine Size has been increased from 20 to 22
  • Base Reload Time has been reduced from 5 to 4.5

Rattler

  • Base Magazine Size has been increased from 10 to 12

Shredder

  • Reduced the amount of knockback applied by weapons. Increased movement speed and turning responsiveness.
  • Increased health of the Shredder's head to prevent cases where its head could be shot off, leading to unintended behavior.
  • Improved Shredder navigation to reduce getting stuck on corners, narrow spaces, and short obstacles.
  • Increased the speed at which the Shredder enters combat when taking damage and when in close proximity to players.
  • Increased the number of parts on the Shredder that can be individually destroyed.


Balance Changes

Bettina

  • Durability Burn Rate has been reduced from ~0.43% to ~0.17% per shot

    • In practice, it used to take about 12 full magazines to fully deplete durability, but now it takes 26 (also accounting for the increased magazine size).

  • Base Magazine Size has been increased from 20 to 22
  • Base Reload Time has been reduced from 5 to 4.5

Rattler

  • Base Magazine Size has been increased from 10 to 12

Shredder

  • Reduced the amount of knockback applied by weapons. Increased movement speed and turning responsiveness.
  • Increased health of the Shredder's head to prevent cases where its head could be shot off, leading to unintended behavior.
  • Improved Shredder navigation to reduce getting stuck on corners, narrow spaces, and short obstacles.
  • Increased the speed at which the Shredder enters combat when taking damage and when in close proximity to players.
  • Increased the number of parts on the Shredder that can be individually destroyed.

There is plenty of content and bug fixes in this patch that you can find in the full notes.

The post ARC Raiders Cold Snap update (1.7.0) patch notes appeared first on Destructoid.


WGB Tuesday, December 16, 2025 6:48 AM
     Hollow Knight: Silksong has sold over 7 million copies and will receive a free major update titled Sea of Sorrow next year, featuring new areas, bosses, and tools.