PCGamesN Sunday, January 11, 2026 3:00 PM Embark Studios' position on AI usage remains the same, Arc Raiders' design directors tells me, but it's "not deaf to the concerns." |
Siliconera Sunday, January 11, 2026 3:00 PM
Manga and manhwa series covering stalkers aren't uncommon. Especially ones that attempt to show rehabilitations or explanation for their behavior. I Love Amy is yet another, but at the same time shows what happens when the stalker Beatrice "Bibi" Reden ends up making a genuine connection with Amy Lee. However, while this is a romantic comedy and there is a hint of background explaining how Bibi and Amy got to be the way they are, it also does this without toning down what Bibi is capable of doing. Because while cute and kind in her own way, she is also quite unnerving in this series, and that is what leads to the humorous situations.
Editor's Note: There will be some I Love Amy spoilers from early parts of the manhwa below.
I Love Amy often shows things from Bibi's perspective, and that's how the whole manhwa begins. She's excitedly going to school and happy about it, as the new love of her life Peter is her classmate there. It seems innocent, until she starts running down the hall and we see the text "chatter" calling her "crazy," a "nutjob," and mentioning how she stabbed someone with a fork with no consequences. Idle gossip?
Nope, because Bibi and her perspective itself hammers home that she can be dangerous and a threat. Earlier in this introduction, we saw her say goodbye to an unnamed "Snowball" pet, and we then see her own flashback of her permanently preserving her rabbit after it died because the things she loves "have to be with her." When she encounters Peter at school? He's talking to a girl she only sees as a silhouette. She invites this faceless individual to "be friends" and then, when this girl comes over, we see she has a chair in an empty basement prepared. Except during the attempts to make this person lower their guard, the individual was genuine. When the night ended with both falling asleep, the girl thanked Bibi for the sleepover and said she had fun. And then suddenly, she had a face and was Amy. Bibi notes how odd this was and thinks this was her first sleepover and experience like this for her too.
It's because of this growing friendship and possible love interest in Amy that Bibi starts to become a little more softened and human and I Love Amy does end up feeling genuinely funny. For the first volume, we're still seeing Bibi fully into Peter. She's dedicated to getting to him due to an incident where he was kind to her. And Amy agrees to help as her friend! But this also means that Bibi and Amy spend more time together. And as they do things like make meat pies together, shop, and go to the beach, it feels as though these natural interactions and pure chances to socialize are giving Bibi someone who accepts her and Amy someone who's also devoting total attention to her in that moment. (Despite Bibi claiming it's all for Peter.)
It also means chances to sort of see potentially redeeming moments. While there is another individual that gets involved between Amy and Bibi, who has her own background with Amy, it offers a chance for the girl everyone thinks has problems to be something of a hero. When we start learning about Amy's past, Bibi reaches out to her a bit. And even Amy's aunt seems a bit pleased to see there really is a new person in her life, considering it is bringing her niece out of her shell.
The thing about the I Love Amy manhwa is also that the cliffhanger for this book hints at even further explanations as to how Bibi ended up the way that she is. It suggests something of a tragic parallel to Amy's own past. Which makes me wonder if it's something that could lead to further connection.
I Love Amy is odd in that it makes you root for the unnerving stalker to end up with a well-intentioned, innocent young woman, but the execution does make it work as a romantic comedy. Amy is an adorable, sweet, and clumsy girl who genuinely wants to help and sees this as a chance to build a new bond with someone. While Bibi initially sees Amy as a faceless threat, that turns into a potential ally and maybe even something more as she gets a chance at perhaps her first normal relationship. It's really an intriguing and entertaining read.
I Love Amy volume 1 is available via Yen Press via its Ize Press imprint, and volume 2 of the manhwa will appear on May 19, 2026.
The post I Love Amy Manhwa Makes a Stalker Sympathetic, but Still Unnerving appeared first on Siliconera. |
Destructoid Sunday, January 11, 2026 5:22 PM
We are still a few days away from the expected start of the TOTY promo in FC 26, but the first set of leaks has already started to appear on social media.
Of course, we have the first confirmed card (of sorts), thanks to a promotion from EA Sports. Swedish Icon Zlatan Ibrahimovic will be part of the Team of the Year promo, but he won't be alone. While the main team will be selected by votes (there are more parameters), more cards will also be present in the form of the Honorable Mentions and Icons.
All FC 26 TOTY players (Leaks)
The list of leaks so far is relatively small, as the voting will continue until Jan. 12. The voting will play a major role in determining who makes it to the starting XIs of both men's and women's football. The following Icons have been leaked on social media.
All versions of TOTY Icons will have double playstyle+, keeping in touch with last year's trends. All three leaked cards are also expected to be present in packs. We should be getting more leaks as we get closer to the release date of the promo.
While most of the TOTY items will be part of packs, expect to have a couple of icons in SBCs. Typically, EA Sports will be releasing Honorable Mentions in objectives and SBCs. To get them, you won't have to rely on your luck.
The TOTY promo is also expected to feature Flashback SBCs, highlighting footballers who have been part of previous Team of the Year promos. Last year, we had some excellent Flashback SBCs to complete. It will be interesting who we get this time around.
There are also rumors of Icon Swaps returning during the TOTY promo. The Icon Swaps have been a popular feature of older Ultimate Team festivities. It's rumored that EA Sports will be returning the fan-favorite feature after years of requests from the community.
It will be interesting to find out the TOTY starting XIs. There are plenty of contenders, but only a selected few can make it to the starting lineups.
The post All FC 26 TOTY promo players (Leaks) appeared first on Destructoid. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Sunday, January 11, 2026 4:05 PM
Blue Prince was one of the big surprises of last year, and one of the few contemporary games that even dragged me off the sidelines for a blind playthrough. I really enjoyed my time with the base game, but noped out shortly after I got my inheritance. Having now watched a playthrough in full, boy do I not regret that decision.
A delicate balance
I had a great time with Blue Prince and have recommended it to basically everyone with even a passing interest in video games. So understand that I'm coming from a position of love here, and this is more of an exploration of how the game's balance subtly shifts in the post-credits portion rather than an aggressive critique.
Developer Tonda Ros' biggest accomplishment with the game over the course of its eight-year development is finding the careful mixture of puzzle gameplay and roguelite progression that makes the initial experience so magical. The two truly go hand in hand: unlike in traditional adventure games, where you're presented with the puzzle and all the information you can use to solve it in quick succession (leaving you banging your head against the wall if that wasn't quite enough guidance for you), Blue Prince disperses many possible approaches clues across the infinitely shifting mansion, giving you many simultaneous strands to tug away at from day to day.
It was the cohesion of the puzzle and the roguelite elements that elevated this game above its premise for me, and perhaps it was inevitable for the careful balance that was struck to go out the window in the post-game.
Post-game, after all, expects a level of mastery over the existing systems, but that is perhaps where my personal interest in roguelikes differs from most. I find it fun to express my growing mastery by accomplishing the goals with worse and lesser equipment, gaining greater ability to ride out any storm. For most, the fun comes in growing optimization and improved consistency. Indeed, late-stage Blue Prince mansions might as well be tailor-made to the player's objectives at the time, leaving you to focus on the puzzles.
I played around the postgame puzzles for a little while after claiming my inheritance, then I decided I had my fill of the mansion and put the game down satisfied. Late last year, I caught up with things by watching a full playthrough (from Aliensrock, whose work I highly recommend)— and I'm glad I dipped out when I did.
A different kind of adventure
Inevitably, the focus on puzzles grows at the cost of the roguelite aspect, throwing off the base game's careful balance. It is, therefore, a big issue that both the design and the execution falter somewhat as you get deeper into the postgame. Some spoilers will follow here, so be warned.
Be it the error of the blue-recolored throne room's blueprint color (originally, it was still marked as black and was therefore not getting the appropriate appearance bonuses from the Scepter and the Banner of the King) and the cypher in the safe (where WATER and WALER were both valid solutions to the numeric code), some of the more obtuse tunnels betrayed the game's otherwise impeccably tight design. Resource balance also shifts significantly as you get deeper in the postgame, making the continued Allowance Token rewards pointless at best or insulting at worst.
The final segment of the game that leads to what fans currently think is the true ending features a truly repetitive set of puzzles from a type you have encountered all along the game, with no roguelite elements remaining, followed by another word puzzle for good measure. As for the "true" ending itself, I'll just say I'm glad I watched someone else get to it rather than struggle to get to it myself.
And perhaps that's the word: while the base Blue Prince experience achieved a fantastic genre fusion, most of the postgame puzzles felt like a struggle to me, and the story rewards offered were too piecemeal compared to what came before. It felt like, and I shudder saying this, an adventure game.
I thought the whole point was that we have progressed past that genre framework.
The post I stopped with Blue Prince after the credits rolled. Having watched the postgame, I am very glad appeared first on Destructoid. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Sunday, January 11, 2026 4:01 PM
There's been a buzz of a possible first-person camera in the ARC Raiders community of late, and it's largely got to do with a recent clip that went viral on social media.
A clip from u/Short_Satisfaction_9 showcased what FPP in ARC Raiders can potentially look like. While the video is rough around the edges, it could be an early peek into a different mode that ARC Raiders could receive in the future.
However, you might be trying in vain if you're trying to replicate the same.
Can you play ARC Raiders in first person?
It's impossible to play ARC Raiders in first person, and the video mentioned was possible using dev console commands.
Console commands used to be available on PC, but the option was patched out after this exploit. While the user didn't share the exact command, it allowed to force-load a first-person camera perspective.
However, you and I won't be able to replicate this. First, only users on PC could have created the dev console window when launching ARC Raiders. This allowed them to bypass certain default graphics settings. Sadly, this became an exploit, and it didn't take long for Embark to patch out the option. As of writing, you can't open the dev console window anymore (even if you're playing on PC) in any way.
However, could we eventually get a first-person camera mode in ARC Raiders? Embark has promised that there will be plenty of new content in 2026, but it's best not to put your bets on getting an official version of this former exploit anytime soon.
The post ARC Raiders FPP camera POV explained appeared first on Destructoid. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Sunday, January 11, 2026 2:50 PM
Icon Swaps is all set to make a return in FC 26 Ultimate Team if the latest social media leaks are to be believed.
Almost all reputable X handle related to FC leaks have tweeted that EA Sports plans to bring back Icon Swaps to Ultimate Team after many years.
Let's look at the possible release dates, along with what we can expect.
Table of contents
FC 26 Icon Swaps release date (expected)
According to leaks, the Icon Swaps will go live in approximately two weeks. If I had to guess, Icon Swaps could arrive on either Jan. 22 or 23. The full TOTY releases during the same time, and it will be an excellent way to celebrate the new launch.
Only EA Sports knows when they plan on adding the Icon Swaps. Hence, take all the social media rumors and my own speculation with a grain of salt. If we do get updates about the release date, I will make the tweaks to this guide as well.
What to expect from FC 26 Icon Swaps
If you haven't played older Ultimate Teams, you might not have heard about Icon Swaps. In simple words, you get to earn tokens and then exchange them for Icons. Unlike opening packs, you get guaranteed rewards.
Typically, bigger and better icons used to cost more tokens. The structure was similar to the Moments Mastery mode that we saw in FC 25 last year. However, there will be changes from the old system. Unlike older FIFA titles, FC 26 has multiple versions of many Icons. As of writing, I am unsure if EA Sports will only include Base Icons in the program.
I am also interested in finding out how we will be getting the tokens. There should be an exclusive, performance-based objective. All said, things are looking pretty exciting if you're eager about adding guaranteed icons to your Ultimate Team squads.
The post FC 26 Icon Swaps release date, what to expect, and more appeared first on Destructoid. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Sunday, January 11, 2026 1:37 PM
Call of Duty is one of the biggest names in gaming, but it generally avoided Nintendo's latest flagship platforms over the years. While it continues to drop even on the likes of PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, it still isn't on the Switch, but that could be about to change.
CoD was originally promised to launch on the Switch before its acquisition by Microsoft, with the plan to come to fruition once the acquisition process had been completed. That took a little longer than anticipated, with regulators weighingthe market implications of such a massive buyout, but it did happen eventually.
Now, a couple of years later, there is still no CoD on the Switch, but new datamining has confirmed that progress is being made as Nintendo has appeared as a platform in CoD HQ's files.
New lines of code have appeared in the files called "PlatformFamily.Nintendo," listed several times. It implies that CoD HQ is being primed for new platforms, which is most likely going to be the Switch 2, where many other AAA publishers have started porting their games.
With these engine-level changes now showing up, it's likely that we'll be seeing CoD on Nintendo's platform in the coming months, or maybe see the first multi-platform CoD drop in late 2026 that'll include the Switch 2 together with the franchise's traditional platforms.
Jez Corden of Microsoft Central previously also said that CoD on Nintendo was imminent, even before these new lines of code had been discovered, while Activision itself made a deal with the company back in 2023 (per Engadget) that solidified the prospects of seeing CoD on Switch.
How this will look is anyone's guess, but I wager it'll be the same old CoD as it is every year, with few improvements and fewer innovations, chock full of microtransactions, weird collaborations, pop culture references, and everything else we've become accustomed to.
Hell, we might even see Mario and Luigi carrying laser weapons while slide-cancelling across Nuketown to the tune of Nicki Minaj's songs. Grim.
The post CoD on Switch 2 is right around the corner, but don't expect Mario killstreaks appeared first on Destructoid. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Sunday, January 11, 2026 1:27 PM
Silver Superstars League 4 is now live in FC 26, and you can grind the objective set for some amazing rewards.
The mode requires you to play with Silver cards, and you have to use at least three Silver World Tour Icons. Let's look at all the tasks and rewards you can get from completing the full objective.
FC 26 Silver Superstars League 4 objective guide
The Silver Superstars League 4 event has 13 tasks to complete. The table below contains all the information you need to complete the full set.
Completing the full set will get you a 5x 86+ Rare Gold Players Pack. The guaranteed walkout pack could be great to pen when the TOTY promo goes live later this week. The Tiki Taka+ evolution is also strong as it's one of the best playstyles to use in the current meta.
However, the remaining rewards could have been better given the effort required to complete the set objective.
The post All FC 26 Silver Superstars League 4 rewards and tasks appeared first on Destructoid. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Sunday, January 11, 2026 1:22 PM
As an extraction shooter, it's only natural that ARC Raiders would have a wipe mechanic. Most of the games in the genre do, and while it does it differently, Embark's game very much follows suit. But despite the fact that over a million people participated and wiped their accounts, I still struggle to figure out why you'd even do such a thing.
In other games like ARC Raiders, server wipes are global. A time comes when every player on a given server is Thanos-snapped into oblivion, forced to start from scratch. This resets the game's overall economy and progress, allowing everyone to catch their breath and begin anew. It's an interesting concept, since it removes the massive advantage power users had, putting the entire server on a relatively even playing field.
But ARC Raiders doesn't do that. It asks you to spend a tremendous amount of time gathering resources to be able to wipe, providing you few noteworthy rewards for doing so. Still, over a million people wiped (thanks PC Games N), despite the fact that they're making their overall experience less fun (the quests reset and have to be repeated, most valuable items are lost, etc.).
A lot is lost and not much gained, leaving those who participated at an abject disadvantage compared to everyone else who retained all their skills (now easily reset and redistributed), items, and everything in between.
At least in games like Hunt: Showdown, where the game's money system provides enough incentive to willingly wipe while others do not, there are proper reasons for wiping and "prestiging." That doesn't really exist in ARC Raiders, but Embark has acknowledged this and will introduce more benefits for Expeditions in the future.
I just hope they're tremendous enough that the majority of players will find them interesting, and that they'll start off by not including quest resets. If they do, at least make them different, more rewarding, or cooler for Expedition participants. The repetition ruins the fun.
The post One million ARC Raiders players wiped their accounts with Expeditions, but what's the point of doing so? appeared first on Destructoid. |
