GamersHeroes Monday, January 12, 2026 5:48 PM Previously released on the Apple App Store, BBC Studios, Ludo Studio, and Halfbrick Studios' Bluey's Quest for The Gold Pen now be load-downed on the Google Play Store. The post Bluey's Quest for the Gold Pen Now Available on Google Play Store appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
GamersHeroes Monday, January 12, 2026 5:28 PM Starting tomorrow (January 13!), The Coach Collection will make its way to The Sims 4 as part of a free base game update. The post Coach x The Sims 4 Collaboration Arriving January 13 appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
GamersHeroes Monday, January 12, 2026 2:39 PM Developed by Brigada Games and published by Devolver Digital, apocalyptic admin simulator Quarantine Zone: The Last Check is now available. The post Quarantine Zone: The Last Check Now Available on Steam appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
GamersHeroes Monday, January 12, 2026 2:11 PM Kabam's popular Marvel Contest of Champions is ringing in 11 years with its sixth annual fan-driven Summoner's Choice Champion competition. The post Marvel Contest of Champions Sixth Annual Fan Vote Live appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
GamersHeroes Monday, January 12, 2026 1:55 PM Ahead of its release early next month, see how Byking and Bandai Namco are coming together for one last smash with the opening cinematic trailer for MY HERO ACADEMIA: All's Justice. The post MY HERO ACADEMIA: All's Justice Opening Cinematic Trailer Released appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
Kotaku Monday, January 12, 2026 5:17 PM
The union accused Rockstar of spying on employees' private communications The post Rockstar Wins Initial Ruling Against Fired <i>GTA 6</i> Devs: 'We Regret That We Were Put In A Position Where Dismissals Were Necessary' appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Monday, January 12, 2026 3:30 PM
Publisher Team 17's Hidden Treasures sale included some sneaky freebies if you looked carefully The post A Steam Sale's Background Art Was Filled With Hidden Free Game Codes appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Monday, January 12, 2026 1:48 PM
Some coming soon, some out now, here are some investigative games you've yet to discover The post 10 Mysterious Games To Check Out In Steam's Detective Fest appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Monday, January 12, 2026 12:40 PM
The Death Stranding 2 director thought a dream diary would help him sleep better The post Kojima Tries To Describe The Nightmare Fuel Haunting His Sleep, Including Creature Bites And 'Voluptuous Nude Women' appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Monday, January 12, 2026 12:21 PM
A hack to tweak the game to first-person makes it far too scary The post Oh, Thank Goodness <i>Arc Raiders</i> Isn't A First-Person Game appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Monday, January 12, 2026 12:10 PM
Nintendo isn't ready to comment on hypotheticals The post Nintendo Asked About Spiraling RAM Costs As Fans Worry About A Switch 2 Price Increase appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Monday, January 12, 2026 12:03 PM
Indy led the horror movie Good Boy without any acting training The post A Dog Beat Alison Brie And Ethan Hawke For An Acting Award, And No, This Isn't The Plot Of A New <em>Air Bud</em> appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Monday, January 12, 2026 11:16 AM
What does that extra $150 get you? Not much, actually... The post Comparing Pokémon's New $200 Lego Pikachu With Mega Bloks' $50 Version appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Monday, January 12, 2026 11:02 AM
Also: don't throw away your PC gaming rig's old power supply just yet The post Not-<i>Pokémon</i> With Guns Survival Sim <i>Palworld</i> Is Launching A Not-<i>Pokémon</i> Card Game appeared first on Kotaku. |
PCGamesN Monday, January 12, 2026 3:00 PM Oozing with rebellious vibes and punk visuals, Reignbreaker is the closest I've got to a solid Hades-style roguelike, and it's under $1 in this fantastic bundle. |
PCGamesN Monday, January 12, 2026 1:01 PM Team Beef's virtual reality port of the original Counter-Strike, CSVR, brings a new feeling to one of the greatest shooters ever made. |
PCGamesN Monday, January 12, 2026 12:18 PM In one of the weirdest bugs Dwarf Fortress players have encountered over the years, Bay 12 Games has clothed its eponymous miners. |
PCGamesN Monday, January 12, 2026 12:17 PM With a 3,440 x 1,440 resolution, this curved IPS display delivers 95% DCI-P3 coverage and fast gaming performance for an incredible price. |
PCGamesN Monday, January 12, 2026 12:03 PM Masters of Albion is a new strategy game from 22cans, Fable creator Peter Molyneux's indie studio, and it's just got a release date. |
PCGamesN Monday, January 12, 2026 11:41 AM With Baldurs Gate 3 proving a huge hit on the Steam Deck, Larian Studios says it loves the handheld and hints at Divinity support. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Monday, January 12, 2026 5:54 PM  Isn't it funny that we don't have a definitive reason as to why we dream? We have ideas, theories, like that they're the brain moving memories from short-term to long-term storage. But why the hell can they get so weird? And worse, scary. This feels like the central question at the heart of Mama's Sleeping Angels, an upcoming Lethal Company-esque procedurally generated dream-exploration game where you're having a sleepover with friends and must feed a goddess within her dream. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Monday, January 12, 2026 4:29 PM  It feels quite fitting that a game like Big Hops released today, the day after Awesome Games Done Quick wrapped up, because this thing feels like it has a guaranteed spot in Summer Games Done Quick already. You're a frog! Who hops around! What's not to love? It helps that the platformer feels so good in motion, too. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Monday, January 12, 2026 1:46 PM  There is a strange deliciousness in experiencing a game from a perspective that it does not otherwise allow. Sure, things don't always look right, there's just this opportunity to rethink how you view a particular world. Recently, it appears that someone playing Arc Raiders got to do just that, by switching it into a first-person shooting mode as opposed to its usual third-person camera, all thanks to an accident. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Monday, January 12, 2026 1:00 PM  What's the genre called for games that recreate a desktop PC interface? There's gotta be a name right, there's enough games to justify it, but PC game is kind of already taken as a term. In any case, while we ponder over that question, let's look at an upcoming addition to that genre, Imprinted, a horror game where you are tasked with restoring mysterious, damaged cassette tapes. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Monday, January 12, 2026 1:00 PM  Lighting up my fifteenth cigarette of the hour and adjusting my fedora, I slipped the mysterious code into the box. A collection of numbers and letters designed to provide early access to the demo of a detective game. It was a hot tip from a public relations person on behalf of developers Lost Cabinet Games. That wasn't suspicious. Well, assuming the missing furniture is metaphorical rather than literal. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Monday, January 12, 2026 12:46 PM  You cannot pet the dog in Dunderbeck, but you can assuredly eat the unicorn. Just drag its corpse over the puckering mouth on the righthand side. Alternatively, you can chuck the dead unicorn into the mincers on the left and combine the resulting horny horsemeat with other sources of... nutrition, such as rainbow-coloured turds and spoons. I do not know what foodstuffs might result. I refuse to play Dunderbeck's demo. I watched 20 seconds of the trailer, then spent the next ten minutes brushing my teeth. Here you go. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Monday, January 12, 2026 11:53 AM  Once again it appears that Pocketpair appears to be going after a bit of Pokemon's pie, this time of the card game variety. Where the latter's started life as a physical medium, the former's attempt at such a thing, literally just called Palworld Official Card Game, announced today, looks to be of the digital-only variety, though what there is to learn about it is a touch slim overall. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Monday, January 12, 2026 11:38 AM  Peter Molyneux and 22cans will release their new god sim Masters of Albion on Wednesday 22nd April via Steam. They've also pumped out a new trailer, rich in accents, exploding barrels and stone circles. If it were a game from any other developer, I'd be modestly anticipating it. But it's a Molyneux joint - his last game before retirement, allegedly - so instead, I'm looking at it with a mixture of sadness and suspicion. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Monday, January 12, 2026 11:34 AM  Just before the calendar ticked over to 2026, Witcher and Cyberpunk makers CD Projekt revealed that they'd sold off their PC storefront - GOG. In a deal worth 90.7 million Polish zloty (about £18.6 million / $25 million), original CD Projekt and GOG co-founder Michał Kiciński bought the storefront and has now offered some words about his vision for its future in a Steam-dominated market. |
Siliconera Monday, January 12, 2026 4:00 PM
Sega revealed new Hatsune Miku x Cinnamoroll plush that will appear in Japanese arcades, and they look like polar bears and bunnies. The Winter version selection of four different toys will be available in Japan starting on January 23, 2026. The HyokoPyoko Mascot bunny ones show up on February 26, 2026. There's no word on if or when we'll see them worldwide. They feature the same chibi style as the Nendoroid of the two characters.
There are four options in the Winter version collection. Two of them involve the polar bear theme, and the others are in general winter outfits. Each one is about five inches tall (14cm). In each case, the two feature outfits that match. So in one case, Hatsune Miku has on white earmuffs, a blue dress, a blue bow, and a cloak, and in the other a white bear hood and fluffy dress. The matching Cinnamorolls feature a blow bow and cloak or a white polar bear hood.
The HyokoPyoko Mascot options involve three designs. All of them feature the characters in a similar pose. The Cinnamoroll one has his ears tied up with a bow to make them look like bunny ears and he is wearing the Vocaloid uniform. One Hatsune Miku one matches his pose with her twintails tied up in a bow, and the other features her in a white bunny costume. That features a lop ear approach.
Here's how they all look:
Tons of items featuring the Vocaloid and Sanrio mascot showed up since the initial announcement and Nendoroid. These showed up as arcade prizes and in stores in Japan, and many of the items appeared worldwide.
The Hatsune Miku x Cinnamoroll Winter plush will show up on January 23, 2026 in Japan, and the HyokoPyoko Mascot stuffed animals will appear in arcades on February 26, 2026.
The post Hatsune Miku x Cinnamoroll Plush Look Like Bunnies and Bears appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Monday, January 12, 2026 3:00 PM
There is a new One Piece live-action adaptation trailer for season 2, and this one focuses on looks at Nico Robin and Nefertari Vivi as Miss All-Sunday and Miss Wednesday. It also shows the Straw Hat Pirates encountering and fighting other members of Baroque Works in the show. Netflix also shared new photos from the show on social media. All this comes ahead of its March 10, 2026 debut.
First, here's the new "Into the Grand Line" teaser trailer. It immediately begins by discussing Baroque Works. That establishes them as a group of assassins. First, there's a hint of David Dastmalchian as Mr. 3. Nami is shown encountering Miss Wednesday after that, which is the first peek of One Piece live-action Nefertari Vivi, and we see Nico Robin, Miss All-Sunday, entering a hall of enemies after that. Charithra Chandran plays the former, and Lera Abova is the latter. Brief flashes of folks like Mr. 5 (Camrus Johnson), Miss Goldenweek (Sophia Anne Caruso). Mr. 13 is shown riding a bird and shooting at Sanji too. There are in-action shots of Mr. 9 (Daniel Lasker) and Mr. 8 (Yonda Thomas).
Here's the full video:
As for the One Piece season 2 live-action photos, those focus on the Straw Hat Pirates, though there are ones for Robin and Vivi. Those mainly focus on Monkey D. Luffy and Roronoa Zoro, though some group shots include Sanji, Nami, and Usopp.
The first season of the One Piece live-action adaptation is on Netflix now, and season 2 launches on March 10, 2026. A third season is confirmed. The anime is on both Netflix and Crunchyroll. Viz Media handles the manga outside of Japan.
The post One Piece Live-Action Trailer and Photos Shows Robin and Vivi appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Monday, January 12, 2026 2:00 PM
Pocketpair and Bushiroad announced Palworld Official Card Game, which will release worldwide on July 30, 2026. An official site is open, though the Japanese one has a little more information. Booster packs and trial decks will be available at launch. It will also be at Card Game Festival 2026 between May 3-4, 2026, which will be held at Tokyo Big Sight.
In the original Palworld game, your goal is to work alongside Pals to fight other characters, get materials, and build up your base. The card game will feature a similar mechanics. It will be a 1v1 fight, with each player trying to grow their base and outdo the other.
Here's the first teaser trailer. It doesn't show any cards, but it does tease some of the characters we'll see appear in this spin-off:
This is one of two spin-offs on the way. The other is Pal World: More than just Pals, a dating sim headed to PCs.
Palworld Official Card Game will launch on July 30, 2026, though it will be at the Card Game Festival at Tokyo Big Sight between May 3-4, 2026. The Palworld original game is on the PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC in early access, with a 1.0 launch planned for 2026.
The post Bushiroad Making a Palworld Official Card Game appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Monday, January 12, 2026 1:00 PM
The next piece of Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot DLC is about to arrive at the outset of the tentative January-March 2026 launch window, as the Daima Adventure Through the Demon Realm Part 2 pack appears on January 15, 2026. If you have the $34.99 add-on pass or the Daima Edition of the game, you'll automatically get it that day. However, like the first part, it will be sold separately at launch. Bandai Namco also confirmed 10,000,000 copies of the game were sold worldwide and shared stats about it.
The release date announcement for the DLC didn't include any additional information about Part 2 of the Daima DLC. We know Super Saiyan 3 Vegeta (Mini) will show up. This brief teaser here only showed Gomah being attacked by Super Saiyan 4 Goku.
Here's the latest trailer:
Bandai Namco also revealed some stats from players' sessions in infographics. The top support characters were Vegeta, Gohan, Goku, Piccolo, and Krillin. The most used skills were Kamehameha, Masenko, and Galick Gun.
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is available on the Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC, and the Daima Adventure Through the Demon Realm Part 2 DLC debuts on January 15, 2026. The Dragon Ball Daima anime is streaming on Crunchyroll.
The post Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot Daima Part 2 DLC Debuts This Week appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Monday, January 12, 2026 12:00 PM
A goth-style unit is headed to Goddess of Victory: NIKKE, as shift up revealed the SSR character Label the "gloomy librarian." Her banner debuts immediately after the new version launches on January 15, 2026, and she'll also be part of the Sin Editor special event storyline starting that day. After her banner ends, she'll join Ordinary Recruit and Social Point Recruit.
Label is an Iron type unit from Elysion in the game. She acts as a Defender. She wields an assault rifle called Gloomy Mood. If someone doesn't pull for her to add to their team, they'll still get to learn more about her during the investigation in Sin Editor. In that segment, players look to find out why the Ark records seem inaccurate.
Here's the official Goddess of Victory: NIKKE teaser trailer for Label the librarian.
She's the only new character in this next update, and there are no new costumes coming this time around. However, there will be a seven-day login event called Paranoid Days that starts the same day the update arrives with free daily rewards.
Goddess of Victory: NIKKE is available for the PC and mobile devices, and the SSR character Label will be the featured banner between January 15-29, 2026. Two crossovers will come to the game in 2026.
The post New NIKKE Character Is Label the 'Gloomy Librarian' appeared first on Siliconera. |
Destructoid Monday, January 12, 2026 5:02 PM
Research Points, or RP in short, are a crucial currency in Quarantine Zone: The Last Check when it comes to accessing different upgrades, and you'll need plenty.
Thankfully, there are a couple of great ways to get RP in the game. While the exact methods aren't explained in the open, this guide will help you get as many Research Points as you might require.
Table of contents
How to get Research Points (RP) in Quarantine Zone
The easiest way of obtaining Research Points is by completing daily investigations. You'll find new survivors visiting your base daily. Some of them will be clean, while others will be infected. It's your task to go through the symptoms to differentiate between those who should live and those who should be eliminated.
While you can make a mistake, you won't want to. Making the correct diagnosis will help you get excellent inspections. An excellent inspection rewards you with nine RP per survivor. Do this multiple times, and you'll fetch a handy amount of RP.
However, a botched inspection (graded as poor) won't reward you with any RP at all. That's why you should always observe a survivor carefully before making a decision.
Another way of earning RP is from extractions. There will be an extraction every six days when you have to send your survivors to a safe zone. If you choose to send them to the lab for further research, you'll be rewarded with RP. If you choose not to do so, you'll be rewarded with money. Hence, the decision is on you.
How to complete upgrades in Quarantine Zone
Once you have enough RP, you can start upgrading your tools. But first, you'll have to upgrade your base (essential if you play the campaign). How you choose to get the remaining upgrades, then, depends on you.
While the upgrades in the beginning are easy to get, the more advanced ones will require more RPs. Unless you're in dire need of cash, you should send more survivors to the lab for additional Research Points.
The post How to get Research Points and complete upgrades in Quarantine Zone: The Last Check appeared first on Destructoid. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Monday, January 12, 2026 3:53 PM
There are simply too many good games coming out all the time these days to play everything, but dang it, I will try.
The calendar year of 2026 has plenty of big titles to look forward to, including Grand Theft Auto 6 in November (please, please, please, no more delays) and many others. The year starts strongly with titles like Resident Evil Requiem and 007 First Light, so it's sure to be another good campaign for gamers.
Lock in for another great year of gaming and check the list below to see what is coming out and when.
Table of contents
2026 upcoming video game release dates
This is looking to be a very big year for games. Many upcoming titles have release windows but no concrete date yet (such as Marvel's Wolverine due in fall 2026), and so once those days are locked down, our list will be updated.
January 2026 game releases
February 2026 game releases
March 2026 game releases
April 2026 game releases
May 2026 game releases
June 2026 game releases
Nothing here just yet.
July 2026 game releases
Nothing here just yet.
August 2026 game releases
Nothing here just yet.
September 2026 game releases
October 2026 game releases
Nothing here just yet.
November 2026 game releases
December 2026 game releases
Nothing here just yet.
Notable 2026 TBD titles
Many games are scheduled for 2026 with no confirmed date yet. Here are just a few notable ones:
This article will be updated periodically over time as more and more release dates are revealed. If we are missing some dates, let us know and we'll update the article to reflect new announcements. Make sure to bookmark it and check back every now and then to see what's in the pipeline.
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Destructoid Monday, January 12, 2026 3:42 PM
After quite a bit of time spent in development limbo, the procedurally-generated survival game Hytale is finally due to release in early access tomorrow, and the hype is palpable.
After being reacquired by original creator Simon Collins-Laflamme, Hytale has gone back to the drawing board and rolled back the clock several years in its development. In November, Collins-Laflamme said Hypixel Studios had "revived the project" and was "returning to a four-year-old legacy build that had been abandoned."
This means the game is going to likely feel a bit glitchy and potentially problematic when Hytale goes live tomorrow, Jan. 12, at 9am CT. Still, I'm quite excited to try it out as soon as possible, as are gamers the world over who are buying in early to help the game's development.
According to an announcement today from Collins-Laflamme, Hypixel has secured the next two years of development costs for the game through pre-purchases alone. So, that is to say, there's a high amount of players who are ready to dive in on day one, and likely more who will come in over time if things go well (Collins-Laflamme said they're expecting over one million players on day one).
And while the hype is high, it's worth heeding some earlier words of Collins-Laflamme himself from an announcement in November: "The first impression will be rough, but the path ahead matters more," he said.
"If you don't feel comfortable pre-ordering, please don't," Collins-Laflamme said. "This is true early access, meaning it's still very much unfinished and will be buggy for a while, but you have my and the team's commitment to make Hytale the game we've always wanted it to be."
This is not going to be Minecraft 2, as many have taken to calling it—at least not tomorrow. It may very well be the next big pixel-style survival game with varied biomes, crafting, farming, and more, but this is going to be a process that may be painful at times. Because of this, as the dev said, gamers should only buy in if they're ready to be along for the ride of its making.
"Modding and creative tools are in a decent state; however, they're not where we want them long term," he said. "That being said, they're ready for players who want to create content on day one. This is a good moment for modders, server owners, and creators to step in early! They will play a significant role in Hytale's future."
I've pre-ordered the basic edition of the game, and Hypixel offers gamers the choice to upgrade to other editions later. Thinking about Hytale's potential really excites me, so I'm already quite hyped for tomorrow, regardless of the game's current state.
Early-access launch for Hytale will be an interesting morning for those who bought in, and Hypixel especially, but it's just the start of what could be a very exciting journey over the next several years.
Are you buying in to Hytale early access, or are you waiting to see more? Let us know in the comments and be ready for the game's launch tomorrow morning.
The post Hytale might just be Minecraft 2 one day, but the road there could be a bumpy ride appeared first on Destructoid. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Monday, January 12, 2026 3:31 PM
Quarantine Zone: The Last Check takes a different approach to handling the zombie apocalypse. Instead of directly fighting the undead, your primary duty is to look after the outpost.
There will be new survivors daily pouring in for your help, with the ultimate aim of reaching the safe zone. However, the job is easier said than done, since some of them might be infected. Let's find out how you can tell who is safe to send to the survivors' quarters, and who isn't.
Table of contents
What are symptoms in Quarantine Zone: The Last Check
Symptoms are clear signs of whether an incoming survivor is clean or not. By clean, I mean whether they're potential infected or not. Some symptoms can be clear to spot, while others might be hidden. As you play more, you'll get new gear.
Let's quickly look at what you want to spot carefully when accepting a survivor. While I am yet to get all the devices in the full version of the game (reached till Scanner), here are all the key things to note.
As you unlock more devices, you'll obtain more symptoms to look at. Here's a complete list of all symptoms in the game.
All symptoms in Quarantine Zone: The Last Check
Here's a list of all the symptoms you'll have to investigate. I will be adding more symptoms once I have unlocked the rest of the items (you unlock them as you complete days).
There are a few more symptoms you need to watch out for. I am yet to stumble upon some of the older symptoms that were present when the demo launched last year.
These are all signs of an incoming infection, and it's best to send them to quarantine. For reference, you can refer to the following images.
Guy 1 clearly has symptoms of an infection in his eyes, but there are no bite marks on his body. His eyes aren't red, so I decided to send him to quarantine.
Guy 2 has red eyes and an obvious bite mark on his face. He's almost sure to turn into an undead, and that's why I decided to send him to the chopping block. That's precisely how you'll have to keep your base in check and ensure that an infection doesn't break through.
The post How to detect an infected in Quarantine Zone: The Last Check? All symptoms explained appeared first on Destructoid. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Monday, January 12, 2026 2:28 PM
The Lego Group and The Pokémon Company have recently announced a new line of buildable monsters that are sure to be super effective against our wallets. As part of this announcement, Lego is running a scavenger hunt on its website to unlock silly images and get entered into a drawing.
To enter the scavenger hunt, you'll first need to be a Lego Insider. (Steps on setting that up can be found here.) Then, you'll have to hunt through The Lego Group and The Pokémon Company's social feeds and websites for codes. Finally, you'll enter the codes on the lineup page at Lego's website. New codes will be released each week until the sets launch on February 27, so bookmark this guide to come back to as more are found.
The codes themselves can be found in all sorts of places. The first code we found was in the announcement trailer for the sets on Lego's Website, indicated by the brick icon in the corner. The second one was found inside an Ad Balloon in Pokémon Go.
Each time you enter a code, you'll be entered into a drawing to win the new Lego Pokémon sets or 10,000 loyalty points for the Lego Insiders program. (2500 of those points can be spent on the exclusive Lego Pokémon Center mini-set when it launches on February 27!) You'll also unlock cute little photos of the Pokémon in various situations to share online.
Each Code
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Destructoid Monday, January 12, 2026 1:51 PM
It's time to leave your Vault and touch grass in Call of Duty's latest Fallout collaboration.
Beginning on Jan. 15, the Baron of the Wasteland event tasks Black Ops 7 and Warzone players with collecting Bottle Caps to pile up the free rewards, including an animated weapon camo, a blueprint, and some more Fallout-themed goodies.
Here's how to become a true "Baron of the Wasteland" in BO7's latest Fallout-themed event.
Table of contents
BO7 Baron of the Wasteland event challenges and rewards
Baron of the Wasteland is a leaderboard event in BO7, meaning only the players who earn the most Nuka-Cola Quantum Bottle Caps will earn the top-tier gear. Here are all of the seven possible leaderboard-based rewards:
In addition to the leaderboard, there are rewards you can earn based on how many Bottle Caps you collect throughout the event's duration:
How to get Bottle Caps in BO7 Baron of the Wasteland
Nuka-Cola Quantum Bottle Caps drop from enemies that you eliminate in BO7 multiplayer, Zombies, and Endgame, but they can also be found in Warzone loot caches. Play any of the modes in BO7 and get kills, and enemies will drop the Bottle Caps needed for your goals.
You can earn rewards in Baron of the Wasteland concurrently with the Quantum Exchange event.
The post All challenges and rewards in Black Ops 7 Baron of the Wasteland event appeared first on Destructoid. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Monday, January 12, 2026 1:36 PM
Call of Duty's latest collaboration with Fallout is full of goodies, and the latest addition is a free event where players can collect rewards for a limited time.
The Quantum Exchange event in Black Ops 7 includes the new Hawker HX sniper rifle, so players will want to grab it while they can before the event disappears for good, lest they will need to unlock it via the armory feature.
Here's what you can get for free out of the Quantum Exchange event in Black Ops 7.
BO7 Quantum Exchange event rewards
Black Ops 7's Quantum Exchange event, beginning on Jan. 15, is part of the new collaboration with the Fallout TV series. It's a collection event where players exchange earned currency for rewards, and there are a total of nine rewards to earn for free.
In Quantum Exchange, Nuka-Cola Quantum Bottle Caps will drop from enemies. This item is inspired by the world of Fallout, where Bottle Caps are the primary currency in the Wasteland. Make sure to collect them and exchange them for the following rewards:
The two main rewards in this event are the Hawker HX sniper rifle (Black Ops 2's Ballista) and a Fallout-themed blueprint for the Dravec 45. The new sniper costs 100 Bottle Caps, and the "Nuka Assault" blueprint is unlocked once all other rewards are acquired.
How to get Bottle Caps in BO7 Quantum Exchange
Nuka-Cola Quantum Bottle Caps are dropped from enemies that are eliminated in multiplayer, Zombies, and Endgame, and they can also be found in Warzone loot caches. Simply playing any of the modes in BO7 will reward Bottle Caps; just make sure to collect them when they drop to add them to your collection.
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Destructoid Monday, January 12, 2026 1:25 PM
The Just Passing By Evolution is now live in FC 26, and you can use it twice to upgrade your cards.
Available for free, the evolution offers some interesting upgrades. You can either use it on the same card twice or apply the upgrades to two separate items. Let's look at the best choices for the evolution based on the requirements and the offered upgrades.
Table of contents
FC 26 Just Passing By Evolution requirements
Here are the requirements for Net Results Evolution in FC 26.
FC 26 Just Passing By Evolution upgrades
Just Passing By has only two levels of upgrades. To obtain the boosts, you'll need to complete specific tasks.
Level 1 upgrades
Level 2 upgrades
Level 1 upgrade requirements
Level 2 upgrade requirements
Best players for Just Passing By Evolution in FC 26
You can include a wide variety of items in this evolution. Cards that can benefit from the stat upgrades without hitting the cap have been considered.
These are arguably some of the best options you can include in this evolution.
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Destructoid Monday, January 12, 2026 12:41 PM
FC 26 Pro Open Matchday 6 brings one more Mystery Nation objective to complete, and you can earn some valuable rewards while doing the needful.
The latest objective is nothing new. We have to decode the mystery nation and use a suitable card to score goals, which will complete the objective and unlock coins and a free pack.
While EA Sports will eventually reveal the mystery nation for tonight, chances are that the community will crack it by then.
Disclaimer: The community has decoded the mystery nation, which is Sweden.
How to complete the FC 26 Pro Open Mystery Nation (Matchday 6) objective
If you have completed previous Mystery Nation objectives, you will know what to do. If you haven't, worry not.
The first task is to figure out what the mystery nation is. This nation could be any name apart from those that have already appeared on the five previous matchdays. Next, use a footballer card from the same nation. Score three goals with the Finesse Shot, and the objective will be complete. For this week, the nation is Sweden.
You can complete the objective in any Ultimate Team mode and across several matches. Once done, you'll unlock the following rewards.
With the TOTY promo coming up, it's always a nice bonus to get an extra pack. There's always a chance for you to pack something valuable from it.
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Destructoid Monday, January 12, 2026 12:34 PM
Did you know they were making a cartoon based around the Backyard Sports games? Me neither! But now I do, and after seeing the cast, I'm pretty excited.
Backyard Sports: The Animated Special is coming to YouTube and features some notable celebrity voices, including Christopher Mintz-Plasse AKA McLovin from Superbad as Dmitri Petrovich, Tiffany Haddish as Kiesha Phillips, and Utkarsh Ambudkar as Achmed Khan.
The 2000s-era PC sports game series featuring a fun cast of kids (and kid version of professional athletes once some licensing got involved) was brought back to life in the past few years. Several classic titles are found on Steam in their original form (like my personal favorite Backyard Baseball '01), and this animated special is a part of its revival.
Other cast members include Adam Pally (Wade Whipple from the Sonic the Hedgehog movies) as Pete Wheeler, Donald Faison (of Scrubs fame) as Dante Wheeler, Deborah Baker Jr. as Kimmy Eckman, Ego Nwodim as Stephanie Morgan, and Arturo Castro as the GOAT Pablo Sanchez. The cast is pretty impressive for what seems to be a rather small operation, and I hope it does well and continues to provide hype for the franchise.
I'm very down to check this out, especially since it'll be available on YouTube for free. I hope that this is a jumping-off point for some new Backyard Sports games as part of the franchise's renaissance, and I also hope that the pro leagues like the MLB, NFL, NHL, and NBA get their players involved again so today's kids can enjoy the games as I did.
The simplicity of the Backyard Sports games made it special and accessible to kids, with the games featuring a basic point-and-click gameplay style. I do wonder what a new game in the franchise would look like, and I'm hoping we get some more news soon.
The post They're making an animated special about the Backyard Sports games, and McLovin is just one familiar face involved appeared first on Destructoid. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Monday, January 12, 2026 12:32 PM
Quarantine Zone The Last Check is now available for players on PC, and there are plenty of controls to master.
Being in charge of an outpost amidst the zombie apocalypse isn't easy. Your life is made harder by civilians who might be hiding their potential infection to enter your safe haven. Mastering the controls will allow you to perform your duties and keep your safehouse... well, safe.
Table of contents
Complete list of Quarantine Zone The Last Check PC controls
The following table has all the different controls available in Quarantine Zone The Last Check. These are the default settings, but you can make changes as necessary.
How to change controls in Quarantine Zone The Last Check
Changing the default controls is pretty easy. To make the changes, load the game and go to the main menu.
While Quarantine Zone The Last Check is only available on PC, you can use your Xbox controller as it's supported. Unfortunately, I don't have one to test, but it's listed on the official Steam page.
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Destructoid Monday, January 12, 2026 11:21 AM
Hytale has officially been saved and is on its way to our machines after seven long years of waiting.
It spent half a decade in limbo at Riot Games, stuck in a drawer somewhere, probably, and had to be re-purchased by the same people who sold it to that corporate giant. Now, in the hands of its rightful owners, Hytale is in full development and is actually coming out.
Here's everything you need to know about a potential release date, the platforms it will be available on, and more.
Hytale release date countdown
Hytale comes out in early access on Jan. 13, 2026. The game, which was only revived officially on Nov. 17 following its reacquisition by Simon Collins-Laflamme, also known as Hypixel, appears to be releasing sooner than anticipated, though its new-old owner did say he wants to see it in players' hands as soon as possible.
The following countdown will expire once the early access goes live.
The countdown is based on the following timings.
Hytale will cost $19.99 for the base game, with several supporter editions available for more if you wish to pitch in and help the studio develop the title. Pre-orders are already up on the official website.
What platforms will Hytale be on?
Hytale was originally planned to be a PC-exclusive game, especially for Windows. This tracks with the game being inspired by Minecraft, specifically the Hypixel server, which was primarily a PC-only experience. It'll probably have its own launcher, but we might see it come to Steam and Epic Games as well.
Though Mojang's title eventually branched out to just about every platform under the sun, it's safe to assume that Hytale will release on PC and Windows first, followed by potential ports to consoles and mobile devices.
With the rise of the SteamOS and Valve's major push for Linux gaming, we could also see Hytale launch on Linux natively, and even on Apple's macOS. All of these are part of the broader PC family and would play more or less the same, but it remains to be seen if Hypixel will focus on moving the game beyond Windows before finishing its 1.0 development cycle.
Many of its planned features are very much work-in-progress, and Hytale invites the community to join the fun and help develop various aspects of the game, pitch features, and collaborate with the developers to make Hytale into the game it was meant to be.
The broad scope of development is likely to impede potential release dates and platform ports, but it's better to have a good game come late than a bad one rushed to us early.
Full details of planned features can be found here, and from what we can gather, it looks rather promising.
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Destructoid Monday, January 12, 2026 11:20 AM
Goodbye, Anthem. We had the highest of hopes for you, and yet we hardly knew ye.
Today, Jan. 12, 2026, marks the official end of the doomed BioWare looter shooter as its servers shut down nearly seven years after its original launch, meaning the game is no longer accessible at all since it's not playable offline. And I can't help but feel somewhat melancholy about it, because it could have been tremendous.
Anthem was incredibly hyped up leading to its release in 2019. It was a new spin on the genre popularized by games like Destiny and Warframe, with a fun twist: Iron Man-like flight suits and aerial combat. It looked incredible.
But for a number of reasons, it did not work out. The story was lackluster, the progression wasn't great, there were numerous bugs and optimization issues, and there was not a lot of good or interesting loot. Once you wrapped up the storyline, there was just not much left to do.
But I and many others stand by the fact that its base flying and shooting gameplay was its greatest strength. The flying mech suit fantasy was great fun, and flying from place to place and fighting enemies along the way was a joy. The map was pretty, too, and the game is still graphically really solid even in 2026.
I also really enjoyed the combat system, which used designated abilities like Primers (which applied a status effect) and Detonators (which triggered the primed status effect) to create a Combo for big damage on chunky enemies.
There were also four distinct models of the mech suits, called Javelins, each with its own fun play style. I was partial to the elemental-powered Storm Javelin, but the tank-like Colossus, the melee-based Interceptor, and the generalist Ranger were all fun to mess around with.
The game was just a massive missed opportunity, mismanaged from the beginning in many ways, and under-cooked in several areas. I really miss that Iron Man fantasy of flying around in co-op with friends. It had such good potential if the rest of the game was as fun or fleshed out.
BioWare and EA also clearly saw this potential, too, as it started development of "Anthem Next" in 2020. Announced a year after the game's initial launch, the studio had plans to introduce a major overhaul to the base game with new challenges, progression, and rewards while keeping the solid foundational gameplay intact.
Unfortunately, in February 2021, it was announced that Anthem Next development was put on hold, and its developers spread out to other projects. Less than five years on, the game is now dead for good, and honestly, I will miss you, Anthem. Well, I will miss what you could have been. But I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy the time I did have with it.
Apparently I got about 80 hours of play time out of Anthem, judging by what's listed in the EA App. That's definitely not too shabby. But I also can only imagine what those hours could have looked like if the game got the proper treatment and time it deserved.
I just wish there was more to what we got from Anthem, or at the very least, that EA will eventually re-use that sweet, satisfying aerial combat in its upcoming Iron Man game from Motive (still in the works, as of now).
What do you think, dear reader? Did you play Anthem, and if so, what did you think? Let us know in the comments about any memories you have with the game.
The post Anthem officially shuts down for good today, but it will forever be 'the one that got away' for those who loved its premise and promise alike appeared first on Destructoid. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Monday, January 12, 2026 4:38 PM A trailer was also released. The post Masters of Albion Release Date Officially Announced appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Monday, January 12, 2026 3:22 PM According to a recent report. The post A New StarCraft Shooter Will Likely Be Revealed At BlizzCon 2026 appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Monday, January 12, 2026 2:53 PM According to Jez Corden, The post Hellblade 3 is Currently in Development But Not Project Mara appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Monday, January 12, 2026 1:57 PM Developer Hypixel Studios has announced that its upcoming sandbox RPG Hytale will launch in Early Access on January 13. The post Hytale Studio Now Funded For 2 Years, Launches Tomorrow appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
MonsterVine Monday, January 12, 2026 3:00 PM Last week, a surprise demo for Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined dropped. Not only does playing it grant you an exclusive costume for the main party member, Maribel, but you'll be able to carry over your save file to the full game next month. As a huge fan of the series, I grabbed the demo right […] |