As part of its new freedom portal, the US government is considering its own VPN so that people in Europe can access websites blocked in their home regions.
The Fantasy FC promo is now live in FC 26, and it has introduced several live cards to Ultimate Team.
All cards released as part of the promo will be eligible for upgrades in the near future. The upgrades will depend on how the players perform in real life. Moreover, the performances of their respective clubs will also be considered.
This guide will help you keep track of all incoming upgrades as they happen.
It's important to understand how the upgrades will be applied. The system is slightly different for Heroes (more on that later).
Club gets six points in the next four matches: +1 overall rating and all Role++ in every position
Club scores 10 goals in the next four matches: One face stat randomly upgrades to 99
Player scores (for attackers and midfielders) or keeps a clean sheet (for goalkeepers and defenders) in the next four matches: +1PS+ (if 2 PS+, then only PS) and +1 PS
Player gets six attacking contributions (attacker/midfielder) or 12 defensive contributions in the next four matches (defender/goalkeeper): Five-star weak foot or Five-star skill moves
Player Name
Club
Club Points
Club Goals
Goals, Assists or Clean Sheets
Contributions
Rating
Morita
Sporting
0/6
0/10
0/1
0/6
87
Freeman
Villareal
0/6
0/10
0/1
0/12
87
Kaplan
Nijmegen
0/6
0/10
0/1
0/12
87
Scamacca
Atalanta
0/6
0/10
0/1
0/6
87
Francisco Moura
Porto
0/6
0/10
0/1
0/12
87
Larsen
Crystal Palace
0/6
0/10
0/1
0/6
88
Schlotterbeck
Augsburg
3/6
3/10
0/1
5/12
88
Giovane
Napoli
0/6
0/10
0/1
0/6
88
Kogel
Bayer Leverkusen
0/6
0/10
0/1
0/6
88
Simon
Bayern Munich
0/6
0/10
0/1
0/6
88
Leuchter
PSG
3/6
3/10
3/1
4/6
88
Aleix Garcia
Bayer Leverkusen
0/6
0/10
0/1
0/6
89
Malen
Roma
0/6
0/10
0/1
0/6
89
Cancelo
Barcelona
0/6
0/10
0/1
0/12
89
Catley
Arsenal
0/6
0/10
0/1
0/12
89
Lang
Galatasaray
0/6
0/10
0/1
0/6
89
Ricardo Horta
Braga
0/6
0/10
0/1
0/6
89
Chilwell
Strasbourg
0/6
0/10
0/1
0/12
89
Diaby
Al Itihad
0/6
0/10
0/1
0/6
90
Douglas Luiz
Aston Villa
0/6
0/10
0/1
0/6
90
Unai Simon
Bilbao
3/6
2/10
0/1
1/12
90
Undav
Stuttgart
0/6
0/10
0/1
0/6
90
Semenyo
Manchester City
0/6
0/10
0/1
0/6
90
Salma Paralluelo
Barcelona
0/6
0/10
0/1
0/6
91
Lewandowski
Barcelona
0/6
0/10
0/1
0/6
91
Endrick
Lyon
0/6
0/10
0/1
0/6
91
Joao Felix
Al Nassr
0/6
0/10
0/1
0/6
91
Bruno Fernandes
Manchester United
0/6
0/10
0/1
0/6
92
Cole Palmer
Chelsea
1/6
1/10
0/1
3/6
92
Rafa Leao
AC Milan
0/6
0/10
0/1
0/6
92
Koulibaly
Al Hilail
0/6
0/10
0/1
0/12
88
Heroes
Since Heroes are former players, they have slightly different rules for upgrades.
Club gets six points in the next four matches: +1 overall rating and all Role++ in every position
Club scores 10 goals in the next four matches: One face stat randomly upgrades to 99
Name
Club
Club Points
Club Goals
Rating
Rosicky
Borussia Dortmund
0/6
0/10
88
Noor
Al Ittihad
0/6
0/10
88
Brolin
Leeds United
0/6
0/10
89
Jill Scott
Manchester City
0/6
0/10
89
Clint Dempsey
Tottenham Hotspurs
0/6
0/10
89
Gervinho
Arsenal
0/6
0/10
89
Paulo Futre
Porto
0/6
0/10
90
Al Owairan
Al Shadab
3/6
3/10
90
Stam
Ajax
0/6
0/10
91
Yaya Toure
Manchester city
0/6
0/10
92
Antonio Di Natale
Udinese
0/6
0/10
92
Additionally, all cards will get one extra PlayStyle+ if their club wins a domestic cup. They will also gain +1 OVR (extra) if their club wins the domestic league at the end of the season.
As part of its new freedom portal, the US government is considering its own VPN so that people in Europe can access websites blocked in their home regions.
32 of the best Minecraft servers, with Java, Bedrock and crossplay options. We have the IP addresses you need to join, featuring The Sandlot, Hypixel, Skyblock, Netherite, and more.
Death Howl is one of those unique strategic roguelikes that someone could play for 15 minutes for five hours straight, and it means the Switch version couldn't come soon enough. I thoroughly enjoyed this brutal game when I played it on the PC. But there's something about the nature of it that makes the gameplay loop and narrative beats feel highlighted so well here.
As a quick refresher, Death Howl is a strategic roguelike with a nearly monochromatic kinds of color palettes and melancholy story. Based on Scandinavian folklore, we follow a grieving mother named Ro searching the other side for her dead son Olvi who was stolen away from her. This means traversing different areas, facing all sorts of entities and beasts with abilities she gathers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGF-v--wGhk
The narrative is fantastic. There are so many themes running through it. Revenge is a critical one, since there's a central stag figure associated with her son's death and apparent abduction. Not to mention she's angry with Death itself over the loss. Coming to terms with the situation is another, since this is a journey about grief and clearly she's going through the bargaining and depression stages while also being angry about everything and denying that this is a situation that can't be undone. But there's also this veil of uncertainty over everything. Due to the use of symbolism and design choices, Ro is an unreliable narrator and there are gaps in our knowledge as players. Which means part of the motivation that keeps us going is to finally know the truth of it all. Having the game on the Switch makes it easy to keep going so we can absorb the information and take in what possible truths could be hinted at as we play.
The Switch also makes for a good way to appreciate the art direction in Death Howl in the same way that the Steam Deck and other handheld gaming PCs do. This is a strategy game with sprite-based designs, an isometric perspective of the board, and limited color palettes for each region. Actual spirit designs play with shading and color options to depict details that wouldn't otherwise be possible with the limitations. When there are effects from actions and spell usage, we see intricate animations. While it is possible to view these and take away the excellence, I feel like having it in handheld mode where you could really take a moment to look closer at details.
Image via The Outer Zone
It also helps that the Switch port is a great version of Death Howl. Given how text-heavy it is for cards and combat, the color and font choices make it clear even when the lettering is little. It's almost always clear and legible. Pair that with the great controller-based scheme carried over from the PC release, and it is quite comfortable to play.
Handhelds are a good fit for roguelike games, and the artistic direction, narrative, and gameplay of Death Howl make it feel especially strong on the Switch. It's a great port that plays well on the system. The nature of the storyline makes it a perfect game to play in a darkened room. Since the gameplay encourages deck experimentation and strategic decisions, you can really get cozy and experience it. It feels exceptionally at home here.
Death Howl is available on the Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC.
The Fantasy FC promo is now live in FC 26, and it has introduced several live cards to Ultimate Team.
All cards released as part of the promo will be eligible for upgrades in the near future. The upgrades will depend on how the players perform in real life. Moreover, the performances of their respective clubs will also be considered.
This guide will help you keep track of all incoming upgrades as they happen.
It's important to understand how the upgrades will be applied. The system is slightly different for Heroes (more on that later).
Club gets six points in the next four matches: +1 overall rating and all Role++ in every position
Club scores 10 goals in the next four matches: One face stat randomly upgrades to 99
Player scores (for attackers and midfielders) or keeps a clean sheet (for goalkeepers and defenders) in the next four matches: +1PS+ (if 2 PS+, then only PS) and +1 PS
Player gets six attacking contributions (attacker/midfielder) or 12 defensive contributions in the next four matches (defender/goalkeeper): Five-star weak foot or Five-star skill moves
Player Name
Club
Club Points
Club Goals
Goals, Assists or Clean Sheets
Contributions
Rating
Morita
Sporting
0/6
0/10
0/1
0/6
87
Freeman
Villareal
0/6
0/10
0/1
0/12
87
Kaplan
Nijmegen
0/6
0/10
0/1
0/12
87
Scamacca
Atalanta
0/6
0/10
0/1
0/6
87
Francisco Moura
Porto
0/6
0/10
0/1
0/12
87
Larsen
Crystal Palace
0/6
0/10
0/1
0/6
88
Schlotterbeck
Augsburg
3/6
3/10
0/1
5/12
88
Giovane
Napoli
0/6
0/10
0/1
0/6
88
Kogel
Bayer Leverkusen
0/6
0/10
0/1
0/6
88
Simon
Bayern Munich
0/6
0/10
0/1
0/6
88
Leuchter
PSG
3/6
3/10
3/1
4/6
88
Aleix Garcia
Bayer Leverkusen
0/6
0/10
0/1
0/6
89
Malen
Roma
0/6
0/10
0/1
0/6
89
Cancelo
Barcelona
0/6
0/10
0/1
0/12
89
Catley
Arsenal
0/6
0/10
0/1
0/12
89
Lang
Galatasaray
0/6
0/10
0/1
0/6
89
Ricardo Horta
Braga
0/6
0/10
0/1
0/6
89
Chilwell
Strasbourg
0/6
0/10
0/1
0/12
89
Diaby
Al Itihad
0/6
0/10
0/1
0/6
90
Douglas Luiz
Aston Villa
0/6
0/10
0/1
0/6
90
Unai Simon
Bilbao
3/6
2/10
0/1
1/12
90
Undav
Stuttgart
0/6
0/10
0/1
0/6
90
Semenyo
Manchester City
0/6
0/10
0/1
0/6
90
Salma Paralluelo
Barcelona
0/6
0/10
0/1
0/6
91
Lewandowski
Barcelona
0/6
0/10
0/1
0/6
91
Endrick
Lyon
0/6
0/10
0/1
0/6
91
Joao Felix
Al Nassr
0/6
0/10
0/1
0/6
91
Bruno Fernandes
Manchester United
0/6
0/10
0/1
0/6
92
Cole Palmer
Chelsea
1/6
1/10
0/1
3/6
92
Rafa Leao
AC Milan
0/6
0/10
0/1
0/6
92
Koulibaly
Al Hilail
0/6
0/10
0/1
0/12
88
Heroes
Since Heroes are former players, they have slightly different rules for upgrades.
Club gets six points in the next four matches: +1 overall rating and all Role++ in every position
Club scores 10 goals in the next four matches: One face stat randomly upgrades to 99
Name
Club
Club Points
Club Goals
Rating
Rosicky
Borussia Dortmund
0/6
0/10
88
Noor
Al Ittihad
0/6
0/10
88
Brolin
Leeds United
0/6
0/10
89
Jill Scott
Manchester City
0/6
0/10
89
Clint Dempsey
Tottenham Hotspurs
0/6
0/10
89
Gervinho
Arsenal
0/6
0/10
89
Paulo Futre
Porto
0/6
0/10
90
Al Owairan
Al Shadab
3/6
3/10
90
Stam
Ajax
0/6
0/10
91
Yaya Toure
Manchester city
0/6
0/10
92
Antonio Di Natale
Udinese
0/6
0/10
92
Additionally, all cards will get one extra PlayStyle+ if their club wins a domestic cup. They will also gain +1 OVR (extra) if their club wins the domestic league at the end of the season.
Starsand Island has plenty of achievements to chase if you're a completionist, and it's a true challenge.
Unlike other video games, Starsand Island doesn't tell you what you need to do to complete an achievement. The description presents a clue that you have to decode. Thankfully, this guide will help you out by decoding all the hints for every achievement.
How to complete all achievements in Starsand Island
Before we deep dive into the achievements, some of the challenges can't be completed as of writing. This is primarily due to Starsand Island being in early access. The required task/area you need to access might be locked now, but it will become available later. However, the condition for completing it should remain the same (unless changed by the developers).
Achievement/Trophy
Description
How to Complete
Island Newcomer
Tutorial complete! Enjoy your life on the island!
Complete the Tutorial
Home Builder
Time to build my own little slice of paradise!
Expand your home for the first time
Dream Manor
Welcome home, esteemed owner of a magnificent manor.
Purchase five new plots
Landowner's Pride
All this land? You bought it yourself.
Purchase a single new plot
Get on Board Now!
Toot toot! All aboard!
Craft a bus stop
Living Legend
Everything under the sun... and then some. Mine! All mine!
Own all plots of land
Road Master
Go wherever you want, whenever you want.
Build a total of nine bus stops
My Big House
From here to there, it's all my home.
Buy all plots of land
Landlord Pride
Now I'm the landlord.
I am yet to discover how to complete this achievement
Sandcastle Kingdom
Ah, the sea-you're all but water.
Buy a land in Blue Beach
Lakeside View
A hint of green, a touch of spring.
Purchase a land in Cloudrest Lake
Patchwork
Fixing this, mending that....
Reach Apprentice Rank as a Crafter
Hammering Away
It works, doesn't it?
Reach Junior Rank as a crafter
Scrap Recycling
Scissors, knives, you name it-leave it to us!
Reach Intermediate Rank as a Crafter
Alchemy Master
That golden glow is...!
Reach Senion Rank as a Crafter
Call of the Wild
Starting with just a hoe...
Reach Apprentice Rank as a Farmer
Tech Genius
Now, anything can be crafted.
Reach Expert Rank as a Crafter
Organic Fertilizer
Hold your breath while making them....
Reach Intermediate Rank as a Farmer
Intensive Cultivation
Plant a seed in spring, harvest a thousand in autumn.
Reach Junior Rank as a Farmer
Legendary Grower
Everything grows in your farmland.
Reach Senior Rank as a Farmer
Guaranteed Ripeness
You'll never grow an unripe melon.
Reach Expert rank as a Farmer
They Keep Escaping
The bait is delicious to them.
Reach Apprentice Rank as an Angler
Beginner's Protection
Cherish your beginner's protection period.
Reach Junior Rank as an Angler
Never Empty-Handed
No more buying fish to fake it.
Reach Intermediate Rank as an Angler
Cute Bunni
Hello, let me groom you.
Reach Apprentice Rank as a Rancher
The Joy of Fish
Do you feel the joy of willingly biting?
Reach Expert Rank as an Angler
Willing Bite
You have the magic to make fish bite.
Reach Senior Rank as an Angler
Poultry Flock
They look fierce when they pounce...
Reach Junior Rank as a Rancher
Pasture Breeze
Once a workaholic, now a rancher.
Reach Intermediate Rank as a Rancher
Master Tamer
Where are the magical creatures?
Reach Expert Rank as a Rancher
Animal Kingdom
Spring has arrived, and all things are revived.
Reach Senior Rank as a Rancher
Where's the Treasure
No treasure, but at least you have the scenery.
Reach Junior Rank as an Explorer
Take This Sword
Young adventurers, go explore!
Reach Apprentice Rank as an Explorer
Wanderer of Islands
Map the world with your own footsteps.
Reach 22qw Senior Rank as an Explorer
The Village Legend
No fell dragon, but you're a hero nonetheless.
Reach Explorer Rank as an Explorer
Not a Wild Man
Often seen in the wild, but definitely not a wild man.
Reach Intermediate Rank as an Explorer
Jack of One Trade
Why do I feel like not working anymore...
Unlock any profession and gain Apprentice Rank in it
Jack of All Trades
A junior-level all-rounder.
Get Junior Rank for all professions
Grandmaster
There's nothing left to teach you.
Get Expert Rank for all professions
Guided by the Mentor
From zero to... Hey, don't give up yet.
Obtain a perk by using the Workpedia
Versatile Helper
Just a call, and I'll be there.
Complete 100 requests
This is My Expertise
No one knows this better than me.
Purchase all perks available for a specific profession
Getting Familiar
You're getting familiar on the island.
Meet any 10 NPCs
Master of all Trades
A true master of all Professions.
Meet every Reach max level of every profession
Recognized by Everyone
You're recognized by everyone on the island.
Meet all NPCs
Could It be Fate
The moment our eyes met, I knew it was destiny.
Reach Heart Level 1 with at least one romanceable character
Hello, My Friend
Nice to meet you.
Reach Heart Level 1 with at least five NPCs
Mutual Understanding
Your bond is skyrocketing.
Reach Heart Level 2 with at least one romanceable character
Loved by All
You're always noticed wherever you go.
Reach Heart Level 1 with at least 10 NPCs
Sincerely Yours
Here's my little heart.
Reach Heart Level 2 with five NPCs
Friend Ship
A ship loaded with friends!
Reach Heart Level 2 with at least 10 NPCs
Group of Friends
Beep, another message from a friend.
Reach Heart Level 3 with five NPCs
Close Friends
Let's share our secrets.
Reach Heart Level 3 with at least one NPC
Full House
Just open the door, another friend has arrived.
Reach Heart Level 3 with 10 NPCs
Telepathy
Just one glance is enough.
Reach Heart Level 4 with at least one NPC
Longing for You
I want to see you today from sunrise to sunset.
Reach Heart Level 4 with five NPCs
Inseparable
Sharing life, sharing moods.
Reach Heart Level 4 with 10 NPCs
Wholehearted
My heart's set on you.
Reach Heart Level 5 with at least one NPC
We Are...
Living happily together is what matters most.
Reach Heart Level 5 with five NPCs
Just Roommates
We're just roommates, really.
Make an NPC move in with you in the same house
Lifelong Companions
This is a big family.
Reach Heart Level 5 with 10 NPCs
Not Empty Walls
Now, you don't have to sleep on the floor.
Craft a total of 10 pieces of furniture
Fluffy Life
It's so Fluffy and Soft.
Adopt one pet
Not a Shabby Room
Nothing beats the comfort of a well-decorated home.
Place a total of 50 different pieces of furniture
Renovated Home
Arrange all your furniture and make this place your own.
Unlock 100 different pieces of furniture
Fluffy Addiction
Before I knew it, I'd become a servant to all things fluffy.
Adopt three pets
Fluffy Recluse
...Do I really need a reason to go out?
Adopt six pets
Fashion Learner
"You're mesmerized by my outfit, aren't you?"
Obtain 10 different clothes
Fashion Lover
What's your outfit of the day?
Obtain 20 different clothes
Fashion Expert
Even if no one is watching, staying stylish is my passion.
Obtain 30 different clothes
A Knight's Ride
Try its speed!
Purchase and move around in a scooter
Starsand Racer
There's nothing I can't drive.
Buy and move around in a car
Soaring High
Its wings spread like the clouds of the sky.
I am yet to figure out this achievement. This one might be unavailable as of writing
Xbox has a new face at the top: Asha Sharma, a former president of Microsoft's AI division who just really wants to get into the gaming sphere. Since her appointment was confirmed yesterday, Sharma has been attempting to bring herself closer to the gaming community and is trying to engage players on meaningful topics.
One such subject was the question of the greatest games of all time, which Sharma asked folks to share in a Feb. 21 post on X. "Top three greatest games ever? Why?" Sharma posted, saying her own favorites were Halo, Valheim, and GoldenEye. She seems quite an old head at heart, and her inquiry got me thinking, too, of what my three favorite games were.
I always disliked these kinds of questions, to be completely honest with you. They put me on the spot and required me to select out of a countless number of experiences the three that struck me the most. And it's fine to select one or two as examples of what a great game is, but quite difficult, if not outright impossible, to choose three that are ultimately "the best" ever.
Every good game is good in its own way and is appealing to me for very specific reasons. But, if I had to choose at gunpoint, I would say The Witcher 3, Modern Warfare 2, and Warcraft 3. Don't take these picks at face value, though, and I might have a different opinion (actually, I probably will have a different opinion) once this article is done and published, and then I'll moan and complain that I should've picked something else.
But, be it as it may, I love these three games for very particular reasons. Being a fan of classical fantasy, The Witcher 3 spoke to me at a fundamental level, allowing me to indulge myself in a world that is so different from everything else in the fantasy genre. While it does incorporate Tolkienesque elements of elves and dwarves, it mixes in that strong sense of sword and sorcery from the early 20th century, which turns it into a heroic fiction type of story rather than the high epic fantasy that most works in the genre aim to become.
The Witcher 3 is as close to a perfect game as it can get. Image via CD PROJEKT RED
On top of that, The Witcher 3 is a rare Slavic fantasy story, and being Montenegrin myself, I simply have to love it for that reason alone, if not for all the other great things that it does. There's just something about bogs and marshes and witches and Slavo-Germanic fairy tales being brought to life in the most grotesque ways possible that really makes me want to go back and replay it time and again. It's the best game of all time, written almost perfectly, with a world that is unlike anything else in video games.
Now that that yap is over, I can quickly summarize Modern Warfare 2 and Warcraft 3. One is the definitive shooter of my childhood, a game I couldn't play for the longest time because my family couldn't spend much money on a good-enough PC, but one that I stuck with the longest after I finally got a solid machine in 2013. Its story is my favorite of all of the three original MW games, and the multiplayer side is so flashy and satisfying that I find myself going back even today.
And finally, Warcraft 3: the best RTS of all time. A game that spawned so many other games I would come to enjoy (League of Legends, Dota 2), and an RTS experience that understood how storytelling works and that RPG elements can and will synergize perfectly with a strategy formula, so long as the overarching narrative is good.
It revolutionized the RTS scene, and no game has succeeded in doing what it did, with Blizzard itself ditching it in favor of WoW, an epic tale that simply never "hit" the same as the original Warcraft3.
So, now that you know my picks, what are you choosing? Sharma seems to want to know as much about us as possible, most likely not because she wants to train an AI based on our tastes, but rather to become as familiar with her consumer base as possible.
What are your greatest games of all time? You can name just one, or if you have more than three, please do share it with me (if not Xbox's new chief).
Happy Year of the Horse, everyone! Horses are a great addition to games because they make traveling across large maps more fun, but each tends to have very specific problems, which make them even more fun. So, here's the definitive ranking of all the best horses in games.
Last place: the horse from Oblivion
Image via Bethesda
No matter how many awful horses they'll come up with for games in the future, this will always be the worst of them all. In truth, I have nothing about the szallionitself. I'm glad Oblivion gave players a faster option than their legs to explore the world, and a less stupid one than the game's instant fast travel method.
My problem with the horse is that it unknowingly became the vessel for one of the worst things to ever hit the world of gaming: microtransactions. Yes, this was the first time a game featured a cosmetic that players would have to pay for, and for a single-player only experience, no less. Players and games media criticized the decision in unison, which was then mostly seen as something dumb, and not necessarily world-ending. Bethesda did not relent, so that was the first domino falling to create the cursed gaming landscape of today.
To the glue factory with it.
5. Roach from The Witcher 3
Image via CD Projekt Red
The Witcher3 features one of the most alive worlds I've ever seen in a game. Even the bog-filled area of Velen spills life through its beautiful golden light and wind-blown greenery. Dashing through these places at high speed on the back of Roach greatly amplifies the already high immersion. Overall, the game puts Roach to great use, by also turning him into a fully-fledged racehorse in the minigames and a loyal companion in combat.
On a less serious but equally important note, however, Roach truly does feel like he underwent actual witcher training. He can run on two legs—front or rear—do flips, teleport to the top of houses, and never because that's what he was ordered to do. Roach is one of the most glitched-out horses in gaming, and somehow, none of that hurts his ranking, because every surprise he inevitably has in store for players throughout Geralt's adventures only makes Roach more fun.
Roach also carries extra stuff for you, which is really cool, especially when you learn of it before you're already halfway through the second DLC.
4. All horses from Red Dead Redemption 2
Image via Rockstar Games
If you're looking for realistic horses, look no further. Rockstar went to great lengths to make the horses look and behave as realistically as possible for Red Dead Redemption 2, down to little details they really needn't have bothered with.
They're also less prone to putting their heads right in front of your crosshair just as you're about to shoot, causing them to die immediately, than the horses from the original Red Dead Redemption, so that's another plus.
3. Torrent from Elden Ring
Image via Bandai Namco
The most immediately striking thing about Torrent from Elden Ring is that he doesn't really look like a traditional horse, but he's so good at his duties that his horsedom is never in question. If anything, Torrent is less of a horse and more of a Horse+. This is the first video game steed to unlock the double jump ability, which alone makes him the most useful companion you can have.
As soon as I learned from the previews that Torrent would have that ability, a terrible fear hit me that it could be buggy and result in even more deaths than normal in a Souls game, but he actually plays like a dream. I still died way more times than I should have for using his double leap ability to clear impossible distances, mind you, but that's totally on me.
2. Agro from Shadow Of The Colossus
Image via Sony
I don't even need to say it, but Agro is just majestic. I'd forgive it even if it were prone to absolutely ridiculous glitches, but it isn't. Agro is a necessary extension of the main character in Shadow of the Colossus, and he never falters. Not once did he cause me to die, even when I was making very questionable decisions (only for testing purposes, naturally). On top of making map traversal extremely fun and even soothing, Agro plays an essential role in some of the game's boss battles, somehow never causing the game to stumble or lag for it.
Agro might not feature a look as realistic as that of the horses from Red Dead Redemption 2, but that also means he never makes me look at his balls. Agro is the best.
1. Glitterhoof from Crusader Kings 2
Image via Paradox
So yeah, I know I just said that Agro is the best horse, but he's the best horse at being a horse. Glitterhoof is the best horse at being a person, and can even be the best world leader.
Because of a hilarious Easter Egg, a leader in Crusader Kings 2 with the lunatic trait may nominate his horse as an official member of his council. Play your cards right, and you will have your horse having horse babies who'll populate his dynasty and hopefully conquer the entire world.
Glitterhoof's history as the horse that went from belonging to a mad Viking to restoring the Roman Empire is the best-documented instance of this Easter Egg coming to glorious fruition, and hopefully, now that you've read this, it won't be the last.
The main goal in Broken Things is to retrieve the Master Backup. The entire point of this chapter is to figure out a way to stop Prototype. As Poppy's plan failed—and rightly so, considering she was going to kill everyone in Playtime—the protagonist is aiding Giblet in his plan to defeat the Prototype and free everyone else. The question of where the orphans have been taken and what Prototype has done to them remains at the forefront, but our quest has clearly shifted gears to destroying the series' overarching protagonist. It's about time.
The question is: Who wrote the Master Backup? Was it Prototype, Elliot Ludwig, or both? It talks about a "wealth of information" the author wants to keep as it's too "valuable" and could be used as "leverage." Mentions of "procedures, methods, us, myself" and that this backup may be the original version of the Poppy Gel formula—the reason experiments can exist to begin with. The Negation Compound can "create, modify, and neutralize" but must be mixed with Growth Medium for the Restorative Gel Mixture. The "neutralize" part is what we need for Prototype. A backup of Negation Compound is stored in IT, which is where we end up at Broken Things' conclusion.
Who is The Prototype? (Experiment 1006)
"Everything dies Poppy. Everything, except us." Screenshot by Destructoid
Prototype continuously consumes Poppy Gel and has Red Smoke pouring from his body, keeping Playtime experiments in a perpetual state of fear for getting near him or attempting to harm him is impossible. His affiliation and fondness for Poppy (who is confirmed to be Ludwig's daughter) and that Deep Sleep's fake ally, Ollie, was in fact, Prototype confirms Oliver and Poppy are Elliot Ludwig's children. But Prototype is a poor copy of Ollie, who has his own monstrous desires. Everything he does is a twisted form of love for Poppy.
His appearance, newly revealed, shows a mechanical spider with the head of a jester. This has to be a façade, and that we haven't seen his true form yet, because where is the flesh and organic mess kept alive through Poppy Gel?
The Hole—where Critters become Outimals? Screenshot by Destructoid
Prototype continues to search for the missing toys who escaped during The Hour of Joy. An important name of note here that the series highlights for the first time is a toy called Gentle John. I can't see Mob heading in the direction where we're revealed to be a toy, but Gentle John could appear in the next chapter as an ally to the Joyless.
Who is Ms Gracie?
Screenshot by Destructoid
As experiments started inside the Labs, Gracie was used for programming the children in the form of educational videos. Her face and words would be projected into rooms where kids were brainwashed and tricked into believing they're supposed to be toys. All pre-recorded and used on countless numbers of orphans filtered through Playtime, Gracie quickly became the face of experiments, resented as the system enforced the rules through shocking any "misbehaving" children and restraining them for further conditioning.
Who is Lily Lovebraids? (Experiment 1468)
Screenshot by Destructoid
In a shocking twist, Lily Lovebraids, the secondary antagonist of this entry, is Gracie Green. Yes, the very Ms Gracie that was hired to brainwash children so that they were more compliant in transforming into a toy. She got the same treatment as Critters rebelled against her during the Hour of Joy. This is probably why her appearance is more doll-like compared to the other toys. Her personality splits through watching her own conditioning videos, where she is kept in isolation, another puppet to The Prototype who is punishing her for crimes she's long forgotten.
Who is Chloe Arkins?
Dr. Arkins is a new name that appears in Broken Things' lore. She leaves letters for Julie "Pumpkin." There isn't much information outside of these three letters, but her role in Playtime must be important. Why include her now? We still don't know who we're playing as. Could we be David, Chloe Arkin's husband? This would explain our motives for being here if we're not a former Playtime employee. Arkins wasn't listed as one of the guilty in "To Whomever Finds This." Her letters reveal that Playtime's goal is "to put an end to death." She knows she's a monster, but her motive is to create a world without pain and disease for her daughter.
Is Kissy Missy dead?
Screenshot by Destructoid
I should have expected this scene, but alas, it still took me by surprise. Poor Kissy Missy cannot catch a break. I'd be very surprised if Kissy Missy survived, as her status was up in the air at the end of the last chapter, so I seriously doubt Mob would pull the same stunt twice. Perhaps Prototype's current body is a hint at what's to come as the arms of Kissy, Huggy, and Mommy Long Legs sprout from his abdomen. This could be a visual clue that he was going to take them after all. We also know that their bodies, like Poppy's, vanished when Giblet saved us, meaning Prototype took them.
What we don't know yet is what happened to CatNap. Prototype always impales his victims, but the majority of us theorized he was adding the bodies to his own form, but this isn't the case. Rather, the only limbs on show are of his disciples that have been, in one way or another, cut off by the protagonist's doing. Huggy lost his after our chase in A Tight Squeeze, Prototype stole Mommy's when she was grinded in Fly in a Web, and he must have taken Kissy's when we fell in Safe Haven's conclusion.
Screenshot by Destructoid
There's still the question of who patched Huggy Wuggy, but the opening cutscene hints that the Prototype has his own creations. The Labs continue to torture and mutilate Outimals, likely experiments he's conducting for his own nefarious reasons. Could it be that these bodies weren't for Prototype after all, but for an abomination that he's stitched together? This would mean the next (and surely the final) chapter will feature the secondary antagonist of Mommy Long Legs, CatNap, Huggy Wuggy, and Kissy Missy (similar to the final boss in My Friendly Neighborhood). Lily Lovebraids fell to her death, so her hair may be used as a weapon in Prototype's creation.
Did the protagonist die?
Screenshot by Destructoid
Yes. We were resurrected with Poppy Gel. What's strange is The Prototype's choice to dispose of the body in the tank, rather than leaving the body like the staff corpses scattered around Playtime that have long-since decomposed. He obviously knows how Poppy Gel works. This choice points to Prototype wanting the protagonist to consume Poppy Gel—that we're still playing into his hands.
Poppy Playtime: Chapter 5 ending, explained
"What an interesting turn of events." Screenshot by Destructoid
The Master Backup is complete, and by activating it, Harley Sawyer is unleashed. He must have uploaded his consciousness as a backup that could be restored by teams sent in by Leith Pierre. We've effectively resurrected the primary antagonist of Safe Haven, but things may be different this time around. It's highly unlikely Sawyer has the same power as he did in the previous chapter. The ball is in our court, for his existence can be wiped with the press of a button. I theorize the next chapter will be an enemies-to-allies story where Sawyer has to work with us if he wants to live.
Chapter 6 theory
Screenshot by Destructoid
There are no multiple endings in Poppy Playtime: Chapter 5. That's right. We've got another chapter. The conclusion to Broken Things assures it. The cliffhanger ending is similar to Safe Haven, with the fate of multiple characters up in the air. Where did Prototype take Poppy? What happened to Kissy Missy and Huggy Wuggy's bodies? What will Harley Sawyer do now that we've resurrected him? The events in this chapter alone are leading up to the game's conclusion, and I'd be shocked if the next chapter isn't the last.
Though we likely won't get news until the next announcement trailer, we can assume Poppy Playtime: Chapter 6 is coming. I theorize we will get a trailer either between September and October this year, or within this two-month window in 2027. It really depends on whether Mob already has this chapter in development. Broken Things is the perfect build-up for the final boss fight against Prototype, as we know he hasn't been defeated, and Poppy's current whereabouts are unknown. I wonder if we'll work with Harley Sawyer to save Poppy and bring down Prototype's empire? As usual, only time will tell with this mascot series.
Phil Spencer is officially exiting his role at Xbox after spending over a decade at the helm. He's been with Microsoft for nearly 40 years, having joined as an intern all the way back in 1988. His replacement is a former president of one of Microsoft's AI divisions, and though she staunchly denied AI's involvement in the future of Microsoft Gaming, not everyone is convinced.
The new CEO of Xbox will be Asha Sharma, the recent president of Microsoft's CoreAI division. She joined the company in 2024 and doesn't really have much gaming background to speak of. What she does have is experience in leadership positions, having been a COO at Intercart and the president of Meta's product and engineering department before eventually hopping into Microsoft's AI side.
Phil Spencer was part of Xbox for 25 years, leading the company for over a decade. Image via Microsoft.
Sharma is a firm supporter of artificial intelligence and its real-world applications. In fact, she thinks AI solutions in medicine and healthcare could potentially reverse the effects of declining global fertility rates, saying in one podcast that AI solutions in the UK improved pregnancy rates while "cutting costs at the same time." She also praised GPT-5 for its role in improving healthcare, as well as how AI is being used at Stanford to amplify tumor reviews.
To put it simply: Sharma is quite supportive of artificial intelligence solutions, but, for whatever reason, wants us to believe it's out of the question at Xbox.
In an internal email shared with Microsoft staff amid her appointment as Xbox head, Sharma said the following: "As monetization and AI evolve and influence this future, we will not chase short-term efficiency or flood our ecosystem with soulless AI slop. Games are and always will be art, crafted by humans, and created with the most innovative technology provided by us."
Sharma is a staunch supporter of AI solutions across the board, so it's safe to assume she'd want to see it in video games as well.
This bit, while encouraging, could be taken as a string of recognizable buzzwords strung together for immediate effect, rather than to reflect long-term strategies. I'm not the only one smelling a rat: most of the people responding to Sharma's new position are having a hard time believing such a staunch AI supporter would declare the technology verboten at her new job.
"I don't want to be a doomer, but this doesn't look good," one Reddit user wrote in response to Sharma's prior tenure as Core AI president. "Having an AI exec in charge does not breed confidence," said another. "Something's really fucking terrifying to me about someone from AI taking over as head of the agency," wrote another still.
The sentiments among gamers are very gloomy, with many thinking this could spell the end of Xbox as we know it.
Spencer's tenure as Xbox president wasn't the best, but his role in turning the tide for Xbox One, as well as in introducing the Game Pass service and multiplatformity as a default for publishers, will be remembered quite fondly. A lot of bad has happened in between, however, but I don't think we've seen the worst of it yet.
Sharma could have been quite sincere in her email, and she does seem to want to engage with gaming in a different way, but her career doesn't inspire hope that Xbox will once again become the beacon of the industry. AI, no matter what, is a fundamental stain on art.
Horripilant offers a variety of options you can use as a portrait, and you can also import your custom creations if you want.
While a portrait isn't going to have any game-breaking effect, it still feels cool. The default list isn't my favorite, but that's not a problem since you can opt for the custom choices. Let's look at how you can use custom portraits in the game.
How to use custom portraits in Horripilant
To use custom portraits, you'll need to own the Supporter Pack. It's an extra purchase that's available at an extremely affordable price. The Supporter Pack is available for $4.99, but it could be cheaper in your region based on Steam's system.
However, simply owning the pack isn't going to be enough since there are a few more steps to complete. The DLC also doesn't include anything that offers any in-game advantage. Let's now look at the additional steps required for importing your custom images.
Go to the Supporter folder inside the game's install folder. You can find it easily from the properties on Steam library.
Create a new folder with a different name inside the /portraits/folder section.
Insert all the images that you want to import.
Rename the picture you want to use as your normal portrait to "normal.png".
Rename the picture you want to use as your scared portrait as "scared.png".
Rename the thumbnail in the settings to "thumb.png".
Rename the background image to "bg.png". This part is optional and applies only if you want a background.
Once done, you can load Horripilant, and your custom images will show up. For the best results, use images with a 1:1 aspect ratio. The highest supported image size and resolution is 300x300. The selected image automatically scales up and down based on the default resolution.
As an option, you can also disable the dithering on the portrait by adding an empty text file named "no_dither.txt" in the same folder. This is purely optional, though, and it might not be applicable in some cases.
Saints Row is one of those franchises that just about anyone who has played video games knows. It's a staple of the olden days, especially its second entry. However, following the abject failure of its revival and the closure of the studio that made it, many believed, myself included, that Saints Row was done for good.
Hope remained in the period following, though, that the franchise could still be saved. Well, according to the original Saints Row's design director, Chris Stockman, the series is probably "dead." As posted by X user papaRPG, Stockman remarked on the state of Saints Row in a Discord exchange with a fan. During the conversation, he bluntly said that he believes the series is probably never coming back.
"Honestly, I think the franchise is dead," he wrote. "I get the sense that Embracer has zero ability to do anything with it."
"I wish things were different. I tried my best to offer a path forward, but they ghosted me," Stockman added.
Embracer Group owned subsidiaries that themselves held ownership of Saints Row developer Volition, which was acquired by Deep Silver and then by Gearbox, both of whom were under the Embracer umbrella. While Gearbox eventually got itself sold to 2K, Volition unfortunately had to go the hard way and was fully closed down following the utter failure of Saints Row's first and only reboot title.
Stockman was supposedly meant to save the franchise in subsequent years, with papaRPG writing last October that he was contracted by Embracer to come up with a new Saints Row pitch, supposedly conceived as a prequel to the whole franchise. As we see from the exchange above, it would appear that talks have since fallen through, with, as Stockman alleges, Embracer completely ignoring him and his ideas about a new Saints Row game.
Stockman himself shared this in a Reddit post on the SR subreddit, saying he was "asked to create a pitch for a Saints Row reboot." This would have been a second reboot after the first one was bashed by both critics and players alike.
"My dreams for this game just became a little more than just dreams," Stockman remarked, adding he was "going back to my roots." However, it seems that they will remain dreams after all.
Embracer has accrued a lot of bad rep over the years as a corporate giant that loves to pull the trigger on projects, and not in the positive sense. It has closed down many studios in the past, following rapid acquisitions of some of the industry's most beloved IPs and studios. It hasn't really done much with most of them, and Saints Row is certainly one of the most ill-fated of its roster.
On the other hand, players believe this franchise should not have gone the way it has, given that Rockstar really scaled back the frequency of its releases. The open-world crime sandbox game, as Saints Row titles were, is quite empty at the moment, with a void just waiting to be filled. Way back when, this franchise had to trade blows with GTA on the regular, but now it would stand uncontested—that is, until GTA 6 comes out.
"The fact that GTA has gone from 'yearly' to 'once a decade' has really opened up the 'open world crime simulator' market," one user on Reddit wrote. "Yet there is almost no company that wants to use the open spot," they added.
Others think GTA Online served that purpose and would've been an issue for the likes of Saints Row, but I believe the latter did have quite the opportunity in the last decade or so, fumbling it spectacularly, as Embracer tends to do.
ARC Raiders, even though it's a PVP game at heart, can just as easily be described as PVP, on account of there being countless, mindless robots roaming the topside world and waiting for unassuming raiders to stumble into them.
However, despite their fundamental role in the game, we haven't really seen expansions to the original ARC roster. That is, until now.
Though previously teased in the 2026 roadmap for ARC Raiders, Embark has now given us the first actual trailer for this new murder machine. We don't actually see the thing, as the video only depicts several stormy scenes across the game's maps, but we do get to hear it. And the sounds that it produces are as ominous as they come, with this strange "Firefly" ARC likely being of the prowling kind, probably lying in wait among the foliage in which maps like Dam Battlegrounds and The Blue Gate are totally covered.
This is one of the first major ARC additions to the game. We've seen several others in the game that, unfortunately, do not appear as actual enemies, such as the Barons (only showing up as husks) or the theorized Kings or Emperors (that we see walking in the distance on The Blue Gate, towering over the horizon). It is only a matter of time before we get even more of these robots roaming the world, perhaps in special raid events where cooperation and teamwork will have to triumph over personal interest if victory is to be achieved.
As for the Firefly itself, some have already theorized that it could look like a snake, which would fall in line with my assumption that it's a predator or some other kind of silent killer meant to punish careless traversal through the moss-covered post-apocalypse. No exact release date for the Firefly has been given, but it's bound to come as part of the Shrouded Sky update on Feb. 26. Another ARC, or "ARC Threat," is to come in March, potentially expanding the roster even further.
The Fantasy Staple Evolution is now live in FC 26, and you can add some notable upgrades to two items of your choice.
Available for free, the Fantasy Staple Evolution offers some amazing boosts in terms of stats, roles, and playstyles. While the stat caps are slightly demoralizing, you can make the evolution part of a new chain. Let's look at the best choices for the evolution based on the requirements and offered upgrades.
Destiny 2 players may have already heard the news: Shadow & Order is delayed. Naturally, eager guardians are wondering when the game's next major update will be—and when it will get any meaningful new content.
"Major updates" is how Bungie calls the intermission between one expansion and the other, after a two-expansions-a-year cadence instated with The Edge of Fate and Renegades. It's essentially an extremely light new season, complete with a new rewards pass (a season pass minus the season). Shadow & Order was supposed to be
Until then, players can expect a couple of smaller in-game novelties. Guardian Games kicks off in March, and Bungie teased "the return of a more frequent Iron Banner cadence" (by that, the studio means "actually adding an Iron Banner cadence"). The same old Portal mutations like Accelerator are set to appear.
Outside of that, Bungie hasn't yet mentioned a new rewards pass, the release of the remaining Conquests, or other reasons for players to come back to the game. Wacky Portal modifiers will continue, but that wasn't enough to push the needle even when the player count was at less critical levels.
Is Destiny 2's major update Shadow & Order?
Better get used to this screen. Screenshot by Destructoid
Destiny 2's next update will presumably build upon Shadow & Order, seizing what was in line for the update, throwing much-needed, long-requested quality-of-life features in the pile.
That said, the next big update won't be called Shadow & Order—though we're still using that name as a placeholder. The extra time in the oven may also alter the story arcs that would surface, so a name change is more than in order.
What's on Destiny 2's next major update?
At least Saladin might be back. Image via Bungie
We don't know a lot of what's coming in June for now. Bungie has given us a baseline of what to expect in the announcement:
"We will provide exact details closer to release covering previously announced Weapon Tier Upgrading, but also additions like expanding Tiered Gear to all Raid and Dungeon activities, Pantheon 2.0, Tier 5 stats for Exotic Armors, and more," the studio said.
This is undoubtedly an ambitious move for a struggling game, and the verbiage on the announcement is enough to maintain a degree of caution. Bungie said it would give details, so theoretically, "we're working on it and it's coming in a future release" could qualify for that. It's unlikely they'll reissue weapons for all raids and dungeons within a few months, so there's bound to be a small selection of these to get the ball rolling, with plans of doing more at fixed intervals.
Presumably, the next major update will also bring in some new content. This has been the formula for the bigger content releases since time immemorial, and providing these shiny new tools without a new stage to use them in would be counterproductive.
In the meantime, Bungie will continue with the basics, including Guardian Games in March and bringing back Iron Banner in April. This time, there's no Into the Light-esque content to pull out of a hat, so the player counts will continue to struggle until Destiny 2 gets meaningful content.
The details for Little Ladies' Day 2026 have been announced for Final Fantasy XIV, and it will offer plenty of rewards for you to obtain.
If you have played the event in previous years, you'll know what to expect. However, this guide will have you covered whether you're new or a veteran looking to expand your freebie collection. First, let's look at when the event exactly begins so that you can jump right in.
Final Fantasy XIV Little Ladies' Day 2026 release countdown
Final Fantasy XIV Little Ladies' Day 2026 will go live on Thursday, Feb. 26. The following countdown will expire once the event goes live.
[hurrytimer id="1182507"]
The countdown is based on the following timings.
8am PT
10am CT
11am ET
4pm UTC
5pm CET
The event will run until Thursday, March 12. To participate, you'll have to reach Level 15 and gain access to Ul'dah (Steps of Nald). Once the event begins, go to Ul'dah and speak with the Royal Seneschal to begin the What Eye Do For You quest.
As of writing, the details for the quest aren't available. To know more, we will likely have to wait for Feb. 26.
All Final Fantasy XIV Little Ladies' Day 2026 rewards
As of writing, all the rewards for the Final Fantasy XIV Little Ladies' Day 2026 event haven't been revealed. However, we already have a confirmed list of cosmetics that will be part of the rewards.
Just like the event quest itself, I suppose that we will find out the remaining rewards when the event goes live in the last week of February. As always, the rewards will be free, and you can get them by simply grinding the event and its tasks once it goes live.
