Kotaku Monday, March 2, 2026 5:31 PM  There are great deals available on Assassin's Creed Shadows, Star Wars Outlaws, The Division 2, and more |
Kotaku Monday, March 2, 2026 4:53 PM Sims 4 Players Don't Understand How 'Disgusting' Epstein Family Made It Into Game's Gallery [Update]  One user-created piece of content featuring Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell has been available to download since 2023 |
Kotaku Monday, March 2, 2026 3:31 PM  Also: I would delay my game showcase if I was going bankrupt, too |
Kotaku Monday, March 2, 2026 3:09 PM  A new Digital Foundry video shows the upcoming action-adventure game looking very impressive indeed |
Kotaku Monday, March 2, 2026 2:03 PM  The President of the United States has a rash or is becoming a zombie, take your pick |
Kotaku Monday, March 2, 2026 1:22 PM  Don't get too excited, the supposed leak just shows what looks like a bridge in Vice City and not much else |
Kotaku Monday, March 2, 2026 1:02 PM  Dean 'Rocket' Hall's Icarus is my platonic ideal of a survival sim |
PCGamesN Monday, March 2, 2026 4:33 PM Not long after giving microtransactions the boot, sweeping combat changes to Runescape just gave the MMORPG another big refresh for 2026. |
PCGamesN Monday, March 2, 2026 3:29 PM Though there are no plans to drop the action-RPG, the combat of No Rest for the Wicked could lead to Moon Studios taking on the survival genre. |
PCGamesN Monday, March 2, 2026 2:11 PM Two new Cities Skylines 2 community packs are set to drop alongside the city building game's second update from its new development team. |
PCGamesN Monday, March 2, 2026 1:16 PM A famous modder of open-world sandbox RPG Ark Survival Ascended claims that being a level designer is why an update borrows from Atlas. |
PCGamesN Monday, March 2, 2026 1:00 PM I've been dreaming of a World of Warcraft 2 for years, but with new expansion Midnight, Blizzard has successfully reinvented its MMO. |
Siliconera Monday, March 2, 2026 5:00 PM
Bandai Namco announced its Gashapon capsule machines will feature Pokemon keychains that honor the three starters from every mainline game starting with Pokemon Red, Blue, and Green. These will show up in Japan starting the week of March 8, 2026, and it will be 300円 (~$2) per try. The North American site hasn't confirmed if or when we'll see it worldwide, but Bandai Namco does tend to release these types of items everywhere.
All nine of the Pokemon starters keychains cover the nine generations released so far. It starts with Pokemon Red/Blue/Green, then ends with Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. All of them consist of acrylic charms with ball chain keychains at the top.
Here's a list of all the options. There's no secret, and the Pokemon Winds and Waves characters aren't represented. In each case, I put them in the order in which they appear on the keychain.
Here are the official photos of all the keychains and the Gashapon teaser image.
The Pokemon starters keychains will debut in Japanese capsule machines the week of March 8, 2026. The next game to appear will be the spin-off Pokemon Pokopia, which debuts on the Switch 2 on March 5, 2026.
The post New Pokemon Keychains Honor Each Games' Starters appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Monday, March 2, 2026 4:00 PM
Bandai announced its new talking Kirby toy will come out in Japan on April 25, 2026. It'll cost 8,360 JPY (~$53), and it's unknown if we'll eventually see it worldwide.
The Kirby toy is battery-powered, and it has a soft body that stands at around 165 mm. There are three modes to set it in: Communication Mode, Music Mode, and Game Mode. In Communication Mode, Kirby will talk and his cheeks will light up. If you give him lots of pats, he'll move his body side to side with happiness. Kirby will perform this same action in Music Mode as he dances to "Green Greens," "Clear Dance," or "Invincible Candy."
In Game Mode, the third and final mode, you can play Acchi Muite Hoi. This is a Japanese game in which you try to guess which direction your opponent will face after defeating them in Rock-Paper-Scissors. In Game Mode, Kirby will not keep count of victories or losses. It's likely that he won't be able to tell if he wins or not. Though it's not one of the modes, you can also "feed" Kirby a Maxim Tomato. When you press it against his mouth, he'll make sounds like he's actually eating it.
The talking Kirby toy will come out in Japan on April 25, 2026. Other Kirby-related toys released recently include a Star Rod replica that can play music and a stuffed plush.
The post Talking Kirby Toy Can Play Games With You appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Monday, March 2, 2026 3:00 PM
The anime adaptation of Mao, the latest manga series by Rumiko Takahashi, will begin airing in Japan on April 4, 2026. It will be broadcast in two cours, and the official site confirmed there will be no break between the two of them. There's also a new trailer that shows characters like Mao and Nanoka Kiba in action. It's unknown which streaming service might pick it up outside Japan.
Like previous Rumiko Takahashi anime series Inuyasha, Mao involves a young woman named Nanoka who died once after a mysterious incident in her past. After hearing voices near where that incident happened years later, she is transported to the past. Once there, she meets and ends up traveling with an onmyoji named Mao, who reveals she is an ayakashi. Both are cursed by Byoki, lending them extraordinary strength, the ability to share blood, and the capability to fight yokai. Also, like the author's previous series, there is a hint of romance in it. The lead voice actors for this adaptation are Natsumi Kawaida (Nanoka) and Yuki Kaji (Mao).
Here's the latest trailer, which highlights what we can expect from this new Rumiko Takahashi series. It also confirmed the opening theme song is Kis-My-Ft2's "Heartloud" and ending theme is True's "Noroai," offering samples of both throughout the video.
The Mao anime adaptation run begins on April 4, 2026, and the manga has been running in Japan since May 2019. Viz Media handles the manga's worldwide release.
The post Rumiko Takahashi's Mao Anime Starts in April appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Monday, March 2, 2026 2:00 PM
Shift-Up's new Goddess of Victory: NIKKE update and character is about to appear, and it will involve a member of a group that was known as Heavenly Ascension called E.H. As such, the corresponding event tied to her debut is called Enter Heaven.
Heavenly Ascension used to be a group led by E.H. It's supposed to be disbanded and gone, but the Enter Heaven event suggests something is still going on. As we go through it, we'll learn more about her, the group, and exactly how active they are. As a unit, she's an Attacker who hits the field with her Heavensward submachine gun. She deals Wind damage. While her banner runs until March 19, 2026, she will still be available after that. You'll be able to find her in Ordinary Recruit and Social Point Recruit banners and get her from Mold Items. There will also be a Days of Redemption login event associated with her and the event that runs for seven days.
Here's the trailer highlighting E.H.
As a reminder, the last update involved a Lycoris Recoil crossover with three characters from the anime.
Goddess of Victory: NIKKE is available for mobile devices and PCs, and the new character E.H. and her Enter Heaven event start on March 5, 2026.
The post Next New NIKKE Character Is Heavenly Ascension's E.H. appeared first on Siliconera. |
Destructoid Monday, March 2, 2026 5:00 PM
Pokémon Go 10th Anniversary event will be an exciting time to grind the game, as Niantic and TPC have prepared plenty of exciting content for players all around the globe.
The event comes close after the recent Go Tour Kalos: Global, and this could be the best period to catch as many Pokémon as possible. There will be special spawns, event bonuses, and raids to explore. Let's find out all the important details you need to remember before the event goes live worldwide on March 3.
Table of contents
All Pokémon Go 10th Anniversary event milestone bonuses
Once the event goes live on the third of March, everyone will receive a Go Pass for free. You can choose to continue with that version or choose to upgrade to the Deluxe edition. The bonuses will be tied to the Go Pass, and the exact benefits will depend on whether you're using the free version or the Deluxe edition.
There will be bonus tasks to complete during the event that will help you hit the milestones quicker. Additionally, there won't be any daily limit on how many Go pass points you can earn. There's an additional bonus that will be active during the All Out event.
Pokémon Go 10th Anniversary event spawns
During the event, you can find any Pokémon that were first discovered in the Kanto region (except for Mewtwo and Mew). The spawns will be based on their natural habitat, and here are some names you can expect to find.
You can even encounter the legendaries Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres, and all of them can appear as shinies. Some Pokémon like the Farfetch'd, Kangaskhan, Mr. Mime, and Tauros will be locked to specific regions, and there will be some exceptions during the event.
All Out Encounters
There will be an All Out event that will take place between March 7 and March 9. You can encounter almost every Pokémon in their natural habitat that have appeared in Pokémon Go. The Pokémon will appear in specific biomes based on their natural habitat, so there are still good reasons to explore different places.
The following list of Pokémon, however, will not be part of the All Out event.
All Pokémon Go 10th Anniversary event raids
During the event, you'll find Pikachu wearing different cosmetics and appearing in one-star raids. However, that's not all, as there will be plenty of legendaries and more to catch from five-star raids.
All Pokémon on this list, including Pikachu, can appear as shinies if you're lucky enough.
All Pokémon Go 10th Anniversary event egg spawns
The following Pokémon will hatch from 2 km eggs (based on your luck).
All Pokémon can also hatch as a shiny. Mime Jr. will be locked to certain regions around the planet.
The post All Pokemon Go 10th Anniversary event bonuses, spawns, raids, and more appeared first on Destructoid. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Monday, March 2, 2026 4:14 PM
Whenever we get a super-popular multiplayer game, server issues tend to arise. One way to mitigate them is to put players in a queue, allowing them into the game in waves and batches to ensure the servers don't suffer critical blows.
ARC Raiders is no exception, with some players reporting that they've been placed "In Queue" when trying to launch the game, making it so they cannot go Topside, rearrange their inventory, or even take care of their chicken.
Here is everything you need to know about what this server queue means.
What does the "In Queue" message mean in ARC Raiders?
If you've encountered the "In Queue" message when trying to launch ARC Raiders, chances are that the servers are suffering critical issues and are not allowing players into the game. The queue is not specific and does not reveal what your position is in it, leading to the assumption that there probably is no queue, but rather a full stoppage of players joining the game.
The message first began appearing en masse on Nov. 2, coinciding with large numbers of players reporting they could not join the game. On the official Discord server, the game's developers acknowledged issues with the back-end, which appear to be regional but are nevertheless affecting a lot of people.
"The team has implemented a login queue as a temporary measure in order to mitigate issues related to forming parties and using voice channels which will make your matchmaking longer than usual," Embark Studios said on the game's Discord server at 4:16pm CT on Nov. 2. "For those of you still running into issues, please keep us posted. The team continues to investigate."
"We are sorry for the disruption and we are humbled to see so many of you jumping into the game to the point that we need to temporarily limit the amount of players we can let back Topside," Embark said at the time.
The game again had issues on Nov. 21 at around 2:45pm CT, and once more, most recently on Nov. 26 at around 12:15pm CT. Embark quickly acknowledged the problems on both occasions.
"Hey Raiders! We're aware of the issues affecting our servers," the dev team said on Nov. 26. "The team is investigating and we'll keep you posted!"
While there have been minor issues in the past, the latest one seems to have happened today, on March 2, at around 3pm CT. Thankfully, Embark has once again acknowledged the problems, and a fix should be in progress.
"Raiders! We are aware of the connection issues happening right now. The team is investigating and we will keep you posted!"
If you wish, you could leave the game open and wait it out, or come back at a later time after it's been fixed, but it's unclear when that may be.
As evidenced by the game's first month, this particular server queue issue will not be confined to one incident. Whenever there may be server issues in the future, or a deluge of players trying to log in all at once, like after an update or content drop, the server queue may be implemented yet again.
It took Embark a few hours after the first severe outage had happened to fix the issues. The latest issue on Nov. 21 could take a similar amount of time to fix, if not more. There's no ETA, so it could be a long wait for things to normalize. In the meantime, it's best to stay patient in the queue so that you can play. It's always advisable to check the server status to stay updated on when the queue may disappear.
The post Why is there a queue in ARC Raiders? 'In Queue' message, explained appeared first on Destructoid. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Monday, March 2, 2026 3:20 PM
Not long is left for Operation Silent Hunt to go live in Rainbow Sinx Siege, and it will mark the start of the first season in Year 11.
Operation Silent Hunt will officially mark the start of the Metal Gear Solid collaboration in Rainbow Six Siege, and we will get Solid Snake as a new operator. But that's not all, as we will get to explore a new themed event with unique rewards.
But first, let's look at when the new season will begin.
Table of contents
Rainbow Six Siege Operation Silent Hunt release countdown
Operation Silent Hunt will go live worldwide on March 3 across all platforms. It will launch at the same time on PC and consoles, and the following countdown will expire once the season goes live.
The countdown is based on the following timings.
This is the usual seasonal launch timing that Ubisoft follows when it comes to a new season. There will be an update before the new season and content.
What to expect from Rainbow Six Siege Operation Silent Hunt
The biggest addition of Operation Silent Hunt will be Solid Snake as a new operator. Everyone will be able to unlock him for free. Snake won't be a mere skin, as he will have his unique kit, gadget, and weapons. Use him strategically, and you can have an excellent operator in your hands.
The REDACTED event will accompany Snake's entry. The event will have Solid Snake partnering with Zero in a 4v4 infiltration-themed mode. You'll be able to grind this mode to get Metal Gear Solid-inspired skins.
The new season will also feature gameplay changes, including tweaks for certain operators and existing maps.
The post Rainbow Six Siege Operation Silent Hunt release countdown: Exact date and time appeared first on Destructoid. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Monday, March 2, 2026 2:27 PM
The Legend of Khiimori's release date is finally here, and it will launch on PC in early access.
If you've been keen on the game, this guide will help you keep track of the launch. Thankfully, there's unlikely to be anymore delays with less than 24 hours to go, so let's look at when The Legend of Khiimori goes live worldwide.
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The Legend of Khiimori release countdown
The Legend of Khiimori will release in early access on Tuesday, March 3. The following countdown will expire once the game goes live.
The times above are based on the information available on SteamDB. If there are any changes at the last moment, I will update this guide.
What to expect from The Legend of Khiimori
In The Legend of Khiimori, you play as a brave courier rider to explore the lands of 13th century Mongolia on her horse. As a rider, your prime responsibility is to breed and train horses with unique abilities that will allow you to traverse the lands easily.
Based on rich Mongolian history, you'll be able to explore a vast map on your horses. However, there will be plenty of dangers to watch out for as you'll face the harsh wrath of nature. How you withstand the challenges and carry out your job will depend largely on your skills as a rider.
While delivering the goods and survival are one part of your job, you'll have to spend plenty of hours training and bonding with your horses. There will be no one perfect stallion, and you'll have to maintain a stable that can meet all kinds of challenges.
You'll have bows and arrows to save yourself from hostile wildlife, but ultimately, surviving the wildlands will depend on how well you can juggle all your responsibilities. As a Yam courier rider, you'll be able improve your skills by undertaking different activities on your adventure.
Since The Legend of Khiimori will release in early access, expect to see plenty of updates coming to the game in the coming months.
The post The Legend of Khiimori release countdown: Exact date and time appeared first on Destructoid. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Monday, March 2, 2026 1:55 PM
Ultimate Gauntlet 12 is live in FC 26 as part of the FC Fantasy celebrations, and you can get yourself some amazing rewards.
The new objective set has ten tasks to complete. Every task has a unique reward, and you get more by completing the full set, which also includes a guaranteed promo item. Let's look at all the rewards on offer.
How to get all FC 26 Ultimate Gauntlet 12 rewards
The table below has all the information you'll need to complete the Ultimate Gauntlet 12 objective. The objective set is distributed between playing a certain number of games and scoring goals in them.
Completing the full set will get you six 86+ Rare Gold Players Packs. The rewards are pretty decent, even if you don't require the Edouard promo item. Moreover, you need to complete any nine of the 10 tasks to complete the set. Hence, you can choose to skip any task that might be too difficult for you to finish.
The post All FC 26 Ultimate Gauntlet 12 rewards and how to get them appeared first on Destructoid. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Monday, March 2, 2026 1:19 PM
The Re-Enforced Evolution is now live in FC 26, and it gives you physical upgrades on two cards of your choice.
Available for free, there are some decent upgrades to utilize. While the potential gains from this evolution are mediocre, you don't need to spend any coins and you can use it up to two times. Let's look at the best choices for the evolution based on the requirements and the offered upgrades.
Table of contents
FC 26 Re-Enforced Evolution requirements
Here are the requirements of Re-Enforced Evolution in FC 26.
FC 26 Re-Enforced Evolution upgrades
The evolution has three levels of upgrades, each with certain conditions to fulfill.
Level 1 upgrades
Level 2 upgrades
Level 3 upgrades
Level 1 upgrade requirements
Level 2 upgrade requirements
Level 3 upgrade requirements
Best players to use in Re-Enforced Evolution
Here are some of my best recommendations for inclusion in the evolution.
The problem with this evolution is the playstyle+ it offers. Enforcer+ can be used under very niche situations. Ideally, it's best to either put defensive cards in this evolution, or use it in such a chain that the chosen item already has a second playstyle+. However, you'll then need to keep the 86 overall limit in mind.
If this evolution didn't offer Enforcer+ or allow us to use 87+ cards, the reception from the community would have been better.
The post Best players for FC 26 Re-Enforced Evolution appeared first on Destructoid. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Monday, March 2, 2026 1:00 PM
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7's Cradle chemical weapon is a hell of a drug, but so is nostalgia. Say hello to Black Ops Royale, Warzone's new Blackout-inspired game mode.
This is not Blackout, but something new entirely. It combines Warzone and Black Ops 7 gameplay with a system that's heavily inspired by the 2018 battle royale from Black Ops 4, including how movement works, how weapons are found, and more.
Here's everything there is to know about Black Ops Royale, which is launching a day after Season 2 Reloaded on March 12.
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Warzone Blackout - Black Ops Royale mode details
Activision explained thatBlack Ops Royale is "a free-to-play battle royale experience with new rules influenced by the originalBlackout." Get ready to scavenger your way to victory when it launches with 100 players on the map, with 25 teams of four to start.
New map: Avalon
The Mediterranean-inspired Avalon map, playable in BO7's campaign and the Endgame PvE mode, is the location for players to explore in Black Ops Royale. This is not a one-to-one recreation of Endgame's version, either, as Black Ops Royale's Avalon featured much more land area to battle on, including sandbars and shallow waterways.
"We made efforts to reduce water prevalence in the map, adding sections of exposed sand to connect islands, and new land areas that connect major land masses to streamline player movement for a better battle royale gameplay experience," Treyarch explained.
Blackout-inspired, but not a remake
Call of Duty's first BR mode that launched in 2018, Blackout, was the third mode for Black Ops 4 alongside multiplayer and Zombies. It was a faster-paced kind of game type than Warzone, featuring quick movement and items like the Grappling Hook and Wingsuit to quickly traverse areas.
Black Ops Royale has "clear influences from the core Blackout experience," Activision said, "like bullet drop and weapon handling, as well as the armor system and use of the Trauma Kit — capturing the Blackout pacing, traversal, and combat feel in a modern way."
No Loadouts
One of the biggest changes for Black Ops Royale compared to Warzone is the removal of Loadouts, which was a big addition in the latter. There are no Buy Stations and no cash to pick up on Avalon, and you can't grab a fully-kitted gun that you made in the lobby.
All of the loot in Black Ops Royale is found on the map, including weapons, tacticals and lethals, Field Upgrades, Killstreaks, armor, and more. Weapons and armor have a rarity-based and color-coded quality system, meaning the rarer your gear is, the better it will perform.
While Blackout had lootable attachments to manually equip to weapons, Black Ops Royale simplifies it and instead has Weapon Archetypes, which are basically a set of attachments that come equipped to guns that you find on the ground. These attachment sets focus on a theme, like close-quarters combat or long-range fighting.
Wingsuit and Grappling Hook return
Blackout's movement and traversal were much quicker than Warzone's, and the return of two items will bring that back in 2026: the Wingsuit and Grappling Hook. When deploying (or redeploying) into the map, you will use the Wingsuit (like in Endgame) to glide into the area.
The Grappling Hook item, which can be found as ground loot, will also allow players to launch into the air and glide for quick rotations around the map. Along with several vehicles found in Avalon, movement will be rampant.
Activities and Objectives
Along with 24 other teams of four to contend with, Avalon also has several activities and objectives you can complete to earn high-tier loot. These usually include dealing with Guild robot enemies or even Cradle-hallucinated zombies, but Activision says the rewards are worth it.
These Cradle Breach activities are "self-contained, contaminated zones of Avalon" that "distort perception, unleashing wild hallucinations." If you've played the Endgame mode in BO7, you know what to expect, but boss fights found within (like a Mangler) will have your squad fully geared up for victory if you can survive them (Tier 3 armor and high-tier loot, as an example).
New daily and weekly challenges
Black Ops Royale is "fully integrated" into both Black Ops 7 and Warzone, meaning whatever you play in the new mode counts towards your overall progression, including new challenges exclusive to the mode.
Black Ops Royale is planned to be a permanent mode in Warzone when it launches on March 12, and it is expected to evolve over time with changes to the map, new weapons, and more.
For full info on Black Ops Royale, check out the CoD blog.
The post What is Black Ops Royale? Call of Duty Warzone's new 'Blackout' mode explained appeared first on Destructoid. |
