GamersHeroes Tuesday, March 24, 2026 5:49 PM Ahead of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie's worldwide theatrical release April 1, fans can pick up the new Spin Master's Hatchin' Yoshi toy at Walmart. The post The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Spin Master's Hatchin' Yoshi Toy Available at Walmart appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
GamersHeroes Tuesday, March 24, 2026 4:34 PM One of Activision's original Game Designers, Creator and Programmer Dan Kitchen will be a Guest of Honor at Fire & Ice RGX 2026 this summer. The post Dan Kitchen Fire & Ice RGX 2026 Guest of Honor appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
GamersHeroes Tuesday, March 24, 2026 3:21 PM A cozy puzzle adventure about the chaos - and love! - of early parenthood, a demo of Julie Normann Bjørnskov's Escape the Baby Alarm is now available on Steam. The post Cozy Puzzle Adventure Escape the Baby Alarm Steam Demo Live appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
GamersHeroes Tuesday, March 24, 2026 2:07 PM The world of Sunblink and Sanrio's Hello Kitty Island Adventure is getting that much bigger with the release of its City Town DLC April 16. The post Hello Kitty Island Adventure City Town DLC Launching April 16 appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
GamersHeroes Tuesday, March 24, 2026 1:02 PM Ready to rock (heh), Skybound Entertainment's in-house studio Quarter Up has confirmed that Titan will join Invincible VS' roster. The post Titan Joining Invincible VS' Roster appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
GamersHeroes Tuesday, March 24, 2026 12:34 PM Our maiden voyage into VR, we recently joined Owlchemy Labs CEO Andrew Eiche for a quick trip to Sporelando this past GDC 2026, tapping into that "little kid energy" we all desire… The post Dimensional Double Shift Preview – Pack Your Bags for Sporelando! appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
GamersHeroes Tuesday, March 24, 2026 12:34 PM The world of Owlchemy Labs' Dimensional Double Shift is tapping into Florida Man energy Joe Exotic-style with its new Sporelando dimension expansion April 23. The post Dimensional Double Shift Sporelando Expansion Launching April 23 appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
GamersHeroes Tuesday, March 24, 2026 12:26 PM Living on the razor's edge, Call of Duty: Warzone is teaming up with the Dollar Shave Club for a "Shave Off" today at 5pm PT - with the loser shaving off part of their beards live. The post Dollar Shave Club x Call of Duty: Warzone "Shave Off" Happening Today appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
GamersHeroes Tuesday, March 24, 2026 12:10 PM Featuring a number of goodies, learn more about the Physical and Digital Editions of Fumi Games and PlaySide Studios' gritty, noir-fueled FPS MOUSE: P.I. For Hire. The post MOUSE: P.I. For Hire Physical and Digital Editions Revealed appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
GamersHeroes Tuesday, March 24, 2026 12:06 PM Paying homage to Star Trek: Enterprise's 25th anniversary - and Star Trek's 60th anniversary! - Arc Games and Cryptic Studios have released Star Trek Online's 16th Anniversary "Enterprise" Starship Bundle for PC players. The post Star Trek Online's 16th Anniversary "Enterprise" Starship Bundle Now Available on PC appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
Kotaku Tuesday, March 24, 2026 5:44 PM  The extraction shooter has the juice but does Sony think it's worth the squeeze? |
Kotaku Tuesday, March 24, 2026 5:19 PM  The Half-Life writer says the tech is not good at being creative, but could be used to provide real-time responses in games |
Kotaku Tuesday, March 24, 2026 4:28 PM  Greedfall developer Spiders and others have gone into insolvency as Nacon flounders |
Kotaku Tuesday, March 24, 2026 3:39 PM  Ayaneo says the Next 2 gaming handheld isn't sustainable to make anymore |
Kotaku Tuesday, March 24, 2026 3:35 PM  The fast food joint is creating exclusive meals based on Huntr/x and the Saja Boys |
Kotaku Tuesday, March 24, 2026 3:08 PM  The Pikachu imposter Pokémon keeps finding ways to break my heart |
Kotaku Tuesday, March 24, 2026 2:53 PM  Dark Outlaw Games grew out of the ashes of another failed Sony project |
Kotaku Tuesday, March 24, 2026 2:45 PM  Also: Dragon's Dogma 2's journey might not be over |
Kotaku Tuesday, March 24, 2026 2:33 PM  EverQuest Legends is a reincarnation of the original 1999 version, with the same graphics, but designed for solo play |
Kotaku Tuesday, March 24, 2026 12:17 PM  Rocket Racing and Ballistic will no longer be playable in the near future |
Kotaku Tuesday, March 24, 2026 12:11 PM  Epic Games cut over 1,000 jobs because it's spending more money than it's bringing in |
Kotaku Tuesday, March 24, 2026 11:30 AM  President Trump's White House is going to make it harder in the future to buy new routers |
Kotaku Tuesday, March 24, 2026 11:12 AM  Stephen McCullagh received a life sentence for the murder of his partner, Natalie McNally |
Kotaku Tuesday, March 24, 2026 10:50 AM  Epic CEO Tim Sweeney told staff he was 'sorry' this was happening again |
Kotaku Tuesday, March 24, 2026 10:46 AM  The battle simulator is coming to Switch in April, but a mobile version is planned for later this year |
PCGamesN Tuesday, March 24, 2026 1:12 PM Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 creative director Daniel Vávra has taken Nvidia's side in the DLSS 5 debate, and he's right about one thing. |
PCGamesN Tuesday, March 24, 2026 12:45 PM Following the news that Epic Games laying off 1,000 developers, the studio is also permanently removing three modes from Fortnite. |
PCGamesN Tuesday, March 24, 2026 12:02 PM Easily outperforming AMD's price competitors and a huge improvement over the 245K, the Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus is a $199 champion. |
PCGamesN Tuesday, March 24, 2026 11:00 AM The latest flagship Razer gaming mouse adds a new sensor and wireless tech, and massive 180hrs battery life to the familiar Viper shape. |
PCGamesN Tuesday, March 24, 2026 10:51 AM With no sign of a remake or remaster on the horizon, Bloodborne fans are celebrating its anniversary by entering a communal replay. |
PCGamesN Tuesday, March 24, 2026 10:30 AM If you're looking to level up wardrobe, here's a rundown of all League of Legends skin tiers, how to buy skins, and when they're on sale. |
PCGamesN Tuesday, March 24, 2026 10:21 AM Mega Crit Games has created a masterpiece with Slay the Spire 2, refining the original's core elements to turn it into the finest deck-building roguelite out there. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Tuesday, March 24, 2026 5:40 PM  Let's travel back in time, roughly to the late 2000s and early 2010s. It was a time where indie games were becoming more of a defined Separate Thing from blockbuster games. It certainly wasn't the birth of indie games, but with the release of certain notable games like Fez, it did mark a change in who got to make money from them at the very least. But to me personally, there is no more quintessential indie game from that era than Superbrothers: Sword & Sorcery EP, which against my wishes has turned 15 today. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Tuesday, March 24, 2026 4:12 PM  It sounds like Sony are continuing to do what they presumably coldly view as cost cutting. According to Jason Schreier, often known for his insider information, and a leak shared in a ResetEra thread, Dark Outlaw Games, a studio set up by former Call of Duty lead Jason Blundell, is being shut down. It's unclear how many people this includes at this time. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Tuesday, March 24, 2026 2:15 PM  Fancy forming your own opinion of Peter Molyneux's supposed final ever game, Masters of Albion? Outside of just commenting on a trailer that plays all the hits, that is? Well, you can, maybe, if you're lucky enough, as Mr. Molyneux himself has put out a call for you to sign up to beta test the game ahead of its release next month. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Tuesday, March 24, 2026 1:56 PM  Sintopia, the very Bullfroggy strategy management game from developers Piraknights and publishers Team 17, will release on April 16th. I compared this one to The Screwtape Letters back at announcement, but the more obvious, gamer-brain pitch is that it's Black & White sitting on top of Dungeon Keeper. That is, a god sim parked on top of a management game, albeit with a greater emphasis on automation than you might recall from Bullfrog's heyday. In Sintopia, you are the middle manager of Hell. Above you, there is a bucolic, self-sufficient realm of weirdly plant-based humans, all going about their lives farming, building and searching for treasure. And sinning. The Humus (Humusians? Humusings?) do love to sin. Which is where you come in. When the Humus die, they are swept away to the underworld by a toothy hellbus, and must be purged of moral stains before they can be safely granted a new body. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Tuesday, March 24, 2026 1:09 PM  The year is 2026, and a new-but-not-really EverQuest is on the way. Announced today, EverQuest Legends is the same MMO some of you have been playing for coming up to 30 years, just without all the years of expansions. And the graphics look as they did upon launch. And there's a few modern upgrades. Don't ask me what the word same means. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Tuesday, March 24, 2026 12:16 PM  Epic Games have announced that they're laying off over 1000 staff today, March 24th. In the wake of that news, the publishers have announced that three Fortnite modes are being permanently sunsetted. Meanwhile, one of the studios Epic own - Horizon Chase developers Aquiris - have announced plans to pull downloads for the first two games in their arcade racing series offline later this year. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Tuesday, March 24, 2026 11:40 AM  The UK games industry is "seeing a decline of unprecedented scale and speed" according to the latest research done by video games industry trade association TIGA. According to TIGA's report, 1,537 development jobs were lost overall in the sector during the year-long period leading up to September 2025, marking the first downturn on that front in 14 years. Meanwhile, studio numbers have fallen and startup companies are struggling. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Tuesday, March 24, 2026 11:13 AM  Epic Games, the creator of Fortnite and the Unreal Engine, have announced plans to lay off more than 1000 staff. In a company-wide letter, CEO Tim Sweeney blamed both "industry-wide challenges" and "challenges unique to Epic", including a downturn in Fortnite's popularity. In addition to the layoffs, the company have made more than $500m in cuts by reducing contracting, marketing, and closing open roles. Sweenet says this puts the company "in a more stable place." Sweeney, a strong advocate of AI, says the layoffs "aren't related to AI". |
Siliconera Tuesday, March 24, 2026 5:00 PM
Crunchyroll shared its Spring 2026 anime lineup of new and returning shows, and among the additions are returning series like the second season of Dorohedoro and the One Piece Elbaph Arc alongside new ones like Marriagetoxin, Needy Girl Overdose, and Witch Hat Atelier. Everything starts on March 28, 2026, which is when Wit Studio's adaptation of Agents of the Four Seasons: Dance of Spring starts its run. Right around then is also when Trigun Stargaze, the second season of Frieren, and the third season of Jujutsu Kaisen ends. The shows Case Closed (Detective Conan), Digimon Beatbreak, Scum of the Brave, and Star Detective Precure will continue.
Here's the full list of all the new and returning anime shows we'll see streaming on Crunchyroll in Spring 2026. I noted which ones will get English dubs at launch. Some don't have English dubs set yet, like One Piece, but are expected to.
The Crunchyroll Spring 2026 anime season lineup will start when Agents of the Four Seasons: Dance of Spring begins its run on March 28, 2026. There could be more shows added or confirmed as well.
The post Crunchyroll Spring 2026 Anime Includes One Piece, Witch Hat Atelier, Marriagetoxin appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Tuesday, March 24, 2026 4:00 PM
Good Smile Company dropped an official teaser for its second Baldur's Gate 3 Nendoroid, and it will be a figure based on Shadowheart. It promised more details "soon" in the company's social media post. The English website also already features a placeholder product page. She'll follow a Nendoroid of Astarion, which launched in Japan in February 2026 and is expected to appear worldwide between April 2026 and June 2026.
The initial image teasing Shadowheart is incredibly vague. We only see a silhouette of her upper body. It shows her familiar hairstyle and accessory. It's unknown if we'll end up getting the Shar's Spear of Evening as an accessory for her or if any effect parts related to her Cleric or Trickery classes will appear.
Here's the first teaser silhouette:
While this will be the first time the character appears in Nendoroid form, we did see other kinds of Shadowheart Baldur's Gate 3 figures before. Funko added her to the Pop lineup. WizKids also made a D&D miniature of her that is available in a pair with Lae'zel. It's unknown if we could end up seeing other Nendoroids based on characters from the RPG.
The Shadowheart Baldur's Gate 3 Nendoroid will be revealed soon and join the Astarion figure in the collection. The game can be found on the PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC.
We may earn a commission if you purchase from certain links. Learn more here.
The post Next Baldur's Gate 3 Nendoroid Is a Shadowheart Figure appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Tuesday, March 24, 2026 3:00 PM
Back on March 10, 2026, the Chainsaw Man manga included a cliffhanger and tease that on March 24, 2026, there'd be a follow-up, and now Shueisha confirmed the series ended with chapter 232 and a number of familiar characters. The last installment is available to read in multiple languages for free online. The official MangaPlus site also noted the run is "completed" in the Update Schedule section. This means the Academy Saga storyline ended with the War Devil arc. There's no word yet on what mangaka Tatsuki Fujimoto intends to do next. We don't know when companies like Shueisha and Viz Media will release the final volumes of the manga, but the 20th one appeared in English in March 2026.
Chapter 232 of Chainsaw Man features a number of spoilers for the series, however it does mark the return of a number of major characters. These include people who appeared in both the Part 1 Public Safety saga and second Academy Saga portion. Official sites like MangaPlus and Viz Media both offer the first three chapters and last three chapters to read, so people can get a bit more context. So Chapters 230-232 are all available, with the latest one essentially acting as a 34-page epilogue.
There are still a number of manga volumes to appear now that the Chainsaw Man series ended. The 21st one will appear on June 2, 2026 in North America. That covers chapters 187 through 198. The most recent installment to appear in Japan was volume 23, which covered chapters 211 through 222.
The anime is also still continuing. The next storyline to get animated will be the Assassins Arc. That will pick up after the Reze Arc movie's events. Mappa is handling it, though there's no release date for it yet.
The Chainsaw Man manga ended on March 24, 2026, and there's no word yet on when Viz Media will release the next volume of the series in English. The anime is streaming on Crunchyroll.
We may earn a commission if you purchase from certain links. Learn more here.
The post Chainsaw Man Manga Ended With Chapter 232 and Familiar Characters appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Tuesday, March 24, 2026 2:00 PM
Good Smile Company and Cygames announced the next Umamusume figure rerelease will be a figma of Gold Ship, which can be used to recreate her famous dropkick victory scene. However, it does not include the parts to recreate her Unique Skill Anchors Aweigh. It will show up again in Japan in November 2026 and cost ￥10,800. It is expected to appear worldwide in Q2 2027 for $71.99. There's no word on whether or not the Nendoroid will reappear.
As with all figma, the Umamusume Gold Ship figure comes with multiple parts. There is a neutral smiling face, one with her eyes closed and her relaxed, one with her eyes squinted shut and her smiling, and a more sly look. She arrives wearing her pillbox hat, which isn't removable. She has six pairs of hands, with one of them being designed for her Paka Tube pose and the other for her victory peace signs. She also comes with a running effect part to give the illusion of speed.
Here are the official images of the Gold Ship figma. If you buy direct through Good Smile Company, it comes with a turf-colored base that also appeared as a CyStore bonus item.
There's also an official Good Smile Company video on social media that highlights some of the different poses that are possible with the Umamusume Gold Ship figma figure, though that doesn't show her dropkick. Instead, it shows some of her other positions from the game and anime series.
The Umamusume Gold Ship figma will show up in Japan again in November 2026, and the figure will return worldwide in Q2 2027. Pre-orders close on June 10, 2026. The game is available worldwide on PCs and mobile devices, and the original anime is Crunchyroll.
We may earn a commission if you purchase from certain links. Learn more here.
The post Gold Ship Umamusume Figma Figure Returns in 2026 appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Tuesday, March 24, 2026 1:00 PM
Nintendo shared a Switch release date for Pokemon Champions, the upcoming competitive game, and confirmed there will be a free Switch 2 update released at launch. It will debut on April 8, 2026. That's when a free-to-start version and a copy that includes a Starter Pack. The announcement also noted the Play! Pokemon Competitions will use it for competitive matches, with Global Challenge I between May 1-4, 2026, and Indianapolis Pokemon Regional Championships between May 29-31, 2026 to be the first two to use it.
A new overview trailer also appeared to show how Pokemon Champions will work. Someone can use Pokemon Home to get characters from Pokemon Scarlet, Pokemon Violet, Pokemon Legends: Z-A, and Pokemon GO and send them into this title. They can then be used to make teams of six and fight in 1v1 and 2v2 Casual, Private, and Ranked battles or Online Competitions. Doing that earns you Victory Points. Those let you train characters, buy Mega Stones, get customization items, or permanently gain access to the random Pokemon that could be recruited one-per-day in the game.
As for the Pokemon Champions Starter Pack bundle and Switch 2 update, we know what's in that and the patch consists of as well. If someone pays for that extra, they are able to store additional Pokemon in-game for fights, get 30 Teammate Tickets, access 50 Training Tickets, and use the song "Battle (Trainer Battle.) If you get the Switch 2 update from the eShop, it will involve "enhanced visual performance."
Here's the latest trailer. That also confirms the Pokemon Legends: Z-A new Mega Evolutions will be present.
Pokemon Champions will come to the Switch and Switch 2, on April 8, 2026, but while both Apple iOS and Android mobile versions are also in the works, there's no release date for those two versions yet.
The post Pokemon Champions Arrives in April With Free Switch 2 Update appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Tuesday, March 24, 2026 12:00 PM
Nintendo took to social media to confirm that it is aware some people playing Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness on the Switch 2 via the NSO GameCube Nintendo Classics application may experience a bug that causes the game crash, shutdown, and lose the save file and progress. There's no word on when a fix will be released. The company also didn't explain what the trigger might be for the situation. The game has been available for subscribers since March 17, 2026.
People have been citing issues regarding the game over the past few days. Nintendo didn't note what the cause of the issue might be. It also didn't explain how to possibly avoid it. Instead, it recommended using the "Create Suspend Point" quick save option via the NSO GameCube Classics app to create a backup regularly. If the game would crash, those Suspend Point files would then be available to avoid losing too much progress.
In case you missed the addition, here's the trailer showing how the game looks when running in the Switch 2 app.
As a reminder, you do need the higher tier of the Nintendo Switch Online subscription in order to play GameCube games on the Switch 2. That costs $49.99 per year, and it also includes Game Boy Advance, N64, Virtual Boy, and Genesis games. The standard version of the service is $19.99 per year.
Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness is available on the GameCube and on the Switch 2 via that console's Nintendo Switch Online app, and an update is in the works to fix an issue that can make the NSO version of the game crash.
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The post Nintendo Aware of Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness Switch 2 Crash appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Tuesday, March 24, 2026 11:01 AM
The next Hello Kitty Island Adventure DLC expansion is about to head to the Switch, Switch 2, PS5, and PC, and it is the former Apple Arcade-exclusive City Town add-on that starred the Sanrio mascot Usahana, added a new region, and included new character shops like a cafe. It will debut on all other platforms on April 16, 2026. A price wasn't mentioned yet, but the Wheatflour Wonderland DLC cost $14.99 after it launched.
Since City Town has been available in Hello Kitty Island Adventure via Apple Arcade since 2025, we already know exactly how to access it and what to expect. After you get the Fishing Rod and Snorkel tools and Zipline access, then get to level seven friendship with Badtz Maru, Chococat, Cinnamoroll, Keroppi, and Kuromi, a new quest called "Ship Shape" will be available at the Resort Docks on the starting island. This involves fixing up a boat with all the involved characters and start the "Into the Fog" quest that takes us to the new City Town urban region where Usahana lives.
Once you get to City Town, there will be new Critters and Fish to catch, a new kind of flower, and four different kinds of materials like Tapioca and Tea Leaves. More Puzzle Rooms can be solved and Visitor Cabins can be set up. The Imagination Cafe lets us run the cafe and serve customers. Also, existing characters like Kuromi and My Sweet Piano open shops that let us create Avatar Palettes with flowers or get Plush Pals.
Hello Kitty Island Adventure is available for the Switch, Switch 2, PS5, PC, and iOS mobile devices via Apple Arcade devices, and the City Town DLC expansion Apple Arcade exclusivity ends when it launches on April 16, 2026 on other platforms. The Wheatflour Wonderland expansion is already available on every platform worldwide.
The post Hello Kitty Island Adventure Usahana City Town DLC Heads to Consoles appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Tuesday, March 24, 2026 10:00 AM
M-Trading has announced that it will produce and sell a new lineup of apparel based on the Kingdom Hearts series via its Subciety brand. The company will soon open pre-orders for the items on its web store, which also supports international proxy orders.
The lineup will range from T-shirts and zip hoodies to trucker caps and tote bags. The items will feature either the series key characters like Sora, Donald, and Goofy, or the Heartless.
Here is the list of tax-inclusive prices for each item:
The new merchandise will be available to order via the Subciety Online Store. But while the store also has a ZenMarket widget for international orders, pre-orders for the Kingdom Hearts items are still not open yet until Wednesday, March 25, at 6 PM JST (5 AM ET). For reference, Subciety is also selling apparel based on Evangelion, Godzilla, and Berserk; all of which are also available to ship internationally via ZenMarket.
Subciety is joining the ever-expanding list of companies outside Square Enix that have released Kingdom Hearts merchandise. In late 2025, Mayla revealed earrings based on the series' Keyblades, and FuRyu released Milky Boa plushies featuring characters like Sora and Roxas.
The pre-order window for the new Kingdom Hearts apparel collection by Subciety will open from March 25 to April 1, 2026. M-Trading will start deliveries of the items around late May 2026.
The post Subciety Selling Kingdom Hearts Clothing appeared first on Siliconera. |
Destructoid Tuesday, March 24, 2026 3:53 PM
Chapter 4 in Crimson Desert introduces you to the Forbidden Knowledge questline, and Gate to the Otherworld is a subpart that can be a head scratcher. Things get confusing towards the end as there are two puzzles to solve and a boss to take down.
Let's look at how to complete all the steps that are part of this sub-quest.
Table of contents
Crimson Desert Gate of the Otherworld quest walkthrough
The first task of the Gate of the Otherworld quest is to activate the lock device switch.
How to activate the lock device switch
Once you reach the Scholastone Institute, you'll hear Octavius giving his speech before beginning the experiment. You can unlock the device (the dome) once the speech is over. Head right to where Octavius was earlier, and you'll find a set of stairs. You'll find an open space under the dome, and you'll then have to solve a stone puzzle.
How to solve the Device switch puzzle
The puzzle is a classic 3x3 grid. The objective is to light up all the pieces to activate the lock device. When you interact with any of the nine pieces, it will also activate all the corresponding vertical and horizontal stones.
First, press the symbiols symbols in the alternating corners. This will either be top-left and the bottom-right, or the bottom-left and top-right.
Now, interact with the remaining set of alternating corners and activate all four cornerstones. Now, only teh final one remains; interact with the middle stone, and this will power up the grind. This will also unlock the hand, which is used to activate the lock device. You can also quit to reset the grid and start solving it once again if you made a mistake.
How to use Axiom Force to remove the Unstable Core
Go upstairs to power up the device. You'll find floating batteries when you return to the topside, and they have to be inserted in the adjacent pillars using Axiom Force. There are four pillars that have to be powered up. They will become active the moment a battery is inserted in them.
Once all batteries are inserted, there will be a cutscene. Then, you'll need to remove the Unstable Core. Yank the core using Axiom Force to spawn the final Tenebrum boss.
How to defeat Tenebrum in Crimson Desert
While the Tenebrum isn't the most difficult of enemies to kill, you'll need to use a special move. Use Blinding Flash to expose its weakness. This will increase the effectiveness of all your attacks. You'll also need to be mindful of the black projectiles since they can do a lot of damage. You can either hide behind the pillars or use the dodge.
You can also use the aerial combat to get close to the Tenebrum. Then, you can use your Force Palm to damage the enemy. Ultimately, you'll need to combine all these moves and exploit its weakness to knock it out, which will complete the Gate of the Otherworld questline.
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Destructoid Tuesday, March 24, 2026 3:22 PM
The 2025 holiday season has come and gone, but it looks like Nintendo's tidings were less than jolly.
According to Bloomberg, Nintendo Switch 2 sales in the U.S. dropped to record-breaking lows over the holidays. In response, Nintendo is rolling back Switch 2 production by 30% to recoup costs and give the company time to grapple with the grim realities of the modern gaming market.
This brutal turn of events has, understandably, sparked confusion and fear among Nintendo enthusiasts. However, the company's history shows that this downturn could be part of a long-running trend that's defined Nintendo's console sales for decades, and that fact could offer Nintendo and its fans a glimmer of hope.
Nintendo console sales have been on a rollercoaster for over two decades
The mysterious curse currently plaguing Nintendo console sales began with the GameCube. The Nintendo 64 was a smash hit, and Nintendo was eager to catch lightning in a bottle twice with the GameCube. Unfortunately, the lack of built-in online functionality and a shallow game pool led it to fall behind the PlayStation 2 and Xbox almost immediately. By the end of its lifecycle, the GameCube had sold only around 20 million units, less than half of the 50 million units Nintendo had been hoping for.
Eager to broaden their audience, Nintendo went in an entirely new direction with their next console: a little white box called the Nintendo Wii that used the then-new concept of motion controls, trading a traditional controller for a wireless remote. The rest, as we often say, is history: the Wii became the best-selling console of the seventh generation, moving a mammoth 100 million units.
Emboldened (and perhaps blinded) by success, Nintendo doubled down on the Wii's "let's get weird" philosophy with their next console, the Wii U. Sadly, gamers weren't eager to embrace the Wii U or its clunky, battery-devouring gamepad. When the dust finally settled, the Wii U emerged as Nintendo's second-worst-selling console, beaten out only by the infamous Virtual Boy.
This inevitably brings us to the Nintendo Switch's 2017 launch. Overcoming the waves of skepticism the Wii U left in its wake, the Switch became the best-selling Nintendo game console of all time, selling over 3 million units in its first week alone. That initial momentum has stayed strong throughout the Switch's run, with total sales at a crisp 155 million units. Impressive as that triumph is, though, it's now become the perch from which Nintendo has fallen.
The Switch 2 is down, but it's not out yet
Sales for the Switch 2 have certainly seen better days, but the console's hardships are not a flat reflection of its quality. Tariffs and the AI-driven rise in the price of memory chips have done catastrophic damage to the U.S.'s gaming market, and the Switch 2 is clearly a victim of those challenges. Even with holiday sales slashing the price, a lot of us here in the U.S. just can't afford to buy a Switch 2 right now.
Things look grim now, but Nintendo's history shows the company knows how to bounce back from the brink of disaster. Bloomberg's article paints a clear picture; Switch 2 sales are down in the U.S., but the dip was much slimmer in other countries, and the recent launch of Pokopia has kept the console's sales going strong in Japan. The year's still young, and all the Switch 2 might need to ramp up its sales numbers is the must-have Mario, Pokémon, or Zelda game that launched previous Nintendo consoles into financial stardom.
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Destructoid Tuesday, March 24, 2026 3:10 PM
There's a fair bit of exploration to do in Crimson Desert, and sometimes, you'll come across thorns that will block your path (probably to treasures beyond our imagination). It's best to harness fire if you want to get rid of thorns, and there are a few ways to do that.
How to use fire to destroy thorns in Crimson Desert
The easiest way to destroy thorns in Crimson Desert is to deal fire damage with either fire arrows or the Blinding Flash skill. Let's cover the skill first.
Doing so will focus an intense beam of light on the thorns and set them on fire. Wait for a few seconds, and the vines will disappear. You'll unlock Blinding Flash pretty early in the game. It's part of an opening puzzle that has to be solved to open a locked door.
If you're not using a sword, you use fire arrows.
I prefer using Blinding Flash, as you might not always have a source of fire readily available while you're out and about.
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Destructoid Tuesday, March 24, 2026 2:29 PM
It has been almost 13 years since Grand Theft Auto 5, and almost eight years since Red Dead Redemption 2. And it feels like that long, if not longer.
Rockstar Games is definitely taking its time to polish Grand Theft Auto 6, which is great, because this is likely the most anticipated video game in this or any lifetime. It might be the most anticipated entertainment launch ever, period. It needs to be a hit, and likely will be, regardless of how it's initially received.
But at the same time, wow. GTA 6 has been in full development since shortly after RDR2's launch, but early conceptual work likely started way sooner, potentially in 2014 already. When GTA 6 finally launches on November 19 (we hope), it will have been about the same time in full development as RDR2, so players expect that same level of obsessive detail. Leaks suggest it will be similar, with one person claiming to be a former dev stating that there are "hundreds of thousands" of situational NPC dialogue lines in the files.
GTA and Rockstar fans have been talking again lately (because talk is all we have until the game is out) after the LinkedIn profile of another former Rockstar Games graphics programmer got some attention. This unknown person listed in their resume that they worked on GTA 6 "on the next generation procedural breakable glass system for vehicles and props." That info has since been removed.
Basically, it sounds as though if you break glass in GTA 6, it will happen procedurally, and not in a set way like in GTA 5 or other games, for example. And that's wild to think about, isn't it? That level of attention to the most minute details is what sets Rockstar apart as a studio, and it's part of why the studio's games are so beloved and successful.
RDR2's wild level of detail is constantly compared to new releases, most recently Crimson Desert and Resident Evil Requiem, but I can't help but wonder how much faster a game like GTA 6 could be made if it didn't have to include the absolute most when it comes to small, interesting, next-level additions.
Let's operate under the assumption that the massive amount of minor details in Rockstar's games adds to their time in development. Do we really need to see actual railroad spikes being slammed into the ground? Do we need to see horse testicles shrink in cold weather? How much dev time and manpower is spent on something like that?
Many would argue that it's worth it to have these incredible details because it's what makes locations like Vice City, New Hanover, or Los Santos so special. But these extended periods of development time also create some impossibly high expectations, and an unfathomable accompanying cost that needs to be recouped multiple times over.
I guess the question I pose to all of you is, would you rather have GTA 6 sooner with a bit less immersion, or are all of the years of waiting and over $2 billion in development costs worth it? I used to think not, but I'm leaning toward the latter now. I do think (and hope) it's worth it, especially as we get closer to the release and most of the years are already behind us, but also because these games feel like massive pop culture events as opposed to normal releases.
Most players would agree that it would be very cool to have more Rockstar games more often, but then, would they feel as monumental? Probably not. And so hopefully, eight or so years from now, we'll still be discovering new minor details in GTA 6's Vice City.
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Destructoid Tuesday, March 24, 2026 11:42 AM
Pokémon trainers around the world got a new trailer for the upcoming Pokémon Champions game today, and it's one that fans of the series' competitive scene will definitely be interested in.
The Pokémon Company showed off the upcoming game in a new trailer today, as well as a product page on the Pokémon website. Pokémon Champions is purely for battling, so if you're looking for an adventure in another mainline series game, you'll have to sit tight until Winds and Waves in 2027.
Though this is big news for casual fans of Pokémon battles, it's even bigger for those who like to compete. Alongside the trailer for Pokémon Champions, the Pokémon Company also announced that VGC will move to Pokémon Champions as the standard platform for all competitive matches when the game launches on April 8. The first official tournament held on the new platform will be the Indianapolis Pokémon Regional Championships, which runs from May 29 to 31.
In Pokémon Champions, players can obtain Pokémon through two different means: either through Pokémon Home or by recruiting them in-game. Pokémon Home allows players to transfer in creatures from a variety of games, like Legends: Arceus and Pokémon Go. Recruiting, though, allows players to choose one Pokémon per day from a randomly generated group. Recruited Pokémon can only be used in Champions and only for a limited time.
Once you have your Pokémon in the game, preparing for battle will look very similar to previous games. You'll have a PC where you can select six Pokémon for battle. Then, after choosing your team, you'll get a look at which six your opponent brought to the field. Depending on the format, you can then select a certain number of Pokémon from your six to actually battle with.
In the Single Battle format, as its name might suggest, Pokémon face off against one opponent at a time. As the main format for competitive games, Double Battles are also in Champions, where you battle in a 2v2 format with four Pokémon in total on each player's team. There are also various online battling options, with both a ranked and casual mode. In ranked, you'll face off against "evenly matched trainers," but in casual, wins or losses aren't recorded.
The Pokémon Company also showed off new abilities for the Mega Evolutions of Meganium, Feraligatr, and Emboar:
Pokémon Champions releases on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 on April 8, so start preparing your teams now.
The post Pokémon Champions takes over as VGC home, reveals new Mega Evolution Abilities for Legends: ZA's Starter trio appeared first on Destructoid. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Tuesday, March 24, 2026 11:03 AM
Over 1,000 Epic Games employees are being laid off today as multiple Fortnite game modes are being shut down for good, CEO Tim Sweeney announced.
In a letter to employees today, Sweeney blamed a "downturn in Fortnite engagement that started in 2025" as reasoning for how the company is "spending significantly more than we're making, and we have to make major cuts to keep the company funded."
As part of some massive structural upheaval at the company, ancillary Fortnite modes Rocket Racing, Ballistic, and Festival Battle Stage are going offline for good over the next few weeks, marking a large reduction of available content.
"Some of the challenges we're facing are industry-wide challenges: slower growth, weaker spending, and tougher cost economics; current consoles selling less than last generation's; and games competing for time against other increasingly-engaging forms of entertainment," Sweeney said.
Sweeney said that laid-off employees will receive a severance package with "at least four months of base pay, with more based on tenure," along with an extension of Epic-paid healthcare coverage (six months in the US).
"Market conditions today are the most extreme we've seen since those early days, with massive upheaval in the industry accompanied by massive opportunity for the companies that come out as winners on the other side," he said. "That's what we're aiming to do for our players, and we aim to bring other like-minded developers in the industry along on the journey to build an increasingly open and vibrant future of entertainment together."
Sweeney noted that the layoffs are not AI-related, because "to the extent it improves productivity, we want to have as many awesome developers developing great content and tech as we can."
Rocket Racing will disappear in October, while the VALORANT-like Fortnite Ballistic mode and the PvP-centered Fortnite Festival Battle Stage will both be gone as of April 16.
In related news, less than two weeks ago, Epic Games announced it was raising the price on Fortnite's V-Bucks currency. And I can't help but wonder how much $800 million net worth Hollywood actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson charged for his likeness to be used in this season's battle pass.
The post Epic Games CEO blames 'industry-wide challenges' for 1,000-plus layoffs, multiple Fortnite game modes shutting down appeared first on Destructoid. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Tuesday, March 24, 2026 11:02 AM
Anime Overload has a great spread of various unit types like pure DPS, supporting/debuff DPS units, cleanse units and farm units. Finding the right balance and team setup is key for late-game modes and challenges. Here's my Anime Overload tier list for the best units and traits.
Table of contents
Anime Overload Best Units & Traits
The best units in Anime Overload for beginners are the non-Secret A-Tier DPS units while for late-game you want the S-Tiers. The B-Tiers are good alternatives but they're a bit less flexibile than the higher tiers. Make sure to bring at least one or two Debuff DPS units since they deal great damage with various supporting effects. Let's dive into each unit below and talk about what they're good at and the best traits for them.
S-Tier DPS
S-Tier Debuff DPS
A-Tier DPS
A/B-Tier Debuff DPS
B-Tier DPS
C-Tier DPS
That's it for my Anime Overloaded tier list and guide. Check out our Anime Overloaded codes for free goodies.
The post Anime Overload Tier List – Best Units & Traits appeared first on Destructoid. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Tuesday, March 24, 2026 10:47 AM
Stop me if you've heard this before, but there's a new round of Grand Theft Auto 6 leaks.
With the most-anticipated video game of all time still about eight months out, GTA 6 fans are still as eager as ever for any kind of tidbit about the game to keep them sated. And this latest reported leak has some very interesting info regarding NPC behavior in Vice City.
The source is an unverified Reddit post, so take from that what you will, but the poster on a throwaway account claims to have worked on GTA 6 "on audio regression and subtitle validation for a few months."
"I don't think people understand how insane the NPC dialogue system is in this game," they said. "Everyone assumes it's like GTA 5 where you have a pool of lines and they just shuffle. It's not that anymore. It's structured. Like…labeled and categorized at a level I've never seen."
The Redditor claims that the last number they saw was "in the hundreds of thousands of recorded lines just for ambient/world NPCs," not even main characters or ancillary story characters. "Just people walking around, reacting, talking, calling out. And it's not just 'more lines,' it's conditional lines."
The examples they gave for different NPC voice lines include different responses for seeing you commit a crime vs. hearing about it, recognizing you vs. not recognizing you, first-time reaction vs. repeated exposure, day vs. night tone differences, and even weather-specific delivery where "people literally sound more annoyed in heat/rain variants."
"If you're being asked to record thousands of variations of essentially the same line, with different tones, intensities, and contexts, that's not a normal voice acting gig anymore," they said. "It's like building a database."
GTA 5's NPCs famously have a number of lines they cycle through, reacting to what you do around them, or just walking around. If this level of detail is expected in just the non-playable people moseying around Vice City, then we're in for years and years of discovery.
GTA 6 is scheduled to release this year on Nov. 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.
The post New GTA 6 leaks tease ground-breaking tech for NPCs with an 'absurd amount of dialogue' appeared first on Destructoid. |
WGB Tuesday, March 24, 2026 5:20 PM Epic is laying off 1,000 employees due to declining Fortnite engagement and rising costs. Tim Sweeney cites the need for major cuts despite high revenue, aiming for a more stable future. |
WGB Tuesday, March 24, 2026 4:42 PM Sony has closed Dark Outlaw Games, its second studio shutdown this year. Founded by Treyarch's Jason Blundell, the studio never released a title, impacting around 50 employees amid broader industry layoffs. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Tuesday, March 24, 2026 11:51 AM The company officially announced. The post Epic Games Has Laid Off Over 1,000 Employees appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Tuesday, March 24, 2026 11:19 AM Announced on social media. The post Battlefield Hardline Ends Service and Delisted On Consoles appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Tuesday, March 24, 2026 10:22 AM According to a new post on Steam. The post Gearbox Claims Borderlands 4 PC Frame Rates Have Improved By 20 Percent appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |