GamersHeroes Saturday, January 10, 2026 1:02 PM Dubbed "Broken Things," Mob Entertainment will let players face off against the deadly puppetmaster when Poppy Playtime: Chapter 5 launches for the PC on February 18. The post Poppy Playtime: Chapter 5 Launching February 18 appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
PCGamesN Saturday, January 10, 2026 5:00 PM While the internet has grown less privacy-friendly for those without VPNs, residents of California have been blessed with a positive change in the law. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Saturday, January 10, 2026 5:56 PM  Every once in a while, a game rocks up that so quickly finds itself in my Steam wishlist I don't even remember clicking the button. Today, that game is Rakshasa, Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines and Baldur's Gate inspired first-person RPG set in modern India where you must face off against demi-gods and "centuries-old flesh-eating monsters" inspired by Indian folklore. Yeah! Hell yeah! Yeah, yeah sign me up! |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Saturday, January 10, 2026 4:30 PM  Wizard Pool! It is, probably, exactly what you think it is. You are a wizard, and you play pool. Well, admittedly there is a smidge more to it than that, alongside a healthy amount of charm. Styled in a way that looks like an N64 game in the kind of way you remember that era looking rather than how it actually looked, you play as Kue, a budding young wizard tasked by his uncle to complete a trial in the form of a tower filled with magical, illogical pool tables. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Saturday, January 10, 2026 1:58 PM  I think as long as you make a new year's update post before the incredibly arbitrary date of January 13th, you're still able to do so without me thinking "come on, it's almost February", which is exactly what EA did with their new years Sims update post. Perhaps reassuringly, after word came last year of EA's concerning acquisition, the post opens by doubling down on what the team has previously said regarding staying committed to their values (those values including inclusivity is welcome though I wish they'd be more explicit about who is being included). But the post also, sort of, goes into what's next for the series. |
Siliconera Saturday, January 10, 2026 3:00 PM
We enjoyed Fairy Tail: Dungeons when the roguelike launched on the PC in 2024, but somehow the deckbuilder game is even better on the Switch in 2026. Part of this is a universal thing. Ginolabo kept working on the manga and anime-inspired adventure. The new update is massive, free, and everywhere. But the console accessibility combined with Switch 2 compatibility somehow helps make it even more appealing.
As a refresher, Fairy Tail: Dungeons features an original story. Gates to an underground labyrinth are appearing below guild halls, with people falling into them and disappearing. In the case of Fairy Tail, it's Gildarts Clive is gone, and Natsu and Happy get sucked in when they're investigating. They meet Labi, who appears to be another cat-shaped Exceed and is looking for his missing friend Arthur. Arthur is attempting to seal a dragon to protect everyone. So Natsu and other members of the guild will need to survive the ever-changing labyrinth and its dangers while holding Tome of Remembrance pieces to find out what's going on.
Part of the nature of the labyrinth is that characters lose their abilities when they enter and must regain magic via collecting cards, with Cana Alberona retaining her Magic Card ability and helping with that. You also pick Amulets when you go in, and can collect items to use in (or rarely out of) battles. Labi's lantern can protect players for X number of moves on a floor so they can gather Lacrima to power up abilities in the skill tree, explore spaces, face enemies, buy from merchants, rest to do things like regain health or enchant cards, and prepare for the boss fight when turns expire. Once you get past the base labyrinth, you unlock the labyrinth deaths with stricter requirements, Tomes are collected, and you need to prioritize character synergies with their different movesets.
So first of all, Fairy Tail: Dungeons works flawlessly on the Switch. The sprite-based character designs really stand out on the screen and become the focus. The UI's always been designed in such a way that it works and looks fine on a smaller screen. It's also an ideal pick-up-and-play game for a quick run or two, which helps. It suits the nature of the system in every respect, which is appreciated. But most importantly is the fact that it is appearing alongside the major January 2026 update that added content both in the main campaign and post-game.
Said major element is huge. People who are just getting the game or didn't beat it yet could choose a Casual Mode to ease into it if they're having trouble and unlock Gildarts, Laxus, and Mirajane for the party and runs. There are over 170 Magic Cards for new strategies, so you can build on what you're doing, and can enhance ones if you keep getting doubles beyond the existing Enhancements at campsites. For more experienced players, there are Labyrinth and Grand Clash new difficulties and Gajeel and Juvia in the post-game. There are more references to the original manga and anime via new bosses and Hiro Mashima's past works like Rave Master. (I happened upon the August battle form addition myself.)It's a lot in a good way. The pixel art is especially impeccable for the new characters and opponents.
It's a situation in which Fairy Tail: Dungeons started out as a solid roguelike when it launched, and the Switch port appearing alongside and with all the additions in the free update makes the game even better. Pretty much every major character we could want is playable now. There's even more endgame content, for those of us who are near the end or almost through it. People just getting started have new elements that will bolster what was already there. Plus it fits so well on Nintendo's system. It's just great.
Fairy Tail: Dungeons is available for the Switch and PC.
The post Fairy Tail: Dungeons Is Fantastic on the Switch appeared first on Siliconera. |
Destructoid Saturday, January 10, 2026 5:44 PM
Hytale is about to go live on early access, and you can play the game if you're on a PC.
The upcoming game was on the chopping block last year when Riot Games canceled the project. Since then, things have improved for the better as Hypixel founder Simon Collins-Laflamme managed to secure the publishing rights.
While the early access isn't available for free, joining it is pretty simple.
Table of contents
How to join Hytale early access
Hytale's early access version won't be available on Steam. While the game could appear on Steam in the future, that's not going to happen anytime soon. If you want to start playing the early access on Jan. 13, your only option is the game's official website.
There are three different editions available for purchase. All three editions guarantee you instant access to the game, along with a bunch of goodies. But that's pretty much all you need to do. Go to the website, select your edition, confirm your purchase, and you're good to go.
Hytale's early access release date
Hytale is releasing worldwide on Jan. 13 (in early access). It's only going to be available on PC, and you can only get your copy from the website. As of writing, there's no confirmation about when we will be able to buy it on Steam (if it appears over there at all).
The main reason, perhaps, has to do with the possible state of the early access version. The official website already has a disclaimer about potential bugs and glitches. If Hytale does arrive on Steam, I believe it will only happen after the game exits early access state in the future.
The post How to play Hytale in early access appeared first on Destructoid. |
Destructoid Saturday, January 10, 2026 4:32 PM
Quarantine Zone: The Last Check is expected to go live in the second full week of January, and it could be an interesting title to grab if you're into the undead.
Published by Devolver Digital, Quarantine Zone: The Last Check will put you in charge of a failing city on the brink of collapse. This guide will provide you with a countdown to follow so that you can jump in the moment the game goes live.
Table of contents
Quarantine Zone: The Last Check release countdown
Quarantine Zone: The Last Check will go live globally on Monday, Jan. 12. There's no console release as it will be a PC exclusive, as confirmed by Devolver. The following countdown will expire once the game goes live.
The countdown is based on the following timings.
The timings are based on the information available on SteamDB, which was last updated on Jan. 10. This is the schedule I am expecting Devolver to follow for launch. If there are any changes, I will update the guide duly to reflect the new information.
What to expect from Quarantine Zone: The Last Check
Quarantine Zone: The Last Check puts you in charge of your own check post, which is arguably humanity's last hope. Your key job is to take in survivors and help them live past the horrors of the undead. However, the most challenging task is to segregate the infected from the innocent. One outbreak can potentially become an unfathomable disaster.
However, you can also use the freshly turned undead to harvest their parts and unlock different rewards. The survivor population will consistently grow, so you'll have to manage the available resources. A demo is already available on Steam for free if you're interested in checking out the core gameplay.
The post Quarantine Zone The Last Check release countdown: Exact date and time appeared first on Destructoid. |
Destructoid Saturday, January 10, 2026 4:02 PM
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 didn't win any awards for best plot twist, likely because they don't exist. So we'll have to talk about it because it deserves it, yes, but also because of how it reminds me of a game I'd expect to have nothing in common with it. Deep spoilers follow for both games.
Dreaming of fish
I'm talking about Link's Awakening from 1993, the first Zelda game to come out for the Game Boy. It takes place in Koholint Island, one of the few locations outside of Hyrule seen in the entire series, and with good reason. It's a really neat place, filled with likeable inhabitants, but over the course of the game, appearances of characters such as Yoshi, Kirby, and even some from Sim City hint at how this place is the strangest place ever visited in the series.
Still, no matter, as Link just needs to go back home anyway. To do so, he has to wake a mystical creature named the Wind Fish. Before doing so, however, Link discovers that the reason for all the wackiness is not a regular pre-Smash Bros. attempt at a multiverse, but rather that he's not experiencing his waking reality. The dream of this fish fabricated the entire island, and incidentally absorbed Link as he crashed into it.
Most of Expedition 33 also doesn't take place in its world's base reality. Though its real world also features fantastical elements, such as people of various artistic backgrounds possessing magical powers, it's much closer to our 19th-century Paris than to the overly magical world we see surrounding the city of Lumiere. Learning that likely came as a shock during your playthrough. Even tougher, probably, was learning after you'd have to choose between staying in that reality at the expense of your own family and of your own health, or escaping, but in a manner that would kill every living being in that small world.
Similarly, Link's Awakening requires Link to wake the Wind Fish from his slumber to be set free, even though that will also abruptly end that small pocket of reality, immediately ending all life on it. Worse yet, that game never gives players the choice to spare anyone.
Choices matter (and hurt)
Under normal circumstances, players would be able to excuse their actions, arguing that it was possibly all just a dream and that nobody was really harmed, since they never really existed in the first place. But the Zelda game's secret ending shows that one of the "fish's creations" actually managed to somehow break through and be materialized into this world after the destruction of their own. So, even though the secret ending is there to leave players on a more hopeful note, it actually confirms that a load of people and fun creatures actually died because Link would only get good at sailing in Wind Waker.
I don't know whether Expedition 33 was inspired by Link's Awakening, but it doesn't really matter. What earns E33's plot a place among the greats is not really the surprise value or the originality. Most who are gushing about E33 were already familiar with The Matrix, The Truman Show, or even Dream-Zanarkand in Final Fantasy X. What truly makes the big reveal at the end of E33's second act is the emotional weight it puts on our backs and has us carrying until the end.
That's not the case with Link's Awakening, which spends absolutely no time disentangling the complexities put forth by the game's own plot. Link's Awakening carelessly plays the whole dream scenario as just a cool idea, one that gets way too dark for a Zelda title upon even surface-level inquiry. Whatever the case may be, it's always cool to see another thing that E33 did better than the big guys.
The original version of Link's Awakening only ever came out for the Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and the Virtual Console, but you can now also play the Switch version. Alternatively, you can also play this game called Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 on your PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, or PC.
The post This obscure Zelda title asked Expedition 33's big existential question first, in a much darker way appeared first on Destructoid. |
Destructoid Saturday, January 10, 2026 3:18 PM
StarRupture's early access build has plenty of bugs in Arcadia-7, and I am not talking about software glitches.
You're not alone on the alien planet, as various bugs will aim to make your life miserable. They will attack your base, and you'll also find them when traveling from one point to another. Thankfully, every type of bug you encounter has specific weaknesses that you can exploit.
Table of contents
How to defeat all enemies in StarRupture
While all enemies currently available in StarRupture are bugs of some kind, they come in different shapes and sizes and require different approaches to handle. Most of them will appear in swarms, making it harder for you to take them down. All species come in different sizes, and most of them have separate movement speeds and attack patterns.
Flinger
These are one of the nastiest bug types as they can attack you from a distance. You'll first need to keep track of the source of the blob that they shoot at you. Dodge the blob, and close the distance as much as you can.
They're really squishy, and a few bullets will usually take care of them. Try to have a steady aim since they move a lot. Once you're close, Flingers are pretty easy to take down. They're more dangerous when they appear in swarms.
Slashers
Slashers are aggressive bugs that resemble larger black-widows. They move rapidly and jump at you from a distance. An effective method is to dodge the jumps as much as you can.
Their mouth is their weak spot, but it can be tough to aim when you also have to dodge the attacks. If they latch onto you, they will deal plenty of damage. Hence, maintaining distance is paramount. Thankfully, their outer armors aren't the best.
Younger Slashers
Similar to Slashers but younger in age. They are smaller in size and have a grey trim around their bodies. You can shoot them as they're easy to take down.
Exploder
These blue bugs have growing sacs that ultimately explode to deal plenty of damage. The explosion also stops your shields from working. You can guess when they're about to attack, as their sac will start glowing.
The first task is to stay away from the range of the explosion. If that's not possible, move out of the explosion's immediate radius. To take down the bugs, shoot the sac, but also maintain distance.
Spitter
Like Exploders, Spitters also have sacs, but green in color. Instead of exploding, the sacs grow, and the bug will spit the green matter on you. Be on the move to avoid the attack, and keep shooting at the sac.
Additionally, you can also come across the Goliath, which is the hardest enemy. A separate guide for it is in work. You can find it in areas with rare loot, like the Redleaf keycard spawn locations.
The post All StarRupture bugs and how to kill them appeared first on Destructoid. |
Destructoid Saturday, January 10, 2026 2:21 PM
ARC Raiders has truly become a breeding ground for innovative ideas with which players aim to maximize their performance topside, both against other players and those evil, mindless ARC drones. Now, some have figured out how to make a functional siege tower, allowing no one to get a shot in.
This seems to have been first discovered (or at least popularized) by streamer TheBurntPeanut (via GamingZar), who managed to somehow assemble several barricades and place them onto a single player, who'd become completely surrounded by walls and essentially immune to incoming damage. It also appears there's enough space for other players to squeeze in, making this the best portable defense system in the game.
In another clip, it's shown that you can mount just one or a couple of these barricades onto yourself, allowing entrance into buildings and ensuring protection follows you everywhere you go. It's the most fun and ridiculous way to exploit the game's systems, but it will unfortunately be patched out pretty soon, or at least I would think so.
Other exploits, like how players recently discovered the console in ARC Raiders and used commands to tune down various settings to increase visibility and reduce on-screen clutter, have also appeared over the months, but were generally (and quickly) removed by the developers. That isn't enough to prevent players from thinking out of the box, however, and we'll likely continue seeing all sorts of ridiculous contraptions spring up topside.
And I'm honestly all here for it.
The post You can make an actual siege tower in ARC Raiders, and it's surprisingly effective appeared first on Destructoid. |
Destructoid Saturday, January 10, 2026 2:10 PM
StarRupture is attracting plenty of attention from PC gamers since its early access debut, and many have been wondering about a potential console launch.
After all, StarRupture's built-in gameplay system appears to be quite feasible on a console, as most of its controls can be adapted to a controller. While the survival-slash-factory builder game isn't available on consoles at the time of writing, it could eventually arrive on Xbox and PlayStation.
StarRupture PS5 and Xbox Series X|S release explained
As of writing, there's no official confirmation on when, and if, we will have a console launch. However, we should eventually be able to play StarRupture on consoles. The game is developed and published by Creepy Jar, and some of their earlier titles, like Green Hell, were released on PC first and arrived on consoles later.
Moreover, StarRupture has also been released on early access. Games that launch this way tend to be PC-exclusive at first. Even bigger titles like Baldur's Gate 3 have followed the same pattern. It's almost certain that StarRupture, if it arrives on consoles, will do so after the end of the early access period has wrapped up.
The game is expected to remain in early access for about a year. If Creepy Jar stays holds anticipated timeline, we could expect a console port in the early months of 2027, meaning it's doubtful that there will be a console port on old-gen, but this is speculation.
We should be getting more information down the line once StarRupture receives a few updates as part of the early access. For now, your only option to access Arcadia-7 is by having a PC that meets the requirements.
The post Will StarRupture release on consoles? Possible release date and more appeared first on Destructoid. |
Destructoid Saturday, January 10, 2026 1:28 PM
The Net Results Evolution brings a new goalie upgrade option for FC 26 players, and you can improve a chosen card for free.
The new evolution provides new playstyles, roles, and boosts to stats (overall included). There are plenty of great options to consider, so let's look at the best choices based on the requirements and the offered upgrades.
Table of contents
FC 26 Net Results Evolution requirements
Here are the requirements for Net Results Evolution in FC 26.
FC 26 Net Results Evolution upgrades
The Net Results has only two levels of upgrades. To obtain the boosts, you'll need to complete specific tasks.
Level 1 upgrades
Level 2 upgrades
Level 1 upgrade requirements
Level 2 upgrade requirements
Best players for Net Results Evolution in FC 26
You can include a wide variety of items in this evolution. Cards that can take benefits from the stat upgrades without hitting the cap have been considered.
These are arguably some of the best options you can include in this evolution. Since they can't go above the overall of 86, you can chain them in future goalkeeper evolutions.
The post Best players for FC 26 Net Results Evolution appeared first on Destructoid. |
Destructoid Saturday, January 10, 2026 1:21 PM
Spooky season is way past us, and the jollymaxxing hasn't ended yet (at least not in my very archaic Orthodox part of the world), but Phasmophobia never sleeps, and neither do its ghosts. The devs have now announced 2026 will be one of the game's biggest years yet, with the 1.0 release fast approaching.
As announced by the game's developers on X, Phasmophobia will finally launch in full in 2026, bringing its years-long early access program to a satisfying closure. Millions have already played the game, tested it, and helped develop it through their feedback, but more is coming ahead of the official 1.0 release.
This year will have many focuses, but key highlights are increased immersion, modernization, and better graphics. The game desperately needs the latter, and as you could tell from the outdated models, this was probably left for last. The atmosphere of each map and run is already top-notch, and these new finishes will just make the experience even better.
One of the most iconic maps, 6 Tanglewood Drive, is going to be reworked and brought in line with other reworked maps. A much-needed update will be given to the player models, which are frankly immersion-breaking at the moment. The new models will be significantly more realistic and pleasant to look at, which is always a plus.
Animations for both player characters and the first-person camera will be polished, updated, and refined to create a more immersive, grounded experience.
Though it wasn't mentioned in the plans, I sincerely hope some more attention is given to the ghosts and their AI. A lot of the game revolves around communicating with forces unseen, and I've been ghosted (pun intended) way too many times, making me dread a return to a game that doesn't respond. Demonologist drew me away because of that, even if it doesn't have as good a vibe and depth as Phasmophobia. It's just way more reactive, and I pray to see that improved by the time 1.0 comes around.
This update, aimed to release in the first quarter of this year, is a major step toward 1.0. The latter will also include the "reworked Horror update" once it arrives, bringing an end to what's been one of the most popular, fun, and interesting early access programs in the history of indie games.
After 1.0, a lot more could be on the way, given that the devs will have made the game feature-complete and ready for further expansion based on a solid gameplay foundation.
The post Phasmophobia promises that 2026 will be one of its best years—but here I am just hoping the voices in the dark will finally talk back appeared first on Destructoid. |
Destructoid Saturday, January 10, 2026 1:02 PM
The Steam Machine, announced in late 2025, is yet to make a proper price announcement, with Valve eluding that information since first mentioning the thing. Amid rising RAM costs, it's understandable that waters have been muddled, but recent leaks indicate the company is planning to sell the device at a ludicrous price, even with the current situation.
As per a Jan. 9 Reddit post, which showed a Czech retailer's listing for the Steam Machine, Valve's latest and greatest hardware release is allegedly going to cost between $950 and $1070 for the 512GB and 2TB models, respectively.
Even considering that this figure likely includes VAT (21 percent, indicating a $785 or $885 pre-tax price), this would put it leagues above the base PlayStation 5, which it rivals in terms of raw power, despite its advantages as a PC rather than a specialized console. At this stage, you can get yourself a used PS5 for around $300 in the second-hand market with no extra tax on top, making it more than twice as cheap as the Steam Machine, which can in no way compete even at the usual $499 retail price point.
The increased price is likely due to the steep jump in undiced DRAM prices lately that have affected not only proper RAM, but every single hardware module that uses memory, including storage, motherboards, graphics cards, and everything in between. It's an unprecedented market situation at the moment, worse than even those COVID years when Bitcoin mining ate through the entirety of the global GPU supply.
However, at this price, it's basically dead on arrival. No one who has any other options would settle for purchasing a frankly low-range machine for over a thousand bucks when that same money could be funneled into consoles or even a much better PC in the used (or on-sale retail) market.
You could literally buy a PS5 with two controllers, a 4K OLED, and probably a game to play on them for the same price as just the Steam Machine itself, which is a Linux-based, Steam-oriented PC coming with its own fair share of base limitations.
It just does not make sense to release the Steam Machine at this price, at least not if it's aimed at the average Joe and not corporations and their use cases, where Valve can't expect to make up for a loss leader strategy through game sales. However, as Valve usually sells its hardware through Steam and not retailers, it's safe to say that the price above also includes their cut, somewhat increasing the official listing. Even so, I don't believe it's a big factor, given how large the base price probably is. Soon, we will know for sure.
The post Pricing the Steam Machine at $1,000 would kill it before it even arrived appeared first on Destructoid. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Saturday, January 10, 2026 4:09 PM A trailer was also released. The post Nintendo Adds Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance To Nintendo GameCube – Nintendo Classics appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Saturday, January 10, 2026 3:48 PM A new trailer was also released. The post Pathologic 3 Now Available on PlayStation 5 appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Saturday, January 10, 2026 3:31 PM in a recent Reddit AMA. The post Larian Studios Says It Wont Be Using AI tools For Divinity's Development appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
