Aug 27, 18:00


GamersHeroes Wednesday, August 27, 2025 4:47 PM
    

An idyllic farm awaits with the Early Access release of MEO Studios and Toplitz Productions' open-world farming experience Farmer's Dynasty 2 - gear up with the new trailer for the title.

The post Open-World Farming Experience Farmer's Dynasty 2 Launching Early 2026 appeared first on GamersHeroes.


GamersHeroes Wednesday, August 27, 2025 3:41 PM
    

Today's update to Bandai Namco's DEATH NOTE: Killer Within brings both X Kira and N roles to the title.

The post X Kira and N Roles Now Available in DEATH NOTE: Killer Within appeared first on GamersHeroes.


GamersHeroes Wednesday, August 27, 2025 3:01 PM
    

Featuring more than 100 hours of content on the go, IO Interactive's HITMAN World of Assassination is now available for iPhone and iPad.

The post HITMAN World of Assassination Now Available for iPhone and iPad appeared first on GamersHeroes.


GamersHeroes Wednesday, August 27, 2025 1:28 PM
    

The world of NEXON's anime-style RPG Blue Archive is swinging for the fences with the new "Pray-Ball! Swing for the Grand Slam!" update on both Steam and mobile devices. 

The post Blue Archive's "Pray-Ball! Swing for the Grand Slam!" Update Now Live appeared first on GamersHeroes.


GamersHeroes Wednesday, August 27, 2025 1:13 PM
    

The debut title from Amazon Games Montreal, fans can dive into the upcoming Closed Alpha of their free-to-play 4v4 War MOBA March of Giants from September 2 to September 10.

The post 4v4 War MOBA March of Giants Closed Alpha Starting September 2 appeared first on GamersHeroes.


GamersHeroes Wednesday, August 27, 2025 12:35 PM
    

Two former enemies from the League of Evil Exes will make their way to Tribute Games' Scott Pilgrim EX, with Roxie Richter and Lucas Lee joining the cast.

The post Roxie Richter and Lucas Lee Coming to Scott Pilgrim EX appeared first on GamersHeroes.


GamersHeroes Wednesday, August 27, 2025 12:14 PM
    

Celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Monster Hunter franchise in style, Capcom has teamed up with Fender with an epic in-game collaboration for Monster Hunter Wilds.

The post Monster Hunter Wilds x Fender Collab Live appeared first on GamersHeroes.


GamersHeroes Wednesday, August 27, 2025 11:54 AM
    

The fate of both the Human world and the Digital world will be up for grabs in Bandai Namco and Media Vision Inc.'s Digimon Story Time Stranger - learn more with the new story trailer for the RPG.

The post Digimon Story Time Stranger Story Trailer Released appeared first on GamersHeroes.


GamersHeroes Wednesday, August 27, 2025 11:39 AM
    

The crew of WB Games' squad-based RPG DC Worlds Collide is getting that much bigger with the inclusion of Peacemaker (DCU).

The post Peacemaker Now Available in DC Worlds Collide appeared first on GamersHeroes.


GamersHeroes Wednesday, August 27, 2025 11:08 AM
    

Set to release early next month, Gamers Heroes recently got a chance to attend a press conference around NBA 2K26 and see how it's Ball Over Everything - learn more with our preview.

The post NBA 2K26 Preview – Ball Over Everything appeared first on GamersHeroes.


Kotaku Wednesday, August 27, 2025 4:45 PM
    

The new PC mod isn't quite the same as the cancelled Spider-Man: The Great Web, but it's still pretty neat

The post Oh Wow, <i>Spider-Man</i> Multiplayer Is Here And It Looks Amazing appeared first on Kotaku.


Kotaku Wednesday, August 27, 2025 4:29 PM
    

Oscar and another guy look at something off-screen.

The Paper premieres on Peacock next week, but we haven't heard a real joke out of it yet

The post The New <em>Office</em> Show Keeps Finding New Ways To Make Me Not Want To Watch It appeared first on Kotaku.


Kotaku Wednesday, August 27, 2025 3:44 PM
    

Cassidy stands in front of Route 66

Some players think the hero shooter's 18th season patch might be its buggiest yet

The post <em>Overwatch 2</em> Broke The Cowboy appeared first on Kotaku.


Kotaku Wednesday, August 27, 2025 3:01 PM
    

The PC remaster of the classic third-person shooter lacks split-screen despite previous marketing materials suggesting it would be included

The post <i>Gears of War: Reloaded</i> Has Major Steam Issues And Microsoft Is Investigating appeared first on Kotaku.


Kotaku Wednesday, August 27, 2025 2:30 PM
    

Judas' key art shows some of its characters.

Ken Levine updates players on what Judas is about

The post <i>BioShock</i> Creator Still Not Sure When His Next Game Is Coming Out appeared first on Kotaku.


Kotaku Wednesday, August 27, 2025 1:24 PM
    

Psychonauts 2 will also be free for PS Plus subscribers starting on September 2

The post <i>Stardew Valley</i> And Two Other Great Games Will Be Free On PlayStation Plus Next Week appeared first on Kotaku.


Kotaku Wednesday, August 27, 2025 12:52 PM
    

A PC gaming handheld displays Game Pass.

Cloud gaming and PC perks are headed to the cheapest tiers

The post Xbox Game Pass Is About To Get Better For A Bunch Of People appeared first on Kotaku.


Kotaku Wednesday, August 27, 2025 12:39 PM
    

Huntr/x performing on stage

Netflix and Sony are reportedly in early talks to bring Huntr/x back for an encore

The post 6 Questions We Need The <em>KPop Demon Hunters</em> Sequel To Answer appeared first on Kotaku.


Kotaku Wednesday, August 27, 2025 12:16 PM
    

The Lasombra and Toreador vampire clans in Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 were planned to be locked behind a paywall

The post The <i>Bloodlines 2 </i> Paid Day-One DLC Controversy Takes A Familiar Turn appeared first on Kotaku.


Kotaku Wednesday, August 27, 2025 11:20 AM
    

Mario looks back while racing to Waluigi's casino.

The Nintendo Switch 2 is still selling even faster than the Switch 1 in the U.S.

The post Two Consoles And One Sequel Later, Fans Refuse To Stop Buying <i>Mario Kart 8</i> appeared first on Kotaku.


Kotaku Wednesday, August 27, 2025 11:06 AM
    

IO Interactive has brought the whole modern Hitman trilogy to iOS devices

The post <i>Hitman World Of Assassination</i> Out Now On iPhone For $70 Or $3 A Level appeared first on Kotaku.


Kotaku Wednesday, August 27, 2025 10:36 AM
    

A Tarnished looks out at the Morning Checkpoint blurbs.

Also retro game publishers are back from the dead and making moves

The post Alex Garland Wrote 160-Page <i>Elden Ring</i> Movie Script From Scratch To Win Miyazaki's Approval appeared first on Kotaku.


Kotaku Wednesday, August 27, 2025 10:21 AM
    

Gustave looks at something off-screen.

Sandfall Interactive wants Clair Obscur to be a franchise

The post <em>Clair Obscur</em> Director Hints At Sequel, Says <em>Expedition 33</em> 'Is Not The End' appeared first on Kotaku.


PCGamesN Wednesday, August 27, 2025 4:27 PM
    

As the Bioshock 4 fiasco rumbles on, the series' creator Ken Levine is ready to fill the void with Judas. An immersive, zany, narrative-driven FPS, Judas has been high on folks' wishlists (mine included) for a while now, but Ghost Story Games has been fairly quiet about how things are going. Summer Game Fest, and most recently Gamescom, came and went without any updates. But lo and behold, Judas just woke from its months-long nap to shout about its Villainy system, which will see your actions turn one of the initially friendly Big 3 characters into your arch nemesis.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Judas release date, Best FPS games, Best story games

PCGamesN Wednesday, August 27, 2025 4:57 PM
    

Unreal Engine 5 performance issues aren't the fault of Epic, but instead down to developers prioritising "top-tier hardware," says CEO of Epic, Tim Sweeney. This misplaced focus ultimately leaves low-spec testing until the final stages of development, which is what is being called out as the primary cause of the issues we currently see.

Metal Gear Solid Delta is the latest Unreal Engine 5 game to be suffering from big performance issues, making the timing of Sweeney's comments quite relevant. It appears as though any fears that you'll need to upgrade to the best graphics card from our buying guide to play these new games are unfounded, and instead, there is simply more work to be done on optimizing games for low-spec hardware.


PCGamesN Wednesday, August 27, 2025 5:06 PM
    

Plenty of challengers have tried to take down Valve's Steam Deck since its release in 2022, but few have even come close. The OneXPlayer OneXFly F1 Pro, though, has a good shot at dethroning the Steam Deck, if you ignore the value, and it's all thanks to its control software, which works so well with Windows that I almost forgot I was using Windows in the first place.

I'll have a full review of the OneXPlayer OneXFly F1 Pro ready soon, but it's the efficiency and performance of the OneXConsole software that has completely turned my head to thinking this could challenge the picks on our best handheld guide, even with quite a high price.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best graphics card, Best gaming PC, Best SSD for gaming

PCGamesN Wednesday, August 27, 2025 1:58 PM
    

After what feels like a very long period of hush around updates, improvements, and more DLC for Starfield, Bethesda veteran Tim Lamb has just given fans of the game something to get excited about. The underwhelming space RPG appears to have some big changes and new systems on the way thanks to some free updates, including ones that'll make space travel and exploration "more rewarding." And yes, that second DLC is still in the works, despite the radio silence.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Starfield mods, Best RPGs, Best space games

PCGamesN Wednesday, August 27, 2025 1:04 PM
    

The Elder Scrolls 6 and Fallout 5 may be specks on the horizon, but plenty of other RPGs are ready to fill the gap. While Fallout London recently dominated the apocalypse side of the conversation, the most striking and memorable fantasy outing of late for me is Dread Delusion, the open-world Morrowind spiritual successor packed to the brim with dark, demonic undertones. It holds a 90% Steam rating since launching in 2024 and now, developer Lovely Hellplace is back with Entropy, which maintains that haunting aesthetic but layers it lovingly across turn-based tactical battles "inspired by classic JRPGs."

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best indie games, New PC games, Best PC games

PCGamesN Wednesday, August 27, 2025 12:45 PM
    

Immersive sims are magical delights in the hands of an open-minded player. The only drawback is that there are consequences. Militsioner is no different. You've been arrested in a small, provincial town and your actions are therefore limited. You're not allowed to leave, you can only go in certain areas, you understand the drill. The big difference here is that there's only one guard to sneak past - but he's 100 feet tall. Thankfully, the developer has fixed some of his buggier mechanics ahead of an open playtest.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best stealth games, Best indie games, Best puzzle games

PCGamesN Wednesday, August 27, 2025 12:39 PM
    

Soulstice is one of those games that slipped under the radar for a lot of people, but it oozes gothic horror charm and features stylish, bombastic combat in the same vein as Devil May Cry or Bayonetta. Launching back in late 2022, it's an indie that was clearly inspired by the hack-and-slash genre's greatest hits, but is unique enough to offer a darker, more serious tale, and you can get this brilliant game – alongside two others – for under $5 if you're quick.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best action games, Best fantasy games, Best single-player games

PCGamesN Wednesday, August 27, 2025 12:26 PM
    

What are the best Skyrim mods? They can be tough to find because there are a lot of them. They're the work of a thriving and diverse scene; an army of fans and bedroom coders determined to make the game a photorealistic fantasy. Or they're just out to transform farmyard animals into deadly explosives. Whatever floats. But when you're looking for the best Skyrim mods, where do you start?

Installing mods is quite simple for one of the best PC games and arguably the most popular RPG game out there. This is mainly because Steam Workshop makes it easy to install and activate them and because you can add the more advanced ones to a special folder within your Skyrim files. You can also check out our guide to Skyrim console commands for more tips on changing up the open-world game or just making it utterly chaotic. The choice is yours.

Continue reading Best Skyrim mods 2025
MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Skyrim mods, Elder Scrolls 6 release date, Games like Skyrim

PCGamesN Wednesday, August 27, 2025 12:00 PM
    

If you asked my History degree-having, weeby, League of Legends-obsessed self what my perfect game concept would look like, it's probably not too far off of Amazon Games Montreal's freshly-announced MOBA, March of Giants. The new studio, helmed by former Rainbow Six Siege creative director Xavier Marquis, is taking the genre's trappings, splicing it with elements of real-time strategy, and plonking it in an early 20th Century steampunk world. It could not be more me-coded if it tried. It's also got a closed alpha coming real soon, but only in select regions.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best MOBA games, Best strategy games, Upcoming PC games

PCGamesN Wednesday, August 27, 2025 12:02 PM
    

What are the best Fallout 4 mods on PC? Despite having been around for nearly a decade, Fallout 4 remains one of the most popular games in the series, thanks in no small part to its vibrant modding community. With the Fallout TV series spiking interest in the Bethesda series again, what better time than to jump back in with more modded gameplay?

Thanks to mods like these, RPG games like Fallout 4 enjoy such longevity after launch. To celebrate the weird and wonderful creations of the Fallout 4 mod community, we've picked more than 50 of the best Fallout 4 mods to get you on your way to a more interesting Boston Wasteland. If that's not enough tinkering for you, check out our list of Fallout 4 console commands, which give you even more customization in one of the best PC games around.

Continue reading Best Fallout 4 mods 2025
MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Fallout 4 mods, Fallout 5 release date, Best games like Fallout

PCGamesN Wednesday, August 27, 2025 11:57 AM
    

August 27, 2025: There's still time to redeem this Grow a Garden code during the Beanstalk update.

Need new Grow a Garden codes? Now confirmed as the biggest Roblox game of all time, Grow a Garden codes can help you, well… grow your garden! Get loads of free seed packs and other boosts by redeeming each new code before it expires.

Given it's a game you don't always have to pay close attention to - and by that we mean your garden continues to grow while you're offline - you can jump into other picks from our best Roblox games list while you wait for things to grow. For help in the latest Grow a Garden event, check out the list of all GaG prickly plants and fruits. For help in the other current Roblox hit, check our Hunty Zombies codes.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Roblox games, Roblox promo codes, Roblox music codes

PCGamesN Wednesday, August 27, 2025 11:51 AM
    

The core wars look set to kick off big time in the near future, as a new Intel Nova Lake gaming CPU with 28 cores has just been spotted in a shipping manifest. Nova Lake is the new architecture that's set to follow Arrow Lake in Intel's desktop CPU lineup, and the latter currently tops out at 24 cores in the Core Ultra 9 285K. However, it looks as though early Nova Lake samples are now already shipping, and with a large number of cores.

Whether or not these Intel Nova Lake CPUs will have the gaming performance necessary to conquer our best gaming CPU guide remains to be seen, but Intel certainly looks like it's loading its new chips with as many cores as possible. Only eight of these cores are expected to be full-fat P-Cores that are good for gaming, though, with 16 of them likely to be E-Cores designed for multi-threaded software, and perhaps four of them being low-power (LP) E-Cores.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Intel Core Ultra 7 265K review, Best gaming CPU, Core i9 14900K review

PCGamesN Wednesday, August 27, 2025 11:43 AM
    

What are the best Starfield mods? Mod support is an important part of many PC games, especially RPG games. Skyrim has endured all these years partly because it's a great game, partly because Bethesda keeps releasing it on hitherto unknown gaming platforms, but also because it's powered by a vibrant and creative modding community.

In June 2024, Bethesda revealed the Starfield Creation Kit, giving creators the tools needed to expand Starfield to new heights. If you're playing Starfield Game Pass, you may experience some difficulty installing all the mods we've listed below. For maximum compatibility, you're going to want the Steam version of the game.

Continue reading Best Starfield mods
MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Starfield mods, Best RPGs, Best space games

PCGamesN Wednesday, August 27, 2025 11:17 AM
    

How does Black Ops 7 Carry Forward work? Historically, the Carry Forward mechanic in Call of Duty has allowed players to bring their hard-earned and paid-for skins and weapons to the next game in the series. Naturally, it was assumed this would be the case from BO6 to BO7, and it was - for a few days.

Now we know that there are set to be some changes to the Carry Forward scheme as we know it, as Activision finally listens to player complaints ahead of the Black Ops 7 release date. This doesn't mean that nothing can be carried across to Black Ops 7, but those items you can carry across to the new FPS game have been severely limited, so watch where you spend your COD Points for the next few weeks.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best FPS games, Best multiplayer games, Call of Duty Black Ops 7 release date

PCGamesN Wednesday, August 27, 2025 11:18 AM
    

What are the best Baldur's Gate 3 mods? The modding community working on Larian games has a storied history regarding DOS and Baldur's Gate, and the BG3 community is no different thanks to official mod support for the DnD game. We've delved into the BG3 mods that are available to add even more to the already massively entertaining game to find the very best ones.

As we explore in our Baldur's Gate 3 review, the RPG game is filled with interesting and unique experiences, including hours of content that most players will likely never see, which includes most of the Baldur's Gate 3 endings. However, the modding community has still found gaps worth filling to improve your Baldur's Gate 3 experience.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Baldur's Gate 3 builds, BG3 mods, Baldur's Gate 3 classes

PCGamesN Wednesday, August 27, 2025 10:48 AM
    

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is the biggest surprise of the year. The turn-based RPG took the world by storm after gradually building interest through trailers that looked almost too good to be true. Heavily influenced by Final Fantasy, most were immediately entranced by its Chiaroscuro visuals, star-studded voice cast, and turn-based combat mechanics. Personally, I just love the Gestrals. What would come next from debut developer Sandfall Interactive, however, remained a mystery. Until now. Sandfall's director, Guillaume Broche, has gone on record to say that Expedition 33 "is not the end" for the series.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Clair Obscur Expedition 33 weapons, Best Clair Obscur Expedition 33 builds, Best Clair Obscur Expedition 33 Pictos

PCGamesN Wednesday, August 27, 2025 10:46 AM
    

Is Toxic Commando still happening? We can get firmly behind anything with John Carpenter's name on, so imagine our delight when John Carpenter's Toxic Commando, a videogame inspired by '80s horror and action and created by the horror legend himself, was revealed during Summer Game Fest 2023.

Part FPS game, part zombie game, part nostalgic horror trip, John Carpenter's Toxic Commando (herein referred to as just Toxic Commando) is set in the "near future", while being inspired by the mix of gore, comedy, and action of classic 1980s horror. Here's what we know about John Carpenter's Toxic Commando right now.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: John Carpenter's Toxic Commando release date estimate, Best zombie games, Best FPS games

PCGamesN Wednesday, August 27, 2025 10:43 AM
    

Who are the latest Fortnite NPCs? Fortnite NPC locations change with every new season, much like everything else, with more added throughout the season as well. This makes it difficult to keep track of the latest NPC locations. That's where we come in.

There are a few reasons you might want to find a Fortnite NPC location in the battle royale game. You can hire Fortnite NPCs for a helping hand, get a rift out of the storm, or buy some of the best Fortnite weapons and items. There are often new hostile Fortnite NPCs to defeat as well, but if you're looking for someone a little more friendly, we have every Fortnite NPC location right now marked on the Fortnite map, as well as a list of all of the special items or services you can buy in Chapter 6, Season 4.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Fortnite map, Fortnite skins, Fortnite weapons

PCGamesN Wednesday, August 27, 2025 10:43 AM
    

What are the best single player games? There's nothing quite like a solo adventure that lets you explore, interact, and fight to your heart's content, with no one there to interrupt the immersion. Let's face it, you really don't need to get a squad together to have tons of fun, and these games prove it.

Some of the best PC games of all time are single player experiences with carefully crafted stories, and you'll find the cream of the crop in this list, including some of the best story games and the best RPG games. We've even thrown in a couple of curveballs, too, for those players who prize slick mechanics over a grand narrative. Whatever you're looking for in a single-player experience, your next solo adventure is just a hop, skip, and a scroll away.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: The Witcher 3 mods, The Witcher 4 news, Witcher 3 system requirements

PCGamesN Wednesday, August 27, 2025 10:33 AM
    

MMOs have long provided the ultimate escapist fantasy. You can be anyone, do anything, and live out the life you always wanted. But more so than mastery over magic and the plaudits of being some sort of prophetic chosen one, the one thing MMOs truly grant me that I'll likely never be able to experience in the real world (at least, based on how the market's going) is the joy of owning property. Whether I'm offering up bones at my Gilded Altar in Old School Runescape, or agonizing over the design of my Final Fantasy 14 mojo dojo casa house, nothing beats coming home after a long day's work. World of Warcraft's upcoming Midnight expansion will finally introduce the feature to the legendary MMO, and, speaking to Lauren at Gamescom, associate game director Paul Kubit and combat lead Jade Martin explain why it's taken so long for it to let the denizens of Azeroth become landlords.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best MMORPGs, WoW The War Within review, The best WoW addons

PCGamesN Wednesday, August 27, 2025 10:27 AM
    

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers has had a rough time of it lately. Since its release, it's been lambasted for poor PC performance issues that persist despite numerous post-launch updates. More recently, developer Leenzee has caught flak for playing resolution upscaling tricks and rolling out a controversial retcon patch. Nevertheless, despite being entrenched in a 'mixed' rating on Steam, it's impossible to ignore how soulslike fans on social platforms have welcomed it with open arms.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Wuchang Fallen Feathers madness explained, Wuchang Fallen Feathers bosses, Best Wuchang Fallen Feathers builds

PCGamesN Wednesday, August 27, 2025 10:47 AM
    

August 27, 2025: We checked for new Mech Arena codes.

What are the new Mech Arena codes? If you want to keep up with your teammates and opponents in Plarium's fast-paced mech shooter, you're going to need A-Coins and Credits to get the latest weapons and gear.

Luckily, this free PC game offers many ways to get more XP, A-Coins, and Credits, including daily login rewards and challenges. There are also regular new Mech Arena redemption codes for the multiplayer game, too, and we've listed all the current ones below. These codes not only provide you with in-game currency to upgrade your gear, others occasionally even reward you with a whole new mech for nothing, so don't miss out.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: The best multiplayer games, The best free PC games

PCGamesN Wednesday, August 27, 2025 10:12 AM
    

You can do practically anything in Minecraft. From making buildings that resemble famous landmarks, to crossing the entirety of the procedurally generated map, players are determined to test the game to its absolute limits. However, there are some things you simply cannot change, and that's where developer Mojang steps in. The latest Minecraft snapshot, 25w35a, makes important changes to how Copper Golems work and adds Halychian language support. No, me neither.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Minecraft seeds, Minecraft skins, Minecraft mods

PCGamesN Wednesday, August 27, 2025 10:02 AM
    

SanDisk has just launched a new PCIe 4.0 gaming SSD with a budget price tag, offering speeds that trade blows with the WD Black SN850X, but with a price that starts at just $54.99 for a 500GB drive. The company claims the new WD Blue SN5100 can read at speeds of up to 7,100MB/s, with a top write speed of 6,700MB/s, which would have placed it among the fastest SSDs you could buy before the PCIe 5.0 era.

SanDisk says it's aiming this new WD drive at creators and professionals, but it also looks like it would be a fine SSD for gamers on tight budgets. One of its predecessors, the WD Blue SN580 has been proudly sitting on our best gaming SSD buying guide for a while, thanks to its cheap price, and this new drive looks set to be much faster.

MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best graphics card, Best gaming PC, Best SSD for gaming

Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Wednesday, August 27, 2025 4:32 PM
    

Taking your Steam Deck on the go this Summer? You'll probably know all too well just how quickly the battery drains, and while we've seen recent deals on some sizeable options like the AOHI Future Starship, this one is a bit more compact.

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Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Wednesday, August 27, 2025 4:32 PM
    

If you're looking for a discount on an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti PC, discounts are popping up all over the place.

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Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Wednesday, August 27, 2025 1:00 PM
    

Dread Delusion developers Lovely Hellplace and their sinister backers at DreadXP have announced Entropy - a turn-based party RPG inspired by classic Japanese RPGs, which retains Dread Delusion's fungal pixel aesthetics.

Like Final Fantasy 9, it starts with a theatre show. You play a rank thespian initially equipped with a simple prop sword. But then horrible creatures crash the stage, and it's time to armour up your troupe and quest forth to snuff out a demon incursion. What's the best Shakespeare line to invoke here, hmm. Ah yes: "target their elemental weaknesses!" Hamlet said that before he shanked Polonius through the curtain. No, don't google to check, dear reader – I am in haste. Quickly, watch the below trailer.

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Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Wednesday, August 27, 2025 12:42 PM
    

Amid the madness of Gamescom, we somehow skipped the most important game of the year. Cheese Rolling is a multiplayer ragdoll game inspired by the ancient Gloucestershire, England pastime of racing a hunk of dairy down a hill.

The hill in question is Cooper's Hill at Brockworth, and the ceremony apparently dates back to at least 1826 - providing you trust the account of that year's Gloucester town crier - which makes the sport of cheese rolling at least 47 years older than Rock Paper Shotgun. The cheese in question is usually Double Gloucester - scandalously, they resorted to a foam replica in 2013 - and is given a strict one-second headstart.

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Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Wednesday, August 27, 2025 12:31 PM
    

A new Baldur's Gate 3 custom campaign mod has emerged onto the Nexus like Gale's mitt through that portal, and it's one you'll likely want to check out if you fancy getting nostalgic for one of RPG's classic siblings. Return to Candlekeep, as you might have gleaned from the title, aims to recreate the prologue of the original Baldur's Gate, by taking you to a certain library fortress.

It's not surprising someone's given this a go. After all, daunting tasks as such things might be, a good number of the BG3 custom campaigns being put together with the Moonglasses toolkit have opted to try their hand at taking players to revamped versions of locations from the previous two games.

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Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Wednesday, August 27, 2025 11:15 AM
    

We're back again, gang. Bang bang. The Doom modder behind Fallout: Bakersfield, which recreates the city of Necropolis from the original Fallout as the backdrop to irradiated boomer shooting, has followed up their first trailer in ages with some more footage of the mod in action.

Alexander 'Red888guns' Berezin, the modder in question, caught most of us off guard last month, when he whipped out that trailer for a GZDoom WAD plenty had assumed wouldn't ever see the light of day. After all, Berezin had plenty of other stuff on his plate. He's definitely working hard to show it off now, though.

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Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Wednesday, August 27, 2025 10:59 AM
    

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is out now, and while it's a lot prettier or at least, more Unreal than the original Metal Gear Solid 3, it's got its fair share of technical problems. Curiously, two of the major crashing issues involve crocodiles. If you want a smooth opening bout of Snake Eater, I would avoid either pretending to be a crocodile or having lunch in the presence of a hungry one. Did a crocodile work on this game? There seems to be some underlying reptilian resentment at work, which I guess is to be expected from a game called Snake Eater.

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Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Wednesday, August 27, 2025 10:16 AM
    

While not quite as rife with grumpy grey soulslikes as June's Summer Game Fest, Gamescom 2025 primarily favoured moodiness over levity. Silent Hill f? Hardly out to make jokes. Dawn of War 4? Pretty grim and a little dark, if you ask me. Hollow Knight: Silksong? They don't have mouths to smile with.

But then, we also got Denshattack. Now there's a big, daft bundle of laughs, a half-racing, half-score attack trickster that both rattled and rejuvenated my expo-ravaged bones upon playing its demo in the Gamescom Indie Arena. All while centring around what has, traditionally, been the dullest of wheely vehicles: the train.

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Siliconera Wednesday, August 27, 2025 6:00 PM
    

Tokyo Otaku Mode Also Suspends US Merchandise Shipments

Yet another online retailer that specializes in Japanese merchandise including anime and game products announced the President Donald Trump "Termination of De Minimis Treatment for All Countries" executive order is halting service to the US. Tokyo Otaku Mode is also suspending shipments following the Japan Post announcement and shared its own statement on the situation. We have no idea when shipments will resume after halting on August 27, 2025. 

As a reminder, Trump declared that de minimis treatment is over. Before, shipments that were under $800 were exempt. They are now not and tariffs and fees will apply. Due to the lack of preparations and ambiguity, Japan Post announced the pause. Tokyo Otaku Mode is also pausing US shipments as a result of that order and nobody knowing how the new tariffs and fees would be collected from customers. 

Tokyo Otaku Mode does have US warehouse shipments as well as ones from Japan, and it noted people can see if they are affected by going to the Orders page and looking for updates. If one of the packages is affected, it will be assigned the "Pending (Shipping Method Unavailable)" status. It also said that, if someone is concerned, they can visit the store's official inquiry page with their order number and request indefinite order storage. It said this would apply even if Japan Post starts shipping again, so someone could perhaps attempt to hold things to see if tariffs reduce. 

This is one of multiple stores making this move as a result of the Trump executive order and tariffs. Others included Good Smile Company and Hobby Link Japan, with AmiAmi promising a future update on its US order statuses. 

The post Tokyo Otaku Mode Also Suspends US Merchandise Shipments appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Wednesday, August 27, 2025 5:00 PM
    

Square Enix Explains Why Aerith Follows Yellow Flowers in FFVII Remake Switch 2 FPS framerate

Square Enix took to social media to confirm the framerate for the Switch 2 version of FFVII Remake Intergrade, and it noted the Final Fantasy VII title runs at 30fps. This came after some reports from gamescom 2025 demos of the title suggested it might be running at 40fps, as shared on places like Reddit

Hitting 30fps on the Switch 2 isn't unexpected for FFVII Remake, as that is what the PS4 version hit. On the PS5, players could choose between Graphics or Performance mode, which would affect the framerate and resolution. Going with the Graphics option would involve a 30fps cap. If someone chose Performance, however, it would get up to 60fps. 

The Switch 2 resolution for FFVII Remake Intergrade didn't come up alongside the confirmation it hits 30fps. However, we do already have a general idea of support for titles on the system. Typically, a game being played in handheld mode can hit 1080p. If someone plays a game while the console is docked, it might be possible for it to display at 4K depending on the title and TV. 

Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade will come to the Switch 2 in 2025, and the first game in the FFVII trilogy is already available on the PS4, PS5, and PC.

The post FFVII Remake Intergrate Switch 2 FPS Confirmed appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Wednesday, August 27, 2025 4:00 PM
    

Persona 5 Royal Keychains Show Characters With Their Personas

Bandai Namco announced its gashapon capsule machines in Japan will feature a Persona 5 Royal capsule rubber mascot line of keychains of characters paired off with their Personas. There will be 10 total. They'll show up in the country in December 2025, with each try costing 300円. Since there are US and Canadian branches of this division, we will likely see them worldwide in 2026. Atlus also pointed out Bandai Namco's Gashapon Online division will start offering them starting on September 1, 2025.

Each of these Persona 5 Royal keychains of characters with their Personas is about 6 inches tall. They're made of flexible rubber, and there's a metal ball-chain at the top for holding keys. There is no "secret" one. Each one is also shown with their starting Persona and in their Phantom Thieves costume. So this would mean Joker would be with Arsene and Panther is shown alongside Carmen.

Here's the full list of all the pairings. 

  • Crow with Robin Hood
  • Fox with Goemon
  • Joker with Arsene
  • Mona with Zorro
  • Noir with Milady
  • Oracle with Necronomicon
  • Panther with Carmen
  • Queen with Johanna
  • Skull with Captain Kidd
  • Violet with Cendrillon

And here is how all of those Persona 5 Royal characters look with their Personas.

In Japan, people can buy step counters and a scale based on the series.

Bandai Namco will offer the Persona 5 Royal capsule rubber mascot keychains in gashapon machines in Japan starting in December 2025, and we should see them in the company's capsule machines in the US and Canada a few weeks or months after that. The original game launched on the PS3 and PS4, and the Royal release appeared on the PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC. 

The post Persona 5 Royal Keychains Show Characters With Their Personas appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Wednesday, August 27, 2025 3:00 PM
    

6.0 Genshin Impact Special Program Airs This Week

We are finally about to make our way to Snezhnaya in Genshin Impact, heading there via Nod-Krai, and the Genshin Impact Special Program introducing that path forward and the 6.0 update airs on August 29, 2025. It will air on Twitch and YouTube at 5am PT/8am ET/2pm CET. The update itself is expected to launch on September 10, 2025.

We know a lot about what to expect from the 6.0 Genshin Impact Special Program, thanks to lots of teasers about new characters and the Nod-Krai region. Aino, Flins, and Lauma will be the new playable units. We don't know which ones are the five-stars and who is the four-star. Aino is tied to Ineffa and made her. Flins also starred in the title's gamescom 2025 trailer. While Nod-Krai itself is connected to Snezhnaya, it doesn't fall under the Tsaritsa. It also consists of a number of notable places we'll get to visit, including a town. The teaser image for the showcase highlighted other upcoming playable characters and notable figures, including the Fatui member Sandrone (Marionette). 

As a reminder, the 5.8 update arrived on July 30, 2025. That added Ineffa as its sole new character, wrapped up Natlan activities, added outfits for Bennet and Yelan, and teased Lauma and Nod-Krai. After that, we started to see 

Genshin Impact is available for the PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, PC, and mobile devices, and the Special Program for 6.0 airs on August 29, 2025.

The post 6.0 Genshin Impact Special Program Airs This Week appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Wednesday, August 27, 2025 2:00 PM
    

Good Smile Company, Hobby Link Japan Suspend US Shipping

Anyone in the US who typically orders figures or other merchandise from companies like Good Smile Company and Hobby Link Japan will find shipping suspended as a result of the "Termination of De Minimis Treatment for All Countries" executive order from President Donald Trump tied to the tariffs situation. This comes after Japan Post noted it would suspend any mail that didn't involve standard letters or small parcels designated as gifts and valued under $100. AmiAmi also noted on its main page that, "We will share additional details about how this may affect orders, along with a helpdesk article, as soon as possible." This all starts on August 27, 2025.

The Good Smile Company statement about suspending service to the US and the state of shipping anime and game figures and merchandise there specifically mentioned Japan post and the Trump executive order. It also noted that it does not know when service will resume. It specifically closed things out with, "We are currently reviewing alternative shipping methods and the prospects for resuming shipments. Once a course of action has been determined, we will provide further updates and resume shipments as soon as possible."

Likewise, the Hobby Link Japan message also referenced the executive order, tariffs, and the Japan Post decision. It also offered more details on what will happen with orders that can't be sent out immediately as a result of the suspension and future anime and game figure and merchandise sales. It said it all orders, including current and future ones, will go to "the Private Warehouse with no limitations on storage until a suitable shipping method becomes available again." It also said it is looking for more options to ensure people can get their items.

Both Good Smile Company and Hobby Link Japan don't know when their suspension of shipping merchandise to the US will resume.

The post Good Smile Company, Hobby Link Japan Suspend US Shipping appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Wednesday, August 27, 2025 1:00 PM
    

See the New Digimon Story Time Stranger Story Trailer

Bandai Namco already teased some of the Digimon Story: Time Stranger story, but a new trailer looks even closer at what to expect from the game as our characters are sent back in time and on trips into the Digital World of Iliad. This latest video focuses more on our mission once we really get going on our journey. Primarily, one issue here involved Titans keeping gates from being opened in Iliad.

When we start the story in Digimon Story Time Stranger, we decide if Dan Yuki or Kanan Yuki will be our avatar for the adventure. Both of them work with the Special Investigation Bureau ADAMAS. Their goal is to investigate anomalies and, after encountering one, are sent back in time eight years. This mean not only going through  Shinjuku and Akihabara, but Digimon towns in the Digital World Iliad. This new trailer shows one of them alongside Inori Misono and Aegiomon as they meet with Olympos XII member Junomon. She explains that the Titans are keeping her from opening the gate between worlds. That it will be up to us and Aegiomon's power to set things right. 

From there, we see our avatar on that journey with Inori and Aegiomon. They explore Iliad and meet with other Olympos XII members like Merukimon. As we see more exploration footage and combat segments, we also learn that our allies could be closely tied to what happened. ADAMAS suggests that both Inori and Aegiomon, and their potential, mean they are Class A Anomalies.

Here's the full Digimon Story: Time Stranger "Story Trailer."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFEu9XOLmg0

Digimon Story: Time Strangers will release on October 3, 2025 for the PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Bandai Namco will also feature it at its TGS 2025 booth.

The post See the New Digimon Story: Time Stranger Story Trailer  appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Wednesday, August 27, 2025 12:00 PM
    

Infinity Nikki Stardew Valley Crossover Includes Outfit and Gramophone

Infold Games shared a trailer going over everything that will be a part of the Infinity Nikki Stardew Valley crossover and, as expected, there will be an outfit with farmer vibes alongside items that reference the series' chickens and Junimos. These will all be tied to the Stardew Valley Encounter event and quests.

The full trailer starts with an animation showing how Nikki and Momo end up meeting the Junimos. From there, it goes to a bit of actual in-game footage around the 1:25 mark. It teases the "New friend Carried by Stars" quest that brings a Junimo to Miraland. This will be a World Quest we can find and it will involve a voxel-style sprite. Via assisting the spirit, we can get the three-star Stardew Valley Encounter outfit in Infinity Nikki that resembles a farmer outfit. It even has a backpack basket part with a plush chicken and egg inside. The Chicken Gramophone music player is available as a furniture reward from this questline too, and can be placed in our in-game home. If you get the songs for that gramophone, we also get a Junimo-style barrette for Nikki called A Blessing unto You.

Here's the full trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlDfVTl5pmI

As a reminder, the Home Spaces update is also part of this 1.9 patch that will include this crossover. That lets us get and decorate our own houses in-game.

Infinity Nikki is available for the PS5, PC, and mobile devices, and the Stardew Valley crossover comes to the game in 1.9.

The post Infinity Nikki Stardew Valley Crossover Includes Outfit and Gramophone appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Wednesday, August 27, 2025 11:00 AM
    

Final Fantasy XIV Fan Festival 2026 US, Japan, and Europe Set

Square Enix announced the dates for the 2026 Final Fantasy XIV Fan Festival events that will be held in the US, Europe, and Japan alongside the 13th anniversary of FFXIV. Everything will start in April 2026 in California, before wrapping up in October 2026 in Japan. In the meantime, the Eternal Bonding site for the game ended up being updated for folks who decide to marry each other in the MMORPG.

Here's the full list of when each of the events will take place and where they will be held. We don't know when tickets will start to be sold for them.

  • April 24-25, 2026: Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California in the US.
  • July 25-26, 2026: Messe Berlin, hub27 in Berlin, Germany in Europe.
  • October 31, 2026-November 1, 2026: Makuhari Messe in Chiba City, Japan. 

In the past, we've seen it happen in Las Vegas and London.

Here's the trailer revealing the FFXIV Fan Festival 2026 dates:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mb5KQXhzVCI

As for the updated Eternal Bonding site for marriage in FFXIV, it features a trailer, music, and new imagery. It explains what the system is and how it works. The three different plans tied to the process and the rewards earned during "The Ties that Bind" appear too. There's also a FAQs answering questions about things like Worlds where the ceremony could be held and wristlets bought.

Final Fantasy XIV is available for the PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC, and the FFXIV 2026 Fan Festival events will kick off on April 24, 2026 in Anaheim, California in the US. 

The post Final Fantasy XIV Fan Festival 2026 US, Japan, and Europe Set appeared first on Siliconera.


Destructoid Wednesday, August 27, 2025 3:53 PM
    

netease activision blizzard china

If I can't call someone a "noob" in Overwatch 2's text chat, what am I supposed to write? I'm not good at writing poems, I'm not a comedian, and I save love letters for my wife. Maybe I should just not write at all, because Blizzard can apparently ban players from game comms for these minor insults and a lot less.

A frustrated player in the Overwatch 2 subreddit shared a message they got from a game master. It was a reply after appealing a permanent suspension of in-game communication, which the game master rejected because the player "received multiple penalties for this type of behavior", more specifically, using the game chat to send "noob", "?", and "worth."

https://www.reddit.com/r/Overwatch/comments/1n1mxay/it_was_fun_while_it_lasted/

The GM's full reply is too nonsensical to believe a real human wrote that, so from now on, I'm assuming it's an AI job, or at least it's assisted by one. The AI must have at least written the message for the game master, even if they manually reviewed the player's chat history.

Fortunately, there is no sign that bans for typing a question mark in the chat are being handed out like flyers on a busy street. But this is a weird case of an outlier that shows that Overwatch 2's moderation tools can be wrong when they ban you, and that the appeal systems may double down on that error instead of helping you fix it.

A fair counterargument is that the player who shared this has probably said much worse things to their Overwatch 2 teammates, but Blizzard's systems just failed to show them. I'd agree with that. Even if we're right, it still shows how whatever AI the company's using can hurt the trust players have in their moderation team.

Trust in the game's ban appeal system is key because it's impossible to be polite all the time when playing a team game like Overwatch 2. You don't have the right to be toxic, of course, but I won't trust anyone who says they've never cursed or called someone a noob in text or voice chat at least once.

So when cases like this happen, we hope it's an outlier and not another case of moderation systems ignoring racist, toxic, and discriminatory comments to instead ban fair players for false positives.

The post I hope this Overwatch 2 ban for calling someone a 'noob' isn't Blizzard using a half-baked AI tool appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Wednesday, August 27, 2025 3:51 PM
    

Star Citizen raised over $500 million

Cloud Imperium Games has reportedly amassed over $1,000,000,000 in crowdfunding since starting development on Star Citizen, a new report reveals. This impressive feat comes despite Star Citizen constantly eluding release, while its sister title Squadron 42 spends tons on bringing Hollywood superstars into the mix.

Though official figures on CIG's site show $859 million in funds raised, a new report (thanks IGN) shows Chris Roberts, Star Citizen's lead designer, claimed the studio has amassed over $1 billion total thus far. This is despite the fact that Star Citizen has no clear release date, was announced as far back as 2012, and still continues to be developed, even with so many resources available at hand. What's more, millions play its in-development builds, helping developers shape the title into the best it could be.

Meanwhile, Squadron 42, a spinoff, is set to launch in 2026, according to the same report. This game, which has no doubt taken time and resources away from Star Citizen itself, and stars Hollywood mega-actors like Henry Cavill and Gary Oldman, has also been suspended in development for the better part of a decade, originally planning to release back in 2014.

Star Citizen: a large spaceship flying over a dark planet.
You can purchase ships in Star Citizen for thousands of real USD, despite the game still being "unreleased." Image via Roberts Space Industries

Thus, for over 13 years now, CIG has slowly worked on getting Star Citizen and Squadron 42 out, with countless delays and broken promises. The pool of collected funds continues to grow and swell, allowing the studio to create massive hype around the two games.

Chris Roberts, according to IGN's report, said internally that Squadron 42 will be on par with GTA 6's release next year. While GTA 6 will likely make back the billion-dollar sum CIG collected for 13 years in one single day, it's almost certain Squadron 42 won't have that big of a splash. It's true that millions continue to fund, support, and play pre-release versions of both games, but their communities pale in comparison to the one Rockstar has amassed, especially post-GTA 5.

Online, communities have torn into Roberts' claims and CIG's history of delaying its titles. Keep in mind that the report indicates Squadron 42 is going to launch next year, with Star Citizen to come by 2028 (and even then, seemingly in episodic format), thus directly competing with GTA 6.

Henry Cavill playing an astronaut character in Star Citizen.
A lot of the money raised is probably going to Hollywood. Image via Roberts Space Industries

"I thought Squadron 42 was just around the corner like 4 years ago?" one user on Reddit wrote. "At least GTA 6 has a release date," wrote another, while others still called Star Citizen and CIG's games the "scam of the century."

The overall sentiment surrounding these games, their creator, and the studio behind them is significantly negative. However, that is still the side that's not playing them, and we can see by the numbers and the money that there are, indeed, people who love the output. Hell, there are even ships in-game costing thousands of dollars, and have been for a decade, so there's that.

All in all, the gist is that we'll see. Star Citizen certainly has made developing a game the most profitable business venture imaginable, as 13 years down the line, CIG is yet to actually release even a single title.

The post Not making a game sure seems like a good business: Star Citizen reportedly crosses $1 billion gross while release remains elusive appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Wednesday, August 27, 2025 3:43 PM
    

Corvettes in No Man's Sky

Corvette spaceships are the latest addition to No Man's Sky, and you'll need plenty of modules to craft your jet.

Unlike previously available spaceships, you can't directly purchase a Corvette. The Voyagers update has added a new workshop in space stations. From there, you can craft your ship and take it on a journey across the galaxy, but to do so, you'll need more modules.

How to find Corvette modules in No Man's Sky

There are many ways to find Corvette modules. The grind will be easier if you've already cleared the early gam and you gain access to a space station. You'll find the workshop there, and this is where you design and build your Corvette.

To build your Corvette, you'll need to get the required modules. The modules are parts of your spaceship that can be combined in different arrangements. You can buy the modules directly from the workshop.

Corvette parts in No Man's Sky
Screenshot by Destructoid

To do so, you'll need credits, and they can be pretty expensive. The prices of the modules vary according to their profiles and rarity. In short, prepare to shell out plenty of credits if you want to go this route. However, this is the easiest way to get modules if you're willing to spend millions.

There are more ways to get the modules as you travel across the map.

  • You can find modules from Derelict Freighters that are spread across the galaxy.
  • You will come across containers when exploring a world. Some of these containers can reward you with modules.
  • Look for quests that put you against pirates. Destroying them can sometimes reward you with modules. This might be a tricky way to obtain modules, as you'll have to ensure you don't get killed in the process.

That's how you can obtain the modules and build your Corvettes in No Man's Sky. You can also trade your modules for items of better rarity, which will allow you to get better and bigger ships.

The post How to get Corvette modules in No Man's Sky appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Wednesday, August 27, 2025 3:30 PM
    

Lilith from Granblue Fantasy Relink using a spell

When I first played Granblue Fantasy Relink, a spinoff of the browser gacha game Granblue Fantasy, the last thing I expected was to become a fan. I couldn't see how a JRPG franchise born from this 2014 gacha could deliver a great action RPG title 10 years later, but it did. Now, I've played a third GBF game that made me finally realize why the franchise turned into one of my favorites.

It's all Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising's fault. It's a fighting game with a story mode with amazing English VA. The voices of Gran, Katalina, Lancelot, and other human characters perfectly match their spirits and actions as the story develops. Katalina's voice in the early chapter differs when she's influenced by the black crystal's powers and when she's back to normal and having a chat in a safe area with other characters. The voice of Vyrn, a small flying lizard-like companion, is funny, high-pitched, and reminds me of cute anime creatures like Cerberus from Sakura Card Captors.

Even if voice was the only cue in the game for a Granblue Fantasy character's state of mind, anyone would get it immediately.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlYXHZs7w7E

But animation is where developer Cygames made an extra effort. Story cutscenes are as high-quality as any award-winning anime would be. The different camera angles, zoom-ins, and character expressions breathe life into the Granblue Fantasy characters, who we would otherwise only see as static figures in dialogue scenes. The animation was a major shift for the franchise since the original 2014 title had almost no cutscenes, though it always had an incredible cast of voice actors.

The first Granblue Fantasy game has 861 characters voiced by 564 unique talent, according to the specialist website Behind the Voice Actors. GBVS: Rising has a cast of 92 unique English speakers, which shows how Cygames put in a lot of money and effort into making VA one of the main features of the game. My first and favorite title in the series, Granblue Fantasy: Relink, features 34 voice actors. You can double the numbers of the last two games if you account for the original Japanese ones.

All that acting effort with quality execution quietly stuck with me after I finished Relink. While I was playing it, I didn't realize how much I had associated the characters' voices with their personalities, gameplay, and story. I had picked my favorite characters to play with—Cagliostro and Lancelot—based on their skills and gameplay style, not their background story.

It just struck me how much of a connection I had built with Granblue Fantasy characters in Relink after I picked up Versus: Rising. I was suddenly super excited to see these characters again in another game. Having that feeling of familiarity when hearing Gran and Lyria's voices in the first cutscenes of story mode meant all the voice acting in Relink built a connection between me and the Granblue Fantasy characters.

Animation and voice acting are such a big part of the Granblue Fantasy universe that all Versus: Rising story cutscenes are almost six hours long when put together. That's one hour longer than the stories of Dragon Ball FighterZ and Guilty Gear: Strive, three hours longer than Tekken 8, and four hours longer than Street Fighter 6.

If you want to experience the Granblue Fantasy world for the first time and see that voice acting for yourself, I recommend you start with the free version of Versus: Rising. I know fighting games aren't for everyone, but the story mode is super easy, and you can treat the gameplay like a nuisance you go through to watch some cool anime scenes. Relink has no free edition, but it's amazing if you like Monster Hunter or other mission-based action RPGs.

Otherwise, you can find the full story modes of all Granblue Fantasy games on YouTube to watch as a show.

The post This niche JRPG franchise is quietly becoming my favorite thanks to peak acting and animation appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Wednesday, August 27, 2025 2:35 PM
    

Hornet in Silksong next to The Knight from Hollow Knight

Hollow Knight is a fun game, but I have to admit I never finished it. And honestly, I wish I had, because now, when I see my save file with 20 hours of gameplay, I have no idea where I have to go. No clue. I don't even remember how to play the game because it's been more than a year since I dropped it.

There's no point in trying to move forward from where I am because I will probably take another 20 hours to figure it out. I don't remember the mechanics, I don't remember the map, I don't remember anything.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XGeJwsUP9c

Now the sequel, Silksong, is around the corner. Why should I restart the original now? I can instead start playing Silksong next week and never finish it, just like I did with Hollow Knight. It's probably much more fun than replaying the first entry, right?

Jokes aside, I feel like Silksong and Hollow Knight are the kinds of game experiences we maybe don't have to finish to enjoy. Sure, they are much more rewarding if you finish them, but I think all of us are guilty of not finishing games, especially long ones that are over 20 hours. I don't play super-long games through to the end, which doesn't mean I don't have fun with them.

You shouldn't avoid a game just because you're not sure you're going to finish it. You may be surprised and enjoy it, just like Jeanne d'Arc surprised me. It's a 30-hour-long tactics title I never thought I would like, and I still completed it. It was fun, and I would've never had that fun if I hadn't started it, afraid of never finishing it.

That's why I'll still play Silksong even though I never finished Hollow Knight. I still have some battle scars from all the dying and backtracking, and something was frustrating enough to make me stop playing it, though my mind completely erased that thing. But Hollow Knight was fun. That's enough to make me think I should play Silksong, even if that frustrating thing happens again and my save file ends up collecting pixel dust at 55% completion.

So if Silksong is anything like Hollow Knight, which it should logically be, it will be brutal and difficult, but fun. It will be a good experience to have in such a highly anticipated game. I feel like it's a must-have experience since I really enjoy indie games, so I'm all in for Silksong. If I don't finish it, I really don't care. I want to spend some good times with the game.

The post I can't wait to pretend I've finished Silksong, just like I do with Hollow Knight appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Wednesday, August 27, 2025 2:00 PM
    

Ronaldinho FUTTIES item as rewards for EA FC 25 Griddy to Glory Cup

EA FC 25 might be into the last month of its annual shelf life, but you can make it memorable by grinding for a 99-rated FUTTIES Ronaldinho via the Griddy to Glory Cup.

The cup might seem pretty standard initially, but things heat up when you look at the rewards. This is your best path to getting 99-rated items with minimal effort, and you won't need to do much. The cup guarantees you 5 99-rated items daily and the 99-rated FUTTIES Icon card.

To make matters interesting, there's a surprise twist waiting for you.

EA FC 25 Griddy to Glory Cup explained

The Griddy to Glory Cup offers you a certain number of games daily. You can complete it by either winning three matches or completing six.

Doing so will get you an 86+ 3 Rare Gold Players Pack and an 85+ 10 Rare Gold Players Pack. Those are not your main rewards. Instead, you get a special player pick daily, offering 10 FUTTIES/PTG/GOTG items that can only be rated 99. You can keep any five from the offerings. Repeat this for five days straight, and you get to add up to 25 99-rated items.

Official Griddy to Glory Cup objective rewards in EA FC 25
Screenshot by Destructoid

Once you complete the set, you will get your squad's 99-rated Ronaldinho FUTTIES Icon. However, be careful not to miss out a single day, as that will lock you out from getting this truly memorable card alongside the Griddy celebration, usable in EA FC 26. This is the only way to celebrate with Griddy in Ultimate Team, as the celebration won't be available via standard controls in next year's launch. If you want to add one of the most toxic celebrations to your arsenal next year, make sure to complete the latest objective set at the earliest.

The post How to get 99-rated Ronaldinho for free in EA FC 25? (Griddy to Glory Cup explained) appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Wednesday, August 27, 2025 1:57 PM
    

Baldur's Gate 1 Castle Candlekeep standing tall above a sea and isthmus.

Baldur's Gate 3 modding is off the charts these days, evolving significantly as time goes by. Though the lack of officially supported big modding tools has slowed things down a bit, that never stops avid creators, who have now even managed to recreate Baldur's Gate 1's prologue in BG3.

To say this is impressive is an understatement. A fully-fledged, story-filled recreation of the Candlekeep level, Baldur's Gate 1's prologue and tutorial map, has been made for Baldur's Gate 3, using the game's unofficial custom campaign creator. The mod, called Return to Candlekeep, is highly accurate in its portrayal of BG1's first map, and it includes both Candlekeep Castle itself and all the surrounding areas.

What's more, the modder, 786r786, even made sure to include the story beats as well. For example, in one of the early parts of the prologue, you're attacked by one of Bhaal's cultists who wishes to kill you to earn respect among his peers. This is one of the earliest significant story revelations that will come to unravel as the game goes on, and the modder kept it in, alongside a ton of content from the original game.

A main menu screen with gold, swords, shields, chests, and other items scattered on the ground in Baldur's Gate 3.
The mod sports a custom main menu screen inspired by the original game. Image via 786r786

The interior design of Castle Candlekeep is impeccable. It was meticulously crafted to the finest of details, using apparently only those assets found in BG3 itself. It is quite close to the first game, though without the grit of late 1990s sprite-based vibes.

This huge mod could be an inaugural first step towards something much greater, perhaps involving full recreations and remakes of other parts of Baldur's Gate 1, and even beyond. We've come to see that RPGs and modders can often result in massive undertakings, such as how Skyrim modders are remaking Oblivion and Morrowind in the game's engine.

There is little to stop Baldur's Gate from going down that path, so long as modders can figure out how to navigate the game's tools and kit. While that's easier said than done, the mod above, and some others, prove that anything is possible with enough dedication, creativity, and raw passion.

The post A new era of Baldur's Gate 3 modding could be upon us, and this BG1 intro recreation is its beginning appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Wednesday, August 27, 2025 1:33 PM
    

Ronaldo Immortals as one of the best cards for EA FC 25 Deadeye+ Evolution

The Deadeye+ Evolution is available for all EA FC 25 players, and you can upgrade one of your lower-rated cards for free.

EA Sports continues to release evolutions named after the chemistry styles inside the game, and the latest one allows you to improve your chosen card to an overall rating of 98. The card will get all-rounded stat boosts, new roles, and playstyles along the way. Let's take a look at the best possible choices for this evolution.

EA FC 25 Deadeye+ Evolution requirements

Here are the requirements of Deadeye+ Evolution in EA FC 25.

  • Overall: Max 96
  • PlayStyle: Max 10
  • PlayStyle+: Max 4

EA FC 25 Deadeye+ Evolution upgrades

There are four levels of upgrades, and here are the requirements.

Level 1 upgrades

  • Overall: +2|98
  • Curve: +4|94
  • Positioning: +8|96
  • Short Passing: +12|96
  • Stamina: +10|92
  • PlayStyles+: Incisive Pass|4
  • PlayStyles: Trivela|8

Level 2 upgrades

  • Finishing: +8|98
  • Reactions: +8|95
  • Vision: +8|96
  • PlayStyles: Tiki Taka|8

Level 3 upgrades

  • Penalties: +4|98
  • Shot Power: +12|98
  • Composure: +8|95
  • PlayStyles: Low Driven Shot, Pinged Pass|8

Level 4 upgrades

  • Long Shots: +4|98
  • Strength: +6|90
  • Weak Foot: +4
  • PlayStyles+: Finesse Shot|4

Level 1 upgrade conditions

  • Play 2 matches in Rush, Rivals, Champions, or Squad Battles on Min. Semi-Pro using your active EVO player in game.

Level 2 upgrade conditions

  • Play 2 matches in Rush, Rivals, Champions, or Squad Battles on Min. Semi-Pro using your active EVO player in game.

Level 3 upgrade conditions

  • Play 3 matches in Rush, Rivals, Champions, or Squad Battles on Min. Semi-Pro using your active EVO player in game.

Level 4 upgrade conditions

  • Play 2 matches in Rush, Rivals, Champions, or Squad Battles on Min. Semi-Pro using your active EVO player in game.
  • Win 1 match in Rush, Rivals, Champions, or Squad Battles on Min. Semi-Pro using your active EVO player in game.

Best players to use in Deadeye+ Evolution

Here are some of the best players to use in this evolution.

  • Heung Min-Son Fantasy FC
  • Kika Nazareth Fantasy FC
  • Pedro Neto RTTF
  • Crystal Dunn FUTTIES
  • Anthony Martial FUTTIES
  • Ronaldo Immortal
  • Connor Gallagher Shapeshifters

Your club's evo chain candidates can provide unique solutions exclusive to your Ultimate Team squad.

The post Best players for EA FC 25 Deadeye+ Evolution appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Wednesday, August 27, 2025 12:34 PM
    

A skater flying above the city in skate.

Fifteen years following the release of Skate 3, EA is once again giving this old skating series a shot, this time upping the ante in more ways than one.

Set in the massive open-world city of San Vansterdam, populated by players and NPCs alike, skate. is dropping players into a huge sandbox and allowing them to play and express themselves however they see fit. With tight and intuitive controls, weighty physics, and comic ragdolls, skate. is shaping up to be this generation's go-to skating experience, but not without its set of caveats.

A fresh coat of paint — an all-too-recognizable vibe

A San Vansterdam postcard in skate.
skate. takes place in a massive city full of amazing skating opportunities. Screenshot by Destructoid

For those who have had the pleasure of playing old Skate games or have watched the ancient practice of Let's Plays from historic YouTube giants around 2010, you'll know exactly the kind of vibe this franchise has. Physics, ragdolls, and realism (to some extent) are the name of the game here, and skate. has plenty of them.

Set in a huge fictional city called San Vansterdam, skate. has a lot to offer. From incredible verticality where the sky is the literal limit to tons of grounded, varied locations, no bit of San Van ever feels the same. It's Skate to its core, allowing you to go wherever you want and do whatever you want, clearing pre-set challenges scattered throughout the world to increase your reputation, or freestyling across the city streets (or skyscrapers).

From the very moment you're dropped in, you're given the option to stick to Skate 3's recognizable control scheme or switch to a more modern set. For the sake of the preview, I stuck with the OG, as it proved very intuitive even to this day.

The gist of it is: you move with the left stick, and perform tricks with the other. Keyboards decidedly cannot be used to play this game, as even starting it up is greyed out if you don't have a controller plugged in.

A skater diving in skate.
Diving headfirst is equally as important as skating itself in skate. Image via EA

There is a lot you can do both on foot and with a skateboard, much like in the older games. You can sprint, climb, jump, and basically even fly without as much as touching a skate, providing you with a lot of options and varied gameplay (which the game itself emphasizes during its early stages).

The core focus of skate. is its Flick Trick system, tricks performed by dragging the right controller stick in various patterns. You essentially draw the trick you want to perform, and you can see this "drawing board" at the bottom of your screen. It's so intuitive I cannot even express it and makes performing even the wildest tricks "easy," though mastering the game is still quite the ride.

There are a ton of tricks in the game already, with the developers hoping to add more tricks, especially those from older Skate titles.

All in all, skate. preserves the core identity of Skate to a significant degree. However, its cartoonish art style and direction are decidedly different from that of the older titles, which were more gritty and realistic.

I'm not too big a fan of this new style, but it grew on me with the gameplay, which is conditioned by the weighty, realistic physics system of the game as it adds an extra layer that is otherwise missing from its art.

Live-service model and appalling decisions

A skate park in skate.
San Vansterdam is home to dozens of unique locations, each filled with challenges you can tackle on your own or alongside other players. Image via EA

EA is going for a semi-MMO approach for this upcoming skate. title. That means that the world is hosted on a massive server where dozens of players will play simultaneously and be able to meet each other throughout. However, if you're not a fan of seeing other faces around or challenging them to a skate-off, you shouldn't worry—the game's AR system can be utilized to remove just about everyone from the world, including both NPCs and other players, so you can do your thing away from stranger eyes.

It is also a live-service title, with a free-to-play model, allowing everyone to drop in and play however they see fit. The developers told us that this opens the game up to as many people as possible, new and veteran alike, to come in and try things out and perhaps even leave feedback that could end up influencing the game's development.

The early access free-to-play approach, the devs argue, allows them to essentially co-produce skate. alongside the community.

But that comes with a downside: skate. is going to have microtransactions, and while that's completely fine and dandy given they'll only be used for cosmetics, the philosophy has already made its way into the game itself. Completing challenges and racking up your reputation grants you various currencies that you can spend on store cosmetics. The only issue here is that you cannot choose what cosmetic to spend your coins on.

Rather, you open loot boxes with various cosmetic collections contained within, meaning you cannot decouple the free-to-play experience from the premium one. I found this mechanic appalling, to say the least, and felt it was gearing players towards spending money on premium loot box purchases by "warming them up" to them through free-to-play cosmetics.

The overall gameplay wasn't affected by anything I wore, however, so it does remain a purely cosmetic system, albeit one that I couldn't help but feel was predatory in nature.

All in all, EA's new skate. is as much skate as the previous titles, though with a more cartoonish art style and online multiplayer approach. All the crazy sandbox shenanigans are still there, allowing you to skate and crash to your heart's content with realistic physics, virtually no skybox, and verticality equalled by few other titles.

The post Skate. preview — Big city, bigger (skating) dreams appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Wednesday, August 27, 2025 12:03 PM
    

Bradley Barcola in EA FC 26 at the Parc de Princess

The release of EA FC 26 is still a few weeks away, but the first set of player rating leaks has started to pop up on social media.

With the end of the closed beta, EA Sports is expected to start revealing official player and club stats. However, a few leaks seem to be doing that job for now. While I am highly skeptical about how "authentic" these ratings are, I won't rule them out either.

Having played the beta and watched others play, some of the leaked ratings are different. While they can always be personal predictions, you should take the rumors with a grain of salt (until EA Sports officially reveals the numbers for this year).

Disclaimer: A so-called database is doing the rounds on the internet. Any such database is fake, and the leaks mentioned below have been shared from relatively trusted accounts/multiple sources. I haven't included any of the leaked ratings sourced from the database, who legitimacy has been debunked as of writing.

All EA FC 26 player ratings leaks

Last year, the leaks for EA FC 25 player ratings began right after the closed beta had ended. The trend appears to be the same, but the leaks seem to be much more random this year.

  • Cole Palmer 87
  • Ederson 86
  • Ilkay Gundogan 84
  • Omar Marmoush 84
  • Marc Cucurella 84
  • Joao Felix 80
  • Erling Haaland 90
  • Lionel Messi 86
  • Carney Chukwuemeka 74
  • Mohamed Salah 91
  • Lamine Yamal 89
  • Raphinha 90
  • Ousmane Dembele 89
  • Florian Wirtz 89
  • Jamaal Musiala 88
  • Matheus Cunha 83
  • Michael Olise 86
  • Mohamed Isak 88
  • Viktor Gyokeres 86

It will be interesting to find out more about the ratings and how the player numbers look in the lead-up to the launch. We also have new Icons and Heroes appearing in this year's games, including debutants like Toni Kroos, Andres Iniesta, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and more.

Once again, these numbers and overall ratings will remain speculation and rumor until we get confirmation from the developers. However, leaks are always fun and give us, at the very least, a glimpse of just how our favorite teams are shaping up in the new title.

The post All EA FC 26 player and club ratings (leaks) appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Wednesday, August 27, 2025 11:18 AM
    

A Corvette in No Man's Sky

No Man's Sky Voyagers is now live on all available platform as the game's third major update this year, and it introduces a cool vehicle: your personal spaceship, aka, Corvettes.

These massive ships are bigger than anything we have owned in the past, and you can build them from scratch. When complete, a Corvette will serve as your mobile base, filled with all facilities. Everything can be done on your spaceship, from launching missions to hanging out with your buddies.

But first, let's look at how you can obtain a Corvette.

How to obtain a Corvette in No Man's Sky?

The Corvette differs from other ships we own and use in the game. For starters, you don't buy these spaceships. Instead, you assemble the ship to make it your customized masterpiece for exploring all corners of space.

If you're a beginner in No Man's Sky, it will take some time for you to get your Corvette.

  • Your best bet is to complete all missions until you gain Anomaly access.
  • Once you access the Anomaly, you can begin a specific expedition that will gradually introduce you to your first Corvette. You can start the expedition from the Expedition Terminus.

If you have already cleared a lot of in-game content like me, getting your hands on a Corvette is easy.

Corvette room teleportation in No Man's Sky
Screenshot by Destructoid

  • Go to any Anomaly in your galaxy.
  • On your left/right, you'll find teleporters against a wall. Use them to move up a floor. You'll be teleported to the Corvette assembly area.
  • Here, you can design your Corvette.
  • First, you'll need to buy parts for your Corvette. You'll need one of each type. The prices of Corvette parts vary based on their quality.
  • You can also trade basic parts for items of better quality.
  • Once you have all the required items, you can assemble your Corvette.
  • Not only can you design your Corvette, but you can also customize the position of the parts and select a color.

Corvette parts in No Man's Sky
Screenshot by Destructoid

  • Once you're happy with your creation, you can accept the ship to add to your collection.

Corvettes have class like other spaceships, but the customization potential makes them way cooler. You can also swap and change different parts to your liking, which means that you don't have to discard them outright in the first place.

As always, make sure to invite your friends to your ship. You can also decorate the interiors of your spaceship as per your liking.

The post How to get a Corvette in No Man's Sky appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Wednesday, August 27, 2025 11:05 AM
    

Hockey gear in goofy's house in disney dreamlight valley

The Inside Out-themed Memory Mania event is packed with tasks you can complete to embrace all of the emotions in Disney Dreamlight Valley. One of the many duties you need to work through is Feeling Expansive.

The only information you're given to tackle this task is its name, which doesn't give you much to go off. The names of some duties are quite helpful for pointing you in the right direction, but for this one, it's essentially useless, making this a tricky task to solve. If you're stumped by this one, here's how to complete Feeling Expansive in Disney Dreamlight Valley.

Feeling Expansive duty in Disney Dreamlight Valley

Taking a selfie with hockey gear in disney dreamlight valley
Screenshot by Destructoid

To complete the Feeling Expansive duty, you need to find Hockey Equipment around the valley to recover yellow Memory Shards and piece together an Inside Out memory. The memory has six parts to it, so you must recover a minimum of six pieces of Hockey Equipment to finish it.

The memory you need to complete for this task features all five original emotions, including Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger, and Disgust, looking out the window at Headquarters where they live in Riley's mind. Although you might get it done after finding only six pieces of Hockey Equipment, it might take many more.

All pieces of Hockey Equipment you pick up are guaranteed to drop one yellow Memory Shard. This shard may restore a piece of the memory or drop some Star Coins instead, so how easy or difficult this task is ultimately comes down to luck.

Where to find Hockey Equipment in Disney Dreamlight Valley

Hockey Equipment spawns randomly around Merlin's house, Goofy's house, and Mickey's house. All instances of this item look the same, so you're looking for a grey rack with a yellow helmet, brown gloves, black and yellow boots, and a hockey stick leaning up against it.

This gear is always marked by some golden sparkles to make finding around these houses a bit easier. Luckily, all three homes are fairly small, which makes hunting around them for this item more doable. Be sure to carefully check all corners of each home, though, as the sparkles may not appear if you're standing in the doorway far away from them.

More Hockey Equipment spawns 30 minutes after the existing gear has been removed. To ensure you're able to get this task done before the event ends, it's best to sweep through all three houses fairly often so you can make room for more to appear.

Feeling Expansive reward in Disney Dreamlight Valley

Holding an orange anxiety squirrel in disney dreamlight valley
Screenshot by Destructoid

Your prize for completing the Feeling Expansive duty is an Anxiety Squirrel Companion. This critter is inspired by the character Anxiety from Inside Out 2. All of the special emotion Companions you can earn throughout this event are quite unique and special, but this critter is one of my favorites.

After this task is complete, there's still plenty more to get done in this event before it ends. If you're not sure what to work on next, you might consider Get Nostalgic!, finding Riley's Phone, Spark Joy, and Embrace the Blues.

The post How to complete Feeling Expansive in Disney Dreamlight Valley appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Wednesday, August 27, 2025 11:03 AM
    

Key art of a stylized battle where the player character attacks a monster.

Clair Obscur, following the impressive performance of Expedition 33, could be on the path of becoming a fully fledged franchise, the game's director said during a recent interview. Keeping the details confidential, he said Expedition 33 is "not the end" of the series, but just one of many stories.

Speaking with YouTube content creator MrMattyPlays (via The Gamer), Sandfall Interactive chief executive and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Guillaume Broche said his latest game is just one of many stories to be told in the Clair Obscur franchise, heavily implying more games in the series are to come. He cemented that Clair Obscur "is the franchise name," and this latest title is "one of the stories that we want to tell in this franchise."

"Exactly what it will look like and what the concept will be is still too soon to announce, but what's sure is that this is not the end of the Clair Obscur franchise," Broche said.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZEP5kjw-w4

It doesn't get more clear-cut than that. During the interview itself, Broche noted how he was already in the process of writing sequels and working out new ideas, though the details he revealed overall are quite sparse and do not go into specifics. These sequels and ideas could end up in the back of a long pile of papers somewhere, but it's nice to know the devs are already brainstorming the future of this fantastic series.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is one of 2025's most successful titles, and one of the best RPGs in recent memory. Its impeccable writing and art direction, combined with an innovative take on JRPG-esque turn-based combat, attracted millions and placed it high in gaming history, with a 93 average Metacritic rating.

It would've been something amazing to cause the devs to back off and pursue new ventures, but now we can officially get excited about a new Clair Obscur story, possibly revolving around some previous expeditions when the Paintress was much more mysterious.

The post Expedition 33 is just the beginning of the Clair Obscur journey, game director says appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Wednesday, August 27, 2025 10:50 AM
    

Sigma Overwatch

A new emote in Overwatch 2 is causing a stir with players for some interesting reasons.

The new emote is available at tier four of the season 18 battle pass, and it's the first universal emote in Overwatch history, meaning any hero can use it. All other emotes in the game are specific to that hero, so this is something of a big deal.

Screenshot by Destructoid

But for many, the execution of this specific animation is lacking. The "Mic Drop" emote has every hero snap into the standing animation, holding a microphone, and then dropping it as many are wont to do when trying to make a point. In theory, it's perfect for an emote to use as an exclamation point after a team wipe or Play of The Game. But fans want more.

"It's a cool idea but not really thought out well," one player remarked. "Like for D.Va the mic just clips through her fusion cannons when a better alternative would be for D.Va herself to drop the mic."

The very unique character designs throughout the roster make for this emote especially to be a bit weird depending on the hero, with many calling out the floating/flying characters on the roster like Sigma, Zenyatta, Echo, and Juno. But that's just the start of the issue.

"Really not a fan of it," another replied. "The animation looks stiff and the lack of any facial animation makes certain characters look nightmarish, Junkrat especially."

"It really has no business being legendary, if anything," one disgruntled gamer said. "They literally just crammed the same animation onto the skeleton of each hero which is why it looks awkward on so many of them. I like the intent of a universal emote but this really just goes to show how thinly stretched their resources are when it comes to creating cosmetics."

I think the idea of a universal emote is still potentially solid, but the execution certainly needs to be a bit better for future ones. But as some players pointed out, time and resources are needed to individualize them for each hero, which maybe defeats the purpose of having a quick universal emote in the first place.

Screenshot via u/TheUnknownY

Either way, the cosmetic doesn't affect gameplay as far as anyone can tell, so for now, chalk this up as a minor gripe for Blizzard Entertainment to take into consideration moving forward for upcoming seasonal additions.

The post 'Lifeless and dumb': Overwatch 2 has a new universal emote, but some players are disturbed with how it looks on certain heroes appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Wednesday, August 27, 2025 10:44 AM
    

Ocelot in Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater brings back iconic villains from the original version, and killing one of them early will help you unlock an additional trophy in the game.

The villain we are talking about here is Ocelot, who has a strange and unique easter egg around him. If you go against the predicted script, the right way to deal with him is to knock him down permanently after he gets unconscious. But you can create an alternate timeline (of sorts) by dealing differently with Ocelot.

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater Ocelot time paradox explained

There are several bronze trophies to unlock in Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater. One of them is the Time Paradox trophy, which is complete as you create a time paradox. The key here is to kill Ocelot when he's unconscious in the Virtuous mission.

In the first few hours of the game, you'll find Sokolov in Rassvet. Ocelot shows up following the completion of a cutscene, where he will get knocked down. Once the cutscene is over, you'll regain control of Snake.

If you spare Ocelot at this point, you won't be able to create the time paradox. Instead, you'll have to kill him with a lethal weapon by shooting him enough times. Here's an essential tip: don't forget to save your game before killing Ocelot. This is absolutely mandatory as killing Ocelot will unlock the Time Paradox trophy, but it also ends the game.

Ocelot is dead text in Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater
Screenshot by Destructoid

Ocelot is meant to stay alive as he isn't supposed to die at that stage. Killing him in Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater does earn you the trophy, but it also leads to Colonel Campbell telling you that you created a time paradox with your action. Once you kill Ocelot, you'll get an "Ocelot is dead" text that will transition into "Time Paradox" on your screen.

This primarily concerns Ocelot's appearance in games before the original Metal Gear Solid 3, and ending his life in the prequel will alter his appearances in the two other games. Hence, we are dealing with an alternate timeline situation, where the time paradox concept comes in.

The post How to create a time paradox in Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Wednesday, August 27, 2025 10:09 AM
    

Standing in front of emotion colored beds in inside out headquarters in disney dreamlight valley

Disney Dreamlight Valley has plenty of secret, tricky duties for you to tackle. For these types of missions, you often only have the name to go off, as is the case with the Get Nostalgic! task.

Since your only clue doesn't provide any solid insight, it can be quite tough to figure out what needs to be done for this quest. It's an essential one to get done if you're interested in unlocking an exclusive prize, so here's how to complete Get Nostalgic! in Disney Dreamlight Valley.

Get Nostalgic! duty in Disney Dreamlight Valley

part of a nostalgia memory in disney dreamlight valley
Screenshot by Destructoid

To complete the Get Nostalgic! duty, you need to find all pieces of the Nostalgia memory. This can be accomplished by finding Riley's Phone around the valley. There are 10 pieces of the memory, so you need to find at least 10 of Riley's Phones.

Depending on how lucky or unlucky you are, though, you might need to find even more, as not all instances of this item are guaranteed to grant a piece of the memory. Some of them might drop some Star Coins instead.

This task is part of the Memory Mania event. The 2025 installment began on Aug. 27 and is slated to run until Sept. 9. According to the Emotional Rescue update patch notes, it was originally scheduled to run from Sept. 3 to 16, but the event page is live and items are appearing, so it seems to have been moved up a bit.

Still, this event has been a bit glitchy, with some items also appearing back when the update launched on Aug. 20. Because of this, it's possible you might have some trouble getting this event mission and other ones done. If you spot the required items, you can get this task done now, but if not, you may have to wait for the bugs and glitches to get sorted out.

Where to find Riley's Phone in Disney Dreamlight Valley

taking a picture with riley's phone on the ground in disney dreamlight valley
Screenshot by Destructoid

Riley's Phone spawns randomly anywhere on the ground around Chez Remy. It's a very small green item marked by some golden sparkles. It's one of the tougher items to find across all events, as it's incredibly small and flat, making it easy to miss even when you're fairly close to it.

The biome you need to visit to find this item varies depending on where you have the restaurant placed. Mine is in the Plaza, so Riley's Phone pops up around it in this area. If your Chez Remy is in a different region, like Dazzle Beach or the Forest of Valor, you'll need to explore there instead.

This item and all other ones featured in the event can also only appear in Dreamlight Valley, not DLC worlds. Avoid searching for it around Eternity Isle or The Storybook Vale, as you won't find what you're seeking there.

At the time of writing, the spawning of Riley's Phone seems to be glitched for me. I had a couple appear at first, but more haven't spawned in since, despite the event page saying it's live. This is likely due to the issues we mentioned previously with the event dates changing around. We'll keep hunting for it and update with any further details we discover here.

Get Nostalgic! reward in Disney Dreamlight Valley

Completing the Get Nostalgic! duty unlocks the special Nostalgia Capybara. This Companion is based on the Nostalgia character from Inside Out 2. All of the Companions featured in this event are from the same film, so there are plenty of other critters to unlock next after this one.

Nostalgia capybara in DDV
Screenshot by Destructoid

If you're not sure what to do after completing this duty, there are plenty of tasks worth working on around the valley. Next, you might try completing all Retro Roadtrip Star Path duties, placing stalls in DLC worlds, and finishing the Capture the Sun quest.

The post How to complete Get Nostalgic! in Disney Dreamlight Valley appeared first on Destructoid.


Destructoid Wednesday, August 27, 2025 10:01 AM
    

Suicune, Entei, and Raikou EX items in Pokemon TCG Pocket

Secluded Springs, the next major expansion in Pokémon TCG Pocket, is all set to go live during the last week of August, and players will have a whole set of new cards to collect.

Thanks to the official trailer, we already have a fair idea about the cards for the upcoming expansion. The new expansion will arrive less than a month after introducing us to the Wisdom of Sea and Sky set. While the upcoming expansion could be slightly smaller regarding available cards, you can find three legendary Pokémon staples to the Johto region.

Pokémon TCG Pocket Secluded Springs release countdown

The Pokémon TCG Pocket Secluded Springs expansion will be released worldwide on Aug. 28, and the exact launch time will vary slightly based on your residence. The developers will follow the same schedule as previous expansions, and the following countdown is based on it. While the expansion goes live on July 30, certain players in the U.S. will get it a day early on Aug. 27 (those situated on the West Coast).


[hurrytimer id="1109806"]

  • 11pm PT(Aug. 27)
  • 1am CT
  • 2am ET
  • 6am UTC
  • 7pm AEST

Once the countdown above strikes zero, the expansion should go live. Don't forget to update your in-game client to access all the new items.

https://twitter.com/PokemonTCGP/status/1958879941434458339

Speaking of new cards, we already know what we'll see in packs as part of the expansions. The new expansion will center around the trio of Entei, Raikou, and Suicune. All three will have standard and full-art EX items that you can hope to find from packs.

The trailer also gave glimpses of a few other Pokémon who will be part of the set. Phanpy and Milotic are guaranteed alternate art versions, while Mantyke, Slugma, Latias, and Latios will be present in the packs.

We will have a complete list of all available cards once the expansion goes live on Aug. 28. Unlike the last expansion, Secluded Springs will have only one pack, so it should be easier who like to "collect 'em all."

The post Pokémon TCG Pocket Secluded Springs release countdown: Exact time and date appeared first on Destructoid.


WGB Wednesday, August 27, 2025 12:10 PM
     PlayStation Plus subscribers can claim free games for September, including Psychonauts 2, Stardew Valley, and Viewfinder, available starting September 2, offering adventure, farming, and unique puzzles.

Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Wednesday, August 27, 2025 5:50 PM

Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Wednesday, August 27, 2025 4:54 PM
    

A newly revealed system.

The post Judas Gets New Details and Key Art appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism.


Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Wednesday, August 27, 2025 4:11 PM

Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Wednesday, August 27, 2025 3:31 PM

MonsterVine Wednesday, August 27, 2025 4:00 PM
     Bandai Namco has released a brand-new story trailer for Digimon Story Time Stranger, teasing an epic adventure that spans both the human and digital worlds. As an agent of ADAMAS, players will aid Aegiomon and high school student Inori Misono in unraveling the truth behind strange anomalies appearing in Shinjuku. Their investigation will take them […]

MonsterVine Wednesday, August 27, 2025 3:00 PM
     Catto's Post Office takes the smaller obstacles we all readily face in our daily lives and spotlights these troubles without compromising or diminishing how those small stumbles can still bring us anguish, hurt, moroseness, sadness, and melancholy. With a gorgeous environment alongside a jolly soundtrack, almost like the preschool shows that air in the early […]

MonsterVine Wednesday, August 27, 2025 2:00 PM
     Pandamander Games has announced that a playable demo for their upcoming roguelike deckbuilder, World's Goodest Pup, is now available on Steam. The full game is set to launch on PC later in 2025, but players can already get a treat-sized taste of its cozy yet tactical gameplay today. Teach Your Pup New Tricks World's Goodest […]

MonsterVine Wednesday, August 27, 2025 1:00 PM
     Blumhouse Games and Dublin-based developer Gambrinous have officially launched Eyes of Hellfire in PC Early Access on Steam. The cooperative gothic horror title is inspired by Irish folklore, placing up to five players inside the foreboding Hellfire Club's Lodge where trust, survival, and betrayal intertwine. Early Access Features and Content At launch, players can experience […]

MonsterVine Wednesday, August 27, 2025 12:00 PM
     Amazon Games has announced March of Giants, a free-to-play 4v4 War MOBA for PC currently in early development at Amazon Games Montreal. The studio, led by Creative Director Xavier Marquis, the mind behind Rainbow Six Siege, is preparing for its first Closed Alpha test from September 2–10, 2025. Players in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico […]

MonsterVine Wednesday, August 27, 2025 11:00 AM
     Varlet often feels like seeing a cover band trying its best to play all the hits, but never managing to surpass the original. Much of the turn-based RPG feels heavily inspired by other school life RPGs, but fails to capture the same magic, due to a lacking combat system and a condensed run time. Varlet […]

Level Up Wednesday, August 27, 2025 11:20 AM
     Scott Pilgrim EX Adds Lucas Lee And Roxie Richter As Playable Characters 2Scott Pilgrim EX, the beat-em-up inspired by the popular graphic novel series, is getting two…

Level Up Wednesday, August 27, 2025 11:00 AM
     Resident Evil Requiem: Everything We Learned From Our Interview With Its Director And Producer 5Last week, I traveled to Cologne, Germany, to attend Gamescom and play more than two…