Dec 08, 16:00

GamersHeroes Monday, December 8, 2025 2:32 PM Pokémon GO X Arizona Cardinals Special Event Kicking Off December 21       Niantic, together with the Arizona Cardinals Football Club, will bring a brand-new Pokémon GO event to State Farm Stadium December 21 before and during the Falcons-Cardinals matchup. The post Pokémon GO X Arizona Cardinals Special Event Kicking Off December 21 appeared first on GamersHeroes.

GamersHeroes Monday, December 8, 2025 2:15 PM The Sims 4 Holiday Sale Beginning December 18       From December 18 to January 5, fans can celebrate all things The Sims with the latest Holiday Sale, along with a curated list filled with iconic merch and discounted content. The post The Sims 4 Holiday Sale Beginning December 18 appeared first on GamersHeroes.

GamersHeroes Monday, December 8, 2025 1:50 PM Basketball Classics Part of Steam Sports Fest       As part of Steam Sports Fest, retro sports game fans can check out Namo Gamo and Acclaim's Basketball Classics on Steam with a hearty discount. The post Basketball Classics Part of Steam Sports Fest appeared first on GamersHeroes.

GamersHeroes Monday, December 8, 2025 1:19 PM Turn-Based Roguelite RPG Blightstone Launching in Steam Early Access January 20       Paying host to truly free character placement, interactive environments, and hardcore resource management, the world of Unfinished Pixel's turn-based roguelite RPG Blightstone will launch in Steam Early Access January 20. The post Turn-Based Roguelite RPG Blightstone Launching in Steam Early Access January 20 appeared first on GamersHeroes.

GamersHeroes Monday, December 8, 2025 1:12 PM Cozy Apocalypse Survival Title I Am Future Coming to Consoles January 8       A relaxing survival title featuring cozy base building in the middle of a flooded post-apocalyptic city, Mandragora and tinyBuild's I Am Future is set to release for consoles January 8. The post Cozy Apocalypse Survival Title I Am Future Coming to Consoles January 8 appeared first on GamersHeroes.

GamersHeroes Monday, December 8, 2025 1:05 PM Genshin Impact X Duolingo Collaboration Live Through December 27       From now through December 27, Genshin Impact is collaborating with the popular language learning app platform Duolingo for a limited-time 3-Day Streak Quest. The post Genshin Impact X Duolingo Collaboration Live Through December 27 appeared first on GamersHeroes.

Kotaku Monday, December 8, 2025 3:55 PM Dildos, Dogs, And Lint: GameStop's 'Trade Anything Day' Ranges From Chaos To Nightmare       The meme stock store stunt led to all sorts of weird donations The post Dildos, Dogs, And Lint: GameStop's 'Trade Anything Day' Ranges From Chaos To Nightmare appeared first on Kotaku.

Kotaku Monday, December 8, 2025 3:46 PM Halo Infinite Is Four Years Old Today And It's Bumming Me Out       Remember what Halo Infinite was supposed to be? I do The post <i>Halo Infinite</i> Is Four Years Old Today And It's Bumming Me Out appeared first on Kotaku.

Kotaku Monday, December 8, 2025 2:38 PM 7 Things To Know Before Playing Metroid Prime 4: Beyond       We have some advice to help you and Samus survive your time on Viewros The post 7 Things To Know Before Playing <i>Metroid Prime 4: Beyond</i> appeared first on Kotaku.

Kotaku Monday, December 8, 2025 12:59 PM Watch Pokémon And Yu-Gi-Oh's Heroes Duke It Out In A Pure '90s Nostalgia Bomb       Death Battle is back with a video pitting Ash Ketchum and Yugi Moto against one another The post Watch <em>Pokémon</em> And <em>Yu-Gi-Oh's</em> Heroes Duke It Out In A Pure '90s Nostalgia Bomb appeared first on Kotaku.

Kotaku Monday, December 8, 2025 12:33 PM Metroid Prime 4: Beyond: The Kotaku Review       Nintendo's final big game of 2025 doesn't really deliver after all the years of waiting The post <i>Metroid Prime 4: Beyond</i>: The <i>Kotaku</i> Review appeared first on Kotaku.

Kotaku Monday, December 8, 2025 12:15 PM The Streamer Awards Were A Reminder Of How Streaming Rewards Bad Behavior       QTCinderella's fifth-annual Streamer Awards was a tough watch The post The Streamer Awards Were A Reminder Of How Streaming Rewards Bad Behavior appeared first on Kotaku.

Kotaku Monday, December 8, 2025 11:35 AM ASUS Offloads TUF Gaming Graphics Card Even Further After Black Friday as the GeForce RTX 5060 GPU Hits an All-Time Low       Improve the way you work and play with this top-rated graphics card. The post ASUS Offloads TUF Gaming Graphics Card Even Further After Black Friday as the GeForce RTX 5060 GPU Hits an All-Time Low appeared first on Kotaku.

Kotaku Monday, December 8, 2025 11:07 AM Elon Musk Robot Looks Drunk       Also: Hideo Kojima chats about Physint and OD The post Elon Musk Robot Looks Drunk appeared first on Kotaku.

Kotaku Monday, December 8, 2025 11:05 AM Samsung Goes Into Clearance Mode on Its 57″ Curved Gaming Monitor at a Record Low, Taking Hundreds Off the Odyssey Neo G9       The massive, pro-level 59-inch 4K Odyssey Neo G9 curved gaming monitor is an incredible deal at 35% off. The post Samsung Goes Into Clearance Mode on Its 57″ Curved Gaming Monitor at a Record Low, Taking Hundreds Off the Odyssey Neo G9 appeared first on Kotaku.

Kotaku Monday, December 8, 2025 10:56 AM Stranger Things Fans Blame Netflix For The Bad Dialogue In Season 5       The streaming service is reportedly telling writers to dumb down their writing for people on phones The post <em>Stranger Things</em> Fans Blame Netflix For The Bad Dialogue In Season 5 appeared first on Kotaku.

Kotaku Monday, December 8, 2025 10:35 AM This Dell Laptop Used to Cost Several Times More Than a MacBook, Now It's 70% Off and Cheaper Than One       This laptop comes with premium specs, but can be yours for just $760 today. The post This Dell Laptop Used to Cost Several Times More Than a MacBook, Now It's 70% Off and Cheaper Than One appeared first on Kotaku.

Kotaku Monday, December 8, 2025 10:30 AM Paramount Ready To Spend $108 Billion On Hostile Takeover Of Warner Bros. To Stop Netflix From Having It [Update]       The left-at-the-altar corporation makes a last-ditch attempt to woo Warner away from the streamer The post Paramount Ready To Spend $108 Billion On Hostile Takeover Of Warner Bros. To Stop Netflix From Having It [Update] appeared first on Kotaku.

Kotaku Monday, December 8, 2025 10:05 AM TP-Link Deco WiFi 7 Mesh System (3-Pack) Falls to an All-Time Low, Cheaper Than Budget WiFi 6 Routers       It's time to enjoy the internet speeds you're paying each month for. The post TP-Link Deco WiFi 7 Mesh System (3-Pack) Falls to an All-Time Low, Cheaper Than Budget WiFi 6 Routers appeared first on Kotaku.

Kotaku Monday, December 8, 2025 9:35 AM Bose Extends Its Clearance Push From Headphones to Home Speakers, Leaving Zero Margin Behind       Enjoy better sound with this portable, yet powerful Bluetooth speaker. The post Bose Extends Its Clearance Push From Headphones to Home Speakers, Leaving Zero Margin Behind appeared first on Kotaku.

Kotaku Monday, December 8, 2025 9:19 AM Tekken Director Katsuhiro Harada Is Leaving Bandai Namco After 31 Years       The fighting game veteran announced that he is leaving the company after decades leading the series The post <em>Tekken</em> Director Katsuhiro Harada Is Leaving Bandai Namco After 31 Years appeared first on Kotaku.

Kotaku Monday, December 8, 2025 9:05 AM LEGO Pushes Star Wars Millennium Falcon to a Record Low to Offload the Last Remaining Stock Before Christmas       These special 25th anniversary building sets for fans 18+ will be flying off the shelves faster than the Falcon did the Kessel Run. The post LEGO Pushes Star Wars Millennium Falcon to a Record Low to Offload the Last Remaining Stock Before Christmas appeared first on Kotaku.

PCGamesN Monday, December 8, 2025 3:00 PM Mount and Blade 2 Bannerlord and its new DLC hit an all-time low price, but not for long       Mount and Blade 2 Bannerlord is a brilliant medieval RPG that just got a huge new DLC, and you can get it for its lowest price ever for a short time.

PCGamesN Monday, December 8, 2025 1:32 PM Frostpunk 1886 developer wants you to feel bad about exploiting child labor this time around       11 bit studios shares more details about Frostpunk 1886, the Unreal Engine 5 reimagining of its hit survival game that's coming in 2027.

PCGamesN Monday, December 8, 2025 1:30 PM The Alters drops huge surprise update seemingly designed for me specifically       The Alters' first major update adds a noir mystery storyline, photo mode, and a Gwent-style minigame, and you can play for free right now.

PCGamesN Monday, December 8, 2025 1:12 PM Alienware AW3425DW review - ultrawide OLED gaming monitor excellence       With fantastic image quality, great gaming performance, and much better text clarity than earlier OLEDs, this 240Hz display is simply superb.

PCGamesN Monday, December 8, 2025 12:00 PM All Skate Story tricks       Here is every trick you can do in Skate Story, so you can survive hell in style, and maybe even get a bite of that big moon you're after.

PCGamesN Monday, December 8, 2025 12:00 PM Skate Story review - shattered my expectations       A game about skateboarding and everything else, including eating the moon, where you're a demon made of glass - that's Skate Story.

PCGamesN Monday, December 8, 2025 11:45 AM Better Than Us is a neo-dystopian "social stealth" game about lying, and I'm ready to go full Pinocchio       From the creator of Vampire Therapist comes Better Than Us, a dystopian visual novel that tasks you with one important task: lying.

PCGamesN Monday, December 8, 2025 11:25 AM Fortnite OG Season 7 is bringing back a weapon so infamously overpowered it was vaulted after just three days       Epic Games has confirmed that the Infinity Blade will return at some point in Fortnite OG Chapter 1 Season 7, and I'm absolutely terrified.

PCGamesN Monday, December 8, 2025 11:21 AM Disco Elysium and Dead Cells collide in a gorgeous new CRPG that's my quickest wishlist yet       Witchmarsh Tea Party of the Damned transplants fantasy warlocks into the detective genre, and I'm ready to risk it all to solve this case.

Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Monday, December 8, 2025 3:00 PM The Alters gets an update that includes a "gamer's den" and a photo mode so you can take pics of you, yourself, and yours       The Alters update! Get your The Alters update! Fresh, hot and ready to download, it's got some quality of life bits, some new features and base things like a "gamer's den", distressingly, a photo mode, and a number of other things. And now, for your pleasure, I will relay unto you in detail what these things are. Read more

Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Monday, December 8, 2025 1:02 PM That "leaked" Shenmue 4 trailer has nothing to do with Ys Net, and they're so mad about it they might take legal action       Earlier this week you may have seen what was framed as a leaked trailer for Shenmue 4. Admittedly, thanks to Dwitter compression and supposedly being a recording of a screen rather than direct capture, it looked convincing enough, as long as you don't look too hard at it. There's that pesky thing called "Ay Eye" going around these days though, so you should never trust something right off the bat these days. Now, as confirmed by Shenmue developer Ys Net, it turns out that that footage has nothing to do with them, and may even lead to legal action. Read more

Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Monday, December 8, 2025 12:03 PM Team Fortress 2 mod Classic is now Classified, literally, and gets a short delay into 2026       In an ideal world, none of us would have to be bound by the rope called copyright, we could produce all the media we want about our favourite things, like that Sukuna from Jujutsu Kaisend and Cinderella ship I have now likely made many of you aware of. Alas, this is not the world we live in, and because of that fact the team by the upcoming mod Team Fortress 2 Classic is having to rename it after a bit of a prompting from the original game's creators, Valve. Read more

Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Monday, December 8, 2025 11:32 AM Vote now for 2025's RPS 100: Reader Edition       For the past five years, the team at RPS have got together to pick what we consider to be the best 100 games you can play on PC. There's very little science involved, and we try not to get too hung up on what games should make the cut. From year to year, our rankings and choices vary wildly as the formation and tastes of the team changes. We've just finished revealing what we currently consider to be the Best PC Games of All Time and now it's your turn. Read more

Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Monday, December 8, 2025 11:30 AM Fallout season 3 will start filming next summer if all goes to plan, as its showrunners want to keep their big iron in the fire       They might not have committed to making any New Vegas ending the canon one, but the folks behind Amazon's Fallout TV show have been quick to decide they'd like to get started on filming a third series as soon as they can. Summer 2026, if all goes well, so the radioactive glow of the imminent second series hasn't totally faded to background levels by the time a follow-up drops. Read more

Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Monday, December 8, 2025 11:11 AM Beyond Skyrim: Cyrodiil introduces you to Anvil via a quest about child labour, a shirtless chase, and quick maths       The modders behind Beyond Skyrim: Cyrodiil, the massive modding project aiming to add a post-Oblivion-crisis version of the Imperial province to the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim's map, have given a lengthy tour of the latest city they've whipped into shape. As teased the other week, that city is Anvil, and it's certainly home to some quirky folks. Just in case of confusion, what makes Beyond Skyrim different to both Bethesda's Oblivion Remastered and recently delayed Oblivion remake mod Skyblivion is that it'll be introducing a fresh cast of characters and stories to familiar locations from the fourth Elder Scrolls game. After all, by the time of Skyrim, Martin Septim and his contemporaries are long gone. Read more

Siliconera Monday, December 8, 2025 3:00 PM Manhattan Cafe Joins Umamusume: Pretty Derby Today       Cygames' next Umamusume: Pretty Derby Trainee character banner will be Manhattan Cafe, and we can expect that banner to show up around 2pm PT/5pm ET on December 8, 2025. That's also when a new Support Card banner that introduces the SSR Stamina card for Nakayama Festa will show up.  Manhattan Cafe is notable and popular in Umamusume: Pretty Derby for many reasons. One is her outfit and character design. Another is a fact that the character has an "imaginary friend" that she will talk to. She is also unusual in that her Growth Rate only gives a 30% boost to Stamina, in a nod to her love of coffee, and no other boosts to other stats. Her Unique Skill is Chasing After You, which increases her velocity while "intimidating" runners ahead of her. She also can get the Stamina Siphon skill, if you increase her potential, and the Relax and Passing pro endurance and fatigue-reducing skills.  While the SSR Nakayama Festa Stamina card doesn't have a Career Event skill that restores endurance, it does feature some other notable elements. Its Career Event skill is Come What May for Medium runners to increase their velocity when "well-positioned" on a straight at the end of a race. It can also get Specialty Priority 50, to ensure the character shows up for Stamina Training, a 30% Mood Effect, a 20% Friendship Boost, and Stamina initial stat and bonus.  Here are the official infographics for the Manhattan Cafe Trainee character and Nayakama Festa SSR Support Card. Images via Cygames The last banner was Kawakami Princess, as she showed up on December 1, 2025. She'll join the general pool after her banner ends. Umamusume: Pretty Derby is available for the PC and mobile devices. The post Manhattan Cafe Joins Umamusume: Pretty Derby Today appeared first on Siliconera.

Siliconera Monday, December 8, 2025 2:00 PM Zenless Zone Zero Coffee Based on Cunning Hares Characters       Comics on Coffee and HoYoVerse announced there will be three kinds of Zenless Zone Zero coffee flavors based on three characters from the Cunning Hares faction. These will appear in retail stores on December 15, 2025, though the options are on the official site now for $16.95 each.  Each of the types of Zenless Zone Zero coffee is tied to a different in-game character. Each one of them is a medium roast with beans from Costa Rica. They are from the Tarrazu region. Anby's variety is a Pistachio medium roast. The Billy Kid Moonrock Mochaccino variety features a mocha flavor. The Nicole Demara option is Raspberry, which is infused with the berry flavor. When you buy a bag online, you can choose to get the whole beans, select the grind level, or get K-Cup pods.  In-game, coffee actually plays an important role in Zenless Zone Zero. If someone heads to Coff Cafe, they can get Battery Charge and some kind of boost by getting one cup each day. For example, the Tin Master Special only gives someone Battery Charge, but you get more than normal. However, depending on the day of the week, there may be an option that offers another boost. Like since it is Monday, the Barley Latte that offers Battery Charge and a temporary Burn Tactical Chip Boost would be available. Zenless Zone Zero is available for the PS5, Xbox Series X, PC, and mobile devices, and the next update is 2.4. The Coffees on Coffee three varieties based on the game's characters are available to pre-order online now and will show up on December 15, 2025.  The post Zenless Zone Zero Coffee Based on Cunning Hares Characters appeared first on Siliconera.

Siliconera Monday, December 8, 2025 1:00 PM Ys Net May Seek Legal Action Against Fake Shenmue 4 Video       Ys Net released an official statement on social media that confirmed the alleged "Shenmue 4" video that appeared on December 4, 2025 is in fact a fake. The company also noted that action will be taken against the person or people who made the false trailer, as the studio stated, "We are currently working with relevant parties and preparing appropriate measures, including potential legal action." On December 4, 2025, the fake "Shenmue 4" video of questionable quality appeared online. It featured the Ys Net logo, some text at the bottom left corner mentioning "work in progress - game not final," blurred images, and incredibly short scenes and transitions. It seemed to show people like Ryo Hazuki, Shenhua, and even Niao Sun.  Here is the full Ys Net statement on the situation: "Ys Net Inc has confirmed that a video has been posted on social media which uses our company logo without permission, falsely giving the impression that it is an official 'Shenmue 4' related video produced by us. This video has absolutely no connection to Ys Net. Furthermore, at this time, Ys Net has not released any trailers, footage, or other promotional materials related to 'Shenmue 4.'   "We recognize that the unauthorized use of our logo, and any act that misleads viewers into believing such content is official, constitutes a serious issue that may amount to trademark infringement and unfair competition. We are currently working with relevant parties and preparing approrpirate measures, including potential legal action. "We sincerely apologize to our fans and all related parties for any confusion this may have caused. We will continue to ensure the proper and accurate dissemination of information, and we ask for your understanding and cooperation." Shenmue 3 is available for the PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC.  The post Ys Net May Seek Legal Action Against Fake Shenmue 4 Video appeared first on Siliconera.

Siliconera Monday, December 8, 2025 12:00 PM Takane Lui Will Join SRW DD as a Code Geass Character       Super Robot Wars DD will newly include a Hololive Vtuber as a playable character. Bandai Namco has revealed that it will add Takane Lui into SRW DD as a Code Geass universe character. The new crossover character shall be known as Lui Hawkeye. She will also get to pilot a new Knightmare Frame named Vincent Hawk. While Bandai Namco has yet to share the exact date of Lui Hawkeye's inclusion, it teased the addition of a new crossover story starring the character. This addition will pertain to the recent appointment of Takane Lui as a Code Geass series ambassador. The Vtuber had earlier held watch-along streams of the Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion anime series from October 2025 to November 2025. https://twitter.com/GEASSPROJECT/status/1997622894923505992 The addition of Takane Lui was not the only SRW DD-related news that appeared at the Code Geass 20th Anniversary event. Sunrise also announced that Tomofumi Ogasawara is working on a manga adaptation of the Code Geass - Gundam Wing crossover that originally appeared in the mobile game. The same event also featured a couple of major reveals related to the franchise's mainline anime series. Code Geass: Roze of the Recapture, which initially appeared in Japanese theaters in 2024, will air on television in July 2026. Sunrise also revealed a brand-new entry titled Code Geass: Aspar the Star Chaser. Super Robot Wars DD is available for Android and iOS mobile devices in Japan and East Asia. Bandai Namco will add Lui Hawkeye and her Knightmare Frame Vincent Hawk to the mobile game at a later date. The post Takane Lui Will Join SRW DD as a Code Geass Character appeared first on Siliconera.

Siliconera Monday, December 8, 2025 11:00 AM Yakuza Lead Goro Majima Tops Like a Dragon Character Popularity Poll       Sega and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio announced the winners of the Like a Dragon Character Popularity Contest poll on the English and Japanese sites, and Yakuza staple Goro Majima was named most popular and won. He came in at first place with over 49,000 votes, beating fellow lead Kazuma Kiryu by 22,281 votes. Majima was the sole lead in the spin-off Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaiiwhen it debuted in February 2025.  The official social media account for RGG shared some images showing some of the most popular Like a Dragon folks in the Yakuza Character Popularity Poll, with Goro Majima, Kazuma Kiryu, and Taiga Saejima in their own image in honor of them being the top three. 490,278 votes came in worldwide.  Here are the top 30. The official site goes all the way up to 164, though we start to see "ties" around the 72 mark. Vtuber Kson, who plays Kei, came in at 27th. The top 10 will "come to the stage" for performances. Goro Majima - 49,296 votes Kazuma Kiryu - 27,015 votes Taiga Saejima - 22,976 votes Akira Nishikiyama - 21,437 votes Eric Tomizawa - 20,205 votes Fumiya Sugiura - 19,230 votes Toru Higashi - 18,581 votes Yoshitaka Mine - 17,748 votes Daigo Dojima - 17,383 votes Ichiban Kasuga - 15,012 votes Tianyou Zhao - 14,880 votes Shun Akiyama - 14,765 votes Kosei Shishido - 11,368 votes Ryuji Goda - 11,200 votes Yutaka Yamai - 8,772 votes Tsukasa Sagawa - 7,472 votes Osamu Kashiwagi - 7,388 votes Kihei Hanawa - 7,360 votes Tatsuo Shinada - 7,328 votes Masayoshi Tanimura - 7,080 votes Tetsu Tachibana - 6,933 votes Joongi Han - 6,692 votes Homare Nishitani - 6,380 votes Yuki Tsuruno - 6,288 votes Masato Arakawa - 5,541 votes Michio Ono - 5,156 votes Kei - 5,085 votes Seonhee - 4,896 votes Nanba - 4,608 votes Homare Nishitani III - 4,560 votes Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is available on the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC.  The post Yakuza Lead Goro Majima Tops Like a Dragon Character Popularity Poll appeared first on Siliconera.

Siliconera Monday, December 8, 2025 10:00 AM Katsuhiro Harada Will Leave Bandai Namco       Katsuhiro Harada, who is reknowned for working on a designer, director, producer, and voice actor for Tekken games, announced he will leave Bandai Namco. He took to social media to confirm this will happen "at the end of 2025." However, he will be at the Tekken World Tour Finals between January 29, 2026 and February 1, 2026. The last entry he worked on was Tekken 8. Harada stated he came to this decision after seeing others retire or die. He also noted he discussed with PlayStation designer and former Sony Computer Entertainment CEO and current Cyber AI Entertainment CEO Ken Kutaragi about his decision. In his message, he talked about pursing "the time I have left as a creator." When Katsuhiro Harada Talked about the Tekken World Tour Finals event, he stated Bandai Namco invited him. He will be a special guest at the competition. He's been involved with the series as a voice actor since the original game, but later as a director and member of the development team since Tekken 3.  Here is the full statement from Harada from social media: https://twitter.com/Harada_TEKKEN/status/1997952347709034747 He also released "Tekken: A 30-Year Journey - Harada's Final Mix" on Soundcloud.  <iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A2225928260&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/katsuhiro-harada-1" title="Katsuhiro Harada 1" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Katsuhiro Harada 1</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/katsuhiro-harada-1/tekken-a-30-year-journey-haradas-final-mix" title="TEKKEN: A 30-Year Journey – Harada's Final Mix" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">TEKKEN: A 30-Year Journey – Harada's Final Mix</a></div> Katsuhiro Harada will leave Bandai Namco at the end of December 2025.  The post Katsuhiro Harada Will Leave Bandai Namco appeared first on Siliconera.

Siliconera Monday, December 8, 2025 9:00 AM Tales of Xillia 2 Pocket Watch Replica to Come Out in 2026       Touei will make a replica of the pocket watch from Tales of Xillia 2. According to the press release, the pocket watch not only closely resembles the one that appears in the game to appease Tales fans, but is also a pocket watch that's well-crafted enough for timepiece fans to enjoy. [Thanks, PR Times!] There will be two versions of the Tales of Xillia 2 pocket watch replica. You can get it in antique gold or antique silver. They both cost the same at 8800 JPY ($56.75). Touei will only produce 2012 units of each—a reference to the fact that Tales of Xillia 2 came out in 2012. The back of the watch will include a serial number, as well as the game title. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdR-4w4uQww&list=TLGG-META4YVHQwwODEyMjAyNQ&t=1s As a note, while Touei did its best to get the replica as close to the game's version of the watch as possible, it realistically could not make a one-to-one recreation. In the game, the watch's hand rotates on the outer edge of the case. This is impossible in real life, so Touei had to use a visual trick to simulate the same look. Pre-orders for the Tales of Xillia 2 pocket watch will start on December 15, 2025. It'll come out in mid-June 2026. Tales of Xillia 2 is available on the PS3, and a remastered version of it is in development. The remastered version of the first game is already out on modern consoles. The post Tales of Xillia 2 Pocket Watch Replica to Come Out in 2026 appeared first on Siliconera.

Destructoid Monday, December 8, 2025 2:16 PM All FC 26 See You at the Bernabeu SBC tasks and solutions       The See You at the Bernabeu SBC is now live in FC 26 Ultimate Team, allowing you to complete a new set of fodder challenges. The See You at the Bernabeu SBC, themed after Spain 1982, has three challenges. All three challenges have their individual rewards, and you'll get a bonus pack. This guide will help you complete the whole set without breaking the bank. Table of contents How to complete FC 26 See You at the Bernabeu SBC From Madrid to the World SBC tasks and solutions One Italian Striker SBC tasks and solutions Ultimate Glory SBC tasks and solutions How to complete FC 26 See You at the Bernabeu SBC The See You at the Bernabeu SBC can be divided into three smaller challenges. From Madrid to the World One Italian Striker Ultimate Glory From Madrid to the World SBC tasks and solutions From Madrid to the World SBC Min. 1 Players from: Spain Exact Leagues in Squad: 3 Exact Nationalities in Squad: 4 Max. 6 Players from the same League Exactly Gold Players Min. Squad Total Chemistry Points: 30 Solutions Bryan Zaragoza LW 77 Gboho ST 75 Herrera RW 75 Barrenetxea LM 77 Samu Costa CM 78 Declercq CM 76 Moi Gomez RM 77 Jezequel CB 75 Gradit CB 77 Brassier CB 76 Aitor GK 77 One Italian Striker SBC tasks and solutions One Italian Striker SBC Min. 1 Players from: Italy Exact Leagues in Squad: 4 Exact Nationalities in Squad: 5 Max. 4 Players from the same League Min. Team Rating: 78 Min. Squad Total Chemistry Points: 25 Solutions Pavoletti ST 68 Juan Miranda LM 76 Zielinski CM 80 Ana Gonzalez CM 76 Zappa RM 74 Lorena Navarro CDM 71 Marc Cucurella LB 84 van den Berg CB 77 Berrocal CB 71 Savinho 81 Verbruggen GK 78 Ultimate Glory SBC tasks and solutions Ultimate Glory SBC Exact Leagues in Squad: 5 Exact Nationalities in Squad: 7 Max. 2 Players from the same Club Min. Team Rating: 80 Min. Squad Total Chemistry Points: 14 Solutions Asseyi ST 82 Feller ST 80 Brugts LM 80 Fujino 77 Turner CDM 82 Kika Nazareth CM 79 El Hilali RM 77 Renato Veiga CB 76 Livolant 70 Kumbulla CB 77 Earps GK 84 Here's the complete list of all the items you'll obtain for completing the full set. 5 81+ Rare Gold Players Pack 1 Gold Players Pack 82+ 2 Rare Gold Players Pack Gold Starting XI Pack While all the packs are untradeable, you can get valuable fodder by completing the challenges. The post All FC 26 See You at the Bernabeu SBC tasks and solutions appeared first on Destructoid.

Destructoid Monday, December 8, 2025 2:01 PM This upcoming roguelike combines classic Resident Evil nostalgia with RNG to create something distinct and fun        A new update for an existing Steam demo caught my eye this morning, and it created a memorable experience for me in just a little over an hour of playtime. It's now a game I'm greatly looking forward to. Like 1996's PS1 classic Resident Evil, Rogue Mansion starts with an opulent house filled with monsters and puzzles. But the mansion in this roguelike (playable in first or third-person) is procedurally generated, so randomness refreshes each time you play, and it sports a retro aesthetic, so it feels familiar but wholly new at the same time. Screenshot by Destructoid Each run is all about exploring the mansion, defeating the randomly-spawned enemies that harass you, and solving puzzles to progress to the next area. For example, I explored one wing of the mansion (entirely reminiscent of RE1's Spencer Estate) to find a bookshelf with an empty slot. So, I made my way to the other wing and eventually, after solving a puzzle and killing some enemies with melee combat and well-timed dodges, found a golden book that I had to slot into it. And then I moved on to the next area. Rogue Mansion has three playable characters with their own unique ability, like the cop Valentina who can charge up a meter to whip out her service pistol and start gunning down the monsters that appear. Otherwise, you start equipped with just a knife and a flash grenade, and it's up to you to survive the horror. Survival horror, get it? There's an overarching storyline, too, filled with mystery and intrigue. It surrounds the mansion and its former inhabitants, a couple who were "pillars of the community" and were struck by tragedy. That's where you come in, and the mansion is full of secrets to explore and terrors to confront. Screenshot by Destructoid Today, Rogue Mansion's developer Alemenara Games announced the first of several closed beta tests that you can sign up for now. Otherwise, the demo is free to try on Steam, and I think this has some potential for good, classic roguelike fun when it launches. The post This upcoming roguelike combines classic Resident Evil nostalgia with RNG to create something distinct and fun  appeared first on Destructoid.

Destructoid Monday, December 8, 2025 1:52 PM The new Tomb Raider game was just confirmed in Fortnite, because everything else is happening there too       It's just all happening in Fortnite these days, isn't it? It's one collab after another, and this latest just confirmed the next entry in one of gaming's most iconic franchises. As part of a special UEFN island in Fortnite as part of a partnership with The Game Awards, players have been playing minigames and solving puzzles to help reveal one of the titles that will appear at this year's show. And the results are in. Screenshot by Destructoid When you load in to the UEFN Game Awards experience now, the center of the area shows the unmistakable silhouette of Lara Croft, meaning The Game Awards on Thursday will now showcase and reveal the next entry in the Tomb Raider franchise. Other than a few recent remasters, it's now been seven years since Croft's most recent adventure in Shadow of the Tomb Raider. This new entry is shrouded in mystery for now, but the first look coming this week should hopefully generate some hype moving into 2026. Amazon is currently working on a Tomb Raider live action series starring Sophie Turner, so it will be interesting to see if the two projects are in any way related. Other than that, all we know so far is that the new title is being published by Amazon Games and developed once more by Crystal Dynamics, makers of the reboot trilogy from 2013 to 2018. For now, fans of the series can look forward to some exciting news over the next few days and hopefully not too long of a wait until everyone can play it. Either way, the wait is not much longer now. https://www.instagram.com/p/DSAx27Uksp6/ Tune in to The Game Awards on Dec. 11 at 6:30pm CT to catch the reveal along with new info from other games like Resident Evil Requiem, Exodus, Phantom Blade Zero, and many more. The post The new Tomb Raider game was just confirmed in Fortnite, because everything else is happening there too appeared first on Destructoid.

Destructoid Monday, December 8, 2025 1:47 PM All FC 26 Ultimate Gauntlet 6 rewards and tasks       The Ultimate Gauntlet 6 objective is now live in FC 26, and you can win some amazing freebies to boost your Ultimate Team squad. The latest gauntlet follows a similar pattern to the previous ones, and there are multiple tasks. This guide will provide you with all the necessary information to complete the tasks and unlock all the rewards. How to get all FC 26 Ultimate Gauntlet 6 rewards The Ultimate Gauntlet 6 objective has nine tasks to complete. The table below has all the necessary details. Task How to Complete Rewards Play 1 Play 1 match in Ultimate Gauntlet 6. 81+ Rare Gold Players Pack x3 Brazil Rare Silver Players Pack x12 Play 2 Play 2 matches in Ultimate Gauntlet 6 to earn an EVO Consumable. All EVO details can be previewed. 85-87 Rare Gold Player Pack and Evo Play 3 Play 3 matches in Ultimate Gauntlet 6. 80+ Rare Gold Players Pack x7 Score in 3 Score at least 1 goal in 3 separate matches in Ultimate Gauntlet 6 to earn an EVO Consumable. All EVO details can be previewed. Evo Unlock Score in 5 Score at least 1 goal in 5 separate matches in Ultimate Gauntlet 6. Quaresma Loan Item + 5000 Coins Score in 6 Score at least 1 goal in 6 separate matches in Ultimate Gauntlet 6 to earn an EVO Consumable. All EVO details can be previewed. Evo Score in 7 Score at least 1 goal in 7 separate matches in Ultimate Gauntlet 6. 82+ Rare Gold Players Pack x10 Score in 9 Score at least 1 goal in 9 separate matches in Ultimate Gauntlet 6. 83+ Rare Gold Players Pack x10 Play 12 Score at least 1 goal in 9 separate matches in Ultimate Gauntlet 6. 86+ Rare Gold Players Pack x3 Completing the full set will reward you with an exclusive evolution and the Joga Bonito Iliman Ndiaye card. The 85-rated Lw card has decent in-game stats, roles, playstyles, and can operate in 3 different positions. Like all Joga Bonito items, the card also has 5* Skill Moves. Make sure to complete all the tasks to unlock the rewards before the Gauntlet expires from Ultimate Team. The post All FC 26 Ultimate Gauntlet 6 rewards and tasks appeared first on Destructoid.

Destructoid Monday, December 8, 2025 1:30 PM FC 26 Claudia Pina Liga F POTM SBC tasks and solutions       The Claudia Pina Liga F POTM SBC is now live in FC 26, and you can earn one of these 'broken' items in Ultimate Team for your squad. This is the first time we have received a Pina item as part of a challenge. This allows everyone to unlock the card without relying on luck. Let's look at how to complete the challenge without breaking the bank, since there are multiple tasks. Table of contents FC 26 Claudia Pina Liga F POTM SBC tasks FC 26 Claudia Pina Liga F POTM SBC solutions FC 26 Claudia Pina Liga F POTM SBC tasks The Claudia Pina Liga F POTM SBC has seven different tasks, and here are all the requirements. FC Barcelona Min. 1 Players from: FC Barcelona Min. 1 Players: Team of the Week Min. Team Rating: 86 Spain Min. 1 Players from: Spain Min. 1 Players: Team of the Week Min. Team Rating: 86 Top Form Min. 1 Players: Team of the Week Min. Team Rating: 87 87-Rated Squad Min. Team Rating: 87 87-Rated Squad Min. Team Rating: 87 87-Rated Squad Min. Team Rating: 87 88-Rated Squad Min. Team Rating: 88 FC 26 Claudia Pina Liga F POTM SBC solutions Here's a set of solutions you can use to complete the challenge. FC Barcelona Any 88-rated TOTW item Geyoro 86 Damaris 84 Dani Olmo 85 Harder 86 Little 85 Konate 86 Ruben Dias 86 Huth 85 Locatelli 84 Calhanoglu 86 Spain Konate 86 Ruben Dias 86 Huth 85 Locatelli 84 Calhanoglu 86 Any 88-rated TOTW item Geyoro 86 Damaris 84 Dani Olmo 85 Harder 86 Little 85 Top Form Any 88-rated TOTW item Hemp 87 Katoto 88 Caicedo 87 Cuthbert 85 Walsh 85 Bastoni 87 Girelli 85 Tah 87 Heaps 87 Inigo Martinez 85 87-Rated Squad Cuthbert 85 Geyoro 86 Bastoni 87 Girelli 85 Tah 87 Heaps 87 Inigo Martinez 85 Bright 87 Hemp 87 Katoto 88 Caicedo 87 87-Rated Squad Inigo Martinez 85 Bright 87 Hemp 87 Katoto 88 Caicedo 87 Cuthbert 85 Geyoro 86 Bastoni 87 Girelli 85 Tah 87 Heaps 87 87-Rated Squad Bastoni 87 Girelli 85 Tah 87 Heaps 87 Katoto 88 Caicedo 87 Cuthbert 85 Geyoro 86 Katoto 88 Caicedo 87 Hemp 87 88-Rated Squad Musiala 88 Saka 88 Bruno Guimaraes 86 Pajor 88 Katoto 88 Schuller 86 Reiten 88 Tonali 86 Irene Paredes 88 Kimmich 89 Lewandowski 88 The post FC 26 Claudia Pina Liga F POTM SBC tasks and solutions appeared first on Destructoid.

Destructoid Monday, December 8, 2025 12:48 PM Skate Story Review – Surprisingly delightful for a story set in the underworld       Skate Story is likely the last skating video game we'll see in 2025, and it's one of the most unique that I have ever played.  Launched globally on Dec. 8, Skate Story adds an unexpected flavor to the genre. Of course, I got an early taste with the demo, but the full game offers the entire campaign, along with some additional features.  While the basic gist might be all about doing the sickest kickflip, there's more to this one than meets the eye.  The secret sauce is in the story Skate Story does both the words in its title justice, but let's start with the story. It's unclear whether you're a hero or villain, because rising as a demon certainly hits different. Oh, and you also need to swallow the moon to escape, and yes, there's no typo in that statement.  Screenshot by Destructoid Your journey begins with your transformation from a frail shadow to a reincarnated demon with your favorite skateboard by your side. However, skating in the underworld is forbidden, but if you don't skate, you can't escape. Your primary task is to follow the Rabbit, who serves as your trusted companion. While the bunny shows the way, you'll come across mysterious symbols and interesting characters. While the core story is relatively linear, you can get the same task done in different ways. Screenshot by Destructoid The initial story chapters will teach you about the tricks you can perform, and there are plenty. You'll get basic ones at first, like the Ollie, that are simple one-button options you can combine with other tricks.  Skate Story might put a lot of emphasis on the story, but the skating part is just as fun. I also loved the Underworld's design. The nine different layers feel unique and allow you lots of scope for how you want to skate. Every path (even while you're completing the story) allows for different approaches.  Many spots allow you to Ollie over obstacles or simply glide right past. The choice is yours as you race towards the next doorway. How you manage to reach your destination isn't very important. The core gameplay loop is thus: skate across different layers of the Underworld, complete various tasks, and build yourself up until you can swallow the moon. There are plenty of tricks to learn and master, and you'll want to master them, because that's how you damage enemies. The more complex the trick, the more damage it deals. Screenshot by Destructoid You'll have to pay attention to the challenges in front of you, then decide which tricks to perform, and then time those correctly, too. It's a lot, so there's a sense of satisfaction every time you pull off a successful move.  The controls feel intuitive, and when you get into a sticky spot, the game allows you to dodge failure fairly easily. Skate Story has an amazing auto-save feature with frequent saves, allowing you to pick up from before an accidental collision easily. In a world where so many video games punish you harshly for failure, Skate Story allows you to bounce back quickly. On the surface, Skate Story is a simple game where you skate to destroy enemies and solve puzzles with the sole objective of escaping the Underworld. However, there's plenty of depth and a decent amount of replayability (if you want to solve the same chapters with different tricks).  There's also a bit of customization offered by the Souls that you earn while completing the chapters. You can use them to purchase different stickers to customize the look of your board. I would have appreciated it if there were a way to remove the stickers and start fresh, so that's a slight blemish for me. Visually, the game really stands out. There's an incredible psychedelic feel throughout every chapter and location. The prismatic glass design for the main character is great. The same can also be said about the general world design. Whether it's a fellow demon, the Rabbit, or a gate, Skate Story really is a feast for the eyes.  I usually don't pay much attention to music in games, but Skate Story has one of the best soundtracks I've experienced in a while. This holds across all chapters, and I loved how the tempo builds up tension. I highly recommend using headphones as the music is worthy of its own album.  My only gripe with Skate Story was the length, as the main campaign can be finished in a single day. That said, not every video game has to be a grind. Despite being short, I enjoyed every minute skating through the Underworld. Skate Story is a sweet little adventure that presents a fantastic story from the point of view of a demon. This isn't your evil incarnate from horror movies; instead, the demon just wants to free himself from the Underworld to skate and consume the moon in the process. The post Skate Story Review – Surprisingly delightful for a story set in the underworld appeared first on Destructoid.

Destructoid Monday, December 8, 2025 12:41 PM FC 26 Pro Open Mystery Nation revealed (Matchday 4)       FC Pro Open's Matchday 4 brings another Mystery Nation objective to Ultimate Team, allowing FC 26 players to earn free rewards by completing a simple task. This guide will help you fully understand how the objective works. The art is to guess the correct nation and then use a footballer to score goals. We will keep you updated on the mystery nation, which will be revealed later on tonight's Pro Open stream. Chances were that the community would crack it before the official reveal, and that has happened. Disclaimer: The Mystery Nation has been cracked, and it is Canada. How to complete Pro Open Mystery Nation (Matchday 4) objective in FC 26 Here's the official description of the Mystery Nation Matchday 4 objective. Score three goals using a Finesse Shot with a player from the mystery nation in any Ultimate Team game mode. The name of the nation will be hinted at during the broadcast of FC Pro Open Matchday 4." To complete the task, you'll first have to figure out the mystery nation. As mentioned above, EA Sports will be revealing the nation, but it could be solved earlier by the community. Choose a footballer from the nation (Canada), and then score three goals with a Finesse Shot. You can score the goals across multiple games, and all Ultimate Team modes are included. Just make sure to choose Finesse Shot when scoring the goals. Once done, you'll get the following rewards added to your Ultimate Team account. Coin Boost One untradeable Premium Electrum Players Pack This is the fourth Mystery Nation objective in FC 26 Ultimate Team, it could have been any nation apart from Scotland, Belgium, and Senegal (since they were the correct choices in the first three matchdays). You can catch all the action from Pro Open matchday 4 on YouTube and Twitch, and we will duly update the correct nation once we figure it out. The post FC 26 Pro Open Mystery Nation revealed (Matchday 4) appeared first on Destructoid.

Destructoid Monday, December 8, 2025 12:24 PM The Game Awards 2025: All confirmed and rumored games and announcements       The Game Awards returns this week for another ceremony to honor the biggest and best games and devs of 2025, but that's just part of the reason gamers everywhere will be watching along. As usual, the best part of The Game Awards (other than the awards themselves, which recognize good work in the industry) is the surprises. But there are some games that we know for sure will appear in some capacity, whether it be a trailer or release date announcement. Here's what we know so far will be shown at The Game Awards 2025, and some rumors on what else may pop up. More confirmations are expected throughout the week, and we will keep this info updated as it comes in. Table of contents The Game Awards 2025 announcements Tomb Raider Phantom Blade Zero Resident Evil Requiem Exodus "regal.inspiring.thickness" Rumors and baseless speculation The Game Awards 2025 announcements Image via The Game Awards Tomb Raider https://www.instagram.com/p/DSAx27Uksp6/ The long awaited new adventure for Lara Croft will be revealed at TGA. The news was initially confirmed in the Game Awards experience in Fortnite on Dec. 8. Phantom Blade Zero https://twitter.com/thegameawards/status/1997456018897297841 The upcoming action RPG from Chinese studio S-GAME will reveal its anticipated release date, presumably alongside some new footage or a trailer. Resident Evil Requiem https://twitter.com/thegameawards/status/1996731931103580519 Is it finally time? Will we get our Leon S. Kennedy reveal just over two months before we return to Raccoon City one final time? "Tune in for a terrifying new look" at RE9, the show teases. Exodus https://twitter.com/EXODUSGame/status/1996640649760629078 The upcoming sci-fi RPG from many former BioWare devs will showcase a new trailer ahead of its 2026 release window, and I'm excited to see what's being cooked here. "regal.inspiring.thickness" https://twitter.com/thegameawards/status/1994816833464217796 Whatever the heck is going on with this (it's NOT Bloodborne 2, sorry) will be revealed during the stream. Speculation about this game is all over the place, but my money is on it being absolutely nothing anyone was expecting and thus a disappointment to everyone, no matter how cool it might actually be. Rumors and baseless speculation It's always fun to speculate on what may appear, even though it always sets everyone up to be let down. Half-Life 3? Probably not. Grand Theft Auto 6? Also negative. But we can expect something from Hideo Kojima (Keighley's pal is always down to show up, and he is currently in Los Angeles), like Death Stranding 2 PC port or DLC news. There are plenty of games that are due for some news or announcements, like Final Fantasy VIII Remake part three, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, Marvel's Blade, Fable, and countless others. But for now, stay tuned to see what leaks ahead of the show. A safe bet is some Hollywood appearances, like for Fallout season two and other upcoming video game adaptations. That always makes for some uncomfy situations. And you can bet there will be an acceptance speech that goes on a bit too long as well, but don't forget, that's what this stuff is truly all about. The Game Awards 2025 begins at 6:30pm CT with its half-hour pre-show on Dec. 11, with the three-hour showcase beginning at 7pm CT. The post The Game Awards 2025: All confirmed and rumored games and announcements appeared first on Destructoid.

Destructoid Monday, December 8, 2025 12:19 PM All artifacts in Night Swarm and how to unlock them       Night Swarm has plenty of Artifacts to discover on your run, and some of them will be immensely helpful on your runs. Artifacts are modifier items with unique in-game abilities. A few Artifacts are unlocked by default, but you'll have to unlock the rest. This guide will provide you all the information required for unlocking every Artifact in Night Swarm. Table of contents How to unlock all Artifacts in Night Swarm How to get Blood Ore in Night Swarm How to unlock all Artifacts in Night Swarm The table below has information about all the Artifacts you can unlock in Night Swarm. The table also includes Artifacts that are available from the very start. Screenshot by Destructoid Artifact How to Unlock Hourglass of Decay Unlocked by default Skull Cup Perform the Healing Well ritual 20 times Cursed Rat Ring Kill 500 enemies in a single stage Golden Dice Reroll 25 times Witchs Crystal Ball Complete Gambler's Grave 3 times Cursed Daggers Deal 100,000 damage in a single stage Crystal Bird Heart Dash 150 times in a single stage Bloodstone Necklace Get Roderic to level 50 Sacred Tombstone Die while fighting a boss Wooden Sword Cup Kill 500 enemies while in a Healing Well area Wolf Slayer Rune Slay 3 different bosses Halo of the Fallen Angel Win 2 duels Demons Shield Unlocked by default Merchant Coin Spend 2000 Gold Fugitives Eyeball Level up the Nocturne Drift to level 6 Priests Coin Level up the Crimson Bloom to level 6 Cursed Stonerune Unlocked by default Obsidian Star Clear 50 stages Lords Compass Collect 200 Shadow Silk Refillable Bottles Echoes of Grandeur Gold Bat Bracelet Fight for 1 minute without moving Broken Life Ring Finish a level with less than 15 health Diamond Wings Fight for 3333 seconds Small Potions of Agility Unlocked by default Necklace of Luck Unlocked by default Double Necked Bottles Unlocked by default Ring of Sanctity Unlocked by default Killers Potion Unlocked by default Bloody Arrowhead Unlocked by default Bloodstone Earrings Unlocked by default Bloody Dropper Drink 20 potions Shadow Scissors Level up the Essence Fang to level 6 Amulet of Vital Elixir Unlocked by default Bracelet of Sacred Shards Unlocked by default Crimson Claw Ring Unlocked by default Hourglass Girdle Unlocked by default Shattered Skull Gem Unlocked by default Nocturne Pocket Watch Unlocked by default Fangstone Cufflink Unlocked by default Emberfang Sigil Have your companions die 10 times Frostveil Pendant Unlocked by default Aegis of the Damned Take 150 damage within 5 seconds Shadowstep Brooch Unlocked by default Gilded Blood Chalice Unlocked by default Totembrace Talisman Unlocked by default Roots of the Grave Unlocked by default Statue of Wrath Unlocked by default You'll also need Blood Ore aside from completing the individual requirements for unlocking every Artifact. How to get Blood Ore in Night Swarm The Blood Ore resource is obtained from different enemies in Night Swarm. They're dropped at random when you defeat them, and keep building up over time. Once you have enough, you can unlock an Artifact of your liking, as long as you have completed the invidiual requirements. The post All artifacts in Night Swarm and how to unlock them appeared first on Destructoid.

Destructoid Monday, December 8, 2025 11:38 AM The ultimate companion guide in Octopath Traveler 0 – All party members, their abilities, and where to find them       If you've played any of the Octopath Traveler games, you know how vital companions are to your journey. In the first and second games in the series, you'd pick one of eight characters and play through their storylines. But in Octopath Traveler 0, you have your own storyline to follow, and your companions are there to see you through it. Table of contents All Octopath Traveler 0 companions Alexia Alfyn Carinda Celsus Cyrus Delitia El the Swordsman Esperre Goodwin H'aanit Heidne Isla Laurana Ludo Macy Olberic Ophelia Phenn Pius Primrose Reime Saoirse Sazantos Stia Therion Tressa Viator Xerc All Octopath Traveler 0 companions In Octopath Traveler 0, you'll meet over 20 different companions on your journey around Orsterra. Like in previous titles, each one has a class with a set of abilities and weapons that dictate their playstyle. After you've built the workshop in Wishvale, the game turns you loose and you can travel anywhere in the world. If you'd like, you can focus your time entirely on gathering companions and building your dream team. But before you do so, you'll need to know where to find each character in the game. Here are all the companions in Octopath Traveler 0 and where you can find them. Disclaimer: This guide is a work in progress. We will add more companions as we find them. Name Class Location Starting Weapons and Skills Alexia Scholar Theatropolis - Library Weapons: Tome, Staff Skill 1: Lightning Bolt - Unleash a Lightning attack on all foes. Skill 2: Duskfall - Unleash a Dark attack on all foes. Alfyn Apothecary Clearbrook (after King Pardis III's quest line) Weapons: Axe, Tome Skill 1: First Aid - Restore HP of an ally. Skill 2: Icicle - Unleash an Ice attack on a foe. Carinda Merchant Donescu (after Bestower of Power Ch. 1) Weapons: Polearm, Bow Skill 1: Penetrating Thrust - Unleash a Polearm attack on a foe. Skill 2: Recuperate - Grant self increased physical defense and restore HP. Celsus Thief Valore: Main Boulevard - Tavern Weapons: Dagger, Sword Skill 1: Goad - Focus enemy attacks on yourself and lower their accuracy. Skill 2: Double Throw - Unleash 2 sword attacks with a high chance of a critical hit on random foes. Cyrus Scholar Atlasdam (after Bestower of Fame Ch. 2) Weapons: Staff, Tome Skill 1: Fireball - Unleash a Fire attack on all foes. Skill 2: Icewind - Unleash an Ice attack on all foes. Delitia Hunter Emberglow Weapons: Bow, Axe Skill 1: Piercing Shadow - Unleash a bow attack on a foe and decrease their speed. Skill 2: Stray Arrows - Unleash two bow attacks on random foes. El the Swordsman Warrior Cragspear (during Master of All) Weapons: Sword Skill 1: Aggressive Slash - Unleash 3 Sword attacks on random foes. Skill 2: Radiant Light - Unleash 3 Light attacks on random foes. Esperre Apothecary Sufrataljah Sands (after Bestower of Wealth Ch. 2) Weapons: Axe, Tome Skill 1: Recuperating Smash - Unleash an axe attack on a foe and restore own HP when attacking from back row. Skill 2: Healing Touch - Restore HP and cure ailments of an ally. Goodwin Dancer Shipwreck Island Weapons: Fan, Dagger Skill 1: Dance of Mist - Reduce accuracy and evasion of a foe, and force them to act last. Skill 2: Storm's Refrain - Unleash 2 Lightning attacks on random foes. H'aanit Hunter Victors Hollow (after Bestower of Wealth Ch. 1) Weapons: Bow, Axe Skill 1: Rain of Arrows - Unleash 5 to 8 Bow attacks on random foes. Skill 2: Summon Linde - Linde performs Sweep (multi-target Sword attack) or Charge (single-target Polearm attack). Heidne Thief Wishvale Trail (after Heidne and the Man-Eating Miser side quest) Weapons: Dagger, Sword Skill 1: Steal - Steal an item from a foe. Skill 2: Reaping Slash - Unleash a Dagger attack on a foe. Isla Cait Scholar Isle of Sages (requires collecting all Letter Fragments) Weapons: Tome Skill 1: Double Slap - Unleash 2 Tome attacks on all foes. Skill 2: Arcane Meteor - Unleash a non-elemental attack on all foes. Laurana Cleric Wishvale (during Kindlers of the Flame Ch. 5) Weapons: Staff, Fan Skill 1: Healing Light - Restore HP of an ally. Skill 2: Brain Bash - Select a weapon and unleash an attack on a foe. Ludo Merchant Sunshade (during Kindlers of the Flame Ch. 3) Weapons: Polearm, Bow Skill 1: Spearhead - Unleash a Polearm attack on a foe and act faster during next turn. Skill 2: Appraisal - Show weak points and possessions of a foe. Macy Apothecary Emberglow Inn Weapons: Axe, Tome Skill 1: First Aid - Restores HP to an ally. Skill 2: Poisonous Touch - Unleash an Axe attack on a foe and inflict poison. Olberic Warrior Shepherds Rock (after completing Master of All) Weapons: Sword, Polearm Skill 1: Level Slash - Unleash a Sword attack on all foes. Skill 2: Abide - Raise own physical attack. Ophelia Cleric Flamesgrace (after Bestower of Fame Ch. 2) Weapons: Staff, Fan Skill 1: Heal Wounds - Restore HP of the entire front row or entire back row. Skill 2: Holy Light - Unleash a light attack on a foe. Phenn Hunter Snowshard Grotto (during Kindlers of the Flame Ch. 1) Weapons: Bow, Axe Skill 1: Repeated Shot - Unleash 2 Bow attacks on a foe. Skill 2: Stout Wall - Raise own physical defense. Pius Cleric Cragspear Weapons: Staff, Fan Skill 1: Cleansing Fire - Unleash a Fire attack on a foe. Skill 2: Stalwart Veil - Raise the Physical Defense of an ally. Primrose Dancer Sunshade (during Master of All) Weapons: Fan, Dagger Skill 1: Lion Dance - Raise the Physical Attack of an ally. Skill 2: Moonlight Waltz - Unleash a Dark attack on a foe. Reime Warrior Victors Hollow Arena (after completing Bestower of Fame/Power/Wealth) Weapons: Sword, Polearm Skill 1: Twofold Slash - Unleash 2 Sword attacks on a foe. Skill 2: Hilt Strike - Select a weapon and unleash an attack on a foe and reduce their Physical Defense. Saoirse Dancer Theatropolis - Amphitheatre (after completing Master of Fame) Weapons: Fan, Dagger Skill 1: Mole Dance - Raise the Physical Defense of an ally. Skill 2: Dance of Repose - Grant HP regeneration to an ally. Sazantos Flamebringer Wishvale Trail (During Finale) Weapons: Sword Skill 1: Aggressive Slash - Unleash 3 Sword attacks on random foes. Skill 2: Radiant Light - Unleash 3 Light attacks on random foes. Stia Architect Prologue Weapons: Axe, Dagger Skill 1: First Aid - Restores HP to an ally. Skill 2: Chop Wood - Unleash an Axe attack on a foe. Therion Thief Cragspear Weapons: Dagger, Sword Skill 1: Steal - Steal an item from a foe. Skill 2: Wildfire - Unleash a Fire attack on a foe. Tressa Merchant Rippletide Weapons: Polearm, Bow Skill 1: Collect - Collect Leaves from a foe. Skill 2: Tradewinds - Unleash a Wind attack on a foe. Viator Warrior Valore - Tavern Weapons: Sword, Polearm Skill 1: Provoke - Focus enemy attacks on yourself. Skill 2: Wild Blade - Deal Sword damage to random foes two time(s). Xerc Scholar Grandport (after Bestower of Power Ch. 2) Weapons: Tome, Staff Skill 1: Icewind - Unleash an Ice attack on all foes. Skill 2: Tornado - Unleash a Wind attack on all foes. Alexia Alexia, the Scholar. Image via Square Enix Alexia is a scholar with a bit of a mental block. When you first meet her in the Theatropolis library, you'll learn she's hit a dead end in her research on ancient civilizations. After battling her, she insists on joining in your adventures, hoping you'll lead her to ruins or some other exciting discovery that will spark a breakthrough. Alexia specializes in Lightning and Dark damage, making her a strong special attacker. As a resident of Wishvale, she offers marginal boosts to JP in the Training Ground. Battle skills Lightning Bolt (12 SP) - Unleash a Lightning attack on all foes. Duskfall (12 SP) - Unleash a Dark attack on all foes. Elemental Bash (8 SP) - Deal Tome damage to a foe and lower Elemental Defense for 2 turns. Analyze (1 SP) - Discover 1 weak point of a foe and reveal HP. Pray (6 SP) - Raise own Elemental Attack for 3 turns. Lightning Blast (33 SP) - Deal Lightning damage to all foes 2 times. Duskblight (33 SP) - Deal dark damage to all foes 2 times. [Ultimate Technique] Ancient Magic - Deal massive non-elemental damage to all foes. Support skills Conserve Magic - Restore SP when a spell is not used during turn after spell is used. Elemental Defense +50 - Raise the equipped character's Elemental Defense by 50. Max. SP +50 - Raise the equipped character's maximum SP by 50. Incidental Analysis - Discover a random target's weak point after the equipped character acts. Alfyn Oh, good ol' Alfyn. The kind-hearted Apothecary from the original Octopath is back for more adventure in 0, and we're all happy to see him. You'll meet Alfyn in Clearbrook a bit later in your journey, and you'll have to help him gather a few medicinal supplies. He'll eventually join your team when he sees an opportunity to help even more people travelling with you. Alfyn's skills and weapons look much like those in the original Octopath. He uses an axe and a polearm, but his skills are where his real value lies. With Vivify, he can revive fallen allies, and Rehabilitate cures and protects teammates from status ailments. As a resident of Wishvale, he occasionally gives you medicinal items to aid you in future battles. Battle skills First Aid (6 SP) – Restore HP of an ally. Icicle (11 SP) – Deal Ice damage to a foe. Rehabilitate (15 SP) – Grant an ally immunity to status ailments for 2 turns. Amputation (12 SP) – Deal Axe damage to a foe. Empoison (9 SP) – Gain a chance to inflict poison on a foe for 3 turns. Vivify (24 SP) – Revive an ally. Vigorous Strike (16 SP) – Deal great Axe damage to a foe. More potent the more HP you have left. [Ultimate Technique] Pomegranate Panacea – Restore 2 BP to all allies. Support skills Resist Ailments – Improve the equipped character's resistance to poison/bleeding/sleep/paralysis/blindness/silence/terror/weakness. Max. SP +50 – Raise the equipped character's max. SP by 50. Max. HP +500 – Raise the equipped character's max HP by 500. Heightened Healing – Raise the amount of HP/SP restored by the equipped character. Carinda Carinda, the Merchant. Image via Square Enix Carinda shows up in the later stages of the game, and you'll be glad when she finally does. She's a kind and caring soul, but make no mistake: she's still a Merchant at the end of the day, and she's all about that coin. As a Merchant, Carinda carries around a polearm and a bow, and many of her skills make use of these two types of damage. Her attacks offer a few cool secondary effects, though, like earning JP based on how much damage she does or paralyzing her foes. Battle skills Penetrating Thrust (12 SP) – Deal Polearm damage to a foe. Recuperate  (12 SP) – Restore own HP and raise physical defense for 3 turns. Trade Blizzard (12 SP) – Deal Ice damage to all foes. Arrow of Fortune (35 SP) – Deal great Bow damage and obtain JP based on damage dealt. Immobilizing Shot (8 SP) – Deal Bow damage to a foe and gain a chance to inflict paralysis for 2 turns. Soaring Javelin (14 SP) – For 3 turns, deal special Polearm damage to all foes at the end of the turn. Mystic Shot (18 SP) – Deal Bow damage to all foes and restore SP equal to 2% of damage dealt to the entire front row. [Ultimate Technique] Trick of the Trade – Raise physical attack of all allies for 5 turns and grant them the ability to dodge physical attacks 1 time. Support skills Blessing of Restoration – When the equipped character is in the front row, grant HP/SP regeneration to the paired ally. Elemental Defense +50 – Raise the equipped character's Elemental Defense by 50. Physical Defense +50 – Raise the equipped character's Physical Defense by 50. Iron Will – 50% chance to nullify an attribute-reducing effect. Celsus Celsus, the Thief. Image via Square Enix When you meet Celsus in Valore, he's employed as a bodyguard at the town's tavern. Despite being an expert with knives, this bodyguard is a devout man of faith and uses his skillset to deliver god's judgment on troublemakers. After hearing your story, he'll join you on your travels. As a Thief, his abilities require a bit of luck; many of them involve hitting random enemies and increasing chances of landing a critical blow. When he's added to Wishvale, he brings the Faithful Heart bonus, which adds one to the helper's original count at the church. Battle skills Goad (18 SP) - Attempt to draw the attention of all foes to the caster for 3 turns and lower Accuracy of all foes for 3 turns. Double Throw (8 SP) - Deal Dagger damage to random foes 2 times. This attack has an increased chance of being a critical hit. Divine Speed (6 SP) - Raise own Evasion/Speed for 3 turns. Wild Blade (14 SP) - Deal Sword damage to random foes 2 times. Sidestep (15 SP) - Grant self the ability to dodge physical attacks 1 time. Winding Throw (34 SP) - Deal Dagger damage to all foes. This has an increased chance of being a critical hit. Triple Throw (26 SP) - Deal Dagger damage to random foes 3 times. This has an increased chance of being a critical hit. [Ultimate Technique] Master of Evasion - Make user the target of enemy attacks and grant the ability to dodge physical attacks for 2 turns. Support skills Evil Ward - Raise the party's success rate when attempting to flee. (The effect is not cumulative.) Evasion +50 - Raise the equipped character's Evasion by 50. Vim and Vigor - Restore HP of equipped character every turn. Detect Danger - At the start of turn, gain a 25% chance to dodge physical attacks by 1 turns. Cyrus You'll meet Cyrus later on in the game when you dig up a book from the innards of a giant salamander. Gross, right? Well, unfortunately for you, that's how every fateful encounter seems to begin. At least that's how this one begins, so you'd better get to digging! As a Scholar, Cyrus is all about elemental damage. His skills revolve almost entirely around Lightning, Ice, or Fire damage, making him a damage-first companion. Pair him with a dancer like Primrose who can boost his elemental attack, and you'll have one of the strongest attackers in the game. Back at Wishvale, he'll marginally increase the JP obtained by allies in the Training Ground. Battle skills Fireball (12 SP) – Deal Fire damage to all foes. Icewind (12 SP) – Deal Ice damage to all foes. Lightning Bolt (12 SP) – Deal Lightning damage to all foes. Analyze (1 SP) – Discover one weak point of a foe and reveal HP. Fire Storm (33 SP) – Deal Fire damage to all foes 2 times. Blizzard (33 SP) – Deal Ice damage to all foes 2 times. Lightning Blast (33 SP) – Deal Lightning damage to all foes 2 times. [Ultimate Technique] Grand Trinity – Deal Fire/Lightning/Ice damage to all foes 2 times each. Support skills Study Foe – At the start of battle, discover one weak point of each foe. Elemental Attack +50 – Raise the equipped character's elemental attack by 50. Vim and Vigor – Restore HP of equipped character every turn. Rechant – When casting magic, gain a 20% chance to recast the same spell. Delitia Delitia, the Hunter. Image via Square Enix You meet Delitia in Embervale shortly after completing the second chapter of the Master of Power questline. A hunter from the Sunlands, Delitia is searching for her brother, who mysteriously vanished one day. Her brother is next in line to lead the Aqeeq, and as a loyal member of the clan, it's Delitia's duty to find him. She recruits you to help her find him, but in exchange, she promises to help you on your journey as well. Who doesn't love a mutually beneficial relationship? As a Hunter, Delitia wields a Bow, but she's also got an Axe on standby. She's also a reliable source of Ice damage, which can be hard to come by in Octopath Traveler 0. At Wishvale, she will occasionally provide you with whatever she can bring back from hunting: Mutton and Beef, mainly. Battle skills Piercing Shadow (8 SP) - Unleash a bow attack on a foe and decrease their speed. Stray Arrows (14 SP) - Unleash two bow attacks on random foes. Soporific Ice Frog (8 SP) - Deal Ice damage to a foe and gain a chance to inflict sleep for 2 turns. Retreating Shot (9 SP) - Deal Bow damage to a foe, then move to the back row. Mind Sap (6 SP) - Lower Elemental Defense of a foe for 2 turns. Ice Boulder (16 SP) - Deal Ice damage to a foe 2 times. Devastating Shot (28 SP) - Deal great Bow damage to a foe and gain a small chance to instantly kill a target. [Ultimate Technique] Gift of the Aqeeq - Lower Physical Attack/Physical Defense of all foes for 2 turn(s), and raise Physical Attack/Physical Defense of all allies for 4 turns. Support skills Fortitude - Raises the equipped character's attack skill potency the lower their HP. Physical Attack +50 - Raise the equipped character's Physical Attack by 50. Extended Enfeeblement - When the equipped character inflicts an attribute-reducing effect, extend duration by one turn. Exacerbate - When switching from the back row, extend duration of attribute-reducing effects of target by 1 turn. El the Swordsman El's a mysterious swordswoman who joins you on your travels later on in the storyline. She wields only a sword but can also dish out Light damage, a reflection of her pure heart. You won't know much about El's true identity when you first meet her, but you discover more as you continue to fight alongside her. Battle skills Level Slash (14 SP) - Deal Sword damage to all foes. First Aid (6 SP) - Restore HP of an ally. Radiant Light (19 SP) - Deal Light damage to random foes 3 times. Vacuum Slice (30 SP) - Deal great Sword damage to a foe. Almighty (12 SP) - Raise own Physical Attack, Physical Defense, Elemental Attack, and Elemental Defense for 3 turns. Trifold Slash (27 SP) - Deal Sword damage to a foe 3 times. Divine Light (30 SP) - Deal Light damage to a foe 1 time. Attack count increases based on Boost level. [Ultimate Technique] Holy Sword - Deal Light damage to all foes 5 times. Support skills Of Equal Might - Equalize Physical Attack and Elemental Attack of the equipped character to whichever value is higher. Elemental Defense +50 - Raise the equipped character's Elemental Defense by 50. Physical Defense +50 - Raise the equipped character's Physical Defense by 50. Vast Energy - When the equipped character is in the back row, they will have a 25% chance to reduce paired ally's BP consumption to 0. Esperre Esperre, the Apothecary. Image via Square Enix Esperre's intro quest will knock you on your ass—quite literally. But luckily, this Apothecary is there to swoop in to save you. Together, you'll work out a plan to defeat a nasty beast, and from there on out, Esperre won't want to leave your side. He'll travel with you in hopes of learning more about medicine and following in his father's footsteps. As an Apothecary, he uses an axe and tome for his basic attacks, while his skills are a beautiful blend of heals, status ailments, and elemental damage. At Wishvale, he marginally raises the production speed of crops when placed in the fields. Battle skills Recuperating Smash (8 SP) – Deal Axe damage to a foe. Restore own HP if attacking from the back row. Healing Touch (12 SP) – Restore HP of an ally and cure status ailments. Thunderclap (12 SP) – Deal Lightning damage to all foes. Toxify (15 SP) – Gain a chance to inflict toxin on a foe for 3 turns. Arcane Tome (18 SP) – Deal Tome damage to a foe. Restore own SP if attacking from the back row. Vivify (24 SP) – Revive an ally. Weak to Poison (4 SP) – Make a foe weak to poison for 2 turns. [Ultimate Technique] – Remove attribute-reducing effects of all allies and grant an ally immunity to status ailments for 2 turn(s). Support skills Prolonged Ailment – When the equipped character inflicts a status ailment, extend duration by 1 turn. Max. SP +50 – Raise the equipped character's max. SP by 50. Elem. Def. +50 – Raise the equipped character's elemental defense by 50. Reciprocate – When inflicted with poison/bleeding/sleep/paralysis/blindness, inflict the same ailments back. Goodwin Goodwin, the Dancer. Image via Square Enix Oh, the Theater King, Shipwreck King, and Pain-In-Your-Ass King. Okay, maybe I made that last one up. You'll find Goodwin crashed out on Shipwreck Island, and the only thing that can rouse him from his state of middling consciousness is Ratatouille. And no, that's not me making that up.   Goodwin's a Dancer, so he wields a fan and dagger in combat. His skills revolve around lowering enemies' attributes and shocking them with Lightning damage. As a resident of Wishvale, he offers a regular Leaf gift, giving you money every now and then. And that, my friends, makes him worth the trouble of recruiting. Battle skills Dance of Mist (9 SP) – Lower Accuracy/Evasion of a foe for 2 turns and cause target to act last for 2 turns. Dance skill. Storm's Refrain (13 SP) – Deal Lightning damage to random foes 2 times. Song skill. Song of Battle (6 SP) – Make foes more likely to attack paired ally in the back row and raise their Physical Defense for 3 turns, then move to back row. Double Arc (18 SP) – Deal Fan damage to a foe 2 times. Levin's Reform (8 SP) – Deal Lightning damage to a foe and gain a chance to inflict paralysis for 2 turns. Song skill. Thunder's Refrain (19 SP) – Deal Lightning damage to random foes 3 times. Song skill. Dance of Sloughs (30 SP) – Lower Speed/Evasion of all foes for 2 turns and cause targets to act last for 2 turns. Dance skill. [Ultimate Technique] Song of Levin - Deal Lightning damage to all foes and for 2 turns, deal Lightning damage to all foes at the end of the turn. Song skill. Support skills Hang Tough – When the equipped character is not near death, they will survive an otherwise lethal attack with 1 HP remaining. Max. SP +50 – Raise the equipped character's max. SP by 50. Elemental Defense + 50 – Raise the equipped character's Elemental Defense by 50. Vast Energy - When the equipped character is in the back row, they will have a 25% chance to reduce paired ally's BP consumption to 0. H'aanit Our favorite Hunter duo from the original Octopath has returned. That's right: H'aanit and her leopard partner Linde are back in action, and they'll join your journey in the later stages of the game. You find them in Victors Hollow on a trial put forth by her mentor, Z'aanta, and you'll have to help her take down a fearsome beast. But the real lesson is, of course, companionship. This is a JRPG, after all. Battle skills Rain of Arrows (12 SP) – Deal Bow damage to random foes 5 to 8 times. Summon Linde (16 SP) – Summon Linde and deal sword damage to all foes or polearm damage to a foe. Thunderbird (11 SP) – Deal Lightning damage to a foe. True Strike (15 SP) – Deal critical Bow damage to a foe. Ensnare (9 SP) – Cause a foe to act last for 2 turns. Arrowstorm (36 SP) – Deal Bow damage to all foes 5 to 8 times. Take Aim (12 SP) – Raise accuracy/critical chance of the entire front or back row for 2 turns. [Ultimate Technique] Hunter's Drive - Deal Sword damage to all foes, Polearm damage to a foe, and Bow damage to all foes. Support skills Second Serving – 50% chance of unleashing a follow-up strike when the equipped character uses "Attack." Crit +50 – Raise the equipped character's critical chance by 50. Accuracy + 50 – Raise the equipped character's accuracy by 50. Patience – Give the equipped character a 25% chance to act again at the end of turn. Heidne Heidne's probably your biggest fan in all of Orsterra—or at least, it feels that way at times. You'll find her first outside of Sunshade and then once again outside of Flamesgrace, and both times, she'll want to battle you to try to steal your ring. Her obsession with you and your jewelry makes more sense after you hear her story during the Heidne and the Man-Eating Miser quest, which begins with One's True Worth just outside of Sunshade. Once you've helped Heidne defeat Vaughner, she'll ask to join your team. As a Thief, she can impair enemies by lowering their stats and dealing Dagger and Dark damage to them. Her supporting skills are incredibly useful, giving her a chance to steal an item automatically after attacking or taking a second turn. Like Goodwin, she offers Leaf gifts at Wishvale, so be sure to add her as a resident to get as much money as you can. Battle skills Steal (3 SP) - Steal an item from a foe. Reaping Slash (12 SP) – Deal Dagger damage to a foe. Inhibit Offense (6 SP) – Lower Physical Attack/Elemental Attack of a foe for 2 turns. Darkest Night (11 SP) – Deal Dark damage to a foe. Lower Defenses (6 SP) – Lower Physical Defense/Elemental Defense of a foe for 2 turns. Shield Burst (18 SP) – Select a weapon and deal damage to a foe. Lower Shield Points regardless of target's weak points. Triple Throw (26 SP) – Deal Dagger damage to random foes 3 times. Has an increased chance of being a critical hit. [Ultimate Technique] Pilfer – Deal great Dagger damage to a foe and steal an item when attack is successful. Support skills Incidental Steal – 25% chance to steal an item when attacking a foe. Speed +50 – Raise the equipped character's speed by 50. Patience – Give the equipped character a 25% chance to act again at the end of the turn. The Ring's Grace – Raise physical attack and elemental attack when the equipped character is paired with the main character. Isla Isla is simultaneously the cutest and quite possibly strangest companion you'll meet in your travels around Orsterra. To add the Cait to your team, you'll need to be invited to the Isle of Sages in the Outersea by finding all Letter Fragments. When you visit the island, you'll learn Isla is the minister, but she's willing to drop everything to join the Chosen One on their journey. Like real-life cats, Isla can be a creature of pure chaos and destruction. Wielding only a tome, she's a master of non-elemental damage, but she also has a couple skills that restore her own HP and SP or raise the elemental attack and evasion of teammates. Back home at Wishvale, Isla regularly retrieves various items with her Capricious Cat resident skill. Battle skills Double Slap (21 SP) – Deal Tome damage to all foes 2 times. Arcane Meteor (24 SP) – Deal great non-elemental damage to all foes. Fleeting Feline (10 SP) – Raise own speed for 2 turns and grant self the ability to dodge physical attacks 1 time. Purr-omote (12 SP) – Raise elemental attack/evasion of the entire front or back row for 2 turns. Curl Up (0 SP) – Greatly restore own HP/SP. Triple Slap (43 SP) – Deal Tome damage to all foes 3 times. Arcane Comet (36 SP) – Deal great non-elemental damage to all foes. More potent if attacking from the back row. [Ultimate Technique] Ulti-Meow – Use all your SP, then deal non-elemental damage to all foes. More potent the more SP spent. Support skills Sage's Wisdom – Elemental attacks will also deal critical damage. Max. SP +50 – Raise the equipped character's maximum SP by 50. Elemental Attack + 50 – Raise equipped character's elemental attack by 50. Sheer Focus – Focus specific spells on a single target, but raise the potency. Laurana Laurana, the Cleric. Image via Square Enix Like Stia and Phenn, Laurana's one of the original Wishvale residents, but she goes missing after the town is tragically burned to the ground. You won't find her until later on in the Kindlers of the Flame questline, and by that point, she's become a Cleric in Flamesgrace. As a Cleric, she carries around a staff and a fan, and many of her skills involve some sort of healing effect. Where Laurana shines, however, is in her ability to shield allies from death with Wondrous Veil and her Ultimate Technique, Maiden's Miracle. These two skills grant effects that automatically restore allies' health after they've been incapacitated, making Laurana an incredibly powerful party member at later stages of the game when enemies start hitting a bit harder. Battle skills Healing Light (8 SP) – Restore HP of an ally. Brain Bash (18 SP) – Select a weapon and deal damage to a foe. Ethereal Healing (30 SP) – Grant HP regeneration to the entire front row or entire back row for 2 turns. Soporific Ice Fog (8 SP) – Deal Ice damage to a foe and gain a chance to inflict sleep for 2 turns. Mystical Staff (9 SP) – Deal Staff damage to a foe 2 times and restore SP equal to 10% of damage dealt. Moonlit Repose (8 SP) – Grant SP regeneration to an ally for 1 turn. Wondrous Veil (30 SP) – Grant an effect that allows an ally to recover with 25% of their max. HP upon being incapacitated (one time only). [Ultimate Technique] Maiden's Miracle – Grant an effect that allows the entire front row or back row to recover with 50% of their max HP upon being incapacitated. Support skills HP Recovery Up – Raise the amount restored by the equipped character's HP recovery/HP regeneration skills. Max. SP +50 – Raise the equipped character's max SP by 50. Speed +50 – Raise the equipped character's Speed by 50. Encore – Grant an effect that allows you to recover with 25% of your max HP upon being incapacitated (one time only). Ludo Ludo, the Merchant. Image via Square Enix You'll meet Ludo during the third chapter of the Kindlers of the Flame questline. At this point in the story, he's running a prominent business down in Sunshade, much to others' disdain. He's a bit pompous at first, especially for a 20-year-old merchant, but he eventually agrees to join your efforts at Wishvale after you take out a band of lizardmen at his behest. Ludo's all about raking in those Leaves, and his skills reflect that. He fights primarily with a Polearm but also uses a Bow. At Wishvale, he marginally raises the selling price of items at the shop and is locked to that building—though, since he's a merchant, would you really want him anywhere else? Battle skills Spearhead (9 SP) - Deal Polearm damage to a foe. Act faster next turn. Appraisal (1 SP) - Discover 1 weak points of a foe and reveal possessions. Arm-Crippling Thrust (9 SP) - Deal Polearm damage to a foe 2 times and lower their physical attack by 2 turns. Negotiation (10 SP) - Target for provides additional EXP and Leaves at the end of battle. Leg-Crippling Thrust (22 SP) - Deal Polearm damage to a foe 2 times and lower their speed by 2 turns. War Cry (6 SP) - Raise own physical attack/crit. for 3 turns. Crippling Thrust (27 SP) - Deal Polearm damage to a foe 3 times. [Ultimate Technique] Enervating Thrust - Deal Polearm damage to a foe. If broken, lower Shield Points of target by one upon recovery. Support skills Extra Items - Enemies are more likely to drop items. Invigorating Attack - Restore HP equal to 10% of damage deal when using "Attack." Max. HP +500 - Raise the equipped character's max HP by 500. Fierce Rush - Raise the potency of multiple-hit attacks against broken enemies. Macy Macy, the Apothecary. Image via Square Enix By far, the most compassionate companion you'll meet on your journey is Macy. She's a caretaker almost to a fault, and she frets religiously about her friends' well-being. You can find Macy early on in your journey at the Emberglow Inn, and she'll quickly join your travels in hopes of spreading her charity to other regions of Orsterra. As an Apothecary, Macy's battle skills both support allies through heals and SP restoration, as well as damaging enemies with hard-hitting Axe attacks. Back at Wishvale, she offers the Med Supply boon and will regularly give you healing items. Battle skills First Aid (6 SP) - Restore HP of an ally. Poisonous Touch (18 SP) - Deal Axe damage to a foe and gain a chance to inflict poison for 2 turns. Paralysis Formula (9 SP) - Gain a chance to inflict paralysis on a foe for 2 turns. Expert First Aid (6 SP) - Restore HP of an ally and move to the back row. Rest (0 SP) - Restore own HP/SP and cure own status ailments. Twin Bash (18 SP) - Deal Axe damage to a foe 2 times. Share SP (Costs 50% of caster's remaining SP) - Grant 50% of the caster's remaining SP to an ally. [Ultimate Technique] Prism Mist - Grant a random positive status effect to all allies. Support skills Boon of Healing - When using an HP recovery skill, extend duration of target's augmenting effects by 1 turn. Elemental Defense +50 - Raise the equipped character's Elemental Defense by 50. Max. HP +500 - Raise the equipped character's max HP by 500. Healing Item Expertise - Increase the effects of healing items during battle. Olberic The Unbending Blade has returned. Given Olberic's capabilities, it's no surprise there are frauds parading around Orsterra using his name, and you'll catch one out later in your journey. After helping him, he decides to travel with you to find the retribution he's looking for. As a Warrior, Olberic makes the most of swords and polearms. He can be quite the frontline, using his Cover support skill to defend allies from near death and taunting enemies into targeting him with Provoke. At Wishvale, he marginally increases the experience points allies will gain from the Training Ground. Battle skills Level Slash (14 SP) – Deal Sword damage to all foes. Abide (6 SP) – Raise own physical attack for 3 turns. Spearhead (9 SP) – Deal Polearm damage to a foe. Act faster next turn. Provoke (12 SP) – Deal Sword damage to a foe. Stout Wall (6 SP) – Raise own physical defense for 3 turns. Wild Thrust (29 SP) – Deal Polearm damage to random foes 3 to 5 times. [Ultimate Technique] Unbending Blade – Deal massive Sword damage to a foe. Support skills Cover – Take damage from a single hit meant for a near-death ally. Physical Attack + 50 – Raise equipped character's physical attack by 50. Physical Defense +50 – Raise the equipped character's physical defense by 50. Surpassing Power – The equipped character will deal up to 99,999 damage. Ophelia O-o-phelia! Octopath fans get to play as the Cleric from Flamesgrace once more in 0 with Ophelia's return. We first meet Ophelia in the Kindlers of the Flame questline, but she won't actually join your team until after Bestower of Fame Ch. 2. With her holy powers, Ophelia's strengths lie in healing her team, protecting them from death, and dealing Light damage to enemies. As a resident of Wishvale, she adds two helpers to the total count when placed in the church. Battle skills Heal Wounds (12 SP) – Restore HP to the entire front or back row. Holy Light (11 SP) – Deal Light damage to a foe. Sheltering Veil (9 SP) – Raise elemental defense of an ally for 2 turns. Luminescence (14 SP) – Deal Light damage to all foes. Heal More (38 SP) – Greatly restore HP of the entire front or back row. Stalwart Veil (9 SP) – Raise physical defense of an ally for 2 turns. Revive (75 SP) – Revive all allies. [Ultimate Technique] Divine Protection – Nullify damage taken from physical attacks for the entire front or back row 1 time. Support skills Extra JP – Receive additional JP at the end of battle. (This effect is not cumulative.) Max. SP +50 – Raise the equipped character's maximum SP by 50. Persistence – When the equipped character is granted an attribute-raising effect, extend duration by 1 turn. Saving Grace – Grants the equipped character the ability to be healed above their max HP. Phenn Phenn, the Hunter. Image via Square Enix A member of the original Wishvale crew, Phenn blames himself for much of the destruction caused in Wishvale's attack. You find him training in the caves surrounding the town, attempting to hone his skills so he'll never have to face such loss again. Phenn joins your party as part of the Kindlers of the Flame questline to help rebuild the town. He uses a bow and axe as a Hunter, and eventually takes over running the town's tavern in the rebuilding efforts. Phenn brings the Negotiator skill to Wishvale, which marginally lowers the cost of restoring your reputation in the town. Battle skills Repeated Shot (8 SP) - Unleash 2 Bow attacks on a foe. Stout Wall (6 SP) - Raise own physical defense. Provoke (6 SP) - Attempt to draw the attention of all foes for 3 turns. Sweeping Gale (16 SP) - Deal Wind damage to a foe 2 times. Focus (6 SP) - Raise own physical attack and accuracy for 3 turns. Twin Bash (18 SP) - Deal Axe damage to a foe 2 times. Avenging Triple Shot (32 SP) - At the end of turn, deal special bow damage to a foe 3 times. This attack is more potent the more hits taken that turn. [Ultimate Technique] Shield of Hope - Reduce damage taken by all enemies for 2 turns. Support skills Vigorous Victor - Restore 30% of the equipped character's maximum HP and SP upon winning the battle. Physical Defense +50 - Raise the equipped character's physical defense by 50. Eye for an Eye - Gain a 50% chance to counter physical attacks. The Strength to Protect - Raise physical attack up to 5 tiers every time the equipped character takes damage. Pius Pius, the Cleric. Image via Square Enix You run into Pius after arriving in Cragspear, and although you might not know him, he knows you. He's an old family friend—a distant relative of your mother, actually—and is distraught to hear about the events at Wishvale. Raised in the faith, Pius is a devout bishop and joins you in your journey seeking to provide aid wherever he can. As a Cleric, Pius offers support in a fight, but he can also dish out damage when needed. His abilities revolve around healing and raising the defense of allies, though he also has a few Fire and Fan attacks. At Wishvale, he adds one to the helper's original use count in the Church—fitting, for a Bishop. Battle skills Cleansing Fire (11 SP) - Deal Fire damage to a foe. Stalwart Veil (9 SP) - Raise physical defense of an ally for 2 turns. Heal Wounds (12 SP) - Restore HP of the entire front or back row of allies. Wild Strike (14 SP) - Deal Fan damage to random foes 2 times. Sweep (34 SP) - Select a weapon and deal damage to all foes. Flames of Judgement (13 SP) - Deal Fire damage to random foes 2 times. Sacred Shield (20 SP) - Grant a shield to an ally, reducing damage taken from the next hit by 50 percent. [Ultimate Technique] Scales of Justice - Lower physical defense/elemental defense of all foes for 2 turn(s) and raise physical attack/elemental attack of all allies for 4 turns. Support skills Back Row Support - When the equipped character is in the back row, grant HP restoration to paired ally. Elemental Defense +50 - Raise the equipped character's elemental defense by 50. Speed +50 - Raise the equipped character's speed by 50. Recover SP - Restore SP equal to 1% of damage dealt when using "Attack." Primrose Primrose is one of the returning companions from the original Octopath Traveler, and her appearance will be a welcome sight to any fan of the first game. You'll meet her later on in the game's story in the Sunshade tavern—though you'll have to rematch Rosso if you want her to join your team. As a Dancer, Primrose's skills revolve around buffing allies and dealing Dark damage. She wields a dagger and a fan, much like the other Dancers in the party. Her resident skill, Savvy Shopper, marginally lowers the price of items you can buy from Ludo's shop. Battle skills Lion Dance (6 SP) – Raise physical attack of an ally for 2 turns. Dance skill. Moonlight Waltz (11 SP) – Deal Dark damage to a foe. Song skill. Peacock Strut (6 SP) – Raise elemental attack of an ally for 2 turns. Dance skill. Mole Dance (6 SP) – Raise physical defense of an ally for 2 turns. Dance skill. Night Ode (15 SP) – Deal Dark damage to all foes. Song skill. Panther Dance (6 SP) – Raise speed of an ally for 2 turns. Dance skill. Song of Lunar Shadow (40 SP) – Deal great Dark damage to a foe. Song skill. [Ultimate Technique] Twilight Waltz – Deal Dark damage to all foes 2 times. Grant SP regeneration to all allies for 3 turns. Dance skill. Support skills Second Wind – Restore SP of equipped character every turn. Evasion +50 – Raise the equipped character's Evasion by 50. Speed +50 – Raise the equipped character's Speed by 50. The Show Goes On – When the equipped character grants an attribute-raising effect, extend duration by 1 turn. Reime Reime's easily the toughest companion to impress. She won't become available until after you've completed the Bestower of Wealth, Bestower of Fame, and Bestower of Power quests—but when she does, you'll be glad for the extra training time. As a warrior in the underground fighting rings, Reime uses swords and polearms, and many of her skills revolve around attacking twice in one move. Combined with he support skill Fierce Rush, this mechanic makes her a powerful opponent who should never be underestimated. Battle skills Twofold Slash (8 SP) – Deal sword damage to a foe 2 times. Hilt Strike (9 SP) – Select a weapon and deal damage to a foe and lower physical defense for 2 turns. Master of Shadows (8 SP) – Deal Dark damage to a foe 2 times. Double Thrust (8 SP) – Deal Polearm damage to a foe 2 times. Vengeful Blade (14 SP) – Counter physical attacks with a sword 2 time(s). Lower Shield Points with counter regardless of target's weak points. Judicious Blade (18 SP) – Nullify own positive status effects, then deal Polearm damage to a foe. More potent the more status effects nullified. Stormblade (36 SP) – Deal Sword damage to a foe 3 to 5 times. [Ultimate Technique] Lotus Blade – Deal Sword damage to a foe 6 times. Support skills BP Luck – 50% chance to reduce BP consumption to 0. Fierce Rush – Raise the potency of multi-hit attacks against broken foes. Physical Attack +50 – Raise the equipped character's physical attack by 50. Battle Refinement – Slightly fill the equipped character's Ultimate Technique gauge when exploiting a foe's weak point with physical attacks. Saoirse Saoirse, the Dancer. Image via Square Enix Shortly after the events of the Master of Fame questline, you meet Saoirse, a performer at the Theatropolis Amphitheatre. To get her to join your party, you'll have to select the right combination of dance moves. The correct order of moves is "lightly as a kingfisher," "gaily as a baleful bloom," and then "fiercely as a fungold." Once you've shown off your fancy footwork, Saoirse will declare you her "song," a dedicated dance partner, and accompany you on your travels. As a Dancer, Saoirse uses a fan and dagger for her weapons, and her abilities revolve around providing buffs to her teammates. At Wishvale, she offers the Abundant Charm effect, which slightly increases the frequency of deliveries regularly provided by the town's residents. Battle skills Mole Dance (6 SP) - Raise physical defense of an ally for 2 turn(s. Dance skill. Dance of Repose (6 SP) - Grant HP regeneration to an ally for 3 turns. Dance skill. Song of Winds (11 SP) - Deal Wind damage to a foe. Song skill. Panther Dance (6 SP) - Raise speed of an ally for 2 turns. Dance skill. Song of Slumber (9 SP) - Gain a chance to inflict sleep on a foe for 2 turns. Song skill. Song of Howling Winds (12 SP) - Deal Wind damage to all foes. Song skill. Dance of Respite (33 SP) - Grant HP regeneration to the entire front row or entire back row for 2 turns. Dance skill. [Ultimate Technique] Ruinous Aria - Grant an ally the ability to exploit weaknesses regardless of weak points for 2 turn(s). Song skill. Support skills Invigorate - When the equipped character grants HP regeneration with a skill, grant SP regeneration to the target for 2 turn(s). Speed +50 - Raise the equipped character's speed by 50. Max. SP +50 - Raise the equipped character's maximum SP by 50. Back Row Dancer - At the end of the turn, slightly fill the Ultimate Technique gauge of the entire front row when the equipped character is in the back row. Sazantos Just when you thought you could kick back and relax, Sazantos shows up on your doorstep to let you know the journey's not over. He informs you the Rings of Power must be sealed away, and he accompanies you on your journey to do so as Flamebringer, a protector of the Azure Flame. Battle skills Aggressive Slash (22 SP) – Deal Sword damage to random foes 3 times. Radiant Light (19 SP) – Deal Light damage to random foes 3 times. Almighty (12 SP) – Raise own Physical Attack/Physical Defense/Elemental Attack/Elemental Defense for 3 turns. Sacred Flame's Grace (18 SP) – Restore HP of entire front row or back row and grant HP restoration for 3 turns at Max. Boost. Transcendent Light (26 SP) – Deal Light damage to random foes 4 times. Divine Flame (16 SP) – Exploit weakness with physical attacks regardless of weak points for 2 turns. Phantom Blade (40 SP) – Deal great Sword damage to random foes 2 times. Attack count increases based on Boost Lv. [Ultimate Technique] Shadowcleaver – Deal Sword damage to all foes 2 times. Deal more damage if graced with Divine Flame. Support skills Master of Offense – More easily land critical hits on broken foes. Phys. Attack + 50 – Raise equipped character's physical attack by 50. Elem. Attack + 50 – Raise equipped character's elemental attack by 50. BP Recovery on Break – The equipped character will consume no BP when breaking a foe. Stia Stia, the Architect. Image via Square Enix Stia is the first companion you'll meet in Octopath Traveler 0. She's there from the very beginning—long before your journey actually ever starts, in fact. She's the daughter of the head carpenter in Wishvale and a close friend of the protagonist. Stia will be by your side throughout most of your journey around Orsterra, so you'd better get used to her presence. During the rebuilding efforts, Stia takes up her father's mantle and leads most of the town's construction. In battle, she offers a variety of support skills, healing allies or granting them either SP or BP. But don't underestimate Stia; the Architect can also dish out plenty of Axe damage when she needs to. Battle skills First Aid (6 SP) - Restores HP to an ally. Chop Wood (6 SP) - Unleash an Axe attack on a foe. Full Swing (28 SP) - Deal Axe damage to all foes. Stroke of Genius (6 SP) - Grant self 2 random attribute-raising effects for 2 turns. Donate BP (5 SP) - Grant 1 BP to an ally. Share SP (Costs 50% of caster's remaining SP) - Grant 50% of the caster's remaining SP to an ally. Greater Distribution (0 SP) - Grant an ally your attribute-raising effects for 2 turns. [Ultimate Technique] Full Cheer - Raise BP recovery of the entire front row or entire back row by 1 and grant SP regeneration by 2 turns. Support skills Incidental Heal - After the equipped character acts, gain a 50% chance to restore the HP of an ally in the front row with the least HP. Maximum SP +60 - Raise the equipped character's max. SP by 50. Elemental Defense +50 - Raise the equipped character's elemental defense by 50. Unsung Hero - When the equipped character is in the back row, nullify status ailments of paired ally. Therion Therion is back, baby. For all you fans of the original Octopath Traveler game, you're more than familiar with this edgelord. Sorry, did I say edgelord? I meant totally badass thief. You'll first run into Therion in Cragspear as he busts a gang's con to scam the town's inhabitants. He'll enlist your aid in taking down the gang's leader and will eventually agree to accompany you on your travels in hopes of keeping you out of trouble. Therion has very similar battle skills to his appearance in the first game. As a Thief, his abilities involve stealing items, HP, and BP, as well as doing Dagger and Fire damage to enemies. At Wishvale, he will regularly offer you deliveries of battle items. Battle skills Steal (3 SP) - Steal an item from a foe. Wildfire (11 SP) - Deal Fire damage to a foe. HP Thief (9 SP) - Deal Dagger damage to a foe 2 times and steal HP equal to 50% of damage dealt. Shackle Foe (6 SP) - Lower Physical Attack of a foe for 2 turns. Armor Corrosive (6 SP) - Lower Physical Defense of a foe for 2 turns. SP Thief (9 SP) - Deal Dagger damage to a foe 2 times and steal SP equal to 5% of damage dealt. Assassination (35 SP) - Deal great Dagger damage to a foe. More potent if attacking from the back row. [Ultimate Technique] BP Thief - Deal Dagger damage to a foe 2 times and restore 2 BP to self. Support skills Incidental Attack - The equipped character gains a 50% chance of also attacking when using a non-damaging skill. Speed +50 - Raise the equipped character's speed by 50. Snatch - The equipped character will seize twice the amount when using Steal or Collect. Extended Enfeeblement - When the equipped character inflicts an attribute-reducing effect, extend duration by 1 turn. Tressa After meeting Tressa in Rippletide, she quickly became one of my favorite returning companions in this game thanks to her ability to rake in the Leaves. Her skillset is much of the same as in the original Octopath Traveler, revolving mainly around Wind, Polearm, and Bow damage while offering a few additional abilities that grant herself extra evasion or BP to allies. Collect (3 SP) – Collect Leaves from a foe. Tradewinds (11 SP) – Deal Wind damage to a foe. Rest (0 SP) - Restore own HP/SP and cure own status ailments. Trade Tempest (15 SP) – Deal Wind damage to all foes. Donate BP (5 SP) – Grant 1 BP to an ally. Sidestep (15 SP) - Grant self the ability to dodge physical attacks 1 time. Peerless Strike (30 SP) – Deal great Polearm damage to a foe. [Ultimate Technique] Call for Help – Deal Sword/Dagger/Axe/Light to random foes 1 time each. Support skills Extra Leaves – Receive additional leaves at the end of battle. (This effect is not cumulative) Hang Tough – When the equipped character is not near death, they will survive an otherwise lethal attack with 1 HP remaining. Elemental Defense + 50 – Raise the equipped character's Elemental Defense by 50. SP Saver – Halves SP requirements for the equipped character's skills. Viator Viator, the Warrior. Image via Square Enix One of the earliest companions you'll meet on your journey, Viator is hanging out in the Valore tavern when you find him. As a Warrior, he makes the most of swords and polearms. He can act as a solid tank, provoking enemies to attack him and raising his own evasion or nullifying damage from hits. At Wishvale, he marginally increases the experience obtained by those in the Training Ground. Battle skills Provoke (6 SP) - Attempt to draw the attention of all foes for 3 turns. Wild Blade (14 SP) - Unleash two Sword attacks on random foes. Evasive Stance (6 SP) - Raise own Evasion for 3 turns. Vanguard Spear (18 SP) - Deal Polearm damage to a foe. Act faster next turn. Charging Strike (18 SP) - Deal Sword damage to a foe 2 times. More potent if attacking from the back row. Parry (15 SP) - Nullify damage taken from physical attacks 3 times. Talon Strike (36 SP) - Deal great Sword damage to random foes 3 times. [Ultimate Technique] Fluid Stance - Deal damage with equipped weapon 2 times when evading or parrying attacks for 2 turns. Support skills Elemental Counter - 50% chance to counter elemental attacks. Physical Defense +50 - Raise the equipped character's Physical Defense by 50. Elemental Defense +50 - Raise the equipped character's Elemental Defense by 50. Foresight - The equipped character will have a 25% chance to restore 1 BP when attacked. Xerc Xerc, the Scholar. Image via Square Enix Shortly after the events of Bestower of Power Ch. 2, you'll meet Xerc, who's in Grandport for an auction. He's a Scholar—but a broke one, apparently, because he bums 10,000 Leaves off you to bid on an abnormally giant Soulstone that you never end up getting back. But when the bidding goes south, you end up having to protect him and his assistant from a band of pirates. He'll eventually join you on your travels in hopes of finding more areas of research worth studying. As a specialist in Soulstone research, Xerc's skills revolve around elemental damage, namely Ice and Wind. When he's placed in Wishvale, he regularly offers you a delivery of battle items with his Arsenal Supply resident skill. Battle skills Icewind (12 SP) – Deal Ice damage to all foes. Tornado (12 SP) – Deal Wind damage to all foes. Sweep (34 SP) – Select a weapon and deal damage to all foes Analyze (1 SP) – Discover 1 weak point of a foe and reveal HP. Stroke of Genius (6 SP) – Grant self 2 random attribute-raising effects for 2 turns. Blizzard (33 SP) – Deal Ice damage to all foes 2 times. Maelstrom (33 SP) – Deal Wind damage to all foes 2 times. Support skills Soulstone Expertise – Increase Soulstone potency. Physical Attack + 50 – Raise equipped character's physical attack by 50. Max. SP +50 – Raise the equipped character's maximum SP by 50. The post The ultimate companion guide in Octopath Traveler 0 – All party members, their abilities, and where to find them appeared first on Destructoid.

Destructoid Monday, December 8, 2025 11:34 AM What is the weekly challenge in Phasmophobia?       If you think you've mastered the art of ghost hunting in Phasmophobia, you may be ready to put your skills to the test. Weekly challenge modes are a great way to see just how good you are. These special trials modify how the game works, usually with rules that make the experience a lot harder. Successfully finishing the challenge gets you plenty of XP and cash, so it's well worth the effort. Here's the weekly challenge in Phasmophobia and everything you need to know to beat it. Table of contents Phasmophobia weekly challenge mode (Dec. 7-14) How to complete the weekly challenge in Phasmophobia All Glow in the Dark weekly challenge modifiers in Phasmophobia Phasmophobia Glow in the Dark weekly challenge mode tips When does the challenge mode change in Phasmophobia? Next weekly challenge mode in Phasmophobia All weekly challenge modes in Phasmophobia Special challenge modes Phasmophobia weekly challenge mode (Dec. 7-14) Screenshot by Destructoid From Dec. 7 to 14, the weekly challenge is Glow in the Dark in Phasmophobia. In this challenge, you're missing most equipment that grants light, which means you're pretty much investigating entirely in the dark. A Tier II UV Light is your only light source, and it's barely anything. How to complete the weekly challenge in Phasmophobia To finish the weekly challenge mode in Phasmophobia, you need to correctly identify the ghost present on the featured map three times. The specific changes present in each trial mode vary, but your goal is always the same. All Glow in the Dark weekly challenge modifiers in Phasmophobia This challenge mode has several specific rules that modify the way the contract functions. Here are all the key details you need to know about this trial. Map: 42 Edgefield Road Starting sanity: 100 percent Setup time: None Fuse box state: Broken Cursed Possession: Random Equipment: Mostly Tier I items and a single Tier II item. Tier I: Head Gear, Ghost Writing Books, Salt, Photo Cameras, DOTS Projectors, Thermometers, Sound Sensors, Spirit Boxes, EMF Readers, Parabolic Microphones, Crucifixes, Igniters, Incense, and Sanity Medication. Tier II: UV Lights Missing Equipment: Sound Recorders, Flashlights, Firelights, Motion Sensors, Video Cameras, and Tripods. Screenshot by Destructoid Phasmophobia Glow in the Dark weekly challenge mode tips The Glow in the Dark challenge is one of the trickier ones you can attempt in Phasmophobia, so here are some of the best tips to help you get it done. Learn 42 Edgefield Road's layout. You're basically stumbling around blind in this trial, so if you aren't familiar with this location, it's nearly impossible to get around. Before attempting this challenge, load a custom version of the game with the friendly ghost option turned on to freely explore this map and learn everything there is to know about it. Bring all your equipment to the front door. Before you start investigating, bring all of the items you need to the front door. You don't have a setup time, so the ghost can technically come after you as soon as you set foot inside. If you prepare a bit by gathering the items you need near the front door, you'll save time and be more likely to succeed. Use a UV Light to get around. You won't get much light at all, but it's this or nothing, so be sure to use this item as you try to explore the house. Play with friends. Your odds of success are a lot better with allies helping you through this tricky trial. With additional ghost hunters at your side, you can explore the map more quickly, work together to gather evidence, and continue the investigation even if you perish. Don't give up. Since all equipment is provided for free, there's nothing to lose in this challenge. Because of this, you can keep trying without worrying about losing money or equipment. Give each contract your all and keep at it until you get it done. Make an educated guess. Some ghosts are just easier to identify than others, so luck plays a large role in how easy or tough this trial is. You should always make a guess before you leave, then reroll to try again, even if you have no idea what the correct ghost type is. When does the challenge mode change in Phasmophobia? The challenge mode changes every Monday at 12am UTC, which translates to 6pm CT every Sunday. You have a full week to tackle each challenge mode when it's available. All challenge modes return regularly since they're on a rotating schedule, so if you don't get to finish one, you can always try it again in the future. Next weekly challenge mode in Phasmophobia The next weekly challenge mode, which will run for a full week from Dec. 14 to 21, will be Deja Vu. This challenge mode will begin as soon as this week's featured one, Glow in the Dark, ends. All weekly challenge modes in Phasmophobia Screenshot by Destructoid There are 26 challenge modes in Phasmophobia. A different one is available to complete each week, and the challenge order stays exactly the same, so it's easy to know which one is coming next. Here are all of the challenges you may face in Phasmophobia. Name Description Map Lights Out! Get your candles at the ready, all the lights are out! 6 Tanglewood Drive Speed Demons There must be something in the air, everyone's going crazy! Maple Lodge Campsite Detectives Only Put your detective skills to the test, this ghost is giving nothing away! 42 Edgefield Road Hide and Seek: Seeker There's a very quiet ghost hiding somewhere, can you find it? Brownstone High School Hide and Seek: Hide! This ghost wants to play a game, you better hide quick! Point Hope Frostbitten It's so cold that it's slowing everyone down, including the ghost! Camp Woodwind Do as I Command You'll have to force this ghost to give you evidence, luckily, we've found some extra items to help you out. Grafton Farmhouse Tortoise and the Hare: Hare Give it your all, this ghost is feeling especially frail. Bleasdale Farmhouse Tortoise and the Hare: Tortoise After last week you're feeling a bit worn out, and to make matters worse, the ghost has recovered! Grafton Farmhouse Gotta Go Fast! No hiding, no sanity, get going! Prison Sanity Survival Sanity is a scarce resource with no pills or lights. Be careful finding this Nightmare ghost. 10 Ridgeview Court Speedrun! Maybe you could start a timer, how quickly can you find this ghost's identity? 6 Tanglewood Drive Survival of the Fittest You've got no pills, no sanity and no evidence to work with. It's gonna be a tough one! 42 Edgefield Road Primitive I'm afraid all of the electronic equipment has short-circuited, you'll have to make do without 10 Ridgeview Court Vulnerable You'll be going into this one with no defenses, be careful out there. 13 Willow Street Missed Delivery We didn't receive our full equipment delivery this week, so you won't have everything you might need! Brownstone High School Audio Only We've managed to get hold of some extra audio equipment. You'll have to use your ears on this one. Sunny Meadows Mental Institution Technophilia We've thrown out all of those prehistoric items, this contract is all about technology! Bleasdale Farmhouse No Evidence These ghosts really don't wanna help you out, but we're sure you're up to the task. Grafton Farmhouse The Apocalypse Draws Near The hardest possible challenge, but with normal investigator speed. Good luck. Sunny Meadows Mental Institution (Restricted) Slow and Steady This ghost may be slow, but it's angry. Keep on your toes! Camp Woodwind Paranormal Paparazzi You've got cameras, lights and sound. Find that ghost type! Point Hope Hide and Seek: Extreme This ghost wants to play a game, you better hide. Camp Woodwind Glow in the Dark Some of our equipment has stopped working, hopefully this'll be enough for you to see. 42 Edgefield Road Deja Vu This one feels pretty nostalgic, don't you think? 6 Tanglewood Drive Tag! You're It! This ghost will chase you immediately, better get running! Brownstone High School Special challenge modes In addition to the regular challenge modes that rotate in and out on a consistent basis, there are also sometimes special challenge modes that have only ever appeared once and left the rotation afterward. These trials are generally designed for testing out features that are new at the time, like fresh equipment and maps. Name Description Map Date On Record Try out the media overhaul in this new challenge, can you get a perfect game? Bleasdale Farmhouse June 24 to July 1, 2025 Open For Business A storm is brewing outside the diner...but is it really safer inside? Nell's Diner Nov. 11 to 16, 2025 The post What is the weekly challenge in Phasmophobia? appeared first on Destructoid.

Destructoid Monday, December 8, 2025 11:11 AM Anime Ascendants Tier List – Best Units & Traits       Anime Ascendants is on the simpler side of Roblox Tower Defense games since the units currently don't have any special passives. That's why we can only rank them based on DPS, cost and whether they have Line, Cone or Full AOE. Here's my Anime Ascendants unit tier list. Table of contents Best Anime Ascendants Unit Tier List Best Anime Ascendants Traits Best Anime Ascendants Unit Tier List Image by Destructoid The best unit in Anime Ascendants is based more on DPS and AOE types than on passives. This game doesn't yet have a complex passive and unit ability system like Anime Vanguards or Anime Crusaders so I rated units on placement, DPS and single vs AOE damage. I will break down the rankings below. So far Sukuno EVO's Line AOE is incredible but then against most of the Secrets are a league above the Exclusives and Mythics. That said, the Exclusives and Mythics have more specific power gaps which you'll see across the A, B and C-Tiers. S-Tier: These are a must-have for clearing end-game Raids and harder Challenges. A-Tier: All of these units are the best for Story and can support other units for more difficult modes. B-Tier: Excellent for beginners. C-Tier: Underpowered units that need buffs or really good Legendaries. D-Tier: Early-game units that you shouldn't use once you get higher-tier DPSs. Farm: Fit into any team composition to boost cash (always good). Evo Stats: I ranked the units based on their EVO versions with optimal stat rolls. That's why Free Ren is soo good right now since the other exclusives don't have EVOs. Miki: You can get a free Miki Exclusive unit by joining the Anime Ascendants Roblox Group. Farm: I separated the Farm units from the DPS ones since they are always good to bring. Especially on longer game modes like Raids. Best Legendaries: Currently, the best DPS Legendary is Touci while Orwin offers great support DPS. Best Beginner: The best beginner units are Hosin and Megomu for Mythics and Touci and Orwin for Legendaries. Best Anime Ascendants Traits The best traits in Anime Ascendants depend on the unit you want to place them on. The three main categories are your META DPS units, farm units and regular DPS units. Here are the best traits for every unit category: META DPS: For the S-Tier units above the best Trait is Ascendant or Singularity for maximum damage and only one placement. Farm Units: Put Golden on your farm units for more cash. Secondary DPS: Berserker works wonders for boss damage and overall DPS if you're not using Ascendant or Singularity. Slayer is another option since it's basically the same but slightly weaker. Support: Orwin, Goju and Gambler are support DPS units so don't put Singularity or Ascendant on them and instead go for Supernova for more range or the Secondary DPS traits. Beginner: Godspeed is an excellent beginner trait if you're not getting lucky. Strong III and Nimble III also work well if you're just starting out. Avoid: Any trait below Godspeed including Expertion and try to get Godspeed or higher as a beginner. That's it for now on this Anime Ascendants tier list. Check out our Anime Ascendants codes for a massive head start on the summons. The post Anime Ascendants Tier List – Best Units & Traits appeared first on Destructoid.

Destructoid Monday, December 8, 2025 11:02 AM The Game Awards' big announcement is definitely not Bloodborne 2, but I might have accidentally started a conspiracy about it       Welcome back, Bloodborne dreamers. As ever, the nightmare continues, and this time it's The Game Awards-flavored. You know that demonic statue in the desert that Geoff Keighley is teasing? I think I accidentally created this latest conspiracy, and I am sorry. In my recent iteration of copium and hopium, I filled in the blanks to a Twitter/X reply with some well-known Bloodborne 2 fan art, and my notifications haven't been the same since. Image via PlayStation If you're new to the Bloodborne fandom, welcome. We do this all the time. Ever since the first game launched for the PS4 (and stayed there) back in 2015, fans have been praying to the Old Ones for a sequel, or even a re-release or remaster. And we have not given up. Many believe that it's From Software's best work, both from a gameplay perspective and worldbuilding/lore. Its unique combat featured off-hand weapons like guns used to parry foes, and transforming weapons that offered different attack styles have had many bloodthirsty for more ever since. Whenever there's a gaming industry event, like a PlayStation State of Play or any other kind of live stream where games are revealed, we mercilessly and unreasonably hope and believe that Bloodborne will be back. But the issue with this latest cope is that I suppose some people saw my biography on Twitter/X and thought there was some credence to the rumor. I regret to tell you all that I know nothing about potential Bloodborne news. I was just being a hopium Hunter once again. Some people understood, but others have been in my replies taking it as some sort of hope or even a report that this is actually happening. I'm sorry, gamers, but it's not. Or maybe it is? I haven't heard anything, and neither has seemingly anyone else, but when TGA's account posted that "redacted"-style tease, naturally I had to make it about Bloodborne, because we are all hoping for From Software's return to the IP to one day come to fruition. A lot of the people interacting with the post (over 143,000 views since Friday) are hopefully just like me and along for the joke or ride, but if anyone felt deceived or false hope about it, then welcome to the land of delusion that we all live in. The sad reality is that Bloodborne 2 or even a Bloodborne PC port or remaster is unlikely. Last year, From Software CEO Hidetaka Miyazaki remarked that he knew some of his devs want the port to happen, but in the end, the game and IP are both owned by Sony. For whatever reason (likely money or legal reasons), the PlayStation company hasn't pulled the trigger on this project, which has become a passion for modders via emulation on PC instead. https://twitter.com/mountain_Duwe/status/1997002779450396712 But anyway, I've had a good time reading the replies on Twitter/X this weekend. There are so many people just like me who know that a sequel or port is not happening, but we continue to cling to the delusional dream that the Elden Ring and Armored Core studio will roll back the clock to 2015 one more time. I refuse to give up hope. I will continue to yearn for returning to Yharnam one day. It's just probably not happening any time soon, and definitely not this Thursday on Geoff Keighley's yearly awards show and advertisement exposition. The post The Game Awards' big announcement is definitely not Bloodborne 2, but I might have accidentally started a conspiracy about it appeared first on Destructoid.

WGB Monday, December 8, 2025 11:40 AM Marvel's Cosmic Invasion – Earth's Mightiest Beat 'Em Up       Marvel's Cosmic Invasion is a chaotic, colourful beat-'em-up where you tag between Marvel heroes mid-combo, smash cosmic bugs and cause delicious pixel mayhem. It's fast, fun, gorgeous – and might just be Tribute Games' best brawler yet.

Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Monday, December 8, 2025 3:57 PM Katsuhiro Harada Leaves Bandai Namco After Over 31 Years       Announced on social media. The post Katsuhiro Harada Leaves Bandai Namco After Over 31 Years appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism.

Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Monday, December 8, 2025 3:41 PM Tomb Raider Will Have An Announcement in The Game Awards       Announced on Twitter. The post Tomb Raider Will Have An Announcement in The Game Awards appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism.

Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Monday, December 8, 2025 3:36 PM Resident Evil Requiem Second Playable Character Leaked       On a Gamespot listing. The post Resident Evil Requiem Second Playable Character Leaked appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism.

MonsterVine Monday, December 8, 2025 2:52 PM Luna Abyss Reveals Haunting New Trailer "The Eye Has Opened" Ahead of 2026 Launch       Kwalee and Kwalee Labs pulled back the curtain today on a haunting new look at Luna Abyss, their upcoming first-person bullet-hell action-adventure. The latest trailer, titled "The Eye Has Opened," premiered with a heavy dose of cosmic dread, environmental storytelling, and the unsettling mysteries buried deep within the mimic moon known as Luna. A New […]