GamersHeroes Wednesday, December 17, 2025 6:59 PM Studio Wildcard has announced that Karl Urban (The Boys, Dredd) will expand his creative partnership with the ARK franchise, returning as fan-favorite character "Bob" in ARK: Lost Colony. The post Karl Urban Returning to ARK: Lost Colony as Fan-Favorite Bob appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
GamersHeroes Wednesday, December 17, 2025 6:37 PM Bringing a bit of summer fun to this chilly winter, Blue Archive's "Summer Sky's Promise" update is now live. The post Blue Archive's "Summer Sky's Promise" Update Live appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
GamersHeroes Wednesday, December 17, 2025 4:03 PM The Game Awards 2025 this past Thursday was a roaring success, with approximately 171 million global livestreams - the most-watched TGA in history! The post The Game Awards 2025 Sees Estimated 171M Global Livestreams appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
GamersHeroes Wednesday, December 17, 2025 3:15 PM Netmarble's dark fantasy MMORPG Raven2 is ringing in the holiday season with today's new update, bringing the Snowflake Festival and more to the title. The post Fantasy MMORPG Raven2 Snowflake Festival Update Live appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
GamersHeroes Wednesday, December 17, 2025 2:29 PM Set to release for PC and consoles March 27, pre-orders for Capcom's Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection are now live. The post Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection Pre-Orders Live appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
GamersHeroes Wednesday, December 17, 2025 2:00 PM Letting players play, duel, and shine, Sloclap's online action footballer Rematch is ringing in the holiday season with today's release of Season 2. The post Rematch Season 2 Kicking Off Today appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
GamersHeroes Wednesday, December 17, 2025 1:35 PM Keep the change, ya filthy animals - Devolver Digital and Artificer's maze-building roguelite MINOS is keeping the holiday spirit alive with the free Home A-Labyrinth spinoff on Steam. The post Free Maze-Building Roguelite MINOS "Home A-Labyrinth" Released appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
Kotaku Wednesday, December 17, 2025 5:39 PM
Hasbro is shuffling its video game division after making a big splash at the Game Awards The post 'Godfather Of BioWare Design' Steps Down At The Studio Making An Ambitious Successor To <i>Mass Effect</i> appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Wednesday, December 17, 2025 5:01 PM
Who knows how many more holidays of physical game shopping we have left? The post Here Are 10 Great RPGs You Can Add To Your Collection For Surprisingly Cheap appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Wednesday, December 17, 2025 4:17 PM
Jonathan Bailey has also become the year's top-grossing actor after Wicked and Jurassic World The post Fans Are Worried The 'Sexiest Man Alive' Is No Longer In <em>Final Fantasy XIV</em> appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Wednesday, December 17, 2025 3:35 PM
Also: Dispatch is coming to Switch next month The post <i>Resident Evil</i>'s 'Impossible' Game Boy Port Appears Online And It's 98 Percent Complete appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Wednesday, December 17, 2025 3:18 PM
The extraction shooter has increased the drop rate for the highly sought-after item The post <i>Arc Raiders'</i> Cold Snap Update Really Juiced The Blueprint Economy appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Wednesday, December 17, 2025 3:01 PM
New updates—a Nintendo Switch 2 version and a 3.0 content drop—will be released in January The post Everything You Need To Know About <i>Animal Crossing: New Horizons'</i> Big Free Update appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Wednesday, December 17, 2025 2:24 PM
Kick, the controversial streaming platform, announced a partnership with Xbox The post Twitch's Controversial, Gambling-Heavy Rival Just Got An App On Xbox [Update] appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Wednesday, December 17, 2025 1:54 PM
The long-legged starfish is just as unnerving in the show as it is in Legends: Z-A The post Mega Starmie Makes Its <em>Pokémon</em> Anime Debut, And Why Is It Oiled Up Like That? appeared first on Kotaku. |
PCGamesN Wednesday, December 17, 2025 3:00 PM Armed with the same whip, outfit, and charisma that we love Indy for, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is a fitting entry to the franchise, and now it's available at its cheapest price ever. |
Siliconera Wednesday, December 17, 2025 6:00 PM
Alongside the debut of The Dahlia, aka Constance, in Honkai: Star Rail, HoYoVerse shared a trailer that paired her up with Black Swan and involved a dance, a battle, and a suggestion as to what their relationship might be. It also features full English voice acting from Cristina Vee, who voices the new character, and Arryn Zech, who is behind the existing one.
Black Swan was part of the "Keeping Up with Star Rail" video for The Dahlia that highlighted her moveset in Honkai: Star Rail, and in it she constantly suggested the Annihilation Gang member is dangerous, treacherous, and can't be trusted. This video highlights that again. It takes place at Duke Inferno's funeral, with Constance's fallen father referring to her as his "most exceptional child." Black Swan notes that she knows what The Dahlia is up to and needs her "under her control." At about the 55 second mark, we get to see the two of them literally dance together after figuratively dancing around things.
If you are considering pulling The Dahlia, it is important to note that she is designed to work on Break teams. So unless you have someone like Firefly or Boothill, she might not be too effective.
This marks the second trailer in which we see Black Swan dancing with another Honkai: Star Rail character to help establish both their role and her own. It also happened with an Acheron introductory trailer back in March 2024. It also seemed like that dance didn't go as Black Swan expected it to, as it went from her leading to Acheron taking control.
Honkai: Star Rail is available for the PS5, PC, and mobile devices, and The Dahlia banner runs in the game between December 17, 2025 and January 7, 2026.
The post The Dahlia and Black Swan 'Dance' in Honkai: Star Rail Trailer appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Wednesday, December 17, 2025 5:00 PM
A 92-year old grandma named Hisako Sakai has been going viral on social media in Japan as the oldest e-sports winner thanks to her Tekken performance. She won in Tekken 8 in the 12th biannual Care e-Sports Cup. The average age of participants in the tournament was 82.5. [Thanks, Yahoo News!]
The full tournament is available on the Care e-Sports Association YouTube channel. Sakai mains Claudio, using him to defeat powerful opponents like the 95-year-old Reiko Yokota's Jun, the 74-year-old Sadayuki Kato's King, and the 74-year-old Goro Sugiyama's Lili. This is a casual tournament, so competitors (like victor Sakai Hisako) were allowed to turn on assist mode.
According to the Care e-Sports Association official website, it uses e-sports tournaments as a health-promoting exercise to help seniors live happy, healthy, and active lives. Aside from video games, it also holds tournaments for more stereotypical senior activities like shogi and othello. Currently, the organization is holding the events in the Mie, Gifu, and Aichi Prefectures, but it's hoping to hold a national tournament in Japan.
This is also not the first time its senior tournament became news on the Internet. In July 2025, people were talking about how the 73-year-old grandma Yoshie Murabe won in Tekken 8 using Panda. She must have some real talent, since she never even played video games before.
More and more developers are adding accessibility features to help a wider audience enjoy their video games. For example, in The Last of Us Part II, Naughty Dog added dodge prompts, direction indicators for sound, and high contrast display. With these tools to aid them, it's possible for senior citizens who couldn't enjoy video games for physical reasons to play them and, in the case of this particular grandma, excel at them.
Tekken 8 is available on the PS5, Xbox Series X, and Windows PC.
The post 92-Year-Old Grandma Wins Tekken 8 E-Sports Tournament appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Wednesday, December 17, 2025 4:00 PM
Shueisha, Toei, and Bandai Namco confirmed that the Final Stage and round of the Dragon Ball the One worldwide character popularity poll is live. People can now choose from one of 21 remaining characters from the anime, manga, and games to pick the most popular person in the series. This "stage" runs until December 24, 2025, and everyone can vote once per day via the official site.
Here's the full list of the 21 Dragon Ball characters who made it through to this final round. As noted before, Bulma's family cat Tama (aka Scratch) is still in the running. The character who managed to make it into the 21st spot via the "last chance revival" social media votes is Android 17.
As you can see, Farmer with a Power Level of 5 didn't make it in.
To offer a hint as to what we might be able to expect from the top five when the final stage ends, we can look to the past stages' results. After 1st Stage, the top five in order were Son Goku, Vegeta, Son Gohan, Vegito, and Piccolo. After the 2nd Stage, the same five remained on top, just with Son Gohan moving up to second place and Vegeta slipping into third. The top five remained unchanged going into 3rd Stage.
Dragon Ball the One Final Stage is live until December 24, 2025, and we'll see the results of the worldwide character popularity poll on January 24, 2026.
The post Final Dragon Ball the One Worldwide Character Popularity Poll Vote Starts appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Wednesday, December 17, 2025 3:00 PM
Square Enix kicked off the Final Fantasy XIV annual Christmas and holiday event on December 17, 2025, with the Starlight Celebration now in effect in FFXIV. We can take part in it until December 31, 2025. This year both of the rewards we can earn are tied to warm drinks, as there are matching emotes and furnishings to acquire.
As long as you are at level 15, you can head to Old Gridania to visit Amh Garanjy at X:10.2, Y:9.4. When you do, you can start the "We Three Kinderpunsch" quest. Doing so will get you the Kinderpunsch-related items. In the case of furnishings, these are the single Lominsan Kinderpunsch and Ul'dahn Kinderpunsch mugs and the matching Lominsan Starlight Mugs and Ul'dahn Starlight Mugs towers.
There are also six emotes tied to this event that all make it look like you are drinking Kinderpunsch from the themed cups for different locations. Here's the list of them:
And here are the official FFXIV 2025 Starlight Celebration pictures of the emote and furnishing rewards we can get.
This isn't the only Final Fantasy MMORPG with a Starlight Celebration happening. Square Enix also kicked off a matching event in FFXI. That started on December 16, 2025 and runs for the same time period.
Final Fantasy XIV is available for the PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC, and the Starlight Celebration Christmas and winter holiday event is in effect in FFXIV until December 31, 2025.
The post FFXIV 2025 Starlight Celebration Starts Ahead of Christmas appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Wednesday, December 17, 2025 2:00 PM
Build-a-Bear updated its The Bear Cave Sanrio section for adult shoppers with an Aggretsuko plush. This is only available in a $61 bundle. It is also an online-exclusive, so you won't find it in retail stores.
The plush version of the character is designed to look like she does in the Aggretsuko anime series on Netflix. You get the red panda and her two-piece work suit. The top looks like it has a blue vest attached to a white shirt, with the series logo and character name on the upper left side, and the bottom is a plain blue skirt. The Aggretsuko stuffed animal plush features her happy and relaxed expression. There's no option to shift to her heavy metal, angry persona.
Here are the three photos Build-a-Bear shared showing what to expect from the stuffed animal:
This isn't the only Build-a-Bear Sanrio update for December 2025. There are also some Christmas-themed characters. The two options are Hot Chocolate Chococat and Sugar Cookie Cinnamoroll. However, those can be purchased alone or in bundles, unlike Aggretsuko.
The Build-a-Bear Aggretsuko plush is available now via The Bear Cave site, and she won't be available in retail stores. The full Aggretsuko anime series is available to stream via Netflix.
The post New Build-a-Bear Sanrio Plush Is Aggretsuko appeared first on Siliconera. |
Destructoid Wednesday, December 17, 2025 6:08 PM
The Locked Gate arrived in ARC Raiders as part of The North Line update, and completing it will require a fair amount of coordination. You can run across it randomly during the Cold Snap update, but the conditions remain the same.
Like all map conditions, the Locked Gate isn't available at all times. You'll have to be lucky to find it on a map rotation. This guide will help you to complete the event successfully if you manage to start a raid while it's available.
Table of contents
ARC Raiders Locked Gate event walkthrough
The Locked Gate event takes place on the Blue Gate map, but adds a custom modifier. The modifier restricts you from using any Raider Hatches and also blocks entry to the underground tunnels. All of this is part of an emergency shutdown protocol. Your job will be to find relevant security codes to open a locked gate (hence, the name).
To begin the quest, head to the Gate Control Room inside the Warehouse Complex. I have marked its location on the screenshot below, but it's hard to miss. The Warehouse Complex is located between the central and the northern part of the Blue Gate map.
Head inside the room, and you'll find four systems. When you try to interact with them, you'll be asked for security codes. Finding the security codes is easy, as they will have a POI in their respective names.
If you're trying to find the Pilgrim's Peak code, you'll have to head over to the location. All four POIs will be present on the Blue Gate map, but finding them can take a fair amount of time (not to mention the added dangers of ARC enemies and enemy Raiders).
Checkpoint Gate location
Once you have found all four codes, head back to the Gate Control Room. Use the four codes to unlock the central gate in the Checkpoint POI (marked on the screenshot above). You'll find an unlocked gate, along with plenty of valuable items to loot inside. However, be highly cautious as enemy Raiders could try to ambush you for a free lot.
The post How to complete Locked Gate event in ARC Raiders appeared first on Destructoid. | ||||||||||
Destructoid Wednesday, December 17, 2025 6:04 PM
The ever-popular Winter Wildcards are coming to FC 26 Ultimate Team ahead of the festive season, and the first leaks have already arrived on social media.
Unlike other promos, there are no doubts over the eventual release of Winter Wildcards. We already have a Winter Wildcards item guaranteed from Season 3 rewards in Ultimate Team. However, more cards are coming to the promo soon, and the social media leaks have signalled what to expect.
Table of contents
All FC 26 Winter Wildcards Team 1 players (leaks)
The only confirmed Winter Wildcards player is Gianfranco Zola. However, the following names are leaked to appear in the promo as part of the first team.
Some of these cards will have two versions available for you to collect. Most will be released via packs once the promo goes live. However, we can also expect to get promo items from SBCs and objectives. I am sure that we will have more leaks as we approach the release date.
FC 26 Winter Wildcards Team 1 release countdown
The first team for Winter Wildcards is expected to launch after the Unbreakables promo expires. The cards will be added to Ultimate Team on Friday, Dec. 19. The following countdown will expire when the promo goes live.
The countdown is based on the following times.
This is the usual schedule that EA Sports follows approaching the launch of any promo. It will be interesting to see how many of these leaks will make it to the promo when Winter Wildcards launches later this week.
The post FC 26 Winter Wildcards Team 1 players (leaks) and release countdown appeared first on Destructoid. | ||||||||||
Destructoid Wednesday, December 17, 2025 5:55 PM
The Cold Snap update has added a fair amount of new content to ARC Raiders, and you can collect several skins to customize the appearances of your raider.
Skins in ARC Raiders, commonly known as outfits, don't have any in-game effect. They're purely cosmetic in nature, but they do add a touch of flair, especially if you're playing with your buddies. If you've been unsatisfied with the offerings so far, you can explore plenty of new options. Some of them can be obtained for absolutely free of charge.
How to get all Cold Snap update skins in ARC Raiders
The table below has information about all the new skins that were added as part of the Cold Snap update.
That's pretty much all the major outfits and new color palettes that are available right now as part of the Cold Snap update. All three outfits, barring Bonecrown, can be added to your inventory for free of cost. Once you unlock them, go to the Raiders tab to customize the looks by equipping the one you want to play in.
The post All new outfits in ARC Raiders Cold Snap and how to get them appeared first on Destructoid. | ||||||||||
Destructoid Wednesday, December 17, 2025 5:54 PM
The demand for a Frying Pan has gone up a notch or two in ARC Raiders since the beginning of the Cold Snap update, and it has nothing to do with your culinary tastes.
The Cold Snap event revolves around the Flickering Flames project, which has five levels of tasks to complete. Every level requires you to commit certain items, and that's where you're going to need the Frying Pan.
While the exact location of this item is completely random, this guide will aim to make your life easier so that you can complete all levels of the Flickering Flames project.
Best locations to find Frying Pan in ARC Raiders
You're going to need a Frying Pan to complete the final level of the Flickering Flames project. You'll require two of them, and committing them will also fetch you 1000 Creds. To find a Frying Pan, you're going to strictly look in the Residential Areas.
My first Frying Pan was from the Ruby Residence area, which is located in the northwestern part of the Dam Battlegrounds map. These large apartment buildings have plenty of containers for you to loot. The Frying Pan was in one such container, but it all depends on luck. The Ruby Residence is also the exact spot where I found a Music Album, which is another item required to complete the Flickering Flames project.
I found another Frying Pan inside the Grandioso Apartments in Buried City. I believe Buried City is the map to hit if you're solely trying to find the Frying Pan. This map has the highest number of areas marked as Residential, which definitely raises your chances of finding the said item.
If you're on the Blue Gate map, you can also try your luck at the Village. Ultimately, it all boils down to your luck. Once you find two Frying Pans, you can commit them to the Flickering Flames project and move closer towards completing it.
The post How to find Frying Pan in ARC Raiders appeared first on Destructoid. | ||||||||||
Destructoid Wednesday, December 17, 2025 4:08 PM
The Music Albums item might have been available (or not) since the launch of ARC Raiders, but its demand has gone up since the beginning of Cold Snap.
The main reason for this change in demand is the Flickering Flames project. Music Albums are among the items required to complete a step of the project. This guide will make it easier for you to find it, but keep in mind that its precise location will always be completely random.
Best locations to find Music Albums in ARC Raiders
You'll require at least two Music Albums if you want to complete the final step of the Flickering Flames project. Doing so will help you earn an additional 1000 Creds. However, finding this item is easier said than done.
Ideally, you'll want to be looking into areas marked as Residential on any map. Another spot could be the Commercial zones that are also present on almost all maps. Thankfully, it didn't take me too long to find Music Albums.
I found one of them in the Ruby Residence on Dam Battlegrounds. The Ruby Residence is a fantastic spot to find unique rewards and items. I found the Music Albums in one of the many containers usually present at this location.
I found the second one in the Departure building of Spaceport. This place, incidentally, is a Commercial area. You can also look in the Arrival Building to try your luck. You'll be wanting to search the lockers and containers carefully. Both the Arrival and Departure buildings tend to have a lot of ARCs, so be careful on your pursuit.
If you're on the Blue Gate map, your best spot should be the Village. While I didn't manage to find any Music Album at this location, it did provide me with an Empty Wine Bottle. This spot is pretty easy to loot, but you can run into other raiders occasionally.
If you want to raise the chances in your favor, you can try out a map that has the Cold Snap modifier active. This modifier typically doubles your base luck, making it easier to find items of Rare or higher rarities.
The post How to find Music Albums in ARC Raiders appeared first on Destructoid. | ||||||||||
Destructoid Wednesday, December 17, 2025 2:35 PM
Linear fusion rifles may not be the top of the meta in Destiny 2, but the Dawning's Mistral Lift brings some powerful god rolls to anyone who wants a different option on their heavy slot.
Thanks to its three-burst fire mode and stacked perk pool, Mistral Lift can be a formidable weapon on its own. It provides a good, crit-based, ranged alternative for damage on your heavy slot, focusing more on taking down bosses or Champions than a weapon you'd normally use for add-clear.
Here are our god rolls for Mistral Lift, based on data from d2foundry.gg.
Mistral Lift PvE god roll in Destiny 2
The rules for what makes a good heavy weapon are somewhat rigid in Destiny 2. For a weapon to be competitive, it has to have a few of the top-tier traits in its archetype, and Mistral Lift has those in spades.
Envious Arsenal is by far the highlight of the third column. It's effective, fits in a damage loop, and can reload your magazine to full with minimum effort. Overflow and Reconstruction do the same thing, with the bonus of overfilling your magazine, but they're a bit harder to control. Any of the three on its own is enough to pass the vault test, but Withering Gaze is the icing on the Dawning cookie.
Withering Gaze allows you to apply Weaken on demand by aiming down sights, which works if you (or the rest of the fireteam) don't have a source of the powerful debuff at hand. The extra damage can be worth it, especially if you use this perk before casting your Super or using an ability. You won't resort to it if your team has another source of Weaken, such as Tractor Cannon or a Hunter using Tether, but it's handy to have a roll with it—especially with multiple perks being a reality.
The third column also brings heavy hitters, but the gold standard is here: Bait and Switch. It provides a strong damage boost while slotting perfectly into rotations using Envious Arsenal.
There's an honorable mention, pending further testing: Rewind Rounds paired with Reconstruction lets you unleash your full magazine without having to reload or interrupt your rotations. Damage with Envious and Bait and Switch was still higher, but there is something special about firing forever with Mistral Lift. Pouring one out for pre-nerf Veist Stinger with Taipan-4fr.
How to get Mistral Lift in Destiny 2
Mistral Lift is available through the Dawning 2025. You have a chance of getting this linear fusion rifle after opening any event gifts or completing activities with extra Dawning Engrams as rewards. There's no way to focus on it specifically, though, outside of your limited purchases with event tokens.
We recommend upgrading Eva Levante's vendor inventory and masterworking your oven by baking all Dawning cookies once. Doing so lets you make more cookies, which in turn improves your odds of getting this linear fusion rifle.
The post Mistral Lift god rolls and how to get them in Destiny 2 appeared first on Destructoid. | ||||||||||
Destructoid Wednesday, December 17, 2025 2:13 PM
ARC Raiders, being a competitive multiplayer online game, is prone to all sorts of glitches, bugs, and issues that prevent players from logging in.
One such problem is the so-called Embark Game Boot error, which players have sporadically been receiving over the past couple of months. Thankfully, it seems easy to fix, so here's everything you need to know.
Embark Game Boot error in ARC Raiders, explained
The Embark Game Boot error seems to appear when the game's anti-cheat system, Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC), malfunctions. It does not really give you the necessary information as to why the issue is happening, and it can be quite confusing when you try to troubleshoot it.
However, the best two ways of resolving this issue are the following.
First, verify the integrity of your game files. After that's done, head on over to your start menu, type in "run" and open the app. In it, type "MSConfig.exe" and hit enter. Once in there, head to the "Services" tab and disable Easy Anti-Cheat to ensure it does not launch with your PC. Reboot your machine, then navigate to C:\Program Files (x86)\EasyAntiCheat_EOS and delete "EasyAntiCheat_EOS.sys."
Reboot the machine again and start ARC Raiders, and the game should run smoothly and without issue.
If the problem persists, however, your next best bet is to completely uninstall and remove Easy Anti-Cheat, uninstall ARC Raiders, and then re-download the entire game. Make sure to reboot your system after deleting both completely prior to the reinstallation. Running ARC Raiders once the game is downloaded should also re-download the entire Easy Anti-Cheat suite, allowing the software to start fresh.
If you still face issues, your best bet is to contact ARC Raiders support, while making sure you are not running any third-party software or hardware that could be conflicting with EAC.
The post What is the 'Embark Game Boot' Error in ARC Raiders? appeared first on Destructoid. | ||||||||||
Destructoid Wednesday, December 17, 2025 1:58 PM
The 87+ Campaign Mix Upgrade SBC is now live in FC 26, and you can complete the challenge to earn a guaranteed promo card.
EA Sports has massively improved the rewards pool of the latest party bag SBC. Cards rated 87 and above are the only ones present, so let's look at all the available cards before you invest your resources.
Table of contents
Complete list of FC 26 87+ Campaign Mix Upgrade SBC rewards
The 87+ Campaign Mix Upgrade SBC includes cards from four older promos: Ultimate Scream, Primetime, Festival of Football: Captains, and FC Pro Live.
Ultimate Scream
UEFA Primetime
Captains
FC Pro Live
There's a massive emphasis on luck, so only try the SBC if you've enough disposable fodder in the first place.
The post All FC 26 87+ Campaign Mix Upgrade SBC rewards appeared first on Destructoid. | ||||||||||
Destructoid Wednesday, December 17, 2025 1:51 PM
Once the holiday season comes and goes, Call of Duty will shortly be ready to ramp things back up when it comes to live service updates.
The midseason update for Black Ops 7 will kick off 2026 with new stuff for gamers to grind for, along with the traditional additions like maps, weapons, and more. You'll probably still be saying "Happy New Year" to people you meet on the street by the time the new BO7 update, Season 1 Reloaded, goes live.
Here's when and what to expect from the newest Reloaded update in CoD.
Table of contents
BO7 Season 1 Reloaded release date
While there isn't an official launch date yet, Season One Reloaded in BO7 will likely take place on Jan. 8 or Jan. 15, whenever the developers at Treyarch and other CoD studios return from holiday vacation. An official confirmation of the launch date will likely be made within a week or so of its release.
With season two currently scheduled to begin on Feb. 5 (judging by the season one battle pass timer), Jan. 8 makes the most sense, but as always, anything can be changed or delayed along the way.
What's in BO7 Season One Reloaded?
The new midseason update for BO7 includes a bunch of new content, along with the expected balancing changes like weapon buffs and nerfs. But there's a lot more coming in addition to that, including:
The post When does Black Ops 7 Season 1 Reloaded come out? appeared first on Destructoid. | ||||||||||
Destructoid Wednesday, December 17, 2025 1:42 PM
The Fallout TV show's second season has finished and is getting favorable reviews from the audience and critics alike. It continues where the first season left off, building on the characters, the world, and the story. And all of that could be part of Fallout 5, or so says Todd Howard.
Fallout 5 remains a figment of imagination, with the game probably up to a decade away. The Elder Scrolls 6, announced in 2018, is likely Bethesda's current and main focus, though even that is probably some five years off by all accounts. Even so, Howard was keen on commenting about what that game could potentially entail, at least in relation to the currently-airing Fallout TV show.
Asked by the BBC whether the TV show will have an "impact" on this potential next installment in the long-running franchise, Howard said Bethesda is "taking [the show] into account."
"Fallout 5 will be existing in a world where the stories and events of the show happened or are happening," Howard explained. This would make the TV show fully canon to the games, making the seasons fundamentally important for anyone who wishes to experience Fallout 5.
Of course, you could argue that the game will most likely take place in a separate location and time period, but that nevertheless does not dispute the seasons as crucial parts of the overarching lore of the Fallout universe.
I myself have not yet seen any bit of the Fallout TV show, but with how much praise it's getting, I might just do it. Now, with Howard's extra bit of context, I'm inclined to reconsider my stance on the show, despite my many criticisms aimed at the epidemic of video game adaptations.
The post You better binge the Fallout TV show because the next game is making its story canon, according to Todd Howard appeared first on Destructoid. | ||||||||||
Destructoid Wednesday, December 17, 2025 1:26 PM
You better watch out, you better not die (in Call of Duty), you better not pout, I'm telling you why: Black Ops 7's Naughty and Nice event is here.
The latest seasonal holiday event for BO7 is bringing the gifts, or maybe the lumps of coal, depending on how bad you've been in CoD this year. But the Naughty & Nice event in BO7 is mostly nice, as it brings along a new free weapon and animated camo for gamers to unlock along the way.
Here's the full list of challenges and rewards you can get by playing Naughty & Nice.
Table of contents
Black Ops 7 Naughty & Nice event
There are 10 total challenges to complete in Naughty and Nice, and the two main rewards are the Sokol 545 LMG and Snowfall animated camo. Five challenges are Naughty (sacks of coal) while five are Nice (holiday gifts), and completing the associated challenge allows you to open up whatever is inside (a mystery, for now).
Naughty challenges are for the naughtiest CoD players who only chase down kills and don't care about wins or objectives, while Nice challenges are for those of you who play for the team and not just the individual accolades. But hey, both are needed and necessary!
All 10 challenges can be completed in either BO7 multiplayer, Zombies, Endgame, or Warzone. Just finishing one of the tasks listed below will unlock the reward for it, including everything from emblems, weapon charms, and a blueprint like the Sweet Tooth Peacekeeper Mk1 blueprint and more.
Several of the challenges have to do with playing limited time modes like Snowfight in multiplayer or Holiday Rush in Warzone, so make sure to be in the holiday spirit before logging on.
Naughty challenges and rewards
Completing all five Naughty challenges unlocks the Sokol 545 LMG.
Nice challenges and rewards
Completing all five Nice challenges unlocks the Snowfall animated weapon camo.
The post All challenges and rewards in Black Ops 7 Naughty and Nice event – New LMG and animated camo appeared first on Destructoid. | ||||||||||
Destructoid Wednesday, December 17, 2025 1:23 PM
The Package Delivery Evolution is now live in FC 26, and you can complete the upgrade to improve two cards of your choice.
The free evolution can be used twice, and you can also chain a single card if you want. The upgrades include some decent stat boosts and a fresh playstyle. Let's look at the best contenders for this evolution based on the requirements and upgrades.
Table of contents
FC 26 Package Delivery Evolution requirements
Here are the requirements for Package Delivery Evolution in FC 26.
FC 26 Package Delivery Evolution upgrades
The Package Delivery has only two levels of upgrades. To obtain the boosts, you'll need to complete specific tasks.
Level 1 upgrades
Level 2 upgrades
Level 1 upgrade requirements
Level 2 upgrade requirements
Best players for Package Delivery Evolution in FC 26
You can include a wide variety of items in this evolution. Cards have been included based on the upgrades on offer.
These are arguably some of the best options you can include in this evolution. Since their overall ratings remain the same, you can include them in most evolutions to upgrade them further. If you're using 83-rated cards, you can also include the single card twice to create the chain.
The post Best players for FC 26 Package Delivery Evolution appeared first on Destructoid. | ||||||||||
Destructoid Wednesday, December 17, 2025 1:13 PM
Call of Duty is continuing with its brand collaborations into 2026, and its first one is another Microsoft-owned IP that's already appeared before.
To celebrate season two of the Fallout series on Prime Video, three characters from the series look to be joining Black Ops 7 and Warzone as new operators some time next month. CoD teased the announcement today, and it can be seen below.
The silhouettes in the image are of Lucy MacLean (played by Ella Purnell), The Ghoul (Walton Goggins), and Maximus (Aaron Moten) from the critically acclaimed adaptation. Season two premiered last night, and it's already off to a great start.
These operator skins are already a marked improvement from the last Fallout-CoD collab in Modern Warfare III, which featured some pretty lazy Vault suit outfits for the game's characters like Captain Price and Ghost.
The skins are due to come to the CoD store in the Season One Reloaded update, which should arrive in the first few weeks of January as part of the midseason refresh that will also add content like new maps, weapons, and other cosmetics.
If you look closely at the teaser, you can also see what looks like new weapon blueprints in the hands of the characters. Lucy looks to be sporting her Vault suit, like the previous skins below, while The Ghoul is in his trademark cowboy outfit and Maximus dons his Brotherhood of Steel armor. And in the background, we can see CoD's Nuketown map, potentially teasing a Fallout-themed variant of the classic location.
Earlier this year, Activision said it would tone down some of the collabs in the game to help CoD maintain its identity, including outlandish Black Ops 6 skins like Beavis & Butthead or Seth Rogen. But with Fallout, it seems the company believes that it fits.
And, as I mentioned, both IPs are owned by Microsoft, so it's a natural fit. Now, where's Master Chief?
The post Call of Duty is getting another Fallout collab, but this one is way more 'okie dokie' than the last appeared first on Destructoid. |
WGB Wednesday, December 17, 2025 2:52 PM Hogwarts Legacy has sold over 40 million copies, increasing from 34 million since March. It now ranks 19th among best-selling games, and a sequel is in development amid Warner Bros' busy projects. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Wednesday, December 17, 2025 4:17 PM Videos were also released. The post New One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 DLC Characters Announced appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Wednesday, December 17, 2025 3:51 PM According to a listing. The post Dispatch Seemingly Launches Next Year For Switch appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Wednesday, December 17, 2025 3:30 PM Announced on social media. The post Hogwarts Legacy Sales Surpass 40 Million Units Worldwide appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Wednesday, December 17, 2025 3:10 PM On social media. The post Divinity Director Clarifies His Comments About the Studio Using AI appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
MonsterVine Wednesday, December 17, 2025 7:39 PM To celebrate Mega Man's 38th birthday, Capcom has released a new trailer announcing that the Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection is now available to pre-order ahead of its March 27, 2026 release date. The newly released trailer gives us a look at some of the handy features included as part of Mega Man Star Force […] |
MonsterVine Wednesday, December 17, 2025 7:24 PM A free demo for Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade has been released on the Nintendo Switch 2 eShop and for both the Xbox Series X|S and Xbox on PC. The demo covers the opening chapter, allowing players to take part in the iconic bombing mission that Cloud, Barrett, and the rest of AVALANCHE go on. […] |