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Marvel Rivals tournament organizer BasimZB admitted that he was in the wrong for removing content creator Kingsman265 from a showmatch tournament. The incident involving Kingsman265 happened during the Deadpool Creator Cup, and featured several Marvel Rivals players from across the globe. View the full article

A new lawsuit filed by shareholders of Hasbro against the company and its directors alleges that company leadership has mismanaged Magic: The Gathering by overprinting sets of cards, thereby devaluing existing ones. It also, quite notably, claims that Hasbro leadership "concealed the true reason" that its widely-criticized, incredibly expensive Magic: The Gathering 30th Anniversary Set was pulled from ***** within an hour of its initial release. The lawsuit, filed in Rhode Island earlier this week, is filed by shareholders Joseph Crocono and Ultan McGlone against Hasbro CEO Christian Cocks, a number of fellow company directors, and Hasbro itself. The lawsuit alleges breaches of fiduciary duty, unjust enrichment, waste of corporate assets, gross mismanagement, abuse of control, and violations of the Exchange Act. Specifically, the shareholder plaintiffs claim that, under Cocks' leadership, Hasbro has been printing far too many Magic: The Gathering sets, thereby reducing the value of existing sets. This complaint probably sounds familiar to avid Magic players, as Wizards of the Coast has been printing significantly more sets per year than it used to. This handy chart made in 2022 by jacobwillson2727 at Only on Tuesdays helps illustrate the problem, and it's only gotten worse in the years since: As noted in the lawsuit, Wizards of the Coast released more sets than ever before in 2020, which served to double the revenue of the Wizards segment of Hasbro between 2018 and 2021, and in 2022, Hasbro released over five times as many Magic sets as it had in 2016. It's worth noting that both the chart above and the lawsuit itself are somewhat generous in what they consider to be a Magic "set." For example, the lawsuit also claims Wizards released 39 separate Magic sets in 2022 - that strikes me as a little high, and most likely includes Secret Lair collaborations in addition to every other possible kind of set. Regardless of how you count them, it is true that the card release volume has gone up lately, as anyone who's grouchy about the number of Universes Beyond collaborations in 2026 will tell you. But the issue the shareholders have is that the volume, they claim, is exceeding consumer demand, and that Hasbro leadership is only releasing this many to get quick cash to cover up shortfalls elsewhere in the Hasbro business. The lawsuit itself is 76 pages long, but there are two major accusations that stand out. One is an allegation that Hasbro management used something called the "Parachute Strategy." Allegedly, leadership plotted to "parachute in" new Magic sets whenever there was a shortfall somewhere else in Hasbro. These parachute sets initially consisted of "Masters" sets - largely reprints with low production costs. However, as it grew, more sets got involved, including the aforementioned Secret Lair collaborations and the Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate set. Per the lawsuit, "As such, the explosive growth in the Magic business noted just prior to and during the Relevant ******* [September 2021 - October 2023] was in fact the result of the Parachute Strategy. Notably, in 2022 such 'parachute' Magic sets accounted for 46% of all Magic releases." The second, and perhaps even spicier, accusation is the allegation that Hasbro management essentially faked being out of stock of the controversial, extremely expensive Magic 30th Anniversary Set in order to encourage demand. If you're not familiar, this was an unhinged $999 box that contained four booster packs of non-tournament legal reprints of original Magic cards, some of which Wizards had sworn it would never reprint. This box garnered massive criticism due to its price, the fact that the cards weren't even usable, and the seemingly broken promise on the part of Wizards not to reprint classics such as, say, ****** Lotus. According to testimony from several members of leadership shared in the complaint, following the negative reaction from players at this announcement, management made a plan to "pause" sales of the set if it became apparent that they were weaker than anticipated. The company said the "***** has concluded, and the product is currently unavailable for purchase," in a post on X (then Twitter), implying they had sold out, effectively making it look like the product was far more popular than it actually had been. In the lawsuit, plaintiffs accuse the company of claiming the product was "out of stock." What happened to the unsold cards after sales were paused, then? The lawsuit goes on: "[Former Employee 6] likewise stated that the Company paused its sales of the Magic Anniversary Set less than an hour after its release, only selling a portion of its available inventory. FE 6 further noted that shortly after the set’s release, he and other Wizards employees viewed photographs of Magic Anniversary Sets dropped off at a Texas landfill alongside older Magic products." The plantiffs are asking the judge to rule that they, as shareholders, are adequate representatives of Hasbro and therefore can sue on behalf of the company itself, and that each of the individual defendants failed in their fiduciary duties. They are also asking that Hasbro be awarded damages from each individual defendant, and that the shareholders be given significantly more power on the board of the company. IGN has reached out to Hasbro for comment. This is far from the first time shareholders have expressed displeasure with Hasbro's handling of Magic. Mentioned multiple times in the suit is a deep dive done by Bank of America back in 2022 on this exact issue of overprinting, which prompted analysts to claim Hasbro was hurting its long-term value with so many frequent set releases. This year's first set, Lorwyn Eclipsed, is doing all right at least, having seemingly sold out in most places amid excitement at a return to a beloved plane from Magic's history. It's even got a host of super expensive rare cards, topped off with a Showcase Fracture Foil version of Bloom Tender that's going for over $600 at the time this piece was written. Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to [email protected]. View the full article

Like most years, this January has been a slow month for new game releases. The pre-holiday rush is over, and we're still weeks out from the pace picking back up in the spring. Luckily, there's never a slow time for new games on Steam, and as an added bonus, you can try out some brand-new indies without opening your wallet. View the full article

The post Frustration Inside Ubisoft: ‘This Is Probably The Most Embarrassed I Have Felt Working Somewhere’ appeared first on Kotaku. View the full article

SuperGaming, one of India’s leading game developers, in partnership with Spacecaps, the parent company of Loud, has announced the early access launch of Prime Rush, a new mobile battle royale game. The game is initially available in Brazil, with a wider release in Latin America to follow. Yes, this is a case of an Indian game company launching a game first in Brazil, which tells you something about global gaming. .memberful-global-teaser-content p:last-child{ -webkit-mask-image: linear-gradient(180deg, #000 0%, transparent); mask-image: linear-gradient(180deg, #000 0%, transparent); } Read This Article Free Get instant access by joining the GB MAX Access tier — it’s free to sign up and unlock premium content.Join Now to Start ReadingAlready a member? Sign in The post SuperGaming launches early access for Prime Rush mobile battle royale in Brazil appeared first on GamesBeat. View the full article

The post 10-Year-Old <i>Sims 4</i> Sex Mod With Full Nudity Is Still Shockingly Popular appeared first on Kotaku. View the full article

Medieval combat sim Half Sword made a big, bloody splash at Next Fest last year when its tech playtest became the most popular demo on Steam. The physics-based melee brawler is equal parts gore and clumsiness as players face off—and try to slash each other's faces off—with wildly-swung swords and axes and spears... Read more.View the full article

Between the new season of the Fallout show, New Vegas' 15th birthday, Fallout 4's 10th anniversary, and our interview series celebrating all of the above (complete with print cover story!), I've been in a bit of a Fallout mood. I smashed through Fallout 3 in a week and change over Christmas, I'm getting asymptotically close to the end of a New Vegas run I started in November, and I've put a humiliating number of hours (28.2, according to Steam) into Fallout 4 in just the past five days... Read more.View the full article

Stella Montis is known for its cold, suffocating halls and cutthroat Raider encounters, but Arc Raiders players can’t get enough of the real-life Stella Montis hotel. Yes, there is a real-world hotel located in Italy that just so happens to share a name with one of the most brutal locations game developer Embark Studios has to offer. Thankfully, the luxurious hotel Stella Montis won’t have guests looking over their shoulders for loot goblins, and instead features spots for hiking, biking, skiing, and relaxation. It’s for these reasons – and maybe more likely just for the bit of it all – that Arc Raiders players are slamming the forest getaway with dozens of five-star reviews. Photo from the Stella Montis hotel in Northern Italy, a new location teased in the latest dev blog. by inArcRaiders .reddit-embed-wrapper iframe { margin-left: 0 !important; } “Great place,” one seemingly earnest review starts. “But I do recommend travel solo for this hotel. Any group ******* than 2 has very high chance of meeting rats in the lobby. Hotel has a medical section which is a hot spot for dead bodies. “Also while you are here please try to be friendly to other guests.” The first connection to the real-life Stella Montis seems to have arrived shortly after Embark initially teased the new map in an October 13 blog post, two weeks before launch. In what was likely an attempt to try and connect the dots before an official reveal, one Reddit user was able to track down the hotel and post about it (above), assuming the new Arc Raiders map could be inspired by a real place. Love this place, always leave with 3+ blueprints. It’s not clear if the sleek metal walls of the video game map are actually named after the Italian inn, but the coincidence was more than enough for fans to latch onto. A review left by a user with the name Bad Wolf seems to be the oldest mention of Arc Raiders, at least on Google, with almost every reply that followed focusing on blueprints, Bastions, “rats,” and Shredders. “I love this place, tons of drawers that gives me epic loot and even Venator blueprint if you have the correct hotel keycard,” another review says, “but be careful about the moving ****** that burn you and the vase like robot thingy that would shred you to pieces. The only complain is the raiders with strange red outfit that screams ‘Goop’ crawling in the corner waiting for you to pass by, bring smoke, tagging, and trigger nades just in case.” Despite Stella Montis’ crushing difficulty and brutal Arcs, almost every Google review from an Arc Raiders player awards the hotel with 5/5 stars – though there are a few outliers. One user left a 3/5, warning of Shredders, while another from this week stuck with a 1/5, complaining of feeling “very sweaty after leaving.” Meanwhile, the company behind the hotel has yet to comment on its newfound connection to a popular video game or the fans who have suddenly become enamored by it. "Free Loadout Stella Montis go crazy," one reviewer adds. "Love this place, always leave with 3+ blueprints. Remember to search the containers in the cargo docks, they have some goop." Arc Raiders launched for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X | S October 30, 2025. Although it doesn’t seem like there are any plans to add a skiing expansion to the game, Embark has recently laid out its roadmap for the first four months of 2026. Meanwhile, the studio says it's still doing its best to combat widespread reports of cheaters. Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He's best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe). View the full article

We now have our hands on the Nintendo Switch 2, a new console from one of the biggest names in gaming. Alas, a new console is only as valuable as the library of games you can build on it. Thankfully, Nintendo hasn't been shy about planned releases over the next year, which include a mix of Switch 2 exclusives, third-party releases, and the benefit of backward compatibility with any games still launching on the original Switch. Without further ado, here are all of the new Switch 2 games we can look forward to in 2026. All Upcoming Switch 2 Games With Release Dates * indicates a Switch 2 exclusive [/url]Dispatch (January 28, 2026) One of the best games of 2025 is promptly making its way to both Switch and Switch 2. The episodic adventure game developed by AdHoc Studio puts you in charge of a task force of "rehabilitated" super villains, which happens to consist of an incredibly stacked cast. IGN's 9/10 review describes the full season as "a true spiritual successor to the Telltale Games of the 2010s," highlighting the game's blend of TV and gaming elements. Starsand Island (February 1, 2026) There's never a shortage of cozy vibes on Switch, which continues with Starsand Island, a Starew Valley-esque simulation sandbox game. Escape from the city to harvest crops, go fishing, protect local ruins, and, of course, befriend all your new neighbors in the countryside. Deus Ex Remastered (February 5, 2026) Announced at the September State of Play, the iconic action RPG originally developed by Ion Storm is getting a new remaster in 2026, bringing the game to modern-gen consoles. Rick Sanchez didn't hold back the praise in his 9.4 review for IGN back in 2002: "Deep story, awesome graphics, and intense fun. You must play this game!" Dragon Quest VII Reimagined (February 5, 2026) Dragon Quest is really going at it with the remakes. It started with HD-2D remakes of the first three games, and now we’re skipping a few installments to go straight to Fragments of the Past. This next ‘revamp’ goes for “Reimagined,” and features a pretty substantial overhaul of the graphics and gameplay from the original JRPG released in 2001. Mario Tennis Fever (February 12, 2026)* Mario Tennis is making its return with the first new release since 2018’s Mario Tennis Aces. The sports game will continue the more recent tradition of a Story Mode alongside Tournament, Trial Towers, and Mix It Up modes, all while featuring a whopping 38 playable characters. Blazblue Entropy Effect X (February 12, 2026) Next up, we're getting an expanded, console version of the Blazblue spin-off originally released for mobile and PC in 2023. The action roguelite sets you on an adventure into the Sea of Possibility with new characters and story additions. Reanimal (February 12, 2026) From the creators of Little Nightmares 1 and 2 (not 3, keep that in mind), Reanimal is a new co-op horror game. Tap in a friend to play as siblings who must traverse through some incredibly creepy environments to rescue their missing friends. The game also supports a single-player mode. Yakuza Kiwami 3 + Dark Ties (February 12, 2026) Yep, there are a lot of games coming out on February 12. To add to the bunch, RGG is releasing what we called a “much-needed” Yakuza 3 remake alongside a completely new companion story. Yakuza Kiwami 3 brings combat and QoL improvements to the original game, while Dark Ties lets you play out antagonist Yoshitaka Mine’s rise to power in the criminal underworld. Star Trek: Voyager - Across the Unknown (February 18, 2026) Have you ever wished you could take control of the USS Voyager? Well, here’s your chance. The latest Star Trek game throws you and your ship 700,000 light years into Deep Space, tasking you with managing resources and your crew to make your way out in one piece. Resident Evil: Requiem and Resident Evil Generation Pack (February 27, 2026) It’s a big one. Resident Evil: Requiem will be available on Switch 2 at launch, marking one of the first third-party AAA releases taking advantage of a cross-platform release with the new Nintendo console. The new game will feature Grace Ashcroft and Leon Kennedy as dual protagonists, with each character bringing their own stealth and action gameplay. Alongside the newest Resident Evil game, the Switch 2 will also be getting “Gold” editions of Resident Evil 7: Biohazard and Resident Evil Village, available separately or as part of a Resident Evil Generation Pack collection. Pokémon Pokopia (March 5, 2026)* Now we’re back to the cozy vibes. Pokémon Pokopia was revealed at a September Nintendo Direct as what appears to be a pretty obvious blend of Pokémon and Animal Crossing. This is Nintendo, so they can do that. As a Ditto, you can transform to use a variety of skills and build up your Pokémon oasis. Never Grave: The Witch and The Curse (March 5, 2026) From PocketPair, Never Grave is a new 2D roguelite where you harness magic powers (as a hat, of course) to journey into the deep, working to help a young witch retrieve her soul. You also have a home base you can build and upgrade into your own little village. Coffee Talk Tokyo (March 5, 2026) We finally have a release date for the next iteration of Coffee Talk, a cozy cafe series developed by Toge Productions. Manage a new but familiar cafe while learning more about your human and yokai customers. Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection (March 13, 2026) We’re getting a third game in the Monster Hunter Stories series, a sub-series of Monster Hunter that we’re pretty big fans of (we gave the first one an 8.9/10, and the second got an 8/10). The next story will follow a civil conflict between Azuria and Vermeil, two nations threatened by a “crystal encroachment.” Super Mario Bros. Wonder - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition (March 26, 2026)* Nintendo knows they have some modern classics, and they’re giving them a lot of love with this Switch 2 release. Following up on last year’s Super Mario Galaxy remaster, Nintendo is releasing a Switch 2 edition of Super Mario Bros. Wonder, which we originally said "establishes a new standard for what 2D Mario platformers should look like" in our 9/10 review. The Switch 2 edition will feature a new area called Bellabel Park, new playable characters, and tons of new mini-games. Pragmata (April 24, 2026) After a series of delays dating back to 2021, Capcom finally “re-revealed” Pragmata with a firm release date and confirmation of cross-platform support. A fresh IP, Pragmata is a third-person sci-fi shooter that takes a pretty funky approach to shooting mechanics. You can learn more about that in our hands-on preview. 007 First Light (May 27, 2026) Yet another massive multi-platform release, IO Interactive's take on James Bond is launching on Switch 2 alongside PC, PS5, and Xbox in late May. The game lets you play out Bond's initial recruitment and rise in the MI6 ranks, featuring Patrick Gibson as the titular spy and Lenny Kravitz as the villain Bawma. Upcoming Switch 2 Games With Unknown Release Dates There are plenty more Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 games in development that don’t have a solid release date yet. Here are some more games we know are on the way: Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream - Spring 2026The Eternal Life of Goldman - 2026Witchbrook - 2026Professor Layton and the New World of Steam – 2026Rhythm Heaven Groove - 2026 The Adventures of Elliot: The Millenium Tales - 2026 Danganronpa 2x2 - 2026Elden Ring Tarnished Edition - 2026The Duskbloods- 2026Yoshi and the Mysterious Book - 2026Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave - 2026 Pokemon Champions - 2026 Splatoon Raiders - 2026Fallout 4 Anniversary Edition - 2026 Haunted Chocolatier - TBA View the full article

The base gold cost to save outfit appearances using the new Transmog system introduced in the World of Warcraft: Midnight Pre-Expansion Update has been cut in half. These gold-saving changes are officially live in World of Warcraft as of a recent hotfix. View the full article

Tripwire Presents has announced a delay for its tactical RPG Norse: Oath of Blood for PC with consoles coming later in Spring 2026. View the full article

The narrative RPG Aether & Iron will launch for PC Steam this spring with a free demo now available. View the full article

The post <i>Fable</i>: Everything We Know About The Open-World Fantasy RPG Reboot appeared first on Kotaku. View the full article

Wuthering Waves version 3.1 brings in faster easier leveling, simplified farming, upgrades to the bike, and more. View the full article

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 crew, from left to right, is NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev.Credit: SpaceX NASA and its partners will discuss the upcoming crew rotation to the International Space Station during a pair of news conferences on Friday, Jan. 30, from the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. At 11 a.m. EST, mission leadership will discuss final launch and mission preparations in a news conference that will stream on the agency’s YouTube channel. Next, the crew of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 mission will participate in a virtual news conference from NASA Johnson crew quarters at 1 p.m., also on the agency’s YouTube channel. Individual streams for each of the events will be available on that page. This is the final media opportunity with Crew-12 before they travel to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida for launch. Crew-12 will carry NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev to the orbiting laboratory. The crew will launch aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft on the company’s Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The agency is working with SpaceX and its international partners to review options to advance the launch of Crew-12 from its original target date of Sunday, Feb. 15. United States-based media interested in attending in person must contact the NASA Johnson newsroom no later than 5 p.m. CST on Thursday, Jan. 29, at 281-483-5111 or *****@*****.tld. Media wishing to join the news conferences by phone must contact the Johnson newsroom by 9:45 a.m. on the day of the event. A copy of NASA’s media accreditation policy is available online. Briefing participants are as follows (all times Eastern and subject to change based on real-time operations): 11 a.m.: Mission Overview News Conference Ken Bowersox, associate administrator, NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate Representative Steve Stich, manager, Commercial Crew Program, NASA Kennedy Dana Weigel, manager, International Space Station Program, NASA Johnson Andreas Mogensen, Human Exploration Group Leader, ESA SpaceX Representative 1 p.m.: Crew News Conference Jessica Meir, Crew-12 commander, NASA Jack Hathaway, Crew-12 pilot, NASA Sophie Adenot, Crew-12 mission specialist, ESA Andrey Fedyaev, Crew-12 mission specialist, Roscosmos This will be the second flight to the space station for Meir, who was selected as a NASA astronaut in 2013. The Caribou, Maine, native earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Brown University, a master’s degree in space studies from the International Space University, and a doctorate in marine biology from Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego. On her first spaceflight, Meir spent 205 days as a flight engineer during Expedition 61/62, and she completed the first three all-woman spacewalks with fellow NASA astronaut Christina Koch, totaling 21 hours and 44 minutes outside of the station. Since then, she has served in various roles, including assistant to the chief astronaut for commercial crew (SpaceX), deputy for the Flight Integration Division, and assistant to the chief astronaut for the human landing system. A commander in the United States Navy, Hathaway was selected as part of the 2021 astronaut candidate class. This will be Hathaway’s first spaceflight. The South Windsor, Connecticut, native holds a bachelor’s degree in physics and history from the U.S. Naval Academy and master’s degrees in flight dynamics from Cranfield University and national security and strategic studies from the U.S. Naval War College, respectively. Hathaway also is a graduate of the Empire Test Pilot’s School, Fixed Wing Class 70 in 2011. At the time of his selection, Hathaway was deployed aboard the USS Truman, serving as Strike Fighter Squadron 81’s prospective executive officer. He has accumulated more than 2,500 flight hours in 30 different aircraft, including more than 500 carrier arrested landings and 39 combat missions. The Crew-12 mission will be Adenot’s first spaceflight. Before her selection as an ESA astronaut in 2022, Adenot earned a degree in engineering from ISAE-SUPAERO in Toulouse, France, specializing in spacecraft and aircraft flight dynamics. She also earned a master’s degree in human factors engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge. After earning her master’s degree, she became a helicopter cockpit design engineer at Airbus Helicopters and later served as a search and rescue pilot at Cazaux Air Base from 2008 to 2012. She then joined the High Authority Transport Squadron in Villacoublay, France, and served as a formation flight leader and mission captain from 2012 to 2017. Between 2019 and 2022, Adenot worked as a helicopter experimental test pilot in Cazaux Flight Test Center with DGA (Direction Générale de l’Armement – the French Defence Procurement Agency). She has logged more than 3,000 hours flying 22 different helicopters. This will be Fedyaev’s second long-duration stay aboard the orbiting laboratory. He graduated from the Krasnodar Military Aviation Institute in 2004, specializing in aircraft operations and air traffic organization, and earned qualifications as a pilot engineer. Prior to his selection as a cosmonaut, he served as deputy commander of an Ilyushin-38 aircraft unit in the Kamchatka Region, logging more than 600 flight hours and achieving the rank of second-class military pilot. Fedyaev was selected for the Gagarin Research and Test Cosmonaut Training Center Cosmonaut Corps in 2012 and has served as a test cosmonaut since 2014. In 2023, he flew to the space station as a mission specialist during NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 mission, spending 186 days in orbit, as an Expedition 69 flight engineer. For his achievements, Fedyaev was awarded the title Hero of the Russian Federation and received the Yuri Gagarin Medal. For more information about the mission, visit: [Hidden Content] -end- Joshua Finch / Jimi Russell Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1100 *****@*****.tld / *****@*****.tld Sandra Jones / Joseph Zakrzewski Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 sandra.p*****@*****.tld / *****@*****.tld Share Details Last Updated Jan 23, 2026 EditorJessica TaveauLocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsHumans in SpaceCommercial CrewInternational Space Station (ISS)ISS Research View the full article

"The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The second-best time is today."View the full article

I'm not entirely confident that Mass Effect 5 will ever see the light of day. Between the Andromeda debacle, the dismantling of BioWare after Dragon Age: The Veilguard missed whatever expectations EA had for it, and the upcoming acquisition of EA by Saudi Arabia, the environment just doesn't seem entirely conducive to another big sexy space adventure... Read more.View the full article

Hope you're hungry for lots of spaghettiView the full article

The post Careful, This City-Builder Starring Cute Mice And Evil Royal Cats Might ***** Away All Your Free Time appeared first on Kotaku. View the full article

If you've ever fallen down a Wikipedia rabbit hole or spent a pleasant evening digging through college library stacks, you know the joy of a good research puzzle. Every new source and cross-reference you find unlocks an incremental understanding of a previously unknown world, forming a piecemeal tapestry of knowledge that you can eventually look back at as a cohesive and well-known whole. TR-49 takes this research process and operationalizes it into an engrossing and novel piece of heavily non-linear interactive fiction. Researching the myriad sources contained in the game's mysterious computer slowly reveals a tale that's part mystery, part sci-fi allegory, part family drama, and all-compelling alternate academic history. Steampunk Wikipedia The entirety of TR-49 takes place from a first-person perspective as you sit in front of a kind of Steampunk-infused computer terminal. An unseen narrator asks you to operate the machine but is initially cagey about how or why or what you're even looking for. There's a creepy vibe to the under-explained circumstances that brought you to this situation, but the game never descends into the jump scares or horror tropes of so many other modern titles. Read full article Comments View the full article

Deadlock continues its development cycle behind closed doors (if you've got no friends to open them for you, that is), with every few months bringing major changes to its core gameplay and art style. The latest overhaul was truly one for the history books, as it singlehandedly propelled the game almost to the very top of what I consider the most "stylish" games ever made. Deadlock's new Old Gods, New Blood update brought along a total visual (and story) overhaul of the game's map, including both of the Patrons, the creeps, and everything in between. It is a complete stylistic shift, following previous updates that were increasingly stylized, embracing a genre blend that sits somewhere between late-19th-century New Orleans and early-20th-century New York (and all the cultural implications that might entail). Six new heroes are also coming into the fold, each a work of art, though players will have to wait a while before all of them are playable, since Valve is doing another voting thing as they did for the previous batch. The patrons' overhaul is what makes this update stand out. They are, genuinely, now as stylish and artistically refined as the rest of the game, drawing significant inspiration from *******-appropriate literature and fiction to further advance Deadlock's worldbuilding as a fundamentally American pastiche and genre crossroads. And what better place to look at than Robert W. Chambers, the mind behind The King in Yellow, a late-19th-century anthology of stories loosely connected by an ominous and eponymous play (and character), which Valve turned into the Hidden King patron? The Hidden King (in Yellow) in his full glory. Image via Valve The rustic, infernal nature of the King and his deer antlers are very much in line with depictions of the King in Yellow, even those you might have seen in shows like True Detective. Just look at it: it screams style, substance, and artistry, with each bit of the map carefully redesigned to reflect his character, unlike the generic floating head that was roaming about before. On the other side is the Arch Mother, a pale and ethereal queen of her own realm, with a frozen monarch situated at her core (oddly reminiscent of the Hidden King himself). There is dialogue here, and though the voice lines of the announcers on both sides did suggest a shared lore, Deadlock now genuinely has an active conversation going on in the background of its MOBA gameplay, which isn't something we've ever seen in the genre before. As for the characters, the rest of the map, and the myriad of different artistic touchups to the UI, HUD, and every facet of the game: all of them reflect a wide range of genres and movements, from comics to movies to Valve's own imagination. The coolest part is that it all blends together so well, forming a cohesive amalgamation of art that I am genuinely stricken by. I cannot express how much I appreciate that a game is putting art and style front and center, and though gameplay is as important as those two, we had too many well-playing games that just don't look that good. And the best thing is that Deadlock is still a long way from launch, meaning more of the same is yet to come, which, as you could tell, I'm more than excited for. The post Latest Deadlock overhaul turns Valve’s not-so-mysterious game into one of the most stylish titles of all time appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article

GTA 6, if the Olympian host allows it, will release later this year, probably bringing with it revolutionary mechanics and gameplay that'll echo through time and history much like its many predecessors did. But one mechanic, introduced in San Andreas, has players wondering how far (or how deep) Rockstar will go, and it's got to do with big meat on big bones. In GTA: San Andreas (released in 2004, mind you), CJ has a lot of stats that players can increase or make worse, depending on their playstyle. One aspect of CJ's character is his weight, which players can really exacerbate by eating more than their fill at the Cluckin' Bell day in and day out. If CJ gets too ****, he'll suffer a ton of detriments, and these aren't reflected only in how he performs or how slow he moves around. In fact, CJ is barred from participating in certain missions and, by extension, so is the player. You are made to face the consequences of your actions as if you were playing some old-school RPG where choice and consequence were front and center in the gameplay. It's a rewarding system to have such dynamics in any game, especially one that lets you control a character and lead them into temptation or away from it as you see fit. [Hidden Content] So that's got players wondering: will GTA 6 have any systems in place akin to this one? After all, it's probably going to be the biggest game ever released, with tons of unique and new mechanics and certainly a lot of depth. But I don't recall GTA 5 having anything of this sort, whereby you'd be locked out of a mission or other part of the game because of the way you handled one of the three protagonists. This really belongs in RPGs more so than in GTA, but it is interesting. It adds an extra layer on top of an already dense experience, and it's not like a game can be too deep, too rewarding, or too good. Furthermore, the nature of Lucia and Jason as this "Bonnie and Clyde" duo (which will, no doubt, have some form of mechanic that'll be tied to their relationship) allows for this kind of gameplay, and in fact lends itself perfectly to it. We'll have to wait until November (if Rockstar doesn't delay the game once again) to see what the company has come up with, though I and certainly many others hope they do give us more control over the characters and, by extension, let us suffer the consequences with them. The post GTA 6 fans want to bring back an obscure San Andreas feature that could literally lock you out of missions: ‘Man, I’m just big boned, that’s all’ appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article

In an ideal world, we will already have Toxic Swamp present in ARC Raiders as the latest map modifier. However, that hasn't been the case, and it remains a mystery as to whether, and when, Embark will release the Toxic Swamp modifier at all. That said, the first roadmap for the new year has indicated that the map modifier could be released pretty soon. Table of contentsARC Raiders Toxic Swamp expected release dateWhat to expect from Toxic Swamp in ARC RaidersARC Raiders Toxic Swamp expected release date Toxic Swamp was expected to release on Monday, Jan. 19. This was based on datamined information from ARC Raiders, which had suggested that the map modifier would be a part of the ongoing Week 13 Trials. However, it never made it to live servers, and Embark replaced the task involving Toxic Swamp. Hence, when will Toxic Swamp release in ARC Raiders? According to the latest roadmap from Embark, a mini-update is planned for January. This suggests the new map modifier could arrive on Jan. 26. Image via Embark Just like last week, Week 14 Trials is also supposed to include a task that requires us to tackle the map condition. The exact task is along the lines of keeping air purifiers active when Toxic Swamp is on. Whether the task remains the same or gets replaced remains to be seen. However, Jan. 26 appears as the likeliest date as of writing. What to expect from Toxic Swamp in ARC Raiders Almost nothing is known about Toxic Swamp as Embark has remained pretty tight-lipped. However, we can assume that there's something called Thermal Rocks to be found when the modifier is live. This is based on the previous information that we had about the Trials of Jan. 19. The map modifier is also expected to affect volcanic terrain and geysers. I believe that there will be certain toxic areas on the map where breathing will be perilous. While I would certainly have felt better had it been a new map, Toxic Swamp could still force us to think strategically on our raids. For now, the only option is to wait patiently and hope that January's upcoming map condition confirms our predictions. The post When will Toxic Swamp release in ARC Raiders? Possible date and what to expect appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article

Blight is an annoying obstacle you'll encounter throughout your exploration in Arknights Endfield. Although it can be destroyed, you won't be able to do so unless you're aware of these methods. Table of contentsHow to clear Blight in Arknights: EndfieldHow to destroy out-of-reach Blight CoresHow to destroy invisible Blight CoresHow to Craft Industrial Explosives in Arknights: EndfieldHow to clear Blight in Arknights: Endfield If a Blight formation has a visible Blight Core, you can destroy it directly by attacking the core. Visible Blight Cores appear as bright red lights located somewhere within the Blight itself. Just be careful not to touch it directly, as it will kill with extended exposure. Image by Destructoid In a lot of cases, the Blight Core will be within reach for you to attack with one of your characters, but many others won't be. Many Blight formations you come across will have Blight Cores you can't get to or won't be able to see at all. Fortunately, there is a solution for both issues. How to destroy out-of-reach Blight Cores For Blight Cores you can actively see but can't reach directly, you can use Industrial Explosives to destroy them instead. Image by Destructoid Industrial Explosives are special consumables crafted at your base that can be thrown at the cores once you've made them. How to destroy invisible Blight Cores If you encounter a Blight formation with an invisible Blight Core, you won't be able to do a thing to them initially. Blight formations with no visible Blight Core cannot be destroyed until you've progressed the Main Story far enough to obtain the Blight Decryption Device, which will allow you to use the Scanner to expose undetected Blight Cores. Image by Destructoid When you have the Blight Decryption Device unlocked, all you need to do is go near a Blight formation and use the Scan function to reveal its hidden core. Then, simply use the above-mentioned methods to destroy it and clear the Blight out of your way. How to Craft Industrial Explosives in Arknights: Endfield To even begin to craft Industrial Explosives at your base, you'll need to have progressed far enough to have unlocked the Basic AIC Plan mechanic, which allows you to research improvements for your overall base. Specifically, you need to unlock the Packaging Tech node under Basic AIC II to gain access to the Industrial Explosives blueprints. Image by Destructoid Industrial Explosives are produced via a Packaging Unit structure. The reagents you need to funnel into the craft are listed below: 5 x Amethyst Part - Process Amethyst Fibers at a Fitting Unit to produce these materials. Amethyst Fibers are made from refining Amethyst Ore at a Refining Unit. 1 x Aketine Powder - Process Aketine plants at a Shredding Unit to produce this material. You can find Aketine plants in the Valley Pass region, around the Abandoned Trail. They can also be grown using a Planting Unit or grown as crops directly via the Eco-Farm. I highly recommend you automate the entire processing chain for producing the above materials, as you will need to use a lot of Industrial Explosives throughout your time in Arknights Endfield, so having them mass-produced without your input is nothing but a benefit for you. The post How to destroy Blight in Arknights Endfield appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article