It seems like every week, there's a new indie tabletop RPG that hits the scene, threatens your wallet and messes up your schedule. But that's part of why we adore this hobby. There's so many settings, systems, and ludicrous amounts of lore for anyone to immerse themselves in. But something that player and GM alike fear is the dreaded first game. Establishing everything from characters to overarching story can be a hell of a chore, even if it's still good fun. Not to worry, because the Ultimate Toolbox from World's Largest RPGs is here to help. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: This "cozy" board game about sick leave might be the strangest tabletop title I've seen all year A stellar Star Wars deck-building board game is now 36% off at Walmart Board game giant Asmodee buys out Exploding Kittens, with 100% control of shares View the full article
It could be argued that it was the release of Forza Horizon on PlayStation, and not the news that Halo is coming to it, that heralded the real end of the console war. Halo’s brand power has been on the wane for some time now, especially given the lukewarm reception to Halo Infinite when it was released four years ago. Every time a Forza Horizon game is released, however, it’s always up there as a legitimate Game of the Year contender. All five entries in the series to date have enjoyed Metacritic scores of 85 or more, with the last three games scoring in the 90s, making it one of the strongest strings in Xbox’s bow during its more troublesome periods. Read More... View the full article
It's a Merry Grotmas from Games Workshop as the 25th reveals a big man in a red suit. This isn't Saint Nicholas, though he does have sackfuls of loot in his "sleigh" (read: gigantic pirate spaceship). Huron Blackheart of the Red Corsairs debuts a new miniature, in all of his horrifically injured glory. As the master of the galaxy's most dangerous band of pirates who aren't knife-eared sadists, Huron is more than ready to slay his foes and evade Imperium taxes. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: I'm playing my first Warhammer 40k tournament in 2026, and I'm absolutely terrified Warhammer 40k Space Marine 2 is at its lowest ever price in Humble's holiday sales It's now possible to get a PhD in Warhammer studies (and get paid for it) View the full article
The Missing in Action quest is the first of several missions added to Escape from Tarkov as part of the Christmas-themed Kolotun event, and completing it can be a true challenge. The quest requires you first to find specific items and then place them across different maps. This guide will help you figure out all the correct locations and where you have to place the stuff. Table of contentsEscape from Tarkov Missing in Action quest walkthroughWoodsReserveInterchangeEscape from Tarkov Missing in Action quest walkthrough The Missing in Action quest begins after speaking with Prapor, who will provide you with three different equipment. Three Iskra ration packsThree bottles of Tarkovskaya VodkaThree Pack of Arseny Buckwheat Move all three items to your backpack. You'll have to place one of each of these three items in specific areas on the following maps: WoodsReserveInterchange For your benefit, I have marked the location of all three spots in screenshots. Woods Image via Escape from Tarkov Wiki. Remix by Destructoid The location you need to reach is near the Outskirts extraction point, at the Scav House. Go inside the shack from the side door, and turn left. You'll reach the main room, and one of the corners will have a couple of boxes. Interact with the location to deposit all the items. You don't have to survive or extract successfully. The quest will consider your progression once you have planted all three items. Reserve Image via Tarkov.Dev. Remix by Destructoid The location on Reserve is near the Armored Train extraction point. Go to the marked location, and you'll find a small one-storeyed house. Go inside, and turn right, and the next room will have a table by its door. Place the items at this point to complete the second set of tasks. Interchange Image via Escape from Tarkov wiki. Remix by Destructoid The final spot will require you to visit the Expansion area in Interchange. This is a fresh area near the mall, which was added during the 1.0 update. Reach the area where the large Neon light sign of the IDEA mall is. From there, go past the wagons to find an entrance through the hills. This is the same path that you have to follow to reach the Smuggler's Tunnel extraction. Go past the fuel tanker, and you'll find a shack to your right (in front of a yellow-colored van). Head inside, and you'll be able to plant the items. The extraction point is pretty close, so you can safely escape the map with everything that's in your inventory. The post How to complete Missing in Action in Escape from Tarkov appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article
Surviving the maps in Escape from Tarkov gets even harder during the Kolotun event as the Frostbite mechanic has returned with some changes. The Frostbite debuff has been a patented addition during Christmas, as it was present last year. However, the debuff has undergone some changes from its older version. The debuff can severely impair your vision and cause further limitations for you on the map. This guide will provide you with all the required information for surviving the situation. Table of contentsHow does Frostbite work in Escape from TarkovBest ways to prevent and cure Frostbite in Escape from TarkovHow does Frostbite work in Escape from Tarkov The Frostbite is a debuff exclusive to the winter conditions, and you can experience it right now during the Kolotun event. You'll be affected by it if you're outside in unsheltered locations and it's snowy or windy. There are two types of Frostbite, highlighted by the lighter blue and darker blue icons. Lighter blue Frostbites can't kill you, but they reduce your field of view. You'll also lose more stamina and energy than normal, and get tired in the process. The darker blue version includes all features of the lighter version, but keeps eating away at your health over time. It can kill you if left unchecked, and you'll need to heal yourself to prevent that scenario constantly. Screenshot by Destructoid Thankfully, you can avoid Frostbite in the first place and cure yourself if that happens. Best ways to prevent and cure Frostbite in Escape from Tarkov Here's how you can prevent getting Frostbite or cure it in a dire situation. The correct gear will provide you with the required insulation. This will prevent you from getting Frostbite. This event includes a host of headwear, like the Beanie, the Dead Moroz Hat, and even the Santa Hat.If you can reduce your outdoor activities, this will also reduce the chances of getting Frostbite.If you are affected by Frostbite, the key is to raise your body temperature. Find a source of fire, and stand close to it. The Frostbite will be cured after a ******* of time. However, be careful since other players could think the same, and this can lead to a fight.You can also warm yourself up with the help of alcohol. All forms of alcohol provide you with limited-time buffs, allowing you to save yourself from Frostbite. There are four types of alcohol available in Escape from Tarkov: Beer, ********, Vodka, and Moonshine. Moonshine is the best one to consume in terms of the offered upgrades, but it's pretty expensive. The post How to cure Frostbite in Escape from Tarkov appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article
The Steam Winter ***** 2025 has plenty of deals and discounts available for PC gamers, but it will be over soon. Like all major offerings, the Steam Winter ***** 2025 has a fixed timeline. The ***** earlier went live on Dec. 18, and it includes plenty of steep discounts. If you're yet to open your wallets, there are still a few more days. This guide will help you keep track of when the ***** expires, so that you can buy any game that you might have on your wishlist. Steam Winter ***** 2025 end times countdown The Steam Winter ***** ends on Jan. 5 (Jan. 6) in some regions. The following countdown will expire once the ***** ends. [hurrytimer id="1160409"] The countdown is based on the following timings. 10am PST12pm CST1pm EST6pm UTC7pm CEST11:30pm IST2am ******** ST(Jan. 6)3am JST (Jan. 6)7am NZST (Jan. 6) The official timings were announced when the ***** went live on Dec. 18. As of writing, we still have over a week left to grab the deals. If you're yet to zero in on any potential purchases, you can check out our list. The final ***** of 2025 has some massive discounts on games that are slightly old. Recent releases are also having discounts (including games that were released in 2025). You can also unlock plenty of cosmetics during the Winter ***** 2025. These cosmetics can be purchased with points that you earn when you buy new games. The cosmetics can then be used to customize the look of your profile. The conclusion of the Winter ***** 2025 will mark the end of the current calendar year. It will be interesting to know more about what Steam has planned for the sales in 2026 and if there will be any unexpected changes. The post Steam Winter ***** 2025 end countdown: Exact date and time appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article
A year filled with surprises - many new games I fell in love with either from no established IP and/or series I previously didn't engage with; meanwhile, many of my old flames have... withered away, but maybe that's good. View the full article
Being an online-only game, ARC Raiders sometimes runs into network issues, causing players to lag, fail to connect, or enter long queues that can last for an hour or more. One error that crops up every now and again is the ARAU0297 error, which indicates severe connection issues that are preventing your internet from establishing a connection with the game's servers. So, here's how you can try to fix it. ARAU0297 error in ARC Raiders, explained As an online game, ARC Raiders tends to suffer network issues from time to time. Image via Embark Studios The ARAU0297 error seems to appear every time something is happening to ARC Raiders' servers on the back-end. This indicates that it isn't you who should be fixing the problem but rather the developers, who maintain a healthy communication with players on the official ARC Raiders Discord, alongside other platforms. If developers have indicated that there is indeed an active server disruption, which we follow in our dedicated server status article, then you don't need to be fixing anything, as the devs will be doing it for you in due time. Simply close the game and wait it out. If there is indeed no active server disruption, and it's just you having trouble, then this one fix could do it for you on PC and some other platforms. Users report that ARC Raiders can get confused if your time zone settings are incorrect, which isn't unique only to this game, as other services tend to bug out for the same reason. To apply this solution, do the following (for Windows users): Close ARC Raiders. Close Steam fully. Go to the bottom-right corner of your screen and right-click your time and date. Select Adjust date and time. If it's checked, uncheck Set time zone automatically, or check it if it's off. If it's greyed out, go to Location settings above it and enable them, which'll allow you to check the setting. Re-enable it if you'd checked it off. Do the same for Set time automatically. Run Steam with administrator privileges. Try playing ARC Raiders again. Some users reported that setting the correct time zone fixed the error code above, as inaccurate time and date settings can and will cause problems with various online services, apparently including ARC Raiders. Restarting your device, contacting your ISP, or speaking with Embark's support are further steps if nothing else helps. The post How to fix ARAU0297 error in ARC Raiders appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article
The Ryzen 7 5800X, which launched five years ago, is currently the top-selling CPU on Amazon ***, while its refresh, the 5800XT, sits in fourth place on the US site. These rankings highlight both the resilience of AMD's aging AM4 platform and the best options available to consumers amid surging... Read Entire Article View the full article
According to a report from Tom's Hardware, China's so-called "Frankenstein" EUV scanner was assembled from mismatched parts sourced through various channels, potentially including surplus equipment sales and online spare-parts markets. The alleged prototype has yet to produce a single chip. Read Entire Article View the full article
ARC Raiders' progression system is tightly tied to loot, i.e., items you find around each of its respective maps. The Flickering Flames event has exacerbated that, requiring players to collect and submit all sorts of different items and loot, including Light Bulbs. Thankfully, this item seems rather easy to farm, given that there appear to be locations that almost certainly spawn them every single time. So, here's where you should look. Light Bulb locations in ARC Raiders These are the locations we've had the most luck with. Screenshot and remix by Destructoid Light Bulbs in ARC Raiders are most commonly and easily found on the Dam Battlegrounds map. Specifically, they seem to spawn the most within car hoods, which are scattered throughout the entire level, but most densely concentrated on the northern highway portion, as well as near the extract in the Power Generation Complex. Opening the hoods of these cars almost certainly guarantees you a Light Bulb drop, with significant spawn rates. Another high-probability spawn point is the car located within the Electrical Substation south of the Water Treatment Control loot zone. The car seemingly gives Light Bulbs every single time it's looted, and we've had tremendous luck with it. Either way, one of these mentioned cars will almost always spawn at least a couple Light Bulbs, so you'd better check them if you want to maximize your odds of finding this item. Light Bulbs can then be sold for 2,000 a piece or submitted for progression, most notably the Flickering Flames event, where they're one of the necessary prerequisites. The post Where to find Light Bulb in ARC Raiders appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article
It's no secret that Ninja Gaiden has had a huge 2025. Things kicked off early in the year with Ninja Gaiden 2 ******, a new version of the beloved classic brought to modern platforms with enhanced visuals. Later on, we got Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, a 2D sidescroller from The Game Kitchen. However, perhaps nothing was more exciting than Ninja Gaiden 4, the long-awaited follow-up to Ninja Gaiden 3. If you haven't had a chance to check out this brand-new entry, you can pick up a copy for $49.99 today at Walmart. Ninja Gaiden 4 for $49.99 at Walmart Ninja Gaiden 4 was developed by both Team Ninja and PlatinumGames, offering a wild and immensely satisfying action combat system. Instead of solely focusing on Ryu, a new protagonist, Yakumo, was introduced alongside him. With two characters to play as, there are all kinds of new abilities and mechanics to utilize as you trek across Tokyo to combat an evil threat. In our 8/10 review, we wrote, "When it comes to combat, there are few games I’d consider to even be in the same ballpark as Ninja Gaiden 4. It is quite simply the most fun I’ve had with a 3D action game since ****** May Cry 5. Its disappointing story, bland level design, and uneven boss battles certainly put a damper on the package as a whole, but they haven’t stopped me from continuously coming back for more all the same. Blemishes and all, this is the best pure action game since Hi-Fi Rush, and hopefully it doesn’t take another 13 years for the next one." Noah Hunter is a freelance writer and reviewer with a passion for games and technology. He co-founded Final Weapon, an outlet focused on nonsense-free Japanese gaming (in 2019) and has contributed to various publishers writing about the medium. View the full article
The Steam Client Beta has been updated with the following changes: Steam Input Add launch option to conditionally enable Nintendo Switch 2 and GameCube adapter support. To use, launch Steam with the -enablepro2 option. View the full article
ARC Performance Steel is one of the hardest items to find in ARC Raiders, as you'll have to take down specific enemies. Unlike most items in ARC Raiders, ARC Performance Steel can't be obtained from looting containers or other areas. Instead, you can only obtain the item after taking down certain ARC enemies that you can come across on any map. This guide will help you pinpoint which ARCs you should take down to gain ARC Performance Steel. Best way to get ARC Performance Steel in ARC Raiders To find ARC Performance Steel, you'll need to take down any of the following ARCs. LeaperBastionBombardierThe QueenMatriarchARC Probes Barring the last one, all five ARCs mentioned on the list are dangerous enemies that you should be extremely careful about. Here's where you can find these heavy ARCs. Leaper A Leaper leaping in the air. Screenshot via Embark Dam Battlegrounds: Water Treatment, Red Lakes Balcony, Red LakesBuried City: Buried Properties, Plaza RosaSpaceport: Launch Towers, Arrival and Departure BuildingsBlue Gate: Warehouse Complex, Ruined Homestead, Trapper's GladeBastion Image via Embark Studios Dam Battlegrounds: Hydrophonic ComplexBuried City: Market Ruins, Library, Piazza ArbustoSpaceport: Arrival and Departure Buildings, Container Storage, Fuel LinesBlue Gate: Checkpoint, Outer GatesBombardierDam Battlegrounds: Water Treatment, Primary FacilityBuried City: Marano Park, Main StreetSpaceport: Vehicle Maintenance, Arrival Building, South Trench Tower, Container StorageBlue Gate: Ruined Homestead, Trapper's Glade, Raider's RefugeThe QueenDam Battlegrounds: Red LakesSpaceport: Staff ParkingBlue Gate: Middle of Checkpoint and Trapper's GladeMatriarch Image via Embark Dam Battlegrounds: The BreachSpaceport: Launch TowersBlue Gate: Headhouse The Queen and Matriarch will only spawn under specific map conditions. While the Matriarch has its own special map condition, The Queen only spawns during a Harvester map condition. The rest of the ARCs can spawn in areas that aren't mentioned here. However, I have listed the spots where I have almost always encountered them on raids. Taking them down will almost guarantee an ARC Performance Steel. Screenshot by Destructoid If you don't want to take the risks, you can always try your luck with ARC Probes. You'll occasionally come across them during raids. However, opening an ARC Probe doesn't guarantee you a Performance Steel, so you might need to find several of them. The post How to find ARC Performance Steel in ARC Raiders appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article
Spike Chunsoft, Exnoa, and Too Kyo Games announce the Shuten Order Switch 2 and Switch physical release date. The Japanese physical release is also slated to include English. View the full article
According to Forbes, most of the new AI billionaires are either founders or senior executives of SaaS companies, foundation model firms, or businesses focused on replacing human workers with AI software in the service and manufacturing sectors. Read Entire Article View the full article
Even though we're in somewhat of a horror gaming renaissance with Resident Evil Requiem on the way and the Silent Hill 2 Remake sparking renewed interest in the genre, we're still a way out until the next major release for either series. Thankfully, a breakout new indie game seems to combine the best of both worlds, which has a demo that can be played entirely for free right now. View the full article
The Winter Wildcards Exhibition objective has arrived in FC 26 Ultimate Team, and there are some fantastic rewards to win. If you complete the full set, you can get yourself guaranteed Winter Wildcards players, packs, and more. This guide includes all the information you're going to need to obtain every possible reward from the objective set. Complete FC 26 Winter Wildcards Exhibition guide The Winter Wildcards Exhibition objective includes nine tasks to complete. The table below has information about what you need to do to complete them, along with the rewards. TaskHow to CompleteRewardsPlay 2Play 2 matches in the Winter Wildcards Exhibition2 82+ Rare Gold Players PackPlay 5Play 5 matches in the Winter Wildcards Exhibition3 81+ Rare Gold Players PackScore 1 in 3 separate matchesScore 1 in 3 separate matches in the Winter Wildcards ExhibitionEvo UnlockScore 1 in 5 separate matchesScore 1 in 5 separate matches in the Winter Wildcards ExhibitionEvo UnlockAssist 1 in 6 separate matchesAssist 1 goal in 6 separate matches in the Winter Wildcards Exhibition3 82+ Rare Gold Players PackWin 3Win 3 matches in the Winter Wildcards Exhibition85-89 Rare Gold Players PackScore 1 in 8 separate matchesScore 1 in 8 separate matches in the Winter Wildcards ExhibitionEvo UnlockScore 1 in 10 separate matchesScore 1 in 10 separate matches in the Winter Wildcards Exhibition4 84+ Rare Gold Players PackWin 5Win 5 matches in the Winter Wildcards Exhibition3 83+ Rare Gold Players Pack Completing the whole set unlocks the 87-rated Serge Gnabry Winter Wildcards item. The card can play in multiple positions and offers decent stats, playstyles, and roles. Hence, make sure to complete all the tasks before the objective set expires next week. The post All FC 26 Winter Wildcards Exhibition rewards and tasks appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article
Marathon is shaping up well. After tons of controversies and less-than-stellar moments, including accusations of plagiarism and all the things happening on a corporate level at Bungie, the game genuinely is starting to look good. But are these "upgrades" enough to save it now that ARC Raiders is utterly dominating the scene? Bungie recently shared new images of how Marathon looks compared to its previous alpha tests. New lighting, depth, and graphics certainly upgraded the overall vibes of the game, which went from bland to quite realistic and, dare I say, visually striking. The art direction continues to evolve, with Marathon now having one of the most distinct and flashy art styles, inspired no doubt by cyberpunk and neon-esque movements. [Hidden Content] When directly compared to what the game used to be, the progress is more than evident. Hell, it even looks like an entirely new game. Alpha testers also report how the gameplay has evolved and improved as well, with Marathon now being in a much better spot both artistically and gameplay-wise than it was before. It's evident Bungie is putting in the effort to mold Marathon into a worthwhile experience, one that'd justify the $40 price tag. Controversies and issues behind the scenes continue to happen, however. Joseph Cross, Marathon's art director, departed from the company just a week prior to this article, while a copyright infringement lawsuit looms over the game. It's definitely an example of development hell, which is likely exacerbated by the otherwise incredible success of ARC Raiders, Marathon's biggest competitor. And that brings me to my point: Can Marathon, even with these flashy new improvements, survive in a market already more than dominated by ARC Raiders? The latter has won several awards already, received critical acclaim across the board, and is the third most-played game by concurrent players on Steam at the time of writing. To call it a juggernaut would be an understatement, as it has apparently given the entire extraction shooter market something to play. ARC Raiders is as close to the perfect extraction shooter as it can be, and only stands to get better throughout its live-service life. Image via Embark Studios No other game in the genre has even gotten close, making the situation even more dire for potential newcomers, including those that had already accrued some bad rep like Marathon. Escape from Tarkov had some 50,000 players upon its Steam launch, merely a fraction of Embark Studios' game, which is no doubt the result of both bad rep and how most of its players use a separate launcher instead of Steam. Marathon would have to be above and beyond just a "good" game on launch. It'd have to overdeliver and surprise everyone who lays hands on it. At least it'd have to be different enough from ARC Raiders to share a genre but not the experience, providing players with something that cannot be found elsewhere. However, from everything we've seen of Marathon's development, I don't think its future looks so bright. Sure, Bungie is going overdrive into developing it and is actively listening to feedback and making major improvements. But at the same price point as ARC Raiders, and the relatively same genre, I feel nothing will save it from certain doom and a live-service ******. It may find a niche audience that prefers it over other stuff on the market, and that may very well allow it to live long enough to be patched into perfection. But I'd believe in that hypothetical much more if ARC Raiders wasn't already here. It doesn't get much better than it, and something tells me Marathon won't be, either. The post Can an ‘upgraded’ Marathon survive in a post-ARC Raiders world? appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article
In a lot of ways, action RPGs like Diablo are an open invitation by the developers for players to find all the things they didn't expect you could do. Ideally, that is limited to powerful skill interactions and builds, but it's often the case that it includes somewhat game-breaking exploits that go against the spirit of the game... Read more.View the full article
The Winter Wall Evolution has been released in FC 26, and you can use it to improve a card of your choice. The latest evolution includes some massive upgrades for your selected card. The upgrades include stat boosts, new roles, and fresh playstyle+. Let's look at the best options based on the requirements and the offered upgrades. Table of contentsFC 26 Winter Wall Evolution requirementsFC 26 Winter Wall Evolution upgradesBest players to use in Winter Wall EvolutionFC 26 Winter Wall Evolution requirements Here are the requirements of Winter Wall Evolution in FC 26. Overall: Max 86Pace: Max 89PlayStyle: Max 10PlayStyle+: Max 1Not Rarity: World Tour Silver StarsPosition: CBFC 26 Winter Wall Evolution upgrades The evolution has five levels of upgrades, each with certain conditions to fulfill. Level 1 upgrades Overall: +10|88Pace: +10|84Strength: +25|88PlayStyles: Aerial Fortress|7 Level 2 upgrades Jumping: +25|88Reactions: +20|86Short Passing: +20|80PlayStyles+: Aerial Fortress|1Roles: Defender++ Level 3 upgrades Aggression: +20|87Slide Tackle: +25|86Stamina: +20|86PlayStyles: Intercept|7Roles: Stopper++ Level 4 upgrades Interceptions: +20|86Composure: +20|86PlayStyles: Bruiser, Block|7 Level 5 upgrades Heading Acc.: +25|89Def. Aware: +20|87Stand Tackle: +25|87PlayStyles: Slide Tackle|7 Level 1 upgrade requirements Play 1 match in Squad Battles on min Semi-Pro difficulty (or Rush/Rivals/Champions/Live Events) using your active EVO player in game. Level 2 upgrade requirements Play 1 match in Squad Battles on min. Semi-Pro difficulty (or Rush/Rivals/Champions/Live Events) using your active EVO Player in game. Level 3 upgrade requirements Play 1 match in Squad Battles on min Semi-Pro difficulty (or Rush/Rivals/Champions/Live Events) using your active EVO player in game. Level 4 upgrade requirements Play 1 match in Squad Battles on min. Semi-Pro difficulty (or Rush/Rivals/Champions/Live Events) using your active EVO Player in game. Level 5 upgrade requirements Play 2 matches in Squad Battles on min. Semi-Pro difficulty (or Rush/Rivals/Champions/Live Events) using your active EVO Player in game.Best players to use in Winter Wall Evolution Here are some of my best recommendations for inclusion in the evolution. Eric Dier Winter WildcardsAlexsandro Joga BonitoBoungiourno Winter WildcardsLedley King Base HeroWendie Renard CornerstonesLenny Yoro Ratings ReloadTapsoba ThunderstruckDi Lorenzo CaptainsMalik Thiaw TOTW The upgrades on offer are significant, so make sure to use the best choices possible in terms of stats, roles, and playstyles. The post Best players for FC 26 Winter Wall Evolution appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article
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Johan Pilestedt previously said Helldivers 2 could essentially grow into Helldivers 3View the full article