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Video game fans are baffled after NetEase Games game director Thaddeus Sasser revealed that one of the Marvel Rivals development teams has been laid off by the studio. Marvel Rivals has been critically and commercially praised, with many ranking it as one of the best third-person shooters in recent years. However, it would seem the game's notable success has not been enough to save the team responsible for its success from the chopping block. View the full article

I'm ashamed to say that I've become pretty numb to the world of videogame layoffs now - it doesn't mean that I don't care and feel deep sympathy for every dev that loses their job, it just fails to surprise me anymore. However, when I saw that NetEase has laid off developers working on Marvel Rivals - the scorching hot hero shooter that is one of the most popular live service titles around right now despite being less than three months old - my jaw hit the floor. While NetEase is yet to confirm this news, LinkedIn posts from two developers - including Marvel Rivals' game director - suggest that those at its Seattle studio are being let go. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Marvel Rivals is overhauling currency to make earning skins much, much easier The 28 best Marvel Rivals skins Marvel Rivals PvE isn't happening right now, but don't count it out just yet View the full article

Civilization 7’s different civilizations have their own unique qualities,including special buildings and tile improvements. This unique infrastructure is often tied to a given civilization’s overall strategies by providing bonuses to one of the in-game resources related to it. Although many aspects of the Antiquity Age won’t carry over as time advances, some unique buildings are Ageless and provide bonuses for the rest of the game. View the full article

Avowed has plenty of recipes to keep you buffed for battle. You can utilize every edible resource that you collect across the maps, so you’ll want to know the relative stats for each ingredient. Thankfully, cooking is straightforward in the game, you’ll just need to know what you’re after. All food recipes in Avowed Head to the camp fire to cool some food. Screenshot by Dot Esports The party camp is where you’ll find the cooking station in Avowed. You can find any party camp, where you can also craft and upgrade gear, by resting at one of the locations marked with a tent on the map, and you can easily identify them on foot by the large Adra crystal you’ll interact with in the area. You’ll want to approach the campfire to cook. It took me a while to figure out that Kai wasn’t just idly relaxing by the fire, but that the campfire was in fact the only location to cook any recipe. Furthermore, you don’t need to find or purchase recipes; they’re automatically included in the cooking station. View the full article

Earth vs Mars is a new RTS in development at Relic, but unlike the studio's big Company of Heroes and Dawn of War games, this one is a "smaller indie-style" game being made under its Relic Labs label, which aims to "explore new sub-genres, experiment, get our creative juices going, and release games more frequently.".. Read more.View the full article

If you know just one thing about FromSoft's recent history of so-called "Soulslike" games, you probably know that they have a well-earned reputation for absolutely brutal difficulty. But these titles apparently just weren't difficult enough for streamer dinossindgeil (aka Nico) who spent the weekend beating seven of FromSoft's most punishing titles without taking a single hit or leveling up even once. Nico's conquest of what he calls "The God Run 3" dates back to 2022, when he took down all three Dark Souls games as well as ******'s Souls, Bloodborne, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and Elden Ring live on his Twitch stream without sustaining any damage from enemies. Back then, though, Nico relied at least a little bit on grinding leveled-up characters and high-end gear to make the game's most difficult bosses a bit more manageable. Even with that advantage, though, a successful God Run 3 completion took Nico 120 days of real-time effort due to frequent restarts whenever he took a single hit. This time around, Nico cranked up the difficulty even further by deciding not to level his characters even once (though he was able to increase his stats and abilities in some games with level 1-accessible items and weapons). After his first level 1 God Run attempt two months ago, Nico's efforts culminated in a roughly 11-hour multi-day marathon run over the weekend, which saw Nico break down in tears at the end of the ordeal. Read full article Comments View the full article For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

NetEase Games has given players their first look at gameplay footage of The Thing in Marvel Rivals. In addition to the rocky hero, Human Torch will be making his first appearance when both characters release as part of Marvel Rivals' large mid-season update on February 21. Their debut will round out the members of The Fantastic Four as the heroes lead the charge against Dracula and his vampire army. View the full article

I'm ashamed to say that I've become pretty numb to the world of videogame layoffs now - it doesn't mean that I don't care and feel deep sympathy for every dev that loses their job, it just fails to surprise me anymore. However, when I saw that NetEase has laid off developers working on Marvel Rivals - the scorching hot hero shooter that is one of the most popular live service titles around right now despite being less than three months old - my jaw hit the floor. While NetEase is yet to confirm this news, LinkedIn posts from two developers - including Marvel Rivals' game director - suggest that those at its Seattle studio are being let go. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Marvel Rivals is overhauling currency to make earning skins much, much easier The 28 best Marvel Rivals skins Marvel Rivals PvE isn't happening right now, but don't count it out just yet View the full article

Not every decision has to end with bloodshed and death in Avowed. You might be able to come to a reasonable conclusion if you can find some common ground during a quest. This can happen during Precious Light quest when you’re speaking with Captain Bardatto. Bardatto is working for the Vailian Trading Company, and wants to return the shipment of luminous Adra to her employers. It was stolen by a group of smugglers led by Captain Trevik. When you speak with him to acquire the Luminous Adra, he informs you of his situation and asks you to deal with Captain Bardatto, giving you the Luminous Adra. You have a choice here to get on Bardatto’s good side or take her out. Should you kill or give the Luminous Adra to Captain Bardatto in Avowed? Here’s what you need to know. View the full article For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

It wasn't just Counter-Strike: Source and Day of Defeat: Source that received big updates today, as Valve also published a new update for Team Fortress 2 along with updating the Source SDK to include TF2! Read the full article here: [Hidden Content] View the full article

Upcoming “medievalpunk” hack-and-slash Reignbreaker brings defiance to the roguelike genre, and we got to take an early look at it. In Reignbreaker, players are put in the shoes of Clef, an ex-soldier who now seeks to take down the queen’s private regiment. Things aren’t so easy, though, as her sister is still a loyal part […] Source View the full article

A new card game inspired by Tiny Tina's Wonderlands is scheduled to be released in Spring 2025. A popular spin-off of the Borderlands franchise, Tiny Tina's Wonderlands is seen by many players as the perfect inspiration for a tabletop game, as the title takes place in a Dungeons and Dragons-inspired world. View the full article

A nice surprise for some classic Valve games today with multiple titles like Counter-Strike: Source and Day of Defeat: Source getting major updates. Read the full article here: [Hidden Content] View the full article

Marvel Rivals is a big hit—the first real challenger to the long-time hero shooter big dog Overwatch. Yet amidst that success, with more than 200,000 people playing on Steam alone right now, game director Thaddeus Sasser says he and the rest of the Marvel Rivals development team in the US have been laid off... Read more.View the full article

What are the best weapons in Avowed? If you're constantly changing out your weapons or finding new gear and you're not sure which direction to take your build in, we've put together a list of the best early-game weapons to get you started. The best Avowed builds largely depend on which weapon you've invested in. With four upgrade tiers available for each normal weapon and further upgrades within that, it can be a little overwhelming to know where to put those hard-earned upgrade materials. We recommend seeking out unique weapons, which boast powerful stats and enchantments that can be upgraded five times to legendary tier. As upgrade materials are also quite scarce at the beginning of the game, and combat becomes increasingly unforgiving, we've put together a list of Avowed weapons to give you the best start. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Best Avowed settings for max fps Avowed guides How long is Avowed? View the full article

A cross between early GTA and the 1950s Americana satire in Fallout, Deliver At All Costs is a chaotic romp through a seaside resort town. The year is 1959 and you are Winston Green, a downtrodden courier with a shady past and a bad case of road rage. Tasked with delivering absurd items like a ticking bomb or a giant marlin almost as big as his truck, Winston finds himself in an ever-spiraling descent through the criminal underworld of St Monique. If you've ever wanted to wreak havoc in a town straight out of American Graffiti or Grease, you can check out the Deliver At All Costs demo right now. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Deliver At All Costs is a grin-inducing driving game with GTA DNA View the full article

The third week of Episode: Heresy continues to build more intrigue in Destiny 2, adding a trio of Quests centered around the Hive on the Moon. All Guardians must do is eliminate three Wizards, but the foes can be trickier to encounter than you might initially imagine. Episode: Heresy acts as the finale to The Final Shape expansion for Destiny 2, and it hasn't pulled punches in regards to content. Three weeks in, and players already have a new Dungeon, the Derealize Exotic mission, and a new player-favorite activity, The Nether. Week three continues the story in Heresy, but a hurdle presents itself as three MacGuffins from Wizards scattered around the Moon. These foes aren't immediately apparent, and it'll require a bit of work from players before they make themselves known. Mission Dossier: Hive Hacking Screenshot by Destructoid When Guardians reach Step 17 of the "Act I: Echoed Warnings" Quest, they'll be prompted to complete three objectives before additional progress can be made. The Quests are available from a second page on the Shaping Slab in Eris' Flat in The Last City, and each takes players to the Moon. The three variations are Lightsinger's Limb, Blade Navigator's Head, and Cultist's Limb. Blade Navigator's Head Screenshot by Destructoid The easiest to accomplish is the Blade Navigator's Head Quest, as Guardians can find the objective marker only a short distance away from the landing zone in Sorrow's Harbor. Players will notice a Hive ritual circle by the stairs leading up into The Scarlet Keep. Initially, the circle may not yield any foes. However, some should appear after Guardians partake in a bit of the Altars of Sorrow public event. It's unclear if Altars of Sorrow progress is required to make the target appear, but the Wizard spawned shortly after I completed a round myself. When Sarûk ur-Omni appears, it won't take much effort to beat the foe. Afterward, players will automatically collect the Head of Sarûk ur-Omni. Cultist's Limb Screenshot by Destructoid Next up, players can start to move towards the Catacombs in search of the Wizard Iyx ur-Anûkru. If Guardians are having trouble locating the Catacombs, they can make their way through the relatively linear path to the Circle of Bones in the Hellmouth. From there, the Catacombs can be accessed from the final passage on the right side. Descending down the dark stairway, players will actually see Iyx ur-Anûkru, but a shield initially protects the Wizard. To make the foe damageable, Guardians must locate and shoot three Hive runes scattered around the area. One is on the right side of the room, immediately visible after walking down a set of stairs. Another is on the left side of the room, a bit further towards the back. The last Rune is stuck on the middle door at the rear of the chamber. Once all three Runes are activated, the shield protecting Iyx ur-Anûkru will dissipate. Players can make short work of the Wizard, and they'll automatically collect the Hand of Iyx ur-Anûkru. Lightsinger's Limb Screenshot by Destructoid Heading back into the Hive's turf, Guardians can make their way towards the Summoning Pits to search for the next Wizard, Yor ur-Halaku. After arriving at the door leading into the Summoning Pits proper, players will be prompted to unlock the chamber. Inside, a brawl is breaking out between an Overload Champion Vex Minotaur and a sizable Hive force. After working through the Hive foot troops and air-bound Shriekers, Guardians can take care of the Minotaur and any lingering enemies. Once enough Hive go down, Yor ur-Halaku will appear at the ritual circle. Much like the other Wizards, this one shouldn't prove much of an issue. The Hand of Yor ur-Halaku is collected automatically when the enemy is defeated. With all three Wizard parts, Guardians can head back to the Shaping Slab for rewards and Quest progress. Each Hive Hacking Quest rewards two Essence of Desire and a reprised weapon. In addition to the tangible rewards, players will also progress the Act I Quest, opening up the Kludge mission. The post Where to find Wizards for Destiny 2’s Hive Hacking missions appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article

Marvel Rivals game director Thaddeus Sasser and his team were laid off by NetEase Games on Feb. 18, he announced on LinkedIn. This move comes despite the game's successful launch in December 2024 and an estimated $130 million in first-month revenue, according to ******** outlet Game Look. "My stellar, talented team just helped deliver an incredibly successful new franchise in Marvel Rivals for NetEase Games," Sasser wrote. "And were just laid off!" It remains unclear how many employees were affected, the size of Sasser’s team, or how many developers are still working on Marvel Rivals. Destructoid has reached out to Sasser and NetEase Games for comment. Screenshot by Destructoid The Marvel Rivals layoffs come just two months after NetEase Games relocated staff from its mobile title Operation Apocalypse to other departments. Additionally, Liquid Swords Studio, which is backed by NetEase, recently announced it is also reducing its workforce. There are no indications that Marvel Rivals staff members outside the U.S. were affected by the layoffs. However, at least two level designers and the game director were let go, confirming that those impacted were directly involved in the game's development. Marvel Rivals' success was already putting pressure on Overwatch The timing of the layoffs contradicts the game’s strong momentum. Marvel Rivals has maintained 200,000+ concurrent players on PC, according to Steam Charts, and was already being acknowledged by Blizzard as a serious competitor to Overwatch, which had previously dominated the hero shooter genre. "We're obviously in a new competitive landscape that I think, for Overwatch, we've never really been in before," Overwatch 2 director Aaron Keller told GamesRadar. "There is pressure on the Overwatch team, and a lot of it is internal," he admitted, referring to how Marvel Rivals is making his team ask if they're making the "best possible game" they can make. The post Marvel Rivals’ game director and team laid off despite strong launch appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article

Despite being a core mechanic of the Exploration Age, treasure fleets and treasure resources aren't particularly well explained within Civilization 7. To complete the age's economic legacy path, you need to acquire 30 treasure fleet points, which is far easier than it sounds once the mechanic is properly explained. View the full article

A little over two months after its hugely successful launch, the US-based developers behind Marvel Rivals, including its game director, have reportedly been hit with layoffs. Posting on his LinkedIn profile on Tuesday, NetEase’s California-based game director Thaddeus Sasser claimed that an unspecified number of Marvel Rivals developers had been let go, including himself. “This is such a weird industry,” he wrote. “My stellar, talented team just helped deliver an incredibly successful new franchise in Marvel Rivals for NetEase Games …and were just laid off!” Read More... View the full article

The Tomb has been raided time and time again, but not everyone has been able to finish the Easter egg quest. Season Two Reloaded of ****** Ops 6 adds Directed Mode to The Tomb to help those players along, alongside several other additions like multiple weapons, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and a lot more. View the full article

With League of Legends’ ever-expanding roster, champions often break into the esports meta through major reworks or buffs. But one jungler defied the norm—after nearly a decade of near-total obscurity, she’s suddenly a dominant force in pro play. In a Reddit thread, League players are talking about Vi’s initial entry into the esports scene, and many are pleasantly surprised to find out that the champion—despite releasing in 2012—could never find her place in the meta and always remained a niche pick for players until 10 years after her release. View the full article

Avowed includes a quest that is a clear reference to one of Obsidian’s other action RPGs, Fallout: New Vegas. New Vegas is easily one of Obsidian’s most beloved titles, so it’s not too surprising to see the game referenced in Avowed. However, while the Easter egg itself isn’t too subtle, Avowed’s designers did a good job including the reference to the world of Eora without making it feel out of place. Players not familiar with Fallout: New Vegas therefore won’t feel like the quest is strange or out of place. View the full article

Call of Duty: ****** Ops 6's Season 2 refresh is almost here and Treyarch has laid out everything fans can expect when it goes live on Thursday. Season 2 of Call of Duty: ****** Ops 6began back in January and added a wealth of new 6v6 multiplayer maps and weapons, a new Zombies map, and more. Season 2 Reloaded is looking to add even more new content to the game to help hold fans over until Season 3. View the full article

Ready to reload? Call of Duty is back with another Reloaded update and we know plenty of content coming in the patch notes already. Season Two Reloaded in ****** Ops 6 and Warzone includes the Ninja Turtles and all of their weapons, plus a whole lot more along the way as season two winds down and heads into season three, which is likely to begin near the end of March. View the full article