Steam

The Destiny 2 player count on Steam dropped to an all-time low in the last 30 days, which raises some questions about the game's direction going into 2025. The steep decline in Destiny 2 players can be traced back to days after the launch of The Final Shape in June, as the decade-long Light and Darkness saga finally came to a close. View the full article

The recent release of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle has demonstrated the close ties between the mediums of video games and cinema. Whether it is explicit movie tie-in games or film adaptations of popular gaming franchises, the two formats often take inspiration from one another. The Great Circle demonstrates a different trend, however; video games that create their own story within the pre-existing context of a film's world. These games pay tribute to their muses, honoring the rich lore and stories crafted by their cinematic counterparts. View the full article

Duelist characters specialize in dealing high damage in Marvel Rivals, but few come close to the injury Hawkeye can inflict with his sharpshooting abilities. Armed with his trusty bow, Hawkeye is the pinnacle of accuracy, using his aim to pinpoint targets and eliminate them quickly. However, Hawkeye comes equipped with more tricks than you would expect, giving him more tools to take out foes. View the full article For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Ark: Survival Ascended was initially released for Windows on October 25, 2023. With a little over a year under its belt, the game has amassed a dedicated player base and sparked a mix of excitement and criticism among fans. As an Unreal Engine 5 remaster of its direct predecessor, Ark: Survival Evolved, Ark: Survival Ascended has refined graphics and improved mechanics. View the full article

Getting started in Civilization 6 during the Ancient Era can be a frustrating experience at times depending on the map design, density of barbarian clans, or overzealous and hostile opponent leaders. These challenges can be exacerbated even more so when playing with enhanced environmental effects enable, such as in zombie defense or apocalypse mode. Building a strategy for surviving the early game Ancient Era starts with choosing the right civilization and leader. View the full article

Time groweth short if you're not planning on not being a Grinch this holiday season. Bargain-priced presents (which I suspect are early Boxing Day deals leaked early) can still be yours, particularly if you have the Super Fast Delivery perk unlocked via an Amazon Prime membership. I'll still be on board over these holiday periods because I'm right there with your mentality—I cannot resist discounts and kick myself if I've missed them. In retro news, I'm celebrating the Aussie birthday of a rare and expensive bird, the SNK Neo Geo CD. Released in limited numbers in Oz around the $600 ballpark ($1,299 in '24 bux), this bad boy delivered near-perfect arcade-quality games, though it was a "budget" alternative to the hilari-expensive, cartridge-based Neo Geo AES. Being CD-based marred this unit with lonnng load times, though the gruelling wait for Metal Slug, Samurai Shodown, and Fatal Fury was always worth it. Here's a shot of the beast I sold a kidney and a lung for. Laser: still going strong. This Day in Gaming Aussie birthdays for notable games. - Neo Geo CD launch, 1994. eBay - Kirby & the Amazing Mirror (GBA) 2004. eBay - WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007 (PSP) 2006. eBay - Harvest Moon DS: Sunshine Islands (DS) 2010. eBay Table of ContentsNintendo SwitchPCXboxPlayStationLEGOLEGO Advent Face OffNice Savings for Nintendo Switch NBA 2K25 (-70%) - A$30Nintendo World Champs (-32%) - A$34Metal Gear Col. (-61%) - A$35.52Metroid Dread (-29%) - A$56.95 Expiring Recent Deals Streets of Rage 4 (-60%) - A$15Golf Story (-82%) - A$3.99Super Mario RPG (-20%) - A$64Crisis Core: FF7 Reunion (-25%) - A$63.62Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night (-75%) - A$17.48 Or gift a Nintendo eShop Card. Switch Console Prices How much to Switch it up? [/url] Back to top Purchase Cheap for PC Age of Empires II: Def. (-65%) - A$13.98Elden Ring: SotET (-12%) - A$57.19Helldivers 2 (-25%) - A$44.96God of War: Ragnarok (-25%) - A$71.21Metaphor: ReFantazio (-35%) - A$74.71Resi 4 (-49%) - A$37Spidey Miles Morales (-56%) - A$33.35Spidey Remastered (-56%) - A$42.25 Expiring Recent Deals Oddworld Complete Col. [6 games] (-99%) - A$1.69Mass Effect: Andromeda Del. (-90%) - A$4.99Hitman: WoA (-90%) - A$4.39Spelunky 2 (-60%) - A$11.58 Or just get a Steam Wallet Card PC Hardware Prices Slay your pile of shame. [/url] Back to top Exciting Bargains for Xbox FC 25 (-65%) - A$39Starfield (-73%) - A$32Fancy X/S cont. (-17%) - A$79Star Wars Outlaws (-46%) - A$59F1 24 (-46%) - A$59NBA 2K25 (-63%) - A$44Marvel’s GotG Cosmic (-50%) - A$54 Expiring Recent Deals Tomb Raider Survivor Trilogy (-70%) - A$20.98Star Wars Outlaws Gold (-55%) - A$77FFXII: Zodiac Age (-66%) - A$26.86CoD: BLOPS 6 (-31%) - A$75.95Metaphor: ReFantazio (-42%) - A$67.03 Or just invest in an Xbox Card. Xbox Console Prices How many bucks for a 'Box? [/url] Back to top Pure Scores for PlayStation DualSense Purple (-30%) - A$84Rise of the Ronin (-45%) - A$69FC 25 (-65%) - A$39The Last of Us Part 1 (-57%) - A$54Gran Turismo 7 (-56%) - A$55Red Dead Redemption II (-75%) - A$19FF VII: Rebirth (-50%) - A$57 Expiring Recent Deals Star Wars Outlaws (-46%) - A$59Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero (-14%) - A$99CoD: BLOPS 6 (-42%) - A$64Metaphor: ReFantazio (-40%) - A$68.55 Or purchase a PS Store Card. What you'll pay to 'Station. [/url] Back to top Legit LEGO Deals Jedi Bob's Starfighter (-35%) - A$39Batmobile Animated series (-34%) - A$59Technic Porsche GT4 (-32%) - A$169Dune Ornithopter (-32%) - A$169 Expiring Recent Deals Sonic: Knuckles Shrine (-40%) - A$35.99Creator: Exotic Parrot (-40%) - A$23.99City: Excavator, Digger (-35%) - A$52 This holiday season, I'm doing something different with the LEGO section. In Mathew Manor, my sons and I are racing LEGO Advent Calendars—we open our respective ones daily and compare the mini-prizes for "Coolness" and "Actual Xmas-ness". Winner gets extra eggnog. If you're also feeling festive, here are the cheapest prices for the three calendars we're using. Or just live vicariously through us. LEGO Star Wars Advent 2024 - A$59.95 $45LEGO Spider-Man Advent 2024 - A$59.95 $45LEGO City Advent 2024 - A$59.95 $45 Back to top Adam Mathew is our Aussie deals wrangler. He plays practically everything, often on YouTube. View the full article For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Ubisoft has commemorated the 15th anniversary of Assassin's Creed 2 with a developer commentary video on the making of the game, as well as unveiling a brand-new franchise logo. Jean Guesdon, who worked as a game designer on AC2, discusses the development of the game and the overall creative process for crafting the Italian Renaissance setting fans have come to know and love. View the full article

The Frigid Cavern is one of the many places to fish in the new Fisch’s Northern Expedition update, but it could be hard to find as it’s hidden inside a cave with a familiar NPC. Here’s everything that you need to know about all the fish in Frigid Cavern bestiary in Roblox’s Fisch. View the full article

Statements from ***** have revealed that Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is being developed by an "elite" team of racing game developers. The developer of Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is currently unknown, as the game was recently revealed at The Game Awards 2024 earlier this December. Discerning fans believe the upcoming racing game is being developed in Japan by members of ***** AM2 who have experience in the genre. View the full article

One passionate Fortnite fan has built a clay replica of the multiplayer game's map of Oninoshima from Chapter 6 Season 1. Having recently kicked off on December 1, Chapter 6 Season 1 is the latest ongoing season in Fortnite set to continue through February 21, 2025. View the full article

It has now been 0 days since somebody leaked military intelligence via the War Thunder forums, that hub of military-minded people posting about their most favorite free-to-play military hardware simulator. It's yet another leak for a game now synonymous with leaks of classified and restricted material from the modern military community... Read more.View the full article

EA has designed a lot of buildings and lots over the course of The Sims 4’s release. At first, these were mostly residential buildings and other living staples like gyms, museums, and bars. But with the release of many packs, lot types have also greatly expanded. This has included new and stunning designs for nightclubs, restaurants, retail stores, cemeteries, wedding venues, apartments, and more. Some lots are public, while others can be rented or fully owned with enough money. View the full article

The Overgrowth Caves pond in Fisch is one of the many new areas introduced in the Northern Expedition update, filled to the brim with fish to fill your Beastiary pages. The Northern Expedition update has introduced many winter-themed fish in Roblox’s Fisch, but if you want to fill your bestiary, you’ll have to find these hidden water bodies. Despite the ice, there are quite a few starting regions, like the Overgrowth Caves, which lets players catch expensive fish and make money to progress through the game. View the full article

Infinity Nikki has marketed itself as a cozy game, but despite this categorization, its refreshing approach to its dungeons makes it an excellent RPG as well. Most cozy games tend to leave their combat and mechanical challenges to the wayside in order to focus on whatever the game's main mechanic is. There's nothing wrong with this philosophy, but Infinity Nikki's dungeons go above and beyond what is generally expected of a cozy game. View the full article

Marvel Rivals is reportedly infested with cheaters, and even some high-profile streamers have been targeted recently. Released on December 6, Marvel Rivals quickly became one of the most popular live service games released in 2024, but the problem of constant cheaters is starting to tire some gamers. View the full article

Treyarch has revealed that Double XP is returning to Call of Duty: ****** Ops 6 and Warzone on December 24. This will give players the opportunity to grind out the levels in Call of Duty: ****** Ops 6 over the holiday season with a much faster XP rate than usual. View the full article

Indie developer Fiveamp has announced NIMRODS: GunCraft Survivor already topped 50,000 players, not long after its launch. The roguelite survival shooter topped NIMRODS: GunCraft Survivor shortly after its fall release on PC (via Steam). To celebrate, the game is currently 15% off. Here’s some more new milestones: Over 2.2 million guns crafted An impressive 1.6 billion seconds […] Source View the full article

Out of the three character archetypes in Marvel Rivals, the Strategist role is significant, featuring heroes and villains who support teams and keep them alive. However, some Strategist characters are stronger than others due to their powerful abilities. While every Strategist can help your team a lot, some stand above others with skills that can instantly change the course of a match. View the full article

Zenless Zone Zero just got even more beautiful thanks to the addition of ray tracing, but it's only available on the PlayStation version for now. Ray tracing is a lighting technique in games that mimics realistic lighting effects by simulating how real light interacts with 3D objects in the environment. With ray tracing added to ZZZ, the game's environments and characters now look more alive and immersive. View the full article

Thanks to the release of a brand-new fanmade mod, Marvel Vs. Capcom: Infinite has gotten a big player boost on Steam. Marvel Vs. Capcom: Infinite is a crossover fighting game that once again pits Marvel Comics' superheroes against some of Capcom's legendary figures. While the return of the iconic crossover franchise was greatly anticipated, Marvel Vs. Capcom: Infinite was fraught with a very troubled development. View the full article

Recent leaks from Zenless Zone Zero are hinting at the lineup of characters set to appear on the limited gacha banners during Version 1.5, including the RPG's first reruns. The beloved urban action game from HoYoverse has featured a variety of powerful characters for players to choose from, often shaking up the game's meta with its new releases. Version 1.4 saw the release of ******* rock the game's meta, quickly emerging as one of the strongest DPS characters, while past releases like Qingyi and Caesar have become staples. Now, Version 1.5's featured characters are being teased. View the full article

First reported by GamesRadar, the new book by Witcher author Andrzej Sapkowski has finally revealed the birth year of series protagonist Geralt of Rivia. With Geralt now established as having been born in 1211, we can use some back of the napkin math to figure out how old he is at various points in the series. The figure comes from Rozdroże kruków (roughly "Raven's Crossing") which was released in November. It's an interquel focused on Geralt that has not yet been translated to English... Read more.View the full article

Baldur’s Gate 3 changed how people view modern Dungeons & Dragons video games, raising the bar for storytelling, character development, and tactical combat. Because of its success, many players are looking for similar games. While other developers are likely trying to create games that can rival Baldur's Gate 3, a new title may have gone unnoticed: Solasta 2. This isn’t a big-budget release, but a sequel to a generally successful title announced at The Game Awards 2024. View the full article

Publisher Digerati and indie developer Victor Pouderoux have announced a release window for Lilac 0, their retro vertical shoot ’em up game. Lilac 0 is set to release sometime in early 2025 for Windows PC (via Steam), though a firm date wasn’t confirmed. Here’s a rundown on the game, plus a new trailer: The machine […] Source View the full article

Roblox weightlifting experience Gym Star Simulator is bulking up for the holidays with its Christmas Update, which includes a new battle pass, a secret event set to kick off on Christmas day, and more. The update from developer Gym Simulator Club is out now with a handful of substantial changes to help celebrate the season. Patch notes for the update tease ******* additions, such as the previously mentioned battle pass and Christmas Event, with more in store for those who log in sometime through the next few weeks. Also included is an entirely new winter location to visit, with players then able to test their strength against NPC bullies and Buff Snowmen. “It’s time to get into the Christmas spirit with our upcoming Holiday Event,” an official description says. “Beat bosses in snowball fights, complete tasks to earn Snowflakes, and spend them on exclusive rewards. Don’t miss out on the fun!” The items that will keep the cheer going after the Gym Star Simulator Christmas Event concludes can be found in the Christmas battle pass. Through January 6, lifters can earn Snowflakes to unlock special trainers and pets to stand besides them on their journey to becoming the most swole Roblox player. Highlights include trainers like the Mighty Climber and Icy Knight, with pets including the Gingerbread Bear, Ice Spirit Wolf, Holiday Reindeer, and more. There's also Buff Santa, this season's event mascot. You'll find Buff Santa waiting for your arrival in the new winter location, which can be accessed from the starting area. Alongside the limited-time Christmas features come bug fixes, too. As for that mysterious Christmas Event, we’ll have to wait until December 25 to find out just what the Gym Simulator Club team has in store. In the meantime, you can see our list of every active Gym Star Simulator code here. You can see the full patch notes below. Gym Star Simulator Christmas Update Patch Notes It's Christmas time, and what better way to celebrate than with our brand new Christmas update! Here's what to expect: - NEW Christmas Pass - NEW Christmas Event - New Christmas Themed Pets, Trainers, and Belts - New EXCLUSIVE Buff Santa Trainer - New EXCLUSIVE Buffy the Elf Trainer - SECRET Christmas Event Starting The 25th - Bug Fixes! Note: If you don’t see the update in-game yet please give it a few minutes or try swapping to a new server. Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx. Be sure to give him a follow on Twitter @MikeCripe. View the full article