You may recall the sad case of Planet Centauri, an indie 2D sandbox game that spent more than a decade in development, amassed well over 130,000 wishlists, and then struggled to gain traction when the 1.0 release happened earlier this year because a bug in Steam prevented the it's out announcement email from being sent to people who'd added it to their wishlists. Ouch... Read more.View the full article
Vedinad, developer of Megabonk, has withdrawn his game from The Game Awards following its nomination for Best Debut Indie Game, saying it doesn't qualify for the category. In a post to Twitter/X from the official Megabonk account, vedinad made the announcement today: "I'm withdrawing from The Game Awards. "It's an honor and a dream for Megabonk to be nominated for TGA, but unfortunately i don't think it qualifies for the category 'Debut Indie Game' "I've made games in the past under different studio names, so Megabonk is not my debut game "i really appreciate the nomination, support and votes, but it doesn't feel right in this category. you should vote for another one of the amazing debut titles, they are all amazing games! "thanks again! new megabonk update coming soon " It's unclear whether or not this means Megabonk will actually be removed from the voting pool or awards by the organization. At the time this piece was written, Megabonk was still listed under Best Debut Indie, along with Blue Prince, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Despelote, and Dispatch. Critically, Best Debut Indie is awarded to the "best debut game created by a new independent studio." So what counts as a new, independent studio? This definition certainly can get a little fuzzy - game dev teams are often Ships of Theseus, with certain groups sticking together, hiring others, and rebranding. For instance, Dispatch was made by AdHoc Studio, and is the team's collective first original game. However, AdHoc was founded by a team of former Ubisoft and Telltale developers who had previously been working together. Cocoon, by Geometric Interactive, won Debut Indie back in 2023 and was arguably in a similar situation with former developers from Playdead. But by that logic, it's also unlikely anyone's "first game" would ever make it to The Game Awards, as most people's first projects are small, student, or experimental. Vedinad's argument at least makes a bit more sense for himself, given that he is effectively a solo developer and has worked on other projects under other names. But even solo developers have help: Miguel Angel, for instance, is credited with the OST, Giovanni Fim made the Steam art, and there are a handful of names listed as playtesters, as well as a "special thanks" to vedinad's mom. Vedinad seems to be as close to a solo dev as anyone really gets. What really is a game studio, anyway? What this ultimately seems to boil down to is that there's at least some level of confusion about what the categories of The Game Awards actually mean. This isn't the first time this has happened. In 2023, Dave the Diver - a game made by a subsidiary of Korean gaming giant Nexon - was up for Best Indie, leading TGA creator Geoff Keighley to respond that indie can "mean different things to different people," and even the director admitted the nomination was confusing. We've also seen some oddities like Sifu being up for Best Fighting Game in 2022 (it's an action beat-em-up), and even some recent eyebrow raisers like Monster Hunter Wilds being nominated this year for best RPG. Define it all however you want, but Megabonk's developer has spoken. Will he be heeded? IGN has reached out to The Game Awards for comment. You can catch up on all the other 2025 nominees right here, and check out our early thoughts on Megabonk here. Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a story tip? Send it to [email protected]. View the full article
Megabonk developer vedinad has announced the withdrawal of the indie hit from consideration for Best Debut Indie Game at The Game Awards 2025. This announcement comes only a day after the reveal of The Game Awards 2025 nominees on November 17, wherein fans could begin voting for their choice of winner for each award category. View the full article
Season 3 is coming soon to NBA 2K26, and it will add plenty of new content for players to grind. 2K earlier confirmed the launch dates as part of the update 3.0 patch notes, and we are less than 10 days away as of writing. This guide will provide you with a countdown for the upcoming season and a brief idea about what to expect. Table of contentsNBA 2K26 Season 3 release countdownNBA 2K26 Season 3 rewardsNBA 2K26 Season 3 release countdown Season 3 will go live globally on Nov. 28 across all platforms. It will directly succeed Season 2 and introduce a new pass. The countdown below marks the exact time of launch of the new season. [hurrytimer id="1143412"] The countdown is based on the following timings. 8am PT10 am CT11 am ET4pm UTC/BT5pm CET Once the new season goes live, you’ll need to install the live update to access the fresh content. NBA 2K26 Season 3 rewards We are yet to get a glimpse at the Season 3 rewards. One thing is for certain: they will be available via the Season Pass. The pass will be available to all for free and include 40 levels of rewards. You can unlock the rewards by obtaining XP from playing matches, finishing Agendas, and more. A premium upgrade option will also be available for those willing to spend $10. The Pro version will have an extra 40 rewards, special cards, and more. As of writing, we have a week left to complete the Season 2 Pass and unlock all the rewards. 2K is expected to give us a glimpse of the rewards on the season pass before it goes live. However, we will have to wait for Season 3 to start to have a complete idea of all Season Pass rewards. Once we have the full list, we will update it on our guide. The post NBA 2K26 Season 3 release countdown: Exact date and time, season pass rewards, and more appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article
The continuing conversation around yesterday's The Game Awards nominations added another chapter today with the revelation that the solo dev behind Megabonk wishes to withdraw the title from award consideration. Megabonk launched to a big amount of concurrent players and glowing reviews in September, and was nominated yesterday for Debut Indie Game at this year's Game Awards, set to take place in a few weeks on Dec. 11. But the dev behind the action roguelike has since taken issue with the nomination. Image via vedinad "I'm withdrawing from The Game Awards," the dev said on the official Megabonk X/Twitter account. "It's an honor and a dream for Megabonk to be nominated for TGA, but unfortunately I don't think it qualifies for the category 'Debut Indie Game.' I've made games in the past under different studio names, so Megabonk is not my debut game." Megabonk's solo dev, known on Steam simply as "vedinad," signed their social media posts as "John Megabonk," furthering the game's status as a full-fledged meme gone hit Steam sensation. But now, we're left to wonder what will happen with the award. "I really appreciate the nomination, support and votes, but it doesn't feel right in this category," they said. "You should vote for another one of the amazing debut titles, they are all amazing games! Thanks again! New Megabonk update coming soon." Another conversation around The Game Awards that will continue is the forever question of what actually constitutes an indie game? Normally, the title is based on funding behind a project, but the definition has been muddied in recent years. For example, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was also nominated in the same category as a debut title from Sandfall Interactive. But the game was backed, published, and partially funded by Kepler Interactive, so the question of whether or not it's an indie at all is now a point of social media contention. As of this article's publishing, The Game Awards has not acknowledged the dev's announcement. The post Megabonk dev wants their hit title withdrawn from Game Awards consideration: ‘I don’t think it qualifies’ appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article
Less than one week after its launch, Call of Duty: ****** Ops 7 has received a new update that aims to address some issues with all three of its core game modes: Co-Op Campaign, Multiplayer, and Zombies. The latest update is available to download right now for Call of Duty: ****** Ops 7players on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. However, fans shouldn't expect any new content in today's patch, as it is merely for bug fixes and general stability improvements. View the full article
Xbox Game Pass members are going to have a remarkable day on November 20, with the addition of a fun new title to the catalog for certain tiers. Microsoft’s subscription service has undergone some changes recently, though it continues to get new games added to its catalog, while others are removed. For example, the cozy survival game Winter Burrow joined Xbox Game Pass as a day-one release earlier this month. View the full article
The nominees for The Game Awards 2025 are now out. Most feel fitting, especially with the fantastic Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 leading the charge with a record number of nominations, but having it in the Best Independent categories betrays the point of the show. People are questioning the validity of seeing genuine small indie titles going up against juggernauts like Silksong, Hades 2, and the aforementioned monster large enough to overshadow even those two. To get to the bottom of this, we should perhaps land on a definition for Indie Game. What is an indie game? The "indie" moniker describes a game by a developer that's either associated with a small publisher or one that does self-publishing. So, by definition, a huge team owned by a billionaire who decides to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on the development of his **** project without the backing of extra forces would still count as an independent production. You can probably see why that would defeat the purpose of an award such as "Best Indie". This award exists to shine a light on games whose exposure would otherwise be much smaller. Hades 2, the sequel to a massive hit, doesn't need that. Hollow Knight: Silksong, a game that had millions of people constantly speculating over many years regarding its mysterious development, doesn't need that. Expedition 33, which instantly became one of the biggest cultural phenomena in the history of the medium, definitely doesn't need that. Image via The Game Awards And one could argue that "Best Indie Game" category is now fair game for ******* titles, as the category for truly small indie titles now is the "Best Debut Indie Game", but, well, you can also witness Expedition 33 severing the feet of every other game there at the same time. Expedition 33 provides something transcendent that most AAA games simply don't, and at a fraction of the cost. It's also made by a smaller team than what you'd expect, but it still contains over thirty people and cost a lot to make. Expedition 33 got that name because it was famously made by a team of 32 people and a dog (hence, 33!), but it's also known that the team outsourced efforts for an unknown number of tasks. Expedition 33 will likely win in most categories, possibly even do a clean sweep, and not because the year lacked any competition. It's that good, but its inevitable GOTY victory more than ensures it didn't need to be crushing much smaller games in the indie and debut indie categories, as well. So, because their exposure is sure to get unfairly diminished this year, don't forget to check out Blue Prince, Megabonk, despelote, Dispatch, Absolum, and Ball X Pit. The post The Game Awards made me think, do small indies even stand a chance anymore? appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article
FC Pro Live promo is all set to make its debut in FC 26 Ultimate Team if the leaks are to be believed, and it could feature some fantastic cards. So far, EA Sports has remained tight-lipped about what’s coming next to Ultimate Team. As of writing, the FOF: Captains promo is live in Ultimate Team. Let’s first look at when the FC Pro Live campaign is rumored to arrive in Ultimate Team. Table of contentsAll FC 26 FC Pro Live players (leaks)FC 26 Pro Live promo release countdownAll FC 26 FC Pro Live players (leaks) Social media leaks have already revealed what could be the full FC Pro Live team. However, there could be slight changes in the full launch. ThiagoCaufriezHegaziChoupo-MotingTezeWijnaldumGilmourDaniel JamesAlejandro GarnachhoDarwin NunezFabio VieiraNuno TavaresEl ShaarawyHonoratJoshua ZirkzeeOlivier GiroudBremerTimo WernerLukas KlostermannGinterFabian RuizSandro TonaliFederico Chiesa More cards are expected to be added via SBCs and objectives once the promo goes live. Unlike pack items, you won't have to rely on luck to get them. Exclusive Gauntlets and Tournaments should also be released to celebrate the promo. FC 26 Pro Live promo release countdown The Pro Live promo will be a direct successor of the FOF: Captains promo, and the cards will be available on Friday, Nov. 21. The following countdown will be a good indicator of when you should open the packs. [hurrytimer id="1143396"] The countdown is based on the following timings: 10am PT12pm CT1pm ET6pm UTC7pm CET Once added, you can open packs and try out your luck. New SBCs and objectives will also be live at the same time, so make sure to check them out. All FC Pro Live cards will be dynamic items that will be eligible for upgrades in the future. The post FC 26 FC Pro Live promo players (leaks) and release countdown appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article
Stardew Valleyhas had its fair share of crossovers over the years, and it doesn't look like collaborations will be stopping any time soon. While the game doesn't feature constant tie-ins, developer ConcernedApe will occasionally agree to partnerships if he thinks fans will appreciate them. In the past, this has resulted in crossovers with games like Infinity Nikki and Terraria, which tend to appeal to similar audiences. View the full article
Ubisoft спрогнозировала падение своей выручки в текущем финансовом году, несмотря на появление Assassin's Creed Shadows. В отчёте британского подразделения компании говорится, что люди стали покупать меньше игр, так как значительную часть их свободного времени теперь съедают бесплатные сервисные суперблокбастеры. Негативное влияние на традиционную модель продаж также оказывают подписочные сервисы по типу Xbox Game Pass, отбивающие у аудитории желание платить за новый контент. View the full article
Вскоре после запуска каждой новой части Call of Duty компания Activision сообщала о рекордах — даже когда продажи по сравнению с прошлой частью падали, издатель находил повод выставить свой проект в максимально положительном свете. Комментарий после выхода Call of Duty: ****** Ops 7 выглядит на этом фоне очень скромно — ни слова о рекордном количестве игроков, огромных продажах и прочих достижениях. View the full article
С сегодняшнего дня в Epic Games Store можно покупать товары в подарок. Пользователи магазина получили возможность отправлять игры и дополнения друзьям, получая вознаграждения Epic с каждой покупки или использовать баланс вознаграждений для оплаты следующего подарка. View the full article
Megabonk is easily one of the most talked about roguelike indie games of 2025, releasing earlier this year and soaring to unexpected heights, selling over a million copies in its first months of release. That's why players were not too surprised to learn that Megabonk was nominated for the The Game Awards 2025 Best Debut Indie Game. View the full article
The Tour chapter has plenty of objectives to complete in Escape from Tarkov, and one of them involves finding a way to contact the soldiers at the Terminal. Update 1.0 has introduced some interesting changes to how the old Tour quest worked. Finding a way to communicate with the soldiers requires you to reach the Port. This guide will provide you with the important details related to the quest. How to find the entrance to the Port Terminal in Escape from Tarkov You'll first have to complete the objectives on Woods. Then, speak with Skier, and he will ask you to locate the entrance to the Port Terminal. You can access the location through Shoreline. The Port Terminal is by the main road that connects to the Customs exfil point. Image via Escape from Tarkov Wiki. Remix by Destructoid From the Road to Customs point, continue straight down the main path. You'll reach a military roadblock with a yellow bus. There's a watchtower at the location, and the communication device is at its base. Go to the tower and interact with the device to finish communicating with the soldiers at the Terminal. You can also complete another objective: Use the intercom to contact Port Garrison. Screenshot by Destructoid This will complete the objective that requires you to find a way to communicate with the soldiers. It's a pretty straightforward quest. If you're playing in the dark, try to locate the bus, which is pretty easy to spot. Before you can reach Shoreline, you'll need to master earlier maps like Interchange, which has undergone plenty of changes. The Smuggler's Tunnel extraction point has been added to the expanded region as an additional escape point. Other exfil points, like the Power Station, have slightly changed from the old locations and what they used to be before update 1.0. The post How to contact the soldiers at the Terminal in Escape from Tarkov – Tour walkthrough appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article
Call of Duty: ****** Ops 7 has been under fire for its use of AI artwork, and it's now caused US representative Ro Khanna to speak up on AI regulations. The launch of ****** Ops 7 has been quite divisive across the board, and the presence of AI-generated images in the game has frustrated many players even more. View the full article
The first few leaks about Columbina’s kit in Genshin Impact 6.3 have been shared, revealing details about her abilities and how she could, potentially, replace Furina in team comps. Currently, the action RPG by HoYoverse is in Version 6.1, and is getting ready to see the contents for the next update. In fact, the Genshin Impact 6.2 livestream is expected to occur this Friday, November 21, before the patch’s arrival in early December. View the full article
We are bearing down on the final weeks of 2025, and somehow—somehow!—Baldur's Gate 3, a game that released more than two years ago (more than five years ago, if you count the lengthy early access stretch) is still ******** the table at The Game Awards. It's reached the point where even developer Larian Studios seems a little baffled by the whole thing... Read more.View the full article
Beloved online sandbox platform Roblox has been hit with repeated controversies in 2025 regarding the safety of children in its online spaces, and the company has announced a new facial recognition program that aims to prevent minors from interacting with adults on the platform. Roblox features hit games like Dress to Impress, Steal a Brainrot, and Grow a Garden, along with hundreds of fan-made game modes, but the platform's popularity among younger players has been brought under scrutiny due to allegations of failure to protect users from potential grooming and abuse. View the full article
If you’ve ever tried to hook an old Nintendo 64 up to a modern HDTV, you know the results can be less than ideal. Assuming your original hardware still works and your flatscreen even has the requisite R/F and/or composite inputs to allow for the connection, the N64’s output will probably look like a blurry mess on a flatscreen that wasn’t designed with those old video signals as a priority. The Analogue 3D solves this very specific problem very well, with a powerful FPGA core that accurately replicates a Nintendo 64 and well-made display filters that do a good job of approximating that cathode-ray tube glow you remember from decades ago. But the lack of easy expandability limits the appeal of this $250 device to all but the most die-hard fans of original N64 hardware. A beauty to behold As a piece of physical design, the Analogue 3D is a work of art. The gentle curves of its sleek ****** shell evoke the original N64 design without copying it, coming in at a slightly smaller footprint and height. Plus, there’s no ugly power brick. Read full article Comments View the full article
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You may recall the sad case of Planet Centauri, an indie 2D sandbox game that spent more than a decade in development, amassed well over 130,000 wishlists, and then struggled to gain traction when the 1.0 release happened earlier this year because a bug in Steam prevented the it's out announcement email from being sent to people who'd added it to their wishlists. Ouch... Read more.View the full article