Treyarch has issued a statement to reassure fans about Call of Duty: ****** Ops 7 and skill-based matchmaking. Skill-based matchmaking, or SBMM, has been a highly controversial topic in the Call of Duty community for years. While data supposedly shows that SBMM ensures people stick with the games longer, some have criticized it for making it feel like every match is a hyper-competitive ranked match. Prior to the launch of Call of Duty: ****** Ops 7, it was announced that the new game would be ditching SBMM, a move seen as an attempt to win back goodwill from the fanbase. View the full article
The tutorial of Escape from Tarkov isn't as easy as you might think since there's barely any guidance as to what you need to do. The tutorial is your first experience of what survival in the battlegrounds will feel like. The opening area will teach you all that you need to know about looting and combat. This guide will list all the steps you need to finish in order to complete the tutorial. Escape from Tarkov Tutorial walkthrough The tutorial begins at the Ground Zero map in Escape from Tarkov. Everyone begins in the Terragroup building in the lobby area. Screenshot by Destructoid Go to the desk at the centre and loot all the healing items.Loot the tab on top of the notebook, and press M to listen to it. Once the tape is complete, you'll find the next objective. Hallway to the right of the barricaded entrance. Screenshot by Destructoid The next job is to reach the barricaded entrance. While looking at it, turn right, and go straight to the hallway that leads to the parking lot. There's a dead body with a Salewa and an MPX. Pick everything up, and don't forget the three magazines. You now have a proper weapon in your inventory. Dead body with the MPX. Screenshot by Destructoid Go to the end of the hallway, and turn left. You'll encounter your first fight over there, having to defeat three Scavs. You can loot all three bodies for extra resources. There are more dead bodies to loot at this location, so feel free to pick everything you need. Escaping the parking lot. Screenshot by Destructoid Go to the opposite side of the parking garage and vault over the sandbags. Eliminate all the Scavs that you come across at this location. Cross the street from there, and go to the second building on your right. Go straight through the hallway, and kill all the enemies that you can find. Open the closed door on the left, and go to the staircase. Keep following the path to reach the back entrance of the building. Eliminate all Scavs that you can find here. Loot the surrounding areas before turning left once you're outside. Building leading to the exfil. Screenshot by Destructoid Go to the green flare next to a gated fence. Go to the corner, and you'll find the Klimov Street extraction point, and The post How to complete the tutorial in Escape from Tarkov appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article
One of the biggest limitations of Where Winds Meet concerns the way character creation works. At first, it appeared that there was no way to create a second character without using a different Steam account or opening a new one. However, there's an indirect way of getting a new character without having to endure the pain of deleting your old one and waiting for 14 days. How to get a second character in Where Winds Meet It's completely possible to create a new character in Where Winds Meet if you're playing on PC. The method is slightly complicated since there's no easy way. Make sure you have cleared the tutorial of Where Winds Meet, as you'll need access to the Settings.Go to the Other tab. Screenshot by Destructoid Select Bind Account (second option from the top). Do note that your account is already bound to Steam. We will now bind it to a NetEase account so that we can create a new character.Click on the Link button next to NetEase Games from the following pop-up.A browser will take you to NetEase's website, where you'll either need to create a new account or log in to your existing one.Once done, your account is now bound with NetEase. Screenshot by Destructoid Press V to open Customer Service (located at the bottom-right corner of the screen).Choose Unbind from the options.Select the Steam account, and type Confirm.Restart Where Winds Meet once the process is complete. When you launch the game again, you can create a new character. We added the NetEase account, as you need to have two accounts before you can unbind. When you start Where Winds Meet, Steam will treat it as a fresh launch. Hopefully, we will get an easier way to create new characters in the game in a future update. The post How to create a new character in Where Winds Meet appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article
****** Ops 7 is officially the worst user-rated Call of Duty of all time, Metacritic's user scores show. The game, sitting at 1.6 out of 10, is being lambasted for its cheap use of AI, including "Ghibli filter" generations, its lackluster campaign, and a "Skibidi toilet" final boss. As first spotted by Clawsome Gamer, ****** Ops 7's user reviews on Metacritic are sitting at 1.6 average out of 10, placing it firmly at the bottom of the Call of Duty pile. This is in stark contrast with last year's ****** Ops 6, which carries a lukewarm 6.2 average score among the player base. The primary complaints this time around include the game's lackluster campaign, which features surreal boss fights and gameplay elements that could've easily been mistaken for Metal Gear Solid. One of its final bosses in particular, which players are describing as a "Skibidi toilet boss fight," seems to have been caused a major stir among the fans. The player takes on a giant in a dreamlike sequence, having to jump over massive shockwaves sent out by the giant's slams, which seems to remind folks of the Source engine Skibidi Toilet series of YouTube skits. The skits themselves are always over-the-top with giant toilet-headed machines wreaking havoc upon various locations, and I can't say the boss fight isn't reminiscent of that. [Hidden Content] Additionally, players are furious due to Activision's decision to include AI "art" in the game, particularly in the calling cards that are very openly generated by one of many AI tools out there. Some of the calling cards appear to be using the Studio Ghibli AI filter, which was a popular meme a few months ago, and not a great one at that. Players argue that a $70 game should not have these cheap, quickly-generated images in it, and that actual human-made art should've been there instead. Fans weren't the only ones to call Activision out for AI. A US congressman, Ro Khanna, criticized the company for using the technology and called for "regulations that prevent companies from using AI to eliminate jobs to extract greater profits." Activision, on the other hand, said in a statement sent to media that it uses AI "to empower and support our teams to create the best gaming experiences possible for our players," but that "talented individuals" remain in charge of creative processes in its many studios. Make of that what you will. Keep in mind that these reviews could be part of a review-bombing campaign, thus not reflecting actual player sentiment. Destructoid gave ****** Ops 7 an 8.5, praising its multiplayer over the campaign, which we thought was meh at best. Others have done similarly, and the game has around 82 on Metacritic based on critic reviews. Be it all as it may, ****** Ops 7 is being criticized by fans and critics alike. The game has many strong points to speak of, but its glaring flaws aren't helping it one bit. The post ‘Skibidi toilet boss fights’ and the use of AI have made ****** Ops 7 the worst-rated CoD of all time appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article
Like every Call of Duty game, ****** Ops 7is stuffed to the brim with game modes, challenges, ranks, and all sorts of guns and gear. If you're a veteran of the series, most of this should be more or less legible at first glance, but there's still a lot to take in. To that end, guides can be the perfect way to get moving quickly and focus on what really matters. View the full article
Battlefield 6 is officially showing off the newest map coming to the game in just a couple days, with players dropping into the Hollywood-inspired Eastwood for city combat. The newest numbered entry in the beloved shooter franchise saw an explosively successful launch last month, with hundreds of thousands of players flocking to the shooter. Battlefield 6 peaked at nearly 750,000 players just after its launch, with EA and DICE continuing to push out more updates for the game. Now, Battlefield 6 is giving an early teaser of its next new map. View the full article
Bungie has formally settled the lawsuit over the Destiny 2 Red War storyline. The move closes a legal battle that tangled with Destiny 2's vaulted content and offered a rare look at how stateside courts assess game narratives. View the full article
****** Ops 7 has finally launched, propelling the surrealist futuristic story forward and bringing a host of new content to the table. Much like with any ****** Ops title thus far, players are hoping to play on one particular map that's become a trademark of Treyarch's level design: Nuketown. It is currently not in the game, so here is everything you need to know about when it's coming, how it'll look, and more. ****** Ops 7 Nuketown release date and details The more things change, the more they stay the same. Image via Treyarch Nuketown is coming to ****** Ops 7 on Nov. 20, as part of a pre-season update. The map will retain its recognizable look, updated to fit the narrative and thematic scope of the new game. It has two vehicles in the center, two mirrored buildings on each side, both with courtyards in the back and an extra floor above. It's been repainted with a retro futuristic look that combines 1950s Americana with the super technological world of ****** Ops 7, making the map look slick and better than ever. Treyarch promises that the introduction of the Wall Jumping mechanic will transform how Nuketown is played, as it will provide "more ways to traverse this map than ever before," which should, in turn, make Nuketown much more dynamic and chaotic than it was in previous installments. The map's small size invites players to clash quickly and aggressively, and I'm excited to see how it meshes with this extra speed and verticality. Nuketown is one of many ****** Ops 2 maps that are being remastered and brought back to ****** Ops 7. Some notable examples include Hijacked, Express, and Raid. The post When is Nuketown coming to ****** Ops 7: Release date, details, and more appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article
The Protect the Wings Evolution is now live in FC 26, and you can complete the upgrade to improve one of your wingbacks in Ultimate Team. The latest evolution costs 30,000 coins to unlock. In exchange, your selected card will get the Captains promo style, a new playstyle+, roles, and upgrades. Let's look at the best cards to pick for this evolution based on the upgrades on offer. Table of contentsFC 26 Protect the Wings Evolution requirementsFC 26 Protect the Wings Evolution upgradesBest players to use in Protect the Wings EvolutionFC 26 Protect the Wings Evolution requirements Here are the requirements of Protect the Wings Evolution in FC 26. Overall: Max 84Total Positions: Max 3PlayStyle: Max 10PlayStyle+: Max 1Not Rarity: World Tour Silver StarsPosition: LB or RBNot Position: CBFC 26 Protect the Wings Evolution upgrades The evolution has four levels of upgrades, each with certain conditions to fulfill. Level 1 upgrades Overall: +8|86Passing: +5|80Acceleration: +10|86Jumping: +10|78 Level 2 upgrades Def. Aware: +15|85Slide Tackle: +15|82Stamina: +20|85Strength: +15|80PlayStyles: Jockey|6 Level 3 upgrades Aggression: +15|80Heading Acc.: +10|75Interceptions: +15|84Positions: LB, RBPlayStyles: Quick Step|6 Level 4 upgrades Dribbling: +7|82Sprint Speed: +15|86Stand Tackle: +10|80PlayStyles+: Slide Tackle|1Roles: Fullback++ 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 Win 2 matches 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 2 matches in Squad Battles on min. Semi-Pro difficulty (or Rush/Rivals/Champions/Live Events) using your active EVO Player in game.Win 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.Best players to use in Protect the Wings Evolution Here are some of my best recommendations for inclusion in the evolution. Stefan PoschTheo HernandezAlphhonso DavieAlexander BahArron Wan-BissakaHadjam **********Eduardo CamavingaMarcos LlorenteMatteo Ruggeri While the upgrades are significant, you will be able to include these cards in future evolutions to create a chain and evolve their stats further. The post Best players for FC 26 Protect the Wings Evolution appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article
****** Ops 7, like many other modern shooters, is reviving the age-old couch co-op experience that allows multiple players to experience the game in split-screen. But the latest CoD imposes certain limitations on the mode, which can muddy the waters as to what you can actually play in split-screen. So, if you were wondering about that, here's all you need to know. ****** Ops 7 split-screen mode, explained The campaign can only be played in online co-op, and not in split-screen. Image via Activision Call of Duty: ****** Ops 7 includes two split-screen modes, one for Multiplayer, and the other for Zombies. These two modes can be played by two players running current-gen consoles (PlayStation 4 and Xbox One owners have been left out), provided they both own the game. PC players are barred from split-screen, too. To do so, you need to go to the Multiplayer or Zombies screen, then press A or X on a second controller to log the other player in. Once that's done, you can run the game in split screen co-op. Many players have wondered if ****** Ops 7 has a campaign co-op split-screen mode, and the answer is no. Unfortunately, the campaign can only be run in online co-op, and currently has no way to be played in split-screen. Why this was implemented in such a way is anyone's guess, but perhaps Activision will heed the calls of players and introduce a split-screen mode for the campaign as well. As things stand, you'll only be able to play Multiplayer and Zombies in split-screen, on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S and X. The post Does ****** Ops 7 have co-op split screen: breakdown by game modes, explained appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article
В 2015 году Valve впервые выпустила собственные компьютеры Steam Machine в качестве альтернативы стационарным консолям, но они с треском провалились и вскоре исчезли из публичного поля. В 2025 году компания вернулась с анонсом новой версии Steam Machine — и теперь больше уверена в успехе. Что изменилось за эти 10 лет и почему игроки должны поверить в задумку разработчиков снова? View the full article
You heard it here first: Mario Party is for scrubs, and Jackbox, well, Jackbox is pretty fun. But Worms is where it's at—the 2D tactics game might have started on the Amiga, but it's long been a multiplayer standard on PC where Team17 has pumped out sequels for three decades as of 2025. It's celebrating the occasion with a series-wide Steam ***** where many of its best games can be bought for two or three dollars... Read more.View the full article
It was only a matter of time: just two weeks on from the launch of Europa Universalis 5, a player has managed to complete a 'world conquest' run in Paradox Tinto's grand strategy game. In case the name didn't give it away, the impressive feat involves taking over the entire planet, removing all tags other than your nation and your non-tributary subjects. While it comes with a few small caveats due to technical issues and crashes, we've now got our first confirmed EU5 world conquest, and it looks like an absolute nightmare to pull off. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Europa Universalis 5 console commands and cheats Grand strategy titan Europa Universalis 5 launches into smooth waters, but Paradox has a secret fix if you're struggling Europa Universalis 5 release date, gameplay, and trailers View the full article
Restless Designs, an Austria-based board game company, has just launched a crowdfunding campaign for their debut game. They promise a collaborative open world RPG experience where 1-4 players will team up to save the realm of Everion. The game is entitled Restless, in a bit of a Chicken and Egg situation it's not clear whether they've named the game after their company, or their company after the game. What is clear, though, is that the game's crowdfunding campaign has been as restless as its name would imply, as it surpassed it's funding goals within two hours. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Suffer the darkest of dungeons in this vicious Tombpunk TTRPG Legendary designer Jamey Stegmaier shares his favorite board game rulebooks of all time Brutal Warhammer 40k vibes are everywhere in this sci-fi rules hack for Shadowdark RPG View the full article
I recently spoke to Diablo co-creator and Skystone Games president David Brevik about his role on the publishing side of the game industry. The Skystone catalog has some real winners, from PS1-styled action RPG Tyrant's Realm to the cozy sandbox of Tiny Bookshop. I'm excited by what's next on its menu, including extraction RPG Mistfall Hunter and the cooking-themed Arcane Eats. But Brevik also revealed that there was an ARPG he missed the chance to bring on board, and it's the one I've played most this year, even eclipsing my time with PoE 2 and Diablo 4 - Last Epoch. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: New Last Epoch patch makes the ARPG's powerful primordial uniques easier to get Last Epoch Season 3 is the best time to play one of my favorite ARPGs in years Last Epoch Season 3 unleashes a deadly, evolving foe across the ARPG's world View the full article
Until recently, Nymble sat alongside the likes of Bergmite, Pincurchin, and Maractus as a completely forgettable Pokémon lying half forgotten in some beige backroom of my brain. The recently printed Illustration Rare variant of Nymble from Phantasmal Flames has completely changed my perspective on the bold little bug. Now I can see something kind of great about the little grasshopper and, I'm hoping that once you've read this, you'll see it too. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Imposing Illustration Rare Zekrom bolts into Mega Dream ex Pokémon TCG set This is the first Pokémon TCG 30th Anniversary product, and I know I won't get it The Pokémon TCG's secondary market sucks - and it's also the best there is View the full article
Sunderfolk is a game unlike any other. How, you ask? Understandable - true innovation is rare these days. On paper it's a turn-based strategy game with D&D flavorings, and while we've seen a lot of that in a post-Baldur's Gate 3 world, Sunderfolk stands out as something special. First of all, there's literally nothing quite like it on the market. You control the action on the big screen using your phone, where you decide your movements, draw from your roguelike-esque Fate Card deck, and choose your abilities. Then, there's its playfulness. Narrated by the wonderful Anjali Bhimani, who lends her voice to Overwatch's Symmetra and Apex Legends' Rampart, while flexing her DM muscles on Critical Role, her comedic voices contrast starkly with, say, Amelia Tyler's BG3 whisperings. It gives Sunderfolk more of a quirky boardgame night feel when compared to Larian's sprawling epic, which, while genuinely funny in many places, is still a mostly serious story. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: If Balatro and Cookie Clicker had a baby, it'd be this new poker-themed indie game, and I'm already afraid for my time Enshrouded's director tells us it's on track for 1.0, but that "there's no reason to stop" once the survival game hits full release A great Cities Skylines rival with some Minecraft flair, Urbek City Builder is less than $4 right now View the full article
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I haven't played Balatro in months, and it's not because I'm tired of it; quite the reverse. After pouring hundreds of hours into LocalThunk's creation, I finally managed to pull myself out of the chip-counting stupor. Now I'm a little afraid that even a taste of its 'mult' meter dinging up will drag me back into its synth-scored swirls. Unfortunately, I've instead installed the demo for a new indie game called This Ain't Even Poker, Ya Joker, and I can already feel the minutes slipping through my fingers like grains of sand. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Enshrouded's director tells us it's on track for 1.0, but that "there's no reason to stop" once the survival game hits full release A great Cities Skylines rival with some Minecraft flair, Urbek City Builder is less than $4 right now Superhero smash-hit Dispatch "changed my life," musician Bershy reveals after streams of her song Radio hit the stratosphere overnight View the full article
While it was only officially revealed a few days ago, the MTG Monster Hunter Secret Lair Superdrop is already deeply contentious. It's not because of the nature of the crossover itself, Capcom's killer Kaijus fit much more comfortably into the world of Magic: the Gathering than Furbys, or Dwight from The Office. Instead, fans are concerned that their favorite monsters are being represented using bulk bin reprints that fail to capture a fraction of their power. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Rathalos and Lagiacrus are finally coming to MTG, as Monster Hunter Secret Lair announced The 10 elite commanders you need to play in MTG Avatar The Last Airbender With this MTG Avatar The Last Airbender combo you literally can't lose View the full article
Double XP weekends in Call of Duty are considered holidays for some gamers, and honestly, I get it. The XP grind to unlock weapons, hit Master Prestige, and secure special camos and attachments is best done when the XP rate is higher. In ****** Ops 7, there are a ton of things to unlock along the way to Max Prestige, and double XP weekends are perfect for that since you don't need to use any of your XP tokens. Double XP events happen every few weeks in CoD, and BO7 is the same. It's important to know when these weekends are coming up so you can schedule time with friends to party up and pile up XP in any of the game's multiple modes. Here's when to clock out early or schedule an off day so you can get in that double XP time in CoD. Table of contentsNext ****** Ops 7 double XP weekendFastest way to level up in ****** Ops 7****** Ops 7 double XP scheduleNext ****** Ops 7 double XP weekend Image via Activision According to dataminer realityuk, the first double XP event in BO7 is set to begin on Tuesday, Nov. 25 and end on Monday, Dec. 1. This lines up with how previous CoD titles did their first 2XP events, because it will last for about a week and take place over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend in the US. So, while this info is reported and as of yet unconfirmed, it's likely to take place around the week of Thanksgiving (Nov. 27) in the US. It's worth nothing that realityuk is a reliable data miner and often posts information from the game before it's officially announced. Fastest way to level up in ****** Ops 7 Image via Activision The cool thing about BO7 is that, no matter what mode you're playing, you're earning XP towards your levels, Prestige, weapon XP, and eventually even battle pass XP. You can play multiplayer, Zombies, Endgame mode, or even co-op campaign to earn XP as you level up. In the end, this means that you can use a double XP token and rack up the points in whatever mode you prefer, but there are definitely faster ways to get XP. Zombies mode Survival maps are great for XP since you can use an item like the Rampage Inducer to spawn more enemies, and the maps are small so you can kite Zombies and blow them up to keep the points flowing. Keep in mind that tokens don't stack during double XP weekends, so save them up for when double XP is not active in-game. But if you're waiting for a double XP event to grind the game, here's what we know about when these events are scheduled to take place. ****** Ops 7 double XP scheduleDateDescriptionNov. 25 to Dec. 1 (unconfirmed)Double XP, double GobbleGumsTBA- This article will be updated with new double XP info when it's available. The post When is the next double XP event in ****** Ops 7? appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article
Resident Evil Requiem producer Masato Kumazawa discusses the game's start as an open world multiplayer title and teases that some of those elements have managed to remain in the current iteration. Even with an early 2026 launch date, there's a lot of excitement surrounding Resident Evil Requiem, though the classic single-player experience was almost something else entirely. View the full article
Anno 117: Pax Romana has peaked at 50,088 concurrent players on 16 November 2025 within the release week. View charts and more statistics on our website.View the full article
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Treyarch has issued a statement to reassure fans about Call of Duty: ****** Ops 7 and skill-based matchmaking. Skill-based matchmaking, or SBMM, has been a highly controversial topic in the Call of Duty community for years. While data supposedly shows that SBMM ensures people stick with the games longer, some have criticized it for making it feel like every match is a hyper-competitive ranked match. Prior to the launch of Call of Duty: ****** Ops 7, it was announced that the new game would be ditching SBMM, a move seen as an attempt to win back goodwill from the fanbase. View the full article