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Last week, AMD released version 25.10.2 of its Adrenalin driver package for Radeon GPUs. It seemed like a relatively routine driver release with a typical list of bug fixes and game performance improvements, except for one accompanying announcement: AMD said at the time that it would be moving support for Radeon RX 5000-series and 6000-series GPUs (and their RDNA 1 and RDNA 2 architectures) to “maintenance mode.” That meant that a bunch of GPUs, including some dedicated graphics cards launched as recently as 2022, would no longer get fresh fixes and performance optimizations for newly launched games. As reported by Tom’s Hardware, AMD released several clarifying statements to address the ensuing backlash, saying that these older GPUs would still get “new features, bug fixes, and game optimizations” based on “market needs.” That must not have quieted the complaints, because AMD then made an entirely separate post to confirm that the 25.10.2 driver release “is not the end of support for RDNA 1 and RDNA 2,” and that integrated and dedicated GPUs based on these architectures would continue to receive “game support for new releases,” “stability and game optimizations,” and “security and bug fixes.” AMD did confirm that these older GPU architectures had been moved to a separate driver path, but the company says this is meant to keep fixes and features intended for newer RDNA 3 and RDNA 4-based GPUs from inadvertently breaking things for RDNA 1 and RDNA 2 GPUs. Read full article Comments View the full article

A chance to experience this classic RPG in a new way, with a turn-based mode coming to the original Pillars of Eternity on November 5th in Beta. Read the full article here: [Hidden Content] View the full article

The award-winning RPGPillars of Eternity is getting a surprising update 10 years later, which will significantly change how players experience the game. The isometric game features a real-time-with-pause gameplay style, but Obsidian Entertainment had previously announced an upcoming turn-based RPG mode for Pillars of Eternity. However, it was unknown when this would be implemented and when players would get to test it. View the full article

Pillars of Eternity is the surprise recipient of a patch to add turn-based mode, developer Obsidian has announced. Fresh from releasing Avowed, Grounded 2, and The Outer Worlds 2 this year, the Microsoft-owned studio has gone back to its isometric, party-based fantasy RPG over a decade after it came out with a fresh update. Obsidian announced a new public beta for Pillars of Eternity opens on November 5 for players on Steam and Xbox PC, which adds the turn-based mode. The reveal comes alongside a message from game director Josh Sawyer (last seen directing Pentiment), with his thoughts on what turn-based mode means for Pillars of Eternity. “Fans who enjoyed experimenting with turn-based mode in Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire will find familiar ground here, but with key improvements shaped by your feedback,” Obsidian said in a blog post. More details are below. How turn-based mode works in Pillars of Eternity:Unbound Turns: All turns are now influenced by a character’s overall speed, improving the value of Real-Time with Pause attributes and mechanics.Smarter Free Actions: Actions like swapping weapons, drinking potions, or enabling modals are now free actions. Each free action is limited to one per turn per type for balance.Faster Pacing: Combat lethality has been significantly increased for both enemies and players to keep battles tense and impactful.Mode Flexibility: You can choose Turn-Based Mode alongside difficulty when starting a new game — or swap freely between Real-Time with Pause and Turn-Based Mode in the game options. We’re also investigating a direct HUD toggle for even more convenience. As this is a public beta, please expect bugs and ongoing adjustments, Obsidian warned. The beta will run for “some time” as the developer continues to roll out updates and prepares for a full release. IGN’s Pillars of Eternity review returned a 9/10 back in 2015. We said at the time: “Obsidian (and its Kickstarter backers) have done it: Pillars of Eternity is one of the best RPGs since Baldur's Gate.” Obsidian followed PoE up with Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire in 2018, before Microsoft bought the company later that year. Obsidian went on to release the likes of The Outer Worlds and Grounded, and has become one of the most prolific Xbox Games Studios developers Microsoft has on its books. Will there be a Pillars of Eternity 3? Sawyer has commented on the prospect in the past. In 2023, for example, Sawyer said he would love to develop Pillars of Eternity 3 — under the condition the game receives the same budget as Baldur's Gate 3. "I think if it truly was an unlimited budget, I think I would try Pillars 3 because I know what the budget was for Deadfire, which was not a whole lot and I have heard from multiple people what the budget was for Baldur’s Gate 3, and I’m not gonna talk about numbers, but if I got that budget, sure, I’ll make Pillars 3,” he said. Sawyer added that if he were to make Pillars 3, he would employ a turn-based combat structure. Obsidian has yet to announce its next game. Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at *****@*****.tld. View the full article

Giving evolution a little bit more visual flair, Thrive is a scientific open source sim about surviving and growing as a tiny creature. Read the full article here: [Hidden Content] View the full article

KontrolFreek just dropped new Call of Duty ****** Ops 7 thumbsticks, and they even come with a free in-game weapon charm.View the full article

The last major update for the Wipeout-like anti-grab racer BallisticNG is here, bringing with it new content and enhancements to existing features. Read the full article here: [Hidden Content] View the full article

Dispatch has released a brief teaser for Episodes 5 and 6, both of which will release on Wednesday, November 5, at 9am PST/12pm ET. It sets up a few of the plot points each episode will explore, while also teasing some of the romantic fallout coming from choices made in Dispatch Episode 4. View the full article

World of Warcraft may be getting a new type of premium currency in the near future called Hearthsteel. While little is known about this mysterious coin at present, evidence suggests it may be linked to the Housing feature in World of Warcraft. View the full article

The Stop Killing Games campaign's petition to the *** government urging action against publishers rendering online games unplayable when servers are switched off has been debated in parliament. The petition, which amassed just under 190,000 signatures prior to its closure in July, received a response from the *** government back in February, when it hit 10,000. "There are no plans to amend *** consumer law on disabling video games," this reply read. "Those selling games must comply with existing requirements in consumer law and we will continue to monitor this issue." As is the process, once it hit 100,000 signatures, it was eligible to be debated by parliament's petitions committee. Read more View the full article

Last month, Heart Machine announced that they would be ending development on their roguelike follow-up to the seminal indie RPG Hyper Light Drifter, Hyper Light Breaker. As a result, as is far too common in the industry these days, a number of staff were laid off - including a writer on the yet-to-be released Possessor(s). As a result, a post cropped up on the Possessor(s)'s discussions page on Steam with some expressing discomfort at the idea of buying the game post-layoffs, prompting the game's narrative director to explain why he (understandably) would still like it if you bought it. Read more View the full article

The Screamers Tournament is now live in FC 26, which offers plenty of cool rewards for you to obtain in Ultimate Team. The complete list of rewards includes guaranteed promo cards, packs, and more. This guide will help you complete the objective along with all its tasks. FC 26 Screamers Tournament objective guide The Screamers Tournament has nine different tasks to complete, and the table has all the information you'll need to finish the objective. TaskHow to CompleteRewardsScore 1Score at least 1 goal in the Screamers Tournament.EvoScore a BraceScore at least 2 goals in a single match in the Screamers Tournament.82+ Rare Gold Players PackScore 3Score at least 1 goal in 3 separate matches in the Screamers Tournament.82+ Rare Gold Players PackScore a Brace in 5Score at least 2 goals in 5 separate matches in the Screamers Tournament.85-89 Rare Gold Players Pack + EvoScore 15Score at least 1 goal in 15 separate matches in the Screamers Tournament.Alimani Gory Ultimate ScreamScore 20Score at least 1 goal in 20 separate matches in the Screamers Tournament.CDM Box Crasher++ EvoScore 25Score at least 1 goal in 25 separate matches in the Screamers Tournament to earn a special Ultimate Scream Competitor Badge.Ultimate Scream Competitor Badge EvoScore 1 Long Range GoalScore at least 1 goal from outside of the box in the Screamers Tournament.Power Shot+ EvoWin TournamentWin the Screamers Tournament to earn a special Ultimate Scream Item Shell.82+ 7 Rare Gold Players Pack + Evo Completing the full set of tasks will earn you the following rewards: Isi Ultimate ScreamEvo Unlock81+ 11 Rare Gold Players Pack The overall list of rewards isn't bad, but it could have been better. Nevertheless, the 84-rated Gory card and 85-rated Isi card have good in-game stats and playstyles. You should be able to include them in future evolutions to improve the stats further. It's best to complete the tournament as quickly as possible before it expires after the next three days from the time of writing this guide. The post All FC 26 Screamers Tournament rewards and tasks appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article

The Marked for Death quest is a relatively early-mid game activity in ARC Raiders that requires you to find two items, based in different locations. As with such quests, the game doesn't give you the exact location, and straying from the target path can prove to be quite costly if you encounter ARC enemies or human players. This guide will tell you about what needs to be done to complete the Marked for Death quest. Table of contentsARC Raiders Marked for Death quest walkthroughSu Durante Warehouse locationTrain Wen's cache locationARC Raiders Marked for Death quest rewardsARC Raiders Marked for Death quest walkthrough The Marked for Death quest can be broken down into two parts. Reach the Su Durante WarehouseSearch for Train Wen's cacheSu Durante Warehouse location Our first task takes us to the north-western part of the Buried City, where the Warehouse is. Reach the top-left corner, and go down. You'll reach the wall and a big cache by it. Interact with the cache to complete the first task, and the quest will automatically update to the next one. If you're in front of the Warehouse, you can go behind the building to find the cache. I have marked the exact location where you'll be able to find the cache in the screenshot below. Screenshot and Remix by Destructoid Train Wen's cache location The next part of the task is relatively easy, as you'll need to follow a set of footsteps (leading from the cache). These footsteps will lead you to a box buried in the sand. Investigate the box, and your quest will automatically update. This will bring the Marked for Death quest to an end. If you're yet to access the quest, it will become available once you finish the Broken Monument mission. ARC Raiders Marked for Death quest rewards Here are the items you'll get from completing the Marked for Death quest. Shotgun Choke IIAngled Grip II Make sure to extract successfully to bring back the rewards to your Workshop. The post How to complete the Marked for Death quest in ARC Raiders appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article

So, ARC Raiders is a fun time, isn't it? I've been killed for no other reason than sport so many times, it reminded me of Ark: Survival Evolved in more than just the name. So I downloaded the ludicrously large 270-odd gig and tucked into an old classic. Why Evolved and not Ascended? Well, because I just don't see much of a point in upgrading, myself. But more on that later. They are not the same First off, it's important to note that these two games are very different. Ark is, first and foremost, a survival crafting game. ARC is an extraction shooter game. You can shoot guns in Ark, but you can't tame dinosaurs in ARC. Where are my pants? Why, I misplaced them, apparently. Screenshot by Destructoid Still with me? Good, because I grew tired of ARC Raiders pretty quickly, even though it's a great game, and went back to this old classic. Here's how that went and whether I think it's worth its very respectable price tag in 2025. You can't tame dinosaurs in just any old game One of the most satisfying aspects of the Ark games is building an army of dinosaurs to do your bidding. At least, until an Alpha Rex decides that your herd of Parasaur looks just a little too juicy, and wipes out all your hard taming. On top of that, he'll probably wreck your base while you cower inside, too. Of course, all of this could have been avoided if you'd just had the time to build a proper trap and tame that Therizinosaur just down the beach. It's this ebb and flow of success and failure that made Ark so good when I first played it way back when. And now, returning to the game some five years after putting it down, I'm instantly hooked once more. It's not an easy game to get into, mind you. I still had some memories of what I was supposed to do, but even then, I had to almost re-learn the game. I built my tried-and-trusted Argy trap, ready to upgrade my flier, before things went horribly wrong. My Pteranodon ended with an inch of its life, and I had just a sliver, all while the Argy escaped my trap and almost killed me. In case you don't know, Argentavis are kind of like giant eagles, and they're a huge upgrade on your first available flying dinosaur, the Pteranodon. Anyway, I refused to give up, and after nursing myself and my flier back to health, I tried again. Nope, the trap turned out to be pretty useless. But I relented, and eventually, downed the Argy... right next to a pack of Carnotaurus. They are these huge, horned beasts that are exceptionally angry. I've always felt that they're the angriest dinos that Ark can throw at you, if not the most dangerous. Still, my Pteranodon and I were outmatched. Naturally, I played quite a lot of Ark back in the day, so I knew that if I just baited them off a cliff, my Argy would be safe. I did just that, and successfully, if you can even believe it. Usually, in this game, what can go wrong will go wrong. A while later, I had my very own Argentavis, and what a feeling to find success after such a struggle. And that's why I'm hooked, and that's why it's so hard to put this game down once it's got you. Freedom. Screenshot by Destructoid. Oh, and did I mention, it's even better with friends. Which Ark: Survival version should you get? If building your own base and protecting it with an army of Raptors sounds like your thing, you may be wondering which version of Ark to get. Honestly, unless you want official multiplayer servers or all your friends have Ascended, I'd just go with Evolved. It's just a fraction of the price, at $15 vs. $45, and it's essentially the same game if you're only in it for the single player. That said, I still think that even the more expensive option is worth the money. This is a fun game, and if you like survival crafting titles and haven't played an Ark game yet, it's still totally worth it. I'd love to hear about your Ark or ARC stories in the comments, so feel free to let loose. The post ARC Raiders made me remember Ark Survival Evolved, but is it still worth playing? appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article

Hey. Hey you. Yes, you. The one playing Hollow Knight: Silksong. I just wanted to let you know, before you go any further, that you're missing a bench in Bilewater. Just in case that helps. If you're not to Bilewater yet, this PSA is still for you. You will get there, and you will want to know this. I am going to spoil what's in Bilewater in this piece, so if you don't want to know that information, leave and come back when you've gotten sufficiently angry at Bilewater. Is this the longest (and most disgusting) runback in the history of gaming? byu/Max_Joller inHollowKnight .reddit-embed-wrapper iframe { margin-left: 0 !important; } Bilewater is notorious. It is a massive, disgusting zone on the other side of the already frustrating Sinner's Road that you can stumble into fairly early on in Act 1 of Silksong, and which is required if you ever want to see the game's Act 3. There are many reasons why Bilewater is loathesome: it has many obnoxious enemy types that can ambush you and ruin your day, there are lots of spikes you can fall on and hurt yourself, and notably, it is full of maggot-infested water that will stop you from healing and regenerating silk. Bilewater is awful. But apart from the grub-water, one of the most standout horrors of Bilewater is its lack of benches. There's one bench way, way down at the bottom of Bilewater, in the Bell Beast station. At first, you might be tricked into thinking there is a second bench nearer the top lefthand side of the zone but, surprise! It's a trap. Not a bench at all. Down into the maggot water you fall. So...uh...is that it? Is the Bell Beast bench really the only bench in Bilewater? Do you really have to do the entire zone, and the long, agonizing run back up to its boss over rivers of maggot-infested goop, past piles of spikes and exploding bug enemies and those awful things that belch poison at you, all with no break? You don't. Be free. You're missing a bench in Bilewater. It is here: Posts from the silksong community on Reddit .reddit-embed-wrapper iframe { margin-left: 0 !important; } We have a detailed guide to getting through Bilewater here on IGN, which you should use to find this bench when the time comes. The short version is that the hidden Bilewater bench is located behind a breakable wall on the far right-hand side of a cavern, past a giant pool of maggot soup at the bottom of a pit. Break the wall and drop down through another pit, then break another wall on your left to find the secret bench. This one, mercifully, is safe, and will not unceremoniously dump you into a pool of misery when you try to sit down. This bench is much, much closer to Bilewater's boss, Groal, though it's still a bit of a trek up to him. Again, I recommend our walkthrough for help on surviving Bilewater, because it really is just a disgusting and difficult place. We've seen a lot of people suggest that the run back to Groal, even with the help of the hidden bench, is one of the worst runbacks in the Souls genre. We're curious if you agree, so we set up the poll above. Vote to let us know which of these bosses has the worst runback from safety to their arena every time you die and have to attempt fighting them again. Or let us know in the comments if there's a worse fight we haven't mentioned here. In addition to our Bilewater guide, we have a detailed Wiki to help you through every step of your journey in Pharloom, so check it out before, during, and after Bilewater. 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

FPS fans have spent months obsessing about Battlefield 6 map sizes, so some players finally took the time to measure and compare nearly every map the series has seen in the last 15 years. The Battlefield map size breakdown is a collaborative effort organized by Reddit users ClaraTheRed and PENGUINonPC and includes multiplayer locations featured in Battlefield 3, Battlefield 4, Battlefield: Hardline, Battlefield 1, Battlefield 2042, and, of course, last month’s Battlefield 6. It comes not only with a side-by-side comparison for each game’s map, organized by game mode and player count, but also color-coded horizontal bar graphs, illustrating how EA’s approach to map sizes has changed through the years. Updated: Battlefield maps from BF3, BF4, BF:HL, BF1, BF2042 and BF6. A scale comparison byu/ClaraTheRed inBattlefield .reddit-embed-wrapper iframe { margin-left: 0 !important; } ClaraTheRed shared details about their analysis in a follow-up post, clarifying that they have “done nothing but work on this the entire weekend.” The more than 45 hours of work resulted in a six-game, 72-map breakdown that paints a clear picture: Battlefield 6 doesn’t quite reach the gargantuan size of some of the series’ biggest maps. ClaraTheRed points out that, while many of the relatively small Battlefield 6 maps, like Iberian Offensive or Siege of Cairo, are similar in size to maps seen in Battlefield 3 and 1, many of its larger maps rank among the medium-sized pool of maps studied. While games like Battlefield 3 and even Battlefield 2042 boast some of the most colossal maps the series has seen yet, Battlefield 6 falls short of offering even one map in the top 20. Even its largest map, Operation Firestorm, which itself is a downsized remake of the Battlefield 3 map of the same name, lands as the 32nd biggest map for total shared playable area and 22nd for total map area. These are numbers the Battlefield community is already latching onto, but there are a few notes to consider. The evaluation stops short of including every map in the series, for example, with 2018’s Battlefield V, which ClaraTheRed says was difficult to gather data for, being one omission. Battlefield titles have also been known to alter the play area mid-match thanks to features like Levolution and environmental hazards, which some portions of the study consider. Every game that is included also has the benefit of being a completed work, DLC included – Battlefield 6 launched less than one month ago. EA and Battlefield Studios have continued to push updates for its new Battlefield game in the weeks since its release, with Season 1 introducing a medium-sized map with Blackwell Fields last week, and another called Eastwood set to follow later this month. There’s also Battlefield REDSEC, a standalone offshoot with ties to the Battlefield 6 experience, which also launched last week. EA has proudly declared its map, Fort Lyndon, as the “biggest Battlefield map ever,” though much of the community has already placed it into a separate category thanks to its status as a battle royale map included with REDSEC, not Battlefield 6, specifically. Battlefield 6 fans who hopped in as early as the August beta tests have spent months clamoring for larger maps as EA and BF Studios continue to work on post-launch content. It’s a topic that has set the community on fire, as some work to defend Battlefield 6’s current offerings while others take to review-bombing to express their dissatisfaction with map sizes, among other things. “The two of us are not here to complain about map sizes in BF6 (although we do have our opinions on them),” ClaraTheRed clarifies, “but we're here to provide context and show that Battlefield maps throughout the last decade and a half have varied in size by a tremendous amount.” Battlefield 6 players will likely continue to break down new maps as future seasons roll out. Until then, you can see our collection of every multiplayer map Battlefield 6 has to offer. You can also learn about the hidden firing range room that players are investigating for secret Easter Eggs and hints at future content. Those looking to brush up on their online skills can also read our multiplayer tips and tricks guide. Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He's best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe). View the full article

"Every work of fiction speaks with many voices and is heard with many ears." That's not a quote from an academic textbook; it comes from Cole Wehrle, designer of some of the most prominent board games of the last decade. From the first moment I meet Wehrle, it's clear that he sees games as anything but frivolity. 'Fun' plays second lieutenant to the more pressing purpose of a Cole Wehrle board game: conversation. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Tactical diplomacy is king in this Star Trek inspired alternative to Warhammer 40k Hold onto hope in this Dystopian Christmas solo board game Board game about taxing the rich review bombed both ways View the full article

Opinion | This year proved that no matter what type of RPG you crave, there's room for everyoneView the full article

Turns out I'm not crazy, Silksong is just kind of weirdView the full article

Fortnite and The Simpsons have taken their recent crossover one step further by adding characters from the former into the beloved animated series and killing off one of the game's most notable mascots. Over the years, Fortnite has continued to partner with major pop culture franchises, and The Simpsons has proven to be an incredibly successful partnership. View the full article

"Players want real people"View the full article

"When we are in reactionary periods, to have stalwart, beloved brands that are capable of sending this message is critical to society"View the full article

When the world was taken over by AI in ARC Raiders, they left behind their pesky error codes to troll us, too. Error codes are a constant in always-online games like ARC Raiders or just about anything else in 2025 or beyond, but that doesn't make them any less annoying. The ART00004 Network Timeout error code has been popping up a lot for players, as an example. Here's everything we know about the error code and how to fix it. What is ART00004 in ARC Raiders? Network Timeout error Screenshot by Destructoid The ART00004 error is a Network Timeout error code in ARC Raiders, meaning that the game had an issue connecting to the servers or network. Specifically, the error notes that "retrieving data from backend services time out" and asks you to "please try again later." For the most part, I've had ART00004 pop up and disappear just as quickly by clicking the RETRY button. It usually goes away, and I can get back to raiding, but if the issue persists for you, there may be a more underlying problem that's causing it to happen. There are a few steps you can take to try and fix the problem on your end: Restart your game: This is always the first step when having issues in any game. You may be shocked by how many problems are solved by simply starting the game over.Restart your internet connection: Since this is a network timeout problem, your own modem router could be the cause. Try resetting everything.Check official ARC Raiders channels: If nothing you do works, make sure to follow ARC Raiders and Embark Studios on relevant platforms, and also join the game's official Discord server, which is where the devs are especially responsive. The studio posts updates on ongoing connection or server issues with ARC Raiders here. Image via Embark Studios Hopefully, ART00004 goes away with one swift click. If not, there may be something else happening behind the scenes, and it's likely out of your hands until Embark pushes a fix. The post How to fix error ART00004 in ARC Raiders appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article

The Blood Hunter, an original D&D class developed by Matt Mercer specifically for Vin Diesel to play in a special episode of Critical Role, is available to play in Daggerheart. The Blood Hunter is a clear homage to the Witcher, a martial warrior with magical abilities that are viscerally connected to their blood - here's how it works. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Beloved DnD setting Drakkenheim comes to Daggerheart with new campaign book DnD rival Daggerheart gets even more accessible, as class packs Kickstarter Daggerheart review - The narrative tabletop RPG of my dreams View the full article

Balldur's GateView the full article