We went hands-on with RGG Studio's next ambitious project that tells the roots of the Tojo Clan throughout five different time periods. View the full article
There’s a fair amount of Familiars available in the early access version of Witchspire, and we can find them all around the magical lands. While some of them have specific locations, others are easier to spot. This guide will list the locations of all the Familiars I have discovered so far. Thankfully, all locations are the same for everyone, which will help you on your search. All Familiar locations in Witchspirehttps://embeds.beehiiv.com/a8d62108-86ed-4039-bf49-44877ba62c15 Before we dive deep into the locations, do note that Witchspire is in early access. Hence, we should get more Familiars in the near future. Moreover, these creatures don’t have an exact fixed spot. Just look in the regions mentioned in the table below, and you should be able to spot them. Screenshot by Destructoid FamiliarLocationsElementQuolPick from the starter quartet. EtherealBrilPick from the starter quartet.CrystalLoctoPick from the starter quartet.LuxFienPick from the starter quartet. You can also find it in Timbeline Basin (only at night). NoxCindleCheck the Savannah in Shuddersands. BompusTimberline Basin, on the beaches. AstralChiriliChirili Crater is the best spot. LuxCharlingChrili Crater. I also spotted them north of Flight Pillar in Mira Isles. LuxDetroxI found it in the Timberline Basin near where the Al’uunian Ruins are situated. AstralRocklingVery common in the starter area. Rockling Breeding villageNatureTaileafGo left from the starting area. Mira Isles. NatureLamloofGo south from the Flight Pillar in the Mira Isles location. Nature GranloofGo south from the Flight Pillar in the Mira Isles location. NatureLoijaGo north from the Flight Pillar in the Mira Isles location. LuxLetyGo outside the Al’uunian Tower in Timberline Basin. NaturePheominaIt can be found outside the Witchspire Tower but only spawns at night. NatureTreetopSecond Root in Mira Isles. You can also find it in the Savannah in Shuddersands. LuxShudderGimI found one in the Glimmering Dunes in Shuddersands. NoxShardlingSearch in the Shard Caverns that are located under Timberline Basin. CrystalXilvantPretty common in Timberline Basin.Nox Some Familiars mentioned above can spawn in other locations from the ones mentioned. However, you’ll always find them in the spots that I have added in the table. There are a few Familiars I have yet to find, and I will add them and the locations as soon as I have found them. Once again, you’ll be able to add them to your team if you’re lucky. /wp-content/themes/destructoid2025/assets/img/icons/likes-off.png0 The post All Familiars in Witchspire and how to find them appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article
You gotta hand it to the brave few who willingly risk it all playing an early access game like Path of Exile 2 on hardcore difficulty, where a single death permanently ends your character. If you're not getting squashed by a giant monkey boss, you're taking your chances with whatever unfinished parts of the game could be your end... Read more.View the full article
As the world’s eyeballs turn toward the FIFA World Cup, the developers of the soccer title Goals are looking to take advantage of the excitement to promote their new release. First announced in July 2021, Goals was released across PC and console devices on June 4, 2026, following a roughly three-month open beta ******* that began in March. Although Goals exists in a similar space to popular soccer games like EA Sports FC and eFootball, it differs from other soccer titles in that it primarily uses unique, randomly-generated, and fictional players, rather than licensing the names of real players and teams to populate its virtual playing fields. The 2026 edition of the FIFA World Cup kicks off today, June 11. Despite Goals’ slight separation from the real world of soccer, the game’s creators still plan to take advantage of excitement surrounding the globe’s most popular sporting event, with a dedicated mode that connects to the World Cup and is intended to encourage viewers of the tournament to also play Goals on a daily basis. “We’re obviously doing things connected to the World Cup, both in terms of partnerships, collaborations, and content in the game,” said Goals founder and chief executive officer Andreas Thorstensson in an interview with GamesBeat. “We haven’t actually told our players yet what that’s going to be.” In addition to taking advantage of World Cup hype, Goals is looking to grow its audience by partnering with prominent content creators associated with the soccer audience, such as the YouTuber JJ “KSI” Olatunji, who is currently a playable character in the game. Moving forward, Goals plans to announce additional creator tie-ins on a monthly basis. “We can actually bring in football players, celebrities, and content creators as playable characters in the game, which creates a different kind of depth to it,” Thorstensson said. “And I think a lot of people are more interested in playing as streamers.” Unlike some other prominent soccer video games, Goals uses a free-to-play, live-service model, with monetization primarily built around in-game commerce through player packs and cosmetics, as well as in-game advertisements that are placed inside natural in-game locations like pitch-side banners. In about one month, the company plans to roll out an additional, data-based revenue stream: a subscription service called Goals Plus, which leverages Goals’ multitude of in-game data to train players and provide advice about their gameplay. “There are hundreds of thousands of events per second when you play a game, and we store everything — which means that we can get some pretty sophisticated data, in terms of ‘how can you become a better player, what kind of formation should you use more skill moves or less skill moves, et cetera,” Thorstensson said “So, it’s pretty cool what kind of data we can actually produce from that.” Goals’ World Cup patch came out today, June 11, with Thorstensson telling GamesBeat that there are many more to come. He said that the current version of Goals is the “baseline version” of the game, and that his company plans to improve it “constantly” based on user feedback and player data. “We have been testing a lot, and with that, we’ve learned to be able to ship new patches fast,” Thorstensson said. “So, we’re already doing a patch tomorrow, and we’re going to keep on doing ***-weekly or monthly patches going forward to get the game into the best possible state.” The post How Goals is leaning into World Cup hype to promote its launch appeared first on GamesBeat. View the full article
Defense wins championships. It’s an old adage that you’ll hear across both college football and the NFL. Great teams – championship teams – make stops in the big moments. They separate a receiver’s soul from their body when they hit them. They instill fear. That’s probably why EA started off with defense when talking about College Football’s junior season. Many of these changes are also coming to Madden as well, so let’s get back to the gridiron and talk about it. One of the big changes is improved coverage that comes through a system EA is calling Look for Work. What this means is defenders won’t just wait until an offensive player enters their zone to cover them. Now, they’ll play with anticipation, which means better coverage. The other big changes are smart zones, which will allow you to make global coverage changes with a couple quick button presses. You want your guys to play conservatively? You can do that. Or, if you want them to be hyper aggressive and try to jump a route for a pick? You can do that at the push of a button. It’s a welcome adjustment. You’ve also got coverage adjustment checks: 25 options that you can tweak. You want to play trips formations a certain way when you’re in Cover 1? There’s a setting for that. You want Cover 4 to play bunch a certain way? You can tweak that, too. And that rules. Wide receivers will now also try to get the proper leverage for the route they’re running instead of just trying to win the route, even if that means beating the DB in a way that doesn't make sense for the route they're running. Meanwhile, DBs who are shading their coverage inside or outside will now play those routes better. Paired with that is a new feature called WR/DB Jostle, which allows receivers to handfight with cornerbacks at different points in the route – on the move, at the stem of the route, or when the ball is in the air. It allows great corners who are maybe not the fastest guys but are excellent technically to interfere with a route and change the timing on the route. It won’t work for everyone – fast guys can and will still burn you – but it’s great to see the handfighting that marks every Saturday and Sunday make it into the field. WR/DB Jostle allows receivers to handfight with cornerbacks at different points in the route. If one of your guys gets rattled, you can chat with them to get their mind right so they’ll play at their baseline. It’s a powerful way to help a player who has gone cold over the course of the game, but you can only do it three times a game. It looks like a powerful (and welcome) addition. Dynamic weather is another huge change. We got a glimpse of what this might look like last year with heavy snow and heavy rain games, but now these elements can change over the course of a game. The weather might start clear and then become snowy, or a snow game might level out for a bit before returning heavier than before. Those changes also mean that snow will pile up on the field in real time, and how you and your players interact with it will change how it looks and affects them. I could go on and on about individual gameplay changes and additions (and I’ll get back to some of those later), but if you’re into College Football, you want to hear about what’s going on with Dynasty. This year, things have changed quite a bit. It starts with AD Expectations. Each school will give you three: some schools might be focused on a rebuild; others might exclusively care about beating their rivals; some might want to win a national title or be conference champions or be known as a defensive powerhouse, and so on. Now, it’s less about simply winning games if you want to keep your job, and more about performing in a way your school expects. Similarly, some schools will be more patient with you than others, so you’ll have to deal with that, too. In addition, these goals will change each year. The more you win and the more your team improves, the higher the bar you’ll have to meet. AD Expectations will determine how your school judges you, but whether you succeed or fail will probably come down to what EA calls your Dynasty blueprint. To get it right, you’ll be investing Dynasty Points across three different areas: your coaching staff, team facilities, and of course, NIL. Every school has a different budget based on your school’s ratings in Conference Prestige, Brand Exposure, Stadium Atmosphere, and Program Tradition. Competing at the highest level or doing something like beating your rival can also award you additional rewards. You won’t get to keep anything that you don’t spend next year, so figuring out what your goals are – and how you want to approach them – are crucial. Different parts of the season will allow you to spend points in different ways. For instance, you’ll only be able to permanently upgrade your facility in the off-season, and coordinators can only be hired and fired at certain times. Coordinators, for instance, might prefer to coach at your school rather than another one based on how their own skills and desires line up with your program. You can absolutely overpay a guy to coach at your school when you make your offers, but you won’t be able to spend those points in other places. Facilities are similar. A truly great, national powerhouse facility has an enormous amount of bonuses that come with it, including more slots for equipment (temporary upgrades), better player progression, and a better facility grade, which determines how many Dynasty Points you get each year. You’ll also have to spend Dynasty Points on your players in the form of NIL deals. How much a player expects from an NIL deal depends on a lot of things, including how good that player is and their position, but also your school. A player will probably expect less from a larger school with a better program than they will from a smaller program. Scholarships take on more importance as a result, so be careful about how much you offer a player. You can go above and beyond what a player expects (and even change it later), but what you offer them will change their baseline for what they should be getting in the future. NIL offers can also be used to influence players from leaving via the transfer portal or going to the NFL draft. The Coaching Carousel has also been revamped, and you’ll now be able to see what a school values, who their top candidates are, how much they’re going to offer you, and how many Dynasty Points they’d give you to work with if hired. You can express interest in up to six schools, but expressing interest in a school means that you’ll take that job if offered, no take-backsies. Yeah, you’ll feel like a player for as long as you can get away with it, but people (and colleges) talk, and folks are gonna look at you a certain kinda way if you’re whispering sweet nothings into a different university’s ear each night. Recruits can decommit from your and other schools if they get another offer, just like in real life. Recruits can also decommit from your and other schools if they get another offer, just like in real life, and you now have more granular control over how hard your players go in practice, similar to what was introduced in Madden last year. There’s more, of course, but we gotta move onto Road to Glory, so let’s do that. This year, you can play three new positions – tight end, edge, and free safety – in addition to the old favorites. How you build your player determines his potential limits. ******* players, for instance, will probably be stronger and tougher, but they’re less likely to be burners. Once you get your guy squared away physically, you’ll determine your maximum potential by spending points across different stats. So while your physique may say, “Hey, you can do ‘X,’” you won’t be able to unless you push it to that cap. Well, mostly. There are also capbreakers, so if you’re skilled enough to build that one-of-one, Megatron, Cam Newton, Derrick Henry kinda cat, you can do it. And if that’s too much work, and you just wanna base your guy on a real-life legend, you can do that, too. You’ll still start in high school, and College Football 27 is better at recognizing when you do something impressive like rip off a big run or hit that deep ball, and will bump your tape score accordingly. High school games are also better at teaching you how to play your position. You can also now track your draft projection over the course of your career, and it will take on-the-field and off-the-field stuff into account. CFB 27 will also track your player's legacy score, so you can see the mark you’re leaving. In addition, you’ll have to manage your fitness this year. Don’t, and you’ll gain weight and your coach may be unhappy with you. Do, and you’ll be a force on the field. But being in peak physical form comes at a cost that you’ll have to manage. Ultimately, though, you’re still a student and you’ve gotta keep up your grades, which means quizzes and tests. Your school determines some of this stuff: a more academically rigorous school will require more from you, so if you don’t study, you’re risking going into a test on meteorology or Spanish blind. Good luck. At the end of each season, you’ll meet with your coach and evaluate your place on the team. They might keep you on as-is; they might offer you a better deal; or they might tell you you don’t have a future at their program, and you should hit the transfer portal. Sometimes it might be your fault. Sometimes it won’t be. You’ll have to adapt either way. Of course, you’ve also got the presentation updates that mark the next iteration of the yearly sports games. New mascots, new traditions, new fancy light shows and things like the wave going all the way around the stadium, new music. I could go into a ton of detail about all of this, but the point is that this stuff matters to help best capture the college game day atmosphere, and the long and short of it is that these things are one of the reasons it’s hard to go back to a previous entry after a new one releases. You miss this little details, and EA’s continued dedication to it is both necessary and impressive regardless of that. It all comes together on the field, though. I’d speculate I spent two hours on the sticks, and College Football 27 seems to be as advertised. Defense is suffocating. That doesn't mean you can’t score; you can, but it’s a lot harder and you’re gonna punt a lot more. Are you throwing into double and triple coverage? That’s probably getting picked. Defensive players react faster, cover better, and generally just feel more aware of what the offense is doing. The games I played were slugfests that forced both myself and my opponent into constant adaptation. One bad throw could change everything, and I loved it. In the same vein, the new defensive adjustments feel like they’re gonna matter quite a bit. If, like me, you’re used to Konami-Coding your defense to get exactly the coverage you want, you’re gonna be a little out-of-sorts initially. But I do appreciate how intuitive the new system is, and how much control it gives you. The issues I had with it weren’t on CFB 27; they were on me foolishly thinking that pressing left on the d-pad still brought up my defensive line (spoiler: it doesn't). Will it take some getting used to? Yeah. Is what’s here better for the game and new players especially? Absolutely. The nicest thing I can say about College Football 27 is an EA rep had to kick me off the machine because the preview event was over and they understandably wanted to go home. I was playing against a friend, and we had a close game going. So close, in fact, that we kinda ignored the first “you gotta wrap this up” reminder and kept playing until they came back and were like, “No, for real, you gotta leave.” And you know what? The score was exactly the same as it was when they first told us to pack it up. Defense wins championships, baby. Will Borger is an IGN freelancer. You can find him on Bluesky @edgarallanbro. View the full article
Diablo 4 Season 14 already has some players seriously concerned about the upcoming content drop. While Season 14 isn't set to start for a few weeks yet, the recently concluded 3.1 PTR for Diablo 4has received some scathing feedback, indicating that Blizzard has some work to do to ensure it lives up to the popular Season 13. View the full article
2026 is shaping up to be a busy year for video game releases, despite the looming threat of Grand Theft Auto 6scaring plenty of other games out of the holiday season. While February 2027 is looking like a popular alternative to going head-to-head with 2026, recent Summer Game Fest reveals suggest that September 2026 might be the busiest month of all. View the full article
After years of rumors that we would be getting a remake of the original game, Capcom finally unveiled Resident Evil Veronicaduring this year's 2026 Summer Game Fest with a thrilling teaser trailer. Even though the brief glimpses we got fromthe newly named Resident Evil Veronica remake didn't show too much of what to expect about the upcoming remake, Capcom hasn't been shy about sharing gameplay details ahead of the 2027 release window. View the full article
Not even a month after the smashing success of its release, 007 First Light has already offered a sneak peek at its very first story DLC during this year's Summer Game Fest, offering a brand-new story expansion that revisits the pirate city of Aleph. That wasn't all IO Interactive had in store, either, however, as after the event, the studio showed off plenty of content coming in 007 First Light's year one content roadmap. View the full article
The La Pulga Evolution is now live in FC 26, and we can use it to upgrade one of our attackers for free. EA Sports has released a big evolution available for free after quite some time, so let’s look at how to make the most out of it. Table of contentsFC 26 La Pulga Evolution requirementsFC 26 La Pulga Evolution upgradesBest players to use in La Pulga Evolution FC 26 La Pulga Evolution requirementshttps://embeds.beehiiv.com/a8d62108-86ed-4039-bf49-44877ba62c15 Here are the requirements of La Pulga in FC 26. Overall: Max 90 PlayStyle: Max 10 PlayStyle+: Max 2 Not Rarity: World Tour Silver Stars Position: RM or RW FC 26 La Pulga Evolution upgrades The evolution has five upgrade levels, each with specific conditions to meet. Level 1 upgrades Overall: +20|93 Acceleration: +20|95 Sprint Speed: +20|95 PlayStyles+: Technical|3 PlayStyles: Low Driven Shot|8 Level 2 upgrades Finishing: +20|94 Positioning: +20|94 Shot Power: +20|94 Volleys: +20|94 Skills: +4 Level 3 upgrades Crossing: +20|94 Long Passing: +20|93 Short Passing: +20|93 PlayStyles+: Finesse Shot|3 PlayStyles: Incisive Pass|8 Level 4 upgrades Agility: +20|96 Balance: +20|94 Ball control: +20|95 Curve: +20|95 Reactions: +20|95 Level 5 upgrades Dribbling: +20|95 Vision: +20|94 Composure: +20|94 PlayStyles+: Rapid|3 PlayStyles: First Touch|8 Level 1 upgrade requirements Play one match in Squad Battles on min Semi-Pro difficulty (or Rush/Rivals/Champions/Live Events) using your active EVO player. Level 2 upgrade requirements Play one match in Squad Battles on min Semi-Pro difficulty (or Rush/Rivals/Champions/Live Events) using your active EVO player. Level 3 upgrade requirements Play one match in Squad Battles on min Semi-Pro difficulty (or Rush/Rivals/Champions/Live Events) using your active EVO player. Level 4 upgrade requirements Play one match in Squad Battles on min. Semi-Pro difficulty (or Rush/Rivals/Champions/Live Events) using your active EVO Player. Level 5 upgrade requirements Play one match in Squad Battles on min. Semi-Pro difficulty (or Rush/Rivals/Champions/Live Events) using your active EVO Player. Best players to use in La Pulga Evolution Here are some of my best recommendations to include in the evolution. Messi TOTY HM Bischof World Tour Pino Future Stars Pedro Time Warp Gnably Star Performer Dembele Ultimate Scream Kaka Trophy Titans Sterling FC Fantasy Giuly Ultimate Birthday Hero Debinha Ultimate Scream /wp-content/themes/destructoid2025/assets/img/icons/likes-off.png0 The post Best players for FC 26 La Pulga Evolution appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article
Childhood trauma is nothing to scoff at, but sometimes I have a feeling that, as humans, we’re all born within the same parenting framework where household items could just as easily double as weapons whenever we did something wrong. And, for whatever reason, la chancla seemed to be the default option for many a frustrated mother trying to reason with her kids. And now that’s a fully fledged video game. In Flip-Flop Fury, you throw chanclas at “despicable targets,” as the game puts it, manually controlling this flying footwear-turned-weapon through the environment and avoiding obstacles to ensure it reaches its target. From the brief trailer shared by Alpha Beta Gamer, we see flip-flops flying through the sea, decrepit alleys, and even entire airplane classes, all with the ultimate goal of smacking someone’s head. This is Flip-Flop Fury, a physics-based projectile precision steering indie game where you hurl footwear at despicable targets! Coming to Steam: [Hidden Content] by indie dev @shapeshifterDgt [Hidden Content] — Alpha Beta Gamer (@gameralphabeta) June 10, 2026 [Hidden Content] Furthermore, the gameplay seems to take liberal inspiration from manual Batarang puzzles found in Batman: Arkham games, where you have to throw the Batarang and control it yourself to make it hit out-of-reach breakers and switches. In fact, the gameplay is so similar that I reckon if you were good at those Arkham puzzles, you’re going to be a god in this game, too. It’s a very unique and hilarious game that taps into our collective childhood trauma of having to play dodgeball with flip-flops and other household items, because you’d never know what your mom might get to first once you were proven to be a very, very naughty child. /wp-content/themes/destructoid2025/assets/img/icons/likes-off.png0 The post This game turns your mom’s flying sandal into a weapon of mass destruction appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article
The apparent end of Destiny 2 feels a whole lot worse today after skilled players found a hidden “ending” scene that teased some incredible events that were in the works for the franchise’s future. Basically, up until The Final Shape expansion in 2024, Destiny’s events led us to believe that The Witness was the “big bad” of the franchise. But recent developments over the past few expansions and seasons show that there’s something ******* and way worse. The Winnower. [Hidden Content] Screenshot by Destructoid The Witness felt like an impossible entity to defeat, but the players did it in The Final Shape, and it brought about the end of the Light and Darkness Saga in the franchise, giving birth to the Fates saga that has played out since. But with Destiny 2’s live-service content winding down with this week’s Monument of Triumph update, Bungie has emptied the tank. A slew of gameplay additions, quality of life updates, and more helped contribute to a massive spike in players on Tuesday. But yesterday, players maneuvered their way through several secret and Exotic missions to unlock a new set of dialogue from Lodi that’s equally exciting, and now, depressing. Previously hijacked by the planet-entities known as The Nine to be their voice, Lodi was, this time, taken over by an Unknown Voice. That unknown Voice is The Winnower, which is basically a being comprised of pure Darkness, while the Traveler is comprised of Light. The scene amounts to what feels like a new version of the Destiny 2 vanilla campaign’s credits scene, which showed The Witness’s fleet of ships awakening in deep space and heading towards Earth: a massive teaser for the big showdown. But we may never get that showdown now, and it sucks. Here’s the full transcript of what the Winnower had to say through Lodi: Ah, there’s blood on our hands, isn’t there? From this little…spat? Even they know it: that our meeting is inevitable. The eternal Nine—big deal. Between you and me, who isn’t? [sighs] Y’know the pieces they want you to knock down are already set? Ending…with me. A showdown at the end of time, between champions of Dark and Light. That’s why they courted you, impressed their own impotance upon you—they need your violence because I exist. But they don’t get to put you on hold and walk away, mm-mm. Drag those eight egos back in. Do what you do best: impose your will. That’s what a weapon’s for, after all! End it on your terms. This is what you wanted, isn’t it? In your heart of hearts? Don’t worry. When it’s over, I won’t abandon you. Take a breather. Take your libations. Let that vigor seep back into your bones. Get hungry. [Hidden Content] You can read more about The Winnower, and the “game” it played with the Gardener, on resources like Destinypedia. To explain succinctly, it was the creation of the universe, born from Light and Dark. But for Destiny fans, this teaser was it. Or, it was supposed to be. This was meant to be where things were headed. Theoretically, they still could be if Destiny 3 is ever greenlit. But that is as uncertain as ever. For now, Destiny 2 will no longer get live-service updates, and so, for now, it’s over. Destiny players everywhere have flocked back to the game to try and prove to Bungie and PlayStation that Destiny 3 is a worthy investment. I hope it works, because if The Witness’s saga and battles are any indication, whatever Bungie was cooking up for the Winnower would have been mindblowing. But for today, everything just feels really bad after getting a peek at what would have (and should have) been…and maybe still could have been? I don’t know. My Guardian heart aches today, and I’m not alone, because the cries for Destiny 3 are now only getting louder, knowing what we were supposed to be playing through. /wp-content/themes/destructoid2025/assets/img/icons/likes-off.png0 The post Destiny 2’s new hidden cutscene teases massive plans that may never come appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article
Season 3 of Overwatch is now right around the corner and Blizzard has begun showcasing the latest character joining the roster, the dual pistol, motorcycle riding damage hero, Shion. After reinventing itself earlier this year, Overwatch continues its strong momentum through 2026, with plenty more content on the way for the back half of the year. View the full article
It has been a long 13 years since the launch of the first game, but Telltale Games' The Wolf Among Us 2 is almost here, with new gameplay and story details unveiled at Summer Game Fest 2026. The Wolf Among Us 2 is one of the most highly anticipated games of next year, with fans excited to see the first game's cliffhanger finally resolved. View the full article
After a lengthy wait, Doom: The Dark Ages players finally got a look at its upcoming story DLC, and thankfully, it looks extremely promising. While seeing it in action will have been a big moment for existing Doom: The Dark Ages players, those who haven’t ripped and teared their way through the latest entry in the franchise have a chance to get a $1 copy through Steam. View the full article
A toy manufacturer has potentially leaked that a remaster of Fallout: New Vegas could be in development, according to figurine listings discovered on social media. Fallout: New Vegas is considered a fan-favorite of the Fallout franchise due to its storytelling and emphasis on player freedom. View the full article
Halo: Campaign Evolved's $200 Collector's Edition is sold out, but there is hope for a restock. Halo: Campaign Evolved is the second remake of the original Halo: Combat Evolved, the flagship game of the OG Xbox. Halo: Campaign Evolved doesn't feature Halo's iconic multiplayer mode, but it does breathe new life into the story campaign with significantly upgraded graphics and even some brand-new content. View the full article
Steam users can grab the 2006 award-winning puzzle game Eets completely free. The promotion marks Eets' return to Steam after being previously delisted, and to celebrate, developer Klei Entertainment has made it free to keep until June 15. View the full article
Happy 10th anniversary, Pokémon Go players! What a joy the game has been, huh? Who can forget those wonderful summer days in 2016 when seemingly everyone was out and about catching Pokémon on their smart phones? And the countless raids and memories since. Oh, we’ve all been training military drones each time we scanned a Pokéstop, by the way. [Hidden Content] Image via Niantic According to a report from Dutch outlet Trouw via DroneXL, hidden in those terms and conditions was a little note about how the game’s developer, Niantic, was keeping our 360-degree videos of Pokéstops. And agreeing to terms to play the game also granted the company “a transferable, sublicensable license to the scans” that it could use to sell footage to third parties. That third party now in question is Vantor, a defense intelligence company formerly known as Maxar Intelligence, that Niantic announced a partnership with this past December. According to the reports, 30 billion scans in the game “became the raw material for a Visual Positioning System, or VPS,” which is a system that “works out where a camera is by matching what it sees against a detailed 3D model of the world.” In theory, VPS strengthens the capabilities of drones in areas where they could otherwise be blocked out by interference, like in warzones where jammers are often deployed. “Where GPS depends on a satellite signal, VPS works out where a camera is by matching what it sees against a detailed 3D model of the world,” DroneXL explained. “Two recognizable reference points a few pixels wide can be enough to fix a location.” When asked by Trouw, Vantor denied that it would use data from Pokémon Go, but was “unwilling to say whether that also means that the model the defense company is going to deploy has not been trained with that data.” That’s not a very positive sign. Image via TPC “Without the large number of scans from all those gamers, the development of this system would never have progressed so quickly,” Jeroen van den Hoven, Professor of Ethics and Technology at TU Delft, said to Trouw. “The players have indirectly contributed to military applications, in a perhaps minimal but nonetheless effective way.” I don’t really even know what to say anymore. I haven’t played Pokémon Go in a long time and barely (if ever) used the scan function, but I just uninstalled the app from my phone. It feels too little, too late, and this whole thing makes my stomach turn. It’s hard not to feel like we are all pawns in a larger, sinister game, even when it comes to an assumedly innocent pastime like Pokémon. /wp-content/themes/destructoid2025/assets/img/icons/likes-off.png0 The post Your happy Pokémon Go memories were probably used to train military drones appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article
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We went hands-on with RGG Studio's next ambitious project that tells the roots of the Tojo Clan throughout five different time periods. View the full article