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The studio behind the breakout hit Marvel Rivals, NetEase, have officially announced a single-player action game called Blood Message, which has fans very excited based on the reveal trailer. Blood Message is a complete departure from Marvel Rivals in pretty much every respect, focusing on single-player third-person gameplay and cinematic narrative storytelling as well. The Blood Message reveal has fans of single-player action games very excited about what's to come, even with limited details available. View the full article

Blood Message is a new singleplayer third-person action game from NetEase, publishers of Marvel Rivals and Naraka: Bladepoint. It follows the journey of a “nameless messenger” and his son across ***** dynasty China, and is laced with the “customs, culture, and rich history of the era”. Amongst other sights and sounds, you will join an uprising in Shazhou, Dunhuang and tread the legendary Silk Road trade routes as you “etch a final tale of loyalty” into the helpless, screaming face of Unreal Engine 5. I know absolutely nothing about any of these historical and cultural precedents, so I will frame things in terms of the mechanics and skits I recognise from opulent manly bonkfests like God Of War. You will: shimmy through narrow gaps, presumably so that the next area has time to load! Lift a huge sliding door so that your AI-controlled partner can scamper under it, bookending your progress! Mash somebody’s mug into the woodwork while performing an environmental finisher! Topple over and slide uncontrollably through collapsing scenery! Remorselessly QTE a cartwheel while trapped beneath the speeding vehicle! There, now - between those two paragraphs, you don’t even need to watch the following trailer. Read more View the full article

While the prospect The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered turning out to be a real thing had folks wondering what that might mean for Oblivion remake mod Skyblivion's release, Bethesda were quick quell fears of a shutdown. Both sides have been openly chummy since that point, with the studio behind The Elder Scrolls even having the team of modders pop by for a visit around the time their project was being shouted out on the official channels. We've now learned a bit more about how that social call went and what the two sides chatted about. Read more View the full article

I've tested all the latest and greatest Hall effect gaming keyboards and narrowed the competition down to the four best models available this weekend.View the full article

Xbox has added a new lineup of games to its "Stream Your Own Game" program, including Borderlands 2, Nier: Automata, and even the freshly released MindsEye. Part of Xbox Game Pass' Ultimate tier of benefits, the program allows Xbox fans to stream games that they own on the go using Xbox's Cloud Gaming tech. It's a solid option for gamers who've yet to get their hands on one of the new handheld devices that can run games natively. View the full article

Exclusive | There's a reason 2025 is being called the "Year of Obsidian"View the full article

Uh oh, your Disney Dreamlight Valley village is under attack by pirates. At least, that's the story Peter Pan comes up during his level ten friendship quest, "The Valley Pirates," as a way to have some fun. It's a little childish, but that's what he's all about. Table of contentsBuy and wear a ****** and Red Top HatFind Eric the MeekBribe the First Mate in the DreamscapeGet past Skull Rock's pirate guardLocate the Valley Pirates' treasure chestBuy and wear a ****** and Red Top Hat Before you can start thwarting the plans of these "pirates," you'll need to look the part by creating a Lost Boys costume. Although the only requirement is buying a ****** and red top hat from Scrooge McDuck's shop and wearing it, wearing bold, quirky, and traditional clothes is a bonus. Screenshot by Destructoid You can make this portion of the quest much easier by using your Wardrobe menu's filter system to sort by the Valley Pirates quest or these three tags. Find Eric the Meek Now that you look like a true pirate, it's time to search for Prince Eric, known during this quest as Eric the Meek. You'll find him inside Olaf's Cave, which you previously visited while searching for glowing musical notes during Skull Rock's storyline. Screenshot by Destructoid Upon entering the cave, you'll notice several ice spikes blocking access to Eric. Break four of them before speaking to him to learn more about this game you're all playing. Keeping up with the pirate theme, Eric reveals there's a First Mate you must bribe and speak to before you can talk to the team's captain. Bribe the First Mate in the Dreamscape Before you can find and talk to the quest's First Mate, you'll need to gather the following bribes: Minerals (5)Gold Nuggets (10) "Minerals," in this case, include any gem available in Disney Dreamlight Valley. You can either go out and farm five or pick up any you've stockpiled over time if you have some spare. Gold nuggets are also relatively easy to obtain by this point in your playthrough. You can get them from the Sunlit Plateau, Frosted Heights, and the Forgotten Lands. Screenshot by Destructoid With everything on hand, head to the Forgotten Lands and enter its treehouse to access the Dreamscape and find the Fairy Godmother. It turns out that she's the First Mate in this game. She'll make an honest attempt to keep up with her role before sending you off to Skull Rock. Get past Skull Rock's pirate guard Our next objective is to head to Skull Rock and confront its pirate guard. You'll spot Ariel, the guard, almost immediately after stepping into the cave. Screenshot by Destructoid She'll stay in character surprisingly well, telling you about a secret regarding mermaids and the Lost Boys before reminding you to search for the pirate's captain. Locate the Valley Pirates' treasure chest Our final goal is to find the pirate's captain and claim their treasure chest. Heading up the nearby wooden plank ramps, you'll quickly notice several spotlights that act as barriers. Walking into these will cause you to teleport back to a checkpoint, so you'll need to be stealthy and agile to get past them. Having sprint energy helps a lot during this sequence. Screenshot by Destructoid As you avoid these lights, you'll occasionally notice members of the Dreamlight Valley Lost Boys standing around. Don't worry: they're on your side, so you don't need to dodge them. Advancing will eventually bring you to the music room, where you'll learn the true identity of the pirate's captain. Following a brief chat with Peter Pan, you'll learn that the pirate's captain in this game is The Forgotten. Continuing to dodge the spotlights, approach The Forgotten and engage in a make-believe swordfight until you win. The dialogue here doesn't matter too much, so feel free to get creative here. After the fight, The Forgotten will give you a key to open the nearby treasure chest, letting you interact with both in your character's inventory. Opening the treasure chest reveals a second, larger set of chests to place in your village. Place the chests anywhere before taking a picture in front of them to wrap up the "The Valley Pirates" quest and Peter Pan's storyline. The post The Valley Pirates quest walkthrough in Disney Dreamlight Valley appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article

Has the PS5 and Xbox Series era been disappointing? I know that sounds like a very open-ended question, but with Xbox and Sony both announcing they are working on their next generation systems, I had a look at both my PS5 and Series X and felt that, overall, I was let down with my purchases. Xbox Series X has felt like a great console that isn't needed anymore, with Xbox launching all their games on PC and moving towards a "play anywhere" idea that doesn't need a system at all to play some of the biggest titles. Xbox is also moving to have its games appear on other systems, making the thought of getting an Xbox console for its exclusives obsolete nowadays. And for PS5, while there have been some great exclusive games for the system, especially around launch, it feels like the first-party offerings have been slim pickings in comparison to, say, Nintendo, which seems to offer a big first-party lineup for games for the Switch and Switch 2 every month. I'd argue that PlayStation has coming of the biggest IPs around in gaming, but doesn't seem to do much with them. Then there are also the fiascos. Does anyone here remember what happened with Concord and PlayStation's push for live service games for a while? Maybe you think, though, that one system has done better than the other. I can't deny there have been some positives to come out of this generation, but overall, when I weigh up the good and the bad, it all feels very disappointing and not worth the purchase of the system. I didn't even bother getting a PS5 Pro because it felt like there wasn't anything that was going to push the console to its limits on the selection of games. Really. This generation of games has been a story of third parties. Capcom has been killing it, we've had some amazing games from AA studios like the recently released Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and it's been a mammoth few years for indie games from Lethal Company and beyond—games that didn't even come to any consoles. So I ask you, what are your thoughts? Did PS5 and Series X/S drop the ball this generation? Do you have a different take? Let me know in the poll or drop your thoughts in the comments below. The post POLL: Has the PS5 and Xbox Series era been disappointing so far? appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article

Third-party plugins might or might not help you play Final Fantasy XIV (ignoring what Square Enix feels on the topic), but some of them, like PlayerScope, can create trouble with the community. The story of the so-called "stalker plugin" (for what it did) has now ended based on a message from the developer on Discord. This news will be music to the ears of all who don't want their data to go public in the first place. It's unclear what steps Square Enix might have added to the cease-and-desist letter, but it seems to have done its job. As of writing, the plugin has been completely shut down, and any version you might still find is certainly a clone and could also be malicious. The PlayerScope plugin has always been a major worry for Final Fantasy XIV players PlayerScope allowed anyone to find someone using their Final Fantasy XIV character name. This would reveal all the account details, including all other characters linked to the same account. The information was also on PlayerScope's servers, with no information on how it was used or stored. [Hidden Content] Earlier on June 19, Reddit user u/Registeredfor shared the screenshot of a Discord server where it was announced that PlayerScope's development and services are being terminated. The backend has been taken offline, and all stored data has been permanently deleted. All the files have also been removed from sites like GitFlic and GitHub. The developer has also announced that this will be the end of all kinds of support and development for the project from their side. It's been well-known at this point that Square Enix has never liked the use of third-party plugins, and the nature of PlayerScope makes it worse. Earlier in February this year, Square Enix announced that they would make changes to the blacklisting process of characters. While the much-maligned and controversial plugin has been delisted, we hope that no traces of user data have been exploited or sold to other parties illegally. The post Final Fantasy XIV’s controversial “stalker plugin” is taken offline after cease-and-desist threat as fans rejoice appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article

Chrono Odyssey Playtest has peaked at 50,147 concurrent players on 20 June 2025 a day after release. View charts and more statistics on our website.View the full article

June 25 is going to be a huge day for Palworld fans because that’s when the highly anticipated crossover with Terraria will finally happen. Pocketpair has revealed the release date for the crossover alongside a short, animated teaser featuring Palworld and Terraria characters. View the full article

The 2023 remake of Dead Space, one of the best horror games ever made, is on ***** at an incredibly steep discount on Steam. Originally released in 2008, Dead Space is an icon in the horror genre, and remains an incredibly engaging game, especially after its touch-ups a couple of years ago, and a huge part of its appeal is its digestible size. View the full article

I am getting a real kick out of Rematch. As a football game, its closest analogue isn't FIFA or eFootball, but a certain nitro-boosting sports 'em up that has been going for ten years. I've already seen it jokingly described as "Rocket League without cars." An infuriatingly accurate description that does half my job for me. My list of irritations with it is long. But there is something so compelling about the kick-by-kick play, each match a little drama, that I will gladly scrunch that list of complaints into a ball and toepoke it into a waste paper basket on the other side of the room. GOOOAAALLL! Read more View the full article

Here's "where the power of a proper remake comes from"View the full article

Remedy has posted a candid statement acknowledging "not everything has gone well" at the launch of its multiplayer Control spin-off FBC: Firebreak, and outlined how it hopes to improve the game in the coming weeks. FBC: Firebreak launched on June 17, but already sits on a "mixed" user score on Steam. Calling the launch an "exciting and nerve-wracking time," developer Remedy told players it had heard feedback "loudly and clearly," and admitted "it's clear there are features that need to improve, and they will improve." "We are improving some features starting now. While we can improve some features today and in the near term, some others will take longer and require more thinking from us. We will keep you informed every step of the way. "But you’re not here for platitudes," the statement added. "You want to know how we will improve your player experience in FBC: Firebreak, so let’s get into it." The team has immediately identified a problem with "the first hour experience," saying that FBC: Firebreak's opening gameplay was not "a great experience due to a combination of things," including issues with onboarding, poorly explained systems and tools, and "a lack of clarity as to what to do in the Jobs and how to do the work effectively." The developer also said: "the power fantasy isn't great in the first hours of the game as starting weapons feel weak, and unlocking higher-tier weapons requires a bit too much grinding." Perhaps unsurprisingly, then, Remedy wants better onboarding and user-interface clarity, as well as making Jobs easier to access. This means you'll no longer need to play the first two Clearance Levels of each Job, and new players start off with a "full three-zone Hot Fix Job run." There are also plans to speed up progression and gear unlocks. Remedy says these changes are just the beginning, and represent the most "immediate changes" coming to the game. It is also actively discussing broader improvements based on player feedback. "Right now, despite how sparse the story can seem in moments, there’s a lot of fun to be had wrangling erratic monsters in Remedy’s spectacularly absurd bureaucratic setting," we wrote in IGN's FBC: Firebreak review in progress. "I’ll be playing more this week and wrap up this review as soon as I’ve tested the limits of Remedy’s chaotic cooperative job simulator." Remedy also recently confirmed its plans for ongoing support post-launch, including two new Jobs (missions) coming in 2025. More updates will arrive in 2026, the developer said. All playable content released post launch, such as Jobs, will be free to all players. Players have the option to buy cosmetics, but none of these items will affect gameplay, and there will be no limited-time rotations or daily log-ins, Remedy insisted. It's a busy time for Alan Wake developer Remedy, which has a number of projects on the go. As well as FBC: Firebreak, it's working on Control 2 and the Max Payne and Max Payne 2 remake compilation. Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world's biggest gaming sites and publications. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky. View the full article

Details on the Splitgate 2 ranked mode for competitive playersView the full article

The action game revival is comingView the full article

Borderlands 4 will have an optional combat radar when it launches in September. The latest entry in the looter shooter franchise has faced quite a few ups and downs over the past few months as fans have rejoiced over some announced changes and criticized others. It seems Gearbox is listening to the feedback, though, as it is adding the radar to Borderlands 4 after seeing enough demand from its fanbase. View the full article

The OXS Storm G2 wireless gaming headset is hard to recommend at full price, but this current deal price feels just right.View the full article For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

I think the ROG Xbox Ally X can tell us a surprising amount about the "next-generation of Xbox"View the full article

Borderlands fans, you won. Gearbox Software heard the feedback about Borderlands 4's lack of a minimap loud and clear, and has been working behind the scenes on fixing things. When Gearbox revealed there'd be no minimap in Borderlands 4, opting for a compass with red markers indicating enemies instead, fans were not thrilled. After playing the game last month, I got used to the minimap-less gameplay, but Gearbox was quietly working on adding something new to address concerns. [Hidden Content] Yesterday, Gearbox CEO ****** Pitchford revealed that the team has been working hard on a combat radar option for the game. The radar will sit top right on the screen, but will be off by default, so players can choose to add it to their experience if they want it. And I think that's an excellent compromise. When I visited Gearbox to play Borderlands 4 early last month, senior project producer Anthony Nicholson defended the game's decision not to have a minimap, but also stated that everything they do is for the fans and what players will find fun. BL4's lack of a minimap was "more of a philosophy based on the design of the game,” Nicholson told me on May 14, "because we want you to be able to go out and explore more." The new Destiny 2 Ghost-like ECHO-4 bot that follows you around and scans the environment is meant to replace the mini map, but the player complaints were apparently loud enough to find a middle ground. The combat radar isn't as detailed as a minimap in the past, and the game's map can still be seen from a separate menu. It shows enemies in your vicinity as red dots, showing their locations nearby and indicating if they are above and below you. Gearbox's willingness to listen to feedback was already apparent based on what I played, but this decision only hammers that point home further. I'm looking forward to playing more when Borderlands 4 launches on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S on Sept. 12. The post Borderlands 4 will have a radar option after all, as Gearbox doubles down on listening to community feedback appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article

The wholesale changes and reworks keep on coming in Destiny 2 for its Edge of Fate expansion next month, including how melee attacks and their effects work. Starting in Edge of Fate, melee effects will be additive instead of multiplicative, meaning the effects will be added together instead of creating a multiplier. For example, two 50 percent damage increases now create a 2.25x multiplier, but in Edge of Fate they will combine to make a 100 percent increase. Image via Bungie Bungie says that the change "does result in a lower damage ceiling for melee abilities, and it is unlikely that most bosses will ever be one-shot with melee abilities going forward," which will disappoint some. But the changes will buff "almost all" of the effects that increase melee damage, and in PvE, melee damage-increasing effects will "always stack at full value." Armor 3.0 is also introducing a new stat, Melee, which is basically what Strength is now, so players looking to create a melee-centric build will want to find armor with high Melee stats to keep themselves swinging fists and knives. "Our goal with these changes is to make it much easier to create a personalized build that works the way you want," Bungie said. "Many, many potential combinations of melee abilities and buildcrafting atoms are now much stronger than they were. We are very excited to see what melee builds y'all cook up in The Edge of Fate with these new changes!" It's all just a confusing bunch of numbers right right now, and it will be tough to understand how this all works until players get to play the expansion on July 15. Before that, though, Bungie will host a live stream on June 24 to further detail what to expect, including new ability stats, new weapons, Armor 3.0, and the new destination Kepler. As a long-time player who feels little excitement for this DLC thus far, I'm hoping that some of the changes coming will reinvigorate my love of the looter shooter that has been steadily waning for years. The post Destiny 2 is totally changing melee attacks in Edge of Fate, and I can’t wait to punch and slap everyone to try them out appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article

During Letter From the Producer LIVE Part 87, Final Fantasy 14 producer and director Naoki Yoshida gave players the first glimpses of Patch 7.3, titled The Promise of Tomorrow. The upcoming Final Fantasy 14 patch will be the climax of Dawntrail's main story and will include some callbacks to two past Final Fantasy franchise entries. View the full article

All of the details on Splitgate 2 cross-platform play and cross-progression across platformsView the full article

The fight took over 40 minutesView the full article