Steam

In this episode, Chao takes a look at The Weeping Swan, Bryan & Mikhail (try to) check out Starfield's new Terran Armada DLC, and we discuss the news out of the Level-5 and Triple-i showcases. View the full article

Tap Tap Loot is coming soon to PC players after successful demo tests, and not long it left for it to go live. Developed by Turtle Knight Games, the game tests your ability to click and type to help your characters grow and take on ******* challenges. However, let's first look at when the launch goes live. Table of contentsTap Tap Loot release countdownWhat to expect from Tap Tap LootTap Tap Loot release countdown Tap Tap Loot will release globally on Monday, April 13. The release date has been confirmed by the developers, and it's unlikely to change. The following countdown will go live once the launch goes live worldwide. [hurrytimer id="1204025"] The countdown is based on the following timings. 3am PT5am CT6am ET11am UTC12pm CET The timings are based on the information available on SteamDB. If there are any changes, I will duly update them on the guide. What to expect from Tap Tap Loot In Tap Tap Loot, you progress with every click and keystroke. You play as your own cat hero who embarks on an adventure of epic proportions. At the start, your hero will be extremely weak in terms of its stats and abilities. However, the more you type and click, the more your characters grow. No two heroes are the same, and you can choose from 200 unique items. There are different classes and weapons to utilise if you want to do that. You've entire freedom to decide how your character plays in the game. You'll come across different enemies spread across six unique biomes. Some will be easy to deal with, while the others will be harder to hit. If you want to play it safe, you can invite your players in up to 4-player co-op and share the spoils. If you're still unsure about the game, you can try the free demo that's available on Steam. The post Tap Tap Loot release countdown: Exact date and time appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article

As the Invincible VS beta test winds down, players are hoping publisher Skybound Games and developer Quarter Up do something to fix its “rage quitting” problem. The fighting game based on the comic book-turned-TV show will soon close the servers that have allowed players to try out a slice of its superhero roster since April 9. With launch still weeks away, those who signed up for the limited test are left to reflect on the battles where they may have beaten their opponents a bit too badly. Players of varying skill levels flocked to the Invincible VS beta and quickly found that there seemed to be little penalty for those who left matches prematurely. It led to moments where Viltrumites and Guardians alike would be pummeling their foes with a string of combos only to be met with an error that simply said, “opponent disconnected.” I can’t with these rage quitters byu/Proud-Firefighter601 inInvincibleVS .reddit-embed-wrapper iframe { margin-left: 0 !important; } "If someone as casual as myself is experiencing this frequently then that's a bit worrisome when you think about how the playerbase will be for this game," one player said. "Safe to say we're going to need an automated penalty system to deter rage quitting in this game for sure." “My trick for less quits was to start playing with random characters I didn’t really practice with,” another suggested. “That way there’s a feeling out process in the beginning of the fight that makes them less likely to rage quit.” Rage quitters, otherwise known as players who exit a match early because they may or may not be losing, are far from a new concept. Whether it be through delayed ****** times or even temporary bans, many multiplayer games, especially the more competitive ones, typically have some sort of system in place to discourage this kind of behavior. Invincible VS, however, doesn’t seem to have any kind of deterrent. Some players believe matchmaking may help the issue, with the more skilled fighters also reporting that they’ve continuously found themselves stacked in unfair matches leaning in their favor. While others have started suggesting Quarter Up implement penalties of some kind, a few believe something more extravagant, such as a feature similar to the Quitality from Mortal Kombat. It makes sense that a free beta test would attract players who aren't as familiar with tag-team fighting games like Invincible VS, so many fans have started recommending newcomers at least don't skip the tutorial. Either way, some of the memes that have emerged from the weekend suggest players want something to be done. “Make a fighting game free and you get a bunch of people who arent prepared for a fighting game,” one Reddit user teased. "God forbid I have prior fighting game experience, lol," another joked. before you start labbing or hopping online. play the byu/WaxedOut87 inInvincibleVS .reddit-embed-wrapper iframe { margin-left: 0 !important; } INVINCIBLE VS DEVS, Implement quitalities ala Mortal Kombat where Cecil drops the orbital laser on rage quitters, and my life is yours. byu/RawthonBawthon inInvincibleVS .reddit-embed-wrapper iframe { margin-left: 0 !important; } I SEEK A WORTHY OPPONENT byu/ElliotSmelliot123 inInvincibleVS .reddit-embed-wrapper iframe { margin-left: 0 !important; } I am a victim of my own success… byu/ElliotSmelliot123 inInvincibleVS .reddit-embed-wrapper iframe { margin-left: 0 !important; } Invincible VS launches for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X | S April 30, 2026. Those who participated in the beta gained access to the Coalition of Planets Omni-Man skin. For more while we wait to see how Quarter Up and Skybound may respond to complaints of rage quitting and other beta feedback, you can learn more about Conquest as a playable character and the two DLC fighters set to arrive this summer. 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

Temtem: Pioneers is a newly announced co-op survival game blending Pokemon-like creature collection with an extensive crafting system that took mere hours to hit its crowdfunding goal on Kickstarter. The latest installment in the Temtem series is targeting a 2028 launch, albeit for a limited list of platforms. View the full article

The camel is a brand-new mount you can find in the Soulmask Shifting Sands update, and it's a perfect companion to survive the harsh nature of the desert. It can travel the sand-filled land in an adept fashion, and also offer you extra storage space for your items. However, having a camel as a mount isn't an easy task. It begins with capturing the creature in the wild. Table of contentsAll camel locations in SoulmaskHow to capture a camel in SoulmaskHow to use the camel as a mount in SoulmaskAll camel locations in Soulmask To catch the camel, you'll need to be at a spot where they roam. The Rockhenge Desert is a consistent spawn zone where you'll find them around the rock formations. Screenshot and remix by Destructoid When you want to get a camel mount, you'll have to look for the babies. The adults can be trapped, but they can't be tamed. When you're trying to catch a kid, an adult will try to interfere and stop your efforts. To catch a camel, you'll need a medium trap, which has to be unlocked from the Technology tab. Once done, you'll need to craft at least four traps and add them to your inventory. You'll also need bait to set in the trap. To capture camels, you'll need Figs. Figs can be found in barbarian camps like Moon Bay. You can also find them randomly while looting containers. How to capture a camel in Soulmask Once you've spotted a baby camel, try to lure away the adult camels. Do so before planting the traps so that they don't accidentally activate them. Now, try to anticipate the path of the baby camel and set the trap (with the bait inside). Set multiple ones because it's nearly impossible to predict where the baby will go accurately. Image via Qooland Games Keep your distance and wait for the baby camel to approach a trap. Once it's inside and touches the fig, the trap will automatically activate. Interact immediately with the trap to get your baby camel. Incidentally, you can also find baby camels from barbarian camps. However, this method is reliant on luck, so you can't depend on it. How to use the camel as a mount in Soulmask To use the camel as a mount, you'll need a cradle. But first, you have to help your camel grow up by taking care of it. Provide figs and water via containers or troughs. If you fail to take care of its needs, it might even die. Image via Qooland Games To craft the saddle, you'll need the following materials. 20 Leather10 Leather Rope15 Gauze10 Thin Rope Once the saddle is made at a armor forging table, you can then equip it on your camel to use it as a mount. Additionally, you can also equip a wicker basket to boost its default storage capacity. The post How to get a Camel mount in Soulmask Shifting Sands appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article

Fortnite has shared a roadmap featuring all acts in the Chapter 7 Season 2, allowing players to get an idea of what's coming to the game this season. Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 2 went live on March 19 and took players from the Pacific Break season to Fortnite Showdown. While the previous season featured a vague theme, its main purpose was to introduce the Dark Voyager and the return of The Seven — important parts to the Fortnite storyline. View the full article

Former Bethesda Softworks marketing lead Pete Hines has opened up about how he saw the Fallout publisher get "damaged and broken apart" before announcing his retirement in 2023. The now-retired gaming industry veteran touched on why he chose to step away from Bethesda during a wide-ranging interview with Firezide Chat. When reminiscing about his decades-long journey through the release of everything from Doom to The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, Hines shared his feelings about changes within the company and what ultimately drove him to leave. Hines had previously stated that it made sense for him to retire around the launch of the long-awaited Starfield and reiterated that point in the new interview. Although moving on meant leaving colleagues like Bethesda’s Todd Howard and Erin Losi, there was more than simple timing influencing his decision. “I just hit a point of yes, [Bethesda] needs me, and I am powerless to do what I think needs to be done to run this place properly, to protect these people, to maintain what we worked so hard to create, which is an incredibly efficient, well run video game developer and publisher,” he explained. “And when I was unable to do what I thought my job should involve in continuing to have that place be, you know, if not the most efficient publisher in the game industry, it was way the f**k up there. And when I couldn't protect it, and I saw how it was getting damaged and broken apart and frankly mistreated, abused, whatever word you want to use, I said I am not going to sit here and watch this happen right in front of me.” Hines continued, saying, “This is not when I wanted it to end or how I wanted it to end.” However, he said attempting to maintain his role at Bethesda took a toll on his mental health, adding that he eventually made the decision to leave sometime in 2022, the year before Starfield launched. Every time Todd delayed Starfield, I thought, f**k, I'm here another eight months. “Every time Todd delayed Starfield, I thought, f**k, I'm here another eight months,” he said. “And Todd was the only one who knew. It's another reason I love that man. He showed up for me when I was just at my wit's end and got me through that, and got me out of there in a way that I still retained my sanity.” Hines refrained from speaking in detail about any individual event, person, or decision that caused him to consider exiting in the first place. The timeline leading to the Hines’ retirement includes Microsoft’s announcement that it intended to acquire Bethesda parent company ZeniMax Media for $7.5 billion in 2020 before completing the acquisition in 2021. Emails revealed in 2023 also saw the former marketing lead express confusion over Microsoft’s decision to make Bethesda titles Xbox exclusive while pushing games like Call of Duty to other platforms. “Yeah, that was the worst f**king part,” Hines continued in the Firezide Chat interview. “It was to join a place that I genuinely was a fan of and people there I genuinely held in high regard and esteem, and then to get there and see how it actually worked. And truthfully, I still think Bethesda is just part of something that is not authentic and is not genuine. “To talk is something, right? But I'm very much about what is the follow up to that? Do you mean what you say? Or are you just saying ***** that sounds good and then as soon as you leave this room that's completely forgotten?” He admitted that Bethesda may not have always been able to do what it said it was going to do. However, he feels it at least always tried, adding, "We are going to do what we say and say what we do and be genuine and be authentic." “And truthfully, I still think Bethesda is just part of something that is not authentic and is not genuine," he continued. "And that shouldn't be a surprise to you.” Hines has been vocal about changes at Bethesda in the years since his retirement. In September 2025, he remembered the early days of his 24-year run at the game publisher, arguing that it’s “not the same” anymore. The same interview saw him discussing how it came up with the name of 2017’s Prey, the launch of Fallout 76, and why subscription services like Game Pass need developers to survive. Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images. 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

A stylish new RPG has just been released on Steam, and you can check it out for free right now. You can find thousands of freebies on the gaming platform, from free-to-play titles to demos and DLCs that expand some games. Just a few days ago, Steam dropped four free games for players to claim and keep forever, enabling them to play them at any time, considering the titles remain listed on the platform. View the full article

Now this is what I'm talking about: Modder Ionian-MikiriyAKATotallyNotShinobi (god damn that's a mouthful) has come out with a banger on the Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice Nexus: Jet Set Sekiro, a custom skateboarding level where you shred around the Fountainhead Palace like the spirit of 2002 never died... Read more.View the full article

The Shifting Sands update has added a fair number of ships in Soulmask, and they will allow you to travel the new land. These ships also unlock the ability to fly once you get the more advanced upgrades. Let's quickly look through all the new ship types that you can acquire in the game. Table of contentsHow to get all new ships in Soulmask Shifting SandsTribe boatWooden Sky boatFalconSharkHow to get all new ships in Soulmask Shifting Sands When you begin the DLC, the options for ships will be limited. You'll slowly start getting new upgrades and more boat options as you clear the in-game content of the DLC. Tribe boat Image via Qooland Games These fully-built boats can be obtained from different areas of the map, and they can move on water and land. While they can't fly, Tribe boats are great for beginners. You can keep at most three of them, and they also have an in-built inventory on the side. You'll discover them randomly as you cover different areas of the map. The locations appear to be random and change based on your saves, but they're fairly common. Wooden Sky boat Image via Qooland Games The Wooden Sky boat will be the first ship truly yours. You'll be able to fully build the ship as you want, and you can upgrade it to make it fly. You can get them by clearing the introductory quests or by simply reaching the Bronze Age. Either way, it's not a difficult one to unlock. The Wooden Sky boat is significantly ******* than the Tribe boat, and you can get some great upgrades. The base inventory is big, and you can put foundations. You can also opt for a faster engine later on. You can also choose to put your Bonfire on it (strangely, it won't burn the boat). Falcon Image via Qooland Games This medium-sized ship can be obtained when you reach the Iron Age. Go to the Knowledge and Technology tab, and unlock the Premium Shipbuilding Technique, which allows you to craft the parts of the Falcon. It will take a bit of time for you to reach the stage, but it's worth the wait. Compared to the Wooden Sky boat, it's slower in the water, but quicker in the air. You can also upgrade the engine to improve the speed. Thanks to the ******* hull, it offers a large amount of space. Once again, you can add foundations to store even more items. Shark The Shark is a massive ship that mounts giant cannons that you can use to eliminate your enemies. To get this ship, you'll need to reach the Steel Age, and then unlock the Advanced Shipbuilding Technique. This ship will be part of a future update, but the unlock process will remain the same. Based on what has been shown to us, this will be a significantly ******* ship than the Falcon and offer an immense offensive arsenal to take down enemies. The post All new ship types in Soulmask Shifting Sands and how to get them appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article

There still isn’t anything quite like Distance out there. Normally classified as a “racing platformer” in most baseline discussions, including on its store page, it combines boost-based trick jumps with some genuinely chilling horror stuff and some interesting atmospheric sci-fi storytelling. Imagine you’re playing Rocket League in space, but there are no ****** and no opponents, just a frantic rush through a collapsing station. A genuinely challenging platformer combined with great level design and a deep, precise control scheme, Distance works great as a speedrun game and a fun challenge of your abilities – perhaps not as much as a racer but as a platformer. But then there’s the sci-fi and the horror part, which can also give you pause. “Melding the intensity of arcade racing with the agility of parkour, Distance catapults you into a neon-soaked world shrouded in mystery. Adapt quickly using your car’s abilities to jump, flip, and fly to overcome deadly hazards and survive” – this is how they describe the game in their PlayStation release announcement just two years ago, which should tell you everything you need to know about the title. Because, yes, I can confirm: this description is surprisingly accurate. [Hidden Content] It takes a bit of time to suss out the complicated controls and the platforming challenges offered by Distance, but once you do, and hop and skip around at high speed in this uniquely clean, colorful and metallic environment, it is still an incredible experience today. Comms system announcements and loading screen snippets give you almost FromSoft-like lore drips, setting you up for the distortions and surprises to come. Because there are genuine disruptions in your racing (or, rather, platforming) experience) and the loss of control really works well for this sort of genre vibe. We can go back a little further here, too. The origins of Distance can be traced back to a student project called Nitronic Rush, itself one of the first notable results of the Digipen Institute of Technology, and one of the first signs that the video game industry is shifting to a more rigid, academic pathway compared to maverick garage projects. That version was more colorful, and while it’s a lesser game, I think I enjoyed it a little more. What does this mean for you? Well, even if the tense and horror-adjacent tone of Distance feels a bit too much, the same folks made a different game for you to also check out and try. It’s a good idea to go the distance. Refract hasn’t done much new since, but the game launched on PS4 and PS5 in 2024, so I’m holding out hope they will give us another unique, special experience. The post If you like unusual genre mixes, this horror racing game might be just for you appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article

Given how few official details we've gotten since Grand Theft Auto 6was officially announced, it's not too surprising that players have been picking apart every detail they can get their hands on to try and predict its story. Unfortunately, while we've had plenty of gameplay leaks for GTA 6, we still know painfully little about its story outside its initial premise. View the full article

Artemis II returned to Earth on April 10, 2026, after the first trip to lunar space in more than 50 years. With an exciting launch, breathtaking photos, and a daring reentry, the Artemis II mission helped recapture the wonder that typified space exploration in the 20th century. Spaceflight and exploration remain deeply fascinating, and there are luckily plenty of sci-fi games that attempt relatively realistic adaptations of such endeavors. View the full article

The group responsible, ShinyHunters, says it didn't breach Rockstar or its data-warehouse provider, Snowflake. Instead, it exploited access from Anodot, a SaaS analytics tool Rockstar uses to track cloud costs and performance. The attackers allegedly stole authentication tokens from Anodot's systems and used them to gain unauthorized access to Rockstar's... Read Entire Article View the full article

The Backline Boost Evolution is now live in FC 26 Ultimate Team, and you can use it to upgrade the defenders of your team. Available for free, you can use it up to a maximum of 10 times. You can also use it more than once on the same card as long as the requirements are valid. Let's look at the best choices for the evolution based on the requirements and offered upgrades. Table of contentsFC 26 Backline Boost Evolution requirementsFC 26 Backline Boost Evolution upgradesBest players to use in Backline Boost EvolutionFC 26 Backline Boost Evolution requirements Here are the requirements of Backline Boost Evolution in FC 26. Overall: Max 87PlayStyle: Max 10Not Rarity: World Tour Silver StarsNot Position: GKFC 26 Backline Boost Evolution upgrades The evolution has two upgrade levels, each with specific conditions to meet. Level 1 upgrades Heading Acc.: +4|90Interceptions: +5|92PlayStyles: Anticipate, Intercept, Jockey Level 2 upgrades Def. Aware: +5|91Slide Tackle: +4|91Stand Tackle: +5|92Weak Foot: +1|4PlayStyles: Bruiser, Block|8 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 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 Backline Boost Evolution Here are some of my recommendations for this evolution. O’Reilly TOTWBombito Winter WildcardsLacroix Winter WildcardsMatheus Dias Future StarsAntonio Silva Future StarsOosterwolde Ultimate BirthdayMatheus Nunes FC FantasyBouaddi Future StarsMendy Knockout RoyaltyLucas Digne World TourVieira Winter Wildcards Since the evolution doesn't raise the overall rating of the card, you can use it as part of some exciting chains. Moreover, you can also use it to upgrade your Bronze/Silver cards since a single item can receive multiple upgrades. Either way, use all ten counts as early as possible before the evolution expires from Ultimate Team. The post Best players for FC 26 Backline Boost Evolution appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article

The Velocity Touch Evolution is now live in FC 26, and it offers some unique boosts to one card of your choice. To unlock the evolution, you'll need to complete a dedicated SBC that requires about 15,000 coins worth of fodder. Let's find out which are the best cards to include in this evolution based on the requirements and offered upgrades. Table of contentsFC 26 Velocity Touch requirementsFC 26 Velocity Touch Evolution upgradesBest players to use in Velocity Touch EvolutionFC 26 Velocity Touch requirements Here are the requirements of Velocity Touch Evolution in FC 26. Overall: Max 88PlayStyle: Max 10PlayStyle+: Max 2Not Rarity: World Tour Silver StarsDefending: Max 98FC 26 Velocity Touch Evolution upgrades The evolution has four upgrade levels, each with specific conditions to meet. Level 1 upgrades Overall: +5|89WF: +3|4Dribbling: +25|91Ball Control: +25|89 Level 2 upgrades SM: +4|5Reactions: +25|90PlayStyles+: Technical, Quick Step|2 Level 3 upgrades Acceleration: +10|88Balance: +25|93PlayStyles: Trickster, Pinged Pass, Gamechanger|8 Level 4 upgrades Sprint Speed: +10|90Agility: +25|92PlayStyles: Incisive, First Touch|8Composure: +25|93 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. Level 2 upgrade requirements Play 1 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 1 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 1 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 Velocity Touch Evolution Here are some of my best recommendations to include in the evolution. Onuachu FC FantasyHjulmand **********Nesta Trophy TitansYeremy Pino Future StarsPedro Time WarpJoao Felix Ultimate ScreamOscar Bobb FC FantasySummerville Answer the CallHazard Base Hero The post Best players for FC 26 Velocity Touch Evolution appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article

World of Warcraft has won its lawsuit against Turtle WoW, a group of player-run private servers, and the ruling includes a permanent injunction that carries the risk of Turtle WoW being shut down. The World of Warcraftprivate server lawsuit was litigated over eight months, with Blizzard and Turtle WoW reaching an additional settlement following the California court's ruling. View the full article

The future of the Baldur's Gate franchise is a bit uncertain at the moment, though it's been made clear by Baldur's Gate 3 developers at Larian Studios that they won't be involved in BG4, whenever that ends up happening. Wizards of the Coast has been adamant that the next game is definitely coming at some point, but haven't provided any sort of timeline for what fans can expect. View the full article

If there is one thing we know about Grand Theft Auto 6 after the teasers we've seen over the years, it's that the game is an absolutely stunning visual upgrade from its predecessor. While we would expect at least somewhat of a graphical improvement after the 13-year wait for the current release date for GTA 6, some fans speculate we might be in for a ******* treat than we initially expected. View the full article

Starfield players on PlayStation 5 and the PS5 Pro are reporting significant crashing issues following its recent launch on Sony's platform. It's not the PlayStation debut that Bethesda would have wanted for Starfield, and players have quickly taken to online forums to report the problems they're having with the game. View the full article

The highly anticipated Fable reboot being developed by Playground Games could be facing another delay, potentially pushing the game into 2027 if a recent rumor is to be believed. While nothing is yet official, the news is likely to disappoint fans and the already lengthy wait they've had to endure for the next Fable game. The franchise itself has certainly experienced hardship after the release of Fable 3 and the eventual closure of Lionhead Studios. View the full article

With Life is Strange: Reunion recently wrapping up the decade-long story of Max Caulfield and Chloe Price, I've spent the last couple of weeks thinking a lot about the game that started it all. 2015's Life is Strange came during a hugely formative time in my life—going through some big changes, returning to college after a three-year gap and in that stage of life where you realise you don't actually have everything figured out the second you leave school... Read more.View the full article

A brand new version of fheroes2 is out now, the open source and cross-platform Heroes of Might and Magic II game engine reimplementation. Read the full article here: [Hidden Content] View the full article

The new game studio Rant Gaming and publisher Cor3 announced Fragmentary Order, a hardcore science fiction combat simulator about remote warfare and survival in a controlled future. The seven-minute CGI story trailer reveals the backstory of how we get from our modern era to the science fiction future set in 2251, where warfare can be carried out by proxy and humans. Warfare has become a controlled, remote-driven economy. I’ve spoken with the company, but they’re not revealing themselves now. This is bound to stir some mystery and curiosity among potential players. When the first reveal trailer emerged for the game in February, observers speculated it was a new game from the developer of Escape From Tarkov. However, Nikita Buyanov, head of studio of Battlestate Games, said in a tweet that the game is not related to Battlestate or Tarkov. Core is a fictional company in Fragmentary Order. Source: Rant Gaming/Cor3 While the parties are revealing that Rant Gaming and Cor3 are coming out of stealth, they’re not saying who is behind those entities yet. But as you may see in the trailer, they have triple-A ambitions, coming from both a new studio and new publisher. And the new trailer has a full explanation of the series of events that led from today to the sci-fi setting of 2251. Rant Gaming described the game as a realistic hardcore sci-fi multiplayer FPS exploring tactical combat simulation, survival, and risk within a fully systemized future of remote warfare. The announcement is accompanied by a seven-minute CGI story trailer and the launch of the game’s official website. It’s hard science fiction, meaning there’s a realism to it in drawing a line from today through 2251. Fragmentary Order is currently in development exclusively for PC, with the testing phases planned for later this year. War has been outsourced — the backstoryhttps://www.youtube.com/embed/-HXp0KTNBm4?feature=oembed Set in the year 2251, Fragmentary Order takes place in a future shaped by the rise of Core, a powerful organization that once saved humanity from collapse and unified a fractured world under a single technological and economic system. Over the following centuries, Core led humanity into a new era: colonization of the Solar System, advanced biotech, and the creation of CORIE – a global framework where everything, including warfare, is structured, monetized, and controlled. But control is no longer absolute. As influence fractures and new powers emerge, conflict returns – not as chaos, but as industry. You are in control of a Replicated Entity VR of the future in Fragmentary Order. Source: Cor3 trailer Players are regular citizens of the society. You control the clone entities, or grunt soldiers of the Core. You assume the role of a RepEnt controller — common citizen of the Core Era, trying to live a life and earn some money. Your Freel (clone asset) is remotely deployed on the Repnode stations around the Solar system. From a safe location, players send their controlled bodies into high-risk combat zones across the Solar System, executing contracts, scavenging resources, and engaging in tactical encounters. It’s like a VR combat system, where you control drones who can get killed but you are in a remote, safe location. The creators says that, in this system, death is a cost. Risk is an investment. And combat is your labor. One of the conflict locations is the planet Mars — a partially terraformed, hostile world shaped by failed colonization and corporate interests, led by rebel Prime Colonial Forces. INFIL. DIE. REPEAT. VR controlled combat in Fragmentary Order. Source: Cor3 trailer At its core, Fragmentary Order is built around high-risk tactical operations: Infiltrate contested zonesComplete objectives, secure resourcesUtilize operational ground assetsFind a way to complete your mission and get out alive Each mission is a calculated risk. Operational success drives progression, while failure results in complete asset loss. The word extraction is not used in describing Fragmentary Order. But it is definitely a shooter. Hardcore systems, tactical depth Social disorder in Fragmentary Order’s backstory. Source: Cor3 trailer Designed for players seeking depth and realism, Fragmentary Order emphasizes systemic gameplay: Advanced and detailed weapon behavior and character controlComplex health system impacting combat performanceTactical decision-making over reflex-based playLarge-scale maps supporting diverse strategiesVehicles, unmanned units for expanded mobility, control and firepowerExcessive weapon and gear customizationUtilization of cutting-edge future technologies, systems and devices to secure tactical superiority. Adaptation is essential – or players can choose to break the rules entirely. A system where everything has a price An ambush in zero gravity in Fragmentary Order trailer. Source: Cor3 trailer. Beyond combat, players operate within a broader neo-economic structure: Build relationships with corporationsUtilize advanced Core technologiesEnhance capabilities through biotech upgradesExpand personal infrastructure CORIE functions as a self-regulating system where value is defined by risk — and everything can be traded. The seven-minute CGI story trailer presents this timeline through fragmented news reports spanning decades, offering a layered introduction to the world and its underlying systems. A timeline shaped by control and collapse A global collapse and an anomaly are part of the Fragmentary Order backstory. Source: Cor3 trailer The world of Fragmentary Order is grounded in a 200-year timeline: secret Cold War-era experiments and anomaliesthe global collapse known as the Age of Strifethe rise of Core as humanity’s unifying forcerapid technological expansion and space colonizationMartian independence movements and conflictthe gradual erosion of centralized control This history directly informs the present. It’s a system still functioning, but no longer stable. The 7-minute trailer’s story A modern Eastern European setting in Fragmentary Order’s backstory. Source: Cor3 trailer The narrator is from an organization called Core, and the narrator starts out saying, “This would not have been possible without our vision. Our forefathers have guided great leaders of the earth throughout the ages. Now it is our time to lead humanity further on. We are the core of all rationality.” Back in modern times, we see an inspection going on at what looks like a Russian military facility. Then there is an anomalous flash in the sky. The narrator says, “You could say it all started with a flash. A moment that changed the course of history. Although no one knew about it.” Then the trailer shows a kind of post-apocalyptic world. The narrator says,”During the years of strife, many turned to the most primitive ways of solving problems. Everyone for themselves is what it was.” Core brought some kind of authoritarian order to the world. “We had to change it. It took many years and a lot of effort to make everyone come to terms, our terms. Not everyone agreed and they suffered for it. But most took it as a salvation. A new world order was established,” the narrator says. A peace treaty ensues with the help of Core and its “Core reestablishment structure. Although the land was tired to keep life on it. That’s why core created the purification program and each of us can participate.” Further in the future, a “great industrialization began” with the mass manufacture of guns and possibly robots. A ******* of innovation ensues. A world in chaos in Fragmentary Order’s backstory. Source: Cor3 trailer. “We had to move forward. The only logical solution to saving humanity was space and its resources,” the narrator says as views of space colonization come into view. There’s an entity called UASA, or the game’s name for NASA. Another anomaly happens. “Was it foreseen or was it a miracle? Only the forefathers know,” the narrator says. Then we see a team of soldiers in space suits lands on a zero gravity surface “for infil.” The team gets ambushed and shot by unseen enemies in a building. The narrator notes the strife but the “new golden age of humanity has started.” The golden age in Fragmentary Order’s backstory. Source: Cor3 trailer Humans left their “old cradle behind” and removed old boundaries with “advanced Core technologies.” A lot of space exploration and combat happens in the trailer, with the narrator touting this as Core’s renaissance. The colony is developed, presumably on Mars, and mention is made of the “PCF thugs” attacking everybody. The narrator says “we will pacify them.” And then we see some of the virtual reality simulation, where people can earn money using Blindsight II VR headsets to send drone-like entities into combat, controlled by distant humans wearing the headsets. The scene closes with one worker controlling a drone body and failing by getting shot by someone else. The person gets up and exits and sees a futuristic city, while the narrator says, “Now is the time to wait and see. We will be here guiding, protecting. That is our mission.” Global development team A city in the future in Fragmentary Order. Source: Cor3 trailer The trailer looks pretty good, and I look forward to seeing more of the gameplay in the future. Fragmentary Order is developed by Rant Gaming, a distributed international team of over 100 developers, including veterans from both the games industry and film production. With the announcement, players can join the Prime Batch Founders program. The right to deploy with the first wave isn’t a guided tour — the Core Universe needs veterans ready to operate before full deployment. Prime Batch is an exclusive group of elite operators to gain closed access to Fragmentary Order. Just wanting it isn’t enough to get in — сandidates must confirm their readiness and right to be in the first row. How do you secure your status? Your path begins in the CORIE system on cor3.gg website: Study the system: Dive into the hidden layers and extract classified lore fragments.Set the groundwork: Hoard resources, establish credit flows, and lock in exclusive assets before the masses flood in.Elevate your standing: Grind reputation and earn ranks. Your actions right now will shape the meta and forge your legacy. Everything earned during Prime Batch carries forward: ranks, reputation, and in-game standing are recorded by the system and will define each player’s position at the launch of Fragmentary Order. The hierarchy being built now is the one that persists. Participation is structured around four ranks — Forerunner, The Pillar, Torchbearer, and Pathfinder — determined not by registration order, but by depth of engagement. Forerunner, the highest rank, is already closed. Remaining positions are available for a limited time. Want to be in the first wave? Find out how on cor3.gg to reach the required rank and secure your spot in the Prime Batch. The post Rant Gaming and Cor3 reveal backstory trailer for sci-fi combat game Fragmentary Order | exclusive appeared first on GamesBeat. View the full article

Ed Fries suggested "Sony could punish" Japanese publishers for their support of MicrosoftView the full article