Steam

The creative director of Samson has promised the team is "committed to the future" of the game despite launching to a 'Mixed' reception on Steam amid complaints about performance, gameplay, optimization, and more. Samson released just yesterday, April 8, and is currently the third-lowest-rated game of 2026 according to Metacritic, with a score a full 15 points lower than the beleaguered Highguard, which was taken offline just six weeks after launch. Steam reviews complain of broken car chases, input delays, issues with animation, and poor optimization, with one writing: "The combat is 9/10, but the optimization is a 4/10. Samson has amazing bones and the dynamic mechanics are a blast, but it's currently crying out for patches. Once the devs fix the graphical issues and stability, this will be an easy recommendation. Wait for an update before jumping in." Another reported: "Samson had the potential of being a pretty good noir action-adventure, but it’s currently a broken, repetitive grind." "It's just not good," added someone else. "The game feels heavily unfinished and extremely repetitive. The map is the size of a basketball court. The missions are the same things recycled over and over and over. The dialogue is very cringe and predictable. The driving is abysmal. Evading the police is just a chore because the game scans and plants cars in your routes that wouldn't be there without magical power. The combat can be cheesed simply by hitting the evade button over and over making it impossible for NPC to hit you. You can't car jack people in their vehicles, which makes no sense. Just wait for this game to be five bucks. Anything else is a personal evasion of your wallet." Now, in a letter posted to Steam, the founder of developer Liquid Swords and creative director, Christofer Sundberg — who also founded Just Cause studio, Avalanche — said the team had been "having a lot of fun watching folks have fun with the game," adding: "We released a game with flaws for a number of reasons." "Early impressions are mixed and many of you are experiencing game-breaking bugs and performance issues," Sundberg continued. "That’s unacceptable, and we are listening to everyone’s feedback and are hard at work to deliver the game we spent years of our lives developing. Launching a game is a ton of work and I'm proud of the effort our team has put into seeing Samson from its initial concept, through release. "We are committed to the future of both Samson and Tyndalston and this game will grow over time on all fronts; quality, gameplay and content. Thank you all for supporting us and sticking with us this super exciting launch day. We will continue to keep our ears to the ground and improve the game with your support." A patch, expected to release tomorrow, April 10, will address a number of key issues, including several performance and ****** fixes, as well as several fixes for "mission and progression related issues." Here's the full patch notes: Samson Update 1 patch notes: Performance Several performance fixes focusing on PSO related hitches (fixes stuttering related issues)Fixed some misses with SlateFixed landscape RayTracingDynamicGeometry missesbIgnoreMaskMateria & bRequireRTDynamicGeometryUpdate was not set correctly from landscape PSO precache dispatch since 5.7NaniteLumenCard & NaniteShading missesFixed PSO misses due to FStaticMeshComponentHelper::CollectPSOPrecacheDataImpl fetching materials from LOD levels depending on MinLOD even for Nanite-enabled meshes which will render with LOD 0 materials ****** fixes Several ****** fixes related to audio, animation and GPU****** fix for clearing UseDestructionHelp for vehicles with a timerFix for potential case where attempting to update a failed dispatch when losing warp governance could clear the callback lambda as it was being executed, causing a dangling this pointer and ******Fixed various audio-related crashes, including one when closing the gameAvoid race conditions caused by writes to bIsCachedRayTracingInstanceValid and bDynamicRayTracingInstanceCachedDataDirty from parallel tasksForce separate storage unit between ray tracing and non-ray tracing bitsForce separate storage unit between bIsCachedRayTracingInstanceValid and bDynamicRayTracingInstanceCachedDataDirty Mission Several fixes for mission and progression related issuesIce Fish – NPCs spawned in the Beatdown are no longer only Level 1Thrill of the Fight and Running on Fumes – now functional after save/continueSuzy Red no longer gets multiplied during "Stitches for Snitches" mission completionHit 16 (No Return Fare) – passenger now gets into the cab at the pickup locationDave Shultz Tailing Job – Dave now spawns close to player, avoiding near-instant fails for being too far awayStory Chapter – No Whisper Dealers – no beatdown triggers when eliminating enemies, preventing mission failureHot Iron – fixed issue where the fail radius for the reach dealer objective was too smallDay 3: Oonagh Welcome Home – call now comes after story mission Blood on Tap rather than Dirty Scripts General Gameplay Several fixes for gameplay related issuesNPC fall damage added as a failsafe for dropped NPCsDay 3 Pickups – raised interact range to allow easier pickup if an item is dropped under a bodyLet outsiders check if the driver can be pulled out of the vehicleFixed issues where enemies were not advancing towards you in group encountersFixed issues with AI running onto roads to inspect dead bodiesFixed issue where police siren sometimes did not work Polish Several updates for general polish across various parts of the gameFixed smoker alignment in Double Tap and Suzy'sFixed vehicle voicesAdded a dedicated "remote dialogue" bucket for voice lines without a visible speaker (e.g. phone calls or police radio chatter)Added separate dialogue buckets for police vehicles and remote dialogueFixed door kick spam[Audio] New day stinger now plays before dialogueIncreased volume for NPC vehiclesPrevented corpses from popping back up or being launched into the air after takedowns, hazards, or railing interactionsImproved lean-on-wall alignmentBlocked bark gestures or one-offs during ranged combatFixed Vivian holding a folder in the doctor's office instead of nothing[Audio] Added "outside vehicle" dialogue lines to NPC non-combat effortsFixed several grammatical errorsFixed missing translations 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

The Nintendo Switch Online classic games catalog has today been updated with three more titles, including arcade favorite Pac-Man. Nintendo Switch Online subscribers can access the three new (or rather, old) titles via the Nintendo Classics NES app now, and play Pac-Man, Mendel Palace and The Tower of Druaga. Pac-Man needs little introduction, as this is the classic experience from the yellow hero's arcade days. Chomp pellets, avoid ghosts, and gobble up Power Pellets to turn the tide. Should you risk getting all the fruit too? Yes, yes, you should. Prepare to be a-maze-d! #NintendoSwitchOnline members can now enjoy three more classic #NES games: PAC-MAN Mendel Palace THE TOWER OF DRUAGA [Hidden Content] — Nintendo *** (@NintendoUK) April 9, 2026 Mendel Palace, meanwhile, is a puzzle game originally released in 1989 by a small team known as Game Freak — yes, the same developer that would later go on to make Pokémon, a franchise you're more likely to have heard of. Mendel Palace is an unsurprisingly simpler affair, which asks you to flip panels to ward off enemies and activate special effects. Last but not least is The Tower of Druaga, the Namco action RPG originally released in arcades all the way back in 1984. Amusingly, the game has been described as a "fantasy Pac-Man", with knights, wizards and locked doors arranged in somewhat similar-looking mazes. Can you reach the tower's top? Anything take your fancy? If not, IGN has a full list of every other game already available via the Nintendo Switch Online classic game catalog, across every platform from Game Boy to GameCube. Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at [email protected] or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social View the full article

Valve, the company behind the popular digital distribution platform Steam, is reportedly working on an internal AI-powered tool called SteamGPT. This development is significant for the gaming community, particularly in the Middle East where Steam has a substantial user base. The primary goal of SteamGPT is to assist Valve’s support team in managing customer inquiries and enhance the anti-cheat system in Counter-Strike 2 (CS2). The introduction of SteamGPT is aimed at streamlining Valve’s customer support process. By leveraging AI capabilities, SteamGPT is designed to help address customer support tickets more efficiently, potentially reducing response times and improving the overall user experience. Additionally, SteamGPT will play a role in bolstering the anti-cheat measures in CS2, a move that aligns with Valve’s ongoing efforts to maintain a fair and secure gaming environment for its users. Implications for the Gaming Community The development of SteamGPT reflects Valve’s commitment to enhancing its services and ensuring that its platforms remain secure and user-friendly. For gamers in the Middle East, this could mean faster support responses and a more robust defense against cheating in games like CS2. While the specifics of SteamGPT’s capabilities and rollout schedule are not yet detailed, its potential impact on the gaming experience is noteworthy. The emergence of SteamGPT underscores the evolving role of AI in gaming and customer support. As Valve continues to develop and refine this tool, gamers can anticipate improvements in their interaction with Steam’s support systems and potentially a cleaner, more competitive environment in games that implement advanced anti-cheat technologies. View the full article

Pals in space, perhapsView the full article

A sweeping patch is on its way tomorrowView the full article

But, "no, we do not think that people playing our games are 'ungrateful'" to want moreView the full article

If you've successfully unlocked Pocahontas in Disney Dreamlight Valley and started working on your friendship level, it won't be long before you unlock your first friendship quest: The Three Sisters Garden... Read more.View the full article

Some months, the Humble Choice lineup is fine. Your socks aren't blown off, but you're not going to turn your nose up at free games. Other months have you questioning how they managed to get a certain game in the selection. April's Humble Choice definitely leans toward the latter. With eight games included in the subscription, you're effectively getting each title for under $2... and when one of the games is a big blockbuster like Assassin's Creed Valhalla, it's quite juicy. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: The Assassin's Creed Windows 11 issue has been fixed, for all but one game Assassin's Creed Valhalla Steam update makes it worth playing again Assassin's Creed Valhalla Siege of Paris release date and gameplay View the full article

Now Playing | As Grand Theft Auto 6 looms, I want to see more developers like Liquid SwordsView the full article

The Xeno Arena update in No Man's Sky has added the feature for you to collect and do monster battles with the different fauna that you can find in space. We already were able to tame and keep pets inside the game, but now, they can participate in battles. Let's find out all the details you need to know to set up your own Pokemon battles in No Man's Sky. Table of contentsHow to start your first creature battle in No Man's SkyHow to use Retroviral Pellets in No Man's SkyHow to start your first creature battle in No Man's Sky Once you've completed a fair share of the early game quests, you'll find the Xeno Arena mission that will introduce you to these battles. You can battle other players at several locations, with the easiest one being at the Anomaly. First, go to the Egg Sequencer to get an egg with suitable resources. Once the sequence is complete, go and speak with Oceanus. He will be your first fight, and you'll then have to select a team of three from your available creatures. Screenshot by Destructoid Complete the battle by defeating Oceanus, and you'll now be ready for completing more battles. Once the tutorial battle with Oceanus is done, you'll get an item called the Retroviral Pellet. Don't use the item immediately since you won't have more. How to use Retroviral Pellets in No Man's Sky Retroviral Pellet is a consumable for your creatures that allows you to modify and improve it. Creature upgrades are tier-based; you'll need to complete a tier before you reach the next one fully. You need to summon the creature and then feed it to the Retrovial Pellet to help it evolve. You'll then be able to mutate its genes to improve its stats and abilities. Screenshot by Destructoid Once you evolve your animal companion, Oceanus will provide you with the map for the second and third battles. Complete those, and you'll have unlocked the full battle system. As I mentioned, the easiest way to battle other players is to fight it out in the Anomaly. The post How to do creature battles in No Man’s Sky? Xeno Arena mission guide appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article

The latest Xbox Game Pass library update has introduced Planet Coaster 2, which is now available across three membership tiers. This is the fourth new title to reach the subscription service in April 2026 and the 58th Xbox Game Pass addition this year. View the full article

The owner of the James Bond 007 IP has opposed an attempt to register a trademark for video game parody character James Pond. The original James Pond: Underwater Agent was released in 1990, and was followed by the far more popular James Pond II: Codename RoboCod. Although it was followed by other titles – 1993’s James Pond 3: Operation Starfish and mini-game spin-off The Aquatic Games – the James Pond series essentially ended in the mid ’90s, with the only attempt to revive it being a poorly received iOS game in 2011. Read More... View the full article

The former co-founder of Avalanche Studios has told players his new studio’s first game has “unacceptable” game-breaking bugs at launch. Christofer Sundberg – who co-founded Avalanche and was creative director on Just Cause – set up new studio Liquid Swords in 2020 and officially announced it in 2022, saying it was working on “a connected single player action RPG” and “a hard-boiled take on the open-world crime genre”. The result is Samson, an open-world action game which was released on Steam and the Epic Games Store on Wednesday to a mixed reception. Read More... View the full article

The foremost thing about this game that’ll either excite you or turn you away from it is probably the difficulty level. View the full article

Apart from the IP, there’s nothing too unique here that you won’t find in a dozen other similar games. View the full article

As far as the demo and other promotional materials are concerned, none of these designs make me point at the screen and say, “That’s just legally distinct Pikachu!” View the full article

Namco's The Tower of Druaga joins the NES - Nintendo Classics on Nintendo Switch Online. View the full article

If you’ve ever accidentally deleted a Pokémon habitat in Pokopia, you know that, sometimes, it can be a total pain to find the Pokémon that was living there. Maybe it got lost, maybe it deliberately packed its things and took a hike—but the result is often the same: the Pokémon seemingly disappears from your town, and searching for them becomes nigh impossible. Well, there’s some good news, Pokopia fans. The game just dropped a new update that prevents homeless Pokémon from vanishing into thin air alongside a wave of other fixes that should make rebuilding the world of Kanto that much easier. Image via Nintendo Before today's patch, if you removed a Pokémon habitat, a Pokémon living in it would sometimes disappear, and you wouldn't even be able to locate it through the Pokédex's "Search" function, which allows you to find any of your town's inhabitants who may have wandered off. The worst part is that it's incredibly easy to accidentally delete a Pokémon's habitat by picking up items or punching the wrong item when you're all hopped up on hamburgers. So sometimes, a Pokémon would seemingly cease to exist, and you'd be without even a single lead to find them. Version 1.0.3, which went live in the late hours of April 8, has now fixed that issue, allowing you to easily track down homeless Pokémon without them disappearing. Additionally, the patch fixes glitches that resulted in players becoming unable to progress in the main storylines of Bleak Beach and Sparkling Skylands. Furthermore, construction projects will no longer be affected by a bug that prevented completion until a clock change. If you’re an online player, you’ll be happy to learn that a couple different Cloud Island errors have been addressed as well. Some players were encountering errors that prevented them from creating a new Cloud Island. In a second bug that was addressed in today’s patch, seasonal Pokémon would disappear from the town and Cloud Island if a player performed certain actions. Both bugs have been corrected with today’s update. All of these fixes should aid you in your journey around Kanto and in any construction projects you may have planned. To see a list of all of the fixes that have been included in the Ver. 1.0.3 update, check out the full patch notes on the official Nintendo website. The post Pokopia’s latest update stops homeless Pokémon from disappearing into the abyss appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article

In a new interview, development veteran and Sledgehammer Games co-founder Michael Condrey (Dead Space, Call of Duty: WWII) has detailed how a decision on a development partner to handle the PC port of 2002’s 007 Nightfire could have had huge ramifications on the actual existence of the Call of Duty franchise as we know it today. Condrey discussed the matter with writer Cade Onder during the production of a documentary the latter has produced on the making of 2011’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. Back around the early 2000s, Condrey spent eight years working at EA on a number of James Bond games – as a producer on The World Is Not Enough, Agent Under Fire, and Nightfire, and later in a development director role on Everything or Nothing and From Russia With Love. “GoldenEye sits on this pedestal, as you know, right?” Condrey began. “Arguably one of the greatest, most transcendent shooters on console. And so we were working on the sequel to that, The World Is Not Enough, and from there we continued to build out experiences. “Eventually in the series order we were working on a title called Nightfire. We were looking for a PC developer. Now this would’ve been 2001, 2002. We were shopping the game for PC developers who could come in and take our console game – we were focussed on consoles at that time – and deliver a PC version. And there were several interesting PC developers we talked to; one of them happened to be Vince [Zampella] and Jason [West].” At this time, Zampella and West were part of Oklahoma-based developer 2015, Inc., the studio behind 2002’s highly esteemed Medal of Honor: Allied Assault, published by EA. “They presented us 2015,” said Condrey. “They were shopping for their next gig; they needed funding. They pitched to do [007 Nightfire] PC. I still have Vince’s card, God rest his soul.” However, EA ultimately partnered with Gearbox to handle the PC version of 007 Nightfire, which was received very poorly and went on to earn an unenviable reputation as an infamously terrible PC port. Despite the significant critical and commercial success of Medal of Honor: Allied Assault, EA opted to bring the Medal of Honor franchise in-house and ended its relationship with 2015, Inc. Resultingly, a number of key personnel from 2015, Inc. – including Zampella and West – accepted a deal from Activision that led to the founding of Infinity Ward and the establishment of the Call of Duty series. Had 2015, Inc. been hired to take on the 007 Nightfire port at that time, Condrey is uncertain that things would have played out the same way. “[2015, Inc.] wanted the game,” he said. “They wanted the game, and we went with a different PC developer. And you want to talk about a weird multiverse… we met with them, walked through the process, did the due diligence; had we hired Vince and Jason and 2015 to do James Bond PC, who knows what? That’s a weird moment.” Condrey would go on to leave EA in the wake of his work on the original Dead Space, and in November 2009 he founded Sledgehammer Games with his former Visceral Games colleague Glen Schofield. Sledgehammer Games would later partner with Infinity Ward for 2011’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. “It’s kind of a funny story of just all the creative decisions and business decisions that led to them starting Call of Duty and, of course, us joining with them on MW3,” said Condrey. View the full article

Fallout: New Vegasis probably one of the most replayable RPGs out there, but even the greats can start to get stale over 15 years after release. Luckily, New Vegas has one of the most dedicated fan communities out there, and a variety of fan creations have provided enormous expansions or total overhauls to the game experience. View the full article

It's hard to believe The Legend of Zelda was officially released over 40 years ago, and fans have been excited this year to see what Nintendo has in store to celebrate the momentous occasion. While there have been several exciting rumors, such as an Ocarina of Time remake, as well as plenty of Zelda-themed merch drops, fans haven't gotten the big announcement they've been hoping for just yet. View the full article

The Steam Client Beta has been updated with the following changes: Game Recording Fixed a bug which affected taking a screenshot from a game recording clip. View the full article

We have just shipped an updated Steam Deck Client to the Preview/Beta channel. Game Recording Fixed a bug which affected taking a screenshot from a game recording clip. View the full article

Mega Stones represent one of the most important items to find in Pokémon Champions, since they will be required for unlocking Mega Evolutions. If you want to secure more wins and move up ranks, you'll need Mega Stones for different Pokémon. Let's look at all the stones that you can find in the current build in the game. How to get all Mega Stones in Pokémon Champions There are different ways to get Mega Stones in Pokémon Champions. You'll even receive some of them absolutely free of cost without having to spend any in-game resources. Mega StoneHow to ObtainGarchompiteComplete the tutorial and obtain it for freeBeedriliiteComplete the tutorial and obtain it for freeGyaradositeComplete the tutorial and obtain it for freeSteelixiteComplete the tutorial and obtain it for freeHercroniteComplete the tutorial and obtain it for freeAggroniteComplete the tutorial and obtain it for freeManectiteComplete the tutorial and obtain it for freeAbomasiteComplete the tutorial and obtain it for freeChesnaughtiteObtain it for free after transferring it from HOMEDelphoxiteObtain it for free after transferring it from HOMEGreninjiteObtain it for free after transferring it from HOMEFloettiteObtain it for free after transferring it from HOMEDragoninitePurchase from the shop for 2000 VP or unlock from the paid version of the Battle PassMeganiumitePurchase from the shop for 2000 VP or unlock from the paid version of the Battle PassFeraligitePurchase from the shop for 2000 VP or unlock from the paid version of the Battle PassEmboaritePurchase from the shop for 2000 VP or unlock from the paid version of the Battle PassVenusauritePurchase from the shop for 2000 VPCharizardite XPurchase from the shop for 2000 VPCharizardite YPurchase from the shop for 2000 VPBlastoisinitePurchase from the shop for 2000 VPPidgeotitePurchase from the shop for 2000 VPClefablitePurchase from the shop for 2000 VPAlakazitePurchase from the shop for 2000 VPVictreebelitePurchase from the shop for 2000 VPSlowbronitePurchase from the shop for 2000 VPGengaritePurchase from the shop for 2000 VPKangaskhanitePurchase from the shop for 2000 VPStarminitePurchase from the shop for 2000 VPPinsiritePurchase from the shop for 2000 VPAerodactylitePurchase from the shop for 2000 VPAmpharositePurchase from the shop for 2000 VPScizoritePurchase from the shop for 2000 VPSkarmoritePurchase from the shop for 2000 VPHoundoominitePurchase from the shop for 2000 VPTyranitaritePurchase from the shop for 2000 VPGardevoiritePurchase from the shop for 2000 VPSablenitePurchase from the shop for 2000 VPMedichamitePurchase from the shop for 2000 VPSharpedonitePurchase from the shop for 2000 VPCameruptitePurchase from the shop for 2000 VPAltarianitePurchase from the shop for 2000 VPBanettitePurchase from the shop for 2000 VPChimechitePurchase from the shop for 2000 VPAbsolitePurchase from the shop for 2000 VPGlalititePurchase from the shop for 2000 VPLopunnitePurchase from the shop for 2000 VPLucarionitePurchase from the shop for 2000 VPGalladitePurchase from the shop for 2000 VPFroslassitePurchase from the shop for 2000 VPExcadritePurchase from the shop for 2000 VPAudinitePurchase from the shop for 2000 VPChandeluritePurchase from the shop for 2000 VPGolurkitePurchase from the shop for 2000 VPMeowsticitePurchase from the shop for 2000 VPHawluchanitePurchase from the shop for 2000 VPCramoninitePurchase from the shop for 2000 VPDrampanitePurchase from the shop for 2000 VPScovillainitePurchase from the shop for 2000 VPGlimmoranitePurchase from the shop for 2000 VP Given how important Mega Evolutions are, you'll need to get the stones in advance. Some of the Mega Evolutions, like Mega Greninja and Mega Charizard, can be considered top-tier in the current meta. The post All Mega Stones in Pokémon Champions and how to get them appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article

Voruna Prime has arrived in Warframe, and you can begin your farm to find all her parts to get yourself a new frame. The Prime version is a significant upgrade over her common variant, and it has upgraded stats (and killer looks). Let's look at which relics you need to farm to get the parts for Voruna Prime. Table of contentsHow to get all Voruna Prime relics in WarframeBest places to farm Voruna Prime relics in WarframeHow to get all Voruna Prime relics in Warframe As usual, Voruna Prime has four parts. They can all be found from the following relics. Blueprint: Axi V14Chassis: Lith N19Systems: Neo V11Neuroptics: Meso D8 In simple words, there are two Uncommon relics to farm in the form of the Lith N19 and the Meso D8. The remaining two, Axi V14 and Neo V11, are Rare relics, and you'll have to try harder to find them. Image via Digital Extremes Best places to farm Voruna Prime relics in Warframe Here are the most efficient ways of finding all four relics. Lith: The Hepit in the Void is a great place to farm Lith relics. The mission can be completed quite quickly, and you can do better with a quicker Frame. You're almost always guaranteed a Lith relic drop from this quest, and you can farm them several times in a few minutes.Meso: Completing missions in Ukko will be your best chance for getting Meso relics. My favorite is the Olympus Disruption mission on Mars, but just about any quest here will reward you with Meso relics.Neo: The same node of Ukko as mentioned above will reward you with a Neo relic (you'll have 50% chance of receiving either a Meso or a Neo relic). As an alternative, you can also try the node at Ur in Uranus.Axi: To find Axi relics, your best chance is the Lua Disruption mode on Apollo. Once you defend the two conduits past Round 4, you'll guarantee an Axi drop. Once you find the Prime relics, you'll then need to open them. To do so, head ot the navigation screen and begin Void Fissure missions. Start the one you want, collect ten reactants, and you'll open your relic. The item you get from the relic will be dependent on luck. Since the Prime parts will be the best possible rewards, try to matchmake with players who are looking to open the same relics. That will significantly increase your chances of success. The post All Voruna Prime Relics in Warframe and how to get them appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article