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Avowedhasreceived a new update that adds important features and adjustments, and developer Obsidian Entertainment has also revealed a roadmap for the title. One of the biggest RPGs to release in the early part of 2025, Avowedhas garnered positive reception, with the title currently boasting an average score of 80 on OpenCritic. Obsidian's Pillars of Eternity-set fantasy RPG impressed with its snappy first-person melee and ranged combat as well as its varied and beautiful environments. View the full article

Within the first few notes of the Balatro title screen, I can feel my stress melting away. The bright yet inviting blend of colors, in concert with its soothing main theme, are an antidote to all the world's ills. New card game Deckline is almost the exact opposite; designed to inject you with a vicious ********* of despair and paranoia, it drops you into a war where all is lost. Command has abandoned you. You're trapped indoors with no ammo, no supplies, and no hope of rescue. As the inevitable closes in, all you can do is lighten the mood with one final hand. Read the rest of the story... View the full article

Obsidian Entertainment has released a 2025 post-launch roadmap for Avowed alongside patch notes for its 1.4 update. Details about the fantasy RPG’s present and future were posted on the Obsidian website today. While the contents of Avowed update 1.4 include worthwhile additions – including an Arachnophobia mode for those who prefer their giant spiders look more like faceless blobs and adjustments to map exploration – it’s the roadmap that paints the brightest future. Obsidian has three major updates planned for Avowed in 2025. The first of those is live now with update 1.4 and comes with the aforementioned improvements as well as mouse and keyboard support on Xbox, more gold and crafting materials, gear adjustments, a new party camp feature, and more. If those who have yet to travel to Eora aren’t convinced yet, the summer update is said to come with cooking and crafting improvements, new NPC interactions, additional weapons and armor, and, finally, custom map markers. Lastly, at least as far as this year is concerned, Avowed’s fall update will round out 2025 with new highly requested features: new game plus and photo mode. It’s by far poised to be Obsidian’s biggest update yet, as it’s also said to come with a new weapon type, the ability to change appearance in world, more character presets, and more. The developers also acknowledge those hoping to play Avowed with support for more languages. “We also want to acknowledge our players in Korea, Japan, and French-speaking regions,” Obsidian explained. “We know how important it is to experience a game in your preferred language, and we are actively working on localized versions for Korean and Japanese, along with ongoing improvements for French. We’re committed to delivering these updates as soon as they are ready, and we deeply appreciate your patience and support as we make sure they meet the quality you deserve.” Avowed launched February 18, 2025, and is available now for PC and Xbox Series X | S as well as Game Pass. Obsidian leaves fans teasing that it “can’t wait to show you what’s next.” For everything else packed into Avowed update 1.4, including all additional features and bug fixes, with the full patch notes below. You can also click here to learn about one of its secret (and crucial) side quests. Note: Potential spoilers have been highlighted in bold. Avowed Update 1.4 Patch Notes Greetings Envoys, We want to take a moment to thank you for your continued reports, feedback, suggestions, and your patience. Your insights are valuable to us, and we appreciate the time and effort you put into sharing your experiences with us. Without further ado, the 1.4 patch notes is now ready for all to enjoy! Thank you for being part of our community—we appreciate your support and look forward to sharing more with you in the future! — The Avowed Team Features and Improvements! Arachnophobia Safe Mode The highly requested Arachnophobia Mode is now available in Avowed! You can enable this option in the Accessibility menu to replace all spiders in the game with little spheres wielding swords. Please note that while their appearance is “friendlier”, they remain just as deadly! Community Highlights Once a player has explored nearly all of the accessible areas on a map, the fog of war for the entire map will automatically clear. When entering a city on an overland map (for example, entering Northern Paradis in Dawnshore), the corresponding section of the overland map will now be revealed.The radius for clearing fog while exploring has been significantly increased, allowing players to uncover more of the map as they move.Critters can now be killed and have a chance to drop loot.Players can now wait to pass time (day/night cycle) while in the Party Camp.Soul Pod throwables now dispel illusions, with the exception of Ryngrim’s entrance, which still requires Yatzli’s interaction.Added a settings option to display chests on the minimap.Added a setting option to allow canceling power attacks with the Bow and Arquebus. World Reactivity Improvements Arrows will now fall naturally and hit the ground.Water now reacts with splashes and ripples when players enter it or fire weapons into it. Economy & Loot Adjustments Critters now drop loot when killed.Added more weapons to loot throughout the game, including many that come pre-upgraded (+1, +2, +3 versions).Increased monetary rewards for main path quests and exploration.Small loot containers, such as backpacks and lockboxes, can now contain larger items like body armor and larger weapons, leading to more fairly distributed drops.Significantly increased the drop rate of Creature Parts (which can now also be used for upgrading grimoires).Increased the drop rate of higher-tier weapons in later regions.Updated loot lists to include slightly more upgrade materials. UI/UX Improvements Added a visual effect and UI indicator to help players locate Downed Companions during combat.Enabled the "Talk" interaction prompt for Companions.Added support for Mouse and Keyboard input on Xbox.Updated the loading screen art for the Dawnshore and Fort Northreach maps.Added an ‘Auto Detect’ option to the Graphics menu to find and set the recommended settings for your hardware.Added support for Nvidia DLSS Frame Generation (for RTX 40 and 50 series GPUs).Added a "Read All" button to the Journal; each tab (Quests, Documents, and Tutorials) now has its own dedicated button. Combat Updates Enemies now become shocked faster when standing in water.Creature Parts can now be used to upgrade Grimoires. Companion Improvements Companions now gain Ability Points every 3 levels instead of every 4 levels, increasing their maximum from 8 to 11. Players will automatically receive the additional points upon updating. Enemy Behavior Enemy awareness speed now dynamically adjusts based on their distance from the player — closer enemies detect players faster, while distant enemies react more slowly. Unique Item Updates Updated the stats on many Unique Items throughout the game:Thirdborn Brigandine Jacket: Increased regeneration rate.Civilizing Influence: Increased damage reduction against beasts, primordials, and wilders to 10%.Berath's Blessed Ward: Increased damage reduction against vessels to 20%.Chitin Band: Increased damage reduction against beasts to 20%.Nimanna's Ward: Increased damage reduction against spirits to 20%.Wildwalker Ring and Threads of the Faithful: Increased health regeneration from 0.05 to 0.5.Thirdborn Brigandine Jack: Increased health regeneration from 0.05 to 0.8.Faith and Conviction: Increased essence regeneration from 0.05 to 0.1. Enchantments Rework Replaced obsolete Carry Capacity enchantments on certain Unique Items with new stat buffs:Boots of the Bricklayer / Porter: +2 MightAnimancer's Swallowtail / Stelgaer-Hide Pouches: +2 DexterityThe Packmule's Burden / Honorbound Mule: +1 Might, +2 ConstitutionTranton Family Brigandine / Tranton Tenacity: +2 MightThirdborn Brigandine Jack / Grim Hope: +3 ResolveThirdborn Boots / Explorer's Boon: +3 Constitution, +10% Move Speed Key Bug Fixes Limited CPU utilization during the "Compiling Shaders" screen to improve stability across all CPUs.Fixed an issue where Shadows of the Past waypoints could become stuck at the beginning of the entrance path to Naku Kubel.Totem pieces now correctly go into the player’s inventory instead of the party stash when picked up.Resolved cases where certain totem effects would stop working after a conversation or cutscene.Minoletta’s Conduit now correctly interacts with the Wand Mastery ability.Fixed an issue where companions could be removed from the party, resulting in broken conversations and quests.Enemy vitals UI has been updated to always stay properly positioned above enemies, preventing occasional clipping.The statue in Ryngrim’s Domain now remains interactable even if the player previously interacted with it without fully advancing the quest.An Untimely End quest now correctly triggers the final objective and no longer gets stuck under rare conditions.Completing certain quests on older saves now properly counts toward the Pentiment achievement.Fixed an issue where the Armor Fit for the Wilds quest could get stuck at the "Gather Materials" stage.Re-added the FidelityFX 3 option to Graphics Settings for AMD graphics card users.Binding the scroll wheel to hotbar slots 1–6 now works properly after restarting the game.Binding Ability Slots to keys 7, 8, 9, or 0 no longer casts an unintended additional ability from the radial menu.Players will no longer encounter unkillable Dreamthralls outside of Thirdborn.Additional Bug Fixes Crashes and stability Limited CPU utilization during the Compiling Shaders screen, to increase stability on all CPUs.Fixed a rare hang that would cause the whole PC to freeze on some machines.Fix rare ****** when traveling between maps.Fixed a ****** that could occur after idling in Dawnshore for a long ******* of time.Fixed a rare ****** related to audio systems.Resolved a rare ****** related to the radial UI and food items. Performance and Optimizations Optimized wand power attacks.Improved performance of the 'Meteor Shower' abilityOptimized the volcano eruption cutscene Animation Corrected animations of a dwarf at the Emergency Camp in Galawain's Tusks.Improved gestures, emotions and lip-sync of few conversations.Mestru Varka's hands no longer clip with their outfit.Improved unarmed idle animation. Quests & Conversations Shadows of the Past waypoints no longer get stuck at the beginning of the entrance path to Naku Kubel.The quest 'Homecoming' now progresses correctly if the player speaks with the Jail Guards earlier in the quest.Set up a failstate for Nature vs. Nurture for an edge case where the player kills the Hermit with electricity after siding with them."One Last Drink" now progresses correctly if the player speaks with Kohwa before starting the quest.Adding a new success/end state node for players who were stuck in Boundaries of Antiquity after taking a very specific path through the quest. Players already stuck in this state will have the quest progress automatically upon loading into the game.Tira Nui Hajime now only appears in one location at a time in Thirdborn, to ensure quests involving the character work consistently.Added a new addendum as well as a new area objective beacon for players who are at the final step of the Garden quest to give clarity on what the current objective for the player is.Conversation with Ruanga no longer ends unexpectedly after certain choices.Added a conditional to the Cistern key in the Claviger's estate to prevent it from appearing before the player should be able to find it.'An Untimely End' now correctly triggers the final objective instead of getting stuck under very specific conditions.Progression of Nature vs. Nature quest will no longer break if the player did not make the final decision before Fior mes Iverno was razed.The statue in Ryngrim's Domain now remains interactable for cases where the player interacted with the statue previously, but hadn't fully advanced the quest yet.Player can no longer get burned from destroyed bramblesSelecting to attack Razvan during conversation is now counted as Violent ResolutionsReturned the ability to parkour up the rocks behind Margan's Assay'Locate the Steel Garrote' quest beacon now updates correctly after talking to KostyaKatoa and Haiako can no longer teleportIt is possible to talk to Novice Dolna about Burned Bounty List after giving her the Book of the BeforeKai no longer stands halfway underground when camping in Shatterscarp sometimes.Can no longer enter Fior Mes Iverno via the south entrance if access to the town is lost.Miteno's conversation can no longer be triggered after completing the quest, preventing the player from getting infinite rewards from him.A Relic from Ashes Quest now also Rewards the Player with currencyQuest can be now completed by starting it in such alternative way.Broken Farming Equipment conversation will no longer randomly trigger after events in Fior mes Iverno crit-path make it unavailable.Fixed missing waypoint for Mapping the Region quest turn insExploding the barrel next to the Steel Garrote guards in the Steel Garrote Camp in Emerald Stair now causes them to go hostileMust talk to Kai about Tama's badge before he'll open up at Tama's memorial stones.Dialogue with farmers in Nature vs. Nurture quest does not repeats after ending it if player starts this quest by talking to Hermit firstQuest marker for the objective "Release Gilyn" appears after killing the Ogra Grakohr.Galawain's Tusk bounties now correctly point to bounty master even if they move elsewhere due to story eventsAdded a new beacon for Gabral if the player is on the step to go speak with him and then Solace Keep becomes uninhabitable.Conversation with companions next to Nandru's Journal will no longer start if Player progresses the Main Story far enough.Sanza now takes Geirmunds catography notes from the player if they offer to hand them over at the docks instead of at Sanza's shop in Northern ParadisConversation with Ruanga can no longer be repeated after Player exhausts all the available dialogue options.Conversation with Ranger Dorso about the investigation will no longer repeat after the quest "Steel Resolve" is completed. This will affect both new and old saves."Fixed an issue in Ryngrim's Domain whereby Kai would incorrectly identify the number of statue pieces the player has collected.Fixed an issue in Ryngrim's Domain whereby the conversation with Yatzli would drop unexpectedly under certain conditions.Fixed an issue in Ryngrim's Domain whereby a conversation would repeatedly trigger under certain conditions."Fixed a once ever turn in node for "A Home for Outcasts" quest. It is now always available for players until the quest is completed, ensuring that players will never be in a state where they cannot finish the quest. This fix works for saves that were already stuck in this state already as well.Wardens from the Cave and Tower camps in Galawain's Tusks will no longer be hostile if the player has parleyed with Amalia.Fixed the issue where, if the Adra was severed while One Last Drink quest was still in progress and all Crewmates were convinced to attend the reunion, upon talking to Ngunu, Player would be teleported downstairs and would be able to say Crewmembers didn't arrive because of the severed Adra, adespite the that their bodies are laying upstairs.Fixed the issue where during "Nature vs Nurture" quest companions would talk about how peaceful the xaurips are despite the fact they are hostile.Fixed the issue where Giatta would have troubles with animations after each conversation inside her house.Camera fixes for conversation with Chiko if the player plunders the heart from Keipo's Dungeon before visiting ThirdbornTurning in the Beetle Matriarch's bounty will now be removed from the bounty board properly. Emerald Stair map now correctly displays two Pargrunen Caches instead of just one.Removed issue causing the Aelfyr to disappear after their vignette in Northern ParadisFix error where you could give Ofryc the wrong ring in one instanceNPC near godshrine in Shatterscarp will now allow you to retrigger their conversation if it dropped randomly and preventing player from collecting god totem fragment.The quest icon for the Nature vs. Nature quest will now disappear correctly after Fior Mes Inverno is razed.Fixed a bug that caused the player to receive the same trinket reward twice from Heart of Valor, leviathans have only one heart canonicallyThe player is no longer able to leave the quest area before speaking with Ryngrim after the Naku Kubel decision cutscenePrevented spider from spawning under the level in the Spider LairPlayer no longer able to access the sulfur mines in Shatterscarp after the player agrees to let Darle blow them up.Fixed a bug where Captain Ngunu could show up in his lighthouse and the tavern at the same timeOptimized terrain chunks navigation around the tiered farms in Emerald StairThe conversation with Tycg in the Aedyran Embassy in Dawnshore will no longer end unexpectedly.Kai will no longer talk in conversation with Dehengen if he is not in the player's current partyIt is no longer possible to buy the 'Faith and Conviction' armor from Forgemaster Dela twiceCompanions will no longer appear in the middle of the conversation space when talking to the leaders of the Living Lands during the quest The Siege of Paradis.Giatta will no longer play bark dialogue during the Adra Pillar cutscene at Naku TedekImproved transition into the ending cutscenes and end slides of the game.Corrected the loot list for a chest outside of Naku Tedek that would sometimes have no loot in it.An NPC will no longer walk into the conversation space when talking to Warden Radut in Galawain's Tusks.Camera now correctly centers on the Envoy when certain characters state their opinion about trying drugs.Yatzli will no longer repeat the same conversation about Living Land leaders in The GardenFixed an issue where the Player could fall behind the cliff and get stuck in Delemgan Glade UI/UX Lore UI in conversations will no longer flicker while using the largest text sizeAdjusted the Map Legend textbox to prevent text overlapping.The Dream Touch status effect icon is now displayed correctly under hit enemy HP barsAdded 'Hold' variants of Sticks, Bumpers and D-Pad iconsUpdated the videos used in the tutorials for Swords and Greatswords.Color of the 'Corroded Key' icon is now consistent with other key itemsAncient Memory conversations now have smoother fade out animations.Food persistent temporary effects are limited to a designer adjustable numberHUD Opacities of Art Fixing Obsidian order armor shoulder plates visible in First-Person View.Fixed Water splashes from water react differently than on Rivers.Fixed Amalia's navigation inside the Camp.Fixed player being able to enter Thirdborn via pipelines.Fixed floating roots in the Thicket.Fixed an issue where Paradis Militia in the Emerald Stair Gatehouse falls into the ground.The Player no longer can climb on top of the Xaurip rock in Prologue.Corrected the visual look of glass for low Global Illumination Setting.Smoothed out the skinning and reduce clipping of the Kumitru's shirt during conversation.Added new Design for Downed Companion indicators for when they are offscreenShooting Water with Arrows now causes splashAdded effect for ripples, wake when swimming for all NPCs, companions and playersFixed an issue where The Player was unable to see Casted Meteor Shower at farther rangesFixed an issue where Lodestone's scratch decals are placed inaccuratelyFixed fire and ire Impact LODFixed an issue where Smoke and steam effects inside Mermaid’s Den appear completely opaque, when global illumination graphic settings has been set to LowAdded new Design for Downed Companion indicators for when they are offscreen Combat/Systems Fixes Increased arrow drop for bow basic attacksThe visual effect of the Stamina Drain Aura cast by Ghost type enemies will now correctly end with the effect rather than lasting twice as long Added loot drops for killable crittersFixed issue with Crackling Bolt not correctly applying shock accumulationFixed issue with bear fodder enemies clipping through Kai when attackingCompanions affected with Shock accumulation no longer electrocute each other in a loop.Improved lightning accumulation rate in water hazardsRaised the heights of the enemy health and stun UI on Ghost units to allow for more unobstructed aiming at their heads.Fixed a typo in the description of the 'Ring of the Founder' itemUpdated animation timings of Giatta's parry action to better line up with enemy attacks getting parried.Fixed a typo in the journal entry for the Totem of DefianceImproved lightning accumulation rate in water hazardsArrows now have gravity and will fall back down if shot in the airGrimoires now will cost less materials to upgrade per tier, but their per tier upgrade value has been reduced to match the change in upgrade costsFixed Minoletta's Conduit now works as intended with the Wand Mastery AbilityFixed description of Chitin Band's enchantment to match buffs to the itemAdded Grimoires now use creature parts to upgrade instead of woodHalma's Fancy trinket now grants +20 Maximum Essence in addition to +3 Perception.Adjusted Aedyran Supply Cache to help make it easier for players to findCompanions will now stay closer to the Player.Fixed the typo on one of the epitaphs inside Dawnshore Graveyard.Vailian and Rauataian coins can now be found as loot. Programming Fixes Fixed an issue with weapons losing enchantments after traveling between mapsFixed an issue where Bristling Frost doesn't create ice platforms on waterCompanions now consistently leave the combat state after all enemies lose track of the player.Fixed an issue where Completing certain quests on older saves was not bring properly counted for the Pentiment achievement.Fixed the "Armor Fit for the Wilds" Quest getting stuck at the "Gather Materials" stage.Ensure Proxy actors enter/exit destination points.Dead encounter characters with no loot will no longer respawnFixed an issue where HUD was not fading out for end slidesImproved Optimization to essence wisp spawningImprove appearance of hair, beards and fur when using FSR at lower quality levelsFixed an issue where Player inventory slot being left empty when equipping a weapon with LMB+RMB togetherFix a while flash in the world lighting that can sometimes be seen when the loading screen disappearsEssence will no longer be reduced from full when loading a save game where the Woedica totem is activeFix grimoire spell input sometimes triggering a quick-slot ability, or vice versa, when playing with mouse and keyboard.Enemies will no longer be stuck in ragdoll after attacking them with Stealth Attack while affected by Pull of Eora abilityfixed enemy models appear with a delay if players run into Inner Complex too quicklyFixed First-Person camera unintentionally snapping to the horizon line when swimming along the surface of waterDamaged Maegfolc enemy will now attack the player outside of melee range correctlyThe First-Person camera will no longer snap to default position upon using the Power Jump abilityFix weapon attacks restarting instead of finishing if the player rapidly taps the attack input at the end of another abilityIlora now consistently utilizes her ranged weapon.Fix some rare cases where slow-motion could last longer than intended.Play appropriate hit reactions when a player's or NPC's attempted block fails to mitigate any damage, such as when being hit from behind.Fixed an issue with Companions ragdoll during cutscenesFixed an issue with missing VFX indicating that the companion is poisonedGiatta's Purification upgrade Essence Pressure no longer affects anything that isn't a living enemy.Fixed an issue where Ranged NPC are standing still instead of repositioning to hit the player.Fixed an issue where sometimes Freezing Pillar does not appear after casting the AbilityFixed an issue where the Player is missing one of the Skaen Totem pieces after picking it upFixed an issue where Unique Pistol "Fair Play" doesn't cause critical hits when attacking weakpoint spotsOverlands maps now remove fog of war from cities if the player has visited them.Essence Cost Reduction modifiers now add together, instead of combining as multipliers (-10% and -20% now combine to -30%, instead of -28%).The version number of the game now appears on the main menu.Fix cases where some totem effects would stop working after a conversation or cutsceneAttacking with certain weapons will no longer cause doubled stamina drain when having high attack speedRanged beetle will no longer mantle cliffs when looking for ranged attack locations.Fixed Seven Strivings hammer not providing extra critical chanceFix visual artifact with jagged edges around water when Effects Quality was not Epic.The traps in The Garden now stay deactivated after re-loading the saveThe death sequence will now play correctly when falling out of bounds at specific locations across the gameThe Xaurip Bounty in Emerald Stair will now get properly marked as failed in journal after Fior mes Ivernos is razed.Fix an issue that could sometimes allow summoned characters to outlive the summoner.In some cases where enemies disappear for story reasons, unclaimed loot from killed enemies can still be foundUpdate enemy vitals to always stay above the defined UI anchor locationFixed an issue where picking up totem pieces could sometimes add them to the party stash instead of player's inventoryIncrease max attribute level to 30 and set a limit of how much the player can purchase to 15.Summoned skeleton minions (and other summon abilities) can no longer spawn undergroundFixed water interaction VFX when swimming in the waterDreamthrall Elder Brown Bear can no longer get stuck near HylgardFixed an incorrect camera placement during conversation with Elia RosellBodies of summoned blights now disappear correctly if Sargamis is killed before themThe character no longer look like they move in low framerate during conversations on the Xbox Series XHitting the place where the summoned enemy died will no longer produce hit reactions and blood splatterThe music will now fade out more naturally as the end slides end instead of cutting offFixed an issue causing Companions' models to morph into each otherThe enemies will now switch to attacking companions correctly when the player becomes invisibleNPC corpses/Loot bags now use Loot Shimmer to indicate whether the loot within is a Normal, Quest or Unique ItemFixed an issue where some dungeon maps are not using correct music after loading from somewhere elseFixed an rare issue where Dreamthrall is in stasis after being killedImprove performance when using the Minor Missiles spellFix grimoire traits being temporarily removed when casting spells from the ability barPrevent activating abilities, or soft-locking by opening a menu screen, during the transition between back-to-back cutscenesFix gameplay and VFX issues when using Godlike stealth attack "Divine Thorn" while wearing a trinket that deals additional damageFixed a hitch when aiming with bow after loading a saveFixed an issue where Loading a save on which the Player is Poisoned will restart the poison durationFixed VFX being stretched out after Destroying Freezing Pillar with special grenadeFix Pull of Eora insta-killing MaegfolcFixed an issue where the Player was unable to come off a ladder in ParadisFix an issue when breakable objects from not breaking when running into itImproved performance when walking through flamethrower traps at Naku Kubel on the Xbox Series XEnemies at the Xaurip Camp in Dawnshore now get alerted correctly upon breaking the destructible wallMissile Salvo's purple glow now disappears when the orb does.Enemies will no longer have a permanent glowing effect applied to them if 'Sapadal's Fury'ability gets cancelledRanged enemies will now correctly perceive the player partly behind the wall if they appear in their vision rangeAdded accessibility settings for changing how the player interacts with ladders.Fixed issue with players sometimes being ejected from the bottom of ladders.Smoothed out blending for entering the top of laddersAdded ladder interact modes (Auto, Mixed, Manual). Localization Fixes Fixed unlocalized strings in 'Sound Mix' option in Polish language.Fixed the Polish translation of fast travel beacon at Delemgan Glade in Emerald StairThe Voice now correctly acknowledges the Player's pronouns during their conversation in The Beyond while playing in Polish.Corrected translation of 'Vindictive Band' item in Polish language.Fixed translation of DLSS description. Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor 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 For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Fans are not happy about the recently released Mortal Kombat 1: Definitive Edition, with the community assuming this marks the end of NetherRealm Studios' latest fighting game. This new edition of the game gives players all of Mortal Kombat 1's content for $69.99, making it a good jumping-on point for newbies but a worrying sign for veteran players. While not confirmed to be the actual end of Mortal Kombat 1, it's likely that no more substantial new content is on the way. View the full article

Fancy a jaunt back into The Zone? GSC Game World released the long awaited Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl last November, steadling improving it after an (understandably) rocky launch. There's been several hefty updates for the sequel released along the way, and it turns out the developer has been even busier than expected. GSC Game World announced Stalker: Legends of the Zone Trilogy Enhanced Edition today, a revamp of the original three games, Shadow of Chornobyl, Clear Sky, and Call of Prypiat, that mostly brings in some visual upgrades. Read more View the full article

Stellar Blade, the action game where if you squint it will look like Nier: Automata, is finally coming to PC on June 11... Read more.View the full article

Ubisoft's brand has been struggling in recent years, but with the current plans for games like the rumored Far Cry 7, it looks like the company might be getting serious about fixing its image. While Ubisoft has some great games under its belt, it's also become synonymous with an arguably misguided approach to iteration. The freshest ideas presented in early entries of franchises like Assassin's Creed have largely been diluted over time, and the strongest new concepts can end up buried under a focus on monotonous scale. View the full article

Ubisoft is preparing for a reveal event on May 18, when it will fully unveil Siege X, the next evolution of Rainbow Six Siege, during the official season showcase. The announcement follows earlier teases of the next phase in the long-running tactical shooter that is slated for a June 10 launch. Rainbow Six Siege was first launched in 2015, turning ten in December 2025. View the full article

While there are more than enough memorable and surprising storylines crammed into Kingdom Come Deliverance 2's base game, Warhorse Studios has just dropped one of its most eccentric yet thanks to the launch of its first DLC expansion. Taking Henry on a new adventure involving a slightly unhinged artist looking to paint his magnum opus, the new KCD2 DLC also introduces an awesome new customization feature. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: All Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 console commands and cheats First Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 DLC brings shield painting to the RPG Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 hardcore mode arrives, makes medieval RPG way harder View the full article

Despite my love for colorful, fantasy anime aesthetics, I've never quite gotten on with the likes of Genshin Impact. Perhaps its the gacha, or having to keep up with what feels like volumes worth of bizarre terminology - I've just never been able to really commit to any of HoYoverse's long-running games. That's why Blue Protocol was so exciting to me - to quote Amazon at the time, the MMO was supposed to be about undertaking a "fantastical journey," where the story was at the core of the gameplay. But, that simply wasn't to be; back in August 2024 Amazon cancelled the Western release of Blue Protocol, with Bandai Namco Online confirming that service would also end in Japan in January of 2025. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Canceled Amazon MMO Blue Protocol is coming back as spinoff Star Resonance All Blue Protocol classes explained Blue Protocol delisted from Steam, effectively killing it for good View the full article

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 might only be a few months old, but it looks like it's already been dethroned as the fastest Nvidia gaming GPU out there. Initial benchmarks have shown that the Nvidia RTX Pro 6000 Blackwell, aimed at workstation PCs and sharing the same GPU chip as the RTX 5090, is actually a gaming powerhouse itself, with performance that is at least 10% faster than the RTX 5090. That said, we're not rushing to update our advice on buying the best graphics card out there just yet. There are plenty of reasons why this Nvidia workstation GPU isn't really suitable for gaming, not least the enormous price tag, with some RTX Pro 6000 Blackwell cards selling for as much as $11,000 online so far. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: 24GB Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 Super GPU is coming sooner than expected, says leak This leaked new Nvidia GeForce gaming GPU could cost even less than the RTX 5060 Nvidia GeForce gaming GPU prices are reportedly about to get even more expensive View the full article

According to publisher Nexon, The First Berserker: Khazan failed to meet sales expectations, but the company still sees the hardcore action RPG as a success. Released in March, The First Berserker: Khazan fits into developer Neople's long-running Dungeon & Fighter series, something the company is eager to promote more heavily in the West. View the full article

Popular benchmarking tool OCCT is releasing an optimized handheld edition for the Steam Deck, allowing curious gamers to fully stress test their hardware with a natively supported app. According to the developers, this "portable handheld edition" will run "flawlessly" on the Steam Deck and be available for free on launch. Benchmarking tools such as OCCT have been popular with hardware builders for decades, allowing you to check the stability of your machine. While it has always made sense to use OCCT on the best gaming PCs, I can also definitely see the appeal of using it on a handheld, especially if you're unsure whether or not your Steam Deck is working properly. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: This new Nvidia GPU is 10% faster than an RTX 5090, if you can afford it Best VPN service 2025 Best gaming monitor 2025 View the full article

I'm not even that hardcoreView the full article

Despair reigned among fans when Blue Protocol met its end in 2024. But like a phoenix, it rose again, reborn by Tencent's BOKURA as Star Resonance. Although little has been heard since the shutdown, the MMORPG now gleams anew with a 2025 release. I, for one, am thrilled to see Blue Protocol make a comeback. Anime-inspired MMOs are rare, and this one fills a unique niche. The new version is a clear improvement compared to the original. Visuals have been updated, character designs are more polished, and the world itself feels much more alive and interactive. [Hidden Content] When the original was canceled, many speculated if the shutdown was because the world felt lackluster and lacked depth. But with Star Resonance, the focus shifted to delivering a more dynamic experience. The announcement trailer showcases a world full of activities, like racing across open fields on pig-like mounts, fishing with friends by a peaceful lake, or relaxing around a campfire after an exciting raid. Star Resonance could become the ultimate multiplayer experience, blending action, exploration, and social interaction in ways fans have been eagerly waiting for. Each class offers unique combat playstyles, giving you the freedom to shape your character in ways that align with your personal preferences. With the world and its characters drawing inspiration from anime, it's safe to expect some iconic builds from fan-favorite shows and manga. Nevertheless, there will undoubtedly be fresh, innovative takes that push the boundaries and create entirely new archetypes to explore. The game will continue to evolve with new content and regular updates, which is promising for its long-term success. If the development team can maintain a steady flow of new content, Star Resonance could finally deliver on the potential the original never quite realized. While we're still waiting on a concrete release date, we'll likely see a launch later in the year—or, if we're lucky, sometime in the fall. The post Could this be the MMORPG comeback of 2025? Blue Protocol returns as Star Resonance appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article

Blue Protocol may have been shut down last year, but it lives on in a new form now with Blue Protocol: Star Resonance. Publisher A Plus unveiled the new MMORPG today, and it's set for launch sometime in 2025. Blue Protocol: Star Resonance is an anime-inspired MMORPG, with action combat and an open world to explore, targeting PC on both Steam and the Epic Games Store, as well as iOS and Android. Currently, the game is set to launch in Europe, North America, and Latin America sometime in 2025. Per Gematsu, Blue Protocol: Star Resonance was previously only announced for China. It was licensed to Bokura, the developer, after the closure of Blue Protocol and picked up some members of the original team in the process. Now, Star Resonance looks to be heading to new territories. You'd be forgiven for thinking Blue Protcol: Star Resonance is the original Blue Protocol, as the gameplay and world look very similar. The original Blue Protocol was a collaboration between Amazon Games and Bandai Namco. The MMORPG went live in Japan and was planned for a worldwide release. IGN even previewed it in 2023, calling it "gorgeous" and "cool." Then in 2024, Bandai Namco announced it was cancelling the worldwide launch and would discontinue service for Blue Protocol by January 18, 2025. “We have enjoyed a strong relationship with Amazon Games throughout the development of Blue Protocol, and both of our teams are disappointed that we will not be able to deliver the game to players around the world,” Bandai Namco said in a statement at the time. “We have worked hard to prepare for the release; however, we have come to the conclusion that it will not be possible to provide a service that satisfies all of you.” Cut to now, and Blue Protocol: Star Resonance bears all the hallmarks of Blue Protocol. There's the anime-inspired aesthetic, action combat, character customization, and community events. This, in essence, may just be the return of Blue Protocol for those who were interested in seeing it arrive in the west. While this news might feel like seeing the ghost of old games past, it might be some good news for anyone who didn't get the chance to try Blue Protocol before its closure. Maybe the second time's the charm? We'll know for sure when Blue Protocol: Star Resonance arrives sometime this year. Eric is a freelance writer for IGN. View the full article

New details about Dan Heng’s rumored new form in Honkai: Star Rail have leaked, and based on the information provided, the Astral Express crew member will have an unexpected summon mechanic – even when compared to the new memosprite summons that have been added with the introduction of the Remembrance as a playable Path. Currently, HoYoverse’s turn-based RPG is moving toward Version 3.3, a major patch that will introduce Hyacine and Cipher to Honkai: Star Rail, as well as a new weekly boss to face and several updates to the Amphoreus story arc. View the full article

Как и было обещано, следующее крупное обновление для постапокалиптического шутера с открытым миром S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl не заставило себя долго ждать. Студия GSC Game World объявила о выходе патча 1.4.View the full article

We recently reported on the reveal of an upcoming PC release of Stellar Blade, the formerly PS5 exclusive action game ... Read more View the full article

Stellar Blade will be releasing a Complete Edition for both PlayStation 5 and PC, adding new outfits, an additional boss fight, and more to the action-adventure game. Fans can expect to see the new edition of Stellar Blade launching in June, alongside the launch of the game on PC. View the full article

After Metaphor Refantazio, it's tempting to start wondering when we might see Persona 6. Atlus, however, isn't quite done with its predecessor, as we return to Tokyo for Persona 5: The Phantom X, a new JRPG that will be launching globally in June as a free PC game. Originally only available in China, Taiwan, and South Korea, it returns to the scene of the crime with an entirely new cast of Phantom Thieves led by a boy known by the codename 'Wonder,' although you can expect familiar faces such as Joker to join you on your journey. Read the rest of the story... View the full article

Now Playing | There's no right or wrong way to play, but also I am correctView the full article

Once upon a time, I remember seeing the trailer for the first Dead Island game. "They banned this trailer because it was so scary," my cousin would whisper. "You're way too young to watch it." I puffed up my 15-year-old chest and prepared for the worst. "I'm not scared." I was, in fact, scared. Years later, when Dead Island 2 was announced, I wasn't as frightened of its overt gore and chaotic action, but for me those blood-tinged childhood memories have always meant that the series was always one of my favorites, up there with Dying Light and Left 4 Dead. If you've skipped out on Dambuster's sequel, it's well worth a go, and it's free right now on the Epic Games Store. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Snag zombie slaying hit Dead Island 2 cheap right now Grab the most brutal zombie game ever for its lowest price yet Dead Island 2's new free update delivers two essential zombie slaying modes View the full article

The viral idle game Cookie Clicker is officially headed to all major consoles, with its release set for May 22. Originally developed for browsers by Julien Thiennot in 2013, the cult hit is known for its immensely addictive gameplay loop, tasking players with simply making cookies. Cookie Clicker is currently available via Steam, which was released with the help of Playsaurus, for $4.99. View the full article

While there are many haunting and terrifying locations in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, such as Renoir's Drafts or the Endless Night Sanctuary, the area that easily gives me nightmares is the Gestral Beach ascension tower. The ascension tower is a relatively straightforward mini-game, and the Gestral Beaches are meant to be a light-hearted or even relaxing break from the often bleak and depressing world inside the Canvas. In my experience, there is absolutely nothing light-hearted or relaxing about it, and it's arguably one of the harder challenges in the game (aside from maybe raft volleyball). View the full article