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Studio Wildcard has released a massive update for ARK: Survival Ascended as a free DLC titled ARK: Ragnarok Ascended, which significantly expands the map and marks the return of the deadly Ice Wyvern. Dropped in early access as a remastered version of the hit dinosaur survival game ARK: Survival Evolved, ARK: Survival Ascended has received a steady stream of content updates since its October 2023 release. The game was transitioned to the latest version of Unreal Engine 5 via a technical patch in March 2025 to improve performance and remedy engine-related issues. View the full article

The events of Call of Duty: ****** Ops 2 now officially take place in the past. The iconic shooter from developer Treyarch Studioswas released in 2012 and imagined a much more futuristic version of 2025, but as the final mission of Call of Duty: ****** Ops 2takes place on June 19, it now means that real life has caught up with the game's timeline, thus making it a game set in the past. View the full article

If, like me, you're hopelessly in love with Disney Lorcana, the chances are you're constantly looking to improve your decks, dive deeper into Lorcana lore, and maybe scoop some rarer cards for your binders. For all these things, booster packs are the way to go, and at the moment, you can get your hands on 24 boosters - that's 288 cards in total - from the Archazia's Island set for just under 25% off on Amazon. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Grab 24 packs of Disney Lorcana Reign of Jafar at a great price right now The best Disney Lorcana starter decks, ranked The 15 rarest and most expensive Lorcana cards in the world View the full article For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Indie horror game developer Ruled is onto a nice little spree with their shortform Itch.io releases - seemingly, they are skipping from phobia to phobia. First there was Automatonophobia, a game that navigated the fear of subterranean golems, then there was Chrometophobia, a game dedicated to the fear of spending money, and also to the act of finding "grimbo" gibs for a delicious pie. What's next on the menu? Ah yes, scarecrows. Read more View the full article

Final Fantasy 14's Naoki 'Yoshi-P' Yoshida and Toshio 'Foxclon' Murouchi kicked off Live Letter 87 a bit differently than usual to showcase FF14 patch 7.3. The stream gave both responses to player concerns, and the info we've come to expect in terms of new quests, dungeons, trials, side content, and more that is coming in patch 7.3. There were some surprises in this Live Letter that players might not have been expecting, but since it's only the first such livestream for patch 7.3, the info was much more general than it will be for Live Letter 88, which will premiere about two weeks before patch 7.3, which is currently scheduled for early August. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Final Fantasy 14 Mobile is live now, but not for everyone The new FF14 7.25 patch notes unveil the Occult Crescent exploration zone The best anime games on PC 2025 View the full article

The original Pac-Man is unquestionably a video game classic, well deserving of its position in the inaugural class of the Strong Museum of Play's World Video Game Hall of Fame. But playing the unmodified 1980 release these days can feel a little slow-paced and repetitive, given advancements in game design and taste in the intervening decades. So when I noticed a game called Pac-Man Superfast sitting under a "YouTube Playables" heading on Google's popular video site the other day, my first thought was "Wait, how fast is 'superfast' exactly?" My second thought was, "Wait, what the heck is YouTube Playables?" Looks familiar, except for that speed gauge in the corner.... Credit: Youtube Playables You'd be forgiven for not knowing about YouTube Playables. Few seemed to note its official announcement last year as a collection of free-to-play web games built for the web using standard rendering APIs. The seeming competitor to Netflix's mobile gaming offerings is still described in an official FAQ as "an experimental feature rolled out to select users in eligible countries/regions," which doesn't make this post-Stadia gaming effort seem like a huge priority for Google. Read full article Comments View the full article

It's been roughly three weeks since Elden Ring Nightreign dropped on May 30, and players have started to get their heads around all the different tools and abilities available to them in Limveld. What some are starting to do with those abilities, though, is pretty fascinating. One of the top posts on the r/Nightreign subreddit this morning was from user u/Quantam-Law, who was playing with a Raider under the username "BRO....". BRO had a pretty great idea: the trio of Nightfarers had the Noklateo Shifting Earth event, and rather than storm the front gate of the city, BRO popped Raider's ultimate to provide a new platform for entry. New strategy for getting to Noklateo quicker? byu/Quantam-Law inNightreign .reddit-embed-wrapper iframe { margin-left: 0 !important; } Noklateo, and other Shifting Earth events, are random, map-changing alterations that can appear, adding new encounters and areas to explore in the process. But while this usage of Totem Stela is good for that, it gets the gears turning on other places and ways you could use the massive brick to get up and around designed obstacles. Raider's not the only one with tricks, either. u/Mockz_ also had a recent skip posted up on the Elden Ring Nightreign subreddit, this time for the Crater Shifting Earth event. In this one, Mockz uses their abilities, and a little bit of good ol' fashioned gravity to get where they need to go, at the bottom of the Crater. Crater Wylder skip byu/Mockz_ inNightreign .reddit-embed-wrapper iframe { margin-left: 0 !important; } Another user, u/ninjabladeJr, posted a feasible—albeit challenging and dangerous—skip of their own to the bottom of the Crater, using a spectral hawk and specific line-ups. Are these Crater skips dangerous? Absolutely. Is it awesome to see someone breeze past the many, many encounters of the dungeon and straight to the big boss, the ultimate goal and prize of the Shifting Earth event? You betcha. Consistent Crater Skip byu/ninjabladeJr inNightreign .reddit-embed-wrapper iframe { margin-left: 0 !important; } Heck, there are people even finding ways to the top of the Mountaintop event by just Skyrim-jumping their way up the side of the cliffs like an ibex. Shifting Earth events are a fun, fascinating part of Nightreign's construction and layout, and it's amazing how players are already finding ways to navigate them faster and smarter. The actual usability of these is absolutely up-in-the-air. I could see popping the Noklateo totem-skip in a random lobby, but I think attempting the spectral hawk Crater skip in a room with two random players who don't know what I'm doing is a fast path to two, if not three, Nightfarers down. But the fact players are getting so creative with their abilities and finding such interesting uses for them bodes well for the long-term health of Elden Ring Nightreign. As of this writing, the speedrun leaderboards for Elden Ring Nightreign still aren't live, but these community-discovered skips already have me intrigued to see what speedrunners can showcase with the game. We’ve got plenty of Nightreign tips and tricks to help you take down all the eight Nightlord Bosses, and if you’re wondering how to unlock the two locked Nightfarer Classes, check out How to Unlock the Revenant and How to Unlock the Duchess, plus How to Change Characters. Eric is a freelance writer for IGN. View the full article

David Thompson and Trevor Benjamin, the board game designers behind Osprey Games' hit Undaunted series, have just unveiled their latest project, Moytura, a two player game about vying for control of Ancient Ireland with the help of various deities. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: 140 best dirty Truth or Dare questions for spicy game nights Regulus is the most interesting tactical board game we've seen in years Before the sequel, the award-winning Slay the Spire board game gets a price cut View the full article

The Fortnite Star Wars Galactic Battle mini-season of Chapter 6 launched on May 2, and here are the biggest changesView the full article

Occult Crescent and Cosmic Exploration have plenty of fixes on the way in patch 7.3View the full article

Honkai: Star Rail has confirmed that its highly anticipated Version 3.4 is scheduled to be released on July 2. The update will feature the Honkai: Star Rail collaboration with Fate/Stay Night and introduce a new Trailblaze Mission. Three new limited characters are also debuting during the patch, including the fan-favorite Phainon. View the full article

I was a fool to believeView the full article

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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