Underwater puzzler Echoes of Mora is launching on SteamVR next year. Developed by Selkies Interactive, Echoes of Mora is an underwater puzzle game where you swim through dreamy sunken dioramas and unlock curious memories as you uncover its eerie story. Announced today during the UploadVR Winter Showcase, the aquatic mystery is launching on Steam in March next year. You can check out the gameplay in the trailer below: Echoes of Mora can be played in both PC VR and flatscreen modes, with players able to switch between mediums as they see fit, and their save slot will carry over between them. During our demo hands-on at Gamescom this year, we found that while it’s by no means a seamless swimming simulator, the worldbuilding underpinning the mystery was more than enough to keep us engaged. We went on to say, “its compelling narrative beats and dreamy world design provide more than enough intrigue to earn it a place on my wishlist.” Echoes of Mora is launching on Steam in March 2026. All the announcements from today's showcase will be rounded up in a handy 'Everything Announced' format, so be sure to check back in after it's finished. View the full article
Sol Protocol is a co-op roguelike coming to Quest early next year, and you can sign up for the closed alpha tests today. Developed by Singular Perception (Epyka), Sol Protocol sees you and up to two additional players tasked with manning a spaceship as you navigate the dangers of a procedurally generated outer space. There are multiple roles to choose from when organizing and optimizing your crew, including the pilot, the gunner, and the captain. You can check out the announcement trailer below: On your journey across the stars, you'll run into abandoned space stations and lost tech that can be searched and used to earn resources that can upgrade your ship. Space isn't all loot though, and there are also enemies to contend with, which require careful strategies and a range of high-powered weapons to best. Sol Protocol is launching on Quest and SteamVR in early 2026, with a flatscreen version also intended for release. Those who want to get stuck in early can sign up for the closed alpha by joining the Sol Protocol Discord. Everything announced during the UploadVR Winter Showcase will be compiled into a wider list, so check back after the show to catch up on all the announcements. View the full article
Birdseed VR targets a March 2026 launch for the free-to-play birdwatching sim on Quest and Steam. Currently available in early access on Quest for solo play, Birdseed VR by Buffalo Buffalo (Fresh Tracks VR) sees you aim to get the best possible camera shots, giving your pictures a star rating. As seen in today's UploadVR Winter Showcase, the Vancouver-based studio confirmed Birdseed's full release is coming this March on both Quest and PC VR. The game aims to mimic real-life avian behavior like movement, appearance, flight patterns and distinctive calls, equipping you with binoculars and different camera lenses to capture these moments. Daily challenges are available and online multiplayer will be supported at full release, letting you share photos with friends and hang out across the forests. Since October's early access launch, Birdseed VR released a quality-of-life update two weeks ago. That introduced the Field Journal for tracking challenges, and completing these tasks awards bottle caps that “can be exchanged for future goods and tools.” More observable birds were also added, alongside a new scoring system and real-time feedback system to track your challenge progress. Birdseed VR is out now in Early Access on Quest 3 and 3S, with the full release coming in March 2026 on Quest and Steam. View the full article
Winter Wonderland is back for another year in Overwatch 2 alongside season 20, and that's just the start of the seasonal festivities. The newest DPS hero, Vendetta, makes her mark immediately when the season goes live, but there's a whole load of new cosmetic items to unlock along with changes to the base game to keep players warm over the holidays. Read on below for OW2's season 20 patch notes to see what's new and different in the FPS. Table of contentsOverwatch season 20 patch notesNew Damage hero: VendettaHero buffs and nerfsStadium updatesCompetitive updatesWinter Wonderland returnsNew MythicsNew battle passAvatar: The Last Airbender collab returnsOverwatch season 20 patch notes Image via Blizzard Entertainment New Damage hero: Vendetta Image via Blizzard Entertainment Vendetta is OW2's 45th hero and its first-ever fully melee-based DPS character. Her Palatine Fang sword will wreak havoc on the backline as she flies through the air and deals big damage, so be prepared to help your healers. Hero buffs and nerfs Hero balancing changes will arrive alongside the update on Dec. 9, so check back here for more info once the full patch notes are available. Stadium updates Image via Blizzard Entertainment Wuyang and Doomfist join the round-based mode along with a re-work for Cassidy and a new Top 500 rank tier to grind for on the new China Control map. Competitive updates The newly-introduced Challenger Score will add more heat in the battle for Top 500 players, but some big changes coming to cheater bans will help players regain any rank progress lost in "unfair losses" along the way. Winter Wonderland returns Image via Blizzard Entertainment The return of everyone's favorite cheery event adds a three-path reward system where players can complete challenges to earn Winter Cookies to unlock skins like Jingle Tracer, Krampus Junkrat, and Santa Claus Torbjorn. Running from Dec. 9 to Jan. 7, the event also includes a winterized Mischief & Magic prop hunt mode variant, along with other unlockable skins in Frozen ****** Junkrat and Frozen Mountaineer Cassidy. New Mythics Image via Blizzard Entertainment This season's new mythic skin is Divine Desperado Cassidy, offering a number of customization options. Season 2's Mythic weapon is Orisa's Capsule Cannon, which is like a big gacha machine on her arm. Image via Blizzard Entertainment It's adorable. New battle pass Image via Blizzard Entertainment Five legendary skins and three Epic skins highlight this season's battle pas. Yukizaru Genji, Colder: 76 Soldier: 76, Frost Lich Reaper, Skadi Freja, Cold Front Tracer, Ice Crystal Symmetra, and Winter Guardian Illari round it out along with dozens of other rewards. The Ultimate Battle Pass bundle adds High Society Vendetta and Reindeer Tracer, along with 20 tier skips and 2,000 OW Coins. Avatar: The Last Airbender collab returns Image via Blizzard Entertainment OW2's A:TLA collab returns to the store with skins such as Katara Mei, Aang Zenyatta, Appa Orisa, Toph Venture, Zuko Genji, and Suki Kiriko. This article will be updated with more information when it becomes available. The post Overwatch 2 season 20 early patch notes – Vendetta, Winter Wonderland, nerfs and buffs, plus more appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article
The Wizard Evolution is now live in FC 26, and you can complete the upgrade to improve a card of your choice. The evolution, available for 40,000 coins, offers some amazing upgrades. Your selected card can rise up to 87 overall rating, along with new playstyles and roles. This guide will help you find the best possible choices based on the requirements and offered upgrades. Table of contentsFC 26 The Wizard Evolution requirementsFC 26 The Wizard Evolution upgradesBest players to use in The Wizard EvolutionFC 26 The Wizard Evolution requirements Here are the requirements of The Wizard Evolution in FC 26. Overall: Max 85Pace: Max 89Total Positions: Max 3PlayStyle: Max 10PlayStyle+: Max 1Not Rarity: World Tour Silver StarsPosition: LWFC 26 The Wizard Evolution upgrades The evolution has five levels of upgrades, each with certain conditions to fulfill. Level 1 upgrades Overall: +12|87Balance: +20|89Composure: +20|85Positions: CAMPlayStyles: Trickster|6 Level 2 upgrades Acceleration: +10Penalties: +15Long Shots: +15Roles: Inside Forward++, Classic 10++ Level 3 upgrades Passing: +10|83Ball control: +20|88Sprint Speed: +20|91Stamina: +20|85Skills: +4 Level 4 upgrades Acceleration: +10|90Dribbling: +20|88Positioning: +15|87Reactions: +20|87PlayStyles: Inventive|6 Level 5 upgrades Agility: +20|90Finishing: +15|87Shot Power: +15|85PlayStyles+: Quick Step|1Roles: Wide Playmaker++ Level 1 upgrade requirements Play 2 matches in Squad Battles on min Semi-Pro difficulty (or Rush/Rivals/Champions/Live Events) using your active EVO player in game. Level 2 upgrade requirements Play 1 match in Squad Battles on min. Semi-Pro difficulty (or Rush/Rivals/Champions/Live Events) using your active EVO Player in game. Level 3 upgrade requirements Play 1 match in Squad Battles on min. Semi-Pro difficulty (or Rush/Rivals/Champions/Live Events) using your active EVO Player in game. Level 4 upgrade requirements Play 1 match in Squad Battles on min. Semi-Pro difficulty (or Rush/Rivals/Champions/Live Events) using your active EVO Player in game. Level 5 upgrade requirements Play 1 match in Squad Battles on min. Semi-Pro difficulty (or Rush/Rivals/Champions/Live Events) using your active EVO Player in game.Best players to use in The Wizard Evolution Here are some of my best recommendations for inclusion in the evolution. JoelintonRaspadori World TourSon Heung MinHarvey Barnes TOTWSelma BachaLuna TOTWTzolis While the upgrades are significant, you will be able to include these cards in future evolutions to create a chain and evolve their stats further. The post Best players for the FC 26 The Wizard Evolution appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article
For some odd reason, 2025 seems to be the year of Roman-era city-builders. From Anno 117 to Roman Triumph, it's certainly been a great ******* for those who love their forums and temples. But now we're getting another game, whose demo is already out and attracting a good chunk of players: Nova Roma. Much like Roman Triumph, which I spoke of earlier this year, Nova Roma is styled more after Banished than Anno. You are tasked with erecting a new Roman settlement at the twilight of the Empire, managing your residents' needs, health, happiness, and, what's most crucial, ensuring they're warm during the winter. The game adopts a cartoonish art style, exchanging realism for beauty and color. Every visual is striking, and the maps themselves are incredible canvases perfectly suited for Rome's new beginnings. It's in many ways akin to Banished in its gameplay, but it streamlines many of the processes to ensure frustration is kept at a minimum. The winters can be harsh on your people. Image via Lion Shield Though Banished has a clear-cut progression system, it doesn't always work out so well. More often than not, you'll spread out and expand quickly at the start, but have your entire population decimated just as fast. In Nova Roma, such worries are put aside. Your citizens will freeze to death, and the odd egg will wander out into the sea, never to be seen again (this is an actual event in the game), but the rapid collapse we've come to know in Banished isn't part of the experience. Some influence of Anno does exist. Citizens have select needs that must be fulfilled depending on their strata, there is a linear progression in social class even if it isn't clearly stated like in Anno, and enemies (i.e. Rome itself) will try to come and conquer you every now and again. You must dedicate temples to various gods, like in Anno 117, only here they get really mad if you don't dedicate enough of these shrines to them. Appeasing the Olympian host is just as important as keeping your citizens at bay, giving you something to do at every point of your progression. The tech tree is tied to the gods' happiness, so you'd better offer those 40 grapes when Ceres asks you to. The combination of nice visuals, a relatively challenging gameplay loop, and inspirations taken from the most influential games in this niche genre produces a fantastic little game that I could not get enough of. As said, the demo is free of charge and already available, while the full release is scheduled for Jan. 22 next year. If you loved any of the games I've mentioned here, Nova Roma will probably scratch that same itch, doing so in a lovely, calmer, and unique way. The post Nova Roma could be the Banished-like we’ve all been searching for appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article
Brick-breaking roguelike Ball x Pit was one of the breakout (get it?) indie sensations of the year, but developer Kenny Sun (and friends) isn't done with it quite yet. Ball x Pit earned itself a Best Independent Game nomination at The Game Awards, and is now promising three free updates in the near future. View the full article
Fresh Tracks, the fast-paced skiing rhythm roguelike, is getting a PC VR edition. Developed by Buffalo Buffalo, Fresh Tracks is an action-rhythm game where players ride hectic slopes all while navigating obstacles, upgrading skills, and swiping away at aggressive enemies. Initially released in August as a flatscreen experience, Fresh Tracks is officially coming to VR as a separate release. Announced at the UploadVR Winter Showcase, here's the reveal trailer: Fresh Tracks is set in the land of Norwyn, which is suffering under its cruel ruler, Mar, the Queen of Terror. Across its mythic landscapes, which include snowy forests, frosty towns, and desolate mountains, you pick from a range of genre-jumping tracks before hacking and slashing your way through levels in search of high scores. As you progress, you'll also get the chance to unlock special swords and skis that provide unique abilities that bolster your runs, such as increased invulnerability and bonus heart containers. Fresh Tracks VR is “coming soon” to Steam. All the announcements from the Upload VR Winter Showcase will be rounded up shortly, so be sure to check back in for all the details. View the full article
A forthcoming title from the creators of The Brookhaven Experiment goes for Half-Life: Alyx vibes in standalone VR. A trailer for the game revealed in the UploadVR Showcase today shows off some of the interactions I tried in Automa with standalone Quest 3. Available to wishlist today, I've put some gameplay video from the opening area of the demo below. An early testing release runs at solid frame rate on my Quest 3 and, when it comes to first impressions, I really can't ask for too much more here – impressive views, layered sounds, solid interactions, and a sense of place that rivals something quite like Half-Life: Alyx's opening level. Automa includes gravity gloves to pull a ton of interactive objects close as well as drawers, cabinets and doors all openable during my time in the game. One detail I enjoyed quite a bit was finding a cat litter box in my starting room and wondering if I'd meet the animal. I did, and even fed it. I found a monkey sitting on the ledge outside too and tossed something over, watching it react to my intrusion. Altogether, I interacted with four different animals during my brief time with the game alongside all the other environmental interactables, and Phosphor is aware of the desire for even deeper interactions as they continue building out this world. Phosphor is the studio behind The Brookhaven Experiment, which recently re-released in standalone VR after being the first zombie wave shooter for the HTC Vive. With Automa, developers are looking to build a full "story-driven action-adventure" and are now looking for people to wishlist on PlayStation VR2, Quest 2 and 3, as well as on Steam. They're also looking for people to join their Discord and help shape next steps. Here's how Phosphor officially describes Automa: AUTOMA is a story-driven action-adventure built exclusively for VR, where exploration and immersion drive a world that feels alive and reactive. Players step into an atmospheric, highly detailed world teeming with beauty, mystery, and danger — one that invites curiosity at every turn. Drawing from the best of immersive VR design, AUTOMA emphasizes believable physics and intuitive interactions that give rise to emergent, player-driven moments — making every encounter feel organic and personal. Set in a near-future world where fears of AI misalignment are beginning to come true, autonomous forces have seized control of a Southeast Asian city. You’ve made a desperate deal to protect your family —but at what cost, and what will they ask of you next? Automa's rich introductory environment creates that same sense of a bustling city outside as City 17's run-down apartment buildings, with people visible on the street below beyond a curtain fluttering in the wind barely visible through shutters in the window. Even the liquid of bottles bubbles internally as you shake them in your hand – not quite as dynamic as Alyx, but still a really nice touch that adds a sense of subtle and playful immersion. Automa is scheduled to release in 2026. With Steam Frame scheduled to join other new standalone headsets and Valve being noncommittal to a performant Half-Life: Alyx running on the headset without streaming, we're extremely curious to see if Automa can fill some unmet demand. We'll be on the lookout for more gameplay details from Phosphor and curious to see what else is in store for Automa. View the full article
Norse-inspired soulslike Crossings will launch on Quest and Steam later this month. Developed by Neat Corp, Crossings is an action-adventure soulslike that asks players to exact their vengeance in the afterlife. Playable solo or with a friend in co-op, you'll take on mythic evils and face off against mythic bosses as you expand your arsenal and repeat runs. Revealing its release date at the UploadVR Winter Showcase, you can check out the latest trailer below: In Crossings, you manage a handful of combat inputs, including a dodge, strike, and block, while facing off against thematic enemies including trolls, ghosts, and Draugr. As you progress, you'll also earn spells and upgrades, as well as unlock new weapons like blades and bows that bolster your attempts. The world is open to exploration, with a range of biomes to investigate, from eerie caves to forests and ruins, each hiding stories that illuminate the lore underpinning Crossings' Norse-inspired story. Crossings will be available on Quest and Steam on December 18. We'll be rounding up all the reveals from the UploadVR Winter Showcase in a complete list, so check back after the show for more details. View the full article
The new College of the Moon Bard is D&D's way of asking 'what if Bard 5e, but Druid?' The answer is actually a pretty stable, satisfying Bard build, though one that can't quite live up to the healer expectations placed upon it. I don't know much about the Moonshae Isles, the part of the Forgotten Realms setting this Bard is based around, but I am intrigued by the thought of a Bard that can summon the literal moon to be their spotlight. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Hilarious D&D homebrew imagines a Faerûn where everyone evolves into crabs These gorgeously witchy D&D tarot cards make me wish I believed in real magic How to play Dungeons and Dragons for beginners View the full article
When asked whether the US winning the AI race against China and other adversaries could be critical for national security, Huang said that nobody really knows how AI will impact our lives or what implications it will have for global geopolitics. Read Entire Article View the full article
"We'd like of course to apologize to anyone who felt insulted in the heat of the moment and we thank you for raising concerns at the time"View the full article
I wrote a couple of weeks ago about my personal homebrew Steam Machine, a self-built desktop under my TV featuring an AMD Ryzen 7 8700G processor and a Radeon 780M integrated GPU. I wouldn’t recommend making your own version of this build, especially with RAM prices as they currently are, but there are all kinds of inexpensive mini PCs on Amazon with the same GPU, and they’ll all be pretty good at playing the kinds of games that already run well on the less-powerful Steam Deck. But this kind of hardware is an imperfect proxy for the Steam Machine that Valve plans to launch sometime next year—that box will include a dedicated GPU with 8GB of dedicated video memory, presenting both benefits and possible pitfalls compared to a system with an integrated GPU. As a last pre-Steam Machine follow-up to our coverage so far, we’ve run tests on several games we test regularly in our GPU reviews to get a sense of how current versions of SteamOS stack up to Windows running on the same hardware. What we’ve found so far is basically the inverse of what we found when comparing handhelds: Windows usually has an edge on SteamOS’s performance, and sometimes that gap is quite large. And SteamOS also exacerbates problems with 8GB GPUs, hitting apparent RAM limits in more games and at lower resolutions compared to Windows. Read full article Comments View the full article
Rockstar Games has pulled back the curtain on the next major patch for Grand Theft Auto Online, not only confirming that the free content update will be released on Wednesday, December 10, but also surprising fans with the return of Michael De Santa, one of the three main protagonists from Grand Theft Auto 5. There have long been rumors and theories that Michael would return in a new Grand Theft Auto Onlineupdate, and just as players were beginning to lose faith, Rockstar brought back the icon for one last hurrah. View the full article
Netflix is officially going through with purchasing Warner Bros. for a staggering $82.7 billion in what is one of the biggest corporate deals in history. But aside from acquiring the whole film and TV side of WB, it's also getting WB Games, which could have a significant impact on the industry. Two things will happen to video games with this acquisition: one, Netflix will become the owner of some of the biggest IPs on the planet. DC Comics, The Lord of the Rings (to a limited extent), Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, and many others; and two, the company gains control of established WB Games franchises, many of which are under the umbrella of the aforementioned IPs. The Middle-earth games, Batman, Hogwarts, Mortal Kombat, and countless other series will come into the hands of the world's biggest streaming service. Additionally, Netflix will now have the Nemesis system, a proprietary patent of Warner Bros. that was first introduced with Shadow of Mordor, which sees the game dynamically develop relationships between the player and those enemies they kill (or which kill them). Netflix is no stranger to video games. Now, it's closer to them than ever. Screenshot via Netflix YouTube Netflix thus has limitless opportunities to pursue. We could see the company start to invest heavily into WB Games, perhaps even merging it with its own Netflix Games division. The latter produced largely mobile games and smaller projects, but also hosts big names like Red Dead Redemption on its platform. With WB Games in tow, Netflix Games could be significantly expanded with ports, spin-offs, and new games based on both the IPs owned by Warner Bros. in general and those subfranchises like the Arkham series, for example. On the other hand, and what could be more likely, is that Netflix will start outsourcing these IPs to other, more established game development studios, raking in free cash in the process with literally zero effort. After all, the likes of Sony, Netease, and others already source a lot of Marvel-related IPs from Disney, so it's not as if there's no industry precedent for this. We could see Santa Monica-produced Justice League games, or ******** megacorporations swooping in to grab ultra-popular IPs and turning them into live-service multiplayer games in Marvel Rivals style. Anything goes in this case. Lastly, Netflix is first and foremost a film and television company, one that thrives off its subscription service. It has probably pursued this deal to grab Warner Bros.' many studios and production capabilities, as well as to seemingly isolate HBO, one of its main competitors, which is currently owned by WB-Discovery. With this increase in production capacity, we could expect Netflix to make a whole lot more series and films, as well as to exploit these huge properties it has acquired alongside WB. Video game adaptations have become super popular in recent times, so it's safe to say Netflix would make use of its new (and expensive) position to chase that trend. Batman: Arkham - The TV Show, anyone? The post Netflix is sweeping up Warner Bros. for $82 billion—so what will happen to its gaming division? appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article
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Someone email the Daredevil actor a plot summaryView the full article