Once you complete Acts 1-3 on both Normal and Cruel difficulties, you'll unlock the endgame map for Path of Exile 2. The map has a ton of areas to explore with various different icons which indicate what additional mechanics you can expect to be on the map. Here are all of the Path of Exile 2 Endgame Map Icons and what they mean.

Path of Exile 2 Endgame Map Icons

Each map location is marked by a circle with one of four colors: white, green, blue, or yellow. White means its a location you haven't unlocked yet, while green means you have already cleared that map. Blue means you can access that map to try to clear it now, and yellow means you have attempted the map and failed. All of the maps also include various icons that indicate which encounters you can expect on the map.

These are all the icons that can appear on the endgame maps in Path of Exile 2:

Icon	Encounter	Description
	Map Boss	Map will contain a Map Boss. Map Bosses are extremely powerful monsters that have special mechanics and drop greatly increased rewards.
	Irradiated	Area has a +1 to Monster Level.
	Breach	Map will contain a Breach. Opening it will allow you to see and interact with monsters from another dimension. The faster you kill them, the longer the Breach remains open.
	Delirium	Map will contain a Delirium Mirror. Walking through unleashes a Delirium fog that expands. Killing monsters while in the Delirium fog increases your rewards.
	Expedition	Map contains Expeditions that are Ancient Kalguuran burial sites allowing you to set a chain of explosive to encounter powerful enemies and rewards.
	Ritual	Map contains Ritual Altars that absorb enemies when killed in the ritual circles. Defeating the revived monsters earns you Tribute to spend on powerful rewards.
	Corruption	Map contains Corruption which may add an additional modifier to the area. Additionally, the area has +1 to Monster Level.
	Unique Map	Map contains a unique map layout which may contain specialized rewards.
	Hideout	Map contains a Hideout that can be fully cleared out to obtain the Hideout for personal use.
	Wandering Trader	Map contains a Wandering Trader who may offer you powerful rewards.

The post All Path of Exile 2 Endgame Map Icons, explained appeared first on Destructoid.

Haze Reverb's global servers are now live and running, and there's a host of different characters to choose from.

There are three rarities of characters you can find inside the game, and in general, SSR characters are mostly on the top. That said, you can't always hope to find the rarer characters, especially if you're free-to-play. Having a sound knowledge of the tier list will help you to invest your resources properly.

Haze Reverb global tier list

To construct the list, I have used four different tiers.

• S-tier: The very best characters who are worth your resources.
• A-tier: Good characters who can even qualify as S-tier in certain situations.
• B-tier: Characters that might do the job at launch, but will fall off in the meta list.
• C-tier: Starter characters that you should replace as soon as possible.

Haze Reverb S-tier list

• Alice
• Aishlica
• Aevati
• Kokorokami
• Xiaomeng
• Cynthia
• Morgan Le Fay

Haze Reverb A-tier list

• Krem
• Gin
• Julius
• Lulula
• Nastya
• Arauta
• Suzu
• Skadi
• Jenny
• Alvito
• Chiaki
• Efgenia
• Farnese
• Flovira
• Future
• Geiro
• Genia
• Isabella
• Lepani
• Lina
• Shaouin
• Suzuki
• Vesper
• Zofia

Haze Reverb B-tier list

• Alaita
• Anan
• Caroline
• Celesia
• Celine
• Charlissa
• Chenglian
• Crim
• Fleur
• Flora
• Gin
• Gloria
• Gourai
• Hoshii
• Hotarugusa
• Hualian
• Jacksui
• Kafka
• Karen
• Korowin
• Kurobane
• Lydia
• Lyfa
• Maria
• Maybelle
• Mittoshiva
• Mizo
• Mojun
• Momo
• Momoka
• Precio
• Rosalind
• Senhaku
• Salati
• Stella
• Vega
• Yanyanlo

Haze Reverb C-tier list

• Bolina
• Caihua
• Cephalis
• Dolores
• Flora
• Franca
• Hanakotoba
• Hank
• Huameng
• Julia
• Kinkura
• Kuriyama
• Lilith
• Meika
• Miromura
• Kinosuke
• Odora
• Rou
• Shiranui
• Shirogane
• Tenten
• Tina
• Uki

A lot of the performances for characters are based on regional servers, and having a wide set of options will help you build a strong team quicker in Haze Reverb.

The post Haze Reverb global best characters tier list (December 2024) appeared first on Destructoid.

If you're the type of Marvel Rivals player who takes things very seriously, you can aid your aiming mechanics by using your own crosshairs.

The game allows you to fully customize the reticle you're using, and for certain characters, this can be truly revolutionary. You'll want to do this, especially for those characters whose damage potential depends a lot on how well you can aim with them (Hela, Black Widow, Hawkeye, etc.). Let's take a look at how you can set your crosshairs and the way to fine-tune them further to suit your needs.

How to set your own crosshairs in Marvel Rivals

The process of changing the crosshairs in Marvel Rivals is simple, and here is how to do it.

• Load up the game and open the main in-game settings.
• Switch to the Keyboard tab.
• Look under the HUD section, and you'll find the options.
• First, you'll need to select the Reticle type. You can choose between a circle, crosshairs, dot, and circle & crosshairs. You can try all of them before selecting one.
• Once you've selected a shape, you can make further tweaks to it.

Here's the list of all the tweaks that can be made to the reticle after you have zeroed in on the shape.

• Width
• Opacity
• Outline width
• Outline Opacity
• Blur
• Center gap
• Circle radius
• Crosshair length
• Crosshair angle
• Color (has five different choices)

It's safe to say that the customization process will take plenty of time, especially if you haven't done it previously. Hence, do it outside a live game so that you don't jeopardize your team's chances of winning. Additionally, you can also use the custom reticles created by members of the community.

How to import crosshair codes in Marvel Rivals

If you're lazy like me and want to rely on someone else's knowledge about getting an accurate crosshair, Marvel Rivals allows you to import them as well. You can use a custom crosshair made by another player using their code.

• Open the main settings and switch to the Keyboard tab.
• Under the HUD section, go to Reticle Save.
• From the drop-down menu, select "Add New Save".
• You'll now have four different options – choose the third from the left.
• Once you choose to import, you'll need to paste a code shared by another user.
• Once imported, you can save the new configuration.

On the top left, you'll find a section stating "All Heroes." This section allows you to assign your custom reticle to a particular character or apply them to all. This is the perfect way to focus deeply on your precision if you want to make the most of your aiming skills in Marvel Rivals.

The post How to change and customize Marvel Rivals crosshairs appeared first on Destructoid.

The Game Awards is generally known to showcase some pretty major announcements over the years when ads aren't playing. But this year will reportedly have "at least two" moments that may leave you shouting "holy sh*t." Who knows? Maybe it won't be some Kojima thing this time.

As spotted by VGC, Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier says that The Game Awards 2024 is shaping up to have some major reveals. In a recent Kinda Funny Games Daily video, Schreier reports that people will swear like sailors at their screens during the show.

"There are at least two things that will make you guys reacting say ‘holy sh*t, I can’t believe it’s here’,” he told host Tim Gettys.

Maybe it'll be Bloodborne 2, obviously

Schreier's claim is the kind of thing that should raise eyebrows. The show has played host to many WORLD PREMIERE trailers that took the stage by storm. In 2020, Microsoft showed up to reveal a new Perfect Dark game. The following year, Remedy unveiled Alan Wake 2, a sequel over a decade in the making (and my 2023 GOTY), along with the Elden Ring story trailer. Hades 2 and Death Stranding 2 were announced in 2022, and Monster Hunter Wilds was revealed last year.

If what Schreier said is true, then expectations should now be set fairly high for The Game Awards 2024. We don't really know what's in store until the show, which starts on December 12 at 4:30 p.m. PT.

Players will no doubt speculate. Undoubtedly, there are many people crossing their fingers for one particular From Software franchise. Folks have been begging for a Bloodborne remaster or sequel for ages, and show no signs of slowing down. But we may also finally hear more about Beyond Good and Evil 2, though it may take an act of the divine for that to happen.

We won't know for sure until the show kicks off. Stay tuned to Destructoid for all our coverage of The Game Awards 2024.

The post The Game Awards 2024 will reportedly have ‘at least two’ announcements that’ll make you say ‘holy…’ appeared first on Destructoid.

Inti Creates is great at pumping out fun and attractive 2D action games, and 2023's Gal Guardians: Demon Purge cemented that notion further. Now a date is in place for the sequel, which PQube will publish on March 27, 2025. 

Titled Gal Guardians: Servants of the Dark, the next entry is on the way to PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam. The followup was originally revealed in September, promising more cooperative action ahead of its Tokyo Game Show appearance later that month. 

This time around, the setting shifts from a single castle to the wider demon world surrounding it. Player characters Kirika and her younger sister Masha each have different abilities, making it essential to switch between them as you explore. In addition to the single-player swapping, online co-op is available for those who would rather explore simultaneously with a friend. 

You can see the demon maid sisters in action in the release date trailer below.

Known in Japan as Grim Guardians, the first entry had to change its name in the west due to a legal claim from the owners of fantasy series Grimguard. While the western release is listed as digital-only for now, Japan is getting a physical edition in April. The limited edition version packs the game with an art book, an acrylic chain, and a two-disc soundtrack CD. 

Fitting for its expanded scope, PQube describes the sequel as a "fully-realized Metroidvania," complete with the ability to switch between Casual, Veteran, and Legend styles. Kirika and Masha's sub-weapons and abilities can be used to unlock different routes throughout the world so it should be fun to experiment with exploration when this one launches early next year. 

The post Inti Creates sets Gal Guardians sequel for March 27, 2025 appeared first on Destructoid.

It’s almost distressing to think that the Switch was released in 2017. It still feels brand new to me, but then, time has lost all meaning since I got old. But now we’re all waiting for the big reveal of Nintendo’s successor, and you can kind of feel that with the big releases this year.

Going to be real with you, this was a much slower year for the handheld, which feels like a weird thing to say when it saw the release of a new Zelda game. However, it was a subdued Zelda game, like it’s been a subdued year for the console. But regardless of that, we still got plenty to play on the little hybrid.

It’s time to name the best of those games. As with every year here at Destructoid, the window of eligibility for our nominees runs from the beginning of December 2023 to the end of December 2024 (sorry, Uncle Chop). We also have a rule that a game can only be included in one category, so if something seems missing from this list, you might find it in another category.

Here are the nominees for Destuctoid’s Best Switch Game of 2024.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

Yeah, one of the nominees this year is technically a GameCube game, but Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door was one of the best on the console, and all of that charm is retained for its glow-up. Largely, it’s just a remaster of an already great game, but also, it’s an already great game. Everything on top is just gravy.

Star Wars Hunters

Star Wars is no stranger to online games, and Star Wars Hunters grows its footprint with a hero-based Overwatch approach to PVP. Despite recent high-profile failures in the genre (such as Concord), Star Wars Hunters found its audience and is thriving.

Steamworld Heist II

It’s hard to believe Steamworld Heist II arrived eight years after the original, but the wait has been worth it. The sequel takes the 2D, turn-based tactical gameplay even further by taking it to the high seas. It’s incredible that any game could even top the satisfying feeling of Steamworld Heist. Or, as Jamie Moorcroft-Sharp put it, "SteamWorld Heist II is a phenomenal title that offers you the best when it comes to short, tactical encounters with thrilling turn-based gameplay."

Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition

I’m never far from an NES (it’s a few feet away in my living room), but it’s well-trodden ground for me. I always love finding new ways to interact with my favorites in its library, and Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition does just that. A series of concise time trials give you the chance to compete on the world stage in miniature speed-running. It’s a celebration of the company’s roots.

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom

A Zelda game actually starring its titular character has been on quite a few wishlists, and this year, it finally arrived. It may not have the grandeur of Tears of the Kingdom, but it makes up for it with inventive gameplay centered around summoning whatever you want. Lots of problems can be solved with beds, but it takes more than a mattress to save the kingdom.

Super Mario Party Jamboree

Mario Party games can be very hit-and-miss, but this year, we got a direct hit. There’s nothing insanely mindblowing about Super Mario Party Jamboree – it doesn’t completely change the recipe – but it combines the best parts of Super Mario Party with the classic formula and comes away with one of the best games the series has seen since its inception.

Athenian Rhapsody

It’s hard to describe Athenian Rhapsody, so I’m just going to quote the developer, “a souls-like platonic dating simulator with cooking-mama and WarioWare style battle mechanics... and by that, I mean it's a choose-your-own-adventure action RPG with the ability to trade ENTIRE PLAYTHROUGHS between friends!!” I’m sure that answered your question. What you really need to know, however, is that it’s offensively good. Hence being on this list.

The post Nominees for Destructoid’s Best Switch Game of 2024 appeared first on Destructoid.

GHOUL://RE can be an absolutely abysmal experience if you don't know what you need to do. True to the nature of many Roblox games, you'll be thrown into the world, expect to know everything while a swarm of high level players absolutely destroy you. What fun!

This is exactly why we created this Complete Beginner's guide to GHOUL://RE, so you can have a better experience than we initially had.

Character Creation

The first time you log into the game, you'll get to choose between either being male or female, and picking a name for your character. Unfortunately, you won't get to choose the team you'll be playing on, which is probably for the best, but we digress.

You'll be randomly assigned to either CCG (Humans) or Ghouls. If you aren't happy with your choice, fear not, because you'll be seeing this screen relatively soon, and hopefully, you'll be able to try out the other team (hopefully).

Basic controls in GHOUL://RE

We highly recommend you take a look at the controls before you attempt to play GHOUL://RE. Definitely make sure you to remember the controls for grabbing (because it's used as a finisher), as you'll be using this one a lot.

How to progress in GHOUL://RE

GHOUL://RE describes itself as a hardcore PvP game, and it certainly lives up to that description. As soon as you spawn into the world, you are essentially a sitting duck, just waiting for high level players to destroy you, even if they gain nothing out of doing so.

To progress in GHOUL://RE, you need to kill other players (sometimes NPCs), not get killed by other players, and occasionally upgrade your skills and weapons. This is the basic gameplay loop regardless if you're playing as a ghoul or human.

One thing you definitely need to keep in mind is: you will die over, and over, and over again. If you're okay with that, cool, you'll fit right in. Otherwise, this may not be the game for you. You'll likely die less if you're playing in a group, but if you're going in solo (like we did), get ready for a less-than-ideal experience of you getting killed, spawn killed, and killed again until you figure everything out. Alternatively, you can read this guide and avoid all of that.

CCG Progression in GHOUL://RE

If you've spawned as a human, the first thing you need to do is visit the CCG building and become an Investigator. The CCG building is located around the middle of the map. Just look for a walled building with a little park in the walled area, and you're all set. You'll likely see other CCG humans coming in and out of the building. Walk in and talk to the receptionist to become a member.

From then on, you can accept missions, bounties and take part in events around town for the CCG. You can also buy and craft weapons from this building. Our advice is to pick up a starter weapon, find or create a crew of other humans, and go on a patrol to gain some experience so you can improve your Stats & Skills.

At Investigator rank 1, you'll be able to create your first Quinque. Definitely bring a crew with you for this because you may end up losing your money if you fail.

Unfortunately, if you're playing as a human, you'll likely have a harder time leveling up than playing as a ghoul but this should change for the better as development of the game continues.

Ghoul Progression in GHOUL://RE

According to the Discord (and our experience), being a ghoul is a lot more fun. In fact, it's almost a breeze when you compare the two. As a ghoul you need to eat other human players and NPCs to increase your RC, which ultimately makes you stronger. While you can't regenerate your health as fast as humans, you have more health, are stronger and, yeah, you're more likely to win fights. The only annoying thing is you need to keep your Hunger in check by constantly eating, but that's just part of being a ghoul.

When you gain 5,000 RC, you can wake up your Kugane which makes you almost unbeatable to the point where the only thing other players can do is wait for your Hunger bar to drop.

Ghouls can also accept missions from Anteiku which can earn them ranks and some money.

How to reroll your faction in GHOUL://RE

Every server hour, there will be a perma-death showdown between all players - Delirum. You'll be given a warning when this is about to start and you can choose to close the game and move to a different server. During the deathmatch, you earn improved rewards, better loot, but if you get killed, you lose everything, including your character.

While this may sound bad, it's also a chance for you to get reborn, or in other words, change your faction. If you die during the perma-death event, you'll be sent to purgatory, and you'll get a chance to be reborn again and start fresh. It's still random whether or not you'll be reborn as the other faction, but either way, you'll start from scratch no matter what you end up getting.

So, if you're sick of being a human, hopefully you can get reborn as a ghoul, or vice-versa.

That's all there is to it for our Official GHOUL://RE beginners guide. Stay tuned to Destructoid for more GHOUL://RE guides and walkthroughs.

The post Complete Beginners guide to GHOUL://RE [Early-access] – Roblox appeared first on Destructoid.

Marvel Rivals lets players link their accounts to Twitch and Discord to snag a bunch of freebies. If this is something you want to get some cool in-game items, this is what you’ll need to do for each platform.

How to link your Marvel Rivals account to Twitch

To link your Marvel Rivals account to Twitch, follow the instructions below:

• Visit the official Marvel Rivals website.
• On the top right of the page, click Log In. 
• Log in with the platform associated with where you play the game.
• If you’re on PlayStation, log in through PlayStation; Steam for PC players, and so forth.
• Once logged in, click on your player name where the Log In button was to go to your account page.
• Click on Connections.
• Twitch is the only one here for now, so just follow the instructions here.

Once your Rivals and Twitch accounts are linked, you are good to go. You can now view participating Twitch streams to get in-game drops like skins, sprays, and other rewards. 

Note that if you use an adblocker on Twitch or view streams on mute passively in the background, progress may not added to unlocking viewer rewards. Make sure to whitelist streams and mute the tab rather than putting the actual Twitch video player on mute.

How to link your Marvel Rivals account to Discord

To link your Marvel Rivals account to Discord, you will do this in-game. Follow the instructions below:

• Press the options button to bring up the menu that says Settings, Customer Support, Bundle Code, and Community.
• Select Community. 
• The game will give you a code; copy it or keep it on screen to use for the next part.
• Join the Marvel Rivals Discord channel by clicking here.
• Upon joining, you will need to agree to some rules to see channels.
• Next, find the #in-game-binding channel in the Discord server and click Verify.
• Enter the code from your game.
• Upon completing this, wait for a bit for the game to register it.

If done correctly, you should now see an in-game message from the Community menu saying you’ve been linked successfully. You’ll get 100 free Units for doing this. 

With your account now linked to Twitch and Discord, check back periodically for any additional free things through drop campaigns and giveaways!

The post How to link your Marvel Rivals account to Twitch and Discord for free rewards appeared first on Destructoid.

Another update, another hiccup in Destiny 2. The Dawning event, the winter holiday event for the game, began on December 10, and while its new dragon-themed armor was getting the initial attention, Bungie accidentally made the event's optional paid event card free for players to claim.

The studio was quick to correct its mistake, but it's just yet another glaring issue added to the steady stream of bugs and missteps that have plagued Episode: Revenant.

During the Dawning, the Tower gets decked out in lights, Eva Levante shows up to help Guardians bake cookies, and snowballs appear in certain activities. While many players will spend their time baking, the cosmetic rewards are the real draw of the holiday. Alongside the new draconic appearance, Bungie also offered its typical paid event card, but it was accidentally made free for those who were quick enough before the studio swooped back in to disable it.

Bah humbugs

While it doesn't reward any gear or upgrade materials, the premium event card for the Dawning does offer exclusive access to certain event-specific cosmetics. When players upgrade to the premium Dawning event card, they'll immediately unlock a holiday-wrapped present-themed sparrow called Gift Wrapped, a blue and purple shader that perfectly compliments the dragon-themed cosmetics, and the Cozy Cat Emote that lets Guardians sit by a fireplace with their pet cat. Additional rewards are available through the premium event card, but those must be unlocked with Event Tickets earned by completing Event Challenges.

Once Bungie realized the premium Dawning event card was bugged to be freely given to early players, the studio quickly removed the entire event card system from Destiny 2. While this was only temporary, and both the free and premium event cards are now available again, there was a period where player participation was not tracked toward appropriate Event Challenge progress. That said, players who lucked out will not lose what they gained. "Players who obtained the Dawning Event Card Upgrade while it was incorrectly listed at no cost will keep it. Bank error in your favor - Happy Dawning," the studio commented.

More coal in your stocking

A wonky event card is one thing, but that's not all that's wrong with 2024's Dawning holiday. Bungie has confirmed several issues, including Dawning weapons not being focusable or rolling with the intended double Perks. Some holiday-related Triumphs are also seemingly broken, and players have both become stuck during the initial Dawning Quests or have been unable to start the event with additional characters after initially commencing the Dawning with a different character.

Episode: Revenant was already messy between Weightgate and the recent Tonic controversy. Now, the Dawning is here and stuffed with bugs and issues, too. It's just further fuel on the fire for Bungie's already precarious predicament, and the Destiny 2 community is reaching its wits' end. Destiny 2 content creator RickKackis said, "The Dawning Event Card is Glitched and ends up being removed[,] Double Perks on Dawning Weapons don't work[,] If you switch characters your quest progress is lost Bungie, just give the damn Event Card to Every Destiny 2 Player. There's not many players left. Treat them well."

Bungie has been communicative since the start of the Dawning, noting and following up on each identified issue as solutions are reached. The studio has shared that the Dawning event card is working back in-game and that weapon focusing should be working as intended. As for the other issues plaguing the event, hopefully, Bungie can right the ship before it saps the holiday spirit and goodwill out of the players sticking around.

The post Destiny 2 accidentally made its premium Dawning holiday event card free appeared first on Destructoid.

Things are starting to get weird in Minecraft (in a good way) with the newest Eerie Mojang Office Party. Even though it's an office party, there's a lot of work to be done, including daily challenges, earning stickers, and a collection of entertaining mini-games.

Here's everything you need to know about Minecraft's Eerie Mojang Office Party.

How to play the Eerie Mojang Office Party event in Minecraft

Minecraft Bedrock users can start playing the Eerie Mojang Office Party event from its dedicated button on the home screen. If you don't see this interaction, ensure the latest game file patch has been downloaded.

After selecting the button, you'll transfer to the Office Party area, deep in the Pale Garden biome. Simply walk forward on the main pathway to find the entrance to the event. Speak to Nils to open the doorway, and immerse yourself in the Eerie Mojang Office Party.

All Eerie Mojang Office Party stickers and how to get them in Minecraft

Anyone who logs into the Eerie Mojang Office Party gains a sticker book. Each sticker ties into a specific challenge, typically with one of the mini-games. Earn all stickers and complete Daily Challenges to earn the ultimate reward, an exclusive event-themed cape.

Most of the sticker challenges are pretty self-explanatory. Just play any mini-game and complete particular milestones. It may take a few attempts to master them, especially the ones with a time limit. But you should be able to do it once you've gotten familiar with the layout. On the other hand, some challenges might be confusing, so I'll discuss these ones in more detail.

How to reach the top of the Redstone Engine in Minecraft

Reaching the top of the Redstone Engine takes you on a good old-fashioned Minecraft parkour challenge. For the most part, it'll be easy to do, except for one part of the course. Many players, including myself, have run into trouble with the part of the stage where an obstacle blocks your path to a ladder.

You can reach it by looking down and pressing sprint towards it. I noticed that whenever you look up, it tends to not work, so make sure to do it this way.

How to find the Bug in Eerie Mojang Office Party event

While at the QA Department, look for an area with various red platforms. Jump on top of them to reach higher up the level.

Travel up the area until you reach a spot with a ladder. Locate a sheep here and interact with it to claim your next sticker.

How to play the roller coaster mini-game in the Eerie Mojang Office Party event

After you've entered through the event's main doorway, go to the top-left corner of the room. Speak to the NPC there to begin the roller coaster mini-game. You'll see some Creaking mobs when you first start it — but don't worry — you don't need to fight these enemies.

Once you've begun the mini-game, you must shoot 12 target balloons to earn the Hotshot sticker. Use the snowballs in your inventory to knock them down.

How to rescue Steve in the Eerie Mojang Office Party event

Explore the main lobby for tubes filled with notable Minecraft characters. Eventually, Steve will show up and get stuck. Push the nearby button to rescue Steve and earn the Flush sticker.

How to jump on Enchanted Keyboard's eerie key in the Eerie Mojang Office Party event

Like the bug quest, the Enchanted Keyboard can be found in the QA Department. Go up the stairs near Agnes, the NPC for the Bug Hammer mini-game, to locate the keyboard. You can also drop down to it when parkouring up the facility. To complete the sticker challenge, go to the top-left corner of the keyboard and jump on the glowing key.

All Eerie Mojang Office Party Daily Challenges and rewards in Minecraft

The trophy board contains all available Daily Challenges. You'll find one of these boards at the main entrance next to the NPC Agnes. It'll also appear in the other levels to give you more options.

Interact with the trophy board to see the following Eerie Mojang Office Party Daily Challenges:

Considering that the event just started, only a select few Daily Challenges are available. I'll be sure to update this guide to cover all of them as they roll out. Fortunately, Day 1 is easy to complete, as it only requires traveling around the map. Once you've done that, you'll get your first gift. However, you must restart your game to claim it.

Completing Daily Challenges earns you some nice rewards. Here's what you can expect:

• Mojang Office Cap: Complete one Daily Challenge
• Mojang Shirt: Complete three Daily Challenges
• Eyeblossom Cape: Complete five Daily Challenges

The Mojang Office Cap and the rest of the rewards can be found in your Dressing Room.

If you want to complete the outfit, you'll need to wait a few more days until more Daily Challenges are released.

How to fire all confetti cannons in Eerie Mojang Office Party event

The second Daily Challenge requires you to punch the various cannons around the map and release some confetti. In total, the Eerie Mojang Office Party features seven confetti cannons in the following areas:

• Clock area in the Lobby
• To the right of the information board on some boxes at the Mob Factory
• Two cannons can be found near the trophy and information boards at Biome Labs
• Complete the race at Idea Vault and find two cannons at the finish line
• Beginning of the parkour area in QA Department

To help you narrow down their destinations, here's an overview of each Minecaft confetti cannon location:

Lobby

Mob Factory

Biome Labs

Idea Vault

QA Department

When does the Eerie Mojang Office Party event end in Minecraft?

The Eerie Mojang Office Party ends on Dec. 20 at 3 p.m. PT/5 p.m. CT/6 p.m. ET. The time slot gives you more than a week to complete all challenges, earning you the three in-game rewards.

After the event concludes, you'll still be able to use the Character Creator items you've collected from the stickers and Daily Challenges.

The post Minecraft Eerie Mojang Office Party event guide: All sticker challenges, how to get rewards, and end date appeared first on Destructoid.

Black Ops 6's Emergence takes a page from the Zombies book as you battle against undead-like enemies. Not only will you go toe-to-toe with numerous foes, but you'll also need to find the Joint Projects Director Keycard amongst all this madness. Here's where to find and acquire this crucial item.

How to get Joint Projects Director Keycard in BO6 Emergence

When you begin the Emergence mission, you'll receive a map with an East and West Wing. The East Wing with the Joint Projects and Cognitive Research buildings will be locked at first. To open the East Wing and get the Joint Projects Director Keycard in BO6, follow these steps:

1. Enter the West Wing first
2. Use the computer and enter 'Access' and then 'Lift'
3. Acquire the Grappling Hook and defeat the Abomination mini-boss
4. Place the Advanced Combat Research card in the central hub
5. Enter the East Wing and approach the Joint Projects entrance
6. Look up and use your Grappling Hook above the entrance
7. Continue straight forward and enter the room ahead
8. Try to grab the Joint Projects Director Keycard on the camera (be prepared for an enemy jumpscare)
9. Face off against the Mimic mini-boss to get the Joint Projects Keycard (I know it can be a struggle to locate this enemy, so I'll dive more into this below)

The first few steps will be pretty straightforward, especially if you're an avid Zombies player. Defeat all the undead, and you'll get the yellow keycard to unlock the East Wing entrance. Use the Grappling Hook above the Joint Projects entrance to go inside.

The Joint Projects Director Keycard will be dead ahead, but unfortunately, it won't be that easy to grab. Like the previous card, a zombified foe will spawn out to cause some trouble. However, this time, the enemy will hide itself from you.

How to find the Joint Projects Director boss in BO6 Emergence

The Joint Director boss disguises itself as objects around the room, almost like Prop Hunt. Look for any items that are shaking in place, which is a clear sign that it's the Mimic. You may also be able to hear some rattling noises nearby. The chairs near the entrance, next to the 'N13' pole, seem to be a common spot.

There are many more potential prop disguises, such as a trash can, trolly, and a first aid kit. So, watch out for any abnormal objects and shoot them immediately after. Deal enough damage to eliminate the Mimic, and the Joint Directors Keycard will now be yours for the taking.

How to fix the Joint Projects Director Keycard bug in Black Ops 6

Some players have encountered issues with the Mimic not spawning within Joint Projects. If this happens to you, you can load up your last checkpoint to hopefully refresh the mission. It's not the ideal fix, especially if it has been a while since your last checkpoint. However, it may be the only way to address the potential bug.

Since the room is relatively dark and filled with many objects, it's possible to miss the Mimic's location (I did this more than enough times). Just keep a sharp eye on those shaking objects or reload the checkpoint to get a refresher.

Where to find Administration and Cognitive Research Keycards in BO6 Emergence

You must locate the other two Director Keycards to complete the rest of the Emergence mission in BO6. They can be found in the East and West Wings in the red and green buildings.

Cognitive Research Director Keycard location

Enter the Cognitive Research building and drain the Cognitive Research Pool. Use your Grappling Hook on the upper floor to reach the pool.

Jump inside the pool and swim toward the Mangler to locate a tube. Swim inside it to find the Drainage area. Before interacting with the computer, open the nearby door with the keypad. Use your blacklight to figure out the passcode. Now, go to the computer to begin the override process and pull the three switches. One will be right behind you, while the other is inside the room you just unlocked. The last switch will be on the left side, where you must use your Grapple Hook to reach it.

Return to the Mangler and defeat it to claim the Cognitive Research Director Keycard.

Administration Director Keycard location

Travel to the Administration building and collect four reports for the Director. You'll find them in these spots:

• Meeting room
• Break room
• Desk in the top-left corner
• Table in the center of the room

If you aren't sure what you're looking for, here's a glimpse into report locations:

Meeting room

Break room

Desk in the top-left corner

Desk in the center of the room

Chase down the Director (the red-colored mannequin) and use your Grappling Hook to deplete its health. Next, eliminate the Mangler to earn the last Director Keycard for the BO6 Emergence Campaign mission. Use the keycards to open the door to Biotechnology, beginning the quest's final battle with the Disciple.

The post How to find and acquire the Joint Projects Director Keycard in Black Ops 6 appeared first on Destructoid.

Stardew Valley is often hailed as the pinnacle of cozy farming sims, and that’s largely down to the fact that every save file you make can be entirely different from the last. Choice is a huge part of Stardew Valley: who to marry, which side to pick, and which farm to opt for. 

As of the 1.6 update, there are a total of eight different farm types to pick from when starting a new virtual life in Pelican Town. Each farm type has particular pros and cons, so it can be hard to pick which one you want to live on for the rest of your save file. Without mods, some farm types can be downright impossible to work with if you’re going in blind and not aware of the pitfalls.

On top of that, each farm type has a particular perk and is linked with a particular skill, so if you’re looking to quickly level up one skill in particular, you should know what farm is best suited. With that in mind, here are all the farm types and what they can offer when starting a new game. 

How to choose a farm type in Stardew Valley

You can choose one of the eight different farm types at the beginning of a new game while customizing your character. It's worth knowing what each type of farm can offer before pressing "Ok", because you cannot change your mind once you've started your save file.

The farm type is chosen on the right side of the character customization box, and the types are:

1. Standard Farm
2. Riverland Farm
3. Forest Farm
4. Hill-top Farm
5. Wilderness Farm
6. Four Corners Farm
7. Beach Farm
8. Meadowlands Farm

All farm types and what they offer in Stardew Valley

Standard Farm

This is definitely the easiest type of farm for a new player of Stardew Valley, as it offers mostly tillable and buildable land and is as close to a blank canvas as you’re going to get. It has the most tillable land of any of the farm types, so you can grow as many crops as you like without feeling limited. 

Sadly, this map doesn’t come with any additional perks, but sometimes those are worth sacrificing for prolonged ease when playing through years of life on the farm. 

Riverland Farm

The Riverland farm slashes the number of tillable tiles by a huge amount, so it’s probably not best suited if you want to focus your energies on growing crops or rearing livestock. However, the river that separates the islands on this map is rich with fish to reel in, including those in Pelican Town (70% chance) and those in Cindersap Forest (30% chance). 

One of the perks of using this map is that it comes equipped with a Fish Smoker, which can significantly increase the profit you can make with Fish, especially early into a playthrough. On any other map, the recipe for the Fish Smoker must be purchased for 10,000 Gold at Willy’s Fish Shop, then made using one of each Jelly. 

Forest Farm

The Forest Farm map is ideal for anyone who wants to excel in the Foraging skill, but it’s not great for those who want to focus on Farming thanks to the lack of tillable soil tiles. This map comes with multiple Berry Bushes and resembles the appearance of the Secret Woods, so it’s aesthetically pleasing to look at if nothing else. 

One huge perk boasted by the Forest Farm is the eight renewing Large Stumps that spawn in the western clearings, which drop Hardwood when destroyed. Alongside these stumps, various forageable items also spawn in these clearings. These change according to the season, but you’ll always get Mixed Seeds as an additional bonus when foraging.

Each of the following forageables has a 25% chance to spawn in the western clearings of the Forest Farm:

Hill-top Farm

Thanks to the personal quarry located on the lower half of the Hill-top Farm, this map is perfect for those who want to focus on Mining. The quarry will reproduce around 10 nodes every four days. However, when you begin a playthrough using this map, the quarry is initially blocked by large items that cannot be removed until you’ve upgraded your tool to the correct level. 

Due to the number of levels and cliffs on this map, the number of tiles available for farming is limited, and there aren’t many large areas where Coops or Barns can logically be placed, so it’s not the best for animal rearing either. On the plus side, the river that separates the two halves of this map is filled with fish that can regularly be found in Cindersap Forest. 

Wilderness Farm

The Wilderness Farm offers ample space for farming and animals, but it does come with the added threat of monsters spawning at night, as long as you have the “spawn monsters on the farm” option enabled. This is true for all farm types, but this one can spawn more Wilderness Golems, which can be a rich source of resources. 

After reaching Combat level 9 on a Wilderness Farm playthrough, there’s a 50% chance that Iridium Golems can spawn after dark. This can be an easy way to get Iridium Ore and other drops, but it’s a risky strategy when the material is available elsewhere. 

Four Corners Farm

Rather than being set up to cater to a particular skill, the Four Corners Map is designed to allow for multiplayer gameplay while each player maintains their section of the map. The map is split into four quadrants, with each being reminiscent of a different map:

While it’s possible to play on this map in single-player, it’s definitely geared towards multiple players who want to focus on different skills. The sectioning reduces the number of tillable tiles, although there are still enough to allow for lots of crops and large enough areas for animals to live comfortably. 

Beach Farm

Often described as the hardest of all farm types to work with, the Beach Farm definitely shouldn’t be chosen if you’re new to Stardew Valley. There are many reasons for this, but the main one is that even though there are many tillable tiles, growing crops isn’t advised because sprinklers do not work on the sandy soil. Instead, you’ll have to hand-water all of your crops and this will take up valuable time every single day. 

The advised strategy when playing on a Beach Farm is to focus on animals, as grass can still grow on the sandy soil, and there are large areas where animals can have large fenced-in pens. Most of your time on a Beach Farm will be spent fishing, with the majority of the catches on this farm being those usually reeled in at the Beach, unsurprisingly. 

Meadowlands Farm

The latest addition to the list of farm types, the Meadowlands Farm was added as part of the 1.6 update. It’s the only map that boasts Blue Grass, which not only boosts the speed at which your animals will gain hearts but also gets eaten at half the speed.

Aside from the Blue Grass, the biggest benefit of opting for a Meadowlands Farm is that it comes prepared with a Coop and two Chickens. These Chickens are randomly named (although their names usually relate to one another) and have some hearts as soon as you move in, allowing you to quickly start getting Eggs to sell or grow your brood.

The post All farm maps in Stardew Valley and their bonuses appeared first on Destructoid.

The Jessie Fleming Ultimate Succession SBC is now live in EA FC 25, and you can unlock a new promo card for your Ultimate Team squad.

This is the first time Fleming has received a special card in Ultimate Team, and you can complete the SBC to unlock the item. To do so, all the tasks must be completed before the SBC expires from Ultimate Team. Let's take a look at how you can complete the challenge and if it's worth your resources at all.

EA FC 25 Jessie Fleming Ultimate Succession SBC tasks

The Jessie Fleming Ultimate Succession SBC has three tasks, and here are the conditions.

Task 1 - Top Form

• Min. 1 Players: Team of the Week
• Min. Team Rating: 82

Task 2 - 83-Rated Squad

• Min. 1 Players: Team of the Week
• Min. Team Rating: 83

Task 3 - 84-Rated Squad

• Min. Team Rating: 84

EA FC 25 Jessie Fleming Ultimate Succession SBC solutions

Here's how you can complete the latest promo challenge available in Ultimate Team.

Task 1 - Top Form

• Any 82-rated items
• Any 80-rated TOTW item

Task 2 - 83-Rated Squad

• Any 82-rated TOTW item
• Any 10 83-rated items

Task 3 - 84-Rated Squad

• Benzema 86
• Lukaku 82
• Smalling 82
• Jonsdottir 82
• Zubimendi 81
• Sellner 82
• Hagering 82
• Lohmann 82
• de Ligt 84
• Reiten 88
• Ake 84

Unless you've completed the previously released SBCs from the NWSL, there's not much point in completing this challenge. While the price is low, the card looks average at best. Playmaker++ and 5* Weak Foot is a bonus, but she's only useable as a CAM. Her Pace and Shooting will also require boosts if you want to play her competitively. However, she could become a potential candidate for a future evolution, and that could be quite lucrative.

The post EA FC 25: How to complete Jessie Fleming Ultimate Succession SBC appeared first on Destructoid.

As you progress through Infinity Nikki, you’ll encounter a lot of NPCs with side quests to complete. Perhaps none of these side quests are more worth completing than the Find Fragrance line, which will unlock new fragrances to provide new skills in combat. 

There are a total of eight Whim Fragrances currently available inthe game, although there are more on the Heart of Infinity that aren't yet added. Each must be sourced in caverns around Miraland. Fragrances provide an additional buff to be used in combat against Esselings, but unlocking the fragrances via the Heart of Infinity skill tree also enables you to unlock more Outfit pieces, particularly the Crimson Snow set. 

If you want to boost your combat or unlock the clothing needed for the Crimson Snow set, here’s how to complete all of the Find Fragrance quests in Infinity Nikki. 

How to unlock Find Fragrance quests in Infinity Nikki

The first Find Fragrance quest can be found after completing the main story quest, “Embark on an Unknown Journey”. After this point, you can talk to Eremita on the path between Florawish and the Memorial Mountains to unlock “Purify! Scent in the Cavern”. 

This is a taster of what to expect from future Find Fragrance quests, and each of them will involve locating a cavern, heading into it, defeating a bunch of Esselings inside, and then collecting the fragrance from an Advanced Chest. 

After you’ve completed the first Cavern and found the Herbal Scent, you’ll need to unlock Traveler’s Musings via the Heart of Infinity skill tree, costing one Whimstar and 10,000 Bling. You’ll then need to craft it using the following materials:

• 1 Herbal Scent
• 20 Tricky Patch
• 50 Threads of Purity

Once you’ve crafted the Traveler’s Musings, head back to Eremita and talk to him to unlock further Find Fragrance quests. Completing the ones you have available will unlock more until you’ve unlocked and completed all seven of the additional Fragrances that are currently available. 

How to complete all Find Fragrance quests in Infinity Nikki

Completing each quest is as simple as exploring a cavern, defeating the Esselings inside, and finding the fragrance. However, the trouble comes from finding the specific cavern you need, especially if it’s one that you’ve not found accidentally in your adventures. 

Find Fragrance: Citrus Burst (Relic Hill Cavern)

The cavern you need to find for this one is in the northeast corner near the Dream Warehouse. It’s right on the barrier that prevents any movement, up on one of the cliffs. If you’ve unlocked the Secret Base Warp Spire, you can go there and make your way directly east.

Find Fragrance: Forest Whisper (Field Base Cavern)

Head south from Memorial Mountains and around the barrier that cannot be passed through. The cavern can be found on the northern edge of this barrier, west of the Cicia Art Academy Field Base.

Find Fragrance: Sprouting Melody (Forest Cavern)

This cavern is located in Breezy Meadow, directly west of the Queen’s Palace Ruins. There’s a Warp Spire directly outside, but you’re not likely to find it in general exploration, so head to either Queen’s Palace Ruins and head west or Lakeside Hill Lane and head south.

Find Fragrance: Viney Infusion (Stoneville Outskirts Cavern)

This fragrance can be found in the Stoneville Outskirts Cavern, which is directly west from the Village Fork Warp Spire. The entrance to this one can be tricky to find, as it’s up on the cliffs, but keep jumping around, and you’ll find it eventually. 

Find Fragrance: Mossy Hush (Volunteer Corps Camp Cavern)

You won’t be able to find this fragrance until you’ve progressed to at least Chapter 5 and made your way to the Abandoned District, although you’re more likely to find it at around Chapter 8 once you’ve unlocked all the Sky Passes. It’s south of the largest island in the Abandoned District, close to the Volunteer Corps Watchtower Warp Spire.

Find Fragrance: Verdant Aroma (Estate Roadside Cavern)

This cavern is located on the southernmost island in the Abandoned District, one level up from ground level. To get there, make your way to the Beside the Ripple Wine Cellar Warp Spire, and then head northwest. 

Find Fragrance: Summer Fragrance (Choo-Choo Station Cavern)

The easiest way to get to this cavern is by heading to the Choo-Choo Station Shipping Center Warp Spire, then making your way up the cliffs by jumping up the boxes and using the Floral Floating Outfit to get higher. Once you’ve done this, run forward until you spot the train tracks and follow them to the end to find the cavern.

How to equip Fragrances in Infinity Nikki

Once you've crafted a Fragrance, you can open up the Wardrobe menu and select "Whim Fragrance" from the top bar. Here, you can equip up to three Fragrances at any one time, and each offers a unique perk or boost while in combat.

Fragrances are sorted into three different types: Hair Oil, Body Spray, and Hand Powder. Only one Fragrance of each type can be equipped at any one time, so it's worth getting to know what each Fragrance can offer to get the most out of combat situations.

Here are all of the Fragrances that can currently be obtained, what ingredients you need to make them, and everything else you need to know:

The post How to complete all Find Fragrance random quests in Infinity Nikki appeared first on Destructoid.

Perhaps some of the most fun and demanding content for casual players in Final Fantasy XIV is the trials and their extreme equivalents. These trials set eight players against one enemy, with difficulties varying depending on the level and how high-level the trial is. 

There are a lot of trials in FFXIV, with the majority coming from MSQ progression. Hard or Extreme versions are usually unlocked via completing side quests, and Extreme trials are worth aiming towards. 

Extreme trials usually drop sought-after materials, and all of them drop their own mounts. Completing all of the Extreme trials in an expansion and earning their mounts will then unlock a further mount that can’t be earned any other way.

Here’s every trial in FFXIV, and what quest you’ll need to complete to unlock it. 

A Realm Reborn trials

MSQ trials

These trials are unlocked simply by playing through the MSQ of A Realm Reborn:

Side quest trials

While these aren’t strictly necessary for the story of FFXIV, they do add additional lore and side stories that are fun to dive into, nonetheless. You also have to complete Hard trials in order to unlock their Extreme versions, and these are all level 50 trials:

High-end trials

High-end trials are the extreme versions of trials that already exist, with the difficulty taken up a notch (or a few). Extreme trials will always be the maximum level for the expansion in which they were released, so all A Realm Reborn trials are level 50.

Heavensward trials

MSQ trials

The following four trials are unlocked as part of the MSQ during Heavensward:

Side quest trials

The following trials are unlocked through side quests in Azys Lla, and all are level 60:

High-end trials

If you want an extra challenge, then you can unlock and complete the Heavensward Extreme trials to take on previously challenged enemies at a higher scale of difficulty and get those precious drops. These are all level 60 trials:

Stormblood trials

MSQ trials

Stormblood added another four new trials as part of the MSQ, and they’ll unlock at the following stages:

Side quest trials

The following trials are unlocked by completing side quests in Stormblood, including the Four Auspices line of quests:

High-end trials

Many of the Stormblood trials, except Kugane Ohashi from the Hildibrand quest line, have Extreme versions to unlock and fight through. Luckily, most of them are unlocked by completing a single side quest:

Shadowbringers trials

MSQ trials

As was something of a pattern by this point, Shadowbringers added four new MSQ trials:

Side quest trials

As part of the Shadow of Werlyt quest line, the following three level 80 trials can also be unlocked in Shadowbringers:

High-end trials

Unlike other expansions, Shadowbringers added an Extreme trial (Memoria Misera) that does not have a normal difficulty counterpart. This is unlocked by completing quests in the Bozjan Southern Front. Completing this Extreme trial unlocks the ability to dye level 80 Artifact Armor.

Here's how to unlock this trial, along with the rest of the level 80 Extreme trials:

Endwalker trials

MSQ trials

Endwalker really upped the number of trials added as part of the MSQ, going against the established pattern and adding a total of 7 trials to unlock as you progress through the main story:

Side quest trials

Only one level 90 trial is unlocked through completing a side quest during Endwalker, and it comes as part of the Somehow Further Hildibrand Adventures. To unlock the Gilded Araya, you’ll need to play through all of Hildibrand’s Endwalker quests until you complete “Gentleman at Heart.” 

High-end trials

Each of the MSQ trials in Endwalker has an Extreme equivalent, and this can be unlocked by completing the level 90 side quest “I Wandered Sharlayan as a Minstrel.” 

Dawntrail trials

MSQ trials

So far, three trials have been added to Dawntrail as part of the MSQ:

Side quest trials

As of yet, there are no further trials that can be unlocked via side quests in Dawntrail. This may change with future patches, so this section will be updated accordingly. 

High-end trials

Each of the MSQ quests in Dawntail has an Extreme version that can be unlocked by completing the level 100 side quest “How the West Was Sung.”

The post All trials in Final Fantasy XIV and how to unlock them appeared first on Destructoid.

The Ultimate Succession Challenge 3 SBC is now live in EA FC 25, and you can unlock a free pack for your Ultimate Team squad.

This is the third consecutive fodder challenge released by EA Sports in Ultimate Team. As usual, the requirements are pretty manageable, and you can complete the SBC for pretty cheap. Let's look at how to complete the latest fodder challenge and the rewards waiting for you.

EA FC 25 Ultimate Succession Challenge 3 SBC tasks

As usual, the Ultimate Succession Challenge 3 SBC has only one task, and here are the requirements.

Task - Ultimate Succession Challenge 3 SBC

• Min. 3 Players from the same Nation
• Min. 2 Players from the same Club
• Max. Leagues in Squad: 4
• Min. 8 Players: Rare
• Min. Team Rating: 80
• Min. Squad Total Chemistry Points: 31

EA FC 25 Ultimate Succession Challenge 3 SBC solutions

The priority is using cards you already have in your Ultimate Team inventory. However, the chemistry requirements of this challenge are stiff, and you can use the following cards to solve the SBC.

Task - Ultimate Succession Challenge 3 SBC

• Catarina Macario ST 84
• Brynjarsdottir ST 78
• Jone Amezaga LM 77
• Baltimore CM 84
• Rosa Marquez CM 77
• Jensen RM 81
• Perisset LB 82
• Estella CB 74
• Patri Gavira CB 75
• Calero RB 73
• Walsh GK 78

Completing the challenge will earn you a Mega pack with 30 Gold Player and Club items. There will be 10 guaranteed Player items, and one will be rated 82 or higher. Additionally, 18 of those 30 items will be Rare, making the rewards really worth the hassle.

The post EA FC 25 Ultimate Succession Challenge 3 SBC solutions appeared first on Destructoid.

The 86+ Campaign Mix Player Pick SBC offers a fresh chance for you to obtain a guaranteed promo item in EA FC 25 form some of the older campaigns, and you can land a really special card from it.

We have received previous Campaign Pick SBCs recently, but EA Sports has improved the rewards. All cards rated 84 and 85 have been removed from the rewards, and let's take a look at all the possible items that you can find after completing the challenge.

All EA FC 25 86+ Campaign Mix Player Pick SBC rewards

The EA FC 25 86+ Campaign Mix Player Pick SBC includes three promos - RTTK, Total Rush, and Trailblazers. Here's all the possible items that you can find after completing the challenge.

Disclaimer: The overall ratings of the RTTK cards are their original ones, and most of them have received upgrades.

RTTK cards

• Hakim Ziyech 87
• Martin Zubimendi 86
• Ruben Loftus-Cheek 86
• Goncalo Inacio 86
• Lees-Melou 86
• Koch 86
• Benjamin Sesko 86
• Walti 86
• Julian Brandt 87
• Federico Dimarco 87
• Jeremy Doku 87
• Nathalie Bjorn 87
• Ryan Cherki 87
• Ronald Araujo 87
• Malo Gusto 87
• Claudia Pina 87
• Bradley Barcola 87
• Ollie Watkins 88
• Jeremy Frimpong 88
• Alejandro Garnacho 88
• Cristian Romero 89
• Vivianne Miedema 89
• Kai Havertz 89
• Paulo Dybala 90
• Julian Alvarez 90
• Kadidiatou Diani 91
• Jude Bellingham 91
• Harry Kane 91
• Virgil Van Dijk 91

Total Rush cards

• Marcel Sabitzer 86
• Maximilian Arnold 86
• Fikayo Tomori 86
• Diogo Dalot 86
• Beerensteyn 86
• Artem Dovbyk 86
• Lohmann 86
• Iago Aspas 87
• Raphael Guerreiro 87
• Trent Alexander-Arnold 87
• Leah Williamson 87
• Warren Zaire-Emery 87
• Neymar 88
• Marquinhos 88
• Marta 88
• Frenkie De Jong 88
• Martens Van Leer 88
• Aurelien Tchouameni 88
• Cristiano Ronaldo 89
• Antoine Griezmann 89
• Mohamed Salah 90
• Reece James 90
• Lionel Messi 90
• Robert Lewandowski 90
• Florian Wirtz 90
• Kevin De Bruyne 90
• Alexia Putellas 91
• Kylian Mbappe 92

Trailblazers cards

• Marcos Llorente 86
• Lucy Bronze 86
• Christian Pulisic 86
• Banda 86
• Denis Zakaria 86
• Omar Marmoush 86
• Alex Grimaldo 87
• Grace Gayoro 87
• Lauren Hemp 87
• Luis Diaz 87
• Georgia Stanway 87
• Trinity Rodman 87
• Alessandro Bastoni 87
• Ousmane Dembele 88
• Gabriel Megalhaes CB 88
• Cole Palmer 88
• Bremer 89
• Kvicha Kvaratskhelia 89
• Alexandra Popp90
• Aitana Bonmati 92
• Vinicius 92
• Erling Haaland 93

How to complete the EA FC 25 86+ Campaign Mix Player Pick SBC

The latest party bag challenge has three different tasks, and here are the conditions.

Task 1 - 83-Rated Squad

• Min. 1 Players: Team of the Week
• Min. Team Rating: 83

Solution

• Any 10 83-rated items
• Any 82-rated TOTW item

Task 2 - 84-Rated Squad

• Min. 1 Players: Team of the Week
• Min. Team Rating: 84

Solution

• Any 10 84-rated items
• Any 83-rated TOTW item

Task 3 - 85-Rated Squad

• Min. Team Rating: 85

Solution

• Vitinha 85
• Alex Remiro 84
• Oberdorf 86
• Little 86
• De Ligt 84
• Buchanan 84
• Guirassy 84
• Gakpo 83
• Benzema 86
• Grealish 84
• Casemiro 84

As lucrative as it looks, most of the possible items you can get from this SBC have dropped a lot on the market. You should only attempt this challenge if you have a sufficient amount of disposable fodder.

The post All EA FC 25 86+ Campaign Mix Player Pick SBC rewards and solutions appeared first on Destructoid.

Pokémon has just announced a brand-new partnership with Aardman Animations, the legendary British studio behind several stop-motion classics, like Chicken Run, Shaun the Sheep and Wallace & Gromit.

The brief but charming trailer released alongside this announcement shows two red and white balls joining to form a stop-motion Pokéball, and it's accompanied by a message that confirms this project is coming in 2027. Aardman revealed a bit more about this collaboration on its official website, with a statement that claims the studio is "bringing its unique style of storytelling to the Pokémon universe in brand-new adventures."

Aardman's managing director, Sean Clarke, stated that "Aardman and TPCi share an emphasis on heritage and attention to detail as well as putting our fans and audiences at the heart of what we do, which we know will steer us right as we together create charming, original and new stories for audiences around the world." Lastly, The Pokémon Company's vice president of marketing and media, Taito Okiura, said, "This is a dream partnership for Pokémon. Aardman are masters of their craft, and we have been blown away by their talent and creativity."

So what are Pokémon & Aardman going to work together on?

Neither company has revealed whether they're working on a show, a movie, a stop-motion video game, or something else entirely. The Pokémon IP is no stranger to stop-motion animation since Netflix released Pokémon Concierge in early 2024. While Dwarf Studios animated that show, it's possible that Aardman may assist in the production of its second season.

However, it's unlikely that The Pokémon Company would partner with an animation studio as prestigious and renowned as Aardman for something as minimal assistance on the second season of an existing show. Considering that TPCi has been further adapting its flagship IP into other forms of entertainment over the last few years, like live-action movies and TV shows, it's possible that its project with Aardman may end up being way more ambitious than we initially thought.

The post Pokémon announces an official collaboration with stop-motion animation studio Aardman appeared first on Destructoid.

Any expansion brings a host of new recipes to Disney Dreamlight Valley, and Storybook Vale is no different. One of these is a 5-star meal made up of easy-to-obtain ingredients, and can be helpful if you need some energy. 

When cooked in a certain way, Barley takes on an almost rice-like texture and can be completely delicious. Roasted Barley and Veggies is a recipe that can’t fail to please, in real life or in Disney Dreamlight Valley. 

You’ll need to own the Storybook Vale expansion to make this recipe, as it contains ingredients exclusively available in the Vale. 

How to make Roasted Barley and Veggies in Disney Dreamlight Valley

As a 5-star meal, Roasted Barley and Veggies requires five ingredients to make, most of which can be purchased or grown in the Vale:

• 1 Barley

  • Grown from Barley Seeds purchased from Goofy’s Stall in The Bind for 15 Star Coins each
  • It takes15 minutes to grow and only needs watering once

• 1 Brussel Sprout

  • Foraged from plants growing in Everafter

• 1 Onion

  • Grown from Onion Seeds purchased from Goofy’s Stall in the Forest of Valor for 50 Star Coins each
  • They take one hour and 15 minutes to grow and need watering twice

• 1 of any Vegetable

  • A solid and cheap choice for this is always Carrot, which can be grown from seeds purchased at Goofy’s Stall in Peaceful Meadow for 10 Star Coins each
  • They take 15 minutes to grow and needs watering once

• 1 Flyleaf Feta

  • The only ingredient of this recipe that must be purchased ready-to-eat. It can be bought from Goofy’s Stall in the Elysian Fields after it’s been upgraded twice

Once you’ve sourced all of your ingredients, head to your nearest cooking station and throw all of the ingredients in to get Roasted Barley and Veggies. 

How to use Roasted Barley and Veggies in Disney Dreamlight Valley

While Roasted Barley and Veggies won’t make you a ton of profit, only bringing in 476 Star Coins per serving sold to Goofy, it is a really easy way to get some energy if you want to zoom around the Valley or Vale. When consumed, Roasted Barley and Veggies will provide at least 1,422 energy. 

Outside of this, villagers can potentially ask for Roasted Barley and Veggies as a meal choice in Chez Remy or as a daily preferred gift. Alternatively, you can use this pretty dish as a decoration by dropping it from your inventory and then moving it in furniture placement mode.

The post How to make Roasted Barley and Veggies in Disney Dreamlight Valley appeared first on Destructoid.

Clash Royale recently launched a new event called Snowstorm, where you will battle in the arena in the middle of a snowstorm. Unlike all events, this one is very tricky as it freezes your units after a few seconds. 

What’s even more interesting is that you will use an exclusive spell called Warmth to unfroze your troops and attack your opponent. To help you win matches, here is the best deck that you can use in the Snowstorm event in Clash Royale.

Best deck for the Clash Royale Snowstorm event

Before we dive in, you should get a rough idea of how this event works. In this event, you have to deploy cards as you do in the game, but there’s a catch: every troop will incur a slowed effect, which will eventually freeze them after a few seconds due to the snowstorm in the arena. 

To counter this effect, Clash Royale provided a Warmth card, which is fixated in your deck and costs only an elixir. Because of that, you can select only seven cards in the deck.

Once you use the Warmth spell over your frozen units, then they will start moving. However, it only works on the units that are frozen, so it will not have any effect on a troop with only a slowed effect.

Pekka Evo Valk Witch deck

• Warmth
• Pekka (Evo)
• Mega Knight
• Valkyrie
• Witch
• Arrows
• Barbarian Barrel
• Goblin Gang

I personally use the Pekka Evo Walk Witch deck, and so far, I have had a 100% win percentage in ten matches. This deck is really impactful in the Snowstorm event since you can bulk up your push in such a way that it will be unstoppable. 

So, the idea is you start with Pekka and Mega Knight and let it get frozen. You have to keep cycling and doing the same thing until your push looks a lot stronger. Once you have an ample amount of Pekka and Mega Knight frozen in a single place, just use the Warmth spell, and all will come back to life. 

During the frozen period, you have to defend your push with cards like Witch, Goblin Gang, Barbarian Barrel, and so on. Keep your Arrows ready, as I have seen a lot of players using the Goblin Barrel. You can use Barbarian Barrel to directly attack the frozen enemy units in the enemy’s arena. 

All banned cards in the Clash Royale Snowstorm event

Due to the game mechanics of the Snowstorm event, the developers have banned a few cards that might impact the game’s fun. The idea was not to use any kind of trick that could either slow down the enemies or freeze them or might get unfrozen:

• Clone: This spell was banned, if you clone the frozen card, the cloned unit will start moving.
• Freeze: The developers want the units to be frozen by the snowstorm only.
• Mirror: This card was banned as players might use it to mirror the Warmth spell.
• Ram Rider: Ram Rider possesses a snare, which she throws towards the enemy and slows them. The developers want the characters to be slowed by snowstorms only.
• Goblin Giant: When Goblin Giant dies in a frozen state, it will spawn two Spear Goblins, which can move and attack even without the Warmth spell. Because of that, it is banned in this event.

However, there are a few exceptions in this list if we go by logic. For instance, Ice Wizard, Ice Golem, Ice Spirit, and Giant Snowball. The only logical reason is that since they are snow-themed cards and it makes sense to include them in the event, that’s why they are not banned. But it doesn’t apply to Freeze, as it has a more long-lasting frozen effect than an Ice Spirit.

The post Clash Royale Snowstorm event best deck and banned cards appeared first on Destructoid.

At last, it's time to face the Storm King and help save the Storm Chasers and your LEGO Fortnite world from impending doom. First, you must find the Tempest Gateway and investigate it to learn how to open this portal to the king himself.

How to find the Tempest Gateway in LEGO Fortnite

Like regular storm biomes, the Tempest Gateway appears with a giant purple storm cloud above it. What differentiates the Tempest Gateway from regular stormy areas is a massive mountain under the cloud and a horned monster map icon. It'll also appear on your map as a cave rather than a swirl or face.

If you suspect you've encountered a Tempest Gateway during your playthrough, you can open your map to check for its cave and monster icon. If both appear, you can confirm you've found the gateway.

Similarly, if you feel you're not quite ready to enter the gate, you can place a Bus Station and fast travel to it later. You can make a Bus Station using the following supplies:

• Metal Plate (4)
• Granite Slab (2)
• Plank (6)
• Rift Shard (3)

Entering the Tempest Gateway

Unlike regular stormy biomes, the Tempest Gateway is tricky to navigate and requires several minutes to climb up its mountain without proper gear. Having a Storm Charm will help increase your resistance against the storm, giving you more time before it consumes your character and teleports you out.

LEGO Fortnite has two Storm Charm rarities: Rare and Legendary. Below is the recipe for the rare-grade Storm Charm.

• Silk Thread (3)
• Copper Bar (6)
• Storm Shell (3)
• Greater Storm Core (2)

The Legendary-tier charm is much more challenging to make, requiring the following materials:

• Silk Thread (3)
• Cut Amber (8)
• Rift Crystal (5)
• Shatterhorn Fragment (1)

While acquiring the materials for the legendary Storm Charm is difficult, its rare form is much easier if you've already dove into some dungeons and advanced through your Storm Chasers village upgrades.

Unlocking the Tempest Gateway

Now that you have a charm to help protect you against the storm, you'll have a little more time to climb the mountain and access the Tempest Gateway. At the top of the mountain is a portal, which is initially inaccessible until you defeat Raven.

Raven's icon will appear on your map after progressing through your Storm Chasers village upgrades, prompting you to eliminate them. After defeating Raven and collecting 10 Eyes of the Storm, you'll have the power you need to enter the gateway and fight the Storm King.

The post Tempest Gateway Location in LEGO Fortnite appeared first on Destructoid.

Monolith Software, creators of the excellent Xenoblade Chronicles franchise, is one of the biggest developers that's working closely with Nintendo nowadays. The company's higher-ups were very much aware of this valuable partnership, seeing as the Big N now fully owns the studio.

Per Automaton Media, Monolith Soft recently updated its official Japanese website, and now it lists Nintendo as owning 100% of the studio. This is especially interesting because, back in March 2024, Monolith Soft released a company brochure that revealed that its founders, Tetsuya Takahashi, Yasuyuki Honne and Hirohide Sugiura, shared 4% of its ownership. So it seems that they transferred this percentage over to Nintendo, so now the gaming giant can have full control of it.

This isn't much of a surprise, however, because Nintendo actually bought Monolith Soft back in 2007, but it still had to share part of it with the previous owner, Bandai Namco, until it raised its stake to 96% later, in 2011. But now, the Big N finally has complete control, and it seems like the perfect time for this acquisition, considering that Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition is coming out in March 2025.

Monolith Soft already did a lot for Nintendo anyway

This full acquisition was both inevitable and crucial for Nintendo. For starters, Monolith Software is entirely responsible for every single Xenoblade Chronicles game, including multiple remasters and expansions. This is one of the highest-quality and most beloved modern JRPG franchises, and the fact every single entry is exclusive to a Nintendo system has certainly helped the brand.

But if that wasn't already enough, Monolith Soft also functioned as a supporting developer in many other big Nintendo games that have nothing to do with the Xenoblade Chronicles IP. Its developers assisted in the development of Pikmin 3, Splatoon 3, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and more. But their most important contribution was their assistance in the making of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, one of the most ambitious, successful, and influential video games that Nintendo has ever released. Needless to say, Monolith Soft is very important for this gaming giant, and hopefully, its developers will get to work on many other exciting projects now that Nintendo owns 100% of it.

The post Nintendo now completely owns Monolith Soft, the developer behind the Xenoblade Chronicles series appeared first on Destructoid.

If you're trying to enjoy the early access of Fortnite's Ballistic mode and are unable to find any games - worry not, for you're not the only one having the problem.

As of writing, the online services of multiple Fortnite game modes are having issues on the server side. Due to the problems caused by them, players have been unable to matchmake as expected, and this spans across multiple game modes. Ballistic's early access has also been affected by it, unfortunately, but there are a few tips and tricks to ensure, which will allow you to jump in once the problems are resolved.

How to solve Fortnite Ballistic's matchmaking errors

Usually, matchmaking errors take place in Fortnite when there are either issues at your end, or the end of the servers. As of writing, it has been confirmed that the servers aren't working as intended. Epic Games has officially acknowledged the issue, and the developers are currently looking at the problems.

The best solution right now is to just wait patiently. As this is a problem at the server end, there's nothing you can do. As long as you have the updated client, you should be able to enjoy Ballistic when the servers go online. An ETA isn't available since Epic Games hasn't given a timeline about how long it will take to fix the problems.

Here are a few pointers to keep in mind if you get matchmaking errors even after the servers are fixed.

• Using a cabled internet connection will be smoother compared to WiFi, and it will also reduce instances of packet bursts.
• If you have a Strict NAT-type connection, you'll occasionally run into problems trying to matchmake in Ballistic.
• Make sure that you don't have any background service that is consuming a large bandwidth of your allotted data.

As long as these steps are ensured, enjoying Fortnite Ballistic will be a piece of cake once Epic fixes its servers. Till then, make sure to check out our guide about what the new mode is and how it will work in Epic's battle royale universe.

The post Fortnite Ballistic matchmaking errors, explained appeared first on Destructoid.

The surprise Cyberpunk 2077 Update 2.2 has arrived, expanding character customization options, adding more vehicles, and giving you a chance to ride alongside your buddy Johnny Silverhand. There are also bug fixes and Photo Mode changes, including a way to display your best shots in your apartment.

The update probably won't light too many fires under the butts of those done with the game, but the changes were requested by the community at large. Those still tearing up the streets of Night City should be pleased with what Update 2.2 brings to the table.

What's included in Cyberpunk 2077 Update 2.2

A standout feature introduced by the update is the ability to scan vehicle colors and apply them to the vehicle you're driving. Using Kiroshi optics, you can scan a vehicle and buy its color for your own. Based on the patch notes, it sounds like the swap can be done on the fly and can be used to drop your wanted level. If that's the case, it's a big step up from going to a Pay 'n' Spray. CrystalCoat tech covers additional vehicle models such as the Herrera, Mizutani, and more.

While driving, Johnny can now pop up to ride shotgun. He chills on the side, reacting and making comments as you drive. Hopefully, he doesn't criticize your driving too much. Knowing me, he'll have a lot of harsh things to say.

Cyberpunk 2077 Update 2.2 adds more features to the Photo Mode. Shutterbugs will now have increased camera range, Full Collision and camera lock options, a characters tab, an Effect Intensity Slider, and more. You can also hang your favorite images in your apartment using SmartFrames picture frames.

Customization options have also been expanded with over 100 more options, ranging from nail color to makeup. CD Projekt Red added a new slider called Plain-to-Punk, which automatically ramps up the emo look the further you go.

There's plenty more to parse in the patch notes, including bug fixes and quest changes. Give it a look before returning to the streets.

The post Cyberpunk 2077 Update 2.2 adds more customization options, lets Johnny ride shotgun and make comments appeared first on Destructoid.

I think it's fair to say that Starfield is a decent game, pretty vast in scope, but it didn't quite reach the lofty heights Bethesda was hoping for. Still, it's a year and a bit later, and it's managing to draw people in, but it's unfortunately struggling to shake off that "Mixed" review score on Steam.

However, that won't deter the modding community, the tenacious and ambitious bunch that they are, and this new one combines the world of Starfield with the carnage of modern Doom. Over on the Bethesda Creations site, "At Hell's Gate" is now available to play for free. Check out the brief trailer for it below.

The description has this to say about it:

A band of mercenaries has narrowly escaped an encounter with something that can only be described as beyond evil. Investigate this mysterious happening and prevent a vile force from invading your universe.

DoomField! (Puns are easy)

The mod – which is available on both PC and Xbox Series X|S versions of Starfield – also comes with some tasty bonuses after you complete the new quest. Once done, you'll get access to a spacesuit that's based on Doom's Praetor Suit, the Super Shotgun (natch), and the Crucible Blade.

There are also six plushies that can be crafted if you wish to decorate your Starfield outposts and homes. When you download "At Hell's Gate," you can start the mission by "approaching an SSNN broadcast pillar in any of the major cities, such as New Atlantis, Cydonia, Akila City, or Neon."

This official Creations mod comes from the minds of Kinggath Creations, the team that's also responsible for the "Bard's College Expansion" and "East Empire Expansion" quests for Skyrim, as well as Sim Settlements 2, the rather vast sequel to the city-building project that you can download for Fallout 4.

So, you know, these guys weren't just banging rocks together when they decided to blend Doom with Starfield. They seem to know what they're doing.

The post Starfield and Doom come together in this official Creation mod appeared first on Destructoid.

Valve's Steam Deck is easily the most popular modern PC gaming handheld, and that's for good reason. Sure, it's not the most performant of the bunch, but it's got excellent software and community, and a relatively low asking price. The latter is now better still, with refurbished OLED Steam Decks.

That's right: whereas Valve's official Deck refurbishment program only stocked the original LCD Steam Deck models, it has now been expanded to support the superior OLED models as well. This is an entirely new development that wasn't previously announced in any meaningful capacity, but calling this move welcome would be a severe understatement. The price drop on refurbished models is steep, and if you're in the market for a Steam Deck, I genuinely believe there's no reason to purchase an LCD model off of Valve any longer.

Get a Steam Deck OLED on the cheap via the official Valve refurbishment program

As per Valve's latest announcement, you can now purchase a refurbished Steam Deck OLED directly off of Steam without any need for third-party suppliers/retrofitters. This offer is only valid for US, Canada, UK, and European Union markets, but it's a phenomenal deal regardless.

All Steam Deck models available via Valve's official refurbishment hug page come with a special "Valve Certified Refurbished" tag that means you're getting a working unit no matter what. "Each Certified Refurbished Steam Deck has been thoroughly tested to the same high standards as our retail units," says Valve. "Every device goes through a complete factory reset, software update, and an extensive examination involving over 100 tests at one of Valve's facilities. Among the tests are all controller inputs, the audio system, the screen, and the internals. Battery health is also assessed to ensure proper functionality and longevity."

Now, the obvious caveat is that VCR Steam Decks "may have minor cosmetic blemishes," but Valve guarantees a "reliable, high-quality gaming experience," at a lower cost.

And this is where the crucial kicker lies: the cost is substantially lower. The factory-new 512 GB OLED Steam Deck will set you back a substantial 569,00€ in the EU, for example, whereas the same VCR model will only cost 459,00€. That's right, we're looking at a drop of over 100 euro per unit. The 1 TB OLED Steam Deck, on the other hand, costs 679,00€ factory-new, while the refurbished model comes in at a lovely 549,00€. Talk about savings!

And if you're worried about losing out on goodies that you get with a brand-spanking-new Steam Deck, don't be. Every single Valve Certified Refurbished device comes with:

• A full one-year warranty package (equivalent to that of a factory-new Steam Deck)
• A refurbished power supply that's been fully tested, but may have cosmetic blemishes.
• The usual carrying case and quick-start guide package.

It's an excellent deal, in other words. You only have to be okay with getting a potentially slightly scuffed Deck, though I'd like to point out that this doesn't seem to be a huge concern. Users have reported getting devices that look essentially brand new, so you should be good to go, too.

One thing worth pointing out is that refurbished LCD Steam Decks are fully out of stock as it stands, and it'll be curious to see if they do get re-stocked in the end. Remember: only the 256 GB LCD model is now sold, with the rest of the spectrum covered by the higher-grade OLED Decks.

The post Refurbished Steam Deck OLED models are now available (in select regions) appeared first on Destructoid.

Team17 has announced that they’re teaming up with Radical Forge to trim the greens for Golf With Your Friends 2, a follow-up to Team17 and Blacklight Interactive’s 2020 (technically 2016) party golf game. It’s planned for release in 2025 on PC and console.

Where’s Blacklight Interactive? I dunno. I’ve done some legwork to find out, then I followed-up with Team17’s PR. If I find out, I’ll let you know. It is important to note, however, that Team17 lent quite a lot of support to the development of the first game, as much as it was often said to be the work of three people.

Radical Forge seems like a reasonable substitution, as their previous game was Bright Paw, and they’ve been working on Southfield. The latter title was delayed from its Early Access release this past June due to performance concerns with a new release date not yet set. Picking up work from another publisher may be a way of making ends meet while getting their other project off the ground, or it might just be a cool opportunity. I don’t know! Just speculating here.

Anyway, Golf With Your Friends is actually more of a mini-golf game where you and as many other people as you can rope in compete to put balls in holes. The twist is that you’re all teeing off at the same time and trying to brute force your way to par. Courses also tend to twist reality in ways that it wasn’t supposed to bend.

I never played Golf With Your Friends because I don’t meet the requirements outlined in the title. It got lukewarm reception from critics, but everyone I’ve talked to who have played it always said good things. Maybe all critics are like me and have trouble getting anyone to sit in the same room as them. Or maybe it’s just the sort of thing that is more fun when you aren’t taking it too seriously. Speculating again.

Golf With Your Friends 2 looks like more of the same, as far as I can tell. The trailer doesn’t really show gameplay; just a short skit followed by a slow pan of a course beneath the logo. Screenshots also just show courses. We’ll have to use our imaginations to visualize balls. It will be starting in Early Access, and is said to be planning a six-month stay there. It will start at two courses, and by 1.0 release will have six.

Golf With Your Friends 2 is coming to PC and “consoles” sometime in 2025.

The post Golf With Your Friends 2 will give you another chance to golf with your friends (if applicable) appeared first on Destructoid.

Well, the time has come. Rocksteady confirmed what some have assumed: Season 4 of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League will be the end of the line. As the team steers toward moving on from the game, it has included an Offline Mode and a new playable character.

Deathstroke is joining the game as its last playable character. He joins the crew just as they roll up to Brainiac for one last party. This all culminates in Season 4: Episode 8 in January, when the story concludes.

"With Deathstroke joining the roster, the Suicide Squad’s crusade against Brainiac is drawing to an end," Rocksteady wrote in the announcement post. "Season 4 will finish up with Episode 8, which is scheduled to be released in January 2025, and that will serve as the last seasonal Episode for Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. While Season 4 Episode 8 will mark the final battle against Brainiac, all online features will continue to be available, so you’ll still be able to enjoy co-op with friends, as well as all previous seasonal/episodic content."

Suicide Squad Season 4 adds Deathstroke and Offline Mode

It does feel somewhat inevitable to see Suicide Squad finally getting ready for the big sleep. The game cratered after launch, falling from its peak of over 13,000 players to under 1,000 in less than a month. Publisher Warner Bros. has expressed disappointment with the game, and news of reported layoffs at Rocksteady later followed. The new character and Offline Mode have barely made much of a blip at SteamDB. It's a shame, but it wasn't hard to see the end approaching. Such is the way of the live service industry.

Offline Mode went live with Season 4 Episode 7 on December 10 for all players, allowing game owners to experience the game without being tethered to the internet. The mode lets you play all the game's content, ranging from the main story campaign to the additional story missions introduced by the seasons. You can access it with a new character or copy an online profile. Rocksteady has released an FAQ about how it all works.

Season 4, Episode 7 is just starting and is adding more weapons and locations. It includes a medieval Elseworld region, reimagining Smallville as, erm, ye olde Smallville. Charming. You can take the fight to Brainiac using new weapons from Gorilla Grodd's Infamy Set. If you ever wanted to use a hairy sniper rifle with a gorilla face, boy, do I have some news for you.

Check out the rest of the Season 4 notes for more.

The post Rocksteady confirms that Season 4 of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League will be the game’s last gasp of air before content ends appeared first on Destructoid.

In a parallel universe, Marvel Rivals and Concord might have been distant competitors, but in our reality, the two titles have had contrasting fortunes.

While the hero shooter containing superheroes and villains from the Marvel universe is off to a flying start, Concord's launch was disastrous, to say the least. Much has been made about why Sony's mega project didn't manage to get a strong reception from the audience, and it appears that Thaddeus Sasser, who is the game director of Marvel Rivals, has two key points as possible reasons.

Marvel Rivals director believes Concord didn't offer unique value

In a podcast with VideoGamer, Sasser shared his insights about why Concord might have failed to lift off. This podcast happened before Marvel Rivals launched, and Sasser believes that there wasn't anything in Concord to make players forego the resources they might have invested in similar titles like Overwatch.

There's a switching cost,

I've already invested in Overwatch, I've got 15 skins for Pharah, I'm not going anywhere."

Sasser was pretty cautious about his predictions for Marvel Rivals back then, emphasizing the relatively uncertain nature of the video game industry.

The truth is that I don't think anybody can accurately predict this or the game industry would be radically different today. There's a lot of games that come out that people are like 'it's going to do well' then it flops or people come out and go 'it's going to flop' and it succeeds amazingly. So, I think it's really hard to tell ahead of time and you're always worried about that."

On the podcast, Sasser was hopeful that fans would be able to share the same love he has about the project, with the Marvel characters being the highlight. One week later, it's certain that Marvel Rivals has been getting the love of the community.

Be it the Steam reviews or concurrent player count on PC alone, Marvel Rivals has managed to become an instant hit with the fans. It's not only about the characters, as the roster offers decent variety. The microtransactions are truly optional, and players don't miss out on any key gameplay component if they choose not to spend.

Concord, on the other hand, had a poor launch, and it proved to be fatal for the project. While the developers did continue to make updates to improve the situation at hand, Sony decided to pull the plug on the project, and there's no way of knowing if the IP has any future at all.

The post Marvel Rivals director discusses possible reasons behind Concord’s failure appeared first on Destructoid.

2024 was another huge year for games, with enough to keep everyone occupied for the foreseeable future. Despite constant decision paralysis, though, the eight hours I spent with the deranged, demolition-happy Dynamite Anton and his coworker Annie in Antonblast were the most unabashed fun I had playing games all year.

Ever since Summitsphere's buckwild platformer was first announced, I have been preparing myself to play the spiritual successor to some lost Wario Game Boy Advance game. I wasn't, however, prepared to play a Sega Genesis game. That's exactly what this is; it has a very specific, and I say this with love, funk to it that you only get from the library of Genesis or Sega CD. Perhaps, in some alternate universe, Antonblast dropped in the mid-90s on both Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo, the latter version playing a bit more brightly with some rigid edges. Mayb e with fewer belches, screams, and profanity-laden proclamations.

Our gruff title character is on a side-scrolling mission to get his coveted spirits back from Satan, who wants Anton for himself so he can become the reddest person in the world. Anton and Annie — both playable from the start — set out to stop Satan with some assistance from a beleaguered casino owner named Brulo. To do so, they'll need to blast through 12 stages, seeking out Anton's spirits, setting Brulo's detonators, and getting the hell out of there before the whole damn level explodes. 

Antonblast (PC [Reviewed], Nintendo Switch)
Developer: Summitsphere
Publisher: Summitsphere
Released: December 3, 2024
MSRP: $19.99

Despite the distinct aesthetic, Antonblast wears its Wario inspirations loud and proud. Hopping on specific pads lets him leap in and out of the foreground with ease. Anton can charge in a similar manner, too, paving the way for momentum-based platforming that comes in especially handy at the end of each stage. Once Anton sets off the detonator, IT'S HAPPY HOUR, and he has a few short (but relatively generous) minutes to go back from whence he came in the most explosive way possible. These escapes are often the most challenging and thrilling sections. While Antonblast is generous with checkpoints throughout the main stages, you'll still probably find yourself attempting some of these move-it-or-lose-it escapes multiple times before succeeding. 

Everything cribbed from the Wario Land series is amped up by an order of magnitude. And for the record, there's always room for more like it. Bricks, dumpsters, and discarded bathtubs burst and shatter as Anton plows through them, the screen screeching to a split-second halt each time to heighten the impact. Enemies standing in your way go flying off the screen with a cartoonish whizz, one of dozens of Saturday Morning sound effects that make playing Antonblast feel like a spoonful of sugar-coated cereal shot straight to the veins. Even by the time the credits rolled, I never found myself tiring of Anton's exuberant shouts, or the way he sounds like a bomb dropping from a B-52 whenever he does a nose dive from an improbable height. 

The stages are all spread across a small hub area, complete with shops that contain exorbitantly-priced health power-ups, some single-use items, and other superfluous knick-knacks. Anton will eventually be able to afford most of it with the way he tends to rack up casino chips along his path of destruction. All you really need is maybe a single extra heart to help deal with the damage, especially on the increasingly tough boss battles scattered through the hub. 

The bosses are truly a delight. They all have their own absurd gimmicks, and none of them feel like retreads, even when you end up squaring off against more than one jacked-up mole. It's clear they put a ton of thought into them, from the first wrassling ring showdown to the multi-stage final battle with Satan. It's Treasure by way of Earthworm Jim. You'll likely die and retry a lot as you try to figure out the best strategy against each foe, but thankfully, the longer fights have checkpoints before each new form. This is one of those little slices of grace that keep Antonblast from sliding over from fun to frustrating. 

Thanks to tight controls and a move set that's exciting to master, barreling Anton through all these challenges is an exercise in haphazard glee. There are certain areas that call for more precise platforming, but most problems can quite literally be solved by ramming your head into them repeatedly. The overwhelming visuals fit this style of play nicely. It never seems as if Antonblast is overdoing it, because nothing else would make sense. When Anton or Annie turn into a pinball or set off on a rocket swordfish — two of many stage gimmicks that refuse to wear out their welcome — the cacophony of screams and violent environmental eruptions that ensue feel right. 

All of this madness combined with a pitch-perfect soundtrack from top to bottom to make a piquant spirit that widened my eyes more than a few times. That's ultimately what impresses me most about Antonblast. It is such a tightly-realized vision that you can't help but appreciate and respect it. The energy levels are absolutely through the roof. There are no doubt a small handful of frustrations to be found and some of the saltier, the fully-voiced dialogue might keep you from showing it to the younger members of the family; none of that should hold you back.

Everyone should play Antonblast at least once, but good luck with that. There are still spirits to collect, and I'll be riding this rollercoaster again in no time. Now, bring on the speedruns; this is gonna be a… I'm not gonna say it, but you get it.

^{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: Antonblast appeared first on Destructoid.