My, how fortunes have changed. If I could go back to the past when 2021 me was playing the crap out of Splitgate and tell him, in a few short years, Halo Infinite multiplayer would be all but dead and Splitgate 2 would be announcing an open alpha, well, I'd probably think that was pretty ironic. I was sure Halo Infinite was going to be so massively popular that no one would talk about Splitgate ever again, but due to a number of factors I don't have time to go over at this late hour, that never happened.

Splitgate wasn't able to sustain the heights that it did when its beta launched on consoles in the summer of 2021, but it wasn't completely eclipsed by Halo's shadow. And now, almost four years later, its developers are focused on a sequel that sounds a whole lot more ambitious, while Halo Infinite is doing a whole lot of nothing.

1047 Games says Splitgate 2 "massively expands on the series' original vision and scale," and while it'll be a while before we see the fruits of that ambition, we know the closed alpha will show off a map that's 20 times the size of anything that was in the original Splitgate. The alpha will also let players preview "new, never-before-seen game modes, maps, weapons, and more."

While Team Deathmatch and Hotzone are returning for the sequel, there will also be all-new three-team 8v8v8 matches, which will be "Splitgate's biggest battles yet." Then there's Splitball, which is billed as a two-team arena mode that "combines the classic fun of Capture the Flag with the fast-paced strategy of Halo's Oddball, challenging rivals to master both offense and defense simultaneously. Portal-hop into enemy territory to steal Splitballs while defending a home base with precision and strategy."

Firecracker is another game mode new to Splitgate 2. It's a spin on the conventional two-team Search and Destroy mode that adds in respawns. "Attacking teams deploy to ignite a firecracker, and–if they can keep enemies at bay–fill the sky with fireworks while sending the crowd into a roar," says 1047.

The new maps are Glacier; that's the "frozen wasteland" that's 20 times the size of the biggest Splitgate map; Bypass, Splitgate's most vertical map yet and a tranquil park with a centralized launch pad for aerial attacks; and Eden, a Venusian desert "packed with portal walls inside and out to give players endless opportunities to flank, escape, and dominate."

Splitgate 2 is coming to PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, and Xbox One in 2025.

"We don't want to just be the 'Halo meets Portal' team": Splitgate 2 wants to to evolve beyond its inspirations.

"Days Gone remastered?" says one Reddit thread posted after today's broadcast. "Where's Bloodborne????"

"Sony didn't even greenlight a sequel for Days Gone because it flopped by their standards, and yet they remastered that shit before Bloodborne," says another disgruntled fan.

Hours before, players were more chipper, less accusatory. They were skipping on the sidewalk whistling songs by Yuka Kitamura and eating ice cream cones, probably. They were letting woodpeckers drill into their foreheads like in a cartoon, advertising that they were heading into State of Play "with nothing but delusions," as one post on Twitter says.

The most dangerous part of delusions, I say as someone who once believed her La-Z-Boy was haunted, is what happens when they shatter: disappointment. You think I didn't want a ghost to hang out with me on the couch? You think I don't wish FromSoftware's sanguinary 2015 masterpiece got a little more love?

But I have to be realistic. The game wasn't mentioned at tonight's State of Play, nor was it mentioned at any of the State of Play events in 2024. Actually, Bloodborne – which celebrates its 10-year anniversary in just over a month, I say with tears in my eyes – hasn't been PlayStation's focus in years.

So why are we still torturing ourselves over a 60fps remaster that even former Sony execs say may never happen? What are we doing here, people?

I think it's time we all start practicing radical acceptance. In this case, that means that I say things and you accept them.

First: PlayStation illustrating "persistence" with a clip of Bloodborne gameplay in its 30th anniversary trailer does not guarantee that the publisher plans to reward our hard work. It simply points to the fact that PlayStation executives have muted many of our social media accounts.

Second: PlayStation issuing DMCA takedowns to both the Bloodborne Kart dev and 60fps Bloodborne mod creator doesn't suggest the company plans to make its own PS5 remaster with free Mario Kart-style DLC lumped in as a birthday gift. It indicates that video game companies can be really stingy with IP.

Third: I know that Bloodborne's 10th anniversary in March might make you think PlayStation is planning something huge to celebrate, but I don't want you to dwell on it. Don't get all worked up like you always do, be in the moment. Eat an apple. Open the window instead of getting so angry when reality doesn't turn out how you've dreamed it. Or, better yet, play Bloodborne and rejoice in the miracle of 30fps.

Check out our live blog for everything actually announced at the PlayStation State of Play.

The news was announced at today's PlayStation State of Play broadcast, which featured a brief trailer showcasing the Nikke content, including a selection of slinky new costumes and what appears to be a whole new area. Developer Shift Up hasn't fully disclosed what to expect from the DLC, but it appears similar in scope to the previous Nier Automata crossover, which launched for $9.99 USD.

Of course, the bigger news is probably the fact that that that the PC version is launching in June. There's no more specific date than that – and again, no price – but the Steam page is already live and promises that the game will be "optimized for PC." I shudder to think what the mods are going to look like on day one.

As our Stellar Blade review notes, this is a solid action-RPG worth playing on its gameplay merits, but it's safe to say more than a little bit of its appeal is down to its attractive protagonist and the array of revealing outfits players can dress her up in. Shift Up is also behind Nikke, a game that's even less restrained in its horniness, and it's clear the studio knows how to appeal to its target audience.

Stellar Blade was such a hit that its dev gave all employees a PS5 Pro and a roughly $3,400 bonus, and this horny action RPG isn't even on PC yet.

In an exceedingly anime-esque announcement trailer shared at the February PlayStation State of Play showcase, developer Neowiz teased a bizarre and wintry romp for ol' P featuring plenty of new bosses and weapons. From the development time involved, the descriptions given, and the boss variety shown today, this almost looks like a full-fat prequel. The term "expansion" seems to be putting in some work, I'll say that.

Over on the PlayStation Blog, director Jiwon Choi reckons that "I am sure you’ll agree that the long journey to bring you this news was well worth it."

"Do you remember the moment when you, as Geppetto’s most ambitious masterwork, woke up in the middle of the great Puppet Frenzy, a massacre that devastated the entire city around you?" he adds. "Now, you will venture back in time to experience the harrowing journey that birthed that fateful moment. Through Lies of P: Overture, we aimed to fully refine, forge and complete the story as we originally envisioned it."

Channeling a bit of Hideo Kojima, the director adds: "There’s a term in movie making known as a 'director’s cut.' This version differs from an initial theatrical release and usually includes additional footage the filmmaker believes perfects the work. With Lies of P: Overture I wonder if we subconsciously aimed to create a 'developers’ cut' of Lies of P."

There's been a big emphasis on the DLC's narrative so far, but while the world of Krat is an interesting one, I'm personally more excited to have new weapons to test and new bosses to test them on. Lies of P's combat is the closest anyone's ever gotten to that FromSoftware magic, for my money, and it earned high marks in Jasmine's Lies of P review. More of that? Yes, please.

The next game from the Lies of P devs is reportedly a sci-fi survival horror.

"We are thrilled to announce that our latest game, Saros, is launching next year on PS5 and enhanced for PS5 Pro," creative director Gregory Louden said during today's State of Play broadcast. "Saros is the ultimate evolution of the Housemarque gameplay-first experience. It's a new single-player IP that builds on Returnal's award-winning third-person action.“

The cinematic announce trailer gives us our first look at protagonist Arjun Devraj, portrayed by Rahul Kohli. The game takes place on a "hostile, shape-shifting planet haunted by an ominous eclipse." If that sounds like a roguelike to you, you're not far off - but Saros offers more long-term progression systems, so the pendatic among you might want to call it a roguelite instead.

"A key gameplay distinction between Saros and Returnal is permanent resources and progression making every death valuable," according to a post on the PlayStation blog. "After every death you will face a changed world, but in Saros you will be able to choose and permanently upgrade your loadout from an evolving set of weapons and suit upgrades to 'come back stronger' to overcome the challenges you face on Carcosa."

That's all Housemarque is revealing about the gameplay in Saros for now, but a proper look at gameplay is coming later this year, ahead of the game's actual launch in 2026.

If Saros even comes close to Returnal, it'll be a strong candidate for our list of the best roguelike games.

If you already own Days Gone on PS4, you'll be able to upgrade to the remastered version for $10, which has become pretty standard for this sorta thing. If you don't already own it, the remaster will run you $50. For your money, you get Days Gone buffed up with better textures, better shadows and lighting, "increased foliage draw," and support for stuff like Tempest 3D Audio and VRR.

On top of that, there's some new features coming exclusively to the Days Gone remaster, including DualSense support and new accessibility features like High Contrast mode, Game Speed, UI narration, collectible audio cues, controller remapping, a field of view slider, "and more." Photo mode has also been expanded with a time-of-day setting, a three-point lighting system, and new logo options.

Additionally, there are three new modes. Horde Assault is pretty much exactly what it sounds like: hordes of undead close in on you and you have to survive as long as possible, with the goal of increasing your high score with each run. Permadeath mode, again, is pretty much what it says on the tin. You die once, and you start over from scratch. Finally, there's the new Speedrun mode, which – you won't believe it – tasks you with playing through the campaign as quickly as possible and sharing your times with a special endgame graphic.

All of this will also be available to Days Gone PC players day and date with the PS5 remaster, with the same $10 upgrade charge.

Days Gone Remastered is just one of many upcoming PS5 games we can't wait to play.

MindsEye stars Jacob Diaz, "a former soldier fitted with The MindsEye, a mysterious neural implant that haunts him with fragmented memories of a covert mission that changed his life forever."

Benzies describes the game as a "new action adventure set in the fictional city of Redrock, where AI and human greed collide to bring earth to the precipice of collapse." Phew, thank goodness we don't have to deal with worrying AI and escalating human greed here in the present.

"We're now proud to share some gameplay footage of the explosive combat and high-octane driving that you can expect on PlayStation 5 later this year," Benzies concluded. Not unexpectedly, that combat and driving combo has some distinct GTA vibes, right down to neighborhood shootouts. However, studio community and creator VP Dan Bulteel says MindsEye has "strategic" combat, seemingly leaning into the gadgets and gizmos.

The near-future dystopian look and tech gives this a whiff of Cyberpunk 2077, too, just as a modern sci-fi touchstone. "Get ready for intense combat - on foot, behind the wheel, and in the air - where every decision can mean the difference between survival and defeat," the trailer blurb adds.

It's a wonder that this and GTA 6 both ended up in the same year, roughly 10,000 years after the release of GTA 5. Build A Rocket Boy is separately developing "the next-generation immersive gaming and entertainment open world platform Everywhere" and "a suite of remarkably easy-to-use AAA [user-generated content] design and publishing tools Arcadia."

Build A Rocket Boy has been surprisingly shy on open-world comparisons, instead pitching the action and narrative side of MindsEye. That said, the city-sized game world looks plenty big in the driving snippets shown today.

"With MindsEye, we’ve pushed cinematic adventure to the next level - building characters and a world that feels truly alive," Benzies said in a press release. "We can’t wait for players to step in and feel the immersive realism and tireless effort poured into every moment of the game."

"This world isn’t just a backdrop. It’s filled with stories, perspectives, and hidden truths waiting to be uncovered," Bulteel adds in a blog post. "As you progress, you’ll learn how to adapt and use these new technologies in your missions."

MindsEye is a new AAA action-adventure game that lives inside ex-GTA lead's Everywhere.

Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is set to launch for $29.99 USD across PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, and PC via Steam on August 29, 2025. It's being developed by Lizardcube, the studio that previously brought us the great Master System remake Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap and co-developed the even better Streets of Rage 4 alongside Dotemu and Guard Crush.

We previously saw a few seconds of "early development footage" of Art of Vengeance in that Power Surge trailer, but now we've gotten some more detail on what to expect. The game stars Joe Musashi on a quest for vengeance across "more than a dozen" stages featuring "challenging platforming puzzles," according to a press release. Combat will be combo-driven, and tools like "Katana Oborozuki, Kunai, Ninjutsu arts, and Ninpo" will give you some options in how you defeat your foes.

A Digital Deluxe version of the game will be available for $39.99, featuring early access, a starter pack with some in-game goodies, a digital art book and soundtrack, and a DLC stage "featuring bosses based on iconic SEGA villains" set to launch in early 2026.

Shinobi was one of the central series in Sega's golden era through the late '80s and early '90s, and Shinobi 3 in particular is broadly regarded as one of the defining classics of the Mega Drive/Genesis platform. The series has gotten a few attempted revivals over the decades on the PS2 and 3DS, but Art of Vengeance will be the first new Shinobi game in 14 years.

On top of that, it was previously announced that Sega is making a Shinobi movie from the Extraction director.

The Pirate Yakuza demo will be available on PS5 beginning 10 a.m. ET on February 13, a full week before the kitschy seaside adventure releases in all its eyepatched glory on February 20.

"Players can try out two battle styles" in the demo, Sony global third party portfolio director Shawne Benson says during State of Play, "including Goro Majima's new seadog style, as well as engage in naval battles at the Pirates' Coliseum." The demo seems to overlap with gameplay we experienced during our Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii preview earlier this year, which we felt turns Majima into a "swashbuckling Spider-Man."

"The real-time combat feels more exciting than ever with its chaotic combos, while the ship battles add another level of fun," says writer James Daly. "Returning to Hawaii is another boon, as Infinite Wealth's map is huge and packed with things to do."

Benson also reveals Dave the Diver's shockingly cute Yakuza crossover DLC, Ichiban's Holiday.

"Ichiban Kasuga and other Like a Dragon characters team up [...] in classic beat 'em up-style, all while perfecting new recipes at Ganko Sushi," they say. The DLC's trailer shows lots of gleeful pixelated face-punching and underwater rifles, much to the dismay of poor, jolly Dave. It'll be out some time in April.

Keep up with our State of Play live blog.

A now-official leaked trailer shown at Sony's February State of Play showcase has confirmed the Metal Gear Solid 3 remake release date, which was previously leaked by the PlayStation Store itself. Snake returns in Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater on August 28.

"The remake maintains what players loved from the original, like the story, characters, voice acting, gameplay, and music, but presented now in an even more immersive experience," the new trailer reiterates. "The special game “Snake vs Monkey” to capture the Pipo Monkeys is back for PS5®!" (Delta: Snake Eater is, of course, also coming to Xbox Series X and PC.)

That leak means that there's not a huge amount of new information here, although I will admit to raising an eyebrow at a couple of things. There's that eye bulge from infamous boss The End, of course, as well as the moment that Snake aims a rocket launcher with his bad eye. But both of those paled in comparison to the appearance of that Ape Escape cameo - a cheeky monkey appeared at the end of the trailer to smack its behind several times, which is clearly in-line with Kojima's original vision.

Our own resident Metal Gear Knower Oscar found that 20 years of muscle memory made Metal Gear Solid Delta feel like playing the original, and reckons fellow fans will know that that's no small thing. You'll find more details on the upcoming remake in our hands-on report from last year, sizing up the prettiest version of one of the greatest stealth games ever made.

It's so good, in fact, that maybe it'll make our list of the best stealth games.

Metal Eden is Reikon's first game release since 2017, when the group of former CD Projekt Red and Techland devs released the twin-stick blaster Ruiner – "an adrenaline surge akin to a cyberpunk Hotline Miami," we said in our four-star Ruiner review.

While Ruiner's bitesized runtime has since been overshadowed by more sprawling cyberpunk adventures like 2022's Citizen Sleeper and literal Cyberpunk, the game nonetheless offers unparalleled heat. It's nice to see that, aesthetically and energetically, Metal Eden looks like it's made from the same red-hot impulse as Ruiner. It promises vast opportunities for hastily shattering enemies' tibias like you're Doomguy with a plane to catch.

The game "is all about fast and furious 'core ripping' combat fusing with hyper-mobile futuristic parkour," says a press release. "To stay alive in this world is to constantly be moving!"

As the "infinitely reprintable" Hyper Unit, ASKA, the press release explains, you must explore the industrial planet Möbius to uncover its secrets, for reasons you don't understand. Reikon also that you'll search "a world where humanity's consciousness has transcended the flesh, now residing within robots."

"With 8 unique missions," the studio continues, "the game thrills players into an artificial world, where they'll dive into cybernetic warfare, control a powerful hyper unit, and uncover the mysteries of a lost paradise."

The game will release on May 6 for PC, Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5.

Stay up-to-date with our February 2025 PlayStation State of Play live blog.

In the full announcement trailer, which you can view just below, we can see a roster of classic Sonic the Hedgehog characters zooming around various stages in cars, off-road buggies, hoverboards, and watercrafts, which seem to be able to adapt to different environments and surfaces.

You can also see racers zip through portals leading them to completely different worlds, which suddenly makes the whole CrossWorlds title make a whole lot of sense. PlayStation explains in a new blog that the "Travel Rings" are chosen by the lead racer before each match and force every player to be transported to a different level in the second lap of the race.

This isn't the first time we've seen Sonic Racing CrossWorlds, but it is by far our most comprehensive look yet, and it's also the first new trailer since the subtle reveal of Mario Kart 9, CrossWorlds' biggest and most direct competitor.

Neither Mario Kart 9 nor Sonic Racing CrossWorlds have release dates yet, but the latter is getting a closed network test on February 21. You can sign up for that right here, right now if you want to try out the game before launch.

Only time will tell whether Sonic Racing CrossWorlds has the chops to take on Mario Kart in our list of the best racing games to play today.

An all-too-brief trailer gave us a larger taste of what the in-game action will look like than we've seen before, and Gearbox says a dedicated State of Play reveal show with much more information is coming this spring.

"Explode each encounter with devastating Action Skills that unleash your Vault Hunter’s unique abilities," Gearbox says in a new PlayStation blog post. "Move across the Borderlands like never before—double jumping, gliding, dodging, fixed-point grappling, and more—dealing death from every direction. Borderlands 4 is our most ambitious game to date, giving you more looting and shooting Mayhem than ever before. Our team has been kicking so much ass, and we cannot wait to share it with you!"

Those are obviously some pretty thin details, but the trailer does at give us a more extensive look at the in-game action than the previous trailer provided. We're going to get a lot more information in the upcoming Borderlands 4 State of Play broadcast, due to run at an unspecified date this spring.

"We're diving deep, you guys," Gearbox boss Randy Pitchford said during the State of Play broadcast. "Join us [at the] Borderlands 4 State of Play, for combat, vault hunters, action skills, exploration, and discovery, everything. You're gonna see more guns than you can even count. All on PlayStation 5."

These are the best FPS games you can play today.

Wilds' first free title update will add the bubbly leviathan Mizutsune in the spring alongside "additional updates" and miscellaneous event quests.

Mizutsune was originally introduced in Monster Hunter Generations as part of its four core monsters. It was most recently seen in Monster Hunter Rise. It's also received a few variants over the years, but for now we've only heard that its base form is coming to Wilds.

Mizutsune parts have historically been used to craft potent water-type weapons, and its elegant shrine maiden-themed armor sets have also helped it earn quite the following over the years. It looks gorgeous, it's a fun monster to fight with a huge range of weapons, and its uniquely slippery ailment is more funny than it is annoying, so it's hard to think of a better way to start Wilds' lengthy post-release arc.

Details are still trickling in as launch nears. Wilds director Yuya Tokuda says the game's more traditional RPG feel was more of a natural consequence than an intentional design push, and has separately teased that endgame bosses may feel extra tough since the devs don't want you to "breeze through" encounters. Tokuda also shared some trickery of his own: "There are players out there who'd have no idea to this day that they were actually playing with the director."

20 years on, Monster Hunter Wilds' devs reflect on the series' co-op journey: "The world caught up with our vision."

As reported by Bloomberg's Jason Schreier, Diablo franchise general manager Rod Fergusson took to the stage at DICE Las Vegas to reveal the official release window for Diablo 4's next expansion, which appears to still be untitled.

Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred, the ARPG's first expansion, launched back in October and brought with it a new campaign questline and location to explore, the game's first new character class, a bevy of gameplay and balance reworkings, and more. The DLC was generally well-received despite some controversies largely caused by balance adjustments.

Admittedly, I'm surprised to see Blizzard set a 2026 release window for Diablo 4's next DLC as I'd initially assumed expansions would be released yearly. Another DICE attendee reports that Fergusson said Blizzard had actually intended to release annual expansions for Diablo 4 but found it wasn't possible due to staffing limitations.

The game's regular seasonal content schedule will presumably continue to keep things fresh through 2025, but today's news makes me wonder if there's something bigger in store for this year since we aren't getting a proper expansion until next year.

No additional details beyond the next expansion's 2026 release window have come out of DICE so far, and it probably won't be until Blizzard's official reveal that we'll learn more.

Diablo creator rips into modern ARPGs for being all about "killing screen-fulls of things instantly," says Diablo 2's pacing "is great" and "that’s one of the reasons it’s endured."

The good news comes just over a week after Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 launched on PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC. It's not at all unusual for big RPGs to get official mod support from developers, but it's not necessarily the norm for it to happen so soon after launch. By comparison, it took Baldur's Gate 3 over a year to add official mods, and Hogwarts Legacy did the same about two years after launch.

"Bohemia is about to get even more exciting. Official modding support is coming to #KCD2 on Steamworks – stay tuned," reads a tweet from Warhorse.

As of now, Kingdom Come Deliverance 2's official mod support has only been confirmed for PC via Steamworks; Warhorse has yet to respond to the many, many inquiries about potential mod support for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.

Outside of a select few Bethesda games and Baldur's Gate 3, official support for console mods is still a pretty niche thing, so I wouldn't hold your breath if you're waiting on console mods for Kindgom Come: Deliverance 2. I mean, never say never, but also never say definitely.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 trades Skyrim stealth archers for stinky smelly archers: you can get so filthy that NPCs catch you "broadcasting" body odor, so "wash your hands, kids"

"One thing we tried with Shadows was to be as scalable as possible," technical architect Pierre Fortin says in a new Q&A blog. "We want the game to cater to the high-end of the spectrum without putting the bar too high in terms of requirements. As such, we believe that our minimum required specs reflect this commitment. A GTX 1070, the minimum required GPU, is quite old at this time, yet we made efforts to support pre-RTX GPU (GTX 1070, GTX 1080TI and equivalent) that are still competent today but lack hardware level raytracing capabilities."

The devs additionally "want to highlight the fact that the game will look stunning even on the lowest settings," and if the comparison shot they've provided is any indication, they're not far off the mark. The image is admittedly a little too small for any robust comparison work, but the character looks effectively identical at low, high, and ultra specs. The one visible difference is that the shadows on the rooftop outside are slightly darker as the specs go up, but it's tough to say that any version looks genuinely better here.

I'm sure there will be some distinct visual differences between the game's different configurations, as the official specs released in January range from the aforementioned GTX 1070 all the way up to an RTX 4090, which is no small upgrade. Here's hoping all this emphasis on scalability means that low-spec players will also get a good experience in the end.

These are all the upcoming Assassin's Creed games you need to know about.

"Why is Cinnamoroll always following me?" one of many panicked Redditors asks. "I love him and he's so adorable, but it's actually kinda freaking me out."

"There's no escape from him," gravely states another post.

In Hello Kitty Island Adventure, the pudgy marshmallow dog Cinnamoroll acts as your burgeoning island's package carrier, so he's always flying from mailbox to mailbox with wings on his cap, the same kind the messenger god Hermes is often depicted wearing. Witness his mythically fearsome form: Cinnamoroll has a permanent puppy smile, puffy ears that look like a tube of frosting, and a stubby curled tail that looks like a cinnamon bun. OK, fine, he's the cutest creature to ever grace this undeserving Earth.

And, in his defense, he's been cheerfully lurking around Hello Kitty Island Adventure since the life sim released for Apple Arcade in 2023 - it's not maladaptive behavior he's only recently picked up to cope with the game's new Switch and PC releases. I know this, because I was one of his victims.

I remember it like it was two years ago. There I was, running around my Hello Kitty Island Adventure with my gorgeous dog protagonist, trying to deliver gifts like pineapple stack cake and seashells to my island friends, when Cinnamoroll began to block my path with his tubby body. I ran into him, sliding him around the sand, and all he did was smile at me. Unblinking. Just wreaking havoc on my mellow.

"Once I found out he was a dog and not a bunny, I’m like oooh. He's just a puppy following me around all day," says what seems to be a new Hello Kitty Island Adventure player on Reddit. Sure, yes, maybe. Whatever helps you feel safe from Cinnamoroll's cute power.

Hello Kitty Island Adventure is the latest example of how cozy games are secretly pretty dark at their core.

That comes courtesy of a new Overwatch 2 Spotlight blog, where the developers broke down some pretty drastic changes to the game, including upgradeable perks, a new third-person-centric mode, the return of loot boxes, a map voting feature, and much more. Season 15 and Season 16 are easily bringing in more new and exciting features than Overwatch 2's seen since its launch - finally, arguably justifying the '2' at the end of its name - but Blizzard says it's just staying competitive.

"This will be one of Overwatch's most significant years so far," the blog post teases, "and we can't wait to have you all dive into the updates coming your way. In our continued drive to be the best competitive team-based hero shooter, this year will see a variety of updates that improve gameplay, update competitive rewards, introduce all new experiences, new metas, new heroes, key quality-of-life updates, and some of the best cosmetics we’ve ever made."

Comparisons between Overwatch 2 and Marvel Rivals have been everywhere, exhaustingly so, months before the latter even came out late last year, and the discourse has only continued to be head-shaking since. Twitch star Shroud argued that Overwatch 2 is easily the better shooter, while fellow streamer Ninja sat on the other side of the fence, calling it a "dead" game.

Whichever side of the debate you sit on, competition can only be a good thing for both games. Overwatch 2 finally seems like it's got some fire in its belly. And, hopefully, Marvel Rivals can step up to the plate with some of its own exciting ideas, too.

Not a fan of either? Check out the other best FPS games you can play right now.

But even before Marvel Rivals proved it was here to stay, Overwatch has been struggling. While the game has seen constant updates – making it as consistent as it’s ever been – it’s also been the focus of a lot of ire by those who feel let down by the 2 in Overwatch 2, which didn't deliver on promised PvE elements.

It also doesn’t help that Blizzard didn’t put on a BlizzCon this year, so that avenue where the future of Overwatch would be established wasn’t open. Since latest hero Hazard joined the roster, the well had run dry on what to expect from Overwatch. At a time where Marvel Rivals is running riot, that lack of visibility of the road ahead hurts.

That’s why the Overwatch Spotlight is an integral moment for the franchise. It’s clear that Blizzard has to do something, and it’s clapped back with Overwatch 2's biggest update ever. We got to sit down and play with the game's new perk system, and Stadium mode, two drastic updates to how Overwatch is played and a demonstration of the radical direction Blizzard is taking its hero shooter.

Perks of the job

As outlined in the Spotlight, perks are coming with the launch of Season 15. Aaron Keller, the game’s director, contends that it’s the biggest update to how Overwatch is played since the shooter's launch in 2016. As someone with over 2500 hours in Overwatch, I’m inclined to agree.

With perks, players will be able to work toward augmenting their hero in the middle of a match. There are two thresholds to meet, with the first, (minor perks) adjusting smaller aspects and passives of a character’s kit. Major perks, the second you unlock, have a big effect on how a hero functions, drastically shifting the power and abilities available to you. While this isn’t wholly unique, with games like Apex Legends having similar systems, Blizzard has pushed the boat out substantially.

There are some wacky, ingenious and potentially even broken abilities on the table here that really do feel like they shift a hero into a whole different world. Sombra, for example, can use major perks to implement support aspects into her kit. You can pick a perk that lets her hack allies to heal them, or you can choose to double down on the slippery assassin play style, and increase the duration of her hack (with a slight range nerf). Other heroes like Soldier, Winston and Ramattra get in on the healing game too with their own perks – if you choose to go down those routes. Ana can pick between getting critical hits with her sniper or getting a Nano Boost on herself when the ability is used on another hero. Even some forgotten favorites rear their head here, as Orisa Barrier, Reaper Souls, and Lifeweaver’s Flower all make a return.

This can all tactically redefine how you play a hero in the middle of a game, and it helps alleviate some of the pressure points felt previously. It’s not necessarily a reality where one ability is better than another. To maximize the effectiveness of perks, you should use them to react to the situation as you need to. Hard counters are softened, and if you’re up against a great player on another hero, you now have options to help mitigate that. It provides a reactivity to heroes that they simply didn’t have before.

Perhaps the wildest thing about perks is that they’re getting released with only a week's warning, straight into the core mode of Overwatch. Historically, Blizzard essentially never messes with the core game, so this is a bold departure in philosophy. There’s going to be a lot for players to learn on day one. With the power of some of the perks, it’s hard not to envision their introduction being a mess – but the kind of exhilarating mess Overwatch has been missing for a while.

Stadium audience

Also unveiled in the Spotlight was Stadium. Overwatch in its history has never introduced a mode like this – something designed to sit alongside the core game. Make no mistake, this isn’t a limited time event that’s fun for a round or two. This is a serious alternative to how Overwatch is played.

Stadium is a glorious mix of influences, all underpinned by the Overwatch characters and world. Think the mods and builds of Deadlock, mixed with the round based nature of Valorant or Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. This is a best of seven 5v5 game mode, where you’ll play shortened versions of recognizable modes. However the twist is, in between rounds you get currency to build out heroes with powers and passives that allow you to deeply customize a character. Perks are one thing, but this is a whole other level. The level of customization is staggering, and is reminiscent of a MOBA where you start with a base character, but depending on what build you want to go into, you can create two vastly different versions of a hero depending on the items you buy and the stats you buff.

Ability power, weapon damage, attack speed, lifesteal and more can all be boosted with augments, allowing you to really choose where you want to buff your power. You also, at certain round thresholds, get access to new powers that are really out there. Reaper can fly, for example, while Lucio can get two boops; Junker Queen can get two swings of Carnage or knockdown enemies she hits with her ult. So in between buying stats upgrades, you’re also further defining your hero with new twists on their current abilities.

Stadium has so much build potential, and at first it's a little overwhelming to look at. You could, for example, just buy all the health upgrades for Mercy, and make her a borderline tank, or you can take DVA and shift all of the power into her rate of fire. The mode does (thankfully) offer starter build suggestions to follow, but before too long, you’ll be disregarding those. Instead you’ll be figuring out what you need in your current game, reacting to the composition and playstyle of the enemy and trying to build something for the moment.

This is a substantial mode, and it’s clear a lot of work has gone into it, with reworked maps, the UI, and the presentation of it all. This wasn’t made to be disposable. This is a serious new avenue Blizzard is exploring in terms of what it means to play Overwatch. It’s not hard to envision a world where someone becomes a Stadium main over the core experience we’ve been playing for 10 years.

When the mode launches in season 16, it will only have a smaller select number of heroes Blizzard is confident are ready. However, the studio did confirm to me that if the mode takes off, it intends to achieve parity with the main game over time.

There’s a lot more in the Spotlight that isn’t covered here, but are well worth mentioning. I played Hero 43, a high skill ceiling ranged bounty hunter that’s spooky in the right hands. Long-requested hero bans and map voting features are also coming to the game, a big win for competitive integrity. The point is, there’s a lot here.

This is the big, explosive showing Overwatch 2 needed. Having played with perks and Stadium, something feels different about Blizzard and where its ambitions lie. The studio is taking risks – big creative swings – and being less precious with the way things have always been. It runs counter to the narrative that Overwatch is a waning game, ready to roll over for the fresh competitor. Instead, it feels like there is an energy, philosophy shift and enthusiasm for where the franchise is headed. From what I’ve played, it feels like Blizzard might just pull it off too. In the face of Marvel Rivals, Overwatch 2 is nowhere near ready to throw in the towel – instead, the defining hero shooter is going all-in.

From Marvel Rivals to Valve's worst-kept secret, the hero shooter revival is truly underway - but why?

Overwatch 2 Season 15 begins on February 18, and it's working overtime to finally bring in some sequel-worthy features. Top of the list is the introduction of upgradeable perks coming to almost every game mode. The way it works is that every hero starts the match at level one; once you upgrade to level two, you choose between two minor perks, and once you hit level three, you choose a more game-changing major perk. As you might expect, minor perks give a hero a pretty small stat buff or cooldown reduction or passive boost, but it's those major perks that remind me of that roguelike Halloween mode that absolutely slapped.

Hanzo's old Scatter Arrows, for example? They're back as an optional major perk, as is a Protective Barrier for Orisa if you give up the Javelin Spin instead. Other major perks include a secondary fire option for Winston that lets you chain lightning damage to multiple foes and a passive ability for Baptiste that'll finally activate the little turret that's been idly sitting on his shoulder for years, turning it into an automated healer whenever you use his ultimate. Most of the perks sound like a chaotic good time, while others, like Orisa's barrier, seem like situational boons for certain maps and a disaster for others.

Season 15 is also bringing back 6v6 competitive queues, and if you're not a fan of the new changes, you can reminisce with Overwatch Classic: GOATS, which is another mode throwing it back to "one of the most notorious and memorable periods from Overwatch's history" - namely, the meta that often had three supports sweating to keep three tanks alive.

And, finally, Season 15's list of changes ends with the return of loot boxes, once controversial, now missed because of how damn extortionate microtransactions have gotten in almost every live service. Refreshingly, this time around, Blizzard is being very transparent about loot box drop rates, though. "We are guaranteeing that a Rare or better item will drop in every single box," Blizzard says via a press release, "with an Epic item within five consecutive boxes and a Legendary item within twenty consecutive boxes."

Overwatch 2's most aggressive (or aggressive against Marvel Rivals) addition is coming in April with Season 16's new Stadium mode. Stadium is a best-of-seven mode that has each player gaining in-game currency via eliminations, before spending it on stat buffs and ability upgrades at the start of every round. Also a bit like the Halloween event, then - which itself was a bit like the scrapped co-op mode - but this time without the random, roguelike-ish elements. What makes Stadium particularly dramatic is that it's a third-person mode by default. You can switch to first-person if you wish, I should add, but it's a pretty blatant attempt to kneecap one of Marvel Rivals' most distinguishing features while letting players actually see the cosmetics they've sunk money into during matches.

Season 16 also sees the introduction of a new, crossbow-wielding DPS called Freja who you'll be able to try out soon one weekend and a Hero Ban feature, while a water-bending 44th hero and a handy Map Voting feature are both coming later in the year.

Twitch star Shroud said Overwatch 2 is “absolutely a much better game” than Marvel Rivals, and people forget how “that game took over the world.”

On February 7, streamer Ludwig finished a project years in the making. "It is going to span 30 years of Pokemon cards," he says on stream. From Prismatic Evolutions to the first-ever Base Set, Ludwig was going to open one of every single Pokemon card pack ever made.

"This was two years in the making," he explains. "When I was really into Pokemon collecting, I talked to IslandGrown [a Pokemon streamer] and I said 'Hey, I have an idea. I want to open every Pokemon pack ever made.' He said, 'Cool, I'll work on it.' And I sent them some money up front."

Fast forward to February 7, and Ludwig opened them all on stream as part of his Pokemon week. Rather than making thousands, or even breaking even, the cards he pulled were only worth a total of $3,000. As someone who's recently gotten into Pokemon TCG Pocket, I'm all too familiar with opening dozens of packs only to find nothing you actually want. It's brutal.

What's worse is Ludwig reckons the unopened packs as a collection were worth around $33,000. He claims the first pack alone "last sold for over $13,000."

But, cards are meant to be collected and played with, not sealed and never viewed. He went back in time, opening the newest pack first and ending on the first pack. You can watch the full stream for yourself to see all the highs and lows, but I'll be real with you, it's mostly lows. If you want to get right into the pack opening, skip ahead to 14 minutes in.

Still, it's a fun thing to do, and it's certainly better than scalping the most recent packs as soon as they hit store shelves and leave little kids crying because they can't play with their toys.

In the meantime, check out all the best Pokemon TCG Pocket cards.

Madi, known online as "acottonsock," spent hours putting a guide on every possible Sims 3 fix together so that players can actually enjoy the 2009 life sim on newer PCs. Her video, which she rightfully dubs a "definitive guide," covers just about anything and everything fans have spent years suffering through – from issues related to graphics cards to those caused by modern CPUs – and is unsurprisingly over an hour long.

It might seem daunting to sit through so much content, but Madi has added handy timestamps to make the guide more bite-sized for folks looking to find specific fixes. Her video includes some must-have mods, too, as well as fan-created patches. This isn't Madi's first impressive Sims-related roundup, either, with her "masterlist" of over 200 Sims 2 mods dropping just days prior following EA's re-releases of the series' first two games.

If there's one thing the Simming community is good at, it's cleaning up areas of The Sims that have gone overlooked for years and enhancing the games with all flavors of creative mods. There's no telling whether EA will address The Sims 3's issues itself anytime soon, especially as work cracks on with The Sims 4 and its upcoming hobby-related expansion pack, but fans can safely look to Madi's thorough guide for answers until then.

Hopping back into the game now to fix it? Here are the best Sims 3 cheats for a solid start.

Daggerfall Unity's 1.0 launch arrived in late 2023 after nine years of development, but the GOG Cut was available before this, offering the game alongside a whole bunch of pre-installed mods, making for a package that, as per the remaster devs themselves, is "buggy, slow, and completely changes how the game looks and plays." The actual Daggerfall Unity team wasn't involved with the GOG Cut. Back in 2023 – at which point they said it was already "almost two years out of date," and they "in no way recommend it to play Daggerfall Unity" – the team offered players a step-by-step guide on how to migrate over to their recommended version if need be.

Those concerns about the GOG Cut being out of date have now resurfaced as the storefront confirms the decision to delist it altogether has been made since "the pack is outdated and no longer fulfills its purpose of providing a hassle-free modded experience to the game." It vanished from the store earlier today, so if you didn't already have it, you've missed your chance – it'll stay in the library of anyone who already owned it, though.

The good news is that GOG says it's "working on a solution that will allow us to publish and maintain such projects better in the future, so stay tuned!" With that in mind, it'll hopefully be able to avoid similar situations going forward where project creators are actively discouraging players from downloading the GOG version. For now, the Daggerfall Unity version without all those extra mods is still out there to be downloaded and played – Elder Scrolls co-creator Ted Peterson even spoke about it recently, saying that it's "been the best" and "I really appreciate it."

Ambitious Skyblivion project is nearing completion, with only one region of Oblivion left to remake with Skyrim's engine, but it still needs volunteers to help.

VGC reports that a new patent Nintendo filed suggests you can rotate the Switch 2 screen and still attach its bigger-than-before controllers. Of course, the OG Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons slid into place via a rail that made a satisfying snapping sound, but the hybrid-handheld's successor is using a slightly different method.

The Nintendo Switch 2's controllers instead hold onto the console's sides magnetically, and all you seemingly need to do is push them in. The funky new feature also has a more practical use. Nintendo's new patent seems to show the console's display rotated 180 degrees, with the Joy-Con's still connected on the "wrong" side up.

For anyone too forgetful to remember their lefts and rights, this seems like an easy fix to avoid mistakes. Since the Switch 2 only has one port for headphones and two for USBs, this also means you can have the ports on whichever side you prefer to avoid twisting your earphone wires and whatnot. I'm guessing the Switch 2's screen will be adapt to whatever you decide and rejig itself. (Knowing The Big N, there might even be an upcoming Switch 2 game or two that takes advantage of the feature, as well.)

"For example, the user can use the game system so that the upper and lower sides of the main body device are opposite to each other, such that the voice input/output connector on the upper surface of the main body device is located below the main body device," the patent says. "That is, the user can insert the earphone into the voice input/output connector from the preferred direction."

Another recent patent also confirmed what we've all suspected: Nintendo is straight-up calling that new Joy-Con thing a "mouse," which has me so, so excited for the potential comeback of DS/3DS games and PC-to-console ports that don't suck. Seriously, a handheld where I can play Baldur's Gate 3 or city-builders with mouse controls? Sounds like a dream.

Nintendo is making “preparations” to beat scalpers on the Switch 2’s launch.

How to heal units in Civilization 7

There are two ways to heal units in Civ 7, and luckily both methods don’t really require you to do anything. If you find any of your military or civilian units are low on health, you can heal them with the Skip Turn or Heal options.

• Skip Turn: This unit does not make any moves during this turn, but replenishes a small portion of their health. You can repeat this in the following turns if you still want them to recover more health
• Heal: This unit will rest until they’re fully healed, making it more passive than Skip Turn as you won’t be prompted to give them a new command until they’re fully healed or you cancel the action. Units who are currently healing will be represented by a few tents on the tile they’re currently placed

Both of these options are found in the toolbar on the bottom-right corner of the screen. Skip Turn is found directly below the unit’s name, but you’ll have to select the arrow to reveal some hidden options to find the Heal option. We’ve found that using Heal will bring them to full HP faster, but Skip Turn gives you a bit of extra awareness since the game won’t skip over them on each turn.

While both options have their uses, we recommend using Skip Turn to heal if your units are vulnerable. This means you won’t be caught by surprise if an enemy faction rushes you, and you’ll be able to either fend them off or retreat. Basically, using Heal is only preferable if you’re not expecting to use these units in the next 5 or so turns.

There are also a couple of other factors to consider. Units will heal faster in friendly territory, so be sure to move any units which are low on health within your borders or the border of a City State you own, if you’re close enough. You can also increase the rate at which you heal by grabbing the God of Healing Pantheon, which increases healing for units on rural tiles by +5.

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.

In an interview with the Grit podcast (spotted and transcribed by GameSpot), former Activision CEO Bobby Kotick reveals some behind-the-scenes secrets about the 2010 GoldenEye 007 game.

"[Barbara Broccoli] didn't really want guns in the game," he says. Broccoli is the co-owner to the film franchise rights for James Bond, and while I love what she's done with the movies, I think keeping guns out of a sequel to one of the most iconic FPS games of all time would have been a misstep. "GoldenEye is what actually sold the N64," as Kotick notes.

"We made a sequel, and it was a challenging thing to make because Barbara Broccoli did not really want anything that was violence," Kotick says. He goes on to explain that she was wary of including guns and violence because of how much kids loved the spy, but James Bond does a lot of things that aren't exactly kid-friendly in the films.

It also would have been tough not to use guns because that's what everyone would be expecting from a James Bond game that utilized the Wii's motion sensors. What's cooler than actually feeling like 007 himself, doing his iconic pose with your Wiimote? Actually, now that I've typed it out, a lot of things would be cooler, but it's still fun to do.

During the interview, Kotick also says the former EA and Unity CEO was "the worst CEO in video games." John Riccitiello did oversee Unity's disastrous plans to charge developers every time someone downloaded a game using the software, and he made comments about getting players to pay to reload in Battlefield. So, he's no saint, but Kotick is maybe the most controversial gaming CEO there is, with a lawsuit brought against Activision Blizzard accusing Kotick of ignoring credible allegations of misconduct within the company.

Anyway, if you're a fan of shooters, check out the best FPS games you can play right now.

Patti created Jumpship alongside film animator Chris Olsen in 2017, with the studio's debut game launching in 2022 as sci-fi adventure Somerville. That same year, Patti sold Jumpship to indie publisher Thunderful Games – a company that recently underwent restructuring and dealt with more than 100 layoffs. According to a new announcement from Thunderful and a post from Patti himself, however, Jumpship is back in the co-founder's hands.

"I sold my studio in 2022," writes Patti. "Today, I got it back. Today marks a new chapter for Jumpship. After Thunderful's acquisition in 2022 and recent changes, I've now reacquired the studio." It's not the same as it was, though. "Unfortunately, the company is now empty of employees, so the road ahead will be entirely different. But with every challenge comes an opportunity - it's always about moving forward with a bold and bright vision."

The executive continues, admitting that "the gaming industry needs fresh thinking, especially in how we treat our talent." He outlines his plan for Jumpship, including "a completely new direction" with "a bold reimagining of how talent can create and thrive" and "a vision where ambition and synergy with great talent unlock new possibilities." While Patti doesn't share precise details about Jumpship's future, he does hint toward "more details coming soon."

He concludes by assuring longtime fans that "one thing remains constant" about Jumpship: "our commitment to emotion-driven storytelling, gameplay, and innovation." Patti also adds that "sometimes the best new beginnings come from unexpected but familiar places" – and I'm inclined to agree. There's no telling what direction Jumpship will take from here, but if any games like Limbo or Somerville come out of it, I'll be content.

Itching for more after Limbo? Here are some of the best platform games ever.

Wikipedia editor Timur222 recently made a lengthy post on Reddit explaining the origins of the "highest-grossing media franchise" list, noting that he first created it back in 2016. A few months after its creation, he "noticed Pokemon was listed as the highest-grossing franchise on the Pokemon franchise Wikia page," which prompted him to edit the "main Pokemon Wikipedia page" to say this, too, complete with a link to his own list. "The article I had created had Pokemon listed as the top brand and I thought as the article would be updated with new information found by me and other editors other brands would be listed higher than Pokemon," he continues. "No one found any higher figures."

Just because no one found any doesn't mean that they don't exist, though, which is the concern Timur222 has now. Speaking with GamesRadar+, the editor reassures us that Pokemon's latest total revenue reported on the list – an eye-watering $98.9 billion – is accurate, after having gone through every listed source and adding new ones himself. This isn't the issue – the "main problem with the list is the data gaps and that other franchises might have higher figures that we don't know about," he says.

According to the Wikipedia list in question, the next highest-grossing franchise after Pokemon is Mickey Mouse & Friends at $61.2 billion, but as Timur222 warns, we should take the list's "ranking" with a pinch of salt given how much data isn't available to help shape it. To be fair, it's good advice to take in general when it comes to Wikipedia – it can be a fantastic source of information, but you should always make an effort to verify facts with their sources when you consider that anyone can edit the pages on there.

For that matter, even a quick glance at the list suggests it shouldn't be taken as a perfect ranking. Separate entries for the likes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers, Spider-Man, Thor, and Iron Man raise an eyebrow, for example, when the crossover between all of them is so great. Why do all those things need to be separated, and where do their figures begin to blend together?

Despite these flaws, the information compiled still highlights how massive a franchise Pokemon is – it's little wonder that its supposed status at the top has gone relatively unquestioned when you consider all the sales The Pokemon Company is constantly racking up from the games, merch, trading cards, anime… the list goes on.

Even so, Timur222 suggests "it's 50/50" whether Pokemon is actually the very best like no one ever was, despite what the current figures on the page suggest. With that said, it's likely to remain a mystery, as the editor believes "we will never know for sure" given how much revenue isn't reported.

While you're here, be sure to check out our ranking of the best Pokemon games.

Much like the folklore-infused, stop motion animated world itself, South of Midnight's combat system is a lot more complex than first meets the eye – especially given the litany of unique terminology – as Hazel grapples with her newfound powers over the course of a single day. Floofs, for example, are what Hazel calls the little wisps of residual energy she collects to fuel her upgrades. Don't worry if you're already lost – we have a sweeping South of Midnight hands-on preview to check out if you're looking for broader impressions. But after playing the third chapter twice through, I'm here to explain South of Midnight's combat system and give you a taste of how the game feels to play ahead of its April 8 release.

South of Midnight combat: Basic attack and upgrades

Hazel's main attack fits the Weaver theme: she stabs enemies with a pointy Spindle, conjured from strands of Weave. Tapping X on your Xbox controller allows Hazel to combo up to five melee attacks at a time, interrupting enemies and dealing rapid bursts of damage. You can lock onto a target by clicking the right joystick.

These basic attacks can be strengthened with Ability upgrades, such as Aerial Rend, for 80 floofs a pop. This devastating ground-pound triggers upon jumping with A and hitting the X button immediately after, sending out a damaging shockwave that knocks enemies back. There is also an upgraded attack if you hit Y on your controller. Since the Spindle is not a spell, it's not on cooldown – but we'll get to spells later.

South of Midnight combat: Dodge, don't parry

Hazel is not able to parry enemy attacks in South of Midnight, but don't underestimate the dodge mechanic. When a red arrow appears on screen to signal the direction of an incoming attack, hit B for Hazel to dash away.Landing a dodge right before an incoming attack will result in a Perfect Dodge, which triggers a Strand Blast that damages surrounding Haints.

This is a great way to manage crowd control, as it's easy to get overwhelmed by multiple Haints at once. You can also trigger a Strand Blast during an Unravel sequence using the upgrade perk Weaver's Blitz. Beware, though: a yellow health bar above a Haint means it's charging an unstoppable attack, and these cannot be dodged.

South of Midnight combat: Spells

The three core spells I was able to play with in South of Midnight were Push, Pull, and Weave. Outside of combat, spells help with movement and traversal puzzles – but Hazel can pull off some neat Weaver tricks on the battlefield with them, too, albeit on a cooldown.

Left shoulder button spell Weave temporarily binds an enemy, rendering them unable to attack and open to a melee combo. Upgrading the spell with Stigma Bane increases Woven enemies' vulnerability to damage. Meanwhile, Push and Pull are all about field control: pulling a Haint toward you with the left trigger and tapping X lands a stronger basic attack, and you can use Pull to catch enemy projectiles – small, fly-like creatures – and Push them back at the Haint using the right trigger for a damaging deflect.

South of Midnight combat: Healing and Unravelling

Once you've whittled a Haint's health bar to zero, it will be tugged away from Hazel and crumple up into a heap nearby. If you're quick, you can run up to the disarmed foe and hit the Y button to Unravel the Haint. This has the added effect of replenishing a small amount of health, allowing you to top up throughout combat encounters as you Unravel each enemy, and accelerates the cooldowns of your spells.

Another way to replenish health is to use the glowing green health sigil. One appears in every combat arena, and it can only be used once (unless you're playing on lower difficulties). Using a health sigil mid-combat also replenishes the cooldowns on all spells. Spotting a green sigil in a clearing is a good indicator of an incoming combat sequence, so keep an eye out while exploring.

South of Midnight combat: Crouton

The fourth and final spell that you'll be able to unlock in South of Midnight is Crouton. While we haven't been able to try it ourselves, Compulsion Games did give us a little demo to show us what's in store. Unlocked around chapter six (that's about half-way through the game) and triggered with RB, Crouton is a little ragdoll puppet who Hazel is able to summon into combat to lend an assist.

You can pick Crouton up and hurl him around, although the primary utility here is the puppet's ability to take direct control of a Haint and bring them onto your side for a short while. It's an interesting added dynamic to combat, which will be especially helpful in the later stages of South of Midnight, where enemy density will start ramping up.

Writing in a recent online post, Operation: Harsh Doorstop creator "Bluedrake42" shares several words of caution: "A warning to every content creator when our update for Operation: Harsh Doorstop drops. If you have taken over $10,000 USD in payments from studios we compete with in the last 12 months and you don't disclose that in any 'review' you create about our game, then you and I will have legal problems."

The dev continues, explaining that he's "tired" of content creators' "hit pieces" on games like Operation: Harsh Doorstop. "You aren't an 'independent journalist' you are a paid contractor for our competitor," writes Bluedrake42, "and I'm tired of watching you all get paid off to do hit pieces on games that don't fork cash over to you." He then says he'll "post more warnings clarifying this as we get closer to the release date."

Summarizing his thoughts, the dev says "if you're just going to post fake content attacking games that don't pay you off, then quite frankly I don't want you covering our game at all."

Bluedrake42 doesn't stop there, though. "I know this might come as a shock to many of you who are used to community managers being paid off to stroke your ego and beg you for coverage, but you'll find out very quickly that we don't operate that way."

He concludes by declaring that all users who repost his warning "will receive a Steam key to our launch playtest," as "I want to figure out which of you all are the good ones." The dev states that he doesn't "want fake people in my corner." Subsequent comments see followers ask Bluedrake42 who he considers to be his "competitors," to which he replies "Squad, Delta Force, Battlefield, Arma – any realistic/semi-realistic FPS."

Searching for a good shooter to play right now? Here are the best FPS games out there.

Every Nightfarer in Elden Ring Nightreign explained

Before starting your run, you and your co-op allies need to pick one of the eight Elden Ring Nightreign characters to play as. Each one comes with a passive bonus, a skill with a relatively short cooldown, and a powerful ultimate ability. Their armor can be visually customized but is otherwise fixed, so you can't alter their defenses. However, any character can wield any weapon, although obviously some weapon types will be better suited to certain characters than others.

Regardless of who you pick, you'll have to face all sorts of Elden Ring Nightreign bosses over the course of a single run too. To help you figure out who your main might be, here are all the characters we know about, some you'll be able to play as in the Elden Ring Nightreign beta:

Elden Ring Nightreign Wylder

Wylder is the generic knight class in Nightreign, though that doesn't mean they don't have a few cool tricks up their gauntlets not seen in Elden Ring before. Their skill utilizes a special crossbow to reel in small enemies or pull themselves toward larger foes, while their ultimate ability fires a high-damage and high-stagger explosive shot that can be charged up.

Elden Ring Nightreign Guardian

Guardian is a more heavily armored eagle man capable of launching enemies into the air with a fancy whirlwind attack, leaving them vulnerable. However, their ultimate ability sees them briefly soaring into the air with their wings before slamming down to deal big area-of-effect damage.

Elden Ring Nightreign Duchess

Duchess is the nimble assassin class of Nightreign, packing a unique Bloodborne-style quickstep instead of a dodge, as well as her skill and ultimate. Their skill allows them to repeat any damage dealt to nearby enemies in the past two seconds or so while their ultimate makes them and nearby allies undetectable for about eight seconds, even while attacking!

Elden Ring Nightreign Recluse

Recluse is a sorcerer, so spellcasting is their deal. Their skill gathers elemental essence for a big hit, while their ultimate applies a curse mark to nearby enemies that regenerates health and mana for all allies attacking them. These siphoning powers sounds quite helpful, as Recluse is also very fragile.

Other unnamed Nightfarers in Elden Ring Nightreign

The four Elden Ring Nightreign characters above are just the ones that were available to try out in our recent preview, but we know there will be at least four others in the final game, and some of them were visible in the debut gameplay trailer:

• There's a sort of big barbarian-type character wielding a massive hammer/axe hybrid weapon, who is visible in a couple of sequences in the Nightreign gameplay trailer. They also appear to have a big leaping attack where the ground explodes, launching them into the air so that they can come crashing down to knock enemies over.

• A katana-wielding knight character is also shown off in one brief sequence in the gameplay trailer, where they are repeatedly deflecting and parrying blows from an enemy to great effect. Their katana glows with a golden light and appears to have vines wrapping around it. This golden glow effect also vanishes after an attack, so it might be that the katana can be briefly powered up for increased damage in some way

• Several sequences also show a lightly armored archer character, who appears to be able to pull out a massive greatbow to fire powerful arrows. In a preview from IGN, game director Junya Ishizaki teased a character who could summon a rock pillar to climb and "snipe arrows from" so that sounds an awful like this archer character.

• Finally, from the same IGN preview, Ishizaki mentions a character who can command their own Spirit Ash, though I can't see anything of the sort in the gameplay trailer, so this character remains a mystery.

We already know that Elden Ring Nightreign has plans for DLC which should hopefully include more characters to screw around with too. We'll be sure to update this guide with the latest information when we have it.

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.

Every boss in Elden Ring Nightreign

Before starting a run, you first need to choose which of the Elden Ring Nightreign characters you'll play as and which boss you'll face on day three of your run – a run constitutes three in-game days with a big boss battle at the end of each one. Since you only choose the final boss you face, the day one and two bosses are randomized, so you're far from certain of what's ahead.

Additionally, as in Elden Ring, Nightreign features plenty of world bosses and evergaols you can just happen across, giving you a chance to get loot and help you level up - there should be plenty to face in the Elden Ring Nightreign beta.

Here are all the Elden Ring Nightreign bosses we faced in our Nightreign preview session:

• Centipede Demon from Dark Souls: Appearing as boss at the end of day one, the Centipede Demon has some ludicrous new moves while still being quite similar to its Dark Souls 1 appearance. It's fireball attack is bigger and it can split off centipede heads that squirm around and try to bite you.

• Demi-Human Queen and Demi-Human Swordmaster from Elden Ring and Shadow of the Erdtree: Also appearing as a day one boss, the Demi-Human foes will be familiar if you've played Elden Ring and Shadow of the Erdtree.

• Draconic Tree Sentinel from Elden Ring: This horseman appeared as a day two boss, flanked by two weaker horseback sentinels.
• Morgott from Elden Ring: Invaded as a world boss on day two but can appear as a day two boss instead if he doesn't invade, so there's a high chance you'll face Morgott on your runs.
• Tricephalos: A new three-headed wolf Cerberus boss we faced on day 3. It wields a gigantic flaming sword, it can split its heads into three separate wolves, and each one can turn into a fireball.

• Golden Hippopotamus from Shadow of the Erdtree: Appeared as a world boss.
• Wormface from Elden Ring: Appeared as a world boss.
• Flaming Chariots from Elden Ring: Appeared as a world boss.
• Fire Monk from Elden Ring: Appeared as a world boss.
• Flying Dragon Agheel from Elden Ring: Appeared as world boss.

Outside of our preview, it's hard to tell what is and isn't a true boss just from trailers, b-roll, and images, but we've also seen glimpses of a giant spider boss akin to the Duke's Dear Freja from Dark Souls 2, the Nameless King from Dark Souls 3, and two more beasties I don't recognize – a large wyvern-like creature with huge vertical jaws that can snap you up and a colossal centaur-like creature that appears to be missing an arm. It also looks like Elden Ring foes, such as the Leonine Misbegotten, Lion Guardians, and Omens can all appear as world or evergaol bosses too.

There are already DLC plans for Elden Ring Nightreign and those will almost certainly include more bosses from across FromSoftware's repertoire. We'll update this guide with the latest information when we have it.

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.

In an IGN video, Mutsuki Iwanaka says: "When I was dubbing my lines, I could hear the English dialogue. Dubbing Japanese lines over the original English in this very Japanese setting made this an unusual and interesting experience."

The Assassin's Creed games are set all over the world, from Baghdad to Boston, London to Cairo. In the earlier games, even though they were originally voiced in English, characters still had accents that sounded region appropriate, but not all of the games are dubbed in the language of the locations they're set in, and I never thought about how strange that dubbing process must be.

Miyuri Shimabukuro, the Japanese voice actor for protagonist Naoe, says it was the romance options that challenged her. "Depending on the player's choices, Naoe may be involved in a romance thread," she explains. "So I had to think hard about how much of that essence to reveal as well."

Makoto Tamura, the Japanese voice actor for Nagato-no-Kami Fujibayashi, seemed to find the whole experience fairly easy. "As far as the tone of the vocabulary goes, the script had already been well translated," he says. "So all I had to do was read out the lines as they were and it was fine. I've watched period films since I was a kid and I love them, so the Sengoku Period vocabulary and samurai speak felt familiar. That part of the script came surprisingly naturally to me."

If you can't wait for Assassin's Creed Shadows, check out some of the best action games you can play right now.

Depending on how much time you spend online, you may or may not have a strong reaction to the word "loss." Back in 2008, a four-panel comic – part of the Ctrl+Alt+Del (or CAD) webcomic series – was posted online, depicting protagonist Ethan rushing into a hospital to find female lead Lilah in a bed after having suffered a miscarriage. It should go without saying that this situation and plot point obviously isn't funny, but the internet being the internet had a rather surprising reaction to it, largely spurred on by the fact that the tone of this particular comic was so wildly different to what had come before it in previous CAD instalments.

One thing led to another, and for some baffling reason, 17 years later, minimalist recreations of the four panels are still being created and shared. If you've ever seen a two by two grid with a few strangely placed lines or images inside it, it was probably a Loss reference. This whole thing has taken on a life of its own beyond the original tragic subject material, and that brings us to today. Over on Reddit last week, user potatolad6698 shared a screenshot of Balatro's Four Fingers Joker (which lets you pull off Flushes and Straights using four cards) alongside a mirrored screenshot of Ethan's raised hand in the first panel of Loss. "Is the Four Fingers hand a reference to Loss?" they ask.

There's a definite similarity with how the fingers are placed (although again, it's worth keeping in mind that the comic panel has to be flipped for it to match up with the card), and LocalThunk has now weighed in on the matter. How? By sharing the post along with a bunch of very specifically placed lines, referencing… well, you already know.

Responding to one fan claiming that this reply means the reference is "confirmed," LocalThunk says: "This is less of a 'confirmed' and more of a 'lmao it is now.'" So, it definitely wasn't an intentional reference LocalThunk had in mind when the Four Fingers Joker was created, but the dev seems happy enough to call it one in retrospect.

"I still have a job to do": Balatro creator says selling 5 million copies hasn't really changed his lifestyle, and he's focused on updates instead of new games.

Elden Ring Nightreign costs $39.99 at base (physical copies only available for PS5 and Xbox Series X), with a $54.99 digital deluxe edition bundling in a digital artbook and soundtrack plus a DLC that is already in development. The DLC will add new areas, bosses, and playable characters when it eventually arrives.

The Elden Ring Nightreign collector's edition proper is a $199.99 package that comes with everything in the digital deluxe edition plus a steelbook case, hardcover artbook, miscellaneous in-game collectibles, and for the crown jewel, a 24-centimeter statue of Wylder, one of the playable Elden Ring Nightreign characters.

Separately, a $189.99 Elden Ring Nightreign helmet – again, a replica of Wylder – will be available a la carte. You're just paying for the helmet here; the game is not included. This near-life-size bit of merch lines up with the Malenia and Messmer helmets released for Elden Ring and its Shadow of the Erdtree DLC.

As we said in our Elden Ring Nightreign preview, FromSoftware's weirdest game yet is shaping up to be an absurd but fun experiment that feels like a mod in the best way. It's a co-op roguelike where you assemble boss-killing Elden Ring builds on the fly while racing against the timer of a battle royale-style fog wall. It's weird! We've played it for a few hours now, and we'd certainly like to play more.

Elden Ring Nightreign beta codes are finally being sent out, but many PS5 and Xbox Series X players are reporting the same issue – they've seemingly got access to the wrong platform.

In the best way possible, Elden Ring Nightreign feels like the kind of madcap experiment that players would normally have to cook up on their own because studios just wouldn't make it. If you think that is anything short of fine praise, you need to adjust your outlook on mods. Mods are the lifeblood of countless games, and it is nothing but exciting to see FromSoftware tap into that same unhinged creativity after spending most of the past decade making the same type of game. That type of game's DNA is obviously part of Elden Ring Nightreign, but this is something far stranger.

Prepare to fly

Immediately, Nightreign starts hacking off chunks of vanilla Elden Ring to suit its vision. You start by choosing the boss you'll fight, almost Monster Hunter-style, on the third day of each 35 to 45-minute run. The preview build only had one main boss: an all-new cerberus-like wolf monster called Tricephalos. (Technical issues made reaching this boss impossible in our session, sadly.) You have two in-game days to get all the loot and levels you'll need to fight it. Explore ruins and dungeons and mines during the day, fight a random boss at night. Kinetically it feels like playing Elden Ring with faster movement, which predictably feels good. But psychologically, it's triage. You have to ask, what do I need right now?

My groups worked out a basic recipe for success. Drop into the map, kill a group of weak enemies to get enough Runes to hit level 2, grab any nearby loot, level up at a Site of Grace, and then head to the nearest point of interest using the fastest means of travel. We might hit a church to get an extra healing flask charge, an enemy camp for easy gear, or a bigger fortress or ruin if we're feeling confident. If you find a stone key, you can open a Gael for a miniboss, like the Crucible Knight we killed many times, that drops tons of Runes but no gear. And we might get to these places by using the new extra-fast sprint, hitching a ride on cross-map spirit birds, leaping up cliffs using spiritstreams, or just by scaling cliffs marked with The Climbing Paint using the two strongest weapons in this game: your hand, and your other hand. There's no fall damage, so jumping off a cliff without tasting your own kneecaps is also an option.

You can technically split up, but I wouldn't recommend it. Elden Ring Nightreign is balanced for a group, with no single-player scaling whatsoever, and it shows. Enemies are plentiful, and even world bosses like Wormface or the Golden Hippo can shut you down if you're under-leveled. Get downed alone and you're guaranteed to die and lose a level on respawn. If you go down near allies, they can revive you by, hilariously enough, smacking your quivering body to out-DPS the death timer. Like my dad fixing the old TV by hitting it, I call it concussive therapy.

Whatever you do, leveling up is extremely important. It's a blanket stat and health boost – you level up your character overall, not stat-by-stat like in Elden Ring – and it improves the healing flasks which are refilled at Sites of Grace. This was the first of many breakthroughs that made Elden Ring Nightreign much more fun. Level up immediately; the real game starts at level 2. I was usually level 11 or 12 by the end of day two. Spending Runes at merchants on gear or consumables felt like a total waste by comparison because leveling up is so powerful.

Build a better Tarnished

Before all this, you've got to pick a class, or Nightfarer – closer to heroes in Marvel Rivals than they are the starting classes of Elden Ring. I saw four of the eight Nightfarers that will be in the full game: Wylder, a well-balanced warrior; Guardian, a tanky bird-man; Duchess, a roguish noble; and Recluse, a lore-accurate sorceress with glass bones and paper skin. Each class has a passive bonus, an active skill with a short cooldown, and an ultimate ability with a long cooldown. Wylder was my favorite for flexibility and the Doom-like appeal of meat hooking enemies, but Duchess dodges like a Bloodborne character and has a high skill ceiling that I find appealing. Here's the simple version of their abilities, all subject to change:

• Wylder: skill uses a crossbow to pull small enemies to you or to pull yourself toward large enemies. Ultimate is a chargeable explosive blast that hits hard and staggers harder.
• Guardian: skill sends enemies flying with a whirlwind. Ultimate is a dramatic leaping slam.
• Duchess: skill repeats any damage dealt to nearby enemies in the past two seconds or so. Ultimate makes you and nearby allies undetectable for about eight seconds even while attacking.
• Recluse: skill gathers elemental essence for a big hit. Ultimate applies a curse mark to nearby enemies that regenerates health and mana for all allies attacking them.

Any class can use any weapon, with no stat requirements or weight limits to worry about. This helps offset the fact that loot can be a crapshoot. Between claws and whips that nobody wants, Nightreign burps up the same billion consumables that cluttered Elden Ring's inventory, and UX fiddliness means you basically have to loot many items twice. At least there's no armor.

More importantly, weapons in Nightreign come with more than just attacks. Weapons have powerful passive bonuses which are active at all times, plus spells are directly attached to seals and staves, so you'll equip and curate an arsenal of six weapons and shields at once. When you find something you like using, you can upgrade its stats and rarity using stones purchased from merchants or found in risky underground mines, provided you have the level to wield gear of that rarity (levels 3, 9, and 12 for rare, epic, and legendary gear).

I was constantly rotating weapons I'd never actually use to tailor my passives and share with my teammates. (Some loot is open to all, some is instanced.) Many passives are genuine game-changers, and this is where a lot of the buildcrafting comes in. There are basic stat bonuses or boosts to dual-wielding or certain damage types, but also: dragon lightning or lava or spellswords may erupt out of you when you dodge or start running or simply exist. Now kills heal you, or attacks restore FP. The one-time bubble damage reduction effect from Elden Ring's Physick flask is available on some junk weapons. I got some encouraging Risk of Rain 2 vibes here, a familiar compulsion to turn my character into a thaumaturgical hurricane.

Weapon passives complement character passives mostly acquired from special nodes dropped by bosses. You have to choose between three rewards, and I usually went for passives unless the weapons were sensational. In one run, I stacked so much physical damage resistance that even boss attacks hit like a leaf on the breeze. (I was smited by the 18th disconnect for my hubris.) In another, I was dual-wielding thrusting swords with a counterattack talisman plundered off a wandering beetle. There's even a random insta-kill perk a la Fallout's Bloody Mess.

Strong builds can come together quickly. In another run, I found the fabled Star Fists with the Quickstep weapon skill attached, and even with bleed damage nerfed to account for boss health, these things shred. Death's Poker continues to hit harder than a Monday you thought was Sunday, I'm pleased to report, as does a Giant-Crusher with the Determination skill. The Commander's Standard attack buff is huge in a multiplayer setting like this, too. At first, Nightreign feels like playing Elden Ring with worse builds, but some real magic starts to happen on day two.

At launch, I'm hoping to see greater auxiliary progression. You can at least permanently upgrade your character with more passives from Relics obtained after each run, with stronger ones handed out for more boss kills. These are equipped back at the hub, right where you queue up sessions via matchmaking or by setting a lobby password in traditional Souls style. Relics are class- and color-coded so you can't put everything on everyone, but there's a fair bit of customization. Again, boring stat boosts are split with things like added Scarlet Rot buildup or augments for your core skill. Think of the Blood Gems in Bloodborne, and then think of the Chalice Dungeons in Bloodborne, too, because this game can feel like an open-zone version of those.

Big questions remain

Part of the learning curve is knowing where to go, determining what areas are a waste of time, and predicting the next hotspot. It's all very battle royale. If you fall behind the difficulty curve, you'll struggle to catch up. Every session starts with you jumping off a cliff, and your goal is to build your wings before you hit the ground. There's a breakneck thrill to this, but it does make it hard to stop and explore or check how the world may have changed since the last run. Rearranged the interior, did you, FromSoftware? Brilliant, but I see the ground approaching. Some magic is inevitably lost. Elden Ring pulls you deeper with the unknown; Nightreign pushes you along with its mechanics. But I think it can really work.

The thing is, the preview build was a static map, so there was no way to assess a key mechanic: map variance. Which is a shame, because this will be a major factor in long-term fun and replayability. This particular map layout got old quickly, but that seems to be a function of an extremely limited build. I need to see more maps and more encounter variety within those maps. If I have to kill a camp of three more flaming chariots without a break, I'm gonna lose it.

The same goes for the boss lineup. On day one, we faced the Dark Souls Centipede Demon (packing attacks I certainly don't remember) and Elden Ring's demi-humans. The day two boss was always a Draconic Tree Sentinel flanked by two weaker horsemen. Great! What else ya got? There's no way to know right now, though I'm told many, many more bosses will be in the mix at launch. If nothing else, the sheer nonchalance of surprise bosses is a riot. In the open-world, Morgott can just show up on day two with a steel chair. Funnier still, there's a random event that feels as though Hidetaka Miyazaki himself appears like a sadistic D&D dungeon master and shouts, "I cast ants!"

Elden Ring battle director Junya Ishizaki, now director of Nightreign, had a weird idea and got the green light. Weirdness in games is worth celebrating, especially at this level of production. And this build of Elden Ring Nightreign did, at least after about three and a half hours, feel like the foundation of a rich experience – a total conversion mod and a half. It's a bit of a mess but it's a fun mess, and the jank I ran into was due to event logistics which caused rampant, painful network crashes. (The public test and launch, representatives from publisher Bandai Namco repeatedly assured me, will be incomparably better. I sure hope so!) I was totally bewildered by Elden Ring Nightreign at first, but once I got my bearings the squishy roguelike cortex in my brain started firing on all synapses and I knew I was into it. This is a mod, and it's a cool mod.

As GamesRadar+ learned at a recent preview event, Elden Ring Nightreign has been penciled in for a May 30, 2025 release date and will cost $39.99 if you're going for the standard edition. The game will be on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X as well as PC, but if you want a physical copy you'll need to go with the PS5 or Xbox Series X version.

If you've got more money to spend, the deluxe edition will cost $54.99 and come with the game, a digital artbook, a digital soundtrack, and access to the DLC when it launches. FromSoftware hasn't shared a release window for that DLC, though it has let slip that it'll include new playable Nightfarers, bosses, and map biomes.

Of course, there's a still-fancier Elden Ring Nightreign collector's edition you can get for $200 that features 24 centimeters of another poor soul to keep that trend going. Oh, and you also have the option to drop $190 for another fancy helmet – just the merch, with no game – to complete the Elden Ring trifecta. Who needs money, anyway?

As for whether it'll all be worth it, we certainly think so. We got the chance to play FromSoftware's next game, and as shared in our Elden Ring Nightreign preview, it's weird! But in a good way, so we're cautiously optimistic.

"In the best way possible, Elden Ring Nightreign feels like the kind of madcap experiment that players would normally have to cook up on their own because studios just wouldn't make it," we said.

Elden Ring Nightreign's map will sometimes see "large-scale changes" to terrain, including procedurally appearing volcanos, forests, and yes, swamps.

That won't be easy, though. It's not my first time playing the new Killing Floor game, having reveled in the solo Killing Floor 3 hands-on demo at Gamescom last year, but the experience is that much more of a chaotic free-for-all with four squadmates at my side. Tripwire's signature flair for bloody, riotous gunplay is made all the better for Killing Floor 3's refined approach to multiplayer mode that lets players take the game into their own hands. With the addition of gun mods, "RPG-inspired loot and character progression" systems, and a slew of new Zed types to blast through, I barely felt the hour tick by – and even managed to find a cheeky accidental exploit along the way.

Squad up

My KF3 multiplayer adventures begin in a bunker. Loading into the Stronghold – an underground one-stop shop for all things Zed-slaying – with my fellow teammates, I get myself acquainted with my surroundings. This giant metal cavern serves as a lobby, with each player given their own pod-like chamber in which to ready up, choose a character and loadout, and head into the main hall to vote on a map.

Killing Floor 3's drive toward an RPG-influenced character levelling system means that each playable character has its strengths and specialities. There's a host of available archetypes, from an all-rounder Engineer to the Medic, Sharpshooter, and a glass cannon Firebug that deals devastating AOE damage using their gadget. Gadgets are special attacks specific to each character that exist on a cooldown, each offering a supercharged attack that comes in clutch when backed into a corner. As one of the Tripwire devs proudly describes it, hitting the X key to activate your gadget essentially makes it the "oh, shit" button. What's more, each character's gadget gets stronger as you level up your character after each multiplayer mission you complete.

Gasmask-clad Mr Foster's gadget, for example, summons an attack drone by your side which guns down Zeds automatically as you turn to face them. Essentially, Mr Foster becomes a human turret. Suffice to say, I stick with him as my main for the remainder of the session.

That "oh shit" button quickly becomes my lifesaver, as the first wave of Zeds soaks up all my bullets within minutes. Not having enough time to throw out an ammo bag to restock fast enough amid the fray, I turn around and face fresh horrors. A chainsaw-wielding hulk of Zed – known as a Scrake – is fast approaching, and my teammates' bullets seem to be doing nothing to it. Suddenly, the adrenaline surging through my veins blessedly causes my shaky hands to hit the X key by accident – and lo and behold, the Scrake falls to its pulpy knees in a hail of bullets. Somehow, I've survived, and can follow a glowing blue trail to the next wave zone and carry on the siege with my crew.

By the time we load into a new map, I have not actually died yet. In fact, I'm feeling good about how well I'm doing. That's because Killing Floor 3 feels exceptionally player-friendly. Not only is its FPS flow easy to click into whether or not you're a series veteran, the game comes stocked with 36 weapons and over 150 weapon mods to help you tailor your build. Killing Floor 3 wants you to have fun and play the game any way you want, making for the most flexible experience seen in the series yet.

I'm all about the power fantasy when it comes to zombie horde shooters, but Killing Floor 3 makes me work hard for that fantasy. Soon enough, I'm back in the same predicament as before: facing down a powerful enemy with rapidly-dwindling bullets and no item or grenade to bail me out. The difference here is that I would now give anything to be up against a Scrake.

Playing with the big boys

I'm face to face with my first Killing Floor 3 boss encounter: dual hulking beasts, towering over my three person squad menacingly. I'm told by TripWire's QA testers, who join me for the match, that the number of enemies in a boss encounter scales to the size of the group. Bear that in mind if you're looking to go in with a full house crew of six.

As soon as the brutes come crashing into the battle ground, I panic. Barrel-chested and bloodied, howling from mouths set deep in pointed, sharklike heads that are nearly impossible to lock onto, my mind goes blank. Within moments, my pesky shakes are back. Emptying clip after clip into their bullet-sponge bodies is doing absolutely nothing for me, so in a fit of desperation to escape a rush attack, I start spam jumping – and somehow end up stuck in a wall. The QA testers howl in disbelief as, to my great relief, I discover that the twin bad guys cannot touch me from this accidental safe zone. Here I can simply rain hell down upon these unfortunate brutes, zeroing in on one in particular, having the time of my life until I somehow get unstuck and remember that I'm not playing the game correctly. "I know exactly what you did there," one of my teammates laughs, before mentioning that they'll get it fixed up soon.

I have no doubt Tripwire will make good on that promise. My experience with Killing Floor 3's multiplayer beta was a short yet thrilling joyride, skirting entrails and snapping jaws in equal measure in perhaps the most fun I've had in a co-op game in months. I'm told there's still a little work to be done before its March 25 release date, but this taste of blood has me thirsty for more already. Though, I gotta say, I could do with far fewer Scrakes out to ruin my fun time.

Killing Floor 3 has the chance to become one of the best zombie games ever

In an interview with RPG Site, game director Yuya Tokuda says: "We didn't want to make it so that if you had a certain set you could just breeze through any endgame fight. It's not the gameplay we want players to have; for endgame hunts, we want there to be a distinctive difference compared to hunting story monsters."

In Monster Hunter World, a lot of players weren't happy with the way monsters like Lunastra required you to use wind resistance in order to survive. I get it. When I play Bloodborne, I choose a build that looks cool or feels fun to play and stubbornly refuse to change my gear at all, even if a boss is walling me. But that's not the kind of experience the Wilds devs are going for, clearly.

They tell RPG Site that since these end-game monsters aren't necessary to beat the story and are optional bosses, they don't mind requiring us to put some more thought and effort into a new build.

Having to farm specific weapons or armor does add to the grind, but it also stops us from completing the game too quickly and then complaining that there isn't enough to do. The devs are damned if they do and damned if they don't. So, you'd better start reading up on the best Monster Hunter Wilds weapons if you want to have an easier time beating the toughest foes.

If you want to know more about the game, check out our Monster Hunter Wilds preview. Or, have a look at all the new games of 2025 that you can look forward to.

Once you meet another Civilization 7 leader, you’ll be able to enter the diplomacy screen by selecting the leader portraits in the top right of the screen, which allows you to see everything about your relationship with them. On this pop-up, you’ll find possible actions to take that might improve or damage your relations. You can perform these actions by spending a new type of currency called Influence, so let's take a closer look at diplomacy in Civilization 7.

How to use Influence in Civilization 7 diplomacy

Influence is a new yield introduced in Civilization 7. Similar to Gold, you gain Influence at the end of each turn, and can use your policies, production, and research to increase the amount of you gain. Influence can then be spent on certain actions in the diplomacy screen. There are four kinds of diplomacy actions you can take:

• Endeavors: Mutually beneficial actions between both nations, such as providing aid or bolstering their armies with support
• Sanctions: Negative actions against the leader’s empire, like denouncing them or reducing happiness among their population
• Treaties: Agreements between both nations, such as opening borders or improving trade relations
• Espionage: Sabotaging another nation with a chance of being caught. If caught, you’ll suffer a small penalty to Influence and damage your relationship with the targeted nation

You’ll need more than just the right amount of Influence points though, because the other nation must accept it if you want it to go ahead. Actioning an Endeavor will give them a chance to respond, either by supporting it, accepting it, or rejecting it. Similarly, Sanctions also have the option to Accept or Reject. Supporting a diplomatic action results in major benefits for both nations at the cost of Influence. Choosing Accept is free but results in smaller benefits. If the target nation chooses Reject, they must spend Influence to cancel it.

Because of how dramatically Influence can change your relationships with other nations, we recommend not using your Influence all at once. You’ll want to keep some banked in case you need it unexpectedly. For example, Influence is incredibly useful for War Support, so you’ll be better off having a lot of Influence saved up just before you go to war.

How to use Espionage in Civilization 7 diplomacy

Espionage works a little differently to the other diplomatic actions, with the action taking a random number of turns to complete at the cost of Influence. At the end, you’ll receive a reward if the mission was completed successfully. Once you’ve initiated an Espionage action, the target nation isn’t informed. However, there is a chance that your Espionage actions can be revealed to them later on. In this case, you’ll receive a penalty to the amount of Influence you receive per turn, and your relationship with this empire will be damaged.

Every player also has the ability to use the Counterspy against another leader. This will cause the average time for their Espionage actions to triple, and decrease how successful the mission is for them. Of course, if engaging in Espionage, keep your eye carefully on your own Influence. If the number appears to be dropping rapidly, it could mean another player is using Counterspy.

How to befriend Independent Powers in Civilization 7 diplomacy

While each Civ 7 game has you playing diplomacy with other major leaders, there are also several smaller nations for you to befriend or defeat called Independent Powers. These powers typically consist of one City State and several units wandering the map. Independent Powers can either be Friendly or Hostile to you, but you can take control of their city regardless of their opinion.

To befriend an Independent Power, approach their city and choose the option to “Befriend Independent”. This will require spending Influence to kickstart the process. Once this process begins, you’ll need to wait a number of turns until you become a Suzerain of that City State and can gain benefits from it. For example, you’ll be able to set up a Civilization 7 trade route between this City State and your empire.

Beware of other civs that may also want to befriend an Independent Power. A City State can have multiple players claiming suzerain at the same time, but only one nation can gain the title. You can spend Influence to speed up the process if you want to outpace other leaders.

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.

Pocketpair Publishing opened its doors last month and announced its very first project – a horror game from Tales of Kenzera: ZAU dev Surgent Studios. This is just the beginning though, as the publisher quickly received loads more pitches from other developers. Bucky made it clear that the mission is all about "giving devs the financial freedom to make games they want so they DON'T have to get wrapped up with stinky rule makers and bullies." It sounds like the latter is something that the publishing manager has become even more aware of in recent weeks.

"Something I've noticed after hundreds of publishing pitches and meetings is how easy it would be to take advantage of devs and make them sign horrific contracts," Bucky writes. "Everyone is so desperate for funding that it really wouldn't take much effort for some devious bastard to yoink every last penny."

He describes the situation as a "pretty sad state of affairs," and it really is when you consider just how much the games industry has been struggling lately. From mass layoffs to studio closures, we've seen an enormous amount of talented devs lose their jobs in recent years, and as many have attested, getting funding for games is very difficult in the current climate, too.

Later down in his Twitter thread, Bucky states that "a lot of unsavory people are wrapping these deals up in pretty nasty contracts that give them the control and authority to shutters studios and pinch IPs if they feel they are 'underperforming.'" Here's hoping that with the goals he's previously shared for Pocketpair Publishing in mind, the Palworld makers might be able to help some devs avoid getting involved with the "pretty nasty contracts" he mentions.

Palworld's multi-million player launch was originally in the hands of just one server guy who was "trying his best."

The developers best known for making the first Far Cry, Crysis, Ryse: Son of Rome, Hunt: Showdown, and game dev tool CryEngine announced the news in a social media post earlier today, writing that it's laid off roughly 60 employees working on game development and shared services.

"Like so many of our peers, we aren't immune to the complex, unfavorable market dynamics that have hit our industry these past several years," the post says. "It pains us greatly to share today that we must lay off an estimated 15% of our around 400 employees." Crytek then confirms that it's been "trying to shift developers over to Hunt: Showdown 1896," its successful PvPvE extraction shooter, after pausing development on the next Crysis game late last year.

"While Hunt: Showdown 1896 is still growing, Crytek cannot continue as before and remain financially sustainable. Even after ongoing efforts to reduce costs and cut operating expenses, we have determined that layoffs are inevitable to move forward. Crytek will offer affected employees severance packages and career assistance services."

Crytek now seems solely focused on expanding Hunt: Showdown "with great content," while continuing to support CryEngine. It doesn't publicly have any other games in the pipeline - apart from the Crysis 4 that's just been put on ice, that is. That news is particularly worrying as sci-fi shooter Crysis was the hit that put Crytek on so many people's radar and proved CryEngine capable of making jaw-dropping game.

Layoffs in the video game industry have been particularly brutal this past year, with just about every big name publisher and developer shedding staff. In the last couple weeks alone, EA shrank BioWare even further, the Smite 2 studio said goodbye to more workers, and Killer Instinct rebooters Iron Galaxy let go of 66 employees as a "last resort."

Sad about the new Crysis? Check out the best FPS games you can play right now.

Speaking to the Limit Break Network in a recent interview, Piscatella explains why Rockstar Games' long-awaited title and Nintendo's new handheld console releasing in the same year could be huge for the video game market. "If those two things do happen this year," says the analyst, "and they do meet the expectations going into this year, I think you're looking at low to mid-single-digit percentage growth in overall market spending on video game products."

It might not sound like much to those of us less well-versed in the financial side of games, but it'd actually be quite a major jump for the market. "Now, that doesn't sound like a lot but it would result in record spending on the consumer side, it would get the industry back to growth over that 2021 peak that we've previously seen," Piscatella continues, "and most importantly … it gets investment flowing back into the game space."

Such growth would be especially monumental as the market has only "held relatively stable" since that 2021 peak, according to Piscatella. "We had a market that had been growing for decades all of a sudden peak and wasn't growing anymore after 2021 – and while the market's held relatively stable to those highs, it hasn't exceeded them." He points out that it's not only consumers who would benefit from the market's potential growth but also investors and developers.

"These are a couple of things that will help that market get back on a growth trajectory and [there's] nothing investors love more than the line going up and to the right. If your line is not going up and to the right, as an industry, it's really tough to get those dollars flowing in – because once those dollars start flowing in, all of a sudden you have more games coming out, you have more teams supported, and then that kind of self-sustains into another growth trajectory – which is what I'm hoping to see."

It sounds like GTA 6 and the Switch 2 could have quite an impact on the video game market should they both release in 2025. There's no telling what will happen just yet, however, but analysts in Japan previously speculated that a possible June launch is in the cards for the Switch 2, and a trailer confirming a 2025 release for GTA 6 dropped at the tail end of 2023 with confirmation of a fall window dropping later on.

Need more to look forward to? Here are the biggest new games for 2025 and beyond.

During Riccitiello's seven-year tenure at the top of EA from 2007 to 2013, the publisher saw some of its highest highs and lowest lows. FIFA became a juggernaut series, despite how aggressive its microtransactions became, but The SimCity debacle basically killed a massive franchise and Battlefield arguably lost the war against Activision's own premier shooter Call of Duty - and Bobby Kotick now jokes that his biggest fear at the time was that someone else would replace Riccitiello at the rival company.

In a conversation on the Kleiner Perkins YouTube channel with former EA CCO Bing Gordon, Bobby Kotick recalls that "our fear was always that Bing was going to run [EA]." (Good spot, Gamespot.) "And we would have paid for Riccitiello to stay a CEO forever... like we thought he was the worst CEO in video games."

Riccitiello was and has been a hugely divisive figure. At EA, his maybe-probably-not-jokes about making players pay to reload in Battlefield were, obviously, ridiculed. And the company's treatment of countless beloved franchises during his reign, like Dungeon Keeper and Dead Space, also didn't go over well. Since leaving the publisher, Riccitiello became the CEO of Unity and made almost the entire industry turn on the once-popular game development engine by announcing (and then scrapping) plans to charge developers every time someone installed a game.

But Bobby Kotick isn't exactly an executive with a spotless resume, either, especially not while he ran Activision Blizzard. The publisher also received backlash for forgetting beloved series and gutting multiple storied studios in favor of making the Call of Duty factory bigger. Though Activision's Kotick era is most infamous because the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing accused the company of "constant sexual harassment," among too many other things, in a 2021 lawsuit. Activision Blizzard shares then hit such a low, Microsoft was able to swoop in and eventually buy the entire company.

Picking a side would be like voting in a US election. Though Kotick did admit that EA "tried to buy us a bunch of times" and the two entities "had merger conversations," and just the thought makes my skin shudder.

On a brighter note, why not check out our new games of 2025 and beyond release calendar.

For the uninitiated, Isekai refers to an anime or manga that primarily focuses on its main character being transported to another world, dimension, universe, what have you. In Sword Art Online, to use Koster's example, the main characters are trapped inside of a virtual reality video game while their real-life bodies are in a state of suspended consciousness. If they die in the game, they die in real life, and the only way out is to essentially beat the game.

Of course, vaguely similar ideas have been explored in other forms of media since at least the 1800s with books like The Wizard of Oz and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, but Koster is obviously referring more to the relatively recent explosion of modern Isekai anime and manga.

Talking to GamesRadar+, Koster points to the Isekai boom as evidence that people are hungry for transportive virtual worlds.

"It's a fantasy of a more immersive parallel world, and players crave it, we think," Koster said. "Like, we see you. Look at, for example, all the Isekai anime, the Sword Art Onlines, and all of those. When you look at those, like the games that they show are not theme park games. They are immersive alternate realities, right?"

As someone who's made lifelong friends playing Ultima Online specifically, Koster is speaking straight to my soul here. I love the idea of a modern, more immersive, more interactive sandbox with the same depth to the social elements and open-ended PvP as Ultima Online. I don't know if that's what Koster is working to achieve with Stars Reach, but he's definitely taken notice of the popularity of another, wildly different game: Animal Crossing.

"When you look at the rise of all of these other sandboxy forms of gameplay done at smaller scale, it's super clear, right? I think you know, the way that something like Animal Crossing went really viral during COVID is indicative of that. So, yeah, bringing those things back into the context, we think there's a huge, huge appetite for it."

The nod to Animal Crossing might sound a little out of place at first, but I think in the context of the COVID pandemic, when people were desperate to escape a bleak reality and immerse themselves in a very different world, it does help to clarify what Koster is aiming for with Stars Reach.

Stars Reach will be the debut project from Koster's studio Playable Worlds, which he co-founded with fellow RPG veteran Eric Goldberg in 2019. The game, which is billed as a "sandbox science-fantasy MMO where you explore deeply simulated living worlds in a shardless galaxy", with "a fully player-driven economy full of peaceful ways to play." Basically, it sounds a lot like a modern sci-fi spin on Ultima Online, which I'm 100% down for. A release date has yet to be announced.

Meanwhile, for the first time in 28 years, the ancient MMO Tibia is adding a new class.

As spotted by Wario64, SteamDB was recently updated with a new listing for "Dungeons & Dragons Neverwinter Nights 2." The changelog goes back to early December of 2024 and has been updated as recently as this afternoon.

Now, this could either be some weirdly specific but meaningless update on Steam's backend, or more likely, it indicates a Neverwinter Nights 2 remaster is on its way to Steam at some point. It wouldn't be unprecedented; Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition launched on PC, PS4, Xbox One, and mobile platforms back in 2018, so the same treatment for the sequel is actually a long time coming.

Neverwinter Nights 2 is based on the D&D 3.5 edition rules and its story is largely isolated from the first game in the series. If you've played Baldur's Gate 3 you'll be broadly familiar with the character creation process, companion system, die-rolling, RNG, and turn-based combat.

Only because I just brought up Baldur's Gate 3, it's worth noting that while generally very well-received, the Neverwinter Nights games don't have quite the same beloved legacy as the Baldur's Gate series. With that said, if you are a big fan of D&D-based RPGs and haven't played Neverwinter Nights or its sequel, they're still very much worth playing, particularly if the sequel does end up getting a remaster.

There's a reason Baldur's Gate 3 occupies the coveted top spot on our list of the best RPGs to play right now.

How do I get FC 25 Season 5 Ladder Players?

FC 25 Season 5 is running across February and March, and tagged 'The Future Is Yours'. Many of the cards on offer are from the FC 25 RTTF (Road To The Finals) campaign, meaning they can earn upgrades as the real-life season unfolds.

You build towards them by gaining SP across Ultimate Team, Manager Career, Player Career, and Clubs. Each 1,000 SP you collect completes a level on the ladder, and there are 40 levels in total. To see which previous rewards were available, jump into our FC 25 Season 1 Ladder Players, FC 25 Season 2 Ladder Players and FC 25 Season 3 Ladder Players guides.

Who are the best FC 25 Season 5 Ladder Players?

The ultimate reward here is Roberto Firmino (CAM, Al Ahli, 92). But even if you don't make it all the way to unlocking the former Liverpool man, there are tantalising choices to tackle en route. For instance, you can grab Euro 2024 superstar Inaki Williams (RM, Athletic Bilbao, 88) at Level 20 – but it means missing out on a colossal Samuel Gigot (CB, Lazio, 88) item to slide into your back four. The choice is yours alone.

What other FC 25 Season 5 Ladder Rewards are there?

There are 40 FC 25 Season 5 Ladder Rewards in all – an increase of five over the FC 24 Season 4 Ladder Players list. They're largely focussed on Ultimate Team, but with a few other cheeky treats mixed in. For instance, Level 12 grants you three FUT items, 15,000 Clubs Coins, and a new tie for your manager career. For help unlocking these, dip into our FC 25 tips and FC 25 Player Roles guides.

Where is the full FC 25 Season 5 Ladder Players cards list?

The complete FC 25 Season 5 Ladder Players cards list is as follows. An asterisk means you need to choose one of the two options. Once you've unlocked them, keep these guys and girls looking their best using our FC 25 best kits guide.

Yes, that's right: BioticNova defeated the ancient evil that is Shadow of the Erdtree's final boss Radahn twice simultaneously, with their attention torn between a PC monitor and a PS5 monitor, and their hands fluttering around two different controllers. I hardly made it out of my scrap with Miquella's consort, and I kept both of my – admittedly infirm and cowardly – hands tight around just one single controller. BioticNova's clearly capable of some next-level multitasking.

"I wasn't sure how we were gonna do Radahn," the streamer says modestly on Twitter, "but we did it!" In the accompanying clip, we see as BioticNova shifts their attention from one game to the other, seeming to only press a controller when their eyes are on the game it corresponds to. Using the Sword Lance and Blood Tax Ash of War, which helps trigger boss-melting bleed buildup, BioticNova ultimately slices through the two Radahns within 30 seconds of each other.

"Totally first try, guys," BioticNova says sarcastically during the three-hour stream. "That was rough. [...] I wish it was a little bit more smooth." Sorry, I didn't notice any issues – I was too distracted by the fact that you beat two copies of Shadow of the Erdtree at nearly the exact same time.

Now we know that BioticNova's ability to destroy Dark Souls 3 boss Pontiff Sulyvahn on, again, two different games simultaneously wasn't just luck like we thought in 2023, but also is an otherworldly skill that will no doubt make Nightreign matchmaking impossible.

Elden Ring Nightreign beta codes are finally being sent out, but many PS5 and Xbox Series X players are reporting the same issue – they've seemingly got access to the wrong platform

If you've played Battlefield 3, you'll no doubt remember the thrilling jet mission, which, I'll have you know, has an actual name. It's called Going Hunting, it's the fourth mission in the main campaign, and it puts you in the army boots of Lt. Jennifer "Wedge" Hawkins for a stunning airborne battle in the stormy skies of the Persian Gulf. It's arguably the most memorable mission from Battlefield 3 and one of the series' most celebrated gameplay sequences overall.

Things is, while you can use the jet's shooty things to take down enemies, you don't actually get to fly the plane, even though that was the original plan. In a tweet, Battlefield 3 lead designer David Goldfarb said technical limitations prevented DICE from implementing "free fly" in the mission.

"We did want to make this mission free fly initially, it just wouldn't have been possible to make the assets and stay at quality, plus lots of player education debate," he said. "We wound up going 'fuck it just make an awesome cinematic jet experience' but def wished freefly happened."

Goldfarb ended up leaving DICE in 2012 shortly after Battlefield 3's release. He was with Overkill for two years after that, where he directed Payday 2, and since 2014 he's been creative director at The Outsiders, the folks behind the Doom-inspired rhythm game Metal: Hellsinger.

If you're a fan of Battlefield 3, you'll be happy to know: Battlefield boss says the next game is ditching Specialists and returning to modern day because 3 and 4 were the "pinnacle of Battlefield."