Want to keep testing your knowledge of gaming trivia? We’ve got loads more PC Gamer quizzes, on everything from healthbars to weird currencies to absurd patch notes.
In the 1980s and early 1990s if you wanted a videogame with a decently written story, adventure games were the only place to find them. Back then RPGs were mostly dungeon crawls, or full of olde worlde thee-and-thou guff. Immersive sims didn’t exist. Visual novels were rarely translated into English. Other genres would give you a paragraph of text and a pat on the back, then send you on your way.
Because point-and-click adventures evolved out of text adventures they brought some of text’s wordiness with them. When you wanted to adapt a book to a videogame, whether it was The Hobbit or The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, adventure games were the way to do it.
Studios like Infocom, LucasArts, and Sierra valued characters, settings, and themes more than anyone else. Of course to talk to those characters, explore those settings, and understand those themes first you’d have to solve the puzzles. Adventure games were infamous for gating progress with puzzles that made sense to their creators, but could only be solved by a hivemind of players bashing their heads against them or a call to the help line. Fortunately those times are largely behind us, and instead you can relive the days when we broke our brains on the Discworld adventure game in the more convenient form of a multiple-choice quiz.
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
If you ask most Fortnite players about the current state of the game, they’d probably be thrilled–outside of technical issues. Recent updates include a detailed Simpsons season with Springfield Island, along with major crossovers featuring The Office and South Park. Despite the onslaught of content, Fortnite design director Ted Timmons says Epic is ready to “step up” its efforts on the live game.
“We’re stepping up our focus on the live game,” Timmons wrote in a post on X. “We know that as we prepare for the exciting seasons ahead of us the underlying foundations of the game must still be stable.”
Timmons directed players to a thread started by a Fortnite community manager, asking the community to report bugs and provide feedback. Players have highlighted a wide range of issues–from replay mode problems to game reload errors and regional server settings glitches.
I love this new YouTube video that uses mods to recreate the life of an NPC citizen of Gotham City in Batman: Arkham Knight because it lets me experience something I’ve always thought about: What it must be like to live in the same place as a superhero.
Living in Gotham City, the urban sprawl that superhero crimefighter Batman calls home, must be wild. Going out to grab something from the nearby convenience store could lead to you getting a front row seat for Batman’s next gang fight. Or he might just run past your window in the middle of the night. Or worse, he could run you over with his Batmobile-tank that is totally nonlethal, okay? And that’s what you get in Gaming with Griff Griffin’s new short but sweet Batman: Arkham Knight video.
My favorite moments from Griff’s video are when it really does feel like you’re seeing things from the perspective of a random Gotham City resident who just so happens to catch a glimpse of Batman. I imagine with a city as big as Gotham, not everyone has seen Batman, so it’s likely a treat for those who do. Or maybe scary as hell? Probably a bit of both.
“Essentially, I modded Batman: Arkham Knight to ‘take control’ of pedestrians in Gotham, and see what Batman looks like from their perspective,” Griff explained to Kotaku in an email. The creator has also made a video presenting things from the point of view of the gang members Batman beats up in the games, in case you’re curious about that experience. It is a far more terrifying way to encounter the Dark Knight.
The Toxic Tangle update is available now, expanding Grounded 2 with a massive new Garden biome to explore, new creatures and gear, the mysterious Tang effect, and much more.
Ride into danger on the Ladybug Buggy, a heavy-duty mount with a water cannon, ramming charge, and serious tank energy.
The Founder’s Pack has been updated, with new decorative unlocks for players ready to show off their park style.
The garden is awake.
Ominent’s experiments have taken a sour turn, and a strange new corruption is spreading across Brookhollow Park. Tang now stains the soil, seeps into water, and clings to unsuspecting creatures—and it’s up to you to survive whatever’s brewing beneath the surface.
Welcome to The Toxic Tangle, the first major content update for Grounded 2, available now for all players. This update expands the park with a new biome, new creatures, armor and weapons, trinkets, building sets, and a few threats that may be more than they appear.
A Whole New Garden
Overgrown vines choke the greenhouse, creating twisting paths and hidden crawlspaces. These massive monstrosities and staggering structures all combine to produce that ‘how did I get up there?’ moment. The Garden biome is ripe for exploration, stacked with vertical climbs, secret stashes, and probably a bug or two you didn’t see coming.
From the pumpkin patch to the carrot jungle, every corner offers something to harvest, hoard, or accidentally aggro. It’s big, it’s messy, and it’s absolutely crawling with trouble. Bring your best gear—and maybe a backup plan.
The Ladybug Buggy Rolls In
One of Grounded’s most iconic bugs is finally rideable—and she’s not here to play nice.
The Ladybug Buggy is a heavy-duty, tank-style mount equipped with a pressurized water cannon. Use it to blast airborne pests out of the sky, rinse away sour Tang buildup, or just give your enemies a bad day. It can also ram headfirst into foes with a powerful charge and slowly regenerates health over time.
If you ever jumped on a ladybug in the first Grounded and wished you could stay there, this one’s for you.
New Threats (and Familiar Faces)
The Garden is full of life, but not all of it wants to share the space.
New creatures like the coordinated Earwigs, the bulky Potato Beetles, and the soon-to-be fan-favorite, the Woolly Aphid, will challenge your reflexes, your timing, and your trust in anything with antennae.
You might also want to keep your eyes open. The Masked Stranger may have retreated after your first encounter, but she’s not gone—and she may not be alone.
Oh, and the Snake Colossus? You’ll know it when you see it. Probably right before it sees you.
Mutation Updates, BUILD.M Upgrades & More
Mutations have leveled up. They’re now split into active and passive types—actives still work the way you know and love, but passives now apply automatically based on your weapon loadout. That means less menu juggling and more time doing cool stuff, like perfect blocking a Tang-covered Rust Beetle or showing off your hybrid build mid-fight.
And for all the architects, decorators, and “I-just-need-one-more-wall-piece” players out there, this update’s for you. The builder toolkit gets a serious upgrade with new kits like the Pumpkin Set, a refreshed Mushroom Kit, Scale Roof Set, updated Acorn Stairs, and a community request for floor hatches. It’s all about more pieces, better parity between sets, and smoother snapping to bring your backyard blueprints to life.
Whether you’re crafting a greenhouse hideout, a pumpkin fortress, or a garden party palace, we can’t wait to see what you build—and share. Tag us, drop it in Discord, or show it off wherever you hang out. We’ll be watching (with admiration, not binoculars).
The Garden MIX.R and O.R.C. wave challenges are also live, ready for anyone who thinks they’re tough enough to survive the swarm.
Lastly, the Founder’s Pack also grows with this update, adding new base-building items like the High Roller’s Dice Bag, Champion’s Banner, and more ways to personalize your park adventure.
What’s Next?
Alongside this update, we’re preparing for the return of Playgrounds Mode, entering PTB (Public Test Beta) in February with all the core tools from the first Grounded. Whether you’re building mini-games, boss arenas, or custom gauntlets, Playgrounds will give creators the tools they need to thrive. To keep an eye on what’s coming to Brookhollow Park, be sure to check out our updated roadmap for a sneak peek at what’s in store for Grounded 2.
There’s never been a better time to shrink down, suit up, and explore the weirdest corners of Brookhollow Park. The Toxic Tangle update for Grounded 2 is available now in Game Preview for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, and Xbox Cloud, and in early access on Steam —jump in today with Xbox Game Pass and untangle the chaos.
Grounded 2
Xbox Game Studios
☆☆☆☆☆ 510
★★★★★
$29.99
PC Game Pass
Xbox Game Pass
Shrunk again, but the world is much larger. Survive a sprawling open world alone or in co-op with friends. Craft weapons, forge armor, and build bases while exploring the park on your trusty Buggy mounts. Unravel hidden mysteries and face unexpected threats. But something else is out there—and it hasn’t forgotten you.
Shrunk to the size of an ant, you’ll find once-familiar spaces turned into a sprawling, uncharted frontier. Survive alone or in co-op with friends, crafting weapons, forging armor, and building bases as you explore manmade playgrounds overgrown by nature. Traverse this new realm on trusty Buggy mounts—your capable allies—and uncover the mysteries lurking beneath bright colors and towering structures. But stay wary: something else is out there, and it hasn’t forgotten you.
Survive, Adapt, Overcome
The world is relentless, but so are you. Shape your adventure with unique archetypes, each offering distinct abilities to match your playstyle. Whether you rely on precision, cunning, or sheer strength, you’ll need every advantage to survive against the threats lurking in the park.
Stronger Together
The perils of the park are daunting alone, but with friends, every challenge becomes an adventure. Work together to build, fight, and uncover the secrets buried beneath the grass. Whether you’re facing danger side by side or continuing your journey in a shared world, survival is always better with allies.
Because Walking is Bogus
They scurry, they fight, and now—they help you survive. Hatch, raise, and ride your own insect friends – Buggies! Saddle up and traverse through the park, fight on them or alongside them in battle, or use them to gather resources and build your base. The right partner could mean the difference between thriving and barely surviving.
A Shadow That Follows You
The threat is always there—watching, learning, waiting. You don’t know where it’s coming from, only that it never leaves. The deeper you dig, the closer it gets. Some mysteries should stay buried, but it’s too late now. It knows you’re looking. And it’s ready. Every answer drags you deeper, every step invites something closer. You were never alone. You thought you were in control. You were wrong.
It feels anticlimactic to say so, and I don’t know why Geoff likes it so much, but Highguard seems decent. Adequate. S’alright. It’s a fine competitive FPS that’s capable of producing spirited, back-and-forth gun battles between spec ops wizards on bearback, which can in turn tickle the itches of anyone burnt out on battle royales or exasperated with extraction shooters. That’s me. I’m talking about me.
This year, MLB The Show is all about leaving your mark like never before. More than any single game, it’s about The Journey. It starts by putting in the hard work in high school, with a continuous drive to be better than the day before and a hunger for a Hall of Fame career. That drive was top of mind throughout the development of this year’s game, which is why San Diego Studio and MLB The Show are proud to welcome back 3x American League MVP, Aaron Judge.
His journey has taken him from high school to college, then the minors to the majors, and on to the world stage. We’ve mirrored the same journey in our game, striving to create the most authentic MLB experience outside of actually being on the field.
Aaron continues to rewrite history. He was our cover athlete in 2018, after a record-breaking rookie year in 2017. He’s now a 3-time AL MVP, 7-time All-Star, 5-time Silver Slugger award winner, AL single-season home run record holder with 62 homers, and the 2026 Team USA World Baseball Classic Captain.
These are just a few highlights from his long list of achievements, and Aaron’s performances have not only inspired players on the diamond, but athletes and fans around the world. We’re excited to have him back as the cover athlete of MLB The Show 26. It’s now up to you; how will you leave your mark?
Official gameplay trailer drops next week
Check back next week, on February 3, to see our gameplay trailer featuring everything new we have in store for ‘26. We’ve got updates on the features you know and love, plus a few special surprises.
MLB The Show 26 launches on March 17, 2026 (*Early access begins March 13)
Get ready for launch with a few key updates:
Pre-orders for the Standard Edition and *Digital Deluxe Editions open on February 3, 2026 at 12 pm EST/ 9 am PST on TheShow.com, platform stores, and participating retailers.
Purchasing the Digital Deluxe Edition gives you 4 days of Early Access starting on March 13, 2026.
Starting March 17, the Standard Edition of MLB The Show 26 is fully available.
The World Baseball Classic Tournament returns to Diamond Dynasty
This year’s cover features Aaron Judge in his Team USA World Baseball Classic uniform, so stay tuned to learn more about what this means for Diamond Dynasty in MLB The Show 26.
Homage x MLB The Show Returns
We’re also excited to announce the return of our Homage x MLB The Show apparel partnership! Since 2007, through crafted design, deep-cut storytelling, and Legendary Comfort, Homage has been helping fans pay homage to the people, places, and moments that matter most to them.
Similar to last year, we have an exciting variety of new drops that you can look forward to this year. Today’s drop is our Cover Athlete t-shirt, featuring Aaron Judge. In addition to adult sizes, we’re also excited to have youth sizes available! Cop the latest drop and own the show in style. Wear Homage and share your love for MLB The Show.
Stay in the know: Sign up for The Scouting Report & Your Show Account
Want the inside track on everything coming to MLB The Show 26? Sign up for the MLB The Show Scouting Report and get rewarded all season long with exclusive monthly Scouting Report Packs. From April through December, subscribers receive an exclusive Scouting Report Pack each month delivered straight to their inventory and filled with rewards you won’t want to miss.
Make sure you don’t miss your at-bat, sign up today on TheShow.com.
And while you’re at it, get ready for opening day by setting up your MLB The Show account. In ‘26, whatever platform you’re on, you can keep access to your entire inventory of cards. Step up to https://account.theshow.com and create your MLB The Show Account. Once you’re done, log in with your platform account and link it to your MLB The Show account. And that’s a win.
The journey is just beginning
Starting March 17, MLB The Show will be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch with some special perks.
For more info on new features and sneak peeks on MLB The Show 26, check out our most recent blog post. And if you’re still game for more, keep reading here.
We’ll keep the action coming with regular updates, so keep an eye out for the Gameplay Trailer reveal next week, weekly feature reveals, Feature Trailer deep dives, updates on the Standard and Digital Deluxe Editions, a new pre-order loyalty discount and more.
A UK court has ruled that the unauthorized stealing of in-game currency can be legally classified as criminal theft.
Former Jagex developer Andrew Lakeman was charged with allegedly stealing 705 billion Gold from almost 70 RuneScape players, with a real-world value of over half a million pounds, equivalent to around $750,000. He then sold this currency online for Bitcoin.
Although Lakeman had no access to player accounts in his position at Jagex as a content developer, he allegedly accessed them by “hacking and/or using credentials of members of the account recovery team.” In all, 68 players allegedly lost gold to Lakeman, starting around 2018.
Here comes the science bit: the defendant’s defence claimed that the in-game currency could not be classed as property under the definition of the UK’s Theft Act, and initially, the court agreed, concluding that as RuneScape gold is not real — or “pure information” or “knowledge” as it’s legally defined — it could not technically be stealable.
The judge at the time also deemed RuneScape’s supply of Gold as being infinite, and it wasn’t “rivalrous” given that having a piece of Gold doesn’t deprive another player of getting Gold, too. The Court of Appeal, however, disagreed and last week handed down a judgment while explaining its reasoning.
“We differ from the Judge in his reasoning for reaching the contrary conclusion on rivalrousness. The two reasons which the Judge gave in his ruling do not, with respect, bear analysis,” Judge Popplewell wrote. “The first was that ‘one gold piece is like any other, and their supply is infinite.’ This does not, however, distinguish them from many other forms of rivalrous property. One paper clip from a given manufacturer is like any other; and the manufacture and supply of them infinite, in the sense that is not capped at any finite number. Yet each paper clip constitutes property. The same is equally true of gold pieces.”
“[RuneScape’s gold is] properly described as something which can be stolen as a matter of normal use of language,” the judgment added. “They do not fall within any of the established exceptions. They are not ‘pure knowledge:’ functionally, they exist as identifiable assets distinct from the code which gives rise to them and outside the minds of people. There is no good policy reason for excepting them from the category of property which can be stolen.”
The judgment concluded: “On the contrary, they are assets which have an ascertainable monetary value and which may be traded for that value both in the game and outside the game. Within the rules of the game they represent money’s worth as the product of purchase of a bond. Outside the game they are regularly traded for money’s worth. They are capable of being subject to dishonest dealing which deprives their possessor of their use and value. It would be surprising and unsatisfactory if such dishonest dealing did not amount to the offence of theft.”
It’s a judgment that could have profound implications for the games industry, as up until now, vendors that sell (or re-sell) in-game currency have existed in a grey market wherein technically, no theft has occurred if the digital asset stolen did not meet the definition of an intangible item under the definitions of theft in that country. The dubious line of when ownership of any such in-game currency transfers from the developer to the player — if at all — further compounds an already complex issue, too.
With the issue of whether removing gold from player accounts constituted theft now settled, the case against Lakeman can proceed.
Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world’s biggest gaming sites and publications. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
Following a surprise reveal at 2025’s The Game Awards, the new hero shooter Highguard has arrived. However, the free-to-play game appears to be crashing on PC. If it’s happening to you, there may be some steps you can take to fix the issue.
According to the Steam charts, Highguard peaked at over 97,000 concurrent players shortly after its debut. That number may have put a significant strain on the game’s servers. It’s currently dropped down to just over 11,000 concurrent players.
If the crashes are due to an issue on the game’s end, developer Wildlight Entertainment will likely patch it out. If the crashes are happening due to players’ computers these are the recommended steps to take at this time:
Your journey to becoming the world’s greatest striker starts here, with Egoist Curiosity codes.
Updated: Jan 27, 2026 07:54 am
Updated: January 27, 2026
We added the latest codes!
Think you’ve got what it takes to dominate the field? Welcome to the ultimate Blue Lock-inspired experience, where only the most ambitious strikers survive! Lace up your boots, unlock powerful styles with Egoist Curiosity codes, and prove that you aren’t just another player on the field.
Need the breakdown on every style, move, and mechanic? The Egoist Curiosity Trello is the official database for everything about the game. From deep dives into character archetypes like Isagi and Kaiser to detailed explanations of ‘Flow’ and ‘Off-the-Ball’ movement, this is where you go to study the game and sharpen your ego.
After you’ve cashed in your Egoist Curiosity codes to awaken your flow, head over to our Roblox codes hub to keep the winning streak alive in all your other favorite games!
Twinfinite is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more about our Affiliate Policy
“You’ve probably heard that Minneapolis could use some help right now,” MinnMax host Ben Hanson said in the most recent episode of gaming podcast The MinnMax Show.
Despite inspiring the pun in MinnMax’s name, the city that many of the channel’s contributors live in is not their usual topic of discussion. That would be videogames: MinnMax’s near-11,000 Patreon members and 70,000 YouTube subscribers most often tune in for rapid-fire questions with a Ghost of Yōtei developer or a behind-the-scenes interview with a former games journalist or multi-hour discussions about a single game. But talking about games becomes increasingly difficult when your neighbors are being abducted from their homes and federal agents have executed two people in the street, with videos of the killings spreading across social media like a conflagration.
“Everybody’s on edge, everybody’s really freaked out. The city is scared. It’s being terrorized by ICE agents, and you can feel it everywhere you go,” Hanson said on an earlier podcast two weeks ago, titled Let’s Talk About Minneapolis.
“I don’t think people realize how bad it is,” said cohost Sarah Podzorski. “Everyone seems to think it’s happening away from us. What people don’t understand is there are 2,000 ICE agents crawling [over] not only Minneapolis, not only St. Paul, but in every single suburb we have. I had ICE agents this morning a block from my house going into apartments. It’s literally happening down the street from me, and you hear it, and you hear the whistles of people spotting ICE agents. I go to bed and hear helicopters circling overhead.”
As ICE’s presence in the state has become more and more unavoidable, so has the stress and surreal nature of that reality crept into MinnMax’s normal everyday gaming coverage.
“When they committed murder and then they got the ‘okay’ that they had immunity, it ramped up 200% in Minnesota,” Podzorski said, in reference to the January 7 killing of Renee Good. “I feel very powerless. Going to protests is one thing, but I’ve just been trying to talk about it as much as I can. When you ask me how we’re doing, I will tell you ‘not well.’ I’ve talked about it on my stream, we’re talking about it here. I feel like the best thing I can do is just tell people what’s happening.”
At that time federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents had not yet killed a second Minnesota citizen, Alex Pretti, an intensive care nurse working at the Minnesota Veterans Affairs medical center. A colleague called him “a super nice, super helpful guy” and “outstanding” nurse. The government has, by contrast, referred to Pretti as a “domestic terrorist.” His shooting came a day after thousands turned out in Minneapolis in sub-zero temperatures to protest ICE’s presence in the city.
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
Bonus Pod – Let’s Talk About Minneapolis – YouTube
Today MinnMax posted the video at the top of this article. It compiles clips from the protests, ICE agents pepper-spraying and assaulting United States citizens and questioning them based on their accents, alongside transparently false statements from Trump administration officials. In one, Vice President JD Vance claimed that ICE is “not a group that is going around and looking for people who violated the law based on skin color.”
Hundreds have chimed in on the YouTube video above in the last few hours, overwhelmingly supporting the channel’s commitment to speaking out against ICE’s presence in Minneapolis.
“This may not have previously been part of MinnMax, but it belongs there now. We can’t stay silent and we all must build a community of practice around speaking out before things escalate to this point. Proud of MinnMax for leading that charge!”
“I imagine posting this wasn’t an easy decision, particularly given the realities of subscriptions. I’ll simply say this: you’ve more than earned my financial support, and you’ll continue to have it for as long as I’m able.”
“Thank you for going outside of your normal coverage to raise this issue. I hope that the right people see it. This injustice needs to come to an end.”
“Minnmax forever, Minnesota forever, Abolish ICE. Thank you for not being silent.”
I’ve mostly enjoyed the second season of Amazon and Bethesda’s live-action Fallout TV show. One thing I hated about this new season, however, was that each new episode premiered at midnight. Thankfully, Amazon is changing this release schedule for the rest of the season.
On January 26, Amazon Prime Video announced its plans to release the next (and final) two episodes of Fallout season two at 6 p.m. PT instead of midnight. Season two episode seven will now arrive on Tuesday, January 27, and episode eight will be available on Tuesday, February 3.
“Good morning, Vault Dwellers!” posted Amazon on Twitter. “Due to strong participation and interest, we have amended the start times for the remaining Season Two presentations.”
Good morning, Vault Dwellers! Due to strong participation and interest, we have amended the start times for the remaining Season Two presentations. Episode Seven will now begin Tuesday, Jan. 27 at 6 p.m. PT, and Episode Eight will now begin Tuesday, Feb. 3 at 6 p.m. PT. Your… pic.twitter.com/x1LhnwEsRL
While I’ve been a fan of the weekly rollout of Fallout season two, as it allows my friend group time to watch and then later chat about each episode at the same time as the internet, I really, really hated the midnight release time. It made it harder for sites to cover, made it more annoying for people to avoid spoilers the following morning, and didn’t really seem to have any benefit other than that some night owls got to watch the latest episode a bit earlier than everyone else. So I’m very happy with this change!
In fact, it should work this way when Fallout season three arrives in the future. Amazon already confirmed a third season is on the way, and I’ll be madder than a Deathclaw with a dart in its leg if the streaming giant decides to go back to midnight releases for that next round of episodes.
Highguard is a free-to-play 3v3 first-person raid shooter, available today on Xbox Series X|S.
It is the independently published debut of Wildlight Entertainment, a new studio comprising veterans from Apex Legends, Titanfall, and Call of Duty.
Wildlight told us about their ambitious plans to support the game with monthly content updates, adding new characters, maps, modes, and more.
Lots of games offer intense, competitive, squad-based action, but I can’t think of any besides Highguard where I can sling spells and bullets from the back of a majestic, galloping bear as I charge in to destroy an enemy fortress.
Highguard turned a lot of heads with its flashy reveal at the end of the Game Awards last month, but many were left wanting to know more about this mysterious debut from Wildlight Entertainment, a new studio of Apex Legends, Titanfall, and Call of Duty veterans. The developers are first to admit that the intervening month has been quiet, but are confident that the game they’ve toiled over in secret for four years will speak for itself on release today.
I spent a whole day playing the game and interviewing its lead developers and studio founders last week, and I am here to tell you exactly what we’re all about to play with Highguard.
Ready to Raid
As a “PvP raid shooter,” Highguard is built around a new and interesting gameplay loop in which two teams of three players fortify bases, ride out on mounts to gather resources and gain power, and initiate a series of raids to try and destroy the opposing team’s base first. It’s a little bit MOBA, a little bit survival shooter, and a little bit Capture the Flag, among other influences.
Game Director and studio Co-Founder Chad Grenier tells me that the mode’s genesis came from team members enjoying the thrill of raiding an enemy base in multiplayer survival classic Rust, and wanting to distill that into a refined, competitive, repeatable experience. “Every match is about escalation: fortifying, venturing out, clashing, then mounting coordinated raids and defenses until only one base is left standing.”
Each round starts with a minute locked in your base to selectively fortify walls, before being cut loose to find better gear and harvest crystals that can be turned in at shops all over the map to also change and upgrade your kit. The maps are wide open, and I very rarely ran into members of the other team until after several minutes into a match, when a storm would form over one of several predetermined locations, where the Shieldbreaker soon materialized. This magical sword is your key to victory—teams fight to grab it first and run it to the enemy base (“like reverse Capture the Flag,” according to Grenier) and insert it into one of several slots around their magical perimeter shield, initiating a raid.
A siege tower immediately materializes from a portal, which cracks a segment of the base’s shield for the invaders to enter, also serving as their forward base for respawns during the raid. The invading team’s objective is then to breach the base (which is full of breakable walls), plant bombs on one of three key spots, and defend them until they go off. Two of the points will do substantial damage to the base’s life total, while successfully destroying the main, centrally fortified point will take it out entirely. The match ends when only one base remains standing.
If both bases are still there when the raid ends, the match resets and another Shieldbreaker starts to form, but with new and improved gear found scattered around the map and in shops. Each of these phases is on a tight timer, on which respawns for both teams will be capped until the next phase begins, which keeps things moving. My matches ran anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes, with some of the longer ones being quite dramatically swingy.
The tempo variation between the phases and escalating power over the course of the match gave it a distinct and pleasant rhythmic cycle of rising anticipation in preparation leading into tense raids with higher and higher stakes. Lead Designer Mohammad Alavi says that this was deliberately tuned to make it enjoyably sustainable, where the same number of hours of nonstop PvP deathmatch would be more exhausting for most players.
Need for Steed
Most of Wildlight’s creative leadership and design team worked on Apex Legends, and it shows in how buttery smooth the action feels.
There are 10 weapons available at launch, all of which will feel familiar to a seasoned FPS player. With slots for two at a time, I tended to use the Ranger sniper rifle and Paladin automatic shotgun to cover long- and close-range engagements, as matches would inevitably include both. You also have one of three raid tools (a rocket launcher, an explosive sledgehammer, or a zipline gun), which provide limited-use tactical utility or base destruction. Everything looks and sounds as good as you would expect from so many genre veterans, and the difference in approach between each piece of the arsenal is immediately noticeable.
Respawn games are also famous for their movement tech, and Highguard carries that legacy confidently. In addition to the expected running, jumping, sliding, and mantling, the big new mobility addition is mounts, which you can summon and dismiss at will in most parts of the map. There were horses, bears, panthers, and gryphons available to choose from, though the differences are cosmetic. I rode a large, brown bear clad in bone armor, and I loved my chonky, beautiful son.
Mounts are a necessity for covering the maps’ huge distances efficiently, and also lend themselves to fun gameplay moments that I’ve never experienced in a shooter before, like being able to mount up and dramatically gallop off to head the enemy off at the pass as I see the Shieldbreaker icon on the minimap moving up towards our base.
Choices, Choices
Adding to the sense of flexibility and choice, players also choose to play as one of eight Wardens available at launch, with more coming later. They are unique characters, limited to one per team, each with a passive ability, a tactical ability on cooldown, and an ultimate that slowly charges up. The two I ended up spending the most time with both had powerful area denial abilities.
Atticus is a proud, armored warrior that throws lightning spears as his tactical ability, which spark damage to nearby enemies like a Tesla coil until destroyed. When covering an imminently forming Shieldbreaker or a ticking-down bomb, I liked throwing these in corners or above doorways at strategic choke points, peppering the enemy team with additional damage as they tried to come in.
Una, on the other hand, is a masked shaman who summons adorable little nature spirit buddies (not unlike like Zelda’s Koroks), which throw stunning grenades to pester passing enemies as well as occasionally popping up to give her loot. Her ultimate summons a huge tree spirit that can really lock down an important spot in a crucial moment. Both characters reminded me of how much I enjoy playing as Symmetra and Torbjörn in Overwatch, finding the trickiest and most obnoxious spots possible to stick their turrets. Kai was perhaps the character I saw the most in my matches, a monk fused with a frost demon that summons a big wall of ice as his tactical ability, which proved clutch time and again for controlling space.
The bases themselves are also a sort of character choice, as players on each team will vote for one the six total in the game at launch, which will then slot into any of the maps. The bases have distinct advantages and vulnerabilities that interact with the Wardens’ abilities in all sorts of interesting ways. For instance, Hellmouth is a fortress suspended over a lava chasm with narrow bridges that are perfect for shutting down with Kai’s wall.
The Wardens, bases, weapons, and items in the game at launch already provide a fun and wide range of possibilities to explore in how they can remix to synergize or counter one another, giving a lot of dimensions around which the gameplay meta can evolve. Moreover, Wildlight already has a robust plan in place for infusing the game with a generous, steady drip of new content in all of those areas and more.
Eyes on the Horizon
Highguard’s live service additions will come in the form of two-month chapters, divided into two halves. That means that every single month they intend to release some combination of new Wardens, bases, maps, weapons, raid tools, and more. The first update, coming in just a few weeks, will introduce ranked play, and Grenier tells me they have lots of alternate gameplay modes in the works that will cycle in and out – such as Mario Kart-inspired mounted racing. All gameplay content will be added for free, with monetized elements strictly cosmetic.
That’s an ambitious plan, but one for which this team is extremely well prepared. Wildlight CEO and Co-Founder Dusty Welch tells me that, while the Respawn team were very happy with the initial launch of Apex Legends (which arrived as a total surprise), they hadn’t started to plot out any post-release content until after it had come out, leaving months of lag time before they could release anything new. Wildlight and Highguard were conceived with this hard-earned experience in mind to be oriented around live-service production from the very beginning.
“Starting this company, Chad [Grenier] and I knew we have to think about building it differently,” Welch told me, “and the people we hire, the mindset that we have, the pipelines that we set up, the tools, the technologies, the external partnerships and relationships, so that we’re thinking from day one how to successfully operate a live service and have an ongoing, meaningful dialog with our player base, and constantly be delighting and surprising them with content. We didn’t do that well with Apex at launch, and we are extremely well-prepared as we sit here today.”
That whole year of new content for Highguard is already deep into development. Both Welch and Alavi gave the same sly look and non-answer when asked about their favorite Wardens to play, since they’re not in the game yet at launch (Welch confirmed it’s the same one). The standards and expectations for live-service games are higher than ever, but this team comprises people who have been doing it for a very long time already, and they’ve come about as correct as any studio I’ve yet seen chase this model.
Highguard surprised and impressed me. I’m not great at fast, competitive shooters as a baseline, but its vibrant aesthetics and thoughtful design have absolutely piqued my interest. The market for live-service shooters is crowded, but Highguard has the advantage of offering an interesting new gameplay mode that doesn’t map onto any of the existing genres like battle royale or extraction. This may be Wildlight’s first game, but that belies a deeply confident and passionate team at the top of their form, excited to make the best game they can without the constraints of a major publisher.
You don’t have to take my word for it: try Highguard today for free, available on Xbox Series X|S.
Hello PlayStation Blog community, my name is Kenny Sun and I’m the lead developer of the Ball x Pit, and I’m here to share with you development on the game’s concept, inspiration as well as what players can expect in the first content update that releases today for FREE for all owners of the game!
This journey begins back in November 2021, and while I was on the subway, I saw an ad on my phone for a game called Punball. It looked like a roguelike version of Holedown, a game I enjoyed a lot, so I decided to give it a download. Fifteen minutes later, I looked up and realized that I had missed my stop. I knew that the core of the game had something special, but as I continued to play it I felt that there were a number of elements I wished were different. So, a few weeks later, I decided to make a version of my own. The gameplay for the prototype that would become BALL x PIT wasn’t too different from its original inspiration. But, there were a few key moments in its development that shaped it into a unique fusion of mechanics.
Initially, gameplay in Ball x Pit was turn-based. You would fire a series of balls, they would bounce at incoming enemies, and after all bouncing was complete, enemies would advance and a new row would spawn. I thought the gameplay was fun and wasn’t really considering ways to improve it. But, in February 2022, I downloaded Vampire Survivors, and the idea to try making it into a real-time action game was sparked. I made the change a few weeks later, and immediately the gameplay clicked, I knew I made the right decision.
Another important mechanic in Ball x Pit is the fusion system, where any ball can be combined with any other ball to synergize their abilities. This stemmed from the way I coded the ball mechanics. In code, each ball has 3 categories of ability types: status effects, area-of-effect, and unique effects. So, it was obvious that combining status effects and area-of-effect abilities would be a great way to power up the balls. And naturally, an alternative to this was the evolution system, which combines certain sets of balls into a whole new one. This new stronger ball in turn can be fused with any other ball. For inspiration of different evolutions, I looked at online guides for games in the Doodle God series to see what combinations they had.
The last defining system of Ball x Pit I want to talk about is the base building layer. Other games in the survivors-like genre usually handle meta progression by letting players spend resources in a simple UI, but I wanted this section to stay thematically relevant to the core gameplay. I’ve always loved the feeling of meta progression in games like Loop Hero and Metal Gear Solid V, and wanted to integrate those ideas into Ball x Pit. Naturally, it was clear that buildings could act like bricks in gameplay, and from there I had the idea that characters should be able to bounce around to upgrade things.
As we keep building on this foundation, the next step is our newest content update, titled Ball x Pit: The Regal Update. Take a look below on what to expect from this content heavy update as it’s one of three completely free updates we’re planning throughout the year.
2 new characters
Players of Ball x Pit: The Regal Update will come across two new unlockable characters. The Falconer fires off two balls launched by a pair of birds flanking the screen, giving their attacks a wide, swooping spread. The Carouser, a medieval royal troublemaker, twists ball trajectories with a personal gravity field that pulls shots off their usual paths.
8 New Balls
– Banished Flame adds yet another burn status—shorter than the standard burn, but packing a much heavier punch.
– Fireworks burst outward in bright, unpredictable patterns, scattering damage in every direction.
– The Stone Ball hits like a truck on impact but slowly crumbles as it keeps bouncing.
– The Brimstone Ball behaves like an Inferno shot but laces its flames with poison for extra lingering harm.
– Landslide triggers a cascading wave of debris in front of the first impact point and deals damage that lasts for a few seconds to surrounding enemies.
PLUS MORE! Because why would we want to spoil the rest?
3 New Passives
– Deadeye’s Impaler cranks up your critical hit chance, and when those crits hit, enemies that are not the boss do not get back up. Well, that’s because they instantly kill.
– Grotesque Artillery pulls from your own gear, firing off a random ball from your equipped lineup every time it triggers
– Iron Onesie rewards chaos, boosting the damage of special balls based on how many baby balls are bouncing around the field.
Endless Mode
Players demanded an Endless Mode so much, it grew to the top of the priority list. This mode unlocks once you’ve finished the game, opening the door to a new way to play for even longer! Each level can now be pushed as far as you can handle, continuing indefinitely as long as you manage to stay alive once finishing the boss in that area, and agreeing to continue deeper into the pit. There’s no finish line here, just escalating pressure, longer runs, and the chance to see how far your skills and builds can really go.
Thanks for reading and we hope you’re excited! Ball x Pit: The Regal Update is now available for free for all Ball x Pit players on PS5.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder getting the Switch 2 Edition + expansion treatment in March feels like Nintendo making the correct call, and I couldn’t think of a better game to be getting that bit more attention on the new system.
To mark the new-gen upgrade and the arrival of the Meetup in Bellabel Park DLC, Nintendo is also rolling out three brand-new amiibo tied to the game. Each one costs $24.99 and they all launch on March 26, the same day the new content goes live. Pre-orders are already open.
The lineup includes Elephant Mario, Captain Toad with a Talking Flower, and Poplin with Prince Florian. Elephant Mario is exactly as charming as it sounds, squeezing his oversized elephant form halfway out of a pipe. The Poplin amiibo features the bright orange character clutching a watering can, with Prince Florian perched on top of his head. Captain Toad, meanwhile, strikes a celebratory pose alongside the ever-chatty Talking Flower.
And because Nintendo cannot resist leaning into its own weirdness, there is also a standalone Talking Flower toy on the way. Yes, it actually talks to you. Yes, it is also available to preorder right now as well for $34.99.
As for the Switch 2 version of Super Mario Bros. Wonder itself, Nintendo is charging $79.99, which is exactly as ridiculous as it sounds. Thankfully, there is a workaround if the original Switch version is not already sitting on your shelf. You can currently grab the standard Switch release for $46.99 at Woot, then upgrade to the Switch 2 Edition via the eShop for $19.99 once the expansion drops.
That brings the total to $64.99 for the full Switch 2 experience, saving $15 in the process. Not bad at all, especially when the alternative is paying full Nintendo tax for the privilege.
Back in 2022, Winnie The Pooh entered the public domain in the USA, meaning that any denizen of that nation can publish work featuring the OG incarnation of A.A. Milne’s honey-supping woodland bear (the UK copyright expires in 2027). At some point in the future, once the newly founded Poohlike genre has matured, we can surely expect a renaissance of Winnie derivatives, ranging from erasure Pooh-ems through josei anime interpretations to Kaufman-ass Hundred Acre existentialism. Right now, though, it’s mostly about horror, because the logical thing to do when the lawyers finally abandon a beloved children’s character is break out the chainsaws.
The movie folk have already given us Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey and its sequel, both apparently dreadful in a bad way. Now here comes Steven H. Videogames with Winnie’s Hole, out in early access today. In this roguelite from Twice Different, the nectar-chugging teddy has become a rambling cosmic abomination, and your job is to mutate his insides using tetrominoes. Oh botherlyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn.
Surprise! It looks like a 30th Anniversary Edition of Rayman is on the way.
Though not formally confirmed by Ubisoft, the unannounced game has popped up on the Australian Classification website, and it’s apparently coming to both Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5.
While the franchise is owned by Ubisoft, both the developer and publisher are listed as Atari, which has previously distributed physical editions of games and remakes. Sadly, the listing gives us very little detail on what to expect aside from confirmation that it has “very mild” violence (thanks, Gematsu).
Rayman looks set for a return. Image credit: Australian Classification website.
We already knew that Ubisoft was set to celebrate all things Rayman as it got ready to mark the series’ 30th anniversary, promising last September that it was working on the “future” of the series. Though the official Rayman X/Twitter account had long been dormant, only resurfacing a handful of times in 2020, then once in 2021, in September it was resurrected to bring us up to speed on what’s happening in Rayman’s world.
“Rayman turns 30! Join us on our official channels to celebrate an incredible legacy,” the account exclaimed at the time, attaching a brief video. In the video, brand producer Loic Gounon — who has been working on the Rayman franchise since 2006 — revealed that “a very talented team at Ubisoft Montpellier and Ubisoft Milan are currently working together on the future of Rayman.”
Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world’s biggest gaming sites and publications. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
Wicked Seed is a modern-day horror RPG with tactical combat and survival horror roots. Hybrid Combat System: Combine real-time actions like dodging and parrying with strategic turn-based attacks. Rewarding Exploration: Discover hidden paths, solve optional puzzles, and find unique items that enhance your abilities. Customization: 50 unlockable costumes and a variety of weapons and accessories to tailor your play style. Move, block, parry and dodge enemy attacks in real time as you read and learn the enemy’s patterns. Master positioning to flank enemies for increased damage or disable them entirely, and exploit precision timing to land powerful counter hits against enemies mid-attack. Weird RPG 2
Venture off the beaten path to uncover hidden upgrades, side stories, and powerful gear. Gain experience by killing monsters, solving puzzles, and uncovering new locations. Level up to grow stronger, then shape your build with weapons, armor, and accessories that match your strategy and play style. Survive in style with 50 unlockable costumes! All earned through exploration, challenges, and achievements. Explore dark, foggy forests, forgotten underground tunnels, the alleys of an evacuated city, and more as you work to uncover the mystery of Ella’s past and the appearance of monsters. Tackle tougher difficulties, reshuffle the world with a built-in randomizer, and chase down what you missed in New Game Plus. In-game challenges and their rewards persist across all playthroughs, giving every run lasting impact.
Features and System Requirements:
A unique blend of action and turn-based combat with high skill expression
Solve puzzles and uncover hidden areas
Exploration rewards you with new gear, permanent stat boosts, and hidden surprises
Over 150 optional challenges that award points to spend on permanent unlockable content such as accessories, equipment parts, and costumes
Every weapon is viable and can be upgraded and customized to suit your play style
50 unlockable costumes, from casual to classy, and everywhere in between
Unlock new difficulties with remixed enemies and item placement
Built-in randomizer for endless replayability
Screenshots
System Requirements
Recommended
Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
OS: Windows 10+
Processor: Any within the last 5 years
Memory: 32 GB RAM
Graphics: RTX 2070+
Storage: 35 GB available space
Support the game developers by purchasing the game on Steam
Installation Guide
Turn Off Your Antivirus Before Installing Any Game
1 :: Download Game 2 :: Extract Game 3 :: Launch The Game 4 :: Have Fun 🙂
Last year marked the 40th anniversary of Dragon Ball, and looking ahead, there are big plans to continue the franchise across anime and video games. The Dragon Ball Genkidamatsuri event showcased several of these projects over the weekend, and one of the exciting reveals was a brand-new video game codenamed Age 1,000.
In case you missed it, here’s a closer look at how the future of Dragon Ball is shaping up.
Dragon Ball; Age 1,000
An official title will be announced at a later date, but a teaser trailer hinted that the next Dragon Ball adventure will take place centuries after the prime timelines of Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball Super. The game’s platforms have not yet been divulged.
Age 1,000 started development several years ago, and late Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama helped design new characters for the project. Toriyama also contributed to the game’s worldbuilding, and the trailer briefly featured a mysterious warrior with grey hair and Saiyan heritage who transforms into a Super Saiyan by the end of the video. More details on Age 1,000 will be revealed during the Dragon Ball Games Battle Hour 2026 on April 18-19.
Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero! is getting more DLC
The already massive roster of Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero! is set to grow further, as more playable characters are on the way. Out later this year, players can step into the boots of Super Android 17, Legendary Super Saiyan Bardick, and Demon King Piccolo, and the upcoming DLC will also include new super attacks for Goku and Vegeta, new stages, even more costumes to accessorize your favorite characters with, and new modes to try out. Hironobu Kageyama–who has produced several hit Dragon Ball Z tunes–has also composed a new theme tune just for the DLC. Free DLC for the game is also being released on January 26.
Hans Zimmer has also made a Dragon Ball theme
And it slaps. Called “Infinite Future,” it debuted during the Dragon Ball celebrations over the weekend and was created for the Dragon Ball 40th Anniversary Special Video, which showcased a highlight reel of the manga’s greatest moments.
The next Dragon Ball anime heads to the stars
A new Dragon Ball Super anime series is in development, and it’ll be adapting several arcs from the Dragon Ball Super manga by Toyotarou. Dragon Ball Super: The Galactic Patrol adapts the Galactic Patrol Prisoner Arc that introduced a new villain, Moro, and it’ll debut in 2027.
The God of Destruction is getting an anime overhaul
Dragon Ball Super: Beerus was an odd–but welcome–announcement. Back in 2013, Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods was released in theaters and introduced Beerus, the God of Destruction, to the Dragon Ball mythos. The storyline was later retold as the first arc of Dragon Ball Super, but it was heavily criticized at the time for its subpar animation. Dragon Ball Super: Beerus is a remake of that storyline scheduled to arrive in Q3 2026, and it aims to be more faithful to Toriyama’s original manga. Described as an “enhanced” edition of the story, it’ll feature brand-new animations, editing, narrative changes, and “immersive” battle scenes.
The other big change is that it’ll portray Beerus in a more serious light, rather than the goofball, food-obsessed deity with a short temper that appeared in the anime series.
With Yggdrasilcodes, you will get a little extra help in making the character you want. The more you grow, the easier it will be to take over the open world. Keep in mind that these codes expire, so make sure to claim your freebies as soon as possible!
After weeks of waiting, Arc Raiders developer Embark has officially unveiled the first few months of the game’s 2026 roadmap. The plan is split into four months, covering January to April, collectively dubbed Escalation.
We’re expecting a content update each month, with the majority of the biggest additions happening on the game’s existing maps. There is, however, at least one new map in the works, but it won’t be here until sometime in April.
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While we wait for that, Arc Raiders is going to go through several events and other in-game changes, some more meaningful (and exciting) than others. January looks to be the lightest so far, which makes sense given that it’s just a week or so from ending.
January’s chapter is titled Headwinds, kicking off on January 27. This segment will see the addition of a new matchmaking option for players above level 40 – at or near the game’s endgame. We’re also expecting a new Map Condition, and a new Player Project for everyone to contribute to.
Things start getting interesting in February, when Shrouded Sky will begin. This chapter brings three exciting additions to Arc Raiders. There will be a new Map Condition, new Arc Threat, and the start of another Player Project.
Interestingly, we’re going to see some sort of map update during the month, but Embark didn’t share anymore details. The next Raider Deck will also deploy in February, alongside a new Expedition Window.
Image credit: Embark Studios.
The Flashpoint chapter begins in March, when we’re expecting another new Map Condition, one more new Arc Threat, as well as another Player Project. March’s most interesting addition is an update to everyone’s trusty rooster friend, Scrappy.
Finally, April is when the big guns come out, because that’s when the first new map of 2026 will arrive in Arc Raiders. With it, comes a new large Arc, which is to be expected. A new Map Condition will debut then, too, likely starting off on the new map.
That’s pretty much it, but seeing as we’re just one day away from the start of the January stage, things are about to get exciting again in Arc Raiders.
Updated: Jan 27, 2026 07:54 am