Something might be coming for GTA 6 on March 25 — at least if the internet’s theory about Game Informer turns out to be true.

It’s pretty normal at this point for GTA 6 fans to hold on to any hint of possible news, especially since it’s been over a year since the game's first trailer dropped. That trailer confirmed a Fall 2025 release window and that the game would come to PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Rockstar and Take-Two have also all but confirmed that a GTA 6 PC version will come later.

There's a special reason some people are sure a big reveal is coming pretty soon.

GTA 6 fans firmly believe big news is coming on March 25 with Game Informer

Game Informer, the long-running gaming magazine, is coming back on March 25. It’s known for getting exclusive previews of past GTA games, including Vice City, San Andreas, GTA 4, and GTA 5. The timing of its return has people excited. The magazine shut down in August 2024, but now it's coming back — right when GTA 6 hype is building again. That’s why fans think it could feature a big GTA 6 cover story as part of its comeback.

But it’s important to say: this is all just fan speculation. Rockstar, Take-Two, and Game Informer haven’t confirmed anything. Still, here’s what the theory is about and why it’s getting so much attention.

It would be a huge return for a magazine with a lot of history, and it would fit perfectly with Rockstar's slow but steady build-up. Still, Game Informer hasn’t teased anything about GTA 6, and Rockstar has been pretty quiet too. The company recently launched a Discord server that includes a GTA 6 channel—but there hasn’t been any real news shared there either. So, while the timing feels right, it’s still just a theory.

But even if everyone is right and we get news tomorrow, we have no news about how Game Informer is returning on March 25, or if we'll only get an announcement of when their new first issue will come — if they do come back with a magazine, not with some other format like video or daily online news.

If anything is going to happen, fans believe we’ll hear something in the early hours of March 25, likely in the afternoon U.S. time — similar to when Rockstar dropped the first trailer. And if Game Informer really does have something GTA 6-related planned, we can probably expect Rockstar to share extra official details around the same time.

The post Fans think GTA 6’s next big reveal could drop this week – here’s why appeared first on Destructoid.

Souls-like games are always popular if done correctly, and a new one with an anime theme is already a top seller a few days before coming out.

Steam's global top sellers list organizes games by total revenue over a given week. Sous-like hits like Elden Ring and Black Myth: Wukong are often in the top 100, sometimes due to sales propelling them up and other times simply because fans people keep coming back to them. They rank highly in revenue despite fighting big free-to-play games filled with microtransactions, like Apex Legends and Counter-Strike 2.

Now, this new game is already joining the ranks of these classic souls-likes.

The First Berserker: Khazan is one of the most sold games on Steam today

As of March 24, The First Berserker: Khazan is ranked fifth on Steam's Global Top Sellers list, just below the Steam Deck and ahead of the co-op hit Split Fiction. It's also beating every other souls-like game in the platform.

The game is part of the Dungeon & Fighter universe (also known as DNF) and takes place 800 years prior to the events in the first release of the game series, Dungeon Fighter Online. It's a 3D-action RPG with anime art and the usual dark style of souls-like games.

The game releases in Steam's Advanced Access—not to be confused with early access—on March 24, with its complete release coming on March 27. Advanced access simply means people who paid more for the game, usually a deluxe edition of some sorts, get to play it a few days before anyone else. It's not a development method like early access, and games in advanced access are ready to play and fully developed, but paywalled for players who paid more than the rest.

The game released to a score of 80 on Metacritic, with positive early reviews from players on Steam. While these are great numbers, they aren't even close to the 97-percent positive reviews that Sledders had on launch.

The post New anime souls-like game breaks into Steam’s top 5 while still in advanced access appeared first on Destructoid.

We know Rockstar is keeping almost everything about GTA 6 a secret, except for the first official trailer. But now, they seem focused on taking down fan speculation as well.

Recently, a creator named Dark Space was creating a GTA 5 map to look like a playable, speculated GTA 6 map using details from the trailer and unconfirmed leaks about the upcoming game. The mod was intended to be completely free and involved collaboration with other modders to have a playable version ready before GTA 6's official release this fall.

However, a video that DarkSpace posted showing the map and interviewing other modders was taken down with a copyright strike by Take-Two Interactive, Rockstar's parent company.

Take-Two issues copyright strike on YouTube against GTA 6 map mod

In a new video, Dark Space explained that he believed his original video was taken down because his map was becoming too accurate, which made Take-Two feel threatened. However, he mentioned his main issue wasn't just the takedown itself, but the method used.

"I literally went into [the map project] accepting they most likely would not want it up, because the project is too on-the-nose using leak coordinate data," Dark Space said.

"I do, however, have a problem with them using the YouTube strike system against my channel. That's my livelihood. You go after that, you're going after not just after my mod, but you're going after my family. These lawyers couldn't even send a simple email first?"

Dark Space says he primarily earns money through YouTube videos, not from mods, and that his plan with the mod was to build something for the GTA community while monetizing his videos about it, not by monetizing the mod.

"I literally have no complaints about them saying they don't want me to make that map, it's how they go about it that's disrespectful," Dark Space added. "While legally fine, how about morally? This kind of reaction kills the creativity and passion that makes GTA's community what it is."

Rockstar has a history of going after GTA modders

Dark Space isn't officially connected to Rockstar, so his work wasn't actually based on real GTA 6 files — it was simply an educated guess from available footage and leaks. He was just skilled enough to create a convincing and playable version using his modding expertise.

Rockstar likely took action because the mod became too realistic and accurate. This isn't the first time Rockstar has aggressively protected the GTA franchise by targeting fan-created mods. The company shut down the massive Liberty City mod, and years ago it already reportedly sent private investigators to a modder's house.

The post GTA modder makes playable GTA 6 map and clashes with Take-Two after surprise takedown appeared first on Destructoid.

A niche game on Steam seems to have figured out exactly how to do early access right, and players are loving it.

In an era when many games linger in early access for years, often using it as an excuse to slowly add features or deliver constant updates, it's refreshing to see a game spend only a short time there, handle player feedback well, and nearly double its player count upon full release.

Realistic snowmobile simulator Sledders released after 15 months in early access

Sledders is a realistic snowmobile simulator game, about as niche as it gets. It first released on December 5, 2023 in early access on Steam and is now a full game as of March 20.

Players get to experience what I'll believe to be authentic snowmobile driving—I'll probably never know for sure—complete with realistic physics and actual snowmobile sounds.

Despite its very specific theme, Sledders hit over 1,800 peak players on Steam after its release on March 20—almost double its early access peak—and earned an impressive average of 91% positive reviews in the last 30 days, with 97% positive reviews on launch day. It even became SteamDB's best-rated release this week.

Even though snowmobiles aren't exactly common worldwide—many countries don’t even have snow, let alone people who ride snowmobiles—Sledders might have found the same sweet spot as Eurotruck Simulator. Just as Euro Truck Simulator attracts many players who aren't truck drivers in real life, Sledders could appeal to enthusiasts who enjoy realistic experiences.

Early reviews suggest the game is a bit hard to start but fun to play, which is the sweet spot for simulators. If it's too easy, it doesn't feel real. If it's too hard, it becomes frustrating.

Snowmobile enthusiasts helped make Sledders

A developer shared on the snowmobiling Reddit community why Sledders has connected so well with players. It turns out one of the developers is a real snowmobile expert who previously ran a snowmobile shop and even recorded real engine sounds to ensure maximum realism.

Sledders is also available on Xbox and PS5 for $34.99.

The post Steam’s highest-rated new game does early access right, launches with 97% positive reviews appeared first on Destructoid.

Assassin's Creed Shadows had a surprisingly smooth release, considering the history of Assassin's Creed releases.

For a game series that had some nightmare-fuel glitches, like characters in AC Unity losing their entire face and making eyes float into the air, the glitches that we're seeing in Shadows' early days, just a few hours after release, are just okay to deal with.

It's nothing that breaks the game, which is proven by players rating the game positively as well as critics giving it an average 8/10, showing that whatever issues that are happening aren't really disturbing the gameplay.

There's one glitch, though, that has been found by several Assassin's Creed Shadows players, and it's actually quite funny and a bit scary if you look too closely into it.

Petting the dog in AC Shadows makes the dog stand up and freeze

A player shared a video of them petting a dog in AC Shadows at night, and as they approach the dog, the dog simply stands in a T-pose and keeps standing while the player pets the air, almost as if they are channeling something between their hands instead of actually petting the dog.

S,o while Naomi thinks there is a dog there, the dog is standing still, frozen in mid-air next to her while his spirit is being petted in front.

This glitch is harmless because this is not a fight scene, and this doesn't break anything in the game, so it's just funny that this interaction can happen. But it's also likely that if it gains too much attention, Ubisoft will soon patch it because, of course, it kills some of the immersion of the game.

Still, the game has been topping sales charts and getting positive player reviews, despite some toxic players having some oddly weird behavior towards streamers, just because they don't like some of the choices Ubisoft made with the game.

However, nothing like this seems to be disturbing the community that much, and the game keeps featured in Steam's top seller list and beating the releases of other Assassin's Creed games that were on Steam before.

The post Assassin’s Creed Shadows has an oddly hilarious and slightly horrifying dog-petting bug appeared first on Destructoid.

Assassin's Creed Shadows has only been available for a few hours but is already proving to be a successful launch based on its player numbers.

During pre-sale, AC Shadows broke several sales records, including climbing to the top of the Steam Top Sellers chart. Just a few days ago, it was in second place, but now it’s the best-selling game on Steam. The game has also topped sales charts on various platforms in Japan, fitting given that it's set there.

This early success suggests Shadows could become one of the top-performing titles in the Assassin's Creed series on Steam pretty soon.

Assassin's Creed Shadows' launch beats Black Flag and Valhalla

As of 3 PM ET on March 20th, Assassin's Creed Shadows reached a peak of 41,000 concurrent players on Steam alone, according to Steam Charts. This number doesn't even include players using other platforms or Ubisoft Plus.

This peak surpasses all previous Assassin’s Creed games on Steam, including Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag and Valhalla, both of which peaked at just under 16,000 players.

The only Assassin's Creed game Shadows hasn't surpassed yet is Assassin's Creed Odyssey, which peaked at nearly 62,000 concurrent players shortly after release. However, this doesn't necessarily mean Shadows won't outperform its predecessor.

Shadows should eventually outperform Odyssey

Historical trends show that peak player counts for AC games usually happen a few days after launch. Odyssey, for example, hit its peak two days after release, over a weekend when more people typically play games. That's why it's highly likely that Assassin's Creed Shadows will see a higher peak during the upcoming weekend, especially in the late afternoon and evening hours in North America and Europe.

Given that Shadows currently holds a good 80% positive review rating on Steam and averages a little over 8 out of 10 from critics reviews, the game is already recognized as a strong entry in the series. Assassin's Creed Shadows seems ready to set new records for the franchise, but we'll have to see if it can hold a steady player base throughout the years the way Odyssey has been doing.

The post Assassin’s Creed Shadows topples one franchise classic—but the series’ final boss still looms appeared first on Destructoid.

Everyone wants to ride the GTA 6 hype train, and it looks like Domino's Pizza is next in line.

John Cena recently made a post about the game, causing many fans to speculate he was hinting at a role, though he was simply joining the meme trend like everyone else eagerly awaiting the game's release.

Now, Domino's Pizza has jumped on board, using GTA 6 references in their own marketing, causing some players to read too much into the post, given the full context.

Domino's Pizza tells Rockstar to deliver GTA 6 on time

On Domino's Pizza Canada's Facebook page, a post about the release of their newest product directly references Rockstar Games, joking that now that Domino's has delivered, it's Rockstar's turn to deliver GTA 6 "on time."

While this kind of cross-brand social media interaction is common among major brands looking to boost reach and interaction, some fans took it as a sign that GTA 6’s official marketing campaign has begun.

"Gta VI marketing is starting," a player wrote on GTA 6's subreddit. "Let the marketing campaign begin," another one added. A third one joked, "My antenna is officially up!"

This is technically possible but unlikely. Two hours after the post, there were no similar references on Domino's other regional social media pages or on Twitter. It appears to be a local effort, probably by a regional social media manager at Domino's, simply aiming to grab some extra attention—which it successfully did.

But GTA 6 marketing should start soon... right?

However, excited fans aren't entirely mistaken. GTA 6 is expected to release in Fall 2025, between late September and late December. This means Rockstar's official marketing campaign could realistically start soon.

Rockstar might consider cross-brand collaborations, similar to the Domino’s Pizza mention, or might begin releasing GTA 6 pre-order editions, creating anticipation among players and retailers.

While Domino Canada's post probably isn't the kickoff to GTA 6’s marketing campaign—since it would be unusually quiet and reserved for Rockstar—it might indicate they're starting to test the waters, signaling that more official marketing could begin soon. Or, at least, this is not just a fake GTA 6 ad or an entirely fake guidebook.

The post A simple Domino’s Pizza tweet has GTA 6 fans reading between the lines appeared first on Destructoid.

Every new game in the hero shooter genre aims to become the next Valorant or Overwatch 2 killer. Unfortunately for FragPunk, that doesn't seem likely right now.

Overwatch 2 has kept stable on Steam with constant updates, new heroes, and regular new content pubished. Valorant's player base also remains strong and keeps it especially relevant in the esports scene.

Amid this strong competition, FragPunk, which had a successful launch in early March and peaked impressively at over 110,000 concurrent players on Steam, is already struggling to maintain its player base.

FragPunk has already lost almost 60% of its players

FragPunk, a 5v5 hero shooter released on March 6, has experienced a significant drop in active players, peaking at just over 48,000 concurrent players by March 20—a decline of almost 60% compared to its March 9 peak, according to SteamDB.

Despite similarities to Valorant and Overwatch 2, Fragpunk has had trouble keeping players engaged. Many gamers have returned to the titles they played previously or simply dropped the game, raising questions about how many players will remain dedicated to Fragpunk long-term.

The game's popularity has decreased steadily on Steam's Top Selling list as well, where it now ranks 55th as of March 20, a drop of 46 positions. For free-to-play games like Fragpunk, this ranking reflects spending on in-game microtransactions and add-ons.

FragPunk's declining player base is not problematic—yet

While such a decline is not unexpected for multiplayer games—especially those competing against established giants—this consistent downward trend could be a concern for the developers, though not necessarily a major issue for the player base yet.

With a peak of 40,000 players, it should still be easy for players to find Fragpunk matches and enjoy online play. But it's unclear where the decline will plateau. Other multiplayer games, like The Finals, which peaked at 242,000 concurrent players, settled around 15,000 to 20,000 concurrent player peaks, with bigger spikes following major updates. Fragpunk might follow a similar cycle, regaining players as new seasons and updates are released.

The current decline doesn't mean Fragpunk is dying, and many games experience sharper drops, but it's also not entirely secure. If the downward trend continues steadily, the player base could shrink significantly in the coming weeks or months. Fragpunk isn't finished yet, but clearly, something about the game hasn't been able to hold players' attention once the novelty wore off.

The post Two weeks after launch, FragPunk’s player base decline sends a clear warning appeared first on Destructoid.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows seems to have faced every kind of criticism imaginable during its development.

Some of it was fair, such as concerns over potential historical inaccuracies raised by Japanese players, while other attacks were more reactionary—like people calling the game "woke" simply because it features two protagonists who aren’t white men: Yasuke, a black man, and Naoe, a Japanese woman.

Now, as the game is rolling out and streamers are creating content around it, trolls are also showing up, attacking both the game and content creators covering it. The latest example happened during FightinCowboy’s livestream when he played the opening moments of Assassin’s Creed Shadows on YouTube.

FightinCowboy shuts down trolls attacking Assassin’s Creed Shadows

Within the first 13 minutes of his AC Shadows stream, FightinCowboy had to pause the game to address negative comments about Yasuke being a black character in a game set in Japan.

"If you're just coming here to get into this weird race s* about a historical figure that existed in Japanese history, I'm just going to remove you," Fighting Cowboy said. "I don't care, your opinion is worthless to me [...] When I was a kid, guess what? If a game came out and I didn't want to get involved with it, I didn't f* play it, I didn't go on the internet and cry like an entitled little child."

He made it clear that he would ban or time out viewers spamming his chat with these comments so he could focus on playing the game.

"I'm here to play a f* game, not listen to you cry about a Black dude that existed in history. [...] If that upsets you, if that makes you not feel like you're in your special place, that's not my f* problem, go talk to your therapist about it."

Indeed, Yasuke was a real historical figure, a Black man taken to feudal Japan in the late 1500s. While Assassin’s Creed Shadows takes some creative freedom, such as portraying him as a full-fledged samurai, which is debated among some people, his existence in Japan is a historical fact.

Other than the samurai debate, there has been no pushback against Yasuke’s inclusion, especially not from longtime fans of the Assassin’s Creed series.

The harassment won’t stop, but the game is already selling

Unfortunately, FightinCowboy’s experience won’t be the last. Trolls frequently target games and content creators, and race-based criticism is something that some toxic gaming communities and streamers even encourage, directly or indirectly.

At this point, it’s about seeing how other streamers will handle the same toxic behavior while continuing to cover the game. However, despite the negativity, Assassin’s Creed Shadows is selling extremely well, including in Japan, where some originally thought it might struggle.

The game has already become a top seller on Steam, received very positive reviews, and this loud minority of players trying to hate on the game based on its setting and protagonists seems to have little influence over the broader gaming audience—most of whom, as FightinCowboy said, just want to play a game and have fun.

The post Assassin’s Creed Shadows streamer lashes out at ‘entitled’ trolls and their ‘worthless’ opinions on the game appeared first on Destructoid.

If Baldur’s Gate 3 isn’t the best RPG ever, it’s definitely one of the most loved. The game has been a sales hit since its release on August 3, 2023, and actually even before that.

What made so many players fall in love with BG3 wasn’t just the freedom to build characters and shape the story but its complete lack of microtransactions. You pay once, and that’s it—no subscriptions, no extra purchases, just a full single-player RPG packed with content.

Now, ahead of BG3's Patch 8, which will bring 12 new subclasses and even more free content, the game has hit an impressive milestone on Steam’s charts.

Baldur's Gate 3 has completed two years as a Steam global top seller

As of March 19, Baldur’s Gate 3 has officially been in Steam’s Global Top Sellers list for 104 weeks, adding up to two years and a longer time than its complete version's existence.

That means it has remained one of Steam’s top 100 games in revenue since before its actual release, thanks to its strong early access sales. It’s an incredible achievement for a game that isn’t a free-to-play multiplayer title with fast-paced gameplay like Counter-Strike 2 or Apex Legends, which have been on the charts for even longer. This just proves how Baldur’s Gate 3 continues to attract new players, even after such a long time.

The Steam charts rank games by revenue, not just by the number of copies sold. That means Baldur’s Gate 3 is competing directly with free-to-play games like Warframe and Overwatch 2, which make most of their money through microtransactions.

Yet, despite BG3 having no premium currency, skins, or extra paid content, it's still getting close in revenue to them. The only extra purchase available for the game is the Deluxe Edition upgrade, making its continued success even more impressive.

A new BG3 update could spike sales further

BG3 Patch 8 will add even more depth to the game by introducing 12 new subclasses, allowing players to explore different character builds and choices they may have missed before. It will bring more complexity to team building and strategy, giving players 12 more options to shape their playthroughs.

With a late March or early April release expected for the free update, even players who were hesitant to buy BG3 before might finally jump in, making the game’s success streak on Steam even longer.

The post Baldur’s Gate 3 hits incredible sales milestone on Steam just before Patch 8 appeared first on Destructoid.

I know we’re all excited about playing GTA 6—I definitely am, too—but people really need to stop making fake stuff about the game.

A new post on Reddit, shared by an Argentinian user, shows what might be one of the worst fake GTA 6 ads yet. It’s also one of the funniest, and honestly, I’d love to see it in action. And that’s after already coming across a fake GTA 6 guidebook I bought that was filled with AI-generated nonsense.

GTA 6 on PS2 is the most hilarious fake ad ever

The post, made in the Argentinian Gaming subreddit, shows a store window with a GTA 6 poster on it. At first glance, it looks like just another promotional image using Rockstar’s official artwork. But then you notice something strange—it has the PlayStation 2 banner across the top, the same one that used to be on PS2 game covers back in the day as if GTA 6 were actually a PS2 release.

Obviously, this is completely fake—GTA 6 would never run on a PS2. If someone even tried, the console would probably melt in five seconds from the sheer effort. The PS2 just doesn’t have anywhere near the power to handle a game like this.

More likely, this is just a fan-made mod or a hack of GTA San Andreas or GTA Vice City, where someone reworked the map and the characters, or maybe even added Lucia as a playable option. You can actually find many mods of this kind online.

Of course, this is piracy, plain and simple, so it’s probably best if this store doesn’t get too much attention if they're distributing it. That said, it’s still funny to imagine a GTA 6 PS2 edition and how ridiculous it would be.

GTA 6 is restricted to PS5 and Xbox Series X|S

As of now, GTA 6 is officially set to release in Fall 2025 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Rockstar has confirmed these platforms on its website, but a GTA 6 PC version will likely come later, as has been the case with previous GTA games.

As for Nintendo, there’s almost no chance we’ll see GTA 6 on the Switch or Switch 2. Since GTA 5 was never released on the original Switch, it’s unlikely that Rockstar will bring GTA 6 to a Nintendo console anytime soon, especially given Nintendo’s focus on more family-friendly games.

The post This fake GTA 6 ad might be the most shameless one yet appeared first on Destructoid.

Assassin's Creed Shadows is about to release on March 20, and its pre-sales have already pushed it into the top five on Steam’s global top sellers list.

As of March 18, Steam’s Global Top Sellers list ranks Assassin’s Creed Shadows in second place, just behind Counter-Strike 2. Even though CS2 is a free game, it appears on the list because Steam ranks games based on total revenue, which includes in-game transactions. Since CS2 and other free-to-play titles generate massive sales through microtransactions, their spots on the list reflect overall earnings rather than just game purchases.

With AC Shadows reviews now out, confirming that the game is a solid Assassin’s Creed title but not groundbreaking, it has still managed to overtake a major Steam hit before its official release.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows is outselling Split Fiction

Split Fiction, the co-op game that became a global top seller after launching on March 6, has now been pushed down from its previous third place on Steam’s Global Top Sellers list by Assassin’s Creed Shadows on March 18.

Split Fiction had been topping the UK charts and even outselling the Steam Deck in recent weeks. Now, AC Shadows has taken its place and is selling more than Valve’s portable console.

Among the other major titles AC Shadows is outselling are Monster Hunter Wilds and several AAA games that are heavily discounted during Steam’s Spring Sale, including Cyberpunk 2077, Elden Ring, and Baldur’s Gate 3.

AC Shadows faces tough competition in Japan, where the game is set

Since AC Shadows takes place in Japan, its portrayal of the country’s feudal era has sparked controversy. Despite this, the game was one of the top-selling titles on Amazon Japan leading up to its release.

However, with the launch and positive reviews of Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition on the Nintendo Switch, AC Shadows’ sales in Japan have dropped, with Xenoblade now taking the top spot.

Our Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition review scored the game 10/10, praising how it "modernizes and adds new content while keeping the original experience intact." This explains why so many players in Japan are now choosing to buy Xenoblade Chronicles X over AC Shadows.

The post Assassin’s Creed Shadows surges on Steam’s top sellers charts, overtaking a major recent hit appeared first on Destructoid.

Assassin's Creed Shadows is just around the corner, releasing on March 20, and reviews are already in.

There was a lot of speculation leading up to Assassin's Creed Shadows release, especially regarding Ubisoft’s depiction of Japanese culture in early trailers. But the same way this controversy didn’t have much impact on the AC Shadows sales, it didn't affect its reviews.

Critics who had early access have focused more on how the gameplay develops and how the story—fictional or not—fits into the game world and adds to the overall experience. Here’s what reviews are saying and how fans had already predicted the outcome.

Assassin's Creed Shadows is an 8 out of 10, on average

As of March 18, Assassin’s Creed Shadows has review scores in the low 80s on Metacritic, with the PC version scoring the lowest at 79 and the Xbox version the highest at 86. The pattern is similar on OpenCritic, where the game has an 81 average score and an 84-percent critic recommendation.

Most reviews focus on the same key points. They highlight how Assassin’s Creed Shadows improves gameplay, especially stealth mechanics, compared to previous titles, but also criticize the weak story and uninteresting narrative choices.

So, while an average score around 80 means the game is good, it’s not considered a masterpiece or one of the best in the series. Assassin's Creed 2 continues being the highest-rated game in the series on Metacritic with a score of 90.

Assassin's Creed fans expected this review score

Interestingly, days before reviews came out, fans had already predicted the game’s scores.

In Reddit threads leading up to launch, players speculated that the game would land in the 7/10 to 8/10 range, with some outlets occasionally giving it a 9/10. Some predictions were extremely accurate, with players guessing the score would land between 80 and 85, which turned out to be close to the final result.

So, what can we take away from all this? Assassin’s Creed Shadows is a good Assassin’s Creed game—nothing more, nothing less. It delivers exactly what you’d expect from an Assassin’s Creed title, without doing much to push the series to the next level.

Destructoid's Assassin's Creed Shadows review will be ready in the coming days.

The post Assassin’s Creed Shadows reviews are in, and they’re just what fans predicted appeared first on Destructoid.

The LEGO Pokémon sets are real and coming in 2026, leaving many players excited about this new set of collectibles. But there's one group of fans who are especially disappointed and worried about the future of their collections.

As Pokémon fans prepare for this release, which has already been teased to include a buildable Pikachu, there’s still a lot of speculation about what exactly will be available at launch. While other Nintendo franchises have already had LEGO sets, including Mario and Zelda, this is the first time in Pokémon’s 29-year history that LEGO will officially produce sets for the series.

But this also means a fan community that has been growing for the last eight years is likely about to be left empty-handed.

Mattel's MEGA blocks community worried Pokémon series are over

The MEGA Pokémon Collection, which are Pokémon-themed building blocks, is owned by Mattel and has been the only officially licensed Pokémon building block set since 2017, at least until LEGO's announcement.

Mattel hasn’t revealed any new MEGA Pokémon sets for 2025, even though it was still releasing smaller sets in 2024. Now, with The Pokémon Company’s new LEGO deal, it likely means the end of Mega Pokémon sets, and MEGA collectors are afraid this is true.

"I really don’t know what the future looks like for Mega anymore," one fan wrote. "This is probably the death knell," another one added.

Other fans were quick to add that there are cases when a company licenses its brand to competing company, but they don't sell competing products. For example, you have Mattel making miniature Formula 1 cars while LEGO has Formula 1 building sets.

"Pokémon is MEGA’s biggest license," a fan explained. "If Lego has successfully stolen it, then MEGA is as good as dead. The brand can’t survive off Hot Wheels."

This deal doesn’t mean players will never be able to find these Mattel blocks again, but MEGA Pokémon production will likely stop sometime this year. It's unusual for a company to license its brand to two different companies to produce competing products, so LEGO Pokémon will likely take over.

That’s also likely because the Pokémon and LEGO deal didn’t start immediately—meaning the licensing agreement between Pokémon and Mattel is probably valid until late 2025, when LEGO will actually be able to start creating and releasing its own sets.

Destructoid has reached out to Mattel for comment.

The post The LEGO Pokémon announcement has one fan community fearing the worst appeared first on Destructoid.

If you're excited about GTA 6 and believe anyone who claims to have inside information, you’ve probably already fallen for the $2 billion budget rumor—an unconfirmed claim that’s been around for a while.

Since 2022, one of the many leaks surrounding GTA 6 has been the widespread but unverified claim that its development costs are close to $2 billion. There are several reasons to doubt this, aside from the obvious fact that neither Rockstar nor Take-Two has ever disclosed GTA 6’s budget. The game is still in development, and the final cost will only be known when it’s finished. But here are a few more reasons why the idea of GTA 6 costing $2 billion doesn’t add up.

Other Rockstar games never came close to even $1 billion

Adjusting for inflation in 2024, GTA V had an estimated total cost of around $333 million—$137 million for development and the rest for marketing, according to specialist estimates.

Scaling that up nearly seven times would be a massive jump, even after GTA 6's nine years of development. While costs have risen over time, Rockstar didn’t start developing GTA 6 in 2025—earlier years of development would have been much cheaper, making such an extreme budget increase unlikely.

Red Dead Redemption 2 had over 2,000 people working on it for seven years before it was released in late 2018, and its estimated budget was around $540 million in very pessimistic projections. Still, just over half of a billion dollars and really far from two billion.

The most expensive live service games haven’t hit $1 billion in development

Genshin Impact, developed by miHoYo, has been in continuous development since 2020 and could be one of the most expensive games ever made, with a total estimated cost of over $900 million. But that includes both the initial development and five years of live service updates. Even with all that, it’s still nowhere near the rumored $2 billion for GTA 6.

For comparison, another extremely expensive game was Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, which cost around $700 million to develop—equivalent to $850 million by 2024 standards. Activision, a company bigger than Rockstar, still didn’t come close to a $1 billion total budget.

Even if GTA 6’s total budget was $2 billion, most of it would be marketing, not development

A huge portion of a game’s budget comes from marketing, and Rockstar hasn’t even begun its full marketing push for GTA 6. For example, GTA V had an estimated marketing budget of $265 million. If Rockstar decides to spend $1 billion on marketing for GTA 6, which is possible, it still wouldn’t mean the development cost itself is $2 billion.

Marketing budgets are unpredictable and can be as large as a company wants them to be, but that money doesn’t go into making the game better.

Even if Rockstar were to spend close to $1 billion on marketing, it’s still highly unlikely that the game’s actual development costs would add up to another $2 billion. A more reasonable estimate is that GTA 6’s total budget, including marketing, could approach $1 billion, but not that the game alone costs $2 billion to make.

The bottom line: The $2 billion GTA 6 budget claim has no proof

While it’s possible that, over time, GTA 6 could cost Rockstar $2 billion in total if you include marketing, post-launch support, and GTA Online updates, there is no proof that its development alone has a $2 billion budget. There’s no confirmation that Rockstar has set aside that amount or that it will ever spend that much in total.

Instead of focusing on wild budget rumors, it makes more sense to watch out for Take-Two’s upcoming earnings reports and manage your expectations for GTA 6 when it launches in Fall 2025.

The post Why the rumored $2 billion GTA 6 budget is quite unlikely to be real appeared first on Destructoid.

It's been over a year since Rockstar last gave us any details on GTA 6, and all fans have left is speculation.

The GTA 6 Trailer 1 dropped in late 2023, and we had no news in 2024 or so far in 2025. This led to endless speculation, from lighting details in GTA V to retailers creating $112 pre-orders for a game that hasn’t even been fully announced yet.

But now an old Reddit post proves that fans, so-called insiders, and people who think they have insider knowledge have been wrong about GTA 6 for years — maybe for as long as we’ve been waiting for the game to be announced.

GTA 6 fans expected an actual release date in 2018

An old Reddit thread from nine years ago shows someone predicting that the GTA 6 trailer would drop in early 2017, with the game’s release date announced in 2018. That wasn’t even close. Rockstar released the first trailer in December 2023, and the game is actually set to launch in Fall 2025.

A quick search on Reddit also pulls up countless other posts over the years predicting releases in March, September, and other supposed Rockstar announcements that never happened. People claim to have figured out Rockstar’s patterns — I'm guilty of that too with GTA 6 preorders — but in reality, everyone is making guesses simply because Rockstar isn’t giving us the information we want.

Some of these rumors go to extremes, with people creating fake GTA 6 guidebooks or making wild claims about the game's budget. In the end, it’s all just speculation, and there’s nothing we can do about it.

Even more reasonable speculation, like fans brainstorming new features for the game, is probably off the mark because we still don’t know much. All we know for sure is that GTA 6 will have two protagonists, Lucia and Jason, and the game is set in Vice City.

So, if you’re caught up in the GTA 6 hype this year, be careful about believing anyone who claims to have inside information or who insists they’ve cracked the code on release dates, pre-orders, or pricing. Eventually, someone will get it right by sheer luck, because with so many people guessing dates and timelines, someone is bound to land one.

But for now, just relax, maybe play some GTA Online, enjoy other games, and keep an eye out for real updates from Rockstar—maybe a second GTA 6 trailer and an official release date confirmation.

The post GTA 6 speculation has been off for years, and this fan shows just how bad it is appeared first on Destructoid.

Assassin's Creed Shadows is set to release on March 20, and one of the biggest controversies during its development was its depiction of Japanese culture.

When the game was first announced, many players quickly pointed out historical inaccuracies in Ubisoft’s representation of feudal Japan based on early footage of Assassin's Creed Shadows. One of them involved one of the game's protagonists, Yasuke, being depicted as a Samurai, when some people claim he was never a samurai.

This led to calls for a boycott in Japan, including a petition for Ubisoft to cancel the game development with over 100,000 signings. Ubisoft responded to players saying it worked with specialists to create the game world, and that the title is a work of fiction.

Now, with the release just around the corner, we have a better idea of how Japanese players are actually responding.

Assassin's Creed Shadows is a top seller in Japan despite controversies

It turns out that, at least in the pre-release period, Japanese players are not avoiding Assassin's Creed: Shadows at all.

The game is currently ranked as the third best-selling game on Amazon Japan, only behind Monster Hunter Wilds and Split Fiction, and it is also among the top-selling games on online retailers like Rakuten.

This suggests that Japanese players were not as concerned about the initial character designs and cultural representation as some expected. Many are still pre-ordering the game in large numbers, making it one of the best-selling titles in recent weeks.

Still, no one knows exactly how the full game will turn out, and only those deeply familiar with Japanese culture will be able to judge how well Ubisoft has portrayed it. Until then, the controversy doesn’t seem to be stopping players from getting excited about the release.

Players in select regions can already start pre-loading Assassin's Creed Shadows ahead of its launch on March 20 — or late on March 19 in some areas. Check out our full AC Shadows pre-load and release guide for details on pre-load availability in your region. The game is Steam Deck Verified.

The post Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ sale numbers in Japan reveal players’ answers to controversies appeared first on Destructoid.

Ubisoft is reportedly planning a big move to strengthen its finances and become more stable in 2025 and beyond.

According to Bloomberg, the company is looking for investors to help create a new business unit that will hold its biggest franchises, including Assassin’s Creed. Ubisoft would still be the main owner of this new unit, but it would sell a small part of it to an outside investor.

This doesn’t mean the investor would own Ubisoft’s current IPs or have control over them. Ubisoft would remain in charge, keeping full decision-making power while using the investment to bring in more money.

This move comes at a time when Ubisoft’s stock has been struggling, and the company is betting big on Assassin’s Creed Shadows, which launches on March 20, to help turn things around.

What Ubisoft creating a new company and selling part of it means

Ubisoft’s move is essentially a way to get a large cash boost upfront by selling a small stake in a new entity that includes Assassin’s Creed and other IPs—without tying it directly to how well any single game or product performs. This gives Ubisoft more capital to invest in the company, fill revenue gaps, or cover operational costs.

While this does mean Ubisoft will share a portion of future earnings from Assassin’s Creed (and other IPs) with investors who now hold a minority stake, the trade-off is getting immediate funding. That money can then be used to scale up investments in these franchises, which could lead to even more Assassin’s Creed products.

Ubisoft is not selling Assassin's Creed

Since all this business conversation and some legalese can make the report hard to understand, here's a list of facts, based on the report, that clarify some parts of this potential deal:

• Ubisoft is not selling Assassin’s Creed.
• Assassin’s Creed will still be a Ubisoft game. The company will still hold a major part of it.
• Ubisoft is not being bought out.
• Other Ubisoft IPs will also be included.
• Ubisoft is not shutting down or failing.

The post Ubisoft could create a new business division with Assassin’s Creed and sell a part of it, report says appeared first on Destructoid.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows is coming soon, launching on March 20, and Steam players have been eagerly waiting for news on how Ubisoft will support the Steam Deck.

In recent years, the game developer has tried to move away from Steam, focusing on its own launcher, Ubisoft Connect, instead. But since late 2024, Ubisoft is making a strong return to Steam, bringing full integration with AC Shadows Steam achievements, collectible cards, and badges.

A big question about the game was how well it would run on the Steam Deck. When Ubisoft first confirmed Assassin’s Creed Shadows will be available on Steam Deck at launch, it wasn’t clear whether it would just be Playable or be fully Verified for a smooth experience.

AC Shadows achieves Steam Deck Verified earlier than expected

Today, Ubisoft confirmed that Assassin’s Creed Shadows is officially Steam Deck-verified—the highest level of compatibility a game can get. The company acknowledged how they got it earlier than they expected.

"Despite initially announcing we wouldn’t be able to support until later [...] the team made great progress over the past few weeks and was able to make it happen for launch," Ubisoft wrote on Steam.

This means players will be able to fully customize controls and use all the Steam Deck features that come with verified games. It probably also means the game runs at a decent frame rate, likely somewhere close to 30 FPS at the very least. That’s a good sign for a modern game running on the Steam Deck, which is often considered underpowered compared to other platforms.

Ubisoft will lock AC Shadows graphic settings on the Steam Deck

While this is mostly great news, there is one downside. AC Shadows' graphics settings will be locked, at least for now. Ubisoft hasn’t explained exactly which settings will be locked or how that will impact performance, but players won’t be able to tweak most of the graphics options at launch.

"While graphical settings will be locked at launch, you’ll be able to choose the upscalers you want, and we’re looking into providing further options in future updates," the company wrote.

So whatever visual quality you get on day one is what you’ll have to stick with until Ubisoft releases an update with more options. There’s no word yet on when that update will come, but it’ll likely take a few weeks. Ubisoft will probably focus on fixing launch bugs and critical issues before adding more graphics settings for Steam Deck players.

AC Shadows releases on Steam along with other platforms on March 20, with the exact timing depending on your region.

The post Assassin’s Creed Shadows is Steam Deck Verified ahead of launch, but Ubisoft is locking one setting appeared first on Destructoid.

With GTA 6 set for a Fall 2025 release and Rockstar remaining completely silent since dropping the first trailer in December 2023, fans continue to speculate wildly about what the game will look like.

From debates over how much GTA 6 will cost, whether its lighting will look like GTA 5 Enhanced, and if preorders can be trusted, one recurring discussion in the community is how the game will begin.

One theory that keeps resurfacing is that the GTA 6 map will be restricted at the start of the story, forcing players to progress through the opening chapter to unlock the full world. This speculation comes from a small detail in the promotional images released so far.

GTA 6 fans think the game might start in prison or right after Lucia gets out

In one of the promotional images, Lucia, one of the main characters, is wearing an ankle monitor. That likely means she’s still being watched by the police even though she’s no longer in prison.

Because of this, some players believe GTA 6 could start with Lucia either still in prison, getting released, or just out but unable to move freely because of the monitor.

This would make a lot of sense for the story, based on what we’ve seen in the first GTA 6 trailer and images. But at the same time, it might annoy players who just want to jump in and explore the world right away. And if we look at how Rockstar has handled this kind of thing before, there’s a chance it won’t go over well with everyone.

Red Dead Redemption 2’s intro proves a slow start can get boring

Red Dead Redemption 2 starts with a pretty restricted first chapter, mainly to teach players the game’s mechanics. While that makes sense for new players, many people found it slow and frustrating over time. In fact, experienced players keep an extra save file right at the start of Chapter 2, just so they never have to go through that intro again.

Even people who love Red Dead Redemption 2 still complain about how long the opening takes. If GTA 6 does something similar, most players might not mind initially amid all the hype. But later on, having a slow start with restrictions could end up being one of the things people don’t like about the game.

For now, nothing is confirmed. Rockstar hasn’t released a GTA 6 trailer two, and all we know for sure is that GTA 6 is coming in Fall 2025 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Everything else is just theories and wishful thinking.

The post What some fans want for GTA 6’s story intro could actually make it boring appeared first on Destructoid.

Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 3 is officially in development, Saber Interactive, Focus Entertainment, and Games Workshop announced in a press release on March 13.

The game will feature a new campaign, multiplayer modes, and everything that has made the Space Marine series a success. Following the strong reception of Space Marine 2 in September 2024, the game's community remains highly active, with peak concurrent player counts ranging from 7,000 to 10,000 on Steam and an overall positive rating of over 80% on the platform.

Now, Saber Interactive, Focus Entertainment, and their partners are looking to build on that success with Space Marine 3.

Space Marine 3 is planned, but it’s still a long way off

While the announcement confirms that development has begun, it only means the game is in its earliest stages. As the companies themselves have stated, "Space Marine 3 is likely years away from release."

Considering the Space Marine 2 development timeline, this could mean the sequel is over three years away. The current title was announced in December 2021 with a cinematic trailer, with an eventual September 2024 release three years later.

At this point, there are no trailers or gameplay details for Space Marine 3, just a single promotional image included in the announcement. It's safe to expect that the wait for it will likely be longer than three years.

The only promises the developers made so far are "an immersive campaign, a multiplayer mode, and innovations that will redefine the standards of third-person action games." In a press release, they also teased "large-scale battles that are even more spectacular" than those in Space Marine 2.

Space Marine 2 will continue to receive support

For Space Marine 2 players, the good news is that ongoing support for the game will continue, even as Space Marine 3 enters development. According to the developers:

"We have been honored by the incredible response from fans following the launch of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2. We will continue to support the game with exciting content and regular updates in the coming years," they wrote. They've also confirmed that a Horde mode is coming soon.

The post Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 3 confirmed, but the wait will be long appeared first on Destructoid.

GTA 6 has a strong chance of releasing on PC, and Rockstar's parent company, Take-Two Interactive, has already hinted at it.

While retailers are launching their own GTA 6 preorders and possibly leaking the game's price, fans are speculating about everything—from the game’s lighting to whether John Cena is involved, and even going as far as creating fake guidebooks for GTA 6.

But the biggest unanswered question remains: Will GTA 6 come to PC? So far, the game has only been officially confirmed for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.

Why a GTA 6 PC version is all but confirmed

When asked about a possible GTA 6 PC version earlier this year, Take-Two's CEO said the company releases its games on additional platforms later, focusing on consoles first, then release them on other platforms later.

While he didn’t explicitly confirm a PC release, there really aren’t any other platforms for GTA 6 to land on, especially since the Nintendo Switch never even got GTA 5. That makes it highly unlikely that the Nintendo Switch 2 would get GTA 6, meaning the only realistic "other platform" would be PC.

Whether it eventually arrives on Steam, the Epic Games Store, or a cloud service like GeForce Now, GTA 6 is almost certainly coming to PC—it’s just a matter of when. Of course, this assumes Rockstar won’t release a mobile version of GTA 6, similar to how GTA 5 never had a mobile port. A mobile adaptation, if it ever happens, would likely be something completely different from the console and PC versions.

But here's why a GTA 6 PC version likely won't be ready by Fall 2025

That said, Rockstar has a long history of delaying PC releases for their biggest games. Both GTA 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2 launched on consoles first, with PC versions following much later.

GTA 5 released on Windows 18 months after its PS3 and Xbox 360 launch, while Red Dead Redemption 2's PC port was slightly quicker to arrive and came out 13 months after the PS4 and Xbox One release.

A former Rockstar developer hinted that this delayed release is strategical—Rockstar prioritizes launching games on the platforms that generate the most sales first, then works on PC ports later. So, it's already expected that GTA 6 will launch first in Fall 2025 for PlayStation and Xbox, with a likely PC release sometime between late 2026 and early 2027.

Another big reason Rockstar is almost guaranteed to bring GTA 6 to PC is GTA Online. The PC version of the title has an entire ecosystem of mods and third-party role-playing servers that have kept the game alive for years.

Since Rockstar acquired Cfx.re, the team behind FiveM, a major force in GTA Online’s modding community, it’s unlikely they would abandon this part of their business when launching a new game. Instead, it makes far more sense for them to build on that success and bring GTA 6 to PC when the time is right.

The post Why GTA 6 will release on PC but likely not on launch day appeared first on Destructoid.

Rockstar’s launch of their official Discord server went smoothly, but they probably didn’t expect the platform itself to take a jab at them over GTA 6’s release.

On March 12, Rockstar announced their official Discord server, which includes a dedicated GTA 6 channel where players can discuss the game. This server is now a central hub for Rockstar to connect with its community, alongside its usual platforms like Twitter and its official website.

While Discord is surely happy to see Rockstar’s server explode past 300,000 members in under 24 hours, they couldn’t resist making a joke at the company’s expense. In a post, Discord wrote, "We got an official Rockstar server before GTA 6."

This is a nod to the long-running "We got [thing] before GTA 6" meme, where people list all kinds of things that have happened between GTA 5’s release and the yet-to-arrive GTA 6, since we only know the game will release in Fall 2025.

Whether it’s unexpected product launches, cultural events, or even the latest rumors—like GTA 6 potentially costing $100 or retailers offering preorders at $112—fans constantly joke about how seemingly everything gets revealed or released before GTA 6.

Of course, Discord wasn’t making a serious dig at Rockstar. It was just their usual playful social media style, engaging with the gaming community in a way that resonates—just like when John Cena recently posted GTA 6’s artwork on Instagram, fueling even more speculation.

Rockstar’s official Discord server is naturally fueling GTA 6 hype

The launch of Rockstar’s Discord server has led many players on Twitter to believe that new GTA 6 news could be coming soon. Given that we’re now over 15 months out from the game’s reveal with no major updates, the timing certainly raises eyebrows. Some fans are convinced that the GTA 6 Trailer 2 or preorder news might drop soon.

Still, it’s important to stay realistic. While fake screenshots have been circulating on Twitter claiming that Rockstar has posted on Discord about a second trailer release date, there’s no official word from the company on Discord or anywhere else.

For now, Rockstar’s new Discord server is simply a gathering place for their gaming community—though fans are hopeful that it could also become the go-to spot for official GTA 6 updates in the future.

The post Even Discord is roasting Rockstar over GTA 6’s never-ending wait appeared first on Destructoid.

With Assassin's Creed Shadows just around the corner, releasing on March 20, Ubisoft has finally confirmed whether the game will be supported on the Steam Deck.

Ubisoft announced on Twitter that Assassin's Creed Shadows will be officially supported on Steam Deck at launch. This means Steam Deck users can purchase the game directly from Steam, download it, and play without any weird workarounds that are usually needed to play unsupported games.

If you've preordered AC Shadows, you'll also be able to preload it ahead of release to start playing as soon as it goes live.

We don't know if AC Shadows will be Steam Deck Verified or just Playable

The biggest question remains how well the game will run on the Deck since Ubisoft said it would confirm Valve's classification later.

The PC system requirements for Assassin’s Creed Shadows suggest that the Steam Deck may struggle to keep a stable frame rate at high visual settings. This likely means that players will need to turn on FSR upscaling and lower graphic settings to play at a decent frame rate.

Another concern is overall optimization at launch. If you own a Steam Deck, you know how some "Steam Deck Verified" games actually perform extremely poorly, with lags and hiccups, especially in their early days.

While the game is officially supported, it's unclear how well it will perform across all platforms at launch, especially on the Deck. Some games experience technical issues on release day, and Assassin's Creed Shadows could be no different. Until the game is available and more information comes out, there’s no way to know the best settings for Steam Deck performance or what frame rates players can expect.

For now, all we can do is wait for further details from Ubisoft or hands-on reports once the game launches. If you're worried about how Assassin’s Creed Shadows will run on the Steam Deck, you may want to check the game's console specs and consider playing on a device that can fully support the game without additional tweaking.

The post Assassin’s Creed Shadows will support Steam Deck at launch, but one big question remains unanswered appeared first on Destructoid.

GTA players are beyond excited for GTA 6’s 2025 release—so excited that some are literally buying things about the game months before it even comes out.

Over on the GTA 6 subreddit, a user pointed out that an author on Amazon is selling Grand Theft Auto 6: The Ultimate Guide, All You Want to Know About GTA 6 for a $2.99 on Kindle to $5.74 in paperback in 98 pages.

The book claims to have everything you need to know about GTA 6 and promises to help players master every aspect of the game, from the basics to advanced strategies.

Of course, the weird part isn’t just that someone is selling a guide for a game that doesn’t exist yet and that nobody actually knows anything about; it's that some people actually bought this thing.

The book has two reviews—one five-star review, which is either from the author’s friend or a very optimistic customer, and a one-star review that simply calls it "AI nonse," which, given the circumstances, seems like an accurate summary of a 98-page book about a game that doesn’t exist yet.

I actually skimmed through this fake GTA 6 guidebook

But in the name of journalism, I bought the book, so you don’t have to. Yes, that’s the level of dedication we sometimes subject ourselves to. To be honest, I just skimmed through it after trying to take the first two chapters seriously, which I failed to do.

"Spoiler" alert: there's no legitimate information about GTA 6 in it.

The book starts with a bunch of filler about Rockstar and the history of Grand Theft Auto—basically what you’d get if you typed the right query into ChatGPT.

Then there’s Chapter 3, "Setting and Storyline," which has the most blatant AI-generated text imaginable. At the end of the section, there’s a horizontal bar followed by a block explaining something to the author, much like what you'd get when you ask an AI to write something for you:

"This is just a simple outline with some initial chapters fleshed out. You can expand upon each section further, adding more detailed information, insights, analysis, engaging readers, captivating attention, maintaining interest throughout entire ebook, ensuring comprehensive coverage topically, thoroughly explore, discuss, leaving no stone unturned, providing ultimate guide, everything you need to know about highly anticipated forthcoming title Grand Theft Auto 6."

Chapter 7 has something similar, with a line at the end that says, "Absolutely! Let's continue expanding the Ebook with more detailed content for each chapter."

The book then generously informs us that GTA 6 will have "a mix of storyline missions, side quests, random events, and activities scattered throughout the world." Groundbreaking. Who could have guessed that an open-world game in 2025 would have quests?

Then there’s Chapter 6, "Multiplayer Modes," which consists of three solid pages of words with no punctuation. No periods, no commas, no line breaks—just a neverending stream of multiplayer-related words, like "Building upon solid foundation laid predecessors upcoming installment expected introduce host innovative features enhancements aimed further enriching overall multiplayer experience."

But even that doesn’t compare to Chapter 18, "Legal Issues and Controversies," which takes this technique to the next level by running seven straight pages of unbroken, AI-generated gibberish, like "Concerned stakeholders involved including parents educators policymakers law enforcement agencies advocacy groups media outlets general public alike contributing ongoing discourse shaping societal attitudes perceptions towards video games broader context cultura phenomena."

I'm dead serious, this is a perfect transcription of part of the chapter.

The book finally wraps up at Chapter 31—yes, somehow jumping from Chapter 19, thanks to the author's failure to format the ebook properly—where it discusses GTA 6 leaks. But instead of covering leaks like you’d see on an actual gaming news site, it just provides a generic, AI-written explanation of how leaks happen in the game industry.

This isn’t the first time GTA 6 fans have fallen into an obvious trap

When John Cena casually posted GTA 6’s art on Instagram, some people took it as confirmation that he’d be in the game—even though it was most likely just a joke, and even if he were in the game, he wouldn’t be able to say anything due to NDAs.

Then there’s the chaos over preorder rumors, despite the fact that we have only a vague idea of when those will go live. And, of course, the ongoing debate about whether GTA 6 will cost $100 or even $112 in some regions.

The point is, don’t trust people selling GTA 6 "insider" information. The game does not exist yet, and nobody has exclusive access to anything—especially not enough to justify charging anything for a so-called guide.

So yeah, this book is not worth buying. And I think I have a good argument for Amazon to refund me for that one.

The post I actually bought this fake GTA 6 guidebook, and it’s somehow worse than I expected appeared first on Destructoid.

As Rockstar remains silent on GTA 6 updates ahead of its Fall 2025 release, all we can do is continue to speculate on what features the game might include.

Discussions range from potential pricing—whether GTA 6 could cost $100 or even $112—to whether it will have dynamic lighting like the latest update in GTA 5. Among the many theories and wishlist features circulating in the community, one idea gaining attention is a way to make the "Wasted" screen more interactive.

GTA 6 should let you see what happens after the "Wasted" screen

Some players on the GTA 6 subreddit have suggested that instead of simply fading to black, the "Wasted" screen could let players see the reactions of NPCs to their character’s death.

"I would like to be able to see people's reactions," a user wrote. "I hope that you’ll be able to see your death for as long as you want, and to respawn you just press any button," another one added.

For example, if the character dies in the middle of the street, people nearby could panic and run away, take out their phones to call for help, or even snap pictures of the body. This could add an interesting layer of immersion, making your failure feel more dynamic and connected to the game world—or even funny, if some reactions are too wild.

I personally see this creating a new kind of community interaction, with people sharing the most dramatic or unexpected "Wasted" moments. Who knows, maybe even a competition for the most attention-grabbing Wasted scenes, capturing the reactions of as many NPCs as possible for the perfect screenshot or video.

Some players think a new "Wasted" screen in GTA 6 would eventually become boring

However, not everyone agrees that this would be a useful feature. Some feel that while it could be an amusing novelty initially, players would likely skip it after a while.

"This seems gimmicky and would become stale really fast most people would skip anyways," a fan noted. "Sounds nice, but I'd at least hope it'd be an option you can toggle. Can't imagine it'd stay fresh after some tens of hours, especially in online," a second one added.

Especially given how often deaths occur in GTA games, many players prefer to respawn and jump back into the action quickly rather than wait to see how NPCs react.

While the idea of an interactive "Wasted" screen is interesting, it may not be practical as a core gameplay feature. Instead, I could see it working well in specific moments, such as dramatic scripted sequences in the story where a character’s death has a major impact and just after their first death in that sequence.

But for general gameplay, most players like me would likely just skip it and move on.

The post GTA 6’s ‘Wasted’ screen could be more than just a respawn with this fan idea implemented appeared first on Destructoid.

Assassin's Creed Shadows is almost here, and players can’t wait to dive into its intricate story with two protagonists when it launches on March 20.

While Ubisoft has been slowly teasing more details, like a gameplay comparison between Yasuke and Naoe, fans are hyped and eager to learn more without getting major story spoilers.

Since Assassin’s Creed is traditionally a story-driven series, AC Shadows is expected to follow that same path. However, one early bonus reward is making some players rethink whether they actually want these extras, as unlocking them comes with unavoidable early-game spoilers.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows Twitch Drops could spoil the early game

Ubisoft will offer Twitch Drops for Assassin’s Creed Shadows starting on March 18, two days before the game releases. The issue is that to earn these rewards, players must watch three hours of Shadows streams, which means exposing themselves to potential spoilers from the game’s opening hours.

"Why the heck would we, who will also play the game watch someone else play it on Twitch?" one player commented on the game's subreddit. "I never really understood twitch drops for story games like AC," a second one agreed.

The rewards are items for Naoe. Since Assassin’s Creed Shadows is a large open-world game, some streamers may choose to play through parts with fewer story spoilers, though players will still see parts of the game they might not want to before playing it themselves.

Here is the Twitch drops details...

On March 18th at 6pm GMT watch my stream to earn some in-game rewards

Watch 1 hour - Naoe's Spirit Headband
Watch 2 hours - Naoe's Spirit Kosode Gear
Watch 3 hours - Naoe's Oath Tanto#UbisoftCreators #AssassinsCreedShadows https://t.co/7SnCYGoFqv pic.twitter.com/zZVOW9d21Z— Scholars of the Creed (@CreedScholars) March 8, 2025

You can get Twitch Drops without spoilers

Thankfully, there’s a simple way to earn the rewards while avoiding spoilers: just leave a participating stream open in another tab or on a separate device. You can mute the stream or lower the volume and let it run for three hours without watching. This is easy for those of us with zero attention span.

Twitch will still track your watch time, and once you sync your Ubisoft account, you’ll receive the rewards when the game launches without seeing any spoilers.

The game will be available at different times depending on your platform and region. Check out our Assassin’s Creed Shadows release date and time guide to find out when it will be playable in your time zone, as there are major differences across platforms.

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While GTA 6 players are debating on social media whether the rumored $100 price tag is fair—even without seeing the full game yet—a Swiss retailer might have even worse news for those who already think the game is expensive.

Swiss retailer Brack has listed a GTA 6 pre-order page on its website. The store is legitimate, so this isn’t just a random listing. According to the product page, the game is priced at $99 Swiss francs, which, as of March 11, converts to about $112.

The retailer has also answered customer questions on the page, with two common ones being whether this is a real pre-order and whether the price could change. The store was clear—the price is correct for now, and this is the store's pre-order listing for GTA 6.

GTA 6 official preorders are still not live, though

Stores can set up pre-orders however they want, even if they aren’t official partners with Rockstar. If you place a GTA 6 pre-order with Brack, it likely means that when the game is released, the store will have your information and send you a copy, but it does not mean Rockstar has confirmed global pre-orders.

It’s essentially a reservation to secure a copy in case stock runs out quickly. Unless you live in Switzerland, it’s probably not worth paying for this pre-order. And even then, it's an early listing, and we don't know if this price is higher than Rockstar's suggested retailer price for GTA 6.

This situation is similar to what happened with a GTA 6 preorder in Malaysia, where one store independently set up preorders for the game. If more retailers follow suit, we’ll likely see more unofficial preorders popping up.

However, at the time of writing, there is no official GTA 6 preorder page on Rockstar’s website, as we only have an idea of the game's release window and no exact release date.

This does not confirm GTA 6 will cost $112

The $112 price tag is not an official confirmation of the game’s global price. Game prices vary by country for many reasons, including import taxes. In some regions, games are significantly more expensive due to additional costs for retailers.

That said, it’s unlikely that taxes alone are the reason for this high price. While this doesn’t confirm reports that GTA 6 will cost $100, it does suggest that the game may be more expensive than most current AAA titles.

It’s also unclear whether Brack's listing refers to a standard edition or a more expensive deluxe edition. Some retailers offer preorders for special editions before standard versions go live, which could explain the high price.

For now, the only thing guaranteed is that if you pre-order GTA 6 from Brack, you’ll pay the equivalent of $112 for a copy. Whether this hints at a higher price in other regions remains uncertain, but it does suggest that GTA 6 may not be as cheap as today’s AAA games.

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Microsoft may be bringing Xbox to a handheld device soon. The idea of an Xbox handheld has been teased and briefly mentioned by Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer for months.

Speculation began in 2024 when Spencer touched on the possibility of Microsoft working on an Xbox handheld. The success of Valve’s Steam Deck showed that a handheld gaming device could thrive outside of Nintendo, which has dominated the handheld space for decades with systems like the Game Boy, Nintendo DS, and, more recently, the Nintendo Switch.

Now, with more companies entering the handheld market, including Sony with the hybrid PlayStation Portal, it looks like Microsoft is ready to make its own attempt.

Xbox’s handheld device is confirmed

The Xbox handheld is not just a rumor—it’s real. Phil Spencer confirmed in November 2024 that Microsoft is actively working on an Xbox handheld device, ensuring integration with Windows and Xbox Game Pass.

This came months after Spencer first hinted at the idea during an interview in June 2024, where he mentioned that a handheld Xbox was something worth exploring. Now, it’s clear that development is underway.

While it’s already possible to play Xbox Game Pass titles on the Steam Deck, Spencer seems to be referring to a full-fledged console, something like the Nintendo Switch, where players can buy and play offline games, not just stream through the cloud.

A cloud-only handheld wouldn’t be a major advantage, as players can already set some things up to access the Xbox Game Pass on devices like the Steam Deck.

Xbox’s handheld is not a Series X|S successor

Despite the excitement, reports indicate that Microsoft's handheld device, codenamed "Keenan", will not replace the Xbox Series X|S. It won’t be the next-generation Xbox, and its release won’t make the Series X or S obsolete.

In fact, an actual successor to the Xbox Series X|S is reportedly scheduled for a 2027 release, according to Windows Central.

Xbox handheld could launch in 2025

Until then, it looks like Microsoft’s handheld console is set for a 2025 release, according to reports, though no exact date has been announced.

Xbox has traditionally released its consoles in November. With the Nintendo Switch 2 set to launch in 2025 as a direct competitor to Xbox’s handheld, Microsoft may time its release to avoid going head-to-head with the Japanese juggernaut's next console.

It’s still unclear whether the handheld will simply play existing Xbox Series X|S games, if it will have exclusive titles, or how development will be structured. But as Microsoft moves forward, we’ll likely learn more soon.

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As we all wait patiently in the GTA 6 waiting room, some players are coming up with wild theories that might sound good at first but are pretty easy to see through for more experienced fans.

GTA 6 is set to release in Fall 2025, meaning sometime between September 22 and December 21 with Rockstar's release history hinting at when preorders could go live.

With no official gameplay details yet, we have no idea what systems will be added, removed, or changed compared to GTA 5. That hasn’t stopped players from dreaming up ideas while waiting for a second trailer or an official gameplay reveal.

The idea of a more "realistic" weapon system in GTA 6

An idea that has returned recently in the GTA 6 community is a more realistic approach to weapon inventory. Since the start, GTA has always let players carry multiple weapons without any visible storage—your character can hold a pistol, a minigun, and everything in between, switching between them instantly like a personal cloud armory.

Some players are now suggesting that GTA 6 should follow a system more like Red Dead Redemption 2, where characters can only carry a limited number of weapons at a time—maybe a pistol and one or two larger weapons, plus an explosive if they have a backpack. Other weapons would need to be stored in a truck or car trunk. If a player needed to switch weapons mid-mission, they’d have to physically go back to their car, swap guns, and then continue.

While that might sound appealing to fans of more realistic gameplay—especially as many recent games lean toward realism—it would obviously be one of the worst possible ideas for online gameplay, assuming GTA 6 continues the online experience.

Why a realistic inventory could ruin GTA 6 online

Imagine this realistic inventory, and that you’ve stored your best weapons in your car, and another player comes along and blows it up. Now, you’re stuck with whatever weapons you were holding, and everything else is gone.

Of course, one way to fix this would be if GTA 6 automatically restores a player's weapons when they retrieve their car from insurance. But even then, it would completely change how GTA Online is played. It would likely lead to players going around the map blowing up cars just to troll others and leave them empty-handed for a while.

Personally, I don’t like this idea because part of GTA’s magic is its exaggerated realism. The fun of the series comes from the chaos—massive explosions, running over cars with trucks, and switching weapons on the go without worrying about how big they are. Adding this kind of realism would be a huge change, and I doubt many fans would welcome it. I wouldn't.

While this is just a wild suggestion from some fans looking for something different, it’s unclear whether Rockstar will make major changes to core gameplay features. We’ll likely have to wait for a second trailer, a gameplay reveal, or another major update as we get closer to GTA 6’s Fall 2025 release window.

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