The First Berserker: Khazan stays pretty true to the standard Soulslike formula, prioritizing exhilarating boss fights over everything else. Here are all of The First Berserker: Khazan bosses in the order that you will encounter them.

All Main Mission Bosses in The First Berserker: Khazan

In total, there are 16 Main Mission Bosses in The First Berserker: Khazan, some of which have multiple phases that are each their own separate fight. We've compiled a list of all of the Main Mission Bosses in The First Berserker: Khazan in the order in which you will encounter them, as well as brief strategies for each boss:

Mission 1 Boss - Yetuga

Yetuga, the Mission 1 Boss of The First Berserker: Khazan is one of the most aggressive creatures in the snowy mountains, and is highly territorial. Yetuga shows unconditional hostility towards anything that moves, so be prepared for immediate engagement! As Yetuga is a frost-based encounter, you'll want to bring some useful items that counter frost-based status effects.

Key Boss Strategy Tips for Yetuga

• Focus on first destroying Yetuga's Ice Spikes as it will remove his ability to use Ice Spike Attacks, making the fight much easier.
• Be sure to avoid Yetuga's grab attacks by dodging them, as they can quickly result in your demise.
• Try to stick near Yetuga's rear as many of his attacks are frontal, making it easier to avoid taking damage while dealing sustained damage yourself.
• When possible, bait Yetuga into slamming into walls when he does his charge attacks, as it will result in a long-duration Stagger where you can get plenty of easy attacks on him.

Mission 2 Boss - Blade Phantom

The Blade Phantom is a specter that has been summoned to the mortal realm under Charon's command with the task of restoring order in the Netherworld. It's made up of countless spirits which make the Blade Phantom grow stronger when it absorbs the souls of powerful warriors. You can time a Perfect Guard against the Blade Phantom for a huge opportunity to counterattack.

Key Boss Strategy Tips for Blade Phantom

• Try to time a Perfect guard when the Blade Phantom does its final strike with the Netherworld Spear or Twin Swords attack and follow up with a flurry of counterattacks.
• Play defensively until the Blade Phantom drains its Stamina by attacking, and then attack the boss aggressively.

Mission 3 Boss - Viper (Phase 1)

Viper is a high-ranking dragonkin created by Hismar and serves as the last leader of the defeated dragons. He possesses a fragment of Hismar's power and wields it for greater strength when necessary. The Viper boss also has a Perfect Guard opportunity in Phase 1.

Key Boss Strategy Tips for Viper (Phase 1)

• You can break the Viper's horns to expose a weak point that takes increased damage.
• Be careful of the Viper's spear-throwing attack which deals massive damage.
• A successfully timed Perfect Guard during its five-attack Rapid Strike can send it into a Staggered state where you can counterattack with ease.

Mission 3 Boss - Viper (Phase 2)

In Phase 2, the Viper is corrupted by the power of the Berserk Dragon, increasing his overall strength and changing his mechanics throughout the fight.

Key Boss Strategy Tips for Viper (Phase 2)

• You can still break the Viper's horn to expose a weak point that takes increased damage.
• Any attacks coming from Viper's right hand can be countered or blocked via Perfect Guard, though his left-hand attacks must be dodged.
• When the Viper starts the Darkness Phase, you can time an ambush with the Lightning Strike to improve your chance of survival.

Mission 4 Boss - Volbaino

The once-honored guardian of the village of Phraugh, Volbaino was taken by the dragonkin when they invaded his village. He was used for forced labor but succumbed to an endless cycle of violence and torture. Volbaino wields a chisel and hammer in an attempt to obliterate everything in his path. You'll want to bring items that counter the burn status effects for this encounter.

Key Boss Strategy Tips for Volbaino

• Volbaino is briefly vulnerable when pulling out his Chisel.
• Look out for flames across the arena, and climb to the second floor via the nearby ladders when the arena becomes engulfed in flames.
• You can execute a Perfect Guard to extinguish the flames when Volbaino's Chisel is on fire. You can also attack it when it's embedded into the ground to put out the fire.

Mission 5 Boss - Aratra

The massive man-eating spider Aratra hunts its prey with its devastating fangs and armored front legs. Aratra has deadly mobility able to launch ambush attacks from its various spider dens. Destroying these spider dens along the pathway of this encounter will limit Aratra's ability to ambush you.

Key Boss Strategy Tips for Aratra

• Destroy both of Aratra's front legs to disable its claw attacks, making the encounter easier.
• You can also break Aratra's bulbous green abdomen area to disable its poison-based attacks.
• When Aratra climbs the walls you can throw a spear at its abdomen to knock it down.

Mission 6 Boss - Rangkus

Rangkus is the second-in-command of the Knivesveil, and is naturally gifted at crafting weapons. As such he wields a versatile weapon that can bludgeon, be used as a crossbow, and also as a flamethrower. You'll want to bring fire-purifying items to combat the burn status effects for this encounter.

Key Boss Strategy Tips for Rangkus

• You can Perfect Guard the final hit of Rangkus' bludgeon combo for a major combat advantage.
• Dodging multi-shot attacks from Rangkus will deplete his Stamina leaving him exposed for counterattacks.
• Rangkus can be more effectively fought at close range as opposed to mid or long-range.

Mission 7 Boss - Maluca

The leader of Knivesveil, Maluca is a master swordsman who wields dual greatswords and curved swords. Maluca has been transformed into a Corrupted One by Ozma which adds chaotic power to his attacks. As such, you'll want to bring chaos-purifying items for this encounter.

Key Boss Strategy Tips for Maluca

• It's best to dodge Maluca's dual greatsword attacks while you can block or Perfect Guard his curved sword attacks.
• A Perfect Guard against his quick-draw attacks gives you a powerful counterattack opportunity.
• You can bait Maluca into extended attack chains to drain his Stamina and expose him.
• When Malulace transforms into a Corrupted One you can dodge his first curved sword skill attack.

Mission 8 Boss - Elamein

The shield-wielding warrior, Elamein, is able to absorb blows and redirect them as counterattacks. She has lost her sanity from a corruption sigil in El Ravaca and is now a Corrupted One. You should bring Lightning purification items for this encounter.

Key Boss Strategy Tips for Elamein

• Do not enter an Exhausted State throughout this encounter or Elamein will follow up with a deadly Brutal Attack.
• The more you let her shield absorb, the stronger her counterattacks will be.
• It's best to attack Elamein from behind where she cannot block with her shield.

Mission 9 Boss - Shactuka

Shactuka is a ferocious beast captured by the Imperial Soldiers. The beast's razor-sharp claws and monstrous fangs make it a deadly predator. You'll want to bring Plague purification items for this encounter.

Key Boss Strategy Tips for Shactuka

• You want to target Shactuka's head as it is its weak point.
• It's important to alternate between dodging and guarding during this encounter, especially following Shactuka's high-jump attack.
• It's better to dodge Plague-inflicting attacks rather than block or even Perfect Guard them to prevent the plague status effect.

Mission 10 Boss - Trokka

Trokka is a devout follower of Ozma who wields power granted to her to flood Aldevir. As such, the mage is a water magic caster and uses a unique staff-umbrella hybrid weapon. You will want to bring Water purification items for this encounter.

Key Boss Strategy Tips for Trokka

• Close-range positioning is more effective than long-range for this encounter.
• Interrupt Trokka's magic casting with preemptive attacks. You can also counterattack when she charges her Umbrella Burst Attack.
• The Red Jellyfish inflicts poison when you touch it, while the Blue Jellyfish restores Stamina.

Mission 11 Boss - Bellerian

This Dark Elf mage from the Kingdom of Fennes specializes in Necromancy and Spirit Conjuration. With all of Bellerian's elemental attacks, you'll want Fire, Earth, and Lightning purification items for this encounter.

Key Boss Strategy Tips for Bellerian

• You can interrupt Bellerian's spellcasting with preemptive attacks.
• Bellerian will consume Skulls to summon powerful undead minions.
• You can attack to disrupt the Skull energy buildup, preventing the minion summoning.

Mission 12 Boss - Skalpel

Skalpel was once Khazan's comrade, who even tried to clear Khazan's name of treason, but he was captured and turned into a Corrupted one. Now consumed by chaotic power, his sanity is lost and he is a bloodthirsty berserker. You will want to bring Plague purification items for this encounter.

Key Boss Strategy Tips for Skalpel

• You want to prevent Skalpel from building up his Berserk state.
• Avoid getting hit by his blade to minimize this buildup.
• You can interrupt his Ritual by attacking the coffin before he infuses it with blood.
• Utilize Perfect Guard against his long-reaching Greatsword attacks, but dodge his high-impact coffin attacks.

Mission 13 Boss - Princess Ilyna

The princess of the Empire who loved music attempted to stop the Empire's demise and Ozma's schemes but failed. She was discovered, captured, and turned into a Corrupted One. You will want to bring Chaos purification items for this encounter.

Key Boss Strategy Tips for Princess Ilyna

• You can evade her Rapier attacks by dodging to the side or diagonally, and following up with a counterattack.
• You can also avoid her musical attacks by dodging them at the right moment.
• Try to identify the Choir's position to know which way to effectively dodge the sound wave attacks.

Mission 14 Boss - Hismar

The Berserk Dragon Hismar once threatened the Pell Los Empire, but his fallen body was revived by Ozma's chaotic power. You'll want to bring Chaos purification items for this encounter.

Key Boss Strategy Tips for Hismar

• You can destroy Hismar's horn to prevent his deadly horn-related attacks, which you should do ASAP.
• Hismar's forehead becomes a weak point so make sure to focus it.
• When Hismar is flying in a weakened state you can hit him with a spear to force him to crash.
• As Hismar's body glows purple, it will unleash Chaos-based attacks, which you should dodge rather than block.

Mission 15 Boss - Reese (Phase 1)

Original Ozma's lover, a priestess of the church of Pell Los, Reese's once divine power has been corrupted by chaos. This has resulted in a fusion of light and chaos magic. You'll want to bring Chaos purification items for this encounter.

Key Boss Strategy Tips for Reese (Phase 1)

• You can Perfect Guard Reese's Wing Charge to force her to crash and enter a Staggered state.
• Use the summoned Walls strategically to block her spear-throwing attacks.
• When Chaos Amplication builds up her magic becomes stronger and she becomes immune to damage. You need to sustain constant attacks to break this Chaos Amplification.

Mission 15 Boss - Reese (Phase 2)

In Phase 2, Reese is completely consumed by Chaos, losing all her Holy Power. Her chaos-infused Twin Scythes are very deadly. You'll want to bring Chaos purification items for this encounter.

Key Boss Strategy Tips for Reese (Phase 2)

• You can still Perfect Guard against her Wing Charge attack to force her to crash and become Staggered.
• Once again use the summoned walls to block her spear-throwing attacks.
• Perfect Guard or dodge her deadly Twin Scythe attacks as they are incredibly deadly in this phase.

Mission 16 Boss - Ozma (Phase 1)

The hero who defeated Hismar the Berserk Dragon, and best friend to Khazan, Ozma has now been corrupted by pure chaos. You will want Chaos, Fire, and Water purification items for this encounter.

Key Boss Strategy Tips for Ozma (Phase 1)

• Close-range combat is best in this phase as Ozma attacks more the further away you are.
• Destroy Chaos Spears as they will accumulate and trigger powerful attacks if embedded in the ground for too long.
• Use Perfect Guard or Parry to neutralize incoming Chaos Spears.

Mission 16 Boss - Ozma (Phase 2)

In Phase 2, Ozma has ascended to full Godhood driven by his hatred for Empire and Humanity. He has fully embraced the Chaos and cast aside all Human emotion. You will want Chaos purification items for this encounter.

Key Boss Strategy Tips for Ozma (Phase 2)

• You want to dodge any Chaos-infused attacks to prevent chaos buildup rather than block them.
• Use a Perfect Guard for non-chaos physical attacks.
• Ozma unleashes a deadly Chaos ability when all 8-winged eyes open. Powerful Chaos magic closes the eyes temporarily which is an opening for counterattacks.
• Prevent the eyes from reopening to maintain control of the fight while Ozma recharges his Chaos attacks.

Mission 16 Boss - Ozma (Phase 3)

The final phase of the Ozma fight features a fully corrupted Chaos Ozma, and you must defeat it to unlock the True Ending. We've yet to trigger this phase, so we will update here once we have!

The post The First Berserker: Khazan – All bosses in order appeared first on Destructoid.

Like most Soulslike games, leveling up is a huge part of The First Berserker: Khazan. It makes your character stronger thus making boss fights more manageable. We've put together an ultimate The First Berserker: Khazan leveling guide that includes the best leveling spots, builds, and more.

How leveling works in The First Berskerer: Khazan

As you kill enemies in The First Berserker: Khazan you'll gain a resource called Lacrima. Much like Souls in the Dark Souls series, Lacrima is used to level up your character and increase your stats. Upon death, you will drop your unspent Lacrima at the location in which you died and have one opportunity to return to it to reclaim the Lacrima you dropped.

A new feature to the Soulslike formula in The First Berserker: Khazan is progressive Lacrima rewards for attempting boss fights. While you will still be rewarded with Lacrima for defeating a Boss, you'll also gain Lacrima when attempting a boss fight if you die as long as you reach a certain amount of damage. The Lacrima is spawned at the front of the boss entrance, allowing you to claim it after death and spend it to level up and get an extra advantage before attempting the boss fight again.

Scattered throughout the world in Khazan are Blade Nexus', which serves a function similar to that of Bonfires from the Souls series. At a Blade Nexus, you can restore your health and replenish your healing items as well as level up and place points into various Stats using the Lacrima you've earned. This also "resets" the surrounding area, respawning any enemies other than bosses.

What all the Stats in The First Berserker: Khazan do

In total, there are five stats in The First Berserker: Khazan: Vitality, Endurance, Strength, Willpower, and Proficiency. Every time you spend Lacrima to upgrade one of the Stats, your level increases by one and the Lacrima cost for the next upgrade increases. Here's what increasing each Stat in The First Berserker: Khazan does:

• Vitality - A defensive Stat that greatly increases your Health and Resistances.
  • Increases Max Health by 50.
  • Increases Attack DMG by 1.
  • Decreases Weight by 0.05%.
  • Increases all Attribute Resistances by 4.
• Endurance - A Stat that mainly increases Stamina and Stamina Recovery.
  • Increases Max Health by 10.
  • Increases Max Stamina by 15.
  • Increases Attack DMG by 1.
  • Increases Stamina Recover by 0.8%.
• Strength - An offensive Stat for increasing raw damage output.
  • Increases Max Health by 10.
  • Increases Attack DMG by 2.
  • Decreases Weight by 0.1%.
  • Increases Received Stamina DMG Decrease by 0.6%.
• Willpower - An overall effective stat for increasing damage and boosting Stamina.
  • Increases Max Health by 10.
  • Increases Attack DMG by 3.
  • Increases Stamina recovery by 0.4%.
  • Increases Guard Stamina DMG Decrease by 0.7%.
• Proficiency - An all-around Stat that
  • Increases Max Health by 10.
  • Increases Attack DMG by 1.
  • Increases Stamina DMG Increase by 0.4%.
  • Increases Dodge Stamina Cost Decrease by 0.7%.

Best stats to level up early

All stats are important in The First Berserker: Khazan, but some will have more noticeable improvements to your overall strength and capabilities in the early game, so are recommended to grab early. All stats also increase your Max Health and Attack DMG a little bit, so you'll consistently be increasing your power with each level, though some stats can improve each of those even more per level.

In the early game, it's recommended to invest levels into the Vitality and Endurance Stats. Increasing your Vitality will vastly improve your defenses, giving you five times more Max Health than all the other stats, increase Attribute Resistances against all damage types (Fire, Water, Lightning, Earth, Chaos, Plague, and Poison), and increase your overall weight capacity.

Meanwhile, Endurance provides a massive Max Stamina increase as well as greatly boosts your Stamina Recovery. Early on, combat in Khazan can feel a bit clunky as you'll quickly run out of Stamina and then be exposed to attacks or stand there awkwardly. By improving your Max Stamina and the rate at which it regenerates early on, you'll make every build feel better.

Best places to farm Lacrima and level in Khazan

Throughout The First Berserker: Khazan you'll encounter varying degrees of difficulty, especially with bosses. It can be advantageous to find a quality spot to farm Lacrima to quickly level up to give you that extra edge when trying to push through and take down a specifically challenging encounter. Here are some of the best places to farm Lacrima and level up fast in The First Berserker: Khazan:

Early-game Lacrima farming spot

If you're looking to get quick early Lacrima and levels in The First Berserker: Khazan, progress until you reach a snowy area called the Frozen Mountain, and more specifically the quest Trials of the Frozen Mountain which tasks you with Facing the Trials of the Bantu and subduing the ghost. The recommended level for this question is level nine.

Once here, start from the Blade Nexus and take out the four Volk Warriors en route towards the Blade Phantom. Take out 50 percent of the Blade Phantom's health which will earn you a hefty amount of Lacrima. Getting him to 50 percent health will start a second phase, but instead of killing the Blade Phantom, let it defeat you, which will drop the massive amount of Lacrima you've just earned at the front of the Boss Entrance. Run back to this area, once again killing the Volk Warriors on the way, and repeat this pattern to quickly earn a massive amount of Lacrima early on.

The post The ultimate The First Berserker: Khazan leveling guide appeared first on Destructoid.

Riot Games released a roguelike card seasonal mini-game in the League of Legends client today titled The Demon's Hand, and there's little instruction on how to play it. Thankfully for players, we've got you covered on how to play The Demon's Hand in League of Legends as well as detailing all ranks, suits, hand types, and more.

How to play The Demon's Hand

From a technical standpoint, you can play The Demon's Hand directly in the League client simply by updating to the latest version.

The easiest way to understand The Demon's Hand is to relate it to Poker. Each card has three elements: a picture, a number (including those similar to Jack, Queen, King, and Ace from Poker), and the card's suit. The picture relates to the card-ranked number, so don't let that overwhelm you. For example, if you have two cards with the number five, their picture will be the same.

Your goal is to build the best five-card hand to attack your opponent. To do so, you'll unlock various Sigils (powerups) as you progress that allow you to increase the damage you deal. You can also discard three times each round and discard up to five cards each time.

After making your best five-card hand, click the Attack button, and the game will calculate your damage output based on the ranking of your five-card hand as well as any multipliers, buffs, or debuffs from your Sigils or match conditions.

On the table, you will also find an Attack Coin. Each time you attack, this number decreases by one. Once the value of the coin reaches zero, your opponent will attack back.

Your opponent has their own single card, represented by the larger card at the top of the table. It will feature a picture of your opponent as well as two numbers. The black number in the bottom left indicates how much damage it will deal to you each time the Attack Coin reaches 0, while the red number in the bottom right indicates its current health.

For each encounter, your goal is to attack enough to deplete your enemy's health while taking the least amount of damage possible from your enemy.

As you take out enemies, you'll progress on a branching map with different destinations to choose from along the way including stronger enemy encounters that yield better rewards, a shop to buy new Sigils, and a campfire to rest at and restore Health. At the end of each map is a boss encounter that has a special mechanic as well as higher-than-usual Health and Damage.

The ultimate goal of The Demon's Hand is to progress through each map while strategizing your Sigils to take out each map's boss and survive to the end.

All Attacks (hand combinations) and ranks

The ranking of hands in The Demon's Hand is the same as those used in Poker and games like Balatro, they just have different names. Each Attack or hand has a different Base Damage it will deal when used, though you can increase this via a variety of modifiers including Sigils, Critical Damage Cards, and match modifiers.

Here are each of the Attacks (hand combinations) and the damage they deal in The Demon's Hand:

• Solo (High Card) - Single high value card
• Dyad (Pair) - Two cards of the same number
• Dyad Set (Two Pair) - Two sets of Dyads
• Triad (Three of a Kind) - Three cards of the same number
• Tetrad (Four of a Kind) - Four cards of the same number
• March (Straight) - Five sequential number cards
• Horde (Flush) - Five cards of the same suit
• Grand Warhost (Full House) - Three cards of the same number and 2 cards of the same number
• Marching Horde (Straight Flush) - Five cards of sequential order in the same suit
• The Demon's Hand (Royal Flush) - Five cards of the highest value in the same suit

All Sigils and what they do

Each map has specific points you can reach where you have the opportunity to purchase Sigils in exchange for the Gold you've accumulated so far on your run. The Sigils add different unique effects that allow you to build strong playstyles with each run of The Demon's Hand. You can have up to six Sigils equipped at a time, and have the opportunity to sell unwanted Sigils for 2 Gold each at the Sigil vendor.

Most of the Sigils you receive are Common in quality. By playing League of Legends matches and completing missions you can unlock up to 24 more powerful Rare Sigils.

Here are all the common Sigils in The Demon's Hand:

Every Common Sigil in The Demon's Hand

How to get Rare Sigils

According to Riot Graydiance, the Rare Sigils in The Demon's Hand drop randomly based on the time you spend playing various League games. Graydiance recommends players who are looking to progress faster and enjoy playing Arena should do so, because it progresses the invisible missions that track progress for the Rare Sigils accumulate 30-percent faster than in the SR and ARAM game modes.

As there are 24 Rare Sigils in total in The Demon's Hand, it will take some pretty hefty League of Legends grinding to unlock all of them.

All Rare Sigils in The Demon's Hand

Here are all the Rare Sigils we've unlocked so far:

How to get all The Demon's Hand seasonal rewards

The Demon's Hand mini-game in LoL is set to last for six weeks, during which time there are four unique limited-time missions you can complete in exchange for various The Demon's Hand-themed rewards. Here are all four seasonal rewards and how you can acquire them:

• The Demon's Hand Emote - Acquired by completing the Story Mode in The Demon's Hand mini-game. This mission also rewards 500 Battle Pass Experience.
• Illustrative Icon - Acquired by completing the Hard Mode in The Demon's Hand mini-game. This mission also rewards 250 Battle Pass Experience.
• The Demon's Hand Icon - Acquired by completing the Demon's Mode in The Demon's Hand mini-game. This mission also rewards 250 Battle Pass Experience.
• The Demon's Hand Title - Acquired by collecting all 24 Rare Sigils listed above. This mission also rewards 250 Battle Pass Experience.

Best tips for winning in The Demon's Hand

As a roguelike, it's important to understand that not every run in The Demon's Hand will be the same. With so many randomized elements, some runs will feel much harder while others may seem much easier. It's important to formulate the best possible build and strategy with each run based on what options The Demon's Hand throws at you. That being said, there are some general tips for winning in The Demon's Hand that should improve your overall chance of successful runs.

• Think Ahead. Keep in mind your Discards only last throughout the encounter, which can cause some pretty rough spots if you blow through against a high-health enemy without thinking ahead. If you are playing a hand like a Dyad or March and have multiple options for doing so, consider utilizing cards that can't help make you a Horde in later hands.
• Use All Five Cards in Solo Attacks. Sometimes you might have absolute garbage in your hand, but may be out of Discards. You can use a Solo Attack (high card) while still choosing five cards and it will simply use up (discard) the other four cards. This can be used to try and get more useful cards to make the hands you are trying to make.
• Stack Sigil Effects. It may be tempting to grab any Sigil that looks good but try and use ones that synergize with each other to maximize your multiplier and therefore damage output. For example, stack Dyadic (Dyad/Pair) Sigils with Harmony (Grand Warhost/Full House) Sigils to increase your modifiers for both that are used when playing a Grand Warhost Attack.

The post The ultimate guide to LoL’s new card roguelike, The Demon’s Hand appeared first on Destructoid.

As you complete the earlier missions in Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition you'll eventually unlock Affinity Missions which reward you with important resources and fleshes out the story of XCX. One of the first Affinity Missions, The Repair Job, tasks you with assisting Lin in doing some repairs around New Los Angeles.

How to unlock The Repair Job affinity mission

In order to unlock The Repair Job affinity mission in Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition you must first complete Chapter 3 of the main story mission titled Builders of a Legacy. You must also acquire 1 Heart of affinity with Lin whose affinity mission this is.

Where to start The Repair Job affinity mission

Once you've completed the above requisites, head to the BLADE Barracks in New Los Angeles where you will see an affinity mission icon indicated on your map. Upon reaching the marked location, you will automatically start The Repair Job affinity mission for Lin.

All The Repair Job affinity mission objectives

The first objective of The Repair Job is to talk to Bart at New Los Angeles' West Gate, so start heading in that direction first. The new destination will automatically be updated and indicated on your map.

Talk to Bart at NLA's West Gate

Speaking to Bart will start a cutscene in which Elma will tell you a bit more backstory about Lin, while she attempts to repair a failing system in NLA. Eventually, Lin will inform you that the replacement part is not working with the New Los Angeles systems, but she believes you can get usable parts from the White Whale in the Starfall Basin region.

Gather three L-002 Power Cables in Primordia's Starfall Basin

Head out into Starfall Basin or fast travel there which will put you right next to the mission objectives. Each of the three marked locations in the Starfall Basin indicates the L-002 Power Cables you need to retrieve by interacting with pieces of White Whale Debris that you will find there. All of the debris is easy to spot, so just head to the indicators on your map and you will find them. Once you have all three L-002 Power Cables it's time to head back to Bart in New Los Angeles.

Talk to Bart at NLA's West Gate (Again)

Return to Bart at the West Gate in New Los Angeles and hand over the L-002 Power Cables. Lin will inform you that this fix is just a temporary one and that a bigger issue needs resolving to ensure the systems don't end up failing again, but Tatsu says he's too hungry to keep going. You now have two options:

• Grumble (Complain loudly about how hungry you are.) - This will end the affinity mission now, and you will receive fewer rewards.
• Persist (Insist that you should fix the problem for good.) - Continues The Repair Job affinity mission with increased rewards.

I recommend choosing the Persist option as it will give you more rewards.

The Repair Job extended mission objectives

Choosing to fix the problem for good extends The Repair Job affinity mission and gives you three new objectives, all of which need to be completed in order to finish The Repair Job affinity mission for good and earn the rewards for doing so.

Gather four Cruise Deflector AiRs in Oblivia

Head to the marked location in the Oblivia region and you will see the white diamond collectible items in the area. Run around and collect as many as you can, and you will acquire a handful of items including the Cruise Deflector AiRs. Collect all the items you see in this area and you will eventually acquire all four of the required Cruise Deflector AiRs.

Gather two Energy Tubes from Puges in Primordia

Next, head to the Primordia region and look for the Pawn Puge robot enemies that typically range between Levels 9 and 11. Defeat as many of the Pawn Puge's as you can, as they each have a chance of dropping an Energy Tube that you need for this part of the affinity mission. You will need to loot two Energy Tubes.

Best place to Use FrontierNav to gather five White Cometites

The final part of The Repair Job is to gather five White Cometites, a resource you can only get via the FrontierNava in Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition. The best place to put your FrontierNav probes to ensure you get White Cometite is the FN Site 118 and FN Site 115. Put your mining probes here and then run around farming other materials or killing mobs to level up while your probes collect resources.

It's a bit RNG but by mining at those two indicated locations, you should accrue the five White Cometites you need within 45 minutes.

The Repair Job affinity mission rewards

With all the required materials in hand, return to Bart at the West Gate in New Los Angeles and hand them over. This will complete The Repair Job affinity mission and earn you the following rewards:

• 170 Experience
• 10,000 Credits
• 1x Fire Carnival Art

The post Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition The Repair Job affinity mission walkthrough appeared first on Destructoid.

The Severance Season 2 finale of course ended things on a bit of a cliffhanger, with Innie Mark Scout and Helly running through the halls of the of the severed floor of Lumon as the alarms continue to sound. Of course that makes it natural to wonder: will there be a third season of Severance? Here's what we know so far.

Has Severance been renewed for Season 3?

As of the Severance Season 2 finale on March 21, 2025, the popular series has not been renewed for a third season. That being said, I think it's safe to assume the show inevitably will be. Heading into the finale, Severance Season 2 had reached over 3 billion streaming minutes, a massive milestone for any streaming show. According to Apple TV+, it has become the platform's most popular show even surpassing Ted Lasso in terms of unique viewers.

Critically, Season 1 of Severance had impressive ratings but Season 2 has managed to achieve even higher scores, with the Metacritic average of Season 2 sitting at 86 at the time this article was written, three points higher than Season 1.

For those looking for any other sort of clues of renewal, we can take the words directly from Severance Director and Executive Producer Ben Stiller himself. In a podcast called New Heights with the Kelce brothers (yeah, for real), Stiller stated that the plan is "definitely not" for Season 3 to have a three-year wait until it releases as the second season did. Of course, that would infer there is indeed a Season 3. Stiller also went on to say "Hopefully we'll be announcing what the plan is very soon." which may indicate that an official renewal from Apple is imminent.

Of course, you can never know, but with a show as calculated as Severance that has become a global success, not to mention fostering a massive fanbase, you'd have to assume that Apple would intend to end things with some sort of resolution rather than the semi-cliffhanger we got from the Severance Season 2 finale. Hopefully, we get official news of a Season 3 renewal soon!

The post Will there be a third season of Severance? Everything we know so far appeared first on Destructoid.

Between Milchick and the animatronic Kier Eagan, we got some not-so-ordinary vocabulary choices in the Severance Season 2 finale. It was fun to break down the big words Milchick used in Episode 9, so let's do the same for Episode 10 as well!

What is the definition of Probity, Verve, and Wiles?

Usually, these definitions come after Milchick drops a big word, but in this episode, it was more of just not-so-commonly used words, and one even came from the animatronic Kier! Here's the definition for all the more unusual words in the Severance Season 2 finale:

• Probity
  • Probity refers to complete and confirmed integrity; uprightness and honesty in character and actions. It describes someone or something that demonstrates strong moral principles, decency, and ethical behavior. The term comes from the Latin word "probitas", meaning "goodness" or "honesty." It's often associated with positions of trust and responsibility, where ethical conduct is especially important.
• Verve
  • Verve refers to enthusiasm, vigor, spirit, or energy, especially as expressed in art, literature, or a performance. It describes a lively and energetic quality that brings vitality and excitement to an activity or creation. It comes from French, where it originally referred to a special talent or gift in artistic expression. Unlike technical skill alone, Verve captures that intangible quality of spirited engagement that can elevate and ordinary performance or creation to something memorable.
• Wiles
  • Wiles refers to clever tricks, strategies, or tactics used to manipulate, deceive, or persuade others. The term typically carries a connotation of cunning or craftiness, though not always with malicious intent. Unlike brute force or direct approaches, wiles suggest subtlety, psychological insight, and an ability to understand and exploit others' motivations or weaknesses. The term has an old-fashioned quality to it, appearing frequently in folktales, myths, and classical literature.

While not quite the wordsmithing we got from the previous episode, these are still some heavy hitters from Milchick and Kier in the Severance Season 2 finale. Who knows what words will await in Season 3!

The post Defining probity, verve, and wiles from Severance Season 2 Episode 10 appeared first on Destructoid.

What a wild ride the last 10 weeks have been, but with Severance Season 2 Episode 10 Cold Harbor the season has officially reached its end. Let's talk about what happened at the end of Severance Season 2 Episode 10 Cold Harbor and what it means moving forward.

Oh, and obviously, Severance Season 2 finale spoilers below.

Innie Mark and Outie Mark have a heated debate about the future

At the beginning of Severance Season 2 Episode 10, we see Innie Mark and Outie Mark get into a heated debate. Outie Mark needs Innie Mark to assist him with trying to break his wife, Gemma, out of the lower floors of Lumon. Innie Mark is understandably concerned about this prospect because doing so will more than likely mean at the very least the end of him, as Innie Mark, as there is no way that Lumon will simply allow Mark to return not to mention who knows what the fate of the company will be once word get out what they've been doing with the Severance technology.

Fast forward to the ending of Severance Season 2 Episode 10 titled Cold Harbor, the Season 2 finale, and we see Innie Mark fulfilling the wishes of Outie Mark. With the help of Helly and Innie Dylan, they stage a coup and lock Milchick in the bathroom, after which Innie Mark races to find the dark hallway with the elevator going down that Irving told them all about, and where he believes Gemma to be held. Outside said hallway he encounters Drummond, and the two get into a pretty violent fight before Lorne, the head of Lumon's Mammallians Nuturable Department (the goat lady) gets involved and helps Innie Mark get the upper hand.

Using a bolt pistol that Lumon uses to sacrifice goats, Innie Mark takes Drummond capture and forces him to take him down the elevator, holding the weapon to his neck. As he explains to Drummond what to do once they reach the floor, the elevator arrives at its destination and the severance chip switches Mark to Outie Mark who instinctively immediately pulls the trigger of the bolt pistol which kills Drummond.

Mark and Gemma Scout finally reunite

He's then able to find the Cold Harbor room where Gemma is, and after using the blood on his tie from Drummond, he's able to enter the room and after some persuasion convinces Gemma to join him in leaving. This is such a special moment as it's the first time, both Outie Mark and actual original Gemma (at least we think so) are together. They flee back to the elevator and share a passionate kiss, and upon heading up, the severance chip switches them to Innie Mark and Ms. Casey who awkwardly look at each other.

On the actual severed floor, Innie Mark and Ms. Casey rush to the door to the outside stairwell to escape the Lumon building. When they get there, Innie Mark urges Ms. Casey to exit the building, which she does, and the severance chip switches her back to Gemma. However, instead of leaving with her, Innie Mark stares at the door, contemplating whether he should exit or not. Remember, to Innie Mark, this could very well be essentially his suicide; exiting that door may mean he never exists again. Gemma bangs on the door pleading with him to join her, when suddenly Helly shows up down the hallway as well.

Innie Mark decides to stay at Lumon

In the end, Innie Mark decides to stay inside Lumon, and walks back to reunite with Helly, and understandably confused and scared Gemma pounding on the door pleading for Mark to come with her. As Innie Mark and Helly reunite, they take off running through the Lumon halls, with the alarms blaring following the events that took place.

Severance has yet to be renewed for Season 3, but it's hard to imagine it won't be given how successful the show has become. With a show like Severance it's hard to know exactly where it will go, but with how long it showed Mark and Helly running through the halls of Lumon, I can't help but wonder if we're going to see that the severed floor of Lumon is actually so much bigger than we even expected, and if that's the case, who knows where Mark and Helly will end up.

The post Severance Season 2 Episode 10 Cold Harbor ending explained appeared first on Destructoid.

The roughly 90-minute-long Future Games Show Spring Showcase 2025 has come to an end, which means it's time to take a look at the biggest games that were revealed during the event. In total around 50 games were showcased in this event, but only eight were actual new game reveals.

Every new game revealed in the Future Games Show: Spring Showcase 2025

For clarification, a newly revealed game means it's one that has not yet been announced, revealed, or showcased in any capacity by the developer or publisher of the game. Most of the games in the Future Games Show: Spring Showcase 2025 were already previously revealed but received a major development update, a release date announcement, or a simple peek into the progression of the game. Let's instead focus on the eight games that were revealed for the first time during the Future Games Show: Spring Showcase 2025:

Lost Rift

Lost Rift is a supernatural survival game set on a desert island by Developer People Can Fly. The dev team is best known for collaborating with Epic Games on the development of various Gears of War titles as well as Bulletstorm. According to People Can Fly, Lost Rift will include both PvP and PvPvE gameplay on the desert island and is expected to hit Steam Early Access later in 2025.

The minute-long trailer didn't show too much, but from what it did show, it certainly looks like what it claims to be: a survival PvPvE game. We see the player chopping down trees, crafting some new equipment, and fighting other players and creatures including a giant King Kong-esque beast.

I Hate This Place

Up next is a new isometric open-world survival horror game by Silent Hill 2 Remake developer Bloober Team. I Hate This Place is set in an eerie and unpredictable world that is twisted beyond comprehension. In this single-player nightmare, players will explore a supernatural world inspired by the award-winning comic book series created by Kyle Starks and Artyom Topilin.

I guess it's the year of supernatural survival games! Bloober really worked its magic with the Silent Hill 2 Remake so I'm willing to give a new IP from them a shot. I Hate This Place is set to release on PC later in 2025.

Elsewhere Electric

Developer Games by Stitch dropped a reveal trailer for its new asymmetrical puzzle game Elsewhere Electric. Players explore an abandoned facility with a friend in co-op where they must communicate and share unique information available to them to solve environmental puzzles with their friend. Elsewhere Electric will be released in the Summer of 2025 on Steam and Meta.

Serious Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes vibes here, which isn't a bad thing. According to the video description, one player is on a mobile phone while the other is in VR, which is a pretty unique concept. I usually enjoy these "work together with a friend" style of games so excited to see what comes of Elsewhere Electric.

Shelf Heroes

In Shelf Heroes by developer Fun Punch Games, players must mix and match various toy parts to assemble their very own Shelf Hero and explore a giant house solo or with friends in 3-player co-op. Players create their Toy Story or Small Soldiers-style characters and equip a variety of weapons including a frying pan, explosive bow, blaster minigun, shotgun, and more, before exploring the house and taking our enemy toys.

This looks like a pretty fun concept! Hopefully, they can eventually get some licensed toys, as that would be pretty cool as well. There's no release date yet for Shelf Heroes but it's set to launch on PC via Steam.

Romestead

At a glance, Romestead looks like a cozy-style game like Stardew Valley where players are tasked with rebuilding the Roman empire in a pixel art open-world survival game. However, apparently, the destruction of Rome was at the hands of a zombie invasion! Up to 8 players can team up to fight zombies, build towns, and earn favor with the Roman gods while also tending their crops in Romestead by developer Beartwigs.

I love me some Stardew Valley and pretty much anything Roman-themed so count me in. There is no release date yet but Romestead will launch on PC via Steam and is currently accepting signups for an upcoming closed alpha playtest.

Frosthaven

A follow-up to the popular board game and Steam game Gloomhaven, Frosthaven is a virtual adaptation of the legendary tabletop game as well. In this dark fantasy tactical RPG by developer Snapshot Games, players create their own unique character from six starting classes before engaging in deep tactical combat against a variety of enemies as they explore the fantasy world of Frosthaven and build up their own outpost.

I actually had the opportunity to get some brief hands-on time with Frosthaven a few weeks back and while I was originally intimidated (as I am with most heavily tactical-style games), once I learned the systems at work and started to learn how I was meant to play, I had a ton of fun. Looking forward to seeing more of Frosthaven which is publisher Arc Games says is coming soon to PC.

RAEV Kingdom on the Distant Shores

In this cutesy cartoon city builder by developer Ravine Games, players build a foxy empire, starting each kingdom with just a single bonfire before expanding it into a sprawling civilization of villages and cities spanning an entire continent. According to Ravine Games, RAEV Kingdom on the Distant Shores is more than just a typical city-builder as it also blends elements of RPG, city-building, and grand strategy into one.

I'm personally not sold on the Fox people but the game itself does look rather impressive! City builders that let you really expand and grow in a meaningful way as opposed to doing so just to make things bigger often result in the best experiences in the genre, so I'm interested in seeing how Ravine Games tackles it with RAEV. Unfortunately, it looks like I'll have to wait a little while, as RAEV isn't expected to release until 2026.

Painkiller

Surprise, Painkiller is back! Saber Interactive and 3D Realms are developing an all-new game based on the 2004 shooter. In Painkiller, players battle through Purgatory in a fast-paced co-op wielding various infernal weapons against demonic hordes. If you've never played a previous Painkiller before, think Doom. Painkiller is coming to PC and consoles in Fall 2025.

Well this showcase really came full circle, eh? The original Painkiller back in 2004 was developed by Polish studio People Can Fly, who incidentally is developing the first game reveal of the showcase, Lost Rift. I was honestly really really good at the time, and everyone I know who played it had a blast. Unfortunately, each iteration of Painkilleraftwards including Overdose, Resurrection, and Hell and Damnation were all...not too good. That being said, it's looking great based on the trailer and I'll certainly be checking it out!

The post All the biggest games revealed in the Future Games Show: Spring Showcase 2025 appeared first on Destructoid.

While most games tend to deal with moments of conflict with violence and war, developer Big Blue Sky Games aimed to pose an interesting alternative with their newly released fantasy shopkeeping sim Merchants of Rosewall. How would a diverse world handle these conflicts if violence and war simply weren't an option?

It's an interesting concept, but more interestingly, it can create some rather unique problems that need to be answered from a narrative point of view. I recently had the opportunity to sit down with one of Big Blue Sky Games developers and the Narrative Lead on Merchants of Rosewall Suriel Vasquez to talk more about the intricacies of crafting a meaningful and entertaining story. We talk about the unique challenge of telling a worthwhile narrative while staying bound to the constraints of commerce and mercantilism in a world where the gameplay is all about buying low and selling high.

DESTRUCTOID: Hello Suriel, thank you for chatting with me today! Full disclosure, I've only played a few hours of Merchants of Rosewall, but I feel like I've got a good understanding to ask some good questions in regards to the story and design process from a narrative stance. What was the initial inspiration both for the world and the overall narrative of Merchants of Rosewall?

SURIEL: The inspiration was us at Big Blue Sky Games wanting to do something different in the fantasy genre. We wanted to focus on what happens between large conflicts that other fantasy games cover like things involving wars, clashes, or humans fighting orcs and such. We wanted to explore what those worlds are like without war. It started us on the path of "What kind of fantasy game could be interesting in that sort of context?" and one of the earliest ideas we agreed on was the idea of running a shop in that kind of world. From there we started incorporating ideas of how to make running a shop in that world more interesting and we landed on the idea of there not being a real conflict around it. In our world there aren't any wars going on as there is a worldwide armistice where people aren't allowed to make or produce weapons, and going from there it raises a lot of interesting questions about what other kinds of conflicts would exist in that world and how do we address them and talk about things like different cultures clashing and what methods of negotiation do they use when they don't have weapon to use.

DESTRUCTOID: It feels like a uniquely timely piece, and I felt early on in my experience that it felt like Merchants of Rosewall was released at a perfect time based on the current status of the world. Rosewall is certainly a fantastical world, but it takes a lot of real-world issues and interweaves them into this fantasy world. What's the process like taking heaving real-world issues and placing them into a more fantasy world but still making them feel meaningful?

SURIEL: When you start the game, you can select which sort of fantasy character you want to be. We wanted to have a game where you immediately feel like you are someone else rather than "This is my transposing myself into this world" which most games do for good reason, such as in Mass Effect or similar games. But we wanted to create the experience of you being a stranger in a stranger's land, so there aren't any Human characters, so you have to choose to be a race that isn't like yours. There are some that look close like Corkgnomes or Dwarves which look like Humans, but you have to choose to be someone else. This is an idea of planting the idea that this is a game that is interested in diversity and having a number of perspectives that are all equal. From here we thought about what are some interesting questions we want to answer. So without there being any kind of war, what are the most interesting things we want to talk about? Business and how they operate and how they related to governments was a big one we wanted to tackle, and so figuring out how to ask those questions without making it feel very preachy or boring, and finding ways to reference those kinds of things while keeping it interesting which allows us to sort of 'have our cake and eat it too.' We want to have a fun story where you don't feel like you're constantly being confronted by difficult questions, but also making it interesting by having you consider some of these questions in the back of your head while you're playing through the gameplay loop of building up your business. We felt this was an interesting way to seed some narratives early on then as players progress have them dealing with things more directly.

DESTRUCTOID: The characters in Merchants of Rosewall feel like such an important part of the game. Were there any characters or narratives that evolved significantly from the original vision as the team fleshed out the gameplay for the game?

SURIEL: A lot of the characters ended up undergoing some major changes. For some backstory, I started on Merchants of Rosewall after it was more or less halfway ideated, so a lot of the characters were already on paper. The high-level story was already mapped up. As I started working with the team and adding more characters and having them interact, a lot of them started undergoing some changes. Mehdi was originally supposed to be more friendly, and had a more jovial tone. Once I started getting into the writing it felt more appropriate for Mehdi to be more representative of bureaucracy, and a character reminding you that this world is different and that you are playing by different kinds of rules here. In a way, he's your introduction to the world. We had established some quirks about the way Brolly talked but as we explored how he sounded, he became more representative of someone who is a working-class person as opposed to Mehdi who is more representative of the higher-ups and government. Most characters changed and very few are the way I originally wrote them.

DESTRUCTOID: Were there any unique challenges with telling this narrative with the game being primarily about trading and running a shop?

SURIEL: One of the hardest things was figuring out sources of conflict without falling into this same trap of commerce sim that is interested in what commerce means as opposed to just having you do a bunch of commerce. Figuring out the right way to get players to think critically about these concepts without undermining them was a pretty big challenge to make sure players don't feel bad about what they are doing but also finding some interesting questions that this unique setup raises. Also finding new answers to them, so the player feels like they are learning something rather than just being made to do something they don't want to do. It also took a while to nail making the player feel welcome without constantly praising them just for being around. This was partially motivated by having played some JRPGs around the time this was being ideated, where the characters were getting all this undue praise for having all the right answers to everything and everyone lavishing praise on you. I wanted to avoid this for a few reasons, one of which is, that if characters are trying to embody someone other than themselves, we want them to see the world al little bit differently. Being in a world that is fairly fantastically but characters aren't always quick to say "Hey you're doing great, you're the most important character in the world!" I thought it was important for characters to maybe look at you skeptically but not be outright mean; you don't want an introduction that's outright hostile to the player. But we wanted the feeling of nervousness around arriving in a new city and the trepidation of entering a new world but having that slowly be peeled away as people get to know you better and warm up to you.

DESTRUCTOID: Being a game about commerce and trade, were there any narrative elements that had to be sacrificed for more gameplay elements?

SURIEL: There were some. A lot of it wasn't necessarily for narrative reasons, but more for scope. There were a lot of cut characters in some areas we couldn't really use, but that was more because we didn't have time to create all the locations or really flesh out the characters. One of the things I really enjoyed was being given the leeway to explore some of these questions and figuring out how to make sure the line was being threaded between having the player ask certain questions about what they are doing without completely undermining them. I think the team is overall very happy about where we threaded that line.

DESTRUCTOID: Are there any plans for DLC or future content where you plan to flesh out more of the story or characters, or are most threads tied up at the end of Merchants of Rosewall?

SURIEL: We don't have any plans for follow-up DLC or anything like that. We have a patch that just dropped and from here we'll see where the audience takes us. If they really respond to the narrative and want to see more we can always reconsider, but for now no plans to expand the story out that way.

DESTRUCTOID: What sort of techniques did you take from other forms of media like books and movies that you adapted for a more interactive storytelling approach in a fantasy setting like Merchants of Rosewall?

SURIEL: In terms of techniques I took from other mediums, outlining was the big one which I had done as press before, things like writing a big story with an outline before you start writing it. With creative writing, you get to make up all the quotes in a weird way, and pick which moments you want to hit. Writing is similar to animation where you have things you want to focus on that may be the more central beats, and then you fill in the rest with, compared to animation, frames that lead up to it. That's more or less a frame of writing that adapted greatly to creative. I used a loose adaptation of the traditional screenwriting format to write out all the scenes first and adapted that so that there are cues for certain gameplay functions like transitions and music queues.

DESTRUCTOID: Time for some fun questions! What aspect of Merchants of Rosewall are you most proud of? Anything in particular that you specifically are proud of about how it turned out narratively?

SURIEL: The thing I'm happiest with is the characters. This is a game about building a business and buying low and selling high. I'm really happy we were able to make that trend work so that doesn't feel like you are looking at spreadsheets all the time, and the characters do a great job of assisting in that by being fun to be around. When I started this project it was intimidating to write for so many voices as I didn't have a ton of creative writing experience professionally, but having to find all the different voices and making them different than each other, I feel like I was able to explore and challenge myself to make sure every character had a purpose and wasn't just there to feed you information. You didn't have to like every character, but hopefully, it feels like the character has a certain amount of effort behind them whether you like or dislike them. That took some time to nail and I was interested in and I feel like we pulled off well.

DESTRUCTOID: Of all the characters in Merchants of Rosewall, which is your favorite?

SURIEL: Chrys is probably the character I put the most work into because her quirk is less about the words she uses and how she inflects certain sentences and what she is or isn't aware of. I had a lot of fun writing her once I figured out her whole tone and purpose. That's the character that felt the most indicative of my kind of imprint on the game. She's one of the few characters I created myself as opposed to adapting from when I joined the team, so she's one I got to build from scratch.

DESTRUCTOID: Very cool, thank you for the opportunity to peel back the curtain on this unique process and learn more about Merchants of Rosewall. Your answers have me even more excited to delve more into the game and getting my productive shop up and running!

SURIEL: I hope you enjoy it! Thanks for talking to us today!

Merchants of Rosewall is currently available on PC via Steam for $24.99.

The post Merchants of Rosewall Developer Interview: The Intricacies of Building a Meaningful Story about Commerce appeared first on Destructoid.

When starting your adventure in Assassin's Creed Shadows, you'll be presented with three separate mode options, each of which can be toggled on and off. Let's go over what each of the modes does and how it will affect your gameplay in Assassin's Creed Shadows.

How does Guided Exploration mode work?

In Assassin's Creed Shadows, when Guided Exploration mode is enabled, you will be given a precise marker that shows where to go to complete certain mission objectives and where to find requisite mission items. When Guided Exploration mode is turned off, you will instead get markers indicating the general area in which objectives can be completed. Once there, though, it's up to you to explore and interact with the NPCs in that area to find where exactly you're supposed to go.

If you're wondering if you should play with Guided Exploration mode on or off, I recommend trying to play with it off. It's a much more rewarding experience, as it makes the entire world of Shadows much more realistic and immersive. Additionally, if you find it to be too difficult, you can always choose to turn Guided Exploration mode on at any time. I didn't find things to be too difficult with it disabled, so I recommend trying with it off first.

Also, enabling Guided Exploration mode will disable some achievements/trophies, so if you're worried about full completion, make sure to keep it off!

Canon mode explained

As for Canon mode, it basically locks you to the authentic "canon" version of Assassin's Creed Shadows in terms of choices and dialogue. Instead of being presented with various choices such as whether to play as Yasuke or Naoe for certain segments, or presenting you with dialogue options, the game instead defaults to what it considers canon for the Assassin's Creed storyline.

Should you play canon mode or not?

Unfortunately, this cannot be toggled on or off once you start the game, and you must start a completely new game save in order to switch this mode. I personally turned this mode off, as I wanted to be able to make the choices I wanted to make, as well as choose when to play as Yasuke and when to play as Naoe. But if you're really interested in knowing what's considered canon story-wise for the Assassin's Creed lore, this is an intriguing mode.

Canon mode does not affect achievements or trophies in any way.

What does Immersive Mode do?

The Immersive Mode in Assassin's Creed Shadows locks the voiceover language to Japanese throughout the entire game, and blends in Japanese and Portuguese dialogue as those are the two languages spoken by most of the inhabitants of this region at this time historically. It therefore creates a more immersive experience, hence the name.

Even when this mode is turned off, there will be times that certain characters may still speak Japanese or Portuguese instead of whatever voiceover language you have selected. Regardless of if you turn Immersive Mode on, any time a different language is spoken than the default you have enabled for voiceover language, captions will be presented in the language you have selected.

You can toggle Immersive Mode on or off at any time in Assassin's Creed Shadows by heading to the Audio tab in the Settings. Immersive Mode does not affect achievements or trophies in any way.

The post Assassin’s Creed Shadows Guided Exploration mode, Canon mode, and Immersive mode explained appeared first on Destructoid.

The first building you need to place inside your hideout in Assassin's Creed Shadows is the Kakurega, which is also one of the most important buildings in the entire game. Here is where you should build the Kakurega to make the most of its usefulness.

Best place to build the Kakurega

The absolute best place to build the Kakurega is attaching it directly to your main building, as highlighted in the screenshot above. You'll need to rotate it around a bit to get it to line up right where it fits in a position it can snap onto your main building. Another solid option is to place it right outside the front door of your main building as well.

You want the Kakurega placed in a location you can quickly and easily get to, as you'll be visiting this building a ton throughout Assassin's Creed Shadows. As you clear out regions throughout Japan, you'll unlock the ability to purchase, claim, and build safehouses throughout Japan, which are called Kakurega's. This will provide various benefits to that region as well as give you access to fast travel points throughout Japan.

You can also access regional contract boards to do various contracts in regions as you establish Kakurega's in them. Another benefit is that you can refill your tools, replenish scouts—invaluable for progressing through the story—and manage allies you want to bring with you on various missions.

As you upgrade your Kakurega, you'll access more benefits and rewards, making it the most important building.

Here are the materials required to build the Kakurega:

• 60 Wheat
• 30 Wood
• 5 Stone

Thankfully, you will gain all these materials in the brief quest right before you unlock the option to place the Kakurega, which, once again, should be built as close as possible to your main building.

The post Where should you build the Kakurega in Assassin’s Creed Shadows? appeared first on Destructoid.

The Izumi Settsu region in Assassin's Creed Shadows is full of explorable areas and collectibles, including visiting all the shrines in and around the Sumiyoshi Shrine area. Here is where you can find all the shrine locations in Sumiyoshi Shrine in Assassin's Creed Shadows.

All Shrine Locations in Sumiyoshi Shrine

There are three shrines in total located in the Sumiyoshi Shrine, all of which are located inside the actual walls that surround Sumiyoshi Shrine. The first shrine point is located just inside the northern gate entrance. Head inside the gate and immediately to your right you will see a small structure with three red objects placed on the wall. Head up to this structure and Pray at it to complete the objective.

The second shrine which looks almost identical to the first is located on the far western side of Sumiyoshi Shrine, also just inside the gate. If you're just coming inside the western gate, once again look to your right and you will see the shrine. Once again Pray at it to complete this objective.

A third and final shrine in Sumiyoshi Shrine can be found by visiting the entrance of the actual main shrine building in the area, located to the far right of Sumiyoshi Shrine. While the first two shrines look almost identical, this third shrine is completely separate, and rather than having an actual shrine structure, you must head to the gate entrance to the main temple where you will get the opportunity to Pray and complete the third and final objective.

With that, you have completed the objective to find all three shrines at Sumiyoshi Shrine. If you have any trouble finding any of the three shrines simply check out the map above and you will see each shrine location marked with a red circle.

The post All Shrine Locations in Sumiyoshi Shrine in Assassin’s Creed Shadows appeared first on Destructoid.

Early on in Assassin's Creed Shadows you unlock and start building up your hideout. One of the early NPCs you can unlock and recruit for your hideout is Heiji, the Blacksmith. Here is how to unlock the Blacksmith for your hideout in Assassin's Creed Shadows.

How to recruit the Blacksmith - Way of the Blacksmith quest guide

The first step toward recruiting the Blacksmith to your hideout in Assassin's Creed Shadows is to start the Way of the Blacksmith questline. Head to the indicator on your map for the Way of the Blacksmith quest, or look at the reference spot on the map above. Here you will find the Blacksmith engaged with three assailants which you will need to take out, though they are very easy to kill.

Afterwards speak with Heiji, the Blacksmith, and offer for him to join your hideout, which he will agree to. Make sure you grab the collectible items behind and near Heiji here as they are Minerals that you will need for building later.

The next step of the Way of the Blacksmith is to build a Forge, which you can do at your Hideout, so fast travel there. Head inside the HQ to the table in the back corner where you can Improve Hideout and open up the build menu.

Build the Forge at your Hideout

From here, you want to build the Forge. The Forge is a non-connectable room meaning it has to be a standalone building and not connected to your main HQ. Here are the materials required to build the Forge:

• 40 Wheat
• 30 Wood
• 10 Minerals

If you are short on Wheat or Wood, you can explore nearby landmark locations for the resources randomly lying around, or you can head to the Kakurega you built at your Hideout as part of the main story quest and complete various Contracts. Some of these Contracts will reward you with resources including Wheat, Food, and Minerals, and it should only take one or two to have enough to build the Forge.

Once you've built the Forge, Heiji the Blacksmith will become a permanent resident of your Hideout. From this point on, visit Heiji at your Hideout and you can craft, upgrade, and dismantle your gear.

The post How to unlock the Blacksmith for your hideout in Assassin’s Creed Shadows appeared first on Destructoid.

The next League of Legends mini-game is a Noxus-themed roguelike card game titled The Demon's Hand. Like the most recently released bullet-hell LoL minigame Swarm, The Demon's Hand will be playable right inside of the League of Legends client.

At an initial glance, The Demon's Hand looks inspired by recent popular roguelike card games like Inscryption and Balatro. Riot Games has dubbed The Demon's Hand a Noxus-themed seasonal strategic turn-based card battler in which players will discover, unlock, and equip powerful Sigils to strengthen their attacks and form new strategies.

For some backstory, Riot explains that after being freed from imprisonment by Leblanc, Atakhan goes on a bloodthirsty rampage around Runeterra before stumbling across a strange and unknown land where he spots a single lone man. The place feels out of time yet the man feels somehow familiar. Atakhan joins him at a table, compelled by a force it doesn't understand. Serious Inscryption vibes, eh?

In The Demon's Hand, players start each game with a set amount of health based on how far they've progressed in the overall mini-game. Each round you draw 8 cards from a deck of 52 to assemble different levels of attacks to deal damage to your opponent's cards. You can also discard three times each round, and up to five cards each time. You then deal damage based on your various attack values and card combinations. At the end of each battle you are awarded currency that you can then spend on Sigils that augment various aspects of the game. The rounds will continue until they end in victory or defeat.

There are several rewards for participating in The Demon's Hand seasonal mini-game by completing limited-time missions. Rewards include an emote, a couple of Icon's, a title, and some Battle Pass experience.

Those interested in checking out The Demon's Hand can do so now by updating to the latest version of League. No additional downloads are needed, as you'll be able to play The Demon's Hand right inside the League client.

The post The Demon’s Hand is a roguelike card mini-game in LoL—and it’s playable now appeared first on Destructoid.

The upcoming Teamfight Tactics Set 14, also known as TFT Cyber City has officially hit the PBE test server today meaning the patch notes for the test build have been released. Here are the full TFT Set 14 Cyber City PBE Patch Notes for the March 18 update.

Full TFT Set 14 Cyber City PBE Patch Notes

As with most PBE releases, Teamfight Tactics Lead Designer Stephen "Mortdog" Mortimer has released the full patch notes for TFT Set 14 Cyber City. The cyberpunk-themed update lets players jump into Cyber City which is under siege by various hackers who will augment your gameplay in a variety of ways in each match. Here are the full Teamfight Tactics Set 14 Cyber City PBE Patch Notes:

Champions

• Miss Fortune
  • Now simulates a "LaunchAttack" every 4 waves of her cast, meaning that every 4th wave will grant her 1 stack/proc for Rageblade, Runaan's Hurricane, Shiv, etc.
• Samira
  • Cooler 3* effect added
• Urgot
  • Fixed a bug where he could grant Spatulas/Frying Pans

Traits

• Anima Squad (10)
  • Armor/MR: 100 >>> 50
  • Damage Amp: 50% >>> 25%
  • Final City Transit
    • Execute: 30% >>> 20%
    • Damage: 750 >>> 70
    • Knockup removed
  • Surprise Supply Drop
    • Cadence: 7.5s >>> 10s
    • Heal: 1000 >>> 200
• Exotech (10)
  • Pulse Silencer
    • Execute Threshold: 88% >>> 44%
    • AD: 100% >>> 44%
    • Crit Chance: 50% >>> 44%
    • Crit Damage: 100% >>> 44%
  • Harmonized Chassis
    • Health Siphon %: 50% >>> 8%
  • Hijacked Cybercoil
    • Armor/MR: 80 >>> 100

Mechanic

• Golem Armory
  • Gold Golem now gets 60% AS and 30 Armor/MR, up from 20% AS and 20 Armor/MR
• Treasure Armory (aka Treasure Dragon) re-enabled.
  • Will no longer occasionally show augments the player already owns.
• The Egg Armory opening encounter unit now appears less small.

Augments

• Positioning Augments
  • The following Augments will not appear if you have Street Demon Active
    • Mentorship I/II
    • Bulky Buddies I/II/III
• Cooking Pot
  • Health: 50 >>> 40
• Cutpurse
  • Perc Chance: 7% >>> 5%
• High Score
  • AS Per Breakpoint: 4% >>> 3%
• Firesale
  • Will no longer purchase 0-cost units (Zac bloblets).
• Freestyling
  • Now shows empowered hexes when the full board is tagged.
  • Now shows the full board VFX when you receive the reward, rather than waiting until the next turn.
• Wise Spending
  • XP Per Reroll: 3 >>> 2

Bug Fixes

• Bulky Buddies properly counts Summoned units before applying its bonuses.
• Lunch Money tooltip fixed (was missing a space).
• Over Encumbered tooltip fixed (was missing an "s").
• Frying Pan Emblems grant the correct stats
• Augment 10,000 IQ now works in Double Up
• Fixed a bug where Braum and Shaco were PVE pacifists
• Fixed a bullet where Samira would lag out trying to fire bullets at nothing
• Fixed a bug where Seraphine wouldn't dance
• Fixed a bug where Elise wouldn't dance if she was still casting when combat ended
• Fixed a bug where Exotech items granted HP for Cooking Pot
• Hacked Eggs from the Egg Armory hack now properly grant loot.
• Tailored Item carousel hack items no longer missing.
• Hacked unit vfx no longer plays on units outside of the carousel during carousel hack rounds.
• Large Hacked Egg Payout can no longer create empty loot orbs
• Fixed various timing issues with Urgot
• Double Up: Fixed a bug where Anima Squad weapons would not fire when reinforcing a partner's board
• Fixed a bug where hacked augments were being placed using the tiers before an opening encounter would change them

The post Teamfight Tactics (TFT) Set 14 Cyber City PBE Patch Notes for March 18 appeared first on Destructoid.

With the release of 33 Immortals, players can finally team up with up to 32 others as they rebel against God himself. But you'll want to use the best weapons to do so. We've put together this 33 Immortals Weapon Tier List to help you choose which weapon is best for you.

33 Immortals Weapon Tier List - All weapons ranked

While all four weapons in 33 Immortals have their own strengths that make them worth using, there are certainly varying elements of overall strength right out of the gate with each of them. That being said, keep in mind you can efficiently use any of the four weapons. If you enjoy the playstyle of a certain weapon, play it and build into it and you will be able to clear any content in 33 Immortals. Here is our 33 Immortals tier list ranking all the best weapons:

S Tier

• Daggers of Greed
  • The Daggers of Greed are extremely potent in 33 Immortals, carrying a high base damage for both its Basic Attack (Slashes) and its Charged Attack (Stun Slash). The Special Ability of Daggers of Greed performs a lunging slash consuming all Greed, dealing more damage and a longer stun based on the amount of Greed consumed. Most importantly, you become invulnerable during the lunge animation, making this one of the strongest mobility and defensive abilities in 33 Immortals.

A Tier

• Bow of Hope
  • The Bow of Hope was close to obtaining S Tier on this list but fell just a bit short due to its lower damage output than the Daggers of Greed. The Basic Attack (Arrow) shoots an arrow a set distance away while the Charged Attack (Heavy Arrow) lets you shoot arrows further and deal more damage. You can then recall all the arrows via the Bow of Hope special ability, piercing and damaging enemies that the recalled arrows clip through. This can be extremely useful for upkeeping your co-op buff as well as clearing enemies quickly with smart arrow placement.
• Sword of Justice
  • The Sword of Justice is a more defensive weapon in 33 Immortals, while still having rather solid damage output. Its Basic Attack (Sword Slash) generates Justice when dealing damage to an enemy, while the Charged Attack (Heavy Slash) consumes Justice to stagger and stun enemies. The special ability for the Sword of Justice is a Guard, consuming Justice to make the player immune to incoming damage. The Sword of Justice is a great option for players who haven't quite perfected dodging attacks in 33 Immortals.

B Tier

• Staff of Sloth
  • The Staff of Sloth is a bit under-tuned compared to the other weapons, with its best ability being its Special Ability (Torpor) which has only situational uses, allowing you to slow enemies in a certain area. The Basic Attack (Orbs) for Staff of Sloth deals moderate damage and generates Sloth while the Charge Attack (Double Orbs) also stuns. Overall the Staff of Sloth just feels weaker compared to its counterparts in 33 Immortals.

The post 33 Immortals Weapon Tier List appeared first on Destructoid.

In just a couple of days, we might finally know more about what actually happened between Ekko and Jinx during the final episodes of Arcane Season 2. More specifically, it looks like we're getting an official music video for the popular Ekko and Jinx/Powdered-influenced song Ma Meilleure Ennemie.

According to the YouTube listing on the official League of Legends channel, the official music video for "Ma Meilleure Ennemie" by Stromae and Pomme will premiere on March 20 at 12 pm EST. The teaser image for the premiere shows Ekko and Jinx, the latter of whom is rocking her shorter hair, which has fans thinking the footage from the upcoming video will contain scenes depicting what happened between Ekko and Jinx in the final episodes of the finale season.

I'm not sure what you've been up to if you've yet to watch Arcane Season 2, but just in case, spoilers for the show below!

In Season 2, Episode 7 of Arcane, Ekko finds himself in a parallel universe where things are very different: Vander and Silco are still friends, Mylo, Claggor, and Benzo are still alive; and the events that led to Powder becoming Jinx never happen. In his time there, Ekko falls in love with Powder, but in the end makes the decision to sacrifice his love for her to head back to his own universe.

The next time we see Timebomb—the fan-created name for the duo—is in the Arcane series finale, where something has clearly transpired between Ekko and Jinx. But we never see what happened, nor is it even explored. According to Arcane writer Amanda Overton, the team deliberately left what happened to the audience's imagination.

We've learned since the finale aired that scenes were cut from Arcane due to budgetary and episode time constraints, which fans believe we could be seeing in the "Ma Meilleure Ennemie" music video. This wouldn't be the first time Arcane detailed major plot-related elements in a music video, which certainly isn't an ideal. But for an epic show most fans agree we simply wish we had more of, we'll take anything we can get.

The Arcane "Ma Meilleure Ennemie" music video premieres on YouTube on March 20 at 12 pm EST.

The post One of Arcane’s most popular songs is getting its own music video—and fans think it’ll feature critical cut Ekko, Jinx scenes appeared first on Destructoid.

Bethesda revealed today that playable Ghouls are officially now a thing in Fallout 76 with the release of the Ghoul Within update. The update is live now and launches alongside Season 20: Glow of the Ghoul which adds ghoul-themed rewards and C.A.M.P. items for the season.

For the first time ever in the Fallout universe, players can complete a specific Level 50 quest that gives them the ability to turn their character into a Ghoul. Players can then explore Appalachia in an all-new way as NPCs and factions will interact with the player differently than if they were a regular human Wastelander.

As a ghoul, players have various boons including immunity to radiation damage and even the ability to use radiation to heal, as well as 30 new Ghoul-specific Perk cards. However, life isn't quite as simple as a ghoul. Alongside being looked at differently by the inhabitants of Appalachia, you also have to keep an eye on your new Feral Meter that replaces your normal hunger and thirst meters. If you allow your meter to fill up too far you will go Feral which comes with its own pros and cons.

Thankfully, players who decide that the Ghoul life isn't for them have the option to revert back to their human self once per character. In the event the player decides they want to become a ghoul again, they will have to purchase a token from the Atomic Shop.

Fallout 76: Ghoul Within and the Season 20: Glow of the Ghoul updates are both now live on Steam, Xbox Series X|S, XBox One, PlayStation 5 and PS4 as well as for Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Plus Extra members. Season 20 is scheduled to last through June when the next update and Season 21 will drop on all platforms.

The post Fallout 76 Ghoul Within update lets players get Ghoulish in Season 20 appeared first on Destructoid.

As much as I've loved every new entry in the mainline Xenoblade Chronicles series, there's something special about Xenoblade Chronicles X. While it's technically not a spin-off, it's certainly its own thing, favoring a more futuristic sci-fi world and story compared to the fantasy setting of the main series.

Nearly a decade after originally releasing on the Wii U console near the end of its lifecycle, Monolith Soft and Nintendo have released Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition, a remastered version of the original game modernized to run and look good on the Nintendo Switch, with some new content to boot.

Typically remasters go in one of three directions: a simple port of an old game to a more modern system, a port that also has some improved visuals, or a complete graphical upgrade that may also add more content to the original game. Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition falls in the latter category, adding a trove of new features and content while upgrading the graphics for the Switch.

Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition (Nintendo Switch)
Developer: Monolith Soft
Publisher: Nintendo
Released: March 20, 2025
MSRP: $59.99

Despite using the Xenoblade Chronicles name, the story of XCX is completely separate. Sometime in the future, humanity is forced to flee Earth after the planet is caught in the middle of an intergalactic war. As two alien species wage conflict in space above Earth, humanity launches a series of colony ships as a last-ditch attempt at survival. One of the ships, the White Whale, successfully evades the warring species' but is tracked down by one of the species and shot down years later, causing it to crash land on the mysterious alien planet of Mira.

The world of Mira is where Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition takes place, and it is absolutely massive. For comparison, the total size of Mira is 154 square miles which is bigger than the world of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild at 140. You'll traverse the entire gargantuan world throughout the many story missions that stretch over several narratives starting while figuring out how you crashlanded on Mira and surveying every nook and cranny of the planet.

Exploration of Mira is not only a core part of the narrative in XCX: Definitive Edition, but it's further amplified by an in-game system called FrontierNav. As you explore Mira you can find spots to drop down various probes as part of the FrontierNav system, contributing towards the surveying of the planet but also allowing you to accrue various materials including money and Miranium which you'll use to upgrade your gear.

While side quests are often side-dressing in most JRPG's, in XCX: Definitive Edition they are arguably more important than the main quests. Of course, you don't have to do side quests to progress the actual main storyline and get through the game, but the real meat of the storyline including details about the characters, the world of Mira, and what exactly is going on are mostly fleshed out through the side quests.

Even though XCX: Definitive Edition is vastly different from the other mainline entries in the series in terms of story, world, and setting, the one big area of similarity is the combat system. Both in story missions and when traversing the open world, you'll encounter various enemies of different types that you will engage in real-time combat.

You influence the combat by utilizing an arsenal of skills while in combat, including both melee and ranged. The skills vary from dealing damage to applying negative status effects to your enemies or positive status effects to yourself and allies as well as healing. At a glance, the combat system may sound a bit simplistic, but it's far from it. Most of the skills have various bonuses that are applied when you meet certain conditions such as attacking an enemy from behind, from the side, etc. This creates a very dynamic yet fluid combat system of maneuvering around the field to ensure you're attacking your enemies in the most optimal way.

To make things even more interesting, the world of Mira is harsh and punishing. For example, one of the early zones has a massive Level 55 dinosaur trampling around next to various Level 3 and Level 4 creatures. It's not just there for shock factor either; engaging in combat with the dinosaur early on when you first reach this zone would be an absolute death sentence. But it further adds to the vast amount of content in XCX: Definitive Edition. There's something special about finding a higher-level enemy early on that you remember many hours later when you're strong enough to come back and take it on.

Alongside leveling up, there are two other major points in Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition that are pretty big game changers in terms of both gameplay and exploration of Mira. After Chapter 6, you'll gain access to a Skell, a weaponizable mech/exoskeleton that will surely give you Gundam vibes. You can traverse the world of Mira much quicker in a Skell than on foot, but you can also use them in battle, making quick work of smaller enemies and giving you the ability to take on more hulking enemies with ease. Then, after Chapter 9, you unlock the Flight Module for the Skell, allowing you to fly around for even faster travel and opening up previously inaccessible areas.

If what you've read so far in this review sounds great, I have good news: this is essentially Xenoblade Chronicles X before it got the Definitive Edition treatment. As a whole, the Definitive Edition mostly amplifies everything above in one way or another, but also adds more content.

First off, the graphical upgrades are solid across the board in XCX: Definitive Edition. The shiny plastic-looking character faces from the original are long gone, replaced with sharper and more defined models. The creature textures and the world have also been updated, as well as the lighting. Obviously, you have to keep in mind that this is still the Switch we're playing on, so don't expect PS5 or Xbox X|S-quality graphics, but I'd argue that while the original Xenoblade Chronicles X essentially pushed the Wii U to its limits graphically, the Definitive Edition appears to be doing the same thing on the Switch. There are a few areas, mainly for the much-larger-than-normal creatures, where I've noticed a few spots of blurry textures that look like they either didn't scale correctly or weren't updated from the original, but this was only a few times and was really only noticeable when I got up close and personal.

Story-wise, the Definitive Edition is a meaningful addition that fleshes out various plot threads and character developments throughout the progression of the game. One of the few issues with the original Xenoblade Chronicles X is that it had somewhat of a cliffhanger ending that seemed to set things up for a sequel, but a sequel never happened. There's some extra story in the Definitive Edition that builds on it but don't expect that issue to be fully resolved. Hopefully this definitive edition leads to a proper sequel where we can see the cliffhanger find complete resolution.

In terms of content, Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition has plenty to offer, as well as many quality-of-life options that only make the game even better. There are two new characters, Neilnail and Leisel, each of which also have their own new Skell as well. There's also an entirely new zone, a floating continent that can only be accessed via flying. In fact, the zone is built specifically for traversal with the flying Skell, offering more verticality than the other zones. This new zone also has new creatures, story beats, and even FrontierNav points to explore and set up to create an even more efficient resource generation pipeline.

Quality of life has been vastly improved. Mission Item Markers have been added to the map, showing you where to go to take on missions and more importantly where to farm various items required for fetch quests, a major issue in the original game. BLADE Levels, a separate ranking system from your level that you had to grind out to access certain missions has been removed, allowing you to access missions simply based on Level and Main Story progression. You can also now swap party members quickly and easily at any time via the menu, rather than having to trek all the way back to the main city like in the original game.

Perhaps the most important new addition is an all-new cooldown system. Your skills — called Arts — have their own specific cooldowns after use. However, this new system allows you to build up a separate cooldown meter and then consume it to instantly bypass your Art cooldowns and use the Art anyway. This adds another element of gameplay where you can manage your new cooldown meter to pull off even more deadly attacks based on skirting past lengthy cooldowns, or executing a clutch heal in a pinch.

Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition is how I wish all companies handled remastering its games. Xenoblade Chronicles X was already insanely good, and I would have been perfectly fine with just a graphical update and a port to the Switch. Its massive and immersive world is like no other and shows what peak exploration in a game should look like, finding a way to stay fun, mysterious, and rewarding even after 100 hours.

But instead of going the easy route, Monolith Soft went the extra mile and added meaningful new content and quality-of-life features that actually improved on what was already a masterpiece experience. The Definitive Edition treatment makes Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition one of the best JRPGs on the Switch, and a must-play for fans of the genre.

The post Review: Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition appeared first on Destructoid.

The Demon Slayer is one of the strongest classes in Hero Siege, offering a unique melee playstyle that also has an array of ranged skills via shadow magic. Here is how to make and unlock the Demon Slayer class in Hero Siege.

How to unlock Demon Slayer

In order to unlock and make a Demon Slayer character in Hero Siege, you first need to purchase the Wrath of Mevius DLC for Hero Seige, or the standalone Demon Slayer and Demonspawn Class DLC pack. If you've purchased the Complete Edition of Hero Siege, that includes both classes as well.

Once you have the DLC, you must beat the Act 7 boss in Hero Siege which will give you an achievement that unlocks both Demon Slayer and the Demonspawn class. From here, just start a new run and you will see the Demon Slayer as an option when creating your character for the run.

Is the Demon Slayer good?

The Demon Slayer is a great class, especially in the newest Season 6 of Hero Siege. I recommend using Graxy's Slice of Shadows Demon Slayer build that revolves around stacking the Strength stat as a Demon Slayer to then cleave through demons with high damage, attack speed, live steal, and even crit. Overall the build is great at both damage dealing and surviving, allowing you to use the Demon Slayer for both end-game bossing and high-difficult wave pushing in Season 6 of Hero Siege.

Even though most Demon Slayer builds are built around melee, you can also build ranged shadow damage and have a worthwhile and versatile build. That being said, some other classes might be better at that, in which case you need to decide if it's worth playing the Demon Slayer class if you're going for a more ranged-style build in Hero Siege.

The post How to make a Demon Slayer in Hero Siege appeared first on Destructoid.

The newest Teamfight Tactics set, Set 14 Cyber City, takes players to the futuristic metropolis of Cyber City featuring a cyberpunk-style lineup of champions, arenas, and skills. The new set is built around an all-new Hacks mechanic which will randomly create glitches and 'hackcidents' to keep things unpredictable throughout each match.

With the Cyber City set, hackers have infiltrated core TFT systems such as the Opening Encounters, Shops, Orbs, Carousels, and Augments, triggering unexpected and random events and changes to gameplay throughout each match. There is a pool of hacks that can trigger each game including augmented hacks that let you choose from one strong augment or two weaker ones, special changes to augment slots, and previous set features like Black Market Augments.

Carousels themselves can also be glitched, bringing game-changing surprises like extra items, anvils, Sentinel Golems with emblems, and more.

In terms of Traits and Origins, the Cyber City set brings back some classic ones from previous sets with some changes to fit with Cyber City. The TFT Set 14 Cyber City traits and origins include:

• Street Demon: Activate Street Demon hexes to power up your champions. Street Demon units placed in these marked hexes gain double the stats, with signature hexes granting even more power.
• Anima Squad: Choose from an arsenal of weapons inspired by League of Legends game mode, Swarm. These weapons automatically fire during combat, turning the tide of battle when you need it most. Squaddies Include Vayne, Yuumi, Leona, and Aurora.
• Golden Ox: Golden Ox champions increase damage and drop gold during combat. Spend big in a turn to increase bonuses permanently, but be prepared to save up for the next round of reinvestment.
• Cypher: Cypher champions gather Intel by losing combat or killing enemies, and you can trade your Intel for loot during specific rounds. The more Cypher champions you recruit, the more Intel you’ll have at your disposal.
• Syndicate: Upgrade a Syndicate champion with a Kingpin hat to enhance their abilities. At 5 Syndicate, choose another Kingpin and enhance their power even further. At 7 Syndicate, your Kingpins get even stronger and gain additional benefits!
• Cyberbosses (Yordles): Cyber City introduces the Cyberbosses, a new Yordle faction that grows in size and power as they level up. These Yordles pack a punch with abilities that scale to their larger-than-life form.

The long-popular Workshop mode Double Up is leaving the Workshop and becoming an official permanent part of TFT with Set 14. It will also receive some quality-of-life updates including premade lobbies that allow you to queue with a full lobby full of friends. The new Teamwork Cannon is also replacing the Rune of Allegiance, allowing players to send champions and items to their teammates during combat. Tocker's Trials has also received an update for Cyber City, giving players an updated PvE experience throughout the set.

Teamfight Tactics Set 14 Cyber City is set to hit the PBE servers on March 18.

The post Teamfight Tactics Set 14 Cyber City puts players in a cyberpunk metropolis appeared first on Destructoid.

After the most recent update to Blood Strike, every Striker has received all new EVO skills as well as some much needed balancing and reworks. We've put together a Blood Strike Striker tier list to rank all the best strikers currently in the game.

Blood Strike Tier List

The goal of this Blood Strike striker tier list is to provide the best strikers in the game in a competitive setting, including Battle Royale, Squad Fight, and Hot Zone. There are currently 15 total strikers in Blood Strike as of the 1st anniversary update titled EVO Battlefield that released on March 14, 2025.

Our strikers in the S Tier are the best all around, offering versatile playstyles that allow you to dominate in all game modes of Blood Strike. Those strikers in the A Tier have solid toolkits that allow you to hold your own in most situations and are formidable options as well. Strikers in the B Tier have specific situations or scenarios in which they shine, making them worthwhile. However, our strikers in the C Tier are a bit weaker compared to the other strikers at the moment and hopefully get some buffs soon.

Here is our Blood Strike strikers tier list as of the EVO battlefield update including the best strikers currently available to play in all three game modes:

S Tier

• Emma (Beetle Drone, First Aid)
• Jack (Party Bonanza, Scare Box)
• Nova (Poison Master, Toxic Grenade)
• Ran (Cryomancy, Ice Barrier)

A Tier

• Ethan (Power Slide, Protection Matrix)
• Hank (Defensive Turret, Head-On Fight)
• Kainda (Phasing Arrow, Scouting Arrow)
• Kraken (Scythe, Vortex)
• Nacho (Hellfire, The Pentinent Eyes)
• Spike (Assassination State, Charm)
• Volt (Coursing Currents, Electromagnetic Pulse)

B Tier

• Blast (Chaser Bomb, Fireworks)
• EMT (Healing Beacon, Virtuoso Medic)
• Zero (Shadowstrike, Sword Master)

C Tier

• Jet (Grenade Fanatic, Missile Bombardment)
• Val (Ferret, Satellite Scan)

The post Blood Strike Striker tier list: Best Strikers ranked appeared first on Destructoid.

The brand new season of Fortnite has once again changed up the locations of all the Shadow Briefings, which are a crucial part of the shooter. You can take on challenges to earn bonus XP and rewards for completing the Shadow Briefing mission in time. Here's where you can find all of the Fortnite Shadow Briefing Locations in Chapter 6 Season 2.

Shadow Briefing Locations in Chapter 6 Season 2

In Chapter 6 Season 2, there are 21 total Shadow Briefing spawn locations in Fortnite. It's important to keep in mind that the Shadow Briefing terminal won't spawn at all of these locations each match. Instead, a handful of these locations, typically about 10, will spawn the Shadow Briefing terminals, in a rotation that randomizes each time. It's helpful to keep the map up so you can look in nearby areas each match until you learn where they can all spawn. Here are all the Fortnite Shadow Briefing Locations in Chapter 6 Season 2:

• Houses Northwest of Flooded Frogs
• Peninsula Northeast of Flooded Frogs
• Mountaintop Southwest of Flooded Frogs
• End of Railroad Southwest of Wiffy Wharf
• Warehouse South of Wiffy Wharf
• Magic Mosses
• Brutal Boxcars
• Pumped Power
• Demon's Dojo
• Railhouse North of Shining Span
• Seaport City
• Foxy Floodgate
• Kappa Kappa Factory
• Hopeful Heights
• Southeast of Masked Meadows
• Garden Maze South of Masked Meadows
• Shogun's Solitude
• Canyon Crossing
• Shiny Shafts
• Castle Southwest of Outlaw Oasis
• Field Southwest of Crime City

You can also check the map above to see all the locations as is indicated by the yellow X's. There are several quests tied to the locations of the Shadow Briefings, so make sure you do them before the locations once again change with the start of the new season. They are typically scattered across the map, so usually, you can find one in close proximity regardless of where you drop, but because of the randomization that's never guaranteed.

The post All Fortnite Shadow Briefing Locations in Chapter 6 Season 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

Near the end of Severance Season 2 Episode 9 The After Hours, Jame Eagan appears in the MDR room as Helly is trying to memorize the directions to the elevator that Irving left behind. But what exactly is Jame Eagan doing on the severed floor in the first place?

Why is Jame on the severed floor with Helly?

In an unexpected turn of events in Season 2 Episode 9, as Helly tries to memorize the directions to the elevator that Irving left behind on the severed floor, Jame Eagan appears in the doorway to the MDR office and tells Helly that she tricked him, before saying "My Helly." So what does he mean? What is he talking about?

Of course, to know exactly, we'll have to wait until next week's Severance Season 2 finale. But that doesn't mean we can't speculate on what exactly CEO of Lumon Jame Eagan is up to.

What is Jame Eagan planning with Helly?

Once again, this is pure speculation, but seems as though Severance and more specifically the Cold Harbor project may be setting up to be some sort of connection between Mark's innie and outtie in which he may have to choose between saving Mark's outie's wife, Gemma, or Mark's innie's love interest, Helly. I think that in next week's finale, Mark will have to make a decision between saving Helly or Gemma.

We may have gotten a big hint about this in Season 2 Episode 7 when Gemma, during going through her many severed rooms, is asked if she'd rather drown or suffocate. Who's the only other character we've seen suffer that same fate? Helly, who attempted to hang herself in the elevator, and then later was almost drowned by Irving at the ORTBO.

What did Jame mean when he told Helly, 'You tricked me'?

I think that Jame is referring to the OTC from the Severance Season 1 finale in which the MDR innies activated the overtime contingency to activate their severed innie while outside of Lumon. In that episode, Helly ran into Jame Eagan in which he believed it was actually her outie, Helena, and Jame Eagan's daughter, who he was speaking to. Of course this wasn't the case and Helly would go on to ruin the conference by exposing what Lumon was up to on the severed floor.

We should know exactly what Jame Eagan is up to next week when the Severance Season 2 finale drops on March 20, 2025 at 9 pm EST.

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In Severance Season 2 Episode 9, The After Hours, we see Milchick really tap into his diverse big word vocabulary, especially when speaking to Drummond. Let's take a look at what each of those big words from the episode means, you know, just in case you didn't know.

Defining all of Milchick's big words from Severance Season 2 Episode 9

It wouldn't be a Severance episode without Milchick letting us all know we don't come close to his vast vocabulary. And The After Hours episode is no different. Let's break down all the big words Milchick used throughout Season 2 Episode 9:

• Chicanery (technically said by Cobel, but Milchick would say it too.)
  • Chicanery refers to the use of trickery, deception, or subterfuge to achieve a goal. It involves using clever but dishonest methods to manipulate situations or people. It generally carries a negative connotation, implying underhanded tactics or legal maneuvering that, while possible technically within the rules, violates its spirit or intent.
• Remonstration
  • Remonstration refers to an earnest presentation of reasons for opposition or grievance. It's a formal protest, objection, or expression of disapproval, typically delivered in a reasoned manner rather than through angry confrontation. Unlike chicanery, which implies deception, remonstration suggests a principled and reasoned objection to something perceived as wrong or unjust.
• Feculence
  • Feculence refers to the quality of being feculent, which means containing or resembling feces. It describes something that is foul, dirty, or contaminated with waste matter. It's quite uncommon in everyday speech but appears in scientific, medical, or literary contexts where a precise term for filthiness or contamination with waste matter is needed.
  • Of all the words Milchick used in tonight's episode, this one will definitely be making it's way into my vocabulary.
• Monosyllabically
  • Monosyllabically is an adverb that describes speaking or communicating using predominantly single-syllable words or in a very brief, terse manner. It often implies a minimalist style of speech where someone is being deliberately short or curt in their responses. This style of speaking is sometimes associated with someone being uninterested, angry, or reluctant to engage in conversation.

As expected, Milchick of course used all these words perfectly. Hopefully we'll get some more vocabulary lessons next week when the Severance Season 2 finale airs.

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The penultimate episode of Severance Season 2, Episode 9 titled The After Hours, has officially put all the characters in a very exciting situation going into next week's Season 2 finale. Let's recap everything that happened in tonight's episode of Severance.

The episode starts with Helena swimming at what appears to be the Eagan home. She walks into the room with her father Jame Eagan, who says it's a momentous day. Helena asks if he's going to eat to which he replies, "I'll watch." Weirdo. She cuts a hardboiled egg into six slices—man, the Eagan family loves eggs, eh?—evenly spread on a weird plate of a child being held down in a chair by two men and begins to slowly cut and eat them to watch Jame responds "I wish you ate them raw." What? Weirdo, again. We then see Helena driving away from the home with a giant water tower with the Lumon water drop icon on it.

Ms. Huang graduates from Wintertide Fellowship

Next we see Milchick telling young Ms. Huang that she has officially finished her Wintertide fellowship, and that her bed will be moved from her parents' home to the Gunnel Eagan Empathy Center in Svalbard, where she will work to steward global reforms. Gunnel Eagan? I could be wrong, but I don't think we've heard that name before! "I thought I would be finishing the quarter?," Ms. Huang asks. Milchick tells her that Empathy awaits, before demanding she must destroy her handheld ring toss game as a way of making a betterment sacrifice as part of graduating from the fellowship, which she does. Huang is later picked up by a Lumon branded bus.

Gretchen comes clean to Dylan's outie

Meanwhile at outie Dylan's home, Dylan's wife Gretchen admits to kissing innie Dylan at Lumon. "How?," he asks, leading to him getting understandably upset and confused. Gretchen returns to Lumon and tells innie Dylan that she "told her husband about you this morning," which Dylan was understandably confused about, before asking if outie Dylan was glad for them. She responded with an obvious no, to which Dylan said he should be because he's actually making her happy. Ouch, what a self burn. Kind of. Gretchen explains that she can't see innie Dylan anymore as he threatened to quit. Innie Dylan begs her to somehow be with him, leading to him proposing with a ring he made out of materials from the Lumon severed floor, saying he can give her a life. A crying Gretchen tells her she's so sorry but she can't, and leaves.

Helly tells him he should save it and give it to someone he meets down here, to which Dylan replies "It's just R&D and the goat people." Very true, Dylan. In the end, Dylan fills out an innie resignation request, to which Milchick says it is very disappointing and reeks of ingratitude for them allowing him to meet with Gretchen. After finishing the form, Milchick tells Dylan to return to the elevator and wait, to which Ms. Huang apologizes to Dylan and says she should have facilitated their meetups better. Dylan tells her it's not her fault, before heading to the elevator. Will outie Dylan accept the resignation given the circumstances, effectively "terminating" innie Dylan?

Irving sees Burt sooner than he expected

Irving goes into his apartment to see Burt sitting there, reading through Irving's notes on what he's discovered from Lumon. "May also be connected to several recent disappearances or deaths. Goodman may have participated as a low-level Lumon enforcer or goon," Burt reads and laughs. "Lumon goon, that stings." Burt then asks Irving to go for a ride with him, to which Irving declines, but Burt demands once again, "Go for a ride with me." He does. Burt explains to Irving that he never hurt anyone, and that he only drives people to places and then never asks what happens to them when they get there, to which Irving asks if that's what's happening right now.

Eventually the two come to a train station, where Burt gets Irving a one-way ticket and gives it to him, telling him it goes as far away as possible, but that he can never know where Irving gets off the train, and Irving can never return to Kier. Irving says no because Lumon will come after Burt. Burt tells him the reason he severed was because he liked the idea he could be innocent again, but his innocent self fell in love with Irving. Irving said he wants to remember that as he never fell in love before, to which Burt says it's probably better they didn't. After an intimate moment, where Irving tells Burt he wants to have their love, but Burt says they simply can't, Irving leaves on the train with his dog. We see the train riding off towards a sunny location; is this the last we'll see of Irving? I certainly hope not.

Mark needs a mental day

We get a brief scene of Gemma sitting in the place we saw from Severance Season 2 Episode 7, before seeing that the Cold Harbor project is still at 96%. The main in charge of looking after Gemma calls Drummond and says it's 9 o'clock but the numbers aren't moving. Drummond calls Milchick and demands he get Mark into the office and working on MDR now as the results for Cold Harbor were promised for today. Milchick calls Mark, who doesn't answer, as he is driving out to a secluded area with his sister to meet up with Harmony Cobel. They get to the location and eventually Cobel arrives and asks how Mark is doing. He sarcastically says he's doing good, you know, as his wife is being held prisoner at Lumon and he just got brain surgery in his basement. Cobel says they are allies now. They talk about the plan to head to the birthing cabin to speak to Marks innie, to which Cobel says they don't even know if his innie has completed the file yet (Cold Harbor) but that she assumes not. Mark asks what the file is and Cobel tells him that if his innie has completed Cold Harbor that Gemma is already dead. I can't wait to find out exactly what Cold Harbor actually is. Next week's finale is titled Cold Harbor, so surely we'll learn, right? Cobel tells Mark to call Mr. Milchick and tell him he's feeling unwell and won't be coming in today, because if Milchick smells that they are up to something, they will lock Mark out of the building.

Meanwhile, Drummond berates Milchick over Mark not showing up for work, asking him if "This is tightening the leash?" He is furious that Lumon's most vital refiner is "missing in the wind on what was to be Lumon's finest day" and tells Milchick it is his fault. "I have followed protocol, Mr. Drummond, but I thank you for your remonstration." In case you're like me and have no clue what that means, it means 'the act of expressing earnest opposition or protest'. Drummond says it's a needlessly complex word for a simple idea, and demands Milchick apologizes, which he does twice. Drummond demands he apologizes again, to which Milchick responds, "Devour feculence." I had an idea what this one meant, but Milchick confirms it. "Eat shit." As Milchick says: "To put it monosyballically, it's not my fault what Mark Scout does when he is not at work. It's yours." Ohhhh got em. Milchick has become perhaps my favorite character in the show, and it's clear he's starting to finally waver from his allegiance to Lumon, at least somewhat.

Mark calls Milchick, saying he's been worried about his nosebleeds he's having and drove to a clinic in Soil Hill and that they want to do a few more tests. Milchick insists on letting Lumon send a car as Mark is a valuable employee, demanding to know Mark's location. Mark thinks before explaining that he's not sick but he just needed a day. Milchick asks if he can know why, to which Mark says "No, I've just got life stuff. Isn't that what Lumon's all about? Balance? Work is just work, right?" Everyone can relate to that, right? Milchick has an internal struggle on whether to give this to Mark or push further, especially after what just happened with Drummond. In the end he asks for Mark's word that he will report to work tomorrow, to which Mark says he promises he will be there.

Cobel and Devon want to talk to Mark's innie

Mark gets in the bed of the truck covered with tarp, and he, Devon, and Cobel arrive at the severed birthing cabin. Security says no one scheduled to be there, to which Cobel says it's "one of Jame's and that no one is to know they are there." Sounds like Jame might have a ton of little Eagans running around non willingly. Cobel tells the security that Devon is Miss Marsha White from the ninth floor in the Specialty department, and that she is "looking for a gold thimble." Security lets them through.

Marks innie wakes up in the birthing cabin with Devon there. He tries to leave, and Devon explains that if he goes out the door, Mark will just turn around and come back in. She takes him upstairs to see Cobel, explaining that they need to talk.

Meanwhile, Helly goes to the breakroom where Irving hid the directions to the dark hallway and elevator. She returns to their work room and is trying to memorize the directions to the elevator, when suddenly Helena's father, Jame Eagan appears behind her and says, "You tricked me. My Helly." to which Helly responds, "What the fuck?" Couldn't have said it better, Helly.

All in all, this is about as satisfying of a penultimate episode as you can ask for. It feels as though for Iving and Dylan, this episode very well could be their last appearance of the season. Maybe even the series? I hope not, but it's quite possible based on how things ended.

Next week's season finale, Severance Season 2 Episode 10 titled Cold Harbor is a whopping 76 minutes but may every well focus on Mark, Cobel, Helly/Helena, and what exactly the Cold Harbor project actually is. I can't wait.

The season finale of Severance airs on March 20 at 9 pm EST.

The post Severance Season 2 Episode 9 The After Hours recap appeared first on Destructoid.

While some fans were excited by today's announcement of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 3 officially entering development, others feel like it may be a bit too soon due to the lack of content that Space Marine 2 has received since its launch 6 months ago.

A post over on the /r/gaming subreddit discussing the Space Marine 3 development announcement seems pretty split, with some fans just happy to get more Space Marine goodness while others aren't impressed. "Hope it has more content than 2," states user Possible-Emu-2913, which to be fair is a perfectly reasonable request. "Yeah this is disappointing news for people still hoping for substantial support for SM2," responded user -thecheesus-.

For what it's worth, Focus Entertainment did confirm in the Space Marine 3 development announcement that they will continue to support Space Marine 2 with exciting content and regular updates in the coming years.

It's important to note that this is an extremely early announcement for Space Marine 3. For comparison, Space Marine 2 was announced at The Game Awards in December 2021, and just released in September 2024, meaning there was almost three years between the announcement and its subsequent release. Assuming today's reveal means development has literally just begun, it could be even longer until Space Marine 3 actually releases.

Some fans in the subreddit feel as though Saber and Focus should take the opportunity to release some narrative campaign DLC and expansions for Space Marine 2, arguing that the game "dropped as a solid platform short of content, with the wheels greased for significant additions to expand the game." Of course, not everyone agrees, with fans pointing out that they'd rather they focus on singular full-price games rather than bite-sized DLC drops over the next few years.

Realistically, this should be a best of both worlds scenario. Not all games receive support this long after release, so knowing that Space Marine 2 is going to continue to get some updates and content while the follow-up is already in development regardless of how that content sells is a rare win for fans in the industry these days.

For me personally, I just can't wait to see what enemy faction will be at the forefront of Space Marine 3. Orks and Tyranids, while vastly different, are similar in the sense that they are both "zerg-like" in that they have mass numbers that have kind of led to the horde onslaught-style gameplay the series has utilized in the first two games.

Warhammer 40k: Space Marine 3 is currently in development with no expected release timeframe.

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Ubisoft revealed today that an all-new game mode, Dual Front, is coming to the tactical FPS Rainbow 6 Siege as part of its Siege X showcase which is celebrating its 10 year anniversary. I had a chance to play a few rounds of the innovative new mode, and it's an absolute game changer for Rainbow 6 Siege.

The new Dual Front mode essentially breaks the map into different sections and splits it between the two teams. Rather than teams of 5, Dual Front utilizes teams of 6, creating a new tug-of-war style of gameplay in 6v6 battles. Each team is split into two groups of three, with one of the groups assigned the role of attacking, and the other assigned the role of defending.

You aren't bound by your group's assigned role—you can opt to run across the map and join the attackers if you were assigned to defense, for example—but that of course can create a weakness for your team. Both teams have one of those split sections of the map with an objective you must defend from the other team taking.

If you manage to secure the objective, the map updates, essentially changing the turf of the section, and changing the new attack/defend objectives for each team. Of course, this would be odd with the normal 1-life per round nature of Siege, so instead death results in a brief cooldown before you can respawn in one of your team's claimed sections.

As someone who loves Siege but has only played a handful of times since its release 10 years ago, this is exactly the kind of mode to get me back into it. A mode that still utilizes the well-optimized and tight gunplay that Siege is known best for, while raising the stakes a bit to create a more fast-paced environment. Camping is essentially a debuff to your team in this mode, which is a natural way to eliminate another one of my frustrations with the core gameplay mode.

The tug-of-war style gameplay still rewards players for being tactical, as securing a location and keeping it defended is equally as important as pushing forward and securing the objective to expand your team's control of the map. I'm excited to see how strategies evolve from the core game into Dual Front as more experienced player's figure out the best ways to attack and defend at the same time.

Those interested in checking out the new Rainbow 6 Siege Dual Front game mode can do so during a closed beta running from March 13 through March 19.

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PowerWash Simulator developer FuturLab announced today that players will be able to return to Muckingham in an all-new sequel featuring a new campaign, improved visuals, more equipment, and online and split-screen co-op. PowerWash Simulator 2 is set to release later this year on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.

According to FuturLab, the sequel will take players through a fresh new campaign that uncovers the mysteries of Muckingham through a variety of locations including Sponge Valley, Power Falls, and Lubri City. Players will also be able to collect furniture and trinkets to spruce up their own home-base in between missions and even invite friends over to check out their pad with the new multiplayer mode that features both split-screen and online co-op that allows players to share campaign progression.

Alongside visual upgrades, the cleaning systems at play in the sequel have also been upgraded, making the relaxing and satisfying job of power washing much more realistic including enhance soap that clings to stains and takes care of the dirt more effectively.

PowerWash Simulator 2 feels like a natural evolution from its predecessor. The original game’s design was all about eliminating anything that detracted from the pure satisfaction of taking something dirty and making it clean. PowerWash Simulator 2 is all about adding in even more avenues for players to achieve that same sense of satisfaction, with new tools, features and quality of life. We're really excited to see players dust off their power washers and get stuck into this brand-new campaign, that brings you even more to clean, and even more ways to release the pressure.”

- Dan Chequer, Design Director at FuturLab

PowerWash Simulator 2 will release on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S later this year. FuturLab plans to share more information about the upcoming release in April.

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Over the years, Minecraft modpacks have become more and more advanced, combining a variety of popular mods into a streamlined process that explores what each mod has to offer. But with each new major version, most modpacks take a long time to update. Here are 10 must have modern tech modpacks for Minecraft in 2025.

Best modern tech modpacks for Minecraft

While there are plenty of good modpacks for older versions of Minecraft, fewer and fewer mods and therefore modpacks have seemingly been upgraded to the more modern versions such as 1.18, 1.20, and even 1.21. It's perfectly logical, as you never know when the version updates are going to drop, and it would be a pain to finish updating your modpack only to find out another new version has dropped and you must update it again. Thankfully, some modpacks have in fact been updated, and some others have also been developed specifically for the newer more modern versions of Minecraft.

Here are 10 must-have modern tech modpacks for Minecraft that you owe it to yourself to play in 2025 if you're looking for a tech-based progression pack.

10. FTB StoneBlock 3 (1.18)

First up is FTB StoneBlock 3, which I feel is a great start to this best of list. StoneBlock 3 is a massive pack that throws you into a small hole surrounded by stone and has you dig your way out while teching up and building up your own subterranean kingdom. There's a mix of both technology and magic with this pack, as well as scripted events to keep things exciting.

Some of the packs on this list get pretty hardcore, but FTB StoneBlock 3 tows the line of being somewhat of a kitchen sink modpack (meaning it's got a ton of mods thrown in giving you different ways to address certain challenges) while also having a streamlined progression process.

If you've ever wanted to live out your dream of building a dwarven kingdom in Minecraft, you need to check out this modpack.

Download: FTB StoneBlock 3

9. SteamPunk [LPS] (1.20)

The SteamPunk [LPS] modpack is one of the more simpler modpacks on this list, but also one of the more streamlined. If you've wanted to build up your own Steampunk-style kingdom, SteamPunk [LPS] does just chat. It's heavily built around Create but also has some unique ways of interweaving the steam age and subsequent tech upgrades through progression.

One of the coolest things about this modpack is you eventually build a train that you use to travel through different dimensions rather than simply going through portals, which is pretty cool.

This is also a great modern modpack for people looking to get started with tech modpacks.

Download: SteamPunk [LPS] via CurseForge

8. Project Architect 2 (1.20)

Project Architect 2 is a unique modpack created by the popular Minecraft modpack streamer Chosen Architect. The modpack is built around automation and EMC optimization, allowing you to create automatic resource gathering, processing, and crafting systems to then convert the products you create into EMC, allowing you to essentially trade the value of everything you make for some other resource.

It's a very unique concept and utilizes a lot of the popular modern tech mods in a more unique way. I honestly recommend this modpack for anyone after getting your feet wet with other more traditional tech modpacks, and then trying this one out to change things up a bit.

Download: Project Architect 2 via CurseForge

7. TerraFirmaGreg-Modern (1.20)

There are both modern and non-modern versions of this modpack still being updated, but as this is a modern list, obviously it's the one included here! TerraFirmaCraft is a total conversion mod that completely revamps the survival mode and has its own world generation system. This is very close to a traditional Minecraft survival mode experience, but you will also need to tech up to survive harsher threats as you progress.

While most of these packs have built in shader packs that simply make them look beautiful, TerraFirmaGreg-Modern has the added benefit of a completely unique world generation which is one of the best in MMinecraft.

Download: TerraFirmaGreg-Modern

6. SkyFactory 5 (1.20)

This is a very new modpack, and the first on this list built around the skyblock style of gameplay. Instead of starting in a normal Minecraft world, you begin on a single block in the sky with nothing but a tree. This unique modpack also starts you off with absolutely no color (grayscale) and as you unlock various colors, they are added to the world as well.

SkyFactory 5 makes for a very unique experience even amongst other tech modpacks just because of the color system which the entire modpack is built around. Unlocking colors not only enhances the look of your game world, but also unlocks new systems and creations for you to build to make life in the sky more effecient.

Download: SkyFactory 5 via CurseForge

5. StaTech Industry (1.19)

StaTech Industry is the first pretty hardcore modern tech modpacks on this list. If you're a fan of GregTech—even though it's not used in this modpack—I recommend checking out StaTech Industry. It instead is built around Modern Industrialization, though the concept is similar; tech up to increase your efficiency of automating resources and processing lines of massive amounts of resources.

You'll start similar to other tech modpacks, using Create and steam machines to tech up, but in the end you'll be building massive factories that stretch into the horizon to process all the resources you'll be generating. This is one of the best overall modern tech modpacks and a must play for fans of this kind of modpack.

Download: StaTech Industry

4. All the Mods 10 - ATM10 (1.21)

AllTheMods is always a kitchen sink-style modpack that, as the name implies, has a lot of different mods in it! The great thing about a modpack like this is while there is a ton to do, there's also many ways to accomplish most goals and challenges. There are so many modpacks that you could very well never use some of them or even know they exist, because you'll utilize a different mod's creations to get the job done.

There is also a Skyblock version of ATM10 but I honestly recommend playing the standard version as you can really make some beautiful environments when using some of the cool magic and tech mods included in All The Mods 10.

Download: AllTheMods10

3. Star Technology (1.20)

Star Technology is another skyblock-style tech modpack, but is much deeper and more extensive in terms of progression. Star Technology is built on the GregTech CEu Modern foundation which means fans of GregTech will have plenty to enjoy here, with progression extending beyond the UHV age. This modpack also has several unique ways of automating resource gathering including Ex Nihilo, Void Miners, Oil Drilling Rigs, and more, as well as various dimensions to travel through.

This is not a modern tech modpack for beginners, but if you'vev already played a handful of tech modpacks and are looking for a fun challenge, Star Technology is a must play.

Download: Star Technology via CurseForge

2. FTB OceanBlock 2 (1.21)

You can essentially consider FTB OceanBlock 2 a skyblock modpack except instead of being in the sky, you're in the ocean. Surrounded by endless water, you must build up around a small escape pod, eventually automating resources and creating some pretty cool creations. This modpack is built off FTB and as such has one of the coolest modern tech mods that has recently released: Oritech. The Oritech mod alone makes this modpack a must play, which allows you to create exciting multiblock creations to assist with gathering resources and producing many items, including eventually a particle accelerator.

The modpack does a really good job of making a skyblock-style modpack that never gets boring, with many dimensions to explore, terrifying custom underwater enemies, and more. FTB OceanBlock 2 is a must play for anyone looking for a rewarding and unique modern tech modpack.

Download: FTB OceanBlock 2

1. Monifactory (1.20)

Surprise, surprise, of course our number 1 modern tech modpack is based on GregTech. If you've ever played Nomifactory CEu, this is essentially a modern reimaging of that popular modpack. There are plenty of enhancements throughout the pack including new modpacks and new forms of progression, as well as all new mechanics utilizing Sculk from the deep dark, making this a truly modern modpack.

There is also a hard and expert mode for this modpack, and I recommend trying out the hard mode more. It may sound intimidating, but it actually streamlines a lot of the progression in the modpack, including starting you out in the steam age. If you want to be able to tech up and have instantly satisfying feelings when you tech up and reach a new age, Monifactory is the modpack for you.

Download: Monifactory

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