The folks behind the FAR games have announced Herdling, where you herd a group of strange beasts across various biomes as you make for a distant mountaintop. Developer Okomotive showcased the game today during Gamescom Opening Night Live 2024 with a trailer and a 2025 release window.

Okomotive has a penchant for chill, atmospheric games set in a suggested post-apocalyptic landscape. The studio tasked you with maintaining lumbering machines as you ventured to parts unknown in FAR: Lone Sails and FAR: Changing Tides. Okomotive plans to continue the theme with Herdling, but with lovable creatures instead of a loveable, fuel-guzzling vehicle.

“With Herdling we wanted to start a new kind of adventure, not only for the players, but also for us,”
said co-founders Don Schmocker and Goran Saric. “To create the herd of beasts and their mountainous
world was an ambitious challenge for us and we enjoyed every step of that journey.”

No longer a solo adventure

Herdling looks to embrace the contemplative, atmospheric journey of a person traveling to a destination of some importance. There are some differences, of course. Herdling is a third-person adventure, placing you in the shoes and red hoodie of a herder guiding strange but gentle creatures called Calicorns to the top of a far-flung mountain. The FAR games were famous for their oppressive feeling of isolation and loneliness. Herdling may still emphasize the former, but at least you won't be alone.

The trip still won't be an easy one. In FAR, Okomotive sprinkled light puzzle challenges and occasional threats throughout, and that won't change here. Herdling takes you through forests and valleys, tasking you to keep your herd safe while weathering fog and chilling snow.

“This idea of moving as part of a herd of large, lovable, mystical creatures was at the center of our design
process and we can’t wait to see players immerse themselves in the experience we have created,” said
Fabio Baumgartner, game designer, programmer, and sound designer of Herdling.

Herdling doesn't have a release date yet, but it is slated for a launch in 2025. More about the game will be revealed during the Panic Games Showcase, held by the game's publisher Panic, on August 27.

The post The FAR: Lone Sails studio returns with Herdling, a game where you herd a group of ‘mystical’ animals appeared first on Destructoid.

Earth Defense Force 6 on PS5

To me, the Earth Defense Force series exists to deliver the perfect comfort food games. Each new installment is similar enough to the one before so that you can easily drop back in, but there’s always a new gameplay wrinkle and enemies to encounter. You always know what you’re getting with any EDF, making it exceptionally easy to lose yourself in them, which is simply the best. I had imported the Japanese release of Earth Defense Force 6 in 2022, and I happily jumped at the chance to review the English release.

For anyone who has not heard of this long-running series, Earth Defense Force is a third-person mission-based shooter. At a base level, the game is all about shooting giant enemies (typically bugs) to collect the random weapons and max health upgrades they drop so that you can take on tougher enemies/difficulties. Earth Defense Force 6 is the first game in the franchise on the PS5, and it definitely shows, as it constantly feels like there are more enemies on screen than I’ve ever seen.

Avowed, the next RPG from those famed RPG creators at Obsidian, got another trailer during the 2024 Xbox Games Showcase this weekend. The new footage confirmed it's coming this year, but Avowed had a full release date revealed elsewhere before it was quickly removed.

As spotted by Wario64 on X, the Avowed story trailer blog page on the official Obsidian site revealed a release date of November 12, 2024. But like the Troxler effect, not long after eyes were cast upon the date, it disappeared from the blog post entirely.

The date came as part of a short quote provided by the game director, Carrie Patel. Today, the quote reads:

"The last few months at Obsidian Entertainment have been fast-paced and exciting. Since we saw you at the Xbox Developer Direct this past January, we’ve been busy with Avowed getting it ready."

Using the cosmic powers of the Wayback Machine, I was able to confirm the release date on the pre-edited page. Originally, the quote continued to say, "for release on November 12, 2024." And then it was gone.

Avowed got a November release date for a short while, at least

There's no need to queue up that X-Files music; the reveal may have likely been for a target date, but something changed. I recall a year where every other month felt like it had a game delay announcement or two. It could have been altered, whether due to a delay or something else. We can't really know for sure.

For the most part, Obsidian is still targeting 2024 for Avowed. The exact month and day may still be up to the fates, but the year hasn't been changed yet. We may see the game around the fall regardless, nestled snuggly with others like Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred and Life is Strange: Double Exposure.

The post Avowed briefly had a release date announced before it was swiftly removed appeared first on Destructoid.

Our favorite accessories for the Steam Deck

Continue reading…

Since the Urzikstan map was released for Warzone in late 2023, fans have been waiting for ranked to return. It was most recently mentioned in February in a blog post about Season 2 on the Call of Duty site. It was light on details; all it had to say was that it would come later this year. After three months of silence, while fans have been asking on Reddit and Twitter, there is finally a new update.

Call of Duty-focused outlet Charlie Intel shared in a tweet that Activision promised Ranked was still coming in a call with creators. However, while this is still a confirmation, it is still in the works. The only downside is that Activision didn’t announce a possible date. Instead, they once again give it the “later this year” release window. That might not be completely what was wanted, but at least Activision knows players still want it.

Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 got its first-ever patch today, addressing a myriad of issues and, finally, the misaligned peach fuzz on Senua's face. Wait. Who notices that stuff?

Anyway, Hellblade 2 patch 1.0.5.0 is a small one, bringing around 20 fixes and changes to the game. Among the changes is one I feel is the most important for those who already finished the game. From now on, choosing the 'New Story' option in the menu will warn you that the feature will indeed reset your current progress. It didn't say this before, no doubt prompting some to reassess using the option. I do wonder how many save files got wiped, though.

Hopefully, some of you at least found all the hidden faces and Lorestangir before getting thrown back to the game's intro.

Hellblade 2 patch deals with issues and face fuzz

The remainder of the patch is fairly typical, save for that whole face fuzz exception. Among the former and the New Story warning above, the patch also fixes memory leaks, ghosting issues, mission captions, and some artifacting when using FSR3. There is also one fix that kinda spoils an event near the end of the game, so I'd suggest you avoid reading the patch notes directly.

I'll post them below, sans spoilers (courtesy of Ninja Theory):

• Added a warning prompt when selecting ‘New Story’ as this option resets the current save's story progress.
• Fixed the large text size option, which was causing UI elements in chapter selection to go out of bounds.
• Animation sync issues during some enemy executions in combat have been adjusted and fixed.
• Adjusted the combat events during the Thórgestr battle at the end of Chapter 1
• Several localization fixes.
• Tree collision fixes in Chapter 2 settlement puzzle.
• Fixed the crash when closing photo mode after extended gameplay.
• Fixed a few cases of memory leaks game-wide.
• Ultrawide fix during Chapter 3 cinematic to prevent Fargrímr from disappearing.
• Indoor rain inside the broken house in Chapter 1 is fixed.
• Ghosting issues fixed when running Frame Generation.
• Added missing SFX during Chapter 3 puzzle and Chapter 4 combat
• Fixed missing captions in several areas across the game.
• Missing facial animations in Chapter 5 cinematic after village battle.
• Misaligned peach fuzz around Senua's neck and face has been corrected.
• [SPOILER] have been adjusted for a better combat experience.
• Improved FSR3 artefacts.
• Fixed the case of some animated objects were invisible during gameplay.
• Fixed instances of black marks appearing on faces around beards and fine hairs on Low preset.

For more on Hellblade 2, check out our guide on opening the village gates and find out if you can remove the black bars.

The post Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II gets its first patch, addressing issues and misaligned peach fuzz (at last) appeared first on Destructoid.

It's not so easy to destroy an entire planet, especially one so infested with bugs. And not just the Terminid kind, as Helldivers swiftly learned yesterday. The Dark Matter mission in Helldivers 2 is getting a hotfix following numerous reports of bugs and, um, bugs.

On May 30, the second phase of the Major Order 'Enduring Peace' began with a shocking demand from Super Earth's finest: Wipe the planet Meridia off the galactic map once and for all. To do so, divers had to inject a clearly dangerous substance known as Dark Fluid into the crust of Meridia — a planet swarming with Terminid following the failed Termicide experiment. Once enough of the stuff was injected the planet, the rock would collapse into a black hole. Sadly, things have been going quite badly.

Players have been reporting that the mission is nigh impossible, regardless of the chosen difficulty. Heavy enemies such as Bile Titans spawn almost directly on the site of a drill you need to protect, making things harder than needed. Swarms of bugs spew from holes, and your vision is blocked by thick fog. If you actually manage to finish all three injection sites, you're swarmed with dozens of Shriekers.

Helldivers 2 is getting a hotfix for the Dark Matter mission soon

As you can see from the horror show above, the Dark Fluid mission has been a nightmare for many Helldivers 2 players, prompting Arrowhead to respond with news of a hotfix. Katherine "Baskinator" Baskin told players on the game's official Discord that the team is working on a hotfix to help with rapid Terminid spawns, which she confirms is a bug (not a feature). Hopefully, that also means the skies won't soon be darkened by countless Shriekers as well.

I played the mission last night, and my experience aligns with that of many others. Bile Titans would appear 15 feet from the Dark Fluid drill and instantly attack, forcing the team to scramble. We did manage to complete the mission with Gatling Turrets and littering the ground with EAT-17 drops, but we didn't make extraction. I was the last one alive, possibly due to my heavy armor, but couldn't avoid the Shrieker blender and died 20 seconds before the Pelican arrived. Sorry, team.

Whenever that hotfix drops, I hope it's soon. The Major Order is set to conclude early next week. Players may have to work overtime to get the mission done. As of now, the Helldivers have made almost no progress. It's going to be a rough weekend.

The post Helldivers 2’s Dark Matter mission is getting a hotfix to address all the bugs (and the bugs) appeared first on Destructoid.

May 13, 2024: The last working AUT code has expired. We're waiting on more.

What are the new AUT codes? If you're trying to get ahead of the competition in A Universal Time, we've collated all the latest codes for free skin crates. We'll also run you through exactly how to redeem all the active A Universal Time codes and where you can find more for the action-packed, anime-themed hit.

A Universal Time has been around for a while, but it's erupted in popularity recently following a major update. If you're searching high and low for further Roblox freebies, we also keep regularly updated lists of Blox Fruits codes, Project Slayers codes, and even Anime Adventures codes. Now, let's run through all the A Universal Time codes and the rewards they'll net you.

So I am attempting to make a an image of a closed door for a ship. On clicking this door, it would then change to an open door. However, I am struggling to get the click listener to work for the Image. Weirdly, if i use a textbutton instead it works, with pretty much the same code. Below is the class in which a stage is created and the Image actor added to it.

    public class battleScreenActorOverlay implements Disposable {

public battleScreenActorOverlay(World world, SpriteBatch sb, battleShipScreen syst, float bottomButsH, float viewportWidth, float viewportHeight, List<Float> testDoor) {

    viewport = new ExtendViewport(viewportWidth,viewportHeight, new OrthographicCamera());
    stage = new Stage(viewport, sb);
    Gdx.input.setInputProcessor(stage);
    shipObjsAt = new TextureAtlas("batScreen/objects/shipObjects.atlas");
    Skin skin2 = new Skin(shipObjsAt);

    Image img = new Image(skin2.getDrawable("doorV"));
    img.setTouchable(Touchable.enabled);
    img.addListener(new ClickListener() {
        @Override
        public void clicked(InputEvent event, float x, float y) {
            System.out.println("clicked");
        }
        @Override
        public boolean touchDown(InputEvent event, float x, float y, int pointer, int button) {
            System.out.println("touch down");
            return true;
        }
        @Override
        public void touchUp(InputEvent event, float x, float y, int pointer, int button) {
            System.out.println("touch up");
        }
    });

    // set Image position and dimensions, then boundaries
    img.setPosition(testDoor.get(2),testDoor.get(3));
    img.setSize(testDoor.get(1)*6, testDoor.get(0)*6);
    System.out.println("gabriel "+img.getX()+" "+img.getY()+" "+img.getWidth()+" "+img.getHeight());
    img.setBounds(img.getX(),img.getY(),img.getWidth(),img.getHeight());

    // add to stage which is then rendered in main class
    stage.addActor(img);
    stage.act();
}

Then the main class basically does some stuff like this:

public class battleShipScreen implements Screen {

// a load of variable declarations here

public battleShipScreen(MyGdxGame game){

    // create viewport etc

    genShip();

}

public void genShip(){
    // basically method for setting door positions
    batScreenActs = new battleScreenActorOverlay(world,game.batch,this,margin,gameport.getWorldWidth(),gameport.getWorldHeight(),testDoor); // calls class which creates stage and adds door

}

@Override
public void show() {

}

public void update(float dt){
    world.step(1/60f,6,2);
    handleInput(dt);
    gamecam.update();
    renderer.setView(gamecam);

}

public void handleInput(float dt) {
 // classic handle input
}

@Override
public void render(float delta) {

    update(delta);
    Gdx.gl.glClearColor((float) 60/255, (float) 181/255, (float) 0/255, (float) 0);    // clears screen
    Gdx.gl.glClear(GL20.GL_COLOR_BUFFER_BIT);                       // clears screen
    // render game map
    renderer.render();
    game.batch.setProjectionMatrix(gamecam.combined);

    game.batch.setProjectionMatrix(batScreenHUD.stage.getCamera().combined);


   game.batch.setProjectionMatrix(batScreenActs.stage.getCamera().combined);
    batScreenActs.stage.act(Gdx.graphics.getDeltaTime());
    batScreenActs.stage.draw();
}


@Override
public void resize(int width, int height) {
    System.out.println("resizing "+height+" by "+width);
    gameport.update(width,height);
    gamecam.update();
}

@Override
public void pause() {

}

@Override
public void resume() {

}

@Override
public void hide() {

}

@Override
public void dispose() {

}

Sorry for the long post, but I have been trying to sort this out for a few days now and have literally no idea what i am doing wrong. Any help working out how to make an Image actor click listener work would be much appreciated!

I am having the issue of aligning my BoxCollider2D with my linerenderer.

I am trying to have a laser shoot using:
Physics2D.Linecast(startingPoint.transform.position, maxEndPoint.transform.position);

This works fine and the line is always shooting in the right direction and angle when I rotate the object. But, when I am drawing a box collider, the box doesn't align at the correct position.

Firstly, the boxcollider is attached as a child component of the line renderer.

I am using this code to get the size of the collider, which seems to work fine.

float lineLength = Vector3.Distance(lazer.GetPosition(1), lazer.GetPosition(0)); 

This code is for aligning the collider with the line renderer. I know I am supposed to get the midpoint, because that's how you control the location of the box collider, but I need to know the math to always make it align.

    lazerCollider.offset = new Vector3(0, ourHitPos.y - startingPoint.transform.position.y, 0) / 2;
    lazerCollider.size = new Vector3(lazerWidth, lineLength, 0);

I know right now I am only using the Y coordinate... I just need to know the math to make this work.

And if you’re one of those people, welcome

One of the biggest draws of the science fiction genre is that it gives us access to big spaceships. There’s other stuff, too, about imagining alternate futures and pasts or thinking about new forms of life, but there’s an awful lot of big spaceships, and if you’re like me you think those big spaceships are cool. Homeworld 3 is fundamentally a strategy game about really, really big spaceships and the cultures that pilot them. You are more than likely in or out based on that premise alone.

These spaceships are the central organizing principles of the games. The first told the tale of an oppressed people and their journey from a desert planet to their original homeworld, and the second was about dealing with a threat to that world in the form of a technological warlord. Homeworld 3 continues the story of the Hiigaran people, who face a new threat: something out in space is killing inhabited worlds, wiping out billions of people. The galactic empire is crumbling at the might of this faceless threat. Someone has to stop it.

The game puts the player in the combined shoes of Imogen S’jet, who is neurally welded to a massive spaceship, and Isaac Paktu, a military commander. They are sent out beyond the known realms to find the threat, and they do it in their large space boats.

Image: Blackbird Interactive/Gearbox Publishing

I’m belaboring the ships because, look, they’re cool. Homeworld 3 puts a lot into scale and detail. Each mission takes place in these massive maps with huge, cyclopean structures around them, and you perform whatever task is in front of you by navigating that terrain and (generally) blowing up your enemy. The scale is so large that things move slowly. The pace of the game is generally glacial.

At the same time, you have this capacity to zoom in very far to see the actual action that’s occurring. You can watch your corvettes swing past an enemy destroyer in immaculate detail, following up with torpedoes from a flanking ship that you pulled up behind the unsuspecting enemy. This zooming back and forth between scales sets off the science-fiction fan siren song. It’s like watching Star Wars but with the capacity to control everything — I am the one that brings the Imperial Star Destroyer to bear on these ragtag rebels this time.

This is the fundamental thrill of the game, and if you are not on board with it, nothing else is going to get you there — not the story, nor the roguelike “War Games” mode, nor the multiplayer. Homeworld 3 is truly a strategy game in that you manage an army from the ground up. You choose the ships, you make the army composition, you pick the routes they take to the enemy, and you need to micromanage their actions. Ship combat is no joke. Vessels take more or less damage based on what they’re fighting, and their vulnerability to those enemies is often centered on their exact positioning. Homeworld 3 assumes that you find it an interesting and engaging challenge to line up your ship formations, execute an attack in detail, and then sweep up the survivors. It assumes that you are willing to do that at a fairly slow speed, with a high level of detail.

Image: Blackbird Interactive/Gearbox Publishing

I have a high tolerance for strategy game nonsense. I am even willing to engage with said nonsense in a fully 3D arena (which is not nothing — camera navigation is tricky in Homeworld 3, and there were a few times where I just could not click on something or select it due to camera goofery). The level of detail that Homeworld 3 asked me to keep up with was fairly high, and sometimes would strain my interest. Once I understand the solution to a problem in a game, and I understand how the execution is accomplished, I have very little patience for friction getting in my way. This game gave me quite a few moments where I had the critical mass of ships required to end a mission, yet they were all the way across the map from my enemy. Cue the long travel time to get there. Your enjoyment of this may vary.

The responsiveness of a given system matters a lot, and Homeworld 3 has a lot of moving parts. Like in most strategy games, you direct your units in specific ways, but you also need to rely on their AI to navigate some of the beat-by-beat action. Smaller craft need to maneuver, larger craft need to hide behind obstacles, and every ship needs to have just enough independence so that it is not obliterated while you’re fixated across the map fighting another battle. At times, the AI in this game felt really capable and able to do all of those things appropriately. Then there were other times when my ships seemed to stop dead, making big, fat targets for my enemies. Homeworld 3 is complex enough, and detailed enough, that I was never quite sure if it was my fault or a problem with the game, and in these moments I would end up needing to do a full rundown of possible causes. Were my ships set on a passive mode? Did I not click on the enemy, but instead just hit the move command? Were they rallied, or perhaps set to defend another craft? The granularity of the game makes it feel like I’m a real space commander. But being a space commander is tough, and at times it was a pretty heavy cognitive load.

The real strengths of Homeworld 3 are in its consistency and, again, its focus on ships. The game’s story is beautifully animated in long, awesome “big science-fiction concept” cutscenes and told through extensive voiceover in-game. It is ultimately a story that will be familiar to space opera fans. One lone ship out among the stars needs to find an enemy and defeat them. The enemy is more like us than we are willing to admit. Fighting is the only way to end it. Space battles occur. There’s nothing much shocking here, but the Homeworld franchise’s commitment to depicting the logistics of hyperspace travel is compelling. Protagonist Imogen S’jet is neurologically bound to the ship she navigates, and it creates great storytelling opportunities in cutscenes as well as in-mission — she verbally mourns when resource craft die, for example.

Image: Blackbird Interactive/Gearbox Publishing

It is difficult to be an advocate for or a hater of Homeworld 3. It is a unique game, with a long-running story, and there are people who are really anticipating it. I experienced it as a really engaging strategy game for the seven or so hours that it took me to play the campaign and another few that I spent tinkering around with the other game modes. If you do not have prior investments in these games, or you are not purely electrified by the wargame pace of space ship combat, Homeworld 3 might be a hard sell. The idea that games are “for their fans” is a silly one, and that phrase is used too often, but I really felt that way while playing it — for some people out there, this is apex gaming. For me, it is a solid experience.

This is not a ringing endorsement, and that’s only because I think Homeworld 3 is an acquired taste. I am not sure that the random strategy game player, not to mention just a random human who enjoys games, would be willing to get over some of the rougher points of the game. It is as polished and friendly as a game like this can be, but I think that it can only meet you so far. At the end of the day, Homeworld 3 sells a fantasy of being a genius fused into the machinery of a spaceship who has constant vision and perspective on a vast, 3D battlefield. The game depicts this as perfectly as any game can, and turns it into nail-biting, if plodding, gameplay opportunities.

You’ll have to take that however you want. If you are reading this and thinking Wow, how have I never heard of this franchise? It sounds awesome! you are in luck. You have found your new calling. I am personally now interested in going back to the Homeworld Remastered Collection to get some more of this gameplay attached to a pretty good plot. And if you’re with me, congrats. We’re Homeworlders now.

Homeworld 3 will be released May 13 on Windows PC. The game was reviewed on PC using a pre-release download code provided by Blackbird Interactive. Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links. You can find additional information about Polygon’s ethics policy here.

Beyond your usual resources and reagents, you also need to gather plants and seeds throughout the world of Hades 2. They're used in many spells, so finding them is a must. Here are all the plants and seeds you can find in Hades 2, and what they are used for.

Most plants are used as materials for incantations you can cast using the Cauldron in the Crossroads. Some can be gathered by hand, but others must be grown. To grow seeds you find, you must play the game long enough to unlock the 'Flourishing Soil' incantation, which gives you two plots of soil in the Crossroads. You should get the incantation not long after gathering Moly, the yellow flower needed for it. Later, you'll be able to get even more plots for a higher plant yield.

Growing seeds in Hades 2 doesn't require water or fertilizer, just patience. Every seed will show you just how long it'll take until they're fully matured into harvestable plants. The time indicates Locations cleared. So, if the time is shown as a number 5, then you must clear five Locations in a Region before the plant is ready.

All plants, seeds, and where to find them in Hades 2

Plant seeds in Hades 2 require the Silver Spade tool to be unearthed. Look for plots of soil in each Region to get seeds. Keep in mind that if you don't take the Spade with you, you won't be able to get the seeds.

Plant Icon	Plant	Seed	Where to get them	What they're used for
	Moly	None	Gather by hand in Erebus. Can also be given by Narcissus and as an award from the Fated List.	Incantations involving dispelling and nullification.
	Nightshade	Nightshade Seeds	Unearthed from Digging Spots in Erebus using the Silver Spade tool. Can also be given by Narcissus and as an award from the Fated List.	Incantations involving death and obscurity.
	Deathcap	None	Gather by hand in Erebus or wherever it is raining. Can also be given by Narcissus in Oceanus.	Mostly sold to the Wretched Broker for Bones.
	Lotus	None	Gather by hand in Oceanus.	Incantations involving serenity and acuity.
	Cattail	Cattail Seeds	Unearthed from Digging Spots in Oceanus using the Silver Spade tool.	Incantations involving restoration and relief.
	Myrtle	None	Gather by hand in the Mourning Fields (Fields of Mourning).	Incantations involving love and prosperity.
	Wheat	Wheat Seeds	Unearthed from Digging Spots in the Mourning Fields.	Incantations involving growth and respite.
	Shaderot	None	Gather by hand in Tartarus.	Incantations involving eternity and quietude.
	Poppy	Poppy Seeds	Unearthed from Digging Spots in Tartarus using the Silver Spade tool.	Incantations involving dreams and slumber.
	Moss	None	Gather by hand on the Surface in the City of Ephyra.	Incantations involving strengthened connections.
	Garlic	Garlic Seeds	Unearthed from Digging Spots on the Surface in the City of Ephyra.	Incantations involving resilience and fortitude.
	Driftwood	None	Gathered by hand in the Rift of Thessaly.	Incantations involving stability and buoyancy.
	Mandrake Root	Mandrake Seeds	Unearthed from Digging Spots in the Rift of Thessaly.	Incantations involving power and protection.
	Thalamus	Origin Seeds	Unearthed from Digging Spots in Chaos.	Incantations involving birthright and creation.
	Golden Apple	None	Rewarded for defeating the Guardian of the Rift of Thessaly.	Incantations involving beauty and fertility.
	Mystery Plants	Mystery Seeds	Rare seeds unearthed from Digging Spots in many Regions. Can also be given by Narcissus.	Can grow to become one of many different plants.

Our guide on every plant and seed in Hades 2 is not exhaustive. As this is an Early Access game, expect more changes to the guide as updates come in.

The post Hades 2 plant guide: Every seed and where to get them appeared first on Destructoid.

Progressing the story of Hades 2 means gathering materials required for upgrades and incantations. These reagents are many, and finding them all will take time. Some may not even be available until you reach late-game content. Here's every resource and reagent in Hades 2 Early Access, and how to find them.

All resources and reagents in Hades 2 and where to find them

Our list of resources in Hades 2 is extensive, but by no means exhaustive. Hades 2 is a big game, and many resources are siloed to late-game Regions. We'll go over all the ones we've found so far, along with where to find them.

Resource Icon	Resource	Where to find
	Bones	Common reward for clearing Encounters. Can be traded for from the Wretched Broker. Can be obtained by using a weapon with Grave Thirst.
	Ash	Common reward for clearing Encounters. Can be traded for with Bones from the Wretched Broker. Can be exchanged for Obol Points.
	Psyche	Common reward for clearing Encounters. Can be traded for with Bones from the Wretched Broker. Can be gathered from Lost Shades using the Tablet of Peace tool. Can be exchanged for Obol Points.
	Fate Fabric	Can be traded for from the Wretched Broker. Can be exchanged for Obol Points.
	Silver	Can be harvested from Silver Ore Deposits in Erebus using the Crescent Pick tool. Also can be given by Narcissus in Oceanus.
	Limestone	Can be harvested from Limestone Ore Deposits in Oceanus using the Crescent Pick tool.
	Glassrock	Can be harvested from Glassrock Ore Deposits in the Mourning Fields (Fields of Mourning) using the Crescent Pick tool.
	Marble	Can be harvested from Marble Ore Deposits in Tartarus using the Crescent Pick tool.
	Bronze	Can be harvested from Bronze Ore Deposits on the Surface in the City of Ephyra using the Crescent Pick tool.
	Iron	Can be harvested from Iron Ore Deposits on the Surface near the Rift of Thessaly and on ships using the Crescent Pick tool.
	Plasma	Can be harvested from Plasma Ore Deposits in Chaos using the Crescent Pick tool.
	Cinder	Rewarded for defeating the Guardian of Erebus.
	Pearl	Rewarded for defeating the Guardian of Oceanis.
	Tears	Rewarded for defeating the Guardian of the Mourning Fields.
	Wool	Rewarded for defeating the Guardian of the City of Ephyra.
	Golden Apple	Rewarded for defeating the Guardian of the Rift of Thessaly.
	Zodiac Sand	Rewarded for defeating the Guardian of Tartarus.
	Shadow	Creatable using the Cauldron after unlocking the Shadow Extraction incantation.
	Moon Dust	Can be traded for from the Wretched Broker. Creatable using the Cauldron after unlocking the Moonlit Essence from Shadow or Moonlit Essence from Stars incantations. Can be exchanged for Obol Points.
	Star Dust	Rewarded for clearing Chaos Trials in the Pitch-Black Stone. Can be used in incantations that unlock the potential of Arcana Cards or let you bond with Animal Familiars.
	Darkness	Can be gathered by hand in Chaos.
	Rubbish	Rewarded(?) for cleaning up after Eris in the Crossroads. Defeat Eris at least once as the Guardian of the Rift of Thessaly to have her appear at the Crossroads.
	Nightmare	Can be obtained by completing Testaments from the Oath of the Unseen. Can be traded for with Bones from the Wretched Broker after obtaining one Nightmare.

Since Hades 2 is in Early Access, expect this list to change and expand over time. Be sure to return to this page often, especially following updates. We're also still making our way through the game, so more reagents may join the list before you know it. Good luck gathering what you need.

The post All resources and reagents in Hades 2 Early Access and where to find them appeared first on Destructoid.

Out of the many materials worth gathering in Hades 2, Bones are arguably the most important. Yes, the purple calcium-rich litter is more useful than you realize, letting you trade in the stuff for resources that range from common to high rarity. Here's how to farm Bones in Hades 2.

Bones are a common reward for clearing enemy encounters in Hades 2, but that's hardly the only way to acquire them. You can easily up your Bones yield by following some easy steps, all the while staying cognizant of how and where Bones may appear.

Hades 2 Bones farming guide: Boons, incantation, Keepsakes, and more

There is a lot you can do to increase the amount of Bones earned in Hades 2. First off, you should consider the path of resource gathering. You should have the Crescent Pick unlocked already. If not, look for its incantation and then summon it to the Silver Pool in the Crossroads Training Ground. With that done, let's go over the many steps you can take to farm tons of Bones in Hades 2.

Enter doors with the Bones insignia

This should be a no-brainer, but if you're hunting down bones, be sure to pick the correct path. Doors that offer Bones as a reward are adorned by the item's symbol. For more on door symbols and what they mean, check out our guide.

Use weapons with 'Grave Thirst' activated

The number-one best way to farm Bones in Hades 2 is to complete an incantation that gives your weapons 'Grave Thirst'. When it's active, a random weapon is given Grave Thirst, which allows you to passively earn a small amount of Bones as you complete each Location in the game. You can tell which weapon has the bone thirst if it's engulfed in a black and red haze:

Here's how to get Grave Thirst:

• Unlock the Crescent Pick tool for one Ash
• Harvest Limestone in Oceanus, the second Region of the game
• Return to the Cauldron until you see the incantation 'Gathering of Ancient Bones'
  • Activate the incantation using 2 Limestone

With that complete, you can go out each night with a weapon hungry for Bones.

Multiply your chances with Poseidon's Keepsake

Poseidon offers you some of the best boons in Hades 2, and two are perfect for farming Bones in Hades 2. Seek out the God of the Sea and offer him Nectar for his Keepsake, 'Vivid Sea'. Equipping it increases the chances of Poseidon's boon appearing, and upgrading the Keepsake allows you to increase a Boon's rarity once per night.

During your farming runs, equip Poseidon's Keepsake and seek out the boons Ocean's Bounty and Double Up. The former boon makes it so resources gathered are worth more. But the second is key: Double Up has a chance of doubling any reward you find. Upgrading the boon to Rare ups the chance to 25%; and 30% at Epic.

Improve your odds with Arcana Cards

This is more of a late-game strategy, but one worth looking into. After all, you'll need Bones no matter your experience with the game. There are several Arcana Cards that allow you to change Location Rewards. You'll find them at the bottom-left corner of the card list:

Unlocking and activating these cards provide you multiple chances to re-roll a door reward.

Sell unwanted goods to the Wretched Broker

You'll get more resources than you need in Hades 2, so thankfully there's someone out there more than happy to take them off your hands. The Wretched Broker will trade any excess stock you have for Bones. Many incantations need things like Deathcap and Nightshade but, afterward, they end up mostly taking up space. Open up the 'Pawn Shop' tab and sell them to the Broker, along with other items, like fish you've captured, for some extra scratch.

Complete tasks for the Fated List of Minor Prophecies

Technically, this isn't a very reliable method to farm Bones since it takes a lot of time. However, completing tasks for the Fated List will reward you with heaps of Bones. Unlocking game mechanics, completing lists, and finishing story missions can award in dozens or hundreds of Bones. Keep an eye on the list and see if you can get a little bit further with each farming run.

By the way, here's how you can accomplish the task in the image above.

One final tip:

• If you don't have a door with the Bones symbol but there's one for Gold Coins, pick the latter and seek out Charon's shop. The Stygian Boatman often sells Bones for a fee.

That just about covers it all. Bones are exceptionally important in Hades 2, and their worth only increases the more progress you make as rarer resources get added to the Wretched Broker's stock.

The post How to farm Bones in Hades 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

What are the new Reverse 1999 codes? If you're making a start in Bluepoch's strategic RPG, you're probably burning through essential resources at a worrying rate. It's tough going in the early game while you're still finding your feet, so we've compiled all the active Reverse 1999 codes you could need for free clear drops, dust, and much more.

Reverse 1999 is another anime gacha game available on mobile and PC, joining the likes of Genshin Impact and Honkai Star Rail in the competitive genre. If you're torn between playing them all, we've got Genshin Impact codes and Honkai Star Rail codes, too, but this guide has all the latest Reverse 1999 codes for your alt-history 20th-century Timekeeper needs. Codes aren't enough to get you through those tricky battles, so be sure to check out our Reverse 1999 tier list featuring the best characters.

Stratagems are powerful tools in Helldivers 2, but you're typically limited to four per mission. But if you're fortunate, you may be able to up that count. The SEAF Artillery found on a map adds an extra Stratagem to the mix, but it works best when you choose the right payload.

There are multiple payload variants. The best payload options you can use for the SEAF Artillery can be based on preference, but it also depends on the difficulty and enemy type in Helldivers 2. If you're against bugs, tossing down a napalm strike to defend points is ideal. But when fighting Automatons, a calculated EMF strike is wiser. For high-level missions, you can pick smoke to cover your retreat. Both factions die to explosives, though, and those are likely the ones you want to know about the most.

The SEAF Artillery counts as a Secondary Objective, which means it can spawn randomly on some maps. It can also appear regardless of the enemy faction, so bugs and bots will feel its fury. The weapon, once activated, will give you an extra Stratagem to use in the fight for Liberty and Justice. It's a good idea to load it up with payloads to prep it for war. The payloads are large munitions found around the artillery and must be manually loaded into the gun.

How to pick the best payload for the SEAF Artillery in Helldivers 2

In my experience, newer players of the game tend to grab whatever payload they find and load it up without knowing what it can do. I did the same until I started paying attention. The SEAF Artillery is powerful, not just because it makes kickass explosions, but because you can change how it functions with different payloads.

To find the best payload you want with the SEAF Artillery, approach a warhead and read the description that appears. It shows next to the button or key required to pick the payload off the ground. The type appears like this: "SEAF ARTILLERY: [PAYLOAD TYPE]". If you want napalm, look for "SEAF ARTILLERY: NAPALM", etc.

There are six types of payloads for the SEAF Artillery, which are differentiated by color. They are all capped with cones, making them more akin to spicy crayons.

All SEAF Artillery payloads and appearance:

• Mini-Nuke
  • Yellow cone

• Explosive
  • Green cone

• High-Yield Explosive (like the Eagle 500kg)
  • Orange cone

• Napalm
  • Red cone

• Smoke
  • Gray cone

• Static Field
  • Blue cone

How to load and fire the SEAF Artillery in Helldivers 2

Loading the SEAF Artillery and firing it in Helldivers 2 is a simple enough affair. First, you can locate and access the terminal to power up the gun. Fully loaded, the weapon takes five shells you can find scattered around its proximity.

You can only move one payload at a time. Pick up a payload using the button or key prompt and carry it to the breech at the gun's base. Press the button again near the loading section of the breech, and you'll load the shell. Once you have all five loaded, return to the terminal to activate the artillery.

You use the SEAF Artillery just as you would any other Stratagem in Helldivers 2. Open up the Stratagem menu, where you should see its name and icon with the number '5', showing it's fully loaded and ready.

Tips and tricks:

• Drop and pick up the payload as you make your way to the gun to move more quickly
• Don't activate the terminal until you have all five payloads, since that can cause enemy attacks
• The load order is the firing order, so if you want to shoot a Mini-Nuke first, put it in the first spot
• The location of the strike will tell you the payload type before it drops
• Look around the artillery for ammo and samples

That's about all you need to know on how to pick the best payload for the SEAF Artillery in Helldivers 2. It's a powerful stratagem, so activating it during a mission is almost always worth the effort.

The post Helldivers 2: How to choose the best payload for the SEAF Artillery appeared first on Destructoid.

There's no point in spreading Managed Democracy throughout the galaxy if you can't be fashionable while doing it. Okay, so all the armor sets in Helldivers 2 sport a clear purpose, but with that gear and cape, you can't argue that Helldivers have an immaculate drip.

Helldivers 2 has 44 armor sets to mix and match. They're separated into three types — Heavy, Medium, and Light — and come equipped with an Armor Passive that gives you a small boon. Developer Arrowhead Games is constantly delivering more armor sets via monthly Warbonds and the Superstore, so be sure to keep an eye out for more ways to increase your style points.

All Armor Passives in Helldivers 2 and what they do

There are eight Armor Passives in Helldivers 2, and each offers different buffs. Knowing what they do can help you survive longer on the battlefield.

All armor sets in Helldivers 2, their passives, and how to get them

Here are all the currently available armor sets in Helldivers 2. Keep in mind that some are locked behind Warbonds or need to be purchased in the Superstore, while others are no longer available.

Aspects such as Armor Rating, Speed, Stamina Regen can differ among sets in the same type. In those occasions, you'll see all three aspects are balanced to compensate for any difference. For example, the SC-34 Infiltrator has a higher Armor Rating than other Light sets, but that is matched with lower Speed and Stamina Regen. Keep the differences in mind when choosing your equipment.

Every helmet in the game comes with the standard issue stats of 100 Armor Rating, 100 Speed, and 100 Stamina Regen.

As mentioned, Arrowhead adds more armor sets all the time. The developer also tweaks armor values from time to time. We'll keep updating the list whenever the Armory changes.

The post All Helldivers 2 armor sets appeared first on Destructoid.

As you fight your way up into higher difficulties, you will start getting Secondary Objectives to find and complete in Helldivers 2. These optional quests award in more experience points and Requisition Slips, so they're worth tracking down. Here's how to find them.

A good way to find out what missions include Secondary Objectives is by looking for the light blue icons on the maps before you begin. In my experience, Secondary Objectives start appearing at Medium difficulty and beyond. Look for blue icons that can look something like crashed pods with smoke or beakers. These icons indicate a Secondary Objective, and their location on the map can usually be seen before the mission starts.

Keep in mind that you won't always be able to see a clear map ahead of the mission.

Other ways to find Secondary Objectives in Helldivers 2

Secondary Objectives don't all show up on the map, though. You may have one before the mission starts, allowing you to track it directly from the mini-map once you're in the game. But you should still explore the area fully.

There may be more objectives to find on a map, so it pays to be thorough. I started a mission recently that had me destroy a research station as a Secondary Objective. But just around the corner was a Terminid Spore Spewer, and suddenly I had more meat on the menu.

Rushing through the Main Objectives typically is a quick way to get some cash and experience, but mission timers can be fairly long. If you have 40 minutes, don't let it go to waste.

When you're near a Secondary Objective, you'll see the icon you need to follow show up on the compass near the top of the screen.

The game will tell you how to complete the objective once you're close enough.

What kind of Secondary Objectives are there?

Secondary Objective types are varied. Some will have you blow a thing up and in those cases, you can use an orbital Stratagem. The game gave me a unique Stratagem to destroy the aforementioned research station, however. An objective may have you upload the data of an escape pod, while another will task you with powering on a radar station that reveals map details.

No matter what Secondary Objectives you're given, completing them offers rewards at the end of a mission. You can earn a good chunk of additional experience points and Requisition Slips, so it's certainly within your interest to seek them out.

All Secondary Objectives in Helldivers 2

There are 14 Secondary, or Optional, Objectives in Helldivers 2. The first three in the table below appear to be default Optional Objectives and can be seen during the mission planning stage. Others must be located while in the mission. Here's our list of all the Secondary Objectives in Helldivers 2 so far.

The post How to find and complete Secondary Objectives in Helldivers 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

It appears Helldivers 2 developer Arrowhead Games is preparing even more nerfs, but not for your favorite weapons — this time. No, according to a post on Discord, the Helldivers 2 team is planning to reduce the spawn rate and health pools of heavy enemies like the infamous Charger soon.

The news recently came out of the official Helldivers 2 Discord channel. According to the community manager, who goes by Spitz on the channel, Arrowhead has listened to "concerns over the last few days regarding enemy spawns, enemy armor, and the ability to kill these enemies." In response, the dev is preparing to make changes in a "future hotfix" so that the high-level fights feel a bit more manageable.

"I can confirm that we're currently looking at changes to the spawn rates and health pools of heavy enemies, and will be attempting to spread them out more to prevent large spikes of tougher mobs appearing at the same time, as well as making them a bit easier to bring down," Spitz explained on Discord. "This change should go out in a future hotfix - no date as of yet. Thanks as always for your patience!"

Helldivers 2 heavy enemies will get lower spawn rates soon

The news follows the recent backlash regarding a balance patch that went down harder than an Eagle 500kg Bomb. Some weapons earned much-needed buffs, but the update also nerfed the fan-favorite Railgun. Not only do you have to charge it in Unsafe mode to dish out the same armor-shredding damage, but you also need to aim for weak points more often.

The nerf doesn't seem so bad so long as you haven't experienced the madness that is 'Suicide Mission' difficulty and beyond. A single Charger enemy isn't too challenging to take down, even solo. But once you're faced with five at once while also avoiding several Bile Titans, things can get a bit heated. And frustrating.

The Railgun paired with a Shield Generator Pack felt like the best answer. But now players are looking to face the horde feeling truly outmatched. Luckily for divers, that may change soon.

Two Support Weapons got a secret buff in the Helldivers 2 balance patch

Spitz continued, noting that the balance patch included changes to a couple of Support Weapons that weren't listed in the notes.

"In addition, we forgot to mention (oops) that the EAT-17 and Recoilless Rifle no longer suffer from a 50% damage decrease when hitting an armored enemy at a 'glance angle' that deflects the shot," Spitz wrote. "Combined with the upcoming adjustment to health and spawn rates, this should make the larger enemies a bit less common, instead spawning more 'chaff' enemies to support them, and should allow players to bring these enemies down with a single well-placed shot. Hopefully, this leads to fewer instances of endless kiting and players being left without any effective weaponry to kill harder enemies."

As time goes on, expect Helldivers 2 to change even more. The news of the changing spawn rates feels like a positive step in the right direction. With mechs now available and more weapons on the way, Helldivers may soon get the firepower they need to put Chargers and other heavies back in their place.

The post Helldivers 2 dev plans to tone down heavy enemy spawn rates and health following balance patch response appeared first on Destructoid.

Following today's liberation of the planet Tien Kwan, Helldivers 2 players have successfully unlocked the Exosuit mech Stratagem for purchase. As it is a walking tank, the big toy does have a steep price tag. But there's good news for those who want to play with it right away.

With Tien Kwan now liberated, Helldivers 2 players can acquire the freshly unlocked mech Exosuit. The Exo-45 Patriot Exosuit Stratagem is available for purchase under the 'Stratagems' tab in the 'Ship Management' area of your Destroyer ship. You need to be level 25 to unlock it for purchase, and then spend 20,000 Requisition Slips to add it to your arsenal.

The unlocked Exosuit mech Stratagem can be used in Helldivers 2 today regardless of purchase

If you don't have the level or the funds for the suit, developer Arrowhead Games is throwing the community a bone. The suit is temporarily available in your list of default Stratagems alongside the Supply Drop and others. It's unknown just how long you can use it without purchase. For now, though, any player can call down the suit for some Bot-busting, Bug-stomping action.

The Exosuit mech is a powerful Stratagem and comes with a short list of strengths and weaknesses. It's armed with two weapons for arms: A heavy machine gun and a rocket launcher. The machine gun is loaded with 1,000 armor-piercing rounds, and the rocket launcher can fire 14 rockets. Once your munitions are depleted, they're gone for good.

You can only call down one mech per mission. There doesn't seem to be a health bar. It's armored and can take some hits, but it does show damage over time. The moment your mech is out of ammo or destroyed, it's back to basics. You also can't use Stratagems once you're piloting the mech, but you can enter and exit the Exosuit freely.

I can also confirm that it will not survive one hit from a Charger, but you can easily take down the pesky bug with three rockets.

The post The Helldivers 2 Exosuit mech Stratagem has been unlocked and is now available for purchase appeared first on Destructoid.

Of all the 'tank' enemies in Helldivers 2, only one is an actual freakin' tank. The Annihilator Tank is the Automaton answer to the age-old question of "Where did that hole in my chest come from?" Good thing it's not too tough to kill a Tank in Helldivers 2.

Granted, taking one out does require you to not be standing in front of it. Much like other vehicles (such as Helldiver 2's own Hulk) the Annihilator Tank comes with a weak point that's a video game classic. You need to find the big, glowing spot and shoot at it until the machine lies in pieces. That's easier said than done, usually, but with the right firepower and some quick footwork you too can beat the Tank.

How to tank the Tank in Helldivers 2

The best way to kill an Annihilator Tank in Helldivers 2 is to circle around it and shoot the weak point on the back of the turret. Several things make this a challenging task, however. For one, the Tank's turret moves nearly as fast as your basic Helldiver run speed. Getting to its back can be a tall order.

Another issue is the Tank itself. Like the Hulk, it comes in variations. But unlike the Hulk, the Tank only has two to boast of: A heavy laser machine gun version, and another with your standard laser cannon.

Out of both variants, I found the machine gun type to be the trickiest to deal with. I have been able to outrun the rapid laser fire by moving perpendicular to the Tank. But it's easy to get stuck if you try and duck behind cover.

The cannon variation isn't much of a threat unless one takes aim at you while you're unaware. Usually, one shot from the massive gun is all it takes for your ass to get rag-dolled. The cannon does have a tell: You will see a red glow in the gun's barrel as it charges to fire. I found it easier to dodge the single blast than the laser shots from the machine gun (remember to use the dodge move to reduce explosion damage).

Since the Tank is clearly an enemy decked out in armor, you should employ anti-armor weaponry to crack it. It does go down quickly once you target the weak point, but try using these Support Weapons and Stratagems to your advantage:

• EAT-17 Expendable Anti-Tank
• Spear
• Recoilless Rifle
• Autocannon
• Railgun
• Eagle 500kg Bomb
• Orbital Laser
• Orbital Railcannon Strike
• Rocket or Mortar Sentry

Keep in mind that both the Autocannon and Railgun are best used against the Tank's weak spot. You can kill a tank with a Railgun by targeting the turret, but it's a long, laborious task that can eat up your ammo. Move around the tank, or get an ally to run a distraction so you can fire at the weak point. Teamwork makes the dream work — and the Tank dead.

Use your quick wits and feet to kill a Tank

Another weakness of the Tank is that, due to its size, the vehicle is slow and not all that maneuverable. I've found that if you try and get it stuck on objects like a rock, you can hinder it long enough to get to its weak point.

Some quick footwork and:

Ultimately, I feel the Tank isn't often the most challenging heavy enemy in Helldivers 2. That crown goes to the Charger and its ability to weigh several tons and yet still able to sneak up on you.

The post Helldivers 2: How to kill a Tank appeared first on Destructoid.

August 3, 2024: One new Shindo Life code has been added.

What are the new Shindo Life codes? Shindo Life is among the most popular gacha games on the Roblox platform thanks to its lightning-fast action, wealth of unlockables, and Naruto-like vibes. Developer RellGames is also an extremely active creator, delivering a tight weekly update schedule and serving up regular codes for rellcoins, spins, double XP, and more.

If you want to stay ahead of the competition, you’d be wise to make use of our codes list down below, which we update regularly to bring you the latest rewards before they’re gone. We’ll also explain how to redeem Roblox Shindo Life codes as well as when you can expect new codes to arrive. If you need more freebies, we also keep updated lists of new Blox Fruits codes, Pet Simulator 99 codes, and All Star Tower Defense codes.

Our favorite accessories for the Steam Deck

Valve’s Steam Deck LCD and Steam Deck OLED are capable handheld PCs that can run many games from the vast Steam catalog. With its great design and a growing library of new titles verified to run great on its hardware, it has maintained its popularity despite several competitors joining the race, including the Asus ROG Ally and the Lenovo Legion Go.

In case you didn’t know, the Steam Deck has a stellar accessory scene, and it has only improved since its 2022 launch. That said, you may not need many add-ons to have a great time. Whether you’re adding onto your own Steam Deck setup, or buying a gift for someone, the accessories we’ve selected below are the best out there.

Our must-have Steam Deck accessories

amFilm 3-pack of Steam Deck glass screen protectors

Photo: Cameron Faulkner/Polygon

Like all tech, the Steam Deck houses many fragile components. But the one that’s most prone to accidental damage is its 7-inch (or 7.4-inch, if you have a Steam Deck OLED) glass-covered display. I highly recommend that every Deck owner buys a set of tempered glass screen protectors (I’ve had nothing but good experiences from amFilm, although there are many players in this space). It may not save your Deck from catastrophic damage, but its job is to absorb scrapes and jabs instead of the actual glass covering your display (screen replacements aren’t exactly cheap). When the cover eventually gets scratches, or cracks, simply remove it and apply a new one.

Note: While the Steam Deck OLED’s screen is bigger than the original Steam Deck, the size of the glass covering the display on both models is identical, so these screen protectors are great for whichever Steam Deck you buy.

A Samsung or SanDisk microSD card

Photo: Cameron Faulkner/Polygon

The Steam Deck comes with up to 512 GB of SSD storage if you buy the $449 LCD model (or the $549 OLED model). Although, for being Valve’s higher-end models, that’s not a abundance of storage, given that PC games routinely come in 30-60 GB install sizes. For those who buy the $349 model, there’s even less onboard storage to work with: just 64 GB. Whichever model you have, buying a microSD card for extra game space is pretty much essential. You might be able to put it off for now, but likely not for long.

In terms of what’ll work best in your Deck, you can’t go wrong with any 512 GB microSD cards from the SanDisk Ultra, Samsung Evo Select, or Samsung Pro Ultimate lineups (these are advertised with different read/write speeds, but perform similarly in the Deck).

Skull & Co. 4-pack of convex thumbstick grips

Image: Cameron Faulkner/Polygon | Source images: Skull & Co

Many people jibe with the feel of Valve’s thumbsticks on the Steam Deck. But if you dislike how slippery they can be, simply pop some of these affordable grips from Skull & Co. on top of your Deck’s sticks. For $6.99, you’ll get two pairs of thumb pads in the color of your choice that lengthen the height of your sticks, add some roundness to them, not to mention add grip. Keep in mind, however, that they may prevent the Deck’s capacitive thumbstick feature from working as intended.

A USB to Ethernet adapter

Image: Cameron Faulkner/Polygon | Source images: Plugable, TP-Link

If you want faster download speeds and a smoother online gameplay experience than Wi-Fi can provide, route an extra Ethernet cable from your modem to your Steam Deck, then connect it with one of these USB to Ethernet adapters. Unless you have one laying around, you’ll also need a USB-A to USB-C adapter to plug it into your Deck.

Note: If you have a dock or a USB-C hub for the Deck to connect it to a TV or monitor, that may already have an Ethernet port.

Corsair MP600 Mini 1 TB M.2 SSD

Image: Corsair

We don’t recommend this route for most people, but if you’re willing to open up your Steam Deck to add even faster storage than microSD (at your own risk), Corsair’s MP600 Mini 1 TB M.2 SSD is a relatively inexpensive option. It costs under $70, but you’ll likely need some tools, like this iFixit Essentials tool kit for $30, to open up your Steam Deck.

iClever foldable Bluetooth keyboard with built-in trackpad

Image: iClever

If you envision going into the Steam Deck’s desktop mode, you may want to grab a compact wireless keyboard to type on. Without it, it’s a real pain to touch type and navigate on the Deck’s screen (especially if you have big fingers). So, do yourself a favor and buy this all-in-one, foldable keyboard that has a trackpad built in. If that’s a bit pricey and you don’t particularly care whether the keyboard folds, you can get Logitech’s reliable K400 Plus wireless model that has a trackpad built-in for about $25.

Best Steam Deck docks

Steam Deck dock

Photo: Cameron Faulkner/Polygon

While Valve wasn’t the first company to launch a Deck-compatible dock, its version is one of the most port-rich options. Its Deck Dock has HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.4, a USB-C port to receive power from a wall adapter (it includes the same 45 W model that the Steam Deck ships with), a gigabit Ethernet port, and three USB-A 3.1 ports. The inclusion of DisplayPort sets it apart from most USB-C hubs, along with its elegant design. But it comes at a pricier cost than most third-party alternatives, priced at $79.

JSAUX Steam Deck docking station (model HB0702)

Image: JSAUX

Jsaux makes a very similar option to Valve’s official Deck Dock, albeit with a less catchy name. It’s called the HB0702, and it costs $59.99. Like the Deck Dock, it has USB-C for power, DisplayPort 1.2, HDMI 2.0, three USB-A 3.2 ports, and gigabit Ethernet support. Get this one if you don’t care whether you have the official Deck Dock, but want nearly identical features.

Best Steam Deck mounts

Mechanism Deckmate

Photo: Cameron Faulkner/Polygon

A company called Mechanism makes the best overall Steam Deck mounting system. We suggest getting the Deckmate $49 “entire system” bundle if you’re jumping in for the first time. It includes more than you may need, like a kickstand (shown above), accessory mounts, and more. But crucially, it includes screws that don’t come in the a-la-carte wall or monitor mounting bundles. (Polygon readers can automatically save on the cost of shipping if you purchase this, or anything else at Mechanism’s site by clicking this link.)

The wall mount is self-explanatory; it’s a mount that you can secure to your wall by two screws, or just by its strong 3M VHB adhesive. Then the Deckmate’s grip lets it snap onto the wall. As for the monitor mount, you’re getting a mount that can be screwed into any VESA-compliant stand. Then you just snap the Deck onto it.

Mechanism recently added a phone mount to the Deckmate’s skill set. The $29 accessory includes an arm that snaps into the Deckmate frame. It supports any phone, thanks to its strong construction, and it includes a low-profile, circular magnet you can adhere to the back of your phone.

Best Steam Deck controller

8BitDo Ultimate Bluetooth Controller

Photo: 8BitDo

If you want a controller to use with your Steam Deck, whether it’s docked or on a stand, you have multiple options. The Deck supports most controllers that connect Bluetooth or via USB. This includes controllers you may already have laying around if you own consoles, like those that control the Xbox Series X, PS5, or Nintendo Switch, and more.

You should proceed to the next section if you’re happy with the controllers you own. But, if you’re in the market for a unique gamepad that has the Xbox analog stick layout, Hall effect joysticks that won’t degrade over time compared to standard analog sticks, plus native wireless support with the Nintendo Switch, your best bet is the 8BitDo Ultimate Wireless.

Best Steam Deck portable batteries

Baseus 24,000 mAh 140 W USB-C portable battery

Image: Baseus

Baseus’ 24,000 mAh battery has a 140 W USB-C output speed, which is ridiculously overpowered for the Steam Deck’s needs. We previously recommended the company’s cheaper 65 W option, but it’s out of stock. This one costs $99.99, but is currently on sale for just $67.99 on Amazon when you use the on-page coupon. With its capacity, you should be able to recharge the Deck’s battery a couple of times; however, as with all portable batteries, expect it to drain faster if you’re gaming on the Deck as you’re charging it.

Anker 537 24,000 mAh 45 W portable battery

Image: Anker

Anker’s Power Bank 537 has a 24,000 mAh cell, but with a 45 W charging rate that matches the Steam Deck’s top charging speed. It's currently discounted to $57.99 at Amazon. This model includes a USB-C-to-C cable.

Best Steam Deck cases

Dbrand Project Killswitch

Photo: Alice Jovanée/The Verge

There are a bunch of soft and hard cases out there that you can slip your Steam Deck into to ruggedize it, and any of those might be just fine for you. But we’ve really enjoyed the Dbrand Project Killswitch, which lets you add or remove a kickstand, in addition to doing a great job of protecting your console and adding some grip.

Like most options, the Killswitch leaves easy access to all of its buttons, triggers, ports, and most importantly, its fan’s airflow. But it’s great that you can add or remove the included kickstand with its lock slot. The $59.95 kit includes the Killswitch case, as well as a kickstand, plus skin decals of your choosing.

Spigen Rugged Armor Pro case for Steam Deck

Image: Spigen

It’s a shame that Valve doesn’t offer its improved case bundled exclusively with the Steam Deck OLED 1 TB edition for general sale. It gives you the option of a thick, tough case Deck owners are used to, but its special trick lies in its ability to transform into a slimmer case when you pull away its Velcro-locked inner layer. Until that becomes widely available, anyone who’s looking for a case replacement should check out Spigen’s Rugged Armor Pro, a semi-hard case with a pocket. Additionally, it secures the Deck inside with a strap, and if you’re worried about losing your console, there’s enough room in its pocket for a Bluetooth tracker, like an Apple AirTag. This models seems to be out of stock currently, so we’re investigating replacement options.