Early this morning, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company confirmed some big leaks from earlier in the month that two classic GameBoy Advance titles are coming to Nintendo Switch.
Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen will launch as digital downloads for the Nintendo Switch on Feb. 27, Pokémon Day, after the big Pokémon Presents live stream. And that should be good news, but many are scoffing at the notion that the games are available only as digital purchases—and for $20 apiece to boot.
While I'm with everyone in wishing that the games would instead be available as part of the Gameboy Advance Nintendo Classics catalog as part of the online subscription, this move is obvious. Regardless of how many people have emulators on their phones and already have both games in their pocket as-is, many more will fork over the 20 bucks to have it on their Switch or Switch 2, so I can't blame the companies at all.
What does stink, though, is that an awesome special edition for the re-launch is coming out as well. And of course, it's coming to Japan only. Pictured below, it features a special case to display three glass PokéBalls depicting Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle within. It looks like it would make a gorgeous display piece.
The package also has some replica GameBoy Advance packaging reminiscent of the original GBA launch, along with a download code for FireRed. So, while it's not a physical edition of the game, it's still a really cool collector's item that most of the world will have to miss out on.
It's pretty decently priced, too, listed for sale on the Japanese Pokémon Center website at 19,800 Yen, or around $130 USD, so I can't say I wouldn't be interested in it if it wasn't available stateside. Hell, that's less than most of the Pokémon LEGO sets that are going online next weekend.
Screenshot by Destructoid
I'm still really excited to see whatever Pokémon announcements come out of the presentation next weekend for the series' 30th anniversary. But I'm also quickly realizing that I can't afford most of this stuff anyway, so I'll just have to admire from afar...especially if it's Japan-only.
It's somehow been over seven years since Slay the Spire launched on Steam, and its sequel is apparently ready to join the fray in early access after a wait that felt like it would never end.
Slay the Spire 2, one of the most wishlisted titles on Steam, is finally unleashing onto PC in just a couple of weeks. The original game was a driving force behind the explosive popularity of roguelike deckbuilders, and now the devs at Mega Crit have returned to take the crown once more.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PW22jwFNxU8
In a new Early Access Trailer released this afternoon, Slay the Spire 2 teased what to expect from the launch on PC that will eventually also come to console and mobile like its predecessor after the game's initial EA release.
As was the case with the original, the early access launch allows Mega Crit to include the players in its early stages of development all the way through 1.0 launch across multiple platforms, so PC gamers can get in on the ground floor to help shape it.
"It sounds corny, but the extra mile many of you went to report issues, translate content/announcements, create long video essays, make excellent (lol) tier lists, and draw goofy or gorgeous fan art is the reason we're doing it all again," Mega Crit said of releasing STS2 in early access again. "We love our job!"
Slay the Spire is one of the first roguelike deck builders I remember playing, and it's been fun to see the genre take shape even more since it launched back in 2019. Now, gamers are chomping at the bit to see what new fun stuff the devs are cooking up this time.
"Step into the newly evolved Spire, a twisted labyrinth teeming with strange and deadly foes," the game's description says. "Adapt to an arsenal of brand new cards, relics, and potions, each offering game-changing possibilities—or dangerous consequences. Climb the Spire with a new and returning cast of characters, each with their own cards, motives, and secrets. No two climbs are ever the same. Unpredictable challenges and evolving strategies await those brave—or foolish—enough to ascend."
Image via Mega Crit
You can follow up to date with all Slay the Spire 2 news on its Steam page and play it as soon as it's available: March 5, which is right around the corner.
Let me begin by saying I'm really looking forward to Marathon and its March 5 launch. I genuinely hope the game is a success, and I think it has a good chance to be.
That being said, it's an extraction shooter. This means it's PvPvE and fully multiplayer at all times, similarly to a game like ARC Raiders or Escape From Tarkov. And while I'm aware that this isn't a hot take, I can't shake the feeling that this exhilarating sci-fi world would be better suited to almost any other genre.
Image via Bungie
As an extraction shooter, Marathon is limited in how it can deliver its worldbuilding and story—via things like quests, in-game items, potential cutscenes, and lore drops like short stories or animations outside of the game. I have faith that Bungie can do this well, especially after the studio improved over time in how it was done in Destiny, but every new, exciting piece of media that comes out about this new game makes me wish it was delivered in any other genre.
Marathon is dripping with aura and stylishness. I am in love with its themes and concepts, its colorful and varied environments. But in order to enjoy it, I need to queue up and get ready to get my day absolutely ruined by losing all of my loot to an exfil camper, someone who's just plain better than me, or at worst, a cheater.
A singleplayer experience or a co-op shooter experience would be way more digestible than an extraction shooter. This genre has proven to be not for everyone, by a long shot, especially considering how intent Bungie seems to be on leaning into the PvP aspect of it. Where ARC Raiders has fostered a sort of "safe space" for PvE-only players thanks to its spin on engagement-based matchmaking, Marathon looks like it's going to throw everyone into the fire.
Bungie's environmental art, atmosphere, music, and gunplay are always solid. Even asDestiny 2 has taken multiple different paths, that's never really changed. A new Developer Insights video highlighting the game's composer and soundtrack dropped today, and I'm stoked about its vibe and the four songs released thus far. But in it, they talk about how they needed to craft the OST around the game not having one particular main character, and so the songs will be another way in which the story is supplied.
The original Marathon games from decades ago featured a unique and interesting sci-fi story. This new title will carry on that legacy, albeit in a much, much different way. I hope that the lore is delivered in fun ways but that it's still accessible to people, even if they're not the best at PvP.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uk4K91aeixU
Then again, Bungie's insistence that this is a PvP-first game may mean that this is just not the game for a good number of gamers. And I just hope that won't derail the game's chances at success, especially considering how make-or-break it feels for both Bungie and PlayStation.
The world of ARC Raiders has the potential to be very unfriendly, depending on who or what you meet topside, and the weather is another issue to contend with in the game's next update.
The Shrouded Sky update coming next week is introducing a new map condition: Hurricane. And yeah, that about sums it up. Wind, rain, debris, and low visibility will all be new problems to contend with, so be prepared to fight the elements along with the murderous robots.
Image via Embark Studios
"The climate is damaged and unpredictable, causing violent weather events across the surface," Embark teased. "You’ve already experienced some of them, but southern Italy is about to kick up another challenge to Raiders who dare to brave the surface. Speranza has weathered storms before, but none quite like the approaching Hurricane. Citizens can hear the screeching winds from their refuge below ground; winds that batter and bruise Raiders fool-hardy enough to venture up."
As part of the new Hurricane map condition, wind will be a factor. If you're moving with the wind, you will get a bit of a speed boost, but if the wind is in your face, it will slow you down and also drain your stamina.
Embark says "will also behave differently in these conditions, and it may take a while to master the trajectory of thrown items like grenades," and even different aspects like smoke, gas, or how your Raider jumps will be affected by the storm.
If you're moving out in the open, debris will be blowing with the wind. If you get hit, your shield will glitch and spark, making you more visible to other players. Speaking of visibility, good luck, because everyone's vision will be limited as the storm rages on.
But it's not all bad news. First Wave Caches have also been unearthed thanks to the windy conditions, offering up a chance at some sweet loot within, if you're ready to weather the storm while also dealing with ARC and other players.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lGpwVvdyJQ
"Use the conditions to avoid conflict or to gain the upper hand," Embark teased. "The true masters of the Hurricane will be those who work with it, not against it."
The Hurricane map condition launches alongside the Shrouded Sky next week, on Feb. 24.
Destiny 2's next large-scale update, Shadow and Order, has been delayed out of its launch in just a couple of weeks. But players already pretty much knew that.
Shadow and Order was scheduled to launch on March 3, two days before Bungie's new game Marathon, and the writing has been on the wall for a while: radio silence about the update for a long time, until today.
Bungie posted today that Shadow and Order is now launching on June 9, which is just over three months from its initial launch point, and "undergoing large revisions" in the process. Needless to say, even though they knew it was coming, Destiny 2 players are none too pleased on the subject.
"We will provide exact details closer to release covering previously announced Weapon Tier Upgrading, but also additions like expanding Tiered Gear to all Raid and Dungeon activities, Pantheon 2.0, Tier 5 stats for Exotic Armors, and more," Bungie said.
Shadow and Order is now being "changed and expanded to include sizable quality-of-life updates and as a result, will also be renamed" in light of the change, which feels directly Marathon-related, whether intended or not.
"Through June, we will continue to have routine bug fixes and stability improvements, continued portal modifiers, Guardian Games (March), and the return of a more frequent Iron Banner cadence (April)," Bungie said, confirming the roadmap of content will be a bit more scant than originally scheduled. "In terms of communications, we will be focusing on providing you with updates about our live game content, community activations, and general upkeep through the TWID and our Destiny social channels."
Bungie and Sony both need Marathon to be a success, and the chances of Destiny 2 players trying it out, buying it, and spending money on it is likely a lot higher if they don't have Shadow and Order to distract them from the new extraction shooter.
Before its delay, Shadow and Order was set to include a new rewards pass, exotic weapon and ornament, new legendary weapons and armor ornaments, new cosmetics, "and more."
While we all wait for confirmation that Jim Carrey will return as Doctor Robotnik, the fourth Sonic the Hedgehog film has just announced another major role.
Sonic actor Ben Schwartz revealed the news this afternoon that Amy Rose will be played by Kristen Bell in the upcoming sequel, which is currently slated for 2027. If you don't recognize her from TV shows like Gossip Girl, Veronica Mars, or The Good Place, then you've likely already heard her voice.
Bell is the voice of Princess Anna in the Frozen movies, meaning she's likely got more than enough voice acting pedigree to handle a role like Amy Rose in the beloved Sonic franchise, which already has three successful titles over the past few years.
I think the Sonic movies are criminally underrated, and you can argue that they've only gotten better with each iteration. That said, I do think that Jim Carrey's Robotnik has been an integral part of all three, and he's currently unconfirmed for Sonic the Hedgehog 4.
Still, Amy Rose joining the roster that already includes Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles, along with human characters like James Marsden's Tom, is an exciting prospect. Amy was teased at the end of Sonic the Hedgehog 3, which also starred Keanu Reeves as Shadow the Hedgehog. Amy is a cute pink hedgehog that has starred in several Sonic games and is often portrayed as his admirer.
Growing up, I was a Sonic kid myself. I played the Mario games, but the Sonic titles were where I really got into the gaming lifestyle via the first three Sega Genesis titles, plus spin-offs likeSonic Spinball and Sonic 3D Blast. I'm thankful that these movies have been handled with care thus far, with most fans thrilled with how they've turned out.
Sonic the Hedgehog 4 is directed by Jeff Fowler, who directed the previous three films along with the Knuckles TV series on Paramount Plus. Now, let's just get Carrey back, and we can really have some fun.
There are very few things the vast majority of humanity can agree on: food is one of them. We all eat, and we all enjoy good food. And then there's music. We all hear or feel it, and we all enjoy it to some degree.
Everything about the upcoming RPG People of Note is influenced by music and how it brings people together. The names, the gameplay, the storyline, just about everything you could imagine is themed around music or just a fun music pun. The turn-based combat features musical instruments as weapons, and it's even rhythm-based (think Expedition 33-like QTEs when it comes to dealing max damage on attacks) in its very nature.
Image via Annapurna Interactive
The game's locations are all themed around music (like Durandis, the city of rock and roll, pictured above), and it's all so incredibly tongue-in-cheek and dripping with whimsy. The game is an ode to the art form of music itself, and "music is the DNA" of the whole game, according to what creative director Jason Wishnov told me in a group interview presentation earlier this month.
People of Note stars a young woman named Cadence, a pop music singer who's out to make a name for herself as a musician and win a contest to earn fame and fortune... but she needs a band. She's eventually joined by a classic rocker named Fret (yes, EVERYTHING is a music pun) on their journey of creating a band that's a mash-up of genres to create something special and new. The group eventually fills out with EDM DJ Synthia and rapper Vox, and they all combine their different music styles to work together throughout People of Note's events.
Exploring Durandis in an early-access hands-on demo, I quickly came to see how this game truly was crafted by bona fide music nerds. There's a shop called 3 Stores Down (a la the band 3 Doors Down), I found an armor piece called Tom Petticoat (no Heartbreakers were found), and even pet an elongated corgi called, you guessed it, an accorgion (like an accordion). And that's just record-scratching the surface.
On their journey, Cadence and crew will visit themed locations and regions for genres like the aforementioned rock, plus EDM, rap, and K-pop, with each region featuring its own fitting battle theme. The combat is classic JRPG style. As Wishnov said, the game is heavily inspired by the likes of Final Fantasy 9 and 10, Chrono Cross, and even The World Ends With You, but it's still musical throughout. The turns are called Stanzas, visually represented at the bottom of the screen during combat so you can plan your attack.
Image via Annapurna Interactive
And as mentioned before, the active rhythm-based combat, where you must time a button press with a visual circle closing on itself (this is optional and can be turned off if you so choose), is reminiscent of the hugely popular Expedition 33. But this game has been in development way before last year's game of the year launched.
The combat gameplay is supplemented with puzzles, with several in the demo themed around directing lasers to bounce across a room to reach an endpoint to move on to the next objective, but I think a lot of the fun will be based on combining different abilities and genre mashups to min-max battle success.
Wishnov said that People of Note has been in development for "five to seven years," with a maximum of 15 people working on it at any given time. It definitely has the vibe and feel of a passion project by people who truly love music and everything about it.
The demo I played featured one really cool musical cutscene between Cadence and Fret, but the majority of the dialogue is delivered Hades-style with static animations speaking back and forth, and silent chat bubbles with NPCs you meet around town. The fully 3D animated scenes are meant for special, "emotional climax" moments, but Wishnov said that there are "several" throughout the full experience.
To bring home these important moments, People of Note's voice cast is quite impressive, with some characters having both a voice actor and a singing actor (Cadence's voice is Heather Gonzalez, while her singing is done by an artist named LEXXE, for example), with several notable actors on board. The list includes Jason Charles Miller, Erika Ishii, Debra Wilson, and more.
Image via Annapurna Interactive
The demo I played will be available in Steam Next Fest starting on Feb. 23, so I encourage everyone to try it out if they're a fan of music, JRPGs, or games in general. It launches on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2 on April 7.
Marvel Rivals' constant hero additions can sometimes make for a balancing nightmare, none more prevalent than last week's Elsa Bloodstone launch.
Elsa is a powerful Duelist, dual-wielding guns and moving quickly around the battlefield, but her Apex Predator ultimate ability has come under massive scrutiny from players across social media for how powerful it is.
NetEase Games heard the cries, and Marvel Rivals will be releasing a quick, unscheduled balance patch in a few days to bring her monstrous brother back down to size just a bit. This is an uncommonly quick patch, a testament to just how strong Elsa's ultimate has been in its first week.
"To keep S6 feeling stable for the entire season and ensure that players can join in at any point during these two months without compromising their consistent experience, the S6.5 changes were designed to be restrained, with a smaller impact on the overall meta," the dev said. "But no worries! We're tracking your feedback as always and testing the proposed changes internally. Patch 0219 will target a subset of high-performing heroes that have drawn stronger feedback."
Here's a peek at the patch notes coming in the Feb. 19 update, along with some other hero changes to keep an eye on.
Marvel Rivals patch notes - Feb. 19
Screenshot by Destructoid
Elsa Bloodstone
Apex Predator (Ultimate)
Reduced Glartrox's health from 500 to 400.
Reduced Dash Duration from 6s to 3.5s.
Adjusted the enemy grab hitbox from 6m (L) × 6m (W) × 3.5m (H) to 5m (L) × 5m (W) × 3.5m (H).
Hawkeye
Reduced Piercing Arrow's Base Damage from 34 to 28.
Reduced the Base Damage of a fully charged arrow from 85 to 70.
When boosted by Archer's Focus, the damage of a charged arrow is down from 175 to 160.
Hela
Damage falloff of Nightsword Thorn still starts at 18m.
At 30m, the maximum falloff drops to 70 percent of the base (was 80 percent).
Beyond 25m, two critical hits will not KO a 250 HP target.
A series of duplication glitches that allowed players to amass large quantities of valuable items in ARC Raiders will now have repercussions for those who took part.
Embark Studios revealed this morning that its investigation into recent exploits is now complete, and the studio will be punishing those who took part in duplicating items in several different ways, depending on just how severe the actions were.
Image via Embark Studios
"Though these exploits stemmed from a design flaw on our part, the way they were used had a real impact on the game’s economy and the way the community experienced ARC Raiders," Embark said this morning. "It's on us to address that and work to restore balance. Over the course of this week, we will begin issuing enforcement actions to accounts that we can confirm took advantage of these exploits."
ARC Raiders is a unique situation as an extraction shooter where the value of items has a distinct impact on gameplay systems and features like the Expedition Project, where in-game coins are saved up to put toward a goal. Duplicating valuable items basically breaks the game, and so the team says action needs to be taken.
The response to the news on social media has been pretty tepid, as you could imagine, with many players annoyed that the issue being a problem on Embark's end is now resulting in punishments. Several others have been calling for bans of streamers like TheBurntPeanut, who showcased the exploit to tens of thousands of viewers.
According to the dev, the punishments they expect to be doled out include:
Warnings for low-severity cases where abuse was limited.
Removal of Coins tied to exploit activity.
Suspensions for the severe cases, particularly where exploit usage had a significant impact on the in-game economy or other players’ experience.
"It's our hope that this response provides a platform for future action, and we’ve already improved our detection and tracking, internal review tools, and safeguards to limit the impact of similar exploits," Embark Said. "We take this incident seriously, and we’re approaching it as both a corrective effort and a learning opportunity to strengthen the systems that support fair play."
There are simply too many good games coming out all the time these days to play everything, but dang it, I will try.
The calendar year of 2026 has plenty of big titles to look forward to, including Grand Theft Auto 6 in November (please, please, please, no more delays) and many others. The year starts strongly with titles like Resident Evil Requiem and 007 First Light, so it's sure to be another good campaign for gamers.
Lock in for another great year of gaming and check the list below to see what is coming out and when.
This is looking to be a very big year for games. Many upcoming titles have release windows but no concrete date yet (such as Marvel's Wolverine due in fall 2026), and so once those days are locked down, our list will be updated.
January 2026 game releases
Animal Crossing: New Horizons on Switch 2. Image via Nintendo
Jan. 5 - DuneCrawl (PC)
Jan. 7 - Fairy Tail: Dungeons (Switch)
Jan. 8 - I Am Future (Switch, PS5, XSX)
Jan. 9 - Pathologic 3 (PC)
Jan. 10 - Code Violet (PS5)
Jan. 12 - Quarantine Zone: The Last Check (PC)
Jan. 13 - Hytale (PC)
Jan. 13 - Temirana: The Lucky Princess and the Tragic Knights (Switch)
Jan. 15 - Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition (Switch 2)
Scott Pilgrim EX (PC, Linux, Switch, PS4, PS5, XSX)
Valor Mortis (PC, PS5, XSX)
Crisol: Theater of Idols (PC, PS5, XSX)
Warhammer Survivors (PC)
Phasmophobia (Switch 2)
Tankrat (PC, PS5)
Bradley the Badger (PC)
Stupid Never Dies (PC, PS5)
South of Midnight (PS5)
4:LOOP (PC, PS5)
ONTOS (PC, PS5, XSX)
Order of the Sinking Star (PC)
Out of Words (PC, Switch 2, PS5, XSX)
This article will be updated periodically over time as more and more release dates are revealed. If we are missing some dates, let us know and we'll update the article to reflect new announcements. Make sure to bookmark it and check back every now and then to see what's in the pipeline.
Two days after Roblox introduced a new age verification process across all platforms, the results are creating problems for many users.
On Jan. 7, Roblox made "facial age checks" a requirement to chat on the game, requiring you to use a camera and scan your face to use any chat feature. It will then give you an age estimate based on what it sees, shaping your chat experience and defining who you can and cannot interact with.
Image via Roblox
One of the problems with the feature, at least at the outset, is that it seems to come to incorrect conclusions. In many cases, it's overestimating the age of children and then placing them into a bracket where they can chat with users deemed older than them.
"As the first large online gaming platform to require facial age checks for users of all ages to access chat, this implementation is our next step toward what we believe will be the gold standard for communication safety," Roblox said on Jan. 7. "It enables age-based chat, which promotes a positive, age-appropriate experience for all users globally, and limits communication between adults and children younger than 16."
Robloxsaid that "tens of millions of daily active users" completed an age check as the feature was rolled out in Australia, New Zealand, and the Netherlands in early December before being widely implemented this week. But the results since then are quite spotty.
One mother from the US told me that the game estimated her 10-year-old daughter was 16 years old. The new facial age check will overwrite whatever actual age the parent entered in the first place, and the information can only be corrected by then scanning some form of identification.
"Even if [my child] had an ID, I wouldn’t scan hers into their system to correct it," she told me. "The age verification process often resulting in young kids being placed in older age groups defeats the purpose of trying to keep them safe online."
Image via Roblox
And if you encounter similar errors or misidentification and want to try to correct the error via Roblox support, it then requires appealing through layers of AI agents before ever reaching a human who can fix it.
"I (37) like to play Roblox with my son (10) pretty frequently," another Reddit post said. "I just age-verified both our accounts and now I can't even chat to my own child in-game? Why the frick are Trusted Connections only available for 13-plus? We spend so much on this game over the years and now it takes away my ability to talk to my own child?"
Roblox has come under heavy scrutiny over the past few years for being a "breeding ground for predators," according to the Florida attorney general, among several similar probes. Last month, the game was completely blocked in Russia for "LGBT propaganda."
These new security measures look to be trying to keep children safe from nefarious users, but their implementation so far is leaving a lot to be desired for many, causing frustration for kids and parents alike.
I tried out the facial scan on a new account myself, and it correctly identified me as "21 or older." But the RobloxHelp Reddit page is overflowing with complaints from many who are reporting issues with the tech, which looks to be largely AI-powered.
Destructoid has reached out to Roblox for comment on this story.
Update on Jan. 9 at 1:35pm CT:Roblox has responded to the article stating that "users can appeal their age check not only with ID verification but also parental controls, which allow parents to update their child’s age."
More stories and complaints of facial age check issues have been steadily appearing on Reddit throughout the day.
Two days after Roblox introduced a new age verification process across all platforms, the results are creating problems for many users.
On Jan. 7, Roblox made "facial age checks" a requirement to chat on the game, requiring you to use a camera and scan your face to use any chat feature. It will then give you an age estimate based on what it sees, shaping your chat experience and defining who you can and cannot interact with.
Image via Roblox
One of the problems with the feature, at least at the outset, is that it seems to come to incorrect conclusions. In many cases, it's overestimating the age of children and then placing them into a bracket where they can chat with users deemed older than them.
"As the first large online gaming platform to require facial age checks for users of all ages to access chat, this implementation is our next step toward what we believe will be the gold standard for communication safety," Roblox said on Jan. 7. "It enables age-based chat, which promotes a positive, age-appropriate experience for all users globally, and limits communication between adults and children younger than 16."
Robloxsaid that "tens of millions of daily active users" completed an age check as the feature was rolled out in Australia, New Zealand, and the Netherlands in early December before being widely implemented this week. But the results since then are quite spotty.
One mother from the US told me that the game estimated her 10-year-old daughter was 16 years old. The new facial age check will overwrite whatever actual age the parent entered in the first place, and the information can only be corrected by then scanning some form of identification.
"Even if [my child] had an ID, I wouldn’t scan hers into their system to correct it," she told me. "The age verification process often resulting in young kids being placed in older age groups defeats the purpose of trying to keep them safe online."
Image via Roblox
And if you encounter similar errors or misidentification and want to try to correct the error via Roblox support, it then requires appealing through layers of AI agents before ever reaching a human who can fix it.
"I (37) like to play Roblox with my son (10) pretty frequently," another Reddit post said. "I just age-verified both our accounts and now I can't even chat to my own child in-game? Why the frick are Trusted Connections only available for 13-plus? We spend so much on this game over the years and now it takes away my ability to talk to my own child?"
Roblox has come under heavy scrutiny over the past few years for being a "breeding ground for predators," according to the Florida attorney general, among several similar probes. Last month, the game was completely blocked in Russia for "LGBT propaganda."
These new security measures look to be trying to keep children safe from nefarious users, but their implementation so far is leaving a lot to be desired for many, causing frustration for kids and parents alike.
I tried out the facial scan on a new account myself, and it correctly identified me as "21 or older." But the RobloxHelp Reddit page is overflowing with complaints from many who are reporting issues with the tech, which looks to be largely AI-powered.
Destructoid has reached out to Roblox for comment on this story.
Update on Jan. 9 at 1:35pm CT:Roblox has responded to the article stating that "users can appeal their age check not only with ID verification but also parental controls, which allow parents to update their child’s age."
More stories and complaints of facial age check issues have been steadily appearing on Reddit throughout the day.
ARC Raiders' apparent cheater problem has warranted a response from the devs, and it appears that action is coming.
Not one multiplayer game is immune to hackers and cheaters. And in a game like ARC Raiders, where it's all about winning your fights to take home your loot, it's becoming prevalent with numerous hack providers popping up with cheats for things like aimbot, wallhack, and speed hacks.
Image via Embark Studios
"We’ve seen the discussion around the topic of cheaters in ARC Raiders," Embark Studios community manager Ossen said on the game's Discord. "Please know that we are taking this issue very seriously and are listening to, and acting on your feedback."
The topic of cheaters and hackers ramped up over the holiday season and into the beginning of the year, with streamers complaining about the subject a lot over the past few weeks. Shroud, Ninja, and Nadeshot are just a few who brought attention to the problem.
"Over the next few weeks, we are implementing significant changes to our rulesets and deploying new detection mechanisms to identify and remove cheaters," the studio said. "This includes updating our Anti-Cheat systems for improved detection and bans, as well as applying client-side fixes specifically addressing the 'out of map' glitch."
Embark's CEO Patrick Söderlund mentioned recently that the game will attempt to match you with those who play similarly, meaning if you engage in PvP more often, you will likely find others who do the same. This likely exacerbates the situation, and streamers like Nadeshot have been vocal about their experience of late.
“My experience on ARC Raiders over the last week has been hell,” Nadeshot said in a post on X/Twitter. “Just to be clear, I love this game and think it’s already moved in to my personal top 10 all time. But the egregious amount of cheating genuinely might be worse than peak Call of Duty. I’m not trying to bring negativity to the game because I know this type of dialogue can spread on socials like a disease but I genuinely cannot get through an entire raid without a Steam profile that is level 0 or an account that has multiple game bans and VAC bans on record.”
Embark also mentioned it will be "introducing tools for streamers to help mitigate stream sniping" soon as well, so hopefully, problems like all of the above will come to a head soon.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7's first event pass is set to hit this afternoon to coincide with the Season One Reloaded update, and its Fallout TV show theme has players quite excited and impressed with what it offers.
Yes, the premium track of the pass costs 1,100 CoD Points (about $10), but even the free rewards are pretty awesome. Players can unlock a total of 10 items simply by playing the game without putting in any investment.
Image via Activision
The free track of the event pass includes two Vault Dweller operator skins, a Vault Boy weapon charm, Vault-Tec weapon camo, and the new Sturmwolf 45 SMG. So, if you're even remotely interested in BO7 at this point, it'll definitely be worth playing to unlock everything.
But the premium track is also quite nice, especially for the price compared to other store bundles that clock in at around $20 or more. It has operators and skins for both The Ghoul and Maximus, three weapon blueprints and other cosmetics. And CoD fans are genuinely digging what they see so far.
"That one is ACTUALLY worth spending the money on the premium track... nice!" said one player on X/Twitter, while another remarked that it's "100 times better than any of the garbage BO6 event passes we had." A lot of the same sentiment can be seen across multiple social media channels.
CoD Points are given as part of the battle pass each season on top of being able to purchase them with real money, so if you play BO7, this seems like about as good a value as you'll find. While many others and I rightfully scoff at the pricing of some bundles (the Lucy MacLean Fallout bundle is not included in any of the freebies or event pass), this event seems like it's worthwhile if you're a CoD player in 2026.
The Fallout collab is also introducing multiple limited-time modes and even a reskin of Nuketown called Vault Town, where the iconic location is decked out in Vault-Tec scenery. But personally, I'm most looking forward to the Zombies mode, where you can fight the Bethesda franchise's terrifying Deathclaws.
Image via Activision
I have some CoD Points accrued in my account that I'll probably be using for this event pass, but even if I end up deciding against that, the free rewards will have me in the game for the first time in weeks. Oh, and Fallout season two is currently airing on Prime Video and is quite good, too, so the vibes around everything in this update (at least so far) are positive.
The gaming year of 2026 begins in earnest in just a few weeks, Xbox announced today, confirming the date for its first Developer Direct showcase.
While today's New Game+ Showcase will show off many games coming in 2026, Microsoft is bringing out its big guns for the first Developer Direct of 2026, including two of its "big four" for the year: Fable and Forza Horizon 6.
Image via Xbox
Fable has seemingly been in development for ages, and Forza will always bring in a lot of hype. But for me, the third game of the showcase is the one I'm most interested in learning more about.Beast of Reincarnation, the action RPG first revealed last year, will finally get some more of the spotlight.
Beast of Reincarnation is a new title from Game Freak, a studio synonymous with the Pokémon franchise. But this looks to be something entirely new and different, and I have high hopes for whatever there is to show in a couple of weeks.
"In post-apocalyptic Japan, humanity’s last hope may rest with Emma and her loyal canine companion, Koo," the game's description says. "Explore what it means to be human in Beast of Reincarnation, an expansive one-person, one-dog action RPG built around demanding, technical combat. What awaits at journey’s end?"
Xbox teased that Game Freak will "reveal details of our protagonist Emma’s innovative plant manipulation actions and gameplay with her canine companion," so we should have a more concrete idea of what the game truly is like and about ahead of its launch sometime later this year.
A small peek at the game's gameplay from last year showed a glimpse of action combat and some of the aforementioned flora changes, and it certainly looks gorgeous and potentially full of promise. Add it to the list of 2026 games we can look forward to.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-qZiMPsNz0
The January 2026 Developer Direct takes place on Thursday, Jan. 22 at 12pm CT on all of Xbox's channels.
Welcome back from the CODMAS holiday. Did you get your rest? Good, because it's time to sweat again.
Black Ops 7's newest update, Season One Reloaded, is ready to re-load the game with content across all modes, including multiplayer, Zombies, Endgame, and even Warzone, as Treyarch's live-service season kicks back into gear after the holiday break.
Here's what CoD players can look forward to in January 2026 as part of BO7's Season One Reloaded update's patch notes.
Two new weapons, the Hawker HX sniper rifle (BO2 Ballista) and Sturmwolf 45 SMG (reminiscent of the UMP 45) will be added as event rewards for all players to unlock for free.
The Hawker HX is unlocked in the Quantum Exchange limited time event, while the Sturmwolf 45 is available as part of the Call of Duty x Fallout event pass as a free reward.
Image via Activision
New multiplayer content
Image via Activision
New weapons need new locations to play in, including some remasters of classic maps.
Maps
Meltdown (BO2 remake)
Fringe (BO3 remake)
Yakei (new)
Vault Town (Fallout-themed Nuketown variant)
Modes
Takeover
"Take what’s yours in this highly playable, dynamic objective mode. Two teams of six fight over three neutral territories, earning a point for each zone they control. Highest score at the end wins the game. When all three of the zones are captured, there’s a slight cooldown before all three territories move to a new set of locations within the map."
New Zombies content
Image via Activision
Along with the guns, there's new content to play with in Zombies mode.
Directed Mode: Astra Malorum
Survival map: Zarya Cosmodrome
New LTM: Project RADS
"Feral Ghouls and Deathclaws invade Ashes of the Damned and Astra Malorum in this Fallout-themed LTM exposing the crew to increased levels of radiation with each passing round. In this mode, the usual means of healing and earning Essence are replaced with a system of drops given by fallen enemies that assist the crew in staying fit, keeping rad levels at bay, and gaining vital resources."
New Endgame content
Image via Activision
Additions to the PvE Endgame mode include new world events and a new skill track based on melee attacks.
World event: Wraith Wing
"This advanced Guild aircraft appears to have cloning capabilities with very lethal consequences as this squadron seems hellbent on eliminating as many JSOC Operators as it can. Disable it, fire at the exposed aircraft, and down that bird."
World event: Deathclaw Hunt
"In this Limited Time World Event, a bomb blast reduces a portion of Avalon into a Fallout-inspired wasteland. Head inside the blast zone, if you dare, to brave the toxic air and take on ferocious Deathclaws defended by hordes of Feral Ghouls."
Skill Track: Phantom
Ambush: Critical hits from behind on unaware enemies deal more damage.
Fast Melee: Faster Melee speed.
Trap Avoidance: Traps and Mines take longer to detect you. Undetectable when fully upgraded.
Silent Movement: Quiets movement and reduces enemy detection distance.
Elusive Target: Reduces accuracy of enemies shooting at you.
Decoy: Taking significant damage deploys an Echo Unit that distracts enemies.
Returning BO6 equipment
A bunch of loadout equipment from Black Ops 6 is making its way into BO7 via this update, including:
Shock Charge (tactical)
Impact Grenade (lethal)
Thermo Grenade (lethal)
War Machine (scorestreak)
Archangel Launcher (scorestreak)
Grim Reaper (scorestreak)
Death Machine (scorestreak)
Combat Bow (scorestreak)
Dreadnought (scorestreak)
Strategic Bomber (scorestreak)
Morphine Injector (Field Upgrade)
Tactical Insertion (Field Upgrade)
Fallout (TV series) collab
Image via Activision and Bethesda
The collaboration with the Fallout TV show on Prime Video will include operator skins, an event pass, store bundles, a Nuketown map variant, and more. Operator skins include Lucy MacLean, Maximus, and The Ghoul, but there are also limited time modes in Warzone, Zombies, and multiplayer, too.
New challenges and events
Additional weekly challenges will come every Thursday throughout the end of season one, along with limited-time events where players can unlock much of the free content, like weapons and more.
Warzone updates
Image via Activision
Additional updates are coming for Warzone, including weapon balancing and more. But there are also two limited time modes:
LTM: High Octane
"All players deploy into the map with their chosen custom Loadout, so you’re ready to engage the enemy will a full kit of gear right from the start. Scavenge juiced up loot across Verdansk including Gas Masks, Grappling Hooks, and Legendary Weapons. Cash payouts have been greatly increased as well, pairing perfectly with the ability to call up and purchase from the Buy Station interface at any time in the match. Don’t spend it all in one place, as you’ll need some money on hand to activate the automatic self-buyback should you go down."
LTM: Power Armor Royale
"Ready to dominate your foes with the help of some Power Armor? Hold on there, Vault Dweller, you’re gonna have to charge up that Fusion Core first. Every Operator deploys with a Fusion Core, but it’ll take some work to power it up enough to step into the suit. Operators can fill their Fusion Core by looting Fusion Core canisters, earned by completing Contracts, eliminating enemies, opening Supply Boxes, and dealing damage to enemy Power Armor users."
Meanwhile, there's been a slew of weapon balancing changes, including a big buff for the Mid-Range Barrel for BO7 assault rifles. The full list of changes for Warzone in the update can be found here.
For all of the BO7-specific bug fixes and changes in multiplayer, Zombies, and Endgame, see here.
Have you ever run into a hacker in ARC Raiders? The biggest multiplayer game of the moment has an issue with cheating, apparently.
I personally haven't found any cheating players. At least, I've never suspected anyone of being a hacker. But my social media timelines lately have been filled with players complaining about facing hackers in the extraction shooter, and the complaints have been getting more frequent of late.
Screenshot by Destructoid
An explanation for this may be that ARC Raiders uses a sort of "aggression-based matchmaking," according to a recent GamesBeat interview with Embark CEO Patrick Söderlund, so the game will match you up with players based on how likely you are to engage with others.
I'm generally a pretty peaceful Raider (unless I am feeling quite devious), moving about the map trying to do my quests or pick up loot for whatever the current goal may be, so I doubt I'd be the kind of player who'd end up running into a cheater. But for those who sweat it up in trios and chase down "goop" with their friends, or other sweaty streamers, it appears that you're more likely to run into others who are hacking or cheating.
Thankfully, ARC Raiders has a mechanic where you will sometimes be given back loot that you lost if you lost to someone who is found to be cheating in some way. Still, though, according to players like Ninja or Nadeshot, the hacking is out of control.
"My experience on ARC Raiders over the last week has been hell," Nadeshot said in a recent lengthy post on X/Twitter. "Just to be clear, I love this game and think it’s already moved in to my personal top 10 all time. But the egregious amount of cheating genuinely might be worse than peak Call of Duty. I’m not trying to bring negativity to the game because I know this type of dialogue can spread on socials like a disease but I genuinely cannot get through an entire raid without a Steam profile that is level 0 or an account that has multiple game bans and VAC bans on record."
Is this just streamers whining to whine, or is there a legit hacker problem in ARC Raiders? According to one commenter on the YouTube video below from Ninja, the content creators are not alone in these specific struggles.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6Klrpu7xmI
"Thank god you're making a video on this," they said. "The game is literally unplayable if you're half decent cause you get queued with hackers at least 1/3 games."
Have you seen any cheaters in your ARC Raiders games? Let me know in the comments below, because I'm curious to see if any issue is as widespread as some are making it out to be, or if it's just a loud minority on socials.
Update on Jan. 7 at 12:45pm CT: Shroud has echoed the sentiments of other streamers, saying the hacking situation is "really really bad" and opining he may take a break until something is fixed.
I generally don't like discussions surrounding daily active player counts, but the dev of one struggling title has responded to "recent Steam charts conversations," so here we are.
Remember Splitgate 2? It was released last year and made 2025 one to forget for those involved after making headlines for several unfortunate reasons. First, the game's studio's CEO appeared on stage at Summer Game Fest in June with a "Make FPS Great Again" hat and later apologized for it, attempting to also drum up hype for its 1.0 launch.
Not long after, on July 22, the studio announced that it was rolling Splitgate 2back into its beta phase after a round of layoffs, and brought the game offline as the remaining team went "heads down" on rebuilding it.
And now, after re-launching on Dec. 17 as Splitgate: Arena Reloaded, things are looking bleak. According to Steam Charts, the game peaked at just over 2,200 players on the platform and has dropped to just under 1,000 concurrents at any given time since.
And so, today, 1047 Games put out a new statement, remarking that "Steam Charts don't measure fun." And sure, I agree, but given the game's track record, it's just not looking all that positive at the minute. Still, the studio persists.
"[Steam Charts] show one number, on one platform, at one given moment," the statement on Twitter/X said. "They don't show the full picture or what it feels like to actually play, and they definitely don't capture the community that's actively helping shape what Arena Reloaded is becoming (including upcoming content like Arena Royale). Over the past six months, we rebuilt Splitgate from the ground up because we believe in the game, our team, and our community. The 1047 team remains committed to delivering the best version of Splitgate possible."
I personally hadn't seen any discussion surrounding the game's Steam charts, but then again, I didn't really see any discussion about the game at all since last month, so I suppose the statement is doing its job in garnering some attention.
Screenshot by Destructoid
Splitgate 2 topped out at over 25,000 players on Steam during its launch last June, and while I do agree that player count stuff is overblown, and the discussion around it is annoying, it's hard to feel positive about its future.
I wish the team luck in bringing in the players and revenue it needs to keep the game going.
Is a new remaster of an all-time classic Fallout game just a few weeks away? Probably not, but that's not stopping some from clinging to a dream.
I'm all for baseless speculation, hopium, and copium (Bloodborne 2 is real), but there's actually at least some reason to believe a big announcement for Fallout is coming within the next few weeks. And it's all thanks to season two of the Fallout show on Prime Video.
Screenshot by Destructoid
I'm actually a few episodes behind on this season, so I've been avoiding discussing it, but gamers online have been quick to point out that the website for the show currently has a countdown running, and it's a mystery what lies at its end.
The countdown, shown above in the top right of the image, ends right about when the season two finale arrives on Feb. 4. But we know that it's coming, as all episodes for the season along with their titles and air dates have been announced. Why would it need a countdown? This must mean that something else is coming, surely, and people like me and some others are starting to convince ourselves it's a long-awaited and rumored Fallout 3 remaster.
And you know what? I'm in. Screw it. It's early January, the game releases are slow to start out the year (as always), and I am once again choosing the hype. I blame Bethesda, too, because the company literally just shadow-dropped a long-awaited remaster last year with The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, so why not? Let's do it.
Fallout season two is currently taking place in New Vegas, so it's also entirely possible that that game could be the one getting the treatment. Personally, I'm partial to Fallout 3 as it was my first title in the series and my favorite thus far. But imagine if it's somehow both 3 and New Vegas at the same time? Okay, let's not get ahead of ourselves, but it is fun to dream.
Based back in reality now for a second, I realize this is probably not what's going to happen. At least not yet. I don't know what the countdown will end with, but I want to get absolutely merked by Super Mutants with the Washington Monument in view again, so I'm huffing the hopium, and I hope you all join me.
Rainbow Six Siege X has apparently been breached again (see what I did there?) following a previous hack that took place over the holidays, with players reporting unwarranted and lengthy bans from it.
On Dec. 27, the free-to-play FPS was taken over in a massive server breach that saw the hackers reward players with billions of paid currency for free, along with spamming the in-game messaging system. The game had to be taken down to fix the issue, but now, it appears to be suffering some similar issues from hackers who are memeing once more.
Image via Ubisoft
This time, the hackers are issuing 67-day bans to players. Yeah, it's the annoying six-seven meme again, following us into 2026 because nothing is sacred anymore. Players began to post about the bans yesterday, and the issue has continued into the new week, causing some serious concern.
Ubisoft's server status page for the game shows "some issues" that are "being investigated," including Connectivity listed as "Degraded" while Authentication, In-Game Store, and Matchmaking are listed with an "Outage" across all of the game's platforms. Yikes.
So far, there has been no update from Ubisoft's support account nor the official accounts for the game, but the issues with the servers appear to be related to whatever is happening now with the hack. And judging by how the company addressed the last issue from December, which included bringing the game offline to fix the problems, it appears to be another breach.
December's hack was allegedly a diversion to steal info from the publisher, so if this is yet another breach that's affecting the game and its players so quickly after, there may be some big repercussions behind the scenes.
For now, I'd say maybe take a break from the title for a while until its security is improved, because two substantial breaches in the course of a couple weeks is pretty scary.
