Right, get ready for some chatter about where the contents of our collective wallets have gone over the past year. Valve's list of the highest-grossing games on Steam in 2025 has emerged from the great mists, and in a nice revelation, features a larger number of fresh releases than last year's ranking. That's alongside all of the moderately to quite old stuff which more folks keep hopping on the train of with every passing 12 month period.
Every map you battle on in Marvel Rivals is packed with fun secrets and Easter eggs you might overlook since you’re generally focused on fighting. Interacting with these secrets is often crucial for completing achievements, though, as is the case with Grand Garden Gator.
This map-specific task asks you to track down a small character hidden in a vast area. It can be pretty tough to get done, so here’s how to complete the Grand Garden Gator achievement in Marvel Rivals.
It's hard to believe that Marvel Rivals is already turning one year old soon, but that may just be because I have lost all concept of the passage of time over the past five years.
But to celebrate the game's first anniversary, Marvel Rivals will be throwing some freebie-centric festivities over the next few weeks. NetEase revealed the details about what players can expect, and it's mostly a bunch of free Units to spend on skins in the store.
Rivals' main mascot Galacta is coming to Earth to livestream the celebration, which includes 1,500 free Units as login rewards throughout the event's duration. But the game's second mascot, arguably the most popular since it launched, is Jeff the Land Shark, and he's getting a free skin as a reward simply for playing matches in the event.
Jeff looks all snazzed up in his suit and tie with glasses, but he's also got little dress shoes on his hind legs as well, showing that he's ready to show up to the office and wreak absolute havoc with his oppressive water gun abilities and big sharp teeth.
The skin is customizable, and players can pay for the premium event track to unlock different suit colors, ties, tail decorations, and glasses that he can wear in the costume that may become my new favorite (although the symbiote skin and Jack-o-Lantern Halloween costume will be tough to dethrone). The premium track also has new skins for Mister Fantastic and Invisible Woman.
The anniversary event is also calling players to re-enlist their friends, and those who invite their pals can earn even more free Units by completing challenges together, and NetEase is teasing 400 more free units "and more" on Dec. 4. So, in total, it's over 2,500 Units that can be earned, and that's enough for one of the store's most pricey bundles.
Rivals' First Anniversary even begins on Thursday, Nov. 27, and more cake-themed skins will be added throughout the event as part of the celebratory festivities.
The post Marvel Rivals’ first anniversary celebration gives free currency, puts Jeff the Land Shark in a suit and tie appeared first on Destructoid.
Ahead of Rivals Day, NetEase has unveiled a new Psylocke skin, earnable through an upcoming Gacha system coming to Marvel Rivals.
The post Marvel Rivals Unveils New Gacha System appeared first on Insider Gaming.
I have no idea how NetEase Games is able to release a whole new character in Marvel Rivals every month, but I think the devs outdid themselves in season five.
Since launching last year on Dec. 6, 2025, Marvel Rivals has added a large batch of new heroes in Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, The Thing, Emma Frost, Ultron, Phoenix, Blade, Angela, Daredevil, and now Gambit. And for my money, Gambit is the most fun and well-designed one so far, by a long shot.
Gambit is by far the best and most exciting Strategist in the game right now after launching last week, and I don't think that's recency bias (or regular bias either, even though he's my second favorite X-Men member). It's no shock to see a new hero be a top performer, but I've been playing him as much as possible, and he feels so much better to play than everyone else in the role. It's almost embarrassing.
The super-powerful Cajun mutant uses both his powered-up playing cards and staff to create the most varied, flexible, and enjoyable kit yet. His basic attack both heals and deals damage in a three-card burst, but his Healing Hearts and Breaking Spades abilities give him four different moves where there are normally two.
Triggering Healing Hearts brings up two options: Bridge Boost, which chain heals allies nearby, or Purifying Pickup, which cleanses debuffs. Breaking Spades, meanwhile, offers either Explosive Trick to inflict reduced healing on enemies, or Bidding Barrage that throws cards in an arc and explodes to launch enemies up.
Gambit's movement and close-range combat are also pretty flexible. He can charge forward and spin around with his staff, and then slam his staff on the ground, healing allies AND dealing damage to enemies.
His ultimate? It clears the whole Strategist roster. Ragin' Royal Flush heals, purifies, gives movement speed and a boost to jump height, and gives a targeted ally ultimate charge acceleration. And so I'm thinking, yeah, he's probably a bit too strong, kit-wise.
Gambit is easy to play, but mastering him takes a lot of resource management since he can only use his abilities if he has the cards that are shown on his UI. His other main downfall is that anyone who plays him usually tries to just play DPS with him, even though he's a healer. But man, he's just so damn good and so fun. And I have no idea how NetEase is going to top it. But I think I know how they can.
Next season's two new heroes have already been teased in a lore card to be the monster hunter Elsa Bloodstone, and the "Merc With a Mouth," Deadpool. The latter hero is where I hope the company has some fun, as he's a slapstick comedian who's also deadly with katanas and guns, but his penchant for breaking the fourth wall creates a lot of possibilities for ridiculousness, and I hope they fully lean into it.
Marvel Rivals' next hero for season five, Rogue, launches in early December, and all signs point to her being a Vanguard. If she's half as fun as her beau Remy LeBeau (heh), then we're in for some good times over the holidays and for the game's first anniversary.
The post Gambit is easily Marvel Rivals’ best post-launch hero so far, but his stellar design creates a tough precedent appeared first on Destructoid.
With more than 117 million units sold, it’s clear that Sony’s PS4 was a very successful console. It has naturally amassed a vast wealth of both first-party and third-party releases, and this list runs down 20 of the best games it has to offer in no particular order.
God of War
There aren’t many games that are able to deliver a stunning experience in such a smooth manner as Sony Santa Monica was able to do with the 2018 reboot. This story sets the protagonist in a new setting; new boss fights and outstanding level design. It’s both fresh and recognizable at the same time, and the new combat and the camera on offer also embodies the spirit of modern third person game while making it more intentional. The 2018 reboot is definitely one of the best games on the PS4, and is a great starting point for newcomers.
Marvel Rivalsplayers are about to get the chance to step into the shoes of two of the hottest X-Men of all time, and they're coming straight from the hit animated series.
Some gamers label Marvel Rivals a “gooner game” to criticize its fan-service heavy, often revealing skins. These include swimsuit-themed looks and over-the-top outfits that feel more lewd than classic.
The game’s creative director, Guangyun Chen, defends the designs, explaining they draw from classic comic book styles and real-world fashion trends, not just prurient appeal. He claims these elements celebrate comic-book legacy and storytelling, not merely shock value.
But many fans still feel that characters like Emma Frost or a skull-themed Punisher Speedo cross a line between homage and fetishization.
In Baldur’s Gate 3, one romance option involves Halsin, a druid who shapeshifts into a bear. While the game treats this as a comedic, absurd choice, it's still frequently described by critics as “b*stiality with a bear”.
That description is pushing it, but here's the context: Halsin retains his human intelligence and consent, thanks to D&D’s Wild Shape rules, meaning he's not an actual animal but a humanoid in bear form, which in-game justifies it as consented fantasy.
Still, many viewers understandably perceive it as crossing a moral boundary, especially because the visual implies s*x with a bear, not a person.
There are key reasons why even joking b*stiality is more troubling than alluring character designs:
Reddit commentary summed it well:
“The actual 1 to 1 comparison here would be if Larian made it so you could romance or f*ck the various animals you can speak to… That would be weird and problematic because those are actual animals, not a sentient adult humanoid...”
Other users added:
“It’s literally played for laughs. The devs know how ridiculous it is.”
While the scene was clearly meant to be absurd, it's difficult to argue it’s harmless just because it’s comedic.
Think about it:
In one case, fans call Marvel Rivals fan-service, criticizing visual designs they see as shallow or pandering.
In the other, the same fans enjoy the bear s*x joke, celebrating an explicit fantasy that, by most ethical standards, is far more disturbing.
That double standard is hard to ignore: disapproving something intended to be stylish or appealing, while embracing something inherently taboo, even if framed as a joke, is a glaring inconsistency.
