After the successful run of Amazon’s Fallout TV series last year, it’s back for a second time. Can Amazon continue its success or does the show suffer from the dreaded sophomore slump?
Join us as we venture back into the wasteland of Amazon Prime’s live-adaptation of Fallout with the release of Season 2 in our full season review, and whether it’s worth binging it during the holidays.
Important note: This is a spoiler-free review, so you can read it without fear of running into somethng that might ruin a surprise or two.
When the World Goes Down In Flames
Season 2 of Fallout picks up exactly right after the events of last season, with our main protagonists, Lucy MacLean the Vault Dweller, Cooper Howard, AKA the Ghoul, heading off to New Vegas to track down Hank MacLean to finally get some answers and justice, with Maximus rejoining his Brotherhood of Steel as its new hero. I won’t speak muchabout the plot point beyond that, even with Episode 1 now live, as I think everyone should go in as blind as possible this season. As the review already states, I’m going to keep this relatively spoiler-free as much as I can and focus my talks around character development and overall improvements in this season.
Much like last season, this season focuses on three main stories, with additional stories from other characters to further build the world. Although the show gives attention to all three main protagonists, and now the new ones who are doing their own side adventures, this season of Fallout is undoubtedly all about the Ghoul, aka Cooper Howard.
No surprises, considering how he became such a fan favorite after the first season, with Walton Goggins delivering a performance that was both entertaining and thrilling as he played a gunslinger western Ghoul, while also providing a heartbreaking one as the Ghoul’s human counterpart, Cooper Howard. He shows the most terrifying monster by portraying the worst of humanity, but also its most sympathetic victim.
That brilliance carries into Season 2, where the show stops treating his humanity as just a tragic backstory and makes it the engine of the narrative. If Season 1 was about seeing a man lose it all, including his humanity, then Season 2 explores what that man will do get it all back. He’s covered in a rotting flesh of radioactive cynicism, but with his newfound purpose, those layers begin to peel back, revealing a desperation as compelling as it is violent. A monster who still has some humanity left in him, even if he doesn’t always show it.
It’s a balancing act that Goggins executes with terrifying perfection. I honestly can’t think of anyone else who could portray the Ghoul in live-action the way Goggins does, and if there was ever a person born to play a role, then The Ghoul is that role for Walton Goggins.
But it’s not a spotlight that he shares alone, despite the bigger focus on him this season. We have our other main protagonists. Lucy, who is continuing her journey to find her father, once again finds herself accompanying the Ghoul for a common purpose. Ella Purnell continues to portray the character as a naive optimist, thinking everyone is good and can literally be speech-checked out of conflict, like in the games. But that “okey-dokey” persona she wears is wearing out, as she continues to see the horrors of the topside world. If the Ghoul represents what the world does to a person, then Lucy represents the struggle to remain unchanged by it—a perfect foil to Goggins’ character.
She’s a satirical take on what an American might have been in a perfect 1950s, something established in the first season. Sure, you may say to yourself, she shouldn’t still be acting like that, but despite it being almost two years for us since the first season started, in the Fallout universe, it’s only been a matter of a few weeks, if that. She’s still a vault dweller who doesn’t understand the world she’s in and how it works, though she is starting to come to terms with it with each passing episode. I have a feeling she won’t be the same naive vault dweller she started as for long, especially as she continues to see how much uglier the world can get.
Then there’s Maximus. Aaron Moten returns as the Brotherhood of Steel soldier, though he feels a bit more isolated this season. While Lucy and the Ghoul are out surviving through the chaos of the wasteland, Maximus is grappling with the weight of his new rank. To the brotherhood, he’s a legendary hero who defeated and killed Lee Moldaver in the Season 1 finale. He’s their savior, the man who secured cold fusion for the Brotherhood of Steel—the man who will lead them to greatness.
Maximus isn’t that character, but it is the reality he now has to live with, and his arc this season is all about that conflict and being able to make the hard decisions. Season 1 offered him a view of a better life, but to protect that life, he had to embrace a lie. That suit of armor that he fought so hard to earn has now become his prison, bound by an inescapable duty and the rigid ideology of the Brotherhood.
While Lucy and The Ghoul fight a battle in the Wasteland, Maximus is fighting a political war within his ranks, offering a unique perspective into the world of the Brotherhood of Steel as they prepare to extend their reach in the wasteland.
And let’s not forget the other supporting characters from the previous season, who are now slowly becoming major players. The residents of Vault 33 are still in shambles after all the chaos that happened in the first season, with those in power now trying to figure out how to move on and survive.
Norman MacLean, Lucy’s brother, played by Moisés Arias, is still locked inside Vault 31 with overseer Bud Askins, who turns out to be a Vault-Tec employee who eventually sticks his head in a jar, which is equivalent to a Roomba in this universe. Again, no spoilers here, but I think fans are going to love how the writers continue to mold their characters around the specific playstyles players have adopted in the games.
Being Season 2, Amazon has gone bigger with the casting, with special guest stars like Macaulay Culkin and Kumail Nanjiani. I won’t go into any details about their characters, but I think fans will like what they see. There are other guest stars, but my lips are sealed. I anticipate sheer chaos from the community once the other stars are revealed. Of course, this being set in New Vegas, you can expect plenty of Mr. House, not only in terms of how he’s shaping the story in the present, but also his grand involvement in the end of the world, which Season 1 was already hinting at.
In terms of overall writing and pacing, I think Season 2 is better than the first, which, for me, says a lot, because I loved the first season of the show. Every single episode (sans the final two, as they were omitted) had me hooked from start to finish, and for every minute of them. I love how, like in the first season, Season 2 manages to balance all these stories across all the episodes. Usually, when you have too many characters, the story starts to become muddy, and yet here the writing is so well done, with a pacing to match, that whenever you begin to wonder what’s going on with one of the characters, it switches back to them. You don’t ever feel like you’re waiting for the show to get back to the “good stuff” because it’s always at the good part, and it never overstays.
One thing I do want to address, because I know the Fallout community is going to ask, or eventually be “upset” over it. Although the show is rooted in Fallout’s DNA, I don’t want to say it’s entirely faithful to the franchise’s lore. Season 1 created a lot of confusion about specific events and their timeline. I get it, things can get crossed with how big Fallout is, and with the show being canon, there are some things it introduces that may or may not retcon certain things. Personally, the way I see it, I can go back and play one of the old games, and sure, some stuff is no longer part of the lore or has been altered since then, not just because of the live-action, but because of the games themselves. But that doesn’t mean they still aren’t good. In the end, the games and the show are good, each maintaining the Fallout identity that we love so much. Take that however you want, but I do think the show is in great hands, where some of these changes don’t seem all too big in the grand picture. The show is clearly made by fans, and for fans. Even if it doesn’t get everything right, I, like with the first season, feel that Fallout is perhaps the best live-action video game adaptation we’ve seen thus far.
Building a Better Apocalypse
Although the reported figures suggest the budget for Season 2 is similar to Season 1, a major difference is that production has been moved entirely to California. In contrast, last season was mostly in and around New York, with the budget being around $153 million, or $19 million per episode. This season reportedly costs around the same, though it comes with a $25 million tax credit from California.
The reason I bring this up is that while watching the season, I was under the impression that the budget had ballooned to something like The Lord of the Rings: The Ring of Powers had, which was $465 million for the first season. It’s not uncommon for seasons to become more expensive to make, and Season 2 certainly looks to be more expensive, but it’s clear that whatever extra money they got, this season is putting every cent to good use.
In many ways, it’s a stunning technical achievement: with the right crew and vision, you can make anything look like a blockbuster film without blowing through your budget. This season comes with much larger sets, even more unique locations, grander effects, and with the variety of places that California has to offer, from its sprawling neon Hollywood strips to the hot, scorching Mojave Desert, a new level of authenticity is brought to the screen that no amount of CGI can replicate. The show takes full advantage of its new home, grounding the absurdity of the wasteland in a reality where you can almost feel the radiation emitting through your screen.
My favorite thing about this season is that it seems the crew has doubled down on practical effects. Of course, CGI will be used, and heavily, as there’s only so much practical effects can do before it becomes impractical, like with Season 1 monster fights. But if you haven’t watched the making of Season 1 yet, I highly recommend you do, as you’ll be surprised by just how much of what you saw on screen was real, not generated on a computer.
It’s a curse not being able to spoil things and talk to someone about this until the episodes air, but I’m confident that fans are going to go insane when they see how some of the stuff has been brought to life, both in CGI and in practical use. The visual fidelity has taken a massive leap forward this season, all in the name of crafting an even bigger, more immersive world than last season.
Then there’s the music. Like last season, you can expect plenty of licensed tracks to be used throughout the show, in theme with the era. There are some fun ones in there, but for me, it’s seeing composer Ramin Djawadi back for yet another Season of Fallout. Once again, he finds the perfect blend of sounds to create a landscape that feels both nostalgic and terrifying. I’ve always believed that sound and music are the glue that holds an experience together, and without Djawadi’s score, the emotional weight of this season wouldn’t land the same way. It’s fantastic, and I feel he perfectly captures the emotions of a scene through his music, resulting in some of the show’s most memorable moments.
War May Never Change, But This Series Keeps Getting Better.
Given how Season 1 turned out, I had little doubt that Season 2 of Fallout would end up being a fun ride to watch through. I had my worries about them touching the New Vegas IP, but after sitting through most of the episodes, I’m reminded of why I fell in love not only with the show but also with the Fallout: New Vegas video game. It truly is a love letter to all Fallout fans; even if it gets some things wrong, it’s hard to look past just how much it gets right.
Fallout Season 2 is funnier, darker, and more emotionally charged than Season 1, improving on it in every way by taking what was so great about Season 1 and making it even greater in Season 2. It’s a must-watch for not only all fans, but also those who first joined in on their Fallout journey back when the first season aired. I can’t recommend this show enough, and my only disappointment is knowing I now need to wait for Season 3, which I’m certain will happen.
Fallout Season 2 episode 1 is now available to stream, exclusively on Amazon.
Pros
Better than Season 1 in every conceivable way
Great character writing and development
Beautiful visuals - fantastic use of practical effects
Amazing score that captures every scene
Verdict
9.5/10
Fallout Season 2 is funnier, darker, and more emotionally charged than Season 1, improving on it in every way by taking what was so great about Season 1 and making it even greater in Season 2. It's a must-watch for not only all fans, but also those who first joined in on their Fallout journey back when the first season aired
Cons
Some of the character motives are pretty questionable during some points in the series
Makes the wait for Season 3 a lot harder
Fallout Season 2 screener provided by Amazon for review purposes.
A gamer at heart, James has been working for MP1st for the last decade to do exactly what he loves, writing about video games and having fun doing it. Growing up in the 90's gaming has been in his DNA since the days of NES. One day he hopes to develop his own game.
Krampus returns in Phasmophobia with the Winter’s Jest 2025 event! Console gamers will see this download appear as Phasmophobia update 1.000.028, and this not only brings the event back, but also ushers in various gameplay fixes.
To mark the event, players will also be treated to double XP and rewards for the first week of the Winter’s Jest event.
At The Game Awards, it was finally officially confirmed that Leon Kennedy will be a protagonist in Resident Evil Requiem.
Read on for the complete info via the official patch notes.
Phasmophobia’s New Update on December 16 Brings Back Winter’s Jest via Patch 1.000.028/v0.15.1.0
New
Winter’s Jest: Phasmophobia’s annual winter event has begun, and with it comes the return of Krampus. Look out for this limited-time ghost model across any of the event maps during Winter’s Jest. For more details on what to expect from the event, head to our announcement blog.
Double XP & Rewards: For the first week of Winter’s Jest (16th – 23rd, 12PM GMT), players will be able to earn Double XP and money from all investigations.
Changes
Banshee will now only present as female (names and ghost models).
Krampus is now defined as male and will only present as so (names and ghost models).
Ghost types are now sorted alphabetically in the Journal. (English language only)
Nell’s Diner now unlocks for players at Level 5.
Lowered RAM usage across all maps.
Dead players will no longer be rewarded ghost identification event points.
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Fixes
Fixed an issue that caused cabinet trophy titles not being translated correctly.
Fixed an issue in the break room of Nell’s Diner that prevented VR players from teleporting.
Fixed an issue that caused object interactions in Nell’s Diner despite the power being off (i.e. Arcade Machine, ATM)
Fixed an issue that prevented the Ouija Board from responding with numbers.
Fixed an issue that disabled sound from the Nell’s Diner TV.
Fixed an issue that caused Obake fingerprints being left by all ghosts, and fingerprints not being visible on some doors in Nell’s Diner.
Fixed an issue that would cause the player to become stuck in the police car outside of Nell’s Diner.
Fixed an issue that prevented players from assigning new colors for players or cursors.
Fixed an issue that could cause the ghost to spawn on the roof of Nell’s Diner.
Fixed an ‘‘issue’’ that caused the eggs in Nell’s Diner to look not-egg like.
Fixed an issue that prevented VR players from teleporting on to certain areas of Nell’s Diner.
Fixed an issue that displayed Japanese text on the Nells’ Diner leaflet as too small to read.
Fixed an issue that caused Steam Deck voice chat to not work correctly at the start of a contract.
Fixed an issue that would cause players to disconnect when viewing the CCTV screen when multiple cameras were active. (If this is still encountered, please report via our Help Centre)
Various other fixes and improvements.
Don’t be surprised if we see a hotfix get released during the month, as is the case with some of Kinectic Games’ major updates.
One of the biggest reveals at this year's The Game Awards is undoubtedly Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic, a spiritual successor to the Knights of the Old Republic, which is being spearheaded by Casey Hudson -- a former BioWare big dog who directed the previous games and even the highly-regarded Mass Effect trilogy.
The last major update for ARC Raiders for 2025 is here! Called the “Cold Snap” update by Embark, console gamers will see this as ARC Raiders update 1.000.015.
There’s a lot to take in, so read on for the official patch notes.
ARC Raiders December 16 Update Slides in Cold Snap Content via Patch 1.000.015
What’s New?
Cold Snap Map Condition
Flickering Flames Event
New Free Raider Deck “Goalie” – coming on December 26
New Quests and Items
Patch Highlights
Added Skill Tree Reset functionality.
Added an option to toggle Aim Down Sights.
Wallet now shows your Cred soft cap.
Various festive items to get you into the holiday spirit.
Moved the Aphelion blueprint drop from the Matriarch to Stella Montis.
Added Raider Tool customization.
Fixed various collision issues on maps.
Improved Stella Montis spawn distance checks to address the issue of players spawning too close to each other.
ARC Raiders Cold Snap Balance Changes
Weapons:
Bettina
Dev note: These changes aim to make the Bettina a bit less reliant on bringing a secondary weapon. The weapon should now be a bit more competent in PVP, without tipping the scales too much. Data shows that this weapon is still the highest performing PVE weapon at its rarity (Not counting the Hullcracker). The durability should also feel more in line with our other assault rifles.
Durability Burn Rate has been reduced from ~0.43% to ~0.17% per shot
In practice, it used to take about 12 full magazines to fully deplete durability, but now it takes 26 (also accounting for the increased magazine size).
Base Magazine Size has been increased from 20 to 22
After a huge controversy regarding stolen art assets and what seemed to be a lackluster reception to its closed beta, Bungie has now decided on a release date for Marathon, and it's due in March 2026!
While there's no specific day on when the game will be released in March, this is good news for those looking forward to the extraction shooter.
Rattler
Dev note: Even though the Rattler isn’t intended to compete with the Stitcher or Kettle at close ranges, it is receiving a minor buff to bring its PVP TTK at lower levels a bit closer to the Stitcher and Kettle. The weapon should remain in its intended role as a more deliberate weapon where players are expected to dip in and out of cover, fire in controlled bursts, and manage their reloads.
Base Magazine Size has been increased from 10 to 12
ARC:
Shredder
Reduced the amount of knockback applied by weapons. Increased movement speed and turning responsiveness.
Increased health of the Shredder’s head to prevent cases where its head could be shot off, leading to unintended behavior.
Improved Shredder navigation to reduce getting stuck on corners, narrow spaces, and short obstacles.
Increased the speed at which the Shredder enters combat when taking damage and when in close proximity to players.
Increased the number of parts on the Shredder that can be individually destroyed.
Content and Bug Fixes
Achievements
Achievements are now enabled in the Epic store.
Animation
Fixed an issue where picking up a Field Crate with a Trigger ’Nade attached could cause the character to slide or move without input.
Fixed an issue where combining Snap Hook with ziplines or ladders could store momentum and propel the player long distances.
Fixed an issue where the running animation could appear incorrect after a small drop when over-encumbered.
Interactions now end correctly when performing a dodge roll.
Interacting while holding items or deployables no longer causes arm twisting.
Added more animations to character skins and equipment to make them more natural.
ARC
Fixed an issue where deployables attached to enemies could cause them to launch or clip out of bounds when shot.
Missiles no longer reverse course after passing a target and can correctly track targets at different elevations.
Sentinel
Fixed a bug where the Sentinel laser did not reach the targeted player over greater distances.
Surveyor
Disabled vaulting onto ARC Surveyors to prevent unintended launches when they are moving.
Fixed an issue where Bombardier projectiles could shoot through the Matriarch shield from the outside.
Audio
Fixed an issue where Gas, Stun, and Impulse Mines did not play their trigger sound or switch their light to yellow when triggered by being shot.
Increased the number of simultaneous footstep sounds and increased their priority.
Fixed an issue where footsteps in metal stairs became very quiet when walking slowly.
Improved directional sound for ARC enemies.
Added sounds for sending and receiving text chat messages in the main menu.
Removed the unsettling “mom?” from Speranza cantina ambient sound.
Tweaked the loudness of announcements in various Main Menu screens.
At The Game Awards, it was finally officially confirmed that Leon Kennedy will be a protagonist in Resident Evil Requiem.
Maps
Fixed an issue with spawning logic which could cause players who were reconnecting at the start of a session to spawn next to other players who had just joined.
Various collision, geometry, VFX and texture fixes that address gaps in terrain which made players fall through the map or walk inside geometry, stuck spots, camera clipping through walls, see-through geometry, floating objects, texture overlaps, etc.
Fixed an issue with the slope of the Raider Hatch that was too steep for downed raiders to crawl on top of it.
Security Lockers are now dynamically spawned across all maps instead of being statically placed.
Fixed Raider Caches not spawning during Prospecting Probes in some cases.
Fixed lootable containers and Supply Drops spawning inside terrain on The Dam and Blue Gate, ensuring they are accessible.
Fixed an issue where doors could appear closed for some players despite being open.
Electromagnetic Storm: Lightning strikes sometimes leave behind a valuable item.
Increased the number of possible Great Mullein spawn locations across all maps.
Dam Battlegrounds
Moved the Matriarch’s spawn point in Dam Battlegrounds to an area that better plays to her strengths.
Spaceport
Adjusted the locked room protection area in Container Storage on Spaceport to not affect players outside the room.
Blue Gate
Locked Gate map condition has been added.
Adjusted map bounds near a ledge in Blue Gate to improve navigation and reduce abrupt out-of-bounds stops.
Improved tree LODs in Blue Gate to reduce overly dark visuals at distance.
Fixed the issue where loot would spawn outside the Locked Room in the Village.
Added props and visual cues to the final camp in the quest ‘A First Foothold’ to make objective locations easier to find.
Stella Montis
Increased some item and blueprint spawn rates in Stella Montis.
Some breachable containers on Stella Montis no longer drop Rubber Ducks when using the A Little Extra skill (sorry).
Adjusted window glass clarity in Stella Montis to improve visibility.
Miscellaneous
General crash fixes (including AMD crashes).
Added Skill Tree Reset functionality in exchange for Coins, 2,000 Coins per skill point.
Wallet now shows your Cred soft cap (800).
Dev note: We decided to implement a cap so that players won’t be able to fully unlock new Raider Decks by accumulating Cred and added more items to Shani’s store to purchase using Cred. We believe that the Raider Decks offer a rewarding experience to enjoy while players engage with the game, and a large Cred wallet undermines this goal. We will not be removing Cred that has been accumulated before the introduction of the soft cap.
Added Raider Tool customization.
Fixed a bug that caused players to spawn on servers without their gear and in default customization resulting in losing loadout items.
For ranks up to Daredevil I, leaderboards now have a 3x promotion zone for the top 5 players. New objectives have been added.
Fixed an issue where the tutorial door breach could be canceled, preventing the cutscene from playing and blocking progression.
Fixed an issue where players could continue breaching doors while downed.
Fixed an issue where accepting a Discord invite without having your account linked could fail to place you into the inviter’s party.
Fixed an issue that sometimes caused textures and meshes to flicker between higher and lower quality states.
Depth of field amount is now scaled correctly depending on your resolution scale.
Fixed an issue where returning to the game after alt-tabbing could prevent movement and ability inputs while camera controls still worked.
Improved input handling when the game window regains focus to avoid unexpected input mode switches.
Skill Tree
Effortless Roll skill now provides greater stamina cost reduction.
The Calming Stroll skill now applies while moving in ADS.
Movement
Fixed a traversal issue that blocked jumping/climbing in certain areas while crouched.
Fixed an issue where climbing ladders over open gaps could cause automatic detachment.
A slight stamina cost has been added for entering a slide.
Acceleration has been reduced when doing a dodge roll from a slide.
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UI
Added an option to toggle Aim Down Sights.
Added a new ‘Cinematic’ graphics setting to enhance visuals for high end PCs.
Codex
Improved accuracy of tracking damage dealt in player stats.
Field-crafted items now properly count toward Player Stats in the Codex.
Fixed missing sound in Codex Records.
Added a Codex section to rewatch previously seen videos.
Console
Updated PlayStation 5 controller button prompts with improved icons for Options and Share.
Fixed a crash when using Show Profile from the Player Info on Xbox.
Customization
You can now rotate your character in the customization screen. Also fixed an issue where the first equip could trigger an unintended unequip.
Added notifications in Character Customization to highlight recently unlocked items.
Fixed an issue where equipment customization items bought from the Loadout screen were not equipped after pressing Equip on the purchase screen.
End of round
Further reduced the frequency of the end of round feedback survey pop up.
Added an optional Round Feedback button on the final end-of-round screen to open a short post-match survey.
Expedition Project
Added a show/hide tooltip hint to the Raider Projects screens (Expedition and Seasonal).
Added ‘Expeditions Completed’ to Player Stats.
Added resource tracking for Expedition stages: Raider Projects now display required amounts and progress, with the tracker updating during rounds.
Added reward display to Raider Projects, showing the rewards for each goal and at Expedition completion.
Fixed an input conflict in Raider Projects where tracking a resource in Expeditions could also open the About Expeditions window; the on-screen prompt is now hidden while adding to Load Caravan.
Inventory
Fixed an issue where closing the right-click menu in the inventory could reset focus to a different slot when using a gamepad.
Fixed flickering in the inventory tooltip.
Opening the inventory during a breach now cancels the interaction to prevent a brief animation glitch.
Adjusted the inventory screen layout to prevent tooltips from appearing immediately upon opening.
Fixed an issue where the weapon slot right-click menu in the inventory would not appear after navigating from an empty attachment slot with a controller.
In-game
Fixed an issue where the climb prompt would not appear on a rooftop ladder in Blue Gate.
Resolved an issue where certain interaction icons could fail to appear during gameplay.
Fixed “revived” events not being counted.
Fixed an issue where the zipline interaction prompt could remain on a previously used zipline, preventing interaction with a new one; prompts now clear when out of range.
Quick equip item wheel now has a stable layout and no longer collapses items towards the top when there are empty slots in the inventory.
Updated in-game text across multiple languages based on localization review and player survey feedback.
Added a cancel prompt when preparing to throw grenades and other throwable items.
Fixed in-game input hints to match your current key bindings and show clear hold/toggle labels. Clarified binoculars hints when using aim toggle and updated hints for Snap Hook and integrated binoculars to support aiming.
Tutorial hints now stay on screen briefly after you perform the suggested action to improve readability and avoid abrupt dismissals.
Fixed an issue where input hints could remain on screen after being downed.
HUD markers that are closer to the player now appear on top for improved legibility.
Fixed issue where items sometimes displayed the wrong icon.
Fixed issue where user hints were sometimes shown when spectating.
Strongroom racks and power stations now display a distinct color when full of carryables to indicate that it has been completed.
Fixed an issue where reconnecting to a match could leave your character in a broken state with incorrect HUD elements and a misplaced camera.
Slightly delayed the initial loot screen opening and the transition from opening to searching during interactions.
Main Menu
Added a Live Events carousel to the main menu and enabled click/hover interactions on the Raider Project overview.
Fixed an issue where the Weapon Upgrades tab would sometimes change location.
Resolved an issue where a Raider could pop in and out of the home screen background.
Installed workstations no longer appear in the workstation install view.
You can now navigate from on-screen notifications to the relevant screens, including jumping directly to learned recipes.
The Upgrade Weapon Tab now accurately displays the magazine size increase.
Fixed an issue where the map screen could become unresponsive when a live event was active.
When inspecting items, rotating will now hide UI only showing the item being inspected.
Free Raider Deck content now displays as “Free” instead of “0”.
Added a carousel to the Main Menu featuring Quests and a Raider Deck shortcut, with improved gamepad navigation within the widget.
Fixed an issue where the Scrappy screen allowed navigating to the quick navigation list when using a gamepad.
Quests
Made pickups on the ground show icons if they are part of quests or tracked, added quest icons to quest interactions and improved quest interaction style.
Fixed an issue where the notification could remain after accepting and claiming quests.
Accepting and completing quests is now shown as loading while awaiting a server response.
Fixed an issue where rapidly skipping through quest videos after completing the first Supply Depot quest could soft‑lock the UI, leaving the screen without a way to advance.
Updated interaction text for a quest objective to improve clarity.
Updated the names and descriptions of the Moisture Probe and EC Meter quest items in Unexpected Initiative.
Improved ping information for quest objectives, with clearer markers for Filtration System and Magnetic Decryptor interactions.
Adjusted colors of quest and tracking icons in in-game interaction hints for better clarity.
Settings
Added a new slider that allows players to tweak motion blur intensity.
Updated tooltips for effects and overall quality levels in the video settings with clearer descriptions.
Added labels that show whether an input action is ‘Hold’ or ‘Toggle’, displayed in parentheses.
Fixed an issue where the flash effect ignored the Invert Colors setting; the option is now available.
Fixed a crash in settings when rapidly adjusting sliders.
Now players will be guided to Windows settings for microphone permissions if needed.
Fixed a crash that could occur when opening the video settings.
Fixed an issue where some Options category screens continued responding to inputs after exiting.
Store
Players will no longer see error messages when canceling purchases in the store.
Newly added store products now show a new indication for improved discoverability.
Social
Fixed an issue where Discord friends could appear with an incorrect status after switching to Invisible and back to Online; their presence now refreshes correctly when they come back online.
Added a Party Join icon to the social interface for clearer party invitations and joins.
Fixed an issue where the Social right-click (context) menu could remain visible in the Home tab after rapidly opening and closing it with a gamepad; it now closes correctly and no longer stacks.
Tooltips
Fixed incorrect item tooltips of ARC stun duration.
Tooltips now reposition to remain fully visible at all resolutions.
Fixed tooltips showing ‘Blueprint already learned’ on completed goal rewards; tooltips now display correct reward information and only show ‘Blueprint learned’ for actual blueprints.
Trials
Trials objectives now clearly indicate when they offer bonus conditions, such as by Map Conditions.
Fixed an issue where the Trial rank icon could be missing on the Player Stats screen after starting the game.
Added a Trials popup that explains how ranking works and clarifies that the final rank is worldwide.
VOIP
Added Microphone Test functionality.
Added better automatic checks for problems with VOIP input & output devices.
Using the mouse thumb button for push-to-talk no longer triggers ‘Back’ in menus.
Fixed an issue where the voice chat status icon could incorrectly appear muted for party members at match start until someone spoke.
HUD no longer shows VOIP icons when voice chat is disabled; your own party VOIP icon now appears as disabled.
Utility
Increased loot value in Epic key card rooms to better reflect their rarity.
Expanded blueprint spawn locations to improve availability in areas that were underrepresented.
Moved the Aphelion blueprint drop from the Matriarch to Stella Montis.
Fixed a bug where players would sometimes become unable to perform any actions if they interacted with carriable objects while experiencing bad network conditions or were downed while holding a carriable object and then revived.
Fixed an issue where Deadline could deal damage through walls.
Fixed an issue where deployables attached to enemies or buildable structures could cause sudden launches or let enemies pass through the environment when shot.
Keys will no longer be removed from the safe pocket when using the Unload backpack.
Fixed an issue where cheater-compensation rewards could grant an integrated augment item.
Fixed bug where Flame Spray dealt too much damage to some ARC.
Fixed an issue where sticky throwables (Trigger ‘Nade, Snap Blast Grenade, Lure Grenade) disappeared when thrown at trees.
Fixed a bug with incorrectly calculated deployment range for deployable items.
Fixed an issue where mines could not be triggered through damage before they were armed.
Playing an instrument now applies the ‘Vibing Status’ effect to nearby players.
Fix for Rubber Ducks not being able to be placed into the Trinket slot on an Augment.
Setting integrated binoculars and integrated shield charger weight to be 0.
One of the biggest reveals at this year's The Game Awards is undoubtedly Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic, a spiritual successor to the Knights of the Old Republic, which is being spearheaded by Casey Hudson -- a former BioWare big dog who directed the previous games and even the highly-regarded Mass Effect trilogy.
Weapons
Lighter ARC are now pushed back slightly when struck by melee attacks.
Fixed an issue where stowed weapons would not appear on the first spawn.
Fixed an exploit allowing players to reload energy weapons without consuming ammo.
Aiming-down-sights now resumes if it was interrupted while the aim button is still held (e.g., after reloading or a stun).
Fixed an exploit that allowed shotguns to bypass the intended fire cooldown.
Quests
Fixed a bug in the ‘Greasing Her Palms’ quest that let players accidentally trigger an objective.
Made the quest item ESR Analyzer easier to find in Buried City.
Improved clarity of clues for the ‘Marked for Death’ quest.
Fixed an issue where quest videos could trigger multiple times.
Added interactions to find spare keys to several quests related to locked rooms.
Added unique quest items to the ‘Unexpected Initiative’ quest.
Fixed an issue where squad sharing incorrectly completed objectives that spawned quest specific items.
There are also a few known issues that managed to escape Embark’s grasp, which includes the following:
Known Issues
Players with AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT will see a driver warning popup at startup despite being on the latest version that fixes a GPU crash that occurred when loading into The Blue Gate.
If you have more items than fit in your stash, the value of the items that don’t fit is not included in the final departure screen, but is included when calculating your rewards.
This should be the last update for ARC Raiders for the year for Embark, though we wouldn’t be surprised to see a hotfix or two get released. If we do get one, expect it here on MP1st.
Earlier this year, Nintendo shocked the gaming world when it announced that some of its first-party games would cost $80, which is a $10 increase from the now-standard $70 price tag for current-gen games.
Nintendo has released a new Mario Kart World patch for Switch 2 owners, and this finally fixes a pesky bug. For those who were having issues with their Joy-Cons not working properly after disonnecting and then reconnecting, this should be a non-issue now.
Alongside that fix, there are also other bugs that have been resolved with today’s Mario Kart World update 1.4.1 download.
Well, here's something that also wasn't on my The Game Awards Bingo Card.
This is a minor patch, so don’t expect any new pieces of content to be released.
Mario Kart World Latest Update Ver. 1.4.1 Fixes Technical Issues
Here’s what got fixed today per Nintendo:
Fixed Issues
Fixed an issue where, if a player disconnects and reconnects a controller, the game may not progress as normal.
When this issue occurs, there are times when ghost data from Time Trials will be deleted without warning from “View Rankings.”
Given we just received the version 1.4.0 patch earlier this month, I don’t think anyone was expecting today’s title update to be a beefy one. If you haven’t seen what’s in version 1.4.0, here’s a rundown of the major additions and improvements:
General
Added “Custom Items” to the item rules.
This is a feature that lets you set which items appear.
This is supported in “VS Race”, “Balloon Battle”, “Coin Runners”, and “Room” in “Online Play” or “Wireless Play”.
Made it so that music track name and source title of the track that is playing will be displayed on the Pause Menu.
Added “Music Volume” to “Settings/Controller”.
Made it so players who gathered in a “Room” of “Online Play” can participate in “Race”, “Knockout Tour”, and “Battle”.
Up to 4 players can participate in “Race”, “Knockout Tour”, and “Battle”.
Made it so you can join in with friends who are playing “Knockout Tour” from “Friends” in “2p”, “Online Play” as well.
Added “Restart” and “Next Race” in the Pause Menu for “VS Race” in “Single Player”.
Made it so you can select “Photo Mode” from the Pause Menu in “Race against Ghost” in “Time Trials”.
Changed the course layout of below courses for “VS Race”, or “Race” in “Online Play” or “Wireless Play”.
Race that heads from “Koopa Troopa Beach” to “DK Spaceport”.
Race that heads from “Koopa Troopa Beach” to “Crown City”.
Race that heads from “Koopa Troopa Beach” to “Peach Stadium”.
Race that heads from “Whistlestop Summit” to “Koopa Troopa Beach”.
Race that heads from “Desert Hills” to “Koopa Troopa Beach”.
Race that heads from “DK Spaceport” to “Koopa Troopa Beach”.
Race that heads from “Crown City” to “Koopa Troopa Beach”.
Race that heads from “Peach Stadium” to “Koopa Troopa Beach”.
*Changed it so that, in all races heading toward “Koopa Troopa Beach”, including the above courses, you will cross the finish line after two laps once you arrive at “Koopa Troopa Beach”.
You will now dash when riding on Manta Ramp’s back.
Made it so the player will not hit Dragoneel when transformed into Bullet Bill.
Made it so the player cannot use a second Boo while already using a Boo, when holding two Boos.
When Dash Food is taken by someone, shortened the time until that Dash Food reappears.
When a coin placed on water is taken by someone, shortened the time until that coin reappears.
Capcom has released the last content drop for Monster Hunter Wilds for 2025! Title Update 4 is now rolling out on all platforms, and this adds a slew of new content for free.
Title Update 4 is called version 1.040.00.00 by Capcom, but if you’re on console (PS5), you’ll see three consecutive downnloads, with the last one as Monster Hunter Wilds update 1.040.020.
At The Game Awards, it was finally officially confirmed that Leon Kennedy will be a protagonist in Resident Evil Requiem.
For the complete list of added content and gameplay changes applied, read on.
Monster Hunter Wilds Title Update 4 New Content Added on December 15 via Patch 1.040.020
Major Additions and Changes
Monsters
– Arch-tempered Jin Dahaad has been added. (It will be made available in a future Event Quest.)
– Gogmazios has been added. Reach HR 100+ to unlock an extra mission that unlocks Gogmazios.
– Additional 9★ tempered monsters (Doshaguma etc.) will be added as event quests.
– Tempered (9★) Rathalos will now roam the Scarlet Forest and Oilwell Basin at Hunter Rank 100 or above.
– For quests with two or more targets, the minimum quest time has been raised, resulting in longer quest durations overall. For existing saved Investigations, if the quest time falls below the new minimum time, it will be adjusted accordingly.
Player
– Added new Support Hunters—Griffin (Great Sword), Nightmist (Light Bowgun), and Nadia—which will become available to join quests after completing the main mission “A Hunter’s Pride.” Nadia will only be available during a limited-time seasonal event, excluding certain quests.
Story Progression
– The extra mission “An Ancient Resting Place” has been added. (This mission becomes available after having completed the main mission “A First Cry” and reaching HR 100.)
– The extra mission “Ghosts Pay No Heed to Tomorrow” has been added. (This mission becomes available after having completed the extra mission “An Ancient Resting Place.”)
Phantom Blade Zero finally received its release date during The Game Awards 2024, with a new trailer showing gameplay and story moments while confirming the launch for PlayStation 5 and PC on September 9, 2026,
However, much like other recent PS5 console exclusives such as Silent Hill 2, it appears the exclusivity will only last 12 months before the game is slated to appear on other platforms.
Bases and Facilities
– A new Festival of Accord event will be held from December 19, 2025 to January 14, 2026.
– The following features will be temporarily modified during the Festival of Accord: the Handler’s Outfit; Seikret decoration; the Diva’s song list; the Grand Hub decorations; the Canteen’s menu; Barrel Bowling; and Barrel Bowling Bombs.
– In the Grand Hub, The Diva’s song list has been updated.
– Added new pin setups to Barrel Bowling.
– Added options to upgrade to and reinforce Gogma Artian Weapons at the Smithy.
– Added an option to perform Transcendent armor upgrades at the Smithy.
– In the Reinforce Artian Weapons menu at the Smithy, the default sorting order in the weapon selection list has been updated, and new sorting criteria have been added while existing ones have been adjusted.
– In the Dismantle Artian Weapons menu at the Smithy, new sorting criteria have been added for the weapon selection list while existing ones have been adjusted.
– When smelting Armor Spheres and ore at the Smelting Foundry, the Smelting Points obtained from certain monster materials has been increased.
– Added new sorting options for the following categories at the Quest Counter:
Investigations: Most Attempts Left / Least Attempts Left
Lobby Member Quests: No Passcode / Newly Started Quests / Open Member Slots
– Adjusted the ordering of completed side missions within the Recommended sort option for Optional Quests at the Quest Counter.
– Adjusted the ordering of quests displayed under SOS Flare Quests, Lobby Member Quests, and Link Member Quests at the Quest Counter so that quests set to Auto-accept appear before those set to Manual Accept, making Auto-accept quests easier to identify.
– Added a Quest Last Played quick access option to the Quest Counter menu.
– Removed the Settings category from the Quest Counter menu. Settings can now be accessed directly via a shortcut button which varies by platform.
– When beginning a Field Survey or saving as an Investigation from the map, a Begin Survey prompt has been added to the summary and the corresponding tooltip icons have been adjusted.
– Added a feature that sends an important message notification at the start of a quest to remind players to use a Lucky Voucher. (This notification can be toggled on or off in the Quest Counter Settings.)
– Added an option to reset settings to their default in the Training Area.
– When opening the Customize Radial Menu screen from the Start Menu, the game will now automatically detect the input device in use and display the appropriate controller or keyboard-specific screen.
– Adjusted the display of monster icons, bonus rewards, and quest difficulty to improve visibility for the following Environment Overview events:
– Monsters troubling settlements
– Multiple target quests
– Pack quests
System
– CPU/GPU optimization will be implemented across all hardware by:
– Applying frame distribution, reviewing collision detection, and reducing the number of simultaneous effects to optimize processing time.
– Reducing the overall load by eliminating unnecessary processing.
– Implementing over 100 performance improvements for players, monsters, Seikret, Palicoes, NPCs, GUI, effects, gimmicks, and more.
– When a communication error message is displayed, player movement and camera control will now remain available.
Note: Depending on your settings in Open Menu Controls, player movement may still be disabled.
– The Hunter Friends list will now display in order of most recent login time.
– SOS Flare Quests will now include Arch-tempered monsters as targets.
Note: These are treated as separate targets compared to regular monsters.
– The following Event Quests can now be accepted even during offline mode:
– A Silent Flash (Arch-tempered Rey Dau)
– These Roots Run Deep (Arch-tempered Uth Duna)
– Be Cursed, Ye Shadowy Flame (Arch-tempered Nu Udra)
– Planetes Protocol (Savage)
– 2 Dragon Ammo can now be obtained during one round of crafting.
Miscellaneous
– Made adjustments so that the player can no longer be pushed by the handler while in Photo Mode.
Monster Hunter Wilds Title Update 4 Weapon Adjustments
Bases and Facilities
– Sorting armor by skill now also highlights the individual armor pieces that have the skill.
– The “Equipment Skills” sort criterion in the Equipment Box now only displays available skills possessed by equipment you own.
– Equipment appearance loadouts now include an option for registering the currently applied hair design data.
– Layered armor in the Equipment Appearance menu can now be filtered by α and β types.
Quite possibly the worst-kept secret of the year was finally put to rest at The Game Awards, as Capcom finally confirmed that Leon S.
Monsters
– Fixed an issue where, if the player moves locales after the Jin Dahaad notification appears (indicating that Jin Dahaad is moving from the Iceshard Cliffs to Rimechain Peak) but before Jin Dahaad completes its move, the Jin Dahaad quest will fail to spawn.
– Fixed an issue with the High Purrformance Barrel Puncher where Focus Strikes were not contributing correctly to the combo count.
– Fixed an issue where Uth Duna’s veil destruction animation could be canceled by another action, causing the veil to remain intact.
– Fixed an issue where canceling Arkveld’s Unleashed state (in which its chainblades sweep out in a wider area) during certain actions would fail and instead restore the damage required to cancel the state.
Player
General
– Increased the max elemental values possible for the player’s status.
– Reduced the size of the reaction when performing a Perfect Guard against an attack that would cause a small knockback when guarding.
– You can now chain from a Perfect Guard reaction more quickly into certain actions after performing a Perfect Guard against a powerful attack when using the sword & shield, great sword, lance, gunlance, charge blade, or heavy bowgun.
– Fixed an issue where the Hook Slinger’s range would be reduced when the capture net is equipped.
– Fixed an issue where there was not enough guide info displaying when the player receives a restraining attack from a large monster.
– Fixed an issue where the player would move much more quickly than intended during certain actions.
– Fixed an issue where using The Blackest Night behind a Giant Ice Chunk during Jin Dahaad’s powerful attack could cause the player to still take damage from the attack.
– Fixed an issue where you could take damage from the Palico’s Water Gun reaction when carrying a Barrel Bowling Bomb.
– Fixed an issue where certain inputs during the Pumpkin Head gesture could prevent you from being able to dash.
– Fixed an issue where the Water Gun gesture could not be performed when equipped with Omega’s Sword or Omega’s Rod.
– Fixed an issue that would cause the player to thank Support Hunters at unintended times in response to their support actions.
– Fixed an issue that prevented the Fender collaboration gesture from appearing correctly to other players during online play.
– Fixed an issue where the player’s longsword would not sit correctly in its sheath when performing the pose Battle-Ready Pose (Extra).
– Fixed an issue where canceling the Pumpkin Head gesture under certain conditions would temporarily cause the player’s hair to disappear.
Great Sword
– Raw damage and elemental scaling for Charged Slash, Strong Charged Slash, and True Charged Slash have been increased.
– Fixed an issue preventing the player from guarding again for a while depending on whether any directional inputs occurred after a Perfect Guard.
Long Sword
– Special Sheathes will now take longer to be automatically deactivated if the player is waiting during a Special Sheathe.
– Spirit Release Slash will no longer hit captured monsters.
– Fixed an issue preventing the player from unsheathing their weapon for a while if there is no directional input after a Spirit Release Slash.
Sword & Shield
– Adjusted the hitbox of Perfect Rush to make it easier for some inputs to land.
– Forward Slash raw damage has been increased.
– Forward Slash now combos into Lateral Slash more smoothly than before.
– Perfect Guard now transitions into a regular Guard slightly more quickly.
– Perfect Guard now combos into a Lateral Slash slightly more quickly.
– Fixed an issue where the Sidestep Slash behavior during Focus Mode differed depending on the control type settings.
– Fixed an issue that prevents you from performing basic actions after drawing your weapon from a stationary position.
Dual Blades
– The amount of weapon sharpness consumed while performing Focus Strike: Turning Tide or Turning Tidedrill has been reduced.
– Made adjustments to keep Demon Boost Mode active even after sheathing your weapon.
– You can now exit Demon Mode mid-movement after performing a Demon Dodge in Demon Boost Mode.
– Fixed an issue where the Focus Strike: Turning Tide action was canceled after deflecting off certain monster parts.
– Fixed an issue with Type 2 Directional Controls that prevented you from moving in the intended direction after dodging in Demon Mode.
One of the biggest reveals at this year's The Game Awards is undoubtedly Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic, a spiritual successor to the Knights of the Old Republic, which is being spearheaded by Casey Hudson -- a former BioWare big dog who directed the previous games and even the highly-regarded Mass Effect trilogy.
Hammer
– During a Follow-up Spinslam, you can now use movement inputs to extend your movement distance during the attack.
– Fixed an issue where portions of Focus Blow: Earthquake were dealing fixed raw damage.
– Fixed an issue with Type 2 Directional Controls where moving in certain directions after an Overhead Smash would cancel the movement.
Hunting Horn
– Performance Beat raw damage has been increased slightly.
– Fixed a bug where the performance effects and attack timings were misaligned with player actions during certain performances.
Lance
– High Thrust III and Mid-Thrust I, II, and III raw damage has been increased.
– Grand Retribution Thrust and Double Counter-thrust raw damage has been increased.
– Triple Thrust raw damage and elemental scaling have been increased.
– Perfect Guard now chains into other actions more quickly.
– The damage reduction rate for large guard reactions during a guard or Perfect Guard has been increased.
Note: The Guard Up damage reduction rate will apply for attacks that become blockable due to the skill effect.
– Fixed an issue with Type 2 Directional Controls where Leaping Thrust could not be performed in the intended direction from a stationary position.
Gunlance
– The Wyrmstake Cannon was adjusted to make it easier to hit monsters.
– Wyrmstake Cannon attacks in Focus Mode have been adjusted to make it easier to fire in the direction of the reticle.
– The damage reduction rate for large guard reactions during a guard or Perfect Guard has been increased.
Note: The Guard Up damage reduction rate will apply for attacks that become blockable due to the skill effect.
– Fixed an issue where Wyrmstake Shots would disappear if a Wyrmstake Cannon attack hit another player.
Switch Axe
– Sword: Counter Rising Slash can now be chained into a sidestep.
– Sword: Counter Rising Slash has increased invulnerability to knockback, and can be quickly chained into an evade.
– You can now evade while charging Unbridled Slash and Full Release Slash.
– You can now quickly chain into an evade when landing after performing a Zero Sum Discharge Finisher.
– Focus Assault: Morph Combination was adjusted to make it easier to hit wounds and weak points.
– Focus Assault: Morph Combination raw damage has been increased.
– Raw damage has been increased for Sword: Overhead Slash, Sword: Right Rising Slash, Sword: Left Rising Slash, and Sword: Heavenward Flurry.
– Unbridled Slash raw damage has been increased.
– Element scaling for multi-hit attacks and raw damage has been increased for Element Discharge and Zero Sum Discharge.
– Axe: Spiral Burst Slash raw damage has been increased.
– Raw damage has been increased for Sword: Downward Fade Slash, Sword: Morph Double Slash, and Axe: Morph Rising Double Slash.
– Sword: Morph Slash raw damage has been increased when chaining from an evade in Sword Mode.
– Fixed an issue where the values on the status screen for Dragon Phial, Poison Phial, Paralysis Phial, and Exhaust Phial would show a higher number than the maximum possible value.
*This does not change the actual functionality, just the numbers that are displayed.
In case you missed the news, Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve has officially been announced, and it's releasing sometime next year.
Charge Blade
– Hit stops that occur during multi-hit attacks in Power Axe Mode have been reduced.
Note: “Hit stops” are visual effects where your movement temporarily freezes or slows down when an attack connects with a monster.
– During Axe: Morph Slash, the window for utilizing guard points or executing a Perfect Guard has been extended, and the actions will now trigger sooner.
– Savage Axe Slash raw damage has been increased.
– Axe: Element Discharge and other attacks now chain into moves like Axe: Morph Slash more quickly.
– The first hit of Axe: Element Discharge II now chains into Axe: Morph Slash.
– Focus Slash: Double Rend can now chain into Axe: Morph Slash.
– Focus Slash: Double Rend can now chain into other actions more quickly.
– Fixed an issue where Axe: Element Discharge II couldn’t chain into Axe: Amped Element Discharge when certain inputs were used.
– Fixed an issue when initiating a guard where there was a delay before turning in the intended direction.
– Fixed an issue where the button guide display differed from the actual inputs during certain Sword: Morph Slash combos.
Insect Glaive
– You can now chain into a Descending Slash using short button inputs. The Charge Level will increase depending on the preceding attacks.
Note: With the right timing, you can use △+○ (PS5) / Y+B (Xbox) / Default Left + Right Click (PC) to chain into a Descending Slash.
– Sidestep Slash and Sidestep Slash Combo raw damage has been increased, and attack speed after harvesting all three extracts has been raised.
– The player will no longer be knocked back after initiating a Rising Spiral Slash.
– Jumping Slash/Strong Jumping Slash can now chain into a Descending Slash/Strong Descending Slash.
– Fixed an issue where certain charged attacks would not chain into a Descending Slash during Focus Mode, even after releasing the charge.
– Fixed an issue where the Kinsect behaved abnormally while performing a Focus Strike: Leaping Thrust on certain monsters, such as Nu Udra.
– Fixed an issue where the Kinsect stopped moving after encountering ledges in certain terrain.
Light Bowgun
– Focus Blast: Eagle Strike Rapid Fire Gauge recovery amount has been greatly increased.
– Chaser Shot responsiveness has been improved, and it is now easier to chain into evades or other shots after firing.
– Rapid Chaser Shot responsiveness has been improved, and it is now easier to chain into evades or other shots after firing.
– Burst Step now chains more easily into Rapid Chaser Shot.
– Adhesive Ammo explosions now restore the Rapid Fire Gauge.
– Wyvernblast raw damage has been increased, and the cooldown time has been greatly reduced.
– It is now easier to chain into basic actions after setting up a Wyvernblast.
– Normal Ammo raw damage has been increased.
– Normal Ammo Chaser Shot raw damage has been increased.
– Normal Ammo Rapid Chaser Shot firing rate has been increased.
– The raw damage of the final shot of Normal Ammo Rapid Chaser Shot has been increased.
– The number of shots from Pierce Ammo Rapid Chaser Shot has been increased.
– Spread Ammo Rapid Chaser Shot firing rate has been increased.
– The raw damage and elemental values of elemental ammo Rapid Chaser Shot (excluding Dragon Ammo) has been increased.
– Elemental ammo Rapid Chaser Shot (excluding Dragon Ammo) firing rate has been increased.
– Dragon Ammo Rapid Chaser Shot firing rate has been increased.
– Dragon Ammo has shorter time between hits and is more likely to hit monsters.
– Dragon Ammo max effective range has been increased.
– Rapid Chaser Shot firing rate has been increased when using Poison Ammo, Paralysis Ammo, and Sleep Ammo.
– Reduced the amount of Rapid Fire Gauge consumed by ammo that can be used for rapid fire.
– Fixed an issue where moving diagonally while aiming could cause you to move much slower than intended.
Heavy Bowgun
– Wyverncounter Ignition now restores Ignition Gauge upon a successful offset.
– The player is no longer knocked back when firing Wyverncounter Ignition.
– The responsiveness of Wyverncounter Ignition between loading and firing the attack has been improved.
– Wyverncounter Ignition now chains more easily into other actions after firing.
– You can now chain into guarding or sidestepping when readying Wyvernblast Ignition or Focus Blast: Wyvern Howl. The evade performed when readying or after firing these moves has also been changed to a sidestep.
– Reduced the amount of Ignition Gauge that Wyvernblast Ignition consumes.
– Wyvernblast Ignition raw damage and Fire damage has been increased.
– Wyvernblast Ignition now chains more quickly into guards, evades, and other actions after firing.
– Wyvernpiercer Ignition raw damage and max number of hits has been increased.
– Wyvernheart Ignition raw damage has been increased.
– Focus Blast: Wyvern Howl now restores Ignition Gauge when hitting weak points or destroying wounds.
– The responsiveness of Focus Blast: Wyvern Howl between loading and firing the attack has been improved.
– Focus Blast: Wyvern Howl now chains more easily into other actions after firing.
– Focus Blast: Wyvern Howl raw damage has been increased.
– Dragon Ammo has shorter time between hits and is more likely to hit monsters.
– Dragon Ammo max effective range has been increased.
– Ignition Mode ST I and II damage multiplier scaling has been increased. (Affects Wyvernpiercer Ignition, Wyvernheart Ignition, and Focus Blast: Wyvern Howl.)
– Fixed an issue where, under certain conditions, player actions would become erratic while performing Stalwart Guard.
Bow
– Dragon Piercer and Arc Shot raw damage has been increased.
– Increased the raw damage of Tracer arrows and Fuse arrows.
– Charged Shot, Power Shot, Power Volley, and Thousand Dragons raw damage and elemental scaling has been increased.
– Power Coating and Piercing Coating raw damage scaling has been increased.
– Coating application speed has been increased.
– You can now chain from a Charging Sidestep into loading a Tracer arrow.
– Fixed an issue where damage scaling and the effects of the Partbreaker skill were not reflected properly when destroying multiple wounds or weak points at the same time with Focus Fire: Hailstorm.
– Fixed an issue where stamina would not naturally recover under certain conditions when performing a backward Discerning Dodge.
Skills
– Guard Up: Now also reduces damage taken when guarding regardless of the attack. The skill details are now as follows:
Reduces damage taken when guarding and allows you to guard against ordinarily unblockable attacks.
Level 1: Reduces damage taken by 10%, plus an additional 20% when conditions are met.
Level 2: Reduces damage taken by 20%, plus an additional 30% when conditions are met.
Level 3: Reduces damage taken by 30%, plus an additional 50% when conditions are met.
– Charge Up: Now also boosts the damage of Hammer charged attacks.
– Ballistics: Now also boosts the raw damage of Level 3 shots made at critical range.
– Elemental Absorption: Reduced the cooldown time between skill activations.
– Flayer: Increased the activation rate and effect strength.
– Flayer: When activated, the skill deals bonus damage even if a monster part has exceeded its maximum wound limit.
– Flayer: Fixed an issue where the skill activation notification would not display in high-rank quests when triggering bonus damage (after enough buildup value has been accumulated).
– Binding Counter (Set Bonus Skill): Increased the effect duration.
– Flawless Armor (Set Bonus Skill): Increased the effect strength.
– Protein Fiend (Set Bonus Skill): Increased the effect duration and the Level 2 effect strength.
– Bad Blood (Set Bonus Skill): Reduced the cooldown time between skill activations, and increased the effect strength.
– Scorcher (Set Bonus Skill): Reduced the cooldown time between skill activations, and increased the effect strength.
– Whiteflame Torrent: Reduced the cooldown time between skill activations, and increased the effect strength when used together with the set bonus skill Scorcher.
– The following weapon moves for each weapon have been added to the pool of moves that can trigger bonus damage skills:
Long Sword: Spirit Thrust, Spirit Helm Breaker, Spirit Blade II
Hammer: Charged Upswing, Mighty Charge Upswing, Mighty Charge Slam
Lance: Triple Thrust
Gunlance: Wyrmstake Cannon, Wyrmstake Full Blast, Multi Wyrmstake Full Blast
Charge Blade: Sword: Condensed Element Slash, Axe: Amped Element Discharge, Axe: Super Amped Element Discharge
Insect Glaive: Descending Thrust, Strong Descending Thrust, Descending Slash, Strong Descending Slash
Heavy Bowgun: Wyvernheart Ignition, Wyvernpiercer Ignition
Bow: Thousand Dragons, Piercing Coating on normal arrows and Tracers, Power Shot (excluding when Piercing Coating is applied), Power Volley (excluding when Piercing Coating is applied), Flying Swallow Shot (excluding when Piercing Coating is applied)
– Binding Counter (Set Bonus Skill): Fixed an issue where the skill activation would unintentionally carry over after resetting a challenge quest.
– Bubbly Dance (Set Bonus Skill): Fixed an issue where the required evasion count for activating the skill would not reset during challenge quests.
Support Hunters
– Slightly increased the attack power for Olivia, Rosso, Mina, and Kai for when the quest leader is at HR 50 or higher.
– Improved the response of Support Hunters when the player has not performed any attacks for a certain period of time: it is less likely for Support Hunters to stop attacking, and they also return to combat faster after the player resumes attacking.
– Fixed an issue where Support Hunters could lose health and faint even after a quest has been completed.
– Fixed an issue where Support Hunters would go into standby near a trap placed for a Nerscylla Clone (during the Omega Planetes hunt) even if the trap would have no effect.
– Fixed an issue where in some situations Support Hunters would not attack Omega Planetes even when standing near it.
– Fixed an issue where Mina would aim for out-of-reach body parts on certain monsters.
– Fixed an issue where a monster would not enter the Power Clash state when Rosso successfully triggers a Power Clash.
– Fixed an issue where system messages would not properly appear when the host player received melody effects from Kai’s Performances.
– Fixed an issue where Support Hunters would unintentionally and repeatedly use Flash Pods or traps.
– Fixed an issue where weapon and slinger ammo would unintentionally disappear upon hitting a Support Hunter mounted on a Seikret.
Seikret
– When riding a Seikret and attempting to use an item, the item use will not be cancelled even if the Seikret performs an automatic evasion at the same moment.
– It now takes less time for the Seikret to be able to speed up again after performing an automatic evasion.
– Fixed an issue where performing a jumping dismount from the Seikret could unintentionally call the Seikret again even if no inputs were made at the time.
Miscellaneous
System
– Limited bounties under the categories “Research Help: Monsters”, “Research Help: Fishing”, and “Research Help: Endemic Life” have been adjusted to reward more armor spheres.
– Fixed an issue where some lobbies where joining is limited to Lobby ID Search could still be joined via Hunter Friend Search.
– Fixed an issue where you could not post or join quests in online lobbies after switching your crossplay settings from “Disable” to “Enable” in the title screen options.
– Fixed an issue where, under certain conditions, a chat notification claiming a seasonal event would be “Ending Soon” would mistakenly appear even if there is significant time left for the event.
– The squad member list now shows the name of your active squad in the header.
– You can now also send Hunter Friend requests from the squad member list.
– Made slight adjustments to the flow for editing and deleting widgets in the Hunter Profile.
– Removed the confirmation window that appeared when finishing editing Hunter Profile widgets.
– Fixed an issue where the The Equipment Loadouts widget in the Hunter Profile would show mistakenly updated reinforcement bonuses for Artian weapons.
– Exiting your Hunter Profile now prompts a confirmation window.
– Added a confirmation window to the Reset Widgets function in the Hunter Profile (to help prevent accidental resets).
– In addition to how many you currently own, the save data selection screen now shows you the max number of Character and Palico Edit Vouchers you can own.
– New text has been added to the end of each Support Hunter profile briefly explaining their strengths.
– Moved the in-game tips related to Lagiacrus from “Hunting” to “Lagiacrus” in the Tip List category of the Play Guide.
– Using the Take All function with Nata’s Material Retrieval feature now displays the names and amount of all items you are obtaining.
– Omitted the confirmation window that appears when selecting an item for Material Retrieval.
– Added an option to the supply item confirmation window to let you discard items from the item pouch.
– The endemic life menu at Ecological Research now shows how the current number of captured creatures and the max number possible.
– Adjusted the icons so that, when outside of combat, parts removed from monsters (such as tails) are easier to find.
– The red wave effect on the health gauge (the effect that triggers when your health is at critical levels) is now disabled when the “Health Gauge Warning” option is set to “Do Not Display”.
– A new “Hide During Combat” setting has been added to the “Hide Other Seikret” option.
– A new “Radial Menu Selection Type” option has been added.
– Adjusted the text and icons that appear in the fishing controls.
Handler
– The Handler will now avoid getting too close to large monsters.
Palico
– Fixed an issue where the Palico would cancel in-progress support moves when the player performs certain actions, such as a Focus Strike with a bow.
– Fixed an issue where the Palico would continue to glow after performing certain inputs during the Hocus Palicosus gesture.
Other
– Fixed an issue where some voice lines would not trigger properly.
– Fixed various text issues.
– Fixed other miscellaneous issues.
With a patch this big, don’t be surprised if another hotfix is needed to fix any issues that might surface. Expect it to be posted here if Capcom releases one.
Bandai Namco has released a new patch for Tekken 8 on December 15, and this is one focused on fixing issues with the new playable character, Miary Zo. which was added two weeks ago.
Called the version 2.08.01 patch, console gamers will see the download appear as Tekken 8 update 2.008.001. Expect this to be a small download, and it doesn’t add any new content to the game.
At The Game Awards, it was finally officially confirmed that Leon Kennedy will be a protagonist in Resident Evil Requiem.
Read on for what got changed today.
Tekken 8’s Latest Update Improves Game Experience With Miary Zo via Patch 2.008.001
Impact of the Update
The following changes will take effect in each mode and feature after the update:
* DOWNLOADED REPLAYS / MY REPLAY & TIPS
– Replay data created before the update will no longer be playable.
* ONLINE REPLAY
– All replay data created before the update will be deleted.
* SUPER GHOST BATTLE / GHOST MATCH / Ghost vs Ghost
– The behavior and performance adjustments applied to each character after the update will be reflected in ghost data.
– Ghost data will not be deleted.
The details of the update are as follows:
# PLAYABLE CHARACTERS
* Character Move Behavior Fixes
– In Ver.2.08.01, only corrections for “Miary Zo”, who was released in the Ver.2.08.00 update, were implemented.
That’s about it for this title update. While we’re not expecting any new content for Tekken 8 to be released this month, this should also be the last patch of the year, unless something important that needs to be fixed right away that can’t wait.
If Bandai Namco releases another one, expect it here on MP1st.
It’s been nine months since Mortal Kombat 1 got any sort of update and that was to usher in T-1000 as the game’s last DLC character.
It seems NetherRealm Studios isn’t done with the game yet, as the game received a new balance pass today! This new Mortal Kombat 1 update released on December 15 is a server-side patch, which means players won’t need to download anything, as the changes will be applied the moment they connect to the game’s servers.
Quite possibly the worst-kept secret of the year was finally put to rest at The Game Awards, as Capcom finally confirmed that Leon S.
This is a comprehensive balance patch, as even the Kameo fighters have been adjusted.
Mortal Kombat 1 Balance Adjustments Applied on December 15
General Adjustments
Interrupting a Kameo with an attack deals 50 damage (up from 20)
Down + Back Punch has reduced combo damage scaling
Character Specific Adjustments
Main Fighters
Ashrah
Dark Mode Sins last 50% longer before expiring
Summoning The Darkness enters duck state 2 frames earlier and recovers 3 frames faster
Invoking The Light recovers 9 frames faster
Baraka
Desperate Tarkatan builds meter 50% faster and drains health 50% slower
Kenshi
Enhanced Rising Karma has no gravity scaling in a combo
Ancestral Guard Cancel recovers 14 frames faster
Kitana
Royal Bow (Towards + Front Punch) has 5 more frames of blockstun and recovers 2 frames faster on block & miss
Unbreakable (Back Punch, Back Kick, Back Punch) hits Overhead (was Mid)
Head Over Heels (Back Kick, Towards + Back Punch, Back Punch, Back Kick) recovers 4 frames faster and causes 5 more blockstun with slightly increased pushback
The Game Awards have come and gone, announcing many new titles and celebrating what the industry considers the best games of 2025 with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 taking the Game of the Year award.
Li Mei
Slightly increased the hit region on Warrior’s Strike (Front Punch), Forces Of Light (Front Punch, Back Punch), Seasoned Warrior (Back Punch, Front Punch), Double Palm (Away + Back Punch), Nova Burst (Away + Back Punch, Front Punch), Rough Zuffa (Back Kick, Front Kick), Clean Sweep (Away + Back Kick), Sliding In (Towards + Back Kick), and Shin Breaker (Down + Back Kick)
Adjusted hit region on High Heel (Away + Front Kick) when the opponent is crouching
Slightly increased the hit region on Against The Rope (Back Punch, Front Punch, Back Kick) and Kick Precision (Towards + Back Kick, Front Kick) when opponent is in a combo
Liu Kang
Enhanced Dragon’s Breath has no gravity scaling in a combo
Chosen One (Front Kick, Back Punch) starts up 5 frames faster
Nitara
Bloody Bolt and Enhanced Bloody Bolt start up 5 frames faster and recover 5 frames faster
Raiden
Electric Charge passively grows over time instead of draining
Razzle Dazzle and Enhanced Razzle Dazzle start up 2 frames faster. Hold Back Punch during startup to spend Electric Charge and reduce startup by 1 additional frame
Razzle Dazzle deals 20 more damage and recovers 3 frames faster on hit
Enhanced Razzle Dazzle deals 40 more damage, recovers 5 frames faster on hit, and the opponent is launched higher into the air with less pushback
Lightning Strikes (Away + Back Punch) deals 20 more damage
Slightly increased the hit region on Focused Energy (Towards + Back Punch)
Electric Charge (Towards + Back Punch, Front Punch) recovers 6 frames faster and has 10 more frames of blockstun
Double Strike (Towards + Front Kick, Back Kick) recovers 3 frames faster on hit
Reptile
Adjusted Enhanced Acid Spit Ball hit region to be slightly larger
Devastating Blow Charge starts up 2 frames faster (Devastating Blow Charge maximum is unchanged)
Dr. Wreckyl (Towards + Back Punch, Front Punch, Front Punch) and Kneet Trick (Towards + Back Punch, Front Punch, Front Kick) recover 5 frames faster on hit, 8 frames faster on block & miss
Shang Tsung
Snake Oil (Away + Front Punch, Back Punch) hits High (was Mid), causes 5 more frames of blockstun, and recovers 4 frames faster on miss & block
Shang falls faster after Surgery (Jump Front Punch, Back Punch)
Form Stealer and Enhanced Form Stealer recover 8 frames faster
Perfect Form recovers 10 frames faster
Kameo Kopy and Enhanced Kameo Kopy against Kung Lao, Frost, Subzero, Sareena, Janet Cage, Mavado, and Madam Bo deal more damage. Kameo Kopy against Tremor and Darrius deal more damage
Kameo Kopy against Darrius starts up 2 frames faster and has 5 more frames of blockstun
Enhanced Kameo Kopy against Darrius starts up 2 frames faster, has reduced combo damage scaling, has 10 more frames of blockstun, and reduced blockstun when Flawless Blocked
Enhanced Kameo Kopy against Tremor recovers 3 frames faster, has 4 more frames of blockstun, and reduced blockstun when Flawless Blocked
Kameo Kopy against Janet Cage recovers 3 frames faster on miss and 2 frames faster on block
Enhanced Kameo Kopy against Janet Cage recovers 4 frames faster on hit, 3 frames faster on miss, 2 frames faster on block, has 10 more frames of blockstun, and reduced blockstun when Flawless Blocked
Enhanced Kameo Kopy against Khameleon absorbs 66% of damage from one hit (up from 50%)
Fixed Kameo Kopy using incorrect attack data against Madam Bo
Heavenly Hand deals 10 more damage. Enhanced Heavenly Hand deals 20 more damage
Guidance adds 10 more damage to Heavenly Hand when Front Punch is held, causes 5 more blockstun with slightly increased pushback
Boomerpain (Away + Back Punch) deals 20 more damage, recovers 8 frames faster, and the first hit has a larger hit region outside of combos
Message From Above (Away + Back Punch, Front Kick) has a slightly larger collision region, starts up 3 frames faster, recovers 2 frames faster, and causes 5 more blockstun with increased pushback
Answers (Away + Back Punch, Back Kick) can be special canceled in a combo
Branching Out (Front Kick) recovers 2 frames faster on block, 3 frames faster on hit & miss, and has 1 more frame of hitstun against a grounded opponent
Omni-Man
(Air) Mega Clap and (Air) Enhanced Mega Clap start up 3 frames faster, recover 5 frames faster, and have larger hit regions
Unstoppable Force (Back Punch) cancel frame occurs 1 frame earlier
Demon Slaying Punch (Back Punch, Back Punch) starts up 1 frame faster
Around The World (Towards + Back Punch) starts up 2 frames faster
One of the biggest reveals at this year's The Game Awards is undoubtedly Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic, a spiritual successor to the Knights of the Old Republic, which is being spearheaded by Casey Hudson -- a former BioWare big dog who directed the previous games and even the highly-regarded Mass Effect trilogy.
Kameo Fighters
Cyrax (Kameo)
Kopter Chopper cooldown reduced by 1 second
Horizontal Kopter Chopper cooldown reduced by 1.5 seconds
Frost (Kameo)
Snow Flakes cooldown reduced by 1 second
Snow Flakes starts up 4 frames faster and recovers 9 frames faster
Ice Karpet causes 10 more blockstun with increased pushback
Goro (Kameo)
Raise The Roof cooldown reduced by 1 second
Punch Walk summon recovers 7 frames faster
Kano (Kameo)
Knife Toss deals 20 more damage and has no gravity scaling in a combo
Sareena (Kameo)
Demonic Dance has 20 frames of invulnerability on wakeup (up from 11)
Scorpion (Kameo)
Get Over Here recovers 4 frames faster
Stryker (Kameo)
Stryker takes 80 damage when Rapid Fire is interrupted by an attack
Ferra (Kameo)
Ferra takes 80 damage when (Air) Torr Stance is interrupted by an attack
While NetherRealm hasn’t said anything, chances are this is the game’s last balance pass, as the studio is busy in their next project. which could be another Mortal Kombat game, or maybe a new Injustice game? One can hope, no?
There is still a recently released Mortal Kombat game getting released, and it’s MK: Legacy Collection. Check out our review to see if it’s worth a pick-up or not.
Earlier this year, Nintendo shocked the gaming world when it announced that some of its first-party games would cost $80, which is a $10 increase from the now-standard $70 price tag for current-gen games.
This alarmed gamers, as it might cause a shift in how publishers priced their titles. After Nintendo’s announcement, it didn’t take long for Microsoft to follow suit — or at least try to –with Obsidian’s The Outer Worlds 2.
The question on everyone’s mind now is: when will we see $80 games from Microsoft? It seems the company is still mulling over it, and hasn’t decided yet.
Xbox Game Studios Boss Comments on $80 Price Tag for Games
Microsoft President of Game Content and Studios Matt Booty was recently asked about the $80 price tag thing in a recent interview, and while Booty wouldn’t outright confirm or deny that they are looking to hike the price of its first-party games, he did say that they are listening to the fans.
Booty says they are still evaluating the company’s approach to pricing in the future, and commented, “Our whole focus is on delivering player satisfaction and delivering player value. And we’re always going to be listening to what people want there.”
Hideo Kojima is developing OD, a new horror game in collaboration with Xbox Game Studios, and he aims to make it one of the most terrifying gaming experiences ever created, describing it as a “game like no other.
Continuing with the statement, Booty, added, “We’ve reacted in the last year and I think for us, the real focus is going to be — I’ll come back to the phrase meeting people where they are. I think there’s going to be less of a focus on what’s that top line price of a game, as people start to engage in different ways with games. From our point of view, monetization just happens in so many different ways right now. So we’re going to continue to listen to the feedback from fans. We’re going to continue, to balance that with needing to run the healthy business. But right now, on the content side, we don’t have any pricing updates.”
Perhaps Microsoft is looking at it on a game-by-game basis. If they can somehow shoehorn microtransactions and whatnot in the game, maybe that’ll be enough for the company to not increase the price for that particular title? We can’t really say what these execs are planning, to be honest.
Halo Campaign Evolved is the next major Xbox game confirmed to be multiplatform. Will we see that priced at $80? Probably not, given it is a remake and not a new game entirely, but it wouldn’t surprise me if Microsoft pulls the gun on it for one of its major new releases such as Gears of War: E-Day.
In case you've been keeping up with the latest Xbox news, you've likely heard of Avalanche Studios' project, Contraband, or more importantly, its unfortunate fate with the cancellation of the title just a few months ago, alongside several other games in development for the console that ultimately were axed.
After a huge controversy regarding stolen art assets and what seemed to be a lackluster reception to its closed beta, Bungie has now decided on a release date for Marathon, and it’s due in March 2026!
While there’s no specific day on when the game will be released in March, this is good news for those looking forward to the extraction shooter.
Not only that, but Bnngie has also confirmed its price, and it’s at a reasonable $39.99.
Marathon Release Speculation Put to Rest as Bungie Sets Sights on March Release
In a new VidDoc for Marathon, Bungie also discussed some recent changes they’re considering implementing.
Starting tomorrow, December 16, ARC Raiders’ last major update of 2025 will drop, and it’s the Cold Snap update that ushers in the holiday-themed content to the extraction shooter.
While the official patch notes aren’t available yet, the info on what’s set to dawn upon us tomorrow is now available thanks to Embark.
At The Game Awards, it was finally officially confirmed that Leon Kennedy will be a protagonist in Resident Evil Requiem.
Curious what sort of snowy mayhem awaits tomorrow, raider? Read on.
ARC Raiders Cold Snap Update Introduces Key Changes and the Flickering Flams Event
Snowstorms sweep across Speranza as winter conditions take hold of multiple raid locations. Snowfall reduces visibility, lakes freeze over, and the open surface becomes more dangerous than ever — turning every raid into a high-stakes survival run.
Key changes include:
Environmental Hazard: Cold, harsh weather introduces new risks for raiders who remain outdoors too long. Players must watch out for frostbite, a creeping condition that slowly drains their health bar.
Shelter Mechanics: To prevent frostbite, raiders will need to adapt their tactics as the cold gradually seeps into their bones. Raiders must rethink their loadouts, ensuring they can heal themselves or their teammates and plan their extractions with care, finding shelter if needed.
Visual Overhaul: Frost buildup, frozen lakes, snow accumulation and more across Dam Battlegrounds, Buried City, Spaceport and The Blue Gate maps.
Raiders can expect limited-time events and elements to run from December 16 up to January 13, 2026.
Surviving the Freeze
During Cold Snap, players can discover seasonal items and complete two winter-themed challenges tied to the new map conditions, earning rewards such as:
Flickering Flames Event — An act of endurance and patience that tests Raiders’ survival skills during the Cold Snap. Raiders can unlock rewards across 25 levels, including new gear, customizations elements and Raider Tokens by earning Merits, which are automatically gained from XP in rounds. To activate the event, Raiders must have played five rounds of the game.
Candleberry Banquet Project — A new project that brings Raiders together to feel the fragile warmth that shines through the frigid cold. Raiders can earn rewards by scavenging unique items topside and collecting Candleberries. It features 5 stages, each revealing a new scene on the banquet table. Completing stages grants rewards such as cosmetic items, Raider Tokens and Merits, with Merits contributing progress in the Flickering Flames event.
The Flickering Flames and Candleberry Banquet events will be available from Tuesday, December 16, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. CET until Tuesday, January 13, 2026 10:30 a.m. CET.
One of the biggest reveals at this year's The Game Awards is undoubtedly Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic, a spiritual successor to the Knights of the Old Republic, which is being spearheaded by Casey Hudson -- a former BioWare big dog who directed the previous games and even the highly-regarded Mass Effect trilogy.
Developer Full Circle has released the last major update for skate for 2025, and this delivers the holiday-themed event that almost all live service games will feature this month.
Console gamers will see the patch released as skate update 1.13/1.000.013, while the developers officially tag this as version 0.29.5. Players can expect the Winter Roll-stice event to kick off today, alongside a huge chunk of bug fixes and gameplay improvements.
At The Game Awards, it was finally officially confirmed that Leon Kennedy will be a protagonist in Resident Evil Requiem.
For the full info on the new content and gameplay changes made, read on for the official patch notes.
Skate Winter Roll-stice Event Update Kicks Off on December 15
Jan 13th. To ensure you can spend those Snowflakes before they melt, the in-game Winter Roll-stice store will be available until Jan 14, 2026.
San Van might be known for its reliably warm and sunny climate, but Winter feels so much more festive with some icy spots and snow machines – and the SVCC’s got you covered. They’ve commissioned all new Community Parks, Challenges, and more to celebrate the snowy season – even if it’s not actually snowing. They’ve even revived an old folk tale with the construction of “The Grippler’s Castle” in Gullcrest Village’s Community Park.
Winter Roll-stice runs for 4 weeks, and we’re updating all 3 ImpervaTek community parks with a frosty makeover.
Outside of that, there are also new cosmetics to earn and buy, and also new challenges!
Phantom Blade Zero finally received its release date during The Game Awards 2024, with a new trailer showing gameplay and story moments while confirming the launch for PlayStation 5 and PC on September 9, 2026,
However, much like other recent PS5 console exclusives such as Silent Hill 2, it appears the exclusivity will only last 12 months before the game is slated to appear on other platforms.
Earn Snowflakes for Challenges
When you first log in, you’ll get some sweet wheels – no pun intended – to cruise around on. As you complete your Roll-stice Tasks and Winter Roll-stice Challenges, you’ll be earning Snowflakes – the winter-in-San Van-themed currency used to acquire Winter Roll-stice gear in the Extravert store. We’ve also got Daily login Snowflakes rewards, so make sure to log in daily to grab those Snowflakes.
The Winter Roll-stice Challenges will reset midway through the event, after two weeks, giving you more chances to earn Snowflakes! New Tasks are sliding in, themed around the Winter Roll-stice and crafted to showcase special opportunities in each new Community Park! By completing all the Roll-stice Tasks, you’ll unlock a special reward in the in-game shop at the end of the event. Remember to claim your well-deserved prize!
Full Circle is also adding a new type of Build Kit Item themed for the holidays, and that’s the bouncy Christmas tree, which can be obtained with Snowflakes in the second week of Roll-stice, starting December 23, 2025.
Skate Winter Roll-stice Version 0.29.5 Changes
General Improvements
Replaced the Peach Puree Cargoes cosmetic with the Brown Tie-Dye Jeans in the Down Low Product Box.
Gameplay Improvements
Routine maintenance of San Van’s infrastructure has had some unexpected results. Liability details can be found on page seven of your ‘Welcome to the Rip Initiative’ introductory booklet.
Community Parks will now consist of natural wood tones to be more visually appealing.
Developer’s Note:The aesthetic ofCommunity Parks will change to natural wood tones on December 15. From December 16–January 14, the aesthetic will change again for Winter Rollstice, our holiday event. After the event concludes, Community Parks will revert back to their new default wood tones.
One of the biggest reveals at this year's The Game Awards is undoubtedly Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic, a spiritual successor to the Knights of the Old Republic, which is being spearheaded by Casey Hudson -- a former BioWare big dog who directed the previous games and even the highly-regarded Mass Effect trilogy.
UI Improvements
We’ve made an update to the UI of the Quick Drop menu, adding a new category called Interactive. This category is where items like the bouncy Quick Drop umbrella (previously located under the Props category) will be moving forward.
Bug Fixes
Fixed various stability and performance issues.
Fixed skin rendering issues that could cause complexion and skin tone issues on certain graphics quality settings.
Fixed an issue where Fakie Slappies could not be performed.
Fixed an issue where the Grind Assist setting would set itself to 100 after skate. was restarted.
Fixed multiple issues with incorrect or missing thumbnails.
Fixed an issue where using the Low Preset setting would cause visual flickering on the screen.
Fixed an issue where the Rip Card would have missing buttons depending on your settings.
Fixed multiple issues with visual effects for gestures.
Fixed an issue where exported videos were laggy or in slow motion.
Fixed an issue where your skater’s socks could be reset to the default cosmetic option.
Fixed multiple issues where timers in Challenges were not working as expected.
Fixed an issue where other players could go invisible until you restarted the game.
Fixed multiple instances where your chosen game settings would revert back to their default after restarting the game.
Fixed an issue where you could get a black screen after finishing a Challenge or returning to a session marker, then when teleported by a friend, you would end up under the map.
Hopefully, no other bugs surface from this patch, but given we’re not in the holidays yet, there’s time for Full Circle to fix anything that surfaces.
The Game Awards have come and gone, announcing many new titles and celebrating what the industry considers the best games of 2025 with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 taking the Game of the Year award.
At The Game Awards, it was finally officially confirmed that Leon Kennedy will be a protagonist in Resident Evil Requiem. In our first look at the character, fans have apparently found a major detail that has yet to be confirmed and that’s how Leon seems to be infected in this upcoming game.
While Leon having some sort of virus in him is nothing new, since he did get infected with the Las Plagas virus in Resident Evil 4, it seems in Requiem, it’s something that’s far more serious.
Resident Evil Requiem, the next main entry in Capcom’s long-running horror franchise, was once planned to include a multiplayer mode.
Koshi Nakanishi Says Leon Will Be in His Strongest State in Resident Evil Requiem
Leon being sick is something Capcom hasn’t confirmed yet, but a recent statement from the game’s director Koshi Nakanishi seems to indicate that Leon will be pushed to his limits.
During a recent interview with Famitsu, Resident Evil Requiem director Koshi Nakanishi shared additional details about Leon S. Kennedy, and how while the character is in his strongest state, Requim will push the character like never before.
“Leon is in his strongest state, but in this game he will be driven to the brink more than ever before. I think an important point is that this will be a battle that pushes him to his limits,” he said.
He also mentioned that the team is excited to show more of Leon during the upcoming showcase in January 2026, where fans can expect to see more of him in action and learn more about his character in the upcoming game.
This is an exciting time for both the character and the franchise’s fans who have been waiting for Leon’s return. While the title is just a few months away from its release, the developers plan to reveal more information about the character in the coming months.
Resident Evil Requiem is launching on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC (via Steam and Epic Games Store) on February 27, 2026.
Visual Concepts has released the latest NBA 2K26 game update today on all platforms, and this is another unannounced patch, so don’t expect much from it.
Console gamers will see this download appear as NBA 2K25 update 1.012 (complete version 1.012.0000). Unfortunately, it has also caused matchmaking issues for some gamers, which we’re sure is an unintended byproduct of the patch.
Quite possibly the worst-kept secret of the year was finally put to rest at The Game Awards, as Capcom finally confirmed that Leon S.
Note that the game update is only for current-gen console owners (PS5, Xbox Series), as we can confirm the last-gen versions didn’t get an update.
NBA 2K26 New Update Released on December 15 to Bring It to Version 1.012
For now, Visual Concepts has not shared anything about today’s patch, which we’re hoping changes within the day. Chances are, this patch ushers in Christmas/holiday data that will be triggered by Visual Concepts when the time is right.
One Reddit poster said that shooting “feels slower, while another claims “animation transitions feel better, body ups are better, contacts slightly better,” which we can’t verify for ourselves.
Unfortunately, the new update seems to have broken crossplay matchmaking between PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Reddit user sunbearqt has said that they cannot invite or join anyone on Xbox after applying today’s update. Another Reddit member then chimed in that this explains why it’s taking so long to find a match on Xbox (since players on the platform can’t matchmake with anyone on PS5, PC).
The official NBA 2K issue tracker has not been updated, though there are issues players have reported so far:
Missing prizes from Mega VC event
Players are getting an error mesage that prevents them from continuing to play
No players in The City glitch
Low Rep glitch in Event Center for Court Conqueror
The most prevalent bug is the missing prizes, as numerous players have reported this issue has happened to them. If Visual Concepts releases the official patch notes, we’ll update the article with the info.
One of the biggest reveals at this year's The Game Awards is undoubtedly Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic, a spiritual successor to the Knights of the Old Republic, which is being spearheaded by Casey Hudson -- a former BioWare big dog who directed the previous games and even the highly-regarded Mass Effect trilogy.
After PC (Steam) players received game update 1.1.3.1 last week, it’s now the consoles’ and EA app gamers’ turn, as DICE has released Battlefield 6 update 1.000.009 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and EA app gamers.
Clocking in at just 799 MB (PS5). this is a minor update that slots in various gameplay-related fixes.
One of the biggest reveals at this year's The Game Awards is undoubtedly Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic, a spiritual successor to the Knights of the Old Republic, which is being spearheaded by Casey Hudson -- a former BioWare big dog who directed the previous games and even the highly-regarded Mass Effect trilogy.
There are other issues currently being looked at, which include:
Bot Stats Tracking
Status: Resolution in Development
Earlier this year, we removed Bot kills from player stats but encountered a related issue that prevented us from removing deaths in the same way. This resulted in inconsistencies on the stats page, and while we work on resolving the underlying bug, we have temporarily re-enabled Bot kills to keep values aligned. Our goal is to fully resolve this issue in future updates, and we are currently investigating improvements to the profile page that allow customization of what statistics you want to show, providing you with more ways to express your Battlefield career.
Instances of Rubberbanding with Min-Spec Systems
Status: Resolution in Development
PC players with CPUs near the minimum spec and running low graphics settings may see rubberbanding, hit-reg issues, or latency-like symptoms if the game can’t maintain the 60Hz simulation rate due to CPU load.
You can check this by enabling the performance overlay: Settings → Graphics → Advanced → Modify → Performance Overlay → Simple.
If the sim rate is dropping, try capping your frame rate in the Advanced Graphics settings to help balance CPU usage. The team is working on improvements for a future update.
In addition to those topics, there are also changes coming to vehicles, though that one is slated for release next year.
The Game Awards have come and gone, announcing many new titles and celebrating what the industry considers the best games of 2025 with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 taking the Game of the Year award.
Saber Interactive has released a new balance update for Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 as patch version 11.2 on consoles and PC. This is a minor update that also applies bug fixes.
For console gamers, you’ll see the download appear as Space Marine 2 update 1.011.002, and this is a small download across all platforms.
One of the biggest reveals at this year's The Game Awards is undoubtedly Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic, a spiritual successor to the Knights of the Old Republic, which is being spearheaded by Casey Hudson -- a former BioWare big dog who directed the previous games and even the highly-regarded Mass Effect trilogy.
Read on for the complete list of changes made today.
Space Marine 2 New Update on December 15 Delivers Version 11.2/1.011.002
Gameplay & Balancing Tweaks
Sanctified Wrath Reliquary
Bonus damage now applies multiplicatively as originally intended.
In consequence, reverted patch 11.1 bonus damage from 35% to 25%.
PvP
Fixed an issue with some textures not loading properly.
GENERAL FIXES
Crash fixes
Improved connectivity
Aside from hotfixes, we’re not expecting any major patches to be released this month, as most game developers will be taking off for the holidays.
If you haven’t logged into the game in a while, we got the Reclamation update a few weeks ago, which added a slew of new content for free.
Phantom Blade Zero finally received its release date during The Game Awards 2024, with a new trailer showing gameplay and story moments while confirming the launch for PlayStation 5 and PC on September 9, 2026,
However, much like other recent PS5 console exclusives such as Silent Hill 2, it appears the exclusivity will only last 12 months before the game is slated to appear on other platforms.
PUBG Corp. has released a console update for the battle royale game, and it’s live now on both PlayStation and Xbox platforms. Players will see the download appear as PUBG update 1.008 (complete version 1.008.000), and this should be a small download.
Don’t expect any new content from this title update, as this is purely aimed at fixing issues tied to the battle royale.
Quite possibly the worst-kept secret of the year was finally put to rest at The Game Awards, as Capcom finally confirmed that Leon S.
PUBG PS5, Xbox Series Updated to Fix Audio Bug
According to the devs, “An additional hotfix was implemented today at 05:12 UTC to fix an issue where sound was playing abnormally on PlayStation/XBOX platform after the 39.1 update.”
Update 39.1 was released last week on consoles and draped Erangel in ice, as well as introduced some quality-of-life improvements that the community has been asking for for years.
If you haven’t logged into the game this month, Update 39.1 included the following majopr additions:
Erangel: Subzero – During a clandestine experiment, a catastrophic failure sent multiple Tythonic Satellites crashing down onto Erangel. The impact ruptured the Satellites and released cryogenic gas, which soon spread across the island. The Blue Zone was not spared from its influence, and Erangel’s climate began to warp under the growing chill. The crash sites froze over, and the island soon found itself gripped by sudden, severe changes in weather.
BZ Grenade –A freezing effect has been added to the Blue Zone sphere generated upon throwing. This effect functions the same way as that of the Blue Zone.
New Weapon: BZ Grenade Launcher – Introducing a single-shot, break-open launcher found only in Erangel: Subzero. Use the BZ Grenade Launcher to pressure enemies or block their vision!
Weather – Experience completely different weather conditions caused by the climate change.
There are also spawn changes, a major gun balance pass and a lot more.
While we’re not expecting anything major from the devs until January, don’t be surprised to see a fix or two get released before the holidays.
Phantom Blade Zero finally received its release date during The Game Awards 2024, with a new trailer showing gameplay and story moments while confirming the launch for PlayStation 5 and PC on September 9, 2026,
However, much like other recent PS5 console exclusives such as Silent Hill 2, it appears the exclusivity will only last 12 months before the game is slated to appear on other platforms.
However, much like other recent PS5 console exclusives such as Silent Hill 2, it appears the exclusivity will only last 12 months before the game is slated to appear on other platforms.
One of the biggest reveals at this year's The Game Awards is undoubtedly Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic, a spiritual successor to the Knights of the Old Republic, which is being spearheaded by Casey Hudson -- a former BioWare big dog who directed the previous games and even the highly-regarded Mass Effect trilogy.
Phantom Blade Zero Will Be a Temporary PS5 Exclusive
The note at the end of the official release date trailer states: “Also available on PC. Not available on other consoles until at least 12 months after release date.” This means that if the game eventually comes to rival platforms like Xbox Series X|S or Nintendo Switch 2, those versions would likely arrive after September 9, 2027, once the timed exclusivity window has expired.
Developed by S-GAME, Phantom Blade Zero is an action-RPG that combines “Wuxia” elements we’ve seen from titles such as Where Winds Meet, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, and combines it with modern gaming mechanics. Thankfully, it’s not a full-on Souls-like game, which should be good news for gamers tired of the genre.
In related news, Phantom Blade Zero’s main story is expected to take 20-30 hours, with another 20 hours of side content, It will also feature boss fights designed to reduce frustration, players can restart directly from the second phase after dying, rather than repeating earlier stages.
Quite possibly the worst-kept secret of the year was finally put to rest at The Game Awards, as Capcom finally confirmed that Leon S. Kennedy will be in the game as a playable character.
However, did you know that Capcom has been teasing Leon’s appearance all this time? Yep, even with the game’s first trailer, Leon’s existence was already teased.
Resident Evil Requiem, the next main entry in Capcom’s long-running horror franchise, was once planned to include a multiplayer mode.
Of course, it requires a bit of visual gymnastics, but it is there.
Capcom Has Teased Leon in Resident Evil Requiem Since the Beginning
X user Sol-Rey discovered that in the final seconds, if you pause the subtitle “Requiem” at the exact frame, rotate it 180° and mirror the image, you’ll see the letters “LEON” line up perfectly. It’s in every trailer too, as pointed out by KATHYANHY:
However, the recent findings do not end there, though the next few ones are more assumptions than anything else, but they do seem to line up.
Fans have noticed an infection on Leon’s neck, and how this time around, the character is wearing full gloves, and not fingerless ones like he used in previous Resident Evil games. This leads fans to believe Leon is infected badly and that includes his hands, which is something the trailer kind of alluded too.
Finally, fans also spotted that Leon’s ride in the trailer has the license plate “ND 9642,” with ND meaning “The End,” as in the end of Leon. The numbers correspond to the Resident Evil games he starred in RE9, RE6, RE4, RE2).
Is Resident Evil Requiem Leon’s final adventure? We can’t say for sure, and let’s face it, even if he dies, Capcom can always think of a way to bring the character back, right?
We’ll know all the answers to that when Resident Evil Requiem releases on February 27, 2026, on the PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC.
One of the biggest reveals at this year’s The Game Awards is undoubtedly Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic, a spiritual successor to the Knights of the Old Republic, which is being spearheaded by Casey Hudson — a former BioWare big dog who directed the previous games and even the highly-regarded Mass Effect trilogy.
With the announcement, RPG and Star Wars fans are eagerly awaiting any news about it, and of course, when it will be released.
If you have ever wanted a game that blends the suave precision of James Bond with the brutal relentlessness of John Wick and the quiet danger of Hutch Mansell from Mr.
While there’s no official timetable or schedule when it will see the light of day, it’ll be sometime before 2030, according to Hudson.
Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic Release Won’t Be as Far Out as 2030
The peculiar year of 2030 was brought up by renowned investigative journalist Jason Schreier on bluesky. According to Schrier, Fate of the Old Republic might be a PS7 (!) title.
Schreier states, “Last night’s biggest surprise was Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic, led by Casey Hudson, who directed KOTOR (and Anthem). Exciting news for lots of people… but Lucasfilm says the studio was founded this year, which means that 2030 is an *optimistic* guess. Maybe it’ll be a PlayStation 7 game.”
Now, before everyone gets super bummed out, Hudson went on X to debunk this, stating, “Don’t worry about the “not till 2030” rumors. Game will be out before then. I’m not getting any younger!”
There are two sides to this story; while Hudson is obviously more familiar with the development process, Schreir isn’t entirely wrong. We’ve seen games get announced, only to be stuck in development hell and never see the light of day. You don’t even need to look far for an example. At the 2021 The Game Awards, Warner Bros. announced a game based on Wonder Woman. After years of silence, the company annunced the project’s cancellation earlier this year.
We’re hoping Fate of the Old Republic won’t see the same, uh, fate, but it is too early to say that it won’t get delayed. And until Hudson gives a specific release window, I wouldn’t expect the game to be released anytime soon. The big question here is: will it even be reeleased on the PS5/Xbox Series era of consoles? If the project is very early on, I wouldn’t count on it.
Aside from Fate of the Old Republic, another Star Wars game recently announced is Star Wars Galactic Racers, and this one is launching a lot sooner, as it’s set for release in 2026 for the PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
The Game Awards have come and gone, announcing many new titles and celebrating what the industry considers the best games of 2025 with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 taking the Game of the Year award.
That’s happened twice in a span of 24 hours now, as Grinding Gear Games has released Path of Exile 2 update 1.066, even if the studio jsut released version 1.065 yesterday.
The Game Awards have come and gone, announcing many new titles and celebrating what the industry considers the best games of 2025 with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 taking the Game of the Year award.
As one might expect. this applies fixes that need to be sorted out ASAP.
Path of Exile 2 Receives Two Hotfixes in a Day With Version 1.066
Here’s what got fixed in Hotfix 6:
0.4.0 Hotfix 6
Boss Damage Reduction will now fall off faster
For reference, we’ve included the other hotfixes as well.
0.4.0 Hotfix 5
Reduced the damage of certain Monster burning ground skills as they were dealing incorrect damage, for example the burning ground from Uxmal, the Beast Lord
0.4.0 Hotfix 4
Fixed another client crash in cosmetics panel while using a controller.
Fixed a client crash in the Guild UI.
Fixed a client crash.
Fixed a bug where wolves from Pounce/Predator’s Mark would deal no damage and be invincible after you die and revive
Fixed 5 instance crashes.
Fixed a client crash on Vulkan renderer.
Fixed a bug where Raging Cry Support wasn’t delaying Rage decay.
Dying outside of boss encounters in the Atziri’s Temple now allows you to respawn at the checkpoint instead of the Vaal Ruins.
Thrashing Vines will now more consistently target & hit the same enemy repeatedly, improving its Single Target DPS.
Any existing Cartographer’s Chisel and Engineer’s Orb will be deleted upon next login.
It’s been a long time since we’ve seen a new Warhammer strategy game, but that wait is finally over with the official announcement of Total War: Warhammer 40,000, revealed through a trailer shown today, during The Game Awards.
0.4.0 Hotfix 3
Fixed a bug where Cartographer’s Chisels could drop
These items will be automatically removed soon.
0.4.0 Hotfix 2
Fixed a client crash in cosmetics panel while using a controller.\
Fixed a common client crash.
Fixed an instance crash.
Fixed an instance crash when using Unearth
Fixed an issue where the game would not pause properly sometimes.
0.4.0 Hotfix
Fixed a client crash that could occur in party play with a Druid.
Fixed an instance crash.
We’re fully expecting Grinding Gear Games to release more hotfixes and even an actual full-fledged update, perhaps even before the year is done. If we do get one, expect it here on MP1st.
