The Arc Raiders Shrouded Sky update is here, but instead of Hurricanes and new cosmetics, all players can talk about are how it nerfs one of the best grenades for PvE.
Fans expected to see details about all of the new content when developer Embark Studios published lengthy patch notes for update version 1.17.0 earlier today. Information about playable pianos and beard cosmetics was all there, but what they also found was that the studio behind the massively popular multiplayer game had upped the crafting requirements for one of its most iconic tools: the Wolfpack.
As outlined in Shrouded Sky’s accompanying patch notes, the Wolfpack, a throwable equipment that showers Arc enemies with homing explosives, now requires one Rocketeer Driver to craft. Now, players will need the component, as well as two Arc motion cores and an explosive compound, to make just one Wolfpack.
The changes fall in line with a series of new adjustments to resource requirements, which see Arc components also added to the recipes for the Deadline mine, Trailblazer, Showstopper, and Vita Spray. It’s the Wolfpack tweak that has Raiders up in arms, though, mostly because Rocketeer Drivers are infamously rare and hard to collect. The most consistent way to find one of these epic items is to kill a Rocketeer – a task that currently takes two Wolfpacks to accomplish.
“Let me just kill a rocketeer to get 1 wolfpack that can half kill another rocketeer,” one Reddit user teased.
“I don’t even want the blueprint anymore,” another player replied.
“First time I’ve said this but if they keep going in this direction people will stop playing,” a X/Twitter user added. “It’s hard enough to gather some of these resources.”
The grenade can’t lock on to other players but can tear through hordes of small Arc, making it one of the best PvE tools Raiders have at their disposal. It can also quickly dismantle the armor featured on large Arc, such as the Matriarch, Queen, Leaper, and Bastion, but it’s the math asking players for two Wolfpacks to kill one Rocketeer that has fans questioning Embark’s judgement. While showing concern about how update 1.17.0 asks players to work harder for crafting materials, some have started chiming in with their own recommendations for how to fix the issue.
“If rocketeers start consistently dropping more than 1x driver, we can talk,” one player suggested.
“They need to up the drop odds on drivers,” another added. “Right now you’re lucky if you get two. Make two the base with higher odds of 3+. Otherwise wolfpacks will basically just be used when looted on the map.”
Some players are asking for more rewarding Rocketeer loot and reduced requirements for the Wolfpack, but others are still exploring all Shrouded Sky has to offer. The February update launched today, focusing on map changes for Dam Battlegrounds and the new Firefly and Comet Arc threats as its latest additions.
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
I think on the offset, Looking for Fael isn’t a difficult game to pitch, but perhaps one that takes a second to get to grips with. You play as, well, not Fael, but his roommate, who, as you may have guessed, is looking for Fael after receiving a strange voicemail message where he says he is somehow lost in your apartment. What follows is then a reality bending puzzle game where the world itself is a puzzle, but also you have to play a spin (pun intended) on the objectively best game ever made, Tetris.
The original Final Fantasy VII is getting a makeover on Steam. No, not the remake. I mean the actual, original game.
Announced last month and released today, this updated version of Final Fantasy VII comes with a handful of new features as seen on the storefront. According to an official post, this new version of the old game will include a 3x speed mode, the ability to turn off random encounters, a “battle enhancement” mode that will max out Limit gauge and let players recover HP/MP during battles, and an autosave feature.
The new version of the game will replace the 2013 edition on the Steam store, and the 2013 edition will no longer be available to buy. However, those who already own the 2013 version will receive the new version free of charge, and will still have access to the 2013 version in their libraries simultaneously with this new version. Critically, though, save files are not compatible between the two versions, so you will have to start a new game to enjoy the re-release.
This update effectively brings the game up to parity with the other modern console ports of Final Fantasy 7. For years, the 2013 edition on Steam had been behind the times, effectively just an old (and often buggy) PC port.
It’s still worth checking out the original Final Fantasy VII if you missed it back in the day, or even if you just want a walk down memory lane ahead of the conclusion to the Final Fantasy VII Remake Trilogy. It’s been teased that we’re getting “more updates than ever before” on the trilogy this year, leading fans to hope that the announcement of Part 3 is imminent. Meanwhile, Part 2, Rebirth, is coming to Switch 2 and Xbox later this year. FF7 for everyone!
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.
Sony Film CEO Tom Rothman has confirmed the company has plans to reboot Sony’s broader Spider-Man Universe after a series of high-profile flops in films like Kraven, Madame Web, and Morbius.
This comes from a conversation with Matt Belloni on The Town, in which Rothman answered a series of questions with fairly short, yes or no responses. When asked, “is the larger Spider-verse dead?” he said “No.” He then confirmed Sony would go back to those films “at some point.” And also affirmed it would be a “fresh reboot” with “new people.” Rothman did not provide any further details.
Sony’s Spider-Man Universe (SSU) has struggled ever since it first kicked off in 2018 with Venom. Though Venom and its follow-ups, Let There Be Carnage (2021) and The Last Dance (2024) did quite well at the box office, all three were critically panned and generally received poorly by wider audiences as well. Even worse was Morbius (2022), which was regarded as such a poor movie it became a meme, and which was followed by similar box office disasters in Madame Web (2024) and Kraven the Hunter (2024). At the time, outgoing Sony Pictures CEO Tony Vinciquerra described Kraven the Hunter as “probably the worst launch we had in the seven-and-a-half years” since he first stepped into his role. He also blamed all the SSU failures on the press, for criticizing them.
As for what this reboot will entail, Rothman is keeping that under his mask for now, though whatever it is will likely take some time to spin up. At least we still have regular ol’ Spider-Man, who will be in theaters July 31 for Brand New Day.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.
The time is upon us! The time to once again become radical, as from the ashes of developers Radical Entertainment and Hothead Games a sort of but not really new studio has been born: New Radical Games. It does seem like Hothead drew the short straw here name wise. But given that Radical were known for the likes of The Simpsons: Hit & Run and the Prototype games, and Hothead made, uh, The Baconing, the choice feels apt.
Embark Studios has published full patch notes for Arc Raiders update 1.17.0, revealing a wave of nerfs for PvP and PvE players hopping into Shrouded Sky.
The finer details for the new Arc Raiders patch were published on the extraction shooter’s official website today. It comes with the promise that players will be met with more than just Hurricanes and new Arc threats when they log in to check out the new February content drop.
PvP players should know three of the most useful multiplayer weapons – the Stitcher, Kettle, and Venator – have all suffered from reductions to their base damage. The Stitcher and Venator pistols have also had their headshot multipliers reduced. These are targeted nerfs from Embark that will have a noticeable impact on PvP lobbies, while buffs for the Jupiter and Aphelion will likely make them more useful across the board.
PvE players will likely appreciate the update’s improvements for the two energy weapons, but they didn’t make it out of Shrouded Sky without also facing nerfs. Let’s rip the Band-Aid off: the Deadline, Trailblazer, Wolfpack, and Showstopper will now be much more difficult to craft.
As each piece of equipment can be extremely useful when taking down Arc, Embark is asking players to gather at least one more Arc resource to build them. That’s not so bad in the case of the Vita Spray, which only requires an additional Tick Pod. The Wolfpack and its flurry of aerial homing explosives, on the other hand, now asks Raiders for one Rocketeer Driver per craft. The Rocketeer resource is quite rare and notoriously difficult to farm, making this one of the more substantial crafting adjustments and a steep ask for PvE fans.
We knew Shrouded Sky would be one of Embark’s biggest updates so far, but the version 1.17.0 patch notes reveal more highlights following its launch earlier today. For example, players can now interact with topside pianos, adding to the growing list of playable instruments. Raiders will also notice that troublesome feats can now be rerolled three times per day, while PvP feats have been removed entirely. The patch notes also sign off with a message from the team regarding its ongoing anti-cheat initiative, confirming it plans to continue punishing cheaters and exploiters following today’s fixes for a few additional glitches.
The launch of Shrouded Sky now puts Embark halfway through its four-month roadmap for Arc Raiders in 2026. The next update, Flashpoint, is expected to bring more threats and a Scrappy changes in late March, with Riven Tides set to add a new map and a new large Arc in April. We interviewed studio CEO Patrick Söderlund earlier this month and learned all about how the team plans to keep Raiders engaged throughout this year and beyond.
Finally, you can check out all of the nerfs, buffs, and other balance adjustments included today in the full patch notes below.
Arc Raiders Update 1.17.0 Patch Notes
Attention Raiders!
Violent hurricanes are sweeping topside, forcing new strategies for low-visibility combat, powerful gales, and hurtling debris. Scouts have spotted two new ARC types in the Rust Belt; we advise caution while the storm runs its course, but those who know how to read the weather will find opportunity in the chaos.
What’s New?
Hurricane Map Condition
Two New ARC Enemies
The Weather Monitoring System – Seasonal Player Project
Weapon balancing for Stitcher, Kettle, Venator, Jupiter and Aphelion.
Added a piano as an interactable object in the world.
Prevented enabling all NVIDIA Freestyle filters simultaneously to remove an unfair visual advantage.
Feats can now be rerolled three times per day for free.
Removed PvP Feats, updated a few existing Feats and added a few new ones.
Ziplines can no longer be placed on carryable objects.
Mines, traps, or remote flares can no longer be placed on other deployables.
Balance Changes
Weapons
In 1.13 we shipped an update that included an optimization fix for our weapons, but as many of you noticed this had the unforeseen consequence of lowering the total fire-rate of semi-automatic weapons. In 1.13.1 we reverted that fix, but something else made it into the update that shouldn’t have.
Many of you have reported a “shadow buff” to the weapons, and after investigating it we found that 1.13.1 had inadvertently impacted our weapon input buffers. Where you previously would have to time your inputs to the intended cadence of a weapon to reach its full potential, you could now instead spam-click the button, effectively bypassing any skill requirement to learn the weapon’s cadence. We want to keep some of that skill expression, but we also recognize that what we had previously didn’t feel very responsive. To address that and land in some sort of middle ground, we have since added more levers for us to control the weapon input buffering window on a gun-to-gun basis, and we’ve adjusted the semi-automatic weapons accordingly. The weapons should now still be more responsive to fire when spam-clicking, but the players who choose to pace their shots will see better results.
In addition to these changes, we’ve also been looking into the balance between our low tier and high tier weapons. A lot of you have expressed concerns that some low tier weapons outperform our higher tier weapons at significantly reduced cost, and we’re hoping to shift that balance a bit while still keeping some of that flexibility to punch above your weight if you are skilled enough. We’re starting by reducing the overall TTK of the Stitcher and Kettle, and increasing the maneuverability of the Aphelion and Jupiter. We’re also taking a second stab at the Venator, which still seems to be dominating a lot of our PvP encounters.
Stitcher
Dev Note: The Stitcher has played its role well as a close quarter weapon that rewards thoughtful positioning, but we’ve found that its fast TTK can sometimes lead to situations where you’re ambushed and killed before you have much time to react. As many of you have pointed out, the high headshot damage is a large contributor to this problem. The TTK is often fine when the weapon is aimed at the center of mass, but when you get close enough to land the majority of the shots in your target’s head, we see TTK numbers that are much faster than other weapons. These changes aim to bring that headshot TTK a bit closer to the body shot TTK by both reducing the full-spray accuracy of the weapon, and reducing the headshot multiplier.
Reduced Headshot Multiplier from 2.5 to 1.75
Reduced Base Damage from 7 to 6.5
Increased Per Shot Dispersion by around 50% (Making it bloom faster)
Kettle
Dev Note: The Kettle has been in a bit of a weird place. Its high damage output was intended to be used in a more medium range setting at a more deliberate pace, but we see many of you bringing it up in close quarters and effectively turning into an SMG. We want to distinguish it more from the Stitcher, but we also see that you enjoy the versatility of this weapon. So we’re reducing the base damage to bring its TTK more in line, but we’re keeping the high headshot multiplier to see if we can push players to go for more headshots.
Reduced Base Damage from 10 to 8.5
Venator
Dev Note: Since the last nerfs to the Venator in 1.3.0, we’ve kept an eye on our data to see how it performs. During this time many of you have raised concerns that it’s still dominating in PVP, and our data has shown that it is one of the highest performing weapons in the game right now. For a weapon of this tier we want it to perform well, but maybe not this well. We’re looking at an overall nerf to its damage to bring down its TTK, and if that doesn’t work we might need to look into its ammo consumption and cost efficiency.
Reduced Headshot Multiplier from 2.5 to 2
Reduced Base Damage from 9 to 8
Jupiter
Dev Note: In PVP, the Jupiter does the most headshot damage in the game, but it’s quite difficult to hit headshots with it at longer ranges. You’re also quite vulnerable when you use it in closer ranges since missing one shot will make you a sitting target until you either reload or swap weapons. We’re increasing how much you zoom when you use ADS to give you a better view of the targets you’re trying to hit, and we’re reducing its equip and unequip time to make it easier to swap to a secondary weapon to follow up on your shot.
Improved ADS Magnification from ~1.9x to ~2.2x
Improved Equip Time from 1.2s to 1.05s
Improved Unequip Time from 0.9s to 0.75s
Aphelion
Dev Note: We weren’t quite happy with the previous balancing of the Aphelion. It was intended to be a more PVP focused legendary weapon, but it couldn’t quite keep up with the pacing of many of our other PVP weapons. We’ve made some changes to make it feel less bulky and a bit more nimble to use, to make it more viable in PVP.
Reduced Base Reload Time from 4.5s to 3.5s
Reduced Time Between Shots from 0.9s to 0.7s
Reduced Vertical Recoil by ca 50%
Improved ADS Settle Speed by ca 35%
Item and Crafting
Energy clip
Now available by default in the Workbench.
Item Value and Cost Changes
Following item values and costs have been adjusted with appropriate recycle and salvaging adjustments:
Deadline
Value increased from 5,000 to 6,000.
Trader price increased from 15,000 to 18,000.
Added a new ARC part as a crafting cost.
Trailblazer
Value increased from 1,600 to 2,200.
Trader price increased from 4,800 to 6,600.
Added a new ARC part as a crafting cost.
Wolfpack
Value increased from 5,000 to 6,000.
Added Rocketeer Driver as a crafting cost.
Reduced Refined Explosive cost.
Vita Spray
Value increased from 3,000 to 3,400.
Added Tick Pod as a crafting cost.
Showstopper
Value decreased from 2,200 to 2,100.
Added Hornet Driver as a crafting cost.
Changed crafting component from Advanced Electrical Components to Electrical Components.
ARC Parts sell value has been reduced to better reflect their crafting and progression uses.
Content and Bug Fixes
Achievements
Fixed an issue where the “Blindsided” achievement sometimes did not trigger as intended on the first attempt.
Animation
Fixed various animation issues while vaulting.
Fixed an issue where some weapons didn’t drop magazines during reloads.
Fixed an issue where reattaching to a ladder after jumping could distort the climbing animation.
Polished equip animations for pistols and hand cannon to better match timing and reduce visual popping when switching from unarmed.
Improved arm and weapon positioning when swapping shoulders to prevent visual popping during the transition.
Fixed an issue where fall damage wouldn’t get applied if the player was in a knockback animation.
Polished low-health reaction animations for improved clarity.
Fixed weapon-shake animation incorrectly triggering indoors during freezing weather; it now only occurs outdoors.
ARC
Fixed an issue where Surveyors and Fireballs could open prematurely before stabilizing.
Reduced erratic movement of ARC parts when they are stuck to a looted item.
Hornets now keep their upper armor after being destroyed, making the lootable piece easier to distinguish from Wasps.
Fixed an issue where the Rocketeer sometimes would not shoot despite having a clear view of its target.
Reduced cases where the Sentinel’s shots could pass through geometry when its weapon clips into walls at very close range.
Audio
Limited bullet sound effects per trigger pull on burst weapons to the burst size to prevent extra shots from playing.
Reduced audio stuttering on lower-spec PCs for smoother, more consistent sound during gameplay.
Fixed an issue where sliding on stairs or debris could cause audio stutters.
Scrappy has received your feedback about being too noisy, he will now try to cluck less frequently.
Reduced overall volume and rebalanced the menu SFX and music mix for a more comfortable Speranza experience.
Shortened one tube deployment music track that lingered for too long in session.
Birds perched on ziplines now screech with correct positional audio when startled.
Decreased audio occlusion / obstruction slightly across the board and especially for players .
Updated acoustic guitar music tracks.
Cosmetics
The Volare Set
The Surgeon Set
The Devotee Set coming soon.
Added a new facial hair customization option.
Fixed incorrect visor glass material on the Marco outfit’s green color variant.
Fixed various instances of clipping on certain outfits.
Gameplay
Added a piano as an interactable object in the world.
Fixed an issue where interactions could be triggered from too far away, allowing players to open doors, start hatches, or loot items without being nearby.
Hold and continuous interactions now cancel when equipping another item or weapon.
Fixed an issue where players could become unable to move after being revived with a defib.
Prevented players from standing on or being carried by thrown grenades and other non-walkable items.
Added missing gamepad aim assist for Sentinels, Turrets, Shredders and Surveyors.
Disabled queuing for Practice Range while in a party to prevent matchmaking errors.
Fixed an issue where a downed raider’s body could block hatch extraction by triggering a search prompt.
Prevented enabling all NVIDIA Freestyle filters simultaneously to remove an unfair visual advantage.
You can now make purchases with seeds and free loadout augments even if your stash is overflowing.
General
General performance improvements.
Fixed some popping issues.
Fixed a crash when launching the game with DirectX 11.
Fixed a crash that could happen when traversing ziplines.
Maps
General
Fixed broken interactions near the top of certain ladders.
Fixed missing collision on several environment props to reduce clipping and unintended traversal.
General lighting fixes across different maps.
Buried City
The chance of finding rare loot in chimneys has been lowered slightly during Bird City map condition.
Stella Montis
Fixed multiple collision issues on Stella Montis (Lobby, Atrium, Loading Bay, Train Station tunnels, Seed Vault) to prevent players from reaching out-of-bounds areas using the ‘Unstuck’ function and to address shots coming from the Lobby ceiling.
Adjusted night lighting on Stella Montis to improve visibility in darker areas.
Improved night-time visibility at the Seed Vault extraction by adding local lighting.
Fixed an issue where lowered Spillway bridges still displayed an interaction prompt, interaction is now correctly disabled when the bridge is down.
Fixed an issue that allowed players to get on top of metro trains.
Blue Gate
Improved thunderstorm lighting for better visual clarity.
Fixed an issue where players could go out of bounds in the Blue Gate tunnels.
Movement
Adjusted ladder jump-off to match vault jump-off behavior, smoothing movement and preventing unintended momentum from rapid inputs.
Fixed an issue where sliding could clip through stairs and escalators.
Progression
You can now reroll Feats three times per day for free.
Removed PvP Feats, updated a few existing Feats and added a few new ones.
Added an Expedition catch-up system to earn missed Skill Points from previous runs, with an updated UI to track your progress.
Fixed an issue where players occasionally did not receive a skill point as indicated in the result screen.
Candleberries in Blue Gate now count toward the Harvest Plants trial.
Quests
Added clearer ping labels for quest-related world objects to improve readability.
Fixed an issue where the next objective pop-up in multi-step quests could be missing or show a completed step. It now consistently displays the correct upcoming objective.
Fixed an issue where a quest item could appear as world loot without the related quest being active.
Social
When playing in a party, map selection now shows all locations unlocked by the member with the most rounds played.
Fixed an issue where previous teammates could appear in the Social tab’s In Proximity list after starting a new session.
Added clearer error messages when friend requests fail due to too many outgoing requests or rate limiting.
Fixed friends appearing offline when they have more than one platform linked.
Added the ability to hide friend requests.
UI
Item pings for items in containers now appear above the container’s interaction point and no longer appear at the wrong location in certain containers.
Added a ready-up warning when deploying with Raider Hatch keys into a map with no active hatches.
Added icons to inventory tooltips to show recycle/salvage outputs.
Fixed an issue where squad colors could display incorrectly after squad changes.
Fixed a bug where adding a secondary keybind would overwrite the primary keybind in the next round.
Updated localization for unique loot from new enemy variants to improve in-game naming and clarity.
Improved matchmaking messaging when some party members are still topside.
Fixed an issue where end-of-round health was not correctly shown for all players.
It is now clearer when you join a party which party member is topside while you’re in Speranza.
You can now use the mouse scroll wheel to switch between pages in the Raider Deck.
Polished UI text and updated translations across supported languages.
Added additional ping labels for various quest objects to improve clarity.
Fixed an issue where mouse smoothing could remain enabled despite being turned off, ensuring the setting is correctly applied at round start.
Improved the red zipline preview when the zipline cannot be placed.
Updated login message to clearly explain when access is restricted because the shared account owner has been banned.
Fixed an issue in Expeditions where the timer could go negative after the departure countdown and the Sign Up button stayed active; the screen now updates correctly and the button is disabled.
Fix an issue where the repair preview wasn’t displayed correctly when repairing items.
Crafting and recycling screens now display item costs and rewards in a consistent order for easier reading.
The VoIP icon in the HUD will now better visually represent if the microphone is going to transmit or not if you’re using Push To Talk or Toggle To Talk.
Utility
Pop Triggers and Spotter Relays can now be used in quick slots.
The Spotter Relay can now be deployed as a trap that lures nearby ARC.
The Pop Trigger can now be deployed to roll forward briefly before exploding.
Added a new Field craft item: Shaker instrument.
Adjusted Vita Spray so healing applies continuously while in use to prevent exploit cases.
Fixed an unintended behaviour with the Snaphook causing it to pull players after it had been cancelled.
Ziplines can no longer be placed on carryable objects.
Fixed Zipline placement on ARC remnants that could consume the item or leave it partially placed.
Mines, traps, and remote flares can no longer be placed on ziplines, or on other small deployables.
The T3 Tactical (Healing) Augment now correctly states that healing is applied instantly.
VFX
Fixed an issue where Jupiter’s windup visual could face sideways, making the beam appear misaligned.
Fixed an issue where Trailblazer’s gas effect could persist indefinitely if interrupted by the Matriarch’s shield.
Known Issues
‘Purchase Raider Tokens’ page may appear in front of the inbox and profile page when switching between them.
Player animations may appear broken when interrupting a search of the Baron Husk.
Certain containers may be unavailable to be interacted with.
Ziplines placed onto destroyed ARC parts will not appear correctly.
Scrappy ‘Batting Helmet’ and the ‘Slugger’ outfit might not appear correctly in the event preview.
‘Comparative Study’ achievement sometimes does not progress correctly after damaging the hanging drone dummies.
The ‘Unyielding’ achievement/trophy fails to progress on console when knocking out raiders using the associated prompt.
Some unintended VFX can appear occasionally.
One of the new ARC enemieshas an unusable interaction occasionally when destroyed.
Flying ARC may sometimes appear stuck in idle.
Sometimes the Embark ID Discriminator fails to show.
Pressing LMB outside of the item select area closes the item select window in the Expeditions menu.
Anti-Cheat
When we shared our last update about tackling unfair play, we didn’t fully convey the complexity and scale of what goes into cheat detection. Our defenses operate on multiple levels: some checks are simple and definitive, while others are behavioral and data-driven and evolve over time. We also leverage broad gameplay telemetry and machine learning techniques to spot patterns that aren’t obvious at first glance. These methods take longer to develop, must adapt as game systems change, and don’t always offer instant certainty the way blunt software detections can.
We’ve recently taken action against different exploits and we are further tightening our rules and stepping up enforcement. Serious infractions now carry stricter consequences. Strong detections will receive permanent bans right off the bat, while others will receive a temporary suspension and a single chance to correct the behavior. Recent updates to Family Sharing have strengthened our ability to curb misconduct and streamlined the removal of bad actors from the game. We are preparing to launch a systematic manual review of ban appeals. The game is young and the volume of telemetry is enormous, but this process ensures every case is handled with care as we continue to learn quickly and invest heavily in the precision of our enforcement tools.
Our dedicated anti-cheat team works tirelessly to keep the game fair. It’s an ongoing fight, and we’re committed to it.
//Ossen And the ARC Raiders Team
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
Remember how literally only two weeks ago, PlayStation held one of their “Look at the State of the Place, You’ve Made Such a Mess!” presentations? There were plenty of announcements that landed with suitable aplomb, like a new Castlevania, a proper look at Silent Hill: Townfall, and a reveal of remakes of the OG three God of War Games. So it strikes me as perhaps a bit odd, and funny, that today Insomniac Games have, with quite little fanfare, confirmed the release date of their Wolverine joint.
The legends of Caves of Qud stretch back into the ancient times, through mists of lore, to a moment of destiny. That’s right – all the way back to 2007, when American team Freehold Games began development on this ambitious roguelike RPG. After a 17-year journey to version 1.0 in 2024, gathering a devoted PC following, this intimidating, systems-heavy cult classic has rolled a new character on Switch.
The game is set in the post-apocalyptic, science-fantasy land of Qud. It’s populated by factions with either allegiances or animosities, ridden with organisms that either tolerate or seek to devour you, and driven by either rich spirituality or advanced technology. The either/ors are key, because whenever you start a run in Qud, it recalculates the decisions that set the whole scenario going. Your quest, as a new adventurer, is simply to get out there and survive in an exceptionally vivid open world.
Our mutant arctic fox brings all her ninja assassin powers to the brawl. She swings her sickle-like kama around her, slicing foes with ease. She tosses kunai at close range to deal a major blast of damage. And the best part: she can briefly become invulnerable while targeting multiple enemies in rapid succession. Ninja powers that modify shuriken also affect her kunai, so try her out with the Ninja, Flame, and Water Powers for major impact.
Without further ado, here are some of the team’s highlights to watch out for:
Speed and power combos. Alopex is an agile and fast assassin – get in and out of combat to deal heavy damage then get back to safety. Play around with different Ninja Powers that modify her Kunai for extra elemental damage.
Power up with Artifacts. Alopex also comes with 5 new artifacts. The team’s particular favorite is Buddy the Wraith – the first ever companion in TMNT: Splintered Fate. Equip this artifact and Buddy joins you as an allied Utrom Wraith! Buddy levels up and evolves as you progress through your run – Buddy will pack a punch by the time you reach Shredder.
More Challenge. Alongside this update we have also introduced new 4-Pepper Challenges to the Arcade Mode. These will really ramp up the difficulty setting for experienced players. We have also added Ninja ranks, letting you showcase your victories with a new prestige system.
And to help you get the best out of Alopex and the new update, here are 5 top tips from the team:
Buff Alopex’s special. Alopex’s special hits several enemies. Elemental damage increases like Flame, Water and Utrom can add significant incremental damage to your special.
Use your special invulnerability. Alopex’s special also provides a brief window of invulnerability. Use it offensively and defensively! This can really help in causing an extra burst of damage while you’d be otherwise dodging and/or running away.
Beat the Mondo Metropoloso challenge (City 3). New Challenges require you to beat the Mondo Metropoloso challenge (City 3) before you can unlock them. Checking this box is a great way to start.
Max your Dragon Upgrades. These new challenges are harder than any other challenge that we’ve had in the game. Having fully levelled-up Dragon Upgrades is a great way to get ready for them.
Complete the campaign to help your ranking. The Ranking system updates with complete runs in the regular campaign and/or beating level-4 Challenges (new with this update). If you want to start with a higher ranking, completing the campaign is a great start.
With more heroes and challenges, now is a great time to jump into the portals of Splintered Fate. The Alopex Character DLC is available for purchase now, and the update with 4-Pepper challenges, ninja ranks, and more is free for all players. All content is available for Xbox Series X|S. Cowabunga!
Unleash Turtle Power!
Grab your friends, pick your favorite Turtle and jump into an adventure to save Master Splinter from the Foot Clan! Master ninja skills, unite in bodacious online and local co-op gameplay, and conquer iconic NYC locales.
Looking for a more immediate, high-intensity challenge? Dive into the brand-new Arcade Mode packed with unpredictable runs, the Hex and Flex system, new biomes, fearsome Wraith enemies, and even more chaotic fun with friends.
Bodacious Co-Op Gameplay
Brace yourself for fast-paced, roguelike action where no two runs are the same. With randomized power-ups, room layouts, and boss modifiers, the excitement never ends. Take control of all four Turtles, each wielding unique powers, and team up with friends for bodacious co-op gameplay. Explore iconic NYC locations, upgrade your Turtle powers, and prepare to face off against formidable enemies.
Build Your Power
Master the powers of water and fire, utrom and ooze, light and darkness, robotics and -most importantly- Ninja to create unique and bodacious builds for your Turtles. Every run brings new challenges and opportunities – explore and perfect your favorite builds, and combine them with allies to conquer your enemies.
A Thrilling Story
When Splinter is kidnapped by Shredder, mysterious portals appear across NYC and the Turtles will battle to recover their father from the clutches of the Foot Clan. However, an even greater threat lingers in the shadows…
With additional settings, balance and tuning enhancements for PC, Splintered Fate promises to keep you engaged in the FIGHT, ADAPT, REPEAT portal loop. Be ready to restore peace to the city!
It always comes back to Chloe Price and Max Caulfield. Through several games, branching narrative series Life is Strange has explored the consequences of love, friendship, and community, but the duo’s bond remains the beating heart of the overarching tale.
As Life is Strange: Reunion is said to be the final chapter in Max and Chloe’s story, it’s no surprise that both characters have returned, thanks to the cumulative events of Life is Strange: Double Exposure. Although some of the more significant decisions you’ve made from the first game, such as Max and Chloe’s relationship and the fate of Arcadia Bay, have carried over as well.
I spent some time with the game to dive into why fans should be excited about the partners-in-crime getting one last chance.
Some more familiar faces return
It’s not just about Max and Chloe making their comeback. Many characters from Life is Strange: Double Exposure appear, with Moses, a graduate, as a focal point because he is one of the victims of a fire that Max is trying to prevent. Dr. Yasmin Fayyad and her shapeshifting daughter Safi are present too, but Max’s friend Amanda was very much the focal point of the demo’s opening minutes. Which led to…
Ready to Rewind again?
My first task in the demo was to save Amanda from a demoralising heckler during her stand-up routine at the Snapping Turtle campus bar. It was a gentle reintroduction to Max’s Rewind ability, as once I failed my first attempt to stop the jeering troublemaker, I rewound our encounter with L1. Using the information I learned in our previous conversations, Max was able to talk to him again and make up a story that forced him to leave.
Max’s ability can be accessed at any time, but fundamentally, its use in the demo was to get around tight-lipped people, such as realizing that spilling beer over Double Exposure’s disgraced university professor, Lucas, is the only way to get a sneaky peek at his hidden documents.
The revelations from that action led Max to investigate the unsettling Abraxus House, triggering a more action driven use of Rewind. After bumping into another familiar character, journalism student Loretta, the two women were trapped in a creepy basement, under threat of discovery. Using a broom to barricade the door proved useless, but Rewind allowed me to find a far sturdier metal crowbar.
But the danger wasn’t over yet. With the house due for early demolition, I then had to use Rewind to find and disarm all the detonators in the right order under a strict time limit, a fun sequence that showed off the potential for where the game might go later on.
Chloe’s Backtalk returns
Given that Chloe is playable, it’s only fair that her dialogue-puzzle-based Backtalk ability from Life is Strange: Before the Storm is here, too. Although its introduction in the demo focused less on withering sarcasm to get her way, and more on charismatic persuasion by bending the truth.
After sneaking into the Snapping Turtle and then later being caught by security, I was asked to prove Chloe’s university credentials or risk her getting banned from campus. The Backtalk overlay popped up, offering a selection of replies under a time limit, with some responses carrying future consequences.
The key to successfully answering lay in the scene’s prior setup, with the game giving me a chance to observe items around the bar and interact with others for information, I had to remember to make my lie sound convincing. So don’t worry if you’re put on the spot – as long as you’re paying attention and quick on your fingers, Backtalk is a blast.
Both Max and Chloe are playable
Becoming both characters in the demo created an interesting situation when they were reunited at a climactic point of my game time. Rather than forcing me to choose who to control or keep them entirely separate, Reunion allowed me to decide what each character said to the other, shaping the ebb and flow of their conversation and creating immediate cause and effect in their dialogue.
Their journals are the perfect catch-up tool
We also have access to both Max’s and Chloe’s journals, which provide backstory and world-building through their scribbled thoughts, stickers, and other ephemera. The same menu allowed me to read incoming text messages between characters, along with their previous texts, providing a rich insight into their prior relationships.
You can take photos at any time
Similar to previous games in the series, there are photo hotspots to uncover in Max’s scenes, for collectible compositions that save in her journal. But pressing up on the D-pad at any time while you’re controlling Max reveals a much-requested addition to the series – the ability to take an in-game photo whenever something catches your eye.
Your personal snaps won’t be saved to Max’s journal, but are shareable with friends and via social media with a long press of the Create button.
My short time with the game left me eager for more as Max and Chloe’s adventure together was just starting to heat up. March 26 is when we’ll all be able to experience the likely heart-wrenching decisions of what comes next when Life is Strange: Reunion launches on PS5.
