What would you call the next console? (Microsoft)The Tuesday letters page thinks the Nintendo Switch 2 mouse theory is probably true, as a reader looks forward to Resident Evil 9.To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.ukToo good to be trueTheres no way that rumour about the Xbox Prime is true, thats far too good a name for Microsoft to come up with. Itll be Xbox Two or Xbox 720 or Xbox Series Z.2 DX or some other nonsense that no normal person will ever remember properly. Although I dont know why they never went with Xbox Infinite, to tie-in with the Halo game. That would even set up the one after to be Xbox Beyond.See how much better I am than you at this, Microsoft? And Im not a pretentious marketing drone being paid millions for suggesting the name Xbox One.But seriously, I have no trouble believing that Microsoft is aiming for a next gen launch in 2026. People doubting it seem to forget that theyve already announced theyre working on a new format. You dont do that if youre three years out.I wouldnt be surprised if they started hinting more about it with their first Xbox Direct of the year, with a reveal in summer or autumn. Theyll want to get a look at what the Switch 2 is first but other than that there is absolutely no reason not to try and sweep the Xbox Series X/S under the carpet and move on.GracklePredictably unexpectedThose Switch 2 mouse rumours seem pretty convincing, but the big question is what does Nintendo want it for? Better controls for shooters hardly seems like it would be a priority for them, although I guess there is Splatoon 4 to consider.You could also imagine it being used for Pikmin 5, to make it more like a PC style real-time strategy game. Or maybe they just want to port a bunch of PC games in general? Nintendo games are never going to appear on PC but maybe Nintendo thinks they can have things the other way round. Like a previous reader said, theyd probably like to put a lid on Steam Deck before it becomes too big.Whatever they use it for, it seems weird and unexpected, which is exactly what Id want and expect from Nintendo.BogeyDeserved successVery glad to know that Resident Evil 4 remake is doing so well. As a fan of the original, I loved what they did with it and basically find it to be the perfect update. Hopefully itll also ensure that Resident Evil 9 is third person, as while it was an interesting experiment I really dont feel the first person games added anything.The only real reason for them would be to make them scarier but they werent particularly. At the same time they had the disadvantage of removing the character from the game. I know and love all the Resi regulars, but I still forget what whatshisface was called in the last two games.Open world could go either way, but Im more interested in learning what the setting is for Resident Evil 9. Did I hear someone mentioning vampires to follow the werewolves of Village?OpieGC: We think that was just a reader guessing. Technically, Lady Dimitrescu and her daughters were already implied to be a kind of vampire.Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.ukPartially portableTalking about the Xbox handheld, Im not sure if some of these companies really understand the concept of portables. Acer just announced the Nitro Blaze 11, which has a 11 inch screen. Its massive, like a small laptop.Ive no idea how much its going to cost but its clearly going to be hugely expensive, but I dont see the point? Its a portable thats not really portable and bound to be expensive enough that you could buy a great PC or console set-up instead.Or am I underestimating the number of people that want to wander around with a giant tablet in their rucksack, just in case they want to play Fortnite on the train? Whatever Xbox is cooking up, I hope its something more practical.TacleThe tripleI really hope that Platinum do manage to survive their staff problems as Id hate to see them disappear. I guess you could say they already have but, as you point out, none of the Bayonetta games have had the same director so I do think there is a chance they could do a new game and it be just as good as before.Im not sure why Nintendo keep funding them, giving they never seem to sell, but as long as they do Im happy to keep buying them. Id love for an Astral Chain 2 too as well. The first was held back a little by the Switchs hardware, so a Switch 2 sequel would be a great. Then why not go whole hog and commission Vanquish 2?LimptonThird bestHaving seen that Fumito Ueda is working on a new game, I got excited as I loved both Ico and Shadow Of The Colossus. I remembered that I hadnt finished The Last Guardian. I did start the game back in 2016, but found it frustrating, but enough time had passed so I got the game out started up my PlayStation 4 and restarted the game.I believe I was right back in 2016. Frustrating is an understatement. My swear box recently got very full. I was determined to get to the end this time, but it was a real test of my patience. Fiddly controls of the character (and why does he run on the spot like that?) and frustrating instruction to Trico, the bird/cat/dog companion. Why does Trico just walk off in the opposite direction to my command? Why has Trico just kicked me off the ledge/bridge? Continual repetition of the same gameplay? Repetition of Trico just clinging on with two feet after a longer jump time and time again. It needs greater variety.Although The Last Guardian didnt have much story, I believe it had too much. The beauty of both Ico and Shadow Of The Colossus was that the story was mostly left to the players imagination. Something that was also done beautifully in Journey, another of my favourites.After my initial excitement at the announcement of a new Fumito Ueda game, I am now not too bothered. But I hope its a return to greatness.EdPS: I do remember that Ico and Shadow Of The Colossus didnt have perfect controls, its not a case of rose-tinted glasses.GC: They also had very little variety in gameplay, but we agree that The Last Guardian is definitely the weakest of the three.One in a millionIf Notch is hoping to catch lightning in the bottle twice, with a new Minecraft style game, I really cant see it working out. Hes just going to learn what every other live service wannabee already has: nobodys got time for anything else, especially if its nothing new and just an existing game but slightly better.I dont think Microsoft/Mojang has done a particularly good job of shepherding Minecraft since they bought it but you cant argue with the numbers, so I dont see anything changing anytime soon.If Id made the worlds most popular video game, and made $2.5 billion from it, I think Id want to do something more than the same thing again. Either that or just practice swimming in my money pit.KoreyOld-fashioned ChristmasHappy new year to you GameCentral!For the first time in over a decade I didnt get a new game for Christmas. Usually, its a Pokmon or Dragon Quest title, but there just wasnt anything this year. Left me sad, so I decided to try a few games from the past Ive overlooked (note I now only have a Switch since I got rid of my PlayStation 4 due to never using it):Dicey Dungeons: I really enjoyed it, but it was bloody difficult! Even the thiefs first level took me three goes until I accidentally turned my thief into a bear and then I ripped through it (I thought turning into a bear was a joke, it wasnt, and lasted the entire run). Would recommend for those who like dice luck. Also, I saw it being called a roguelike, but as far as I can tell your character doesnt improve between runs, so surely its just a rogue?kami: I just couldnt do it. the talking goes on so long and so slowly and I cant see a way of speeding it up. The combat is bland, the painting is inaccurate, I dont see how this game is so highly rated (maybe you needed to play when it was released to appreciate it?) I got through the forest, but Ive put it down and probably wont go back.Baldurs Gate 1 & 2 (well, only 1 so far): Its pretty difficult to get to grips with but Im getting there, I think? Didnt start well, with the game telling me to move my character, but then not explaining I needed the D-pad instead of the analogue stick. I spent a good few minutes in the various menus trying to find the movement command before I realised! My bad. Afterwards I got on reasonably well, but Im still on the fence about it. Is it compatible with Baldurs Gate 3?Tropico 6: I replayed it, gotta say this and Civilization 6 are my go-to games for downtime, I got the Llama Of Wall Street DLC and its changed the game massively!Heres hoping for a good year ahead!SolaboundGC: You didnt fancy Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake? A roguelike is a game where you lose everything and have to start from scratch when you die. Although more modern examples often unlock some permanent elements, making them roguelites. Baldurs Gate 1 and 2 are a quarter of a century older than 3, so theres no compatibility on a technical level.Inbox also-ransIm still shocked that NieR:Automata has been so successful and weve still heard nothing about a sequel. I know the creator is a bit eccentric but surely he likes money as much as anyone else?BrutusGC: Its never been officially announced, no. Its debatable whether its been hinted at or not.If we get a Nintendo Direct in January, right around the time people are hoping, and its still not about the Switch 2 I will literally be ROFL.FocusMore TrendingEmail your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.ukThe small printNew Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content.You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word Readers Feature at any time via email or our Submit Stuff page, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot.You can also leave your comments below and dont forget to follow us on Twitter.ArrowMORE: Games Inbox: Could Sony quit the games industry?GameCentralExclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

Why Ring Fit Adventure is the must-have video game of January 2025GameCentralPublished January 7, 2025 1:00am Ring Fit Adventure virtual jogging is so much more convenient (Nintendo)GameCentral recommends Ring Fit Adventure as the best ever fitness video game and wonders how a Nintendo Switch 2 sequel might work.The new year is rarely a busy time for new video games, even with the prospect of the Nintendo Switch 2 being unveiled at any moment. Therere a few minor releases planned for January, including Donkey Kong Country Returns HD and Dynasty Warriors: Origins, leading up to Sniper Elite: Resistance on January 30, but its not until February that the industry really gets into gear, in terms of new releases.In many ways it seems a missed opportunity, given that long, dark nights are prime video game-playing opportunities, but as far as publishers are concerned everyone should still be busy with the big pre-Christmas releases except there were unusually few of those last year.But thats okay, because theres really only one game that you need in January: Ring Fit Adventure for the Nintendo Switch. First released in 2019, it is the spiritual successor to Wii Fit, only designed as an actual video game, with turn-based combat and the semblance of a story. We liked it when it originally came out, but five years later we appreciate it even more.Now that Christmas is over the only adverts youre going to see are for holidays and gym membership, with research suggesting that up to two-thirds of the latter are bought but never used. Most people would prefer to exercise in the privacy of their own home but, of course, keep fit equipment is expensive and takes up a lot of space.2007s Wii Fit was hugely successful but while no stats exist for how many people gave up using it within just a few weeks, its easy to imagine it might be a similar percentage to the gym no-shows. Wii Fit wasnt a video game in any real sense, with sterile presentation, a lack of structure to your workouts, and zero sense of fun.Ring Fit Adventure is completely different. Its structured like a regular video game, with a series of linear areas to run through, which are interrupted three or four times by turn-based battles. You select attacks according to the colour-coded monsters youre fighting, and then in order to do damage you perform workout routines in four broadly defined areas: arms, legs, core muscles, and yoga.To do this you use a Pilates ring with a Joy-Con plugged into it, with the second Joy-Con strapped to your leg. The Ring-Con is just a stretchy piece of plastic but its used for most exercises, as something to pull or squeeze or simply to move about when stretching your arms.The difficultly level is highly customisable, so its suitable for a very wide range of people. Although youll probably find yourself turning the dial up every few days, as exercises that seemed all but impossible at first gradually become more routine.This is the games great achievement, as since its structured and presented like a video game its far more engaging than Wii Fit ever was. Even though the storytelling is awful (the Ring-Con talks to you in-game and its horribly obnoxious) the sense that you are continually making progress, towards a number of short and long-term goals, makes all the difference. Ring Fit Adventure getting good at the tree pose is braggable (Nintendo)Although you can obvious track yourself losing weight (there were lots of stories, at launch, of people losing significant amounts within just weeks) the sense that youre becoming generally more limber is arguably more satisfying, as the number of moves you have to perform to complete an exercise slowly increase.When reviewing the game, we only got a couple of weeks with it, but multiple members of the team have kept playing through the months and years. Over that period of time, you begin to appreciate it even more, in terms of how well it gamifies the otherwise tedious process of exercise and how beneficial it becomes on a daily, practical level.More TrendingThis wont be the first January where, after overindulgence over Christmas and the New Year, a return to a regular schedule of Ring Fit Adventure exercise has seemed both necessary and welcome. Theres no need to go jogging out in the freezing January cold as long as you can spare half an hour or so each day with your Switch and Ring-Con.The game has been a massive success for most of the Switchs life (in Japan it surpassed sales of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild) and even now is often sold out. That level of popularity will not have escaped Nintendos notice and, even though it initially benefited from people being trapped in lockdown, it seems very likely that some sort of keep fit game will be released early on in the lifetime of the Switch 2.It may not be a direct sequel (were certainly not interested in seeing the same characters again) but were genuinely excited to see what Nintendo can do with the concept in the new generation. Video games can make almost any topic interesting, but they often struggle when it comes to fitness providing function but not form. Presumably this is an attempt not to scare away fitness fans but at the same time it does nothing to attract those that dont already do some sort of formal exercise.With Ring Fit Adventure, you get the best of both worlds and while its not perfect that only makes us more curious to see what comes next. But until there is a Switch 2 successor, well keep our Ring-Con handy and try to work off some of that excess Christmas cake by fighting monsters in turn-based yoga combat. Surely the spirit of Ring Fit Adventure will return on Switch 2 (Nintendo)Emailgamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below,follow us on Twitter, andsign-up to our newsletter.To submit Inbox letters and Readers Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use ourSubmit Stuff page here.For more stories like this,check our Gaming page.GameCentralExclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

During CES, Sony and Naughty Dog revealed a new trailer for the second season of HBOs Emmy-winning series The Last of Us, starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey. And now we know when its coming out. Its our first glimpse at the shows future since a teaser trailer released at the very end of September. The two-minute teaser, which drew many referential parallels to its 2020 Game of the Year-winning progenitor, picks up five years after the first seasons climactic events. In it, we see Joel (Miller) and Ellie (Ramsey)s found-family relationship unravel as the pair grow apart from that monumental moment in the first seasons finale. Unfortunately, the age-old adage of no rest for the wicked extends to the undead and the living as the duo fights to survive. As with its first season, time will tell whether the upcoming season of The Last of Us will dogmatically follow the story beats of its source material or play around with them in inventive and expansive ways. Were hoping for the latter.Joining Pascal and Ramsey to complete the shows cast are Kaitlyn Dever as Abby, Isabela Merced as Dina (Ellies new love interest), and Young Mazino as Jesse. Similar to the previous season featuring video game Joel and Ellie actors Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson in cameos, the second season of The Last of Us will see Jeffrey Wright reprising his role as Isaac from the game. Additional cast members for the season include Ariela Barer as Mel, Tati Gabrielle as Nora, Spencer Lord as Owen, Danny Ramirez as Manny, and fellow returning actors Gabriel Luna and Rutina Wesley as Tommy and Maria, respectively. In io9s review of The Last of Us, we lauded the show as the best video game adaption ever, writing, The season has a few peaks and valleys, but the valleys are never that low, and the peaks get incredibly high, resulting in a phenomenal season of television, destined to be one of the years best. The Last of Us season two is slated to premiere on HBO and Max some time in April. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, whats next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

Its never too late to equip yourself with a reputable VPN service. New Year has already begun and with NordVPN, its shaping up to be a great one. NordVPN is still on a discount run, with 74% off its 2-year plans with 3 extra months.In 2025, you can get NordVPN for as low as $2.99/mo! But thats not all the VPN has filled both 2-year and 1-year plans with 3 free months, a bag of jaw-dropping features, and a few more Nord Security products bundled up in this all-around package. Well explain everything.See at NordVPNNordVPN January 2025 DealsHolidays arent over yet and NordVPN agrees with its meaty discounts.Its 2-year plans have all gone down by 74% and thats great news because they offer some of the best features weve seen. Currently, you can get:Basic at $2.99/moPlus at $3.89/moComplete at $4.89/moPrime at $7.89/mo NordVPNThese four plans contain NordVPN, with associated features like Meshnet, a Double VPN, kill switch, split tunneling, IP leak protection, etc.The Plus plan introduces Threat Protection Pro, which is amazing for blocking out trackers, malware, and ads. This one also has a Dark Web Monitor and NordPass. As you know, the latter is a password manager.We also love the complete plan, which offers all of the above but with an addition of NordLocker which we tested. With 1 TB of encrypted cloud storage, you can do plenty for your vital files.Finally, theres Prime, which drops NordProtect on top. This service offers identity theft insurance, credit monitoring, and other features to keep data brokers, snoopers, and hackers away from you.NordVPN 1-Year Savings Are Here TooIf 2-year plans are a bit of an overstretch, dont fret.You can pick the same plans from above and not pay for 27 months upfront. Instead, you can pay for 15 months and spend less. Here are the prices:Basic at $4.59/moPlus at $5.49/moComplete at $6.49/moPrime at $9.49/moNordVPN comes with a nifty 30-day money-back guarantee for all plans.As a result, you can virtually pick any, as long as you have enough money, and fully test it for pretty much a month. If youre unsatisfied, you can obtain a refund on the same day.Notable Features of This VPNHolidays were busy for NordVPN, as it managed to bring some serious improvements to the service while we were busy drinking and celebrating. In 2025, NordVPN offers a handful of amazing features, such as:Over 7,000 servers in 118+ countriesAd-blocking with malware protectionDouble VPN connectionsP2P-optimized serversNo-logging policy256-bit AES encryptionApps for all devices10 concurrent connections, and more.These features pile up like crazy. If you want to know more, well point you to our NordVPN review.One thing is certain this is THE best deal you can get on NordVPN. Dont let it slip through your hands.See at NordVPN

TVs? AI? Robots? Anthropomorphized robot lawnmowers? The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) has it alland sometimes too much of it. Weve got boots on the ground at the years biggest tech event to wade through whats relevant and interesting, no matter how unnecessary it might seem. Well also highlight some of the weird, tacky, and weird-enough-it-just-might-work.Some companies have already debuted their wares before the show floor opens up. LGs new three-in-one lamp-projector is an interesting amalgamation of devices for the living room, while Govee released a set of new pixel-ish gaming lights to make GIFs come to life. This robot vacuum is also piquing our interest because it does what other robot vacuums cant, which is sprout a claw arm to pick up wayward objects.Theres much more to come, including major announcements from the industrys biggest chipmakers and a whole lineup of new laptops and computers to consider shopping for later this year. Check back here for the most up-to-date news and hands-on impressions.Jan 5CES 2025 has officially kicked off!Jan 5CES 2025See All the Pretty Birds and Bugs in Your Garden With These Modular Nature Cameras Jorge JimenezBird Buddy, the smart bird feeder that lets you capture every horrifying moment of nature happening in your backyard, is expanding beyond the novela of birds and squirrels. At CES 2025, Bird Buddy announced they are expanding their product lineup. Alongside the existing Bird Buddy device, which remains a flagship product, Wonder is launching two new products: the Petal, a biomorphic camera that captures more of whats happening in the garden, and Wonder Blocks, a modular system that lets you build the kind of wildlife habitat you hope to attract to the lens.This Smart Bird Feeder Camera Can Now Detect Bees, Butterflies, and Blossoming Flowers

House of Heights / Idam Design StudioSave this picture! Out Of FocusHousesKayamkulam, IndiaArchitects: Idam Design StudioAreaArea of this architecture projectArea:285 mYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2023 PhotographsPhotographs:Out Of FocusManufacturersBrands with products used in this architecture project Manufacturers: Hafele, Jaquar, Kajaria, Nuvocotto Lead Architects: Jishnu Vijay, Govind S Mohan, Prijith Vijayan More SpecsLess SpecsSave this picture!House of Heights: How design shapes relationships and well-being - "A house can transform its people. The living room, the tallest space in my home, is where we socialize, express our feelings, and spend the most time an open arena for life's conversations."The Designer - When designing a home for oneself, the result is often deeply personal - each corner holds meaning. This is the story of a designer who collaborated with an architect to create a home that functions not only as a space but as a transformative environment for his family. The house has shaped their daily lives, relationships, and well-being.Save this picture!Save this picture!Chapter One - The family - "I grew up in a small traditional house in Thamarakulam, surrounded by green farmland and tall trees. This environment inspired me to create a home embracing height and openness. The design features interconnected spaces with minimal barriers, allowing the space to breathe."Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!The Designer - "We transitioned from dark, narrow rooms to a bright, airy home. Now, we spend more time together, especially in the sit-out area and living room. The windows offer different views of the world, and we enjoy cooking together while keeping an eye on the entrance. The absence of walls between rooms makes everything feel open, and the upstairs simplicity suits our needs perfectly." _Amma & AchaSave this picture!Chapter Two Nature - The design draws inspiration from the tall trees on the site. Large windows offer views of the greenery, establishing an organic connection with the landscape. The house feels both rooted in the land and reaching towards the sky, blending indoor and outdoor spaces through glass and double-height Jalis.Save this picture!Chapter Three Camaraderie - The open-plan living areas encourage communication and shared experiences, yet the layout offers a few quiet nooks for personal moments an exploration of more shared spaces than private. This has allowed the family to embrace a more holistic lifestyle, where the world doesn't feel distant but deeply integrated into our daily rhythm.Chapter Four - The Flow - The tall front elevation stands proudly, with a triangular side elevation offering an architectural surprise. The house features unique views through narrow and wide windows, creating different perspectives. The open kitchen serves as the heart of the home, with islands designed for interaction and visual access to all spaces. Full-height Jalis allow cross-ventilation, while sunlight filters through inclined concrete slabs, creating dynamic light patterns. Reviving the traditional red oxide material, the adjacent reading space is a celebration of texture and craftsmanship. The connected doors next open to the garden seamlessly linking indoors and outdoors. The bedroom's full-height windows provide a view of the moon at night and the sun in the morning. The balcony, a peaceful retreat, offers sounds of birds and rustling leaves, ideal for yoga or meditation. The roof provides a perfect angle to watch sunsets, offering a quiet escape.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Chapter Five - The Challenges - The greatest challenge was reimagining the concept of a home. Initially, the family questioned the unconventional design, asking, "How can a house look like this?" Despite this, local masons, carpenters, and contractors worked with trust and curiosity. One significant structural challenge arose during the construction of the brick jali wall, which needed to rise to four meters. Concerns about its stability were addressed by interlocking standard bricks with jali bricks to reinforce the structure's width.Chapter six - The Close - This thoughtfully designed home has brought the family closer together, nurturing empathy, collaboration, and connection. It reminds us that architecture is not just about buildings but about creating spaces that allow people to live, grow, and flourish.Save this picture!Project gallerySee allShow lessAbout this officeIdam Design StudioOfficeMaterialsConcreteBrickMaterials and TagsPublished on January 07, 2025Cite: "House of Heights / Idam Design Studio" 06 Jan 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1025338/house-of-heights-idam-design-studio&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save!ArchDaily?You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream

Marvel Rivals, a 6v6 hero shooter from NetEase, features an extensive roster of Marvel heroes to play as. A large chunk of the roster belongs to the Duelist class, Marvel Rivals' DPS heroes, who focus on dealing damage and securing kills. The Strategist and Vanguard rosters are much smaller, but the Duelist roster features 18 heroes at launch, with plenty more on the way in future seasons. Some are melee-focused while others rely on ranged weapons, offering a pretty wide range of playstyles. Despite so many heroes, only one of them is borderline unusable compared to the rest of the roster. 18. StormStorm takes the bottom spot on this list thanks to a shallow skillset that seems like it might be more in line with a support playstyle. Storm throws Wind Blades as her primary attack, which deals a decent amount of damage but cannot crit, plus the slow travel speed makes them inaccurate. The Wind Blades pierce enemies, but Storm is a flying hero, so it's pretty rare that you can actually line up multiple enemies. Storm has a constantly active buff, Weather Control, which provides either movement speed or a damage buff to Storm and any nearby teammates. This buff can be further increased with the temporary boost from Goddess Boost, further empowering whichever buff you have active.Outside of that, you have a small damage ability, Bolt Rush, that throws some lightning. The damage buffs are nice, but Storm is also a flying hero, and unlike some of the other flying heroes, she doesn't have a movement ability, making her easy to shoot. The buffs provide some nice boosts, but they aren't as dynamic as more damage-forward attacks that other Duelists have at their disposal. Storm's ultimate is a tornado that deals a ton of damage and can wipe out a team staying in close proximity, so she isn't completely useless, but she isn't a great pick at the moment. 17. Black WidowThe headshot-focused sniper might not seem like a bottom-of-the-list hero at first glance, but it's hard to argue that Black Widow excels at ranged damage, especially compared to the other precision-focused Duelists. Her rifle does pretty good damage, but not enough to one-shot enemies, even with a headshot, which makes her slow fire rate and high precision focus not feel as great as it could. She has methods of defending herself from close-range attackers with her batons and Edge Dancer ability, but these don't deal a ton of damage, resulting in Black Widow struggling up close.You can still do well with her, but it's hard to imagine why you would pick her over the other precision heroes like Hela and Hawkeye, who placed much higher up this list. Her ultimate slows enemies down and deals some damage, letting you take some shots at immobile opponents, but it's still not as powerful as many other Duelist ultimates. 16. Scarlet WitchFrom this point forward, every character is viable, even in competitive modes, but some limitations hold back certain characters from greatness. Scarlet Witch has a fairly low damage output and generally needs to be pretty close to deal damage effectively. Her primary fire is a tether that deals 5 damage plus 0.5% of an enemy's maximum health. This makes it a pretty good attack against Vanguards and pretty wimpy against enemies with smaller health pools. Dealing damage charges the alt fire, which is a small explosive that deals more damage, but Scarlet Witch struggles in direct combat.That said, the best way to play her is to use Mystic Projection, which makes you invisible and invulnerable, to float above or behind enemies and drain them while they are distracted. This works great against melee enemies, but makes you a fairly easy target for hitscan or ranged enemies. Scarlet Witch can be great in the right hands, but you need to master the movement tech before that's the case. Her ultimate can clear a point with a massive explosion that deals 750 damage, but it takes a full four seconds to charge, with enemies getting a big exclamation point marker as soon as you start. It can be tricky to pull off, but it's devastating if you can avoid getting killed during the charge time. 15. Iron ManIron Man is a bit hard to place on this list due to a massive jump in damage he receives with a Bruce Banner team-up. That said, it makes more sense to place Iron Man excluding that team-up, since most people can't guarantee someone will play Hulk for them. His primary fire, the Repulsor Blasts, deal decent damage on direct hits, but have weak splash damage. Since you're going to be firing these from the sky at range, hitting those shots directly can be pretty difficult.His Unibeam is the real damage dealer here, dealing 120 per second normally and 180 using the Armor Overdrive buff. Iron Man does have to get close to effectively use the Unibeam and he becomes a sitting duck just floating in the air. If the enemy team has even one competent ranged hero Iron Man is going to get lit up everytime he engages. The Pulse Cannon ultimate does 1000 damage is a pretty big area, but any tank with a shield can negate this ultimate, especially with the charge time. 14. Starlord Starlord also occupies a strange space in Marvel Rivals, being one of the few non-melee dive Duelists. While he can also fly around similar to Iron Man, his dual Element Guns have a short damage falloff range. Damage starts to fall at 10 meters, losing 60% of damage at 25 meters, forcing Starlord to get in close. He has two charges of his Stellar Shift, which grants brief invulnerability, but he can struggle to compete with close-range heroes that can deal a higher amount of damage faster.Starlord is great for dealing with Strategists, since he can quickly reach the back line and can avoid any powerful attacks with the dodge, leaving the Strategists with no abilities on cooldown afterwards. His auto-aim Galactic Legend is also great, since he can fly way out of range to avoid getting shot down, while still shredding enemies. 13. PunisherPunisher is great for anyone who doesn't care for the acrobatics and heavy-cooldown ability kits of other Duelists on the roster. Armed with his projectile rifle, which deals decent damage at range, although it does falloff after 20m, and his shotgun, which is a hitscan that is deadly at close-range. The time it takes to swap weapons means you really need to see the enemy coming to make the swap, but it does give Punisher some viability against close-range enemies. He's a traditional shooter character, similar to the role Soldier 76 occupies in Overwatch.His smoke grenade works as a movement ability to back up, but for disrupting visibility it's not great. It does a little damage, but the smoke dissipates almost instantly. Punisher's passive lets him see enemies for a brief moment after they leave his vision, but the smoke doesn't last long enough to let you capitalize on that passive. His Final Judgment ultimate does shred enemies, but it also requires a clear line of sight for long enough to kill them. 12. Squirrel GirlSquirrel Girl deals an incredible amount of damage with her Burst Acorn, dealing 110 damage on direct impact. It has decent splash damage too, and being able to bounce it off the environment means you can get around shield tanks and cover with the right aim. What holds her back from being higher on the list is a limited kit and a weak ultimate attack. Squirrel Girl can throw a Squirrel Blockade, which locks enemies in place on impact and deals a bit of damage, setting up an easy kill.Her tail bounce launches her into the air, getting you away from melee attackers or getting you closer to flying enemies. Lastly, her Mammal Bond ability instantly reloads her weapon and gives one cooldown-free use of the other two abilities, which is nice. Her ultimate sends out a wave of squirrels dealing 150 damage on contact with enemies. It will continue running around bouncing off walls for 10 seconds, or until its 650 health is depleted. It's useful for finishing off damaged enemies or for bouncing them around a small objective area, but it's not as impactful as other Duelist ultimates. 11. Moon KnightMoon Knight feels unbeatable against enemies that aren't great about shooting his Ankhs, but in more competitive modes that's going to be pretty rare. Moon Knight's primary attack is a triple shot of bouncing projectiles, which will ricochet between enemies or Moon Knight's Ankhs, dealing damage on impact. A grouped-up set of enemies can be dealt with pretty quickly, especially if you throw in a Moon Blade, which is a more powerful bouncing projectile, but Moon Knight can be neutralized by shield Vanguards pretty easily. If you can't get the initial projectile in, either by hitting an enemy or bouncing off an Ankh, he becomes pretty weak.Because of this, you need to do a lot of flanking and smart positioning, which leaves you vulnerable to more close-range Duelists, which can be hard to beat one-on-one, unless they stand in your Ankh's range. Moon Knight does have multiple movement abilities for escaping and a decent melee attack combo, but it can still be an uphill battle as his grappling hook doesn't have great range and includes a short delay that is just long enough to entrap him in something like Jeff's ultimate much of the time. His ultimate deals a ton of damage, but it has a small enough area of effect and start time that most enemies can escape with a movement ability, even if you pull them to the center with an Ankh. 10. Black PantherBlack Panther is a great melee Duelist, but an overly complicated ability combo puts him below some of the other melee attackers. He needs to hit them with either Spear Toss or his Spinning Kick, which attaches a Vibranium Mark. Hitting an enemy with that mark with the Spirit Rend awards bonus health and refreshes the ability, so you can do the combo again. Many of these moves send you flying pretty fast, making it hard for enemies to target you, but also making it easy for you to miss.The other issue is that if you miss on any part of the combo, you're going to come up short on damage, which can be made up for using his primary attack, but there is much less leeway than some other melee attacks without a significant increase in damage to make up for it. Don't get it wrong; a competent Black Panther is annoying to deal with, but there are far more incompetent Black Panther's thanks to the specificity of the attack combo. His ultimate deals 150 damage and applies a Vibranium Mark, so it's nice for finishing off enemies or making up for a missed ability. 9. WolverineWolverine is great, assuming you understand how he works and who you should be targeting. Similar to Scarlet Witch, Wolverine's primary attack deals percent damage based on the enemy's max health. It does 15 base damage, plus 1.5% of max health, already higher than Scarlet Witch's, with a slightly slower attack speed. However, he gets an additional 0.045% for every point of rage, which goes up to 100 total points. This makes him excellent for shredding tanks.His Feral Leap grabs an enemy, taking them to the landing point of the leap and empowering Wolverine's primary attack. It's a good way to get into a fight, but it's a great way to grab an enemy and remove them from a fight, where you can shred them without worrying about a healer. Wolverine's passive grants him bonus health based on his rage when he would die, which lasts for three seconds. It has a long cooldown, but you can shorten it by participating in KOs. His ultimate can knock enemies up before driving them into the ground, dealing percent damage based on total rage, which is pretty powerful at max rage. 8. Winter SoldierWinter Soldier is a bit of an oddball, as he has a precision ranged weapon but most of his abilities are meant for close-range combat, but he is incredibly powerful in the right hands. His gun has three shots, which deal 70 damage on direct impact and 70 damage in a splash area, although enemies can't be hit by both, but he direct hit can crit. Tainted Voltage fires a blast that slows enemies, his Bionic Hook pulls enemies in that are hit, and his Trooper's Fist punches forward, knocking enemies up, creating an easy to understand ability combo. Using an ability while the gun needs to be reloaded will automatically reload it and grant bonus health, giving Bucky some sustain in combat.The ultimate, as any Marvel Rivals player will tell you, is incredibly powerful and can lead to a full team wipe in the right hands. Bucky leaps into the air and deals damage in an area, marking enemies, which causes them to KO instantly if their health gets low enough. Getting a KO this way, even indirectly, grants another charge of the ultimate, which can be repeated so long as there are enemies. Most of Winter Soldier's abilities require a decent amount of precision, but are powerful if you can hit them. 7. NamorNamor and his squid turrets have a high damage output and the turrets themselves have enough health that dealing with them can be pretty distracting for the enemy team. Namor can spawn up to two Monstro Spawns, which target enemies and deal damage. If Namor hits a crit with his powerful trident primary, they go into a frenzy, dealing more damage. Landing hits of any kind with the primary fire also reduces the cooldown, letting you constantly throw out fresh turrets.Wrath of the Seven Seas is an ability that functions pretty similar to the primary fire, but hitting an enemy will cause Monstro Spawn frenzy and will make them target that enemy, leading to a quick take down. His ultimate summons Giganto to leap into enemies, dealing 500 damage in the inner circle and 200 in the outer circle. This is great for clearing a point and is one of the few high-damage ultimates that can actually kill a Luna Snow using her ultimate ability, which can be a game changer. 6. MagikMagik is a heavy hitter and has some of the best sustain of any melee Duelist. Her passive grants bonus health based on damage dealt, allowing you to keep yourself alive in the midst of combat. Her primary is her sword, which deals 65 damage. It has a slow swing, but you can cancel with the quick melee, allowing you to swing a bit faster. Her dash attack attack gets her into combat and knocks enemies up.The best part of her kit are the Stepping Discs, which have two charges. Magik enters a portal, in which she cannot be damaged, and upon exit she can use one of two abilities, either a circular sword swing or summoning a small demon that deals damage for a short period of time. The portals can be used to negate any damage or ultimate coming your way and lets her cover distances pretty quickly. Her ultimate turns her into the Darkchild, which has enhanced versions of her normal attacks that deal more damage, in-turn generating more bonus health. 5. Spider-ManPerhaps one of the most difficult characters to play well, Spider-Man is an assassin in the right hands. Not only does he have three web swing charges, making it easy to get both in and out of combat quickly, but a well-executed combo will take out any non-Vanguard you choose to target. Spider-Man can apply Spider-Tracers with his alt-fire, which cause his punches (primary fire) to deal bonus damage.He has a web pull, which brings enemies to him, or if they have a Spider-Tracer on them, Spider-Man is pulled to them. His Amazing Combo ability is an uppercut, knocking enemies into the air, leaving them vulnerable to being punched repeatedly. A full combo will completely take out an enemy, and you can just web swing to safety before doing it all over again. His ultimate deals damage in an area and stuns anyone who survives, making it great for taking out multiple enemies at once. 4. PsylockePsylocke can deal an incredible amount of damage in a short period of time, making her great for quickly taking out an enemy before they can get healed. Her primary fire shoots twice, and deals hefty critical damage for headshots. Landing shots takes 0.25 seconds off her cooldowns. Psylocke gets two dash charges, which deal 50 damage each. Her Wing Shurikens are deadly as well, dealing damage to hit enemies and sticking, granting bonus health per hit. You can also recall the projectiles, which will travel to wherever your crosshair is, dealing damage on recall as well, letting you hit a single enemy twice or two enemies with a single ability. There is no wait time on this either, so hitting the ability twice in succession deals a ton of damage instantly.Psylocke has a stealth ability that lasts three seconds, giving you a chance to sneak in or out of a fight. You can be hit and take damage, but the stealth won't break, only temporarily revealing you to the enemy team. Her ultimate is a large area attack that deals big hits as she dashes around. You can't be killed once it starts and it doesn't require aiming. If you have too many enemies in the area you may not hit them all quick enough to kill them before they get killed, but it can take out a couple of foes pretty easily. 3. Iron FistIron Fist is the highest-ranked melee Duelist on the list thanks to a high damage output and incredible self-sustain. His punches deal a ton of damage rapidly, reducing the cooldown of his Dragon's Defense. Dragon's Defense blocks incoming attacks, not only granting a damage reduction but also converting damage taken into bonus health. Once the ability ends, it turns the primary fire into a more powerful series of punches, letting you turn the tide of a fight easily. Iron Fist also has a flying kick that deals more damage if the enemies are missing health, making it a great finisher.His Harmony Recovery refills his health, and any excess healing becomes bonus health, letting Iron Fist stay in enemy backlines, so long as he can find a safe spot to recover. His ultimate boosts his damage, speed, and attack range, in addition to reducing the cooldown of Dragon's defense, making Iron Fist a power choice or an obnoxious threat, depending on which end of the punches you're on. 2. HawkeyeHawkeye and the number one pick are likely getting nerfed soon, but unless NetEase does something drastic, it likely won't remove them from their spots. Hawkeye's arrow does a hefty amount of damage and his passive grants up to 80 bonus damage for charging his sight by aiming at an enemy, with a full charge taking under a second. This means that Hawkeye can one-shot non-Vanguards with a full charge, making him one of the best Duelists in the game based on that alone.His blast arrows are pretty wimpy, but they can be ignored so it doesn't really matter. His sword slash knocks enemies back and up, leading to an easy headshot and keeping melee heroes out of damage-dealing range. He can also block some incoming attacks with his melee, although this can be difficult to use effectively. Hawkeye's ultimate is quite powerful, creating afterimages of enemies that can be hit to damage the enemy, making cover pointless. This also gets the passive bonus, making it great at taking out fast-moving enemies. 1. HelaHela might not be able to one-shot enemies like Hawkeye, but thanks to a fast rate of fire and nasty damage output combined with one of the easiest primary fires to land in the game, Hela is the best Duelist in Marvel Rivals currently. While her primary does have damage falloff, it deals 70 base damage and a ton of crit damage. Since hitting headshots is fairly easy without projectile travel time, you can melt enemies in just two shots. Hela gets eight rounds before reloading, making her dangerous.She can fire an explosive sphere that stuns enemies, setting them up for headshots, and her Piercing Night ability fires four rounds that explode after a short amount of time, dealing 10 damage on impact and 30 for each explosion. She has a short distance movement ability, turning her into a crow that cannot take damage, and her passive causes crows to spawn from enemies she killed, which explode for damage. If all that wasn't enough, her Goddess of Death ultimate ability has her fly above the area she is in, giving her 1,000 health as she throws down explosive blasts that deal 125 damage. The ultimate lasts 10 seconds too, making it incredibly powerful.

An update for the first Destiny game surprisingly appeared on January 5, leaving players baffled. The game's headquarters, called the Tower, all of sudden became covered in holiday decorations.This event in the Destiny universe is called The Dawning, which is the game's version of Christmas. Players were puzzled as to why The Dawning returned to the first Destiny game, considering that developer Bungie stopped supporting it after Destiny 2 was released in 2017. The update is entirely cosmetic, with no new quests, items, or events.One likely explanation is that this is simply an oversight. YouTuber Breshi dug into the game's decoration files and concluded that this update was cut content from The Taken King's Dawning event back in 2016. Breshi theorized that this event was meant to go live on January 5, 2016, but when it was scrapped, Bungie scheduled it to go live on January 5, 2025 as a temporary fix and intended to go back later and remove it.Continue Reading at GameSpot

When it comes to gaming mice, finding the right balance between performance and efficiency can be a challenge. Gamers, especially those who primarily play in the competitive space, need their gaming mice to pack precision, speed, and comfort all into one so they can not only emerge victorious in every match but also be able to play for long periods of time without their hands growing weary. Among the gaming technology companies persistently looking for more innovative ways to achieve such a feat is HyperX, whose new Pulsefire Haste 2 Pro 4K wireless gaming mouse delivers an ultralight yet high-performance solution for both casual and competitive gamers.

Valheim is mostly about discovering new biomes and materials so you can prepare yourself to take down one of the world's many bosses. It can be a grueling experience, especially when you get into areas like the Swamp and Mountain where many, many things can take you down in one or two hits when you first arrive.