Zenless Zone Zero, HoYoverse’s urban fantasy ARPG, will be available for free on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox Cloud Gaming in June.
Game Pass Ultimate members can play the game seamlessly across devices without downloads via Xbox Cloud Gaming.
Dive into the vibrant world of New Eridu, explore the brand-new area Waifei Peninsula, and experience exhilarating combat.
HoYoverse’s urban fantasy ARPG, Zenless Zone Zero, is set to officially launch on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox Cloud Gaming this June alongside its Version 2.0 update. Players will be able to enjoy the immersive urban life experience and thrilling action combat in this dynamic and vibrant game on Xbox.
As an exclusive benefit, Game Pass Ultimate members will unlock special in-game rewards—including Polychromes, Dennies, and more—simply by logging in after each major version update. It’s time to wishlist Zenless Zone Zero on Xbox now! Curious to learn more? Read on!
Stunning Performance on Xbox
In the world of Zenless Zone Zero, a calamity called the “Hollows” has destroyed modern society. New Eridu, the last remaining metropolis, has risen against the odds amidst this destructive catastrophe to become the last bastion of modern civilization. Players step into the shoes of a Proxy, a professional specializing in navigating the dangerous Hollows, guiding those who, for various reasons, need to venture inside.
With the extraordinary performance of Xbox Series X|S, Proxies can look forward to an exceptional audiovisual feast, featuring DirectX RayTracing and HDR support, as well as native 4K resolution running at a smooth 60FPS performance. In addition, Game Pass Ultimate members will be able to seamlessly play Zenless Zone Zero across multiple devices, including mobile phones, via Xbox Cloud Gaming without downloads.
Exhilarating Combat Experience
Zenless Zone Zero distinguishes itself with an exciting combat system that blends accessibility with depth. It is designed to make thrilling combat more accessible and satisfying for all players while offering deep mechanics for skilled action veterans who desire to hone their combat skills.
The game is optimized to support the Xbox controller, incorporating customized vibration feedback for different actions such as Basic and Special attacks. Players can fully unleash their skills in challenging battles while embracing the enhanced immersion and sense of impact during battle.
Play Zenless Zone Zero Anytime, Anywhere
Cross-progression and flexible server selection are fully supported on Xbox, allowing players to link their existing Zenless Zone Zero account from other platforms such as PlayStation, PC, Android, and iOS to Xbox. Furthermore, players can switch back and forth between multiple active games without lengthy loading times with the exclusive “Quick Resume” feature on Xbox Series X|S.
Currently, the game supports 13 text and 4 voice-over languages. All of these ensure that Xbox players can dive into Zenless Zone Zero with unparalleled convenience, flexibility, and instant accessibility — wherever and whenever they choose.
An Enchanting Journey Awaits in June 2025
Zenless Zone Zero fuses contemporary urban aesthetics with retro elements, crafting evocative narratives and authentic emotions that delve into the significance of ordinary people and their daily lives. Accompanied by distinctive characters, many players have found a profound sense of connection through this adventure in New Eridu.
We are so thrilled and grateful that Zenless Zone Zero will finally arrive on Xbox alongside the highly anticipated Version 2.0 this June. The new chapter of the game will unfold in a unique area called Waifei Peninsula, in which urban life and Hollow exploration closely intertwine, bringing a more cohesive and immersive narrative experience.
Soon, you will be able to join this spectacular journey as a Proxy and we just can’t wait to see you in New Eridu! Until then, stay tuned for more information on the game and on the exclusive rewards we are preparing for you. And of course, don’t forget to add Zenless Zone Zero to your Wishlist now!
South of Midnight launches on April 8, or play now with the Premium Edition.
The game arrives for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox app for Windows PC, Steam, cloud, and will be available day one with Game Pass. And with Xbox Play Anywhere, play on Xbox consoles, Windows PC, and cloud with full cross-entitlements and cross-saves.
To celebrate release, we’ve put together 6 tips to help you in both exploration and combat.
South of Midnight invites you into a dark, fantastical world drawn from tales of the American South – and while this might look like a fairytale, both the stories it tells and the challenges it poses are far from simplistic.
Telling the tale of Hazel, who gains the magical power of Weaving after her mother is swept away by a supernatural flood, you’ll need to cross a warped take on the South in your hunt to find her mother, and answers to what exactly is going on. Along the way, you’ll battle Haints – corrupted enemies borne from the sorrow of the world – and cure the wounds of Mythical Creatures, the subjects of real-life folktales brought to life by developer Compulsion Games.
Premium Edition owners can play from today (ahead of an April 8 release date for all players), and to celebrate we’ve put together some tips that cover both exploration and combat, which will help you prepare for this very unexpected journey:
Look Everywhere
Navigating each of South of Midnight’s chapters could be as simple as following your Guiding Strand – a feature that sees magical threads guide you to your next goal. But that’s far from all there is to discover. Each location is stuffed with hidden areas – some require platforming to reach, others need you to use your spells, while others will lead you into battles you might never have otherwise had. All of them will require a keen eye to find.
Your rewards for doing this usually come in the form of Floofs – the game’s upgrade currency – and we hugely recommend you take the time to look for them. With just a bit of concerted exploration, you can add upgrades to your skill tree (more on those later) much faster than by simply running from one objective to the next.
Even better, you may also find Life Filaments as you go. Most chapters contain one of these – usually in its most hidden side area – and collecting three offers a permanent upgrade to your health bar.
Expand These Stories
South of Midnight is all about stories – from the tale of Hazel’s search to find her mother, to the tragic backstories of the Mythical Creatures you’ll find along the way. But if you want to dig really deep, make sure to search each chapter for items, notes, and more. You’ll see these marked by small circles as you approach, often in out-of-the-way locations.
Far from your regular world-building, each chapter’s hidden notes add even more detail to the characters and stories you’re learning about along the core questline. You may discover hidden motivations for why characters are the way they are, simply because you took the time to read about their lives. It’s an enriching way to add to the wider tale.
Upgrade Early and Often
As mentioned above, you can speed through the upgrade tree with a bit of exploration – and when you start hitting harder combat sequences, you’ll thank yourself for doing it. Even on its regular difficulty level, South of Midnight’s combat packs a punch, with even the most basic Haint enemies removing whole chunks of your health bar after a single hit – never mind when you come up against a Mythical Creature. Upgrades are your means of turning the tables.
Upgrades tend to focus more on offering you added perks, rather than simply buffing an ability’s existing stats. When you Unravel a downed enemy to claw back some health, for example, you can add an area of-effect blast to stagger any nearby Haints before you get back into the fray. Adding a quick double-dodge to your repertoire, meanwhile, will come in very handy when you start meeting enemies that can quick-fire multiple projectiles. Take the time to explore the skill tree, and prioritize upgrades that look like they’ll solve problems.
Use Dodges as Attack and Defence
Hazel doesn’t have the ability to block attacks – but she more than makes up for that with a powerful bonus to her dodge. Hitting the dodge button will help you escape in any direction (with some invulnerability frames thrown in) – but hitting a perfectly timed dodge, just before you’re hit, comes with a nasty surprise for whoever was trying to hurt you.
Perfect Dodges send out a blast of energy, staggering any enemy around you and doing some nice damage, too. It’s worth paying attention to not just what attacks enemies can do, but the time it takes to pull them off – pretty soon, you can be doing almost as much damage by not attacking.
Use Spells as Interrupts
As we mentioned, getting hit in South of Midnight can get very nasty, very quickly – and while Hazel has that handy dodge, it can sometimes be easier simply to stop an attack in the first place. Against most enemies, throwing out a spell – whether that’s a Pull, a Push, or a Weave (which incapacitates most Haints) – will break them out of an attack completely.
While it’s tempting to spam your spells as soon as they’ve cooled down, we’d recommend keeping one in reserve as an emergency interrupt – if you see an enemy winding up during your combo, simply hit them with a spell and keep thwacking.
Chain Your Spells
If you really want to keep an enemy locked down, you can use your full spell repertoire to keep attacks going without interruption. This is particularly useful once you have a few upgrades under your belt.
For example, you could Pull an enemy towards you, with an added Weave effect (which you can also upgrade to have them take more damage while tied up). As soon as they break free, Weave them again with that core spell – and when they break free again, use Push to deal some damage and keep your distance, before charging up your ranged attack to deal the killer blow.
With a bit of practice, enemies that felt like they took an age of dodging and poking to beat in the early game can begin to go down in a single combo – it’s extremely satisfying.
South of Midnight will be available on April 8, 2025, on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox App for Windows PC, Steam and cloud, and arrives on day one with Game Pass. Play from today by purchasing the Premium Edition, and get access to digital extras.
South of Midnight Premium Edition
Xbox Game Studios
☆☆☆☆☆ 12
★★★★★
$49.99
Immerse yourself into the macabre and fantastical world of South of Midnight with the Premium Edition, which includes the full game, up to 5 days early access, and digital access (in English) to:
• South of Midnight Artbook
• Original Soundtrack composed by Olivier Deriviere
• The Boo-Hag Comic book by Rob Guillory
• Music Video: Songs & Tales of South of Midnight
• Documentary: Weaving Hazel’s Journey, Director’s Cut
UNRAVEL THE PAST
From the creators of Contrast and We Happy Few, South of Midnight is a spellbinding third person action-adventure game set in the American Deep South.
As Hazel, you will explore the mythos and encounter creatures of Southern folklore in a macabre and fantastical world. When disaster strikes her hometown, Hazel is called to become a Weaver: a magical mender of broken bonds and spirits. Imbued with these new abilities, Hazel will confront and subdue dangerous creatures, untangle the webs of her own family’s shared past and – if she’s lucky – find her way to a place that feels like home.
A DARK MODERN FOLKTALE
When a hurricane rips through Prospero, Hazel is pulled into a Southern Gothic world of memory made real and must embark on a journey to rescue her mother and safeguard her hometown. In this folktale for modern times, Hazel will need to reconcile the weight of family, history, and legacy against her own identity.
CONFRONT MYTHICAL CREATURES
Wield an ancient power to restore creatures and uncover the traumas that consume them. Cast weaving magic to fight destructive Haints, explore the diverse regions of the South, and reweave the tears in the Grand Tapestry.
HAUNTING BEAUTY OF THE GOTHIC SOUTH
Discover the lush, decayed county of Prospero and its locals. Experience a crafted visual style, touching storytelling, and immersive music inspired by the complex and rich history of the South.
South of Midnight
Xbox Game Studios
☆☆☆☆☆
★★★★★
$39.99
From the creators of Contrast and We Happy Few, South of Midnight is a spellbinding third person action-adventure game set in the American Deep South.
As Hazel, you will explore the mythos and encounter creatures of Southern folklore in a macabre and fantastical world. When disaster strikes her hometown, Hazel is called to become a Weaver: a magical mender of broken bonds and spirits. Imbued with these new abilities, Hazel will confront and subdue dangerous creatures, untangle the webs of her own family’s shared past and – if she’s lucky – find her way to a place that feels like home.
A DARK MODERN FOLKTALE
When a hurricane rips through Prospero, Hazel is pulled into a Southern Gothic world of memory made real and must embark on a journey to rescue her mother and safeguard her hometown. In this folktale for modern times, Hazel will need to reconcile the weight of family, history, and legacy against her own identity.
CONFRONT MYTHICAL CREATURES
Wield an ancient power to restore creatures and uncover the traumas that consume them. Cast weaving magic to fight destructive Haints, explore the diverse regions of the South, and reweave the tears in the Grand Tapestry.
HAUNTING BEAUTY OF THE GOTHIC SOUTH
Discover the lush, decayed county of Prospero and its locals. Experience a crafted visual style, touching storytelling, and immersive music inspired by the complex and rich history of the South.
“Heads Will Roll” is the final quest in the hunt for The Wounded, one of the targets in Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ main story questline. It ends with the assassination of Wada Koretake, and asks you to make a choice that could potentially anger Yaya, someone you can recruit as an ally.
In this Assassin’s Creed Shadows guide, we’ll walk you through how to complete the main “Heads Will Roll” quest and whether or not you should side with Yaya or Mitsumune when it comes to sparing or killing Nobunaga’s soldiers.
‘Heads Will Roll’ walkthrough in Assassin’s Creed Shadows
Image: Ubisoft Quebec/Ubisoft via Polygon
To start the quest, follow the marker on your map until you reach an Animus portal. Interact with it.
After a lengthy cutscene, you’ll be dropped into a castle to assassinate Koretake. Your allies will fight a battle against Koretake’s soldiers on the ground, and you’ll start on the rooftops with one goal: kill the snipers at the gates. You’ll get markers on your screen for the locations of all six of these snipers, so work your way across the castle rooftops and take them out.
While you can assassinate many of these snipers to instantly kill them, you don’t need to remain incognito to progress. Because they’re snipers, they’re pretty simple to fight, as they don’t really have any good close-range combat options. They’ll also be distracted by your allies, allowing you to sneak up on them.
Once you kill them all, head to the main courtyard, which has all the yellow flags and curtains. Stay on the rooftops to the left and watch for more archers and snipers.
How to assassinate Wada Koretake in ‘Heads Will Roll’
Image: Ubisoft Quebec/Ubisoft via Polygon
Climb along the rooftops to the back part of the courtyard, behind a small building that Wada Koretake walks up to and pauses at on his loop. Assassinate the snipers and scouts in the area to reduce the likelihood that you’ll get caught. Beware that a beefy castle guard tends to roam here even if you stay stealthy.
Once the enemies are taken care of, climb up the small building and perch on the point overlooking the courtyard. When Wada Koretake gets close enough, assassinate him from your perch. This will bring you into a cutscene that will end the mission and lead to a choice.
Should you side with Yaya or Mitsumune?
Image: Ubisoft Quebec/Ubisoft via Polygon
With Koretake dead, your allies have gathered all of his soldiers in the courtyard area. Mitsumune is looking to execute all of the soldiers, while Yaya and Kyonyo want to prove that they are different than Nobunaga and his goons.
Partway through the cutscene, you’ll get two dialogue options:
“Justice must be served” (kill the soldiers, side with Mitsumune)
“Killing them isn’t justice” (spare the soldiers, side with Yaya)
The game warns you that “this [choice] will impact Yaya,” but doesn’t give you any additional information. After playing the mission twice, we can tell you that Yaya wants the soldiers spared, and she’ll be pissed if you decide to support their execution. However, you won’t see how the decision impacts Yaya until later in the game — and it’s unclear how much of an impact it really makes, outside of her attitude in dialogue — though if you want to recruit her as an ally, go with “killing them isn’t justice.”
Regardless of your choice, Mitsumune and his goons will execute a soldier, and the cutscene will play out almost identically. The only difference is whether Yaya and Kyonyo blame you and Mitsumune, or just Mitsumune. Mitsumune is cold to you either way. Sparing the soldiers will make the fewest people mad at you — specifically Yaya, who is the only character the game explicitly calls out as being impacted by this choice long-term.
The max level cap in Assassin’s Creed Shadowsis so high you might not even need to worry about it.
In general, your level determines the equipment you can use, the in addition to the rating of your base stats, like health. The weapons and armor you find — plus the enemies you run into — will scale in level alongside Naoe and Yasuke. Thankfully, at least the two share experience points and level progress, so you only need to keep track of one experience meter!
Here’s what the max level cap is in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, and a rundown on what we learned during our playtime regarding leveling up.
What is the max level in Assassin’s Creed Shadows?
The max level cap in Assassin’s Creed Shadows appears to be 60, based on how Forge upgrades work at your Hideout.
You can upgrade rooms at your Hideout. As described in the game, when your Forge is upgraded to its highest rank, it allows you to upgrade weapons and armor to level 60, indicating that’s the highest level in the game. This number tracks contextually with how much of the game we’ve played so far, as of this writing, and is aligned with other players who’ve reported a similar max level.
Image: Ubisoft Quebec/Ubisoft via Polygon
Getting to level 60 is no small feat, though. After 62 hours, we’ve finished the main story, completed a bunch of optional activities (like Lost Pages and Kuji-kiri), and still only reached level 50. As a result, it stands to reason it’d take you a considerable amount of time to reach level 50. At this point, the regions have scaled to level 46, and equipment at level 51 and level 52 has started to appear.
By level 50, it takes around 18,000 experience points to level up. Naoe’s flat stats are 945 Health and 492 Attack Damage, while Yasuke’s are 2,211 Health and 985 Attack Damage. Moreover, equipped with a gear set and weapons around this level, Naoe reaches 3,947 Health and 1,969 Attack Damage, while Yasuke gets 9,104 Health and 3,784 Attack Damage.
Image: Ubisoft Quebec/Ubisoft via Polygon
So far, we’ve earned 294 mastery points, but this is also the result of a focus on clearing castles. Each castle features a number of Samurai Daisho; you’ll get one mastery points for every Samurai Daisho you assassinate. Because of that, the numbers may vary depending on how much time you spend clearing castles.
Completing castles is great for leveling up, though, since they generally give you a lot of experience (and, as a bonus, reward you with rare gear). But the biggest source of experience in the game is hunting all of the targets in one single board of your Objectives menu. Doing so involves completing a final quest. In the end, you may earn around 10,000 experience points.
But if you want some quick missions to complete and earn a little bit of experience, you should consider taking advantage of Contracts and Anomalies — not just for experience, but for bonus materials and mon as well.
The new trailer, which borrows imagery from what we saw of the game in the first trailer, follows a young girl living in a small Japanese town during the 1960s — a first for the series. Fog engulfs the town and the girl starts to see flowers before running into a shambling woman. More monsters show up and we see the girl picking up a pipe to defend herself against something off-screen, with a spore-covered house behind her.
Silent Hill f is being developed by a Taiwan-based studio with help from Japanese developers. The stream had more details on the game’s production, with appearances from writer Ryukishi07 and character and creature designer Kera. On the stream, Konami dug into its setting and how it used reference photos and sounds to help create the game’s rural town, and discussed the psychological themes it wants to explore with its young protagonist.
The trailer doesn’t have a release date, but it confirms that Silent Hill f will be released on PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X. You can also wishlist it now on Steam.
It took a few years of dealing with poorly optimized handheld PCs, but Windows Central reports Microsoft may finally be working on an Xbox handheld. The company could announce an Xbox-branded portable device as early as this year, though it sounds like it won’t come from Microsoft directly.
Instead, the company is partnering with a PC maker already working in the gaming space to build a handheld, WindowsCentral writes. The device, codenamed “Keenan,” will feature Xbox design elements, an “official Xbox guide button” and will likely run Windows 11. Given the clunky experience of navigating Windows on the handhelds you can buy today, the real hope is that Xbox’s take will include a launcher or new way of using the desktop OS that’s fit for a controller instead of a mouse. The big advantage SteamOS has over Windows is that you never have to interact with a desktop environment if you don’t want to.
These rumored plans might line up with what Microsoft’s VP of “Next Generation” Jason Ronald shared at an AMD and Lenovo event from CES 2025 called “The Future of Gaming Handhelds.” According to The Verge, Ronald said that Microsoft wants to bring “the best of Xbox and Windowstogether.” The company hopes to simplify Windows and make it using it more console-like for handhelds. “I think we’ll have a lot more to share later this year,” Ronald said.
That doesn’t mean there won’t be a first-party handheld in the future. Windows Central‘s report mentions that there’s a successor to the Xbox Series X, new internet-connected controllers and an official Xbox gaming handheld, all tentatively slated for 2027.
Mecha Break is the PvP mech shooter you’ve been waiting for – and the game’s Open Beta Test starts today! In this test, you will be able to experience 3 distinct game modes: 3v3, 6v6, and a sprawling PvPvE extraction game mode called Mashmak.
Before you can take part in our mech battles you’ll first need to choose your mech, or “Striker”, each featuring its own unique weapons and abilities. With 13 different Strikers to choose from in the Open Beta Test, picking the right one will be key to your success. To help you on your way, here are our tips for every single one, and what kind of player fits them best.
Alysnes
Alysnes is your first Striker and a classic all-rounder. A Medium Attacker, featuring both devastating ranged and melee options, Alysnes is perfect for a jack-of-all-trades! If you find yourself low on health, don’t worry – Alysnes has a unique Armor Purge mechanic that gives you a second chance at victory!
Aquila
Aquila is a Heavy Sniper with some major firepower. It’s perfect for a crack shot who wants some beefy defense. Unlike most snipers, Aquila excels in maintaining advantageous positioning with their Airborne Kit, not to mention locking down enemy units with their Claw Drone to ensure their shot never misses.
Falcon
A terror in the skies, Light Attacker Falcon embodies the heart of an ace pilot zipping through the air, quickly striking opponents before they’re already moving on to another target. With multiple missile barrages available, Falcon can bombard an area and quickly reposition for another strike.
Hurricane
A storm is brewing! Hurricane is an Ultra-Heavy Defender. By focusing the crystals in its armaments, they can redirect their power to target a wide area, denying enemies the chance to retaliate. This one is for players who like to wipe out the competition while remaining safe amid the carnage.
Inferno
When we say Ultra-Heavy Attacker, we mean it! This Striker can focus a high-powered energy beam onto a single target for huge amounts of damage. Some call them a sleeping giant. We call them Inferno.
Luminae
This Light Support Striker has two modes: Support or Corruption. While in Support Mode, your Drone Launcher will repair allies over time. Swap to Corruption mode, and it will attach to an enemy Striker and directly attack its health, bypassing their shields. This mech is for those who want the best of both worlds.
Narukami
As a Light Sniper, Narukami excels in quick hits that pack a punch. Utilize their Optical Camo Drone and Decoy Drones to confuse the enemy and multiply their damage before grappling away. This Striker is for players who like to be sneaky.
Panther
Panther is a Medium Brawler that can charge and single out enemy Strikers with a giant lance to deal pinpoint damage that bypasses all shields. This is one Striker that will excel in the hands of a player who likes to get up close and personal.
Pinaka
Pinaka is a Medium Support that can deploy shields, wall off areas, and provide crucial support for Strikers in need of repair. This Striker is perfect for players who want to command the battlefield.
Skyraider
Aerial denial is the name of the game here. Skyraider is a Medium Attacker that comes equipped with armaments that excel in crowd control and area denial. Their ability to transform between a biped or aerial unit gives it the versatility to handle most situations.
Stego
With a front-facing shield, micro missiles, and rockets upon rockets, the Ultra-Heavy Attacker Stego is the epitome of ‘mess around and find out’! If you find yourself in a sticky situation, use your Complex Haze Diffuser to disrupt enemies and zip away to safety.
Tricera
The crown prince of “pull the trigger”, Ultra-Heavy Defender Tricera features four heavy-duty gatling guns that rip and tear through enemy strikers. Their turret mode comes complete with high-capacity shields and Healing Drones, meaning that it can take a beating and dish it out.
Welkin
A big mech deserves a big axe. Not only can the Heavy Brawler Welkin cleave through the opposition, but they can also lock down enemy strikers in their Stasis Shield to savor every last slash. Perfect for those who walk quietly and carry a big stick.
The most important part of selecting a Striker is… variety. You’ll have plenty of time during the Open Beta Test, so hop into the robust training mode, and give each Striker a try to find your favorites!
The Mecha Break Open Beta Test begins today. See you on the battlefield!
Treasure maps are optional objectives in Avowed that come with terrific rewards in exchange for solving head-scratching puzzles.
Each treasure map is less a “map” and more a hastily and inscrutably sketched drawing pointing toward a vague location. If you find out where the treasure map points to and then head to that exact spot, you’ll find a chest containing a unique piece of gear.
What follows is our guide to all treasure maps in Avowed, broken up by each region, from Dawnshore through Galawain’s Tusks. We’ve also listed the rewards you get for completing each one.
How many treasure maps are there in Avowed?
There are 12 treasure maps in Avowed, three in each of the following regions: Dawnshore, Emerald Stair, Shatterscarp, and Galawain’s Tusks. If you solve all 12 maps, you’ll earn the “Pathfinder” achievement (and get some of the best gear in the game along the way).
Read on for details about all treasure maps in Avowed, or use this table of contents to navigate to the treasure maps of a specific region.
Image: Obsidian Entertainment/Xbox Game Studios via Polygon
The Captain Henqua’s Spoils treasure map points toward a cave underwater on the riverbank north of Paradis. When completed, you’ll get the Wind and Wave shield.
Image: Obsidian Entertainment/Xbox Game Studios via Polygon
The Intimidating Feline Codpiece map points toward a cliff abutting the river going north of Paradis. When completed, you’ll get the Stelgaer’s Pride armor set.
Image: Obsidian Entertainment/Xbox Game Studios via Polygon
The Woedica’s Inheritance treasure map points to a location tucked away on the eastern wall of Paradis. When completed, you’ll get the Strangler’s Gloves clothing item.
See our Woedica’s Inheritance walkthrough for a guide on how to solve this treasure map.
Emerald Stair treasure maps
There are three treasure maps in Emerald Stair: Earthly Aegis, Painter’s Regret, and Practical Pockets. Below, see details about their general locations and what rewards you get, or click through for more detailed walkthroughs for their respective solutions.
Image: Obsidian Entertainment/Xbox Game Studios via Polygon
The Earthly Aegis treasure map points to a sinkhole in the western forests of Emerald Stair. When completed, you’ll get the Nature’s Ward shield.
See our Earthly Aegis walkthrough for a guide on how to solve this treasure map.
Image: Obsidian Entertainment/Xbox Game Studios via Polygon
The Painter’s Regret treasure map points toward a river mouth west of Fior mes Ivèrno, sort of near the Waterfall Cave. When completed, you’ll get the Painter’s Brush trinket.
See our Painter’s Regret walkthrough for a guide on how to solve this treasure map.
Image: Obsidian Entertainment/Xbox Game Studios via Polygon
The Practical Pockets treasure map points toward a cave near the Ranger Headquarters. When solved, you’ll get the Hjilde’s Handy Hide armor set.
See our Practical Pockets walkthrough for a guide on how to solve this treasure map.
Shatterscarp treasure maps
There are three treasure maps in Shatterscarp: Dead Man’s Mail, Robe of the Arcane Cheater, and Seafarer’s Boots. Below, see details about their general locations and what rewards you get, or click through for more detailed walkthroughs for their respective solutions.
Image: Obsidian Entertainment/Xbox Game Studios via Polygon
The Dead Man’s Mail treasure map points toward the Shark’s Teeth fortress in the east of Shatterscarp. When completed, you’ll get the the Necropants armor set.
See our Dead Man’s Mail walkthrough for a guide on how to solve this treasure map.
Robe of the Arcane Cheater
Image: Obsidian Entertainment/Xbox Game Studios via Polygon
The Robe of the Arcane Cheater treasure map points toward a cave on the Ancient Lakebed. When completed, you’ll get the Robes of Surpassing Brilliance armor set.
Image: Obsidian Entertainment/Xbox Game Studios via Polygon
The Seafarer’s Boots treasure map points toward a creek near the Sulfur Miner’s Basecamp. When found, you’ll get the Wavebinder’s Boots clothing item.
See our Seafarer’s Boots walkthrough for a guide on how to solve this treasure map.
Galawain’s Tusks treasure maps
There are three treasure maps in Galawain’s Tusks: Ancient Arrowhead, The Blade that Hungers, and My Loyal Shield. Below, see details about their general locations and what rewards you get, or click through for more detailed walkthroughs for their respective solutions.
Image: Obsidian Entertainment/Xbox Game Studios via Polygon
The Ancient Arrowhead treasure map points toward a cluster of mountains south of Solace Keep. When found, you’ll get the Scout’s Reach trinket.
See our Ancient Arrowhead walkthrough for a guide on how to solve this treasure map.
Image: Obsidian Entertainment/Xbox Game Studios via Polygon
The Blade that Hungers treasure map points toward a tunnel north of the Ash Forest Outpost. When found, you’ll get the Umbral Needle dagger.
See our Blade that Hungers walkthrough for a guide on how to solve this treasure map.
Image: Obsidian Entertainment/Xbox Game Studios via Polygon
The My Loyal Shield treasure map points toward an Ekida ruin south of the Outcast Tower Camp. When found, you’ll get the Time’s Tarnish shield.
See our My Loyal Shield walkthrough for a guide on how to solve this treasure map.
There is a lot going on during every turn of Civilization 7. Each time you hit “next turn,” the computer is calculating the moves of other civilizations, factoring in your difficulty setting, proposing new wars, collecting new resources, selecting new items off the tech tree, and so on. Basically, math is always happening in Civilization 7. Why else did you think the turns take so damn long to calculate?
All of that behind-the-scenes complex machinery is what makes Civilization Civilization, and it’s what veterans come to the series for — a way to build out what actually feels like an empire from scratch. But all of those moving pieces can make for a very stressful first-time experience. Worse, it can make you feel like you don’t understand the game. It could even make you feel like you shouldn’t play it.
That feeling of a lack of understanding propelled me away from past Civilization games, even though I enjoyed the few matches I spent with them. But I’ve learned something after bouncing off more than one Civilization game before Civilization 7: You’re supposed to be confused.
As I mentioned before, the Civilization series is complex, and there are a lot of moving pieces happening every single turn. Confusion is a completely natural feeling when faced with a thousand potentially important pieces of information in front of you. “What does Production do? How much Science do I need to research something? What does Happiness even do? Why can my unit move two spaces sometimes and one space other times? What do you mean they’re declaring war on me?!” I get it. But those questions are normal, and the way you feel is okay. You’re definitely doing a ton of stuff “wrong,” but I have excellent news for you: You can still win at Civ if you’re doing almost everything wrong, but doing one thing right.
Image: Firaxis/2K Games via Polygon
Civilization 7 is a video game in which you learn by doing. Guides are extremely helpful for answering your specific questions, especially when the Civilopedia in-game can be less than helpful. (And to that end, you don’t want to miss our Civilization 7 guides.) But nothing teaches Civilization better than actually playing Civilization.
When you’re first starting out, you want to pick a leader that means something to you, and a civilization that you have some affinity for. You’re going to be seeing a lot of your leader, and you’re going to be working on evolving your civ, so make sure if you pick Confucius, it’s because you’ve read one of his biographies or something like that. Connections and a desire to see Rome succeed (or wherever your extended family might be from) will pull you through when the deep confusion hits.
Once you’re in the game, pick an advisor and stick with them. This will basically determine what victory path you’re going to go on. Maybe you like the idea of ruling the world by conquering it and you want to go for a Military Victory. Or maybe you’re fascinated by some of the incredible wonders of our world, or are interested in religion. Then follow the culture advisor to reach a Culture Victory.
After you’ve selected a direction for your civilization, it really is as simple as boosting that one aspect as much as possible. If you’re looking to complete the Manhattan Project and win a Science Victory, get your Science up as high as it can go. Do whatever your Science advisor says. If you don’t understand why your units are moving weird or why you’re suddenly losing a battle you thought you would win, just know that you don’t need to understand that. You just need more Science.
Image: Firaxis/2K Games via Polygon
On the default difficulty, following your advisor is potentially enough to win the entire game, and you’ll walk out the other side understanding how to win that kind of victory in the future. Then, pick another civilization, another leader, and another victory condition for your next match. As the turns go by, you’ll begin to understand the things that confused you the last time around, and you can then compound that knowledge with what you now know about Science civilizations or whatever you did the first time.
Like the cities in Civilization 7, knowledge about the game is built up, paved over, and rebuilt over time. You cannot read the Civilopedia or even our guides to fully grasp the game. You must read and play, or otherwise risk overloading yourself with information. The best and biggest advice I can give for coming into Civilization 7 is to resist that urge to restart your game because it isn’t going well. There are lessons to be learned every turn in Civilization, even ones where you lose entire armies or even cities. And even if you feel like you’re not learning as you play, I promise you are. Every turn, every age, and every match will get you that much closer to that “I think I finally get it,” moment. With enough practice, you might even fully understand it in time for Civilization 8.
Fortnite OG Chapter 1 Season 2 allows you to go “full tilt” as Tilted Towers makes its return to Fortnite.
Tilted Towers isn’t the only returning point of interest as Junk Junction, Shifty Shafts, and more are coming back. Additionally, you’ll find familiar items back in the loot pool like the small shield potion and boogie bomb.
With there being a new OG season, there is a new OG Pass for you to complete — full of new takes on classic outfits.
Below, we explain the map and loot pool changes for Fortnite OG Chapter 1 Season 2 and some of the new skins you can get in the OG Pass.
Fortnite OG Season 2 map changes
The OG Chapter 1 Season 2 map is reintroducing five points of interest from the original Chapter 1 Season 2 — Haunted Hills, Junk Junction, Shifty Shafts, Snobby Shores, and Tilted Towers. Check out the map with the returning locations below:
Fortnite OG Season 2 weapon loot pool
In OG Chapter 1 Season 2, the loot pool will grow as the season progresses. Here are all of the weapons that’ll be added:
Fortnite OG Season 2 pass skins
The OG Pass for OG Chapter 1 Season 2 features 45 tiers of rewards with the major rewards being revamped versions of fan favorite skins from the past. Cuddle Team Leader, Black Knight, and Sparkle Specialist are receiving a new look and coming back as Cuddle Team Specialist, Knight Conqueror, and Sparkle Diva. Alongside the new outfits, each outfit has an alternate style that is available to unlock in the OG Pass.
The Chapter 1 Season 2 OG Pass is available until March 25 at 3:30 a.m. EST, which will lead to the Chapter 1 Season 3 OG Pass shortly after.
