The perpetrators responsible for the murder of trans schoolgirl Brianna Ghey, identified as Scarlett Jenkinson and Eddie Ratcliffe, both 16, have been publicly named as they receive life sentences for their heinous crime. Mrs Justice Yip revealed their identities after lifting the anonymity order, given the severity of their actions. Throughout the trial, the duo had been referred to as Girl X and Boy Y, with their disturbing shared interest in violence, torture, and serial killers highlighted during court proceedings. Their joint planning of “dark fantasies” was a chilling aspect discussed by the jury. At the time of Brianna's tragic murder on February 11 last year, Jenkinson and Ratcliffe, both 15 then, had compiled a “kill list” that included four other teenagers. During the sentencing at Manchester Crown Court, Brianna's father, Peter Spooner, expressed his devastation, describing Jenkinson and Ratcliffe as “pure evil.” In his victim impact statement, he remarked, “Now...
DOOM co-creator John Romero releases new Sigil II campaign for 30th anniversary
Happy birthday, pops.
The original DOOM is 30 years old now. That means it has been a little over thirty years since Nintendo turned down Id’s offer to port their games to the PC and began a chain reaction that would result in Carmack, Romero, and co. creating the FPS genre. Thanks, Nintendo!
I should also thank John Romero since the co-creator and level designer of the original DOOM has just released SIGIL II, an all-new unofficial DOOM campaign completely free of charge. I still haven’t had the time to experience the sequel, but, if it is anything like the original SIGIL, chances are that any DOOM fan will enjoy it quite a bit. It’s a treat to all fans of the original game, but it also adds a lot of new flavor that even newer players are bound to enjoy.
SIGIL II, unofficial DOOM 2 episode, is available now
SIGIL II acts as a new episode in a series, meaning that it features actual story beats. It also features nine new levels, eight new multiplayer arenas, a new OST composed by James Paddock, and new art.
On top of this new release, Romero will also be hosting a live Twitch event today, where he will be joining DOOM’s other John co-creator, John Carmack, to discuss the original game.
It’s great to see that DOOM has survived for so long, and not just because of the latest games in the series. The older games are very much alive as well. Just this year, we also saw the release of one of the greatest mods of all time. I’m of course talking about Myhouse.WAD for DOOM II, which I’m just gonna recommend you try getting into fully blind.
If you own the original DOOM, you can now download SIGIL and SIGIL II for free, or buy their incredibly rad old-school big box versions here.
Cyberpunk 2077 winning a “Best Ongoing Game” award feels incredibly off
I’d hardly consider CD Projekt RED’s solo RPG an “ongoing game.”
Readers may know me as one of Destructoid’s local Destiny heads, but right now, we need to talk about the Video Game Awards (VGA). Namely, how Cyberpunk 2077 stole a 2023 award from another game and studio.
On December 7, the VGA named Cyberpunk 2077 the winner of the ceremony’s Best Ongoing Game award. This was in spite of the fact that Cyberpunk went up against actual live service titles like Apex Legends, Fortnite, Genshin Impact, and Final Fantasy XIV.
As some may remember, Cyberpunk 2077 is not an “ongoing game.” It’s a single-player game and one that was released with disastrous initial results. The launch was so awash with issues that Sony would even quickly remove it from the PSN digital storefront. CD Projekt RED would go on to spend the better part of three years fixing the game.
As of 2023, the team has produced praise-worthy results with Cyberpunk 2077‘s 2.0 update. But the VGA’s nomination logic seems flawed. So, the single-player Cyberpunk 2077 is an “ongoing game” because it was released so broken it needed years of work to function as intended? I’m not buying it.
How is the VGA defining an “ongoing game?”
Cyberpunk’s win doesn’t make sense when considering the spirit of the award category. The award should have gone to a live-service title that defines itself as an “ongoing game” by nature rather than circumstance. If Cyberpunk 2077 can be considered in the running for the best ongoing game, what criteria is the VGA using?
If Cyberpunk can be in the running, what about other games with updates still flowing? Warhammer 40K: Darktide, No Man’s Sky, and Call of Duty: Warzone have all received game-changing updates after release. None of those games even received nominations. Hell, even a pick as out there as Team Fortress 2 still has more merit as an actual “ongoing game” than Cyberpunk 2077. So how could the obvious top-running candidates with nominations against Cyberpunk 2077 lose?
Don’t get me wrong, what CD Projekt RED did was impressive. Many studios would rather take the L than spend additional years that could have been applied to another project fixing mistakes. I am in no way suggesting CD Projekt RED made the wrong decision there. The team’s dedication to its product speaks for itself. However, I am saying that the VGA’s evaluation of Cyberpunk 2077 as an “ongoing game” is wrong.
Another title missed out
With Cyberpunk winning this award, another deserving game missed out. The contenders for Best Ongoing Game, by nature, are unlikely to be nominated for many other categories. Sure, they may appear in less extravagant categories like Best Mobile Game or Best ESports Game. But the titles that end up in Best Ongoing Game are by nature rarely going to win the “big” awards like Game Of The Year. A game can’t be Game Of The Year and Best Ongoing Game the year it’s released; it’s just not possible.
So, Cyberpunk 2077‘s nomination pushed another deserving title out of the running. And its win only served to swivel the spotlight away from the other contenders excelling in the field. Let’s hope there’s better consideration across nomination categories next year. Less Gollum gets a well-received update and snags Best Ongoing Game in 2024.
Destiny 2 Fireteam Finder stress test is taking place today
The first test on a quiet day…
Bungie is almost ready to bring Lightfall‘s long-awaited Fireteam Finder feature to Destiny 2. But players can get in on the action a little early, as stress tests have begun rolling out starting today.
Players logging into Season 23 on November 30 were in for a treat. An in-game message informed Guardians they could participate in the day’s Fireteam Finder stress test, as Bungie previously noted in a November 22 Dev Insights post.
Today is the only day confirmed for stress testing, but it’s the first chance players have to try Fireteam Finder out. Players can jump into Fireteam Finder’s first stress test between 9 AM and 5 PM PST (12 PM to 8 PM EST) on November 30.
The experience is limited to Raid content, and, per the in-game notice, Bungie already anticipates the test could lead to some hiccups with game performance. That said, the pop-up also provided a method for players to report any issues they came across.
Will there be another stress test?
Right now, the only announced stress test is happening on November 30. That said, Bungie has already gone on to outline the path ahead. Following today’s stress test, a Beta period will begin in December.
Bungie hasn’t specified exact dates in December just yet, but that news will likely come after this first test concludes. Bungie did note in the Fireteam Finder Dev Insights post that the Beta’s start would depend on how the stress test goes.
Following the new year, Bungie estimates that Fireteam Finder will be ready for a full release in late January. This is, of course, if everything goes according to plan. And Bungie has promised to keep players updated on any timeline changes, should they develop.
Destiny 2’s next crossover adds The Witcher swag
Toss a coin for some Witcher content in Destiny 2
Bungie has officially announced an unexpected collaboration for both Destiny players and The Witcher fans. CD PROJEKT RED will partner up with Bungie to debut Witcher-inspired content in Destiny 2. The crossover is set to launch alongside Destiny 2’s Season of the Wish on November 28.
This isn’t the first time Destiny has seen a crossover with another franchise, but it’s certainly among the more high-profile, right along with the previous Sony crossover. That collaboration introduced armor sets inspired by God of War, Horizon Zero Dawn, and Ghost of Tsushima. The next set of Guardian cosmetics adds more armor to your closet, along with a finisher, Ghost shell, ship, Sparrow, and emote.
Guardians meet The Witcher
The crossover is inspired by the famed monster slayer Geralt of Rivia. As far as Guardian cosmetics go, the collaboration between Bungie and CD PROJEKT RED looks to have produced some genuinely unique pieces embracing the source material. The result is something that steeps Bungie’s fantasy-inspired sci-fi aesthetic even further into fantasy elements. Accouterments of The Witcher are visible, with rustic leather belts and woven hoods accenting the three Guardian Class appearances.
Each class sports a distinct look, with Titans outfitted in something reminiscent of heavy armor Geralt could wear in The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings — gratuitous amounts of chainmail and all. Hunters look like they might have Redanian colors, with a matching red set of pants, cloak, and hood. Over most of the Hunter’s armor, it’s accented with studded leather. Then there’s the Warlocks, battle mages decked out in sporadic metal bits, leather, and cloth robes. All Classes have two swords sheathed on their backs.
Toss a coin for The Witcher
Beyond Witcher-themed armor, there’s an additional few in-game items, including a Ghost shell, ship, and Sparrow. While the Sparrow and ship remain elusive, the promotional art offers a glimpse at the Ghost. It’s hard to say with certainty, but it could be a twist on Geralt’s iconic wolf medallion. Additionally, players can express themselves with a unique emote and finisher, adding another touch of The Witcher‘s flair to Destiny.
If you’re wondering how much it’ll cost you, Bungie has yet to reveal specific pricing for its upcoming cosmetics, but it wouldn’t be surprising if the cost aligns with the last big crossover. Back in the day, Bungie’s various PlayStation cosmetics ran players $20 per Class armor set. The community didn’t love the price, but the cosmetics appeared popular nonetheless. Given that the premium Eververse releases always see some adoption, the previous price points are likely here to stay.
