Having a (relatively) small device that can play basically any big game on it is a cool idea, and that’s what I love about Valve’s Steam Deck. But the Deck can be a bit bulky, and its battery just doesn’t last sometimes. Plus it doesn’t work easily with Xbox Game Pass. So the idea of a new, smaller handheld dedicated…
If your sticker shock from Nvidia’s reveal of astronomical prices for its new 4000-series graphics cards yesterday gave you disadvantage on perception checks, I bring bad news: It’s not likely to get any better, at least as far as Nvidia is concerned. It seems team green is sticking to those sky-high prices for its…
The latest in EA’s FIFA soccer franchise won’t just star your favorite current players, but will also feature the fictional squad from the hit AppleTV show Ted Lasso. And the character himself will be a playable coach in the upcoming game, with a fully mocapped Jason Sudeikis to bounce about alongside your team,…
Previously this week, early development footage of the next Grand Theft Auto game, assumed to be Grand Theft Auto VI, leaked all over the internet. You probably already know about all that. Since then, it’s become harder to find the leaked footage, and sites—including Kotaku—aren’t able to showcase footage or…
While digital and physical sales of the Saints Row reboot hit a strong second place in both American and European markets, the open-world crime sim was denied first place by Madden NFL 23 and Grand Theft Auto V, respectively. While second place isn’t bad, the Saints Row reboot has actually been a bit of a flop, at…
It’s been a wild week for hackers making off with video game studios’ private files and using publishers’ services for their own gain. But this time, it’s a major studio accused of doing the hacking. A group of Destiny 2 cheat makers are suing Bungie for hacking into one of their computers. They are seeking a trial by…
Babylon’s Fall, the live-service role-playing game Kotaku writer Ethan Gach named the PlayStation 5’s “new worst game,” has been made so valueless, some GameStops are giving physical copies away for free.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, out October 28, will stand by controversial design decisions even after its strained beta weekend, developer Infinity Ward says. The long-standing ability to slide-cancel—which allowed players to manipulate sliding into a super-fast run—is gone, and, in a move that has replaced some…
One of the top ten esports companies in the world might have just lost its highly coveted franchise spot in Riot Games’ upcoming pro Valorant league because the CEO defended partying with internet misogynist Andrew Tate. Outside reports and comments by some employees certainly make it seem that way, insinuating that…
As if Twitch wasn’t in the news enough already, the platform is again making new headlines, following yesterday’s successful campaign by top broadcasters to ban gambling from the livestreaming service. However, instead of money problems, we’re dealing with issues of sexual assault and harassment, as personalities like…
Take-Two is definitely not having a good time of it. Following the weekend’s colossal leak of GTA VI, its septimana horribilis continues with the fresh news that its 2K Games support services have been hacked, and customers are now being sent out phishing scams.
Star Citizen, a video game that exists as a Forever Promise, was first revealed to the world back in 2012 via a Kickstarter campaign that raised $2.1 million. In the decade since, through the announcements of spin-offs, modules, in-game economies and countless other features and half-baked ideas, the game seems no…
I had seen screenshots of Trombone Champ earlier this week and thought it was some kind of Wii Music meme I’d completely missed. Now that I know it’s an actual game of its own, though, I am very glad I’ve had the chance to check it out.
The Grand Theft Auto VI leaks were big news for all kinds of reasons, but one of the more interesting talking points has been the revival of a discussion about how “bad” a game can look in front of the public.
It’s been a rough 24 hours for people broadcasting in purple. After a scandal broke that a Twitch streamer had been scamming viewers and peers alike out of an alleged $200,000 to fund a Counter-Strike: Global Offensive addiction, top personalities started exerting pressure on the live-streaming company to do…
When the day starts to cool and the leaves turn crunchy orange, I’m in the best mood possible. I want to light a cranberry-scented candle, settle into soft blankets, and boot up one of many great autumnal video games—games that take place in autumn months, or have radiant and full fall settings.
Today, after many months of leaks, rumors, and speculation, Nvidia finally officially revealed its next generation of graphics cards, the RTX 4000 series. While new graphics upgrades are welcome—the RTX 3000 series is now over two years old—Nvidia’s decision to charge massive premiums for the new-generation GPUs, as…
The latest haul of new releases and ports is on its way to Xbox Game Pass and there’s a bunch of really good stuff. While sci-fi shooter Deathloop finally joins the console service after a year of PS5 exclusivity, 2021's massive Viking sim hit, Valheim, is also on the way to the PC side. Here’s everything coming for …
October is slated to be a stacked month in the realm of anime with the return of the popular shonen series Bleach, and the debut of the hotly anticipated devil-killing anime Chainsaw Man. However, it’s not looking like the English voice actor for everyone’s favorite milk-drinking psychic will be reprising his role in…
Kid-friendly PC MMO Wizard101 was released back in 2008 and for the past 14 years, it has quietly chugged on, successfully staying afloat while many other games have shut down. But recently, this old MMO found itself thrust into the spotlight after a series of bizarre and expletive-filled in-game messages began…
Arkane Studio’s latest game is its biggest yet, with esoteric puzzles, cutthroat combat, and an entire loot system all wrapped around a repeating time loop. And with it now arriving on Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Plus, a lot more people are likely to be leaping in. If you’re one of them and Deathloop seems…
A week after big layoffs rocked the network, Kotaku has learned that Xplay host, Indiana “Froskurinn” Black, is no longer with G4. Comcast, G4's parent company, bought out the remainder of her contract, according to two sources familiar with the business. The news was announced internally by head of the network, Joe…
Anime adaptations of video games are entering a renaissance of sorts with the critical success of Netflix’s Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, Arcane, and Castlevania. Unfortunately, if we flip the process around, the same can’t be said for the latest video game adaptation of the dark fantasy anime Made in Abyss, which leaves a…
Video games are inescapably intertwined with iteration and do-overs. It’s written into the technology that builds them, the development practices that craft them, and often the very rules governing how they work: win-lose, trial and error. Some games have tried to mask this artifice in the service of more naturalistic…
Kim MacAskill, a writer whose career includes work on upcoming Rocksteady game Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, was recently nominated for a lifetime achievement award by the nonprofit organization Women in Games. However, she recently took to Twitter to announce that she cannot in good conscience accept the…
Today, EA and Marvel announced that Motive Studio is developing a new, single-player, third-person, action-adventure game starring Iron Man. This confirms earlier rumors that such a game was in early development at Motive, the same studio behind the upcoming Dead Space remake.
It turns out a Twitter account called TheRealInsider, the latest in a crop of leakers posing as gaming industry insiders, was actually run by YouTuber Dan Allen Gaming. The account had convinced many in the scene that it was the real deal after accurately teasing which new Assassin’s Creed games would be revealed at…
Presumptive GOTY Elden Ring is, in perhaps the least surprising piece of news that I’ll write for this site today, getting a board game adaptation.
Menyr, which pitches itslef as a “story-telling engine”, is a toolbox that lets players create an entire digital world for their role-playing games, from landscapes to settlements, then play through them. Launched on Kickstarter earlier this month, it has already blown past its funding goal.
Back in January of 2021 GameStop’s stock price exploded as Reddit trolls went to war with old-school investors after the latter bet on the company failing. Reddit et al called their bluff, and well, it’s now the stuff of documentary films. Speaking of, Netflix just released a new trailer for its upcoming documentary…
After I went down the river last year, I honestly didn’t think I’d be back here reviewing NBA 2K23. What could possibly be left to say, for a series whose relentless pursuit of player’s time and money “sucks the life out of the basketball itself”, and in 2022 just keeps on doing it?
Well, one of the biggest video game leaks in history happened over the weekend. I probably don’t need to tell you, but yes, in case you missed it: Early footage of the next Grand Theft Auto, assumed by many to be GTA VI, leaked all over the internet yesterday. Today, Rockstar has commented about the situation, calling…
Hey, no judgment if you burn your toast, I still occasionally eat dinosaur chicken nuggies. We don’t all have what it takes in the kitchen, but the life simulation game Disney Dreamlight Valley lets everyone take control of their destiny.
World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen was supposed to play Hans Niemann, a 19-year old he previously implied was a cheater, in the Champions Chess Tour 2022 today. Instead, he resigned after making just one move, reigniting the embers of a scandal that’s consumed the chess world this month. Now people are calling on him…
On Saturday, a Twitch streamer named Abraham Mohammed, better known to viewers as Sliker, admitted that he had scammed fans and other content creators out of at least $200,000 to fund his Counter-Strike: Global Offensive gambling addiction. In response, big-name streamers such as Imane “Pokimane” Anys, Matthew…
It was bound to happen. AI-generated art pieces are popping up in competitions, despite much controversy, and they’re likely already flooding your social media feeds in some way or form. The big promise behind the ability to generate detailed images with just a few prompts and clicks, after all, is the so-called…
Another day, another Elden Ring challenge run. Since FromSoftware’s massively popular Soulslike dropped on February 25, Tarnished the world over have tackled the game in some absolutely nutty ways. But while beating it with a single hand and playing it with a harp are impressive, Twitch streamer Luality has been…
Thanks to the power of anime and Netflix, Cyberpunk 2077 has exited its flop era. The beleaguered game has soared in popularity on Steam following the release of developer CD Projekt Red and animation studio Trigger’s collaborative 10-part anime series, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners.
Insomniac’s Spider-Man is a revelation when it comes to feeling the power and agility of everyone’s favorite wall crawler as he web-slings across New York City’s skyline. But what if you could actually see the world through Spidey’s eyes as you flew through Times Square? A new mod for the PC remaster does exactly…
