Gaming News

Big Summer Warhammer Preview Adds Black Library Logo and Now Warhammer 40,000 Lore Fans Are Hoping Games Workshop Is Finally Ready to Move the Narrati

Games Workshop has added a Black Library logo to its official Big Summer Warhammer Preview showcase, sparking speculation the company may announce new novels that finally move the overarching Warhammer 40,000 narrative forward. Big Summer Warhammer Preview, set for this Friday, July 18, will contain reveals for Games Workshop’s main tabletop games, including Age of Sigmar, The Horus Heresy, and of course Warhammer 40,000. Its initially released digital poster for the event did not feature the logo for Black Library, Games Workshop’s in-house book publishing division. However, on July 16, it released a new version of this poster with the Black Library logo added, sparking speculation that fans will get new novel announcements as well...

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I Just Banana Slipped Into a Bunch of Not Prime Day Deals That Are Way Better

There’s something oddly satisfying about scooping up post-sale scraps that should be gone by now. The Prime Day rush is done and dusted, yet a slew of cracking offers have somehow avoided the discount bin cull. I’ve been trawling the dregs so you don’t have to, and what’s still kicking around is honestly worth your time and wallet. This Day in Gaming 🎂 In retro news, I’m lighting a 17-candle cake for Secret Agent Clank using the low-heat blast of a Tie-A-Rang (that tuxedo-grade gadget that slices through henchmen and decorum with equal style). I fondly recall this offbeat PSP spin-off from the Ratchet & Clank universe as a genre-jumper, swapping the series’ traditional bombastic platforming for a stealth-lite spy parody, all deployed...

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Former Subnautica 2 Leaders Accuse Krafton of Hindering Game's Release, Firing Them to Avoid Paying $250 Million Bonus

The plot continues to thicken in the ongoing battle between the former leadership of Subnautica 2 studio Unknown Worlds, and parent company Krafton, now with the studio's founders alleging in a lawsuit that Krafton went out of its way to hinder Subnautica 2's development, delay the game, and ultimately fire them from the studio after it learned it may have to pay out a $250 million bonus to employees if the game were to be released on time. In a newly-unsealed complaint reported by Bloomberg and shared by Aftermath, former Unknown Worlds CEO Ted Gill, and fellow co-founders Charlie Cleveland and Max McGuire claim their relationship with Krafton, as well as the development of the game, was all going well up until early 2025, when the...

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Some of the Best Deals on Games After Prime Day Are Actually at GameFly

GameFly is running an impressive sale right now on PS5 and Xbox Series X games, plus Blu-ray movies. It’s definitely worth checking out if you’re looking to save money on recent AAA games. You can get PS5 deals like Elden Ring Nightreign for $27.99 and Doom: The Dark Ages for $39.99. You’re not likely to find those kinds of discounts anywhere else for quite a while on new copies of those games, especially after Prime Day. The caveat is that all of the games are pre-played (more info on that below). You can shop the whole sale here, or read on for our picks. Save Up to 50% Off Pre-Played Games at GameFly Elden Ring Nightreign is a fun twist on the From Software formula perfected in the original Elden Ring. It turns the game into a...

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Cyberpunk 2077 Patch 2.3 Contents and Release Date Confirmed, Although Nintendo Switch 2 Owners Will Have to Wait

Cyberpunk 2077 update 2.3 launches on July 17, CD Projekt has confirmed, across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S — but not Nintendo Switch 2. In a livestream, CD Projekt developers said the studio needs more time to work on patch 2.3 for the Switch 2 version of the game. No release date was mentioned, but it was said it will release "soon after." Paweł Sasko, Cyberpunk 2 Associate Game Director, said this patch focuses on vehicles and customization. Adrien Jouannet, Lead Designer at support studio Virtuos, which has helped CD Projekt with Cyberpunk 2077 updates, confirmed 2.3 adds three new cars (including the brand-new Yaiba Semimaru from the Cyberpunk 2077: Kickdown comic) and one new motorcycle, which is the first...

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Roblox Creators Can Now Apply To License Like A Dragon From Sega In Their Games

Roblox has launched a new licensing platform to allow easier connections between Roblox creators and IP holders, including Netflix, Lionsgate, and Sega. License Manager makes it easier for "eligible creators" to use approved assets based on iconic franchises like Squid Game, Stranger Things, Twilight, and Saw, and games like the Yakuza series, Like a Dragon. "Traditionally, licensing IP for game development has been a complex, time-consuming process, limiting opportunities to larger studios," Roblox said. "[Rights holders] can take a more tailored, selective approach with revenue sharing, an open source-style approach where fans can take the reins, or simply scan for IP usage across experiences. Licenses can be offered to existing...

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Yes, Destiny 2's Ikora Does Sound Different, But Bungie Is Now 'Actively Re-Recording' Her Dialogue With The Original Voice Performer

Bungie has confirmed it is "actively re-recording" some of the dialogue in Destiny 2 to restore the voices of characters like Vanguard Ikora Rey. With the launch of The Edge of Fate, the first expansion in the Year of Prophecy content lineup, fans noticed Ikora Rey, originally voiced by Gina Torres, sounded a lot like Savathun from The Witch Queen. That's because Ikora Rey's most recent voice actor was replaced by Debra Wilson, who plays Savathun. In its defense, Bungie did notify players that changes would be coming for the English casting of Orin, Chioma, and Ikora back in May, but yesterday (July 15) confirmed that while the voice cast had initially been "unavailable to record lines for The Edge of Fate," it was now "actively...

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Ready Or Not Modder Retcons 'Censorship' Changes Within An Hour Of New Patch Going Live

Within 20 minutes of implementing unpopular changes to the violence and nudity in VOID Interactive's shooter Ready or Not, a mod was available to retcon the changes. Yesterday (July 15), VOID Interactive proceeded with changes introduced to controversial shooter Ready or Not despite widespread condemnation from fans who believe the developer is "censoring" the game's gore and violence by "appeasing console market regulators." VOID said it had to adjust levels of gore, nudity, violence, and the "mistreatment of children" ahead of the July 15 console release, and rather than "maintaining multiple versions with different assets and mechanics" that would "increase the likelihood of bugs," some aspects of the PC version have also been...

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Steve's Lava Chicken Song Added to Minecraft, but You'll Need to Hunt a Chicken Jockey to Find It

There's now a toe-tapping Easter egg for this year's A Minecraft Movie hidden within the actual Minecraft game — though you'll need to hunt down a certain iconic enemy in order to find it. Yes, you can now listen to A Minecraft Movie's annoyingly catchy Steve's Lava Chicken song (or a new version of it, anyway) within Minecraft itself. The tune, and its performance by a typically jocular Jack Black, was one of A Minecraft Movie's viral scenes — and to find it within Minecraft, you'll need to go hunt down the enemy behind another of the film's most-memed moments: a Chicken Jockey. As detailed in Minecraft's latest patch notes, for this week's update 1.21.93, a music disc for the Lava Chicken song (remixed into a chiptune by Hyper...

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Rebel Moon Video Game Launches for Netflix Subscribers as Zack Snyder Keeps Plans for Future Movies Paused

Blood Line, a video game spinoff for Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon, finally launched today as the Netflix movie series it’s based on remains with an uncertain future. Subscribers may have been surprised to see Blood Line: A Rebel Moon Game show up as a playable game on their mobile devices today. Developed by Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate studio Super Evil Mega Corp, this spinoff of the sci-fi universe that Snyder kicked off in 2023 allows players to drop into the Rebel Moon universe with isometric, twin-stick shooter gameplay. “Take on intense combat missions in this multiplayer action game,” an official description for Blood Line says. “Build a rebellion against the Motherworld and fight for your planet’s freedom.” With...

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AU Deals: Appealing Donkey Kong Price Cuts, Discounted Must Owns For Your Shame Pile, and More!

It may be mid-July, but the sales heat hasn’t let up. If anything, it feels like someone at Amazon left the discount lever stuck in overdrive post-Prime Day. From cult classics to critically-acclaimed reboots, there’s a little something for every controller-clutcher this week. This Day in Gaming 🎂 In retro news, I’m lighting a 26‑candle cake for Silent Hill, the fog‑laden survival horror fest that kept '99-era me perched on a seat with barely 2% of the surface area of one butt cheek. I still remember tentatively sweeping my flashlight across those grainy, polygonal streets, only to have the beam half illuminate some scurrying something in the dark. Though the OG Resident Evil certainly vexed me first, the unique magic of Silent Hill...

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Maniacally Unhinged Shooter High On Life Hits Xbox Game Pass Again Today

Whatever your sense of humor I'd wager a giant pickle that you can't make it through an hour of playing High On Life without at least a childish snigger. The Squanch Games shooter is back on Xbox Game Pass today, so there's really no excuse not to test out that theory. Conceived in the brain of Rick & Morty creator Justin Roiland, it's a time honored tale of an alien invasion, bounty hunting missions, sentient weaponry, and a wannabe drummer called Globo who has a butt for a face. Roiland lends his vocal chords to your main gun, Kenny, who chats to you as you explore different planets and take on different enemies. It's essentially "what if Morty spat bullets and had something to say about every little move I made?" We gave High On...

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ARK: Aquatica Launches Today With a New 'All In-Game' Trailer

Last week, we learned ARK: Aquatica — the new expansion for ARK: Survival Evolved — finally received a firm release date: July 15 (that's today!), and to celebrate the launch, Snail Games has dropped an all-new official trailer, this time showing off what to expect from the game. Snail Games announced its "in-house developed new expansion map, ARK: Aquatica" at GDC in March. The studio described the expansion as a non-canonical side story to ARK in “an ambitious underwater setting featuring 95% of gameplay taking place beneath the surface." However, the ARK: Survival Evolved expansion trailer released alongside the announcement was resoundingly condemned after fans discovered evidence of generative AI imagery, and the follow-up...

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Agent of Strange Is a Uniquely Bizarre New Narrative Sandbox Thriller for PC

Sever Studio, developer of The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante, has announced Agent of Strange, a new narrative sandbox thriller with a distinct art style that's set in an early 20th century city that's sealed off from rest of the world – thus subjecting you and the rest of the populace to forbidden rituals, bizarre laws, and a reshaped reality. It's being published by HypeTrain Digital, and it's due out on PC in 2026. This bizarre occult city is ruled by the Traum Family, whom you'll need to go undercover with and infiltrate after these overconfident aristocrats were foolish enough to open the Forbidden Red Door, after which they weren't the same when they returned. Sever says you can play as a "spy, saboteur, charlatan...

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Microsoft Announces Xbox Game Pass July 2025 Wave 2 Lineup

Microsoft has announced Wave 2 of the Xbox Game Pass July 2025 lineup, which includes the launch of Grounded 2 via Xbox Game Preview, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, and more. As revealed in a post on Xbox Wire, returning today, July 15, is High on Life (Cloud, Console and PC) across Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, and Game Pass Standard. Next up is the arrival of RoboCop: Rogue City (Cloud, PC and Xbox Series X/S) on July 17, for Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, and Game Pass Standard. Also on July 17 are My Friendly Neighborhood (Cloud, Console and PC), before Back to the Dawn (Cloud, Console and PC) on July 18. Abiotic Factor (Cloud, PC and Xbox Series X/S) follows on July 22, before Wheel World (Cloud, PC and Xbox Series X/S) then...

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Worship: Be a Cult Leader in this Pikmin-Inspired Roguelike

Bless me, An-Ansgaidh, for I have sinned. Not against the Herald of Annihilation. Never against my god. I have always carried out my duties, my service, faithfully. Like any good cultist in An-Ansgaidh’s service, I long to be free from the burden of flesh, the toil of our mortal existence. Being a writer is a life of confessions. Every drop of ink I put to page reveals a bit of myself, whether I want it to or not. But now I have the honor of spilling blood in the service of a great god in this Pikmin-esque cult builder. And I am enjoying myself, but I feel kinda bad about it. My demo of Worship puts me in the robe of a cult leader sworn to An-Ansgaidh, Herald of Annihilation, the most compassionate of the Unseen Depth gods, who is...

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The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered Update 1.2 Quietly Closes the Door on Dark Brotherhood Lore Blunder

Bethesda has quietly fixed a door in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered that had left Dark Brotherhood lore fans scratching their heads. Warning! Potential spoilers for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered follow. Let’s cast our minds back to April and the hugely successful release of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered. Soon after launch, players of the original, much-loved open-world role-playing game noticed the door to the Dark Brotherhood’s Cheydinhal sanctuary entrance was inexplicably changed in a way that broke the lore. The door in question is at the centre of an iconic moment in Oblivion, one players who took on the excellent Dark Brotherhood quest will probably remember well. In the original Oblivion...

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Square Enix Won't Allow Switch 2 Upgrade for Dragon Quest 1 & 2 HD-2D Remake, Warns That DLC is Locked to a Specific Platform

While many Nintendo Switch 2 games offer upgrades from their Switch 1 counterparts, Square Enix's upcoming Dragon Quest 1 & 2 HD-2D Remake won't be one of them. In a lengthy Q&A, the publisher has now confirmed there will be "no upgrade path" between the version of Dragon Quest 1 & 2 HD-2D Remake for Switch 1, and the entirely separate but otherwise near-identical version of the same game for Switch 2. Of course, the Switch 1 version of Dragon Quest 1 & 2 HD-2D Remake is playable on Switch 2 via the newer console's backwards compatibility, but this version will not take advantage of the graphical upgrades found in the Switch 2-specific edition. Additionally, both save files and download codes for in-game bonus items are also locked...

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Ready Or Not Developer VOID Interactive Proceeds With Controversial 'Censor' Changes To Satisfy Console Makers Despite Fan Blacklash — Here's The Full

VOID Interactive has proceeded with changes introduced to controversial shooter Ready or Not despite widespread condemnation from fans who believe the developer is "censoring" the game's gore and violence by "appeasing console market regulators." "The free Los Sueños Stories update is releasing now!" VOID announced, listing bugfixes, new weapons, new missions, a new difficulty system, animation changes, and audio overhauls on Steam. As detailed in the "Character Art" section pertaining to base game update changes, the update says, "Added clothing to a character in A Lethal Obsession, Narcos, and some characters in the mission Hide and Seek," evidencing it is pressing on with one of the more controversial changes, which was to cover up...

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2014 Dead Island 2 'Would Have Killed The Franchise' Says Former Exec — 'It Had Nothing To Do With What Made The Original Really Fun'

A former head of communications at Dead Island 2 publisher Deep Silver has opened up about the "eight-year product delay" Dead Island 2 endured after early playtests reported "horrific feedback." At the end of a Develop:Brighton talk as reported by GamesIndustry.biz, Martin Wein — now at GameFlex Consultants — talked candidly about the sequel's troubled development, and how it was decided at a major milestone meeting with then-developer, Yager, that the game as it was then "sucked." Dead Island 2 was revealed at E3 2014 but soon went quiet before "mutual differences" separated Yager from Deep Silver. It was then moved to Sumo Digital before being shifted again in 2019 to its final home of Dambuster Studios. A new trailer and gameplay...

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Helldivers 2 Patch 01.003.200 Makes a Big Balance Change Among Others, Lets You Plant Your Flag in the Face of Your Enemy, and Lots of Fixes

Arrowhead’s Helldivers 2 updates continue with patch 01.003.200, which makes a big balance change and a number of fixes. According to patch notes released by the developer, 01.003.200 reduces the time it takes for the Helldiver to regain control after ragdolling from 0.8 to 0.5 seconds. This seemingly innocuous change will have big implications for how Helldivers 2 feels to play. It’s a game that leans heavily on its physics systems and the emergent gameplay that comes from them, and that includes being blasted around the map. As any Helldivers 2 player will know, you spend a lot of time prone on the floor recovering after being smashed into a ragdolling status. There’s a panic that sets in as you slowly pick yourself up and dust...

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The Only Official John Wick Video Game Is Being Pulled From All Platforms 6 Years After Release

The only officially licensed John Wick video game is being removed from sale just six years after launch. Bithell Games’ well-received John Wick Hex launched in October 2019. It’s a fast-paced, action-oriented strategy game “that makes you think and strike like John Wick.” John Wick, of course, is the hugely popular action hero made famous by Keanu Reeves. Fast forward six years and John Wick Hex is set for the digital scrapheap. In an update directed at the game’s community, publisher Big Fan Games (which is part of Devolver Digital) said John Wick Hex will be removed from sale on all platforms beginning July 17, 2025. After July 17, existing owners of John Wick Hex will still be able to access the game via their digital libraries...

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Prime Day’s Done, but I’ve Found a Marvellous Freebie Must Own and AAA Discounts Aplenty

Prime Day might be over, but someone clearly forgot to tell the discounts. In a twist that’s as welcome as it is unexpected, a hefty stack of deals has survived the retail storm, with prices still slashed across Switch, Xbox, PlayStation and PC. Whether it’s leftovers from the main sale or publishers riding the hype wave a little longer, there are still some proper gems worth pouncing on. This Day in Gaming 🎂 In retro news, I'm celebrating the 27th birthday of Point Blank, a PS One lightgun classic that's tied to one of my fondest gaming memories. For those of you unfamiliar with it, Point Blank is basically a collection of carnival target mini-games that's best played competitively with two players. Arguably the trickiest task is a...

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ZeniMax Union Responds to Microsoft Canceling Unannounced MMO: 'A Future Has Been Stolen From Us'

Following a wave of mass layoffs that impacted an estimated 9,100 employees at Microsoft, many of whom were in its Xbox gaming division, the union of employees at Xbox subsidiary ZeniMax have responded with a statement explaining the current employment status of its members. Today, ZeniMax Online Studios United (ZOSU), which represents employees on both The Elder Scrolls Online and the cancelled unannounced MMO, issued a lengthy statement addressing the layoffs and project cancellations. Critically, ZOSU confirmed that as of today, its members are all still employed by Microsoft and receiving pay and benefits, though this is likely not to be the case forever. Per the statement, worker representatives of the union are currently...

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Tales of the Shire's PC System Requirements Are Fairly Wide

A cozier Lord of the Rings experience is on the way with Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game. Weta Workshop's hobbit life-sim goes live later this month, and the studio has shared the surprisingly reasonable minimum system requirements ahead of Tales of the Shire's launch. Posted on the Steam page, the minimum system requirements are surprisingly low on the graphics card side. For the minimum bar, whihc is 1080p and 30 FPS on Very Low settings, you can get by with an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770, AMD Radeon R9 270X, or Intel Arc A580. The former two are both 4 GB graphics cards from 2013. While the processor will need to be a little more recent (an Intel Core i5-7600K or AMD Ryzen 3 1200), that's a fairly reasonable setup...

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Mafia: The Old Country – Exclusive Hands-On Preview | IGN First

Before I sat down to play about three hours of Mafia: The Old Country, Hangar 13 president Nick Baynes repeatedly mentioned his team’s desire for players to finish this prequel’s story. And so with that goal in mind, the latest Mafia game turns back the clock both chronologically – it’s set in the early 1900s in Sicily – and in game design as well. Mafia 3, though very good, went full open-world, and the developers seemed to feel similarly about it in hindsight as players did: it just didn’t fit Mafia well. The first two Mafias were gorgeous, narrative-driven, linear games set against the backdrop of a stunning and highly detailed world that, while explorable, really only existed as a beautiful backdrop for your main mission, rather...

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Physical Copies of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Keep Vanishing at Amazon

There's a major shortage of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 physical copies on PS5 right now, with every major online retailer in the US, including Amazon and Best Buy, completely sold out of the critically acclaimed RPG. Already touted as a potential Game of the Year contender, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a brilliant game and absolutely worth your attention (IGN awarded it a 9/10 in its review). But if you're hoping to get your hands on a physical edition for PS5, you might be out of luck for the moment. Most retailers are wiped out, and Amazon’s rare restocks vanish almost instantly every time new copies appear. This kind of scarcity is unusual for a standard edition release in 2025, especially for such a popular title. The Xbox...

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Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3 + 4 Developer Says It's Pulling an Odd Reference to Guitar Hero, and 'Investigating' How It Got in the Game

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 developer Iron Galaxy says it is "investigating" a curious "Easter egg" that some fans believe references an Activision series resigned to the trash. Literally. Shortly after the highly-anticipated Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 remake went live for all players last week, players noted a familiar-looking — if "legally distinct" — box in a trash bin on the new Waterpark level. While not everyone may make the connection, you can see what appears to be a boxed copy of Guitar Hero — or 'Banjo Champion' as it's been rebadged as here, albeit with all the Guitar Hero branding — stuffed into the can. It's a particularly curious addition given the developer of the Guitar Hero series from Guitar Hero 3: Legends of...

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Subnautica 2 Drama Gets Even Messier As Krafton Confirms Internal Document Leak Is Real

Amid an increasingly bitter row over a $250 million bonus, Krafton has now chosen to confirm a leaked Subnautica 2 development document purportedly criticizing the highly-anticipated sequel is, in fact, real. But first, some context. Krafton acquired Unknown Worlds in October 2021 and at the time, said the Subnautica studio would continue to operate as an independent outfit. Last week, however, former Striking Distance CEO, Steve Papoutsis, joined Subnautica 2 developer Unknown Worlds as CEO. The shock announcement confirmed that the previous leadership team — Ted Gill, Charlie Cleveland, and Max McGuire — were replaced "effective immediately." In a subsequent statement, co-founder Cleveland responded to what he called the "shock"...

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Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Definitive Edition Dev Says Replaced Space Marine Scream Was 'Even More Beloved Than We Realized' as Intro Cinematic C

It is perhaps the most beloved intro cinematic in Warhammer 40,000 video game history, a precious relic of a bygone era that is seared into the memories of fans of Games Workshop’s grimdark setting. And woe betide anyone who dares to change it, lest the wrath of all four Chaos gods descend upon them. That’s how I imagine the developers at Relic Entertainment felt after releasing a high quality version of Dawn of War’s iconic intro cinematic to accompany the announcement of the August 14 release date of the Definitive Edition. The video, below, reveals the insertion of dialogue from the 2004 Dawn of War real-time strategy game into its intro cinematic, replacing some of the original audio along the way. Chief among the changes is the...

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