Gaming News

Xbox Announces Gamescom Plans, Including a 6-Hour Livestream

Xbox is back at Gamescom in Cologne, Germany this year, and it's released an official line up and schedule. Plans include a six-hour livestream and insight into a number of previously announced games. The Xbox Booth @ gamescom Live Stream is a six-hour event that will take place on Thursday, August 25 from 5am-11am Pacific / 8am–2pm Eastern / 1pm-7pm UK. The livestream will feature developer interviews as well as gameplay, but Xbox isn't indicating that there will be new announcements as part of the stream. The current, incomplete list, includes: Microsoft Flight Simulator Gunfire Reborn Sea of Thieves Lies of P High On Life Grounded Pentiment A Plague Tale: Requiem Minecraft Legends Planet of Lana Age of Empires IV The Xbox...

View full article »

Cult of the Lamb Review

When I started Cult of the Lamb, I wasn’t expecting to be shoveling so much poop. This is a true wolf of a base-management game in the sheepish clothing of an action-roguelite, but it balances that unexpected mix of genres with grace. Its adorable art style and surprising amount of side activities fill its relatively linear structure up with personality – and while its combat sections aren’t deep enough to keep me coming back after the credits rolled, this is a dark ritual I’m very glad to have completed. Cult of the Lamb puts you in the fluffy hooves of a cult leader newly resurrected by an imprisoned deity called The One Who Waits. Now it’s up to you to free your master by recruiting new followers to the flock, building a base for...

View full article »

Breaking Bad Creator Once Pitched the Idea of a GTA-Like Game Adaptation

Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan has revealed that he once raised the idea of a Grand Theft Auto-style video game adaptation of his hit series. As reported by Dualshockers, Gilligan said during the latest episode of the Inside the Gilliverse podcast that several ideas for Breaking Bad video games have come and gone over the years, also including a PlayStation VR experience. "I'm not much of a video game player but how can you not know Grand Theft Auto?" he said. "I remember saying to the two gentleman who said yes originally to Breaking Bad, I said 'who owns Grand Theft Auto, can't you have like a module, can there be like a Breaking Bad [adaptation]?' "It still makes sense to me," Gilligan continued. "That never came to...

View full article »

Half-Life 2 VR Beta Release Announced for September

Half-Life 2 is getting a VR mod, and it’s arriving in beta form this September. Half-Life 2: VR, a headset version of the narrative FPS classic will begin its open beta on PC next month – but no specific date has been announced just yet. “Good news, everyone!” said a statement from the Source VR Mod Team, which is making the mod. “The wait is nearly over - the Half-Life 2: VR public beta is launching in September. And yes, we do mean this year.” The mod is currently undergoing a closed playtest. It runs on SteamVR, so any headset using the Steam platform can be used to play Half-Life 2: VR. It's been tested on the Index, Quest, Vive, and Pimax headsets. Half-Life 2 is one of the most best-loved games of all time, revolutionizing...

View full article »

Aussie Deals: Horizon FW Hunted Down to $64, 29 Buck Dying Light 2 and Pay Less for a LEGO NES!

Let's make like good (bargain/dinobot) hunters and cut right to the chase. Horizon Forbidden West is a damn fine get for 64 bucks, and it's just the tip of the, er, spear with today's bargains list. I'd also make a lot of time for Dying Light 2 at sub-30 clams. You also wouldn't believe how great a fully-patched copy of No Man's Sky is for $19 (and in VR, if you own a headset). Lastly, I'd have snoop into that 2K sale that Humble Bundle is having. There's lots of Mafia in there, see. Notable Sales for Nintendo Switch Purchase Cheaply for PC Exciting Offers for XO/XS Product Savings for PS4/PS5 Legit Discounts for LEGO Adam Mathew is our Aussie deals wrangler. He's @grizwords and games on YouTube. Continue reading...

View full article »

Blizzard Reveals When Overwatch 2 Loot Boxes Will End

Blizzard has announced when loot boxes will be phased out of Overwatch in anticipation of the new Battle Pass system. The announcement was quietly mentioned in a blog post about the Overwatch Anniversary Remix Volume 3 event. The company confirmed that the loot boxes would "no longer be available for sale" come August 30th. However, the post notes that you'll still be able to earn standard loot boxes after the Remix event. This Anniversary Remix event is Blizzard's way of "cleaning house" of sorts, allowing players to earn (or buy) cosmetics before Overwatch 2 launches on October 4, 2022. This includes skins and cosmetics from previous Overwatch Challenge events. Players will also be able to participate in "brawls" and relive...

View full article »

Digimon Survive Review

You ever see someone with massive, toned arms but embarrassingly scrawny legs? Digimon Survive is a little bit like that person: it overwhelmingly succeeds at being an entertaining visual novel, but completely skips leg day when it comes to its tedious tactics combat. Apart from some serious pacing problems, meeting Digimon Survive’s memorable characters and exploring the grim world they are in make the story at its center very enjoyable. But while this visual novel digivolves in the areas of storytelling and characterization, the slow and mind-numbingly simplistic turn-based combat system crammed into it comes close to spoiling that otherwise enjoyable tale entirely. The glacial opening hours of Digimon Survive feature a group of...

View full article »

Best Lapdesk 2022

Sitting at your gaming desk in front of your gaming monitor might be the way most PC gamers play, but unless you've got a killer setup with a comfortable gaming chair, it often doesn’t compare to the coziness of lounging on your couch for some casual gaming. The problem is when you switch over to the couch, you suddenly can't use your gaming keyboard and gaming mouse as easily. At least, not unless you have a lapdesk. Lapdesks let you relax while still having an effective battle station, giving you the best of both couch and desk gaming. Working from home is also a whole lot more enjoyable when you’re not sitting in an office chair for eight hours straight. The key components of a quality lapdesk are a tray for your keyboard or laptop...

View full article »

Gotham Knights: Designing Mr. Freeze, and Giving Him a Gang to Play With - IGN First

The key thing to know about Gotham Knights’ factions is that they aren’t just henchmen for a named villain. The gangs of enemies you’ll find across Gotham’s darkened streets are sorted into affiliations – with their own preferences of street crime and equipment – but they’re mercenaries, not cultists. Take our subjects for today: the Regulators faction, and classic supervillain Mr. Freeze. The Regulators are an existing gang in this version of Gotham, a group of tech-enhanced ne’er-do-wells who steal advanced goods, traffic organs and augment their own power with their ill-gotten gains. You can meet them doing their own thing as you clean up the streets – but you can also find them allied with Mr. Freeze, and adopting his penchant for...

View full article »

MultiVersus Has Seemingly Passed 10 Million Players

New platform fighter MultiVersus has seemingly passed 10 million players in just three weeks – and before it's even left beta. According to tracker.gg (via PC Gamer) the game has hit a colossal 10,268,259 active accounts across all platforms since it headed to open beta three weeks ago. While this isn't an official announcement, tracker.gg ingests data directly from games, so it would seem to be accurate. We've contacted Warner Bros. for confirmation. The new game from Warner Bros. features iconic characters such as Batman, Bugs Bunny, and Shaggy and Velma from Scooby Doo, and it seems as though these classic Warner Bros. characters have tapped into gamers in a big way. MultiVersus has proved to be a surprise hit with an...

View full article »

Elden Ring: Latest Update Makes Summoning Signs Much More Useful

The latest Elden Ring update has added some interesting changes to summoning signs. Update 1.06 has made summoning signs more useful, adding “the function to send summoning signs to summoning pools in multiple areas, including distant areas.” Essentially, this means you’ll have more of a chance of being summoned to another player’s game while going about your business in The Lands Between. You won’t even have to stay near your sign anymore and can continue exploring while you wait for a summon. Unfortunately, when sending a summoning sign to a “distant area” the summoning pools in Mohgwyn’s Palace are excluded. While no reasoning is given for that single exclusion, it may be because this area is commonly used to farm Runes and...

View full article »

Someone Added Shadow of Mordor's Nemesis System to Skyrim

A modder has put Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor's genius Nemesis System into Skyrim, which means you can now set yourself up for revenge against dragons (or mudcrabs, or anything else) that kill you. Syclonix's Shadow of Skyrim: Nemesis and Alternative Death System mod turns almost any enemy that defeats you into a nemesis. This nemesis gains a unique name, grows in stength, steals your weapons (and may even use them), and inflicts a debuff on you. The only way to remove that debuff and gain back your equipment is to seek your nemesis out and kill them. Handily, the mod creates a quest in your log so that you can easily track your revenge. The mod's design attempts to thread together situational stories with your nemesis. For...

View full article »

Aussie Deals: A Bewitchering CDPR 20 Year Sale, $49 Nioh Collection and 64% Off PS Hits Range

Though CD Projekt Red has had a rough year or so, there's no denying the lure of discounted Witchers. I should also like to draw special attention to a few other games near and dear to my heart. Firstly, the Prince of Persia series (in particular the Sands of Time) should be on your bucket list. Ditto with Inside, the spookiest lil' platformer since Limbo. Lastly, practically everything in the PS Hits range is worth the 9 buck asking price. God of War especially. Notable Sales for Nintendo Switch Purchase Cheaply for PC Exciting Offers for XO/XS Product Savings for PS4/PS5 Legit Discounts for LEGO Adam Mathew is our Aussie deals wrangler. He's @grizwords and games on YouTube. Continue reading...

View full article »

Take-Two Expects Almost Half its Sales This Year to Come From Zynga's Mobile Games

Take-Two has just released its first set of earnings since it fully acquired mobile developer and publisher Zynga, and it looks like mobile is already playing an absolutely massive role in the publisher's future. Take-Two's net bookings for the quarter were up 41% year-over-year in no small part thanks to Zynga. And recurrent consumer spending was up 48% and accounted for 73% of that total, again largely thanks to Zynga, though NBA 2K22 and Tiny Tina's Wonderlands also played a role. What's more, Take-Two is expecting Zynga to account for a whopping 45% of its total net bookings for the entire fiscal year ending March of 2023, with 2K making up 37%, Rockstar accounting for 45%, and Private Division making up 1%. Admittedly, Take-Two...

View full article »

Marvel's Midnight Suns Delayed Once Again, Possibly to 2023

Marvel's Midnight Suns has been delayed a second time, and while it doesn't seem to be a long delay, we're now once again without a clear release date for the Firaxis tactical RPG. In today's Take-Two earnings results, the publisher revealed that it has moved back the launch of Midnight Suns "to ensure the teams at Firaxis Games and 2K deliver the best possible experience for our fans." It's expected to arrive "later this fiscal year," which for Take-Two means sometime before March of 2023, but we don't have a specific date yet. Additionally, only PC, PS4, and Xbox Series X and S players will get to jump in on that date - the PS4, Xbox One, and Switch versions are planned for even later. Midnight Suns was originally planned for...

View full article »

STALKER Console Port Seemingly Leaked by Russian Fan in Revenge Over Ukraine Support

A leak of what appears to be a new console port of STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl has been uploaded onto the internet by a Russian streamer apparently upset over developer GSC Game World's approach to supporting the war in Ukraine. A new report from PC Gamer reveals that a Russian streamer who goes by two names - 'Nevazhno, Kto' and 'Velichaishii' - uploaded footage of an apparent console port of the original STALKER game, first released on PC in 2007, accompanied by a five-page document. Said document details that Nevazhno leaked the footage because GSC Game World has, in his eyes, discriminated against Russian fans by encouraging them to donate to Ukraine's Come Back Alive Foundation. The foundation helps supply defensive equipment to...

View full article »

Soulstice: The Final Preview

The Sacred City of Ilden is the perfect staging grounds for an apocalyptic attack by the nefarious Spawn of Chaos, an army of demonic creatures that happens to be swarming into the city through a giant Tear in the sky, not unlike Dragon Age Inquisition’s Fade Rift or Pokémon Legends: Arceus’ massive Space-Time Rift. None better to stop the invasion than the battle-hardened warrior Briar and her ghostly companion-slash-sister Lute, both of whom are Chimera; members of the mysterious Order of the Ashen Blade and the supposed heroes of this world. Things don’t exactly work out with the other Chimera, and you, playing as the dynamic duo, are left to vanquish the Spawn of Chaos by yourself – if not for the help of a few unlikely friends...

View full article »

The Art of Skull and Bones Revealed by Dark Horse Books

Ubisoft's Skull and Bones is undoubtedly one of the most anticipated new games of 2022, and now pirate fanatics have even more to look forward to at the end of the year. Dark Horse Books is following up the game's release with a new hardcover called The Art of Skull and Bones. Like all of Dark Horse's video game art books, The Art of Skull of Bones features a mix of concept art, creator interviews and other behind-the-scenes material that sheds light on the making of the game. Considering how long Skull and Bones has been in development - and how often it's been delayed - that should make for some very interesting reading. The Art of Skull and Bones will also devote special attention to the many colorful characters and ships that...

View full article »

Call of Duty Showcase Will Include Warzone 2, Modern Warfare 2 Beta, and More in September

Activision Blizzard has announced Call of Duty: Next, a livestream event that will include information on Call of Duty: Warzone 2, Modern Warfare 2, and Warzone on mobile. The showcase will air on September 15, and a public beta for Modern Warfare 2 will follow. Announced on the Call of Duty blog, Activision Blizzard calls Next an "an era-defining franchise event showcasing the immediate future of Call of Duty." No specific timing has been announced at time of writing. The event will include: Information on Modern Warfare 2 Information on Call of Duty: Warzone 2 Information on the mobile version of Call of Duty: Warzone A reveal of Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer Streamers playing the games live Unannounced information "and...

View full article »

Street Fighter 6: Kimberly and Juri Revealed in New Trailer

Capcom has announced two new additions to the Street Fighter 6 roster. Revealed on-stage at EVO 2022, and later posted to Twitter, the trailer shows off Kimberly and Juri. Juri first appeared in Super Street Fighter IV, and is described as a sadistic thrill-seeker. The spunky ninja Kimberly is brand new to Street Figher VI. You can check out both characters in the new trailer below. Kimberly's moveset seems to focus on fast-paced jabs and aerial kicks, with a number of devastating bicycle kicks shown in the trailer. Juri rides into battle on a motorcycle, before unleashing a flurry of tornado kicks on her opponents. After a teaser trailer earlier this year, Street Fighter 6 was formally revealed at the June 2022 State of Play. The...

View full article »

Guilty Gear Strive Season Pass 2's First Character Announced

Arc System Works has announced the release date for Guilty Gear Strive Season Pass 2 alongside its first DLC character, Bridget. The Second Season and Bridget will be released on August 8. At EVO, Arc System Works’ previously announced Season Pass 2 for Guilty Gear Strive begins with the launch of Bridget, the yo-yo’ing attacker. This is the character’s first playable appearance since Guilty Gear XX Core Plus R. Alongside the playable new character, Bridget will come with two new battle stages and a second color pack. Arc System describes Bridget as an “easy to pick up” character with both long-range attacks and excellent movement. Guilty Gear Strive Season Pass 2 will feature 4 new characters in total, so expect three more...

View full article »

Aussie Deals: Save 100 Clams on Sennheiser Cans, Lowest Prices on GoW, Xenoblade 3 and More!

Welcome to yet another week of savings! I've scoured the stores and sites to make your bargain hunting ridiculously, unfairly easy—the rough equivalent of going out to poach duck with a heat-seeking missile system. Simply get scrolling to get saving on nothing less than the games that matter. Notable Sales for Nintendo Switch Purchase Cheaply for PC Exciting Offers for XO/XS Product Savings for PS4/PS5 Legit Discounts for LEGO Adam Mathew is our Aussie deals wrangler. He's @grizwords and games on YouTube. Continue reading...

View full article »

EVO 2022: Arc System Works Wants to Be Less Passive With IP Collaborations

Arc System Works creates some of the best fighting games in the business. From Dragon Ball FighterZ, to Guilty Gear Strive, to the recently released DNF Duel, there's no shortage of great fighting games coming from the studio. However, beyond recognizable titles like Dragon Ball FighterZ, the studio's offerings are relatively niche when you travel outside of the hardcore fighting game audience, especially in the West. Arc System Works CEO Minoru Kidooka wants to change that. At EVO 2022, IGN spoke with Kidooka, who said that in the past, Arc System Works had been very passive with regards to collaborating with other IPs, with IP holders being the ones coming to them with the offers for collaboration. Kidooka wants to change that...

View full article »

EVO 2022: Bandai Namco Teases Next Tekken Game

Bandai Namco has shared just a glimpse of an upcoming Tekken project. On stage at EVO 2022, after the Tekken 7 Grand Finals, Bandai Namco shared a trailer for its next Tekken 7 update. At the conclusion of a trailer, they showed the iconic Tekken cutscene of Kazuya Mishima throwing his father, Heihachi Mishima off a cliff. At the point when the cutscene zooms in on Kazuya's face, it instantly swaps from 1994's PlayStation version of Kazuya to a very modern-looking version of the character. "Get Ready" then appears on the screen, before the trailer fades to black. You can skip to the 1:40 mark in the video below to watch the teaser. Series director Katsuhiro Harada briefly showed up on the official EVO stream, but didn't elaborate...

View full article »

EVO 2022: SNK Announces Development of New Fatal Fury Game

On stage at EVO 2022, SNK announced that a new entry in the Fatal Fury/Garou series is in development. It will be the first entry in the series since 1999's Garou: Mark of the Wolves. No release window or platforms were named, as the announcement was only paired with a short teaser trailer and single piece of artwork. Also known as the Garou series, the Fatal Fury franchise began in 1991 with the release of Fatal Fury: King of Fighters on the Neo Geo. The series continued on the Neo Geo through the 1990s, until Garou: Mark of the Wolves launched in late 1999. The series came to a halt after that entry, meaning this newly-announced title will be the franchise's first in over 20 years. Developing... Continue reading...

View full article »

Rollback Netcode Is Coming to Dragon Ball FighterZ

Dragon Ball FighterZ fans have finally gathered the seven Dragon Balls to make their wishes come true, as Bandai Namco announced that rollback netcode is coming to the popular fighting game. Revealed after the Dragon Ball FighterZ Grand Finals at EVO 2022, Producer Tomoko Hiroki shared a message with fans saying that the long-awaited feature is finally coming Dragon Ball FighterZ. Hiroki also confirmed that PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S versions of Dragon Ball FighterZ are in development. If you want to take advantage of the game's upcoming rollback netcode functionality, you'll need to play on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, or PC. Fortunately, Hiroki said Bandai Namco is planning a way for owners of the PS4 and Xbox One versions to...

View full article »

PlayStation Survey at EVO Asks Players What NFTs They'd Like to Buy

At EVO 2022, PlayStation is asking players through a survey about what kind of NFTs they would be interested in purchasing. On Twitter, user snorlaxownz posted a screenshot of a survey they received from PlayStation asking, “Which of the following NFT/Digital Collectibles would you most be interested in purchasing?” The answers include EVO-branded collectibles, favorite music artists, favorite esports players and teams, PlayStation items, and favorite game characters. IGN confirmed the survey ourselves at EVO, suggesting at the very least PlayStation is gauging user interest for NFTs at the event. PlayStation previously addressed NFTs before. Last month, Sony launched a new PlayStation Stars loyalty program that allowed players to...

View full article »

Destiny 2: Where Is Xur Today? Location and Exotic Items for August 5-9

The vendor who cannonically loves ultimate frisbee, Xûr, is now live in Destiny 2 for the weekend until next week's reset. If you're looking to get your some shiny new Exotic armor or weapons for your Guardian, look no further. Each week, Xûr has a random assortment of Exotic armor, one for each Guardian class, as well as a random Exotic Weapon and an Exotic Engram available for purchase. In addition to his Exotic wares, he's got a random collection of Legendary weapons and armor to deck out your Guardians. We've rounded up all the info on Xûr for the week including where to find Xûr, which Exotic weapons and armor are available, as well as which Legendary weapons you should pick up, either for PvE or PvP. Where Is Xûr Today? Xûr's...

View full article »

Assassin's Creed Valhalla Might Be Getting an Iron Man-Inspired Armor Set

Assassin's Creed Valhalla seems primed to introduce an armor set that references Iron Man. As spotted by Eurogamer, dataminer AndyReloads has found some sleek new armor hidden in the game’s files, which could be released in a future update. The Advanced Mechanicals Armor Set gives users the ability to use a chest-mounted energy beam, much the same as Iron Man’s unibeam. The set comes in two colorways, with the Copper edition very much looking like Iron Man's red and gold attire. A second Iron version is a sleek white take that looks more akin to a Star Wars Stormtrooper. Neither includes a specific reference to the movies in question, so these seem to be cheeky references rather than an official crossover. While wearing this new...

View full article »

FIFA 23: Hands-On Preview

FIFA is back for another year, but jokes about the remarkable inevitability of gaming’s football simulation behemoth should be uttered in hushed tones. Not because EA doesn’t deserve flak for its piecemeal iteration, but because FIFA 23 will be the series’ last hurrah ahead of a shock branding change to EA Sports FC in 2023. The death of such a historic licensing deal creates a sombre atmosphere around this year’s game, but EA is determined to make the end of an era feel jubilant. With expanded crossplay, the addition of women’s club football and two FIFA World Cups in its release window, FIFA 23 plans to go out with a bang. Having spent a whole weekend with an in-progress build of the game, the revised take on gameplay feels...

View full article »