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'The Game Isn't About Shooting Other Players' — Arc Raiders Dev Explains Why It Won't Add Additional PvP Mechanics Like Leaderboards
Amid the debate about Arc Raiders players who focus on the PvP aspect of the game and little else, the boss of Embark Studios has made the developer’s position clear: this is not a game about killing other players, and it doesn’t want to “foster” that type of gameplay. Arc Raiders is a multiplayer extraction adventure in which players scavenge the remnants of a devastated world, but the main threats are Arc’s machines and, as Embark Studios puts it, “the unpredictable choices of fellow survivors.” Arc Raiders’ player versus environment versus player gameplay has resulted in a number of viral clips showing how friendly encounters can quickly devolve into a fight to the last. Yes, you can play solo or in parties up to three, working as...
Stray Children: Why the Developer of the Game That Inspired Undertale Has Now Made a Game Inspired by Undertale
In the fall of 2025, I had the great pleasure of attending Tokyo Game Show, a trip that also naturally included a few pit stops to meet local developers and see what they were up to. On the very last day of my trip, in the final hours just before I went to the airport, I arrived at what I desperately hoped was the Onion Games office. I was overburdened with two giant suitcases, in a foreign country, and unsure of exactly where it was. As I glanced up at the building where I thought I’d been directed to go, I caught a glimpse through a window of a silly-looking figure plastered on a wall: a man in an asparagus suit. Yeah, that was it. I lugged up a flight of stairs to a non-descript door where I tentatively knocked, and was shortly...
South Park/Fortnite Crossover Arrives This Week
Hot on the animated heels of The Simpsons, which enjoyed its own Fortnite mini-season throughout November last year, it’s been confirmed South Park has its own collaboration with the battle royale juggernaut set to arrive this week. The only official information related to South Park’s upcoming Fortnite crossover is an image of Butters playing the game, which notes the date January 9, alongside a caption that reads, “Chaos, loading…”, shared via Fortnite’s official social media. There’s no further confirmed information regarding how extensive the South Park content will be, but clarity on this appears to be just a couple of days away. Rumours of a South Park/Fortnite crossover have been in circulation since late last year. The news...
AU Deals: Deep Cut Discounts, Big Names, and Way Too Much Value
In the last week alone I have bounced between cozy RPG comfort food, punishing action roguelikes, and at least one moment where I stared at a sale price and muttered "that cannot be right". This batch of deals feels especially unhinged in the good way, where backlog guilt briefly loses its grip and curiosity wins. I have played most of these, finished a fair chunk, and regret absolutely none of the recommendations that follow. Contents Retro Nintendo Xbox PlayStation PC PC Gear LEGO This Day in Gaming 🎂 Meanwhile, in retro news, I'm celebrating the 16th bday of Darksiders, progenitor of a series that really should’ve continued today instead of only being remastered and spun-off. My memories of reviewing it before launch were that...
'Steam Charts Don't Measure Fun' – Splitgate Dev Chimes in After Players Express Fear Over PC Launch Numbers
1047 Games has some thoughts regarding how Splitgate: Arena Reloaded is faring on Steam, and it’s got a message for fans: “Steam Charts don’t measure fun.” The Halo and Portal-inspired FPS re-launched December 17 for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X | S after the studio chose to U-turn with an overall rework for Splitgate 2 back in July 2025. It was a move made amid layoffs at 1047 that saw both the sequel and its popular predecessor pulled offline as the studio promised to return with “big, sweeping changes.” Those changes seemingly failed to attract players, with just around 2,300 players logging in to play the free-to-play game on Steam at launch and a little more than 800 playing at the time of this piece’s...
The Lenovo LOQ RTX 5060 Gaming PC Drops to $799.99, Great Budget 1080p Option
Shopping around for a budget PC under $1,000? Best Buy has one deal available right now that matches the best deal I saw during Black Friday. For this week only, the Lenovo LOQ gaming PC with GeForce RTX 5060 graphics card drops to just $799.99 shipped. Despite the low price tag, this PC is still more powerful than the upcoming Steam PC and will get you a consistent 60fps on just about any game at 1080p resolution. Lenovo LOQ RTX 5060 Gaming PC for $799.99 The Lenovo LOQ gaming PC is equipped with an AMD Ryzen 7 8745HX CPU, GeForce RTX 5060 GPU, 16GB of DDR5-5200MHz RAM, and a 1TB NVMe SSD. The AMD Ryzen 7 8745HX is an 8-core, 16-thread processor with a max boost clock of 5.1GHz. It's a solid general-purpose CPU that complements the...
Top Five Most-Played Games on PlayStation and Xbox in 2025 in the US Were the Same as in 2024
2025 was bursting with really cool new game releases: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Hollow Knight: Silksong, Death Stranding 2, Ghost of Yōtei, Blue Prince, Donkey Kong Bananza, I could go on. And yet, it seems like the vast majority of players (at least in the US) spent most of their time playing the old hits on repeat, because the five most popular games on PlayStation last year were exactly the same as the year before. This comes from Circana analyst Mat Piscatella, who shared on Bluesky today the top five most-played games in the US on PlayStation for 2025: Fortnite Call of Duty GTA V Roblox Minecraft And for 2024: Fortnite Call of Duty GTA V Roblox Minecraft (They're the same picture.) The layout is different (I guess) on...
007: First Light Costar Lenny Kravitz Discusses His Love of James Bond Movies Ahead of His Video Game Debut
Last year, IO Interactive revealed that musician and singer Lenny Kravitz would be making his video game debut in 007: First Light – not as the singer of a film-like Bond Theme, but as an actual character in the game. Cast as Bawma, a charismatic pirate king with a mysterious edge, Kravitz's video game debut promises action, intrigue, and a dash of rockstar theatrics. I had the opportunity to speak with him about his role in the game, his decades-long love for the Bond films, and to try to glean a little bit more about his character’s role in this twist on a traditional Bond story. Originally announced as “Project 007” in 2020, IO Interactive has started to loosen the valve on information about its upcoming game starring the...
Vanran, a Soulslike with Shadow of the Colossus-Sized Boss Battles, Drops New Trailer and Demo Release Date
Vanran, a fast-paced soulslike action game with Shadow of the Colossus-sized boss battles, is getting a playable demo later this month. Check out the new trailer above, and the reveal trailer below. If this is your first time hearing about Vanran, it's an indie-developed, faster-paced-than-usual soulslike that features random dungeons, and whose developers at Becuzus describe its fantasy world as such: "Vanran is a dark fantasy action RPG where a fallen human slave wields a sealed blade to spark rebellion. Players walk a brutal path toward freedom in a world of despair." A playable demo will be available on Steam from January 23-30, and you can wishlist it on Steam if you're interested. Ryan McCaffrey is IGN's executive editor of...
Microsoft’s First Xbox Game Pass Announcement of 2026 Confirms Star Wars Outlaws, Resident Evil Village, and More for January
Microsoft has made its first Xbox Game Pass announcement of 2026, confirming a number of big hitters for January. The headline additions are Ubisoft’s Star Wars Outlaws and Capcom’s Resident Evil Village, but there’s plenty more coming to subscribers this month, as confirmed on Xbox Wire. 11 titles in total were announced for this month, taking fans through to January 20. Available today, January 6, is twin-stick shooter Brews & Bastards (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) and Little Nightmares Enhanced Edition (Cloud, Handheld, PC, and Xbox Series X|S), both available across Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, and PC Game Pass. Tomorrow, January 7, Rebellion’s Atomfall (Cloud, Console, Handheld, and PC) hits Game Pass Premium, as...
Romeo Is a Dead Man Brings Gameplay Maturity to Suda51’s Signature Madness
You can’t always describe Goichi Suda and Grasshopper Manufacture’s games, but you know them when you see them. Examples like Let It Die and Lollipop Chainsaw might not resemble each other on paper, but spend any length of time with them and their specific high energy, off-the-wall style, brash tone, and script that's just wall-to-wall one-liners and you'll see that could really only ever come from one place. Just a few minutes with their latest slasher, Romeo Is a Dead Man, and yeah the boys are definitely back in town. But after playing the first two chapters, the latest mad science experiment of an action game helmed by Suda51, it clearly takes some big steps forward in art design and presentation that really raises the “Wow I didn’t...
The Arc Raiders Movie and TV Show Offers Are Already Coming In, and the Boss of Embark Studios Sounds Up for It
If you've been wondering if TV executives have spotted Arc Raiders' rip-roaring success, wonder no more — "many" have already reached out to the development team to discuss making a TV series or movie. While Embark boss Patrick Söderlund was coy about the details, he did admit that numerous companies had been in touch in hopes of making a movie or show about "this IP," adding that Arc Raiders "fits quite well" for a game-to-TV adaptation. "I can’t tell you how many companies have reached out to us wanting to make a TV series [and] movie out of this IP," Söderlund told GamesBeat. Asked if he'd been "tempted" to take up any of the offers, Söderlund admitted he had, but did stress: "We [wouldn't] mind doing that. It would be fun, but...
Banana Castles, Frog Island, and Skinballs: Here Are Some of the Wacky Things Devs Do to Test Video Games
Last year, I had the great pleasure of attending the Games Industry Conference (GIC) in Poznań, Wielkopolska, where I sat in on a number of talks about game development and craft. In one of those talks, given by Petr Nohejl, devops programmer for Warhorse Studios, I heard a fascinating anecdote that got me thinking about the silliness of video games, and the lengths testers go to in order to ensure they run smoothly for players. Nohejl’s talk was about Kingdom Come: Deliverance II and the challenges faced by programmers trying to debug the game, resolve crashes, and deal with gameplay hitches. It was far deeper and more advanced than the bit I’m presenting here, and admittedly pretty over my head in terms of technical specifics, as I’m...
Resident Evil Requiem will feature gameplay set within a busy city environment, a new Nvidia trailer has revealed — prompting a mixed response from fans. Comments on today's new Requiem trailer published by Nvidia range from praise for the look of the location to shock at the fact that it exists in a Resident Evil game. It's fair to say that Capcom's survival horror series has never featured an area like this, with cars driving, and pedestrians strolling down a city street. But today's glimpse is just a glimpse, with a few shots of the area and a brief snippet of protagonist Grace Ashcroft walking along. It remains to be seen how expansive this actually is in-game. "I am immediately alarmed by this," Resident Evil fan Sakaixx wrote...
Where Winds Meet Version 1.2 Update Out Later This Week, Includes 'Most Formidable Challenge Yet'
NetEase and developer Everstone Studio have outlined its January roadmap for the open-world action-RPG, Where Winds Meet, which includes new modes, campaign missions, quests, puzzles, and bosses. The developer is set to push out the newly-announced Version 1.2 update on January 9. We can expect updates every week of the month, including the final chapter in the Kaifeng campaign — described as "the most formidable challenge yet" — and a competitive Guild Battle Pre-Season (more on that below). You can also partake in limited-time festivities via the Jianghu Martial Games, and visit the Nine Mortal Ways Camp and mysterious puzzle cave, Mistveil Prison. "Hidden in the Ghost Market beneath Kaifeng, the Nine Mortal Ways Camp Serves as a...
'It's Like Saying We Should Spend More Time on Tatooine With Farmer Luke' — Cyberpunk 2 Creative Director Says Extending 2077's Act 1 Wouldn't Have Ma
Ever since Cyberpunk 2077 came out in 2020, fans have debated Act 1, which sees V befriend Jackie Welles and attempt to make it big in Night City before the infamous heist mission goes horribly wrong. Some feel the game would have been better had Act 1 been extended and given players more time with the much-loved — but short-lived — companion character. But what does the creative director of Cyberpunk 2 think? Taking to social media, CD Projekt's Igor Sarzynski said extending Act 1 before the heist wouldn’t have made Cyberpunk 2077 a better game, and he used Star Wars to back up his point: “it's like saying we should spend more time on Tatooine with farmer Luke before he got involved with all this Jedi stuff.” Then: “the motivation /...
Get a 2-Pack of 6.6ft USB Type-C Cables for Just $5.60
USB Type-C has become the standard for charging and data cables alike, so it's good to have extra on hand. Amazon is offering a two-pack of Lisen 6.6ft 240W USB Type-C cables for just $5.60 after you apply coupon code "4CCBGLIF". That averages out to $2.80 per cable. USB-C cables typically go for about $10 each at your local big box store. Use these to charge or sync any device with a USB-C port, including your Nintendo Switch 2, iPhone 16, or even a laptop. 2-Pack of Lisen 6.6ft 240W USB Type-C Cables for $5.60 Keep your cable collection simple. These cables measure 6.6 feet in length, which is a great general purpose length: long enough to still be able to use your device while the cable is plugged in, but not so long as to be an...
AU Deals: New Releases Meet Monster Bundles at Prices That Feel Like a Mistake
I went into this week's deals expecting a light browse and came out with the kind of shortlist that threatens friendships and free time. This is one of those rare lineups where variety, value, and sheer time-sink potential all collide. I have played most of these, regretted none, and my sleep schedule still has not forgiven me. Contents Retro Nintendo Xbox PlayStation PC PC Gear LEGO This Day in Gaming 🎂 In retro news, I’m using the snap of a perfectly matched triple to light a 17-candle cake baked for Magnetica, the fast-twitch, stylus-driven Zuma-like that sent chains of glossy marbles snaking towards oblivion on my DS. I was there in 2007, flicking spheres into place with a stylus, watching colours slam together with that deeply...
Original Magic: The Gathering Art Director Wanted the TCG to 'Celebrate Female Empowerment' With Its Card Art
The original art director of Magic: The Gathering, Jesper Myrfors, has once again taken to social media to offer some interesting behind-the-scenes insight into the early days of the game, this time explaining his efforts to ensure Magic "celebrated female empowerment along with male empowerment" through a simple rule: "No babe art!" In a Facebook post over the weekend, Myrfors spoke at length about his intentions for inclusivity in card art, and his efforts to hire women artists for the game. He says he wanted to ensure that Magic was appealing to women and men, particularly in the midst of a wider gaming environment that was often "less appealing for women" in no small part due to portrayals of female characters as "window dressing"...
Nearly Triple Your Nintendo Switch 2 Playtime With This $11 Iniu 10,000mAh Power Bank
Extend the battery life on your Nintendo Switch 2, Steam Deck, or Apple iPhone 17 for a rock bottom price. Amazon is currently offering the Iniu 10,000mAh 45W Power Bank for just $11.21 after you clip a 49% off coupon on the product page. This is the best price right now for a 10,000mAh power bank from a popular and reputable brand. You better hurry though because this type of deal usually hits its redemption limit in just a few hours. Iniu 10,000mAh 45W Power Bank for $11.21 This Iniu power bank features a 10,000mAh (37Wh) battery capacity. If you factor in 80% power efficiency, here are the approximate number of times you can fully recharge some of the more popular gaming handhelds and smartphones: Nintendo Switch (16Whr) about...
Former ZeniMax Online Founder Confirms He Resigned Because Xbox Killed Project Blackbird
Matt Firor, the former studio head and founder of ZeniMax Online Studios, has confirmed his resignation from the company as a direct result of the cancelation of the studio's unannounced game, Project Blackbird. In a LinkedIn post today, Firor reflected on the last year and confirmed his departure back in July, which had already been rumored after he stepped down from his leadership role last year. "Project Blackbird was the game I had waited my entire career to create, and having it canceled led to my resignation. My heart and thoughts are always with the impacted team members, many of whom I had worked 20+ years with, and all of whom were the most dedicated, amazingly talented group of developers in the industry." Firor also made...
It's Taken 15 Years, But Someone's Finally Completed Super Meat Boy Without Dying Once
Super Meat Boy, the hard-as-nails platforming classic where dying dozens of times per level comes as standard, has now been played from start to finish in a perfect run. It's been 15 years since Super Meat Boy originally released for Xbox 360, and it has taken all of those 15 years for someone to pull off this frankly astonishing feat. Step up shredberg, a Nintendo speedrunner with a particular soft spot for Super Meat Boy, who livestreamed his deathless completion of the game just before the end of 2025. The achievement quickly drew congratulations from Edmund McMillen, the game's co-creator, who dubbed shredberg as "awesome" for being the one who finally managed it. For anyone who's played and struggled with Super Meat Boy over...
Battlefield 6 Has Dropped to Just $40 in the New Year Sales
Walmart has dropped Battlefield 6 to just $40 for both PS5 and Xbox in the 2026 New Year sales. That's almost 50% off, and pretty close to its outstanding Black Friday deal I was raving about not so long ago ($35 for a limited time only). If you're looking for a traditional boots-on-the-ground multiplayer shooter to play in 2026, this is it, and it's the best price we're likely to get on it right now. Snap it up ASAP, as I don't see this deal lasting the rest of the week, especially since Walmart is already indicating that stock is running low. While it's not the best deal we've ever seen on the game, it's fairly comparable, with just a $5 difference, and well worth checking out if you missed the previous best last year. Released in...
Amazon Slashes 50% off Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 as a Little New Years Treat
A new year is upon us, and if you're looking for some new games to stock up on to keep you busy in these early months, Amazon is the place to look. Though the holidays and their seasonal sale events may be behind us, the retailer is kicking off 2026 with some worthy video game deals. This includes a 50% price drop on Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 for PS5 and Xbox. Normally, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 features a retail price of $59.99, but this offer has dropped it down to just $29.99. Not to mention, it's the best price for both PS5 and Xbox, according to price tracker camelcamelcamel. That's a stellar offer to jump on right now, especially after all of the holiday sales. If you've been hoping to sink your teeth into a big RPG this...
Styx: Blades of Greed Aims to Carry the Torch for Stealth Games
The opening area of the campaign for Styx: Blades of Greed shows promise and the potential for creative stealth gameplay as a tiny but mighty creature in spaces designed for much larger beings. Extinguishing torches to create safe passages, cutting chandelier chains to crush groups of guards, and popping out of goblin-sized tunnels to assassinate enemies from behind is just kind of Styx’s thing. And now, the third entry in the series has sharpened its blades considerably. If you already liked Styx: Master of Shadows, Styx: Shards of Darkness, or any of the series’ obvious inspirations – such as Thief, Dishonored, Assassin’s Creed, et cetera – you’re in for a treat when Styx: Blades of Greed launches on February 19 for PC, PS5, and Xbox...
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Developers Hid The Meanings Behind Dozens of Character and Enemy Names Within The Game's Code
A Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 fan has discovered hidden name explanations for the game's enemies and other characters buried within the game's files, which give an intriguing look at some of their origins. The descriptions — some of which even include links out to Wikipedia — were discovered by reddit user Responsible-Race-575 and appear to have been intended for development staff translating the game's text into other languages. Of course, Clair Obscur is developed by French studio Sandfall Interactive and is heavily influenced by French language and culture, and the explanations here look to be an attempt to ensure as much of the game's original references make it through into other languages. So, how much did you spot? Some of...
Code Vein 2: The Final Preview
“Anime Souls” is a term often used to describe the original Code Vein. And while that is a very simple but fair descriptor – it is after all one of the very few soulslike games with an undeniably anime aesthetic – it also doesn’t really describe what was actually cool about the 2019 action RPG. For instance: the emotional storylines of your companion characters, delivered in these excellent sequences where you relive their most tragic memories; the phenomenal score by the wonderful Go Shiina; the flexible Blood Code system that allowed players to switch up their stats and playstyle without having to respect their whole character while also being able to pick and choose skills from other “classes.” There was certainly room for...
'The Biggest Discovery in Red Dead Redemption 2 in Years' — Rockstar Fans Uncover Spiderweb Mystery Unnoticed Since Release, and Now the Hunt Is on fo
Red Dead Redemption 2 fans are searching for answers to a newly-discovered mystery that's been hidden within Rockstar's cowboy sequel since its original release. After more than seven years, a group of Red Dead aficianados recently realized they'd stumbled on something no one had reported previously — a series of mysterious spiderwebs that began spawning on eight telegraph poles throughout the game's vast world, each during a specific hour of the night. Two weeks on, more clues have now been found, and it's become clear that this is a deliberate secret included by Rockstar within the game, which players are now rushing to uncover the full meaning of. Similar to Red Dead Redemption 2's quest involving dreamcatchers (and a familiar...
Resident Evil 4 Remake Originally Began With a New Introduction Where You Played as Ashley
Resident Evil 4's helpless companion character Ashley was once planned to star in a newly-designed intro made for Capcom's acclaimed remake. Everyone knows by now how Resident Evil 4 opens: with fan-favorite character Leon S. Kennedy thrown into the action as he investigates the abduction of Ashley Graham, the U.S. president's daughter. And in the final version of the brilliant Resident Evil 4 Remake, this is again how the game begins. But Capcom planned — and at least partially built — a new introduction sequence dubbed Chapter 0 which would have seen players sneak around as Ashley, before she's finally dragged off by brainwashed ganados. And now, a fresh video showing some of the mission has been put together. Ashley's Chapter 0...
AU Deals: I Played These, I Loved These, And They Are Ridiculously Discounted Right Now
I have spent more hours than I care to admit bouncing between wishlists, review builds, and half finished save files, so when a sale lineup actually stops me mid scroll, I pay attention. This batch does exactly that, mixing genuine classics with a few pleasant surprises that feel underpriced on purpose. I have played most of these on release or close to it, and several of them still live rent free in my head. Contents Retro Nintendo Xbox PlayStation PC PC Gear LEGO This Day in Gaming 🎂 In retro news I'm using a Bob-omb to light a 26-candle cake baked for Super Smash Bros., the N64 brawler that stole all my heart containers at launch. I have vivid memories of introducing this multi-fest to my rotating crew of a dozen or so buddies...
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