Ari Notis

Nintendo Announces Splatoon 3, Out 2022

When you see dusty backdrops and derelict train yards, you probably think of, well, anything other than the very colorful Splatoon series. But that’s how Nintendo initially showed off next year’s Splatoon 3 during today’s Nintendo Direct. Not gonna lie, of all the games we could’ve seen cap off the first Direct in a bazillion…

Xenoblade Chronicles 2‘s Pyra And Mythra Are In Smash

The next Super Smash Bros. Ultimate fighter isn’t Waluigi. It’s Pyra, from Xenoblade Chronicles 2. That’s not all. Mythra will join the roster as well. The two fighters will be available in March. Nintendo kicked off today’s Nintendo Direct—the first in 18 months, by the way—with the news. Pyra and Mythra appear to be a…

Fall Guys Coming To Switch This Summer [Update: And Xbox]

This one’s no hill of beans. Fall Guys will come out on Switch at some point in the summer. Following a savvy, streamer-centric marketing campaign, Fall Guys first came out last August for PC and PlayStation 4, where it exploded in popularity. That month, Fall Guys was one of the “free” games available for PS…

Bowser’s Fury Co-Op Sucks, But Super Mario 3D World’s Is Amazing

Nintendo’s first big release of 2021, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury, packages together a re-release of a seven-year-old game alongside a new, yet bite-sized, adventure. The main draw is the latter, which offers a showcase of what an open-world Mario game could be. What’s more, Bowser’s Fury technically has a couch co-op mode.…

You Can Instantly Summon Bowser In Bowser’s Fury With An Amiibo

The most infuriating part of Bowser’s Fury is Bowser himself. King Koopa’s arrival can both ruin your day and grant access to previously inaccessible areas, meaning the bite-sized Bowser’s Fury is somewhat of a waiting game. But you don’t have to wait for Bowser to do his thing. You just need a Bowser Amiibo. Amiibo,…

Marvel’s Avengers Receives Hawkeye, Next-Gen Versions On March 18

The Avengers can’t stop assembling. Clint Barton—also known as Hawkeye, or the “Really? Him?” Avenger—is coming to Marvel’s Avengers on March 18, alongside dedicated next-gen versions of the game. Marvel’s Avengers was initially planned for release on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X / S alongside the launch of the new consoles. Three weeks before…

Today’s Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Update Finally Adds Those Mysterious Skills

Last month, three skills mysteriously showed up in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, but only if you disconnected your console from the internet. Now, those skills are officially available, included in the game’s 1.1.2 patch, out today for all platforms. The massive 1.1.2 update (it’s 10GB on PlayStation 4, 19.5GB on Xbox Series X and S) adds…

Today, the law firm of Chimicles Schwartz Kriner & Donaldson-Smith LLP filed a class action complaint against Sony in New York’s Southern District. The complaint seeks damages for defective DualSense controllers. A class has not been certified yet.

Foregone Is So Much More Than A Dead Cells Clone

If you missed Foregone, fix that immediately. Foregone is incredible. Full stop. At first glance, you might think Foregone—which released last year for PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC—is a carbon copy of Dead Cells, Motion Twin’s eternally popular roguelike. For sure, the two share a lot of DNA in terms of art style, animation,…

The Surviving Mars OST Will Keep Me In High Spirits When I Blast Off Into Space

Welcome to Morning Music, Kotaku’s ongoing hangout for folks who love video games and the cool-ass sounds they make. Today, let’s listen to a soundtrack that’s out of this world: that of Surviving Mars, the Paradox-published 2018 city builder from Haemimont Games. The dream of Mars is no longer a fantasy, but it might be…

Axiom Verge 2 is coming to PC as an Epic Games Store exclusive, as revealed during a buggy Epic Games Store digital showcase Before today, the highly anticipated Metroidvania was only confirmed for a Switch release.

Today, developer Thunder Lotus outlined a 2021 roadmap for Spiritfarer Over the course of three free seasonal updates, the hygge simulator will get four new spirits, a new island, co-op fishing, and a raft of quality-of-life updates.

Nintendo’s New ‘Switch Concierge’ Service Will Give You Game Recs

Nintendo has launched Nintendo Switch Concierge, a program designed to familiarize those who “recently purchased a Nintendo Switch system” with the console. Switch Concierge gives Switch owners one-on-one video conferences with a Nintendo rep. There are six half-hour sessions to choose from: Nintendo Switch 101, Games (Getting Started), Games (What to Play Next), Security and…

Praise Be Unto Zeus, Immortals Fenyx Rising Finally Has Loadouts

Ubisoft released an update for Immortals Fenyx Rising today, resolving known issues, adding key stability improvements, and… blah, blah, blah. Forget about all that! The game is (finally!) getting loadouts! Today’s 1.1.1 patch bakes an equipment loadout feature right into Fenyx Rising’s inventory screen, allowing players to curate up to three loadouts. Following the update,…

Borderlands 3‘s Directors Cut DLC Out March 18, Adds New Raid Boss

Like its own boss fights, Borderlands 3 keeps going. Today, Gearbox revealed details about Director’s Cut, an upcoming DLC for the looter-shooter out March 18. Director’s Cut will add a series of recurring challenges called Vault Cards, concept art, storyboards, and something players have requested for a long time: a raid boss. Like the first…

Lucid Games released a hotfix for Destruction AllStars today that increases the amount of EXP you can get from daily challenges. It also reduces the chance that parties will get split up after a match, and addresses general issues with matchmaking. Full patch notes here

PS5 Controllers Are Drifting, And The Repairs Are A Hassle

Few things about the PlayStation 5 are better than the DualSense controller. It feels terrific to hold, somehow just as solid as it is light. The haptics are truly dynamic, at least for games that offer such support. It’s beautiful. But even the mighty DualSense reportedly isn’t immune to the Achilles’ heel of modern video…

Overcooked 2 Is Free On Switch This Weekend, If You Want To Be Alone On Valentine’s Day

Have any plans cooked up for Valentine’s Day? From tomorrow through February 16, relationship ruining co-op game Overcooked 2 will be playable at no extra cost for anyone with a Nintendo Switch Online membership—“just in time for Valentine’s Day!” Overcooked 2 is a game that involves preparing meals in the pressure-cooker environment of a busy…

What We Loved About Hitman 3

If there’s one thing Kotaku can’t get enough of, it’s Hitman 3. Between the wide-open levels, rapid-fire costume changes, and throwable bananas, IO Interactive’s latest stealth sandbox has enraptured many of us. Three of us (staff writer Ari Notis, staff editor Lisa Marie Segarra, and weekend editor Zack Zweizen) snuck into one of Kotaku’s many…

How To Make Sure You’re Playing The PS5 Version Of A PlayStation Game

Following recent updates for Destiny 2, Control, and the terrific Nioh games, PlayStation 5 owners are in a golden age of cross-gen games. But, if you’re not careful, you could very well end up playing the PlayStation 4 version of a cross-gen game on your PS5. The horror! Microsoft’s newest consoles, the Xbox Series X…