Eric Van Allen

Absolver‘s Trendiest Move Is Literally A Slap To The Face

As players have started populating the in-game world of Absolver and search for every move possible, one particular strike has proved both elusive and sought-after: a formless, direct, open-handed slap to the face. The Calbot is a simple move, one players have been referring to as “the slap.” In a game about technique and form,…

League of Legends is making runes free and removing the level cap this coming preseason. IP and blue essence will combine into the latter as a single currency earned across levels to purchase champions, chroma and more.

Pro League Of Legends Team Says It’s Losing More Than $1.1 Million A Year

European esports organization H2K issued a letter yesterday to the League of Legends community, saying it will not continue to participate in the European League Championship Series unless Riot Games creates a better financial structure for teams. H2K, a team competing in today’s EU LCS playoffs, has been a part of the European region’s LCS since…

Recent Patches Are Bringing Rocket League Back To Basics

Rocket League has been steadily growing as a scene, both fostering its own league and spotlighting on networks like NBCSN. It’s easy to see why—rocket-car soccer is inherently simple to understand as a spectator. The high-flying automotive game has space for wild plays, but when it comes to competitive action, simple has proven better. Though…

Absolver: The Kotaku Review

Adal, the setting for Absolver, is large and untamed, but it fits. Overgrown ruins dot the landscape. There are cracks in the ground, ships washed far ashore. Something happened, but there’s little in the way of exposition or grand story. You play as a prospect who enters Adal to fight their way to the final…

Tips For Playing Absolver

Martial arts brawler Absolver drops today, a mix of kung-fu and Souls games from developer SloClap. It’s a deep game that can be pretty hard at times. Here are some tips and tricks that will help you on your road to absolution. Pick a class that suits you. At the outset of Absolver, you can…

Tweek and MK Leo have a little fun talking with their nametags before their next game at Shine 2017. Tweek would go on to take the set 3-0, defeating Leo’s Corrin, Bayonetta and Toon Link.

Wrestling Continues To Grow On Twitch With TripleMania XXV

While many were watching one circus in a ring last night, a different, better one was taking place on Twitch. Streaming exclusively to the platform was the AAA Lucha Libre Worldwide TripleMania XXV, a spectacular wrestling event featuring high-flying maneuvers and death-defying drops. Wrestling is no stranger to Twitch—amateur and themed wrestling events like WCPW and…

Menat will be the next character to join Street Fighter V’s roster. The Egyptian-themed orb wielder will be available Aug. 29, bringing a little bit of Rose back to Street Fighter

Quake Champions Finals Pit Young Blood Against Seasoned Pro

Two eras of competitive Quake clashed in Dallas today, as the first world championships were held for the early access Quake Champions, awarding $1 million in prize across the tournament. 19-year-old Nikita “Clawz” Marchinsky came into this year’s Quake World Championships Duel as the young Quake Live talent, taking down players like “cooller” to earn a…

Longzhu Gives The World More Reasons To Ban Jayce

In the lead-up to last night’s finals in the League Champions Korea summer playoffs, Longzhu Gaming made it clear, in no uncertain terms, that any opponent should probably ban Jayce against them. Kim “Khan” Dong-ha, top lane player for Longzhu, boasted an 8-1 record on the transforming League of Legends champion during the summer season.…

Players Fall Like Dominoes In Rainbow Six: Siege Finals

Just like in your favorite horror movie, checking the downstairs basement one-by-one in Rainbow Six: Siege isn’t a very good idea. In today’s Rainbow Six: Siege Year 2, Season 2 finals, Penta Sports was set to defend their title as Pro League champs. On the way there, in a semifinals match against Team Fontt, Penta…

Turns Out Madden‘s Referees Make Human Errors Too

Even the AI refs in Madden need glasses. Over the weekend, at the FIFA Interactive World Cup, a questionable offsides started to make me wonder: What if the refs in video games are programmed to, on occasion, get it wrong? In Madden, for example, there’s a “challenge” system that mirrors NFL football. If you think…

Age Of Empires IV Announced, Made By Dawn of War Developers

Microsoft has announced that a new Age of Empires game will be coming to PC. Age of Empires IV will be developed by Relic Entertainment, makers of the Dawn of War series. The trailer depicts battles throughout many different periods and regions, from the height of the Roman Empire to early naval warfare, conquistadors, revolutionaries,…

Age of Empires Definitive Edition will come to PC on Oct. 19, 2017, exclusively for Windows 10. A new trailer from Gamescom showed off the new 4k graphics, remastered soundtrack, and lots of good zoom.

Overwatch Pros Melt Before The Zarya-Doomfist Double-Ult

The Zarya-Doomfist combination, sometimes referred to as a “gravfist,” is a simple but effective one-two punch. It’s brutal in public games, but seeing it land in a professional Overwatch match is spectacular. Zarya starts it off with her Graviton Surge, which launches a gravity bomb, sucking opponents into one confined area. Then Doomfist launches into…

Druids Are Dominating Hearthstone‘s Newest Expansion

It’s been a week and a half since the new Knights of the Frozen Throne expansion dropped for Hearthstone. With each new set, there’s always a few growing pains and adjustments, but even in a short amount of time, one thing has become clear: Hearthstone, as it stands right now, is all about the Druids.…

League Pro Steals Show With Massive Triple Kill

Yesterday’s North American League Championship Series ended in an upset for Cloud9, but marksman player Zachary “Sneaky” Scuderi can’t feel too bad. His plays on Tristana during the final game of the series were easily the highlight of that day’s games. In a fight at Baron Nashor, the giant purple beast that rewards an empowering…

We Respect This Splatoon 2 Player’s Dedication To Inking Their Spawn

We have often espoused the virtues of inking your spawn in Splatoon 2‘s Turf War mode, but rarely do you see dedication like player “Giokiller” exhibited in one match. Clipped by Twitch streamer HeyItsBigfoot during a regular match, Giokiller seemed hellbent on not just generally inking the spawn, but covering every square inch. It’s a…

Riot Creates League of Legends Platformer Based On Community Suggestions

As part of their annual “hackathon,” several Riot Games employees created a 2D platformer based on community suggestions. The game, called Ziggs Arcade Blast, is now available to play. Made in 48 hours, the game (downloadable here) features the bomb-lobbing Ziggs journeying through an arcade-style world to eventually fight Brand, another League of Legends champion.…