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OpinionImpressionsThe Outer Worlds’ First DLC Is Too Cynical For Its Own Good
Peril on Gorgon is a good excuse to return to the Outer Worlds’ retro-futurist dystopia. I only wish doing so had finally given me some hope that its neo-feudalist colonies might someday be saved. Out last week on PS4, Xbox One, and PC (it will arrive sometime later on Switch), Peril on Gorgon is the…
By Ethan Gach -
CultureDestiny 2’s Weirdo Planetary Vendors Are Finally Getting Their Due
A bristly researcher taking a one-way trip into an ancient alien cave. A gruff warrior making one last stand against the odds. A fanatical cutlist watching the abyss stare back while trapped in a time maze. A brilliant engineer set on rescuing Earth’s last, most advanced artificial intelligence from cyber-death. The unifying thread? Some of…
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CultureThe Mystery Around Control’s Next-Gen Upgrade Restrictions Takes Another Weird Turn
Owners of the original version of Control say they recently discovered it had automatically switched to the new Ultimate edition that ensures a free upgrade to next-gen platforms, raising even more questions about why the game’s upgrade process continues to be such a mess. The game’s publisher, 505 Games, had previously said that the only…
By Ethan Gach -
CultureEverything Ubisoft Showed During Today’s Forward Showcase
Ubisoft held its second summer showcase today, giving updates on a number of its live games and new looks at upcoming ones like Immortals: Fenyx Rising, the revamped mythological adventure shown in years past as Gods & Monsters. The company tried to clear the air beforehand by having CEO Yves Guillemot apologize for the widespread…
By Ethan Gach -
CultureUbisoft Says It Will Donate To NAACP After Using Black Lives Matter Imagery To Depict Terrorist Group
During a pre-recorded video ahead of Ubisoft’s gaming showcase later today, CEO Yves Guillemot called the recent use of raised fist imagery in Tom Clancy’s Elite Squad “an oversight” and said measures will be put in place to make sure it doesn’t happen again. “I want to be clear, Ubisoft stands for equality and respect…
By Ethan Gach -
CultureUbisoft CEO Apologizes To ‘Everyone Who Was Hurt’ By Misconduct At The Company
Ahead of Ubisoft’s second summer showcase later today, the global video game publisher released a short video in which CEO Yves Guillemot apologized to all of those hurt by “certain Ubisoft employees” who failed to “uphold our company’s values.” “I am truly sorry to everyone who was hurt,” Guillemot said. “We have taken significant steps…
By Ethan Gach -
CultureWarframe Devs Plan To Shave Another 15GB Off Its Install Size
Game sizes have spent the last several years ballooning, so it’s always a treat when an update actually makes a game smaller, and Warframe’s developers are making it a lot smaller as they slowly remaster the game. Digital Extremes plans to accomplish this by pushing out several updates modifying the game’s textures and other assets…
By Ethan Gach -
CultureHow Xbox Series S Compares To Series X
Microsoft is releasing two consoles this fall, and while they’ll both play all the same games, they won’t play all of them the same way. So just how much more powerful is the Xbox Series X than the Series S? It’s impossible to say without actually being able to test both consoles, but based on…
By Ethan Gach -
CultureThe Xbox Series X Launch Lineup Is Looking Better
Gears Tactics and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla make the Xbox Series X lineup look better than it did a week ago. Prior to this week all we knew was that the Xbox Series X was coming sometime in November. The Series S hadn’t even been officially confirmed. Now we know both will come out on November…
By Ethan Gach -
CultureAssassin’s Creed Valhalla Release Date Moved Up A Week
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is now set to come out November 10, Ubisoft announced on Twitter today. That’s a week earlier than its previous release date of November 17. It’s also just in time to make it a launch game for the Xbox Series X, which Microsoft revealed this morning is also coming out that day.…
By Ethan Gach -
CultureOdds and EndsI Really Need A New Chair
This was never part of the plan, but it’s 2020 and here I sit. I’ve heard it all: “That can’t be comfortable,” “You’ll ruin your back,” “Why the hell are you doing this to yourself,” “It’s a crime against god.” And of course it’s all true. I work eight, nine, sometimes 10 hours a day…
By Ethan Gach -
CultureUbisoft’s Immortals Fenyx Rising Comes Out This Year, According To Leaked Xbox Listing
Based on a now-deleted Xbox listing that went live overnight, it looks like Immortals Fenyx Rising, formerly known as Gods & Monsters, will be out on December 3 of this year. The listing, screenshots of which were shared online by Twitter user Wario64, shows new art for the game, alongside its new title, which Ubisoft…
By Ethan Gach -
CultureOdds and EndsNintendo Just Threw Super Mario Galaxy 2 Down The Memory Hole
One of the best mainline Mario games ever was nowhere to be found during today’s Super Mario Bros. 35th Anniversary Direct Nintendo celebrated 35 years of Super Mario Bros. today by announcing that a number of the most beloved games in the series would finally make their way onto Switch, including Super Mario All-Stars, Super…
By Ethan Gach -
OpinionFree-To-Play Online Games Still Aren’t Really Free On Xbox One
Yesterday, Rocket League developer Psyonix announced that when the game goes free-to-play later this year you’ll no longer need a paid subscription to play it online on PS4 or Switch. Unfortunately, that won’t be the case on Xbox One. Rocket League will instead be the latest in a long line of free-to-play online games that…
By Ethan Gach -
CultureMario Is Getting A Battle Royale Game Called Super Mario Bros. 35
Mario is finally getting the battle royal treatment in an online multiplayer game called Super Mario Bros. 35 that’s coming to Switch on October 1. In it you’ll battle against 34 other players across what look like levels from the original Super Mario Bros. for the NES. Defeat enemies and they’ll be transported to other…
By Ethan Gach -
CultureHere’s The Not-E3 2020 Press Conference Schedule
Just because E3 2020 is canceled doesn’t mean everything developers were going to show there has suddenly disappeared. While no digital version of E3 is in the works, other companies and organizations have stepped up with their own virtual events to deliver news on their latest plans and upcoming games. This article was originally published…
By Ethan Gach -
CultureKotaku Game DiaryMore Games Could Use Invincibility Modes Like Control’s
Control’s latest update added an assist mode that makes protagonist Jesse into a paranormal killing machine with the click of a button. It’s an option I wish more games had. While many games launch with multiple difficulty modes ranging from chill strolls to brutal death marches, Control only had one when it came out last…
By Ethan Gach -
CultureDestiny 2’s Newest Subclass Will Work Very Differently
Bungie is radically reworking how build customization works for Destiny 2’s upcoming Stasis subclasses. We got our first look at these new Stasis subclasses in all of their crystalline glory during Gamescom Opening night. Now Bungie has put up a blog post that breaks down how they’ll work in more detail, and it’s a big…
By Ethan Gach -
CultureBiden Campaign Brings Centrist Yard Signage To Animal Crossing
It’s September 1, the 2020 election is barely two months away, and the Biden campaign has hit the ground running with some very official Animal Crossing: New Horizons designs for players to show support for the Democratic ticket throughout their islands. As The Verge reports, there are four separate designs. The first features the official…
By Ethan Gach
Ethan Gach
I'm a senior reporter who's been writing about games and internet culture at Kotaku for almost 10 years. I cover everything from company earnings and player boycotts to emerging trends in gaming like AI, creator economies, and the changing console landscape. You can share story and news tips securely and anonymously at [email protected] or over Signal at +12673263042.
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