Jason Schreier

Fortnite maker Epic Games announced today that it’s opening its own PC store, the newest entry in a now-crowded market that also includes Steam, GOG, and Discord. Epic says its store will take a 12% cut—as opposed to Steam’s 30% cut—offering what appears to be a way better deal for developers.

Why Obra Dinn Is One Of The Year’s Best Games

On this week’s Kotaku Splitscreen, we implore you to not miss Return of the Obra Dinn, a phenomenal game and contender for 2018’s greatest. First we dive into why Obra Dinn is so great, also taking some time to dissect Hitman 2, the Sega Genesis Classics collection, and other games we’re playing. Then it’s time…

Despite all the rumors, Rocksteady is not making a Superman game, as you may already know if you listen to Kotaku Splitscreen. The studio behind the critically acclaimed Arkham trilogy won’t be at The Game Awards next week either, according to director Sefton Hill

Genesis Classics On Switch Is The Perfect Way To Play Old Games

In another reality, one where companies like Nintendo and Sony actually cared about preserving their old games and ensuring that their entire libraries were playable now and forever, something like Genesis Classics might not be a rarity. But it is, and hey, it’s pretty damn great. Genesis Classics, which is already out for PC, PS4,…

Indie Dev Releases Game After Documenting Its Development Every Week For Three Years

“I’m actually hoping to finish it in the next few months, so probably around April, May… and then I will hopefully be able to release it in the summer, around June or July,” said Karl Wimble in a video about his game, Equilinox, on February 19, 2016. The game came out on November 23, 2018,…

Here’s a first look at some of the new stuff we’ll see in Destiny 2‘s new update, Black Armory, which starts on Tuesday. You’ll need the paid Annual Pass to get access to the new activities and raid lair, although anyone who owns Forsaken will be able to find the new seasonal weapons.

Red Dead Online Goes Live This Week

The multiplayer component to Rockstar’s new Western will be out this week, the developer said today, promising a beta for Red Dead Online that will launch on a staggered schedule for Red Dead Redemption 2 owners starting tomorrow. Here’s a quick breakdown for when you’ll be able to play Red Dead Online: Tuesday, November 27 –…

This week’s episode of Kotaku Splitscreen tackles two big games: First we bring on Kotaku’s Ethan Gach to talk about the bizarre, buggy Fallout 76 (6:51) and then Kirk and I take a deep dive into Red Dead Redemption 2‘s story (35:32), spoilers and all. (Seriously, we spoil it all.) Listen here or via your…

The Past, Present, And Future Of Diablo

On November 2, 2018, Blizzard closed its annual BlizzCon keynote by announcing, to scattered applause, a Diablo game for phones. It was a baffling marketing decision that immediately set off controversy, as fans of Blizzard’s iconic action-role-playing game franchise loudly accused the company of neglecting its PC players Perhaps Blizzard’s marketing department had expected Diablo…

The Legacy Of Stan Lee

What does Stan Lee mean to hardcore comics fans? To answer that question, we brought old friend Evan Narcisse back for this week’s episode of Kotaku Splitscreen First, Kirk and I talk about the games we’re playing, like Tetris Effect and Hitman 2, then jump into the news of the week (21:36) on Detective Pikachu,…

Civilization VI Runs Well On Switch But Is Missing Some Features

Today, Civilization VI comes to Switch, which means two important things. One is that you can now play an incredible strategy game anywhere you’d like. The second is that Gandhi now qualifies for Smash The good news is that the game seems to run great. I’ve tested out a few matches and while it takes…

Sony Is Skipping E3 2019

Sony is skipping next year’s E3, ditching its traditional booth and press conference in a move that will have a significant negative impact on the video game industry’s annual trade show. The Entertainment Software Association, the lobbyist group that runs E3, confirmed the news today, as did Sony. “As the industry evolves, Sony Interactive Entertainment…

The Controversy Over Bethesda’s ‘Game Engine’ Is Misguided

This morning, news headlines and YouTube videos across the internet declared that Bethesda will not change engines for the upcoming games Starfield and The Elder Scrolls VI, setting off a wave of outrage that’s become oh-so-common in the world of video games. This story, however, is misleading, based mostly on speculation and widespread lack understanding…

Nominees for the 2018 Game Awards are now online, and the GOTY candidates are Celeste, Red Dead Redemption 2, God of War, Spider-Man, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, and Monster Hunter World. See the full list here

The Detective Pikachu Movie Is Not At All What I Expected

I’m not sure how to feel about Ryan Reynolds turning Pikachu into a gritty, snarky detective, and in fact this first trailer fills me with all sorts of insane mixed emotions, but I do know that Detective Pikachu, which comes to theaters next summer, will be a must-see. Just watch it:

Microsoft’s New Studio Acquisitions Show How Much Xbox Has Changed

It came as a mild surprise when Microsoft announced Saturday that it was purchasing not just one but two mid-sized studios with a focus on role-playing games. But as strange as it seems on the surface, the deal makes perfect sense for all three parties. At the end of a relatively uneventful Xbox showcase in…

Some Theories About The Diablo Immortal Backlash

Why was the Diablo Immortal backlash so severe? Why didn’t Blizzard see it coming? Today on Kotaku Splitscreen, we discuss. Kotaku’s Maddy Myers returns to the show this week, joining me and Kirk to chat about last week’s big Diablo disaster. First we talk about some of the games we’ve been playing, including Assassin’s Creed…

Strategy Guide Company Prima Games Is Shutting Down

Prima Games, the publishing company that has printed video game strategy guides since it was founded in 1990, is shutting down, parent company DK said yesterday. The label will no longer publish new guides starting now, and it will officially shutter in the spring. Thanks to the rise of sites like GameFAQs—and major gaming publications…

Activision Says It’s Not Happy With Destiny‘s Sales

Sales for Destiny 2: Forsaken have not lived up to Activision’s expectations, the publisher said today on an earnings call, promising investors a faster content model and new forms of monetization for the game. This comes at a time when the Destiny fanbase is as happy as it’s ever been, which raises serious questions about…

Sources: Blizzard Scrapped Plans For Diablo 4 Video [CORRECTION]

When Blizzard’s sole Diablo announcement at this year’s BlizzCon turned out to be a game for phones, it set off a firestorm of angry reactions from fans who had hoped for a new Diablo on PC. But what about Diablo 4? UPDATE (8:32pm): This article originally stated that Blizzard had recorded a video, planned for…