Culture

Valve Removes School Shooting Game From Steam

After a maelstrom of controversy that had mainstream news outlets and an anti-gun violence charity weighing in, Valve has removed mass shooting game Active Shooter from Steam. The unreleased game drew furor last week over its shameless exploitation of tragic subject matter. Valve, meanwhile, took flack from fans and outlets alike for allowing the game…

We Made 400 Episodes Of Highlight Reel!?

Today on (the 400th episode of) Highlight Reel we have Dark Souls Remastered glitches, State of Decay 2 deadheads, and much more. Watch the video then talk about your favorite highlight in the comments below. Be sure to check out, like, and share the original videos via the links below. Subscribe to Kotaku on YouTube…

Track: Buddy Holly | Artist: Weezer | Album: Weezer Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.

And Now For Some Excellent Solo Cosplay

Here’s Sunjiwith one heck of a Han Solo/Alden Ehrenreich smirk. Photos by kmitenkova

The Good Sir Boye

Rudy Siswanto is a concept artist and illustrator based in Indonesia. You can see more of Rudy’s work at his ArtStation page To see the images in their native resolution, click on the “expand” button in the top-left corner. Fine Art is a celebration of the work of video game artists, showcasing the best of…

Track: I’ve All I Need | Artist: Liam Gallagher | Album: As You Were Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.

Two Melons Just Sold For $29,000 In Japan

This weekend, a set of two Yubari melons fetched a record-breaking 3.2 million yen ($29,000) at auction in Hokkaido, Japan. According to Mainichi News, these melons went for more than the previous record-holding pair, which sold for 3 million yen in 2016. “I wanted to make a record-setting bid by all means,” said winning bidder…

The Week In Games: Independent Street Fighters

This week has lots of indie games on many different platforms as well as the much-anticipated Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Edition It’s a rare week where we get lots of indie games making a splash, but this week has a big bundle of treasures like throwback Milanoir, the ever-interesting Knights of Pen and Paper, and…

Samus Is A Better Character When She’s On Her Own

Metroid games are so much better when the story is as subtle as possible. On this week’s Kotaku Splitscreen, we discuss why. First, Kirk and I talk about the failings of Detroit: Become Human before getting into the news of the week (24:46) on Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, Xbox One accessibility, and HBO’s…

‘Shop Contest: The Big Battlefield

The Battlefield V trailer came out this week, and it’s full of customization and the stressful weirdness that players have come to expect from the franchise. But we’ve gotta make this battlefield bigger. I’ve played a lot of Battlefield 1, and I’m looking forward to whatever the hell happens in this next big, boisterous franchise.…

Sunday Comics: There’s Only One Bro

Hello! It’s time for Kotaku’s Sunday Comics, your weekly roundup of the best webcomics. The images enlarge if you click on the magnifying glass icon. Awkward Zombie by Katie Tiedrich. Published May 21. Read more of Awkward Zombie Corpse Run by Alex Di Stasi. Published May 24. Read more of Corpse Run Double XP by…

‘Shop Contest: Kingdom Hearts Expanded Universe, Winners!

A teen boy, a giant key, and all of our lovable Disney favorites make up the basis of the Kingdom Hearts universe. Together, we made it a whole lot bigger. The Kingdom Hearts games seem full of possibility, and Kingdom Hearts III have promised us a jump into the CGI world of Toy Story as…

This Week In The Business: Sex, Violence, And Business Conflicts

QUOTE | “According to the email, Kindred Spirits will be re-reviewed and we will be equipped with specific feedback if there are concerns about the game’s content.” – The Twitter account of MangaGamer, announcing that Valve seemingly backtracked on its demand that the studio (and other risqué visual novel developers) censor their games or see…

Here’s What Game You Should Be Playing This Weekend

Hey y’all! Riley’s probably off playing The Witcher 3 somewhere already, so I’m taking over for him. Happy three day weekend! This weekend I’m going to be DMing my first tabletop roleplaying game as a treat for my friend’s birthday. We both wanted to play The Sprawl, a cyberpunk themed game, so I volunteered to…

School Shooting Game Angers Steam Users, Developer ‘Likely’ Changing It [UPDATE]

Earlier this week, a game called Active Shooter appeared on Steam. It’d be nothing more than another heap of hacked-together pre-purchased assets—or an “asset flip,” as they’re known on Steam—if not for its subject matter. It’s about mass shootings. The unreleased game’s Steam store page describes it as a “dynamic S.W.A.T. simulator” in which you…

The Speedrunner Smashing Records On Mario Kart 64’s Donkey Kong Track

Matthias Rustemeyer has been trying to collect every individual Mario Kart 64 course world record for half a decade, but thanks to Daniel Burbank that job just keeps getting harder. Burbank has been getting better and better times on the game’s lone Donkey Kong race track since the beginning of the year and shows no…

Track: On The Edge Of A Cliff | Artist: The Streets | Album: Everything Is Borrowed Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.

Dad Makes Cute Lunches Based On His Daughter’s Drawings

Takafumi Ozeki doesn’t just make his daughter’s school lunch, he makes it based on her drawings. The result is wonderful, touching and delicious. Ozeki is a Japanese comedian in the comedy duo known as The Geese. But, as Pouch points out, here is how he brings his child’s to life for pre-school bento For more,…

The Art Of Battletech

Battletech, a new turn-based tactics game based on the classic tabletop series,is pretty damn good! It helps that the game looks gorgeous, courtesy of some gorgeous 2D art and chunky mech models. So I figured tonight let’s showcase some of that by featuring the work of the team’s artists. Below you’ll see examples from throughout…

Apple Blocks Valve App That Lets You Play Steam Games On Your Phone

Earlier this month, Valve announced an official Steam Link app that lets users play Steam games on their phones. Last week, the app came out on Android, with an iOS version nowhere to be found. Now Valve has explained why. According to a release from Valve sent to Kotaku, Apple had approved the Steam Link…