Culture

The Last Jedi’s Porgs Are Just Puffins, Which The Film Crew Couldn’t Get Rid Of

Everyone thought the Porgs, those cute lil’ animals from The Last Jedi, were basically space penguins. Turns out they’re actually space puffins, because Skellig Michael (aka Luke’s Island) is so covered with the birds that it was easier for the VFX team to just work with them than try and cut them out of the…

Bridge Constructor Portal Is Actually Pretty Good

When I heard that the next game to yank us back into Aperture Science’s bleached-white bowels would be about bridge building, I figured it’d be a skip for me. I just got done playing Bridge Constructor Portal for a few hours, though, and I couldn’t stop smiling. This collaboration between between Bridge Constructor developer ClockStone…

Designing Yennefer of Vengerberg

We’ve featured the work of CDPR’s Bartlomiej Gawel before, both individually and as part of our massive Witcher 3 special, but today we’ve got a more narrow focus: the origins of Yennefer of Vengerberg. Below you’ll see “a very messy, early” round of sketches and photobashingthat were part of the effort to nail down Yenn’s…

Cosplay Wishes You A Very Merry Christmas

The last major cosplay show for the year is Holiday Matsuri, aka Holmat, which takes place every December in Orlando, Florida. This year’s show was held between December 15-17 at Orlando World Center Marriott, and the resort location—coupled with Florida’s warmer weather—means it’s one of the only places in the US you can visit this…

One Man Is Trying To Speedrun Three Final Fantasy Games–At The Same Time

Speedrunning a long role-playing game requires both concentration and stamina. There are endless menus to navigate and character builds to optimize, and doing everything fast means knowing the game’s secrets like the back of your hand. Speedrunning an RPG can be grueling for even the most accomplished player. So naturally, one guy wants to speedrun…

Yes Yes Praise It

Anna Pan is an artist based in Australia who has worked on games like Dream Daddy You can see more of Anna’s work at her personal site 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…

Ah, Persona 4

Baj Singh is a character artist at Creative Assembly, where he’s worked on stuff like the Total War series. You can see more of Baj’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…

FIFA Guy Has The Boot Of The Gods

Today on Highlight Reel we have an animal crossing cult, busted VR, Blitz kills 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 for more! Catch up on…

Time For That Upgrade, Link

It’s always refreshing to see Zelda cosplay that goes beyond just Link and/or Zelda, so I’m in love with this shot of Link and Cotera, one of the Great Fairies. Link is Mikky Dyer, while the amazing Cotera is Veldrath. Photo by Steamkittens

What Snacktaku Ate In 2017

If we had known how 2017 was going to turn out, there would have only been one article this year—Our Emotions: The Snacktaku Review. It would have saved us a whole lot of typing, video editing and Tums. But snacking isn’t about why we eat—it’s about what we eat. Here’s what we ate in 2017.…

Battlegrounds Players Are Making Action Movies With The New Replay Feature

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is fun to play, but it might be even more fun to watch. The game’s new replay feature, which lets you set up camera angles and move between perspectives, has elevated ridiculous PUBG deaths to an art form. The replay feature got added to PUBG’s PC test server a few days ago. It…

The Week In Games: Life Is A Highway 

As we descend on the end of 2017 it’s time to take a moment and look back at all of the year’s great games. Fortunately, this week’s release schedule won’t distract you from doing that. Another episode of Life Is Strange arrives this week, along with the latest slew of Switch ports. Nintendo’s handheld is…

Reload

Wouter Gort is a concept artist and illustrator from the Netherlands. You can see more of Wouter’s workat 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 both…

Grown Men Dressed As Ninja Turtles Interrupt European Soccer Game

Two men dressed in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle costumes crashed the PSG vs Rennes game in Frances Ligue 1 yesterday, interrupting play and getting some cuddles in the process. While the security in some countries/leagues might have tried to break every bone in their bodies, in France they were allowed a bit of a run…

Here’s Some Real Good Star Wars: The Last Jedi Cosplay

Cosplayer Leo Camacho and some friends decided to recreate Vanity Fair’s classy Last Jedi photoshoot, and they’ve done an incredible job with it. Photos are by Mark Edwards

Track: Halfway Home | Artist: Broken Social Scene | Album: Hug of Thunder Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.

Mario 64 Experts Discover An Even Shorter Way To Beat Level Without Jumping 

Last year, YouTuber pannenkoek2012, someone who knows more about Super Mario 64 than most people ever will, finally found a way to collect a star on the level Watch for Rolling Rocks without fully jumping. The video blew up both because of how extraordinary and esoteric the accomplishment was and how in-depth pannenkoek’s research was.…

Podcast: Every Video Game Of 2017, Part One

It is time once again for an annual Kotaku Splitscreen tradition: going through EVERY VIDEO GAME OF THE YEAR. This week, Kirk and I talk about all the major game releases in January, February, March, April, May, and June, a list that includes Persona 5, Horizon Zero Dawn, the Nintendo Switch, and many more gems.…

Sunday Comics: Over Here!

Welcome to Kotaku’s Sunday Comics, your weekly roundup of the best webcomics that usually occurs on Sunday except when it doesn’t. The images enlarge if you click on the magnifying glass icon. Nerf NOW!! by Josué Pereira. Published December 16. Read more of Nerf NOW!!  Awkward Zombie by Katie Tiedrich. Published December 11. Read more…

Track: Eggs | Artist: Mndsgn | Album: Surface Outtakes Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.