Culture

Someone Got Danny Trejo To Promote Their Counter-Strike Weapon Skins For Them

In Counter-Strike, players can submit their own weapon skins, which Valve will then consider for use in the actual game if they get enough upvotes. One player decided his self-promotion efforts weren’t enough, so he called in a little assistance. Yes, that’s Danny Trejo—of Desperado, Machete, and, er, Spy Kids fame—telling you to check out…

A New Way To Play Street Fighter With The Steam Controller

Street Fighter is a game of precise input and output—a delicate tightrope walk of fistic physicality. Hacked together Steam controller motion controls? Maybe not the best idea. And yet… On a whim, ConstableBento took a crack at a motion-centric Ultra Street Fighter IV control scheme that—among other things—replaces the joystick with movement of the controller,…

Track: Comin’ at ya, my girl | Artist: Mitsuharu Fukuyama | Album: Yakuza 5 – Original Soundtrack Vol. 2 Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to – and gaming to – at the moment. To contact the author of this post, write to: [email protected]

The Steam controller got another big update. Now in open beta, it allows you to register your Steam controller for easy access to your configurations anywhere. It also adds a selection of adorable chime noises for when you power on. Watch PocketEngi’s video of them above. I’m especially partial to “triumph.”

You’re Killing It, Evie Frye

This is Lady Angelus as Assassin’s Creed Syndicate’s Evie Frye, perhaps the best-dressed video game character of 2015. Making this one of the best pieces of cosplay for 2015, as the work that went into the fine details of Evie’s suit (in this case the Bloofer Lady Outfit from the Victorian Legends DLC) is just…

Valve Admits Controversial Counter-Strike Changes Didn’t Work Out

The most recent big Counter-Strike update pissed off a lot of players, first with an overpowered new pistol, then more subtly with an overhaul of the way rifles and pistols work. Now, though, Valve’s admitted that they messed up. In the wake of the changes, members of the Counter-Strike community spent a whole week lobbing…

Track: Sunset Riders – Shoot out at the Sunset Ranch | Artist: Motoaki Furukawa | Album: N/A Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to – and gaming to – at the moment.

In Memory of Ralph McQuarrie, the Artist who Designed Darth Vader & R2-D2

I run theFine Art feature on Kotaku because it’s an aspect of the creative process that I have a big interest in, and the utmost respect for. Indeed, there was a point in my life where I hit a fairly substantial crossroads, and if I hadn’t gone down the path that led me here, I’d…

Full Suit Of Titan Armor Looks Like It Fell Out Of Destiny

Frank Ippolito and his team were asked by Sony to build a contest winner a full set of Titan armour from Destiny. After five weeks of work, they delivered, and then some. Here’s a kinda-gross ad/video that you can skip through to get to the parts where they’re showing the build progress and the suit…

Track: Train in Vain | Artist: The Clash | Album: London Calling Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to – and gaming to – at the moment.

Beautiful Maps Of Fake Places

Robert Altbauer calls himself a “fantasy cartographer”. If maps of places that don’t actually exist are your fetish, then Robert is your man. Over the years Altbauer has created maps for video game publishers, RPG companies and authors, with some actual, historical map work thrown in for good measure. You can see more of Robert’s…

Track: Ten Crack Commandments | Artist: Notorious B.I.G. & Otaku Gang | Album: Life After Death Star Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to – and gaming to – at the moment.

See You Later, Random NPC

Today on Highlight Reel we have NPC slingshots, surprise Skywalkers, powerful punches, and much more! Watch the video above, 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. Uncharted 4 Beta – One punch man got nothing on Cutter’s…

Ciri’s Witcher 3 Sword, Forged In The Real World

Sword performer Alan Padziński doesn’t just fight with Witcher swords. He knows how to make them, too. Padzińskirecently built himself a replica of Ciri’s badass sword from The Witcher 3, and did the entire thing by hand, from forging the blade to carving the runes to the leather grip. It’s 1.3m long, and looks more…

Podcast: We Sure Hope The Final Fantasy VII Remake Has A World Map

Will the upcoming remake of Final Fantasy VII have a world map? WE SURE HOPE SO. Today on Kotaku Splitscreen, we’re talking about the ambitious multi-part Final Fantasy VII remake, which was looking hotat the PlayStation Experience earlier this month. We also dig into console exclusives, Hanukkah songs, and how it makes me grumpy when…

From Japan, With Changes: The Endless Debate Over Video Game ‘Censorship’

One of Nintendo’s biggest releases in 2015 is the sprawling 100-hour adventure Xenoblade Chronicles X, released earlier this year in Japan. It’s great-looking and fun. That’s not in dispute. The most heated debate about the game—making it the latest flashpoint in ongoing skirmishes over censorship, creative freedom and sexual politics—involves a pair of changes made…

Here’s The World Record For Beating Fallout 4 As Fast As Possible

For most people, beating Fallout 4 means sinking dozens of hours into the game—and that’s just sticking to the main story missions. Speedrunners, however, have figured out how to beat the game in just a little over an hour. It’s incredible. Right now, there’s actually a world record for beating the game fast: 1:09:29, to…

What’s Your Dream Video Game Holiday Gift? 

If you could get any piece of video game hardware, software or paraphernalia as a holiday gift, what would it be? Aside from a stock graphic of generic controllers coming out of a box. We’ve got you covered on that one. Every year my mother hounds me relentlessly for ideas on what to get me…

Track: The Drugs Don’t Work | Artist: The Verve | Album: Urban Hymns Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to – and gaming to – at the moment.

The Giants Of Industry

Andrey Surnov is a freelance artist from Russia. You can see more of Andrey’s work at his Facebookand ArtStationpages. To see the larger pics in all their glory (or, if they’re big enough, so you can save them as wallpaper), click on the “expand” button in the top-left corner. Fine Art is a celebration of…