Culture

Randy Orton’s Tattoo Artist Sues Take-Two For Using Her Designs In WWE Games

Take-Two and World Wrestling Entertainment are headed to trial after a judge ruled WWE 2K games copied the work of an artist responsible for some of pro wrestler Randy Orton’s tattoos. Orton’s arms are fully inked from shoulder to hand, an intrinsic part of the four-time World Heavyweight Championship belt holder’s stage appearance. According to…

Let’s Debate The Merits Of Super Mario Sunshine

Super Mario Sunshine. Mario’s second foray into a three-dimensional plane built on the foundation of 1996’s Super Mario 64. It gave Mario a new way to get around (the F.L.U.D.D. jetpack-gizmo) and sent him out of the Mushroom Kingdom. It also featured an unmistakable pro-environment bent, wherein Mario had to clean up an island coated…

Here’s October 2020’s Xbox Live Games With Gold

There’s a bit of a Halloween theme to October’s Games with Gold, as you’d expect. As ever, these games are only “free” if you have an active Xbox Live Gold membership. October’s Games with Gold are: Xbox One Slayaway Camp: Butcher’s Cut (October 1-31) Maid of Sker (October 16-November 15) Xbox 360 (compatible with Xbox…

EVE Online Players Aren’t Happy With The Game’s Latest Resource Changes

EVE Online fortunes can be made or broken in a manner of minutes. A few seconds of inattentiveness can cause the loss of ships and cargo worth billions of ISK. A lucky item drop or the discovery of a hidden cache of resources can secure a player’s finances for months. Then there are patch notes—updates…

Torchlight III Goes Live October 13 With Exclusive Fairy Pets

The big news here isn’t so much that Torchlight III—once intended to be a free-to-play spin-off, now a full numbered sequel—goes live on October 13 on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC, with a Switch version coming later this year. It’s the exclusive-per-platform fairy pets. They’re all glittersprites, just in different colors. I’m pretty excited.…

It’s in the Game (Pass). Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members will get free access to EA Play starting November 10, the same day Microsoft’s next-gen consoles launch. Members of Game Pass for PC will get it some time in December.

Pokémon Sword And Shield‘s Second Expansion Arrives On October 22

We’ve mined the Isle of Armor for all it’s worth in Pokémon Sword And Shield, now it’s on to the Crown Tundra. The second half of Sword and Shield’s expansion pass arrives on October 22, giving players the opportunity to explore a mysterious frozen land, with the chance to capture every legendary Pokémon that’s appeared…

Manhunt’s Soundtrack Would Make John Carpenter Proud

Welcome to Morning Music, Kotaku’s daily hangout for folks who love video games and the cool-ass sounds they make. Today we straight-up murder some people for the amusement of a sicko filming it all. But at least the soundtrack is good. Rockstar Games, the developer behind Bully and Grand Theft Auto V, is no stranger…

A Boy And His Bike

Ed Laag is an artist at VFX company Luna Pictures, who have worked on everything from Marvel movies to Final Fantasy XV You can see more of Ed’s work at his Instagram and ArtStation page

Crusader Kings III Patches Are Already Works Of Art

Crusader Kings II had the best patches, so its sequel Crusader Kings III has a lot to live up to. It’s off to a good start though, with its first update today full of welcome changes both big and small. Here, for your pleasure, are some highlights: You can no longer attempt to find dead…

Hear Me Out: Pandorum Is The Dark Souls Of Movies

It was while rewatching 2009 space horror flick Pandorum over the weekend that I realized it’s essentially a Souls movie in disguise, released just a month before Demon’s Souls arrived in the United States. No, wait, don’t go! I can explain! In my mind, there are three key elements to a Dark Souls story: a…

37 Counter-Strike Coaches Banned For Cheating

As part of its attempts to crack down on cheating in Counter-Strike, and in particular one exploit that teams have been taking advantage of all year, the Esports Integrity Commission has just handed out bans for 37 coaches, some for just a few months, others for up to three years. That exploit is a bug…

What The Fuck, LA Comic Con Is Going Ahead

In December 2020, the organisers of the LA Comic Con want to open the doors of the Los Angeles Convention Center and allow thousands of people in for a nerd show. That’s in less than three months! What the hell! Despite every other major (and minor show) across the planet deciding to simply take the…

Today’s Xbox Series X Previews Revealed Mostly Good News

Over the past week or so, Xbox Series X preview units were made available to select members of the media. Microsoft did not send us one of these units. I’m not sad, but, earlier today, I was cutting onions and peppers while listening to Phoebe Bridgers, and then, without thinking, I rubbed my eyes. True…

I’m Trying To Kill Fewer Enemies In Spelunky 2

Spelunky 2 can be a violent experience. While searching for the main character’s parents is its ostensible goal, you sure do a lot of killing along the way. I’m doing my part to stem the tide of violence with a self-imposed goal: kill as few enemies as possible. Much like its predecessor, the world of…

Among Us, As Told By Steam Reviews

If you’ve ever harbored a quiet fear that all your friends are deceiving you, well, bad news: They are. Among Us, the sci-fi deception sensation that’s sweeping space stations across the nation, has definitively proven it. Steam users are loving it, even as they realize they can’t trust anyone—especially not Cyan. To call Among Us…

Playing Pokémon Go With My Son Is My New, Unpaid Part-Time Job

I have a new part-time job. The pay is terrible. I am the unpaid secretary and bookkeeper for my son’s game of Pokémon Go. I’m apparently a tutor for others, too. A month ago I wrote about my struggles learning to play Pokémon Go with my five-year-old son Toby. Despite over twenty years of working…

Launching on Xbox One, Xbox Series X | S, PlayStation 4, and PC on November 10, Yakuza: Like a Dragon isn’t coming to PlayStation 5 until March 2, 2021. The good news is PS4 players with the digital version of the game will get a free upgrade to the PS5 version when it drops.

As 2020 Ends, So Does FarmVille

While it looks like most of the problems of the past year will follow us into the next, there is one comforting thought. Whatever 2021 brings, FarmVille is not coming with. The original super-annoying Facebook social game is closing its doors for good on December 31, 2020. Launched in 2009, FarmVille was the first big…

Earlier today, Nintendo announced it will be releasing information on upcoming DLC for Pokémon Sword/Shield. In June of this year, Nintendo released the Isle of Armor DLC as a part of it’s Expansion Pass, containing new gym trainers, updates to gameplay, and a new Pokémon, Kubfu. This announcement could possibly cover the second portion of the…