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CultureTrackmania Cheating Scandal Is Utterly Fascinating
Back in March,I spent a very long time watching Trackmania videos, despite it being a game I don’t really play and know almost nothing about. Today we’re back with another one, just as good, only this time about something less celebratorythan a world record This time it’s about a cheating scandal, when one of the…
By Luke Plunkett Published May 24, 2021 -
Culture18 Years Later, Microsoft Is Fixing Halo’s Graphics On The PC
Halo’s original PC port, released in 2003 and handled by Gearbox, was mostly fine, but it also had some weird issues, mostly related to funky textures. Fans have just kinda put up with them ever since, but in 2021 Microsoft is finally getting around to fixing them. The video below shows a range of texture…
By Luke Plunkett Published May 24, 2021 -
CultureReport: Watch Dogs Started Out As A Driver Sequel
Watch Dogs started life as a Driver game, according to a new report from VG 24/7. But through development it grew beyond what that series was about and into something pitched to Ubisoft’s CEO as their “own GTA.” VG 24/7 spoke with three different sources—one currently at Ubisoft, a former senior Ubisoft employee, and finally…
By Zack Zwiezen Published May 24, 2021 -
OpinionImpressionsKnockout City Is Actually Pretty Damn Fun
Dodgeball sucks. I recall, during some school recess years ago, getting beaned in the face with a dodgeball. Blood, everywhere. Across the pitch, some kid stood, sneering, as all the other kids laughed. I think he broke my glasses? The specifics are lost to the fog of memory, but the feeling—total, abject humiliation—remains tattooed on…
By Ari Notis Published May 24, 2021 -
CultureOdds and EndsNo Need To Wait: Fans Made Their Own Version Of Overwatch 2
After last week’s Overwatch 2 developer livestream, one fan created some of the changes coming in the new game in Overwatch’s workshop mode. In workshop mode, players can create custom games that allow them to do anything from train their aiming skills to play an Overwatch-ified version of Flappy Bird or Bejeweled. Reddit user Ajfis3,…
By Ash Parrish Published May 24, 2021 -
CultureTwitchTwitch’s New Hot Tub Category Is Full Of Parodies, Fakes, And Scams
Last week, Twitch finally responded to controversy surrounding the so-called “hot tub meta” by clarifying its rules and creating a new section called Pools, Hot Tubs, and Beaches. Given that many complaints about hot tub streams stemmed from the idea that they represented a “loophole” in Twitch’s rules, it has certainly been something to watch…
By Nathan Grayson Published May 24, 2021 -
OpinionAsk KotakuAre You A Mass Effect Paragon Or Renegade?
It’s Monday and time for Ask Kotaku, the weekly feature in which Kotaku-ites deliberate on a single burning question. Then, we ask your take. This week we Ask Kotaku: Are you a Mass Effect Paragon or Renegade? Nathan I play Paragon. I do this for one reason: I don’t enjoy being mean. Most people don’t,…
By Lisa Marie Segarra Published May 24, 2021 -
CultureReddit Asked The Apex Legends Team Why Skins Cost 20 Bucks
The official Apex Legends subreddit hosted an AMA last week with the game’s development team. Fans had questions about everything from weapon balance to character tweaking, and most controversial of all, how the Apex Legends team monetizes its offerings. One Redditor user, x5hadau, asked why some cosmetic skins seem so expensive. “I get that you…
By Jonathan Lee Published May 24, 2021 -
OpinionImpressionsBlack Ops Cold War’s Multi-Team Elimination Is Almost Blackout 2.0
A lot of new stuff arrived with Call of Duty’s mid-season “Reloaded” update last week. It’s easy to get distracted by the ‘80s Action Hero event’s challenges and modes, but hidden in the mix is “Multi-Team Elimination,” a Fireteam mode for Black Ops Cold War that’s worth checking out. Most of Reloaded arrived on May…
By S.E. Doster Published May 24, 2021 -
CultureElite Dangerous CEO Apologizes For Odyssey’s Buggy Launch
Odyssey, a large expansion for space exploration simulator Elite Dangerous, launched last week as a buggy mess. This led to a lot of fan backlash and negative Steam reviews. In response to these issues, developer Frontier Developments’ CEO apologized for the terrible launch. Elite Dangerous: Odyssey launched on May 19 on PC. In the days…
By Zack Zwiezen Published May 24, 2021 -
OpinionImpressionsMiitopia On Switch Completely Ate My Weekend
I had things to do this weekend that weren’t running through endless random encounters in the console port of a ridiculous four-year-old 3DS role-playing game. The problem I encountered was that none of those other things were as simple and easy as picking up my Pro Controller and popping back into Miitopia for a battle…
By Mike Fahey Published May 24, 2021 -
CultureE3 Fan Registration Opens Up Next Week
Following a year off as a result of the covid-19 pandemic, E3 will return next month as an all-digital event. It’s free—despite what some earlier reports suggested—but you’ll still have to register if you want access to what passes as a show floor at an online event without an actual show floor. Registration will kick…
By Ari Notis Published May 24, 2021 -
ReviewsMultiplatformBiomutant: The Kotaku Review
Some four years since open-world action RPG Biomutant was first revealed to the world with a cool trailer, it’s finally out. Although for those who’ve waited so patiently to play it, they may well be disappointed to discover a gorgeous but janky mess, overly ambitious but under-achieving, and really rather broken. Biomutant is the first…
By Zack Zwiezen Published May 24, 2021 -
ReviewsToysFour Inches Is A Great Size For A Batman Figure
A 12-inch Batman is great for kids or serious collectors, depending on the toy line. Six inches is a good size if you want a nice amount of detail and articulation and don’t want Bruce Wayne to get lost under the couch. But for my money and purposes, the four-inch Batman of Spinmaster’s Bat-Tech line…
By Mike Fahey Published May 24, 2021 -
CultureThe Week In Games: Biomutant Is Almost Here
Open-world RPG Biomutant is out this week on PS4, Xbox One and PC. Biomutant was first revealed back in 2017. A lot has happened since then, but finally, after some radio silence had folks worried about its fate, Biomutant is almost here. For those looking to play Saint’s Row: The Third again, it’s out on…
By Zack Zwiezen Published May 24, 2021 -
Kotaku EastJapanJapanese Idol Group Criticized For Covid-19 Disinfection Measures
During recent indoor concerts for Japanese idol group AKB48, attendees were sprayed with “Virus Buster Water” as a precaution against covid-19. AKB48’s management tweeted out footage of the “disinfection gate” contraption in a now-deleted tweet with a voice-over saying how the Virus Buster Water was to make a safe environment for fans. The Virus Buster…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 24, 2021 -
Kotaku EastJapanOfficially Branded Resident Evil Booze
Herbal spirit Cocalero is collaborating with Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness to help promote the upcoming Netflix show. The name “Cocalero” refers to coca leaf growers, and this herbal spirit is a blend of 17 botanicals, including guarana, ginseng, juniper, and non-psychoactive coca. As Paste Magazine points out, this Incan spirited spirit is actually made in…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 24, 2021 -
CultureDaigo Umehara Describes His Battle With Covid-19: ‘It Was Hell’
As reported earlier this month, esports pro Daigo Umehara was hospitalized after contracting covid-19. This weekend, Umehara tweeted that he had been discharged. Thank goodness. Daigo expressed tremendous gratitude for the medical attention he received, adding that he is on the road to recovery. “After nearly two weeks of treatment, today I was released from…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 24, 2021 -
CultureTwitch Adds Over 350 New Tags Like ‘Black’, ‘Transgender’ And ‘Disabled’
Starting this week, streamers on Twitch are going to have over 350 new tags they can use to help classify their streams, related to “gender, sexual orientation, race, nationality, ability, mental health, and more”. Twitch announcedthe expansion of its tag system late last week, saying they “are completely optional” and “simply give creators more choices”.…
By Luke Plunkett Published May 23, 2021 -
CultureFrosthaven Is Rethinking Its Fantasy ‘Races’
Gloomhaven sequel Frosthaven isn’t even out yet and it’s already tracking to be one of the biggest board games of the last decade, so it’s very cool seeing the way the game is going to taking a different approach to the way its “races” are depicted compared to more traditional fantasy storylines. In a major…
By Luke Plunkett Published May 23, 2021