FBI Seizes 15 DDoS-For-Hire Websites

Today, the FBI announced it took action against 15 domains that allegedly helped take down other people’s websites, game servers and other online services through distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. The seizures comes a week before Christmas, which, the FBI says, is “a period historically plagued by prolific DDoS attacks in the gaming world.” The FBI…

Toy Somehow Makes Overwatch‘s Lucio Even More Adorable

The folks at Japanese toymaker Good Smile Company continue their quest to chibify the entire Overwatch roster with the Nendoroid version of Lucio. Look at his tiny tats! As Overwatch characters go, Lucio strikes me as one of the more confident, fun-loving members of the group. Good Smile’s tiny version captures his self-assured swagger perfectly.…

This day in history: Kids play the Epoch Cassette Vision, an early Japanese home gaming console, in a Tokyo department store on December 20, 1981. Cassette Vision was the most popular game console in Japan until the Nintendo Famicom came along in 1983.

Save The World By Building The Perfect Date For A Rampaging Monster

In the distant future, the world is beset by ferocious kaiju. These giant beasts threaten to destroy everything we hold dear. They are too strong to fight, which leaves only one option: romance. In Kaiju Super Datetech, which you can play on PC, Mac, or Linux, up to ten players work together to assemble a makeshift…

Gita’s Top 10 Games Of 2018

2018 has been a blur for me. It may just be that I’m in the last year of my twenties, or it could be that extreme events just did not stop happening this year. As with any year, I took refuge in games when I wanted to relax, enjoy myself, socialize with friends, or just…

Nier Automata‘s 2B Is Too Good For SoulCalibur VI

When SoulCalibur VI launched with The Witcher’s Geralt as a playable character, I was like, “Okay, that makes sense. He’ll fit in.” This week Bandai Namco added Nier Automata’s android protagonist 2B to the mix, and well, I feel bad for the rest of the roster. She’s too much for them. It’s not YoRHa No.…

Celeste Headlines January’s Xbox Live Games With Gold

I’m not the best at Celeste, but my colleagues’ love of it sure makes me wish I were. If you’ve been meaning to give this platformer a shot, it’s part of January’s Xbox Live Games with Gold lineup. As always, these games are only “free” if you have an Xbox Live Gold subscription. January’s Xbox…

Surprise: The ‘Sam Raimi’ Suit Is Now In Spider-Man PS4

In a last-minute holiday present to Spider-Man fans, publisher Sony said today that it is indeed adding the iconic ‘Sam Raimi’ suit—you know, the one from the Tobey Maguire movies—to the recently released PS4 game. It’s free for everyone with a copy of Spider-Man There’s a lot of drama attached to this one, as some…

And The Winner Of The Highlander Cosplay Competition Is…

Rascals are an art and animation studio who have recently helped out on games like Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales and Vermintide II You can see more of the studio’s work at their ArtStation page THRONEBREAKER: THE WITCHER TALES VERMINTIDE II

Terrace House’s Perfect Couple Are Now In PS4 Ads

If Terrace House fans have been wondering what Shion and Tsubasa (aka the Greatest Love Story Of Our Time) have been up to since leaving the house, here is your answer: they’re making very long, strange PS4 commercials. Done for Oricon—think Billboard, but for Japan—the videos are for a variety of PlayStation games and hardware,…

GTA Online Players Find Easter Egg By Tipping Bathroom Attendant At Least 500 Times

GTA Online’s latest update, Arena War, added a new deadly reality show to the game, and with it some dangerous new vehicles and game modes. But this latest update is hiding a secret outfit that players have discovered back in their nightclubs. To unlock this secret, players will need to repeat a small action over…

Frostpunk’s Christmas Update Does Not Bring Good Tidings

In Frostpunk’s frozen apocalypse, there is little room for festive cheer. Which is why the game’s Christmas update, which could have been a chance for a rare moment of joy in the lives of the game’s freezing inhabitants, is instead just another chance for the developers to make you feel like shit. The Christmas Carol…

Heather Alexandra’s Top 10 Games Of 2018

Another year, another nearly one hundred games played. Between casual curiosity and work here at Kotaku, I go through a lot of games, from the largest AAA titles to innovative indie and altgames. 2018 was a good year for games but, alas, I could only pick 10 when it came time to decide the best…

2018, As Told By Steam Reviews

Sometimes, you just need to howl into a void. Say whatever else you will about it, but 2018 provided us with no lack of voids into which to howl our agonized cries. Steam’s review section sure was one of them—and an illuminating one, at that. This year, Steam’s user-powered review engine kept chugging along, but…

What We Like (And Don’t Like) About Unlocking Smash Ultimate‘s Fighters

Since Smash Ultimate’s launch, a debate has been brewing among fans new and old: Is the fighter-unlocking system in Smash Ultimate bullshit, or actually super fun? Kotaku has gathered four Smash players, also new and old, to talk through their thinking on the issue. Cecilia D’Anastasio: “Everyone’s here” in Smash Ultimate. Wooooo. Wooo! Smash Ultimate’s…

Something Ends, Something Begins

I guess everyone eventually writes one of these posts, and today it’s my turn. At the end of December, I’m leaving Kotaku. I’ll continue co-hosting the Splitscreen podcast, but that’s gonna be it. Starting next year, I’m getting back to my first great passion: competitive hot-dog eating. Kidding! It’s music. I actually never meant to…

Here’s Razer’s Xbox One Keyboard And Mouse Combo

When Microsoft announced keyboard and mouse support were coming to the Xbox One, it also announced that green and black gaming hardware maker Razer was working on something special for the console. This is that—the $250 Razer Turret wireless mouse and keyboard combo for Xbox One. Rather than design something completely new, Razer revamped its…

It’s Easier To Appreciate Classical Music When My High Score Depends On It 

The holiday season is an excellent time to listen to soothing classical music. You know what’s better than listening? Playing it in Pianista for the Nintendo Switch, the classical version of DJMax. It’s like an involuntary music appreciation class. When I say Pianista: The Legendary Virtuoso is the classical version of DJMax, what I mean…