‘Shop Contest: Headed West, Winners!

In the spirit of something red and redemptive, all of our favorite characters went West in last week’s ‘Shop Contest. They rustled and wrangled their way into the frontier spirit, and some amazing ‘shops came out of their struggles to homestead their way into their new lives. I asked our intrepid ‘shop experts to send…

The Weekend In Esports: Midseason Madness

The group stage for the League of Legends Midseason Invitational is underway, and the international showcase of talent is already heating up. MSI, as it’s called, is always an interesting test of mettle between regions to see who might be looking for a possible world championship run. And while European hopeful Fnatic has had varying…

This Week In The Business: Rolling The Dice On Loot Box Legality

QUOTE | “We’re working with all the industry associations globally and with regulators in various jurisdictions and territories, [and] have established that programs like FIFA Ultimate Team are not gambling.” – On Tuesday, EA CEO Andrew Wilson said regulators agreed with EA’s position that loot boxes aren’t gambling QUOTE | “We are going to take…

Destiny 2 Puzzle Leads Players To Actual Treasure In New York

A brand new Destiny 2 puzzle, discovered this week by players and solved early this morning, led not to an exotic weapon or a secret quest, but a real-life treasure cache in upstate New York, containing gold coins and a spear based on Warmind’s Valkyrie. The puzzle, which started off as a symbol within the…

Brooklyn Nine-Nine Picked Up By NBC, No Longer Canceled

In news that I expect will thrill my comedy-loving colleagues, comedy cop show Brooklyn Nine-Nine has been rescued by NBC, which is bringing the series back for a sixth season. The comedy was a cult favorite for five seasons on Fox, but was cancelled on Thursday, to the despair of a lot of fans, including an…

Picking An RPG Party Is Agony

Role-playing game: “A rolling vista full of danger and secrets lies ahead. Adventure awaits. Which party members will you bring along?” Me: “Uhhhhh, can I get back to you in a few minutes or weeks or years?” I’ve been playing a lot of Pillars of Eternity II lately, and while not every companion is doing…

Destiny 2’s New Patrol Zone Is More Interesting Than It First Appears

Destiny 2’s Warmind expansion introduces a new explorable area on Mars. Like the game’s other patrol areas on Earth, Io, Nessus and Titan, the Mars map initially seems to simply be an area with some public events and some hidden chests. It’s actually a lot more interesting. Before Warmind was the March expansion Curse of…

The Real-Life Politician Running For EVE Online‘s In-Game Council

Every year, EVE Online players are asked to do something that is not often done in a virtual world: Vote to elect an officially recognized representative pseudo-government. One of this year’s candidates has a background that might uniquely prepare him to serve. The Council of Stellar Management consists of ten players who are chosen from…

What Are You Playing This Weekend? 

The weekend is for finally cleaning your room because you’re pretty sure that luggage from your February trip back to New England doesn’t need to be there anymore. Also, video games. I’ve powered my way through Yakuza 6: The Song of Life and God Of War over the last few weeks and learned a lot…

BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle Character Provides Bootleg Training Mode In Limited Beta

The fighting game community is currently exploring BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle via a beta test to uncover its secrets before the official May 31 release date. But as is often the case, this demo is limited to a handful of modes and doesn’t include a built-in place to practice solo, forcing players to use one…

Destiny 2 Players Think They’ve Found An Elaborate Puzzle [UPDATE: Solved]

There may be a complicated puzzle hidden inside Destiny 2‘s newest expansion, Warmind. Or maybe excited fans just want there to be. Either way, it’s been fun to watch. UPDATE (5/12, 9:33am): It’s solved. Read more here The madness started when Destiny 2 players found an elaborate symbol on a wall in the bunker of…

Microsoft One-Ups Sony And Nintendo By Allowing Game-Gifting On Xbox One

While it’s been possible to gift video games to people on digital PC storefronts like Steam for years, Xbox One is now the first modern console to offer it. Microsoft has offered the option to Xbox One Insiders since last fall, and later expanded it to more people for select games. Today, Microsoft is enabling…

Monster Hunter: World’s New Street Fighter Quest Is Tough

Monster Hunter: World’s Ryu armor was a silly trophy costume that was underpowered. The good news is that hunters looking to buff their gear can finally get an upgraded version. The bad news? You’ll have to fight one of the game’s most tenacious—and annoying—monsters. The new Monster Hunter has been crossing over with Street Fighter…

Ask The Staff Of Kotaku Anything

Hello! The staff of Kotaku will be here to answer any and all of your finest questions for the next couple of hours. Join the fun below.

Happy Friday! Here’s a puzzle to do while you’re pretending to work. Use the comments if you want to collaborate, but avoid them if you’d rather work it out yourself! If you’re still stumped, we’ll reveal the answer on Monday.

Jane Austen Video Game Mocks A Society Obsessed With Marriage

In the opening to the 1813 novel Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen wrote, “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” In the new 2018 video game Austen Translation, you play as a woman who’ll do anything to win over…

UFC Champ Crushed By PUBG‘s Circle, Somehow Wins Anyway

This afternoon’s entertainment is brought to you by UFC champion (who somehow finds time to have an entire professional video game streaming career on the side) Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson. Prepare to witness a full spectrum of emotions in a mere 30 seconds. Usually, when the PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds circle closes, it heralds either a tense…

Lu Over The Wall Is A Delightful Film About Mermaids, Music, And Growing Up

In one scene in anime movie Lu over the Wall, a band of incognito high schoolers stuff a mermaid in a cooler for their gig at a fishing town’s lantern festival commemorating loved ones lost at sea. The mermaid is Lu, a music fiend who can magically inspire raucous tunes. She’s the band’s ticket to…

Netflix Witcher Writer Tries To Smooth Unfounded Racial Fears About The Show

When Lauren S. Hissrich, the showrunner of the upcoming Witcher Netflix show, posted a picture of her writer’s room to Twitter, a vocal minority took umbrage at how diverse the writers were. By engaging with these people, Hissrich gave us all an interesting look into how The Witcher is being produced. The Witcher is a…