Valve Is Paying Hackers To Discover Security Flaws In Steam

Even Steam, the biggest PC gaming platform in the world, isn’t immune to hacks and other issues that have in previous years rendered private information woefully public. That’s where Valve’s new bug bounty program comes in. Bug bounty programs are common among major tech companies like Microsoft and Facebook. They task so-called “white hat” hackers—aka…

Turns Out We Have Thoughts On Brooklyn Nine-Nine Getting Canceled

Today, Fox announced that Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s fifth season will also be its last. As it turns out, many of us Kotaku and Compete watch the show, and we have some thoughts. Here’s a lightly edited transcript of how we reacted in our work Slack channel when the news dropped. Also, we found out which of…

VR Is A Real Trip

Today on Highlight Reel we have trippy VR, good audio cues, Thanos moments, and much more! Watch the video 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. Subscribe to Kotaku on YouTube for more! Catch up on all…

D&D’s Upcoming Adventure Will Showcase Its Grossest Monster

Sometimes, people create horrible and unconscionable things all in the name of fantasy. Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes is D&D’s upcoming sourcebook, to be released May 18, and its bestiary features something called the Sibriex. It’s appeared before in D&D’s 3rd edition, but in its current incarnation, it’s truly awful. The creature’s “blood and bile cascade”…

Nintendo Doesn’t Want The Best Smash Bros. Melee Player In The World At Its Big Tournament

Nintendo didn’t invite the top player of its longest-running esports title, Super Smash Bros. Melee, to its biggest (and likely only) tournament of the year. Juan “Hungrybox” Debiedma isn’t exactly salty that he won’t be playing at the E3 Invitational next month; he’s more disbelieving. “It’s not as outlandish as flat earth,” said Debiedma over…

Rockstar Games is running a promotion this week that will make it extremely easy for players to make a good chunk of cash. All you have to do is load up GTA Online, and you’ll be sent $250,000 later this month. Keep jumping into GTA Online every day this week to earn an extra $150,000…

New Super NES Game Is All About The Dangers Of Crunch

Indie publisher Devolver Digital is releasing a new Super Nintendo game that looks to raise awareness of video game development crunch, with all its profits going to a mental health charity. Fork Parker’s Crunch Out gets its title from the game industry term for when companies push their employees to work long hours in the…

Former Drunk Streamer Now Hopes Twitch Will Help Him Stay Sober

Experts agree that if you’re going to kick an addiction, it’s important to have the support of others. If you’re a Twitch streamer, can some of that support structure come from your audience? A streamer named Pegz hopes so. A few months ago, Pegz wasn’t happy with what he saw when he looked in the…

A Game That Explains How Good (And Bad) Ideas Spread

The Wisdom and/or Madness of Crowds is an interactive game by Nicky Case all about how ideas and trends spread. Short puzzles teach the player how popular perception changes as groups grow smaller or larger. It’s an important lesson wedged between devious brain teasers and a perfect Indie Pick. We’ve featured Case’s work before, which…

Silent Hill 2‘s Pyramid Head Was Pure Sexual Terror

By the time I got to the elementary school in Silent Hill, I was so scared that I had to turn off my PlayStation. If those little grey children with their little baby butcher knives were too much for me to handle, well, frankly I’m surprised I didn’t suffer a full-on nervous breakdown the first…

Players Are Using God of War‘s Photo Mode To Turn Kratos Into A Goofball

Finally, Kratos can crack a big smile. The new photo mode for God of War dropped yesterday, and players are having a blast with it. You can change Kratos and Atreus’s facial expressions with it, which players are using to their full advantage: It’s nice to see those two enjoy themselves for once! Players aren’t…

Super Mario 64 Online Is Back From The Dead, For Now

Last September, modders created a way for up to 24 people to jump around together in Super Mario 64. The ROM hack was called SM64 Online and it garnered lots of attention, including Nintendo’s who promptly issued copyright strikes to have the ROM hack and videos demoing it taken down. Eight months later the modders…

Top Fortnite Streamer Starts Cursing Less, And It’s Causing Backlash

If you’ve tuned into a Tyler “Ninja” Blevins livestream lately, you’ve probably noticed that things sound a little different now. Twitch’s biggest star is trying to make his entertainment more family-friendly, and some fans aren’t taking it very well. He says he’s doing it for parents and their kids. The fans he’s angered worry that…

I Really Wish I Could Bring My Destiny 2 Character To PC

On Tuesday, Bungie released Warmind, the newest expansion to Destiny, a video game in which you travel through space, [Sorry, the rest of this paragraph is PlayStation exclusive]. For those of us who were once Destiny obsessives but have since fallen off the wagon, this might have been a good excuse to jump back in.…

Twitch Counter-Sues Gambling Streamer Who It Banned

Two years ago, Twitch booted a Counter-Strike: Global Offensive streamer who, among other things, allegedly ran a potentially illegal and reportedly rigged site that let kids gamble on CS:GO skins. Earlier this year, that streamer sued the gigantic video platform. And now, Twitch is counter-suing the streamer saying he violated Twitch’s policies over 15 times.…

Darling in the Franxx Voice Actor Hospitalized With Rare Autoimmune Disease

Voice actor Yuichiro Umehara, who plays Goro in anime Darling in the Franxx, has been hospitalized with an autoimmune disease. His agency made the announcement on its official site, adding that he’s taking time off to focus on his recovery. The agency also apologized for causing fans and industry colleagues to worry. There’s no word…

Excellent Castle In The Sky Action Figures

Last year, Bandai released a fully poseable Robot Solider from Castle in the Sky action figure. This year, it’s releasing a “Mechanical Clear” version along with a poseable Colonel Muska. Priced at 8,100 yen ($74), the two-figure set is up for pre-order starting today and will be released this October in Japan. Makes you want…