Started From The Bottom, Now We’re Here

Kotaku was my first job out of college. I lived and breathed this site for nearly six years. I grew up here. Kotaku changed my life. It all feels so happenstance when I look back on it. In 2011, I emailed Kotaku out of the blue asking if the site would like to republish something…

The World’s Biggest Game Company Just Keeps Getting Bigger

Early this week, the studio behind Path of Exile received a majority investment from a Chinese corporation called Tencent. If that’s a name you don’t know, it’s worth learning, because Tencent is, without a question, the largest company in video games. Yet, many fans don’t even know it exists. Tencent has its hands in so…

A Simple Moral Quandary Stumped My D&D Group For Two Hours

My Dungeons & Dragons group is at the midpoint of our campaign, so we’ve been trying to do something new for a few sessions. We’ve had another player take over as DM for a little while. We’ve been telling him how much we want to do more roleplaying, so last night he let us roleplay…

Kids On YouTube Keep Making Videos About Scamming Fortnite V-Bucks From Their Parents

“Today’s video is very funny, guys,” says Tommy Ladd, 13, in a recent YouTube video. “I am on Fortnite Battle Royale right now, guys, and what I’m going to be doing is buying this massive bundle of 10,000 V-bucks,” the virtual in-game currency in Fortnite. He pauses for effect and laughs before adding, “—and I’m…

Detroit: Become Human: The Kotaku Review

The PS4’s latest blockbuster moviegame Detroit: Become Human is like something my Alexa would come up with, were I to ask her to write a story about androids with feelings. As I imagine it, the vaguely sinister, sporadically helpful digital assistant that currently resides on my desk would quickly synthesize a bunch of pop sci-fi…

Repairing Japanese Castles Looks Tricky

In April 2016, a magnitude 6.2 earthquake hit Kumamoto, Japan. The region’s famed castle was badly damaged, but rebuilding is underway. It looks tricky. Kumamoto Castle, which was originally built in 1607, was attacked during an 1877 rebellion, with parts of it, including the keep, burned down. The 1889 Kumamoto Earthquake damaged what remained. In…

Flying. Steinwenden, Germany. By Coury Wilson. JPGs is a photo peek into wherever gamers might find interesting. If you’re a photographer and have images you want to share, drop us a line! 

Yakuza Cosplay Is My Kind Of Cosplay

It’s not easy cosplaying as Goro Majima, the spicy meatballs on the side of the Yakuza universe. For one, you need to be able to pull off some very tight pants. And then you need to nail his essence, which is so much arrogance and menace that the average actual human being just couldn’t do…

Doomfist

Shim Jae-Woo, aka CRAZYRED, is an artist from Korea. You can see more of CRAZYRED’s work at his ArtStation page To see the images in their native resolution, click on the “expand” button in the top-left corner. Fine Art is a celebration of the work of video game artists, showcasing the best of both their…

Leather Daddy Reinhardt Is Not An Official Overwatch Skin

Not yet, anyway. It’s a very good fit. This mock skin is the work of artist Brian Choi, has worked on stuff like FFXV Kingslaive and What Becomes Of Edith Finch It’s based on this piece of slightly fleshier art by Yvonne Chung. Which, in turn, looks a lot like that NSFW Overwatch cosplay showcase…

Steam Developer’s Secret To A Two Percent Refund Rate: Honesty

In the year 2018, Steam can be described in many ways, but “hospitable to developers who make short games” is not one of them. And yet, developer Mike Bithell just released Quarantine Circular, his second non-free, story-based game that can easily be finished before Steam’s refund timer runs out. Quarantine Circular is a brief, choice-driven…

Oh No, There Are Women In Battlefield V

There are women in Battlefield V, a game set during the Second World War. They’re in the game, they’re in the trailer, they’re even on the posters! And a lot of people are very upset. Is this what their forefathers fought for? To recap, in case your job is blessed and does not require you…

Clever New Text Game Asks Whether You’ll Trust An Alien

In Quarantine Circular, a plague is ravaging humanity, destroying cities and pushing our existence to the brink. As extinction looms, a mysterious creature from the stars appears, their motives unclear. It’s up to you to navigate the situation and hopefully save humanity. Quarantine Circular is created by Thomas Was Alone developer Mike Bithell as a…

You Can Conjure Corners Out Of Thin Air In BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle

The corner is a vital spot in fighting games. Players at the edge of the stage can’t go backwards, eliminating evasive tactics, and more damaging combos are only possible with the opponent’s back against the wall. Competitive players in the BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle beta have found a new quirk ahead of the game’s May…