- CultureShop Contest
‘Shop Contest: Gaming Grows Up
The release of God of War has opened up the possibility that the icons of gaming can grow up to take responsibility for the world around them. Kratos is trying to raise his son, but what does growing up look like for other famous protagonists? Mario has to mow the lawn for his friend Peach.…
By Cameron Kunzelman Published April 22, 2018 -
CultureSplitscreenWhat It’s Like Auditioning To Be Star Trek’s Newest Composer
This week on Kotaku Splitscreen, I talked with composer Austin Wintory (Journey, Assassin’s Creed Syndicate) about what it was like auditioning to be the composer for Star Trek: Discovery, and why he’s glad he did it even though he didn’t get the gig. For the first part of the show I was joined by my…
By Kirk Hamilton Published April 22, 2018 - Culture
Sunday Comics: Floor Swords
Hello! It’s time for Kotaku’s Sunday Comics, your weekly roundup of the best webcomics. The images enlarge if you click on the magnifying glass icon. Awkward Zombie by Katie Tiedrich. Published April 16. Read more of Awkward Zombie Corpse Run by Alex Di Stasi. Published April 19. Read more of Corpse Run Double XP by…
By Cameron Kunzelman Published April 22, 2018 - Uncategorized
God of War Patch Increases The Text Size, But It’s Still Tiny
God of War is fantastic, except for the fact that trying to read any of the text has forced me to get up and stand next to the screen. A new patch for the game aims to fix that problem, but it’s not nearly enough. Patch 1.12, which went live last night, adds a slider…
By Jason Schreier Published April 22, 2018 - Esports
Splatoon Inkling Open Game Comes Down To 0.1 Percent
Here’s another friendly reminder to please ink your spawn Today is the open qualifiers for the Splatoon 2 Inkling Open, and teams all around North America are competing to earn a spot at the top and a shot at the world championship. Competition is fierce, and nowhere was this clearer than in a bout between…
By Eric Van Allen Published April 21, 2018 - Uncategorized
Valve Buys Firewatch Developer Campo Santo
Independent studio Campo Santo (Firewatch) has been acquired by a most unlikely suitor—Valve, a digital store operator that once made video games. Three people familiar with the news confirmed the purchase to Kotaku today. Valve plans to leave Campo Santo intact as a team, a source said, rather than absorbing the studio and re-assigning its…
By Jason Schreier Published April 21, 2018 - Esports
Overwatch Contenders’ Playoffs Are A Proving Ground For New Talent
Many eyes are on the Overwatch League right now, but while stage 3 carries on, the secondary Overwatch division is heating up. As the Overwatch Contenders playoffs come to a close, you should be watching. Contenders is a developmental subset, like a minor league for the Overwatch League. Players in each region compete in their…
By Eric Van Allen Published April 21, 2018 -
UncategorizedIt Seems That Metal Gear Solid V and Vanquish Will Be Free For XBL Subscribers Next Month
An unlisted video on the official Xbox YouTube channel has appears to have revealed May’s Games with Gold lineup, so get ready to hit some home runs in Super Mega Baseball 2 and ride a horse in Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. According to the video, May’s Games with Gold are: Xbox One…
By Cameron Kunzelman Published April 21, 2018 - Esports
A Classic Counter-Strike Map Is Back In Competitive Rotation
Every competitive game has its more memorable maps. Blood Gulch, Facing Worlds, 2Fort, and also, de_dust2. More well-known as simply Dust II, the map has been around for most of Counter-Strike’s life and is considered one of the best, most balanced maps in the game. Now, it’s back in active duty. Yesterday’s Counter-Strike: Global Offensive…
By Eric Van Allen Published April 21, 2018 - CultureShop Contest
‘Shop Contest: Celebrating Our Favorite Witcher, Winners!
Geralt of Rivia deserves to do whatever he wants, so I asked you to help me achieve his dreams. I asked that Geralt be put into lots of games, and you delivered things beyond my wildest imagination. I requested Geralts, and you gave me Geralts. Most of you stuck with his skills as a hunter…
By Cameron Kunzelman Published April 21, 2018 - Uncategorized
PUBG‘s Best Helmets Are Going To Get Harder To Find
In a dev blog posted on their official Steam page, the PUBG developers have announced some sweeping changes to weapon damage, the attachment system, and the loot table arriving in an upcoming patch. In the short post, the team explained that there is currently an imbalance of weapon use in the game. Players are often…
By Cameron Kunzelman Published April 21, 2018 - Esports
The Weekend In Esports: Rocket-Powered Soccer
Regional championships for the high-octane Rocket League kick off in earnest this weekend. This marks the fifth season for the Rocket League championship series, as teams battle it out to be one of four from their respective region to compete in the season five world championships. Hopefully we see some more incredible goals like the…
By Eric Van Allen Published April 21, 2018 - Uncategorized
How To Get The Final Ending In God of War
It’s not 100% clear how to get to the final credits in the excellent new PS4 game God of War, and you may think that you’ll have to finish all of the side missions first, but that is in fact not the case. Here’s a spoiler-free explanation. Once you’ve completed the game’s story, you’ll be…
By Jason Schreier Published April 21, 2018 - Culture
This Week in the Business: How Can We Make It Up To You?
QUOTE | “Again, sorry for this as we kindly ask for your further patience and hopefully it won’t be a deal breaker for any of you. In return, we promise we’ll push this extra three weeks in 90+ hours per week so it’ll be very-very useful for Martyr.” – NeoCoreGames producer Zoltán Pozsonyim in an…
Brendan Sinclair Published April 21, 2018 -
UncategorizedMonster Hunter: World’s Big New Dragon Battle Is The Best Yet
Monster Hunter: World’s latest event adds a golden dragon for players that players really should make the necessary preparations to hunt. Dealing with the Kulve Taroth is a massive undertaking where up to 16 players can cooperate in order to get some of the most stylish and powerful loot around. The event ends in a…
By Heather Alexandra Published April 20, 2018 - Uncategorized
Overwatch‘s New Map Is A Beautiful But Imbalanced Deathtrap
Among Overwatch fans, King’s Row is generally regarded as the game’s best map. It doesn’t do any one thing perfectly, but each of its points emphasizes different heroes’ strengths and strategies. The game’s new map, Rialto, seems to want to be a balmier King’s Row, but I don’t feel like it’s quite there yet. Rialto,…
By Nathan Grayson Published April 20, 2018 - Culture
What Are You Playing This Weekend?
The weekend is for laundry (boo) but also sleeping in (yay). Also, video games. I did not finish Far Cry 5, alas, because I am chronically distracted and then find myself in a completely different part of the map than I meant to go. Maybe this weekend? We’ll see. I did get to see this…
By Riley MacLeod Published April 20, 2018 - Uncategorized
Wintry battle royale The Darwin Project is now free-to-play on Steam. For people who already bought the game, the developers say “you’ll receive the Founder’s Pack containing 2 Legendary sets, 3 Legendary Axes, 3 Legendary Bows, a full jumpsuit collection, and 5 Fan Gifts” on April 24.
By Riley MacLeod Published April 20, 2018 -
UncategorizedCall Of Duty: WWII’s Hub Area Is Now An Awkward, Official Multiplayer Map
Call of Duty: WWII’s Headquarters, created as the game’s mostly non-violent social space, has now been repurposed as a multiplayer game map. It’s definitely a different vibe, but it works for some modes better than it does with others. WWII’s November launch definitely left much to be desired for map count and quality, but the…
By S.E. Doster Published April 20, 2018 -
UncategorizedShudderwock Is Busted, And That’s Part Of The Fun
When Hearthstone glitches out, you can see it. Cards fall into crevices of the board they should never go. Graphical effects linger perversely. Turn timers run on with no apparent end. Usually, to break Hearthstone this way, you need to pull off some strange once-in-a-blue-moon interaction with obscure cards and janky animation mechanics that are…
By Joshua Calixto Published April 20, 2018