There Are No Necessary Picks In Overwatch Anymore

“RIP Mercy,” Overwatch players mumbled after the game’s main healer suffered a big nerf on Tuesday. It was a long-coming but controversial change that made the game’s essential hero no longer so. It also sent a firm message to Overwatch’s players—one that the recently-launched Overwatch League is hammering in with each pro match: No hero…

Ys VIII Is Much Better Now

Anexcellent game marred by rough localization, Ys VIII: Lacriomosa of Dana is now fully re-translated and largely re-voiced, just like NIS America promised back in October. Now is an excellent time to play Ys VIII. Unless you’re waiting for the delayed PC version. Or the upcoming Switch port. It took a bit longer than the…

GTA Online Is Full Of Abandoned Modes

After waiting for nearly 20 minutes last night, I gave up trying to find a match of Tiny Racers. The mode, which recreates the feeling of driving RC cars, was added to GTA Online last year. Nobody plays it anymore. Actually, nobody seems to play most GTA Online modes. It’s becoming a problem. GTA Online…

Three Great Indie Games Are Out On Switch Now

A whole lot of indie games dropped on the Switch today. Here are three you should definitely check out. Night in the Woods Are you in your twenties and have unresolved feelings about your hometown? This game is for you! You might also like it if you’re into lush art, hilarious writing, and angst. Mae…

My Final Fantasy XIV Character, From 2010-2018

The Rise of a New Sun update hit Final Fantasy XIV this week, and for the umpteenth time since the launch of the ill-fated original version back in 2010, I’ve transformed my Warrior of Light into someone new. Being able to change my character’s look, race and gender on the fly for a nominal fee…

Nintendo Labo Will Let You Program Your Own Custom Robots

When Nintendo Labo launches this April, it will come with a feature called Toy Con Garage that lets you use rudimentary programming to build and customize your own cardboard robots, Nintendo announced today. Some of the custom toys Nintendo showed off included an electric guitar and a basic game of electronic tennis. At an event…

Valve Will Start Patching Dota 2 Way More Often [UPDATE]

IceFrog, Dota’s head developer, tweeted late last night that the publisher will take a different approach to how the game is updated going forward. Instead of a few dramatic patches peppered throughout the year, Dota 2 will now get smaller updates every two weeks. “We want to try taking a different approach to how gameplay…

PUBG Patch Tries To Fix The Game’s Unpopular New Map

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds’ desert map of Miramar is a vast wasteland where one bad drop can leave you without a hiding place or weapons. A new update implements changes to the map, which had become so unpopular that players have been editing their game’s files to avoid it. Miramar is Battlegrounds’ second map and features a…

The Houston Outlaws Lost Their Map Streak But Kept Winning

The Houston Outlaws extended their 16-map unbeaten streak to 18 before the San Francisco Shock finally snapped it in the third map, but that was just a blip en route to a fifth straight match win. Their 3-1 win moved them to 5-2 on the season and could give them a chance to move into…

Red Dead Redemption 2 Delayed Again, Coming In October

Red Dead Redemption 2 will be out October 26, Rockstar said today, the second major delay for what might be the most anticipated game of 2018. The upcoming prequel to Rockstar’s critically acclaimed Western was previously scheduled for fall 2017, then spring 2018. “We apologize to everyone disappointed by this delay,” Rockstar said on its…

The Wii U Is Getting Harder To Find

“Grab a Wii U while you can, because they won’t be around forever,” a Nintendo executive said in a 2016 interview, as the company geared up for the launch of Switch. The Wii U has vanished from retail stores and, now, used games salespeople across the country are saying that they’re not seeing many Wii…

A patch deployed early this morning seemsto have fixed Monster Hunter World’s matchmaking issues on the Xbox One. Searching and joining rooms works! SOS works! Maybe next time Capcom will have an Xbox One beta, too!

Comparing Nintendo Switch Sales To The Wii’s And The Wii U’s

The Nintendo Switch sure is doing great. Previously, we’ve seen how its sales numbers compare with the PS4’s, but let’s now look at how it stacks up with Nintendo’s last two consoles. The comparison is interesting, because the Wii, of course, was a smash hit. The Wii U was not. These sales charts appeared at…

After 27 Years, Manga Akagi Ends Today 

Gambling-themed manga Akagi debuted in the early 1990s. Today, its run is coming to a close. Set in the mahjong world, Akagi told the story of a gambling genius who uses unorthodox techniques to keep others on their toes and test his luck. According to the manga’s official site, Akagi’s 27-year run is “finally concluding.”…

These Japanese Traffic Cones Are Spiritual And Beautiful

Traffic cones are roadside eyesores. But in Japan, there are spiritual ones, depicting the guardian of travelers and children. On Japanese roads, stone Jizo Bosatsu statues are ubiquitous. If you’ve taken a walk in the city or a hike in the countryside, you’ve come across a Jizo statue, often wearing hats or bibs. Few deities…

At This Japanese Noodle Restaurant, The Restroom Is So Thoughtful 

Going to the toilet at Ichiran Ramen, means more than high-tech washlets. It means all the toilet paper you could ever want. Just check out these Google image search results: That’s because in the popular ramen chain’s restrooms, there are rolls and rolls of toilet paper on the wall. If the restaurant somehow runs out,…