This Week In The Business: The Long Dark Road Out Of Early Access 

QUOTE | “We should be out there, and we want to be out there. But I’ll draw the line, also beyond a certain point, I don’t think I owe people to be a punching bag for them when they’re feeling upset.” – Hinterland Studio’s Raphael van Lierop talks about dealing with the toxic atmosphere on…

Doom Mod Replaces Every Enemy With Shrieking Crash Bandicoot

Watching this video of an army of Crash Bandicoots leaping at a man who has a gun but is unable to escape the screams—oh god, the screams—it strikes me that what’s considered scary in the year 2017 is very different from what frightened us back in ‘90s, when the original Doom first came out. The…

Missing The Days of Friending Strangers On Xbox Live

When I was younger, I used to play online games with strangers. By the end of the match, I’d add them to my friends list, and we’d become close friends—even if they were absolute jerks to me. That almost never happens anymore. Why is that? Today I am happy to announce a project helmed by…

Pyre Developer Explains Why There’s No ‘Best’ Ending

There’s no such thing as a happy ending—at least, not for everybody. Warning: this article contains Pyre spoilers. Go to any story-driven game’s forum, and you’ll come across multiple threads asking the same thing: “How do I get the best ending?” Who, they ponder, should they rescue, backstab, and/or have sex with to avoid producing…

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

The weekend is for cleaning the house. No, really. Really this time. Also, video games. I’ve got some games to check out for next week, but I’ll also be playing more The Long Dark, because there are a lot of places in the new map where I haven’t died yet. I’m also pretty keen on…

No Man’s Sky’s Story Overhaul Gives The Game Focus

As No Man’s Sky has developed, it’s struggled to balance the appeal of its mystery with the utility that makes it playable. With today’s update, Atlas Rising, it feels like the game has finally struck that balance. The 1.3 update for No Man’s Sky comes with a lot of changes, small and large. Most exciting…

Zelda Speedrunners Are Mastering Breath Of The Wild’s New Difficulty

Breath of the Wild’s difficult Master Mode makes monsters tougher and the world much more dangerous than before. For speedrunners attempting to complete the game quickly, this provides new challenges and opportunities. Different speedrunning routes try to complete various challenges. Two popular categories in Breath of the Wild are Any%, which seeks to beat the…

At Long Last, No Man’s Sky Players Meet Up In-Game

A year ago, No Man’s Sky players were disappointed to find out that they could not see each other even if they were in the same location at once. Now, after the latest update, players are finally meeting each other in-game. It’s kind of magical. In the run-up to No Man’s Sky’s release, players wanted…

League of Legends Pro Attributes Poor Performance To Indulging ‘Sensual Pleasures’

Some players blame repetitive stress and high expectations for poor performance. One League of Legends player has a different reason: A little too much lovin’. Newbee’s Li “Vasilii” Wei Jun posted to Chinese social media site Weibo about him being moved to the bench in week six of the LPL season. The pro says he…

Azio Retro Classic Keyboard Review: The New Vintage

Inspired by the old-fashioned typewriter and designed with luxury in mind, the Azio Retro Classic is a mechanical keyboard sporting rounded backlit keycaps, a zinc aluminum alloy frame and a genuine leather base. The nameplate says “Elegantly Fierce.” It’s not wrong. Last year Aziointroduced the MK Retro, a lovely little typewriter-inspired keyboard. You may have…

Teenager’s Charity Brings VR To Sick Kids And The Elderly

If you’re reading this article on this site, you’re probably interested in video games, which means you’re probably a gamer. And you’re probably into video games because gaming brings you joy. Well, one Sacramento-based nonprofit organization, Gamer’s Gift, is working to bring the joy of VR games to people who might not have access to…

Ask Dr. NerdLove: I’m Freaking Out About My Wife’s Orgasms

Hello all you petrochemical meerkats of the Noosphere, and welcome to Ask Dr. NerdLove, the only dating advice column that helps you get the perfect Loot Box for your love life. Before we get started, a quick self-serving plug: I was a guest on this week’s Kotaku Splitscreen podcast! If you haven’t yet, go give…

Street Fighter’s ‘Beast’ Is Now An Underdog

Daigo Umehara is arguably the best fighting game player of all time, so his relatively poor performance with Street Fighter V since the game’s release in February 2016 has surprised the competitive community. After sticking with series protagonist Ryu for for more than a year, Daigo recently made the switch to Guile taking advantage of…

The penultimate day of The International 7 starts today, where five teams will be whittled down to the top three. Fun fact: Earthshaker has a 75 percent win-rate at the main event.

Anime Film About Hiroshima Bombing Opens In U.S. Theaters Today

The latest in a series of tear-jerking anime moviesto make their way over to North American theaters is a coming-of-age story set in 1940s Hiroshima. In This Corner of the World, a tender World War II anime rendered with hand-drawn animation, will open to theaters across the country today. Suzu Urano is an artist and…

The PC version of Sonic Mania has been pushed back from August 15 to August 29. Announced during alive stream this morning, the PC version apparently requires further optimization. Steam preorder customers will get a copy of the original Sonic the Hedgehog as compensation.

GTA Online Updates Push Crime Into The Suburbs, Frustrating Residents

In real life, people leave the bustle of city life for the country all the time. Turns out, that phenomenon happens even in digital places like GTA Online, too. GTA players sometimes choose sleepy neighborhoods to avoid crime at their doorstep, but recent updates have turned the real estate market upside down. In GTA Online,…