Bayonetta, by Ladee Danger. Photo by Martin Wong.

A Boy And His Sword

Valentina Remenar is an artist from Croatia who works in video games, books and digital illustration. You can see more of Valentina’s work at her personal site and 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…

Witcher 3 Mod Grants Geralt Sick Skating Powers

Remember sexy skateboard Geralt? From the beach and also your dreams? Yeah, well you can play basically as him in The Witcher 3 now. Geralt of Rivia’s Pro Witcher 3 mod imbues Geralt with the ability to slide—ala when you’re coming down a steep hill or mountain—everywhere. Oh, did I mention the ludicrous speeds? Because…

Nintendo’s “Boob Shaped Controller” Was, Sadly, A Failure

One of Nintendo’s most important innovations in video games has been the invention of the d-pad, which is still used prominently on controllers today. To get there, though, they had to go through some less successful prototypes. Some with stupid names. While working on Game & Watch designs in the early 80s, Nintendo legend Gunpei…

Skyrim Mod Gives NPCs Their Own Lives (And Loves)

Social NPCs is a mod for Skyrim that takes the clockwork non-playable characters from two of the game’s smaller locations and turns them into believable people with lives to lead completely independent of what you’re up to. And I don’t mean “get up in the morning, walk somewhere then walk back”. This is far more…

South Korea’s Overwatch World Cup Team Is Annihilating Everybody Else With Weird Picks And Wild Plays

As one astute observer on Reddit pointed out, South Korea’s Overwatch World Cup team hasn’t just deviated from the meta; they’ve used nearly every hero in the game. Even Hanzo Going into Blizzard’s big, multi-national bash, South Korea was a heavy favorite, but I’m not sure anybody expected them to clean up to this degree.…

Capcom Cracks Down On Paid Street Fighter Costume Mods

Last week, two prominent creators of Street Fighter nude mods and costume mods said they received takedown notices from Capcom. The two modders in question, who go by Brutal Ace and Khaledantar666, both had Patreon pages that solicited donations from fans. Brutal Ace and Khaledantar666’s mods often make use of other copyrighted properties. One of…

The Next Xbox One Dashboard Update Lets Players Customize Their Home Screen

The latest update to the Xbox One’s dashboard is rolling out to preview program alpha members today, adding cool new features like a modernized community page, a revised guide menu and the ability for players to build their own home page using custom “content blocks.” That’s right, the Xbox One dashboard is changing again. Gone…

In Friday The 13th, The Real Killer Isn’t Jason—It’s Your Teammates

The studio behind Friday the 13th recently revealed that the game has sold 1.8 million copies, even after connectivity issues, glitches, bugs, exploits, and middling critical reviews. The fanbase still loves this teens-versus-Jason game, although they’re becoming rapidly divided— instead of fighting against and escaping from Jason, some players are joining in on his killing…

Watch Me Open A Big Box Of Dragon Quest XI, Fresh From Japan

I spent way too much money on Dragon Quest XI merchandise. Dragon Quest being my favorite game franchise, and a numbered installment in the series being a rare event, I found it appropriate to splurge. In the video above, watch what $600 got me. My true buddy Kyle, who lives in Japan, endured Dragon Quest…

Game Of Thrones Recap Podcast: Dragons Are The Napalm Of Westeros

Well, that sure was an episode of Game of Thrones We’re back with another bonus episode of Kotaku Splitscreen in which Jason Schreier and I talk about the latest developments on the hit HBO series Dragons vs. Crossbows. Today we discuss the fourth episode of season seven, “The Spoils of War.” We spoil the episode…

Spelunky Creator’s New Project Is A Collection Of 50 Faux Retro Games

Derek Yu’s platformer roguelike Spelunky is quietly one of the most influential games of the past decade. Now he’s back with a team of indie standouts, and they’ve collaborated to make 50 new games with a twist: the story is that they were created by a fictional company in the ‘80s that was “obscure but…

A Newcomer’s Guide To Watching Dota 2‘s $23 Million International Tournament

More than $20 million in prize money is on the line this week in The International 2017, a tournament for the video game Dota 2 that can leave new spectators baffled. We’re here to help, in case you want to watch one of these matches and be able to tell a core from a support,…

This Summer’s Standout Anime Is About A Mysterious Pit Full Of  Monsters

Early on in this summer’s standout fantasy anime Made in Abyss, the troublemaking 12-year-old orphan Riko reveals a compass that always points to the bottom of the netherworld. It’s an artifact she pocketed while cave-diving in the endless pit around which her hometown formed. Boasting to her friends, Riko explains that the compass is what’s…

New Sonic Fan Game Is All About Raising Chao

If you love the tiny critter-raising side game that’s been showing up in Sonic the Hedgehog games on and off since Sonic Adventure on the Dreamcast, you’re in for a treat.Sonic fan game maker Nefault1st just released Chao Resort Island, and it’s all about raising and racing those adorable little scamps. Available as a free…

Battlefield 1 Is Bringing Back Specializations

Battlefield 1 will add a new feature to the game that grants characters perks and special abilities. These specializations are live for testing and look to change the game in a big way. ‘Specializations’ have been a long-standing tradition of the Battlefield games ever since 2006’s Battlefield 2142. In games like Battlefield 4, selecting certain…

Which Ridiculous Historical Figure From Fate/Grand Order Would You Summon?

Since Fate/Grand Order made its way stateside, we’ve been embroiled in unlocking more and more historical figures for our digital Holy Grail War. The Fate series is basically a giant battle royale between famous people, both real and mythological, but their representation has varied from the odd to the utterly ridiculous. So when those command…

Middle-earth: Shadow of War Lets You Pay Real Money For Better Gear

Middle-earth: Shadow of War, the sequel to surprise 2014 hit Shadow of Mordor, will come stuffed with loot boxes and microtransactions, not just for cosmetics but for gear that improves your main character. This news, announced over the weekend, has thrilled fans across the world. (One top Reddit post: “That’s a great way to get…