All Hail The Brief, Glorious Return Of The PC Demo

Demos have been gone so long there will be younger readers who never really got comfy with them in the first place, but a some news from big PC publishers this week shows that the oldest (and maybe best) way of selling a video game is making a comeback. OK, so demos never entirely disappeared—and…

Guardian Thought It Could Mess With Link

Today on Highlight Reel we have guardian lasers, incorrect models, salt, and much more! Watch the video then talk about your favorite highlight in the comments below. Be sure to check out, like, and share the original videos via the links below. Subscribe to Kotaku on YouTube for more! Skyrim –Water Bucket Challenge – iammeatwad…

Counter-Strike Players Are Skeptical Of The Game’s New Map

Yesterday, Counter-Strike received its first new Valve-developed map in quite some time. It’s called Canals, and it’s based on a (conspicuously unnamed) “historic Italian city” that is definitely Venice. The initial reaction, however, has not exactly been love at first sight. Canals, you see, is not a typical CSGO map. It’s got multiple weird routes…

Watch Us Play The Beginning Of Mass Effect: Andromeda

We’re playing Mass Effect: Andromeda over on Facebook. Check it out:

Apple’s is showcasing a ton of cool indie games in iTunes. Outstanding new releases like Ticket to Earth, Euclidean Lands, Oxenfree and Beglitched are on sale, along with an army of $.99 classics. There are far worse ways to spend a couple of dollars.

Meet The Student And Teacher Writing The Course For Dota 101

“I wanted a game that hated me.” That was how Sean Plott, also known as “Day9” in the professional gaming world, described the allure of Dota 2. Plott had made a name for himself in the days of StarCraft, where he taught players new and old how to better themselves at the strategy game. Now,…

There’s Never Been A Puzzle RPG Quite Like Ticket To Earth

One of my favorite genre hybrids just got a huge kick in the pants, courtesy of Robot Circus’ Ticket to Earth. It combines tile matching and strategic positioning in a way I’ve never seen. Available today for iOS and coming soon to PC, Ticket To Earth is an evolutionary leap forward in the puzzle/RPG hybrid…

Tell Us About Your Video Game Pets

We often get attached to animals in video games. Yesterday I wrote about my sweetest, most darling friend: Raincloud, my horse in Breath of the Wild. She’s precious, I love her, and if anything bad ever happens to her I will murder everyone in Hyrule. You all seem just as obsessed with your horses as…

Trump Plan To Defund U.S. Arts Endowments Could Impact Video Game Programs

President Trump’s proposal to slash funding for federal arts endowments may have consequences for video games. The types of federally-funded education and social change-related games projects that have received grants in the past may need to scale down or search for other funding channels. Nothing is being cut just yet, but the President’s proposed 2018…

Podcast: Mass Effect: Andromeda Doesn’t Make A Strong First Impression

We’re hopeful that Mass Effect: Andromeda will grow on us more, but the first few hours have left me and Kirk a little cold. Today on Kotaku Splitscreen, we discuss why we’ve got mixed feelings about BioWare’s latest. We talk about the week’s news (7:04), Mass Effect (33:46), and answer some reader questions (1:05:43) on…

Fire Emblem Heroes Gives Me The Structure I Need Right Now

Mobile gaming is a pitfall of crude monetizations and flash in the pan games. Most people I know have moved on from Fire Emblem Heroes. But it’s become a crucial part of my day to day. Initially, Fire Emblem Heroes provided a gateway to the other games. The bright characters and their brash personas ignited a…

Sources: Telltale CEO Steps Down [UPDATE]

Telltale CEO Kevin Bruner stepped down from his position this week, sources tell Kotaku. Bruner helped found the longrunning studio, which is best known for developing adventure games based on popular franchises like The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones “Today I am writing to let you know that I’ll be stepping away from my…

Inside The Unregulated And Scam-Filled World Of Video Game Betting

Gambling on esports matches is, right now, unsafe and unfair for bettors, just as gambling on traditional sports is. As you’d expect, people are still doing it anyway; and as you’d expect, laws and regulations have struggled to keep up. The facts, neutrally stated, are simple: In the United States, esports betting—as with sports betting…

Four Indie Games Launch On Nintendo Switch

For all of the hullabaloo about the Switch having a minuscule launch lineup, Nintendo’s hybrid system has actually come out stronger than most new consoles. That’s mostly thanks to Zelda, of course, but there’s also Specter Knight and now a bunch of indies coming to the Switch this week. Next time Nintendo updates the Switch…

People Are Trashing Mass Effect: Andromeda’s Animation

At the start of the year, there was minor controversy surrounding Mass Effect: Andromeda’s animations. According to fans, the Ryder, the protagonist, didn’t emote enough. At the time, Bioware chalked it up to a “facial performance bug” that they would “improve,” but now that a trial version of the game is widely available, folks are…

Firestorm Flames On In Injustice 2

As a teen I was fascinated by DC’s Firestorm, a gestalt character with the ability to manipulate the elements. Unfortunately his TV and video game appearances generally use him as a souped-up Human Torch. Here’s our first look at Jason Rusch and Martin Stein shooting fireballs in Injustice 2. Yeah, we get a little phasing…

Game Of Thrones Artists Worked On Horizon Zero Dawn

Karakteris a German studio who have done a lot of design work on Game of Thrones over the years. So when it came time for Horizon Zero Dawn to be populated with gruff and furry-clothed people, Guerrilla knew exactly where to turn. To be clear, Karakter didn’t conceptualize the entire game; Guerilla has its own…

Capcom Might Have Put A Resident Evil 7 Conspiracy To Rest

If you’ve finished Resident Evil 7, please continue. If not, don’t! Because Capcom has commented on something that’s been bugging fans since they’ve finished the game. Spoilers ahead! At the end of Resident Evil 7, a character named “Redfield” descends out of a helicopter, takes off his mask and helmet, and says, “I’m Redfield.” Even…