Overwatch Heroes, Ranked

Blizzard’s take on the class-based-shooter is so vibrant and full of personality, that each individual character has inspired its own army/fandom. And yet, some heroes are still better than others. Here is our definitive ranking of Overwatch heroes, ranked from worst to best. Soldier 76 Bastion Torbjorn Genji Hanzo Zenyatta Junkrat Roadhog Widowmaker McCree Symmetra…

Sources: Smaller Xbox One Coming This Year, More Powerful Xbox One In 2017 [UPDATE]

Microsoft is preparing at least two new Xbox models for release in the next two years, sources tell Kotaku. Later this year we’ll see a cheaper, smaller Xbox One, and next year Microsoft will release a more powerful version of their premiere console. The 2017 Xbox, which is codenamed Scorpio, will have a more powerful…

What Game Could Possibly Make A Kid This Sad?

Look at this little boy’s face. He is the saddest little gamer who ever gamed. What sort of video game does this to a child? Over the course I trying to find a way for my children to entertain themselves this summer that doesn’t involve iPads or leaving the freezer open all night, I performed…

Hitman Episode Three: Marrakesh will be released May 31st, according to Io’s latest blog.

Kotaku ‘Shop Contest: Tetris The Movie

After years of near-misses, classic puzzle game Tetris is threatening to become a movie. Maybe if we show them how badly Tetris works with existing movies they will stop. Update 5/25: Thanks to the long weekend and a trip to Momcon in Atlanta for the contest judge, entries are open until Tuesday, May 31. Good…

Bringing Yakuza To The West Is Still Tricky

Sega’s Yakuza games are terrific. You really need to play them. Yet, they’re not always localized, and if they are, they arrive late. According to series mastermind Toshihiro Nagoshi, Sega is still trying to figure out how to appeal to Western gamers. I’d say keep doing what you’re doing, but it’s not that simple, I…

Anime Characters Sliced Right Out of Paper

This is impressive stuff. Over on 2ch, Japan’s biggest online forum, member A8SwkEFs0 uploaded a series of cut-out art that use negative space to bring to life some of anime and manga’s most famous characters. Here’s the blade A8SwkEFs0 uses to slice and cut black sheets of paper. And the resulting works. Kotaku East is…

Overwatch‘s Tracer Photoshopped with a Sexy Carrot 

Earlier this spring, a sexy carrot appeared online. Photoshop battles ensued. But the dust hasn’t cleared, because even now, that carrot still lives on as Tracer’s legs. Japanese Twitter user Uuyan recently uploaded this Tracer Photoshop. It’s been retweeted well over 3,500 times. As far as I can tell, the first Tracer carrot leg Photoshop…

The Ghibli Museum Is Getting a Catbus for Adults

Dreams are real once again! The Ghibli Museumin Tokyo’s Mitaka has a Catbus from the classic anime My Neighbor Totoro. Until now, only children (children, ha!) could get in the Catbus. But this July, there will be a Catbus that adults can also board. Thank goodness. Cinema Today reports that the Ghibli Museum will be…

After the Rain. Nikko, Japan. By MJ Smets. JPGs is a photo peek into wherever gamers might find interesting. If you’re a photographer and have images you want to share, drop us a line!

That’s Some Damn Good Fallout Cosplay

Viverra Cosplay’s Vault Survivor outfit here took over a month to make, since all the leather parts (100% pigskin) were made by hand and every weapon and accessory was 3D-printed then finished and painted. Also: the pup, Rex, is a great Dogmeat. Photos by BTSEphoto. Rex courtesy of Intrepid Productions

The Wild Story Of Tie Fighter’s Illegal 1994 Pirate Leak

Software piracy in 2016 is so ubiquitous that we expect games to leak ahead of release. Back in the 20th century, though, it was a lot harder for pirates to get hold of video games before they hit retail shelves. As evidenced by this crazy old story about howthe classic TIE Fighter got out a…

Former Valve Employee Sues For $3.1 Million, Alleging Wrongful Termination [UPDATE: Jury Rules For Valve]

A complex lawsuit was recently filed against Valve, in which a former employee is suing for $3.1 million in damages, alleging transgender discrimination, misclassification of employment, retaliation for whistle blowing, and more. Update – 6:00pm, January 19, 2018: It was recently brought to our attention that on November 2 of last year, a jury ruled…

Spontaneous Windows 10 Update Prevents Game Dev From Checking Out Of Hotel

Microsoft really wants people to upgrade their machines to Windows 10, to the point that computers will now install the new operating system without your knowledge. This lead to a frustrating (but darkly humorous) situation today for Vlambeer co-founder Rami Ismail, while checking out of a hotel. “I woke up all chill and relaxed and…

15 Things You Should Know Before Playing Overwatch

Getting started in Overwatch can be pretty daunting: there are so many heroes to learn, maps to memorize, and loot crates to open, that it’s hard to keep track of it all. But we have a few quick pointers that should help. Here are the things I wish I knew before jumping into Overwatch. Start…

Peek-a-boo. Today’s shockingly viable Counter-Strike strat? The pyramid scheme, courtesy of ahmadyar17