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CultureZynga Buys Torchlight Studio Echtra Games
Echtra Games, the San Francisco-based studio founded in 2016 by Diablo and Torchlight co-creator Max Schaefer, is now owned by Zynga, the company that gave us FarmVille. Fresh off the lukewarm release of Torchlight III, Echtra Games joins Zynga to work on an unannounced cross-platform action role-playing game in partnership with Zynga’s NaturalMotion Studio. According…
By Mike Fahey Published March 3, 2021 -
Kotaku EastJapanSquare Enix Launches Official Final Fantasy XIV Masks
Merchandising! Square Enix loves to do it. And with lots of people wearing masks in Japan, the Tokyo-based game maker saw an opportunity. Update March 3 – 11:40am: As one Kotaku reader points out, these masks are also available through the North American website. As Famitsu reports, pre-orders for Final Fantasy XIV masks kicked off…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 3, 2021 -
CultureEpic Games Buys Fall Guys Studio
Epic Games has bought Mediatonic, maker of last year’s hit battle royale Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout, the company announced today According to Epic, “gameplay isn’t changing” and the company will continue to support Fall Guys “across platforms,” including PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch. “Your gameplay isn’t changing and neither is our mission to bring Fall…
By Ethan Gach Published March 2, 2021 -
CulturePC Developer Issues Takedown Notice Against Its Own Game, Claims Publisher Pirated It
The Sinking City developer Frogwares has publicly accused former publisher Nacon of pirating the Lovecraftian adventure game for its recent re-release on Steam, the arrival of which put the Ukrainian studio in the weird position of asking potential customers not to purchase its own game last week. UPDATE 8:30pm – Valve has told Vice that…
By Ian Walker Published March 2, 2021 -
OpinionTrans Inclusion Means More Than Just Adding Potential Gender Options To Hogwarts Legacy
Upcoming Harry Potter game Hogwarts Legacy will feature some customization options related to gender, according to a report by Bloomberg. It’s a step toward trans inclusion in a game mired in controversy, even if it still shows the limitations of video games’ handling of trans people. Hogwarts Legacy players will reportedly be able to choose…
By Riley MacLeod Published March 2, 2021 -
CultureAliens: Fireteam Pits Colonial Marines Against The Xenomorph Horde This Summer
Coming summer 2021 to Xboxes, PlayStations, and Steam from Cold Iron Studios, Aliens: Fireteam is a co-op survival shooter set 23 years after the original Alien trilogy. Turns out those pesky H.R. Giger critters are still a huge problem, and it’s up to the Colonial Marines to feed them. Or exterminate them, I guess. My…
By Mike Fahey Published March 2, 2021 -
OpinionAsk KotakuWhat’s Your Favorite Video Game Boss Encounter?
It’s Monday and time for Ask Kotaku, the weekly feature in which Kotaku-ites deliberate on a single burning question. Then, we ask your take. This week we Ask Kotaku: What’s your favorite video game boss encounter? Ash Spoilers for Undertale follow. In my hierarchy of the best video game boss fights of all time, nothing…
By Alexandra Hall Published March 1, 2021 -
CultureDestiny 2 Glitch Lets You Launch 12-Player Raid Parties [Update]
Destiny 2 fireteams are usually capped at six, but players have recently discovered a glitch to bump up the size and are using the exploit to take on game’s raids in massive groups. Twelve-player parties might be chump change for a traditional MMO, but in Destiny it can transform even the deepest, darkest stone crypt…
By Ethan Gach Published March 1, 2021 -
OpinionImpressionsSorry Crazy Taxi Fans, Taxi Chaos Ain’t It
Taxi Chaos is not Crazy Taxi. But it’s trying to be, and it succeeds in some important ways while completely failing in many others. Consider this a warning: Don’t buy Taxi Chaos. But if you do, I can help make the game a bit better. I get why some folks might be tempted to buy…
By Zack Zwiezen Published March 1, 2021 -
CultureReport: Elden Ring Has Pages
Fans of Elden Ring, the joint collaboration between Dark Souls maker FromSoftware and Game of Thrones writer George R. R. Martin, have been desperate for confirmation that the game is still real and will eventually come out. It now sounds like they have an answer: according to a new report by VGC, trailer footage of…
By Ethan Gach Published March 1, 2021 -
CultureMorning MusicZero Divide Is A Primordial PlayStation Synth-Fusion Treasure
Welcome to Morning Music, Kotaku’s ongoing hangout for folks who love video games and the cool-ass sounds they make. Today’s pick comes from the dawn of the 32-bit era, when makin’ “Virtua Fighter, but with robots” just seemed like a natural thing to do. Upon its September 1995 American launch the PlayStation had no shortage…
By Alexandra Hall Published March 1, 2021 -
CultureYakuza Fan Is Out Here Fixing The Series’ PC Versions Again
Like I’ve said, it’s a little rough going back and playing older Yakuza games in 2021, and not just because of the stiffer animation and lack of first-person perspective. The PC versions of Yakuzas 3, 4 & 5 also have (or had) a few technical hiccups as well. A few weeks ago modder Silent—who we…
By Luke Plunkett Published February 28, 2021 -
The BestsLet’s Rank The Hitman Trilogy Levels, From Worst To Best
With the release of Hitman 3, the latest Hitman trilogy has concluded. After three games and two DLC levels, the new entry has over 20 levels set around the globe and countless ways to kill people. Let’s rank them! Just a bit out of housekeeping before we go on our merry murder global tour. We…
By Zack Zwiezen Published February 27, 2021 -
CultureMorning CheckpointNew Pokemon Games, New Final Fantasy VII Spin-Offs, Anthem Is Done, Call Of Duty Is Way Too Big, And More
This week on Morning Checkpoint we learn about the next terrible thing involving Cyberpunk 2077, learn the future of Anthem, check out a new trailer for more Hot Wheels in Forza, talk about some good dads and watch Destiny 2 players jump off a cliff over and over. Great Kotaku Content From The Past Week…
By Zack Zwiezen Published February 27, 2021 -
CultureOdds and EndsFight Sans Undertale Right In Your Browser
Sans is unique in that he’s the most popular character in Undertale while also providing one of the most frustrating boss fights the game has to offer. If you’d like to relive the experience of wrapping up a Genocide run without playing through the whole game again, this “Bad Time Simulator” lets you face the…
By Ian Walker Published February 26, 2021 -
CultureTwo Minor Changes Could Mean Big Things For EVE Online
This month has seen a flurry of announcements about EVE Online’s immediate future. Alongside the usual spaceship changes and rebalancing, a brand new, somewhat controversial skill system will be introduced, as well as what sounds like a largely cosmetic change to the game that could have huge implications for players. In almost every big science…
By Lee Yancy Published February 26, 2021 -
CultureReport: Stadia Blew Millions On Red Dead Redemption 2 And Other Ports
Just how badly did Google’s Stadia video game streaming service flop when it launched back in 2019? According to a new report by Bloomberg, it underperformed its sales target by hundreds of thousands of users, despite spending “tens of millions of dollars” secure ports of big blockbuster games. It’s not hard to see why either,…
By Ethan Gach Published February 26, 2021 -
CultureState Of Decay 2 Remembers Punching Nazis Is Good, Actually
I think most of us can agree that punching Nazis is a good thing. Heck, a bunch of great video games are founded on that very premise. That’s why it was weird when a State of Decay 2 player discovered that the game gives characters a negative effect for having taken out the trash in…
By Ian Walker Published February 26, 2021 -
Tips & GuidesHow To Build An Unstoppable Party In Bravely Default 2
Bravely Default 2, out now for Nintendo Switch, is both a lot like and not at all like many other JRPGs you’ve played. For starters, combat is defined by the Brave/Default system, which allows you to shake up the turn order in battles for strategic gain. But the main big wrinkle is the job system.…
By Ari Notis Published February 26, 2021 -
CultureWhat Are You Playing This Weekend?
The weekend is for realizing how short February is at the last moment. It’s so short. We should fix that. Also, it’s about playing an anime game that should be my jam but is currently confusing the hell out of me. Yeah, I am cheating this weekend and playing Neptunia Virtual Stars from Idea Factory,…
By Mike Fahey Published February 26, 2021