Art News, Tips, Tricks & Ideas

Sony has confirmed that the Stellar Blade in-game art alluding to a racial slur will be patched out with a day one update, saying it was «unintentional.»

With hundreds of techniques populating Naruto's narrative, it's fairly common for jutsu to often get sidelined after their initial novelty fades. Sai's Super Beast Scroll technique falls under a similar premise, as this largely underrated technique has spent much of its time in the shadows while other flashy techniques take center stage. With the power to animate ink into beasts of varying strengths, the technique presents limitless value in battle, both offensively and defensively.

Some of the biggest names in the manga industry are working together on revamping a huge project for one of the best-known manga publishing companies, Shueisha. It is not a typical kind of manga story, though, but something altogether different. This special anthology doesn't tell an original story but is meant to be educational, as it turns historical figures and events into a manga to help people learn about history.

Arrowhead Game Studios has shared yet more fan art of Helldivers 2's beloved Eagle-1 pilot, while insisting that she and the other Eagle pilots haven't been "physically augmented" in order to better deliver Managed Democracy.

A Pokemon fan has recently created a new monster by fusing Vaporeon with Blacephalon. While fusions are not possible in official mainline Pokemon games, several fans of the franchise love to imagine how different creatures would look together, and this latest artwork is a fine example of this.

At Polygon, a lot of us are fans of sitting down to a movie with as little upfront information as possible, for the feeling of discovery. But sometimes, it helps to know a few things going in, whether it’s an interesting fact about the movie’s history or just knowing how many end-credits scenes to wait for. Here are four things we think you should know about Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers before watching.

Fellow Traveller, a narrative games publisher, has just signed a deal with Made Up Games, a new game development studio from New York. Now, why are we talking about this deal? Well, they have also shared the news about a new interactive story and video game they’re cooking together as part of the deal.

Japanese anime, manga, and games are popular in Japan, but Western media also has its place in Japanese pop culture. One of the most popular companies in the country is Disney, and Disney characters, movies, and theme parks are beloved by a huge number of people in Japan. Disney spans across ages, genders, and walks of life in modern Japan, with all kinds of different fans.

The allegedly cut ending of Assassin's Creed Mirage, which was set to make the series' already incredibly complicated meta story even more complex, is probably nothing to worry about according to Ubisoft.

Next month, Nintendo will celebrate the 20th anniversary of one of its finest games. Nintendo GameCube classicPaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is getting a Nintendo Switch rerelease that’s somewhere between a remaster and a remake (not unlike the company’s recent Super Mario RPG revisit). But a game as beloved as this presents a challenge for developers: How do you stay true to the original while still upgrading it enough to justify a full-priced double-dip rather than an HD port?

There's nothing quite like video game box art that makes you stop and say «wow». Admittedly, it's been a while since such a cover caught our eye, but we simply can't gawk at the newly revealed box art for Metaphor: ReFantazio and not write an article about it.

It seems we aren't the only ones counting down the hours until the release of the PS5 exclusive Stellar Blade. Developer Shift Up has posted an impossibly drawn-out clip of the «secrets» contained within the game's PS5 physical box, which, as far as we can tell, amounts to a reversible cover/dust jacket and a download code for some cosmetic goodies.

Jon “Ninjon” Ninas is a successful YouTuber, well known by both the algorithm and the hobby community as an excellent and exciting painter and presenter. As of last month, he’s also a Golden Demon winner, having taken home the bronze award in the Unit or Warcry Warband category at AdeptiCon 2024. This was Ninas’ third time entering the prestigious contest sponsored by Games Workshop, but only his first medal win so far.

An executive of Electronic Arts Japan has criticised the Japanese video game ratings board for allowing upcoming action game Stellar Blade to be released uncensored while EA's own Dead Space was banned in the country.

In its early access state, No Rest of the Wicked is already full of surprises. Mostly those are great, like how one moment I found myself marveling at its slow and precise combat (all but unprecedented in the action RPG genre) and the next I found myself decorating my home like I was in an M-rated Animal Crossing. On the other side, although it’s certainly to be expected from a game that’s clearly labeled as unfinished, there were also some not-so-fun surprises, like various technical issues, a loot and inventory management system that needs some serious tweaking, and some levels that can be a headache to navigate from an isometric perspective. There’s nothing there that feels unsolvable, though, and all of those problems are eclipsed by just how exciting and special this genre-blending pioneer felt throughout my 30+ hours with the content that’s already available.

You never forget a place like Morrowind. It’s like something out of a dream, only you’ve actually been there. Maybe you used a mouse and keyboard, or the Xbox “Duke” controller, to visit it. But that doesn’t make it any less real.

With Sunday here, the weekend is almost over—but there are so many great deals to check out before it ends. We've rounded up some of the best deals you can find this weekend, with everything games and technology included. The best deals for Sunday, April 21, include the Arctis Nova Pro Wireless Headset, HORI Split Pad Compact, Granblue Fantasy: Relink, Super Mario RPG, Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1, Persona 3 Reload, and more.

Vintage gadgets find new life with Grid, a company that deconstructs vintage gaming controllers and other accessories, transforming them into clever art pieces. Right now, this purveyor of tasteful video game art is having a sitewide 15% off sale through April 23 in honor of Earth Day. Each of Grid’s shadowbox pieces is made of wholly genuine recycled parts, artfully displayed in a black 13 x 13-inch frame.

Overwatch 2's various animated shorts have cemented some of the series' most iconic moments, and a fantastic piece of fan artwork inspired by the upcoming Mirrorwatch event puts a spin on one particularly memorable moment between Tracer and Widowmaker. Season 10 of Overwatch 2 has proven to be a big one for the game, bringing with it a new hero, some widely-requested changes to the battle pass, and a plethora of awesome new skins which see heroes become villains.

It seems the protagonist of Konami's Silent Hill 2 remake, currently in development at Bloober Team, has received a quiet redesign or perhaps had a face-lift. It's unclear whether this change comes in response to fan feedback from the trailer shown during the State of Play showcase held earlier this year, the negative response to which Bloober subsequently blamed on Konami.

Final Fantasy XVI: The Rising Tide story expansion is out now, and one of the big advertised features was the addition of the water-themed Leviathan Ikon, but it turns out there’s actually a second new Eikon and set of moves included in The Rising Tide – Ultima. But how do you unlock this semi-secret new Eikon? Scroll on down to find out…

It seems we aren't the only ones counting down the hours until the release of the PS5-exclusive Stellar Blade. Developer ShiftUp has posted an impossibly drawn-out clip of the «secrets» contained within the game's PS5 physical box, which, as far as we can tell, amounts to a reversible cover/dust jacket and a download code for some cosmetic goodies.

Saturday is here, and that means the weekend has officially kicked off! We've rounded up some of the best deals you can find this weekend, with everything games and technology included. The best deals for Saturday, April 20, include the Arctis Nova Pro Wireless Headset, Granblue Fantasy: Relink, Super Mario RPG, Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1, and more.

Like any fanbase, the Baldur's Gate 3 community has seen its fair share of discourse. One ongoing topic of debate is whether or not Gortash is a good-looking dude. And if he's not, why does the game tell us that he is in Act 1? Well, it looks like we finally have our answer.

In an interview with Hirumaredx, Lead Visual Development Artist Gabriel Gonzalez and Senior Narrative Designer Abigail Manuel discussed the art, story, world building, and zones coming in The World Within!

In an interview with Associate Design Director Maria Hamilton, Taliesin & Evitel discuss the challenges of planning a narrative over three expansions in the World Soul Saga, where each expansion is at in terms of development, who Xal'atath really serves, and whether or not Azeroth is really a Titan!

Sony has today updated the Last Chance to Play section of its PS Plus service, revealing far and away the biggest batch of PS5 and PS4 titles leaving at once. On 21st May 2024, a whopping 25 games will be taken off PS Plus Extra and PS Plus Premium, including some quality Final Fantasy entries and indie hits. The complete list is as follows:

A staple menu in the WoW UI, the Spellbook is finally receiving a complete overhaul and fresh coat of paint in The War Within Alpha.

Next up in our IGN First coverage of Eternal Strands, we're diving into the unique and colorful art in the land of the Enclave. We sat down with art director Sebastien Primeau and lead character artist Stephanie Chafe to ask them all about it.

Isekai Dispatcher is a new title that’s a tad different on the horizon. It’s a Pixel art RPG created by Ignition M. In case you remember, I covered another quirky casual title dropped by them recently, PreCats! -Idle Cat Raising.

We are thrilled to officially announce that Darkest Dungeon II will arrive on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 on July 15. You can preorder it starting today, with a discount available to PlayStation Plus members.

Last month, a hacker wreaked havoc during an esports tournament of the popular shooter game Apex Legends, hacking two well-known streamers mid-game to make it look like they were using cheats.

We’re thrilled that Venture is finally in the hero lineup, and it’s been fun to see you get your hands on their groundbreaking kit and mechanics. Today two developers who were part of our newest hero's strike team will share a behind-the-scenes look at how Venture, became Venture.

No Man's Sky lead Sean Murray has found himself as the unwitting face of the risk coders face from the rise of AI.

The Dragonflight Collector's Edition is currently on sale for only $99 USD at the Blizzard Gear Store, down from its usual $129.99! Purchase the Dragonflight Epic Edition Collector's Set

The WoW The War Within Physical Collector's edition is now available for pre-order on the Blizzard gear store for $180 USD. The Physical Collector's Edition comes with a trove of collectibles including an iconic Gryphon Rider statue, Commemorative Pin featuring Anduin, Alleria, and Thrall, and Hardcover Art Book. Pre-Order The War Within Physical Collector's Edition According to the Blizzard Gear Store: 'This is a pre-order product and is not available to ship until December 2024.'

Continuing our datamining of The War Within Alpha, we have important NPCs and unique models. These include Alleria Windrunner and Anduin, with their updated models from the War Within key art, and the dwarven family Magni, Moira, and her son Dagran, all grown up! Make sure to use our table of contents to navigate along the post.

Europa began with "peaceful and zen vibes," and after more than six years of development, it's coming to the Nintendo Switch.

If you’ve been following indie publisher Annapurna Interactive over the last two years, you might be familiar with Lorelei and the Laser Eyes. The new project from Sayonara Wild Hearts developer Simogo has gotten a spotlight at a handful of live-stream showcases since 2022, with trailers teasing its eerie tone and puzzling world. While we’ve known those details for a while, there’s still one burning question that remains: What the hell is it?

A Pokemon fan artist created a new Mega Evolution for the Ice and Psychic Pokemon called Jynx, and shared their artwork with their peers. The Pokemon fan artist shared the normal and shiny versions of Mega Jynx, explained the inspirations that went into the designs, and received compliments from other trainers.

Home, Planet & Hunters is the latest RPG from Black Pearl Games, the developers who brought us the gritty street action in Brutal Street 1 & 2. With the new game, they’re taking us through the ruins of a world called ‘The Ring’ where you’ll gather a crew of hunters to defend your home.

Take-Two Interactive Software is in an Ohio court this week to fight a lawsuit over the use of Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James’ tattoos in its games. Tattoo artist Jimmy Hayden first sued Take-Two in 2017 over the use of several tattoos he made for James that were reproduced in NBA 2K games from 2016 to 2020.

Alongside the righteousness of spreading managed democracy, if there's one thing Helldivers 2 soldiers go to bat for, it's Eagle-1. Throw in the suggestion that the faceless community favorite might actually be an anime girl, though, and down-bad fans aren't just going to bat – they're standing between the NPC pilot and whatever harm might come their way with more vigor than ever before. 

It's pretty lonely out there as a Helldiver. Sure, you're surrounded by other Helldivers, and superior officers occasionally give you a pat on the back for collecting your samples and killing bots like a good little soldier, but there are very few NPCs in Helldivers 2 that actually have your back when things get tough. That's probably why so many people have fallen for Eagle-1, a disembodied voice that peppers the battlefield with explosions when asked.

A sequel to Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is still on the way, says star Simu Liu. The actor took to Threads to respond to a fan about Marvel's lack of news on the sequel. 

EA's upcoming game could let players explore Wakanda in a way no other Marvel game has. Very little has been revealed surrounding the title since its announcement in July 2023 other than the fact it is being developed by a new AAA development studio based in Seattle, Cliffhanger Games, which consists of a team of,,, and veterans.

More than 20 years after the original game changed the way many of us see video games, Square Enix revived Final Fantasy 7 via the first part of its remake. Now the game is bigger than ever before as the second installment in the remake trilogy, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, has taken the world by storm. Leaving Midgar and traversing the fictional world beyond, Draculabyte has celebrated Rebirth's success by curating a range of t-shirts that mash-up the game's characters with iconic metal bands.

With the initial wave of datamining over, we've been able to update the new Xal'atath model coming in Patch 10.2.7 complete with spell effects. Behold the Harbinger in her full void-tastic glory! Getting to Know Xal'atath and Alleria Windrunner With the Hunt for the Harbinger questline coming in Patch 10.2.7, Khadgar and Alleria ask for our help in investigating the mysterious Harbinger and her Dark Heart.

Imitated, but never duplicated, Unpacking is a cozy game that tells a surprisingly emotional story through the meditative process of organizing your belongings in different rooms (it’s fun, but don’t just take it from me; it earned the number 13 spot in Polygon’s 2021 game of the year ranking). The game is a wealth of luscious pixel art, lovingly crafted for items ranging from the mundane to the truly distinct, each paired with a unique snippet of satisfying foley audio. Now, thanks to Serenity Forge, many of those same items are available for you to unpack in your own home.

Skybound's Transformers starts a new arc this week with #7. It's another strong issue from one of our favorite ongoing comics, but it also marks a shake-up both in the status quo of the ongoing story and behind the scenes.

America is on a puritanical streak. Politically, individual states and the federal government keep looking for ways to completely outlaw abortion (and birth control, and health care for trans people, and books), while on social media, there’s been one hand-wringing discussion after another about whether movies should ever have sex scenes. The push to get blockbusters in front of a global audience has come with widely noticeablerestrictions on sexual content — or even basic kissing. In modern studio movies, as R.S. Benedict put it, everyone is beautiful and no one is horny.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin was one of the biggest comics of the last few years and a huge hit for IDW. Sequel series The Last Ronin II - Re-Evolution started publishing in March and got off to a flying start - IDW has stated that 140,000 copies of the debut issue have been ordered to date, with a second printing on the way. 

Electronic Arts has announced that it will be increasing the cost of its EA Play subscription service next month.

Following the news that EA Motive's team responsible for last year's Dead Space remake would work on the Battlefield franchise going forward (alongside the previously announced Iron Man game), fans of the horror franchise were left wondering whether a Dead Space 2 remake would still happen.

Earlier today, it was claimed that a remake of Dead Space 2 was in development at publisher Electronic Arts, but had been shelved indefinitely due to the original game's poor sales. Reputable industry insider Jeff Grubb claimed that the title was in the "concept" phase, before EA Motive were taken off the project to work on a new Battlefield and Iron Man title.

Electronic Arts' EA Play video game subscription service will soon be increasing in price. A new report reveals that Electronic Arts will be raising the cost of its EA Play service later this summer, with several tiers of the online service becoming pricier for players.

A Pokemon fan with amazing artistic skills has recently designed a new regional variant for Oddish, giving the Plant-type creature new evolutions. Since their introduction in Pokemon Sun and Moon, regional variants have been very popular in Pokemon fan art, and this fan managed to make outstanding artwork using this concept.

We finally know what the Slay the Spire studio has been working on: it's Slay the Spire 2, baby, and oh boy, it looks good.

Wizard of Legend 2, a follow-up to one of my favorite roguelikes of 2018 which is in the works at a new dev collaborating with the original creators, was one of the high points of today's Triple-I indie showcase. We got a fresh look at the sequel's updated 3D art style and co-op, and so far it looks like a solid homage to what made the first game great.

Electronic Arts just raised the price of its EA Play subscription service. The standard EA Play tier increased from $5 per month to $6 per month, while the annual fee rose to $40 from $30. These updated prices also impact premium EA Play Pro subscriptions, which allows access to the publisher’s games as soon as they launch. This tier now costs $17 per month, an increase from $15, and $120 each year, an increase from $100.

Three years ago, after its infamous reveal, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake was indefinitely delayed. Since then, it changed developers and re-entered the concept phase as Ubisoft Montreal took over from the Mumbai and Pune teams.

Electronic Arts' Motive Studio is moving to work on the Battlefield franchise.

Star Wars Outlaws got a new story trailer and a release date earlier today, which is exciting news for any of you wanting yet another slice of a galaxy far, far away. Unfortunately, a lot of that excitement has now been slightly tempered for those who champion video game preservation, as it's been revealed that the game requires an internet connection to install properly, despite being a solely single player experience.

Electronic Arts is adding Motive Studio, the team behind Star Wars: Squadrons and the 2023 remake of Dead Space, to the roster of developers working on the next Battlefield game. Byron Beede, general manager for the Battlefield franchise, and Patrick Klaus, general manager of Motive, announced the formation of a Battlefield-focused team at Motive on Tuesday — an announcement that also signaled the end of seasonal content for Battlefield 2042.

A newly published patent reveals that Electronic Arts is working on a branching battle pass system that would allow players to navigate a non-linear map and choose their desired reward path. Several patents filed by EA have given audiences insights into the company's research and development efforts, and this latest document has once again highlighted EA's focus on battle passes.

In a developer livestream showcasing their upcoming expansion, Bungie made a bevy of announcements for what awaits players in Destiny 2: The Final Shape.

There’s an art to making an ultra-long YouTube video. For one, you have to make sure it’s broken up into digestible, complete chunks so that people can take natural-feeling breaks. Second, you have to use the length to your advantage. These are all things that Quinton Hoover thinks of when he publishes a video for Quinton Reviews, a pop culture video essay channel that’s recently been devoted to recapping a series episode by episode or breaking down years of history for a show.

As we had correctly surmised, the Star Wars Outlaws story trailer also brought the release date announcement. The game is indeed launching sooner than originally thought (Disney had previously hinted at late 2024), being slated for August 30; however, that's also a bit later than some fans were hoping for, as some had even speculated the game could have launched on May the 4th.

Streaming can be an art form in its own right and made all the more enjoyable with the proper tools — though they don't always come cheap. That's why the 26 percent discount currently running on the Razer Stream Controller is so exciting. The sale brings the all-in-one keypad down from $270 to $200 — a return to its record-low price.

It’s often said that art imitates life, and the masterpiece known as Mortal Kombat is no different. From the first game’s realistic digitised graphics and use of actors and martial artists to record the bone-crunching moves, it was obvious that Mortal Kombat creators Ed Boon and John Tobias had been inspired by real-life inspirations for their characters. Some of the influences are obvious, while the others not so much. So, let’s break down the 6 Mortal Kombat characters based on real people.

It's been a little while since the release of Marvel's Spider-Man 2, so attention has naturally turned to the possibility of DLC. We know that the original Marvel's Spider-Man included a few story expansions, introducing the likes of Black Cat and fleshing out characters like Tombstone and Wraith, so the likelihood of getting DLC for Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is high.

A Pokemon fan has recently devised a new evolution for Exeggutor, imagining what a more powerful version of the Grass/Psychic-type creature would look like. Pokemon fans often reimagine their favorite monsters and produce amazing Pokemon fan art, and this is among the best pieces to come out recently.

A new Dev Update video from Riot Games shares some of the upcoming content for League of Legends. A team of developers shared an update on the game’s Arena mode, Lee Sin’s upcoming Art and Sustainably visual update, and a new “bullet heaven survivor PvE game mode for League of Legends during this year’s summer event.”

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League hackers have all but confirmed that Deathstroke is going to be coming to the game in the future, as they've managed to make his icon and name pop up on the leaderboards.

Sky: Children of the Light is turning five in a few months and Tokyo is where the party’s at! On July 13th and 14th, thatgamecompany is throwing SkyFest, a special event. It’ll be a community gathering full of adventure and fun. It’ll also mark the first in-person and in-game Assembly event for the game!

Avatar: The Last Airbender – Aang’s Destiny, the latest title from The Op Games, isn’t just a collaborative deck-building game. The way designer Pat Marino tells it, it’s a concerted effort to adapt Aang’s full adventures, from iceberg to Fire Lord, for the table.