GAMES News, Tips, Tricks & Ideas

A credible Sega insider has revealed some promising information regarding the future of the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise and how it's intended to be handled going forward. After years of somewhat divisive installments in the iconic video game series, this news is likely to excite many Sonic the Hedgehog fans who have been longing for further, more tangible investments in the franchise from Sega.

Since Microsoft purchased Blizzard Activision and took ownership of the Call of Duty franchise, there have been questions about whether Microsoft would bring future entries in series to PlayStation and whether future titles might be day-and-date launches on Xbox GamePass. The answer to the former is that for now at least PS4 and PS5 players will indeed continue to enjoy access. On Friday, the answer to the latter question finally emerged as well.

Hi-Fi Rush fans are currently leaving tons of positive reviews on the game's Steam page, marking another community-driven instance of reverse-review bombing. The occurrence follows parent company Xbox's decision to shutter Hi-Fi Rush developer Tango Gameworks.

Wes Ball, the director of the upcoming Legend of Zelda movie, recently gave fans a promising sign that the project is in good hands by affirming his love for the franchise. The blockbuster success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie last summer opened the floodgates of speculation about other major Nintendo properties being adapted to the big screen, with The Legend of Zelda being the most likely candidate due to both its status as the Big N’s second most-famous franchise and the vast amount of story material to draw from.

A fan artist recently gave the Demon Slayer character Inosuke Hashibara a Pokemon team in their newest art piece. Pokemon and Demon Slayer are very popular Japanese franchises, and it’s always exciting for fans to see the community coming up with these crossovers.

A spin-off of Persona 5 that was originally planned for release only in China could be getting a global release at some point in the future. The game, titled Persona 5: The Phantom X, is currently only available in mainland China, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau.

The Strong National Museum of Play has announced its annual inductees into the World Video Game Hall of Fame, inducting iconic titles likeResident Evil, Myst, SimCity, Asteroids, and Ultima. This year’s inductees were selected on a range of criteria that judged their influence, geographical reach, longevity, and icon status, of which Resident Evil certainly could not be denied.

The Dungeons of HinterbergSteam playtest has gone live ahead of the game's summer 2024 debut. Aside from Steam, this picturesque title will also be coming to the Xbox Series X/S, in addition to being a day-one Xbox Game Pass release.

The God of War Ragnarok PC port announcement is imminent, a reliable leaker has said. Their information indicates that God of War Ragnarok could mark an unprecedentedly short gap between the release of a first-party Sony game and its PC port.

There is a likelihood that Honkai: Star Rail will soon add one of the following planets: Patrevia, Edo Star, Lushaka, or Melustanin. Honkai: Star Rail features several beautiful planets, such as Penacony, Herta Space Station, Jarilo-IV, and The Xianzhou Lufou, that Trailblazers must explore to progress through the game's story. Each planet boasts a unique culture, leaving players in awe of its design. These superhabitable regions host NPCs and playable characters that have a crucial role in the story.

A Stardew Valley fan recently shared an impressive 3D-printed recreation of Jojamart with the community. This creation caught the attention of fellow Stardew Valley fans, who praised its attention to detail and creativity.

The Rogue Prince of Persia has been delayed, but its Early Access release will still be in May. According to The Rogue Prince of Persia developers, the delay was to avoid competing with the surprise release of Hades 2.

Xbox president Sarah Bond has confirmed that the company will continue to launch its first-party games, including Activision titles like Call of Duty, on Game Pass. This news comes in the midst of a period of uncertainty over the subscription service, as recent reports claimed that Microsoft was internally debating whether new Call of Duty titles should be launched on Xbox Game Pass.

Pokemon GO players are encountering a bizarre glitch that causes the iconic Zamazenta to photobomb them. This legendary Pokemon is causing issues for players attempting to snap a photo in Pokemon GO, with a wild Zamazenta showing up in their pictures and collection even if they have not added it to their Pokedex.

Microsoft is officially entering the mobile gaming store scene this summer. With the acquisition of Activision-Blizzard-King formalized, the legal precedent of Epic vs. Apple settled, and the European Union disrupting the digital market, Microsoft and Xbox believe the time is right to vie for a piece of the market.

A new Honkai: Star Rail leak has revealed the complete kit for the upcoming five-star character Jade. HoYoverse keeps expanding the game's playable roster with each new update, introducing at least two new characters. The ongoing Version 2.2 has already introduced a new five-star character named Robin, who is part of the first banner phase.

A gamer was hit with a serious case of nostalgia after rediscovering their oldest gaming achievement award, dating back to 1983. The gaming achievement is bringing back fond memories for some gamers, while younger gamers are marveling about the way Activision celebrated gaming achievements long ago.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet brought a lot of new Pokemon into the franchise, but players are now debating which ones are the most forgettable. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet have introduced 114 new monsters to the Pokedex, including the ones in the base game and monsters added through DLC, but they weren't all created equal in players' minds.

NBA star Luka Doncic has made headlines, not for his skills on the basketball court, but for his remarkable achievement of reaching the top 500 in Overwatch 2. Created by Blizzard Entertainment, Overwatch 2 is a captivating team-based shooter known for its diverse range of characters and dynamic gameplay. Building upon Overwatch's success, the sequel introduces new heroes, maps, and game modes while refining core mechanics. With its emphasis on teamwork and skillful play, Overwatch 2 continues to offer thrilling combat encounters and teamplay experiences.

A new Pokemon GO leak has been revealed, giving information about Pokemon GO Fest 2024 and the debut of three shiny Pokemon. Pokemon GO players unite yearly for the most anticipated event in Niantic's game calendar, the Pokemon GO Fest. With global and in-person activities in different cities, GO Fest is a Pokemon GO celebration that always brings surprises for trainers.

Faerin Lothar, a new character from World of Warcraft: The War Within, has a prosthetic limb in the form of a shield. This awesome new World of Warcraft character will accompany players in the Hallowfall region in The War Within, where her unique fighting style will literally help save the day.

A talented Pokemon fan has made four new evolutions for Charcadet, sharing the designs online. With the release of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, Pokemon fans saw the return of many Pokemon from other generations. Meanwhile, the Gen 9 games introduced 103 new critters with different abilities and stories to expand the already immense Pokemon universe.

Helldivers 2 director Johan Pilestedt agrees with fans that game balance updates have occasionally gone too far. Helldivers 2 is one of Sony's most popular games right now, and the new Polar Patriots Warbond is out. Because of the game's popularity and recent negative reception to updates, Arrowhead Game Studios' responses to feedback and PlayStation's approach to PC gaming fans have been the topic of frequent discussion.

A Pokemon fan and artist has designed an impressive Gigantamax form for Shuckle. As one of the biggest media franchises in the world, it's really no surprise that Pokemon has inspired near-endless fan art. The franchise's most popular Pokemon are often featured in such art. There is a ton of art featuring Pikachu, Charizard, Mewtwo, and the franchise's other heavy hitters, though some artists make it a point to include underrepresented Pokemon in their pieces as well.

Tekken 8 players with Nvidia GPUs are experiencing crashes in the game. The problem appears to be happening to players regardless of whether they have Tekken 8 mods in place.

A Pokemon fan has shared their concept of what Crustle could look like if it got a Mega Evolution. With the unique concept coming back in the next mainline Pokemon game, Pokemon Legends: Z-A, it's on the mind of many fans.

Dungeons and Dragons just confirmed an updated SRD featuring the new rules from the 2024 core rulebooks is coming shortly after the revision is complete. Fans can expect SRD 5.2 to arrive shortly after the revised Dungeons and Dragons Monster Manual releases in February 2025.

A Pokemon fan has animated a rare Porygon-Z card with an impressive result to show for it. The base design is already well-liked, so many Pokemon fans seem delighted to see an animated version of it.

With the Fallout franchise's recent surge in popularity following the premiere of its very own TV series, one creative fan of the Pokemon franchise has devised their own new form for Klinklang that takes inspiration from the Vault door designs seen in the Fallout games. Fans of the Pokemon games are constantly demonstrating their creativity through custom creature designs of their own, though this certainly isn't the first time fan artists have themed their Pokemon designs on other franchises.

Frontier Developments has announced that it is partnering with Universal Products and Experiences to develop Jurassic World Evolution 3, the next game in the dinosaur-themed zoo simulation series. Jurassic World Evolution 3 may be available for release as early as the summer of 2025.

Ghost of Tsushima's upcoming PC port has reportedly been delisted from some storefronts in several countries that aren't covered by PlayStation Network. The surprise move comes exactly one week before Ghost of Tsushima's long-awaited release on PC, which is slated for May 16.

A recent tease by Behaviour Interactive has lent credibility to a previous Dead by Daylight leak that claimed Castlevania's version of Dracula is a future Killer. Dead by Daylight has managed to stay successful for so long thanks to regular content updates that add new content to the asymmetrical multiplayer horror game. While all Dead by Daylight content updates are appreciated, the ones that generate the most buzz are those that add new Killers to the game.

According to some rumors about the next Nintendo console, the Switch successor could include RAM that puts it within range of the Xbox Series S while in Docked mode, but with a few differences between the systems. The same rumors also state that, while the Switch 2's specs remain unconfirmed by Nintendo, the system could use DLSS to bridge the gap between other current consoles.

Nintendo confirmed its forecast for consoles sold during the remainder of the fiscal year did not include Switch2 sales, suggesting its next console will launch later than fans had hoped. Since its ongoing development was leaked, fans have been desperately awaiting more news regarding the release date for the successor to the beloved Switch gaming console. Unfortunately, they might have to wait a little longer than previous rumors suggested.

A Pokemon GO player has recently discovered a glitch in which a wild Mewtwo “turns into a skater” by seemingly using a Falinks as a skateboard. While bugs are not a constant nuisance in Pokemon GO, most gamers who play for a while have encountered them at least a few times, and this one stands out due to being quite funny.

Indie developer Evil Raptor has teamed up with PLAION to reveal a first teaser trailer for the upcoming action-adventure shooter Akimbot, which has already received positive response among audiences for its likeness to Ratchet and Clank. Offering a colorful journey with two partnered heroes and gameplay akin to the beloved action-adventure video games synonymous with the PlayStation 2, this upcoming release is one fans of Ratchet and Clank and Jak and Daxter may want to take a closer look at.

The newly-released survival-horror game Crow Country, available for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X, is getting great reviews from critics. Crow Country is a throwback to classic PlayStation 1 survival-horror games. Many indie titles have attempted to replicate old-school Resident Evil and Silent Hill survival-horror with mixed results, but Crow Country is certainly one of the best to take a crack at it to date.

As Dead by Daylightramps up celebrations for its ninth anniversary, the official Twitter account teases the next DLC chapter of the game. On May 14, the developers of the hit asymmetrical horror game plan to reveal more about the upcoming Dead by Daylight DLC in a livestream unveiling the roadmap for the upcoming content cycle.

Another Xbox Game Pass price hike may be coming in the foreseeable future, according to a new report. The same source also raises the possibility of some more bad news for Xbox Game Pass subscribers concerning Call of Duty.

Xbox Game Pass has added Little Kitty, Big City to its ever-expanding content catalog. This is the first day-one release to reach Microsoft's subscription service in May 2024, as well as the third overall addition to Xbox Game Pass since the turn of the month.

Overwatch 2's collab with Porsche, which will add a white Macan Turbo Electric skin for D.Va, is finally happening next week. The tenth season of Overwatch 2 introduced an interesting Mirrorwatch theme which sees some of the franchise's heroes and villains swap roles and abilities in a limited time mode. Additionally, the latest DPS hero, Venture, joined the roster, giving players the ability to burrow underground, become invincible, and set up surprise attacks on opposing players from below.

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League was a major financial flop for Warner Bros. Discovery, as revealed in a new report. Suicide Squad seemed very promising when it was first announced at the inaugural DC FanDome event back in 2020, with Batman: Arkham series developer Rocksteady returning to its acclaimed DC gaming universe for a new title centered around the rogue’s gallery of Task Force X. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League would take the team of Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Captain Boomerang, and King Shark to Metropolis to battle the corrupted heroes of Earth.

It seems Redfall was gearing up to release a big update for May 2024 before Arkane Austin was suddenly shuttered by Xbox. Redfall got off to a very rough start when it first launched last year. The game released to overwhelmingly negative reviews and was quickly abandoned. Despite this, there were still plans to release Redfall DLC characters and updates to improve the experience.

A release date trailer has confirmed that day one game Galacticare is coming to Xbox Game Pass on May 23. While multiple games have already been added to the Xbox Game Pass lineup in May, only one of them was a day one release.

The Epic Games Store has updated its list of free games for May 2024 while confirming that next week will see the long-awaited return of the platform's mystery game promotion. Typically, Epic Games Store free game updates not only give users a fresh batch of freebies to claim, but they also let fans know what they will be able to add to their digital libraries the following week. The exception to the rule is when the Epic Games Store runs its mystery game promotions.

The newly-released day one PlayStation Plus Extra game Animal Well is now one of the highest-rated video games of the year. Compared to competitor Xbox Game Pass, it's relatively rare for PlayStation Plus Extra to add day one games. However, there are indeed times when PlayStation Plus Extra subscribers are treated to brand-new, day one releases, with some fantastic games added as day one releases in the past.

Arkane Austin and Tango Gameworks were reportedly in the process of pitching sequels to Dishonored and Hi-Fi Rush before Xbox’s sudden closure of their studios on Tuesday. This news comes after learning more details surrounding the shutdown of three ZeniMax Media subsidiary studios, Hi-Fi Rush developer Tango Gameworks prominently among them.

Arrowhead Games Studio CEO and Helldivers 2 director Johan Pilestedt has confirmed that he is working on getting the game relisted on Steam in the certain regions it was recently removed from. This news comes after the controversy about requiring PC players to link PlayStation Network accounts to continue playing Helldivers 2.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3's most recent update is causing some major issues for players, leaving Ranked matches completely broken. The new May update was meant to solve a host of bugs and issues affecting multiplayer and shake things up in Modern Warfare 3's Zombies mode. However, players are now encountering serious issues while playing Modern Warfare 3's Ranked game mode.

Genshin Impact has officially revealed which four-star characters will appear in the second banner cycle for the ongoing Version 4.6. Every banner phase in Genshin Impact features a double banner that includes two five-star characters and three four-star units.

A new report claims Microsoft is internally considering bringing Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 to PlayStation 5. The company announced earlier in the year that it will launch four first-party games from its back catalog on competitor platforms PlayStation and Nintendo, leading many to wonder if it plans to port more titles. As it seems, Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 could be a future multiplatform Xbox release.

A Honkai: Star Rail leak showcased gameplay animations for Firefly, giving players an insight into her abilities. Honkai: Star Rail will introduce Firefly in version 2.3, which is set to be released in June. She will be part of an event warp that will last for three weeks. According to leaks, at least three rerun units will be available in her debut banner in the upcoming version.

A new Honkai: Star Rail leak has revealed the complete kit for the upcoming five-star Fire Destruction character, Firefly. She has already been confirmed to arrive in the upcoming Version 2.3 which, going by HoYoverse's usual update schedule, should drop around mid-June.

A slick new race car is the latest creation to come from fans of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Known for its simple to learn yet difficult to master crafting mechanic, Tears of the Kingdom encourages players to fit all sorts of items together to see what happens.

The United States government is being sued by TikTok. This course of action for the popular social media platform comes as the government is attempting to ban TikTok or force it to be sold, but the popular video-sharing app is trying to fight back.

Developer Arrowhead Game Studios has launched Helldivers 2’s Polar Patriots Premium Warbond, introducing a range of new weapons, utilities, armor, and capes for players to experience. This release arrives amid recent controversies regarding Helldivers 2’s PlayStation Network account linking, prompting the Arrowhead Game Studios boss to let players decide when the new Warbond would impact the game.

Genshin Impact has officially revealed that it will increase the device performance requirements with the release of Version 5.0. HoYoverse's most popular live service game has a tight update schedule, which allows players to experience new pieces of content every couple of weeks.

Helldivers 2 Director Johan Pilestedt wants gamers to decide when the next paid Warbond will arrive. Helldivers 2 has been the source of heated discussion in recent weeks, as it is at the center of Sony's controversial decision to have PC players link their accounts to the PlayStation Network. The wave of negative reception surrounding recent Helldivers 2 news has been a shock to many gamers because of just how popular Helldivers 2 has become in such a short time. Releasing in February 2024, Helldivers 2 is now Sony's 7th highest grossing game of all time.

Dambuster Studios, the studio behind Dead Island 2, has good news for the game regarding its future. Dead Island 2 has been through a lot, even before release, but it seems things are looking up.

A minor but often used online feature of the Nintendo Switch, Twitter integration, is going away soon. Nintendo announced that it will discontinue the functionality in a matter of weeks, affecting users who employ the feature to share screenshots and gameplay videos from their Nintendo Switch on a major social media platform.

Marvel Rivals has released a new trailer revealing Hela's abilities and gameplay. This year, players were surprised by the unveiling of Marvel Rivals, a shooter that pits Marvel heroes and villains against each other in 6v6 matches. Although Marvel Rivals doesn't yet have a confirmed release date, players are already looking forward to checking out the game.

Honkai: Star Rail will reportedly introduce five-star Erudition Light Cones in version 2.3. In Honkai: Star Rail, players can obtain a variety of Light Cones, which have their own rarity and path, by spending their Rail Passes on banners or completing specific events. Not only do these items boost certain stats, but also provide a passive that makes the equipping character more powerful.

The Pokemon Company and Yogibo are teaming up to sell a popular trio of Pokemon, namely Gengar, Jigglypuff, and Lechonk, as giant bean bag chairs. The Pokemon recreations are functional and cuddly-looking, but could also serve as decor for fans of the series.

A Pokemon fan has created a number of impressive fusion designs. Pokemon fusions have been a popular trend among fans, as molding two or more Pokemon together can create some very interesting designs. Fusions have had some sort of presence in the mainline Pokemon games sinceBlack and White, as the Legendary Pokemon Reshiram and Zekrom have the ability to fuse with Kyurem. These are the only Pokemon able to fuse officially, however, as every other fan fusion has been non-canon.

The Draenei Heritage quest from World of Warcraft Patch 10.2.7 confirms plans to build a new city on Azeroth. This new World of Warcraft city is a huge deal for the Draenei, who have been without a true home for about 17 years, both in and out of the game.

While tens of thousands of gamers are enjoying Hades 2’s recent early access release, thousands more are looking back to indie developer Supergiant Games’ previous titles. While Hades 2 has quickly become the indie developer’s most-played game of all time, the first installment of the Hades franchise has also just broken its all-time peak concurrent player record, four years after launch.

Honkai: Star Rail received numerous new HoYoLab tools that will aid player progression in the newly released Version 2.2 update. By using the new tools, players will be able to track their progress in the new map and learn how to level up new characters efficiently in Honkai: Star Rail Version 2.2

Helldivers 2 players started a petition calling on developer Arrowhead Game Studios to rehire community manager Spitz. With the recent PlayStation Network account-linking controversy finally at an end, much of the Helldivers 2 community has begun to shift focus back to the Galactic War. However, some fans were still dismayed upon hearing of the recent dismissal of Spitz from the official Discord channel and are doing all they can to gather their fellow players in support of the former community manager.

A fan's video has shown what a Silent Hill 3 remake could look like if it were made in Unreal Engine 5. The powerful game engine is available to the public, and is often used for both brand new projects as well as demonstrating what a game like Silent Hill 3 could look like in modern times.

A Stardew Valley player has shared a bizarre moment in the game that saw their farmer swallowed up by their own auto-grabber. The odd scene was undoubtedly confusing when it happened, but it's also a unique Stardew Valley moment that's funny to watch.

AManor Lords player has discovered a hilarious bug that catapults characters into the sky. This Manor Lords bug has captured the attention of players, leading to amusing conversations within the game's community.

A Pokemon fan has recently devised a new Mega Evolution for Forretress. The Pokemon community has many talented artists who have engaged with fan art since the 90s, and this new design shows how talented these fans can be.

Fallout fans have widely praised the television show on Amazon Prime, and one Fallout 4 player in particular has chosen to recreate Norm MacLean as the Sole Survivor. Though the show sparked some initial controversy in the Fallout community due to a misunderstanding about how it fits into the timeline after Fallout: New Vegas, it has ultimately been embraced by a majority of fans – and perhaps most importantly – it brought a lot of new players to Fallout 4, Fallout 76, and even the older titles.

World of Warcraft Classic just increased the Season of Discovery experience boost by an additional 50% across all levels. This increase will make leveling in World of Warcraft Classic Season of Discovery even easier for players, whether they are just getting started, catching up, or rolling new characters.

The latest update for V Rising introduced a number of quality of life features, but the ability to craft from storage was not one of them, despite players' pleas to add it. Being able to store materials and have them automatically used without them being in the inventory is a highly requested feature in the survival crafting sub-genre. With multiple types of resources and storage containers, players were hopeful that it'd be added in V Rising's full launch update.

Warner Bros. Games has announced the Joker as the latest character to join the playable roster in the upcoming 2D platform fighting game MultiVersus. It was also revealed that the Joker will be voiced by Mark Hamill, who portrayed the Clown Prince of Crime in the animated Batman television series and the popular Batman: Arkham video game franchise.

Apple Vision Pro is getting a new VR experience based on Marvel’s What If? from Marvel Studios and ILM Immersive. The Marvel’s What If? animated series first premiered on Disney+ in 2021 and featured a compilation of stories from across the MCU’s multiverse, as narrated by Uatu the Watcher. These stories present alternate scenarios that retell key moments from the MCU films, with many of the actors from the movies reprising their roles. The second season of Marvel’s What If? premiered in late 2023, with a third season currently in production.

During the new campaign quests for World of Warcraft Patch 10.2.7, Dark Heart, players unlock five new Void Elf-themed transmogs and a Dragonriding drake customization. Though these new World of Warcraft cosmetics match the Void Elf Heritage armor perfectly, characters can use these items regardless of race.

Nintendo has released a new update for its Nintendo Switch Online app. The app is Nintendo’s replacement for a chat function on the Switch family of consoles. Instead of having a headset attachment or integrating Discord like the PS5 and Xbox Series X consoles, Nintendo decided to create an app for smartphones that allows Nintendo Switch Online users to communicate.

Nintendo confirms that the highly-anticipated Switch successor will use the existing Nintendo Account system. The Big N has previously stated that the accounts would be part of the plans for the follow-up to the Nintendo Switch. Still, as things tend to change quite quickly in the gaming industry, it's nice to get confirmation that this desired feature is still part of the bigger picture.