GAMES News, Tips, Tricks & Ideas

According to a source, a recent survey from Microsoft may prove that the tech giant is developing a handheld Xbox console to compete with the Steam Deck, the ROG Ally, and other portable handhelds. While Microsoft has not officially revealed any specifications or concrete information about a portable Xbox console, the new survey could indicate Microsoft is gauging interest in such a product.

Blizzard has recently implemented an Overwatch 2 update, which includes nerfs to Orisa's Fortify and Javelin Spin abilities, as well as to Venture's Smart Excavator, Drill Dash, and Tectonic Shock abilities. This update aims to refine gameplay dynamics and ensure a balanced experience, while also addressing some Overwatch 2 bugs to ensure smoother gameplay for players across all platforms.

Some Pokemon GO fans are currently accusing the game’s developer, Niantic, of misleading its player base by using old character models in marketing images to sell avatar items. This is one of the latest developments in the controversy surrounding the recent change in avatars in Pokemon GO, which has been widely disliked by fans.

A Stardew Valley player has pointed out that the game would hugely benefit from letting the player grow lemons. Stardew Valley's 1.6 update added a lot of new content and even some new crops to the game, but lemons weren't among them.

Remedy Entertainment, the developer of Alan Wake 2, released a financial report showing that Q1 2024 profits are still below the title's budget even though sales have done well. The report shows more than just Alan Wake 2 earnings, with a full breakdown of the developer's financial situation.

Pokemon GO fans have a major complaint with the game, and while the avatar system has been getting lots of hate, this time it has to do with the walking aspect of the title. Pokemon GO is a very popular mobile game, but continues to see issues that leave players sour.

Bethesda released a bulky update of around 20GB for Fallout 76, mainly fixing game bugs. After experiencing a surge in players, Fallout 76's developer is now paying more attention to the game and releasing patches to improve its gameplay and overall experience further.

An incredibly rare Nintendo DS is being auctioned off, and it could sell for over £15,000. The Nintendo DS was first released in 2004 as the successor to the Nintendo Game Boy Advance and evolved the Big N's classic handheld formula by including a second touchscreen that players could use for hit titles like The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks and Pokemon Black and White. While it was eventually phased out in favor of the upgraded Nintendo 3DS in 2011, the original Nintendo DS remains one of gaming’s most well-remembered portable systems, with several of its past exclusives being released on current hardware to this day.

With World of Warcraft: The War Within Alpha testing underway, some players point out that unlocking the Earthen Allied Race will require more steps than completing the leveling campaign. According to data from an updated Alpha build, World of Warcraft players who want to play as an Earthen character must undergo three additional side quests, and unlock an associated achievement for completing the max-level campaigns.

A Fallout 4 player had their collection of unique picture frames ruined after the game’s recent next-gen update was released. Fallout 4’s recent update was controversial, as it brought improvements to the open-world game, but it also introduced new bugs, broke mods, and created a few issues on some platforms.

Xbox announced the date of its upcoming June showcase and teased a special deep-dive to reveal a new installment of a “beloved franchise.” This announcement has led to a whirlwind of speculation among players, who are waiting for more information about which game Xbox will unveil during its next showcase.

Housemarque's critically acclaimed sci-fi game Returnal celebrates its third anniversary with an all-new graphic novel. While fans eagerly awaited news of potential DLC or a sequel for Returnal after yesterday's tease, it turns out the Finnish developer had something else in mind to commemorate the occasion.

A new leak about Genshin Impact's rumored Imaginarium Theater game mode is teasing even more rewards players can pick up by completing its challenges, with plenty of Primogems available. The popular RPG from HoYoverse offers players a variety of ways to earn its most coveted currency, rewarding players with Primogems for completing quests, opening chests, and unlocking waypoints. HoYoverse also often distributes special codes Genshin Impact players can redeem for a few free Primogems. The newest leaks from a rumored game mode are now hinting at even more Primogem rewards.

Bethesda is now hoping to release new video games at a faster rate than it has in the past, especially with Fallout’s increased popularity. Bethesda is known for its massive RPG franchises like Fallout, The Elder Scrolls, and last year’s mega-hit Starfield. However, these titles can take an incredibly long time to develop, with Starfield suffering from several delays and being in production for nearly eight years before finally hitting stores in September.

Don't Nod Entertainment, known for creating the Life Is Strange franchise, has released the trailer for the new game Lost Records: Bloom & Rage. This is one of seven games that Don't Nod has in development, along with puzzler Koira and a still-unnamed action RPG.

A new leak from Genshin Impact is teasing several Domains coming as part of the game's Version 4.7 update in June, showing off four new locations. The Fontaine cycle for the massively popular HoYoverse RPG has brought plenty of areas for players to explore within the world of Teyvat, both inside and outside the new region. Fontaine has received multiple expansions since its 4.0 launch, and the Liyue region finally saw the release of the long-rumored Chenyu Vale. Now, Version 4.7 is set to introduce a plethora of Domains for players to explore.

Some Helldivers 2 players are unhappy with the bullet ricochet changes implemented with Update 01.000.300. Patch days have always been somewhat contentious within the Helldivers 2 community, often because of the introduced balance changes included with the patch along with the wave of bug reports that follow in the wake of every update. Its latest patch was, unfortunately, no exception to the established pattern, and many players have since flocked to social media to call for a quick fix to what appears to be a problem with the game's ricochet mechanic.

PlayStation 5 owners who obtained Fallout 4 via the PS Plus Collection can now finally download the game's next-gen update. The long-awaited Fallout 4 patch initially rolled out on April 25, promptly sowing confusion among some PlayStation users who found themselves unable to access it.

Bethesda Softworks has discussed the possibility of bringing cross-play and cross-progression to Fallout 76. Todd Howard, the senior game director behind the Elder Scrolls and Fallout franchises, has laid out the developer’s plans for these features in not only Fallout 76 but all future Bethesda games.

Life By You is releasing in early access on June 4. Developed by Paradox Tectonic and published by Paradox Interactive, Life By You is a highly anticipated life simulation game that's often compared to The Sims, with some fans dubbing it a worthy competitor to the popular franchise.

A teaser trailer has showcased the two new 6v6 maps arriving on May 1 with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3's Season 3 Reloaded update. The maps, called Checkpoint and Grime, will be joined by other new Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 features.

The latest update for asymmetrical horror game TheTexas Chain Saw Massacre game is here, featuring a range of perk adjustments, including nerfs and fixes. The balance changes affect a number of perks, as well as issues with the new Victim in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.

The Switch version of former Xbox exclusive Hi-Fi Rush has received an official content rating from the European PEGI rating board, ahead of its rumored launch on the Nintendo platform. The rhythm action game from Tango Gameworks and Bethesda made waves following its debut early last year, wowing fans with its flashy artstyle and music. Hi-Fi Rush received multiple accolades at end-of-year award shows, including «Best Audio Design» at the 2023 Game Awards. Now, the game's rumored Switch release has just received its first official rating.

Eight games are leaving Xbox Game Pass on May 15, including Norco, one of the service's highest-rated titles. It's always sad whenever games are removed from the Xbox Game Pass lineup, but the good news is new games are added on a regular basis as well. In fact, Microsoft just recently pulled the curtain back on four games that will be coming to Xbox Game Pass as part of the May 2024 lineup.

Funko Fusion has been treated to a release date, with 10:10 Games revealing that its upcoming action adventure is set to hit the market on September 13. The announcement was accompanied by the launch of pre-orders for select versions of Funko Fusion, whose physical edition will be distributed in partnership with Skybound Entertainment's gaming division.

Starfield director Todd Howard finally shares some new details regarding the game's upcoming Shattered Space story expansion, and though it looks like it's still quite a while away from release, players can also expect to see a few significant updates in the meantime. While Starfield has seen plenty of noteworthy content updates since its release in September of last year, many players — particularly those who already purchased the premium edition of the game — are still waiting on the release of its DLC before they jump back into it.

Developer Rare has released the patch notes for Sea of Thieves' Season 12 update, which includes new weapons, treasure, a cannonball type, and more. The major update arrives alongside Sea of Thieves' full PS5 launch.

Microsoft has officially announced the four games that are coming to the Xbox Game Pass subscription service in the first half of May 2024. New games are added to Xbox Game Pass in two waves every month. The first wave typically takes up the first 15 days of the month, while the second wave comes in the back-half of any given month. As expected, Microsoft has now revealed all the games coming in the first wave of new Xbox Game Pass additions for May 2024.

The latest Helldivers 2 leak shows a plasma pistol that will reportedly be available in the future. Over the past months, Helldivers 2 players have been treated to leaks that revealed details about the upcoming content. Recently, one provided a sneak peek into new Illuminate enemies, while another showed a new off-road vehicle that Arrowhead could add to its over-the-shoulder game in the future.

Front Mission 2 remake is launching today, April 30th, on various modern platforms, including Steam, GOG, Epic Games Store, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S. Developed by ForeverEntertainment, Front Mission 2 remake brings new life to the classic tactical RPG, inviting players worldwide to immerse themselves in its engaging storyline and strategic gameplay.

A Dragon’s Dogma 2 player has encountered a Pawn resembling Samuel L Jackson’s character, Jules, from Pulp Fiction. Pawns form a useful part of Dragon’s Dogma 2, joining the player’s adventure to assist in defeating tough enemies and finding rare items.

A fan-made Tekken 8 bot managed to obtain an online rank of Destroyer by pressing a single button. Bandai Namco's 3D fighter franchise has fostered a sizable and dedicated community since its 1994 debut, but that doesn't mean all the members of the Tekken sphere can agree on acceptable playstyles. Many players particularly look down on «spammers,» but as one user's Tekken 8 bot has shown, there might be a reason why mashing the same move over and over again is such a popular strategy.

Hotfix 0.179.1 for Palia has just dropped, delivering a number of fixes for issues that have been causing game crashes and freezes. This follows the recent release of a patch for the MMO that introduced new content, features, and quality-of-life improvements.

The Xbox Game Pass library has expanded to include Have a Nice Death. The stylish and scintillating roguelike is the 17th new title to reach Xbox Game Pass in April 2024.

Ravenlok and five other games are leaving Xbox Game Pass later today, April 30. This wave of outgoing titles will round off an uncharacteristically busy month for Xbox Game Pass in terms of departures.

Xbox players may soon have their puzzle game appetite satiated as a recently announced title, All You Need Is Help, is set to land on Xbox Game Pass soon as a day-one launch title. Being a co-op game, All You Need Is Help will also cater to those Xbox Game Pass users who want to play with their friends.

Niantic has announced that Blacephalon and Stakataka are finally coming to Pokemon GO, but their debuts will be region-locked. Pokemon GO continues to expand its Pokedex, and this time, it will complete the addition of Ultra Beasts. With this, Pokemon GO trainers will finally be able to expand their collections by adding this remarkable group of Pokemon that debuted in Gen 6.

Bethesda's Todd Howard updates fans regarding the Creation Kit, an important feature that will be coming to Starfield soon. Most Bethesda fans are already familiar with the concept of the Creation Kit. When The Elder Scrolls:Skryim launched its Creation Kit, around 2,500 mods were available in just a week's time. Since it allows for easier modification of game files, creators have more flexibility in-game. This is partly the reason why Starfield fans are highly excited about its introduction to the game.

A new Fallout 4 mod has recently added the Fallout TV show’s “The Ghoul” character to the game. Fallout 4 has several excellent mods, and this new one will probably be a good pick for gamers who loved Amazon Prime’s new TV show.

Warning: Spoilers for World of Warcraft: The War Within below.

After four long years of waiting, it seems that Fortnite players in the European Union will soon be able to enjoy the game across all Apple mobile devices. Fortnite's Battle Royale game mode was released in September 2017, and not too long after, it became available on mobile devices. To promote Fortnite's mobile version, Epic Games and Samsung joined forces in 2018 and gave away the Galaxy skin for anyone who played the game on a Samsung Galaxy Note 9 or a Samsung Galaxy Tab S4. Many players ended up downloading Fortnite on their mobile devices, not only for practical reasons but also so they could check out the Item Shop or the Quests tab while away from their other devices.

A Pokemon fan has baked a pan full of cinnamon rolls based off of Poliwag, its evolutions, and one special guest. The adorable recreations of the Pokemon have a strong resemblance, and definitely look good enough for Pokemon fans to eat.

A GameCube fan has restored a Borderlands-themed console that looks like it was ripped straight from the games. Nintendo officially released many GameCube variants like the Orange one and a Skies of Arcadia unit, but custom ones like this have cropped up over the years.

Jackbox Games has revealed a brand new M-Rated Jackbox Game made for adults that's launching later in 2024. The new game collection is intended to appeal to grown-ups who want something a little more «provocative,» per Jackbox Games.

Pokemon GO players searching for shiny Pokemon are being tricked by one of the game's latest updates, which introduced the Rediscover GO campaign earlier this month. The Rediscover GO campaign includes visual and quality-of-life updates that aim to encourage Pokemon GO players to try out existing features that were greatly improved.

Warning: Spoilers for World of Warcraft: The War Within below.

Fallout 4’s average load times have decreased considerably on the PS5 after the game’s next-gen patch. The recent Fallout 4 patch has been controversial since its release, but it’s not without its perks for current-gen gamers, as shown by this change.

A Stardew Valley player has discovered that an item currently available in the base game was suggested by another fan years ago. The discovery is just one indication of how ConcernedApe listens to fans and often implements ideas that are suggested for Stardew Valley's future updates.

Xbox fans are all set to get a new game, Humanity, which was a day one PS Plus game. That's not all, as Humanity will also be available as a day one Xbox Game Pass game, which means existing subscribers will be able to try it out for absolutely free.

A Stardew Valley fan is sharing their concept for a Joja mod that could add a lot to the current experience of siding with Joja Corporation. While Stardew Valley has always had an option for players who would rather side with Joja Corporation, the route has been criticized in the past, as some players have felt there isn't much incentive to do a Joja Corporation runthrough. While that might be intentional, mods can always help to change the experience in the more dramatic ways that fans are hoping for.

A talented Legend of Zeldafan recently demonstrated their cosplay skills with an impressive rendition of Princess Zelda from Twilight Princess. The characters of the Legend of Zelda series have taken on many different incarnations over the years, and this has naturally inspired players to dress up as them for fan conventions or simply just for fun. One particular popular cosplay source among Zelda fans is Twilight Princess, the 2006 mainline entry that was released on both the Nintendo GameCube and the then-new Nintendo Wii during the transition period between the two systems.

Embark Studios' free-to-play shooter The Finals is gearing up for the launch of a long-awaited game mode on May 2. The studio has been teasing this content addition for The Finals since the absence of last week's update, stating that it was working on delivering «Something very cool.»

A Pokemon fan artist recreated the rare Normal-type Pokemon called Dunsparce as a Bug-type, and shared their redesign with fans on social media. While only a few changes were made to Dunsparce's design overall, others complimented the Pokemon fan artist for turning Dunsparce into something simple and creative.

Vampire Survivors has announced and shadow dropped the surprise Laborratory Update. Developer Luca Galante, aka poncle, calls the Laborratory Update an AAAA upgrade, as it is the biggest free update Vampire Survivors has ever had to date, adding new features and animations to the game.

Xbox Game Pass title Dungeons of Hinterberg has been treated to a release date, July 18. This day-one addition to Xbox Game Pass may appeal to both The Legend of Zelda and Persona fans, as it includes a healthy mixture of both series' elements.

Disney Dreamlight Valley creator Gameloft has recently released the official patch notes for the game’s May 1 update, which will introduce Daisy Duck as a new character. Called “Thrills and Frills,” this new Disney Dreamlight Valley update brings several features eagerly awaited by Disney fans, such as receiving mail from Valley Villagers.

Gun Interactive has revealed new cosmetics coming to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre on April 30 will be free to level 99 players. The cosmetics are a thank you to the community for devoting so many hours to the title. Additional content for The Texas Chain Saw Massacre will be available through the regular patch released at the same time.

World of Warcraft is adding a new arachnophobia mode in The War Within that transforms every spider in the game into a crustacean. This hilarious new accessibility tool literally changes the game, turning pets, mounts, and enemies in World of Warcraft into crabs and lobsters.

Update 1.6 for Stardew Valley added tons of new content to the game, with one player encountering a rather depressing line of dialogue from Robin. Several patches for Stardew Valley Update 1.6 have included even more additions to the beloved indie game, and fans have been sharing their unique and unexpected discoveries with fellow community members.

A talented Pokemon fan has recently created an amazing fusion of the Galarian Ponyta with Rowlet, coming up with a brand-new creature. The Pokemon community loves to imagine fusions of popular monsters, and this fan managed to achieve a very cute result with this artwork.

Stellar Blade's overwhelmingly positive player reviews propelled the action-adventure title close to the peak of the PlayStation 5's user score rankings. Players have showered Stellar Blade with praise for its over-the-top combat and eye-catching character designs, with thousands of reviews bolstering the game's user score since its April 26 release. The success of developer Shift Up's latest title cemented its status as one of the most celebrated original IPs to debut in recent years for PlayStation and Sony.

Mortal Kombat 1’s next Kameo fighter is Mavado, the high-ranking commander of the ancient Red Dragon clan, and his release date has just been revealed. While Mortal Kombat 1’s main roster consists of revamped versions of classic characters in a brand-new timeline, the secondary Kameo fighter line-up contains the time-displaced original versions of combatants from across the old Mortal Kombat games. These older incarnations can be summoned to help the player during matches, adding new combos and strategies to Mortal Kombat 1’s gameplay.

During the 2024 ID@Xbox Showcase, Pocket Pair pulled back the curtain on an upcoming Palworld update introducing at least four new Pals and a new island for players to explore. The new Palworld update is slated to launch in the summer of 2024, and Pocket Pair shared a short teaser video of the new Pals that players will encounter in the update.

Fortnite will be introducing more Star Wars characters with this year's annual May the Fourth event. Fortnite is a highly versatile game when it comes to cosmetics. While gamers might see intimidating figures, such as Predator or Hades, roaming the vast island for victims, they'll come across adorable skins like Meowscles and Bush Ranger just as often. If there's one thing Fortnite fans like, it's brand-new cosmetic items, especially if they're related to their favorite franchises.

A new cooperative 3D platformer based on The Smurfs media franchise will come to Sony's PS4 and PS5 consoles in 2024. A number of games based on the beloved property have been released in recent years.

Fans of the acclaimed Ori games may have to wait a long time for the next entry in the franchise. The last game in the series, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, was released in 2020 by developer Moon Studios, who recently launched its new action-RPG, No Rest for the Wicked, in Early Access for PC. For this brand-new IP, the studio is committed to a longer support cycle.

A recently uploaded teaser for Season 12 of Sea of Thieves features some of the additional content that the upcoming major update will bring, including new weapons and items. The Unreal Engine 4-powered game, which is published by Microsoft and is part of the Xbox Game Pass subscription service, is set to become available on the PlayStation 5.

Several Overwatch 2 players have reported an issue where they seem to be put in lobbies filled with bots instead of fellow human players. Although players cannot be sure whether they are playing with actual bots or players who are willingly trying to lose their matches, this matchmaking issue in Overwatch 2 prevents players from fully enjoying Blizzard’s FPS.

A new Pokemon Scarlet and Violet mass outbreak event makes it easier to catch shiny versions of specific Pokemon. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet mass outbreaks are when a large number of the same Pokemon all spawn in the same area. The increased spawn rate typically means that mass outbreaks make it slightly easier for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet players to catch shiny variants of Pokemon.

Square-Enix has officially acknowledged a recently discovered bug revolving around Final Fantasy 16's New Game+ mode, resulting in a soft lock that does not allow players to progress. The launch of the newest main-series entry in the long-running RPG franchise last summer came with critical acclaim, lauded at the time as one of the best RPGs of 2023. Final Fantasy 16 received a nomination for «Best Role-Playing Game» at the 2023 Game Awards, and won the award for «Best Score and Music» during the show. Now, a new bug is plaguing fans' new playthroughs of the game.

Fans finally have their first look at Star Wars Jedi: Survivor’sCal Kestis as a LEGO Star Wars minifigure. The first LEGO Star Wars building sets were released in 1999 to promote Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace, and for the past 25 years the Galaxy Far, Far Away has been one of LEGO’s most popular settings. About 928 LEGO Star Wars sets have been released as of April 2024, and there have been countless tie-in animated movies and Traveller’s Tales-developed LEGO Star Wars video games to go with them.

Manor Lords entered early access and quickly achieved a major sales milestone in a single day, selling over 1 million copies. After topping Steam's wishlist, Manor Lords proved it wasn't just a flash in the pan and has been attracting more and more players.

An announcement related to the critically-acclaimed roguelike third-person shooter game Returnal, a PlayStation 5 console exclusive, is being teased for Tuesday, April 30. Returnal was first released in 2021 and, at the time, it was one of the few true PS5 exclusive games. Fast-forward a couple of years, and Returnal is no longer a pure PS5 exclusive, but it remains one of the best games on Sony's platform.

A new leak from Honkai: Star Rail is teasing the next boss coming to the Simulated Universe in Version 2.3, adding playable character Aventurine as a new challenge. Debuting with the game's launch, the Simulated Universe has become one of the most popular permanent game modes for the HoYoverse sci-fi RPG. The Simulated Universe features multiple unique worlds for players to challenge for rewards like Stellar Jades and Planar Ornaments, as well as alternate challenges like «Swarm Disaster» and «Gold and Gears.» Now, a familiar face is set to be the game mode's next boss.

On the anniversary of Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, Hideo Kojima has revealed the «one regret» he holds about the original PlayStation Portable game. Interestingly, this concern isn't related to Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker's gameplay or story but another key immersive aspect.

If a recent rumor is to be believed, it seems that Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is coming to the Xbox Game Pass subscription service at some point later this week. Microsoft has yet to fully unveil all the new Xbox Game Pass games coming in May 2024, but information on that front is expected to come sooner rather than later. In fact, the Xbox Game Pass May 2024 announcement is most likely happening on Tuesday, April 30.

Capcom has fully unveiled the upcoming DLC character Akuma for Street Fighter 6, confirming that the iconic fighter will be available to players starting May 22. Alongside the announcement, Capcom showcased Akuma's gameplay, highlighting both familiar and new moves that fans can expect from the character in Street Fighter 6.