J Brodie Shirey

Users looking to return a game on Steam may have a slightly more difficult time, as Valve recently updated the service’s refund policy to close a popular loophole involving “advanced access” titles. Steam is one of the biggest digital game retailers, offering customers a massive selection of PC titles that run the gamut from the latest triple-A releases to smaller indie fare. Of course, not everyone is going to be happy with their purchases, and Steam allows users to refund their games within 14 days of buying them, as long as they have only been played for less than two hours.

AEW Fight Foreveris finally adding Samoa Joe, a former world champion, in its next DLC season. Even after AEW Fight Forever launched to mixed reviews last June, developer Yuke’s and publisher THQ Nordic have been adding new match types and playable wrestlers in its past three DLC seasons. It started with the tag team FTR shortly after the game’s release, followed by notable AEW performers like Anthony Bowens and Max Caster of The Acclaimed and currently reigning AEW Women's World Champion Toni Storm.

According to a new leak, the long-rumored Nintendo Switch successor could replace the original’s rail-based Joy-Con joysticks with magnetic ones. The Nintendo Switch has been one of the Big N’s most profitable systems for over 6 years, but insider discussions have shifted toward the inevitable follow-up. Nintendo itself has yet to make any official announcements about its future hardware plans, but major studios have supposedly been given development kits for the new console and are already making titles for it.

The developers of Tekken 8 have recently made some changes to online matchmaking, and players are reportedly having problems afterward. Earlier this year, Tekken 8 exploded onto the fighting game scene with a more “aggressive” gameplay style and a new story that continued the saga of Jin Kazama as he sought redemption by taking down his father, Kazuya Mishima. Initial reviews for Tekken 8 wereoverwhelmingly positive, and it quickly topped sales charts less than a month after its release.

Jennifer Hale, one of the talented voice actors behind Mass Effect’s legendary hero Commander Shepard, hasn’t heard from BioWare about possibly appearing in the upcoming Mass Effect 4. In classic RPG fashion, the original three Mass Effect games gave players the ability to fully customize their protagonist, down to selecting their gender. This choice resulted in Shepard being voiced by two different actors, with Mark Meer playing the male version and Jennifer Hale stepping into the role of the female Shepard.

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2’s latest update adds a new playable character to the crossover fun: the fan-favorite Firebender Zuko from Avatar: The Last Airbender. Despite lukewarm reviews, 2021’s Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl performed well enough to warrant a sequel, which was released late last year. Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 was considered an improvement over its predecessor, adding 11 new playable characters from across the beloved children’s cable channels' most popular shows.

The popular WWE 2K24 community creator WhatsTheStatus has been banned following claims of him violating the game’s terms of service. In addition to recreating the thrills of a standard episode of Raw or SmackDown, WWE 2K24 gives players a chance to create their own action with custom wrestlers, arenas, and even championship belts. These creations can then be shared with other users through WWE 2K24’s online community, resulting in a vast virtual library of downloadable content for any squared-circle enthusiast to enjoy.

One imaginative Pokemon fan has created an interesting convergent design for Sudowoodo that gives the plant-mimicking Rock-type a more insectoid form. Every new generation of Pokemon adds new creatures to the franchise’s line-up, and later games would introduce variants for ones that already exist. Pokemon Sun and Moon introduced the concept of convergent Pokemon, alternate versions of certain monsters that live in a particular environment. For example, Wigglet is a relative of the popular Generation One critter Digglet that lives near sandy beaches instead of dirt-filled fields.

A new update patch has just been released for the PC version of Horizon Forbidden West that corrects some problems players have been having with the Nvidia Reflex On+Boost feature, among other things. The second Horizon game launched on PlayStation consoles back in 2022, earning mainly positive reviews for its stunning visuals and impressive vocal performances, even if some found the story to be lacking. Last month, Horizon Forbidden West became one of the latest Sony-published titles to make the jump to PC courtesy of Nixxes Software, the developer behind ports like Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart and the upcoming Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut.

Steven Ogg, the actor who famously voiced Grand Theft Auto 5 protagonist Trevor Philips, recently stated that he recorded dialogue for a DLC campaign that was ultimately canceled. Grand Theft Auto 5 is considered to be one of the biggest and best video games ever made, and a large part of its success lies in its memorable cast of characters. This includes Trevor, the trigger-happy partner of fellow GTA 5 playable character Michael De Santa who makes his way to the crime-ridden city of Los Santos after discovering that his old friend is still alive following a bank heist gone wrong.

An artistically talented Pokemon fan with an affection for Eevee recently painted a series of portraits of the little critter deciding which evolution to take. Of all the titular creatures in the Pokemon series, Eevee remains one of the most popular and unique due to its branching evolutionary paths. There are currently eight different options for trainers to evolve their Eevee into, which are determined by either exposing the cute Evolution Pokemon to a certain elemental stone or fulfilling a particular status condition.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 contains several great Easter eggs, but one fan recently pointed out a missed opportunity to include a real-life tribute to one of Marvel’s greatest heroes. While Insomniac’s Spider-Man games are in a separate continuity from other recent Marvel titles like Marvel’s Avengers and Marvel’s Midnight Suns, they still feature clever nods to other famous heroes like Black Panther and Doctor Strange. While exploring the open world of New York City, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 players can visit the Wakanda Embassy and Avengers Tower — and can even pay their respects to late MCU actor Chadwick Boseman at the former.

Last year’s hit Star Wars Jedi: Survivor could be coming to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate through EA Play, and might even be already available in certain regions. Titanfall developer Respawn Entertainment took many Star Wars fans by surprise when it released Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order in 2019, a single-player action title that introduced former Jedi Padawan Cal Kestis to the Galaxy Far, Far Away. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor continued his story with an assortment of new lightsaber styles and planets to explore, earning mainly positive reviews on consoles and a more mixed reception on PC due to technical issues.

A creative Pokemon player just designed an impressive Mega Evolution form for Flygon. There have been various new evolution types added to the Pokemon games over the years, and 2013’s Pokemon X and Y introduced the temporary but powerful Mega Evolutions. These transformations are triggered during battle by having the Pokemon in question hold a special Mega Stone, granting them a new form with enhanced stats and new abilities.

Sony might be looking to acquire fellow media juggernaut Paramount, and this could affect the Halo live-action TV series. Halo isn’t typically associated with Sony due to the former being a flagship property of Microsoft’s Xbox gaming brand and the latter being the parent company for Xbox’s primary rival PlayStation, so such a development would certainly be a twist. For the past two decades, Halo has been one of gaming’s most seminal FPS franchises, spawning not only six mainline entries but an assortment of spin-off games and tie-in media.

The latest Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 update is now available to download, bringing several bug fixes and other requested improvements. Insomniac launched the latest chapter of its critically acclaimed open-world superhero series on the PlayStation 5 back in October, pitting Peter Parker and Miles Morales against classic villains like Kraven the Hunter, the Lizard, and the long-teased Venom. Spider-Man 2 has been a smash hit so far, selling over five million copies worldwide and ranking as one of Insominac’s highest-rated releases.

Target may be doing away with physical media for movies and video games next year, at least according to a new rumor. The discussion of whether or not physical releases still have a place in the gaming industry has only intensified in recent years, with most titles being made available to purchase digitally without having to ever step foot inside a brick-and-mortar retailer like Target. The advent of subscription gaming services like Xbox Game Pass has added a new wrinkle to the conversation, as gamers can now access an entire digital library of games for a fraction of the price of a single physical copy.

One artistic fan recently created an impressive square rug inspired by the Squirtle Squad from the Pokemon anime. In the original Pokemon Red and Blue, Squirtle was one of three Starter options that players could choose from at the very beginning of the game, but Ash Ketchum met his first Water-type partner differently in the long-running Pokemon TV series. There, Ash’s Squirtle was the leader of the Squirtle Squad, a group of abandoned Tiny Turtle Pokemon who went about causing mischief in the Kanto region.

A new rumor suggests that the next Mortal Kombat 1 Kameo fighter will be an alternate-timeline version of Scorpion, with Harumi Hasashi donning the iconic yellow ninja mask instead of her husband Hanzo. One of the biggest additions to come from Moral Kombat 1 is the Kameo system, which allows players to select a supporting character from a separate roster to assist in matches. Most of these secondary combatants are classic versions of existingcharacters from the original timeline, which Fire God Liu Kang rebooted at the end of Mortal Kombat 11.

The classic card game Sabacc will finally be playable in Star Wars Outlaws, as revealed by the game’s ESRB rating. Ubisoft and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora developer Massive Entertainment announced that they were working on an open-world Star Wars game back in 2021, but it wasn’t until last June’s Xbox Games showcase that fans learned what it was going to be about. Star Wars Outlaws will put players in the role of Kay Vess, an aspiring outlaw looking to make her mark on the criminal underworld by pulling a massive heist against the rising Zerek Besh organization.

Tekken 8’s latest update patch is now live, bringing with it a host of bug fixes and other quality-of-life improvements. The latest entry in the hard-hitting Tekken franchise was released back in January and has earned rave reviews thanks to its visual presentation and more “aggressive” gameplay. Tekken 8 marks a new chapter in the far-reaching Mishima family saga, as Jin Kazama returns to his earlier role as a hero and aims to take down his father Kazuya Mishima once and for all, while a large cast of supporting characters embarks on their own connected stories through intense, one-on-one battles.

An imaginative Pokemon fan recently put together a fake commercial for the ever-helpful Poke Mart Potions. The Pokemon franchise is largely centered around elementally empowered creatures battling one another, and injuries and lowered health meters are just part of the job for any aspiring Pokemon Trainer. If a Pokemon’s health is depleted completely, it faints and can no longer be used to battle until it is restored at the local Pokemon Center, but there are luckily several portable Pokemon items players can use to keep their critters in top fighting condition.

A new Pokemon arcade game is coming out this summer — but only in Japan. In addition to the mainline Pokemon games, Nintendo’s long-running, monster-collecting JRPG series has spawned numerous spin-offs in a variety of different genres. These run the gamut from less-remembered one-offs like Hey You, Pikachu to more successful ventures like Detective Pikachu and Pokemon GO, the latter of which continues to be a global sensation thanks to new events and content being released regularly.

World-famous YouTube streamer and current WWE United States Champion Logan Paul is having a baby with his fiancee Nina Agdal. From his humble beginnings on the now-defunct social media platform Vine to becoming a sensation on YouTube and the sporting world, Logan Paul has always had a knack for drawing headlines. Some of his most recent stories include claiming to have rare UFO footage and responding to recalls of his popular energy drink Prime, but many of Logan Paul’s latest noteworthy endeavors, aside from his YouTube videos, seem to be centered around his thriving WWE career.

Warner Bros. may be updating its patented Nemesis System to allow players to form their own NPC factions and followers to help them in battle. Warner Bros-owned developer Monolith Productions first introduced the Nemesis System in 2014’s Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, which featured enemies that reacted to and remembered the player’s actions, resulting in more personal rivalries and relationships with Orc foes that all had unique names and behavioral patterns.

Some merchandise suggests that Ermac was originally meant to be a part of Mortal Kombat 1’s base roster instead of a post-launch DLC character. Originally created as a red-colored palette swap of famed ninjas Scorpion and Sub-Zero, Ermac has been a part of the Mortal Kombat mythos since Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, and it won’t be long before Mortal Kombat 1 players will be able to take control of this powerful undead warrior. Ermac is set to be introduced as the latest MK 1 DLC character on April 16 for Early Access players and April 23 for everyone else.

Players can build virtually anything in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and one such inventor recently pieced together an incredibly fast mini-train with powerful mounted laser cannons to zap away enemies. One of the defining features of Tears of the Kingdom is its surprisingly in-depth weapon and vehicle crafting mechanics, which allow Link to fuse raw materials and ancient Zonai technology using his new Ultrahand abilities.

Hikaru Utada recently recorded a new version of the legendary Kingdom Hearts theme song “Hikari” as part of her latest album. While she was already a prolific pop singer, songwriter, and producer in Japan, Utada is likely most well-known around the world for her work on the Kingdom Hearts series, in which she wrote and performed the theme songs for the main three entries.

The latest Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth update patch is now available to download, and it fixes the infamous Platinum Trophy bug that’s been plaguing some players. Like most modern video games, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth includes a list of Trophies that players can earn by completing various tasks in-game. Some of these achievements are simply a matter of playing through the game’s story and reaching certain moments, while others require going off the beaten path and fulfilling side objectives. At the very top of every PlayStation achievement list is the Platinum Trophy, the ultimate accolade that signifies that a player has fully completed the video game in question.

AEW Fight Forever has finally added former Women’s World Champion Jamie Hayter to its playable roster after almost a year. Despite the game receiving a mixed reception at launch, the companies behind AEW Fight Forever remain committed to adding new content to the game through DLC Season waves. This includes new game modes like the online multiplayer Stadium Stampede and tournament-style “Beat the Elite.”

Ubisoft is joining forces with Intel to promote both the upcoming Star Wars Outlaws and the latest line of Intel Core processors. Star Wars Outaws will take players into the seedy criminal underbelly of the Galaxy Far, Far Away in an open-world adventure from Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora developer Massive Entertainment. As aspiring smuggler Kay Vess, fans will be able to explore multiple Star Wars planets and complete tasks for infamous gangs like the Crimson Dawn and the Hutt family, all while avoiding the forces of the Galactic Empire at the height of its tyranny.

A new Marvel Rivals leak suggests that the upcoming hero shooter title could be coming to PlayStation 5 and Xbox consoles as well as PC. After nearly a week of rumors and speculation, Naraka: Bladepoint publisher NetEase announced that it was joining forces with Marvel Games for a free-to-play multiplayer shooter in the style of Overwatch late last month. Marvel Rivals will feature a packed roster of playable heroes, from obvious choices like Iron Man and Spider-Man to some lesser-known characters like Luna Snow, all engaging in frantic match-ups set in destructible environments.

One Pokemon fan is showing off an impressive pair of hand-painted shoes themed after Scarlet and Violet’s adorable Sprigatito. Fans fell in love with Sprigatito and its later forms even before Pokemon Scarlet and Violet launched on the Nintendo Switch in late 2022. Its fame would only increase with the premiere of Pokemon Horizons: The Series, which sees a Sprigatito take the starring role as main character Liko’s first Pokemon partner.

Sega is declaring 2024 the Year of Shadow, with a plethora of events and content planned in honor of the edgy anti-hero of the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. Shadow the Hedgehog was first introduced in 2001’s Sonic Adventure 2 as an evil doppelganger of the Blue Blur who plotted to destroy the world. In later games, he would evolve into a heroic yet dark figure who assists Sonic and his friends in times of need and is still considered to be one of the most popular Sonic the Hedgehog characters.

Electronic Arts recently gave fans an update on its in-development Iron Man game, assuring everyone that it is still in progress despite a recent shake-up at developer EA Motive. The past few years have seen an increase in triple-A Marvel video games like the Marvel’s Spider-Man series and the upcoming Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra. EA announced a new deal to make superhero titles for the House of Ideas back in 2022. The first will be an Iron Man game from EA Motive, the studio behind the recent Dead Space remake.

A wealth of new information about Star Wars Outlawshas been revealed, including the game’s pre-order bonuses and how fans can jump into the adventure a few days early. Ubisoft and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora developer Massive Entertainment announced that they were working on an open-world Star Wars game way back in 2021, but it wouldn’t be until the Xbox Games Showcase last June that players got their first official look at Star Wars Outlaws in action.

A knowledgeable Pokemon fan has put together a chart highlighting every kind of evolutionary path that the series has explored so far. Each Pokemon game adds a new assortment of collectible creatures to Nintendo’s lineup, with more recent installments adding new variants like regional forms and special Paradox Pokemon that represent what certain Pokemon would have looked like in the ancient past or far-off future. However, one of the series’ oldest and most noteworthy mechanics is the standard evolution, which allows certain Pokemon to transform into stronger monsters by fulfilling certain conditions.

Mortal Kombat 1 director Ed Boon recently teased a big reveal for later this week, namely a look at the upcoming DLC character Ermac. Mortal Kombat 1’s roster is already jam-packed with revamped versions of some of the franchise’s most noted fighters, and NetherRealm has been adding even more to its latest fighting title post-launch. So far, players have been able to step into the arena as returning Mortal Kombat 1 fighter Quan Chi alongside special guests like Peacemaker and Omni-Man from the hit Invincible animated series.

Pokemon fans now know exactly where and when the 2024 Pokemon World Championships tournament will take place. Once a year, The Pokemon Company holds a special competition featuring Pokemon players from all around the world as they go head-to-head in the mainline Pokemon entries, the popular Pokemon Trading Card Game, and even spin-offs like Pokemon GO.

A skilled Pokemon fan artist recently designed some impressive new evolutions for Croagunk’s line, giving the Poison/Fighting hybrid Pokemon a cute baby form and a more fierce-looking final stage. The long-running Pokemon franchise has been a constant source of inspiration for artistic gamers since its conception, with legions of players showing off new versions of classic Pokemon or even creating new ones altogether.

Fortnite may be crossing over with Planet of the Apes in time for the new movie, at least according to a reliable industry insider. There have been plenty of guest characters from across the realms of film, television, and even other video games in Fortnite, with one of the most recent ones adding the titular heroine from The Legend of Korra as a playable character skin.

Loyal Super Earth patriots should mark their calendars for April 11, as a new Premium Warbond is set to be deployed in Helldivers 2 on that date. Arrowhead Game Studios and Sony Interactive Entertainment’s sci-fi co-op shooter has been a breakout hit since dropping into battle in February, with a growing legion of Helldivers 2 players enlisting to challenge Cyborgs and insectoid Terminids across the universe in the name of the Super Earth democracy. Helldivers 2 quickly became one of the most-played titles on Steam less than a day after its launch, and its developers are continuing to support the game with several updates.

Amazon Prime Gaming’s slate of free games for April 2024 has just been revealed. As a bonus to those who subscribe to Amazon Prime, gamers can download and keep at least one free PC title a week, and they are allowed to hold onto these games even if they cancel their subscription later. There are also Prime-exclusive in-game challenges, and subscribers can also enjoy cloud-based gaming courtesy of Amazon Luna.

One talented Pokemon fan recently built an amazing sculpture of the legendary Ho-Oh out of LEGO bricks. Nintendo’s ongoing series of monster-collecting RPGs is a constant source of impressive fan artwork, with Pokemon players recreating their favorite creatures in drawings and sculptures that are often shared on social media for other fans to view and appreciate.

June 10 will be a big day for Ubisoft, as the major triple-A publisher will be holding a new Ubisoft Forward livestream that day – around the same time as Summer Game Fest. With the once-prominent E3 not returning for the foreseeable future, it will fall to similar events like Summer Game Fest to serve as a showcase for upcoming video games from publishers like Ubisoft in 2024 and beyond. Certain companies have even started hosting their own shows throughout the year, with Sony supposedly holding a PlayStation Showcase centered around Silent Hill 2 and other first-party titles sometime next month.

Word has it that a new Prince of Persia game is being developed by Evil Empire, the studio behind the hit indie roguelike Dead Cells — and it might launch sometime later this year. Ubisoft’s legendary Prince of Persia franchise had been nearly dormant for over 10 years when a new side-scrolling spin-off titled Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown was launched to rave reviews in January. Despite reportedly underperforming in sales, The Lost Crown was praised for its Metroidvania gameplay that blended platforming, combat, and puzzle-solving.

A Pokemon fan recently put together an impressive map of the franchise’s universe, with each region standing in for its real-life counterpart. Every new mainline Pokemon entry to date has taken players to a brand-new region filled with new creatures to collect, cities and other landmarks to explore, and various Trainers and Gym Leaders to challenge in the quest to become the reigning champion of said region’s Pokemon League.

The latest Xbox Vapor gamepad, the special edition Nocturnal Vapor Controller, is now available to pre-order. Microsoft’s gaming consoles have always offered up fun alternate controllers in a variety of unique color schemes, and the Xbox Series X/S is no different. From themed controllers inspired by Xbox games like Fallout and Halo Infinite to special designs made to commemorate events like Earth Day, there is no limit to the options that players have while picking out the perfect peripheral for their Series X/S or other compatible platforms.

Nobuo Uematsu, the legendary composer of the original Final Fantasy 7, recently stated that he would love to return for the third Fantasy 7 Remake game. 1997’s Final Fantasy 7 was a groundbreaking JRPG experience for its time on the original PlayStation, wowing gamers with its cutting-edge 3D graphics, emotional storyline and characters, and moving soundtrack that contains some of the Final Fantasy franchise’s most iconic themes. A modern-day reimagining was on many players’ wish lists well before Final Fantasy 7 Remake was first announced in 2015, and its release five years later was met with much critical acclaim and record sales on the PlayStation 4.

BioWare fans are already looking forward to Mass Effect 4 and Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, but the famed developer could have even more projects already in the works. BioWare is responsible for some of the most beloved Western RPGs of all time, from licensed hits like Neverwinter Nights and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic to original IPs like Mass Effect and Dragon Age.

Matthew Mercer, the prolific voice actor who played Vincent Valentine in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, recently discussed how he first found out who he would be voicing and how much it took him by surprise. While Vincent Valentine was an optional, missable party member in the original Final Fantasy 7, he played a major role in the backstory and larger expanded universe of the original game, quickly becoming a fan favorite that gamers couldn’t wait to see again in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.

A fourth mainline Spyro the Dragon game might be in development at Toys for Bob, at least according to a new rumor. Fans have been itching to see the spunky purple dragon in a starring role once again for a long time, as there hasn’t been a new completely original Spyro game since The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon way back in 2008. Over the past decade or so, Spyro has been relegated to supporting roles and cameos in titles like Skylanders and Crash Team Rumble, though fans got to replay his first three adventures thanks to 2018’s Spyro Reignited Trilogy.

The PlayStation console exclusive Predator: Hunting Groundsis finally coming to Xbox later this year, alongside a wave of new content that will stretch all the way into 2025. Sony Interactive Entertainment and developer IllFonic released Predator: Hunting Grounds on PC and PlayStation 4 back in 2020, and it was the first major console title starring the titular Yautja hunter since 2005’s Predator: Concrete Jungle. Just like IllFonic’s Friday the 13th: The Game, Predator: Hunting Grounds is a multiplayer title that pits a quartet of elite soldiers against a single Predator in a cat-and-mouse struggle for survival inspired by the original Predator movie.

NetherRealm has just released a new update for Mortal Kombat 1, adding the alternate timeline Kameo fighter Janet Cage alongside some quality-of-life improvements. The latest entry in the long-running Mortal Kombat series proved to be a major hit when it launched back in September, quickly becoming one of the highest-rated games of 2023. Mortal Kombat 1 serves as a solid jumping-on point for newcomers thanks to its rebooted plotline while keeping plenty of fun references for longtime fans.

Nintendo Switch Onlineis adding a classic game that very few saw coming: the Game Boy Advance launch title F-Zero: Maximum Velocity. The futuristic F-Zero series has somewhat faded into the background since the early 2000s, with modern gamers likely recognizing its main protagonist Captain Falcon more for his appearances in the Super Smash Bros. series than the franchise he debuted in. There have been a handful of F-Zero games released since the original SNES title, with the most recent one being the online multiplayer battle royale F-Zero 99 that launched on Nintendo Switch Online last September.

Some fans believe that the classic movie version of Broly could be included alongside his revamped canon version in the Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero roster. Shockwaves were sent throughout the DBZ gaming fandom when a new Budokai Tenkaichi sequel was announced during The Game Awards 2023, and since then Bandai Namco has been slowly revealing which iconic heroes and villains will be returning in the upcoming Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero. There has been plenty of new Dragon Ball material released since 2007’s Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3, and Sparking Zero has already confirmed content from the more recent Dragon Ball Super anime.

A creative Pokemon fan recently designed some delicious regional variants for Applin and its evolutions, all themed after different foods. The fruit-like Grass/Dragon hybrid Applin was introduced to players in Pokemon Sword and Shield back in 2019 as part of the new lineup of 81 creatures residing in the United Kingdom-inspired Galar region. Like many other Pokemon monsters, Applin can evolve into different forms by fulfilling certain conditions, and is the only Gen 8 Pokemon to have a branched evolutionary line that players can influence by exposing it to certain types of apples.

The popular DC Universe Online MMO is finally coming to the PlayStation 5, and there is new information about the game’s upcoming 2024 content. Developer Dimensional Ink Games and prolific MMO publisher Daybreak Game Company released DC Universe Online for the PS3 and PC way back in 2011, providing comic book fans with a virtual sandbox where they can create their own characters and join forces with iconic DC heroes and villains to complete various missions and side activities.

Final Fantasy 16 could make the jump to other platforms once it launches on PC, at least according to some of the game’s developers. The latest mainline Final Fantasy game launched exclusively on the PlayStation 5 last June, but Square Enix has promised a PC port at a later date. So far, there is no official word on when the PC version of Final Fantasy 16 will be released, but producer Naoki Yoshida recently told fans that it is in the end stages of development and a playable demo should be forthcoming.

The Pokemon-style RPG Cassette Beasts is getting a major new update, adding online multiplayer and a host of other interesting features later this year. UK-based developer Bytten Studio and prolific indie publisher Raw Fury released Cassette Beasts on Windows and Linux computers last April, with a wider launch on Xbox systems and the Nintendo Switch the following month. Just like Pokemon, Cassette Beasts tasks players with collecting different elementally empowered creatures, although these monsters are stored within old-fashioned audio cassette tapes and summoned using a handheld cassette player.

Nearly 50 talented artists recently joined together to create an amazing mural in tribute to the late Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama. Earlier this month, fans of anime and gaming alike were saddened by the heartbreaking news that Toriyama had passed away from acute subdural hematoma at age 68. Dragon Ball itself has spawned countless video games, but Akira Toriyama also had a hand in creating legendary titles like Chrono Trigger and the Dragon Quest series, and numerous other franchises like Sonic the Hedgehog have drawn influence from his work.

Gameplay footage for the rumored Sonic the Hedgehog battle royale spin-off has just been leaked online, giving interested fans a glimpse at its fast-paced multiplayer action. The past couple of years have seen the release of several Sonic the Hedgehog games, from the experimental open-world format of Sonic Frontiers to the more traditional 2D platforming of Sonic Superstars. 2024 looks to be yet another banner year for the Blue Blur, with several promising tie-in projects on the horizon.

The Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 version of Venom is crawling into the comics in this year’s Venomverse Reborn event, just a few months after menacing gamers on the PlayStation 5. Even before Spider-Man 2 launched back in October, Venom’s presence in the Insomniac universe was strongly felt and hinted at. In the Marvel’s Spider-Man post-credits scene, it is revealed that Norman Osborn has been keeping his terminally ill son Harry suspended in a tank in his penthouse, with an all-too-familiar-looking black substance floating alongside him. Come Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Norman orders Harry to be released, despite the protests of Dr. Curtis Conners.

A trailer for Final Fantasy 16's upcomingThe Rising Tide DLC has just been released, revealing a new boss fight against the legendary Leviathan. The latest mainline entry in the iconic Final Fantasy series launched last summer with a gritty, medieval tale set in the twin continents of Valisthea, which is divided into warring kingdoms that are represented by Eikons, Final Fantasy 16’s take on the franchise’s Summons. It is here that a fallen nobleman named Clive Rosfield embarks on a quest for revenge that soon becomes a battle to liberate Valisthea from the dark forces that oppress its people.

Relic Castle, a popular website dedicated to creating and curating Pokemon fan games, has been taken offline following a DMCA. The long-running Pokemon franchise has inspired plenty of creativity among its legions of fans over the past few decades, from impressive artwork of creatures like Pikachu and Eevee to fan-made spin-off games that place the series in genres that likely wouldn’t be explored by Game Freak. This includes mods that add Pokemon characters to other video games like Minecraft and custom Pokemon games that recreate Ash Ketchum’s journey in the Pokemon anime.

The cast and composer for Marvel 1943: Rise of Hyrda have been revealed, showing fans who will be voicing Captain America, Black Panther, and more. After over a year of relative silence, Skydance Interactive and Marvel showed off their upcoming game collaboration in a big way earlier this week with a blockbuster Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra trailer. The game was first revealed back in 2022, with the base premise being Captain America and Black Panther joining forces to take down Hydra during World War 2.

The developers behind Super Mario Bros. Wonder recently shared some unused Wonder Effect designs at this year’s Game Developers Conference. The latest mainline Mario platformer launched on the Nintendo Switch in October to rave reviews and record-breaking sales figures, with many praising Super Mario Bros. Wonder for its colorful graphics and imaginative additions to the classic 2D Mario formula.

Skydance Interactive’s Captain America and Black Panther team-up game is now officially titled Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra, and a new story trailer sees the two legendary heroes face off against each other. This World War 2-based superhero action title was first announced during a Disney and Marvel Games Showcase at D23 2022, with players taking control of Captain America, Black Panther, a Howling Commando named Gabriel Jones, and a Wakandan spy named Nanali as they battle the forces of Hydra across Paris and Wakanda during the Great War.

Fans have just gotten a new look at the upcoming Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero in a new video presentation, including some of the new gameplay mechanics being introduced in this long-awaited sequel. The Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi (or Sparking, as they are subtitled in Japan) games rank among the most beloved titles in the iconic Dragon Ball franchise, and fans have been eagerly awaiting a new entry since the release of Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 way back in 2007. Bandai Namco finally answered their wishes during The Game Awards 2023 with the announcement of Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero.

Funko’s newly announced line of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Pops includes Miles Morales’s infamous Evolved Suit from the end of the game. Just like Insomniac’s previous Marvel offerings, Spider-Man 2 gives fans a collection of alternate attires for its two web-slinging protagonists, many of which were pulled directly from the various Spider-Man comics, cartoons, and films. Others were created exclusively for the game, such as the “Evolved” costume that Miles dons during Spider-Man 2’s Symbiote-centric third act.

A skilled Pokemon fan has just designed adorable baby forms for Lugia, Ho-Oh, and Suicune. All three of these legendary Pokemon were introduced in Pokemon Gold and Silver, with Ho-Oh and Lugia serving as the cover monsters for the mainline Generation 2 Pokemon games. Meanwhile, Suicune is part of a trio of Legendary Beasts, alongside Entei and Raikou, and was featured on the cover of the updated Pokemon Crystal in 2001.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor drew from many different sources from across the legendary franchise, including the extremely controversial Last Jedi. The second installment in Respawn’s series of Star Wars action titles launched last April and continued the story of Cal Kestis as he traveled across the galaxy on a new mission to uncover a lost Jedi sanctuary. Along the way, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor players unlock new lightsaber stances and Force abilities, battle bounty hunters and Imperial stormtroopers alike, and explore several classic Star Wars locations.

Steam has just set another record for the most concurrent players just a week after clearing its previous milestone. Valve’s PC gaming outlet has been the go-to platform for digital purchases over the past few decades, giving players access to a vast catalog of classic gems and modern-day hits. Even with the “console wars” between Nintendo, PlayStation, and Xbox raging ever on and the Epic Game Store rising as a new competitor in the PC gaming landscape, Steam still benefits from a large community of users that continues to grow to record-setting numbers.

A talented artist and Pokemon fan recently showed off a collection of impressive regional variants and evolutions they designed for popular creatures like Xatu, Hoodlay, and Skitty. Starting with 2016’s Pokemon Sun and Moon, new Pokemon generations have been introducing region-specific alternate versions of existing Pokemon that reimagine them as a different elemental type. Some Pokemon even have multiple variants, such as Meowth having a Dark-type one in Alola and a Steel-type one in Galar.

The recently released Star Wars Battlefront Classic Collection may still be using a fan mod for its bonus content, as claimed by the person who originally made it. When it was announced that longtime Star Wars PC port developer Asypr was bringing the first two Battlefront games to modern hardware in the Star Wars Battlefront Classic Collection, fans were excited. This only increased when it was revealed that the collection would also feature the Xbox-exclusive DLC for Star Wars Battlefront 2, which allowed players to take control of Clone Wars-era fan favorites Asajj Ventress and Kit Fisto.

Concept art for Insomniac’s canceled Spider-Man multiplayer game has just been leaked online, including a possible look at the title’s character creation screen. Insomniac infamously fell victim to a massive ransomware attack just a few months after Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 swung onto the PlayStation 5, exposing much of the developer’s plans for future Marvel video games. Among already confirmed titles like Marvel’s Wolverine and long-suspected projects centered around Venom and the X-Men was a game that Insomniac had reportedly already canceled long before the data breach: an online multiplayer title called Spider-Man: The Great Web.

WB Games Montreal, the studio behind Gotham Knights, could be assisting Monolith Productions with its upcoming WonderWomangame — at least according to a newly discovered job listing. WB Montreal is already well familiar with the DC Universe, having helped Rocksteady with Batman: Arkham City Armored Edition for the Wii U in 2012 before releasing Batman: Arkham Origins the following year. Its next gaming venture took it outside of the Arkhamverse with Gotham Knights, a spiritual successor that shifted the focus toward the other members of the Bat Family as they carried out the mission of defending Gotham City after Batman’s death.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has been home to plenty of strange and helpful fan creations, and one player is showing off their unique machine that helps Link clear enemies off the bridges of Hyrule. Tears of the Kingdom is one of the most successful Zelda entries of all time in terms of sales and critical acclaim, and part of that stems from the way it builds off the open-world framework of 2017’s Breath of the Wild with a surprisingly in-depth crafting mechanic that lets players build virtually anything they can imagine.

This article has SPOILERS for the Insomniac Spider-Man games

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s lukewarm reception seems to have had an impact on Pokemon TCG sales, which have dropped since the latest Pokemon entries were released on the Nintendo Switch in 2022. Fans were less than thrilled with Game Freak’s latest monster-gathering JRPGs, as Pokemon Scarlet and Violet quickly became some of the lowest-rated mainline Pokemon entries despite their record-breaking launch. Players even started review-bombing Pokemon Scarlet and Violet for various reasons, including their many performance issues.