TheGamer News, Tips, Tricks, Ideas

Last week, I sat down with Fallout 2 designer John Deiley to discuss all things talking deathclaws, and he revealed a terrifying idea that never came to fruition.

Lego returned to Middle-earth for the first time in a decade last year when it debuted its Rivendell set. A part of Lego's Icons range, the toy brick recreation of the iconic Lord of the Rings location is made up of more than 6,000 pieces and costs $500. It makes sense that there'd be a wait for anything more following the release of a set that size, but it seems the wait is almost over. Lego has teased a new Lord of the Rings set is coming, and the Eye of Sauron will be at its center.

When it comes to games like Minecraft, pretty much anything is on the table when it comes to making whatever pops into your mind. Whether that be a ridiculously large maze built solely to torture other players, or a working version of the first Legend of Zelda game, you constantly see impressive creations coming out of the game's community. Terraria is a little less concerned with limitless creativity, but that doesn't stop some people from building some truly ridiculous stuff.

Who would've thought that in a galaxy far, far away that there would also be a war for democracy? Not us, that's for sure. But if a recent mod for Helldivers 2 is any indication, then it turns out the Clone Wars are being fought right inside one of this year's most popular games.

Hades 2 features a range of incantations and recipes for Melinoe to use, including an extremely helpful one that lets you craft your own Nectar to gift to characters.

A reliable gaming leaker has suggested that PlayStation's Horizon series might soon be collaborating with Lego again, although it's not clear if it's going to be a new set or a video game.

A reliable horror leaker has shared details about Silent Hill: The Short Message's development, confirming that it was once called Project Sakura and went through some big changes.

Kai Cenat is currently trying to beat Elden Ring in one long Twitch stream, but it's not exactly going smoothly as he's already been driven to tears due to the game's infamous difficulty.

Helldivers 2 lead Johan Pilestedt has given us our first look at an upcoming cape - one which references the most controversial moment in the game's short history. As we can see in the screenshot, the red lines on the cape mirror the review bombing Helldivers 2 received on Steam last week, as thousands of players hit the game with negative ratings.

In Fallout 2, we meet a cabal of intelligent deathclaws hiding inside Vault 13, a result of the Enclave experimenting with the FEV virus in an attempt to create subservient supersoldiers. But they escaped, deciding that they wanted to live peaceful lives and coexist with humanity.

Marvel Rivals dataminers have managed to find evidence within the closed beta test's files that suggest it'll be released on PS5 and Xbox Series in the future.

Industry insider Jeff Grubb once again reaffirms his claim that Dragon Age: Dreadwolf is launching this year. This is despite recent information from EA indicating that it could be with us as late as March 2025, sparking fears that we're still almost a year away from the long-awaited sequel.

Content creators who were offered access to Marvel Rivals were reportedly made to sign a contract forbidding them from making "subjective negative reviews of the game". The contract also says that the creator cannot "engage in discussions that are detrimental to the reputation of the game", or compare it to its competitors.

It can be difficult for developers to maintain live service titles these days, with fans expecting more and more content each month to avoid the risk of being labeled a "dead game." Helldivers 2 developer Arrowhead has been treading that particular tightrope rather well since launch, delivering new armor, weapons, and emotes via the Premium Warbonds system that has been serving them well up until now.

From the very start of Fallout: New Vegas, the titular city is dangled in front of you. However, while you look close enough to Vegas on the world map, heading there right away will only result in your death. Instead, you're expected to take the long way around - and one fan has worked out exactly how long that road is.

In the Fallout TV series, it's revealed that Vault-Tec nuked the iconic Shady Sands. It's been incredibly controversial with fans, but they're not alone. Designer John Deiley, who took it from a small innocuous settlement in the first game to the thriving NCR capital of Fallout 2, also isn't happy with the decision.

The Fallout TV series introduces a trio of new, interconnected vaults - 31, 32, and 33. We find out by the end of the show that 31 holds a bunch of pre-war Vault-Tec employees in cryostasis and that the other two shelters are breeding pools for when they awaken.

Helldivers 2 being delisted was ordered by Sony, according to a leaked message from Steam Support. This comes after Helldivers 2 was delisted in more than 150 countries over its proposed PSN requirements, and is still restricted in several regions after the decision was reversed.

EA CEO Andrew Wilson has revealed in a recent earnings call that the company is working on putting in-game advertisements into its releases, viewing them as a "meaningful driver of growth".

A reliable Resident Evil leaker has reported that Resident Evil 9 will take place within a fictional rural town on an island, a setting that would be pretty unique for the series.

Multiple Steam users who pre-ordered Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut say that they're receiving automatic refunds. Those affected live in areas that can't access PSN, and would therefore be locked out of Ghost of Tsushima's online multiplayer mode.

The official Dragon Ball website has suggested that a new trailer or information drop for Sparking Zero will be released every month, confirming the pattern that's been going on since the start of the year.

Demon Slayer: Sweep the Board, a Mario Party clone that just released on Nintendo Switch last month, isn't an exclusive after all as it's coming to PlayStation, Xbox, and PC on July 17.

WWE 2K24 has revealed the first look at CM Punk, who is finally returning to the series through a new DLC pack this month after more than a decade away from the series.

Mini consoles have been in vogue since Nintendo kicked off the trend in 2016 by releasing the NES mini. A scale replica of the original console loaded with classic games. Nintendo has followed up with a mini SNES since then, and other developers, including Sega, have followed in Nintendo's footsteps. While there are still a lot of consoles yet to be shrunk down to size, what you likely didn't expect is for a Dance Dance Revolution arcade machine to get a mini version you can play at home, but here we are.

In case you've been living under a rock, a movie based on the The Legend of Zelda franchise is coming to theatres. Details are sparse at the moment, so we have no clue what game, if any, it'll cover.

Did you just get your modded Fallout 4 save up and running again? Well, enjoy it while it lasts - another update is coming on May 13, this Monday. The update is coming to all platforms and will make various "fixes and improvements", specifically to the game's graphics and performance.

One Piece has been a big deal for a long time, its manga now more than 1,000 chapters long. However, in 2023 Luffy and his Straw Hat Pirates welcomed more fans than ever on their quest to find the One Piece thanks to Netflix's live-action adaptation of their story. That has prompted more One Piece merch from Funko over the past six months than ever before, and the latest additions to its range are brand new backpacks, one of which has a wallet to match.

Baldur's Gate 3 Deluxe Edition console orders are finally getting into the hands of players in some countries, following a delay. However, those in North America may have to wait even longer, as Larian reveals that there's a hold-up in getting Deluxe Editions shipped to the region.

Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut appears to have been delisted in countries that can't access the PlayStation Network. This comes after Helldivers 2 was controversially set to force PC players to link with a PSN account to continue playing, a move that Sony eventually reversed after it was met with intense backlash and review bombing.

If you've frequented YouTube, TikTok, Twitch or any other platform where a game has the capability to go viral, chances are you'll have seen Amanda the Adventurer. It was a smash hit on social media for a time, played by every YouTuber or Twitch streamer out there, with theories spreading about the game's lore and events like wildfire. It's pretty much another Five Night at Freddy's, but with less terrifyingly massive teddy bears.

Pokemon has revealed a Strange Paradox merch line coming to the Pokemon Center later this month, and the first Paradox Pokemon to get their own plushes will be a part of the new collection. Paradox Pokemon were introduced to the series in Scarlet & Violet, and three of them have been selected to get the plush treatment, all going on sale with the rest of the Strange Paradox range from May 18. The only caveat for now, and it's a common one when it comes to new Pokemon merch, is they will be Pokemon Center Japan exclusives.

Sega has revealed in its latest fiscal report that it's considering releasing Persona 5: The Phantom X in regions outside of China, Taiwan, and Korea.

Supergiant Games' studio director, Amir Rao, has confirmed that the team haven't made a true ending for Hades 2 yet, and doesn't know how many runs it's going to take to reach it.

Hi-Fi Rush has become the highest-rated Xbox game of all time on Steam thanks to fans positively review-bombing the game in response to Xbox controversially closing down Tango Gameworks.

Tears of the Kingdom celebrates its first anniversary this weekend. A game so many of us spent such a massive amount of time with, it's hard to believe it has only been in our lives for a year. Its creators have already confirmed that it won't be getting any expansions, so don't go expecting a bombshell u-turn this weekend. There has been a Tears of the Kingdom birthday announcement, though. Nintendo has revealed it will be releasing a physical version of the sequel's soundtrack, a 464-page Master Works, and best of all, a replica of its Master Sword.

A reliable insider has claimed that Sega wants to make Persona, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Like a Dragon (which it currently views as its three main pillars) yearly releases through mainline entries, spin-offs, and side games.

If you've been finding Stalkers as pesky as other players in Arrowhead Studios' smash-hit cooperative live service shooter Helldivers 2, then you're in luck. A new SMG has seemingly solved the problem by forcing the creatures into a stunlock.

The Witcher fans have been a hard bunch to please ever since it was confirmed that Geralt actor Henry Cavill would be replaced by Liam Hemsworth. Whether it be a story decision, outfit choices, or any dismissal of the books' established lore, fans have found something to be upset over.

2024 continues to make its case as being the year of the anime and anime-adjacent video game, this time with a release date announcement for the upcoming Gundam Breaker 4. The newest entry in the Gunpla building series will hit shelves on August 29, 2024, on the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and 5 as well as PC.

Helldivers 2 developer Arrowhead has just about recovered from a disastrous weekend of controversy, following Sony's decision to make linking a PSN account to Steam to play the game mandatory. Among all the negative reviews, backlash, and apologies, Sony made the strange decision to delist Helldivers 2 from over 150 different countries in which the PlayStation Network isn't supported, though we're still not quite sure for what reason.

Xbox is currently the villain of the week, having shut down game studios Arkane Austin and Tango Gameworks. While it's a shame to see any studio close its doors, most people found Tango's closure particularly baffling, having recently released the critically acclaimed and beloved Hi-Fi Rush. It came as a surprise to Tango, who had multiple projects in development, including a potential sequel and a physical version in partnership with Limited Run.

It may be "Goku Day" all across the world, but the son of Vegeta - Trunks - is here to steal the spotlight. Fortnite, which is known for its massive collaborations across pop culture, will reportedly be adding Trunks to the fold.

Earlier this week, Nintendo finally put an end to one of the games industry's worst-kept secrets and officially announced the Switch 2, stating that it will be shown off at some point during this fiscal year, but that it won't be revealed at the company's yearly Direct this June.

Barbie has been around for 65 years, but you wouldn't know by looking at her. One of the few advantages of plastic taking a very long time to deteriorate is Barbie looks as shiny and new now as she did when first introduced to the masses in 1959. Even more so actually since new dolls have replaced the old ones continuously ever since. Particularly now following on from the success of 2023's Barbie movie. Barbie's reach has extended beyond dolls alone in the toy world too as Funko has revealed three new 65th anniversary figures.

DayZ just announced a brand-new map called Sakhal as part of the upcoming Frostline expansion, set in the far east of Russia, based on the real-life Kamchatka Peninsula. It's the smallest map to date, covering 83 km2 of land, which makes it about half the size of Chernarus.

Darth Vader may have only just been added back to Fortnite as a mini-boss for this year's Star Wars event, but he's already been nerfed due to fan complaints that he's too much of a pain to fight.

All Bloodborne fans want is a remaster of the game as we hurtle towards its tenth anniversary. Even a current-gen update for the soulslike game will do, but PlayStation appears to be completely unwilling to make that happen. It's not as if it doesn't realize how popular Bloodborne is either. That's why it continues to celebrate the game through merchandise, the latest of which includes a Bloodborne pocket watch as well as matching gloves and boots.

A reliable Marvel Rivals insider has shared evidence from the closed beta test's files that hints at 20 unannounced characters coming to the game, including all of the Fantastic Four members, Squirrel Girl, and Venom.

A new trailer for Reynatis has revealed that its crossover with NEO: The World Ends With You wasn't an April Fool's Day joke after all as Rindo and Shoka are actually featured in the game alongside some TWEWY enemies.

Xbox closed down four studios this week, including The Evil Within developer Tango Gameworks and Dishonored developer Arkane Austin. The backlash has been overwhelming, and Matt Booty only added fuel to the fire yesterday when he said that the company needs "smaller games that give us prestige and awards", perfectly describing Tango's recently released Hi-Fi Rush.

Earlier this year, Xbox announced it was bringing four exclusives to other consoles, those being Hi-Fi Rush, Pentiment, Sea of Thieves, and Grounded. But it's not stopping there, as Microsoft is reportedly discussing the idea of bringing Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 to PS5 as well.

After the recent announcement that Xbox is closing down Hi-Fi Rush and Redfall developers Tango Gameworks and Arkane Austin, it feels as though no studio is safe from being shuttered at the moment. Hi-Fi Rush was critically acclaimed, beloved by many, and won more than a few awards, but Tango was shut down a little under a year and a half after launch, giving off the perception that the only thing Xbox really gives a damn about is a game's sales.

Hades 2's final boss battle has an unexpected easter egg that stops you from pausing the game, with an incantation even becoming available later that stops a certain big bad from messing with you.

13 years after the release of Skyrim, developer Slavic Magic is keeping its janky spirit alive. As one Reddit user discovered, if you walk on fallen logs inside of a burning building in Manor Lords, you'll be propelled into the atmosphere as though an overly protective giant just clubbed you.

Xbox rocked the games industry earlier this week by closing down Tango Gameworks and Arkane Austin, two developers responsible for beloved titles such as The Evil Within series, Ghostwire: Tokyo, and the Prey reboot. Pretty much everyone was surprised by the announcement, including the people at Tango and Arkane Austin themselves, who were reportedly in the middle of pitching new projects to Xbox before being shut down.

Xbox fans were dealt some devastating news earlier this week, after the company announced it would be shutting down multiple developers, including Tango Gameworks and Arkane Austin. It was claimed by Xbox that this was done so it could funnel more funds into "high-impact" titles, likely referencing big games currently in development, such as The Elder Scrolls 6.

So much has happened since its release, it feels like Tears of the Kingdom has been around for years. Truth is the newest Zelda game isn't even a year old, not quite anyway. Tears of the Kingdom will turn one this weekend and to mark the occasion, BlackMilk has added an official range inspired by the game to its already expansive The Legend of Zelda collection. The line includes everything from t-shirts to leggings, and it's all available now ahead of the game's first anniversary.

MultiVersus developer Player First Games has finally revealed the game's first new character since Marvin the Martian back in 2022, as the completion of a MultiVersus ARG has revealed that Batman's arch-enemy The Joker is joining the roster.

An update to the Rockstar Games website suggests that several new screenshots for GTA 6 are going to be shared in the near future, likely before Take-Two's investor call.

Pokemon kicked off its year in Funko Pops by revealing it would be releasing six new pearlescent figures, presumably throughout 2024. Lucario was the first of those figures to be revealed, but Pokemon left it up to our imaginations when it comes to the other five. Rumors suggested that the next shiny Pop! joining Pokemon's ranks would be Pichu, and not only has Pokemon finally confirmed those rumors to be true, but the Pokemon Center exclusive Pop! is available to buy right now.

Fortnite only just added the Yoda Backbling to the game last week and it's already been removed by Epic due to it causing crashes in Battle Royale matches.

Four years ago, Microsoft announced that it was working on a Perfect Dark reboot, finally bringing the cult classic FPS to modern audiences. A year later, it revealed that it was partnering with Crystal Dynamics on the project, but in 2022, the studio lost nearly half of its staff--including senior writers, the technical director, and the lead gameplay engineer to name a few. Things looked bleak, but two years on, it's reportedly not gotten any better.

MultiVersus fans think that an ongoing ARG that's scheduled to end at some point today is going to reveal the next big character coming to the game - The Joker.

Have fun playing Hades 2 or whatever other new games you're enjoying at the moment as before you know it, anything anyone in gaming is talking about again will be Elden Ring. The 2022 Game of the Year's Shadow of the Erdtree expansion will be released on June 21 and if its reveal trailer is anything to go by, the DLC will almost double the game's scope. To celebrate Shadow of the Erdtree's release, Bandai Namco is running a competition, and the grand prize is a lifesize statue of Messmer the Impaler.

Hades 2 was shadow-dropped a couple of days ago, and despite launching out of nowhere two years after being announced, it has already more than doubled its predecessor's concurrent player record.

Two new figures of Sora and Roxas have been revealed for the Ichiban Kuji Kingdom Hearts Linking Hearts Kuji Game. If you aren’t in the know, Ichiban Kuji are lottery prizes in Japan, meaning these figures are exclusively available as part of a lottery.

We may never live in a world where Pokemon are real, but on the bright side, there are a lot of ways The Pokemon Company has brought them into the real world. Whether that be via Funko Pops, plushes, or action figures. Its latest venture technically falls into the plush category even though their primary function is furniture as Gengar, Lechonk, and Jigglypuff have all been turned into massive beanbags.

Helldivers 2 has a bunch of powerful weapons you can use to dish out some serious firepower, and just as many big beasties to use them. On the Terminid front, you'll find no foe scarier than the Bile Titan, a huge mass of pointy bits that loves nothing more than to spit massive globs of horrible goo all over players.

Dragon Age: Dreadwolf appears to be the next big title from developer BioWare and publisher EA, though we've heard very little official information about the title ever since its name was revealed. Things have been heating up in recent months though, with BioWare promising more news about the title this summer, and now EA seems to have all but confirmed the title will be launching within the next 12 months.

News regarding the Nintendo Switch 2 has been agonizingly thin on the ground as of late, but Nintendo finally gave us an official update earlier today by announcing that the console will be revealed within the current fiscal year. That's led to renewed excitement about the system, and Nintendo insider TvPH has used that excitement to get word out about the features that the console will have.

In the Fallout TV series, it's revealed that Vault-Tec is willing, and even planning, to drop the bombs themselves as they have invested everything in the apocalypse. It has to happen or they will collapse, so they invite some of the biggest corporations in America to a shadowy meeting where they discuss how to bring about the apocalypse from which they will all rise as unstoppable monopolies.

Earlier today, it was announced that Xbox will be closing multiple studios under its umbrella, including Tango Gameworks and Arkane Austin. Despite having made several high-profile titles between them, including Hi-Fi Rush, Ghostwire: Tokyo, The Evil Within series, Prey (2018), and Redfall, Xbox explained that it will be shutting the studios to funnel more cash into "high-impact" titles from Bethesda.

Four months into 2024 and there have already been a lot of big games we'll continue to talk about and play throughout the rest of the year and beyond. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is unquestionably one of those games, not only because its story and side content comfortably provide players with more than 100 hours of things to do, but because its characters are some of the most beloved in all of gaming. Bring Arts models of some of those characters have now found their way onto Amazon, and the wait you'll have for them to arrive further demonstrates we'll be talking about Rebirth for a while yet.

Hades 2 eventually lets you summon animal familiars who can help you in battle, which lets you turn your froggy best friend into a powerful ally in battle.

Xbox Game Studios head Matt Booty has announced the shutdown of Arkane Austin and Tango Gameworks amidst huge cuts at Bethesda.

In Hades 2, you come across a god called Narcissus. If his name doesn't give it away already, he's a deity known for his beauty who is so narcissistic that he fell in love with his own reflection and became entranced.

Helldivers 2 dropped to 'Mostly Negative' this weekend after announcing that players would have to link their PSN and Steam accounts to keep playing, making it so that the game couldn't be accessed in over 150 countries. This was partly spurred on by community manager Spitz, who mysteriously disappeared from the Discord server on Saturday.

Play any RPG from the past 40 years and you'll come across XP. It's the universal abbreviation of experience points that has become so ingrained in the gaming lexicon that it even broke the barrier and became widely understood beyond the medium. As it turns out, we have Baldur's Gate 3 principal narrative designer Lawrence Schick to thank.

Nintendo just announced the Switch 2 in the most casual way possible. Tweeting on the Japanese account, Shuntaro Furukawa confirmed an announcement would arrive "within the fiscal year", while also revealing a new Direct is due to take place in June. However, the Switch 2 will not be at this Direct, as it will focus only on the second half of 2024 for the original Switch - right now, Nintendo's upcoming roster looks very empty, possibly due to the hole created by the Switch 2.