‘Menacing’ Call of Duty TV Ad Gunned Down by Watchdog
The UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned the TV spot for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, deeming its aggressive tone and imagery as trivialising sexual violence. The ad, featuring comedian Nikki Glaser and actor Peter Stormare as “Replacer” security officers, showed a male passenger being forcibly searched and subjected to suggestive language. Activision Blizzard defended the piece as implausible parody, citing adult‑only targeting and Clearcast clearance, but the regulator rejected those arguments. While complaints about drug‑use references were dismissed, the ban underscores heightened scrutiny of edgy gaming advertising.
The Commentator Announced for Switch
Tebasaki Games has announced a new visual novel, The Commentator, for the Nintendo Switch, though a release window or localization details remain undisclosed. The game places players in the role of a prime‑time news anchor, forcing rapid editorial choices that...
Best Steam Exclusive Video Games
Steam remains the premier PC distribution platform, and its exclusive titles continue to define the ecosystem. The list highlights both Valve‑originated games—such as Garry’s Mod, Team Fortress 2, Counter‑Strike 2, and Half‑Life: Alyx—and standout indie or community projects like Project Zomboid and...
I Am Airport Security Challenges You to Inspect Passengers and Keep Flights Safe, Now Live on Android
Estoty has released *I Am Airport Security*, an airport‑security management RPG, on Android. The title follows the studio’s successful *I Am Security* sim and adds quirky passengers, metal detectors, X‑ray scans, and even beard‑shaving mechanics. It joins a wave of...
3D Platformer Become Asks, What If Finding Nemo But The Fish Was A Sperm?
Indie developer Valentin Wirth announced *Become*, a 3D platformer that follows a sperm cell’s race to fertilize an egg. The game blends a bildungsroman narrative with whimsical visuals, featuring skill upgrades like “Busty Bouncer” and “Got Milk.” A provocative trailer has already sparked...
This New Overwatch Hero Has Become an Insta-Ban for Me
Overwatch’s Season 1 introduced five new heroes, reigniting player interest, but the newest addition, Domina, quickly became a point of contention. As a poke‑tank, she combines a half‑circle Barrier Array, a self‑repair Reconstruction passive, and a high‑damage Photon Magnum, making her...
Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Updated to Ver. 1.4.3
Nintendo released version 1.4.3 for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom on February 18, 2026. The patch resolves a bug that kept the Black Hinox in Hyrule Castle marked as undefeated, blocking the Hinox Monster Medal. Additional unspecified issues were also...
Zelda: Breath of the Wild Updated to Ver. 1.9.0
Nintendo released version 1.9.0 for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild on 18 February 2026. The update’s sole addition is Thai language support, extending the game’s localization portfolio. The patch demonstrates Nintendo’s continued commitment to post‑launch content for its flagship title....
Discord Rival Maxes Out Hosting Capacity As Players Flee Age-Verification Crackdown
Discord’s global rollout of stringent age‑verification checks has sparked a wave of user backlash, prompting many gamers to abandon the platform for alternatives. TeamSpeak, a long‑standing voice‑chat service, has seen a surge in traffic, maxing out its hosting capacity across...
How to Get Trade Tokens in Escape Tsunami for Brainrots
Roblox’s Escape Tsunami for Brainrots features Trade Tokens as a premium currency used to purchase high‑value items like Infinity Lucky Blocks and Divine Brainrots. The primary acquisition method is converting Arcade Tickets at a 1:1 rate, especially during Arcade Events,...
Star Citizen Celebrates Red Festival Year of the Rat 2956 Event
Star Citizen’s Red Festival celebrates the Year of the Rat 2956 with a series of in‑game events and cosmetics. Players can hunt gilded rat‑themed envelopes across Stanton’s landing zones to earn credits, while a community contest offers a Mirai Pulse...
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Doraemon Dorayaki Shop Story to Receive a Physical Edition in Japan [Update: Pre-Orders]
Japanese developer Kairosoft announced that its Doraemon Dorayaki Shop Story will receive a physical Nintendo Switch release in Japan on April 16, 2026. The game, originally launched digitally in 2024 after a Nintendo Direct spotlight, will now ship with an English-language guidebook...
Fields of Mistria Bee Apiaries, Terrariums, and Auto-Feeders Shown
NPC Studio revealed that the fourth major update for *Fields of Mistria* adds auto‑feeders, bee apiaries, and bug terrariums. Auto‑feeders become available at Ranching Level 45, cost 5,000 gold, and turn any edible item into animal feed. Bee apiaries let players...
AION Classic EU Update 4.5, 'Ignite' Announced, With Major Overhauls, New Phoenix Class, and New Progression Zone
AION Classic EU’s Ignite update (v4.5) introduces a sweeping redesign, removing the legacy base‑class system so players begin directly as an advanced class. The release adds the fire‑focused Phoenix class, a new open‑world progression zone called Teva, and a full...
Vertiqal Studios Is Staffing up in a Bid to Bring More Brands Into the Gaming Ecosystem
Vertiqal Studios, the Toronto‑based content and agency firm, is expanding its workforce to accelerate the integration of consumer brands into the gaming ecosystem. The company, formerly Wondr Gaming, rebranded in 2023 and now manages more than 350 owned properties that...
Pritto Prisoner Updated to Ver. 1.1.1.0
Pritto Prisoner has rolled out version 1.1.1.0, delivering a suite of bug fixes, balance tweaks, and visual enhancements. The update resolves missing Stray entries, Dorm gate button glitches, and errant mouse animations, while also standardizing hit effects for the Robot’s Lasso....
Clash Royale: What Is the Ironheart Lucky Chest and How to Unlock It
Supercell has introduced the Ironheart Lucky Chest, a new seasonal chest in Clash Royale that rewards players with Goblin‑themed cards, P.E.K.K.A evolution items, and exclusive cosmetics. The chest’s contents scale with Trophy Road progress, unlocking the full reward pool once...
LoL Patch 26.4 Notes: All Buffs, Nerfs, and More
League of Legends Patch 26.4 drops on Feb. 19, 2026, shifting the release day back to Thursday for one final cycle before returning to the regular schedule. The update targets crit‑based ADCs with a light Infinity Edge buff and price cut, while trimming...
NACE Heads to Full Sail University in April
The National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) announced that the Spring 2026 Grand Finals will be held at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida, from April 23‑26. Forty‑eight varsity teams from across North America will compete in six titles: League of...
TOBIZ: "Hopefully, Alkaren Will Return, but We Just Have to Get the Best Out of the Situation"
Heroic exited PGL Cluj‑Napoca with a 1‑3 record, only beating 3DMAX before losing to FaZe, B8 and G2. The team has been without its primary AWPer, Alimzhan “Alkaren” Bitimbay, who remains sidelined by visa complications. Coach Tobias “TOBIZ” Theo explained...
Elite Dangerous Teases New Co-Op Gameplay Mode, System Overhaul In Dev Video
The Elite Dangerous developer log reveals a major new co‑op gameplay mode called Operations, slated for an April release this year. Operations will let squads tackle missions on foot and in space with varying difficulty and tactical challenges. A broader...
Extreme Weather Alert: ARC Raiders Shrouded Sky Update Release Date
Embark Studios announced that the Shrouded Sky update for ARC Raiders will go live on February 24, 2026. The patch adds a new weather‑driven map condition, an additional ARC threat, a player‑focused project, and a raider deck for cosmetics and...
Pokémon Go's Battle League Quirks Are Getting Fixed in 2026
Niantic is overhauling Pokémon Go’s Go Battle League (GBL) core battle system to eliminate long‑standing PvP inconsistencies. The redesign moves damage resolution to the end of each turn, standardizes Pokémon swaps, and anchors actions to a fixed timeline, reducing the impact...
Meat Grinder, an Adventure Sim with Horror Elements, Coming to Nintendo Switch 2
Ultimate Games and Panic Panda announced that their dark adventure‑simulation title Meat Grinder will debut on Nintendo Switch 2 in 2026. The game mixes open‑world exploration with a hot‑dog shop management sim, set in the fog‑shrouded city of Grimshore. Players juggle daily...
Digital Extremes Delays Warframe's Global Android Release Due to Serious Login Bug
Digital Extremes has postponed the global Android launch of Warframe due to an infinite login loop affecting devices such as Google Pixel phones and certain tablets. The Canadian Android version remains live to help the team gather data and resolve...
Sources: Tencent Secretly Funded Struggling Shooter Highguard
The episode investigates how Chinese tech giant Tencent covertly acted as the primary financial backer for Wildlight Entertainment, the studio behind the controversial 2026 free‑to‑play shooter Highguard. It outlines the secrecy surrounding the funding, the turmoil of Highguard’s launch, and...
Hyper Scape, the Long-Forgotten Ubisoft Battle Royale, Is Being Revived by Fans
Ubisoft's 2020 battle‑royale Hyper Scape failed to gain traction after a lukewarm launch, receiving mid‑60s Metacritic scores and dwindling player counts. A dedicated fan, known as Fiirce, has initiated a revival effort, releasing an early alpha that restores single‑player functionality and...
Today’s Android App Deals and Freebies: Undead Slayer, Alien Food Invasion, Muse Dash, More
9to5Toys released its February 17 2026 Android deals roundup, highlighting steep price cuts on popular games such as Undead Slayer, Alien Food Invasion, and Muse Dash, many now free or under $1. The list also bundles hardware discounts, including a pre‑order deal on...
Courtyard Launches Zodiac-Themed Pokémon Card Pack for Lunar New Year | Exclusive
Courtyard.io announced a Zodiac‑themed Pokémon card pack for Lunar New Year 2026, marking the game’s 30th anniversary. The limited set features twelve cards, each representing a Chinese zodiac animal, with prices starting at $99. Buyers receive a digital preview and...
Elsa's Broken Kit in Marvel Rivals Is Just a Symptom of a Larger Powercreep Problem
Elsa Bloodstone debuted in Marvel Rivals season 6.5 and quickly drew criticism for her seemingly broken kit, which combines a shotgun with rifle‑like accuracy and ultra‑short cooldowns. The controversy highlights a broader power‑creep issue as recent heroes like Gambit, Rogue, and...
Saudi Government Changes the Name of Esports World Cup Foundation
Saudi Arabia’s Council of Ministers officially renamed the Esports World Cup Foundation to the Esports Foundation, reflecting its oversight of both the Esports World Cup and the Esports Nations Cup. The change was approved during a cabinet meeting that also...
Armatus Limited-Time Demo for PC Launches February 23
Counterplay Games and publisher Fictions announced a limited‑time demo for their roguelite third‑person shooter Armatus, debuting on PC via Steam on February 23 as part of Steam Next Fest 2026. The demo runs through March 2, giving players a taste of the...
I'm Not Convinced Open Earbuds Work for Gaming, Despite Asus' Best Efforts
Asus has launched the ROG Cetra Open earbuds, an open‑ear design that connects via a 2.4 GHz low‑latency link for gaming while retaining Bluetooth for everyday use. The reviewer finds the build solid and comfortable, but notes a bulky charging case...
Magic: The Gathering's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Set Brings Iconic Characters And A Homage To Video Games
Wizards of the Coast announced the Magic: The Gathering "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universes Beyond" set, slated for a March 6, 2026 release with a February 27 pre‑release weekend. The Standard set spans the franchise’s comic, cartoon, and movie history and includes special Borderless Signature...
Ezri Dax Returns to Star Trek Online to Face a Lovecraftian Threat
Star Trek Online will launch the "Corruption" event on March 10, celebrating its 16th anniversary. The storyline puts DS9’s Ezri Dax, voiced by Nicole de Boer, at the forefront of a battle against the newly introduced Chimerans, a Lovecraftian‑style alien...
In Dune: Awakening, Collect a Free Rifle Skin, Help the Community, and More Detailed in Latest Newsletter
Funcom’s Dune: Awakening newsletter highlights the latest patch, the first community challenge “Raiders of the Lost Station,” and free cosmetic rewards. The challenge, tied to Chapter 3 and the Raiders of the Broken Lands DLC, saw players quickly meet three milestones...
Xbox Sale Features over 35 Games with Easy Achievements and Gamerscore
Xbox’s weekly storefront promotion features more than 35 titles priced low and designed for quick completion, each offering easy-to‑earn achievements and a solid Gamerscore return. Most games can be finished in under eight hours, with discounts ranging from 40 % to...
What Is the Ascendant Challenge This Week in Destiny 2?
Destiny 2’s weekly Ascendant Challenge for Feb 17‑24 is the Cimmerian Garrison, accessed through the Chamber of Starlight Lost Sector. Players must consume Petra Venj’s Tincture of Queensfoil to reveal a portal that leads to the Ascendant Plane, where Abyssal Champions pursue...
Digimon Story: Time Stranger 3rd DLC - Anti-ParadoX Will Add X-Antibody Royal Knights in March 2026
Bandai Namco announced the third and final DLC for Digimon Story: Time Stranger, titled Anti‑ParadoX, slated for release in March 2026. The pack adds five X‑Antibody Mega Digivolutions—Omnimon/Omegamon, Gallantmon/Dukemon, UlforceVeedramon, Magnamon, and Jesmon—alongside a new story episode featuring Asuna Shiroki...
What Is the Grandmaster Vanguard Alert Weapon This Week in Destiny 2?
Destiny 2’s Grandmaster Vanguard Alert for Feb 17‑24 challenges fireteams with a 50‑power cap and no self‑revive, demanding precise coordination. This week’s featured weapon is Horror’s Least, an Arc pulse rifle, available as a guaranteed masterworked Tier 5 drop on first completion with...
Npl on S1zzi: "He Has the X-Factor; if We Want to Become Tier-One in the Future, We Need It"
B8 suffered an early exit at the PGL Cluj‑Napoca tournament, losing to Aurora, The MongolZ and FURIA. Team captain Andrii “npl” Kukharskyi blamed the loss on repeated strategic errors and a reluctance to adapt during the event. He highlighted new AWPer...
Medabots Survivors Is Arriving to Mobile This Month, Bringing a Fresh Survival Action Twist to the Beloved Series
Imagineer Co., Ltd. announced Medabots Survivors, a new survivor‑action mobile game set to launch on February 25, 2026 for Android and iOS. The title expands the long‑running Medabots JRPG franchise with a wave‑based survival format, offering more than 60 distinct...
Avowed's Anniversary Update Is a Great Excuse to Return to Eora, but the PS5 Version Should Have Been Better
Obsidian released Avowed on PS5 bundled with the 2.00 Anniversary Update, introducing New Game Plus, photo mode, additional races, character presets, and extensive difficulty sliders. The console version mirrors Xbox's three display modes—performance, quality, and balanced—with frame‑rate unlocks, but still exhibits...
Opinion: I Can’t Wait for Gaming Consoles to Die (but Not How You Think)
Daniel Rubino argues that the real problem isn’t Xbox or PlayStation hardware but the artificial technical split between consoles and PCs. Developers must maintain separate codebases, certification processes, and patch pipelines, which inflates costs and delays releases, especially for indie...
Lots of Toys Revealed for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Pre-Orders Open
Jakks Pacific unveiled a comprehensive toy line for the upcoming *Super Mario Galaxy* movie, featuring figures, playsets, plush and accessories. Retail exclusives include a 5‑inch Bowser Jr. figure at Walmart and a 5‑inch 4‑pack at Target, alongside glow‑in‑the‑dark Luma yoyos and...
Eve Online's New In-Game Chatbot "Is Not Generative AI," But I'd Still Rather Ask Randomers for Advice
CCP introduced Aura Guidance, an in‑game chatbot for Eve Online that answers rookie questions using a pre‑determined knowledge base rather than generative AI. The tool was built from analysis of over 5.8 million player support queries and is optional for users....
Patience Is the Real Key to Overcoming Nioh 3’s Hamamatsu Hill Enemy Base
To access Nioh 3’s Hamamatsu Hill enemy base, players must first complete the “Fated Land” side quest and then receive the Mountain Temple Key from Ii Naotora during the “Ii’s Memento” quest. Once unlocked, the base houses only five enemies, culminating in...
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim 1.2 Update Out Now on Nintendo Switch 2, Patch Notes – 60 Hz Mode, Frame...
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim received a 1.2 patch for Nintendo Switch 2, introducing a new 60 Hz mode that lets players toggle between visual fidelity and performance. A 30 Hz visual mode locks frame rate for smoother gameplay, while performance tweaks reduce FPS...
FirstLook 1.0 Launches with New Player Relationship-Tracking Features
FirstLook 1.0 launched after extensive playtests with studios like Krafton, Skybound and Bad Robot Games. The platform, now used by Remedy Entertainment, System Era, Dreamhaven, Avalanche Studios, Build A Rocket Boy, 11 Bit Studios and New Tales, adds creator campaign management...
Pokémon TCG Pocket Mega Medicham Ex Drop Event Resurfaces a Big Fan Pet Peeve
Pokémon TCG Pocket’s latest Drop Event centers on the Mega Medicham ex promo, offering five exclusive cards to players who complete battles. Rewards are delivered as single‑card booster packs that must be opened one at a time from the gifts screen....