Kotaku

The Highest-Rated Pokémon Game On Metacritic Is Now An Animal Crossing-Style Life Sim

Pokémon Pokopia, an Animal Crossing‑style life simulation co‑developed by Omega Force and Game Freak, has earned an 89 Metascore on Metacritic, making it the highest‑rated Pokémon title to date. The score edges out Pokémon Y’s long‑standing 88 Metascore by a single point. Early critic...

Pokémon FireRed And LeafGreen Players Are Accidentally Losing Hours Of Progress

Nintendo’s Switch ports of Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen add a soft‑reset shortcut that triggers when all four Joy‑Con face buttons are pressed simultaneously. The feature speeds up shiny‑hunting by instantly returning to the main menu, but because the games lack...

The Zoomer Obsession With DVDs Is A Blueprint For Saving Gaming

The Los Angeles Times reports that DVD sales, once in freefall, have slowed their decline to 9% in 2025, with stores like Vidiots renting about 1,000 discs weekly. Gen Z’s renewed interest is driven by a desire for ad‑free, reliable ownership amid...

PlayStation Retro Anime Spoof Will Be Available Outside Japan For The First Time In 27 Years

The 1999 PlayStation shoot‑em‑up *Robot Anime Geppy‑X* is receiving its first official release outside Japan as a remastered version on Steam this July. The four‑disc title, known for its tongue‑in‑cheek homage to 1970s mecha anime, has been fully localized and...

Which Starter Is The Best To Pick In Pokémon FireRed/LeafGreen?

Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen have launched on Switch for the franchise’s 30th anniversary, reviving the classic Kanto adventure for new and veteran players. The article evaluates the three original starters—Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle—highlighting their evolution timing, type match‑ups, and move...

Pokémon Store Plunged Into Chaos Over 30th Anniversary Pikachu Plush As Fans Blame Scalpers

The Pokémon Company released a black‑and‑white Game Boy‑inspired Pikachu plush to celebrate its 30th anniversary, sparking a chaotic rush at the Tokyo Bay Poké Center and similar scenes in Yokohama and Osaka. Fans swarmed the stores without tickets or lines, leading to...

Legend Of Zelda Actor Has Thoughts On The Live-Action Movie And Whether Link And Zelda Are Dating

Patricia Summersett, the voice of Princess Zelda for a decade, discussed her casting experience, the choice of a British‑inspired Hylian accent, and her enthusiasm for the upcoming live‑action adaptation. She praised director Bo Bragason and hinted that Zelda will be...

How Sega And Police Raids Interrupted A Video Game Preservation Auction

In 2025 London police raided junk dealer Darius Khan’s home, seizing a cache of Sega development kits, cartridges and prototypes slated for a Video Game Preservation Museum auction that had already raised over £60,000. The raid followed a private investigator...

Ranking Leon’s Amazing One-Liners In Resident Evil Requiem

Kotaku ranks every one‑liner Leon Kennedy delivers in the newly released Resident Evil Requiem, cataloguing 17 quips from bland to delightfully absurd. The list highlights how Leon’s trademark sarcasm persists even amid heightened horror scenarios, with lines referencing zombies, giant...

Pokémon Sapphire And Ruby ROM Support Found In FireRed/LeafGreen Switch Files, Dataminer Claims

The Nintendo Switch versions of Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen launched hours ago, and dataminers quickly uncovered hidden details. Among the changes, player‑name profanity is now blocked and the classic Aurora and Mystic Tickets are present for limited‑time events. More strikingly, the...

Bloodborne Remake Reportedly Shot Down By FromSoftware As Bluepoint Games Scrambled For Ideas

Bluepoint Games pitched a Bloodborne remake to Sony, but FromSoftware rejected the proposal. The decision aligns with Hidetaka Miyazaki’s reported reluctance to let external studios touch the title. After its God of War multiplayer project was cancelled, Bluepoint scrambled for...

Xbox’s New Boss Promises Not To Flood It With ‘Soulless AI Slop’

Phil Spencer retires after a 12‑year tenure, and Microsoft appoints Asha Sharma—formerly head of its Core AI Product division—as Xbox’s new CEO. In her inaugural memo, Sharma vows to keep “soulless AI slop” out of games while acknowledging AI’s role...

Phil Spencer Retires From Xbox And Sarah Bond Resigns As Microsoft’s AI Exec Takes Over

Microsoft announced that longtime Xbox chief Phil Spencer will retire after 38 years, stepping down this summer. Asha Sharma, previously head of Microsoft CoreAI, is named the new CEO of Microsoft Gaming, with Matt Booty promoted to chief content officer....

Capcom Begs Fans Not To Share Resident Evil Requiem Footage As Spoilers Start Leaking

Capcom has publicly urged fans to refrain from sharing leaked footage of the upcoming Resident Evil Requiem, which launches on February 27, 2026. Early physical copies obtained by retailers and fans have already surfaced online, including a premature reveal of...

Most PlayStation 5 Owners Have Been Playing The Same Games Since 2022

Circana’s 2026 U.S. data shows that the same five titles have dominated PlayStation 5 playtime since 2022, with Fortnite reaching 56 percent of active owners. The list—Fortnite, Call of Duty, Grand Theft Auto V, Roblox and Minecraft—remains unchanged from the prior two years,...

Beyond Good And Evil 2 Studio Evacuates 500 Over Apparent Bomb Threat Hoax

Ubisoft evacuated its Montpellier studio on February 19 after a bomb threat email forced 500 employees to leave the building. Police found no device, confirming the threat was a hoax. The studio, which is developing Beyond Good and Evil 2 and...

Jacksepticeye Apologizes For Criticizing Life Is Strange 2’s Political Message: ‘I’ve Learned A Great Deal In The Last 8 Years’

Jacksepticeye, the popular YouTuber, apologized in February 2026 for his 2019 criticism of the political themes in Don’t Nod’s episodic game Life Is Strange 2. In his original Let’s Play, he claimed the narrative pushed a specific agenda and lacked depth, prompting backlash from...

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...

The Source Of Highguard‘s Mysterious Funding Was Reportedly Chinese Tech Giant Tencent

Metal Gear Solid 4 Remaster Is Leaving Online Multiplayer In The Past

Konami announced the Metal Gear Solid 4 remaster in the Master Collection Vol. 2, but it will omit the original Metal Gear Online multiplayer modes. The decision leaves the 2008 PS3 tactical multiplayer as a legacy feature. However, the collection retains...

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Features A Deep-Dive Character From 1985

Nintendo’s upcoming *Super Mario Galaxy* movie, slated for April 3, will feature the 1985 NES peripheral R.O.B., a detail uncovered through a leaked toy set. The studio also announced a wave of high‑priced merchandise, including a six‑inch Yoshi egg and a Bowser Castle...

The ROG Xbox Ally X Price Shoots Up Nearly $200 In Japan

Asus has increased the Japanese retail price of its premium ROG Xbox Ally X handheld from 139,800 yen to 169,800 yen, a rise of roughly $200. The hike reflects soaring LPDDR5X memory costs as AI hyperscalers compete for limited chips....

McDonald’s Just Announced Its Own TCG, And Ronald McDonald Is The Chase [Update]

McDonald’s announced a 24‑card trading‑card game set to launch in the United Kingdom on March 17, 2026. The collection features iconic mascots such as Ronald McDonald, Grimace, Fry Girl, and the quirky Cheeseburger Chair, with a “Take it or Flip it” gameplay...

High On Life 2′s Intro Is One Of The Best Video Game Openings Ever

High On Life 2 launches with a kinetic, comedy‑driven opening that thrusts players into a 1,000 MPH montage of monster fights, talk‑show bits, and obstacle courses. The sequence doubles as an interactive tutorial, teaching movement, combat, and grappling while recapping the 2022 predecessor. Technically,...

Wild Pokémon Rumor Claims FireRed And LeafGreen Are Coming To Switch 2 And Fans Aren’t Sure How To Feel

Leakers Khu and Centro Leaks claim Nintendo will announce Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen for the upcoming Switch 2 on Pokémon Day, February 27. The rumor suggests the classic Game Boy Advance remakes will be sold as standalone eShop titles rather than part of Nintendo Switch Online, with a...

Resident Evil 4 Remake Slammed On Steam For New DRM That Makes The Game Run Worse

Capcom replaced Denuvo with Enigma DRM in the Resident Evil 4 remake on Steam, triggering a noticeable performance decline. Frame rates fell from over 140 fps to the low 90s, and Digital Foundry measured a 1.9 ms CPU overhead translating to roughly a...

Mewgenics Has Its Own Resetti Who Will Destroy Your Run If You Save Scum

Mewgenics, the cat‑breeding tactical roguelike from Tyler Glaiel and Edmund McMillen, recouped its entire development budget within three hours of its February 10 launch and set a new Steam concurrency record with 83,956 players on February 11. Within the first day, players...

Overwatch Players Are Selling Out The Cause For Lootboxes

Blizzard’s Overwatch soft reboot introduces a faction‑based seasonal mode where players align with either the heroic Overwatch organization or the villainous Talon. Progression in the mode rewards participants with lootboxes and a faction‑dependent Echo skin, incentivizing repeated play. Early data...

Crisol: Theater of Idols Is A Tremendously Spanish Affair, and A Halfway Decent Survival Horror Game

Crisol: Theater of Idols, developed by Madrid’s Vermila Studios, blends survival‑horror mechanics with a distinctly Spanish aesthetic rooted in folklore and telenovela drama. The game follows soldier Gabriel on the rain‑soaked island of Tormentosa, where he wields blood‑infused weapons against...

Highguard In Trouble After Most Of The Studio Laid Off Just Weeks After Launch [Update]

Wildlight Entertainment, the studio behind the newly released not‑hero shooter Highguard, announced layoffs affecting most of its staff just weeks after the game's January 26 launch. The title received a lukewarm response and struggled with concurrent player numbers, prompting the...

It’s Becoming Impossible To Buy A Steam Deck

Valve’s handheld PC, the Steam Deck, is completely sold out on the company’s official store, including both 512 GB and 1 TB OLED models. The older LCD version has been discontinued, confirming that no further units will be produced. Analysts link the...

New Steam Hit Mewgenics Took Seven Years To Make And Only Three Hours To Pay It All Back

Mewgenics surged to the top of Steam within a day, logging over 67,000 concurrent players and recouping its development budget in just three hours. The indie roguelike, a seven‑year project co‑developed by Edmund McMillen and Tyler Glaiel, demonstrates how rapid...

Resident Evil Requiem Fans Freaking Out After Mass Cancellation Emails From Amazon

Capcom’s upcoming *Resident Evil Requiem* Deluxe Steelbook pre‑orders were abruptly canceled by Amazon after the retailer oversold inventory. Amazon emailed refunds, citing supplier shortages, while a newly created Amazon Exclusive edition promises the same physical goodies but won’t ship until...

Overwatch Is Roaring Back On Steam After Massive Season 1 Patch

Blizzard’s Overwatch received a major Season 1 overhaul, adding five new heroes and stripping the “2” from its title. The update sparked a resurgence, pushing the game to a record 165,000 concurrent players on Steam. Enhanced weekly story drops and in‑game...