The Studio Behind Last Year’s Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 Remasters Hit With More Mass Layoffs As It...
Iron Galaxy, the Chicago studio known for high‑profile ports, announced a second wave of layoffs that could affect up to 90 employees. The cuts follow the positive‑reviewed release of the *Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4* remaster, but come after a prior reduction of 66 staff in early 2025. Management described the downsizing as a response to permanent market changes in the video‑game industry. Overall workforce cuts now exceed 150 employees since 2024.
Arc Raiders Hits A ‘Dead Game’ Spiral Other Live Shooters Would Kill For
Arc Raiders, the surprise hit extraction shooter of 2025, has seen its Steam concurrent player count plunge from a peak of 466,000 in January to just 90,000 today, an 80% drop. Analysts cite a weak season, persistent cheating, and a...
Goddammit, He’s Alive LMAO
Paramount unveiled a first look at Sonic the Hedgehog 4 at CinemaCon in Las Vegas, showing a teaser that mixes footage from the previous three films with new scenes. The trailer confirms Jim Carrey’s Dr. Robotnik is alive, exiting a spaceship and...
It Blows My Mind That The Division Used To Look Like A World Of Warcraft-Style MMORPG
Ubisoft’s Massive Entertainment revealed that *The Division* began as a World of Warcraft‑style MMORPG, complete with hotbars, cartoonish visuals, and even a dog companion. A new “Devs Playing” video shows developers discussing the original MMO design before the project pivoted...
Northernlion Cancels Streamer Supercruise Just Three Days After Announcing It, Surprising No One But Disappointing Everyone
Twitch personality Ryan "Northernlion" Letourneau announced a five‑day streamer cruise on a Royal Caribbean ship departing Tampa, but canceled the event just 72 hours later. The Supercruise, which would have featured fellow creators Dan Gheesling, Squeex and LovelyMomo, faced mounting...
Wizards Of The Coast’s New Critical Role-Style Show Is A Mini Baldur’s Gate 3 Reunion
Wizards of the Coast is debuting an actual‑play series called *Dungeon Masters* on April 22, 2026, with episodes airing weekly on Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m. ET. The five‑person cast features Baldur’s Gate 3 voice talent Neil Newbon and Devora Wilde, alongside veteran DM Jasmine Bhullar,...
Chinese Esports Host Accused Of Blackface Following On-Stream Stunt
Chinese esports commentator Zha Zha appeared on the 2026 NBPL Spring Tournament stream painted entirely in black, echoing a popular in‑game stealth skin used by top *Naraka: Bladepoint* players. The stunt was intended as a tactical reference, not a response to...
Epic’s Head Of HR Is Out Less Than A Month After 1,000+ Layoffs
Epic Games announced that chief people officer Monika Fahlbusch will leave the company, with her last day on April 15, less than a month after the firm cut more than 1,000 jobs. The departure comes amid a second wave of...
The Week In Games: Pixel-Art Dwarves And The Ghost Of Skull & Bones
Kotaku’s weekly roundup highlights two indie titles that are generating buzz in April 2026. *Regions of Ruin: Runegate* returns as a pixel‑art fantasy RPG sequel, offering upgraded graphics but receiving mixed early Steam feedback. *Windrose* launched in early access and...
PC Gaming Tinkerer Throws Down The Gauntlet With $950 DIY Steam Machine
YouTuber Zac Builds unveiled a DIY Steam Machine priced at $950, featuring a Ryzen 5 5600X, Radeon RX 9060 XT, 16 GB RAM and a 2 TB SSD. The system can deliver 4K gaming at 60 fps in titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and Spider‑Man 2 using FSR upscaling, positioning it...
Nvidia Says Pragmata Looks ‘Improved’ With Path Tracing, And It Most Certainly Doesn’t
Nvidia claimed that enabling RTX path tracing in Capcom’s upcoming sci‑fi shooter Pragmata improves visual fidelity, showcasing side‑by‑side comparisons that emphasize more accurate shadows and reflections. Independent reviewers, however, say the RTX version looks washed out, with reduced depth and...
Capcom’s Killing It Right Now
Capcom has entered a period of critical and commercial resurgence in 2026, highlighted by strong early reviews for Pragmata and Resident Evil Requiem. After a decade of missteps—including the poorly received Resident Evil 6 and Street Fighter V—the company has revitalized its...
Marathon’s Biggest Update Yet Tries To Make It Less Mean
Bungie rolled out Marathon update 1.0.5.2, introducing the CyberAcme Runner Reinforcement Initiative and a Mercy Kit that reward cross‑crew cooperation and allow reviving strangers. The Beginner map is now solo‑only until level 12, while solo players receive extra XP and faction...
GameStop Is Taking Pokémon Card Gambling To The Masses
GameStop announced that its Power Packs digital trading‑card platform will open to the U.S. public on April 15, 2026. The service lets users purchase virtual packs ranging from a $25 Starter tier to a $2,500 Lunar tier, each offering a spin on...
Nintendo Developers Obsessed Over Getting Farting Right In Tomodachi Life
Nintendo’s upcoming Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream has been in development for nearly a decade, with six to seven years dedicated to expanding Mii customization. The team famously debated whether Miis should be able to fart, iterating on sound and...
Hackers Reveal Rockstar Earns Over $1 Million A Day From GTA Online
Hackers from ShinyHunters leaked internal Rockstar data showing GTA Online pulling roughly $1.3 million per day, about $10 million a week, over the past six months. Weekly revenue averages $9.6 million, with peaks near $28 million, while Red Dead Online trails at about $0.5 million...
Overwatch’s Next Season Looks Dope Except For One Thing I Have To Yell About
Blizzard Entertainment is rolling out Overwatch Season 2 on April 14, introducing the 51st hero, Sierra, a drone‑based damage character, alongside map reworks, new skins, and a Diablo crossover. The update also restores post‑match accolades and adds a voice‑chat lobby, aiming to...
Dosa Divas: The Kotaku Review
Outerloop Games' latest title, Dosa Divas, is a turn‑based RPG that mixes elemental combat with cooking mechanics. The game’s vibrant art, strong writing about family and corporate food culture, and solid battle system earn praise, but its cooking minigames feel...
Xbox Tries To Shut Down Rumors Of A GTA 6-Fueled Fable Delay
Xbox publicly dismissed speculation that its flagship RPG Fable will be pushed to 2027, confirming an autumn 2026 release window. The rumor stemmed from concerns that a late‑2026 launch could clash with Rockstar’s highly anticipated GTA 6 in November, potentially cannibalizing sales....
Ex-Naughty Dog Dev Says The Last Of Us Studio Believed Crunch Was Necessary For Games At Its ‘Level’
Former Naughty Dog senior designer Benson Russell revealed that the studio still treats crunch as essential for delivering games at its acclaimed standard. The practice persists while the team develops the PS5 sci‑fi title Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, even after public...
Failed MMO Ashes Of Creation‘s $3.2 Million In Kickstarter Funds Allegedly Spent On Private Chefs And Trading Cards
Intrepid Studios raised $3.2 million on Kickstarter for the MMO Ashes of Creation, but a detailed ledger analysis by YouTube channel NefasQS alleges that former CEO Steven Sharif and his husband John Moore misused those funds for personal luxuries. The report lists payments...
The Dragon Age: Inquisition Servers Are Finally Going Offline Over A Decade Later
Electronic Arts announced that the PlayStation 3 servers for Dragon Age: Inquisition will be shut down on April 28, 2026, ending multiplayer support after twelve years. The 2014 title was Bioware’s first foray into co‑op gameplay and has outlasted the studio’s later live‑service...
![Rockstar Games Hacked, Team Behind It Threaten A Massive Data Leak If Not Paid Ransom [Update]](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://kotaku.com/app/uploads/2026/04/gta5hack-1200x675.jpg)
Rockstar Games Hacked, Team Behind It Threaten A Massive Data Leak If Not Paid Ransom [Update]
Rockstar Games confirmed a breach after ShinyHunters claimed access to its Snowflake cloud data via a compromised Anodot monitoring service. The hackers demanded a ransom payable by April 14, 2026 and threatened to leak corporate documents such as contracts and financial plans....
Ex-Bethesda Exec Says The Elder Scrolls 6 Maker Isn’t Part Of Something ‘Genuine’ Or ‘Authentic’ At Microsoft
Former Bethesda communications chief Pete Hines says Microsoft’s ownership has made the studio feel inauthentic and stripped him of the authority to safeguard its culture. He retired after feeling powerless to run Bethesda post‑acquisition, citing forced Xbox exclusivity and a...
YouTuber Who Lost Lawsuit To Donkey Kong High Score Contender Billy Mitchell Is Now Suing Him For ‘Emotional Distress’
Veteran high‑score investigator Karl Jobst has filed a civil lawsuit in the Southern District of Florida against former Donkey Kong record‑holder Billy Mitchell, alleging unauthorized use of his name, defamation, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Jobst, representing himself pro se, cites Mitchell’s X...
Trump And The FAA Targeting Gamers To Help Solve Air Traffic Controller Shortage
President Trump, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, and the FAA have launched a recruitment campaign aimed at gamers to address a 25 percent drop in air traffic controllers since 1981 while flight volume has tripled. The initiative features a video ad with...
Pokémon Champions May Have The Hardest Shiny Hunting In The Series
Pokémon Champions introduces a daily recruitment system where shiny Pokémon can appear, but the odds remain the base 1‑in‑4096 and there are no tools to boost them. Players can preview recruits for free or spend in‑game currency to lock them...
Phantom Blade Zero Dev Comes Out Against AI Slopface That Could ‘Alter Our Artists’ Original Creative Intent’ After DLSS 5...
Chinese developer S‑Game Studio announced that Phantom Blade Zero will not use AI visual technology that could compromise artistic intent, distancing itself from Nvidia's DLSS 5 controversy. The studio stressed that every asset—from 3D‑scanned characters to blacksmith‑crafted weapons—was created by human...
Pokémon Champions’ First Tournament Confirmed Everyone’s Worst Fear
Pokémon Champions held its inaugural tournament on launch day, April 8, drawing over 500 players and a $500 prize pool. Incineroar dominated the field, appearing on 53.76% of teams and securing the top usage spot, while Sneasler posted a higher win...
YouTube Is Raising The Price Of Avoiding Its Obnoxious Ads
YouTube is set to increase its subscription fees across the board, with the Light plan moving from $8 to $9 per month, Premium from $14 to $16, and the family tier jumping from $23 to $27. The hikes arrive as...
Heated Arc Raiders Lobby Moment Goes Viral As Players Debate The Appeal Of PvP
A clip of a PvE player threatening a PvP opponent in Arc Raiders has gone viral on X, sparking debate over why gamers purchase PvPvE titles yet avoid player‑vs‑player combat. The exchange, posted by Arc Raiders Informer, raised questions about...
Dev Behind Busted GTA IV-Like Steam Release Puts Out Apology Letter
Open‑world action title Samson launched on Steam on April 8, 2026 to mixed reviews marred by game‑breaking bugs, performance drops, and broken animations. Creative director Christofer Sundberg, a co‑founder and former Just Cause developer, posted an apology letter acknowledging the "unacceptable" state...
The Week In Games: Pokémon Champions And Starfield’s Second Chance
Kotaku’s weekly roundup highlights Bethesda’s Starfield debut on PlayStation 5, accompanied by a free cross‑platform update and the new Terran Armada expansion that adds a robot‑army faction. Nintendo launches Pokémon Champions, a free‑to‑play hub consolidating online battling across Switch and Switch 2....
Marathon’s Top Players Are Begging Bungie To Do More About Cheaters
Marathon, Bungie’s extraction shooter, is confronting a surge of cheating complaints from its most dedicated players, especially in ranked matches and the end‑game Cryo Archive map. Streamers such as AlbralelieVT and GJake have reported wall‑hacks, pre‑fire, and stream‑sniping that undermine...
New PS5 Dashboard Update Leaks And Damn, Sony, That Looks Good
Sony's PlayStation 5 beta program has revealed a revamped dashboard that relocates the PSN Store, media hub, and PlayStation Plus management to a new top row. Users can switch between these sections using the R1 and L1 shoulder buttons, streamlining navigation. The...
AionGuard Was Supposed To Be The Crimson Desert Of 15 Years Ago, But Was Canceled In A Text
Avalanche Studios’ ambitious open‑world fantasy AionGuard was cancelled in 2009 after a publisher abruptly ended the partnership via a text message. The game, slated for PS3, Xbox 360, and PS3, promised mechanics similar to what later appeared in Crimson Desert. Co‑founder Christofer...
The Coolest Part Of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Had Nothing To Do With Mario
The Super Mario Galaxy movie features an unexpected cameo by Fox McCloud, the Star Fox pilot, in a striking 2D anime‑style sequence. The brief segment, crafted by supervising animator Benjamin Faure, showcases Fox recounting his interdimensional backstory to Peach and Toad. Critics praised...
GameStop Thought Buying Games Online Was A ‘Passing Phase,’ Says Former Business Developer
Former Stardock business developer Larry Kuperman revealed that GameStop viewed digital game distribution as a temporary trend, leading the retailer to acquire the Impulse platform in 2011 but treat it as a low priority. Impulse was shuttered by April 2014,...
Only Cowards Complain About The Knife Being OP In Marathon
Marathon’s free knife, boosted by melee upgrades, can kill in two hits, sparking claims it’s overpowered. Game director Joseph Ziegler announced upcoming patch tweaks within the next two weeks to address weapon scaling. The community is divided, with some defending...
Look, I’m Not A Furry, But When I See Fox McCloud, I Get It
The Super Mario Galaxy movie reintroduces Fox McCloud, the iconic space‑faring fox from Nintendo’s Star Fox series, as a cameo that instantly caught viewers' attention. Writer Kenneth Shepard notes the character’s swagger and “girls‑want‑him, guys‑want‑to‑be‑him” vibe, positioning him as a cool counterpoint...
Raven Software Cofounder Retires After 36 Years, Reminding People Of All The Cool Stuff It Used To Make Before Call...
Brian Raffel, co‑founder of Raven Software, announced his retirement after a 36‑year career that began with the 1990 title Black Crypt. The studio, once celebrated for classic fantasy shooters like Heretic and Hexen as well as licensed hits such as X‑Men...
Super Mario Bros. Speedrunner Claims He’s Being Sabotaged
Speedrunner Niftski, the second‑fastest to finish Super Mario Bros., claims the Speedrun.com moderation team conspired with current world‑record holder averge11 to ban his input‑swapping technique. After an 8‑to‑1 vote in October allowed input swapping, the board reversed course in February...
Always-Online RTS Has To Quickly Patch In Offline Mode After Server Provider Ditches Them For AI
Stormgate, the free‑to‑play RTS from Frost Giant, lost its online multiplayer host after server provider Hathora was bought by an AI company. Because the title is always‑online, the loss threatens to make the game unplayable by the end of April....
Marvel Rivals Is Not Where I Expected To See A Reference To The ‘No Kings’ Anti-Trump Rallies
Marvel Rivals, NetEase’s hero shooter, introduced a new Lower Manhattan map featuring a poster that reads “No Kingpin,” a clear nod to the “No Kings” anti‑Trump protests. The protests, which have drawn up to 8 million participants, represent the largest single‑day...
A Tease For A Nier Cosmic Horror Project On April Fools’ Day Is Making Fans Lose It
On April 1, the official Japanese Nier social‑media account posted a tongue‑in‑cheek teaser for a "Cosmic Horror" entry in the franchise, featuring a bizarre robotic creature and a sketch of Emil. The video offered no concrete details, prompting a wave of...
YouTuber Constructs Dedicated Warehouse To Preserve PC Gaming’s Coolest Oddities
YouTuber Lazy Game Reviewer (Clint Basinger) has converted a 1,800‑sq‑ft insulated concrete building into a dedicated warehouse to house his extensive PC‑gaming oddities after Hurricane Helene damaged his home. The new facility replaces $900‑a‑month storage rentals and protects the collection,...
Players Keep Finding Veronica Easter Eggs In Resident Evil Requiem
Players of Resident Evil Requiem have uncovered several Easter eggs that hint at a possible Code: Veronica remake, including a wine bottle labeled "Avernico" and toy blocks spelling out game titles. A hotel registry entry lists a Veronica Galibardi, though...
Is An Epstein Version Of Five Nights At Freddy’s Really Going Viral? The Data Tells A More Complex Story
Recent reports have labeled the browser game *Five Nights at Epstein’s* as a nationwide classroom phenomenon, but traffic data tells a more modest story. SimilarWeb recorded roughly 190,000 visits in February, with only about 103,000 originating from the United States—equating...
7 Things We’d Love To See A Zelda: Ocarina Of Time Remake Borrow From Breath Of The Wild
A full‑scale remake of *The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time* is slated for a summer 2026 launch on the upcoming Switch 2, sparking intense fan speculation. The article outlines seven enhancements borrowed from *Breath of the Wild* and *Tears of...
Game Pass Just Got One Of 2025’s Best GOTY Runner-Ups
Absolum, the 2025 fantasy brawler that earned runner‑up Game of the Year honors, arrived on Xbox Game Pass on March 25, 2026. The title, originally priced at $25, is now available at no extra cost across Ultimate, Premium, and PC...