Gaming News

As we celebrate the Xbox 360's 20th anniversary this week, I've been going back to one of its launch titles in the form of Perfect Dark Zero to see how it holds up and whether its mixed reaction over the years has been justified. My personal history with Perfect Dark is a little muddled - the first memory I have of the N64 version is watching my friends play it and enthuse about how it was "like GoldenEye, but better". I obviously ended up playing the Xbox Live Arcade version years later and enj

It's a very interesting time for Japanese RPGs — and not just because Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has sparked all sorts of arguments amongst genre enthusiasts. Indeed, it feels like we've been hitting some serious highs with JRPGs of late, with critically acclaimed titles like Metaphor: ReFantazio and Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter making big waves recently. It goes without saying that Metaphor developer Atlus remains at the forefront of this modern JRPG push — and that makes director Katsura Has

Pikmin 4 received a free update in November adding new content, but it wasn't a Switch 2 upgrade and didn't include any enhancements for the game on the new hybrid platform. With this in mind, the same Switch title has now reportedly popped up in a section on the eShop, which focuses on first-party Nintendo "games with free updates" and also notes how select titles are enhanced when played on the Switch 2. This discovery was originally shared on the Pikmin subreddit (via My Nintendo News) and ha

Remember Nintendo's short film, Close to You? The adorable baby animation with which the company kept us on tenterhooks for three days straight as it drip-fed us information about its context? Well, it looks like it'll be cropping up again, this time in an upcoming Pikmin Bloom event. As of tomorrow (27th November), anyone logging into Pikmin Bloom will receive a Gold Seedling, which promises a special Decor Pikmin inside. And this isn't any old Decor Pikmin either, oh no, this is a Seedling tha

Sony has confirmed that PlayStation will stop making physical game discs altogether, closing out an era that has defined console gaming for three decades. The Announcement The news came via a PlayStation Blog post, where the company said physical disc production for new PlayStation games will be discontinued starting in January 2028. After that date, new titles will only be available digitally — through the PlayStation Store or as download codes sold at retail. Sony framed the move as a response

Sony and Bad Robot Games have today announced an agreement for PlayStation to publish the team's next title on PS5 and PC. With Left 4 Dead creator Mike Booth at the helm, the project will be a four-player co-op shooter. With more details from PlayStation and the developer to come, CEO at Bad Robot Games, Anna Sweet, said the team is creating a new universe and partnering with PlayStation allows it to bring it to life. "With the support of PlayStation, we hope to deliver a bold, innovative exper

After eight months of development, Pokemon White 2 ROM hack Blinding White 2 has been released. Going beyond what we usually see from fifth generation hacks, Blinding White 2 revamps the game with modern Pokemon, new item systems, a number of new rival fights, and a whole heap of quality of life updates. Trainers around the region will now sport much more varied teams to keep you on your toes, with a Hardcore mode available for people who really want to challenge themselves. Though there are st

The Pokémon Company has revealed yet another new Mega 'mon arriving in the Pokémon Legends: Z-A Mega Dimension DLC, but more than that, it has revealed a whole new type of Mega Evolution. Mega Lucario Z is the latest Fighting- and Steel-type Mega Evolution to join the line-up, boasting a swanky blue and yellow look as well as some particularly fetching fringe work. This marks the debut appearance of Z Mega Evolution — a new take on the mechanic that sees Pokémon able to fire off their moves quic

With three weeks to go until the Mega Dimension DLC drops, Pokémon Legends: Z-A has unveiled its next brand new Mega Evolution, and this time it's a Mythical Pokémon getting an upgrade. Zeraora was first introduced in Pokémon Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon, way back in Gen VII, and its Mega form makes a few subtle changes to its original design. Its mostly-yellow fur has turned black, and there's now a lot more blue on its knees, head, and chest. its blue tuft on its head has turned to something res

As a part of today's Mega Dimension DLC news, The Pokémon Company revealed Legends: Z-A's next Mystery Gift Code event, and it's not one to be missed. The event is live in-game right now. All that you need to do is head to the 'Mystery Gift' menu and select 'Receive via Internet' to get involved. Right off the bat, you'll be rewarded with special Mewtwonite X & Y Mega Stones, and you'll also unlock the new 'Project M' side mission, which sets you on the path to catch — you guessed it — Mewtw

Update [Sun 23rd Nov 2025, 10am]: Ahead of the December Update for Pokémon Unite, additional details have been shared about License Points and the Aeos Coins Exchange. Here's the rundown via the Pokémon website: Pokémon Unite - December Update Please see the details below regarding exchanging previously earned Aeos coins for license points. Exchange Rate 10 Aeos coins → 1 license point Points Required to Obtain a License In License Journeys, the number of license points required to obtain a Pok

In what can only be described as a misguided quest for internet clout, police were recently called to the Rockstar North headquarters in Edinburgh, Scotland, after a group of YouTubers attempted to infiltrate the building in search of Grand Theft Auto VI secrets. A Clumsy Attempt at Corporate Espionage According to a report from RockstarINTEL, a German YouTube collective explicitly targeted the Edinburgh studio, which serves as the lead development hub for Rockstar's flagship titles, including t

As the highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto VI edges closer to its release, Rockstar Games finds itself embroiled in a growing controversy involving allegations of union-busting and a lack of cooperation in related legal proceedings. Scottish Labour MPs have publicly criticized the company for what they describe as obstructive behavior toward former employees and union representatives. Background: The Firings and Union Dispute The issue stems from events in late 2025, when Rockstar Games dismisse

In a striking twist of digital irony, players who sought an unfair advantage in Grand Theft Auto Online are now finding themselves on the losing end. "Atlas Menu," a prominent and paid mod menu used for cheating in the popular multiplayer game, has suffered a massive data breach, exposing the sensitive personal information of thousands of its users to the public. A Breach of "Trust" Among Cheaters Atlas Menu built its reputation as a premium cheat service, heavily favored by exploiters for its a

Bar a few exceptions, the days of opening your boxed copy of a new game and eagerly flipping through the instruction booklet are behind us. But it looks like Nintendo isn't ready to give up on the nostalgia just yet, as it has released a printable 'databook' for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, that just makes our hearts sing (thanks for the heads up, @ninpatentswatch). The booklet is only available on the Japanese Nintendo website at the time of writing — with all of the text in Japanese, natch — but i

With awards season just a few weeks away, Sony's official PlayStation Blog has opened all of its Game of the Year 2025 deliberations to the public, allowing PS5, PS4 fans to vote for their favourite titles released this year. Voting across 19 categories is live now until midnight on Tuesday, 9th December, giving you a full week to consider your picks and then submit them. You can do so through the link, with the following categories available: Best New Character Best Story Best Graphical Showc

Update [Thu 4th Dec 2025, 6am]: We assumed when new footage of The God Slayer debuted earlier today that it was no longer part of Sony’s China Hero Project programme. That’s primarily because the game was also announced for the Xbox Series X|S, which is unusual, as China Hero Project titles typically deploy as timed console exclusives. Recent examples include Lost Soul Aside, for instance, which launched on PS5 and PC only, of course. But dev Pathea Games reached out to us to confirm The God Sla

In the absence of Dino Crisis, TeamKill Media's upcoming shooter Code Violet looks set to fill the void. The PS5 exclusive sci-fi action horror title has been on the radar all year, and was expected to launch back in November. Unfortunately, it hasn't hit its launch plans, and has been delayed to 10th January 2026. However, with this delay comes some good news: Code Violet has now gone gold, meaning the game is effectively finished, and the remaining time will presumably be spent squashing last-

You may have forgotten about MIO: Memories in Orbit, a Metroidvania action platformer announced earlier this year. Well, publisher Focus Entertainment has finally announced a release date; it comes to PS5 very soon, on 20th January 2026. MIO is the name of the little robot you play as. They've lost their memories, and you'll have to navigate a vast, maze-like spaceship in order to solve its mysteries. It looks to contain your typical Metroidvania fare, with a mix of combat and traversal as you s

If you enjoyed building simple (or complex) vehicles to solve puzzles in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, then you’ll absolutely love what PS5 open world Where Winds Meet is cooking. The game, which launched globally last month, is getting a massive update in China which will see it incorporate mechanics where you can build simple cars, boats, and aircrafts. It works similarly to Nintendo’s flagship franchise, where you combine components to construct your makeshift machines. For examp

An interesting datapoint from Circana analyst Mat Piscatella reveals the PS5 was outsold by an unexpected US-based rival in the run up to Black Friday last week. While the Switch 2 being top-selling hardware SKU for the week ending 22nd November won’t come as a massive surprise, the NEX Playground Interactive Gaming System coming second is a bit of a shock. If you’ve never heard of this product, it’s effectively a standalone reimagining of the Kinect – or the EyeToy, if you remember the classic

PS5 console sales in Japan have skyrocketed in the past week, as the new model designed specifically for the country enters the market. Accounting for around two to three days' worth of sales, there were exactly 23,381 purchases of the PS5 Digital Edition in Japan through until 23rd November. In comparison, PS5 sales the week before slumped to just 5,855. This means that the Japan-specific PS5 model, which has launched at a lower price and is essentially region-locked to Japan, has resulted in r

If even one of the biggest games in the world, with all the money it generates on a daily basis, is now embracing AI tools for art production, how much hope is there left? Following the end of the Zero Hour live event this weekend and the beginning of Season 7, Fortnite players have started pointing out parts of the map and in-game items that look suspiciously AI-generated. The game's main Reddit page (via Eurogamer) has now been taken over by posts debating the suspected images and items, with

When Irem & City Connection announced that they were working on a port of R-Type Delta HD Boosted for modern consoles and PCs earlier this year, there was a lot of excitement online. And it's pretty easy to understand why. The original game is frequently listed online for hundreds of pounds on the secondhand market, making this new version a potentially cheaper alternative for those who want to get their hands on the PS1 game, without breaking the bank. Reviews for the game dropped on Thursd

Red Dead Online players, it is time to dust off your metal detectors and shine your shovels. The February 2026 monthly event has arrived, and it is squarely focused on the Collector role. Running from February 3rd through March 2nd, this month offers a treasure trove of bonuses, returning clothing, and discounts designed to help you complete your collections and your wardrobe. Whether you are a seasoned collector or looking to pick up the bag for the first time, here is everything you need to kn