Gaming

Oli Sykes & Courtney LaPlante To Collaborate On 2026 VALORANT Champions Tour Anthem

• Oli Sykes and Courtney LaPlante lead the 2026 VCT anthem.
• ‘If The Sun Burns Out Tonight’ arrives this autumn.
• Grabbitz returns as writer and producer.

Bring Me The Horizon’s Oli Sykes and Spiritbox’s Courtney LaPlante will perform on the 2026 VALORANT Champions Tour anthem, ‘If The Sun Burns Out Tonight’. The collaboration links prominent artists from heavy music with Riot Games’ competitive VALORANT scene, continuing the game’s use of original music to support…

Save 15% on Nintendo eShop Gift Cards at Amazon Today

Amazon has brought back its 15% discount on Nintendo eShop digital gift cards for Prime members for a limited time only.

Elden Ring does this better than anyone else

• Elden Ring uses clothing to deepen storytelling.
• Cloth design conveys character and atmosphere.
• Polygon examines FromSoftware’s visual detail.

The article argues that FromSoftware, particularly in Elden Ring, uses clothing exceptionally effectively as a storytelling tool. It highlights how garments’ shapes, textures and movement convey character, mood and world-building within the studio’s sombre fantasy settings. Presented by Polygon’s Patrick, the video examines the close attention paid to…

F-Zero 99 Receives Ver. 1.7.2 Update, But The Patch Notes Keep Its Changes A Mystery

• F-Zero 99 has received version 1.7.2.
• Nintendo has not detailed the fixes.
• The update confirms continued support.

Nintendo has released version 1.7.2 of F-Zero 99 for Switch, continuing support for its battle royale racing game. However, the official Japanese patch notes only state that several issues were fixed to improve the playing experience, leaving the specific changes undisclosed. The update became available on 13 August…

Why horses are so hard for video games to get right

• Horses are technically difficult to animate convincingly in games.
• Many games reduce horses to simple transport.
• Better horse design can enrich gameplay and world-building.

Horses are unusually difficult to portray convincingly in video games because of their large bodies, complex joints and varied ways of moving. The article argues that this technical challenge often leads developers to treat horses merely as transport, but games gain significantly when horses are made distinctive and…

PC Gamer magazine’s new issue is on sale now: Onimusha: Way of the Sword, with a huge A1 poster and Top 100 games mini-mag

• New PC Gamer issue spotlights Onimusha: Way of the Sword.
• It includes an A1 poster.
• A Top 100 games mini-mag is also included.

PC Gamer has released a new magazine issue featuring Onimusha: Way of the Sword on its cover, alongside an A1 poster and a separate mini-magazine ranking the publication’s Top 100 games. The issue is intended to give readers both coverage of Capcom’s forthcoming action game and a substantial…

“The most offensive thing we see every time we boot up the game” Halo co-creator takes shots Campaign Evolved art direction

• Marcus Lehto criticised Halo: Campaign Evolved’s Forerunner art direction.
• He said the new Halo ring looks overly shiny and toy-like.
• The criticism follows player concerns after the game’s release.

Halo co-creator Marcus Lehto has criticised the art direction of Halo: Campaign Evolved, particularly its depiction of ancient Forerunner technology and the Halo ring shown on the main menu. His comments matter because he helped establish the series’ original visual identity, and they add to wider player concerns…

Twitch is training AI on livestreams, says it’s an opt out feature as “nobody would opt in”

• Twitch will train AI on livestreams unless creators opt out.
• Streamers object to the default-on approach.
• Twitch says opt-in participation would be too low.

Twitch has announced plans to train generative AI models using livestreams on its platform, with the setting enabled by default and creators required to opt out. The decision has prompted strong opposition from streamers, who argue that training should require explicit permission; it matters because it raises concerns…

It Looks Like Bethesda Hid the True Name of The Elder Scrolls 6 in Starfield Years Ago

As fans continue to suggest potential subtitles for The Elder Scrolls 6 based on the number of asterisks in Xbox boss Asha Sharma’s tweet, a theory that Bethesda hid the actual name in Starfield years ago has emerged — and it’s pretty compelling.

I hate dogs (in Elden Ring)

• Elden Ring’s dogs are examined as unusually frustrating enemies.
• Small mistakes can quickly cost players their runes.
• The presenter fights them unarmed to understand why.

Polygon’s video examines why dog-type enemies in Elden Ring can feel disproportionately frustrating, even for experienced players. The presenter argues that small errors against them can quickly lead to defeat and the loss of accumulated runes, making these encounters especially punishing. To investigate, the presenter fights the game’s…