Gaming

9 Best Noir Video Games of All Time

• Noir has inspired acclaimed games across several genres.
• ‘Killer7’ is praised as a cult surrealist noir.
• ‘L.A. Noire’ brought classic detective noir to gaming.

Collider ranks nine video games that use noir themes, from direct detective stories to more surreal or comic interpretations. The article argues that noir’s moral ambiguity, cinematic atmosphere and intricate plotting have translated effectively across genres including action, adventure and role-playing games. - ‘Killer7’ (2005) is ranked ninth…

CD Projekt cuts more than 20% of The Witcher spinoff development team ‘to reflect the project’s needs at this stage of development’

• CD Projekt cut over 20% of the Witcher spin-off team.
• The studio cited the project’s current development needs.
• Exact job losses and affected work were not disclosed.

CD Projekt has reduced the development team working on its Witcher spin-off by more than a fifth, saying the change reflects the project’s needs at its current stage. The move matters because it is another sign of restructuring at the studio as it concentrates resources across its major…

Helldivers 2 NPCs Will Hug You Back Now, Even When No One Else Will

Helldivers 2's massive 7.0 update, Devoid of Liberty, is live now, and it brings some huge changes to the game's loveable SEAF soldiers. These NPCs are basically the equivalent of UNSC marines in Halo--fun to have around, but not particularly good at their job. Previously in Helldivers 2,…

Amazon has just ghosted its MMOs in its latest move to give up on gaming

• Amazon is exiting MMO publishing.
• Lost Ark moves to Smilegate in 2027.
• New World closes in January 2027.

Amazon Game Studios is withdrawing from the MMO publishing business, ending its involvement with Throne and Liberty and Lost Ark while preparing to close New World: Aeternum. The move further reduces Amazon’s direct role in games after a mixed record in developing and publishing major online titles. Amazon…

Elder Scrolls fans think they’ve figured out where the next game is set by deciphering Asha Sharma’s cryptic tweet

• Fans speculate The Elder Scrolls VI may be subtitled “Starfall”.
• The theory points towards High Rock as the setting.
• Bethesda has not confirmed any title or location.

Fans believe an eight-asterisk reference in a tweet attributed to Xbox chief Asha Sharma may hint that The Elder Scrolls VI is called “Starfall”. If accurate, it would strengthen long-running speculation that the game is set in High Rock, although neither Bethesda nor Xbox has confirmed the title…

Gears of War: E-Day-Themed Xbox Controller Is Up for Preorder

Microsoft is releasing a new limited-edition controller decked out with Gears of War: E-Day imagery to coincide with the game's release.

Is ‘The End of Oak Street’ a Cloverfield Spin-Off? A Spoiler Free Guide

• The End of Oak Street is not a Cloverfield film.
• Abrams directly dismissed the fan theory.
• The story involves dinosaurs and prehistoric time travel.

The article confirms that The End of Oak Street is not a Cloverfield spin-off, despite fan speculation prompted by J.J. Abrams and Bad Robot’s involvement. The comparison matters because Abrams previously adapted unrelated scripts into Cloverfield films, making the dinosaur-and-time-travel story seem potentially compatible with that franchise’s parallel-universe…

The 13 Most Influential Games of All Time

• Polygon highlights games that reshaped genres and game design.
• Pac-Man showed games could become major cultural icons.
• Rogue, Zork and Wizardry established lasting genre conventions.

Polygon identifies 13 games that it argues permanently changed video games, often by creating or defining genres, mechanics and cultural expectations that later developers adopted. The list treats influence as broader than sales or prestige: some titles changed popular culture, while others established design ideas that became standard…

Christopher Judge Slams God of War TV Series Showrunners For Not Hiring Writers of the Games

• Judge criticises God of War’s reported lack of game writers.
• Production paused after actor Ryan Hurst suffered a stunt injury.
• Dave Bautista is reportedly in talks to replace Hurst.

Christopher Judge, who voices Kratos in the recent God of War games, has criticised the television adaptation’s apparent failure to employ writers from the games. Speaking at FanExpo, he argued that adaptations should involve the original cast and creative teams, particularly when they closely recreate established stories, and…

Twitch now ‘lets you opt out’ of training Amazon’s generative AI, which is automatically on by default

• Twitch content can train Amazon AI unless streamers opt out.
• Critics object to the default opt-in approach.
• The setting is found under Security and Privacy.

Twitch has introduced a setting allowing streamers to prevent their channel content being used to train Amazon’s generative AI models, but the setting is enabled by default. The change has prompted criticism because users must actively opt out, raising concerns about consent and the use of creators’ work.…