Nintendo might be sitting on a Metroid Prime Trilogy remaster for the Switch and waiting for its release. The three-game compilation was first developed for the Wii in 2009, and rumors that the company might bring Metroid Prime Trilogy to the Switch have circulated since 2019. Metroid Prime Trilogy features three Metroid titles compiled onto a single disk - Metroid Prime, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, and Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. The first two installments were originally GameCube games while the third was a Wii game, so Metroid Prime Trilogy developers redesigned the first two iterations to feature the Wii remote control scheme introduced in Corruption. The final result was a critical success, in large part due to the game's motion mechanics. But the years-long delay of Metroid Prime 4, among other factors, might be keeping a Switch port for Metroid Prime Trilogy off shelves. According to Video Games Chronicle, gaming journalist Jeff Grubb claimed Metroid Prime Trilogy for Switch is finished - but Nintendo is deliberately holding off on its announcement and release. He went on to explain that the company is withholding the game and further information from the public due to a few key factors, with the biggest being the restrictions in Nintendo's quality assurance testing resources brought on by the pandemic. He said, "I think Nintendo was focusing its quality assurance resources on one or two big projects at a time, and that meant that some games that were basically finished were sitting on the side." Grubb also theorized that Metroid Prime Trilogy would likely accompany the arrival of Metroid Prime 4 as a marketing tactic, but it is unclear when Metroid Prime 4 will be released after Nintendo scrapped its progress and restarted its development in 2019. As recently as this past May, though, former Metroid developer Michael Wikan took to Facebook to explain why a Metroid Prime Trilogy Switch port would never happen. He said the process to transfer Metroid Prime 3's mechanics to the Switch would be a "herculean effort" because the Switch's regular controls lack compatibility with the Wii's remote pointer controls - even with the motion controls of the Joy-Cons. He also explained that his former studio, Retro Studios, “no longer has functional editor tools to work with the Prime code base, so everything has to be ‘brute force’ hard coded.” Despite the consistent Metroid Prime Trilogy rumors and the definitive nature of Grubb's comments, it is hard to be sure that fans will see a future Switch port for the game until Nintendo officially announces its plans for its release. Speculation never hurt anyone, though, and fans can at least feel confident that a future installment of the Metroid Prime series is on its way. Until then, Metroid fans can look forward to October's release of Metroid Dread.

An Animal Crossing: New Horizons fan spent hours faithfully recreating The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim's bridge to Windhelm, using New Horizon's customization feature, which allows for unique in-game builds. With more updates and design features rolling out since its launch in Spring 2020, New Horizon players continue to find creative ways to achieve their island design goals. The Nintendo Switch's Animal Crossing: New Horizons allows players to customize, restructure and decorate a previously uninhabited island. The options for personalization extend beyond how players choose where to plant fruit trees or how to furnish their house. Using terraforming to tweak the terrain and waterways of the island, codes for custom-made patterning, and more, New Horizons players can make their islands adhere to any theme they desire — that is, if they're willing to put in the effort. This depiction of Windhelm Bridge joins other recent fan-made island designs that emulate other games, such as Pokémon gyms or the land of Hyrule from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. One New Horizons player recently set out to recreate the Windhelm bridge from Skyrim. To recreate this setting from Skyrim, which has a drastically darker tone than the sun-filled islands of New Horizons, Redditor JediElfQueen had their work cut out for them. While the user admitted that it took a couple hours to finish the in-game build, they said, "It was so fun to build I didn't even notice." Other redditors commented that JediElfQueen's Windhelm Bridge brought their two favorite game franchises together, and expressed their awe of the close attention to detail. To completely transform an island to fit a specific image in mind, Animal Crossing players will go to great lengths, even changing the seasons if weather is a notable characteristic of the final design. It looks like this user might have done this, seeing as the rendition of the bridge to Windhelm is covered in snow - which doesn't occur in Animal Crossing until winter months, unless players manually change the time and date in their Switch console settings. While the customization feature of New Horizons keeps players occupied, many are eager to see what Nintendo has in store for the game's future updates. This past June, Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser announced that Animal Crossing will have new content on the way, but fans are still confused by the lack of follow-ups around one of Nintendo's best-selling games. Some are looking for new features, while others hope Nintendo will enhance those that already exist. A few months ago, there were rumors that a future update could introduce an island expansion, which would be one of the most drastic updates the game has yet seen. However, these rumors still remain unconfirmed. An island expansion could allow players to make even more impressive builds. With a larger island to work with, this player could recreate Skyrim's bridge to Windhelm and have the space lead to the actual city of Windhelm. Even with the parameters they have right now, they haven't revealed any plans to do the entire city. However, they did encourage a fellow redditor to pursue their own goal of recreating all of Windhelm on New Horizons. Whether this bridge is the final draft of this user's Skyrim-inspired island or not, it looks like the Internet could see other players busily modeling their islands after Skyrim while they wait for more Animal Crossing: New Horizons updates.

A crafty Call of Duty: Warzone player has discovered that Sentry Guns can be placed on trucks and even helicopters via a little trick. First launched in March 2020, Activision’s free-to-play battle royale continues to receive consistent updates thanks to its popularity, hitting a record of over 100 million players in April this year. Call of Duty: Warzone recently received its Season 4 Reloaded midseason update, which brought with it an array of new content, including a new operator, Grigori Weaver from Call of Duty: Black Ops. Warzone’s Season 4 has been considered lackluster in comparison to its previous seasons, which saw major changes to the game including a nuke event that brought a thematic change to its Verdansk map, taking it back in time to 1984. Raven Software has decided to place its focus on balancing gameplay this season, bringing the game’s biggest weapon changes since launch with the Reloaded update. Crafty Warzone players have already begun to figure out ways to better utilize Season 4 Reloaded’s newest additions, by placing the Sentry Turret killstreak on cargo trucks and even helicopters. Reddit user Billyooo showed off a video of the Sentry Gun truck in action, driving in reverse so the automated turret would be the first to meet any unlucky foe. Although a very strong killstreak, the disadvantage of the automated turret is that it is immobile, making it easy for enemies to neutralize it from a distance — until now. Deploying the turret onto a vehicle requires a little trickery, however, and only works if it is placed on top of an armor or ammo box. While this combination may seem incredibly powerful, having mobilized a previously immobile automated turret, the cargo truck must be driven around slowly, as the turret’s AI struggles to fire at targets if the vehicle moves too fast. Players testing out this trick with Warzone’s new Sentry Turret killstreak have found that it can also be placed on helicopters, but comes with the deadly risk of the chopper exploding should they fly too high while the turret is mounted on top. It remains to be seen whether this trick will last, as despite mounting the turret on a vehicle makes the previously immobile killstreak more useful, the developers clearly never meant for it to be used in such a way. Raven Software has previously nerfed the spawn rates of the cargo truck when it became the meta, thus it would be unsurprising if the studio chooses to do so again should the mounted Sentry Turret prove too overpowered.

Developer Mediatonic has officially revealed more on season five of Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout, confirming new gameplay modes and its release date. Fall Guys made a splash when it was released in summer 2020, offering multiplayer madness in a battle royale party game. The game supports up to 60 players who must put their skills to the test in a series of wacky levels, with one champion left standing. Players have been enjoying seasonal content updates and Fall Guys crossover skins with other popular games since launch. Fall Guys season five's exclusive reveal video highlights some of the things players will have to look forward to, including 50 tiers to complete, seven unlockable jungle and explorer-themed costumes, 22 crowns to win, and more. Meanwhile, new obstacle courses will provide players with new ways to interact with levels, such as Treetop Tumble, which includes separate routes for more strategic play. The level features many different obstacles, including water, frogs, balance beams, and slime slides. The video also showed off another level, Lily Leapers, which is a fully themed level where players musty bounce across a series of lily pads to reach the goal. Fall Guys fans won't have long to wait to experience the new offerings, as Fall Guys season five begins tomorrow, July 20. Fall Guys season five will be available on all platforms the game is currently available on, but the game is coming to new consoles in the future. Fall Guys' Nintendo Switch and Xbox releases have been delayed after initially expected to launch sometime this summer. While Mediatonic has yet to confirm their release date, it's hoped they'll be available before the year is out.

Responding to online rumors, Nintendo denies that another Switch model is in the works, as well as claims that the recently unveiled Nintendo Switch (OLED Model) will have an increased profit margin over the base version. The long-running console and game company surprised many a few weeks ago with its out-of-the-blue announcement of a brand-new Switch unit that features a larger OLED screen, an improved kickstand, and an ethernet port-equipped dock. The Nintendo Switch OLED is a far cry from the fabled 4K Switch Pro update that has been speculated on for the past year or so. While Nintendo itself has denied that such an upgrade exists, players have wondered aloud what already visually impressive titles like The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild and Animal Crossing: New Horizons would look like in higher fidelity. Additionally, industry insiders speculate that Nintendo is indeed planning a Switch Pro in the future and that the OLED model is merely a stopgap brought on by the recent chip shortage caused by COVID-19. Now, Nintendo is putting these rumors to rest in a pair of tweets that address rumors that another Switch model is currently being planned, as well as a previous news report that claimed that the Nintendo Switch Pro would see an increased profit margin. The second post also reiterated that the Nintendo Switch OLED is set to launch in October. Indeed, preorders for the Nintendo Switch OLED have already gone online, with GameStop even offering a hefty discount for players who want to trade in their old Switch. The Switch OLED’s console dock will also be sold separately for those who wish to replace their current one without upgrading the console itself. In less pleasant news, the OLED console revision's Joy-Con controllers will still be at risk for the drifting issue that has plagued the Switch as far back as 2019, much to the dismay of those hoping that Nintendo would address this problem in the wake of the class-action lawsuits that have been filed over it. While some players will be disappointed that Nintendo says it's not planning to release a "Pro" upgrade for the Switch anytime soon (especially since even a Nintendo employee admitted there's no reason to upgrade to the Switch OLED if current Switch owners don’t care about the new screen), it seems that the many rumors regarding the hypothetical Switch Pro have been put to bed, at least for the time being. Nintendo did leave the door open to future speculation when saying it has no new Switch model plans "at this time," however.

Rumors that the profit margin for the Nintendo Switch (OLED Model) would increase have been shut down by Nintendo, which claimed to investors and customers that it was not the case. Nintendo denied the July 15 news report, which asserted that the profit margin of the Nintendo Switch (OLED Model) would increase compared to the Nintendo Switch. The Japanese gaming giant also clarified that though the Nintendo Switch (OLED Model) will launch in October 2021, there are no plans for launching an additional, more advanced model, at this time. A rumor made the rounds last week, claiming that the Nintendo Switch OLED reuses old Joy-Cons and other hardware to keep manufacturing costs relatively low. It was believed that the new console only cost Nintendo $10 more to produce, despite a $50 price hike compared to the original Nintendo Switch console. This led customers to believe that Nintendo would be increasing its profit immensely, raking in a notable profit of around $40 per Nintendo Switch (OLED Model) unit. The report used a variety of figures, claiming that the new OLED screen costs between $3-5 per until and the new 64GB storage costs about $3.50 per unit to manufacture. With rumors that costs were low but prices were high, Nintendo fans were not happy. Responding to the Bloomberg report and industry research from DSCC’s Yoshio Tamura, Nintendo tweeted that the claims were false and that the Nintendo Switch OLED did not have a considerable profit margin compared to the original Nintendo Switch. In the tweet, posted early Monday, Nintendo asserted that “to ensure correct understanding among our investors and customers, we want to make clear that the claim is incorrect.” The tweet, however, didn’t confirm what the price and profit comparison was between the newer model and the original Nintendo Switch. Nintendo’s response comes just in time, especially as fan frustration is running high. The claims that Nintendo would be making increased profits for minimal costs with the Switch (OLED Model) arrived during the perfect storm of fan disappointment, especially since the newer model doesn’t live up to the Nintendo Switch Pro expectations. With rumors claiming that Nintendo intends to maximize profits without giving fans increased power or major performance improvements, it was going to be a hard sell for most gamers. After the alleged profit margin report was released, many fans were ready to boycott the Nintendo Switch OLED, believing Nintendo was ready to pull one over on them. It’s still unclear how big the profit margin for the Nintendo Switch (OLED Model) is, especially given the clear lack of major improvements between the newest version and Nintendo’s 4-year-old console. It’s likely that the Nintendo Switch OLED still has a larger profit margin than the Nintendo Switch, but Nintendo won’t be receiving the drastic $40 that was asserted in the original rumor if Nintendo’s claim is believed. Fans will have to make their own decision regarding the expensive upgrade, despite Nintendo not providing ample reason for Nintendo Switch owners to switch to the OLED model.

One creative Animal Crossing: New Horizons player has found a way to turn their island's residents into game pieces on their very own Monopoly board. With a combination of custom designs and pipes from Animal Crossing's crossover event with Super Mario, the board game comes to life in-game. This is yet another installment in the growing list of creative builds from players, but it is undoubtedly one of the most unique. Animal Crossing's community has gained a reputation for its creativity. Players have created and shared countless unique designs to cover their island's grounds or cover their villager's bodies. Plenty of islands have been modeled after places that are well known in history or in popular culture. It's not uncommon to see a proud player showing off their island that looks like Hyrule from The Legend of Zelda or Hogwarts from Harry Potter. Recently, one Animal Crossing player was able to recreate the iconic scene from Finding Nemo using item stands holding the fish. Redditor Mimbaplayer shared their design of an Animal Crossing island decorated with custom floor designs that recreated the spaces on a Monopoly board. The spaces are actually modeled off the Animal Crossing version of Monopoly, featuring spaces such as "Dodo Airlines," "Nook's Cranny," and features the collectibles such as fossils, fruit, and bugs. While the spaces are not arranged in the typical square arrangement of a Monopoly board, players can still progress through spaces as if they're going around the board, using the Mario pipes at the end to get back around the board. This is not the first time that Animal Crossing and Monopoly have crossed over. Of course, there is an official Animal Crossing version of Monopoly, but fans have created their own, custom Monopoly boards in the past. In one custom Monopoly board replacing the Monopoly locations with Animal Crossing villagers. This stands in sharp contrast to Mimbaplayer, who replaced the locations with collectibles. The custom Monopoly board, however, has a few interesting puns and substitutions, such as replacing the "Jail" space with Redd's boat. Of course, Redd's boat isn't an actual jail, but it is one of the darkest, gloomiest areas on an Animal Crossing island. Even though Mimbaplayer's Monopoly board doesn't have the same amount of clever replacements, it still gets points for its inventiveness. As Mimbaplayer said in their post, this is a fully usable board where Mimbaplayer and friends can act as Monopoly pieces. The use of the Mario pipes is also quite clever and the board includes Monopoly staple spaces like "Chance," "GO," "Jail," and the utilities. It's certainly another impressive display of how incredibly creative and talented Animal Crossing players are.

The Skate 4 development team has officially confirmed the title will not be appearing in the upcoming EA Play Live 2021, but it teases that "a little something" will be shown off today, July 19. What exactly this "little something" could entail has led to a great deal of hype and speculation in a very short amount of time. A new Skate title was initially announced during 2020's EA Play Live event. The last entry in the series, Skate 3, had been released a decade prior, so the announcement was met with excitement from the gaming community, as a . In January 2021, Full Circle Studio was founded by EA with the purpose of working exclusively on the new Skate game. This has been the only additional news since the reveal, leaving many to wonder how the game has come along since announcement. A new post on the official Skate Twitter account reveals that the game is not going to part of the main EA Play Live 2021 lineup. Mentioning its extended radio silence, Full Circle explains it is dedicated to making the new Skate experience as enjoyable as possible and would hate to disappoint the loyal fanbase. However, the studio ends the post by teasing "a little something" to be shared sometime July 19. At the time of writing, this tease has yet to be posted on the account or elsewhere. Reactions to the announcement have been mostly positive, with fans just excited to hear the game is still in the works. A few have even shared their support for the development team, saying that a single year isn't long enough to build a quality game. Others are speculating as to what the new information or product could be, with the most popular theory being a remaster of Skate 3 will be announced. While that certainly would be an exciting reveal, it doesn't necessarily fall under the "little something" criteria posted. Regardless of the actual content of the upcoming announcement, confirmation that the game is still in production is enough to excite fans. It is disappointing that the title will make no appearance in the EA Play Live. Even a small message from the developers would be greatly appreciated by eager players. This "little something" is unlikely to send major shockwaves through the gaming community. (It's certainly possible it could, particularly if it's a trailer or a remaster, but still unlikely.) But for Skate fans who have been waiting since 2010 to revisit the series' iconic gameplay, even something minor could be enough to satiate them until gameplay and other details are revealed.

Ubisoft tweeted that the reveal of a new Tom Clancy game is coming today, and some people have already had a hands-on experience with the title. Details on the game aren't clear ahead of the announcement. Many fans were expecting that Rainbow Six Extraction would be the only new game in the franchise this year, but Ubisoft seems to have more planned. The Tom Clancy games are just as well-associated with strong narrative experiences as they are with competitive multiplayer action. One of its most popular titles, Rainbow Six Siege, has an esports league, and Ubisoft hosted the game's largest tournament yet just last year. Players have even been coming out of retirement to participate. While there has been speculation that the upcoming game could be the next installment in the Splinter Cell series, it may be more likely that it's a new competitive shooter. The footage, posted on Twitter by TmarTn, shows first-person gameplay reminiscent of CS: GO and Valorant. It's only 11 seconds long, but the HUD, style of gameplay, and environment betray a bunch of tiny details. It does look like a multiplayer title at first glance, and the first look at gameplay shows a player getting two kills in quick succession. The reveal of the new Tom Clancy game will take place at 11 AM PDT/2 PM EDT today, July 19. The map being played on is bright and colorful and, from the posters and exhibits visible, might be themed after a zoo. A pop-up on the right of the video with the text "Get Kills—60/60" indicates that achievements or quests are potentially already integrated into the gameplay experience. A set of icons near the top of the screen may show that the game mode being played relies on capturing points on the map from an enemy team. And it might be too early to say for sure, but a stylized diagram at the bottom of the gameplay video could hint at player abilities, potentially making today's presentation for a champion-based shooter. Following the critical, albeit contentious success of Rainbow Six Siege, all these details seem to all but confirm that Ubisoft's next Tom Clancy title will be a new multiplayer FPS. And it's not unbelievable that the new game could have champion-like abilities, seeing as Siege had specialized gameplay for its different characters as well. Siege's inclusion in esports is potentially leading Ubisoft to put out more games in the competitive scene. Earlier this year, a leaker put out screenshots for a purported upcoming Ubisoft multiplayer game called The Division "BattleCat," and this video could be the substantiation of that rumor, especially following that The Division is a Tom Clancy title. But it's impossible to confirm as of yet if that leak and the upcoming game are the same. Ubisoft could have scrapped or rebranded the game following the leak. In any case, the full reveal is coming very soon, so there's not long to wait until precise details are available.

A Metal Gear Solid fan has imagined what the roster for a Metal Gear fighting game could look like, positing two lists and even outlining some of the characters' move sets and skills. The iconic Konami series features countless characters skilled in combat, making the franchise well-suited to a fighting game similar to Nintendo's Smash Bros. Ultimate which includes Snake as a playable fighter. The Metal Gear series has been quiet for a while following creator Hideo Kojima's split from the series' publisher Konami in 2015. The Metal Gear franchise is synonymous with the Kojima name, setting a new standard for stealth gaming and pushing the boundaries with fourth-wall-breaking game mechanics and storytelling. With Kojima now helming his own studio, Kojima Productions, and the Metal Gear IP in the hands of Konami, it's not clear what the future of the series holds. Rumors of a Metal Gear comeback for new the generation of console gaming are rife, but despite fans' hopes for an MGS announcement, there's been no confirmation at this time. Twitter user and Metal Gear Solid fan TurnToChocolate took to the social media platform to share her roster for a Metal Gear fighting game, should one ever happen. Across two tweets, the user posited two different lists, changing her original idea to include more women characters. Explaining her first list, TurnToChocolate explored some of her character choices, stating that Naked Snake and Big Boss are listed as separate characters as she imagines one being "quicker and more agile (late 60s-early 70s John)", with the other being "slower but a little stronger (90s John)." When asked about their different move types, she replied: "I hadn't put a ton of consideration into either of them past the surface level but in my head I feel like I was thinking of Big Boss more as a pure grappler and maybe giving Naked Snake rekkas as a special like a Yang or a Fei Long." Though the Twitter user is working on a Metal Gear fan project, she has stressed that it isn't the fighting game she described. In a follow-up tweet, TurnToChocolate gave hope to those keen on the idea, writing: "I really would like to try to bring this idea to life someday with MUGEN or some fighting game engine so I really want the roster around 18-20." While both lists are pretty perfect for fans of the earlier games, there's plenty of other characters players would want to fight as. The user followed up their newer list with another tweet, noting that Olga should also be appearing in the roster. Anyone looking to keep up to date with TurnToChocolate's Metal Gear fan projects can follow her on Twitter, where the user also posts MGS pixel fan art. Fan projects might not be the only thing MGS fans have to look forward to, as it's rumored a Metal Gear Solid remake or remaster could be headed to PS5. The claims have yet to be substantiated by publisher Konami, who backed out of E3 2021 earlier this summer in a decision that left MGS fans disappointed. The company tempered expectations by revealing it wouldn't be appearing at the gaming show before the event, though it did confirm it is in "deep development on a number of key projects." Konami fans hope the unnamed games could be revivals of not just the Metal Gear series, but also Silent Hill. Whiles gamers wait for confirmation, there's always the upcoming MGS movie to look forward to, which will feature Star Wars actor Oscar Isaac as Solid Snake.

Even the cheapest version of the upcoming Steam Deck will support internal SSD cards, at least according to Valve president Gabe Newell. Many were surprised when Valve unveiled its new Steam Deck handheld out of the blue earlier this week, with many comparisons being made to the Nintendo Switch, as both feature a portable tablet that runs high-end games like the upcoming Halo Infinite or The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild wherever players wish. While some people are naturally excited at the idea of taking their Steam libraries with them on the go, there are still plenty of concerns regarding the Steam Deck, such as its odd joystick and button layout possibly leading to discomfort. The main issue is storage space, as the most affordable of the Steam Deck’s three available versions tops out at a mere 64 GB of flash memory - which is fine for indie titles, but problematic if a player wishes to take their library of triple-A games with them on a long car ride to the family reunion. Thankfully, the Steam Deck will give these players the option to upgrade their SSD cards, as stated by Valve co-founder and president Gabe Newell. Industry insider and gaming soundtrack composer lashman confirmed this on Twitter by posting a screenshot of an email sent to Gabe asking about the cheapest version of the Steam Deck featuring an SSD slot, which allows tech-savvy players to insert an SSD card for more storage. Newell said “yes” to this unnamed fan -though Valve’s own Pierre-Loup Griffais (known online as Plagman) later noted that this may come with the caveat of voiding the Steam Deck’s warranty, as inserting the SSD card requires opening the system up in unsupported ways. Even with the Steam Deck’s noted storage space concerns, the hype is already building up for the new handheld mere days after its announcement. Retailers are already crashing due to the sheer number of users looking to preorder the Steam Deck, and scalpers have begun to resell these preorders for outrageous prices on sites like eBay - a tale that is all too familiar to those who struggled to get their hands on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X when they came out last year. Given just how massive modern video games can be, internal storage space is a make-or-break issue for any new gaming console - especially a handheld. Luckily, it seems Valve already has gamers covered when it comes to enhancing even the bargain version of the Steam Deck, though players might want to be careful with installing an SSD card if what Plagman says about possibly voiding the warranty is true. In any case, Steam users will be able to take PC gaming wherever they go once the Steam Deck launches this December, assuming they can navigate the complicated and frustrating preorder environment.

Epic crossovers are nothing new in the world of fighting games, and now King Of Fighters All Star is getting a visit from the cast of Dead Or Alive 6. Netmarble Games' mobile-based fighting game has seen its fair share of special guests since it launched back in 2019, with pugilists from franchises like Tekken, Samurai Shodown, and even WWE Superstars like The Rock and John Cena joining the fray. That’s just for All Stars, as the general King Of Fighters franchise has itself crossed over with several different games thanks to lead fighter Terry Bogard turning up in Super Smash Bros Ultimate and parent publisher SNK taking part in Capcom’s long-running VS series for several titles in the early 2000s. Dragonball Z's Son Goku was even briefly involved in the fun during the development of KoF '98, but this was nothing more than a mere playtest by the developers for fun. In a press release yesterday, King Of Fighters All-Star developer Netmarble announced an upcoming crossover with the 2019 fighting game Dead Or Alive 6. Four characters from that series - the easygoing schoolgirl Honoka, the Mugen Tenshin Ninja warrior Kasumi, the battling manservant Marie Rose, and the tengu princess Nyotengu - will be added to All Star’s roster on July 29, with Honoka and Marie Rose being available for free. Players will be able to unlock the other two, along with special “swimsuit version” costumes for all four. Fans can already pre-register for the upcoming Dead Or Alive 6 update on Netmarble’s King Of Fighters AllStar website and receive a bonus of 3,000 Rubies. The ladies of the Dead Or Alive franchise were last seen Dead Or Alive 6, which received generally favorable praise for its improved combat and criticism for its lackluster plot and barebones multiplayer. More recently, Dead Or Alive made the news for a less-than-positive reason, as an illegal video of 2017’s Dead or Alive Xtreme: Venus Vacation (itself a web browser update of Dead or Alive Xtreme 3) was found circulating in Japan, forcing DOA developer Koei Tecmo to contact law enforcement. King Of Fighters and Dead Or Alive have crossed over before thanks to KOF mainstay Mai Shiranui’s stint as a DLC character in both Dead Or Alive 5 and Dead Or Alive 6, so this latest mash-up is quite fitting for the summer season. Fans will be able to add Honoka, Kasumi, Marie Rose, and Nyotengu to their mobile fighting rosters when the King Of Fighters AllStar/Dead Or Alive 6 crossover launches on July 29.

Ghost of Tsushima fans have a lot to celebrate about the game's first anniversary. Since its launch, fans have already shown love for Ghost of Tsushima's graphical fidelity through Photo Mode images and edited content from the game. Sucker Punch has made many announcements and had leaks surface for Ghost of Tsushima in past weeks, most of which centered on the Director's Cut that launches in August. Today, fans who have played Ghost of Tsushima within its first year of release were shown a graphic that depicts some of the game's most popular interactions. Sucker Punch released statistics for different gameplay interactions in Ghost of Tsushima. Sucker Punch's graphic reveals that players have spent millions of hours performing particular actions in-game, such as summoning Spirit Dogs or playing Legends Mode missions. This illustrates that Ghost of Tsushima's enormous player-base has been maintained throughout the year. If nothing else, the sheer number of hours that players have allotted into Ghost of Tsushima across its first year are staggering. Sucker Punch's graphic reveals that 679.2 million combat standoffs have been performed in Ghost of Tsushima's first year. Likewise, 331.1 million duels were performed. Ghost of Tsushima's standoffs and duels are a much more cinematic part of the player's regular combat mechanics. Standoffs may occur upon random enemy encounters, so it is less surprising to see such an immense number of them have been executed by fans. Duels, on the other hand, are tied to particular incidents and boss battles, meaning that players have enjoyed seeking them out during the main and optional events in Ghost of Tsushima. Similarly, haikus and foxes come in a set number throughout Ghost of Tsushima and contribute to the island's overall progression. This suggests that a high number of players have beaten Ghost of Tsushima to completion at least once, in order for there to be 68.5 million haikus written and 55.63 million foxes pet. Another statistic covers horseback travel in Ghost of Tsushima, which is preferable due to the game's expansive open world. Much of Ghost of Tsushima may be spent on horseback if players are exploring the island's furthest corners in order to achieve completion for any of the game's prolific side quests and collectibles. According to Sucker Punch's graphic, an alarming 4,241 years have been spent on horseback in-game. Sucker Punch has not just unveiled a statistics graphic in order to celebrate Ghost of Tsushima's anniversary, however. To celebrate further, Sucker Punch has announced that it is re-enabling its unique Legends outfits with designs based upon God of War, Horizon Zero Dawn, Shadow of the Colossus, and Bloodborne. As Sucker Punch states, players who are interested in experiencing these outfits may unlock them by "completing any Legends Story or Survival mission with each class." Ghost of Tsushima is available now on PS4.

One of the most iconic weapons in the Final Fantasy series of role-playing games, and perhaps in gaming in general, is Cloud Strife’s Buster Sword. Barring some minor details, the style of the sword has changed very little since it debuted in 1997, but the release of Final Fantasy 7 Remake in 2020 has spurred a new wave of inspiration among both creative gamers and cosplayers. Cloud Strife’s Buster Sword is a gigantic single-edged broadsword that could only be realistically wielded in a fictional universe. It is about the same length as Cloud, so approximately five to six feet, and roughly one foot wide. In most iterations of the sword, the handle is a reddish-brown color, sometimes wood and sometimes leather wrapped. The blade itself is riveted onto the handle with five bolts on each side, and two Final Fantasy materia slots are located near the handguard. A Reddit user going by the name of SirFranku recently posted images of their detailed real-life rendition of Cloud’s Buster Sword, with the design specifically taken from Final Fantasy 7 Remake. The sword seems true-to-life, standing as long as the creator is tall, with a wrapped handle, five rivet points near the handle, and two slots containing green materia. In the Reddit post, SirFranku explained that they had been toying with the idea of creating the Buster Sword for the past three to four years, and that it would probably take 40 to 60 hours of work to rebuild the sword from scratch. SirFranku’s version of Cloud Strife's Buster Sword can be broken apart so that it fits in a suitcase, although it takes about 45 minutes to put it back together. One unique aspect of the images shown on Reddit is that the sword is shown in various stages of assembly, displaying the interior structure, the various elements that make up the blade, and the sheath that gives the sword its outer appearance. Cloud Strife’s Buster Sword has served as a source of inspiration for many creatives, and an online search of “Buster Sword” will result in a variety of images of people’s various versions of the weapon. Last year, a YouTuber called Crafty Transformer created a Buster Sword made entirely out of cardboard and shared the templates online so that others could build their own. Another Final Fantasy 7 Remake fan, YouTuber Allen Pan, decided to go the more realistic route, building a replica of the Buster Sword that weighs about 50 pounds. However, the sword’s weight distribution requires 150 foot-pounds of torque to actually lift. So Pan spent $900 to buy an exoskeleton that would enable him to more easily swing the unwieldy sword. Final Fantasy 7 Remake is available on PS4 and PS5.

Raven Software and Activision have been seemingly working hard at banning cheaters in Call of Duty: Warzone. Recently 50,000 more hackers were banned from Warzone. One player that managed to escape that wave was a Twitch streamer named chrissoaresgtr. However, after a Reddit push online to hold him accountable, he has been banned from Twitch. The Twitch streamer was using a new cheat that some describe as soft aimbot or silent aim. It allows players to kill enemies without actually aiming at them, without the unnatural snap that is associated with aimbot. It is a part of the evolving hacks in Call of Duty: Warzone that many have warned about. Another new and dangerous hack is a god mode hack, for example. The players who seem to easily slip through the cracks or use new tricks are part of the reason why players have been clamoring for a true anti-cheat software for the battle royale. In the clip that players found and circulated online, the streamer is pretending to be on target and aiming properly, but his actual accuracy does not matter. Even if enemies are safe behind cover or if the player's reticle/iron sights are not properly aimed at the body, the bullets will hit the target. Cheats like this obviously ruin the integrity of Call of Duty: Warzone. Along with this particular streamer, many of their friends appear to have the hack as well, which is something that is apparent in the comments of the Reddit post that was shared on r/CODWarzone by u/fcpl. On top of being banned from Twitch, there were a few moments in which the community also believed that the player had also been banned from Call of Duty: Warzone altogether. According to updates on the post, the player had seemingly been unable to connect while trying to play with friends. However, game data confirms that he is still posting monster numbers, including high kill games of 20, 28, and 29; along with wins. The Call for Duty: Warzone community is begging for something to be done about hackers in the game, because boasting about blocking accounts does not seem to be enough. Activision and Raven Software have been taking action against cheaters since Call of Duty: Warzone launched. The team eventually added a reporting tool soon after the game was released and it closely monitors for suspicious activity. However, most of the community would agree that the approach is not entirely sufficient. Following up on countless reporting takes time, and there are even players who claim to have been wrongly banned, with little chance to prove they are innocent. For over a year now, fans have been crying out for a true anti-cheat software program within the game, one that can catch cheaters within the act, one that can evolve with the hacks, and one that will not allow players to simply create a new account and jump back into the action ten minutes later. This would be a huge step for Warzone, as new hacks and new cheaters are continuing to enter the battlefield.

In a rare move, the official Xbox Twitter account posted a wholesome tweet on July 16 in response to the legion of trolls who - regardless of the context - often respond to Xbox social media posts with the shallow remark that PlayStation is the better console. Zealous fans regularly populate the online forums of competing home console brands, an unfortunate reality of the video game industry. Ever since the late 1980s and early 1990s, the idea of console wars has permeated the home video game market. The intense rivalry between Sega and Nintendo for dominance of the home console market, particularly in North America, played out for all to see in the advertising space and manifested locally in arguments on the school playground about which console was superior. As the video game industry evolved and markets shifted, Sega fell by the wayside while, together, Xbox and PlayStation entered the console space. Though their rivalry during the PS3 and Xbox 360 era is legendary, Microsoft has recently opted to forgo the traditional mindset of console wars in favor of platform agnosticism, at least in its marketing approach. On July 16, the official Xbox Twitter account finally decided to respond to the trolls who ceaselessly advocate for PlayStation in its replies (via Pure Xbox). Xbox tweeted the wholesome message, "To the people in our replies saying 'PS5 is better': The best console is the one you enjoy playing. Have fun!" As of now, the tweet has over 184k Likes, which is an unusually positive response to one of its tweets. The comments are also full of industry pundits, brands, and developers reinforcing the positivity that goes beyond console wars in favor of a general gaming audience. Even Cory Barlog, the Creative Director of PlayStation's 2018 God of War, responded with positive affirmation. Xbox proceeded to thank Barlog in kind. While gamers should remember that Xbox is still a brand attempting to market a product (and being viewed in a positive light is a part of that marketing), the push from Xbox for gamers to be kind and accept one another no matter where one plays is a net good for the industry. It alleviates the desire for players to vehemently defend their purchases and, instead, advocates for a celebration of the medium as a whole. The tweet effectively acknowledges the trolls, lets them know that their feelings can be valid, and encourages them to continue playing on PlayStation if that brings them the most joy. It was risky of Xbox to acknowledge the trolls at all, as attention can often elicit more trolling. But the gambit appears to have paid off, with rousing positivity being the prevailing response. Although Xbox's marketing strategy might seem antithetical to selling a product, it allows Xbox to present itself as the welcoming brand of openness and acceptance, as highlighted by a PS5 controller appearing in a recent Xbox ad. The positive side effect of this strategy is the growing, mainstream disapproval of petty console wars.

A video circulating on Twitter shows what an all-out fist fight between Halo's Master Chief and the Doom series' Doomguy might actually look like in a modded version of Dead or Alive 5. Fans have long wondered who would win in a match between the two iconic video game warriors, and the video serves as an entertaining simulation of the encounter. Commonly referred to now as the Doom Marine or the Doom Slayer, Doomguy first appeared in id Software's 1993 FPS, Doom. The nameless character's penchant for effectively and mercilessly fending off the forces of Hell and slaying a wide variety of imposing bosses with a variety of weapons garnered him acclaim as an unstoppable, quintessential warrior in video game circles. In 2001, the Master Chief dropped onto the scene with Bungie's first Halo title. The Master Chief, also known as John-117, has gone on to save the galaxy a number of times and stop countless alien forces from annihilating humanity. Although Doomguy and Master Chief are iconic FPS protagonists who defend Earth from the forces of evil while shrouded in recognizable suits of green armor, fans of both franchises have often wondered who would win in a fight between the two. Luckily, Kmega4 on Twitter shared a video of the hypothetical encounter in a modded version of the fighting game Dead or Alive 5. The fight is certainly brutal, with no blades or firearms to assist either character. Doomguy lands the first hit - a strong uppercut combo that sends Chief to the ground. After a series of rousing blows that leaves Chief at half health, the Chief counters with a sequence of suplexes and a flurry of punches. The first round ends with a knockout by the Master Chief, who proceeds to dislocate Doomguy's leg after the K.O. has been called. Unlike the close first round, the second round is a definitive victory for the Master Chief and his iconic Spartan armor, with Doomguy only getting in a few punches here and there. As such, the Master Chief wins overall with a 2-0 victory. The match is by no means a canon encounter wherein the Chief would definitively win the fight, but it's still a fun scenario to see play out. The comments are full of individuals debating how such an encounter would truly go, given all of the canon information of lifting capacity, armor abilities, weapon availability, etc. Indeed, the true outcome of the fight would be contingent on a number of variables. In years prior, the thought of any such encounter between the Master Chief and Doomguy taking place in a video game would simply be wishful thinking. However, Microsoft's acquisition of Bethesda was finalized in March of 2021, meaning the company now owns the IP rights to both Doom and Halo. It's not unthinkable now that the two will meet in a more in-depth crossover than the bizarre portrait art commissioned by Microsoft to celebrate the deal, but whether they'll fight each other or not remains to be seen.

While most speedrunners will chalk up their skills to good luck and practice, neurologists agree that their brains are specialized just for the task. The way speedrunners manipulate their games of choice may seem incomprehensible at first glance. Furthermore, the ways in which speedrunners interact with the games they play can also startle onlookers; for instance, one speedrunner recently beat the Super Mario world record while blindfolded. Speedrunning has a long history, nearly as long as the history of gaming itself. The act of timely game completion was ongoing even before there was a group name to define it. But it wasn't until recently that speedrunners could expect regular support, attention, and the guarantee of a living by doing what they do best. Twitch is partly to thank—where runners can broadcast their runs for a live audience and potential income—and events like Games Done Quick can help them achieve notoriety. The fact that speedrunning is growing into a viable career path means that people can spend more time on it. The industry is becoming more diverse as well; for instance, this year will see the hosting of Flame Fatales, an all women-speedrunning competition. A scientific study of the speedrunner's mind comes from a recent article on Maclean's, which compiled information on the subjects of speedrunning and neurobiology. A group director at the University of Waterloo named Lennart Nacke is quoted there, commenting on speedrunner Mitch Fowler's skill at running Super Mario Bros. 3: "The cognitive system is automated. It’s become so ingrained in his motor cortex that now he’s doing that motor function to achieve the optimal time." The understanding is that the repetition that runners put into games allows them to make inputs almost before they've been prompted. In essence, speedrunners can press buttons before they can even relate the presses' necessity in their runs. More info comes from Craig Stark at the University of California, Irvine. As Maclean's reads, "… The hippocampus controls declarative memory—the recall of facts and events—but players like Fowler also nurture non-declarative memory: skills, habits and conditioning." This all lends credit to the prowess of speedrunners, and the myriad types of speedrun that can be performed. It's not only that their intense gaming regiments to achieve peak times build up their skills, but it also re-allocates their brain's functions, playing on aspects of cognition that set runners apart from the rest. It's a commendable commitment to neurological development. One of the major criticisms of speedrunning is its enormous time commitment. In conjunction with the lack of guarantee that a runner will ever be able to submit a competitive record, it can make speedrunning seem not particularly worthwhile, especially so before Twitch and GDQ made space for runners to market their gameplay. It can also be lonely, considering that the majority of speedrunning scenes are for single-player games. Grinding a game can feel fruitless. But anyone who runs games should take the aforementioned findings to heart; it's not just casual gaming, it's athletic practice, and every bit of that practice helps to train the brain. All this is to say that speedrunning could use more recognition than just that of a common hobby. It is an intensive hobby, with considerable psychological ramifications. If nothing else, speedrunning takes a great degree of skill and practice, and should be recognized as such.

In regards to specific hardware specs, Valve insists that its upcoming Steam Deck handheld console will resist stick drift. Players familiar with the common defect that causes thumbsticks to register false input will be pleased to know that Valve is both aware of the issue and actively working to avoid it. On July 15, Valve officially announced Steam Deck, a handheld PC that runs a custom Steam OS. Not only does the machine have a substantial amount of power behind its seven-inch screen (roughly two teraflops of APU combined power), the 720p resolution allows the system to take full advantage of the power it has. The Steam Deck features triggers, bumpers, back buttons, face buttons, thumbsticks, a D-pad, trackpads, a touch screen, and a number of ports that allow output to displays, as well as mouse and keyboard support. In short, the Steam Deck can do just about everything a normal PC can do while also acting as a portable system. Steam Deck's status as a hybrid handheld begs the question of whether the notorious Joy-Con drift that plagues the Nintendo Switch will also affect Valve's upcoming system. IGN pressed Valve on the issue of stick drift during a recent Steam Deck hardware deep-dive. When asked whether stick drift was considered when designing the system, hardware engineer Yazan Aldehyyat noted that a lot of reliability testing had been done across a number of environmental conditions. Before pointing out that all parts of a system will eventually fail with time, Aldehyyat said, "I think we feel that this will perform really well. And I think people will be super happy with it. I think that it's going to be a great buy." In regards to parts, designer John Ikeda pointed out, "We purposely picked something that we knew the performance of, right? We didn't want to take a risk on that, right? As I'm sure our customers don't want us to take a risk on that either." Aldehyyat's statements convey a high level of confidence in the end product, a demeanor that is echoed by Valve. The company is charging only $399 for the console, something the company thought was painful but necessary in order to remain competitive. Though Valve did not specifically say that the handheld wouldn't have stick drift, it's safe to assume that the company is doing everything it can to avoid what would otherwise be a huge debacle. Indeed, Valve has had plenty of time to learn from Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony - all of which have sold peripherals with stick drift issues. Unlike these companies, however, Valve still needs to prove itself in the hardware space. In order to avoid another catastrophe reminiscent of the Steam Machine back in 2015, Valve needs to launch its hardware absent any glaring malfunctions. It would be a huge win for the handheld space, and gaming in general, if Valve can effectively avoid stick drift in its Steam Deck. Unfortunately, gamers ready to try out the handheld for themselves will have to wait. The Steam Deck launches in December 2021, but much like the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, supply will be constrained for some time to come, and scalpers are already moving to capitalize on the Steam Deck.

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl developer Ludosity has revealed competitive viability was always one of the fighting game's chief objectives. All-Star Brawl will soon join the platform fighter genre with a roster of animated characters from Nickelodeon's most popular classic and modern shows. Confirmed Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl characters like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ Michelangelo and Leonardo or Danny Phantom might lend themselves well to a fighting game, but Ludosity is also including characters not typically associated with combat. Players will level up in order to unlock more fighters, similar to its obvious inspiration, Super Smash Bros. This is not the first time Nickelodeon has been inspired by a Nintendo game franchise, as the network licensed a Mario Kart-esque game called Nickelodeon Kart Racers in 2018. For Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl, Nickelodeon has given Ludosity a lot of creative freedom. Developers told Kotaku Nickelodeon rarely rejects the studio's ideas, and every character's style and moves came entirely from the minds at Ludosity. The studio's CEO, Joel Nyström, went on to refute the notion that Nickelodeon wouldn't be interested in producing a competitive fighting game, explaining the network approached Ludosity for that very purpose. Nickelodeon sought out Ludosity after the release of its 2018 game Slap City - a platform fighter featuring a roster of original characters, such as the hugely muscular, platypus-like Ultra Fishbunjin 3000. Chief designer Elias "sinxtanx" Forslind told Kotaku Ludosity hopes Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl players, both casual and competitive, will enjoy all of what the game has to offer. "When you make a game fun to play, anyone can have fun with it. This is very good for me, since I don’t have the mad skills like competitive players, but I can still greatly enjoy casual free-for-all matches in Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl." With some fighters already confirmed, fans can begin to speculate what kinds of movesets individual characters might have. The Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl box art also hints at a slew of other characters yet to be officially unveiled. It only includes silhouettes, but some figures are more easily discernible than others. Avatar: The Last Airbender's Aang and The Legend of Korra's titular character are all but confirmed, due to their distinguishable outlines on the box art, but there are many potential character options, seeing as Nickelodeon is pulling from its the last three decades of television shows. Whether or not their favorite Nicktoon characters will be included, fans can prepare for a game that looks to appeal to those interested in the competitive side of platform fighters. It does seem somewhat doubtful Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl will be able to reach (or surpass) the genre standard set by Super Smash Bros., especially after other developers have attempted Smash-likes and failed to do so. However, the internet's enthusiastic reaction to its reveal suggests this achievement is possible.

Chernobylite is a survival-horror RPG in the tradition of Stalker, set in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. The latest developer diary, exclusively provided to PC Gamer by The Farm 51 and All In! Games, focuses on the survival half of the equation. As game director Artur Focjik explains, exploring the Zone is full of dangers like radiation, a nemesis who pursues you throughout the storyline, and supernatural events connected to a mysterious substance called chernobylite that's appearing around the game's fictionalized version of Chernobyl. That's not enough, according to Focjik, which is where the survival elements come in. "So apart from such very immediate dangers," he says, "that could actually kill us in a moment, there are things that kill us over time." The examples he gives include the old survival game standby of starvation, but also "low morale, mental problems." In Chernobylite you have to put together a team of companions with useful skills, but you'll need to worry about how they're feeling as well as whether they're fed and equipped.

Like most fishing minigames, fishing in Stardew Valley is controversial. Not everyone cares for the vanilla experience, the little tap-tap-bounce to try and reel one in—finding it finicky, frustrating, or just plain boring. There are a number of mods that make fishing easier or skip it altogether, but even for those who like the fishing experience, it can't be disputed that finding the right fish, when you just want to help Jody make a fish casserole for dinner or fill out a bundle, can sometimes become a bit of an errand. A new "Visible Fish" mod from shekurika on Nexus Mods makes it just that bit easier. With it, you can see which fish are in the water before you cast your rod—no more enticing shadows that turn out to be cans of cola. The mod has additional options, including changing the maximum amount of fish on the map, and the density of fish per water tile. A 200% density is two fish per tile, which would make a lot of casserole. It would also let players fill out those junimo bundles a lot faster, if they so choose—at least the fishy ones, I don't know if you're going to get through your seasonal veggies any faster. Let's be honest though: there's probably a mod for that, too. You can download the Visible Fish mod from Nexus Mods, where the Stardew Valley modding community is still thriving even five years after its initial release. Lauren recently rounded up the best Stardew Valley mods, which includes a fishing overhaul mod, yes, but also (equally importantly) additional cat textures. Thanks, Polygon.

D&D setting the Forgotten Realms arrived in Magic: The Gathering recently, but crossovers going in the other direction are more common. Publisher Wizards of the Coast has already brought out several supplements introducing material based on Magic as part of D&D's 5th edition, and the next of those is based on the wizard college of Strixhaven, which was the theme of April's set of Magic cards. Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos has info on the location, a magic university you can drop into an existing D&D world, as well four scenarios that can be strung together in a multiyear campaign where players begin as level-one first-year students and work their way up. It includes rules for playing the owlin (yep, owlfolk), various new spells, magic items, feats and backgrounds, as well as over 40 magical creatures and NPCs. The idea of running a campaign where everyone's a college-age magic-user sounds like a riot, though I suspect it'll contain options for broader character concepts as well. The current D&D Live 2021 event has revealed info about some other forthcoming D&D books too. Fizban's Treasury of Dragons will detail 20 different varieties of the scaly beasts, as well as more options for dragonborn characters and dragon-themed monk and ranger subclasses, while The Wild Beyond the Witchlight will be the next big adventure module. It takes players from whatever world they call home to the Feywild via something called the "Witchlight Carnival", and every encounter will have a potential non-combat solution, which sounds intriguing. Watch D&D Live for deep dives into the upcoming books, as well as livestreamed games featuring celebrities including Jack Black. Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos will be out on November 16, following The Wild Beyond the Witchlight on September 21 and Fizban's Treasury of Dragons on October 19.

Earlier this year, Rockstar's parent company Take-Two Interactive played takedown whack-a-mole with reverse-engineered versions of Grand Theft Auto 3 and Vice City. The publisher has apparently gone further in the last week or so, issuing DMCA takedown notices for GTA 5 map mods like Vice City Overhaul, as well as multiple popular mods for earlier games in the series. GTA: Liberty City was a total conversion that brought the setting of GTA 3 into Vice City's engine, and was first released in 2005. It's no longer available on ModDB. Vice Cry, which replaced Vice City's textures and models with higher-resolution versions, is also gone. So is GTA: Underground, which combined the maps of not just GTA 3, Vice City, and San Andreas, but those of other Rockstar games Bully, Manhunt, and Manhunt 2, then added gang warfare. So are the mods converting San Andreas into ports of console-exclusives Liberty City Stories and Vice City Stories. And that's not all. (Image credit: djluin) A thread on GTAForums has been cataloguing the removals, as well as noting that Rockstar's statement on singleplayer mods, initially made during the back-and-forth over modding tool OpenIV in 2017, and which many modders have been assuming would protect their work, was quietly updated in 2019. It now notes that it does not apply to either the "use or importation of other IP (including other Rockstar IP) in the project" or "making new games, stories, missions, or maps". Neither of those clauses was in the original version of Rockstar's statement, which has been excluded from the Wayback Machine, but can still be read in our news story from the time.

Valve's Steam Deck, the handheld gaming PC which debuted this week, has had a lot of attention when it comes to hardware, but the inevitably question of anything with a thumbstick these days is: When will the sticks start to drift? Hopefully no time soon, says Valve, in an interview with IGN. "We've done a ton of testing on reliability," said Valve hardware engineer Yazan Aldehayyat in regards to the Steam Deck's inputs as a whole. Aldehayyat later said that "I think we feel that this will perform really well. And I think people will be super happy with it. I think that it's going to be a great buy. I mean, obviously every part will fail at some point, but we think people will be very satisfied and happy with this." John Ikeda, a designer on the Steam Deck, also said that Valve picked Steam Deck hardware with well-known performance records. "We didn't want to take a risk on that, right?" he said. "As I'm sure our customers don't want us to take a risk on that either." With manufacturers like Sony under threat of lawsuits regarding the drift issues on the PS5 DualSense controller, and Nintendo plagued by stick drift issues on the Switch since it released, it makes sense that reliability is on the radar of hardware engineers designing a game console. For more on Valve's new hardware, check out everything we know about the Steam Deck including specs, price, and more. Or go deeper and read this brief history of Valve's dalliances with hardware.