games news

• Dishonored 2 Gets New Game Plus, Custom Difficulty Settings

  18-11-2016 17:33
  
  Dishonored 2 will be getting a New Game Plus mode and new custom difficulty settings in a free update next month, Bethesda announced today.
  Although no other details about the difficulty settings or an exact release date are known, the two new options are part of expanding Dishonored 2's "play your way" philosophy. More details on the content of the update will be revealed in the coming weeks, according to Bethesda.
  Just yesterday, Bethesda released a Steam beta update to address some performanc
  
  Read more

• Former Rockstar lead says the studio's wildest ideas "wouldn't have been as good as GTA," though he respects Larian for ditching Baldur's Gate 4: "It's not obvious. It's very risky"

  29-12-2025 23:06 via gamesradar.com
  
  It's been quite some time since Rockstar did anything except GTA and Red Dead Redemption. Gone are the days of Max Payne, LA Noire or Midnight Run, and there were wilder ideas on the drawing board, too. A former lead who spearheaded one of those prospective projects doesn't believe there were any missed opportunities, simply because they wouldn't have lived up to Grand Theft Auto."The reality is if you have a studio that has one mega successful game, it just doesn't make sense to do any wild cha
  
  Read more

• Assassin's Creed Shadows' Yasuke and Naoe could influence how future protagonists move: "All these things can and should affect a little bit of how their physicality translates"

  29-12-2025 22:29 via gamesradar.com
  
  This year's Assassin's Creed: Shadows is an important step in the ongoing evolution of the blockbuster Ubisoft series. Now almost 20 years old, Assassin's Creed thrives on consistently delivering smooth, sleek gameplay for those wish to step into the Animus, and its protagonists, Naoe and Yasuke, define the next era of movement for the Brotherhood.Simon Lemay-Comtois, associate game on director on Assassin's Creed: Shadows, explained as much to us himself. "[Yasuke and Naoe] have very different
  
  Read more

• Dark Souls and Elden Ring mastermind Hidetaka Miyazaki "wouldn't necessarily say" that FormSoftware invented the Soulslike genre

  29-12-2025 21:18 via gamesradar.com
  
  Since the release of Demon's Souls in 2009. FromSoftware has come to be the defining studio for 'Soulslikes', games that emphasize open exploration and character-building amid strategic combat where gnarly difficulty spikes. Hidetaka Miyazaki, the director of many of From's releases in this vein, doesn’t necessarily agree the company deserves such credit.He spoke about the etymology of the term to Game Informer, where he explained that, really, From just understood what some players were l
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• OG Counter-Strike co-creator has "some regrets" over leaving – "A lot of the people who I still keep in touch with at Valve, I kind of notice that they're really well off financially"

  29-12-2025 19:47 via gamesradar.com
  
  While popular at launch, nobody could've predicted the money-spinning machine Counter-Strike would turn into. Still hugely popular, the shooter gnerates millions upon millions of dollars for Valve annually, contributing to the considerable wealth of some people within the company. Minh Le, a co-creator on Counter-Strike, left much earlier in the game's life, leaving him with some lingering thoughts about what might have been."I do have some regrets," he tells Edge magazine. "A lot of the people
  
  Read more

• I used to think Switch 2 charging stands were silly, but after using the iMP DLX2, I get it

  29-12-2025 18:00 via gamesradar.com
  
  Charging stands have always felt a bit irrelevant to me. Their purpose is to keep your console and all its various bits and bobs contained in one compact space, but you can do that without having fork out any extra cash. The large displays can also take up a lot of space, which feels like it defeats the purpose of its existence to keep your new-fangled Switch 2 all confined to one, neat spot.I recently got a hold of the DLX2 Charging Stand, and even after just a week of the LED-lit up Switch 2 a
  
  Read more

• "You're going up against Destiny. You're going up against massive entities": BioWare veteran says indie devs who can't outspend AAA push "a lot of innovation"

  29-12-2025 16:47 via gamesradar.com
  
  BioWare veteran Mark Darrah, known for leading the Dragon Age franchise for decades along with Anthem, thinks indie devs who can't outspend massive corporations are the ones pushing "a lot of innovation" in games.In a new video diving into why AAA games have become risk averse, the former Dragon Age producer said indie teams are often at the forefront of exploring different parts of genres out of necessity since they can't really afford to compete with billion dollar companies at their own game.
  
  Read more

• Peak lead knows you're a friendslop "hater," but remember "these games aren't trying to be Game of the Year": "These are games that emphasize teamwork"

  29-12-2025 16:39 via gamesradar.com
  
  Indie co-op climbing game Peak's developer knows that "friendslop" has its haters but argues there's a place for these kinds of games.Between REPO and Peak, it's been a good year for pick-up-and-play co-op games that came out of nowhere and blew up. But where there is popularity, there is also negativity, leading to the rise of the term "friendslop" to describe these games – effectively saying the games don't have much going for them outside of being something to hang out and play with fri
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Pikmin 3 Deluxe has been rated for Switch 2, suggesting an update is on the way for the 12-year-old Wii U game before Pikmin 4 gets one

  29-12-2025 16:20 via gamesradar.com
  
  In what would be a bizarre move from Nintendo, Pikmin 3 Deluxe has received a Switch 2 rating from PEGI.If you ask me, from the currently announced lineup of Switch 2-enhanced Nintendo Switch games, the biggest omission is Pikmin 4. Last month, the now-two-year-old game received a brand new update that included Photo Mode, new difficulties and Decor Pikmin – Pikmin wearing random items as clothes like in Pikmin Bloom. But no Switch 2 enhancements like performance and visual upgrades and &n
  
  Read more

• Metaphor: ReFantazio devs don't want to "quickly put out" a sequel in response to the JRPG's success: "We want to really give it some thought"

  29-12-2025 16:08 via gamesradar.com
  
  Metaphor: ReFantazio was a critical hit, an awards magnet, and one of publisher Atlus' fastest-selling games. So, uh, surely a sequel would be a no-brainer, right? Frequent Persona and Metaphor director Katsura Hashino has now said that he doesn't want to rush into making a follow-up based solely on the first game's success, though. Whatever comes next for Metaphor has to "be worthwhile for the fans.""When we initially set out to create this game, we had the ambitions of hoping to cultivate this
  
  Read more

• Bethesda's Todd Howard says "we are doing other things with Fallout that we haven’t announced, and there’ll come a time for that"

  29-12-2025 16:02 via gamesradar.com
  
  Despite it being over 10 years since the last proper entry in the series, with Fallout 5 nowhere in sight, Bethesda boss Todd Howard says unannounced Fallout things are in the works.As good as Bethesda's games are, it's best not to get too attached to the thought of a sequel. Given that the studio seemingly works on one game at a time and is currently the shepherd of three massive franchises with Elder Scrolls, Fallout, and Starfield, you're bound to be waiting a long time. And given the immense
  
  Read more

• We'll probably never see a Grand Theft Auto set in a futuristic city like GTA 2 because the team "hated it": "People didn’t connect with the game or its city"

  29-12-2025 15:42 via gamesradar.com
  
  Former Rockstar technical director Obbe Vermeij reckons we won't be seeing a futuristic GTA game anytime soon, given how much some developers hated making GTA 2.While there wasn't much series convention to blow open back then, GTA 2 took a drastic turn from its predecessor and subsequent titles by taking things into the far-flung future of 2013 – or possibly 1999; Rockstar has contradicted itself on this – and incorporated futuristic elements into the world of Anywhere City. So while
  
  Read more

• Dragon Age and Anthem veteran argues risk-averse AAA games have become "too homogenous" and "soulless," which might lead fans to accept generative AI

  29-12-2025 15:37 via gamesradar.com
  
  Former BioWare producer Mark Darrah, who led both the Dragon Age series and Anthem, has argued that risk-averse big-budget games are potentially prepping some people for a generative AI future.The BioWare veteran discussed the state of AAA gaming in a new YouTube video, explaining that companies have been putting out more by-the-numbers products as budgets have ballooned in recent years. Modern blockbuster games can now cost hundreds of millions of dollars to produce, and Darrah says the "effect
  
  Read more

• After Silent Hill 2 remake and Silent Hill f got the series "back on track," Konami aims to release "about one title per year" in the horror franchise

  29-12-2025 14:46 via gamesradar.com
  
  Publisher Konami has revealed plans to launch roughly one new Silent Hill game per year after getting the iconic horror series "back on track" with this year's excellent Silent Hill f and last year's also excellent Silent Hill 2 remake.Silent Hill series producer Motoi Okamoto shed light on the company's ambitions in Famitsu's end-of-year feature asking developers what their hopes for 2026 are, translated by Gematsu. "Following the release of Silent Hill 2 in October 2024, we were able to delive
  
  Read more

• This magnetic gaming keyboard just stole the throne from SteelSeries in the final days of 2025

  29-12-2025 13:00 via gamesradar.com
  
  December seems to be a good month for gaming keyboards. Just last year my favorite deck for much of 2025 released, with the SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3 taking to the shelves for the first time in the holiday season. Now Corsair's pulling the same trick.The Corsair Vanguard Pro 96 has just ascended to the top of my guide to the best gaming keyboards I've tested so far. It's a fully magnetic Hall effect deck with all the number pad and macro button controls you'd expect from a full-sized design
  
  Read more

• The official Tolkien calendar for 2026 focuses on the three "Great Tales" of Middle-earth, and it's the perfect timepiece for LOTR fans

  29-12-2025 10:00 via gamesradar.com
  
  One of my Christmas traditions is buying myself a present, the Official Tolkien Calendar for the year ahead. As a massive fan of this author's works, I love marking a change of every month with a new piece of artwork from Middle-earth. With each new year comes a new set of stunning illustrations, thematically set around one of Tolkien's books, and it always feels like a lovingly crafted gift for gamers and fans to enjoy.This year, Harper Collins has chosen to base the calendar around the three "
  
  Read more

• As the wait for Persona 6 continues, developers tease "opportunities in 2026 to talk about future developments" for the JRPG's 30th anniversary

  28-12-2025 18:38 via gamesradar.com
  
  Persona 6 hopefuls have been waiting for another new mainline entry in the stylish JRPG series for almost a decade (the Japanese version of Persona 5 launched in 2016), and the game's producers have now given everyone a lifeline.You see, the very first Persona game released almost 30 years ago, meaning the series will have a chance to go all out and celebrate a milestone birthday next year. When asked about his ambitions for the year ahead in an interview with 4Gamer, translated by Gematsu, prod
  
  Read more

• Witchfire CEO says Divinity devs are "definitely not evil" for exploring AI, but the backlash stems from people wanting "to have contact with other humans through art"

  28-12-2025 18:05 via gamesradar.com
  
  The Astronauts CEO Adrian Chmielarz - developer behind beloved walking sim The Vanishing of Ethan Carter and early access fantasy FPS Witchfire - has chimed in on the discourse around Larian Studios' use of generative AI.For context, just earlier this month, Larian CEO Swen Vincke found himself in hot water for saying the studio was toying with generative AI in the early stages of production for Divinity. He later went on to clarify that the RPG wouldn't launch with any AI-generated assets - dev
  
  Read more

• Calling games Soulslikes has "kept a lot of devs stuck in a loop of recreating Dark Souls," which is already "the best Dark Souls game," Aggro Crab lead says

  28-12-2025 16:53 via gamesradar.com
  
  FromSoftware inadvertently created an entire subgenre with its dour dark fantasy classic Demon Souls, which then got widespread recognition in the very similar Dark Souls. But the developer behind Peak and crustacean action-RPG Another Crab's Treasure thinks the Soulslike moniker has "kept a lot of devs stuck in a loop of recreating" what was already imperfectly perfect in the original Dark Souls.Speaking to Game Informer about the subgenre, Aggro Crab creative director Caelan Pollock said, "I t
  
  Read more

• "If Mario starts appearing on PlayStation, that's the apocalypse": Former Sony exec Shawn Layden thinks exclusives still have "huge value"

  28-12-2025 16:25 via gamesradar.com
  
  PlayStation's former boss Shawn Layden has defended full-on exclusive games in an era where they've become somewhat rarer.Shawn Layden, who led Sony Interactive Entertainment through most of its dominant PS4 generation, recently appeared on the Pause for Thought podcast and had some interesting things to say about the changing ways platform holders treat their first-party games."I don't think every game has to be console exclusive," he said. "I don't think every game should be console-exclusive,
  
  Read more

• I treated myself to the Red Dead Redemption mobile port, but there's one thing I should've picked up too

  28-12-2025 14:30 via gamesradar.com
  
  As someone who wasn’t old enough to play it when it came out, I naturally have fond memories playing the original Red Dead Redemption – so when the remaster was announced I was naturally ready to download it on day one.That’s right – if you somehow missed the news, Red Dead Redemption was remastered for modern consoles, but it’s also available on Android or iOS. It’s a fair bit more expensive than your average mobile game, but it’s free to Netflix subscr
  
  Read more

• These party board games are essential for any New Year's Eve get-together

  27-12-2025 18:00 via gamesradar.com
  
  Breaking out party board games is the perfect way to kick off New Year's Eve, if you ask me; they get everyone talking, laughing, and making memories. Want to level up your NYE get-together? This is how.I've been rolling dice with my friends and family on New Year's Eve for years now, and 2026 isn't going to be any different. In fact, I'm making a beeline for the following five party board games as 2025 takes its final bow. Besides rubbing shoulders with some of the best board games, these sugge
  
  Read more

• Peak is "not going to be a forever game," but the viral co-op climbing game's devs don't want to "leave anything on the table" either

  27-12-2025 17:54 via gamesradar.com
  
  As the product of a four week game jam between two friendly studios looking to experiment, Peak was never intended to be an overnight viral phenomenon. Thus, co-developers Aggro Crab and Landfall also didn't have plans to support the co-op climbing game in perpetuity, like a live service title, and over 10 million copies sold isn't changing that fact.Aggro Crab (developer behind Going Under and Another Crab's Treasure) studio head Nick Kaman said as much in an interview with GamesRadar+, where h
  
  Read more

• Persona 5 director hasn't been "super involved" in the JRPG series since P5, but "we're not completely separated from a creative standpoint, so rest assured"

  27-12-2025 17:19 via gamesradar.com
  
  Despite defining and then redefining what the modern Persona series could be, frequent series director Katsura Hashino hasn't been too hands on with the high-schooling, demon-hunting franchise since its last mainline entry in Persona 5 Royal.After directing Persona 3, Persona 4, Persona 5, and Catherine, Hashino decided to open a new subsidiary within publisher Atlus and alongside P-Studio called Studio Zero, which went on to release the widely-acclaimed Metaphor: Refantazio. But that also means
  
  Read more

• Helldivers 2 CCO would rather add "sequel-level features," like 8-player missions and bigger open-world maps, than outright make Helldivers 3

  27-12-2025 16:10 via gamesradar.com
  
  Arrowhead Game Studios previously said that a potential Helldivers 3 is hopefully years and years away since the developer is mainly focused on expanding and supporting Helldivers 2 for as long as people are interested in it. CCO and creative director Johan Pilestedt even hinted at the idea that Helldivers 2 could one day turn into Helldivers 3, and now, we have some idea of that would look like.When asked about the "sequel-level features" he'd like to see come into the game before it's ready to
  
  Read more

• For Nier Automata's 9th anniversary, series producer teases "just a little something" but tells fans not to get too excited

  27-12-2025 15:33 via gamesradar.com
  
  Considering how successful Nier: Automata and its never-ending supply line of 2B merch has been, it's somewhat shocking that publisher Square Enix hasn't followed it up with another new mainline game in the eight years since. We might not need to wait too much longer to see what's next, though, as Square Enix exec and Nier series producer Yosuke Saito has teased something for next year.Speaking to Gematsu about his hopes for 2026, Saito noted that next year marks the ninth anniversary of Nier: A
  
  Read more

• A Daredevil: Born Again cast member may have just spoiled the return of an MCU hero

  27-12-2025 15:01 via gamesradar.com
  
  A while back, it was revealed that while Matt Murdock’s (Charlie Cox) mission would continue in Daredevil: Born Again’s second season, one person who wouldn’t be rejoining him was Frank Castle, aka The Punisher (Jon Bernthal). Well, at least that’s what we thought was going to happen. Thanks to a recent Instagram post from Royce Johnson, aka Detective Sergeant Brett Mahoney, who appeared in the Netflix era of shows, Frank might be making an appearance in the second season
  
  Read more

• The Duffer Brothers break down Mike's reaction to that Stranger Things coming out scene

  27-12-2025 11:54 via gamesradar.com
  
  There’s certainly a lot to unpack in Stranger Things’ volume 2. Nancy Wheeler (Natalia Dyer) and Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) broke up. We finally know what the Upside Down is, and perhaps most importantly, Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) came out to everyone in that massively emotional scene.It’s a secret that fans have known for some time, and a reveal the Duffers handled with extra care when writing the script for the show’s final season. One detail they made sure to include, t
  
  Read more

• James Cameron promises a press conference for Avatar 4 and 5 if the films don't happen

  27-12-2025 10:49 via gamesradar.com
  
  At the time of writing, Avatar: Fire and Ash has earned over half a billion worldwide (via The Numbers). We don’t want to call it too soon, but we expect it to draw in a few pennies more, as well. Even with its booming success, though, one person who’s playing it cool concerning the future of Pandora is the world-maker himself, James Cameron.For years, the plans of the Oscar-winning director’s blue-based franchise have always been to get at least five chapters to the screen, wi
  
  Read more

• The Stranger Things creators clear up what just happened with Nancy and Jonathan

  27-12-2025 09:36 via gamesradar.com
  
  It’s nothing new for television shows to have a “will-they-or-won’t-they” moment somewhere in the storyline, but Stranger Things might be the first to have a “did-they-or-didn’t-they” that’s confused audiences as much as this one. In volume 2 of Stranger Things season 5, Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) and Nancy Wheeler (Natalia Dyer) were staring a drippy death in the face, and emotions were high. It was here that they deemed it the perfect time to shar
  
  Read more

Follow @Newslockergames on Twitter!