Amid criticism that new Overwatch hero Anran looks too much like other female heroes and not enough like her own previous appearance in an animated short, Blizzard has committed to updating the hero's appearance during Season 1. Overwatch game director Aaron Keller announced the upcoming change in a video on social media, saying that the team is currently planning how to make Anran "look and feel more like the fierce older sister that we all envision her to be." While he says the team is proud of the work that has gone into the hero, "we agree that she can be even better if we get this aspect of her right in game." Keller adds that this change has been in discussion internally since last week, but that the team "wanted to wait until we had confirmation of exactly what we can do." For now, there are few details on what changes will be made and when they will be live in game, though Keller says that the studio hopes to be able to make this update during Season 1.Continue Reading at GameSpot

Last year, a No ICE in California bundle raised over $105,000 for the LA-based Immigrant Defenders Law Center. Now, the person behind that fundraiser has launched a new one for No ICE In Minnesota that offers players over 1,400 indie games, which is a dramatic increase from the 500 plus offered in the previous bundle. JesstheHuman launched the No ICE in Minnesota on Itch.io bundle with contributions from 651 creators. So far, almost $30,000 has been raised for the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota. This organization offers free legal representation to low-income immigrants and refugees in both Minnesota and North Dakota. The ILCM also offers outreach to its local communities to share information about immigration laws while advocating for policy changes that recognize universal human rights. Some of the PC games included in this bundle are listed below:Continue Reading at GameSpot

Late last year, indie horror game Horses was banned by Epic Games Store just ahead of its debut. Because Horses had already been banned by Steam in 2023, this gave studio developer Santa Ragione a greatly reduced chance to break even. Santa Ragione has since called out Epic over the cancellation, and now Epic has responded to the former's claims. While speaking with Game File, Epic vice president Steve Allison said, "We love [Horses'] studio," but reiterated that the game's adult content warranted its removal. Santa Ragione responded on social media, and wrote, "Epic made provably incorrect statements about the game's content, refused to provide details supporting their claims, and has not shared their claimed AO IARC certificate, which normally includes a link for the developer to appeal ... They do not 'love that studio,' they have effectively ghosted us." Brian Sharon, Epic Games' senior communications manager, subsequently told IGN that Horses was flagged for violating the Epic Games Store's policy guidelines about inappropriate, hateful, or abusive content.Continue Reading at GameSpot

Riot Games has confirmed that it is laying off 80 2XKO developers fewer than three weeks after the fighting game's console launch. For the time being, a smaller team will work on "key improvements to the game," and its 2026 Competitive Series will go on as planned. 2XKO is a League of Legends spin-off fighting game that has been in the works at Riot Games for about a decade. It's a tag-team fighter built for co-op play. After years of behind-closed-doors testing and several betas, it entered early access on PC in November 2025. On January 20 of this year, 2XKO launched on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Unfortunately, a new blog post from Riot Games indicated that 2XKO hasn't been as successful as the studio hoped for. "As we expanded from PC to console, we saw consistent trends in how players were engaging with 2XKO," executive producer Tom Cannon wrote. "The game has resonated with a passionate core audience, but overall momentum hasn’t reached the level needed to support a team of this size long term."Continue Reading at GameSpot

World of Warcraft's current big bad Xal'atath has been shrouded in shadow for years, but a new animated short is giving fans their best look yet at her origins and motivations--if she's telling the truth. Titled Supremacy, the animated short shows Xal'atath confronting Nexus King Salhadaar, leader of the Ethereals. Salhadaar is reluctant to join Xal'atath and her army of the Void, at first fighting back. But once Xal'atath appears in person to make her case, Salhadaar can't help but listen. Rather than using brute force alone, Xal'atath instead tries a different tactic to convince Salhadaar to join her. She offers to tell him "the truth no one living has heard." That truth is that Xal'atath was once, long ago, mortal. As the short flashes back to show a young, bald girl being consumed by the Void, she recounts how she lost her world to the Void, just like Salhadaar's world of K'aresh was destroyed by the Void Lord Dimensius.Continue Reading at GameSpot

A new State of Play livestream has been confirmed for February 12, but just minutes before Sony made the announcement, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach game director Hideo Kojima also teased… something. The veteran game developer has been busy in his editing studio lately, putting together a trailer for the first time in eight months. While he didn't have time to finish his work, he did post a photo of his desktop setup, including a close-up of his display. Granted, "a Hideo Kojima" screen doesn't say much, but people are already speculating that a PC port of Death Stranding 2 is being prepped for a reveal this month. The game has been a PS5 exclusive since June 26, 2025, and in the wake of an ESRB rating for a PC version that was later deleted, it looks likely that an announcement is on the way, given Kojima's close relationship with PlayStation.Continue Reading at GameSpot

Embark Studios is very intentional about the cosmetics it adds to its multiplayer shooter Arc Raiders, with the developer's CEO saying that any skins introduced to the game have to fit within its highly curated universe. In a February 6 IGN interview, Embark Studios CEO Patrick Söderlund explained that while games like Embark's previous game, The Finals, and Fortnite can add whatever character cosmetics they want, Arc Raiders is a bit different. The difference, for Söderlund, is the game’s lore and world, which he described as being "more curated." This curation is what prevents Arc Raiders from putting, say, The Grinch or Sonic the Hedgehog in the game. "First and foremost, we want to make sure that everything fits the fiction of Arc Raiders, and that it's something that sits well within the Arc Raiders universe," Söderlund said. "I mean, there are other games, very successful games out there--The Finals being one of them--in which the IP is designed so it basically happens to be very elastic. You can do whatever the hell you want, and people are like, 'That makes sense. It's completely plausible.' I can be a pink banana, and you can be whatever, and everyone's like, 'That makes sense. It fits the universe. No problem.' Arc Raiders has a more curated lore, curated world, so we have to stick within boundaries slightly to a different extent than maybe The Finals or Fortnite or another game in which Batman can shoot Bart Simpson."Continue Reading at GameSpot

A newcomer to Overwatch's expanding roster is receiving scrutiny for her derivative character design, and the voice actor behind the hero took to the web to express their support for a redesign. Anran is one of five new heroes joining the game for Season 1, hailing from China and sporting a moveset centered around fire attacks. She appeared in a cinematic last year that introduced her brother, fellow Overwatch hero Wuyang. But fans of the game pointed out that not only does her final in-game design differ from her previous look, but her face looks very similar to that of other characters like Juno and Kiriko. Fareeha, Anran's English voice actor, spoke about the character's design in a social media video post. Addressing the "elephant in the room," Fareeha said they agree with criticisms while giving "grace" to the game's developers.Continue Reading at GameSpot

Since its release back in 2014, fans of the World of Warcraft-inspired card game Hearthstone have eagerly awaited the day it might make the jump from digital platforms to their tabletops. However, if my conversation with Hearthstone director Tyler Bielman and executive producer Nathan Lyons-Smith is any indication, that won't be happening anytime soon. During Blizzard's Hearthstone Spotlight event, I spoke to the pair about the future of Hearthstone and its upcoming expansion, Cataclysm. Among the questions I asked was if--in light of an ongoing trading card game renaissance--the team was considering developing a physical version of the card game. Though Bielman initially said, "I'll start with we have nothing to announce today," what followed seemed to indicate that we're still a long way out from that being a possibility. According to Bielman, bringing Hearthstone to the physical trading card game arena would require "sacrificing a lot of things," many of which the team find fundamental to the game's overall experience.Continue Reading at GameSpot

Hearthstone is preparing to launch its 12th year with a new Core Set and new expansion, this time based on one of World of Warcraft's most iconic events. The expansion is called Cataclysm, named after the WoW expansion of the same name, but as usual Hearthstone is delivering a twist on what we've come to expect from the Warcraft lore. This time, the apocalyptic dragon aspect Deathwing wins. It will release on March 17. In this story, Murozond pulled the victorious Deathwing into the Hearthstone universe, leaving its heroes to defeat the dragon. That effort will be led by Chromie and her Dragonflights, the dragon associated with protecting the timeline, who will pull heroes from across history to defeat this new version of Deathwing. Appropriately, this expansion will bring Colossal minions back to Hearthstone. First introduced in 2022's Voyage to the Sunken City, these minions spread out their effects across multiple bodies with huge effects. Each class will get its own Colossal minion, and six of them are designated as Deathwing's lieutenants. Meanwhile, two new keywords will be introduced: Herald used by those allied with Deathwing with effects that stack the more Herald cards you play; and Shatter for the Dragonflights, which split into two halves to give you flexibility or the ability to combine them. There will also be powerful class-based Triumph and Last Stand spells associated with each class's hero.Continue Reading at GameSpot

French president Emmanuel Macron has clarified his statements on banning video games in his country, explaining that although no ban has been put in place yet, he's not opposed to it or other restrictions should there be enough scientific research to warrant them. Macron took to LinkedIn on February 7 to defend himself against potential critics who, as he said, "misunderstood" the intentions of his recent statements. According to French newspaper Le Monde, Macron supports the games industry--he congratulated French studio Sandfall Interactive for the massive achievement that is Clair Obscur: Expedition 33--but still wants to have a "serious debate" about the health impacts that excessive gaming can have on young people. "Parents observe that some young people spend their days and sometimes their nights playing video games. It has also often been reported that games rated PEGI 18 are being played by children," Macron wrote. "This is a major public health, education, and responsibility issue. For physical health, eyes in particular, and mental health, when a young person no longer goes outside at all because they are playing excessively, of course this is worrying, and we must address it."Continue Reading at GameSpot

Pirates of the Caribbean director Gore Verbinski has shared new insight into the BioShock movie he was planning to make before it all fell apart many years ago. Writing on Reddit, Verbinski said he "loved" his vision for BioShock and said it was "getting close" to being made at Universal. Verbinski was planning to "dive deeply" into the "Oedipal aspect" and aim for a strong R rating, with the story set to embrace the kinds of choices players make in the game and also show them the consequences, Verbinski said. Intriguingly, Verbinski said he and writer John Logan (Skyfall, The Aviator) came up with an idea for the movie to have both of the game's endings. "I was looking forward to bringing that to the big screen and really fucking with people's heads," he said, though the director did not elaborate as to how he would have gone about achieving this.Continue Reading at GameSpot

Arc Raiders has been a smash hit for developer Embark and publisher Nexon, and now Embark's top boss, Patrick Soderlund, has commented on the game's success and revealed that the studio has multiple new games in the works. Speaking to IGN, Soderlund said, "Well, you don't have to be a math professor to realize that the game has done well for us and that we're obviously incredibly happy with the performance from a financial perspective. So, of course, it's been very profitable for us." Arc Raiders, which sells for $40, has sold more than 12 million copies, and this includes copies sold when the game was 20% off for the holidays. The game makes money beyond unit sales, as Embark also offers various microtransaction items for Arc Raiders. Embark was previously planning to launch Arc Raiders as a free game, but later pivoted to a $40 price.Continue Reading at GameSpot

Prime Video has confirmed that Callum Vinson (Chucky, The Night Agent) will play Atreus in the upcoming God of War TV show. It's a key piece of casting news, as the TV series--like the recent games--will follow the father-son story of Kratos and Atreus. Sons of Anarchy's Ryan Hurst will play Kratos. The cast also includes Ólafur Darri Ólafsson as Thor, Teresa Palmer as Sif, Max Paker as Heimdall, and Mandy Patinkin as Odin.Continue Reading at GameSpot

Developer Sad Cat Studios has confirmed that players can get an early taste of the cyberpunk-thriller Replaced, as a demo for PC will go live starting February 11. Set in an alternate version of America in the '80s, the 2.5D platformer puts players inside the gumshoes of Reach--Research Engine for Altering and Composing Humans--an AI that finds itself trapped inside a human body and on the hunt for answers. While the game focuses on exposing the sinister secrets of Phoenix Corporation, Replaced also features plenty of action with a free-flow beat-'em-up combat system inspired by Rocksteady's Batman: Arkham games. Players can also explore the dystopian environments, and Reach will have to deal with unfamiliar human instincts, emotions, and themes of identity on their mission. Sad Cat Studios has also highlighted the game's hand-crafted design in previous previews, combining pixel-art with modern visual effects and a synth-driven soundtrack to set the mood.Continue Reading at GameSpot

Microsoft will reportedly partner with other computer companies like Asus for a variety of next-gen Xbox systems. Obviously, this isn't new territory after launching the ROG Xbox Ally handhelds, but it would be groundbreaking on the home console front. The strategy also seemingly echoes Valve's original vision for Steam Machines from over a decade ago, in which they talked about teaming up with a dozen companies for different hardware options. According to Windows Central, Microsoft is looking at making a premium system that could retail for as much $1,000. However, Windows partners could then offer more price-friendly models of the next-gen Xbox, giving people various options to jump in. Speaking of Windows, the report adds that Windows will be powering the device, as the "Xbox Ally platform from Asus is a hint at a very early version of the next-gen Xbox console formula." Last year, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella noted that the next-gen Xbox could be like a PC. Windows Central reaffirms that direction, with Microsoft possibly marketing the system as one that can play games and serve as a "coding station" or a "music production studio."Continue Reading at GameSpot

Starting in March, all Discord users will be switched to a "teen-appropriate experience" unless they can verify that they're an adult. The social platform is implementing age verification protocols that may ask users for facial scans or identification documents, a policy tested in the United Kingdom and Australia beginning last year. A press release from Discord explains that the age verification process may be required to "change certain settings or access sensitive content," including "age-restricted channels, servers, or commands and select message requests." The global rollout of this protocol will arrive months after a hack affected millions of Discord users and exposed age verification-related data. Discord said that it partnered with a different third-party vendor for age verification after the data breach. Discord will soon be expanding teen safety protections worldwide including teen-by-default settings and age assurance designed to create safer experiences for teens. We’re also launching recruitment for Discord's first Teen Council, creating a space for teen voices to help shape… pic.twitter.com/CW7G4sO38R — Discord Support (@discord_support) February 9, 2026copy On Discord's end, the company promises that its "age assurance" approaches will protect user privacy, saying that video selfies, which AI will use to estimate a user's age, will never leave their device, and that any identity documents users submit will be deleted immediately after their age is confirmed.Continue Reading at GameSpot

Nintendo fans are witnessing something unusual with the Switch 2: Quality ports of big blockbuster games are actually releasing for the platform, and quite frequently. Switch 2 versions of Cyberpunk 2077, Star Wars Outlaws, and Final Fantasy VII Remake have impressed players, and 2026 presents Nintendo with an opportunity to solidify a streak of third-party support. This year's release calendar has Resident Evil Requiem, Pragmata, 007 First Light, Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, and a couple of Xbox darlings (Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and South of Midnight) all landing on the Switch 2. Though more game announcements for the platform are assuredly coming, it's already a strong line-up of non-Nintendo games. For the longest time, many have begrudgingly bought Nintendo machines because they were the only ways to play franchises like Mario, Zelda, and Pokemon. But because of the relative lack of power of Nintendo's consoles as compared to those of Sony and Microsoft, players who also wanted to play major releases like Call of Duty or Assassin's Creed games needed other machines. But if Switch 2 continues receiving excellent third-party ports and equal treatment with other platforms, it could be more than a "Nintendo-exclusive machine" and become the top console for a lot of players this generation.Continue Reading at GameSpot

Between the construction of a Not-A-Death-Star and the subsequent theft of plans for this symbol of planetary destruction/peace, things have been busy in Helldivers 2 as players prepare for the invasion of Cyberstan starting February 10. The homeworld of the Automatons has also been preparing for the arrival of Super Earth's finest, and when the Helldivers touch down, they can expect to be met with an old foe: Cyborgs fueled by "rage and socialism" as they march on troops. Arrowhead Games revealed that players will have three new classes of enemies to take on when they land on Cyberstan: The Agitator, the Radicals, and the Vox Engine. The Agitator is equipped with heavy armor and will take control of Automaton units, effectively coordinating their movements. The Radical is an engine of destruction, hellbent on closing the gap and delivering a roundhouse kick to your Helldiver. Meanwhile, the Vox Engine is a weaponized mobile propaganda platform armed with lasers, rockets, and programmed to spread undemocratic lies on the battlefield. Cyborgs were introduced in the first Helldivers game--portrayed as anti-democratic dissidents who illegally left Super Earth--and Helldivers 2's Automatons are seen as their successors. Naturally, Super Earth's current war on every non-human intelligent species has left the Cyborgs feeling a bit miffed. The return of the Cyborg legions was first teased on Arrowhead's social media, after the studio was "hacked" to broadcast a message by the Automatons. Uploaded in binary, the video message reads:Continue Reading at GameSpot

The Walt Disney Company recently named a new CEO, Josh D'Amaro, and now it's been reported that the months-long search to find a new top executive disrupted plans for gaming. The Wall Street Journal reported that the plans for leadership change at Disney "made it difficult to make consequential decisions about Disney's future." This apparently impacted Disney's gaming plans specifically. "In recent months, executives have discussed potential partnerships with game companies, but shelved the topic until a new CEO started," the WSJ reported, citing a source with knowledge of the situation.Continue Reading at GameSpot

After some rumors in the past couple of weeks that it was in the works, the first PlayStation State of Play of 2026 has been confirmed for February 12 at 2 PM PT / 5 PM ET. Official PlayStation social media accounts have confirmed not only the date and timing of the event, but also that it will include "60+ minutes of news, gameplay updates, and announcements from game studios across the globe." No word on what that 60+ minutes will include has been confirmed by Sony nor by any third-party developers. A new State of Play airs February 12. Tune in for 60+ minutes of news, gameplay updates, and announcements from game studios across the globe: https://t.co/wz6dklBvoa pic.twitter.com/VRStSNZ6RM — PlayStation (@PlayStation) February 9, 2026 PlayStation's first-party portfolio for 2026 already includes MLB The Show 26, Saros from Housemarque, and two Marvel projects in Insomniac's Wolverine and Arc System Works's Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls. Last week, Guerrilla Games also announced Horizon Hunters Gathering, a co-op multiplayer project set in the Horizon universe.Continue Reading at GameSpot

Overwatch is dropping the "2" from its name and rebooting for a new era of story-driven gameplay, and already the refresh seems to be drawing players back. Overwatch hit a peak of almost 70,000 concurrent players on Steam over the weekend, the highest the sequel has seen since its all time peak on launch day. According to Steam charts, Overwatch (which still retains the 2 on Steam for the time being) hit a peak of 69,881 concurrent players over the weekend--shockingly close to its launch day high of 75,608, and higher than it has been in the two and a half years since. The peak in players even saw Overwatch creep past Call of Duty and Battlefield 6--though neither of them are particularly dominant on Steam. Overwatch has not had a great history with Steam, where its lifetime reviews are only around 27% positive, and concurrent players quickly dropped off after peaking on release day. It's a surprise to many to see player numbers picking up on the platform, when the game's first rebooted season hasn't even launched yet--though a limited-time trial for new hero Anran is currently active.Continue Reading at GameSpot

Pokemon turns 30 this year, which is a fact that may turn many older gamers (the writer of this article included) into dust. The Pokemon Company is gearing up for a big year of celebration, which has officially begun with a 60-second ad that aired during tonight's Super Bowl 60. The commercial features international celebrities like Trevor Noah, Lady Gaga, Blackpink's Jisoo, and Puerto Rican rapper Young Miko, all sharing their favorite pocket monsters from across Pokemon's 30-year history. Lady Gaga notably chooses Jigglypuff, and then proceeds to sing the Jigglypuff lullaby right in the middle of the ad--adding "Lady Gaga sings the Jigglypuff lullaby" to the list of things we thought we'd never see. While this Super Bowl ad doesn't reveal any specific projects or products, The Pokemon Company has confirmed two anniversary-themed events for fans to look for throughout the year. The What's Your Favorite? Fan Photo Creations event in Pokemon Go will let players use a new camera feature to post photos of their favorite Pokemon.Continue Reading at GameSpot

Yazuka Kiwami 3 director Ryosuke Horii justified the controversial casting of actor Teruyuki Kagawa as Goh Hamazaki in a recent interview, saying, "We tried to think of someone who makes you go, 'This guy's a creep.'" Horii spoke to Japanese outlet GAME Watch (independently translated by IGN) about the casting, which has drawn criticism because Kagawa has been accused of sexual assault. Horii said the team made their decision based on what performance they would most like to see in the game. "Hamazaki is a sleazy, persistent, and militant yakuza, right?" Horii said. "Since he isn't an explosive character like Kanda, when we tried to think of someone who makes you go, 'This guy's a creep,' naturally it was Kagawa--that was the main factor. Kagawa's acting is fun to watch. Even when he's chopping a pig's feet off with a chef's knife, it has a slimy feel. That feeling permeates his performance, so it brings a freshness to the scene and made it feel really fun."Continue Reading at GameSpot

Helldivers 2 doesn't give its players much of breather before throwing another invasion or intergalactic threat at them. Players across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC have a new reason to be wary, now that Arrowhead Studios CEO Shams Jorjani has been teasing the potential return of an old enemy faction. On the Helldivers Discord channel, Jorjani wrote the following message in binary code: "01011001 01101111 01110101 00100111 01110010 01100101 00100000 01100111 01101111 01101110 01101110 01100001 00100000 01110011 01101000 01101001 01110100 00100000 01111001 01101111 01110101 01110010 00100000 01110000 01100001 01101110 01110100 01110011." According to GamesRadar, that code translates to English as "you're gonna s*** your pants," which is part of a long-running joke that Jorjani first used last year.Continue Reading at GameSpot