Issue #259

NEWS Link to heading

Apple Arcade is gearing up for the holidays with a myriad of new games

New AMD Ryzen gaming CPU smashes Intel and could make monster gaming handhelds

Ubisoft’s Splinter Cell movie cancelled after producer admits they “just couldn’t get it right”

Valve accused of hosting millions of ‘extremist and hateful’ posts on Steam

Big Star Wars The Old Republic update breathes new life into the 2011 MMORPG

Roblox adds further changes to safety systems and parental controls

Game Pass Losing These Nine Games Soon, Including Rollerdrome

The Game Awards announces Game of the Year 2024 nominees

Rockstar isn’t done updating the GTA Trilogy after its recent big patch, with another now on the way

Minecraft enters real world with $110m global theme park deal

Coming to Game Pass: S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl, Nine Sols, Genshin Impact Benefits, and More

Niantic Used Pokemon Go Players To Create Real-World AI Navigation Model

PS Portal Will Allow Cloud Streaming in New Beta Update

Buckle Up the Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 Launch Was Disastrous

CD Projekt says “no plans” for Cyberpunk 2077 upgrade on PS5 Pro

Fortnite Just Raised Its Battle Pass Price for the First Time Ever

FromSoftware’s parent company confirms that Sony is looking to buy it out

RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic is coming to Nintendo Switch in December

Here are all the Golden Joystick Awards 2024 winners

Here’s everything available in Path of Exile 2 early access at launch

Donkey Kong Land available for Switch Online members

REVIEWS Link to heading

Pokémon TCG Pocket

Manba One Controller

Nairi: Rising Tide

Razer Freyja

Threshold

Half-Life 2

Stalker 2

Asus ROG Maximus Z890 Hero

FEATURES Link to heading

Microsoft’s Xbox transition moves into high gear | Opinion

I love World of Warcraft, but I wish Blizzard would stop looking backwards

World of Warcraft might not have invented the wheel, but it certainly made it popular—and 20 years on, the MMO titan has fundamentally changed gaming’s DNA

I played Half-Life 2 for the first time this year—here’s how it went

These are the lasting things that Half-Life 2 gave us, besides headcrabs and crowbars

UFO 50 changed the way I think about my backlog

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is Going to be a Very Different Kind of Open World Game, and That’s Exciting

‘My brother and I wanted to shoot at each other’: The Lemaitre brothers couldn’t find a perfect 1v1 FPS, so they made one of the year’s best shooters themselves

Remembering 20 years of World of Warcraft

Please Don’t Go Into Stalker 2 Expecting A New Fallout Game

In a tough year for video games, the Game Awards nominations give some cause for hope

Stalker 2’s launch is only the beginning: I cannot wait to see how a long-held series tradition makes this game even better

Avowed: The Final Preview

20 years ago, Nintendo changed how I thought about games forever with just two screens

Path of Exile 2 is a deep, dark, dastardly ARPG that’s got what it takes to transcend even the original - hands-on preview

Dynasty Warriors: Origins – The First Preview

What have they done to my beautiful boy

DISCUSSIONS Link to heading

Turned 50 - what do I play to keep entertained?

Most badass/creative video game levels/sections you’ve ever played?

VIDEOS Link to heading

Half-Life 2: 20th Anniversary Documentary

Corepunk: Official Early Access Trailer

Enjoy a selection of classic Pokémon games and more! (Nintendo Switch)

Rainbow Six Siege: Collision Point Operator Gameplay Gadget & Starter Tips

ARC Raiders | Gameplay Reveal

A Minecraft Movie | Official Trailer

FINAL FANTASY XIV MOBILE – Reveal Trailer

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl — Launch Trailer

Path of Exile 2: Opening Cinematic

Path of Exile 2: Early Access Gameplay Trailer

FUNNY Link to heading

Game of the Year

I modded RDR2 so that thousands of strangers can voice the NPCs in my game in real-time. Mistake.

Clueless Gamer: “Death Stranding Director’s Cut” | Team Coco

DEV / DESIGN Link to heading

I designed economies for $150M games—here’s my ultimate handbook

The art of game balance: evolution

Valve updates guidelines for season passes on Steam

Itch wants asset creators to disclose when they’ve used generative AI

How do you know when your game is good?