Star Citizen could very well be the space simulator to end all space simulators - if it ever actually comes out. The game has been in development at Cloud Imperium Games, founded by Wing Commander creator Chris Roberts, since it was successfully crowdfunded in 2012. Boasting an enormous massive multiplayer universe, elements of space trading, first-person shooter combat, Star Citizen is one of the most ambitious video games ever put into development. 

Several delays and an engine change later, the game is still in early Alpha state with no solid release date. Still, we've seen plenty of the game through trailers and gameplay videos.

There is still hope, though. Star Citizen continues to be developed by a large staff of talented creators who seem determined to produce the game that was promised at some point in the future. When, exactly, that future may come is just a matter of debate. 

Here's the latest from Star Citizen:

Star Citizen Release Date

While Star Citizen's roughly playable builds regularly receive some kind of update, there's no word on when the game will be released. It's quite possible that Star Citizen's development team will release an Early Access model for the game that will continuously be updated for the foreseeable future. In any case, we'll be sure to update you as information regarding the game's fully-playable builds becomes available.

Star Citizen Trailer

Slowly but surely, Cloud Imperium is revealing more about Star Citizen's single-player campaign. This new look at Squadron 42 takes us to a dangerous gas cloud called "The Coil." Check out the video below:

And here are two more Squadron 42 trailers. This first one features a new look at Mark Hamill in the game:

And here's over an hour of gameplay:

During the CitizenCon 2947 livestream broadcast, Star Citizen designer Chris Roberts took the stage to present a video that shows off the massive size of the game's worlds. 

The footage specifically focuses on the ArcCorp planet which has been shown before, but never quite like this. Roberts described the planet's vast cityscape as "Blade Runner esque," which certainly does help capture the spirit suggested by the city's spewing flame towers and jam-packed structures. Impressively, Roberts also suggests that everything in the city can be interacted with by the player in some way. There aren't any instances of painted features designed to make the cities look larger than they are. 

Roberts described that particular planet as being similar to Star Wars' Coruscant, but also showcased another planet that seems to have been decimated at one point or at least hasn't been fully terraformed as of yet. 

The team certainly seems to be aiming for a shocking amount of variety in regards to the design of every major planet. That isn't to say that there won't be largely barren planets, but rather that they hope to make each new planet feel like a discovery. 

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Thanks to this gameplay video update on Star Citizen's development, we do know that the game's first-person combat is coming along nicely. 

The purpose of this video, besides showing off the kind of stunning visuals millions and millions of crowdfunded dollars will buy you, is to showcase the progress that Star Citizen's Vision Stabilization engine has made. In short, this improved engine allows for developer Cloud Imperium Games to implement tighter and less visually jarring first-person combat. Previously, some of the game's early users had reported that the character motions dictated by these mechanics were far too loose and had a tendency to generate a floaty sensation. 

Currently on version 3.0, the most recent build of Star Citizen arguably stole the show at Gamescom with this nearly 52-minute long gameplay video that takes on the daunting task of trying to explain the almost incomprehensible scale of the game. 

Not to beat the No Man's Sky horse to death, but one of the most impressive things about this demo in comparison to other titles in this genre is how substantial the universe feels. While certain elements of the experience don't feel nearly as important as the presenter hopes they might come across as ("The elevators in this game really move! *clap, clap, clap*), Star Citizen's developers seems to understand that pretty environments and theoretically infinite content will not get you far if there is not a solid core of gameplay at the center of it all. Watching the demo players navigate a character to a new planet, accept a mission, and carry it out isn't mind-blowing on paper. But, in the context of the full scope of this creation, it does show that there's a promising traditional game at the heart of the title. 

We still eagerly await the day that all questions about Star Citizen will be answered by the retail release of the game itself, but, until then, it's nice to know that it's still capable of wowing people. 

Red Dead Redemption 2 is the story of outlaw Arthur Morgan and the Van Der Linde gang as they rob, fight, and steal their way across the vast and rugged heart of America in order to survive.

The studio said of the game in a press release that Red Dead Redemption 2 is "an epic tale of life in America’s unforgiving heartland. The game's vast and atmospheric world will also provide the foundation for a brand new online multiplayer experience."

Here's everything else we know:

Red Dead Redemption 2 Gameplay Preview

The first demo of Red Dead Redemption 2's gameplay has been revealed. Click here to learn all about it!

Red Dead Redemption 2 Trailer

This new Red Dead Redemption 2 trailer reveals a few new details about the story. Check it out below:

You can check out the first two trailers below:

Red Dead Redemption 2 Release Date

Red Dead Redemption 2 will be released on October 26, 2018, according to a new post on the Rockstar Games website. That post also includes an apology for the game's late release, a few new screenshots, and the promise that more information is coming soon. 

Red Dead Redemption 2 Story

Here's the official synopsis of the game:

America, 1899.

The end of the wild west era has begun as lawmen hunt down the last remaining outlaw gangs. Those who will not surrender or succumb are killed.

After a robbery goes badly wrong in the western town of Blackwater, Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde gang are forced to flee. With federal agents and the best bounty hunters in the nation massing on their heels, the gang must rob, steal and fight their way across the rugged heartland of America in order to survive. As deepening internal divisions threaten to tear the gang apart, Arthur must make a choice between his own ideals and loyalty to the gang who raised him.

Red Dead Redemption 2 Screenshots

Rockstar has released new screenshots from the game. Check them out below:

Red Dead Redemption 2 PC Version

The good news is that publisher Take-Two thinks very highly of the PC market. The bad news is that they don't sound like they're preparing to port Red Dead Redemption 2 to PC when it releases next year. 

During a recent investor's call, Take-Two president Karl Slatoff stated that "The great news is that the PC market is vibrant for us. It’s a great market for us. It’s a big market. It’s a core market in consumers that are highly engaged. It’s a predominantly digital market, which also removes friction in terms of ongoing engagement with a consumer. So, for us, the PC market as a company is very important and very exciting and something we focus on."

That's the great news. The bad news is that Take-Two was directly asked about the possibility of Red Dead Redemption 2 coming to PC and CEO Strauss Zelnick responded by stating: "Any updates about any of our titles will come from our labels."

That being the case, it's possible that Rockstar could decide to put the work in for a PC port, but it's doubtful that it will release alongside the game's console versions.

The Astronauts, the team behind the exceptional The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, have revealed that their next project is a dark fantasy shooter called Witchfire. 

In Witchfire, players will be able to combat the numerous evils that plague these digital lands with a combination of firearms and magic. It seems like you'll mostly be relying on your guns, but magic will at least be available to you as a power-up option if not a full-fledged combat method. 

What really makes us excited about this game, though, is the fact that Vanishing of Ethan Carter so happened to be one of the most impressive atmospheric games in recent memory. It was criticized for being a walking simulator, but the reveal of Witchfire made it clear that the team behind that gem have taken what they've learned from their work on that game and converted it to a full-on action experience. 

Here's everything that we know about Witchfire: 

Witchfire Release Date

There's currently no release date available for Witchfire at this time.

Witchfire Trailer

The debut trailer for Witchfire showcases the game's dark atmosphere and enticing action. Will this game live up to the promise of is atmosphere, pedigree, and visuals?Take a look:

Platinum Games are developing Bayonetta 3 exclusively for the Nintendo Switch. The reveal trailer showcased during the 2017 Game Awards didn't show much more than same vague visual cues and the reveal of the official logo. As such, drawing any substantial information from it - such as its release date or plot details - is especially difficult and somewhat irresponsible at this early date. 

If you still haven't had the honor of being a first-time Bayonetta player, you should first know that Platinum Games' franchise is arguably the best action experience of its kind since the glory days of the Devil May Cry series. The second game in the series was released exclusively for Wii U in 2014. It was one of the most critically acclaimed games of the year and is widely considered to be among the finest action titles ever made. 

Can Platinum do it again? Well, based on their history of meeting and surpassing expectations, we have a pretty good feeling that they'll find a way to live up their promises of delivering a game that raises the bar. 

Here's everything we know about Bayonetta 3:

Bayonetta 3 Release Date

Bayonetta 3 doesn't have a release date at this time. The game is coming exclusively to the Nintendo Switch.

Bayonetta 3 Trailer

Here's the first trailer for Bayonetta 3:

After years of Nintendo dancing around fans' pleas for a new Metroid game, the studio finally decided to drop a humble reveal for one of the most anticipated games of the last ten years right in the middle of their E3 2017 showcase. What a truly Nintendo way to make such an announcement.  

Since the announcement of this project, Nintendo has confirmed that Retro Studios will not be handling the development of this new Metroid title. Instead, they have stated that the development is being handled by a "talented new development team.”

According to Eurogamer, that studio is none other than Bandai Namco Studios Singapore, which is collaborating with Nintendo on the new game. However, Metroid producer Kensuke Tanabe will be overseeing the development of this new title.

Here's everything else we know about the game:

Metroid Prime 4 Release Date

There is currently no release date for Metroid Prime 4. The game is coming exclusively to the Nintendo Switch.

Metroid Prime 4 Trailer

On the list of games that could possibly show up at E3 2017, Metroid Prime4 ranked somewhere alongside Half-Life 3. Nevertheless, here is the first preview for Metroid Prime 4.

Unfortunately, the reveal of Metroid Prime 4 doesn't actually tell us anything about the game itself aside from the fact that it is being worked on. However, given that most people had already given up hope that a new Metroid game would ever be released for the Nintendo Switch, we're going to go ahead and name this one of the best announcements of E3 2017. 

Release Date: May 30, 2018
Platform: Switch
Developer: Game Freak
Publisher: Nintendo
Genre: RPG

Gamers have been salivating at the chance to play a full-fledged Pokemon title at home and on the go with the Switch. So in classic Nintendo fashion, of course the company instead gives fans a game that no one was asking for and that will ultimately leave few Pokemon fans satisfied.

Don’t let the name fool you: Pokemon Quest is no RPG. Instead, it’s a free-to-start adventure/resource management game heavily influenced by some of the most annoying design tropes of free-to-play mobile games. There are no Pokeballs to catch monsters here. Instead, you attract new Pokemon to your settlement by cooking recipes that they like. The ingredients for these recipes are gathered on “expeditions,” short battle stages where your team of three Pokemon battle waves of wild pocket monsters.

Attack choices are extremely limited compared to a traditional Pokemon game. Basic attacks and all movement are handled automatically, leaving you little control over them as the trainer. Each of your characters can equip two special attacks at a time, but they need a few seconds to recharge after use. There’s also a button for your team to briefly split up and try to dodge attacks, but this doesn’t work terribly well in practice.

The game’s economy revolves around PM tickets and battery charges. Speeding up cooking, which takes at least a couple of expeditions, requires PM tickets, as do cosmetic items for your camp site. And if you fail an expedition and want to keep the items you found, guess what? That’s more PM tickets. Your inventory is at first limited to only 20 Pokemon and 20 power stones, items that can give them bonuses in battle. The only way to get more space? PM tickets. Meanwhile, expedition attempts are limited by your battery. When it runs out of juice, you have to wait 30 minutes for it to recharge before you can go on another expedition.

Initially, PM tickets aren’t too hard to come by. You can get them by completing challenges or logging in every day, but that’s only for smaller numbers of tickets to hasten simple recipes. Some of the more impressive cosmetic items will require a serious time commitment, or plunking down real money. Individual power stones start at $2.99. Expedition packs, which include special Pokemon, cosmetic items, and PM tickets range from $4.99-17.99.

Pokemon Quest is fully playable in both docked and handheld mode, but a few minutes with the joycons or the pro controller make it painfully clear that this is not a game meant to be played on the big screen. All of the controls revolve around tapping buttons on the screen. If you try to play in docked mode, you’re stuck with a painfully slow cursor. Nintendo has already announced that Pokemon Quest is coming to smartphones later this month and it’s obvious that the game was built more with those platforms in mind.

The game introduces a new setting, Tumblecube Island, as well as voxel graphics, borrowed from Minecraft. The graphics are fine, but the novelty of seeing blocky versions of first generation Pokemon wears off fast. The special effects from attacks aren’t much to look at either.

Similarly, the music is forgettable, featuring a variety of bright, happy, and largely inoffensive tunes you’ll have trouble remembering 10 minutes after you shut off the game. Pokemon sound effects are taken from the original Game Boy games, which is both a nice touch and kind of annoying.

Ultimately, “kind of annoying” is a good way to describe Pokemon Quest. It’s hardly the worst abuser of the freemium model that gaming has ever seen, but it feels like a poor fit for the Switch, with its large library of quality, affordable indie games. And with more free-to-play titles like Fortnite (which is also coming to the Switch) moving to full-fledged experiences that only charge for cosmetic items, Pokemon Quest feels like a relic from an age of gaming that’s best forgotten.

During Nintendo Direct announcement back in January 2018, the studio revealed Mario Tennis Aces for Nintendo Switch. 

Mario Tennis Aces will be the first Mario Tennis game since the Game Boy Advance Tennis titles to incorporate a story mode. As anyone who played those games - or the brilliant Switch title Golf Story - knows, these sports story modes tend to be incredibly entertaining detours from the competitive play that are loaded with creative minigames. That seems to be what this new story mode is going for, but it also seems that this particular plot might abandon the tennis academy setting of previous Mario Tennis stories in favor of something a little wackier. 

Thankfully, the story mode is expected to include those wonderful boss battles from previous titles.

Regardless of the story's setting, we're just happy to see it return. We're also quite thrilled to see Nintendo return to Mario Tennis so quickly after 2015's Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash was met with an overwhelmingly negative reaction. Considering that the primary criticisms of that game revolved around its lack of content and innovations, we'd say that the quick reveal of Mario Tennis Ace's story mode suggests that Nintendo is aware of what went wrong and is willing to fix it.

Here's what we know about the game:

Mario Tennis Aces News

The latest trailer for Mario Tennis Aces gives us our best look yet at the game's extensive adventure mode. It seems that the mode will consist of minigames and boss battles that serve to further a story about Luigi being kidnapped by diabolical forces. You know...tennis stuff. 

Mario Tennis Aces Release Date

Mario Tennis Aces will release on June 22. It will be playable exclusively on the Nintendo Switch.

Mario Tennis Aces Trailer

The March 2018 Nintendo Direct arrived with an in-depth look at the new gameplay mechanics in Mario Tennis Aces. Check out all the fun below:

Here's the announcement trailer in case you missed it:

The highly anticipated third installment in the main Kingdom Hearts series has been in development since at least 2012. First announced at E3 2013, it's been a long journey for this Disney-Final Fantasy mashup. There's some indication from Square Enix that Kingdom Hearts III will finally see the light of day in 2018, but only time will tell!

Until then, Square Enix hasn't been shy about slowly revealing some of the incredible Disney inspired worlds included in the upcoming game. From Toy Story to Monsters Inc., Kingdom Hearts 3 looks to explore nearly every aspect of the Disney universe while delivering an incredibly compelling RPG in the tradition of previous Kingdom Hearts adventures. 

Here's everything we know about the game:

Kingdom Hearts 3 Release Date 

Kingdom Hearts 3 will reportedly be released sometime in 2018 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. 

Kingdom Hearts 3 Trailer

The latest Kingdom Hearts 3 trailer showcases what is being referred to as Classic Kingdom. However, reports indicate that the Game and Watch footage included in the trailer doesn't pertain to an entire kingdom, but rather a collection of classic minigames featured throughout the adventure. 

There's a new Kingdom Hearts 3 trailer and it introduces the world of Monsters Inc. to the series. Check it out below:

Additionally, Disney showed off a trailer that confirms a world based on the Toy Story films will make an appearance sometime during Kingdom Hearts 3's campaign. Characters like Woody and Buzz will also make an appearance as party heroes during your time in this new world. 

Here are the rest of the trailers that have been released:

This next trailer teases Rapunzel’s tower from Tangled and what looks like the streets of New Orleans from The Princess and the Frog:

Finally, here's the very first trailer from E3 2013:

We've been treated to quite a few great PvP and PvE games over the years, but Hunt: Showdown is one of the few titles we've seen that promises to offer a convincing blend of both styles. in Hunt: Showdown, players will be grouped into pairs and tasked with hunting down monsters across a variety of horror-themed maps. Finding the area's main monster and defeating the various threats that roam around each level will require teams to work together. However, only one squad can claim the bounty and win the day. 

This combination of competitive and cooperative gameplay figures to make Hunt one of the more fascinating online multiplayer experiences on the horizon. Do you wait until another team has beaten the monster and try to take the now-powerful hunters out? Do you go it alone? Do you forge alliances you intend to break? Will you be able to survive the horror's of the night at all? These are the questions the game poses. 

Here's everything we know about Hunt: Showdown...

Hunt: Showdown News

The latest video for Hunt: Showdownfocuses on the improvements the studio has made to the game's performance following the beta. Take a look:

Hunt: Showdown Release Date

Hunt: Showdown is now in Early Access for PC. You can get in on the action for $29.99 on Steam.

No final release date has been set for the game.

Hunt: Showdown Review

While we don't have a final review of the game, Den of Geek did participate in the closed alpha and we have some thoughts. Read them here.

Hunt: Showdown Trailer

The official Steam trailer for Hunt: Showdown explains the game's basic concept in an effective preview that also manages to capture the title's horror elements. 

Elsewhere, we learned that Hunt: Showdown will likely be in Early Access for at least a year while Crytek tweaks it in accordance with player feedback. There's no word on when that access period will begin - only a vague promise of "soon" was made - but Crtytek did state that they intend to offer the game at a lower price when it enters early access and then raise that price in accordance with the amount of content they add to the title during its Early Access period.

We were shocked to learn that Crytek's Hunt was still in development following a trip through development hell and even more shocked to learn that Hunt: Showdown may just have been the most promising game featured at E3 2017. Describing Hunt is a challenging process, but the game's basic concept sees three teams of two compete against each other and a level full of enemies in order to claim a bounty on a boss monster. It's a fascinating mix of competitive and cooperative gameplay that really shines in this recently released full walkthrough of the game's E3 demo:

Th new Yoshi game is simply being referred to as Yoshi. The game is based on a fairly fascinating gimmick involving the depth of stages. Basically, Yoshi is able to move in-between and interact with background and foreground elements that would usually be considered static in many such platforming titles. There are numerous instances of this mechanic being utilized during the trailer, but some of the most fascinating examples of this dynamic mechanic involved Yoshi attacking enemies in the foreground and flipping a stage at will to reveal brand new paths that simply looked like background objects before. 

It certainly doesn't hurt that the game's vibrant art style contributes to the storybook nature of the level design and the use of this flip mechanic. The Switch may not be a technical powerhouse, but games like this showcase why a bright color palette and creative design will sometimes best pure processing power.

Indeed, Yoshi may very well be the game for Switch fans who still harbor a deep love for classic platformers. While Super Mario Odyssey promotes a more open-world take on the platformer genre, Yoshi looks like the kind of classic platforming experience that we might have dreamed of as kids if we could dream quite as big as game's clearly imaginative development team. 

Here's everything we know about Yoshi for the Nintendo Switch: 

Yoshi Switch Release Date

Yoshi is due in 2018. The game is coming exclusively to the Nintendo Switch.

Yoshi Switch Trailer

While not the most high-profile reveal of Nintendo's E3 2017 showcase, this trailer for an upcoming Nintendo Switch Yoshi game was certainly one of the most interesting previews of the show.

4A Games returns with Metro Exodus! Much like the previous Metro games, this one appears to contain a mix of subterranean and overworld exploration gameplay spiced up a bit by the inclusion of challenging combat. As for the timeline, this appears to be a sequel to the previous titles, but that is largely based on the degenerative nature of the universe rather than any specific plot points. 

Otherwise, this title appears to share many of the gameplay and environmental aspects that make the Metro franchise so unique. If anything, there may be a slightly stronger emphasis on creature combat over human encounters (if the footage shown is any indication, at least) but we'll wait until more of the game is revealed before making too many assumptions. 

Here's everything else we know about the game:

Metro Exodus Release Date

Metro Exodus has been delayed to 2019. It is coming to XBO, PS4, and PC.

Metro Exodus Trailer

A new trailer premiered at The Game Awards 2017. Check it out below:

And here's the reveal trailer for Metro Exodus: 

Metro Exodus Details

The latest issue of Game Informer reveals some new information about Metro Exodus. 

It seems that Exodus will start in the fabled Metro but will quickly allow players to explore a much larger outdoor setting. However, Exodus is not an open-world game. It's a series of large, objective-based levels that can be freely explored but are tied together by a narrative. The catch is that you can't return to an area after you've completed the main objectives in a given level. That means you'll want to take care of any sidequests first.

The series' combat and stealth mechanics will receive an overhaul as part of this new emphasis on exploration. There's no word on exactly how they will be changed, but it seems the studio is aiming for general improvements. Furthermore, the traditional hub area from previous Metro games will return in the form of a train called the Aurora that will follow you between most levels. Players will also be able to access several smaller vehicles. 

Finally, it seems that Exodus' story will take place across the course of an entire year. Previous Metro games occurred over just a few days.  

All and all, it sounds like Exodus will make some pretty bold changes to the series' formula. We just hope it maintains some of the distinctive design elements that make the Metro franchise a special - if overlooked - gaming experience. 

The designer of Payday and Payday 2, Ulf Anderson, has started a new studio called 10 Chambers Collective. His first project will retain Payday's four-player co-op gameplay but will add an element of horror that only exists in Payday when someone screws up the vault drill. 

GTFO is described as a "terrifying 4 player co-op game for hardcore FPS players." It sees a team of four scavengers explore various locales in an effort to extract valuable artifacts. Standing in their way are some truly horrifying monstrosities that seem to be quite keen on eating human beings when they get the chance to do so. 

We're not sure what's behind the miniature resurrection of four-player co-op shooters, but this one does feature a few elements that have us undeniably intrigued. Not the least among them is that awesome synth soundtrack that played over the game's debut trailer. 

However, it's really the design of the game's monsters that deserves the most attention. This isn't the usual army of zombies but a series of utterly bizarre creatures. Actually, it feels like there might be a hint of Starship Troopers in the design of the enemies and the style of action. 

Here's everything else you need to know about GTFO:

GTFO Release Date

GTFO is set to release on PC sometime in 2018. 

GTFO Trailer

Here is the debut trailer for GTFO:

The trailer showcases a few gameplay hints that suggest this will be a rather deep action experience. For instance, it appears that players can set-up basic defenses when things go wrong and access a kind of x-ray scouting device that provides a brief glimpse at what lies ahead.

Also of note is the way that GTFO incorporates story into the missions. Your crew of scavengers clearly know each other well and seem to make quite a few references to prior events and the current situation via in-game dialog. 

The developers of the hit 3DS JRPG Bravely Default are teaming up once more to create a new JRPG for the Nintendo Switch called Octopath Traveler.

First off, that...unique name is a reference to the game's eight main characters and eight explorable worlds. For the moment, though, it is being referred to as a working title. Given that Nintendo showcased the game via a four-minute trailer, however, we're guessing that this game is fairly far along in development. 

In terms of narrative and certain gameplay conventions, Octopath Traveler is very much a classic Square Enix-style JRPG. There are colorful characters, grand evils, and turn-based combat as far as the eye can see. This is a game with nostalgia in its heart. 

That said, it wouldn't be fair to call this project a throwback. For instance, Octopath Traveler will allow players to utilize characters special abilities outside of combat. This means that your warrior will be able to challenge most NPCs to a duel which may allow him to complete sidequests or access previously inaccessible areas. A dancer hero, meanwhile, can allure friendly and enemy characters. That last example is particularly hilarious as it means you'll be able to lead certain foes to cleverly placed traps and avoid combat altogether.

Elsewhere, Octopath Traveler's visuals benefit from a style the developers are referring to as "HD 2D." The benefits of this new approach are immediately apparent. Octopath Traveler brilliantly maintains the basic visual style of classic JRPGs but greatly benefits from a noticeable increase in environmental details and lighting effects. It's a stunning visual design approach that we already want to see more of. 

Here's everything else we know about the game:

Octopath Traveler Release Date

Octopath Traveler is coming on July 13. It will arrive exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.

Octopath Traveler Trailer

Here's the first trailer for Octopath Traveler:

And here's almost an hour of gameplay:

Darksiders 3  will cast players into the role of a mage named Fury who uses a whip and magical abilities to fight various forms of evil. Fury is a member of the franchise's Four Horsemen and is described as "unpredictable and enigmatic." The first two Darksiders games featured two other members of the mythical Four Horsemen (War and Death), so this character description does seem to fit the design of the series. 

The sequel is an "open-ended, living, free-form game" that will require players to use Fury's skills in order to defeat the seven deadly sins. The product description and various screenshots also make note of the game's retention of the franchise's signature art style. 

The history of the Darksiders franchise has always been fascinating from a development perspective. It was originally conceived by THQ as a hack-and-slash action/adventure title with gothic horror elements. The second game expanded upon many of the elements the first title established but mostly served to give players more of the same. 

Both Darksiders games received a good deal of acclaim from those who played them but were always seen as fundamentally flawed experiences that exhibited more potential than they realized. When THQ shut down, Darksiders was still seen as one of their most valuable former properties. That's hardly a surprise given just how much the franchise's fans love these games. 

With the franchise now in the hands of THQ Nordic, it will be interesting to see if they are able to fully realize the potential of the game's formula. 

Here's everything else we know about Darksiders 3:

Darksiders 3 Release Date

Darksiders 3 is being developed by Gunfire Games and will be released for PlayStation 4, PC, and Xbox One. The game will arrive sometime in 2018.

Darksiders 3 Trailer

Darksiders 3 is officially coming! Here's the first trailer for the game:

Yes, one of the greatest games of the previous console generation is getting a sequel. Fans hoped that Naughty Dog might find a way to return to the world of The Last of Us, but the nature of the original game's ending left some to speculate that the developers had said all there was to say about the adventure of Ellie and Joel. 

It's not entirely clear exactly what the story will be this time around, but the ominous and fearful tone of Ellie's looming threats suggest that this will be a story of revenge. The recipient of said revenge seems to be fairly obvious based on context clues in the trailer, but in the interest of not completely outlining the ending of the original game, we will not speculate on their identity here.

Speculation is all we have as it concerns the release date for The Last of Us Part II, however. It appears that the game is still very much in development, which means you shouldn't hope to see it before late next year at the earliest. Neil Druckman, the title's creative director, took to the PlayStation Blog to clarify that the eventual release of the game could be "a ways off," and to assure fans that Naughty Dog is only making a sequel to this game because they feel they have a new story that is worth telling. 

Well, we're sold. Here's everything we know about The Last of Us Part II:

The Last of Us Part 2 News

At DICE Summit 2018, Naughty Dog creative director Neil Druckmann revealed one of The Last of Us Part II's stranger inspirations.

"There's a show on Netflix called The End of the F***ing World, which is so well written and acted and quirky, and has been totally inspiring for some of the stuff we're doing in [The Last of Us 2]—more on the dialog stuff," said Druckmann. Given that the Netflix show is about a pair of runaway teenagers who embark upon a dark quest, we're guessing that it might have somehow influenced the equally dark journey of the main characters. However, Druckmann didn't clarify the point.

Druckmann also recalled that The Last of Us was born from a failed pitch he once submitted to George Romero. He wanted to make a game that combined elements of ICO and Sin City while telling a story about a cop with a heart problem protecting a little girl. When the cop's heart condition kicks in, the girl would need to take care of the cop and protect him from enemies. Of course, Romero passed on that pitch. 

The Last of Us Part 2 Release Date

The Last of Us 2 doesn't have a release date as of yet. We suspect the game won't arrive for at least another year, as Naughty Dog only announced it at PSX 2016. It will arrive exclusively on the PlayStation 4.

The Last of Us Part 2 Trailer

A brand new trailer has arrived! Check it out below:

Next, feast your eyes on the reveal trailer for The Last of Us Part II:

The Last of Us Part 2 Story

At PSX 2016, Naughty Dog director and writer Neil Druckmann shared the first bits of Last of Us Part 2 story details, including what the focus will be in the sequel. Druckmann revealed that Ellie is the star of this installment and that the game takes place several years after the original. Ellie is 19-years-old in The Last of Us Part 2. 

Druckmann talked a bit about the tone and direction of the sequel's story, saying that while the original was a story about love, "[Part 2] is about hate." He also confirmed that this game will exclusively continue the story of Ellie and Joel instead of jumping to other characters.

It looks like The Last of Us Part 2 will have a couple of connections with Westworld. It's been revealed that Halley Gross, a writer on the show, will be co-writing the game's story with Neil Druckmann, who wrote the first game. 

Additionally, Westword actress Shannon Woodward will have a role in the game. No details on her character were revealed. Her casting was revealed in a tweet:

It's also been revealed that Bruce Straley, who directed the first game, will not return for the sequel. Instead, Druckmann will be directing the game. 

The Last of Us Part 2 Music

Writer/director Neil Druckmann confirmed that Gustavo Santaolalla, the composer of The Last of Us' wonderful score, will also create the music for the sequel. 

The Last of Us Part 2 Poster

In celebration of Outbreak Day - the day in The Last of Us when the world fell apart - Naughty Dog has released some promotional materials and free items related to the game. You can read a full breakdown of the announcement (which includes information regarding a new The Last of Us t-shirt and PS4 theme) via this PlayStation blog post. 

However, there is one Outbreak Day release we do have to highlight. The fine folks at Mondo have teamed up with Naughty Dog and artist Kevin Tong to release a new poster that seems to be related to The Last of Us Part 2. It's a fairly stunning design that serves as a callback to the previous Mondo The Last of Us poster and an effective teaser. 

You can buy the poster from Mondo's website starting today. 

Those that love Counter-Strike: Global Offensive's competitive scene say that it might just be the perfect eSport. It's not hard to see why. 

There are no respawns in CSGO. There are no health packs, special abilities, meta-dependent hero choices, or minions to kill. A CSGO match consists of two teams trying to use precision coordination and expert aim to either disarm/plant a bomb or simply wipe out the opposing squad. Victory in CSGO is rewarded to those teams and players who exemplify an uncommon mastery of some of the purest gaming mechanics in all of eSports. 

It's an easy game to follow, an incredibly difficult game to master, and a hard game not to love once you begin watching it played at the highest levels. 

Fortunately, CSGO's competitive scene is thriving. Recent tournaments have proven that the overall pool of talent who compete in the largest CSGO tournaments has never been deeper. Top teams and players from across the world are finding new ways to shock viewers with their expert play. Victory demands a level of perfection and peak performance that typically results in some of the most amazing matches you'll ever witness. 

Here's your guide to the exciting world of competitive CSGO. 

CSGO eSports Live Stream

Keep up with the biggest CSGO tournaments in the world by watching them here. 

CSGO eSports Schedule

Here's the list of the largest CSGO tournaments set for the current competitive season. In addition to these events are a host of smaller tournaments spread throughout the year. 

June 16-18: DreamHack Open Summer 2018
July 3-8 ESL: One Cologne 2018
July 12-14: DreamHack Open Valencia 2018
Aug 29-Sept: 2 DreamHack Masters Stockholm
Sept 18-Nov 22: ESL Pro League Season 8 NA/EU
Nov 16-18: DreamHack Open Atlanta
Nov 30-Dec 2: DreamHack Open Winter 2018
Dec 10-16: ESL Pro League Season 8 Finals

CSGO eSports Results

Here are the results from some recent major tournaments:

Esports Championship Series Season 4 - Finals

Winner: FaZe Clan

Runner-Up: Mousesports

ELEAGUE Major: Boston 2018

Winner: Cloud9

Runner-Up: FaZe Clan

StarLadder & i-League StarSeries Season 4

Winner: mouz

Runner-Up: Na`Vi

Intel Extreme Masters XII - World Championship

Winner:  Fnatic

Runner-Up:  FaZe

DreamHack Masters Marseille 2018

Winner:  Fnatic

Runner-Up:  SS

DreamHack Masters Marseille 2018

Winner:  Astralis

Runner-Up:   Na`Vi

ESL Pro League Season 7 - North America

Winner:  Liquid

Runner-Up:  NRG

ESL Pro League Season 7 - Europe

Winner:  mouz

Runner-Up:  NiP

Full results from all known global tournaments can be found here.

CSGO eSports Format

CSGO's competitive format has the strange distinction of being fairly simple and sometimes frustratingly complicated.

In lieu of a formal league, many of CSGO's largest competitions are divided into individual tournaments. These tournaments are typically broken down into Majors and Minors. The big difference between the two is that Majors offer larger ($100,000 plus, typically) prize pools. However, many tournaments employ an open format that allows major and minor teams to compete on roughly the same playing field. Of course, the largest teams may receive formal invites from the tournament's organizers. 

However, there are a few Majors throughout the year that are endorsed by Valve. These tournaments often offer $1,000,000+ prize pools and typically feature only the top teams in the world as determined by Valve and the tournament's organizers. Said teams typically consist of previous Majors and Minors competitors/winners as well as teams that qualify through online and offline play. 

So basically, it's all about the Majors and especially the Valve-endorsed Majors tournaments. However, Minors are a great way for pros to earn extra money and for smaller teams to boost their reputation. 

CSGO eSports Prize Pool

Prize pools can vary pretty wildly in CSGO as there isn't much of a formal league play structure. Smaller events may offer $25,000 dan a little reputation. Majors, though, can offer anywhere between $100,000 and $1,000,000 depending on their size and affiliation. 

CSGO eSports Top Teams

Because CSGO works off a tournament by tournament format, there isn't really an officially recognized "ranking" of the top teams. However, some of the generally recognized best teams in the world at the moment include:

- Cloud9

- Astralis

- FaZe

- Fnatic

- Gambit 

- SK Gaming

- Virtus.Pro

Again, though, part of the fun of CSGO tournaments is the very real possibility that any team can win any event at any time. 

StarLadder & i-League StarSeries Season 4

There's nothing quite like League of Legends eSports scene. The fact that League is one of the most popular games on the planet is never more evident than when you're watching the best players in the world utilize a combination of perfect teamwork and inhuman individual skills in front of a rowdy audience. This MOBA has become a bonafide phenomenon with a professional competition that attracts millions of viewers. 

Now, League's 2018 competitive season has begun.

What begins as a world's worth of top teams vying for the top spots of the Spring and Summer Split seasons will soon transition into the tense tournament known as the League of Legends World Championship. League's Championship finals are famous for being some of the most unpredictable and compelling series of games in the world. It's a spectacle you do not want to miss. 

Whether you've been following LoL since the beginning or you're looking to understand why this game has captured the world's imagination, we're here to keep you updated on the comings and goings of the 2018 competitive season. 

Here's a guide to League of LegendseSports in 2018:

League of Legends eSports Live Stream

You can watch every League of Legends eSports match across every region by checking out our live stream!

League of Legends World Championship Format

It's a long road to the League of Legends World Championship, but here's a rough breakdown of how you get there. 

The first thing you need to know is that there are actually several competitive LoL leagues spread throughout the world. However, the biggest leagues are the NA LCS, EU LCS, League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK), League of Legends Pro League (LPL, China), and League of LegendsMaster Series (LMS, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau). These leagues are complemented by several smaller organizations in other regions. 

Each competitive season is divided into the Spring and Summer splits. Teams from major regions are competing for championship points throughout the season in order to improve their standings and perhaps earn a playoff berth. However, the best way for teams to earn a World Championship playoff berth is to win the Summer split playoffs. Regardless of what region a team plays in, that will automatically secure its spot. Teams from larger regions can also make it to the World Championship playoffs via their play in regional qualifiers or by having the most championship points at the end of Summer playoffs. 

The format of the World Championship and preceding playoffs may change slightly every year, but in 2017, 24 teams across all regions made it to the League of LegendsWorld Championship. They competed in a Round Robin series that eventually ended with the Main Event (Championship matches). The team that wins that final series of best of one matches is named the League of Legends World Champion.

League of Legends World Championship Prize Pool

The exact prize pool for the League of Legends 2018 World Championship has not yet been determined. However, the 2017 World Championship featured a prize pool of $4,946,969.00. It's believed that this year's Championship will feature a similarly high prize pool. 

League of Legends Permanent Spring Split 2018 Format 

The current Spring Split season will be contested under a best of one format. This is a change from recent years, which featured a best of three format. This year will also see the NA LCS abandon Friday games in favor of games that only take place on Saturday and Sunday. 

League of Legends Spring Split 2018 Schedule

Want to know the match schedule for a specific region of League of Legends eSports? You can find each schedule at the links below:

NA LCS Spring Split 2018 Schedule

EU LCS Spring Split Schedule 

LCK Spring Split Schedule

LPL Spring Split Schedule

LMS Spring Split Schedule

League of Legends Spring Split Standings

NA LCS

*Final Regular Season Standings

1 100 Thieves 13W-6L
2 Echo Fox 12W-7L
3 TSM 13W-7L
4 Team Liquid 12W-8L
5 Cloud9 12W-8L
6 Clutch Gaming 11W-9L
7 Counter Logic Gaming 7W-11L
8 FlyQuest 6W-12L
9 OpTic Gaming 5W-13L
10 Golden Guardians 4W-14L

EU LCS

*Final Regular Season Standings

1 Fnatic 14W-4L
2 G2 Esports 12W-7L
3 Splyce 11W-8L
4 Team Vitality 10W-8L
5 H2K 8W-10L
5 ROCCAT 8W-10L
5 Misfits Gaming 8W-10L
8 FC Schalke 04 7W-11L
8 Giants 7W-11L
10 Unicorns of Love 6W-12L

LCK

*Final Regular Season Standings

1 KING-ZONE DragonX 16W-2L
2 Afreeca Freecs 13W-5L
3 kt Rolster 13W-5L
4 SK telecom T1 9W-9L
5 KSV 9W-9L
6 ROX Tigers 9W-9L
7 Jin Air GreenWings 7W-11L
8 bbq OLIVERS 6W-12L
9 MVP 6W-12L
10 KONGDOO MONSTER 2W-16L

LPL

GROUP A

*Final Regular Season Standings

1 Edward Gaming 14W-5L
2 Snake Esports 12W-7L
3 Bilibili Gaming 11W-8L
4 FunPlus Phoenix 9W-10L
4 Team WE 9W-10L
6 Oh My God 5W-14L
7 Vici Gaming 2W-17L

GROUP B

*Final Regular Season Standings

1 Invictus Gaming 18W-1L
2 Rogue Warriors 13W-6L
3 Royal Never Give Up 12W-7L
4 JD Gaming 10W-9L
5 Suning Gaming 9W-10L
6 LGD Gaming 6W-13L
7 Topsports Gaming 3W-16L

LMS

*Final Regular Season Standings

1 Flash Wolves 13W-1L
2 G-Rex 12W-2L
3 Machi Esports 8W-6L
4 MAD Team 6W-8L
5 J Team 6W-8L
6 ahq e-Sports Club 5W-9L
7 Hong Kong Attitude 3W-11L
8 Team Afro 3W-11L

Dota 2 has long been one of competitive gaming's most fascinating scenes. In some ways, its success in the realm of competitive gaming felt like the game's birthright. As the successor to the popular Warcraft III mod, Defense of the Ancients, Dota 2 launched with a fanbase eager to get in on the competitive action. In order to satiate their desires, Valve invited some of the best Defense of the Ancients teams in the world to compete in a 2011 Dota 2 tournament that offered a $1 million prize pool. 

From there, the Dota 2 competitive scene has only continued to grow. What began as an invite-only tournament has blossomed into a competitive season that demands the best from some truly talented teams across the world. They're competing for glory, honor, and the right to be called the best, but they're also competing for a silly amount of money. Dota 2's 2017 International tournament boasted a prize pool of $24,687,919 - the largest of its kind in eSports history. 

Look beyond the cash prizes and the sold-out stadiums of fans that the game's biggest matches attract and you'll find that Dota 2 is ultimately a great MOBA that demands perfect teamwork, a flawless strategy, and incredible individual play. There's a reason this game was launched with a legacy of top-tier competitive gaming to live up to. 

Here's what you need to know about Dota 2's 2018 competitive scene:

Dota 2 International 8 Format

The major change to Dota 2's 2018 competitive season is Valve's decision to abandon the single-tournament format in favor of several tournaments throughout the year that will award competitive points. Those points will then be used to determine who is invited to the championship tournament, The International 8. 

The way this works is quite simple. Throughout the course of the 2017-2018 competitive season, there will be 16 Minors tournaments and 10 Majors tournaments. Minors will award 300 competitive points across the top four teams. Majors will reward an astounding 1,500 points across the same size of winners. First place teams get 50% of the points, second place gets 30%, and third and fourth place walk away with 10%. Tournaments that differentiate between third and fourth place will see the third-place team get 15% and the fourth place team gets 5%.

The eight teams invited to The International 8 will be determined by which teams have the most points among their top three players. Other teams can then make it to the big tournament via regional qualifier competitions. 

Dota 2 International 8 Prize Pool

Considering that Dota 2's International prize pool is determined by community contributions and official donations from Valve and other organizers, we don't currently know just how rich this year's prize will be. However, The International's final prize pool has only grown since 2014. That mean's this year's total earnings could very well exceed $25 million. 

Dota 2 International 8 Live Stream

You can watch the most important matches of the Dota 2 competitive season by checking out our live stream post.

Dota 2 International 8 Tickets & Venue

Valve has announced that The International 8 will be held in Vancouver, British Columbia at the Rogers Arena. This is the first International to be held in Canada. 

"Tickets sales begin on Friday, March 23 at 10:00 AM and 10:00 PM PDT, with two ticket types available," reads a post on the Dota 2 website. "The Midweek ticket—available for $125 CAD—will grant attendance to the first four days of the event, August 20th – 23rd. The Finals ticket—available for $250 CAD—will grant access to the last two days, August 24th and 25th."

Tickets will be sold via Ticketmaster at the aforementioned times. 

Dota 2 International 8 Tournament Schedule

Here are the remaining tournaments for the 2017-2018 competitive season:

Majors Tournaments

PGL; name TBD: June 4-10

Dota 2 International 8 Standings

1 Virtus.pro - 10347 
2 PSG.LGD - 6321 
3 Team Liquid - 6084 
4 Team Secret - 4800 
5 Mineski - 3150 
6 Vici Gaming - 2835 
7 Newbee - 2445 
8 VGJ.Thunder - 1935 

Were you one of many gamers who played Assassin's Creed: Black Flag's ship sections and thought, "Why doesn't Ubisoft just turn this into a game?" Well, it appears that Ubisoft heard that very valid question. 

Skull and Bones can't exactly be described as a continuation of Black Flag. While the two share many pirate aspects (we'll never tire of hearing our crew sing a shanty) Skull and Bones seems to place a far greater emphasis on multiplayer gameplay, but it's still not clear what the extent of the game's single-player offerings is. 

The game will allow you to assemble an online crew and participate in 5 v 5 battles with rival pirates in ship-to-ship combat sections. While sinking the enemy is certainly a plus, the true goal here seems to be to collect as much sweet, sweet loot as you can while also vanquishing your foes. It's not entirely clear at this time whether or not you and other players will be able to assume multiple roles on the ship or how that system of role management will work, but it does appear that much of the action will take place on the open waters. 

Here's everything else we know about the game:

Skull and Bones Release Date

Skull and Bones has been delayed until 2019 or even 2020 according to the latest Ubisoft earnings report. The delay is attributed to the scope of the experience as well as the studio's desire to expand the lore of the in-game world. 

Skull and Bones Trailer

Here is the first trailer for Skull and Bones:

And here's a gameplay trailer:

This interview video posted by Ubisoft also hints at the game's RPG mechanics and the way that you'll be able to upgrade your ship and crew as you gain gold and infamy. 

The recent registration of a domain related to the Devil May Cry series has some speculating that Devil May Cry 5 might be in development. A Devil May Cry Discord channel shared the news that devilmaycry5.com has been registered by an unknown party. The domain is registered via Japanese company Onamae and was registered sometime last month. Eagle-eyed fans have pointed out that Capcom has used this same company in the past to register domains related to Monster Hunter World and Resident Evil 7. 

Speaking of domain registrations, it appears that someone has also registered domains related to future numerical sequels to Devil May Cry (6, 8, and 9). It also looks like the domain for residentevil2.com was updated just a couple of months ago, which has fueled speculation regarding an update on that long-awaited remake. 

So far as Devil May Cry is concerned, the mere registration of a domain related to Devil May Cry wouldn't normally be that interesting, but this story is bolstered by some other evidence that suggests that there might just be a fifth Devil May Cry title in development. 

For instance, Devil May Cry director Hideaki Itsuno stated last year that he hadn't released a new game in a while because he is working on a big project related to a "great game." If you're really into conspiracy theories, you can also draw something from Platinum Games commenting that it would love to work on the Devil May Cry series once more. However, the most compelling evidence that this information means something is that E3 is right around the corner. 

We'd certainly love to see a new Devil May Cry game. While Ninja Theory's DmC wasn't exactly beloved by hardcore franchise fans, that 2013 title did show that the series still has a lot of creative potential.