Starfield DLC Fail, Astro Bot Devs Speak, And Other Big Gaming News Of The Week

Astro Bot isn’t just a brilliant adventure platformer, it’s also an homage to PlayStation history. Sometimes that can make it feel like a Funko Pop branding exercise, but it’s also fun to see all of the nods to important games and characters from the platform’s past. That’s made some absences, like Final Fantasy VII, all the more noticeable, especially since they appeared in the PS5's original Astro’s Playroom pack-in launch game. - Ethan Gach Read More

Photo: Jacob Wackerhausen (Getty Images)

In 2024, when a new game is announced, you can usually count on it to be released on PC, PlayStation, and possibly Switch. But it’s become a bit less of a guarantee that new games or ports will land on Xbox consoles, and it seems Microsoft is aware of this and is asking devs why. - Zack Zwiezen Read More

Photo: Wachiwit / Nintendo / Kotaku (Shutterstock)

Another Nintendo Switch emulator has been taken offline as Nintendo’s crackdown on the homebrew scene continues. Work on the open-source emulator Ryujinx will cease and downloads for it have been removed after its creator was approached by the Mario maker, approximately seven months after Switch emulator Yuzu also bit the dust. - Ethan Gach Read More

Image: Bethesda

It felt like Shattered Space might finally bring space RPG Starfield closer to the original promise of its sprawling NASA-punk space adventure. Instead, the new expansion is getting slammed even harder than the base game by early players, and seems set to potentially end up being one of the worst-reviewed Bethesda DLCs ever. - Ethan Gach Read More

Image: Wizards of the Coast

A week ago, the independent Rules Committee for Magic: The Gathering Commander, the collectible card game’s most popular format in recent years, announced a surprise ban of three of its most popular and expensive cards. The reaction from some fans was swift, loud, and in some cases escalated to violent threats against the people involved. The company that makes the game, Wizards of the Coast, has now responded with more shocking news: the Rules Committee has been voluntarily dissolved and the future of the Commander format will now be decided in house. - Ethan Gach Read More

Image: McDonald’s

If you were a creature of the ‘80s and ‘90s, you may remember pining for the colorful plastic Boo Buckets McDonald’s gave out every Halloween with its Happy Meals. You could trick-or-treat with them, use them to give out candy, or just chuck them in the closet with the rest of junk in your room, only to be discovered months later like a strange artifact from a spookier time. Well, the Boo Buckets are back for 2024, but not as many remember them. - Ethan Gach Read More

Image: Mineralblu / Kotaku

The concept of Colassalcon immediately sold me at “swimsuit Comic-Con,” and it had me for life after I got a look at all the incredible cosplay at the event. The Texas-based con took place this August, spread out across three days at the Kalahari Resorts in Round Rock. As such, most of the costumes on display were swimsuit-adjacent or beach-themed, offering up everything from Beetlejuice in a Hawaiian shirt to a shirtless medieval Mandalorian. - Alyssa Mercante Read More

Screenshot: Sony / Mystic

Earlier this month, Sony rolled out a new firmware update that, among other things, added a customizable welcome hub to the PlayStation 5 home screen. It’s lowkey one of the best new features the console has gotten in years, but it’s being overshadowed by an equally frustrating change that’s resulted in a bunch of random junk, including ads, getting splashed across players’ screens whether they want it or not. - Ethan Gach Read More

Screenshot: Ironmouse / Twitch / Kotaku

Ironmouse is a Vtuber, meaning she streams as an anime avatar rather than as herself, and she just became the most subscribed channel in the history of Twitch. The record-breaking run capped off a subathon that saw her overtake Kai Cenat with a campaign that was largely in service of raising money for the Immune Deficiency Foundation. - Ethan Gach Read More

Photo: McDonald’s

McDonald’s Chicken Big Mac has been a well-liked menu item around the globe for a few years now. And, later this month, the large chicken sandwich will finally be available in the United States. - Zack Zwiezen Read More