On January 16th, players began reporting permanent bans in Arc Raiders. Streamer THUMP shared screenshots suggesting that accounts were being irreversibly suspended for repeat offenses. These bans seem to be targeting players who had been cheating and ‘stream sniping’ – unfairly gaining an advantage by watching streamers’ gameplay – against popular streamers for extended periods over the last few months.
Ubisoft stated they are sad to see him go, but his contributions will continue to be felt at Massive, and they plan to keep delivering the experiences he helped build to players for many years.
The latest Madden NFL games now include features that let your team’s coach impact how you play, thanks to things like Coach DNA and Coach Speak. Each coach also has their own unique play style. This means if you’re a fan of a team like the Ravens or Steelers – especially now that Mike Tomlin has moved on – you’ll notice big changes in Madden NFL 27 with their new coach. Both Harbaugh and Tomlin were long-time NFL coaches, having led their teams since 2008 and 2007, respectively.
Fontaine appears to be a nation dedicated to justice, known for its advanced technology, beautiful art, and dramatic courtroom trials that are also a popular form of entertainment. However, a closer look reveals a disturbing truth. The legal system, overseen by the Hydro Archon and the mysterious Iudex Neuvillette, isn’t focused on true fairness or helping people change. Instead, it’s a harsh and impersonal system based strictly on the letter of the law and designed to maintain control through fear and public displays.
Dynasty Warriors: Origins was a major breakthrough for the series, finally delivering on the promise of huge battles with hundreds of enemies on screen – it felt like a completely new level of immersion. It was a staff favorite and made our top 10 games of 2025 list. After playing it on PlayStation 5 and Steam Deck, I was eager to see how it would run on the Switch 2, especially knowing the developers were aiming for 30 frames per second. After spending over a dozen hours with the Switch 2 version, I’m impressed with how well it plays in handheld mode. During testing, I focused on challenging missions that caused performance issues on the Steam Deck and dips below 60fps on the PS5, and I replayed sections both docked and in handheld mode to compare it to other platforms.
I’ve seen other Dynasty Warriors games play around with alternate histories, like imagining what would happen if the Yellow Turban Rebellion had actually won. But Origins feels different. It’s way more focused on the characters themselves – like a deep dive into who these four leaders could have been if they’d made better choices. Honestly, it feels like really well-written fanfiction, showing us the best, most heroic versions of these guys if they’d just lived up to their full potential.
Artificial intelligence is increasingly impacting creative fields. We’re seeing AI-created music and artists on platforms like Spotify, and AI-enhanced or fully generated artwork and photos are common on social media.
Despite a thriving independent game scene in Japan, particularly within the ‘doujin’ community, it doesn’t often gain attention outside of the country. This means that when people discuss indie JRPGs, they’re usually talking about RPGs developed in the West that are inspired by Japanese role-playing games.
Ever feel overwhelmed trying to understand long updates, like patch notes for a game? Or wished someone would just quickly explain what’s new in a lengthy online discussion? That’s where AI summarization helps. It’s like having a smart assistant that reads through articles, forum posts, or transcripts and gives you a short, simple summary. It saves you time so you can get back to enjoying what you really want to do – playing the game!
ARC Raiders isn’t your typical shooting game. It’s a tense, high-pressure experience where every choice matters, and success or failure hangs in the balance. The game intentionally creates a stressful environment, combining challenging enemies with the unpredictable actions of other players. What makes a match truly chaotic? It’s a combination of careful game design and the unpredictable behavior of human players.