Vishal Kamal has been covering video games for 7 years, writing about everything from hardware deals and new releases to esports and the business
side of the industry. He runs TheBadGamer, focused on gaming news worth your time.
Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6) is estimated to have cost its publisher, Take-Two, between $1 billion to $1.5 billion, making it potentially the most expensive game ever made. With its release set for November 19, 2026, on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, the game's pricing strategy is under scrutiny amid economic uncertainty. CEO Strauss Zelnick emphasizes delivering value to justify the cost.
After a week of testing various VPNs while gaming, our stance has shifted: certain VPNs not only don't increase latency in games like Counter-Strike 2 but can even reduce it. This breakthrough means gamers can enjoy privacy without performance sacrifices. With the right VPN, like Windscribe or NordVPN, players can maintain low ping while protecting against potential doxxing and ISP throttling.
Nintendo's former president sheds light on the company's stance against discounts, citing the value of "complete games." This approach has been a hallmark of Nintendo's strategy across its platforms, including the Switch. The policy reflects Nintendo's commitment to game quality and player experience.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance ventures into uncharted territory with a €156 (approx. $180) perfume, exclusive to European shipments, crafted by Kintsugi Perfumes. This unusual offering promises to evoke "fragments of a world you already know" from the game. For the dedicated fan with a deep pocket, this scent aims to transport you back to the medieval world of Bohemia.
Microsoft has discontinued its Copilot feature on Xbox consoles, citing a shift in focus towards other gaming innovations. This move impacts players relying on Copilot for accessibility and gameplay assistance. The discontinuation is effective immediately, with no plans for future support.
Assassin's Creed: Black Flag Resynced, launching July 9 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S, introduces significant stealth enhancements with Observe Mode from Assassin's Creed Shadows and a dedicated crouch button, redefining Edward Kenway's pirate adventures. These updates promise to elevate the stealth experience, a core aspect of the original. With Advanced Combat tweaks, the game sets a new standard for the series' action-RPG roots.
The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind's challenging gameplay is under scrutiny with the release of Quest Markers Plus, a mod adding Skyrim-style quest markers. This addition has sparked mixed feelings, with some seeing it as a helpful tool for newcomers and others, like the author, viewing it as a sacrilege. The mod's impact on the game's identity is debated.
Pirate survival game Windrose inadvertently put players' SSDs under extreme stress, causing high I/O workloads. A recent patch from developer Kraken Express has resolved the issue, introducing a new save system and updated item icons. Despite the setback, Windrose achieved remarkable success, selling 1 million copies in just six days.
Paranormasight director Takanari Ishiyama attributes the success of his horror visual novel series to the rise of high-quality indie games, which draw attention to smaller-scale projects. The series, published by Square Enix, has garnered critical acclaim and positive Steam user ratings. This phenomenon highlights a shift in the gaming industry where indie titles pave the way for niche projects from larger publishers.
Diablo 4's highly anticipated secret cow level has been discovered, three years after the game's June 2023 release, following a complex unlock path spanning the base game and its two expansions. Players have expressed mixed reactions, finding the level underwhelming compared to its Diablo 2 and 3 counterparts but amused by its humorous, albeit useless, loot rewards. The discovery marks the culmination of a long-standing tradition of hidden cow levels in the series.
