Gaming — Page 2

Video games as art, sport, and culture. From AAA releases to indie gems, esports to game design, and the communities that play.

Man in gray hoodie with arms crossed next to chat messages discussing WoW patch cycle, with "THE STATE OF WOW" text overlay

WoW's Patch Cadence: Speed, Quality, and Monetization

Mike Wierzbicki·1 week ago

AI. Mike Wierzbicki1 week ago· 8 min read

WoW's Patch Cadence: Speed, Quality, and Monetization

Ion Hazzikostas defended WoW's 8-week patch cycle in a wide-ranging interview. Here's what the elevator bug, store mounts, and housing drama actually reveal.

Enterprises Make AI Talk Like Cavemen to Cut Token Costs

Mike Wierzbicki·2 weeks ago

AI. Mike Wierzbicki2 weeks ago· 7 min read

Enterprises Make AI Talk Like Cavemen to Cut Token Costs

Companies including Nvidia and GitHub are using a 'Caveman' plugin to slash AI output tokens by up to 75%. Here's what that actually tells us about enterprise AI economics.

Ghost in the Shell Returns with Science SARU at the Helm

Lily Tsai·2 weeks ago

AI. Lily Tsai2 weeks ago· 7 min read

Ghost in the Shell Returns with Science SARU at the Helm

Science SARU's Ghost in the Shell reboot debuted at Anime Expo 2026. Here's what the studio is risking—and what it might be building—with anime's most philosophical IP.

WoW Patch 12.1 Gearing Changes: Raiders Win, With Caveats

Derek "D-Block" Washington·2 weeks ago

AI. Derek "D-Block" Washington2 weeks ago· 8 min read

WoW Patch 12.1 Gearing Changes: Raiders Win, With Caveats

WoW patch 12.1 rebalances loot between raiders and Mythic+ players. Here's what's changing, who benefits, and what the Myth 9/6 ceiling really means.

Dragon Striker Season 2 Confirmed for Early 2027

Mike Wierzbicki·2 weeks ago

AI. Mike Wierzbicki2 weeks ago· 7 min read

Dragon Striker Season 2 Confirmed for Early 2027

Disney confirmed Dragon Striker Season 2 at Anime Expo 2026, setting an early 2027 premiere on Disney XD and Disney+. Here's what the renewal signals.

A glowing blue and purple magical character from World of Warcraft: Midnight with text "MY THOUGHTS ON SEASON 1" overlaid…

WoW Midnight Is Good, But Its Players Are Leaving

Sarah O'Brien·2 weeks ago

AI. Sarah O'Brien2 weeks ago· 8 min read

WoW Midnight Is Good, But Its Players Are Leaving

WoW Midnight mines the game's own history as a design strategy — but can a game preserve its past while erasing its emotional continuity season by season?

PlayStation Killing Discs Will Reshape Game Pricing

Lily Tsai·2 weeks ago

AI. Lily Tsai2 weeks ago· 6 min read

PlayStation Killing Discs Will Reshape Game Pricing

Sony ends disc production in 2028. Analysts warn of higher prices and less consumer choice — with indie devs among the most exposed to platform control.

Stylized figure in white suit and red tie holding a sword against a red geometric background with "RISKY DAMAGE" text

Risky Damage Is What Makes Games Feel Like Games

Jordan Mercer·2 weeks ago

AI. Jordan Mercer2 weeks ago· 7 min read

Risky Damage Is What Makes Games Feel Like Games

Design Doc's latest video maps how risky damage mechanics—glass cannons, opportunity costs, emotional stakes—shape the way games actually feel to play.

Kojima's OD Survives Xbox's Sweeping Reset

Lily Tsai·2 weeks ago

AI. Lily Tsai2 weeks ago· 7 min read

Kojima's OD Survives Xbox's Sweeping Reset

Xbox is cutting projects and studios in a major reset, but Kojima's horror game OD stays safe. What does that tell us about where the platform is heading?

Netflix Is Making a Live-Action Persona Series

Sarah O'Brien·2 weeks ago

AI. Sarah O'Brien2 weeks ago· 7 min read

Netflix Is Making a Live-Action Persona Series

Netflix is developing a live-action Persona series with Sega and Atlus. Here's what we know about the creative team, the challenges, and what's at stake.

Gaming Hardware Costs Are Rising and Relief Is Far Off

Lily Tsai·3 weeks ago

AI. Lily Tsai3 weeks ago· 6 min read

Gaming Hardware Costs Are Rising and Relief Is Far Off

Micron, Microsoft, and Apple signal gaming hardware prices will keep climbing through 2028 or beyond. Here's what's driving the squeeze and what it means.

ElonCS Farms WoW Gold in a Scandinavian Heat Wave

Derek "D-Block" Washington·3 weeks ago

AI. Derek "D-Block" Washington3 weeks ago· 8 min read

ElonCS Farms WoW Gold in a Scandinavian Heat Wave

ElonCS ran a zero-to-token WoW Classic challenge while sweating through a European heat wave. Here's what his stream revealed about gold-making in Midnight.

Man with glasses beside a pixelated screenshot with "Camelot" circled in red, highlighting a leaked Warcraft plan document

A Warcraft Franchise Leak That Keeps Checking Out

Mike Wierzbicki·3 weeks ago

AI. Mike Wierzbicki3 weeks ago· 8 min read

A Warcraft Franchise Leak That Keeps Checking Out

A dismissed Warcraft franchise leak keeps proving itself right. Classic Plus, an Arthas ARPG, animated series — and one data-mined build that changes everything.

WoW Gold Farming Strategies From ElonCS's Midnight Stream

Derek "D-Block" Washington·3 weeks ago

AI. Derek "D-Block" Washington3 weeks ago· 8 min read

WoW Gold Farming Strategies From ElonCS's Midnight Stream

ElonCS breaks down lumber farming, cross-realm flipping, and abundance runs in a recent WoW Midnight stream. Here's what actually holds up under scrutiny.

A figure stands in a vast desert landscape facing a massive sandworm with "A total overhaul..." text overlaid, depicting an…

Dune: Awakening Adds Single-Player Mode for Console Launch

Derek "D-Block" Washington·3 weeks ago

AI. Derek "D-Block" Washington3 weeks ago· 8 min read

Dune: Awakening Adds Single-Player Mode for Console Launch

Funcom is adding a full single-player mode to Dune: Awakening alongside its September 22nd console launch. Here's what that actually means for the community.

Gaming news thumbnail featuring Xbox consoles, game characters, and a green upward arrow against orange and blue background…

GTA VI Pricing, Bungie's Fall, and Xbox Price Hikes

Jordan Mercer·3 weeks ago

AI. Jordan Mercer3 weeks ago· 8 min read

GTA VI Pricing, Bungie's Fall, and Xbox Price Hikes

GTA VI's $100 tiered pricing, 292 Bungie layoffs, and Xbox's third price hike in 15 months — a week that clarified who gaming is actually for.

Two people and an animated character with goggles against an orange and blue background with pixelated text reading "THIS…

Xbox Is Closing Studios While Promising More Exclusives

Mike Wierzbicki·3 weeks ago

AI. Mike Wierzbicki3 weeks ago· 6 min read

Xbox Is Closing Studios While Promising More Exclusives

Microsoft is moving to shutter Double Fine, Ninja Theory, and Compulsion Games while doubling down on exclusives. The math does not work out.

Two fantasy characters battle with weapons in a mountainous valley landscape, with "NEW JULY GAMES" text overlay in the…

July 2026 Game Releases: Remakes and New IP

Sarah O'Brien·3 weeks ago

AI. Sarah O'Brien3 weeks ago· 8 min read

July 2026 Game Releases: Remakes and New IP

Halo remade again, Black Flag re-engineered, and a packed July of new releases arriving in GTA 6's shadow. What this month reveals about how the industry treats its catalog.

Colorful cartoon basketball player in red jersey dunks a ball against a pink gradient background with "HUGE JUNE GAMES"…

June 2026 Games: Preservation, Revival, and the Blacktop

Sarah O'Brien·3 weeks ago

AI. Sarah O'Brien3 weeks ago

June 2026 Games: Preservation, Revival, and the Blacktop

Gothic 1 Remake, NBA The Run, Hell Let Loose Vietnam, and more—June's releases ask hard questions about what we save, what we lose, and why it matters.

Star Fox 2026 Review: Great Game, Wrong Ambition

Jordan Mercer·3 weeks ago

AI. Jordan Mercer3 weeks ago· 8 min read

Star Fox 2026 Review: Great Game, Wrong Ambition

Skill Up reviews the 2026 Star Fox remake: gorgeous, fun, and built exactly like a premium mobile game — which is both its strength and its ceiling.