Warp Zoned Presents
Video Game Canon- Angry Birds, Dragon Quest, FIFA Soccer, and Silent Hill are the World Video Game Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026
- 2025 GOTY Scoreboard: In Progress
- BAFTA Games Awards: All the Winners from 2003 to Today
- Clair Obscur Completes the Sweep by Winning “Best Game” at 2025-2026 BAFTA Games Awards
- Boss Fight Books to Get a New Look for Richard Moss’s “Age of Empires”
Warp Zoned Presents
- Video Game Research Library
- With Grand Theft Auto 6 poised to take over the world, I reached out to Jack Thompson and it did not go well – PC Gamer (2026)
- Vib-Ribbon: An oral history – Design Room (2026)
- How a Second-Grade Teacher Revived a Beloved Video Game – The New York Times (2026)
- Spore: An oral history – Design Room (2026)
- Diablo IV PC Cooled With Real Human Blood Is Still Going Strong Two Years Later, Says Guy Who Won It – Aftermath (2026)
Most Recent: PC
Gearbox adds Alani to Battleborn as a free download for all players; Pendles revealed
Battleborn got a little bit bigger today as Gearbox has made Alani, the game’s 26th playable character, available to download by all players. Alani’s attacks are water-focused, but the character’s main ability is healing:
Alani: Skills Overview
- Torrent: Through years of training in Ket, her order’s martial art, Alani has honed her ability to control water, hurling water bolts to damage enemies.
- Wellspring: Channeling her focus and strength, Alani heals herself for a small amount or envelopes an ally in water to heal them.
- Riptide: Alani sends forth a wave of water that deals damage to enemies, pushes them away, and leaves a trail hastening allies’ movement speed.
- Geyser: Calling upon the power of the oceans, a groundswell erupts, knocking enemies into the air, damaging and binding them.
- Emergence: Alani summons a water dragon that deals damage to everything caught in its wake.
- Osmosis (Passive): Alani’s healing abilities swell and recede like the tide. Successfully landing hits with Torrent grants up to three stacks to temporarily increase the healing power of Wellspring.
Gearbox has also given players a sneak peek at Battleborn’s 27th character, Pendles, on the Battleborn Blog. Pendles is a giant lizard with an even bigger scythe, and he’s not afraid to use it:
Hailing from the water world of Akopos, and pals with Alani, Pendles is a cold-blooded killer. No, literally. This anthropomorphized reptile will ssssneak up on you, poison you, perforate you with dual kamas then – poof – disappear without leaving a trace. Oh, yeah, and he wears a dope pair of sneakers. Get it? “Ssssneaky”?!? Wears sneakers?!? (Fine… fine.) This Rogue’s rogue may be a cold-blooded assassin-for-hire, but Ghalt felt was safer to have him on the team, than not.
And don’t forget… Alani, Pendles, and all of Battleborn’s post-launch characters will be available to download for free.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Battleborn
Capcom reveals a bit more about Ibuki’s fighting style in Street Fighter V
This weekend, Capcom unveiled the first trailer for Street Fighter V‘s next downloadable character, the female ninja (or kunoichi) Ibuki. Now, the publisher has revealed a few more details about her latest incarnation at the Capcom-Unity blog:
Character Overview
Ibuki has always been a very mobile character with various target combos, but she now has even more ways to mix-up the opponent with the ability to glide through the air and toss out ninja bombs, making it very difficult to predict where she will land and where her next attack will come from.Kunais have also been a cornerstone of her playstyle, but now players will have to be much more strategic in their use as she can only stock five at a time before she has to quickly obtain another set. That said, their utility is just as powerful as ever as she can send her entire stock flying at the opponent for serious damage.
V-Skill: Tenrai
Ibuki builds up energy and blasts it from her palm towards the opponent. The blast range is dependent on how long Tenrai is charged for.V-Trigger: Isshaku Horokudama
Ibuki digs into her bag of ninja tools and throws a bomb at the opponent. Depending on which direction is held upon activation, the bomb can either go off quickly, after a slight delay or after a longer delay. Ibuki is extremely crafty and impatient, however, so there might be other ways to trigger the explosion.Critical Art: Kachofugetsu
The pinnacle of Ibuki’s ninjutsu training! Ibuki launches the opponent into the air, quickly following after them. She then performs a series of ninjutsu seals, culminating in a large scale blast to the opponent’s skull.
Ibuki will likely be available to download sometime in June, alongside a brand new stage (“Estate at Noon”) and Street Fighter V’s Story Expansion.
Posted in News, PC, PS4
Tagged Street Fighter V
Street Fighter V: Ibuki Reveal Trailer released by Capcom
Capcom is ready to reveal the next addition to Street Fighter V‘s cadre of combatants… the ninja Ibuki.
Initially making her debut in Street Fighter III (and later appearing in Street Fighter X Tekken and Super Street Fighter IV), Ibuki is a schoolgirl who also has access to throwing knives, bombs, and a cape for limited gliding.
We don’t yet know when Capcom will make Ibuki available to download, but you can watch her deliver a beating to Guile in the Reveal Trailer embedded above.
Posted in News, PC, PS4
Tagged Street Fighter V
“We Are Ghosts” trailer reintroduces us to the stars of Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands
You might not remember, but Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands made its debut a little over a year ago at E3 2015. With the 2016 edition of gaming’s premiere showcase just a few weeks away, Ubisoft has decided to reintroduce the world to the next game in the Ghost Recon franchise with a new trailer, “We Are Ghosts.”
The publisher has promised to reveal more information about Wildlands at this year’s E3 Expo, though a post on the UbiBlog sheds a little light on the Bolivian locales that players will visit as they work to take down the fictional Santa Blanca drug cartel:
From deserts and mountains to salt flats and jungle, each of these ecosystems presents different challenges that ultimately affect the way you might approach a mission. For example, the thick vegetation of the jungle will conceal your approach to a target, making it possible to sneak up and get the jump on them. Conversely, traversing arid mountains can leave you vulnerable to enemy attack, so an aerial insertion might be the best way to approach the situation. It’s not just Bolivia’s terrain that provokes strategic thinking. Different weather conditions like rain or fog can affect your visibility, potentially making it harder to spot enemies from a distance. In any case, the development team’s priority at Ubisoft Paris has been to make sure that the in-game Bolivia properly reflects the real-world Bolivia’s most extreme conditions.
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands is expected to be released in late 2016/early 2017 and is in development for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One. Though most of the game is still shrouded in mystery, Ubisoft did reveal a few details about its special editions.
All players who pre-order Ghost Recon: Wildlands will receive “The Peruvian Connection,” a bonus mission that “puts the Ghosts in the mountains of Bolivia to take on not only the Santa Blanca, but also their Peruvian counterparts.” The Deluxe Edition will add a variety of in-game items, such as the Huntsman Rifle and Motorbike, three Emblems, three Weapon Camo Skins, three Character Customization Items, and an XP Booster. Meanwhile, the Gold Edition bumps up the Deluxe Edition with a Season Pass for post-launch access to two major Expansions, Equipment Packs, and exclusive vehicles and weapons. Finally, the Collector’s Edition will feature a Santa Muerte figurine and posters designed by illustrator Ken Taylor.
For a deeper dive into the world of Wildlands, a “Pop-Up Video” version of the “We Are Ghosts” trailer, offering additional information on Bolivia and the Ghosts, can be found after the break. (more…)
Gargos is now available for Killer Instinct S3: Ultra Edition owners… so here’s a trailer
Gargos is the immortal demon lord at the center of Killer Instinct‘s bizarre narrative, and the winged monster finally made his debut as part of the franchise’s rebooted continuity earlier this week.
To celebrate his release, developer Iron Galaxy released a new trailer featuring Gargos on Friday, and Season 3: Ultra Edition owners are able to download the character now. Owners of the Combo Breaker bundle, as well as individual purchasers, will have access to Gargos beginning June 3.
To give Killer Instinct fans a sneak peek at some of his alternate costumes, Iron Galaxy also released a trio of gameplay trailers for Gargos late last week. In case you missed them, be sure to check out the pure 90s-ness of Retro Gargos, as well as a more devilish take on the gargoyle, and a version with a creepy clown mask. All three trailers can be viewed after the break. (more…)
Posted in News, PC, Xbox One
Tagged Killer Instinct
No Man’s Sky release date officially delayed to August 9
I guess you can take the sky from me. Developer Hello Games has confirmed that No Man’s Sky won’t be released for the PC and PS4 on June 21 as planned. Instead, the game has been pushed back to August 9 for further polishing.
Writing on the PlayStation Blog, Hello’s Sean Murray has this to say about the delay:
[A]s we approached our final deadlines, we realized that some key moments needed extra polish to bring them up to our standards. I have had to make the tough choice to delay the game for a few weeks to allow us to deliver something special.
We understand that this news is disappointing. Making this game is the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life, but we are so close now, and we’re prepared to make the tough choices to get it right.
Murray closed by offering his sincerest apologies to fans for the No Man’s Sky’s delay.
Posted in News, PC, PS4
Tagged No Man's Sky
Kickstart This! Islands of Nyne: Battle Royale
Business is booming on the Kickstarter block this month. In the last couple of weeks, there has been a plethora of game projects launched which I have wanted to throw money at. That includes Copper Dreams by Whalenought Studios, an isometric cyber-espionage RPG that looks like the Syndicate update we all deserve. There was also the launch of Nadia Was Here from Dutch developer Joep Aben. It is a beautiful top-down RPG with classic 8-bit graphics and sound fused with a brand new battle system.
However, my pick this week falls into a genre I often shy away from: online shooters. Forgive me readers, I am trying to move with the times. I have Destiny and Star Wars Battlefront in my pile, but I’m old-fashioned in the sense that I like to immerse myself in a single-player story campaign. Despite this, I have found something appealing in Define Human Studios’s Islands of Nyne: Battle Royale.
Read on to see what made me get my multiplayer on… (more…)
Codemasters announces F1 2016 for PC, PS4, Xbox One
Codemasters gave the green light to F1 2016 this morning, and publisher Deep Silver confirmed the racing game will be available for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One this Summer. Once again, the developer is pumping even more realism into the game, and F1 2016 will feature an expanded Career Mode with the option to create your own racer for the first time.
Principal Game Designer Lee Mather had a bit to say about the team’s vision for F1 2016 at the Codies Blog:
“F1 2016 is a massive step forward for the franchise. The new Career Mode sits at the heart of the game and allows gamers to create their own legend over a career that can span for up to a massive ten seasons. Beyond improving upon the fastest and most thrilling on-track racing experience in gaming, F1 2016 uniquely offers the drama and vehicle development that goes on behind the scenes. A rich car upgrade system is fully integrated into a new and deep practice development programme which mirrors the tests carried out by the teams in real life.”
The Create-A-Racer option in Career Mode will give F1 2016 players the chance to build their own avatar in the game’s world. This includes choosing a number for your car, as well as a custom helmet and the ability to jump between teams in search of a new contract. Of course, players can also stick with the same team and develop it into a championship contender after upgrading their car with new the Research and Development system.
Codemasters will reveal more about F1 2016 at this year’s E3 Expo, but a handful of screenshots and additional details about the Career Mode are available now at the Codies Blog.