Warp Zoned Presents
Video Game Canon- 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”
- GDC Awards: All the Winners from 1996 to Today
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Wins “Game of the Year” at 2025-2026 GDC Awards
Warp Zoned Presents
- Video Game Research Library
- We Pitched a Museum a 1993 Game Hint Line (And They Actually Said Yes) – Yarn Spinner (2026)
- The History Of The Word “Metroidvania” And How It Spread – A Critical Hit (2025)
- Creator of Hit Game Shovel Knight Is at a ‘Make or Break’ Moment – Bloomberg (2025)
- Shadow of the Colossus: An oral history – Design Room (2025)
- In 2005, games started rewiring our brains – The AV Club (2025)
Most Recent: PC
Overwatch’s 28th Hero is Hammond the Wrecking Ball… a genetically-enhanced hamster in an armor-plated hamster ball
Blizzard unveiled the 28th Hero coming to Overwatch earlier today and there are pretty much no adequate words to describe him. But I’m gonna try.
The game’s 28th Hero is Hammond, a genetically-enhanced hamster who goes by the nickname “Wrecking Ball.” With his vast intellect, Hammond has built an armor-plated hamster ball complete with four assault cannons, a grappling hook, proximity mines, and a temporary shield. Needless to say, the character is definitely classified as a Tank within the world of Overwatch.
Hammond is currently available in Overwatch’s Public Test Region, and he’ll roll out to all platforms at a later date. In the meantime, you can view his origin story in the trailer embedded above, and you can learn more about his abilities at the game’s official website:
Quad Cannons: Automatic assault weapons.
Roll: Transform into a ball and increase maximum movement speed.
Grappling Claw: Launch a grappling claw to rapidly swing around the area. Enables high speed collisions to damage and knockback enemies.
Minefield: Deploy a massive field of proximity mines.
Adaptive Shield: Create temporary personal shields. Amount increases with more enemies nearby.
Piledriver: Slam into the ground below to damage and launch enemies upward.
You can also hear Game Director Jeff Kaplan talk more about the little guy in the latest Developer Update video. It’s been embedded after the break. (more…)
Ride into battle on a futuristic train aboard hoverbikes in the latest Blazing Chrome trailer
The Arcade Crew and JoyMasher are back with another gameplay trailer for Blazing Chrome, their Contra-inspired side-scrolling shooter. This time, Mavra the Human and Doyle the Robot are taking a pair of hoverbikes out for a spin in a battle atop a moving train:
The gorgeous, eye-popping new footage presents the second level of the game, where heroes Mavra and Doyle take on a variety of unique and oppressive enemies like the hovering and damage-dealing Thunderbird and the dangerous bike-Reapers as the heroic duo whiz to glory in their war against militant AI supercomputers. Combining explosive action with a variety of powerful and distinctive weaponry, Blazing Chrome harkens to the golden age of action platformers but harnesses modern-day controls and deep gameplay mechanics.
Anyone who grew up in the 90s will certainly feel the pull of nostalgia towards JoyMasher’s homage to one of the classics of the genre. But as of right now, we don’t know when we’ll get to play it. Blazing Chrome is currently in the works for the PC (and other unnamed platforms), and hopefully the developer will announce a launch date soon.
Posted in News, PC
Tagged Blazing Chrome
Anthem nabs five nominations in Game Critics Awards’s Best of E3 2018 roundup
Every year, the Game Critics Awards, a consortium of more than 50 major publications that cover the video game industry, gets together to choose the best games at the E3 Expo. The nominees for “Best of E3 2018” were announced this morning, and BioWare’s Anthem lead the way with five nominations (including “Best of Show”).
From Software’s Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is also in the running for “Best of Show,” and it’s standing close behind Anthem with four total nominations. After that, a mob of games collided in third place with three nominations apiece (including Battlefield V, Dreams, Marvel’s Spider-Man, Resident Evil 2, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate). All but Battlefield V and Dreams are also up for “Best of Show.”
The PS4 was the most-honored platform with 58 nominations, followed by the PC (with 55), the Xbox One (with 51), and the Switch (with 10).
Several games that clicked with fans at home during the pre-E3 press conferences (including Cyberpunk 2077, Death Stranding, The Last of Us Part II, and many others) weren’t eligible for nomination because they weren’t available to play by the judging panel.
But most of those games will likely get another shot next year (especially since I expect to be old and gray before Death Stranding is released), and you can find all of this year’s nominees after the break. The winners will be announced this coming Monday, July 2. (more…)
Posted in Mobile, News, PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One
Tagged Anthem, Battlefield V, Dreams, E3 2018, FIFA 19, Fortnite, Forza Horizon 4, Kingdom Hearts III, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, Overcooked 2, Resident Evil 2, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Spider-Man, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Tetris Effect, Total War: Three Kingdoms
The first episode of Life Is Strange 2 will be released on September 27
Dontnod Entertainment quietly announced Life Is Strange 2 in May 2017… and then they proceeded to pour all their attention into Vampyr, which was released earlier this month. But with Vampyr now available on store shelves, Dontnod is ready to reveal (in a short teaser trailer) that Life Is Strange 2’s first episode will be released on September 27.
Even with a release date announcement, we still don’t know much of anything about Life Is Strange 2. Though that might change after Dontnod releases The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit next week. The “narrative experience demo” will be available as a free download for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One, and it’ll somehow link up with Life Is Strange 2.
As you might have guessed, Life Is Strange 2 is also currently in development for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Life Is Strange 2
State of Decay 2 rises as the best-selling game of May 2018
I think we can all agree that the Xbox’s two biggest franchises are Halo and Gears of War. But it looks like Microsoft can add the State of Decay series to the list, as The NPD Group (via Game Informer) has confirmed that State of Decay 2 was the best-selling game of May 2018.
The zombie survival sim beat out other several other May releases including Detroit: Become Human (#3), Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (#5), Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition (#7), and Street Fighter: 30th Anniversary Collection (#17).
While it might have seemed like a slow month for new releases, The NPD Group confirmed that increased hardware sales gave the game industry a 13% bump over May 2017’s retail figures.
The complete Top 20 for May 2018 can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in News, PC, PS3, PS4, Switch, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Assassin's Creed Origins, Call of Duty: WWII, Detroit: Become Human, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, Far Cry 5, FIFA 18, God of War 4, Grand Theft Auto V, Hyrule Warriors, Mario Kart 8, MLB The Show 18, Monster Hunter: World, NBA 2K18, NPD, Overwatch, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, State of Decay 2, Street Fighter II, Super Mario Odyssey, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Siege
E3 2018 Aftermath: Nobody “Won” This Year’s Expo Because It’s Obvious That Everybody Did
I don’t want to speak for the entire world, but I think it’s pretty safe to say that there’s no point in arguing about who “won” this year’s E3 Expo. Looking back at what each consolemaker and third-party publisher unveiled during their press conferences, it almost felt like Oprah had commandeered hosting duties for the entire week… you get a sequel… and you get a sequel… they get sequels… everybody gets a sequel!
Though I add that even though exciting new entries from nearly every long-running franchise dominated this year’s E3 Expo, there was also still plenty of new and unique stuff announced.
And while the three consolemakers spent the week firing on all cylinders, Nintendo especially drove this point home with their reveal of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. After it became clear that every character from the franchise would be making a reappearance in Ultimate, Nintendo stopped on Solid Snake and threw a meme-ready “Everyone Is Here!” caption up on the screen.
For me, that’s what the entire Expo felt like this year. Like Tangina, the diminutive medium from Poltergeist, publishers and developers of all stripes let the world know that all are welcome… (more…)
Activision reveals Call of Duty: WWII’s United Front DLC Pack… which launches for PS4 on on June 26
Earlier today, Activision gave Call of Duty fans a first look at the next downloadable expansion for Call of Duty: WWII, the United Front DLC Pack. Available to download for the PS4 on June 26, the pack contains three new multiplayer maps, a new War Mode scenario, and a new Nazi Zombies episode.
In addition to the trailer embedded above, more information about the maps can be found on the PlayStation Blog:
Multiplayer Map – Market Garden
The Market Garden in Call of Duty: WWII is set against the backdrop of Operation Market Garden, one of the largest airborne operations in the European Theatre. This is where you will fight off the Axis advances to try and maintain control of an Allied mansion base.Set in the Netherlands, this map brings intense tight-quarters combat with gunfights waiting around every corner. What was once an opulent mansion is now in war-torn shambles as flames begin to overtake the structure. In the distance, you can see and hear bombs dropping, while all around you is the evidence of the war.
From the Allied fighter plane downed in the river, to the makeshift field hospital in one of the outbuildings, the team at Sledgehammer Games has put extra care and detail in immersing players into an authentic scene from this moment in the War.Multiplayer Map – Monte Cassino
Join the Italian campaign in Monte Cassino. Nestled below a mountaintop monastery, this war-torn village offers rich verticality with rooftop vantage points and sneaky flank paths along the cliffs.Multiplayer Map – Stalingrad
Stalingrad, based on the largest confrontation in World War II history, features two main bases located on opposite sides of a war-torn city. Snipers can focus on securing key perches to control the map’s center, while run-and-gunners can sneak through the underground sewers to flank behind enemy lines.War Mode – Operation Supercharge
Named after the Second Battle of El Alamein, Field Marshal Montgomery and the Allied Forces pushed the Germans and Italians to retreat from their last significant defensive position in southern Tunisia. In this all new mission, the Allies airdrop into Tunisia and push into a Nazi-occupied village to capture key supplies, then cripple the enemy by detonating a key transport bridge. They then make the final knock-out blow by capturing entrenched Axis fortifications.Nazi Zombies – The Tortured Path
The Allied forces are crumbling under the relentless advance of the Final Reich. General Rideau decides to take one last, dangerous gambit: to personally lead a small, unmarked caravan across the 2,000 miles of smoldering, infested land that stand between Berlin and the Allied-controlled port of Malaga. From there, he and his crew face a treacherous voyage across icy southern waters and U-boat blockades.His mission? Transport the remaining pieces of Emperor Barbarossa’s legendary sword to the edge of the world. Uncover the lost forges of ancient Thule. Make the sword whole again… and deliver a final death to the Undying.
Call of Duty: WWII’s United Front DLC Pack is also in the works for the PC and Xbox One, and should make its debut on those two platforms sometime in July.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Call of Duty: WWII
WWE 2K19 will be released on October 9 with AJ Styles on the cover
Rather than get lost in last week’s E3 scrum, 2K Games waited a week to announce that WWE 2K19 will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One. This year, the wrestling sim will feature current WWE Champion AJ Styles on the cover.
“As a hardcore gamer and ambassador of everything it means to ‘Never Say Never’ in both my professional and personal life, it is a dream come true to be selected as the WWE 2K19 cover Superstar,” said AJ Styles. “From Seth Rollins last year to Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, John Cena, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and Brock Lesnar, I am honored to join this incredible list of past WWE 2K cover Superstars and put my own unique stamp on the franchise.”
The publisher also confirmed that WWE 2K19 will be available in a Deluxe Edition om the PC, PS4, and Xbox One. The Deluxe Edition will include special packaging, and access to the Season Pass and other exclusive in-game content. Players who purchase the Deluxe Edition will also be able to begin playing the game on October 5.
A separate Collector’s Edition will also be released for the PS4 and Xbox One, and it’ll include everything from the Deluxe Edition (including the October 5 launch date), as well as “Premium Packaging,” exclusive and rare physical collectibles, and “Limited Edition” content for WWE SuperCard.
More information about the in-game content and physical collectibles found in the Deluxe Edition and Collector’s Edition will be announced later this Summer.