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
Klei launches Closed Beta for Hot Lava
Klei Entertainment has launched a Closed Beta for Hot Lava, their acrobatic first-person platformer that was absolutely inspired by the game we all played as kids. But rather than ask players to imagine the floor is covered in molten magma, Klei’s Hot Lava makes that scenario very literal across locales like a suburban house, a high school, and (what looks like) the bowels of Hell.
Players can sign up for Hot Lava’s Closed Beta at beta.PlayHotLava.com, and those selected to participate will receive instant access to the playtest until April 17. You can also find more information about the Closed Beta on the game’s Steam page:
These last few months our team has been busily working away in our secret volcano lair in preparation to unleash Hot Lava to the public. While, the official launch is still a ways off, we’re happy to announce that we’ll be rolling out our first stress test on April 10th through the 17th.
Players who signed up on the initial beta registration will have first priority in order according to when they signed up. The first wave of participants will be admitted on April 3rd. About 2,000 players will be allowed in. Future, larger waves of Beta players will follow in additional beta phases.
As of now, Hot Lava doesn’t have an announced release date, and its launch is “still a ways off.”
Mega Man X Legacy Collection and Mega Man X Legacy Collection 2 will be released on July 24
As expected, Capcom will split the eight games from the Mega Man X franchise across two “Legacy Collections” for the PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One. But don’t worry, both bundles will be available on the same date.
Earlier today, the publisher confirmed that Mega Man X Legacy Collection (with X, X2, X3, and X4) and Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 (with X5, X6, X7, and X8) will be available to download (for $19.99 apiece) beginning on July 24. A special Retail Edition bundle containing both Legacy Collections (priced at $39.99) will also be available for the PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
According to the Capcom-Unity blog, each Mega Man X Legacy Collection will also feature a Musuem Mode packed with bonus content including galleries for concept art, trailers, and tie-in products. A music library and The Day of Σ prequel film will also be included:
Included with both collections is The Day of Σ, a video originally included with Maverick Hunter X that explores the origins of series antagonist Sigma and the rise of Mavericks while shedding additional light on the events leading up to Mega Man X. You’ll also be able to check out vintage trailers for every Mega man X game, a museum full of art, and view a variety of goodies including toys, trading cards, music collection packages, keychains, and plenty more featuring the cast of characters from the Mega Man X games over the years.
Players will also get to compete in the X Challenge, a new mode that pits X against two Mavericks at the same time:
X Challenge! Have you ever laid awake in bed dreaming of what it’s like to fight both Chill Penguin and Frost Walrus at the same time? You won’t have to wonder much longer, as this brand new mode for Mega Man X Legacy Collection 1 and 2 will pit you against pairs of classic Mavericks. Take three weapons with you into battle, or defy the odds with a buster only run! Even the most die-hard X fans will have their skills put to the test, and even the least threatening Mavericks can surprise you when they’re teamed up together. Are you an S-Class Maverick hunter? With additional leaderboard support, you’ll be able to compare your best time and see how you stack up!
An extensive new trailer focusing on all these features has been embedded above.
Viz Media will release Nier: Automata novel adaptations in North America
Viz Media has announced plans to bring Square Enix’s novel adaptations of Nier: Automata to North America for the first time.
Both novels were written by Jun Eishima, and were based on Game Director Yoko Taro’s original story for the game. Nier: Automata: Long Story Short (Volume 1) will be published this Fall and Nier: Automata: Short Story Long (Volume 2) will be available in Spring 2019:
When alien forces invade with an army of Machines, the remnants of humanity must depend on Androids of their own design – the placid 2B and the excitable 9S – to survive.
The publisher will reveal more details about both novels at a later date.
Posted in Etcetera, News, PC, PS4
Tagged Nier: Automata
Strogg and Peeker will be added to Quake Champions later this month
Over the weekend at PAX East, Bethesda confirmed that Strogg and Peeker will be added to Quake Champions later this month. Strogg is best known as the primary antagonist from Quake II and Quake 4. His diabolical personality will return in Quake Champions, and he’ll be joined on the battlefield by his constant companion, Peeker the Drone…
Strogg (Undying Infiltrator)
Half military-grade metal, half decaying flesh, and 100% ready to rage, the primary enemy from both Quake II and Quake 4 is back as Strogg fights to be freed from the Dreamlands and reestablish contact with his ruthless warlord Makron. Players will also be able to take control of Strogg’s sidekick Peeker, an airborne AI drone that shoots explosives. Enemy kills are turned into a nutritional paste called Stroylent that provides 25HP, but players need to act fast – other Stroggs can steal your Stroylent.
Strogg will be part of Quake Champions’s “April Update,” which will be available to download on April 26. It’ll also include a brand new map, “Awoken,” which Bethesda describes as a “misty labyrinth of tropical ruins.”
Posted in News, PC
Tagged PAX East 2018, Quake Champions
Boss Key brings the battle royale back to the 80s in Radical Heights… which launches on Steam Early Access tomorrow
Cliff Bleszinski’s Boss Key Productions has decided to move on from LawBreakers, their entry in the burgeoning “Hero Shooter” genre, and will now compete with the big boys of the “Battle Royale” genre. But instead of dropping dozens of players on an island, the combat in Radical Heights takes place inside a sealed dome that should be familiar to fans of The Running Man.
The 80s-themed glitz and glamour of the Arnold Schwarzenegger classic (along with Midway’s Smash TV) is a clear inspiration for Radical Heights, and players will need to safely navigate the game’s neon-tinged environments if they want to survive. Thankfully, “Cash is King” inside the dome, and players will be able to spend their greenbacks on new weapons, “righteous” threads, or a BMX bike…
Welcome to RADICAL HEIGHTS, a free *X-TREME Early Access* BATTLE ROYALE shooter. Partake in high-stakes battle royale gunplay in a sunny SoCal dome as contestants drive-by on BMX bikes or stalk other contestants from the shadows in search for weapons and prizes… but also CASH that you can bank – win or lose! Whether you spend that cash on righteous customization in your personal prize room or pull it from an ATM to purchase weapons early in the next game — building a wealth of cash is as important as taking down the competition in this irreverent 80s-themed action game show where everyone wants to be rich and famous!
Radical Heights is a free-to-play game, and it’ll be available to download beginning tomorrow through Steam’s Early Access program. A Founder’s Pack with “exclusive items and bonuses” will also be available to purchase for $14.99.
Posted in News, PC
Tagged Radical Heights
New Retail Releases: Extinction
Another week… another new retail release that’s launching all by its lonesome.
This time, Iron Galaxy (the developers behind the Killer Instinct reboot) will bring Extinction to the PC, PS4, and Xbox One. Published by Maximum Games, Extinction follows a soldier that might protect his kingdom from a rampaging horde of ogres:
Legend calls them the Ravenii, encroaching armies of bloodthirsty monsters standing 150 feet tall that once threatened to destroy humankind. Now the threat has returned, and only those trained in the ways of the ancient order stand a chance at defeating the ogres. You are one of the world’s last sentinels, a soldier named Avil equipped with the skills to battle the endless wave of Ravenii. Fight massive brutes and their minions across a sprawling countryside, defending cities and rescuing innocent villagers torn from their homes. This is no longer a war. It is an annihilation. And you are all that stands between humanity and extinction.
That’s all for now, but we’ll be back in a few days with a look at all the upcoming additions to the PlayStation Store, Xbox Games Store, and Nintendo eShop.
Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn will be released on June 5
Shaquille O’Neal’s glorious return to video games is almost upon us… Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn will be released for the PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One on June 5. Developer Saber Interactive announced the launch date earlier this week alongside a new trailer, which has been embedded above.
A Legend Reborn is a reboot of the original Shaq Fu, and it once again showcases the martial arts mastery of the legendary NBA center, this time in a side-scrolling brawler:
Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn is an action-packed beat ‘em up starring the one and only Big Diesel himself: Shaquille O’Neal. Battle the hordes of Hollywood and hell on a one-man journey to avenge your fallen home and martial arts master. Beat down foes with devastating combos, face off against outlandish celebrity bosses, and unleash your fury with a variety of hard-hitting weapons and power-ups.
A special Retail Edition of Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn will come bundled with a Season Pass, and it’ll also be available on June 5 for the PS4, Switch, and Xbox One. Further details about the post-launch DLC included with the Season Pass will be revealed at a later date.
World of Warcraft’s Battle For Azeroth expansion will arrive on August 14
Blizzard has announced that the World of Warcraft: Battle For Azeroth expansion will march into stores on August 14. The MMORPG’s seventh major add-on will be available in three different packages, including a Standard Edition ($49.99), a Digital Deluxe Edition ($69.99), and a Collector’s Edition ($99.99).
Players who purchase the Digital Deluxe Edition will receive access to a Seabraid Stallion (Alliance) Mount, a Gilded Ravasaur (Horde) Mount, and Tottle the Baby Tortollan Pet, as well a variety of content for the remainder of Blizzard’s catalog. These in-game items include an “Azeroth Is Burning” Card Back for Hearthstone; a Primal Flamesaber Mount in Heroes of the Storm; Horde and Alliance Sprays for StarCraft II; and a collection of faction-themed extras for Overwatch.
Battle For Azeroth’s Collector’s Edition will come housed in collectible packaging with everything from the Digital Deluxe Edition and several bonus items…
World of Warcraft: Battle For Azeroth – Collector’s Edition
- Horde & Alliance Double-Sided Mark of Allegiance – Declare your allegiance with this hefty two-sided emblem (stand included). Place it on your desk or shelf and proclaim your chosen faction to the world.
- Hardcover Double-Sided Book: Elegy & A Good War – This limited-edition hardback collects two new World of Warcraft novellas depicting the Burning of Teldrassil from the points of view of the Alliance and the Horde. Each story includes original artwork exclusive to this edition. Written by Christie Golden and Robert Brooks.
- Battle For Azeroth Digital Soundtrack – Each Collector’s Edition contains a key to download the stirring orchestral pieces from the expansion’s soundtrack—the perfect mood music for laying siege to your enemies.
Players who pre-order any version of Battle For Azeroth at the expansion’s official website will receive a Level 110 Character Boost to use immediately, as well as a chance to “begin [your] journey to recruit the first four of the expansion’s new Allied Races.”
Finally, a new trailer for World of Warcraft: Battle For Azeroth can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in News, PC
Tagged World of Warcraft