Regulators In The Philippines Continue To Tighten The Screws On Esports

Competitive gaming in the Philippines was dealt another serious blow after the recent signing of a resolution by the country’s Games and Amusement Board (GAB). In addition to mandatory drug testing for THC and methamphetamines, the resolution will require esports events to ensure all participants are officially licensed by the state as well as share…

How Buying Cards Works In Magic: The Gathering Arena

Wizards of the Coast’sHearthstone-ishMagic: The Gathering Arena is a fresh take on digitizing the venerable TCG, but it’s still a game about spending money, virtual or otherwise, to collect trading cards. Here’s our first look at how Arena is handling its in-game economy. How the economy plays out in Magic: The Gathering Arena is every…

Why People Are Freaking Out About Street Fighter‘s Ryu And Sakura

In the Street Fighter series, Sakura has always wanted to prove herself to her hero Ryu. In Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition, the bar appears to have been raised. Note: If you haven’t played through Sakura’s story mode, beware because there are spoilers below! By Street Fighter IV, Sakura had a crush on Ryu, but…

Poll: The New Games That Japan Wants On The Switch

Even though it’s early in the Switch’s life, the console already has some truly wonderful games. But what new titles in popular franchises do people in Japan most want? Like, that will make them buy a Switch? The answers might—or might not—surprise you. Research site GooRanking got over two thousand replies (2,423 to be exact)…

Pop Team Epic Modded Into Skyrim

Since anime Pop Team Epic recently featured a Skyrim reference, someone decided to go ahead and make the inevitable happen by modding Pop Team Epic into the game. Here is the nod in the Pop Team Epic anime. And the ensuing mod. Created by modder Higeyoshi, have at look at Skyrim’s opening sequence with the…

The Iconic Anime That Never Really Found An International Following

There is one anime that you can be sure every single person in Japan knows, young and old alike, and that everyone has seen at least one episode. It’s inescapable but still largely unknown outside Japan. It is Sazae-san Shame, because it’s been running continually since 1969, making it the longest-running animated show in the…

One-Of-A-Kind Yu-Gi-Oh! Card Yours For Only $400,000

In Tokyo’s Akihabara, Card Shop Spiral sells inexpensive and super expensive Yu-Gi-Oh! cards. The priciest one in the shop is Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon. The tag says it’s the only one of its kind in the world. As noted on Otakomu (via ANN and SoraNews), the card was a prize at the Asian Tournament Championship, explaining…

Asakusa. Tokyo, Japan. By James Frederick | Instagram JPGs is a photo peek into wherever gamers might find interesting. If you’re a photographer and have images you want to share, drop us a line! 

Mike Biasi, one of the best WarCraft cosplayers on the planet, sadly passed away earlier this week. You can help contribute to the family’s medical costs here

Lunch Time

Chanin Suasungnern is a freelance concept artist and illustrator from Thailand. You can see more of Chanin’s work at his ArtStationand Facebook pages. To see the images in their native resolution, click on the “expand” button in the top-left corner. Fine Art is a celebration of the work of video game artists, showcasing the best…

Blizzard Made A Little Anime, And It’s Great

Heroes of the Storm is getting a skin pack that turns everyone into mecha. Which gave Blizzard the perfect excuse to ditch the lavish 3D cinematic clips it’s known for and make an anime instead. Tyrael, Rehgar, and Abathur are getting the skins, but really, we’re here for the video: Now that StarCraft II has…

Teenage Overwatch League Player’s Dad Pulled Him Out Of School So He Could Go Pro

Overwatch pro Lucas “Mendokusaii” Hakansson wasn’t expecting to drop out of school. The plan, originally, was for him to take a year off—not all that uncommon in his homeland of Sweden—to see if he could get good enough to go pro. One day, though, Hakansson’s dad Henrik met with the school’s administrators. “He didn’t ask…

This Car Ain’t Right

Today on Highlight Reel we have weird cars, strange video game posture, unique Zelda flying techniques, and much more! Watch the video then talk about your favorite highlight in the comments below. Be sure to check out, like, and share the original videos via the links below. Subscribe to Kotaku on YouTube for more! Catch…

That Time Anime Superstars Made A Cyberpunk Irish Beer Commercial

In 1997, to cash in on the cult reception Ghost in the Shell’s release had met with in the British Isles, Murphy’s hired an ad agency to go and make an anime-themed commercial. That firm, Nexus Productions, was able to assemble a team of all-stars from Production I.G. to make one of the greatest ads…

Ubisoft Accidentally Releases Assassin’s Creed Origins DLC A Week Early, Removes It 

Assassin’s Creed Origins’ first expansion, The Hidden Ones, officially comes out on January 23. However, some players on Xbox One can already play the new content after the game was patched overnight. The Hidden Ones, the first of two major story DLCs currently announced, focuses on events set four years after the main game’s story…

Rusty Lake Paradise Is My Kind Of Creepy

I’ve never been more pleased to learn I’ve arrived late to an ongoing series than in the middle of my first playthrough of gleefully macabre point-and-click adventure Rusty Lake Paradise. Rusty Lake Paradise, released last week on Steam, Google Play andiTunes, tells the story of a man named Jakob, youngest son of the Eilander family,…