gaming

Streetwear, lifestyle and music collective Places+Faces has now tapped Microsoft’s Xbox for its latest collaborative capsule. Spearheaded by both Ciesay and Soulz, the new capsule centers around the iconic Xbox controller, with a wireless model now dressed in a gradient of orange and red hues reminiscent of film photography, a medium beloved by both creatives. Accompanying the limited drop will be a month of free subscription to the Xbox Game Pass giving you access to more than 100 Xbox titles across console, PC and mobile as well as special graphic tees and hoodies for the streetwear enthusiasts. “We’ve been fans of Xbox since we owned our first Xbox back in 2002,” said Ciesay. “We wanted to create something special and exclusively designed around the controller. We wanted to create somet...

The limited-edition 1:64 scale replica of the iconic “Seville by Gucci”  Cadillac revealed earlier this month for Gucci‘s centennial celebration is now landing on the new Hot Wheels Unleashed video game. The joint project between Mattel Creations and Gucci serves as “a paradigmatic expression of the late ‘70s flair and a testament to the Maison’s forward-thinking that was the original car.” Now partnering with game developer Milestone, Gucci’s classic ride joins a host of unique automobiles including the DeLorean from Back to the Future, the Batmobile from DC Comics, and real-world supercars in the action-packed arcade racing game Hot Wheels Unleashed. To commemorate this occasion, Nostalgia-infused illustrator H3C, and photographers Duane Shoots Toys and Felix Hernandez Dreamphotrogr...

Valve has officially banned all blockchain-based games and NFTs on Steam. The new policy change comes in the form of an added rule to Valve’s list of things developers can’t publish on Steam, and explains that programs “built on blockchain technology that issue or allow exchange of cryptocurrencies or NFTs” are no longer permitted on the world’s largest PC video game store. Crypto-based title Age of Rust‘s developer SpacePirate explained on Twitter that the policy reflects Valve’s approach that items on its platform should not have real-world value, although he went on to say he “fundamentally believe[s] that NFTs and blockchain games are the future.” Following the announcement, Epic Games chimed in on the discussion and said that, unlike Steam, it welcomes the new innovation. While t...

As talks of renewing their partnership have turned sour, FIFA is now planning on ending its long-standing exclusive partnership with Electronic Arts. In a statement issued by the organization, FIFA says that it is reassessing its approach to esports and the gaming industry, hoping to look beyond just EA Sports in order to broaden its horizons and give football fans more specialized experiences. “Gaming and eSports are the fastest-growing media verticals on the planet, with new and diverse types of games launching continuously,” it wrote. “It is therefore of crucial importance for FIFA and its stakeholders to maximise all future opportunities for football and gaming fans.” To this end, FIFA has been in talks with numerous companies within the gaming, tech and mobile industries to create a l...

The Xbox Mini Fridge will be available for preorder next week on October 19 for a MSRP of $99.99 USD. The unit will start shipping sometime in December, just in time for the holiday season. [embedded content] Microsoft is delivering on its promise to bring the mini-fridges to market if they won a Twitter brand competition against Skittles. The mini-fridge can hold up to 12 canned drinks and has a separate compartment on the door for snacks and small eats. The exterior follows the same look and feel of the console and the interior features Xbox’ trademark black and neon green color scheme throughout. Additionally, there is a USB port on the front that allows one to charge their devices and also comes with a DC power adaptor for easy portability. Thanks to everyone who voted, this was down t...

Russian-Ukrainian esports group Team Spirit has been crowned champions of the 10th Dota 2 world championships, The International 2021, by defeating Chinese favorites PSG.LGD 3–2 in a spectacular best of 5 finals. The underdogs will be taking home $18.2 million USD of the total $40 million USD prize pool, which is the largest to date of any esports tournament, and represents two years of community funding, once again displaying the unity and love for the game of the Dota 2 player base. It was an arduous journey for Team Spirit — comprising, from Position 1 to 5, Yatoro, TORONTOTOKYO, Collapse, Mira and team captain Miposhka — having placed 4th in Group B during the group stages, then losing 2–1 to Invictus Gaming in the Upper Bracket Round 1, and then making the slow climb back in the Lower...

Alienware is marking 25 years of producing gaming PCs with a new flagship desktop, a redesigned Aurora. The new Aurora R13 with Legend 2.0 case design focuses on component organisation and cable management creating an “open-air” design, which lends itself to improved air flow and acoustics. The rigs ship with two 120mm fans as standard but support up to four, moving air from the front intake, over the motherboard and performance component, before venting it at the rear. The new case also supports liquid cooling options. Alienware states that increased internal case volume and more fans spinning slower also improves acoustics, with the brand reporting its new PC is 16% quieter at idle, 9% quieter under load and 15% during overclocking. The curved case, available in either Lunar Light or Dar...

Gaming and lifestyle group 100 Thieves has now acquired custom keyboard and keycap maker Higround, celebrating the company’s first-ever acquisition with a collaborative capsule for fans of the two brands. Former HyperX executive Baron Lee has also joined Higround recently to help lead innovation with the gaming group. “Everything 100 Thieves does aims to push gaming culture forward,” said 100 Thieves’ founder and CEO Matthew “Nadeshot” Haag of the new acquisition. “That’s why we love Higround – they have a similar mindset to take something functional and elevate it with quality and unique design. This is the first time we’ve found a brand that shared our philosophy so I’m excited to make our first acquisition and welcome Higround to the 100 Thieves family.” To celebrate the new collaborati...

Since the release of the Nintendo Switch OLED earlier this month, sales in Japan seem to be boding well. In just the first three days of the initial release, the updated Switch device sold 138,409 units. Kotaku reports that during the same time, 32,792 Switch units were sold alongside 8,650 Switch Lite units. By the end of the week, Nintendo Switch sales reached 179,851 units, heavily brought on by the release of the OLED Switch. In comparison to the other Switch models, the OLED Switch boasts a screen with much greater quality. Fans do not have to worry about shelling out a large price difference to get the one with better screen quality. Throughout Japan, Nintendo has seen great success. Just this June, Nintendo sold over 89 million Switches, surpassing other gaming units like the Ninten...

With the game due to release less than a month from now, Call of Duty: Vanguard has finally unveiled its highly anticipated Zombies mode in a brand new trailer. Picking up the Dark Aether storyline first introduced in Black Ops Cold War, the new Zombies mode for Vanguard will bring players back to World War II a year after the Battle of Stalingrad, where a defeated Nazi officer by the name of Oberführer Wolfram Von List discovers an otherwordly artifact that binds him to a Dark Aether entity named Kortifex. The new bond allows him to summon an army of undead foes, and your mission, of course, is to stop him and his zombies along with three of your friends. Perhaps most importantly for players, the experience you earn within Zombies mode will carry over to your Battle Pass fo...