Techno-loving hollowtooth Blade has joined the playable cast of Marvel Rivals, but he’s not what I find most interesting about the free-to-play shooter’s latest update. Developers NetEase Games have introduced a new system of penalties for ragequitters, keyboard-away-frommers, and other craven scumbags who abandon a competitive mode match early on because the dishwasher’s overflowing, or similar.
One pro fighting game player’s reaction to losing at Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves was so dramatic that it’s going viral on social media and already showing signs of becoming a meme.
If you’ve been looking at game-related sections of social media today, chances are you have stumbled across a picture or clip of Japanese player Kazuyuki ‘Kojikog’ Koji, mouth open in a scream and clutching his head, while fellow player Goichi “GO1” Kishida looks on with a mixture of concern and bemusement. A couple of stills were even shared by EVO2025’s official X account.
A story in two parts.#Evo2025 pic.twitter.com/eo2pkg2Psg
— Evo (@Evo) August 3, 2025
The player in question is KojiKOG, an esports pro from Japan who mainly specializes in fighting games like Street Fighter, the King of Fighters and Guilty Gear. This weekend, he took on fellow Japanese player GO1 (Goichi) in the Winners’ Semi Final for Fatal Fury: City of Wolves at the Evolution Championship Series 2025 (EVO2025).
Although GO1 won both rounds (and went on to win overall), the fights were very close. Upon being defeated, KojiKOG clutched his head with his mouth open in a continuous scream worthy of… well, Edvard Munch’s painting The Scream. This dramatic emotional outburst, plus GO1’s bemusement, resulted in a number of meme-worthy shots.
I swear to God I’m not making fun of this dude but NO ONE HAS EVER LOOKED LIKE THEY SUFFERED LIKE THIS IN HUMAN HISTORY pic.twitter.com/JekIbl1F0a
— kayos (@kayos_o) August 3, 2025
KojiKOG eventually snaps out of his losing pose and can be seen chatting to GO1 and tidying up. It is clear from this that he was acting. However, shorter clips on social media have caused some who are unfamiliar with KojiKOG’s antics to worry that he was having a real breakdown.
The End of EVOgelion #EVO2025 https://t.co/fZOHd1HmNF pic.twitter.com/Ht0vzmHXd3
— Keith Ace (@Keith_Ace_) August 3, 2025
KojiKOG is known for being a bit of a comedian, often doing his screaming pose and pulling funny faces in interviews (like at EWC2025). His dramatic reaction to losing this weekend was likely a reference to when he previously faced off against GO1 at EVO15. As seen in the video below, he did a similar screaming pose- puzzling the Japanese commentators as his antics weren’t well known back then.
10 years ago, GO1 went to EVO for the first time and won 4 side games—Melty Blood, Dengeki Bunko, UNI, and AQUAPAZZA, beating KojiKOG in the finals
Today, they meet again on the EVO main stage, recreating the ‘leg cutting incident’ meme https://t.co/p5whu1GNLB pic.twitter.com/rfPVn2HJXg
— HiFight(ハイファイト) (@HiFightTH) August 3, 2025
Commenting on this, legendary pro fighting game player Daigo Umehara mused that KojiKOG’s reaction was like a character in the SAW movies having their leg cut off. This is why many Japanese fans colloquially refer to KojiKOG’s dramatic pained reaction as the “leg cutting incident” and the like.
Although KojiKOG lost against GO1 at EVO2025, he came in joint fifth place overall, winning 80% of his matches in Fatal Fury: City of Wolves.
Verity Townsend is a Japan-based freelance writer who previously served as editor, contributor and translator for the game news site Automaton West. She has also written about Japanese culture and movies for various publications.
I was munching crisps while watching a showcase of upcoming games from THQ Nordic last week, letting the likes of a new Spongebob Squarepants game and the Gothic Remake wash over me like barely flavoured fizzy water, when Fatekeeper showed up. I straightened up, just a little. It is a fancy looking first-person RPG made with all the hyper detail and vivid lighting you might expect of a game developed in Unreal Engine 5. It is also conjuring a game worth conjuring: the heavy hitting fantasy brawlabout Dark Messiah Of Might And Magic. As I watched the below trailer, I became more and more cautiously hopeful. Looks slick, but where’s the kick?
Heads will roll.
To return to Ninja Gaiden’s 2D roots in 2025 is a wonderful thing. Dotemu, upon acquiring the license for a series reboot, approached Spanish indie developer The Game Kitchen to get the job done. Known for their remarkable Blasphemous titles, the project was overseen by Team Ninja, who have held the series mantle from 2004 to present. And, while Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is not strictly the Ninja Gaiden one recalls from its NES days, the task here has been carried off with all the panache modern technology can afford, resulting in a blisteringly gorgeous action-platformer.
For those old enough, Ninja Gaiden was once a formidable 8-Bit challenge that either destroyed a child’s willpower or forged them eternal gaming mastery. It was, and still is, brutally hard. While Ragebound echoes this, in that it gets seriously challenging after its first third, its format is far less aggressive. You don’t have lives, you have checkpoints, and respawns come in an infinite flavour. You don’t have entirely linear progression, but a world map where you can return to any substage to earn higher ranks, complete mini challenges, or recover Golden Scarabs. If you’re not well equipped and your reflexes suck, however, the Pirate Stage boss will have you spitting teeth.
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
1985 was the height of the British home computer scene; an era of games delivered on cassette tapes by young coders producing innovative titles straight out of their bedrooms. Among the most notable of these developers were Ultimate, already responsible for ground-breaking titles like Jetpac and Knight Lore – but the studio’s founders weren’t about to rest on their laurels.
This was the year that Ultimate co-creators Tim and Chris Stamper would form Rare – an ambitious new studio intended to focus on dedicated video game consoles, which had already established themselves in Japan and were about to take the rest of the world by storm.
2025 marks the 40th ‘Ruby’ Anniversary of that bold endeavour, and Rare’s inviting everyone to join the celebration of this impressive milestone, offering free gifts, discounts and plenty of swag to claim in their shared-world pirate adventure, Sea of Thieves.
Celebrations begin today, August 4, the official anniversary date, with the unveiling of a heritage plaque at the site of Ultimate’s first home in Ashby-de-la-Zouch. For those not within striking distance of the English Midlands, however, there are new gamerpics and an Xbox dynamic background (above) starring a who’s-who of Rare characters old and new.
Fangamer are marking the occasion with a range of retro Rare merchandise, including a varsity hoodie, wireframe logo T-shirt and commemorative ruby pin. There’s also a limited edition wireless controller being unveiled courtesy of 8bitdo, shining in the studio’s signature colours and officially licenced by Xbox and Rare.
Meanwhile, iam8bit will be opening pre-orders for their freshly-announced Rare 40th Anniversary vinyl collection later this week, while Evercade enthusiasts can look forward to a new cartridge collection of twelve vintage Rare titles spanning home computer, console and arcade.
A huge heritage sale in Sea of Thieves’ Pirate Emporium begins on August 6, offering discounts on items inspired by classic Rare games, and beginning tomorrow, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers will be able to claim an exclusive Rare Ruby Emote as a Perk for use in-game.
The party really starts in Sea of Thieves when its latest Season, Smugglers’ Tide, arrives on August 14, bringing even more anniversary antics in its wake. For a limited time, select Ancient Coin Packs acquired by spending Microsoft Rewards points will come bundled with a Rare Ruby Hat, which can also be earned via the Microsoft Rewards app.
A 40th Anniversary bundle of cosmetics will be arriving on storefronts at the same time, while pirates logging into the game before the month is out will receive the Rare Ruby Eyepatch. An array of ruby-themed items will be arriving in the Outpost shops, while the Pirate Emporium plays host to the limited-time Ruby Reaper’s Mark sails and offers a Seasonal Plunder Pass, featuring Rare Regalia items with a similarly scarlet hue.
Rounding out August with one last anniversary hoorah are Twitch Drops and Sea of Thieves’ Season 17 Community Weekend, which begins on August 30. Taking part will award players with the Community Weekend flag and Paper Cutout Emote, there’s a Ruby Legend Figurehead to earn from a global community goal, and there’ll be group activities like photo walls and Pop-Up Plunder to enjoy, too.
There’s all this and more besides, including an updated Rare All-Stars EP hitting Spotify on August 15, so be sure to keep tabs on Rare’s social channels for the latest and be sure not to miss out — you only turn 40 once!
The post Rare Celebrates 40 Years with Ruby-Themed Exclusives and More appeared first on Xbox Wire.
Koei Tecmo is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its Dynasty Warriors series with a number of announcements. Chief among them is confirmation of a “large-scale” DLC coming to Dynasty Warriors: Origins, and a mystery remaster of a “classic series title.”
That’s all we have for now. Koei Tecmo said further updates regarding upcoming games and special anniversary events will be gradually announced on the new website.
Dynasty Warriors is a tactical action series of games that spans over 20 years and has shipped over 21 million units worldwide. Traditionally, players take on the role of officers from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms while battling through hordes of soldiers in 1 vs. 1,000 gameplay.
The latest game is the aforementioned Dynasty Warriors: Origins, which saw developer Omega Force return to the series’ roots in what is considered one of the best entries in the franchise in years.
IGN’s Dynasty Warriors: Origins review returned a 9/10. We said: “Dynasty Warriors: Origins doesn’t just have the largest amount of enemies the series has thrown on screen at once, it also deepens its combat, improves its storytelling, and provides a healthy amount of replayability.”
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
August 2025 now has as many Skyblivion developer diaries as there are modern The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion reimaginings: two, which in both cases remains a weirdly high number. But while last week’s Finishing Skyblivion focused on one volunteer’s attempts at getting the ambitious Cyrodiil-in-Skyrim mod over the line, this other vid makes a very specific pitch to those whose interest may have been diverted by Bethesda’s official Oblivion Remastered, showcasing how Skyblivion looks to more aggressively expand and rework the original RPG.
TCGplayer is absolutely crushing it today. I’ve been watching prices across Amazon and the secondary market as usual, and it’s not even close. The latest Pokémon products like White Flare Binder box, while older set products like Destined Rivals Tripple Blister is $8 cheaper, especially the Elite Trainer Box running about $3 cheaper than Amazon’s lowest price last week.
Scarlet and Violet 151 is still shifting fast too. Charizard ex, Blastoise ex, and Venusaur ex are climbing, but the Illustration Rares of Charmander, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle have dipped, which makes this a solid time to grab those before prices settle again.
Over in Magic, the Fallout Commander Deck bundle is cheaper at TCGplayer by around $4, with the other commander decks saving around $10 per deck, which really adds up if you’re grabbing the full set.
Outside of trading cards, there’s some fun stuff dropping today. I’ve already preordered the Vault Boy Fallout Pop Vinyl, but I’m tempted to pick up the rest of the lineup now that they’re all available for $14.99. If you’re into mini PCs, there are a couple of solid builds going for under $175. They’re perfect for work-from-home setups, light gaming, or just keeping your desk tidy.
Whilst there’s a couple of savings on Amazon today, TCGplayer is knocking big box retailers out of the water. The White Flare binder box is a couple of dollars cheaper on Amazon, but looking at older sets like Destined Rivals show a clear gap in market value and the notorious Amazon mark ups of 2025. Destined Rivals Elite Trainer Box is currently sat at $85 on TCGplayer, for example, which is cheaper than the Amazon sale price last week of £88.
Scarlet and Violet 151 card prices continue to shift, with Charizard ex, Blastoise ex, and Venusaur ex SIRs climbing steadily thanks to standout artwork, competitive playability, and high collector demand. Charizard has jumped to $210, Blastoise is up 28% to $84.99, and Venusaur is up 27% to $69.99. Zapdos ex and Alakazam ex are also on the rise, with Alakazam seeing the biggest gain of 35% to $44.98.
On the other hand, prices for Kanto starter Illustration Rares like Charmander, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle have dipped as more product floods the market. Charmander is down 14% to $44.44, Bulbasaur is down 18% to $32.20, and middle evolutions like Charmeleon and Wartortle are following the same trend. While the final evolutions remain the most sought-after, now is a good time to pick up the earlier stages at a more reasonable price.
Once again it’s TCGplayer and the secondary market values saving MTG players and collectors a small fortune over Amazon. Even sale pricing of the Fallout Commander Deck – Science! is $4 cheaper, with my favorite deal in this lineup being for the four pack bundle of Fallout Commander Decks. Amazon works out at $47.07 per deck, with TCGplayer massively undercutting here at $41.56. That’s well over $10 saving per deck, with even more savings compared to Amazons single pricing overall.
Dropping throughout December 2025, these Fallout Pop Vinyls focused on the Fallout TV series should drop around the same time as Season Two. There’s also chances to get a random rare variant, which is about as much Funko hype as I can handle. I’ve preordered Vault Boy already, but I might get the whole lineup before preorders run dry.
Mini PCs are great for a work from home setup, a bit of light gaming or just saving some space. Both of these models have decent specs whilst being good enough to run Minecraft and your day-to-day productivity apps. Plus they’re dirt cheap, so there’s nothing to loose.
Christian Wait is a contributing freelancer for IGN covering everything collectable and deals. Christian has over 7 years of experience in the Gaming and Tech industry with bylines at Mashable and Pocket-Tactics. Christian also makes hand-painted collectibles for Saber Miniatures. Christian is also the author of “Pokemon Ultimate Unofficial Gaming Guide by GamesWarrior”. Find Christian on X @ChrisReggieWait.
We enter week one of RPS Post-Graham. The office Slack echoes like the Great Hall of Durin after a Balrog teaparty. Horace coils about the foot of the Treehouse like a sullen Viking serpent. The Maw seems peevish and incontinent, spurning any news we offer it. The wifi network keeps changing its name to “Execute Order 66”.
It is time to smash the emergency glass and bust out a few favourites from my personal collection of morale-boosting videogame intros. Here’s Red Alert, to put some spring in your step; Okami to let the light in; Colony Wars for the WRAAAOW noise at the end. And here are this week’s most interesting new PC games.
Financial service giants Mastercard have denied accusations that they sought to influence the recent removal of adult/NSFW games from Steam and Itch.io, claiming that they have “not evaluated any game or required restrictions of any activity on game creator sites and platforms,” and that they allow all lawful transactions. It’s a brief and unequivocal statement, but Valve themselves have since suggested it might not be entirely accurate, telling PC Gamer that Steam’s payment processors objected to the availability of law-abiding adult games by citing one of Mastercard’s specific rules.
