Krafton, the developer and publisher behind PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, shared a trailer for its upcoming life sim game, Inzoi, as part of Gamescom Opening Night Live on Tuesday. The developers describe Inzoi as a game where players “have full control” and the power to change “everything as they wish” in their virtual lives. The new trailer shows some of the scenarios players can expect to simulate, like getting married, partying, and even getting into a car crash.

Krafton shared a gameplay reveal trailer for Inzoi in November 2023. It’s one of two games the Korean developer showcased at Gamescom this year; the other is a fantasy extraction game called Dark and Darker Mobile. Although this trailer doesn’t include a specific release date for Inzoi — though the game is scheduled to be released on Windows PC by the end of 2024 — Krafton is offering one small treat to interested players: Starting Aug. 21 and running until Aug. 26, players will be able to download the character creator for Inzoi for free to try it for a limited time.

The new trailer shows a lot of gameplay you would see in any other life sim, like The Sims franchise. Your character can get married, babble at other characters in a gibberish language, and even set their kitchen on fire. However, other aspects of the game, like its realistic art style and urban city setting, appear to add just a dash of Grand Theft Auto vibes. As shown in the trailer, your character can get into car accidents and experience road rage. Or if you’re the partying type, you can make it rain cash while you’re dancing on the beach — your choice.

The developers have emphasized in previous updates that the team wants user-generated content to play a large role in this game. A development roadmap said that the team plans to add plugins to support mods and an in-game UGC platform called Canvas. As the developers explained in the FAQ, they want the game to be a “tool for creativity” where players can share and discuss their creations on Canvas.

Inzoi might not be the only reason you’ve heard Krafton buzz lately. In August, the company announced that it acquired Hi-Fi Rush studio Tango Gameworks. The news came as relief to many fans after the beloved games studio was shuttered by Microsoft and ZeniMax Media in May.

Developer Funcom released an in-depth look at Dune: Awakening game as part of Gamescom Opening Night Live on Tuesday. It’s a survival MMO game set in the desert world of Arrakis and its larger sci-fi universe. So far, it’s looking like a sleek, but gritty take on Dune that’s all about working your way up the ladder of the world and fighting off other players for spice and other resources.

According to the trailer, Dune: Awakening is coming to Windows PC in early 2025 and will get release dates for PlayStation and Xbox consoles later down the line.

As shown in the presentation, you start as a nameless poisoner who must survive the scorching dessert heat and monstrous sand worms. The stream showed a scenario where a player made a deal to help another person take out a rival encampment in exchange for some vital resources in the early game. Once you establish a rapport with people, you can form a group and build a base of your own design and craft tech that allows you to drink the blood of your enemies — yummy! After that, your group can even form a guild and you can pledge your allegiance to one of the three houses of Dune.

Just like with anything Dune, spice is the name of the game. It’s a precious commodity and the key to power in the larger world of the game. Because of this, you’ll be constantly at war with hundreds of other players as everyone fights over spice. As far as warfare goes, it looks like anything from flamethrowers to mischievously summoning sand sand worms is fair game.

Other features of gameplay include exploration of the planet via ornithopters and building bases, but unfortunately, none of the gameplay showed any scenarios where you could overthrow Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides.

Genshin Impact, the hit open-world adventure starring an anime-esque cast of characters, is coming to Xbox platforms on Nov. 20. Developer Hoyoverse announced the news as part of the Gamescom Opening Night Live stream on Tuesday.

Genshin Impact is a free-to-play game that utilizes gacha mechanics. As people play, they accrue (or purchase) in-game currency that can be used to gamble for chances to unlock special characters. Since the game’s initial release in the fall of 2020, it’s become a massive commercial success. According to a 2022 report from Sensor Tower, the game had been downloaded more than 110 million times and generated more than $3.6 billion in revenue since release.

The game is currently available to download on mobile devices, Windows PC, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5.

The announcement comes just before Genshin Impact’s big 5.0 update on Aug. 28. This patch will bring an entire new region to explore called Natlan, a whole bunch of characters, and new quests. Although big updates like these tend to drum up buzz with fans over highly-anticipated characters, Natlan has faced the scrutiny of fans and voice actors who say the developers have “white washed” characters inspired by cultures from Latin America and West Africa.

For more Gamescom news — like the announcement of Borderlands 4 — check out Polygon’s coverage.

Pikachu might be the main mascot of Pokémon, but it just got one-upped at the 2024 Pokémon World Championships. And it’s all because a very special Pachirisu captured the hearts of spectators both near and far when it emerged from its Poké Ball.

Players and fans alike gathered for the 2024 Pokémon World Championships in Honolulu, Hawaii, over the weekend. The tournament hosted competitions for several games, including the Pokémon Trading Card Game and the most recent generation of video games, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. While this meant spectators got to see newer additions to the Pokédex, like some of the powerful Paradox Pokémon, the real showstopper was a Pachirisu that belonged to Sejun Park, the 2014 world champion in the video game Masters Division.

To understand the hype around Park and his Pachirisu, it’s helpful to run down a brief history of their roles in the competitive Pokémon scene. Prior to his win in 2014, Park regularly placed at the top of the global player rankings, but never won. Then, in 2014, he ran a creative team centered around Mega Gyarados and Pachirisu. Because of the success of his team, and the fact that his Pachirisu stood out in a sea of similar but more competitive options, his Pachirisu took on a legendary status within the Pokémon community. Today, a video from the Official Pokémon YouTube channel describes his win as “arguably the most iconic moment in competitive history.”

On Friday, 10 years after his big win, Park decided to bring Pachirisu back again, and onlookers could not have been more thrilled. A recording from the Worlds stream shows the moment when Park sent out Pachirisu and you can hear the crowd roar. Pachirisu had the title “the Chosen One,” and fans watched as the little guy tanked an attack with a critical hit from Aaron Zheng’s Chien-Pao.

I really don't wanna start this conversation right now but people that are like "win with my favourites?? my favourites are calyrex and landorus 🤪🤪" looking a bit silly after the crowd ROARED when Pachirisu showed on screen. pic.twitter.com/4161cBkNTb

— cecilily (@cecililytweets) August 17, 2024

Online, people on X hailed the return of “King Pachirisu” and shared clips and art featuring the adorable Pokémon. One tweet, with almost 16,000 likes, showed an image of Park’s lineup and said, “HE BROUGHT BACK PACHIRISU NOOOO WAY?!?!”

HE BROUGHT BACK PACHIRISU NOOOO WAY?!?! 😯 pic.twitter.com/vqV7cPdgFF

— PulseEffects ☕️ (@PulseEffects) August 16, 2024

return of the king pachirisu pic.twitter.com/hSGqcnh1nF

— orphe (commissions open) (@orphetoon) August 16, 2024

ゴツメパチリスさん〜！！#WCS2024 #Pachirisu pic.twitter.com/z2WklM7X05

— 鳥茶 𓅫𖤣𖥧𖥣 (@tori_tya3) August 18, 2024

Unfortunately, Park’s strategy didn’t work as well this time. Park went up against Zheng and lost two games in a row — and, later that day, his spot in the tournament. Still, I have to give him respect for being loyal to Pachirisu. At the end of it all, he shared a celebratory tweet with side-by-side images from his win in 2014 and the 2024 competition. While it’s been 10 years since Park’s Worlds win, it warmed my heart to see his plushie pal Pachirisu is still by his side.

Krafton, the developer and publisher behind PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, shared a trailer for its upcoming life sim game, Inzoi, as part of Gamescom Opening Night Live on Tuesday. The developers describe Inzoi as a game where players “have full control” and the power to change “everything as they wish” in their virtual lives. The new trailer shows some of the scenarios players can expect to simulate, like getting married, partying, and even getting into a car crash.

Krafton shared a gameplay reveal trailer for Inzoi in November 2023. It’s one of two games the Korean developer showcased at Gamescom this year; the other is a fantasy extraction game called Dark and Darker Mobile. Although this trailer doesn’t include a specific release date for Inzoi — though the game is scheduled to be released on Windows PC by the end of 2024 — Krafton is offering one small treat to interested players: Starting Aug. 21 and running until Aug. 26, players will be able to download the character creator for Inzoi for free to try it for a limited time.

The new trailer shows a lot of gameplay you would see in any other life sim, like The Sims franchise. Your character can get married, babble at other characters in a gibberish language, and even set their kitchen on fire. However, other aspects of the game, like its realistic art style and urban city setting, appear to add just a dash of Grand Theft Auto vibes. As shown in the trailer, your character can get into car accidents and experience road rage. Or if you’re the partying type, you can make it rain cash while you’re dancing on the beach — your choice.

The developers have emphasized in previous updates that the team wants user-generated content to play a large role in this game. A development roadmap said that the team plans to add plugins to support mods and an in-game UGC platform called Canvas. As the developers explained in the FAQ, they want the game to be a “tool for creativity” where players can share and discuss their creations on Canvas.

Inzoi might not be the only reason you’ve heard Krafton buzz lately. In August, the company announced that it acquired Hi-Fi Rush studio Tango Gameworks. The news came as relief to many fans after the beloved games studio was shuttered by Microsoft and ZeniMax Media in May.

Developer Funcom released an in-depth look at Dune: Awakening game as part of Gamescom Opening Night Live on Tuesday. It’s a survival MMO game set in the desert world of Arrakis and its larger sci-fi universe. So far, it’s looking like a sleek, but gritty take on Dune that’s all about working your way up the ladder of the world and fighting off other players for spice and other resources.

According to the trailer, Dune: Awakening is coming to Windows PC in early 2025 and will get release dates for PlayStation and Xbox consoles later down the line.

As shown in the presentation, you start as a nameless poisoner who must survive the scorching dessert heat and monstrous sand worms. The stream showed a scenario where a player made a deal to help another person take out a rival encampment in exchange for some vital resources in the early game. Once you establish a rapport with people, you can form a group and build a base of your own design and craft tech that allows you to drink the blood of your enemies — yummy! After that, your group can even form a guild and you can pledge your allegiance to one of the three houses of Dune.

Just like with anything Dune, spice is the name of the game. It’s a precious commodity and the key to power in the larger world of the game. Because of this, you’ll be constantly at war with hundreds of other players as everyone fights over spice. As far as warfare goes, it looks like anything from flamethrowers to mischievously summoning sand sand worms is fair game.

Other features of gameplay include exploration of the planet via ornithopters and building bases, but unfortunately, none of the gameplay showed any scenarios where you could overthrow Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides.

Time to learn about some fish

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It won’t be out for a while

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I like taking photos again

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‘We’ve seen just some amazing, amazing success stories on TikTok’

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Time to meow meow your way through the big city

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‘We’ve seen just some amazing, amazing success stories on TikTok’

Sprinkled into TikTok’s endless feed of videos, you can find all sorts of content related to video games. You can see lore analysis videos, cool tips and tricks, cosplay, and, if you’re lucky, thirsty edits of characters like Leon Kennedy. The platform has become a place where people can learn about the games they love and discover new ones. Some games, like The Wandering Village, have specifically flourished thanks to TikTok and have found millions of viewers on the app. But now, that could all go away.

In April, U.S. President Joe Biden signed a bill into law that will ban TikTok if its China-based parent company, ByteDance, doesn’t divest from the platform within 270 days of the bill’s signing. Polygon spoke to Philomena Schwab, a co-founder of Stray Fawn Studio, about how TikTok impacted the development of the team’s game, The Wandering Village. If TikTok went away, Stray Fawn Studio would not just be losing its account but also its direct line to the consumers of games themselves.

“We [had] some pretty big posts even early in development, which reassured us to continue to work on the project for longer because if we hadn’t had that reassurance, not only from TikTok but also from the Wishlist count — like, how many Wishlists we got out of the posts and so on — we probably would have wrapped up the early access version sooner,” Schwab said via video chat. “I think it was good that we didn’t, because it was a pretty good release at the end. It helped us have courage in the game.”

At time of publication, Stray Fawn Studio has more than 68,000 followers on TikTok and has videos that have more than 899,000 views. Statistics like the number of followers on social media platforms can directly impact the success of current and future games. Schwab said she includes social numbers on her pitch decks, which, in turn, can help secure the studio funding. She checked, and roughly 55% of the followers on the Stray Fawn account are American — so the team would lose over half its followers on the platform if TikTok were banned, and that’s not even counting Americans who have just liked or viewed their videos.

In the case of The Wandering Village, the TikTok account’s success also had a direct influence on the number of Wishlists the game received on Steam. Schwab told Polygon that if a post had more than 200,000 views, then it would “always” result in “several hundred Wishlists.” According to Schwab, “You could clearly see the spikes coming in over time. So that has definitely contributed quite a bit.”

TikTok also allowed the members of the team to find their voice. TikTok allows users to share video replies to comments and questions, and Schwab told Polygon it really allowed the personalities of team members to shine.

“I think aside from the marketing benefits, it also has helped shape the tone of our studio a little bit, because we found that inherently, we are a pretty silly, funny group of people. And on other social platforms, we didn’t really feel like we could show that very well. And on TikTok, it absolutely came out. I think we made a lot of silly content. And it did pretty well on the platform, which encouraged us to embrace this kind of studio mentality more,” Schwab said.

The Wandering Village isn’t a huge viral hit, but that’s why TikTok has been so valuable for the team. TikTok and its algorithm can allow a post from any person or profile, regardless of follower size, to go viral. Thomas Schulenberg, the CEO at a marketing platform called Gamesight, told Polygon about the unique strength TikTok has to connect fans to games.

“I think one of the things we see for indies which is something that makes TikTok truly unique is that content creators aren’t gated by [the number of followers] the same way that [they are on] pretty much every other platform,” Schulenberg said via video chat, “The algorithm — the mysterious man behind the curtain — does allow content to get surfaced to more people, regardless of following. And so we’ve seen just some amazing, amazing success stories on TikTok, which aren’t really paid marketing because they’re not usually like running a bunch of ads.”

There have always been indie darlings and surprise hit video games, regardless of TikTok. However, TikTok has played a key role in allowing even more indie creators to make hit games that go viral in a matter of days. In the past two years alone, surprise hits like Palworld, Lethal Company, and Sons of the Forest have grown massive audiences. All have a presence on TikTok because the games have so many catchy, clippable moments.

“The ability to go from nothing to something doesn’t really exist [on other platforms]. So you would think of games like Lethal Company, Sons of the Forest, or Content Warning, all those games have over a billion views of their game on TikTok, which is just a completely absurd number. If you were to compare that to something like Twitch? No way, you know, in a million years,” Schulenberg said.

While TikTok helps bring viral hit games to life and supports game developers, its demise would also have a giant impact on all the people who love to play those games.

“For a lot of players, a big part of what they get out of the game experience is community — we broadly call it community, community is such a generic term — but they engage with the game outside the game and TikTok is certainly one of those places they do that,” Schulenberg said.

If the U.S. banned TikTok, it would impact the creators behind these games. It would also impact the millions of users on the app, and those who like video game content. A video that brings new eyes to a game and helps a developer get more Wishlists for a game could also be the video that prompts excitement online within a group of players. Oftentimes, the jokes and memes around a game can be as enjoyable as the content itself, since it can allow people to feel like they’re a part of something larger. For now, game developers and the players who enjoy their games will just have to wait and see if they’ll be left to scramble to the next platform.

I’m obsessed with Selene

Hades 2 is still in the early stages of testing, but the game looks good. Like, really good.

On Wednesday, developer Supergiant Games released part of the game as a technical test that gave fans their first look at the sequel to Hades, 2020’s popular action roguelike, since it was announced in 2022. The limited release only covers the first section of the game, but it already gave players an in-depth idea of what to expect — spoilers, it looks very sexy.

Sure, new hero Melinoë’s black magic-inspired gameplay looks great and all, but there’s a lot more to see. Every new and recurring character just looks so dang good. The developers showed off returning characters from Hades, like Aphrodite and Hypnos, who got full-on redesigns, and then revealed new characters, like the blacksmith Hephaestus, who have inspired their fair share of thirst.

If there was any takeaway from that technical test, it’s that the cast will be a huge draw for both new and old fans. Given this, we at Polygon have rounded up every character we’ve seen in the game so far. At this point, we’re basing this list off of who we’ve seen during the technical test, but we’ll update this post as we hear about more characters in the game.

[Ed. note: This list contains spoilers for content shown in the Hades 2 technical test, including new characters, character redesigns, and dialogue. Since the game is still in development, some of these details could change before release.]

Aphrodite

Image: Supergiant Games via Polygon

Aphrodite, the goddess of love, returns to Hades 2. This time around, she’s leveled up her outfit by simply taking it off. I think the look works for her!

Apollo

Image: Supergiant Games via Polygon

Apollo, the god of light, makes an absolutely shiny return. His entire look makes him seem a bit more regal and godlike than in Hades.

Arachne

Image: Supergiant Games via Polygon

Arachne might be an itsy-bitsy spider, but her specialized armor will give Melinoë the support she needs when fighting through baddies.

Artemis

Image: Supergiant Games via Polygon

If you’re in a tight spot and a green arrow suddenly comes to your aid, then you’ve been lucky enough to bump into Artemis. Her beastlike but confident look makes for a perfect design. Her design hasn’t changed a whole lot from the original, but her pelts look a bit more stylish now.

Charon

Image: Supergiant Games via Polygon

Charon, the shopkeeper, might not be chatty, but he is relatable. I also long to be a faceless being draped in gorgeous fabrics. This is the one design that doesn’t look as good as it did in the first game, but maybe it’ll get replaced as development continues.

Demeter

Image: Supergiant Games via Polygon

Grand-mommy? Demeter is the grandmother of Melinoë and an icon in Greek mythology. This time around, she’s leaning into the warrior look rather than her aged sage visage in the original. Whatever she’s doing to maintain her health, it’s working.

Dora

Image: Supergiant Games via Polygon

Whenever Melinoë dies, Dora the shade will be there to greet her at home. The cheeky little ghost will be a welcome friend during tough times.

Hecate

Image: Supergiant Games via Polygon

In the statues I’ve seen, artists tend to portray Hecate in a very classical and stereotypically feminine way. That’s why I love this design; it’s dark, commanding, and shows us that she’s a force to be reckoned with. More dark magicians that look like this, please!

Hephaestus

Image: Supergiant Games via Polygon

Mount Olympus who? Hephaestus might have been kicked out of the realm of the gods, but we can see he’s maintained his godly good looks. Out of all the new characters, he’s specifically drummed up a lot of excitement.

Hestia

Image: Supergiant Games via Polygon

Hestia’s flames burn bright, but we still don’t have a great look at her yet. It’s possible that this character design is a placeholder since it looks similar to Charon’s, and we know that Hestia generally appears as an old woman in Greek myths. Regardless, I’m curious to see how this character shapes up.

Hypnos

Image: Supergiant Games via Polygon

Out of all the redesigns we’ve seen so far, I like Hypnos’ the most. In Hades, he had a very implike expression that made him seem a bit quirky. Now we get to seem him cuddled up with gorgeous long locks, and he looks like a straight-up angel.

Melinoë

Melinoë is the princess of the Underworld and our beloved new protagonist. I think the internet collectively gasped when Supergiant Games first revealed her because, like everybody else on this list, she looks amazing and like she can kick serious ass. So far, we’ve seen two designs for her, including one section that shows her as a child.

Moros

Image: Supergiant Games via Polygon

I do not care if Moros is literally titled “Doom Incarnate”; I would welcome him into my home any day of the week and chase him down relentlessly.

Nemesis

Image: Supergiant Games via Polygon

Nemesis is one of the handful of characters you can meet at the base camp. She doesn’t seem thrilled to talk to Melinoë, but maybe she (and therefore you) can win this muscle mommy over in time.

Odysseus

Image: Supergiant Games via Polygon

I think my high school English teacher failed to convey just how hot Odysseus could be. Cute, strong, and approachable, he’s a great pal to have around the base camp.

Poseidon

Image: Supergiant Games via Polygon

I think Poseidon looked great in Hades, but his art in Hades 2 has a bit more personality to it. He effuses the sort of effortless confidence I’d associate with a shampoo commercial.

Schelemeus

Image: Supergiant Games via Polygon

Fans are already theorizing that Schelemeus and Skelly from Hades have some sort of secret connection because of their designs and roles in each game. It’s too early to say yet, but I appreciate the quirky drill sergeant vibes this guy brings to Hades 2.

Selene

Image: Supergiant Games via Polygon

All hail Selene, the new moon mommy of Hades 2. She looks great, but she’ll also offer Melinoë an assortment of hexes to aid her fight. This is a standout design from the technical test, and her elegance honestly reminds me of Alucard from the Castlevania anime a bit.

Zeus

Image: Supergiant Games via Polygon

Can I say that daddy’s home? Zeus, the king of the Olympians and father of Mount Olympus, returns to offer his aid in the fight. He looks pretty similar to his first design, except this time he’s got a sick new golden chest plate with abs.

Now make them kiss

It seems like Sonic the Hedgehog is always finding ways to one-up his rival and frenemy, Shadow. This time, it’s dashing around Sonic Superstars while wearing a onesie that makes him look exactly like his black and red counterpart. The new costume looks like some sort of cosmic horror, and its reveal prompted a wave of responses online making jokes about Sonic’s terrifying but hilarious new look.

The onesie basically transforms Sonic into Shadow from head to toe, save for a small circular cut out on his face. The onesie is a free new costume in Sonic Superstars and was released on Thursday to celebrate the announcement of Sonic X Shadow Generations. This may just a be a minor cosmetic addition, but it comes with an extra dose of pettiness since Sonic Superstars doesn’t actually include Shadow as playable character. Instead this faux-Shadow costume almost makes the addition feel like a taunt of sorts. Sorry Shadow!

However, as some have pointed out, adding a costume of Shadow is much funnier than just adding him to the game. Now, people online are sharing funny commentary and fan art commenting on the cursed Sonic costume on X.

Sonic dressing up as Shadow is far from the only big news to come from our beloved blue hedgehog. He’s still slated to star in the third installment of the live-action film adaptation based on the video game franchise. Sega also announced a reboot of the 2011 game Sonic Generations, Sonic X Shadow Generations, at PlayStation’s State of Play at the end of January. If you’re not a Shadow girlie, well that’s fine too. Paramount dropped a new trailer and details for Paramount’s upcoming live-action series centered around Knuckles as well.