A newcomer to Overwatch's expanding roster is receiving scrutiny for her derivative character design, and the voice actor behind the hero took to the web to express their support for a redesign.

Anran is one of five new heroes joining the game for Season 1, hailing from China and sporting a moveset centered around fire attacks. She appeared in a cinematic last year that introduced her brother, fellow Overwatch hero Wuyang. But fans of the game pointed out that not only does her final in-game design differ from her previous look, but her face looks very similar to that of other characters like Juno and Kiriko.

Fareeha, Anran's English voice actor, spoke about the character's design in a social media video post. Addressing the "elephant in the room," Fareeha said they agree with criticisms while giving "grace" to the game's developers.

Prime Video has confirmed that Callum Vinson (Chucky, The Night Agent) will play Atreus in the upcoming God of War TV show.

It's a key piece of casting news, as the TV series--like the recent games--will follow the father-son story of Kratos and Atreus. Sons of Anarchy's Ryan Hurst will play Kratos.

The cast also includes Ólafur Darri Ólafsson as Thor, Teresa Palmer as Sif, Max Paker as Heimdall, and Mandy Patinkin as Odin.

Developer Sad Cat Studios has confirmed that players can get an early taste of the cyberpunk-thriller Replaced, as a demo for PC will go live starting February 11. Set in an alternate version of America in the '80s, the 2.5D platformer puts players inside the gumshoes of Reach--Research Engine for Altering and Composing Humans--an AI that finds itself trapped inside a human body and on the hunt for answers.

While the game focuses on exposing the sinister secrets of Phoenix Corporation, Replaced also features plenty of action with a free-flow beat-'em-up combat system inspired by Rocksteady's Batman: Arkham games.

Players can also explore the dystopian environments, and Reach will have to deal with unfamiliar human instincts, emotions, and themes of identity on their mission. Sad Cat Studios has also highlighted the game's hand-crafted design in previous previews, combining pixel-art with modern visual effects and a synth-driven soundtrack to set the mood.

Microsoft will reportedly partner with other computer companies like Asus for a variety of next-gen Xbox systems. Obviously, this isn't new territory after launching the ROG Xbox Ally handhelds, but it would be groundbreaking on the home console front. The strategy also seemingly echoes Valve's original vision for Steam Machines from over a decade ago, in which they talked about teaming up with a dozen companies for different hardware options.

According to Windows Central, Microsoft is looking at making a premium system that could retail for as much $1,000. However, Windows partners could then offer more price-friendly models of the next-gen Xbox, giving people various options to jump in. Speaking of Windows, the report adds that Windows will be powering the device, as the "Xbox Ally platform from Asus is a hint at a very early version of the next-gen Xbox console formula."

Last year, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella noted that the next-gen Xbox could be like a PC. Windows Central reaffirms that direction, with Microsoft possibly marketing the system as one that can play games and serve as a "coding station" or a "music production studio."

Nintendo fans are witnessing something unusual with the Switch 2: Quality ports of big blockbuster games are actually releasing for the platform, and quite frequently. Switch 2 versions of Cyberpunk 2077, Star Wars Outlaws, and Final Fantasy VII Remake have impressed players, and 2026 presents Nintendo with an opportunity to solidify a streak of third-party support.

This year's release calendar has Resident Evil Requiem, Pragmata, 007 First Light, Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, and a couple of Xbox darlings (Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and South of Midnight) all landing on the Switch 2. Though more game announcements for the platform are assuredly coming, it's already a strong line-up of non-Nintendo games.

For the longest time, many have begrudgingly bought Nintendo machines because they were the only ways to play franchises like Mario, Zelda, and Pokemon. But because of the relative lack of power of Nintendo's consoles as compared to those of Sony and Microsoft, players who also wanted to play major releases like Call of Duty or Assassin's Creed games needed other machines. But if Switch 2 continues receiving excellent third-party ports and equal treatment with other platforms, it could be more than a "Nintendo-exclusive machine" and become the top console for a lot of players this generation.

French president Emmanuel Macron has clarified his statements on banning video games in his country, explaining that although no ban has been put in place yet, he's not opposed to it or other restrictions should there be enough scientific research to warrant them.

Macron took to LinkedIn on February 7 to defend himself against potential critics who, as he said, "misunderstood" the intentions of his recent statements. According to French newspaper Le Monde, Macron supports the games industry--he congratulated French studio Sandfall Interactive for the massive achievement that is Clair Obscur: Expedition 33--but still wants to have a "serious debate" about the health impacts that excessive gaming can have on young people.

"Parents observe that some young people spend their days and sometimes their nights playing video games. It has also often been reported that games rated PEGI 18 are being played by children," Macron wrote. "This is a major public health, education, and responsibility issue. For physical health, eyes in particular, and mental health, when a young person no longer goes outside at all because they are playing excessively, of course this is worrying, and we must address it."

Between the construction of a Not-A-Death-Star and the subsequent theft of plans for this symbol of planetary destruction/peace, things have been busy in Helldivers 2 as players prepare for the invasion of Cyberstan starting February 10. The homeworld of the Automatons has also been preparing for the arrival of Super Earth's finest, and when the Helldivers touch down, they can expect to be met with an old foe: Cyborgs fueled by "rage and socialism" as they march on troops.

Arrowhead Games revealed that players will have three new classes of enemies to take on when they land on Cyberstan: The Agitator, the Radicals, and the Vox Engine. The Agitator is equipped with heavy armor and will take control of Automaton units, effectively coordinating their movements. The Radical is an engine of destruction, hellbent on closing the gap and delivering a roundhouse kick to your Helldiver. Meanwhile, the Vox Engine is a weaponized mobile propaganda platform armed with lasers, rockets, and programmed to spread undemocratic lies on the battlefield.

Cyborgs were introduced in the first Helldivers game--portrayed as anti-democratic dissidents who illegally left Super Earth--and Helldivers 2's Automatons are seen as their successors. Naturally, Super Earth's current war on every non-human intelligent species has left the Cyborgs feeling a bit miffed. The return of the Cyborg legions was first teased on Arrowhead's social media, after the studio was "hacked" to broadcast a message by the Automatons. Uploaded in binary, the video message reads:

Starting in March, all Discord users will be switched to a "teen-appropriate experience" unless they can verify that they're an adult. The social platform is implementing age verification protocols that may ask users for facial scans or identification documents, a policy tested in the United Kingdom and Australia beginning last year.

A press release from Discord explains that the age verification process may be required to "change certain settings or access sensitive content," including "age-restricted channels, servers, or commands and select message requests." The global rollout of this protocol will arrive months after a hack affected millions of Discord users and exposed age verification-related data. Discord said that it partnered with a different third-party vendor for age verification after the data breach.

Discord will soon be expanding teen safety protections worldwide including teen-by-default settings and age assurance designed to create safer experiences for teens.
We’re also launching recruitment for Discord's first Teen Council, creating a space for teen voices to help shape… pic.twitter.com/CW7G4sO38R

On Discord's end, the company promises that its "age assurance" approaches will protect user privacy, saying that video selfies, which AI will use to estimate a user's age, will never leave their device, and that any identity documents users submit will be deleted immediately after their age is confirmed.