Arc Raiders is an online multiplayer extraction shooter that features PvE as well as PvP systems. You can run in and shoot NPC enemies or, if you're feeling particularly violent, you can blast player-controlled characters. But for developer Embark Studios, the latter isn't really the point of the game, so don't expect more PvP systems in the future.

In an interview and video playthrough with GamesBeat on December 30 (via IGN), Embark Studios CEO Patrick Söderlund explained that the team isn't planning on adding anything like PvP leaderboards because the PvP environment merely creates tension in the game. It isn't the bedrock on which the rest of the game was built.

"We've had several discussions about Nemesis systems and all types of things," he said. "I don't know where the team [is] on them right now. I think one of the beauties of this game is the fact that we don't have those leaderboards, and it's not competitive. We don't want to necessarily foster that type of gameplay. The game isn't about shooting other players. You can do that if you want to, but the ethos of the game has never been to go in and shoot players. It's a part that we use to craft tension."

Similarly to Season 1 of Prime Video's Fallout release, the Fallout games have once again seen a spike in popularity over on Steam, coinciding with Season 2's premiere. There was also a rise for the mobile game Fallout Shelter, which could be attributed to having crossover appeal with the show since Lucy (Ella Purnell) and The Ghoul (Walter Goggins) were added to the game.

Looking at the numbers on SteamDB, it appears that the number of people playing games like Fallout 76, Fallout 4, and Fallout 3 has seen significant upticks since Season 2 premiered back in December (via PC Gamer). Fallout: New Vegas, which is featured heavily in the new season, had about 20,000 concurrent players last weekend, up from about 8,000 before the show debuted.

Even Fallout 3, which typically drew only around 100 concurrent Steam players, has climbed to nearly 200--hardly massive, but roughly double its pre-Fallout Season 2 numbers.

More than a decade after its last release, Carmageddon is returning with Carmageddon: Rogue Shift. Developed by Redout studio 34BigThings, this spin-off casts players as a faceless driver in a world wrecked by war, disasters, and an inconvenient zombie apocalypse triggered by megacorporations.

Zombies--called the Wasted in this universe--overwhelm humans while players clash in deadly races for power, prestige, and a chance to escape the chaos by catching a rocket off Earth. While this sounds par for the Carmageddon course, the catch here is that Rogue Shift leans heavily into roguelite gameplay. Players drive through randomly generated paths and tackle events to seize upgrade credits, and even if you crash out, permanent bonuses unlocked with beatcoins grant you an edge for your next run.

Each run will require you to carefully plot your destination, as your ride will require repairs along the way. Difficulty also increases dynamically, but finding the right synergies between vehicles, perks, and weapons will help you build the ultimate killing machine that can be used against the Wasted hordes or other drivers roaming the streets.

Warner Bros. Discovery has officially rejected Paramount's revised offer to buy the company, saying it was "not in the best interests of WBD and its shareholders." The offer also does qualify as a "superior proposal" based on the definition in WBD's pact with Netflix that was announced back in December.

After WBD announced a deal with Netflix, Paramount launched a hostile bid, appealing directly to WBD shareholders. Paramount later sweetened the deal, including a massive $40.4 billion guarantee from Larry Ellison, but WBD's shareholders rejected this as well.

WBD's board of directors said on January 7 that it continues to recommend that shareholders approve Netflix's bid and reject Paramount's.

Arc Raiders was one of 2025's biggest success stories in gaming, and it's keeping up the momentum in 2026, with January 4 becoming the game's biggest day ever in terms of daily users. The game was originally going to be a free-to-play title, but it changed to $40 ahead of launch. Why $40? Embark Studios boss Patrick Soderlund said in an interview that the decision to switch from free to premium came after the team saw the success of Helldivers 2, which was also priced at $40.

"We basically looked at games like Helldivers and other games and decided, 'OK, that is where we should sit,'" he told GamesBeat (via Eurogamer). "We made that decision, whether that was right or wrong one can argue. I like the fact that the game is relatively affordable and that people can come in and try the game."

The executive added that $40 was the right price for Arc Raiders also because it helped the game avoid being an "offender" for players. The game has no campaign and is 100% multiplayer.

This year's first Awesome Games Done Quick (AGDQ) charity livestream has shown players a side of Mario Kart World that they may not have been aware of before. Free Roam mode lets fans explore the open world of the game, but someone at AGDQ has demonstrated how to turn that into your personal playground.

A speedrunner named Helix went through Mario Kart World's Free Roam mode to complete the All ? Panels category in under 30 minutes. The goal is to activate every single question mark block in the game. To pull that off, Helix needed to pull off a lot of tricks, as well as some lucky breaks, and judicious use of the game's rewind feature.

Helix clearly has a mastery of Mario Kart World's open world, as some of the question marks aren't easily accessible without knowing where they are or how to reach them with your chosen character. For this speedrun, Helix went with Para-Biddybud because his light weight and ability to stay in the air longer than most of the other racers. Helix also explained that this is best attempted with a fresh save file, or else Free Roam mode will drop players near the last course they completed.