Gaming

Delta 1.6 for the App Store has been approved following an earlier rejection. The new update adds support for a bunch of native iPad features.

Continuing a trend of video game investments — and despite criticism over Saudi Arabia’s history of human rights abuses — the country will partner with the International Olympic Committee for 12 years, with Olympic Esports Games events “held regularly,” according to a press release.

Saudi Arabia is currently hosting the inaugural Esports World Cup.

You probably never heard of the Legend of Starfy series, but it’s not your fault — for some reason Nintendo never released the adorable aquatic platforming games outside of Japan. But now you can rectify that, as the first three GBA titles in the series are available for Switch Online subscribers.

That’s according to YouTuber Taki Udon who’s been teasing the mod they’ve created for months and today shared a proof-of-concept video demonstrating a Switch Lite with a much improved OLED display.

There’s no word on availability, but with a confirmed price tag under $50 and an upgrade process that’s described as, “very easy,” we’re very tempted.

I’ve been (lazily) waiting for Exhausted Man for some time, and now comes word that the game, where you can only move while lying down, will be launching on July 25th. Time to unleash my inner Gudetama.

The demon hunting, speedrunning visual novel launches on Xbox today, after previously hitting Switch, Steam, and PlayStation (it’ll also be available to Game Pass subscribers). I promise that it is just as weird as that description makes it seem — but in a very good way.

Before Games Done Quick became the premier video game speedrunning event, there was the Nintendo World Championship. On July 18th, Nintendo is bringing that countrywide contest to the comfort of our living rooms with the Nintendo World Championship: NES Edition. Players will be able to compete in over 150 brand new speed contests across a ton of Nintendo classics both online and locally.

Dota 2 players can try it for free, Dot Esports reports. Sure, Sleet Fighter II doesn’t seem quite as polished as Riot Games’ forthcoming 2XKO, but for Dota 2 fans, I imagine this is a fun treat.

Nintendo has just released an extremely creepy 15-second trailer for a game called Emio. The trailer features grainy footage of a person in a trenchcoat wearing a paper bag decorated with an unsettling rictus grin. There’s no other information other than the cryptic hashtag #whoisemio. Whoever he is, the creepypasta loving 12-year-olds in your life are gonna love this.

Upcoming indie title Drop Duchy combines two of my favorite things — tetrominoes and city-building — into one fascinating-looking game. It’s launching on PC this fall, but a playable demo is planned for Steam users “in the coming weeks.”

On July 9th, basketball will arrive in Nintendo Switch Sports. The free update will include online and local 2v2 play with motion controls. And for local play, you’ll get a 3-point shoot out mode and a five streak battle game that has you and your friends shoot it out to see who can score five baskets first.

Car Park Capital is a forthcoming real-time city-building sim where your job is to appease the auto industry by making more and more parking lots — and convince citizens it’s in their best interest.

Hilko Janssen, the Dutch creator of the game, told PC Gamer that the satirical sim was inspired in part by a 1954 GM car propaganda film promoting more roads to deal with congestion.

Hours after posting that a notarization submission for the Epic Games Store had been rejected by Apple, Epic and its CEO Tim Sweeney now say it has been un-rejected (a familiar situation here).

We’re still months away from EU residents actually getting the store on their iPhones and iPads, complete with Fortnite, but one barrier has been removed.