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Dwayne Johnson's Doom was so bad that one of his co-stars is surprised it didn't end their own career:…
Actress Rosamund Pike reflected on the 2005 film adaptation of Doom, starring Dwayne Johnson, calling it a 'catastrophe' and a 'bomb' that could have ended her career. She recalled accepting the role while filming Pride and Prejudice, humorously noting her confidence in taking on the zombie-killing role on Mars.
BAFTA Game Awards 2026 nominations revealed, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 leads in nine categories
The nominations for the 2026 BAFTA Game Awards have been revealed, with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 leading with 12 nominations, including Best Game. Other notable nominees for Best Game include Dispatch and Ghost of Yōtei. The awards ceremony will take place on April 17, 2026, in London.
2026 Game Developers Choice Awards winners announced
The winners for the 2026 Game Developers Choice Awards have been announced. Several titles were recognized across various categories, including Best Audio, Best Debut, Best Design, Innovation Award, Best Narrative, Best Technology, Best Visual Art, Social Impact, and Audience Award. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Blue Prince were among the most nominated games.
Phil Spencer Was Good for Xbox, but His Legacy Is Complicated - IGN
Phil Spencer is retiring after 38 years with Microsoft, concluding a 12-year tenure as Head of Xbox. His legacy is viewed as complicated, with shareholders seeing massive stock growth while some hardcore gamers point to increased subscription prices, fewer exclusives, and studio closures. Despite these criticisms, the article argues Spencer was a net positive, crediting him with saving Xbox during the Xbox One era, championing features like backwards compatibility and cross-play, and building a strong portfolio of studios and games.
Bafta Games 2026 nominees announced and it’s another Clair Obscur sweep
The nominations for the Bafta Games Awards 2026 have been announced, with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 leading the pack with 12 nominations, matching its record at The Game Awards. Dispatch and Arc Raiders also received multiple nominations, including for Best Game. The awards ceremony is scheduled for April 17.
Business and Finance
ZeniMax Media, the parent company of id Software, has filed a new trademark for the Quake franchise. Separately, Valve reported that over 5,800 games on Steam earned more than $100,000 in revenue during 2025.
NC AMERICA PARTNERS WITH INDEPENDENT DEVELOPER ‘EMPTYVESSEL’ TO PUBLISH DEFECT
NC America has partnered with independent developer emptyvessel to publish the close-quarter cyberpunk shooter, DEFECT. This agreement will allow emptyvessel to focus on developing both its multiplayer and single-player gameplay. DEFECT is a team-based, objective-driven first-person shooter set in a dystopian city.
Hyper Light Drifter studio workers form union after rounds of layoffs
Workers at independent game studio Heart Machine, known for Hyper Light Drifter, have formed a union with Communications Workers of America Local 9003. This move follows multiple rounds of layoffs at the studio, including the discontinuation of Hyper Light Breaker. The union aims to protect workers in the face of industry instability and increasing demands for employee voices to be heard.
PROBABLYMONSTERS EXPANDS EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP TO ADVANCE ITS NEXT PHASE OF PORTFOLIO AND PUBLISHING GROWTH
Independent video game company ProbablyMonsters has expanded its executive leadership team with the appointments of Jonathan Lander as Chief Publishing Officer, David Reid as Chief Marketing Officer, and Mark Subotnick as Chief Product Officer. These additions reinforce the company's integrated development and publishing strategy as it scales its portfolio of original titles.
A petri dish of human neurons has learned to play Doom: 'The cells play a lot like a beginner who's never seen a computer, and in fairness, they haven't'
Cortical Labs has trained human brain cells grown on a microchip to play the classic first-person shooter Doom. Using a system called the CL1, the neurons receive electrical stimulation mapped from the game's video feed and send back signals interpreted as in-game actions. While the cells play like beginners, they are demonstrating learning capabilities, marking a significant step in bio-computing.
American McGee's Alice Sequel Is Happening, With A Loophole
American McGee has announced plans for a "spiritual successor" to the American McGee's Alice series, linking it to his Plushie Dreadfuls game. While Electronic Arts retains the IP rights, McGee's new game will connect to the end of Alice: Madness Returns without infringing on his contract. This project aims to provide closure for fans of the cult-hit series.
Sneaky trademark filing suggests id Software might be working on a long-awaited Quake sequel
A new trademark filing by ZeniMax Media, parent company of id Software, suggests a potential new Quake game is in development. While Quake Champions has seen little activity, the filing for the 'QUAKE' name could indicate a reboot or sequel for the influential first-person shooter franchise.
Before Doom, there was Dangerous Dave, and John Romero's 8-bit hero is getting a spiritual successor next week
A spiritual successor to John Romero's early hero, Dangerous Dave, titled Haunted Lands, is set to release next week. The game aims to capture the 8-bit aesthetic of the original Dangerous Dave series while featuring significantly more visceral combat and reactivity. Haunted Lands releases on March 10 for PC.
A decade before Stalker, this obscure Ukrainian Quake clone was quietly breaking new ground for first-person shooters
Chasm: The Rift, an obscure Ukrainian first-person shooter from 1997 developed by Action Forms, predated S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl and introduced innovative features for its time. Despite its visual similarities to Quake, Chasm utilized a unique homebrew engine and featured surprising elements like detailed dismemberment and a more involved narrative structure for the era, though its gameplay was more methodical and less fluid than its contemporaries.
American McGee has come out of retirement to make an Alice spiritual successor based on his plushie empire
American McGee has announced his return to game development with a spiritual successor to his Alice series, inspired by his Plushie Dreadfuls line. The new game will be directly tied to the end of Alice: Madness Returns. McGee's previous attempt to secure a third Alice game with Electronic Arts was unsuccessful.
From next week, Australians will need to verify their age to play GTA Online and other R18+ online games
Starting next week, Australians will be required to verify their age to access online games classified as R18+, including Grand Theft Auto Online. Publishers face significant fines if they fail to implement robust age assurance methods, a measure aimed at protecting minors from adult content online.
Review - DOOM - THE GOLDEN SOULS 2 - The toughest FPS-platformer mod ever created?
The Golden Souls 2 is an extremely challenging FPS-platformer mod for DOOM II, developed by Andrea Gori. While praised for its massive levels, great level design, Super NES soundtracks, and improved jump mechanics, it suffers from frustratingly hardcore platforming, maze-like levels, and unbalanced weapon design. Despite its significant difficulty and some design flaws, it's considered a professional work of love for hardcore gamers.
Doom: The Dark Ages (PC)
Doom: The Dark Ages offers a fun, action-packed experience that is simpler and easier than Doom Eternal, but more complex than Doom 2016. While graphics are comparable to Eternal and raytracing showed no improvement, the game boasts quick loading times and smooth performance on PC. The gameplay features more open levels and freedom in combat, though some forced flying and robot suit sections are less engaging.
Doom: The Dark Ages' DLC is so big, it's "basically like a sequel"
Doom: The Dark Ages' game director Hugo Martin stated that the upcoming downloadable content is massive and feels like a sequel, offering players a significant amount of new content. He also hinted that the DLC will feature a spear-like weapon and will be distinct from the main game's mechanics. The base game has achieved over three million players since its release, reaching this milestone seven times faster than Doom Eternal.
The best FPS games 2026: genre-defining shooters
This article lists and describes the best First-Person Shooter (FPS) games available on PC, highlighting their unique features and impact on the genre. It covers a range of titles from classics like Half-Life 2 and Quake to modern hits such as Valorant and Doom: The Dark Ages, also touching on upcoming releases.
