Ille Smolanko
This author is no longer actively contributing to TweakTown. Articles published during their time with us are listed below.
- 220 news posts
- since February 2025
May 2025
- NewsStar Wars Battlefront 2 has officially broken its all-time peak player record
- NewsEpic Games faces union complaint due to Fortnite's AI-powered Darth Vader
- NewsBaldurs Gate 3 had a 'cartoony' artstyle before shifting gears 'at least twice'
- NewsBorderlands games are being review bombed due to EULA, privacy concerns
- NewsDune: Awakening beta confirms 107,959 players were eaten by Sandworms
- NewsGamespot will have additional Switch 2 stock for those who didn't pre-order
- NewsCall of Duty: Warzone Mobile is being shut down, dev says 'it has not met our expectations'
- NewsGod of War's 'fiercest villain' is Zeus, according to 20th anniversary voters
- NewsKingdom Hearts IV screenshots revealed: the Quadratum, playable Mickey Mouse
- NewsCyberpunk 2077's multiplayer mod, CyberMP, receives a major update
- NewsSpotify's AI DJ adds voice features - you can now request songs, moods, playlists
- NewsSplinter Cell: Conviction storyboards emerge, calling back to game's original 2007 vision
- NewsFallout Season 2 trailer leaks, showcasing New Vegas in all its glory
- NewsRockstar leaker says GTA IV port could drop 'later this year', with Max Payne 3 to follow
- NewsTony Hawk 'has aspirations' for an Underground Remaster, but it's up to Activision
- NewsFallout TV star says the series has a 'season five, season six type of endpoint'
- NewsStar Wars: Battlefront 2 sees a brief resurgance, with most players since 2021
- NewsOri studio says it 'might not be around' in a few months due to review-bombing
- NewsKingdom Come II gets a packed May 15 update - first major DLC, horse-racing & more
- NewsKingdom Come: Deliverance II is on sale for the first time, prior to upcoming DLC launch
- NewsHelldivers 2 takes on a regal theme with 'Masters of Ceremony', arriving May 15
- NewsStar Wars: The Old Republic 'Dynamic Worlds' is arriving in late May / early June
- NewsDune: Awakening beta opened to include all players with pre-orders
- NewsSony WH-1000XM6 headphones confirmed for May 15 launch
- NewsSony WH-1000XM6 leak: QN3HD chip, AI microphone, and they're foldable again
- NewsDune: Awakening's large-scale beta begins this weekend, May 9-12
- NewsThe Outer Wilds devs confirm a new game via patch notes: 'our new game is our priority'
- NewsReports of A24 'Elden Ring' film taken down, but an insider claims its true
- NewsViral footage of downed fighter jet turns out to be gameplay taken from ARMA 3
- NewsDesktop Survivors 98: the 2D roguelite dungeon crawler set in an old Windows desktop
- NewsNintendo is officially a $100 billion company
- NewsAC Shadows Update 1.0.4 is arriving today - free story DLC, codex additions & more
- NewsHalo Infinite's next content drop is Halo 3 themed: side-by-side comparisons
- NewsGhost of Yōtei tops PS pre-order charts in over a dozen regions
- NewsOblivion Remastered's 'Ghosts of Tamriel' lets you leave Dark Souls-style messages in-game
- NewsHalo Infinite's 'Operation: Last Stand' launches May 6
- NewsThe Wolf Among Brooklyn: 1930's noir meets action-stealth in 'The Shadow Syndicate'
- NewsDevolver Digital is not afraid of GTA 6: next indie title to release same time, same day
- NewsDOOM: The Dark Ages reviews drop May 9, signaling early confidence from Bethesda
- NewsKingdom Come: Deliverance 2 actor campaigns for GOTY, amidst GTA 6 delays
- NewsStar Wars: Grand Collection launches on Switch, PS5 - but PS draws the short straw
- NewsGoogle begins its deployment of ads in AI chatbot conversations
- NewsUbisoft Brazil hints at Switch 2 ports, including three yet-to-be confirmed titles
- NewsElder Scrolls III: Morrowind receives a new Tamriel Rebuilt expansion: 'Grasping Fortune'
- NewsBaldur's Gate 3 dev forms new narrative unit as it ramps up two major RPG projects
- NewsSpider-Man 2 PC players can relive the Raimi era - from 'pizza time' to Bully Maguire
- NewsThe Outer Worlds 2 aims to capture the feeling of 'getting bullied' by deathclaws in New Vegas
- NewsMicrosoft continues its push towards a 'passwordless' future, with new account initiative
- NewsMax Payne 1-2 remakes, Control 2 are 'advancing at improving speeds', per Q3 earnings
- NewsGame of Thrones: Kingsroad launches free-to-play on PC and mobile May 21
April 2025
- NewsUbisoft set to headline the PC Gaming Show, arriving June 8
- NewsSifu developers' take on Rocket League, Rematch, peaks at 133,000 players in open beta
- NewsJapan's PS5 console rental services are a hit, with 200+ stores at full capacity
- NewsHorizon 'knockoff' Light of Motiram receives a new gameplay trailer
- NewsMarvel Rivals' early UI featured a darker, grittier art style
- NewsStar Wars: Zero Company is set for a full reveal, coming April 19
- NewsMan attempts to use AI avatar in court, is immediately 'chewed out' by judges
- NewsBattlefield 6 leaks confirm EA is trying its luck at Battle Royale again
- NewsMarvel Rivals is getting a hero per month & shorter seasons: 'The adventure is just beginning'
- NewsSchedule I hits 459K peak players, the most by a solo developer in Steam history
March 2025
- NewsInstagram introduces 2x speed reels, to assist with halving the attention span
- NewsEx-GTA lead's MindsEye gets a release date, free deluxe pass, and a bustling new trailer
- NewsInZOI team patches bug that allowed players to run over and kill kids
- NewsSchedule I leaps past Marvel Rivals, continuing its breakthrough run
- NewsMarvel Rivals is fixing RAM consumption in season 2, devs say 'it's a very big problem'
- NewsInZOI developers scrap Denuvo, expressing regret to the players: 'We sincerely apologise'
- NewsDell shed 25,000 employees over two years, AI and RTO among key factors
- NewsThree professions are safe from AI, according to Bill Gates
- News'Schedule I' is the #1 seller on Steam, blowing past AC Shadows
- NewsValve invented the 'Game of the Year Edition' marketing strategy, former exec reveals
- NewsGaming's most unhinged FPS franchise is making a VR comeback
- NewsMonster Hunter Wilds update arrivals April 4 - Mizutsune, challenge quests, hub features & more
- NewsFigure's robots now walk a little less like C-3PO, thanks to reinforcement learning
- NewsNapster acquired for new VR music platform - virtual events, 3D spaces, and creator tools
- NewsXbox begins testing 'Game Hubs', which adds new dashboards for every game
- NewsSkyblivion has moved onto post-launch DLC plans, with cities almost entirely finished
- NewsAssassin's Creed Shadows will be receiving even more visual upgrades on the PS5 Pro
- NewsAssassin's Creed Shadows star's first mocap earned a standing ovation from the dev team
- NewsClair Obscur: Expedition 33's stripped-back UI puts immersion first
- NewsCD Projekt Red has 'high ambitions' beyond games, including possible Witcher or Cyberpunk films
- NewsWB Games' Nemesis System was designed to 'keep disks in libraries' and curb second-hand resales
- NewsEU launches crackdown on pricing tricks in games like Fortnite and Call of Duty
- NewsGTA 6 being delayed could 'tank companies', and studios are avoiding it like the plague
- NewsRazer's 'Project Ava' joins the AI copilot race, but the tech still has a lot to prove
- NewsChatGPT use could be quietly cutting into your social life, MIT research finds
- NewsAssassins Creed Shadows team says it 'went the extra mile' for the PS5 Pro - and it paid off
- NewsKingdom Come: Deliverance II will be receiving VR support, thanks to a well-known modder
- NewsSamsung's April update brings S25 features, new UI and more to older phones
- News'Plants vs. Zombies Reloaded' rated in Brazil, hinting at an upcoming remaster
- NewsARK: Survival Evolved DLC trailer delisted after backlash over AI-generated content
- NewsMarvel was planning an 'MGU' after the release of Web of Shadows and Ultimate Alliance 2
- NewsBethesda and Xbox take sides in a debate older than Fallout itself
- NewsStars Reach is an ambitious new MMORPG hoping to fill a 20-year-old void
- NewsSplinter Cell's focus on going back to its roots could be a huge win for Ubisoft
- NewsAndrew Ng pushes back on AI job fears: 'This is the best time yet to learn to code'
- NewsCounter-Strike 1.6 Remake set to launch in 2025 - at least, for now
- NewsRunescape is still coming to Unreal Engine 5, 'Dragonwilds' title filed by Jagex
- News76ers' General Manager under scrutiny for using AI for basketball decisions
- NewsVibe coding: what is it, and how it's affecting software and gaming
- NewsTodd Howard has been waiting since Fallout 4 to do a surprise launch
- NewsPlayStation Portal's latest update adds over 50 classics to its cloud gaming library
- NewsEx-Facebook director says Zuckerberg used to forget his passport and 'blame everyone else'
- NewsCloud Gaming is Xbox's 'fastest growing' platform - and new devices are on the way
- NewsTesla has lost 49% of its market value in just 3 months
- NewsHow AI is reshaping archaeology - from 5,000 year old civilizations in Dubai to Mongolia
- NewsNintendo's former leads don't think Pokemon Z-A looks too great either
- NewsPalworld's crossplay update arrives in March - multiplayer across Steam, Xbox, PS5, and Mac
- NewsIntel stocks surge as Lip-Bu Tan is appointed CEO
- NewsOblivion remake rumored for a 'sooner than June' release date
- NewsApple and Google might face new rules as UK finds they are 'holding back innovation'
- NewsDays Gone Remastered follows Sony's trend of strange upgrade policies
- NewsHuawei goes all-in with its first AI laptop built entirely in-house
- NewsPocket Casts claps back against Spotify with its free web player: 'we're making a statement'
- NewsTake-Two accuses GTA online account sellers of stealing 'millions in revenue'
- NewsHitman Trilogy arrives on PSVR2 March 27 - with less jank, dual wielding, and more
- NewsThe Last of Us challenged the views of Nintendo's Miyamoto and God of War's Jaffe
- NewsIntergalactic: The Heretic Prophet takes on religion & loneliness in an alt-80's future
- NewsForza Horizon 5 on PS5 offers full feature parity - except for cross-progression
- NewsFake playtest invites are targeting Steam users again in latest phishing scam
- NewsSteve Wozniak was an early Tesla fan - now he calls its design a 'miserable' experience.
- NewsParamount skips voice actors, opting for shockingly bad AI slop in 'Novocaine' film promo
- NewsKingmakers enemies are medieval but not dumb - they'll recognise, react and 'counter-balance'
- NewsDoom: The Dark Ages won't end like Rogue One: 'I mean, that would end the medieval chapter'
- NewsLeaked concept art showcases the batcycle from scrapped Damien Wayne Batman game
- NewsKingdom Come: Deliverance II update arrives March 13 - mod support, barber mode & more
- NewsTrump's tariffs likely the nail in the coffin for physical games, experts say
- NewsMcDonald's claims 43,000 restaurant AI overhaul is to 'alleviate stress' for employees
- NewsAI-powered Maserati speeds faster than a bullet train, in new self-driving world record
- NewsThe Witcher 4 draws inspiration from A24 films like The Witch and The Lighthouse
- NewsBattlefield 6 footage immediately surfaces online in widespread leaks
- NewsDeath Stranding 2 pre-orders 'are about to open' - physical edition details leaked
- NewsBattlefield Labs shares details on gunplay, movement and new traversal features
- NewsStar Wars Genesis 7.2 is Starfield's biggest conversion mod yet
- NewsMedal of Honor devs reflect on the glory days: 'We were a bunch of immature f***s'
- NewsHideo Kojima, Norman Reedus & Troy Baker set to reveal details on Death Stranding 2
- NewsTitanfall developers cancel another shooter, Star Wars RTS project remains uncertain
- NewsGod of War creator defends Starfield: 'One of the best singleplayer narratives in gaming'
- NewsNVIDIA's market value tanks again, with $200 billion wiped amid tariff fears
- NewsMCU directors team up with Fortnite's creator: 'We'd definitely be open' to an Avengers game
- NewsSony opens PlayStation Beta Program, offering early access to games and updates
- NewsYou can now play GTA 5 on PC with next-gen visuals - at no additional cost
February 2025
- NewsCD Projekt Red expands on choosing Ciri: 'She's the hero. She's the child of destiny'
- NewsOpenAI says it's 'out of GPUs' as supply struggles continue across AI and gaming
- NewsAmazon's Kindle restrictions deal another blow to digital ownership
- NewsPSVR2 might be worth a flier for gamers who own a PS5 and a PC
- NewsForza Horizon 5 PS5 confirms April release, alongside Horizon Realms and graphics options
- NewsPC gamers opting for more genre diversity and complexity, Circana data shows
- NewsPerplexity opens waitlist for 'Comet', the new AI browser that aims to dethrone Chrome
- NewsCD Projekt Red may have changed Ciri's face in the latest Witcher 4 reveal
- NewsDLSS 4 support is set to grow, following NVIDIA's latest developer release
- NewsValve leaker claims 'Deckard' standalone VR headset launching in late 2025
- NewsAI filmmaker recreates the Titanic's final moments in uncanny POV footage
- NewsEx-Bethesda Developer on Todd Howard: 'He became less involved over time'
- News'Lost Records' takes gamers on a unique trip to the 1990s & coronavirus era
- NewsGhost of Tsushima producer on Insomniac Games: 'We were almost too intimidated to talk to them'
- NewsNetflix under fire for 'weird as hell' AI recreation of murder victim's voice
- NewsGoogle's AI search harms students with 'low-quality, unverified' summaries, Chegg claims
- NewsActivision admits to AI-generated assets in Call of Duty, in forced disclaimer
- NewsDOOM: The Dark Ages shakes up the formula - no double jump, medieval weapons, and more
- NewsLeaked Xbox controllers 'Sebile' and 'Actium Duet' resurface in cloud gaming files
- NewsAssassin's Creed Shadows copies are out in the wild, a month before launch
- NewsSpider-Man 3: Yuri Lowenthal hints at Peter Parker's role in the third game
- NewsCall of Duty's 'Bullet Train' map feels straight out of the 2022 Brad Pitt film
- NewsFigure AI just took a step toward smarter robots - starting with ketchup in the fridge.
- NewsNEO Gamma provides a glimpse at life with a humanoid robot assistant
- NewsSkyblivion, the fan remake of Oblivion in Skyrim's engine, nears completion
- NewsNVIDIA's RTX 50 series slows down classic games after dropping PhysX support
- NewsSpider-Man 2 PC players really don't like MJ's face, modders show
- NewsNVIDIA stocks have almost fully recovered, 1 month after DeepSeek panic sales
- NewsMusk's Grok-3 is 'unhinged'... and that might bring back AI's lost creativity
- NewsStar Wars Battlefront 2 modders have built the Star Wars game of our dreams
- NewsGTA-6 inspired 'mystery project' shuts down the streets of Tampa
- NewsMeta's breakthrough: AI can successfully read 80% of thoughts, & understand how they emerge
- NewsTikTok's parent unveils AI that generates viral videos from text
- NewsDays Gone Remastered leaves fans wondering - where's the upgrade?
- NewsMarvel Rivals players catch a subtle joke in Captain America's latest MCU skin
- NewsGoogle's former chief warns AI could lead to a 'Bin Laden' style attack
- NewsScientists 'racing' to create the first AI for animal-to-human translation
- NewsUntil Dawn meets 'The Thing' in the latest State of Play reveal trailer
- NewsGTA 5's ex-lead just revealed a new game - fans are calling it 'GTA 2077'
- NewsSam Altman backpedals on release of o3, shortly after de-hyping 'superintelligence' claims
- NewsNVIDIA's Jensen Huang 'No AI can replace 100% of a job, but many can replace 80% of what we do'
- NewsWidespread VPN attack: 2.8 million IPs involved in brute-force campaign
- News'Hapunan' - why this Filipino horror game about selling duck eggs is going viral
- NewsTrump refuses to sign global AI declaration, calls for 'optimism over fear'
- NewsPlayStation's State of Play is set for Feb 12, major reveals expected
- NewsBack to the Future might be the next franchise to receive the 'Indiana Jones treatment'
- NewsNVIDIA's Jensen Huang is 'spitting bars' in recent AI video showcase
- NewsAndrew Ng released 'Agentic Object Detection' last week - here's why it's making waves
- NewsMicrosoft's latest study confirms it: AI is making us dumber
- NewsTrump administration's stance heading into Paris AI summit: 'America first'
- NewsValve issues platform-wide ban for any games that force advertising
- NewsUS startup reports 'major breakthrough' in robot intelligence
- NewsPerplexity update outperforms ChatGPT's paid plan (and it's free)
- NewsNVIDIA's new AI model trains robots to move like LeBron and Ronaldo
- NewsSamsung's new display is basically a Kindle - but 75 inches and in full color
- NewsGlobal hardware scam: 'brand new' Seagate hard drives exposed as used mining equipment
- NewsGoogle plans to make search even more AI-driven in 2025
- NewsChina's humanoid robots slated for mass production by end of 2025
- NewsChina's AI expansion continues, DeepSeek now in PCs, Robotics, EVs and more
- News AI agents are evolving beyond tools into full-fledged 'coworkers'
- NewsApple stays cautious on AI as DeepSeek's budget model shakes up the industry
- NewsGemini vs. ChatGPT: AI takes center stage at the Super Bowl
- NewsChatGPT makes previously paid feature available to everyone - no login required
- NewsUS researchers built a DeepSeek competitor for less than a tank of gas - and it's actually good
- NewsHarrison Ford shares his thoughts on AI in video games & voice acting
- NewsGoogle releases Gemini 2.0 models: 'We kicked off the agentic era'
- NewsSamsung Galaxy S25 Ultra reviews criticise 'hit-or-miss' AI features
- NewsSteam's quiet update holds early access developers accountable
- NewsParis AI summit next week will be the test for US, China cooperation
- NewsAMD downplays DeepSeek threat: '[Innovation is] good for AI adoption'
- NewsOpera's new browser helps you focus, stretch and eliminate stress
- NewsAustralian government bans DeepSeek due to national security risks
- NewsBill Gates weighs in on the AI Revolution - 'Intelligence will be completely free'
- NewsOpenAI's second AI agent has been officially released
- NewsAI Agents like OpenAI's 'Operator' have a long way to go before replacing humans
- NewsNew report reveals AI adoption gap: only 8% of businesses fully implement it
- NewsThe Last of Us style 'zombie-fungus' has now been confirmed in another species
- NewsMicrosoft Edge's new update takes on the scam that inspired 'The Beekeeper'
- NewsGoogle Sheets receives a Gemini-powered refresh
