Gaming

Where did the adult games on Steam go?

Steam, itch.io pulls out NSFW games because of pressure from Visa, Mastercard

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Years ago, Steam finally added adult games to its vast catalog of titles. The timely addition saved gamers from relying on sketchier platforms for their NSFW fix. Now, however, an unforeseen circumstance is forcing Steam to pull a huge chunk of its adult games from the store.

Way back when, Steam did not allow mature games to be sold on its storefront — except, of course, for the occasional nude scene in bigger games. Today, the store is much more lenient, allowing straight-up adults-only titles for sale.

Recently, itch.io, a more independent gaming platform, started delisting all of its NSFW content. The unprecedented move apparently stemmed from new directives ordered by Visa and Mastercard, the two main payment platforms catering to digital storefronts.

In Australia, Collective Shout, a minuscule but vocal activist group, lobbied for stricter policies against unimpeded access to NSFW content in the country, especially for underage users. The organization successfully spoke and was heard by the two payment companies.

As such, Visa and Mastercard (via The Guardian) have enacted new rules to stop storefronts from selling the affected content to consumers. Since the two companies are at the forefront of online payments, digital stores had no choice but to comply.

Steam, for its part, has followed suit. However, instead of delisting everything, only a hundreds of games got the ax. Mostly, the affected titles included themes involving (or variations of) slavery and incest.

For some, the loss of these dubious themes are no big loss. However, other users are worried that the small move will snowball into grander bans in the long run, including those with only mildly mature themes.

SEE ALSO: PlayStation games can be sold on Steam again in the Philippines

Accessories

Logitech G debuts PRO X2 SUPERSTRIKE with faster click tech

Faster clicks, deeper control

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PRO X2 SUPERSTRIKE

Logitech G is pushing competitive gaming performance further with the launch of the PRO X2 SUPERSTRIKE. It’s a next-generation wireless mouse built around a new click system designed for speed and control.

At the center of the PRO X2 is its patent-pending SUPERSTRIKE technology. It reduces the travel distance needed to register a click, cutting latency by up to 30 milliseconds based on internal testing. The result is faster inputs that can make a difference in high-stakes, split-second moments.

The mouse also introduces the Haptic Inductive Trigger System (HITS), replacing traditional mechanical microswitches. Instead of relying on physical contact, it delivers tactile feedback the moment a click signal is sent, helping players feel each input in real time.

Customizable clicks for competitive play

Developed with esports teams like G2 Esports, NAVI, and BLG, the PRO X2 SUPERSTRIKE focuses on precision and consistency. It supports 10 selectable actuation levels, allowing users to fine-tune how deep a click needs to be before it registers.

These adjustments can be made through Logitech G HUB, giving players the flexibility to match their setup to different games, roles, or playstyles without interrupting gameplay.

The mouse also uses Logitech’s LIGHTSPEED wireless technology with up to an 8kHz polling rate. This ensures fast and stable performance without the limitations of a wired connection.

Precision tracking and lightweight build

Powering the PRO X2 is Logitech’s HERO 2 sensor. It supports up to 44,000 DPI, 888 IPS tracking speed, and over 88G acceleration. Logitech says tracking remains free of smoothing, acceleration, or filtering, allowing for more consistent and direct input.

Despite its performance-focused internals, the mouse keeps a lightweight build at 61 grams. Logitech says this supports faster movements and reduces fatigue during long sessions.

Battery life is rated at up to 90 hours on a single charge, letting players stay in the game longer without interruptions.

Price and availability

The Logitech G PRO X2 SUPERSTRIKE is priced at PhP 11,945. It is available in the Philippines via Shopee and authorized Logitech retailers.

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Gaming

WWE 2K26 lets you live out all the fantasy matches you could want

But you have to play for hours and hours to unlock everyone.

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The old SmackDown vs. RAW games were some of the most fun I’ve had as a teenager. Though I didn’t own a PlayStation 2 or 3 then, I had a PlayStation Portable and the series’ corresponding version. Sure, it didn’t have the then-advanced graphics, but the games kept me company for many a day and night. And it all revolved around a simple premise: letting wrestling fans live out their fantasy matches.

Now, with over 400 playable characters on launch, WWE 2K26 hopes to rekindle that magic. Previously, 2K’s take on the wrestling simulator never really captivated me as much as the SvR series did. Though players still had a similarly large roster throughout the years, the series felt too homogenized, too riddled with microtransactions. This year, the series got me thinking again: Can sheer numbers singlehandedly usher a new renaissance for WWE gamers?

The good: Four hundred superstars under one banner

WWE 2K26 touts over four hundred playable characters on launch. With unannounced DLCs still on the horizon, this number will surely balloon further. Even for a dedicated WWE fan, having over four hundred playable characters is insane. Where else can I pit Joe Hendy against Andre the Giant and create my own WrestleMania III moment?

The only catch, however, is that the game did some stat padding to get to this enormous number. Besides having multiple personas for a single wrestler (and CM Punk alone has ten of these), the roster includes a platoon of fictional MyRISE characters, which comes off as distracting if you don’t particularly engage with the MyRISE mode.

Ironically, the game didn’t even need to pad its stats this way. For the first time in the series, the launch roster includes Superstars from the current WWE roster, TNA, AAA, and the Hall of Fame. I could spend hours just feeding a litany of Superstars to TNA legend Abyss. That’s something I could never have done in the old SvR days.

The good: A more fluid fighting system

It also helps that WWE 2K26’s fighting system is the most fluid that the series has been. Wrestlers no longer feel like wooden animatronics skipping from one animation to the next. Each punch flows smoothly into a clothesline, a grapple, a carry, or a finisher.

It is, of course, at the expense of a more complex control scheme where each input combination corresponds to its own move. A stray waggle of the right joystick, for example, can have your wrestler careening towards their opponent in ways you never intended.

It takes some time to get used to. Every time I get a WWE 2K game, I always need a refresher course for the controls. Plus, each entry introduces something different. This year introduces rushing opponents to the corner and carrying opponents in different ways.

Another new addition is the new third-person camera which follows your character, rather than being locked to the ring. To me, this was a welcome feature. The original camera can often betray you by having various elements (other wrestlers, the ring itself) block your view of the action, thus preventing you from reacting correctly to your opponent. The dynamic third-person camera solves this and makes the fight more immersive.

That said, the camera necessarily changes the controls a bit because you need the right joystick to look around. Because of that, I had to revert back to the original camera after a while. Regardless, this is a step in the right direction.

The improved fight scheme is also a step in the right direction. WWE 2K26 is the franchise’s most immersive entry to date because of how fluid the action plays out.

The meh: Iterative game modes

Every yearly sports simulator falls prey to the curse of iteration. Because it’s an annual release, every game needs to add something new for players. At the same time, the same game can’t iterate too much, or it might end up alienating fans of the previous title. Each WWE 2K title has to be the same but also a bit different.

WWE 2K26 goes through the same rigamarole. Most of the game’s different modes don’t offer a lot of improvements from last year. So, if you loved last year’s MyRISE, MyGM, and Universe Mode, you’ll likely find this year’s iteration inoffensive.

“Inoffensive,” however, isn’t the best way to sell a new game. At the very least, MyFACTION gets interesting improvements. For a mode I historically dislike every year, WWE 2K26’s MyFACTION ended up being the one I loved the most this year.

This year, the layout feels more intentional. Though it still lacks the exciting animations of NBA 2K, opening a pack no longer looks like a PowerPoint presentation. There’s also more ways to fight offline with the addition of a challenging World Tour mode. Plus, with intergender support and team chemistry, this feels like the update that MyFACTION needed.

In another twist of fate, Showcase Mode ended up being the loser this year. WWE 2K26 rehashes last year’s schtick of having the star rewrite their history. Last year, this worked with Paul Heyman, a notorious bad guy. It doesn’t really stick with this year’s star, CM Punk, the so-called voice of the voiceless.

Punk could have shined with the traditional style of laying their commentaries over their past matches, especially with his shoot style. Instead, we got a series of what-ifs with practically no commentary. It’s just not what I expected from a firebrand like CM Punk.

The bad: The Ringside Pass

For the first time in the series, WWE 2K26 has a battle pass called the Ringside Pass. Like battle passes in other games, the Ringside Pass unlocks more content as you play through the game. However, unlike today’s standard which revolves mostly on cosmetics, this version locks a treasure trove of playable wrestlers behind an experience gate.

Even if you already paid for the game, WWE 2K26 asks you to play an inordinate number of hours just to unlock the best wrestlers in the game.

To be fair, it’s not all bad. Right out the gate, the game already gives you access to heavy hitters like CM Punk, Shawn Michaels, and John Cena. However, a lot of favorites are still unplayable including Bret Hart and Kurt Angle. This even includes the strongest version of Bray Wyatt, who’s locked under the last tier of the current pass.

Gaining experience isn’t an easy feat, either. After playing for hours and hours, I still haven’t unlocked more than half of the tiers. At the very least, there is no time limit, so I can play the game at my own pace.

Props to WWE 2K26 for making its battle pass have fulfilling rewards, but it’s still unfortunate that significant elements of the game are locked behind hours and hours of playtime.

The gameplay loop is real and repetitive. And it all circles back to how iterative the game modes are. If only the game modes ended up being as exciting as they were last year, then it would have been exciting to play over and over again. Instead, WWE 2K26 prevents you from engaging in greatest strengths: an exciting roster and a fluid fighting system.

Is WWE 2K26 your PlayMatch?

Last year’s WWE 2K25 was an exciting period for the series. Though this year’s version keeps most of what made the previous game so exciting, WWE 2K26 also adds features, especially the Ringside Pass, that ultimately detract from the entire experience. It’s a small step back, which can hopefully be rectified next year, if not in future updates.

WWE 2K26 is a Swipe Left if you didn’t love last year’s game anyway. The game doesn’t add anything that might change your mind.

However, it’s a Swipe Right if you missed the pure joy of creating dream matches. The game’s massive roster allows for so many impossible matchups to happen, even if only in the digital realm. Just get ready to grind for a long time.

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Gaming

God of War: Sons of Sparta takes a more contained approach to Kratos

Filipino devs were part of it.

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God of War Sons of Sparta

There’s a version of God of War that lives in most people’s heads. It’s loud. Cinematic. Heavy with consequence. The kind of game that feels bigger than you.

God of War: Sons of Sparta isn’t that. At least, not in the way you expect.

It’s more contained. 2D. Pixel art. But spend a little time with it, and you start to see what it’s trying to do. Not replace the modern games. Not outdo them.

Just… revisit something familiar from a different angle.

A different take on Kratos

Instead of gods and world-ending stakes, Sons of Sparta focuses on Kratos earlier in his life, training as a Spartan alongside Deimos. It’s more contained. More personal.

You’re still fighting through brutal encounters. But the framing feels different. Less about destiny, more about who Kratos was before everything spiraled. And somehow, even in pixel form, it still feels like God of War.

Where Filipino developers come in

One of the more interesting parts of this project is how it came together.

Mega Cat Studios worked closely with Santa Monica Studio to build the game. That includes a strong presence from their Philippine team.

But it’s not framed as a separate unit.

“There is no separation between Mega Cat Pittsburgh and Mega Cat Philippines,” says Art Director Janley Clavio.
“We operate as one phalanx, and were part of the game from the beginning.”

That last part shifts the narrative from “support work” to actual collaboration.

The kind of work you feel more than you see

The team contributed to environment art, asset production, and overall polish across different areas of the game. Not the flashy headline stuff. But the kind that shapes how the game feels moment to moment.

“Our work supports the player experience without pulling attention away from the story,” Clavio explains.

Think temple interiors and ruined battlefields. Small details that hint at what happened in a place before you got there. It’s subtle. But it adds up.

Staying true to God of War—even in 2D

Working on God of War comes with a certain weight. Fans know how this world is supposed to look and feel. So, even if Sons of Sparta shifts genres, the expectation doesn’t really change.

“We had to make sure it wasn’t just any retro pixel art game—it had to be a God of War pixel art game,” Clavio says.

That meant studying the details. How materials look. How lighting behaves. How environments guide you. And then translating all of that into something simpler—but still recognizable.

A team that knows when to hold back

One thing that stands out from the conversation is restraint. There’s an understanding that when you’re working on something like God of War, you don’t need to reinvent everything. You just need to get it right.

“When you’re working on something fans already love, your job is to enhance it—not reinvent it.”

That mindset shows up across the game. It respects what came before, but still finds space to do its own thing.

Small details, personal touches

There are also a few quiet nods tucked into the game. Nothing too obvious. Nothing that breaks immersion. But enough for the team to leave their mark.

“For our Filipino artists, it’s a point of pride knowing that a little piece of our culture helped shape a world millions of players will explore.”

It’s not something the game calls attention to. But it’s there.

Not just another spin-off

Sons of Sparta is easy to label as a side project. And sure, it kind of is.

But it’s also a good example of what happens when different teams come together with a clear understanding of what they’re building.

A more contained God of War game that still feels like it belongs. A different perspective on a familiar story. And a project where Filipino developers weren’t just involved. They were part of the process from the start.

It doesn’t try to be the biggest entry in the series. And honestly, it doesn’t need to be.

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