Video games are constantly trying different ways to make you feel like the game you’re playing has exciting, tangible stakes. Some are more creative about it than others.

Last week, Splatoon 2 players noticed something strange about the leaderboard for competitive play. The top four names on the list spelled out “Please add anti cheat,” courtesy of a hacker with a simple request. This hacker later told players that this wasn’t just a joke. He wanted to send a message to Nintendo about how easy it is to hack their game.

Hidden under Splatoon 2's fresh gear and multiplayer madness is an outrageous backstory. Nintendo has done a fantastic job of releasing free content for the games’ online offerings, but their newest DLC is all about the single player struggle and adding some ridiculous plot twists to the colourful franchise.

Today on Highlight Reel we have rude dinosaurs, C4 tosses, The Crew 2 tricks, Vermintide 2 glitches, and much more!

Splatoon's campaigns have always been wacky, inventive, but rarely too difficult. They seemed designed to introduce players to the game's different weapons and mechanics.

The newly-released Octo Expansion for Splatoon 2 isn't about warm welcomes. It's about mastering all that Splatoon can throw at you and then some.

The traditional way to view game companies when it's E3 season is to look at what they announce for the future. In that regard, Nintendo had a so-so E3.

Splatoon 2's face is all inky rainbows and cutesy cephalopods. It would be an adorable, idyllic wonderland, if not for the fact that controlling all of those snuggable urchins are real-life humans, who are often bad.

Splatoon 2 is a game about squid-kids waging war with neon ink. It isn't an easy one to explain to grandma. And it takes place in a freaky world that raises a lot of questions. What did squid kids evolve from? How do they get so much ink in those little ink guns? Where are these kids' parents?

Fans of single-player Splatoon should know that a whole lot more of it will be landing on Switch very soon in this winter's "Octo Expansion".

This weekend, Splatoon 2 players ended a multi-week popularity contest over the best Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. And unsurprisingly, they chose the objectively best turtle in the end, Donatello.

Earlier this week, Kotaku announced the E3 2018 press conference schedule. At that time, Nintendo had yet to reveal its plans. Now it has.

Here's another friendly reminder to please ink your spawn.

The debut of Super Smash Bros. on the Nintendo Switch is finally within spitting distance. On June 11-12, Nintendo will host a Smash Switch tournament at E3 where invited players will compete at the recently-announced title. At the same time, Nintendo's Splatoon 2 World Championships will take place, featuring top teams from Canada, Europe, Australia and Japan.

"You're a rabbit now; you're a kid now" doesn't have quite the same ring to it, but Splatoon almost went there. Nintendo's stylish shooter once starred bunnies, and before that, tofu blocks.

Pearl and Marina showed up at this year's Niconico Tokaigi Smash Bros. tournament in Japan for the latest in a series of hologram concerts dating back to the first Splatoon.

Video game hub worlds are towns and hamlets that the player returns to between gameplay to restock and reflect. In games like Monster Hunter World or Splatoon 2, they offer a sense of security and community that ground the player in the world and make them feel truly at ease.

We reported earlier that Nintendo is doing well. No kidding. The Switch is on fire. The company posted a bunch of sales numbers overnight, and we at Kotaku HQ have been discussing which is the most stunning. Let's just say that we're not all in agreement. Which is your pick? (Please say it's the Splatoon one.)

Most players might just use Splatoon 2's high-flying super jump to get back into the action after you've respawned. Saffron Rice's DNerd found a different use: to sink the game-winning clam.

Nintendo has been keeping up with Splatoon 2's development and as such the game's new version, 2.2.0, is scheduled to go live on January 16 and address a number of existing problems, including imbalances on its Walleye Warehouse map.