Cuphead is now two years old and has sold five million copies across all platforms. To celebrate, Studio MDHR are planning "5 days of fun and giveaways" which begins with a sale of 20% off their game, no matter where you buy it from. Steam, Humble, GOG, it's on sale everywhere. Except in Tesla cars, I guess, where you can get the first zone for free as part of software version 10.0, and play it while you're parked using a USB controller.

Cuphead's downloadable expansion The Delicious Last Course is due out next year, and there's still a Netflix TV series on the way as well. Exciting times to be a cup or mug.

For the better part of a century, the Billboard charts have plotted the course of our musical tastes. The rules have changed many times over the years, reflecting the evolution of music and how we consume it, but even in this digital era it remains a useful, indisputable measure of success.

There are actually multiple Billboard charts: The Billboard 200 is the big one, but there are all kinds of genre-specific rankings too, including one for jazz—which at the moment is topped by the Cuphead: Selected Tunes vinyl soundtrack. 

Composed by Kristofer Maddigan, the double-album collection of music from the game debuted in the top spot, and is the first videogame soundtrack to achieve the mark: The original Cuphead soundtrack made it as high as number four on the jazz charts last year. The new soundtrack is also currently parked at number six on the Vinyl Albums chart, just behind Queen's Greatest Hits. (Hey, it's the vinyl charts. Time moves differently there.)

If you're a collector, the Cuphead double-album soundtrack is available for purchase from iam8bit for $40. If you'd just like to listen (and it's really good, so I would encourage you to give it a try), the original soundtrack is available digitally from Bandcamp.

Devilishly tricky 2D shooter Cuphead is getting an animated comedy spin-off on Netflix, with Studio MDHR's Chad and Jared Moldenhauer serving as executive producers. Unlike the game, The Cuphead Show will be possible to finish even if your hands refuse to obey your commands. 

The cartoon will be produced by Netflix Animation and will apparently give us more Cuphead and Mugman antics as it expands upon the weird world we saw in the game. Cuphead was inspired by Fleischer and Disney cartoons from the '30s, so an animated series isn't much of a leap. 

Writers and voice actors have yet to be announced, so it's probably early days for the production. Like fellow adaptation The Witcher, expect Netflix to tease us with costume tests and photos. Cuphead in a long silky wig, perhaps. Mugman in a corset. That sort of thing. Give our Cuphead review a read while you wait.

I've got no illusions about my dexterity, so I skipped Cuphead, depriving myself of some superb animation. I'm quite looking forward to The Cuphead Show, then, as I won't need to continually punish myself over and over again just to watch a neat cartoon. 

Initially announced in 2018, Cuphead was meant to get a substantial DLC pack this year in the form of 'The Delicious Last Course'. The expansion will introduce a new isle of levels, a new playable character, "a dollop of" new weapons and charms, and as you'd expect, more bosses to bang your head against. But a new teaser trailer today confirms that the DLC won't release until 2020.

"While we initially announced a 2019 release date for the Delicious Last Course expansion, our highest priority is making sure this new adventure meets the meticulous level of care and quality we always strive for," wrote Studio MDHR co-director Chad Moldenhauer in a statement. "We want to be absolutely certain that this next adventure feels at home in the world of Cuphead and is full of moments that surprise and delight players. Furthermore, the development of the original game taught us a great deal about the importance of making things in a way that’s healthy and sustainable for our team."

Moldenhauer also offered some details about the new playable character, Ms. Chalice, named so because her head closely resembles a chalice.

"Not only will Ms. Chalice have a distinct play style and unique abilities – like double-jump! – but she’ll be playable across every isle, allowing you to re-experience the original Cuphead in a completely fresh way."

Here's a teaser trailer for the DLC:

Doom on a toaster was fake. Cuphead on a Tesla? That, according to an interview with Tesla founder Elon Musk on the Ride the Lightning podcast, is real. 

"Cuphead, we've got working," Musk says at around the 36:48 mark, talking about the entertainment options available through the dash monitor on Tesla Model 3, Model S, and Model X cars. "[The developers] have been helping us make it work. It's a cool game. It's insanely difficult, by design. It's sadistically difficult... It's a twisted plot. It's dark. It looks like some cute little Disney thing, [but] this plot is dark." 

Developer Studio MDHR confirmed to IGN that it is working with Tesla to port the game to the dashboard. The studio said that it insisted that the game "has to play super, super clean," and that the controls have to be as precise as they are on PC. Because of that, a wired USB controller is required: It cannot be played with the built-in touchscreen controls. It, and other games, will also only run when the car is parked. 

"Finding out that Mr. Musk was a fan of our game was extremely humbling and getting a chance to work with such an innovative company has been really exciting," Studio MDHR's Maja Moldenhauer said. "We hope Cuphead can add some classic fun to such forward-thinking vehicles."

The one drawback is that because the cars weren't designed for this sort of thing—they're, you know, cars—they don't have the memory required to hold a whole bunch of games at once, or in the case of Cuphead, even the whole game: The Tesla version will only include Inkwell Isle One, Cuphead's first world. And if you want to play something different, Cuphead (or whatever you've got installed) will have to go.

"You have to decide what game you want to play, and then it'll download it," Musk says in the podcast. "So if you want to play other games you'll have to delete that one and load another one."

The Tesla version of Cuphead is expected to be ready later this summer. 

Cuphead, the platformer with a visual style modeled after cartoons from the 1930s and 40s, got surprise free update today that adds fully animated cinematics, new animations and art, a character select option, and more. Developer Studio MDHR said that the patch, which takes the game to version 1.2, is the biggest update yet. 

Following the update, players will have the option of selecting and playing through the single-player campaign as Cuphead's brother Mugman, who was previously available as the second character in the two-player co-op mode. Support for 11 more languages has been added, with "expert calligraphers" brought in "to bring the Boss & Level title lettering to life in Korean, Chinese, and Japanese—drawing inspiration from the early cartoon works of each country!" 

Cuphead and Mugman now have multiple "fight intros" thanks to the addition of new animation and art, which also enables "dozens of other dazzling additions and adjustments throughout the game." There's also the usual array of bug fixes and tweaks that you'd expect from a major update.   

It's not uncommon for promotional feature lists to end with "and more!" as this one does, but there might actually be more to the "more" here than is first apparent. It's not mentioned in the announcement but a Redditor by the name of Electoon claimed that the update also added "new secret boss routes" to the game. 

"All I've heard so far is that the vegetable patch boss, the Dimji [Djimmi] boss fight, and the theater lady fight (I forget her name) all have routes you can take that includes new assets and boss patterns," they wrote. "More content in this update than we've been lead to believe!" 

I've emailed Studio MDHR to inquire about the claim, but it looks legit: YouTuber Juan Velasco posted a video of a "secret radish boss" that the Cuphead Wiki says wasn't used in the game, but that now appears to be active—if you know how to get to it. That lines up with Electoons claim about the vegetable patch boss fight, and makes me think that maybe there really is more going on here than first meets the eye.

Summer Games Done Quick 2018 is officially over. The annual charity speedrunning marathon raised over $2 million for Doctor's Without Borders and featured over 168 hours of speedruns. If you weren't able to tune in, it's a full week of mind-blowing glitches and intense head to head races. But with the stream running 24 hours a day, it's almost impossible to see everything.

That's why we've rounded up our favorite PC speedruns from Summer Games Done Quick 2018. It's a relatively new roster compared to last year's selection, featuring indie hits like Cuphead and Celeste. But all of these runs are remarkable in their own way.

Cuphead (0:50:14) 

This run is an example of a Games Done Quick speedrun at its absolute finest: An incredibly tough game, an extremely skilled player, and a great cast of couch commentators. 'TheMexicanRunner' keeps his cool throughout each of Cuphead's insanely tough boss battles, but I particularly love the silly voices he uses while reading dialogue. His supporting cast of couch commentators are just as fun to listen to because of their impressive knowledge of the game. Not only do they explain techniques during each phase of the run, but they're bursting with cool trivia about Cuphead's development, artstyle, and more. It's just a great all-around run. 

Celeste (0:36:26) 

SGDQ 2018 was dominated by tough-as-nails indie platformers, but this Celeste head-to-head race is a remarkable display of videogame mastery by its two runners. It's not much of a competition, as runner TGH clearly has the upperhand, but watching both navigate Celeste's intimidating gauntlet of trap-filled levels is exhilarating. Some of the jumps each runner makes has to be pixel perfect, which isn't an easy feat when you're already blitzing through levels at this pace. It's indicative of the high level of skill that Celeste demands that even nailing some of these jumps is impressive on the second and third attempt. 

Enter the Gungeon (0:18:08) 

At every Games Done Quick event, there's always one run where everything just goes to hell despite the runner's best attempts. And this year, there is no one who failed more spectacularly than Teddyras—though it's not his fault. The RNG gods of Enter the Gungeon had an axe to grind with Teddyras, as evidenced by the mountain of bad luck that plagued him all the way from the very start. Sure, he makes a few mistakes here and there, but not once does Teddyras get a good weapon drop that is so crucial to surviving the Gungeon's harder floors. Keep in mind that, unlike most games, dying in Enter the Gungeon means having to start over from the very beginning. When it finally happens just shy of the final boss, it's heartbreaking. Fortunately Teddyras gets another shot, and things go much better the second time around. 

TASbot plays Celeste (0:34:19) 

But Steven, you say, didn't you just recommend a Celeste speedrun? Yes, I did. But you know what's better than watching two humans try to beat Celeste? Watching a friggin robot beat Celeste. That's what TASBot is, a tool-assisted speedrun where each button input is meticulously scripted beforehand and then executed in real-time. Of course, no human can ever match the precision of a robot, but that's what makes TAS special. With Celeste's breakneck pace and complicated level design, TASBot is able to blaze through each zone with remarkable speed. It took DevilSquirrel months to program TASBot to be able to run each level, finding the optimal path to create the ideal, superhuman speedrun. 

Borderlands: The Pre-sequel (1:56:46) 

I love this run for a lot of reasons, not least of which being that Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel doesn't feel like a remarkable game to watch a speedrun of. Gearbox's loot-shooter isn't exactly what comes to mind when I think of great speedrun games, but Amyrlinn and Shockwve's commentary is just so damn funny. Throughout the length of the Pre-Sequel, both runners abuse a ton of glitches like duping items and clipping through walls, but it's made all the more enjoyable by their irreverent digs at Borderlands' world and fun back-and-forth quips. 

Tomb Raider (1:13:56) 

If you're not a fan of the bombastic commentary that often accompanies Games Done Quick runs, this Tomb Raider run is for you. Beckski93 executes many of Tomb Raider's complicated glitches effortlessly, but I really enjoy her laidback commentary, which is a nice contrast to the sometimes abrasive energy of other runners. There's also just a lot of fun glitches to watch, like one named after the game QWOP because of the way it breaks Lara's running animation to help her glitch through surfaces.

FEAR (1:03:24) 

Maxylobes run of 2005's FEAR is great because it's always fun to see such scary games disarmed by speedrunners. FEAR terrified me the first time I played it, but watching Maxy rush through levels with no regard for the tense atmosphere or jumpscares is just so silly. He also kills entire squads of soldiers by rushing and punching each one in the head systematically, which is ridiculous for its own reasons. I wish I had realized how strong punching was when I first played. 

Cuphead has DLC on the way, as announced just now at the Microsoft E3 conference, called The Delicious Last Course. Get it? I'll wait. It took someone in the PC Gamer Slack to explain it to me, actually. I blame E3, and trying to watch trailers and write at the same time. Woe is me.

It'll feature a new playable character, called Legendary Chalice, a new isle, new bosses, new weapons and more. All we get for a release date is a vague 2019, but we loved the original. 

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts has announced the nominations for its BAFTA Games Awards 2018. 

Across 16 categories, a number of PC games are well represented—not least Giant Sparrow's wonderful What Remains of Edith Finch, which is up for seven awards. PUBG, Cuphead and Night in the Woods get four nods each, while Fortnite, Destiny 2 and Total War: Warhammer 2 pop up in various categories throughout. 

Console big hitters Horizon Zero Dawn and Zelda: Breath of the Wild feature heavily too, and it's nice to see the likes of Nier: Automata rubbing shoulders with Super Mario Odyssey, Edith Finch and Assassin's Creed Origins.  

Best of luck to them all. Here's the nominees in full: 

Performer Abubakar Salim as BayekAshly Burch as AloyClaudia Black as Chloe FrazerLaura Bailey as Nadine RossMelina Juergens as SenuaValerie Rose Lohman as Edith Finch

Original Property

CupheadGorogoaHorizon Zero DawnNight In The WoodsPlayerUnknown's BattlegroundsWhat Remains of Edith Finch

Narrative

Hellblade: Senua's SacrificeHorizon Zero DawnTacoma Night In The WoodsWhat Remains of Edith FinchWolfenstein 2: The New Colossus

Music

CupheadGet EvenHellblade: Senua's SacrificeHorizon Zero DawnThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the WildWhat Remains of Edith Finch

Multiplayer

Divinity: Original Sin 2FortniteGang BeastsPlayerUnknown's BattlegroundsSplatoon 2Star Trek: Bridge Crew

Mobile Game

Bury Me, My LoveGolf ClashGorogoaKAMI 2Monument Valley 2Stranger Things: The Game

Game Innovation

GorogoaHellblade: Senua's SacrificeThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the WildNieR: AutomataSnipperclipsWhat Remains of Edith Finch

Game Design

Assassin's Creed OriginsHorizon Zero DawnThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the WildNieR: AutomataSuper Mario OdysseyWhat Remains of Edith Finch

Game Beyond Entertainment

Bury Me, My LoveHellblade: Senua's SacrificeLast Day of JuneLife Is Strange: Before the StormNight in the WoodsSea Hero Quest VR

Family

Just Dance 2018Lego WorldsMario & Rabbids Kingdom BattleMonument Valley 2SnipperclipsSuper Mario Odyssey

Debut Game

CupheadGorogoaHollow KnightNight in the WoodsThe Sexy BrutaleSlime Rancher

British Game

Hellblade: Senua's SacrificeMonument Valley 2Reigns: Her MajestyThe Sexy BrutaleSniper Elite 4Total War: Warhammer 2

Best Game

Assassin's Creed OriginsHellblade: Senua's SacrificeHorizon Zero DawnThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the WildSuper Mario OdysseyWhat Remains of Edith Finch

Audio Achievement

Call of Duty: World War 2Destiny 2Hellblade: Senua's SacrificeHorizon Zero DawnStar Wars Battlefront 2Uncharted: The Lost Legacy

Artistic Achievement

CupheadGorogoaHellblade: Senua's SacrificeHorizon Zero DawnThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the WildUncharted: The Lost Legacy

The BAFTA Games Awards 2018 takes place in London's Troxy on April 12. More information can be found here. 

Up until now I have been avoiding Cuphead. It’s hard, and that makes it dangerous. If you have been on the internet at all, you’ll know that it is not acceptable to be bad at difficult videogames. Die recklessly in Dota, and you will be chased out of your home. Mistime your ult in Overwatch, and you will be excommunicated by the head of the church. 

We must hide the sin of mediocrity behind a facade of stoic capability. Case in point: a games journalist posted a video of himself being bad at Cuphead’s tutorial, and it generated a 2,666 comment Reddit thread and multiple op-eds asking if people who write about games are allowed to be bad at them. This isn’t a joke, except in the existential sense. The writer apologised for his crime, and now probably lies screaming as imaginary crows peck at him from a prison of his own mind. Or something. 

Naturally, as the editor of PC Gamer magazine, it is vital that people think I am good at videogames. No doubt our parent company would launch an official inquiry if they ever discovered that I’m playing through Divinity: Original Sin II on its easiest mode. It would, of course, be easier to not play and write about Cuphead. But it looks stylish and fun, and more importantly I’m already three paragraphs deep into this write-up. There’s no backing out now. I head into the tutorial. It’s fine. Maybe this won’t be so bad?

I head into a level—a boss fight against a blue slime. He jumps in predictable patterns. (So far so good.) Then he grows an arm and punches me in the face. (Less good.) Then he grows to double his size and murders me. (Actively bad.) I die repeatedly as I learn to avoid his many tricks, but each time I’m getting closer. Eventually it happens: he dies. I win! 

I get a ‘B’ rating, denoting my basic competence. Over the next couple of hours, I make my way through multiple bosses. I even beat the field full of angry vegetables on my first attempt—albeit largely because I’d already attempted that level numerous times at a press event. I am getting Bs all over the place. My adequacy is supreme.

And then I meet the flower. It throws seeds, which grow into small enemies that jump from the bottom of the level, or fly through the air like heat-seeking missiles. It throws projectiles and extends its head out across the screen. I can’t make any headway—learning attack patterns isn’t easy when those attacks come from every direction. Eventually I admit defeat, ending my streak by quitting the game. 

I have failed, and that’s fine. Is Cuphead difficult? Sure. But there’s no punishment for dying. It’s streamlined and effortless—you try again and again, slowly making progress until you win. The sad thing about the online obsession with being good is it inevitably misses the point. You’re meant to bad at Cuphead. And then you play it and get better. Or get annoyed at a flower and quit.