You mean the Bethesda-Launcher.

You're right! I mixed Bethesda for Blizzard (silly companies starting both with a B).

WARNING. Just got logged automatically into someone else account at Techspot's website. Didn't even have an account there as the forums there are pretty dead. If you have an account with Techspot you might want to change your password or delete the account.

That's kind of odd. But thanks for the notice.

Nowadays I only check Techspot every now and then, mostly when a new game comes out to see if they've benchmarked it.

Monday news:

SALES & DEALS

Capcom reports record high profits thanks to Monster Hunter: World
https://www.pcgamer.com/capcom-reports-record-high-profits-thanks-to-monster-hunter-world/
2018 was an extremely good year for Capcom. After some uneven years and even big games like Resident Evil 7 and Street Fighter 5 failing to make quite as large a splash as the publisher was hoping, it’s managed to hit its stride once again, largely thanks to the excellent Monster Hunter: World.
Capcom’s latest financial report, which covers nine months ending on December 31, showed the record high profits, with operating income leaping up by a whopping 92 percent, just under £93,784,698 or $122,495,100, and a net income of £427,152,321 or $557,557,000, up 28.3% year-over-year. Those very large numbers owe a lot to some very large monsters.
>> Good for them.

Grab Cultist Simulator, Vermintide 2 and Earth Defense Force 4.1 for $12 in latest Humble Bundle
https://www.pcgamer.com/grab-cultist-simulator-vermintide-2-and-earth-defense-force-41-for-dollar12-in-latest-humble-bundle/
The latest Humble Monthly Bundle has three excellent early unlocks if you stump up $12: narrative card game Cultist Simulator (one of our favourite games of last year), co-op monster slayer Warhammer: Vermintide 2 (one of the 100 best games on PC) and giant ant killing sim Earth Defense Force 4.1, described by Phil in his review as "very videogames".
Pay $12 now and you'll be able to play them all straight away, plus you'll get a handful of mystery games in March. Technically, you're subscribing to the bundle on a rolling basis when you sign up, but you can cancel (or pause) after one month.
>> And on the Humble Store, there are two new deals:

• There's a The Division DLC sale, with 90% discounts for the next 11 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/the-division-dlc-sale/
• The World of Warship Humble Pack is free for the next 23 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/world-of-warships-humble-pack

GOG's new weekly sale is Picks for the pucky, with up to 80% discounts: https://www.gog.com/promo/20190204_weekly_sale

At Steam there's no new daily deal because the Lunar Sale should start today.

And at Fanatical, there are three things to comment:

• The Star Deal is The Jackbox Party Pack 5, 50% off for the next 48 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/the-jackbox-party-pack-5
• There's a new Ancestor Bundle, with 7 games at a 97% discount for the next 14 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/ancestor-bundle
• And they're also celebrating a Lunar New Year Sale, with lots of discounts and the LUNAR8 promo code to add an extra 8% discount to all the games on sale: https://www.fanatical.com/en/on-sale

SOFTWARE/DRIVERS

NVIDIA GeForce 418.81 WHQL driver released, adds support for DLSS in 3DMark Port Royal
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/nvidia-geforce-418-81-whql-driver-released-adds-support-for-dlss-in-3dmark-port-royal/
NVIDIA has released a brand new driver for its graphics cards. According to the release notes, the NVIDIA GeForce 418.81 WHQL driver is described as a reference driver that can be installed on supported NVIDIA notebook GPUs and adds support for DLSS in 3DMark Port Royal.
Furthermore, this driver adds/updates the SLI profiles for Anthem, Assetto Corsa Competizione, Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2, Life is strange Season 2, NBA 2K19 and Space Hulk Tactics. It also implements performance improvements on multiple titles, such as Witcher 3. whenusing G-SYNC and SLI on Pascal and Maxwell GPUs.
>> Available from here.

Pikuniku, Dear Esther and Downwell among February's Twitch Prime games
https://www.pcgamer.com/pikuniku-dear-esther-and-downwell-among-februarys-twitch-prime-games/
Dear Esther, survival roguelike The Flame in the Flood and indie shoot-em-up Downwell—which was so good that the creator was promptly hired by Nintendo—are among the games that Twitch Prime subscribers can claim on their accounts this month, Twitch has announced.
Pikuniku, a delightful dystopian puzzler that came out last month, is also currently free for Twitch Prime susbcribers, and has been since last week. Like the other games, you have until the end of February to claim it here (and judging by Philippa's review, you really should).

MODS/EMULATORS

Cemu 1.15.2 comes to everyone on February 4th, full release notes revealed
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/cemu-1-15-2-comes-to-everyone-on-january-4th-full-release-notes-revealed/
CEMU 1.15.2 has been released to Patreon backers and will be available to everyone on February 4th. According to the release notes, version 1.15.2 optimizes performance of ‘High’ GPU buffer cache accuracy setting and fixes a bug in vsync option code.
Moreover, this latest version of the WiiU emulator fixes a bug where controller settings reset when controller was not connected on launch, adds support for custom filters via graphic packs, adds two new filters (Hermite and Nearest Neighbor) and overhauls up/downscaling output filter system.

Resident Evil HD Remaster receives a new AI-enhanced Texture Pack, improves more than 1600 textures
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/resident-evil-hd-remaster-receives-a-new-ai-enhanced-texture-pack-improves-more-than-1600-textures/
These past few weeks have been really interesting as we’ve seen some truly amazing AI-enhanced texture packs for older games. Final Fantasy 7, Final Fantasy 8, Final Fantasy 9, Half-Life, Max Payne, Morrowind and Doom are just a few of the games that got new high-quality textures that were produced via AI Neural Networks and today, modder ‘Shiryu’ released a new AI-enhanced Texture Pack for Resident Evil HD Remaster.
According to the modder, this Texture Pack, which is more than 8GB in size, upgrades/improves more than 1600 textures and took almost a month in order to be finished. Do note though that the rooms that Capcom redid as 3D rendered rooms have not been modified. This pack covers the entire game, meaning that you can install it and enjoy the improved textures from start to finish.
>> Download this mod from its official website.

Here is how you can increase the LOD/view distance and remove Chromatic Aberration in Ace Combat 7
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/here-is-how-you-can-increase-the-lod-view-distance-and-remove-chromatic-aberration-in-ace-combat-7/
As we reported earlier today, Ace Combat 7 appears to be running really smoothly on the PC. However, our biggest gripe with the PC version right now is that it does not offer any extended settings for the LOD/view distance, resulting in the same pop-in issues found on the console versions. Thankfully, though, there is a workaround.
>> Check the article for the codes.

This mod for Shadow of the Tomb Raider makes Lara look similar to her Rise of the Tomb Raider version
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/this-mod-for-shadow-of-the-tomb-raider-makes-lara-look-similar-to-her-rise-of-the-tomb-raider-version/
A respectable number of players was disappointed when it discovered that Lara, in Shadow of the Tomb Raider, did not look similar to her Rise of the Tomb Raider appearance. Among them was modder ‘kotn3l’ who went ahead and released a new 4K mod that makes Lara Croft’s face look similar to the one featured in Rise of the Tomb Raider.
As the modder noted, this mod changes Lara’s face texture from the game’s 2K textures to its predecessor’s 4K textures. The specular map was completely remade to work with Shadow of The Tomb Raider (which took up days to perfect every little detail). The diffuse map has also been altered a little as the modder has removed Lara’s very visible eye shadow. Furthermore, her eyebrow’s alpha map has been added back to the game as well.
The end result is a face that is more similar to the one used in Rise of the Tomb Raider. And while this definitely sounds great, there is a big downside for using this mod. According to kotn3l, this mod only works in DX11 and this particular API in Shadow of the Tomb Raider performs noticeably worse than DX12. Not only that, but users will need Kaldaien’s Special K in order to enable this mod (and we know that some users boycott Kaldaien’s mods).
>> Check the article for the links to the mod and Special K.

This mod brings Samus from Metroid Prime to Monster Hunter World
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/this-mod-brings-samus-from-metroid-prime-to-monster-hunter-world/
Modder ‘TSC’ has released a new mod for Monster Hunter World that brings to it Samus from Metroid Prime. This mod basically replaces Female Dante pieces with the choice of your Samus suits from Metroid Prime, as well as Moogle palico with a Metroid.
It’s a pretty cool mod that I’m pretty sure a lot of Metroid fans will appreciate. The mod currently features three suits that you can choose from. Furthermore, all suits are re-colorable on the normally orange portion of the Varia suit.
Unfortunately, though, and contrary to the NieR Automata or Final Fantasy XV Aranea mods for Monster Hunter World, this Metroid Prime mod does not feature any of Samus weapons. Of course her weapons wouldn’t work in a game like this – and it would have taken a lot of work in order to add them – so it’s a bit understandable. Still, it could be cool if this mod featured her iconic blast weapon and allowed players to use her ball morphing ability.
>> Available from Nexus Mods

New release of standalone Thief fan game The Dark Mod is out now
https://www.pcgamer.com/new-release-of-standalone-thief-fan-game-the-dark-mod-is-out-now/
The original Thief trilogy is still considered a high-water mark for stealth games by many people, and if you're one of them you probably already know about The Dark Mod. It's the place to go to get your fix of fan missions made in a new engine— specifically, the Doom 3 engine, whose lighting effects are put to good use in maps like those highlighted in our list of the best Dark Mod missions. (In addition to those I'm partial to Creeps, a spooky little horror experience.)
In spite of the name The Dark Mod's a standalone you don't need to own Doom 3 to play, and you can download it for free. It's still being updated today and the latest version is The Dark Mod 2.07. Called "the stability release", it sorts out various problems introduced by the inclusion of things like soft shadows, an uncapped framerate, and multi-core processor support in the previous update. It also sneaks in some new features like faster mantling over small objects, better AI for some very specific situations like when you flashbomb someone who is sitting down, and more you can read about over at ModDB.

GAMING NEWS

Crackdown 3 single-player and multiplayer modes showcased in these latest videos
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/crackdown-3-single-player-and-multiplayer-modes-showcased-in-these-latest-videos/
The embargo for the latest preview coverage for Crackdown 3 has been lifted any various publications have released videos, showing the game’s single-player and multiplayer modes. The multiplayer videos focus on the Wrecking Zone mode; the mode that will feature the most extensive and detailed destruction in the game via the Cloud.

This is what Resident Evil 2 Remake could have looked like with fixed camera angles
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/this-is-what-resident-evil-2-remake-could-have-looked-like-with-fixed-camera-angles/
YouTube’s ‘Enveloping Sounds’ has shared two videos, showing what Resident Evil 2 Remake could have looked like with fixed camera angles. As we all know, the original Resident Evil trilogy featured fixed camera viewpoints and these videos replicate the feeling of playing the remake in its original aesthetic style.

4A Games developer: If Metro Exodus does not sell on the PC, the next Metro will not come out for it
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/4a-games-developer-if-metro-exodus-does-not-sell-on-the-pc-the-next-metro-will-not-come-out-for-it/
This 4A Games developer with the nickname “scynet” admitted that it was a sudden decision to announce the timed-exclusive deal with Epic Games only one month prior to the game’s release and that it could cause some inconvenience to players. Scynet also claimed that those that decide to pirate the game would have done so, regardless of this timed-exclusive deal, and those are not the players that the developers target.
However, the developer went one step further and stated that if all PC gamers boycott Metro Exodus then the next Metro game (if there is one mind you) will not come out on the PC. Now I’m pretty sure that the developer was exaggerating here but it begs the question; how many PC sales can guarantee the continuation of the Metro franchise on the PC?
>> FloatingWaffles made a thread about this the other day. Updated with the following

Deep Silver and 4A Games issue an official statement about the recent Metro PC developer comments
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/deep-silver-and-4a-games-issue-an-official-statement-about-the-recent-metro-pc-developer-comments/
A lot of PC gamers got frustrated yesterday when a 4A Games developer claimed that the next Metro game would not be coming to the PC if all PC gamers boycotted Metro Exodus. And today, Deep Silver and 4A Games issued an official statement regarding those comments.
As Deep Silver and 4A Games stated, and as we noted in our story, those comments do not reflect Deep Silver’s or 4A Games’ view on the future of the Metro franchise. The companies also re-confirmed that the decision to make Metro Exodus available exclusively on Epic’s store for a limited time was made by Koch Media / Deep Silver alone.

Respawn officially confirms Apex Legends; to be revealed on Monday at 8AM PT
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/respawn-officially-confirms-apex-legends-to-be-revealed-on-monday-at-8am-pt/
Respawn has just confirmed via its official Twitter account that its rumoured game, Apex Legends, is real and will be officially revealed on Monday at 8AM PT. The team aims to reveal the game via a stream, so expect lots of gameplay videos (as well as its official first details).
>> And it will be another Battle Royale.

Control – Early Prototype versus E3 2018 Demo Comparison Video
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/control-early-prototype-versus-e3-2018-demo-comparison-video/
Remedy has released a new comparison video between the early prototype version of Control and its E3 2018 build. This video showcases some of the artistic and gameplay changes that were made to the game, though we can see that Remedy knew from the start the type of game it wanted to create.

Bigben Interactive will release Bee Simulator at the end of 2019
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/bigben-interactive-will-release-bee-simulator-at-the-end-of-2019/
Varsav Game Studios announced today a publishing partnership with BIGBEN. As the press release reads, and thanks to the publisher’s support, Bee Simulator will not only launch simultaneously on PC and consoles at the end of this year, but will also be available as a boxed version worldwide.

Monday news, part two:

Fortnite is all about making music now, so put down those guns
https://www.pcgamer.com/fortnite-is-all-about-making-music-now-so-put-down-those-guns/
Thanks to some diligent builders, Fortnite has now become a source of original music and surprising covers, not just Twitch subs. Fortnite’s creative mode allows builders to place musical blocks that play notes and sounds when you get close, letting you string together some simple tunes. Or, if you have a bit more time and skill, entire elaborate tracks.

Become an immortal megacorp CEO in Spinnortality
https://www.pcgamer.com/become-an-immortal-megacorp-ceo-in-spinnortality/
Spinnortality is the second just-released cyberpunk game I’ve written about today, but it’s coming at the setting from a very different angle than Re-Legion. Instead of taking down corps and sowing chaos, this sinister management game is all about ruining the world as one of those corps. You can start your own Facebook, essentially, though you’ll also want to be competent if you expect to reach the ultimate goal: immortality.

Ape Out, the jazz-and-violence ape escape game, is delayed to the end of the month
https://www.pcgamer.com/ape-out-the-jazz-and-violence-ape-escape-game-is-delayed-to-the-end-of-the-month/
Ape Out, the vaguely Hotline Miami-like game about an ape who wants out, has been delayed slightly. In December of last year it was slated for release on February 7 of this year, but today publisher Devolver Digital said that the big monkey won't actually make the break until February 28.

Warhammer Quest 2: The End Times brings turn-based tabletop adventuring to PC
https://www.pcgamer.com/warhammer-quest-2-the-end-times-brings-turn-based-tabletop-adventuring-to-pc/
"How many Warhammer games are enough?" is the sort of angels-on-a-pin question that can tie philosophers into knots for days at a time.
That great, long list is now one game longer, thanks to the arrival of Warhammer Quest 2: The End Times on Steam. It is not, as I briefly suspected when I first saw the announcement, a dollar-store knockoff of Warhammer: End Times – Vermintide, but rather a turn-based strategy game based on the Warhammer Quest board game that sets players off against the forces of Chaos that are working to bring about the end of the world. It features three distinct regions, each with their own enemies, objectives, and campaign quests, 12 unique hero classes and more than 40 types of enemies, 27 settlements to explore, and special events and opportunities between dungeons.

Anthem lead producer details changes coming to PC controls
https://www.pcgamer.com/anthem-lead-producer-details-changes-coming-to-pc-controls/
Anthem executive producer Mark Darrah said a couple of weeks ago that the VIP and public demos would be different from the full release in several ways, including the controls: Darrah said they'd be "slightly less nuanced" in the demo than they will be in the final version. Lead producer Ben Irving said more about that today on Reddit, where he ran down some of the changes in the aiming and flight controls that BioWare is working on.
>> In any case, the latest public demo seems to be in better shape, but still buggy .

Anthem's first live event is a fire storm that spawns Titans
https://www.pcgamer.com/anthems-first-live-event-is-a-fire-storm-that-spawns-titans/
A fire storm is ripping through the sky in Anthem's public demo, spewing out Ancient Ash Titan enemies as part of the game's first live world event.
The Anthem Twitter account began teasing the event this morning, and pointed everybody towards Freeplay mode. Soon after, players began to see a violent storm brewing in the sky, which eventually started spitting out fireballs. You can watch it light up the sky in the clip above.

Final Fantasy 14's Shadowbringers expansion releases July 2, new classes announced
https://www.pcgamer.com/final-fantasy-14s-shadowbringers-expansion-releases-july-2-new-classes-announced/
Announced during Final Fantasy 14's fan festival in Paris, the new Shadowbringers expansion will be launching on July 2, 2019.
Shadowbringers, which will be Final Fantasy 14's third expansion, will have the usual level cap raised from 70 to 80, a whole chunk of new story, and new zones. But game director Naoki Yoshida also announced that several new classes (called jobs in FF14 parlance) would be coming in the expansion. Gunbreakers, the first announced class, are a Final Fantasy staple—sword wielders whose blade doubles also as a gun. They aren't a ranged class, though: Yoshida said that they use the gun to enhance their up-close slashing attacks. During the keynote presentation, it was revealed this job would fill the role of tanking in groups.
>> And they've also announced that the FF 15 flying car will come to the game.

Yoko Taro is making a Nier-themed Final Fantasy 14 raid
https://www.pcgamer.com/yoko-taro-is-making-a-nier-themed-final-fantasy-14-raid/
Several of the new raids coming in Final Fantasy 14's next expansion, Shadowbringers, will be created by Nier's game designer Yoko Taro and Dragon Quest producer Yosuke Saito, it was announced at FF14's fan festival in Paris today. The three raids are collectively called Yorha: The Dark Apocalypse, and will be themed directly after Nier: Automata, though it's unclear how the crossover will work exactly.

Groundhog Day's sequel isn't a film but a VR game, and it's out later this year
https://www.pcgamer.com/groundhog-days-sequel-is-a-vr-game-from-rime-devs-out-later-this-year/
Sony has announced that the sequel to 1993 movie Groundhog Day—in which a TV weatherman relives the same day over and over—isn't another film but a VR game, and it's coming to both Oculus Rift and HTC Vive later this year.
>> I find two things odd: 1-That they had to explain what Groundhog Day is about; and 2-That Sony is behind this and they aren't making it PS VR exclusive (not that I'm complaining, tho).

Godhood launches Kickstarter to fund extra eldritch gods and secret cults
https://www.pcgamer.com/godhood-launches-kickstarter-to-fund-extra-eldritch-gods-and-secret-cults/
Abbey Games, developer of god game Reus and exploration game Renowned Explorers, has already fully-funded its next game, Godhood, in which you design your own religion from scratch and teach your followers right from wrong. It's due to release into Early Access in May, but Abbey Games took to Kickstarter this week to secure funding for a few extras, including playable ancient eldritch gods, complete with their own cults.

Excellent strategy RPG Battle Brothers goes Nordic for second DLC
https://www.pcgamer.com/excellent-strategy-rpg-battle-brothers-goes-nordic-for-second-dlc/
Battle Brothers was quietly one of 2017's best RPGs: Evan described it as "turn-based Mount & Blade meets XCOM", and Ian confirmed that's as brilliant as it sounds in his review. Developer Overhype Studios released the game's first expansion, Beasts & Exploration, late last year, and now it's announced a second, Nordic-themed expansion called Warriors of the North.
>> I don't recall hearing about this game before. I'll have to give it a look.

Rise to Ruins dev is paying back Patreon donations after Early Access success
https://www.pcgamer.com/rise-to-ruins-dev-is-paying-back-patreon-donations-after-early-access-success/
Rise to Ruins is an Early Access 2D city builder that seems to be doing well for itself: 91% of its nearly 2,500 Steam user reviews are positive. It's done so well, in fact, that developer Raymond Doerr is offering to pay back double any donations fans have made via Patreon.
>> That doesn't happen often.

Abandon Ship, the FTL-like with pirates, adds three new regions to explore
https://www.pcgamer.com/abandon-ship-the-ftl-like-with-pirates-adds-three-new-regions-to-explore/
Early Access tactical pirate game Abandon Ship—think of it as a seaworthy FTL—has added three new regions in its latest update, none of which sound very welcoming.

Chucklefish detail future plans for Wargroove
https://www.pcgamer.com/chucklefish-detail-future-plans-for-wargroove/
On the Chucklefish blog they've announced their post-release plans for Wargroove, which in the immediate future includes a patch that's currently going through approval. It'll fix bugs like online spectating not working on Fog of War maps.

Machinima is closing, and 81 people have reportedly been laid off
https://www.pcgamer.com/machinima-is-closing-and-81-people-have-reportedly-been-laid-off/
Following on from the removal of its entire library of videos, Machinima is closing, owners Otter Media confirmed to Deadline late last week. The site reports that 81 employees have been laid off as part of the move, which Deadline confirmed via a WARN report filing.

Creative Assembly confirms it's making a new first-person shooter
https://www.pcgamer.com/creative-assembly-shows-off-its-in-development-fps-ip-to-district-9-director/
Creative Assembly’s unannounced shooter, previously hinted at by by job openings posted on the developer’s website, is in development, a tweet from Creative Assembly confirmed. District 9 director Neill Blomkamp visited the studio for a “behind-the-scenes look” at its new FPS IP, and a group photo was posted on Twitter along with confirmation that the game exists.
>> If it's a shooter, it won't be a new Alien: Isolation game, right?

Call of Duty and Dead Space director opens a new 2K Games studio
https://www.pcgamer.com/call-of-duty-and-dead-space-director-opens-a-new-2k-games-studio/
A new 2K studio is opening up in Silicon Valley, Take-Two Interactive announced today, led by Sledgehammer Games co-founder and former Visceral Games director Michael Condrey. The team is working on an unannounced project, though Take-Two is quick to note Condrey’s shooter credentials, specifically the Call of Duty series and Dead Space.

Tuesday news:

SALES & DEALS

The Steam Lunar New Year Sale is live now, with a twist
https://www.pcgamer.com/the-steam-lunar-new-year-sale-2019-is-live-now/
The Steam Lunar New Year Sale has kicked off, once again taking a comically oversized knife to the prices of thousands of games. We're heading into the Year of the Pig, which officially begins on February 5, but the sale will run until February 11.
To start the Year of the Pig, Steam's giving everyone a discount worth $5 on 'qualifying' purchases over $30. It's a one-off and limited to one cart purchase per account. Check here for more details on the discount.
Anything you buy during the sale will also net you tokens, which you can then redeem at the Rewards Booth, linked above, for more $5 discount coupons, badges and profile backgrounds.

Human: Fall Flat sold 5 million copies, so everyone's getting free skins
https://www.pcgamer.com/human-fall-flat-sold-5-million-copies-so-everyones-getting-free-skins/
Goofy physics puzzler Human: Fall Flat, which is now almost three years old despite the fact that I could swear it only came out the other day, has converted a lot of people to a life of commanding wobbly homunculi in an effort to solve elaborate puzzles. On Monday, developer Curve Digital celebrated the 5 million sales milestone. To mark that, and the Chinese New Year, Human Fall Flat players are getting free stuff.
Human: Fall Flat is 50 percent off for Steam's Lunar New Years Sale, making it a mere £6/$7.49. Along with the discount, four new—ever so slightly terrifying—skins have been flung into the mix, and everyone gets them for free. There's a rodeo clown, a cowboy, a hiker and a crime against nature that crams three entire pigs into one skin. There's a snout where you'd normally expect an arse. Jesus. It's the first of many content drops happening this year, says the developer.

On the Humble Store, Koei-Tecmo is the star of the latest publisher sale, with up to 80% discounts for the next 6 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/koei-tecmo-sale/

At Fanatical, Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor Game of the Year Edition is available for 2.99€, but only for the next 48 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/shadow-of-mordor-game-of-the-year-edition

SOFTWARE/DRIVERS

AMD Radeon Software Adrenalin 2019 Edition 19.2.1 optimized for Apex Legends & The Division 2 Beta
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/amd-radeon-software-adrenalin-2019-edition-19-2-1-optimized-for-apex-legends-the-division-2-beta/
AMD has released a brand new driver for its graphics cards. According to the release notes, the AMD Radeon Software Adrenalin 2019 Edition 19.2.1 driver is optimized for Apex Legends and The Division 2’s private beta. Furthermore, this driver increases performance by up to 5% performance in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey on a Radeon RX Vega 64 graphics card.
As always, this driver also brings some new fixes to the table. For instance, it resolves the random character outlines stuck on screen after being revived in Battlefield 5, a loss of video when launching a fullscreen application with Radeon FreeSync enabled on some displays, as well as a white screen or corruption issue while playing or launching Anthem.
>> Available from here.

MODS/EMULATORS

Hexen receives an amazing AI-enhanced ESRGAN HD Texture Pack, improves around 1000 textures
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/hexen-receives-an-amazing-ai-enhanced-esrgan-hd-texture-pack-improves-around-1000-textures/
Last month, we informed you about a HD Texture Pack that was under development for Hexen. And today, I’m happy to report that this AI-enhanced ESRGAN HD texture pack is available for download.
Created by modder ‘gmh4589’, this Texture Pack takes advantage of AI Neural Networks in order to improve the resolution of textures by up to 4 times. The modder has improved around 1000 textures and the end results are amazing.
>> Check the article for the download link as well as the instructions to install it.

First-person camera mod for Resident Evil 2 Remake available for download
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/first-person-camera-mod-for-resident-evil-2-remake-is-available-for-download/
A couple of days ago, we shared with you some videos showcasing what Resident Evil 2 Remake could have looked like with fixed camera angles. While such a mod has not been released yet, I’m happy to report that a beta version of a first-person mod is currently available for download.
Created by modder Praydog (who was inspired by and used code from Kanan), this mod will allow you to play Resident Evil 2 Remake with a first-person camera viewpoint. Do note that this mod is currently in beta version and there is some head bobbing effects that could annoy some players.
>> Get this mod from GitHub.

GAMING NEWS

Apex Legends is now available on Origin for free, official PC system requirements
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/apex-legends-is-now-available-on-origin-for-free-official-pc-system-requirements/
Electronic Arts and Respawn Entertainment launched today Apex Legends, a free-to-play battle royale shooter available right now on Origin for PC. Set in the Titanfall universe, Apex Legends aims to shake up the battle royale genre with a cast of unique characters, squad-based gameplay, innovative mechanics and more.
>> And here are some screenshots.

Respawn is not working on Titanfall 3
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/respawn-is-not-working-on-titanfall-3/
Respawn’s lead producer, Drew McCoy, has confirmed that the studio is not working on Titanfall 3. While there were some rumours suggesting that the team had a new Titanfall under development, McCoy debunked those rumours, claiming that Apex Legends – and obviously the new Star Wars game – was what Respawn has been working on these past few months.

Project Wingman, Ace Combat-inspired arcade flight game, looks stunning in latest VR gameplay footage
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/project-wingman-ace-combat-inspired-arcade-flight-game-looks-stunning-in-latest-vr-gameplay-footage/
It’s been a while since our last look on Project Wingman; the arcade flight game that is powered by Unreal Engine 4 and is heavily inspired by the Ace Combat series. A couple of days ago, RB-D2 released a new gameplay video showing 10 minutes from its latest build in VR.

Kingdom Come Deliverance Update 1.8.1 has been released, full patch release notes revealed
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/kingdom-come-deliverance-update-1-8-1-has-been-released-full-patch-release-notes-revealed/
Warhorse Studios has released a brand new update for Kingdom Come: Deliverance. According to the release notes, patch 1.8.1 adds new better overlays which explain content and technical specification for launching content of each DLC, adds lamps and other lights in taverns to make it easier to see dice at night in dice minigame, adds bell toll sound in Pribyslavitz and fixes an issue that caused Hans Capon to get stuck after The Prey quest.

Tuesday news, part two:

Anthem won't have guild support at launch, but will reward you for co-op
https://www.pcgamer.com/anthem-wont-have-guild-support-at-launch-but-will-reward-you-for-co-op/
Anthem is a mostly-multiplayer game. Your off-the-clock time in Fort Tarsis, wandering around talking to NPCs, is a solo venture, but when you're shooting stuff in the big world outside you're generally going to be doing it with other people. It's possible to fly solo if that's your thing, but BioWare wants to encourage players to stick together, and producer Ben Irving recently took to Reddit to explain how it aims to do that.

Weedcraft Inc is about growing weed, legalization, and 'government hypocrisy'
https://www.pcgamer.com/weedcraft-inc-is-about-growing-weed-legalization-and-government-hypocrisy/
Weedcraft Inc, in case the title isn't a dead giveaway, is a game about turning your fondness for the electric lettuce into a legitimate(ish) business, and possibly even a nationwide corporate empire. Grow it in your basement, sell it on the street, expand your clientele, upgrade your operation, go legit, deal with uncertain and shifting legalities, lobby politicians, grease palms, and do whatever you have to do to turn your weed dreams into reality.

Overcooked 2 celebrates Chinese New Year with new chefs, levels, and survival mode
https://www.pcgamer.com/overcooked-2-celebrates-chinese-new-year-with-new-chefs-levels-and-survival-mode/
Overcooked 2, the game of co-op cooking and losing friends, is celebrating the Chinese New Year with a free update. Seven new kitchens, pig and dragon chefs, and new recipes have been flung into the game, available now. Feast your eyes on the trailer above.

Titanfall dev explains why Apex Legends doesn't have Titans (or wall running or double jumping)
https://www.pcgamer.com/titanfall-dev-explains-why-apex-legends-doesnt-have-titans-or-wall-running-or-double-jumping/
Apex Legends is Respawn's new battle royale set in the Titanfall universe, but it's definitely not a Titanfall game. The first and biggest clue: There are no Titans. There are no big robots to control in this battle royale, and you're not playing as a Pilot, Titanfall's elite soldiers. That means Apex Legends is sadly also missing Titanfall's fun hyper-mobility, with no double-jumping or wall running at your disposal.

Apex Legends year 1 roadmap includes Battle Passes, new Legends and more
https://www.pcgamer.com/apex-legends-roadmap/
Apex Legends appears to have hit the ground running: Respawn's Titanfall universe battle royale has already amassed one million unique players within 24 hours of launching. But amid the excitement, EA and Respawn has also quietly spelled out the game's year one roadmap in it's deep dive trailer: see the roadmap below.

Cross-play is coming to Apex Legends, but progress and purchases won't be shared
https://www.pcgamer.com/cross-play-is-coming-to-apex-legends-but-progress-and-purchases-wont-be-shared/
Apex Legends launched on Monday, a surprise that everyone knew was coming, and so far it looks like a kick-ass hero shooter. Unfortunately, players are currently only able to fight friends playing on the same platform, but the good news is that Respawn does have plans for cross-play.

The news:

SALES & DEALS

Apex Legends had a successful launch as it reached more than 2.5 million players in just a day
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/apex-legends-had-a-successful-launch-as-it-reached-more-than-2-5-million-players-in-just-a-day/
During its latest investor call, Electronic Arts revealed that Apex Legends had reached over 2.5 million unique players. Respawn’s battle royale title was able to reach 1 million players in just 8 hours so I think it is safe to say that this was a successful launch.
According to Electronic Arts, the game has reached a peak of over 600K concurrent players, meaning that gamers can immediately find a server and play the game.

Despite selling 7.3 million copies, Battlefield 5 did not meet EA’s expectations
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/despite-selling-7-3-million-copies-battlefield-5-did-not-meet-eas-expectations/
Electronic Arts has announced that Battlefield 5 has sold 7.3 million copies in Q3 2018. However, and despite this huge amount of sales, EA stated that the game under-performed and did not meet its expectations.
To be honest, this reminds me of Square Enix’s astronomically expectations for the 2013 reboot of Tomb Raider, even though the game sold well across all platforms. Seriously, it’s ridiculous witnessing these laughably high expectations that publishers have for their franchises.
>> shikamaru317 has made a thread about it.

GOG's new midweek sale, Makes you think, brings strategy games at up to 90% off until February 9th, 11 PM UTC: https://www.gog.com/promo/20190206_midweek_sale

There's a new Humble Bundle with Paradox Interactive games for the next 13 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/games/paradox-bundle-2019

And at Fanatical, there are two new deals:

• The Star Bundle is Middle-earth: Shadow of War Definitive Edition, available for the next 48 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/middle-earth-shadow-of-war-definitive-edition
• There's a new bundle, the Undercover Bundle, with 10 games at a 98% discount for the next 14 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/undercover-bundle

SOFTWARE/DRIVERS

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MODS/EMULATORS

ALOT adds more than 350 new HD textures for Mass Effect 1, also new textures for Mass Effect 2/3
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/alot-adds-more-than-350-new-hd-textures-for-mass-effect-1-also-new-textures-for-mass-effect-2-3/
Mass Effect fans, here is something special for you today. Modder “CreeperLava” has released a new version of ALOT (A Lot of Textures) for the first Mass Effect games. According to its description, ALOT for Mass Effect 1 has just quadrupled in size with 350 new textures by CreeperLava and 35 more by JimbobJeffers.
The latest version of ALOT for Mass Effect 2 brings minor tweaks and improvements. For instance, it’s latest version fixes the neon floor on the Citadel, adds ClearanceClarence’s textures : Omega asteroid and Collector armor and replaces Miranda textures with JimbobJeffers’s.
Last but not least, the latest version of ALOT for Mass Effect 3 adds MaryseDynasty’s Tali textures, for all four of her armours (default, alternate, from ashes, casino), replaces Cerberus units, Reapers and Garrus with ClearanceClarence’s textures, updated Miranda’s textures with JimbobJeffers’ newest Ultimate Miri update, adds an optional file to revert Tali’s textures to how they were before (in case you preferred the old ones), adds a bunch of new textures, among others Vorcha, Talon armour and environmental textures, fixes the alpha on some of the Normandy’s walls and fixes the seam on James’ face.
>> Check the links for those mods in the article.

GAMING NEWS

Anno 1800 Open Beta begins on April 12th, will run until April 14th
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/anno-1800-open-beta-begins-on-april-12th-will-run-until-april-14th/
Ubisoft revealed today that the Open Beta for Anno 1800 will happen from April 12th to April 14th on Windows PC. This open beta testing will let players experience the game and see for themselves how it is running on their systems.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider will get DLSS support alongside the real-time ray tracing effects
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/shadow-of-the-tomb-raider-will-get-dlss-support-alongside-the-real-time-ray-tracing-effects/
Back in August 2018, NVIDIA and Nixxes Software showcased the real-time ray tracing effects for Shadow of the Tomb Raider. Unfortunately, though, those RTX effects had a huge impact, resulting in really underwhelming performance and while the game has been released, there is no word yet on when these effects will be available to players.
Still, the good news here is that NVIDIA and Nixxes have not abandoned their RTX plans and they are still working hard to put the final touches on it. Not only that, but the game will receive official DLSS support alongside the real-time ray tracing effects.

New demo released for puzzle platformer, Evergate
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/new-demo-released-for-puzzle-platformer-evergate/
Stone Lantern Games has released an all-new demo alongside a challenge titled the #EvergateChallenge for its upcoming puzzle platformer, Evergate. According to the release note, the challenge involves players completing the new demo as fast as possible and sharing their results to earn rewards.

Metro Exodus gets a new cinematic CGI trailer
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/metro-exodus-gets-a-new-cinematic-cgi-trailer/
Deep Silver and 4A Games have unveiled a spectacular CGI animated short, Artyom’s Nightmare. In this dream-like prologue to the events of Metro Exodus, we explore Artyom’s hopes and fears of a life beyond the ruins of the Moscow Metro.

Here are 7 minutes of gameplay footage from the PC version of Tom Clancy’s The Division 2
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/here-are-7-minutes-of-gameplay-footage-from-the-pc-version-of-tom-clancys-the-division-2/
AMD has released a new video, showing 7 minutes of gameplay footage from the PC version of Tom Clancy’s The Division 2. This video was captured on Ryzen 7 2700X and Radeon RX Vega 64 and focuses on the game’s Dark Zone.

Russia 2055 looks absolutely incredible in these latest gameplay videos
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/russia-2055-looks-absolutely-incredible-in-these-latest-gameplay-videos/
InvictusVolition has released some new gameplay videos for its upcoming Unreal Engine 4-powered indie first-person shooter, Russia 2055. Russia 2055 looks absolutely incredible and the funny thing is that it is being created by a single person.

Part two of the news:

GTA Online players get free GTA money for logging in each weekend this month
https://www.pcgamer.com/free-gta-online-money-2019/
Call this a PSA: log in every weekend in February and you'll get a free GTA Online money drop of $250,000 into your bank account each time. This technically began last weekend, but hell, we have three weekends of February left and I don't want you to miss out—I'm actually setting this as a reminder for myself.

BioWare says the Anthem public demo 'exceeded our expectations'
https://www.pcgamer.com/bioware-says-the-anthem-public-demo-exceeded-our-expectations/
"I’m thrilled to share that our public demo weekend exceeded our expectations," head of live service Chad Robertson said in a post-demo update. "Operationally, things were super smooth – our war rooms were tranquil this weekend, which is exactly how we like them."

Asgard's Wrath brings fantasy melee dismemberment to VR
https://www.pcgamer.com/asgards-wrath-brings-hack-n-slash-dismemberment-to-vr/
The fine print admits "some simulated gameplay," but the Asgard's Wrath trailer above at least establishes a goal: VR hacking, slashing, and magicking that separates monster heads from monster bodies. The Oculus Rift game is coming later this year from Sanzaru Games and Oculus Studios, and will swap us between god perspective—the glowing hand in the trailer, I presume—and first-person, mortal combat as we prove ourselves to Loki, who definitely will not trick us or anything.

Phoenix Point, Julian Gollop's spiritual successor to X-Com, has been delayed
https://www.pcgamer.com/phoenix-point-julian-gollops-spiritual-successor-to-x-com-has-been-delayed/
The X-Com-like alien invasion strategy game Phoenix Point has been delayed, from its expected launch in June to the almost-autumn September. Creative director Julian Gollop said the game will be "content complete" before then, but "the extra time will give us the chance to test and polish the gameplay much more extensively."

EA says new Plants vs. Zombies and Need For Speed games are coming along with new 'Titanfall experiences'
https://www.pcgamer.com/ea-says-new-plants-vs-zombies-and-need-for-speed-games-are-coming-along-with-new-titanfall-experiences/
In its Q3 financial results today, EA mentions several upcoming unannounced games that are currently in development, with no specific names or dates attached. "Looking forward, we’re delighted to launch Anthem, our new IP, to grow Apex Legends and related Titanfall experiences, to deliver new Plants vs. Zombies and Need for Speed titles, and to add Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order to our sports titles in the fall," said COO and CFO Blake Jorgensen.
Update: In EA's earnings call, CEO Andrew Wilson said the new Plants vs. Zombies game is in its shooter series, meaning it's likely a new Garden Warfare.
>> That Titanfall experience will be "premium", but not Titanfall 3.

A curse is spreading through Hearthstone in the form of a card back that infects players
https://www.pcgamer.com/hearthstone-how-to-get-mark-of-hakkar-card-back/
Normally, the most you can expect to receive after completing a game of Hearthstone is 10 gold and the satisfaction that only comes from making a stranger on the internet unhappy. But from today, you may also be lucky enough to acquire an infectious curse called… [ominous trumpet sounds] ...THE MARK OF HAKKAR. The form the mark takes is the sweet card back, which you'll earn if you complete a match against another player who has already acquired the mark.

Xbox Game Studios rebranding signals big changes for Microsoft's focus on gaming
https://www.pcgamer.com/xbox-game-studios-rebranding-signals-big-changes-for-microsofts-focus-on-gaming/
Microsoft Studios, the umbrella game development organization that includes 343 Industries, The Coalition, Compulsion Games, The Initiative, inXile Entertainment, Minecraft, Ninja Theory, Obsidian Entertainment, Playground Games, Rare, Turn 10 Studios, and Unlead Labs, is being renamed to Xbox Game Studios.
>> And without the Microsoft part, it will be easier to sell it if things go wrong...

CD Projekt will reportedly offer additional royalties to The Witcher author
https://www.pcgamer.com/cd-projekt-will-reportedly-offer-additional-royalties-to-the-witcher-author/
(...) Polish site Puls Biznesu (via WCCFTech) says that "CD Projekt and Sapkowski [are] closer to the end of the dispute," and that a "reconciliation" between them now appears possible. There's no indication of a specific amount—the bulk of the report is behind a paywall—but it's apparently going to be significantly less than his initial demand.

Sea of Thieves players can invite friends to play free for a week
https://www.pcgamer.com/friends-can-play-sea-of-thieves-free-for-a-week/
Sea of Thieves seems to have found its second wind recently, climbing to the top of Twitch and seducing back players who previously gave up a life at sea, including myself. And now players can start bringing friends with them. From today, between February 6 and February 13, players can invite up to three friends to join their crew for a week of free nautical misadventures.