Friday news, part two:

Frostpunk could become the setting for an RPG
https://www.pcgamer.com/frostpunk-could-become-the-setting-for-an-rpg/
Frostpunk just saw its one-year anniversary, and in that time it’s sold more than 1.4 million copies, far exceeding developer 11 bit Studio’s expectations. Now, the studio is thinking about what comes next for their game, which they’ve bolstered over the past 12 months with a steady stream of post-release content. While a sequel would certainly make sense, the studio has other ideas in mind, too—including a role-playing game set in the Frostpunk universe.

Beat Pillars of Eternity 2's new challenge and Obsidian will hang your name on its wall
https://www.pcgamer.com/beat-pillar-of-eternity-2s-new-challenge-and-obsidian-will-hang-your-name-on-its-wall/
The one year anniversary of Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire recently sailed past, and to mark the big birthday Obsidian released a big patch that takes the game to version 5.0. It includes a new, "more elegant" ship interface, fleshes out the story with additional voice acting, brings the turn-based combat mode out of beta, and makes the usual array of bug fixes and gameplay adjustments.

Blizzard details The Dalaran Heist, Hearthstone's new solo mode
https://www.pcgamer.com/blizzard-details-the-dalaran-heist-hearthstones-new-solo-mode/
Hearthstone's latest solo adventure will launch on May 16—that's next Thursday for the non-calendar owners among you—and promises to be the biggest and best yet. We can say that with confidence because our resident card slinger Tim Clark played it a few months back, and said as much. As of today, in addition to the release date of May 16 we can confirm that Rise of Shadows' adventire is called The Dalaran Heist. It's the first part of a story that will span the game's Year of the Dragon.

The next Kingdom Come: Deliverance DLC will let you play as a woman
https://www.pcgamer.com/the-next-kingdom-come-deliverance-dlc-will-let-you-play-as-a-woman/
The fourth and, apparently, final DLC release for the exceptionally good medieval RPG Kingdom Come: Deliverance, A Woman's Lot, will be available on May 28. As the title suggests, the expansion will give players the opportunity to experience the poop-throwing majesty of Kingdom Come's game world as a woman: Theresa, a potential love interest for Henry in the main storyline, whose family was killed in the early stages of the game.

Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor—Prophecy brings overhauled mechanics and a new class
https://www.pcgamer.com/warhammer-40000-inquisitorprophecy-brings-overhauled-mechanics-and-a-new-class/
The action-RPG Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor—Martyr was pretty okay: Really good when it's good, we said in our 2018 review, but not consistently good enough to be, you know, good. But that's not stopping developer NeocoreGames from taking another run at it with the newly announced Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor—Prophecy.

Jupiter Hell is a tasty turn-based blend of Doom, roguelikes, and heavy metal
https://www.pcgamer.com/jupiter-hell-is-a-tasty-turn-based-blend-of-doom-roguelikes-and-heavy-metal/
I'm playing Jupiter Hell, and once again my health is critically low. I've just taken down my second tough security bot in as many minutes and I have no stimpacks or health kits remaining. To make matters worse, I'm low on ammo for my assault rifle.

Monster Hunter: World Iceborne trailer shows off new monsters and a September release date
https://www.pcgamer.com/mhw-iceborne-release-date/
Strange things are afoot in the new world. For example: Singing, apparently. During Sony's State of Play livestream today, Capcom showed off a new trailer for Monster Hunter: World's Iceborne expansion, featuring all the components you'd expect. There's ice. There's monsters. There's weapons being liberally applied to those monsters. I'm not sure what more you could be looking for, really.

Destiny 2's Season of Opulence arrives June 4, and the raid will be available on day one
https://www.pcgamer.com/destiny-2s-season-of-opulence-arrives-june-4-and-the-raid-will-be-available-on-day-one/
Destiny 2's Season of Opulence, the third and final DLC of the Annual Pass, now has an arrival date: June 4. And there's an unusual twist this time. Typically, when new Destiny 2 DLC drops, the raid only becomes available a few days later, on a Friday. This time the new raid, called Crown of Sorrow, will be available to Annual Pass owners immediately that same Tuesday.

Monster Prom 2, a game about competitive monster dating, has easily blitzed its Kickstarter goal
https://www.pcgamer.com/monster-prom-2-a-game-about-competitive-monster-dating-has-easily-blitzed-its-kickstarter-goal/
Released early last year, Monster Prom was a multiplayer dating sim about hooking up with monsters.(...)
Now the same studio, Beautiful Glitch, has announced Monster Prom 2 via a Kickstarter campaign. The sequel is pretty much guaranteed at this stage: the campaign has attracted $154,212 at time of writing, with a goal of just $36,000. But aside from the name, Monster Prom 2 is a bit of a departure from the original, because it's actually three games in one.

Some players aren’t buying Fallout 76’s vendor tax
https://www.pcgamer.com/some-players-arent-buying-fallout-76s-vendor-tax/
Fallout 76 recently introduced a new system that lets players run automated shops in their camps. You plunk down a vending machine in your settlement, fill it up with all the stuff you don’t want or can’t use, and other players can wander by and pay caps for anything that catches their hideously mutated eye.
The trouble is, there’s a ten percent fee on every sale made from player-run shops, and as our pals over at GamesRadar have discovered, that’s rubbing some Fallout 76 players the wrong way.

Titan Quest, first released in 2006, has a new expansion set in Atlantis
https://www.pcgamer.com/titan-quest-first-released-in-2006-has-a-new-expansion-set-in-atlantis/
Titan Quest is nearly 13 years old, but it just got a new expansion this week. Atlantis, the third DLC add-on for 2006’s action RPG, invites players to explore another mysterious mythological realm, this one beneath the ocean and beyond the bounds of reality as we know it.

McMillen: The Legend of Bum-bo and final Isaac DLC are both coming this year
https://www.pcgamer.com/mcmillen-the-legend-of-bum-bo-and-final-isaac-dlc-are-both-coming-this-year/
Binding of Isaac creator Edmund McMillen says his next game, the turn-based, cardboard-themed dungeon crawler The Legend of Bum-bo, will be out this year, along with the final DLC for The Binding of Isaac itself.

Finally, let's check the GOG and Steam deals for this weekend:

+GOG

• The first of the five deals at GOG is the Weekly Sale, with up to 75% discounts: https://www.gog.com/promo/20190506_weekly_sale
• Next comes the Midweek RPG Sale, again with up to 75% discounts available for the next 31 hours: https://www.gog.com/promo/20190508_midweek_sale
• Playism / Active Gaming Media celebrates its 8th anniversary with up to 75% discounts for the next 3 days: https://www.gog.com/promo/20190506_agm_playism
• The Stellaris franchise is on sale for the next 3 days, up to 75% off: https://www.gog.com/promo/stellaris
• And last, but not least, there's the Weekend Sale, with up to 75% discounts on classic adventure games for the next 3 days: https://www.gog.com/promo/20190510_weekend_sale

+Steam

• The first of the seven sales is the daily deal, Battle Brothers, 50% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/365360/Battle_Brothers/
• The other "daily" deal, that will run for the whole weekend, is PAYDAY 2, free to try for the next 3 days and 50% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/218620/PAYDAY_2/
• Conan Exiles is free to try for the next two days and 50% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/440900/Conan_Exiles/
• Stellaris is on sale here too, free to try for the next 2 days and 75% off (the DLCs go from 20 to 50% off): https://store.steampowered.com/app/281990/Stellaris/
• To celebrate the launch of its latest expansion, Titan Quest is on sale, between 10 and 80% off: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/titanquest/
• And Tiny Build is the star of the publisher weekend sale, with up to 80% discounts: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/tinybuild/
• And of course, there's the weeklong deals.

That's all folks! Have a happy and gaming weekend.

Frostpunk could become the setting for an RPG
https://www.pcgamer.com/frostpunk-could-become-the-setting-for-an-rpg/
Frostpunk just saw its one-year anniversary, and in that time it’s sold more than 1.4 million copies, far exceeding developer 11 bit Studio’s expectations. Now, the studio is thinking about what comes next for their game, which they’ve bolstered over the past 12 months with a steady stream of post-release content. While a sequel would certainly make sense, the studio has other ideas in mind, too—including a role-playing game set in the Frostpunk universe.

Oh, that would be brilliant, Frostpunk is such a gem of a game. I had no idea it sold that well, no one talks about it that much.

It's a game with a singular premise, which apparently attracted quite a few users (by the way, it's 40% off at Steam right now).

And since they've already built the world, taking advantage of it makes a lot of sense. Plus it givees them the chance to lure some players of the first game into trying the other games.

Absolutely loving the support this game has been getting... If only all developers/publishers would take note!

I will believe it when I see it... For the Radeon RX 3080XT to match the Geforce RTX 2070 it needs to increase performance by 75% over Polaris... I just don't see it happening at this point... Not while still sticking with GCN. - 40% improvement, sure.

In saying that... With 2x 8-pin power connectors, AMD may have thrown any idea of energy efficiency (I.E. Vega/RX 590) and driving these parts as hard as they can go in terms of clockrates.

But that means nVidia is still going to be more efficient... And you get value added extras like Ray Tracing.

Should be interesting either way.

With the CCX count up to 8-cores now, this was always a possibility.
Ryzen should get a big uptick with the move to 7nm.

..Now if only AMD could get their mobile efforts sorted... They are smashing it out on the Desktop/Server.

It's a shame they haven't promoted more this new expansion, it's kind of a stealth release.

I believe that the 3080 or whatever is called will be in the Vega64/1080/2060 ballpark.

Most of it comes from the fact that it wouldn't be "that" hard, a 30-35% improvement, but also because of that Crytek Ray Tracing demo. I find it odd that they've choosen to show it running on a Vega 56 card, and it got me thinking that it's probable that Crytek, as well as many other studios, already have dev kits for the PS5/Nextbox and that maybe, just maybe, their GPU capabilities are close to that card, which is why they've used it to show what their engine will be able to do in 2020 which is when the consoles are expected to launch.

Add an extra few hundred MHz for the desktop parts as they will have better cooling, as the result is a card that's close in performance to the ones I mentioned.

Of course, I'm a bit bored as of late, so I'm probably overthinking it.

Finished Borderlands 1 and I'm well into BL2. I wanted to do the DLC but I just couldn't be arsed. DLC has a certain minimum level and that was way above my current level after finishing the game. To do the DLC I'd have to play through half of another playthrough to get there. They should just give you the power to set the difficulty level on your own. Who cares if I'm overleveled? I just want to play the story.

It's time again for the Monday news!

SALES & DEALS

Steam's Top 10

1. MORDHAU
2. Grand Theft Auto V
3. PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS
4. Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition
5. RAGE 2
6. Valve Index VR Kit
7. Risk of Rain 2
8. Total War: THREE KINGDOMS
9. Human: Fall Flat
10. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

At GOG, the weekly sale features up to 80% off on 2K games: https://www.gog.com/promo/20190513_weekly_sale

Steam has two daily deals:

• The Early Access title Ravenfield is 50% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/636480/Ravenfield/
• Men of War: Assault Squad 2 is 80% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/244450/Men_of_War_Assault_Squad_2/

At Fanatical there are three deals:

• The Star Deal is the Standard Edition of Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege, 61% off for the next 24 hours or they run out of keys (not many remaining): https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/tom-clancy-s-rainbow-six-siege-standard-edition
• The game UBERMOSH Vol.7 is 40% off for the next 3 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/ubermosh-vol-7
• 2K Games has also put its games on sale at Fanatical, up to 80% off for the next 4 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/publishers/2k-games

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

Total War Three Kingdoms and Team Sonic Racing are using the Denuvo anti-tamper tech
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/total-war-three-kingdoms-and-team-sonic-racing-are-using-the-denuvo-anti-tamper-tech/
SEGA has revealed – via their official Steam store pages – that both Total War: THREE KINGDOMS and Team Sonic Racing will be using the Denuvo anti-tamper tech. This is a big surprise since SEGA had removed Denuvo from Yakuza 0, Yakuza Kiwami and Sonic Mania, and has recently released Yakuza Kiwami 2 without that controversial anti-tamper tech.

RAGE 2 uses the Denuvo anti-tamper tech and the Vulkan API
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/rage-2-uses-the-denuvo-anti-tamper-tech-and-the-vulkan-api/
The embargo for RAGE 2 has just been lifted and we can confirm that the game uses the Denuvo anti-tamper tech. Moreover, RAGE 2 is powered by the APEX Engine and uses the Vulkan API, something that will definitely please a lot of PC owners of weaker PC configurations.

MODS/EMULATORS

You can now play as 2B from NieR Automata in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice thanks to this mod
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/you-can-now-play-as-2b-from-nier-automata-in-sekiro-shadows-die-twice/
Now here is something for all NieR Automata and Sekiro fans out there. Forsakensilver has released a new mod for Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice that replaces the main protagonist with YoRHa No.2 Type B (also known as 2B) from Nier: Automata.
This mod also replaces the default sword with 2B‘s default Katanas in order to give a more authentic experience. Unfortunately, though, this mod does not replace the voice (so it might be a bit weird hearing 2B with a male voice). Still, those interested can download another mod that replaces the default sekiro injury and death voice to a female hunter.
>> Check the article for the Nexus Mods link for this mod, but we warned that you'll need to download and configure two extra archives.

This mod brings A2 from NieR Automata to Monster Hunter World, available for download
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/this-mod-brings-2a-from-nier-automata-to-monster-hunter-world-available-for-download/
Back in October 2018, we informed you about a mod that allowed gamers to play as 2B from NieR: Automata in Monster Hunter World. And today, crimsonfaust released a new mod that allows gamers to play as YoRHa Type A No.2 (also known as A2) from NieR Automata.
This mod features both versions of A2 that were featured in NieR: Automata; the first one is with short hair and the second one is with long hair.
Do note that there is currently an issue and the model will deform when you use mantle. In order to avoid this deformation, players will have to create matching mantles by themselves (or not use mantle at all).
>> Get this mod from Nexus Mods.

Here are Quake, Yakuza Kiwami 2 & Batman Arkham Knight with Reshade real-time ray tracing Global Illumination
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/here-are-quake-yakuza-kiwami-2-batman-arkham-knight-with-reshade-real-time-ray-tracing-global-illumination/
Earlier this week, we informed you about a new Reshade that aims to bring real-time ray tracing Global Illumination to pretty much all DX9, DX10 and DX11 games. And today, some users shared videos and screenshots from Batman: Arkham Knight, Yakuza Kiwami 2 and Quake, showcasing the alpha version of this Reshade mod.

F.E.A.R. Complete Edition Mod improves multiplayer & AI, adds new weapons, animations, effects & more
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/f-e-a-r-complete-edition-mod-improves-multiplayer-ai-adds-new-weapons-animations-effects-more/
Modders Leon, Alvares and Andre have released a new modification for the first F.E.A.R. game that aims to add new content and improve its multiplayer as well as its enemy AI. For example, this mod adds the enemies and weapons from F.E.A.R. 2 Project Origin and F.E.A.R. 3, improves effects, adds new aiming mechanics and updates the AI.
Going into more details, F.E.A.R. Complete Edition adds 6 new models to multiplayer and updates its anti-cheat system, fixes enemy models and multiplayer models, fixes all co-op for multiplayer and improves icons in multiplayer. Furthermore, its adds a demo version of F.E.A.R. Extraction Point as well as Museum ATC after passing the original game.
Moreover, it adds double pistols ACM46 and Stradek MK7, pump-action shotgun, SHO-3, assault rifle with reflex sight, a new assassins with the mechanics of the shock of impact and subtitles for night mercenaries. It also fixes sniper clones in the “Wades” episode” and an Alma bug/glitch in the last level, and packs various additional bug fixes.
>> This mod is also available from Nexus Mods.

You can be Iron Man or One Punch Man in Monster Hunter: World now
https://www.pcgamer.com/you-can-be-iron-man-or-one-punch-man-in-monster-hunter-world-now/
There are Monster Hunter: World mods that make the game a bit more convenient, giving you more information on monster health or highlighting items to make them easier to pick up. Then there are the actual important mods, like the one that turns Nergigante into Thomas the Tank Engine, or these mods, which replace your hunter with comic book characters. Why be a normal hunter when you could be Iron Man, equipped with Thor's hammer and Captain America's shield for good measure?
This mod, called "I' m iron man" (I love that unnecessary space) comes in a few pieces. There are male and female Iron Man armor variants, a skin replacing the sword and shield weapon Grand Barong, and another weapon reskin that turns some Kulve Taroth silver weapons into a pair of Infinity Gauntlets.
I was pretty into modder crimsonfaust's Iron Man mod until I saw their One Punch Man mod, which looks exactly the right amount of stupid to be a great mod. If you're not familiar with One Punch man, all you need to know is that he's a normal guy who did 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, and ran 10 kilometers every day, and then got so strong he can destroy anything in a single punch.
This mod makes you look like the wonderfully dopey One Punch Man, though it does not, I need to point out, make you KO monsters in a single hit.
>> A shame that the One Punch Man mod doesn't live up to the expectations.

This Mortal Kombat 11 mod lets you control the camera and explore the game like never before
https://www.pcgamer.com/this-mortal-kombat-11-mod-lets-you-control-the-camera-and-explore-the-game-like-never-before/
A new Mortal Kombat 11 PC mod has untethered the camera, allowing players to explore the game's environments fully for the first time.
While not yet available for public use—YouTuber DennisNetwork says they "still have some kinks to work out"—they have released a series of videos showing the mod in action, including taking us down into the spectator pit of the tournament stage (amazingly, they're all severed at the waist), and stepping through the wire fences of the Black Dragon Fight Club, where you can visit the bar and the gents' washroom.

Skyrim Together is still in development despite massive setbacks
https://www.pcgamer.com/skyrim-together-is-still-in-development-despite-massive-setbacks/
Multiplayer mod Skyrim Together reached a big milestone in January, hitting closed beta after years in development. Since then there have been considerable setbacks, starting with the use of code from the Skyrim Script Extender mod without attribution. After this came to light, the beta quickly ended and work started on removing it. That was expected to be a big job, but according to one developer, the entire codebase has now been crapped.
On Reddit, Ijustwantsteamdosh gave a brief update, explaining that the "entire codebase" had been scrapped, but that the mod was still being worked on and a "new approach" to release was being considered. The overhaul is not a result of the SKSE code being removed, they clarified, but the team felt that it was a good time do a "restructure of class hierarchy and how things interact with each other".

GAMING NEWS

Total War: THREE KINGDOMS – Multiplayer Campaign Spotlight
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/total-war-three-kingdoms-multiplayer-campaign-spotlight/
SEGA has released a new video for Total War: THREE KINGDOMS in which Wheels and Tom show off multiplayer campaigns in the game and some of the new situations players can find themselves in. Moreover, this video features the bandits of the black mountains, Zheng Jiang and Zhang Yan.

Final Fantasy 7 vs Remake graphics comparison – 1997 versus 2015 versus 2019
https://www.dsogaming.com/screenshot-news/final-fantasy-7-vs-remake-graphics-comparison-1997-versus-2015-versus-2019/
A couple of days ago, Square Enix released a brand new trailer for Final Fantasy 7 Remake. The game was initially unveiled at E3 2015 and it’s time today to compare its original 1997 version with the latest 2019 version, as well as the E3 2015 build with the State of Play 2019 build.

Wolfenstein: Youngblood will not be timed-exclusive to the Epic Games Store
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/wolfenstein-youngblood-will-not-be-timed-exclusive-to-the-epic-games-store/
In a Reddit AMA, MachineGames confirmed that the next Wolfenstein game, Wolfenstein: Youngblood will not be timed-exclusive to the Epic Games Store. As such, and similarly to RAGE 2, Wolfenstein Youngblood will be coming on both the Bethesda store and Steam.
>> What a time we life in, where a no news is a news. Sadly, the same can't be said for other games.

First-person space exploration game, Outer Wilds, is now timed-exclusive on the Epic Games Store
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/first-person-space-exploration-game-outer-wilds-is-now-timed-exclusive-on-the-epic-games-store/
Despite its initial crowd-funding promise to release its title on Steam, Mobius Digital has announced that its first-person space exploration game, Outer Wilds, will be now timed-exclusive on the Epic Games Store. Mobius Digital will reveal additional platforms at a later date, so we can expect the game to hit Steam six or twelve months after its Epic Games Store release.
>> Don't confuse it with The Outer Worlds.

Launch trailer released for A Plague Tale: Innocence
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/launch-trailer-released-for-a-plague-tale-innocence/
Focus Home Interactive has released the launch trailer for A Plague Tale: Innocence. In this new adventure stealth game, players will embark on a dark adventure through a war-torn, medieval France, relentlessly pursued by the Inquisition and never-ending hordes of ravenous rats.

New Doom Eternal gameplay footage surfaces, showing a brand new map
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/new-doom-eternal-gameplay-footage-surfaces-showing-a-brand-new-map/
At GDC 2019, Bethesda and id Software showcased a new gameplay demo for Doom Eternal. This new gameplay demo shows off a brand new map that we’ve never seen before, and I’m pretty sure that all Doom Eternal fans will find it cool.

First gameplay trailer and new screenshots for Oddworld: Soulstorm
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/first-gameplay-trailer-and-new-screenshots-for-oddworld-soulstorm/
Oddworld Inhabitants has unveiled the first look at gameplay from Oddworld: Soulstorm, the second game in a planned Oddworld pentalogy. Oddworld: Soulstorm is the first true follow-up to the critically acclaimed, best-selling Oddworld: New ‘n’ Tasty, which was a ground-up remake of Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee.

Monday news, the (what a surprise, it's long!) part two:

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is adding a mission to track down an imposter… of yourself
https://www.pcgamer.com/assassins-creed-odyssey-is-adding-a-mission-to-track-down-an-imposter-of-yourself/
The Lost Tales of Greece are a steady stream of new missions for Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, and the next episode in the series will feature a hunt for an impostor who is posing as none other than you.
The story is called “A Really, Really Bad Day,” and it’s the ninth episode in the Lost Tales of Greece series. Someone in Lokris is pretending to be you, and is ruining your reputation in the process. Players will have to travel to village there and figure out who the impostor is. You’ll need to reach chapter five in the main story to open this quest.

GTA 3 modders have unearthed some of Rockstar’s original dev tools
https://www.pcgamer.com/gta-3-modders-have-unearthed-some-of-rockstars-original-dev-tools/
Some enterprising GTA 3 YouTubers and modders have discovered some of the original tools Rockstar developers used while building and debugging Grand Theft Auto III, and they provide a fascinating glimpse into the development process.

An intensely bizarre trailer marks the start of Pathologic 2 preorders
https://www.pcgamer.com/an-intensely-bizarre-trailer-marks-the-start-of-pathologic-2-preorders/
Preorders for the upcoming psychological horror-adventure Pathologic 2 are now live on Steam, with a ten percent discount on the regular price and another ten percent on top of that for owners of Pathologic Classic HD. Which is good news, but not really why we're here. No, we're here because publisher Tinybuild has also released a "Theater of Gorkhon" story trailer and I really think you should see it.

Euro Truck Simulator 2 is getting more roads to run
https://www.pcgamer.com/euro-truck-simulator-2-is-getting-more-roads-to-run/
The next addition, Road to the Black Sea, will let players haul their loads through the Transylvanian forests and Carpathian mountains of Romania, the Black Sea coastline of Bulgaria, and the Trakya region of Turkey, the gateway to Istanbul.

Wolfenstein: Youngblood will have Dishonored-like 'open-ended' level design
https://www.pcgamer.com/wolfenstein-youngblood-will-have-dishonored-like-open-ended-level-design/
Wolfenstein: Youngblood will be the first game in the series to offer "open-ended" levels that can be played in multiple ways.
Talking to executive producer Jerk Gustafsson, Official PlayStation Magazine revealed in its June 2019 issue (Issue 162), that while the campaign is "lighter" in both tone and campaign length, developing the game alongside Dishonored developer Arkane Studios means "the amount of gameplay time is greater" because of its "open-ended structure".

Bethesda outlines Rage 2's 2019 roadmap
https://www.pcgamer.com/bethesda-outlines-rage-2s-2019-roadmap/
Rage 2 might not even be out yet—it's scheduled to drop next week on May 14—but Bethesda has already outlined the development roadmap for its punky post-apocalyptic shooter, Rage 2.

Xbox accidentally reveals the next DLC character coming to Dragon Ball FighterZ
https://www.pcgamer.com/xbox-accidentally-reveals-the-next-dlc-character-coming-to-dragon-ball-fighterz/
Microsoft's Major Nelson has accidentally announced the next DLC character coming to Dragon Ball FighterZ will be Janemba from Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn.
With Kid Goku GT released earlier this week, thoughts had turned to who the fourth and final DLC character might be. But while Bandai Namco had yet to confirm any details, Xbox's Director of Programming, Larry Hryb, seemingly let the secret slip during the latest installment of his This Week on Xbox show (jump to 3.10).

PayDay 2 publisher Starbreeze won't last another year unless funding can be found
https://www.pcgamer.com/payday-2-publisher-starbreeze-wont-last-another-year-unless-funding-can-be-found/
PayDay 2 and Overkill's The Walking Dead publisher Starbreeze has revealed via its Q1 2019 financials that the company will not last a further 12 months unless additional funds can be found.

Respawn to ban 'piggyback' Apex Legends cheats who intentionally don't participate in games for XP
https://www.pcgamer.com/respawn-to-ban-piggyback-apex-legends-cheats-who-intentionally-dont-participate-in-games-for-xp/
Respawn has dropped a brief update on the changes coming in Apex Legends' next undated patch.
In a post on Reddit, Respawn community manager "Jayfresh_Respawn" updated players on the progress made since EA shared an Update to Apex Legends blog post last month.

Submarine survival sim Barotrauma enters Early Access next month
https://www.pcgamer.com/multiplayer-ftl-like-barotrauma-will-enter-early-access-next-month/
Barotrauma, which is a bit like FTL with giant sea monsters, will enter Early Access on June 5, developers FakeFish and Undertow Games have announced.
You control one member of a submarine crew exploring the depths of Europa, a moon of Jupiter. You'll be mining resources, battling off hideous monsters and trying to repair your ship when it inevitably breaks. You can play it singleplayer with bots filling the other crew roles, but the meat of the game will be in multiplayer, where you'll work with friends or online strangers to survive.

DICE removes duos from Battlefield 5's battle royale, citing lack of player interest
https://www.pcgamer.com/dice-removes-duos-from-battlefield-5s-battle-royale-citing-lack-of-player-interest/
You can no longer play duos in Battlefield 5's battle royale mode, Firestorm.
DICE removed duos this week because not enough people were playing it—but said that it will return in the future, albeit it as a temporary mode.

Sunless Skies is getting a free story expansion next month called Vagabond
https://www.pcgamer.com/sunless-skies-free-story-expansion-vagabond-will-be-out-next-month/
Sunless Skies' Vagabond update, which adds a new officer, new locations, and a new chunk of story, will be out on June 12, Failbetter Games has announced.
Your new officer is the Amiable Vagabond, who will take you to meet the skylarks, a "community of ragged wanderers who rove the heavens". You're trying to help them find the Sugarspun Garden, "a place surely too good to be true...".

A Hat in Time DLC adds underground world and online party play
https://www.pcgamer.com/a-hat-in-time-gets-dlc-with-10-new-levels-and-online-party-play/
A Hat in Time's latest DLC, out this week, adds a new underground level to explore as well as online party play, which lets you muck about in groups of up to 50 players.

Dream Engines will let you build a sci-fi city and then watch it fly away
https://www.pcgamer.com/dream-engines-will-let-you-build-a-sci-fi-city-and-then-watch-it-fly-away/
Developer Suncrash has revealed Dream Engines: Nomad Cities, a sci-fi city builder in which you'll design a settlement, defend against "nightmare-born creatures" and gather resources from the surrounding land. Once you've exhausted one planet—or when a dangerous threat overwhelms you—you can flee, blasting your city into the air and flying to another location.

Werewolf: The Apocalypse videogame will be at E3
https://www.pcgamer.com/werewolf-the-apocalypse-videogame-will-be-at-e3/
Werewolf: The Apocalypse was the second tabletop RPG in the World of Darkness setting, a follow-up to Vampire: The Masquerade. While Vampire gave us two videogames so far with a third on the way, we've been waiting for a Werewolf game for a while.

Devolver Digital plan another E3 anti-conference
https://www.pcgamer.com/devolver-digital-plan-another-e3-anti-conference/
Devolver have announced via Twitter that they and presumably Nina will be back for E3 in 2019. The tweet features a gif of the Robocop homage that ended last year's effort, which suggests that a cybernetically enhanced version of their shouty executive will return. The Devolver Digital Cinematic Universe is starting to get complicated.

CEO of studio behind indie RPG hit Outward explains how they made it without crunch
https://www.pcgamer.com/ceo-of-studio-behind-indie-rpg-hit-outward-explains-how-they-made-it-without-crunch/
Outward is both a hardcore fantasy RPG and a game where you can never die. When you fall, the story carries on. Maybe the outlaw who knocked you down captures you and you have to escape from a bandit camp, maybe a hunter finds you bleeding on the ground and drags you back to town. It's an unusual combination of fiddly and forgiving, and it's proven a hit with players.
Guillaume Boucher-Vidal, CEO of the indie studio responsible for it, Nine Dots, recently gave an interview to Gamasutra about how Outward was made, explaining how a small team was able to create an open-world RPG without needing to crunch.

Cities: Skylines' Campus expansion sends it back to school
https://www.pcgamer.com/cities-skylines-campus-expansion-sends-it-back-to-school/
Cities: Skylines is a pretty comprehensive city builder, but it looks like we've been ignoring our citizens' brains and they've been turning to mush thanks to our lack of attention. Not to worry, there's an expansion coming for that, too. The upcoming Campus DLC, due out later this month, will let you design your own university, activate new education policies and nurture eggheads with research grants.

World of Warcraft's Recruit-A-Friend programme is being replaced
https://www.pcgamer.com/world-of-warcrafts-recruit-a-friend-programme-is-being-replaced/
World of Warcraft's longstanding Recruit-A-Friend programme is shutting down soon, though Blizzard will be replacing it with a newer model. The relentless march of time affects us all. You'll still be able to ruin your friends' social lives by getting them hooked on WoW until June 11.

Minecraft's anniversary map is a huge interactive museum
https://www.pcgamer.com/minecrafts-anniversary-map-is-a-huge-interactive-museum/
The first version of Minecraft appeared 10 years ago this Friday, which is a truly terrifying thought. Microsoft and Mojang are marking the occasion with, among other things, a fancy new map that's free for all players to download. It's a theme park and museum, put together by the builders at BlockWorks to take you on a trip through the game's history.

/SPEK.TAKL/ is a free, paranoid horror that recalls Silent Hill 4
https://www.pcgamer.com/spektakl-is-a-free-paranoid-horror-that-recalls-silent-hill-4/
/SPEK.TAKL/, or SPEK.TAKL, OK let's call it Spek.takl reminds me of the best part of Silent Hill 4: The Room. It's an unsettling first-person room-'em-up where you're trapped inside an apartment, as increasingly freaky things keep happening around you. Things like: cryptic videotapes appearing through the letterbox, items shuffling around while you're not looking, and, naturally, sudden piles of blood.

Tuesday news:

SALES & DEALS

GTA 5 has sold nearly 110 million copies
https://www.pcgamer.com/gta-5-has-sold-nearly-110-million-copies/
GTA 5 is still selling well six years after it launched on consoles and four years after it finally appeared on PC. On a recent earnings call, publisher Take-Two noted that sales of GTA 5 have outperformed so far this year, while GTA Online continues to grow, with earnings exceeding expectations. Not bad for a game that came out in the last console generation.
The open-world caper has nearly hit 110 million sales, which is an absurdly high number, but perhaps not all that surprising given how it never seems to leave the Steam top sellers list.

GOG.com is offering the first Witcher game for free
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/gog-com-is-offering-the-first-witcher-game-for-free/
The first Witcher game is currently available for free to players with a GOG.com account. In an effort to promote the spin-off game derived from within the Witcher trilogy, Gwent, GOG.com has included an enhanced edition of the first game as a signing-on bonus of sorts.
If you have a GOG.com account, follow this link and click on the big ‘Subscribe and Claim’ orange button to secure your free copy. Once you have downloaded the site’s client, GOG Galaxy, you can then proceed to subscribe to their official newsletter. As part of the promotion, you will also need to add the game Gwent to your GOG.com games library (an installation is not required). This game is also free.
>> The article missed an "again". I mean, who hasn't gotten the game for free?

At Steam we have two daily deals and a new weeklong sale:

• The first daily deal is Galactic Civilizations III, 85% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/226860/Galactic_Civilizations_III/
• Jagged Alliance: Rage! is 50% off for the next 50 hours: https://store.steampowered.com/app/463170/Jagged_Alliance_Rage/
• The first of the 6 weeklong deals to be mentioned is Armored Kitten, 20% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/713530/Armored_Kitten/
• Vigilantes gets a 30% discount: https://store.steampowered.com/app/545600/Vigilantes/
• You've just read how many copies has GTA V sold, but if you still don't have it, here's your chance thanks to a 50% discount: https://store.steampowered.com/app/271590/Grand_Theft_Auto_V/
• The Long Reach is 75% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/584990/The_Long_Reach/
• Painkiller Complete Pack, with 14 items between games and DLCs, is 80% off: https://store.steampowered.com/sub/35563/
• And Fearful Symmetry & The Cursed Prince gets a 90% discount: https://store.steampowered.com/app/725080/Fearful_Symmetry__The_Cursed_Prince/

At Fanatical, there are a bunch of games on sale:

• The Star Deal is Watch Dogs 2, 87% off for the next 24 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/watch-dogs-2
• The May Madness sale has started! With lots of games on sale, plus the code MAY10,that will give you an extra 10% off:
  • There's going to be a bunch of Flash Sales during the sale, and you can check them out here: https://www.fanatical.com/en/collections/flash deals
  • And here you'll find all the games that are on sale: https://www.fanatical.com/en/on-sale

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

AMD Radeon Adrenalin 2019 Edition 19.5.1 optimized for RAGE 2, does no longer support the Mantle API
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/amd-radeon-adrenalin-2019-edition-19-5-1-optimized-for-rage-2-does-no-longer-support-the-mantle-api/
AMD has released a brand new driver for its graphics cards, According to the release notes, the AMD Radeon Software Adrenalin 2019 Edition 19.5.1 driver is optimized for RAGE 2 and increases performance by up to 16% on an AMD Radeon VII GPU.
This driver also fixes some flickering issues with the performance metrics overlay when playing back protected content with this feature enabled, addresses an application hang in Doom during launch on AMD XConnect Technology system configurations as well as some texture flickering or corruption issues in various games on Radeon RX Vega series graphics products when using the Vulkan API.
It’s also worth noting that AMD is discontinuing support for its Mantle API. As the red team noted, support for AMD Mantle API Technology has been discontinued starting with Radeon Software Adrenalin 2019 Edition 19.5.1, and users who wish to continue to use AMD Mantle API Technology may do so with prior supported Radeon Software releases.
>> Available from here.

MODS/EMULATORS

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GAMING NEWS

RAGE 2 runs like a charm on older CPUs + 4K Screenshots + PC Gameplay Footage
https://www.dsogaming.com/articles/rage-2-runs-like-a-charm-on-older-cpus-4k-screenshots-pc-gameplay-footage/
RAGE 2 releases tomorrow and since there are a lot of PC gamers wondering how the PC version looks and performs, we’ve decided to share below some 4K screenshots on Ultra settings, as well as a video showing 10 minutes of PC gameplay footage from it.

Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey is timed-exclusive on Epic Games Store, new PC gameplay footage surfaces
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/ancestors-the-humankind-odyssey-is-timed-exclusive-on-epic-games-store-new-pc-gameplay-footage-surfaces/
Take-Two announced today that the new game from the creator of Assassin’s Creed, Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey, will be timed-exclusive on the Epic Games Store. Moreover, and contrary to the six-month exclusivity period for Borderlands 3, Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey will come out on Steam one year after its release on the Epic Games Store.
>> I understand the decision this time because, from what I've seen of the game, I think the money they've gotten from the exclusivity is going to be crucial to avoid it from being a commercial disaster.

Dauntless is another Epic Games Store exclusive, releasing on May 21st
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/dauntless-is-another-epic-games-store-exclusive-releasing-on-may-21st/
Phoenix Labs today announced the release date for its flagship game Dauntless. According to the press release, this new monster hunting title will launch on May 21st on the PC via the Epic Games Store. Moreover, there is no mention of bringing it to Steam, so this isn’t a timed-exclusive title on Epic’s launcher.

The Division 2 Title Update #3 now available for download, full patch release notes
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/the-division-2-title-update-3-now-available-for-download-full-patch-release-notes/
Ubisoft has just released massive new update for Tom Clancy’s The Division 2. According to the release notes, title update #3 introduces the first two Classified Assignments and a new Raid mode called Operation Dark Hours, as well as the second Apparel event.

Tuesday news, part two:

Wolfenstein studio says it's 'actively working' to eliminate crunch
https://www.pcgamer.com/wolfenstein-studio-says-its-actively-working-to-eliminate-crunch/
Crunch at game developers is a particularly hot topic right now, driven by recent accusations of grueling working conditions at studios including NetherRealm and Epic. That heightened awareness is helping spur a backlash against it in some quarters. The CEO of Outward developer Nine Dots recently said that the studio was able to avoid crunch while making the game, and in an AMA over the weekend Machine Games senior producer John Jennings said that his studio is also working to eliminate the practice.

Ubisoft begins teasing Rainbow Six Siege's new operators
https://www.pcgamer.com/ubisoft-begins-teasing-rainbow-six-sieges-new-operators/
Ubisoft has begun the ramp-up to Rainbow Six Siege Year 4 Season 2 with a Twitter tease asking a very simple question. Or is it? I'm not a Siege player so I can't be 100 percent about it, but I think I see someone who's about to get seriously ganked. Fortunately, while the details of the presumed gankage are elusive, we already have a pretty good big-picture idea of what's coming. Ubisoft revealed in the Year 4 road map that the second season will see the addition of two new Rainbow Six Siege operators, one from the US and the other from Denmark; subsequent leaks indicated that the US operator will be a defender from the Secret Service with an optical device that's immune to the effects of flashbangs and smoke grenades, while the Danish attacker—maybe Jaeger Corps—is silent and invisible to cameras.

Battlefield 5: Firestorm players are struggling to find matches in Australia
https://www.pcgamer.com/battlefield-5-firestorm-players-are-struggling-to-find-matches-in-australia/
Battlefield 5 players in Australia and New Zealand are reporting difficulties getting a match in the game's Firestorm battle royale mode. According to widespread player reports, both on Reddit and the official EA troubleshooting forum, long matchmaking waits and high ping have wracked the mode since its launch in late March.

Rage 2 takes a jab at Elon Musk in a secret bunker mission
https://www.pcgamer.com/rage-2-elon-musk-elton-tusk-location/
Elon Musk, Rick and Morty fan and billionaire CEO of Tesla and SpaceX who smoked weed once, is an indecently rich man who could use his money to solve a lot of problems today, but instead chooses to make electric cars for other rich people and crash rockets into boats. And how he's the butt of a bad joke in Rage 2 as part of a secret mission.

Ghostbusters: The Video Game is getting a remaster, according to Taiwanese ratings board
https://www.pcgamer.com/ghostbusters-the-video-game-is-getting-a-remaster-according-to-taiwanese-ratings-board/
Released in 2009, Ghostbusters: The Video Game was a perfectly serviceable action game based on the beloved movie series. In addition to being a perfectly serviceable action game, it featured the voice talent of the original film's cast: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis and Ernie Hudson were all involved, making it an important curio for fans.
Now, according to the Taiwanese Game Software Rating website (via Eurogamer), we have evidence that the game could be getting a remaster.

Solve puzzles using your desktop in clever, free adventure game File://maniac
https://www.pcgamer.com/solve-puzzles-using-your-desktop-in-clever-free-adventure-game-filemaniac/
The impressive File://maniac is a tantalising demo, proof-of-concept and pilot episode for an episodic series in development. On the surface, it's a point and click adventure game that asks you, a detective, to stop a serial killer. But it's the way you do this that's interesting. Each room features a puzzle that can only be overcome by you delving into your desktop, into the folders and files of the game itself.

Rockstar buys $7.9 million studio from struggling Starbreeze
https://www.pcgamer.com/rockstar-buys-dollar79-million-studio-from-struggling-starbreeze/
Starbreeze is selling a studio to Rockstar Games as it continues to restructure in an attempt to avoid shutting down. Dhruva Interactive, an art production studio that's worked on Halo, Forza Horizon and Payday 2, was acquired by Starbreeze for $8.5 million and is being sold to Rockstar for $7.9 million. For that $7.9 million, Rockstar will get 91.8 percent of shares in the studio, Starbreeze's shares, and the deal is expected to close before the second half of 2019.

The PC Gaming Show 2019 lineup so far
https://www.pcgamer.com/pc-gaming-show-livestream-2019/
One of the greatest tests of our watercooling setups each year is the months-long email binge that the PC Gamer team goes on in February. Every year around this time we mail, call, and generally bother every developer we know and ask them if they want to be a part of the PC Gaming Show, the E3 showcase for our favorite hobby. It's a moment we look forward to on the calendar because we never know who's going to say yes, and what secret projects they'll have.

The Division 2's first 8-player raid arrives this week
https://www.pcgamer.com/the-division-2-operation-dark-hour-release-date/
The Division 2's first ever eight-player raid will arrive on May 16. That's not much time for gearing up, so hopefully you've been diligently preparing for Operation Dark Hours already. Apparently it's going to be a toughy. Check out the trailer above.