Monday news:

SALES & "SALES"/DEALS

Steam's top 10

1. Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds
2. Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege
3. Call of Duty: WWII
4. Rocket League
5. Assassin’s Creed: Origins
6. Football Manager 2018
7. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
8. Divinity: Original Sin 2
9. Endless Space 2
10. Grand Theft Auto V

Fanatical's Curve Digital Sale sees Bomber Crew, Flame in the Flood going cheap for a limited time
http://www.pcgamer.com/fanaticals-curve-digital-sale-sees-bomber-crew-flame-in-the-flood-going-cheap-for-a-limited-time/
As you may have spied earlier this month, digital deals site Bundle Stars has been reworked and rebranded as Fanatical. Its Curve Digital Sale is live now, should you fancy some neat deals into the weekend. Fanatical's Curve Digital Sale is live now through Saturday November 25, at 8am GMT/midnight PT.

Strangely enough, so far there's no sign of a weekly sale at GOG , but we'll have to wait to see if it's just a matter of them being late, or if they're planning something bigger.

Meanwhile, it's still too early to know the weeklong deals from Steam, except a daily sale that will end tomorrow involving the publisher Raw Fury, but we'll have to keep an eye on the store because the leaked Steam sales dates mentioned that the Autumn one would start this Wednesday, 22th.

SOFTWARE

Twitch details Achievements and Stream Summary features
http://www.pcgamer.com/twitchs-latest-tools-for-content-creators-are-achievements-and-stream-summary/
Achievements and Stream Summaries are the latest features coming to content creators using Twitch.
Twitch used this year's TwitchCon to announce a trio of new features for its creators: Raids, Achievements, and Stream Summary. While the former launched not long after the Con, Twitch hadn't detailed much else about the latter two… until now.

MODS/EMULATORS

Nioh gets a mod that enables custom resolutions
http://www.dsogaming.com/news/nioh-gets-mod-enables-custom-resolutions/
Reddit’s member ‘LennardF1989‘ has created a new mod for Nioh: Complete Edition that enables custom resolutions. This is a must-have mod for all those gaming on ultra wide monitors as the game does not support them.

>>You can download it from github.

The Witcher 3 Enhanced Edition mod is a must-have mod that overhauls combat & gameplay mechanics
http://www.dsogaming.com/news/witcher-3-enhanced-edition-mod-must-mod-overhauls-combat-gameplay-mechanics/
Modder ‘Sir Reaperrz Custard McButtfuck Esq’ has released a brand new version of his incredible mod for The Witcher 3. The Witcher 3 Enhanced Edition overhauls the game’s combat, sword and gameplay mechanics. This is by far the best gameplay mod for The Witcher 3 as it tweaks and adjusts numerous things.

>>You can download it from Nexus Mods.

Dawn of the Tiberium Age C&C mod adds napalm mortar tanks
http://www.pcgamer.com/dawn-of-the-tiberium-age-cc-mod-adds-napalm-mortar-firing-tanks/
After almost a year of radio silence, Dawn of the Tiberium Age—the Command & Conquer mod that combines the original game with Red Alert—teased details of its incoming update 1.16 last week. Now, it's dropped some specifics ahead of its December 1 introduction—not least details of its mortar-firing tanks.

>>Learn more at its moddb page.

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus mod removes annoying head bobbing
http://www.dsogaming.com/news/wolfenstein-ii-new-colossus-mod-removes-annoying-head-bobbing/
Modder ‘Methanhydrat’ has released a new mod for Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus that lets players adjust, and completely disable, the annoying head bobbing. In addition, this mod allows players to use the dot crosshair regardless of the weapon they are using. This is still a WIP mod, however we strongly suggest downloading it if you can’t stand the head bobbing ‘feature.’

>>You can download it from here.

GAMING NEWS

New trailers released for Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom and Code Vein
http://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/new-trailers-released-ni-no-kuni-ii-revenant-kingdom-code-vein/
Bandai Namco has released two new trailers for Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom and Code Vein. These new trailers feature brand new gameplay footage, so we strongly suggest watching them if you are interested in any of them.

EA makes progression changes to Need for Speed Payback after microtransactions controversy
http://www.dsogaming.com/news/ea-makes-progression-changes-need-speed-payback-microtransactions-controversy/
Electronic Arts and Ghost Games have made some changes to the progression system of Need for Speed Payback. This new progression system increases the amount of REP awarded by taking part in events, as well as the amount of Bank awarded by taking part in events.

Titan Quest Anniversary Edition receives a brand new expansion, Titan Quest: Ragnarok
http://www.dsogaming.com/news/titan-quest-anniversary-edition-receives-brand-new-expansion-titan-quest-ragnarok/
Now here is a pleasant surprise for all Titan Quest owners. THQ Nordic has just released a brand new expansion for its action RPG, called Titan Quest: Ragnarok. This expansion adds a fifth act, along with many new and requested features. Among them is a 10th Mastery for characters to learn.

>>That came out of nowhere!

Serious Sam 4 is, obviously, not coming out in 2017
http://www.dsogaming.com/news/serious-sam-4-obviously-not-coming-2017/
Back in February, we informed you about a potential release of Serious Sam 4. According to an easter egg in Serious Sam VR: The Last Hope, the fourth part in the Serious Sam series was meant to come out this December. However, and since there hasn’t been any news on it, we can safely say that the game won’t release this year.

SNK’s fighting game, The Last Blade 2, is now available on the PC with online support
http://www.dsogaming.com/news/snks-fighting-game-last-blade-2-now-available-pc-online-support/
SNK has released its fighting game, The Last Blade 2, on Steam. Contrary with other SNK releases, this is a port of the arcade game and not an emulated version. Our guess is that the PC version is based on the PS4 version that was released in 2014. Not only that, but the Steam version supports online and local play.

Cyberpunk 2077 has closed an important stage of production, engine is up and running, release date unknown
http://www.dsogaming.com/news/cyberpunk-2077-closed-important-stage-production-engine-running-release-date-unknown/
In an interview with Puls Biznesu, CD Projekt RED’s Adam Kicinski revealed some new information about Cyberpunk 2077. According to Kicinski, CD Projekt RED has just closed an important stage of production.

>>The interview is, obviously, in Polish.

CD Projekt RED on Cyberpunk 2077: “you get what you pay for – no bullshit, just honest gaming”
http://www.dsogaming.com/news/cd-projekt-red-cyberpunk-2077-get-pay-no-bullshit-just-honest-gaming/
Man, lots of CD Projekt RED news today, right? A few days ago, in an interview with Polish investment site Strefa Inwestorow, Kicinski revealed that Cyberpunk 2077 will feature a certain online element. Naturally, and given what is currently going on with all triple-A games, a lot of fans got worried. And it appears that this controversy forced CD Projekt RED to respond via its Twitter account.

>>This interview is also in Polish.

Call of Duty: WWII – New update comes with security improvements and various fixes
http://www.dsogaming.com/news/call-duty-wwii-new-update-comes-security-improvements-various-fixes/
Activision and Sledgehammer Games have released a brand new patch for Call of Duty: WWII. According to the release notes, this patch comes with some security improvements. Moreover, and as with all patches, it fixes a number of bugs and issues.

8-Bit Adventures 2 is an amazing indie 8bit JRPG, releases in early 2018, gets free demo
http://www.dsogaming.com/news/8-bit-adventures-2-amazing-indie-8bit-jrpg-releases-early-2018-gets-free-demo/
Critical Games has announced that a special ‘First-Look’ demo is available right now for 8-Bit Adventures 2 on Steam. As such, players worldwide can get a taste of this turn-based action JRPG. Critical Games plans to release the game in early 2018.

Shadow of the Colossus-inspired Praey for the Gods targets a 2018 release, Closed Alpha delayed to 2018
http://www.dsogaming.com/news/shadow-colossus-inspired-praey-gods-targets-2018-release-closed-alpha-delayed-2018/
No Matter Studios has announced that its Shadow of the Colossus inspired title, Praey for the Gods, has been delayed to 2018. According to the team, this delay will give the team more time to continue and refine the game’s mechanics.

Monday news, part two:

Here are your 2017 Golden Joystick Award winners
http://www.pcgamer.com/here-are-your-2017-golden-joystick-award-winners/
The 2017 Golden Joystick Awards are all wrapped up, and that means it's time to kick back and peruse the full list of winners. The big winner this time around is The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which claimed four titles, including the "Ultimate Game of the Year" award, (I guess "Game of the Year" just doesn't cut it these days). But PC games got some love too, with nods going to World of Tanks, Friday the 13th, Overwatch, and—big surprise here—PUBG.

The first Hitman Elusive Target has been reactivated
http://www.pcgamer.com/the-first-hitman-elusive-target-has-been-reactivated/
Sergei Larin, better known in underworld circles as The Forger, was the first-ever Hitman Elusive Target. And as developer Io Interactive promised last month, he's back for a ten-day sojourn through Paris—which means you have another opportunity to put two in his head.

Shadowhand, the RPG card game about an 18th-century Highwaywoman, arrives in December
http://www.pcgamer.com/shadowhand-the-rpg-card-game-about-an-18th-century-highwaywoman-arrives-in-december/
It's been a couple of years since we first looked at Shadowhand, the "strategic RPG card game" in which you play an aristocrat masquerading as a notorious highwaywoman in 18th century England. We got a demonstration of early play at the PC Gamer Weekender in April 2016, and more recently we spoke to Jake Birkett of developer Grey Alien Games about release dates and development schedules. Today we got the next, and very close to last, piece of the pre-release puzzle, which is that the release date will be December 7.

Soma's upcoming 'Safe Mode' promises fear-free exploration
http://www.pcgamer.com/somas-upcoming-safe-mode-promises-fear-free-exploration/
Those of you who want to explore Frictional's undersea nightmare without having to deal with the actual "nightmare" part will be able to do so with the studio's blessing and aid. Soma is being released for the Xbox One on December 1, and on that same day an update will be rolled out for the PC version that will include a new "safe mode."

Civilization 5 designer Jon Shafer has split with Paradox over 'creative differences'
http://www.pcgamer.com/civilization-5-designer-jon-shafer-has-split-with-paradox-over-creative-differences/
Back in May, Civilization 5 lead designer Jon Shafer joined Paradox Development Studio to make a new grand strategy game. It was a pretty big pickup for Paradox, and Shafer described it as "an exhilarating moment." But just six months later, he has left over "creative differences."

Rainbow Six Siege is getting a high-tech ninja named Vigil
http://www.pcgamer.com/rainbow-six-siege-is-getting-a-high-tech-ninja-named-vigil/
The Rainbow Six Siege Season Four update will bring three new operators to the game, including two from South Korea's 707th Special Mission Battalion. The first, a hacker named Dokkaebi, was partially unintentionally revealed earlier this week. Her compatriot, a high-tech ninja named Vigil, was more officially unveiled today.

Here's what's new in Ghost Recon Wildlands: Ghost War's latest update

http://www.pcgamer.com/heres-whats-new-in-ghost-recon-wildlands-ghost-wars-latest-update/
Ubisoft has detailed what’s new in the recent update for Ghost Recon Wildlands Ghost War.
An post on the official blog confirmed that the first update—which dropped earlier this week—includes a new game mode, a new class, and four new maps.

Minecraft is adding tridents, shipwrecks, dolphins and coral reefs in Spring 2018
http://www.pcgamer.com/minecraft-is-adding-tridents-shipwrecks-dolphins-and-coral-reefs-in-spring-2018/
Minecraft's waters are currently a bit lifeless: if you're not building an underwater base or raiding an ocean monument then there's little reason to dive below the surface. That will all change next Spring with the arrival of the Update Aquatic, which adds shipwrecks, dolphins, and coral reefs.

Rainbow Six Siege might ditch friendly fire in casual playlists to stop team killing
http://www.pcgamer.com/rainbow-six-siege-might-ditch-friendly-fire-in-casual-playlists-to-stop-team-killing/
Ubisoft is considering removing friendly fire from casual playlists in Rainbow Six Siege in a bid to crack down on toxic team killers, it has said.
It is also planning to revamp the reporting system with "new, granular clarity" so that players can report "a wider variety of behaviour that we want to chastise in the game", brand director Alexandre Remy told PCGamesN.

RimWorld enters beta with new biomes, weapons and revamped combat
http://www.pcgamer.com/rimworld-enters-beta-with-new-biomes-weapons-and-revamped-combat/
Sci-fi colony sim RimWorld's latest update finally brings the game into beta, adding features big and small. Alongside three new biomes and a revamped melee combat system is a chance for your colonists to go on a "targeted insulting spree" if they have a mental breakdown, where they "follow around a specific other colonist, insulting them repeatedly". Excellent stuff.

Mech shooter Cryptark is getting an FPS sequel called Gunhead, and it looks promising
http://www.pcgamer.com/mech-shooter-cryptark-is-getting-an-fps-sequel-called-gunhead-and-it-looks-promising/
Cryptark, the 2D sci-fi mech shooter, is getting a 3D shooter follow-up called Gunhead, in which you play a pirate mech with...er...a gun for a head. First impressions are good, and the announcement trailer above shows plenty of explosions and Borderlands-style visuals, which I'm a huge fan of.

Fortnite Battle Royale update will add silenced SMG and buff the assault rifle
http://www.pcgamer.com/fortnite-battle-royale-update-will-add-silenced-smg-and-buff-the-assault-rifle/
From tomorrow Fortnite Battle Royale's puny SMG might be a viable option. Epic Games is adding a silenced variant that will be the quietest gun in the game, and boosting the damage and magazine size of SMGs across the board. The silenced SMG will come in common, uncommon and rare variants.

Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord explains how damage is determined in combat
http://www.pcgamer.com/mount-blade-2-bannerlord-explains-how-damage-is-determined-in-combat/
Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord developer Taleworlds wants combat in its forthcoming medieval battle 'em up to be both realistic and fun. A new blog post considers how types of damage, speed bonuses, weapon impact and more inform how this balance is achieved.

H1Z1 adds new map and 'Daily Challenges' in latest update
http://www.pcgamer.com/h1z1-adds-new-map-and-daily-challenges-in-latest-update/
Last month, developer Daybreak Games suggested the still-in-early-access battle royale shooter aimed to simplify its UI and menus. It's been taking directions from its community on this front—and its latest update implements a number of weapons balances based on this advice.

Lucasfilm weighs in on Star Wars Battlefront 2 loot box ordeal
http://www.pcgamer.com/lucasfilm-weighs-in-on-star-wars-battlefront-2-loot-box-ordeal/
In an statement provided to the Washington Post (via Eurogamer), a Lucasfilm spokesperson said: "Star Wars has always been about the fans—and whether it’s Battlefront or any other Star Wars experience, they come first. That’s why we support EA’s decision to temporarily remove in-game payments to address fan concerns."

Dell has a pretty good pc on sale right now:

https://www.reddit.com/r/bapcsalescanada/comments/7e1ej8/prebuilt_dell_xps_8930_i7_8700_gtx_1070_8gb_ddr4/

ACO is still a really nice relaxing game. I always but it on when I just want t do mindless running around and generic questing on a really large and beautiful open world. I've spent so much time in it and I'm barely done with half of the world.

It might not be the best AC game but it is a really good game in its own right.

Either you're having a cerebral stroke or you've lost a word or two there, because it makes no sense .

And I'm glad you're enjoying the game. I'm forcing my way through AC 3 right now and it's a pain in the arse.

I don't recall finding the figures from last quarter, but here are the latest news:

Overall GPU shipments increased 9.3% from last quarter, AMD increased 8% Nvidia increased 30%
https://www.jonpeddie.com/press-releases/overall-gpu-shipments-increased-9.3-from-last-quarter-amd-increased-8-nvidi

Year-to-year total GPU shipments decreased -3.3%, desktop graphics increased 2%, notebooks decreased -6%.

The desktop gain is attributed to gaming and cryptocurrency. That helped AMD and Nvidia gain market share.

The third quarter is typically the strongest from the previous quarter in the seasonal cycles of the past. For Q3'17 it increased 9.3% from last quarter, and was below the ten-year average of 9.52%.

Quick highlights:

• AMD’s overall unit shipments increased 7.63% quarter-to-quarter, Intel’s total shipments increased 5.01% from last quarter, and Nvidia’s increased 29.53%.
• The attach rate of GPUs (includes integrated and discrete GPUs) to PCs for the quarter was 144% which was down -1.28% from last quarter.
• Discrete GPUs were in 39.55% of PCs, which is up 4.18%.
• The overall PC market increase 10.31% quarter-to-quarter, and decrease -2.06% year-to-year.
• Desktop graphics add-in boards (AIBs) that use discrete GPUs increased 29.05% from last quarter.
• Q3'17 saw an increase in tablet shipments from last quarter.

AMD’s shipments of desktop heterogeneous GPU/CPUs, i.e., APUs, increased 7.1% from the previous quarter. AMD's notebook APU shipments were up 2.2%. Desktop discrete GPUs increased 16.1% from last quarter, and notebook discrete shipments increased 5.2%. AMD’s total PC graphics shipments increased 7.6% from the previous quarter.

Intel’s desktop processor graphics shipments increased from last quarter by 5.0% and notebook processors increased by 5.9%, and total PC graphics shipments increased 5.0% from last quarter.

Nvidia’s discrete desktop GPU shipments were up 34.7% from last quarter; and the company’s discrete notebook GPU shipments increased 22.4%, and total PC graphics shipments increased 29.5% from last quarter.

I had a stroke. Thanks for the sentiment. Only missing one letter and one typo btw.

You did? With 29? Wow.

Let's go with the news.

SALES & "SALES"/DEALS

Shiny’s classic MDK is available for free on GOG for the next 48 hours
http://www.dsogaming.com/news/shinys-classic-mdk-available-free-gog-next-48-hours/
GOG’s Black Friday Sale event is a go and PC gamers can find some really interesting deals. One of them is a free copy of Shiny Entertainment’s classic third-person shooter, MDK. For the next 48 hours, PC gamers can get the DRM-free GOG version of MDK for free.

>>Ha! I told you that the lack of a weekly sale pointed to something like this. Visit GOG.com to see the deals, and get MDK from here.

Brutal Legend is available for free on Humble Bundle for the next 48 hours
http://www.dsogaming.com/news/brutal-legend-available-free-humble-bundle-next-48-hours/
Metal fans, here is something for you today. The Humble Bundle is currently giving away free copies of Double Fine’s Brutal Legend. Therefore, for the next 48 hours, PC gamers can acquire their free copies by visiting Humble Bundle.

>>Too bad I bought it in a bundle a few years ago. In any case, get it from here.

Fanatical's Black Friday Sale now live with 40 percent off Middle-earth: Shadow of War
http://www.pcgamer.com/fanaticals-black-friday-sale-now-live-with-40-percent-off-middle-earth-shadow-of-war/
As the name suggests, Black Friday doesn't officially kick off till the end of this week, however that hasn't stopped certain sales sites getting in sharp. Fanatical is one such outlet that's ahead of the curve—having launched its Black Friday Sale a full four days early, live now through Tuesday November 28.

>>If the link gives you an error, try the Fanatical main page.

Steam sale includes steep discounts on SteamWorld Dig 2 and SteamWorld Heist
http://www.pcgamer.com/steam-sale-includes-steep-discounts-on-steamworld-dig-2-and-steamworld-heist/
SteamWorld encompasses a series of great games from developer Image & Form, the most recent being the charmingly destructible SteamWorld Dig 2. Naturally the series includes the original SteamWorld Dig (which is also quite good), but there's also SteamWorld Heist, an unabashedly XCOM-esque strategy game about steam-powered robots.
All of these games are currently quite cheap on Steam as part of the SteamWorld Complete Bundle, which runs through Tuesday, November 28.

>>A preview of what will come tomorrow?

Now, two more sales that most of you won't bother to check:

Ubisoft launches Black Friday sale with up to 75% discounts
http://www.dsogaming.com/news/ubisoft-launches-black-friday-sale-75-discounts/
As you’d expect, Ubisoft has launched its Black Friday sale. This basically means that PC gamers can find numerous discounts on UPLAY for all of Ubisoft’s titles.

Electronic Arts launches Black Friday sale with up to 75% discounts
http://www.dsogaming.com/news/electronic-arts-launches-black-friday-sale-75-discounts/
Similarly to Ubisoft, Electronic Arts has just launched its Black Friday sale. As such, PC gamers can find numerous offers on Origin right now. And to be honest, some of these offers are simply amazing. Provided of course you are interested in these titles.

SOFTWARE

Valve is tweaking Steam reviews again to foreground more 'helpful' feedback
http://www.pcgamer.com/valve-is-tweaking-steam-reviews-again-to-foreground-more-helpful-feedback/
Valve continues to tinker with how reviews are sorted and displayed on Steam, with its latest change concerning "helpful reviews". Whether a review is helpful or not is determined by users, of course, and the metrics are pretty simple: the more "yes" clicks on a review, the more prominently displayed it will be. But naturally enough, that (on paper, easily manipulated) system has been manipulated.

MODS/EMULATORS

The Witcher 3 senior gameplay designer releases “Immersion and Gameplay Tweaks” mod for it
http://www.dsogaming.com/news/witcher-3-senior-gameplay-designer-releases-immersion-gameplay-tweaks-mod/
Andrzej Kwiatkowski, senior gameplay designer at CD Projekt RED, has released a new mod for The Witcher 3. Andrzej was also responsible for the Full Combat Rebalance mod for The Witcher 2. As such, this can be easily described as a must-have mod for CD Projekt RED’s latest RPG.

>> You can download it from Nexus Mods, but be warned that it's not compatible with several other mods, like the Enhanced Edition mod.

Half-Life 2: MMod is a mod that aims to overhaul HL2’s graphics and gameplay, targets a 2018 release
http://www.dsogaming.com/news/half-life-2-mmod-mod-aims-overhaul-hl2s-graphics-gameplay-targets-2018-release/
Modder ‘Gunship_Mark_II’ has revealed some brand new information about his MMod mod for Half Life 2. This mod aims to overhaul Half-Life 2’s graphics and gameplay, and targets a 2018 release. In order to celebrate this announcement, the modder has also released a new trailer for it.

GAMING NEWS

Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition announced for the PC
http://www.dsogaming.com/news/neverwinter-nights-enhanced-edition-announced-pc/
Beamdog has announced that it will soon release an Enhanced Edition of the classic PC RPG, Neverwinter Nights. According to the publisher, this Enhanced Edition will combine all the content of Neverwinter Nights Diamond Edition with all-new enhanced features.

Star Wars: Battlefront 2 – First update released, brings numerous gameplay tweaks & improvements
http://www.dsogaming.com/news/star-wars-battlefront-2-first-update-released-brings-numerous-gameplay-tweaks-improvements/
Electronic Arts and DICE have released the first patch for Star Wars: Battlefront 2. According to the release notes, this first update brings numerous gameplay tweaks, fixes and improvements. It also features general stability and performance improvements. Moreover, it fixes several collisions issues, as well as several clipping issues that would occur during the campaign.

Dragon Ball FighterZ will feature an Arcade mode, Gotenks, Gohan & Kid Buu join the roster
http://www.dsogaming.com/news/dragon-ball-fighterz-will-feature-arcade-mode-gotenks-gohan-kid-buu-join-roster/
Bandai Namco today reveal three more playable characters and a new mode for DRAGON BALL FighterZ. DBZ fans will be pleased to know that Gotenks, Gohan (Adult) and Kid Buu will be available from the get-go.

The news, part two:

Rainbow Six Siege Year Three will feature a co-op event called 'Outbreak'
http://www.pcgamer.com/rainbow-six-siege-year-three-will-feature-a-co-op-event-called-outbreak/
Rainbow Six Siege year three will kick off a little differently than the previous two. Season One, called Operation Chimera, will add a pair of new operators to the action, one from France and one from Russia, but instead of a new map it will feature the launch of the game's first-ever co-op event, Outbreak, a three-player "new fantasy" about quarantine and biohazard.

Financial analyst says 'gamers aren't overcharged, they're undercharged'
http://www.pcgamer.com/financial-analyst-says-gamers-arent-overcharged-theyre-undercharged/
"We view the negative reaction to Star Wars Battlefront 2 (and industry trading sympathy) as an opportunity to add to Electronic Arts, Take-Two, and Activision Blizzard positions. The handling of the SWBF2 launch by EA has been poor; despite this, we view the suspension of MTX [micro-transactions] in the near term as a transitory risk," Wingren wrote in a note to clients over the weekend, via CNBC. "Gamers aren't overcharged, they're undercharged (and we're gamers) ... This saga has been a perfect storm for overreaction as it involves EA, Star Wars, Reddit, and certain purist gaming journalists/outlets who dislike MTX."

>>Sorry for the bad pun, but as an analyst, he can go f*ck himself!

Clicker Heroes 2 drops free to play model over developer's ethical concerns
http://www.pcgamer.com/clicker-heroes-2-drops-free-to-play-model-over-developers-ethical-concerns/
Clicker Heroes, released in 2015, is a (very) slightly more interactive version of Progress Quest, the faux-RPG that plays itself.
It's ridiculous, and oddly popular, and also free to play (...).The sequel, coming next year, won't be taking that route, however. Instead, it will carry a pay-up-front price of $30, with an option for a full refund for a year after it comes out for anyone who preorders.

Blizzard World is now playable on the Overwatch PTR
http://www.pcgamer.com/blizzard-world-is-now-playable-on-the-overwatch-ptr/
A new Overwatch update is now playable on the PTR, and the big news this time around is the arrival of Blizzard World, the theme park hybrid map that was unveiled earlier this month at BlizzCon.

Code Vein teases gruelling boss fights, anime cinematics
http://www.pcgamer.com/code-vein-teases-gruelling-boss-fights-anime-cinematics/
The Souls-like label needs to die, reckons Austin, but, given how much I enjoy Hidetaka Miyazaki's gothic nightmarescapes, I secretly don't mind if the term endures. 'Dark Souls-meets-anime' is the billing Bandai Namco's Code Vein has so far received, and its latest trailer shows off both in equal measure.

Final Fantasy 14 update adds 24 versus 24 PvP arena
http://www.pcgamer.com/final-fantasy-14-update-adds-24-versus-24-pvp-arena/
I have only ever dipped my toe into Final Fantasy 14, but I nonetheless love reading about its in-game theatrical performances, charity drives, and ongoing housing crisis. Its latest update, number 4.14, provides scope for story generation too, by adding a 24 v 24 PvP arena mode.