Carzy Zarx’s PC Gaming Emporium - Catch Up on All the Latest PC Gaming Related News

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Wednesday news, part two:

Final Fantasy 10's Tidus almost became gaming's second plumber
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/final-fantasy-10s-tidus-almost-became-gamings-second-plumber/
Japanese gaming website Famitsu is celebrating Final Fantasy 10's 20th anniversary with a special creator interview and it's led to some never-before-revealed info. This is the same interview that revealed chances for Final Fantasy X-3 aren't zero.

The Wayward Realms, the RPG from former Elder Scrolls devs, is 'several more years' away
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/the-wayward-realms-the-rpg-from-former-elder-scrolls-devs-is-several-more-years-away/
OnceLost Games, the studio formed by former lead developers of the original Elder Scrolls games, has announced its new RPG: The Wayward Realms. The singleplayer RPG is set in an open world consisting of over 100 islands called The Archipelago "where scores of factions vie for influence and power." Players won't be bound to specific character classes but can make their own with "customized skills and abilities" and the world will react differently to "a socializing aristocrat, a thief entrenched in underworld conspiracies, a scholar collecting ancient artifacts, or whatever role you craft for yourself."
That all sounds great to us. Unfortunately, for those eager to get their hands on the open world RPG, The Wayward Realms is most likely still several years away.

Age of Empires 4 beta begins later this week
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/age-of-empires-4-closed-beta-date/
Age of Empires 4 is coming on October 28, but before that happens a closed beta test set to kick off on August 5 will give Age Insiders a chance to get their hands on the game and see what it's really like.

Activision Blizzard workers reject CEO Bobby Kotick's response to their demands
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/activision-blizzard-workers-reject-ceo-bobby-koticks-response-to-their-demands/
A group of Activision Blizzard employees calling itself the ABK Workers Alliance has rejected the company's decision to employ the law firm WilmerHale to conduct a review of the company's policies and procedures. In a letter shared with IGN, the group told CEO Bobby Kotick that his delayed response to employees following a lawsuit alleging widespread sexual harassment and discrimination at the company "did not meaningfully address" employee demands, and that WinterHale's pre-existing relationship with Activision creates a conflict of interest that means it cannot conduct an impartial review.

Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick: 'People will be held responsible for their actions'
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/activision-blizzard-ceo-bobby-kotick-people-will-be-held-responsible-for-their-actions/
In the wake of a lawsuit alleging widespread discrimination and sexual harassment at the company, Activision Blizzard expressed a "commitment to a safe working environment" in today's second-quarter 2021 financial results, and promised to take "swift action to ensure a safe and welcoming work environment for all employees." In his opening statement during today's investors call, CEO Bobby Kotick spoke bluntly on the matter, promising that "people will be held accountable for their actions."
>> Maybe that's why the head of HR at Blizzard has been kicked out as well.

A class-action law firm is looking to make money off its own Activision Blizzard lawsuit
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/a-class-action-law-firm-is-looking-to-make-money-off-its-own-activision-blizzard-lawsuit/
Activision Blizzard is facing another legal action arising out of the lawsuit filed against it in July by California's Department of Fair Employment and Housing, which alleges widespread discrimination, sexual harassment, and a "frat boy" culture throughout the company. Somewhat confusingly, this new action, available via Ars Technica, is not being filed on behalf of employees, but shareholders who have allegedly suffered losses because Activision Blizzard failed to disclose that it was under investigation.

Rust wants you to die underwater more so it's adding sharks
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/rust-wants-you-to-die-underwater-more-so-its-adding-sharks/
Rust is a dangerous game, filled with players who want to kill you, animals that want to kill you, radiation that wants to kill you, and sometimes AI-controlled Bradley APCs that want to kill you.
As the survival game continues to develop, Facepunch Studios continues to add fun new ways to kill you, and on August 5 the next batch will arrive. And kill you. The update will include single- and double-seater submarines, torpedoes, spearguns, and of course: sharks.

Second Life is banning gacha style transactions next month
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/second-life-is-banning-gacha-style-transactions-next-month/
It may be approaching its 20th birthday, but Second Life is still enormously popular: It still attracts daily player counts of over 50,000, and its self-contained economy was worth $500 million back in 2018. A big part of that economy is the trade in cosmetics, which vendors create themselves using software like 3D Studio Max. Inevitably, gacha mechanics are rife, with players able to pay, for example, $9 for a chance to purchase cosmetics worth considerably more than that.

Left 4 Dead 2 survivors come to Zombie Army 4
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/left-4-dead-2-survivors-come-to-zombie-army-4/
The heroes of Left 4 Dead 2—Coach, Ellis, Rochelle, and Nick—have traveled back to World War 2 to join the cast of a different four-player zombie shooter, Zombie Army 4. They're available in a free DLC called the Left 4 Dead Character Pack 2, which follows similar free DLC from a couple of months ago that added the original game's heroes, Left 4 Dead Character Pack 1.

Grime, a Metroidvania that lets you absorb enemies, is out now
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/grime-a-metroidvania-that-lets-you-absorb-enemies-is-out-now/
Since we saw Grime at the Guerrilla Collective showcase during E3, it quietly launched and is now becoming a hit with players. Grime is a side-scrolling Metroidvania that also eagerly drank from Dark Souls' well.

Street Fighter 5's final character is a link to Street Fighter 6
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/street-fighter-5s-final-character-is-a-link-to-street-fighter-6/
Capcom has announced the final character to be added to Street Fighter V's roster is Luke, a new challenger and according to the official Capcom account "a key player in the future of the series." Which probably indicates that Luke is a key figure for the eventual Street Fighter 6 (Capcom has this habit of showcasing one character in particular as the 'core' of certain entries: Alex in Street Fighter III, Ryu for Street Fighter IV's reinvention, and Necalli for Street Fighter V, RIP Necalli).