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

[JEMC]

Friday news, part two:

Over a decade after release, Project Zomboid attracts an astonishing horde of players
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/over-a-decade-after-release-project-zomboid-attracts-an-astonishing-horde-of-players/
Project Zomboid was first released as a tech demo in April 2011, before releasing on Steam in November 2013. It had something of a rocky ride in those early years, with the game being leaked and, an infamous story at the time, the theft of two laptops containing a bunch of code which hadn't been backed up: Developers The Indie Stone would, rather winningly, go on to give an industry talk titled 'How (Not) To Make a Game'.
It now looks like Indie Stone will need to write another presentation: How to turn your passion project into a viral hit ten-and-a-half years after release. While everyone else was scoffing turkey and leftovers, Project Zomboid's player numbers have been going through the roof. The cause is a major update that pretty much overhauls the game from the ground-up.
>> And it now has a new roadmap.

Dead by Daylight drops Leatherface masks over blackface complaints
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/dead-by-daylight-drops-leatherface-masks-over-blackface-complaints/
Behaviour Interactive will remove The Cannibal's unlockable faces in the next Dead by Daylight mid-chapter update, following complaints that they're being used to incite racist harassment against players.

Activision Blizzard shows no sign of giving in as Raven QA strike enters third week
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/activision-blizzard-shows-no-sign-of-giving-in-as-raven-qa-strike-enters-third-week/
On December 6, members of Raven Software's QA department walked off the job to protest the layoff of 12 QA workers at the company. While the walkout quickly attracted support from other Activision Blizzard studios and spurred more forceful talk of unionization at the company, it has apparently not yet drawn a formal response from Activision Blizzard upper management.

The Elder Scrolls Online is going to a 'never-before-seen world' in 2022
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/the-elder-scrolls-online-is-going-to-a-never-before-seen-world-in-2022/
The Elder Scrolls Online is getting an all-new year-long story for 2022, which Bethesda Softworks said will introduce players to "a never-before-seen world, stories, and cultures" in the sprawling world of The Elder Scrolls.

Bungie will reward Destiny 2 players who tank their level to help noobs trapped in 'burning hell'
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/bungie-will-reward-destiny-2-players-who-tank-their-level-to-help-noobs-trapped-in-burning-hell/
I think it's a reasonable rule of thumb to say that forcing players into any gaming activity is a risky move. But when it comes to a sprawling live service game like Destiny 2, I can also understand the motivation: you want to make sure nobody misses the dope new stuff you've added. Which is what Bungie decided to do with Dares of Eternity, the six-person matchmade activity that arrived alongside the 30th Anniversary update on December 7.

E3 is online-only again in 2022
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/e3-is-online-only-again-in-2022/
E3 may never grace the halls of the LA Convention Center again—and if it does, it won't be in 2022. As reported by GamesBeat, the year's biggest gaming convention is going to be held online instead of in-person. E3 pivoted to being online-only in 2021, following its cancelation in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Reddit learns you can shoot down Skyrim's beehives to get honey
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/reddit-learns-you-can-shoot-down-skyrims-beehives-to-get-honey/
(...)
"I must be stupid," a user called Skyrim_For_Everyone posted, "been playing for a while and never realized you could shoot beehives from trees." It's true. There are beehives in Skyrim and you can knock them down with arrows or spells to get at the honey inside. (As well as husk and bees.) And yet, I've never seen a mod that lets you play as Yogi Bear.
>> I'm posting this in case some of you may not know it either.

Apex Legends' new Bangalore skin is crashing the game
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/apex-legends-new-bangalore-skin-is-crashing-the-game/
Respawn dropped a new skin in Apex Legends for Bangalore, complete with its own bespoke intro animation. Good luck trying to peep that animation though, because the skin is currently crashing players' games.

Apex Legends emerges from the deep with a nautical new Arenas map next week
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/apex-legends-emerges-from-the-deep-with-a-nautical-new-arenas-map-next-week/
We're closing in on the final few weeks of Apex Legends' tropical eleventh season, Escape. But that doesn't mean the waters of Storm Point are quite done revealing all of their secrets.
Emerging next Tuesday, Dark Depths introduces a lush new map for Apex Legends' Arenas mode. Dubbed Habitat, the map takes place in the caves and waterfalls surrounding a nest of Leviathans—the colossal, mountain-size dinosaurs that can be seen stomping across King's Canyon. From first glance, it looks like one of the densest arena maps to date.

Bioware GM looks back on 2021 and 'rebuilding our reputation' with the next Dragon Age and Mass Effect games
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/bioware-gm-looks-back-on-2021-and-rebuilding-our-reputation-with-the-next-dragon-age-and-mass-effect-games/
Bioware general manager Gary McKay has written about the studio's 2021 experiences in a post called State of Bioware and Looking Ahead. It was not a year that began well for the developer, with publisher EA deciding to unceremoniously can Anthem at the start of the year—a decision that was arguably the right one, yet also a blow to the reputation of a developer that has rarely misfired so badly.

Finally, we'll check the deals at GOG and Steam, now that both have ended their Winter Sales:

+GOG

• The new flash deal is 7 Billion Humans, 75% off during the next 70 hours: https://www.gog.com/en/game/7_billion_humans
• The new Midweek Sale, with its up to 80% discounts, will last another three days: https://www.gog.com/promo/20220105_midweek_sale
• And the Weekend Sale brings up to 80% discounts on indie games until Monday: https://www.gog.com/promo/20220107_weekend_sale

+Steam

• The first daily deal is海沙风云 Far Away, 25% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1250760/_Far_Away/
• The second daily deal is Grow: Song of the Evertree, 33% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1380420/Grow_Song_of_the_Evertree/
• The first weekend deal is Dead Cells, 50% off until the 10th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/588650/Dead_Cells/
• The second weekend deal is It Takes Two, also 50% off until Monday: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1426210/It_Takes_Two/
• The first Midweek Madness deal is BRAVELY DEFAULT II, 30% off until Monday 17: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1446650/BRAVELY_DEFAULT_II/
• The second Midweek Madness is Youtubers Life 2, 20% off until January 19th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1493760/Youtubers_Life_2/
• And yes, there are also some weeklong deals.

And that's it. Until next week, Iwish you a happy and gaming weekend.