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

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Thursday news, part two:

Stalker 2 development paused: 'We are striving to help our employees and their families to survive'
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/stalker-2-development-paused-we-are-striving-to-help-our-employees-and-their-families-to-survive/
Stalker 2 studio GSC Game World was one of the first to speak out against the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and to call for financial aid for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Today the studio released a brief video emphasizing the increasing danger in the country, which has forced it to move the development of Stalker 2 "to the sidelines" while it focuses on protecting its employees and their families.
>> Sad and perfectly understandable.

Russia and Russian clubs removed from FIFA 'in solidarity with the Ukrainian people'
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/russia-and-russian-clubs-removed-from-fifa-in-solidarity-with-the-ukrainian-people/
Earlier today Ukraine's deputy prime minister urged "all game development companies and esports platforms" to halt business in Russia, due to the ongoing war between the two countries. Mykhailo Fedorov's letter went on to say that: "In 2022, modern technology is perhaps the best answer to the tanks, multiple rocket launchers and missiles."
Now, EA Sports has announced that the Russian national team and Russian football clubs will be removed from all active versions of FIFA.

New World is getting a blunderbuss
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/new-world-is-getting-a-blunderbuss/
Amazon Games has shared a look at what's coming to the New World public test realm in March, which will see the conclusion of the story of Isabella and the addition of a powerful new weapon, the fearsome blunderbuss.

Warren Spector is working on a brand-new immersive sim
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/warren-spector-is-working-on-a-brand-new-immersive-sim/
Warren Spector, the famed producer of games including System Shock, Deus Ex, Crusader: No Remorse, and Epic Mickey, is working on something new: "An immersive simulation based on a completely new intellectual property developed by Otherside," the studio Spector joined in 2016.
>> I feel like Epic Mickey doesn't belong to that list.

Lost Ark is getting its first big update, and some endgame nerfs
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/lost-ark-is-getting-its-first-big-update-and-some-endgame-nerfs/
MMO and fashion simulator Lost Ark was released in English last month, but it's been out in Korea for years. Only some of what's been added to the original version over the course of its life was brought over at launch. More is coming, beginning with an update due some time this month, as announced on the official site.

Nexon founder Jung-ju Kim has died
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/nexon-founder-jung-ju-kim-has-died/
Jung-ju Kim, who founded Korean game publisher Nexon in 1994 and led it through the development of several early MMOs including The Kingdom of the Winds, MapleStory, and Mabinogi, has died at age 54.

Steam Deck support improvements delayed for Rimworld due to ongoing Ukraine conflict
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/steam-deck-support-improvements-delayed-for-rimworld-due-to-ongoing-ukraine-conflict/
Rimworld developers have stated that Steam Deck updates to help the game run better on the platform have been delayed. This is due to Russia's current attack on Ukraine, which happens to be where the developer who was working on these updates lives.

Battlefield 2042 gets antsy about whether 128 players is a good idea after all
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/battlefield-2042-gets-antsy-about-whether-128-players-is-a-good-idea-after-all/
Battlefield 2042 has had a rocky old launch (...) Players aren't happy, the publisher isn't happy, and it doesn't seem like DICE is over the moon either.
A new blogpost on 'core feedback' details some of the substantial improvements that DICE intends to make in the game, focusing initially on the game's map design. It identifies five key areas to work on in the game's maps: traversal, intensity, line of sight, objective paths, and cover.

Elden Ring has Bloodborne's facial deformation sliders hidden in its character creator
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/elden-ring-has-bloodbornes-facial-deformation-sliders-hidden-in-its-character-creator/
FromSoftware's games have been using the same basic foundation for the character creator since Demon's Souls. Each entry makes minor tweaks to how it functions, and one of the biggest changes was the addition of facial deformation in Bloodborne. This was not accessible by the player: it was there so that NPC characters could be created whose faces showed the toll of repeated blood infusion.

Kojima says Bowie song holds the key to understanding Metal Gear Solid V
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/kojima-says-bowie-song-holds-the-key-to-understanding-metal-gear-solid-v/
Hideo Kojima recently went on a minor digression about Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, interesting in its own right as part of the series creator talking a little more openly about the games in recent years—in the immediate aftermath of the Konami split, Kojima didn't talk much about Metal Gear. Before we go any further: spoilers, obviously.