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

[JEMC]

Wednesday news, part two:

PC's answer to Pokemon just dropped a free version which strips out the filler and gets straight to the monster brawling
https://www.pcgamer.com/pcs-answer-to-pokemon-just-dropped-a-free-version-which-strips-out-the-filler-and-gets-straight-to-the-monster-brawling/
Temtem—PC's answer to Pokemon—has been fully released for almost a year, hatching out of early access in September 2022. Since then it's had four major patches, a handful of seasonal events, and has dug itself a cosy little nook into the market for those without a Switch, as well as seasoned Pokemon fans who want to shake things up a little.
Enter—very suddenly—Temtem Showdown. It's a free-to-play version of Temtem that dropped out of the blue yesterday, one which allows players to set up a roster of Temtem and hop into battle. It has some neat cross-pollination with the main game, too.

The next Guild Wars 2 expansion releases this August, and will finally answer an 18-year-old mystery
https://www.pcgamer.com/the-next-guild-wars-2-expansion-releases-this-august-and-will-finally-answer-an-18-year-old-mystery/
Surprise! Guild Wars 2's fourth expansion, called Secrets of the Obscure, will release on August 22. This will be the first in the MMO's new style of smaller, more frequent expansions, which is why it's releasing so soon after last year's End of Dragons.

Today's Diablo 4 miracle is this player-made chart that tells you where the gear you want is most likely to drop
https://www.pcgamer.com/todays-diablo-4-miracle-is-this-player-made-chart-that-tells-you-where-the-gear-you-want-is-most-likely-to-drop/
Of the many injustices blighting our world, the worst is this: I still can't find any decent pants in Diablo 4. Try as I might, I just can't seem to trigger whatever obscure function it is that will make the game spit out some trousers that match the rest of my outfit. Well, maybe I don't have to worry any longer, because an enterprising soul on Reddit has put together a handy chart to help you zero-in on the enemies and locations that will drop the loot you actually want.

Former EA CEO talks about how AI could replace Simlish but that sounds like a horrible idea
https://www.pcgamer.com/former-ea-ceo-talks-about-how-ai-could-replace-simlish-but-that-sounds-like-a-horrible-idea/
As AI gradually encroaches into every aspect of our lives, videogames have proven to be no exception. Almost all big publishers are starting to incorporate AI tools into parts of their process, in the hope the technology can automate tasks that would otherwise be labour-intensive. Modders have already started plugging things like ChatGPT into existing games (with very mixed results). And now John Ricitiello, CEO of major engine company Unity and former CEO of EA, reckons it could be used to replace things like Simlish.
>> Of course Ricitiello would jump into AI right away. The surprising bit is that he hasn't talked about replacing devs with AI... yet.

Hearthstone's Titans expansion features a brand new type of legendary card
https://www.pcgamer.com/hearthstones-titans-expansion-features-a-brand-new-type-of-legendary-card/
The Warcraft universe's Titans are coming to Hearthstone next month, with 11 new legendary cards representing the mighty world-striding creator gods. Each Titan has three bespoke abilities and, if you hadn't already guessed, every class gets its own Titan card.

Diablo 4's toughest XP grind just got significantly easier
https://www.pcgamer.com/diablo-4s-toughest-xp-grind-just-got-significantly-easier/
The unending hunt for the best ways to farm XP in Diablo 4 might be over with its latest patch. Blizzard has significantly buffed the XP you gain for completing its endgame Nightmare Dungeons.

Skullgirls bombarded by negative Steam reviews after devs alter old artwork they felt was in 'poor taste'
https://www.pcgamer.com/skullgirls-bombarded-by-negative-steam-reviews-after-devs-alter-old-artwork-they-felt-was-in-poor-taste/
Decade-old fighting game Skullgirls has been hit with more than 600 negative Steam reviews in just 24 hours because of a patch that mostly tweaks and removes artwork that the developers say doesn't reflect their current "values" or "broad vision" for the future of the game. The overall Steam rating for Skullgirls remains "Very Positive," but its recent review average has tumbled down to "Mostly Negative."
>> They no longer want their anime characters to show some virtual skin.

With thousands still playing, this extraction shooter is shutting down after barely a year online
https://www.pcgamer.com/with-thousands-still-playing-this-extraction-shooter-is-shutting-down-after-barely-a-year-online/
I'm pretty sure online multiplayer shooters are heading for some sort of demographic crisis, because the death rate must be outpacing the birth rate at this point. The Cycle: Frontier, a PvPvE extraction shooter that released on June 8 last year is shutting up shop for good, even though it still regularly hits player counts of around 2,000 and its lead producer once told NME he had "bet [his] career" on making it.

BioWare's Star Wars: The Old Republic team will suffer layoffs as the developer recommits to singleplayer games
https://www.pcgamer.com/biowares-star-wars-the-old-republic-team-will-suffer-layoffs-as-the-developer-recommits-to-singleplayer-games/
After the disaster that was Anthem, it should be good news that BioWare is recommitting to singleplayer games, but as the company bids farewell to Star Wars: The Old Republic and confirms layoffs, it's more bittersweet.

Diablo 4's rarest items have become a holy grail for its players, and I'm a little worried for them
https://www.pcgamer.com/diablo-4s-rarest-items-have-become-a-holy-grail-for-its-players-and-im-a-little-worried-for-them/
Last week Adam Jackson—the lead class designer for Diablo 4—tweeted out a list of the game's rarest items, and the internet has been acting very normal about it. Several of these items are references to gear from past Diablo games, such as the Harlequin Crest, and Jackson clarified that their drop rate is something of a grind within a grind.
(...)
Instead of calming the rumour mill down, Jackson seems to have accidentally set players on a desperate scavenger hunt powered by false hope, as evidenced by a Reddit thread from user Shaka_Walls with the grim title: "You're vastly more likely to die falling out of bed than to get Shako." They plead: "It's just not going to drop for you. The chances are effectively 0%. Stop wasting your time."
>> On another note, apparently all the sword names are wrong.