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

[JEMC]

Part two of the news, with lots of news rom Blizzcon:

Co-op RTS Dwarfheim is going offline, and the singleplayer mode can't be saved because nobody has the source code
https://www.pcgamer.com/co-op-rts-dwarfheim-is-going-offline-and-the-singleplayer-mode-cant-be-saved-because-nobody-has-the-source-code/
The co-op RTS Dwarfheim came to the table back in 2020 with some interesting ideas. Unlike most games in the genre, in which one player controls one base and does battle with all comers, Dwarfheim enabled groups of up to three to run their show together, each with a unique role: Builder, Miner, or Warrior. But it never really caught fire through its early access period or after its full release in September 2021, and the team maintaining it has announced that it will close up shop for good at the end of November.
I say "maintaining it," because active development ended long ago. The last game update listed on Steam was a hotfix released in October 2021, a month after Dwarfheim went live, and the only news since then related to a service outage in 2022. As it turns out, developer Pineleaf Studio dissolved shortly after Dwarfheim's full release, and publisher Merge Games says it can't make any new updates itself because it doesn't have the source code.

Tekken 8's newest fighter is a suave Frenchman with a high-tech armoury strapped to his body, and he's voiced by a French acting legend
https://www.pcgamer.com/tekken-8s-newest-fighter-is-a-suave-frenchman-with-a-high-tech-armoury-strapped-to-his-body-and-hes-voiced-by-a-french-acting-legend/
(...)
Victor Chevalier is the latest character to join the Tekken 8 roster, a total newcomer to the series who's voiced by legendary French actor Vincent Cassel. My uncultured brain mostly associates him as the French Robin Hood from Shrek, but Cassel has done a hell of a lot more than that. As well as appearing in a number of notable French movies like La Haine, Irréversible and The Specials, Cassel gained further recognition for his roles in English-language movies like Ocean's Twelve, Ocean' Thirteen, Black Swan and even the third season of Westworld.

Metal Gear Solid 5's Quiet actress reflects on 'very revealing costume': 'I understand the perspective of people not as happy with how she was portrayed'
https://www.pcgamer.com/metal-gear-solid-5s-quiet-actress-reflects-on-very-revealing-costume-i-understand-the-perspective-of-people-not-as-happy-with-how-she-was-portrayed/
Eight years after Metal Gear Solid 5, the actor behind bikini-clad sniper assassin Quiet has spoken about the role and working with Kojima in a new interview with IGN. Actor Stefanie Joosten called making Metal Gear Solid 5 "an absolutely wonderful experience," but also reflected on "the perspective of the people that are not as happy with how she was portrayed," saying "I think the video game landscape has changed quite a lot since then."

Phil Spencer shows up at BlizzCon to address his new subjects
https://www.pcgamer.com/phil-spencer-shows-up-at-blizzcon-to-address-his-new-subjects/
Microsoft Gaming head Phil Spencer popped onto the stage during today's BlizzCon 2023 Opening Ceremony to greet the fans of his latest conquest. After clearing considerable regulatory resistance, Microsoft closed its landmark acquisition of Activision Blizzard last month.

John Romero and John Carmack are still buds and they're going to prove it by teaming up for a livestream celebrating Doom's 30th anniversary
https://www.pcgamer.com/john-romero-and-john-carmack-are-still-buds-and-theyre-going-to-prove-it-by-teaming-up-for-a-livestream-celebrating-dooms-30th-anniversary/
December 10 will be the 30th anniversary of the groundbreaking FPS Doom, and to mark the big day two of the driving forces behind the game, John Carmack and John Romero, will be taking part in a livestreamed discussion moderated by videogame historian David Craddock about one of the most influential videogames of all time.

Diablo 4's first expansion is a Diablo 2 throwback coming 'late 2024' and featuring 'a brand new class never seen before in the Diablo universe'
https://www.pcgamer.com/diablo-4s-first-expansion-is-a-diablo-2-throwback-coming-late-2024-and-featuring-a-brand-new-class-never-seen-before-in-the-diablo-universe/
At BlizzCon 2023, the Diablo 4 team took to the stage to announce Vessel of Hatred, the live service action RPG's first expansion. Vessel of Hatred's announcement was accompanied by a pre-rendered trailer previewing a new take on Diablo 2's jungles of Torajan and narrated by legacy baddie, Mephisto.

Hearthstone is adding new 'Catch Up' packs containing up to 50 cards, Battlegrounds to get a 'Duos' mode early next year
https://www.pcgamer.com/hearthstone-is-adding-new-catch-up-packs-containing-up-to-50-cards-battlegrounds-to-get-a-duos-mode-early-next-year/
Ahead of next year's 10th anniversary for Hearthstone, initial design lead Cora Georgiou took to the stage at BlizzCon today to reveal what's coming next for both the standard game mode and its (arguably more popular) Battlegrounds spin-off.

Blizzard announces World of Warcraft's next 3 expansions: 'We ain't screwin' around,' declares Chris Metzen
https://www.pcgamer.com/world-of-warcraft-worldsoul-saga-announcement/
Chris Metzen made a full-throated return to the World of Warcraft spotlight today, commanding the BlizzCon 2023 stage to announce not just one World of Warcraft expansion, but three expansions that will make up the "Worldsoul Saga."

World of Warcraft Classic is getting the divisive Cataclysm expansion, the reason most WoW players wanted Classic in the first place
https://www.pcgamer.com/world-of-warcraft-classic-is-getting-the-divisive-cataclysm-expansion-the-reason-most-wow-players-wanted-classic-in-the-first-place/
World of Warcraft fans got some big news at BlizzCon today with the announcement that the world-changing Cataclysm expansion is coming to WoW Classic.

WoW Classic's Season of Discovery will break rules that have existed for 19 years
https://www.pcgamer.com/wow-classics-season-of-discovery-will-break-rules-that-have-existed-for-19-years/
World of Warcraft Classic's new "Season of Discovery" will break rules that have been in place for 19 years. Classes that were once DPS-focused will be able to heal and tank, and old raids will return with bosses and mechanics that never existed in the original version of the MMO.

Overwatch 2's latest hero doesn’t just look like the Moana guy, he directly references him too
https://www.pcgamer.com/overwatch-2s-latest-hero-doesnt-just-look-like-the-moana-guy-he-directly-references-him-too/
Blizzard recently introduced its 39th Hero to its multiplayer shooter Overwatch 2, in the form of Mauga, a tall, thick-set Samoan tank who, players have noted, looks rather like Pixar’s portrayal of the Polynesian demigod Maui in its animated film Moana. Well, it appears there’s more of a link between the two than just a passing resemblance, as Mauga directly references Maui in his voice lines.

Embracer's implosion continues as Star Trek Online developer Cryptic Studios lays off employees
https://www.pcgamer.com/embracers-implosion-continues-as-star-trek-online-developer-cryptic-studios-lays-off-employees/
Cryptic Studios, the developer of the Star Trek Online and Neverwinter MMOs, has become the latest studio to lay off employees. The studio has confirmed that "difficult personnel changes" have made as a result of parent company Embracer Group's ongoing restructuring.

Worst fear confirmed: You can't launch Modern Warfare 3 without first launching Modern Warfare 2
https://www.pcgamer.com/worst-fear-confirmed-you-cant-launch-modern-warfare-3-without-first-launching-modern-warfare-2/
Activision's bold new vision for unifying the Call of Duty experience is off to a bad start. With the early release of Modern Warfare 3's campaign, players are discovering that launching Call of Duty HQ, the unified front end for current and future CoD titles, is required to access the new game. That might not be such a big deal if it wasn't so slow, inelegant, and seemingly pointless. Call of Duty is now a launcher within a launcher, and it sucks.
I'll explain: Before you can launch Modern Warfare 3, you have to launch Modern Warfare 2 first. Seriously. "Call of Duty HQ" is just the Modern Warfare 2/Warzone client under a new name.
>> Top that with a campaign that doesn't appear to be all that great.

The Talos Principle 2 brings in GLaDOS to roast itself for copying Portal: "You came up with that? Oh. No, wait. I did."
https://www.pcgamer.com/the-talos-principle-2-brings-in-glados-to-roast-itself-for-copying-portal-you-came-up-with-that-oh-no-wait-i-did/
The latest game in the first-person puzzler legacy of Portal, The Talos Principle 2, is getting pretty positive reception. Developed by Croteam and Devolver Digital, the game inevitably cribs some design logic and concepts from Portal and Portal 2, seeing as they're in the same genre. Normally you'd just acknowledge the giants on whose shoulders you're standing and move on. You wouldn't hire them to make fun of you.
That's just what The Talos Principle 2 has done, however, bringing on voice of malevolent AI GLaDOS and all-around voice acting heroine Ellen McClain to roast them in a short video called GLaDOS Plays The Talos Principle 2, embedded above.