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

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Thursday news, part two:

Stardew Valley 1.6 adds a creepy punishment for sequence breakers: A battering from the mysterious Mister Qi
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/life-sim/stardew-valley-16-adds-a-creepy-punishment-for-sequence-breakers-a-battering-from-the-mysterious-mister-qi/
The 1.6 update for Stardew Valley has added loads of new stuff for players to discover. Even though it's only been live for less than 24 hours, some have already found a new, slightly spooky interaction with the strange Mister Qi. 

You can grab the legendary Terraria sword Meowmere in Stardew Valley 1.6, but there'll be no wall of flesh, probably
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/life-sim/you-can-grab-the-legendary-terraria-sword-meowmere-in-stardew-valley-16-but-therell-be-no-wall-of-flesh-probably/
Another day, another strange secret found in the crevices of Stardew Valley's 1.6 update. It's only been two days since it was released, and so far, we've seen killer attacks by a member of the Blue Man Group and drinkable mayo. Now, some dedicated players have managed to break the barrier between games and obtain Terraria's legendary sword, Meowmerre, thanks to a lot of lava and one Wizard. 

Respawn finally comments on Apex cheating scandal that saw pro players' games hijacked, basically says nothing at all
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/battle-royale/respawn-finally-comments-on-apex-cheating-scandal-that-saw-pro-players-games-hijacked-basically-says-nothing-at-all/
(...)
"On Sunday, a few professional Apex Legends player accounts were hacked during an ALGS event, " says a Respawn statement. "Game and player security are our highest priorities, which is why we paused the competition to address the issue immediately.
"Our teams have deployed the first of a layered series of updates to protect the Apex Legends player community and create a secure experience for everyone."
Well, that's all as clear as mud.

The Art of Rally developer is trying something different: An F1 management game set in the 'golden era' of 1970s excess
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/strategy/the-art-of-rally-developer-is-trying-something-different-an-f1-management-game-set-in-the-golden-era-of-1970s-excess/
Having worked its magic on drifting and rallying, minimalist racing studio Funselektor is now turning its attention to "the golden era of open wheel racing." Golden Lap is going to be quite a bit different than the studio's previous racing games, though, because this time around you're not the driver—you're the boss.

Marathon reboot gets a surprise game director replacement as Bungie is once more denied a moment's peace
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/marathon-reboot-gets-a-surprise-game-director-replacement-as-bungie-is-once-more-denied-a-moments-peace/
A new game director has been appointed on Marathon, the upcoming reboot of Bungie's classic Macintosh shooter series. As reported by IGN, Joe Ziegler, hired by Bungie in 2022 after departing his role at Riot as Valorant game director, has replaced previous Marathon game director Chris Barrett, best known for his work on Destiny 2's critically acclaimed Forsaken expansion. Barrett's updated bio on X now reads: "Executive Creative Director @Bungie."

Game developers come together at GDC for a 'GDScream' to vent rage at the state of the industry: 'It feels hard to be here and pretend like everything is fine'
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/events-conferences/game-developers-come-together-at-gdc-for-a-gdscream-to-vent-rage-at-the-state-of-the-industry-it-feels-hard-to-be-here-and-pretend-like-everything-is-fine/
Developers at GDC gathered today to express their feelings about the state of the game industry, in what under the circumstances is really the only reasonable way to react: with a scream.

Diablo 4's loot rework PTR begins on April 2, season 3 extended until mid-May 'to ensure that we get all the feedback'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/diablo-4s-loot-rework-ptr-begins-on-april-2-season-3-extended-until-mid-may-to-ensure-that-we-get-all-the-feedback/
Blizzard announced during today's Campfire Chat livestream that the big Diablo 4 loot rework announced in February will go live on a public test realm on April 2, giving players one week—until April 9—to put the update through its paces and see what's changing.

Blizzard just killed Diablo 4 by announcing a list of changes so massive that it's practically a new game
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/diablo-4-season-4-changes/
Blizzard should call Diablo 4's next season Diablo 5 because the changes coming are so fundamental and widespread, it's going to feel like you're playing a full-on sequel.
After months of teasing a massive overhaul to Diablo 4's core design, Blizzard used today's Campfire Chat steam to walk through season 4's rework to loot and many of the game's other core systems over the course of a nearly two-hour stream.

Shin Megami Tensei 5 breaks Switch exclusivity for an expanded PC release, and it's coming sooner than previously announced
https://www.pcgamer.com/shin-megami-tensei-5-breaks-switch-exclusivity-for-an-expanded-pc-release/
The fifth mainline instalment in the gargantuan, offshoot-laden Shin Megami Tensei series released for Nintendo Switch in 2021, marking the series' first dalliance with open world design. In typical Atlus style, SMT 5 is getting a new edition in June called Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance. It has a new main story running parallel with the original, big changes to the core combat, and a comprehensive range of other tweaks. The good news is it's coming to PC too.
Update 03/21: Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance will now release for PC on June 14, 2024, instead of the previously announced date of June 21.

'Big Wait's dead': Dwarf Fortress creators are going to stop disappearing for months to get updates done in a post-Kitfox world
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/sim/big-waits-dead-dwarf-fortress-creators-are-going-to-stop-disappearing-for-months-to-get-updates-done-in-a-post-kitfox-world/
The arc of Dwarf Fortress is long, but it bends towards, well, not having arcs. In a chat with PC Gamer at GDC, Dwarf Fortress creators Tarn and Zach Adams spoke a little about their approach to the game's meatiest patches in a post-premium edition world. Long story short? More bite-sized updates at a faster tempo. The Big Wait is dead.