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

[JEMC]

The Wednesday news:

Helldivers 2 game director says a Chargers rework and an update to fire damage are part of a 60-day update plan: 'What matters most now is action, not talk'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/helldivers-2-game-director-says-a-chargers-rework-and-an-update-to-fire-damage-are-part-of-a-60-day-update-plan-what-matters-most-now-is-action-not-talk/
In the wake of yet another blowup amongst the Helldivers 2 community over an unpopular balance patch, game director Mikael Eriksson says Arrowhead "didn't hit our target with the latest update," and laid out the studio's plan to do a better job with future patches.

Josh Sawyer doesn't like Baldur Gate 3-style romances and that's part of why he doubts a new Pillars of Eternity would be a hit: 'I feel like I'm kind of out of touch with that audience'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/josh-sawyer-doesnt-like-baldur-gate-3-style-romances-and-thats-part-of-why-he-doubts-a-new-pillars-of-eternity-would-be-a-hit-i-feel-like-im-kind-of-out-of-touch-with-that-audience/
Josh Sawyer is an RPG legend, with writing and design credits on games including Icewind Dale, Neverwinter Nights 2, Fallout: New Vegas, Pillars of Eternity, Tyranny, The Outer Worlds, and numerous others. But with the runaway success of Baldur's Gate 3 inspiring talk about the possibility of Pillars of Eternity 3, Sawyer expressed some doubt about his participation in it—not because he doesn't want to do it, but because he doesn't feel like he's hip to what modern RPG fans want.

Josh Sawyer would head up a new Fallout game if Microsoft asked, but he'd have to do it his way: 'Who wants to work on something where the one thing they want to explore is not possible to explore?'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/josh-sawyer-would-head-up-a-new-fallout-game-if-microsoft-asked-but-hed-have-to-do-it-his-way-who-wants-to-work-on-something-where-the-one-thing-they-want-to-explore-is-not-possible-to-explore/
Fallout: New Vegas holds kind of a weird spot in the Fallout canon. It's widely regarded as the best of the Bethesda-era Fallouts (although personally, I preferred Fallout 3) and it's also viewed by many as sort of a red-headed stepchild: No matter how many times Todd Howard insistently denies it, there's a lingering sense among some fans that Bethesda—which did not actually make New Vegas—would like to bury it.
With all that in mind, not to mention that both Obsidian and Bethesda are now Microsoft studios, it's not surprising that expressions of hope for a new Obsidian-made Fallout occasionally bubble to the surface. But would Josh Sawyer, the project coordinator, lead designer, and system designer of New Vegas, have an interest in leading the project? Well... sure. With some conditions.

Somehow, Baldur's Gate 3 isn't done winning yet: It's just claimed the most prestigious award for science fiction and fantasy writing
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/somehow-baldurs-gate-3-isnt-done-winning-yet-its-just-claimed-the-most-prestigious-award-for-science-fiction-and-fantasy-writing/
You would think that more than a year after going into full release, Baldur's Gate 3 would have finally stopped winning awards. And you would be wrong. On top of all the other gold Larian's epic RPG has claimed over the past 12 months, it has now added a Hugo Award, the most prestigious award in science fiction and fantasy literature, for Best Game or Interactive Work.

Blizzard is still updating Heroes of the Storm on an almost monthly basis, and I just think that's nice
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/moba/blizzard-is-still-updating-heroes-of-the-storm-on-an-almost-monthly-basis-and-i-just-think-thats-nice/
Pour one out for Heroes of the Storm, Blizzard's belated entry into the genre that spawned from an old Warcraft mod, and the only MOBA I've ever loved. HotS is a brilliant game but arrived on the scene a little too late to make any kind of serious impact, with the field dominated then as now by League of Legends and Dota 2, and despite Blizzard's best efforts and a 2017 reboot as HotS 2.0, development began winding down: in 2022, the developer finally announced it wouldn't be creating any new content for the game.
(...)
All of which is prelude to noting that, while HotS may now be in maintenance mode, Blizzard continues to plug away at the game and release regular updates. There's no new content, sure, but the developer continues with seasonal events, mode rotations, and considerably in-depth balance patches.

Tomorrow is festive over here and I don't know if I'll make the news. My lazy side says that no, but my even lazier side says that if I don't do it, I'll have more work on Friday. So yeah, we'll see which side wins and who loses (me).