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

[JEMC]

Tuesday news, the second part:

Larian scrambles to find out who exactly put Patch 8 on the PS5 early, meanwhile I, a PC unfortunate, rattle the bars of my enclosure
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/baldurs-gate/larian-scrambles-to-find-out-who-exactly-put-patch-8-on-the-ps5-early-meanwhile-i-a-pc-unfortunate-rattle-the-bars-of-my-enclosure/
As PC Gamer is wont to do, we've been posting a lot about how our device of choice has won the console war. I would like to unilaterally, with authority that I do not have (and have not asked for), state that we've lost. Catastrophically, because the PlayStation 5 has randomly received Patch 8 of Baldur's Gate 3 early and I'm volcanic with jealousy.
Update:
Scuttlebutt on the Baldur's Gate 3 subreddit is that the unintended early update to Patch 8 has already been yoinked and cannot be downloaded if you haven't grabbed it already. Meanwhile, Larian has released a guide to rolling back to Patch 7 if you were affected by the bug—saves on this version of Patch 8 are incompatible with Patch 7, and the build is "unsupported" according to Larian. Users on the subreddit who made it in describe it as unstable and prone to crashing.

Ubisoft closes another studio, announces layoffs at 3 more as part of 'ongoing efforts to prioritize projects and reduce costs'
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/ubisoft-closes-another-studio-announces-layoffs-at-3-more-as-part-of-ongoing-efforts-to-prioritize-projects-and-reduce-costs/
Ubisoft has confirmed the closure of its development studio in Leamington, first reported by Eurogamer, as well as "targeted restructurings" at its Düsseldorf, Stockholm, and Ubisoft Reflections studios, that will see 185 people put out of work.

I'm not even a car guy, but Y2K throwback Tokyo Xtreme Racer '25 looks incredible and has thousands of Overwhelmingly Positive Steam reviews after 4 days of early access
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/racing/im-not-even-a-car-guy-but-y2k-throwback-tokyo-xtreme-racer-25-looks-incredible-and-has-thousands-of-overwhelmingly-positive-steam-reviews-after-4-days-of-early-access/
"Tokyo Xtreme Racer," even the name has a delicious early-2000s flavor to it. Studio Genki's latest is the first entry the long-running racing series in 20 years, taking advantage of the rabid Y2K nostalgia in the air with an early access Steam launch out of nowhere, one that's gotten a ton of heat with 4,728 reviews at the time of writing and an "Overwhelmingly Positive" reception after just four days.

Beloved Bethesda RPG voice actor Wes Johnson is in critical condition after being found 'unconscious and barely alive,' and his family is asking for help from fans
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/the-elder-scrolls/beloved-bethesda-rpg-voice-actor-wes-johnson-is-in-critical-condition-after-being-found-unconscious-and-barely-alive-and-his-family-is-asking-for-help-from-fans/
The family of prolific videogame voice actor Wes Johnson has shared a GoFundMe to raise money for his hospital bills following a life-threatening medical emergency. Johnson is most famous in the gaming world for his work in Bethesda's Elder Scrolls series.

Dauntless developer Phoenix Labs lays off 'the majority of the studio' after a year of turmoil
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/dauntless-developer-phoenix-labs-lays-off-the-majority-of-the-studio-after-a-year-of-turmoil/
Phoenix Labs, developer of Dauntless and Fae Farm, has laid off "the majority of the studio" according to announcements made earlier today on Reddit and LinkedIn, as part of what the studio called "unfortunate but necessary changes to our operations."

Assassin's Creed Shadows will be censored in Japan to remove dismemberment and decapitations
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/assassins-creed-shadows-will-be-censored-in-japan-to-remove-dismemberment-and-decapitations/
Ubisoft says it will make changes to the Japanese version of Assassin's Creed Shadows to accommodate requirements of that country's CERO videogame rating agency.
Assassin's Creed Shadows is rated CERO Z in Japan, meaning its content is "suitable only to 18-year-olds and above." But even for legal adults, Shadows apparently goes too far for the agency, as a translated version of a message posted to X indicates that dismemberment—"cutting off the neck and limbs of enemies" is how Google worked it out—will not be possible in the Japanese release. In other regions, the option can apparently be turned on or off, depending on your taste for such things. Depictions of wounds on bodies will also be changed.

Civilization 7 player stacks so many bonuses that the game breaks and demands negative food
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/strategy/a-civilization-7-player-stacked-so-many-bonuses-they-broke-the-game-and-it-started-demanding-negative-food/
With Civilization 7's new ability to mix-and-match leaders and civs, and all the bonuses available from civics, wonders, and new features like leader attributes, there is a goofy amount of optimizing you can do. While playing a preview build of the game—which isn't out for a couple more weeks yet—YouTuber Drongo decided to see how far they could push it. It's safe to say that they pushed it to its limit, because the game stopped working.

Johan Pilestedt is taking a sabbatical from Helldivers 2 after working 'around the clock' for 11 years, will move on to 'the next Arrowhead game' when he returns
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/johan-pilestedt-is-taking-a-sabbatical-from-helldivers-2-after-working-around-the-clock-for-11-years-will-move-on-to-the-next-arrowhead-game-when-he-returns/
Arrowhead boss Johan Pilestedt is taking a break. The chief creative officer, who has been the face of Helldivers 2 through the ups and downs of its first year, will be on a sabbatical from the studio for "a while," and when he returns, he'll be working on a different game.

Rumour has it that The Sims and The Sims 2 are being re-released this week
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rumour-has-it-that-the-sims-and-the-sims-2-are-being-re-released-this-week/
EA has teased a re-release of the first two games in The Sims series as part of its 25th anniversary celebrations, and a new report from Kotaku says both games will be released by the end of the month. The Sims, originally released in 2000, has never been available digitally on PC, while The Sims 2 (2004) hasn't been available since 2014.

Enshrouded 1.0 target date and 2025 roadmap revealed, new update arriving today, and dynamic water on the way
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/survival-crafting/enshrouded-1-0-target-date-and-2025-roadmap-revealed-new-update-arriving-today-and-dynamic-water-on-the-way/
It's been a year since co-op survival RPG Enshrouded launched into early access, and that year has been an extremely busy one. There have already been four major updates for Enshrouded adding new biomes, bosses, and NPC buddies, all of which have gone a long way toward making the world feel more expansive and lively.
But a year later, the game isn't slowing down, it's heading for the finish line. Today Keen Games announced a window for Enshrouded 1.0, which is now planned for Spring of 2026. That's over a year away, but considering how much the game has grown in the past 12 months, there'll be plenty to keep us busy in the meantime.

Deadlock's latest update makes a bunch of hero changes, including one suggested by a player who got laughed at for raising the idea
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/moba/deadlocks-latest-update-makes-a-bunch-of-hero-changes-including-one-suggested-by-a-player-who-got-laughed-at-for-raising-the-idea/
Deadlock's latest set of changes is mostly hero buffs and nerfs, part of a change of schedule that's seen the devs dish out bigger updates less frequently. The bulk of hero changes are focused on newer additions like Vyper, Holliday, Calico, and Sinclar. Calico's Leaping Slash ability has been reworked a little, making the area of effect more accurate and updating it so it can now destroy breakable walls. Her Ava ability has also been changed with a shorter cooldown and a speed reduction, among other updates.

Final Fantasy creator says screw retirement, he's got one more game in the tank: 'Humans are greedy creatures, aren’t we?'
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/final-fantasy-creator-says-screw-retirement-hes-got-one-more-game-in-the-tank-humans-are-greedy-creatures-arent-we/
Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi left Square Enix in 2003 to found Mistwalker, since when he's worked on an eclectic mix of games from lavish RPGs to mobile titles. Sakaguchi had previously indicated that after 2021's Fantasian, which has just received a director's cut on Steam, he'd be stepping back from the coalface and enjoying a well-earned retirement.
Now? Crank up the engine and fetch the driving goggles, because Sakaguchi reckons he's got one more left in the tank. Speaking to The Verge, Sakaguchi says he "intended Fantasian to be my final project before I retired, so it was somewhat of a farewell note from me." (...)
Sakaguchi says the whole process of making Fantasian "was so enjoyable" that he "found it hard to part ways" with the development team. "Humans are greedy creatures, aren’t we? For that reason, I’m currently working on a new project with the same team that worked on Fantasian Neo Dimension," says Sakaguchi.