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

[JEMC]

*Sigh*

Another day, another time a third post of news is needed:

Tomb Raider developer Crystal Dynamics lays off 17 employees 'to better align our current business needs and the studio's future success'
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/tomb-raider-developer-crystal-dynamics-lays-off-17-employees-to-better-align-our-current-business-needs-and-the-studios-future-success/
Crystal Dynamics, which is currently working on a Perfect Dark reboot and a new Tomb Raider game, has announced the layoff of 17 employees.
"This morning, Crystal Dynamics made the difficult decision to reduce our workforce by 17 talented team members," the studio said in a message posted to X. "We did not make this decision lightly. Ultimately, this step was necessary to better align our current business needs and the studio's future success. It is not a reflection of the dedication or ability of those affected."

Mecha Break developer is considering unlocking all mechs following open beta feedback
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/mecha-break-developer-is-considering-unlocking-all-mechs-following-open-beta-feedback/
Mecha Break concluded its most recent open beta period on Steam on Sunday, March 16 after bringing in a peak of over 300,000 players. Players weren't shy to give Chinese developer Amazing Seasun a huge amount of feedback about their experiences, and it seems like the studio is taking note.

Tickets for PAX Australia 2025 are on sale now
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/events-conferences/tickets-for-pax-australia-2025-are-on-sale-now/
Last year PAX Australia played host to Cult of the Lamb-themed weddings, a Medusa-shaped gaming PC that doubled as commentary on AI, and memer-shooter sequel 420 Blaze It 2. Who knows what the 2025 edition will bring us?
Scheduled to take over the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from October 10–12, PAX Australia 2025 will perch at the tail of Melbourne International Games Week as it traditionally does. Tickets are on sale now, and apparently more than half of the three-day badges have already been sold.

Mindbending free multimedia adventure ENA: Dream BBQ is out now, has activated all my neurons and opened my third eye
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/adventure/mindbending-free-multimedia-adventure-ena-dream-bbq-is-out-now-has-activated-all-my-neurons-and-opened-my-third-eye/
Some days you just roll out of bed and immediately fall into another world. Exactly four years and one day from its announcement, ENA: Dream BBQ is out on Steam, free. The first chapter of it, at least. It’s the first interactive adventure of the titular chaotic cubist girl (created by Peruvian artist Joel Guerra), star of a series of deeply strange but wonderfully compelling animations, which you can watch here on YouTube. You should watch them, and then play the game, because you’re in for a one-of-a-kind experience.

'We want to increase the cost of silence': Hunt: Showdown 1896's latest update brings a new event, a massive list of bugfixes and a tougher challenge for stealthy players
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/we-want-to-increase-the-cost-of-silence-hunt-showdown-1896s-latest-update-brings-a-new-event-a-massive-list-of-bugfixes-and-a-tougher-challenge-for-stealthy-players/
Here's a double-barreled blast of news for Hunt: Showdown fans. Crytek just launched a massive patch for its grungy Victorian extraction shooter, which scatters an array of adjustments across most of the game and provides a long list of bug-fixes to boot. This coincides with the launch of a brand new in-game event that brings event-exclusive character traits and a whole new type of supply point.

World of Warcraft's started swiping good ideas from one of its most popular user-made UI addons, and it's honestly about time
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/world-of-warcraft/world-of-warcrafts-started-swiping-good-ideas-from-one-of-its-most-popular-user-made-ui-addons-and-its-honestly-about-time/
A surprising amount of my time playing World of Warcraft isn't plundering its dungeons, trying my loot luck (it's bad) in the raid finder, or collecting transmogs. No, it's spent fiddling about to get the perfect WeakAura ready so I can treat my Outlaw Rogue like a fighting game character doing combos, rather than an MMO character with cooldowns to manage.
(...)
Well, WoW's just straight-up muscling in on WeakAuras' long-standing turf, as discovered on the PTR (thanks to WoWHead for the following screenshots—I tried to hop in myself, mind, but the PTR servers weren't online at the time of writing).

Inzoi launch times and release date
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/life-sim/inzoi-launch-time-release-date/
The Inzoi launch time and release date are upon us so it's time to make some major life changes. The change being that we'll finally be keeping up with not just one, but two major life sim games. Truly, I almost thought we'd never see the day. Inzoi is launching in early access on either the evening of March 27 or early on March 28 depending on where in the world you're at.

Last year's best RTS gets its first piece of DLC alongside a meaty free update
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/strategy/last-years-best-rts-gets-its-first-piece-of-dlc-alongside-a-meaty-free-update/
Sins of a Solar Empire 2, last year's brilliant fusion of RTS and 4X, has just received its first piece of premium DLC: Paths to Power.
The DLC throws 10 new scenario maps into the mix, giving interstellar conquerors bespoke objective-based challenge missions with distinct victory conditions.

'Diabolical': Genshin Impact's English cast gives new VO the cold shoulder after he frames replacing a striking actor as an 'opportunity to carry the flame'
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/diabolical-genshin-impacts-english-cast-gives-new-vo-the-cold-shoulder-after-he-frames-replacing-a-striking-actor-as-an-opportunity-to-carry-the-flame/
The Genshin Impact community is a little, uh, on fire at the moment. That's due to SAG-AFTRA, an American union of actors across entertainment media (including, naturally, videogames), and its ongoing strike.
Said strike has been proceeding apace for over eight months now, with voice actors still embroiled in fights over deals for protection against AI exploitation. Being a game with voice actors in it, Genshin Impact has been… well, impacted.
The 'good' news for Genshin Impact players who don't care about such protections (and MiHoYo, mind) is that one of the games' characters, Kinich, will have voice acting again. The bad news for everyone else is that a Japanese-based voice actor has swept in and accepted the role without acknowledging the ongoing strike.