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

[JEMC]

The sequel of the Tuesday gaming news:

Stop Killing Games' EU initiative hits 1.4 million signatures—and if at least 1 million are valid, it's off to the European Commission
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/game-development/stop-killing-games-eu-initiative-hits-1-4-million-signatures-and-if-at-least-1-million-are-valid-its-off-to-the-european-commission/
Stop Killing Games (which just under a month ago was all doom and gloom) has soared past its prior goals—not only garnering enough attention to have Ubisoft's CEO sweating during a shareholder meeting, but now soaring past 1.4 million signatories on the European Citizens' Initiative.

Bloodlines 2 studio The Chinese Room has bought its own independence, but also laid off employees for the second time in two months
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/bloodlines-2-studio-the-chinese-room-has-bought-its-own-independence-but-also-laid-off-employees-for-the-second-time-in-two-months/
As reported by Game Developer, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 developer The Chinese Room has bought its own independence from former owner Sumo Digital, but laid off an undisclosed number of employees in the process, bringing its total headcount to 55⁠.

John Romero says indies are the future of game development: 'These people are the ones that make triple-A studios go, 'Wait a minute, we need to start doing this''
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/john-romero-says-indies-are-the-future-of-game-development-these-people-are-the-ones-that-make-triple-a-studios-go-wait-a-minute-we-need-to-start-doing-this/
I wouldn't blame you for feeling like the games industry is in a dire state. Microsoft's recent layoffs and studio closures are just the latest in a years-long, industry-wide bloodletting where successful game releases don't provide any protection against corporate downsizing.
Things aren't great at the moment, but legendary shooter designer John Romero says that whatever the industry's future is, it'll be one that indie developers are shaping.
>> He said that in a podcast, where he also explained how the hunting genre was born.

EA finally proves it's listening to fans, will let Battlefield 6 beta players have classic class weapons
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/dice-finally-proves-its-listening-to-fans-will-let-battlefield-6-beta-players-have-classic-class-weapons/
EA has done what I was starting to worry was impossible: Make a rational, popular design decision around Battlefield 6 classes.
(...)
Today, in a brief X post on the official Battlefield account, EA changed its tune.
"Open Weapons vs Closed Weapons. Why not both? Starting at Open Beta, players can choose official playlists with Signature Weapons locked to class, or not. More to come."

Descenders Next just shadowdropped into early access, and it's Steam Deck verified as well
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/sports/descenders-next-just-shadowdropped-into-early-access-and-its-steam-deck-verified-as-well/
Descenders Next is a sequel of sorts to Descenders, but it's pretty different. It's still about going down hills really fast, but it's no longer about doing so on pushbikes: instead we have snowboards and mountainboards. I played a little bit last year and loved it, so I'm pretty happy to see it's just shadowdropped on Steam after a delay from its initial April release date.

Gustave's voice actor, Charlie Cox, admits he needs to 'play the game' after asking if Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's goofball sidekick is the 'big baddie at the end'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/gustaves-voice-actor-charlie-cox-admits-he-needs-to-play-the-game-after-asking-if-clair-obscur-expedition-33s-goofball-sidekick-is-the-big-baddie-at-the-end/
I don't necessarily think every voice actor in videogames needs to play them, in the same way I don't think Vin Diesel is obligated to spend half of his life doing donuts. I'm starting to wobble on that theory in the face of Charlie Cox who, bless his cotton socks, barely seems to know a thing about Clair Obscur: Expedition 33—a game he gave a nonetheless stellar performance in.

A new city in Helldivers 2 will be named 'Gun' because 82,188 players voted for it—making it twice as popular as the other 4 options combined
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/a-new-city-in-helldivers-2-will-be-named-gun-because-82-188-players-voted-for-it-making-it-twice-as-popular-as-the-other-4-options-combined/
If you don't have enough money to LARP, you might want to become a Helldivers 2 player, because those guys are embodying the spirit of the satire-laden universe without setting a single foot outside. As evidenced by a recent Discord poll that allowed players to rename the city of Remembrance, which was reduced to near-rubble during the invasion of Super Earth.
Remembrance shall be reforged in the fires of truth and democracy as the shining city of Gun. No, really. Just "Gun".