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

[JEMC]

Tuesday gaming news, part two:

After the Saudi-backed EA buyout, OG Sims director says diversity isn't just 'critical,' it's 'existential for the business': 'Love is love and people are people'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/the-sims/after-the-saudi-backed-ea-buyout-og-sims-director-says-diversity-isnt-just-critical-its-existential-for-the-business-love-is-love-and-people-are-people/
The future of EA has looked, well, uncertain since it got picked up in the biggest leveraged buyout in private equity history. (...)
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The presence of such conservative elements in the EA buyout has had more than a few Sims fans worried that the state's involvement in EA might lead to a clampdown on the series' more diverse elements. That'd be a terrible idea for a lot of obvious, moral reasons, but one OG Sims designer (via FRVR) says it would be "existential for the business."

Just Cause 5 would be a 'no go' according to the series' creator, as 'extremely few from the original team' remain at Avalanche Studios
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/just-cause-5-would-be-a-no-go-according-to-the-series-creator-as-extremely-few-from-the-original-team-remain-at-avalanche-studios/
It's been seven years since Avalanche Studios last released a Just Cause game. The series that put the Swedish studio on the map has been missing in action since 2018, and if the words of its creator are anything to go by, we won't be seeing another one any time soon, if ever.

Square Enix, Bandai, and other Japanese studios demand OpenAI stop using their content without permission, drop a not-too-subtle hint about legal trouble if it doesn't
https://www.pcgamer.com/software/ai/square-enix-bandai-and-other-japanese-studios-demand-openai-stop-using-their-content-without-permission-drop-a-not-too-subtle-hint-about-legal-trouble-if-it-doesnt/
The Content Overseas Distribution Association, a Japanese industry group whose members include Square Enix, Bandai Namco, FromSoftware parent Kadokawa Corporation, and Cygames, has issued a formal notice to OpenAI demanding that it stop using its members content to train its Sora 2 video generation tool without permission.

Redditors painstakingly measure Battlefield maps to prove BF6's biggest battlefield is only the 26th largest map since Battlefield 3
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/redditors-painstakingly-measure-battlefield-maps-to-prove-bf6s-biggest-battlefield-is-only-the-26th-largest-map-since-battlefield-3/
Since Battlefield 6's first multiplayer beta, a contingent of players have held firmly to a fundamental criticism: The maps are too damn small. Ensuing weeks of heated debate have seen some longtime Battlefield veterans venting frustration with BF6's tightly-corseted combat corridors, while others have insisted those of us longing for broader battlezones are suffering from nostalgia poisoning.
Thanks to the efforts of community cartographic analysts, however, we now have a more definitive assessment of whether BF6's maps are up to scale. Redditors ClaraTheRed and PENGUINonPC painstakingly compared the playable areas of Battlefield maps from Battlefield 3 forwards, and yes—based on their measurements, the map selection in BF 6 is more cramped than in previous games.

The MMO being led by former WoW designer Greg Street looks to be dead as his studio officially closes after NetEase ends funding: 'While we'd love to make our game, our first priority is to help our developers find employment'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/mmo/the-mmo-being-led-by-former-wow-designer-greg-street-looks-to-be-dead-as-his-studio-officially-closes-after-netease-ends-funding-while-wed-love-to-make-our-game-our-first-priority-is-to-help-our-developers-find-employment/
Less than a month after warning that Fantastic Pixel Castle would "likely close" if it couldn't find a new publisher for its in-development MMO, studio head Greg Street says the worst has come to pass, and the studio will close its doors on November 17.

It sure looks like World of Warcraft is getting its first premium currency after 21 years to monetize player housing in its next expansion
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/world-of-warcraft/it-sure-looks-like-world-of-warcraft-is-getting-its-first-premium-currency-after-21-years-to-monetize-player-housing-in-its-next-expansion/
World of Warcraft is finally adding player housing in the next expansion, a feature I've seen people begging for since I started playing back in 2006. According to the players trying it out on the Midnight alpha, it's designed with almost no caveats to what you can create.
There are years and years of decorations from various parts of the game that Blizzard is making available to stick in your house, which is why it's always seemed like a no-brainer for Blizzard to add. But there will also be new decorations, some of which are going to cost you real money, and now we have evidence of how that's going to work.

Legendary FPS maker John Romero delivers the objectively correct answer when voting for the most satisfying weapon in gaming history: 'I strongly agree, Mr Romero'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/legendary-fps-maker-john-romero-delivers-the-objectively-correct-answer-when-voting-for-the-most-satisfying-weapon-in-gaming-history-i-strongly-agree-mr-romero/
There have been some incredible weapons in the history of PC gaming, and while not exclusive to the genre, there's no doubting that most of them have come out of FPS games. From Painkiller's Stake Gun, through to Quake's Railgun, and onto Unreal Tournament's Flak Cannon, among many others, there are many iconic weapons in first-person shooters.
But what is the most satisfying weapon in gaming history? That's an interesting question, and one that when asked by Apogee Entertainment's X account, was answered by none other than the grandfather of FPS games, John Romero, he of Doom fame.

The Golden Joystick Awards has published its shortlist of 12 games that could take home its Ultimate Game of the Year trophy, and voting's open now
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/events-conferences/the-golden-joystick-awards-has-published-its-shortlist-of-12-games-that-could-take-home-its-ultimate-game-of-the-year-trophy-and-votings-open-now/
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And wouldn't you know it—the Golden Joystick Awards return for their 43rd annual show this November 20, hosted by none other than actor Maggie Robertson (who you almost certainly know as the alarmingly tall Lady Dimitrescu from Resident Evil 8, or possibly as Baldur's Gate 3's Orin the Red).
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Which game will end up taking home the Ultimate Game of the Year award? Well, that depends on the whims of democracy—voting is live now, if you want to make your voice heard—but it'll be one of 12 games on the official shortlist.

2025's best survival game just got a huge update that adds an ultra-hard mode and one of the community's most requested features
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/survival-crafting/2025s-best-survival-game-just-got-a-huge-update-that-adds-an-ultra-hard-mode-and-one-of-the-communitys-most-requested-features/
Deep Field Games just can't stop adding to Abiotic Factor. Consistently impressive through its early access development, the enormous 1.0 version was crowned "one of the greatest survival crafting games ever made" by Morgan Park in his Abiotic Factor Review. While I haven't delved as deeply as Morgan, I've likewise been bedazzled by its sumptuous survival adventure through a vast underground facility and branching pocket dimensions.
Following the 1.0 launch, Deep Field Games could easily have clocked out from their years-long shift at the GATE Cascade Research Facility. Instead, they've been burning the midnight oil, supplementing their energy with cans of sugary Pop Snarkle and nourishing alien soup. The result is a beefy new update for Abiotic Factor that adds whole new ways to enjoy and/or suffer through its Half-Life-inspired science maze.

This new Warhammer roguelike from the developer of Boltgun is also the official next game in the Vampire Survivors series
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/roguelike/this-new-warhammer-roguelike-from-the-developer-of-boltgun-is-also-the-official-next-game-in-the-vampire-survivors-series/
Vampire Survivors has had no shortage of imitators over the last three years, but in 2026 it'll finally be getting its first official spin-off—and I don't think it's what anyone expected.
Warhammer Survivors is… well, it's Vampire Survivors but with Warhammer. But it's not just copying the formula—it's actually built on the same engine. "Endorsed as part of the official Survivors lineage," according to the announcement, it's not made by original developer Poncle, but it is made "in partnership" with them by Auroch Digital. That's the studio that made the brilliantly charming Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun, so it's a promising team-up.