Happy SysAdmin Day!

http://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/dev2016/thread.php?id=237099

Let's go with the final round of news of the week:

SALES & "SALES"/DEALS

On the Humble Store, there are two deals worth mentioning:

• There's an RPG weekend sale, with up to 90% discounts: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/rpg-weekend/
• There is a GTA V sale that will last 13 days. The base game is 34% off: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/gta-v-sale/

Fanatical also has some deals to talk about:

• For the next three days The Flame in the Flood is 93% off: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/the-flame-in-the-flood
• There's a Pick&Mix sale with Curve Digital: https://www.fanatical.com/en/pick-and-mix/curve-pick-mix-bundle
• But if you want a "classic" sale with the same publisher, you're lucky too: https://www.fanatical.com/en/publishers/curve-digital

SOFTWARE

Origin Access Premier goes live next week
https://www.pcgamer.com/origin-access-premier-goes-live-next-week/
Electronic Arts revealed during an investors call today that Origin Access Premier, a new service announced at E3 that will give subscribers early access to new "frontline" games like Battlefield 5 and Anthem, will go live next week. More information about how the service will work was also shared on a new EA Help page.

MODS/EMULATORS

This mod removes the Chromatic Aberration, Scanlines and Vignette effects from No Man’s Sky NEXT
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/this-mod-removes-the-chromatic-aberration-scanlines-and-vignette-effects-from-no-mans-sky-next/
Modder ‘Celestaux’ has released a must-have mod for No Man’s Sky that is compatible with its latest NEXT content update. This mod will remove the annoying Chromatic Aberration, Scanlines and Vignette effects from the game, resulting in crisper visuals.

>>You can get it from Nexus Mods.

GAMING NEWS

Turn10 and Playground Games will completely remove prize crates from Forza Motorsport 7
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/turn10-and-playground-games-will-completely-remove-prize-crates-from-forza-motorsport-7/
Turn10 and Playground Games have announced that they will completely remove price crates from Forza Motorsport 7. This decision was made due to the overwhelming feedback regarding them, and the teams claimed that it will be completed in the winter timeframe.

Devil’s Hunt is a new third-person action game, releasing in 2019, first screenshots
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/devils-hunt-is-a-new-third-person-action-game-releasing-in-2019-first-screenshots/
1C Company has announced that it will publish the heaven and hell themed, third-person action game, Devil’s Hunt, in 2019. In order to celebrate this announcement, the publisher has shared the first screenshots as well as the game’s announcement teaser trailer.

New Antigraviator patch adds Pure Mode, custom key binds and multiple camera views
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/new-antigraviator-patch-adds-pure-mode-custom-key-binds-and-multiple-camera-views/
Cybernetic Walrus has released a brand new patch for Antigraviator. According to the release notes, this patch introduces Pure Mode, a highly-requested feature, giving players the option to race without traps and pick-ups. Also added are multiple camera views and bindable keys, amongst other fixes and improvements.

Battlezone: Combat Commander’s multiplayer mode will be free to play this weekend
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/battlezone-combat-commanders-multiplayer-mode-will-be-free-to-play-this-weekend/
Rebellion has announced that Battlezone: Combat Commander’s multiplayer mode will be free this weekend. This means that starting today and running until Monday 30th, everyone will be able to download and play the multiplayer mode for the Battlezone 2 remaster on GOG and Steam.

Post Scriptum, upcoming WW2 realism shooter, enters beta phase
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/post-scriptum-upcoming-ww2-realism-shooter-enters-beta-phase/
Periscope Games has announced that its first-person simulation shooter that provides an authentic WWII combat experience, Post Scriptum, has entered its beta phase. Players will be able to experience an immersive gameplay style where tactics and teamwork are necessary to win the round.

Vampyr will receive two new game modes, Story Mode and Hard Mode, later this Summer
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/vampyr-will-receive-two-new-game-modes-story-mode-and-hard-mode-later-this-summer/
Focus Home Interactive has announced that Vampyr, DONTNOD Entertainment’s narrative-driven action-RPG that set in 1918 London, will receive a content update coming later this Summer. This will include two new game modes which add further replayability for existing players and more options for those who haven’t yet sunk their teeth into this dark adventure.

Friday news, part two:

No Man's Sky Next patched to fix corrupted save issues
https://www.pcgamer.com/no-mans-sky-next-patched-to-fix-corrupted-save-issues/
No Man's Sky has enjoyed a wave of positive Steam reviews following this week's NEXT update. But a number of PC players have had issues with game-breaking bugs tied to what appears to be corrupted save files. Patch 1.51 was released today to address the corrupted save issue. There are also fixes for bugs that were causing crashes plus some other small tweaks and improvements, including the ability construct Frigate Terminals in Creative Mode, which was absent.

See new exotics from Destiny 2's Forsaken expansion, including rocket-reflecting trousers
https://www.pcgamer.com/see-new-exotics-from-destiny-2s-forsaken-expansion-including-rocket-reflecting-trousers/
With Destiny 2: Forsaken (and Cayde-6's demise) drawing closer day by day, Bungie has released a video showcasing some of the new exotic gear coming in the expansion. There's something in here for everything: Some of it looks pretty cool, some of it will probably be wildly overpowered, and at least one piece of kit looks kind of silly, but also kind of amazing.

Monster Hunter: World has an unlocked framerate on PC
https://www.pcgamer.com/monster-hunter-world-has-an-unlocked-framerate-on-pc/
60 fps support is great, but unlocked framerates that can take advantage of high refresh displays are even better. When we first got a look at the PC version of Monster Hunter World, there was a lot of talk about 4K, 60 fps performance, but we're happy to confirm that World offers an uncapped framerate option on PC. Specifically, there are three framerate options: a 30 fps cap, a 60 fps cap, and "no limit."

Stygian: Reign of the Old Ones is an old-school RPG set in Lovecraft's horrific realm
https://www.pcgamer.com/stygian-reign-of-the-old-ones-is-an-old-school-rpg-set-in-lovecrafts-horrific-realm/
We talked earlier this month about how it would be nice if game makers would give Lovecraft a rest and explore some different horror settings instead. (In case I haven't mentioned it previously, I would pay real money for a good game based on Garth Marenghi's Darkplace.) Maybe it'll happen someday, but not today: Today we have word of a new game in development called Stygian: Reign of the Old Ones, "a role-playing game of horror, loss, and madness set in the strange worlds of HP Lovecraft."

Isle of Skye brings kilts, tile laying to Steam
https://www.pcgamer.com/isle-of-skye-brings-kilts-tile-laying-to-steam/
A digital version of Isle of Skye, the tile-laying strategic board game, is now available on Steam. Released in cardboard back in 2015, Alexander Pfister and Andreas Pelikan’s Isle of Skye was quite well received, netting a load of awards nominations and taking Best Boardgame at the 2016 UK Games Expo. It also snagged one of board gaming’s most coveted awards—the prestigious German Kennerspiel des Jahres 2016, the game of the year for “connoisseur or enthusiast” games. (That is to say, a “real gamer’s game.”) The digital translation was developed by DIGIDICED and published by Asmodee Digital.

PUBG 'can’t provide people with free servers', says Brendan Greene on custom server paywall
https://www.pcgamer.com/pubg-cant-provide-people-with-free-servers-says-brendan-greene-on-custom-server-paywall/
PUBG custom matches "won't have an associated cost" during beta but may charge in future, so said the battle royale's developer earlier this month. Brendan Greene, aka PlayerUnknown himself, has now explained PUBG Corp "can’t provide people with free servers" as doing so is not financially viable.

For Honor Season 7: Storm and Fury release date set
https://www.pcgamer.com/for-honor-season-7-storm-and-fury-release-date-set/
For Honor's seventh season brings with it a new map, some "major" hero reworks, and an updated ranking system. Named Storm and Fury, it's due next week, August 2.

Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 1 and 2 are the latest licensed games to leave Steam
https://www.pcgamer.com/the-marvel-ultimate-alliance-games-are-the-latest-to-vanish-from-steam/
Along with previous Activision licensed efforts like every Transformers game and Deadpool, the two Marvel: Ultimate Alliance games have been delisted from Steam. This was spotted by user Nerdkiller of Resetera (via Rock Paper Shotgun), and comes two years after they found their way onto Valve's platform.

Battlefield 5's Grand Operations mode will come 'shortly after launch'
https://www.pcgamer.com/battlefield-5s-grand-operations-mode-will-come-shortly-after-launch/
Today, EA posted a refresher on Battlefield 5's multiplayer modes, beginning with its replacement for BF1's multi-match Operations mode. Grand Operations will see teams battle over multiple in-game 'days' through different modes including Airborne (one team jumps out of planes) and the respawnless Final Stand. But not right away. According to the post, Grand Operations is coming 'shortly after launch.'

The Overwatch free weekend begins today
https://www.pcgamer.com/the-overwatch-free-weekend-begins-today/
On the off-chance you missed the announcement last week, this is a gentle reminder that Overwatch is free to play this weekend. And even though it's only Thursday, that weekend begins at 11 am PT/2 pm ET today.

Time to take a look at what do GOG and Steam have for us this weekend:

+GOG

• The first of the six deal sis the daily deal, featuring Aegis Defenders, 33% off: https://www.gog.com/promo/20180727_daily_deal_aegis_defenders
• Next comes the weekly sale, with up to 85% discounts: https://www.gog.com/partner/noclip
• Battlezone: Combat Commander's multiplayer may be free, but the whole franchise is also on sale, up to 75% off: https://www.gog.com/promo/20180726_battlezone
• Due to its name changing, Fellow Traveller is having a sale with discounts of up to 80%: https://www.gog.com/promo/20180723_fellow_traveller
• Let's follow with the Turning Japanese sale and its discounts of up to 80%: https://www.gog.com/promo/20180725_japanese_midweek
• The last one is the weekend sale featuring Telltale Games and up to 75% discounts: https://www.gog.com/promo/20180727_telltale_weekend

+Steam

• The first of the seven deals to talks about is the daily deal, LEGO Worlds, 50% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/332310/LEGO_Worlds/
• Like GOG, the Fellow Traveller publisher puts its games on sale, up to 90% off: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/fellowtraveller
• Also like GOG, the Battlezone franchise is on sale, 75% off: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/battlezone
• Vampyr is on sale, 25% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/427290/Vampyr/
• The Space & Medieval engineers games are on sale, 50% off: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/space-and-medieval-engineers/
• Supergiant puts its games on sale, up to 80% off: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/super_giant/
• And of course, there's the weeklong sale.

And that's all. I hope you have a happy and gaming weekend.

By the way, BlackBlaze have launched their Q2 2018 HDD reliability stats:

https://www.backblaze.com/blog/hard-drive-stats-for-q2-2018/

Isle of Skye brings kilts, tile laying to Steam
https://www.pcgamer.com/isle-of-skye-brings-kilts-tile-laying-to-steam/
A digital version of Isle of Skye, the tile-laying strategic board game, is now available on Steam. Released in cardboard back in 2015, Alexander Pfister and Andreas Pelikan’s Isle of Skye was quite well received, netting a load of awards nominations and taking Best Boardgame at the 2016 UK Games Expo. It also snagged one of board gaming’s most coveted awards—the prestigious German Kennerspiel des Jahres 2016, the game of the year for “connoisseur or enthusiast” games. (That is to say, a “real gamer’s game.”) The digital translation was developed by DIGIDICED and published by Asmodee Digital.

This is a really good boardgame for all those who like mid-weight Euros - bit of auctioning, bit of tile laying a la Carcassonne, bit of variable goals (from round to round and from game to game), bit of special points for certain "side" stuff at the end of the game.

Time again for the news!

SALES & "SALES"/DEALS

Steam's Top 10

1. No Man's Sky
2. Monster Hunter: World
3. PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS
4. Grand Theft Auto V
5. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
6. Raft
7. Islands of Nyne: Battle Royale
8. Monster Hunter: World - Deluxe Kit
9. Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege
10. Jurassic World Evolution

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds sold 4.7 million units on PC in June, The Crew 2 sells 700K digital units
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/playerunknowns-battlegrounds-sold-4-7-million-units-on-pc-in-june-the-crew-2-sells-700k-digital-units/
SuperData Arcade has shared its monthly report, claiming that thanks to a Steam sale, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds sold 4.7 million units on PC in June, up significantly from May and only second to its peak month in October 2017.
Moreover, SuperData claimed that The Crew 2 sold 700,000 digital units across Console and PC at launch, and that over 800,000 PC players purchased the new “Seasons” expansion for The Sims 4 in June, making it the game’s second-most successful expansion after November’s “Cats and Dogs”.

Dragon Ball Xenoverse 1 & 2 have surpassed 10 million sales on all platforms
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/dragon-ball-xenoverse-1-2-have-surpassed-10-million-sales-on-all-platforms/
Bandai Namco has announced that the Dragon Ball Xenoverse series, Dragon Ball Xenoverse 1 and 2, have surpassed 10 million sales worldwide on all platforms. This figure includes both physical and digital copies.

Wizard of Legend has sold half a million copies, is on sale
https://www.pcgamer.com/wizard-of-legend-has-sold-half-a-million-copies-is-on-sale/
"Wizard of Legend is probably the closest we're ever going to get to a good Avatar: The Last Airbender game", Austin Wood wrote back in May when two-person indie studio Contingent99 released their RPG. He went on to sum it up as "an isometric dungeon crawler about clearing out procedurally generated labyrinths using elemental spells ranging from fists of flame and exploding boulders to ice spears and good old-fashioned lightning bolts."
It's now sold 500,000 copies cross-platform, so that's on Switch, PS4, and Xbox One as well as PC. Although given its 2,451 reviews and Very Positive rating on Steam it's obviously doing quite well there.
To celebrate, Wizard of Legend is on sale for 10% off, although only until Wednesday.

Football Manager 2018 Steam stats soar in wake of World Cup
https://www.pcgamer.com/football-manager-2018-steam-stats-soar-in-wake-of-world-cup/
Announced via Twitter, FM head honcho Miles Jacobson says Football Manager 2018 averages 500,000 hours per day on Steam, with 553,806 hours clocked yesterday alone. Jacobson says over 270 million hours have also been recorded since launch on Steam last year, and that its peak concurrent players yesterday was 67,524.
Steam Charts identifies the same—and suggests peak concurrent numbers have jumped following this summer's World Cup.

Let's check what's available at GOG:

• The daily deal is Memoranda, 80% off: https://www.gog.com/game/memoranda
• The new weekly sale, Summer in the City, is full of games to stay at home and away from the scorching Sun and heat, with up to 90% discounts: https://www.gog.com/promo/20180730_weekly_sale
• And just remember that the Japanese sale will still last another couple of days: https://www.gog.com/promo/20180725_japanese_midweek

At Steam, the daily deal is Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy, 40% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/240720/Getting_Over_It_with_Bennett_Foddy/

At Fanatical, we have two things to talk about:

• There's a new "Grab the Games" sale, with up to 90% discounts for the next 4 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/publishers/grabthegames
• They're also celebrating the Best of Star Deals week, with new deals every 24 hours. The first one is Insurgency, 90% off for the next 48 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/insurgency

SOFTWARE

Origin's free game program On the House has been 'retired'
https://www.pcgamer.com/origins-free-game-program-on-the-house-has-been-retired/
Electronic Arts said during a financial call yesterday that Origin Access Premier, an upgraded version of its subscription-based Origin Access service that will provide full, unlimited access to EA games, will go live next week. More quietly, it also pulled the plug on Origin's "On the House" program, which provided free games to everyone—including non-Access subscribers—on an intermittent, time-limited basis.
On the House debuted in 2014 with the most excellent survival-horror game Dead Space, and since then has made numerous other games, including Bejeweled, Battlefield 3, Theme Hospital, Syndicate, Peggle, and Dragon Age: Origins, free for the taking, without catches or take-backs. The games generally weren't EA's latest and greatest but free is free, and dated or not a lot of the games it offered were really quite good.

>>Nooooo! That's the only thing I used Origin for .

Twitch Prime subscribers can get two free loot boxes for Overwatch's newest hero, Wrecking Ball
https://www.pcgamer.com/twitch-prime-subscribers-can-get-two-free-loot-boxes-for-overwatchs-newest-hero-wrecking-ball/
Twitch Prime subscribers can now claim two free Overwatch loot boxes full of cosmetics specific to Wrecking Ball (or Hammond, if you prefer), the shooter's newest hero.
If you're signed up for Twitch Prime—which is included in an Amazon Prime subscription—all you have to do is go to this page to claim your goodies. You'll be wanting one of his high-tier skins: I'm a big fan of the wooden one, which is third from bottom on this list of all his outfits.

MODS/EMULATORS

Fallout 4 gets a 111 Cloverfield Lane bunker, featuring custom meshes and textures
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/fallout-4-gets-a-111-cloverfield-lane-bunker-featuring-custom-meshes-and-textures/
Modder ‘Wandering Ranger’ has released a new mod for Fallout 4 that introduces to it a new bunker inspired by the 111 Cloverfield Lane movie. This bunker is located behind the Sole Survivor’s home in Sanctuary Hills and features workbenches, clutter, and plenty of storage.

>>It's available from Nexus Mods.

Super Street Fighter 2 Ultimate Ver. 3.0 is an awesome free MUGEN game, featuring a Tag Mode (2vs2)
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/super-street-fighter-2-ultimate-ver-3-0-is-an-awesome-free-mugen-game-featuring-tag-mode-2vs2/
Gui Santos, the man behind some amazing Mortal Kombat Mugen games, has released a new version of Super Street Fighter 2 Ultimate. As you may have guessed, Super Street Fighter 2 Ultimate is a free Mugen game based on Capcom’s classic fighting game and this latest version comes with a Tag mode/system.

>>Check the article for the download link.

Someone is remaking the classic Drakan game in Unity Engine and there is a tech demo for you to download
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/someone-is-remaking-the-classic-drakan-game-in-unity-engine-and-there-is-a-tech-demo-for-you-to-download/
Remember Drakan? No? Shame on you then. Drakan was a third-person action-adventure game developed by Surreal Software that was set in a high fantasy world, in which players could ride a mighty dragon. It was a really cool game and YanGez93 has been working on a fan remake of it in Unity Engine.
Although we don’t know whether this fan remake will ever see the light of day – in its final form – YanGez93 released a tech demo that everyone can download and run. This will give you an idea of what you can expect from this fan project.

>>This is the download link.

New Level Editor released for the original System Shock game
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/new-level-editor-released-for-the-original-system-shock-game/
Modder ‘dertseha’ has released a brand new level editor for the classic System Shock game. According to the modder, the previous “deck” Editor from InkyBlackness reached its limits, so it was necessary to think of a brand new editor. This new editor is called HackEd and its initial version is available for download.
The new editor, in its initial v1.0.0 release, essentially copies the structure of the previous “deck” package from InkyBlackness and it allows for basic fan-mission editing.

>>It's available from GitHub.

Half Life looks amazing in Unreal Engine 4, lots of new screenshots from Project Lambda fan project
https://www.dsogaming.com/screenshot-news/half-life-looks-amazing-in-unreal-engine-4-lots-of-new-screenshots-from-project-lambda-fan-project/
It’s been a while since our last look on the Half Life in Unreal Engine 4 fan project, right? Well, good news everyone as Alex04se has released a new set of screenshots from the almost final version of this project that look stunning.
As we’ve already reported, Project Lambda will bring Half Life/Black Mesa to Unreal Engine 4, will feature the first chapter from Valve’s classic FPS, and will be made available to the public once it’s complete. The 3D artist stated that the levels and the lighting are complete by 95%, so we may soon be able to download and experience it.

Another Metroid 2 Remake patch 1.4.1 improves graphics, overhauls Fusion mode and more
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/another-metroid-2-remake-patch-1-4-1-improves-graphics-overhauls-fusion-mode-and-more/
Reddit’s lLoneWandererl has released a new update for the fan-made remake of Metroid 2 for the PC, Another Metroid 2 Remake (also known as AM2R). This update improves/updates graphics, overhauls the Fusion mode and adds French, Czech, and German localizations.
In addition, AM2R update 1.4.1 adds new sound effects, fixes D-pads not working on some controllers, allows directional buttons can now be rebound for some controllers, updates the Skreek sprite and adds unique, randomized heads to Zetas.

Someone is remaking the first Unreal in Unreal Engine 4, first comparison screenshots
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/someone-is-remaking-the-first-unreal-in-unreal-engine-4-first-comparison-screenshots/
Modder ‘DKG-Prog’ is currently working on a fan remake of the first Unreal game in Unreal Engine 4. Contrary to Unreal Redux though, which will stay as close the original material as possible, this fan remake will have custom assets and different weapons.
Now while this sounds cool, I have to say that there is something off with the following WIP screenshots. The spaceship for example is a complete mess and the remake loses all the lovely atmosphere of the original version. As said, these are WIP screenshots however they are not that impressive in my opinion. There is a lot of potential here so hopefully DKG-Prog will be able to address these issues.

Fallout: New York mod shares progress with lovely new screens
https://www.pcgamer.com/fallout-new-york-mod-shares-progress-with-lovely-new-screens/
Following the Great War of 2077, Fallout's lore tells us New York City, like Boston and Washington, is "gone". Roserosenbergfr's work-in-progress Fallout: New York mod imagines the damage. Its latest update, which landed earlier this month (I missed it at the time, sorry!), shares some new screens.
At present, Fallout New York is set exclusively in and around Manhattan's Central Park—which includes the exterior of the Natural History museum. Creator Roserosenbergfr plans to build outward from there, district by district, before then tweaking the state of the world to better reflect the nuclear apocalypse.

GAMING NEWS

New Shadow of the Tomb Raider gameplay trailer showcases Lara’s traversal techniques
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/new-shadow-of-the-tomb-raider-gameplay-trailer-showcases-laras-traversal-techniques/
Square Enix has released a new short gameplay trailer for Shadow of the Tomb Raider, showcasing a brand new set of traversal techniques. And when we say short, we mean really short as it’s not even a 1-minute trailer.

Capcom explains the reasons why Monster Hunter World is CPU heavy
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/capcom-explains-the-reasons-why-monster-hunter-world-is-cpu-heavy/
Monster Hunter World releases in a few days and Capcom’s WBacon has shared some details about the engine powering it, and explained why the game is CPU heavy. As WBacon said, Monster Hunter World is powered by the MT Framework Engine which was able in past titles to use multiple CPU cores/threads.

Digimon Survive is officially coming to the PC in 2019, first screenshots
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/digimon-survive-is-officially-coming-to-the-pc-in-2019-first-screenshots/
Bandai Namco has announced a brand-new adventure/tactical RPG based on Digimon, Digimon Survive. Digimon Survive presents a brand-new adventure set in a mysterious world with characters designed by Uichi Ukumo, and music by the much-acclaimed Tomoki Miyoshi.

Monday news, part two:

EVE Online developer CCP agrees Unreal Engine 4 deal, working on unannounced MMO
https://www.pcgamer.com/eve-online-developer-ccp-agrees-unreal-engine-4-deal-working-on-unannounced-mmo/
CCP Games, the studio behind space 'em up EVE Online (which you may have spied our Stephen writing about on occasion), has agreed a deal with Epic Games. The latter's Unreal Engine 4 has been named "the exclusive development tool for all of CCP Games’ currently unannounced projects." One of these is an action-inspired MMO.

Rainbow Six Siege cheaters will lose their seasonal rank and rewards
https://www.pcgamer.com/rainbow-six-siege-cheaters-will-lose-their-seasonal-rank-and-rewards/
Earlier this month, Ubisoft provided a quick overview of its efforts to combat cheating in Rainbow Six Siege, which included a plan for a wave of bans on players with boosted accounts—that is, accounts whose MMR [Matchmaking Rating] has been artificially manipulated. Today it posted an update on that situation, saying that roughly 1,300 boosted players were suspended for 15 days this week, and promising harsher penalties to come.

Fortnite's guided missiles are finally coming back
https://www.pcgamer.com/fortnites-guided-missiles-are-finally-coming-back/
Fortnite's guided missile was a lot of fun, but it was also a little too powerful, and so in spite of all the surfin' safari parties, Epic pulled the plug in mid-April in order to give it a redesign. In today's developer update video, senior designer Andrew Bains revealed that the work is done and the rocket is returning, with some big changes under the hood.

Strange Brigade season pass and free monthly updates revealed
https://www.pcgamer.com/strange-brigade-season-pass-and-free-monthly-updates-revealed/
Rebellion has revealed its post-launch plans for the co-op supernatural shooter Strange Brigade, which will include a three-part "mini-campaign" available in a season pass and free monthly updates that the studio promised will "escalate the escapades."

Battlefield 5's Grand Operations mode will be playable at launch after all (Updated)
https://www.pcgamer.com/battlefield-5s-grand-operations-mode-will-come-shortly-after-launch/
EA posted a refresher on Battlefield 5's multiplayer modes (correction: this was posted last month, not recently), beginning with its replacement for BF1's multi-match Operations mode. Grand Operations will see teams battle over multiple in-game 'days' through different modes including Airborne (one team jumps out of planes) and the respawnless Final Stand. But not right away. According to the post, Grand Operations is coming 'shortly after launch.'
Update: EA has revised the blog post, which contained outdated information, to say now that Grand Operations will be available at launch. The original story below is thus outdated.

EA wants cross-platform play for its big franchises
https://www.pcgamer.com/ea-wants-cross-platform-play-for-its-big-franchises/
EA wants to take a leaf from Fortnite's book and open up its "key franchises" to cross-platform play, its vice president of investor relations Chris Evenden has said.
On an earnings call yesterday, Evenden was asked whether he wants to replicate Fortnite's cross-platform success in Battlefield 5, and replied: "We're looking at key franchises in terms of how we can deliver cross-platform play in a similar way that Fortnite has, especially some of our titles that have a broad and diverse player base.

Quake Champions is getting new game modes, including capture the flag
https://www.pcgamer.com/quake-champions-is-getting-new-game-modes-including-capture-the-flag/
Start learning those strafe jumping routes, because Quake Champions is about to add a long-awaited capture the flag mode, developer id Software has announced.

>>And they're also adding heatmaps.

Crusader Kings 3 will 'probably' happen, says outgoing Paradox CEO
https://www.pcgamer.com/crusader-kings-3-is-probably-happening-says-outgoing-paradox-ceo/
The outgoing CEO of Paradox Interactive Fred Wester has said the publisher will "probably" make a sequel to sprawling grand strategy game Crusader Kings 2, which he feels is becoming too "crowded" for more expansions.

Destiny 2 will ramp up PvP weapon damage for quicker 'time to kill'
https://www.pcgamer.com/destiny-2-ramps-up-pvp-weapon-damage-for-quicker-time-to-kill/
Destiny 2 PvP players will soon find themselves killing enemies faster thanks to a boost to weapon damage across the board, Bungie has confirmed.
The Forsaken expansion, due on September 4, will see the "time to kill" reduced in the Crucible, senior sandbox designer Jon Weisnewski said in a blog post. "You may have noticed from some Forsaken coverage that the weapons are doing a bit more damage than they do in the current version of Destiny 2," he said.

Surprise! There are so many news at PCGamer that I needed to make a third news post:

Two new Overwatch skins were just revealed at OWL Grand Finals
https://www.pcgamer.com/two-new-overwatch-skins-revealed-at-owl-grand-finals/
Two new Overwatch skins were revealed during the Overwatch League Grand Finals at Barclay's Center this afternoon. Several heroes will be getting skins to commemorate the upcoming Overwatch League All Star Weekend, and folks tuning into the Grand Finals were given a sneak peek.

>>I'm getting tired of this game and Fortnite having some kind of article almost every day. I'll have to start posting less about them.

Portal 2 co-writer Jay Pinkerton returns to Valve (Updated)
https://www.pcgamer.com/portal-2-co-writer-jay-pinkerton-seems-to-be-back-at-valve/
Portal 2 co-writer Jay Pinkerton appears to have returned to Valve, a year after he left the company.
Update: A Valve representative has confirmed via email that Portal 2 co-writer Jay Pinkerton has returned to the company. Read the original story below for more details.

Check out this new, flashy trailer for Jump Force, the Shonen Jump mash-up brawler
https://www.pcgamer.com/check-out-this-new-ultra-flashy-trailer-for-anime-brawler-jump-force/
I haven't paid much attention to Jump Force since its E3 reveal, but judging by Luke's time with it—where he smashed Naruto to a pulp with Goku—it could be fun. It's a Shonen Jump mash-up fighter with characters from Dragon Ball Z, One Piece, Death Note and Bleach, so there's bound to be at least a handful you like.
Bandai Namco released a new trailer this week, which you can see above. It certainly looks the part: every attack is accompanied by a shower of sparks, a beam of light or a whirlwind of colour.

La-Mulana 2 gets final trailer ahead of tomorrow's release
https://www.pcgamer.com/la-mulana-2-gets-final-trailer-ahead-of-tomorrows-release/
Four and a half years after Lu-Mulana 2, a game about exploring and solving puzzles in ancient underground ruins, was funded on Kickstarter, its release date is finally upon us. It'll be out tomorrow, costing $25 on Steam, GOG and the Humble Store, and developer Nigoro has released one final trailer (above) to celebrate the occasion.

>>That tomorrow is, as always happens on Mondays, today.

'Social survival game' Grimmwood out next week
https://www.pcgamer.com/social-rpg-grimmwood-will-be-out-next-week/
If you haven't read Chris's piece on "social survival game" Grimmwood, then I'd recommend doing that now—it piqued my interest, but I unfortunately never got around to trying out the free open beta. I may not get a chance now, because it'll be out for good on Thursday, August 2, publisher Headup Games has announced.

Cyberpunk 2077 quest designer says it's 'inherently political'
https://www.pcgamer.com/cyberpunk-2077-quest-designer-says-its-inherently-political/
In the latest issue of Official Xbox Magazine there's an interview with CD Projekt Red quest designer Patrick Mills, who discusses Cyberpunk 2077 and makes a few comparisons with The Witcher 3, which he also worked on. Of particular interest is his response to being asked about whether the new game will contain "political themes or social commentary".

Yakuza is successful in the west because it commits to its original vision, says Sega boss
https://www.pcgamer.com/yakuza-is-successful-in-the-west-because-it-commits-to-its-original-vision-says-sega-boss/
Chatting to gamesindustry.biz, Sega Europe's executive vice president of publishing reckons Yakuza 0's commitment to its original vision is responsible for its success. Languid conversations, weird minigames, and a "world where the sublime meets the ridiculous and the ridiculous is sublime", and all.

GTA Online dataminers uncover second Red Dead Redemption 2-themed weapon
https://www.pcgamer.com/gta-online-dataminers-uncover-second-red-dead-redemption-2-themed-weapon/
Last year, Grand Theft Auto 5's Chiliad Mystery hunters discovered alien life in San Andreas. Now, it seems the same datamining group has uncovered GTA Online's second Red Dead Redemption 2 weapon: the as-yet-unreleased stone hatchet.

PES 2019 unveils Celtic FC as latest official partner club
https://www.pcgamer.com/pes-2019-unveils-celtic-fc-as-latest-official-partner-club/
As a lifelong Celtic supporter (and season ticket holder of 21 years), there really was no way I could skip this one. Konami has unveiled Celtic Football Club as Pro Evolution Soccer 2019's latest official partner club.

And it is on sale in the Humble Store!

40% off: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/hellblade-senuas-sacrifice