Monday news, part two:

Hearthstone's Demon Hunter prologue campaign is live
https://www.pcgamer.com/hearthstones-demon-hunter-prologue-campaign-is-live/
Hearthstone's Demon Hunter prologue campaign, a set of four story-driven missions revealing how Illidan Stormrage became a Demon Hunter, is now live and free for all players.
Completing the prologue campaign will unlock the class and the Illidan Stormrage hero, and award 30 free cards: Ten Demon Hunter Basic cards, a 20-card Demon Hunter Initiate set, and a prebuilt Demon Hunter deck list. New and returning players (those who haven't logged in for at least four months prior to March 17, 2020) will also be given a free deck from the class of their choice for hopping back on—hit here for a full rundown of the available decks.

Fortnite item shop gets a very Deadpool makeover
https://www.pcgamer.com/fortnite-item-shop-update-deadpool/
Epic teased Fortnite's Deadpool event all the way back at the start of Season 2. At the time, we were just thrilled to be getting a wholly unique theme for the new season after the dreadfully long introduction to Chapter 2. Then suddenly, there he was, the red-suited merc with a mouth, in our Fortnite. Two classic tastes that go great together. After seven weeks of Deadpool challenges, we've finally got some proper cosmetics to buy, and in true Deadpool fashion, he's butting his way into the Fortnite item shop.

Sci-fi exploration game In Other Waters is out today
https://www.pcgamer.com/sci-fi-exploration-game-in-other-waters-is-out-today-on-steam/
When I first heard about In Other Waters, I was immediately apprehensive. Subnautica was a beautiful but often incredibly stressful game, and making matters worse I'd just gotten around to playing Soma, Frictional's game of horrific monsters and worse at the bottom of the ocean. In Other Waters isn't like that, though: It's a (mostly) tranquil tale of exploration told through a computer interface, maps, and a "warm synth soundtrack."

The next EVE Online update makes murder into an Easter egg hunt, because EVE Online
https://www.pcgamer.com/the-next-eve-online-update-makes-murder-into-an-easter-egg-hunt-because-eve-online/
EVE Online's next seasonal update (called a Quadrant) heralds the next chapter in EVE Online's ongoing alien invasion storyline. Called Eclipse, this Quadrant kicks off on April 6 and will introduce a string of smaller updates taking place over the next few months like all-new features, ships, and sweeping balance changes. It will also continue the ongoing Triglavian alien invasion storyline which as been taking place in EVE (not to be confused with EVE's other dramatic alien invasion last year), which is the primary focus of the new trailer embedded above.

EVE Online reactivates Plex for Good charity campaign to support COVID-19 relief
https://www.pcgamer.com/eve-online-reactivates-plex-for-good-charity-campaign-to-support-covid-19-relief/
Plex for Good is a charitable program run by CCP Games that enables EVE Online players to donate Plex, EVE's premium in-game currency, to support a particular cause. Players donate their Plex over the course of a particular campaign, at the end of which CCP tallies it all up, converts it to real-world money, and then hands it over to the charity in question.

Legends of Runeterra leaves open beta on April 30, adding 120 new cards and mobile crossplay
https://www.pcgamer.com/legends-of-runeterra-leaves-open-beta-on-april-30-adding-120-new-cards-and-mobile-crossplay/
Legends of Runeterra, the surprisingly great League of Legends spin-off card game, is launching on April 30, Riot Games announced today. In addition to adding support for iOS and Android devices—including crossplay between mobile and PC—the launch will also see the release of Runeterra's first new set of cards and a new Region, complete with its own playstyle and mechanics.

Mount and Blade 2 is getting auto-blocking after all
https://www.pcgamer.com/mount-and-blade-2-is-getting-auto-blocking-after-all/
Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord’s revamped combat system is a big improvement over the first game, but some fans have been feeling there’s one big exception: Automatic blocking. The game’s third-person melee combat is a lot of fun, but requires you develop pretty fast reflexes if you want to parry enemy attacks or use a two-handed weapon effectively. Not for too much longer, as a customer service representative has let a poster on the TaleWorlds forum know that the feature will make a return. The previous games in the Mount & Blade series included automatic blocking, where absent input from the player a character would always attempt to block incoming strikes. “We disabled the feature but there are many requests,” said the message from the TaleWorlds support team, “So we are planning to add it back. We will announce it on our forums.”

Rocksmith won't be getting any more DLC
https://www.pcgamer.com/rocksmith-wont-be-getting-any-more-dlc/
Ubisoft San Francisco announced it is moving on to a new project, and will no longer produce DLC for Rocksmith—the rhythm game that uses a real guitar as a controller (connected via guitar-to-USB Rocksmith Real Tone Cable), and teaches songs as you play along with them.

Mackerelmedia Fish is an odd, fun, retroweb adventure
https://www.pcgamer.com/mackerelmedia-fish-is-an-odd-retroweb-adventure/
Bet you didn't expect to be reading about a game named after deprecated multimedia platform Macromedia Flash in 2020.
Mackerelmedia Fish is the latest creation of indie designer Nathalie Lawhead, in which you play an internet archaeologist exploring a crumbledown website as it falls to bits around you. There are minigames tucked away within it, and a big fish to find, as well as a rat who eat bits of old webcode and some inventive Error 404 dead ends. It's a bit like Frog Fractions and a bit like Hypnospace Outlaw, and Lawhead calls it "something between an ARG, graphic novel, and text adventure."

A new GTFO update keeps the hardcore co-op horror flowing
https://www.pcgamer.com/a-new-gtfo-update-keeps-the-hardcore-co-op-horror-flowing/
Hardcore co-op horror shooter GTFO (that’s a mouthful) has a new update out as of this week, a hellishly cool new series of missions called Rundown 002 / Infection. When we last checked in on, again, hardcore co-op horror shooter GTFO (still a lot of words) it’s an experience we said “certainly doesn’t feel like an Early Access game,” and that’s still true as of Rundown 002. In fact, it feels more true than it did before. Truthier, if you will. Indie developers 10 Chambers Collective have a bright future if this keeps up.

This is the chunky space sandbox I didn’t know I wanted
https://www.pcgamer.com/avorion-this-is-the-chunky-space-sandbox-i-didnt-know-i-wanted/
I’ve never been one for the spate of voxel games that have come out over the last decade. I have, however, always been one for a good space sandbox. Space sandbox Avorion has been a long-running Early Access game that just released into 1.0 last month to pretty positive user reviews. After putting aside my general distaste for games that ask me to spend hours in finicky ship customization I found Avorion to be a lovely experience. There was a bit of a learning curve at first, but building your own chunky, blocky spaceships is both pretty easy and surprisingly fun. It has all the usual space sim stuff: You can mine asteroids, trade space goods, watch procedurally generated space empires fight each other and/or join in the fight. The really impressive draw here is that I got to choose my own ships. If I like spheres, I can do spheres really easily. If I like sleek long ships, I can do that too. (I like spheres.)

A Streets of Rogue sequel is now in development
https://www.pcgamer.com/a-streets-of-rogue-sequel-is-now-in-development/
Streets of Rogue is a great, quite popular game where you can be an investment banker and get drunk, then hire some thugs to solve problems for you. Or you can be a gorilla and murder everyone you meet. Or you can be a shapeshifting doppelganger and do shapeshifting doppelganger stuff. So, naturally, Streets of Rogue is getting a sequel. With the release of Friday’s big bug fix update, developer Matt Dabrowski has let the community know he’s started working on a sequel. The first game was in development for over six years, and Dabrowski says that it has “become more and more difficult to add new features to the game that are impactful, but won’t break the existing game or fundamentally change the gameplay.” The existing game will continue to get updates, including at least one more with new game content, as well as continual bug fixes.

Bannerlord has been patched every day since it launched
https://www.pcgamer.com/mount-and-blade-2-bannerlord-launch-week-patches/
Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord released last week after years of development to significant acclaim from its fan base. Since, Bannerlord has received a patch or hotfix every day to smooth over broken systems and copious crashes. If you include the launch-day patch, that means developers TaleWorlds have released seven updates in seven days. Despite releasing into Early Access after a sometimes arduous wait, Bannerlord has sparked a fire in series enthusiasts and currently has an 85% “Very Positive” user rating on Steam. That excitement has helped Mount & Blade 2 become Steam’s biggest release this year—larger than big-budget AAA titles like Doom Eternal.

Fantasy turn-based tactics game Fort Triumph is leaving Early Access
https://www.pcgamer.com/fantasy-turn-based-tactics-game-fort-triumph-is-leaving-early-access/
Fort Triumph is part XCOM, part Heroes of Might & Magic, a turn-based tactics game where you march a party of heroes across a map, pausing to fight goblins and skeletons and collect treasure. It's got a unique focus on moving objects and even NPCs in battle, so you can yoink someone out of cover or topple a pillar on top of them, just for a couple of examples.

Apex Legends devs consider crossplay 'important'
https://www.pcgamer.com/apex-legends-devs-consider-crossplay-important/
It's been over a year since Respawn teased plans for crossplay in Apex Legends. And while it's still not confirmed, Respawn has reiterated that the ability to play across all platforms is considered an "important" feature for the battle royale.

Dirt Rally 2.0 and other PC games are now featuring in-game coronavirus safety advice
https://www.pcgamer.com/dirt-rally-20-and-other-pc-games-are-now-featuring-in-game-coronavirus-safety-advice/
If you're in the UK and you play Dirt Rally 2.0 today, you'll notice many of the roadside advertising now features images echoing the Government's advice of staying home to save lives during the coronavirus pandemic.

Last Oasis is back online and seems to be finally stable
https://www.pcgamer.com/last-oasis-is-back-online-and-seems-to-be-finally-stable/
Last Oasis did not have the most auspicious start when launched in Early Access in March. The ambitious MMO's servers started showing signs of strain pretty quickly, with many players unable to spend more than a few minutes in the game before they were booted out or the server popped its clogs. Without a simple fix in sight, developer Donkey Crew decided to temporarily take it offline and issue refunds.
Over the weekend, the servers were brought back online for a public stress test. Everything from the launch was wiped, so those players who were lucky enough to play a lot still had to start fresh. The test has been going well, according to an update posted on Sunday, and the servers were left running overnight. It might be safe to start consider returning.

Holy hell at Bannerlord doing the rounds! It seems to be immensely popular, Reddit threads are popping up every second. It's actually the first early access title I ever bought, and I don't regret it, I have about 40 hours already.

Given how long it's been in development, people were very impatient to jump into it.

Tuesday news, part one:

SALES & DEALS

Steam has a new round of weeklong deals, and here are some examples:

• Vestaria Saga I: War of the Scions is 15% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/694770/Vestaria_Saga_I_War_of_the_Scions/
• The Witch's House MV is 35% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/885810/The_Witchs_House_MV/
• The Ballad Singer, that has a demo, sports a 50% discount: https://store.steampowered.com/app/907380/The_Ballad_Singer/
• Cities in Motion is 75% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/73010/Cities_in_Motion/
• And lastly there's BADLAND: Game of the Year Edition with a 90% discount: https://store.steampowered.com/app/269670/BADLAND_Game_of_the_Year_Edition/

The Humble Store has a new sale featuring Bandai Namco, with up to 75% discounts for the next 6 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/bandai-namco-publisher-sale/

And now Fanatical... Before we start, let me say something. I don't know if it's a one-time thing or if they've changed the time when they refresh their deals, because the Star Deal won't end for another couple of hours and the front page hasn't changed much since yesterday. If it's a one-time thing nothing will happen but, it that's their new schedule there will be problems with their 24h Star Deals. Anyway, let's worry about that on another time because for today there are still two new sales to mention:

• The Easter Eggstravaganza 2020 sale is on! Check it out to see if you find something interesting or check the blog post to see the top deals of this sale (according to them).
• And there's the Mystery Egg Bundle 2, with up to 10 mysterious games to grab. And in case you want to play detective, here are some clues about the first 3 games: https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/mystery-egg-bundle-2

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

-empty-

MODS/EMULATORS

Half-Life: Source – Portal Edition released, adds the Portal Gun to Half-Life: Source
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/half-life-source-portal-edition-released-adds-the-portal-gun-to-half-life-source/
Half-Life and Portal fans, here is something special for you today. Modder ‘NOAHakaVOSEN’ has finally released Version 1.0 for his Portal Mod for Half-Life Source. As its title suggests, Half-Life: Source -- Portal Edition adds the Portal gun to Half-Life: Source.
What this means is that you will be able to play the whole Half-Life: Source single-player campaign with the Portal Gun. Moreover, all of the features from Portal appear to be working great in Half-Life: Source.
In order to install this mod, you’ll need Half-Life 2 and Source SDK Base 2007. Once you have installed them, you’ll have to download the “hl1_portal.rar” archive from here. Then, you’ll have to open it and extract its folder to your “sourcemods” directory. Quit and restart Steam, and you should see “Half-Life: Source -- Portal Edition” in your Library.

This Dark Souls 3 Ring Fit mod looks like the ultimate workout
https://www.pcgamer.com/this-dark-souls-3-ring-fit-mod-looks-like-the-ultimate-workout/
There's a fine tradition of people playing tricky games with the worst possible controllers, which is how we know that Dark Souls can be completed with a guitar. Now we can add the Nintendo Switch's Ring Fit Adventure controller to the list, which one player has modded so he can keep fit while playing Dark Souls 3.
It remains to be seen if SuperLouis64 can finish Dark Souls 3 while jogging on the spot and squeezing a big ring, but it looks like he's got the hang of it. You can see some clips of his stream. If you weren't watching him doing a sweaty workout, you'd probably never know he was using something so ridiculous.

This essential Bannerlord mod lets you cheer with your soldiers after battles
https://www.pcgamer.com/this-essential-bannerlord-mod-lets-you-cheer-with-your-soldiers-after-battles/
Combat in Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord can be overwhelming, exhilarating, and brutal. And when a long, hard-fought battle is over and your army stands victorious, it's immensely satisfying to see your loyal soldiers and companions raise their weapons, and their voices, to the heavens.
Hell, it's even satisfying to hear them cheer when it was a short, easy battle against a handful of scrubby looters. Raaaaaaah!
But here's the thing: you should really be able to whoop it up right alongside them! And now you can, thanks to what I consider to be the first absolutely essential Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord mod. The Cheer Mod lets you raise your weapon in the air and give a triumphant, throaty hoot alongside your clan. Cathartic as hell!

GAMING NEWS

Death Stranding’s PC photo mode showcased via a new trailer
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/death-strandings-pc-photo-mode-showcase/
Death Stranding will be releasing on the PC in a couple of months on June 2nd. That is of course if 505 Games does not delay it. The publisher recently released a video showcasing the photo mode of the game. Players who like using photo mode will probably be as excited as Sam Porter in the video.

Techland talks a bit about Ray Tracing in Dying Light 2, will make Dark Zones more intense
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/techland-talks-a-bit-about-ray-tracing-in-dying-light-2-will-make-dark-zones-more-intense/
Dying Light 2 is a game we are really looking forward to. After all, Dying Light was one of the best zombie games to date. Dying Light 2 will be using C-Engine and will take advantage of real-time ray tracing. And, in an interview with OPM, Techland’s rendering director Tomasz Sza?kowski talked a bit about the game’s Ray Tracing effects.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps Patch 4.6 released, improves performance, loading times & more
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/ori-and-the-will-of-the-wisps-patch-4-6-released-improves-performance-loading-times-more/
Moon Studios has released a new major patch for Ori and the Will of the Wisps. This patch will update your game’s version to 4.6 and brings improvements to performance, loading times and to scene and asset loading.

The Division 2 Update 8.5 released, fixes numerous bugs, brings balance tweaks, full patch notes
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/the-division-2-update-8-5-released-fixes-numerous-bugs-brings-balance-tweaks-full-patch-notes/
Ubisoft has released a brand new update for Tom Clancy’s The Division 2. According to the release notes, Title Update 8.5 fixes numerous bugs and gameplay issues. Moreover, it brings some balance tweaks.

Company of Crime is a new strategy game, coming to the PC in Summer 2020
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/company-of-crime-is-a-new-strategy-game-coming-to-the-pc-in-summer-2020/
1C Entertainment and Resistance Games today announced Company of Crime; a tactical turn-based criminal empire-builder strategy game that takes place in 1960s London. Alongside the first details, the publisher has also released the game’s debut screenshots and trailer.

Tuesday news, part two:

This website lets you create a custom Bannerlord banner and paste it right into the game
https://www.pcgamer.com/this-website-lets-you-create-a-custom-bannerlord-banner-and-paste-it-right-into-the-game/
Sure, you've been playing lots of Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord, but can you truly call yourself a lord of banners? If you're just using Bannerlord's standard in-game banner editor, probably not.
Luckily, there's an online tool that you can use to create a custom banner—and amazingly, it spits out a code you can paste right into the game itself. Create your banner and a second later, there it is in the game. You don't need to install a mod or anything.

Elite Dangerous Fleet Carriers beta begins tomorrow, here's how to get in
https://www.pcgamer.com/elite-dangerous-fleet-carriers-beta-begins-tomorrow-heres-how-to-get-in/
The Elite Dangerous Fleet Carriers beta launches tomorrow, April 7, and if you, like me, are a fan of massive, heavily-gunned ships prowling the vast emptiness of space, then you might be interested in taking part. If so, a new guide posted today by Frontier Developments will help you do just that.
>> As you have deduced, it's today and not tomorrow.

Valve shows off new Artifact cards with MS Paint style placeholder art
https://www.pcgamer.com/valve-shows-off-new-artifact-cards-with-ms-paint-style-placeholder-art/
Artifact completely bombed when it released in 2018, but Valve is making progress on an attempted resurrection of the failed card game. Today, it released an update discussing what new players can expect and how it will take care of "founding players," whose collections won't be usable in the rebooted game. But the real reason we're here is the half-dozen updated cards Valve revealed today, and more precisely the placeholder art that looks like it was drawn with MS Paint during somebody's break.

E3 2021 dates revealed, but there's still no word about the 2020 'online experience'
https://www.pcgamer.com/e3-2021-dates-announced-but-theres-still-no-word-about-the-2020-online-experience/
The cancellation of E3 2020 came as a blow to game companies and fans alike, and it also brought into question the longer-term future of the event, as game publishers made moves toward holding their own, direct-to-consumer online shows. As one industry analyst pointed out, if publishers are able to successfully reach fans directly, what's the point of having E3 in the first place?
Despite that, and the uncertainties about what's going to happen over the next 12 months, the Entertainment Software Association is planning on going ahead with the show next year. As reported by Gamesindustry.biz, the ESA told partners over the weekend that E3 2021 will run June 15-17, presumably preceded by a few days of pre-E3 press conferences held by major publishers. 2021 will also be a "reimagined" E3, according to the report, although details on how it will be changed weren't revealed.

Team Fortress 2 is under attack by bots, and not the fun kind
https://www.pcgamer.com/team-fortress-2-is-under-attack-by-bots-and-not-the-fun-kind/
Reports of Team Fortress 2 crimes spiked over the weekend, with widespread accounts of a "lag bot" invasion ruining casual matchmaking. Malicious bots are not new to TF2, but these bots are especially frustrating because not only do they rack up kills with automated aiming, they also crash servers when legitimate players attempt to kick them.

DayZ veterans Dean Hall and Brian Hicks are working together on a 'massive' survival game
https://www.pcgamer.com/dayz-veterans-dean-hall-and-brian-hicks-are-working-together-on-a-massive-survival-game/
Dean Hall, the creator of the original DayZ mod, and Brian Hicks, the former creative director on that game's standalone version, have teamed up again. Dean Hall made the announcement on Twitter today, writing that Hicks has joined Rocketwerkz as executive producer on a forthcoming, unannounced survival game.

Capcom wants to know if you want more Resident Evil remakes
https://www.pcgamer.com/capcom-wants-to-know-if-you-want-more-resident-evil-remakes/
Resident Evil is here to stay. With two remakes released in as many years, as well as an assymetrical multiplayer mode called Resistance, Capcom seems pretty keen to keep making games in the series. Recent rumours suggest that Resident Evil 8 could release next year, but that doesn't mean more remakes can be ruled out.

No Man's Sky is getting mechs, according to a leaked trailer
https://www.pcgamer.com/no-mans-sky-is-getting-mechs-according-to-a-leaked-trailer/
No Man's Sky looks set to introduce a new type of vehicle to its cosmic sandbox: mechs. Though not officially announced by Hello Games yet, Xbox jumped the gun and posted a trailer on its YouTube channel, letting the cat out of the bag early.

Half-Life: Alyx's movement system was changed because tall testers kept getting stuck
https://www.pcgamer.com/half-life-alyxs-movement-system-was-changed-because-tall-testers-kept-getting-stuck/
Half-Life: Alyx features a trio of locomotion options, letting you move through the environment normally, blink teleport, or shift teleport. The two teleportation styles are functionally the same, but one takes you to your destination almost immediately, while the other jumps there. Those movement systems are the subject of a new deep dive video from Valve.

SnowRunner is getting four phases of DLC and expanded modding support
https://www.pcgamer.com/snowrunner-is-getting-four-phases-of-dlc-and-expanded-modding-support/
SnowRunner hits the icy roads on April 28, and not long after developer Saber Interactive is going to start doling out the post-launch extras. Season pass and Premium Edition owners will get a trio of themed DLC 'phases,' followed by a final massive expansion, while everyone else will get new activities, skins and other freebies.

All Microsoft events are reportedly going digital through July 2021
https://www.pcgamer.com/all-microsoft-events-are-reportedly-going-digital-through-july-2021/
It looks like Microsoft is putting an end to in-person events, both internal and external, at least until after July 2021. They're to be replaced with a "digital-first experience," according to an email to Microsoft MVPs.

*** NEW COMPETITION ***

Both HEXUS and Bit-tech (that are part of the same publishing group), are giving away 2 Corsair Dark Core Pro RGB SE mice and MM500 mousepads.

https://hexus.net/tech/features/peripherals/141358-win-corsair-dark-core-rgb-pro-se-gaming-mouse/

https://www.bit-tech.net/competitions/tech/corsair-dark-core-rgb-pro-se-giveaway/1/

Both competitions are GLOBAL.

Not sure if you want to do that, but it might be interesting if under sales and deals you'd also put the Humble Bundles for PC games that are currently running

I always try to list the new ones, like I'll do later today with the Stardock one. Of course, sometimes I can forget to put one, but hwne that happens is becasue of a mistake.

It's Wednesday, and these are the news:

SALES & DEALS

GOG's Midweek Sale is full of horror games up to 90% off until Saturday: https://www.gog.com/promo/20200408_midweek_sale

Steam has two daily deals as well as the Midweek Madness deals:

• Indivisible is the first daily deal, 40% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/421170/Indivisible/
• The other one is a SEGA Retro Sale with 85% discounts on its Dreamcast games: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/SegaRetroSale
• And these are the Midweek Madness deals:
  • Space Engineers is 30% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/244850/Space_Engineers/
  • My Time At Portia is 60% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/666140/My_Time_At_Portia/
  • The DC franchise is up to 80% off: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/dc
  • Green Hell is 25% off until next Monday, 13th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/815370/Green_Hell/
  • And No Man's Sky is 50% off until April 13: https://store.steampowered.com/app/275850/No_Mans_Sky/

There's a new Humble Bundle, the Humble Stardock Strategy Bundle, with up to 13 games and DLCs to get for during 13 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/games/stardock-strategy

Fanatical, that has gone back to its usual schedule, has several new sales:

• The new Star Deal is Resident Evil 2 Remake, 58% off for the next 24 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/resident-evil-2-biohazard-re-2
• That is part of a Capcom Sale with up to 80% discounts for the next 13 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/publishers/capcom
• HITMAN - Game of the Year Edition is 82% off for 10 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/hitman-game-of-the-year-edition
• There's a SEGA Mega Drive & Genesis Classics Bundle with 59 games at a 70% discount for another 32 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/sega-mega-drive-and-genesis-classics-bundle

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

Xbox Game Pass for PC is getting five new games, including Overcooked 2
https://www.pcgamer.com/xbox-game-pass-for-pc-is-getting-five-new-games-including-overcooked-2/
Five new games have been confirmed for Xbox Game Pass for PC, and one of them – the above-pictured Overcooked 2 – is available right now. It's timely: this is a genuinely cheerful game, even if you hate cooking (actually, it's exceptionally good if you do hate cooking).

MODS/EMULATORS

Mafia 2 gets an amazing 6GB overhaul mod that reworks its lighting system and adds HD textures
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/mafia-2-gets-an-amazing-6gb-overhaul-mod-that-reworks-its-lighting-system-and-adds-hd-textures/
A few days ago, we informed about an upcoming Remaster/Definitive Edition for Mafia 2. However, it appears that PC gamers can already experience Mafia 2 Remaster thanks to mods.
Modder ‘QTmodz’ has released an amazing overhaul mod for Mafia 2 that weights around 6GB in size. This mod, called Old Time Reality Mod, covers both the base game and its DLCs. The version for the base game is 2.8GB in size, while the one for its DLCs is 3.3GB in size.
>> Available from Nexus Mods.

You can now replace Carlos in Resident Evil 3 Remake with Chris Redfield or Devil May Cry 5’s Dante
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/you-can-now-replace-carlos-in-resident-evil-3-remake-with-chris-redfield-or-devil-may-cry-5-dante/
Resident Evil fans, here is something special for you today. Modder ‘Darknessvaltier’ has released a pretty cool mod for Resident Evil 3 Remake. This mod replaces Carlos with our beloved Chris Redfield, and it’s a must-have for all Chris’ fans out there.
As you may have guessed, this is just a 3D character/model swap mod and nothing more. The good news here is that this mod has full facial animations. It’s also really cool watching Chris working with Jill once again.
As a bonus, we’re presenting you a Resident Evil 3 Remake vs Devil May Cry 5 mod. Created by Wiwilz, this mod replaces Carlos with Dante from Devil May Cry 5. This mod also brings Dante’s iconic clothes from DMC5, so that’s another bonus. Unfortunately, though, there are some bugs. For example, Dante’s coat stretches a bit sometimes and there aren’t any physics to his coat.
>> Check the article for the links to the mods, as well as a link to the necessary Fluffy Manager 5000.

Get straight to the sandbox with this Bannerlord mod that removes the tutorial and main quests
https://www.pcgamer.com/mount-blade-2-bannerlord-just-let-me-play/
It took seven years, but as Fraser confirms, Bannerlord has been worth the wait. Even though it's only in Early Access, it's the wide-ranging update to Warband we were hoping for. It's a few excellent games in one, but by no means is it finished. The ambition of its scale and scope doesn't quite distract from its bugs, jank, and intermittent crashes, which are especially annoying if you just want to get on with building your kingdom.
As expected, modders are here to help. Just Let Me Play from Manulg removes the tutorial and the main quests entirely because, in their words, "doing the main quest is not a good idea at the moment". While I don't think this is the case for everybody, some of the main and tutorial quests can be a bit of a chore if you know your way around the series already.

The Witcher 3 Redux Version 2.0 available for download, packs numerous fixes, tweaks & improvements
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/the-witcher-3-redux-version-2-0-available-for-download-packs-numerous-fixes-tweaks-improvements/
A couple of days ago, we informed you about the release of The Witcher 3 Redux Version 1.9. And it appears that its creator has been hard at work fixing and tweaking this mod. Thus, today, Aleks Vuckovic released a brand new version of The Witcher 3 Redux.
Going into more details, The Witcher 3 Redux Version 2.0 reworks Whirl/Severance. As the modder noted.
Moreover, this new version reworks Sign skill “Melt Armor”. This skill will now lower damage resistance instead of Armor, based on Sign Intensity. Version 2.0 also modifies combat skill “Crippling Strikes” to damage 2% of the enemy’s MAX health, instead of current.
Furthermore, The Witcher 3 Redux V2.0 decreases attack power bonus Adrenaline Points provide from 15% to 10%. It also slightly increases the health of Bruxas and Alps, and prevents enemies from parrying when they have 0 stamina.
>> You'll be able to get this from from Nexus Mods.

GAMING NEWS

New trailer released for the action RPG and Battle Royale hybrid, Hunter’s Arena: Legends
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/new-trailer-released-for-the-action-rpg-and-battle-royale-hybrid-hunters-arena-legends/
Mantisco has released a brand new trailer for its upcoming action RPG and Battle Royale hybrid, Hunter’s Arena: Legends. In addition, the team revealed that the Closed Beta phase for this game will begin on April 22nd.

No Man’s Sky Exo Mech Update released, adds a mechanical walker, new Exocraft technologies & more
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/no-mans-sky-exo-mech-update-released-adds-a-mechanical-walker-new-exocraft-technologies-more/
Hello Games has just released a new major update for No Man’s Sky. According to the release notes, the Exo Mech Update adds a fully controllable mechanical walker. Moreover, it brings new Exocraft technologies, improvements to base building, and much more.

New Godfall details surface; gameplay similar to Monster Hunter World with elements from Dark Souls
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/new-godfall-details-surface-gameplay-similar-to-monster-hunter-world-with-elements-from-dark-souls/
OPM has revealed some new details about Counterplay Games’ upcoming next-generation action RPG, Godfall. Godfall is being designed specifically for PS5 and PC, and will not be a cross-gen game. This basically means that the team aims to create a game that will, hopefully, take advantage of next-gen hardware.

New gameplay video released for Hello Games’ next game, The Last Campfire
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/new-gameplay-video-released-for-hello-games-next-game-the-last-campfire/
Microsoft has released a new video, showing four minutes of gameplay footage from The Last Campfire. The Last Campfire is a brand new adventure puzzle game from Hello Games, creators of No Man’s Sky.

Rumor: Resident Evil 8 to be called Resident Evil 8: Village
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/rumor-resident-evil-8-to-be-called-resident-evil-8-village/
We recently informed you regarding some new details of the upcoming Resident Evil 8. According to BHd, the title will feature the subtitle, Village. This is possibly a working title, meaning it could end up being different.
>> Village comrs for "ViII" (8).

Call of Duty Modern Warfare April 7th Update fixes crashes, packs gameplay & Battler Royale tweaks
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-april-7th-update-fixes-crashes-packs-gameplay-battler-royale-tweaks/
Activision and Infinity Ward have released a new patch for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Call of Duty: Warzone. According to the release notes, the April 7th update fixes some crashes and improves overall stability on the PC. Moreover, it packs a number of gameplay and Battle Royale tweaks and improvements.

Gears 5 is free to play on the PC until April 12th
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/gears-5-is-free-to-play-on-the-pc-until-april-12th/
Microsoft has announced that Gears 5 is currently free to play on the PC on both Steam and Windows Store. From today and until April 12th, PC gamers will be able to download and play the game for free.

Roguelite-inspired action RPG, Dreamscaper: Prologue, is available for free on Steam
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/roguelite-inspired-action-rpg-dreamscaper-prologue-is-available-for-free-on-steam/
Afterburner Studios has released Dreamscaper: Prologue on the PC. Dreamscaper: Prologue is basically a free demo of the full game that will get you familiar with the game mechanics. In order to celebrate this launch, the team has also released a new trailer that you can find below.

Teaser trailer released for next-generation cyberpunk game, Observer System Redux
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/teaser-trailer-released-for-next-generation-cyberpunk-game-observer-system-redux/
Bloober Team has released a teaser trailer for its new cyberpunk game, Observer System Redux. Although we don’t have enough information, we do know that this game will target next-generation platforms.

Wednesday news, part two:

The Catch makes fishing look like a Hitman mission
https://www.pcgamer.com/the-catch-makes-fishing-look-like-a-hitman-mission/
Dovetail Fishing's latest fishing sim, The Catch, wants to make it very clear that fishing is a Herculean task that involves wrestling with the beefiest monsters ever to sport gills. Naturally, a trailer evocative of Hitman or Ghost Recon is necessary to convey just how intense and serious it is.

World of Warcraft: Shadowlands alpha starts this week
https://www.pcgamer.com/world-of-warcraft-shadowlands-alpha-starts-this-week/
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands, the eighth expansion, isn't due out until some time this summer, but Blizzard just announced that its closed alpha will begin later this week. Though invites will be mostly limited to "long-time WoW players with active accounts in good standing," this will also be the first opportunity for players to datamine Shadowlands and find out new details that Blizzard hasn't yet discussed.

You can now do real science in Borderlands 3, of all places
https://www.pcgamer.com/you-can-now-do-real-science-in-borderlands-3-of-all-places/
In March, we turned your attention to a game called Foldit, developed by researchers at the University of Washington, that has players fold protein chains to create new structures with changed functions in order to help with the development of treatments for diseases like HIV, cancer, Alzheimer's, and even COVID-19. (...) It's kind of hard to believe, but now Borderlands 3—a fun shooter but, with all due respect, not exactly the most intellectually weighty endeavor of all time—is doing something similar. Borderlands Science, announced today with a flashy trailer featuring Dr. Mayim Bialik, the Emmy-nominated co-star of Big Bang Theory who is also actually holds a doctorate in neuroscience, is a minigame in Borderlands 3 in which players solve colored block puzzes based on DNA strands in order to help scientists compare and map microbes—a job that computers are apparently not very good at.

Hearthstone's big Ashes of Outland expansion is live
https://www.pcgamer.com/hearthstones-big-ashes-of-outland-expansion-is-live/
Hearthstone's big Ashes of Outland update is live, and that means the Demon Hunter class—the first new class in the game's six-year history—has now joined the action. The new class is free for all players who complete the free Demon Hunter prologue campaign, along with ten Demon Hunter basic cards, a 20-card Demon Hunter Initiate set, and a pre-built Demon Hunter starting deck list.

Apex Legends won't get permanent Solos mode because it 'negatively impacted' the game
https://www.pcgamer.com/apex-legends-wont-get-permanent-solos-mode-because-it-negatively-impacted-the-game/
Respawn recently brought Duos back to Apex Legends as a permanent game mode, after running it as a temporary thing in a few times in 2019. The everyone-for-themselves Solos mode won't be getting the same treatment, however, as Electronic Arts said today that it just doesn't fit with the game's underlying co-op elements.

Obsidian's shrunken survival game Grounded is coming in July
https://www.pcgamer.com/obsidians-shrunken-survival-game-grounded-is-coming-in-july/
Grounded is a survival game being developed by Obsidian Entertainment in which children, shrunk to a very tiny size, try to survive in their suddenly very large and dangerous back yard. But aside from that basic setup—honey, I shrunk the kids, and now they're in danger of being eaten by ants—we really haven't had much insight into what's going on, or when (aside from a very vague "spring 2020") it will be out.

Sea of Thieves adding cats (in hats) and a new trading company in next update
https://www.pcgamer.com/sea-of-thieves-cats-update/
Brands: They surround us, they lead us, they define us. And in that spirit of corporate cheerleading, the next Sea of Thieves update, Ships of Fortune, will give players the opportunity to fly the flags of their favorite in-game trading companies—the Gold Hoarders, Merchant Alliance, Order of Souls, and Athena's Fortune—and, naturally, earn increased rewards and unique cosmetics for their service.

Last Oasis' first update since the relaunch adds more dangerous areas to explore and loot
https://www.pcgamer.com/last-oasis-first-update-since-the-relaunch-adds-more-dangerous-areas-to-explore-and-loot/
After a disastrous launch, Last Oasis was taken offline for a week so its developers could fix its server issues. Now that it's back online and stable, however, Last Oasis will be getting its first big content update: Hard maps.

Journey to the Savage Planet is getting Hot Garbage DLC next week
https://www.pcgamer.com/journey-to-the-savage-planet-is-getting-hot-garbage-dlc-next-week/
Journey to the Savage Planet is releasing its first DLC on PC and Xbox One next week. The Hot Garbage expansion will be $8/£7, and lets players explore a new area with more enemies to fight and upgrades to unlock.

Planet Zoo's South America DLC is out now, adds five new animals
https://www.pcgamer.com/planet-zoos-south-america-dlc-is-out-now-adds-five-new-animals/
Planet Zoo's latest DLC is out and adds five new animals and a bunch of new scenery pieces all inspired by South America to the zoo building sim.
The South America Pack adds jaguars, llamas, anteaters, red-eyed tree frogs, and capuchin monkeys into the animal mix, and 250 new Aztec and jungle-inspired scenery pieces to your park. Players have already been hard at work creating some creative habitats, like Zooflencer's ancient temple for the capuchin monkeys.
>> And that'swhy I won't get this game anytime soon, because there'll be lots of animal DLCs that Iwould hate to not have.