Some more hardware news. With the release of 3060 and resizable bar this week. It's gonna be a busy week gents!

An Update on USB connectivity with 500 Series Chipset Motherboards

https://www.reddit.com/r/Amd/comments/lnmet0/an_update_on_usb_connectivity_with_500_series/

Sounds like they are taking the issue very seriously which is great to hear.


NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 graphics cards already available on second-hand market

https://videocardz.com/newz/nvidia-geforce-rtx-3060-graphics-cards-already-available-on-second-hand-market

Now I did a bit more digging with Nvidia and it's "Anti Mining" thing and... Just... lol. The TLDR is that while with ETH and maybe BTC, it's nerfed... The rest of the coins are still the same and in fact, it's a much better choice for mining for the alt coins than even the 3060 Ti due to it's lower tdp and efficiency! And because the value of eth/btc keeps going up, even at it's "half rate," it may still be worth it in the future.



https://www.reddit.com/r/EtherMining/comments/lp0rr3/rtx_3060_hashrates_for_ravencoin_conflux_ethereum/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3

Now before anyone says I told you so. My problem with Linus video is that he didn't wait/do enough research. If he showed something like this in his video, I'd have no issues with it. Regardless, who's ready to get a 3050 Ti?

I think the problem Linus has is that what NVidia is doing does nothing at all to solve the problem, but instead cuts off gamers from a part of the hardware forever because the changes made for the mining cards pretty much ensures they could never be used a GPU as their I/O has been physically cut off. Meanwhile, the changes to the gaming gpus are not physical and can be changed again to normal. As a result, NVidia's action only shrinks the amount of cards available to gamers even further, not increases it.

I feel like it's more of a sort of kind of argument. Since the CMP cards are supposed to be based off of Turing with 1 SKU supposedly being a GA102 GPU that couldn't meet GPU validation, majority of the mining cards supply wouldn't directly affect Ampere Geforce allocation as most of the CMP cards would be TSMC. And if we take Nvidia's word for it, the Ampere SKU couldn't meet whatever Nvidia's validation requirements are so instead of throwing that away, Nvidia is rebadging that as a mining card.

Now how much of what Nvidia's says is the truth or a lie remains to be seen as they have done nonsense before but people should wait an see before jumping the gun and trash them with hard evidence instead of speculation imo. The main point is that because 3/4 are based off of Turing, those 3/4 cards won't affect Ampere Geforce allocation in any way. So instead of only having Samsung make GPUs, they can get both Samsung and TSMC which = more GPUs than right now = helping the overall supply problem as any of those gpus that go into a miners hand will increase the chances of a gamer getting a 3000 series gpu in theory.

But if it turns out they are all made from Ampere, then yea, fuck em. Not that it's gonna matter now if those hash rates are to be believed.

I think AMD and Nvidia are in a really tough spot that is not really their fault. They're just trying to throw a good product on the market. If crypto mining didn't exist there would be zero issues right now. They can't even really control the flow of their cards since that's on the retailers and they have been doing a terrible job of keeping GPUs away from scalpers and miners. In the end the real culprit behind everything is capitalism and financial markets.

RTX 3060 prices revealed - https://wccftech.com/nvidia-geforce-rtx-3060-custom-model-prices-unveiled-asus-msi-zotac-graphics-cards/

TLDR - around $500 for most models i.e same price as an RTX 3070 FE. All while being slower than a RTX 2070 Super and will be sold out instantly.

Being a PC gamer in 2021 be like..

Let's start the week with a new round of news:

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

Win the Gayming Awards Indie Game Bundle over on the PC Gamer forums
https://www.pcgamer.com/win-the-gayming-awards-indie-game-bundle-over-on-the-pc-gamer-forums/
The PC Gamer forums are celebrating the world's first award ceremony focused on LGBTQIA+ gaming. The Gayming Awards is an awards show initiated by Gayming Magazine that focuses on the achievements of developers, publishers, and industry individuals who are championing queer representation in video games.
The Gayming Awards will be exclusively broadcast worldwide on Twitch at www.twitch.tv/gaymingmag/, on February 24, at 8:00 PM GMT (3:00 PM ET, 12:00 PM PT). But before we all tune in, the PC Gamer forums are running a special indie giveaway bundle full of wonderfully queer games in support of the awards.

Win a massive Razer prize pack by testing the Rogue State Revolution beta
https://www.pcgamer.com/win-a-massive-razer-prize-pack-by-testing-the-rogue-state-revolution-beta/
Like the idea of testing a game’s beta? How about the chance to win a huge prize pack for your efforts?
The PC Gamer forums has teamed up with Razor and Little Red Dog Games to create a special giveaway. Little Red Dog Games have kindly let our community have exclusive access to the beta for its upcoming political strategy roguelike that starts today and ends March 1. During that time, we’re looking to the PC Gamer community to grab some keys, play Little Red Dogs' game, and provide some feedback to the team.

Valheim second only to CS:GO as it breaks 500K peak players mark
https://www.pcgamer.com/valheim-second-only-to-csgo-as-it-breaks-500k-peak-players-mark/
Survival game Valheim has cracked some truly remarkable figures in what might be the most meteoric rise to popularity in recent gaming history, selling more than 3 million copies in less than three weeks. With a peak of more than half a million players online concurrently on Sunday, February 21st, Valheim has stepped past Dota 2 to become the second most played game on Steam. Its peak of 502,000 players isn't more than Dota's peak today, but it does still place it behind titan of gaming Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. (Far behind, that is: CS:GO has more than 1.1 million players online as of press time.)

GOG starts the week with a new sale:

• The new Weekly Sale is full of survival games up to 90% off: https://www.gog.com/promo/20210222_weekly_sale
• And the Rome: Imperator Sale from last week will last another 2 days: https://www.gog.com/promo/imperator_rome_sale

Steam has two new daily deals:

• The first one involves the publisher Finji, that has its games between 50 and 70% off: https://store.steampowered.com/publisher/finji
• And The Suicide of Rachel Foster is 75% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1057750/The_Suicide_of_Rachel_Foster/

The Humble Store has an Indie Hits Sale with up to 90% discounts during the next 3 days. The keys are for Steam and GOG: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/indie-hits-sale/

And Fanatical has a new Star Deal and 3 bundles added to Bundlefest:

• The new Star Deal is Toybox Turbos 4 Pack, 97% off during the next 48 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/toybox-turbos-4-pack
• The new Dollar Realms Bundle comes with 11 games plus 2 DLCs at a 99% discount: https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/dollar-realms-bundle
• The Build Your Own Ultimate VR Bundle comes with 18 games to choose your 2, 4 or 6 games bundle: https://www.fanatical.com/en/pick-and-mix/build-your-own-ultimate-v-r-bundle
• And the Tomb Raider GOTY Bundle, with the game and 15 DLCs, will be 86% off during the next 13 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/tomb-raider-goty-bundle

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

There's going to be another Steam Game Festival in June
https://www.pcgamer.com/theres-going-to-be-another-steam-game-festival-in-june/
Earlier this month the Steam Game Festival's week-long winter event brought over 500 new demos to Steam. Fortunately some developers took Valve up on the option to have demos remain available once the week ended, and you can still find playable slices of games like Potion Craft: Alchemist Simulator, Loop Hero, Warhammer 40,000: Dakka Squadron, and Little Nightmares 2 on their Steam pages.
The follow-up summer event will take place between June 16 and June 22, as noted on the ResetEra forums. Once again there will be demos, livestreams, and developer chats in support of upcoming games. Games being considered for the event have to be unreleased, have a release date of no later than January 2022, and have not participated in either of the previous two Steam Game Festivals. (Early Access games will be considered as long as they haven't released a playable build before the festival begins.)

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

PC gamers can now experience Rare’s cancelled Dinosaur Planet
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/pc-gamers-can-now-experience-rares-cancelled-dinosaur-planet/
Now here is a nice surprise for all Nintendo 64 fans. Forest of Illusion has leaked Rare’s cancelled Nintendo 64 game, Dinosaur Planet.
For those wondering, Dinosaur Planet was a Nintendo 64 game that Rare has been working on. However, the team decided to cancel it, alter some features, and release it on Nintendo Gamecube as Star Fox Adventures.
(...)
PC gamers can run and experience this cancelled Nintendo 64 game via emulators. However, it appears that emulation is not yet 100% accurate. As such, you can expect many graphical issues with shadows and lighting, and some slowdown.
>> You can get the ROM from here (Twitter). The emulator is up to you.

Final Fantasy VII gets a new must-have AI-enhanced HD Mod
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/final-fantasy-vii-ai-enhanced-hd-mod/
Back in May 2020, we informed you about an AI-enhanced HD Mod for FF7, Final Fantasy 7 Remako HD Graphics Mod. However, it appears there is another similar project for it that is easier to install and brings additional improvements.
Created by Satsuki Yatoshi, the SYW mod represents the most accurate modern take on the PC version of Final Fantasy VII. This mod uses deep learning techniques (such as ESRGAN) in order to overhaul the game’s graphics. The package includes cleaner, more detailed and higher resolution background arts. It also comes with better battlefields, world map, magic effects, and menus.
The main goal of the SYW mod is to improve the graphics as much as possible without having an oversharp and overclean effect. The mod also attempts to keep the rendering as natural as possible and constant in quality across the whole game.
>> Available from here.

Mortal Kombat Mythologies Sub-Zero Fan Remake in Unreal Engine 4 released
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/mortal-kombat-mythologies-sub-zero-remake-unreal-engine-4/
Mortal Kombat fans, here is something really special for you today. AG 3D Art and his brother have created an HD Remake of Mortal Kombat Mythologies Sub-Zero in Unreal Engine 4.
This first version of the Mortal Kombat Mythologies Sub-Zero Fan Remake in Unreal Engine 4 features a training area that is basically the entrance to the Shaolin temple. Additionally, it features – and let’s you complete the Shaolin Temple level from the original game. And yes, you can fight Scorpion at the end of the level.
According to the team, both Sub-Zero and Ermac are playable characters in this fan remake. Moreover, players can use either a controller or a keyboard in order to play it.
The team claims that a bonus level, similar to the Wind Temple, is currently in development. However, we don’t know whether there are any plans to remake other levels.
>> If you're interested, you can find it at Discord.

Wyrmstooth is an expansion-sized mod for Skyrim Special Edition
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/wyrmstooth-expansion-sized-mod-skyrim-special-edition/
Wyrmstooth is a new mod for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition. This mod adds a new quest, new landscapes, new dungeons, and a new shout. In addition, the mod brings new weapons, shields, and spells.
In Wyrmstooth, you as the Dragonborn, are being commissioned by the East Empire Company to hunt and slay a dragon, which is responsible for interrupting trade routes throughout Skyrim. However, nothing is ever simple, and something sinister might be hidden behind the actions of the dragon.
The new quest will take the Dragonborn to the island of Wyrmstooth, which is located north of Solitude across the Sea of Ghosts. In this island, the Dragonborn will delve into one of the largest dungeons in Tamriel.
>> Head to Nexus Mods to get it.

First Nioh 2 nude mods are available for download
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/first-nioh-2-nude-mods-are-available-for-download/
Nioh 2 – The Complete Edition has just been released on the PC and modders have released the first nude mods for it. There are currently three nude mods that PC gamers can download, and below you can find more details about them.
>> You'll have to look for them at Nexus Mods.

18 minute of gameplay from the fan sequel to Dark Souls, Dark Souls: Nightfall
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/18-minute-gameplay-fan-sequel-dark-souls-nightfall/
A team of modders is currently working on a fan sequel to the first Dark Souls game, Dark Souls: Nightfall. Dark Souls: Nightfall will feature a new story, new combat system, new world map, and more, and you can find below 18 minutes of gameplay footage from it.

Here's an absolutely gorgeous Doom map called Lullaby
https://www.pcgamer.com/heres-an-absolutely-gorgeous-doom-map-called-lullaby/
Lullaby is a sprawling, beautiful map for Doom 2 that puts the level and visual design of many full-fledged, expensive games to shame. Created by mapper-modder Danlex for Doom port GZDoom, it's a testament to the game design talents that lay deep in the communities of modders and mappers for old games.
>> You'll find it at the Doomworld forums.

After 13 years, Half-Life RTS Lambda Wars releases
https://www.pcgamer.com/after-13-years-half-life-rts-lambda-wars-releases/
In an update posted to their Steam page, the team behind the mod Lambda Wars have announced that the Half-Life 2 real time strategy project has left beta. The launch includes singleplayer, co-op, and multiplayer modes. Lambda Wars has two factions, the Combine and Rebels, and lets players refight the battles of Half-Life 2 from a top-down angle. The launch update implements the "lost" enemies of Half-Life 2, like the crab synth and mortar synth, found in artbooks of the original game.

GAMING NEWS

New Diablo 4 gameplay trailer introduces the Rogue class
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/new-diablo-4-gameplay-trailer-introduces-the-rogue-class/
And it appears that the leaks were legit. Blizzard has just announced the Rogue class for Diablo 4. In order to celebrate this announcement, the team released a new trailer, featuring both cinematic and gameplay sequences.

Official Yakuza Remastered Collection patch reduces CPU usage by 30%
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/official-yakuza-remastered-collection-patch-reduces-cpu-usage-by-30/
Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has released a brand new PC update for Yakuza Remastered Collection. According to the release notes, the February 19th Update addresses the high CPU usage issue, and reduces overall CPU usage by 30%.

Diablo 2 Resurrected PC requirements revealed, mod support confirmed
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/diablo-2-resurrected-pc-requirements-mod-support/
Yesterday, Blizzard officially announced its upcoming Diablo 2 Remaster, Diablo 2 Resurrected. And today, the team revealed the game’s official PC system requirements. Moreover, Blizzard confirmed that the remaster will support mods.

Kingdom Hearts 3 PC Requirements
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/kingdom-hearts-3-pc-requirements/
Square Enix has revealed the official PC system requirements for Kingdom Hearts 3. According to the specs, PC gamers will at least need an Intel Core i5 3330 or an AMD Ryzen3 1200 with 8GB of RAM and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760 or an AMD Radeon R7 260X.

Part two of the Monday news:

Bungie apologises for unintentionally including Nazi slogan in Destiny 2
https://www.pcgamer.com/bungie-apologises-for-unintentionally-including-nazi-slogan-in-destiny-2/
Bungie has issued an apology to fans, after it was discovered one of Destiny 2's latest weekly challenges shared its name with an infamous Nazi slogan.
As reported by Kotaku, a Season of the Chosen weekly challenge raised eyebrows in the game's community. The latest season focuses on the warlike Cabal, meaning there's plenty of stoic, warrior language surrounding the game's challenges and events—though some fans felt one example skewed disconcertingly close to real-world fascism.

Nier Replicant system requirements appear on Steam
https://www.pcgamer.com/nier-replicant-pc-system-requirements/
Nier Replicant was originally released in 2010 for the PlayStation 3, but only in Japan. An updated version, entitled Nier Replicant ver.1.22474487139—which, for obvious reasons, we continue to refer to as simply Nier Replicant—was announced in March 2020 for PC and other platforms, and later in the year was given an April 23 release date. And now, a couple months out from the big day, we've got the system requirements.

Valheim dev says the game's success is 'quite incredible and very humbling'
https://www.pcgamer.com/valheim-dev-says-the-games-success-is-quite-incredible-and-very-humbling/
Earlier this week I had the chance to speak to Henrik Törnqvist, co-founder of Iron Gate Studios, developer of co-op survival game Valheim. Joining us was Sebastian Eriksson of Coffee Stain Publishing, publisher of Valheim and other games like Deep Rock Galactic and Satisfactory.

Far Cry 6 beta emails are a phishing scam, Ubisoft warns
https://www.pcgamer.com/far-cry-6-beta-emails-are-a-phishing-scam-ubisoft-warns/
Far Cry 6 was announced in July with a cinematic trailer starring Giancarlo Esposito as Antón Castillo, the ruler of the island of Yara who also seems to have a rather complicated relationship with his young son. It was expected to come out in February 2021, but was eventually delayed to later in the year. Ubisoft hasn't announced a new release date yet, but it has confirmed that it is not—repeat, not— currently sending out invitations for an imminent beta test.

Fortnite is getting Street Fighter skins in latest crossover
https://www.pcgamer.com/fortnite-street-fighter/
Fortnite is officially getting some sort of Street Fighter crossover. Season 5 has been rife with new crossovers from cinema and gaming history, including Tron, the Predator, Master Chief, and more.

CD Projekt Red is using DMCA takedowns to keep stolen Cyberpunk 2077 code from spreading
https://www.pcgamer.com/cd-projekt-red-is-using-dmca-takedowns-to-keep-stolen-cyberpunk-2077-code-from-spreading/
Earlier this month, hackers infiltrated CD Projekt Red's networks, installed a bunch of ransomware, and made off with the source codes for its games, which it threatened to release to the public unless the studio made a hefty payment to get it back. CD Projekt Red respectfully declined the offer, and instead went public about the breach. True to their word, the hackers posted the source for Gwent, and then reportedly (and apparently successfully) attempted to auction all the stolen code through a Russian hacking forum.
With the source code now in the wild, CD Projekt Red is reportedly issuing DMCA takedowns in order to keep it from spreading. A Vice report says the studio notified at least two Twitter users last week of the takedown requests by way of copyright monitoring firm App Global Ltd, warning that the Gwent source they were linking to was "illegally obtained" and "posted without authorization."

The Everspace 2 roadmap has bombers, recon ships, and fast travel
https://www.pcgamer.com/the-everspace-2-roadmap-has-bombers-recon-ships-and-fast-travel/
With the release of its most recent patch out of the way, Everspace 2 developers Rockfish Games have rolled out its roadmap for development of the Early Access space shooter in 2021. The new features in the pipe include new ship sub-classes for the player, as well as new activities in various parts of the game world. Further, the game's main story will be added to, which is something that the developers weren't previously planning to do.

Legendarily bad sex game BoneTown is returning to Steam
https://www.pcgamer.com/legendarily-bad-sex-game-bonetown-is-returning-to-steam/
In 2008 two college graduates who watched too much South Park graced videogames with BoneTown, a game that looked at the Hot Coffee mod for GTA: San Andreas and said, "What if that was half the game? And there are no cars so you have to laboriously walk everywhere?" Though originally distributed via their website, BoneTown did make it onto Steam via Greenlight back in 2013, albeit in a censored version without nudity called BoneTown: Mature Edition.
This summer it will return, uncensored, as BoneTown: The Second Coming Edition.

Rogue Legacy 2 has a slick new Gunslinger class
https://www.pcgamer.com/rogue-legacy-2-has-a-slick-new-gunslinger-class/
Rogue Legacy 2's new update lets you turn the game into a bullet hell—for your enemies—with the addition of a gunslinger class. The Gunslinger is a pretty wild class, one that can throw out rapid barrages of bullets while leaping about and dodging. "Just don't forget to reload," says the trailer.

Future Rainbow Six Siege operators will unlock in the Battle Pass
https://www.pcgamer.com/future-rainbow-six-siege-operators-will-unlock-in-the-battle-pass/
Ubisoft is completely revamping the way Rainbow Six Siege players unlock the newest operators. After five years of $30 annual passes that grant day one access to operators as they come out, Ubi is switching its focus to the seasonal Battle Pass. The Year Pass is officially dead (RIP 2015-2020).
>> And it's getting Rick and Morty and Resident Evil cosmetics.

Mount and Blade 2 announces stunning update to how battle terrain is picked
https://www.pcgamer.com/mount-and-blade-2-announces-stunning-update-to-how-battle-terrain-is-picked/
Mount And Blade 2: Bannerlord developers TaleWorlds have quietly announced a stunning change to how the medieval battle game generates the terrain for your real-time third person skirmishes. Rather than picking from a premade map based on the terrain type you're in—such as forests or plains—the game will instead use battlefields based on the overall terrain of the strategic map region around you. That terrain will not only reflect the terrain near where you are, but the new Battle Terrain system "also takes into account the location and direction of the parties within the region and uses this to determine where each side will spawn in the battle."

In this new horror game you are a cat, and your name is Biscuit
https://www.pcgamer.com/in-this-new-horror-game-you-are-a-cat-and-your-name-is-biscuit/
Created by From Scratch Studios, a tiny two-person indie team, Etched Memories is a horror game starring a cat with a troubled past. And honestly, as soon as I read that, I had to play it—not to mention the fact that the cat's name is Biscuit. Biscuit! The game is very much still in development, but a demo has just been released to give you an idea of what to expect.

Here's how Frontier rebuilt a galaxy's worth of planets for Elite Dangerous: Odyssey
https://www.pcgamer.com/heres-how-frontier-rebuilt-a-galaxys-worth-of-planets-for-elite-dangerous-odyssey/
Elite Dangerous' next expansion, Odyssey, is getting ready to touch down on all sorts of new land-based adventures. But beyond making footfall on frontier towns and dusty gunfights, Odyssey is also rebuilding all of the game's existing landmasses—and adding in a whole load of new ones.

Cuphead skins are coming to Fall Guys, and they're only slightly terrifying
https://www.pcgamer.com/cuphead-skins-are-coming-to-fall-guys-and-theyre-only-slightly-terrifying/
Fall Guys has stuck its little white stubby hands right into the heart of pop culture recently, with Doom Guy, Godzilla, and Sonic (the latter of which particularly offended online editor Fraser) all getting their own bean-shaped skins. It looks like Mediatonic has no intention of stopping that train, because now Cuphead and his pal Mugman are joining the fray.

Surprise! Blizzcon has left so many news that I've decided to put them on a separate post:

Blizzard remasters three classic games as the Blizzard Arcade Collection
https://www.pcgamer.com/blizzard-remasters-three-classic-games-as-the-blizzard-arcade-collection/
If you're one of the five people who fondly remember Blackthorne as "that game about a 1990s comic book-looking dude who can shotgun an orc behind him without even looking back" then I have good news for you. And also for enthusiasts of two other Blizzard games from the '90s: co-op puzzle platformer The Lost Vikings and vehicle combat derby Rock N Roll Racing. Though DOS versions of the three were previously available for download in Blizzard's Classic Games section, definitive editions are now available as the Blizzard Arcade Collection, announced today during BlizzCon.

World of Warcraft: Shadowlands' next big update, Chains of Domination, revealed
https://www.pcgamer.com/world-of-warcraft-shadowlands-next-big-update-chains-of-domination-revealed/
World of Warcraft's next big update was just announced during BlizzCon 2021, though we all knew it was coming because Blizzard accidentally leaked it on Thursday. The announcement, though, confirms that Patch 9.1: Chains of Domination is a big'un that includes a new raid, a new mega-dungeon, new areas to explore in the Maw, and lots more. If you want to read an in-depth interview about it, head here.

World of Warcraft Classic is getting Burning Crusade servers this year
https://www.pcgamer.com/world-of-warcraft-classic-is-getting-burning-crusade-servers-this-year/
When World of Warcraft Classic was first released in 2019, it caused WoW's subscription numbers to more than double. The opportunity to return to a much more challenging and mundane version of Azeroth, untouched by expansions and over 15 years of changes and improvements, was just too enticing. And now WoW's first-ever expansion, The Burning Crusade, is getting that same Classic treatment.
>> But... will the Lich Kings also get its servers?.

WoW: Burning Crusade Classic will let you level boost once so you can jump right in, but you'll have to pay for it
https://www.pcgamer.com/wow-burning-crusade-classic-will-let-you-level-boost-once-so-you-can-jump-right-in-but-youll-have-to-pay-for-it/
Blizzard announced today that World of Warcraft Classic will soon include its first expansion, The Burning Crusade. If you're already level 60 in WoW Classic (or plan on getting there soon), having a whole new continent to explore is obviously exciting, but brand new players and everyone in between have a reason to get excited too: Blizzard will be offering a one-time level 58 character boost so you can jump straight into the Dark Portal when Burning Crusade Classic launches later this year. The catch? You have to pay for it, and you can only do it once.
>> It will also pre-nerf raid bosses.

WoW's director talks about its endgame loot problem: 'Raiders, we hear you'
https://www.pcgamer.com/wows-director-talks-about-its-endgame-loot-problem-raiders-we-hear-you/
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands has been a great expansion so far, but if there's one undead fly in the ointment it's the way endgame gear is dolled out. While PvP players are swimming in an ocean of loot, those tackling Shadowlands' ultra-tough Mythic+ dungeons or its new raid are left feeling starved for good equipment.

World of Warcraft's roguelike dungeon is being overhauled so that failing to beat it won't ruin your night
https://www.pcgamer.com/world-of-warcrafts-roguelike-dungeon-is-being-overhauled-so-that-failing-to-beat-it-wont-ruin-your-night/
Torghast, Tower of the Damned is one of World of Warcraft's most ambitious features ever. It's a sprawling, multi-floor dungeon that's basically a self-contained roguelike. The layout and enemies change each time you explore it, and as you progress to harder floors you accrue wildly over-powered abilities that can turn you into a demon-slaying badass. It's a lot of fun—unless you fail to kill the final boss, in which case that 45 minutes of effort is thrown out the window and you have nothing to show for it.

World of Warcraft might one day let Alliance and Horde players raid and do dungeons together
https://www.pcgamer.com/world-of-warcraft-might-one-day-let-alliance-and-horde-players-raid-and-do-dungeons-together/
(...)During a World of Warcraft Q&A panel as part of BlizzCon 2021, game director Ion Hazzikostas said that, while preserving the rivalry between the two sides is a crucial ingredient in WoW's appeal, concessions could one day be made to let players from different factions do cooperative group activities together like raids or Mythic+ dungeons.

Hearthstone's new Core set gets reimagined versions of Malygos, Ysera, and Deathwing
https://www.pcgamer.com/hearthstones-new-core-set-gets-reimagined-versions-of-malygos-ysera-and-deathwing/
When the next annual standard rotation takes place in Hearthstone, the Year of the Phoenix ending to be replaced by the Year of the Gryphon, it'll be a bigger shakeup than usual. This year, the Basic and Classic sets are going to be replaced by the Core Set, a bundle of 235 cards (160 class cards and 75 neutrals) that will include rebalanced and reimagined versions of well-known favorites alongside completely new cards.

Hearthstone's next expansion is Forged in the Barrens and it's very much for the Horde
https://www.pcgamer.com/forged-in-the-barrens-brings-the-horde-noob-player-experience-to-hearthstone/
The teaser for the next Hearthstone expansion suggested we should expect something Horde-focused, featuring orcs and quilboars, and delving into some old Warcraft lore. Today at BlizzCon, Blizzard revealed the new set, called Forged in the Barrens, and that's exactly what it is.

Hearthstone Mercenaries is a roguelike mode with teams of heroes and simultaneous combat
https://www.pcgamer.com/hearthstone-mercenaries-is-a-roguelike-mode-with-teams-of-heroes-and-simultaneous-combat/
Not content with having Battlegrounds mode to compete with autobattlers, it seems like Hearthstone is coming for the roguelike deckbuilder genre with its next mode, Hearthstone Mercenaries. Announced today during BlizzConline, Mercenaries will be about building a team of mercs—some familiar faces like Sylvanas Windrunner, King Krush, and Ragnaros the Firelord, while others are new to the mode—then pitting them against a set of randomly generated challenges on the way to a final boss.

Lord Jaraxxus will be joining Hearthstone's Core Set as a Hero card
https://www.pcgamer.com/lord-jaraxxus-will-be-joining-hearthstones-core-set-as-a-hero-card/
BlizzConline 2021 has seen a flurry of Hearthstone announcements, including the new Mercenaries mode and an exciting new expansion focusing on WoW's Horde. The Year of the Gryphon will also shift around the existing formats, introducing the Classic format that will take us back in time to Hearthstone in its original 2014 form, and a new Core Set which will be free to all players.

Hearthstone patch nerfs the top deck in Standard, brings changes to Battlegrounds
https://www.pcgamer.com/hearthstone-patch-nerfs-the-top-deck-in-standard-brings-changes-to-battlegrounds/
For the last few weeks a deck called Ramp Paladin, or Cheese Paladin if you're feeling unkind, has been sitting at the top of the meta in Hearthstone's Standard format. The aim is to use Nozdormu the Timeless to bump both players to 10 mana and then hit you with one of its big 10-drops, but also swamp you with Corrupted Clowns and Murlocs before then. Patch 19.6 hobbles Ramp Paladin with one seemingly minor change: increasing the cost of High Abbess Alura by a single point, from four to five.

Diablo 2: Resurrected won't affect Diablo 2 classic, unlike Warcraft 3: Reforged
https://www.pcgamer.com/diablo-2-resurrected-wont-affect-diablo-2-classic-unlike-warcraft-3-reforged/
When Warcraft 3: Reforged launched last year, it turned out to be more controversial than you'd expect from a remaster of a beloved game. Fans were upset about Blizzard making more conservative enhancements than it originally showed, but the real heart of the controversy came from how Blizzard merged Reforged's multiplayer with the original game—and in doing so removed features like clans, LAN, and ranked ladder that had existed in Warcraft 3 for nearly 20 years. Even players who didn't buy Reforged were mad.
Blizzard isn't repeating that mistake with Diablo 2: Resurrected, the remaster it announced today.

Diablo 2's 'lost' assets weren't really a problem for Diablo 2: Resurrected
https://www.pcgamer.com/diablo-2s-lost-assets-werent-really-a-problem-for-diablo-2-resurrected/
In 2019, Diablo creators Erich Schaefer, Max Schaefer, and David Brevik told a story about Diablo 2's development, saying their entire backup of the game's source code and assets had been lost. As Gamespot quoted, it was "Irrevocably, fatally corrupted," according to Max Schaefer.

How open world PvP works in Diablo 4
https://www.pcgamer.com/diablo-4-pvp-fields-of-hatred/
Diablo 4 will take place in a shared open world. You won't have a choice in that, although you won't see other players in your game all the time, such as during big story quests (I wrote about how the shared world works a year ago). You also won't have to participate in PvP if you don't want to. The main parts of Diablo 4's world will be safe, give or take an endless war between angels and demons, and PvP will be contained within clearly marked zones.

You can turn off enemy glow in Diablo 4
https://www.pcgamer.com/you-can-turn-off-enemy-glow-in-diablo-4/
Something I pointed out when we discussed Diablo 4's figurative and literal 'darkness' back in 2019 is that, although you can't see it in the official gameplay trailers, hitting them makes them flash with whitish light. That's a pretty normal videogame thing, but it does somewhat undermine the sense of being swallowed by darkness. Good news if you're not into it: You can turn it off.

Check out Sojourn's devastating railgun in Overwatch 2
https://www.pcgamer.com/check-out-sojourns-devastating-railgun-in-overwatch-2/
Even though Overwatch 2 is still at least a year away, the folks at Blizzard sure had a lot to say about it at Blizzcon 2021. One of the best moments of the Overwatch 2 behind-the-scenes talk was our first good look at the game's standout new hero: Sojourn.

Tanks may go by a very different name in Overwatch 2
https://www.pcgamer.com/tanks-may-go-by-a-very-different-name-in-overwatch-2/
Blizzard is trying out some major changes to tanks in Overwatch 2. During a behind-the-scenes look at the sequel during BlizzCon 2021, game director Jeff Kaplan revealed that the team isn't happy with tanks as they are in Overwatch now. According to Kaplan, the goal is to make each tank feel more like a "toe-to-toe brawler."

Overwatch 2's roles may come with extra passive abilities
https://www.pcgamer.com/overwatch-2s-roles-may-come-with-extra-passive-abilities/
Blizzard is interested in adding a bit more complexity to the three core roles (tank, damage, and support) in Overwatch 2. The developer has always preferred to keep things simple for its competitive shooter (which is why you have three to four abilities instead of ten), and part of that is not including many invisible, passive abilities. That could change if a recent experiment called "role passives" pans out.

Here's something a bit interesting. Various first party manufacturer controllers, whether it be Joycons/DS/Xbox controller, they all seem to be having a drifting issue and iFixit explains why:

TLDW: They all use the joysticks from the same manufacturer. And the official ratings from the manufacturer could be exceeded by their Call of Duty player after only 400 hours of playing! So if you were to play for 4 hours a day lets say... That would be 100 days of playing games before the joysticks would exceed the manufacturer specifications and could start to drift!

Remember, this same joystick setup is on the $180 Xbox Elite Controller!

That looks amazing!