Let's go with the Friday news:

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

Epic's latest free games feature high-speed brawling and sci-fi cannibalism
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/epics-latest-free-games-feature-high-speed-brawling-and-sci-fi-cannibalism/
Another pair of games is now free for the week on the Epic Games Store: The 2D combat-racer Speed Brawl, and Tharsis, a turn-based sci-fi strategy game with dice and cannibalism.
>> Next week, the free game will be "The Escapists".

Titan Quest and Jagged Alliance are free to keep right now
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/titan-quest-and-jagged-alliance-are-free-to-keep-right-now/
THQ Nordic is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a Steam sale, so you can currently grab a bunch of the publisher's titles for cheap. Better still, two classic PC games from the THQ Nordic catalogue are being offered for free: Titan Quest Anniversary Edition and Jagged Alliance: Gold Edition.
That edition of Titan Quest is actually the overhauled 2016 edition, so the action-RPG is a pretty decent experience by today's standards. It features "restored and improved" multiplayer, support for a range of resolutions and a host of other improvements over the 2006 original.
As for Jagged Alliance, that 1994 turn-based strategy is pretty much untouched, though it does include the standalone expansion Deadly Games. It's a classic of the genre and well-worth a playthrough if you're starved of XCOM-likes. Both games will be free until September 23, so you'd better add them to your account before that deadline.
>> The THQ Nordic Sale features up to 90% discounts, and Desperados 3 will also be fre to try during the weekend.

The Humble Store has two new sales:

• The Team 17 publisher Sale brings up to 90% discounts during the next 5 days. Most keys are for Steam, but there are also some for GOG: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/team-17-publisher-sale/
• And Publisher Klabater will put its games up to 90% off during the next 6 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/klabater-publisher-sale/

Fanatical

• The new Star Deal is Creed: Rise to Glory, 85% off during the next 48 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/creed-rise-to-glory
• Bethesda puts its games up to 70% off during the next 7 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/publishers/bethesda-softworks
• Publisher Survios puts its games up to 75% off during the next 7 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/publishers/survios
• Publisher Aspyr puts its games up to 80% off during the next 7 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/publishers/aspyr

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

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MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

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GAMING NEWS

Sherlock Holmes Chapter One is coming to PC on November 16th, gets new gameplay video
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/sherlock-holmes-chapter-one-is-coming-to-pc-on-november-16th-gets-new-gameplay-video/
Frogwares has announced the release date for Sherlock Holmes Chapter One with a new trailer. According to the team, the game will release on PC on November 16th.

New Dying Light 2 dev video focuses on the game’s weapons
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/new-dying-light-2-dev-video-focuses-on-the-games-weapons/
Techland has released a new developer video for Dying Light 2. In this video, producer Szymon Strauss answers several burning fan questions, like how Techland’s approach to weapon design has changed since the first Dying Light.

Microids will produce two new games for Taito, to be released in 2022
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/microids-will-produce-two-new-games-for-taito-coming-in-2022/
Microids has just announced the signing of an agreement with the prestigious Japanese video game company Taito to produce two new titles based on Taito’s famous franchises.

New Far Cry 6 gameplay video showcases some player-animal interactions
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/new-far-cry-6-gameplay-video-showcases-some-player-animal-interactions/
YouTube’s ‘Cycu1’ has shared a new gameplay video for Far Cry 6 that showcases some player-animal interactions. In Far Cry 6, players can pet a wheelchair dog, a horse and a pelican. Additionally, they can use animals to distract or attack enemies.

New Saints Row details; character creator, male & female voices for The Boss, signature gameplay & humor
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/new-saints-row-details-character-creator-male-female-voices-for-the-boss-signature-gameplay-humor/
A lot of PC gamers were put off by the announcement trailer of Saints Row. However, it appears that this new Saints Row game will be more than what that initial reveal suggested. According to the developers, this reboot will have the most in-depth character creator in any Saints game.

WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers is a new Souls-like action RPG, first gameplay trailer
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/wuchang-fallen-feathers-is-a-new-souls-like-action-rpg-first-gameplay-trailer/
WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers is brand new Souls-like action RPG for the PC, and the team behind it has just released its first gameplay trailer.

Friday news, part two:

Valheim has hot tubs now and you know what that means
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/valheim-has-hot-tubs-now-and-you-know-what-that-means/
Valheim's first major update, Hearth & Home, is now live and adds a huge amount of stuff to the Norse afterlife. The clue's in the title: this adds many tools for players to create a fancier dwelling for themselves, as well as a plethora of new cooking options. It adds so much, in fact, that developer Iron gate hopes it will tempt players to start all over again.

China calls for less 'effeminate' men in videogames
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/china-slows-new-game-approvals-calls-for-less-effeminate-men-in-videogames/
In August, China announced new regulations which will strictly limit when and for how long people under the age of 18 are allowed to play online games: Just one hour per day, from 8-9 pm, on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and official holidays. That rule took effect September 1. All players are also now required to register using their real names, and game companies are strictly forbidden from offering any services to unregistered players.
>> It's a long article about a lot of things.

Death's Gambit: Afterlife update doubles the size of its Soulslike adventure
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/deaths-gambit-afterlife/
Death's Gambit was one of the better 2D soulslikes back in 2018, thanks to some great artistic direction and an impressive level of character customization (plus Matt Mercer playing Death never hurts). Those of you who missed out, or just want to revisit the land of Siradon, now have the chance with Death's Gambit: Afterlife, a free update for those who own the original game on Steam.

Sir Clive Sinclair, the father of the ZX Spectrum, has died
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/sir-clive-sinclair-the-father-of-the-zx-spectrum-has-died/
Sir Clive Sinclair, the inventor of the world's first slimline pocket calculator and founder of the groundbreaking consumer electronics company Sinclair Research, has died. A report in The Guardian says Sinclair's death occurred at home, following a long illness.

Blizzard will show off Overwatch 2 gameplay and Bastion's rework next week
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/blizzard-will-show-off-overwatch-2-gameplay-and-bastions-rework-next-week/
In early September, Blizzard announced that the Overwatch League's 2022 season will be played with an early build of Overwatch 2. It was an unexpected announcement for a few reasons, not least of which being that we really don't know a whole lot about Overwatch 2. Blizzard revealed some big changes to its PvP format earlier this year, but much of it (including a release date) is still in the shadows.

Gorgeous survival MMORPG BitCraft to have pre-alpha test this fall, sign-ups available now
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/gorgeous-survival-mmorpg-bitcraft-to-have-pre-alpha-test-this-fall-sign-ups-available-now/
There's a new MMORPG on the way, and you'll be able to try it out this fall. BitCraft is a sandbox MMORPG with elements from games like Valheim—you can play with friends and build villages, farm, hunt, and pretty much anything else a survival game offers. It promises cross-play in a "gigantic," procedurally generated world that hosts every single player, and sign-ups for its pre-alpha test are open now at its website. Everyone who signs up is also eligible to claim a secret limited item.

Hold off tens of thousands of on-screen nightmares in this survival horror RTS
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/defend-against-tens-of-thousands-of-on-screen-nightmares-in-this-survival-horror-rts/
Age of Darkness: Final Stand might be the most generic game name I've heard in a minute. But there's more than a few tricks to this survival horror RPG, and an absolutely unreasonable number of ghouls.

Guild Wars 2 is finally getting DirectX11 support, 9 years after launch
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/guild-wars-2-is-finally-getting-directx11-support-9-years-after-launch/
Guild Wars 2 may be coming on a decade old, but ArenaNet is preparing for a long future of visual enhancements and performance improvements with upcoming support for DirectX11.

Destiny 2 is retuning Trials of Osiris matchmaking to make loss streaks less frequent
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/destiny-2-is-retuning-trials-of-osiris-matchmaking-to-make-loss-streaks-less-frequent/
Last weekend Trials of Osiris returned to Destiny 2 in a newly revamped form. But while resident Guardians Phil and Tim have been having fun (with caveats), it seems like there are all too many people getting absolutely curbstomped in the game's hardcore 3v3 arenas.

Let's finish the news taking a look at the weekend deals at GOG and Steam:

+GOG

• The first one is the Weekly Sale, with up to 85% discounts: https://www.gog.com/promo/20210913_weekly_sale
• The Special Sci-Fi RPG Sale features up to 90% discounts during th enext 5 days: https://www.gog.com/promo/20210915_rpg_month_scifi
• And the Weekend Sale comes with games with female leading protagonists up to 90% off: https://www.gog.com/promo/20210917_weekend_sale

+Steam

• The new daily deal is Cold Waters, 75% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/541210/Cold_Waters/
• Valheim, still in Early Access, is 20% off during the weekend: https://store.steampowered.com/app/892970/Valheim/
• Hell Let Loose will be 25% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/686810/Hell_Let_Loose/
• Mind Scanners will be 30% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1389550/Mind_Scanners/
• Half-Life: Alyx will be 40% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/546560/HalfLife_Alyx/
• Sea of Thieves will also be 40% off during the weekend: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1172620/Sea_of_Thieves/
• And Paradox puts its strategy games on sale, up to 85% off until Monday: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/pdx_strategyweekend
• Last, but not least, there's also the weeklong deals.

That's all folks! Until next time, have a happy and gaming weekend.

Feels like this is gonna be a shit show based on the rumours so far and also that Jeff Kaplan left

If you Live in Canada, you can earn up to $250 from class action lawsuit against Microsoft without requiring any proof or receipt. Last date for claim is September 23rd.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/canada-class-action-settlement-microsoft-1.5840305

https://www.thatsuitemoney.ca/

Blizzard replacing the word "blacklisted" with "blocklisted" in their code.

https://www.reddit.com/r/wow/comments/pp9oo1/blizzard_replacing_the_word_blacklisted_with/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3

Specifications of Intel 12th Gen Core T-Series (Alder Lake-S) processors have been leaked

https://videocardz.com/newz/specifications-of-intel-12th-gen-core-t-series-alder-lake-s-processors-have-been-leaked

Weird how they remove the lower power cores on the lower power cpus. Like I suppose it's because to have those come at a lower price but still. You would think they would have at least 1 or 2 low power cores on the low end. Least this confirms Intel won't be abandoning their budget CPUs unlike AMD for DIY.

USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Portable SSDs Go Native: The Silicon Motion SM2320 UFD Controller Preview

https://www.anandtech.com/show/16942/usb-32-gen-2x2-portable-ssds-go-native-the-silicon-motion-sm2320-ufd-controller-preview

Can't wait to move onto USB 4 so we can go back to a naming scheme that isn't dumb. The performance is quite good though.

They really f*cked it up big time with USB 3.0 and all its versions.

It's insanity I don't get it. Why rename the old ones.

USB 3.0, USB 3.1 and USB 3.2 would be so much easier than USB 3.2 Gen 1, USB 3.2 Gen 2 and USB 3.2 Gen 2x2.

And it's even worse because USB 3.0, USB 3.1 Gen1 and USB 3.2 Gen1 are the same thing! They could have kept it a lot simpler but, for some reason, decided to overcomplicate it all (and yes, USB 3.1 Gen 2 is the same as USB 3.2 Gen 2).

USB 4.0 can't come soon enough on mainstream motherboards and devices. USB 3.X specs are all over the place and can get so messy.. even cables and stuff. we definitely need a new standard to simplify things.

While current USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 speeds are good. It'll be amazing once we get more 40Gbs+ working and on multiple devices. Going to be a while though, since AM5 is still a year away. And even then it will be a slow uptake.

I forgot to post this earlier:

Here's what the Steam Deck UI will look like on your desktop
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/heres-what-the-steam-deck-ui-will-look-like-on-your-desktop/

The Steam Deck user interface will serve as a replacement for Steam Big Picture mode, but we've yet to see how it looks on a big screen. Well, now we've caught a glimpse of it, and it looks exactly like what you'd expect: the Steam Deck UI, on a big screen.

That's according to screenshots released by Pavel Djundik, creator of SteamDB. According to Djundik, SteamOS 3 has leaked, and some users have started installing the operating system on other portable PCs (things like the GPD Win 3, or the Aya Neo—all existing Steam Deck alternatives, basically). The shots posted by Djundik were taken in Windows, though. 

Oh yea, I forgot that today marks the one year anniversary of Ampere launch! What a horrible year it's been but happy gaming to those that have been able to get their cards!