The Wednesday news:

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

GOG has four new Deals of the Day, that will last until Friday:

• Gone Viral gets a 45% discount: https://www.gog.com/en/game/gone_viral
• Little Misfortune Fancy Edition will be 70% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/little_misfortune_fancy_edition
• Vampire: The Masquerade - Shadows of New York - Deluxe Edition gets a 75% discount: https://www.gog.com/en/game/vampire_the_masquerade_shadows_of_new_york_deluxe_edition
• And Distrust is 85% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/distrust

Steam has two new deals:

• Wigmund, that has a demo, will be 50% off until next Tuesday; https://store.steampowered.com/app/1164690/Wigmund/
• And Before We Leave gets a 75% discount until March 14th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1073910/Before_We_Leave/

Fanatical has two new 24 hours Flash Deals:

• The first one is RimWorld, 30% off: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/rimworld
• The second on is Command: Modern Operations, with a 66% discount: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/command-modern-operations

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

NVIDIA GeForce Game Ready 531.26 HOTFIX
https://videocardz.com/driver/nvidia-geforce-game-ready-531-26-hotfix
Highlights
GeForce hotfix display driver version 531.26 is based on our latest Game Ready Driver 531.18.
This hotfix addresses the following issues:

• Higher CPU usage from NVIDIA Container might be observed after exiting a game [4007208]
• [Notebook] Random bugcheck may be observed on certain laptops with GeForce GTX 10/MX250/350 series GPUs [4008527]

>> They've fixed it fast. Good.

AMD Radeon Software Adrenalin 23.3.1
https://videocardz.com/driver/amd-radeon-software-adrenalin-23-3-1
Highlights

• Support for:
  • Halo Infinite™ Ray Tracing Update
  • Wo Long™: Fallen Dynasty
• Important notice:
  • Factory Reset has been temporarily disabled as precautionary measure while we address isolated installation issues that have been reported during PC upgrades.

Fixed Issues

• Metrics overlay may intermittently re-size to 50% after gameplay.
• Application crash may be observed while opening Premium Gold Packs in EA SPORTS™ FIFA 23.
• Intermittent driver timeout may be observed in Halo Infinite™ in certain scenes with ray tracing enabled.
• Corruption may be observed in Dying Light™ 2 around certain light sources.
• Corruption may be observed in Returnal™ in certain scenes with ray tracing enabled on Radeon™ RX 6000 series GPUs.
• Intermittent driver timeout, system freeze or BSOD may be observed using select displays on Radeon™ RX 7000 series GPUs.

>> Still no fix for the big bug, but it won't happen to more people (hopefully).

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

Hogwarts Legacy now has a First-Person Mod that you can download
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/hogwarts-legacy-first-person-mod-download/
Modder ‘YouYouTheBoxx’ has released a new version of the Customizable Cameras Mod for Hogwarts Legacy that offers a first-person mode.
Thanks to this mod, PC gamers can now experience this “Harry Potter” game in a completely different way. However, and as you may have guessed, this isn’t a perfect FP Mod. Thus, there might be some glitches and bugs while playing in first-person mode.
>> There's an 8 minutes video of the mod.

This Fallout 2 Mod adds voices to over 40 NPCs, featuring over 1500 lines of dialog
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/this-fallout-2-mod-adds-voices-to-over-40-npcs-featuring-over-1500-newly-lines-of-dialog/
Now here is something special for all our Fallout fans. Modder ‘Black_Electric’ has released a mod for the Fallout 2 Restoration Project that adds voiced dialog for over 40 NPCs. Moreover, in its current state, this mod features over 1500 newly voiced lines of dialog.
In order to achieve this, Black_Electric created a workflow that allows him to fully lip-sync a character with a voice actor’s lines. And, even though this mod is in its alpha phase, it’s a must-have for everyone.
Do note that this mod works best with Fallout 2 Restoration Project and Goat Boy’s Talking Heads Mod. Thus, we also recommend downloading them.
>> The article has a 4 minutes video of this mod.

GAMING NEWS

Sherlock Holmes The Awakened Official PC System Requirements
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/sherlock-holmes-the-awakened-official-pc-system-requirements/
Frogwares has revealed the official PC system requirements for Sherlock Holmes The Awakened. In addition, the team revealed that this new Sherlock Holmes game will release on April 11th.

GSC GameWorld to present an exclusive look at STALKER 2 at GDC 2023
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/gsc-gameworld-to-present-an-exclusive-look-at-stalker-2-at-gdc-2023/
GSC GameWorld will hold a session at GDC 2023 on March 23rd, in which it will present an exclusive look at STALKER 2. In this session, GCS GameWorld and NVIDIA will talk about NVIDIA Omniverse Audio2Face.
>> Great, another "feature" that will be exclusive to Nvidia hardware because some BS.

New gameplay trailer for Remnant 2 focuses on the Gunslinger class
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/new-gameplay-trailer-for-remnant-2-focuses-on-the-gunslinger-class/
Remnant: From the Ashes was a third-person action game that I really enjoyed. So, it comes as no surprise that I’m really looking forward to its sequel, Remnant 2. And yesterday, IGN shared a new gameplay trailer for it that focuses on its Gunslinger class.

Starfield will officially release on September 6th
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/starfield-will-officially-release-on-september-6th/
Bethesda has just announced that Starfield will officially release on September 6th. In order to celebrate this announcement, the company has also shared a new trailer that you can find below.
>> the-pi-guy has made a thread about this announcement.

First PC Patch for Wo Long: Fallen Fantasy fixes mouse controls, full patch notes
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/first-pc-patch-for-wo-long-fallen-fantasy-fixes-mouse-controls-full-patch-notes/
Team Ninja has released the first PC patch for Wo Long: Fallen Fantasy that fixes its mouse control issues. We’ve tested this patch and yes, we can confirm that the mouse no longer suffers from its initial deadzone issues. Thus, PC gamers can finally play the game with K&M.

The second part of the news:

Aragami studio Lince Works is closing: 'The last couple of years have been particularly difficult'
https://www.pcgamer.com/aragami-studio-lince-works-is-closing-the-last-couple-of-years-have-been-particularly-difficult/
Lince Works, the Barcelona-based developer of the Aragami games, has announced that it is halting development of its current projects and closing its doors for good.
>> That's sad. shikamaru317 made a thread about this yesterday.

Rainbow Six Siege mouse spoofers scramble to support forums after new anticheat 'Mousetrap' unexpectedly kicks in
https://www.pcgamer.com/rainbow-six-siege-mouse-spoofers-scramble-to-support-forums-after-new-anticheat-mousetrap-unexpectedly-kicks-in/
"Mousetrap" is an anticheat technology developed for Rainbow Six Siege that's intended to detect and punish "spoofers"—that is, players who use mouse and keyboard on their consoles in order to gain a precision advantage over people using controllers. Ubisoft announced the system in February and said it was supposed to go live in April, but it may have jumped the gun on that a bit because some Xim Apex users are already reporting that their devices are being detected.

Take-Two confirms layoffs following 'exponential growth in recent years'
https://www.pcgamer.com/take-two-confirms-layoffs-following-exponential-growth-in-recent-years/
Grand Theft Auto publisher Take-Two Interactive has confirmed a report of layoffs at the company, saying that it is letting employees go in order "to position the company for another extended period of success."

It's a big week for multiplayer FPS games
https://www.pcgamer.com/its-a-big-week-for-multiplayer-fps-games/
At least once a year, the stars perfectly align and all the multiplayer shooters have a big update at the same time. This year, the stars decided that time is March. Everywhere I look, an FPS I'm excited about or want to get back to is beckoning me with promises of new gadgets, maps, exclusive betas, or overpowered guns that'll be nerfed in a week.

Overwatch 2 developer calls smurfing 'the bane of my existence'
https://www.pcgamer.com/overwatch-2-developer-calls-smurfing-the-bane-of-my-existence/
The Overwatch 2 developers explained the constant battle they have to fight for fair matchmaking in a stream today, and said one of the hardest problems to solve are players who smurf.

Dota 2's new ghostly gunslinger hero is live
https://www.pcgamer.com/dota-2s-new-ghostly-gunslinger-hero-is-live/
Muerta, the Dota 2 hero who was announced way back in October 2022, has finally arrived in the game as part of the now-live Dead Reckoning update.
Valve didn't reveal much about Muerta when the character was announced, but it turns out that she was a killer of such impressive talent that "Death himself put her on the payroll."

That 2D League of Legends RPG from the Moonlighter devs just got an imminent release date and a gameplay trailer
https://www.pcgamer.com/that-2d-league-of-legends-rpg-from-the-moonlighter-devs-just-got-an-imminent-release-date-and-a-gameplay-trailer/
Two months after it was leaked by South Korea's game rating board and three weeks after it was officially announced, The Mageseeker: A League of Legends Story has an imminent release date and a colourful new trailer to go with it. The game, which tells a story based around familiar LoL hero Sylas, is set to come out on April 18.

Baldur’s Gate 3’s free upgrade didn't make me buy the RPG, but this sure as hell did
https://www.pcgamer.com/baldurs-gate-3s-free-upgrade-is-great-but-its-not-why-i-just-bought-early-access/
Baldur’s Gate 3’s recent official release date blog post and trailer confirmed a number of things that I was eager to hear, including that the long-awaited RPG is finally set to get its full 1.0 release on August 31st this year.

The Outer Worlds' new version is getting slammed on Steam—'Spacer's Choice Edition: now with 200% more performance issues!'
https://www.pcgamer.com/the-outer-worlds-new-version-is-getting-slammed-on-steamspacers-choice-edition-now-with-200-more-performance-issues/
Private Division's pledge that the prettied-up Spacer's Choice Edition of The Outer Worlds would run at a smooth 4K 60fps may have been premature. The next-gen version of the studio's satirical 2019 RPG released yesterday and it's already accrued a "Mostly Negative" rating on Steam, with numerous players complaining of performance issues in the newly-remastered game.

Some hardware news:

AMD to provide a sneak peek of new FidelityFX technolgies at GDC
https://videocardz.com/newz/amd-to-provide-a-sneak-peek-of-new-fidelityfx-technolgies-at-gdc

AMD Ryzen 7 7745HX “Dragon Range” Review Shows 8 Core Laptop CPU On Par With Intel’s 16 Core Raptor Lake-HX While Consuming Much Lower Power
https://wccftech.com/amd-ryzen-7-7745hx-dragon-range-review-shows-8-core-laptop-cpu-on-par-intel-16-core-raptor-lake-hx-consuming-lower-power/
The first review of AMD's Ryzen 7 7745HX "Dragon Range" Laptop CPU has been published by tech content creator, Golden Pig Upgrade, at Bilibili.

NVIDIA reportedly preparing GeForce RTX 3060 with GA104 GPU and GDDR6X memory
https://videocardz.com/newz/nvidia-reportedly-preparing-geforce-rtx-3060-with-ga104-gpu-and-gddr6x-memory
Surprisingly, it appears that NVIDIA could be working on yet another model with this name, except this time with a new GPU (GA104). Such models with mixed processors are actually quite common in NVIDIA lineup, but they are not always available in all regions. The most common market for such models is China.
>> Just what we all need, more 3060 cards to confuse the consumer.

It Just Works! NVIDIA RTX Technology Close To Hit Adoption By 400 Games & Software’s
https://wccftech.com/it-just-works-nvidia-rtx-technology-close-to-hit-adoption-by-400-games-softwares/
In a recent update to an NVIDIA post on the company's official website, the feature story "NVIDIA DLSS & GeForce RTX: List Of All Games, Engines, And Applications Featuring GeForce RTX-POowered Technology And Features," the company lists all the current applications and games that support the RTX technology. Now sitting at 398 titles, the list is reaching close to 400 titles — a true milestone for the company, especially with a technology that debuted less than five years ago in September 2018.

What a waste of time, effort and engineering reworking the RTX 3060.

They would have been better off to include it as part of the 4000 series. I.E. RTX 4050.

The Thursday news:

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

The Epic Store gives away Call of the Sea: https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/call-of-the-sea.
And next week, they'll give away Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - Relics of War.

GOG has a Special Sale: the 2023 Pégases Awards, with up to 75% discounts until Monday: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/2023_pgases_awards.

Steam has two new deals:

• Souldiers will be 40% off until Monday: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1419160/Souldiers/
• And Lawn Mowing Simulator gets a 60% discount until March 15th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1480560/Lawn_Mowing_Simulator/

The Humble Bundle has the new Humble Heroines: Warriors, Dreamers and God Slayers, with 8 games to get during the next 20 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/games/humble-heroines-warriors-dreamers-and-god-slayers.

And Fanatical has two new 24 hours Flash Deals and a new bundle:

• The first Flash Deal is WRC Generations, 45% off: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/wrc-generations
• The second Flash Deal is Far Cry® 6 Game of the Year Edition, 71% off. The key is for UbiConnect: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/far-cry-6-game-of-the-year-edition
• And the Build Your Own SAGA Bundle features 16 titles to choose your 3, 5 or 7 games bundle: https://www.fanatical.com/en/pick-and-mix/build-your-own-saga-bundle

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS AND STORE NEWS

Epic gave away 'nearly 700 million' free games last year, will keep it going this year
https://www.pcgamer.com/epic-games-store-2023-free-program/
Nestled among the stats in the Epic Games Store 2022 Year in Review blog post that went up today is some expected but pleasant news: Epic isn't done giving away free games.
"Our weekly Free Games Program will continue in 2023," the company wrote.
It's been 2023 for a couple months now, and Epic didn't stop giving away free games each week—Kerbal Space Program was a highlight in early January—so we kind of already knew this, but it's nice to get confirmation that the gravy train will chug along through at least the end of this year.

Epic launches self-publishing tools, calls out Valve again: 'Steam has created a real problem for the industry'
https://www.pcgamer.com/epic-games-store-self-publishing/
The Epic Games Store is now open for self-publishing. For $100, the same fee Valve charges for Steam submissions, anyone can submit a game for inclusion in the Epic Games Store library. Epic's system is similar to Steam Direct, which Valve introduced in 2018, and will probably result in Epic's library ballooning dramatically over the next year.
There are a few notable differences between Steam and Epic's self-publishing rules, however. In some ways, Epic's game submission guidelines are more permissive than Steam's, but Epic also has two big rules that Steam doesn't. Paraphrased, they are:

• No pornographic games
• Multiplayer games must have crossplay with other PC stores

>> That's good news for developers and small studios, as long as they don't do NSFW games. But I do wonder if the multiplayer modes will have to use Epic's tools.

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

-Empty-

GAMING NEWS

Hogwarts Legacy March 8th Update improves performance, Ray Tracing & stability, full patch notes
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/hogwarts-legacy-march-8th-update-improves-performance-ray-tracing-stability-full-patch-notes/
Avalanche has just released a new update for Hogwarts Legacy. According to the developers, the March 8th Patch improves overall gameplay, Ray Tracing, performance, stability and online connectivity.

Path of Exile March 7th Patch 3.20.2b released, full patch notes
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/path-of-exile-march-7th-patch-3-20-2b-released-full-patch-notes/
Grinding Gear Games has released a brand new update for Path of Exile. According to the release notes, the March 7th update adds 400 more foiled Unique Item options that the Voidborn Reliquary can yield. Furthermore, it fixes a number of bugs that plagued the game.

Valheim Update 0.214.2 released and here are its full patch notes
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/valheim-update-0-214-2-released-and-here-are-its-full-patch-notes/
Iron Gate has just released a brand new update for its viking survival game, Valheim. According to the release notes, patch 0.214.2 comes with various fixes for the Mistlands, as well as various performance optimizations.

Forza Horizon 5 March 8th Patch fixes benchmark crash, improves stability
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/forza-horizon-5-march-8th-patch-fixes-benchmark-crash-improves-stability/
Playground Games has released a new hotfix patch for Forza Horizon 5. According to the release notes, this hotfix resolves a crash and improves overall game stability.

Echoes of the Living is a new survival horror game with fixed camera angles, inspired by classic Resident Evil games
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/echoes-of-the-living-is-a-new-survival-horror-game-with-fixed-camera-angles-inspired-by-classic-resident-evil-games/
MoonGlint has released a demo for its upcoming survival horror game, Echoes of the Living. Echoes of the Living is a game heavily inspired by the classic Resident Evil games, and features fixed camera angles.
>> Fixed cameras, tank controls, zombies & others and a city. Nope, it doesn't look like the old Resident Evil games. At all.

Returnal March 9th Update aims to reduce stuttering, full patch notes
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/returnal-march-9th-update-aims-to-reduce-stuttering-full-patch-notes/
Climax Studios has released a brand new update for the PC version of Returnal. According to the release notes, the March 9th Update aims to reduce stuttering. Moreover, it improves overall stability by addressing a couple of crashes.

Private Division is working on a performance patch for The Outer Worlds: Spacer’s Choice Edition
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/private-division-is-working-on-a-performance-patch-for-the-outer-worlds-spacers-choice-edition/
A couple of days ago, Private Division released a “Next-Gen” version of The Outer Worlds, called The Outer Worlds: Spacer’s Choice Edition. However, it appears that this remaster had major performance issues.
(...)
Anyway, this whole mess forced Obsidian to issue an official statement, claiming that Private Division is currently working on a performance patch.

Thursday news, part two:

League of Legends MMO producer leaves Riot: 'It's the right time to hand over the reigns'
https://www.pcgamer.com/league-of-legends-mmo-producer-leaves-riot-its-the-right-time-to-hand-over-the-reigns/
Riot Games vice president Greg Street, the executive producer of the studio's in-development League of Legends MMO, is leaving the company. Street said that he wants to spend more time with his family, and that after nine years with Riot, "it's time for something new."

Hunt: Showdown's finally adding the roaming bosses fans have been clamouring for
https://www.pcgamer.com/hunt-showdowns-finally-adding-the-roaming-bosses-fans-have-been-clamouring-for/
Crytek has released a new video in which Hunt: Showdown top brass discuss what's coming over the next year to one of the best and most interesting shooters on PC. The video also acts as the Hunt community's introduction to David Fifield, who's now Hunt: Showdown's general manager, and brings over 25 years of experience across various multiplayer series, including MechWarrior, Call of Duty, and Halo. It doesn't hurt that Fifield also sports a tremendous beard and wouldn't look out of place skulking around the Bayou with a shotgun.

FML, Starfield comes out just a week after Baldur's Gate 3
https://www.pcgamer.com/fml-starfield-comes-out-just-a-week-after-baldurs-gate-3/
The good news is that we finally have a proper launch date for Starfield: It'll be here on September 6. The bad news, for RPG fans (and possibly Larian Studios), is that date puts it exactly, and only, one week after the release of the long-awaited, and highly anticipated, Baldur's Gate 3, which is set to arrive on August 31.

Dark and Darker studio raided by police following 'stolen' code allegations
https://www.pcgamer.com/dark-and-darker-studio-raided-by-police-following-stolen-code-allegations/
A Yonhap News report (Google translated) says police in South Korea have searched the office of Dark and Darker developer Ironmace and seized materials related to the project. The raid in the city of Seongnam was reportedly connected to allegations that the game is being built using code and assets stolen from Nexon.

New Genshin Impact character is so bad that players around the world are begging for fixes
https://www.pcgamer.com/new-genshin-impact-character-is-so-bad-that-players-around-the-world-are-begging-for-fixes/
Genshin Impact's newest character is so unbelievably underpowered that players from all around the world are begging developer MiHoYo to fix her.
After fans were already unimpressed with her leaked abilities, Dehya was released on the gacha game's new banner last week (she'll permanently move to the standard banner after), and the five-star pyro character turned out to be even worse than predicted.

Call of Duty is getting Shredder
https://www.pcgamer.com/call-of-duty-is-getting-shredder/
Earlier today the official Call of Duty Twitter account released a teaser video confirming Shredder for Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2. Shredder is the big baddie in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series, which is not a cartoon many would associate with firearms. Indeed, I can't remember a single instance of Shredder using a ballistic weapon, but why let that ruin a lucrative cross-promotion?
>> Well, if he's coming, the turtles can't be too far.

Advance Wars-like tactics game Wargroove is getting a sequel and yes, the armoured pups are back
https://www.pcgamer.com/advance-wars-like-tactics-game-wargroove-is-getting-a-sequel-and-yes-the-armoured-pups-are-back/
Wargroove—the turn-based tactical game from 2019 whose most important gift to the world was its adorable dog units—is getting a sequel. Announced by publisher Chucklefish yesterday, Wargroove 2 will see the colourful Advance Wars-like return at some point this year, and it's picked up a new developer, too.
>> And I still have to buy, let alone play, the first one...

For the first time in World of Warcraft's history, Horde and Alliance players will be able to join the same guild
https://www.pcgamer.com/for-the-first-time-in-world-of-warcrafts-history-horde-and-alliance-players-will-be-able-to-join-the-same-guild/
Blizzard has revealed the release date for one upcoming World of Warcraft patch and shared details for another, the latter of which will add a much-requested cross-faction feature, allowing Horde and Alliance players to unite under the same guild banner for the first time in Azeroth's history.

Sony's latest volley against the Activision Blizzard acquisition: What if Microsoft straight-up sabotages COD?
https://www.pcgamer.com/sonys-latest-volley-against-the-activision-blizzard-acquisition-what-if-microsoft-straight-up-sabotages-cod/
Sony is throwing pretty much everything at the wall in its unending quest to torpedo Microsoft's purchase of Activision Blizzard, but a recent filing to the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) might be the most fearful the company has sounded since the acquisition was announced. In this week's lengthy statement to the CMA, spotted by the Verge, Sony asks regulators to consider one thing: What if Microsoft outright sabotaged COD on PlayStation?
>> Sony is more delusional than I thought.

Epic isn't done with Epic Games Store exclusives, it's just focused on big ones
https://www.pcgamer.com/epic-isnt-done-with-epic-games-store-exclusives-its-just-focused-on-big-ones/
Epic hasn't been announcing Epic Games Store exclusivity deals at the rate it once was, but if it seemed like one of the least-popular PC gaming business strategies of the past decade was on the way out: it ain't.

Last of Us Part 1 PC Requirements:

Yea the 32GB of ram era is up on us.

Just a casual 32Gb RAM and a 7900XT.

This is why I'm going for 64GB in my rig. 32GB is plenty right now, some would even argue that 16GB is still good (especially for more budget builds), but I stay on my rigs for a long time and rarely upgrade. When I upgrade, it's usually the whole build, it's always a pain finding a way through the maze of compatibility once a couple of chip generations have passed. Heck; this current gen is having compatibility issues in its own time with same-gen hardware.

I haven't had less than 64GB of ram for over a decade... Even my RTX 3060 laptop has 64GB.

32GB of Ram isn't even enough for a single Google chrome tab these days.