The Thursday news:

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

Remnant 2's now sold 2 million copies, and I'm not 2 surprised
https://www.pcgamer.com/remnant-2s-now-sold-2-million-copies-and-im-not-2-surprised/
Remnant 2's done very well. Granted, the first game, Remnant: From the Ashes, wasn't terrible either. We gave it a 77 back in our review back in 2019—a respectable score. It can't be stated how much its sequel stepped things up.
Even if you just run the numbers: PC Gamer's Rick Lane gave it 84 in his Remnant 2 review, saying that it gave him "exactly what I want from gaming, namely unique and exciting adventures with my pals that never rely on the numbers going up to keep me planted in my chair."
The public seems to agree with that assessment. Remnant 2 sold a million copies in just four days. Well, now that number's doubled.
This was revealed in a quarterly report by the Embracer Group, which states the game: "sold more than 2 million units and generated more than SEK 700 million in Net Sales". Payday 3 gets a bit of a finger-wagging soon after. Not surprising, given its catastrophic launch, which the report very nicely calls "mixed." Honestly, Embracer's been having a really bad year overall, which begs the question: why is Remnant 2 continuing to do well?

The Epic Store gives away two games:

• EARTLOCK: https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/earthlock-e7d979
• Surviving the Aftermath: https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/surviving-the-aftermath

Next week they'll give away Deliver Us Mars.
By the way, the Epic Store Black Friday deals have leaked online, in case you're interested (no info on free games).

GOG has launched a Point & Click Sale, with up to 90% discounts during the next 7 days: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/20231116_point_and_click_sale.

Steam has two new deals:

• Lake, that has a demo, will be 60% off until the 21st of November: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1118240/Lake/
• ICEY has a 65% deal until the 28th of November: https://store.steampowered.com/app/553640/ICEY/

We have a new Humble Bundle: the Action Roguelikes: What Kills You Makes You Stronger Bundle, with up to 8 games to get during the next 20 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/games/action-roguelikes-what-kills-you-makes-you-stronger.

Fanatical has launched the BYO Nitro Bundle 4, with 16 games to choose from for your 2, 5 or 8 bundle: https://www.fanatical.com/en/pick-and-mix/build-your-own-nitro-bundle-4.

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

-Empty-

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

This Cyberpunk 2077 Mod restores 100 NPCs that were cut from the game
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/this-cyberpunk-2077-mod-restores-100-npcs-that-were-cut-from-the-game/
Modder ‘L3X4RS’ has released a pretty cool mod for CD Projekt RED’s action adventure game, Cyberpunk 2077. This mod attempts to restore the crowd/NPCs from the E3 2018 build. In total, it restores around 100 NPCs that were cut from the final version.
Now I should note that this mod does not increase the crowd/NPC density. As such, you won’t see the same amount of NPCs on screen with the E3 2018 build. What this mod does is basically increase the diversity of the NPCs. This means that you won’t be seeing the exact same NPCs over and over again while exploring Nightcity.
>> There are no screenshots nor videos of the mod.

GAMING NEWS

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Update 1.33 released, allows you to use DLSS 3 Frame Generation in all game modes
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-update-1-33-dlss-3-frame-generation-all-game-modes/
Sledgehammer Games has just released Update 1.33 for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. This patch will allow owners of the RTX 40 series GPUs to use DLSS 3 Frame Generation in all game modes.

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League gets a new 20-minute trailer
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/suicide-squad-kill-the-justice-league-gets-a-new-20-minute-trailer/
Rocksteady just dropped a 20-minute video for Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. In this video, the team spills the beans on the main story, how the Squad moves around, and gives us a sneak peek into the world of Metropolis.

New impressive gameplay trailers for NCSoft’s Unreal Engine 5-powered Project LLL & Project M
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/new-gameplay-trailers-for-ncsofts-unreal-engine-5-powered-project-lll-project-m/
NCSoft has released new gameplay trailers for Project LLL, Project M, Project G and Project BSS. The first three games will be powered by Unreal Engine 5. And, as you can see, all of them look really impressive.

RoboCop: Rogue City Patch #02, adds NVIDIA Reflex support, full changelog
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/robocop-rogue-city-patch-02-adds-nvidia-reflex-support-full-changelog-revealed/
Teyon just dropped the second big update for RoboCop: Rogue City. Patch #02 adds support for NVIDIA Reflex, which is amazing for all NVIDIA gamers. Additionally, they resolved a bunch of bugs and problems that were bugging the game. So, let’s dive in and check out the main changes.

Arma Reforger has been fully released
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/arma-reforger-has-been-fully-released/
Bohemia Interactive has announced that Arma Reforger has left Early Access, and is fully released on Steam. In order to celebrate this announcement, the team shared a new trailer that you can find below.

Thursday news, part two:

Devs say Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is so long, they're afraid players won't take it all in unless they binge it 'even at the cost of their health'
https://www.pcgamer.com/devs-say-like-a-dragon-infinite-wealth-is-so-long-theyre-afraid-players-wont-take-it-all-in-unless-they-binge-it-even-at-the-cost-of-their-health/
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is coming out early next year, and like its predecessors it's likely to be rammed full of side-activities complex enough to be their own games. We've already seen a straight-up Animal Crossing send-up packed into it. I shudder to think what other dark designs the developers at Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio have up their sleeves.
Turns out, likely a few—as revealed in an official behind-the-scenes video on the studio's YouTube channel and translated by Automation Media. Studio head and writer Yokoyama Masayoshi says the game has a "monster-class" playtime that creates a unique problem for his team: getting you to actually play the whole thing.

The worst Modern Warfare 3 bug yet means I can't freaking unlock anything
https://www.pcgamer.com/the-worst-modern-warfare-3-bug-yet-means-i-cant-freaking-unlock-anything/
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 has been out less than a week and my unlocks have slowed to a crawl. Some of that can be attributed to Sledgehammer Games' new Armory Unlock system placing hard limits on how fast players can earn select guns, attachments, and equipment, but the real holdup is an infuriating launch week bug.

Humble Games is the latest to lay off employees, blames 'trends that required this restructure in order to ensure our long-term success'
https://www.pcgamer.com/humble-games-is-the-latest-to-lay-off-employees-blames-trends-that-required-this-restructure-in-order-to-ensure-our-long-term-success/
Just one day after Amazon Games and 505 Games parent company Digital Bros announced significant cuts at their companies, Humble Games has confirmed that it too has laid off employees, telling Game Developer that the layoffs were required "to ensure our long-term success."

Folklore strategy game Howl is a turn-based puzzle for perfectionists
https://www.pcgamer.com/folklore-strategy-game-howl-is-a-turn-based-puzzle-for-perfectionists/
There's something quite enticing about dark fairytales and an ink-y aesthetic, so tiny tactical puzzle Howl had already caught my eye earlier this year. It's surprise launched this week, to my delight, and the demo has its hooks in me with its take on turn-based strategy that requires me to think several moves ahead.

Shockingly, Owen Wilson narrates the new Teardown trailer without saying 'Wow!' even once
https://www.pcgamer.com/shockingly-owen-wilson-narrates-the-new-teardown-trailer-without-saying-wow-even-once/
Teardown, one of our favorite games of 2022, is having a bit of a moment. It's got a new wild west expansion out today called Time Campers which looks great. It just reached version 1.5, which includes DirectX 12, performance improvements, and support for more languages. And it just arrived on consoles, meaning Xbox and PlayStation fans will be able to enjoy its explosive heists and destructive sandbox.

Sega of America accused of union-busting threats after telling whole company it'll 'phase out' temp employees—nearly half the union's membership
https://www.pcgamer.com/sega-of-america-accused-of-union-busting-threats-after-telling-whole-company-itll-phase-out-temp-employeesnearly-half-the-unions-membership/
Back in August of this year, it was announced that Sega of America employees would be forming a union—the Allied Employees Guild Improving Sega (AEGIS-CWA)—alongside the Campaign to Organise Digital Employees (CODE-CWA).
Then in July, after Sega of America decided not to recognise it, that same union won a election vote 91-26 via the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). In short, that means Sega of America has to recognise the union now, or—legally speaking—it could constitute an unfair labour practice.
An internal letter sent by the company's leadership said it would respect its commitments to the NLRB (thanks, Gameinformer): (...)
One might think that Sega of America would play ball after that, but their first negotiations have already prompted a legal charge. Union members have accused the company of threatening its temporary workers, according to a report by Kotaku.

Remnant 2 dev tells players moaning about Apocalypse difficulty OK, fine, you can have your 3 orange slices and medal for participation
https://www.pcgamer.com/remnant-2-dev-tells-players-moaning-about-apocalypse-difficulty-ok-fine-you-can-have-your-3-orange-slices-and-medal-for-participation/
Remnant 2 is one of 2023's unique experiences, a third person roguelike Soulslike shooter with a heavy focus on procgen environments that is really rather excellent. It's a game designed for multiple playthroughs, solo and co-op, all of which should turn out differently. And it's also brutally tough when it starts ramping up with the highest difficulty, Apocalypse, inspiring a bit of moaning even among the die-hards.
>> I can't cut the article enough to fit here while still making sense. You'll have to read the article at PCGamer.

Embracer has laid off 5% of its workforce since its $2 billion mystery deal crumbled to dust
https://www.pcgamer.com/embracer-has-laid-off-5-of-its-workforce-since-its-dollar2-billion-mystery-deal-crumbled-to-dust/
Embracer has had a bad year. What once felt like the inexorable rise of a games industry goliath began to stagger in May, when a six-year, $2 billion mystery deal the company had drawn up collapsed at the last minute. Embracer announced a "comprehensive" restructuring the following June and since then, news about the company has been a grim parade of studio closures and job losses.
Now, in the wake of Embracer's Q2 (that's July to September this year) earnings presentation earlier today, we have a rough idea of how many workers were affected by those layoffs: 900, or about 5% of the almost 17,000-strong workforce Embracer said it had back in June.

NVIDIA reportedly stops mass production of RTX 4070Ti/4080 GPUs, now focusing on SUPER variants

https://videocardz.com/newz/nvidia-reportedly-stops-mass-production-of-rtx-4070ti-4080-gpus-now-focusing-on-super-variants

AMD Ryzen 9 8940HS “Hawk Point” APU Leaks Out: 8 Cores, 5.2 GHz Clocks, Up To 12% Faster Than 7940HS

https://wccftech.com/amd-ryzen-9-8940hs-hawk-point-apu-leak-8-cores-5-2-ghz-faster-than-7940hs/

US Adds Even More NVIDIA GPUs To China Ban List: RTX 6000 Ada, RTX A6000 & L4

https://wccftech.com/us-adds-more-nvidia-gpus-to-china-ban-list-rtx-6000-ada-rtx-a6000-l4/

I really don't like the idea of where this could very well be going.

We already had crap like Windows 8 trying to aim for a mobile/tablet focu7s, and the "leaner" centralised look of 11, we do not need desktop OS's going back to a crappy lite looking mobile style again...

Like all I have ever wanted was a basic OS, at least on the level of XP/7, but MS seems hellbent on locking settings/features away from the user, implementing more spy shit, some reasons to have to be connected to the net most of the time, and also them feeling like the UI has to be uniform with a much younger platform (mobile) that had 0 to do with the platform the OS originally hailed from. 

At this point I just want Valve to hurry the hell up with Steam OS, so I can hop over onto that and forget about MS, because it's becoming obvious now that MS is that one company on the planet that 100% refuses to let go of a dream no one asked to be dreamt of, let alone realised

Someone has used diamonds and a high-end Nvidia GPU to build perhaps the world's fastest graphics card ever — but you won't be able to buy it yet

https://www.techradar.com/pro/someone-has-used-diamonds-and-a-high-end-nvidia-gpu-to-build-perhaps-the-worlds-fastest-graphics-card-ever-but-you-wont-be-able-to-buy-it-yet

Diamond Foundry has been trying to figure out how it can use diamonds to keep the temperature of the best CPUs and the best GPUs under control – and it’s generated some gobsmacking results.

Testing on an undisclosed high-end Nvidia GPU – which uses synthetic diamond wafers – has led to roughly three times the recorded performance versus when it was tested with standard manufacturing materials, according to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ).

Cool tech. Useles for consumer parts given how expensive it will be, but it may be worth it for servers and enterprise products. Althought it will have to be cheaper than just using higher rpm fans to cool the damned hardware.

Diamond is just being the thermal conductor there, the heat still has to go somewhere. In fact, you'd need to cool it much more if you're using more power, which nowadays is being done by using copious amounts of water.

It would've been more environment-friendly and likely cheaper to just buy conventional copper dies and run at lower wattages... but common sense never got in the way of venture capitalism, did it?

Yea idk what MS is doing at this point. They could have easily remained the best OS if they simple continued to follow the path of Windows 7 but adding in new features like DX12 Ultimate and such. Instead we have to deal with their nonsense OS ideas that increasingly gets worse every time. The only reason really is the software compatibility of Windows for me to keep using it but as Valve is putting a lot of effort into Steam OS, it might just be my go to. Especially since they started supporting Nvidia drivers a bit ago.

Least there doesn't seem to be any waiting queue this time around so it looks like Valve go their production in order for the Steam Deck OLED.

Gaming is really the only thing keeping me using Windows, and Valve is doing a pretty good job at making Linux gaming more viable. I seriously considered installing Linux instead of Windows on my new PC, but unfortunately Linux support among the games I care about wasn't quite there just yet. Perhaps some tweaking could resolve the issues, but I don't really enjoy tweaking (a bunch of time wasted on mostly niche knowledge you'll never need again).

I suspect it's still going to take time before Linux gaming without major compromises becomes a thing, if it ever does, but at least the situation is looking better than it has, probably ever. And if Microsoft pulls off some of that ridiculous stuff I think I've seen some rumours about, I guess my capability to play games might take a hit after all, just to steer clear of nonsense.