Well, from my POV, I'm grateful that there's always been and there will always be devs that make games that they feel like making (cause that's what they like to play) and not what market trends dictate - otherwise we'd never get something like Souls, the whole CRPG renaissance and plethora of other games (and genres).

P.S. On the side-note, success of BG3 really had nothing to do with having multiplayer.

I'm also glad that there are people passionat enough to make the games they want to play, whatever the genre or style, but that doesn't get in the way of seeing things like they are. If you are a single developer, making the kind of games you want is great, but when you're the head of a studio and several people depend on the success or failure of the game you're making, trying to cover as many bases as possible is a sensible move. That's all I'm saying. And having some sort of multiplayer aspect usually, but not always, helps to make a game more successful.

Also, I'll have to disagree with you. I'm a firm believer that the co-op part of BG3 helped it sell more copies to gamers that had little to no experience in this genre but could rely on friends that did have that experience and helped them play (and hopefully enjoy) the game.

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree - BG3's success is based on many different factors (not to get into them...again), but given how its multiplayer is fairly terrible, and (as well as Divinity's) always felt tacked on (unlike games that have coop experience built in from the get-go), I don't really see it as one of them.

Now, don't get me wrong, I don't have anything against multiplayer, and there are actually devs that want to make games they want to play and make multiplayer games (Helldivers 2 being latest example), but what Palworld's dev said is just pure nonsense.

We've seen this "it has to have multiplayer" rubbish for so long now, and luckily, there are still developers (even AAA) who don't care about that, cause their focus is on singleplayer, and don't want to spend (always limited) resources on multiplayer, instead of making their singleplayer game better.

As if being Monday wasn’t bad enough, here I am, bothering you with news. I have no shame:

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

Top-tier deckbuilder Balatro hits 1 million sales in less than a month, which hopefully justifies all the hours we've collectively lost to it
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/card-games/top-tier-deckbuilder-balatro-hits-1-million-sales-in-less-than-a-month-which-hopefully-justifies-all-the-hours-weve-collectively-lost-to-it/
I don't like poker, but I love Balatro—and I mean, hey, I've at least got that in common with its creator (though I've played considerably more deckbuilders than they have). It's pretty astounding that someone with zero experience in almost anything their game is about could make such a banger, but here we are. 
(...)
Luckily, Balatro has enjoyed a success that's proportional to just how dang good it is—it hit 500,000 copies sold in short order, and now it's doubled that number to a staggering 1 million copies, as announced on the game's official twitter. Personally, I'm just glad some of the baffling issues with its age rating haven't slowed it down.

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

• Crystal Project is going to be 25% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/crystal_project
• Nobody Saves the World Complete (with DLC and OST) will be 60% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/nobody_saves_the_world_complete
• The Whale Rock Games - Immersive Puzzles Bundle, with 7 games, gets a 95% discount: https://www.gog.com/en/game/whale_rock_games_immersive_puzzles_bundle
• If the former isn’t enough for you, the Whale Rock All Games Bundle, with 15 games also gets a 95% discount: https://www.gog.com/en/game/whale_rock_all_games_bundle

For the youngest ones, Humble Bundle brings the Spring into Learning: The Humongous Collection, with 37 items to get during 11 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/games/spring-into-learning-complete-humongous-collection.

And Fanatical’s Spring Sale has advanced into its Encore mode, meaning that its end will come in the next couple days, more or less.

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

Steam has passed over 36 million concurrent players
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/steam-has-passed-over-36-million-concurrent-players/
Last week, Steam hit 35 million concurrent players. And in just a week, Valve’s digital service was able to set yet another new record. Yep, Steam has passed over 36 million concurrent players.
To be more precise, Steam hit 36.354 million concurrent players. So, it’s not THAT close to the 37 million goal. At least for now.

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

The demo for Dark Souls: Archthrones, the highly anticipated Demon’s Souls-inspired mod for Dark Souls 3, is now available for download
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/demo-dark-souls-archthrones-mod-download/
And the time has finally come. The demo for the highly anticipated Dark Souls 3 prequel mod, Dark Souls: Archthrones, has just been released.
Archthrones is a retelling of the Dark Souls universe and a comprehensive total game mod for Dark Souls 3. The mod comes with its own lore that is based on the deepest secrets of the Dark Souls mythos.
As with all major mods, Dark Souls Archthrones features new enemies, bosses, armor, weapons and spells. Demon’s Souls will be also happy to find out that the level structure of Archthrones was inspired by it. Not only that but the mod promises to offer rich NPC questlines.
Players will relive some of the most memorable areas of the entire trilogy within one mod, with reinterpretations of iconic characters and some interpretations you’ve only seen in item descriptions.
What’s also cool here is that Archthrones offers a Nonlinear Progression system. Players can explore each throne at their own pace and in their desired order.
>> The article has the launch trailer of the mod.

STALKER Anomaly now supports a lot of advanced rendering effects like AO, Parallax Mapping, Indirect Light, SSR, Interactive Grass and more
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/stalker-anomaly-ao-pom-ssr-more/
Modder ‘Ascii1457’ has dropped a new version of the Screen Space Shaders add-on for STALKER Anomaly. If you’re thinking of diving back into the classic STALKER games, this is a must-have. This add-on improves the game with all sorts of cool modern graphics effects. So, you can expect effects like Ambient Occlusion, Indirect Light, SSR, Screen-Space Shadows, Interactive Grass, and more.
For those unaware, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Anomaly aims to be the most stable and customizable experience for fans of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games. It’s powered by the Monolith 64-bit engine, a custom fork of the X-Ray engine.
>> You’ll find an almost 3 minutes video in the article.

15 Minutes of Gameplay From the Need for Speed Most Wanted Fan Remake in Unreal Engine 5
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/15-minutes-gameplay-need-for-speed-most-wanted-fan-remake-unreal-engine-5/
In December 2023, we shared a video from a fan remake of Need for Speed: Most Wanted in Unreal Engine 5. And today, we are happy to share a new video from it, packing over 15 minutes of gameplay footage.
In this latest version, NostalgiaNexus created a new particle system in Niagara for backfire and NOS FX. He also made his own custom traffic system, and added a fake interior shader. Not only that but he added 3D trees with wind effects to the game, as well as falling leaves FX. This is such a welcome addition as the original version had static tree cards.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 – Unofficial PC Port vs PS5 Comparison Video
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/marvels-spider-man-2-unofficial-pc-port-vs-ps5-comparison-video/
YouTube’s ‘Combative 117’ has shared a comparison video between the PS5 and the latest version of the unofficial PC port of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. And, the results are quite impressive.
Now as you will see, the images are a bit low-res. The purpose of this video though is not to compare the textures. Its main purpose is to show how close to the PS5 version the unofficial PC port actually is.

Here’s another look at the Tomb Raider 2 RTX Remix Path Tracing Mod
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/heres-another-look-at-the-tomb-raider-2-rtx-remix-path-tracing-mod/
A couple of months ago, we shared some screenshots from a WIP RTX Remix Mod for Tomb Raider 2. And yesterday, modder ‘skurtyyskirts’ shared a new video, showcasing the latest version of it.
Before continuing, this mod is not yet available for download. Not only that but it’s not complete yet. Thus, it does not represent the quality of its final version. With this out of the way, let’s take a closer look at it.

Grand Theft Auto 4 Just Got a Fully Functional Vehicle Fuel System
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/grand-theft-auto-4-just-got-a-fully-functional-vehicle-fuel-system/
I don’t know how many of you are still playing Grand Theft Auto 4. However, modder ‘ElPapaDeTu’ released a really cool mod that adds a fully functional vehicle fuel system to it. This mod will greatly enhance your gaming experience. Thus, you should download it if you’re planning to replay this old GTA title.
Going into more details, this mod adds a fuel bar that changes color and size depending on your vehicle’s fuel level. Each vehicle has a category it belongs to for varying vehicle fuel sizes and fuel usage. Not only that but you can refuel your vehicle in the gas stations. Do note though that every gas station has its own fuel price. And, if you run out of gas, your vehicle will stop working.
>> There’s a roughly 1 minute video of the mod.

The Witcher 3: Next-Gen Now Has the Ultimate Netflix Mods
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/the-witcher-3-next-gen-now-has-the-ultimate-netflix-mods/
Modder ‘UburUbur’ has released two mods for The Witcher 3: Next-Gen that replace its main cast with the faces of those from the Netflix series.
To be more precise, Geralt now looks exactly like Henry Cavill. UburUbur’s mod is based on the Ultimate Netflix Henry Cavill Mod, created by Draiamond, Henry and Bjorn18. Moreover, Ciri will now look similar to Freya Allan, and Yennefer will look like Anya Chalotra.
The best one of these mods is by far the one for Henry Cavill. Seriously, just take a look at it. Geralt looks exactly like Cavill. It’s incredible. And while we’ve seen similar mods in the past, these new ones look absolutely amazing.
Now we need an AI audio mod that can replace Doug Cockle’s voice with Henry Cavill’s. Blasphemy, I know. However, right now, it feels a bit weird hearing Doug when the character looks like Cavill.
>> There’s an over 30 minutes video in the article.

GAMING NEWS

Here are some new in-game screenshots for Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
https://www.dsogaming.com/screenshot-news/here-are-some-new-in-game-screenshots-for-senuas-saga-hellblade-ii/
Ninja Theory has shared some new in-game screenshots for Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II. These screenshots were captured with the game’s Photo Mode. Yes, like its predecessor, this new Hellblade game will have a Photo Mode.

Lords of the Fallen Patch 1.1.598 brings performance optimizations, AMD stability improvements and PVP balance tweaks
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/lords-of-the-fallen-patch-1-1-598/
Hexworks has released Title Update v.1.1.598 for Lords of the Fallen. According to the devs, this latest patch brings to the game performance optimizations, AMD stability improvements and PVP balance tweaks.

Dragon’s Dogma 2 has been leaked and people are streaming it online
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/dragons-dogma-2-has-been-leaked-and-people-are-streaming-it-online/
Dragon’s Dogma 2 will be officially released on March 22nd. However, it appears that people have already gotten access to it, and are streaming it online. So, for the next seven days, you’ll have to avoid the Internet like a plague (unless you want things to get spoiled for you). And below, you can find someone streaming the game on TwitchTV as we speak.
>> Shame.

Bungie’s classic sci-fi FPS Marathon is coming soon to Steam
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/bungie-classic-sci-fi-fps-marathon-pc/
Aleph One Developers has announced that it will release soon its PC port of Bungie’s classic sci-fi FPS, Marathon, on Steam. The game will be available on Steam, and its page is already up so that players can wishlist it.

Commandos: Origins gets brand new in-engine trailer
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/commandos-origins-gets-brand-new-in-engine-trailer/
Kalypso Media has released a brand new in-engine trailer for the next Commandos game, Commandos: Origins. This trailer shows off some of the maps that players will find in this latest real-time strategy game.

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves releases in early 2025, gets new gameplay trailers
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/fatal-fury-city-of-the-wolves-releases-in-early-2025-gets-new-gameplay-trailers/
SNK has announced that its latest fighting game, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, will be released in early 2025. To celebrate this announcement, the team shared two new gameplay trailers that you can find below.

Monday news, the second batch:

Tekken 8 players are being tormented by cheaters weaponising absurdly massive fairy hats and metal cubes
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fighting/tekken-8-players-are-being-tormented-by-cheaters-weaponising-absurdly-massive-fairy-hats-and-metal-cubes/
Years of Tekken has desensitised me to fighting oddball opponents, considering a panda and a bear are two of its most iconic characters. No amount of kangaroos, space ninjas and old doctors butt-sliding across stages could have prepared me for what hackers have been doing in Tekken 8 online matches, however: Cloaking themselves inside menacingly large objects.

Be careful updating Minecraft via the Xbox app, warns Microsoft, as it might accidentally obliterate all of your worlds
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/survival-crafting/be-careful-updating-minecraft-via-the-xbox-app-warns-microsoft-as-it-might-accidentally-obliterate-all-of-your-worlds/
Do not, and I repeat, do not, download the latest Minecraft update through the Xbox app for PC—if you do, you may lose all of your worlds and everything you've worked so hard to build. 
A recent Microsoft blog revealed a strange issue with the Xbox app for PC. It recommended that players run the Gaming Services Repair Tool for PC in the Xbox app before downloading the latest Minecraft update. Doing this updates the Gaming Services to version 19.87.13001.0 and resolves the lost world issue.
>> I hope it’s not too late for you. The article has the instructions to do it the right way.

Palworld's made so much money it's 'too big for a studio with our size to handle', but CEO says it's not going to go public or sell up yet: 'I want to make multiple small games'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/survival-crafting/palworlds-made-so-much-money-its-too-big-for-a-studio-with-our-size-to-handle-but-ceo-says-its-not-going-to-go-public-or-sell-up-yet-i-want-to-make-multiple-small-games/
PocketPair CEO and Palworld creator Takuro Mizobe has given an interview to Bloomberg about the game's breakout success. During the interview Mizobe puts this down to, among other things, its unusual mix of influences and it being a game that's fun to watch as well as play with friends. But the scale of that success? It's both almost too much for Pocketpair to handle, and something that Mizobe is determined won't change the studio. 
>> Hopefully, one of those is a single player game that I can enjoy.

Palworld is getting its first raid battle soon, featuring a giant goth girl that I'm sure people will be very normal about
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/survival-crafting/palworld-is-getting-its-first-raid-battle-soon-featuring-a-giant-goth-girl-that-im-sure-people-will-be-very-normal-about/
Palworld's been coasting along nicely since its meteoric rise to internet stardom earlier this year—and while it's been getting steady updates since, they've primarily been bug fixes and nerfs to the nail economy, seldom in the way of content. 
Which is reasonable, since Pocketpair quickly found itself severely understaffed for the kind of game it had suddenly become. It's also been part of its stated mission plan on the roadmap it released back in January: fix bugs first, add stuff later. Still, the studio has big plans—and the first steps start today, as Palworld's announced its very first raid boss.

Nightingale devs are 'not happy' with the current state of the game, fixes for disconnections are coming—but the offline mode still doesn't have a timeline
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/survival-crafting/nightingale-devs-are-not-happy-with-the-current-state-of-the-game-fixes-for-disconnections-are-comingbut-the-offline-mode-still-doesnt-have-a-timeline/
Three weeks after the launch of the neo-Victorian survival game Nightingale, Inflexion Games boss Aaryn Flynn says there are aspects of the game the studio isn't happy with, but that fixes and improvements including a new patch aimed at eliminating disconnections from the game are on the way.

Stardew Valley's 1.6 update will add a 1-week honeymoon period for newly-married players that will keep their spouses 'from laying in bed all day due to being upset'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/life-sim/stardew-valleys-16-update-will-add-a-1-week-honeymoon-period-for-newly-married-players-that-will-keep-their-spouses-from-laying-in-bed-all-day-due-to-being-upset/
The steady drip-drip-drip of Stardew Valley 1.6 patch notes continued apace today as creator Eric Barone revealed yet another change coming to the game. This one is all about wedded bliss, which will now have a "honeymoon period" that will keep everyone happy about their nuptials—for a while, anyway.
>> And 1,6 will also fix something that has been on Barone’s mind for years. Oh! And you’ll be able to drink mayonnaise… if that’s your thing.

Chris Roberts says Star Citizen is finally pushing for the 1.0 'finish line'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/mmo/chris-roberts-says-star-citizen-is-finally-pushing-for-the-10-finish-line/
Crowdfunded space sim Star Citizen achieved a new milestone recently—the first player to seamlessly jump between two star systems on different servers—and now the guy in charge, Cloud Imperium Games CEO Chris Roberts, is indicating that the 1.0 release might finally be in sight.
>> Not to be a hater or anything, but I’ll believe it when I see it.

Not only is Rainbow Six Siege free to play for the next week, it's also just $4 to keep if you like it
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/not-only-is-rainbow-six-siege-free-to-play-for-the-next-week-its-also-just-dollar4-to-keep-if-you-like-it/
We are already two days into a free week for Rainbow Six Siege, Ubisoft's long-running multiplayer take on its even longer-running tactical shooter series. The free week runs until Thursday, March 21, while you can get the game for keeps for just $4 (85% off) until Wednesday.
>> They posted it on Saturday and I post it today, leaving only two days to take advantage of the deal.

'You will not enjoy videogames anymore if you work in a big game studio:' New Blood's boss weighs in on what sets it apart amid an industry crisis
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/you-will-not-enjoy-videogames-anymore-if-you-work-in-a-big-game-studio-new-bloods-boss-weighs-in-on-what-sets-it-apart-amid-an-industry-crisis/
In a recent interview with members of indie collective/developer New Blood, I asked them how they attribute their current success in the face of so much misery, layoffs, and studio closures in the industry. "We're not beholden to shareholders or investors or anything like that," said studio boss Dave Oshry. "We get to make what we want⁠—that's our whole motto: 'we hate money.'
(...)
"People ask me a lot: 'Dave, if I want to get into games now, how do I start?' And I say don't. Quit. You should have started five to 10 years ago. Go to trade school, get a real job. Become a plumber. People need those.
"You don't want to be employee number 356772 that reports to somebody that reports to somebody that reports to somebody that makes the decisions. It sucks. The magic is gone. You will not enjoy videogames anymore if you work in a big game studio."

Commonwealth ships sail into World of Warships
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/commonwealth-ships-sail-into-world-of-warships/
It's not often I get the option to field Australian forces in a wargame—apart from Emu War! I guess—but the new Commonwealth tech tree in World of Warships adds Australian ships like the Cerberus alongside cruisers from various Commonwealth nations, including the New Zealand cruiser Auckland and India's Delhi.

Only one more news post left. You can do it!

Duck Game developer not fazed by potential publisher delisting: "I will never stop updating it as long as my hands and eyes work"
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/duck-game-developer-not-fazed-by-potential-publisher-delisting-i-will-never-stop-updating-it-as-long-as-my-hands-and-eyes-work/
The developer of cult classic local co-op party shooter Duck Game has taken to their blog to note that they own the Duck Game intellectual property and fully intend to keep developing the game up to and until some kind of apocalyptically bad scenario goes down regarding it. Yes, that includes the very real threat that Warner Bros, owner of publisher Adult Swim Games, delists the game and removes it from storefronts.

Much-loved board game Dune: Imperium has a digital version now, and it's getting rave response
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/board-games/much-loved-board-game-dune-imperium-has-a-digital-version-now-and-its-getting-rave-response/
Back in 2020 Dune: Imperium surprised people as a compelling, interesting, and downright tough strategy board game that adapted the world of Frank Herbert's Dune novels to the board game format. It has since risen into the top 10 all-time board games on industry bellwether BoardGameGeek.
Now, as of this week, Dire Wolf's digital adaptation of Dune: Imperium is on Steam and people are just as in love with it as the tabletop version: It's sitting at 96% positive of 1,175 user reviews at press time.

Star Wars Battlefront Classic Collection incorporated a modder's work after Aspyr promised it would not: 'This release has been a total mess'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/star-wars-battlefront-classic-collection-incorporated-a-modders-work-after-aspyr-promised-it-would-not-this-release-has-been-a-total-mess/
Balance has been restored to the Force. The well-liked Star Wars Dark Forces Remaster was followed by a Star Wars Battlefront Classic Collection that's not quite so well-liked. Among the early complaints was the fact the trailer showed a mod had been incorporated without the permission of the modder. Aspyr, the studio behind this remaster, swore  the actual release version wouldn't use anyone else's "code or content" without permission. And, while it's since been patched out, that didn't turn out to be true. On both PC and PlayStation, the launch version did indeed incorporate a mod that restored Asajj Ventress as a playable character. 
Ventress was exclusive to the Xbox version of Battlefront 2 back in 2005, but modder iamashaymin reskinned Aayla Secura to sneak her into the PC Version. That's why you can tell the footage captured in the Battlefront Classic Collection depicts iamashaymin's mod: Ventress is using Secura's animations and lightsabers. (Funnily enough, later versions of the mod do have Ventress's animations, so Aspyr hadn't even been using an up-to-date version of it.)

There's finally a picross game from legendary makers Jupiter on PC
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/puzzle/theres-finally-a-picross-game-from-legendary-makers-jupiter-on-pc/
Puzzle nerds, rejoice, for veteran picross makers Jupiter Corporation have finally released a picross game on PC. Logiart Grimoire, released this past week, is a cute little narrative-driven picross game about a magic book that somebody messed up by casting the spells wrong, so now you and weird buddy Emil need to untangle it by solving picross puzzles.

Protect the world's last tree from humanity in free tower defense From Ashes, Bloom
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/strategy/protect-the-worlds-last-tree-from-humanity-in-free-tower-defense-from-ashes-bloom/
Amidst a desert wasteland stands the last big proper tree, Gaia, and you are a weird blobby spirit who walks around on odd tentacles and may or may not have a weird little hat. Your job is to plant other, smaller trees—very aggressive ones—to protect the last tree itself from marauding hordes of attacking human beings who I can only assume want to finish the job of turning the whole world into a desert.
From Ashes, Bloom is available now on Steam for free which is a pretty good price for a videogame.
>> These pesky humans always ruining everything.

Automate bases to explore and terraform a huge open world in Eden Crafters
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/survival-crafting/automate-bases-to-explore-and-terraform-a-huge-open-world-in-eden-crafters/
Eden Crafters is a survival, crafting, and automation game set to release this year that puts you on a world hostile to life as you know it and asks you to turn it into a paradise for humanity. To do that you'll have to build up infrastructure that manufactures, houses, and fuels the machines you need for exploration, prospecting, and eventually terraforming.

Here's the demo for an adorable tower defense about green army men battling evil robots
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/strategy/heres-the-demo-for-an-adorable-tower-defense-about-green-army-men-battling-evil-robots/
Full-featured 3D tower defense games are pretty rare, but if that's your genre of choice you should go ahead and check out the demo for Toy Shire that released just last week. In Toy Shire you're a kid whose toys are at war with each other, as your brand new green army men battle the old waves or robots, dinosaurs, and the like determined to keep their place as the toys of choice.

Blood Bowl 3 gets Wood Elves, Resurrection mode, and a new roadmap
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/strategy/blood-bowl-3-gets-wood-elves-resurrection-mode-and-a-new-roadmap/
Blood Bowl 3 continues to trundle along somewhere between life and death, receiving a seasonal pass update every three months including a new team. Following last season's addition of the Shambling Undead, Season 4 brings us an agility team: Wood Elves.

Cities: Skylines 2 will finally start getting modding support, alongside some performance fixes and its first wave of paid DLC
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/city-builder/cities-skylines-2-will-finally-start-getting-modding-support-alongside-some-performance-fixes-and-its-first-wave-of-paid-dlc/
Cities: Skylines 2 has had a rocky launch, to say the least. Major performance problems and bugs have kicked its planned content patches a long way down the road, and the situation's been made worse by an absence of modding support at launch—something Colossal Order's CEO says is her team's "biggest regret". 
(...)
Still, for those downtrodden city designers there may be a small glimmer of hope. Colossal Order has announced the game's first asset pack post-launch and, crucially, the dawn of official mod support for the game. 

Helldivers 2 CEO becomes a blue beam denialist as mystery snipers allegedly take potshots at the playerbase: 'Blue beams aren't real, they can't hurt you'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/helldivers-2-ceo-becomes-a-blue-beam-denialist-as-mystery-snipers-allegedly-take-potshots-at-the-playerbase-blue-beams-arent-real-they-cant-hurt-you/
If I had a penny for every time Helldivers 2 players allegedly ran into a new enemy type, only for Arrowhead Studios' CEO to deny their existence entirely, I'd have two pennies. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it's happened twice. 
This time, the evidence is a lot thinner and less substantial—but first, some context is in order. Helldivers 2 is 'missing' a faction from the original game, something you can infer from how there's an entire southern slice of the Galactic Map without hostile forces in it.
The Illuminate from Helldivers 1 were a highly-sophisticated, Protoss-like faction with snipers, who would ruin OG Helldivers' day by hunting them from beyond its isometric camera with blue beams. Said lasers are the cause of this current conspiracy theory—here's a Reddit thread detailing an account from user Dye335, who was completely isolated when he was visited by the extraterrestrial menace.
>> For a moment I thought that today would be a Helldivers 2 news free day. I was wrong.

'You will not enjoy videogames anymore if you work in a big game studio:' New Blood's boss weighs in on what sets it apart amid an industry crisis

Funny thing, Tim Cain, creator of Fallout, who's been in industry for 40+ years, with latest game being Outer Words, just said today on his YT channel that he went semi-retired because industry is not as fun to work in anymore as it used to be.

lol still probably looking at 2030 for that to happen.

To be fair, I think that happens in a lot of jobs. The longer you've been in a job, the harder it becomes to be just a spectator or a user, and you tend to see it from your professinal point of view. And that takes away all the fun.

Given that they announced the game in 2012, that finish line may very well be one or two more years from now.

True, though he specifically underlined problem with modern day big studios development process as sucking out the fun out of game development.