It’s Thursday and these are the news:

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

The Epic Store gives away two games:

• The Big Con: https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/the-big-con
• Town of Salem 2: https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/town-of-salem-2-ab6497

Next week, they’ll give away INDUSTRIA and LISA: The Definitive Edition .

GOG has two very different sales:

• The Swords & Fireballs, Medieval Fantasy Sale brings up to 95% discounts during 7 days: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/20240418_medieval_fantasy_sale
• If you prefer Visual Novels, of all kinds, they’re also up to 95% off during the same 7 days: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/20240418_visual_novel

Steam has two deals:

• Party Hard 2 is going to be 80% off until April, the 24th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/572430/Party_Hard_2/
• And the free to play game Minion Masters celebrates its V2,0 update with free DLCs and also discounts on the developer’s older games, with up to 90% discounts. All until the same 24th: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/minionmasters2

The Humble Store hosts the Coffee Stain Publisher Sale, with up to 80% discounts during the next 6 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/coffee-stain-publisher-sale/.

Fanatical has a new Star Deal: Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor - Martyr Definitive Edition, 86% off until tomorrow’s refresh: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/warhammer-40-000-inquisitor-martyr-definitive-edition.

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

-Empty-

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

Take a Look at Fallout 4 With 120 Graphics Mods
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/take-a-look-at-fallout-4-with-120-graphics-mods/
YouTube’s ‘Cycu1’ has shared a video, comparing a heavily modded version of Fallout 4 (using around 120 graphics mods) with its vanilla version. This video comparison can give you an idea of how much better Fallout 4 with mods can look on PC.
As you can clearly see, the modded version looks more detailed than the vanilla version. I’ve also noticed some lighting enhancements and changes. For example, you can notice some fog effects in the distance now. And yes, there are now higher-quality textures for a lot of surfaces and objects.
Now what’s great here is that the YouTuber has shared the list of mods they used. So, the mod that he has used are NAC – Natural and Atmospheric Commonwealth alongside this Fallout 4 Mod List Collection. In order to further enhance the visuals, Cycu1 also used the Ultimate Immersion Fallout 4 ENB 2.0. Thus, you can make your game look exactly like the modded version that is being showcased here.
>> Cool while it lasts. We don’t know how many of those mods will still work once the Next Gen upgrade launches. Anyway, the article has an over 20 minutes video.

While everyone else is getting re-acquainted with Fallout, this maniac's bolting hundreds of mods together to turn Fallout 4 into Resident Evil 5
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/while-everyone-else-is-getting-re-acquainted-with-fallout-this-maniacs-bolting-hundreds-of-mods-together-to-turn-fallout-4-into-resident-evil-5/
Fallout's tagline may be "war never changes", but don't tell that to hero modder Quin. War has changed an awful lot in their Fallout world, which is now populated by zombies, dogs, and lickers, as well as being patrolled by the hunkiest version of Chris Redfield and a permanently irate Sheva Alomar. This is Fallout 4, except it's Resident Evil 5.
Quin's dedication to Fallout 4 is obvious from their YouTube channel, which has a boatload of videos showcasing various of the game's mods, but the overall theme is definitely Resident Evil. The modder has produced videos showcasing Fallout 4 modded to resemble various entries in the series, including things like the Tyrant and R.P.D. building from Resident Evil 2, and "Fallout 4 but it's Resident Evil 4 Remake."
(...)
Quin's put-together a gdoc listing all the mods they've used to transform Fallout 4 into the various Resident Evil games, and it's clearly been a Herculean task. The doc is 16 pages long and, though I may have miscounted, I think there are 249 mods listed. There's so many I'm surprised they're all playing nice with each other, and I'm sure Quin's had their struggles, but the cumulative effect is so mind-blowing you have to say it was worth the effort.
>> Same comment as the other one, except the article has one screenshot and a video longer than an hour.

GAMING NEWS

Bethesda has removed Denuvo from Ghostwire: Tokyo
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/bethesda-has-removed-denuvo-from-ghostwire-tokyo/
In April 2023, Bethesda released the Spider’s Thread Free Update for Ghostwire: Tokyo which added to the game the Denuvo anti-tamper tech. And today, almost a year after that update, Bethesda decided to remove the controversial anti-tamper tech.

No Rest for the Wicked Gets Steam Early Access PC Requirements
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/no-rest-for-the-wicked-gets-steam-early-access-pc-requirements/
No Rest for the Wicked is a game I’m really looking forward to. And today, Moon Studios revealed its PC system requirements for its upcoming Early Access phase.

Supergiant Games has launched the Technical Test for Hades 2
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/supergiant-games-has-launched-the-technical-test-for-hades-2/
Supergiant Games has just launched the Technical Test for its upcoming rogue-like dungeon crawler, Hades 2. PC gamers can now visit its Steam store page and sign up for it. The Technical Test is now live and once you sign up, you should be receiving your key in a matter of minutes or hours.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 trailer and release date leaked
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/kingdom-come-deliverance-2-trailer-and-release-date-leaked/
It appears that IGN has leaked the trailer and the release date for Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. Yup, Warhorse’s new title – which will be officially revealed later today – is indeed a sequel to Kingdom Come: Deliverance. Not only that but the game will be released later this year.

Dying Light 2 Nightmare Mode Update Released & Detailed
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/dying-light-2-nightmare-mode-update-released-detailed/
Techland has just released a new update for Dying Light 2: Stay Human that adds a new Nightmare Mode to it. This patch also brings some other tweaks, fixes and changes. So, let’s take a closer look at it.

The news, part two:

Dwarf Fortress's graphical adventure mode launches today, includes extremely Dwarf Fortress touches like '186 animal people portraits' and a unique sound effect for walking on soap
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/sim/dwarf-fortresss-graphical-adventure-mode-launches-today-including-extremely-dwarf-fortress-touches-like-186-animal-people-portraits-and-a-unique-sound-effect-for-walking-on-soap/
Adventure mode, Dwarf Fortress's lesser-appreciated RPG-style alternative to building and managing a colony of dwarves, is finally playable on Steam, with snazzy new pixel art graphics, a whole new set of songs, and the same detailed UI makeover the main mode got when it launched in late 2022. It's launching today in beta, which means it's not quite finished, but the bulk of the mode is there, allowing you to go into one of your own fortresses for a ground-level view or go out into the world in search of quests.

WoW: The War Within will tell its main story via delves and dungeons 'when it makes sense', giving me hope for an escape from 2 decades of raid-centric storytelling
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/world-of-warcraft/wow-the-war-within-will-tell-its-main-story-via-delves-and-dungeons-when-it-makes-sense-giving-me-hope-for-an-escape-from-2-decades-of-raid-centric-storytelling/
I've always wanted to love the setting of World of Warcraft—but its storytelling, gnarled up in confusing timelines, optional quests, raid cutscenes, and books,has always kept me at arm's length. Despite that, I've always been rooting for it to get better. That's mostly out of nostalgia, sure, but I also have a love for the mechanics of stories, and I like to cheer for an underdog.
(...)
Going to a recent alpha showcase event for The War Within, however, gave me hope for the game's narrative future. I spoke with associate design director Maria Hamilton in a one-on-one interview, as well as game director Ion Hazzikostas during a roundtable—and one point came up multiple times: The WoW team can really do more with its story, now, for good or for ill.
>> Talking about nostalgia, it’s something they’ve leaned into when developing this update.

Blizzard quietly had World of Warcraft players test run The War Within's biggest new feature last year: underground zones
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/world-of-warcraft/blizzard-quietly-had-world-of-warcraft-players-test-run-the-war-withins-biggest-new-feature-last-year-underground-zones/
Blizzard quietly had World of Warcraft Dragonflight players test run an upcoming The War Within feature without telling them.
Zaralek Cavern, which arrived last May in patch 10.1, lets you explore the zone underneath Dragonflight's main landmass at a scale never done before in the MMO. It works sort of like Elden Ring's underground areas except it's fully accessible without loading screens or long elevator rides. You can dip down there to finish some quests and leave whenever you like.

World of Warcraft's executive producer says the game's recent maverick events like Plunderstorm and MoP: Remix are owed to a squad of madcaps called 'the live team'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/world-of-warcraft/world-of-warcrafts-executive-producer-says-the-games-recent-maverick-events-like-plunderstorm-and-mop-remix-are-owed-to-a-squad-of-madcaps-called-the-live-team/
If you've been paying any attention to World of Warcraft in the past year or so, you'll have noticed that things are getting a little weird. Not in a bad way—in fact, while other MMORPGs would struggle with a content lull before their next big expansion, we're only a few months out from The War Within and there's never been so many ways to get your WoW fix.
(...)
Speaking to executive producer Holly Longdale in a group interview during a World of Warcraft: The War Within preview event, myself and several other journalists got to talking with her about WoW's new era of experimentation—unsurprisingly, Longdale says there's a whole team dedicated to throwing delicious gameplay spaghetti at the wall.
>> I don’t know if she’s part of that team or not, but one single developer worked on the arachnophobia filter to turn spiders into crabs.

People who don't play life sims might not understand that they're 'the most complex RPGs ever written,' says Life by You director
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/life-sim/rod-humble-interview-life-sim-inclusivity/
The Sims isn't the only PC life simulation game in town anymore. Dozens of smaller, more focused life sims have appeared in the years since Stardew Valley took off, and now upcoming Sims competitors like Paralives and Life by You are aiming for the same kind of broad home, relationship, family, and career simulation that EA's 24-year-old Sims series is synonymous with.
Life by You director Rod Humble, who was the head of The Sims series for several years in the 2000s, thinks the fundamental inclusivity of the life sim genre is responsible for its growth.
>> The director also welcomes paid mods.

Ready or Not studio Void Interactive confirms it was hacked in March but says 'no user-related data' was stolen
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/ready-or-not-studio-void-interactive-confirms-it-was-hacked-in-march-but-says-no-user-related-data-was-stolen/
Ready or Not developer Void Interactive has confirmed that it suffered a significant hack that saw at least some of the game's source code stolen, but said that no data relating to Ready or Not players or its own staff was taken.

One of Steam's best-reviewed games gets a surprise open world sequel, and it's a plunder-em-up built around rickety pirate robots
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/strategy/one-of-steams-best-reviewed-games-gets-a-surprise-open-world-sequel-and-its-a-plunder-em-up-built-around-rickety-pirate-robots/
SteamWorld Heist 2, sequel to Image and Form's 2016 sci-fi strategy game about bouncing bullets into rickety robots, is coming to PC on August 8th.
The surprise follow-up announced during the recent Nintendo Direct, and switches out the original's motley crew of space pirates for regular, water-based pirates. Assuming the role of the roguish Captain Leeway, you'll assemble your own crew of bionic buccaneers as you explore a Caribbean-like ocean called the Great Sea.

CDPR says the Witcher 4 is being 'intensively worked on' but Cyberpunk 2's still in the 'fairly early stages'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/cdpr-says-the-witcher-4-is-being-intensively-worked-on-but-cyberpunk-2s-still-in-the-fairly-early-stages/
In a new interview with Aftermath CDPR's Pawel Sasko, associate director of the next Cyberpunk game (codenamed Orion, but we'll call it Cyberpunk 2 for now), discussed some of the changes in production the studio's made since the infamously botched Cyberpunk 2077 launch. The crunch in the run-up to release got so intense that some key team members left CDPR shortly after the game's launch, and the then-CEO had to issue an apology to employees after saying the situation was "not that bad."

It's time to suit up and squish some bugs as Helldiver 2's latest Major Order tasks us with killing 2 billion Terminids
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/its-time-to-suit-up-and-squish-some-bugs-as-helldiver-2s-latest-major-order-tasks-us-with-killing-2-billion-terminids/
The latest Major Order for Helldivers 2 has just dropped and, while I think killing 2 billion bugs in a week sounds slightly excessive, it seems as if this is no challenge at all for the dedicated Divers hellbent on spreading democracy. 
>> By the way, Arrowhead is aware of an exploit to farm super credits, but isn’t too worried about it.

Descent 3 programmer releases the classic space shooter's source code, including a surprise patch developed 15 years ago but never released
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/descent-3-programmer-releases-the-classic-space-shooters-source-code-including-a-surprise-patch-developed-15-years-ago-but-never-released/
The source code for Descent 3 has been released, and is available to download now on Github.
Spotted by Linux programmer Daniel Gibson on Mastodon, the code was released by Descent 3 programmer Kevin Bentley earlier this week. Described by Bentley as the "latest version" of the code, it includes an unreleased '1.5' patch codesigned by Bentley and another Descent 3 designer, Kevin Slutter, several years ago.

Congratulations! That's a great deal you got there.

Because Counter Strike has always been a PC game while Halo was mostly a console game with ony the first two games ported to PC, with the second one requiring Vista (I think), and therefore lacks the same community that CS and other games has.

It’s Time To Bid Farewell To AMD RDNA 2 “Radeon RX 6000” GPUs, Inventory Hits Rock Bottom

https://wccftech.com/time-to-bid-farewell-to-amd-rdna-2-radeon-rx-6000-gpus-inventory-hits-rock-bottom/

2023 Semiconductor Report Shows TSMC On Top of The List With NVIDIA Gaining Big, Intel 2nd & AMD At 8th Position

https://wccftech.com/2023-semiconductor-report-tsmc-top-nvidia-gaining-big-intel-2nd-amd-8th-position/

Samsung HBM4 Memory In Development For 2025 Debut: 16-Hi Stacks & 3D Packaging

https://wccftech.com/samsung-hbm4-memory-development-2025-debut-16-hi-stacks-3d-packaging/

ASUS Confirms Ryzen 9000 “Zen 5 Granite Ridge” CPU Support For AM5 Motherboards With AMD AGESA 1.1.7.0 BIOS

https://wccftech.com/asus-ryzen-9000-zen-5-granite-ridge-cpu-support-am5-motherboards-amd-agesa-1-1-7-0-bios/

Forget MSRP: Multiple Radeon RX 7700 XT cards now available at $399

https://videocardz.com/newz/forget-msrp-multiple-radeon-rx-7700-xt-cards-now-available-at-399

Tipping when buying games? Hell no.

The 6000 series were good cards, hindered by the mining craze, but with the new cards coming late this year (hopefully), it makes sense that AMD has moved on. Hopefully that means more deals for the 7000 series, like those ones for the 7700XT,which should have always being a $400 card to begin with.

Let’s do the Friday news, shall we?

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

The Humble Store has two new sales:

• The Pixel Paradox Sale brings up to 90% discounts for the next 6 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/pixel-paradise/
• Publisher Curve Games puts its titles up to 90% off during 6 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/curve-games-publisher-sale/

Fanatical has two new deals:

• The Star Deal is Monster Hunter World: Iceborne Master Edition, 73% off during 24 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/monster-hunter-world-iceborne-master-edition
• And publisher Gamera Games celebrates its 6th anniversary putting its games on sale with up to 75% discounts during 5 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/publishers/gamera-games

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

-Nothing-

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

-Also nothing-

GAMING NEWS

F1 24 is coming to PC on May 31st, will support Ray Tracing and VR
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/f1-24-is-coming-to-pc-on-may-31st-will-support-ray-tracing-and-vr/
Electronic Arts has announced that the next part in its F1 racing series, F1 24, will be released on May 31st. In addition, Codemasters revealed the game’s PC requirements, as well as its PC features. And yes, once again, the game will support Ray Tracing and VR on PC.

First Screenshots for the Unreal Engine 5-powered The Wolf Among Us 2
https://www.dsogaming.com/screenshot-news/first-screenshots-for-the-unreal-engine-5-powered-the-wolf-among-us-2/
In 2022, Telltale Games officially announced The Wolf Among Us 2. Since then, though, we haven’t heard anything a lot about this game. Well, that may change as Geoff Keighley has shared the first screenshots from it, and he has stated that the game is in full production.

Unreal Engine 5-powered Unending Dawn Gets New 7-Minute Gameplay Trailer
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/unreal-engine-5-powered-unending-dawn-gets-new-7-minute-gameplay-trailer/
Parcaes Fate Studio has released a new 7-minute gameplay trailer for its upcoming open-world action game that will be powered by Unreal Engine 5, Unending Dawn.

Capcom has detailed the next major update for Dragon’s Dogma 2
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/capcom-has-detailed-the-next-major-update-for-dragons-dogma-2/
Capcom has just detailed the next major title update for Dragon’s Dogma 2 that will be released on PC later this month. And, in case you’re wondering, no. This patch will not bring any significant performance improvements or CPU optimizations. Moreover, there is still no word on when the game will support DLSS 3 Frame Generation.

Friday news, part two:

Fallout New Vegas director Josh Sawyer says its gruelling card game is actually 'not that hard' and you cowards need to 'try again'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/fallout-new-vegas-director-josh-sawyer-says-its-gruelling-card-game-is-actually-not-that-hard-and-you-cowards-need-to-try-again/
I'll front with you real quick, I've never played a game of Caravan. Apparently, neither have half the PC Gamer team, even the ones who sank hundreds of hours into Fallout New Vegas. It seems like there's a surprising lack of interest in the card game, or, according to a good chunk of the community, it is too stupidly difficult for its own good.
Except, New Vegas director Josh Sawyer thinks you're all wrong. As reported by GamesRadar, Sawyer responded to a tweet which read "I'mma keep it real with you Fallout New Vegas, I still don't know how to play Caravan" by writing: "It's more complicated than Samuel's Lansquenet [from Pentiment] but not that hard imo".

Manor Lords dev reminds everyone that it's not a 'Total War competitor' or a 'fast-paced RTS like Age of Empires'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/city-builder/manor-lords-dev-reminds-everyone-that-its-not-a-total-war-competitor-or-a-fast-paced-rts-like-age-of-empires/
Ahead of Manor Lords' early access launch on April 26, developer Greg Styczeń aka Slavic Magic wants to clarify what the city builder actually is and manage the expectations of prospective players. The game is currently the most-wishlisted title on Steam and, while this is a nice problem for any developer to have, it does mean anticipation is high, so Styczeń wants wannabe nobles to know what they're getting into. 
>> What you won’t find in the game, is a know exploit for infinite money, because it’s been fixed.

Instead of making Baldur's Gate 4, Larian is working on 2 new projects based on its own IPs, and CEO Swen Vincke reckons it'll result in the studio's 'best work ever'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/instead-of-making-baldurs-gate-4-larian-is-working-on-two-new-projects-based-on-its-own-ips-and-ceo-swen-vincke-reckons-itll-result-in-the-studios-best-work-ever/
Larian might have decided against making Baldur's Gate 4, but the studio is already hard at work outlining its next project. Or should I say, projects. In its latest community update shared on Steam, Larian revealed that in lieu of another Baldur's Gate sequel, it is currently developing two new projects.

Baldur's Gate 3's Patch 7 is bringing the blood-curdling horror the game's evil endings deserve
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/baldurs-gate-3s-patch-7-is-bringing-the-blood-curdling-horror-the-games-evil-endings-deserve/
Still basking in a post-BAFTA sweep afterglow, Larian has shared an update on Steam detailing what to expect from Baldur's Gate 3 in the immediate future, and from the studio further down the line. The marquee inclusions of Baldur's Gate 3's upcoming Patch 7 are the game's expanded evil ending cutscenes, a corollary to the feel-good party all the well-adjusted and happy gamers already got. Spoilers for all those endings ahead.
>> This will also be the patch that brings the modding tools.

The Future Games Show Summer Showcase is back with a bang this June, and here's where and when to watch
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/events-conferences/the-future-games-show-summer-showcase-is-back-with-a-bang-this-june-and-heres-where-and-when-to-watch/
Roll up for the greatest gaming extravaganza known to humankind, beast and Lovecraftian abomination alike: the Future Games Show Summer Showcase will return on June 8. Following on from the Future Games Show Spring Showcase, watched live by 8.5 million people, the event will feature over 40 upcoming games across PC and something called consoles. 

Paradox apologizes for latest Cities: Skylines 2 boondoggle, will give refunds for the Beach Properties DLC: '[We] hope we can regain your trust going forward'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/sim/paradox-apologizes-for-latest-cities-skylines-2-boondoggle-will-give-refunds-for-the-beach-properties-dlc-we-hope-we-can-regain-your-trust-going-forward/
The first post-launch DLC for Cities: Skylines 2, Beach Properties, arrived in March, and it did not go well. Players already irritated by the state of the game felt the DLC—an asset pack, with no new features—wasn't worth its $10/£8.49 price, and predictably a new wave of negative reviews flowed into Steam. The Beach Properties DLC itself is rated as "overwhelmingly negative," with just 4% positive user reviews on Steam.
Three weeks after its release, Colossal Order CEO Mariina Hallikainen and Paradox deputy CEO Mattias Lilja have released a joint statement apologizing for, well, pretty much everything really, and promising a do-over on the Beach Properties DLC by giving a refund to most players who bought it and making it free for all players. Those who got the DLC as part of the Cities: Skylines 2 Ultimate Edition will not be given a refund because of the "significant complexities" involved in issuing a partial refund; instead, they'll be given three Creator Packs and three radio stations with a collective value of $40 that are expected to be ready near the end of 2024.

'The concerns about claustrophobia were a major aspect' of desiging World of Warcraft: The War Within's underground zones, says director
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/world-of-warcraft/the-concerns-about-claustrophobia-were-a-major-aspect-of-desiging-world-of-warcraft-the-war-withins-underground-zones-says-director/
When Blizzard first conceived of The War Within, the next World of Warcraft expansion that would literally take players inside the planet of Azeroth, there was one big worry.
"The concerns about claustrophobia were a major aspect coming into this, from the very earliest planning," game director Ion Hazzikostas said in a recent group interview with PC Gamer.

This enchanting fantasy city builder packed with fairytale adventures launches in May
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/city-builder/this-enchanting-fantasy-city-builder-packed-with-fairytale-adventures-launches-in-may/
April is a monster month for city builders, with the Frostpunk 2 beta having arrived this week, top wishlist pick Manor Lords launching next week, and the arrival of several other city building games like Vertical Kingdom, Laysara: Summit Kingdom, and Of Life And Land.
But keep your eyes peeled because when it comes to city builders, May is no slouch either. One of my favorite city builders, Fabledom, is leaving early access with version 1.0 on May 13. Peep the short but sweet trailer below.

Braid: Anniversary Edition will feature 40 'brand new and/or alternate redesigns of original levels,' and is also delayed into May
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/puzzle/braid-anniversary-edition-will-feature-40-brand-new-andor-alternate-redesigns-of-original-levels-and-is-also-delayed-into-may/
16 years after the release of the original Braid, four years after the announcement of the remake, five months after the reveal of the remake's launch date, and just 12 days before it was finally set to happen, Braid: Anniversary Edition has been delayed. The good news is that it's just a brief postponement: Instead of arriving on April 30 as planned, it's now set to come out on May 14.

Stardew Valley's latest patch 'adds two inappropriate names to the list to exclude from the name generator' and I am dying to know what they are
https://www.pcgamer.com/life-sim/stardew-valley-164-update-patch-notes/
The Stardew Valley 1.6.4 update is now live on PC and it is surprisingly beefy, including new content, balance changes, visual improvements, fixes, and gameplay tweaks.

Well yes, today there’s a third part:

Blizzard backs down on unpopular Hearthstone change, so now weekly quests will 'only' waste twice as much of your time, rather than triple
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/card-games/blizzard-backs-down-on-unpopular-hearthstone-change-so-now-weekly-quests-will-only-waste-twice-as-much-of-your-time-rather-than-triple/
As our Tim Clark wrote when he complained about live service games wasting players' time just to boost phoney player engagement numbers, "almost everyone reading this will be familiar with games that use predatory design in order to keep players logged in, whether that be to juice those all-important Daily Average User numbers so beloved of shareholders, or just in the hope that you might crack and drop some dollars in the MTX store." 
The main example he gave was of Hearthstone's revised weekly quest system, which tripled the targets players would have to reach to clear those quests while only offering an additional 20% boost in experience points. It was not a popular change, to say the least.
Blizzard responded swiftly with the typical "we've heard your feedback" message, saying, "it's clear that we pushed too far." But rather than scrap the changes altogether, they've simply been revised, and not by that much. As the latest patch notes show, the new weekly quests are things like "Play Battlecry cards 75 times (instead of 100)" and "Win ranked Hearthstone games 10 times (instead of 15)". While the initial change tripled the difficulty of completing quests, this iteration still doubles them, and for the same piddling increase in rewards. 

Visions of Mana won't have multiplayer, but producer Masaru Oyamada wants 'to implement features like that in the future'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/visions-of-mana-wont-have-multiplayer-but-producer-masaru-oyamada-wants-to-implement-features-like-that-in-the-future/
Visions of Mana is the first new entry in Square Enix's Mana series in 15 years, and with that comes some fundamental changes. Following my hands-on preview with Visions of Mana, I had the chance to ask producer Masaru Oyamada if cooperative multiplayer was ever considered for Visions of Mana, and if multiplayer had a place in the Mana series' future.

Helldivers 2 players eradicate 2 billion bugs in less than a day, surprising even themselves
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/helldivers-2-players-eradicate-2-billion-bugs-in-less-than-a-day-surprising-even-themselves/
Yesterday, Helldivers 2 players were presented with the simple yet daunting task of killing 2 billion Terminids as part of the newest Major Order. Some soldiers voiced concern over getting the task done within a week, but it seems as if they had nothing to worry about. 
The notification went through this morning that this monumental task is done and tidied away with more than enough time to spare, as 2 billion bugs were killed in just over 12 hours. While a few people still differ in opinion on whether this Major Order was actually difficult, considering how many people consistently play Helldivers 2, the achievement has still come as a surprise to some. 

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 isn't just bigger, it's more diverse, with Warhorse adding a 'wide Range of Ethnicities and Different characters'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/kingdom-come-deliverance-2-isnt-just-bigger-its-more-diverse-with-warhorse-adding-a-wide-range-of-ethnicities-and-different-characters/
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 was revealed yesterday, and is set to be a considerably larger and more comprehensive representation of medieval life. As part of this, it's set to address one of the more controversial elements of the first game, its lack of diversity.

While everyone else gets hyped about Fallout, Todd Howard is promising some 'really good updates' for Starfield
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/while-everyone-else-gets-hyped-about-fallout-todd-howard-is-promising-some-really-good-updates-for-starfield/
(...)
In a new interview with IGN talking about Fallout, Bethesda CEO Todd Howard briefly touches on the studio's upcoming games. He mentions most of the big names, though studiously steers clear of the question's focus on (what else) Fallout 5. Howard has previously said that the rough plan is Elder Scrolls 6, then Fallout 5. Still the case?
(...)
Howard has some kind words for Fallout 76's community ("surprisingly, it's a very, very nice apocalypse") before getting onto Bethesda's most recent title. "We're doing a lot of Starfield work as well," says Howard. "So we have some really good updates that are going to get announced soon for that game. So, a lot going on here."

Here are the GOG and Steam deals for the weekend:

+GOG

• The first Deal of the Day is Afterdream, 19% off during 70 hours: https://www.gog.com/en/game/afterdream
• The second DotD is Emperor of the Fading Suns Enhanced, with a 40% discount until Monday: https://www.gog.com/en/game/emperor_of_the_fading_suns
• The third, and last, DotD is the Dragon's Lair Trilogy, 60% off until Monday’s refresh: https://www.gog.com/en/game/dragons_lair_trilogy
• And there’s also a new sale: the Gamera Publisher Sale, with up to 70% discounts until April, the 25th: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/20240419_gamera_publisher_sale

+Steam

• The first one is Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, 30% off until the 23rd: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2186680/Warhammer_40000_Rogue_Trader/
• The Inquisitor, that has a demo, gets a 20% discount until the 25th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1880470/The_Inquisitor/
• Tomb Raider I-III Remastered will be 25% off until Thursday: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2478970/Tomb_Raider_IIII_Remastered_Starring_Lara_Croft/
• Escape Academy features a 50% discount until Thursday, the 25th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1812090/Escape_Academy/
• Synth Riders will also be 50% off until the 25th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/885000/Synth_Riders/
• Subnautica Ultimate Collection gets a 70% discount until the 25th of April (or, at least, the individual parts do): https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/21469/Subnautica_Ultimate_Collection/
• The last one is Golf With Your Friends, that’s free to play during the weekend and has a 67% deal until April, 29: https://store.steampowered.com/app/431240/Golf_With_Your_Friends/

And that’s all for this week. Until next time, I wish you a happy and gaming weekend.

NVIDIA Acknowledges “Strong Competition” In AI Market, Reaffirms Company’s Business Not Just Hardware But Software Too

https://wccftech.com/nvidia-acknowledges-strong-competition-ai-reaffirms-business-not-just-hardware-software-too/

Nouveau’s Lead Maintainer Reportedly Joins NVIDIA, Developing Open-Source Solutions

https://wccftech.com/nouveaus-lead-maintainer-reportedly-joins-nvidia-developing-open-source-solutions/

Intel Confirms DDR5-8800 Memory For Granite Rapids “Xeon 6” CPUs, JEDEC DDR5-8800 For Next-Gen Servers

https://wccftech.com/intel-confirms-ddr5-8800-memory-granite-rapids-xeon-6-cpus-jedec-next-gen-servers/

All Radeon RX 7000 and GeForce RTX 40 cards are now below MSRP in Germany

https://videocardz.com/newz/all-radeon-rx-7000-and-geforce-rtx-40-cards-are-now-below-msrp-in-germany

Qualcomm teases Snapdragon X launch for April 24th

https://videocardz.com/newz/qualcomm-teases-snapdragon-x-launch-for-april-24th