Brace yourselves. Just because I didn’t post the news yesterday, that doesn’t mean that they stopped writing articles.

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

Over half of Helldivers 2 sales have been on PC in the US: 'Already the 7th highest grossing Sony published game in history'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/over-half-of-helldivers-2-sales-have-been-on-pc-in-the-us-already-the-7th-highest-grossing-sony-published-game-in-history/
When Helldivers 2 came out in February, Sony decided to try something different. It let developer Arrowhead Game Studios launch the PlayStation-published co-op shooter on both PS5 and PC on day one, instead of the publisher's usual tactic of making PC ports three to four years after the PlayStation version.
Helldivers 2 enjoying three straight months (and counting) as a Steam top seller suggests Sony's first simultaneous launch was a huge success, but until now, we didn't know how Helldivers 2's PC version compared to the PS5.
Turns out, in terms of money coming in, Helldivers 2 is bigger on PC in the US. That's according to industry analyst Mat Piscatella at Circana (formerly NPD group), who shared some insights on Twitter from official sales information provided by Sony.
"PC has been a huge part of the success of Helldivers 2 in the US," Piscatella wrote. "With PC, Helldivers II is already the 7th highest grossing Sony published game in history. Without PC it wouldn't currently rank among the top 20."

The Epic Store gives away:

• Cat Quest II: https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/cat-quest-ii-9dbefc
• Orcs Must Die! 3: https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/combo-a7e03a

Next week, they’ll give away Circus Electrique.

GOG has a bunch of new stuff for us:

• These are the Deals of the Day, that will last another 22 hours:
  • The NSFW LustyVerse: Passion on Display is 10% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/lustyverse_passion_on_display
  • War Hospital has a 20% discount: https://www.gog.com/en/game/war_hospital
  • The Last Starship, still in Early Access, is 40% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/the_last_starship
  • The Cave features a 70% discount: https://www.gog.com/en/game/the_cave
• We knew it was coming, the May the 4th Sale is here with up to 75% discounts during the next 4 days: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/may_the_4th_2024
• There is also a Sci-Fi Sale with the games being u pto 95% off during 6 days: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/20240501_sci_fi_sale
• A JRPG Sale gives us the chance to get games up to 95% off during 6 days: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/20240501_jrpg_sale
• And the Chest of Treasures Sale features up to 90% discounts during 14 days: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/2024_chest_of_treasures

At Steam we find Amazing Cultivation Simulator, with a 32% deal until May, the 15th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/955900/Amazing_Cultivation_Simulator/.

There are two new deals at Humble:

• Humble Bundle has the Team17: From Golf Greens to Battle Scenes bundle, with up to 9 items to get during 20 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/games/team17-from-golf-greens-to-battle-scenes
• The Humble Store has the THQ Nordic Publisher Sale, with up to 80% deals for 5 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/thq-publisher-sale/

Fanatical started its May Madness Sale yesterday, and here are some of the deals:

• These are today’s Flash Deals, available during 24 hours
  • Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, 39% off: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/like-a-dragon-infinite-wealth
  • Shantae and the Seven Sirens, with a 66% discount: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/shantae-and-the-seven-sirens
  • Saints Row Gold Edition, 71% off: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/saints-row-gold-edition-epic
• The BYO Platinum Collection – May 2024 is here: https://www.fanatical.com/en/pick-and-mix/platinum-collection-build-your-own-bundle
• There’s a Spin to Win feature with the sale. Learn more here: https://www.fanatical.com/en/blog/free-rewards-in-fanatical-may-madness-wheel
• And there’s a Chance to Win Naruto-branded Accessories. Again, learn more here: https://www.fanatical.com/en/blog/lexip-and-fanatical-naruto-accessories

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

-Nope-

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

You can now enable Path Tracing in all the latest Resident Evil games
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/you-can-now-enable-path-tracing-in-all-the-latest-resident-evil-games/
Remember the Path Tracing Mod for Dragon’s Dogma 2? Well, good news for all our Resident Evil fans as you can also use it to enable Path Tracing in all the latest RE games.
To make Path Tracing work, you’ll need to get EXXXcellent’s mod, which adds extra graphics choices. Then, you use Praydog’s REFramework to add the mod to the RE games.
(...)
To show what Path Tracing can offer in the RE games, Reddit user JoHien posted some screenshots for comparison. On the left, you’ve got the regular version, and on the right, you’ve got the one with Path Tracing.
>> The article also has the instructions to make the mod work.

Skywind, Morrowind Remake Mod for Skyrim, Gets a 2024 Video Update
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/skywind-morrowind-remake-mod-for-skyrim-gets-a-2024-video-update/
The team behind Skywind, the Morrowind Remake Mod in Skyrim, has released its first behind-the-scenes progress update video in three years.
In “The Road So Far”, the team first takes a look at its project’s history, including its beginnings as a spin-off of Morroblivion and its “Wild West” forum days.
Then, it talks about its overall progress, going into minute detail. The team has taken a microscope to each of its departments, breaking down the most important metrics for how much they have done and what they still have ahead of them.
For those unaware, Skywind is a free fan-made mod for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. It’s a project that aims to recreate the world of Morrowind with Skyrim’s graphics and features. Not only that but Skywind’s user interface, combat, graphics, and system requirements will be similar to those of Skyrim. So, if you can run Skyrim, you’ll be good to go for Skywind.

Deus Ex RTX Remix Mod V0.2.3 Released, Improving the Quality of the Path Tracing Lighting
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/deus-ex-rtx-remix-mod-v0-2-3-released-improving-the-quality-of-the-path-tracing-lighting/
Modder ‘Onno Jongbloed’ has released a new version of his RTX Remix Mod for ION Storm’s classic 2000 FPS, Deus Ex. Version 0.2.3 will improve the quality of the Path Tracing lighting, so it’s a must for everyone who wants to replay this classic FPS with this mod.
According to the modder, Deus Ex Echelon Renderer V0.2.3 fixes some lighting issues that affected its previous version. As such, the lighting should now be much closer to the original.
>> The article has some screenshots and a short video.

The Witcher 3 just got a new mod that allows you to ride a Griffin
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/the-witcher-3-new-mod-ride-griffin/
Modder ‘apokryphos’ has released a pretty cool mod for The Witcher 3 that allows you to summon and ride a Griffin. This mod will allow you to travel quickly and explore the world of TW3, without actually using a fast travel.
The Griffin is the first boss players encounter in The Witcher 3. So, a mod that actually makes it possible to ride one somehow makes sense. Not only that but it’s cool flying around so that you can get to your destination. At least in my opinion.
>> There’s a roughly 1 minute video of the mod.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim now has a cool dynamic sanity system
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim-now-has-a-cool-dynamic-sanity-system/
Modder ‘JaySerpa’ has released an amazing new mod for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition that adds a dynamic sanity system to it. This is a must for everyone who wants to replay this classic TES game. So, let’s take a closer look at it.
The “Stress and Fear – A Dynamic Sanity System” Mod for Skyrim lets your character feel stressed and scared based on what you do in fights. The modder says this will make cool stories and different adventures in your game. So, you should definitely give it a try.
Going into more details, when you get hit in a fight, you’ll feel more stressed out. And, if enough stress accumulates, it will reduce your stamina and magicka. But you reduce your stress by doing things like drinking, eating, sleeping in a safe spot, petting dogs, playing music, or fishing.
Now if you get hurt badly by a certain type of enemy, you might develop a phobia. But here’s the cool part: you can overcome that fear by fighting and winning against that enemy type. It might take a few tries, though, as the system is random based. Not only that but once you conquer your fear, you’ll be better at fighting that enemy, and you won’t be scared of them anymore.
>> There’s a three minutes video in the article.

New Dragon’s Dogma 2 Mod forces the highest quality normal maps, and fixes a compression issue that could affect every single texture
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/new-dragons-dogma-2-mod-forces-the-highest-quality-normal-maps-and-fixes-a-compression-issue-that-could-affect-every-single-texture/
Modder ‘beethy’ has released a new mod for Dragon’s Dogma 2 that forces the highest quality normal maps. Moreover, this mod fixes a compression issue that could affect every single texture.
While this is a simple mod, it will improve the image quality of the game. Not only that but it does not come with any performance hit. So, this is a must for pretty much everyone.
As the modder noted, even though the total package size of the mod is large, it’s extremely light on VRAM. That’s because beethy duplicated each file to force the game to load the highest quality normals, as it often decides to load in Very Low quality ones, even at max settings.
I hope that Capcom will officially implement these tweaks via a future patch. After all, these seem to be bugs that can, for no apparent reason, degrade the game’s image.
>> The article only has a couple of screenshots.

GAMING NEWS

Here are the PC system requirements for Gray Zone Warfare
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/here-are-the-pc-system-requirements-for-gray-zone-warfare/
Well, better late than never I guess. MADFINGER Games has just released Gray Zone Warfare on Steam Early Access, and it shared its official PC system requirements. So, let’s take a look at them.
>> Be careful when picking your faction, it may prevent you from playing with your friends.

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 Gets Official Minimum PC Requirements
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/senuas-saga-hellblade-2-gets-official-minimum-pc-requirements/
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 is one of the most anticipated games of 2024. And earlier today, Ninja Theory shared its official minimum PC system requirements. So, let’s take a look at them.

EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 6 officially hits PC on July 25th
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/earth-defense-force-6-officially-hits-pc-on-july-25th/
D3Publisher has announced that EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 6 will bee officially released on PC on July 25th. To celebrate this announcement, the publisher shared a new gameplay trailer that you can find below.

DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO looks amazing in its latest gameplay trailer
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/dragon-ball-sparking-zero-just-got-a-new-cool-gameplay-trailer-2/
Bandai Namco has released a new gameplay trailer for DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO, showcasing a lot of the characters that will be available in it.

Warner Bros announced a new official Batman Arkham VR game
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/warner-bros-announced-a-new-official-batman-arkham-vr-game/
Batman fans, we have some good and some bad news for you today. The good news is that a new Batman: Arkham game is in development. The bad news is that it will be a VR game that will be released exclusively on the Meta Quest 3.

Square Enix has removed Denuvo from Star Ocean The Second Story R
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/square-enix-has-removed-denuvo-from-star-ocean-the-second-story-r/
Square Enix has just removed Denuvo from the remake of Star Ocean The Second Story, Star Ocean The Second Story R. Star Ocean The Second Story R came out on PC in November 2023, meaning that it took around five/six months in order to remove it.

Thursday news, part two:

Software dev joins ranks of history's greatest monsters by adding microtransactions to the original Doom
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/software-dev-joins-ranks-of-historys-greatest-monsters-by-adding-microtransactions-to-the-original-doom/
It should go without saying that we all live in hell. A tin of beans costs £2, the Gulf Stream is giving up, and (worst of all) Blizzard wants $65 for a Diablo horse. If only we could return to those halcyon days before memory: The '90s. Things were simple then, with shared wares aplenty and an internet that was still young and warm and wild and free. Just imagine how many more microtransactions we could spring on those naive suckers before they cottoned on.
Such is the bold vision of Guy Dupont, a developer whose recent entry into the Boston Stupid Shit Nobody Needs and Terrible Ideas Hackathon was the most sacrilegious gag I've ever seen: He added microtransactions into Doom earlier this month. That's the original, 1993 Doom. Can he ever be forgiven? No.

Helldivers 2 devs confirm rockets aren't ricocheting, though the Eruptor's shrapnel backfire has been headshotting patriots: 'we're looking to completely remove the shrapnel effect'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/helldivers-2-players-decry-broken-ricochet-changes-then-realise-its-probably-just-shrapnel-from-the-now-deadly-eruptor/
Helldivers 2's latest patch introduced a new wrinkle into your average diver's shoot loop—deadlier ricochets. As the patch notes read: "Shots that ricochet from heavy armored enemies will now properly hit the Helldiver who fired them. Trigger discipline is highly recommended."
Recent updates
April 30, 2024: Arrowhead Games has released an official statement about the nature of the Ricochet changes which, for the most part, has confirmed the suspicions and debunks of Super Earth's community R&D officers.
>> If that’s not enough, the balance patch also made Stalkers completely invisible.

Deliver Us Mars studio lays off all staff after funding efforts fall through
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/deliver-us-mars-studio-lays-off-all-staff-after-funding-efforts-fall-through/
Deliver Us Mars developer KeokeN Interactive has laid off its entire team after being unable to secure funding for future projects. The studio said in today's announcement that it has "exhausted all our possible options for publishing, work for hire, and co-development."

An Xbox Games Showcase is coming in June and it sure looks like the next Call of Duty is going to be there
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/events-conferences/an-xbox-games-showcase-is-coming-in-june-and-it-sure-looks-like-the-next-call-of-duty-is-going-to-be-there/
Microsoft is holding an Xbox Games Showcase in June, which will be its first big online event featuring games from its still-relatively-new crown jewel, Activision Blizzard. It's also teasing a follow-on presentation similar to the Starfield Direct stream in 2023 but focused on an all-new game, and while it's keeping the title of that game under wraps for now, we're pretty sure we know what it is.

Ex-Lego game devs formed a new studio to explore a completely different genre: Funko Pops
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/funko-fusion-release-date/
The Lego games developed by Traveller's Tales—Lego Star Wars, Lego Marvel, all of those—are held up as some of the best examples of family-friendly licensed games. Now the former heads of that studio are trying to repeat those years of Lego success, but with a toy that isn't quite as universally beloved: the big-headed, vacant-eyed vinyl figures sometimes seen lining shelves of YouTubers and Twitch streamers.

Buckle up—Hasbro spent over $1 billion on games and has plans for 'the next 100 years', since Baldur's Gate 3 proved fans 'like a great, well-executed D&D game'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/baldurs-gate/buckle-uphasbro-has-spent-over-dollar1-billion-on-games-and-has-plans-for-the-next-100-years-since-baldurs-gate-3-proved-fans-like-a-great-well-executed-dandd-game/
Unless you've been living under a rock, you'll know that Baldur's Gate 3 did well—winning just about every major Game of the Year award, starting industry-wide conversations about the quality of videogames, and getting one of our highest-ever review scores. 
It's also done remarkably well as a licensing deal for Hasbro, which owns Wizards of the Coast, which created Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition—the tabletop rules system Baldur's Gate 3 is built on top of.
Unfortunately for said company, Larian's moving onto different, if not greener pastures—but Dan Ayoub, head of digital product development at Wizards of the Coast, says there's no plans on stopping the company's forward march: "Hasbro is in fact making videogames … we have a considerable investment in our studio structure; we've got over $1 billion in games right now being developed."
>> Talking about BG 3, there’s a lore explanation as to why you find so much stuff around.

Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty's third deadliest boss is an OSHA-violating garage, making it 86.6% as dangerous as a giant killer robo-tank
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/cyberpunk-2077-phantom-libertys-third-deadliest-boss-is-an-osha-violating-garage-making-it-866-as-deadly-as-a-giant-killer-robo-tank/
Cyberpunk 2077's triumphant DLC, Phantom Liberty, added some fun bosses to the game—including a giant enemy (mecha) crab robot… thing. I guess it's more of a beetle really, being a hexapod. 
The Chimera 0005-C M is a Militech monster that sweeps the area with a deadly laser, though you can snag its core and get a couple neat weapon mods for your trouble scrapping it. It's also only 13.4% deadlier than a set of rickety catwalks in an abandoned garage somewhere. No, really.
(...)
As revealed by CDPR on its official Twitter account (thanks, GamesRadar), the three deadliest bosses of Phantom Liberty are as follows: The aforementioned Chimera with over 3 million kills, the Militech Cerberus MK-II with over 2.9 million kills, and a set of rickety, OSHA-violating catwalks with over 2.6 million kills.

4X RTS Sins of a Solar Empire 2 is finally coming to Steam this summer with a new faction and modding tools
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rts/4x-rts-sins-of-a-solar-empire-2-is-finally-coming-to-steam-this-summer-with-a-new-faction-and-modding-tools/
I was beyond excited when I chatted to developer Ironclad about the imminent arrival of Sins of a Solar Empire 2 back in 2022. With its simulated celestial mechanics and modular ship design, it sounded like a significant step up from its brilliant predecessor. But like so many in-development games that launch exclusively on the Epic Games Store, it soon left my brain. Even with all its discoverability issues, Steam simply makes it easier to keep track of games. So it's good news, then, that Sins of a Solar Empire 2's exclusivity is coming to an end, heralding its arrival on Steam this summer. 
Update: Publisher Stardock has clarified that Sins of a Solar Empire 2 is an "ongoing service" rather than an early access game now. This does feel a bit like a matter of semantics, though, given that the Advent faction is still to come and the game is yet to be put in the hands of reviewers. Stardock CEO Brad Wardell notes, however, that the goal was to leave early access when it had as much or more content than the original game at launch—a milestone he says was achieved last year. 

Square Enix announces it's tanked $140 million in losses due to 'content abandonment', though there's no clue as to what's been dropped—and where
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/square-enix-announces-its-tanked-dollar140-million-in-losses-due-to-content-abandonment-though-theres-no-clue-as-to-whats-been-droppedand-where/
In a continuation of Square Enix's promise to review its development processes "from scratch", the gaming giant best known for Final Fantasy announced it was expecting massive losses in a warning to investors yesterday. 
"... in light of the myriad changes underway in the environment surrounding its Group," the statement reads, Square Enix plans to "revise the Group’s approach to the development of high-definition (HD) games with the intention of being more selective and focused in the allocation of development resources. As a result of a close examination of the Group’s development pipeline undertaken in keeping with this revised approach, the Company expects to recognize approximately ¥22.1 billion [approximately $140 million] in content abandonment losses on its books for the fiscal year ended March 2024."

Kerbal Space Program 2 developer Intercept Games and Rollerdrome studio Roll7 are reportedly closing as part of Take-Two's big layoff plan
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/sim/kerbal-space-program-2-developer-intercept-games-may-be-closing-as-part-of-take-twos-big-layoff-plan/
A Bloomberg report says Take-Two Interactive is closing Kerbal Space Program 2 developer Intercept Games as part of a plan announced earlier this month aimed at reducing the publisher's total workforce by 5%. Roll7, the developer of the OlliOlli games and Rollerdrome, is also being closed according to the report.

The third part of the news:

Sandbox farm sim Mirthwood will let you bring your pets into battle with you
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/life-sim/sandbox-farm-sim-mirthwood-will-let-you-bring-your-pets-into-battle-with-you/
It's very common for farm sims to cite Stardew Valley as inspiration, which Mirthwood definitely does, but it's less common to see them name drop Fable, The Sims, and RimWorld. This upcoming sandbox-y farm sim RPG is definitely trying to tick a lot of boxes to give us farmlife sim lovers as much freedom as possible, and its new trailer shows off more farm customization, processing goods, and the demands of the winter season. 

Manor Lords dev has 'grand plans' for castle siege warfare but still thinks non-combat is 'a viable way to play'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/city-builder/manor-lords-dev-has-grand-plans-for-castle-siege-warfare-but-still-thinks-non-combat-is-a-viable-way-to-play/
So far, Manor Lords has made a name for itself thanks to its quirky medieval setting and brilliant city-building and management features. While small pitched battles are possible, the fighting is far from the star of the show. 
(...)
But just because battles aren't a massive focus in Manor Lords doesn't mean they won't ever be. Styczeń says during the interview that castle siege warfare is certainly a possibility that could be included in the future: "Castles, sieges, and siege engines are a fairly iconic part of the time period, and I have some grand plans for the implementation of these aspects. I've previously showcased how some of the systems might work, and some of them were even in-game for testing at various points of development. Currently, I'm not yet sure how much of it will be available to play with at launch, and how much will be added over time during the early access period instead." 

Manor Lords publisher says the game's success is 'well beyond what we could have hoped'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/city-builder/manor-lords-publisher-says-the-games-success-has-gone-well-beyond-what-we-could-have-hoped/
(...)
PCG had the opportunity to sit down with Tim Bender, the CEO of publisher Hooded Horse, about working with solo developer Grzegorz Styczeń of Slavic Magic on the game, and how they're trying to manage the scrutiny and demands that come with success on this scale. The main focus in these first weeks, says Bender, is paying attention to the fact that "there's so many people applying and leaving their thoughts and insights on the game."

Alan Wake 2 hasn't turned a profit 6 months after release and there's no Steam release in sight, but Remedy says it's in control
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/horror/alan-wake-2-hasnt-turned-a-profit-6-months-after-release-and-theres-no-steam-release-in-sight-but-remedy-says-its-in-control/
Alan Wake 2 is great. 88% in PC Gamer great. Best Story 2023 great. It's Remedy taking all the lessons it's learnt across a long career and distilling them into something wonderful. And, apparently, not enough of us have bought it yet.
In the recently released Business Review for January-March 2024, Remedy CEO Tero Virtala wrote that—although it had sold 1.3 million copies at the start of February—the company had only recouped "a significant part of the marketing and development expenses" for Alan Wake 2. Virtala pretty much reiterated that in a subsequent earnings call, where he also mentioned that Remedy had experienced an operating loss of €2.1 million in Q1 2024. Though it's worth mentioning the company did buy back Control in that time.

Total War: Pharaoh is getting a free expansion-sized update that adds 4 new factions, including Troy
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/strategy/total-war-pharaoh-is-getting-a-free-expansion-sized-update-that-adds-4-new-factions-including-troy/
While the drama surrounding Total War: Warhammer overshadowed it a bit, Total War: Pharaoh was similarly taking a bit of a kicking last year when it was sold for £50/$60 despite being less meaty than your usual Total War fare. It felt like something that should have been under the Saga brand, like Troy and Thrones of Britannia, but was very much advertised as a full fat Total War. 
This prompted Creative Assembly to make the surprising decision to dramatically reduce it in price, down to £30/$40, while offering existing owners partial refunds. Creative Assembly also set about beefing up the game, starting with the free High Tide update, letting players take control of the Sea Peoples, a faction that had previously served as an unplayable invader. This is now being followed up by something much more significant in scale: an update that sounds so substantial that it would normally be a premium expansion, but which is being given to all players for free. 

Baldur's Gate 3 dev spills the secret sauce: Players love finding a place, then 'ending up 2 hours and 3 puzzles later in a sacrificial chamber of a cult that murders giraffes'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/baldurs-gate/baldurs-gate-3-dev-spills-the-secret-sauce-players-love-finding-a-place-then-ending-up-2-hours-and-3-puzzles-later-in-a-sacrificial-chamber-of-a-cult-that-murders-giraffes/
Baldur's Gate 3 is a Larian Studios game, and boy howdy are those things dense—as CRPGs tend to be. A far cry from the open-world RPGs saturated with merry little tasks that succeeded them, most CRPGs put you in a large-ish area that's utterly rammed with stuff. Dungeons, quests, dialogue, sewers—on average a CRPG's world is smaller, but by Mystra is it full.

You really thought that was it? Fool! Here’s a bunch of Bethesda/Todd Howard and Blizzard related articles that appeared the last couple of days:

Todd Howard wants to preserve the 'Americana naivete' by keeping Fallout mostly based in the USA: 'keep the mysterious lands mysterious'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fallout/todd-howard-wants-to-preserve-the-americana-naivete-by-keeping-fallout-mostly-based-in-the-usa-keep-the-mysterious-lands-mysterious/
The Fallout franchise is beloved for a lot of good reasons—it's got a timeless aesthetic, nukes are cool to look at when they aren't melting your flesh off, and the blend of post-apocalyptic Americana with radiation that's borderline indistinguishable from magic is pretty appealing.
It's also never really moved outside of its country of origin, with its games located almost entirely in the United States. And while some fan projects like Fallout: London are attempting to broaden the scope beyond lore mentions of other world superpowers, Todd Howard says he's keen to keep things red, white and blue for the foreseeable future.

Fallout 76's latest update nerfs one of its most powerful weapons, but don't worry, it buffs it too
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/mmo/fallout-76s-latest-update-nerfs-one-of-its-most-powerful-weapons-but-dont-worry-it-buffs-it-too/
Hot on the heels of a major uptick in players driven by the hit Fallout series on Amazon, Fallout 76 has been given a beefy new update that makes a number of bug fixes and quality of life changes that, among other things, will make life easier when making big trades with merchants. There's also a significant overhaul of the Cremator heavy weapon that manages to nerf and buff it at the same time.

'New Vegas is a very, very important game to us,' says mildly exasperated Todd Howard, who will never stop getting grilled about New Vegas
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/fallout/todd-howard-new-vegas-obsidian-show/
If we keep bugging Todd Howard about Fallout: New Vegas, I wonder if he'll get so irritated that he eventually turns against the game for real? For now, at least, the Bethesda Game Studios director has reiterated that he likes New Vegas, the 2010 Fallout spin-off developed by Obsidian, and also likes Obsidian, and also respects New Vegas' lore, and also isn't trying to erase it from history.

Todd Howard reckons he knows why Starfield was so divisive: It was too 'different than you've seen from us in past'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/todd-howard-reckons-he-knows-why-starfield-was-so-divisive-it-was-too-different-than-youve-seen-from-us-in-past/
Starfield came out seven months ago and many of us are yet to heal from the discourse. Bethesda's "dream game" was a polarising thing, earning plaudits from some quarters and a more ambivalent response from others (including, ah, us). But seven months is a lot of time for reflection, and Bethesda boss Todd Howard reckons he knows why the spacey RPG was so divisive: It just wasn't traditionally Bethesda enough for some people.
>> And maybe the game wasn’t good enough? Maybe?

Starfield's latest update lets you decorate your ship just like an outpost
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/starfields-latest-update-lets-you-decorate-your-ship-just-like-an-outpost/
Todd Howard said a lot of stuff during a recent Kinda Funny interview, including—crammed in amidst all the talk about Fallout—that a new Starfield update was being revealed this week. Today it arrived, in Steam beta as is the tradition, with an array of fixes, tweaks, and as promised, some new options for your space-buggy.

Todd Howard says Bethesda's trying to 'increase our output' with Elder Scrolls and Fallout 'because we don't want to wait that long either'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/todd-howard-says-bethesdas-trying-to-increase-our-output-with-elder-scrolls-and-fallout-because-we-dont-want-to-wait-that-long-either/
It's been a decade since Fallout 4, and 13 years since The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim. Since then Bethesda hasn't been sitting on its hands, with Fallout 76 releasing in 2018 and of course the studio's main focus for several years being Starfield. (…)
Todd Howard recently gave an interview to Kinda Funny Games discussing all sorts around Bethesda's games, with the focus understandably more on the Fallout side after the Amazon show, and offered players some succour in this regard: he thinks the studio needs to speed things up, too. 

And now the Blizzard stuff:

'The rule of cool' is Blizzard's solution to Diablo 4's barbarian problem and it's going to 'juice up the other classes' to compensate
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/diablo-4-season-4-barbarian-class-balance-rule-of-cool/
It doesn't take a Diablo 4 expert to look at all the weapons barbarians carry around and wonder what the other classes are doing only using one or two. Barbarians are Diablo 4's strongest class by far and it mostly comes down to the fact that, in a game about powerful items, they get to have four of the strongest ones at all times.
Despite what some players think, Blizzard is very aware of barbarians' inherent advantage and is going to try to lift every other class up to their level, starting in season 4.

Blizzard plans to make Diablo 4 boss farming better for solo players
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/diablo-4-boss-farming-solo-changes/
The most powerful items in Diablo 4 drop off of its endgame bosses. But ever since those bosses were introduced in season 2, solo players have had to put in way more effort than those playing in a group to access them. That's going to change soon, associate game director Joe Piepiora told PC Gamer in an interview last week.

Diablo 4 season 4 'Loot Reborn' will change almost everything you know about the action RPG
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/diablo-4-season-4-loot-reborn-announcement-interview/
I'm not exaggerating when I say that almost everything you know about Diablo 4 is about to change. I played with most of what's coming alongside season 4 last month on a playtest server and, like many others, am now counting down the days until the real thing goes live on May 14.

Blizzard 'learned a lot of lessons' from having to emergency fix Diablo 4 season 3's vault dungeons, but says they'd need more work before bringing them back permanently
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/blizzard-diablo-4-season-3-lessons-learned-feedback-vaults/
In January, Blizzard had to drop a late-night emergency patch to turn Diablo 4 season 3 around. Within a day of launch, players decided the robot spider companion was useless and that dodging traps in the new vault dungeons wasn't worth the headache. Blizzard quickly boosted the strength of the pet and streamlined vaults, making them so abundant with loot that now players are sad they'll be leaving when season 4 launches on May 14.
Blizzard has repeatedly said it wants to be very careful with how it brings seasonal features back so it won't clutter up the non-seasonal mode of the game. (...)
The newly reworked Helltide open world events coming permanently to the game alongside season 4 are the first sign of how Blizzard might intend to bring back fan-favorite systems.

The way World of Warcraft: The War Within quest rewards work is game-changing for transmog enthusiasts
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/world-of-warcraft/the-way-world-of-warcraft-the-war-within-quest-rewards-work-is-game-changing-for-transmog-enthusiasts/
At the moment, when you complete a quest in World of Warcraft and get rewarded with some gear, only the items your character can use get added to your cosmetic wardrobe, where all your transmog options are stored. This means if you're a leather user, your plate-wearing alts won't get any goodies, aside from maybe a cloak. This tyrannical system is coming to an end in The War Within. 

WoW's released a short cinematic ahead of the War Within's pre-patch—and I'm just happy these characters are talking like actual people, now
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/world-of-warcraft/wows-released-a-short-cinematic-ahead-of-the-war-withins-pre-patchand-im-just-happy-these-characters-are-talking-like-actual-people-now/
World of Warcraft's next three expansions are a bold gambit from Blizzard. They'll be a story told in three parts, and—judging by the trailer for The War Within—they'll focus on character development and emotional storytelling over big dudes in armour calling you a pitiful mortal while revealing the next step of their master plan. It's also about to receive, arguably, its first actual in-game story cinematics, and Blizzard's given us a preview in advance.

AMD RDNA 4 GPUs To Incorporate Brand New Ray Tracing Engine, Vastly Different Than RDNA 3

https://wccftech.com/amd-rdna-4-gpus-incorporate-brand-new-ray-tracing-engine-different-than-rdna-3/

I remember the days of twitter rumours of people claiming Radeon had some Ray Tracing secret sauce when in reality it's taking Radeon 4 generations to catch up.

Tester Reveals Only 5 out of 10 Core i9-13900K & 2 out of 10 Core i9-14900K CPUs Stable In Auto Profile, Intel & Board Partners Yet To Determine Cause of Stability Issues

https://wccftech.com/only-5-out-of-10-core-i9-13900k-2-out-of-10-core-i9-14900k-cpus-stable-in-auto-profile-intel-board-partners-stability-issues/

Intel keeps getting shat on every which way

PCI-SIG announces CopprLink cable specs for internal and external PCIe 5.0 and 6.0 connections

https://videocardz.com/newz/pci-sig-announces-copprlink-cable-specs-for-internal-and-external-pcie-5-0-and-6-0-connections

AMD celebrates its 55th anniversary

https://videocardz.com/newz/amd-celebrates-its-55th-anniversary

It was obvious that another iteration of the same solution wouldn't work, so it's good news that they've gone with something new. Let's hope it delivers.

On another note, why do you always count RDNA the same as RT architectures for AMD? While the first RDNA cards came later than Nvidia's Turing, there was no way AMD could have designed and integrated hardware ray tracing into an already existing architecture during those months. The first foray into hardware based RT from AMD happened with the second gen RDNA cards, the 6000 series.

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Imo they should have implemented RT hardware with RDNA 1 since they knew Turing had them. Instead they decided to forgo that for a Raster only iteration with the excuse that it's too soon for RT to be meaningful in games and that they will release RT capable gpu when it is. So I count that as Radeon had the option of adding RT hardware to RDNA 1 but decided not to based on their own judgment.

It’s time for the Friday news:

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

The Humble Store presents the May the 4th Sale, with up to 75% discounts during 3 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/may-the-4th-sale/.

Fanatical has three new 24 hours Flash Deals:

• The Judgment Collection is 65% off: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/the-judgment-collection
• ICEY has a 72% discount: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/icey
• And Monster Hunter Rise + Sunbreak is 73% off: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/monster-hunter-and-rise-sunbreak

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

-Empty-

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

New Grand Theft Auto 4 Mods improve all weapon textures and the LOD distance for pedestrians and vehicles
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/new-grand-theft-auto-4-mods-improve-all-weapon-textures-and-the-lod-distance-for-pedestrians-and-vehicles/
Modders ‘xowny’ and ‘Pastreaver’ have released two new mods for Grand Theft Auto 4. The first mod will increase the LOD distance for all pedestrians and vehicles. On the other hand, the second mod will improve the textures of all weapons.
Going into more details, the “2X Vehicles and Peds LOD Distance” Mod is a simple mod that increases the LOD distance for peds and vehicles by two times. As such, you’ll now have fewer pop-ins while exploring Liberty City. So, while this is a simple mod, it’s a must for those who want a more consistent image.
The Weapons HD Texture Pack uses AI tools in order to upscale the original textures. According to the modder, it brings a series of visual upgrades to the weapons in IV, TLAD, & TBoGT, providing more definition and detail compared to the original versions. Players can expect higher quality textures, as well as more detailed normal maps with more accurate shading.
>> There are no screenshots nor videos.

'This is looking so good I can't NOT pay you': Fighting game YouTuber commissions modding 'god' to overhaul Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite's artstyle
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fighting/this-is-looking-so-good-i-cant-not-pay-you-fighting-game-youtuber-commissions-modding-maestro-to-overhaul-marvel-vs-capcom-infinites-artstyle/
Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite (MVCI) is getting a remaster—but not from Capcom. As announced on Twitter, popular fighting game community YouTuber and streamer Maximillian Miles Christensen (Maximilian Dood) is commissioning a modder to create a complete top-to-bottom overhaul of the 2017 fighter's visual style, and hot damn is it an improvement.
"We’re in the early stages, with only a couple days of tinkering, but already the results are absolutely incredible," Christensen writes, linking to a quote tweet of some of Ryn's current WIPs. One screenshot in particular took off among the MVCI community, showing a cel-shaded, gorgeous-looking Ryu giving Spider-Man a Shoryuken what-for. 
>> The article has the mentioned screenshot and an almost 18 minutes video (of the youtuber).

GAMING NEWS

Starfield Beta Patch 1.11.33 Released, Featuring Over 100 Fixes, Tweaks & Improvements
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/starfield-beta-patch-1-11-33-released-featuring-over-100-fixes-tweaks-improvements/
Bethesda has released Beta Patch 1.11.33 for the PC version of Starfield. According to the devs, this latest update comes with over 100 fixes, tweaks, changes, and improvements. So, let’s take a closer look at it.

Helldivers 2 will now REQUIRE a PlayStation Network account on PC
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/helldivers-2-will-now-require-a-playstation-network-account-on-pc/
Now here is how you can kill your game. Helldivers 2 has been considered an amazing game, which has sold well on PC. However, Sony and Arrowhead will be now forcing you to create a PSN account on PC to play it.
>> While it may cause some headlines, I doubt this move will cause a lot of trouble.

Terminator: Survivors is powered by Unreal Engine 5, is PvE only, will be playable in offline mode, will have a rich original storyline
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/terminator-survivors-is-powered-by-unreal-engine-5-is-pve-only-will-be-playable-in-offline-mode-will-have-a-rich-original-storyline/
NACON has just revealed some new details about its upcoming Terminator game, Terminator: Survivors. So, let’s take a closer look and see what the team has to offer. Can these new details re-ignire our interest? Or is this yet another GaaS title?

Friday news, part two:

Cyberpunk 2077 dev says they went all-out on the memorial to Johnny Silverhand's nuclear attack, then found out bosses 'just expected a commemorative plaque'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/cyberpunk-2077-developer-says-they-went-all-out-on-the-in-game-memorial-to-johnny-silverhands-nuclear-attack-then-found-out-bosses-just-expected-a-commemorative-plaque/
The bombing of Arasaka Tower in 2023 is a massive moment in Cyberpunk lore, and pretty much the key inciting event that makes the whole plot of Cyberpunk 2077 possible. No wonder, then, that the ground zero of the blast—right next to the new Arasaka Tower—is home to a sprawling memorial in stark, black blocks.
Except it turns out it wasn't really meant to be there at all.

Baldur's Gate 3 initially had an entire mechanic where you'd go to the fugue plane if you died, but it was scrapped
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/baldurs-gate-3-initially-had-an-entire-mechanic-where-youd-go-to-the-fugue-plane-if-you-died-but-it-was-scrapped/
Death in Baldur's Gate 3 is final—if you're playing Honour Mode, that is. For everyone else, returning to the land of the living is but a revivify scroll away. This is a streamlining of D&D 5e (the system the game's built upon) and its resurrection mechanics—which typically require powerful magic that grows costlier and more advanced the longer the poor sod in question has been dead.
Originally, though, this process wasn't quite so simple. As Larian co-founder and CEO Sven Vincke told PC Gamer in a recent roundtable podcast, Baldur's Gate's development team once planned an entire mechanic that'd task players with escaping the fugue plane.

The Outer Worlds once had an incredible secret ending that was cut for pushing the limits of 'too horny'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/the-outer-worlds-once-had-an-incredible-secret-ending-that-was-cut-for-pushing-the-limits-of-too-horny/
Baldur's Gate 3 has certainly changed the conversation on sex in games, from the breakout viral moment around its bear sex scene to the way it turns intimacy, rather than sex, into the end goal of many of its relationships. Our RPG roundtable from this year's Game Developers Conference, now available on the PC Gamer Chat Log podcast feed, touches on the topic of sex in games—but it also spawned an incredible anecdote from Obsidian game director Carrie Patel from her time as a narrative designer on The Outer Worlds.

Kerbal Space Program fans react with anger over Intercept Games closure, and you know what that means: Review bombing on Steam
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/sim/kerbal-space-program-fans-react-with-anger-over-intercept-games-closure-and-you-know-what-that-means-review-bombing-on-steam/
Kerbal Space Program 2 players are responding to the reported closure of developer Intercept Games with what has become something of a time-honored tradition among gamers: A flood of negative reviews on Steam.

That gorgeous cozy castle doodling game is launching a demo this month
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/city-builder/that-gorgeous-cozy-castle-doodling-game-is-launching-a-demo-this-month/
Since the surprise success of Townscaper a few years ago, a crop of other "radically casual" cozy city builders has been in the works, and Tiny Glade has definitely been at the top of my wishlist—and most other folks', I suspect. Thank goodness we're finally going to get to try painting lovely ivy-covered walls across a pastoral canvas: Pounce Light says a demo is coming on May 30.

Helldivers 2's next warbond makes slowdown an unpatriotic thing of the past with 'motivational shocks'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/helldivers-2s-next-warbond-makes-slowdown-an-unpatriotic-thing-of-the-past-with-motivational-shocks/
Helldivers 2 has announced its next warbond, the game's equivalent of battle passes, will arrive on May 9 and is going to take the temperature of this war all the way down. Polar Patriots leads with the line that "a deep freeze is coming to the galaxy" before introducing a plethora of cold-themed armor, new weapons, and a white phosphorous grenade to balance things out.
>> Oh, and a whole planet has turned green.

Balatro's first big balance patch fiddles with Fibonacci and makes a mod to Odd Todd
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/card-games/balatros-first-big-balance-patch-fiddles-with-fibonacci-and-makes-a-mod-to-odd-todd/
The first big balance patch for Balatro is now fully live on Steam, bringing with it performance improvements, numerous gameplay adjustments, bug fixes, and a reduction in the cost of Fibonacci, "because Fibonacci."

Elden Ring lead Hidetaka Miyazaki won't say how long the DLC is since everyone thinks he lowballed the main game: 'Everyone told me I was lying and that's not remotely enough time!'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/elden-ring-lead-hidetaka-miyazaki-wont-say-how-long-the-dlc-is-since-everyone-thinks-he-lowballed-the-main-game-everyone-told-me-i-was-lying-and-thats-not-remotely-enough-time/
FromSoftware big shot and Elden Ring director Hidetaka Miyazaki has delivered some more cryptic Shadow of the Erdtree details in a recent interview shared to the Chinese social network Zhihu. The big takeaways for my money are that this thing is going to be big, and that Elden lore freak favorite St. Trina will make an appearance.

Abiotic Factor, a 6-player survival game where you're scientists in a paranormal lab, is rising up Steam's top-sellers chart
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/survival-crafting/abiotic-factor-early-access-launch/
Gordon Freeman is a nerd who cuts a heroic profile, but in Abiotic Factor you're just a nerd: a regular, lab-coat-wearing new employee in a Black Mesa-like science facility that's undergoing an unspecified security situation. Your job, at least for starters, is to avoid dying.
Out in early access on Steam today, Abiotic Factor's premise seems to be striking a chord with co-op survival crafting fans: It hasn't hit Steam's top concurrents chart at the time of writing, but it has jumped to seventh place in Steam's US top-sellers list just a few hours after launch.

Taking a lesson from Manor Lords, Hooded Horse delays Norland to July
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/strategy/taking-a-lesson-from-manor-lords-hooded-horse-delays-norland-to-july/
"Late is just for a little while," a wise man once said. "Suck is forever." Few games embody that mantra as effectively as Manor Lords: It was supposed to come out in 2023, got pushed to April 2024, and ultimately launched to near-universal acclaim and major sales. Perhaps inspired by that success, publisher Hooded Horse announced today that medieval strategy sim Norland—which, like Manor Lords, is putting up big wishlist numbers—has likewise been delayed, and is now set to come out on July 18.