It’s time for the Thursday news:

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

The Epic Store gives away Floppy Knights: https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/floppy-knights-6a735a
Next week, the free game will be Arcade Paradise.

Now that the Summer Sale is over (or is it?), GOG has launched 5 new sales:

• The new Weekly Sale has up to 90% discounts during 7 days: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/20240710_weekly_deals_1_july
• Fancy a French game? Well, you can get them up to 90% off at the Vive La France Sale during 7 days: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/2024_vive_la_france
• Did you really think thatt he Summer Sale was over? Well, you’re wrong, because here’s the Summer Sale Sunset, with up to 95% deals until July 19: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/2024_summer_sale_sunset
• Are you cold at night? If so, the Hot Summer Nights Sale is your answer with NSFW games up to 90% off during 10 days: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/2024_nsfw_hot_summer_nights
• And the Forever Great Sale has classic games on sale with up to 90% discounts until the 22nd of July: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/2024_forever_great_promo

There’s a new Humble Bundle: the Flashback Classics Bundle, featuring up to 8 games to get during 20 days (the fact that the game Flashback isn’t included, is such a missed opportunity): https://www.humblebundle.com/games/flashback-classics.

And Fanatical’s new Star Deal is the Star Wars Collection, 87% off during 48 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/star-wars-collection.

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

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MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

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GAMING NEWS

NBA 2K25 New-Gen Version finally comes to PC, and here are its official PC system requirements
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/nba-2k25-new-gen-version-finally-comes-to-pc-and-here-are-its-official-pc-system-requirements/
2K Games has announced that the PC will finally get the New-Gen version of NBA 2K25. Moreover, the publisher shared the game’s official PC system requirements which you can find below.
>> It only took them 4 years.

Black State appears to be a “Metal Gear Solid meets The Matrix” third-person action adventure, powered by Unreal Engine 5
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/black-state-appears-to-be-a-metal-gear-solid-meets-the-matrix-third-person-action-adventure-powered-by-unreal-engine-5/
Now here is something that came out of nowhere. Developer Motion Blur has announced a new third-person action adventure game that appears to be heavily inspired by Meta Gear Solid and The Matrix. This new title is called Black State, and below you can find its debut in-engine gameplay trailer.

Here are ten minutes of gameplay from the “Blade Runner meets Observer meers Batman Arkham’s Detective Mode” cyber-noir first-person game, Nobody Wants to Die
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/here-are-ten-minutes-of-gameplay-from-the-blade-runner-meets-observer-meers-batman-arkhams-detective-mode-cyber-noir-first-person-game-nobody-wants-to-die/
IGN has shared a new video, showcasing ten minutes of gameplay footage from the upcoming cyber-noir first-person adventure game, Nobody Wants to Die.

Arc System Works will revive the classic Double Dragon game
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/arc-system-works-will-revive-the-classic-double-dragon-game/
Arc System Works has announced a 3D remake of the classic Double Dragon game. Double Dragon Revive will be coming to PC in 2025, and below you can find its debut trailer.

Here are 30 minutes of gameplay from Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/here-are-30-minutes-of-gameplay-from-dragon-quest-iii-hd-2d-remake/
Famitsu has shared a video, showcasing 30 minutes of gameplay footage from the upcoming HD-2D remake of Dargon Quest III. This video will give you a glimpse of the game’s art style, so be sure to watch it.

The First Descendant Patch 1.0.2 improves stability by reducing CPU load during shader generation, lowers GPU memory usage and brings some optimization improvements
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/the-first-descendant-patch-1-0-2-improves-stability-by-reducing-cpu-load-during-shader-generation-lowers-gpu-memory-usage-and-brings-some-optimization-improvements/
NEXON has released Title Update 1.0.2 for The First Descendant. According to the release notes, this patch improves the stability of the shader preparation process, lowers GPU memory usage, and packs various optimizations.

The news, the sequel:

Bioshock 4 studio is now 'recruiting like mad' but the game's nature remains a mystery
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/bioshock-4-studio-is-now-recruiting-like-mad-but-the-games-nature-remains-a-mystery/
The yet-to-be-named BioShock 4 is currently under development at Cloud Chamber, a studio with multiple locations established by publisher 2K specifically to work on the series. (…)
Cloud Chamber has now posted several dozen new job openings (first spotted by VGC) and says it "is currently recruiting like mad for game developers in two amazing locations" in San Francisco and Montreal. The 29 roles range across production, design and other skillsets, though notable by its absence is any mention of multiplayer (Bioshock 2 had a half-decent multiplayer mode, while Infinite was conceived of as a multiplayer title before abandoning the idea mid-development). There's not much known about Bioshock 4, but one of the sure bets is that it's a singleplayer shooter. 

After fans declared total war on Total War, Creative Assembly completes the apology tour with a major free expansion for Pharaoh this month
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/strategy/after-fans-declared-total-war-on-total-war-creative-assembly-completes-the-apology-tour-with-a-major-free-expansion-for-pharaoh-this-month/
The latest entry in Creative Assembly's long-running and storied strategy series is 2023's Total War: Pharaoh, and unfortunately things all went a little pear-shaped. Pharoah itself is a pretty good game, but it was no great step forward for the series and landed at a time when fans were losing patience with the pricing and value of myriad expansions, which all came to a head with both Pharaoh and a DLC called Shadows of Change for Total War: Warhammer 3.
(...)
Since then the studio has been on something of a mission to repair its relationship with Total War players, which has mainly meant giving away a lot of content for free. As well as the price drop, CA further committed to making Pharaoh's paid DLC a free update, and has now announced that Total War: Pharaoh's Dynasties will launch on July 25.

PVKK's full title is literally too big for our website, and the devs say it's 'Space Invaders, but the cannon you fire is really complicated'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/sim/pvkks-full-title-is-literally-too-big-for-our-website-and-the-devs-say-its-space-invaders-but-the-cannon-you-fire-is-really-complicated/
PVKK, or—if you're feeling ambitious—Planetenverteidigungskanonenkommandant, looks fascinating. A sort of Papers Please-like from the Dome Keeper team, it situates you at the controls of a giant planetary defence cannon fending off extraterrestrial invaders. PVKK seems set to scratch my itch both to twiddle with vast arrays of analogue buttons, and to melt into the faceless machinery of an authoritarian state as a cog in the apparatus of violence. Finally, developers are making videogames for me.

Ubisoft apologizes for using a real-life reenactment group's flag in Assassin's Creed Shadows concept art without permission
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/ubisoft-apologizes-for-using-a-real-life-reenactment-groups-flag-in-assassins-creed-shadows-concept-art-without-permission/
Ubisoft has apologized for using the flag of a real-life Japanese reenactment group in concept art for Assassin's Creed Shadows, and says the images in question will no longer be used—although it will still appear in the art book that comes with the Assassin's Creed Shadows collector's edition.

Ubisoft says a Star Wars Outlaws planet is the size of '2 or 3' Assassin's Creed Odyssey map zones put together, which takes about 5 minutes 'nonstop' on a speeder to cross
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/ubisoft-says-a-star-wars-outlaws-planet-is-the-size-of-2-or-3-assassins-creed-odyssey-map-zones-put-together-which-takes-about-5-minutes-nonstop-on-a-speeder-to-cross/
It's not the size of the open world that counts, it's what's inside it—but I'll admit I've been curious to see how Ubisoft plans to tackle the open world maps for multiple Star Wars planets. This is a notoriously tough nut for space exploration games to crack. BioWare tried to make Mass Effect 1's barren planets more interesting in Andromeda, only to fill them with generic, cookie cutter quests that went over about as well as the facial animations. Bethesda justified Starfield's largely dull procedurally generated planets as realistic. What should we expect from Ubisoft, which has made some truly massive open world maps, bringing that scale to the whole galaxy?
Well, for one thing, we know Outlaws won't be going down the endless procedural planets route—Ubisoft has revealed five explorable planets so far, which you'll be able to fly between in your spaceship. Thanks to an interview with IGN, we now also know roughly how big they are. 
>> And they won’t be filled with map icons… at least at first.

Surprise! Dota 2 has a built-in fighting game now and it actually looks pretty good
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/moba/surprise-dota-2-has-a-built-in-fighting-game-now-and-it-actually-looks-pretty-good/
Dota 2's Crownfall Act 3: The Frosts of Icewrack arrived last night, and along with a new overworld map, "collector's cache" items, and a new comic advancing the story, there's also a very unexpected surprise: A full-on fighting game.

Riot was working on a Smash Bros-style fighting game, but MultiVersus helped convince it to pull the plug
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fighting/riot-was-working-on-a-smash-bros-style-fighting-game-but-multiversus-helped-convince-it-to-pull-the-plug/
Riot Games was reportedly working on a League of Legends-based platform fighter inspired by Super Smash Bros Melee but ultimately decided to pull the plug on the project in late May.

Whether or not we'll see a penis in Dragon Age: The Veilguard is a spoiler, apparently
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/whether-or-not-you-can-see-a-penis-in-dragon-age-the-veilguard-is-a-spoiler-apparently/
Game Informer has seen boobs—specifically, the magazine has seen a topless character in Dragon Age: The Veilguard's character creator, which it previewed as part of a recent slate of exclusive articles. It's the most overt nudity the Dragon Age series has featured so far.
"This is a mature RPG," game director Corrine Busche told the magazine.
The character creator didn't show any below-the-waist private anatomy, however, and Game Informer reports that when it asked BioWare whether the RPG will include full nudity—say, during romance scenes—the developer said that it wants fans to discover that for themselves.

FF14 player counts around 21 hours of cutscenes in Dawntrail—making it the second longest expansion next to Endwalker—and I can't for the life of me tell you why
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/final-fantasy/ff14-player-counts-around-21-hours-of-cutscenes-in-dawntrail-making-it-the-second-longest-expansion-next-to-endwalker-and-i-can-t-for-the-life-of-me-tell-you-why/
I've had time to finish Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail's main story—which landed to a bit of a mixed reception late last month.
(… several paragraphs later…)
That's thanks to FF14 story scholar Cyberfunk3 on Reddit, who has worked in conjunction with jesterxgirl to produce the following Google sheet measuring the total cutscene length for every expansion and (almost) every patch quest to date.

As WoW returns to China, NetEase has placed a $14,000 bounty on reports that see cheat peddlers punished by law
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/world-of-warcraft/as-wow-returns-to-china-netease-has-placed-a-14-000-bounty-on-reports-that-see-cheat-creators-punished-by-law/
World of Warcraft's returning to China after over a year spent in the dark due to squabbles with NetEase, the company that publishes several Blizzard games in the country. They've patched things up, though, and will be bringing the main MMO back August 1 alongside a pre-patch for upcoming expansion The War Within.
As spotted by WoWHead, however, NetEase has aspirations to fully deputise its player base—aiming to nip an influx of cheaters, hackers, and altogether unscrupulous types in the bud. Alongside World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King Classic's return to NetEase's library, players have been called upon to "purify the environment of Azeroth", as per a machine-translated news post.

Darktide's next update promises a complete overhaul of weapon progression: 'We took the philosophy with this game to not be afraid of doing quite massive changes'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/darktides-next-update-promises-a-complete-overhaul-of-weapon-progression-we-took-the-philosophy-with-this-game-to-not-be-afraid-of-doing-quite-massive-changes/
Warhammer 40,000: Darktide may have had a rocky launch back in 2022, but you certainly can't fault developer Fatshark's dedication to improving its grimdark creation in the time since. While we have had new missions, enemies, and weapons, the biggest focus in the game's updates thus far has been improving the core experience and basic systems, from performance fixes to crafting changes to a complete overhaul of class progression. 
And apparently that work is still ongoing. Following a major content drop with the Secrets of the Machine God update at the end of last month, Fatshark has revealed its next major project: a complete rethink of the itemisation system, to make investing in your weapons more satisfying. 

Bear sex 'a watershed moment in game history', says Baldur's Gate 3 writer
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/baldurs-gate/bear-sex-a-watershed-moment-in-game-history-says-baldur-s-gate-3-writer/
You are, most likely aware, that Baldur's Gate 3 lets you have sex with a bear. Now to be fair, 33% of players have hair in their underwear, so it didn't scare its audience beyond repair. If you're wondering why I'm rhyming, it's because in constructing the above headline I may have quite possibly gone mad.
As reported by our friends over at GamesRadar, senior narrative designer Baudelaire Welch discussed the impact of the ursine-themed scene on the gaming landscape to a captive audience, via a presentation at Develop: Brighton 2024.

Intel Arrow Lake-S “Core Ultra 200” Desktop CPUs Rumored To Launch In December

https://wccftech.com/intel-arrow-lake-s-core-ultra-200-desktop-cpus-december-launch-rumor/

Intel Denies RMA Requests For 14th & 13th Gen Desktop CPUs Plagued With Instability Issues, System Providers Switch To AMD Ryzen

https://wccftech.com/intel-denies-rma-requests-14th-13th-gen-desktop-cpus-instability-issues-system-providers-switch-amd-ryzen/

NVIDIA Powers The Iconic Vegas Sphere With 150 RTX A6000 GPUs, 1.2 Million Programmable LEDs

https://wccftech.com/nvidia-powers-iconic-vegas-sphere-150-rtx-a6000-gpus-1-2-million-programmable-leds/

Soon: "Nvidia powers Terminator robots"

Intel Core i9-13900K/14900K stability issues drive game server providers to AMD

https://videocardz.com/newz/intel-core-i9-13900k-14900k-stability-issues-drive-game-server-providers-to-amd

Arm introduces Accuracy Super Resolution: derived from AMD FSR2 and open-source

https://videocardz.com/newz/arm-introduces-accuracy-super-resolution-derived-from-amd-fsr2-and-open-source

AMD starts shipping Ryzen 9000 review samples

https://videocardz.com/newz/amd-starts-shipping-ryzen-9000-review-samples

It's about time Intel gets some trouble for their silence with the whole 13 and 14th gen problems.

Let’s go with the Friday news:

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

With its Summer Sale also over, the Humble Store has launched two new sales:

• The Sci-Fi Supernova Sale feaures up to 95% discounts during 6 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/scifi-supernova-sale/
• And Square Enix is now doing its own Summer Sale (because they’re too good to do it alongside the rest), and it’s putting its games up to 90% off during 12 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/square-enix-summer-sale/

Fanatical has a new sale and bundle:

• Team 17 Digital puts its games on sale, up to 92% off during 10 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/publishers/team17-digital-ltd
• The BYO Jubilant Bundle has 22 games to choose for your 1+, 5+ or 10+ bundles: https://www.fanatical.com/en/pick-and-mix/build-your-own-jubilant-bundle

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

Fantasy Ruins Unreal Engine 5 Tech Demo showcases the benefits of Ray Tracing/Lumen, and why pre-baked lighting remains the king of performance/visuals ratio
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/fantasy-ruins-unreal-engine-5-tech-demo-showcases-the-benefits-of-ray-tracing-lumen-and-why-pre-baked-lighting-remains-the-king-of-performance-visuals-ratio/
YouTube’s ‘Cycu1’ has shared a new interesting comparison video for the Fantasy Ruins Tech Demo of Unreal Engine 5. In this video, the YouTuber compares its UE5 version with and without Lumen/Ray Tracing. So, let’s take a closer look at it.
Unlike the Abandoned Warehouse Tech Demo, the Fantasy Ruins Demo looks much better with Lumen and Ray Tracing. In many scenes, the Lumen-powered version looks way better. Reflections, lighting, shadows, and other effects all improve with Lumen and Ray Tracing. Because of this, the demo looks less flat and more realistic.
>> The video is 17 minutes long.

DXVK Version 2.4 has been released with support for DX8
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/dxvk-version-2-4-has-been-released-with-support-for-dx8/
Philip Rebohle has released a new version of DXVK that brings support for DX8. As such, PC gamers can now use DXVK to overcome some stutters and optimization issues that were present in old DX8 games.
For those unaware, DXVK is a tool that allows you to run Direct3D 8, 9, 10, and 11 games with the Vulkan API. This can resolve issues that older games had on PC, like GTA 4. In other words, this is a must for those who want to replay the classic/old PC games.
Going into more details, version 2.4 fixes various issues with D3D9 fixed-function texture coordinate processing. It also improves compatibility to third-party mods hooking various DXGI entry points. Not only that, but it fixes some pipeline layout compatibility issues.
It’s also worth noting that this latest version brings a number of game-specific tweaks and fixes. For instance, VSync will now work correctly in Dead Space 2. Furthermore, it fixes some rendering issues in Fallout: New Vegas when using certain mods.
Tomb Raider Legend, Red Faction Guerrilla Remastered, and the first Watch Dogs games will work better now. Not only that but V2.4 resolves some crashes in Rise of Nations, Battlefield 2, and BF 2142 that could occur when alt-tabbing.
And there is more. Fallout 4 will no longer be locked at 45fps on the Steam Deck OLED. The Sims 2 will also run better, without the low CPU-bound performance issues. Prototype will work now properly on both AMD and Intel GPUs. Finally, Dragonshard will run faster, and Gothic 3 and Guild Wars 2 will not have artifacts.

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

This mod adds a Grand Theft Auto-inspired Taxi Driver Mode to Cyberpunk 2077
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/this-mod-adds-a-grand-theft-auto-inspired-taxi-driver-mode-to-cyberpunk-2077/
One of my favorite side activities in Grand Theft Auto 3 was its taxi mode. Believe it or not, I’ve spent countless times as a taxi driver when that game came out on PC. And finally, modder ‘RollermineC’ released a mod that adds a similar Taxi Driver mode to Cyberpunk 2077.
Thanks to this mod, players will take on the role of a Combat Cab driver. Moreover, they will be able to explore Night City as they transport passengers to their destinations.
Players need to pick up customers and drive them to their destinations. After each successful ride, players earn money based on how far they drove. By completing rides, players can unlock new vehicles from Autofixer and eventually get cars from Combat Cab.
>> The article has a roughly 3 minutes video.

This Witcher 3 mod that lets you play as a custom character or a whole new sorceress class is super promising, but maybe wait a few months for it to iron out the kinks
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/this-witcher-3-mod-that-lets-you-play-as-a-custom-character-or-a-whole-new-sorceress-class-is-super-promising-but-maybe-wait-a-few-months-for-it-to-iron-out-the-kinks/
One of the great strengths of The Witcher 3 is its star, Big Geralt—a character we as players get to guide through the game's major events, but with a defined history and personality giving those decisions added heft. Geralt isn't a blank amnesiac Chosen One like so many RPG heroes, and I love that—it's clear the writing, acting, and quests are all built around who he is and how he can leave his mark on the world around him. That focus makes a new mod for the game called Custom Player Characters all the more impressive, because it does a pretty dang good job of turning Geralt into any other character you'd like to play as.
I saw Custom Player Characters getting some talk this week and decided to install it for myself, a process that made me suspect the folks who've written about it haven't tried it. It's a bit of a bear: I had to download the mod itself, four supplemental mods, unzip them all in the base game folder, then download a Script Merger tool to make them all play nicely together. They didn't play nicely together, giving me some kind of scripting error when I tried to launch the game; either I messed something up or an older mod that I haven't touched in years got in the way. Anyway, after an hour of deleting files, re-extracting everything and attempting to launch the game half a dozen times I finally got it going.
Custom Player Characters works on an existing save file and is accessible from just about the very beginning of the game, as you and Vesemir are making your way to White Orchard. It pops a Chameleon potion into your inventory, and once you drink it you'll enter a character creation screen that lets you choose from the hundreds and hundreds of character models in The Witcher 3 and even mix body parts as you replace Geralt with a custom witcher. The bigger draw is playing as a "witcheress" (did we really need a gendered term for witchers?), so you can give Ciri a funny hat and custom outfit until she no longer looks like Ciri, or play as a wholly unrecognizable Viziman tweaked into your own creation. 
This customization is supported by some genuinely impressive animations tweaked for the female models and an AI-generated voice pack that reads all of Geralt's lines. There are three voice packs based on Yenn, Triss, and Ciri's voices, and from my cursory playthrough of the opening conversations in White Orchard, Ciri-as-Geralt sounds better than I expected. There's a telltale digital tinge to the voice, but it does actually come off as a higher pitch version of Geralt's growl. I don't love the use of AI to generate much of anything in games beyond higher resolution textures, but I do appreciate that modder Nikita Grebenyuk made a point of only using performances from The Witcher 3 as a basis.
>> The article has some screenshots and a video.

GAMING NEWS

GreedFall 2 hits Steam Early Access on September 24th
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/greedfall-2-hits-steam-early-access-on-september-24th/
NACON has announced that GreedFall 2 will hit Steam Early Access on September 24th. To celebrate this announcement, the publisher shared a new trailer that you can find below.

Deliver Us Home has been funded on Kickstarter, mere hours before its end
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/deliver-us-home-has-been-funded-on-kickstarter-mere-hours-before-its-end/
KeokeN has announced that the Kickstarter Campaign for Deliver Us Home has hit its funding target. The team has raised 100K euros for its development, and it was able to hit that goal mere hours before its end.

Eyeballistic may be teasing HD remasters of the classic 2D Mortal Kombat games
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/eyeballistic-may-be-teasing-hd-remasters-of-the-classic-2d-mortal-kombat-games/
It appears that Eyeballistic’s CEO, Joe Tresca, may be teasing HD remasters of the classic 2D Mortal Kombat games. Earlier this week, Tresca shared the following two screenshots from what appear to be HD remasters of MK1 and MK2.
In 2018, Eyeballistic wanted to make an HD remake of the first three Mortal Kombat games. They planned to create all-new 3D models for the characters. Unfortunately, Warner Bros rejected that pitch. Then, in 2021, Eyeballistic announced they would try again to get Warner Bros to approve their project. Which leads us to today.

Friday news, part two:

The actor behind Shadow of the Erdtree's best NPC didn't think videogame voice acting was all that until 'mysterious' Miyazaki opened his eyes
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/the-actor-behind-shadow-of-the-erdtrees-best-npc-didnt-think-videogame-voice-acting-was-all-that-until-mysterious-miyazaki-opened-his-eyes/
If you've been anywhere on Elden Ring's corner of the internet recently, you'll have almost certainly been bombarded with the sound clip of a man screaming the words, "Curse you, Bayle." 
I've seen it enough times that despite not fighting Bayle the Dread yet, I feel like I've experienced the highs and lows of that battle a thousand times. But if you haven't encountered the fight—or the NPC called Igon who utters the actual words—then all you need to know is that he's an angry drake warrior in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree hellbent on killing the fearsome dragon Bayle the Dread. 
Spoilers for Igon's questline below. 

Planet Coaster 2's announcement promises 'gripping rides, spectacular slides', but I can't wait to see what ungodly contraptions the community makes
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/planet-coaster-2s-announcement-promises-gripping-rides-spectacular-slides-but-i-cant-wait-to-see-what-ungodly-contraptions-the-community-makes/
Frontier Developments has not only announced Planet Coaster 2, but also confirmed that the release window for the management sim sequel isn't that far away: It's scheduled to release later this year. 

Tencent's free-to-play co-op shooter Synced is closing just a year after it launched
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/tencents-free-to-play-co-op-shooter-synced-is-closing-just-a-year-after-it-launched/
Synced, the free-to-play co-op shooter released by Tencent's Level Infinite publishing brand, is closing in September, just a year after its launch in September 2023.

Throwback Zombies-style shooter Hellbreach: Vegas drops an updated demo to announce the full launch coming in August
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/throwback-zombies-style-shooter-hellbreach-vegas-drops-an-updated-demo-to-announce-the-full-launch-coming-in-august/
Hellbreach: Vegas is a title that, to my ear, sounds like a weird mashup of Hellgate: London and Rainbow Six: Vegas. And it sort of is, in the sense that terrible supernatural horrors are afoot in Sin City and it's up to you and your heavily-armed pals to do something about it. It's been in early access on Steam since March, and today publisher Iceberg Interactive announced that the full 1.0 release is coming on August 14.

Deathbound is a 'party-based soulslike,' but everyone in the party lives inside you
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/deathbound-is-a-party-based-soulslike-but-everyone-in-the-party-lives-inside-you/
Soulslikes are generally solo affairs: It's you against hordes of low-level flunkies and high-powered horrors in an endless grind of brutal combat until you finally avenge your family's honor by reclaiming the Myrmidon of Loss, or whatever. (I've only played Elden Ring, so my grasp on the details is a little shaky.) Deathbound aims to do things a little differently, billing itself as a "one-of-a-kind party-based soulslike." But that doesn't mean you'll be roaming the forbidden city of Akratya with friends: You'll still be on your own out there.

You don't lose all your progress when a Once Human season ends—here's how the survival game's server resets work
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/survival-crafting/once-human-season-reset/
Free-to-play survival game Once Human is offering the archetypal survival game launch experience: it's a giant, buggy to-do list that everyone you know is playing. With well over 100,000 concurrent players at its peaks, it's one of the top games on Steam right now.
One of the slightly less conventional aspects of Once Human is its seasonal structure: Each server is associated with a "seasonal scenario," and at the end of the season, it disappears and new seasonal servers launch with new scenarios. Some players have braced for a total progress wipe at the end of the first six-week scenario, but in a post on Steam today, developer Starry Studios explained that the system isn't quite that extreme.

The designer of mobile hits Fruit Ninja and Jetpack Joyride is making a deep-sea Lovecraftian horror game
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/roguelike/the-designer-of-mobile-hits-fruit-ninja-and-jetpack-joyride-is-making-a-deep-sea-lovecraftian-horror-game/
In the early 2010s, Luke Muscat was team lead on two massive mobile games for Halfbrick Studios—the WarioWare microgame turned macrohit Fruit Ninja, and endless runner Jetpack Joyride. A decade later he's gone solo, and is making an indie game for PC that looks like a cross between Dave the Diver and Dome Keeper.
Feed the Deep is a roguelike diving game where you explore procedurally generated undersea caverns to collect resources—the way you launch multiple lines to pick up colorful chunky objects in the trailer looks real satisfying—while avoiding obstacles like the waving coral tentacles that try to grab you. You've also got oxygen to consider, and air-consuming distractions that include a terminal where you can play a Rise of the Triad clone boomer shooter mid-dive for some reason.

The TMNT roguelike that basically looks like a co-op Hades and was previously announced for Switch is coming to Steam as well
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/roguelike/the-tmnt-roguelike-that-basically-looks-like-a-co-op-hades-and-was-previously-announced-for-switch-is-coming-to-steam-as-well/
A couple of months ago we saw a sweet trailer for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate that ended with a declaration it was a "timed console exclusive" (sad face emoji). Now, with the sudden appearance of its Steam page, we know it's coming to PC in the last quarter of 2024. So that's nice.

World of Warcraft: The War Within's pre-patch is coming soon—alongside Warbands, a quality-of-life game changer that lets you share rep, gear, and currencies across your alts
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/world-of-warcraft/world-of-warcraft-the-war-within-s-pre-patch-is-coming-soon-alongside-warbands-a-quality-of-life-game-changer-that-lets-you-share-rep-gear-and-currencies-across-your-alts/
World of Warcraft: The War Within won't be kicking off until August 26—but some of its marquee features, including Skyriding and Warbands, are going to be arriving early as per an announcement post by Blizzard on the game's official website.

The Outlast Trials' new major update has given a deranged killer a shotgun because all the melee opponents weren't hard enough
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/horror/the-outlast-trials-new-major-update-has-given-a-deranged-killer-a-shotgun-because-all-the-melee-opponents-werent-hard-enough/
The Outlast Trials released into 1.0 earlier in 2024, but it had been in early access for a whole year before this, slowly releasing small updates and patches for players to enjoy and critique. But after a couple of months of minor changes, there's a major update with new antagonists, maps, trials, and more. 

And now, the weekend deals at GOG and Steam:

+GOG

• There are five new Deals of the Day that will end on Monday, and the first one is WE ARE FOOTBALL 2024, with a 12% discount: https://www.gog.com/en/game/we_are_football_2024
• The second one is, METAL GEAR SOLID, 30% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/metal_gear_solid
• Next comes Stillborn Slayer with a 35% deal: https://www.gog.com/en/game/stillborn_slayer
• The fourth one is Cursed to Golf, with a 70% discount: https://www.gog.com/en/game/cursed_to_golf
• And the fifth one is Space Trader: Merchant Marine, 80% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/space_trader_merchant_marine

+Steam

• Dragon’s Dogma 2 is going to be 20% off until July 18: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2054970/Dragons_Dogma_2/
• A small Early Access game known as Palworld gets a 25% discount until the 18th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1623730/Palworld/
• Fireworks Mania - An Explosive Simulator will be 33% off until the 18th of July: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1079260/Fireworks_Mania__An_Explosive_Simulator/
• NieR:Automata features a 60% discount until July, the 18th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/524220/NieRAutomata/
• The Dragon Ball franchise is on sale with the games beings up to 90% off until, for the last time, the 18th of July: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/dragonballfranchisesale
• Spin Rhythm XD, that has a demo, is going to be 60% off until July, the 20th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1058830/Spin_Rhythm_XD/
• The Independent Games Festival – Celebration Days brings up to 90% discounts until the 20th: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/IGF_CelebrationDays
• Desktop Dungeons: Rewind will be half its price until the 25th of July: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1976950/Desktop_Dungeons_Rewind/
• Evil West features a 65% discount until the 25th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1065310/Evil_West/
• Broforce will be 80% off until July 25: https://store.steampowered.com/app/274190/Broforce/
• And last, but not least, we have publisher Aspyr, that puts its games on sale with up to 95% discounts until the 25th of July: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/aspyr2024

Nothing else to add. Until the next time, I wish you a happy and gaming weekend.

AMD Ryzen 9000 stock arrives at retailers ahead of official launch and pricing announcement

https://videocardz.com/newz/amd-ryzen-9000-stock-arrives-at-retailers-ahead-of-official-launch-and-pricing-announcement

Intel Arc A770 tested in 250 games: 93% playable and 5% unplayable titles

https://videocardz.com/newz/intel-arc-a770-tested-in-250-games-93-playable-and-5-unplayable-titles

GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER with AD102 GPU is now available in US

https://videocardz.com/newz/geforce-rtx-4070-ti-super-with-ad102-gpu-is-now-available-in-us

50% failure rate based on the samples is nuts.

I can't imagine how many hours did Hardware Unboxed spent testing the card with that many games. That's truly impressive and much appreciated. It's surprising how Starfield still causes problems.

Intel screwed big time, but I don't think it will cause them too many troubles in the long term, unless some form of lawsuit come to bite their ass.

By the way, if there's anyone here that wants to try Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League (don't worry, I won't judge you... well, maybe a little), ypu can get it for free with your Amazon Prime subscription:

https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/less-than-6-months-later-suicide-squad-kill-the-justice-league-will-be-free-to-download-and-keep-for-prime-subscribers-though-you-ll-only-have-48-hours-to-snag-it/

Or maybe you're more interested in Chivalry 2 and Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration, that are also part of the freebies.

I sure as hell wouldn't wish to be the guy at the plant who gave the go-ahead for those chips right about now.

50% failure rate is absolutely nuts, not to mention the amount of money wasted on the production line, only for 50% of the money to just shit the bed like that.

Someone's getting fired, that's for sure. 

It’s Monday? Again? *Sigh* Let’s go with the news, then:

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

Despite its 'mixed' user rating on Steam, The First Descendant has racked up over 10 million players in its first week
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/despite-its-mixed-user-rating-on-steam-the-first-descendant-has-racked-up-over-10-million-players-in-its-first-week/
In the 1980s, British pop star Shakin' Stevens had a string of hits with what was essentially an Elvis Presley impersonation, leading the Chart Music podcast to nickname any poor man's incarnation of another pop star the Shakin' version. Tori Amos, for instance, is Shakin' Kate Bush.
I told you that so I can tell you this: The First Descendant is Shakin' Destiny. 
And yet, according to the official Twitter account, The First Descendant has been played by more than 10 million people in its first week. "We've reached 10 million Descendants in just 7 days!" they wrote. "Thank you all for your tremendous support and love. It means everything to us. We will do our best to bring you great experiences. Can't wait to continue this journey together!"
Meanwhile, on Steam, the new shlooter hasn't exactly been rolling around in positive reception. Some user reviews are frustrated by the endgame grind, saying, "They want players to feel frustrated and confused so that they are incentivized to pull out their wallets in order to improve their experience." Others complain about having to install two separate anti-cheat programs, or simply sum it up as, "When Warframe and Destiny 2 have a child together but they don't treat him/her nicely".
>> It looks like the game needs some work. Just like the icons, that will get changed to look less like Destiny’s 2 ones.

GOG starts the week with two new Deals of the Day that will last until Wednesday:

• The first one is Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Starring Lara Croft, 25% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/tomb_raider_i_to_iii_remastered
• The second one is The Planet Crafter, with a 30% discount: https://www.gog.com/en/game/the_planet_crafter

Steam has four deals:

• Big Ambitions, still in Early Access, will be 25% off until the 21st: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1331550/Big_Ambitions/
• Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus gets an 80% discount until the same July 21st: https://store.steampowered.com/app/673880/Warhammer_40000_Mechanicus/
• Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2 also has an 80% discount, but until the 25th of July: https://store.steampowered.com/app/573100/Battlefleet_Gothic_Armada_2/
• And Alba: A Wildlife Adventure is going to be 75% off until the 28th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1337010/Alba_A_Wildlife_Adventure/

Humble Bundle has launched the Summer Sims 2: Astragon Anthology Bundle, featuring up to 17 items (games and DLCs) from this publisher during the next 18 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/games/summer-sims-2-astragon-anthology.

And Fanatical has two new deals:

• The new Star Deal is Trepang 2, 52% off during 24 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/trepang-2
• And the Bundle Bash event will bring a new bundle every day during this week. Today’s new bundle is the BYO RPG Bundle, featuring 20 games for your 3+, 5+ or 8+ bundle: https://www.fanatical.com/en/pick-and-mix/build-your-own-rpg-bundle

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

Court documents show that not only is Valve a fraction the size of companies like EA or Ubisoft, it's smaller than a lot of triple-A developers
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/court-documents-show-that-not-only-is-valve-a-fraction-the-size-of-companies-like-ea-or-ubisoft-its-smaller-than-a-lot-of-triple-a-developers/
First noted by SteamDB creator Pavel Djundik and reported by The Verge, documents from an antitrust suit against Valve show that the company consisted of 336 employees in 2021. That's a fraction of the size of most big game publishers, even as Steam continues to shape PC gaming as a whole.
The documents originate from Wolfire Games' 2021 lawsuit arguing that Steam constitutes an unfair monopoly on PC digital distribution. The documents remain partially redacted, and were likely meant to have all the juicy details fully blacked out⁠—a surprisingly common error in the US legal system that leads to sensitive data being made public.
The Verge has a full chart of the year-by year number of employees and departmental payroll changes at Valve. The chart confirms prior reporting that the overall headcount at the company has remained pretty stable for the last 10 years—back in 2016 we reported that the company had around 360 employees, while Wikipedia quoted the company as having 330 in 2013. 
Here's the topline from 2021: Of those 336 employees, 79 directly worked on Steam, while a whopping 181 remained in the "Games" department⁠—pretty much the reverse of what I expected, given Steam's importance to company profits and how rarely Valve releases new games. There were just 41 employees working on hardware development at that time, right on the eve of the Steam Deck's launch, and the remaining 35 employees were in admin.

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

Latest version of the PlayStation 4 emulator, shadPS4, can now run Turok and boot Bloodborne with correct colors
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/latest-version-of-the-playstation-4-emulator-shadps4-can-now-run-turok-and-boot-bloodborne-with-correct-colors/
Earlier this month, we informed you about the PlayStation 4 emulator, shadPS4, launching Bloodborne. That version of the PS4 emulator could not display the right colors when Bloodborne was running. Thanks to a new update, though, you can now get the correct colors.
Do note that shadPS4 cannot progress further than the character menu. So yeah, don’t expect to be playing it on PC with this new version of shadPS4. Still, progress is progress.
Moreover, shadPS4 can now run Turok: Dinosaur Hunter Remastered. This isn’t THAT exciting for a lot of PC gamers as there is already a PC version of it. Still, it’s good to see more and more 3D games running on this PlayStation 4 emulator.
>> The article has a short video and some screenshots. And this same emulator can also boot Red Dead Redemption Remastered. Boot, not play.

This mod adds 15 new & unique quests to The Witcher 3 Next-Gen
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/this-mod-adds-15-new-unique-quests-to-the-witcher-3-next-gen/
Modder ‘PaulR0013’ has released a cool new mod for The Witcher 3 Next-Gen that adds to the game 15 new quests. According to the modder, the mod will turn some of the game activities into actual side quests.
For those unaware, The Witcher 3 features numerous side activities. These activities often result in giving rewards and sometimes unique interactions and dialogue. However, they are not tracked in the journal and do not feature notifications to assist the player with completing them.
So, what this mod does is turn these activities into quests by wrapping brand new (unique) quests around them. When the activity is triggered, this mod will open the quest and provide tracking via objectives, maps, and journal descriptions.
You can download the mod from this link. Do note, though, that you’ll need the game’s expansion packs (Hearts of Stone and Blood & Wine). If you don’t own them, you won’t be able to use it.
>> The article has a less than 2 minutes video.

Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell RTX Remix Path Tracing Mod keeps getting better and better
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/tom-clancys-splinter-cell-rtx-remix-path-tracing-mod-keeps-getting-better-and-better/
YouTube’s ‘skurtyyskirts’ has shared another video from his WIP RTX Remix Path Tracing Mod for Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell. In this video, the modder showcased the Chinese Embassy. This is a never-before-seen environment, so let’s take a look at it.
As skurtyyskirts noted, he has fixed some of the culling issues that appeared in earlier versions of the mod. The modder disabled object culling in the runtime which prevents lights from hijacking the lighting in a scene that were placed in the toolkit. However, lights are still disappearing in the RTX Remix version.
>> The video is over 3 minutes long.

Deus Ex and Unreal Tournament 99 look incredible in Unreal Engine 5 thanks to Surreal 98
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/deus-ex-and-unreal-tournament-99-look-incredible-in-unreal-engine-5-thanks-to-surreal-98/
DXU24 has shared a video, showcasing the latest version of Surreal 98. Surreal 98, previously known as DXU24, is a game rendering client that will bring Deus Ex and Unreal Tournament 99 to Unreal Engine 5.
When using Surreal 98, older Unreal Engine games, like Deus Ex and UT99, will automatically run in Unreal Engine 5. This will allow them to take advantage of most of the new features of Epic’s engine.
According to the modder, Surreal 98 already supports Full Ray Tracing and Path Tracing. Moreover, it comes with support for UE5’s Lumen. Not only that but the modder added support for POM (Parallax Occlusion Mapping).
In the following video, we get to see some comparisons between the vanilla and the modded versions of Deus Ex and UT99. These are the two games in which Surreal 98 focuses on. In the future, the modder also plans to add support for Unreal Gold and RUNE.
Do note that this has nothing to do with the RTX Remix Mods of UT99 and Deus Ex. Surreal 98 replaces the rendering engine with UE5. That’s a whole different – and more complicated – project.
>> The video is over 30 minutes long.

Fallout 4 just got driveable cars/vehicles with Havok physics
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/fallout-4-just-got-driveable-cars-vehicles-with-havok-physics/
Fallout 4 fans, here is something for you today. Modder ‘BlahBlahDEEBlahBlah’ has released a mod that brings driveable cars/vehicles to Fallout 4, complete with Havok physics. So, let’s take a look at it, shall we?
Driveables of the Commonwealth – Wasteland Havok is basically an add-on for an older mod. In other words, you’ll need both the expansion and the base mods.
The expansion adds 8 “wasteland” vehicles (plus 2 experimental variations). All of these vehicles have Havok physics. Moreover, some of them come with multiple body/tire/paint options.
Now while this is a really cool concept, the mod needs a lot of work. From what I can see, the wheel axis is completely messed up. As such, it can become a real pain in the a$$ to drive the vehicles. Again, it’s a cool concept, and it’s something that some Fallout fans may appreciate. But man, a more polished version of it could easily be one of Fallout 4’s best mods.
A couple of days ago, the modder shared a video in which he announced a collaboration with The Wasteland Garage. In that video, which I also included below, we can see some better wheel physics. So, all hope is not lost. At least not yet.
>> The article has two videos.

The New Adventures of The Silver Shroud is a new quest mod for Fallout 4 with new boss fights, voice acting, and the reimagining of an old Fallout 3 enemy
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/the-new-adventures-of-the-silver-shroud-is-a-new-quest-mod-for-fallout-4-with-new-boss-fights-voice-acting-and-the-reimagining-of-an-old-fallout-3-enemy/
TheModdingGoat has released a new quest mod for Fallout 4, called The New Adventures of The Silver Shroud. This is a new and exciting quest mod dealing with further adventures of The Silver Shroud. So, let’s take a look at it.
Featuring a return to old fashion branching Fallout dialog, The New Adventures of The Silver Shroud promises a journey where your choices somewhat matter. The mod is said to have full of scripted boss fights, expert voice acting, and a custom boss theme. Moreover, the mod has a re-imagined old Fallout 3 enemy, and dialog that reflects your actions within the mod and from the game itself.
For the mod to start you must first complete the vanilla Silver Shroud quest and wait four days, after which listen to radio station 19.8.
The modder suggests using it on a new game. However, you can also use it on your ongoing playthrough. In theory, it should not cause any conflicts or issues.
>> You’ll fins a less than 2 minutes trailer of the mod.

Persona 4 Golden mod turns it back into your granddaddy's Shin Megami Tensei, fixing the gravest aesthetic crime of its non-PS2 version
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/persona-4-golden-mod-turns-it-back-into-your-granddaddys-shin-megami-tensei-fixing-the-gravest-aesthetic-crime-of-its-non-ps2-version/
Persona 4 is, for reasons almost entirely to do with the legendary Endurance Run, a profoundly important game to me. So important that when its whizzbang Golden version finally got its PC release back in 2020, I put a hundred hours into it in the blink of an eye.
But something felt a little off, and now I know what it was. Turns out, Persona 4 Golden had some distinct visual differences from the game's original 2008 PS2 release. It was much clearer, for one thing. Where the base game was bathed in a sickly fog, P4G was cleaner, sharper, more colourful. I've never been sure if it was an aesthetic choice or an accommodation Atlus made for Golden's appearance on the itsy-bitsy screen of the PS Vita—where it first released—but I knew it felt kind of wrong. It wasn't the Persona 4 I knew.
Well, good news: The Persona 4 I knew is being painstakingly restored by fans with precisely the same kind of obsessively weird brain I have. Meet P4 Fog Restoration, a mod from BrawlerAce that restores the glorious aesthetics of the PS2 era to P4G's sharpest, 4K-est PC version.
Per its GameBanana page, P4 Fog Restoration is actually only 40% done, and the plan is to eventually cover the entire game. As it currently stands, "All dungeons present in the original Persona 4 have received full visual overhauls, including to normal and boss battles, to match P4 PS2 as closely as possible." It's also touched up the Velvet Room and a few assorted other areas, though it sounds like P4G's exclusive dungeon hasn't been touched yet. Inaba itself—P4G's overworld—hasn't been affected yet either.
>> The article has a 2 minutes video.

GAMING NEWS

This may be our first look at BioShock 4
https://www.dsogaming.com/screenshot-news/this-may-be-our-first-look-at-bioshock-4/
A screenshot from what appears to be a 2021 build of the upcoming next-gen BioShock game, BioShock 4, has appeared online. This leaked screenshot does not show much, so don’t get your hopes up. Still, this is something that may interest our BioShock fans.