I don't think we'll see many low end 7000 cards out there given that no has any product featuring them in development and most have started to shift their attention to RDNA4.

At least that's what Benchlife says, courtesy of Videocardz.

I just want a decent half height, single slot, passively cooled, bus powered GPU with a wide memory bus for decent performance and decent encode/decode for the old Core 2 Quad test rig... At the moment it has the 1030 GDDR5 in it which has done the job... But I like to upgrade the GPU in that system at-least once a decade, it's been 7 years.

Alright bois, for now, I'll have to post hardware news after my work is done. Maybe it will change to something earlier in the coming weeks. While my new job does have work from home everyday other than Tuesday, that doesn't start happening till after a month of being at the office essentially. So till then, late hardware news!

NVIDIA x MediaTek AI PC Chip Expected To Launch By H1 2025, Targeting Intel, AMD & Qualcomm’s SOCs

https://wccftech.com/nvidia-x-mediatek-ai-pc-chip-launch-h1-2025-targeting-intel-amd-qualcomm-socs/

GPD Unveils Pocket 4, The First AMD Ryzen AI 300 “Strix” Handheld: Shares Radeon 890M “RDNA 3.5” & Arc 140V “Xe2” iGPU Benchmarks

https://wccftech.com/gpd-pocket-4-first-amd-ryzen-ai-300-strix-handheld-radeon-890m-arc-140v-xe2-igpu-benchmarks/

AMD Drops Entry-Level RDNA 3 GPU Plan In Favor of Next-Gen RDNA 4 Gaming GPUs

https://wccftech.com/amd-drops-entry-level-rdna-3-gpu-plan-in-favor-of-next-gen-rdna-4-gaming-gpus/

AMD reportedly preparing more Ryzen AI 300 SKUs, ‘bigger’ numbers to be expected

https://videocardz.com/newz/amd-reportedly-preparing-more-ryzen-ai-300-skus-bigger-numbers-to-be-expected

So even at higher power levels, gaming vs 7800X3D really isn't zen 5s forte, least not till Zen 5 X3d comes out. Still the power efficiency is impressive leap so here's hoping next gen Steam Deck will do wonders.

There is a 4060 Ti 16GB single slot but it runs quite hot and fan I believe was noisy. But I think it's a china only gpu.

Let’s go with the Tuesday news:

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

Steam’s Top 10

(Click here for the Top 100)

We can all see that Valve's unannounced shooter Deadlock just hit over 18,000 concurrent players, Gabe
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/we-can-all-see-that-valves-unannounced-shooter-deadlock-just-hit-over-18000-concurrent-players-gabe/
Valve seems to be gearing up to release its first new game in four years, and we already know way too much about it: We've seen dozens of Deadlock's characters and their full movesets on YouTube, we can poke around in its file directories, it has a pretty popular subreddit, and, as reported by VG247, it hit 17,000 concurrent players this weekend, rising to over 18,000 today. Not bad for a game that hasn't even been announced yet.
You can observe the fluctuations of Deadlock's crypto-player base over on SteamDB. According to the utility's creator, Pavel Djundik, a Steam key submission months ago made the details of Deadlock's playtest available for public view, and Valve took no action to change that. It certainly looks like the studio has been ramping up the size of Deadlock's playtest though: Today's peak of 18,254 players represents a 578% increase over last month's high, and honestly, the devs of a lot of fully-released games would be overjoyed to put up numbers like that.
>> I'm not one, though.

GOG has two new sales:

• There’s a new Weekly Sale, sorry, Weekly Deals, with up to 90% discounts during 7 days: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/20240813_weekly_deals_3_august
• The Horror Promo has games of the genre up to 95% off during 7 days: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/20240813_horror_promo

Steam has new deals, sales and, of course, new weeklong deals:

• The Persona franchise is on sale with up to 70% discounts until next Monday: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/PersonaFranchiseSale2024
• Another Sega franchise on sale: the Two Point Franchise will be up to 82% off until the 19th: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/TwoPointFranchiseSale2024
• From Poland with Love is a new sale that features up to 90% discounts until Monday, the 19th: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/frompolandwithlove2024
• Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley is gong to be 20% off until August 23: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1808680/Snufkin_Melody_of_Moominvalley/
• And here’s a small sample of the weeklong deals:
  • The Stairway 7 - Anomaly Hunt Loop Horror Game is 15% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2911820/The_Stairway_7__Anomaly_Hunt_Loop_Horror_Game/
  • The Renovator: Origins has a demo and a 33% discount: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1917550/The_Renovator_Origins/
  • Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon is going to be 50% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1184760/Shovel_Knight_Pocket_Dungeon/
  • Please, Don't Touch Anything 3D gets a 60% discount: https://store.steampowered.com/app/529590/Please_Dont_Touch_Anything_3D/
  • Katamari Damacy REROLL will be 75% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/848350/Katamari_Damacy_REROLL/
  • And SUPER DRAGON BALL HEROES WORLD MISSION has a demo and can be yours thanks to its 90% discount: https://store.steampowered.com/app/798510/SUPER_DRAGON_BALL_HEROES_WORLD_MISSION/

Fanatical has three new Flash Deals and a bundle:

• These are today’s 24h Flash Deals:
  • Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is 39% off: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/like-a-dragon-infinite-wealth
  • Monster Hunter Rise + Sunbreak has a 73% discount: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/monster-hunter-and-rise-sunbreak
  • The third one is RAGE® 2 - Deluxe Edition, with a 91% deal: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/rage-2-deluxe-edition
• And the BYOB: Warhammer 40,000 Battles has 18 gams to choose from for your 3+, 5+ or 8+ bundles: https://www.fanatical.com/en/pick-and-mix/build-your-own-bundle-warhammer-40-000-battles

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

Black Myth: Wukong PC Benchmark Released, First 4K Results
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/black-myth-wukong-pc-benchmark-tool-released-first-results/
Black Myth: Wukong is one of the most highly anticipated games of 2024. Powered by Unreal Engine 5, this game promises to be quite demanding on Max Settings. And, surprisingly enough, Game Science has released a PC benchmark tool that you can download from Steam.
Game Science has worked hard to make sure the benchmark results are a good match for how the game will actually run. However, because games can be complex and vary a lot, the test results might not always show exactly how the game will feel when you play it.

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

Torchlight: RTX Remix Path Tracing Demo Available for Download
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/torchlight-rtx-remix-path-tracing-demo-available-for-download/
Modder ‘Kralich/David’ has just released a demo for his upcoming RTX Remix Path Tracing Mod for Torchlight. As you may have guessed, this mod aims to bring real-time Path Tracing to the first Torchlight game. So, let’s dive in.
Torchlight is a dungeon crawler with randomly generated levels. In this demo, the modder has remastered the Town & Mines section of the game.
Sadly, Kralich/David does not plan to expand on this demo for now. As such, this will remain a cool RTX Remix Demo, just like his RTX Remix for Nerf: Arena. At least for now.
>> The article has a video comparing the visuals between the vanilla and the modded versions.

Dazzling Doom 2 mod upgrades the legendary FPS with full-blown ray tracing, looks hellishly good
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/dazzling-doom-2-mod-upgrades-the-legendary-fps-with-full-blown-ray-tracing-looks-hellishly-good/
Everybody knows that Doom 2 is better than the original Doom. I mean, the double barrelled super shotgun and the Icon of Sin? I rest my case. The legendary FPS has just got even better courtesy of a fantastic new mod that introduces real-time, path traced ray tracing to the game, transforming the look of its hellish halls, infernal environs, and nightmarish demons.
Created by the talented modder shirokii Doom 2: Ray Traced can be downloaded right now for free. Speaking in the release notes of the mod, shirokii states that introducing "real-time path tracing" to Doom 2 "allows shadows, reflections and global illumination without any prebaking. Everything has a shadow. Emissive maps contribute to lighting. Volumetric lighting is traced to simulate a dense atmosphere". Impressive.
>> The article has a roughly 1,5 minutes video.

You can finally play Doom 2 with full Path Tracing and voxels
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/you-can-finally-play-doom-2-with-full-path-tracing-and-voxels/
Two of the best mods for Doom 2 (and Doom 1) were the Voxel Doom Project and Doom 2 RTX. And finally, a modder has made it possible to play Doom 2 with voxels and full Path Tracing. This is a dream come true for a lot of old-school Doom fans. So, waste no time and download it.
Going into more details, the path-traced renderer of this project is based on Half-Life: Ray-Traced. As such, it should be more advanced than the previous RT/PT Mod we’ve shared.
Also, contrary to the previous Path Tracing Mod, this one uses GZDoom. This may please a lot of gamers who did not fancy PrBoom. And although I’ve finished Doom 2 with Path Tracing, I will, once again, replay it.
As said, alongside the Path Tracing effects, this mod also replaces all 2D sprites with voxels. These voxels look similar to the 2D sprites and give a more 3D-ish look to the game. Seriously, Voxel Doom is one of the best graphics mods for id Software’s classics. Thus, I’m really happy to see it working with Path Tracing. This is exactly what I’ve been asking for a long time.
You can go ahead and download the mod from this link. The mod is compatible with the latest Doom 1 + 2 Steam release. It should also be compatible with the original WAD files, though I’m not 100% certain about it. Either way, make sure to follow its installation guide.
(...)
UPDATE:
I’ve just tried the mod and it does not work with the original WAD files. So, to use it, you must use the latest Doom 1 & 2 versions that Bethesda released on Steam.
>> The article has a less than 2 minutes trailer.

GAMING NEWS

STALKER 2 Developer Deep Dive shows 30 minutes of gameplay footage
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/stalker-2-developer-deep-dive-shows-30-minutes-of-gameplay-footage/
GSC GameWorld has released the first developer deep dive video for STALKER 2, which shows 30 whole minutes of gameplay footage from it. STALKER 2 is one of the most anticipated games of 2024. So, make sure to watch this video.

The Farm 51 has just announced Chernobylite 2: Exclusion Zone, coming to PC in 2025
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/the-farm-51-has-just-announced-chernobylite-2-exclusion-zone-coming-to-pc-in-2025/
The Farm 51 has just announced the sequel to Chernobylite, Chernobylite 2: Exclusion Zone. Chernobylite 2: Exclusion Zone aims to blend open-world combat, crafting, team and base management, and nonlinear storytelling into a compelling and realistic post-apocalyptic action-RPG.

Red Dead Redemption Remastered on PC is imminent
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/red-dead-redemption-remastered-on-pc-is-imminent/
It appears that Take-Two and Rockstar may shadowdrop Red Dead Redemption Remastered on PC any day now. Yep, this isn’t an out of date April’s Fools joke. Red Dead Redemption Remastered is coming to PC.

Terminator: Survivors has been delayed until 2025
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/terminator-survivors-has-been-delayed-until-2025/
NACON has announced that the early access release on PC (Steam) for Terminator: Survivors has been delayed until 2025. The game was originally meant to hit Steam EA on October 24th.

The second part of the Tuesday news:

'Free doesn't pay our bills': Mega-mod Fallout London's developers plan to build their own indie studio
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fallout/free-doesn-t-pay-our-bills-mega-mod-fallout-london-s-developers-plan-to-build-their-own-indie-studio/
Fallout London, while "held together with duct tape" by the dev's own admission is an impressive machine nonetheless. Our news writer Joshua Wolens has been having a blast with the behemoth Fallout 4 mod when it's not been booting him to desktop, and I'm chuffed as chips (I felt a British saying was on-theme) to see it stick the landing as well as a mod can be expected to.
On the back of Fallout London's success, its developers have big plans for the future. As outlined in a follow-up interview with the BBC, Dean Carter of Team Folon has expressed an interest in turning the team who made it from avid modders to a proper indie studio.

Shadows of Doubt, the procgen private-eye immersive sim, is leaving early access next month
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/sim/shadows-of-doubt-the-procgen-private-eye-immersive-sim-is-leaving-early-access-next-month/
When Shadows of Doubt hit early access last April, we quickly became believers in the potential of its procedurally generated cities and crime solving simulation sandbox. After 17 months of improvements, additions, and tune-ups, we'll see how well that potential's been realized when the cyberpunk detective sim gets its 1.0 release on September 26, 2024.

Hunt: Showdown is going offline for 48 hours to prepare for its biggest update ever
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/hunt-showdown-is-going-offline-for-48-hours-to-prepare-for-its-biggest-update-ever/
Hunt: Showdown is undergoing a major change next week as it transitions into Hunt: Showdown 1896, featuring an upgraded engine, overhauled UI, big changes to the meta, and an all-new map—the first in three years. That's the good news. The bad news is that a big update means some big downtime, and Hunt: Showdown will be unavailable for two solid days beginning tomorrow.

Baldur's Gate 3's rarest ending has only been unlocked by 34 players, and it requires an obscenely specific sequence of poor decisions
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/baldurs-gate/baldurs-gate-3s-rarest-ending-has-only-been-unlocked-by-34-players-and-it-requires-an-obscenely-specific-sequence-of-poor-decisions/
As a part of its celebration of Baldur's Gate 3's one-year anniversary, Larian unveiled some more juicy data about its players' decisions across their various playthroughs on X, "The Everything App." Seeing the wild ways other people choose to experience this game is always a hoot, but the best part is learning about things I didn't even know were in the game. Spoilers ahead for Baldur's Gate 3's endings, and content warning for suicide.

Bethesda's updated Doom remasters have opened a portal to a hellish dimension of uncredited mod uploads: 'This is a massive breach of trust'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/bethesdas-updated-doom-remasters-have-opened-a-portal-to-a-hellish-dimension-of-uncredited-mod-uploads-this-is-a-massive-breach-of-trust/
Last week, Bethesda released a new edition of its Steam remasters for Doom and Doom 2. The update to Bethesda's existing Doom + Doom 2 remaster bundle adds new enhancements like cross-platform online multiplayer, a new official episode, and a new BOOM-compatible engine that enables the use of over two decades of existing DOOM mods that can be published and installed through an in-game mod browser. That's cool! 
Unfortunately, it looks like the mod browser lets you upload any mod you want and say you made it. That's less cool.

Space Marine 2 settled on 3-player co-op because having 4 lore-accurate 40K marines made it too much of 'a massacre'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/space-marine-2-settled-on-3-player-co-op-because-having-4-lore-accurate-40k-marines-made-it-a-massacre/
Space Marines in Warhammer: 40k are so legendary that even I, as someone who has not painted a single miniature, am aware of how terrifying they're supposed to be. Just to be certain, however, here's a list of facts about these genetically-modified walking tanks that I'm finding out today:
(…)
Because of this absurd power scaling, when discussing how many players to allow in the game's co-op mode, François says the team tested out having four of these absolute units on the battlefield. It just didn't work.

Starting with the launch of RDNA3, AMD's marketing has gotten progressive worse. I expect cherry picking but they've stooped to the type of nonsense that Intel was pulling. The R9 5900XT, R7 5800XT. and now their Zen 5 marketing is deceitful to the point of being just plain dishonest.

More 3D V-Cache CPUs Coming To AM4 Platform As AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D Spotted In EEC Listing

https://wccftech.com/more-3d-v-cache-cpus-am4-amd-ryzen-5-5500x3d-spotted/

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 GDDR6 GPUs Debut Later This Month, First Custom Model Pictured

https://wccftech.com/nvidia-geforce-rtx-4070-gddr6-gpus-debut-august-custom-model-pictured/

Acer to announce Intel Core Ultra 200 “Lunar Lake” laptops on September 4th

https://videocardz.com/newz/acer-to-announce-intel-core-ultra-200-lunar-lake-laptops-on-september-4th

The Wednesday news:

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

Call of Duty 4 is one of the best-selling Steam games right now, but only because you need it to play an ambitious Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer mod launching this week
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/call-of-duty/call-of-duty-4-is-one-of-the-best-selling-steam-games-right-now-but-only-because-you-need-it-to-play-an-ambitious-modern-warfare-2-multiplayer-mod-launching-this-week/
There's a Call of Duty climbing the top sellers list on Steam right now, and it's not Black Ops 6. It's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered, the 2016 re-release of 2007's Call of Duty 4. It's currently number three on the best-selling games list (by revenue) in the US and hanging out in the top 10 worldwide, beating out the likes of Dota 2, The First Descendent, and Baldur's Gate 3.
That's a bit weird at first glance—the remaster going on sale for $20 somewhat explains the sales bump, but it doesn't account for why this one not particularly active CoD remaster is outselling every other game in the series and most other games on Steam.
The real reason for the renewed interest is way more fun, and very PC gaming: There's a long-awaited fan mod coming out this week that revives classic Modern Warfare 2 (2009) multiplayer on PC, and you need this remaster to get it working.
The project, called H2M, is coming out August 16. On the mod's website, developers say H2M aims to recreate classic Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer while adding "a wide variety of maps, new progression, unique camos, remastered weapons, custom attachments, and more."

A massive free update and a 50% discount sends Cult of the Lamb rocketing up the Steam charts
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/roguelike/a-massive-free-update-and-a-50-discount-sends-cult-of-the-lamb-rocketing-up-the-steam-charts/
The world's suddenly got a lot more cult leaders in contention. Thanks to the release of its packed Unholy Alliance update and an accompanying half-off discount, Cult of the Lamb has launched into the upper echelons of Steam's top sellers charts, ranked 4th in the US at time of writing and 6th worldwide.
Cult of the Lamb's second major update for 2024, Unholy Alliance brings a cuddly occult comrade for the action roguelike's titular Lamb. A second player can take on the role of the Goat and join in for full co-op in local play or with Steam's Remote Play Together.

GOG has five new Limited Time Offers and a new Promo:

• These are the LTO, that will last 46 hours:
  • A Building Full of Cats is 20% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/a_building_full_of_cats
  • Elvira II: The Jaws of Cerberus also gets a 20% discount: https://www.gog.com/en/game/elvira_ii_the_jaws_of_cerberus
  • Decision: Red Daze is 70% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/decision_red_daze
  • A Golden Wake has an 80% discount: https://www.gog.com/en/game/a_golden_wake
  • And the last one is BattleZone 98 Redux, 81% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/battlezone_98_redux
• The Build & Manage Promo features up to 90% discounts during 7 days: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/20240814_build_manage_promo

Steam has a new sale and a new deal:

• For all the cat lovers out there, the Cat Awareness Feline Sale feature games with cats up to 85% off until August 22: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/CatAwarenessFelineSale
• Meanwhile, Bakery Simulator gets a 91% discount until the 27th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1031120/Bakery_Simulator/

Fanatical has three new 24h Flash Deals:

• Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy is 35% off: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/apollo-justice-ace-attorney-trilogy
• Sniper Elite 5 - Deluxe Edition gets a 79% deal: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/sniper-elite-5-deluxe-edition
• And Prey has a 91% discount: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/prey-game

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

-Empty-

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

Dark Souls 3 will soon get a mod that will remaster its lighting
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/dark-souls-3-will-soon-get-a-mod-that-will-remaster-its-lighting/
Modder ‘Trivia Vanille’ is currently working on a graphics mod for Dark Souls 3 that aims to remaster its lighting. This mod is based on the upcoming DS3 LightingEngine mod. And below, you can find some screenshots from it.
In case you didn’t know, Ganaboy is working on a version of his Dark Souls 2 Lighting Engine Mod for Dark Souls 3. This mod aims to bring major lighting improvements to the game. My guess is that it will also add support for NVIDIA’s DLSS and DLAA. After all, DS2LE already supports them.
In these screenshots, Vanille showcased some new graphics effects that will come to DS3. PC gamers can now enjoy regenerated cubemaps, SSR, SSS and GTAO.
At the end of the article, you can find some before/after comparison screenshots. These will give you a better idea of the graphical improvements that this mod will bring to the table. The vanilla screenshots are on the left, whereas the modded ones are on the right. So, be sure to check them out.
One of the big differences is the color palette. The modded version of Dark Souls 3 looks richer and more vibrant. It also feels more natural. For instance, the fake light behind the main character has been removed. However, I can also spot some artistic differences between them. So, it will be kind of a mixed bag for some.

Doom 2 just got a cool new Doom 64-inspired episode mod
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/doom-2-just-got-a-cool-new-doom-64-inspired-episode-mod/
Doom 64 is one of my favorite Doom games of all time. Thus, I’m happy to report that Doom 2 just got a brand new mod that is heavily inspired by it, called DBP64: The Vast Silence.
As its creator claimed, The Vast Silence is a Doom 64-themed episode for Doom 2 designed for limit removing source ports made by various members of Doomer Boards.
Apparently, this mod came out in February 2024. In other words, it passed under my radar, and shame on all of you for not informing me. So, better late than ever, I guess.
>> There’s a 6 minutes video.

New Skyrim Mod adds amazing real-time dismemberment system
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/new-skyrim-mod-adds-amazing-real-time-dismemberment-system/
Now here’s something really cool. Modder ‘Seb263’ has released a new cool mod for Skyrim: Special Edition. This mod, called Dismembering Framework, allows you to cut the limbs of your enemies in real-time during fights. But that’s not all. The mod also adds realistic blood effects and sounds that change depending on the type of armor and weapons being used. So, if you’re into Skyrim and want a more intense and realistic battle experience, this mod might be perfect for you.
This mod doesn’t use Papyrus scripts like other mods do. Instead, it works directly with the game engine to make dismemberments happen in real-time. This means there won’t be any noticeable delays, and the game will run smoothly without the usual lag from scripts. So, you’ll get a more immersive and seamless experience while playing. Cool, right?
Not only that, but the mod also makes sure limbs are cut off accurately. By using another mod called “Precision,” the game will cut off limbs exactly where you aim. This makes fatal attacks look even more realistic. And, in a way, it will remind you of Die by the Sword. Well, that is if you are an old-school PC gamer. So, if you want the best experience, remember to install the Precision mod along with this framework.
And that is not all. The mod adds realistic blood splatters with physics that are expelled from severed limbs until the body is drained. It also allows NPCs to dismember each other. And yes, this also includes all animals. Oh, and the mod can also work with other mods too. So that’s another cool thing to keep in mind.
>> There’s a less than 2 minutes trailer of the mod.

This awesome mod sees TF2 come to CoD Zombies—which is all the more impressive considering it'd typically be the other way around
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/this-awesome-mod-sees-tf2-come-to-cod-zombies-which-is-all-the-more-impressive-considering-it-d-typically-be-the-other-way-around/
It's a rare delight to discover that a game you hadn't considered not only has an active modding community, but has one with some really clever boffins doing some awesome work. As is the case with Call of Duty: Black Ops 3, a game that came out in 2015 but is still receiving new workshop content almost a decade later.
Enter TF2 Zombies: A loving recreation of 2Fort (a map so iconic and recognisable in gaming that it's only outdone by Dust) all within Black Ops 3. You can see it showcased by YouTuber FPSpsycho below, though considering the map has 43,520 subscribers at the time of writing and was posted in May, it's been in the ecosystem for a while.
What's really impressive here is the attention to detail—this isn't just an asset flip with a bunch of CoD models gunking the place up. The base game mode has been recreated using TF2 UI assets, all of its models have been swapped, and even the mode's perks—such as the Double-Tap Root Beer or Stamin-Up—have been given their own custom Bonk! Energy drink cans to keep the whole thing in-universe.
The only thing stopping this from looking like a GMOD server or is, invariably, the Black Ops 3 zombies shambling about and the unmistakable feeling of its physics engine. The map itself is a group effort, with a credits list featuring 17 modders (shared below—I'm excluding Valve from that count for obvious reasons) and was produced for the Noahj456 mapping contest.
>> The video is over 40 minutes long.

GAMING NEWS

Chernobylite 2: Exclusion Zone Official PC Requirements
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/chernobylite-2-exclusion-zone-official-pc-requirements/
A couple of days ago, The Farm 51 announced the sequel to its post-apocalyptic STALKER-like action RPG, Chernobylite 2: Exclusion Zone. And, from the looks of it, the team has also revealed its PC requirements. So, let’s take a look at them.

Until Dawn is coming to PC on October 4th
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/until-dawn-is-coming-to-pc-on-october-4th/
Sony has just announced that the remake of Until Dawn will be released on PC on October 4th. To celebrate this announcement, the company has shared a new trailer which you can find below.

The Wednesday news:

Helldivers 2 game director says a Chargers rework and an update to fire damage are part of a 60-day update plan: 'What matters most now is action, not talk'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/helldivers-2-game-director-says-a-chargers-rework-and-an-update-to-fire-damage-are-part-of-a-60-day-update-plan-what-matters-most-now-is-action-not-talk/
In the wake of yet another blowup amongst the Helldivers 2 community over an unpopular balance patch, game director Mikael Eriksson says Arrowhead "didn't hit our target with the latest update," and laid out the studio's plan to do a better job with future patches.

Josh Sawyer doesn't like Baldur Gate 3-style romances and that's part of why he doubts a new Pillars of Eternity would be a hit: 'I feel like I'm kind of out of touch with that audience'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/josh-sawyer-doesnt-like-baldur-gate-3-style-romances-and-thats-part-of-why-he-doubts-a-new-pillars-of-eternity-would-be-a-hit-i-feel-like-im-kind-of-out-of-touch-with-that-audience/
Josh Sawyer is an RPG legend, with writing and design credits on games including Icewind Dale, Neverwinter Nights 2, Fallout: New Vegas, Pillars of Eternity, Tyranny, The Outer Worlds, and numerous others. But with the runaway success of Baldur's Gate 3 inspiring talk about the possibility of Pillars of Eternity 3, Sawyer expressed some doubt about his participation in it—not because he doesn't want to do it, but because he doesn't feel like he's hip to what modern RPG fans want.

Josh Sawyer would head up a new Fallout game if Microsoft asked, but he'd have to do it his way: 'Who wants to work on something where the one thing they want to explore is not possible to explore?'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/josh-sawyer-would-head-up-a-new-fallout-game-if-microsoft-asked-but-hed-have-to-do-it-his-way-who-wants-to-work-on-something-where-the-one-thing-they-want-to-explore-is-not-possible-to-explore/
Fallout: New Vegas holds kind of a weird spot in the Fallout canon. It's widely regarded as the best of the Bethesda-era Fallouts (although personally, I preferred Fallout 3) and it's also viewed by many as sort of a red-headed stepchild: No matter how many times Todd Howard insistently denies it, there's a lingering sense among some fans that Bethesda—which did not actually make New Vegas—would like to bury it.
With all that in mind, not to mention that both Obsidian and Bethesda are now Microsoft studios, it's not surprising that expressions of hope for a new Obsidian-made Fallout occasionally bubble to the surface. But would Josh Sawyer, the project coordinator, lead designer, and system designer of New Vegas, have an interest in leading the project? Well... sure. With some conditions.

Somehow, Baldur's Gate 3 isn't done winning yet: It's just claimed the most prestigious award for science fiction and fantasy writing
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/somehow-baldurs-gate-3-isnt-done-winning-yet-its-just-claimed-the-most-prestigious-award-for-science-fiction-and-fantasy-writing/
You would think that more than a year after going into full release, Baldur's Gate 3 would have finally stopped winning awards. And you would be wrong. On top of all the other gold Larian's epic RPG has claimed over the past 12 months, it has now added a Hugo Award, the most prestigious award in science fiction and fantasy literature, for Best Game or Interactive Work.

Blizzard is still updating Heroes of the Storm on an almost monthly basis, and I just think that's nice
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/moba/blizzard-is-still-updating-heroes-of-the-storm-on-an-almost-monthly-basis-and-i-just-think-thats-nice/
Pour one out for Heroes of the Storm, Blizzard's belated entry into the genre that spawned from an old Warcraft mod, and the only MOBA I've ever loved. HotS is a brilliant game but arrived on the scene a little too late to make any kind of serious impact, with the field dominated then as now by League of Legends and Dota 2, and despite Blizzard's best efforts and a 2017 reboot as HotS 2.0, development began winding down: in 2022, the developer finally announced it wouldn't be creating any new content for the game.
(...)
All of which is prelude to noting that, while HotS may now be in maintenance mode, Blizzard continues to plug away at the game and release regular updates. There's no new content, sure, but the developer continues with seasonal events, mode rotations, and considerably in-depth balance patches.

Tomorrow is festive over here and I don't know if I'll make the news. My lazy side says that no, but my even lazier side says that if I don't do it, I'll have more work on Friday. So yeah, we'll see which side wins and who loses (me).