Nvidia can abandon gaming if they wish; they are certainly acting like they do not give a shit.

@Pemalite Could AMD opt for similar solution to their FSR4 issue as Intel does with XESS? A fall back solution that could run on non RDNA4 hardware, It would be better than FSR3 but not as good as RDNA4's FSR4 due to the lack of hardware?

I almost wonder if the reason some people softball their criticism of Nvidia is fear they'll just drop gaming altogether and go all in to AI. Guess it becomes a question of whether you believe the situation would be even worse without Nvidia and who could potentially fill that gap.

But even if Nvidia doesn't care about it anymore the PC gaming market is still on the rise, and in a free market where there's a rising demand someone will always come to meet it. Right now it might be better for the industry is Nvidia were to just drop out. Maybe it needs a large shake up.

It’s time for the Monday gaming news:

SALES/PLAYER COUNTS & DEALS

Monster Hunter Wilds claws past Dota 2 and Lost Ark to be Steam's 5th most-played game ever, with a nearly 1.4 million peak player count
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/monster-hunter-wilds-steam-concurrent-player-record/
Short of a catastrophic server meltdown, it was almost inevitable Monster Hunter Wilds would smash its way into the Steam record books. But I didn't think it would happen this fast.
Update, 3/1/25, 12:00 PM ET: One day post-launch, and Monster Hunter Wilds keeps smashing records on Steam. It's currently cruising at 1.2 million players at the time of writing, but peaked at 1,384,608 earlier today. That means it's eclipsed Dota 2 and Lost Arc to secure the fifth-highest peak player count in Steam's history. Wilds has a ways to go to hit number four, though: Counter-Strike 2/Global Offensive is sitting pretty at 1.8 million players for its all-time peak, nearly matched that number in the past 24 hours, and has a whopping 1.4 million in-game at this very moment.
>> Players have been busy recreating Bob Ross, Ronald McDonald and others.

An $8 cooperative horror game is rocketing up Steam's top sellers list: 'Never occurred to me Lethal Company was missing physics until I played this'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/horror/an-usd8-cooperative-horror-game-is-rocketing-up-steams-top-sellers-list-never-occurred-to-me-lethal-company-was-missing-physics-until-i-played-this/
'Lethal Company clone' is one of the three remaining genres that now encompass the entirety of Steam, the other two being 'Vampire Survivors clone' and 'hentai'. Most of these games briefly clog up the new releases tab before being replaced by yet more cooperative, autobattling horror porn (the first person who develops that game will make a squillion bucks). Yet occasionally, one sticks the landing. Such is the case with REPO, a game about repossessing items from creepy buildings that, at the time of writing, is selling more copies than Civilization 7.
Looking at REPO, it isn't hard to see why. It takes the monster-chewed bones of Lethal Company, expands the max player count from four to six, and adds two differentiating features. First, it casts players as googly-eyed, primary coloured pedal bins resembling the storybots from Netflix's Sesame Street knockoff Ask the Storybots, complete with mouths that flap like a muppet's whenever the player speaks over voice chat. Second, it imbues the entire experience with wibbly-wobbly physics.
(...)
All of this had led to REPO quickly garnering an 'Overwhelmingly Positive' rating on Steam from almost 2,000 reviews. "Never occurred to me Lethal Company was missing physics until I played this game," writes Steam user eternalreflect, adding its "surprising how much fun you can have throwing around objects—or being thrown yourself." User Polaris, meanwhile, praises REPO's more freewheeling approach to cooperative horror action. "I personally love the fact that there really isn't a time limit when you're in the mission, you can explore and take as much time as you need."
It's also worth noting that REPO is an early access game, with developer semiwork stating it expects to release the final version in "around 6 to 12 months." While the studio doesn't detail its exact plans for the early access period, merely stating it wants to "work with the community to make this game the best it can be", it points out REPO is already "perfectly playable" and "fleshed out" with three worlds, 19 enemies, 29 equipment items and eight player upgrades.

Steam has a lot of deals for a Monday:

• Orwell: Keeping an Eye On You will be 75% off until the 10th of March: https://store.steampowered.com/app/491950/Orwell_Keeping_an_Eye_On_You/
• Symphonia, that has a demo, will have a 25% discount until the 13th of March: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1865960/Symphonia/
• And these are the new sales:
  • The Made in Brazil Sale has games up to 90% off and will last until tomorrow, the 4th, but some deals will end later today: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/MadeinBrazilSale
  • The NSPCC Charity Sale has up to 90% discounts and the deals will last between the 7th and the 10th of March: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/9036111/sale/NSPCCCharitysale
  • Publisher ESDigital Games celebrates its Spring Sale by putting its games on sale with up to 90% discounts until, in theory, March 9: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/32941917/sale/ESDigitalGamesSpringSale
  • The Women’s Day Sale has games up to 90% off until the 9th… but some deals will end on the 8th and others will last until, at least, the 11th: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/WomensDaySale
  • The Tokyo Indie Games Summit features lots of upcoming titles, as well as spme demos and a handful of deals. Check it out by yourselves: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/45363342/sale/TOKYOINDIEGAMESSUMMIT
  • The GrabTheGames Publisher Sale has games up to 90% off until the 13th of March: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/33066823/sale/GrabTheGamesPublisherSale
  • And lastly, we have the I commissioned some bunnies franchise sale, with up to 50% discounts. Some of the deals will end later today, while others will last until the 15th: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/42118397/sale/Icommissionedsomebunnies

Fanatical has launched its Spring Sale, with up to 96% deals, three 24h Flash Deals and a bundle:

• The first Flash Deal is Legacy of Kain™ Soul Reaver 1&2 Remastered, 35%: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/legacy-of-kain-soul-reaver-1-and-2-remastered
• The second Flash Deal is MARVEL vs. CAPCOM Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics, with a 35% discount: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/marvel-vs-capcom-fighting-collection-arcade-classics
• And the third Flash Deal is Tales of Arise, 79% off: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/tales-of-arise
• The NeuroVoider – Deluxe Edition Bundle is back with a 17% discount during 13 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/neurovoider-deluxe-edition

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

Steam sets new record with over 40 million concurrent players
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/steam-sets-new-record-with-over-40-million-concurrent-players/
Steam has just set a new record of concurrent players. Earlier today, Valve’s service passed over 40 million concurrent players. To be more precise, it hit 40,270,997 concurrent players.
Steam set its previous record of 39 million concurrent players in December 2024. In other words, it took around two months to break it.
>> Koragg made a thread about this new feat yesterday.

New Unreal Engine 5.3 Tech Demo, inspired by Samaritan, Blade Runner & Cyberpunk, is available for download
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/unreal-engine-5-3-tech-demo-samaritan-blade-runner-cyberpunk-download/
UE5 fans, here is something for you. Artist Sciontidesign has released a new Unreal Engine 5.3 Tech Demo that you can download right now. This demo is heavily inspired by the Samaritan UE3 Demo, Blade Runner and Cyberpunk.
Going into more details, the demo only uses dynamic lighting. Sciontidesign also used Nanite with Distance field Meshes and Ambient Occlusion with Screen Space Reflection.
This demo does not have Lumen, Path Tracing, RTX, DLSS, or baked lighting. So, this is what UE5 can achieve without any of its advanced features.
>> If you don’t want to test it, you can just watch the 4 minutes video in the article.

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

Left 4 Dead 2 RTX Remix Path Tracing Mod Released
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/left-4-dead-2-rtx-remix-path-tracing-mod-released/
Left 4 Dead 2 fans, here is something special for you today. Modder ‘xoxor4d’ released a mod that allows you to play this classic FPS game with RTX Remix Path Tracing.
Do note that this is a compatibility mod. As such, it just makes Left 4 Dead 2 compatible with RTX Remix. It does not add new high-quality assets. And despite that, the game already looks great with it.
But what can you expect from this RTX Remix Mod? Well, right now, most things are rendered using the fixed-function pipeline. And, like most RTX Remix Mods, it does allow you to enjoy the game with Path Tracing. Still, it’s not perfect. Right now, it does not have any PBR textures. Plus, you might encounter some small visual bugs.
>> The article has an over 10 minutes video of the mod.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Nextgen Edition gets HD Texture Pack
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/grand-theft-auto-vice-city-nextgen-edition-gets-hd-texture-pack/
In January 2025, we informed you about Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Nextgen Edition. And today, I’m happy to report that an HD Texture Pack has been released for it, overhauling over 700 textures.
For those unaware, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Nextgen Edition is a free remaster of the classic GTA game. This project brought all the missions, the whole map, and content from the original game to the RAGE Engine. And yes, this feels better in every way than the sloppy official remaster that Take-Two released in 2023.
GTA Vice City Nextgen Edition has an improved version of the city – and weapons – from the Definitive Edition. All the cars from the Xbox version of the original game will be present here. Additionally, all the models of all characters and peds will be from the Xbox version. So, the game should look better than the original PC version. And that’s without using any mods for it.
All the original radio stations are present in this unofficial remaster. And although the project has the cut-scenes and the style of the original game, it comes with better particle effects and some lighting improvements. Thus, most die-hard Vice City fans will like it.
It’s also worth noting that Take-Two attempted to take down this project. Thankfully, though, the game has been spread across the web. Thus, it should be easy to find and download it.
This new HD Texture Pack upgrades over 700 textures. It completely redesigns 90% of the ads and signs across the map while staying true to the game’s story and time period. Interiors, most terrains, and many other textures have also been improved. Not only that, but the modder has manually reworked every texture without using AI upscaling. So, this isn’t your typical AI HD Texture Pack.
>> This article also has an over 10 minutes video, plus another two mods; one to play it in first person mode and another that improves the handling of cars and bikes.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Mod Enhances Global Illumination
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/kingdom-come-deliverance-2-mod-enhances-global-illumination/
Modder ‘nimbul’ has released an amazing new mod for Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 that attempts to enhance its Global Illumination. By default, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 uses CRYENGINE’s SVOGI. And, with this mod, you can take it to the next level.
Going into more details, this mod enhances specific aspects of the global illumination. For instance, some areas appear too dark when they should be more illuminated. So, by using this mod, you will improve those areas. Plus, the mod aims to increase the amount of light bouncing from surrounding materials, allowing them to reflect more colored light. Additionally, it attempts to minimize light leakage.
>> In the article you’ll find some comparison screenshots and an almost 15 minutes video.

Download and play an unofficial PC port of Sonic Unleashed
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/download-and-play-an-unofficial-pc-port-of-sonic-unleashed/
Sonic fans, get ready for a treat. A team of programmers and modders has released an unofficial PC port of the Xbox 360 Sonic game, Sonic Unleashed. This unofficial PC port is available for download right now.
Titled Unleashed Recompiled, this unofficial PC port was created through the process of static recompilation. The port offers both Windows and Linux support. Moreover, it comes with numerous built-in enhancements such as high resolutions, ultrawide support, high frame rates, and improved performance.
For those wondering, SEGA won’t take down this project. Unleashed Recompiled does not feature any game assets. In other words, it’s similar to the unofficial PC ports of Super Mario 64, Crash Team Racing, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Majora’s Mask, Perfect Dark, and Jak & Daxter.
The team claims that it has taken special care to recreate the game’s visuals as accurately as possible. The colors are as vibrant as those of the PlayStation 3 version, which did not use the color correction filter present in the Xbox 360 version. This was how the game was originally meant to look like. However, there’s also an option to recreate the original warm filter from the Xbox 360 version.
This unofficial PC port of Sonic Unleashed also comes with some visual enhancements. For instance, it supports resolutions up to 4K and MSAA levels beyond the 2X. It also has support for “Alpha to Coverage” Anti-Aliasing to enhance the visual result of transparent textures with hard edges. Plus, you can expect higher quality DoF (Depth of Field) and an enhanced Motion Blur option.
And that’s not all. The team has written a new renderer from scratch to translate the game’s draw calls to modern APIs in a highly efficient way while also taking advantage of multi-threading.
Modern rendering techniques such as bindless textures and shader specialization are also used to maximize the performance on systems with modern hardware whilst also supporting a wide range of lower end hardware. Moreover, the new renderer brings multiple optimizations to the game’s shadow map rendering. Plus, there are special techniques to automatically detect and skip unnecessary texture copies that are no longer needed in modern APIs.
For those wondering, yes. This unofficial PC port supports uncapped framerates. Do note, though, that you might encounter some issues with an unlocked framerate. Thankfully, at 60FPS, the game works like a charm.
>> There are two videos in the article.

Demo released for Fallout Revelation Blues, a mod that aims to recreate Black Isle’s canceled Fallout 3 game in Fallout: New Vegas
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/demo-released-for-fallout-revelation-blues-a-mod-that-aims-to-recreate-black-isles-canceled-fallout-3-game-in-fallout-new-vegas/
United West Team has just released a demo for Fallout Revelation Blues. Fallout Revelation Blues is a mod that aims to recreate Black Isle’s canceled Fallout 3 game in Fallout: New Vegas. So, if you are fans of the Fallout franchise, you should definitely give it a go.
The demo features Burham Springs, where players can explore the area with new weather, new assets, new levels, and a whole lot more added to make the environment all the more eye-catching and unique. In terms of factions in the Burham Springs Demo, you will see some familiar faces like the NCR, the BoS and the Powder Gangers.
In Burham Springs, you will find a small mining town that was once under NCR control, now abandoned due to a terrible incident. You, the player, will be able to explore the ruins and have the story unfold before you. You will meet with the last few locales who are every bit on edge and possibly insane. Plus, you will find treasures and secrets buried away under the sand and rock of the ashy canyon.
All in all, this is a cool demo of the canceled Fallout 3 game. And, to be honest, I’m quite happy we got a demo for it. A lot of teams have been working on cool total conversion mods for Fallout 4 and New Vegas. And, as you know, some of them have been canceled. So, at least we get to play a demo for this TC Mod.
You can download the demo from this link. Do note that you’ll also need all of the game’s DLCs. To visit Burham Springs, you must travel to Boulder City, investigate the parked train and enjoy the ride.
>> In this article you’ll find a roughly 2 minutes video.

One of the best Return to Castle Wolfenstein mods just got an update that turns the WW2 FPS into a Killing Floor-style wave shooter
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/one-of-the-best-return-to-castle-wolfenstein-mods-just-got-an-update-that-turns-the-ww2-fps-into-a-killing-floor-style-wave-shooter/
RealRTCW is already one of the best mods for Return to Castle Wolfenstein, providing an extensive visual remaster of Gray Matter's 2001 shooter while also adding a bunch of new weapons like the M1 Garand and an MG42. Originally released in 2016, the mod officially came to Steam in 2020. But its creators have continued to support it since, with the latest update bringing an entirely new game mode.
Update 5.1 is the first major patch for the mod since June last year, and according to its creator WolfETPlayer "80%" of its development time was dedicated to adding the new mode—RealRTCW Survival. This converts Return To Castle Wolfenstein into a Killing Floor-style wave shooter, pitting you against human or undead enemies depending on which of its four maps you're playing.
The mod doesn't just spawn increasing numbers of enemies into a multiplayer map, either. RealRTCW survival has a whole bunch of supplementary mechanics built into it. Killing enemies earns you points (with headshots and melee kills earning you extra) which can be spent on new weapons, deployable traps like flame hazards, and even calling in AI reinforcements to help you in combat. There's also a perk system where you can buy and equip power ups dropped by enemies, providing you temporary buffs.
(...)
The new mode isn't all the update adds. It also introduces a new weapon, the HDM silenced pistol, and gives the Wilfburg village map an overhaul. This makes numerous visual improvements and, enticingly, restores cut content. "I won't spoil anything!" WolfETPlayer declares. "You'll need to discover it yourself."
>> There’s a less than 2 minutes video in the article.

I just started playing Monster Hunter Wilds and this monster health bar mod might be the first one I install
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/i-just-started-playing-monster-hunter-wilds-and-this-monster-health-bar-mod-might-be-the-first-one-i-install/
Monster Hunter Wilds mods are already here and I found the first one new players should install: a mod that adds a health bar for monsters, allowing you to see exactly how much damage you've dealt and how far you have left to go.
Veteran players of the Monster Hunter franchise may be familiar with mods like this for previous games, but if you're new, you might be wondering why you can't see monsters' HP. The lack of visibility can make it difficult to tell which weapons and combos work best for you, which is especially frustrating if you haven't played a Monster Hunter game before.
One modder, GreenComfyTea on Nexus Mods, created a tweak that adds a basic, no-frills health bar showing current and total HP under each monster's name. It's nothing fancy, but it gets the job done. As the mod's creator warns: "This a barebone mod without convenient in-game customization menu, optimizations, localization support and other cool features, made to be released in a shortest time possible. There will be no updates!"
The mod creator also noted you need REFramework Nightly installed for it to work. If you're new to modding RE Engine games, I'd recommend checking out a guide first to learn your way around. Before installing this mod, you'll also want to keep in mind that Capcom's official stance on mods isn't exactly warm and fuzzy. Back in 2023, Capcom claimed mods are "no different" than cheating in an R&D presentation.
>> There’s no media in the article.

GAMING NEWS

The Relic: The First Guardian gets a new official gameplay trailer
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/the-relic-first-guardian-gets-a-new-official-gameplay-trailer/
IGN has shared a new gameplay trailer for the upcoming open-world action RPG, The Relic: The First Guardian. This short gameplay trailer gives us a glimpse at the game’s combat system. So, make sure to watch it if you are interested in it.

Blades of Fire Gets Official PC System Requirements
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/blades-of-fire-gets-official-pc-system-requirements/
505 Games and MercurySteam have revealed the official PC system requirements for Blades of Fire. Blades of Fire is a new third-person action game that will come out May 22nd on PC via Epic Games Store. So, let’s see what PC you’ll need to run it.

Monday news, part two of three:

WoW's new Undermine(d) patch had a live jazz ensemble recording its big-band bangers, and they got to improvise: 'Usually those were the takes that ended up in the final version'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/world-of-warcraft/wows-new-undermine-d-patch-had-a-live-jazz-ensemble-recording-its-big-band-bangers-and-they-got-to-improvise-usually-those-were-the-takes-that-ended-up-in-the-final-version/
WoW's Undermine(d) patch is out, and it's downright groovy—having done a few laps around the goblin city of Undermine myself, I've been pleasantly surprised by how the game's soundtrack, usually pretty ambient, has been front and center. I've been cranking that stuff up while stubbornly grabbing gold in my clunky car.
Turns out, as per a recent dev diary, that the game's composers worked on it with a live jazz ensemble—and while they definitely came out swinging with a template, a lot of what you're hearing while you and your mates are beating Gallywix up was improvised during the recording session.

3 years later, GTA 5’s Enhanced edition finally comes to PC, and it’s somehow 22GB smaller than GTA 5 Cool Original flavour
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/grand-theft-auto/3-years-later-gta-5s-enhanced-edition-finally-comes-to-pc-and-its-somehow-22gb-smaller-than-gta-5-cool-original-flavour/
GTA 6 is somewhere, dimly, on the horizon, but Rockstar must be a bit worried it's forgotten how to release a Grand Theft Auto game in the last 12 years (maybe with good reason). To get some practice in, the studio is finally releasing GTA 5's next-gen update on PC next week on Tuesday, March 4.
(...)
Another surprise: the Enhanced version of the game is actually smaller than the original, unless Steam is lying to me. Where GTA 5 Legacy says it wants 114GB of your hard drive, GTA 5 Enhanced only lays claim to a slender 92GB. That's a 22GB saving! You could install KOTOR 1 seven times over in the space you've freed up, there.

'It was truly eye-opening to realize just how many people deeply love this type of game': Inzoi director hopes his life sim will 'bring comfort to many players' lives'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/life-sim/it-was-truly-eye-opening-to-realize-just-how-many-people-deeply-love-this-type-of-game-inzoi-director-hopes-his-life-sim-will-bring-comfort-to-many-players-lives/
Inzoi director Hyungjun 'Kjun' Kim is gearing up for his game to be the first one to actually stand toe-to-toe with The Sims—not that he views his life sim as competition to EA's own, mind you. Considering this is the first time in over two decades that we're seeing something release that's seemingly close to the scale and scope of The Sims, I've been intrigued about Kjun's thought process throughout development.
(...)
"One of the most fascinating aspects of developing Inzoi has been the enthusiastic reactions and feedback from fans of the genre," Kjun told me. "It was truly eye-opening to realize just how many people deeply love this type of game. The immense anticipation and valuable input we've received from players have been a tremendous source of motivation throughout the development process."
>> They’ve just announced a showcase later this month with the future plans for the game.

The BAFTAs dares to ask the internet: 'What is the most influential videogame of all time?'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/the-baftas-dares-to-ask-the-internet-what-is-the-most-influential-videogame-of-all-time/
The best thing about awards shows is that they give us an opportunity to get mad and argue when the winners are announced. PC Gamer's Ted Litchfield, for instance, goes blind with fury every time Astro Bot wins another Game of the Year award. But in a nice change of pace, the BAFTAs are giving us an opportunity to get mad and argue before the awards by putting a very big and essentially impossible question to the internet at large: What is the most influential videogame of all time?
>> With Nintendo fans split between Mario 64 and Ocarina of Time, maybe another game will win! You have until the 20th to cast your vote.

Helldivers 2 continues its streak of turning missteps into in-game lore: After a major feature was paused for 24 hours, Super Earth says 'nothing out of the ordinary has happened'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/helldivers-2-continues-its-streak-of-turning-missteps-into-in-game-lore-after-a-major-feature-was-paused-for-24-hours-super-earth-says-nothing-out-of-the-ordinary-has-happened/
Helldivers 2 has gone a little quiet since the end-of-year blowout that saw the game's third enemy faction, The Illuminate, storm into the galactic war with their undemocratic mind control tricks and chicanery. The heroes kept a-diving and the fronts of the galactic war have kept a-shifting until yesterday: When all of a sudden the liberation started going through the roof.
Arrowhead launched an update on February 27 that, appropriately enough, hid a very nasty bug. Except this one seemed to serve the cause of managed democracy because, in the studio's words, it caused "an error that is affecting planet liberation rates, causing them to skyrocket." Arrowhead admitted that "we know this is fun" but as the Helldivers tore through enemy planets with ease it was "breaking the Galactic War mechanic itself."

One of the best puzzle game designers is back with Kaizen: A Factory Story, a game about manufacturing Japanese consumer goods during the largest economic bubble in history
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/puzzle/one-of-the-best-puzzle-game-designers-is-back-with-kaizen-a-factory-story-a-game-about-manufacturing-japanese-consumer-goods-during-the-largest-economic-bubble-in-history/
From the release of SpaceChem in 2011 through to Last Call BBS in 2022, indie developer Zachtronics was a legend in the admittedly small world of puzzle games that are a bit like programming a computer. While the studio made a variety of games, including a prescient visual novel about AI called Eliza, its specialty was a kind of engineering puzzle all about refining your input to create the ideal output—games that came to be known as Zach-likes.
(...)
Zach Barth's next game, Kaizen: A Factory Story, will certainly be, er, Zach-adjacent. It's about running a factory in Japan in the 1980s, manufacturing products ranging from toys to electronics to clothes, refining the process for each item to make it as smooth as possible. "We have an electric toilet seat," Barth says. "That's one of the puzzles. Like, that's one of my favorites."

Humanity's last hope is a little robot with can-do spirit in The Last Caretaker, coming to early access this summer
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/survival-crafting/humanitys-last-hope-is-a-little-robot-with-can-do-spirit-in-the-last-caretaker-coming-to-early-access-this-summer/
I'm not really a big fan of survival games, but occasionally one will grab me. Subnautica is probably the best example—I went into it with modest expectations and it quickly became one of the most compelling games I'd played in years. I have my fingers crossed for a similar experience with The Last Caretaker, an upcoming "first-person survival shooter" that sets players off as an android awakened centuries after Earth has been swallowed by climate catastrophes, with one simple goal: Save the human race.

Warner is still talking about Hogwarts Legacy as it commits to basing its future games on 'tentpole franchises that have each generated over $1 billion'
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/warner-is-still-talking-about-hogwarts-legacy-as-it-commits-to-basing-its-future-games-on-tentpole-franchises-that-have-each-generated-over-usd1-billion/
In what one might say is a remarkable example of understatement, Warner Bros. Discovery said in a letter to shareholders that 2024 was "a disappointing year" for its games business, which suffered a 53% decrease in revenue compared to 2023. Despite that big hit, Warner has high hopes for 2025 thanks to its recent restructuring, which it says will enable it to "refocus our resources and capital on proven IP and games from proven, world class studios."

You can save rare hunts for later in Monster Hunter Wilds, so you can come back for that Rey Dau gem when it's convenient
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/monster-hunter-wilds-save-hunts-investigations-farming/
Once you progress far enough in Monster Hunter Wilds, you'll be let loose into the world to knock out back-to-back battles with Lala Barinas and Balaharas in seamless hunts served up by shifting monster spawns. Unfortunately, not even ace hunters can be in two places at once: Your friend might need your help with a pesky Ajarakan just as an Uth Duna appears on your map with a guaranteed plate as one of its survey rewards. Luckily, you don't have to miss out on rare monster parts if you can't immediately jump into a choice field survey: In Wilds, you can save hunts from the World Map to tackle later when you've got time.
To bookmark a monster on the world map for later hunting, move your cursor over the monster on the map and hit A on an Xbox controller (F on keyboard) to start creating a quest. Hit A again, and choose "Save as Investigation." Rather than immediately starting a field survey hunt, this will create a quest that you can start later from the Investigations section at the quest counter while talking to Alma.
>> A couple more things: the monsters are “a little” realistic and the alleged performance fix that appeared over the weekend doesn’t work.

As it unveils its roadmap, Eternal Strands' dev defends the 'slippery' feeling of its physics-based player character, saying it 'can't be as snappy or reactive as it is in games that rely on animation'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/as-it-unveils-its-roadmap-eternal-strands-dev-defends-the-slippery-feeling-of-its-physics-based-player-character-saying-it-cant-be-as-snappy-or-reactive-as-it-is-in-games-that-rely-on-animation/
Chaotic physics-based action RPG Eternal Strands just unveiled its roadmap, detailing plans for updates, adjustments and various free DLC packages all the way through to summer. But as noted by RPS, developer Yellow Brick Games also took the opportunity to address various complaints players have with the game. Some of these it is either fixing or has promised to fix, but in others its response has been a touch more defensive.

It turns out you can get Baldur's Gate 3's best assassin armor without killing a baby angel elephant and joining a cult, all you have to do is pickpocket a ghost
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/baldurs-gate/it-turns-out-you-can-get-baldurs-gate-3s-best-assassin-armor-without-killing-a-baby-angel-elephant-and-joining-a-cult-all-you-have-to-do-is-pickpocket-a-ghost/
Baldur's Gate 3's Bhaalist Armor is hands down one of the best in the game, effectively doubling your damage if you're a classic dual daggers assassin sicko⁠—think the Shrouded Armor from Skyrim or Oblivion for something to compare it to. It's the best choice for rogues, duelists, even something to clad your tank with if you're an archer, since other characters can take advantage of its debuff on enemies.
It also requires you to make a fairly heinous moral choice to acquire, leaving a big conundrum for all the Chaotic Good Gloomstalkers out there. But in classic Baldur's Gate 3 fashion, there's an exploit to make it yours, keep your hands clean, and not even have to touch the many mods that make it available without being evil. Spoilers ahead for Baldur's Gate 3 Act 3.
>> And you may haven’t noticed it, but Geralt’s voice actor is also in BG3.

Runescape is finally wrapping up one of its earliest storylines, 24 years after the first quest debuted
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/mmo/runescape-is-finally-wrapping-up-one-of-its-earliest-storylines-24-years-after-the-first-quest-debuted/
Not even two months into Runescape's life, on February 28, 2001, the quest Prince Ali Rescue debuted. It kicked off the Desert quest line... one which, 24 years later, still hasn't actually goddamn finished. Until now, that is.
As revealed during the Runescape Ahead at this weekend's Runefest, the questline will finally come to a conclusion across the Return to the Desert trilogy quests happening in April and July.

Avowed's rarest ending has only been seen by 0.2% of players and demands you make the correct choice at every major quest to not get your head chopped off
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/avoweds-rarest-ending-has-only-been-seen-by-0-2-percent-of-players-and-demands-you-make-the-correct-choice-at-every-major-quest-to-not-get-your-head-chopped-off/
After finishing Avowed, I started digging into the different ending slide possibilities and was shocked at just how many permutations there are. Its most challenging and hidden ending not only demands a game-long commitment, it also leaves the Living Lands in its roughest possible state while all your companions hate your guts. Spoilers ahead for Avowed's endings.

And the third part:

Steam Next Fest's most-played demo is a game almost everybody hates
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/steam-next-fests-most-played-demo-is-a-game-almost-everybody-hates/
Steam Next Fest can be a hectic time. While some of the demos will remain after the week-long Festival of Nextival is over, many do not. You need to find time to squeeze everything in—especially if you want to get in on a multiplayer beta of strictly limited duration—even if one of the biggest games of the year happens to be launching right in the middle of it.
There are usually three Next Fests per year, in February, June, and October, and 2025's first is wrapping up at 10 am PT on March 3. Based on Steam's own ranking of the top demos, organized by daily user count, we can see that multiplayer robot rumpus Mecha Break is number one and has been consistently for days. Which is interesting, given that it's currently got a user rating of Mostly Negative, with only 34% of the user reviews having nice things to say.

Total War: Warhammer 3's next patch will overhaul its Kislev faction, which Creative Assembly has 'identified as the most in need of a deep review and rethink'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/strategy/total-war-warhammer-3s-next-patch-will-overhaul-its-kislev-faction-which-creative-assembly-has-identified-as-the-most-in-need-of-a-deep-review-and-rethink/
Creative Assembly has outlined its plans for Total War: Warhammer 3's next patch, and it seems the mid-March update will see a slight change in direction for how the studio approaches updating its fantasy strategy mashup. Patch 6.1 will bring a renewed focus on tuning what's already in the game rather than adding more stuff to it, starting with a rework of what it has deemed the most unbearable faction to play as—Kislev.

The Local is a free and blazingly-fast tribute to surf maps and bunny hopping
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/the-local-is-a-free-and-blazing-fast-tribute-to-surf-maps-and-bunny-hopping/
Sometimes, you just gotta go fast; feel that virtual wind in your hair as you launch yourself at the speed of sound through an abstract playground. The Local—a (mostly) free multiplayer speedster sandbox from Aussie solo dev JINC—understands the joy of moving absurdly quick in bizarre, physics-defying ways, and pairs it with the constant, sphincter-clenching fear that one tiny mistake will reduce you to a greasy smear on a mountain-side. You should probably give it a try.

Rusty Rabbit turns Yakuza's Kazuma Kiryu into a fluffy bunny
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/adventure/rusty-rabbit-turns-yakuzas-kazuma-kiryu-into-a-fluffy-bunny/
Sometimes, magical things happen when games studios go outside of their wheelhouse. Without Creative Assembly getting experimental, we wouldn't have the terrifying Alien Isolation. And with Rusty Rabbit, renowned visual novel studio Nitro Plus is branching out in an unusual direction, seemingly blending its knack for storytelling with a cute 2D mascot platformer. One starring the (Japanese) voice of Yakuza's Kazuma Kiryu as its lackadaisical lagomorph hero, Rusty, who you can hear in the demo on Steam now.

No-Skin is an incredibly simple horror roguelike about the worst party ever, full of strong booze, bad conversation and eldritch violence
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/roguelike/no-skin-is-an-incredibly-simple-horror-roguelike-about-the-worst-party-ever-full-of-strong-booze-bad-conversation-and-eldritch-violence/
Most of us have been to a bad party or two where nothing quite feels right. No-Skin, a recently-released minimalist horror roguelike, shows you what it's like when the night's vibes are cataclysmically rancid. The souring conversation with your friends seems like a minor concern, at least, compared to being accosted by an angry, faceless, skinless man while looking for the fridge. That's just the start of a deeply cursed evening. At least the moon is smiling upon me, and gives me a knife and a gun. Thank you, moon.

Marvel Rivals is considering 'crossover events and promotions with other media' but all players want is more comicbook and movie skins
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/marvel-rivals-is-considering-crossover-events-and-promotions-with-other-media-but-all-players-want-is-more-comicbook-and-movie-skins/
NetEase has discussed the possibility of future collaborations and crossover events for Marvel Rivals, but instead of following in Fortnite's footsteps it seems like players just want to stick with Marvel's source material.

It Takes Two follow-up Split Fiction's system requirements are here, and it's verified for Steam Deck and potato-PCs alike
https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/it-takes-two-follow-up-split-fictions-system-requirements-are-here-and-its-verified-for-steam-deck-and-potato-pcs-alike/
If you're a fan of It Takes Two, then you'll almost certainly have been waiting on tenterhooks for the follow-up by Hazelight Studios. With a release date of March 6, you won't have much longer to wait to start playing Split Fiction and the really good news is that the freshly posted PC hardware requirements start off very light and Steam Deck users will be good to go, too.

Space Marine 2 dev acknowledges its FOMO events are 'a source of frustration and stress for everyone', says it'll fix things and isn't trying to make 'a full live service game' by stealth
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/space-marine-2-dev-acknowledges-its-fomo-events-are-a-source-of-frustration-and-stress-for-everyone-says-itll-fix-things-and-isnt-trying-to-make-a-full-live-service-game-by-stealth/
Saber Interactive's Space Marine 2 made a bombastic first impression late last year, winning over 40k fans with its uncompromisingly chunky super soldiers and a linear campaign that got straight down to business. Since release the game has seen a regular cadence of minor updates, most recently the addition of a datavault in early February and, oh yes, a hulking new tyranid enemy with a massive gun on its back.
(...)
Despite this, there's been some rather heretical grumbling in the ranks about the regular community events, the game's season pass, and whether this predominately singleplayer game with a $60 price tag is becoming a live service game by stealth. Plenty of players already think it is. So Saber has moved to reassure them with a new "note about community events" that almost raises as many questions as it answers.

Rockstar buys Video Games Deluxe, presumably to make future releases even more deluxe, and the GTA series has now sold over 440 million copies
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/grand-theft-auto/rockstar-buys-video-games-deluxe-presumably-to-make-future-releases-even-more-deluxe-and-the-gta-series-has-now-sold-over-440-million-copies/
Rockstar Games has announced the acquisition of Video Games Deluxe, a studio based in Sydney that it's been working with for some time. The personal relationships involved go back even further: Video Games Deluxe was founded by Brendan McNamara, who led Team Bondi in the creation of LA Noire before allegations about poor working conditions saw it and Rockstar part ways.

Personally I do think Nvidia cares a lot about the consumer gpu market. It's certainly not their first priority and the gaming segment dispite dominating desktop, laptop and even consoles with switch sales only make up 7% of their total revenue. But companies generally won't easily let go of a market they have 90% market share in.

With that being said tho, it's like they got an Ai to do Blackwell launch. Anything and everything that could go wrong went wrong. I haven't seen such a spectacular series of fuck ups till today and they even had extra months to prep.

Once and more like if things stabilize, it will be interesting to see how much market share they lost and how much Radeon has gained. This is the big break Radeon and even Intel needed from Nvidia.

I actually want them to abandon the gaming market, because I've only recently realised that the entire time they have been in the gaming market, they've slowly fucked it up along the way, from pricing to expectations to pulling the rug, taking most of the market share and then gutting backward compat support with certain technologies.

I feel like they've done more damage to PC gaming over the long-term, compared to AMD and their open source approach. It's also very clear to us now that Nvidia really doesn't give a shit about the games market, because they keep pushing those charts where data centers are above and beyond, and their current and only focus is AI, Ai, AI.

They don't actually have any aspect of gaming left in them as a company. They flat out do not respect nor care for the PC side of the games industry, which is why I want them to fuck off. If you don't care for the craft, get out of the kitchen. 

The tin-foil hat in the back of my mind is just reminding me of Lisa/Jensen rubbing their hands together with glee.

Our Western operated "competition"

(totally not designed to work like China business, where you fuck up on purpose to let the other guy get a free win and repeat for the other side, like how a racket operation works).

"Uncle Jensen, can you fuck up consumer gpus once since we have been fucking up for the last 8 years? It will show people we aren't rigging the market!"

"Sure thing Lisa! This will keep governments from investigating suspicious behavior!"