Friday gaming news, part two:
CDPR boss says Witcher author Sapkowski's grumpiness is a 'persona,' he's actually lovely and the studio's 'updating everything' to make sure they respect his lore
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/the-witcher/cdpr-boss-says-witcher-author-sapkowskis-grumpiness-is-a-persona-hes-actually-lovely-and-the-studios-always-updating-everything-about-its-games-to-make-sure-they-respect-his-lore/
There are two things I know about Andrzej Sapkowski: he wrote (and continues to write) the original Witcher novels, and he's a legendary grump. In fact, if I search our own website for the author's name, I find stories about him advising young writers to instead learn something "That makes money" like PC repair, saying he "never played" and does "not intend to play" The Witcher games, and other such things that seem like the hallmark of a—honestly, quite charming—grouchy author.
But when I sat down for a chat with CDPR co-CEO Adam Badowski, I was told something alarming: Sapkowski might not be quite as curmudgeonly as he puts on.
>> And here’s how was experience of showing Bioware the first demo of The Witcher (not great).
Remedy director says that FBC: Firebreak 'respects player time' instead of relying on FOMO, which has 'infected modern games'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/horror/remedy-director-says-that-fbc-firebreak-respects-player-time-instead-of-relying-on-fomo-which-has-infected-modern-games/
FBC: Firebreak is Remedy's upcoming chaotic co-op shooter / Control spin-off. I was already invested in it thanks to Robin Valentine's FBC: Firebreak preview, which talked about all the hilarious and treacherous times to be expected, but after hearing what Remedy Director Mike Kayatta has to say about the studio's approach to this game, I'm even more eager to start playing.
In this new medieval city builder that launched on Steam today, build a sprawling town with the help of companions who level up and train their own apprentices
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/city-builder/in-this-new-medieval-city-builder-that-launched-on-steam-today-build-a-sprawling-town-with-the-help-of-companions-who-level-up-and-train-their-own-apprentices/
There's a familiar start to City Tales: Medieval Era, a new city builder that launched on Steam today. You've got a few citizens that need housing and food and work, so you place a wood cutter's camp near the trees, a gathering station near a berry patch, and a hunter's cabin in the woods: stuff any city builder player has done plenty of times before.
But there are also some interesting twists on the city building formula. You don't build homes for your citizens, you draw districts. Click on the map to create borders around the district, and your citizens will handle the rest: dividing up the district into plots and deciding where their houses go themselves. You can add other buildings to a district: a well, a market, a weaver's shop, a lumber mill, but again, you don't choose their precise location. Your wee little villagers handle that.
>> I tried the demo of the game during the last Next Fest. Shame they’ve removed the demo.
A 'gruesome' free Warhammer 40,000 typing game on Steam heralds the announcement of Boltgun 2, coming in 2026
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/a-gruesome-free-warhammer-40-000-typing-game-on-steam-heralds-the-announcement-of-boltgun-2-coming-in-2026/
I liked Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun quite a bit. I'm not a huge Warhammer guy, but a straight-up boomer shooter I can quickly jump in and out of for a few minutes of blood and guts when the urge strikes? That's my jam. So I think it's very good news that more is on the way: During today's Warhammer Skulls Showcase, Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 was officially announced and set for launch in 2026.
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But it's not the only Boltgun news of the day: Developer Auroch Digital has also unleashed an all-new addition to the series today called Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun—Words of Vengeance, and it is, I kid you not, "a gruesome typing game."
In this first person typer, your words are weapons—literally! Unleash the might of your WPM (words-per-minute) in this free-to-play twist on Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun! Put your typing skills to the test by quickly typing out randomised words and phrases from Warhammer 40,000 lore to end the lives of your foes.
>> The game is already on Steam and the article has a link to it.
Dawn of War, the undisputed king of Warhammer 40k RTS games, is getting a remaster, but Relic isn't changing too much: 'We don't want to fix something that isn't broken'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/strategy/dawn-of-war-the-undisputed-king-of-warhammer-40k-rts-games-is-getting-a-remaster-but-relic-isnt-changing-too-much-we-dont-want-to-fix-something-that-isnt-broken/
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War is one of the GOATs, and in many ways represents one of the last hurrahs for the traditional base-building RTS. See, in the early '00s, the once glorious RTS genre was starting to show signs of wear and tear as it tried to adapt to a changing videogame landscape.
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Dawn of War spawned two sequels, one of which is still highly regarded (albeit very different), but the original remains one of Relic's greatest games, up there with Homeworld and Company of Heroes. And now, praise the Emperor, it's time for a comeback in the shape of an HD remaster.
Warhammer 40,000's space dwarfs will make their videogame debut in turn-based tactics sequel Mechanicus 2 this year
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/strategy/warhammer-40-000s-space-dwarfs-will-make-their-videogame-debut-in-turn-based-tactics-sequel-mechanicus-2-this-year/
When Games Workshop first released sci-fi miniatures for Warhammer 40,000 in the 1980s the line included space dwarfs, also called squats, with a hairy biker aesthetic—like if the forgemasters of trad fantasy evolved into greasy spaceship mechanics. Never as popular as space elves or space orks, by the second edition of Warhammer 40,000 they were written out of the setting as a casualty of the tyranid invasion, and Warhammer players say old aspects of the lore that no longer apply have been "squatted" to this day.
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Given their relative unpopularity and how long they spent in the stomachs of the tyranids, the squats never showed up in any of the many Warhammer 40,000 videogames. That'll change when Mechanicus 2 comes out later this year, though unfortunately they won't be a playable faction.
It's a day ending in 'y' so you know what that means: Embracer Group is doing more restructuring
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/its-a-day-ending-in-y-so-you-know-what-that-means-embracer-group-is-doing-more-restructuring/
Embracer Group is undergoing yet another restructuring of its gigantic operations, this time announcing plans to spin-off the Coffee Stain part of the business as well as renaming the Lord of the Rings portion.
In 2024, Embracer announced it would split into three distinct companies across games. Asmodee handled tabletop and physical games; Coffee Stain managed indies and free-to-play titles; Middle-Earth & Friends took charge of the Lord of the Rings and other major licenses.
Now, Coffee Stain will become "a standalone group of community-driven game developers and publishers by the end of calendar year 2025." It's slightly unclear how this differs from last year's restructuring, but Coffee Stain manages somewhere in the region of 250 game developers and publishers worldwide, including the likes of Ghost Ship Games (Deep Rock Galactic) and Tuxedo Labs (Teardown).
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As for the Middle-Earth & Friends side, not much is changing apart from the name. It'll now be known as Fellowship Entertainment, which I have to admit is a lot better, and "the strategy is to transform into one powerhouse group with game development and publishing at its core."
'It's the definition of insanity here': The Battlefield subreddit's good vibes nosedive into outrage after DICE announces there'll be no class weapon restrictions in Battlefield 6
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/its-the-definition-of-insanity-here-the-battlefield-subreddits-good-vibes-nosedive-into-outrage-after-dice-announces-therell-be-no-class-weapon-restrictions-in-battlefield-6/
Yesterday, things over on the Battlefield subreddit looked downright idyllic—or at least as idyllic as something can look when it's packed full of footage of tanks toppling buildings and helicopters getting shot out of the sky. Thanks to a tidal wave of leaked Battlefield 6 footage, players were sharing their excitement about the series seemingly returning to its roots. Long-suffering Battlefield diehards were, at long last, willing to hope again.
But then DICE announced how class weapons are going to work, and now everything is awful again.
This 'stealthvania' is like if Prince of Persia never gave up on 2D and narrated your every move
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/this-stealthvania-is-like-if-prince-of-persia-never-gave-up-on-2d-and-narrated-your-every-move/
I'm a sucker for both retro side scrollers and stealth games, but since we've yet to get Mark of the Ninja 2 or some sort of Splinter Cell demake, I've rarely enjoyed the styles simultaneously. Thinking on it, though, they're a natural fit for one another—after all, premiere blockbuster sneak 'em up Assassin's Creed has a platforming titan lurking in its DNA: Prince of Persia, of which the original AC was nearly a spinoff.
Enter 'stealthvania' The Siege and the Sandfox, which released on Steam this week.
Super People, the 'PUBG with superpowers' battle royale that closed in 2023, is somehow back from the dead and doing a closed beta test in June
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/battle-royale/super-people-the-pubg-with-superpowers-battle-royale-that-closed-in-2023-is-somehow-back-from-the-dead-and-doing-a-closed-beta-test-in-june/
Rather like the Death of Superman, it appears that the death of Super People was not as permanent as it was presented. After being shuttered for good in mid-2023, the 'PUBG with superpowers' battle royale has sprung back to life, and is planning to hold a closed beta test in June.
Super People, developed by Korean studio Wonder People, first came on the scene in 2021 and made a splash with gameplay that seemed a little more grounded than, say, similarly hero-focused battle royale Apex Legends. It also borrowed a bit from MOBAs by enabling players to level up during their adventures with experience earned primarily through defeating enemies, encouraging aggressive action over run-and-hide tactics.
