It’s time for the Tuesday gaming news:

SALES/PLAYER COUNTS & DEALS

Steam’s Top 10

(Click here for the Top 100)

At Fanatical we find two bundles:

• The NeuroVoider - Deluxe Edition, with the game and DLC is back, featuring a 20% discount during the next 14 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/neurovoider-deluxe-edition
• The Mystery Box Bundle has 25 unknown games to get in groups of 1, 5, 10 15, 20 or the whole 25 ones during the next 61 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/mystery-box-bundle

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

AMD Radeon Software Adrenalin 25.6.3 driver
https://videocardz.com/driver/amd-radeon-software-adrenalin-25-6-3

HIGHLIGHTS

New Game Support for AMD FidelityFX™ Super Resolution 4 (FSR 4)

• Monster Hunter Wilds
• Grand Theft Auto V Enhanced

FIXED ISSUES

• AMD FidelityFX™ Super Resolution 4 (FSR 4) is not enabled while playing DragonKin: The Banished, Blades of Fire, RoadCraft, The Alters, Star Wars Outlaws and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl on Radeon™ RX 9000 series graphics products.
• Intermittent system or application crash maybe observed while playing Black Myth: WuKong on Radeon™ RX 7650 GRE graphics products.
• Texture flickering or corruption may appear while playing The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered with AMD FidelityFX™ Super Resolution enabled on Radeon™ RX 9070 XT.

NVIDIA GeForce Game Ready 576.88 driver
https://videocardz.com/driver/nvidia-geforce-game-ready-576-88

HIGHLIGHTS
Game Ready for Mecha BREAK and Diablo IV
This new Game Ready Driver provides the best gaming experience for the latest new games supporting DLSS 4 technology including Mecha BREAK, as well as the DLSS 4 updates for Diablo IV and Monster Hunter Wilds.

Gaming Technology
Adds support for GeForce RTX 5050 desktop and laptop GPUs

FIXED ISSUES
Fixed Gaming Bugs

• When enabling NVIDIA Smooth Motion in games, GPU video memory runs at slightly lower speed [5337348]
• Cyberpunk 2077: Some notebooks will freeze when NVIDIA App Overlay is used when DLSS Frame Generation is enabled [5327306]

Fixed General Bugs

• Black screen when installing drivers on some AMD Ryzen configurations [5107271]
• Black screen when switching between 480Hz and 360Hz on Sony SDM-27Q10S
  monitor [5335399]

>> Could this be the last driver for GTX700, 800 and 1000 series cards?

Steam adds an in-game performance monitor so you can brag about hitting 900 FPS in Deus Ex
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/steam-adds-an-in-game-performance-monitor-so-you-can-brag-about-hitting-900-fps-in-deus-ex/
A new Steam update has released the in-game performance monitor that was previously in beta, essentially a jazzed-up version of the platform's old frame counter with more features and granularity. The performance monitor can be switched on in Steam settings, and renders over your game, providing information on how your rig's performing and the impact on game performance.
The new overlay will show frame rate values, but can also "break out generated frames from DLSS or FSR vs actual game frame rate" to show what impact these technologies are having on performance. If that's not enough, the true maniacs can delve in even further to examine "min/max single frame values and a graph of frame rate over time." It's pretty much a very slightly stripped-down version of the Gamescope performance overlay you can find on Steam Deck, if you've used that.
As well as frame rates, the performance monitor will show information on CPU performance, GPU performance, and system memory usage. There are obviously multiple ways to do this already, but having it integrated into Steam just makes life a little easier when you need to find a bottleneck (such as when I dared to tweak an innocuous graphics setting in Stalker 2 and sent my GPU into meltdown).

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

The Cyberpunk 2077 Multiplayer Mod Is Still Alive
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/the-cyberpunk-2077-multiplayer-mod-is-still-alive/
Back in July 2024, we informed you about a multiplayer mod for Cyberpunk 2077. After that, there were no updates for a while, and many people thought the mod was cancelled. But here’s some good news – the mod is still alive. And now, there’s a brand-new gameplay video you can watch.
CyberMP is a mod that will let you play Cyberpunk 2077 with your friends. You can explore Night City together and even create your own server with cool and special features. This mod aims to give players the best multiplayer experience possible.
Now, I should note that this is a multiplayer mod. It’s NOT a co-op mod. In other words, you won’t be able to play the campaign in co-op with your friends. Instead, think of CyberMP as GTA Online.
In the newest beta version of the mod, the team fixed a lot of bugs, made the game smoother, and added cool new features. Now, the game fully syncs things like flying cars (AVs), how players and their vehicles look, and even cars that have weapons and are used in combat.
>> There is an almost 5 minutes video of the mod.

Nexus Mods will soon require age verification for UK and EU users looking for its treasure trove of adult mods
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/nexus-mods-will-soon-require-age-verification-for-uk-and-eu-users-looking-for-its-treasure-trove-of-adult-mods/
UK and EU users who want to access all those NSFW Stellar Blade mods on Nexus will soon have a tougher time of it, as the platform moves to tighten up how it handles access to adult content on its service. The headline item? Some form of age verification is coming.
In a news post published earlier today, Nexus Mods content manager SlugGirl informed users that the demands of the UK's Online Safety Act and the EU's Digital Services Act around access to adult content would soon impact the world's largest modding site.
The biggest change soon to hit the service is age verification. At some point in the relatively near future, Nexus will implement an as-yet-undetermined age-verification system "for the majority of adult content hosted on the site" for users in the UK and EU.

GAMING NEWS

New in-engine trailer for the 3D dungeon crawler RPG, Cralon
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/new-in-engine-trailer-for-the-3d-dungeon-crawler-rpg-cralon/
Pithead Studio has released a new in-engine trailer for its 3D dungeon crawler that will have RPG elements, Cralon. This short trailer shows off some of the game’s environments. It also packs a few seconds of combat. So, if you are a fan of Arx Fatalis, you should definitely check it out.

MindsEye Patch #3 Released on Consoles, but Delayed on PC
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/mindseye-patch-3-released-on-consoles-but-delayed-on-pc/
Build A Rocket Boy has just released the third update for its single-player action game, MindsEye. The update is out now on consoles and is about 4GB. However, the PC version of the update has been delayed because the team found a bug that hurt performance.

Monster Hunter Wilds July 1st Hotfix Will Address the TU2 Stutters
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/monster-hunter-wilds-july-1st-hotfix-will-address-tu2-stutters/
Capcom has announced that it will release today a new hotfix for Monster Hunter Wilds. This hotfix will update your game version to 1.020.01.00, and it will address two specific issues. So, let’s take a closer look at it.

G-Rebels is a tribute to the classic G-Police in Unreal Engine 5
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/g-rebels-is-a-tribute-to-the-classic-g-police-in-unreal-engine-5/
Remember G-Police? The classic 32-bit combat flight game set in a science fiction world inspired by the Blade Runner movie? Well, it appears that a small team is working on a modern take of it using Unreal Engine 5.
>> Besides the trailer announcing the game, the article also has the PC requirements.

Tuesday gaming news, the long part two:

Rematch devs talk balls—specifically, how to balance the ball's feel with function: 'It's the basic brick of the game, it's like an atomic component'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/sports/rematch-devs-talk-balls-specifically-how-to-balance-the-balls-feel-with-function-its-the-basic-brick-of-the-game-its-like-an-atomic-component/
Rematch is still going strong after its release, with around 33,000 players on Steam alone as I write this very sentence. Talking to them about their successes, PCG's own Evan Lahti asked co-founder Pierre Tarno and lead game designer Dylan Allen what goes into making the game's balls feel so good to kick.

There's still no sign of Star Citizen 1.0, but it did just get a revamped referral program so the die-hards can tempt in even more saps
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/mmo/theres-still-no-sign-of-star-citizen-1-0-but-it-did-just-get-a-revamped-referral-program-so-the-die-hards-can-tempt-in-even-more-saps/
2025 began with Cloud Imperium Games (CIG) CEO Chris Roberts declaring that "we are closer than ever to realizing a dream many have said is impossible" with Star Citizen. As in releasing the thing.
(...)
Star Citizen is known as a crowdfunded project, though CIG has proven adept at working out ways for players to pay them more money, whether that's paid access to the alpha, subscriptions, merch, or expensive spaceships. And the latest feature announced for the game is… a revamped referral program that aims to help the die-hards be better recruiters.
Star Citizen has always had the faint whiff of dodginess to it, but referral programs like this will have many thinking about how pyramid schemes exploit social connections to attract new suckers. Launching July 2, it offers "a completely new and improved referral experience" with progression tracking, milestones, various rewards along the way, and a variety of leaderboards for the game's most committed to compare how many poor fools they've managed to inveigle on-board.
>> Do you think it will matter if the game (or games with Squadron 42) ever launch? Because I think that most of those interested in the game are already on board or lost any hope of playing it a long time ago.

Counterwatch isn't in the cards for Overwatch 2's Stadium mode: 'No hero swapping has been one of the core foundational pillars'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/counterwatch-isnt-in-the-cards-for-overwatch-2s-stadium-mode-no-hero-swapping-has-been-one-of-the-core-foundational-pillars/
One of the most contentious parts of Overwatch 2 may just be something that players have not so lovingly named Counterwatch. It's the act of swapping heroes mid-fight to counter strong enemies, and it can be enough to send some players into a swirling rage. It's pretty fundamental to Overwatch 2, but for Stadium it's a different story.
"No hero swapping has been one of the core foundational pillars of the mode since day one, like since we started prototyping it," senior game designer Dylan Snyder tells me. "Part of that is because of how difficult it is to kind of contend with, what if somebody swapped after multiple rounds, and what does that do for the enemy team?"

Hypixel Studios founder says he'll 'reach out' to Riot about taking over Hytale: 'I am even down to put $25 million by myself to finish Hytale, that’s how much I believe in it'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/hypixel-studios-founder-says-hell-reach-out-to-riot-about-taking-over-hytale-i-am-even-down-to-put-usd25-million-by-myself-to-finish-hytale-thats-how-much-i-believe-in-it/
The Minecraft-inspired sandbox RPG Hytale is cancelled, but it's not necessarily dead. In the wake of Riot's decision to pull the plug on development last week, Hypixel Studios co-founder Simon Collins-Laflamme has expressed interest in the possibility of bringing it back to life, and says he's willing to put his money—a lot of money—where his mouth is.
>> Eric Barone has also said that maybe he could help, saving the game if he knew why it failed.

Path of Exile co-creator Chris Wilson has started a new game studio: 'I wanted to be creative in a way that didn't involve being a CEO of a 200 person company'
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/path-of-exile-co-creator-chris-wilson-has-started-a-new-game-studio-i-wanted-to-be-creative-in-a-way-that-didnt-involve-being-a-ceo-of-a-200-person-company/
Over the weekend, Chris Wilson, co-founder of Path of Exile developer Grinding Gear Games, surprised ARPG devotees with an unexpected announcement. During an hourlong interview with Diablo designer David Brevik in celebration of Diablo 2's 25th anniversary, Wilson revealed that he's started a new game development studio, and that he's already got a new game project underway.

Palworld just got a huge Terraria-themed update, which as it turns out is a lot less ridiculous than Silent Bob in Warzone
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/survival-crafting/palworld-just-got-a-huge-terraria-themed-update-which-as-it-turns-out-is-a-lot-less-ridiculous-than-silent-bob-in-warzone/
You might know Palworld for its jaw-dropping player counts, its uncanny resemblance to the world's biggest media franchise, or its legal battle with Nintendo over that last thing I mentioned. Despite all the hubbub, it's just a pretty alright survival crafting game full of cute monster buddies parodying (or ripping off, depending on how cynical you are) Pokémon. They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, I suppose, and now it's doing its best Terraria impression—though it's a collaborative effort this time.
The Tides of Terraria update dropped last week and delivered a hefty supply of new equipment, dungeons, and enemies inspired by Terraria, including the Moon Lord boss familiar to anyone acquainted with Terraria's endgame. More than just a handful of token additions, it's a pretty big update that seems to substantially beef up its early access build whether you care about Terraria or not.

A Short Hike dev 'sort of' cancels Paper Mario-inspired game, but decides to let everyone play a demo of it anyway: 'I figured maybe sharing the demo is better than nothing'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/a-short-hike-dev-sort-of-cancels-paper-mario-inspired-game-but-decides-to-let-everyone-play-a-demo-of-it-anyway-i-figured-maybe-sharing-the-demo-is-better-than-nothing/
It's rare to get a peek at unfinished games, especially ones that aren't going to be released any time soon. The indie developer behind A Short Hike decided it might be interesting to give people an idea of what that looks like through a demo of a Paper Mario-inspired game they consider to be on indefinite hold.

'They told me to destroy' my backups, Fallout creator Tim Cain says: 'People high up at companies take authority but no responsibility' for game preservation
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fallout/they-told-me-to-destroy-my-backups-fallout-creator-tim-cain-says-people-high-up-at-companies-take-authority-but-no-responsibility-for-game-preservation/
You may remember the clay heads used in dialog from the original Fallout CRPGs. They've not aged gracefully, what with their stiff animations and pudding-like faces, but you can't tell the full story of how RPG visuals evolved in the late '90s without them. They (and all the sprites in the original Fallout) represent a milestone for the CRPG—and as far as Fallout co-creator Tim Cain knows, their source art assets might just be gone for good.
"Even though it shipped with sprites, it was a sprite-based engine, they were all made in 3D. They were made in Maya or Alias," Cain said in a video on his YouTube channel. "Those source art files were huge … they were backed up to DAT tape, but I don't know what happened to that DAT tape and it doesn't last that long. They last five or ten years before they start having errors. So, I think that source art is all gone."

Space Marine 2 will celebrate its first anniversary with a 'large-scale update' in September, and another year of free and paid content is on the way
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/space-marine-2-will-celebrate-its-first-anniversary-with-a-large-scale-update-in-september-and-another-year-of-free-and-paid-content-is-on-the-way/
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 3 is now officially in development, but that doesn't mean Saber Interactive is finished with Space Marine 2. Quite the opposite, in fact: The studio announced today that another year of free and paid content for the game is on the way, as is a new "large scale update" set to go live in September.

Good guy GSC wordlessly deletes ads in Stalker remaster menus with itsy-bitsy new patch
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/good-guy-gsc-wordlessly-deletes-ads-in-stalker-remaster-menus-with-itsy-bitsy-new-patch/
GSC Game World continues to juggle the patch process for four separate games in the wake of last May's release of the Stalker Enhanced Trilogy—the uprezzed remasters of the original X-Ray Engine games—which left it not only firefighting the myriad issues present in Stalker 2, but also handling the various fan disgruntlements around the new versions of the golden oldies.
Patches for the trilogy have been releasing at a fair clip, tackling stuff like blurry graphics (which only seemed to manifest for certain users), missing models, and other foibles. Now, a new patch has taken aim at the longstanding fan gripe of the ads in the games' main menus. Up to now, the remasters siloed off a little corner of their start screens to remind you that other Stalker games exist—even if you already own them. A bit like the ads Bethesda sticks in the top right of its main menus these days.

Bing Bong is talking to you: Peak players are getting jump-scared by what seems to be the developers possessing a little green plushie
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/adventure/bing-bong-is-talking-to-you-peak-players-are-getting-jump-scared-by-what-seems-to-be-the-developers-possessing-a-little-green-plushie/
Bing Bong was the first thing I saw after waking up dazed in the sand after a traumatising plane crash at the start of Peak. His little green frame immediately caught my attention and his wonky eyes somehow filled me with peace amid the burning wreckage; this must be how the cast of Lost felt.
(...)
This green plushie lands next to you on the beach and is, well, just a green plushie. While I definitely got a morale boost from taking him up the mountain with me I ended up switching him out for some food when the hunger pangs started to hit. There is an achievement for managing to take Bing Bong all the way up the mountain, but that's about it; unless you are visited by his ghost.

Obsidian director Josh Sawyer says it's a 'mistake' for RPGs to sacrifice crunchy 'sweaty boy' systems in favour of a 'one size fits all' game, since easier difficulties aren't too hard to make
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/game-development/obsidian-director-josh-sawyer-says-its-a-mistake-for-rpgs-to-sacrifice-crunchy-sweaty-boy-systems-in-favour-of-a-one-size-fits-all-game-since-easier-difficulties-arent-too-hard-to-make/
Dear reader, I need to confess something to you. I have never done a proper playthrough of Skyrim. I've booted the game up countless times, gotten a few hours deep, and felt a kind of malaise drag me away. It's nothing personal—I just need more crunch out of my RPGs. Josh Sawyer, studio design director at Obsidian (who gave us New Vegas and Pillars of Eternity) hears my call.
Speaking to PCG's own Ted Litchfield at GDC this year, Sawyer got deep into the paint on the issue of difficulty and complexity in RPGs—and the back-and-forth pendulum of the CRPG genre as a whole.

Deus Ex was a hard sell because, among other things, the Thief devs thought 'if you give players a gun, they won't sneak'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/deus-ex-was-a-hard-sell-because-among-other-things-the-thief-devs-thought-if-you-give-players-a-gun-they-wont-sneak/
Deux Ex, today, is synonymous with the immersive sim genre—paving the way for other games to let you approach a task from all possible angles. A new brand of videogame, unshackled from the straight lines of old school CRPGs, or the hallway trappings of the FPS.
But it didn't start that way. Before John Romero swooped past in 1997 to snap up Deus Ex auteur Warren Spector for Ion Storm, he was trying to get it pitched to his then-current studio Origin Systems as "Troubleshooter", circa 1994.

And, if yesterday's contest wasn't enough for you, here's a 

*** NEW CONTEST ***

Win 1 of 5 Fractal Design Scape gaming headsets
https://www.club386.com/win-a-fractal-design-scape-gaming-headset/
or https://gleam.io/ExoiW/win-1-of-5-fractal-design-scape-gaming-headsets

The contest is limited to residents in the UK and Europe.

Good luck!

The games for Humble Choice July 2025 have been revealed

• Blanc
• Cat Quest III
• DAEMON X MACHINA
• Death's Door 
• Everafter Falls
• Neo Cab
• Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader
• Wizard with a Gun

NVIDIA confirms end of support for GeForce GTX 700, 900 and 10 series after 580 drivers

https://videocardz.com/newz/nvidias-next-major-gpu-driver-branch-to-drop-support-for-geforce-gtx-700-900-and-10-series

End of an era. 8+ years for Pascal and 11 years for Maxwell is a pretty long driver support program but I suppose that when a 4060 can out perform a 1080 Ti, it's about time to upgrade. Still I would have liked 11 years for Pascal as well but it is what it is. GTX certainly went out with a bang by effectively making Turing a pointless upgrade, especially when 1080 Tis were going for $500 usd near the end before being fully replaced.

https://www.techspot.com/review/2833-geforce-gtx-1080-ti-revisit/

GeForce RTX 5050 becomes third 8GB desktop Blackwell GPU to launch without reviews

https://videocardz.com/newz/geforce-rtx-5050-becomes-third-8gb-desktop-blackwell-gpu-to-launch-without-reviews

A bad precedent is being set for sure. This is what happens when a gpu vendor has 90%+ of the market share while it's competitors fumble for generations. The fucked up thing is 90%+ of the market share including all the desktops/laptops/dgpus etc still counts for less than 10% of the overall revenue that Nvidia is making.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 8 GB GPU Tested: Slightly Slower Than The RTX 4060 at 1080P

https://wccftech.com/nvidia-geforce-rtx-5050-8-gb-gpu-tested-slightly-slower-than-rtx-4060-1080p/

Of course it's slightly slower than a 4060, no Blackwell gpu can out perform it's next tier up Ada gpu.

Intel confirms Arc Battlemage GPUs will expand into Edge/AI market in Q4

https://videocardz.com/newz/intel-confirms-arc-battlemage-gpus-will-expand-into-edge-ai-market-in-q4

ASUS celebrates 30 years in graphics card business with GeForce RTX 50 Series giveaway

https://videocardz.com/newz/asus-celebrates-30-years-in-graphics-card-business-with-geforce-rtx-50-series-giveaway

AMD’s Latest Drivers Improve Radeon RX 9070 XT’s Performance By Up To 27%; GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Is Now Slower Overall

https://wccftech.com/amds-latest-drivers-improve-radeon-rx-9070-xts-performance-by-up-to-27-percent/

Impressive gains by Radeon team

NVIDIA & AMD’s 8 GB GPUs Face Brutal Market Rejection As Higher VRAM Counterparts Manage To Dominate The Consumer Markets

https://wccftech.com/nvidia-amd-8gb-gpus-face-brutal-market-rejection/

Samsung Foundry Would No Longer Compete For The “Node Supremacy” Race With TSMC; Announces a Huge Delay With 1.4nm Node

https://wccftech.com/samsung-foundry-would-no-longer-compete-for-the-node-supremacy-race-with-tsmc/

AMD “Krackan 2” APU With 4 Cores/8 Threads Configuration Spotted: Ryzen AI 5 330 Benchmarked On Geekbench

https://wccftech.com/ryzen-ai-5-330-benchmarked-on-geekbench/

AMD FSR4-like algorithm coming to PlayStation 5 Pro PSSR update next year

https://videocardz.com/newz/amd-fsr4-like-algorithm-coming-to-playstation-5-pro-pssr-update-next-year

It’s time for the Wednesday gaming news:

SALES/PLAYER COUNTS & DEALS

Free-to-play mech brawler Mecha Break has attracted 50,000 players within 10 minutes of launching, proving our appetite for giant robots remains insatiable
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/free-to-play-mech-brawler-mecha-break-has-attracted-50-000-players-within-10-minutes-of-launching-proving-our-appetite-for-giant-robots-remains-insatiable/
Mecha Break is a free-to-play mech shooter making an attempt at what Hawken and Titanfall 2 kinda failed to do before it: a high-mobility giant robot game with longevity. It launched on Steam today after a reasonably successful beta, which Aron Garst described as "a mix of Overwatch and Armored Core 6". What could go wrong? (Well, Aron also draws attention to its heavyhanded monetisation).
It comes bearing a lot: in addition to 3v3 and 6v6 game modes, Mecha Break has its own take on the extraction shooter format. There's a huge emphasis on mech customization, but you're not just your mech. As a pilot you'll have your own base to saunter around in your hard-won expressive garb.
There are evidently plenty who want what Mecha Break is offering, because it's managed to attract over 50,000 concurrent users just ten minutes after launching.

The Humble Store has three new sales:

• The Might & Magic Spotlight Sale has up to 75% discounts during 4 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/might-magic-spotlight/
• The Crystal Dynamics Summer Sale launches with up to 89% discounts during 12 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/crystal-dynamics-summer-sale/
• The Eidos Summer Sale also has games up to 89% off during the same 12 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/eidos-summer-sale/

And Fanatical has a new Star Deal: Tomb Raider I-VI Remastered will be 55% off during 48 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/tomb-raider-i-vi-remastered

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

-Empty-

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

Azeroth Reborn, a remake of Warcraft 3 in the Starcraft 2 Engine, has been fully released
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/azeroth-reborn-a-remake-of-warcraft-3-in-the-starcraft-2-engine-has-been-fully-released/
Warcraft fans, here is something special for you today. A remake of the original Warcraft 3 in the StarCraft 2 engine, called Azeroth Reborn, has been fully released. So, make sure to get it while you still can.
Since this fan remake of WC3 uses the SC2 engine, it has better graphics than the original, a faster game speed,d and smoother pathing.
What’s also funny is that this fan remake could be better than Warcraft 3 Reforged. WC3 Reforged disappointed a lot of PC gamers when it came out in 2020. However, I’m not entirely sure whether Azeroth Reborn looks better than it. It’s been a while since I last laid my eyes on it. So, I guess someone will have to make a comparison video between them.
Since this is a Custom Campaign, it should be safe from both Activision and Blizzard. Still, I suggest downloading it while it’s still up. You never know what may happen once, and if the mod goes viral.
>> There’s an over 2 minutes video in the article.

GAMING NEWS

FBC: Firebreak Title Update 1.3 Released, Full Patch Notes
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/fbc-firebreak-title-update-1-3-released-full-patch-notes/
Remedy has released Title Update 1.3 for its co-op first-person shooter, FBC: Firebreak, and shared its full patch notes. So, let’s see what this new update brings to the table.
>> Part of that patch is to revamp the progression, which isn’t good.

Stellar Blade Title Update 1.2.0 Released, Full Patch Notes
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/stellar-blade-title-update-1-2-released-full-patch-notes/
Shift Up has just released Title Update 1.2.0 for the PC version of Stellar Blade and shared its full patch notes. So, let’s see what this new update brings to the table.

First Dune: Awakening Patch Released & Fully Detailed
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/first-dune-awakening-patch-released-fully-detailed/
Funcom has just released the first post-launch patch for its new open-world survival and crafting Dune game, Dune: Awakening. So, let’s see what this first patch brings to the table.

Elden Ring Nightreign Patch 1.01.4 Released — Here Are All the Fixes, Tweaks, and Changes
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/elden-ring-nightreign-patch-1-01-4-released-here-are-all-the-fixes-tweaks-and-changes/
FromSoftware has just released Title Update 1.01.4 for Elden Ring: Nightreign and shared its full patch notes. So, let’s see what this new patch brings to the table.

PC requirements for the official remake of Postal 2 in Unity Engine
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/pc-requirements-for-the-official-remake-of-postal-2-in-unity-engine/
Impact Inked and Running with Scissors have revealed the official PC requirements for their Postal 2 Remake in Unity Engine, POSTAL 2 Redux. So, let’s see what PC system you’ll need to run this upcoming remake.

The long second part of the Wednesday deals:

'It took a while to get there, but now we feel we're in a good place': Fatshark's design director talks doing years of repair work on Warhammer 40,000: Darktide
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/it-took-a-while-to-get-there-but-now-we-feel-were-in-a-good-place-fatsharks-design-director-talks-doing-years-of-repair-work-on-warhammer-40-000-darktide/
Warhammer 40k: Darktide had a rough launch—not disastrously rough, mind. The game's core systems, and Fatshark's previous pedigree were all enough to hook players in and keep them popping back for some major updates. Still, clunky crafting progression, chugging performance, and a lack of buildcrafting threw a wet blanket over a game that was otherwise very fun to play.
As you might be aware, Fatshark's sorted a lot of it out, starting with a huge class overhaul in October of its launch year, plus a bunch of free updates. As such, Fatshark's kept it chugging along with decently healthy numbers—fluctuating around 10,000 players in a 24-hour period, which is fine for a 3-year-old live service game—and is now confident enough to release a bit of paid DLC: A whole new class.

Phoenix and Blade headline the new Marvel Rivals season, and it starts next week
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/phoenix-and-blade-headline-the-new-marvel-rivals-season-and-it-starts-next-week/
Something Marvel Rivals has over the other hero-based games is that it doesn't have to waste any time trying to make you love its new characters. You already know them from all those movies, comic books, plushies, hoodies, mugs, backpacks, and ill-advised vehicle wraps! So even a guy like me, a lifetime comic geek who only sort of enjoys Marvel Rivals, will throw my hands up and redownload it because it's finally letting me play as Blade.
That's right, a trailer dropped earlier today revealing the next season's newest character additions: Phoenix, a telepathic mutant linked to a fiery manifestation of life itself, and Blade, a sick-ass half-vampire who hunts monsters with a giant sword and Matrix trench coat.

Randy Pitchford asks fans if they'd swallow future Borderlands exclusivity deals, almost 10,000 people say just put your damn games on Steam
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/randy-pitchford-asks-fans-if-theyd-swallow-future-borderlands-exclusivity-deals-almost-10-000-people-say-just-put-your-damn-games-on-steam/
(...)
This time, Pitchford is asking (via GamesRadar) for fan input on the Borderlands 4 pre-order process. In a tweet on June 28, Pitchford—claiming he was relaying a discussion happening among Gearbox "suits"—asked fans if they would "pre-order Borderlands 4 on [your] favorite platform if you knew that would influence exclusivity decisions?" Users could answer "Yes, Steam," "Yes, Epic," "No, Steam," or "No, Epic."
To be clear, Pitchford isn't asking if fans would accept exclusivity for Borderlands 4—that ship's long-since sailed: BL4 is ditching BL3's timed Epic exclusivity and is already available for pre-order on both Steam and the EGS—he's asking if they'd pre-order the game on their platform of choice knowing that it might influence Gearbox bean-counters when it comes to exclusivity deals for future games.

'Give me more of that': Monster Hunter Wilds players have discovered its returning monsters got hands, and they're thrilled to be getting clobbered
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/give-me-more-of-that-monster-hunter-wilds-players-have-discovered-its-returning-monsters-got-hands-and-theyre-thrilled-to-be-getting-clobbered/
One of the more charming things about the Monster Hunter fanbase is its generally-held belief that the best way for a monster to make a first impression is by kicking your head in. And after the latest Wilds update, hunters have been reporting with glee that its pair of returning monsters are doling out plenty of punishment.

'It makes me cringe every time': 25 years after Diablo 2 reshaped the RPG landscape, Diablo creator David Brevik still thinks its stamina bar sucks
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/it-makes-me-cringe-every-time-25-years-after-diablo-2-reshaped-the-rpg-landscape-diablo-creator-david-brevik-still-thinks-its-stamina-bar-sucks/
Diablo 2 left an indelible mark on videogame design, formalizing mechanics and systems like skill tree progression, randomized loot affixes, and colored rarity tiers that are now standard in RPGs and beyond. But despite its impact, Diablo creator and Diablo 2 director David Brevik still has gripes with its design 25 years after release.

A new WoW event boosts ultra-rare item drop rates tenfold, which admittedly isn't a huge difference when the starting number is 0.5%
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/world-of-warcraft/a-new-wow-event-boosts-ultra-rare-item-drop-rates-tenfold-which-admittedly-isnt-a-huge-difference-when-the-starting-number-is-0-5-percent/
World of Warcraft is a game where you fight dragons, elementals, demons, that sort of stuff. But the rival I have contended with the most in 18 years of play—the majority of my life, mind you—is the loot table. Player mounts and legendary weapons from old raids, hyper-rare drops that offer no benefit aside from looking dope, are my most coveted prizes.
I'm not alone. An in-game event just kicked off that supercharges these items' drop rates, and players are rushing to run decades-old raids, potentially for the hundredth or thousandth time, to get mounts that only a handful of players have ever added to their collection. But players are also finding that when the odds are less than 1%, you can increase them by 10 times or even 25 times and handily get the same result.

Destiny 2 just got weird: Launch trailer leans hard into time travel and looks more like a Control crossover
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/destiny-2-just-got-weird-launch-trailer-leans-hard-into-time-travel-and-looks-more-like-a-control-crossover/
Earlier today, Bungie broadcast its final showcase ahead of the July 15 release of Destiny 2's Edge of Fate expansion. Largely it was the expected run though of new features like World Tiers and The Portal, the latter being a revamped homescreen that groups together the most relevant activities in the game and enables players to tweak their difficulty (and therefore loot).

Subnautica studio leadership gutted by Krafton, which outright says that Subnautica 2 needs 'renewed energy and momentum'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/subnautica-studio-leadership-gutted-by-krafton-which-outright-says-that-subnautica-2-needs-renewed-energy-and-momentum/
Krafton has announced a major leadership exodus from Subnautica developer Unknown Worlds, in a move that casts fresh doubt on the prospects of Subnautica 2: which was scheduled to launch in early access this year, but is nowhere to be seen.

Minecraft is bringing back the copper golem from the mob vote graveyard, igniting my hopes for a Moobloom comeback
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/survival-crafting/minecraft-is-bringing-back-the-copper-golem-from-the-mob-vote-graveyard-igniting-my-hopes-for-a-moobloom-comeback/
I remember it well. Four years ago my friends and I were gearing up for the annual Minecraft Live broadcast, excited to see what the big update theme would be this year, but primarily concerned with one thing: The Minecraft mob vote.
Back in 2021, the vote was between three mobs, the allay, the copper golem, and the glare. Each was predictably charming in its own way, but the one that my friends and I had our sights set on was the littlest guy, the copper golem.
(...)
Fast forward four years and the Minecraft Mob vote is no more as a Minecraft spokesperson explained: "We understand players’ frustrations with having to choose among multiple fun options. After last year we began thinking about new ways to set the game up for success while giving the community more of what they want. We ultimately reached the decision to go in a new direction." But that doesn't mean we have to wave goodbye to past contenders.

Introducing the PC Gaming Show Tokyo Direct— coming from the Tokyo Game Show
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/events-conferences/introducing-the-pc-gaming-show-tokyo-direct-coming-from-the-tokyo-game-show/
The PC Gaming Show loves showing off PC games. You knew that already. But did you know the PC Gaming Show loves showing off PC games so much that we’re now showing up to a whole other show to show off even more PC games? Introducing the PC Gaming Show Tokyo Direct, coming to you from this year’s Tokyo Game Show.

The game that would become Deus Ex was originally called Troubleshooter and starred Jake Shooter, supercop
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/the-game-that-would-become-deus-ex-was-originally-called-troubleshooter-and-starred-jake-shooter-supercop/
Deux Ex is the PC classic we all love to bang on about: the FPS that arguably created the immersive sim, releasing players from the shackles of linear corridors and mindless baddies into a world where freedom of approach was the secret sauce. Its plot and stylings were also sophisticated for the time, with the player a blank slate in a world full of grey areas and ethically dubious choices.
Knowing that this is where Deus Ex ends up makes its starting point all the funnier. Before Deus Ex designer Warren Spector joined Ion Storm in 1997, which would ultimately develop the game, he was pitching it to his then-studio Origin Systems as "Troubleshooter."

Human spirit triumphs as the Croc devs announce they want to remaster Buck Bumble and the greatest main menu theme song of all time
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/human-spirit-triumphs-as-the-croc-devs-announce-they-want-to-remaster-buck-bumble-and-the-greatest-main-menu-theme-song-of-all-time/
Reports are coming in that right about now it's time to rock with the biggity Buck Bumble. PC Gamer sources add that "Bum to the bum to the bum to the bass to the bum to the boom to the Bumble," and that "Bum to the boo to the boo to the boo boo bum to the bass."
Startling stuff. In other words, the studio that just got done remastering Croc: Legend of the Gobbos (which is a cool videogame and not, as some of my colleagues might allege, a "Croc of shite") has a new dream. In a chat with MCV Develop (via VGC), Argonaut honchos Jez San and Mike Arkin said they would like, some day, to remaster Argonaut's N64 banger Buck Bumble.

Persona 5: The Phantom X has blessed the community with a new sh**posting mascot so corny it eclipses the nuance around the real-world issues he represents
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/persona-5-the-phantom-x-has-blessed-the-community-with-a-new-sh-posting-mascot-so-corny-it-eclipses-the-nuance-around-the-real-world-issues-he-represents/
There's a new Persona shitposting mascot in town, and it's a shoulder-barging menace who serves as a terrible example of a very real problem.
The series' bad guys have always erred more on the side of caricature, and nobody exemplifies that more than Persona 5: The Phantom X's first villain—former baseball prodigy turned salaryman Takeyuki Kiuchi, who saunters around Shibuya Station referring to himself as the Subway Slammer.

It's long known that AMD launch drivers aren't exactly great, which is why they gain so much performance as new drivers gets released, but this time around they had extra time to polish them before launch and they certainly did, as they were more stable than ever.

The fact that AMD has managed to squeeze some extra performance out of them, and more than Nvidia did with their cards, is kind of surprising this time around. 

At least DIY buyers know what they're doing. Well, most of them.

But those 8GB cards are primarily destined for the OEM market, and we won't get numbers from them.

So fine wine is real?