Oh it wouldn't be out of the goodness of their heart. They seem to be transitioning over to 3GB GDDR7 chips. So if such card happened, it would be because it's more convenient for Nvidia. 

It’s time… for the Friday gaming news!

SALES/PLAYER COUNTS & DEALS

The Humble Store has four new sales:

• The Handheld Frienly Sale has games up to 90% off during 6 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/handheld-friendly-2025/
• Publisher Slitherine celebrates a Birthday Sale with up to 90% discounts during 6 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/slitherine-birthday-sale/
• The VR Summer Spotlight has games up to 94% off during the next 6 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/vr-summer-spotlight/
• The last one is the Square Enix Summer Sale featuring up to 90% discounts during 12 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/square-enix-summer-sale/

Fanatical has the new BYO Capcom Summer Bundle features 22 games for your 2+, 3+ or 4+ bundles during 15 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/pick-and-mix/build-your-own-capcom-summer-bundle.

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

Yep, Steam is down (update: we're so back)
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/yep-steam-is-down/
It's not just you: Steam is down right now. If this were a Tuesday around this time that'd be no big deal (Valve does maintenance every week), but on a Thursday, it's a cause for greater concern.
The store will sometimes load, but it's running very slowly if at all right now. According to SteamDB, over half a million people have checked in to see if the service is down, and I bet a good chunk of them are Counter-Strike 2 players wondering why their ranked match just imploded.
Even if you are able to login, games which require you to be constantly signed into Steam—live service stuff like Destiny 2, for example—are currently inaccessible.
Recent updates
3:50 PM PST: It looks like Steam's back. Friends lists are working, downloads have resumed, and games are online. Was it all just a bit of oddly-timed maintenance?
>> The store itself didn’t want to end the Summer Sale.

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

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GAMING NEWS

Reaper Actual is an open-world persistent FPS from former PlanetSide 2 devs
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/reaper-actual-is-an-open-world-persistent-fps-from-former-planetside-2-devs/
Distinct Possibility Studios, a team that includes several former PlanetSide 2 devs, has announced its new title, Reaper Actual. Reaper Actual is an open-world persistent PvPvE first-person shooter. So, let’s take a closer look at it.

32-bit classic rally game, Old School Rally, will be fully released on July 10th
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/32-bit-classic-rally-game-old-school-rally-will-be-fully-released-on-july-10th/
Astrolabe Games and Frozen Lake Games have announced that their rally game, Old School Rally, will be fully released on July 10th. Old School Rally is inspired by the classic 32-bit PSX rally games like Colin McRae. And, to celebrate this announcement, the teams have shared a new trailer that you can find below.

Chronicles of the Wolf is a tribute to Konami’s 16-bit Castlevania
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/chronicles-of-the-wolf-is-a-tribute-to-konamis-16-bit-castlevania/
Castlevania fans, here’s something cool for you. Last month, PQube and PixelHeart released a new game called Chronicles of the Wolf. This game is inspired by the old 16-bit Castlevania games. So, if you like this particular genre, you should definitely give it a try.

Path of Exile 2 Update 0.2.1b Is Just a Microtransaction Patch
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/path-of-exile-2-update-0-2-1b-is-just-a-microtransaction-patch/
After three months, Grinding Gear Games released a new update for Path of Exile 2 that, believe it or not, fixes absolutely nothing. Patch 0.2.1b is now available, and this is just a microtransaction update. In other words, it only brings MTX to the game and nothing more.

Immersive Third-Person Open-World RPG, Of Ash and Steel, Gets PC System Requirements
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/immersive-third-person-open-world-rpg-of-ash-and-steel-gets-pc-system-requirements/
Fire & Frost has revealed the PC system requirements for its new RPG, Of Ash and Steel. Of Ash and Steel is an immersive third-person open-world RPG that will be using Unreal Engine 4. So, let’s see what PC system you’ll need to run it.

Capcom removed Denuvo from Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/capcom-removed-denuvo-from-kunitsu-gami-path-of-the-goddess/
Capcom released Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess on PC in July 2024. And, after one year, the team decided to remove the Denuvo anti-tamper tech.

The Friday gaming news, part two:

The videogame voice actors' strike officially ends as performers ratify agreement between SAG-AFTRA and publishers
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/the-videogame-voice-actors-strike-officially-ends-as-performers-ratify-agreement-between-sag-aftra-and-publishers/
One year after launching a strike of videogame performers and a month after suspending that strike on reaching a tentative agreement with publishers, SAG-AFTRA has announced that its members have ratified the new Interactive Media Agreement, bringing a definitive end to the strike.

The next Helldivers 2 warbond is going superscience sicko mode with a seven-barreled assault rifle, a plasma cannon, and a wormhole-generating backpack that lets you warp around the battlefield
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/the-next-helldivers-2-warbond-is-going-superscience-sicko-mode-with-a-seven-barreled-assault-rifle-a-plasma-cannon-and-a-wormhole-generating-backpack-that-lets-you-warp-around-the-battlefield/
After spending months in the field using Helldivers 2's explosive crossbows, lightning-throwers, and orbital railguns, "reserved" is never a word I would think to use to describe the armaments of the Super Earth military. And yet, after seeing the sheer amount of nonsense tech packed into the next HD2 warbond, Control Group, I can't help but feel like Super Earth R&D has been holding back.

Shark Dentist is a 'horror roguelike' that's basically The Meg mashed up with an early '90s Milton Bradley toy
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/horror/shark-dentist-is-a-horror-roguelike-thats-basically-the-meg-mashed-up-with-an-early-90s-milton-bradley-toy/
Shark Dentist. The words glared at me from my inbox. Shark Dentist. Chris Livingston brought them to the PC Gamer Slack channel, his curiosity fervent. Shark Dentist. Somewhere in the distance, a secretary began pounding her clipboard. Shark Dentist.
You are the Shark Dentist: Not a shark who is also a dentist (although that is also a game I want to play) but a dentist treating the rancid, rotten teeth of the world's most dangerous apex predators, who for some reason have been brought into your sketchy-ass office for their bi-annual checkup. They are anesthetized, but apparently only lightly: One false move could arouse them from their slumber, and that will be very bad for you.
>> The article has the trailer of the game.

Krafton accuses former Subnautica 2 bosses of abandoning the game in surprising new statement: 'We feel a profound sense of betrayal by their failure to honor the trust placed in them'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/survival-crafting/krafton-accuses-former-subnautica-2-bosses-of-abandoning-the-game-in-surprising-new-statement-we-feel-a-profound-sense-of-betrayal-by-their-failure-to-honor-the-trust-placed-in-them/
The cold war of words between Subnautica 2 publisher Krafton and the recently ousted leadership of developer Unknown Worlds got very hot today as Krafton issued a statement accusing the former studio heads of effectively abandoning the project, resulting in "repeated confusion in direction and significant delays in the overall project schedule."
Recent updates
According to Bloomberg's Jason Schreier, Unknown Worlds founders Charlie Cleveland and Max McGuire are filing a lawsuit against Krafton, alongside former CEO Ted Gill. "Much more to come in the next few days," he writes.

WoW continues to eat FF14's lunch with its housing system on paper—says it'll just make more neighbourhoods if they're full, and you can have private guild ones, too
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/world-of-warcraft/wow-continues-to-eat-ff14s-lunch-with-its-housing-system-on-paper-says-itll-just-make-more-neighbourhoods-if-theyre-full-and-you-can-have-private-guild-ones-too/
World of Warcraft has waited, well, arguably too long, to have a player housing system. Despite being a unanimously popular feature of most MMORPGs, WoW waited a stonking 20 years before incorporating the ability to have a home, sweet home into its economy.
The upshot of this, however, is that it can systematically see every single mistake other MMOs made in these past two decades, and then simply… not make them. Per a new blog discussing upcoming player neighbourhoods, WoW's dodging all the issues of other popular games with worse housing systems (ahem, cough, Final Fantasy 14).

'Coconuts will now bonk scouts': Peak's latest update makes fruit even deadlier but has spared other items from the same treatment
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/adventure/coconuts-will-now-bonk-scouts-peaks-latest-update-makes-fruit-even-deadlier-but-has-spared-other-items-from-the-same-treatment/
Aggro Crab and Landfall have been hard at work polishing up Peak for players to enjoy. What started out as a simple jam game or a way to take a break from bigger projects quickly snowballed into something more, as it was able to sell two million copies in just nine days.
The devs already released a big update targeting stability and performance last week, and then had to re-release it after it accidentally borked a bunch of games, and now there's another update which, this time, focuses on localisation and some other features.

The Sims' latest patch has caused a pregnancy epidemic, even if they've never had 'woo-hoo'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/the-sims-latest-patch-has-caused-a-pregnancy-epidemic-even-if-theyve-never-had-woo-hoo/
The Sims 4's latest expansion, Enchanted By Nature, has stayed true-to-form by messing up unrelated parts of the game. In this case loads of Sims are now being marked as pregnant by the game, even if they're male and have never woo-hooed in their virtual lives.
>> it’s not a bug, it’s a miracle.

And now that the Summer Sale is over, here are the weekend deals at Steam (GOG has no new sales):

+Steam

• Talisman: Digital 5th Edition, that has a demo, is going to be 40% off until the 17th of July: https://store.steampowered.com/app/908060/Talisman_Digital_5th_Edition/
• Totally Reliable Delivery Service will have an 80% discount until the 17th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1011670/Totally_Reliable_Delivery_Service/
• RimWorld will be 20% off until the 24th of July: https://store.steampowered.com/app/294100/RimWorld/
• Reignbreaker, that also has a demo, will have a 50% discount until July, the 24th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2129810/Reignbreaker/
• There are 13 new sales/events. I’ll only share one. To check the rest, visit the Steam page for them: https://store.steampowered.com/news/collection/sales/
• Publisher Slitherine also puts its games on sale here until the 17th of July: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/Slitherine25thAnniversaryPublisherSale
  But wait, because unlike what they’re doing with their sales at GOG and the Humble Store, Slitherine is giving away three free games until the 17th, when the sale ends:
  • Battlestar Galactica Deadlock : https://store.steampowered.com/app/544610/Battlestar_Galactica_Deadlock/
  • Fantasy General II: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1025440/Fantasy_General_II/
  • And Field of Glory II: Medieval: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1368870/Field_of_Glory_II_Medieval/

And that it. Until the next time, I wish you a happy and gaming weekend.

If they can earn something from it, they will. Otherwise, I don't think they'll bother.

NVIDIA Introduces “Smooth Motion” Frame Generation for RTX 40 Series GPUs in Latest Preview Driver, Proven to Double In-Game FPS

https://wccftech.com/nvidia-introduces-smooth-motion-frame-generation-for-rtx-40-series-gpu/

AMD to Rely on TSMC’s N2P Process for Most Zen 6 Products, Lower-End Laptop SKUs Likely to Use N3P

https://wccftech.com/amd-to-rely-on-tsmc-n2p-process-for-most-zen-6-products/

Intel’s “Mega-Plans” for U.S. Chip Production Falter as the Company Prepares for Layoffs 5x Higher Than Expected at Its Oregon Facility

https://wccftech.com/intels-mega-plans-for-us-chip-production-falter/

Grok AI Models Will Only be Available To Teslas Powered By AMD’s Ryzen Processors Inside, Leaving Intel-Based Units Behind

https://wccftech.com/grok-ai-models-will-only-be-available-to-teslas-powered-by-amd-ryzen/

President Trump’s New Tariffs Expected to Raise Consumer Electronics Prices by Over 10%, Prompting Shifts in the PC Market

https://wccftech.com/trumps-new-tariffs-expected-to-raise-consumer-electronics-prices-by-over-10/

ZOTAC Starts Selling An MXM To PCIe x16 Adapter For Installing MXM RTX 5000 Ada GPU To Desktops

https://wccftech.com/zotac-starts-selling-an-mxm-to-pcie-x16-adapter-for-installing-mxm-rtx-5000-ada-gpu-to-desktops/

ASUS ROG Xbox Ally listed at €599 (Ryzen Z2) and €899 (Ryzen Z2 Extreme) by official Spanish distributor

https://videocardz.com/newz/asus-rog-xbox-ally-listed-at-e599-ryzen-z2-and-e899-ryzen-z2-extreme-by-official-spanish-distributor

AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9000 preorders start July 23, 96-core PRO 9995WX listed at $13,000

https://videocardz.com/newz/amd-ryzen-threadripper-9000-preorders-start-july-23-96-core-pro-9995wx-listed-at-13000

Now that Weekend is over, we can start posting again in the thread. I’ll do it by sharing the gaming news:

SALES/PLAYER COUNTS & DEALS

Co-op climbing game, PEAK, has sold 5 million copies
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/co-op-climbing-game-peak-has-sold-5-million-copies/
Aggro Crab and Landfall have announced that their co-op climbing game, PEAK, has sold over 5 million copies. PEAK was released on June 16th. This means that it took almost a month to hit its 5 million goal.

Steam has new deals and sales/events:

• 9th Dawn Remake, that has a demo, will be 40% off until the 20th of July: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1550180/9th_Dawn_Remake/
• ENDLESS Legend gets a massive 90% discount until the same 20th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/289130/ENDLESS_Legend/
• Edge of Sanity is goin to be 65% off until July the 24th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1897110/Edge_of_Sanity/
• Fireworks Mania features a 33% discount until the 27th of July: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1079260/Fireworks_Mania__An_Explosive_Simulator/
• And these are the new sales/events that have launched since Friday:
  • The Room Franchise Sale has games 75% off until the 20th of July: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/TheRoomFranchiseSale
  • AI: The Somnium Files Franchise is on sale with between 75 and 80% discounts until July 26: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/32618574/sale/SC25_AI
  • And the Games Made in Sweden Sale has games up to 95% off. Most deals will end on July 27: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/GamesMadeInSweden2025

There are several new deals at Humble:

• Humble Bundle has the new Gear Up For Borderlands 4: Borderlands X Wonderlands Bundle, with up to 8 games to get during 11 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/games/gear-up-for-borderlands-4-borderlands-x-wonderlands-bundle
• Humble Store has these new sales:
  • The Rimworld Odyssey Launch Celebration has up to 20% discounts during 4 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/rimworld-odyssey-launch-celebration/
  • The Ghost Recon Franchise Sale has games up to 80% off during 6 days. All the keys are for UbiConnect: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/ghost-recon-franchise-sale/
  • The Borderlands X Wonderlands DLC Sale has up to 80% discounts during 11 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/borderlands-x-wonderlands-bundle-sale/

Fanatical ha sa new Star Deal and has launched the Bundle Bash event, with on new bundle every day until Friday:

• The new Star Deal is Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, 23% off during 48 hours or they run out of keys: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/clair-obscur-expedition-33
• The BYO RPG and Fantasy Bundle (Bundle Bash 2025) has 21 games to choose from for your 3+, 5+ or 7+ game bundles during 34 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/pick-and-mix/build-your-own-rpg-and-fantasy-bundle

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

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MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

STALKER 2 Mod Bypasses Achievement Blocker & Re-Enables Them
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/stalker-2-mod-bypasses-achievement-blocker-re-enables-them/
In Patch 1.5, GSC GameWorld added a feature that turns off achievements if you use mods. As you may have guessed, a lot of players did not like this. Luckily, there’s now a mod that gets around this and turns the achievements back on.
In my opinion, this is a must-have mod for pretty much all STALKER 2 players. After all, it will let you earn Achievements with the modded version of the game. I personally don’t really care about Achievements. But hey, that’s just me.
This mod works like ReShade or ASI loaders. As such, the game will load it automatically. The mod changes how the game handles achievements, so it works with both regular mods and Workshop mods. It’s easy to install and lets you use any mods you want. It doesn’t change any game files, and it should keep working with most future game updates.
>> The article has no media.

The Witcher 3 Mod Lets Players Fully Explore Beauclair Palace
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/the-witcher-3-mod-lets-players-fully-explore-beauclair-palace/
Modder OlivierR45455566465 has released a new mod for The Witcher 3 that lets you explore the Beauclair Palace at any given time. This is a mod that some fans of the books will appreciate. So, if you are one of them, you should definitely try it.
Going into more details, this mod will grant full access to the upper palace. Players will be able to explore the palace’s interiors, which have been designed and built so that they are accurate to the book.
As such, you will explore a sumptuous entrance hall, the main tower, and its three levels. You will also find the Knights Hall, as described in the books. The modder has also created many luxurious lounges and living rooms, and Beauclair’s skylighted library (as described in the books). Plus, you’ll get to see the throne room, the treasure room, and the Duchess’s room. Oh, and there is a secret hidden room for you to find.
>> This article also has no media.

Oblivion Remastered Mod adds 43 travelers to the roads of Cyrodiil
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/oblivion-remastered-mod-adds-43-travelers-to-the-roads-of-cyrodiil/
Modder monkeyangie has released a cool new mod for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered. This mod adds 43 travelers to the roads of Cyrodiil, making the world feel more alive. If you play the game, I really suggest trying it out.
What’s also cool here is that some travellers can repair your gear. This is a great QoL improvement as you won’t have to fast travel to a city to repair your gear. Well, that is if you don’t own a repair kit. Still, this is something the devs should have added to the game.
>> Third time is the charm? No, this article also has no media.

The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind Rebirth 7.0 Available for Download
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/the-elder-scrolls-iii-morrowind-rebirth-7-0-available-for-download/
Modder ‘trancemaster_1988’ has released Version 7.0 for the amazing The Elder Scrolls: III Morrowind Rebirth project. The modder has also listed all the tweaks, fixes, and changes featured in it. So, let’s see what this new version of Morrowind Rebirth brings to the table.
For those who don’t know, Morrowind Rebirth is a complete overhaul of Bethesda’s classic RPG. This mod adds countless new details, weapons, armors, and much more for you to see and do. Basically, this is a must-have mod for those who want to replay this classic TES game.
Morrowind Rebirth 7.0 fixes hundreds of wierdly placed wickwheat plants in the Grazelands region. It also brings tweaks and fixes to the game’s Landscape and Pathgrid system. Plus, there are a number of quest bug fixes.
Morrowind Rebirth 7.0 will also make some guards inside shops and other places move around instead of standing still. This makes it easier and less frustrating to play as a thief. There are still some guards who stay in one spot, but not as many. The update also adds more items and decorations outside some Dunmer Strongholds and inside all the rooms in Tel Vos. Plus, it adds missing beds to a few homes and shops.
And that’s not all. Morrowind Rebirth 7.0 also adds some cool new stuff. There are new types of incense holders you can find around the game. A huge new Ancestral Tomb has been added near Holamayan. Players can also get new scrolls, new spells, and new magical weapons and armor. Plus, there are a few graphical tweaks and changes. All of them are listed in the changelog, which I have included at the end of the article.
>> And once again, no media.

New Skyrim Mod Adds 14 Hand-Crafted Bandit Camps and 2 Occupied Mines
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/new-skyrim-mod-adds-14-hand-crafted-bandit-camps-and-2-occupied-mines/
Modder MissingLukey has released a pretty cool new mod for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition. This mod adds 14 new unique bandit camps and 2 new occupied mines across all of Skyrim. So, let’s take a closer look at it.
The new bandit camps in the Skyrim Bandit Expansion work with radiant quests. Each camp is hand-made to match the area it’s in. You’ll find notes with story details and cool things in the environment that help tell the story. The mod was made to make the wild areas feel more dangerous, but also more fun to explore, no matter how you play.
Many bandit camps have notes, letters, journals, and small clues hidden around. These help tell the bandits’ stories, like their struggles, lost dreams, and secret reasons for what they do. You might learn about broken families, promises that were never kept, and quiet sacrifices. There are also hidden stashes and other details in the environment that add to the story.
>> No media either.

Resident Evil: Revelations 2 Gets a Must-Have 25GB HD Texture Pack
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/resident-evil-revelations-2-gets-a-must-have-25gb-hd-texture-pack/
Last month, we informed you about a must-have HD Texture Pack for Resident Evil: Revelations. And today, we have a similar pack for its sequel. This is a must for those who want to play Revelations 2 in 2025. So, make sure to download it.
This texture pack was made by Evgeshajk. It improves all the game’s textures by 2 or 4 times. The modder used AI tools to improve most of the textures, and also made some changes by hand. As such, the game now looks sharper and clearer. Most of the new textures still keep the original art style, so it still feels like the same game, just better looking.
To show how much better the game looks, the modder shared two videos. The first video compares the original textures with the new modded ones. It gives you a good idea of what to expect. In some parts, the new textures look a lot better than the old ones. In other parts, the changes are smaller but still look nicer.
The second video is a 30-minute gameplay video. So, if you are not in the mood to download the pack, you can simply watch the gameplay video. Well, that is if you have enough free time.
What’s also cool is that the modder is now going to work on an HD Texture Pack for Resident Evil 6. Honestly, I think Resident Evil Village and Resident Evil 7 would be better choices for a texture upgrade. But those games use the RE Engine, so maybe they’re harder to mod? Still, it would be awesome to see better textures for both of them one day.
>> Thankfully, the article has the two videos.

Red Dead Redemption 2 Mod Enhances Gunfights to Make Them More Varied, Dynamic, and Engaging
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/red-dead-redemption-2-mod-enhances-gunfights-to-make-them-more-varied-dynamic-and-engaging/
Modder Starkweather43 has released an enhanced version of the Ped Damage Overhaul Mod for Red Dead Redemption 2. So, let’s see what this new version brings to the table.
The Ped Damage Overhaul mod makes gunfights in the game feel more real and exciting. With this mod, NPCs will react more naturally when they get hurt. For example, if they’re shot in the leg, they’ll stumble while running. If they’re badly hurt, they’ll gasp, groan, and even fall to the ground in pain. Some will clutch their wounds and slowly stagger around before they die.
When NPCs get hurt, their aim will get worse, so they miss more shots. Hitting their arms or legs does less damage than hitting their chest or head. You can also knock weapons out of anyone’s hands, even lawmen. On top of that, each weapon now feels different in a fight, depending on how damaged it is and what kind of ammo it uses.
The Reloaded version brings enhanced death sounds. NPCs will no longer reuse the same two or three vanilla pain sounds when dying. Instead, the mod adds hundreds of imported audio cues, from screams and moans to gurgles and death rattles as NPCs writhe and fade.
PDO Reloaded also makes death scenes more realistic and adds a cool new surrender system. When you disarm an NPC, what happens next depends on their personality. Brave ones might keep fighting, while cowardly ones might run away. They even talk during these moments to make it feel more real. But be careful, some might still shoot you if you turn your back on them.
>> We’re back to not having media.

After 10 Years, GTA 4 iCEnhancer 4.0 Has Finally Been Released
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/grand-theft-auto-iv-icenhancer-4-0-mod-available-for-download/
Now here is a pleasant surprise. After ten whole years of development, modder Hayssam Keilany finally released a new version of his graphical mod for GTA4, iCEnhancer 4.0.
iCEnhancer is a mod that became really popular in the early 2010s. The last major version came out in 2014 and improved things like the sky, clouds, and tree colors. In 2015, the modder started working on a brand-new version. We saw some screenshots in 2022… and then nothing. Honestly, I thought version 4.0 was quietly canceled. But no. After three years, Keilany finally released it, and now we can try it out.
The modder said that iCEnhancer 4 is the first version of his mod to use physically-based lighting. It also adds new effects like better-looking fog, water, and more. This means GTA 4 should look better than ever with this mod.
Do note that iCEnhancer 4.0 only works with versions 1.0.3.0 and 1.0.4.0 of the game. That’s because these versions work best with ENB. So, make sure you’re using one of them before installing the mod.
>> The article has a less than 2 minutes trailer of this mod.

After 7 years in development, the most exciting Grand Theft Auto total conversion mod sets its sights on an August showcase
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/grand-theft-auto/after-7-years-in-development-the-most-exciting-grand-theft-auto-total-conversion-mod-sets-its-sights-on-an-august-showcase/
First conceived by creator deltaCJ in 2018, GTA 1991 began life as a hobbyist slant on the often rumoured, but never officially acknowledged, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Stories.
As a prequel to Carl Johnson's Grove Street exploits, the total conversion mod could indeed fit that billing, but over the course of its development, it's grown into something much bigger. Now seven years in the making, GTA 1991 is gunning for an August showcase designed to illustrate the size, stature and scope of the project. And it sounds pretty damn exciting.
For starters, GTA 1991 explores the origins of the base game's sweeping crack epidemic. Over dozens of missions, it paints its narrative through the eyes of Little Devil—a side character previously mentioned only by name in GTA: San Andreas, and said to be deceased by the time CJ takes over in Los Santos.
It incorporates a bespoke drug dealing system said to be born out of necessity, and not simply designed as a gamified side activity. And in doing all of this, it lends gravity and meaning to the hows and whys of the original 2004 crime sim's narrative in what is, clearly, a massive undertaking.
"If I take it back to 2018, then through 2020, Covid, all the way to today… I must have put in thousands upon thousands of hours into it," says deltaCJ. "I mean, I've got over a thousand hours in 3DS Max alone, probably the same in Sanny Builder and a whole bunch of other modding programs."
>> The article has a couple of screenshots.

You can now play both campaigns of the original Command & Conquer in 2-player co-op, thanks to one of its best mods
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/strategy/you-can-now-play-both-campaigns-of-the-original-command-and-conquer-in-2-player-co-op-thanks-to-one-of-its-best-mods/
Dawn of the Tiberium Age is Command & Conquer modding royalty. With a history stretching back to 2007, the standalone mod aims to enhance Westwood's 1995 classic and its Cold War spinoff Command & Conquer: Red Alert. Built in a customised version of Tiberian Sun's engine, Dawn of the Tiberium Age lets players battle together in multiplayer maps using any of the games' four factions, and features a wide array of original single-player missions, including a whole new campaign.
It's a brilliant mod as it stands, but its intrepid designers recently reached a big new milestone. As of this week, you can now play all of the original Command & Conquer's single-player in two player co-op.
This has been partly possible for a couple of years—the DTA team adapted the GDI campaign for two-player co-op back in 2023. But now, they've also tweaked the Nod storyline to support playing with a pal.
It's worth noting that DTA's co-op campaigns don't simply port the vanilla experience from C&C and stick another player in. For starters, Dawn of the Tiberian age makes numerous adjustments to the vanilla C&C experience, such as giving artillery longer range, and tweaking the perspective to be isometric rather than top-down (a-la Tiberian Sun).
On top of that, the campaigns' missions have been redesigned specifically to support co-op, as the DTA team explained back in 2023 when they announced the GDI campaign conversion. The maps have been expanded in size to support two players, and filled with additional resources and enemies so that the second player doesn't feel more like a third wheel.
While the mod aims to ensure that missions are structurally and spiritually as close to the original as possible, the team did make tweaks to certain missions where they saw "dumb" design. "An example is GDI mission 4, which was usually beat by just driving your APC into the crate. In our version you'll need to retrieve the crate with a truck and actually bring it back to the starting area for safety."
>> The article has one screenshot, but doesn’t show much about this kind of mod.

This wildly ambitious Yakuza 5 co-op mod lets you play together as Kiryu and Ichiban, even folding Like a Dragon's protagonist into the game's cutscenes
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/this-wildly-ambitious-yakuza-5-co-op-mod-lets-you-play-together-as-kiryu-and-ichiban-even-folding-like-a-dragons-protagonist-into-the-games-cutscenes/
Typical, isn't it? You wait ages for a wildly ambitious cooperative mod to arrive, then two come along at once. This week already brought us a refurbished co-op campaign for the original Command & Conquer, and now some bright spark has reworked Yakuza 5 to make it playable with a pal.
That modding whiz is Jhrino. They're responsible for Intertwined Fates, a mod that gives a multiplayer makeover to Kiryu Kazama's penultimate adventure as Yakuza's lead character. The mod enables two players to experience Yakuza 5's entire story together, with player two assuming the role of the series' new protagonist Ichiban.
Intertwined Fates doesn't just drop Ichiban into the world and then pretty much ignore him like the Sonic games do with Tails, either. It does its utmost to integrate him into every part of the experience. Alongside letting Kiryu and Ichiban explore and fight together, the mod adds playable co-op dance battles and co-op hunting. Moreover, it folds Ichiban into Yakuza 5's taxi minigame, idol battles and handshakes, although he isn't playable in these sequences.
The mod even adds Ichiban into the story's cutscenes, and aims to do so as naturally as it can. You can check out the cutscenes below. In the video's description, Jhrino says that they "decided to make [Ichiban] an extra muscle for Shinada and Haruka", so he mainly appears in cutscenes relevant to them.
>> The article has an almost 30 minutes video.

A new Dark Souls 3 lighting tool is giving modders the power to make next-gen facelifts of the FromSoft classic
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/a-new-dark-souls-3-lighting-tool-is-giving-modders-the-power-to-make-next-gen-facelifts-of-the-fromsoft-classic/
FromSoftserve on YouTube posted a preview of his upcoming Dark Souls 3 lighting engine mod on July 6, showcasing an in-depth look at DS3 re-imagined with vastly improved lighting and textures.
FromSoftserve's mod is built on top of the DS3LightingEngine, which allows for deep customization of light mechanics. DS3LightingEngine is also a work in progress, but the modder, Ragevitamins, said in an update that it will be finished in Q4 of this year.
FromSoftserve's mod isn't available just yet, but they previously released several other mods for the Souls games, including an extensive Dark Souls: Remastered overhaul and a similar visual overhaul for Dark Souls 3. Each has garnered thousands of unique downloads on NexusMods.
If those are anything to go on, FromSoftserve's next DS3 mod is sure to impress. At least, the near 40-minute demo of it does. The mod also features upscaled textures with models that have been manually updated for improved reflections and shadows.
FromSoftserve also revised Dark Souls 3's level of detail (LOD) system, noting that they "basically just turned it off" so the game loads high detail models by default. The use of LOD may have made more sense when DS3 launched nearly 10 years ago since it helped improve performance (at the expense of graphics quality), but, as FromSoftserve points out, graphics cards have improved enough that it isn't really necessary anymore unless you're using an older GPU.
>> The article has a long video, almost 40 minutes.

GAMING NEWS

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Legends of the Zone Trilogy – Enhanced Edition Patch 1.2 Released & Fully Detailed
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/s-t-a-l-k-e-r-legends-of-the-zone-trilogy-enhanced-edition-patch-1-2-released-fully-detailed/
GSC GameWorld has released Patch 1.2 for the remastered trilogy of the first three STALKER games, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Legends of the Zone Trilogy. So, let’s see what this new update brings to the table.

Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War – Definitive Edition Releases August 14 with Improved Graphics and PC Minimum Requirements Revealed
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/warhammer-40k-dawn-of-war-definitive-edition-releases-august-14-with-improved-graphics-and-pc-minimum-requirements-revealed/
Relic Entertainment has announced that the Definitive Edition of Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War will be released on August 14th. To celebrate this announcement, the team shared a new trailer, as well as the game’s PC minimum requirements.

The Monday gaming news, part two:

Umamusume's horse girl lore has grown so out of control that its developer has had to put real-life stable etiquette in place
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/sim/umamusumes-horse-girl-lore-has-grown-so-out-of-control-that-its-developer-has-had-to-put-real-life-stable-etiquette-in-place/
I had no intention of taking Umamusume: Pretty Derby seriously. Yet here I am, deeply invested in all of these goddamn anime horse girls. I've only fallen deeper in the trenches since discovering that they're all based on real life racehorses, with Cygames putting a staggering amount of effort into incorporating each one's real-world mannerisms into their anime counterparts.
Now a good chunk of these horses have long galloped off this mortal coil, but a handful are actually still alive—like Haru Urara, famous for having never won in her 113-race career, and Gold Ship with all his eccentric mannerisms that have been faithfully recreated in both the game and the anime adaptation.
As Umamusume's popularity continues to climb—the Steam version has pulled in around 50,000 concurrents over the last couple days—it's also seen a surprising spike in people's interest in actual racehorses. Presumably, that also comes with the caveat of people not actually knowing how to behave around them, which has led to Cygames releasing a whole info page on proper stable etiquette.
>> Things are so crazy with this game that people are breaking the donation site (to take care of the retired horses).

Playdead's classic minimalist platformers Limbo and Inside are being pulled from GOG next week, so grab 'em while you can
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/playdeads-classic-minimalist-platformers-limbo-and-inside-are-being-pulled-from-gog-next-week-so-grab-em-while-you-can/
Playdead's puzzle platformer Limbo came out in 2010, and Inside followed in 2016, so the odds are pretty good that if you have any particular interest in playing them, you already have. But if you've simply been waiting 15 years for the right moment to strike, I'm here to tell you that the clock is ticking—at least if you want to buy them on GOG—because both games will be removed from the storefront on July 17.

BioShock maestro Ken Levine says Judas is 'very old school' because 'you buy the game and you get the whole thing… no online component, no live service'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/bioshock-maestro-ken-levine-says-judas-is-very-old-school-because-you-buy-the-game-and-you-get-the-whole-thing-no-online-component-no-live-service/
It's been more than a decade since Bioshock Infinite's 2014 expansion, Burial at Sea, tied a bow on the series that Irrational Games and director Ken Levine will always be best-known for. Infinite was an infamously chaotic development that resulted in a divisive game and a bloated studio, which would go through brutal layoffs before being re-branded as Ghost Story Games: the whole point of which is to operate on a much smaller scale than Irrational reached.
Its first game, Judas, certainly looks familiar. And in a new chat with Nightdive's Lawrence Sonntag (spotted by GR+), Levine says that being "very old school" is what they're going for. Discussing Ghost Story's approach and how Judas fits into the contemporary gaming landscape, where singleplayer narrative-led shooters are now something of an endangered species, Levine reckons that the player appetite for such self-contained experiences is still out there.
>> And he wanted the final level of System Shock 2 to be in outer space level for.

Final Fantasy producer Yoshi-P says 'there's no clear-cut answer' to whether Final Fantasy will return to turn-based RPGs, because the direction of the next Final Fantasy will be up to the directors of the next Final Fantasy
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/final-fantasy/final-fantasy-producer-yoshi-p-says-theres-no-clear-cut-answer-to-whether-final-fantasy-will-return-to-turn-based-rpgs-because-the-direction-of-the-next-final-fantasy-will-be-up-to-the-directors-of-the-next-final-fantasy/
The advent of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has generated a lot of conversation this year about whether we're going to see a resurgence in the popularity of turn-based JRPG gameplay—conversations that have admittedly felt a little confusing to anyone who, for example, has played an Atlus game in the last decade. Even Final Fantasy 14 director and FF16 producer Naoki "YoshiP" Yoshida has been drawn under the discourse spotlight.

An ambitious upcoming Eurojank RPG is holding a closed playtest on Steam and it's probably worth your time if you're into that sort of thing
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/an-ambitious-upcoming-eurojank-rpg-is-holding-a-closed-playtest-on-steam-and-its-probably-worth-your-time-if-youre-into-that-sort-of-thing/
Of Ash and Steel is a third-person open world RPG that sets players off on a once-prosperous island to explore, fight, and "shape the fate of the world," or at least the fate of the island. It's still early in development (which presumably explains the lack of detail on what the game is actually about) but developer Fire and Frost has kicked off a playtest on Steam, so you can get an early look at what it's all about.
>> The article is from Friday and it doesn’t say how long will this playtest last.

Rematch developers didn't 'get' the game, Sloclap boss says, until they started playing internal tournaments: 'I don't give a s**t about football, but this really struck something in me'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/sports/rematch-developers-didnt-get-the-game-sloclap-boss-says-until-they-started-playing-internal-tournaments-i-dont-give-a-s-t-about-football-but-this-really-struck-something-in-me/
The multiplayer soccer game Rematch was a surprise departure for developer Sloclap, previously best known for the martial arts actioners Absolver and Sifu. But it turned out to be really good, and a genuine hit to boot: Currently there are 37,000 people playing Rematch on Steam alone.
What's also a little surprising, Sloclap CEO Pierre Tarno said in an interview with Eurogamer, is that it's not necessarily die-hard soccer fans who are driving those numbers. "We see via data, currently the core audience of Rematch lean towards those who play online competitive games rather than those who are fans of football," Tarno told the site, using the preferred European term for the game.

Witchfire's massive next update is inspired by games like Syndicate and Bloodborne, and it's the biggest one yet: 'We really mean it'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/witchfires-massive-next-update-is-inspired-by-games-like-syndicate-and-bloodborne-and-its-the-biggest-one-yet-we-really-mean-it/
Witchfire has been in development for nearly a decade at this point. But the "new" FPS from Painkiller creator Adrian Chmielarz has been gathering pace since its arrived on Steam in early access last year (following an initial launch on the Epic Store in 2023). The RPG-infused shooter has received two chunky content patches in the last seven months, and now developer The Astronauts has announced that its "biggest update yet" is brewing in the cauldron, and will be poured into players' mouths later in July.

Two Point Museum's latest update lets you manage a museum atop a massive mountain, and allows all players a taste of its upcoming fantasy-themed DLC
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/sim/two-point-museums-latest-update-lets-you-manage-a-museum-atop-a-massive-mountain-and-allows-all-players-a-taste-of-its-upcoming-fantasy-themed-dlc/
Late last month, Two Point Studios unveiled the first paid DLC for its excellent management sim Two Point Museum. Titled Fantasy Finds, it adds a dungeon's worth of treasures to discover and display. While impressed by the expansion's showing, I questioned the apparent lack of a new museum scenario for the campaign, which would have rounded off the package nicely.
Well, excuse me while I wipe the dragon's egg off my face, as it turns out Two Point Studios planned to add a new museum all along. Instead of arriving as part of the DLC, however, it's bundled into the game's free 4.0 update.

Norland's 'big summer update' is even larger than March's 'damn big update', introducing a politics system, a new economy and more authentically medieval buildings to the Crusader Kings-inspired colony sim
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/sim/norlands-big-summer-update-is-even-larger-than-marchs-damn-big-update-introducing-a-politics-system-a-new-economy-and-more-authentically-medieval-buildings-to-the-crusader-kings-inspired-colony-sim/
Fair play to Norland's developer Long Jaunt, it doesn't do patches by halves. Back in March, the medieval colony sim's "damn big update" overhauled several of its most fundamental systems, stripping out character needs, reworking crime and punishment, and radically changing how your colony's horny lords give orders to peasants. Now, Long Jaunt is rolling out an even bigger patch that leaves virtually no part of the game untouched.

Krafton confirms Subnautica 2 leak showing that the publisher wanted more content for the early access launch, leading to delay and leadership ouster
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/survival-crafting/krafton-confirms-subnautica-2-leak-showing-that-the-publisher-wanted-more-content-for-the-early-access-launch-leading-to-delay-and-leadership-ouster/
In a statement to PC Gamer, Krafton has confirmed the legitimacy of a leaked Subnautica 2 development assessment previously reported on by Kotaku. The Krafton development analysis "recommended to enhance the content volume and level of polish before launching."
The delay of Subnautica 2 has been the primary driver of the dispute between former Unknown Worlds senior leadership Charlie Cleveland, Ted Gill, and Max McGuire, and mega-publisher Krafton, which purchased the studio back in 2021.
>> *This “leak” changes the perspective of what happened. The article is worth a read.

Rockstar support sites let slip that we might be getting current(ish) gen versions of GTA4 and Red Dead Redemption 2—but they probably won't be anything to write home about on PC
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/rockstar-support-sites-let-slip-that-we-might-be-getting-current-ish-gen-versions-of-gta4-and-red-dead-redemption-2-but-they-probably-wont-be-anything-to-write-home-about-on-pc/
First reported by GamingBible (via GamesRadar), Rockstar support pages for Red Dead Redemption 2 and Grand Theft Auto 4 may have let the cat out of the bag on a current gen re-release of RDR2, as well as a confounding last gen re-release of GTA4.

Warhammer 40k: Rogue Trader just received another 'massive' update, this time directed at its expansion
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/warhammer-40k-rogue-trader-just-received-another-massive-update-this-time-directed-at-its-expansion/
A question: has Owlcat Games considered not releasing a game in a buggy and unbalanced state? Just over a year ago, the studio issued one of the biggest patches I'd ever seen for its incredibly ambitious and equally wonky CRPG Warhammer 40k: Rogue Trader. Now, another voluminous changelog is upon us, this time directed at Rogue Trader's recently released expansion: Lex Imperialis.

Total War: Warhammer 3's Tides of Torment DLC is delayed: 'We asked ourselves if this next DLC met the standards that we’ve set in recent releases, and the short answer was no'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/strategy/total-war-warhammer-3s-tides-of-torment-dlc-is-delayed-we-asked-ourselves-if-this-next-dlc-met-the-standards-that-weve-set-in-recent-releases-and-the-short-answer-was-no/
Creative Assembly has delayed the release of its upcoming Tides of Torment expansion for Total War: Warhammer 3, pushing the launch back from this summer to an unspecified date later this year.

The Expanse RPG's developers are 'humbled' by comparisons to BioWare's heyday, but don't expect it to be a straight Mass Effect clone: 'We make our story a little bit differently'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/the-expanse-rpgs-developers-are-humbled-by-comparisons-to-biowares-heyday-but-dont-expect-it-to-be-a-straight-mass-effect-clone-we-make-our-story-a-little-bit-differently/
Through this summer's deluge of game announcements, nothing made me sit up quite so fast as Owlcat revealing it's making an Expanse RPG. One that seems, from its initial trailer at least, heavily inspired by Mass Effect. Much as I've enjoyed PC gaming's recent return to highly complex CRPGs, watching the trailer made me realise how much I miss a bit of BioWare-style guns & conversation. The Expanse: Osiris Reborn seems to channel that era of roleplaying in all the right ways.
Now, Osiris Reborn's creative director Alexander Mishulin has addressed the comparisons directly. Speaking to Polygon, Mishulin said that he was "humbled" by players aligning Owlcat's latest with BioWare's beloved sci-fi series. "Mass Effect is a great inspiration for us because it’s an iconic game for [the] Xbox 360 generation, and a lot of [Owlcat] team members played it in their youth," he explained. "It would be impossible to deny that Mass Effect has [had] a lot of impact on us as game developers."

Ahead of its remaster, GOG added Neverwinter Nights 2 to its preservation program and is also giving owners of the original a 'loyalty discount' on the enhanced edition
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/ahead-of-its-remaster-gog-added-neverwinter-nights-2-to-its-preservation-program-and-is-also-giving-owners-of-the-original-a-loyalty-discount-on-the-enhanced-edition/
First spotted by Blue's News, GOG is showing some love to Neverwinter Nights 2 and its fans ahead of the launch of the game's enhanced edition this week. The original game has been added to GOG's preservation program, and owners of NwN2 on GOG have a 15% off "loyalty discount" on the remaster, one that stacks with the 10% off preorder discount.

And here’s the third part of today’s gaming news:

'A game, once sold, belongs to the customer': Prominent EU politician stands up for Stop Killing Games
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/a-game-once-sold-belongs-to-the-customer-prominent-eu-politician-stands-up-for-stop-killing-games/
One of the Vice Presidents of the European Parliament, Nicolae Ștefănuță, publicly voiced his support for Stop Killing Games in a major win for the newly-minted EU Citizens' Initiative. On July 12, Ștefănuță posted a video on his Instagram story announcing that he had signed the Stop Killing Games petition and plans to continue helping the movement.

Those shadow giants in the distance in Elden Ring Nightreign are over 2 miles tall⁠—almost as big as the Erdtree⁠—and nobody even mentions them in the game
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/those-shadow-giants-in-the-distance-in-elden-ring-nightreign-are-over-2-miles-tall-almost-as-big-as-the-erdtree-and-nobody-even-mentions-them-in-the-game/
In a new video from Zullie the Witch, the prolific FromSoftware dataminer dug into those shadowy giant guys who appear in the distance on day two of Elden Ring Nightreign. My main takeaway: These guys are big, only eclipsed by the biggest dudes in Armored Core in the FromSoft back catalogue.

'We made it too difficult for players to even get into the raid in the first place': Final Fantasy 14 director admits its latest dungeon was 'a misstep in development'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/final-fantasy/we-made-it-too-difficult-for-players-to-even-get-into-the-raid-in-the-first-place-final-fantasy-14-director-admits-its-latest-dungeon-was-a-misstep-in-development/
I've said it before, but I actually really like Forked Tower; Final Fantasy 14's latest 48-player dungeon that came bundled with field operation mode Occult Crescent. What I don't like, however, is all of the needless ground work it comes with.
(...)
Now, Square Enix is making steps to change that—including one that it surprisingly fast-tracked earlier this month—but the reality still remains: Forked Tower requires far too much foreplanning and external organisation to be reasonably viable for groups of strangers crossing paths in the moment.

A fan favourite X-Men hero has just been name-dropped in Marvel Rivals, and while I want her to join the fight, I just don't know if it would be possible
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/a-fan-favourite-x-men-hero-has-just-been-name-dropped-in-marvel-rivals-and-while-i-want-her-to-join-the-fight-i-just-dont-know-if-it-would-be-possible/
Phoenix is the latest hero to get added to Marvel Rivals as part of the new season. While this character seems as powerful as is to be expected, I'm far more interested in what she has to say.
The addition of Phoenix brings a bunch of new voice lines and interactions with the rest of the heroes, which you can see for yourself in this compilation video. She has lengthy conversations with Storm, Hela, and Groot, discussing old friendships, the cosmic cycle, and tapping into Groot's psyche so we can actually hear what he's saying. But it's during a conversation with Star Lord that another fan-favourite X-Men character is mentioned.
>> You’ll have to check the article to know who is she.

'Competition is healthy': Overwatch 2's director sets the record straight about its rivalry with Marvel Rivals
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/competition-is-healthy-overwatch-2s-director-sets-the-record-straight-about-its-rivalry-with-marvel-rivals/
Marvel Rivals and Overwatch 2 have been intertwined ever since the former's beginning. At first, players dunked on Rivals, saying that it was a poor copy of Overwatch 2. Then, as Rivals' open beta progressed and we closed in on its official release date, many claimed that its arrival would mark the death of Overwatch 2.
What actually happened is much less dramatic. Marvel Rivals released to great success with over 400,000 players at launch. Meanwhile, while Overwatch 2 saw a bit of a decrease in turnout and a slower season, it was able to claw its way back into relevancy with a very impressive Perks update and new Stadium mode.
The timing of these updates being so close to Marvel Rivals' release and success made a lot of people think that it was, in fact, a direct response to such. But apparently that's not the case at all, at least not according to Overwatch 2 director Aaron Keller.

'Western players are getting treated like trash': Persona 5: The Phantom X global release is being flooded with negative reviews over alleged worse rewards than its Chinese counterpart
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/western-players-are-getting-treated-like-trash-persona-5-the-phantom-x-global-release-is-being-flooded-with-negative-reviews-over-alleged-worse-rewards-than-its-chinese-counterpart/
I've become so accustomed to Hoyoverse's global gacha releases, I'd almost forgotten that many others are still rocking pretty significant gaps between their Asia and global releases—Umamusume: Pretty Derby just got an English client a whole four years after its Japan debut, and Persona 5: The Phantom X is finally in the hands of the western world (and Japan) after a year in China and Korea.
(...)
But the wait can also come with downsides like an accelerated schedule, the developers stacking banners on top of each other at an alarming rate to close the gap between the two versions of the game. And in the age of the internet—where folks can easily compare free-to-play currency income and general handouts being given to global versus non-global clients—any discrepancies that leave western players short-changed will not go unnoticed.

Is NVidia now slowly trying to turn on some kind of frame generation by default so reviewers can't compare apples to apples anymore?

Also funny how for once they're copying AMD's technology, not the other way around.

Finally a truly compelling reason to choose Intel over AMD

There's a new Steam Festival going on (it has stickers, Basil)

https://store.steampowered.com/category/automation