Gamers can now enable AMD FSR4 through Optiscaler

https://videocardz.com/newz/gamers-can-now-enable-amd-fsr4-through-optiscaler

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop GPU 250W shunt mod unlocks 15% to 30% more gaming performance

https://videocardz.com/newz/nvidia-geforec-rtx-5090-laptop-gpu-250w-shunt-mod-unlocks-15-to-30-more-gaming-performance

NVIDIA CUDA support coming to RISC-V architecture

https://videocardz.com/newz/nvidia-cuda-support-coming-to-risc-v-architecture

Snot-filtering tech could be the answer to a dust-free PC — Korean scientists turn to nature to improve air filtration

https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/cooling/snot-filtering-tech-could-be-the-answer-to-a-dust-free-pc-korean-scientists-turn-to-nature-to-improve-air-filtration

Intel shuts down Clear Linux OS, its high-performance Linux distribution

https://videocardz.com/newz/intel-shuts-down-clear-linux-os-its-high-performance-linux-distribution

A new week, a new round of gaming news:

SALES/PLAYER COUNTS & DEALS

Ready or Not has sold 1 million units on console, 10 times faster than what was achieved on PC, proving that the 'censorship' was worth it
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/ready-or-not-has-sold-1-million-units-on-console-10-times-faster-than-what-was-achieved-on-pc-proving-that-the-censorship-was-worth-it/
In preparation for Ready or Not's console launch, developers Void Interactive employed a small update to the game, sanitising parts to be in accordance with console standards or censoring the game, depending on who you ask.
The act received a great deal of backlash, with PC players review bombing the game on Steam. But it seems like the turn to console has paid off for Void Interactive as the devs celebrate 1 million units sold on console.
"When we launched Ready or Not on PC, it took about 36 days to reach 1 million units sold," CEO at Void Interactive, Julio Rodriguez, says in a LinkedIn post. "On console, it took about 3.6 days."
Despite initial backlash, Ready or Not is doing better than it has in a long time. Over the last month or so, its concurrents on Steam have risen from just under 6,000 to 40,000, closing in on its all-time peak of 55,174, which it snagged a year and a half ago.

Steam has a bunch of new deals and sales/events:

• Rustler is going to be 80% off until the 31st of July: https://store.steampowered.com/app/844260/Rustler_Grand_Theft_Horse/
• The End of the Sun has a 40% discount until the 1st of August: https://store.steampowered.com/app/912840/The_End_of_the_Sun/
• Welcome to ParadiZe will be 70% off until August, the 3rd: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1519090/Welcome_to_ParadiZe/
• And these are the sales/events:
  • The Secret Sauce Game Showcase has a ton of upcoming games, some demos and one game on sale with a 15% discount until the 23rd of July: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/45028385/sale/SecretSauceGameShowcase
  • Publisher/Developer Winter Wolves puts its games on sale, up to 80% off, until July 28: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/2717761/sale/WinterWolvesPublishersale
  • Publisher/Developer Marmalade also puts its games on sale but with up to 85% discounts until the 1st of August: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/33373301/sale/BoardGameSummer
  • The Muv-Luv franchise is on sale, up to 60% off until August, the 3rd: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/36850264/sale/Muv-LuvImpactfulStoriesSALE
  • And there’s also Warframe’s TennoCon 2025, with no deals but new announcements: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/tennocon2025

Humble Bundle presents the new Untold Tales’ Indie Roulette Bundle, with up to 10 games to get during 11 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/games/untold-tales-indie-roulette-bundle.

And Fanatical has these:

• Star Deal is Steelrising - Bastille Edition, with a 95% discount. The deal started yesterday, will ast another 24 hours and there are still 50% of the keys: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/steelrising-bastille-edition
• The Best of Platinum Collection - Build your own Bundle (Summer 2025) is here with 20 titles to choose from to make your 3+, 5+ or 7+ games bundles during 34 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/pick-and-mix/best-of-platinum-collection-build-your-own-bundle
• And there’s also a RimWorld Contest to win some merchandise: https://www.fanatical.com/en/blog/rimworld-odyssey-dlc-fanatical-giveaway

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

Take a look at the Unreal Engine 5.6 NextVisuals Benchmark Tool
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/take-a-look-at-the-unreal-engine-5-6-nextvisuals-benchmark-tool/
A new Unreal Engine 5.6 fan benchmark tool is coming soon to Steam. Titled NextVisuals Benchmark Forest, this benchmark tool is described as a next-gen GPU benchmark built for extreme fidelity. And, since its creator has given us access to it, it’s time to take a closer look at it.
NextVisuals Benchmark Forest features real-time lighting, ray tracing, and ultra-dense geometry. The tool aims to push modern GPUs to their limits. It comes with two modes. These are the Benchmark and Exploration Modes. The benchmark mode is the one you can use to test your GPU and get a score. The exploration mode lets you freely explore its world.
>> The article has a video of the benchmark tool.

Valve confirms credit card companies pressured it to delist certain adult games from Steam
https://www.pcgamer.com/software/platforms/valve-confirms-credit-card-companies-pressured-it-to-delist-certain-adult-games-from-steam/
It's Mastercard's world; we just live in it. That's my understanding based on a recent communiqué from Valve to PC Gamer, which confirmed that, yup, the company sure did recently remove a whole spate of adult games from its storefront because it made payment processors upset.
"We were recently notified that certain games on Steam may violate the rules and standards set forth by our payment processors and their related card networks and banks," said Valve. "As a result, we are retiring those games from being sold on the Steam Store."
Valve's reaching out to devs impacted by the change "and issuing app credits should they have another game they’d like to distribute on Steam in the future." Just, you know, so long as those games get the seal of approval from Valve's payment processors, I suppose.
To be fair to the house that Gabe Newell built, I don't think it has much of a choice. Valve explicitly said that it was removing the offending games "because loss of payment methods would prevent customers from being able to purchase other titles and game content on Steam." It seems quite clear to me from those kinds of statements that Valve's chafing a little under payment processor tyranny, but I suspect even Steam can't really go toe-to-toe with the likes of Visa and Mastercard.
>> Apparently it all comes from an Australian anti-porn group that pressured the payment processors.

The brainbox behind Valve's Steam Labs says the number of Steam releases featuring GenAI in 2025 is 1 in 5, with 7% of all games on there now incorporating it: 'We’ve octupled last year’s figure'
https://www.pcgamer.com/software/ai/the-boffin-behind-valves-steam-labs-says-the-number-of-steam-releases-featuring-genai-in-2025-is-1-in-5-with-7-percent-of-all-games-on-there-now-incorporating-it-weve-octupled-last-years-figure/
Ichiro Lambe is a games industry veteran with one hell of a CV: he co-founded Worlds Apart (which became Sony Online Denver), founded Dejobaan Games (probably best-known for the excellently named skydiving game AaaaaAAaaaAAAAaAAAAA!!!), and consulted at Valve for a spell, during which he was one of the key movers behind the creation of Steam Labs.
Steam Labs is all about poking at the data and experimenting with how the platform serves developers and players. Even though Lambe is no longer working with Valve, such habits clearly die hard: last year he took a look at how many games on Steam were disclosing use of generative AI, and found around 1000 titles. Now he's circled back to see how things have changed, and the short answer is: there are a hell of a lot more.
Lambe found that just under 8,000 games on Steam ("more precisely: 7,818 titles") disclose GenAI usage in their creation. The total number of games on Steam is just under 115,000, so this figure represents 7% of the games on the platform.
>> On this matter, Gabe Newell has a spicy take on the use of AI to develop games.

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

PS4 emulator shadPS4 can run The Order: 1886 for the first time
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/ps4-emulator-shadps4-can-run-the-order-1886-for-the-first-time/
The team behind the best PlayStation 4 emulator, shadPS4, has released a new version of it. And, for the first time, this PS4 emulator can launch and run The Order: 1886. Spoiler alert: the game remains unplayable. Nevertheless, this is a huge step towards emulating it.
Below, you can watch two videos that show 30 minutes of gameplay. YouTube user John GodGames Emus recorded them using a Ryzen 9 7900X3D, 32GB of RAM, and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070. Even with this powerful PC, the game runs at only 2-3 FPS. The GPU and CPU aren’t being used much, so the slow speed is mostly because the emulator still needs a lot of work.
There are also lots of visual problems in the game. So even if you’re okay with the super low 2-3 FPS, the game is still not playable. This is a big step forward for the emulator, and that’s exciting for people following its progress. But for regular players, it might not seem like a big deal yet. So don’t expect too much right now.
Another PS4-only game that appears to be running better than ever is Driveclub. YouTube’s BrutalSam has shared a video, showcasing the game during rain. And it looks almost perfect. Even the rain effects inside the cockpit work properly now. I could not spot any major visual glitches or issues. So, as I predicted, by the end of 2025, Driveclub should be fully playable on PC via shadPS4.

Mario Kart 64: PC Recompiled 0.0.9 Gets HD Texture Pack Support
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/mariokart-64-pc-recompiled-0-0-9-gets-hd-texture-pack-support/
Last month, we informed you about an unofficial PC version of Mario Kart 64, called SpaghettiKart. But that wasn’t the only one being made. Another similar project is Mario Kart 64: Recompiled. And you know what? Its latest version now works with the awesome HD Texture Pack from MK64 Reloaded, which makes the game look much better. As such, this is a must-have for all Mario Kart fans.
In case you didn’t know, Mario Kart 64: Recompiled is a special fan project that brings the original N64 game to the PC. To achieve this, it uses N64: Recompiled. The project also uses RT64 as the rendering engine to add cool new features and better visuals.
What’s crucial to note is that Mario Kart 64: Recompiled does not come with any game assets. It also does not include any ROM. This means that Nintendo won’t be able to shut it down. In short, this project is similar to the unofficial PC ports of Super Mario 64, Crash Team Racing, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Majora’s Mask, Perfect Dark, Jak & Daxter, and Sonic Unleashed.
As I wrote in my previous article about SpaghettiKart, my biggest issue with it was that it did not support Mario Kart 64 HD. So, the fact that Mario Kart 64: Recompiled supports it is huge news.
Mario Kart 64 HD is a mod that adds high-quality textures and updates the characters so they look like the early 3D versions. It makes the game feel like a remaster. This is one of the best ways to play Mario Kart 64 on PC, period.
You can download the latest version of Mario Kart 64: Recompiled from this link. The project requires a GPU supporting Direct3D 12.0 (Shader Model 6), Vulkan 1.2, or Metal Argument Buffers Tier 2 support
>> The article has a 10 minutes video.

First Alpha Version of Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines RTX Remix Path Tracing Mod Released
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/first-alpha-version-of-vampire-the-masquerade-bloodlines-rtx-remix-path-tracing-mod-released/
Now, here is something that will please some of our readers. Modder ‘Safemilk‘ has just released the first alpha version of his RTX Remix Mod for Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines. This mod will remaster the game with high-quality 3D models and Path Tracing effects. So, if you are a fan of it, you should definitely check it out.
This early alpha version makes many props and 3D objects look better. However, some parts of the game will still look unfinished. So, don’t expect the whole game to look amazing just yet. You might also see a few bugs or visual glitches while playing.
To give players an idea of what they can expect, the modder shared the following trailer. So, be sure to check it out. This trailer highlights some of the finished areas, like the diners. So, it can give you a pretty good idea of what these areas can look like with Path Tracing.
>> The trailer is 5 minutes long.

GTA5 NaturalVision Enhanced July 2025 Update Released & Detailed
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/gta5-naturalvision-enhanced-july-update-released-detailed/
Razed has released a new version of his amazing graphics mod for Grand Theft Auto 5, NaturalVision Enhanced. So, let’s see what the July 2025 Update brings to the table.
The new version of NaturalVision Enhanced adds some cool new graphics features. For example, there’s a new Volumetric Lighting effect when it’s stormy, and a new Lens Flare and Glare effect. Players can also make their own custom raindrop lens effect.
The July 2025 Update will also improve numerous locations. Thanks to it, the game will now look better than before. Not only that, but the strippers in the Vanilla Unicorn will look better. In fact, the strippers now have jiggle physics. So now, you have another reason to visit that club.
It’s also worth noting that the July 2025 Update will fix a number of crashes. As such, the game should now feel more stable than before. And, in case you’re wondering, yes. NaturalVision Enhanced works with the latest version of GTA5.
>> There is a less than 2 minutes long video.

Need for Speed: Underground 2 RTX Remix Mod V0.4 Released
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/need-for-speed-underground-2-rtx-remix-mod-v0-4-released/
Last week, we shared the latest version of the RTX Remix Mod for the original Need for Speed: Underground. And today, we’re excited to share a new version of a similar mod for its sequel. Need for Speed: Underground 2 RTX Remix Mod v0.4 is now available for download and comes with numerous improvements. So, let’s dive in.
Version 4.0 brings lots of new updates to the game. All traffic vehicles now have new 3D models, except for the delivery truck, which will be added later. There are also many new textures for sidewalks, walls, grass areas, and things you see on the side of the road. The modder, UncleBurrito, also updated all the traffic lights and many road signs to look better.
And that’s not all. This new version changes the guardrail reflectors so that they won’t glow white. It also has new skyboxes that were created from scratch. As such, the game will now swap between dawn and night like the original. Plus, the modder added new lights to light fixtures, world assets, and new headlights for all player vehicles.
In this new version of the mod, neon lights will finally work, and the cars will have shiny, reflective surfaces. The fog and lighting effects also look much better now, thanks to Froxel Radiance Cache. The mod now supports Intel XeSS, just like DLSS. There’s also improved lighting (called GI) using something called Neural Radiance Cache. On top of that, the mod now works with RTX Ray Reconstruction for even better graphics.
All in all, this is a huge update for the RTX Remix Mod of NFS: Underground 2. Those interested can download it from this link. At the end of the article, you can also find a new video. This video showcases some of its features, so be sure to watch it.

After 5 years of development, Medal of Honor: Airborne Redux 2.0 has been released, featuring over 120 changes
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/after-5-years-of-development-medal-of-honor-airborne-redux-2-0-has-been-released-featuring-over-120-changes/
After five years of hard work, modder ‘IDrinkLava’ has released Version 2.0 of his Redux Mod for Medal of Honor: Airborne. This new update includes over 120 changes, improvements, and bug fixes. Let’s take a closer look at it, shall we?
First things first, though. What is the Rexux Mod for Medal of Honor: Airborne? Well, this is an enhancement and gameplay overhaul mod that attempts to fix the jank that plagues this WWII FPS. For instance, it fixes its low FOV and awkward leaning/walking controls. It also changes the Campaign difficulty to make the game feel more like a serious, tactical shooter instead of an easy, arcade-style shooter like Call of Duty.
Version 2.0 rebalances the difficulties, and they are now properly labelled for newcomers. It also packs an optional patch that will uncesor the game on Steam and Origin. Moreover, it adds support for more aspect ratios. So now, you will be able to enjoy it at 3:2, all three “21:9” aspects, and 48:9. Plus, the mod now has full gamepad support through Steam Input.
According to the modder, Redux V2.0 makes big improvements to how the game controls with a keyboard and mouse. This helps players who are used to certain key movements. It also changes how the guns work, including how much they move when you shoot (recoil) and how much damage they do. The leaning and peeking controls are now quicker and let you see more around corners. There are also new scope graphics that look more like real-life scopes, and the game has a brand-new health bar.
And there’s even more. Version 2.0 will take out more arcade-style stuff from the screen, like the True Trigger meter and the scope zoom meter. It also fixes how accurate enemy snipers are, so the game feels more fair. Plus, there’s a new “fire selector” feature in beta state that lets you switch to semi-automatic firing on some guns.
>> There is an almost 5 minutes video in the article.

The fan-made remake of the classic Fallout games in GZDoom, Fallout: Bakersfield, has finally received a proper gameplay trailer, and it looks amazing
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/the-fan-made-remake-of-the-classic-fallout-games-in-gzdoom-fallout-bakersfield-has-finally-received-a-proper-gameplay-trailer-and-it-looks-amazing/
In 2022, we shared a teaser trailer for what appeared to be a remake of the classic Fallout games in GZDoom. And now, three years later, its creator has shared a proper gameplay trailer. So, let’s take a look at it.
Fallout: Bakersfield is a total conversion mod for GZDoom. This mod basically re-imagines the classic Fallout games as an FPS/RPG hybrid. This is one of the best retro remakes, and I seriously hope Bethesda will not shut it down.
What really caught my attention in this gameplay trailer was the animations. Everything looks so smooth and polished. I mean, look at those knife attacks at 2:31. The mod is also full of gore. Players will be able to dismember their enemies. You will also be able to disarm them. Seriously, watch the trailer. Everything looks so good.
According to the trailer, the mod is 60% complete. Right now, Saur X aims to release Fallout: Bakersfield sometime in 2027. So, it will take a while until we get our hands on it. However, from what we can see here, it will be worth the wait.
Last month, we also informed you about an amazing remake of Heretic in GZDoom. That remake has a demo that you can download and play. So, make sure to check it out.
>> The video is roughly 4 minutes long.

Elder Scrolls fans are bringing the card game back from digital oblivion
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/card-games/elder-scrolls-fans-are-bringing-the-card-game-back-from-digital-oblivion/
The Elder Scrolls Legends was a mainstay of our list of the best card games that aren't Hearthstone, but sadly it wasn't the hit Bethesda wanted it to be. Development was halted in 2019, and in 2024 it was permanently shut down and rendered unplayable.
But, like players of Warhammer Online and Star Wars Galaxies before them, players of The Elder Scrolls Legends have refused to let it lie easy in its grave. Under the label The Elder Scrolls Legends Reborn, they've begun work on a server emulator that will let players experience the singleplayer campaigns and, as the latest update video shows, play multiplayer matches against each other.
The Reborn project isn't quite ready for public consumption just yet, with the computer essentially playing cards at random, players not able to build their own decks, and an incomplete selection of cards available. It's an impressive amount of progress nonetheless, with card mechanics working as they should and even the flashy animations for cards like Odahviing's fire. I can't wait for the full thing to return.
>> The article has an over 20 minutes video about what I can only assume is the latest update to the project.

A jaw-dropping mod to remake part of Fallout 1 in Doom has resurfaced after 3 years of silence
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fallout/a-jaw-dropping-mod-to-remake-part-of-fallout-1-in-doom-has-resurfaced-after-3-years-of-silence/
Developer Alexander "Red888guns" Berezin has just released a new trailer for Fallout: Bakersfield, his project to recreate the ghoul city of Necropolis from Fallout 1 as an FPS campaign in the GZDoom Engine.
The last we saw of Fallout: Bakersfield was a 55-second teaser all the way back in September 2022. Berezin's incredible art and familiarity with 2D Fallout immediately set the mod apart. But after two years and no further word, I had assumed Bakersfield had been mothballed entirely in favor of other projects.
Not so: Today's four-minute trailer showed off way more of Fallout: Bakersfield than ever before, and now we have a better idea of the scope of the project. Berezin's art is still the star of the show: He previously worked on the Fallout mods Sonora and Olympus 2207.
>> The article has some screenshots and the new trailer.

RTX remaster mod for Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines looks like witchcraft
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/rtx-remaster-mod-for-vampire-the-masquerade-bloodlines-looks-like-witchcraft/
A modder named Safemilk has been working on an RTX remaster mod for Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines that has just reached version 0.2 and had its first public release, an 8.5GB download that makes the 2004 RPG look so gorgeous I suspect I've been hit with Dementation.
Creating it wasn't just a matter of flicking the RTX switch, of course. The mod is "Fully remodeled, retextured, and re-lit using Nvidia's RTX Remix tools" and even replaces the textures of beef jerky packets and the off-model Pepsi and Skittles stacked in the convenience store—sorry, I mean "Cepsi" and "SRittles".
The effort that's gone into making everything down to the mop water look properly grody really is impressive, with the underlit bars and neon signs popping like they never used to. The trailer for this update focuses on locations rather than NPCs, but I'll be interested to see how much the makeover affects them. Bloodlines' characters were so expressive I'd be happy to see them receive a light-touch touch-up.
>> There’s a 5 minutes video in the article.

GAMING NEWS

You can now play Digital Extremes’ free-to-play action hybrid MMORPG, Soulframe: Preludes
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/you-can-now-play-digital-extremes-free-to-play-action-hybrid-mmorpg-soulframe-preludes/
Digital Extremes has released the pre-alpha version of its new free-to-play game, Soulframe: Preludes. This means that during TennoCon 2025, everyone can try out this early version of the action MMORPG and see what it’s like. So, if you’re interested, you should download it now.
>> While the demo is out, the game is no longer guaranteed to launch this year.

The second part of the Monday gaming news:

Final Fantasy 14 warns players that it's time for an upgrade as Microsoft gears up to end support for Windows 10: 'Support for this operating system is a difficult proposition'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/final-fantasy/final-fantasy-14-warns-players-that-its-time-for-an-upgrade-as-microsoft-gears-up-to-end-support-for-windows-10-support-for-this-operating-system-is-a-difficult-proposition/
Square Enix has made an announcement today which may seem small now, but will cast a bigger shadow as we approach the spooky season of October, which marks the end of support for Windows 10.
"Final Fantasy 14 support for Windows 10 will end on October 14, 2025," an official blog post says. "Microsoft will no longer provide security updates or support for PCs running Windows 10 after October 14, 2025, so we have found that continuing support for this operating system is a difficult proposition." 

DayZ creator's monster-hunting survival game gets major new DLC offering brutal endgame challenges with lavish loot: 'Survival games should be challenging, after all'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/survival-crafting/dayz-creators-monster-hunting-survival-game-gets-major-new-dlc-offering-brutal-endgame-challenges-with-lavish-loot-survival-games-should-be-challenging-after-all/
Back in June at the PC Gaming Show, Rocketwerkz revealed what's next for its co-op survival game Icarus: A major DLC called Great Hunts Campaigns that effectively turns Icarus into a first-person monster hunting game. Rocketwerkz said at the time that Great Hunts would launch "soon," and today it got more specific by announcing that it's out, well, today.

The most anticipated Everdark Sovereigns are coming to Elden Ring Nightreign in just two weeks, and I hope it'll hurt
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/the-most-anticipated-everdark-sovereigns-are-coming-to-elden-ring-nightreign-in-just-two-weeks-and-i-hope-itll-hurt/
We've finally got word when the next Everdark Sovereigns are coming to Elden Ring Nightreign, and it's sooner than I thought it would be, clocking in at just two weeks away. Soon, players will be able to contest with Everdark versions of Tricephalos, Augur, Fissure in the Fog, and Equilibrious Beast.
"The veil thins, and the Night hungers still," an official social media post says. "On July 31, 2025, a new Everdark cycle shall begin—the enhanced Nightlords… will soon unleash their darkest powers upon Limveld."

Here’s the one Destiny 2 Portal modifier that makes A-grade easy, showering you with new loot in The Edge of Fate
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/heres-the-one-destiny-2-portal-modifier-that-makes-a-grade-easy-showering-you-with-new-loot-in-the-edge-of-fate/
With the launch of The Edge of Fate expansion, we’re introduced to yet approach to gear and levelling in Destiny 2, including Armour 3.0 and world/gear tiers. I swear it’s a yearly overhaul at this point. But boy, what a grind it is this time around, pushing us towards the Portal—a brand-new ‘main menu’ so to speak—to climb through the ranks. While it's already caused some controversy, such as stealing the spotlight from the iconic Director screen (and sapping much of its personality), Portal does a cool trick up its sleeve: customisable modifiers.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake will launch 'very soon,' Ubisoft exec says, but he also namedropped Splinter Cell for no apparent reason so maybe he's still just messing with us
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/prince-of-persia-the-sands-of-time-remake-will-launch-very-soon-ubisoft-exec-says-but-he-also-namedropped-splinter-cell-for-no-apparent-reason-so-maybe-hes-still-just-messing-with-us/
It's been five years since the Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake first leaked out of the Russian Uplay store, and while plenty has happened since then, one thing that definitely has not happened is the Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake. (...)
In response to a question about Tencent's investment into Ubisoft and the new spinoff entity the two are now launching, chief financial officer Frederick Duguet explained in very general terms how the cash will be spread around, including that some of the money will go back to Ubisoft to be used "selectively" for future development of other brands, and to "boost our live games."
"As you know, we've got some iconic brand names in our catalog that we can either activate or reactivate with little investment," Duguet said. "This goes to the remake of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, which is going to be released very soon, or even Splinter Cell later on."

Shooter cosmetics reach a new low with Trump, Kamala, and a neckbeard keyboard warrior all available on day one of this new battle royale
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/battle-royale/shooter-cosmetics-reach-a-new-low-with-trump-kamala-and-a-neckbeard-keyboard-warrior-all-available-on-day-one-of-this-new-battle-royale/
Ya'll ever see a videogame skin so bad you're forced to immediately go to sleep? My eyes rolled all the way back in my head perusing the day one store offerings of Off The Grid, an NFT-powered battle royale that launched yesterday on Steam after a stint in early access on the Epic Games Store.
>> How long until we have an article about the game shooting down?

More than a year after its last update, this forgotten RTS from the makers of Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak is being removed from Steam
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rts/more-than-a-year-after-its-last-update-this-forgotten-rts-from-the-makers-of-homeworld-deserts-of-kharak-is-being-removed-from-steam/
We described Crossfire: Legion as "a promising, if somewhat sparse tactical RPG" when it appeared in the 2022 PC Gaming Show, shortly after its early access launch in May of that year. It went into full release in December 2022, but never managed to gain any real traction with players, and now, a year and a half after its last update, it's going away for good.

Remedy promises a 'major update' for FBC: Firebreak but not until late September, which doesn't seem great
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/remedy-promises-a-major-update-for-fbc-firebreak-but-not-until-late-september-which-doesnt-seem-great/
The co-op shooter FBC: Firebreak is struggling badly, but Remedy isn't giving up on it. Today the studio announced plans for its first "major update," set to arrive in late September, that it hopes will make the game more accessible to newcomers, and more engaging for veterans.

Ubisoft confirms it is working on a new Ghost Recon game, and it sure looks like it'll be a live service affair
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/ubisoft-confirms-it-is-working-on-a-new-ghost-recon-game-and-it-sure-looks-like-itll-be-a-live-service-affair/
Ubisoft has confirmed that a new Ghost Recon game is in the works—the first entry in the series since 2019's Ghost Recon: Breakpoint.
During Ubisoft's annual general shareholders' meeting (via Game File) CEO Yves Guillemot was asked about the publisher's history making live service games. Guillemot responded by pointing to the success of Rainbow Six: Siege, before outlining the company's broader strategy going forward:
"In addition to the flagship game that I just mentioned," Guillemot said, "our objective is to also make strong progress in the growing market, generally speaking, by continuing to enhance our current experiences that we offer—and capitalizing on upcoming launches, such as The Division and Ghost Recon."

The Sims 4's rampant pregnancy bug was apparently caused by 'performance optimizations' and has now been fixed
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/the-sims/the-sims-4s-rampant-pregnancy-bug-was-apparently-caused-by-performance-optimizations-and-has-now-been-fixed/
The baby boom is over. EA has neutered a bizarre bug recently introduced to The Sims 4 that erroneously marked Sims as being pregnant, irrespective of whether they were male or had previously engaged in 'woo-hoo'.
The bug initially appeared last week, slipping undetected into the game in a base game patch that coincided with the launch of the new Enchanted by Nature DLC. The bug indiscriminately identified random Sims as being pregnant, while also seemingly breaking everything else related to pregnancy. Baby bumps were flattened, pregnancy tests vanished from the shelves, and despite my earlier assertion, these phantom pregnancies never seemed to produce simulated sprogs.

Bungie promises to fix Destiny 2's new metroid-style morph ball as it makes players sick and glitches out on ultrawide monitors
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/bungie-promises-to-fix-destiny-2s-new-metroid-style-morph-ball-as-it-makes-players-sick-and-glitches-out-on-ultrawide-monitors/
Destiny 2's new expansion, Edge of Fate, is not having an easy time winning over players, with fewer returning to check it out and controversial balance changes souring the mood. You can also add making players physically ill to the list, with the game's new Matterspark prompting widespread complaints of motion sickness.
>> And a dev has denied that The Edge of Fate update introduced stealth nerfs.

Peak's latest beta patch ensures the cooperative climbing sim actually checks players are alive when they reach the summit of its mountain: 'You no longer win if you die'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/sim/peaks-latest-beta-patch-ensures-the-cooperative-climbing-sim-actually-checks-players-are-alive-when-they-reach-the-summit-of-its-mountain-you-no-longer-win-if-you-die/
Cooperative climbing sensation Peak just dragged a new update to the false summit of its Steam beta branch, adding a couple of new items to the game and making some small but important quality of life changes. But we're going to hike past all of that for the moment, and make a beeline straight for the bugfixes, as the changelog includes an immediate contender for my favourite fix ever.

Ubisoft CEO responds to the Stop Killing Games petition, stating the publisher is 'working on' improving its approach to end-of-life support, but that 'nothing is eternal'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/ubisoft-ceo-responds-to-the-stop-killing-games-petition-stating-the-publisher-is-working-on-improving-its-approach-to-end-of-life-support-but-that-nothing-is-eternal/
Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot has addressed the Stop Killing Games consumer rights campaign, stating that end-of-life support for old online games 'a far reaching issue' that the publisher is 'working on' but that 'nothing is eternal' when it comes to videogame services.

Co-op Kaiju Horror Cooking is a game about medieval monks catapulting meals into the mouths of giant monsters, and it's out later this month
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/co-op-kaiju-horror-cooking-is-a-game-about-medieval-monks-catapulting-meals-into-the-mouths-of-giant-monsters-and-its-out-later-this-month/
There are two things I admire about developer Strange Scaffold. The first is the speed at which it makes games, often putting out multiple titles within a year. The second is its Ronseal approach to names, with nominative highlights including Space Warlord Organ Trading Simulator, and An Airport For Aliens Currently Run By Dogs. My favourite example, though, is the newly announced Co-op Kaiju Horror Cooking, a cooperative horror game which, you'll be unsurprised to hear, is about cooking meals for kaiju.

Fields of Mistria's third major update arrives on Monday, including one huge NPC upgrade
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/life-sim/fields-of-mistrias-third-major-update-arrives-on-monday-including-one-huge-npc-upgrade/
Fans of cozy farming sim Fields of Mistria will want to keep an eye out for a major update on Monday, especially if you've been courting a special someone in the game. The third big early access update, which drops at 12:00 PM EST on July 21, includes a game-changing expansion to Fields of Mistria's romance system and even allows you to choose a best friend in addition to a special friend.

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

The game where you build a symbiotic village on the back of a giant monster is finally done
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/sim/the-game-where-you-build-a-symbiotic-village-on-the-back-of-a-giant-monster-is-finally-done/
Delightful city building game The Wandering Village has hit its 1.0 release and celebrated with a delightful animated trailer about life in a toxic world where you're safest at home in your village—which happens to be built on a mesa atop the back of a gigantic six-legged monster named Onbu.

Ubisoft's annual financial report includes claim that monetizing games with microtransactions 'makes the player experience more fun'
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/ubisofts-annual-financial-report-includes-claim-that-monetizing-games-with-microtransactions-makes-the-player-experience-more-fun/
Ubisoft's annual financial report isn't exactly "for us"—that is, people who like videogames and not stocks—but surely someone at the company had to know saying microtransactions make games "more fun" in a publicly-available document wouldn't play well.
>> Yeah, as fun as being kicked on the balls.

The dairy industry would like Gen Z to drink more milk, so they made a Fortnite diner tycoon game
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/the-dairy-industry-would-like-gen-z-to-drink-more-milk-so-they-made-a-fortnite-diner-tycoon-game/
Dairy MAX, an organization that represents some 700 dairy farmers, would like kids to drink more milk, and so they've sponsored a Fortnite Creative level.
Diner Tycoon, a custom game mode inside Fortnite, was made as part of Dairy MAX's Level Unlocked digital initiative, a plan "designed by Dairy MAX to connect youth with the power of dairy in a way that fits their modern lifestyle." Thus, Diner Tycoon, where you can "collect ingredients and cook recipes, create delicious dairy-fueled meals, hire workers," and "expand your diner" in a lowkey business simulation.

Armies in Total War: Warhammer 3's siege beta won't carry ladders in their pockets any more
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/strategy/armies-in-total-war-warhammer-3s-siege-beta-wont-carry-ladders-in-their-pockets-any-more/
When my units of ashigaru in Total War: Shogun 2 used to procure grappling hooks out of nowhere to climb enemy walls I didn't question it, but as the games have gone on the use of "pocket ladders" (or "ass ladders" if you prefer) has become a point of contention among players. The ease with which any unit can produce them has led many players to treat walls as a waste of time and instead defend the narrow interior chokepoints of settlements, abandoning the outer defenses entirely.
Which is why Creative Assembly's plan for the upcoming siege update includes the removal of pocket ladders. Or at least, turning them into a menu option you can toggle on or off. As Milcho Vasilev, battle team lead at Creative Assembly Sofia Sofia writes, "Even though it is not perfect and there are many more aspects that can be improved we believe that the ability to pull a huge ladder out of your…nothing, can be quite immersion breaking for the players and takes away from the more strategic planning of the battle."

The prison breakout RPG where you can be a fox or a panther has left early access
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/the-prison-breakout-rpg-where-you-can-be-a-fox-or-a-panther-has-left-early-access/
After more than a year spent bribing guards, climbing walls, shivving rivals, and digging a tunnel with a sharpened spoon, Back to the Dawn hit version 1.0 this month. If you're not familiar, it's a time-management RPG where you have 21 days to escape a high-security prison and can spend your time inside getting to know other inmates, building your stats, and finally finding one of multiple escape routes to break free.

Grow a Garden has rolled out another update, but this time we are abandoning dinosaurs for something a little more laid-back
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/survival-crafting/grow-a-garden-has-rolled-out-another-update-but-this-time-we-are-abandoning-dinosaurs-for-something-a-little-more-laid-back/
Even though it's only been a handful of weeks since Grow a Garden unleashed its prehistoric update, it's time to clear your plots and prepare for the newest release—the Zen Update. As its title (sort of) explains, this new look aims to target all things Zen garden, which lend itself to the routine of Grow a Garden pretty perfectly if you ask me. As long as no one is coming in and stealing my crops.

'Dangerous on a whole new level'—while Steam's policy change is new, the shadow of credit card porn-hibition has been looming for a while, with Nier: Automata's Yoko Taro sounding the alarm last year
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/game-development/dangerous-on-a-whole-new-level-while-steams-policy-change-is-new-the-shadow-of-credit-card-porn-hibition-has-been-looming-for-a-while-with-nier-automatas-yoko-taro-sounding-the-alarm-last-year/
Last week was a weird one for videogames—with Steam clamping down on games featuring adult content due to the pressure of credit card companies like Visa and Mastercard which, apparently, was itself a decision made due to an Australian anti-porn group.
But this isn't a new phenomenon. Back in 2021, Mastercard began a policy forcing adult websites to go through stringent requirements that were, logistically, impossible to keep up with. In Japan, Visa's also been coming down on doujinshi and manga archives to, quote, "protect the brand", as stated in a briefing last year.
Further proving this, Yoko Taro, creator of Nier: Automata, took to X last year to decry the practice (thanks, Automaton, for the spot and translation)

One Dune: Awakening player 'will not bend the knee' to hackers laying waste to ornithopters—'I am personally on their hit list now'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/survival-crafting/one-dune-awakening-player-will-not-bend-the-knee-to-hackers-laying-waste-to-ornithopters-i-am-personally-on-their-hit-list-now/
I've always said that the worst part of any multiplayer game is the people you play with. Yes, there are some absolute gem moments of camaraderie and teamwork, but most of the time, you have to deal with the worst sides of people, as some players in Dune: Awakening have sadly found out for themselves.
>> Funcom is also blamed for not doing anything against this.

NVIDIA Gears Up for Next-Gen Vera Rubin AI Servers While Rolling Out Blackwell Ultra GB300 Units; A Relentless Standard Only Jensen Dares to Set

https://wccftech.com/nvidia-gears-up-for-next-gen-vera-rubin-ai-servers-while-rolling-out-blackwell-ultra-gb300-units/

AMD Intros “SD 3 Medium”, The World’s First BF16 NPU Model Designed For XDNA 2 AI NPUs, Offer Reduced Memory Footprint & Faster Text-To-Image Gen

https://wccftech.com/amd-sd-3-turbo-worlds-first-bf16-npu-model-for-xdna-2-ai-npus-reduced-memory-footprint-faster-text-to-image-gen/

AMD’s Strix Halo “Ryzen AI MAX” APUs Come To DIY PC Builders With New MoDT “Mini-ITX” Motherboards, Equipped With Up To 128 GB of LPDDR5X Memory

https://wccftech.com/amd-strix-halo-ryzen-ai-max-apus-diy-pc-new-modt-mini-itx-motherboards-128-gb-lpddr5x-memory/

NVIDIA Reportedly Pushes N1X SoC Launch To Q1 2026: Waiting For Right Time To Roll Out Next-Gen “AI” Chip On Next-Gen Windows Platform, Revisions Expected Too

https://wccftech.com/nvidia-n1x-soc-launch-q1-2026-next-gen-ai-chip-on-next-gen-windows-platform/

Unreleased AMD Radeon RX 7000 GPU Prototype Cooler Pictured: Massive 3-Slot Design & Triple 8-Pin Connectors, Could’ve Been Reserved For A RTX 4090 Competitor

https://wccftech.com/unreleased-amd-radeon-rx-7000-gpu-prototype-cooler-pictured-massive-3-slot-design-triple-8-pin-connectors-rtx-4090-competitor/

Radeon RX 9060 XT 8GB Gets Snubbed While Its 16 GB Variant Sells Like Hotcakes

https://wccftech.com/radeon-rx-9060-xt-8gb-gets-snubbed-while-16-gb-variant-sells-like-hotcakes/

The Tuesday gaming news:

SALES/PLAYER COUNTS & DEALS

Steam’s Top 10

(Click here for the Top 100)

GOG has a couple new sales/promos:

• The Chucklefish Publisher Sale brings games up to 80% off during 7 days: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/20250722_chucklefish_publisher_sale
• Summer Classics Promo features up to 95% discounts during 10 days: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/20250722_summer_classics_promo

Steam has new deals and sales/events:

• Fabledom is going to be 50% off until the 29th of July: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1651560/Fabledom
• Evil West gets a 75% discount until the 4th o August: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1065310/Evil_West
• Wavetale will be 95% off until August 4: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1823930/Wavetale
• And these are the sales/events:
  • The DCS Franchise Sale will have up to 50% discounts on its DLCs until the 28th of July: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/DCSWORLDFranchiseSale
  • Super Robot Wars 30 Sale gets up to 67% discounts until the 30th of July: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/33042543/sale/SRWSeriesCustomSale
  • The DESCENDERS Franchise Sale has the games up to 75% off until the 4th of August: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/29728776/sale/DescendersDay2025
• And of course, there are new weeklong deals.

The Humble Store has an Anno Franchise Sale, with up to 75% discounts during 6 days. All the keys are for UbiConnect: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/anno-franchise-sale

And Fanatical’s new Star Deal is Paleo Pines, 70% off during 48 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/paleo-pines

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

NVIDIA GeForce Game Ready 577.00 driver
https://videocardz.com/driver/nvidia-geforce-game-ready-577-00

HIGHLIGHTS
Game Ready for WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers
This new Game Ready Driver provides the best gaming experience for the latest new games supporting DLSS 4 technology including WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers, as well as the Unreal Engine 5 update for Valorant.

New DLSS Overrides

• 7 Days to Die
• Brickadia
• Monster Energy Supercross 25 - The Official Video Game
• Monster Hunter Wilds
• REMATCH
• RoboCop: Rogue City - Unfinished Business
• Strinova
• Stygian: Outer Gods
• Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
• Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks
• WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers

FIXED ISSUES

• Counter-Strike 2: Black screen using 4:3 aspect ratio resolution on ASUS ROG PG27AQN monitor [5300665]
• NARAKA BLADEPOINT: Stability issues on a specific map when using DX11 and DLSS Super Resolution [5374090]

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

Here’s an early look at Fallout: New Vegas with RTX Remix Path Tracing
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/heres-an-early-look-at-fallout-new-vegas-with-rtx-remix-path-tracing
YouTube’s skurtyyskirts is currently working on an RTX Remix Mod for Fallout: New Vegas. This mod will add real-time Path Tracing to this beloved Fallout game. And, although it’s in a very early development phase, the modder shared a video for it.
Now, as I said, this mod is in a very early dev stage. So, everything you’re about to see is subject to change. This does not represent the quality of the final version. Still, it can give you a small glimpse at what the mod may be able to improve.
For this RTX Remix Mod, the modder is working on brand new textures. These new textures will be ideal for the real-time Path Tracing effects. In other words, this won’t be a simple RTX Remix Runtime Mod.
The RTX Remix footage begins at 2:05. The bar interior looks amazing with RTX Remix. Thanks to it, everything looks better than the original game. However, things get a bit messy once we get outside.
In the open-world area, the RTX Remix version has a completely different art style from the original game. The brown filter is nowhere to be found. In my opinion, the modder should bring it back as it makes the game look really weird without it.

This Cyberpunk 2077 mod allows V to react dynamically to open-world events with contextual voice lines and animations
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/this-cyberpunk-2077-mod-allows-v-to-react-dynamically-to-open-world-events-with-contextual-voice-lines-and-animations
Modder MisterChedda has made a cool new mod for Cyberpunk 2077. With this mod, V can now talk and react to things happening in the open world using voice lines and animations. V can also respond to Johnny’s comments while he’s riding along.
Here are more details about the mod. V will now speak and react when things happen in the game world, like getting bumped or hit by a car. The mod uses voice lines that were already in the game but not used, along with new reaction lines.
For example, when someone bumps into V, they might say something annoyed or even flip them off if it keeps happening. If V gets hit by a car, they’ll say something after standing back up, and sometimes flip the driver off. V also reacts when stealing cars or when a car is about to explode.
Overall, this is a cool mod that helps make the world of Cyberpunk 2077 feel more alive and responsive. The best part is that it comes with options to turn off anything you don’t like. For example, if you don’t want V to respond to Johnny, you can turn that off. Or if you don’t want V to say anything when stealing a car, you can turn that off too.
>> The article has an age restricted video.

GAMING NEWS

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora Will Get Third-Person and New Game+ Modes This December
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/avatar-frontiers-of-pandora-will-get-third-person-and-new-game-modes-this-december
Now here is a pleasant surprise. Ubisoft has just revealed that Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora will get a third-person mode and a New Game+ this December. To celebrate this announcement, the team has shared a new trailer that you can find below.

Saber Interactive has announced Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/saber-interactive-has-announced-clive-barkers-hellraiser-revival
Saber Interactive has just announced Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival. This is a new first-person action horror survival game. Moreover, the team shared its first details and its debut trailer. So, let’s take a closer look at it.

The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered Patch 1.6 Released & Detailed
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/the-last-of-us-part-2-remastered-patch-1-6-released-detailed
Nixxes has released Title Update 1.6 for The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered and shared its full patch notes. So, let’s see what this new PC patch brings to the table.

The sequel of the Tuesday gaming news:

Stop Killing Games' EU initiative hits 1.4 million signatures—and if at least 1 million are valid, it's off to the European Commission
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/game-development/stop-killing-games-eu-initiative-hits-1-4-million-signatures-and-if-at-least-1-million-are-valid-its-off-to-the-european-commission/
Stop Killing Games (which just under a month ago was all doom and gloom) has soared past its prior goals—not only garnering enough attention to have Ubisoft's CEO sweating during a shareholder meeting, but now soaring past 1.4 million signatories on the European Citizens' Initiative.

Bloodlines 2 studio The Chinese Room has bought its own independence, but also laid off employees for the second time in two months
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/bloodlines-2-studio-the-chinese-room-has-bought-its-own-independence-but-also-laid-off-employees-for-the-second-time-in-two-months/
As reported by Game Developer, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 developer The Chinese Room has bought its own independence from former owner Sumo Digital, but laid off an undisclosed number of employees in the process, bringing its total headcount to 55⁠.

John Romero says indies are the future of game development: 'These people are the ones that make triple-A studios go, 'Wait a minute, we need to start doing this''
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/john-romero-says-indies-are-the-future-of-game-development-these-people-are-the-ones-that-make-triple-a-studios-go-wait-a-minute-we-need-to-start-doing-this/
I wouldn't blame you for feeling like the games industry is in a dire state. Microsoft's recent layoffs and studio closures are just the latest in a years-long, industry-wide bloodletting where successful game releases don't provide any protection against corporate downsizing.
Things aren't great at the moment, but legendary shooter designer John Romero says that whatever the industry's future is, it'll be one that indie developers are shaping.
>> He said that in a podcast, where he also explained how the hunting genre was born.

EA finally proves it's listening to fans, will let Battlefield 6 beta players have classic class weapons
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/dice-finally-proves-its-listening-to-fans-will-let-battlefield-6-beta-players-have-classic-class-weapons/
EA has done what I was starting to worry was impossible: Make a rational, popular design decision around Battlefield 6 classes.
(...)
Today, in a brief X post on the official Battlefield account, EA changed its tune.
"Open Weapons vs Closed Weapons. Why not both? Starting at Open Beta, players can choose official playlists with Signature Weapons locked to class, or not. More to come."

Descenders Next just shadowdropped into early access, and it's Steam Deck verified as well
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/sports/descenders-next-just-shadowdropped-into-early-access-and-its-steam-deck-verified-as-well/
Descenders Next is a sequel of sorts to Descenders, but it's pretty different. It's still about going down hills really fast, but it's no longer about doing so on pushbikes: instead we have snowboards and mountainboards. I played a little bit last year and loved it, so I'm pretty happy to see it's just shadowdropped on Steam after a delay from its initial April release date.

Gustave's voice actor, Charlie Cox, admits he needs to 'play the game' after asking if Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's goofball sidekick is the 'big baddie at the end'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/gustaves-voice-actor-charlie-cox-admits-he-needs-to-play-the-game-after-asking-if-clair-obscur-expedition-33s-goofball-sidekick-is-the-big-baddie-at-the-end/
I don't necessarily think every voice actor in videogames needs to play them, in the same way I don't think Vin Diesel is obligated to spend half of his life doing donuts. I'm starting to wobble on that theory in the face of Charlie Cox who, bless his cotton socks, barely seems to know a thing about Clair Obscur: Expedition 33—a game he gave a nonetheless stellar performance in.

A new city in Helldivers 2 will be named 'Gun' because 82,188 players voted for it—making it twice as popular as the other 4 options combined
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/a-new-city-in-helldivers-2-will-be-named-gun-because-82-188-players-voted-for-it-making-it-twice-as-popular-as-the-other-4-options-combined/
If you don't have enough money to LARP, you might want to become a Helldivers 2 player, because those guys are embodying the spirit of the satire-laden universe without setting a single foot outside. As evidenced by a recent Discord poll that allowed players to rename the city of Remembrance, which was reduced to near-rubble during the invasion of Super Earth.
Remembrance shall be reforged in the fires of truth and democracy as the shining city of Gun. No, really. Just "Gun".

(I couldn't watch it 'till today)

Not entirely unexpected results, tho I'm surprised Space Marines 2 is so hard on the CPU. Then again, it's supposed to have up to thousand of enemies on screen, so it shoudln't be so surprising.

I wonder if an 8-core CPU like the 7700X would have fared better in that test.

It hurts my head to see it running at 130fps at 1080p Medium and 120fps at 4K Ultra on a 9800X3D+5090.

The most demanding game on the CPU I've played is Path of Exile 2 it completely roasts it which isn't great now but should keep the room warm in the Winter.

Some games can be brutal on the CPU side. Stellaris and other strategy games with hunderds or thousands of units can bring any CPU on its knees as well.

Who knows, if rumors are true and next gen we get a 6GHz 10800X3D with 12 cores and lots more of cache, it can make the GPU the limiting factor once again. But it won't be great to use at Summer either.