NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 50 SUPER Rumored to Drop Into The Markets as Soon as Q4 2025, Featuring Massive VRAM Upgrades

https://wccftech.com/nvidia-geforce-rtx-50-super-rumored-to-drop-into-the-markets-as-soon-as-q4-2025/

Samsung Reportedly Investing Billions To Build Advanced Packaging Facility in U.S. After Securing Major Tesla Deal, Setting Up a Showdown With TSMC

https://wccftech.com/samsung-reportedly-investing-billions-in-us-advanced-packaging-facility/

A PC Chassis That Resembles RTX 50 Series Founders Edition; Chinese Manufacturer Unveils Qingyao NANO And Lite Cases With Front Panel Resembling NVIDIA Blackwell FE GPUs

https://wccftech.com/a-pc-chassis-that-resembles-rtx-50-series-founders-edition/

Computing Power Has Skyrocketed Over the Last 50 Years, With a Whopping 217 Million Times Increase in Performance — From the Humble Intel 4004 to Cutting-Edge NVIDIA Blackwell Chip

https://wccftech.com/computing-power-has-skyrocketed-over-the-last-50-years-with-a-whopping-217-million-times-increase/

TSMC’s Next Major Milestone in the US Would Be The Opening of a New Advanced Packaging Facility By 2029, Coming One Step Closer Towards an Independent Supply Chain

https://wccftech.com/tsmcs-next-major-milestone-in-america-would-be-the-opening-of-a-new-advanced-packaging-facility/

Legendary GTX 1080 Ti Loses To RTX 5050 Even With Custom Liquid Cooling And OC; RTX 5050 Crushes The GOAT When Overclocked To 3.3GHz

https://wccftech.com/legendary-gtx-1080-ti-loses-to-rtx-5050-even-with-custom-liquid-cooling-and-oc/

AMD enables Ryzen AI MAX+ 300 “Strix Halo” support for 128B parameters for local AI models

https://videocardz.com/newz/amd-enables-ryzen-ai-max-300-strix-halo-support-for-128b-parameters-for-local-ai-models

AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9000X reviews drop tomorrow ahead of July 31 launch

https://videocardz.com/newz/amd-ryzen-threadripper-9000x-reviews-drop-tomorrow-ahead-of-july-31-launch

GPD explains how battery backpack for “Strix Halo” Win 5 handheld is attached

https://videocardz.com/newz/gpd-explains-how-battery-backpack-for-strix-halo-win-5-handheld-is-attached

FYI: I'll be going on vacation until August 5th so likely little to no more news postings from me till I come back

Have fun!

The Tuesday gaming news:

SALES/PLAYER COUNTS & DEALS

Steam’s Top 10

(Click here for the Top 100)

Steam has all these deals:

• Worshippers of Cthulhu will be 40% off until the 5th of August: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2807150/Worshippers_of_Cthulhu
• Star Valor gets a 66% discount until the 11th of August: https://store.steampowered.com/app/833360/Star_Valor
• Exo One is going to be 80% off until August 11: https://store.steampowered.com/app/773370/Exo_One
• You Suck at Parking - Complete Edition has a demo and an 80% discount until the 11th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/837880/You_Suck_at_Parking__Complete_Edition
• Shogun Showdown also has a demo, but it’s going to be 50% off until the 12th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2084000/Shogun_Showdown
• These are the sales/events. All of them will all end on the 11th of August:
  • Publisher Acram Digital celebrates the Whispers on Paper Sale, with up to 60% discounts: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/39565327/sale/WhispersOnPaper
  • Koei Tecmo celebrates the 25th Anniversary of the Dynasty Warriors franchise putting the games up to 70% off: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/33016879/sale/DynastyWarriors2025
  • Retrovibe Publisher Sale features up to 85% discounts: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/40645616/sale/RetrovibePublisherSale2025
  • Arc System Works has launched the Evo Sale 2025, with games up to 90% off: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/33025239/sale/EVOSale
  • EA does an August Sale with up to 90% discounts: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/36135791/sale/august-sale-2025
• And of course, there’s the weeklong deals

The Humble Store has two new sales:

• Trackmania Spotlight Sale has two games, 50 and 60% off respectively during 5 days. Both keys are for UbiConnect: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/trackmania-spotlight-sale
• Koei Tecmo Summer Sale has three games with a 70% discount during 13 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/koei-tecmo-summer-sale

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

Itch.io denies hiding one of 2024's best games from search results amid the payment processor crackdown on NSFW games, says it's been de-indexed since October 2024 because 'it doesn't meet our indexing criteria'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/horror/one-of-2024s-best-games-and-a-new-horror-classic-has-been-delisted-on-itch-io-amid-the-payment-processor-crackdown-on-nsfw-games/
Mouthwashing was one of the best games of 2024, "a horror game whose narrative and aesthetics are going to be remembered, celebrated, and emulated" for years to come, as PC Gamer's Ted Litchfield wrote in his glowing 87% review. And if you'd like to buy it on indie-focused digital marketplace Itch.io, you're going to have a bit of a problem, because Mouthwashing no longer shows up in searches.
The removal from search results was first reported by Martin Halldin of developer Wrong Organ, who said on Bluesky that he "was kinda waiting for it to happen." I tested it myself and sure enough, Mouthwashing simply does not show up in search results.
Recent updates
A few hours after this story was published, Itch.io clarified that Mouthwashing is de-indexed, but said it's been that way since October 2024, and not as a result of the payment processor crackdown. The report has been updated to reflect the new statement.

Itch.io releases list of the adult content you can't put on its store anymore after anti-NSFW crackdown, including stuff that's not illegal but just icky
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/itch-io-releases-list-of-the-adult-content-you-cant-put-on-its-store-anymore-after-anti-nsfw-crackdown-including-stuff-thats-not-illegal-but-just-icky/
Online game store Itch.io plunged a swathe of devs into uncertainty last week when, in the wake of pressure from its payment processors, it frantically deindexed all adult content on its platform from its search and browse pages.
In effect, devs woke up without warning to a world where they suddenly couldn't make money from the adult games they'd poured their time into making, and all seemingly at the behest of a campaign waged against payment processors by an Australian anti-porn group.
Itch.io's reaction to processor pressure was so kneejerk that it wasn't even clear to devs which types of content were the problem. Was all adult content simply nuked from the store? Or just games that feature certain kinds of content?
Well, Itch.io has now updated its rules to indicate the particular kinds of content its payment processors find objectionable (via Game Developer). The good news is that the clarification means adult devs have a pathway back to the platform. The bad news is that the boundaries of what's now acceptable are almost impossibly narrow.

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

-Empty-

GAMING NEWS

Asterix & Obelix: Mission Babylon is a new action platformer that is coming to PC on October 30th
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/asterix-obelix-mission-babylon-is-a-new-action-platformer-that-is-coming-to-pc-on-october-30th
Microids has announced Asterix & Obelix: Mission Babylon, a new action platformer that is coming to PC on October 30th. To celebrate this announcement, the team shared its first details and a teaser trailer for it. So, let’s take a closer look.

The STALKER/Metro-inspired, narrative-focused horror indie FPS Shadow Project will receive a PC demo on August 9th
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/the-stalker-metro-inspired-narrative-focused-horror-indie-fps-shadow-project-will-receive-a-pc-demo-on-august-9th
Orphic Studios has announced that a PC demo for Shadow Project will be released on August 9th. Shadow Project is a new narrative-focused horror indie FPS that draws inspiration from the METRO and STALKER games.

New gameplay footage has surfaced for the Unreal Engine 5-powered narrative FPS adventure game INDUSTRIA 2
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/new-gameplay-footage-has-surfaced-for-the-unreal-engine-5-powered-narrative-fps-adventure-game-industria-2
Bleakmill shared a video, showing two minutes of gameplay from its Unreal Engine 5-powered narrative FPS adventure game, INDUSTRIA 2. This short but sweet gameplay video will give you an early glimpse at this new FPS. So, make sure to watch it.

Assassin’s Creed: Shadows Title Update 1.0.7 Released, Full Patch Notes
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/assassins-creed-shadows-title-update-1-0-7-released-full-patch-notes
Ubisoft has just released Title Update 1.0.7 for Assassin’s Creed: Shadows and shared its full patch notes. So, let’s see what this new patch brings to the table.

Tuesday gaming news, the second part:

Steam's latest mini-hit is Mage Arena, a voice-powered spellcasting game that costs $3
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/steams-latest-mini-hit-is-mage-arena-a-voice-powered-spellcasting-game-that-costs-usd3/
"Fireball! Freeze! Magic Missile!" I yelled about 47 times yesterday playing Mage Arena, the voice-powered wizardry game currently shooting up the Steam charts. I convinced some friends to pick up the $3, early access arena shooter based on the strength of the "say spells to cast them" pitch alone, and the verdict is in—Mage Arena is a blast.

A 'slavish clone': Sony is suing Tencent over a game that looks startlingly similar to Horizon Zero Dawn
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/a-slavish-clone-sony-is-suing-tencent-over-a-game-that-looks-startlingly-similar-to-horizon-zero-dawn/
Apparently Sony had the same reaction as the rest of us when Tencent announced a game that looks shockingly similar to Horizon Zero Dawn. It's suing the Chinese tech company over the open world game, which like Horizon is set in a lush post-apocalypse and stars a woman with a bow who fights and tames animals made of metal.
>> They pushed too far and Sony got them. Anyway, curl-6 has made a thread about this.

'Maybe I've directed my last game,' Dead Space creator Glen Schofield says after being unable to secure funding for his new project: 'With the industry on pause, AAA feels like it's a long ways away'
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/maybe-ive-directed-my-last-game-dead-space-creator-glen-schofield-says-after-being-unable-to-secure-funding-for-his-new-project-with-the-industry-on-pause-aaa-feels-like-its-a-long-ways-away/
After a long career in videogames that took him from Ren and Stimpy and Rocky and Bullwinkle to Dead Space and The Callisto Protocol (seriously, check his credits), Glen Schofield might have finally reached the end of the line. In a message posted to LinkedIn (via VGC), Schofield said he'd been working on a new idea but "decided to walk away" after he couldn't raise the funding he was looking for, and admitted that "maybe I've directed my last game."

Quarantine Zone was almost a zombie-free sim about managing a warehouse
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/sim/quarantine-zone-was-almost-a-zombie-free-sim-about-managing-a-warehouse/
Something curious happened in mid-2024: everyone went crazy over a little game called Supermarket Simulator. There's never a shortage of quirky little games about doing real-life jobs, but for some reason this particular retail sim about stocking shelves and waiting on customers blew up big—and that didn't just draw the attention of players, but other developers.
That includes Stas Staryk, who had been doing corporate VR training and outsourced work for Epic Games, but wanted to make his first game with the company he'd co-founded, Brigada Games. A game like Supermarket Simulator had a lot of appeal, Staryk told PC Gamer this week.

Some lucky souls will get hands-on with Silksong within weeks, with the Hollow Knight sequel confirmed to be playable at Gamescom 2025
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/some-lucky-souls-will-get-hands-on-with-silksong-within-weeks-with-the-hollow-knight-sequel-confirmed-to-be-playable-at-gamescom-2025/
Mortals will have their first chance to play Hollow Knight Silksong in less than a month from now. The sequel will appear at Microsoft's Gamescom booth on August 20 and 21, and will be playable on both PC and the forthcoming ROG Xbox Ally, which will also make its hands-on debut at the convention.

Xbox is rolling out age verification in the UK with some social features blocked for young users, and no, you can't use Death Stranding to get around this one
https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/xbox-is-rolling-out-age-verification-in-the-uk-with-some-social-features-blocked-for-young-users-and-no-you-cant-use-death-stranding-to-get-around-this-one/
The UK has just recently passed the UK Online Safety Act, and despite almost 400,000 signatures being signed to repeal it, the UK government has stayed firm on its implementation.
Discord recently fell in line with this act, requiring age verification for certain servers, but unlike that, Xbox's new 18+ moderation can't be worked around with a few stills of Sam Bridges from Death Stranding. I know. I checked.
>> I’m posting it in case it expands to the Msoft Store and some online modes of their games.

I use Topaz, lets me run either CPU or GPU algorithms.

When you buy a Movie, TV show, Music Record or video game, you are buying the "license" for that which is tied to the physical media you purchased... It doesn't actually matter what condition the original media is in either, as long as you own it.

I can thus legally make a backup of my original content, but I would have to remove it if I sold the physical/license copy.
And this even flows onto emulation, it's perfectly legal for me to emulate games I own.

And with digital distribution... If hypothetically, Steam even decided to implode, I still retain the "license" for all my purchases, so I can legally "obtain" copies from elsewhere.

It's part of Australian consumer law... So it will vary in other nations like the USA/Europe etc'.

The gaming news:

SALES/PLAYER COUNTS & DEALS

Another day without new promos at GOG. What are they working on?

Steam has three new deals:

• The Messenger is going to be 80% off until the 5th of August: https://store.steampowered.com/app/764790/The_Messenger
• Achilles: Survivor gets a 20% discount until the 12th of August: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2922410/Achilles_Survivor
• IF you prefer, you can try the previous game, Achilles: Legends Untold 65% off until the same 12th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1314000/Achilles_Legends_Untold

Fanatical has a new Star Deal and a Sale:

• The new Star Deal is DOOM: The Dark Ages, with a 37% discount during 48 hours or until they run out of keys: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/doom-the-dark-ages
• The for mer is part of the Bethesda QuakeCon Sale 2025 featuring up to 91% deals during 11 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/publishers/bethesda-softworks

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

Itch.io is 'actively reaching out to other payment processors' after pressure from credit card companies to curtail NSFW content, and that compared to Valve, it has 'limited ability to push back'
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/game-development/itch-io-is-actively-reaching-out-to-other-payment-processors-after-pressure-from-credit-card-companies-to-curtail-nsfw-content-and-that-compared-to-valve-it-has-limited-ability-to-push-back/
Itch.io appears to be scrambling for cover after credit card payment processors began pressuring it to remove or moderate its NSFW content, a move claimed to be at the behest of anti-porn groups like Collective Shout—an ongoing situation that's been causing a huge turmoil over the past week.
As part of compliance, Itch has been made to "deindex" many of its adult or NSFW games while it performs a review—not just porn or erotica, but games with adult, subversive, or suggestive themes.
In a recent follow-up FAQ, Itch has clarified that it's not only trying to get things even-keel as quickly as possible, it's also stated that it's seeking out other payment processors who don't faint after receiving 1,000 letters from anti-porn activists. Also, its response has been more chaotic because, simply put, it's a less regimented platform with less bargaining power than big brother Valve.
"The situation is evolving as we await final determinations from our current payment processors, Stripe and PayPal," the site writes. "There are still unknowns that prevent us from providing a fixed timeline.
"We are actively reaching out to other payment processors that are more willing to work with this kind of content. We have suspended the ability to pay with Stripe for 18+ content for the foreseeable future. Our immediate focus has been on content classification reviews and implementing stricter age-gating on the site."
As for why Itch's response was more dramatic than Steam's? It's down to scope: "Steam is a 'closed' platform where every product page is approved before it appears on the store. Because they were generally aware of the content they host, they could identify and act on specific pages.
"Itch.io is an open, 'UGC' (User-Generated Content) platform. With over 2 million product pages, anyone can publish content at any time with minimal barriers. We could not rely on user-provided tagging to be accurate enough for a targeted approach, so a broader review was necessary to be thorough."

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

This mod turns The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim into a living painting
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/this-mod-turns-the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim-into-a-living-painting
Modder ‘brushboys’ has released an amazing new mod for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim that will turn it into a living painting. This mod will let you re-experience this beloved TES game in a completely different way. Thus, it’s a must for all Skyrim fans out there.
Skyrim Painted Edition changes every texture in Skyrim SE to look like a painting. This includes everything from the ground and items to dungeons and dragons. The textures are made to look sharp and clear, even from far away. It also comes with a special ReShade setting that makes the game’s colors look nicer and gives it a warm, cozy feel.
This mod is also ideal for people with low-end PCs. The modder made all the textures 50% smaller than the original ones. This means the game uses less VRAM, so it will run better on most computers. You’ll get more FPS and smoother gameplay, while still keeping the game’s artistic style.
>> The article has some screenshots and a video.

You won’t believe how photorealistic NBA 2K25 looks on PC
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/you-wont-believe-how-photorealistic-nba-2k25-looks-on-pc
The NBA 2K series had a lot of potential during the Xbox 360 days. Back then, it had some of the best graphics ever seen in a basketball game. Those were the good times. Today, NBA 2K games don’t feel as special. But thanks to the PC modding community, we can now see how real and amazing NBA 2K25 could actually look.
Both of these videos show a lighting mod made by modder “aka7.” The lighting in the mod looks super realistic. It also shows how the NBA 2K devs have not done a great job with lighting in the newer games.
It’s a shame because if one modder can make something this good, the devs should be able to do even better. But instead, 2K Games keeps releasing games that look almost the same every year. What’s even funnier is that this amazing lighting mod doesn’t even come with a big performance hit.
2K Games will share the first gameplay trailer for NBA 2K26 tomorrow. And I’m almost certain that it won’t look as good as this modded version of NBA 2K25. Now, if you search YouTube for “NBA 2K26 gameplay”, you will find some fake videos. These are from the PC version of NBA 2K25 with mods. I’m saying this because a lot will be fooled by them.
Sadly, there is a downside to all this. While the lighting mod by ‘aka7’ looks incredible, it’s currently locked behind a paywall and hasn’t been released to the public. That’s a shame because it looks phenomenal. I understand that the modder wants to earn some money, but this may put off a lot of PC gamers who would have otherwise used it.
>> The article has a couple of videos.

GAMING NEWS

Behold 35 minutes of new gameplay from Cronos: The New Dawn
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/behold-35-minutes-of-new-gameplay-from-cronos-the-new-dawn
Last week, Bloober Team shared a 10-minute gameplay video for Cronos: The New Dawn. And now, they’ve shared an even longer one. To be more precise, we now have 35 minutes of new gameplay footage. It’s rare to see a game studio share such a long video, so it seems like Bloober Team feels really confident about this game.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Patch 1.4.0 Released, Adds Official Support for XeSS and DLSS Frame Generation
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/clair-obscur-expedition-33-patch-1-4-0-released-adds-official-support-for-fsr-and-dlss-frame-generation
One of the coolest mods for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was the one that added support for DLSS 4 Frame Generation. Sadly, that mod was behind a Patreon wall. Thankfully, though, you will no longer need it. Today, Sadfall Interactive released Patch 1.4.0, which adds official support for both Intel XeSS and NVIDIA DLSS Frame Gen. So, better late than never, I guess.

The second part of the gaming news:

Capcom smashes second, larger pane of emergency glass—pulling a big endgame Monster Hunter Wilds update from September and getting it ready for next month instead
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/capcom-smashes-second-larger-pane-of-emergency-glass-pulling-a-big-endgame-monster-hunter-wilds-update-from-september-and-getting-it-ready-for-next-month-instead/
I feel a little bad for Monster Hunter Wilds, a game I spent a very enjoyable 60-odd hours in, which is nonetheless currently tanking a severe "Overwhelmingly Negative" recent review rating on Steam.
(...)
After its first layer of emergency measures (putting Gemma in a swimsuit) didn't work, Capcom appears to be doing a second actual emergency big haul to bring the game back up into the good graces of the gaming public: Fixing the endgame thing.
As a post to X reads, the "expansion of endgame content which was originally planned as part of Title Update three in late September will now be released ahead of schedule as part of the Ver.1.021 update."

Peak releases a 'temporary solution to the fall damage bug' in the latest patch, but doesn't have any new features: 'Let us cook'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/adventure/peak-releases-a-temporary-solution-to-the-fall-damage-bug-in-the-latest-patch-but-doesnt-have-any-new-features-let-us-cook/
Developers Landfall and Aggro Crab are still shipping out minor and major fixes for the much-loved co-op climbing game Peak. Usually, an update will introduce new features alongside all the fixes, but not this time.
There's only one line underneath the header for new features, and it reads "Nope. Let us cook." A very valid response considering how much new content has been added to Peak since its release, and how hard the team has worked on its unexpected success.
(...)
But that's not to say that the latest patch is empty space, it includes some much-needed improvements and fixes. The biggest of which is a remedy to the dreaded fall damage bug that has been plaguing some games.
>> Something else the update brings is canibalism.

After losing $200 million on Suicide Squad, WB Games has another live service game in the works 'based on one of the iconic IPs from the vast Warner Bros. and DC Comics catalog'
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/after-losing-usd200-million-on-suicide-squad-wb-games-has-another-live-service-game-in-the-works-based-on-one-of-the-iconic-ips-from-the-vast-warner-bros-and-dc-comics-catalog/
If the last decade has taught us anything, it's that live service game development is the industry's equivalent of high stakes gambling, where publishers ante up millions of dollars in the hopes that their game might hit the jackpot of becoming a lifestyle like Fortnite and Roblox. But as we've seen from countless failed launches, almost nobody hits the jackpot. When even Destiny 2 is having a hard time maintaining its place as a forever game fixture, the bet seems like a bad one.
Warner Bros., however, has apparently never met a gambler's fallacy it didn't like. Despite losing a combined $300 million dollars with Suicide Squad: Kill the Jusitce League and Multiversus, a new job posting indicates that WB Games is once again chasing the live service dream (via Eurogamer).

As the Chinese game industry flocks from mobile to AAA blockbusters, Phantom Blade Zero's director says the quiet part out loud: 'Good games are good. It's not 'big games are good.''
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/as-the-chinese-game-industry-flocks-from-mobile-to-aaa-blockbusters-phantom-blade-zeros-director-says-the-quiet-part-out-loud-good-games-are-good-its-not-big-games-are-good/
Game director "Soulframe" Liang accidentally started his career by making free games in RPG Maker and releasing them online. Two decades later, he's making one of the highest profile upcoming games in China, the "kungfupunk" actioner Phantom Blade Zero. I recently flew to Beijing to spend a few hours with the game and have come away particularly impressed with its lavish kung fu animation and its approach to difficulty, which is about style over Soulslike sadism.
But I'm more impressed that Liang's perspective on making games seems to have survived the explosive growth of scaling up to big budget game development without veering off into C-suite corpobabble.
(...)
"Although in China people love to see bigger games, that doesn't mean we're thinking bigger games are good. Good games are good. It's not 'big games are good.' Not inherently. I still admire the games from the PlayStation 1 and PlayStation 2 era. Those games were not big, but those games were good.
>> Are we really *that* bad that such obvious statement is news worthy?

It's a golden age for weird Eastern European games—you can tell because I'm in love with a horror puzzler about 2 old men trying to find evil in the woods
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/horror/its-a-golden-age-for-weird-eastern-european-games-you-can-tell-because-im-in-love-with-a-horror-puzzler-about-2-old-men-trying-to-find-evil-in-the-woods/
We're in a golden age for incredibly weird games from Eastern Europe. There's Indika, the one where you play a nun who chats with Satan. There's Militsioner, the one where you explore a town presided over by a 100-story-tall cop. There's HROT, the FPS about socialist Czechoslovakia. And now there's One-Eyed Likho, a horror/puzzle game about two old men on a quest to figure out what 'evil' is all about.

Game developers association decries 'financial censorship' amidst payment processor crackdown on NSFW games, calls for 'greater transparency and fairness in how adult games are moderated'
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/game-developers-association-decries-financial-censorship-amidst-payment-processor-crackdown-on-nsfw-games-calls-for-greater-transparency-and-fairness-in-how-adult-games-are-moderated/
The International Game Developers Association, a non-profit industry group that aims to "support and empower game developers around the world in achieving fulfilling and sustainable careers," has weighed into the controversy over the delisting of NSFW games on Steam and Itch.io, calling for "greater transparency and fairness in how adult games are moderated and actioned across major platforms."

Call of Duty is finally freeing some of the older games from the CoD HQ launcher nobody likes
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/call-of-duty-is-finally-freeing-some-of-the-older-games-from-the-cod-hq-launcher-nobody-likes/
PC Gamer's resident Call of Duty officer Morgan Park had some thoughts when Call of Duty HQ debuted in 2023, and I'm just going to let him speak for himself here: "Call of Duty's new stupid launcher is a data management nightmare, and it may get worse with Modern Warfare 3." No, come on Morgan, tell us what you really think.
(...)
Ah, but finally it's my time to play. Activision announced yesterday that as of 9 am PT on July 29—so, earlier today—Modern Warfare 2 and MW3 will "become standalone downloads."

I'm a haunted Mad Max muscle car with 2 shotgun turrets in this early access vehicle combat game, and it's just as rad as it sounds
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/im-a-haunted-mad-max-muscle-car-with-2-shotgun-turrets-in-this-early-access-vehicle-combat-game-and-its-just-as-rad-as-it-sounds/
I enjoyed my share of Twisted Metal as a kid, but I never loved Twisted Metal—and I think it's because the drivers were corny. I know a lot of people love Sweet Tooth, but I just wanted to experience cars shooting and exploding each other without any clown-related distractions.
Fumes understands me. In the early access car combat game's post-apocalyptic wasteland, there are no drivers. There are only cars, and weapons strapped to cars, and the fast, chaotic, pixelated machine violence that occurs when they drive at each other at high speeds.

Bungie continues to fire into its feet with both barrels: A new armor set in Destiny 2 has just been disabled because it makes the player who wears it completely invisible
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/bungie-continues-to-fire-into-its-feet-with-both-barrels-a-new-armor-set-in-destiny-2-has-just-been-disabled-because-it-makes-the-player-who-wears-it-completely-invisible/
It's been years since I played Destiny 2, and the game has changed dramatically since then. But some things never change, which brings us to the new Blackletter armor ornament set for Warlocks, which you currently cannot use.

Elden Ring Nightreign's duo mode and other content have been delayed after an 8.8 magnitude earthquake sparks a tsunami warning across Japan
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/elden-ring-nightreigns-duo-mode-and-other-content-have-been-delayed-after-an-8-8-magnitude-earthquake-sparks-a-tsunami-warning-across-japan/
Elden Ring Nightreign's 1.02 patch was scheduled to go up tomorrow, on July 31, it included new content like the anticipated duos mode and other balance updates. But this has since been delayed by FromSoftware after a series of tsunami warnings.

And here’s a shorr part three of the gaming news:

'We're not making GTA': Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 is channeling the best part of Deus Ex: Mankind Divided—a dense hub instead of a huge open world
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/were-not-making-gta-vampire-the-masquerade-bloodlines-2-is-channeling-the-best-part-of-deus-ex-mankind-divided-a-dense-hub-instead-of-a-huge-open-world/
I try to keep myself in check, but I admit it: I'm back to being excited about Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2. Ever since our Fraser Brown returned as a cautious optimist from a hands-on preview of Bloodlines 2, I've been unable to stop myself from hoping.
As we trudge closer to the game's October release window, the devs at The Chinese Room are chatting more and more about it. Now, they've sat down with Game Informer to talk about their vision for Bloodlines 2's spooky Seattle. It ain't big; it is dense.

Tiny Glade has released its 'biggest update yet' which includes a stair tool, new paths and floor textures, and a secret feature involving sheep
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/sim/tiny-glade-has-released-its-biggest-update-yet-which-includes-a-stair-tool-new-paths-and-floor-textures-and-a-secret-feature-involving-sheep/
Cozy castle doodler Tiny Glade has rolled out its most significant update yet, and there are a tonne of new features to make your building experience even better. As shared in an announcement posted to Steam, the update has been "cooking since March" and I'll be the first to tell you, it does not disappoint in any way, shape, or form.

Grounded 2 roadmap teases aquatic mounts, earwigs, Steam Deck verification and the conclusion of a big mystery
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/survival-crafting/grounded-2-roadmap-teases-aquatic-mounts-earwigs-steam-deck-verification-and-the-conclusion-of-a-big-mystery/
Aside from some nasty performance issues, Obsidian and Eidos Montreal's Grounded 2 is off to a great start in early access, and thanks to the release of the roadmap we now have a good idea of what's coming next.

EA CEO taps into the great machine spirit of corpo-speak, says Battlefield 6 isn't 'just a product', it's a 'platform', and that EA's 'all in' on making it massive
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/ea-ceo-taps-into-the-great-machine-spirit-of-corpo-speak-says-battlefield-6-isnt-just-a-product-its-a-platform-and-that-eas-all-in-on-making-it-massive/
EA's CEO, Andrew Wilson, has tapped masterfully into the greater machine spirit of corporate jargon to deliver news that'll doubtlessly have you very excited about the future of Battlefield 6: "This isn’t just a product. We’re really building out Battlefield as a platform." I'm salivating already.

Here are three more articles: today's launch review roundup, Youtube learning from you and a MLID rumor that, at least in part, seems duable:

AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9000X Review Roundup
https://videocardz.com/206379/amd-ryzen-threadripper-9000x-review-roundup

YouTube has started using AI to determine how old you are and feed you age-appropriate content, so prepare to be judged based on what you watch and when
https://www.pcgamer.com/software/ai/youtube-has-started-using-ai-to-determine-how-old-you-are-and-feed-you-age-appropriate-content-so-prepare-to-be-judged-based-on-what-you-watch-and-when/
YouTube warned us this was coming back in February. Now it's actually rolling out a new AI feature to determine the age of viewers and then feed them age-appropriate content.

According to an official YouTube blog post, this machine-learning approach to content filtering and user account classification has already been running in some unidentified markets for an unspecified period. But over the next few weeks, YouTube will "begin to roll out machine learning to a small set of users in the US to estimate their age, so that teens are treated as teens and adults as adults."

AMD's rumoured to be plotting a new ultra high-end gaming GPU, plus a $550 graphics card with RTX 5080 performance, but sadly we probably won't see either until 2027
https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/graphics-cards/amds-rumoured-to-be-plotting-a-new-ultra-high-end-gaming-gpu-plus-a-usd550-graphics-card-with-rtx-5080-performance-but-sadly-we-probably-wont-see-either-until-2027/
AMD is getting back into the enthusiast class GPU game. So says YouTube outlet Moore's Law is Dead. Perhaps even more excitingly, it reckons AMD is cooking up another new GPU with Nvidia RTX 5080 performance that will sell for just $550.

Obviously, the usual caveats apply. That channel hardly has an immaculate track record. But this "leak" looks particularly plausible, including a purported internal slide from AMD itself. So, let's get into the details.

>> Given that the 9070XT sits between the 5070 and 5070Ti, the successor should be able to deliver close to 5080 performance, right? The higher end GPU part seems nuts, but we'll see.

As per Hardware Unboxed retest, the 9070XT actually beats the 5070Ti now on aggregate, even with RT. Only in Pathtracing NVidia still has a clear advantage now. But I digress.

This sounds very much like the next gen GPU, so RDNA5/UDNA. A 10070(XT) should definitely be able to match or beat the 5080 considering that the gap between the 5070Ti and 5080 is actually not that large. I do have my doubts however at the price, especially if TSMC continues to crank up the prices for wafers. I expect more something along the $600-$700 price range, which should still be enough to undercut NVidia by $100 or more for a similar performance.