^I don't really see a problem with reporting rumours if they're clearly marked as such, like they were now. Of course it's possible to report too many rumours, but at the same time, reporting rumours can be valuable too, so it's a balancing thing. For the record, I don't read enough hardware news to know how well Videocardz.com manages to balance things.

Sparkle unveils Arc Pro B60 Dual server with 16 GPUs and up to 768 GB of VRAM, comes with 10,800W PSU

https://videocardz.com/newz/sparkle-unveils-arc-pro-b60-dual-server-with-16-gpus-and-up-to-768-gb-of-vram-comes-with-10800w-psu

Corsair updates XG3 Hybrid waterblock for GeForce RTX 5080/5070 series GPUs

https://videocardz.com/newz/corsair-updates-xg3-hybrid-waterblock-for-geforce-rtx-5080-5070-series-gpus

MSI yellow-tipped 12V-2×6 power adapter for RTX 5090 GPUs burns again, this time twice for one user

https://videocardz.com/newz/msi-yellow-tipped-12v-2x6-power-adapter-for-rtx-5090-gpus-burns-again-this-time-twice-for-one-user

NVIDIA GB10 SuperChip now delayed by one quarter, still not available for DGX Spark systems

https://videocardz.com/newz/nvidia-gb10-superchip-now-delayed-by-one-quarter-still-not-available-for-dgx-spark-systems

Mirror, mirror under the GPU, who’s the fairest graphics card of them all?

https://videocardz.com/newz/mirror-mirror-under-the-gpu-whos-the-fairest-graphics-card-of-them-all

Basically a mirror under the gpu 

Intel’s Next-Gen Panther Lake Lineup Features 30% Higher Power Efficiency Compared to Lunar Lake, Driven By 18A Adoption

https://wccftech.com/intel-panther-lake-lineup-features-30-higher-power-efficiency-compared-to-lunar-lake/

Nvidia to Finance Musk’s xAI Chips as Part of $20 Billion Deal

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-10-07/musk-s-xai-nears-20-billion-capital-raise-tied-to-nvidia-chips?leadSource=reddit_wall

They are all sucking each other off at this point

Time for the Wednesday gaming news:

SALES/PLAYER COUNTS & DEALS

Despite mixed reviews, Skate's free-to-play excursion has managed to rake in over 15 million players in 3 weeks
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/sports/despite-mixed-reviews-skates-free-to-play-excursion-has-managed-to-rake-in-over-15-million-players-in-3-weeks/
The new Skate game has been a bit of a weird one—EA's first free-to-play foray with the series, one that currently sits at a 66% 'Mixed' rating on Steam. No Steam Deck compatibility thanks to Easy Anti-Cheat and a subpar open world seem to be the biggest culprits, according to the 33,000 user reviews. 'Fun but bland' is certainly the vibe I'm getting.
Yet, despite all that, the game has managed to reel in over 15 million players in the three weeks since its release.
Part of that will, of course, be down to the price tag—or lack thereof. But also, it seems that folk are simply hungry for another good-ass skating game. While Skate's launch day was fairly low-key with around 30,000 concurrent users according to SteamDB, that skyrocketed by an extra 100,000 over its first weekend to hit an all-time peak of 134,901 players. It's tapered out in the weeks since, but is still bringing in a pretty respectable 50,000 to 80,000 players each day.

GOG has concluded its Anniversary Sale and now has three new promos:

• There is a new range of Weekly Deals, with games up to 95% off during 7 days: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/20251008_weekly_deals_1_october
• Stealth Promo also features up to 95% discounts during 7 days: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/20251008_stealth_promo
• NSFW Promo will have games up to 95% off during 10 days: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/20251008_nsfw_promo

Steam has new deals and sales:

• JumpJet Rex will have a 75% discount until the 14th of October: https://store.steampowered.com/app/329460/JumpJet_Rex
• Sherlock Holmes Chapter One is going to be 90% off until the same 14th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1137300/Sherlock_Holmes_Chapter_One
• Age of History 3 gets a 50% discount until the 21st of October: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2772750/Age_of_History_3
• And these are the two new sales:
  • Publisher Smilegate puts its games up to 70% off until the 20th or the 21st, depends on the game: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/SmilegatePublisherSale
  • Arc System Works celebrates EVO France putting its games on sale with up to 90% discounts until October 21st: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/33025239/sale/gamescomasia

Humble Bundle presents the Wired’s Safe in Our World Anniversary Bundle, with up to 13 games to get during 20 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/games/wireds-safe-in-our-world-anniversary-bundle.

Fanatical has launched the Bethesda Legends – BYOB features 21 games to choose from for your 2+, 3+ or 5+ game bundles during 25 days : https://www.fanatical.com/en/pick-and-mix/bethesda-legends-build-your-own-bundle.

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

INTEL Arc Graphics 32.0.101.8136 driver
https://videocardz.com/driver/intel-arc-graphics-32-0-101-8136

HIGHLIGHTS
Intel Game On Driver support for Intel Arc B-series, A-series Graphics GPUs and Intel Core Ultra with built-in Intel Arc GPUs for:

• 2XKO
• Battlefield 6
• Little Nightmares III

>> This is another Beta driver.

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

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GAMING NEWS

ARC Raiders will support RTXGI on PC, gets final PC requirements
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/arc-raiders-will-support-rtxgi-on-pc-gets-final-pc-requirements
NVIDIA has announced that ARC Raiders, the new PvPvE extraction shooter from Embark Studios, will support RTXGI. Thanks to RTXGI, lighting will be more realistic and responsive than before. And, in my opinion, this is great news as ARC Raiders felt really bland and flat in some of its early trailers.

Battlefield 6 Ultra++ PC Requirements Revealed
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/battlefield-6-ultra-pc-requirements-revealed
DICE has just revealed the Ultra++ PC requirements for Battlefield 6. These Ultra++ PC specs cover two resolutions at different framerates. So, let’s take a closer look at them.
According to DICE, the Ultra++ PC specs are for gaming at 4K/144FPS with High Settings, or at 4K/240Hz with Ultra Settings. These PC specs are NOT for the Overkill/Max Settings that BF6 has. So, make sure to keep that in mind.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will be free to play during Battlefield 6’s launch week
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/call-of-duty-black-ops-6-will-be-free-to-play-during-battlefield-6s-launch-week
Activision has announced that Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will be free to play during Battlefield 6’s launch week. This means that you can play this COD game for free between October 9th and October 16th.
>> This shows how scared they are.

Mortal Kombat 4 Arcade from MK: Legacy Kollection will have enhanced visuals
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/mortal-kombat-4-arcade-from-mk-legacy-kollection-will-have-enhanced-visuals
Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection is a collection that a lot of MK fans are looking forward to. For the first time, we’ll get an arcade-accurate version of Mortal Kombat 4. And, from the looks of it, this version will come with enhanced visuals.

The second part of the gaming news:

Vampire Survivors devs say online co-op mode is 'coming soon'—along with the answer to 'a burning question that has been asked thousands of times'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/roguelike/vampire-survivors-devs-say-online-co-op-mode-is-coming-soon-along-with-the-answer-to-a-burning-question-that-has-been-asked-thousands-of-times/
Vampire Survivors is aptly named—because of all the vampire stuff, sure, but more because it stubbornly refuses to die. With an announcement trailer released this morning, Vampire Survivors developer Poncle began a weeks-long teaser rollout to preview the additions of the upcoming 1.14 update, starting with the long-awaited online co-op mode.

As Destiny 2 hits its lowest ever daily peak for Steam concurrent players, Bungie U-turns on controversial plan to reset player power next season
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/as-destiny-2-hits-is-lowest-ever-daily-peak-for-steam-concurrent-players-bungie-u-turns-controversial-plan-to-reset-player-power-next-season/
All is not well in Destiny 2. Last month I detailed my many issues with the Edge of Fate expansion's new Portal—the disastrous replacement for the game's seasonal update model. Since then, nothing about the recent Ash & Iron update has persuaded me to return. And it's not just me: Bungie's recent moves have done nothing to stop players from leaving, at least if Steam's data is considered representative of the playerbase at large.
(...)
For me it seems obvious—both from my own anecdotal experiences and the larger mood among the community—that the Portal in its current form is putting players off. As for how Bungie is responding to the downturn in both player numbers and morale, from the outside it appears to be scrambling. The most recent attempt to earn some goodwill is an announcement made yesterday that the extremely controversial plan to reset seasonal power when Renegades launches in December is now being deferred.

The first gameplay footage from Astroneer studio's next space game looks like co-op chaos on colorful planets, but I'm not crazy about the idea of timed missions in a hangout game
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/the-first-gameplay-footage-from-astroneer-studios-next-space-game-looks-like-co-op-chaos-on-colorful-planets-but-im-not-crazy-about-the-idea-of-timed-missions-in-a-hangout-game/
Today we got our first look at gameplay from Starseeker: Astroneer Expeditions, the next game from Astroneer developer System Era Softworks and published by Devolver Digital. It looks like a lot of fun, though I do have a couple reservations right out of the gate.

Diablo 4 is gearing up for another major loot overhaul before its next expansion arrives next year
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/diablo-4-is-gearing-up-for-another-major-loot-overhaul-before-its-next-expansion-arrives-next-year/
It's almost hard to believe that a little over a year ago Diablo 4 looked like a completely different game. Blizzard pried it open and rearranged how loot works, giving the action RPG a solid foundation to build off of over the following seasons.
The constantly evolving nature of live service games, however, means that enough stuff has been added over the last year that some of those older changes have grown a little stale in comparison. And now Blizzard has turned its attention back towards them as Diablo 4's second expansion is on the horizon.

Battlefield 6 dev says its destruction tech is so delicious for one simple reason: 'The only magic trick is that we're not on the PS4 or Xbox One any more'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/battlefield-6-dev-says-its-destruction-tech-is-so-delicious-for-one-simple-reason-the-only-magic-trick-is-that-were-not-on-the-ps4-or-xbox-one-any-more/
Battlefield 6 launches this Friday, the first entry in four years for a once-bombastic series that never got bad, exactly, but maybe lost a bit of its identity in chasing the all-conquering Call of Duty. The die-hards will tell you that Battlefield 2042 is a great game now, after years of post-launch support, but Battlefield 6 needs to be a classic, a game so good that it can carve out space in the most cut-throat and quality-packed shooter landscape there has ever been.
>> They’re also confident that the servers should be ready for it’s release on Friday (link).

Today's Steam outage may have been part of a massive DDoS attack targeting Xbox, PlayStation, Riot, and other game companies
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/todays-steam-outage-may-have-been-part-of-a-massive-ddos-attack-targeting-xbox-playstation-riot-and-other-game-companies/
Steam went offline earlier today in an odd but thankfully brief hitch that may have been a small part of a much bigger thing: Xbox, PlayStation, Riot Games, and Epic all suffered a very sudden spike in outage reports at around the same time last night, and that's led to speculation that it might be part of a massive DDoS targeting online game services.
As seen in outage reports on Downdetector, the timing is awfully coincidental.

The original System Shock 2 is being removed from sale on Steam later this week
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/the-original-system-shock-2-is-being-removed-from-sale-on-steam-later-this-week/
I can't say I'm entirely surprised, but it's still a little disappointing: The original 1999 edition of System Shock 2 will be removed from Steam on October 10.
"System Shock 2 (1999) will be delisted from PC platforms on October 10, 2025," Nightdive parent Atari says in the delisting announcement. "Existing owners of System Shock 2 (1999) will still be able to re-download and play it from their library, but new users will no longer be able to purchase System Shock 2 (1999) as a standalone product."
You'll still be able to access the old version of the classic immsim: The 1999 edition of System Shock 2 will be given to all current and future owners of the System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remastered edition that arrived earlier this year.

Founder of Dwarf Fortress and Caves of Qud publisher Kitfox Games says its procgen sims for sickos are 'giving storytelling tools back to the people when games and passive media took them away'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/founder-of-dwarf-fortress-and-caves-of-qud-publisher-kitfox-games-says-its-procgen-sims-for-sickos-are-giving-storytelling-tools-back-to-the-people-when-games-and-passive-media-took-them-away/
Kitfox Games was founded in 2013 by a group of four acquaintances. They had almost no shared history, varying levels of experience, different tastes in games, and—despite their hopes of being a PC-first studio—an obligation to their incubator investor to release a mobile game.
(...)
Kitfox founder, creative director, and head of publishing Tanya X. Short told PC Gamer that while its reputation for sprawling, arcane simulations has taken prominence in recent years, Kitfox remains a game developer at heart. Even while finding breakout publishing successes with Dwarf Fortress and Caves of Qud, Kitfox has been hard at work on Streets of Fortuna, its upcoming entry in the lineage of systems-dense sims.

Shai Hulud defanged: In Dune: Awakening, your vehicles are no longer permanently lost if a sandworm eats them
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/mmo/shai-hulud-defanged-in-dune-awakening-your-vehicles-are-no-longer-permanently-lost-if-a-sandworm-eats-them/
I never overcame my fear of sandworms in Dune: Awakening, no matter how many times I crossed the desert. Getting swallowed by a sandworm once and losing everything permanently—my armor, my weapons, my loot, and my vehicle—was enough to make me tread the dunes of Dune as carefully as possible from then on.
But that punishing permadeath for everything the sandworm swallows has been de-fanged, at least a little bit: a new patch for Funcom's survival MMO means that you don't have to lose your vehicle forever even if it goes down a sandworm's gullet. There's a catch, however.

It's literally impossible to pick the 'real' murderer in Pentiment because Obsidian never considered having one: 'You're not a detective, you're a f***ing artist'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/adventure/its-literally-impossible-to-pick-the-real-murderer-in-pentiment-because-obsidian-never-considered-having-one-youre-not-a-detective-youre-a-f-ing-artist/
Obsidian's Pentiment is one of the most interesting games of the last several years. Set in 16th-century Bavaria, the game tasks you—journeyman artist Andreas Maler—with figuring out who keeps doin' murders in the town of Tassing. There are plenty of potential suspects you can point the finger at, and you have to choose one whether you've got damning evidence or not.
Spoiler: you will never have damning evidence. Regardless of who you send under the headsman's axe, you'll always have a queasy feeling that they might not be the one who did it.
In a chat with PCG at this year's GDC, Pentiment director Josh Sawyer said that's entirely the point. "From the very beginning I said, 'I think that for this to be compelling in the way that I want it to be, there cannot be a right answer'". In fact, it sounds like Sawyer himself doesn't have a clear culprit in mind for the game's evildoings. "People on the team would ask me [who the culprit is], then people at Xbox would ask me, and I'm like, 'No! There isn't!' And I will say that there are people who, in retrospect… seem more likely to have done it, but that doesn't mean they did it."

That's excellent news if true, as efficiency is one of their problems in the desktop space.

I don't really believe that this will come with a 50% increase in performance in some instances. That seems to be too good to be true, tho rumors say that they'll come with a beefier iGPU so that may be where Intle may be getting that big boost in some tasks.

Honestly I'm really hoping 18A is a good node. Intel and Samsung really need to step up because when it comes to top tier nodes, TSMC has no competition. Their wafer costs are rising faster than Xbox Gamepass pricing...

Hopefully Rapidus' 2nm is also as good as its rumored to be (in addition to them advertising shorter cycle times), cause semiconductor industry really needs some competition.

AMD Unveils Radiance Cores, Neural Arrays & Universal Compression For Next-Gen RDNA GPU Architecture: Faster RT, Better Upscaling, & Lower Bandwidth Needs

https://wccftech.com/amd-unveils-radiance-cores-neural-arrays-universal-compression-next-gen-rdna-gpu-architecture/

Intel details Xe3 GPU architecture for Panther Lake, up to 12 Xe-Cores and >50% performance vs Lunar Lake

https://videocardz.com/newz/intel-details-xe3-gpu-architecture-for-panther-lake-up-to-12-xe-cores-and-50-performance-vs-lunar-lake

Intel updates GPU roadmap: Panther Lake’s graphics confirmed as B-Series, Xe3P listed for “Next Arc Family”

https://videocardz.com/newz/intel-updates-gpu-roadmap-panther-lakes-graphics-confirmed-as-b-series-xe3p-listed-for-next-arc-family

Intel announces XeSS 3 with XeSS-MFG “Multi Frame Generation”

https://videocardz.com/newz/intel-announces-xess-3-with-xess-mfg-multi-frame-generation

Intel Core Ultra 300 “Panther Lake” to feature up to 16 CPU cores, 12 Xe3 Cores

https://videocardz.com/newz/intel-core-ultra-300-panther-lake-to-feature-up-to-16-cpu-cores-12-xe3-cores

AMD CEO confirms Instinct MI450 uses 2nm process technology

https://videocardz.com/newz/amd-ceo-confirms-instinct-mi450-uses-2nm-process-technology

Intel’s ‘Highly-Anticipated’ 18A Node Achieves Record-Low Defect Density, Signaling Readiness for Internal & External Customers

https://wccftech.com/intel-18a-node-achieves-record-low-defect-density/

Intel Panther Lake “Core Ultra Series 3” CPUs To Launch At CES 2026, Availability In Q1 2026

https://wccftech.com/intel-panther-lake-core-ultra-series-3-cpus-ces-2026-launch-january-availability/

NVIDIA Taps Samsung For HBM3E Supply In Blackwell Ultra GB300 AI Systems, Marking a Major Win For the Korean Giant

https://wccftech.com/nvidia-taps-samsung-for-hbm3e-supply/

Synology Reverses Policy Banning Third-Party HDDs After NAS sales plummet

https://www.guru3d.com/story/synology-reverses-policy-banning-thirdparty-hdds-after-nas-sales-plummet/

The Thursday gaming news:

SALES/PLAYER COUNTS & DEALS

New Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Update Will Add New Content, Boss Battles, and Playable Area
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/new-clair-obscur-expedition-33-update-will-add-new-content-boss-battles-and-playable-area
Sandfall Interactive has announced that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has sold over 5 million copies on all platforms. To celebrate this, the team is working on a free update that will add new content to the game.

The Epic Store has two new giveaways:

• Gravity Circuit: https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/gravity-circuit-489baa
• Rogue Journeyman Bundle for the game Albion Online: https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/albion-online-rogue-journeyman-bundle-99807a

Next week, the free games will be Amnesia: The Bunker and Samorost 3.

GOG has three new promos:

• The 30th Anniversary of Heroes of Might and Magic Promo has games up to 75% off during 7 days: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/20251009_heroes_might_and_magic_anniversary
• Indie Promo features up to 95% discounts during 10 days: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/20251009_indie_promo
• And the Sci-Fi Promo also has games up to 95% off during 10 days: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/20251009_sci_fi_promo

Steam has two new deals and three new sales/events:

• Age of Water gets a 60% discount until the 15th of October: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2695490/Age_of_Water
• Supermarket Simulator will be 30% off until the 22nd of October: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2670630/Supermarket_Simulator
• And these are the sales/events:
  • A join collaboration presents the Brasil Game Show 2025 - Thailand Game Show – Made in Japan Collection, with lots of upcoming games and titles featuring up to 60% discounts. The length of the deals vary, ending between the 19th and the 21st of October: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/44279446/sale/BGS_TGS_MADEINJAPANCOLLECTION
  • For its 40th Anniversary, Koei Tecmo presents the Romance of the Three Kingdoms franchise Sale, with games up to 70% off until October 23: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/33016879/sale/RTK2025
  • Beat’Em Up Games Party has a lot of upcoming games and up to 90% discounts on many titles. The discounts will end between the 13th and the 23rd: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/33788459/sale/BeatemupGamesParty

Fanatical has two new deals:

• The new Star Deal is Broken Sword - Shadow of the Templars: Reforged, 55% off during 48 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/broken-sword-shadow-of-the-templars-reforged
• BYO Military Operations Bundle offers 18 games for your 2+, 5+ or 8+ game bundles during 34 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/pick-and-mix/build-your-own-military-operations-bundle

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

-Empty-

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

Blizzard insists that now is the right time to axe World of Warcraft's popular combat mods: 'We're going to be paying very close attention in the weeks and months to come'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/world-of-warcraft/blizzard-insists-that-now-is-the-right-time-to-axe-world-of-warcrafts-popular-combat-mods-were-going-to-be-playing-very-close-attention-in-the-weeks-and-months-to-come/
Despite all the talk about removing combat mods from World of Warcraft, players weren't expecting them to be axed as early as the next expansion. The assumption was that it would happen gradually over time, but with the launch of the Midnight alpha, Blizzard has made it clear that it wants them gone as soon as possible.
Players and the creators of said mods, or addons, were surprised by the sudden removal of tools they've relied on for decades. The idea of fighting a raid boss without sound alerts to keep you safe or even a visual tracker for your ability cooldowns is worrying for the many players who play WoW at a high level.
Blizzard has been saying since April when it announced the changes that encounters that require combat addons are a failure of design that it wants to fix. In a recent interview with IGN, game director Ion Hazzikostas calls them a "crutch" that the developers have been leaning on too long. "We want to level the playing field, and ensure that everyone has the information at their disposal as part of the base experience that they need to succeed," he said.
Hazzikostas believes the Midnight alpha is the right time to hit the reset button and experience the MMO without addons telling you what to do. He said this kind of change "needs to happen with an expansion rollout," and that it couldn't be done in a mid-expansion update. "I think it's important that we are able to build an entire tier of dungeons and raids, all of that in this world," he said.

GAMING NEWS

Painkiller Got Another Bloody & Gory Co-Op Gameplay Trailer
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/painkiller-got-another-bloody-gory-co-op-gameplay-trailer
Saber Interactive has released a new gameplay trailer for the upcoming re-imagination of Painkiller. This short trailer showcases fast-paced action with lots of blood. So, if you’re looking forward to it, you should check it out.

Dinosaur Survival Horror Co-Op Game Deathground Launches on Steam Early Access
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/dinosaur-survival-horror-co-op-game-deathground-launches-on-steam-early-access
Jaw Drop Games has just released its dinosaur survival horror co-op game, Deathground, on Steam Early Access. To celebrate this announcement, the team has also shared a new trailer that you can find below.

Sacred 2 Remaster will be released on November 11th
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/sacred-2-remaster-will-be-released-on-november-11th
THQ Nordic has announced that the remaster of Sacred 2 will be officially released on November 11th. Developed by SparklingBit, the remaster will have hi-res textures, better combat, and bugfixes.
Sacred 2 Remaster breathes new life into the beloved classic with smoother combat, a modern interface, full controller support, and enhanced visuals. Players can choose from six distinct heroes and carve their own path through a massive open world filled with quests, battles, and hidden treasures.

Story trailer released for Code Vein 2
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/story-trailer-released-for-code-vein-2
IGN has shared the official story trailer for Code Vein 2, the upcoming stylish soulslike sequel from Bandai Namco. Code Vein 2 will come out on PC on January 30th, 2026, and it will use the Denuvo anti-tamper tech.

Behold Battlefield 6 at 8K/Overkill Settings with DLSS 4 MFG
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/heres-battlefield-6-at-8k-overkill-settings-with-dlss-4-mfg
Electronic Arts has lifted the review embargo for Battlefield 6. Powered by the Frostbite Engine, this new BF game does not support Ray Tracing or Path Tracing. However, it does support NVIDIA DLSS 4 with Multi-Frame Gen. So, can an NVIDIA RTX 5090 offer a playable experience at 8K on Max Settings? Let’s find out.

Thursday gaming news, the sequel:

I cut out my tongue to unlock a door in Eclipsium, then things started getting weird
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/horror/i-cut-out-my-tongue-to-unlock-a-door-in-eclipsium-then-things-started-getting-weird/
Eclipsium is a game about removing your own heart—to no obvious personal detriment—in order to power a great and unfathomable machine. Eclipsium is a game about cutting an enormous hole in your hand that you can peer through to see secret pathways. Eclipsium is a game about transitioning from great heights to profound depths with little logic in between. I don't actually know what Eclipsium is about. I like it a lot.

Epic sues Fortnite botters who filled their own maps with clankers and made off with tens of thousands of dollars
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/battle-royale/epic-sues-fortnite-botters-who-filled-their-own-maps-with-clankers-and-made-off-with-tens-of-thousands-of-dollars/
The sheer scale of Fortnite and the money involved has meant Epic Games has to deal with a sizable contingent of ne'er-do-wells. Amusingly enough, in some cases it has pursued a strategy of crushing the cheaters in court and then making them apologise, like some sort of giant corporate stepmother. But when things start to get into the realm of cheating the system itself, and illicitly siphoning off money from the creator program, it turns out Epic's lawyers play a whole other ballgame.

After cheaters broke Steam's most popular roguelike's leaderboards, its dev issued a fix and a warning: 'Cheaters you better watch your ass or I'm clapping your cheeks back to the shadow realm where you belong'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/roguelike/after-cheaters-broke-steams-most-popular-roguelikes-leaderboards-its-dev-issued-a-fix-and-a-warning-cheaters-you-better-watch-your-ass-or-im-clapping-your-cheeks-back-to-the-shadow-realm-where-you-belong/
Megabonk's explosive success has unfortunately attracted the kind of people who love to ruin the fun. Over the weekend, its leaderboards were taken over by players with high scores that could only be possible using cheats.
As a temporary solution, lead developer Vedinad nuked the leaderboards on Sunday in preparation for the fix that just arrived today. The new patch has refreshed the leaderboards and has some tweaks that should prevent them from being broken again. Vedinad says known cheaters have been banned: "Cheaters you better watch your ass or I'm clapping your cheeks back to the shadow realm where you belong."

As Rainbow Six Siege X numbers continue to slide, Ubisoft promises to crack down on cheaters and 'prioritize a fun experience' with future balance changes
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/as-rainbow-six-siege-x-numbers-continue-to-slide-ubisoft-promises-to-crack-down-on-cheaters-and-prioritize-a-fun-experience-with-future-balance-changes/
Four months after tacking an X onto the team-based shooter Rainbow Six Siege and converting it to a free-to-play model, Ubisoft has laid out its priorities for the future of the game, admitting that it hasn't "communicated clearly enough about what [it's] been working on" since the transition.
Rainbow Six Siege saw a big boost in player numbers earlier this year when the X update went live, from more than 66,000 concurrents on Steam on June 9, according to SteamDB, to more than 142,000 on June 10.
But it's been a downhill ride ever since, and concurrent player counts now are actually lower than they were immediately prior to the free-to-play shift. User reviews have also taken a turn downward: The overall rating on Steam remains "very positive" but recent reviews are "mixed," with an uptick in cheaters seemingly the most common complaint.

Ubisoft reportedly cancelled an Assassin's Creed game set around the American Civil War because of Yasuke backlash and political turmoil in the US
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/ubisoft-reportedly-cancelled-an-assassins-creed-game-set-around-the-american-civil-war-because-of-yasuke-backlash-and-political-turmoil-in-the-us/
A new Game File report claims that Ubisoft cancelled an Assassin's Creed game that would have been set in the US Civil War and the Reconstruction period that followed. According to Game File's sources, the decision to cancel the game was made in 2024 in part because of the backlash against the reveal of the Black samurai Yasuke in Assassin's Creed Shadows, but more pressingly over concerns about the current political climate in the US.
>> Imho, a wise decision.

Laid-off devs of cancelled ZeniMax MMO Project Blackbird form new studio 'with no outside investors and full creative control,' and they're calling it Sackbird
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/laid-off-devs-of-cancelled-zenimax-mmo-project-blackbird-form-new-studio-with-no-outside-investors-and-full-creative-control-and-theyre-calling-it-sackbird/
A few months ago we found out ZeniMax Online Studios had canceled an MMO shooter it was developing under the codename Project Blackbird, one that had been in development since 2018 and executives apparently enjoyed playing. Turns out, even having Phil Spencer like your game can't save you from Microsoft's recent slash-and-burn approach to its own projects and staff.
Some of the laid-off developers behind Project Blackbird have now announced the formation of a new studio, cheekily named Sackbird. Get it? "With no outside investors and full creative control, the team is focused on building great games—on their own terms", as the announcement puts it.
>> I wish them the best.

Still in early access, Hyper Light Breaker's ending development and laying off staff: 'This was not our ideal path, but rather the only one available given the circumstances'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/roguelike/still-in-early-access-hyper-light-breakers-ending-development-and-laying-off-staff-this-was-not-our-ideal-path-but-rather-the-only-one-available-given-the-circumstances/
Just nine months after its open-world roguelike Hyper Light Breaker hit early access, Heart Machine has hit the rocks. Per Game Developer, the studio is laying off an indeterminate number of staff and ending development on its most recent game, which encountered a rough reception when it launched into early access in January, with players lamenting performance issues, control problems, bugs, and the fact that the game might just be a smidge too hard.

Bethesda enlisted its intrepid fan-wiki editors 'to design a character for The Elder Scrolls 6'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/the-elder-scrolls/bethesda-enlisted-its-intrepid-fan-wiki-editors-to-design-a-character-for-the-elder-scrolls-6/
Something you should know about me is: I would kill and die for the Unofficial Elder Scrolls Pages (UESP), a volunteer-maintained library of all things Elder Scrolls that's the absolute gold standard for fan wikis, so far as I'm concerned. Not for nothing were people excited when the Indie Fallout Wiki teamed up with UESP. Hell, we've even written our own paeans to it.
Its work hasn't gone unnoticed. According to a recent post on social media, the UESP editors' good deeds have been acknowledged by Bethesda itself, who called a gaggle of its editors into the office. To do what, you ask? Why, to design a character for The Elder Scrolls 6, of course! That's per the UESP itself, posting yesterday on social media.