Ah well, at least i can go on a Plantation owner killing spree in ACIV's Freedom Cry DLC.

Side Note: Even if, the political climate wasn't what it is now, that game would have stirred up controversy. I still remember when they protested Arthur Ashe's statue being placed on Monument Ave. People got mad when the statues of traitors to the US were taken down. A video game that lets you kill those people would cause bedlam. 

Like seeing stories like this. 

I hope AMD manages to reach parity with Nvidia when it comes to Ray and Path Tracing. Not that it will do much if they don't price it right, but at least the product should not be the problem.

On another note, if Sony decided to quit the console business, I think AMD should hire Mark Cerny. He looks to be one of those guys that has a plan and knows how to drive it to completition. 

Why are they going with 16 cores? It's less than what it has now. Strange

The good news about their foundry are more than welcome, as many of us already said yesterday. 

The damage is already done, or at least that's how I see it. Anyone that has bought a new NAS from another company won't be buying another one soon, and the rest won't look at Synology with good eyes.

It's like HP and their printers. I don't care what printers they have available, because if I had to buy a new printer now, I'd look at every other brand except for them.

To me AC 3 is the worst AC game Ubi has made so I'm ok if they don't go back to US history.

I don't really care about the skin colour of the main protagonist, as long as the story makes sense and it's not forced.

Intel 13th And 14th Gen SKUs See A Noticeable Price Hike In Japan, Making Popular CPUs Like Core i5 14400F 20% Expensive

https://wccftech.com/intel-13th-and-14th-gen-skus-see-a-noticeable-price-hike-in-japan/

Intel confirms Xe3P will mark Arc naming switch to C-Series

https://videocardz.com/newz/intel-confirms-xe3p-will-mark-arc-naming-switch-to-c-series

Intel promises to support XeSS3 Multi Frame Generation in all XeSS2 games

https://videocardz.com/newz/intel-promises-to-support-xess3-multi-frame-generation-in-all-xess2-games

RISC-V set to announce 25% market penetration — open-standard ISA is ahead of schedule, securing fast-growing silicon footprint

https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/semiconductors/risc-v-set-to-announce-25-percent-market-penetration-open-standard-isa-is-ahead-of-schedule-securing-fast-growing-silicon-footprint

Logitech will brick its $100 Pop smart home buttons on October 15

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/10/logitech-will-brick-its-100-pop-smart-home-buttons-on-october-15/

China issues port crackdown on all Nvidia AI chip imports, says report — enforcement teams deployed to quash smuggling and investigate data center hardware, targeting H20 and RTX 6000D shipments

https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/gpus/china-launches-port-crackdown-on-nvidia-chips

Xbox Next Is Rumored to Target 2027 Launch; Partial Specs Leaked

https://wccftech.com/xbox-next-2027-launch-rumor/

PlayStation 6 Is Launching in 2027 Unless Unexpected Delays Happen, According to AMD Leaker

https://wccftech.com/playstation-6-launching-2027-unless-unexpected-delays-happen-amd-leaker/

Apple, Qualcomm, & MediaTek To Unveil Their First 2nm N2 Chipsets In 2026, New Rumor Downplays Any ‘N2P’ Releases For Next Year

https://wccftech.com/apple-qualcomm-mediatek-launching-2nm-n2-chipsets-no-n2p-releases-happening/

I'd hope that earlier-than-expected launch target for both the PS6 and the next Xbox suggest chip and memory shortages are forecast to come to an end by then, or at least be alleviated to some extent.

Let’s go with the Friday gaming news:

SALES/PLAYER COUNTS & DEALS

The Humble Store has three new sales:

• Atari Publisher Sale has games up to 85% off during the next 6 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/atari-publisher-sale
• The Strategic Masterminds Sale features up to 95% discounts during the same 6 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/strategic-masterminds
• And quite surprisingly given its recent release, there is a Borderlands 4 Spotlight Salt, with the three editions of the game being 20% off during 13 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/borderlands-4-spotlight

Fanatical presents the new BYO Triple Pack (Fall 2025) which has 17 games to choose for your bundle which, against wha tthe name implies, can be of 3+, 6+ or 9+ games. It will last 34 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/pick-and-mix/build-your-own-triple-pack.

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

-Empty-

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

Wordle comes to Cyberpunk 2077, only it's better because it accepts Night City slang like 'CHOOM' and 'GONKS'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/wordle-comes-to-cyberpunk-2077-only-its-better-because-it-takes-slang-words-like-choom-and-gonks/
I'm sure this fact frequently causes someone at the New York Times to wake up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat, but here's the harsh truth: Wordle is gonna run out of valid five-letter words sometime in 2027. There just aren't that many left that haven't already been used.
It's not great news for us, either. What the hell else am I supposed to do for a few minutes every morning: exercise, enrich myself with literature, or have a conversation with a loved one?
At least there's a little brightness in our grim future. Fast-forward from 2027 to the year 2077, and it looks like we'll still be able to play a bit of Wordle between our visits to the ripperdoc for some new chrome.
It's all thanks to a mod by MisterChedda called Gonkle for Cyberpunk 2077 (via RPS), which gives you a suspiciously Wordle-like word game for you to play on your in-game phone. And even better, it's not so strict on the words you can use, fully embracing all that gritty and silly Night City slang. Choom isn't just a cool thing to call your buddy, it's also an answer in Gonkle.
"Every 24 hours (specifically midnight UTC), you'll get a new puzzle delivered as a text message on your phone—same word for everyone, so you can compare results with others," says MisterChedda. "After installing, you'll receive a subscription confirmation and from then on, daily puzzles arrive via text with a simple prompt."
You're probably familiar with how it works already, prole, but just in case: "Remember you only get 6 guesses and standard Wordle rules apply," says MisterChedda. "Green means correct letter in the right spot, yellow means it's in the word but wrong position, gray means it's not in the word at all."
The wordlist is manually curated and "pulls from Cyberpunk sourcebooks," so you should have some nice five-letter slang words to play with. Preem! "Puzzle data is served from a simple API, so you're always in sync with other players. Miss a day and you miss that puzzle—don't be a gonk!" warns MisterChedda.
>> There’s a short video in the article.

GAMING NEWS

Dying Light: The Beast Hotfix 1.2.4 Released – Full Patch Notes
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/dying-light-the-beast-hotfix-1-2-4-released-full-patch-notes
Techland has released Hotfix 1.2.4 for Dying Light: The Beast and shared its full patch notes. So, let’s see what this new update brings to the table.

Battlefield 6 Patch 1.0.1.0 Brings Over 260 Fixes, Tweaks, and Improvements
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/battlefield-6-patch-1-0-1-0-detailed-featuring-over-260-tweaks-fixes-and-changes
DICE has detailed the day-1 update for Battlefield 6, known also as Patch 1.0.1.0, which packs over 260 tweaks, fixes, and changes. So, let’s see what this update brings to the table.

Borderlands 4 October 9th Update Released – Full Patch Notes
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/borderlands-4-october-9th-update-released-full-patch-notes
Gearbox has released the October 9th Update for Borderlands 4 and shared its full patch notes. So, let’s see what this new update brings to the table.

Friday gaming news, the long but last part two:

After warring with fans for years, Black Ops 7 will finally ditch aggressive skill-based matchmaking: 'Our team feels strongly about providing players with a more varied experience'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/call-of-duty/after-warring-with-fans-for-years-black-ops-7-will-finally-ditch-aggressive-skill-based-matchmaking-our-team-feels-strongly-about-providing-players-with-a-more-varied-experience/
It's a landmark day in the greatest ideological conflict of our time: In a blog detailing its Black Ops 7 beta takeaways, Treyarch has announced that BO7 will launch with "minimal skill consideration" as the multiplayer default, reversing a series trajectory of skill-based matchmaking implementation that dates all the way back to Call of Duty 4.

Overwatch 2's Season 19 kicks off the spooky season with returning Halloween modes and a new addition, Haunted Masquerade
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/overwatch-2s-season-19-kicks-off-the-spooky-season-with-returning-halloween-modes-and-a-new-addition-haunted-masquerade/
We've got just five days until the summer season is finally kicked out of Overwatch 2 and Season 19 ushers in the season of scares. There'll be a new Halloween-themed battle pass, more Mythic skins than you can shake a stick at, and three modes for players to terrify themselves in.
>> The update also brings a huge update to Stadium (link).

Arc Raiders lowers its price in some regions 'to ensure a more fair price point for all'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/arc-raiders-lowers-its-price-in-some-regions-to-ensure-a-more-fair-price-point-for-all/
Well, this is something you don't see every day: With Arc Raiders now three weeks from launch, developer Embark Studios has lowered the price of the game in several regions on Steam "to ensure a fairer experience for everyone."

After more than a year of delays, Cities: Skylines 2's big Bridges and Ports expansion is finally almost here
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/sim/after-more-than-a-year-of-delays-cities-skylines-2s-big-bridges-and-ports-expansion-is-finally-almost-here/
Two years after the release of Cities: Skylines 2, and more than a year after it was originally supposed to arrive, the big Bridges and Ports expansion is finally almost here. Paradox and Colossal Order announced today that the big, twice-delayed DLC will finally go live on October 29.

Throwback strategy game Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era is delayed to 2026, but a new demo on Steam means you can play some of it right now for free
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/strategy/throwback-strategy-game-heroes-of-might-and-magic-olden-era-is-delayed-to-2026-but-a-new-demo-on-steam-means-you-can-play-some-of-it-right-now-for-free/
It's going to take a little longer than expected for Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era, the throwback turn-based strategy game announced in 2024, to be ready for its early access release. Instead of rolling out this year as planned, Unfrozen and Hooded Horse now say the game will arrive sometime in 2026.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is getting a New Game+ mode and some new duds in a free update
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/indiana-jones-and-the-great-circle-is-getting-a-new-game-mode-and-some-new-duds-in-a-free-update/
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is getting a New Game+ mode as part of a free anniversary update that's set to go live on October 10—and yup, that's tomorrow.
First things first: You may be thinking that this is not an anniversary of any sort for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, which came out on December 9, 2024. And you would be correct. But it is the 15th anniversary of developer MachineGames, and that's a pretty big deal in its own right.

After 5 years of stunning trailers, Skate Story is finally releasing in December, and its demo is so good it's immediately a GOTY contender
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/after-5-years-of-stunning-trailers-skate-story-is-finally-releasing-in-december-and-its-demo-is-so-good-its-immediately-a-goty-contender/
"You're a demon made of glass and pain" has to be one of the hardest taglines there's ever been for a videogame. Now that Skate Story has a December 8 release date and approximately hour-long demo, we've found out there's an addendum to that sick as hell pitch: "And you're on a quest to eat the Moon."
>> The game may be good, but fans won’t be happy with DLCs like this one that asks $35 for a cardboard Dead Space skin (link).

Grove Keeper is Dungeon Keeper versus woodcutters and your greatest weapon is a giant in his underpants
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/sim/grove-keeper-is-dungeon-keeper-versus-woodcutters-and-your-greatest-weapon-is-a-giant-in-his-underpants/
Games like Dungeon Keeper and Evil Genius cast you as the villain repelling heroes as they break on your defences like waves on the shore. Grove Keeper is different. You play a noble god of the forest protecting trees from old-timey woodcutters and hunters who have come to cut down Old Man Willow and shoot all the wildlife. Fortunately, you can build an army of mythical creatures including satyrs and half-naked giants who rend and stomp loggers with abandon. Maybe you are a bit villain-adjacent.

EA exec pinky-promises there's no GenAI in Battlefield 6, but does say it's 'Very seducing' like someone being lured to an early grave in a Hellraiser film
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/ea-exec-pinky-promises-theres-no-genai-in-battlefield-6-but-does-say-its-very-seducing-like-someone-being-lured-to-an-early-grave-in-a-hellraiser-film/
With EA now on the hook for $20 billion in the wake of its Saudi-and-Kushner-funded buyout, both the company and its new owners have been pretty obvious about their ambitions for AI-driven development to, somehow, miraculously help it start printing money quickly.
Which is concerning. Also concerning: One of EA's biggest releases this year hits in just a few hours in the form of Battlefield 6. Is it going to give us our first taste of the AI future?
You can breathe for now. In a chat with the BBC, EA VP general manager of Dice and Criterion promises that you won't run into anything made by GenAI in BF6. Phew. Time to take a big swig of coffee and see what else Coutaz has to say about the tech.

'I can never go back to paid': One of the best co-op indie platformers is free to play after its developer accidentally switched off the price
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/i-can-never-go-back-to-paid-one-of-the-best-co-op-indie-platformers-is-free-to-play-after-its-developer-accidentally-switched-off-the-price/
After 10 long years of Pico Park using colourful little guys to rip apart friendship groups, the developer TecoPark has accidentally turned off monetisation on the classic edition, making it permanently free-to-play.
"I was planning to switch to a paid plan after updating the online support, but I forgot that once you switch from paid to free, I can never go back to paid," TecoPark says in a Steam blog post (via GamesRadar). "If you enjoy playing this free version, be sure to try the series (Pico Park, Pico Park 2)."

All Genshin Impact 6.1 livestream codes
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/genshin-impact-codes-6-1-livestream/
The Genshin Impact 6.1 codes have arrived, and alongside them, a sneak peek at what's awaiting in the next instalment of Nod-Krai's new story. Version 6.1 isn't *technically* 6.1 at all; it's actually Luna 2, the second chapter of the Traveler's journey in Nod-Krai. This autonomous region is in Snezhnaya (the next major region), but is kind of its own place, too.

'Cheated and manipulated' MindsEye devs eviscerate studio bosses who blamed botched launch on 'saboteurs' and say they'll see them in court: 'The games industry is not the Wild West anymore'
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/cheated-and-manipulated-mindseye-devs-eviscerate-studio-bosses-who-blamed-botched-launch-on-saboteurs-and-say-theyll-see-them-in-court-the-games-industry-is-not-the-wild-west-anymore/
Current and former devs at Build A Rocket Boy (BARB)—the studio founded by former GTA producer Leslie Benzies and responsible for the disastrous MindsEye, released earlier this year—have published a scathing open letter to its leadership.

RPG devs stopped making games like Baldur's Gate 'because retailers told us no one wanted to buy them', says New Vegas and Pillars of Eternity director Josh Sawyer
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/baldurs-gate/rpg-devs-stopped-making-games-like-baldurs-gate-because-retailers-told-us-no-one-wanted-to-buy-them-says-new-vegas-and-pillars-of-eternity-director-josh-sawyer/
Classic RPGs make up some of the most formative examples of late '90s to early 2000s PC gaming in my memory, but I also remember when they weirdly disappeared. If you loved games like the original Baldur’s Gate, Icewind Dale, or Planescape, and also wondered why we stopped seeing these kinds of titles for a bit there, well it turns out you can blame physical retailers for the decline in Dungeons-and-Dragons-style PC RPGs.
(...)
"The reason we stopped making Infinity Engine games was because retailers told us no one wanted to buy them," says Josh Sawyer—who now serves as Obsidian's studio design director but cut his teeth working on games like Icewind Dale—during his keynote speech at GCAP 2025 in Melbourne, Australia. "We asked if we could see the research and they basically told us to trust them" he adds to sad chuckles from the crowd.

And here are the weekend deals at both GOG and Steam

+GOG

• Untold Tales Publisher Sale features up to 85% discounts during 7 days: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/20251010_untold_tales_publisher_sale
• Kingdom Franchise Sale puts the games on the series up to 90% off during 13 days: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/20251009_kingdom_franchise_sale

+Steam

• Metaphor: ReFantazio has a demo and will also have a 45% discount until the 16th of October: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2679460/Metaphor_ReFantazio
• PowerWash Simulator has a demo and will also be free to try until Monday. The game is not for sale, with the cheapest way to buy it being a bundle with 3 DLCs that is 50% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1290000/PowerWash_Simulator
• IXION will have a 65% discount until October 16: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1113120/IXION
• CarX Drift Racing Online is going to be free to try until Monday and will be 60% off until the 17th of October: https://store.steampowered.com/app/635260/CarX_Drift_Racing_Online
• Europa has a demo and gets a 50% discount until the 23rd of October: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2214880/Europa
• Recycling Center Simulator will also be 50% off until the 23rd: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2928520/Recycling_Center_Simulator
• And these are the new sales/events:
  • All the Jackbox Games are on sale with up to 65% discounts until October 16: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/jackboxfranchisesale
  • Besides an update for Indiana Jones, MachineGames celebrates its anniversary with up to 75% discounts in its games until 16th: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/MachineGamesDevSale
  • Publisher Dotemu puts its games up to 80% off until October, the 16th: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/dotemupublishersale2025
  • BCN Game Fest 2025 comes with lots of upcoming titles and also some games on sale with up to 80% discounts. The Festival will only last this weekend but the length of the deals vary between the 13 and the 17th of October: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/42214200/sale/BCNGAMEFESTIVAL2025
  • Publisher Hooded Horse puts its games up to 75% off until the 23rd. There are also some upcoming games to check: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/38719421/sale/octobersale2025
  • PAX Aus Expo has lots of upcoming games and also some titles on sale, up to 50% off. The Expo will last until Sunday but the deals will end between the 16th and the 23rd: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/pax-aus-2025
  • Kingdom Franchise Sale also comes to Steam with up to 90% discounts until the 23rd. Two Crowns will be free to try until Monday: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/coronationweek2025
  • Metaroot Game Celebration has games up to 60% off. Except for one deal that will end with today’s refresh (it’s also part of another event), the rest will end between the 23rd and the 24th of October: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/44892821/sale/MetarootGameCelebrationOct

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

The following articles may or may not interest you. You'll have to read them to find out:

Hooray for the PC: Sales are up by nearly 10% on last year, but predictably things are quite a bit slower in the US
https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/hooray-for-the-pc-sales-are-up-by-nearly-10-percent-on-last-year-but-predictably-things-are-quite-a-bit-slower-in-the-us/
Good news for the PC massive. According to the market data wonks at IDC, worldwide PC sales are up by nearly 10% in their latest figures. However, sales in the US alone only crept up by 1%.

To be more specific, IDC reckons worldwide PC sales in the third quarter of 2025 are precisely 9.4% higher than the same period in 2024. In the US, meanwhile, sales only cedged up by that 1% figure for the same period, while Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) went gangbusters at fully 14%, as did Asia Pacific, scoring the same 14% figure.

Valve's long-awaited standalone VR headset, Deckard, could be here before year's end according to word on the street from China
https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/vr-hardware/valves-long-awaited-standalone-vr-headset-deckard-could-be-here-before-years-end-according-to-word-on-the-street-from-china/
According to a Chinese analyst group called the XR Research Institute, Upload VR reports, Valve Deckard is set to ship at the end of this year during the holiday season. Mass production has apparently begun, and 400,000–600,000 units are expected per year.
>> I wouldn’t hold my breath for this one, but you never know.

A YouTuber has built his own VR headset for a little over $150 and made the whole project open source, so I might just give it a go
https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/vr-hardware/a-youtuber-has-built-his-own-vr-headset-for-a-little-over-usd150-and-made-the-whole-project-open-source-so-anyone-can-give-it-a-go/
For many, virtual reality hardware is still an expensive niche to get into. Even our top budget pick in our best VR headset guide, the Meta Quest 3S, can still set you back nearly $300. Well, a YouTuber has rocked up with a homemade headset project using 3D printed parts and bobbins bought off AliExpress that costs half the price of the Meta Quest 3S.

Creator CNCDan's homemade VR headset runs at a 2880 x 1440p resolution, and even allows the wearer to manually adjust the position of its two 2.9-inch LCD screens (via Techspot). These tiny displays, alongside the headset's Fresnel lenses, IMU board, and Arduino Pro microcontroller, were all bought from AliExpress. It is, in essence, an inexpensive techie upgrade on the 'phone in a box' style headset.

In all, the project cost a little over $150, not counting all of the very spenny personal 3D printing equipment the rest of the build requires. CNCDan has made all of this project's 3D printing model files open source via his GitHub, alongside a full bill of materials if you fancy trying to build this affordable VR headset yourself.
>> The article has the almost 15 minutes video showing most of the process.

Many of the recent positive reviews for the game seem... peculiar, to say the least:

• There's way more of them than in the past compared to negative reviews.
• They seem AI-generated.
• The reviewers have a good bunch of recorded playtime and don't necessarily praise the game to heavens. All good, right? Nope! Each reviewer has got all their achievements in the game at exactly the same moment.
• They're all within a few days of each other.

This 100% looks like a scummy paid positive review campaign to me. Shame on the studio leadership, and shame on IOI, who published this, if this doesn't get remedied soon.