FIGHTING EX LAYER has had its price reduced to 0.99, not sure if this is permanent or only temporary.  

This was the announcement on the official website.
ARIKA will celebrate its 30th anniversary on November 1st, 2025.

To commemorate this, the price of FIGHTING EX LAYER,
currently available to play on PS4 and Steam,
will change to the 30th anniversary price.
Please take this opportunity to download this game!

Please note that the price revision date is scheduled for around November 2nd.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/871200/FIGHTING_EX_LAYER

I believe the idea was to convey that that FSR4 will not come to those GPUs in a technical manner, but they seriously flubbed it.

Interesting video about how the AI bubble might not be an actual bubble:

Basically, big tech had simply too much cash on hand and nowhere better to spend it on, so they continue betting on it.

Thanks. I still hate it.

I don't even necessarily hate AI, in fact I think it could be great, but... I'm not convinced this is it just yet. The issue is that most AI (or at least the most prominent AI) at the moment is large language models, which aren't really capable of thinking. They yield remarkably great results, but in the end, they just spew out what is stastitically most likely to be the desired outcome, based on the training data. And training data, I admit, there's some room to discuss semantics, but it's dubiously acquired, at best.

Based on my limited experiences, AI is also pushed way too hard considering its limited capabilites. Where I work as a software developer, it's pushed fairly strongly, but at the same time, we also need to review everything it generates because the work we do is important enough to not have room for the stupid mistakes AI will probably make, and let me tell you, the code it generates tends to heavily disregard the existing coding conventions we have and probably just go by its training data instead. Even if you manage to bend it to the existing conventions, it makes stupid mistakes that look legit but are something most humans would probably never make. Even for generating automated tests, it's much worse than you'd think. Basically it seems that it's usable only for things you don't really care much about and are fine to be only kind of OK.

The current AI is pretty great for what it's good at though, and based on my experience, that's learning new things quickly. I wouldn't necessarily trust it in larger things, but for individual questions, it can be great - especially if they're hard to search for (some programming language syntactical features come to mind as great examples, but they're not the only thing). As long as you're ready to fact-check or otherwise treat AI answers as not entirely trustworthy - and have that be cost-efficient - it can be great. I just worry that we won't be able to remedy the flaws of current AI because they're pretty inherent to the current AI, and that will lead to the AI bubble bursting.

As for AI gaming applications, I don't have great expectations. I suspect there isn't enough training data for reliable enough AI assistance in certain problematic situations, and often when I look for help online, I'm not interested in the dubious/untrustworthy answers. Gaming Copilot, for example, seems like mildly helpful at best, and probably more harmful than incorrect information you'd find online otherwise, because AI always seems so confident, so you can't really assess the trustworthiness properly.

To be fair, the kind of performance that you're expecting is probably years away still:

I wouldn't expect an AI model to be able to reliably automate the simpler, say, ~20% of remote work and R&D tasks without supervision before the early 2030s.

AMD releases statement confirming RDNA1 and RDNA2 will continue to receive game optimizations

https://videocardz.com/newz/amd-releases-statement-confirming-rdna1-and-rdna2-will-continue-to-receive-game-optimizations

Modder shrinks PlayStation 5 to a 6-liter case, runs cooler with lower power draw

https://videocardz.com/newz/modder-shrinks-playstation-5-to-a-6-liter-case-runs-cooler-with-lower-power-draw

One ASRock B850 motherboard reportedly kills three Ryzen 7 9700X CPUs

https://videocardz.com/newz/one-asrock-b850-motherboard-reportedly-kills-three-ryzen-7-9700x-cpus

Intel Arc B580 overclocked with car antifreeze gains 16% clock speed and sets new 3DMark Time Spy record

https://videocardz.com/newz/intel-arc-b580-overclocked-with-car-antifreeze-gains-16-clock-speed-and-sets-new-3dmark-time-spy-record

Steam on Linux exceeds 3% share for the first time, with nearly 1/3 running SteamOS

https://videocardz.com/newz/steam-on-linux-exceeds-3-share-for-the-first-time-with-nearly-1-3-running-steamos

Second Sapphire Radeon RX 9070 XT suffers burned 12V-2×6 connector

https://videocardz.com/newz/second-sapphire-radeon-rx-9070-xt-suffers-burned-12v-2x6v-connector

DRAM Prices Have Risen by a Whopping 172% This Year Alone, Prompting Memory Manufacturers to Halt New Orders For DDR Modules

https://wccftech.com/dram-prices-have-risen-by-a-whopping-172-this-year-alone/

TSMC Estimated to Raise Advanced Chip Prices By Up to 10%, Driven By ‘Gigantic’ Demand From Mobile & HPC Customers

https://wccftech.com/tsmc-estimated-to-raise-advanced-chip-prices-by-up-to-10/

AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT & RX 9070 Now Available At MSRPs of $599 & $549, Here’s Where To Buy

https://wccftech.com/amd-radeon-rx-9070-xt-9070-now-available-at-msrps-599-549-us-heres-where-to-buy/

Microsoft CEO says the company doesn't have enough electricity to install all the AI GPUs in its inventory - 'you may actually have a bunch of chips sitting in inventory that I can’t plug in'

https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/artificial-intelligence/microsoft-ceo-says-the-company-doesnt-have-enough-electricity-to-install-all-the-ai-gpus-in-its-inventory-you-may-actually-have-a-bunch-of-chips-sitting-in-inventory-that-i-cant-plug-in

Welcome to the Monday gaming news:

SALES/PLAYER COUNTS & DEALS

Arc Raiders players stuck in login queues and long matchmaking times as it blows past its Steam player peak of 330,000
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/arc-raiders-players-stuck-in-login-queues-and-long-matchmaking-times-as-it-blows-past-its-steam-player-peak-of-330-000/
The poor servers trying to keep up with the influx of players logging into Arc Raiders are starting to buckle. Many players, including PC Gamer's own Morgan Park, are reporting matchmaking errors and queue times just as the extraction shooter hit just over 330,000 concurrent players on Steam. Considering it's on consoles and other storefronts too, Embark might be dealing with a bigger server load than it anticipated.
>> The article has a couple of updates explaining that the devs were aware of the problems and wee trying to fix it, with no word of whether they managed to fix it or if it was solved by itself once there were less players.

Steam has two deals and four sales/events:

• Papers, Please is going to be 66% off until the 9th of November: https://store.steampowered.com/app/239030/Papers_Please
• Chef Life: A Restaurant Simulator will have its 80% discount for a week longer, until November the 16th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1122340/Chef_Life_A_Restaurant_Simulator
• And these are the sales that started since Friday:
  • NIS America Publisher Sale has games on sale with up to 85% discounts. Some deals wil end later today and others will last until the 14th of November.: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/32623015/sale/NISA2025
  • Shop Keeper Event has upcoming titles, demos and games up to 75% off. The deals will end between later today and the 15th of November: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/45686865/sale/ShopKeepersEvent
  • Tokyo Game Dungeon 10 is an expo of indie titles that will last until the 16th. The page is full of upcoming titles, demos and already released games up to 40% off. The length of the deals vary greatly, with some ending later today and others lasting until, at least, the end of the expo: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/44802688/sale/TokyoGameDungeon10
  • Bithell Games’ Legacy Games Celebration is a publisher sale with a twist, as it looks like they’ll put one of their games on sale each week. This week the deal is for Thomas Was Alone, with a 50% discount until the 10th of November. The celebration will end on the 14th of December: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/6859518/sale/LegacyGamesCelebration

Humble Bundle has two new novelties:

• Horror Icons Showcase has up to 9 games to get (there are 8 plus one space with a “More coming soon!” message) and will last 17 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/games/horror-icons-showcase
• Armor Games: The Retro & Reborn Collection has up to 14 games to get during 30 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/games/armor-games-the-retro-and-reborn-collection

And Fanatical… has this:

• The 30th Birthday Bash is here with lots of games on sale. Check them out here: https://www.fanatical.com/en/on-sale
• Don’t forget that, if you spend more than €/$15 during the sale, you’ll get a bonus game or coupon.
• There are three new 24h Flash Deals:
  • SILENT HILL f has a 27% discount: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/silent-hill-f
  • Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is 53% off: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/warhammer-40000-space-marine-2
  • And Alone in the Dark gets a 66% discount: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/alone-in-the-dark
• There are also two new bundles, tho they’re not exactly new, new:
  • NeuroVoider - Deluxe Edition bundle/pack is back yet again. This time it will be 18% off during the next 7 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/neurovoider-deluxe-edition">https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/neurovoider-deluxe-edition
  • Batman: Arkham Collection is also back, with a 88% discount during 13 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/batman-arkham-collection

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

GOG's preservation program now includes Splinter Cell, Resident Evil HD and, er, Spore, while you can also get 95% off XCOM 2 in its Autumn Sale
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/gogs-preservation-program-now-includes-splinter-cell-resident-evil-hd-and-er-spore-while-you-can-also-get-95-percent-of-xcom-2-in-its-autumn-sale/
GOG's preservation program is a commitment by the distribution service to ensure that classic PC games included in the program will run on your Windows machine no matter what. This doesn't mean included games will receive any fancy overhauls or resolution boosts—quite the opposite. GOG's pledge is to preserve the look and feel of the original experience, while ensuring the games boot without any intervention from you.
GOG launched the program just under a year ago, with 100 games such as Dungeon Keeper, Theme Hospital and Blade Runner receiving the badge of +1 compatibility. As of now, that number has increased to 250.
The latest batch of entries includes some big names like Splinter Cell, Resident Evil: HD Remaster (which has been preserved in digital amber a year after GOG convinced Capcom's bewildered execs to add the original version ) and Hitman: Codename 47, as well as forgotten gems like Clive Barker's Undying. There's also a few genuine oddities on the list, like Legend Entertainment's Superhero League of Hoboken and Adventure Soft's Elvira: Mistress of the Dark, a spinoff of the TV show that the game's store page claims is 100 hours long. There's also the entire Spore Collection, if anybody's interested in playing Will Wright's ambitious but disappointing life sim.

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

GTA 4 RTX Remix Path Tracing Mod Graphics Comparison Video
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/gta-4-rtx-remix-path-tracing-mod-graphics-comparison-video
Earlier this month, we informed you about an RTX Remix Mod for Grand Theft Auto 4. This mod adds real-time Path Tracing effects to this old GTA game, and it is currently in Early Access. So, here is a video that compares the vanilla version with its new remastered path-traced version.
This video will give you a pretty good idea of the visual improvements that this mod brings to the table. This is what a proper remaster of GTA 4 should look like. To capture it, YouTube’s ‘MxBenchmarkPC’ used an Intel Core i7-14700F with 32GB of DDR4 and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080.

Morrowind Mod For Elden Ring Gets First Developer Diary
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/morrowind-mod-for-elden-ring-gets-first-developer-diary
In August 2025, we informed you about a mod that aims to bring the entire world of The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind to Elden Ring. And yesterday, its creator released its first developer update diary. So, let’s take a look at it.
In this video, AnotherPlus shows off some of the quests and some of the stuff they’ve implemented. Yup, you read that right. The mod already has quests from Morrowind, which you can complete.
The goal of the mod is to mix the world and story of Morrowind with the combat of Elden Ring. Right now, the world map is finished, and each region has its own weather and lighting. However, a lot of work still needs to be done. For example, the lighting isn’t ready yet, and the world effects are only halfway done.
Right now, the mod has a lot of visual placeholders. The team has implemented a new Item system for all the key items you’ll need to complete the Morrowind quests. They have also used tools to generate voices for the NPCs (though they plan to add proper voices in the future). In their current state, these NPCs are not as good as those of Morrowind, but they are functional. Keep in mind that this is a mod. So, don’t expect NPCs that behave like those we see in other triple-A games.

Resident Evil 5 Gets a 30GB 4K Mod That Overhauls All Textures
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/resident-evil-5-gets-a-30gb-4k-mod-that-overhauls-all-textures
Modder ‘Evgeshajk’ has released a must-have 4K Mod for Resident Evil 5 that overhauls all of the game’s textures. This is a must for everyone who wants to replay this old RE game. So, let’s take a closer look at it.
Evgeshajk has used AI tools to upscale the original textures, and has made some manual adjustments here and there. The result is a pack that looks sharper but stays faithful to the art style of the game.
>> The article has an almost 3 minutes video.

'I've fixed the sun': Heroic modder finally deals with 20-year-old bug in Street Racing Syndicate
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/racing/ive-fixed-the-sun-heroic-modder-finally-deals-with-20-year-old-bug-in-street-racing-syndicate/
The Fast and the Furious has a lot to answer for, not least the early 2000s fad for street-racing games drenched in bad boy imagery. Street Racing Syndicate, with its trailer declaring "Get wheels, get women" is a contender the most egregiously 2004 thing ever to exist.
Street Racing Syndicate arrived on PC a year later, and while it was no Need For Speed Underground or Burnout 2: Point of Impact, it found fans among those who enjoyed customizing its roster of licensed cares, free-roaming its Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Miami maps, and outrunning the police. What players didn't like was a bug specific to the PC version that made the sun blindingly bright on daylight tracks.
"HOW TO REMOVE THE SUN? LOL" asks one poster on the Steam forum, while another laments, "I guess the developers never heard of windshield visors or sunglasses." Wait long enough, and eventually a hero will come along—in this case a modder by the name of Radzerg, who just released a patch with the simple declaration, "I've fixed the sun".
Radzerg's sun fix, which you can also find on Nexus Mods, comes in three flavors. One reduces the glare effect to 60%, another to 30%, and a third disables it completely, removing the sun texture from the sky. The only thing in Street Racing Syndicate that will send you blind now are the unlockable "girlfriend" videos.
>> The article only has one screenshot.

You can now play The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom with a classic top-down camera mode
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/you-can-now-play-the-legend-of-zelda-tears-of-the-kingdom-with-a-classic-top-down-camera-mode
Modder “MaxLastBreath” has released a new version of his UltraCam Mod for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. This update adds a classic top-down camera, allowing you to play the game like the old-school NES and SNES Zelda titles. So, if you are an old-school Zelda fan, you should definitely check it out.
Going into more details, this top-down camera was massively inspired by TLOZ Link’s Awakening and Echoes of Wisdom. What’s also cool is that UltraCam currently supports multiple camera modes to make a lot of the different game scenarios playable.
>> The article has an over 10 minutes video.

GAMING NEWS

Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow Launches on December 4th
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/thief-vr-legacy-of-shadow-launches-on-december-4th
Vertigo Games has announced that Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow will be released on December 4th. To celebrate this announcement, the team has also shared a new trailer that you can find below. This trailer packs the first gameplay footage of Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow for Meta Quest.

The Outer Worlds 2 Hotfix 1.0.4.1 Released – Full Patch Notes
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/the-outer-worlds-2-hotfix-1-0-4-1-released-full-patch-notes
Obsidian Entertainment has released Hotfix 1.0.4.1 for The Outer Worlds 2 and shared its full patch notes. So, let’s see what this new update brings to the table.

Halo Original vs Remaster vs Remake Graphics Comparison
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/halo-original-vs-remaster-vs-remake-graphics-comparison
Last week, Microsoft revealed an official remake of the first Halo game in Unreal Engine 5, called Halo: Campaign Evolved. So, here are two videos that compare this remake with the remastered and original versions of Halo: Combat Evolved.

Part two of the Monday gaming news:

Deus Ex's OG art director has seen the remaster: 'Oh, what the f***, No. This did not need to happen'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/deus-exs-og-art-director-has-seen-the-remaster-oh-what-the-f-no-this-did-not-need-to-happen/
Aspyr's remaster of Deus Ex earned a fair bit of opprobrium (including from me) when it was revealed in September, and, well, that looks set to continue. Jerry O'Flaherty, art director on the original Deus Ex, gave his reaction to the remaster during a recent sit-down with FRVR. It did not seem positive.

My favorite horror game of the year went on sale on Steam just in time for an NG+ update that adds new weapons, enemies, mechanics, and story revelations
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/horror/my-favorite-horror-game-of-the-year-went-on-sale-on-steam-just-in-time-for-an-ng-update-that-adds-new-weapons-enemies-mechanics-and-story-revelations/
The first-person feudal Japan horror game Labyrinth of the Demon King knocked my socks off when it released back in May, and it's only gotten better since launch and PCG Australian editor Shaun Prescott's 81% review. The game's latest update adds a hefty-sounding new game plus mode, while it's also on sale for 25% off to celebrate Halloween until November 3.

Overwatch 2 reverts its controversial Stadium competitive update, and in doing so has somehow made another 6v6 vs 5v5 debate
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/overwatch-2-reverts-its-controversial-stadium-competitive-update-and-in-doing-so-has-somehow-made-another-6v6-vs-5v5-debate/
A couple of weeks ago, at the start of Overwatch 2 Season 19, the devs made a bold decision to change the format of Stadium, the most recent third-person addition, and a new favourite for many players.
Stadium's competitive format changed from best-of-seven to best-of-five, the structure that Stadium Quick Play has had and continues to have. But just two weeks into this update, and the devs have gone back to best-of-seven.

Condemned: Criminal Origins, the best game about beating people to death with a lead pipe I've ever played, has been delisted from Steam and Xbox, and fans are hoping that means a remaster is on the way
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/horror/condemned-criminal-origins-the-best-game-about-beating-people-to-death-with-a-lead-pipe-ive-ever-played-has-been-delisted-from-steam-and-xbox-and-fans-are-hoping-that-means-a-remaster-is-on-the-way/
I was a big fan of Condemned: Criminal Origins back in the day. That day was 20 years ago and I can't really remember what it was about, except that I was an FBI burnout of some sort, splitting my time between investigating murders and committing them. Trailers really don't do it justice: Condemned is probably the best 'beat a man to death with a large piece of wood' game I've ever played.
I would recommend that you play it, too, except, well, you can't. At least not as easily as you could yesterday. As noticed today by Wario64, Condemned: Criminal Origins has been removed from Steam and the Xbox store, and unfortunately it's not available on GOG either. It used to be there, on Steam—here's the SteamDB listing—but now, poof. Gone. You can, at least, still get a working code on Fanatical for now.

Rockstar accused of 'the most ruthless act of union busting in the history of the UK games industry' after firing dozens of employees who were allegedly attempting to form a union
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/rockstar-accused-of-the-most-ruthless-act-of-union-busting-in-the-history-of-the-uk-games-industry-after-firing-dozens-of-employees-who-were-allegedly-attempting-to-form-a-union/
A Bloomberg report says Grand Theft Auto 6 studio Rockstar Games has fired "dozens" of employees over what the Independent Workers of Great Britain union alleges is a "brazen" act of union busting. Rockstar parent company Take-Two Interactive denies that allegation, and says the employees were fired for misconduct.
>> And Rockstar found that all those employees were doing inappropriate things at the same time? How convenient.

Brendan Greene's open-world survival roguelike hikes into early access later this month, and it'll actually let you save your run through its brutal wilderness
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/survival-crafting/brendan-greenes-open-world-survival-roguelike-hikes-into-early-access-later-this-month-and-itll-actually-let-you-save-your-run-through-its-brutal-wilderness/
Prologue: Go Wayback!, the ultra-hard hiking sim developed by Brendan Greene's studio PlayerUnknown Productions, has technically been playable for a while now. The studio has been running an open beta for the last two and a half months, giving players curious about Greene's first proper game since PUBG: Battlegrounds the chance to try it out. That testing phase is rapidly approaching its end, however, as PP has announced its survival roguelike will arrive in early access on November 20.

Beaver-themed city builder Timberborn will leave early access soon, and while there's no specific date yet, you can try out some of its new features right now
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/strategy/beaver-themed-city-builder-timberborn-will-leave-early-access-soon-and-while-theres-no-specific-date-yet-you-can-try-out-some-of-its-new-features-right-now/
After four years in early access, Timberborn has gnawed within touching distance of a 1.0 release. While a specific date hasn't been set for the release, developer Mechanistry has revealed what's coming to the 1.0 version. What's more, you can get hands-on with some of those new features right now.

Beloved boomer shooter Dusk celebrates coming to Xbox with new 'Dusk Gulch' level riffing on Halo's best multiplayer map
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/beloved-boomer-shooter-dusk-celebrates-coming-to-xbox-with-new-dusk-gulch-level-riffing-on-halos-best-multiplayer-map/
New Blood's Dusk is finally on Xbox consoles after seven years, and to celebrate, the studio has added a popular mapmaker's Halo homage to the game. Dusk Gulch is a riff on Halo's classic, 2fort-y capture the flag arena, Blood Gulch.

Build and defend your little time-looping castle town in Super Fantasy Kingdom
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/roguelike/build-and-defend-your-little-time-looping-castle-town-in-super-fantasy-kingdom/
Slick little roguelike city-build-and-defend game Super Fantasy Kingdom hit early access this week, asking you to time loop your ever-growing kingdom to victory against a mysterious foe that sends waves of enemies against you each night. To win you'll have to build up a base of resources to keep a collection of valiant heroes fed and armed.

Reliably good puzzle game-maker Draknek and Friends just released a spooky new game
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/reliably-good-puzzle-game-maker-draknek-and-friends-just-released-a-spooky-new-game/
Draknek and Friends is a pretty reliable puzzle-maker, dropping a new worth-playing gem every few years. Now they've released Spooky Express, an update of their delightful 2017 Cosmic Express, just in time for a little spooky-themed fall puzzling.

Doom designer Sandy Petersen alleges former Xbox boss Don Mattrick killed Ensemble Studios and its Halo MMO to protect his personal stock bonus: 'Don started as an EA hatchet man so what would you expect?'
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/doom-designer-sandy-petersen-alleges-former-xbox-boss-don-mattrick-killed-ensemble-studios-and-its-halo-mmo-to-protect-his-personal-stock-bonus-don-started-as-an-ea-hatchet-man-so-what-would-you-expect/
Doom level designer Sandy Petersen has taken to X (formerly Twitter) to explain the closure of Ensemble Studios, where he worked in the 2000s. According to Petersen, Ensemble and its in-development Halo MMO were scuttled by Xbox boss Don Mattrick to protect a short-term, profit-based bonus he was elligible to receive.

'I sometimes lie in bed thinking about it': Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser explains why open world spy game Agent never worked out
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/game-development/i-sometimes-lie-in-bed-thinking-about-it-rockstar-co-founder-dan-houser-explains-why-open-world-spy-game-agent-never-worked-out/
Remember Agent? After first mentioning it in 2007, Rockstar formally announced it in 2009—an espionage game in an open world, GTA meets James Bond, with all the cars-turning-into-submarines gadgetry that implies. After bouncing between different Rockstar studios for a while, Agent vanished off the radar, with its death finally being confirmed in 2021.
In a rare interview, Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser appeared on the Lex Fridman podcast recently to discuss all things GTA and Red Dead Redemption, though Agent also came up. "It had about five different iterations," Houser explained. "I don't think it works, I concluded. I keep thinking about it sometimes, I sometimes lie in bed thinking about it and I've concluded what makes them really good as film stories makes them not work as videogames—or I need to think through how to do it a different way as a videogame."

Remedy is 'not satisfied' with its Q3 results after FBC: Firebreak's flop, and has 'moved development resources' to other games in production
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/remedy-is-not-satisfied-with-its-q3-results-after-fbc-firebreaks-flop-and-has-moved-development-resources-to-other-games-in-production/
Remedy Entertainment's woes continue with FBC: Firebreak. The cooperative shooter proved a disappointment when it released in June, launching in an anaemic state, lacking basic features like in-game voice chat and a tutorial, and generally seeming like a compromised vision despite a few novel ideas.
Its first major update, Breakpoint, went some way to addressing these issues, but failed to provide the bump in players Remedy hoped for. Indeed, at the time of writing, just 25 people were playing FBC: Firebreak according to SteamDB. The actual count is likely higher given Firebreak's availability on consoles and Game Pass, but probably not by much.
(...)
Nonetheless, Remedy has now "moved development resources to other in-development titles" from Firebreak, which presumably means we're unlikely to see another Breakpoint-sized update to the title. That said, Remedy plans to continue putting resources into the shooter, which it claims is "justified by long-term sales expectations." That seems enormously optimistic from where I'm sitting, but perhaps Remedy knows something I don't.

Game developers have suddenly become obsessed with eggs for some reason, and you can play two ovoid games for free right now
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/game-developers-have-suddenly-become-obsessed-with-eggs-for-some-reason-and-you-can-play-two-ovoid-games-for-free-right-now/
Eggs! They're the new gaming craze, baby. Forget roguelikes, or friendslop, or rogue friends, or sloplikes, eggs are the hottest they've been in the virtual realm since the days of Tamagotchi.
Just how hot, you ask? Well, there are three egg-themed games launching within a week of each other. Which isn't that many in the grand Steam of things, but in my book it still qualifies as an eggstrava—no, spare them the egg puns, Rick. Nobody deserves that.
Two of these games are similar to the point where they could've been laid by the same hen. The other looks like it sluiced from the cloaca of some shrieking nightmare chicken that escaped from Cthulhu's battery farm.

The Arc Raiders roadmap promises a new map in November, a fresh Raider Deck battle pass for December, and more
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/arc-raiders-2025-roadmap/
Arc Raiders is having a triumphant launch week, currently sitting at the top of the Steam best sellers charts. But as any seasoned scavenger knows, scrounging for scrap through the same old crates and cabinets can only satisfy for so long. Inevitably, even the most accomplished raider will yearn for more.
And more is exactly what Embark Studios has planned. The studio just published its 2025 roadmap, giving us a preview of what new sights we can expect to see on our expeditions aboveground in the dwindling days of the year.
>> And the game has a “problem” with cover and the foliage settings (link). Nothing new.

Finally! The third and last gaming news post:

Loot envy is at an all time high in Path of Exile as lucky players print the rarest items in the game while everyone else sifts through trash
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/loot-envy-is-at-an-all-time-high-in-path-of-exile-as-lucky-players-print-the-rarest-items-in-the-game-while-everyone-else-sifts-through-trash/
The newest Path of Exile season, or league, is a great example of why you should never look at how other players are faring in a loot-based action RPG. Once you see what life is like when the RNG gods are generous, all you will know is pure envy.
A handful of lucky players are posting their loot hauls from the new genesis tree introduced in Path of Exile's latest expansion, Keepers of the Flame. Basically, it's a freaky, haunted tree that gives birth to powerful items based on preferences you set. It's only been a few days since it launched and players are swimming in the kind of loot you'd usually have to grind long hours for.

Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection launches to mixed reviews on Steam
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fighting/mortal-kombat-legacy-kollection-launches-to-mixed-reviews-on-steam/
Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection should have been an easy win. It bundles together the first four Mortal Kombat games, including the WaveNet version of Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 previously thought lost, as well as less fondly remembered spin-offs like Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero for the sake of completeness and the memes. It also comes with an interactive documentary about the history of the gory fighting series, à la The Making of Karateka. Sounds like the complete package.
Yet, within days of release, 55% of its Steam reviews are negative. "Input lag is unacceptably high in every game—even offline" says one, with some players complaining it's even noticeable in the menus. Others are upset that "the online's in a terrible state. Quick play matches with random people only. You can't queue for more than one game at a time, so the community's splintered between games." Another laments, "The 360/PS3 MK Kollection that came out over 10+ years ago had better netcode than this".
It's not just the lag and online that players are complaining about either, with the AI coming in for a drubbing as well: "Since half of the match is just the enemy social distancing and staying 6 feet away from me, God Forbid Milenna gets ******** covid".

A new biome is coming as an alternative to the Tropics in Peak, but the only downside is you might be attacked by spiders
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/sim/a-new-biome-is-coming-as-an-alternative-to-the-tropics-in-peak-but-the-only-downside-is-you-might-be-attacked-by-spiders/
Fine, I'll say it. The Tropics has always been my least favourite biome in Peak. I hate the exploding mushrooms that always send me hurtling off the mountain, and the fact that everything can and will poison you. Not to mention the ticks. Luckily, a new biome is rolling out this week on November 5, which will be an alternative for the Tropics, though I'm not particularly thrilled about what might be lurking there either.

Our pick for 2024's best tactics game just got a community pack of featured levels—which ignore the dev's difficulty balance goals because 'our community, god bless em, have no such qualms'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/our-pick-for-2024s-best-tactics-game-just-got-a-community-pack-of-featured-levels-which-ignore-the-devs-difficulty-balance-goals-because-our-community-god-bless-em-have-no-such-qualms/
Tactical Breach Wizards was one of my favourite games from last year—you can read my full thoughts in my Tactical Breach Wizards review—but in case you're unfamiliar, it's a turn-based tactical RPG with great writing, interesting worldbuilding, and a razor-sharp sense of humour. It also just happens to be a really solid tactics game on top of all that, which is nice, and is why we gave it our Best Tactics award last year.
(...)
And hey! We've got more of Tactical Breach Wizards. As announced in a news update, the dev team has snagged the best levels from its level editor and featured them on the game's community browser. What's more, they're looking like the endgame challenge I've been yearning for. I know what I'm doing on my lunch break.

Battlefield 6 is introducing a casual Breakthrough mode 'to create a more relaxed way to play', making it easier to progress and complete challenges
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/battlefield-6-is-introducing-a-casual-breakthrough-mode-to-create-a-more-relaxed-way-to-play-making-it-easier-to-progress-and-complete-challenges/
Battlefield 6 has added a new mode for players who just want to complete challenges and take it easy. Casual Breakthrough has already been added to the main menu and will offer a far chiller version of Battlefield 6, where players can go to take shelter from the sweats and professional jet pilots.

Cyberpunk creator says 'Contact me' after Keanu Reeves said he wants to be Johnny Silverhand again, then tries his luck and tells Scarlett Johansson, 'I have roles for you. You can do anything'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/cyberpunk-creator-says-contact-me-after-keanu-reeves-said-he-wants-to-be-johnny-silverhand-again-then-tries-his-luck-and-tells-scarlett-johansson-i-have-roles-for-you-you-can-do-anything/
Egotist, terrorist, lovable scamp: these are descriptors I associate with Johnny Silverhand, the Cyberpunk setting's mashup of David Bowie and Andreas Baader, who was played by Keanu Reeves in Cyberpunk 2077. Reeves, god bless him, hasn't been shy about voicing his desire to play the character again. Which sounds like it'd be pretty tough, given his story is pretty well wrapped-up in 2077 and his actual mortal body has already been dead for decades by that game's start.
Or so you might think. But that, and no other reason, is why you aren't Cyberpunk TTRPG creator Mike Pondsmith. In a recent stream (via GamesRadar), Pondsmith sounded just as eager as Reeves to get the Hollywood star back into Silverhand's big boots. "You know, not that long ago, I saw that Keanu would like to find a way to come back from the dead and play Johnny again," said Pondsmith. "I have ways to do that, Keanu. Contact me."
>> Not that they’d be against it, but shouldn’t CD Projekt Red have something to say about it?

As players debate whether to purchase Possessor(s) after Heart Machine lays off staff a week before launch, its creators and publisher respond: 'As a developer who is slated for lay off—please buy this game!'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/as-players-debate-whether-to-purchase-possessor-s-after-heart-machine-lays-off-staff-a-week-before-launch-its-creators-and-publisher-respond-as-a-developer-who-is-slated-for-lay-off-please-buy-this-game/
It's a messy time over at Heart Machine, developer of the beloved Hyper Light Drifter and its ill-fated hack 'n' slash successor Hyper Light Breaker. The latter debuted to mixed Steam reviews and muted sales when it carved its way into early access back in January, resulting in layoffs at Heart Machine and work on Hyper Light Breaker ceasing prematurely.
(...)
The combined layoffs have led some players to question whether to continue supporting Heart Machine financially. In a Steam discussion, user Adam posted that it's "hard to support devs when they can no longer see a cent from a game."
(...)
Eventually, these queries prompted responses from representatives at Heart Machine and Possessor(s) publisher Devolver Digital. From Devolver, community strategist Harris Foster said the publisher was "saddened to hear the news of layoffs at Heart Machine" while also clarifying the situation regarding compensation for employees laid off from their roles on Possessor(s).
"Heart Machine has confirmed to us that all revenue-share eligible team members who contributed to Possessor(s) will continue to receive their share," Foster wrote. He then quoted Heart Machine's Creative and Design Director Alx Preston, who confirmed that team members scheduled to receive profit share will do so "regardless of if they are no longer here or remain at the studio".

Schedule 1's Halloween update arrived two days late because the developer thought he should 'probably play it safe' and test it first
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/schedule-1s-halloween-update-arrived-two-days-late-because-the-developer-thought-he-should-probably-play-it-safe-and-test-it-first/
Good news, everyone! Schedule 1's Halloween update is here. Just in time for…wait. Why are all those porch pumpkins looking a bit deflated? Why have all the TV networks pivoted to Christmas adverts? Why do I have a sudden urge to grow a moustache and write an entire novel in 30 days? Oh my God! It's November.
Yep, Schedule 1's Halloween update missed the ghost train by two whole days. Developer TVGS apologised for the unseasonal delay. "Sorry this update is a couple of days late—I was originally planning on skipping the open beta and going straight to full release. At the last minute released [sic] I should probably play it safe and publicly beta test it for at least a day." A sensible decision, I reckon.

Starfinder: Afterlight snags Red Dead Redemption 2's Roger Clark to voice its narrator, and he's just as Arthur Morgan about it as you'd expect
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/starfinder-afterlight-snags-red-dead-redemption-2s-roger-clark-to-voice-its-narrator-and-hes-just-as-arthur-morgan-about-it-as-youd-expect/
I am really optimistic about Starfinder: Afterlight, an upcoming CRPG based on the Starfinder 2e TTRPG system. It's got a lot of things going for it: sensible developers, a gorgeous artstyle, official support from Paizo, and voice direction by Neil Newbon of Baldur's Gate 3 fame. Also, its Kickstarter has had the crap funded out of it, reaching £573,965 out of its £65,827 goal at the time of writing (making it about 871% funded).
Some of that dosh has clearly been going to its voice cast, as new-kid studio Epictellers Entertainment has only gone and snagged Roger Clark. As in, the Arthur Morgan from Red Dead Redemption 2. Better yet, you're gonna be hearing a lot of him, because he's narrating the dang thing.

REPO's monster update has arrived, and it is so much scarier than I thought it would be all because of one beast
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/horror/repos-monster-update-has-arrived-and-it-is-so-much-scarier-than-i-thought-it-would-be-all-because-of-one-beast/
When REPO announced it would be receiving a bunch of new monsters in September, I naively thought they wouldn't be too scary. Most of REPO's existing critters are unsettling, especially the Upscream and the Animal, but there's nothing that really petrifies you. The same can't be said for the game now though, and having spent the weekend running for my life and screaming over proximity chat, REPO really lives up to its horror tag.

Saints Row 1's director is pitching a prequel that gets 'back to the roots of what made SR 1 entertaining,' but I mostly want to know what became of the Saints Row 2 PC patch whose developer died
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/saints-row-1s-director-is-pitching-a-prequel-that-gets-back-to-the-roots-of-what-made-sr-1-entertaining-but-i-mostly-want-to-know-what-became-of-the-saints-row-2-pc-patch-whose-developer-died/
Somehow, Saints Row returned. Well, kind of. In a giddy post on the Saints Row subreddit, a lead on the original game in the Saints Row series announced that someone, somewhere might be interested in firing up Volition's (RIP) open-world crime games once more.
Chris Stockman, who served as design director on the first Saints Row game before absconding from Volition, announced to the community that he had "hopeful news" for the future. "I've been asked to create a pitch for a Saints Row prequel!"

Lethal Company developer says the freedom afforded by text adventure design is why his latest game took 10 years to make: 'That made it very easy for this project to spiral out of control'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/horror/lethal-company-developer-says-the-freedom-afforded-by-text-adventure-design-is-why-his-latest-game-took-10-years-to-make-that-made-it-very-easy-for-this-project-to-spiral-out-of-control/
Solo developer Zeekerss may be best known for Lethal Company, arguably the most influential game of the last few years. But it's actually the latest in a long line of spooky experiences from the game design wunderkind. Previous projects include the lo-fi paranoia generator It Steals, the survival horror throwback Dead Seater, and the physics-heavy frightfest The Upturned.
In short, Zeekerss is highly prolific, which makes it all the stranger that his latest game has been in development for longer than any of the above. Welcome to the Dark Place is a creepy single-player text adventure inspired by the likes of Zork and Kentucky Route Zero, which Zeekerss' has been working on for more than a decade.