The Tuesday gaming news:

SALES/PLAYER COUNTS & DEALS

Steam’s Top 10

(Click here for the Top 100)

Grand Theft Auto 5 has now sold an incredible 220 million copies, with roughly 20 million in the last year alone
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/grand-theft-auto/grand-theft-auto-5-has-now-sold-an-incredible-220-million-copies/
Following yet another delay to Grand Theft Auto 6, CEO of Take Two Strauss Zelnick has casually mentioned one reason why his company's shareholders shouldn't be too worried: Grand Theft Auto 5, which obviously includes the massively successful GTA Online, has now sold over 220 million copies since its release in 2013.
The corporate mega-flex comes in an interview with Chris Dring at The Game Business, where Zelnick first of all reiterates the "ready when it's ready" approach to GTA6's release date (which has now been delayed twice).

Arc Raiders surpassed 700,000 concurrent players across all platforms this weekend, and you better believe that most of them were on PC
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/arc-raiders-surpassed-700-000-concurrent-players-across-all-platforms-this-weekend-and-you-better-believe-that-most-of-them-were-on-pc/
The past weekend was a big weekend for Arc Raiders, which Embark Studios says surpassed 700,000 concurrent players across all platforms.
"It's been a little over one week since we opened up the tunnels for you to head Topside, and this past weekend we reached over 700,000 concurrent Raiders on the surface!" Embark wrote on X.

GOG has launched the Git Gud Promo, with up to 92% discounts during 7 days: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/20251111_git_gud_promo.

Steam has one new deal and several sales/events:

• FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves is going to be 60% off until the 24th of November: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2492040/FATAL_FURY_City_of_the_Wolves
• These are the new sales/events:
  • Publisher Finji puts its games on sale with up to 70% discounts until the 17th of November: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/finji_publishersale2025
  • Adult Games Showcase has the kind of games you’re probably thinking, including upcoming releases, demos and some games on sale with up to 40% discounts. The Showcase will end on the 18th, but I don’t know about the deals.: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/45750054/sale/AdultGamesShowcase
  • Microids will have its games up to 90% off until November, the 20th: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/MicroidsPublisherSale2025
  • Digital Extremes Ltd. presents its TennoGen Sale for Warframe, with skins 50% off. The event will last until the 24th of November, and I guess the deals will as well: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/32978945/sale/tennogen2025
  • Hypetrain 10th Anniversary Publisher Sale features up to 90% discounts that will last until November 24: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/hypetrainpublishersale
• And, of course, there’s the new weeklong deals

The Humble Store has the Fwllow Traveller Publisher Sale, with games up to 90% off during 6 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/fellow-traveller-publisher-sale

Fanatical has three new 24h Flash Deals:

• Dungeons & Dragons Neverwinter Nights 2: Enhanced Edition gets a 30% discount: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/dungeons-and-dragons-neverwinter-nights-2-enhanced-edition
• Monster Hunter Wilds is 44% off: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/monster-hunter-wilds
• Hell Let Loose has a 67% discount: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/hell-let-loose

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

-Nothing to see here-

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

Yakuza 0 Just Got An Amazing Local Co-op Mod
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/yakuza-0-just-got-an-amazing-local-co-op-mod
Modder ‘Jhrino’ has released an amazing mod for Yakuza 0 that lets you play the entire game with a friend via local co-op. This is one of the best ways to replay one of the best Yakuza games on PC. So, don’t sleep on it.
What’s cool here is that this mod adds Kiryu and Majima to various gameplay cutscenes. While it does not change the dialogue lines, it will be cool to see Kiryu and Majima as they work together in the cutscenes.
For those wondering, yes. You can also upgrade the skills of the second player. All you have to do is press “Shift + O” on the Pause Menu. This will toggle between Kiryu’s and Majima’s skills.
You can go ahead and install the mod from this link. At the end of the article, you can also find a video for it. This video will give you a pretty good idea of what you can expect from it. So, be sure to watch it.

New STALKER 2 Mod Delivers The Ultimate Freeplay Experience
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/new-stalker-2-mod-delivers-the-ultimate-freeplay-experience
STALKER 2 fans, here is something really cool for you today. Modder ‘Greshnyy’ has just released a mod that aims to deliver the ultimate freeplay experience.
So, what does this mod do? Well, it basically removes the main quest and keeps every side quest intact. Players will now start with basic gear and a single goal: survive. There is no story to follow here. Players will start in the zone, and they will forge their own path.
Now, while there is no main quest, every side quest, every faction, and every A-Life system is still active. The Zone is alive and dynamic, but it no longer revolves around you. This also means that you can explore the entire Heart of Chornobyl at your own pace.
This basically means you can live the life you want. You can become a skilled artifact hunter, risking your life in dangerous areas for treasure. Or, you can join a faction, earn their trust, and fight for land and beliefs. You could also become a mutant hunter, tracking deadly creatures. Or, you can just explore the world on your own, visiting every dark place and forgotten ruin to see what you find.
>> The article has no media.

A new Baldur's Gate 3 mod restores cut dialogue where Withers gets gently bullied by a child
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/baldurs-gate/a-new-baldurs-gate-3-mod-restores-cut-dialogue-where-withers-gets-gently-bullied-by-a-child/
Baldur's Gate 3 cut content sleuth SlimX has uncovered the most important missing piece of Larian's RPG yet: A couple lines of dialogue where Tiefling refugee and budding YA novel protagonist Arabella makes fun of immortal camp moocher Withers. Not only that, but SlimX has also made a mod restoring the scene available for free on his Patreon.
Have you ever wondered why Arabella calls Withers "Bone Man?" Me either. He is a Man very self evidently made of Bones, so we're not exactly solving a riddle for the ages here. Still, Arabella's patter with Withers is a charming, unexpected bit of writing that punches above its weight in shading more depth into both characters: Withers clearly has a soft spot for children, and Arabella has no problem chopping it up with an immortal watcher. Seeing more of that relationship is certainly welcome.
>> The linked video is also in the article and it’s almost 2 minutes long.

Tavern Keeper's item design tool is so good one player made a tabletop D&D set where you can actually read the stats on the character sheets
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/sim/tavern-keepers-item-design-tool-is-so-good-one-player-made-a-tabletop-d-and-d-set-where-you-can-actually-read-the-stats-on-the-character-sheets/
I've fallen hard for Tavern Keeper, a sim where you manage an inn in a fantasy realm filled with halflings, orcs, and elves, serving drinks, cooking meals, and dealing with occasional devastating fire or insect infestation. Despite only entering early access just last week (after more than a decade of development), it's already beloved among players who awarded it an 'Overwhelmingly Positive' review score average on Steam.
Something I didn't get too deeply into when I gushed about Tavern Keeper last week is its item design tool. There are all sorts of objects to build in your tavern, from useful furniture like tables, chairs, and beds to decorative items like bookcases, paintings, and rugs—but that's just the start.
Tavern Keeper also invites players to modify existing items or create their own with its in-game design tool and share them with other players. I've only done some basic modifications so far, like decorating countertops with items like gold coins, goblets, playing cards, and perhaps a dagger half-buried in the wood of a table. Typically fantasy set dressing.
But the item design tool in Tavern Keeper is so flexible that players have been creating some shockingly imaginative stuff. Case in point, this Dungeons & Dragons table created by Jolle that I spotted over on Reddit:
(...)
It's already pleasing to look at from a distance, with some papers, candles, and dice laid out as if a few halflings and orcs gathered for a campaign at their local pub. But zooming in on it reveals more and more detail. There isn't just dice, but D20s, D10s, and D4s. There's a little gaming board with figurines that include a dragon and several heroes—and the tiny figurines even have bases so they don't fall over, as they would. There are character sheets set out in front of three of the four seats at the table, and at the dungeon master's seat there's a DM privacy screen, a reference book, and other materials. Lovely!
>> The article has some screenshots, plus the code to import the item.

GAMING NEWS

Battlefield 6 Update 1.1.1.5 Released – Full Patch Notes
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/battlefield-6-update-1-1-1-5-released-full-patch-notes
DICE has just released Title Update 1.1.1.5 for Battlefield 6 and shared its full patch notes. So, let’s see what this new update brings to the table.

Tuesday gaming news, part two:

The Elder Scrolls 6 is 'Still a long ways off' says Todd Howard, but the slyboots says the Oblivion shadowdrop was 'A test run' and a select few have already played it
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/the-elder-scrolls/the-elder-scrolls-6-is-still-a-long-ways-off-says-todd-howard-but-the-slyboots-says-the-oblivion-shadowdrop-was-a-test-run-and-a-select-few-have-already-played-it/
Bethesda has all sorts of irons in the fire right now. There's the second season of the Fallout TV show on the horizon, a 10th-anniversary version of Fallout 4, whatever's happening with Starfield, and Fallout 76 and Elder Scrolls Online MMO stuff bubbling away contentedly in the background.
But more likely than not, all you want to know is what's going on with The Elder Scrolls 6. Well, great news: in a recent chat with GQ, Bethesda big boss Todd Howard said that "The Elder Scrolls 6 is the everyday thing" that its devs are working on right now.

'He was scared s***less': Baldur's Gate director was so panicked after playing Final Fantasy 7 that it changed the entire shape of Baldur's Gate 2 (and nearly every RPG since)
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/baldurs-gate/he-was-scared-s-less-baldurs-gate-director-was-so-panicked-after-playing-final-fantasy-7-that-it-changed-the-entire-shape-of-baldurs-gate-2-and-nearly-every-rpg-since/
I might be a Baldur's Gate 1 stan, but it's undeniable that Baldur's Gate 2 is the more important of BioWare's original duo of games. Heck, it created a mould for RPG design that studios still embrace today, at least in part. Just look at recent RPGs like Avowed or The Outer Worlds 2, and it won't take you long to find the BG2 DNA.
But BG2 didn't emerge in a vacuum, and in a recent chat with Slandered Gaming it emerged that—while we can thank BG2 for a lot of our favourite RPGs since—we have a whole other game to thank for BG2. That'd be Final Fantasy 7, which lit a fire under BG2 director James Ohlen to go all out with the game's structure and companions, per Trent Oster—who worked on the original Baldur's Gate and has since become CEO of Beamdog, the studio behind the BG1 and BG2 Enhanced Editions.

PC gaming's best free multiplayer shooter continues to be preposterously generous, with its latest update adding 50 new maps, custom music and more: 'We definitely want Straftat to live as long as possible'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/pc-gamings-best-free-multiplayer-shooter-continues-to-be-preposterously-generous-with-its-latest-update-adding-50-new-maps-custom-music-and-more-we-definitely-want-straftat-to-live-as-long-as-possible/
I'm beginning to grow concerned for Straftat creators the Lemaitre brothers. The rate at which they put out new levels for their brilliant small-scale FPS is simply not human. Have they been locked away against their will, forced to design levels by some crazed kidnapper with an unhealthy attachment to late nineties deathmatch? Or are they secretly some weird new type of game developing shark that dies if it stops mapping for more than a few seconds?
Whatever the reason, Straftat just got a whole lot bigger for the Nth time, with its 1.4.0 update adding over 50 new maps to the shooter. Titled the Bazaar update, the patch adds 24 maps appropriately themed around covered marketplaces, as well as 18 'basket' maps, 10 Hushardzan maps (I don't know what a hushardzan is, but it's fun to say), and four additional maps with no shared theme. Overall, there's 56 maps for you to blast up to three of your pals on. Double that number (minus the four random maps) if you own Straftat's DLC, which adds all the alternate versions of these maps.

Tailside: Cozy Cafe Sim kicks off Steam Animal Fest by announcing a winter release date and full mod support alongside a warm demo that's available to play now
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/life-sim/tailside-cozy-cafe-sim-kicks-off-steam-animal-fest-by-announcing-a-winter-release-date-and-full-mod-support-alongside-a-warm-demo-thats-available-to-play-now/
Often at the centre of a wholesome life-sim is a small business, where life slows down and you can enjoy the simple life while integrating yourself with a charming, tight knit community. Cafés and coffee shops symbolise the pinnacle of cosiness, and Tailside: Cozy Cafe Sim looks to be a warm hug against the bitter chill of winter, as you run a cafe with an array of appropriately rotund fluffy critters.
As Steam Animal Fest begins, Coffee Beans Dev has announced that Tailside: Cozy Cafe Sim will be launching on Steam January 21, 2026. According to the press release, you’ll be able to beat the blues by customising your pixel-art cafe across multiple rooms with "hundreds of customisation items", brew a variety of coffees, and create latte art.

A Dispatch sequel is a whole lot more likely now that Dispatch season 1 is such a big hit: 'We're going to have to at least think about season 2 now'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/adventure/a-dispatch-sequel-is-a-whole-lot-more-likely-now-that-dispatch-season-1-is-such-a-big-hit-were-going-to-have-to-at-least-think-about-season-2-now/
The superhero workplace comedy Dispatch is something of a surprise hit: A relic of the Telltale era (and made by a studio founded by Telltale veterans), it sold one million copies in just 10 days. And even though the first 'season' of Dispatch isn't fully released yet, that success has significantly boosted the possibility of a second season.

The Metal Gear resurgence continues with a Hayter-voiced Naked Snake coming to Delta Force
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/the-metal-gear-resurgence-continues-with-a-hayter-voiced-naked-snake-coming-to-delta-force/
After a long fallow period, Konami's back on the Metal Gear bandwagon in a big way. The Japanese publisher dipped its toes back in with Metal Gear Solid: The Master Collection Vol. 1 in 2023, which after a year of patches turned out pretty good, before this year brought the excellent remake Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater.
Now it's announced a new collaboration with Team Jade's F2P tactical shooter Delta Force that will see David Hayter once more voicing Naked Snake (MGS Delta's protagonist). Delta Force is a decent Battlefield-style shooter that PCG's Morgan Park liked well enough, even if the monetisation feels like staring into the void.

Diablo 4 devs refuse to hint at the next expansion but urge fans to watch The Game Awards this year: 'Everyone should be watching it'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/diablo-4-devs-refuse-to-hint-at-the-next-expansion-but-urge-fans-to-watch-the-game-awards-this-year-everyone-should-be-watching-it/
It's already been a little over a year since Diablo 4's first expansion, Vessel of Hatred. In that time, the game has gone through several seasons. And just like last time, it's about to make sweeping changes to loot that feel like table-setting for an expansion-level update.
(...)
In a recent interview with Diablo 4 streamer Rob2628, the developers gave a pretty clear hint on when the expansion news will finally arrive. Rob brought up an image recently datamined from the game that reads December 12 in Chinese, which happens to be the same day (taking time zones in account) as this year's The Game Awards show.

Silksong's disastrous Chinese translation has received an official fan-made overhaul, and it's just been pushed live on PC with Patch 4
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/silksongs-disastrous-chinese-translation-has-received-an-official-fan-made-overhaul-and-its-just-been-pushed-live-on-pc-with-patch-4/
When Silksong arrived in early September it was close to a perfect launch, save one glaring problem: Chinese players quickly cottoned on to some big issues with the Chinese translation, namely that it failed to capture the tone of the Hollow Knight universe. "This isn't about effort, but about taste and direction," an English-to-Chinese translator noted at the time. Another expert noted that its tone resembled "a high-school drama club's Elizabethan improv night."
That sounds pretty bad. As a result, Silksong's Steam rating briefly fell to "mostly negative", and ever since a fan group called Team Cart Fix has been working away in the background to improve the Chinese translation. The fruits of their labour have been available as an unofficial mod for a while, but now, in Silksong's new Patch 4, the work of Team Cart Fix has been officially implemented in the game.

Fully recovered from a messy year, Path of Exile 2's next update is still on track to fix its most glaring issues and, if we're lucky, debut a new class
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/fully-recovered-from-a-messy-year-path-of-exile-2s-next-update-is-still-on-track-to-fix-its-most-glaring-issues-and-if-were-lucky-debut-a-new-class/
The last update to Path of Exile 2 helped turn things around after developer Grinding Gear Games soured players with a gigantic pile of nerfs in the previous patch. It did not, however, include the new druid class that barely missed the deadline.
With Path of Exile 1's new Keepers of the Flame expansion going smoothly, GGG has dropped the first confirmation that the sequel's next update remains on track for next month. Patch 0.4.0 will be out in "early December," according to a post on the official forums. "We will reveal the livestream and release date very soon, so keep an eye on the news," it reads.

Fallout 4's Creations Bundle stumbles from the Vault to Mostly Negative reviews, as players lament the pack 'does not work' and 'made the game buggier'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/fallout-4s-creations-bundle-stumbles-from-the-vault-to-mostly-negative-reviews-as-players-lament-the-pack-does-not-work-and-made-the-game-buggier/
Bethesda released a Creations Bundle for Fallout 4 yesterday as part of its tenth anniversary celebrations, adding 150 player-created items for the not-so-low price of £17.99. Unfortunately, Bethesda appears to have dropped the birthday cake on its way to the party, as players report some pretty serious issues with the Creation Bundle and its contents.
>> Speaking about Fallout 4, in that same interview from the earlier article, Todd Howard also said that the cinematic dialogue system from Fallout 4 “didn’t resonate with players” (link).

And here’s part three:

Bandai Namco leads the way in game and entertainment patents in Japan, taking the crown from Sony Interactive Entertainment
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/bandai-namco-leads-the-way-in-game-and-entertainment-patents-in-japan-taking-the-crown-from-sony-interactive-entertainment/
A Japanese analytics agency, Patent Result, has published this year's rankings of domestic game and entertainment companies by the 'strength' of patents they hold, via Automaton. Patent Result values a company's quality over quantity and the strength of the ideas being brought to the table, so the ranking is based on both "the quantity and relevance of their patents".

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is bringing back some iconic maps from Black Ops 2 for Endgame: 'You might even find a little piece of Hazard'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/call-of-duty/call-of-duty-black-ops-7-is-bringing-back-some-iconic-maps-from-black-ops-2-for-endgame-you-might-even-find-a-little-piece-of-hazard/
We have T-minus three days until Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 releases. Players have been gnawing at the bars of their enclosure to get back into the fray since the beta ended over a month ago, so I'm sure it'll come as a relief to many.
But there's not just a new multiplayer and campaign for players to look forward to—this time, Treyarch is also introducing Endgame.

CD Projekt struggled to sell partners on The Witcher 3 because its gameplay was 'pretty standard' and they didn't believe it could combine storytelling with a cinematic open world
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/the-witcher/cd-projekt-struggled-to-sell-partners-on-the-witcher-3-because-its-gameplay-was-pretty-standard-and-they-didnt-believe-it-could-combine-storytelling-with-a-cinematic-open-world/
It's hard to imagine anyone not having faith in The Witcher 3, an RPG that has dominated the genre for the last decade. But that was the situation CD Projekt found itself in when it was trying to sell the idea to prospective partners during development.
Despite finding success with the original Witcher and its follow-up, The Witcher 3 was grander, more ambitious and certainly more expensive to put together. And not everyone was convinced a story-driven open world was going to work.
>> He also recons how he made the life of the team members harder because he pointed out that if there was water, they had to add swimming and underwater locations (link).

CD Projekt's co-CEO says The Witcher 2's momentous midgame choice was an 'experiment' and now regards it as a 'waste of resources'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/cd-projekts-co-ceo-says-the-witcher-2s-momentous-midgame-choice-was-an-experiment-and-now-regards-it-as-a-waste-of-resources/
While it has long been overshadowed by The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt's gargantuan success, The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings remains a great RPG in its own right. In fact, in some ways it was more daring and ambitious than its bigger, beardier brother.
Most notably, none of the decisions you make in the Witcher 3 are as momentous as the game-changing choice at the heart The Witcher 2, where choosing to help one of two characters in a fight led to a second act viewed from completely different perspectives. Roughly 90% of The Witcher 2's second-act strands are unique, each with its own locations, key characters, and quests.
I've always wondered if CD Projekt will commit so wholly to an in-game decision again. But according to CD Projekt's co-CEO Adam Badowski, such an eventuality is unlikely.

CD Projekt Red just bagged one of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2's lead designers for The Witcher 4 and suddenly I'm far more interested in Ciri's upcoming adventure
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/cd-projekt-red-just-bagged-one-of-kingdom-come-deliverance-2s-lead-designers-for-the-witcher-4-and-suddenly-im-far-more-interested-in-ciris-upcoming-adventure/
I am approximately eight months late to the Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 party but I am having an absolute whale of a time so far. It's both obtuse and devilishly moreish in a way that caused me to sink 20 hours into the thing in just two days, and I haven't felt this much comfort from videogame jank since I first popped a copy of Skyrim into my Xbox 360 instead of going to school.
It's managed to get its hooks into me far more than The Witcher 3 ever did despite my repeated attempts to love the game (sorry to our unofficial PC Gamer mascot Geralt of Rivia) but I'm certainly far more interested in the upcoming The Witcher 4 now that CD Projekt Red has managed to scoop up some major talent from KCD2 developer Warhorse.

'We want skate to be great': Full Circle is handing out condolence rewards to players affected by game-breaking bugs, but still hasn't actually fixed them
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/sports/we-want-skate-to-be-great-full-circle-is-handing-out-condolence-rewards-to-players-affected-by-game-breaking-bugs-but-still-hasnt-actually-fixed-them/
It's been nearly two months since skate dropped in Early Access, and it hasn't exactly been the seamless skating experience a lot of us expected. Between bugs turning your character into a lump of voxels and making any tricks impossible, to progression issues that stunt your growth as San Vansterdam's greatest skater, it's safe to say that skate has plenty of creases that the developers are desperately trying to iron out.
However, to thank the millions of people who have been jumping in, the team shared in a blog post that each player can expect a decent number of rewards. This includes 2000 Tix to unlock rewards in the battle pass and 500 SVBs to spend on whatever cosmetics you fancy for your character and board in the in-game store. The only catch is that the Tix needs to be used on the battle pass before the end of Season 1, which concludes in the first week of December.

'No one truly knows what kind of game will succeed': Former PlayStation boss says that bigger companies should 'invest in smaller, experimental projects' to promote creativity
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/no-one-truly-knows-what-kind-of-game-will-succeed-former-playstation-boss-says-that-bigger-companies-should-invest-in-smaller-experimental-projects-to-promote-creativity/
Ex-Sony Interactive Entertainment head honcho Shuhei Yoshida thinks that bigger companies should do more to invest in "smaller, experimental projects" because at the end of the day, nobody really knows what kind of games are going to pop off with the masses.
>> He also talked about the Korean indie scene and how Stellar Blade has impacted their confidence (link).

Minecraft's Mounts of Mayhem update will include Netherite horse armor, which still won't convince me to take my noble steed to the Nether but is a nice touch
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/survival-crafting/minecrafts-mounts-of-mayhem-update-will-include-netherite-horse-armor-which-still-wont-convince-me-to-take-my-noble-steed-to-the-nether-but-is-a-nice-touch/
Taming a horse in Minecraft is one thing, but trusting yourself not to kill it while you're out adventuring is another. As much as I love the convenience of not having to carry myself across the overworld by foot, the stress I feel each time I misjudge a jump and end up falling into a hole or ravine, or being stuck outside as it starts getting dark, definitely makes me question why I wanted a horse in the first place. For clumsy people like me, horse armor is a must for keeping my mount safe. But no amount of armor could convince me to take my noble steed to the Nether.
Minecraft's next game drop, Mounts of Mayhem, is going to tempt me to try riding my horse into the underworld with new Netherite Horse armor. Similar to the Netherite tool set and the human Netherite armor, it'll beat diamond as the strongest material. Lava is my mortal nemesis, which is a feeling reciprocated by many, but this could be the convincing I need to feel a little more confident in my ability to take my horse to battle with hordes of zombies and make it home in one piece. I can't guarantee it though.

Phasmophobia's latest update introduces a spooky diner, bringing the game one step closer to its 1.0 launch
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/horror/phasmophobias-latest-update-introduces-a-spooky-diner-bringing-the-game-one-step-closer-to-its-1-0-launch/
Between staying up all night, trudging endlessly through potentially haunted rooms, and having your dinner scared out of you by some spectral horror, ghost hunting is hungry work. So it's little wonder that the next stop for Phasmophobia's spook sleuths is an all-American diner. Gastronomic pitstop Nell's Diner is the latest map added to Kinetic Games' supernatural sensation, and you can take a seat in one of its haunted booths right now.

I didn't see it while checking the deals earlier, but Hypetrain is giving away the game 12 is Better Than 6 until the 13th of November: https://store.steampowered.com/app/410110/12_is_Better_Than_6

AMD lists “Next-Gen AI & Raytracing” for future Radeon GPUs, confirms Ryzen “Gorgon” and Zen6 “Medusa”

https://videocardz.com/newz/amd-lists-next-gen-ai-raytracing-for-future-radeon-gpus-confirms-ryzen-gorgon-and-zen6-medusa

AMD presents new Zen CPU roadmap, confirms Zen 7 with new matrix engine

https://videocardz.com/newz/amd-presents-new-zen-cpu-roadmap-confirms-zen-7-with-new-matrix-engine

MSI RTX 5070 Ti falls to $730 at Newegg, now below NVIDIA MSRP

https://videocardz.com/newz/msi-rtx-5070-ti-falls-to-730-at-newegg-now-below-nvidia-msrp

AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D launches at $269, 6-core CPU with 3D V-Cache is 13% faster than Core Ultra 245KF in gaming

https://videocardz.com/newz/amd-ryzen-5-7500x3d-launches-at-269-6-core-cpu-with-3d-v-cache-is-13-faster-than-core-ultra-245kf-in-gaming

Repair tech replaces 16-pin connector with thicker pins to fix RTX 5090 melting issues

https://videocardz.com/newz/repair-tech-replaces-16-pin-connector-with-thicker-pins-to-fix-rtx-5090-melting-issues

GPD Win 5 Ryzen AI MAX+ 395 gaming handheld confirmed with 128GB option and white chassis

https://videocardz.com/newz/gpd-win-5-ryzen-ai-max-395-gaming-handheld-confirmed-with-128gb-option-and-white-chassis

Modders created a tool to enable Xbox Full Screen Experience on unsupported Windows handhelds

https://videocardz.com/newz/modders-created-a-tool-to-enable-xbox-full-screen-experience-on-unsupported-windows-handhelds

Valve engineer who keeps decade-old Radeon GPUs alive on Linux, now pushes for AMDGPU to become the default driver

https://videocardz.com/newz/valve-engineer-who-keeps-decade-old-radeon-gpus-alive-on-linux-now-pushes-for-amdgpu-to-become-the-default-driver

Intel Panther Lake Compute Tile Gets Close Up Die Shot, First 18A Product For Client With 16 Next-Gen Cougar Cove P-Cores & Darkmont E-Cores

https://wccftech.com/intel-panther-lake-compute-tile-die-shot-18a-next-gen-cougar-cove-p-darkmont-e-cores/

AMD All-Set To Battle NVIDIA’s AI Dominance With Instinct MI400 “MI455X & MI430X” Accelerators In 2026, MI500 Is The Next Big Leap For 2027

https://wccftech.com/amd-to-battle-nvidia-ai-dominance-instinct-mi400-accelerators-2026-mi500-2027/

27″ PlayStation Gaming Monitor Announced, Will Launch Next Year in the US and Japan

https://wccftech.com/27-inch-playstation-gaming-monitor-announced-will-launch-next-year/

CPU Shipments Saw Noticeable Growth In Third Quarter, Mostly Due To Windows 10 EOL

https://wccftech.com/cpu-shipments-saw-noticeable-growth-q3-2025-mostly-due-to-windows-10-eol/

Today’s gaming news:

SALES/PLAYER COUNTS & DEALS

Arc Raiders sells 4 million copies, making it 'the most successful global launch in Nexon's history'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/arc-raiders-sells-4-million-copies-making-it-the-most-successful-global-launch-in-nexons-history/
You've probably already heard, what with all the glowing coverage and the 700,000 concurrent players it racked up last weekend, but Arc Raiders is a hit. And not just a hit: Nexon, the parent company of Arc Raiders developer Embark Studios, says it's the most successful launch in the company's history.
Confirmation of Arc's big hitness comes from Nexon's Q3 2025 earnings report, in which Nexon president and CEO Junghun Lee said the game "is the most successful global launch in Nexon's history—an extraordinary achievement for an all-new IP."
"Backed by a pipeline of fresh content that extends through 2026, we believe Arc Raiders could become an enduring contributor to Nexon's portfolio of blockbuster global franchises," Lee added.
The raves continued in a separate earnings letter, which came complete with the Arc Raiders logo plastered across the top, in case anyone missed the point.
"Nexon's Embark Studios executed a powerful launch, sustaining the #1 ranking on Steam's Global Top Sellers list," the letter states. "To date, the game has sold 4 million copies and reached more than 700,000 concurrent players across all platforms. The game received widespread acclaim from both players and critics, earning a 'Very Positive' rating on Steam and ranking among the highest-rated titles of the year on various sites.

GOG has three new sales/promos for us:

• To celebrate the first year of its GOG Preservation Program, they’ve launched the GPP Promo, with up to 85% discounts during 7 days: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/20251112_gpp_promo
• Devolver Publisher Sale has games up to 90% off during 7 days: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/20251112_devolver_publisher_sale
• And there’s the new Weekly Deals, with up to 90% discounts for the next 7 days: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/20251112_weekly_deals_2_november

Steam has four new deals and no new sales:

• Savara, that has a demo, will be 50% off until the 18th of November: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3021630/Savara
• Super Bunny Man gets a 50% discount until November 25: https://store.steampowered.com/app/673750/Super_Bunny_Man
• Dome Keeper , that also has a demo, is going to be 60% off until the 25th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1637320/Dome_Keeper
• And Roguebook will have a 90% off until Tuesday, the 25th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1076200/Roguebook

Fanatical has new Flash Deals and a bundle:

• These are the new 24h Flash Deals:
  • Suikoden I&II HD Remaster Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars has a 42% discount: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/suikoden-iandii-hd-remaster-gate-rune-and-dunan-unification-wars
  • Sniper Elite: Resistance Deluxe Edition is 50% off: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/sniper-elite-resistance-deluxe-edition
  • Tales of Graces™f Remastered features a 59% discount: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/tales-of-gracesf-remastered
• The Mystery Showcase Bundle has 6 unknown games to get during an unknown amount of time: https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/mystery-showcase-bundle

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

-Empty-

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

Dark Souls 3 Just Got An Incredible Sekiro-like Deflection Mod
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/dark-souls-3-just-got-an-incredible-sekiro-like-deflection-mod
Dark Souls fans, here is something really cool for you today. Modder ‘VIZZO’ has released a mod that introduces a Sekiro-like deflection mechanic to the game. This mod will change the way you fight your enemies. Thus, I only recommend using it if you’ve already mastered the game’s vanilla combat mechanics.
Deflecting attacks doesn’t use up stamina and keeps you from taking damage. The mechanic is timing-based when entering guard. It’s tricky to master but worth it, since perfect deflections can break your enemy’s guard. How many deflections you need depends on the enemy’s health. Weak enemies might need only two, while tougher ones, like Gundyr, can take more than ten deflections before their guard breaks.
>> The article has a 30 seconds video of the mod.

This Minecraft mod lets you command Steve to do whatever you want, which means no more strip mining or wood gathering ever again
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/survival-crafting/this-minecraft-mod-lets-you-command-steve-to-do-whatever-you-want-which-means-no-more-strip-mining-or-wood-gathering-ever-again/
As much as I love starting a new Minecraft world, it can be a little bit of a slog. I've spent more hours than I like to admit punching trees and building 4x4 dirt huts to call home. So, if there was a way to get this process streamlined for me, I'd probably jump at the chance. This is why the creation of Steve, a mod that implements AI "agents" powered by systems like OpenAI and Gemini into the game, could be the best friend of players in need of an extra pair of hands.
Created by YuvDwi and shared on GitHub, the Steve mod is pretty straightforward to understand. Essentially, it adds LLM-powered AI agents directly into Minecraft, which respond to your commands and play alongside you. This means you'll have a gaggle of Steves to boss around and ask to do tasks you simply cannot be bothered to do, or the ones you need some extra help with, like culling a bunch of sheep or mining for a specific resource.
As stated in the mod's description, the agents "aren't following predefined scripts" either. Instead, they're "operating off natural language instructions", which allows you to basically talk to them as if you were playing with friends, minus the inevitable argument when someone is sent to go and gather nothing but stone for hours on end.
What's even more interesting is that you can have multiple agents active as well, and ask them to do different things. They'll even go as far as coordinating with one another to create a streamlined workload rather than one agent taking on the bulk. The example given in the description states that if you "tell three agents to build a castle, they'll automatically partition the structure, divide sections among themselves, and parallelise the construction." Something my pals and I could never do.
As helpful as it would be, though, I'm not sure I'm ready for an AI agent to build a house in no time at all, which puts my mud hut routine to shame. If someone asks me to build a place to live, it needs to take at least a few hours for it to be barely livable, let alone pretty. Though this mod could be a fantastic tool for people who build entire cities in their worlds. It'll certainly take the strain off having to gather all of those resources at least.
>> The article doesn’t have any media about the mod.

GAMING NEWS

FATAL FRAME II: Crimson Butterfly Remake Releases On March 12th
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/fatal-frame-ii-crimson-butterfly-remake-releases-on-march-12th
KOEI Tecmo announced that FATAL FRAME II: Crimson Butterfly Remake will be released on March 12th, 2026. To celebrate this announcement, the team shared a new trailer that you can find below. This new in-engine trailer shows off some of the game’s locations and characters.

Dragon Quest VII Reimagined Gets New Trailer
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/dragon-quest-vii-reimagined-gets-new-trailer
Square Enix has released a new trailer for Dragon Quest VII Reimagined. This new in-engine trailer showcases some of the game’s environments and characters. It will also give you a glimpse at the new chapter in which you’ll have an adult Kiefer.

OCTOPATH TRAVELER 0 Gets Official Story Trailer
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/octopath-traveler-0-gets-official-story-trailer
Square Enix has released the official story trailer for OCTOPATH TRAVELER 0. The publisher has also announced that a demo is available on PS5 and PS4. At the time of writing, the demo is not available on PC. So, I don’t know if it is exclusive to Sony’s consoles.

The Outer Worlds 2 Update 1.0.5.0 Released, Featuring Over 360 Fixes & Tweaks – Full Patch Notes
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/the-outer-worlds-2-update-1-0-5-0-released-featuring-over-360-fixes-tweaks-full-patch-notes
Obsidian Entertainment has released Title Update 1.0.5.0 for The Outer Worlds 2 and shared its full patch notes. So, let’s see what this new update brings to the table.

The second part of the gaming news:

As Kingdom Come Deliverance 2's latest DLC launches, Warhorse reveals its grand plan for the future: 'We want to establish ourselves as the new kings of RPGs'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/as-kingdom-come-deliverance-2s-latest-dlc-launches-warhorse-reveals-its-grand-plan-for-the-future-we-want-to-establish-ourselves-as-the-new-kings-of-rpgs/
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 was a huge improvement over the original, earning an impressive score of 90 from Joshua Wolens in our Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 review. But developer Warhorse Studios isn't satisfied with making one of the best games of 2025, planning nothing less than to claim the RPG throne for themselves.
Speaking at a preview event for KCD 2's upcoming Mysteria Ecclesiae DLC (via GamesRadar) communications director Tobias Stolz-Zwilling laid out Warhorse's battle plan. "We, at Warhorse Studios, absolutely feel at home in the RPG genre. We want to establish ourselves as the new kings of RPGs."

CD Projekt 'hacked time and space' to cast Charles Dance in The Witcher 3, because they needed an announcement before the countdown on their website reached zero
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/the-witcher/cd-projekt-hacked-time-and-space-to-cast-charles-dance-in-the-witcher-3-because-they-needed-an-announcement-before-the-countdown-on-their-website-reached-zero/
On August 14, 2013, CD Projekt announced that veteran British actor and screenwriter Charles Dance (Dracula, Game of Thrones, The Crown) would be playing the ruthless Nilfgaardian Emperor Emhyr var Emreis—an impressive addition to The Witcher 3 cast and a role that fit Dance like a glove. At that time his character Tywin Lannister was a fan favourite for viewers of Game of Thrones, and hadn't yet been unceremoniously killed off while on the privy. Life was good.
The announcement contained a quote from Marcin Blacha, lead writer on The Witcher 3, expressing that it was a "dream come true for the team here at Red to be able to work with such an accomplished actor and magnetic personality." But according to CD Projekt's English adaptation director, Borys Pugacz-Muraszkiewicz, getting Dance on board was akin to diffusing a ticking time bomb.
>> Speaking about Game of Thrones, CDPR was also thankful that it made dark fantasy popular (link).

Welp, says Sony, sure looks like buying Bungie didn't work out
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/welp-says-sony-sure-looks-like-buying-bungie-didnt-work-out/
Bungie's been having a rough old time ever since its 2022 acquisition by Sony: there have been multiple rounds of layoffs, a delay to the seemingly ill-fated extraction shooter Marathon, and then earlier this year a report quoting employees as saying morale is in "free fall." Well, the latest out of Sony isn't going to help that.
In its latest financial report Sony says that Bungie has failed to meet targets and Destiny 2 is underperforming (thanks, IGN). The report includes a 31.5 billion yen (approx. $204.2 million) "impairment loss" that it attributes to Destiny 2 failing to hit targets, (...)
>> We all know they paid too much for Bungie.

Marvel Rivals is adding a 'non-combat map' where players can 'hang out, dance, watch videos, read books, and let your imagination run wild'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/marvel-rivals-is-adding-a-non-combat-map-where-players-can-hang-out-dance-watch-videos-read-books-and-let-your-imagination-run-wild/
Marvel Rivals season 5 is set to go live on November 14, and yes, Gambit and Rogue—Mr. and Mrs. X, as Guangguang, aka creative director Guangyun Chen, describes them—are finally set to take their place in the lineup. But more interesting to me is the addition of a new map based on New York's Times Square, which will be a "non-combat map" where people can just hang out and be cool.

'I think we're in the fight of our lives': Fired Rockstar employees and IWGB are confident the GTA 6 developer will be held accountable for its alleged union busting
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/i-think-were-in-the-fight-of-our-lives-fired-rockstar-employees-and-iwgb-are-confident-the-gta-6-developer-will-be-held-accountable-for-its-alleged-union-busting/
The fallout from Rockstar's firing of over 30 employees last week continues as workers gather outside the offices in protest of what the Independent Workers' of Great Britain (IWGB) union alleges was a "brazen" act of union busting. YouTube channel People Make Games spoke with some of the developers and IWGB organizers about how they're fighting back against the Grand Theft Auto 6 developer and what happens next.

'Every game company is now using AI': Nexon's CEO defends the use of generative AI in game development in the wake of Arc Raiders' controversy
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/every-game-company-is-now-using-ai-nexons-ceo-defends-the-use-of-generative-ai-in-game-development-in-the-wake-of-arc-raiders-controversy/
Arc Raiders has taken the gamers by storm, achieving more than 700,000 concurrent players over the weekend, beating Helldivers 2's player record, and just generally proving that extraction shooters can indeed be fun. But all of these successes have unfortunately been mired by Embark Studio's use of generative AI for its voice acting.
To this end, Nexon's CEO Junghun Lee recently addressed Nexon's projects (which include Embark's The Finals and Arc Raiders) and his stance on using AI in making videogames in an interview with Game*Spark (via Automaton): "First of all, I think it’s important to assume that every game company is now using AI. But if everyone is working with the same or similar technologies, the real question becomes: how do you survive? I believe it’s important to choose a strategy that increases your competitiveness."
>> Saying those kinds of things don’t help his case because: A) The assumption that everyone uses it is wrong; and B) Even those that use it, don’t use for the same thing as them.

Epic Games boss Tim Sweeney wades into the Arc Raiders AI voice debate with an imaginary scenario predicting 'infinite, context-sensitive, personality-reflecting dialog based on and tuned by human voice actors'
https://www.pcgamer.com/software/ai/epic-games-boss-tim-sweeney-wades-into-the-arc-raiders-ai-voice-debate-with-an-imaginary-scenario-predicting-infinite-context-sensitive-personality-reflecting-dialog-based-on-and-tuned-by-human-voice-actors/
Epic Games boss Tim Sweeney has waded into the furor over the use of generative AI for videogame voices, saying the technology presents an "opportunity for in-game voice and voice actors," with games that could potentially have "infinite, context-sensitive, personality-reflecting dialog based on and tuned by human voice actors."

Elden Ring Nightreign DLC is hot dropping with new bosses and characters right before the end of the year
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/elden-ring-nightreign-dlc-is-hot-dropping-with-new-bosses-and-characters-right-before-the-end-of-the-year/
The time has come for Elden Ring Nightreign's DLC. FromSoftware dropped a jam-packed trailer at Sony's State of Play today that has glimpses of a transformed map, new characters, new bosses, and enemies returning from the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC.

Coffee Talk will open the doors to its next instalment on March 5, taking us to the series' most exciting location yet
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/sim/coffee-talk-will-open-the-doors-to-its-next-instalment-on-march-5-taking-us-to-the-series-most-exciting-location-yet/
There comes a time in your life when all you can think about is packing up your belongings, moving to a new place, and opening a coffee shop. It sounds like the kind of thing I'd persuade myself everyone feels when in reality that's just not the case, but the love for the Coffee Talk series suggests otherwise. This set of comforting, coffee shop simulators lets you live out this fantasy, master the wizardry of latte art, all while befriending your customers and unravelling their stories along the way.
However, the next chapter of the Coffee Talk series will whisk us to a much more lively location: the bustling city of Tokyo. And, as announced during the State of Play on November 11, we can expect to embark on this all-new adventure on March 5. But despite its busy setting, Coffee Talk Tokyo will still offer "a cosy place to be" for anyone who passes through its doors, which is bound to be a welcome relief in a virtual rendition of the most populated city in the world.

Monster Hunter Wilds' first Elder Dragon is finally landing in December along with some much-needed optimisation focused on reducing the game's ridiculous load on our poor CPUs
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/monster-hunter-wilds-first-elder-dragon-is-finally-landing-in-december-along-with-some-much-needed-optimisation-focused-on-reducing-the-games-ridiculous-load-on-our-poor-cpus/
Capcom has revealed when we'll finally be able to take on our first Elder Dragon in Monster Hunter Wilds during this week's State of Play Japan, though I'm more interested in the mysterious performance improvements the developer is promising will arrive along with it.

And the third part:

InKonbini, the first-person Japanese convenience store sim, changed my perspective on customer service, and you can join me stacking shelves in the free demo
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/inkonbini-places-you-at-the-core-of-japanese-daily-life-and-changed-my-perspective-on-customer-service/
The convenience store—konbini—is at the centre of daily life in Japan; it's not just a place you just leg it down the road to in an emergency when you've run out of milk. They have everything you could possibly need to get through the day, from some of the best snacks you never knew you needed to delicious counter food like the renowned Famichiki.
Last night's State of Play trailer for inKnobini: One store. Many stories renewed the excitement I felt after playing inKonbini's short demo over the summer. Set in '90s rural Japan, it captures the unique energy Japanese convenience stores have—there's a sense of care and reverence to truly provide a service to the community. I wouldn't want to do a Tesco simulator, but this, I like.

Former Bungie director thinks the term extraction shooter is 'so dumb' that he wanted to work with Marathon's marketing team to 'create a different genre name'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/former-bungie-director-thinks-the-term-extraction-shooter-is-so-dumb-that-he-wanted-to-work-with-marathons-marketing-team-to-create-a-different-genre-name/
Bungie's next game, the troubled reboot of Marathon, is most easily described as an extraction shooter—currently the hottest genre on the planet due to the enormous success of Arc Raiders. But if one former Bungie developer had got his way, Marathon wouldn't be an extraction shooter. Not because he would have made the game differently, but because he hated the term so much, he wanted to change it.

Embark is about to drop a new Arc Raiders map, but first we have to unlock it together in a Helldivers 2-style community event
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/embark-is-about-to-drop-a-new-arc-raiders-map-but-first-we-have-to-unlock-it-together-in-a-helldivers-2-style-community-event/
Over 32 hours with Arc Raiders, I have explored maybe 50% of its four launch maps. My friends recently gave me the grand tour of Blue Gate's elaborate southern tunnel system, a thing that I did not know existed because I spent hours picking olives on the surface. But because there ain't no rest for a raider, Embark is gearing up to release Arc Raiders' first post-release map, that curious little place called "Stella Montis" that's been inaccessible but visible since the start.
But it won't be as simple as logging in and checking out the new digs. Following in the style of Helldivers 2, Stella Montis can only be unlocked through a community event that kicks off with the update. Called "Breaking New Grounds," the community quest challenges raiders who've "who’ve battled through at least a few rounds" to "join forces to help Speranza rebuild the tunnels connecting to Stella Montis."
>> On another note: Here’s a trick to farm a robot for endgame gear and experience (link). And here are some things Embark has been working on for the game, like duo matchmaking or cuting the price of cosmetics (link).

A multiplayer wuxia RPG releasing this week has a whopping 10 million pre-registrations, and it might just fill that hole in your heart where a new MMO ought to be
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/mmo/a-multiplayer-wuxia-rpg-releasing-this-week-has-a-whopping-10-million-pre-registrations-and-it-might-just-fill-that-hole-in-your-heart-where-a-new-mmo-ought-to-be/
It’s been too long since I’ve felt the rush of excitement that comes with a new MMO launch. Millions piling into woefully unprepared servers, trying and failing to get my bearings in a sea of usernames, and the rare joy of playing an online RPG before the community has figured out the tier list placement of every last pixel. Where Winds Meet is not quite an MMO, but it has a lot of the associated hallmarks—guilds, dungeons, raids, PvP, and a huge audience waiting to get in.
As the game’s official X account announced Monday, that audience has brought the game to a soaring high of 10 million pre-registrations before the game’s launch on, Nov. 13. While there’s a big singleplayer component to the wuxia RPG, it can also be played in four-player co-op as well as in "a shared, evolving world with thousands of fellow adventurers," according to the Steam page.

Steam Machine with SteamOS announced, features six-core Zen4 CPU, RDNA3 GPU with 28CUs

https://videocardz.com/newz/steam-machine-with-steamos-announced-features-six-core-zen4-cpu-rdna3-gpu-with-28cus

Valve and their shadow drops man

And a VR headset as well

https://store.steampowered.com/sale/steamframe

Didn't watch DF video yet, but what I was waiting for is finally true - SteamOS on ARM64 (Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in Frame).

This will most likely be a big disruption in handheld market...