Friday gaming news, the long and final part two:
Assassin's Creed Shadows has no plans for more expansions like Claws of Awaji, a first for the series in its modern form
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/assassins-creed/assassins-creed-shadows-has-no-plans-for-more-expansions-like-claws-of-awaji-a-first-for-the-series-in-its-modern-form/
Assassin's Creed Shadows got its first expansion in September: Claws of Awaji. Bringing a new region, new storyline, and new icons to sprawl your objective board out even further, it was a meaty chunk of game in the vein of AC DLCs that went before it—Wrath of the Druids and Siege of Paris for Valhalla, or Fate of Atlantis and Legacy of the First Blade for Odyssey.
Those of you hip to pattern recognition might note that those predecessor games seemed to get multiple expansions (Origins, likewise, got multiple), but it seems that won't be the case for Shadows. In a chat with JorRaptor (via IGN), the game's associate director Simon Lemay-Comtois said that, "at this moment for Year Two, there is no expansion on the size of Awaji that is planned, currently." Which is a tad surprising, given Ubisoft's recent statement that the game is "Overperforming" against its expectations.
Sorry folks, but CD Projekt says it's not going to surprise us with any breathtaking Witcher 4 moments at The Game Awards
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/sorry-folks-but-cd-projekt-says-its-not-going-to-surprise-us-with-any-breathtaking-witcher-4-moments-at-the-game-awards/
The Game Awards are once again bearing down on us, bringing with it the usual year-ending slurry of announcements, trailers, random bits of awkwardness, and other such surprises as God and Geoff see fit. Oh, and some awards too, scattered here and there amidst the sound and fury, including one for Most Anticipated Game.
(...)
"I'm very happy to see The Witcher 4 nominated in the Most Anticipated Game category at The Game Awards," CD Projekt co-CEO Michał Nowakowski wrote on X. "Thanks to everyone who has already voted—your support means a lot to us. We won't be bringing any new content to TGA this year, but we're, as always, excited to watch the show and celebrate this amazing industry's great night alongside all of you."
Destiny 2 director doesn't want it to 'be a dead live game', as the ailing shooter stares down the barrel of fan outrage: 'We want to keep building Destiny'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/destiny-2-director-doesnt-want-it-to-be-a-dead-live-game-as-the-ailing-shooter-stares-down-the-barrel-of-fan-outrage-we-want-to-keep-building-destiny/
Destiny 2's had a bad go of it in 2025. I've only been watching from the sidelines, but you only have to listen to PC Gamer's resident D2 enjoyer (well, not so much, recently) Phil Savage in his tear-down of the game's portal update to get a sense of what's gone wrong:
"The new version of the game feels designed for no-one; a boardroom idea of player engagement and monthly active users given life, existing in stark contrast to what any Destiny 2 player actually wanted." Oof.
(...)
A light at the end of the tunnel seems to be that Destiny 2's developers have taken notice of the fan outrage. Both in prior community posts, and in a recent interview with IGN. Game director Tyson Green tells the site that while The Final Shape was meant to put a capstone on the saga, it wasn't intended to be closing time for ol' D2.
Arc Raiders' latest patch has fixed the infamous door glitch by turning rooms into ovens and cooking cheaters alive, all while sneaking in a new Stella Montis modifier
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/arc-raiders-latest-patch-has-fixed-the-infamous-door-glitch-by-turning-rooms-into-ovens-and-cooking-cheaters-alive-all-while-sneaking-in-a-new-stella-montis-modifier/
A few weeks ago, some players discovered a glitch that could get you through locked doors in Arc Raiders, whether it be by using a barricade in solos or jumping on your friend's head in squads. But the reign of getting through locked doors without a key has finally come to an end in the latest patch.
It took a full 10 years but one of Ubisoft's most popular games finally has achievements on Steam
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/it-took-a-full-10-years-but-one-of-ubisofts-most-popular-games-finally-has-achievements-on-steam/
"Rainbow Six Siege has Steam achievements" may not immediately strike you as the most interesting news ever, but it is interesting for one simple reason: It took 10 years—an entire decade—to happen.
This FPS is basically Spongebob meets Duke Nukem, and it's only $10 on Steam
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/this-fps-is-basically-spongebob-meets-duke-nukem-and-its-only-usd10-on-steam/
Captain Wayne - Vacation Desperation is a funky, offbeat shooter made in the Doom engine that I've been looking forward to since trying it's demo over two and a half years ago. Its launch has come with an added pleasant surprise as well: The full game, including a campaign and endless horde mode, is available on Steam for only $10.
Fortnite's Kill Bill collaboration censors the Pussy Wagon, because I guess you can't say 'Pussy Wagon' in Fortnite
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/battle-royale/fortnites-kill-bill-collaboration-censors-the-pussy-wagon-because-i-guess-you-cant-say-pussy-wagon-in-fortnite/
We learned last week that the realm of Fortnite, the real 'everything app,' will be expanding its borders even further through the adoption of Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill—specifically an "unfilmed scene" entitled The Lost Chapter: Yuki’s Revenge. A colorful videogame filled with cartoonish characters struck me as an odd thing to mash up with Tarantino's signature violence and profanity, but now we've got a brief teaser giving us a better idea of what's in store, and I have to be honest: I was absolutely correct.
(...)
The first thing I noticed in the teaser is a change to the Pussy Wagon, the famous vehicle driven in the film by Buck, who's here to converse with patients at a safe and respectful distance. It's been, you might say, Fortnite-ified.
>> They’ve replaced the word pussy with a picture of a cat.
Clair Obscur creative director says he knew the game was going to be 'cool,' but he really didn't expect it to be so 'big'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/clair-obscur-creative-director-says-he-knew-the-game-was-going-to-be-cool-but-he-really-didnt-expect-it-to-be-so-big/
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is big. It's sold more than five million copies so far, and it dominated the Golden Joystick awards, matching the record set in 2023 by Baldur's Gate 3 (which was also big). But in a post-Golden Joysticks interview with Radio Times Gaming (via GamesRadar), creative director Guillaume Broche said he didn't think big was ever really in the cards.
>> It’s interesting how much PCGamer praises a game they gave a 70 in their review (link), right?
Ring-a-ding-ding! A Fallout: New Vegas beta full of cut content has been unearthed
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/ring-a-ding-ding-a-fallout-new-vegas-beta-full-of-cut-content-has-been-unearthed/
A brand new YouTube channel called Games' Past dedicated to unearthing prototypes and canceled videogames has kicked things off with a humdinger of a find. It's a pre-release build of Fallout: New Vegas from a month before it went on sale, one that's two gigabytes larger than the final version and jammed full of things that were ultimately cut or altered from the New Vegas that arrived on shelves in 2010.
Last Epoch players turn on the action RPG for announcing a paid DLC class, tanking its Steam reviews: 'go play Path of Exile instead'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/last-epoch-players-turn-on-the-action-rpg-for-announcing-a-paid-dlc-class-tanking-its-steam-reviews-go-play-path-of-exile-instead/
Since it was bought by Krafton in July, players have been looking at Last Epoch developer Eleventh Hour Games with a worried expression. Will the formerly independent studio pivot to AI, or be gutted like Subnautica developer Unknown Worlds was?
No, said founder Judd Cobler, and it won't be charging money for Last Epoch's upcoming expansion Orobyss either, so don't you worry about that. It will, however, be charging money for the first of several new "Paradox Classes" coming out alongside it.
This is despite the fact that, when it was Kickstarted, Last Epoch promised, "The only form of real money microtransactions Last Epoch will ever have are cosmetic" and a "one-time payment will be all that a player will have to spend to have the complete Last Epoch experience and be on the same footing as other players."
Lies of P director says 'I will not disappoint you' when it comes to the sequel, and after playing its award-winning DLC this year, I fully believe him
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/lies-of-p-director-says-i-will-not-disappoint-you-when-it-comes-to-the-sequel-and-after-playing-its-award-winning-dlc-this-year-i-fully-believe-him/
Lies of P was already one of my favourite non-FromSoftware soulslikes—partially because I'm a big Sekiro freak, but also because it was just very well put together. Then its DLC released and it blew my freaking socks off.
It's done good by developer Neowiz, too—not only selling well, but also pulling in an award for Best Game Expansion during the Golden Joystick Awards. Speaking to GamesRadar via interpreter, director Choi Ji-won is honoured to receive the accolade:
"I'm so happy that I'm lost for words right now … we didn't just view it as just pure expansion, but almost as a sequel and a brand new project." As for the actual Lies of P sequel that's in the works, Choi Ji-Won asks fans to "please stay tuned for it; we are working really hard, and I will not disappoint you at all."
Benedict Cumberbatch is World of Tanks' new 'Holiday Ambassador', starring in a bizarre (and expensive) Christmas advert that has very little to do with either tanks or Christmas
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/mmo/benedict-cumberbatch-is-world-of-tanks-new-holiday-ambassador-starring-in-a-bizarre-and-expensive-christmas-advert-that-has-very-little-to-do-with-either-tanks-or-christmas/
There are times when World of Tanks feels less like a videogame and more like a giant ad budget looking for something to be spent on. This year, all those huge sacks with dollar signs on them have been thrown Benedict Cumberbatch's way, making him the game's newest "Holiday Ambassador" and the star of an absolutely bizarre Christmas advert.
And, since GOG has no new deals, here are the Steam new deals for the weekend, all of them sales or events:
+Steam
And that’s it. Until the next time, I wish you a happy and gaming weekend.
