And here’s part three:

This cyberpunk platformer with an Overwhelmingly Positive Steam rating just got a completely free expansion
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/this-cyberpunk-platformer-with-an-overwhelmingly-positive-steam-rating-just-got-a-completely-free-expansion/
Back in 2023, South Korean developer Wonder Potion released Sanabi, a sleek, cyberpunk-themed action platformer that saw players slinging themselves around levels with a giant grappling hook. Favourably compared to Katana Zero, it received near-universal praise for its crisp pixel art, Bionic Commando-esque platforming challenges, and surprisingly involved storyline.
Two years on from Sanabi's launch, Wonder Potion has now released an expansion for Sanabi. Titled Sanabi: A Haunted Day, it’s a prequel spinoff in which you play as a different character from the main game. Also, it's completely free.

Halo's co-creator says Bungie redesigned Master Chief nine times before coming up with the now-iconic look: 'We tried a lot of things'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/halos-co-creator-says-bungie-redesigned-master-chief-nine-times-before-coming-up-with-the-now-iconic-look-we-tried-a-lot-of-things/
While I'm well aware that finished games often rest atop a mountain of cut or heavily revised work, I'm still regularly surprised by how extensively projects can change over the course of their development. A striking example was recently provided by Halo co-creator Marcus Lehto, who revealed that Master Chief's suit design was revised nine times before Bungie settled on his final look.

This pirate-themed FPS just got an enormous update that lets you sail a 'living ship'—a hybrid of wooden hull and space whale that's called Abby and is utterly horrifying
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/this-pirate-themed-fps-just-got-an-enormous-update-that-lets-you-sail-a-living-ship-a-hybrid-of-wooden-hull-and-space-whale-thats-called-abby-and-is-utterly-horrifying/
Forget moustaches, novels, and heavily discounted PC components—November this year has been all about pirates. Earlier this month, piratical survival sim Salt 2 weighed its early access anchor and sailed into the 1.0-pen ocean, while this week saw the release of Captain Wayne: Vacation Desperation, a buccaneer-tinged blaster built in the original Doom engine.
Then there's supernatural seafaring adventure Davy x Jones. Originally launched in August, Davy x Jones is a roguelike FPS where you play a headless freebooter named Jones, battling through the underworld in first-person combat while accompanied by a chatty skull companion named Davy.

Palworld publishing boss says 'I haven't really touched so-called AAA titles', adding that they tend to be 'overwhelmingly about graphic quality and fidelity'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/survival-crafting/palworld-publishing-boss-says-i-havent-really-touched-so-called-aaa-titles-adding-that-they-tend-to-be-overwhelmingly-about-graphic-quality-and-fidelity/
When it's not equipping little critters with assault rifles or fending off lawsuits for those critters' resemblance to Pokémon, Palworld studio Pocketpair is stepping in to publish small-scale indies. It's got a host of upcoming games on the docket, such as pixelated fishing game Normal Fishing and the Hollow Knight-esque Never Grave. The studio's publishing manager, John Buckley, said that's no coincidence—indie games are his foremost passion.

Fortnite players are accusing it of using AI-generated art: 'I'm done with this game'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/battle-royale/fortnite-players-are-accusing-it-of-using-ai-generated-art-im-done-with-this-game/
Now that its popular Simpsons-themed mini-season is over, Fortnite Chapter 7 is live, complete with Kill Bill collaboration and a censored version of the Pussy Wagon. That's not what players are talking about, though. What's got them up in arms now is that some of the new art for this chapter looks AI-generated.
>> Given his words, Sweeney won’t have a problem admiting the fault, right?

Persona-adjacent turn-based tactics RPG Demonschool just got its second big patch, seems like now is the time to dive in
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/persona-adjacent-turn-based-tactics-rpg-demonschool-just-got-its-second-big-patch-seems-like-now-is-the-time-to-dive-in/
(...)
So Demonschool, which seems to basically be a Persona game in all but name and the fact it can be wrapped in under 40 hours, should have been an instant slam-dunk. Our reviewer, Mollie Taylor, liked it well enough, praising the intricacy of its battle system and the wit of its dialogue, but had an important reservation. At launch, it suffered from "some wonkily-threaded narrative beats" and "some general visual bugs and systems that felt a little obtuse at times".
No problems that couldn't be patched it seems, which made me put it on the "wait" pile rather than the "play immediately" pile. With every update it shifts a little closer to that second pile, and the latest, which Demonschool developer Necrosoft is calling its second big post-release patch, seeming like a significant one.

'If you happen to love microtransactions, I am going to disappoint you deeply': REPO's next update is revealing deets, and it's more exciting than monsters
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/horror/if-you-happen-to-love-microtransactions-i-am-going-to-disappoint-you-deeply-repos-next-update-is-revealing-deets-and-its-more-exciting-than-monsters/
(...)
In a YouTube video uploaded to the semiwork channel, developer Pontus shared that they "acknowledge that a lot of people want new levels and meta progression, such things will be added to the game but it won't be the main focus of the next update." Instead, the next update will focus on adding cosmetics for your Semibot to the game, which is a feature a huge number of players have been requesting since its launch in early access.
However, cosmetics usually mean microtransactions, but if alarm bells are ringing in your head you can rest assured that semiwork will not be adding any sort of in-game store (aside from the one you already visit in the game) where you can buy new cosmetics and customise your bot. Instead, Pontus was incredibly firm that microtransactions do not have a place in REPO at all, saying: "If you happen to love microtransactions I am going to disappoint you deeply because these cosmetics will be unlocked simply by playing the game and simply having fun."

Voice actor for Baldur's Gate 3's Karlach says 'we're still seen as outsources' in game dev: 'There's a weird disconnect'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/baldurs-gate/voice-actor-for-baldurs-gate-3s-karlach-says-were-still-seen-as-outsources-in-game-dev-theres-a-weird-disconnect/
There's been a deep, unfortunate friction between voice actors and videogame studios, recently—the looming spectre of AI hangs large over everything, with some bigwigs salivating at the idea of getting infinite performances out of people without actually paying them.
That is, despite the fact that—aside from efforts so far mostly being bland as all hell, and confusing for the actual voice actors—players seem to have a deep appreciation for human performances. This is especially the case with Baldur's Gate 3, where performers like Neil Newbon and Amelia Tyler have gone on to become evangelists for the game.
Speaking with our friends over at GamesRadar during the Golden Joysticks, Karlach's VO, Samantha Béart, says they've noticed this discrepancy first hand: "There's a weird disconnect between, maybe, developers' attitude towards where we fit in the ecosystem—where we're not actually part of the team—versus the players, who very much see us as the forefront. More like film and TV.

Rockstar co-founder compares AI to 'mad cow disease,' and says the execs pushing it aren't 'fully-rounded humans'
https://www.pcgamer.com/software/ai/rockstar-co-founder-compares-ai-to-mad-cow-disease-and-says-the-execs-pushing-it-arent-fully-rounded-humans/
Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser—freed from the mysterious and press-sceptical chains of his former company—has once again manifested on a podcast. Or, actually, on national UK radio, which is what they used to call podcasts back during the war.
Houser popped up on Virgin Radio UK to chat with host Chris Evans (not that Chris Evans) about his new book. Along the way, though, the inevitable topic of AI and what it means for human labour and creativity reared its head. It sounds like Houser isn't quite as starry-eyed about the tech as so many other people who continue to occupy corporate C-suites.

Intel Wildcat Lake Refresh CPUs To Feature 6 & 8 Core Flavors, Chiplet Design For Entry-Level PCs

https://wccftech.com/intel-wildcat-lake-refresh-cpus-feature-6-8-core-chiplet-design-entry-level-pcs/

NVIDIA Reportedly The First & Only Customer For TSMC’s Bleeding-Edge A16 Process Node, Utilizing For Next-Gen GPUs

https://wccftech.com/nvidia-first-only-customer-for-tsmc-a16-process-node-for-next-gen-feynman-gpus/

NVIDIA restocks GeForce RTX 5090 Founders Edition in Europe

https://videocardz.com/newz/nvidia-restocks-geforce-rtx-5090-founders-edition-in-europe

Microsoft says AI agents in Windows can hallucinate

https://videocardz.com/newz/microsoft-says-ai-agents-in-windows-can-hallucinate

Linus Torvalds picks Intel Arc B580 for “Perfect Linux PC”

https://videocardz.com/newz/linus-torvalds-picks-intel-arc-b580-for-perfect-linux-pc

RAM is now on thieves’ shopping lists, but their memory for stealing is bad

https://videocardz.com/newz/ram-is-now-on-thieves-shopping-lists-but-their-memory-for-stealing-is-bad

NVIDIA GeForce Partner Program: 2018 controversy with impact that still shows today

https://videocardz.com/article/nvidia-geforce-partner-program-2018-controversy-with-impact-that-still-shows-today

XFX updates Radeon RX 580 4GB BIOS seven years after launch

https://videocardz.com/newz/xfx-updates-radeon-rx-580-4gb-bios-seven-years-after-launch

Samsung's new breakthrough NAND flash storage uses 96% less power, more details at CES 2026

https://www.tweaktown.com/news/109111/samsungs-new-breakthrough-nand-flash-storage-uses-96-percent-less-power-more-details-at-ces-2026/index.html

This year's Jingle Jam bundle is now live, all the proceeds will go to charity. £35 for 15 games, and some other stuff.

Games, delivered as Steam keys

• Core Keeper
• Dungeons of Hinterberg
• Gatekeeper
• Ixion
• Mouthwashing
• Old World
• Rogue Waters
• The Royal Writ
• Rusty's Retirement
• Spiritfall
• Tactical Breach Wizards
• Tower Unite
• Train Sim World 6: Special Jingle Jam Edition
• Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate - Daemonhunters
• Wild Bastards

Other stuff

• Fanatical Spin the Wheel code
• SoulSteel - Minecraft Bedrock (NOx crew) Key
• displate.com DISCOUNT CODE - 40% off

AMD & Intel Gained Discrete GPU Market Share In Q3 2025 But NVIDIA Still Dominates With 92%

https://wccftech.com/amd-intel-gained-discrete-gpu-market-share-q3-2025-but-nvidia-still-dominates/

AMD Radeon GPU Price Increase: 8 GB GPUs To Get $20 Expensive, 16 GB GPUs Up To $40, But Even Higher Expected Throughout 2026

https://wccftech.com/amd-radeon-gpu-price-increase-8-gb-20-usd-16-gb-40-usd-more-expensive-in-2026/

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Is Now More Popular Than RTX 4070 Among Gamers on Steam

https://wccftech.com/nvidia-geforce-rtx-5070-more-popular-than-rtx-4070-steam-gamers/

Waterblock removal shows RTX 5090 GPU memory labels transferred onto thermal pads

https://videocardz.com/newz/waterblock-removal-shows-gpu-memory-labels-transferred-onto-thermal-pads

Gigabyte’s alleged new BIOS for AMD 800 series lists X3D 2.0 and PBO as “Black Technology”, adds “Cookie” score

https://videocardz.com/newz/gigabytes-alleged-new-bios-for-amd-800-series-lists-x3d-2-0-and-pbo-as-black-technology-adds-cookie-score

Silent PlayStation 5 Slim refresh targets liquid metal spill and overheating concerns

https://videocardz.com/newz/silent-playstation-5-slim-refresh-targets-liquid-metal-spill-and-overheating-concerns

What to expect from AMD, NVIDIA and Intel at CES 2026

https://videocardz.com/newz/what-to-expect-from-amd-nvidia-and-intel-at-ces-2026

Varmilo launches wireless $50 Foot Keyboard for gamers

https://videocardz.com/newz/varmilo-launches-wireless-50-foot-keyboard-for-gamers

These are the Tuesday gaming news:

SALES/PLAYER COUNTS & DEALS

Steam’s Top 10

(Click here for the Top 100)

Steam has all these new deals:

• Warhammer: End Times - Vermintide will be 93% off until the 8th of December: https://store.steampowered.com/app/235540/Warhammer_End_Times__Vermintide/
• Guilty as Sock! will have a 20% discount until the 15th of December: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3400930/Guilty_as_Sock/
• Tower of Babel, wtill in Early Access, is going to be 30% off until December 15: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2665680/Torre_de_Babel_Sobrevivientes_del_Caos/
• A Shelter Full of Cats gets a 40% discount until the 15th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3087650/A_Shelter_Full_of_Cats/
• These are the new sales/events:
  • Comic Con Stuttgart celebrates the Be a Hero! Sale is full of upcoming titles, demos and up to 40% discounts. The deals will end between the 4th and the 15th of December: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/Be-a-hero-sale2025
  • Deutscher Entwicklerpreis – German Developer Awards Games Showcase has upcoming games, demos and up to 80% off deals. The length of the deals vary, with one ending tomorrow and others lasting until the 15th of December: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/DEP2025
  • Midwinter Spirits Sale features up to 75% discounts. The deals will end between the 8th and the 15th: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/44121028/sale/MidwinterSpirits
  • Publisher/Developer NipoBox puts its games up to 85% off until the 8th of December, except for one that will last until the 15th: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/37489842/sale/wintersale2025
  • BGM Game Expo 2025 has games up to 80% off, with the deals ending between tomorrow and the 14th: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/bgm2025
  • Koei Tecmo’s Romance of the Three Kingdoms Franchise 40th Anniversary Sale has games up to 70% off until the 15th: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/33016879/sale/RTK40th2025
  • Descenders Franchise Sale brings up to 75% discounts until December the 15th: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/29728776/sale/descendersfranchisesale2025
• And there are, of course, new weeklong deals

Fanatical’s only new deal is the BYO Play on the Go Bundle (BundleFestive 2025), with 23 titles to choose from for your 3+, 5+ or 7+ game bundles during 34 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/pick-and-mix/build-your-own-play-on-the-go-bundle.

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

-Empty-

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

Lies of P Just Got A Cool & Fun Co-Op Mod
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/lies-of-p-just-got-a-cool-fun-co-op-mod/
Lies of P is easily one of the best Souls-like games we’ve gotten these past couple of years. And today, I’m happy to report that it got a new mod, adding support for co-op.
In its current state, the mod allows you to fight most of the game’s bosses in co-op. You cannot play the entire game in co-op. At least for now. As the modding team noted, the full-game co-op mode is already being worked on. Sadly, though, there is no ETA on when it will become available.
Nevertheless, this is a cool mod that a lot of Lies of P fans will appreciate. If you are one of them, you can go ahead and download it from this link. The modding team has already implemented a number of gameplay features that will transition to the full-game co-op mod. If you die, you automatically spectate your partner until they finish or reach a stargazer. Then, when someone uses a stargazer, everyone who’s dead is revived. The mod also uses its own Loader, which reads any save file. As such, it will import your weapons, level, stats, and build directly into Boss Fight mode.
>> The article has an almost 5 minutes video.

Fallout 4 Got A Must-Have HD Landscapes Textures Overhaul Mod
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/fallout-4-got-a-must-have-hd-landscapes-textures-overhaul-mod/
Modder ‘nigeez’ has released a must-have HD Mod for Fallout 4 that aims to overhaul all of the game’s landscape textures. This mod will make F4 look better and sharper. As such, it’s a must for everyone who wants to replay it.
The modder remade all the textures to look better while still keeping the original style of the game. Some textures look a bit different from the vanilla version, but this helps make the game look nicer overall. To show the improvements, the modder shared comparison screenshots, which you can find at the end of the article.
The mod replaces all outdoor terrain textures. It also updates rubble and some indoor natural terrain. Moreover, there’s an optional add-on that improves asphalt, concrete roads, and a few pavement textures. For the best results, it’s recommended that you use both the main mod and the add-on.
It’s also worth noting that this mod is only 3.4GB in size. As such, you won’t have to download a big file, like most other HD Texture Packs. And, as you will see in the comparisons, this is one of the best HD Texture Terrain Mods.
>> The article has a series of comparison screenshots.

15 years later, a heroic modder has finally added video poker to Fallout: New Vegas
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/15-years-later-a-heroic-modder-has-finally-added-video-poker-to-fallout-new-vegas/
I love Fallout: New Vegas but you know what I don't love? New Vegas itself. The strip and the casinos are a bit of a letdown. The streets are nearly empty. The casinos are dull. And the biggest crime of all: you can't play poker.
For the past 15 years, our choices of casino games in New Vegas have been limited to slot machines, blackjack, and roulette. But finally, finally, one heroic modder has added video poker. And New Vegas, at last, feels more like Present Vegas as a result.
The mod by W00Z, called wGames - Introducing Video Poker, adds a classic of the video poker genre: Jacks or Better. Belly up to the machine, place a bet, and you'll be dealt five cards. Click the ones you want to hold and you'll be given new cards to replace the discarded ones. If you've got a pair of jacks, you'll win your money back. Anything higher like two-pair, three of a kind, a flush, a straight, and so on, and you'll rake in the caps.
With the mod installed these new video poker terminals can be found in The Tops, Gomorrah, the Atomic Wrangler, and all other New Vegas casinos, with a lovely detail that the card backs on each machine will vary depending on which joint you're gambling in.
The mod is customizable so you can tweak it in a few important ways. For instance, your character in New Vegas has a Luck skill that (among other things) gives them better odds in Vegas games, but you can disable it with these poker terminals if you want a more traditional experience of losing all your money.
You can also decide if you want the classic video poker colors with blue screens or a more logical, if less glitzy, green monochrome look. And you can tweak settings to adjust the sounds and speed of the poker terminals, and choose if you think the swanky Ultra-Luxe (it's a high-end casino far too classy for slots) should have or not have the video poker terminals.
>> The article has an almost 1 minute video of the mod.

GAMING NEWS

Styx: Blades of Greed will be released on February 19th
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/styx-blades-of-greed-will-be-released-on-february-19th/
NACON has announced that Styx: Blades of Greed will be released on February 19th, 2026. To celebrate this announcement, the publisher has shared a new trailer that you can find below.

Disaster extraction survival game, Into the Fire, has a new gameplay trailer
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/disaster-extraction-survival-game-into-the-fire-has-a-new-gameplay-trailer/
Starward Industries has shared a new gameplay trailer for its disaster extraction survival game, Into the Fire. This new trailer unveils new elements of the cataclysmic extraction survival experience set amid a chain-reaction volcanic eruption on a remote island cut off from the world.

First gameplay footage from PUBG: Black Budget leaked online
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/first-gameplay-footage-from-pubg-black-budget-leaked-online/
It appears that the first gameplay footage for PUBG Corporation’s new extraction shooter, PUBG: Black Budget, has been leaked online. This gameplay video is from the ongoing PC Closed Alpha phase.

Defcon Zero: Frontlines of Tomorrow is a new real-time strategy game, heavily inspired by Command & Conquer
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/defcon-zero-frontlines-of-tomorrow-is-a-new-real-time-strategy-game-heavily-inspired-by-command-conquer/
Last week, TriArts released a gameplay teaser trailer for its upcoming real-time strategy game, Defcon Zero: Frontlines of Tomorrow. Defcon Zero: Frontlines of Tomorrow is an RTS that is heavily inspired by the Command & Conquer series. So, if you are a fan of it, you should definitely check it out.

Tuesday gaming news, the only sequel:

Dispatch being 'basically a live-service game for a month' did gangbusters, but leads say don't expect to copy it and get the same result
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/adventure/dispatch-being-basically-a-live-service-game-for-a-month-did-gangbusters-but-leads-say-dont-expect-to-copy-it-and-get-the-same-result/
It feels like everyone I know's gone batty for Dispatch, AdHoc's superhero management sim that picks up Telltale's choose-your-own-adventure torch and runs with it to, so I hear, great success.
A particular triumph? Its episodic release structure, which even won over our Fraser Brown—noted episode-sceptic—quite quickly. Indeed, the game's executive producer Michael Choung said the format had "absolutely proven itself" two weeks ago—sustaining interest in the game over a longer period than a one-and-done release likely would have.
But Choung doesn't see the approach as some kind of magic bullet AdHoc—or any studio—can just apply to everything. "It's insane to do," he told Edge's Knowledge newsletter. "From every metric, from a production perspective, no one should do this."

The Splinter Cell remake gets a new director, and he's the same as the Splinter Cell remake's old director
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/the-splinter-cell-remake-gets-a-new-director-and-hes-the-same-as-the-splinter-cell-remakes-old-director/
The Splinter Cell remake Ubisoft announced in 2021 has a new director: His name is David Grivel, and if that rings a bell it might be because he was director on the project when it was first announced, but split—from the game and Ubisoft entirely—just under a year later.

Konami veterans say they had to resurrect Metal Gear because no-one's getting any younger, are they: 'Given our age… now was the time'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/konami-veterans-say-they-had-to-resurrect-metal-gear-because-no-ones-getting-any-younger-are-they-given-our-age-now-was-the-time/
The departure of Hideo Kojima from Konami saw the publisher react, initially at least, like a spurned lover. There was an ill-advised attempt to remove the creator's name from certain packaging, followed-up by the even more ill-advised spinoff Metal Gear Survive, before things went quiet and, for years and years, Konami did nothing with the company's flagship series.
(...)
Konami's staying tight-lipped about what's next, though we do know that The Master Collection Volume 2 is in development. And now Metal Gear veterans Yuji Korekado, director of Delta, and Konami stalwart and series producer Noriaki Okamura have given a new interview to Japanese outlet Real Sound (translated by GamesRadar+) about why Konami decided to bring Metal Gear back now. Well: everyone's getting older, for a start.

'We're so back': After withdrawing from The Game Awards in November, Megabonk is back in the fight in the Players' Voice category
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/roguelike/were-so-back-after-withdrawing-from-the-game-awards-in-november-megabonk-is-back-in-the-fight-in-the-players-voice-category/
Two weeks after Megabonk developer Vedinad withdrew the game from contention in the Best Debut Indie category at The Game Awards, it's back in the fight—not as a debut (or indie) game, but in the fan-voted Players' Voice category.

Runescape: Dragonwilds rolls out its farming update next week, and I can't wait to use it as another excuse to not complete the main quests
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/survival-crafting/runescape-dragonwilds-rolls-out-its-farming-update-next-week-and-i-cant-wait-to-use-it-as-another-excuse-to-not-complete-the-main-quests/
When I first played Runescape: Dragonwilds during April's launch, it didn't take long for me to immediately disregard all of the quests to spend hours upon hours crafting the perfect house. Don't get me wrong, I made good progress through my to-do list eventually, but I certainly enjoy spending more time than necessary on the game's less central activities. Luckily, the anticipated farming update is set to launch on December 15, which I'm sure is only going to make my quest procrastination worse.

My idle vending-machine sim obsession has dropped a big new update, so don't expect me to get any work done while I fixate on Oolong Tea
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/sim/my-idle-vending-machine-sim-obsession-has-dropped-a-big-new-update-so-dont-expect-me-to-get-any-work-done-while-i-fixate-on-oolong-tea/
Vending Dokan!: Kozy Kiosk consumed a lot of my summer after it was released in June. I underestimated just how satisfying watching little avatars interact with my machines to buy drinks on their commute to work would be, let alone how pleasing it was to restock and clean my machines every now and then. But, after sinking hours of my life into my empire, I can't lie—the machines and their stock started to get a little repetitive.
It's almost like Vending Dokan sensed this, as a brand new update has added a plethora of new machines for me to fill back alleys with. And, to make things even more exciting, these machines aren't just all about drinks anymore either. As shared in an announcement posted to Steam, a "companion machine" type has been added to the game. What this means is these machines don't require stock, but instead increase customer satisfaction just by having them around. They are also great ways to make passive income without having to stop what you're doing and restock.

Embark has confirmed that Expedition bonuses in Arc Raiders are permanent, but that does little to clear up the confusion
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/embark-has-confirmed-that-expedition-bonuses-in-arc-raiders-are-permanent-but-that-does-little-to-clear-up-the-confusion/
The decision to embark on the Expedition and effectively wipe your account is one of the most important and divisive choices in Arc Raiders. Since launch, you've had to dedicate hundreds of thousands of coins' worth of resources to building and supplying your caravan, with only a vague idea of what awaits you on the other side.
Hell, all we really know is that you'll get an XP boost, enhanced Scrappy, an unknown amount of additional stash space, and bonus skill points based on the value of the items in your stash on the departure date (December 21). Don't ask me for specifics because, well, we don't have them. Only Embark does, and it's not telling.
The only solace I can give you is that, in an update by community manager Lily on the Arc Raiders Discord server last week, it was confirmed that the "skill point and stash space bonuses are permanent". Additionally, they're based on your stash value and how much money you've got in your wallet at the time of departure.

Helldivers 2 cuts its install size from '~154GB to ~23GB' in a beta you can opt into now, defeating liberty-hating storage reqs with 'no functional differences' between versions
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/helldivers-2-cuts-its-install-size-from-154gb-to-23gb-in-a-beta-you-can-opt-into-now-defeating-liberty-hating-storage-reqs-with-no-functional-differences-between-versions/
Our hard drives get bigger, but so do the games. In 2025, we are beset by filesizes run amok. Time was, I'd consider a 30 GB game to be an unfathomable imposition on my C drive. How young and naive I was—as we speak, multiple games north of 100, even 200 GB are manspreading across my disks.
But that number just decreased by one. In an update on Steam, Arrowhead announced that it has performed some manner of warlockery and reduced the footprint of Helldivers 2 by 85%. "By completely de-duplicating our data, we were able to reduce the PC installation size from ~154GB to ~23GB, for a total saving of ~131GB (~85%)."

The games for Humble Choice December 2025 have been revealed.

• Beholder: Conductor
• Dungeon Tycoon
• Godlike Burger
• Intravenous 2
• Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name
• Lost Skies
• Nine Sols
• Streets of Rage 4

I'm torn on how to react to this, either a "it's something" possitive approach or a more sarcastic "We're saved!" way.

But yeah, it's good but it's a drop in the ocean.

That seems like a rather big sum for what was rumored to be a 10% price increase.  

At first I thought it was one of those controllers for people with some kind of impairment but no, it's just an extra thing to have even more buttons.

I'm beyond surprised some people will actually use one of these things.

Who wants bad news? Skip this post if you're not one:

Memory crisis and sky-high DRAM prices could run past 2028 as Samsung and SK Hynix opt to 'minimize the risk of oversupply'
https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/memory/memory-crisis-and-sky-high-dram-prices-could-run-past-2028-as-samsung-and-sk-hynix-opt-to-minimize-the-risk-of-oversupply/
Brace yourself for the latest update to the memory supply crisis. And it's not good news. Not at all. Samsung and SK Hynix, who together are responsible for 70% of the DRAM market, have signalled their reluctance and inability, respectively, to sufficiently expand memory production. And that has lead some industry observers to conclude the crisis will run through 2028, and perhaps even beyond.

"Rather than rapidly expanding facilities, we will pursue a strategy of maintaining long-term profitability," a Samsung rep said during a recent investor relations call (via Tech Insight), adding, "we will minimize the risk of oversupply through a capital expenditure (CAPEX) strategy that balances customer demand and pricing."

Currently, Samsung says it's only able to fulfill 70% of DRAM orders. SK Hynix, meanwhile, sounded a slightly more aggressive note in terms of investment in expanded production. But still warned that meeting demand will not be easy.

"We plan to invest approximately 30% of our sales in facilities in 2026 and accelerate the transition to 1c DRAM, but it will be difficult to resolve the supply shortage," the company said.

Right now is the optimal time to buy a new GPU before the Ram prices make them unobtainable again. Happy with my 9060XT 16GB, should last me a few years to weather this storm.

This is one instance where I hate being wrong, but I did predict that this would happen 6+ months ago; that we would see Ram and NAND price increases.

It's not going to have a positive impact on next-gen consoles either.