The second part of the gaming news:

After accumulating more than 200,000 wishlists, a NSFW gacha game cancels its planned Steam release over a 'policy requirements' problem 'that cannot be reasonably resolved'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/after-accumulating-more-than-200-000-wishlists-a-nsfw-gacha-game-cancels-its-planned-steam-release-over-a-policy-requirements-problem-that-cannot-be-reasonably-resolved/
A planned Steam release for the adult gacha game BrownDust 2 has been halted over what Gamfs N and Neowiz say is a conflict with Steam's policy requirements "that cannot be reasonably resolved with the current version of the game."
"We have been preparing for a Steam launch for a long time, but during coordination with the platform's policy requirements, we encountered an issue that cannot be reasonably resolved with the current version of the game," the Korean studios wrote in a message posted on the BrownDust 2 website (via GamesRadar). "After extensive internal discussion, we have decided not to proceed with a Steam release.
>> The speculated motive appears to be the inclusion of some very young looking girls, which would put the blame on the developers, not Steam.

PlayStation Store accidentally confirms Leon is in Resident Evil Requiem with an early peek at new cover art
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/resident-evil/playstation-store-accidentally-confirms-leon-is-in-resident-evil-requiem-with-an-early-peek-at-new-cover-art/
While the February 27 release of Resident Evil Requiem is just a couple months away, we've only learned a few scraps of information about its plot, premise, and characters since its Summer Game Fest reveal. This week, that's changed ahead of schedule, thanks to Sony leaking details about Requiem's cast via the PlayStation store (via IGN).

Cozy Caravan's 1.0 release is coming next month, and frankly I can't wait to continue where I left off
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/survival-crafting/cozy-caravans-1-0-release-is-coming-next-month-and-frankly-i-cant-wait-to-continue-where-i-left-off/
I loved the laid-back life of Cozy Caravan when I played the early access version in May last year, so the announcement of its 1.0 release coming on January 8, 2026, is incredibly exciting. In a new trailer shown during the Wholesome Snack showcase, we get another look at its easygoing lifestyle through some sweeping shots of the towns you'll explore, alongside some familiar faces if you've been enjoying the game in early access.

Find Your Words will challenge you to develop connections without dialogue in a bright summer camp, and yes, it looks like you can birdwatch
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/adventure/find-your-words-will-challenge-you-to-develop-connections-without-dialogue-in-a-bright-summer-camp-and-yes-it-looks-like-you-can-birdwatch/
Find Your Words is a laid-back adventure game which plans to offer a "short, cozy adventure about the joy of forging new connections". And after seeing its reveal trailer during the Wholesome Snack showcase, I can confirm it certainly looks like one of those games you'd play to completion and then cry your eyes out about. Though saying that, it might just be me: the trailer alone had me on the verge of tears.

I love a weird dating sim, and the trailer for bug dating simulator CatchMaker might take the cake
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/sim/i-love-a-weird-dating-sim-and-the-trailer-for-bug-dating-simulator-catchmaker-might-take-the-cake/
I absolutely adore an odd dating simulator. I loved and sank an embarrassing amount of time into Sucker for Love, Hatoful Boyfriend, and Lovebirb, so it's no surprise that the trailer for CatchMaker shown during the Wholesome Snack showcase immediately piqued my interest. However, it's quite a deceptive first look. Initially, I thought I was looking at a sweet bug-catching simulator, but it quickly pulls in dating sim elements in a significant change of pace.

Repair shop simulator ReStory will finally let me live out my dream of being an electronic tinkerer without having to destroy my own belongings first
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/sim/repair-shop-simulator-restory-will-finally-let-me-live-out-my-dream-of-being-an-electronic-tinkerer-without-having-to-destroy-my-own-belongings-first/
As much as I love tinkering, taking any sort of electronic apart is my worst nightmare. I just know the second I do, all the tiny screws will go missing and I'll be left with something far more broken than it was in the first place. Fortunately, thanks to the reveal of shop simulator ReStory during the Wholesome Snack showcase, I no longer have to worry about trying to mend my own belongings and can instead take responsibility for mending others' belongings.

The mystery of The Game Awards statue in the desert may be solved, and I have to admit I did not see this one coming
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/the-mystery-of-the-game-awards-statue-in-the-desert-may-be-solved-and-i-have-to-admit-i-did-not-see-this-one-coming/
The big mystery of the big Game Awards statue in the desert may be solved, and if the sleuthing is correct it does not herald the announcement of a new Elder Scrolls Online expansion. It looks instead to be a tease for the next game from Baldur's Gate 3 developer Larian.

Battlefield 6 Winter Offensive update introduces annoying stuttering issue that's apparently fixed by turning off your Steam friends list
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/battlefield-6-winter-offensive-update-introduces-annoying-stuttering-issue-thats-apparently-fixed-by-turning-off-your-steam-friends-list/
Battlefield 6's Winter Offensive update rolled out today, adding a snowy map variant, winter-themed cosmetics, a balancing pass, and unfortunately a handful of day one bugs. According to the Battlefield Comms X account, players are reporting buggy menus, incorrect ticket counts in Conquest (this has since been corrected), and nonfunctional tier skipping in the Winter Offensive unlock path.
But worst of all is an annoying stutter that I've encountered on PC. Every minute or two, my client will lock up for a handful of frames, a problem I haven't had once previously in 80+ hours of play. Battlefield Studios has acknowledged this new bug as well, and for now, one possible workaround is to shut down your Steam friends list (assuming that's the platform you're playing on).

The Outer Worlds and Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey are being delisted from GOG
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/the-outer-worlds-and-ancestors-the-humankind-odyssey-are-being-delisted-from-gog/
If you've been waiting for a good opportunity to pick up the prehistoric survival game Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey, here it is: You can get it on GOG right now for 80% off, cutting it to just $8. That's the good news—the bad news is that it, along with Obsidian's popular sci-fi RPG The Outer Worlds, is being delisted on December 15.

'Rethinking the survival genre': In this post-apocalyptic adventure, 'your body tells you what’s going on' instead of stamina and hunger meters
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/survival-crafting/rethinking-the-survival-genre-in-this-post-apocalyptic-adventure-your-body-tells-you-whats-going-on-instead-of-stamina-and-hunger-meters/
Chalk this up as something I didn't expect to see today: a gun in a Wholesome Snack showcase. A proper rifle, even! And there was even a gunshot—though it was offscreen.
This little surprise in the notoriously cozy game showcase arrived in the trailer for Verdant, a post-apocalyptic adventure with some heavy The Last of Us vibes. Following a devastating war, nature has reclaimed the planet, and as you explore the world as a character named Sprout you'll encounter mutated flora and fauna. Take a look at the announcement trailer: (...)

And this is the third part:

After Black Ops 7's weaker launch, Call of Duty will no longer do back-to-back releases in the same series
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/call-of-duty/after-black-ops-7s-weaker-launch-call-of-duty-will-no-longer-do-yearly-releases-in-the-same-series/
The soft response to Call of Duty's latest release, Black Ops 7, continues to affect change in the long-running series. As announced on the official CoD blog today, Activision will no longer make back-to-back Call of Duty games in the same series.

'We actually didn't attribute any value' to Warner's game studios, Netflix boss says about the acquisition deal: 'They're relatively minor compared to the grand scheme of things'
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/we-actually-didnt-attribute-any-value-to-warners-game-studios-netflix-boss-says-about-the-acquisition-deal-theyre-relatively-minor-compared-to-the-grand-scheme-of-things/
Netflix recently won the bidding war for Warner Bros. Discovery, making a deal to acquire the company for nearly $83 billion. That includes its film and television studios, HBO and HBO Max and all their properties, the whole of the DC Universe, and of course its remaining game studios. Those game studios are obviously of great interest to us, but for the people at Netflix? I don't want to bruise any egos here but, well, not so much.
>> They still haven¡t won anything, as far as Paramount and the Saudi Arabia fund (that was low on cash a few days ago, remember?) are concerned.

Arc Raiders' big winter update is coming next week, Embark teases new temperature mechanic
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/arc-raiders-big-winter-update-is-coming-next-week-embark-teases-new-temperature-mechanic/
We've known for some time that Arc Raiders' "Cold Snap" winter event was on the horizon, but now exactly when it's happening. According to an Embark X post, the Cold Snap update arrives Tuesday, December 16.

Steam's latest cozy game has a fascinating backstory: Not only is it a PS1 game that predates the 'cozy' era, but it's only officially available in English thanks to fan translators
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/puzzle/steams-latest-cozy-game-has-a-fascinating-backstory-not-only-is-it-a-ps1-game-that-predates-the-cozy-era-but-its-only-officially-available-in-english-thanks-to-fan-translators/
Just a hair over two years ago, I wrote about a fan translation of a landmark Japanese PS2 game, Boku no Natsuyasumi 2, making a landmark "cozy" game playable in English for the very first time. We didn't call games cozy back in the early 2000s, but were it released today, the slice-of-life adventure game (translated as My Summer Vacation) about exploring a small seaside Japanese town would very much fit the description.
So it seems only fitting that the fan translators who did such a marvelous job with that game would wind up getting to do the same for another underappreciated cozy gem—only this time, with official backing.
1999's Milano's Odd Job Collection, out on Steam today, is the first 'legit' project from the fan translators at Hilltop Works, who teamed up with publisher XSeed and emulation-porting house Implicit Conversions to release the game in English for the first time. I think the background of how Milano ended up finally being released in English is maybe even more interesting than the game itself, given how rare it is for fan translations to get the official seal of approval.

Marvel Rivals is turning up the heat with a new busted hero who can steal powers from her enemies to create shields, heal, and turn invisible
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/marvel-rivals-is-turning-up-the-heat-with-a-new-busted-hero-who-can-steal-powers-from-her-enemies-to-create-shields-heal-and-turn-invisible/
Just as was promised, Rogue is being teased as the new hero for Marvel Rivals season 5.5. This follows on from her partner Gambit being introduced at the start of the season and scenes of their wedding kicking off the narrative turmoil.
We all knew that Rogue was going to be a bit of a monster as soon as it was confirmed that Gambit would be taking the Strategist bullet, as her powers are no joke. But I'm happy/terrified to confirm that her bark really is as bad as her bite with this one. Aside from appearing as a brawl tank, Rogue's main ability allows her to steal other enemy heroes' powers.

Blizzard sees players levitating their homes in WoW's player housing, 'even though there weren’t UI controls for that', decides it's now a feature, not a bug
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/world-of-warcraft/blizzard-sees-players-levitating-their-homes-in-wows-player-housing-even-though-there-werent-ui-controls-for-that-decides-its-now-a-feature-not-a-bug/
World of Warcraft's player housing early access is already a treat—with players immediately setting to work constructing all kinds of madcap, HOA-violating nonsense, as they very much should be. One trick players discovered (outside of being able to sit anywhere) was the ability to send their entire homes skyward.
This was a UI bug—turns out that with the "move" widget on a lot of homes, there was a hidden vertical arrow that could still be clicked on. You could also fiddle around with moving another object vertically to trick the game into thinking this was the case (you can see YouTuber DiscordianKitty doing so here). Which has, naturally, led to some banger creations. Like this Howl's Moving Castle-esque mecha strider by user Frofidor on the WoW subreddit:
(...)
Per a post by community manager Kaivax on the official WoW forums, the dev team made a rapid pivot to decide that, actually, this wasn't a bug—it was a feature: (...)

*** NEW GIVEAWAY ***

TechPowerUp x Chieftec Mega Giveaway: Cases, PSUs, and AIO Coolers to be Won!
https://www.techpowerup.com/343870/techpowerup-x-chieftec-mega-giveaway-cases-psus-and-aio-coolers-to-be-won
or https://www.techpowerup.com/contests/chieftec-the-cube-giveaway-dec-25

The prizes are:

• 1× The Cube CI-03B-OP
• 1× Hunter 3 GS-03B-OP
• 1× Apex Lumo GA-01B-L-OP
• 1× Stealth 1000W SPX-1000-FC
• 1× Iceberg 360 RGB CLC-360-RGB
• 1× Iceberg White 360 CLC-360-RGB-W

This contest is for only for resident in the EU.

Good luck!

It's always the same with AMD, for every positive, there's always a negative.

Hmm. I wonder where I heard that... Oh, yeah! MSoft said the same when they launched Windos 11, and then they did the same with the 24H2 pack that did improve gaming performance, finally beating Win10, but also broke a ton of stuff.

But well, with Valve serious about SteamOS and customers (and gamers) not liking all the AI crap MSoft is trying to force us into, they may be scared to see that the Linux users numbers on the Steam survery keep growing every month.

By the way, talking about the AI crap MSoft is putting into Windows, someone has released a script to disable all of that:

This GitHub script claims to wipe all of Windows 11's AI features in seconds — "RemoveWindowsAI" can disable every single AI feature in the OS, from Copilot to Recall and more
https://www.tomshardware.com/software/windows/this-github-script-claims-to-wipe-all-of-windows-11s-ai-features-in-seconds-removewindowsai-can-disable-every-single-ai-feature-in-the-os-from-copilot-to-recall-and-more

I suppose that's what AMD gets for not prioritizing tensor cores and deep learning like Nvidia has done for almost 10 years now. It's not just consumer GPUs, mind, their entire HPC line made a wrong bet in FP64 and is now pivoting hard to minifloats too.

I'd now keep a close watch on neural rendering features, depending on how much TOPS and which format that takes, this could deprecate older GPUs much faster than you'd think from raster alone.

I feel like this is more of a management/leadership issue than a hardware issue. We know that FSR4 can certainly run on RDNA 3 with Int8 with great success. If unpaid modders can develop optiscaler to get this going, then surely a multi-billion dollar company who Radeon fans are giving their money to can do the same. Especially when you consider that it's thanks to FSR4 build being leaked from someone at Radeon that Optiscaler is able to do this which means they were already working on it or had a build of some kind but chose not to support RDNA 3.

It is also pretty nuts that they still haven't fixed the frame pacing issues that HUB's video showed with FSR frame generation for 2 years now. And the only workaround is to set a frame rate limiter lol. It doesn't matter if FSR's FG visual quality is similar to DLSS FG if the FG is unusable unless you lock it to a set frame rate in an era where every monitor has VRR.

Personally it feels like if you are a tech person that keeps up with the news, you would need some crazy level of mental gymnastics to go Radeon as your next gpu purchase unless Nvidia goofs up royally like with the 5070 or there is a huge price gap. Cause at this point, what do you gain over Nvidia if you go red team other than saving a buck? Just better Linux support?

Intel Xeon 696X 64-Core Granite Rapids-WS CPU Benchmark Leaks, 27% Slower Vs 64-Core Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9985WX

https://wccftech.com/intel-xeon-696x-64-core-cpu-benchmark-leak-slower-vs-64-core-threadripper-9985wx/

ASUS ROG Strix XG27JCG: 27-inch 5K/180Hz & 330Hz QHD monitor, does not support fully RTX 40 series

https://videocardz.com/newz/asus-rog-strix-xg27jcg-27-inch-5k-180hz-330hz-qhd-does-not-support-rtx-40-series-or-lower

Intel’s ‘RMA Request’ Fiasco Pops Up Once Again as a User Reports a “Nightmare” Experience, With the Firm Backing Out of a Refund Request

https://wccftech.com/intel-rma-request-fiasco-user-reports-nightmare-experience/

AMD Silently Launches Radeon AI PRO R9700S And R9600D With “Fanless” Design

https://wccftech.com/amd-silently-launches-radeon-ai-pro-r9700s-and-r9600d-with-fanless-design/

NVIDIA’s Latest Software Service Tracks GPU Location To Tackle Trafficking & Smuggling Networks, Confirms There’s No “Kill Switch”

https://wccftech.com/nvidia-software-service-tracks-gpu-location-tackle-trafficking-confirms-no-kill-switch/

Segotep TITANLOAD EX 16-pin GPU cable tested up to 1080W is launching soon

https://videocardz.com/newz/segotep-titanload-gpu-cable-tested-up-to-1080w-is-set-for-launch-soon

AYANEO teases Pocket PLAY slide-out gaming phone with Android

https://videocardz.com/newz/ayaneo-teases-pocket-play-slide-out-gaming-phone-with-android

Reminds me of the xperia play and psp go

ZOTAC’s special RTX 5060 Ti does not need any power cables

https://videocardz.com/newz/zotacs-special-rtx-5060-ti-does-not-need-any-power-cables

The Thursday gaming news:

SALES/PLAYER COUNTS & DEALS

No free game from the Epic Store yet. They’ll announce it during The Game Awards in a bit over 10 hours.

As expected, GOG has launched, in a rather modest way, its Winter Sale, featuring up to 95% discounts on over 8000 deals until the 3rd of January: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/winter_sale

Steam has three new deals and five new sales/events:

• Stationeers , still in Early Access, will be 33% off until the 17th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/544550/Stationeers/
• Cronos: The New Dawn has a demo and a 25% discount that will last until December 18: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2101960/Cronos_The_New_Dawn/
• Dinosaur Fossil Hunter is going to be 70% off until the 18th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/864700/Dinosaur_Fossil_Hunter/
• And these are the sales/events:
  • Day of the Devs – TGA Showcase has lots of upcoming titles and it also has two games on sale, 10 and 30% off that will end on the 16th and the 17th, respectively: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/43041140/sale/dayofthedevs2025tga
  • Women-Led Games – TGA 2025 Edition has upcoming titles, demos and games on sale with up to 40% discounts. The length of the deasl vary greatly, with some ending later today and other lasting until the 18th: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/43765559/sale/WomenLedGamesTGA2025
  • Krafton Publisher Sale features up to 85% discounts. The deals will end between the 17th and the 18th: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/44295939/sale/publishersale_2025dec
  • Publisher/Developer Milestone celebrates its Road to Winter Fest and puts its games up to 85% off until the 18th of December: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/36692524/sale/milestoneroadtowinterfest
  • Publisher Fulqrum puts its games up to 90% off until December the 18th: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/FulqrumPublisherSale2025

Humble Bundle presents the Award Nominations Bundle, with up to 9 game to get during 20 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/games/award-nominations-bundle-2025

And Fanatical has these:

• The new Star Deal is Sniper Elite: Resistance, with a 56% discount during 48 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/sniper-elite-resistance
• NeuroVoider - Deluxe Edition Bundle is back once again, 19% off during 14 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/neurovoider-deluxe-edition
• And last, but not least, their Winter Sale is live! With games up to 96% off: https://www.fanatical.com/en/on-sale

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

-Nohing to see here

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

Fallout: New Vegas Unreal Engine 5.6 Fan Remaster Released
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/fallout-new-vegas-unreal-engine-5-6-fan-remaster-released/
One of the biggest gaming events will air later tonight. The Game Awards 2025 is a show in which some new games will be revealed. Now, I know that a lot of people hope to see a remaster or remake of Fallout: New Vegas. From what I know so far, this won’t happen. However, you can at least get a taste of what a modern-day remaster of Fallout: New Vegas can look like in Unreal Engine 5.
This fan remaster of Fallout: New Vegas comes from Greg Coulthard. In case this name rings a bell, it’s because he is the artist who has ported the entire map of Morrowind to UE5.6. As with that project, this one lets you explore the whole world of Fallout: New Vegas in Unreal Engine 5.6. This is something that a lot of Fallout fans will find cool.
The reason I’m using the term “remaster” is because this project looks way better than the vanilla version of Fallout: New Vegas. It supports Lumen, which makes its lighting look miles better than what Bethesda used in FNV. Pop-ins are kept to a minimum, and there aren’t any stutters while exploring the world. In all honesty, this is precisely what you’ll get from an official remaster of Fallout: New Vegas in another engine.
As I said, this project lets you explore the world of New Vegas. It does not have any NPCs, quests, or gameplay mechanics. So, make to temper your expectations. This isn’t a fully fledged free game. Instead, consider it as a tech demo of what a Fallout: New Vegas Remaster could look like in Unreal Engine 5.6.
>> The article has an almost 9 minutes video.

First Update For Grand Theft Auto 4 RTX Remix Released
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/first-update-for-grand-theft-auto-4-rtx-remix-released/
Modder ‘xoxor4d’ has released the first update for his amazing RTX Remix Path Tracing Mod for Grand Theft Auto 4. So, let’s see what this first patch brings to the table.
For those who did not know, this RTX Remix enables real-time Path Tracing in GTA 4. This is a must-have mod for everyone who has a high-end GPU and wants to replay this classic GTA title.
The first patch fixes several visual problems. It removes strange visual glitches that appeared in front of glowing surfaces. It also fixes texture issues on the back lights of vehicles, which were caused by a blending problem.
Some bright white surfaces were missing their proper colors, and those are now corrected. Vehicle windows will now look clear and transparent by default, even without special settings. Also, the V-shaped sirens on police cars will finally show real spinning lights, just as they should.
This first update also adds a new option that stops certain indoor objects from disappearing when they shouldn’t. For example, Nico’s bedside lamp will now stay visible.
Glowing surfaces can now use UV animations, which means they can have simple moving light effects. The update also fixes the see-through funfair stairs and makes some glass textures properly transparent.
On top of that, rain has been added using a new particle system that follows the player around the map. There are now four types of rain: heavy rain and light rain for both day and night.
>> The article has an over 10 minutes video of the mod, not the update.

GAMING NEWS

ININ Games has announced R-Type Dimensions III, coming to PC in May 2026
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/inin-games-has-announced-r-type-dimensions-iii/
ININ Games has just announced a new R-Type game, R-Type Dimensions III. R-Type Dimensions III is coming to PC in May 2026, and you can find its debut gameplay trailer below.

Here’s the first gameplay trailer for Hell Let Loose: Vietnam
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/heres-the-first-gameplay-trailer-for-hell-let-loose-vietnam/
Team17 and Expression Games have shared a trailer showcasing the gameplay of Hell Let Loose: Vietnam, featuring gameplay and in-engine footage. Hell Let Loose: Vietnam is coming to PC in 2026. If you were a fan of the first game, you should definitely check it out.

Lucid Falls is a new first-person atmospheric horror adventure for PC
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/lucid-falls-is-a-new-first-person-atmospheric-horror-adventure-for-pc/
Eldamar Studio has announced its debut game, Lucid Falls, an atmospheric horror adventure made in Unreal Engine. So, below you can find its first details and its debut gameplay trailer.

The Outer Worlds 2 Update 1.0.6.0 Released – Full Patch Notes
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/the-outer-worlds-2-update-1-0-6-0-released-full-patch-notes/
Obsidian Entertainment has released Title Update 1.0.6.0 for The Outer Worlds 2 and shared its full patch notes. So, let’s see what this new update brings to the table.

Thursday gaming news, part two:

'It's kind of like a blind date': Fallout 76's creative director discusses the shaky beginnings of life in Appalachia—'I view the initial launch as really the prelude'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fallout/its-kind-of-like-a-blind-date-fallout-76s-creative-director-discusses-the-shaky-beginnings-of-life-in-appalachia-i-view-the-initial-launch-as-really-the-prelude/
25 major updates later, Fallout 76's map has expanded its borders, added numerous storylines, and even allowed players to cut off their own noses and bask in the radioactive pools of the Wasteland. It's certainly something to marvel at now, but it hasn't always been like this.
(...)
"A big part of live services is achieved through the course of the project," Jon Rush, creative director for Fallout 76, tells Ted Litchfield during an interview. "It's becoming familiar with and accustomed to your player base or your community. I'd kind of made a joke earlier, where it's like a blind date. It's like, hi, I'm Fallout 76. Oh, hi, I'm your player base. Well, it's nice to meet you. Let's see if we can work things out.

A Red Dead Redemption 2 fan conducted an in-game census to test Rockstar's historical accuracy and found it wasn't half bad: 'It's videogame-ified in a lot of ways, but not as much you might guess'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/adventure/a-red-dead-redemption-2-fan-conducted-an-in-game-census-to-test-rockstars-historical-accuracy-and-found-it-wasnt-half-bad-its-videogame-ified-in-a-lot-of-ways-but-not-as-much-you-might-guess/
Sometimes the cost of a big, open world is lower fidelity in each environment—not so in Red Dead Redemption 2, which manages to be both meticulously constructed and impossibly huge. More than that, Red Dead is a period piece of sorts taking place from 1899 to 1907; but who's keeping score with all those fussy details, right? Would anyone notice if the specifics were flubbed here and there?
Yeah, it's the internet we're talking about, of course someone would. YouTuber Any Austin decided to conduct an ad hoc in-game census of Red Dead 2's fictional town Valentine, including "employment status, employment industry, income level, age, and overall health." He compared his findings with real census data from 1907 United States and found that, by some metrics at least, the game's batting average was "pretty amazing."

Capcom says it wants Mega Man, Devil May Cry, and Ace Attorney to be 'core IPs' like Monster Hunter and Street Fighter: '[We] recognize the need to grow our pipeline going forward'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/capcom-says-it-wants-mega-man-devil-may-cry-and-ace-attorney-to-be-core-ips-like-monster-hunter-and-street-fighter-we-recognize-the-need-to-grow-our-pipeline-going-forward/
Another year, another deluge of business slideshow presentations throwing around phrases like "brand power" and "human capital." This recent integrated report from Capcom is one to make note of, though, if you fancy yourself a fan of the venerable studio—or at least a fan of Mega Man, Devil May Cry, or Ace Attorney. (Sorry, Demon's Crest guy. You'll have your day.)
Much of the report is spent on financial talk: Capcom boasts it's "achieved 12 consecutive years of increased operating profit" and "four decades of steady growth toward our goal of making the most entertaining games in the world." Still, it's determined a "need" to broaden its output, and has identified the three series I mentioned as high value and worth leveraging with new titles.
>> Not to be a d*ck, but I’d guess that, nowadays, something like Dino Crisis would have more appeal than Mega Man, but that’s just me. Anyways, shadowii made a thread about this report.

King of Meat studio was reportedly expecting 100,000 concurrent players, but it peaked at 320 on Steam—and that was during a free weekend
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/king-of-meat-studio-was-reportedly-expecting-100-000-concurrent-players-but-it-peaked-at-320-on-steam-and-that-was-during-a-free-weekend/
An Insider Gaming report says Glowmade Games will lay off employees in January 2026 after its debut game, the Amazon-published King of Meat, flopped badly. While the number of employees being put out of work isn't known, sources told the site that the process began earlier this month with discussions about voluntary redundancies that would impact about a dozen people.
Word of the layoffs, confirmed by multiple Glowmade employees on LinkedIn, comes just a couple months after the release of King of Meat, a "co-op party platformer" for up to four players. It's yet another ugly outcome for a game studio, but what makes this case particularly interesting is that the report claims "leadership"—whether that's at Glowmade or Amazon isn't specified—was expecting a concurrent player count for King of Meat of at least 100,000.
The actual number? On Steam, it peaked at just 320, according to SteamDB, a number it only managed to achieve thanks to a free weekend. The player count quickly tailed off after that to double-digits, and at this moment sits at just 12, enough to populate three matches.

Legendary FPS developer John Romero says his studio 'survived the cancellation of our huge game' and its shooter project 'will be new to people the way that going through Elden Ring was a really new experience'
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/legendary-fps-developer-john-romero-says-his-studio-survived-the-cancellation-of-our-huge-game-and-its-shooter-project-will-be-new-to-people-the-way-that-going-through-elden-ring-was-a-really-new-experience/
In July, Romero Games, the game studio founded by industry legends Brenda and John Romero, announced in the midst of Microsoft's mass layoffs of over 9,000 employees that it had lost funding for its in-development shooter project. While the developer said days later that it was "doing everything in our power to ensure" it stayed open, the state of the studio and the fate of its shooter production remained unclear throughout the following months.
This week, during a panel at Spain's Salón del Videojuego de Madrid 2025 (via Eurogamer), John Romero confirmed that Romero Games has avoided closure and is continuing work on an overhauled shooter project. You can watch Romero discussing the status of his studio in the video embedded below.

Arrowhead founder casually mentions that a Helldivers 2 'roguelite mode' is in the prototype phase: 'It changes the game fundamentally!'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/arrowhead-founder-casually-mentions-that-a-helldivers-2-roguelite-mode-is-in-the-prototype-phase-it-changes-the-game-fundamentally/
Helldivers 2 is a deep, engrossing co-op shooter with no shortage of things to do, but I wouldn't say no to additional modes that shake up its mission-based structure. According to Arrowhead founder Johan Pilestedt, such a mode is actively in the works for Helldivers 2.

The Outer Worlds is actually not being delisted from GOG after all: 'It was an unfortunate miscommunication'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/the-outer-worlds-and-ancestors-the-humankind-odyssey-are-being-delisted-from-gog/
If you've been waiting for a good opportunity to pick up the prehistoric survival game Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey, here it is: You can get it on GOG right now for 80% off, cutting it to just $8. That's the good news—the bad news is that it, along with Obsidian's popular sci-fi RPG The Outer Worlds, is being delisted on December 15. Update: What a difference two days makes. "The Outer Worlds, as well as the Spacer's Choice Edition, will NOT be delisted," GOG's king_kunat wrote in a new forum post. "While this is great news, I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused." As for what exactly happened, well, that's not clear, but you know how it is—these things happen. "It was an unfortunate miscommunication. We're all humans after all ." As for Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey, it currently remains slated for delisting but GOG is working on turning that one around too. It's also still on sale for $8, until January 3, 2026.

Arc Raiders' latest mini update fixes a bunch of ratty exploits, including the zipline that set players free in Stella Montis, as Embark announces it's stepping back from weekly fixes
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/arc-raiders-latest-mini-update-fixes-a-bunch-of-ratty-exploits-including-the-zipline-that-set-players-free-in-stella-montis-as-embark-announces-its-stepping-back-from-weekly-fixes/
Embark has given us one last Arc Raiders gift before the holiday season properly kicks off, and it's barring us from getting to forbidden spots on the map; booo. I joke (kind of), this small update dishes out some fixes for maps like Stella Montis and Blue Gate, as well as notifying us of some upcoming changes to the update schedule.

That's it for today. We'll see how many posts I need tomorrow after The Game Awards.