Here come the Monday gaming news:
SALES/PLAYER COUNTS & DEALS
Renewed hopes of a Nier: Automata sequel as the cult action RPG's 9th-anniversary livestream ends with a teasing message
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/renewed-hopes-of-a-nier-automata-sequel-as-the-cult-action-rpgs-9th-anniversary-livestream-ends-with-a-teasing-message/
Congratulations for keeping strange and wonderful games alive everyone. It took nine years, but Nier: Automata has now sold over 10 million copies worldwide. While technically a sequel to 2010's Nier Replicant, itself a spin-off of the fifth ending of Drakengard—I know, Nier is confusing—Automata is a perfect entry point into the series for new players, which has probably helped it become so popular.
The official Nier X account shared the following tweet today, February 20: "NieR:Automata has shipped and digitally sold over 10M copies worldwide! Glory to mankind." That sure is a lot of copies. Naturally, fans are in the replies asking when the next game is coming out.
Unfortunately, series creator Yoko Taro said last year, "People often ask me why I don't make a sequel to Nier, or why I'm not working, but that's because I've had so many projects that have been discontinued lately." Somehow, 10 million copies isn't enough of an audience to guarantee a successful return on a new Nier game. 10 million! That's a 10 followed by six zeroes, and it still isn't enough. The devs previously said they would "gladly say yes to anything for money," but apparently that doesn't include making another Nier game.
However, that could be about to change. A 9th-anniversary livestream earlier today on the Square Enix YouTube channel ended with the message "Nier: Automata to be continued…" The Game Awards creator and host Geoff Keighley even shared a screenshot of the teaser on X. Does he know something that we don't, or is he just a big 2B fan?
That golf game with orbital death lasers sold 100k copies in two days: 'We made Super Battle Golf together in 4.5 months and are so happy'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/sports/that-golf-game-with-orbital-death-lasers-sold-100k-copies-in-two-days-we-made-super-battle-golf-together-in-4-5-months-and-are-so-happy/
Mark Frost's The Greatest Game Ever Played tells the story of golf's most legendary amateur, Francis Ouimet, whose victory in the 1913 U.S. Open stands as one of the most notorious upsets in the sport's history.
Legendary as it might be, that game was probably boring, that book is probably boring, and the Disney movie based on it is also probably boring. Let me be clear: I do not care about anything unless there's lasers in it.
Thankfully, Super Battle Golf just arrived to save the sport from its own mundanity with lasers and rockets aplenty. Its unique approach to golf, where players race across the fairway to sink the ball as fast as possible while sabotaging their buds in multiplayer, is turning heads: developer Brimstone announced in a Steam community blog post that it sold 100,000 copies in just 48 hours.
The post reads, "WOW. OK. THANK YOU!!! That is just so absolutely amazing and I am filled with so much joy. Reviews are sitting at 97% Overwhelmingly Positive, and we've been reading every review, forum post, message board taking in all your amazing messages and feedback!"
It's certainly an impressive turnaround given that, as the post states, the game was thrown together in just "4.5 months." I'm not quite sure if it counts as friendslop given that it's competitive rather than cooperative—maybe partyslop or tourneyslop is more accurate—but its combination of inexpensive thrills and inebriation-friendly multiplayer make me think it's striking the same chord with people.
GOG starts the week with the Deep Silver Publisher Sale, featuring up to 90% discounts during 7 days: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/20260223_deep_silver_publisher_sale
Steam has one new deal and four new sales:
Humble Bundle presents the Focus Entertainment Bundle 2026, with up to 6 games to get during the next 18 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/games/focus-entertainment-bundle-2026
And at Fanatical we find a new BundleFest, but that’s not all:
SOFTWARE & DRIVERS
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MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS
STALKER 2 Got a Cool FEAR/Crysis-inspired Cinematic FX Mod
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/stalker-2-got-a-cool-fear-crysis-inspired-cinematic-fx-mod/
Modder ‘Cazanu’ has released a pretty cool mod for STALKER 2 that will make its firefights feel more like those of F.E.A.R. or Crysis. The mod pushes the game’s smoke and spark particles to extreme values, giving it a more cinematic feel.
Going into slightly more details, the Cinematic FX Mod increases the amount of smoke, sparks, dust, and debris. This isn’t meant to be a realistic mod. Instead, it tries to replicate some of the action movies we got in the ’90s.
To showcase these new particle effects, the modder shared these two GIFs. These will give you a pretty good idea of what you can expect from it.
As you can see, the firefights now feel closer to those we had in the first FEAR game. Monolith used extreme smoke and spark effects during the game’s firefights. They weren’t realistic, but they were cool as hell. And that’s exactly what this mod brings to STALKER 2.
>> Besides the gif, the article also has some screenshots and a video of a similar for Crysis.
Skyrim & Fallout 4 Got a Realistic Weight-Based Movement Inertia System
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/skyrim-fallout-4-got-a-realistic-weight-based-movement-inertia-system/
Modder ‘Zzyxzz’ has just released a new mod for both Skyrim and Fallout 4 that adds to them a realistic weight-based movement inertia system. This mod will make movement in these two Bethesda games feel more realistic. So, let’s take a closer look at it.
In both Fallout 4 and Skyrim, player movement feels responsive and game-like, but it lacks a sense of physical weight or momentum. Characters can instantly accelerate, stop, or change direction without feeling grounded, which creates a subtle break in immersion. Carrying heavy gear should meaningfully affect how you move. It should affect how quickly you can turn, how fast you can stop, and how stable you feel during sharp maneuvers.
And that’s exactly what this mod aims to improve. According to the modder, it introduces weight-based movement inertia directly at the engine level. Acceleration and deceleration are now smoothly adjusted, and your carry-weight ratio dynamically affects how responsive your character feels.
Heavier loadouts will lead to slower acceleration, greater resistance when changing direction, and a stronger sense of momentum. Sharp turns will also trigger a realistic slowdown, especially when you’re heavily encumbered.
The system takes cues from modern tactical shooters known for their grounded movement and weight simulation. As such, we can now have a more realistic feel to both Fallout 4 and Skyrim, without sacrificing overall responsiveness.
Overall, this is a cool mod that some of you may appreciate. You can go ahead and download the Fallout 4 version from here, and the Skyrim version from here. At the end of the article, you can also find two videos. These videos highlight the new inertia system, so be sure to check them out.
Grand Theft Auto 4 RTX Remix Got Another HD Texture Pack
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/grand-theft-auto-4-rtx-remix-got-another-hd-texture-pack/
Modder ‘DarkoRTX’ has released a new HD Texture Pack for the RTX Remix Path Tracing Mod of Grand Theft Auto 4. So, let’s take a closer look at it.
This new HD Texture Pack brings enhanced surfaces and improved material definition. Many textures include additional PBR maps, and the modder has made manual refinements for better RTX lighting.
According to the modder, the pack includes both 2K and 4K textures. Many of these textures also come with additional maps, such as metallic, depth, and roughness. Therefore, they react more naturally to RTX Remix lighting. A large portion of buildings, roads, and pavement surfaces has already been updated, with more areas and assets scheduled for improvement over time.
Right now, the mod overhauls the South Bohan Apartment area. This is the exact same area that Warcaco’s HD Texture Pack also covers. As such, you’ll have to use only one of them. Using both of them may result in various visual glitches and issues.
You can go ahead and download the HD Texture Pack from this link. At the end of the article, you can also find some screenshots from it. These screenshots will give you a pretty good idea of what you can expect from the new textures.
Resident Evil 4 Remake Mod Lets You Unlock All Extra Content
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/resident-evil-4-remake-mod-lets-you-unlock-all-extra-content/
Modder ‘WuhanBiohazard’ has released a new mod that lets you unlock all of the game’s extra content immediately. This means that you won’t have to grind in order to get enough cash and buy your favourite costume.
For those who did not know, the remakes of Resident Evil 2 and 3 received a DLC that allowed you to unlock all of their extra content. That DLC was called All In-game Rewards Unlock. However, it appears that Capcom did not release a similar DLC for Resident Evil 4 Remake. And that’s what this mod aims to address.
So, by using it, you will get access to all weapons, costumes, accessories, models, and concept art.
Do note that this will be a permanent change that will persist after physically uninstalling the mod. To revert to your previous state, you’ll need a backup of data00-1.bin. This is located alongside your individual save files. If you don’t back it up, you won’t be able to reverse the changes.
>> The article has no media.
Here’s a new 10-minute gameplay video from GTA Carcer City
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/heres-a-new-10-minute-gameplay-video-from-gta-carcer-city/
Modder ‘DeadpoolMKD’ has released a new video for Grand Theft Auto Carcer City, showing 10 minutes of new gameplay from it. In this video, the modder flies over the entire map of the game. As such, it can give you an idea of its scale.
Fallout: Vault 666 for Classic Doom Got a New Major Update
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/fallout-vault-666-for-classic-doom-got-a-new-major-update/
Modder ‘Carl Asami’ has released a new major update for the Fallout 1 mod for the classic Doom games, Fallout: Vault 666. This update adds new content to the mod. So, let’s take a closer look at it.
For those who did not know, Fallout: Vault 666 is a mod that brings a new map, heavily inspired by the first Fallout game, to Classic Doom. It also has enemies and weapons from Fallout.
Update 1.52 adds four new Fallout monsters. To be more precise, it replaces Cacodemons with Mister Handy Security Bots. It also replaces Lost Souls and the Shotgun Zombie with Security Eyebots and Mutant Shotgunner, respectively. Finally, it replaces the Zombieman with the Mutant Pistol Wielder.
This new update also adds new sprites and textures. Moreover, it fixes the Introduction Slide to feature new Monsters. The modder has made a number of visual tweaks and fixes. Plus, he added new ammo and items in various places.
It’s also worth noting that Dogmeat’s AI has been slightly tweaked. For instance, Dogmeat won’t get stuck behind the switch to the Final Boss Room door anymore. Carl also improved its AI so that it can flee from the crushing platform more easily. Dogmeat is now “bright” while sitting, and it can’t enter The Maintenance Room (something that should help its pathfinding).
>> The article has an over 1 hour long video.
The Witcher 3 Online Update v1.11 Released & Detailed
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/the-witcher-3-online-update-v1-11-released-detailed/
A couple of weeks ago, modder ‘rejuvenate’ released a new update for the amazing Online Multiplayer Mod for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. So, let’s see what Patch 1.11 brought to the table.
For those who did not know, Witcher Online is a mod that adds multiplayer to The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. With this mod, players can join servers and play together with friends. You can customize your character with Custom Player Characters and relax in taverns using the Chill Out feature. You can also chat with other players, use emotes, and roleplay with strangers. Best of all, you can experience the full story of Geralt and Ciri from beginning to end, all while exploring the world of The Witcher with other players.
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Patch 1.1 introduces entity culling, which significantly improves performance. Players who are more than 100 meters away will no longer render. The patch also improves performance when creating player entities and when loading new appearances from Custom Player Characters.
Additionally, it adds an overhead status indicator when a player is in a cutscene, and removes the option to teleport to players directly from the world map, as this feature was buggy and causing issues. The update also fixes a bug that caused incorrect animations to play when teleporting to another player, as well as an issue where other players’ minimap icons would randomly duplicate.
On the other hand, Update 1.11 is a smaller one. This patch enables players to teleport to other players using the world map. It also comes with general stability improvements, and it fixes a bug where minimap icons would remain after a player left.
>> The article has a video showing the trailer of this mod, but not what this update brings.
Well, someone made an Ulfric Stormcloak Big Naturals mod
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/the-elder-scrolls/well-someone-made-an-ulfric-stormcloak-big-naturals-mod/
First, the Baldur's Gate 3 modding community gave Elminster Big Naturals, and then everyone's favorite dignified corpse Withers too. The Skyrim modding community, not one to be left behind, has finally followed suit.
It began with a request to give Ulfric Stormcloak "Big Naturals" on r/skyrimmods. "Does current technology allow this?" someone innocently asked, while we knew full well the answer would be "yes". It took a day to give the people what they wanted: a mod that gives the Jarl of Windhelm the gigantic gazongas he apparently deserves.
Response has been positive. "This is actually how he is first described in the original lore", one commenter helpfully explains. "Finally, a good reason to join the Stormcloaks!" says another.
If you're wondering why the fuck this is happening, apparently Gandalf Big Naturals was a Tumblr meme back in 2022? This one went right by me at the time, or maybe I just blocked it out of my mind. The idea of giving videogame wizards and other authority figures huge honking norks has also spread to Stardew Valley and Oblivion Remastered. Nowhere is safe. Soon wizards with tig ol' bitties will be everywhere. Tear out your eyes before it's too late.
>> There is no media of this mod (thankfully, I dare to say)
This wild Doom 2 mod that blends World War 1 combat with a vicious holy war just unleashed a gnarly prequel campaign where you assault a mountain riddled with heretics
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/this-wild-doom-2-mod-that-blends-world-war-1-combat-with-a-vicious-holy-war-just-unleashed-a-gnarly-prequel-campaign-where-you-assault-a-mountain-riddled-with-heretics/
I've had one eye on ambitious Doom 2 mod Trench Foot for a while, though it was, admittedly, my weaker eye that requires me to wear corrective lenses. I had assumed Trench Foot was a total conversion set in the First World War, but it turns out it's much weirder than that. It basically combines World War One chic with medieval religious zealotry and a gothic ostentation that wouldn't look out of place in Warhammer 40,000.
Notionally, Trench Foot has you play as a master Templar of the one true faith known as the Canonicate, on a mission to wage "apocalyptic holy war" on the heretics who cower in the sprawling trenchworks of the wartorn nation of Cretu. With 14 unique weapons to wield and 15 enemy types to blast into ludicrous gibs, Trench Foot sounds utterly preposterous in the best way.
Unfortunately, the mod has hit numerous stumbling blocks over the course of its development. Some of these were design hurdles typical to mod making, but others were external factors such as the Doom modding's sudden sourceport shift from GZDoom to UZDoom. Developer TrenchWork has addressed these issues on several occasions. But the project has finally borne some fruit, albeit not what fans were likely expecting.
Out of the blue, TrenchWork has released a three-episode mini-campaign called Butcher's Summit, which acts as a prequel to the events that will ultimately be portrayed in the mod. Playing as a knight in the Templar order, you're tasked with eliminating a heretic surface-to-air battery dug deep into the peaks of a vast mountain range. With three maps spanning an estimated two-hour run time, the prequel features multiple weapons and "over 40 new monsters", which sounds like a lot more than was initially planned for the full mod.
>> The article has a less than 2 minutes trailer.
'Critical: Organ failure imminent!': GTA 5's newest survival mod turns an irradiated world against you with shadows of Fallout, Stalker and 28 Days Later
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/grand-theft-auto/critical-organ-failure-imminent-gta-5s-newest-survival-mod-turns-an-irradiated-world-against-you-with-shadows-of-fallout-stalker-and-28-days-later/
As if Los Santos and Blaine County weren't already hostile enough, the latest survival mod to grace the murderous bounds of GTA 5 turns the actual map against us by way of an irradiated hellscape.
Aptly named The Exclusion Zone, modder VelyXCore has rolled out a series of high-risk radioactive hotspots across the San Andreas playground with what the creator describes as a "slow-burn mechanic where the environment itself becomes your deadliest enemy".
They ain't lying, I can confirm, as The Exclusion Zone delivers exactly on what it promises—all the while letting you know this in no uncertain terms. Spending too long in the mod's most irradiated locations inflicts accumulative radiation poisoning—in the same style as the Fallout series—with an organ failure mechanic that, expectedly, stops you pretty dead in your tracks.
Through this, The Exclusion Zone doesn't force instant health drain tactics on you, but instead lets you grow progressively unwell the closer you get to the source. A tweaked "clean and modern" UI details your current exposure levels, meaning that when the words "Critical: Organ failure imminent!" flash across the top of your screen, exclamation mark and all, you know you're up shit creek without a paddle.
In order to survive the mod's handful of affected areas—at the time of writing, these include: Humane Labs (epicenter, critical threat), Fort Zancudo Delta (high threat), Sandy Shores Airfield (medium threat), and LS Airport and Port perimeters (industrial zones)—you'll want to seek out gas masks to prevent radiation poisoning from rising. But, as you might expect, these are hardly found growing on trees.
From here, creator VelyXCore has plans to grow the project, while one comment on the project's GTA5-Mods page suggests doubling up with existing Pripyat add-on maps, otherwise known as the home of the Stalker series. VelyXCore says they plan to add a config file so players can place this mod's radiation zones precisely over the Pripyat map markers. Which makes me want to breathe furiously into a paper bag lest I hyperventilate. But I'm not sure that'll stem the radiation poisoning.
>> Other than a screenshot of a charecter with a gas mask, there’s really no media of this mod.
GAMING NEWS
The Elder Scrolls 6 will use Creation Engine 3 and not Unreal Engine 5
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/the-elder-scrolls-6-will-use-creating-engine-3-and-not-unreal-engine-5/
A lot of people have been wondering whether Bethesda would switch to Unreal Engine 5 for the next TES game, especially after Oblivion Remastered. However, Todd Howard has confirmed that The Elder Scrolls 6 will not make the jump to UE5. Instead, TES 6 will use Creation Engine 3.
New Forza Horizon 6 In-Engine Trailer Showcases Its Biomes
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/new-forza-horizon-6-in-engine-trailer-showcases-its-biomes/
Microsoft has just released a new in-engine trailer for Forza Horizon 6 that showcases its stunning biomes. Players will drive through the highlands, alpine region, coast, mountains, and plains.
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