Like voxels but on a finer scale or something? Maybe, but I haven't heard much new in that space. The current rage in CG (besides AI) are gaussian splats and point clouds (sort of an upgrade to photogrammetry), though that won't do much for physics. 

Microsoft's acquisition of Activision seemingly goes exactly like Boeing's acquisition of Lockheed Martin; basically the latter imposes their work culture onto the former, resulting in the joke that Lockheed Martin bought Boeing with Boeing's money. It seems Activision is already imposing their shittyness onto Microsoft.

Microsoft wasn't great beforehand, but now they're really out-EAing EA, which takes some serious effort!

Considering that Donkey Kong Bananza uses this technique to render the destructible environment in the game on a Switch 2, either this means that there are already some ways to do so, or if done correctly needs so little CPU power that we won't need GPUs anymore.

My next laptop is already set to be Dual-Boot for Windows and Linux to allow for a smoother transition (And Spanish company Slimbook where I'll be buying it allows to set it up with the Linux distro of your choice, even).

It depends on the RAM crisis if the laptop replacement will precede the new desktop computer, so not sure yet what that one's gonna have as OS.

Speaking of GOG, I hope they switch to Dosbox Pure sometime down the line, as the original Dosbox doesn't seem to be active anymore, which will certainly make issues with future hardware. Plus, this would allow for games that ran in Win 3.x to Win98 to run in that emulator, which could make some games that don't work right now run again (Hello Alpha Centauri and Wizardry 8!) without having to rely on heavy mods to get them to run properly again.

Crimson Desert showing off the power of ray reconstruction:

Pretty huge difference at times. 

Yeah, SVDAG, and Dynamic SDFs for terrain, or something like that. I'm a bit out of the loop recently, but it seems, apart from Teardown that allows for what I'm thinking, albeit on smaller scale and still with pretty rough minimal units, not much is happening in that space.

DKB does it nice, for what it needs to do, but it's very chunky and physics in it is very limited (compared to something like Teardown). That said, if I think of anyone who would be bold enough to go the route of custom silicon that supports such features in hardware, it would be exactly Nintendo, since they have so much 1st party IPs that could be built around it as to stand distinctly apart from all competition.

Steam has shared its top releases from February:

https://store.steampowered.com/charts/topnewreleases/february_2026

And these are the top ones:

I wanted to get Star Trek Voyager right away (given that I really liked the demo), but when I saw they've released day 1 DLC at 35% price of base game, I've decided to wait for some future heavy discount as "fuck you" type of personal commentary on their publishing policies.

MSI says NVIDIA is supplying about 20% fewer GPUs than the market needs

https://videocardz.com/newz/msi-says-nvidia-is-supplying-about-20-fewer-gpus-than-the-market-needs

GeForce team says Jensen will showcase ‘future of real-time rendering’ at GTC 2026

https://videocardz.com/newz/geforce-team-says-jensen-will-showcase-future-of-real-time-rendering-at-gtc-2026

Xbox One hacked, boot ROM exploit breaks into one of the most secure consoles

https://videocardz.com/newz/xbox-one-hacked-boot-rom-exploit-breaks-into-one-of-the-most-secure-consoles

Chinese repair shop upgrades MacBook Neo storage to 1TB

https://videocardz.com/newz/chinese-repair-shop-upgrades-macbook-neo-storage-to-1tb

Intel releases XeSS Inspector 2.5 with full XeSS 3 support

https://videocardz.com/pixel/intel-releases-xess-inspector-2-5-with-full-xess-3-support

AMD FSR 4.1 launch appears imminent as users spot files on AMD servers

https://videocardz.com/newz/amd-fsr-4-1-launch-appears-imminent-as-users-spot-files-on-amd-servers

GeForce RTX 50 mid-range pricing stays flat in Japan, while Radeon RX 9000 keeps sliding

https://videocardz.com/newz/geforce-rtx-50-mid-range-pricing-stays-flat-in-japan-while-radeon-rx-9000-keeps-sliding

Samsung Reportedly Prepares 24 And 39-inch OLED Monitors For 2027 Launch

https://wccftech.com/samsung-reportedly-prepares-24-and-39-inch-oled-monitors-for-2027-launch/

Radeon RX 9070 XT Weekly Sales On Mindfactory Reportedly Account For 25% Of All GPU Sales

https://wccftech.com/radeon-rx-9070-xt-weekly-sales-on-mindfactory-reportedly-account-for-25-of-all-gpu-sales/

NVIDIA May Finally Abandon Its “One GPU Does Everything” Mantra at GTC 2026, and Here’s What to Expect

https://wccftech.com/nvidia-may-finally-abandon-its-one-gpu-does-everything-mantra-at-gtc-2026/

Memory Suppliers Are Actually Worried the Demand Boom Won’t Last ‘Too Long’, and Are Already Rethinking Expansion Plans

https://wccftech.com/memory-suppliers-are-actually-worried-the-demand-boom-wont-last-too-long/

Mysterious 10-Core AMD “Ryzen 9” CPU With 32 MB L3 Cache Spotted On Plum Platform For Medusa Point APUs

https://wccftech.com/mysterious-10-core-amd-ryzen-9-cpu-32-mb-l3-cache-spotted-on-plum-platform-for-medusa-point-apus/

China’s No. 2 chipmaker readies 7 nm production as Beijing ramps up self-sufficiency drive

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/chinas-no-2-chipmaker-readies-7-nm-production-beijing-ramps-up-self-suffiency-2026-03-16/

MacBook Neo Is the Most Repairable MacBook in 14 Years

https://www.ifixit.com/News/116152/macbook-neo-is-the-most-repairable-macbook-in-14-years

Welcome to the Monday gaming news:

SALES/PLAYER COUNTS & DEALS

Capcom celebrates 6 million units sold for Resident Evil Requiem, 'the fastest that a title in the series has reached this milestone'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/resident-evil/capcom-celebrates-6-million-units-sold-for-resident-evil-requiem-the-fastest-that-a-title-in-the-series-has-reached-this-milestone/
I had tried to the best of my ability to downplay any expectations I had for Resident Evil Requiem during the run up to its release, how could it possibly live up to the hype? But it was all for nought, because it's an absolute banger.
I've already gushed about it enough in my Resident Evil Requiem review, but it's also clear that I wasn't the only one who enjoyed it so much, not by a long shot. Capcom revealed that Requiem has since sold 6 million units in an Investor Relations press release: "Worldwide sales of Resident Evil Requiem, now exceed 6 million units, which is the fastest that a title in the series has reached this milestone."

Steam has new deals and sales/events:

• Totally Reliable Delivery Service will be 85% off until the 19th of March: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1011670/Totally_Reliable_Delivery_Service/
• SYNDUALITY Echo of Ada has a 95% discount that will last until the same 19th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1245480/SYNDUALITY_Echo_of_Ada/
• Munchkin Digital is going to be 50% off until March 25: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1722860/Munchkin_Digital/
• And these are the new sales/events (with little detail):
  • Handygames Pre-Spring Sale has up to 90% discounts: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/32976304/sale/HandyGamesPreSaleSpring2026
  • Games from Ireland Event: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/GamesfromIreland2026
  • Toplitz Productions Spring Sale: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/33018175/sale/springsale
  • Harry Potter Sale with up to 85% discounts: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/34133273/sale/butterbeer2026
  • Mundo Gamer Showcase will take place on March 20 and the page has several upcoming titles: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/44053698/sale/mundogamershowcase-2026-1
  • Ninja Kiwi Games celebrates its 20th anniversary with a sale: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/32943649/sale/20YearsofNinjaKiwi

Humble has two new deals:

• Humble Bundle presents the Multiplayer Madness 2026 Bundle, with up to 10 games to get during 18 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/games/multiplayer-madness-2026
• Humble Store has the High-Octane Sale, with games up to 95% off during another 3 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/highoctane-sale/

Fanatical has two new Flash Deals and a bundle:

• These are the new 24h Flash Deals:
  • The Alters has a 52% discount: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/the-alters
  • Sniper Elite: Resistance is 56% off: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/sniper-elite-resistance
• Very Positive Mystery Bundle has 4 unknown games to grab in groups of 2, 3 or all 4. No idea when it will end: https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/very-positive-mystery-bundle

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

Notorious UK rights group launches legal action against Valve for distributing music in games on Steam without a license
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/notorious-uk-rights-group-launches-legal-action-against-valve-for-distributing-music-in-games-on-steam-without-a-license/
Valve is facing a new legal headache in the UK, and this one is definitely not like the others. The Performing Right Society, a rights management organization that collects royalties on behalf of musicians when their work is played publicly, has launched legal action against Valve over its use of PRS members' music on Steam without permission.
The PRS says that many of the games available on Steam feature music made by its members, and that by making those musical works available to the public via streaming or download, "Valve is communicating these works to the public without a licence."
"Our members create music that enhances experiences and PRS exists to protect the value of their work with integrity, transparency, and fairness," PRS for Music chief commercial officer Dan Gopal said.
(...)
I initially assumed that this lawsuit was specifically about game soundtracks on Steam, which struck me as odd because surely no major game publisher would release an official soundtrack without the proper licenses in place. But a PRS spokesperson clarified that the action is related to any music, in games as well as soundtracks, that Valve hasn't separately licensed for distribution.
So, for instance, Rockstar will have obtained licenses to use PRS members' music in Grand Theft Auto games, but the PRS says those licenses do not allow for the separate act of making the game, which contains the music, available online.
>> I would ask myself if that organization is full of scummy d*ckheads but, if they’re like some over here, the answer is a clear yes.

If you were scammed by malware hiding in your Steam games, the FBI wants to hear all about it
https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/if-you-were-scammed-by-malware-hiding-in-your-steam-games-the-fbi-wants-to-hear-all-about-it/
If you are one of many who happen to have downloaded malware through Steam games in the last few years, the FBI wants to hear from you. Reported by The Times of India, the FBI has issued a public call for victims of malware on Steam to come forward. The specific games identified in this case are BlockBlasters, Chemia, Dashverse / DashFPS, Lampy, Lunara, PirateFI, and Tokenova.
As noted by the FBI, these games primarily operated between May 2024 and January 2026. If you have been affected, you can contact the FBI at "Steam_Malware@fbi.gov" to report your experience.
You can also fill out a form on the FBI site to provide your information, including your Steam ID, which game you downloaded, and when you downloaded it. It also asks if you were contacted to play the game, and how much money you lost as a result. It seems like the goal is to gather as much information as possible and link timelines, wallets, and any other related information together.

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

Starfield Just Got an 80GB 4K Landscape Texture Pack
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/starfield-just-got-an-80gb-4k-landscape-texture-pack/
Modder ‘ZPASCALIONZ’ has just released a new massive 80GB 4K Landscape Texture Pack for Bethesda’s Starfield. As its title implies, this pack overhauls all the terrain visuals with AI-improved textures, sharper details, and cleaner surfaces.
Going into more details, the modder has used AI tools in order to upscale the vanilla textures. As such, the modded ones look sharper and more detailed. At the same time, they retain the art style of the original textures.
It’s also worth noting that this pack removes the BC compression artifacts that affected all original textures. BC1 is a lossy compression format that works with 4×4 pixel blocks. It results in very small file sizes, but at the cost of quality.
While these compression techniques make sense on consoles, on a PC in 2026, with modern GPUs and high-resolution monitors, these compromises feel outdated. This also explains why this pack is 80GB in size.
It’s also worth noting that the mod is compatible with most visual mods. It does not affect gameplay, and it’s safe to use with other texture overhauls if they modify different assets.
>> The article has a couple of before vs after screenshots.

Fallout 4 Gets a New Hour-Long, Fully Voiced Lore-Friendly Quest
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/fallout-4-gets-a-new-hour-long-fully-voiced-lore-friendly-quest/
Des And Gang x DexCo have released a new hour-long and fully voiced lore-friendly quest mod for Fallout 4, called Padre Mateo. And, since this is new free content for the game, I highly recommend downloading it.
The modder has not shared any additional details about the mod. However, I’ve included a full video playthrough of it. You can find it at the end of this article. So, if you don’t fancy downloading it, you can simply watch the video.
You can go ahead and download this new mod from this link.
Once you have installed it, you can start the quest by going to Diamond City. Then, you’ll have to go to the bounty board, grab the note, and follow the prompt.

Demo Released for Fallout: Chicago, a DLC-Sized Fan Expansion for Fallout: New Vegas
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/demo-released-for-fallout-chicago-a-dlc-sized-fan-expansion-for-fallout-new-vegas/
The ‘Fallout Chicago Team’ has released a demo for Fallout: Chicago, a new DLC-sized fan expansion mod for Fallout: New Vegas. This fan expansion will let you set out to solve pre-war mysteries, post-war politics between The Union Mob and Midwest Brotherhood, along with other faction dilemmas.
Going into more details, the demo has the first main story Act of Fallout: Chicago. It also has 3 side quests, a new world place set in Chicago, and two new player homes.
Players will encounter new enemies, and there are 4 new factions. You will also get your hands on dozens of new weapons and armors, and you will find a new companion. On top of that, the demo adds new vendors and a unique Chicago currency system, a bank where you can withdraw your daily earnings, drug dealing, ownable businesses, hireable caravans, and more.
In future versions, the team aims to complete the two remaining story acts. It also plans to add voices to all the generic NPCs, add more interiors, more businesses, and more quests. Two more companions will be added in the future, along with Bounty Hunting and Player Train upgrades.
You can go ahead and download the demo from this link. At the end of the article, you can also find a trailer for it. Do note that you will need all of the DLCs for Fallout: New Vegas. You’ll also need the 4GB patcher, which you can download from here.

The Witcher 3 Mod Brings Back The E3 2014 Dynamic Ragdolls
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/the-witcher-3-mod-brings-back-the-e3-2014-dynamic-ragdolls/
Modder ‘Kingslayer997’ has released a new mod for The Witcher 3 that aims to recreate the feel of the ragdolls seen in the E3 2014 demo. So, if you are not happy with the default ragdoll physics, this is a mod you can try.
Going into more details, Dynamic Ragdolls is a physics overhaul mod focused on restoring the heavier, more natural ragdoll behavior shown in the 2014 gameplay demo. The goal is to remove the current stiff and sometimes floating-looking ragdolls that can break immersion during combat.
In the vanilla game, enemies often fall in unnatural ways, with stiff joints and bodies that seem to hover or slide after death. This mod adjusts ragdoll parameters to create heavier, more reactive, and more believable physics when enemies collapse or are knocked down. The goal is to make combat feel more impactful by allowing bodies to respond more naturally to momentum and environmental forces, closer to how they behaved in early promotional footage.
The first version of Dynamic Ragdolls improves the ragdolls of Drowners and Ghouls. Do note, though, that since is an early test version, you might encounter some bugs, odd physics behavior, or unexpected interactions. The mod will continue to evolve as more creatures are supported and the physics are refined.
>> The article has an over 2 minutes video of the mod.

Red Dead Redemption 2 Mod Overhauls the Entire Heartlands and Lower Dakota River Area
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/red-dead-redemption-2-mod-overhauls-the-entire-heartlands-and-lower-dakota-river-area/
Modder ‘TheUniqueRaptor’ has released a new cool mod for Red Dead Redemption 2 that overhauls the entire Heartlands and Lower Dakota River Area.
Going into more details, Utah Heartlands 2.0 adds new rocks and soil colors to Heartlands and the Canyon. It also adds new grass types, new foliage colors, and ponderosa pines in Grizzlies East.
To showcase the mod, TheUniqueRaptor shared a trailer that you can find at the end of the article. Sadly, it does not have any before/after comparisons. Nevertheless, it can give you an idea of what this mod brings to the table.
Those interested can go ahead and download it from this link. Since it overhauls the game’s areas, it may not be compatible with the HD Texture Pack we shared a while back. So, make sure to keep that in mind. On the other hand, it should be compatible with most of the other mods we’ve shared so far.
>> There’s an almost 3 minutes video in the article.

This Mod Turns Red Dead Redemption 2 Into a Pokemon RPG – Free Download Available
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/this-mod-turns-red-dead-redemption-2-into-a-pokemon-rpg-free-download-available/
Now here is something truly amazing. Modder ‘Blurbs’ has just released an amazing overhaul mod that turns Red Dead Redemption 2 into a Pokemon RPG. This is perhaps one of the best mods you can download for Red Dead Redemption 2. So, don’t sleep on it.
With this mod, players can catch wild animals and battle NPCs. This is an incredible crossover between Pokemon and Red Dead Redemption 2.
Once you have installed it, you can equip Throwing Knives to use Pokeballs. You can then throw at an animal to attempt to capture it. As in the Pomenon games, capture is more likely the lower their health is.
To fight an NPC, you’ll have to aim at them with your gun and press Side Mouse 1. You should then press F1 to view your current team. Then, you can navigate the overlay with the arrow keys and press ENTER to delete a team member.
Right now, the mod has seven leaders. These are: Uncle, Jack, John, Dutch, Micah, and two secret battles. Each leader has a preset roster and appears in lore-appropriate locations. You may also encounter them naturally during gameplay.
As said, this is one of the best mods for Red Dead Redemption 2. So, make sure to download it while it’s still available. This is a fan Pokemon Mod, and you can bet your ass Nintendo will do everything to take it down.
You can download the mod from this link. Once you have downloaded it, you can launch RDR2 and then load into Story Mode. Tab out to OBS, enable the Browser Source (click the eye icon), and right-click the Browser Source → Interact. Then, return to the game, and press F2 to begin.
>> The article has an almost 20 minutes video of this mod.

22 years later, this classic Half-Life zombie survival mod shambles onto Steam with all new features
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/22-years-later-this-classic-half-life-zombie-survival-mod-shambles-onto-steam-with-all-new-features/
Before Valve reinvented cooperative gaming with Left 4 Dead, there was Zombie Panic! A mod for the original Half-Life, Zombie Panic! pitted groups of players against a single, player-controlled brain-muncher. Which doesn't sound all that challenging, except that any survivors killed by the zombie would rise again as zombies themselves, slowly turning the tide against survivors until there was only one sorry human remaining.
Zombie Panic! was released on ModDB back in 2004—relatively late for an OG Half-Life mod. Indeed, it was soon succeeded by Zombie Panic! Source, a souped-up version of the concept built in Half-Life 2's engine. Now though, the original Zombie Panic! has finally joined its younger sibling on Valve's digital distribution behemoth.
The mod's arrival on Steam was announced at the end of last year, with Zombie Panic Team—the creators of both Zombie Panic! and its Source-based sequel—explaining that it was Half-Life's 25th anniversary update that triggered the decision.
"With the release of HL's 25th anniversary update in 2023, the Zombie Panic mod has been having more gameplay and technical issues," Zombie Panic Team wrote in a Steam update." The team's lead programmer began tinkering with the mod to improve compatibility. This eventually became a full source code rewrite, which in turn shifted into a new, expanded version of the mod.
That new version arrives with numerous extra features alongside the improved compatibility and full Steam Workshop support. These range from cosmetic changes like new player models, weapons and improved animations, to reworked maps with better visuals and new locations, and even deeper mechanical tweaks. For example, there's a new fatigue system which means your characters get worn out if they overexert themselves, plus "Zombie vision" for undead players that highlights survivor locations.
Finally, the modders have integrated hardcore mode from Zombie Panic! Source into this Steam version, ratcheting up the tension with tougher zombies and a time limit for completing objectives. Zombie Panic Team says it might add more stuff in the future, though it doesn't make any hard commitments. "If we decide to add extra game modes beyond this, we'll announce them at the appropriate time," the team writes.
>> There is a shorter than 2 minutes video in the article.

GAMING NEWS

Battlefield 6 Update 1.2.2.0 Detailed – Full Patch Notes
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/battlefield-6-update-1-2-2-0-detailed-full-patch-notes/
DICE has detailed Title Update 1.2.2.0 for Battlefield 6, which will come out on March 17th, and shared its full patch notes. So, let’s see this upcoming update will bring to the table.

Konami’s free-to-play eBaseball: PRO SPIRIT is using Denuvo
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/konamis-free-to-play-ebaseball-pro-spirit-is-using-denuvo/
Now here is something that really made me go “huh”? Last week, Konami released its free-to-play baseball game, eBaseball: PRO SPIRIT. And, although this is an F2P game, the company has used the Denuvo anti-tamper tech.

Monday gaming news, the long part two:

Dead By Daylight devs reckon the game has 'at least' another 10 years in it
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/horror/dead-by-daylight-devs-reckon-the-game-has-at-least-another-10-years-in-it/
In June this year, Behaviour Interactive's Dead By Daylight will celebrate ten years of release: quite the feat for an asymmetrical multiplayer game that was designed with no thoughts of live service or roadmaps. (...)
PC Gamer's Chris Livingston had the chance to sit down at GDC with Behaviour's Dave Richard, senior creative director, and Mathieu Cote, head of partnerships, and when he opened by remarking on those ten years, Cote immediately shot back, "It's crazy."

Marathon's murderous audio change was an 'overcorrection,' Bungie admits, promises to pull it back in an upcoming update
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/marathons-murderous-audio-change-was-an-overcorrection-bungie-admits-promises-to-pull-it-back-in-an-upcoming-update/
PC Gamer's Morgan Park had a rough night in Marathon a couple days ago. He initially attributed it to a run of bad luck—everyone has an off night now and then, after all—but noticed a lot of other people having similar struggles, many of whom pointed the finger at something else: noise.
(...)
In a message posted earlier today on Bluesky, Bungie acknowledged that it went a little too far with the audio adjustment.
>> And one dev has (virtually) fought back some haters and won (link)

Marvel Rivals made Blizzard ask 'what if we could just drop 30 new heroes into Overwatch?' and inspired its biggest update ever
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/marvel-rivals-is-part-of-the-reason-overwatch-dropped-5-new-heroes-at-once/
"Marvel Rivals definitely had an impact on us in a lot of different ways," Overwatch 2 director Aaron Keller said during a panel at the 2026 Game Developers Conference on Friday. While Keller didn't mention the popular Overwatch 2 competitor while talking about Blizzard's efforts to revitalize its multiplayer shooter, a fan brought it up in the Q&A at the end of the panel. And he gamely tackled the question.

Throwback XCOM successor Xenonauts 2 leaves early access in April, though the developer says the milestone 'doesn't mean our work is done'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/strategy/throwback-xcom-successor-xenonauts-2-leaves-early-access-in-april-though-the-developer-says-the-milestone-doesnt-mean-our-work-is-done/
XCOM 3 may still be nothing more than a glint in Firaxis' compound eye, but Steam's digital walk-in freezer is bursting with alternative tactical lifeforms to dissect. These range from Julian Gollop's own attempt to modernise XCOM in Phoenix Point, to The Long War creators' absurdly complex Terra Invicta, which blows out X-COM's alien invasion concept to grand strategy scale.
Then there's the Xenonauts series, arguably the truest attempt by a modern dev to replicate the look and feel of Gollop's X-COM: UFO Defense. The original Xenonauts was released back in 2014, celebrated for its rigorous adaptation of Gollop's fundamentals. Since then, developer Goldhawk Interactive has been beavering away on a sequel, which launched into Steam early access in July 2023.
Now, Goldhawk has almost finished expanding its base and writing up its research notes as it prepares for the final assault on the alien mothership. Xenonauts 2 will officially leave early access next month.

The creator of Stephen's Sausage Roll has released a new puzzle-platformer where you play as an egg, in the latest example of a developer fallen to the sunny side
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/puzzle/the-creator-of-stephens-sausage-roll-has-released-a-new-puzzle-platformer-where-you-play-as-an-egg-in-the-latest-example-of-a-developer-fallen-to-the-sunny-side/
Late last year, I wrote about a bizarre moment when game developers suddenly became obsessed with eggs for some reason. Then everybody pointed out all the games about eggs that I didn't mention in the article, as if the goal was to create an exhaustive list of egg-based games and not observe a general trend.
No, I'm not still thinking about that, thank you very much. And I'll let you know that I definitely haven't been obsessively watching Steam for further egg-based games to drop ever since. Anyway, in totally unrelated news, another egg-based game has launched on Steam. This one's from the creator of 2016's weirdest puzzle game, Stephen's Sausage Roll, and for some inexplicable reason is not called Stephen's Egg Roll.
Oeuf is a 3D platformer where you and up to three other pals assume the role of eggs all trying to make their way back home. Between you and safety are a host of platforming challenges which you must use your rolling and jumping skills to overcome. Fall too far from a platform, and you'll shatter your shell, exposing your delicious, gooey innards for any passing ovivore to inhale.

Embark CEO says 'a real professional actor is better than AI' after the studio re-records some Arc Raiders dialog with real humans
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/embark-ceo-says-a-real-professional-actor-is-better-than-ai-after-the-studio-re-records-some-arc-raiders-dialog-with-real-humans/
Arc Raiders has proven to be a big hit and showed that the extraction shooter had legs for a more casual crowd, but like The Finals before it, it's drawn negative attention for its use of AI voices.
In a new interview, Embark CEO and Nexon executive chairman Patrick Söderlund told GamesIndustry.biz that the studio has begun to phase out "a lot" of the AI-generated voice work in Arc Raiders.
"We re-recorded some of the lines post-launch and made them with real voices … There is a quality difference," Söderlund said. "A real professional actor is better than AI; that's just how it is."

I desperately want the Just Cause creator's new open-city game to be great, but I'm not convinced by its latest trailer
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/i-desperately-want-the-just-cause-creators-new-open-city-game-to-be-great-but-im-not-convinced-by-its-latest-trailer/
For the last couple years, I've been desperately craving a good open-city game, the kind that arrived with such regularity in the Xbox 360 era that we foolishly took them for granted. (…) My eyes then turned to Samson, an open-city game developed by Liquid Swords, founded by Just Cause creator Cristofer Sundberg. It puts you in the role of the titular Samson, who returns to his home city of Tyndalston with a large debt hanging over his head, one he intends to settle by hook or by crook (mostly crook).

Darktide is getting a new extraction-esque mode where you go outside and try not to die from radiation poisoning: 'If time runs out and you die, you get nothing'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/darktide-is-getting-a-new-extraction-esque-mode-where-you-go-outside-and-try-not-to-die-from-radiation-poisoning-if-time-runs-out-and-you-die-you-get-nothing/
Darktide sure is a dark game. That's both because it's set in the dreariest of dreary sci-fi settings, the Warhammer 40,000 universe, and because missions mostly take place in shadowy, industrial environments familiar to anyone well-versed in the tabletop game's lore or numerous videogame adaptations. If it's a bit too shadowy and claustrophobic for you, rejoice, as it's about to lighten up—though it's no less grimdark.
A blog post and teaser trailer from earlier this week showed off a new mode from the Beyond the Hive update where players can expect to leave the confines of Hive Tertium and journey into the sunny dunes of Atoma Prime. Called "expeditions," these new missions involve traveling to explorable scavenge zones and trying to safely get out with precious Tech-Remnants in tow. It's sort of like an extraction shooter without the PvP.

Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor is getting an expansion that introduces the series' first ever new class, and it’s a dwarf driving a weaponised bulldozer that flattens terrain and enemies alike
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/roguelike/deep-rock-galactic-survivor-is-getting-an-expansion-that-introduces-the-series-first-ever-new-class-and-its-a-dwarf-driving-a-weaponised-bulldozer-that-flattens-terrain-and-enemies-alike/
Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor is comfortably the best autoshooter to emerge off the back of Vampire Survivors' success. Far from being a cynical cash grab, it deftly blends DRG's mining mechanic with the almighty power curve of Poncle's action roguelike.
Indeed, aspiring space dwarf Robin Valentine gave it a score of 90 in our Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor review. "To me, DRG:S is the survivors-like genre at its most engaging and tactical," he wrote in September last year. "I find myself just imagining yet more things developer Funday Games could add in new updates to come."
It turns out Funday has likewise been pondering what to do with Survivor now the main game is out in the wild. The answer it has come up with is "add a heckin' big bulldozer". Funday revealed its first expansion for Survivor late last week, and it adds a new class so over the top it quite literally chews up the scenery.

Fantasy heist sim Project Shadowglass is even more inspired by Thief than I had realised, as a new trailer shows off water arrows, blackjack knockouts, and authentically sloppy swordfighting
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/sim/fantasy-heist-sim-project-shadowglass-is-even-more-inspired-by-thief-than-i-had-realised-as-a-new-trailer-shows-off-water-arrows-blackjack-knockouts-and-authentically-sloppy-swordfighting/
I was already aware that Project Shadowglass was at least partly inspired by Looking Glass' stealth masterpiece Thief: The Dark Project. Fellow sneaky bastard Ted Litchfield picked some promising nuggets out of Shadowglass' purse in January, such as open-ended levels featuring guards and traps and simulated 3D audio inspired by Thief's pioneering propagation tech.
But I had severely underestimated just how much of Garrett's DNA is in Starhelm Studios' dark fantasy sneak 'em up. A new trailer for Project Shadowglass debuted at the Future Games Show late last week, and Starhelm's game is so deeply Thief coded you can almost hear it muttering 'Taffer' under its breath.

Beaver-themed city-builder Timberborn has gnawed its way out of early access, and surprise! It has Factorio-style automation now
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/city-builder/beaver-themed-city-builder-timberborn-has-gnawed-its-way-out-of-early-access-and-surprise-it-has-factorio-style-automation-now/
I thought Timberborn's early access journey was more or less done and (saw)dusted when I last checked in on it in February. The city-builder that has you oversee a colony of industrious beavers had confirmed its release date for March, and seemingly shared everything that was coming to the launch version. But it turns out Mechanistry had one final feature arriving alongside its new environment objects, maps and so forth, and it's arguably the most significant addition of them all—automation.

This indie dev is making a Mirror's Edge-inspired freerunning game, complete with an in-game PDA that looks a lot like a PlayStation Portable
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/this-indie-dev-is-making-a-mirrors-edge-inspired-freerunning-game-complete-with-an-in-game-pda-that-looks-a-lot-like-a-playstation-portable/
Mirror's Edge is known primarily for two things these days: being extremely cool and not getting any new games. It has that in common with plenty of aging series under the EA banner, but indie developer Viridian Matters has said enough is enough and announced a full-on Mirror's Edge-like of their own.
Called Panline, the game has a Steam store page which shows off brief snippets and screenshots and, yeah, it sure looks the part. Granted, the streaks of color splashed over each environment lack Mirror's Edge's iconic red, instead opting for hues of bright blue, orange, algae green, and more. It still takes place in a gleaming dystopia full of spotless white skyscrapers, so it's hard to mistake for a spiritual successor to anything else.

The remastered collection of the first Tomb Raider games just got a controversial patch with some truly terrible-looking new outfits: 'Lara deserves better than this'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/the-remastered-collection-of-the-first-tomb-raider-games-just-got-a-controversial-patch-with-some-truly-terrible-looking-new-outfits-lara-deserves-better-than-this/
It's rare that a game as old as the venerable Tomb Raider gets an update, and you'd think it'd be cause for celebration. Not necessarily so with the newest patch that came to Tomb Raider I-III Remastered last Thursday, which came bearing a new challenge mode and 10 new outfits that, well, just have a look for yourself.

Witches and glitches are your targets in retro adventure Witchhunter.exe
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/visual-novel/witches-and-glitches-are-your-targets-in-retro-adventure-witchhunter-exe/
Witchhunter.exe looks like a lost choose-your-own adventure trapped in the interface of a Gold Box D&D game. It casts you as a witch hunter right out of Salem who has to interrogate a group of women to determine which of them is in league with the Devil.

Blizzard struggles to balance its Abundance world event in a way that makes anybody happy, with recent potential nerfs making it even more stressful to optimize
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/world-of-warcraft/blizzard-struggles-to-balance-its-abundance-world-event-in-a-way-that-makes-anybody-happy-with-recent-potential-nerfs-making-it-even-more-stressful-to-optimize/
I'm still chewing on the thick, juicy slab of meat that is World of Warcraft: Midnight for our review—eagerly awaiting the launch of Season 1 later this week. I am also secretly very glad that I'm not into crafting, because profession-savvy WoW players are having a much worse time than I am.
Abundance events are little collect-a-thons that, for most people, see them romping through a cave eight times a week (more on that in a moment) harvesting abundance in a frenzy of nonsense, grabbing stacking buffs with which to gain more under a time limit. They're… fine. I've done a couple, and I cannot say that they gripped me nearly as much as Prey did. Certainly not enough to plug in eight runs in a row.
Players were finding the fun, however, by tackling them in big raid groups—which not only made them the brand of chaotic they seem to be angling for, but also made it far easier to bag Unalloyed Abundance, which is an important currency for crafters. Only problem being, these raid groups were lagging the hell out of zones, so Blizzard has seemingly had to put the kibosh on them.