These are the Wednesday gaming news:

SALES/PLAYER COUNTS & DEALS

Crimson Desert's less than ideal launch is a distant memory as it hits the 4 million sales milestone
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/crimson-deserts-less-than-ideal-launch-is-a-distant-memory-as-it-hits-the-4-million-sales-milestone/
Crimson Desert's moment is continuing. Pearl Abyss's open-world romp is obtuse and a bit divisive, but that doesn't seem to have been an obstacle. Today, the studio announced that it had hit another sales milestone.
In just shy of two weeks, Crimson Desert has sold 4 million copies—an impressive result for the studio's first singleplayer game.
"Crimson Desert has sold through 4 million copies worldwide," the official account shared on X. "Thank you to all the Greymanes who have been a part of this journey with us and for all of your incredible love and support."

My 5 favorite cozy games in Steam's House and Home sale
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/my-5-favorite-cozy-games-in-steams-house-and-home-sale/
I've been pretty good this year and avoided flooding my Steam library with more games I don't have time to play, but Steam's latest themed sale got me. From now until April 6, Steam is running House and Home Fest. It's basically seven days of homey, cozy games that feel specifically targeted at me.
I'm basically a videogame realtor, and all about anything that lets me build, organize, or clean some semblance of a house. I've scrubbed the dirt off of countless rooftops and walls in PowerWash Simulator, and who knows how many permutations I've created of my idealized working space in My Dream Setup. God forbid I apply that energy to cleaning my own house.
If that sounds like you, then I've got a few cozy game recommendations worth checking out in Steam's House and Home Fest.

Steam has three new deals and one festival:

• GRIME , that has a demo, will be 60% off until the 14th of April: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1123050/GRIME/
• ABZU will have a 75% discount until the 14th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/384190/ABZU/
• Portal Knights is going to be 85% off until the same 14th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/374040/Portal_Knights/
• The new and NSFW Power & Pleasure Festival will last until the 8th of April and it’s full of upcoming releases,as well as some titles with up to 70% discounts. The deals will end between the 6th and the 15th of April: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/44790310/sale/PowerPleasureFestival

Fanatical’s new Star Deal is Sniper Elite V2 Remastered , that will be 90% off during the next 48 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/sniper-elite-v-2-remastered

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

-Empty-

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

Skyblivion dev team is once again putting out a call for 'experienced mod authors and developers' to help get it finished, and it sure sounds like there's a lot left to do for a mod that's supposed to be out this year
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/skyblivion-dev-team-is-once-again-putting-out-a-call-for-experienced-mod-authors-and-developers-to-help-get-it-finished-and-it-sure-sounds-like-theres-a-lot-left-to-do-for-a-mod-thats-supposed-to-be-out-this-year/
Skyblivion, the massive mod that aims to rebuild all of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion in the swanky new(er) tech of The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim Special Edition, is once again asking for help. A message posted on Nexus Mods (via RPS) says the dev team is "on the hunt for the final, vital members of their development team to bring this massive undertaking to life."
The team is looking for "experienced mod authors and developers" with "highly specialized skill set[s]" for roles in quest creation, navmesh, interior level design and QA, 3D art, sound design, and "implementation," which requires "a high level of expertise with NifSkope and Blender (specifically using the pyNifly plugin for this phase)."

I opened my own store in Stardew Valley so now Pierre has to buy my seeds. MY SEEDS
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/life-sim/i-opened-my-own-store-in-stardew-valley-so-now-pierre-has-to-buy-my-seeds-my-seeds/
If you'd asked me yesterday how I felt about Pierre in Stardew Valley, I think I would have said "fine." I don't particularly like him but I don't have any specific gripes against him, either. My biggest issue is probably that he opens his store at 9 am and I'm up at 6 am every day, so if I head straight to his shop I have to hang around a while for him to open his doors. That can be a bit annoying.
But I was wrong. I clearly have some deep-seated seething hatred of Pierre, because when I saw that there's a mod that lets you open your own shop in Stardew Valley, my first thought was: revenge. I will fill my shop with my seeds and make Pierre come and buy them from me! Then we'll see who is shopping in whose store! Mwah-ha-ha-ha!
OK, it's not the most diabolical revenge plot in history—and may not even qualify as revenge at all—but the mod, called Merchant—Become a Shopkeeper is pretty cool anyway. You purchase a cash register from Robin, place it inside a building on your farm (shed, barn, etc), and that building becomes a shop. Set up tables and place items on top of them, then open your store and villagers will pop in to buy something.
It's genuinely delightful: for once, you're not the one running all over the place to find people, they're all coming to you, and seeing folks like the Wizard or the Bookseller (who will visit if you're selling books the day he's in town) show up in your store is really satisfying. Typically, only a few shoppers will visit at once, but there are special days where there's a big buying rush and you'll see a whole bunch of people come to your store on the same day.
There's a haggling minigame when someone buys something, so you can try to squeeze a few extra coins out of them, and another mod I installed, called Customer Add-On for Merchant, gives villagers' store-based dialogue a touch more personality. For instance, when I tried to jack up the price on a jar of honey for Robin, she said "What do you think this is, a house upgrade?" When the Wizard visited my shop, he said "Ah, Goat Cheese… I foresaw this transaction." Pretty cute.
Anything you can put on a table you can sell (no shade, but Pam immediately bought a bottle of wine) and there are a few things you can do to improve your profit margins. Decorating your shop will make it more appealing and you can purchase increasingly expensive marketing campaigns to drum up business. Your convenience store can be made quite convenient for you, too: one upgrade will re-stock your shelves with items you've placed in a chest, cutting down on some manual labor.
And yes, I eventually replaced everything in my shelves with blueberry seeds I'd generated from my own seed maker and lay in wait for Pierre. He eventually came in and bought a pack. He offered me 32, but I haggled him up to 35, then checked the wiki for what I already suspected: he sells them for 80 in his store. My revenge plot fizzled, sure, but it's still lots of fun to finally have my own store.
>> The article has a couple screenshots.

GAMING NEWS

DSOG has nothing to share here so… you should know what’s coming next by now

World of Warcraft secret hunters perform synchronized dance in a 40-player raid group to finally solve a year-old puzzle, proving they will do anything for a new outfit
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/world-of-warcraft/world-of-warcraft-secret-hunters-perform-synchronized-dance-in-a-40-player-raid-group-to-finally-solve-a-year-old-puzzle-proving-they-will-do-anything-for-a-new-outfit/

France's 'leading consumer association,' backed by Stop Killing Games, sues Ubisoft over The Crew shutdown
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/frances-leading-consumer-association-backed-by-stop-killing-games-sues-ubisoft-over-the-crew-shutdown/

Nightdive's Larry Kuperman retires after 25-year career in games: 'We never looked at games as products'
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/nightdives-larry-kuperman-retires-after-25-year-career-in-games-we-never-looked-at-games-as-products/

WoW's latest raid cinematic could be the start of a massive story retcon for its worst expansion
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/world-of-warcraft/wows-latest-raid-cinematic-could-be-the-start-of-a-massive-story-retcon-for-its-worst-expansion/

Wednesday gaming news, the second part:

Zero Parades, the spy game from Disco Elysium studio ZA/UM, is coming in May
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/zero-parades-pc-release-date/
Zero Parades: For Dead Spies, ZA/UM's Disco Elysium-like game of espionage and human frailty, is set to launch on PC on May 21, on Steam, the Epic Games Store, and GOG. It's not yet reflected on the Steam page but ZA/UM said Zero Parades will be Steam Deck verified at launch, and a PS5 version is set to follow later in the year.

Vaporizer swarms are wiping out squads en masse as Arc Raiders diehards finally get the tougher Arc they were asking for
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/vaporizer-swarms-are-wiping-out-squads-en-masse-as-arc-raiders-diehards-finally-get-the-tougher-arc-they-were-asking-for/
This lapsed Arc Raiders player was not ready for the Flashpoint update. I hopped into a Blue Gate match with the new Close Scrutiny condition aiming to have a firsthand encounter with the Vaporizer, the fresh ARC drone unleashed topside.
Mistake! The first thing I witnessed upon emerging from spawn was the crimson glow of a raider flare. Just below the flare was a pair of Vaporizers, sized similarly to the Rocketeer, melting its next victim with blue laser beams. Another flare. These things live up to their names.
>> Also, the latest update made late spawns less awful (link).

Bungie nerfs Marathon's slide cancel movement tech, says no movement freaks allowed: 'Unbounded movement, while expressive and clip-worthy, is ultimately unhealthy for the pace of play'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/bungie-patches-marathons-slide-cancel-movement-tech-says-no-movement-freaks-allowed-unbounded-movement-while-expressive-and-clip-worthy-is-ultimately-unhealthy-for-the-pace-of-play/
With its latest patch for Marathon, Bungie has decided that the haunting, derelict expanse of Tau Ceti IV is stressful enough without any adrenaline-crazed acrobats launching themselves across your screen like frenzied, gun-toting cybergibbons. Marathon is now, officially, a No Movement Freak Zone.

'Legally distinct Cammy': Overwatch revealed its newest hero and fans are saying she looks awfully familiar
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/legally-distinct-cammy-overwatch-revealed-its-newest-hero-and-fans-are-saying-she-looks-awfully-familiar/
We've finally uncovered another Overwatch hero, and while we don't know her name yet, Hero 51 is looking cool as all hell in the bottom right corner of the new heroes image alongside Mizuki, Domina, Emre, Anran, and the infamous Jetpack Cat.
Hero 51 looks to be a modded human, kitted out in tactical gear with what looks like a high-velocity rifle. She's also got a braided ponytail that reaches the floor and is accompanied by an Omnic bird. Like I said, sick as all hell.
But not everyone is happy with Hero 51's looks. Some say that she seems a bit too derivative to keep up with Overwatch's original style. "I love Overwatch’s very original and distinct character designs," one player says. "I squinted my eyes and this literally looks like a preexisting, iconic design of another character. From another game IP at that." Others are simply calling her "Legally distinct Cammy".

MindsEye's first major update, 'Blacklist', really will be used by former GTA lead to 'share some of the evidence of the sabotage’ that apparently made it bad
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/mindseyes-first-major-update-blacklist-really-will-be-used-by-former-gta-lead-to-share-some-of-the-evidence-of-the-sabotage-that-apparently-made-it-bad/
MindsEye is a bit of a mess. The first proper effort of Build a Rocket Boy, a studio helmed by former GTA developer Leslie Benzies, the game fell flat on its face mostly because it was just wasn't great. The studio hasn't given up on it though, in part because it was apparently all because of saboteurs.
()
Then, in February of this year, Benzies stated that some of the individuals the studio had allegedly caught doing something would star in an upcoming mission: "We will use these people, these names and these facts for our own fun. We’re gonna put some of these names into our upcoming spy mission." Normal!
Given that this was just initially an internal meeting, you'd be forgiven for thinking it to be a mere moment of corporate fugue: But no, this really is what Build a Rocket Boy is doing. It is going to use a DLC to dunk on former employees it alleges sabotaged its ostensibly mid videogame.
In a recent Gamesbeat interview, Benzies states that the new mission, dubbed Blacklist, will be used "to share some of the evidence of the sabotage with the community".

No, there isn't going to be a new lovecraftian Nier game with a caked-up tentacle robot, despite cope to the contrary
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/no-there-isnt-going-to-be-a-new-lovecraftian-nier-game-with-a-caked-up-tentacle-robot-despite-cope-to-the-contrary/
The Nier series is deeply beloved and, alas, deeply underserved. The last mainline game in the series was Nier: Automata, which came out in 2017—almost one whole decade ago. I mean, there was also Nier Reincarnation, a mobile gacha from 2021, but I feel spiritually obligated not to count that one.
Hopes were raised when in February of this year, an anniversary stream promised "Neir: Automata to be continued," filling fans with the hope that Nier: Automata would… you know, continue. Which is why plenty of Nier fans were understandably bamboozled by an announcement on X about an upcoming Nier project:
(...)
Anyway, turns out it was all an April Fool's bit, per the Nier X account: "The 'Nier: COSMIC HORROR' announced at 0:00 today is an April Fool's project. We received a tremendous response and caused quite a stir. We look forward to your continued support for the Nier series."

Looks less Dungeon Keeper x Black&White and more Powermonger x Afterlife to me, but hey, one of those is not from Bullfrog, so they couldn't make that comparison.

Either way, I'm somewhat excited for both of them.

As for the first post, Brenda was already active before the videogame crash of 83, so she definitely knows what she's talking about here, though to be fair at Sir-Tech at the time, she would have been relatively sheltered from the fallout at the time.

My feeling about what's happening in the industry right now is one of disappointment. We saw the mini-crash that happened when the HD consoles launched and many studios and publishers went down because of the ballooning development costs.

And yet, here we are, 20 years later, seeing how Sony wasted $400 millions on Concord, how Eidos has had to lay off people after the cancellation of a game they had spend also over $100 millions, Ubisoft lost who knows how much money in Skull & Bones or the cancelled Prince of Persia Remake, etc.

It feels like they learned nothing! Like they think that because they survived the last one, they can't fall and they'll also make big money. Ridiculous!

And then there's MSoft, with the news from last year that Sarah Bond wanted to treat the Xbox division like other industries with expected profit margins that aren't realistic. Who knows how many execs coming from other business see things the same way?

So yeah, I agree with her feeling that the industry is in deep sh*t, and it's all self-inflicted.

Crash of '83 was very localized, and while current situation with oversaturation is somewhat similar to it, distribution model is completely different for it to repeat itself. Steam is just to big for it, in addition to most Steam hits not even being AAA.

Steam on Linux reaches 5.33% in March Steam Survey, highest share on record

https://videocardz.com/newz/steam-on-linux-reaches-5-33-in-march-steam-survey-highest-share-on-record

User orders one WD_BLACK SN7100, gets 10 SSDs instead

https://videocardz.com/newz/user-orders-one-wd_black-sn7100-gets-10-ssds-instead

Sony’s new PlayStation handheld rumored to top Xbox Series S, Steam Deck 2 may arrive (much) later

https://videocardz.com/newz/sonys-new-playstation-handheld-rumored-to-top-xbox-series-s-steam-deck-2-may-arrive-much-later

Intel’s next-gen Nova Lake-HX to top out at 28 cores, only two GPU cores

https://videocardz.com/newz/intels-next-gen-nova-lake-hx-to-top-out-at-28-cores-only-two-gpu-cores

Dell XPS 14 reportedly lasts 43 hours in web test

https://videocardz.com/newz/dell-xps-14-reportedly-lasts-43-hours-in-web-test

I know it's a third party reviewer but I'd still take it with salt

Dell confirms Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 is coming to Area-51 desktops, after lying it won’t

https://videocardz.com/newz/dell-confirms-ryzen-9-9950x32d-is-coming-to-area-51-desktops-after-lying-it-wont

DRAM prices to increase by up to 63% in Q2, NAND Flash by up to 75%, new report says

https://www.tweaktown.com/news/110829/dram-prices-to-increase-by-up-to-63-percent-in-q2-nand-flash-by-up-to-75-percent-new-report-says/index.html

IBM Announces Strategic Collaboration with Arm to Shape the Future of Enterprise Computing

https://newsroom.ibm.com/2026-04-02-ibm-announces-strategic-collaboration-with-arm-to-shape-the-future-of-enterprise-computing

Intel to buy back Apollo stake in Ireland factory for $14.2 billion

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/intel-buy-back-apollo-stake-ireland-factory-142-billion-2026-04-01/

Let’s go with the Thursday gaming news:

SALES/PLAYER COUNTS & DEALS

This week, the Epic Store has these giveaways:

• Clone Drone in the Danger Zone : https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/clone-drone-in-the-danger-zone-4daf6e
• TOMAK: Save the Earth Regeneration : https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/tomak-save-the-earth-regeneration-c1207c

Next week, the free game will be Prop Sumo .

GOG’s Spring Sale is in its last legs. Hurry up if you still have something to buy! gog.com

Steam only shows two new deals and a bundle:

• Biped 2 is going to be 45% off until the 15th of April: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2560240/Biped_2/
• Ghostrunner has a demo and a 75% discount that will last until the same 15th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1139900/Ghostrunner/
• Capcom must like Spring a lot, because they’ve launched another Capcom Spring Sale, with games up to 90% off until April 15: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/33273264/sale/Spring

There are two new Humble Bundles:

• Best of Humble: Fight 4 Your Friends has up to 6 games to get during 20 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/games/best-of-humble-fight-4-your-friends
• Strategic Minds Collection features up to 7 games to grab during the next 20 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/games/strategic-minds-collection

And Fanatical has two new deals:

• CI Games puts its titles on sale with up to 92% discounts during 6 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/publishers/ci-games
• Platinum Collection - Build your own Bundle (April 2026), featuring 15 games to get in bundles of 3+, 5+ or 7+ titles during the next 34 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/pick-and-mix/platinum-collection-build-your-own-bundle

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

Instead of making a joke, Valve celebrates April Fool's Day by rolling out a Steam storefront 'refresh' that makes it look much nicer
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/instead-of-making-a-joke-valve-celebrates-april-fools-day-by-rolling-out-a-steam-storefront-refresh-that-makes-it-look-much-nicer/
If you're signed up for Steam client betas, you might have noticed that the storefront looks a little fresher today. That's because Valve is testing some updates to the Steam store home page that, you guessed it, "aims to make it even easier for you to find new games by displaying more content and information."
The overall goal of the refresh is to make Steam feel "more cohesive," Valve said, while still providing distinct tools and information for each section. The "Featured and Recommended" section, for instance, now serves up more detailed information on why a particular game is being recommended as well as a user review roundup, and when you hover a game's cover art, a micro-trailer will play, although this can be disabled if you prefer.
The "Discounts and Events" section now uses larger artwork, the Discovery Queue now opens as a transparent overlay on the main page that makes browsing it quicker and easier (and it really does), new sections for your wishlist and DLC for games you already own have been added, and it now does infinite scroll, which frankly I don't care for, but nobody ever asks what I think about these things.

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

Brutal Doom V22 Beta Test 6 Is Available for Download
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/brutal-doom-v22-beta-test-6-is-available-for-download/
Modder ‘SGtMarkIV’ has released a new beta test version of Brutal Doom. The biggest feature of Brutal Doom V22 Beta Test 6 is the two new Horde Mode levels that it has.
These two Horde levels take place on Earth. They both feature a supply drop system, and they will let you fight hordes of enemies. So, if you are a die-hard Doom fan, you will definitely enjoy them.
Brutal Doom is one of the best mods for classic Doom. Needless to say, I highly recommend giving it a go. You can go ahead and download this Public Beta Test from this link.
At the end of the article, you can also find a trailer for this latest version of Brutal Doom. This trailer shows off the new Horde levels. It also details some of the new tweaks and features the modder has added to it. So, be sure to watch it.

The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening DX HD Has Been Fully Finished
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/the-legend-of-zelda-links-awakening-dx-hd-has-been-fully-finished/
In 2023, we informed you about an unofficial native PC version of The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening DX. Now, while its Itch.io page was taken down, it appears that the project was resurrected by another team. And, a few days ago, a final version of it was released.
But let’s take things from the beginning. Why was the original PC version taken down? You see, that version had all the assets from the original game. This was what prompted Nintendo to shut it down. The good news is that the release also contained the source code. As such, another team removed the ROM assets and decided to continue developing it.
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening DX originally came out on Game Boy Color in 1998. So, this PC version offers a fresh take on the beloved classic, combining the essence of the original with cutting-edge enhancements. It supports high resolutions and framerates. The game will also run better than its original Game Boy Color version.
Its latest version, Version 1.7.1, removes BowWow collision, updates AI to be more like the original game, and makes the chain transparent. It also reworks button remapping to show “??” for the button being remapped and cancels remapping after 5 seconds. Not only that, but it also adds support for MacOS and Android. Furthermore, it adds controller support for Android devices, where it is not properly detected, like GameMT E5 Ultra.
All in all, this is the best way to re-experience The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening DX. You can go ahead and download the latest PC version from this link. As said, you’ll also need the original ROM file to play it.
>> The article has a 10 minutes video.

Skyrim’s Studio Ghibli-Style Mod Overhauls Riften, Windhelm, and Markarth
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/skyrims-studio-ghibli-style-mod-overhauls-riften-windhelm-and-markarth/
In December 2025, I informed you about a mod that attempts to make The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim look like a Studio Ghibli game. And today, we can share four new add-ons for this overhaul mod.
Contrary to most other HD Texture Packs, this one will completely change the art style of the game. As an alternative way of experiencing Skyrim, it’s kind of cool. Obviously, this is not meant for those who haven’t played the game. But for those who have already finished it, this is a cool way to re-experience it.
These new add-ons will overhaul Riften and its Ratway, Markarth, and Windhelm. The fourth add-on overhauls some other areas like High Hrothgar, Sky Haven, the College of Winterhold, Sovngarde, and more. You can download them from here, here, here, and here.
Now I know that some will call this a cel-shaded mod and not a Studio Ghibli Mod. However, the modder intended to get as close to the art style of Studio Ghibli. That’s why the mod is called “a Ghibli Skyrim”. Whether he succeeded or not, that’s for you to decide.
Alongside the aforementioned cities, A Ghibli Skyrim has overhauled Whiterun, farmhouses, and most of the game’s landscapes. You can find these mods in this article. You can also find here the add-on that changes dungeons, forts, ships, and more. To get the best Studio Ghibli experience, you’ll have to use all of them.
>> The article has some screenshots.

It turns out Crimson Desert has even more mechanics under the hood—like this 'fully-designed food consequence system' that modders have unlocked
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/it-turns-out-crimson-desert-has-even-more-mechanics-under-the-hood-like-this-fully-designed-food-consequence-system-that-modders-have-unlocked/
Crimson Desert is a game utterly stacked with systems—minigames, theft, horse stabling, farming, follower missions, you get the picture. It's something that PCG's own Mollie Taylor called out in her Crimson Desert review, describing it as "an infinite trail of gumdrops".
Turns out, however, that there were in fact more systems that developer Pearl Abyss didn't add—a rare moment of restraint from a studio that otherwise was determined to make an everything bagel of a videogame. The "Cut Content Restored Food Risk System" mod (thanks, TheGamer) alleges an entire smorgasbord of culinary complications that Pearl Abyss seemingly cut from the final game.
"Crimson Desert ships with a fully designed food consequence system that Pearl Abyss built but never activated," writes mod author claramercury. "We discovered 50 food skills across 15 categories—including temperature food, elemental resistances, combat buffs, and even immunity food for endgame mechanics that aren't live yet."
While food in Crimson Desert does have some variety—with some meals in the game already giving you ice resistance—the full gauntlet of modifiers claramercury laid out here is much more expansive. We're talkin' HP and Spirit Regen, elemental damage type resistances, and—as the quote above mentions—food that makes you immune to Abyss, Poison, and whatever "Coma" and "Sound attack" are.
In addition, the more powerful your food gets, the more consequences it has for consumption—with drunkenness, food poison, and poison status effects assailing poor Kliff if he eats too much. Me too, buddy.
It's all very monster hunter, and given the complaints that the developer had to address regarding inventory slots and management, I'm not shocked this didn't all make it into the full release. The mod comes with three difficulty presets: Adventure, Survival, and Iron Gut, with higher difficulties heaping on the consequences for eating powerful food.
>> Sorry, but there’s no media about this mod.

GAMING NEWS

Someone has debunked all the “visual issues” of NVIDIA DLSS 5
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/someone-has-debunked-all-the-visual-issues-of-nvidia-dlss-5/
Last month, NVIDIA revealed DLSS 5, which aims to bring major visual improvements to PC games. And, since DLSS 5 uses AI, a lot jumped on the hate bandwagon. Funnily enough, a lot of misinformation spread out in the blink of an eye. However, if you had a pair of working eyes, you’d know that all of the reported visual anomalies and issues are not caused by DLSS 5.

Mortal Shell 2 Gets Official Gameplay Reveal Trailer
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/mortal-shell-2-gets-official-gameplay-trailer/
Playstack has released the official gameplay reveal trailer for its new Souls-like game, Mortal Shell 2. This trailer packs 11 minutes of gameplay footage. As such, it will give you a glimpse at what you can expect from it.

Death Stranding 2 Patch 1.2 Released & Detailed
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/death-stranding-2-patch-1-2-released-detailed/
Nixxes has just released Title Update 1.2 for Death Stranding 2: On the Beach and shared its full patch notes. So, let’s see what this new patch brings to the table.

The second part of the gaming news:

Stormgate, the StarCraft-like RTS that launched last summer, is losing online multiplayer support because its server partner was bought by an AI company
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rts/stormgate-the-starcraft-like-rts-that-launched-last-summer-is-losing-online-multiplayer-support-because-its-server-partner-was-bought-by-an-ai-company/
Stormgate, the StarCraft-like RTS that launched into early access in 2024 and hit 1.0 a year later, is ending support for online play at the end of April because Hathora, which provides server functionality for the game, has been purchased by an AI company. There's a chance that online play could be restored at some point in the future, but for now developer Frost Giant Studios says it will patch Stormgate so it can be played offline.

Marathon has made everyone's favourite loot spot harder to access but even more rewarding, and it's got solo players raising pitchforks
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/marathon-has-made-everyones-favourite-loot-spot-harder-to-access-but-even-more-rewarding-and-its-got-solo-players-raising-pitchforks/
Marathon's Outpost map is an extraction masterclass, in large part due to how the central Pinwheel location lulled players in with the promise of loot. However, it wasn't without its issues: the Destroyed Wing entrance had to be disabled shortly after it launched, and it was overall too easy to break in once players had figured out the steps.
Bungie's given the map a thorough pass in the latest Marathon patch notes (1.0.5.2), and made some very interesting, totally not controversial changes. Content creator True Vanguard said the changes "genuinely suck for solo play" before returning five hours later after more successful runs to say "Holy frick, okay I lied".

Shinji Mikami's next game was just stealth-announced in a YouTube video and it sure looks like the creator of survival horror is back doing what he does best
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/horror/shinji-mikamis-next-game-was-just-stealth-announced-in-a-youtube-video-and-it-sure-looks-like-the-creator-of-survival-horror-is-back-doing-what-he-does-best/
On leaving Tango Gameworks in 2023 industry legend Shinji Mikami started up a new development studio called Unbound. (…) Unbound was recently in the news thanks to the appearance of a website with the scantest of details about its first project, and it hasn't taken long for a major publisher to step in and start throwing money at Mikami. The Korean publisher Shift Up, best-known in the West for Stellar Blade, has announced in a press release that it has acquired Unbound outright through purchasing all of the studio's shares. (...) The announcement comes with a video, which is worth a look for Mikami obsessives because it shows various elements of what Unbound is working on, including an office environment with weird tree-tendrils and various accessories that span the gamut from Egyptian to gothic aesthetics. And spider-like things: lots of those. Yep, sure looks like some sort of horror game.

April Fool's Day is upon us, and you know what that means: Bubsy feet pics
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/april-fools-day-is-upon-us-and-you-know-what-that-means-bubsy-feet-pics/
April Fool's Day is back again, offering a slate of jokes, gags, knee-slappers, and occasional bouts of confusion as those of us who have to wrangle this stuff are forced to expend way too much mental energy debating whether an announcement is real, or just not very funny. It's rough out there, folks.
Each year on this day we round up the best (of whatever lands in our inbox), and this year is no different. What is different in 2026, possibly, is the vibe: April Fool's Day is always a fairly big deal in this business, as companies large and small rush to promote themselves and their products with carefully crafted lighthearted fun™. But this year feels quieter and more reserved, and I can't help thinking that the absolute state of it all is responsible.
>> But it turns out that one of them isn’t just a joke...

Black Ops 7's April Fools' joke is very much real: the smallest Call of Duty map in history
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/black-ops-7s-april-fools-joke-is-very-much-real-the-smallest-call-of-duty-map-in-history/
The only way to make a decent April Fools' joke these days is pretend you're making something totally ridiculous and then actually make that thing. That's the route Treyarch took with its seasonal goof in Black Ops 7, which it unveiled today with an X post depicting a map no larger than a single room.

Diablo 4's 'April Fowl's Day' joke is a big chicken boss who drops a cluckton of unique loot, like the 'Cluckonomicon' and the 'Eggcecutioner'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/diablo-4s-april-fowls-day-joke-is-a-big-chicken-boss-who-drops-a-cluckton-of-unique-loot-like-the-cluckonomicon-and-the-eggcecutioner/
Watch out, Mephisto: A true terror has arrived in Diablo 4 in the form of a giant chicken. It's April Fool's Day (or April Fowl's Day, if you will) and Blizzard has unleashed a new world boss that drops entirely unique, chicken-flavored loot.
I barely missed the window to battle the beast, but players in the official Discord server are posting screenshots of the big chicken boss and the loot it drops. Diablo 4 events are typically just a way to funnel you loads of crafting materials and legendaries as a fun boost to your progression, but this one sidesteps that approach for something far weirder.
>> From the wording of the article, it feels like the event is already over.

Garry's Mod successor s&box finally arrives on Steam on April 28
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/garrys-mod-successor-s-and-box-finally-arrives-on-steam-on-april-28/
20 years after Garry's Mod changed pretty much everything, Facepunch Studios has revealed that the sandbox successor s&box (yes, pronounced "sandbox") will finally launch on Steam on April 28. The news arrived not with a big announcement or flashy marketing push, or any kind of fanfare at all—it just popped up quietly in a Steam page update.

US Patent Office revokes Nintendo's controversial Pokémon battling patent in nonfinal decision
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/us-patent-office-revokes-nintendos-controversial-pokemon-battling-patent-in-nonfinal-decision/
Amidst its ongoing Japanese patent lawsuit against Palworld developer Pocketpair, Nintendo thoroughly stirred the legal pot on this side of the Pacific when news broke in September 2025 that the United States Patent and Trademark Office had granted the publisher US patent 12,403,397—a patent describing a system for battling summoned characters.
Despite concerns about how such patents could be weaponized, the USPTO approved the '397 patent with shockingly little pushback, drawing outcry from both players and legal experts—experts like videogame patent lawyer Kirk Sigmon, who called the patent's approval "an embarrassing failure of the US patent system." The USPTO now seems to agree, as it issued a nonfinal decision last week rejecting all of the '397 patent's claims, effectively declaring its intent to revoke the patent (via GamesFray). Nintendo will, however, be able to argue against the decision.

Blizzard is hiring for an 'open-world shooter' using Unreal Engine, which is more evidence that a new Starcraft game could be on its way
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/blizzard-is-hiring-for-an-open-world-shooter-using-unreal-engine-which-is-more-evidence-that-a-new-starcraft-game-could-be-on-its-way/
According to a recent job listing, Blizzard is cooking up a new game in an engine and a genre that none of its releases have used before. The studio is looking for a "Lead Designer, Innovation" to run development on a "AAA open-world shooter" without a name.
Right now, every Blizzard game except Hearthstone (made with Unity) were made with in-house engines, but this unnamed shooter will likely use Unreal Engine. The listing says the lead designer will need experience working with the popular engine for prototyping features.

'Any update is a bonus not a right': Peak devs snap back at ungrateful players demanding more updates, 'Neither us or Aggro Crab are live service studios'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/adventure/any-update-is-a-bonus-not-a-right-peak-devs-snap-back-at-ungrateful-players-demanding-more-updates-neither-us-or-aggro-crab-are-live-service-studios/
Peak was one of the surprise successes of last year. (…) "Y'all are mad at Landfall for not releasing a game, I'm mad at Landfall for their lazy dev cycle for Peak when they could be doing so much more with it considering they're ending development of it this year," one player says (via GamesRadar). (...) "Peak has had sooo many updates tho," one of the developers, Landfall replied. "Neither us or Aggro Crab are live service studios, any update is a bonus not a right. We just made a huge update for customising runs, but full customisation is a big ask. However if there are specific suggestions we'd love to hear them. [Redgarding] modding, we have a great connection with the modding community, when asking if we should add [a] workshop etc they didn't want it."
>> Some people are really spoiled brats.

And here's the third part of the gaming news:

Billy the pickpocket is the unluckiest man in Crimson Desert
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/billy-the-pickpocket-is-the-unluckiest-man-in-crimson-desert/

Gabe Newell stepped back from game design during Portal 2's development, because 'he always wanted to be part of the team, but being Gabe and being in his position, that never really worked'
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/game-development/gabe-newell-stepped-back-from-game-design-during-portal-2s-development-because-he-always-wanted-to-be-part-of-the-team-but-being-gabe-and-being-in-his-position-that-never-really-worked/

'What's your salary? I told him, and he said no problem, we'll double. And those days are gone:' Listening to game dev legends reminiscing in 1989 about the 'golden days of computer games' already being over is a trip
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/whats-your-salary-i-told-him-and-he-said-no-problem-well-double-and-those-days-are-gone-listening-to-game-dev-legends-reminiscing-in-1989-about-the-golden-days-of-computer-games-already-being-over-is-a-trip/

And that’s. With Easter here, there’ll be no news tomorrow nor on Monday.

Until the next time, I wish you a happy and gaming long weekend.