I think in the current market, it is really hard to release anything cheap and the only way anyone would buy cards from intel is if they are cheap. Hopefully they won't go out of the consumer gpu business entirely since they have been doing a lot of pro-consumer moves compared to Nvidia and Radeon. But I would understand why if they do close. Would be a real shame if they did.

They could be cheaper, but as they tend to also have more VRAM than the competition and that the VRAM prices have exploded, this would be a tactic that would ruin Intel quickly.

That being said, they could always repurpose the celestial GPUs for AI development this gen and then see how the market evolves.

*** NEW FREE GAMES*** 

• The short Nocturnal is free to get... until today's refresh: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1634080/Nocturnal/
  I've just seen it now.

• 8AM will be free to get until tomorrow's refresh: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2835590/8AM/

Already too late for Nocurnal sadly

Too bad

Software compatibility is currently keeping me on Windows, but I'd be more than happy for that to change. 

It’s Monday and these are the gaming news:

SALES/PLAYER COUNTS & DEALS

Resident Evil Requiem has sold 7 million copies in 2 months—a milestone that took the RE4 remake a year
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/resident-evil/resident-evil-requiem-has-sold-7-million-copies-in-2-months-a-milestone-that-took-the-re4-remake-a-year/
If you needed any further proof of the terrifying cultural potency of Leon S. Kennedy, here it is: Resident Evil Requiem has sold over 7 million copies in just under two months. The latest in a string of Capcom sales successes, the milestone makes Requiem the fastest-selling Resident Evil game to date.
While Capcom hasn't circulated a press release officially confirming the figure, the milestone was shared on game director Koshi Nakanishi's Instagram (via Twisted Voxel), where he posted a photo of Capcom staff honoring the achievement with a pair of celebratory Resident Evil-themed cakes.

Steam has two new deals and a bunch of sales/events:

• ROBOBEAT has a demo and a 50% discount that will last until the 3rd of May: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1456760/ROBOBEAT/
• Darksiders Ultimate Edition, with the four games in the franchise plus a soundtrack is 85% off. While there’s no mention of how long will last the deal, the individual games are also on sale until the 10th of May: https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/44666/Darksiders_Ultimate_Edition/
• And now, the sales/events. I’m sorry to say that, with 10 new ones, they’re a bit too much for a Monday with so many news to post them all. So, check the following link to see the The Bueno Interactive, FORYU CORPORATION, HandyGames and Stray Fawn publisher sales, alongside the Tokyo Game Dungeon 12, The Wishlisted Showcase, INDIE Live Expo, Wholesome Kitchen 2026, InterfaceX26 and Post-Apocalyptic Festivals, Showcases or events: https://store.steampowered.com/news/collection/sales/

There are two new Humble Bundles:

• MECHA MANIA Bundle features up to 9 games to get during 18 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/games/mecha-mania
• Fore! A Golf Games Bundle ha up to 10 games to get during the same 18 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/games/fore-golf-games-bundle-games

And Fanatical has these:

• Star Deal is Heroes of Science and Fiction , 55% off during 48 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/silence-of-the-siren
• The BYO Adrenaline Bundle has 11 games for your 3+ or 5+ bundles and will last 34 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/pick-and-mix/build-your-own-adrenaline-bundle

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

-Nothing today-

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

Starfield Mods overhaul numerous areas and cities by adding over 2300 hand-placed light sources
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/starfield-mods-overhaul-numerous-areas-and-cities-by-adding-over-2300-hand-placed-light-sources/
Modder ‘RabbitDoesStuff’ has just released the latest part in his Real Lights mod series for Starfield, overhauling the lighting in New Babylon. This new mod adds over 100 hand-placed lighting sources and objects to create a more realistic lighting design.
RabbitDoesStuff has overhauled numerous areas in Starfield. For instance, he has overhauled Akila City, New Atlantis, Cydonia, and more. In total, he has improved the lighting of over 11 areas by adding over 2300 hand-placed lighting sources.
In my opinion, this is an amazing graphics mod series for Starfield. These mods will greatly improve the overall lighting and atmosphere of the game.
Do note that this may not be compatible with the Neon City Fan Expansion Mod I shared a while ago. RabbitDoesStuff’s covers that city. So, you will have to choose the mod you want to use. For what it’s worth, I believe the Neon City Fan Expansion Mod to be a superior mod for that particular city.
You can go ahead and download the mod from this link. At the end of that page, you can also find links for all the other areas and cities that the modder has improved. You can also find a lot of comparison shots. These will give you a pretty good idea of what you can expect from each part of the series.
>> The article has no media.

Max Payne Just Got a New RTX Remix Path Tracing Mod
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/max-payne-just-got-a-new-rtx-remix-path-tracing-mod/
Modder ‘Neo_minigan’ has released a new RTX Remix Path Tracing Mod for Remedy’s classic third-person shooter, Max Payne. This is the third RTX Remix Mod for Max Payne. So, let’s take a look at it.
But let’s take things from the beginning. In September 2024, we shared the first RTX Remix Mod for Max Payne. That mod overhauled the prologue and Roscoe Street. In my opinion, it looked great, even though it made a lot of “artistic” changes to the game.
Then, in July 2025, I shared the second RTX Remix Mod for Max Payne. That one was more faithful to the original art style. However, as with the first mod, it only overhauled the prologue and the Roscoe Street.
The bad news is these two RTX Remix Mods seem to have been abandoned. Neither of them has received any new updates for over a year. Which brings us to this new third RTX Remix Mod for Max Payne.
Created by ‘Neo_minigan’, this new RTX Remix Mod overhauls, you guessed it, the prologue and Roscoe Street. From what I can see, it’s closer in style to the second mod, as it retains the original game’s art direction, but it still looks noticeably better than the original.
The good news is that this new mod may finally let us play the other levels of Max Payne with Path Tracing. So, here is hoping that the modder will continue working on it.
>> The article has some screenshots and a short video.

Dark Souls 2 Path Tracing Mod Got an HD Texture Pack
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/dark-souls-2-path-tracing-mod-got-an-hd-texture-pack/
A few days ago, we informed you about an amazing Path Tracing Mod for Dark Souls 2. Created by Ganaboy as part of DS2LightingEngine, it allows you to experience the entire game with Path Tracing. And now, an HD Texture Pack has just come out for it.
Dark Souls 2 has some very low-quality textures. So, while Path Tracing can significantly improve its visuals, the game may still look blurry due to the original textures. That’s where this HD Texture Pack comes in.
Created by Trivia Vanille, this HD Texture Pack aims to overhaul all of the game’s textures. The pack is compatible with the Path Tracing Mod, letting you enjoy the game with crisper and more detailed textures. You can download it from this link.
Now, if you don’t want to use this HD Texture Pack, you can download fromsoftserve’s Second Sin Mod. Its latest version, which is based on the DS2LightingEngine, has Path Tracing. It also comes with higher-quality textures, as well as some other visual changes. You can download it from here. At the end of the article, you can find a couple of shots from it. These shots show off some of the modded textures.
>> Besides the screenshots, there’s also an over 20 minutes video.

This Skyrim mod that makes NPCs AI chatterboxes just got a massive overhaul
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/the-elder-scrolls/this-skyrim-mod-that-makes-npcs-ai-chatterboxes-just-got-a-massive-overhaul/
Skyrim's got a lot of NPCs. Thing is, most of 'em are dolts. They don't have any kind of distinct personality or routine, and sometimes do the dumbest stuff imaginable. I'll never forget the time a dragon flew down to attack me near a settlement, destroying some fencing in the process, and the entire town swivelled before charging towards me, daggers drawn, completely ignoring the massive dragon in their midst that had actually caused the damage.
In recent years Skyrim's peerless modding scene has seen various experiments incorporating AI elements into the game, with varying results: PCG's Chris Livingston took a ChatGPT-powered Skyrim companion for a test drive and it nearly got him killed by repeatedly failing to solve the game's easiest puzzle. Another that's been around since 2023 is Mantella, which uses various AI LLMs alongside speech-to-text tech to enable NPC conversations, and last week received a major update.
Mantella boasts NPCs that "have memories of your previous conversations, are aware of in-game events, have vision, and can even perform actions." You can see an example of a conversation below (which is from a version before this patch) and, yeah, it's stilted in places and the voicework is clearly rudimentary computer babble: but it works.
Here's another, showing an NPC follower being scornful about the player's dance moves.
Installing Mantella is fairly straightforward (here's an installation guide, and a collection of community resources), and the new version (0.14) improves nearly every element of it, focusing particularly on NPC awareness and how they interact with the world.

Modder brings playable Halo Elite to Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/modder-brings-playable-halo-elite-to-warhammer-40k-space-marine-2/
Artist and Halo fan Skykillerr has uploaded a video showcasing Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 modded to let you play as a Sangheili "Elite" alien from the Halo franchise. At the time of writing, Skykillerr does not appear to have shared the mod widely for public use.
Skykillerr specifically ported in a white "Ultra" Elite from Halo: Reach, which makes for a nice pun with the "Ultramarine" branch of the Adeptus Astartes portrayed in the Space Marine series.
It's pretty surprising how well the model works with protagonist Titus' animations, but that Ultramarine armor was already so chunky and inhuman, some double-jointed legs and a big 'ol headdress added in the mix aren't exactly shaking things up.
(...)
Unfortunately, Skykillerr did not include a download link with the video, nor have they published anything on their social media pages. A search of the Space Marine 2 Nexus similarly did not turn up any Halo Elite content. If you want to stay abreast of any updates or expansions to this project, you'll want to follow Skykillerr on your social platform of choice.
>> The video is a bit over 1 minute long.

For Return to Castle Wolfenstein's 25th anniversary, modders are bringing its console-exclusive levels to PC at last
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/for-return-to-castle-wolfensteins-25th-anniversary-modders-are-bringing-its-console-exclusive-levels-to-pc-at-last/
It's wild to think the developers of Redneck Rampage—a game I enjoyed at the time because I was a kid, not because it was anything special—went on to make the much more well-received Return to Castle Wolfenstein, resurrecting id's abandoned FPS and laying down the foundations for its modern revival.
If you're playing Return to Castle Wolfenstein today you're probably playing it via RealRTCW, the mod with its own Steam page that overhauls, modernizes, widescreenifies, and rebalances the 2001 shooter. Not content with all those improvements, the makers of RealRTCW have announced they're also resurrecting its previously console-only prologue as free DLC.
The Cursed Sands expansion will add the seven Egypt-set levels as well as their unique enemies and variants to PC for the first time. It'll also be chock-full of customization options. You can choose between the Xbox version's HUD and the PS2 one as well as between their loading and briefing screens, and enemy variants. You can even set it to randomly pick which of the skins to use for individual enemies, meaning half the elite guards will be in Xbox camo and the other half will have traveled to Egypt in PS2 leather.
The level of customization is a bit nuts, to be honest. You can choose between different sound packs if you prefer the gun or environmental sounds from other games in the series, or even swap in the firerate from spin-off Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory. You can also swap between modernized and classic assets with a click.
Cursed Sands will be available from May 6 on Steam and GOG.
>> The article has an almost 10 minutes video.

GAMING NEWS

Crimson Desert Patch 1.04.01 & 1.04.02 Fix Lots of Bugs – Full Details
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/crimson-desert-patch-1-04-01-fixes-lots-of-bugs-full-patch-notes/
Pearl Abyss has released Title Update 1.04.01 for Crimson Desert and has shared its full patch notes. So, let’s see what this latest update brings to the table.
UPDATE:
Pearl Abyss has just released Patch 1.04.02. As with the previous patch, this new one aims to fix the bugs that were introduced by Title Update 1.04.00. Below, you can find its full patch notes.
>> Btw, the new camera can make it look like Baldur’s Gate 3 (link).

Secret Mode removed Denuvo from STAR WARS: Galactic Racer
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/secret-mode-removed-denuvo-from-star-wars-galactic-racer/
It appears that Secret Mode has removed Denuvo from STAR WARS: Galactic Racer before the game’s official launch. This is one of the few times we’ve seen a publisher removing Denuvo before launching their title. So, this should be great news for all Star Wars fans who have been boycotting Denuvo games.

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag – Original vs Remake Early Graphics Comparison
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/assassins-creed-black-flag-original-vs-remake-early-graphics-comparison/
YouTube’s ElAnalistaDeBits has shared a comparison video between the original version and the upcoming remake of Assassin’s Creed Black Flag. This video will give you a glimpse at most of the visual improvements that the remake brings to the table.

This is apparently an official teaser trailer for Alien: Isolation 2
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/this-is-apparently-an-official-teaser-trailer-for-alien-isolation-2/
It appears that SEGA has released a teaser trailer for Alien: Isolation 2. Or at least that’s what everyone is assuming this trailer is. Titled False Sense of Security, this teaser trailer shows off some of the game’s environments. And that’s it.

Alien: Isolation 2 will use Unreal Engine 5 and not the Cathode Engine
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/alien-isolation-2-will-use-unreal-engine-5-and-not-the-cathode-engine/
A few hours ago, SEGA released a teaser trailer for Alien: Isolation 2. And now, we have confirmation of the engine it will be using. According to Creative Assembly, Alien Isolation 2 will be powered by Unreal Engine 5, and not by the Cathode Engine.

Bodycam FPS Better Than Dead Will Be Released on May 12
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/bodycam-fps-better-than-dead-will-be-released-on-may-12/
MicroProse has announced that the bodycam FPS, Better Than Dead, will be released on Steam Early Access on May 12. To celebrate this announcement, the publisher has shared a new trailer that you can find below.

The 7th Guest Remake Releases On June 4
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/the-7th-guest-remake-releases-on-june-4/
Vertigo Games has announced that The 7th Guest Remake will be released on June 4. To celebrate this announcement, the publisher shared a new trailer that you can find below.

The second, and very long, part of the Monday gaming news:

Good news Silent Hill heads, Townfall is bringing firearms back as the devs promise combat and stealth will be on 'equal footing'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/horror/good-news-silent-hill-heads-townfall-is-bringing-firearms-back-as-the-devs-promise-combat-and-stealth-will-be-on-equal-footing/
Silent Hill: Townfall is the next window into Konami's long-standing psychological horror series. But like Silent Hill f, Townfall seeks to do something slightly different, stepping towards full survival horror instead.
The devs over at Screen Burn have been drip-feeding us more information as we draw closer to its release date, and this time lead game designer Graeme McKellan and QA lead Linda Stenback have given us a little insight into Townfall's combat and stealth.

'We don't have to fire 1000 people to keep it working': Facepunch Studios says paying s&box game developers is sustainable, with '$500,000 paid out to date'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/we-dont-have-to-fire-1000-people-to-keep-it-working-facepunch-studios-says-paying-s-and-box-game-developers-is-sustainable-with-usd500-000-paid-out-to-date/
Facepunch Studios' new game creation platform s&box will release next week on April 28 on Steam. Built on Valve's Source Engine 2, s&box is the "spiritual successor to Garry's Mod," a physics sandbox and toolkit users can build their own games in.
Leading up to the launch, Facepunch Studios stated its community-forward vision, highlighting features like payments to game developers and the ability for devs to export their games from s&box and add them to Steam—without Facepunch taking a percentage.

The release date for Path of Exile 2's next expansion couldn't be better for action RPG fans planning to play Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred first
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/the-release-date-for-path-of-exile-2s-next-expansion-couldnt-be-better-for-action-rpg-fans-planning-to-play-diablo-4-lord-of-hatred-first/
Sometimes I think I would be better off if I was one of those people who only likes one action RPG. But, sadly, I'm cursed to enjoy both Path of Exile 2 and Diablo 4, which means I'm forced to juggle both when they drop new stuff in the same month.
Diablo 4's shadow-drop of paladins last December came within 24 hours of PoE 2's new class (druid) and expansion, which, given their similar release schedules, was bad news for anyone who enjoys experiencing one action RPG season at a time.
This week, we learned that won't be the case for their upcoming major updates, as PoE's next expansion has been pushed almost a month later than it was expected to release. According to a recent post on X by lead community manager Kelly, the expansion is "shaping up to be one of the biggest ones we've ever released; it just needs a little longer to cook!"

Developers of Steam Next Fest's wildly popular robot wizard cowboy shooter say its cowboy robots are also wizards because 'magic is always cool'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/developers-of-steam-next-fests-wildly-popular-robot-wizard-cowboy-shooter-say-its-cowboy-robots-are-also-wizards-because-magic-is-always-cool/
One of the biggest surprises of Steam's most recent Next Fest was Far Far West, a robot wizard cowboy co-op FPS with some yeehaw-worthy gunslinging and spellcasting that earned it a place among the event's top five most-played demos. Far Far West is now days away from its early access launch after its demo earned an Overwhelmingly Positive rating from over 6,000 reviews by Next Fest's end.

I don't understand how Final Fantasy 14 can do a crossover with acclaimed anime Neon Genesis Evangelion and I'm scared to find out
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/mmo/i-dont-understand-how-final-fantasy-14-can-do-a-crossover-with-acclaimed-anime-neon-genesis-evangelion-and-im-scared-to-find-out/
I last played now-beloved MMO Final Fantasy 14 in 2014, when it was only a few months old—not counting those first few aborted years prior to its relaunch as A Realm Reborn. I thought it was okay at the time, but it cemented itself as one of the genre's all-time greats with its next few expansions (or so insist several members of the PC Gamer team who still play).
(...)
Today what I'm feeling is not FOMO, but rather fear of the inexplicable. Trepidation in the face of the profound. A flickering terror deep in my gut that the weirdest and perhaps dopest shit to happen in videogames in 2026 might somehow be a raid in Final Fantasy 14, because the game is doing a crossover with Neon Genesis Evangelion.
>> The director is, half-jokingly, asking ideas for a single player FF14 spin-off (link).

Helldivers 2 is getting a mech-themed Warbond that adds two new exosuits—one of which carries a shield and a flak cannon
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/helldivers-2-is-getting-a-mech-themed-warbond-that-adds-two-new-exosuits-one-of-which-carries-a-shield-and-a-flak-cannon/
While I've always found Helldivers 2's mechs to be more style over substance, it is undeniably fun to call in a hulking exosuit and spend a few minutes going ham on the enemies of freedom. If you're the kind of Helldivers player who likes to go all Armored Core on your foes, I have good news. The next warbond for Arrowhead's sci-fi action game will let you bring not one but two new exosuits into the game.

Menace's first major early access update overhauls its least interesting faction and jettisons its reviled promotion tax system: 'We have done away with it'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/strategy/menaces-first-major-early-access-update-overhauls-its-least-interesting-faction-and-jettisons-its-reviled-promotion-tax-system-we-have-done-away-with-it/
While still very much at the 'early' stage of early access, Menace is by all accounts an excellent take on turn-based tactics. Wannabe space mercenary Jonathan Bolding was effusive in his praise of its approach to the genre when he deployed into its sci-fi universe in March. "I can't stress enough how much fun Menace's core strategy play is, even with a few early access quibbles," he wrote. "The basic rules simplify the kind of ultra-crunchy stuff you find in dense wargames into a faster-playing game without sacrificing any cool simulation."
Such player quibbles are also the focus of Menace's first major early access update. Released earlier this week, Menace's 'Redacted' update goes significantly further than the bugs and balance patches the game has received so far, reshaping several core features and mechanics in big ways.

Star Wars: Galactic Racer release date leaked on Steam
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/racing/star-wars-galactic-racer-release-date-leaked-on-steam/
It's hard enough to keep up with every big game coming out these days, and I imagine that remains true even if you're mostly invested in licensed Star Wars games. There's a shedload of them at this point, and two especially promising newbies are en route: podrace 'em up Galactic Racer, and tactics RPG Zero Company. Both are slated for 2026, and the former's release date just reportedly leaked: Oct. 6, 2026.

Assassin's Creed producer assures fans 'there WILL be blood' in the Black Flag remake, and it won't be DLC
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/adventure/assassins-creed-producer-assures-fans-there-will-be-blood-in-the-black-flag-remake-and-it-wont-be-dlc/
If you're a vampire, you know the two most beautiful words in the English language: free blood. And if you caught the recent Assassin's Creed: Black Flag Resynced reveal and were left uneasy by the lack of cherry syrup, you'll be extra pleased to know that blood is coming, and it will be free.

Bloodlines 2's first DLC arrives next week, and it'll let you wield guns and melee weapons properly, unlike the base game
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/bloodlines-2s-first-dlc-arrives-next-week-and-itll-let-you-wield-guns-and-melee-weapons-properly-unlike-the-base-game/
Vampire: The Masquerade—Bloodlines 2 offered an intriguing story when it finally released last year, but mechanically The Chinese Room's vampire RPG felt a little anaemic compared to the wild kitchen-sink design of Troika's original. Its combat, for example, revolved almost entirely around vampire-based fisticuffs, with guns and melee weapons reduced to disposable items wielded through telekinesis. Combined with the flat progression of your vampire powers, it meant fighting felt a little one note.
It's an issue The Chinese Room addresses directly in Bloodlines 2's first DLC. Loose Cannon sees you ditch the main game's protagonist Phyre, instead playing as Benny, a side character from the sequel who is far less fussy about getting hands-on in a fight.
>> The article is from yesterday and the DLC will launch today, Monday.

Shapez 2 leaves early access with a new game mode all about building massive factories: 'This isn't just a game is finished release'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/strategy/shapez-2-leaves-early-access-with-a-new-game-mode-all-about-building-massive-factories-this-isnt-just-a-game-is-finished-release/
For much of its early access development, Shapez 2 was an interesting alternative to the tentpole automation sims like Factorio and Satisfactory. A more streamlined affair that dispensed with many of the supplementary systems seen in those aforementioned games, Shapez 2 adopted a more puzzle-centric approach to assembly-line construction.
That's still very much the case. But with Shapez 2's recent departure from Steam early access, developer tobspr games has also aligned the game more closely to those factory building titans. This isn't just a 'game is finished' release," writes tobspr. "With this update, we're introducing a huge amount of new content and improvements on top, for new and existing players."

Last Flag, the multiplayer shooter from the Imagine Dragons guy, is free to play for every weekend until its first update comes out
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/last-flag-the-multiplayer-shooter-from-the-imagine-dragons-guy-is-free-to-play-for-every-weekend-until-its-first-update-comes-out/
Last Flag, the new multiplayer shooter from the studio founded by Imagine Dragons singer Dan Reynolds, released onto Steam earlier this month. While it's hard to glean precisely from the outside, the response to it seems to have been muted, despite developer Night Street games doing everything they could to raise its profile. The studio premiered Last Flag at Summer Game Fest, used Imagine Dragons' social channels to market it, and released it at a very reasonable price ($15/£12).
It shows yet again how hard it is to stand out in Steam's crowded market. But Night Street isn't throwing in the towel yet. From now until the game's first update coming in the summer, Last Flag can be played for free all weekend, every weekend.
>> The devs have acknowledged that you “can’t become the next big hit just by ticking boxes” (link).

Zenless Zone Zero coming to Steam later this year
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/zenless-zone-zero-coming-to-steam-later-this-year/
Zenless Zone Zero, a game I primarily associate with the neologism "gooner 9/11," is finally en route to PC's biggest digital storefront. This game produced a headline on this very website containing the phrases "divine domain," "jiggle physics," and "cat balls" all one right after the other. It got a glamorous 55% from reviewer Kerry Brunskill, who called it a "shallow, polished front for a relentless online store." In other words, it'll fit right in.

A Japanese visual novel where you're a pet hamster doted on by three sisters is back on Steam
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/visual-novel/a-japanese-visual-novel-where-youre-a-pet-hamster-doted-on-by-three-sisters-is-back-on-steam/
I never expected to see "I got reincarnated… as a hamster!" as the opening words of a game's description on Steam. After crossing that dread threshold, I certainly didn't expect to see a banner on the same page warning me about "frequent nudity or sexual content." But here we are: grass grows, sun shines, and Sweet Hamster Days is planned to release in Q3 of this year.
This is the second time the game has announced a release date, however, as things went south the first time around (thanks, Automaton). As the developer posted on X in late 2025, Sweet Hamster Days was pulled from Steam "due to various circumstances" before its original release window of winter 2025. It will release on Epic Games Store and DLsite as well.

Assassin's Creed Hexe loses 2nd director-level developer in as many months
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/assassins-creed/assassins-creed-hexe-loses-2nd-director-level-developer-in-as-many-months/
As reported by IGN, Assassin's Creed Hexe game director Benoit Richer has left the project. Richer is the second director-level developer to leave the team this year, with creative director Clint Hocking having departed in February.

Arc Raiders is finally overhauling its competitive Trials, starting with making them more fun and less frustrating
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/arc-raiders-is-finally-overhauling-its-competitive-trials-starting-with-making-them-more-fun-and-less-frustrating/
Embark has announced in a dedicated blog post that it's finally addressing Arc Raiders' largely maligned (or ignored) Trials system. Trials are a rotating set of weekly challenges which task you with nabbing high scores to rank up, all in the pursuit of a unique outfit. But with bland objectives and strict schedules, it's long felt like a chore.

The secret to Supermassive Games casting two Oscar winners is its focus on human-made art: 'They know that their performance is going to come across really well'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/horror/the-secret-to-supermassive-games-casting-two-oscar-winners-is-its-focus-on-human-made-art-they-know-that-their-performance-is-going-to-come-across-really-well/
Directive 8020 is Supermassive Games' next cinematic horror game set in the cold void of space aboard the Cassiopeia, a ship full of scientists voyaging towards humanity's next home. But like most Supermassive Games' it's more than just your typical horror experience, as it treads the line between games and cinema.

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

Tekken players have spent years asking for FF7's Tifa only for rumours to suggest she's been poached by the biggest competition
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fighting/tekken-players-have-spent-years-asking-for-ff7s-tifa-only-for-rumours-to-suggest-shes-been-poached-by-the-biggest-competition/

After shaking Steam's servers with Baldur's Gate 3's launch, Larian publishing chief says 'I hope we absolutely demolish it next time'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/larian-publishing-chief-aims-to-absolutely-demolish-steam-with-the-studios-next-release/

This composer just remade the entire soundtrack of the first Elder Scrolls game: 'It really gives you a sense of wonder and adventure'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/the-elder-scrolls/this-composer-just-remade-the-entire-soundtrack-of-the-first-elder-scrolls-game-it-really-gives-you-a-sense-of-wonder-and-adventure/

Fable creator says it's 'a real shame' the reboot is dropping the horns-or-halo morality system
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/fable-creator-says-its-a-real-shame-the-reboot-is-dropping-the-horns-or-halo-morality-system/

After over 3 years of running like dogwater on Steam Deck, one of my favorite RPGs has finally earned its Verified badge
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/after-over-3-years-of-running-like-dogwater-on-steam-deck-one-of-my-favorite-rpgs-has-finally-earned-its-verified-badge/
>> The game is Dread Delusion.

I can't stop winning with this Vampire Crawlers build that basically plays itself
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/roguelike/vampire-crawlers-broken-build-plays-itself/

The Alice: Madness Returns dev team 'made history,' American McGee says: It was 'the first team ever to tell EA *** and (kinda) get away with it'
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/the-alice-madness-returns-dev-team-made-history-american-mcgee-says-it-was-the-first-team-ever-to-tell-ea-and-kinda-get-away-with-it/

With Silent Hill 2's source code still MIA, a dedicated fan has decided to restore the game's CGI renders: 'Takayoshi' Sato's work was incredible for its time'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/horror/with-silent-hill-2s-source-code-still-mia-a-dedicated-fan-has-decided-to-restore-the-games-cgi-renders-takayoshi-satos-work-was-incredible-for-its-time/

A minor Fallout: New Vegas quest got its own ending slide because the team was transfixed by the choice where you make the NCR's worst soldiers take Psycho
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fallout/a-minor-fallout-new-vegas-quest-got-its-own-ending-slide-because-the-team-was-transfixed-by-the-choice-where-you-make-the-ncrs-worst-soldiers-take-psycho/

As Enter the Gungeon celebrates its 10th anniversary, its creators have some choice words for the modern roguelike: 'We’re seeing it mutate to the version of itself that popularity obfuscates'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/roguelike/as-enter-the-gungeon-celebrates-its-10th-anniversary-its-creators-have-some-choice-words-for-the-modern-roguelike-were-seeing-it-mutate-to-the-version-of-itself-that-popularity-obfuscates/

Vampire Survivors dev is working on over 15 'projects,' though that includes DLC and updates
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/roguelike/vampire-survivors-dev-is-working-on-over-15-projects-though-that-includes-dlc-and-updates/

Cancelled The Last of Us Online director says it was 'the best multiplayer game' the team had ever played
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/cancelled-the-last-of-us-online-director-says-it-was-the-best-multiplayer-game-the-team-had-ever-played/
>> That doesn’t really mean much, does it?

Blizzard's former president says 'WoW has to reset' over disastrous patch, and I really wouldn't go that far
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/world-of-warcraft/blizzards-former-president-says-wow-has-to-reset-over-disastrous-patch-and-i-really-wouldnt-go-that-far/
>> It is, of course, Mike Ybarra.