If you support upscaling then here you go. It makes developers lazy; but Nvidia loves you so who cares.

I don't even like FG for 120 fps.. for 30 fps, no.

It’s Monday and these are the gaming news:

SALES/PLAYER COUNTS & DEALS

Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era sold 250,000 copies and 'broke even on development costs' in 1 day
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/strategy/heroes-of-might-and-magic-olden-era-sold-250-000-copies-and-broke-even-on-development-costs-in-1-day/
My deep-down reaction when I first heard about Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era was, "What're ya doin'?" Does anybody really want a hex-based strategy game these days, particularly one whose glory days ended 20 years ago? Well, as it turns out, the answer is a resounding "yes," as publisher Hooded Horse announced that the game sold more than 250,000 copies in its first day of early access.
That's a big number, but it's not the only impressive stat: 91% of the more than 3,500 user reviews on Steam are positive, adding up to a "very positive" overall rating, and it hit a peak concurrent player count of nearly 52,000 on Steam. Those are Helldivers 2 numbers, baby. HoMM:OE is also riding high on Steam's top-selling games chart.
"We are still over the moon and cannot thank you enough for believing in us and our project!" Hooded Horse and developer Unfrozen wrote in a Steam update. "This is a childhood dream come true for the whole team and we promise to use this opportunity you've given us to the best of our abilities!"
From a more practical perspective, the strong start means the game has already recouped its development costs, a vital achievement for an early access game with more development ahead of it.

GOG has four promos:

• Weedly Deals, featuring up to 95% discounts during another 4 days: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/20260501_weekly_deals_1_may
• Sci-Fi Promo, with games up to 92% off during 7 days: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/20260501_sci_fi_promo
• Shooter Promo will have games on sale with up to 90% discounts during 11 days: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/20260501_shooter_promo
• And the RPG Promo has games up to 95% off during the same 11 days: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/20260501_rpg_promo

Steam has deals and sales/events:

• Pacific Drive will have a 67% discount until the 7th of May: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1458140/Pacific_Drive/
• Your Mother will be 25% off until the 17th of May: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3399950/Your_Mother/
• Adventure of Samsara has a demo and a 35% discount until the 17th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1292460/Adventure_of_Samsara/
• In Sink: A Co-op Escape Adventure is going to be 55% off until the same 17th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1858650/In_Sink_A_Coop_Escape_Adventure/
• And now, it’s time for the sales/Events. Sadly, there are 13 of them, a bit too many to post them all. We find the Firaxos, Paradox, Aerosoft, Targem Games and Wales Interactive Publisher Sales, the Spellforce and Minig Mechs Franchise Sales, the inevitable May the 4th Sale, as well as the InterfaceX26 Virtual Expo, the Adult Games Week Spring Sale and the AAPI Games, Russian Games and Devlogs (Portugal) sales/events. You can check them all here: https://store.steampowered.com/news/collection/sales/

At Humble, there are a lot of new deals:

• Humble Bundle has two new deals:
  • PLAYISM Publisher Bundle 2026 has up to 19 games to get durign 16 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/games/playism-publisher-bundle-2026
  • Mexican Entertainment System Bundle gives you the option to get 12 games and will last 18 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/games/mexican-entertainment-system-bundle
• Humble Store has these deals:
  • Spring Indie Spotlight has games up to 90% off and will last 3 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/spring-indie-spotlight/
  • Square Enix Golden Week features games up to 90% off during 10 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/square-enix-golden-week/
  • Hooded Horse Publisher Sale puts its games on sale with up to 90% discounts and will last 10 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/hooded-horse-publisher-sale-homm-launch-celebration/
  • Konami Golden Week Sale has games with up to 85% disacounts and will alst 11 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/konami-golden-week-sale/
  • Firaxis 30th Anniversary Sale has games up to 90% off during the next 24 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/firaxis-anniversary-sale/

And Fanatical has these:

• The Star Deal is Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of The Rings™ Game, with a 38% discounts. It started yesterday and will last another 24 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/tales-of-the-shire-a-the-lord-of-the-rings-game
• Obviously, there’s a Star Wars Franchise Sale, with games up to 82% off. It will last another 30 hours or so: https://www.fanatical.com/en/franchises/star-wars
• Platinum Collection - Build your own Bundle (May 2026) has 18 titles to choose from for your 3+, 5+ or 7+ game bundles. It wil last 30 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/pick-and-mix/platinum-collection-build-your-own-bundle

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

-Nothing worth sharing-

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

Resident Evil Requiem VR Mod V1.1 Released & Detailed
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/resident-evil-requiem-vr-mod-v1-1-released-detailed/
Modder ‘Talemann’ has released Version 1.1.0 for his amazing VR Mod for Resident Evil Requiem. This new version brings a lot of new features. So, let’s take a closer look at it.
Version 1.1 now has Full ARM IK. Now, your full body is visible, and every costume that works in flat should also work in VR now. Moreover, you nou can now see the entire arms, and the perspective has been adjusted accordingly in the motorcycle section.
It’s also worth noting that this new version adds real per-weapon recoil and haptic feedback. Players can also manually throw throwables. To do this, you’ll have to press the right grip button to activate, swing, and then release the grip.
And that’s not all. The mod also supports real two-handed weapon rotation. You can now reach out to your weapon with the LEFT hand to support it as always. Once the left hand is DOCKED, you press and HOLD BOTH grip buttons to rotate the weapon around.
All in all, this is a must-have mod for those who want to experience Resident Evil Requiem in VR. You can go ahead and download the mod from this link. At the end of the article, you can also find a video that highlights some of its new features.

Resident Evil Requiem Just Got an Incredible Half-Life Mod
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/resident-evil-requiem-just-got-an-incredible-half-life-mod/
Resident Evil and Half-Life fans, here is something truly incredible for you today. FlamingosPeak Workshop released an Early Access version of Requiem for Ravenholm, a mod that turns Resident Evil 9 into a Half-Life game.
This mod replaces Characters, Enemies, Weapons, Props, and more with those from the Half-Life universe. For instance, Leon is now Gordon Freeman, and Victor is now the G-Man.
So, while this isn’t a total conversion, it can at least give us a small taste of what a new Half-Life game could look like in 2026. Do note, though, that since this is an Early Access version, you may encounter some bugs and visual glitches. These will be fixed in future versions.
>> The article has an over 2 minutes video.

New Dark Souls 2 Path Tracing Mod Update Released, Adding Directional Texture AO to Everything
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/new-dark-souls-2-path-tracing-mod-update-released-adding-directional-texture-ao-to-everything/
Modder ‘Ganaboy’ has released a brand new beta version of DS2LightingEngine, which adds support for real-time Path Tracing in Dark Souls 2. This new version adds directional Texture AO to everything. Moreover, it fixes some visual issues on AMD and Intel GPUs. So, let’s take a closer look at it.
The May 1st Beta Version fixes the pink/glow issues that could appear on AMD/Linux Machines and Intel GPUs. It also fixes some saturation issues that could occur on AMD GPUs.
As said, this new version adds directional Texture AO to everything. According to the modder, DS2 has texture AO baked into many textures. So, these are now applied in PT Resolve. This should give a ton of depth to many surfaces.
And that’s not all. This new update fixes multiple BVH Issues in Brume/Shulva. Static Clothes are now correctly added in the BVH. The mod also adds a lot of new color grading LUTs. You can access them from F1->LightingPreset->PostProcess->LDR LUT.
All in all, this is a must-have update for everyone who wants to play Dark Souls 2 with Path Tracing. You can download it from its official Discord server.
>> The article doesn’t have any media.

Take a Look at Bloodborne PvP and Co-Op Online Modes at 60FPS on PC With shadPS4
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/take-a-look-at-bloodborne-pvp-and-co-op-online-modes-at-60fps-on-pc-with-shadps4/
It appears that modders are currently working on adding both PvP and Co-Op Online Modes to Bloodborne on PC via shadPS4. As such, you may soon be able to experience these custom modes with 60FPS on your PC. And, to give us an idea of the current state of these modes, YouTube’s ‘Scorched Knight’ shared two videos.
Both the PvP and Co-Op Modes are currently in development, and they are not available to the public. There is also no ETA for when they will become available. So, I’m not sure when you will be able to get your hands on them.
The following videos look pretty solid, so I’m not sure why we still haven’t gotten a public beta release. Scorched Knight says there are still some things that need to be ironed out. Hopefully, we’ll see these online modes sooner rather than later.

Next-Gen Update Released for GTA 5 Enhanced NaturalVision Mod
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/next-gen-update-released-for-gta-5-enhanced-naturalvision-mod/
Razed Mods has released a next-gen update for his incredible NaturalVision Enhanced Mod for Grand Theft Auto 5 Enhanced. This new version aims to further improve the graphics and visuals of GTA 5 Enhanced. So, let’s take a closer look at it.
For those who don’t know, NaturalVision Evolved is the mod for Grand Theft Auto 5 Legacy. For those playing GTA 5 Enhanced, you can use the NaturalVision Enhanced Mod.
The NaturalVision Enhanced Mod is a complete visual upgrade mod that takes full advantage of the new ray tracing features. According to the modder, it reworks the game’s weather, lighting, ambient colors, world textures, models, and vegetation. What’s cool here is that Natural Vision Enhanced allows all light sources to cast shadows. This is something that the vanilla game did not feature. As such, it will further enhance the game’s ray-traced shadows. In short, all objects will now cast RT shadows.
This new version upgrades sky shaders by adding a physically-based sky scattering model. According to the modder, this will provide realistic colors and lighting across all times of day. It also upgrades vehicle shaders by adding PBR-inspired paint to all vehicle parts using GGX specular and clearcoat.
Moreover, this next-gen version upgrades water shaders by adding subsurface scattering, GGX specular, whitecaps, and physically-based water absorption. It also upgrades PostFX shaders with improved filmic tonemapping. This should provide day and night adaptive grading with deeper blacks.
And that’s not all. This new version adds ray-traced mirror reflections to over 70+ stock game vehicles. It also adds raindrops to vehicles, peds, props, glass, and more during rainy weather conditions. Furthermore, it improves lighting in various weather conditions such as Extra Sunny, Clear, Overcast, and Rain.
All in all, this is a must-have update for everyone who has been using NaturalVision Enhanced. You can go ahead and download it from its official website. At the end of the article, you can also find its full changelog.
>> There is an over 2 minutes video in the article.

New GTA San Andreas Mod Adds Full Deferred Rendering, Per-Pixel Lighting, Soft Particles, NVIDIA PCSS Shadows, and More
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/new-gta-san-andreas-mod-adds-deferred-rendering-per-pixel-lighting-soft-particles-nvidia-pcss-shadows-and-more/
Modder ‘Junior_Djjr’ has released a must-have graphics mod for Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, called Proper Shaders. This mod adds major new graphical features to the game, such as Deferred Rendering and Per-Pixel Lighting. This isn’t a Reshade Mod. So, let’s take a closer look at it.
Proper Shaders aims to provide the best remastered version for GTA: San Andreas. This is perhaps the only mod that adds a full deferred rendering system to the game. The mod also adds per-pixel lighting, offering hundreds of optimized dynamic lights.
And that’s not all. We also get Volumetric Light Beams, Ambient Occlusion (there is support for both SSAO and HBAO), Soft Particles, and Sun Rays. The modder has also added Dynamic 4 cascaded per-pixel shadows (also known as NVIDIA’s PCSS Shadows). There is also a Soft Shadow Mask technique with a Gaussian blur.
And the graphical improvements do not end there. We also get Stochastic Procedural Texturing, an Animated Wind shader, Shaders that are lit by directional light, Player Mipmapping, and HDR simulation with tonemapping.
It’s also worth noting that the mod configures all 11+ thousand game textures with proper values for roughness, stochastic, and shadows casting. This should make all materials look better and more realistic.
In future versions, Junior_Djjr plans to add even more features. For instance, he’s currently working on implementing Volumetric Clouds, PBR sky shader with sky blend, Ambient Occlusion Mapping, Normal Mapping, and Screen-Space Reflections.
He will also look into adding Screen Space Global Illumination, Parallax Occlusion Mapping, Specular Anisotropic Hair, and Subsurface Scattering.
To showcase its visual improvements, Junior_Djjr shared the following comparison shots. On the left, we have the vanilla version. On the right, we have the May 2026 version of Proper Shaders. In my opinion, the modded version looks better in every way.
Now, there is good and bad news. The bad news is that the latest version of this mod is behind a Patreon wall. The good news is that you can download an older version of it for free. That version does not have all of the features I listed above. Nevertheless, it can greatly improve the visuals of GTA: San Andreas. So, I suggest giving it a go. You can download it from this link.
>> The older version link is to mixmods (never heard of it), and the article also has an over 1 minute video.

GTA 4 Fusion Fix Version 5.0.0 Released With New Major Graphical Features and Fixes
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/gta-4-fusion-fix-version-5-0-0-released-with-new-major-graphical-features-and-fixes/
The modding team behind one of the best graphics mods for Grand Theft Auto 4, Fusion Fix, has released a new version of it. Fusion Fix Version 5.0.0 comes with lots of new graphical features and fixes. So, let’s dive in. For those who did not know, Fusion Fix is a comprehensive open-source mod that aims to fix a wide range of technical issues, bugs, and limitations in the game that were left unaddressed in official updates. Right now, this is THE best mod for GTA 4. Fusion Fix brings faster load times and smoother cutscenes at higher frame rates. It reworks the mouse input and adds support for Vulkan (DXVK). As I’ve showcased, DXVK can completely fix all the stutters of GTA 4. As such, you will now be able to fully enjoy GTA 4 on PC. The mod adds sliders for things like FOV, depth-of-field, and motion blur. It also brings some handy gameplay tweaks. For example, there’s an always-run toggle, vehicle indicators, and smoother sniper controls. You also get a see-through map and cheat codes for Niko’s gloves and haircut. On top of that, you can now move while aiming through sniper scopes. And that’s not all. Fusion Fix adds Sun Shafts and Volumetric Fog for better atmosphere. It also increases the draw distance and fixes the annoying z-fighting issues from the PC version. The mod improves lighting by extending how far the sun reaches and adds Project 2DFX for denser, more realistic city lights in the distance. Furthermore, rain visibility is restored, and the water looks better. The mod also fixes model fading, reworks shadows, and improves anti-aliasing. You’ll also see soft particles, shinier vehicle reflections, working mirror reflections, and glowing building lights at night. Version 5.0.0 adds native support for ambient occlusion. This will make the scene and objects look deeper and more grounded. Vehicle tires and damage now reflect on shadows from artificial light sources, which support shadow casting, like on the Xbox 360 version. Moreover, it allows more objects to receive shadows under “ExtraDynamicShadows = 2” in the .ini. Plus, it restores stronger rain droplets refraction, as is on the Xbox 360 version. It’s also worth noting that FusionFix V5.0.0 adds a new .ini option “ReflectionMSAAQuality”, which applies MSAA to vehicle, water, interior, and mirror reflections, like on the Xbox 360 version. Not only that, but it adds a new .ini option “EnablePreAlphaDepth” that allows Depth of Field and Sun Shafts to render behind various transparent objects properly, like on the Xbox 360 version. And that’s not all. Version 5.0.0 fixes various script high FPS issues, like some object animations, sprite drawing, scripted controls, and mission fixes. It also comes with a comprehensive script overhaul, fixing various script bugs and adding some improvements. There are also several specific fixes for those playing at high framerates. For example, this new version resolves multiple high-FPS issues related to helicopters, including rotor animation speed, downwash effect strength, blinker speed, and partially the rotor braking time. It also fixes broken player and NPC pathfinding at high framerates, as well as the problem of drunk driving becoming more difficult at high FPS. Additionally, you’ll no longer stall when climbing ladders at high framerates. All in all, this is a must-have mod for everyone who wants to replay GTA 4. And here is the best part. Fusion Fix is compatible with the RTX Remix Path Tracing Mod. So, you should be able to use this latest version alongside it.
>> The mod is available from Github and the article has a video of an older version of the mod.

EVE Online dev pays out $80,000 to mod contest winners for its experimental survival MMO
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/mmo/eve-online-dev-pays-out-usd80-000-to-mod-contest-winners-for-its-experimental-survival-mmo/
EVE Online developer CCP Games has announced the winners of its latest hackathon to build mods and third party tools for its blockchain-based survival MMO, EVE Frontier. The winner, CradleOS, took home $25,000 for its in-game civilization-building tool, with a remaining $55,000 split among other winners.
Blockchain's still a dirty word for me, but EVE Frontier is the only game I've seen to make a convincing argument for its own implementation. It's also still in active development in the Year of Our Lord 2026, long after the gold rush ended⁠, and that's a commitment I admire.

As it celebrates its 5th birthday, New Day RP might be GTA roleplay's most accessible server—proving the scene doesn’t need to be intimidating to be rewarding
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/grand-theft-auto/as-it-celebrates-its-5th-birthday-new-day-rp-might-be-gta-roleplays-most-accessible-server-proving-the-scene-doesnt-need-to-be-intimidating-to-be-rewarding/
New Day RP has just celebrated its fifth birthday, and now the GTA roleplay server has outlined its plans heading into 2026.
Before digging into the specifics of what's to come, it's worth saying up front that New Day RP might just be my favourite Grand Theft Auto roleplay server at the moment. For me, it's certainly the most accessible and rewarding, and, as someone now approaching their 10th year of farting around in GTA RP, I've been around the block a wee bit.
Yes, New Day offers law enforcement and emergency services—the same sought-after jobs that are commonplace in just about every RP server the world over—but you’re just as likely to find yourself simply drifting between regular community events such as open mic nights, themed gatherings, and the now-established Taco Tequila Tuesday.
On its forums, the New Day team points to ongoing work around governance systems—tweaks to elections, public services, and how departments interact—as well as continued backend improvements aimed at smoothing the day-to-day experience for players. There’s also a clear focus on supporting the server’s existing ecosystem, and expanding opportunities within departments such as Parks and Recreation.

Mega Man DXtreme Is a Free Revamp of the Game Boy Color Classic for PC
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/mega-man-dxtreme-is-a-free-revamp-of-the-game-boy-color-classic-for-pc/
Mega Man fans, here is something special for you today. The CX2 Team has released a free revamp of the Game Boy Color Mega Man Xtreme game, called Mega Man DXtreme. So, if you are a PC fan of the blue Android, you should definitely check it out.
Mega Man DXtreme re-imagines the game’s story. It also improves its controls, adds support for widescreens, and reworks weapons and bosses.
The game was developed in Construct 2 over the course of 5 months. While the story still follows the original plot, it has been rewritten with some new events occurring. Beating the story will also unlock a secret tracker when reloading the save file.
It’s worth noting that Mega Man DXtreme features an auto-save function. Collected items like subtanks and heartanks won’t be saved until the boss stage is cleared. Once a boss stage is cleared, any item collected inside it will trigger AUTO-SAVE. Story events will replay on stage revisit, and you will be able to fight the bosses again.
All in all, this is a cool free Mega Man PC game that some of you may want to play. You can go ahead and download it from this link. Below, you can also find its announcement trailer.

Fallout 1 Remake for Fallout 4 Gets New Locations, Quests, Characters and Weapons
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/fallout-1-remake-for-fallout-4-gets-new-locations-quests-characters-and-weapons/
Modder ‘Security95’ has released the Vault 13 New Horizons Mod for Fallout 4, which adds new locations, quests, characters, and weapons. So, let’s take a closer look at it, shall we?
For those who did not know, Vault 13 is basically a remake of the first Fallout game in Fallout 4. And, as its title implies, Vault 13 New Horizons is a continuation of it. It adds new locations, quests, characters, weapons, and armor. Moreover, it has voice acting for almost all the main characters.
Security95 has also stated that he plans to recreate Fallout 1 entirely. However, he won’t go for an open-world area as that would take forever to complete alone or with a small team. Instead, the modder plans to create individual locations. This will significantly speed up development, allowing him to focus on the core elements. There will also be random encounters, which have already been added, if you try to leave Junktown and head to Shady Sands.
All in all, this is a cool mod that will add new free content to the game. As such, I highly recommend trying it. You can go ahead and download it from this link. Do note that you will need the “Vault 13” base mod. Otherwise, this expansion won’t work. So, make sure to read its “Requirements” tab.
>> The article has an over 10 minutes video.

GAMING NEWS

3 Minutes of Gameplay From the PC Version of 007: First Light
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/3-minutes-of-gameplay-from-the-pc-version-of-007-first-light/
NVIDIA’s Jacob Freeman has shared three videos, showcasing three minutes of gameplay footage from the PC version of 007 First Light. The first video shows some of the game’s stealth mechanics, whereas the other two showcase some takedowns and some action.

New Game Clips For Mass Effect-Style Sci-Fi Adventure, EXODUS
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/new-game-clips-for-mass-effect-style-sci-fi-adventure-exodus/
Archetype Entertainment has released new game clips for its upcoming Mass Effect-style sci-fi adventure game, EXODUS. So, if you are a big Mass Effect fan, you should definitely check them out.

The source code for Metal Gear Solid 2 HD has been leaked online
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/the-source-code-for-metal-gear-solid-2-hd-has-been-leaked-online/
It appears that the source code for the HD version of Metal Gear Solid 2 has been leaked online. This means that we have the source code of the remastered version that came out on Xbox 360 and PS3 in 2011.

PC requirements for LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight and Subnautica 2
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/pc-requirements-for-lego-batman-legacy-of-the-dark-knight-and-subnautica-2/
Warner Bros and Unknown Worlds Entertainment have shared the PC requirements for LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight and Subnautica 2. So, let’s see what PC systems you’ll need to run them.
>> I’m posting this for the Subnautica 2 requirements. Check the HU video that HoloDust has shared to see the requirements of the LEGO game and how utterly ridiculous they are.

Crimson Desert Update 1.05.00 Rolls Out With Over 190 Fixes and Improvements
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/crimson-desert-update-1-05-00-rolls-out-with-over-190-fixes-and-improvements/
Pearl Abyss has released Title Update 1.05.00 for Crimson Desert, which comes with over 190 tweaks, fixes, and improvements. This patch is around 4GB in size on PC. So, let’s see what it brings to the table.

10 minutes of gameplay from the canceled Quake 4: The Awakening Expansion
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/10-minutes-of-gameplay-from-the-canceled-quake-4-the-awakening-expansion/
In the past few weeks, YouTube’s ‘Justin Marshall’ has been sharing brief gameplay clips from the canceled DLC expansion of Quake 4, The Awakening. Those clips had huge watermarks, making it extremely difficult to watch. Thankfully, Justin shared a new 10-minute video that does not have any watermark, allowing us to see what this canceled DLC could offer.

Four days of gaming news. I hope you’re ready:

Subnautica 2 devs say it's 'an exploration game first,' expanding on the first game's 'masterclass' in player-driven discovery
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/survival-crafting/subnautica-2-devs-say-its-an-exploration-game-first-expanding-on-the-first-games-masterclass-in-designing-player-driven-discovery/
If you check the Steam listings for the Subnautica games, you'll find the "Survival" tag prominently featured—mostly on account of the gathering, and the crafting, and the risk of drowning in an overtly hostile biosphere. In an interview with PC Gamer ahead of its upcoming early access launch, however, Subnautica 2's developers say that's something of a misnomer.
"We often talk about Subnautica being a survival game when we're speaking publicly," said Subnautica 2 lead gameplay designer Anthony Gallegos. "But internally, we often focus on the fact that it's really an exploration game first, and the survival mechanics operate as something to support exploration."
>> More Subnautica 2 articles: 1- The lead game designer says the game helped cure his sea terror, only to bring it back with the new apex predator (link); 2- It now has a firm release date… (link); 3- That release date has caused one game, Outbound, to move forward its launch date by three days to avoid competing it (link).

After a glitch accidentally gave away a beloved RPG for free, the developer is letting you keep it
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/after-a-glitch-accidentally-gave-away-a-beloved-rpg-for-free-the-developer-is-letting-you-keep-it/
Two weeks ago, a "glitch" caused one of developer inXile Entertainment's games to temporarily be completely free on the Xbox/Microsoft Store. That's a pretty big mistake to make when you're a business. That game was Wasteland Remastered, a classic RPG reborn back in 2020. But this debacle was even more troublesome because the version players snagged wasn't actually working.
Naturally, when this bug was discovered, inXile and Microsoft patched the hull and revoked the license, removing the game from the accounts of anyone who managed to grab it while it was mistakenly free.
Normally in these very abnormal circumstances, that would be the end of the story. It wasn't supposed to be free, so it's pulled from players' libraries. But the developer has actually made the decision to not only let players keep the game if they claimed it, but also to fix it.

Cyberpunk bartending sim VA-11 Hall-A devs' first game in 10 years finally launches this summer
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/cyberpunk-bartending-sim-va-11-hall-a-devs-first-game-in-10-years-finally-launches-this-summer/
VA-11 Hall-A developer Sukeban Games unveiled a new trailer for its second game, .45 Parabellum Bloodhound, last week. We got a few more story and gameplay snippets from the anime-style action game, as well as a release window of this summer, just in time for VA-11 Hall-A's 10-year anniversary on June 21.

I played the MindsEye mission about the alleged game saboteurs, and it sucks so bad
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/i-played-the-mindseye-mission-about-the-alleged-game-saboteurs-and-it-sucks-so-bad/
The big MindsEye mission Blacklisted is out, and with it the promised revelation of "evidence of the sabotage" that has been alleged multiple times by Build a Rocket Boy (BARB) co-CEOs Leslie Benzies and Mark Gerhard. As a sort of sicko appreciator of MindsEye, I was looking forward to playing it, and last night I finally did.
Friends, you may be less shocked than me to learn it sucks. Hard.

Total War: Warhammer 40,000 will have destructible terrain elements: 'That forest, if you don't like it, you don't have to keep it'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/strategy/total-war-warhammer-40-000-will-have-destructible-terrain-elements-that-forest-if-you-dont-like-it-you-dont-have-to-keep-it/
One of the things on our wishlist for Total War: Warhammer 40,000 is a cover system, and the Total War: Show & Tell makes it clear that we're going to get our wish. And also, if we don't like that cover, we'll be able to blow it up.

The Empire's most OTT lord finally gets his due, portrayed by a YouTuber hamming it up in Total War: Warhammer 3
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/strategy/the-empires-most-ott-lord-finally-gets-his-due-portrayed-by-a-youtuber-hamming-it-up-in-total-war-warhammer-3/
The Total War Show & Tell included info on the historical games and destructible terrain in Total War: Warhammer 40,000, but a sizable chunk of its midsection was there to get us up to date on all things Total War: Warhammer 3. Including, right off the bat, game director Rich Aldridge saying to expect a patch "addressing some issues players have seen around idling AI and clustering around settlements. That will be coming very soon."

Obsidian returns to The Outer Worlds after 3 years to add a whole new weapon type, fix bugs, and delist its OG version
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/obsidian-returns-to-the-outer-worlds-after-3-years-to-add-a-whole-new-weapon-type-fix-bugs-and-delist-its-og-version/
Regular readers of PC Gamer dot com slash author slash Joshua dash Wolens will know that, so far as I'm concerned, no videogames news is as exciting as "An old game is getting a patch for some reason." Baldur's Gate 1 and 2 hitting 2.7 out of nowhere? Ecstasy. Pillars of Eternity getting turn-based mode? Hold me up, I'm feeling faint.
Today's resurrection: The Outer Worlds 1. Specifically, its Spacer's Choice remaster edition, which got a relatively minor update today "to test our release pipeline and fix a few issues that are in the game," and will be getting a far more stonking one in the hopefully near future: "The second patch will be larger bringing performance fixes, lighting changes, a host of other quest and gameplay fixes, and bringing in a brand-new feature to the original game: grenades!"
Which is pretty cool, if you ask me, but it's all leading to something more ambivalent: the original version of The Outer Worlds is getting delisted from PC storefronts come May 27. If you already own that version, fret not: it won't disappear from your library. As an added bonus for original-version owners, they'll all get the Spacer's Choice edition free, just so long as it's in their library before May 27.

Indie dev apologizes for rough game launch, commits to turning it around: 'The critique is fair ... we got work to do'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/indie-dev-apologizes-for-rough-game-launch-commits-to-turning-it-around-the-critique-is-fair-we-got-work-to-do/
The narrative FPS Industria 2 caught my eye in 2024 with a creepy trailer that gave me serious Half-Life 2 vibes. Set years after the original game, it tells the story of a woman trapped in a rather awful parallel dimension that's being ravaged by an out-of-control artificial intelligence. It looks and sounds very cool, but the launch has not gone well, to the point that the developer has apologized.

Hit cowboy co-op shooter's servers are struggling, developer says its service provider 'is currently drinking mojitos instead of helping'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/hit-cowboy-co-op-shooters-servers-are-struggling-developer-says-its-service-provider-is-currently-drinking-mojitos-instead-of-helping/
After dominating the Steam Next Fest in February, the robot wizard cowboy shooter Far Far West is now out on Steam, and it's a hit. So much of a hit, in fact, that the servers are struggling—with confusion.
The issue doesn't appear to be one of simple capacity, based on a Steam update from developer Evil Raptor, but that the sudden and unexpected influx of eager players is being misinterpreted by the machine.
Update: Progress is being made: Evil Raptor says the servers are up, but the promo codes still aren't working. "We're still working on a fix and we HOPE that the servers are gonna hold from now on," the studio wrote in new announcement on Discord.
>> Meanwhile, players have one demand: a yeehaw button (link).

Blizzard decides 'Limitless Rage' barbarian items should actually have a limit after watching them rampage through Diablo 4 dealing quadrillions of damage
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/blizzard-decides-limitless-rage-barbarian-items-should-actually-have-a-limit-after-watching-them-rampage-through-diablo-4-dealing-quadrillions-of-damage/
The battle against Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred's main villain Mephisto is finally over, but the battle against the villain that has haunted the game since it came out might never be over: Items that mysteriously break the game have reared their ugly heads again.
In a hotfix earlier today, Blizzard disabled the Limitless Rage legendary item aspect because it was, well, too limitless. Every barbarian using it with two specific other items could ramp up their damage into the quadrillions, trivializing Diablo 4's hardest monsters.

There's a game coming out this year where you fight your Steam backlog, and it's more dangerous the more you've spent
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/theres-a-game-coming-out-this-year-where-you-fight-your-steam-backlog-and-its-more-dangerous-the-more-youve-spent/
I'd wager most PC gamers are grappling with a backlog—the only thing that truly divides us is whether it's a source of pride or filthy shame. Steam, GOG, and other digital storefronts just make it too easy. I'm a busy guy, am I really going to make time to play through all of Tex Murphy: The Pandora Directive? It's going for $2 out here, who cares!
But those are the fun backlog stories. The less fun ones are when you pick up a game like Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous for full price and, you know, you'll finish it one of these days, but everyone's hopping on Overwatch 2 and you can't just abandon your premade. And so it sits there, rotting, hoping one day you remember it long enough to get past the first act. Those are the stories Game Quest: The Backlog Battler hopes to rub in your face.
It's a goofy horde battler by developer Nic Taylor where you literally fight your backlog. They're represented by sliding floppy disks and various stats affect their behavior and abilities—Steam games you've barely played (up to 2 hours) are your enemies, and the more you paid for them, the more damage they do. If they have a high Metacritic score, they can fly, and you'll need to swat them all to death with a keyboard.

The creator of Infinite Craft has a new game where you explore a secret-filled social hub as your mouse cursor
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/mmo/the-creator-of-infinite-craft-has-a-new-game-where-you-explore-a-secret-filled-social-hub-as-your-mouse-cursor/
Within moments of opening Cursor Camp, laughter erupts out of me like the clumsy bark of a circus seal as I do something I've done hundreds of times before—wiggle my mouse cursor back and forth in time to a song I'm listening to—because someone else on screen has followed my lead. According to the flag by their cursor, they're in India. We'll probably never see or speak to each other for the rest of our lives, but this ghost of an interaction is a minuscule joy we can share from thousands of miles away.
These are the sorts of things that get me all weepy about games like Journey and even Club Penguin, the latter of which Cursor Camp reminds me of in the best way possible. It's by Neal Agarwal, the browser game developer behind oddities like Infinite Craft and The Password Game. My first impression suggests that Cursor Camp isn't as surprising or ambitious as Infinite Craft, but it offers a kind of experience I crave and is extremely hard to find these days.

Warcraft 3 Legacy is finally back on Battle.net
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/strategy/warcraft-3-legacy-is-finally-back-on-battle-net/
Part of the reason criticism of Warcraft 3: Reforged was so pointed was that the remaster didn't just suck on its own terms. As Fraser Brown wrote at the time in his review, "Unfortunately, if these things are putting you off, you can't simply return to Warcraft 3 Classic and forget about them. The original has been added to the new client, so the connection problems, lack of competitive ladders and other issues are now shared between them. This might be the first time a remaster has made its predecessor worse."
While subsequent patches ameliorated some of the issues with Warcraft 3 Reforged, it still isn't perfect. For starters, plenty of custom maps don't work if you play Warcraft 3's classic version from the Reforged launcher. Which is why it's nice that, out of the blue, Blizzard has finally relented.
As the announcement says, "All players who own Warcraft 3 now have access to the original 1.29 client from the Battle.net App. To install it, click the Game Version dropdown on the bottom left corner of your Battle.net Warcraft III playscreen and select Warcraft III - Legacy TFT 1.29. Please note: The Legacy client supports offline and LAN play only."

It wasn’t so bad, right?

The third part of the gaming news isn’t as long as part two, but you may want to rest before jumping into it:

A gaming CEO just said 'We’ve been a little bit too romantic about the idea that we should have employees and give people long-term job security', and doesn't that sum up everything wrong with the industry right now
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/a-gaming-ceo-just-said-weve-been-a-little-bit-too-romantic-about-the-idea-that-we-should-have-employees-and-give-people-long-term-job-security-and-doesnt-that-sum-up-everything-wrong-with-the-industry-right-now/
>> It’s the CEO of the studio that made the Monument Valley games.

EA now lets you pre-order battle passes in Battlefield 6 for exclusive rewards, because of course it does
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/ea-now-lets-you-pre-order-battle-passes-in-battlefield-6-for-exclusive-rewards-because-of-course-it-does/

A treehouse bundle in WoW costs a whopping $75, and while I know exactly who Blizzard's made it for, that doesn't mean I feel good about it
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/world-of-warcraft/a-treehouse-bundle-in-wow-costs-a-whopping-usd75-and-while-i-know-exactly-who-blizzards-made-it-for-that-doesnt-mean-i-feel-good-about-it/

It's not confirmation of a Pragmata sequel, but Capcom has teased that its latest venture could have a future among its pantheon of iconic franchises after a tough development
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/its-not-confirmation-of-a-pragmata-sequel-but-capcom-has-teased-that-its-latest-venture-could-have-a-future-among-its-pantheon-of-iconic-franchises-after-a-tough-development/

South Korean Supreme Court orders Dark and Darker dev Ironmace to pay $3.84 million to Nexon
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/south-korean-supreme-court-orders-dark-and-darker-dev-ironmace-to-pay-usd3-84-million-to-nexon/

After 9 years and 2 new Mortal Kombats, it looks like NetherRealm is finally making Injustice 3
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fighting/after-9-years-and-2-new-mortal-kombats-it-looks-like-netherrealm-is-finally-making-injustice-3/

You're not crazy, that one sewer puzzle in Half-Life 2 really was harder 22 years ago
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/youre-not-crazy-that-one-sewer-puzzle-in-half-life-2-really-did-used-to-be-harder/

Former Elder Scrolls Online boss describes Tango Gameworks and Arkane Austin closing as a turning point at Xbox: 'I know where this is going'
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/former-elder-scrolls-online-boss-describes-tango-gameworks-and-arkane-austin-closing-as-a-turning-point-at-xbox-i-know-where-this-is-going/
>> It’s Matt Firor again, and he also reveals that he was told that 'There's already enough MMOs out there, no one is ever gonna play a new one'... in 2001 (link).

Marvel once caused a problem for Capcom by insisting 'Juggernaut can't jump'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fighting/marvel-once-caused-a-problem-for-capcom-by-insisting-juggernaut-cant-jump/

AMD’s Server CPU Revenue Set To Surge 80% This Year, With An Estimated 1.9M AI GPUs Shipping By 2027

https://wccftech.com/amd-server-cpu-revenue-to-surge-80-percent-2026-estimated-1-9m-ai-gpus-shipping-by-2027/

NVIDIA Fast-Forwarded Co-Packaged Optics Five Years Ahead of Schedule, Arriving First With Its Feynman GPUs

https://wccftech.com/nvidia-fast-forwarded-co-packaged-optics-five-years-ahead-arriving-with-feynman-gpus/

Gamers are now running PS3 games on PS5 through Linux and RPCS3

https://videocardz.com/newz/gamers-are-now-running-ps3-games-on-ps5-through-linux-and-rpcs3

ASUS reportedly cuts RTX 5070 Ti supply as RTX 5080 gets more production focus

https://videocardz.com/newz/asus-reportedly-cuts-rtx-5070-ti-supply-as-rtx-5080-gets-more-production-focus

Intel Arc Pro B70 tested in games, performs close to but below RTX 5060 Ti

https://videocardz.com/newz/intel-arc-pro-b70-tested-in-games-performs-close-to-but-below-rtx-5060-ti

Der8auer says ASUS ROG Equalizer cable “doesn’t make sense”, removing built-in bridge improves current balance

https://videocardz.com/newz/der8auer-says-asus-rog-equalizer-cable-doesnt-make-sense-removing-built-in-bridge-improves-current-balance

Crimson Desert patch adds RTX 50-only Dynamic Multi-Frame Generation

https://videocardz.com/newz/crimson-desert-patch-adds-rtx-50-only-dynamic-multi-frame-generation

RTX 5050 and Radeon RX 9070 appear in Steam HW Survey, 16GB VRAM gains almost two points

https://videocardz.com/newz/rtx-5050-and-radeon-rx-9070-appear-in-stream-hw-survey-16gb-vram-gains-almost-two-points

Steam Deck OLED finally gets proper Linux audio fix after 2 years

https://videocardz.com/newz/steam-deck-oled-finally-gets-proper-linux-audio-fix-after-2-years

Steam Machine may get full HDMI 2.1 support, AMD confirms plans for full AMDGPU implementation

https://videocardz.com/newz/steam-machine-may-get-full-hdmi-2-1-support-amd-confirms-plans-for-full-amdgpu-implementation

Designed too close to fail? Gigabyte RTX 5090 repair points to tiny resistor issue

https://videocardz.com/newz/designed-too-close-to-fail-gigabyte-rtx-5090-repair-points-to-tiny-resistor-issue

Blaming Nvidia for upscaling is always going to be silly when the industry was going towards upscaling well before DLSS came to be. Sony's entire stick with the PS4 Pro was checkerboard rendering which was a form of upscaling. Unreal Engine 5's entire premise was being built around upscaling with TAA Upscaling being shipped with the engine. And the list goes on. Upscaling was going to be a thing with this generation regardless of DLSS or not because of the way that UE5 was being built.

What Nvidia did is build an upscaling tech far beyond what anyone else could do and it took the industry 5+ years to catch up and build upscaling tech similar to how good Nvidia's technology has been. Same with Frame Gen when you look at Radeons version that still hasn't fixed the frame pacing issues 2+ years after release. There will always be unoptimized games regardless of the kinds of tech that's available.

The fact that it's a f*cking LEGO game adds salt to the injury. It's disgusting and I hope the game flops hard.

Nvidia may not have invented upscaling, but they were the ones that made ir popular, getting the blame. Just like Oblivion gets the blame for bringing DLCs to the market with that Horse Armor set, when it was a Total War game the first one to come up with the DLC concept.

But what Nvidia did create is the frame gen stuff that allows TellTale to sell a 15fps game as a 30fps one. So it's not like they're completely innocent here.

https://store.steampowered.com/category/deckbuilders

Well, UE5 unoptimized, as per usual it seems. Though, any engine can be unoptimized...this is more about audacity to put 30fps with frame gen enabled (so 15fps "upframed" (?) to 30fps) in the first place.