The third part of the gaming news:

Players prove Destiny 2 can still produce wonders with discovery of poopy pants transmog
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/players-prove-destiny-2-can-still-produce-wonders-with-discovery-of-poopy-pants-transmog/

MindsEye developers protest against a fan event their own studio is hosting
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/mindseye-developers-protest-against-a-fan-event-their-own-studio-is-hosting/

Former Destiny 2 and Marathon director settles $200 million lawsuit against Sony and Bungie: 'The outcome is one I am very satisfied with'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/former-destiny-2-and-marathon-director-settles-usd200-million-lawsuit-against-sony-and-bungie-the-outcome-is-one-i-am-very-satisfied-with/

Dragon Age's former lead writer thinks the series is probably dead, but he'd be happy to take it off EA's hands and 'go somewhere dark and dangerous' with it
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/dragon-age/dragon-ages-former-lead-writer-thinks-the-series-is-probably-dead-but-hed-be-happy-to-take-it-off-eas-hands-and-go-somewhere-dark-and-dangerous-with-it/

And, to avoid bringing you down with even more articles related to the Xbox layoffs, I’ve grouped them all here, so you can avoid them if you want:

Bethesda layoffs include the artist responsible for designing Skyrim's khajiit and argonians, who had been at the company for 27 years
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/the-elder-scrolls/xboxs-bethesda-layoffs-include-the-artist-responsible-for-designing-skyrims-khajiit-and-argonians-who-had-been-at-the-company-for-27-years/

Bethesda union says company HR forced staff to remove a display honoring their laid-off colleagues
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/bethesda-union-says-company-hr-forced-staff-to-remove-a-display-honoring-their-laid-off-colleagues/

Laid-off id Software artist says Microsoft is 'nuking the team into the dirt' and is now the size of a 'support studio'
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/laid-off-id-software-artist-says-microsoft-is-nuking-the-team-into-the-dirt-and-is-now-the-size-of-a-support-studio/

Xbox layoffs have likely killed another Perfect Dark reboot from the hollowed-out id Software, as well as a John Wick-style gun fu game
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/xbox-layoffs-have-likely-killed-another-perfect-dark-reboot-from-the-hollowed-out-id-software-as-well-as-a-john-wick-style-gun-fu-game/

Guys, if you've bought an LG or Alienware monitor, or are planning to get one, take this into consideration:

It looks like monitor manufacturers can download bloatware without consent that will serve you pop-up ads
https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/gaming-monitors/it-looks-like-monitor-manufacturers-can-download-bloatware-without-consent-that-will-serve-you-pop-up-ads/
It's amazing the lengths to which advertisers will go to serve a juicy new pop-up ad on your screen. From Windows itself suggesting apps, to motherboards automatically installing software, now to monitors prompting users to download antivirus trials. No, they won't be covering the bill after the trial ends.

As noted by TechSpot, user Mags_Smash took to the PCMR Subreddit last week to show that the LG Monitor App Installer was prompting them to get a free 30-day trial of McAfee. They claim the LG Monitor App Installer was silently installed via a Windows update without their consent. After searching through the technical details of the reliability monitor in settings, they found the LG app had been downloaded via one of their three LG monitors.

They urge users to not only disable this from happening by clicking through settings and activating the 'prevent automatic download of applications associated with device metadata' option, but also suggest users should completely disable the Windows Store, where the app was downloaded.

(...)

Notably, LG isn't the only brand accused of doing this in the thread. One user complains their Alienware monitor asks to install Dell/Alienware software, and we've definitely had experience of continual pop ups from Alienware screens reminding us to download the Alienware monitor software, however nothing has ever automatically installed without our consent. Though they aren't the only user to name-check Dell in the comments section.

Well, now that the Steam Summer Sale is over, I'm happy to say that I've been able to refrain myself and I only ended getting one game, and it was 90% off so, I can't complain.

it's a bit weird because I recharged my wallet but in the end it wouldn't have been necessary.

You can still find Steam cards for sale here in Spain, Darc Requiem, of different values and types (scratch and the other one). I hope your Microcenter gets a new shipment soon before Valve kills them.

I'm not going to complain about links to sales, but today I learned that GOG links can be in Spanish.

Yay, me too! Got just one game, also at 90% off (Ghostwire: Tokyo, to be precise - now I've just got to forget the plot after spoiling it for myself before actually playing it). Then again, I also got a game, or was it two, from GOG... Still, not too bad!

I usually fix that, but today I somehow forgot to double check the GOG ones. The ones from Fanatical and the EGS are fine, though, so it's not a complete mess.

Congratulations!

I also got the two GOG games, but free games don't count, right?

No worries about the links, thanks for your great work instead!

Free games can't count, otherwise I and probably countless others are utterly screwed. And to clarify, in addition to those free GOG games, I also bought a game or two from GOG - one which I'm probably not going to play in at least a few years, and another one I already own on Steam and probably Epic as well... But hey, gotta support the only major DRM-free store too!

Intel Dunlow platform spotted with 28-core Nova Lake-S Xeon and LGA1954 socket

https://videocardz.com/newz/intel-dunlow-platform-spotted-with-28-core-nova-lake-s-xeon-and-lga1954-socket

Intel Core Ultra 5 245K drops to $179.99, $40 below current 250K Plus pricing

https://videocardz.com/newz/intel-core-ultra-5-245k-drops-to-179-99-40-below-current-250k-plus-pricing

JSAUX reveals three screen-equipped Steam Machine faceplates

https://videocardz.com/newz/jsaux-asks-gamers-to-choose-its-first-steam-machine-display-faceplate

Nintendo display engineer job lists VRR support for current and future consoles

https://videocardz.com/newz/nintendo-display-engineer-job-lists-vrr-support-for-current-and-future-consoles

Samsung Hikes 5nm and 4nm Wafer Prices 15%, Breaking From TSMC’s Broad Increases as AI Demand Rewrites the Rules – Report

https://wccftech.com/samsung-hikes-5nm-and-4nm-wafer-prices-15-breaking-from-tsmcs-broad-increases-as-ai-demand-rewrites-the-rules-report/

AMD Prepares For Zen 6 EPYC CPUs Launch For July 22nd-23rd, Confirms AMD’s Mark Papermaster

https://wccftech.com/amd-prepares-for-zen-6-epyc-cpus-launch-for-july-22nd-23rd-confirms-amds-mark-papermaster/

Blame the Plumbing: Why Intel Handles USB Onboard Audio Codecs Better Than AMD

https://www.techpowerup.com/350635/blame-the-plumbing-why-intel-handles-usb-onboard-audio-codecs-better-than-amd

Samsung entering the Laptop chip business with Exynos 4nm chip called "GAIA", already sampling to partners according to Korean Media.

https://www.sammobile.com/news/samsungs-new-chip-could-supercharge-ai-on-your-pc/

We’ve reached the Friday gaming news:

SALES/PLAYER COUNTS & DEALS

Now that its own Summer Sale has ended, the Humble Store has launched five new sales:

• Annapurna Spotlight Sale has games up to 75% off during 6 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/annapurna-spotlight/
• Summer Escape has games with up to 90% discounts and will last 6 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/summer-escape/
• LEGO Games Spotlight has games up to 90% off during the next 6 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/lego-games-spotlight/
• Thunderful Publisher Sale puts its sames on sale with up to 90% discounts during the same 6 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/thunderful-publisher-sale/
• And the 2K Publisher Sale also has games up to 90% off, but unlike the others it will last 20 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/2k-publisher-sale/

Fanatical’s new BYO Simulator Bundle (2026(, featuring 17 titles to choose from for your 2+ or 3+ game bundles. It will last 34 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/pick-and-mix/build-your-own-simulator-collection

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

-Nothing-

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

This Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced Mod Removes the 30FPS Lock From the Cut-Scenes
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/this-assassins-creed-black-flag-resynced-mod-removes-the-30fps-lock-from-the-cut-scenes/
Ubisoft has just released Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced on PC. And, surprisingly enough, its in-game cut-scenes are locked at 30FPS. Thankfully, in just a matter of hours, a mod came out that removes this framerate cap.
UPDATE:
Apparently, this is a bug and not something the devs intended to do. This 30FPS bug occurs when players set Ray Tracing, BVH, or Terrain Quality to Ultra High. A new update will fix it. Until then, you can either use this mod or set the above settings to Very High.
>> The article has no media.

Shader Injector 2.0 Will Give Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth a Remastered Graphics Overhaul
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/shader-injector-2-0-will-give-final-fantasy-7-rebirth-a-remastered-graphics-overhaul/
Last month, I informed you about the Shader Injector Mod for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. That mod brought significant improvements to the game’s lighting and shadows. However, modder ‘dddd5’ is currently working on a new version that will make the game look even better.
Shader Injector V2.0 will include more advanced lighting shaders, bringing better shading throughout the game. The new version will also improve screen-space reflections with better coverage and support for rough and glossy surfaces. In addition, it will feature experimental support for Screen-Space Global Illumination (SSGI) and ambient occlusion (AO). These effects will improve light bounce and shading, helping scenes look more natural and realistic.
Another new feature is a work-in-progress ocean shader. This shader will add stronger wave detail, underwater light patterns, chromatic dispersion, depth blur, and better screen-space and fallback reflections. Together, these changes make the ocean look more realistic. The new shader will work on most of the ocean in the game. However, the game uses many different water shaders, so some water surfaces will not use it at launch. The modder plans to add support for more water types in future updates. The current water effects are also still being tuned and will be refined before release.
Finally, Shader Injector 2.0 will ship with a modified post-process shader. This will allow players to adjust brightness/contrast/color, various tonemaps, and an experimental automatic exposure. So, players can experiment with them to make the game look the way they want.
In a way, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth will get a free remastered visual treatment on PC. And that’s right here, is the beauty of mods.
There is currently no ETA for when this new version of Shader Injector will come out. However, the modder has released a preview video that you can find at the end of the article. This video has some comparison shots. As such, it will give you a pretty good idea of what you can expect from it.
Until V2.0 comes out, you can go ahead and download its previous version. You can find a download link for it in this article.
>> The article has an almost 5 minutes video with a preview of the article.

The Witcher 3 Online Version 4.1 Is Now Available for Download
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/the-witcher-3-online-v4-1-is-now-available-for-download/
Modder ‘rejuvenate’ released Version 4.1 for the multiplayer online mod for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Witcher Online. So, let’s see what this new update brings to the table.
For those who did not know, Witcher Online is a mod that adds multiplayer to The Witcher 3. With this mod, players can join servers and play together with friends. You can customize your character with Custom Player Characters and relax in taverns using the Chill Out feature. You can also chat with other players, use emotes, and roleplay with strangers. Best of all, you can experience the full story of Geralt and Ciri from beginning to end, all while exploring the world of The Witcher with other players.
The Witcher Online V4.1 appears to be a small update. This new version adds more chill-out spots in White Orchard and Toussaint, in locations so multiple players can sit next to each other.
Moreover, the update fixes a bug where NG+ armor couldn’t be seen by players not on NG+. Some NPCs will now despawn when a player uses a chill-out spot at their location. Finally, it brings a number of party system improvements.
The Witcher Online is one of the best mods for TW3. So, don’t sleep on it.
You can go ahead and download its latest version from here.
>> This article doesn’t have any media.

Palworld studio says delete your old mods before the 1.0 release: 'Disabling them is not enough'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/survival-crafting/palworld-studio-says-delete-your-old-mods-before-the-1-0-release-disabling-them-is-not-enough/
After two-and-a-half years of early access, Palworld is launching into full release tomorrow, July 10. It's a moment that brings both good news and some potential bad news: The price isn't going up, which is very nice, but if you have any old mods left installed, you may run into trouble.
Pocketpair said in today's caution that it supports modding, writing, "we look forward to seeing all the amazing mods that will be made after 1.0." The potential for trouble, particularly for people who are coming back to the game for the 1.0 release after a long time away, is found in old and "potentially harmful" mod data that may still be lying around.
"The upcoming 1.0 update for Palworld makes significant changes to the game’s systems," Pocketpair explained. "If you still have mods installed from the past, especially mods that have been left installed since around 2024, you may encounter problems such as crashes when launching or playing the game, corrupted save data or save data failing to load, [or] quests or events becoming impossible to progress."
Simply disabling mods isn't sufficient, because data and mod loaders may still be loaded when the game starts, even if the mods themselves are switched off. The only way to be sure is to nuke it all from orbit—which is to say, manually delete all the relevant data.
Detailed instructions for doing so are included in Pocketpair's mod usage guidelines, but it's not an especially complicated procedure: Back up your save data (always back up your save data before you start horsing around with this kind of thing), delete PalBinariesWin64 and PalContentPaks, verify your game files on Steam, then verify the game launches properly before applying the 1.0 update. If you're subscribed to any Steam Workshop mods, you'll have to unsubscribe from those as well, and be sure to manually delete that data too.
Pocketpair also recommended not reinstalling any mods until their makers have confirmed they've been updated for the 1.0 version, and doing them one at a time to ensure everything works nice and smooth—because, as the studio said, "Please note that issues that occur while using MODs, or modified game data, are not covered by support."
>> The article has the launch trailer, in case you missed it or want to re-watch it.

GAMING NEWS

There are no DSoG articles for this section, so here are the short PCGamer ones:

Microsoft filing shows total ZeniMax layoffs at 379, with over half coming from Elder Scrolls Online studio that's lost at least 60% of its staff in the past year
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/microsoft-filing-shows-total-zenimax-layoffs-at-379-with-over-half-coming-from-elder-scrolls-online-studio-thats-lost-at-least-60-percent-of-its-staff-in-the-past-year/

Bethesda union staff to march outside studios over Xbox layoffs: 'The company wants us to accept this as a done deal and quietly disappear'
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/bethesda-union-staff-to-march-outside-studios-over-xbox-layoffs-the-company-wants-us-to-accept-this-as-a-done-deal-and-quietly-disappear/

Roughly 192 Subnautica 2 players have drowned every minute since launch
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/survival-crafting/roughly-192-subnautica-2-players-have-drowned-every-minute-since-launch/

The most deranged videogame challenge run I've seen: A no-hit playthrough of the 'Unfair' difficulty in a 100-hour RPG
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/the-most-deranged-videogame-challenge-run-ive-seen-a-no-hit-playthrough-of-the-unfair-difficulty-in-a-100-hour-rpg/
>> The game is Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous.

John Carmack reacts to massive layoffs at id Software: 'My 'Microsoft will probably be a good steward of the brand' statement isn't aging well'
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/john-carmack-reacts-to-massive-layoffs-at-id-software-my-microsoft-will-probably-be-a-good-steward-of-the-brand-statement-isnt-aging-well/

The second, and final, part of the Friday gaming news:

Palworld won't raise its price for 1.0 as 'a small way of saying thank you'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/survival-crafting/palworld-wont-raise-its-price-for-1-0-as-a-small-way-of-saying-thank-you/
We're just a day away from Palworld's much anticipated 1.0 release, and to celebrate Pocketpair both released all 27 pages of patch notes and confirmed that there'll be no price hike when the survival and crafting game exits from early access. Oh yeah, it's all coming together.

Destiny 2 players get a final farewell gift from Bungie
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/destiny-2-players-get-a-final-farewell-gift-from-bungie/
Destiny 2 is done: The final patch is out, Bungie is decimated, and the game will remain playable but the story of one of the biggest, best and most influential online shooters ever is over. To memorialize the moment, Bungie has rolled out one last gift for players: A new emblem, free for everyone, called Gloriabundus.

Arc Raiders has targeted yet another duplication exploit just a couple of days after celebrating a drop in suspicious player accounts
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/arc-raiders-has-targeted-yet-another-duplication-exploit-just-a-couple-of-days-after-celebrating-a-drop-in-suspicious-player-accounts/
The first hotfix since Arc Raiders' 1.36 update has rocked up, and while it may be small it does tackle some important issues, namely a new duplication exploit which has popped up recently and saw mountains of explosives spawn even faster than the throwables glitch.

Indie developer says Steam did them a solid by fixing their unbootable game to beat the Next Fest deadline
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/indie-developer-says-steam-did-them-a-solid-by-fixing-their-unbootable-game-to-beat-the-next-fest-deadline/
Making a game is hard, or so I've been told by those brave enough to give it a go. Mistakes happen, and sometimes your game just doesn't work. That's what happened to the developer behind Red Flag, a social deduction game about convincing your friends you're fit to survive the apocalypse in a bunker with limited resources.
In a Reddit post last week (spotted by Automaton), the small, first-time team explains that it had unknowingly submitted a broken build of the game to Steam on the day of the deadline to get into June's Next Fest. The review and approval process typically takes five to seven days, the developer explains, so it really was cutting it close.
>> The demo of the game is still available, in case you want to check it out (link).

And here are the Steam weekend deals, sicne GOG launched theirs yesterday:

+Steam

• Digimon Story Time Stranger has a demo and a 43% discount that will last until the 16th of July: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1984270/Digimon_Story_Time_Stranger/
• Planet Zoo is going to be 95% off until the same 16th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/703080/Planet_Zoo/
• Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden also has a demo and will feature a 70% discount until the 23rd of July: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1493640/Banishers_Ghosts_of_New_Eden/
• Against the Storm will be free to try during the weekend and also 70% off until the 23rd: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1336490/Against_the_Storm/
• Cryptmaster is another game with a demo, and will have a 35% discount until July 23: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1885110/Cryptmaster/
• Bendy and the Ink Machine will be 90% off until the same 23rd : https://store.steampowered.com/app/622650/Bendy_and_the_Ink_Machine/
• And these are the sales/events that have launched sine yesterday (there are others that launched during the Summer Sale that I didn’t share and you can check here):
  • The Tacticon 2026 has upcoming titles, demos and games on sale with up to 94% discounts. The deals will end between the 13th and the 23rd of July: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/tacticon2026
  • Alice in Wonderland Sale has games influenced by that story. There are upcoming titles, some with demos, and games up to 90% off until July the 16th : https://store.steampowered.com/curator/45178211/sale/Alice_in_Wonderland_Sale
  • ARK Fracnhise Sale 2026 has the game, still in Early Access, free to try until Monday and with discounts that go up to 75% off. The sale will last until July 23: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/ARKFranchiseSale2026
  • Torchlight Franchise Sale has the games on sale with discounts that range from 80 to 85% and will last until the 23rd: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/32962654/sale/TorchlightFranchiseSale2026
  • Glasgow Indie Games Festival 2026 has lots of upcoming titles. There are also some available games, but the page has gone live early and there are no discounts yet: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/46076213/sale/GlasgowIndieGamesFestival2026

And that’s all I had to share. Until the next time, I wish you a happy and gaming weekend.

It will be interesting to see how the new chips perform, mostly to see if the last rumors and "leaks" about them are true and what that means for future desktop parts.

That was an interesting read, even if sometimes a bit too technical. Thanks for sharing!