Monday news, part two:

Stronghold: Warlords wants to improve the series' issues with walls and unit formations
https://www.pcgamer.com/stronghold-warlords-wants-to-improve-the-series-issues-with-walls-and-unit-formations/
A new developer diary from FireFly Studios explains some of the updates it's making with Stronghold: Warlords, a new entry in the classic RTS series. Here, marketing director Nick Tannahill explains how unit pathing and formations are getting tweaked to feel more realistic, and how the all-important wall system is getting back to basics.

Find sunken treasures in Anno 1800's first DLC
https://www.pcgamer.com/find-sunken-treasures-in-anno-1800s-first-dlc/
The first add-on DLC for Anno 1800 arrives later this month, and adds a bit of whimsical League of Extraordinary Gentlemen flair to the 19th century city builder.
Sunken Treasures sends players off in search of shipwrecks lost to the ocean's depths after a major naval battle. Ubisoft reckons this new quest will add another six hours to the game's storyline, and it unlocks once you've amassed 700 artisans. Once it does, you'll gain access to Cape Trelawney, the site of the naval battle and the home base for undersea expeditions.

Unearthed The Sims design docs show the internal debate over same-sex relationships
https://www.pcgamer.com/unearthed-the-sims-design-docs-show-the-debate-over-same-sex-relationships/
The option to have same-sex relationships in The Sims was a controversial decision that almost didn't make it into the final game.
Though The Sims was meant to be a deep simulation of everyday domestic life, some developers at Maxis feared that controversy might give EA a reason to cancel The Sims outright. As explained in this excellent interview with programmer Patrick J. Barrett III, same-sex romance was initially included because of a managerial oversight. Now, thanks to some recently released design documents from programmer Don Hopkins, we have a new perspective on what was happening behind the scenes.

Watch Dogs Legion Collector's Edition contains a skull mask with an LED crown
https://www.pcgamer.com/watch-dogs-legion-collectors-edition-contains-a-skull-mask-with-an-led-crown/
Watch Dogs Legion is launching on March 6, 2020 and you can now start pre-ordering it if that's up your alley—though we always caution that despite positive previews, you never know how a game is going to turn out.

Get free Sea of Thieves ship cosmetics by watching next week's Twitch Rivals event
https://www.pcgamer.com/get-free-sea-of-thieves-ship-cosmetics-by-watching-next-weeks-twitch-rivals-event/
The Twitch Rivals Sea of Thieves Showdown running July 23-24 will pit teams of big-time streamers against one another in a series of PvP events for a slice of a $100,000 prize pool. Naturally, the whole thing will be streamed, and if you watch it you'll come away with some treasures of your own.

Wanderlust Travel Stories, a narrative game from former Witcher devs, releases in August
https://www.pcgamer.com/wanderlust-travel-stories-a-narrative-game-from-former-witcher-devs-releases-in-august/
Two former developers from CD Projekt RED's The Witcher (the first one), head story designer Artur Ganszyniec and project lead Jacek Brzeziński, have started a new studio called Different Tales and are releasing a narrative game this August. Wanderlust Travel Stories is all about travelling the world from the perspectives of several characters with their own anecdotes.

Blizzard co-founder Frank Pearce is retiring
https://www.pcgamer.com/blizzard-co-founder-frank-pearce-is-retiring/
Blizzard Entertainment co-founder Frank Pearce announced today that after nearly three decades at the company, it is time to "pass the torch to the next generation of leaders."

Mod support is coming to games on the Microsoft Store
https://www.pcgamer.com/mod-support-is-coming-to-games-on-the-microsoft-store/
Last month when Wes tried the new Xbox app for PC, he found a much better interface but an unfortunate inability to mod games downloaded from the Microsoft Store. Even though Microsoft said on an E3 Inside Xbox stream that modding would be supported, there didn't seem to be any ability to modify (or nearly even to access) game files in the Xbox games directory yet.
Now, user Pycorax on Reddit has found a new folder since the latest Windows update called "ModdableWindowsApps" inside the "Program Files" folder. Microsoft's Dev Center confirms the same with a listing for the new directory. Developers will also be able to specify a custom folder specific to their app, another Dev Center page says.

Mordhau's future includes new maps, a chat filter, ranked play, and maybe mod tools
https://www.pcgamer.com/mordhaus-future-includes-new-maps-a-chat-filter-ranked-play-and-maybe-mod-tools/
Mordhau developers Triternion have posted an update discussing what they've been working on lately, and what they have planned for the future. Topping the list of post-release priorities are a couple of "fully-fledged" new maps, one a sprawling town and the other a Mediterranean-inspired castle keep, that will be playable in all game modes.

Minecraft version 1.14.4 is out now
https://www.pcgamer.com/minecraft-version-1144-is-out-now/
There's a new version of the Java version of Minecraft. The 1.14.4 patch contains a lot of bugfixes for the Villagers and Pillagers update, which Mojang described as Minecraft's biggest update ever. As always there's some entertaining stuff hidden in those bugfix notes, my favorite being "Villagers will now remember their gossip after becoming a Zombie Villager". And "Gossip about players who converted a zombie villager will now last longer" isn't bad either.

Rainbow Six Siege testing big nerfs to shield operators (update)
https://www.pcgamer.com/rainbow-six-siege-testing-big-nerfs-to-shield-operators/
Rainbow Six Siege's newest Technical Test Server is trying out some huge nerfs and buffs to operators that have caught a lot of attention in recent months. Most notably, hipfire for shield operators is now less accurate and shield melee isn't an instant kill.
Update: Ubisoft has posted its Phantom Sight Designer Notes that expands on the balancing changes listed here and has updated graphs showing the win and pick rates of every operator in the game.

New Mortal Kombat 11 brutality alteration found
https://www.pcgamer.com/new-mortal-kombat-11-brutality-alteration-found/
Just when you think there are enough gory ways to murder people in Mortal Kombat 11, players find new variations on them. The brutality finishers, most of which are unlocked in the Krypt mode, have alteration versions that tweak the ultraviolence with a few extra button presses. YouTuber Dynasty has found one for Cassie Cage, which changes her Get Yo Ass Beat brutality so that instead of just punching her opponent's face into goop she adds a final gunshot to remove their head altogether. Videogames!

Borderlands 3 almost had a foot on the cover
https://www.pcgamer.com/borderlands-3-almost-had-a-foot-on-the-cover/
Borderlands 3 developers Gearbox have a display at San Diego Comic-Con called the Museum of Mayhem where they're showcasing their game's rejected cover art. Some of it's gorgeous, and over on the Resetera forum poster vestan has photographed the highlights. It's hard to go past the one with the foot, which solves the problem Gearbox set for themselves by having the fingerguns psycho shooting himself with one hand on the front of the first game and two hands on the second. What could have been!

Gears 5 hero characters can be earned or bought with real money
https://www.pcgamer.com/gears-5-hero-characters-can-be-earned-or-bought-with-real-money/
The Coalition is trying a new form of versus multiplayer in Gears 5's Arcade mode. It's basically normal deathmatch with a hero shooter twist. Each hero character has unique loadouts that specialize in different play styles. But Gears 5 players won't have every new hero automatically unlocked—they have to be earned in-game or bought with premium "Iron" currency.
>> And Gears 5 also has an impressive suite of accessibility features.

Rainbow Six Quarantine expected to launch before April 2020
https://www.pcgamer.com/rainbow-six-quarantine-expected-to-launch-before-april-2020/
We haven't heard anything about the co-op Siege spin-off Rainbow Six Quarantine since its announcement at E3 2019, but thanks to the power of investor calls, we have a better idea of its release date. According to Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot, Rainbow Six Quarantine will release before the end of the fiscal year. That translates to any time before April 2020.

Overwatch's newest hero might have a name and a face
https://www.pcgamer.com/overwatchs-newest-hero-has-a-name-and-a-face/
Overwatch is going through some big changes with Blizzard's recent announcement of Role Queue in Competitive, but that's not stopping it from teasing (and possibly leaking) Overwatch's next hero: Sigma.
>> Meanwhile, fans are trying to decode the latest 'Sigma' teasers.

Anthem's first pre-Cataclysm challenges are live
https://www.pcgamer.com/anthems-first-pre-cataclysm-challenges-are-live/
After delaying Anthem's first big in-game event back in May, Bioware is finally kicking off Cataclysm festivities with a series of pre-event challenges. The Freeplay challenges are called "The Oncoming Storm" and revolve around crystals.

The Tuesday news:

SALES & DEALS

Football Manager 2019 has surpassed two million sales on all platforms
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/football-manager-2019-has-surpassed-two-million-sales-on-all-platforms/
Miles Jacobson, the game director of the Football Manager series, has announced that the Football Manager 2019 family has surpassed, for the first time ever, two million sales on all platforms. This shows how popular this soccer manager series actually is, and why SEGA and Sports Interactive are releasing annual versions of it each and every year.
Do note that by saying Football Manager 2019 family, Jacobson basically means Football Manager 2019, Football Manager Mobile 2019 and Football Manager Touch 2019.

Steam features two (fake) daily deals as well as a new weeklong sale:

• The first "daily" deal is APE OUT, that has a demo, 30% off for the next 5 days: https://store.steampowered.com/app/447150/APE_OUT/
• The other one is Megaquarium, 40% off for the next 7 days: https://store.steampowered.com/app/600480/Megaquarium/
• Here are some of the weeklong deals:
  • MotoGP19 is 20% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/984780/MotoGP19/
  • The Letter - Horror Visual Novel is 40% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/460430/The_Letter__Horror_Visual_Novel/
  • Portal Knights gets a 60% discount: https://store.steampowered.com/app/374040/Portal_Knights/
  • Depth goes a bit further and gets a 75% deal: https://store.steampowered.com/app/274940/Depth/
  • And the last one is Dex, that has a demo and is 90% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/269650/Dex/

On the Humble Store there are three new sales:

• There's a Codemasters Sale, with up to 80% discounts for the next 2 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/codemasters-publisher-sale/
• The spotlight deal revolves around the game Bad North, 25% off for the next 5 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/bad-north-spotlight-deal/
• And the Splinter Cell franchise is on sale, up to 66% off on keys for UPlay for the next 6 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/splinter-cell-franchise-sale/

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

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MODS/EMULATORS

Sekiro mod lets you fight bosses, and only bosses, in any order you want
https://www.pcgamer.com/sekiro-mod-lets-you-fight-bosses-and-only-bosses-in-any-order-you-want/
If you've completed Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, congratulations! It's no easy task. And if you're looking to relive the glory and catharsis of defeating the game's brutally tough bosses, I've got some great news. You don't have to play through the entire game again from the start to go a few rounds with the biggest, baddest brutes—now there's Sekiro's Boss Rush mod, which lets you fight the game's bosses, and only the game's bosses. And you can fight them in any order you want.
With the Boss Rush mod installed, you can select from a list of bosses using the Sculptor's Idol at the Dilapidated Temple, and warp right to the boss arena of your choosing. Hope you don't need a warm-up because you'll be jumping right in to battle Lady Butterfly, the Corrupted Monk, the Divine Dragon, that ridiculous giant headless ape, and any other boss you want to revisit. (Modder Thefifthmatt states that a boss is defined as an enemy who gives you a memory when you defeat them, so no Great Serpents or Chained Ogres here.)

GAMING NEWS

Wolfenstein: Youngblood will not support real-time ray tracing at launch
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/wolfenstein-youngblood-will-not-support-real-time-ray-tracing-at-launch/
Wolfenstein: Youngblood released ins a few days and it appears that it will not support real-time ray tracing at launch. This has been confirmed by the game’s executive producer Jerk Gustafsson who claims that MachineGames and NVIDIA are currently working on implementing them.

Rainbow Six Siege Y4S2.3 patch brings new balance tweaks, RFF system improvements, idle kick timer & more
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/rainbow-six-siege-y4s2-3-patch-brings-new-balance-tweaks-rff-system-improvements-idle-kick-timer-more/
Ubisoft has released a brand new update for Rainbow Six Siege. According to the release notes, the Rainbow Six Siege Y4S2.3 patch brings numerous balance tweaks, further improvements to the RFF system to moderate griefing teammates, as well as some bug fixes.

The Division 2 Episode 1: D.C. Outskirts patch released, adds new missions & Expeditions, full patch notes
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/the-division-2-episode-1-d-c-outskirts-patch-released-adds-new-missions-expeditions-full-patch-notes/
Ubisoft has just released a brand new update for Tom Clancy’s The Division 2. According to the release notes, The Division 2 – Episode 1: D.C. Outskirts patch adds new main missions, Expeditions, a Shepherd Reward System, improves Raid, overhauls Skills and more.

Doom Eternal’s new multiplayer mode, Battlemode, to be showcased at Quakecon 2019, July 26th
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/doom-eternal-new-multiplayer-mode-battlemode-to-be-showcased-at-quakecon-2019-july-26th/
Bethesda has just announced that the new multiplayer mode for Doom Eternal, Battlemode, will be officially revealed at Quakecon 2019. During the Year of Doom keynote on July 26th, the publisher will share more details about this new Doom game, and will reveal this new multiplayer mode.

Tuesday news, part two:

Beyond: Two Souls joins Heavy Rain on the Epic Games Store today
https://www.pcgamer.com/beyond-two-souls-joins-heavy-rain-on-the-epic-games-store-today/
Beyond: Two Souls, Quantic Dream's peculiar psychological thriller, makes its debut on PC today. It joins Heavy Rain, while Detroit: Become Human is due to round out the collection later.

The next Overwatch hero is a literal mad scientist named Sigma
https://www.pcgamer.com/the-next-overwatch-hero-is-a-literal-mad-scientist-named-sigma/
Blizzard has confirmed that the new Overwatch hero is an eccentric astrophysicist named Sigma, whose groundbreaking work promises to change the universe as we know it—maybe by blowing it up!

Wolfenstein: Youngblood aims to be 'lighter' than The New Colossus
https://www.pcgamer.com/wolfenstein-youngblood-aims-to-be-lighter-than-the-new-colossus/
Wolfenstein: The New Colossus had some brilliantly funny moments, but it went to some pretty dark places too, particularly in the flashbacks to BJ's childhood. The upcoming Wolfenstein: Youngblood, in which BJ's twin daughters go on a hunt for their missing father in Paris, apparently won't be quite such a heavy experience: Executive producer Jerk Gustafsson told VentureBeat that Machine Games' approach to telling stories hasn't changed, but the story it's telling in this game is very different from its predecessors.

Wolfenstein: Youngblood is coming to PC a day early
https://www.pcgamer.com/wolfenstein-youngblood-is-coming-to-pc-a-day-early/
Wolfenstein: Youngblood, the tale of two sisters on a journey of self-discovery and Nazi-killing in Paris, was slated to come out on July 26. For some reason, though, it's actually going to arrive a day sooner on PC.

Dragon Age 4 setting all but confirmed by upcoming short story collection
https://www.pcgamer.com/dragon-age-4-setting-all-but-confirmed-by-upcoming-short-story-collection/
Ever since the ending of Dragon Age: Inquisition's final DLC, Trespasser, fans have been guessing which country the next game would take place in. In the final shot of Inquisition's closing storyline, the Inquisitor stabs a knife directly into the Tevinter Imperium on a map. Fans have of course speculated since then that Dragon Age 4 would head to the mage-ruled nation. An upcoming collection of short stories authored by several BioWare writers titled "Dragon Age: Tevinter Nights" lends a lot of extra credence to that theory.

Sea of Thieves updates: Latest patch notes
https://www.pcgamer.com/sea-of-thieves-update/
Sea of Thieves is expanding its horizons. The jumbo-sized free Anniversary update added Tall Tales quests and brand new PvP. Starting in July 2019, Sea of Thieves will receive monthly content updates that give players new reasons to climb aboard their ships and set sail with a tankard full of grog. The first update, Black Powder Stashes, adds the new "Voyage" mission type. Voyages, which appear to be highly repeatable quests, will be a centerpiece of future Sea of Thieves updates.

China's anti-addiction regulations put American game developers in an awkward moral situation
https://www.pcgamer.com/chinas-anti-addiction-regulations-put-american-game-developers-in-an-awkward-moral-situation/
Despite being the largest market for PC games in the world, China's PC gaming scene is also the most heavily censored and regulated. Not only do game developers have to navigate a complicated bureaucracy to get approval to release games, they also have to ensure those games adhere to aggressive rules against violence and gore, spiritualism, and political messaging that isn't aligned with China's communist values.

Journey developer's newest game will be coming to PC
https://www.pcgamer.com/journey-developers-newest-game-will-be-coming-to-pc/
Thatgamecompany, developers of the beautiful and emotional sand surfing game Journey, released its latest game, Sky: Children of the Light last week for iOS. Unlike Journey, which was a PlayStation exclusive for years before we knew it would ever make it to PC, Sky is already confirmed to be coming our way. Eventually.

Activision teases Call of Duty: Modern Warfare's new Gunsmithing system
https://www.pcgamer.com/activision-teases-call-of-duty-modern-warfares-new-gunsmithing-system/
Activision is teasing a new weapon customization option in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare called Gunsmithing that will give players the ability to kit out their primary and secondary weapons for "the precise type and style of firepower you require for any type of multiplayer game mode." But what's potentially most interesting about Gunsmithing is that you'll be forced to prioritize what you really want to tweak, because you won't be able to do it all.

Free puzzler 10 People 10 Colors is basically Lemmings with a colour wheel
https://www.pcgamer.com/free-puzzler-10-people-10-colors-is-basically-lemmings-with-a-colour-wheel/
Lemmings makes a low-key comeback in the smart 10 People 10 Colors, a similarly side-on puzzle game where you have to shepherd a bunch of people to an exit door. As in DMA Design's classic series, the people move of their own accord, but you can cajole them towards the door by changing the background colour using a Paint Shop-style colour wheel.

GTA Online's Diamond Casino is open for business
https://www.pcgamer.com/gta-onlines-diamond-casino-is-open-for-business/
GTA Online's Diamond Casino has opened its doors to the masses and their bank accounts. You can find the flashy building in Vinewood, where you'll be able to play poker, blackjack, and roulette. You can even bet on the horses.

Elsinore is a Shakespearean Groundhog Day
https://www.pcgamer.com/elsinore-is-a-shakespearean-groundhog-day/
It must be frustrating to create something with a time-looping premise when everyone talking about it is immediately going to compare it to Bill Murray film. Anyway, Elsinore is Hamlet meets Groundhog Day. It looks very neat.

Tetris Effect is out on PC today
https://www.pcgamer.com/tetris-effect-is-out-on-pc-today/
Tetris Effect takes one of the greatest games ever made and pumps it full of drugs and tunes, and today it's finally hopped over the fence and launched on PC. Like its PS4 counterpart, you'll be able to play with or without VR, but the PC version also comes with a few enhancements.

Guys, the reviews for the Nvidia RTX 2080 Super are out: https://videocardz.com/81510/nvidia-geforce-rtx-2080-super-review-roundup

It's Wednesday and these are the news:

SALES & DEALS

Steam's June best sellers list includes a thirsty waifu sim and zombie hordes
https://www.pcgamer.com/steams-june-best-sellers-list-includes-a-thirsty-waifu-sim-and-zombie-hordes/
Valve has published the top Steam releases for June 2019, along with some insights, and as usual it's a diverse gaggle. There's gloomy shooters, cooking sims, thirsty dating games and boring old sports.
While it seems impossibly hard to get noticed on Steam, half of the games on the list come from teams releasing their first Steam game, either because they've previously only release on other platforms, or because they're new teams. These include Barotrauma, My Friend Pedro and Super Neptunia.
Quite a few of them have either just left or launched in Early Access, which Valve reckons is a testament to the interest in that kind of game development model. I reckon it's inevitable when so many games launch early, however, rather than evidence that people happily gobble up Early Access games.

GOG has a new sale starring Bethesda, with up to 75% discounts for the next almost 7 days: https://www.gog.com/promo/bethesda_week

Steam has two new daily deals, only one legit, a new set of Midweek Madness deals and a weekend deal (yes, already):

• The MX vs ATV franchise is on sale, between 20 and 80% off: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/mx_vs_atv/
• The other "daily" deal is the Early Access title Skater XL, 20% off for the next 5 days: https://store.steampowered.com/app/962730/Skater_XL/
• The two Midweek Madness deals are:
  • Warhammer: Chaosbane is 30% off (and the DLCs 20%): https://store.steampowered.com/app/774241/Warhammer_Chaosbane/
  • And NieR:Automata is 33% off (the DLC, 50%): https://store.steampowered.com/app/524220/NieRAutomata/
• And the weekend deal is the QUAKECON Sale, with up to 80% discounts on Bethesda games until nest Tuesday: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/quakeconsale/

There's a new Humble Bundle and a new sale on the Humble Store:

• The new Humble Bundle, Hooked on Multiplayer 2019, focuses on multiplayer games (as the name suggests): https://www.humblebundle.com/games/hooked-on-multiplayer-2019-bundle
• The new sale on the Humble Store is the QuakeCon sale, with up to 80% discounts ofr the next 6 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/quakecon-sale/

Lastly, there's Fanatical with another 4 deals:

• The Star Deal is Fallout 4: Game of the Year Edition, 77% off for the next 48 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/fallout-4-game-of-the-year-edition
• That's part of, I bet you've guessed it right, a bigger Bethesda sale with up to 81% discounts: https://www.fanatical.com/en/publishers/bethesda-softworks
• 2K Games also has its games on sale, up to 90% off for the next 7 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/publishers/2k-games
• And lastly, there's the new Empire Bundle, with 6 games at a 95% discount for the next 14 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/empire-bundle

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

NVIDIA GeForce 431.60 WHQL driver optimized for Wolfenstein: Youngblood, Metro Exodus First DLC & Madden NFL 20
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/nvidia-geforce-431-60-whql-driver-optimized-for-wolfenstein-youngblood-metro-exodus-first-dlc-madden-nfl-20/
NVIDIA has released a brand new driver for its graphics cards. According to the green team, the NVIDIA GeForce 431.60 WHQL driver is optimized for Wolfenstein: Youngblood and adds support for the RTX2080 Super GPU, as well as for some new G-SYNC compatible monitors.
As NVIDIA noted, the newly-validated monitor models are the HP 24x, AOC AG272FCX6, and AOC AG272FG3R.
Furthermore, the NVIDIA GeForce 431.60 WHQL driver driver provides the optimal gaming experience for Cyberpilot, Madden NFL 20, and the first DLC for Metro Exodus.
It’s also worth noting that this new driver resolves various display flickers when using two GeForce GTX1080Ti in SLI on notebooks, resolves some terrain and icon flickers in World of Warcraft Battle for Azeroth, and fixes the missing HDR option from the Windows Control Panel.
>> Available from here.

MODS/EMULATORS

WRC 7 receives a new mod, overhauling its physics, AI times, damage & collision systems, and more
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/wrc-7-receives-a-new-mod-overhauling-its-physics-ai-times-damage-collision-systems-and-more/
Pepisoft has released a must-have mod for WRC 7. This mod, called WRC 7 EVOlution MOD, overhauls almost all aspects of Kylotonn’s rally racing game. WRC 7 EVOlution brings new physics, new damage and collision system, new system of particles and dirt, new sounds, new FFB settings, new cameras, new AI times and new graphics.
Going into more details, the modder has readjusted the parameters of the physics in order to get more realistic sensations. Weight, traction, suspensions, inertia, brakes, grip, power, differentials, speed and center of gravity have been adjusted.
Players can also play with the car setups that come by default in the game and adjust to their liking the hardness of the suspension, the power of the handbrake and the distribution of braking.
>> You can get it from Nexus Mods.

GAMING NEWS

Former Wolfenstein and Doom developers create new studio, working on unannounced IP
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/former-wolfenstein-and-doom-developers-create-new-studio-working-on-unannounced-ip/
Former Machine Games developers Michael Paixao and Joel Jonsson today announced the formation of Bad Yolk, a brand new, forward-thinking video game studio. According to the press release, this studio aims to attract the best talent by offering a healthy and happy work-life balance, and thus, make the greatest, most creative and technically superior games possible.

Despite being an Epic Games Store exclusive, Tetris Effect VR requires Steam in order to run
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/despite-being-an-epic-games-store-exclusive-tetris-effect-requires-steam-in-order-to-run/
Now here is something hilarious. Earlier today, Enhance released Tetris Effect exclusively on the Epic Games Store. However, and due to SteamVR that the game uses, Tetris Effect VR requires Steam in order to launch.
>> F*cking ridiculous XD.

Madden NFL 20 gets an official gameplay launch trailer
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/madden-nfl-20-gets-an-official-gameplay-launch-trailer/
While Madden NFL 20 releases next month, EA Sports released today its official gameplay launch trailer. This trailer will give you an idea of how the game looks and plays (spoiler: it looks like an enhanced version of Madden NFL 19).

Super Robot Wars V and Super Robot Wars X are officially coming to Steam
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/super-robot-wars-v-and-super-robot-wars-x-are-officially-coming-to-steam/
The official Twitter account for Super Robot Wars has revealed that both Super Robot Wars V and Super Robot Wars X will be coming to the PC via Steam. Super Robot Wars is a series of tactical role-playing video games produced by B.B. Studio and published by Bandai Namco.

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds Patch 4.1 kicks off Season 4, full patch release notes revealed
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/playerunknowns-battlegrounds-patch-4-1-kicks-off-season-4-full-patch-release-notes-revealed/
PUBG Corporation has released a brand new update for its battle royale game, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. According to the release notes, this patch brings some visual enhancements to Erangel with the goal of bringing this classic map in line with the game’s more recent offerings, all without losing the magic that made it a fan favorite in the first place.

Part two of the news:

Legends of Aria, the MMO formerly known as Shards Online, hits Early Access in August
https://www.pcgamer.com/legends-of-aria-the-mmo-formerly-known-as-shards-online-hits-early-access-in-august/
We said in early 2017 that the Ultima Online-inspired fantasy MMO Legends of Aria "has great potential but needs just a few more months in development" before it was really ready to shine. 31 months later, it's going live on Steam Early Access.

New Overwatch hero Sigma is a gravity-wielding tank
https://www.pcgamer.com/overwatch-sigma-abilities/
Overwatch's newest hero, Sigma, is now playable on the PTR. In a stream today, former Dallas Fuel player Brandon "Seagull" Larned and Overwatch game director Jeff Kaplan gave us our first look at how Sigma will play.

Necrobarista, the game about coffee, ghosts, and Australia, will be slightly delayed
https://www.pcgamer.com/necrobarista-the-game-about-coffee-ghosts-and-australia-will-be-slightly-delayed/
Necrobarista is a visual novel about serving coffee, meeting ghosts, and playing with knives in Australia. Jody, who is Australian and thus knows about these things, took a pre-release demo for a spin in late 2017 and came away impressed with its attention to detail in customers and backgrounds alike, which he said "makes Necrobarista feel like it's happening in a place with history."

Cult-infiltrating game The Church in the Darkness will be out in August
https://www.pcgamer.com/cult-infiltrating-game-the-church-in-the-darkness-will-be-out-in-august/
The Church in the Darkness is a top-down game of stealth, deception, and infiltration set in a 1970s religious cult located in a South American jungle. It sounds very Jonestown-like, but it may not be quite so apocalyptic, and figuring out the truth of things as you attempt to find (and perhaps rescue) your nephew is a big part of the game.

You're basically Arya Stark in this open-world action-platformer
https://www.pcgamer.com/youre-basically-arya-stark-in-this-open-world-action-platformer/
Game of Thrones ended months ago, but if you still want more of your favorite assassin Arya Stark, you'll be able to virtually live out your girl-with-no-name ambitions in Savior, a upcoming 2D open-world platformer.

Moonlighter's first paid DLC brings a new endgame dungeon and enemies
https://www.pcgamer.com/moonlighters-first-paid-dlc-brings-a-new-endgame-dungeon-and-enemies/
Moonlighter's first paid DLC is a proper endgame expansion for players who have completed the base game. Between Dimensions is out today and brings with it several new enemies, minibosses, and lots of new loot.

Remedy still wants to make Alan Wake 2 someday
https://www.pcgamer.com/remedy-still-wants-to-make-alan-wake-2-someday/
Alan Wake is a very Remedy kind of game: Interesting characters, weird story, beloved by fans, and not really a hit. It's been nine years since its original Xbox 360 release and more than seven since it came to PC, and there's no sign of a sequel—but writer Sam Lake told IGN that he still hopes to do one.

UK Gambling Commission says (again) that loot boxes aren't gambling
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk-gambling-commission-says-again-that-loot-boxes-arent-gambling/
In November 2018, the UK Gambling Commission published a report saying that 30 percent of the 2,865 children who took part in a poll had opened at least one loot box in a videogame. It specifically did not draw a line between loot boxes and gambling, however, although that point was muddied by the fact that the loot box issue was addressed in a report about a rise in child gambling.
As reported by the BBC, Gambling Commission chief executive Neil McArthur reiterated that position while speaking to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport select committee, saying that while there are "significant concerns" about children playing games that offer loot boxes, loot boxes themselves do not qualify as a form of gambling under current laws.

Automachef, the game about churning out automated meals, is out today
https://www.pcgamer.com/automachef-the-game-about-churning-out-automated-meals-is-out-today/
Food prepared by robotic arm and conveyor belt may lack the warmth of grandma's goulash, but at least it's convenient. In Automachef, you're tasked with slotting automation equipment together in order to streamline the creation of *Italian gesture of blissful approval* automated cuisine.

A game called 'Cyberprank 2069' was removed from Steam
https://www.pcgamer.com/a-game-called-cyberprank-2069-was-removed-from-steam/
Cyberprank 2069 (formerly known as Cyberpunk 2069) was a real game you could buy on Steam up until a couple of days ago. Its original store description summed it up like so: "This is a new generation RPG game. True simulation of life in the world of the future. In 2069, people will be enslaved by a race of intelligent computers. Now it is cyberghetto. The main character is a cop from the past. His task is to become the most wealthy resident of the city of the future."

Hand of Fate 2 studio Defiant is 'ceasing development'
https://www.pcgamer.com/hand-of-fate-2-studio-defiant-is-ceasing-development/
Defiant Development, the Brisbane-based studio responsible for the Hand of Fate series, has announced it will cease development of new titles. According to a statement on the studio's Facebook page, it will continue "in caretaker mode" in order to continue support for its existing titles.

John Wick's stunt coordinators helped with Hex's gun fu
https://www.pcgamer.com/john-wicks-stunt-coordinators-helped-with-hexs-gun-fu/
John Wick Hex, the turn-based tactics romp inspired by Keanu Reeves' vengeful hitman trilogy, has some pretty slick moves. The titular assassin can gracefully switch from shooting to melee, taking out multiple enemies in seconds and filling each moment with cool gun fu attacks. To adapt his combat style from the movies to a game, developer Mike Bithell consulted the stunt coordinator team that designed it. Check out the video above.

Sea of Thieves is getting pets, improved combat and new ship cosmetics soon
https://www.pcgamer.com/sea-of-thieves-is-getting-pets-improved-combat-and-new-ship-cosmetics-soon/
This week's Sea of Thieves developer update gave us a progress report on the new stuff Rare's been working on, much of which you'll be able to try for yourself soon. The Black Powder update only went live last week, but Rare has a lot of plans for its piratical multiplayer adventure, including improvements to hit detection, more ship cosmetics themed around other games, and pets.

A Disney investor thinks it should acquire Activision Blizzard
https://www.pcgamer.com/a-disney-investor-thinks-it-should-acquire-activision-blizzard/
Disney has not so slowly been gobbling up the world of entertainment, placing countless companies and universes into the house of mouse. One investor reckons it should now add Activision Blizzard to the list, suggesting that esports would be a good fit for Disney's TV networks.
>> They'll end owning half the world.

Techland is still working on the first Dying Light
https://www.pcgamer.com/techland-is-still-working-on-the-first-dying-light/
Last year, three years after launch, Dying Light received 10 pieces of DLC across the space of 12 months. It's a game that has persisted, and while Techland is now focused on Dying Light 2, due out in 2020, the original game has not been forgotten.

Let's go with another edition of the news:

SALES & DEALS

Overwatch surpasses $1 billion revenue thanks to its in-game micro-transactions
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/overwatch-surpasses-1-billion-revenue-thanks-to-its-in-game-micro-transactions/
SuperData Arcade has shared its monthly report, stating that Overwatch has surpassed $1 billion revenue thanks to its in-game micro-transactions. As such, Blizzard’s MOBA shooter became the 64th game on either console, PC or mobile to generate over $1 billion from in-game content alone.
Overwatch is also Activision Blizzard’s sixth IP to hit this mark, after World of Warcraft, Call of Duty, Destiny, Candy Crush and Hearthstone.
June 2019 was also Rainbow Six‘s best month for Monthly Active Users and sixth-best month for in-game spending on the back of the Operation Phantom Sight update, despite the title being well into its fourth year. Total in-game revenue rose to $36.8 million across console and PC in June, an increase of 50% from May and 9% from June of last year.

GOG is having a special Kalypso Sale to celebrate the launch of Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus (-35%) and its Heretek DLC (-15%) on the store, up to 80% discounts for the next 3 days: https://www.gog.com/promo/kalypso_publisher_sale

The two daily deals at Steam are:

• Hero Siege is 80% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/269210/Hero_Siege/
• Bad North: Jotunn Edition is going to be 25% off for the next 4 days: https://store.steampowered.com/app/688420/Bad_North_Jotunn_Edition/

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

-empty-

MODS/EMULATORS

Ambitious Far Cry total conversion mod for Crysis, Far Cry Reloaded, gets new FlyThrough video
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/ambitious-far-cry-total-conversion-mod-for-crysis-far-cry-reloaded-gets-new-flythrough-video/
Modder ‘roadiereloaded’ has released a new flythrough video for his upcoming ambitious Far Cry total conversion mod for the first Crysis game, Far Cry Reloaded. FarCry reloaded is going to bring some of the FarCry levels in Crysis, remade with CryEngine 2.
This total conversion mod will feature 9 levels fro Far Cry that will be packed into a single big level. These maps will feature underground labs, ancient ruins, dense jungle, mountain paths, long dark scary tunnels, mercenary camps, shipwrecks, a river section, caverns, tropical beaches and monsters.

First full nude mod released for Dead or Alive 6, featuring full soft boobs physics
https://www.dsogaming.com/articles/first-full-nude-mod-released-for-dead-or-alive-6-featuring-full-soft-boobs-physics/
Dead or Alive 6 fans, here is what most of you have been waiting for. Modder ‘SaafRats’ released earlier this month the first full nude mod for Dead or Alive 6. This mod features naked 3D models using original assets from the game, and all body shapes are based on the original ones (with some minor customizations here and there).
Not only that, but the mod features full soft boobs physics for all the cast, and comes with 2 different costume slots for each and every female character (thus allowing fights using the same character).
Now obviously I strongly suggest avoiding this mod while playing online as it may get you into trouble. Moreover, KOEI Tecmo has just released a brand new patch for Dead or Alive 6 so I don’t know whether this mod is compatible with the game’s latest version.
>> Check the article for the link to a Google search result.

The floor is lava in this new modded Breath of the Wild dungeon
https://www.pcgamer.com/the-floor-is-lava-in-this-new-modded-breath-of-the-wild-dungeon/
Last month we spoke with the creator of a new modding tool called Ice Spear. It's a visual editor for creating custom dungeons in the emulated version of Breath of the Wild on PC. Since then, custom dungeons for Breath of the Wild have been popping up nearly every week. A few have been fully-featured dungeons with puzzles and secrets while others have been quick experiments. As modder HailtoDodongo originally described, these things take time. But modders are tenacious and today brings yet another custom creation to BotW.
Modder Kreny has uploaded a mod that recreates Skyward Sword's Earth Temple in Breath of the Wild. You can grab it yourself on GameBanana or watch the walkthrough video below (though the creator cautions that this video of course spoils the puzzles).
Although this mod isn't an exact replica of the Skyward Sword version, given that the two games have different items and mechanics, it certainly captures the right vibe. If you watch a playthrough of Skyward Sword's Earth Temple, the inspiration is obvious.

GAMING NEWS

THQ Nordic will announce a new game at Gamescom 2019
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/thq-nordic-will-announce-a-new-game-at-gamescom-2019/
THQ Nordic has announced the games that it will show during the world’s biggest gaming convention on August 21th in Cologne, Germany, Gamescom 2019. According to the press release, the team will reveal an unannounced game that will be playable for all attendees at Gamescom 2019.

PC demo now available for Square Enix’s upcoming action-RPG, ONINAKI
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/pc-demo-now-available-for-square-enixs-upcoming-action-rpg-oninaki/
Now here is a pleasant surprise. Square Enix has just released a demo on the PC for its upcoming action-RPG, ONINAKI. ONINAKI will be Tokyo RPG Factory’s third title – following I Am Setsuna and LOST SPHEAR – and promises to continue the studio’s mission to take inspiration from classic Japanese role-playing games to create a brand-new experience on modern platforms.

Wolfenstein: Youngblood Official Launch Trailer
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/wolfenstein-youngblood-official-launch-trailer/
Bethesda has released the official launch trailer for the new Wolfenstein game. Wolfenstein: Youngblood is a spin-off, set in the 1980s, two decades after the events of Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus. In an alternate history in which Germany won World War II, Jessica and Sophia Blazkowicz, the twin daughters of B.J. Blazkowicz, must travel to Paris to look for their missing father. At the same time, they have to help the French Resistance liberate the country from German occupation dating from World War II.

Bigben has acquired Spiders; the studio behind Greedfall, The Technomancer & Mars: War Logs
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/bigben-has-acquired-spiders-the-studio-behind-greedfall-the-technomancer-mars-war-logs/
Bigben has announced the signing of an agreement for the acquisition of Spiders, a French video game development studio specializing in action and role-playing games. As the press release reads, and after the acquisition of 3 studios in the last 18 months, this new strategic operation allows Bigben to assert its position as a developer-publisher while strengthening its expertise in content production for succesful genres still missing in its portfolio.

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint PC Technical Test begins on July 26th, invites have been sent out
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/tom-clancys-ghost-recon-breakpoint-pc-technical-test-begins-on-july-26th-invites-have-been-sent-out/
It appears that the first Technical Test for the PC version of Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint will begin on July 26th. Ubisoft has already sent out the first invites, revealing that the technical test will last until July 29th.

New WRC 8 trailer focuses on the game’s Career mode
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/new-wrc-8-trailer-focuses-on-the-games-career-mode/
Bigben and Kylotonn Games have released a video to showcase the completely redesigned Career Mode for WRC 8, the official video game of the FIA World Rally Championship. As the press release reads, the development team wanted to offer content that meets fans’ expectations in a deep and varied game mode.

Thursday news, part two:

Every Cyberpunk 2077 player gets 'exactly the same in-game content'
https://www.pcgamer.com/every-cyberpunk-2077-player-gets-exactly-the-same-in-game-content/
Cyberpunk 2077 comes in a few different flavours, including a collector's edition and a preorder edition, both containing lots of extras. None of them, however, give you anything you can use when you start wandering around Night City. When asked about it on Twitter, CD Projekt Red explained that in-game bonuses were specifically committed.

Oxygen Not Included is leaving Early Access on July 30
https://www.pcgamer.com/oxygen-not-included-is-leaving-early-access-on-july-30/
After an extended stint in Early Access, Oxygen Not Included is set to launch next week. Developer Klei postponed the launch back in May, and it looks like it's just going to make the second launch window of July by a hair's breadth.

Destiny 2's Solstice of Heroes event will give players their first shot at earning armor 2.0 sets
https://www.pcgamer.com/destiny-2s-solstice-of-heroes-event-will-give-players-their-first-shot-at-earning-armor-20-sets/
Destiny 2's Solstice of Heroes event will return on July 30, and will deliver a few new twists on the celebratory format, including elemental buffs, a new zone in which to play with them, and an opportunity to earn the first of the new "armor 2.0" sets that are coming to the game in the Shadowkeep expansion.

Iratus: Lord of the Dead is like Darkest Dungeon, except you're the bad guy
https://www.pcgamer.com/iratus-lord-of-the-dead-is-like-darkest-dungeon-except-youre-the-bad-guy/
Iratus: Lord of the Dead, the new game from Daedalic Entertainment and developer Unfrozen, bears a strong visual resemblance to the disturbing dungeon delver Darkest Dungeon. But it's played from the opposite perspective: Instead of a stalwart hero, you are Iratus, an evil necromancer who has been freed from his ancient prison and now seeks to create an army of undead servants from the sundered parts of his—that is, your—fallen foes.

I've misplaced all my soldiers in strategy sim Radio Commander
https://www.pcgamer.com/ive-misplaced-all-my-soldiers-in-strategy-sim-radio-commander/
Radio Commander is a simulation strategy game that throws you into nine different scenarios set during the Vietnam War. If it can be accused of anything, it's being too accurate. Radio Commander takes a heavily simulated approach to warfare from the 1960s by forcing you, the commander behind the front line, to communicate with your soldiers via radio and keep track of them on a map.

PUBG Corp tried a weekly update schedule, but couldn't keep up the pace
https://www.pcgamer.com/pubg-corp-tried-a-weekly-update-schedule-but-couldnt-keep-up-the-pace/
Fortnite is a massively successful game, but that success came at a price. Its frantic pace of updates keeps players engaged but it also reportedly keeps employees locked in a state of brutal crunch to keep up with the demand for a constant flow of new content. In an interview with PCGamesN, PUBG Corp studio director Brian Corrigan said that the Playerunknown's Battlegrounds team actually took a shot at maintaining a similar pace, but found that it just couldn't keep it up.

Bad North's free expansion comes with a 'very hard' difficulty level and hero traits
https://www.pcgamer.com/bad-norths-free-expansion-comes-with-a-very-hard-difficulty-level-and-hero-traits/
We really enjoyed Bad North when it was first released for having such a pretty face hiding its super bad attitude underneath. Now, the deceivingly difficult little strategy game has gotten a rather large free update which the developers are calling the "definitive version" of the game.

A new Yakuza game will be unveiled next month
https://www.pcgamer.com/a-new-yakuza-game-will-be-unveiled-next-month/
Whenever life is getting you down it's helpful to remember that the Yakuza games exist. The past few years have seen PC ports of the first two Kiwami games and 0, and while the most recent mainline game, Yakuza 6, still hasn't made the jump, Sega now considers the series a "multi-platform" one.
So it's worth getting excited that a new Yakuza game will be unveiled next month, and it'll be the first since Kazuma Kiryu's story concluded. There's not much info regarding who will star in the next generation of the series, but the below teaser, posted by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio's Twitter account, suggests Yakuza Online protagonist Ichiban Kasuga will at least appear in the game.

GTA Online's new casino update is inaccessible to more than 50 countries
https://www.pcgamer.com/grand-theft-auto-onlines-new-casino-update-in-inaccessible-to-more-than-50-countries/
Grand Theft Auto Online's Diamond Casino update finally went live yesterday, but players from various countries are discovering the update isn't available to them due to local gambling laws. Because the casino lets you spend real money to buy in-game cash to spend at the casino, Rockstar Games has presumably restricted these features to countries where online gambling laws are less strict.
>> Well, at least they skipped the whole loot boxes thing and went straight into real gambling.

Borderlands 3 profiles the world of Promethea
https://www.pcgamer.com/borderlands-3-profiles-the-world-of-promethea/
We've known for a while now that one of the planets you'll be visiting in Borderlands 3 is an urban world called Promethea. Gearbox have just released some more info about it, including the video above.

Free puzzle game Xenopulse offers isometric, sci-fi block-pushing
https://www.pcgamer.com/free-puzzle-game-xenopulse-offers-isometric-sci-fi-block-pushing/
In one way, the isometric viewpoint is a bit of a hindrance when it comes to two-dimensional block-pushing. It can be difficult to work out exactly where tiles are in relation to each other, particularly when there are obstacles in the way. But, I mean, would you just look at Xenopulse, with its crunchy isometric tileset, its wonderfully purple and blue and green alien world.

Cat Lady looks like Binding of Isaac with weaponised kitties
https://www.pcgamer.com/cat-lady-looks-like-binding-of-isaac-with-weaponised-kitties/
Cat fanciers are always banging on about how great cats are, but nobody ever mentions how they're a viable replacement for guns. Cat Lady will enlighten us when the doors to Grandma's cursed mansion open soon, but in the meantime you can watch some feline action in the dungeon crawler's new trailer, above.

Bloodstained's designers had to defeat the bosses they made without taking a hit
https://www.pcgamer.com/bloodstaineds-designers-had-to-defeat-the-bosses-they-made-without-taking-a-hit/
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night has its fair share of tricky boss battles but, as Malindy notes in her Bloodstained review, they're all satisfying scraps where you'll win by studying the boss, though a bit of a luck helps. According studio boss and Castlevania vet Koji Igarashi, the team took extra steps to keep the fights fair.

Northgard's Clan of the Kraken DLC lets you play as squid worshippers
https://www.pcgamer.com/northgards-clan-of-the-kraken-dlc-lets-you-play-as-squid-worshippers/
Northgard's adding a new clan to the roster today. The Clan of the Kraken worship a big ol' sea monster and don't like being too far from the coast. Check out the squid-worshipping beach bums in the release trailer above.

Autonauts is a management sim full of adorable, programmable robots
https://www.pcgamer.com/autonauts-is-a-management-sim-full-of-adorable-programmable-robots/
Autonauts is all about delegating the challenging work of building a colony on a new world. When you land on your charming little globe, you'll need to do the busywork yourself, chopping down trees and crafting items, but eventually you'll be able to build and program a legion of little clockwork bots to do your bidding.

Here come the Friday news!

SALES & DEALS

For Honor and Alan Wake are going free on the Epic Games Store
https://www.pcgamer.com/for-honor-and-alan-wake-are-going-free-on-the-epic-games-store/
The latest round of freebies from the Epic Game Store—This War of Mine and Moonlighter—are now yours for the taking, and yes, it's two games this week rather than the usual one. Epic explained last week that it's making two games free this time around to ensure that everyone gets at least one.
This War of Mine is rated M (Mature), which means that it may not be accessible if the store's parental controls are engaged. The E-rated Moonlighter ensures that nobody goes away empty-handed, and Epic said at the time that, going forward, "we will also offer another free game that will be more accessible to players of all ages."
Epic also announced today that next week will be a two-fer freebie deal too, with For Honor and Alan Wake going up for grabs. The distinction between This War of Mine and Moonlighter is obvious enough, but I'll be honest, I had to check the ESRB website to find out which of next week's games is the lower-rated alternative pick: For Honor is a multiplayer combat game about bashing medieval bros in the face, while Alan Wake is a twisted psychological thriller about an author battling the shadowy agents of the Dark Presence as he searches for his missing wife and tries to unravel the mystery of a missing week.

On the Humble Store there are two new deals:

• Let's start with a sale featuring the Warhammer Vermintide franchise, with up to 75% discounts for the next 3 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/warhammer-vermintide-franchise-sale/
• And there's a "The Hero's Journey Sale", with up to 85% discounts on Action Adventure games for the next 6 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/the-heros-journey-sale/

At Fanatical there are three new sales:

• The new Star Deal is Endless Legend - Emperor Edition, 88% off for the next 48 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/endless-legend-emperor-edition
• That's part of a the publisher Iceberg Interactive sale, with up to 80% discounts for the next 7 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/publishers/iceberg-interactive
• And the new Empire Bundle features 6 games at a 95% discount for the next 12 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/empire-bundle

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

AMD says its new GPU driver bumps performance in Wolfenstein: Youngblood by 13%
https://www.pcgamer.com/amd-says-its-new-gpu-driver-bumps-performance-in-wolfenstein-youngblood-by-13/
AMD and Nvidia now both have updated GPU drivers that are optimized for Wolfenstein: Youngblood. Nvidia began rolling out its 431.60 driver earlier this week, and now AMD has followed suit for Radeon graphics card owners with its new 19.7.3 driver release.
In AMD's case, the company claims its 19.7.3 driver improves performance in Wolfenstein: Youngblood by 13 percent, compared to the previous 19.7.2 driver package. That's based on internal testing using a Radeon RX 5700.
>> Available from here.

The Epic Store is beginning to support cloud saves
https://www.pcgamer.com/the-epic-store-is-beginning-to-support-cloud-saves/
Moonlighter and This War of Mine went free for the week on the Epic Games Store today, and it didn't take long for the sharp cookies on Reddit to notice something interesting: The Moonlighter settings menu has a toggle for a "cloud saves" option. But the Epic Store doesn't support cloud saves yet—or does it?
The answer, as of today, is that it does, a little bit.
Epic Games rep arctczyn noted in reply to the Reddit inquiry that This War of Mine also offers the magic of cloud saving. "Support for cloud saves will be coming to additional games soon," they added.

MODS/EMULATORS

Grand Theft Auto 3 Liberty City has been ported into BeamNG, available for download
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/grand-theft-auto-3-liberty-city-has-been-ported-into-beamng-available-for-download/
Now here is a mod that every owner of BeamNG must download. Modder ‘swift502’ has ported Liberty City from Grand Theft Auto 3 into BeamNG, allowing you to drive and crash your vehicles in that classic 3D city.
BeamNG.drive is as an immersive vehicle simulator offering near limitless possibilities to explore driving, stunting, crashing, and customizing vehicles. This project features amazing soft-body physics and car deformation effects, and this city mod is a must-have for everyone.
Do note that this mod is still under development. According to the modder, there are some glitches such as noticable LOD pop-in, slits/gaps in the ground between two map areas, lamp and fire hydrant placement is off sometimes, water doesn’t behave like water and some buildings don’t have roofs (resulting in some strange shadows).
Those interested can download the mod from here. As the modder claimed, this GTA3 Liberty City mod needs to be installed manually as it contains copyrighted material (thus it cannot be distributed through the official mod repository).

Fallout 4 modders make Preston Garvey six inches tall and give him a chipmunk voice
https://www.pcgamer.com/fallout-4-modders-make-preston-garvey-six-inches-tall-and-give-him-a-chipmunk-voice/
Poor Preston Garvey. He's not really a bad fellow, it's just that his insatiable settlement fetish makes him the target for a lot of mockery and memes. The latest indignity heaped upon this Fallout 4 follower is a mod called Small Preston, which shrinks the notorious Commonwealth Minuteman to roughly 10% of his normal size. He's so small! And yet he still needs your help with another settlement!
I should quickly point out that the modder isn't just picking on Preston, as Brotherhood of Steel cheerleader Paladin Danse can also be made very small with this mod. And, the mod even includes an optional file that makes the player 50% smaller as well. But Tiny Garvey is far more amusing to me than Tiny Danse or Tiny Me.

This Sekiro mod turns Toy Story's Woody into a stone-cold killer
https://www.pcgamer.com/this-sekiro-mod-turns-toy-storys-woody-into-a-stone-cold-killer/
Who better to take out a naughty samurai clan than Toy Story's diligent lawman, Sheriff Woody? Modder huckleberrypie has added the cowboy to Sekiro, finally allowing him to tap into all that rage that's surely built up after years of living with Tim Allen.
There's no time for jokes or heartwarming moments in Sekiro, and Woody has no interest in quips, just killing and silently staring with those cold, dead eyes. All the better to watch the life bleed out of a man. He's got a taste for it now. Toy Story 5 is going to be messed up.
If you want to put Woody in your game, you'll need to download the Sekiro Mod Engine as well as the mod itself, then copy the contents of the folder to your Sekiro mods directory. Fire up the game and you should have Woody instead of Wolf.

GAMING NEWS

Mechwarrior 5: Mercenaries releases on December 10th, exclusively on the Epic Games Store
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/mechwarrior-5-mercenaries-releases-on-december-10th-exclusively-on-the-epic-games-store/
Piranha Games has just announced that Mechwarrior 5: Mercenaries will be released on December 10th, exclusively on the Epic Games Store. Now I know that a lot of gamers were looking forward to this, so it will be interesting to see how they react now that the game will not be initially launch on Steam.

Here are ten minutes of brand new gameplay footage from the upcoming Blair Witch game
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/here-are-ten-minutes-of-brand-new-gameplay-footage-from-the-upcoming-blair-witch-game/
GameInformer has released a video, showing ten minutes of new gameplay footage from the upcoming Blair Witch game. This video will give you an idea of how the game plays, though it may contain some spoilers (so we suggest avoiding it if you want to avoid any of them).

RAGE 2 Update 2 available for download, adds New Game +, full patch notes revealed
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/rage-2-update-2-available-for-download-adds-new-game-full-patch-notes-revealed/
Bethesda and Avalanche Studios have released the second big update for RAGE 2. According to the release notes, this new patch adds a New Game + mode, as well as an Ironman Mode and the Ultra Nightmare Difficulty.

Battlefield 5 update 4.2 now available for download, brings numerous changes, full patch notes
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/battlefield-5-update-4-2-now-available-for-download-brings-numerous-changes-full-patch-notes/
DICE has released a brand new update for Battlefield 5. According to the release notes, update 4.2 reduces the recoil, and increases the muzzle velocity for the P08 Carbine in a bid to improve its effectiveness, and awards kills in Firestorm if the enemy player disconnects during the downed state.

Anno 1800 Update 4 releases on July 30th, will improve camera zoom out, will optimize performance
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/anno-1800-update-4-releases-on-july-30th-will-improve-camera-zoom-out-will-optimize-performance/
Ubisoft has announced that a brand new update for its latest strategy game, Anno 1800, will release on July 30th. According to the team, game update 4 will allow players to zoom the camera significantly further out, will bring performance optimizations and improvements, and will feature a new and improved minimum stock system to the Trading Post.

New Call of Duty Modern Warfare in-game multiplayer teaser trailer shows a tactical infiltration
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/new-call-of-duty-modern-warfare-in-game-multiplayer-teaser-trailer-shows-a-tactical-infiltration/
Activision and Infinity Ward have released a new in-game multiplayer teaser trailer for Call of Duty Modern Warfare. This trailer showcases one of the game’s tactical infiltrations and according to the teams, this one shows a disembarking into the Multiplayer map currently named Gun Runner.

PC gamers can completely bypass Wolfenstein: Youngblood’s micro-transactions with CheatEngine
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/pc-gamers-can-bypass-some-of-wolfenstein-youngbloods-micro-transactions-with-cheatengine/
Wolfenstein: Youngblood has just been released on the PC (it was meant to come out tomorrow but the game was released a day earlier on Steam). Now in case you haven’t heard yet, this latest Wolfenstein game features numerous micro-transactions. However, it appears that PC gamers can easily bypass them.

Project CARS 3 to be officially announced soon, is 200% better than pCars 2, is “game changer”
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/project-cars-3-to-be-officially-announced-soon-is-200-better-than-pcars-2-is-game-changer/
Slightly Mad Studios CEO Ian Bell has shared some new interesting details about the next part in the Project CARS series. According to Bell, the game will be officially announced soon, and it’s going to be a “revolution” and a “game changer”.
>> What are they going to say, right?

Friday news, part two and last for this week:

This War of Mine invites you resolve existential questions in new DLC
https://www.pcgamer.com/this-war-of-mine-invites-you-resolve-existential-questions-in-new-dlc/
This War of Mine, 11 bit Studios' haunting survival management game, isn't done with its grim warzone stories and distressing morality tests. A third piece of narrative-driven DLC is heading our way, promising another gloomy scenario and some big existential quandaries.

The aliens have arrived in Arma 3
https://www.pcgamer.com/the-aliens-have-arrived-in-arma-3/
I really like the idea of extraterrestrials in Arma 3. There's something about a modern military FPS that's famously devoted to realism being overrun by an alien invasion that just tickles me. Of course, this is Arma, and so it's not a full-on Mars Attacks scenario: Instead, Arma 3 Contact is a confused first contact situation where no one knows what's going on, and you're one of the front-line flunkies who gets to stick his finger in the water to see if it's hot.

Fallout 76 hotfix removes top players from the map in survival mode
https://www.pcgamer.com/fallout-76-hotfix-removes-top-players-from-the-map-in-survival-mode/
Fallout 76 is going through a rough patch thanks to its last, um, patch. On the plus side, a hotfix arrived today that made a few bug fixes, balance changes, and UI tweaks. Perhaps most importantly, the hotfix made a pretty significant change to Fallout 76's survival mode.

Jupiter Hell, the spiritual successor to a Doom roguelike, comes to Steam Early Access next week
https://www.pcgamer.com/jupiter-hell-the-spiritual-successor-to-a-doom-roguelike-comes-to-steam-early-access-next-week/
Jupiter Hell is basically Doom, if Doom was a top-down, turn-based roguelike—and set on Jupiter instead of Mars, obviously. In fact, it's the spiritual successor to Doom, the Roguelike, shorn of any references to its original inspiration. DoomRL wasn't exactly authorized by Bethesda, and you can't go around calling your game "Doom" if you don't have some kind of legally-binding agreement in place that allows you to do so (DoomRL is now known as DRL for the same reason).

Fit For a King is a Henry VIII sim where you can marry and execute everything
https://www.pcgamer.com/fit-for-a-king-is-a-henry-viii-sim-where-you-can-marry-and-execute-everything/
Henry VIII lived large. He got through six wives, founded his own Church so he could get divorced and pretty much executed everyone. He also liked tennis. Fit For a King is a Henry VIII simulator that tries to capture some of that life and the result is something that looks like Ultima but reminds me more of Reigns.

LSD: Lost Sandy Desert is a free, far out trip on an alien planet
https://www.pcgamer.com/lsd-lost-sandy-desert-is-a-free-far-out-trip-on-an-alien-planet/
Dune's Arrakis isn't the only alien planet to carry a hallucinogenic substance. Take, for example, the pink flowers in the aptly named LSD: Lost Sandy Desert. To survive in the ruddy hot desert you find yourself in, you'll have to munch much of the plant-life, and every time you devour one, the world will warp in surreal manner before your eyes.

Massive JRPG Disgaea is free for the weekend
https://www.pcgamer.com/massive-jrpg-disgaea-is-free-for-the-weekend/
Demonic JRPG Disgaea has shed its price for the weekend on Steam, letting everyone play for free until July 28. A weekend doesn't give you much time to sink your teeth into what is an impossibly huge game, but it should be enough to help you decide if you want in for the long haul.
>> If you want to keep playing it after that, the game is also 70% off.

Let's end the news by checking the GOG and Steam deals for the weekend:

+GOG

• The first of the four deals at GOG is the weekly sale with up to 80% discounts: https://www.gog.com/promo/20190722_weekly_sale
• Next comes the Bethesda Sale with up to 75% discounts for the next 4 days: https://www.gog.com/promo/bethesda_week
• Next is another publisher sale starring Kalypso and with up to 80% discounts for the next almost 3 days: https://www.gog.com/promo/kalypso_publisher_sale
• And the last one is the weekend sale, with a selection of games up to 80% off: https://www.gog.com/promo/20190726_weekend_sale

+Steam

• The only daily deal today is Super Mega Baseball 2, 50% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/414870/Super_Mega_Baseball_2/
• The Early Access game Squad is free to try and 50% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/393380/Squad/
• The Worms franchise is on sale, from 66 to 81% off, and Worms WMD is also free to try for the weekend: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/worms/
• And of course, there's the weeklong deals.

That's all folks! Have a happy and gaming weekend.