Meanwhile Nvidia has joined no one in giving anything away.

Another week, another round of news:

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

Supergiant’s Hades has sold one million copies worldwide
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/supergiants-hades-has-sold-one-million-copies-worldwide/
Supergiant Games has announced that its rogue-like dungeon crawler, Hades, has sold one million copies worldwide. Hades was initially released in Early Access and according to the team, around 700K PC players purchased the game during its Early Access period.

Over one million PC gamers have acquired their free copy of Football Manager 2020
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/over-one-million-pc-gamers-have-acquired-their-free-copy-of-football-manager-2020/
Last week, SEGA and Sports Interactive made Football Manager 2020 available for free on the Epic Games Store for a limited time. And, according to the game’s director, over one million PC gamers have acquired a free copy of the game.
According to Miles Jacobson, over 500K players have acquired a free copy of the game in the first 24 hours.

GOG starts the week with three new deals:

• The new weekly sale features titles from the D&D franchise up to 90% off: https://www.gog.com/promo/20200921_weekly_sale
• Publisher Frogwares has its games up to 75% off during the next 6 days: https://www.gog.com/promo/20200921_frogwares_sale
• And Baldur's Gate celebrates its 20th anniversary with 50% discounts on its two first games, and has a special article about it.

Steam has one new daily deal: Hot Lave, 40% off https://store.steampowered.com/app/382560/Hot_Lava/

The Humble Store has two new sales:

• Daedalic Entertainment has its games up to 90% off during the next 3 days. The keys are for GOG and/or Steam: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/daedalic-entertainment-sale/
• And Plug In Digital also has its games up to 90% off during the next 3 days. Some of them have GOG keys, but most are for Steam: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/plug-in-digital-sale/

Fanatical has a new Star Deal and 4 new deals added to Bundlefest:

• The new Star Deal is Azur Lane: Crosswave - Complete Deluxe Edition Bundle, 50% off during the next 48 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/azur-lane-crosswave-complete-deluxe-edition-bundle
• And the four new bundles are: Frozenbyte Bundle, Aksys Games Bundle, Fanatical Favorites BYOB and Brawler Bundle 2.

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

-empty-

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

The Witcher 3 HD Reworked Project 12.0 Ultimate is now available for download
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/the-witcher-3-hd-reworked-project-12-0-ultimate-is-now-available-for-download/
The Witcher 3 fans, the time has finally come. After numerous teasers and comparison videos, modder ‘Halk Hogan’ released the latest version of his The Witcher 3 HD Reworked Project Mod. In order to celebrate this announcement, the modder has also released a new comparison video that you can find below.
The Witcher 3 HD Reworked Project features very high-quality textures with great sharpness and performance. Additionally, this mod does not increase the VRAM requirements. Thus, if you’re already running the game on Max settings, you will be able to use this mod. Furthermore, this project features very high quality accurate normal maps, and a lot of them are baked from high poly meshes. Not only that, but The Witcher 3 HD Reworked Project comes with high-quality meshes, and better objects LODs.
>> It's 9.3GB in size and can be downloaded from Nexus Mods.

Catch some rays and radiation in the sunny new Fallout: Miami trailer
https://www.pcgamer.com/catch-some-rays-and-radiation-in-the-sunny-new-fallout-miami-trailer/
Feral ghouls wearing sunglasses and colorful pool floaties. Irradiated and mutated bipedal alligators. Palm trees waving among the ruins of a once-proud coastal city. Welcome to Miami, Fallout style.
Fallout: Miami is a Fallout 4 mod that's been in development for several years, and the modders have released a new trailer showing off "A Day in Miami," which includes sun, sea, sand, and far less pleasant things.

Go, Rotten Flesh, go! Capture and battle the monsters of Dark Souls 3 with this Pokémon overhaul
https://www.pcgamer.com/go-rotten-flesh-go-capture-and-battle-the-monsters-of-dark-souls-3-with-this-pokemon-overhaul/
It's only appropriate for Dark Souls 3, a game that asks you to be your very best (like no one ever was) to eventually receive a Pokémon mod in which to catch monsters becomes your real test, predicated, of course, on the desire to train them (the cause).
The Pocket Souls mod is an impressive Dark Souls 3 Pokémon overhaul that adds new weapons, armor, items, boss battles, and, of course, the ability to capture monsters, befriend them, and deploy them against others. Most importantly, you get a little Pokémon trainer backpack.

With this wizard beard mod there's no need for clothes in Crusader Kings 3
https://www.pcgamer.com/with-this-wizard-beard-mod-theres-no-need-for-clothes-in-crusader-kings-3/
"THIS IS A WIZARD BEARD" proclaims the text, in all caps, in the dropdown menu of the Hair & Beard Variants mod for Crusader Kings 3. I do not need any further convincing.
The mod adds a handful of new hairstyles including some really lovely braided ones for female characters and some additional facial hair options for males, but it's hard to not leap directly to the ultimate quarantine beard and slap it onto your character's face. I mean, look at this thing. Who even needs pants with a beard like this?

Project 17 will remake the Half-Life 2 opening in Half-Life: Alyx
https://www.pcgamer.com/project-17-will-remake-the-half-life-2-opening-in-half-life-alyx/
"Rise and shine, Mr. Freeman," begins what is perhaps the most famous game intro of its era. Now, modders are going to use Half-Life: Alyx's tools to recreate Half-life 2's opening as a VR experience. It's not a bad idea, because Point Insertion has very little actual gameplay other than walking and looking at neat stuff. Unless you count picking up cans, which I'm sure is going to be thrilling in VR.
>> Check out its website to stay informed

Return to Castle Wolfenstein has been overhauled by fans and is coming to Steam
https://www.pcgamer.com/return-to-castle-wolfenstein-has-been-overhauled-by-fans-and-is-coming-to-steam/
Return to Castle Wolfenstein is remembered by many for its multiplayer spin-off Enemy Territory (which has its own fan-made revival called ET: Legacy), but its singleplayer campaign also gave us one of the best flamethrowers in videogames, a focus on the occult and spooky side of Wolfenstein, enemies who would raise alarms if you broke stealth, and Tesla-coil Frankenstein undead Nazis to shoot. A fan-made overhaul mod called " target="_blank">RealRTCW aims to bring it back with various modern improvements and is coming to Steam on October 15.
RealRTCW promises high-quality models, textures, and sounds as well as widescreen support. Weapons have been rebalanced and tweaked with a recoil system, and a host of new ones added: MP34, M1 Garand, BAR, MP44, MG42, G43, M97 Trench Gun, MG34, PPSH41, Mosin Nagant, TT33, and a revolver. Bandages and adrenaline have also been added as holdable items.
Rebalanced AI, a new difficulty system, and atmosphere effects support for snow and rain round out the features list. Custom map add-ons will be coming via the Steam Workshop, but the mod will also be available on ModDB.

GAMING NEWS

Marvel’s Avengers Patch 1.3.0 released, resolves over 1000 issues, brings CPU performance improvements
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/marvels-avengers-patch-1-3-0-released-resolves-over-1000-issues-brings-cpu-performance-improvements/
Crystal Dynamics, EIDOS Montreal and Nixxes have released a new major update for Marvel’s Avengers. According to the teams, Patch 1.3.0 addresses over 1000 issues. Furthermore, it packs some PC-only enhancements and performance optimizations.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War PC Open Beta begins on October 15th
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/call-of-duty-black-ops-cold-war-pc-open-beta-begins-on-october-15th/
Activision has announced that the PC open beta phase for Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War will begin on October 15th. This Open Beta will let you try the game’s multiplayer mode prior to its official release.

Observer: System Redux releases on November 10th
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/observer-system-redux-releases-on-november-10th/
Bloober Team has announced that Observer: System Redux will release on November 10th. In other words, this will be a launch title for next-gen consoles. Thankfully, the PC version will release alongside the next-gen console versions.

New Cyberpunk 2077 screenshots showcase the beauty of Night City
https://www.dsogaming.com/screenshot-news/new-cyberpunk-2077-4k-screenshots-showcase-the-beauty-of-night-city/
CD Projekt RED has released a new set of beautiful screenshots for Cyberpunk 2077. These screenshots showcase Night City, and will give you an idea of the different areas that you will be able to explore.

New gameplay trailer released for Leisure Suit Larry – Wet Dreams Dry Twice
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/new-gameplay-trailer-released-for-leisure-suit-larry-wet-dreams-dry-twice/
Assemble Entertainment has released a brand new gameplay trailer for Leisure Suit Larry – Wet Dreams Dry Twice. This trailer will give you a glimpse at the game’s visual art style, as well as its gameplay mechanics.

Story-driven tech-noir mystery game, The Signifier, releases on October 15th
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/story-driven-tech-noir-mystery-game-the-signifier-releases-on-october-15th/
Raw Fury has announced that its first-person tech-noir mystery adventure game, The Signifier, will release on October 15th. In addition, the team has revealed the game’s official PC system requirements.

Monday news, part two:

Life is Strange 2 Episode 1 is now free-to-play forever
https://www.pcgamer.com/life-is-strange-2-episode-1-is-now-free-to-play-forever/
It's been a busy few days in Dontnod news (...)
It's with impeccable timing, then, that Life is Strange 2 Episode 1 has been made free-to-play on all platforms. The sequel to what is pretty incontestably Dontnod's most famous game, Life is Strange 2 follows a different group of characters and a completely separate story, but retains the linked central themes of coming-of-age and developing superpowers, playing out against an American landscape that is somehow simultaneously modern and nostalgic. Though perhaps not quite as beloved as the original, Life is Strange 2 still has a lot going for it and has been very well received, even managing to snag a Best Performer BAFTA for its lead actor Gonzalo Martin earlier this year.

Crysis Remastered supports software and hardware ray tracing and is built on DX11
https://www.pcgamer.com/crysis-remastered-supports-software-and-hardware-ray-tracing-and-is-built-on-dx11/
Crysis Remastered has just been released. It's the original game from 2007, but with updated visuals and a slightly different control setup (if you want to use it). At launch the game supports software and hardware ray tracing, while a patch to add DLSS will be released 'soon'.

No Man's Sky is getting a new update next week called 'Origins'
https://www.pcgamer.com/no-mans-sky-is-getting-a-new-update-next-week-called-origins/
No Man's Sky developer Hello Games said earlier this month, after the release of The Last Campfire, that it's now planning out its next big project—a "huge, ambitious game like No Man's Sky." But it's also still working on No Man's Sky itself, and today it announced that a new update called Origins will be released next week.
>> This article is from 3 days ago, and the update will launch this week.

Beyond Good & Evil creator Michel Ancel quits videogames to work in an animal sanctuary
https://www.pcgamer.com/beyond-good-and-evil-creator-michel-ancel-quits-videogames-to-work-in-an-animal-sanctuary/
Beyond Good and Evil 2 hasn't yet been "in development" for as long as Duke Nukem Forever was, but it's getting there. Our earliest "it's still happening" post went up in 2012—already several years after it was announced—and our most recent was in February 2020.
It's an unusual situation, and it got a little more unusual today: BG&E creator Michel Ansel, who's headed up work on the sequel for as long as it's been going on, announced on Instagram today that he's leaving the game industry to work in an animal sanctuary.
>> That's the second most shocking news of today's roundup.

Markarth is the endgame of Elder Scrolls Online's Dark Heart of Skyrim
https://www.pcgamer.com/markarth-is-the-endgame-of-elder-scrolls-onlines-dark-heart-of-skyrim/
The Elder Scrolls Online's next expansion takes players to a familiar place: The city of Markarth, in Skyrim. It's a location very familiar to Elder Scrolls fans, as Markarth featured prominently in Skyrim, the singleplayer predecessor to Elder Scrolls Online. The ESO implementation is pretty familiar looking, though it's controlled by the wild men of The Reach and covered in banners, mammoth tusks, and red paint.

Birding board game Wingspan comes to Steam
https://www.pcgamer.com/birding-board-game-wingspan-comes-to-steam/
Wingspan is one of the best board games of the past decade, and now it has a digital version. Just released on Steam, Wingspan's new digital edition is a pretty impressive bit of work for a port between physical and digital. In Wingspan, players build out clever combinations of birds—all of which have unique powers—to make their collection of birds more valuable and effective than their competitors. The digital version has everything you'd want for that purpose: Birds, bird noises, forest noises, and gorgeous illustrations of birds—some of which are even animated in this version.

Cosy life sim RPG Lonesome Village hit its Kickstarter goal, will be out in 2021
https://www.pcgamer.com/cosy-life-sim-rpg-lonesome-village-hit-its-kickstarter-goal-will-be-out-in-2021/
Mexican indie studio Ogre Pixel put their "puzzle-filled life simulator" Lonesome Village on Kickstarter recently, hoping to hit a target of 420,000 pesos (which is just under $US20,000). They hit that target within 24 hours and have now almost doubled it, with 26 days still to go.

Cyberpunk 2077 will be 'slightly shorter' than The Witcher 3
https://www.pcgamer.com/cyberpunk-2077-will-be-slightly-shorter-than-the-witcher-3/
RPGs can be quite long, and just thinking about starting a new one ages me. That's another grey hair just appeared. Especially these days, where game length is wielded like a weapon by marketing teams, so many games seem to want us to spend 100 hours on them. Cyberpunk 2077, however, is not among them.

IO Interactive's classic Freedom Fighters is back
https://www.pcgamer.com/io-interactives-classic-freedom-fighters-might-be-returning/
In 2003, between assassination plots, Hitman developer IO Interactive released Freedom Fighters, a squad-based shooter set in an alternate reality where the Soviet Union ended World War 2 by nuking Berlin and then proceeded to turn the world red. Though it was as well-received as Hitman, it never spawned a series and so far hasn't received a digital re-release. That might be changing.
Update: Shortly after it appeared on PEGI's site, Freedom Fighters got a digital re-release on GOG, where you can snatch up the 2003 squad-based shooter for 34 percent off.

Microsoft now owns The Elder Scrolls, Fallout and Doom
https://www.pcgamer.com/microsoft-now-owns-the-elder-scrolls-fallout-and-doom/
Microsoft has snared itself a mammoth acquisition and is now the new owner of ZeniMax Media, the parent company of Bethesda Softworks. This means The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Doom, Quake, Dishonored and countless more huge series now fall under the Xbox umbrella. Crikey.
>> This is the most shocking news of the day... and probably of the month if not generation. If you haven't, go to WoodenPints's thread on this surprising news.

Todd Howard gives his verdict on Microsoft's Bethesda acquisition
https://www.pcgamer.com/todd-howard-gives-his-verdict-on-microsofts-bethesda-acquisition/
Todd Howard has shared his thoughts on Microsoft's acquisition of Bethesda's parent company, Zenimax. In a blog post released this afternoon, the Fallout and Elder Scrolls director said that Microsoft would help share the studio's "deep belief in the fundamental power of games."

Yeah the 3000 series thus far is fairly much a paper launch and didn't help with bots/scalpers buying them up.

Heaven forbid the 3070 launch in the next few weeks lol.

In other news while my 3080 is no where to be seen... I personally love the Bethesda acquisition by MS. Gamepass is already a crazy value and hot damn is it about to get better!

I think it sucks for the industry. I have a feeling more and more of these deals are going to pop up during this generation. I'm just glad I mostly game on PC lol

Still won't ever sign up for GP though its a great deal if they come on release day one.

I can't approve of games getting more exclusive. Unless they're bought by Epic.

Well in all honesty, I fucking hated when EGS showed up and pulled timed exclusivity bs, turning indie devs against literal customers, just wanting to buy those games on their storefront of choice, and Sony for untold amount of yrs, buying up timed exclusivity bullshit, while trying to on and off again claim "PC isn't our competition", only to say it is again shortly before releasing Horizon onto Steam.

Seeing MS buyout some publishers is pretty much what this industry thrives on. If one or two parties do it, you can bet your ass others will follow. This is where we're at, because people defend bs and spout shitty memes like "xbox has no games" for yrs on end.

I'm not a massive fan of buyouts, but in this case, I'm still gonna be able to get those games on PC, and on Steam no less, so at least I'm not getting completely dicked over.

I may regret saying this one day since no one knows where the future is headed but...

Personally I would rather have MS buy studios than have them get money hatted by Sony and get made exclusive. As a PC gamer, it's nonsense every time Sony or any company does an exclusivity and since then we gotta wait 1 year or more until it comes to PC. Like FFVIIR. Plays like shit on Playstation 4 but I don't have a choice until it comes to PC. If it were out on PC on day one, would have had fap worthy frame rates and modders would fix the PS2 textures.

With MS buying Bethesda, now I don't have to worry about ES6 or any of the next Bethesda/ID games getting money hatted by Sony outside of the two that are coming out and I am thankful for that.

Actually, if you say it like that. That's true. Timed exclusives always sucks. I just worry that stuff will become more platform agnostic.

I still enjoy some third party games on consoles, and this just feels like dangerous waters. That and I just think that Microsoft now owns Doom, and potentially can fuck it up, irks me.