Gaming in China. Reviews, Walkthroughs, News

Chilly survival citybuilder Frostpunk 2 is due to release on July 25th, but you technically don't have to wait that long to get your fingers cold. There's a beta coming later this month, playable between April 15th and the 22nd, if only you're willing to pre-order the digital deluxe edition.

There are many collectibles in but some are secret enough that you need a cheat code to unlock them. is similar to other building block games such as but what sets it apart is the plethora of promotional characters, items, and vehicles hidden behind a menu. Once you know where to unlock them, you can input many codes to unlock exciting new things.

Meta implements new policies to combat deepfakes; AI-powered diabetes program revolutionises health management; AI-powered diabetes program revolutionises health management; Study Reveals Racial Bias in AI Chatbots- this and more in our daily roundup. Let us take a look.

This is not investment advice. The author has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Wccftech.com has a disclosure and ethics policy.

The latest update for the MC Extractor has added new AMD Granite Ridge "Ryzen Zen 5" CPUs and also mentions the AM5+ platform.

AI roundup: Nvidia and Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison are in talks to build an artificial intelligence centre in Central Java in 2024. The companies may invest $200 million for the development. In other news, Microsoft warns countries such as the US, South Korea and India about China's intention to disrupt elections with the help of AI. Know more about what AI news is in our roundup. 

Falcom will release The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak II for Switch on July 25 in Japan for 4,800 yen, the company announced.

Chinese use AI to commemorate departed loved ones; Israeli military allegedly relies on AI for Gaza bombing targets; CBSE adds AI and data science electives for class 11l; Yuval Noah Harari sounds alarm on AI's threat to humanity. All this, and more in our daily roundup. Let us take a look.

This is not investment advice. The author has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Wccftech.com has a disclosure and ethics policy.

Everstone Studio has released the latest long awaited update to its upcoming open world title, Where Winds Meet.

Cosmo Machia will release shoot ’em up game TriggerHeart EXELICA for PC via Steam on April 26 worldwide, followed by Switch on May 2, the developer announced.

NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 4090D Gaming & H20 AI GPUs could soon be restricted from being imported to China as per the latest US trade regulations.

A new game has been added to the mix as Pathless Woods launched into early access to multiple positive reviews. The game is touted as a mix of survival game Valheim and farming life sim Stardew Valley. Players can link up with friends in co-op mode to make surviving easier, or play solo to explore the game at their own pace.

An ingenious Palworld player has recently created a school using the game’s extensive base-building systems. Since its early access release back in January, Palworld has been a huge hit, reaching over 25 million players, and base-building is among the most popular elements of the game.

Cosmo Machia will release shoot ’em up game TriggerHeart EXELICA for PC via Steam in April, according to its newly opened store page.

Open world Wuxia game Where Winds Meet is receiving a limited beta test this month for North American players.

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Tencent Cloud is now the official server provider for Palworld. The Chinese cloud giant confirmed the news via a press release shared with TechRadar earlier this week.

Last week, Jez Corden stated in his Xbox Two podcast that he had heard that Microsoft was expanding, and not limiting, their deals for 3rd party games in this year. It turns out we made a mistake in reporting that rumor.

As AI eventually starts branching out into the music industry that may potentially harm the livelihood of famous musicians, notable stars such as Katy Perry, Billie Eilish and a multitude of others have decided to collectively address this problem by reaching out to developers, companies, services and other entities the only way they know how; through a letter. The contents of this letter reveal that these high-profile artists have become voices of those who cannot be heard in the AI era, and do not wish that this technology replaces the raw talent and skill that humans possess.

Microsoft recently held a virtual press showcase to flaunt four intriguing indie games coming to Xbox (and in several cases, other platforms too) in the near future, including Still Wakes the Deep, the long-awaited next project from Everybody's Gone to the Rapture developer The Chinese Room.

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Xbox recently showcased four upcoming indie titles set to release as part of its ID@Xbox programme.

While indie video games from smaller developers tend to get more attention on platforms like Steam or Nintendo Switch, that isn’t for a lack of trying on Xbox’s part. Since 2013, it has run the ID@Xbox program to help fund and highlight games from independent developers all around the world. While some Xbox fans feel uncertain about the platform’s future because of Microsoft’s multiplatform push, Microsoft reaffirmed its efforts to uplift indie game developers at this year’s Game Developers Conference by highlighting some of its upcoming ID@Xbox titles.

This is not investment advice. The author has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Wccftech.com has a disclosure and ethics policy.

Publisher Spiral Up Games and developer AniYa Games Studio have released the Early Access launch trailer for Pathless Woods, a cozy open-world survival game inspired by ancient China culture and Byron’s poetry, which is due out for PC via Steam on April 3. A demo is available now.

Ubisoft has announced they are laying off 45 more employees.

The general manager of the Warcraft series says Blizzard isn’t against the idea of licensing out the Warcraft IP to third-party developers.

Just days after revealing the smartphones that are to benefit from the Xiaomi HyperOS update, the company has now announced that several Poco smartphones will get the same. The update was introduced in February this year but was limited to a handful of devices. While the new Poco X6 Pro came with HyperOS out of the box and Poco M6 Pro and M4 5G received it later on, other Poco smartphones still featured MIUI, but not anymore. Check out the full list of Poco smartphones that will get Xiaomi's most powerful software update. 

Set your course for adventure, the One Piece Dream Pointer release is cruising in your direction…if you’re in the right region, anyway. A new mobile RPG officially authorized by One Piece IP. This turn-based RPG, made by Yesgames and Toei Animation together, promises fun for Straw Hat Pirates fans.

Xiaomi India has confirmed that its latest operating system, the HyperOS, will be rolling out to more devices in the second quarter of 2024. Initially introduced in February this year, the HyperOS was limited to a select few devices. However, Xiaomi is now expanding its reach, aiming to empower a broader range of users across their Xiaomi and Redmi product lines.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly instructed his government to explore developing video game consoles in Russia.

A new Marvel game will be officially announced tomorrow (that's the 27th March) at 8am PT / 11am ET / 3pm GMT. That's according to hype master Geoff Keighley, who's teasing the title on social media.

As was heavily rumoured, the new Marvel game is indeed a six-on-six, team-based, hero-based multiplayer shooter. It's called Marvel Rivals, and it's built around each character having their own unique abilities. You've got the Hulk, Iron Man, Spider-Man, Dr. Strange, Black Panther… It looks to be quite a robust roster.

ASUS has reportedly pushed the potential performance of Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090D, a graphics card exclusively built for China. To achieve this boosted raw power, ASUS released its own version of the RTX 4090D, under the ROG Strix brand, with a higher overclocking limit.

U.S enhances restrictions on AI chip exports to China; US Congress enforces ban on Microsoft's AI Copilot for staff usage; CPI(M) introduces AI anchor 'Samata' for upcoming Lok Sabha elections; NYC to pilot AI gun scanners in the subway; All this, and more in our daily roundup. Let us take a look.

I had a favorite version of Mulan growing up (Anita Yuen in the 1998 Taiwanese TV series). I obsessed over Chinese period TV series like Legend of the Condor Heroes, My Fair Princess and The Book and the Sword. I consider myself fairly well-versed in Chinese historical figures, especially those represented in ‘90s and 2000s entertainment in Asia. So when I found out that a UK-based studio had made a VR game called The Pirate Queen based on a forgotten female leader who was prolific in the South China Sea, I was shocked. How had I never heard of her? How had the Asian film and TV industry never covered her?

A dedicated hardcore Pokemon player has managed to complete what's arguably one of the most difficult Nuzlocke challenges out there after 11,130 attempts, all while wrestling with a run-destroying spreadsheet and a deep desire for a 'perfect run.'

Apple is expected to have several announcements in store this year, with a main focus on artificial intelligence (AI). With the confirmation of the WWDC event on June 10, the company teased its upcoming AI features. With Google and Samsung upping their AI game, Apple is yet to introduce the technology to its iPhones and other devices. Now, with the iOS 18 update, the may reveal all it is working on, especially when it comes to AI and related features. From features to the launch date, here's what we know about iOS 18 so far.

Apple announced yesterday that it will be hosting its highly anticipated WWDC 2024 event on June 10 to announce iOS 18 and a bunch of other updates for its entire product line. We have previously covered that WWDC 2024 will be special this year as it will be the perfect venue for Apple to announce its long-rumored AI features to the world for the iPhone, Mac, iPad, and additional products. However, Apple will not launch its own ChatGPT-like chatbot with the release of iOS 18 later this year.

The open beta for Omeda Studios‘ free-to-play MOBA has dropped alongside a new trailer for the game.

With a US reboot of Anaconda still dragging its feet, China has decided to beat them to the punch with a brand new Anaconda remake trailer.

Omeda Studios' MOBA Predecessor open beta is now available on PC and consoles, allowing users to try out the game built on the foundation of Epic Games' Paragon for free.

The League of Legends esports scene has been rocked by an alleged match-fixing scandal so large that it has affected every team in a regional league.

LEVEL-5 has opened pre-orders for the PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 versions of Megaton Musashi W: Wired via PlayStation Store, the company announced. Pre-orders for the Switch version will begin on April 11. The PC (Steam) version will not be available for pre-order, but the pre-order bonus can still be obtained by purchasing the game before May 31.

Apple’s iPhone SE 4 OLED orders were previously said to be fought over by suppliers Samsung and BOE. Given that this is the company’s low-cost offering slated to launch sometime in 2025, procuring cheaper displays would be Apple’s top priority since this component is largely dependent on how expensive a smartphone gets. On this occasion, a new report claims that BOE has apparently won the skirmish against Samsung on the pricing front and will likely be the exclusive panel supplier for the iPhone SE 4.

The shiny new adaptation of The Three-Body Problem, from the guys who did Game of Thrones, may be the biggest show on Netflix right now, but it’s not the only adaptation that’s worth watching. Sure, there’s also the longer, more thorough and faithful Chinese version of the series, but that’s not the one we mean, either. Nope, instead, the best adaptation of this story comes straight from the animated sitcom Bob’s Burgers.

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A Helldivers 2 player by the in-game name of OkamiCheems sadly passed away earlier this month, as their friend Fine-Clothes-1209 recently informed the game's Reddit community, and has been sent off by tens of thousands of like-minded democracy enthusiasts in a bittersweet display of community support. 

Marvel Rivals is an upcoming free-to-play, team-based PVP shooter for PC with the backing of Chinese publishing giant NetEase.

As is to be expected following its successful launch, more games in the style of are in development. Upon its release in January on Steam Early Access and Xbox Game Preview, there was plenty of controversy surrounding how similar some of 's «Pals» were to Pokémon, resulting in The Pokémon Company launching a copy investigation, although 's developer, Pocket Pair, insisted that its game is much closer to survival sandbox titles such as and and passed several legal checks before its release.

Developers G-MODE and Plus81 have delayed visual novel SHINJUKU SOUMEI from its previously planned April 12 release date to May 24. It will be available for PC via Steam and DLsite for 3,990 yen, with support for English, Japanese, and Simplified Chinese language options. A demo will launch in late April, though it will not have transferrable save data.

Publisher Hero Games and developer PAN STUDIO have released the trailer for the Duet Night Abyss technical test that will begin on March 27 at 7:00 a.m. PT / 10:00 a.m. ET. Accepted applicants should have already received test-related information by email.

Palworld has had a interesting start-up since it released in early access, from many loving the game and it having more active players on Xbox than Fortnite – but also the fact many are against the game since it seems to be a Pokemon look-alike.

Rumors are now abound that Chinese gaming giant Tencent is making two new games in the same vein as Palworld, capitalizing on the sleeper hit's genre-mixing popularity. Palworld has sold millions of copies since its release in January 2024, which is why it's not surprising that a developer looking for its next big profitable project would look to it for inspiration.

Tencent Games’ latest fantasy MMORPG Tarisland, is knocking on the door of your Play Store. The game was first announced in April 2023 for Android and iOS devices. Expected to be released by June 2024, you can now pre-register for Tarisland.

Two Tencent-owned studios are reportedly creating games to rival smash-hit survival game Palworld.

Activision has threatened to ban any Call of Duty Warzone player who uses so-called ‘boosting services’ to inflate their Skill Rating (SR).

Apple has been recently making headlines for holding talks with companies like Google and OpenAI to use their AI services in its devices. Recently, the company also invested in several AI startups for iOS 18. Now, Apple is reported to have partnered with a Chinese tech giant company named Baidu to take advantage of their AI services. Apple is now currently in a race to introduce advanced generative AI services to compete with brands such as Samsung and Google. Know more about Apple's move to introduce AI features to upcoming devices.

A talented Pokemon fan has created sprites for the starter Pokemon of the nine generations. Pokemon has become a franchise known for exciting stories where players travel the game's world, battle, and meet different characters. But nearly every Pokemon adventure begins in the same way: with the hard quest of choosing a starter Pokemon.

While Microsoft has tried to put a happy face on things, the future of Xbox – at least Xbox as a distinct brand with its own hardware and exclusives – has never been more in question. Last month Microsoft tried to calm worries with an Xbox Business Update, in which they revealed several older, smaller-scale games were going multiplatform, but that others, like Starfield, aren’t for now. Furthermore, they vowed to continue working on new hardware which will, apparently, deliver the “largest technical leap ever” (how they plan to deliver on that boast, I don’t know).

AMD is planning to refresh its Ryzen 5000XT CPUs based on the huge popularity of the AM4 platform with faster Zen 3 chips.

After a long and dreary winter, spring is finally upon us, and with the longer days and warmer weather comes a veritable bounty of new books to keep you busy while you dig out your sun chair and count down the days until the pool opens. Below you’ll find a list of 19 new titles that hit shelves during the months of April and May (and one that came out in March that’s not to be missed).

This is not investment advice. The author has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Wccftech.com has a disclosure and ethics policy.

The Hells’ legions beckon you forth, adventurer. Welcome to Precipice of Horror, our first major update of 2024. This update introduces the Age of Unmaking, consisting of delightfully dark challenges throughout the year which ultimately mark the return of the Lord of Terror himself, a new elite quest to unravel, new Legendary Gems to bestow, a new chapter in the Hero’s Journey, and a plethora of additional content to elegantly destroy your way through.

Greetings. This is Hyung Tae Kim, director of Stellar Blade. We are pleased to officially announce the upcoming free playable demo for Stellar Blade, coming March 29 to PlayStation 5.

Nvidia CEO applauds Taiwan's key role in AI revolution; Tim Cook advocates AI for business carbon footprint reduction; UK launches AI project to track Hedgehog populations; Baidu stocks soar on Apple collaboration for AI services in China- this and more in our daily roundup. Let us take a look.

It's a brand new week in Computer Game Land, and right now, I am playing a nasty little survival sim called "Beating Jetlag". I landed back in the UK from GDC on Saturday afternoon, and my brain and eyeballs still feel as though they're being gently sautéed in a medicinal blend of oil and vinegar. The sun and sky bear down with a terrible, holy light and I can't seem to conjure any warmth into my elbows. In the street outside, a small dog is barking. Soon, very soon, I will catch that dog, place it in a box and FedEx it to China.

Spring is here and it's time for some GPU deals on some of the most popular AMD, NVIDIA & Intel GPUs out there for gamers.

A few weeks ago, Toys for Bob unexpectedly split from Activision and Microsoft to become an independent developer once again. However, even in that announcement, the studio based in Novato, California mentioned that they were exploring a partnership with Microsoft for their next game.

A new Marvel game could be in development, according to the latest rumors surfacing online. Currently, Marvelis licensing five games, including Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra, which may release sometime in 2025. This new game would mark five games under Marvel's wing with no set release date, joining the ranks with the untitled Iron Man and Black Panther games,Marvel'sWolverine, and Marvel's Blade.

Apple is gearing up for a significant upgrade in the realm of artificial intelligence (AI) with its upcoming iPhone 16 Pro. According to insights shared by analyst Jeff Pu from Haitong International Tech Research, Apple is set to introduce substantial modifications to its A18 Pro chip, specifically aimed at enhancing on-device AI capabilities. This revelation has sparked anticipation among tech enthusiasts as Apple accelerates production of the A18 Pro chip well ahead of its usual schedule.

ASRock has finally launched its DeskMeet X600 PCs featuring a PCH-Less Mini-ITX motherboard & support for AMD Ryzen 8000 & 7000 CPUs.

A Honkai: Star Rail leak reveals details about Sam's preliminary kit. Sam is an unreleased character who previously appeared in an official livestream alongside other Penacony-based warriors. Currently, he is one of the bosses Honkai: Star Rail players encounter during the game's story. Like other bosses in the space RPG, Stellaron Hunter: Sam has an enhanced form and several active skills alongside vulnerabilities players can utilize to take him down.

The Chinese government has blocked the use of Intel and AMD CPUs in government computers, creating new hostilities in the tech industry.

Multiple Xbox handheld prototypes are being worked on at Microsoft, according to rumors circulating online.

AI skills propel 54 percent salary increase in India; Microsoft seeks AI experts to transform gaming experience; NAAC Chairman advocates value based education amid AI disruption; Tim Cook advocates AI for climate action- this and more in our daily roundup. Let us take a look.

Apple enthusiasts are abuzz with anticipation as rumours swirl about the imminent release of a new iPad Air model, possibly even two. Since its last update in March 2022, the tech world has been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the 6th generation iPad Air. Although the most recent Apple event in October 2023 did not unveil any new iPads, speculation points towards an early 2024 launch. Here are four exciting developments to expect from the upcoming iPad Air lineup (via 9to5Mac).

During a Games Developer Conference lecture reflecting on 30 years of Warcraft, Senior Vice President and Warcraft Franchise General Manager John Hight shared World of Warcraft subscriber trends from Legion through Dragonflight, noting the successes, failures, and changes made to course correct dwindling numbers following Shadowlands. As reported by Korean webzine Inven, Hight's talk began with history of the franchise, how it captured players with a revolutionary RTS and evolved into both an MMO and several other game types. While the talk itself is interesting enough, the focal point of the discussion reflects specifically on the successes and failures of World of Warcraft, how it built decades worth of fans, why some fans had turned away, and what changes were made to bring them back, with slides depicting subscriber trends from Legion through Dragonflight.

After winning the hearts of millions of anime fans, the legendary K-Webtoon Solo Leveling is now set to resurrect as an action role-playing game. Are you excited to level up and become the world’s strongest hunter?