Gaming in Ukraine. Reviews, Walkthroughs, News

After years of development and multiple delays, STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl is delayed once again, but this time with a firm, “final” release date: September 5, 2024.

Samsung fans have been waiting for a long time for the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S24 series after its predecessor came with some exceptional features and camera quality. Now, with the next generation of S-series launching on January 17, 2024, we may have some new features which will be integrated with artificial intelligence (AI). Samsung, with the announcement of the launch event also started teasing Galaxy AI, which is expected to be included in the new Galaxy S24 series. In just a matter of a few hours, we'll be seeing another innovation being unveiled by Samsung after a huge success with the Galaxy S23 series. Know what the Galaxy S24 Ultra, the high-end version of the series has in store for the users.

Are you tired of getting a huge number of unwanted newsletters in your Gmail account? Well, here is some good news! The problem will now be solved as the Gmail Android app will now include an unsubscribe button in the emails. This will make it easier for Android app users to get rid of unwanted emails that fill up their inboxes incessantly. Now, users can focus on important emails through their smartphones by simply unsubscribing from the newsletters. Check when you will be able to see the unsubscribe button on your Gmail Android app.

Artificial intelligence lab OpenAI published a blog post Monday seeking to address fears that its technology will meddle with elections, as more than a third of the globe prepares to head to the polls this year. The use of AI to interfere with election integrity has been a concern since the Microsoft-backed company released two products: ChatGPT, which can mimic human writing convincingly, and DALL-E, whose technology can be used to create "deepfakes," or realistic-looking images that are fabricated. Those worried include OpenAI's own CEO Sam Altman, who testified in Congress in May that he was "nervous" about generative AI's ability to compromise election integrity through "one-on-one interactive disinformation."

With advancements in technology and the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI), various time-consuming tasks can now be done with the help of AI tools. There are endless tools and apps that provide AI-integrated help enabling users to stay on top of their tasks and complete the repetitive tasks in seconds. With that being said, and if you are looking for an AI productivity app, we have found one called ClickUp AI, which works as a virtual assistant to complete tasks effectively. Know more about the ClickUp AI productivity app and how it can benefit you.

BGMI A4 Royale Pass: Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) is known for bringing exclusive player rewards, events, timely updates, and new features in the game from time to time. This is something that attracts new players to join the game and be part of the battlefield with amazing outfits, weaponry, safety gear, etc. As part of BGMI monthly events, the game has finally rolled out the A4 Royale Pass with a new snowy theme, rewards and exclusive in-game items. Know new has been introduced by Krafton.

 The Earth is heating up, as is conflict in the Middle East. The world economy and Ukraine's defense against Russia are sputtering along. Artificial intelligence (AI) could upend all our lives. The to-do list of global priorities has grown for this year's edition of the World Economic Forum gabfest of business, political and other elites in the Alpine snows of Davos, Switzerland. It gets going in earnest Tuesday and runs through Friday.

Ukrainian developer GSC Game World has seemingly quietly updated some STALKER 2 screenshots, showing more vibrant environments.

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A listing for Samsung's upcoming 990 Evo SSD has appeared online. Though the release of a 990 Evo series SSD is not at all unexpected, its PCIe lane configuration is surprising, and it's an interesting configuration at that.

 Telegram Messenger said it does not know why fines against it and other major technology companies were dropped in Russia, but said it has no assets, offices, or employees there.

Viewers of are wondering are in the series and when each new episode comes out. Also known as, the docuseries is about a Ukrainian orphan named Natalia, who is mistaken to be a 6-year-old girl, but she is a fully grown woman. In the second season, Natalia reveals new details about her time with the Barnetts. The series introduces new interviews with people who know the story better than anyone about the family’s motives behind adopting and then getting rid of Natalia.

Ukrainian developer Frogwares has emerged victorious following a lengthy legal battle with then-publisher Nacon over the Lovecraftian detective game The Sinking City. Frogwares is now the sole publisher of the IP across all platforms, and this development hopefully signals the end of the tumultuous tale.

Square Enix has suspended its housing demolition process in Final Fantasy 14, following an earthquake in the Noto Peninsula of Japan on New Year's Day. The 7.6 magnitude earthquake has left thousands without power or shelter.

Ukrainian developer Frogwares is now the sole publisher of horror title The Sinking City.

2024 is looking as stacked as ever when it comes to innovative indie games. From Pokémon-with-guns game Palworld and the highly anticipated follow-up to Hades, there’s no shortage of games to get excited for. There’s so much to look forward to that it can be a challenge to keep track of it all, which is why we’ve put together another list of upcoming indies to add to your to-play list.

Ukrainian studio Frogwares is now the sole publisher of Lovecraft-inspired detective adventure The Sinking City. This follows the conclusion of a legal dispute with publisher Nacon, in which Frogwares accused the company of claiming copyright of The Sinking City after its release, withholding milestone payments, and owing the developer unpaid royalties.

Frogwares is "now the sole publisher of The Sinking City on all platforms", says the developer. This brings to an end several years of uncertainty and litigation, which saw the Lovecraftian RPG delisted from Steam several times and at one point restored by its publisher via an allegedly pirated version of the game.

Following a drawn-out legal dispute with original publisher Nacon, Ukrainian studio Frogwares has announced that it is now the one true publisher of the Lovecraft-inspired detective adventure The Sinking City, and that a new version of the game «with all the latest bug fixes and optimizations» is coming soon.

Nier Automata is a game about existential despair and searching for a reason to live in a meaningless world. But in the end, it’s also about finding that meaning and that humanity in each other. And in line with that message, director Yoko Taro has shared a sincere end-of-year letter to call for change in Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine and Israel’s escalating attacks in Gaza. 

Remember 2023? The answer can be no. It was a lot. Between a deluge of major games — Tears of the Kingdom, Diablo IV, Baldur’s Gate 3, Armored Core 6, and Starfield, to name a few — the eclipsing cultural moment of Barbenheimer, the writer and actor strikes, the morphing of Twitter into X, the multi-pronged legal action against the Microsoft-Activision acquisition, and the rise of AI, the year in Culture was a constant drone of milestone moments.

 So what did we learn this year? Specifically, I am asking how the real-world events of the past 12 months should have caused us to update our social scientific views. In a year rich with news, which insights turned out to be more useful, or less? The first big lesson from 2023 is hopeful: Huge gains in technology can be made very quickly.

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The Xbox Series X and S are no longer new. Year 4 has begun, and thus we are officially into the middle portion of what we expect (courtesy of Microsoft’s lawyers accidentally leaking the company’s own product roadmap) to be an eight-year console generation. So where do we stand? In last year’s version of this piece, I wrote, “2023 is a year of serious promise for Xbox, but it comes with an understandable sense of urgency from Xbox owners.” That urgency remains for 2024, following the mixed reception for Starfield, the most important launch for Xbox since, arguably, Halo 3 in 2007. But there’s even more reason to be optimistic coming out of 2023, as Hi-Fi Rush kicked the year off with a unique and award-nominated rhythm-action game that nobody saw coming; Microsoft survived legal challenges from multiple regulatory agencies and closed its Activision-Blizzard-King acquisition; and Xbox Game Pass continued to win and win. And looking ahead to 2024, that positive momentum looks set to continue and, with any luck, snowball.

Microsoft's latest console platforms, the Xbox Series X and Series S, reached their third anniversary in November 2023, but with the year drawing to a close, much of the industry's attention has turned toward anticipated games slated for release in 2024. 2023 was a famously busy year for quality releases, and even though a relative slump in 2024 wouldn't be surprising, there are still plenty of Xbox games to keep an eye out for. From exclusives to some of the year's biggest multi-platform titles, the most anticipated games of 2024 will ensure Xbox Series X/S owners don't let their console collect any dust.

While artificial intelligence (AI) is capable of transforming societies in positive ways, it also presents risks that need to be better understood and managed, new research has warned. Joe Burton, a professor at Lancaster University, UK, contends that AI and algorithms are more than mere tools used by national security agencies to thwart malicious online activities.

It’s the 25th of December, and for many people that means coming together with family and friends, opening presents, and hopefully a visit from a jolly, rotund character in a red suit. As we’re into games, that might well be Mario, but wherever you are, and whatever you’re doing, we hope you enjoy this season of wonder, and from all of us at TheSixthAxis we wish you Happy Holidays and a Merry Christmas!

The development team behind the Fallout London total conversion mod for Fallout 4 announced a new release window as part of their latest video report on progress.

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In a new Inside Blizzard blog post, President of Blizzard Entertainment Mike Ybarra reflects on the past year of Blizzard games, celebrating the company's cultural growth and community achievements throughout 2023, while looking ahead to 2024.

Hey everyone! It was awesome to see so many of you at BlizzCon 2023 - if you joined us in person or online, thank you for being a part of it! As we head toward the end of 2023, this is a great time to reflect on what has been a massive year of learning, growing, and joy for Blizzard.

I love how Microsoft Flight Simulator exists in the background now, like the distant roar of an overhead flight path. Not only is it just nice to have a shiny, new version of one of the gaming OGs there to pick up and play at any time, every now and then it drops an absolutely gorgeous new trailer showing off some wild technical wizardry or hyper-detailed new cityscape. That's exactly what's happened now, with Flight Sim's latest update inviting you to pay a flying visit to an eclectic collection of European cities.

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G7 leaders forge historic international rules for generative AI; Tech giants fail to deliver on ethical AI promises, according to a Stanford report; Amazon CEO foresees transformative impact of generative AI on customer experiences; New York partners with intuition robotics to combat senior loneliness with AI companions- this and more in our daily roundup. Let us take a look.

Indie publisher TinyBuild has made layoffs.

Hello Neighbor publisher Tinybuild is accelerating a cost reduction plan that will result in an unknown number of layoffs.

English Wikipedia raked in more than 84 billion views this year, according to numbers released Tuesday by the Wikimedia Foundation, the non-profit behind the free, publicly edited online encyclopedia. And the most popular article was about ChatGPT (yes, the AI chatbot that's seemingly everywhere today).

2023 has been a year to forget for PC manufacturers. After the work-from-home boom and seemingly endless global political and economic instability, a slowdown was always likely to happen. But if a new analysis from Canalys is to be believed, 2024 is shaping up to be a much better year for the PC market.

GSC Game Worlds has released a new story trailer for STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl, introducing players to Strider and more of the game’s story. STALKER 2 is nowdue to release for Xbox Series X|S and PC in Q1 2024. It will also be available via Xbox Game Pass.

STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl is one that a lot of horror fans have been looking forward to. While the game is scheduled to release sometime in the first quarter of next year, the developer GSC Game World brings us another teaser.

The game will be released in Q1 2024.

GSC Game Worlds has released a new story trailer for STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl, introducing players to Strider and more of the game’s story. STALKER 2 is nowdue to release for Xbox Series X|S and PC in Q1 2024. It will also be available via Xbox Game Pass.

GSC Game World has shared the latest trailer for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl, and the return of a beloved character: Strider.

Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl has been voted as the number-one most-wanted game by the PC Gaming Show: Most Wanted council. 

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STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl is drawing ever nearer, and at today’s PC Gaming Show, GSC Game World delivered a new story trailer for the game. The big news, is that the trailer features none other than Strider, a key character from the previous entry in the series, STALKER: Call of Pripyat. We also get a variety of other hints that this isn’t a narrative reboot – this game will be carrying on the story from past games, so make sure your STALKER lore is in order before you jump in. You can check out the new STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl story trailer, below.

Not many games have a story like Indika, a game about a 19th century Russian Orthodox nun journeying to the centre of her soul with an «unusual, horn-headed companion.» Drawing inspiration from Dostoevsky and Bulgakov and dripping with dark humour, Indika tells a tale of religion and authority, madness and belief. But also, not many games have a story like Indika, whose developer Odd Meter left Russia when the country invaded Ukraine in February last year. Calling the invasion an «insane crime» perpetrated to «satisfy the ambitions of an elderly, weak-minded dwarf,» game director and studio founder Dmitry Svetlow decided to up and move Indika's development—and the company behind it—out of Moscow to neighbouring Kazakhstan, even moving the «entire recording studio by truck.» And both of those stories make it, for me, one of the most fascinating games to grace this year's PC Gaming Show: Most Wanted.

Someone in China created thousands of fake social media accounts designed to appear to be from Americans and used them to spread polarizing political content in an apparent effort to divide the U.S. ahead of next year's elections, Meta said Thursday.

STALKER 2 developer GSC Game World was recently interviewed by the Chinese website GamerSky. Among various questions, the development team commented on the current Q1 2024 launch window.

GSC Game World has confirmed that they are working on 60FPS for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl on Xbox Series X.

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The Silent Hill 2 remake is «progressing smoothly», developer Bloober Team has assured fans.

 Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a plan to endorse a national strategy for the development of artificial intelligence, emphasizing that it's essential to prevent a Western monopoly. 

 Artificial intelligence is likely to transform our world in many ways, but one that hasn't received much attention is the technology's looming impact on real estate. As AI becomes an essential component of both business and daily life, the value of places where those who work on AI want to live will rise, provided these locales have reasonable infrastructure. At the same time, the value of lower-tier cities left out of the AI boom will diminish.

Today, November 24, governments took center stage in making major artificial intelligence-related announcements. IT minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar said that the government of India has launched a crackdown on deepfakes, particularly their usage in videos. In other news, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that the West should not be allowed to develop a monopoly in the sphere of AI at an AI conference in Moscow. This and more in today's AI roundup. Let us take a closer look.

Binance is the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the world, and has been under investigation by US authorities for years over allegations of offshore money laundering. Now it has announced that CEO and founder Changpeng Zao is to step down from his role and plead guilty to violating US money-laundering regulations (via BBC), alongside Binance itself pleading guilty and reaching a settlement with regulators that will come to an eye-watering $4.3 billion.

WASD to move, mouse cursor to look, space to jump, C to crouch and slide. There, now you know everything you need to play the demo for Blessed Burden, a new first-person "horror adventure" from Podoba Interactive, in which you are "the last surviving priest in a religious apocalypse". I don't know many people in the clergy, but I'm pretty sure the job isn't supposed to involve quite this many swinging blade traps. Here's a trailer.

505 Games parent company Digital Bros have announced - you guessed it - a round of mass layoffs. Following in the wake of Microsoft, Epic, CD Projekt, Sony and, well, take your pick, the company aim to cut roughly 30% of their workforce to shore up profits. The specific reasoning here is that Digital Bros think that people aren't interested in playing original new games; they'd rather get to grips with fictions and franchises they know and love already. As such, the company plan to "limit" their big budget projects in future, though no specific cancellations have been announced.

Game payments firm Xsolla has defended itself for its reduced presence in Russia after a Ukraine government minister called the company out for its ties to Russia.

Ukraine's minister of digital transformation, Mykhailo Fedorov, has called for a boycott of game commerce platform Xsolla over links to Russia.

Originally released in 2005, and developed by the Ukrainian studio Deep Shadows, Boiling Point: Road to Hell is an extremely buggy, flawed, and some would claim unforgettable open world FPS. It arrived at a time when open worlds were relatively uncommon and, well, kinda showed why: the game was absolutely overreaching in its goals, and pratfalled at nearly every turn. Now it's being re-released on both Steam and GOG.

Elon Musk is facing criticism from the Israeli government for wanting to supply Starlink access  to humanitarian aid groups working in Gaza.

Itch.io has released a new game bundle to raise money in response to the ongoing crisis in Gaza and occupied Palestine.

Billionaire Elon Musk on Saturday said that his Starlink satellite service would support internet access for "internationally recognised aid organisations in Gaza," which have faced a telecommunications blackout since Friday.

Elena Grigorian recently took over as CEO of My.Games, the former Russian game company that moved to Amsterdam after a buyout in the wake of the war in Ukraine.

Sony has said it expects one of its best seasons ever for console sales this Christmas, as PlayStation 5 stock is now in «full supply» for the first time since the PS5 launched in November 2020.

Ukraine-based cloud gaming service Boosteroid was certainly among the happiest parties when Microsoft formally announced the closure of the acquisition of Activision Blizzard, as testified by this tweet.

Apple and Google have temporarily shut down live traffic data in Google Maps, Waze, and Apple Maps in Israel and the Gaza Stripfollowing a request from the Israeli military, Bloomberg reports.

Developer Wargaming has launched a brand new charity initiative called WargamingUnited with the aim to raise money for Ukraine. 

World of Tanks developer Wargaming has launched a charity initiative to raise funds for critical medical assistance in Ukraine.

Police across Europe may have dealt a major blow to the cybercriminal gang behind the ransomware strain Ragnar Locker. 

The most popular posts on Twitter/X that are pushing misinformation about the Israel-Hamas war are largely coming from verified accounts, according to a new study.

PlayStation parent company Sony has donated $2 million towards humanitarian aid for those affected by the Israel-Gaza conflict.

The Chinese government is restricting the export of graphite, a critical mineral in the manufacture of rechargeable batteries.

Sony is donating $2m (£1.65m) to support humanitarian aid in Israel and Gaza, as hostilities in the region continue, and casualties mount.

A known vulnerability in the file-archiving tool WinRAR continues to proliferate because not enough users are installing the patch, according to Google. 

World of Tanks developer Wargaming has announced the launch of its biggest fundraising initiative in support of Ukraine with its WargamingUnitied project. The drive will raise funds to help purchase ambulance cars for Ukrainian medics.

Russian video game studio Odd Meter was one year into the development of Indika, a game set in an alternate 19th-century Russia, when the Russian government launched a devastating attack on Ukraine. Hundreds of thousands of Russians fled the country, many of whom opposed the war on Ukraine — including the majority of Odd Meter’s developers, according to studio founder Dmitry Svetlow.

11 bit studios will publish INDIKA, a narrative-driven adventure game set in parallel 19th century Russia developed by Kazakhstan-based studio Odd Meter, the companies announced. It will launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, and GOG in 2024. Part of the game’s revenue will be donated to help children affected by the war in Ukraine.