PCGamesN News, Tips, Tricks, Ideas

Haunted Chocolatier is already at the top of my most wanted list, as the next game from Stardew Valley creator Eric ‘ConcernedApe’ Barone promises us a new spin on his beloved lifestyle game formula. Now, as a special thank-you treat to fans, Barone has given us another teasing look at the upcoming game, which sees you making chocolate in a giant, spooky mansion.

First-party Valve games are almost as recognizable for their contribution to the world of video games as we know it, as they are for being some of the most moddable titles out there, and Half-life: Alyx is no exception.  The PC VR shooter has seen a plethora of mods over the years since its original release, and some of the most impressive Half-Life: Alyx mods have impressed Valve so much, that it has hired the developer behind them.

Gears of War, how we miss thee. It’s more than four years since the release of Gears 5, and details about Microsoft and The Coalition’s superb squad shooter series, originally built by Epic, have been sparse. One of the defining games of the ‘00s, Gears of War brought us Marcus Fenix, the Locust, and perhaps one of the greatest videogame weapons in history, the chainsaw-equipped Lancer. We all want GoW to make a comeback, and now, series creator Cliff ‘CliffyB’ Bleszinski shares a hopeful tease, potentially hinting towards Gears of War 6.

An exciting day for racing fans is slowly turning sour for its PC audience as Forza Motorsport 8 is facing some serious performance issues. No problems have been reported with its Xbox Series X/S counterpart which leaves this news stinging even more given it’s a platform-exclusive issue. This comes on the back of Starfield having its own performance nightmare on the Steam Deck.

New World is back, at least for now. The once-fallen MMO is again climbing the Steam charts, as Amazon’s first expansion, New World: Rise of the Angry Earth, releases on Steam. With doubled concurrent player count numbers and both the base game and its DLC climbing up the Steam charts, even pushing ahead of Valve’s own Counter-Strike 2 in some regions, it’s a promising early jolt to life.

Wondering if Project Mugen will have multiplayer or co-op? Speaking exclusively to PCGamesN at Tokyo Game Show 2023, Naked Rain’s lead producer for Project Mugen, Ash Qi, reveals that there will, indeed, be multiplayer, but it’s got a little bit of a twist to it.

Assassin’s Creed Mirage release times for every region are available now, as we perch ourselves at the edge of a building and draw our wrist blades ready for the next generation of AC from Ubisoft. Starring Basim from Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Mirage is described as a smaller, more-focused throwback to the stealth gameplay of Assassin’s Creed 1. Though it won’t be available on Steam, Assassin’s Creed Mirage is coming to PC via the Epic Games Store and Ubisoft Connect. Ahead of so many more upcoming games in the AC series, including Assassin’s Creed Red, Assassin’s Creed Infinity, and the enigmatic AC Hexe, here are the full Assassin’s Creed Mirage release times for every region.

It’s fall already, and Dota 2 The International 12 is just around the corner. As always, Valve is ‘crowdfunding’ the tournament’s prize pool, but with the battle pass system gone and the divisive Compendium put in its place, the jackpot isn’t looking too healthy this time around.

Resident Evil creator and RE4 director Shinji Mikami teams up with Goichi ‘Suda 51’ Suda, the man behind Let It Die and Lollipop Chainsaw, for a slick, psychedelic, and terrifying Capcom horror game about invisible monsters and two gods fighting for control of reality. It’s an excellent pitch, but somehow, in the history of the greatest games ever made, Killer7 is often forgotten. Originally released in 2005, if you haven’t played it yet, or need an excuse to go through it again, you can get Killer7 right now for just under $5, and even play it on Valve’s superlative handheld the Steam Deck.

Nvidia DLSS 3.5, the latest addition to team green’s upscaling suite, has brought us an exciting, new feature calling Ray Reconstruction. Until now, the implementation of Ray Reconstruction in Cyberpunk 2077 2.0 has been limited to the taxing RT Overdrive mode, something the majority of GPUs can’t manage. But a new hack promises to bring Ray Reconstruction to the masses.

Lenovo officially announced its entry into the world of gaming handhelds only a few months ago, and already its Legion Go is shaping up to be a competitor worthy of going toe-to-toe with some of the most popular devices available today. And now, finally, the Lenovo Legion Go, is available for pre-orders, so it won’t be long until we can see if the PC gaming handheld is truly worth the hype.

The world is ending. Armageddon looms. A huge, spiraling tornado threatens to engulf everything, with meteorites falling from the sky. This is While We Wait Here. Sure, it sounds like a far cry from Dave the Diver’s playful, sushi-eating adventure, but Bad Vices Games’ new release has a lot in common with its cozier counterpart.

Have you ever wanted an enormous plastic-and-metal sneaker on your desk? Even if your answer’s “no”, we bet you’re intrigued to see what the Cooler Master Sneaker X is all about. This eye-catching, pre-built PC was built by the JMDF modding group, and is now available for purchase, three years after it won the best art direction award at 2020’s Case Mod World Series.

Frostpunk 2 developers say they “love” AMD FSR 3, and praise how easy it has been to implement in their game. AMD’s just-launched upscaling technology was one of several topics presented to the developers of 11 Bit Studios’ upcoming survival game, a sequel to the beloved Frostpunk.

Dene Carter, one of the original developers and designers behind Fable and Dungeon Keeper has built an entirely new roguelike RPG game and released it for free on Steam. Inspired by the PC classic Ultima, the whole game is available for free right now on Valve’s storefront, combining dark fantasy, turn-based combat, and retro-influenced mechanics with a distinctive visual style.

Baldur’s Gate 3 inventory management can be a pain. With so much to see, do, collect, and use to create your perfect build, shifting items around and leaving yourself some space is a constant challenge in the DnD mega hit. Thankfully, the new BG3 patch remedies some of our latest inventory woes, as Larian implements fixes for companions, crashes, and multiplayer – and the world’s greatest videogame cat, His Majesty, has been completely shaved.

It’s Valorant patch notes time yet again, but this week’s iteration is pretty surprising. Following feedback on the ranked restrictions introduced in the last update, Riot has chosen to walk the changes back given “how important it is to play with your friends.”

Aiming for the highest CS2 fps you can is almost as important as your own ability to aim with a mouse, providing potentially lower input lag and more up-to-date frame information. Now, it appears that Nvidia graphics cards generally outperform their AMD competitors by a surprising margin.

“Who am I? Your only chance of survival.” This is Lae’zel’s formal introduction in Baldur’s Gate 3, and it’s emblematic of her character as a whole. Lae’zel will keep you alive, but she’s not here to make friends, and her abrasive nature has garnered her a solid reputation as one of the least favorite companions in BG3.

Almost 20 years since its original launch, World of Warcraft is still going strong. Between WoW Wrath of the Lich King Classic, and Dragonflight’s new content patches, Guardians of the Dream and Fury Incarnate, there’s a lot to enjoy in Activision Blizzard’s genre-defining MMORPG. But what about the future? Two decades since we first arrived in Azeroth, it’s perhaps time for a total overhaul and a fresh start, an actual, full World of Warcraft 2, if I dare whisper such words. Alternatively, after the consistent but faint praise for Dragonflight, a new WoW expansion might be what we need. There’s still so much potential in World of Warcraft, and now, with Blizzcon 2023 around the corner, Blizzard is teasing a reveal for the future of WoW, as well as Diablo, Overwatch, and more.

Alas, League of Legends Mythic items, I knew them, Horatio. And, having known them since 2021, I never want to see them again. Thankfully, Riot has heard my pleas and will be ditching the divisive items come Preseason 2024, but this leaves a rather significant gap in the in-game market. To fill that void, Riot has asked players to help them craft a new LoL item – but you’ll have to act fast.

A new Duke Nukem game. On the one hand, it’s a tantalizing prospect, the return of one of the defining shooters of the ‘90s. On the other, we haven’t quite dusted ourselves off since the launch of Duke Nukem Forever, and we’re not sure we’re ready yet for the official return of the king. But how about something in between? How about a new boomer shooter that channels the essence of Doom, Quake, Blood, and dozens of others, and almost feels like a spiritual remake of Duke Nukem 3D? This is The Last Exterminator, a fast-paced, ultra-loud FPS that plays like classic Duke, and that you can try right this minute thanks to a free Steam download.

The ASUS ROG Ally hasn’t been out for long, and already the PC gaming handheld has proved to be tough competition for the Steam Deck, but its price point can be a sore spot for those wanting to make the jump to PC gaming on the go. The latest model of the ROG Ally, the ROG Ally Ryzen Z1 was recently released in an effort to create a budget-alternative for the gaming handheld, and now ASUS has provided a look at how this version stacks up against its more expensive variant.

It’s been a while since Baldur’s Gate 3 originally rolled its way on to PC, yet the D&D RPG from Larian Studios is continuing to achieve feats of success that no-one could have expected, even when it comes to the Steam Deck. Not only does the Baldur’s Gate 3 run exceptionally well on the Valve handheld, but it’s managed to maintain its place as the most-played game on the Steam Deck, beating out the likes of Starfield, for September 2023.

XCOM 2 is a classic strategy sim for dozens of reasons. It looks great. It sounds great. The story and atmosphere are incredibly strong. But what I love most – and what sets the Firaxis squad shooter apart from the likes of Civilization, Crusader Kings, Total War, and others – is the overwhelming sense of consequences. It’s a game design cliche – ‘every choice matters’ – but in XCOM 2, it’s absolutely true. Combined with how it engineers and facilitates organic stories, XCOM 2 is one of the best strategy sims of all time, and now it’s all yours for little more than $2.

Cities Skylines 2 preload is already available, with the Colossal Order sequel ready for a pre-emptive install right now thanks to Game Pass. Though it is still unclear whether Cities Skylines 2 Steam players can preload the city builder, with launch date on its way it’s possible that CS2 preload will also be shortly available on the Valve storefront, too. Here’s how to preload Cities Skylines 2, as well as the Cities Skylines 2 preload size on PC.

Paradox is on a roll right now. With Cities Skylines 2 just around the corner and the new strategy sim Millennia also on its way, the Stellaris, Crusader Kings, and Europa Universalis publisher is now taking on Factorio at its own game, with a new procedural builder that looks and feels a little like Minecraft. Revealed today, Foundry comes from the newly-created Channel 3, and challenges you to design, construct, and fully automate a production line on a charming, voxel alien planet. If you love Factorio, or want an alternative to Satisfactory and Infinifactory, this might be the one for you – and there’s a free Steam download on the way, too.

It’s been a long time coming, but the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 has finally beaten out every other graphics card for the most coveted spot in the Steam Hardware Survey. While GPU shortages, cryptocurrency booms, and other market shenanigans may have delayed its rise, it looks as though it may sit at the top for a prolonged period after all.

Doom will always be the high watermark when it comes to PC shooters. Fast, furious, and with every aspect of its gameplay channeled towards pure thrills, it’s still the model for all modern boomer shooters – as the ‘90s and early ‘00s style of FPS makes a comeback, the spirit of Doom stays strong. You blend that with the eerie body horror of BioShock, and the Lovecraftian, quasi-grimdark aesthetic of Dishonored, and you get Forgive Me Father 2, a superb-looking new shooter that you can try right now thanks to a free Steam download.

A new month, a new WoW Dragonflight Trading Post. Featuring a witch’s broom-inspired mount and transmogs for Death Knights, Demon Hunters, and Druids, Halloween season is finally here, and it’s looking spooktacular. Well, kind of, because unfortunately one of the Druid transmogs actually can’t be worn by Druids. Yeah, that’s awkward.

Baldur’s Gate 3 and save scumming go hand in hand. While going along with the rolls whether you succeed or fail and seeing where your story ends up is undoubtedly a lot of fun, and something to be encouraged, there’s inevitably times where even the most committed roleplayer feels the pull to reach for that reload key. Fortunately, a new Baldur’s Gate 3 mod is here to save you from making all those unfortunate mistakes in the first place.

The latest Counter-Strike 2 Steam reviews have reduced the Valve shooter’s official rating, as the new iteration of the iconic multiplayer FPS draws criticism from players as compared to CSGO. Following the full launch of CS2, a variety of players cite issues regarding missing match modes – including Gun Game – and frustration that Counter-Strike Global Offensive has been completely unavailable. The amount of negative reviews directed towards CS, since the launch of Counter-Strike 2, has increased considerably, though the shooter still retains a positive rating.

Dusk is getting a free overhaul later this year, as the boomer shooter from a solo developer is approaching its fifth anniversary. Inspired by the classics like Doom, Wolfenstein, and Duke Nukem, Dusk is a true classic that brings forward the genre.

Marvel’s Avengers is dead. The live service take on Earth’s Mightiest Heroes has officially been completely delisted from all digital storefronts as of Saturday, September 30, and it takes with it a promising game that fell victim to chasing industry trends. While anyone who already owns the game can still play both the single-player and multiplayer, no word of mouth can expand the audience. This is it.

Against the Storm is already one of the coolest city builders on Steam, and now a huge, free update for the roguelike city builder makes it a great time to revisit its dark fantasy world, or try it out for the first time. With nearly 100 changes, many of which are inspired by top community suggestions, this Against the Storm update gives you plenty of reasons to log in.

Tempest Rising already promises to be the Command and Conquer sequel that we’re seemingly not getting from EA any time soon, and it just got a whole lot better. Publisher 3D Realms reveals that C&C legend Frank Klepacki, responsible for many of the series’ most iconic soundtracks, is composing music for its upcoming game.

Diablo 4 world bosses have long been due some love, and it seems that we can expect some much-requested improvements for one of the most fun endgame activities. Blizzard’s Diablo general manager Rod Fergusson teases some of the improvements we might be seeing in its upcoming developer update livestream, and a world boss timer looks to be just one such quality-of-life improvement.

Starfield director and Bethesda’s Todd Howard has talked about how so many triple-A games these days incorporate light RPG elements into their design, and what this meant for how the team approached its newest game.

Prodeus The Elder Veil sees the return of one of the best throwback boomer shooters on Steam in a mini add-on campaign featuring stunning levels filled with all manner of nefarious monsters, new weapons to help you blast your way through the hordes, and a Doom Eternal style grappling hook. Infusing its retro ‘90s FPS aesthetic with some of the most gorgeous architecture I’ve seen in a while, Prodeus is back and better than ever.

If we’re talking about excellent roguelike games with a long tail, Dead Cells will always enter the discussion. Launching out of early access in 2018, the Castlevania-inspired action platformer has stuck around because developer Motion Twin has consistently released top-tier free and paid DLC, with this year’s Return to Castlevania expansion allowing the punishing platformer to finally come full circle. Now Dead Cells, and all of its premium DLC, are on sale, making it the perfect time to try out the challenge for yourself.

Dark and Darker is holding an anniversary event for its players, as the Ironmace dungeon crawler marks a whole year since its QA Playtest 1. You’ll be able to hunt down Wardens for extra treasure, and can even sign up to be a Bounty Hunter for the event too.

There’s one incredibly powerful Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty gun you need to snag, and it’s actually really easy to get. With so many extra weapons to choose from in the new Cyberpunk DLC from CD Projekt Red, we’ve discovered one that you can get with basically no effort that offers up not just a solid gun but allows for a fair bit of customization too.

Cocoon is already available in a Steam sale and via PC Game Pass, as the debut puzzler from a studio founded by Limbo and Inside developers offers a short but provocative experience that critics and players are celebrating.

A series of Starfield live-action shorts are on the way to help you get to grips with the Settled Systems, and we’ve got our first look at the incredible set design already. Helmed by videogame short filmmaker Stephen Ford, the live-action series of shorts will help you learn even more about Bethesda’s newest universe.

Sons of the Forest is one of my favorite games to hop into with a group of close pals, especially with its humorous big head setting activated. I loved Endnight Games’ first indie horror survival experience, but the second one is undoubtedly superior with improved gameplay, visuals, and Kelvin. That’s right, Kelvin. The beloved companion with absolutely no thoughts. With Sons of the Forest’s latest update, dubbed ‘Patch 12,’ Kelvin gets a personality makeover and the game gets a ton of other new features.

Payday 3 has had a somewhat rough recent launch, but Starbreeze Entertainment is hard at work behind the scenes on updates and new content to improve the player experience overall. The developer addressed the game’s online matchmaking issues, but the team isn’t done updating Payday 3 just yet. While Starbreeze revealed that new heists were coming in an official roadmap, a recent livestream saw the developer announce that even more heists were currently underway.

Grand Theft Auto 6 is heavy on our minds, with many of us chomping at the bit to learn more about Rockstar Games’ upcoming entry to its long-standing series. While we have little official information on GTA 6 so far, the developer seems to be teasing its new game with possible references sprinkled into random images and posts about Grand Theft Auto 5 or Online. The most recent image sparking suspicion among fans advertises a free Moon Festival item in GTA Online, while subtly hinting toward GTA 6.

After playing Genshin Impact for some time, you’ll almost certainly run into the issue of quests conflicting with one another at some point in your journey across Teyvat. Sometimes, certain NPCs are needed for multiple quests at a time, but all other quests they appear in are locked until you’ve completed whichever one they’re being used for at the moment. Thankfully, HoYoverse has finally addressed this annoyance with a new quality-of-life feature.

More Cyberpunk 2077 patch notes are on their way, developer CD Projekt Red announces. Following the arrival of the massive Cyberpunk 2077 2.0 patch overhauling many of the game’s systems, and the release of the Phantom Liberty DLC, Cyberpunk 2077 patch 2.01 is set to rectify some of the more common and troublesome issues found in the update.

New details have leaked for the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5000 series. Although we’ve got no reason to think the next generation will arrive any time soon, possible Nvidia GeForce RTX 5000 specs have appeared online, suggesting the Blackwell GPU architecture could see a big boost to its CUDA core count compared to the top Nvidia GeForce RTX 4000-series die.

Between the best RTS and strategy games, whether it’s Hearts of Iron, Command and Conquer, Age of Empires, and myriad others, there’s a recurring problem with how you manage your attention. At a certain point, the action gets so big and widespread that you’re torn between the big dramatic battle over here and the big dramatic battle over there, and everything becomes just scale and numbers. It’s still impressive and it can be spectacular but, beyond a certain size, the drama and the emotional connection you have to your soldiers start to go down. Enter The Troop, a WW2 strategy sim that takes the close-quarters, tactics-driven style of XCOM, Company of Heroes, and Commandos to the next level, and which you can try via a free Steam download right now ahead of its full release. PCGamesN speaks exclusively to one of The Troop’s creators.

The next Valorant agent is set to be a Duelist, Riot Games reveals, as it gives us a tantalizing tease of what we can expect from the final addition to its FPS game’s roster for 2023. As the team reflects on its last pair of agents and the community response to their arrival, it gives us a little glimpse at who’s next on the cards.

I’ve never been great at math, but Doom plus Indiana Jones seems like an equation for success. In the 30 years since Doom’s release, we’ve seen hundreds, perhaps thousands, of total conversion mods, from the excellent Brutal Doom to the cerebral and scary My House. Now, the defining PC FPS from id Software gets a dose of Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, as an enormous Doom mod casts you in the role of a Stetson-wearing treasure hunter blasting his way through Mesopotamia and Egypt. If you’ve been waiting on a new Indiana Jones game, like for example the one from Bethesda, this will more than tide you over in the meantime.

Terraria 1.4.5 will let you befriend an adorable fairy pet with a deep-rooted hatred for trees, inspired by one of the game’s lead developers and its creator’s partner. The arrival of the Terraria State of the Game for September 2023 gives us some more spoilers for the next big update, and there’s a new weapon and building tool coming that’ll let you disrespect your opponents and make a real mess of the place.

Between Resident Evil 4, the RE2 and RE3 Remakes, Resident Evil 7, and Resident Evil 8, Capcom’s survival horror series has undergone a major identity shift in the last ten years. Sometimes it’s an over-the-shoulder third-person horror. Sometimes it’s an FPS, with a greater dedication to action. It’s great to see the creators of Resident Evil try different approaches, but if you long for the classic, fixed-camera, Alone in the Dark, Silent Hill, Parasite Eve-style horror – of which Resident Evil was a pioneering part in the ‘90s – the last few years have been tough. Well, that is until now. It’s not official, but we basically just got a new Resident Evil game, complete with its own story, cutscenes, characters, weapons, puzzles, and more, and it’s available right now for free.

Secretlab is synonymous when it comes to creating some of the best licensed gaming chair designs available today, and these brand-new gaming chair skins are no exception. Capturing the world of the sci-fi RPG from CD Projekt Red, these brand-new gaming chair skins are inspired by the world of Cyberpunk 2077, and its anime adaption, Edgerunners, and we can’t get enough of them.

AMD has unveiled that the latest in the line of its frame rate-boosting graphics technologies, FSR 3 FidelityFX Super Resolution, has been released and is available now in two games. AMD has only integrated FS3 into Forspoken and Immortals of Aveum for now, but plans to include support in hundreds of big titles to come.

The Binding of Isaac is probably one of the most influential games in the roguelike space. While it wasn’t the first to adopt the stylings and progression systems of iconic 1980 dungeon crawler Rogue, it certainly did a lot to popularize the format, helping spawn a surge in randomized run-based games. Now the addition of online multiplayer means you’ll finally be able to play The Binding of Isaac Repentance co-op with your friends over the internet.

We’ve all got an eye for a bargain, but the Corsair MP600 Pro NH is available for an absolute steal right now on Amazon. Not only is it one of the fastest SSDs on the market, but for just $109.99, you’re getting 2TB of storage too, that’s like, three whole games!

The Star Wars KOTOR remake, announced back in 2021, might have just been canceled. One of the greatest RPGs, the original Knights of the Old Republic – created by Mass Effect developer-to-be BioWare – is an icon of PC gaming. A full remake, originally helmed by Aspyr, was revealed at a Sony showcase two years ago. But now trailers and pages connected to the game have seemingly been removed from the internet, as the Embracer Group, which owns the studio behind the supposed KOTOR remake, institutes far-reaching cuts and closures.

Counter-Strike 2 has finally arrived, and it’s one of the biggest games to come out of this year’s long list of massive releases. The game dropped as a free upgrade to Counter-Strike Global Offensive, but its player count did the opposite. After just an hour, CS2 had more players than all of Steam’s other top nine played games behind it combined. It has now been a full day, and the popularity is only soaring higher. Valve has just revealed that the server capacity was exceeded in multiple regions.

A Dark and Darker hotfix has rolled out for the hardcore dungeon-crawler following its recent major update. Developer Ironmace explains some of the nerfs it made with early access patch one, and says it has plans moving forwards to “start working on some buffs.” The new Dark and Darker patch notes also revert the more generous merchants, after Ironmace determined that their new inventories “may have made it a little too easy.”

Cyberpunk 2077 is back and better than ever following CD Projekt Red’s release of the 2.0 update and new expansion, Phantom Liberty. With all of the recently added content, fans have been exploring Night City and Phantom Liberty’s gritty Dogtown in search of easter eggs and clever references. The developer did in fact hide some such secrets with the DLC’s launch, and some of them refer back to CD Projekt Red’s other iconic game, The Witcher 3.

Deep Rock Galactic is a co-op game that everyone should experience with friends at least once. It’s chaotic, featuring procedurally generated caves and endless alien hordes to fight off, but that’s a big part of what hooks players in. A little while back, Funday Games teamed up with Ghost Ship Publishing to reveal a Deep Rock Galactic spin-off called Survivor. Now that the developer has had some time to cook up the highly anticipated game, you can play its free demo on Steam.

V Rising is one of my long-standing game obsessions, as I’ve poured hundreds of hours into it since its early access launch. Stunlock Studios managed to perfectly merge two of my favorite things, crafting and vampires, to create a unique gaming experience I have yet to find elsewhere. The free Secrets of Gloomrot update reignited my excitement, but it seems there’s more to come. Stunlock Studios has just revealed another massive update that’s underway, the game’s full 1.0 release which is accompanied by the final boss, new zone, and more.

Meta has revealed that pre-orders are available for the latest in the Quest flagship VR headset line, the Meta Quest 3. Announced during Meta Connect 2023, an annual hardware showcase, alongside of a slew of other products, the Meta Quest 3, is set to be the most powerful VR headset from Meta yet.

I love K-pop almost as much as I love League of Legends, so when I heard that the 2023 World Championships would be taking place in Seoul this year, my heart skipped a beat. Did this herald the long-awaited return of KDA, League’s fan-favorite K-Pop band? The edge of my seat was well and truly worn away.

The Lamplighters League launch is almost upon us, and if you’ve been awaiting the arrival of this stylish ‘30s XCOM rival then there’s some rather good news, as you’ll now be able to play the game yourself ahead of its full release – and, unlike many modern early access offerings, you won’t have to spend a single penny to try it out before launch.

Epic Games, the company behind Fortnite, Unreal Engine 5, and Gears of War, is laying off around 870 staff members, which represent 16% of the total workforce. The reports follow after multiplayer shooter Hyenas has been canceled by Sega, with Total War and Alien Isolation developer Creative Assembly also announcing job losses and redundancies.

Free PC games are always nice, so when one comes along that blends the stylish action game formula of Devil May Cry with dark fantasy aesthetics inspired by the likes of beloved anime Berserk, the Dark Souls series, and Final Fantasy, it’s a good time to take advantage. You don’t have long to grab this one for free, so be sure to pick it up while you can.

The latest AMD Radeon driver download has just been released by team red. AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition 23.9.3 adds support for several new releases, including CS2, Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty, and Payday 3.

Counter-Strike 2 has finally made it to public release, and while there have been reports of some issues with entry fragging being too prevalent and even support on Valve’s own Steam Deck being underwhelming, it has largely been a smooth launch. However, one feature that some gamers might be surprised to see omitted from the game is DLSS. The exact reason for the lack of Counter-Strike 2 DLSS support is something we’re still awaiting official word of from Valve, but we can certainly speculate on one very good reason why Valve wouldn’t have bothered implementing it.

The Valheim Ashlands aren’t ready for a while yet, but they’re already giving me nightmares. When I think back to the early days of the co-op Viking survival game, the stories that stick in my mind are always terrifying tales of its most troublesome inhabitants. The moment a troll shows up to smash its way through your beautiful base. Losing everything to the horrifying Deathsquitos of the Plains. Now, our latest look at Ashlands creatures already has me worried.

While Counter-Strike 2 will rightly cater to competitive players on PCs and laptops as a priority, it seems those looking to play a casual game on the Steam Deck are strangely out of luck at the moment. Despite Valve having its hands in the development of both the game and handheld, CS2 simply isn’t in an acceptable state on the Deck right now.

Solium Infernum has a unique twist on basically every strategy sim convention. Where you’d normally focus on construction and building up an army, Solium is about political machinations, double dealing, and bureaucracy. When games like Civilization, Total War, and the upcoming Millennia and Ara History Untold present you myriad decisions, League of Geeks, Solium Infernum’s creator, wants to cut down the number of choices you make, so that every single one is impactful, meaningful, and consequential. With a free Steam download trial coming soon as part of Next Fest, Solium Infernum, where you compete with other demonic archfiends to seize control of Hell, is unlike any of its strategy rivals.

Counter-Strike 2 is here, it’s live, it’s finally free for everyone to play. As multiplayer shooter stalwart CSGO rides off into the sunset, Valve introduces a range of new features, details, and fixes that we’ve been hoping to see in Counter-Strike for years. The CS2 beta is over. The journey that started all the way back in 2000, and has seen us battle it out for decades across Counter-Strike 1.6, Counter-Strike Source, and Global Offensive, begins a new chapter. Valve is going hard on Counter-Strike cheaters already, and we’re pleased to announce that chickens can finally fall off the towers on Vertigo. The first major Counter-Strike 2 update is a lot.

The GTA Online weekly update for September 28 to October 5 has arrived and, amid all the usual bonuses and rewards you’d expect to see, Rockstar has delivered some notable nerfs to its Assault on Cayo Perico heist. As its tenth anniversary celebrations continue, there’s also a handful of free gifts to be claimed, along with bonuses for bikers, bunkers, and nightclubs. We’ve got the full details right here, so read on for more.

The creation of Guild Wars 2 Charged Quartz Crystals is temporarily disabled, as developer ArenaNet addresses an exploit allowing players to repeatedly convert the crafting material an unlimited amount of times, avoiding daily reset limits. The material, which is used to make some of Guild Wars 2’s more valuable tradable items such as Skyscale food and Celestial gear, will be inaccessible outside of rare gift bags until the issue is resolved.

Diablo 4 Nightmare Dungeons are cruel, unforgiving, and brutal, but Elon Musk says he will speedrun them at tier 99, with no Malignant Hearts, live on the internet. The owner of Tesla and X, formerly Twitter, is planning to broadcast himself playing D4 to demonstrate how livestreaming works and scales on the social media platform. Aside from the Uber Lilith boss battle, Nightmare Dungeons are perhaps the hardest challenge in the entire Activision Blizzard ARPG, reserved for the most veteran Diablo 4 players. Nevertheless, Elon Musk has set a date for his D4 speedrun, and we should all be able to watch.

Hyenas, the Escape from Tarkov-like looter shooter developed by Creative Assembly, has been canceled by Sega, as parent company Sega Sammy responds to “lower profitability” in Europe. From the studio behind Alien Isolation and Total War, Hyenas recently concluded its latest closed beta, and was speculated for a release later in 2023. However, Sega says that the shooter, as well as some other “unannounced titles,” have been canceled as the company reviews its portfolio of upcoming games.