As promised, the multiplayer beta for Call of Duty: Vanguard is now open to all, allowing the chance to sample the next installment in the military shooter series. The BETA Weekend 2 Trailer has a look at what to expect. This does not warn to beware of cheaters, but apparently that would be advisable. You can find all the details on how to participate in this post. Here's a bit:

In addition to the core content of the Beta introduced in Week One – the Champion Hill experience as well as Patrol, Team Deathmatch, Domination and Kill Confirmed on Hotel Royal, Red Star, and Gavutu – Week Two will begin with a new map and mode. Search & Destroy will be available starting on September 16, along with a new map – Eagle’s Nest – that can be played across all five core modes.

As part of a Paradox Interactive publisher weekend everyone is entitled to play Hearts of Iron IV for free for the next couple of days on Steam. This Windows, macOS, and Linux World War II strategy game is also on sale for 75% off, and if you buy it after the free period, all progress will carry over, so you won't have to invade Poland again or anything. Here's more on your chance to spend some time with the greatest generation:

Victory is at your fingertips! Your ability to lead your nation is your supreme weapon, the strategy game Hearts of Iron IV lets you take command of any nation in World War II; the most engaging conflict in world history.

From the heart of the battlefield to the command center, you will guide your nation to glory and wage war, negotiate or invade. You hold the power to tip the very balance of WWII. It is time to show your ability as the greatest military leader in the world. Will you relive or change history? Will you change the fate of the world by achieving victory at all costs?

Also free to play on Steam this weekend is Retimed, offering a retro, multiplayer arena shooter with time-altering mechanics for Windows and macOS (thanks SteamDB via Ant). The game is also on sale, so if you decide to pick it up, you'll get a 45% discount off the regular price. Here's more:

Retimed is a multiplayer arena shooter for 1-4 players with SLOWMOTION. When a player is in danger, time slows down and a time bubble is created around the player. Now there is enough time to react and try to dodge the deadly projectiles. These time bubbles generate exciting alternations between fast-paced movement and tension-filled slowmotion moments.

Severed Steel is now available on the Epic Games Store, GOG.com, and Steam. Each site includes a 10% launch discount on this "stunt-based" first-person shooter from developer Greylock Studio and publisher Digerati. The recent Release Date Teaser Trailer cuts right to the action. Here's more on the game and the Deluxe Digital Edition:

A Deluxe Digital Edition that includes the full game and official soundtrack, featuring over three hours of electronic music recorded and composed by Floating Door, will also be available for purchase. In addition, anyone who owns the game on Steam will be able to download a Severed Steel Digital Artbook for free.

Inspired by games such as Black, Mirror's Edge, F.E.A.R., and Half-Life mod 'The Specialists', Severed Steel is a heart-pounding rush of acrobatic stunts, bullet-time, no weapon reloading, destructible environments, and intense gunplay. The breakneck shooter has already proven popular with players – the participating demo in this summer's Steam Next Fest quickly became one of the event's most downloaded.

Continue here to read the full story.

There's an interesting weekend read on IGN which attempts to sort through the complicated saga that intertwines the fates of Titanfall, Titanfall 2, Apex Legends, and the communities for these projects from EA and Respawn (thanks Neutronbeam). It's not an exaggeration to call this complex. It involves hacking, DDoS attacks, conspiracies, attempts to manipulate journalists, and more, so it defies simple summarization. Here's a portion:

Not even a week after the document was posted on SaveTitanfall.com, Upper Echelon Gamers obtained Discord transcripts that appear to show one of the perpetrators of the Apex Legends hack, named Dogecore, in collaborative communication with an author of the document, named Wanty. In the transcript, Dogecore appears to ask Wanty if he'd like him to change the message left on the Apex servers by the hackers to something more specific. These messages were sent on July 4, the same day as the breach, and a month before Red Tape was made public.

"Pointing to SaveTitanfall is a good thing though," replies Wanty, again referring to the calling card left by those who broke into Apex Legends. "We get all the attention in one place."

This disclosure totally disrupted the narrative. If the voices behind Red Tape, a document which aims to lay the tumult in the Titanfall community at the feet of a handful of duplicitous hackers, are also in active partnership with those same hackers then, well… then nobody knows what to believe anymore. Maybe p0 is right. Maybe he did get railroaded.

• Save 40% on Half-Life: Alyx on Steam.

Official patch.

• Team Fortress 2 Update Released.

Content creator videos.

• Firearms Expert Reacts To Rainbow Six Siege’s Guns.
• The rules of casting two spells in a round in D&D - Viva La Dirt League. Thanks Ant.

• SCS Software's blog- #CruisingWyoming Event Community Goal Reached.

• Apple Arcade FAQ: What you need to know and complete list of games. Thanks Ant.
• Rolls-Royce's all-electric aircraft completes 15-minute maiden voyage. The Cadillac of electric planes.

• Starlink Will Use Lasers To Provide Astronauts With Internet Coverage.
• 2.14.7 Released! -- Pidgin, the universal chat client. Thanks Ant.
• Amazon says it’s permanently banned 600 Chinese brands for review fraud.

• The computer chip industry has a dirty climate secret. Thanks A51Abductee.
• Nvidia Slips Faulty RTX 3070 Ti Dies Into The RTX 3060. Die hard with a vengeance.
• DVDFab version 12.0.4.7 and StreamFab version 4.0.1.9. Thanks Console General.

• AMD Chipset Vulnerability Leaks Passwords, Patch Available.
• Microsoft's PrintNightmare patch breaks printing for some... again.
• Yes, of course there's now malware for Windows Subsystem for Linux.
• TTEC hit with ransomware attack, hampering work for major clients.
• A new app helps Iranians hide messages in plain sight.

• Google is getting caught in the antitrust net.

• Deathloop Benchmark Test & Performance Analysis Review - TechPowerUp.
• Eastward Review - IGN.

• Case: Lian Li Q58 Review - TechPowerUp.
• Case: NZXT N7 Z590 Motherboard - Nikk Tech.
• SSD: Patriot Viper VP4300 M.2 Gen4 NVMe SSD Review - Featuring Innogrit's Controller - ThePCEnthusiast.

So today is the convergence of National Cheeseburger Day (in the US) and Batman Day. Do you have the urge to celebrate either or both? Then I strongly urge you not to view this video which, sort of, encapsulates both. Extra credit for achieving this truly disgusting milestone in the bat suit. Having to get out of that thing for a bathroom emergency seems like a real possibility.

Stuffed Round-up
Thanks Ant and Neutronbeam.

Brunch Link

• Cheeseburger Day 2021- Deals at McDonald's, Burger King and many more.

Stories

• Britain Signals Intent to Revert to the Imperial System (may require registration or subscription).
• Israel reportedly used a remote-controlled gun to assassinate an Iranian scientist.
• How bad were Elizabeth Holmes’ 1AM emails?

Science
Thanks Max.

• Smelling fear? Study provides evidence that chemosensory anxiety signals reduce trust and risk-taking in women.
• Dogs Really Are Hard-Wired to Understand Humans From Birth, Experiments Show (may require registration or subscription).

Media

• Kids React To Fax Machines.
• Succession (2021) - Season 3 Official Trailer.
• The Most COMPLEX Pop Song of All Time. Thanks RedEye9.

Follow-up

• Robert Durst found guilty of first-degree murder. Star witness? Television.

THQ Nordic officially announces Destroy All Humans! 2 - Reprobed, one of several game announcement from its digital showcase today. This is the rumored complete remake of the original action/adventure from 2006 which will mark its first appearance on PC. Here's a Gameplay Trailer and an Announcement Trailer that says this is "coming soon." Here's more on this treat for everyone who rooted for the Martians in Mars Attacks!:

That's right, earthlings, Crypto is back and this time, he's invading the swinging sixties! After the KGB blew up his mothership, Crypto seeks revenge and travels to iconic places in the United States, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, Japan, and even to the Moon! Destroy All Humans! 2 is a full remake of the original game, adding and improving features while (re-)building the game from scratch in shiny Unreal Engine 4 visuals. The game is developed by Black Forest Games who successfully re-launched the Destroy All Humans!-Franchise in 2020 and is in development for PC, PS5™, and Xbox Series S/X.

Continue here to read the full story.

Another THQ Nordic announcement is Jagged Alliance 3, a third installment in the strategy series in the works at Haemimont Games. This now has a Steam Listing, which says it's coming soon. Here's the Announcement Trailer and here's all that's being revealed about this for now:

Fans have been waiting for decades, to see the third edition of the legendary strategy franchise Jagged Alliance. The strategy game experts from Haemimont Games, well known for their work on the Tropico-Series, Surviving Mars, Victor Vran and many other great games will finally create a true successor to the beloved series. This time, the player takes command of a mercenary organization in the fictional country of Grand Chien - a land thrown into chaos after a brutal paramilitary force known as "the Legion" took over. Jagged Alliance 3 will combine tactically deep, turn-based combat with exploration of a large game world with strategic elements including gaining control over territories, training local forces, and establishing multiple squads chosen from beloved mercenaries - all well known to fans of the series. Jagged Alliance 3 will have RPG-elements like special perks or level-ups for your mercenaries, as well as looting and customizing your arsenal of weaponry. Coming to PC, Jagged Alliance 3 will also feature a co-op multiplayer mode so you can free Grand Chien together with a friend.

Continue here to read the full story.

Also from the THQ Nordic dealie comes the announcement of Outcast 2 - A New Beginning. The title suggests a prequel, but this is a follow-up to Outcast, set 20 years after the original action/adventure (which was released a bit over 20 years ago). Cast your eyes on the Announcement Trailer and the World Trailer, which shows off some gameplay. Here's more:

Your friendly neighborhood invader-slayer is back: Cutter Slade returns to the spectacular alien world of Adelpha in Outcast 2 - A New Beginning. Twenty years after the events of the first game, Adelpha finds itself under threat of invasion: a ruthless robot army is exploiting the planet and is enslaving and even killing the people. Cutter's mission is clear: organize a resistance, rescue the people, and get rid of the invaders. Outcast 2 is developed by the original team behind the first Outcast Adventure - Appeal Studios from Belgium. The open-world action-adventure features fast-paced 3rd person combat as well as a non-linear Science-Fantasy story with dynamic plot progress based on player actions. Outcast 2 is currently in development for PC, PS5™ and Xbox Series S/X.

Continue here to read the full story.

Another new announcement today from THQ Nordic is Superpower 3, a grand strategy game where you try and lead your nation to global dominance. This is coming soon according to its Steam Listing. Here's the Announcement Trailer and word:

Superpower is tailor-made for all the megalomaniacs out there who are convinced they would do a much better job of running the world than the real-life leaders across the globe! In this grand-strategy game, set in the contemporary world, your goal is to lead your chosen nation to world domination or to master special scenarios. Wouldn't it be tempting to re-establish the British Empire? Players take control of the economy, politics, diplomacy, social development, military strategy, and more. If you ever wanted to become the ruler of the world, in Superpower 3 for PC you can give it your best shot!

The last of the new games announced today by THQ Nordic is SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake, a tie-in with the animated series coming to Steam and consoles. Here's the Announcement Trailer for this one. If you think a game starring a cartoon character is lightweight stuff, you'll be surprised to learn this one will decide the fate of the universe. Soak up these details:

Everything is possible in the infinite expanses of the cosmos .. there might even be a reality where mayonnaise isn't an instrument! When the mysterious fortune teller Kassandra grants SpongeBob and Patrick wishes, the two buddies unintentionally open up portals to strange Wishworlds... it's all F.U.N. and games until their friends get lost in the portals! Explore seven distinct worlds and don more than 30 cosmic skins to rescue the universe of the brand new adventure SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake, available on PC, PlayStation™, Nintendo Switch™ and Xbox One.

Continue here to read the full story.

• Fall VR Emporium Bundle (pay what you want and help charity).*
• Save 40% on Sea of Thieves on Steam.
• Save 75% on Warhammer: Chaosbane on Steam.
• Save 60% on Portal Knights on Steam.

*Blue's News may receive a commission on sales of this item.

Official patches.

• ENCASED - Hotfix 2.
• Steam Client Beta.

Official trailers.

• Steam Next Fest October 1-7.
• ELEX II - Story Trailer.
• Expeditions: Rome - Showcase Trailer.

• Alan Wake Remastered radio locations – KBF-FM trophy and achievement guide.

• Diablo II: The story so far — Diablo II: Resurrected.

• Brutal RPG Adventure Tails of Iron Available Now for Xbox One and Xbox Series X-S.
• Making Empathy Accessible in Life is Strange- True Colors, Available Now for Xbox One and Xbox Series X-S.
• This Week On Xbox: September 17, 2021.

• Facebook forced troll farm content on over 40% of all Americans each month.

• Rumor: Microsoft Might Be Preparing Another Bethesda-Level Acquisition…

Last Link of the Day: Watch Ken Block's Hoonigan team build a real life 'Halo' Warthog vehicle. Thanks Neutronbeam.

A playable demo is now available on Steam for Blade of Darkness, the remastered version of Severance: Blade of Darkness that's due for release next month (thanks fakespyder). This slice of the hack-and-slash action/adventure gives a chance to see how it's been modernized since its original 2001 release. There are no specifics on the demo, so here's an overview of the game itself:

Blade of Darkness is a hardcore fantasy action-adventure with unique combat mechanics and role-playing elements that pioneered the “soulsborne” genre. Pick one of four characters to hack and slash through a gory quest to save the world from the forces of Chaos.

Desperado, why don't you come to your senses? Publisher THQ Nordic and developer Mimimi Games are now offering the chance to play Desperados III for free all weekend on Steam. The western, stealth/strategy prequel is on sale for 60% off, so if you decide to keep your boots on, you can pick it up at a bargain price. Here's word:

Desperados III is a story-driven, hardcore tactical stealth game, set in a ruthless Wild West scenario.

In this long-awaited prequel to the beloved classic Desperados: Wanted Dead or Alive, John Cooper will join forces with the runaway bride Kate, the shady hitman Doc McCoy, the giant trapper Hector, and Isabelle, a mysterious lady from New Orleans. On Cooper’s quest for redemption, his adventures lead him and his gang from rural towns, over swamps and riverbanks, and finally to a dramatic showdown worthy of Wild West legends.

A tweet from CharlieIntel explains its understanding of how bans work in Call of Duty. Word is players who are banned in Call of Duty: Warzone will also find themselves unwelcome in Call of Duty: Vanguard matches:

If you are currently banned in Call of Duty: Warzone - including hardware or account banned - you are banned from playing Call of Duty: Vanguard.

For those in the cheats Discords/forums etc. asking why, I think it's pretty obvious why. But thought I'd let you know.

A new post to the Dota Blog discusses The International 2021, saying tickets to the Main Event of this year's big Dota 2 tournament go on sale on September 22nd. The article outlines the efforts attendees will have to go through, which include health precautions, not to mention travelling to Bucharest, Romania. There's a discussion of other things, like improvements to the spectator modes in the game client. Speaking of the game client, this concludes with a discussion of moving the MOBA forward technologically. Valve outlines plans over the coming months to drop support for 32-bit operating systems, macOS below version 10.14, DirectX 9, OpenGL, and XAudio. This sounds dramatic, but Valve says it shouldn't actually affect that many players:

For the vast majority of players, nothing will change when these changes are implemented. Most machines already support any of the newer technologies necessary. In fact, most players are already benefiting from the newer technologies, whether it's via larger content sizes, higher frame rates, better graphical fidelity, or cleaner sounding audio. Removing these older technologies will let us streamline our development efforts as well as use the newer features of these APIs to provide an even better Dota experience.

If you have concerns, your chosen graphics API can be adjusted on the settings panel and the audio system can be changed by the command line options above. We encourage players to switch to the newer APIs if they haven't already, and let us know if problems come up.

Crysis Remastered is now available on Steam, just one-day shy of the one-year anniversary of the launch of the shooter remake on the Epic Games Store. It carries a launch discount as well as a loyalty bonuses for owners of the original Crysis or Hunt: Showdown. Here's the Official Launch Trailer from back in the day, and here's word:

Crysis Remastered, the remaster of the classic FPS, is now available on Steam for PC. Owners of the original Crysis on Steam can get Crysis Remastered today for 50% off, and owners of Crytek’s Hunt: Showdown can grab an additional discount, as well.

“We’re delighted to bring Crysis Remastered to even more PC fans with the game’s release on Steam,” said Steffen Halbig, Project Lead. “We will also have some exclusive Steam trading cards available, and we look forward to seeing people enjoy the stunning Remastered version of the game!”

Crysis Remastered features the action-packed, single-player, sandbox gameplay from the classic acclaimed shooter, upgraded with remastered graphics, high-quality textures, improved art assets and more. Face down an alien invasion armed with the powerful Nanosuit, which provides super strength, armor, speed and cloaking abilities. Choose your own path as you use a huge arsenal of modular weapons to fight enemies on ever-changing battlefields.

Continue here to read the full story.

Taito announces Bubble Bobble 4 Friends: The Baron's Workshop, a puzzle platformer coming to Steam on September 30th. Not to burst your bubble, but this does not seem to be part of the Microids/Taito collaboration announced yesterday. Celebrating the release is this trailer, which turns the weird up to 11. The announcement floats the following details:

First launched in 1986, Bubble Bobble is an iconic arcade classic in which twins Bub and Bob clear stages of bullies by blowing and bursting bubbles. Bubble Bobble 4 Friends is the latest edition in the classic Bubble Bobble series and the first new sequel in 24 years. Join Bub and Bob as they journey with their friends Peb and Pab on a quest to defeat their old enemies Bonner and Baron Von Blubba in 200 stages of platform puzzle action.

Continue here to read the full story.

IKEA and ASUS Republic of Gamers announce a collaboration on new line of gaming furniture and accessories. This involves a new product family called UPPSPEL, which is disturbingly similar to upsell, but affordability is stressed as one of the line's features. This page is home to the products, which are to hit stores next month. Gamers love challenges, so IKEA's signature "some assembly required" philosophy can be just another part of the game. Here's word:

”We believe there’s a lot to be done to democratise the gaming experience”, says Ewa Rychert, Global Business Leader of Workspace, IKEA of Sweden. “Now, we take the first step on our gaming journey, and we do it by presenting affordable, high-performing gaming products and complete solutions that we hope reflect people’s personality and taste.”

In total, the new gaming range is comprised of over 30 products across furniture and accessories, offered at different price ranges to meet the needs of a variety of gamers. Furniture offerings include gaming desks, chairs and storage, and accessories include a mug holder, mouse bungee, neck pillow, ring light and more.

• Weekend Sale: games featuring female leads up to 90% off - GOG.com.
• Save 50% on Stardock Legends Pack on Steam.
• Save 20% on Valheim on Steam.

Official patches.

• NARAKA: BLADEPOINT Update – September 16th, 2021.
• No Man's Sky Experimental Branch 17/09.
• Team Fortress 2 Update Released.

• The Call of Duty: Vanguard beta has significant server and audio issues.

• Call of Duty: Vanguard - BETA Weapons.
• Fortnite Chapter 2 Season 7 FNCS Finals Recap.
• Content Of The Week - September 16th - For Honor.
• Rainbow Six Extraction — Operator Showcase: Doc.
• Swords of Legends Online's First Fall Event: The Moon Festival.

↑ Official trailers. ↓ Content creator videos.

• I made BioShock... BUT IT'S 2D. Thanks DSOGaming.

• Remembering Jerry Lawson, The Black Engineer Who Changed Video Games - NPR.
• Watch Gaming Organization Female Legends Interview ZOS Developer Chelsea Bromery & Explore ESO - The Elder Scrolls Online.

• Gelatinous: Humanity Lost by Steven Long — Kickstarter. "A brand new adventure platformer for the Nintendo Game Boy with a physical boxed release. Just like the good old days."
• Composer by aloadofbytes — Kickstarter. "The successor to Mario Paint Composer for Switch, Xbox, Playstation and PC."

• Best PC settings for CoD: Vanguard Beta.
• Tales of Arise combat tips and the best characters.
• Best Fortnite guns in Season 8: Every weapon ranked.

• Microsoft Preps Cheap 500GB Expansion SSD for Xbox Series X|S.
• ATOM RPG Supporter Edition Is Now Available For Digital Pre-order And Pre-download On Xbox One And Xbox Series X|S.
• Aragami 2 Is Now Available For Windows 10, Xbox One, And Xbox Series X|S (Xbox Game Pass).
• Tails Of Iron Is Now Available For Xbox One And Xbox Series X|S.
• Next Week on Xbox: September 20 to 24.

• High-speed internet via airborne beams of light.
• How surveillance capitalism will totally transform the domain name system.
• Cloudflare wants to help you build flashier websites for less. Thanks Neutronbeam.
• Google reportedly plans to add free channels to its smart TV platform.
• HBO Max promo offers 50 percent off subscriptions until September 26th.

• Microsoft Requires Generation 2 VM Support For Windows 11 In Latest Preview.
• Is it OK to use stolen data? What if it's scientific research in the public interest?
• Ding! Toshiba's Microwave-Assisted 18TB Hard Drives Are Ready for Desktops, NAS.
• LibreOffice 7.2.1 Community available for download. Thanks Reddit via Ant.

• Travis CI quietly fixed a bug that exposed secret keys. Thanks DSLReports via Ant.
• Cryptocurrency launchpad hit by $3 million supply chain attack.
• This banking Trojan abuses YouTube to manage remote settings. Don't forget to smash the "like" button.
• WTF? Microsoft makes fixing deadly OMIGOD flaws on Azure your job.
• CISA warns of APT actors exploiting newly identified vulnerability in ManageEngine ADSelfService Plus.
• How to Not Get Scammed in the Crypto Market. Best way is to not have a doge in that hunt.

• Telegram emerges as new dark web for cyber criminals.
• Man once called world’s “largest facilitator of child porn” sentenced to 27 years.
• Locast’s free TV service ordered to shut down permanently after copyright loss.
• Trial Ends in Guilty Verdict for DDoS-for-Hire Boss.
• Apple Now Facing Class Action Suit for Cracked M1 MacBook Screens.

• The Artful Escape review - PC Gamer.
• Deathloop PC Performance Analysis - DSOGaming.

• Case: Lian Li Q58 Review: Best ITX Case Yet? - Tom's Hardware.
• Case Fan: Cooler Master MasterBox NR200P MAX Review - TechPowerUp.
• Case Fan: Montech X3 Mesh Case Review - ThinkComputers.org.
• Graphics Card: ASUS RTX 3070 TUF GAMING OC Video Card Review - The FPS Review.
• Keyboard: Drop ALT Mechanical Keyboard Review - TechPowerUp.
• Laptop: Dell XPS 15 9510 review- Come for the screen, stay for everything else - Ars Technica.
• Laptop: Razer Blade 15 Advanced (2021) Gaming Laptop Review - TweakTown.
• Mini PC: The OnLogic Helix HX500 Review- A Rugged Fanless 35W mini-PC - AnandTech.
• SSD: Corsair MP600 Pro XT PCIe 4.0 M.2 NVMe review - Guru3D.
• SSD: Crucial P5 Plus 1TB Review - APH Networks.

• Konami’s unannounced Castlevania GBA collection has been rated for consoles and PC…

Here's a reminder that there's a THQ Nordic showcase at 3:00 pm EDT today to show off some upcoming games. Word is no fewer than six new projects will be unveiled for the first time, so it will not be a particularly quiet Friday. You can tune into the festivities via whatever flavor of stream you prefer, Steam, Twitch, or YouTube.

Showcase Round-up
Thanks Ant and Neutronbeam.

Story

• Hawaii's famous Haiku Stairs may close in 2022. And the forests will echo with laughter. Remember laughter?

Science

• The James Webb Space Telescope Promises Celestial Images Rivaling Hubble. Thanks RedEye9.
• Strange, repeating radio signal near the center of the Milky Way has scientists stumped. Thanks Simon. Listen for yourself.
• Being highly immersed in your job paves the way for longer working hours and symptoms of major depression, prospective study. Thanks Max.

Media

• LEGO GTA. Thanks The Awesomer.
• Mosquitoes sucked up by traps that mimic breathing.
• Russian Engineering.