Bungie and IO Interactive are also indicating efforts are underway to support players who purchased their games on Stadia, now that the cloud gaming service is closing (thanks IGN). Yesterday a statement from Ubisoft Support discussed bringing Ubisoft games from Stadia to Ubisoft Connect. Now a tweet from Destiny Bulletin for Destiny 2 players and a tweet from IO Interactive for HITMAN players discuss plans for those games. Here are both messages:

Hello. We just learned about Stadia shutting down and have begun conversations about next steps for our players. We will announce and send out information regarding Destiny 2 Stadia accounts once we have a plan of action.
For general questions about Stadia's shutdown, please review their FAQ: https://support.google.com/stadia/answer/12790109

To all our HITMAN fans on Google Stadia.

We hear you - we are looking into ways for you to continue your HITMAN experience on other platforms.

Frances Townsend has stepped down from her role as Chief Compliance Officer at Activision Blizzard, reports Bloomberg (may require registration or subscription). Townsend came under fire last year for a response that employees characterized as "abhorrent and insulting" to a Blizzard workplace lawsuit. Word is she is now an adviser to the board and Bobby Kotick. The Activision CEO lays on the hype, saying she was doing four jobs, and will be replaced by two people, who will presumably do two jobs each:

“Fran did a truly exceptional job—actually four jobs—with continuously increasing responsibilities and the most exemplary work ethic,” Kotick wrote in an email shared with Bloomberg News. “Fran also has done an extraordinary job enhancing the strong governance and compliance programs we have throughout the Company.”

Jen Brewer, the senior vice president of ethics and compliance, and Luci Altman, the senior vice president of corporate governance, will fill Townsend’s role. Brewer has been with the company for over a decade. The Wall Street Journal reported the move earlier Friday.

FIFA 23 reviews are now rolling out now that reviewers have had the chance to kick around the association football/soccer sequel. Here's a roundup:

• FIFA 23 review - a fitting end to a brilliant and grotesque era - Eurogamer.net.
• FIFA 23 Review - Football Is Life - GameSpot.
• FIFA 23 Review - IGN.
• 'FIFA 23' swamped with negative reviews over PC anti-cheat error - NME.
• FIFA 23 review – one eye on next year already - PCGamesN.
• FIFA 23 review- HyperMotion 2’s lifelike play blurs FUT’s greasier influence - Polygon.

Blizzard tweets a PSA for Overwatch players, informing them they can now download the Overwatch 2 client in advance of next week's launch of the first-person shooter sequel:

PSA FOR EXISTING PC PLAYERS

You can pre-download #Overwatch2 on Battle.net NOW so you can dive into the action right at launch!

Overwatch 2 goes live Oct 4 at 12pm PT!

• Save 50% on Weird West on Steam.
• Save 60% on Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous - Enhanced Edition on Steam.

• Tencent is reportedly refocusing on ‘aggressively seeking’ full games company acquisitions.
• PlayStation boss Jim Ryan ‘flew to Brussels’ to voice concerns to EU over Xbox’s Activision deal.

• Steam Client Beta.
• Steam Deck Client Beta Update: Refresh Rate Slider Fix.
• World of Warcraft — Hotfixes: September 30, 2022.

↑ Official patches. ↓ Unofficial games, patches, and mods.

• New The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Mod overhauls over 125 NPCs.

• Trackmania: Fall 2022 Campaign Trailer.

↑ Official trailers. ↓ Content creator videos.

• Firearms Expert Reacts To Foxhole’s Guns.

• Inside Dead Space #1- Remaking a Classic.

Thanks Console General.

• Xbox Insider Release Notes - Alpha (2210.220928-2200).
• Xbox Insider Release Notes - Alpha Skip-Ahead (2308.220928-1900).

• Check out Android's new eerily natural reading voice. Thanks Neutronbeam.
• Tesla now has 160,000 active Full Self Driving cars and one Dojo supercomputer.
• With ANC getting so good, we need a new set of rules.

• GeForce RTX 4090 is 60% faster than RTX 3090 Ti in Geekbench CUDA test.
• CAMM memory preview: The Dell SODIMM revolution. Thanks Neutronbeam.
• 9 Windows Processes You Can End Safely to Improve Performance.
• Windows 11 2022 Update gets Widgets notifications, Store fixes and other improvements.

• Microsoft is killing off Basic Auth in Exchange Online starting today.

• Dome Keeper review - not quite digging it - Eurogamer.net.
• The Excavation of Hob’s Barrow review - PC Gamer.
• Hyper Demon review - PC Gamer.
• Isonzo review - PC Gamer.
• Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered- XeSS vs. DLSS vs. FSR 2.0 Comparison Review - TechPowerUp.

Thanks Neutronbeam.

• CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 7900X and 7950X - LanOC Reviews.
• CPU Cooler: Scythe FUMA 2 Rev.B CPU Air Cooler Review - TweakTown.
• Keyboard: ROCCAT Vulcan II Mini Keyboard Review - Big Things Come in Small Packages - MP1ST.
• Laptop: AMD Ryzen 7 5825U debut- HP Envy x360 15 2022 convertible review - NotebookCheck.net Reviews
• Laptop: Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 3 Review - 2 Screen Laptop - MbileTTechReviews (video).
• Laptop: Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 G1 laptop review- Powerful AMD flagship with a hickup - NotebookCheck.net Reviews.
• Monitor: Dough Spectrum ES07D03 Glossy 4K Gaming Monitor Review- Class Leading Processing, Stunning Image - Tom's Hardware.
• Monitor: NZXT Canvas 32Q Gaming Monitor Review- Style and Substance Meet Value - Tom's Hardware.
• PSU: FSP Hydro PTM PRO 1200W Power Supply Unit - Nikk Tech.

Tesla boss Elon Musk presents humanoid robot Optimus. Richest man in the world, who has flashed occasional sociopath tendencies, unveils army of autonomous robots. What could possibly go wrong?

Rise of the Robots Round-up
Thanks Ant and Neutronbeam.

Brunch Link

• 3 Steps to Embrace ‘Mindful Drinking’ (may require registration or subscription).
• The Least Interesting Generation. Thanks Max.

Stories

• Price of New A.L.S. Treatment Will Be $158,000 Per Year, Maker Says. Lou Gehrig's top annual salary was $36K.
• Piglet in Germany makes friends with cows after it was abandoned by its own herd. I herd they were boared.

Science

• The Giraffe Neck Evolved for Sexual Combat.
• Our ancestors ate a Paleo diet. It had carbs.
• The era of fast, cheap genome sequencing is here.

Images

• James Webb and Hubble telescope images capture DART asteroid collision. Thanks Kxmode.

Media
Thanks VideoSift.

• Hurricane Ian Fort Myers Timelapse.
• ALIENS miniature effects. Thanks Boing Boing.
• Amazing talent.

Follow-up

• Massive Study Finds Coffee Drinkers Will Probably Outlive The Rest of Us. Thanks Max.

Ubisoft is stepping up in light of the news that Google is shutting down its Stadia streaming game service. A tweet from Ubisoft Support announces it is working to bring all Ubisoft games purchased on Stadia to Ubisoft Connect:

While Stadia will shut down on January 18, 2023, we're happy to share that we're working to bring the games you own on Stadia to PC through Ubisoft Connect. We'll have more to share regarding specific details as well as the impact for Ubisoft+ subscribers at a later date.

The UNDETECTED detector is going off, so UNDETECTED is now available for Windows on the Epic Games Store, GOG.com*, and Steam. This is a new take on classic stealth/action games intended to make your snake solid. Sneak a look at the trailer to see for yourself. Word is you are on the trail of a cell that has apparently splintered off in some manner:

A cell of the revolutionary group who call themselves ‘Los Desplazados’, including their leader Gloria, has gone missing in the Chicxulub Perpetual Energy Station area. Mexican-American ex-CIMACORP Agent ‘Tenoch Kaan’, now a Desplazado himself, is deployed to find Gloria and her team. He is fitted with the latest in biotechnological enhancements. His mission is to find out what happened to the missing Desplazados without alerting CIMACORP of his presence.

*Blue's News may receive a commission on sales of this item. Continue here to read the full story.

• Dragon Ball Franchise Sale on Steam.
• Save 50% on Terraria on Steam.
• Save 60% on Rogue Heroes: Ruins of Tasos on Steam.
• Hunt: Showdown -- Hunt Weekend Sale - Bundles up to 77% OFF.
• Save 82% on Muse Dash on Steam.

Official patch.

• Steam Deck OS Beta Update: One small fix.

Content creator videos. Thanks Ant.

• The Tragedy and Comeback of Cyberpunk 2077 - GVMERS.
• Useless diversion perk in Dead by Daylight - Viva La Dirt League (NSFW).
• Hawkeye in Wii Sports Archery. Thanks Kxmode.

• Community Focus – Kasiapeia - News - Bungie.net.

• Blizzard is trying to get more LGBTQ+ players in the Overwatch League.

• Earn a Legendary Kiriko Skin by Watching Overwatch 2 on Twitch.

• Official PlayStation Podcast Episode 441: Virtual Walkers.
• Grounded is here, Upcoming Releases and Much More - This Week on Xbox (video).

• Magic Leap 2 launches commercially in the U.S. for $3,299.

• Facebook scrambles to escape death spiral as users flee, sales drop.
• Chris Winfrey to succeed Tom Rutledge as Charter CEO. Thanks DSLReports via Ant.
• YouTube age-restriction quagmire exposed by 78-minute Mega Man documentary.

• Elon Musk’s Texts Shatter the Myth of the Tech Genius (may require registration or subscription). Thanks Matthew.
• ASRock DDR5 Installation Stickers Blamed for Motherboard RMAs.
• Acer’s First GPU is an Intel Arc A770 With Two Different Types of Fans.

• CBSA contractor data breach involved up to 1.38M licence plates. Thanks DSLReports via Ant.
• Mystery hackers are “hyperjacking” targets for insidious spying.
• Microsoft: Two New 0-Day Flaws in Exchange Server.

• Microsoft files its case for Activision acquisition with EU competition regulator.
• Activision slams COD cheatmakers with racketeering charges.
• Elon Musk's texts show how his relationship with Twitter went sideways. Thanks RedEye9.
• Apple's Korea Offices Raided by Antitrust Regulators Over Allegations It Charges Developers 33% Commission.

• Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch Remastered Now Available with Game Pass…
• Stadia controllers could become e-waste unless Google issues Bluetooth update…

Last Link of the Day: Scottish man lifts barbell while unicycling to break world record.

Ubisoft reveals plans for Project U, "a new concept of session-based co-op shooter" that's now in early development (thanks VGC). Ubisoft UK has the details, because the first closed beta will be restricted to players in Western Europe. Word is: "Codename 'Project U' explores a new concept of session-based co-op shooter, where many players unite to prevail against an overwhelming threat!" Signups are now underway for interested players from France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Austria, Switzerland, Portugal, Spain, and Italy. But be warned the game is entirely in English. Here are the system specs for testers:

30 FPS: OS : Windows 10 CPU: Intel Core i5-4460, AMD Ryzen 3 1200 GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 (8GB of VRAM) or AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 (8GB of VRAM)

RAM : 16 GB dual channel 60 FPS: OS : Windows 10 CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K, AMD Ryzen 5 2600 GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 (8GB of VRAM) or AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 (8GB of VRAM) RAM : 16 GB dual channel

EA SPORTS announces the release of FIFA 23 for PC and consoles, kicking off the latest installment in the long-running association football/soccer series. This apparently hasn't gone as smoothly as hoped on PC, and VG247 discusses some day one problems hurting the game's review scores on Steam. If you are undeterred, the other places selling the Windows edition are the EA App, Origin, and the Epic Games Store. The announcement also mentions Stadia, but well, yeah. Here's the Official Launch Trailer. Read on for more on EA's final FIFA licensed game:

Today, Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) is celebrating the launch of EA SPORTS™ FIFA 23 featuring HyperMotion2* gameplay technology, delivering incredible action, realism, and authenticity to every aspect on the pitch. With cross-play†, innovations in fan-favorite modes including FIFA Ultimate Team™, Career mode, VOLTA FOOTBALL, and both the men’s and women’s FIFA World Cups™**, FIFA 23 is now available for PlayStationⓇ 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC via the EA app, Origin™, EPIC, and Steam, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

“With FIFA 23, we’re bringing fans everywhere the most immersive, authentic football experience ever in an EA SPORTS FIFA title,” said Nick Wlodyka, SVP, GM of EA SPORTS FC. “By incorporating women’s club football, our latest innovations in technology with HyperMotion2, unrivaled authenticity with more than 300+ partners across world football, this latest title encapsulates the power of football to connect players, leagues, teams and talent from around the globe through our shared passion for the sport.”

Continue here to read the full story.

IL-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Normandy is now available for Windows on Steam, offering the latest installment in this combat flight simulator from 1C Game Studios. Air combat is not the typical focus when recreating World War II's pivotal invasion of Normandy, and the battle involved none of the game's titular Ilyushin Il-2 Shturmovik aircraft, but the game is focused on realism nonetheless. This can be seen in the launch trailer and the description:

IL-2 Sturmovik: The Battle of Normandy contains eight famous aircraft you can take into virtual combat alone or with friends and comes with a map of the Normandy theater that includes a portion of southern England and northwest France. Taken from satellite data, the accurately reproduced topography reflects the battleground as it was in mid-1944 both pre and post invasion.

Complete with new mission types and airfield types - bringing the total amount to 100 airfields with historically accurate layouts. The Battle of Normandy offers franchise new ships, ground vehicles, buildings, coastal defenses, V-1 buzzbombs and their launch positions, plus dozens of new aircraft paint schemes, and much more.

Continue here to read the full story.

RAILGRADE is now available for Windows and Switch in an attempt to railroad its way into the crowded train simulation market. Windows users can station themselves at the Epic Games Store, where this carries a 10% launch discount for the next week. Train your eyes on the Launch Trailer for a high-pressure message about this from your corporate overlords. Here's more on whether this makes the grade:

Construct intricate railway networks and use the power of trains to connect vital industries with the resources they require. Manage inputs and outputs to optimise production, and create efficient supply chains using multi-level tracks and a variety of unique engine types.

Combine strategic decision-making with creative construction in order to rebuild a thriving industrial colony. Succeed, and you might just impress your corporate overlords enough to be allowed back home to earth.

Continue here to read the full story.

Airoheart is now available for PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch, offering a top-down RPG "inspired by the classics." The version on Steam lists Windows and macOS support, while for some reason the Epic Games Store lists this for Windows alone. Here's the Launch Trailer showing off the game's decidedly throwback style, and here's more;

Our story begins in the land of Engard, where our beloved hero Airoheart sets out on a journey to stop his brother's diabolical plan to unleash an ancient evil that has been sealed in the shadows for generations, and to trigger a war using the power of the Draoidh Stone.

Will you confront your own brother and stop him from executing his wicked plans?

Continue here to read the full story.

Gameforge announces I See Red is coming to Windows on October 24th, offering players a top-down shooter in a gritty, science fiction environment. What's black and white and red all over? This game. This is shown of in the previously released Announcement Teaser Trailer. Here's an explanation:

The world is bleak in the dichromatic roguelite I See Red, with flashes of crimson breaking up its stark black and white aesthetic. Your enemies are skilled and strong, but you’re even better. Get up close and personal by using your grappling hook and pulling yourself towards them. Chase them down with your guns. Execute them with your bare hands. Upgrade yourself with new passive skills. And should one of your foes get lucky, your more adept and powerful clone will return to finish the job. Time is on your side!

Continue here to read the full story.

PAW Patrol: Grand Prix has raced out for Windows and consoles, and the PC edition is available for Windows on Steam and for consoles. This features arcade racing based on the pawpular animated children's show. Here's the Launch Trailer, and here's what this holds for kids of all ages:

Join Ryder, Chase, and the rest of the PAW Patrol on their fastest mission yet--to win the Pup Cup! Players will be able to speed their way around 11 tracks in Adventure Bay, Jake's Snowboarding Resort, the Jungle and more to find out who's the quickest racer of them all. But watch out for Mayor Humdinger, --he could be just around the corner in his blimp to cause all kinds of mayhem on the track!

As well as being the first ever PAW Patrol game kart racer, PAW Patrol: Grand Prixis the first PAW Patrol multiplayer video game that allows up to 4-players at once, letting the whole family play together via split screen. Race to become a champion using power ups and boosts like water balloons, snowballs and confetti blasts. More experienced track stars will be able to play on hard mode, while younger players can use easy control options with auto-acceleration to guide them to the finish line.

Continue here to read the full story.

• Stadia canceled exclusive Death Stranding follow-up from Kojima.
• Oculus Quest 3 leak shows that the VR headset might be mixed reality.

Official patches.

• Microsoft Flight Simulator September 29th, 2022 Development Update.
• Steam Client Beta.
• Steam Deck Client Beta Update- Misc Fixes.
• World of Warcraft — Hotfixes- September 29, 2022.

• Creating Backrooms inspired level in Glacier for IOI Week.

• Zoria- Age of Shattering - Isometric Fantasy RPG by Anshar Publishing — Kickstarter. "A squad-based tactical RPG with fluid turn-based combat, outpost, and follower management, set in the expansive Fantasy world of Zoria. Lead a team of four heroes with their unique skills and perks. Every team member contributes to undertaken battles." There's a playable demo on Steam. Thanks Incognitum.

Thanks Console General.

• Critically-Acclaimed CRPG Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous Comes to Xbox Today.
• Next Week on Xbox: New Games for October 3 to 7.
• Indies highlights coming to PS4 & PS5 in October 2022.
• Xbox Insider Release Notes - Delta (2210.220925-2200).
• Xbox Insider Release Notes - Beta (2210.220925-2200).

• Are Android-based game-streaming handhelds a fad, or are they the future? Thanks Neutronbeam.
• Surface Book 3 gets improved thermal management in latest firmware update.
• Pixel Watch price leak suggests Google isn't trying to match the Apple Watch.
• Food delivery drone lands on power lines resulting in power outage for thousands.
• Hate the New iPhone Battery Icon on iOS 16? You Won't Have to Wait Too Long for a Fix.

Thanks Neutronbeam.

• Satellites must be deorbited within five years of completing missions, FCC rules.
• How Bots Corrupted Advertising (may require registration or subscription). Because advertising has always been all about ethics.
• Twitch testing feature for viewers to pay up to $100 to highlight a message. Putting a price on the signal to noise ratio.
• Molly Russell: Social media a factor in teenager's death, coroner says.
• "Rings" Beats "Dragon" In Nielsen Ratings Battle.
• 'Community' Movie Is Finally Happening, at Peacock.

Thanks Neutronbeam and Console General.

• Ryzen 9 7900X Delidded: Lower Temperature and 5.50 GHz on All Cores.
• A history of ARM, part 1- Building the first chip.
• Ubuntu 22.10 Arrives For Beta Testing.
• Bipedal robot sets 100 meter record. Usain Electric Bolt.
• Bruce Willis Sells Rights To His 'Digital Twin.' Thanks Ant.
• Apple VP leaves company after making jokes in viral TikTok video.
• Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.730 and 22623.730.
• Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25211.

• Numerous orgs hacked after installing weaponized open source apps. Thanks Neutronbeam.
• Microsoft issues advisory about two 0-day vulnerabilities in Exchange Server, no fix yet.
• CIA betrayed informants with shoddy covert comms websites.
• This new Royal ransomware is already asking for millions. Typical royalty.

Thanks Ant.

• House, Senate Democrats ask FTC to fight Amazon's acquisition of iRobot.
• What the Securing Open Source Software Act does and what it misses.
• Europe considers rules for easier AI compensation claims. Thanks DSLReports.
• Wall St fined $1.8b for using WhatsApp, other shadow comms. Thanks DSLReports.
• India-based VPN to challenge new data law in court.
• Ex-eBay execs jailed for cyberstalking critical bloggers.

FIFA 23 day one issues tank its Steam review score.

• Is Starfox-like a thing? It is NOW! - Ex-Zodiac (Early Access) - Indie Ramble.

Thanks Neutronbeam.

• Graphics Card: An Alluring Alchemist- Intel Arc A380 GPU Creator Performance Review – Techgage.
• Graphics Card: Intel Arc A750 & A770 Unboxing & Preview - TechPowerUp.
• Keyboard: ROCCAT Vulcan II Mini Optical RGB Gaming Keyboard - Christ Centered Gamer.
• Keyboard: Roccat Vulcan II Mini Review- So Pretty, Colorful, and Bright I can Almost Overlook the Software - Tom's Hardware.
• Keyboard: System76 Launch Configurable Mechanical Keyboard Review - TechPowerUp.
• Laptop: Dell Inspiron 14 (7420) 2-in-1 Touchscreen Laptop Review - TweakTown.
• Laptop: MSI Stealth 15M review- Coasting on its good looks - Engadget (video).
• Mini PC: ASRock 4x4 BOX-5800U Review A Tiny AMD Ryzen 7 5800U Mini PC - STH.
• Misc: ifi GO bar review: Desktop-class audio in a tiny package - Android Police.
• PSU: Lian Li SP850 Gold SFX Power Supply Review - OCinside.

• Cyberpunk 2077 players request Stadia cloud saves from CD Projekt…

After a good start in our Pigskin Pick'em Pool. I have now been incorrect picking eight consecutive games. This includes losing last week on the Tua Tagovailoa return, and losing last night on his departure. Silly pool results aside, I hope there are ramifications from putting him back in the game last week with an obvious concussion. It's hard to stay an NFL fan if the league is already backsliding on its commitment to better protect players from head injuries. Hopefully Tua makes a full recovery.

Obituary: Giorgio Coraluppi, Pittsburgh inventor of tech for video calls, lauded as pioneer. Thanks Neutronbeam.

Streaking Round-up
Thanks Ant and Neutronbeam.

Breakfast Link

• How Pokémon cards are made: new behind-the-scenes video shows the full process.

Stories

• Boyle To Helm "Matrix" Dance Adaptation. Will you take the red crazy pill, or the blue one?
• McDonalds will offer adult Happy Meals this October. Hopefully including adult toys.
• Thumbs down to ‘middle finger’ health campaign in New Zealand.

Science

• FDA’s rotten definition of “healthy” food is finally getting tossed.

Media
Thanks VideoSift.

• Cat.exe Has Broken When Smelling Coffee. Thanks Boing Boing.
• Florida reporter defends putting condom on mic. No glove, no storm love.
• American Airlines flight interrupted by sounds of ‘moaning’ PA system.

Auction

• A College Student Bought an Illuminated Manuscript Page for $75 After Realizing It Was From a 700-Year-Old Prayer Book.

Follow-ups

• NASA and SpaceX are studying a Hubble telescope boost, adding 15 to 20 years of life.
• Has The Zodiac Killer Mystery Been Solved (Again)? Thanks WarPig.