Today's Night City Wire presentation produced three videos for Cyberpunk 2077. Postcards from Night City "is all about presenting never-before-seen locations and new personalities from the world of Cyberpunk 2077, along with extra slices of lore behind the most vivid and dangerous metropolis of the dark future." Gangs of Night City "profiles some of the most notorious groups operating within and beyond the city walls whom players will be making deals with, fighting against, or both in order to survive." And Cyber-up Your PC Contest Finale, showing entries in their modding contest and announcing the winners. Also, the Cyberpunk 2077 Website now offers the following official system requirements for the CD PROJEKT RED's upcoming RPG:

Minimum System Requirements
OS 64-bit Windows 7 or 64-bit Windows 10
Direct X Version DirectX 12
Processor Intel Core i5-3570K or AMD FX-8310
Memory 8 GB
Graphics Card NVIDIA GTX 780 3GB or AMD Radeon RX 470
Storage 70 GB HDD (SSD recommended)

Recommended System Requirements
OS 64-bit Windows 10
Direct X Version DirectX 12
Processor Intel Core i7-4790 or AMD Ryzen 3 3200G
Memory 12 GB
Graphics Card NVIDIA GTX 1060 6GB or AMD Radeon R9 Fury
Storage SSD (70 GB)

Continue here to read the full story.

Stick 'em up! Grinding Gears announces the release of the Windows edition of Heist, the latest expansion for Path of Exile, their free-to-play action/RPG. This is available on the Path of Exile Website alongside sales of Heist Supporter Packs. Console players don't have long to wait, as this is coming to Xbox One and PlayStation 4 on September 23rd. Here's an Official Trailer & Developer Commentary to accompany the launch, and here are the details:

In Heist, players will hire a crew of specialized thieves to assist them with infiltrating secure facilities to retrieve valuable Artifacts. While bypassing security, they must be careful not to trigger the alarm or they'll be overrun with guards. Retrieving the artifact will automatically trigger the alarm and players will have to make a mad dash to the extraction point. If they can't escape, they'll lose everything they stole.

Continue here to read the full story.

Hello Games announces a new update called Origins is coming next week to No Man's Sky, calling this "another small step in a longer journey" for their space exploration game. They say detailed patch notes are coming, but in the meantime most of the update looks backward at past content, rather than forward towards the new release. Here's word from Sean Murray:

Next week Hello Games will be releasing an update to No Man’s Sky. We’re calling it ORIGINS.

Detailed patch notes will follow, along with next week’s release.

Four years ago we announced FOUNDATION, our first major update for No Man’s Sky, we promised “It won’t be our largest update, but it is the start of something”. Those words were true at the time, and they ring true for Origins. We called it Origins because it is the beginning of something new, as No Man’s Sky continues to grow and evolve.

Beyond came out last year, bringing VR and hugely expanded Online play, and since then we have focused on releasing more regular updates. SYNTHESIS, BYTEBEAT, LIVING SHIP, EXO MECH, CROSSPLAY, and DESOLATION have been some of our most popular, surprising and transformative updates – leading No Man’s Sky to have its biggest year to date.

Continue here to read the full story.

NACON announces Monster Truck Championship will roll out on October 15th for Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, with the Switch edition to follow in November. You can preorder this jacked-up driving game through the official website as a standard or a deluxe edition, and all preorders come with a Patriot Pack which includes the Sergeant Chaos livery and the Patriot truck model. The deluxe version is called the Rebel Hunter Edition, and this includes a special livery, an exclusive stadium, and three truck models. Here's a trailer for the preorder bonus, and here's one for the Rebel Hunter Edition. Here's more on the game:

In Monster Truck Championship, you take the wheel of one of 16 vehicles and enter five types of event. In these championships, you will compete in 25 stadiums and circuits in various cities across the United States. Taking a realistic approach to driving rather than an arcade-game style, Monster Truck Championship gives players the chance to take part in frenzied races and pull off believable aerial and ground moves by learning the unique physics of these vehicles.

Continue here to read the full story.

Will The Circle Be Unbroken? Apparently not, as Journey of the Broken Circle is now available for Windows and macOS on Steam as well as for Switch. Developer Lovable Hat Cult calls their adventure game a "fun and vibrant trip about life, love, fulfillment and existentialism, where new powers come from new relationships." This comes with an interesting loyalty bonus, as "for the next 3 days, owners of any games published by nakana.io can claim the Switch version of Journey of the Broken Circle for free!" Here's a trailer and here's a description:

Journey of the Broken Circle is a narrative-driven puzzle platformer about an incomplete circle yearning to become whole. As it rolls through a wondrous and hazardous land, it encounters a series of other shapes with unique personalities and skills that it uses to fill the hole left in its body. Each shape offers a unique mechanic, helping our pie-shaped person surmount obstacles and find inner peace.

As with all relationships, each character Broken Circle intermingles with offers it unique properties. Some will allow it to float into the heavens, others will cause it to cling onto surfaces, and some will cause it to tumble along with an extra spring in its step. Not all relationships were made to last however, so don’t get too attached!

Continue here to read the full story.

• Observer: System Redux is an Xbox Series X-S and PlayStation 5 Launch Title.
• Gears Tactics Coming to Xbox Consoles November 10 with Launch of Xbox Series X/S.
• Gears Tactics Is Now Available For Digital Pre-order And Pre-download On Xbox One.
• Crysis Remastered Is Now Available For Xbox One.
• Mars Power Industries Deluxe Is Now Available For Xbox One And Windows 10 (Xbox Play Anywhere).
• Shotgun Farmers Is Now Available For Digital Pre-order And Pre-download On Xbox One.
• This Week on Xbox: September 18, 2020.
• Xbox Insider Release Notes - Alpha Skip-Ahead (2011.200917-0000).
• Xbox Insider Release Notes - Omega (2008.200917-0845).

• YouTube’s website now blocks iOS 14’s picture-in-picture mode unless you pay for Premium.
• ADATA XPG Launches a PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe SSD for Notebooks: Gammix S50 Lite.
• How to Use a Second Monitor With Your Laptop. Thanks Neutronbeam.

• You won’t see any more automated midroll ads on Twitch.
• Comcast shut off Internet to hundreds, saying they were illegally connected.

• Crysis Remastered suffers from single-thread CPU issues, just like the original game.
• GIGABYTE confirms GeForce RTX 3080 with 20GB model, RTX 3070 with 16GB.
• GeForce RTX 3080 Ray Tracing & DLSS Performance, RTX ON vs OFF (video). Thanks Simon.
• Unity valued at $13.7 billion following $1.3 billion IPO.
• Mirror Turns Webcam Into Document Camera - Hackaday. Thanks j.c.f.
• The worst version of Windows ever released. Thanks Neutronbeam.
• Bad Ass Build of the Day.

• Online fraud prevention biz fails to prevent CEO's alleged offline fraud.

Obituary: Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has died.

In a post on Instagram, Michel Ancel announces he's leaving the game industry after over 30 years (thanks VGC). Ancel, who created the Rayman series and Beyond Good and Evil, announces he's going to pursue his other passion, wildlife. He offers assurances to gamers that the upcoming Beyond Good and Evil 2 and PlayStation game Wild will remain the right track as "the teams are autonomous and the projects are going super well." Ubisoft follows up on this by promising to show off Beyond Good & Evil 2 gameplay next year, so take whatever reassurance from that you prefer.  Here's Michel's post:

WoW ! This little guy has many things to teach to Sam Fisher !
Today is very special for me. After more than 30 years, I’ve decided to stop working on video games and fully focus on my second passion : Wild Life !

My new project takes place in the real world and consists in a wild life open sanctuary dedicated to education , nature lovers and ... wild animals.

🎮🎮🎮 video games part 🎮🎮🎮

Many of you might want to know what will happen to Wild and BGE2. No worries, since many months now the teams are autonomous and the projects are going super well. Beautiful things to be seen soon.

May the fox be with you

🦊

Here's a reminder that CD PROJEKT RED is will broadcast their third episode of Night City Wire today at noon EDT, offering more hype for Cyberpunk 2077, their upcoming sci-fi RPG. This tweet from last week lays out the agenda:

Join us on Friday, September 18 at 6PM CEST, at https://twitch.tv/cdprojektred for the 3rd episode of Night City Wire! We'll take you on a tour around Night City, check up on its gangs, and give you a sneak peek into the creation of #Cyberpunk2077 original score.

Crysis Remastered is now available for Windows on the Epic Games Store and for consoles on their respective storefronts. This offers the chance to return to the jungle in the updated version of Crytek's first-person shooter. Here's the Official Launch Trailer and here's word on how the game has been modernized to take advantage of modern hardware to make "can it play Crysis?" relevant again:

“Our aim was to upgrade the visual fidelity for a wide range of PCs and to use all the technical capabilities of current-gen consoles while offering the same great gameplay that Crysis is known for,” said Project Lead Steffen Halbig. “Naturally, we are thrilled to invite a new generation of players to suit up and experience Crysis, upgraded and remastered to take advantage of today’s hardware and advances in CRYENGINE.”

Crysis Remastered features the all-action, sandbox, single-player gameplay from the acclaimed shooter, upgraded with remastered graphics, including high-quality textures, improved art assets and more. For the first time this console generation, Crytek’s software-based ray tracing comes to PlayStation 4 Pro and Xbox One X. On PC, CRYENGINE’s hardware-agnostic technology brings ray tracing to a wide range of contemporary GPUs. Additionally, Crysis Remastered supports hardware-based ray tracing using NVIDIA’s VKRay Vulkan extension on launch, and NVIDIA® DLSS technology will be added soon for the NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX GPU.

In Crysis Remastered, players 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 fight through the open world of Crysis, destroying obstacles, driving vehicles, and using a huge arsenal of modular weaponry to dominate enemies on ever-changing battlefields.

Continue here to read the full story.

Square Enix and DONTNOD announce that the first episode of Life is Strange 2 is now free on Steam for Windows, macOS, and Linux. This is a permanent move and the initial episode is also now free on consoles. Here's word on this effort to attract new players to their episodic adventure game:

It’s a thrilling, BAFTA-award-winning adventure about responsibility, freedom, brotherhood… and now you can download and play the first Episode of Life is Strange 2 free – forever!

When a tragic incident turns Sean and Daniel’s quiet suburban life upside down, the Diaz brothers find themselves on the road – alone, scared, and pursued by the police.

Just sixteen years old, Sean is thrust into the role of father figure. Struggling with his own feelings and fears, Sean must still try to teach Daniel right from wrong… when the whole world is set against them.

Continue here to read the full story.

Train Simulator 2021 is now available on Steam, offering an updated version of this Windows, well, train simulator. Never fear if you own any or all of the 602(!!) pieces Train Simulator paid DLC, as they seem are compatible with the new release. This post has the Launch Trailer and explains the changes to try and railroad you into buying the new edition:

Train Simulator 2021 has now arrived on PC with a new collection of routes, improved Steam Workshop feature and a Deluxe Edition that includes a brand-new experience with the West Coast Main Line South. Take control of authentic licensed locomotives from around the world and explore real-world routes with the ultimate railway hobby.

Marvel at the mix of modern and historic infrastructure, including the striking Forth Rail Bridge, as you drive a ScotRail BR Class 68 on the Fife Circle Line. Step aboard hard-working traction such as the DB BR 648 to discover the picturesque Norddeutsche-Bahn from Kiel to Lübeck. Take the throttle of the motive power like the F7 on Clinchfield Railroad and drive across the magnificent Appalachian Mountains. Three unique routes with lots to explore.

Continue here to read the full story.

WWE 2K BATTLEGROUNDS has jumped off the turnbuckle and the wrestling simulation is now available for PC and consoles. The Windows edition is available on Steam. Here's a trailer showing off gameplay of wrestlers with giant heads to hold their big brains. Here are some details from the announcement to wrestle with:

A roster of more than 70 WWE Superstars, Hall of Famers and Legends will be available in WWE 2K Battlegrounds at launch, with more than 60 additional Superstars currently scheduled for future release via free** downloadable updates, including “Macho Man” Randy Savage, Ultimate Warrior, Ric Flair and many more. The deep and varied roster enables players to bring a myriad of dream battles to life, including Andre the Giant™ vs. Undertaker®, Roman Reigns® vs. The Rock, Charlotte Flair® vs. Beth Phoenix®, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin® vs. John Cena, Edge® vs. AJ Styles and many more. They can also create their own custom WWE Superstars in the Superstar Creator with different body types and sizes, facial features, clothing, hair and fighting styles. All Superstars utilize one of five class styles – Powerhouse, Technician, High-Flyer, Brawler and All-Rounder – with each class having its own combat moves, strengths and weaknesses. Arcade-style offensive and defensive power-ups, such as Flaming Fist, Ice Breath and Earthquake, offer an additional dimension of strategy that can quickly change the direction of a match.

Continue here to read the full story.

Steam now offers Gordian Rooms: A Curious Heritage Prologue, a free sample of this upcoming Windows puzzle game that tasks the player with escaping from ye olde escape roome. The Steam Listing for the full version also lists a playable demo, leaving us curious as to how the prologue differs from this. Word is this allows you to play through the game's first level:

Gordian Rooms: A Curious Heritage is a Victorian escape game, where you solve various puzzles in your late uncle’s mansion in the hope of obtaining his legacy.
In the prologue you can play through the first level of the game.

• Explore a Victorian basement
• Solve the puzzles your uncle left behind
• Use your skills of deduction, observation, recollection and combination to succeed
• Keep your eyes open for secrets

Michel Ancel may be pleased with the announcement of Animal Rescue, a game that will allow you to play as a field rescue veterinarian when it's released in Q4 of next year on Steam and consoles. This is coming from publisher Ultimate Games (Ultimate Fishing Simulator and Deadliest Catch: The Game) and developer Animalia Studio. Here's a Reveal Trailer and here's word on this chance to play Daktari:

In Animal Rescue, the player will play the role of a field veterinarian and rescuer who reacts to emergencies in different parts of the world and sets off to rescue defenceless animals. Ultimate Games S.A. announced that in terms of gameplay, the title will combine elements of adventure, simulation and survival games.

“As a veterinarian and rescuer, specialising in providing aid and combating the effects of natural disasters, we will not only search for and rescue surviving animals, but also treat them afterwards. We will be able to build and expand field animal clinics. The issue of transport will also play a very important role. To get to our destinations quickly, we will be using, among others, an off-roader, which will require proper maintenance. Making sure that our specialised veterinary equipment and first aid kit are in good shape will also be of key importance” – said Rafał Jelonek, COO at Ultimate Games S.A.

Continue here to read the full story.

• GOG.com - Check Focus Home Interactive Sale with games up to 80% off.
• ArcheAge: Sweet Sales Ahoy. Celebrates the sixth anniversary of the fantasy MMORPG.

• Ex-Hitman Reacts To GTA V Assassinations. Thanks Ant.

• Gamasutra - Directing The Outer Worlds DLC The Peril on Gorgon.
• id Software talk Doom Eternal's Ancient Gods DLC with DF's John Linneman • Eurogamer.net.
• Interview: Rebuilding and expanding Kingdoms of Amalur with Re-Reckoning – PlayStation.Blog.

• Here’s how and where to watch the Game Devs of Colour Expo 2020.

• Just admit that your console exclusives are coming to PC already.
• PS5 Pre-Orders Were A Complete Clusterfuck.
• Crysis Remastered suffers from massive performance and visual issues on Xbox One X. Can it play Crysis?
• Commandos 2 & Praetorians: HD Remaster Double Pack Is Now Available For Xbox One.
• WWE 2K Battlegrounds Is Now Available For Xbox One.
• The Secret Order: Return To The Buried Kingdom Is Now Available For Xbox One.
• Biped Is Now Available For Xbox One.
• Tamiku Is Now Available For Xbox One.
• Harvest Moon: Light Of Hope SE Complete Is Now Available For Xbox One.
• Friday The 13th- Killer Puzzle Is Now Available For Xbox One.
• The Blobs Fight! Is Now Available For Xbox One.
• GORSD Is Now Available For Xbox One.
• An Evil Existence Is Now Available For Xbox One.
• The Pew Pew Bundle Vol. 1 Is Now Available For Xbox One.
• Dragon Lapis Is Now Available For Digital Pre-order And Pre-download On Xbox One.
• From king of the road to King of the Seas, out this holiday on PS4.
• Next Week on Xbox: September 22 to 25.

• 9 best new iOS 14 hidden features we found for your iPhone.
• Apple iOS 14 bug resets default apps to Safari and Mail on reboot.

Thanks Neutronbeam.

• TikTok and WeChat: US to ban app downloads in 48 hours.
• OnlyFans stars say TikTok is making them rich.
• Comcast may force Roku to drop some NBCUniversal channels.
• Amazon gives Samuel L. Jackson his own Alexa wake phrase.
• She-Hulk Nabs Tatiana Maslany for Marvel-Disney+ Show.

Thanks Neutronbeam.

• Gigabyte lists unreleased GeForce RTX 3060 8GB, RTX 3070 16GB & RTX 3080 20GB Ampere GPUs.
• NVIDIA apologizes for RTX 3080 ordering fiasco.
• Can You Build a Gaming PC for $500?
• Nvidia’s RTX Voice app was great, and its Broadcast successor is now available. RTX required.
• GNOME gets new versioning scheme, and Linux users are going to be confused. Thanks Ant.
• Eizo Launches Its First Curved IPS Monitor- The 37.5-Inch FlexScan EV3895 with KVM.

• Oracle, ByteDance Said to Accept Treasury’s New TikTok Terms.
• Canada Tesla driver charged over 'napping while speeding.'

• Hades Review – To Hell And Back, Again And Again - GameSpot.
• Hades Review - IGN.
• Hades review - PC Gamer.
• WRC 9 Review - IGN.

• 1MORE True Wireless ANC In-Ear Headphones Review - Nikk Tech.
• ASUS GeForce RTX 3080 TUF Gaming Graphics Card review - Guru3D.
• Corsair Dominator Platinum RGB DDR4-3200 C16 4x8GB RAM Review: The Fairest Of Them All - Tom's Hardware.
• Dream Machines DM6 Holey S Gaming Mouse Review - Mad Shrimps.
• Patriot Viper RGB DDR4-3600 2x16GB Review - APH Networks.
• Razer Blade 15 Advanced Laptop review (2020 model – i7-10875H, RTX 2080 Super) - Ultrabook Review. Thanks Neutronbeam.
• ZOTAC GeForce RTX 3080 Trinity graphics Card Review - AusGamers.com.

• Crysis Remastered is using the Denuvo anti-tamper tech…
• Turner Sports Launches New Sports Game Using Blockchain System…
• Crystal Caves HD - A remaster of Apogee Software's Crystal Caves is coming soon…

We had an intruder this week, as a housefly managed to live up to its name and enter the house. This was quite the sly little pest who eluded all my murderous efforts to end its reign of terror. This was not a Breaking Bad style obsession, but more than a few attempts at a proper swatting proved futile. Then yesterday a prime opportunity presented itself, as the fly landed on the counter next to the leftovers of our first takeout from a nearby Greek restaurant since the pandemic began. I attacked with a rolled up newspaper, but this insect once again played roadrunner (Musca domestica) to my coyote (slo-mo sapien). Or at least so I thought, until I saw that the current of air created by my attack had forced the fly into the small cup of salad dressing from our takeout. We were really enjoying this bit of the leftovers, as I found dipping cherry tomatoes into it very delicious. So even in death our intruder had the last laugh, going out in style as the proverbial fly in the ointment. R.I.P. Mr. Fly, you were a worthy opponent.

Flying Round-up
Thanks Ant and Neutronbeam.

Breakfast Links

• Calgary-made whisky named best in the world by annual Whisky Bible. Thanks Max.
• Here are the winners of the 2020 Ig Nobel Prizes to make you laugh, then think.

Stories

• Hoverboard-riding dentist sentenced to 12 years for Medicaid fraud.
• The Vikings Were More Complicated Than You Might Think. Thanks Roddy.

Science

• Study suggests substantial proportion of pet cats and dogs are infected with SARS-CoV-2 by their owners. Thanks Max.
• Why Scientists Should Use Magic to Study Animal Intelligence.

Images

• Scenes From the 2020 Tour de France.

Media

• LEGO Gladiator (feat. Hans Zimmer).
• Grievous Maximus.
• Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston get flirty, Shia LaBeouf goes wild in Fast Times table read.

The Funnies

• Savage Chickens.

Following their actions against TikTok, word is the Trump administration is now scrutinizing companies with backing from Chinese conglomerate Tencent, including Epic Games and Riot. Bloomberg reports the details:

The Trump administration has asked gaming companies to provide information about their data-security protocols involving Chinese technology giant Tencent Holdings Ltd., people familiar with the matter said.

The Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., which is chaired by the Treasury Department, has sent letters to companies, including Epic Games Inc., Riot Games and others, to inquire about their security protocols in handling Americans’ personal data, said the people, who asked not to be named because the discussions are private.

Tencent, the world’s largest gaming company, owns Los Angeles-based Riot and has a 40% stake in Epic, which is the maker of the popular video game Fortnite. Representatives for the companies declined to comment or didn’t immediately respond. The Treasury Department declined to comment.

The inquiry builds on the Trump administration’s heightened scrutiny of Chinese companies and their ties to U.S. firms -- a source of fresh tension with the Beijing government and a pillar of President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign. Tencent’s American Depositary Receipts fell 2.4% to $66.66 on the news.

A new era for Football Manager 2020 kicks off this week with the release of the association football/soccer game Epic Games Store. This starts with a bang, as the game is free to keep if you pick up your copy between now and next Thursday. Word is this version supports cross-platform play with the Steam edition. Here's word on the series:

Football Manager (FM) is the world's leading football management simulation title. With more than 50 countries to manage in and a database of over 800,000 players and staff it offers an incredibly detailed and immersive experience. In FM you make all of the key decisions, from signing (and selling) players through training, team selection and tactics as you take your team to the top of the footballing world while carving out your own philosophy and strengthening your club's identity. FM has grown to become more than just a game and has embedded itself in the football industry; the FM database is used by several clubs to help shape their recruitment strategies and thousands of professional footballers and backroom staff members are committed fans of the game. FM has become an integral part of modern fan culture; the game has not only enhanced the collective footballing knowledge of its players but has been the inspiration for several books, a stand-up comedy show and even a feature length documentary. For more information on Football Manager, visit www.footballmanager.com.

In addition to Football Manager 2020, Stick It To The Man! is now free as promised on the Epic Games Store as one of their latest giveaways. This is accompanied by another unannounced freebie, as you can also now get Watch Dogs 2 for free as well. All this week's giveaways are yours to keep as long as you claim your copies within the next seven days. After that RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 Complete Edition will become the next giveaway, perhaps to be accompanied by more unexpected surprises. Here's more on this week's gratis games:

Watch Dogs 2
Play as Marcus Holloway, a brilliant young hacker living in the birthplace of the tech revolution, the San Francisco Bay Area.
Team up with Dedsec, a notorious group of hackers, to execute the biggest hack in history; take down ctOS 2.0, an invasive operating system being used by criminal masterminds to monitor and manipulate citizens on a massive scale.

Explore the dynamic open-world, full of gameplay possibilities
Hack into every connected device and take control of the city infrastructure.
Develop different skills to suit your playstyle, and upgrade your hacker tools – RC cars, Quadcopter drone, 3D printed weapons and much more.
Stay seamlessly connected to your friends with a brand new co-op and adversarial multiplayer Watch Dogs experience.

Stick It To The Man!
Meet Ray, he lives in a world where everything is made out of paper and stickers. One day he has an accident and wakes up with a giant pink spaghetti arm sticking out of his brain. This gives him awesome powers and he can suddenly change the world around him by folding it, tearing it, pulling stickers off and sticking them elsewhere! And if that weren't enough, Ray can also read peoples minds! He is framed by ‘The Man’ with a crime he didn’t commit, and is on the run. Can you help to get Ray out of this sticky situation? Get ready to tear it, rip it and Stick it to the Man!

The Fortnite Website reveals that the Apple Epic legal feud is resulting in Epic being prevented from supporting Fortnite Save the World on Macs, so they are pulling the free-to-play battle royale for iOS. They say they are refunding cash transactions for Mac gamers:

Apple is preventing Epic from signing games and patches for distribution on Mac, which ends our ability to develop and offer Fortnite: Save the World for the platform. Specifically, our upcoming v14.20 release will cause bugs for players on v13.40, resulting in a very poor experience. Since we are no longer able to sign updates and release fixes for these issues, beginning September 23, 2020, Fortnite: Save the World will no longer be playable on macOS.

We are issuing a refund for all players who purchased any Save the World Founder’s or Starter Packs (including Upgrades) and played Save the World on macOS between September 17, 2019 and September 17, 2020. Additionally, any purchased V-Bucks spent on Llamas on macOS in this period will also be refunded. As of today, September 17, 2020, Save the World Starter Packs will no longer be available for purchase on macOS.

Continue here to read the full story.

With the release of new GeForce drivers today, Fortnite now supports NVIDIA RTX ray tracing. This trailer shows off what this adds to the game, and this post has details, including how to turn on ray tracing. Here's a bit:

WHAT IS RAY TRACING?
The advanced rendering capability of ray tracing allows new visual and lighting effects previously not possible in Fortnite. With our latest update, we’re delivering improved ambient occlusion, shadows, reflections, and real-time global illumination.

How’s it look? The side-by-side screenshots below show how supporting PCs can create lifelike reflections and shadows when ray tracing is enabled. Nvidia has also pulled together a ray-traced map in Creative to show off the new tech. Use this Island code to check it out: 9189-0518-5408.

Continue here to read the full story.

Developer V1 Interactive announces they are phasing out multiplayer support for Disintegration, just three months after the release of their sci-fi first-person shooter with real-time strategy elements. This is a process that begins with today's removal of the in game store and will conclude two months from today with the full removal of multiplayer support. Their reason for the move is in a separate Multiplayer Sunsetting FAQ which says: "With Disintegration, we attempted to build a unique and compelling multiplayer experience for our players. We currently don’t have a significant audience in our multiplayer mode for a compelling experience for our players, so we’ve made the collective decision to sunset the multiplayer support." Here's the announcement:

We have made the difficult decision to remove Disintegration’s multiplayer modes from the game across all platforms. This will be done in phases over the coming months, starting today with the removal of the in-game store, and will conclude on November 17th with the full removal of multiplayer. The single player campaign will remain fully playable moving forward.

From both the development team at V1 Interactive and publishing group at Private Division, we stand by the creative risks taken to launch such a unique, genre-bending game created by this small but talented and passionate team. While our player base showed interest in the single player campaign, the game unfortunately struggled to build a significant audience necessary for a compelling multiplayer experience. After weighing options, we have collectively made the decision to sunset the multiplayer support.

We believe the video game industry needs constant innovation, and we will continue to take risks, follow creative visions, and support new ideas.

To everyone who has played Disintegration: we thank you.

Hades is now out of Early Access, and is now officially available on the Epic Games Store and Steam. This doesn't exactly represent hell freezing over, but the game did first enter Early Access in December 2018 when the Epic Games Store first opened. Here's a v1.0 Gameplay Showcase Trailer with a look at the release version and this post on Steam has more on the launch, including a v1.0 Launch Update Patch Notes Dramatic Reading Trailer, which is a first as far as we know. Finally, there's this v1.0 Launch Trailer. Here's word on Supergiant's plans for their action/RPG: "We put everything we've got into v1.0 of Hades! As always around our game launches or Major Updates, we'll be monitoring this launch closely to ensure it's as problem-free as possible for all players, deploying patches as needed to address any issues. Once we're sure things are in a good spot, our small team will be taking a break to recharge, and plan what's next. Looking further ahead to 2021 and beyond, we'll be excited to say more about what's in store for us just as soon as we're ready." Here's an overview of the game:

Hades is a god-like rogue-like dungeon crawler that combines the best aspects of Supergiant's critically acclaimed titles, including the fast-paced action of Bastion, the rich atmosphere and depth of Transistor, and the character-driven storytelling of Pyre.

BATTLE OUT OF HELL
As the immortal Prince of the Underworld, you'll wield the powers and mythic weapons of Olympus to break free from the clutches of the god of the dead himself, while growing stronger and unraveling more of the story with each unique escape attempt.

UNLEASH THE FURY OF OLYMPUS
The Olympians have your back! Meet Zeus, Athena, Poseidon, and many more, and choose from their dozens of powerful Boons that enhance your abilities. There are thousands of viable character builds to discover as you go.

Continue here to read the full story.

Paradox Interactive announces a December 1st release date for Empire of Sin, and they are now accepting preorders for this prohibition era wise-guy strategy game designed by John and Brenda Romero of Romero Games. Preorder customers will receive The Good Son Pack as a bonus, which adds an exclusive in-game mission and gangster. There's also a Deluxe Edition and a Premium Edition with more extra content. You can preorder the game through the Empire of Sin Website which leads to Steam for the Windows and macOS editions. Here's the preorder trailer. Here's more on this offer you can't refuse:

Empire of Sin, the strategy game from Romero Games and Paradox Interactive, puts you at the heart of the ruthless criminal underworld of 1920s Prohibition-era Chicago. It’s up to you to hustle, charm and intimidate your way to the top of the pile and do whatever it takes to stay there. This character-driven, noir-inspired game puts players smack dab in the glitz and glamor of the roaring 20s, all while working behind the scenes in the gritty underbelly of organized crime.

Continue here to read the full story.

The Dota 2 Blog announces the release of Immortal Treasure III and that Valve is extending the battle pass for their MOBA until October 9th:

Immortal Treasure III is now available, featuring all-new items for Pugna, Clockwerk, Oracle, Treant, Gyrocopter, and Lich.

In addition to these items, each of these treasures you open also offers increasing odds of receiving a rare reward of 50 Battle Pass levels, a very rare Golden version of the Pugna item, or the ultra rare Phoenix Wings. As always, there is a cosmically rare chance you’ll discover a Divine Emblem.

The Battle Pass will be extended for 3 more weeks, until October 9th, with the results of the Arcana vote revealed at that time (hint: it’s a purple melee carry that can cross distances with ease). During this final stretch, each Battle Pass owner can purchase up to two bundles of 60 levels at a 30% discount.

Head over to the Battle Pass page for a preview of the new items and custom effects featured in the treasure.

HyperBrawl Tournament will launch for PC and consoles on October 20th, a bit later than the summer release window Milky Tea Studios announced for their arcade sports brawler. The Windows edition is headed to Steam. The story for the game is set by this Release Date Trailer. Here's more on this game they describe as "a beautiful and fast-paced PvP experience":

Smash, brawl and score your way to victory in relentless, high-adrenaline, 1-4 PvP arena battles. Master the legendary HyperCurve, granting you complete control of the ball to outmanoeuvre opponents and score awesome goals. Or deploy the HyperForce, enabling you to launch your opponents out of the arena with its devastating, game-changing power. In a competitive mix of sports and brawling, players assemble their team with a combination of heroes and weapons of their unique choosing to bring into the arena as they fight for control of the ball, throwing it into the opposition’s goal to outscore their opponents. Outside of that, there are no rules so don’t be afraid to fight dirty. It’s not just about locking horns though as the key to victory is mastering the HyperCurve, and using the HyperForce at the most critical moments, to turn the tide of the match.

Continue here to read the full story.

Ubisoft now offers Battle Pass Season 2 for Brawlhalla, their cross-platform brawler. The premium version of the pass can be purchased on this page, which offers this trailer. Here's the battle plan:

Players progress through the Season 2 Battle Pass by earning Gems through General, Daily and Weekly missions, increasing their Battle Pass Tier. One Daily Mission is granted to each player every day, with the ability to store up to three Daily Missions at a time. Once a Day, players can recycle a Daily Mission for a new one, while Weekly Missions open each new week of the Battle Pass and will not expire until the end of the Battle Pass Season. If players want to progress faster through the tiers, they can unlock them immediately for 35 Mammoth Coins each.

Continue here to read the full story.

• Humble You Can Pet the Dog Bundle (pay what you want and help charity).*
• Steam Publisher Sale: THQ Nordic.

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

• Disintegration - Patch Notes 1.03.
• New patch for Neverwinter Nights- Enhanced Edition adds improved graphics and toolset updates.

• Before & After Don't Starve - The History of Klei Entertainment - Noclip. Thanks Ant.

• Pre-Order Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S Starting Tuesday, September 22.
• Welcome To Elk Is Now Available For Xbox One.
• Vampire's Fall: Origins Is Now Available For Xbox One.
• Empire Of Sin Is Now Available For Digital Pre-order And Pre-download On Xbox One.
• BALAN WONDERWORLD Is Now Available For Digital Pre-order And Pre-download On Xbox One.
• Two brand new Monster Hunter games coming to Nintendo Switch in 2021.
• Xbox Insider Release Notes - Beta and Delta (2010.200915-0000).

• Facebook's latest app combines Messenger and Instagram chats for small businesses.

Thanks Neutronbeam.

• Facebook is clamping down on groups tied to violence and health misinformation.
• Twitter imposes new security rules for US political accounts ahead of the 2020 election.
• Outlook.com finally gets this super useful feature as it tries to keep up with Gmail.
• The star of Netgear’s first WiFi 6 gaming router is its software.
• Mozilla sunsets Notes and Send to 'tighten' its product focus.
• Spotify belatedly adds notifications for new podcast episodes.
• How to setup a VPN at home.
• Amazon reportedly sold drugs used for doping months after promising to crack down.

Thanks Neutronbeam.

• The End of SLI As We Know It- Nvidia Reveals New Model.
• NVIDIA RTX 3080 runs Crysis Remastered in 4K-Max Settings with 25-32fps.
• Nvidia Is Manually Reviewing RTX 3080 Orders to Stop Scalpers.
• How a Bot Bought Dozens of RTX 3080 Units Before Consumers Could Grab Them.
• People Are TROLLING Nvidia Scalpers (video). Thanks Simon.
• Unity Announces Pricing of Initial Public Offering.
• 20 years of Linux on Big Iron.
• Y2K, 9/11 and a Story of Data Persistence. Thanks The Flying Penguin.
• Sennheiser Anniversary HD 800 S Headphones.

• Patient dies after ransomware attack reroutes her to remote hospital. Thanks Neutronbeam.
• Chinese Antivirus Firm Was Part of APT41 ‘Supply Chain’ Attack.
• This ransomware has borrowed a sneaky trick for delivering malware to its victims.

• Overwatch player discovers advantage of barefoot D.Va & Pharah skins. Thanks Neutronbeam…
• QUAKE REMASTERED Vinyl 2XLP – Nine Inch Nails…
• Warner Bros. Distances Hogwarts Legacy From J.K. Rowling…

Last Link of the Day: Roger Angell Turns One Hundred. Happy birthday to my favorite baseball writer. Thanks Neutronbeam.

New version 456.38 GeForce Game Ready Windows Drivers are now online for NVIDIA GeForce accelerators. These add support for their spiffy new RTX 3080 and 3090 GPUs and for Fortnite RTX, Halo 3: ODST, and Mafia: The Definitive Edition. Also, new Radeon Software Adrenalin 2020 Edition 20.9.1 Drivers are now available for AMD graphics cards. These offer a number of fixes, including performance improvements for Project CARS 3. Here are some release notes for each set of drivers:

GeForce Release Highlights

Game Ready for Fortnite RTX
This new Game Ready Driver provides support for Fortnite’s dramatic new update which adds ray-traced effects, NVIDIA DLSS, NVIDIA Reflex, and a custom RTX map. In addition, this release also provides optimal day-1 support for Halo 3: ODST and Mafia: The Definitive Edition.

Continue here to read the full story.

SEGA announces they will be giving away a new Amazons hero pack next week for Total War Saga: TROY, the latest installment in Creative Assembly's historical strategy series. This will be on the Epic Games Store starting on September 24th and will be yours to keep if you pick it up before October 8th. The original game is required, but this should apply to a lot of people, as the game was also free when it was released last month for free on the Epic Games Store and over seven million copies were handed out. Here's what this will offer:

The Amazons Hero Pack will be free-to-keep if claimed between the 24th of September until the 8th of October, and introduces two of the fiercest female heroes of the age to A Total War Saga: TROY. Take on the role of Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons, or her fierce warrior-queen sister Penthesilea and carve out a new legacy for your tribes. Both characters welcome new and unique campaigns, as well as a diverse host of features including the first female-only Total War army roster and the first horde faction for a Total War Saga: TROY.

Early Access has begun for Medieval Dynasty and Toplitz Productions' Windows world-building game is available on Steam. Take a look at the LAUNCH TRAILER for an idea of what this is all about, and here's word on why this will hopefully not a feudal effort:

Europe in the early Middle Ages -- Nobles and clergy rule and the trade between the nations brings prosperity as well as envy, distrust, and greed. Military conflicts are everywhere and whole continents are changing.

In Medieval Dynasty, you take on the role of a young man who has fled the war and wants to take his fate into his own hands. From being alone, inexperienced and poor you will develop into a master of many skills, a leader of your community and the founder of a prosperous dynasty which is meant to last and expand for generations to come.

Continue here to read the full story.

Ragnorium is now available in Early Access on Steam, offering first crack as this Windows planet recolonization simulator "spanning eons of time." Here's an Early Access Trailer and here's word on the game from developer Vitali Kirpu/Pixel Piracy and publisher Devolver Digital:

The Steam Early Access launch introduces players to the base game loop of creating cloned colonists, preparing the dropships with cargo, and building out a base-level colony with a wide variety of materials and equipment from the first era of technology. Over time, new eras of technology will be added bringing new materials and equipment into the fold.

Ragnorium had been quietly available in ‘Earliest Access’ on Steam and only accessible through a direct link and not searchable on Steam. This two month run in a private release window allowed a few thousand players to test and provide feedback for updates to visuals, sound design, UI, and overall presentation before today’s debut to the wider Steam audience.

The launch into Steam Early Access marks the beginning of a content roadmap that will include more colonist types, planet maps, items, resources, characters and boss encounters. Developer Vitali Kirpu’s iterative design process lets Ragnorium benefit from rapid feedback and guidance from the community about the overall direction of the game and its mechanics - something that helped produce significant changes in the private Earliest Access phase.

Continue here to read the full story.

The dog days of summer are almost over in the northern hemisphere, but they've just begun for Dog Duty, as this real-time tactics game is out of Early Access and now available for Windows, macOS, and consoles, with the PC edition offered through Steam. This is the output of two-person development studio Zanardi and Liza, and you can see its Commandos and GI Joe influences in the Launch Trailer. An interview on the SOEDESCO Website discusses the six-year process that's led to this moment. This post discusses what's new in version 1.0, so grab your clean-up bags and watch where you step as you read on:

Today is the day. Dog Duty was launched out of Early Access and v1.0 is now live! I want to thank you all for the support and trust you've given us during the Early Access period of Dog Duty. A lot has happened, and it is all thanks to your feedback! Thousands of bugs have been squashed, new enemies and vehicles were added and even a whole new game mode was implemented into the game! Now of course, this v1.0 comes with some patch notes, so here they are!

• Added a brand new Horde mode map
• Completed Horde Mode screens
• Tweaks on horde calculations and challenge
• Fixed issue that could halt boss wave on Horde Mode
• Fixed collisions/map of Swamp's Armor Supply
• Improvements on gamepad's target snapping
• Added a very specific and secret character on Horde mode, that may be unlocked by doing something very specific ;)

I hope you'll all have fun with Dog Duty, and of course if there's any feedback you might still have, please let us know!

Continue here to read the full story.

The Dungeon Of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet Of Chaos is now available for Windows and macOS, and this tactical RPG can be found on the Epic Games Store, GOG.com, and Steam. This game is based on a French audio comedy series and includes the voice acting of geek icon Felicia Day. It's available as both a Standard Edition as well as a Deluxe Edition with extra content. Here's a Launch Trailer and here's an outline of what the naheulbeuk is going on here:

The Dungeon Of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet Of Chaos is a turn-based tactical RPG chock-full of charm, humour and chaos. Leading a ragtag company of unlikely heroes, players will embark on an epic adventure through the dreadful dungeon of Naheulbeuk, utilising both “strength” and “smarts” to overcome the very worst that the evil lord Zangdar has to throw at them.

With a stellar voice cast lead by Felicia Day (The Guild, Geek & Sundry, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet of Chaos combines the fun, creativity and chaos of an epic fantasy tabletop campaign with the challenge of the very best tactical RPG games, delivering an adventure unlike anything you’ve played before.

Continue here to read the full story.

Early Access is now underway on Steam for Forge and Fight!, a game that mixes crafting and combat, as you must create your own over-the-top weapon combinations to carry into battle. The Early Access Trailer takes a look at the concept and gameplay, teaching the lesson never to bring a sword-gun into a lightning-flamethrower fight. Here's what you need to know about this:

Enter the forge today as a blacksmith gladiator in charge of choosing from a variety of weapon parts to craft and arm yourself with the biggest, baddest weapon that you can think up! Then take your creation online to fight against up to 8 other players in online arena battle action. Or if you just want to experiment in single-player, then check out the open-ended Sandbox Mode with 50 weapon parts to choose from and endless waves of bots to annihilate.

Need a weapon to enforce social distancing against your online adversaries? Or maybe you just want to incinerate everything in your path with a flame-thrower - either way, Forge and Fight!’s creative, freestyle fighting capabilities with unlockable items over the course of each match will keep your foes on their toes with hours of hilarious replayability and side-splitting fun!

Continue here to read the full story.

• VALORANT Patch Notes 1.08. Thanks The Loadout.

• Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War - Alpha Trailer.
• DEATHLOOP – Official Gameplay Trailer 2: Two Birds One Stone. Thanks DSOGaming.
• DIRT 5 - Xbox Series S - Official Next-Gen Gameplay.
• Hell Architect Kickstarter announcement.
• Leisure Suit Larry: Wet Dreams Dry Twice - Gameplay Trailer.
• Necromunda: Underhive Wars - Tips Trailer.
• How to fool an NPC mugger - Invisibility Ring. Thanks Ant.

• Samsung Galaxy players reportedly still waiting on LoL Worlds 2017 skin payments.

• PlayStation 5 Won't Have Backward Compatibility With Classic PlayStation Games, Jim Ryan Confirms.
• Play the Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War PlayStation 4 Alpha on September 18-20.
• Exp Parasite Is Now Available For Xbox One.
• Dog Duty Is Now Available For Xbox One.
• Aery - Sky Castle Is Now Available For Digital Pre-order And Pre-download On Xbox One.
• Monster Hunter Rise Announced For Nintendo Switch; To Release In March 2021.
• Ori and the Will of the Wisps comes to Switch.
• Free Play Days – Hunt- Showdown, Warhammer- Chaosbane, and Sea of Thieves.

• Singapore to pay its citizens to wear Apple Watches. Thanks DSLReports via Ant.
• Sony Announces Xperia 5 II- 120Hz Full-Fledged Small Phone.

• Google Drive will start to delete trashed files after 30 days starting on October 13th.
• Comcast to provide Wi-Fi to low-income students through local community centers.
• Amazon Plans to Put 1,000 Warehouses in Suburban Neighborhoods. NIMBY! Thanks Hypothermia.

• Nvidia’s RTX 3080 is already sold out pretty much everywhere online in the US.
• Intel Stealthily Unveils New Comet Lake-H CPUs.
• Tiger Lake Tested: We Benchmark Intel’s Latest With Iris Xe Graphics and 10nm SuperFin.
• Intel’s Tiger Lake 11th Gen Core i7-1185G7 Review and Deep Dive: Baskin’ for the Exotic.
• Seagate Unveils Exos X18 18TB Enterprise Hard Drive.
• GIGABYTE to Hold Online Launch Event Focusing on New Cooling Technology for Latest AORUS RTX 30 Series. Thanks Hypothermia.
• Human biohacking: an exciting prospect, but only for the rich?

• Ransomware warning: Hackers are launching fresh attacks against universities.
• Microsoft warns: This Windows 10 workaround to cure Lenovo ThinkPad BSODs hits security.
• Tony Abbott hacked after posting boarding pass on Instagram.
• Malwarebytes 4.2 full release. Thanks DSLReports via Ant.

• Overseas provider uses local laws to push back against Australian encryption laws.

• A Total War Saga: TROY Review — FRAGS OF WAR.
• Hades review - Rock Paper Shotgun.

• ASUS GeForce RTX 3080 TUF Gaming OC Graphics Card Review - TechPowerUp.
• Endgame Gear XM1 RGB Mouse Review - TechPowerUp.
• Icy Dock MB741SP-B ExpressCage Review - OverClocked Inside.
• Lenovo Chromebook C340-15 review- A perfectly average big-screen Chromebook - Android Central. Thanks Neutronbeam.
• Founders Edition Showdown- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 vs. RTX 2080 Ti Graphics Card - AusGamers.com.
• MSI GeForce RTX 3080 Gaming X Trio Graphics Card Review - AusGamers.com.
• MSI GeForce RTX 3080 Gaming X Trio 10G Graphics Card Review - Neoseeker.
• MSI RTX 3080 Gaming X TRIO Graphics Card Review - Overclockers Club.
• MSI GeForce RTX 3080 Gaming X Trio Review - TechPowerUp.
• MSI GeForce RTX 3080 Gaming X Trio Graphics Card Review - ThinkComputers.org.
• NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Founder Graphics Card review - Guru3D.
• Palit GeForce RTX 3080 Gaming Pro OC Graphics Card Review - TechPowerUp.
• Zotac GeForce RTX 3080 Trinity Graphics Card Review - TechPowerUp.

• Set Photos: Wahlberg, Holland Film "Uncharted." Resemblance to tattered Spider-Man costume in that graphic intentional? Thanks Ant…

Our flu vaccinations went very well yesterday. The doctor's office was pretty together and we got in and out very quickly. The doctor had a good touch too, and the shots were painless. MrsBlue complained a bit about her shoulder yesterday and mine was a little sore this morning, but it's no big deal. It's also easily understood as I watched MrsBlue get hers (I don't watch myself getting needles out of cowardice) and the entirety of the one to two inch needle went in. It's really surprising we aren't more sore.

Well-Shot Round-up
Thanks Ant and Neutronbeam.

Breakfast Link

• He Invented the Rubik’s Cube. He’s Still Learning From It.' Thanks RedEye9.

Stories

• Chuck E. Cheese wants to destroy 7 billion prize tickets. Enough for at least three mugs and a glow-in-the-dark Frisbee.

Science

• When is the right time to get a flu shot?
• It’s now possible to detect counterfeit whisky without opening the bottle.

Media

• Video shows huge alligator swimming in storm surge after Hurricane Sally hit.
• Playful Kitty Unleashes Fury on Owner's Foot. Fargin' war!
• Same Place Tomorrow?

Follow-up

• NASA Issues Announcement Regarding Claims of Possible Signs of Life on Venus.