Embracer Group tweets about the success of Evil Dead: The Game, saying it has sold over 500,000 copies since its launch on May 13th. The initial results for the horror game are actually even stronger than that suggests. VG247 notes that Embracer's recently released full-year Financial Report narrows the period further, saying those half-million sales came in the first five days of the game's release:

As part of the Embracer Group's Full Year Financial Report (21/22), Saber Interactive's Matt Karch outlines explicitly that Evil Dead: The Game has sold "approximately 500,000 units in five days". The game is the first title to be developed and published by Saber's publishing unit, and – per Karch – represents a huge success for the company. Evil Dead: The Game is apparently tracking better than World War Z, and Karch notes that the game will "continue to kick butt" as the developer supports it, going forward.

The SEGA Careers Page has some job listings for an unnamed Creative Assembly project (thanks SegmentNext via PCGamesN). These seek staff "to create unforgettable game experiences on a new project as part of a new franchise team." The Senior Gameplay Programmer Listing notes that the plan is to use Unreal Engine 5: "Working with the team, you will look to produce efficient and effective solutions to engineering problems, building on top of Unreal Engine 5." In 2019, Creative Assembly announced the Alien Isolation development team is working on a new first-person shooter, so it's possible this news is related.

• Kojima publicly responds to Norman Reedus' claims Death Stranding 2 is in development.

Announcing games that are not delayed edition:

• The Lord of the Rings: Gollum is still on track for its 'fall 2022' release window.
• The Callisto Protocol Release Still Targeting This Year; Will Be a "AAAA" Game

• Steam Client Update Released.
• Tiny Tina's Wonderlands story progression hotfix.

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

• Iron Man Unreal Engine 5 Tech Demo Available for Download.

• Close Quarter Map Trailer - Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege.

↑ Official trailers. ↓ Content creator videos.

• Godrick is EASY - Elden Ring Ep6 - Carbot. Thanks Ant.
• "A Weird G36!" - Firearms Expert Reacts To MORE Ready Or Not Guns.

Thanks Console General.

• Xbox Insider Release Notes - Alpha Skip-Ahead (2208.220519-2200).
• Xbox Insider Release Notes - Alpha (2206.220519-2200).

• iFixit will sell nearly every part of the Steam Deck — including the entire motherboard.
• Update to Windows Subsystem for Android on Windows 11. Thanks Console General.
• Apple’s VR Headset Gets Closer to Actual Reality (may require registration or subscription).
• Google’s Pixel Watch Reportedly Sports a Co-Processor for Less Intensive Tasks.

• Starlink Stuns & Crosses 300 Mbps In Download Speed Once Again.
• Google will temporarily let Match use alternate payment systems ahead of 2023 trial.
• ‘Stranger Things’ Season 4 Episode Length Revealed.

Thanks Neutronbeam.

• Here is why Microsoft continues to add unpopular features to Windows.
• Releasing Windows 11 Build 22000.706 to the Release Preview Channel. Thanks Console General.
• Leaked ASUS X670 Prime PCB diagram for AMD Ryzen 7000 CPUs confirms this motherboard has it two chipsets.
• Does disk encryption slow down your PC? [Ask ZDNet]. Thanks Neutronbeam.
• The Private Equity Firm That Grounded Paul Allen’s Dream (may require registration or subscription).
• Tesla’s Aura Dims as Its Plunging Stock Highlights the Risks It Faces (may require registration or subscription). Thanks The Flying Penguin.

• SolarWinds ready to move past breach and help customers manage theirs.
• Bank refuses to pay ransom to hackers, sends dick pics instead.

• Keyboard: Fantech MAXFIT67 RGB Mechanical Hotswap Keyboard Review - TechPowerUp.
• Laptop: Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 review (GX650RX 2022 model- Ryzen 9 6900HX, RTX 3080Ti) - UltrabookReview. Thanks Neutronbeam.
• Misc: Netatmo Smart Indoor Air Quality Monitor - Nikk Tech.
• PSU: Corsair TX550M Power Supply Review - Tom's Hardware.

It was only a couple of weeks ago when I was complaining that the weather wasn't very spring-like yet. Things have warmed up since then, making us very happy. But today things take a turn, as the forecast calls for it to be 95°F today and 94°F tomorrow. I'm on record as someone who enjoys warm weather, but taking it to this extreme. The dangerous heat will affect a large chunk of the east coast, so take care if you're in the path.

Toasty Round-up
Thanks Ant and Neutronbeam.

Brunch Link

• The Real Reason 'Matrix Resurrections' Bombed (may require registration or subscription).

Stories

• The Show Must Go On - by Dan Rather and Elliot Kirschner. Thanks The Flying Penguin.
• A hero dog beats back a mountain lion that attacked her owner. Thanks RedEye9.
• Red Power Ranger actor Austin St. John charged in wire fraud conspiracy indictment.

Science
Thanks Max.

• Psychedelics- how they act on the brain to relieve depression.
• How psychopathy might be an evolutionary adaptation.
• Tinnitus Seems to Be Somehow Linked to a Crucial Bodily Function, Studies Hint (sleep).

Media

• The Avengers Crucifixion Musical (Most Complete Version As Of 3-5-22). Thanks Boing Boing.
• Gorilla caught on video very gently petting a wild groundhog.
• Florida road rage incident. Classic bringing a knife to a gunfight error. Thanks VideoSift.

A free weekend is underway on Steam where you can play State of Decay 2: Juggernaut Edition, the Windows action/RPG from Undead Labs. This gives everyone the chance at surviving the zombie apocalypse for a couple of days for free. If the game sinks its teeth into you, it's on sale for 67% off. Here's a state of the decay address:

State of Decay 2 is an open-world survival-fantasy game set just after the zombie apocalypse. Your small community of survivors seeks to rebuild a corner of civilization, and you get to make all the decisions about how that happens.

You decide who to recruit to your team, where to settle your community, how to fortify and upgrade your base, and when it’s time to move to greener pastures. You select which survivor to bring along on a scavenging run for the food and ammo you need, and who you’ll use to fight off the zombies attacking your base. You choose how you’ll deal with other people who move into your town. Will you be friendly and welcoming... or will you aggressively defend your territory?

DEADCRAFT is now available for PC and consoles, offering an action/simulation where you take on the inevitable zombie onslaught. The Windows version is on Steam, where there's also a playable demo to sample. The game carries a 10% launch discount for the first week, which increased to 15% for the fancier Deluxe Edition. Here's a Launch Trailer, and here's an explanation of how this puts the crafting in death:

Stare in wild wonder as the half-human, half-zombie protagonist Reid slices through foes on a quest for righteous vengeance! Wield his inhuman zombie powers to fend off enemies while searching the wasteland for answers to what happened to the only man he could trust. Build fantastical new armaments, conjure curious concoctions, or even grow and harvest zombie soldiers to stand by Reid’s side against whatever the apocalypse throws at him. Throughout his adventures Reid will need to take advantage of the strength his zombie side can provide in combat while taking care to maintain what little humanity he has left to stay in the good-graces of the locals...or not, and fully embrace his inner-zombie to shake down the inhabitants. It’s a dangerous world, and in order to stay alive Reid must take full advantage of the dead!

Continue here to read the full story.

Stunlock Studios reveals that V Rising has already sold over 500,000 copies on Steam, even though it only launched into Early Access on Tuesday. Here's word on the early success of this Early Access vampire survival game.

Swedish game developer Stunlock Studios have announced today that V Rising, the early-access open-world vampire survival game, has sold over 500,000 copies after releasing on Steam Early Access three days ago on May 17th. With official servers of up to 50 players, enter the ravaged world of the vampires and build your magnificent castle in the mystical continent of Vardoran. V Rising is currently available on Steam for $19.99 / €19.99.

Continue here to read the full story.

NetEase Games and WBIE offer a Global Release Announce Trailer for Harry Potter: Magic Awakened, revealing this collectible card game is coming to PC as well as mobile upon its global release later this year. Closed beta testing is planned, and pre-registration is set to begin soon. Here's word:

Harry Potter: Magic Awakened is a real-time role-playing card game that reanimates the wizarding world of Harry Potter. The game is set several years after the events in the novel. The main character is a new student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Like Harry, Ron, and Hermione, the player embarks on a journey to become a first-class wizard.

Continue here to read the full story.

• Report: EA Was Deep In Merger Talks With NBCUniversal.

• Games account for 32% of Tencent's $21.3bn Q1 revenues.
• Thunderful sees 85% drop in operating profits, but revenues are up.

• ‘Twisted Metal’- Neve Campbell Cast In Peacock’s Live-Action Video Game Adaptation.

Official patches.

• Steam Deck Client Update- Fix-it Friday.
• Steam Client Beta.

Official trailers.

• Content Of The Week - 19 May - For Honor.
• Operation Vector Glare CGI Trailer - Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege.
• The Hand of Merlin Official 1.0 Launch Trailer.

• Reggie Fils-Aimé on diversity, technology and memeability - Podcast - GamesIndustry.biz.
• Japanese Developer of Suikoden Video Game Is Back With a New RPG - Bloomberg (may require registration or subscription).

• Farm the Dead to Stay Alive in Deadcraft.

• Rabbids: Party of Legends Brings The Rabbids Back to Xbox.
• Tiny Tina's Wonderlands- Glutton's Gamble is Out Now for Xbox One and Xbox Series X-S.
• Xbox, Dolmen, Multiplayer, and You.
• The Body Bugs are Coming for You - Free Today on Xbox.
• This Week On Xbox: May 20, 2022.

• New Release: Tor Browser 11.0.12 (Android). Thanks DSLReports via Ant.

• "Stranger Things" S4 First 8 Mins. Online. Thanks Ant.

• Researchers find backdoor lurking in WordPress plugin used by schools.

• Former employee sues GameStop for reportedly violating New York Labor Law.

• Blizzard offers refund for nerfed $25 Hearthstone card…

Last Link of the Day: ‘SNL’- Kate McKinnon, Aidy Bryant & Kyle Mooney To Exit Pete Davidson.

The promised free fly week is underway for Star Citizen, the crowdfunded game set in space, where no one can hear you ask about a release date. This celebrates Invictus Launch Week 2952, an annual celebration of the game's fictitious military industrial complex. This page is a hub for all the activities, and there's an Invictus Launch Week 2952 FAQ to address any burning questions this might raise. Here's an Invictus Launch Week 2952 Trailer and here are some details:

Invictus Launch Week is an event held the last week of May that marks the beginning of the new recruiting year and the graduation of the latest class of officers and pilots of the United Empire of Earth Navy (UEEN). Though a time to honor those in the Navy and other armed forces for their tireless service to the UEE, aerospace and defense manufacturers across the galaxy also takes the opportunity to showcase their vehicles designed for (or influenced by) the military. It allows everyone to see some of Star Citizen's biggest, best, and most iconic ships up close as different manufacturers take over the expo center halls. Plus, almost everything on display is available to test fly for free!

Continue here to read the full story.

Publisher Prime Matter and developer Massive Work Studio have released Dolmen, and this sci-fi action/RPG is now available for PC and consoles. Steam is where to get the Windows edition. The Launch Trailer offers a cinematic look at the game's hostile alien environment, though this is presented as some sort of 3D Ken Burns clip, so the camera is the only thing that really moves. Here's where this hopes to take you:

Dolmen takes place in a sci-fi universe where humanity has colonized several star systems using space travel technology and genetic manipulation. The Revion star system is distant from the main inhabited area of the galaxy, but it drew the attention of Zoan Corp. by emitting different radiation than other systems, suggesting the existence of other universes. Mysteriously, there is only one planet in this distant system: Revion Prime. Dolmen has players battling across Revion Prime while trying to unravel a mystery of an alien species, corrupt corporations, and unknown dimensions.

Behind everything appears to be the Vahani, an alien race that roams the universe altering the genetic makeup of other species. However, it remains to be seen if their motives are noble or more malevolent. It’s suspected that a kind of crystal called Dolmen is the key to their plans, and Revion Prime has an abundance of them, making it essential to unraveling the planet’s mystery.

Continue here to read the full story.

APICO is now available, offering a "laid back" beekeeping simulation for Windows, Linux, and macOS. The timing of this is not coincidental, as it comes just in time to celebrate World Bee Day and highlights developer TNgineers' efforts at saving the bees. The game can be found on the Epic Games Store, Game Jolt, Itch.io, and Steam. It gets a tiny bit complicated from there. Game Jolt and Steam also have a playable demo which does not seem to be on the other stores. It also appears that the Epic Games Store doesn't host the Linux edition, and we're told the game will also come to The Humble Store, but we don't see it there yet. Here's the Launch Trailer and here's the buzz on what happens when you mind your own beeswax:

Combining resource gathering, biology, and minigames with ideas from both real-life and fantasy beekeeping and gardening, APICO will teach players about the ins-and-outs of maintaining a healthy hive and the importance of our irreplaceable pollinating pals. The islands of APICO were once abuzz with different species of bees, and it’s up to players to rediscover lost species, cross-breed new ones, and repopulate each unique bee-ome. Progressing further into the game may also uncover some forgotten secrets. But that’s none of our beeswax.

Continue here to read the full story.

• Norman Reedus seemingly confirms Death Stranding sequel in development.

• GeForce Now isn’t a replacement for PS5 or gaming PCs just yet, Nvidia admits. Fire up your shocked face.
• "The days of Metacritic determining how well a game sells are long gone" says Saber boss - VG247. Hype now trumps reviews?

• SOEDESCO 20th Anniversary sale on Steam.

• Take-Two and Zynga will merge on Monday in one of the industry’s biggest ever deals.
• Halo support studio will pay for staff to move out of anti-trans and anti-abortion states.

• ‘Twisted Metal’- Thomas Haden Church Joins Peacock’s Live-Action Video Game Adaptation.

• Hearthstone 23.2 Patch Notes.
• Steam Deck Client Update- Quality of Life update.

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

• RPCS3 Latest Updates Bring Major Performance Improvements for Metal Gear Solid 4, Red Dead Redemption and Persona 5. Thanks Max.

Content creator videos.

• The Fight To Preserve Video Game History - Reset.

• Trackmania Grand League World Cup 2022 in Paris on July 1-3! Thanks Frans.
• 100 Thieves announces plans to develop a video game. Like taking candy from 100 babies.

• God of War Ragnarök accessibility features revealed.
• Xbox Series S is Simply Next-Gen. Still working on double-SKU messaging.
• Dolmen Is Now Available For Xbox One And Xbox Series X-S.
• Free Play Days – PGA Tour 2K21, State of Decay 2- Juggernaut Edition and SnowRunner.
• Next Week on Xbox- May 23 to 27.

• How AT&T, Google, and Apple are shaping the future of 911. And taking more of your privacy.
• Qualcomm Announces Snapdragon 7 Gen 1- Bringing Armv9 To Premium Smartphones.
• MSI teases the return of the Titan ultra high-end laptop series.
• Ingenious Underwater Drone Can Transition to Flight in Less Than a Second.

Thanks Frans.

• Amazon hardware exec takes another swipe at Zuckerberg’s metaverse fantasy.
• Bing international censors 'sensitive' Chinese names. Like Winnie the Pooh.
• Mozilla Firefox 100.0.2, See All New Features, Updates and Fixes.
• Mozilla Firefox ESR 91.9.1, See All New Features, Updates and Fixes.
• Mozilla Thunderbird — Release Notes (91.9.1).
• "Daredevil" Returns As Disney+ Series.

• Export bans prompt Russia to use Chinese x86 CPU replacement. Can it play Crysis? Thanks Burrito of Peace.
• Gigabyte and Maingear's Project Stealth Hides All of the Cables in Your Case.

• Cyber security: Global food supply chain at risk from malicious hackers.
• Report- Frequency of cyberattacks in 2022 has increased by almost 3M.
• Microsoft fixes Windows authentication woes.
• Going passwordless- Q&A with Microsoft's CVP of security, Vasu Jakkal.

• Lawmakers launch bill to break up tech giants' ad dominance. Thanks DSLReports via Ant.
• US won’t prosecute ‘good faith’ security researchers.
• Epic's lawsuit against Google won't stop Bandcamp's in-app payments.
• Canada to ban China's Huawei and ZTE from its 5G networks.

• Acquitted - Christ Centered Gamer.
• The Last Sunshine Rekindled - Part roguelite, part shmup, and you play as a sentient star! - Indie Ramble (video).

• Case: Fractal Design Meshify 2 Lite RGB Review - TechPowerUp.
• CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600 review - Guru3D.
• Mouse: SteelSeries Aerox 5 Wireless Gaming Mouse - Mad Shrimps.
• PSU: AORUS AP1200PM 80 PLUS Platinum Digital Power Supply Preview - TweakTown.
• Router: NETGEAR Nighthawk M5 5G WiFi 6 Mobile Router Review - TechPowerUp.
• Speakers: Creative Sound Blaster Katana V2 Review - APH Networks.

We have rolled out another new feature here, or perhaps enhancement is a better term. Registered users who look at the Manage Ignored Users Page on their account here will now see the number of users ignoring them. This is not intended to embarrass anyone, no one can see this information other than yourself. So it's really just for fun, though it may help some users better understand how their posts are viewed (or not viewed in this case). That said, some of the data may be skewed by factors that are hard to understand. We have three users who aren't even that active who are ignoring 959 users between them. One has 393 users on ignore, and one can only imagine the ghost town the forums must seem like when you block that many posts. Thanks to Frans for working out this new element, and here's hoping you find it interesting.

Ignorant Round-up
Thanks Ant and Neutronbeam.

Stories

• George R.R. Martin Gives Update On Winds Of Winter, Says Fans Can Be Vicious. Update comes from fan-financed mansion.
• National Guard Officer Allowed to Retire After Motorboating a Subordinate.

Science

• Inside the mind of a hoarder (and how to help them). Thanks Max.
• NASA's Voyager 1 Is Sending Back Mysterious Data From Beyond Our Solar System.
• Only a Whirlwind Can Save Mars Lander. Need to send the next one up with a can of compressed air.

Media

• Duck Runs Marathon & Wins Medal! Good for you Wrinkle! Thanks Kxmode.
• Lion attacks toddler on Mexican TV show. Go ahead, find a crazier video. Thanks VideoSift.