9-Bit Armies: A Bit Too Far is now in Early Access on Steam, a new real-time strategy game that's genre specialist Petroglyph's sequel to 2016's 8-Bit Armies. This post on Steam is a "living roadmap" of what to expect during the Early Access period. This Nextfest Livestream with the Devs video has the most recent look at the game, and here's word:

From Real-Time Strategy veterans Petroglyph comes 9-Bit Armies: A Bit Too Far the sequel to their triumphant 8-Bit series of games. In 9-Bit Armies rally your military forces across a variety of battlefields and act out your strategy over land, sea and air. Deploy your airborne soldiers, destroy bridges, and aim your superweapons in a new kind of pixelated pyromania. Whether you are brand new to real-time strategy wargames or an experienced commander - 9-Bit Armies provides an extra bit of fun.

Need more? Join others online, playing together in co-op campaigns or against them in a mix of skirmishes supporting up to 8 players. Then download new maps, mods and more with full Steam Workshop integration, discovering new ways to render all to burning bits and bytes. You can also upload your own mods to share with friends and foes alike.

Continue here to read the full story.

This x-tweet from Pilestedt has news from the Arrowhead Studios creative director on changes expected to allow up to 800,000 simultaneous players in Helldivers 2. This seems to have worked, as a follow-up from a few hours ago indicates the developer feels it has finally overcome the capacity issues that have plagued the third-person shooter sequel since its launch:

I'm really happy and proud of the @arrowheadgs team for an amazing Achievement, the servers handled all @helldivers2 players this weekend without problem.

Now we have time to focus on improvements to the title and resume our original plan. Many exciting things upcoming!

Ubisoft unveils details about Year 9 for Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege, including a Rainbow Six Siege: Operation Deadly Omen Reveal Panel Trailer saying a full Season 1 reveal comes today at on the Rainbow6 Twitch Channel. The video says the reveal will be at 10:00 am PST (1:00 pm EST) but the announcement we received says it will be noon EST, which may just be pad time to allow viewers to arrive. Today's clip is pretty detailed already: It's set in a haunted house to highlight the addition of a "sinister" new operator. The developers discuss the "huge" shifts to the meta this season will bring, show off gameplay, and introduce a new Elite Set now available in the game. Here's more:

Today, Ubisoft revealed the first season of Rainbow Six Siege’s Year 9, Operation Deadly Omen. This season introduces Deimos, the first playable villain Operator in-game, improvements to current anti-cheat solutions including data bans on machine learning and meaningful changes to attachments and shields that reinforce tactical gameplay.

Operation Deadly Omen unleashes Deimos, a fearsome new Attacker equipped with the DeathMARK Tracker gadget. The gadget reveals the target’s precise location as a live ping and Deimos’ location until the gadget’s time runs out or one is killed. Tactically, this probe can be used for anti-roaming, avoiding enemy flanking and to distract enemy Operators. A brutal Operator, Deimos can control any map by pinpointing an enemy’s location. Deimos is a two speed, two health Operator, and his loadout features an AK-74M or a M5904A1 as a primary weapon, with a brand-new powerful revolver, .44 Vendetta, as a secondary weapon.

Continue here to read the full story.

• Save 35% on I Am Future- Cozy Apocalypse Survival on Steam.
• Save 30% on ULTRAKILL on Steam.
• Save 50% on The Pale Beyond on Steam.

• Tax-free status of movie, music and games traded online is on table as WTO nations meet in Abu Dhabi.
• Halo co-creator Marcus Lehto has left the EA Battlefield studio he founded.

• New Kojima Disney Doc Is Shorter Than MGS4’s Longest Cutscene.
• Etsy is already overrun with bootleg Helldivers 2 merch.

• DayZ 1.24 Stable Update - Out Now & DayZ in 2024.

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

• Tomb Raider Redux is a free remake you can download right now.
• WinUAE 5.2.0 - The latest Amiga emulator release. Thanks Ant.

• Researchers warn against using headsets like the Apple Vision Pro daily.

• What is an AI smartphone? Samsung, major players talk up tech.
• AT&T will give customers a $5 credit for this week's extended outage.
• The Honor Magic 6 Pro is like a luxury watch for your pocket.
• No, electric vehicle sales aren’t dropping. Here’s what’s really going on.

• SpaceX scrubs launch attempt of 24 Starlink satellites on Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral.

• Nvidia, Intel, and Jeff Bezos invest millions in AI humanoid robot company.
• Corsair rolls out cases for motherboards with hidden connectors — 2500D-X and 6500D-X support MSI Project Zero and Asus BTF.
• Multi-threaded computing across multiple processors demoed — promises big gains in AI performance and efficiency.
• goScreen version 19.0.8.1019. Thanks Ant.

• Insomniac Games alerts employees hit by ransomware data breach. Thanks DSLReports via Ant.
• How your sensitive data can be sold after a data broker goes bankrupt.

• Sandy Hook families vote to liquidate Alex Jones assets. Thanks RedEye9.

• Pacific Drive Is a Great Ride with Some Rusty Parts - Siliconera.

Thanks Neutronbeam.

• CPU/GPU/AIO/SSD Cooler: Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 EVO Review- This isn’t a competition. This is a massacre - Tom's Hardware.
• Misc: Nerdytec Couchmaster CYCON² review- I don't want to go back to my office - Windows Central.
• RAM: ANACOMDA Eryx Tataricus RGB 2x16GB DDR5 6000MHz Memory Kit - Mad Shrimps.

Pedro Pascal said he was ‘a little drunk’ while accepting SAG Award for ‘The Last of Us.’ This guy is a treasure.

Treasured Round-up
Thanks Ant and Neutronbeam.

Stories

• Can we have our cake and eat it- Welcome to the world of sugar elimination. Wait, what now? Thanks Max.
• Mexico City may be just months away from running of out water. Better set a meeting for months from now to address this.

Science
Thanks Max.

• Study links fermented foods with brain growth. Proof beer makes you smarter.
• Fossil reveals 240 million year-old 'dragon.'
• Wall under the Baltic Sea- a 'megastructure' built by Stone Age hunter-gatherers. Thanks RedEye9.

Image

• Night Portraits Showcase the Mystique of Our Connection to the Cosmos. Thanks A.C.M.

Media
Thanks RedEye9.

• Trump Sneakers - SNL.
• They're Listening - SNL.
• William Buckland: The man who tried to eat every animal. 19th century "science" ftw.

Creature Features

• Lucky Duck Tale. Thanks Digg.

Follow-up

• Microplastics Found in Sediment Layers Untouched by Modern Humans. Thanks Max.

Starry Studios announces PC beta testing for Once Human will resume on March 28th, coming alongside the launch of a mobile edition of this supernatural multiplayer game inspired by the work of the SCP Foundation. The beta will highlight new gameplay elements, a new creature, and a new area and interested players can sign right here. The news comes with an Official Multiplayer Trailer that's slightly janky and more than slightly weird. Here's word on the weirdness:

With the announcement of the Beta, Once Human released an exciting new trailer, which demonstrates the numerous in-game multiplayer gameplay modes available as players team up to explore the anomalous world and gather resources to build their shelter. They can also delve into aberration-ridden caves, board long-legged buses in search of treasure, and defend their territory from monsters alongside their comrades.

At the end of the video, a player is accompanied by a magic alpaca, who instantly produces a rabbit from a hat that can be used as a food source, making people wonder if this could be a clue that a pet or companion gameplay will be coming in the future.

Hoversteppers: Zone 1 is now available for Windows on Steam as a free-to-play prologue for Hoversteppers, an upcoming freestyle hoverboard game. This takes players back to the future by removing the wheels from their skateboards, so this isn't the same old grind. Here's a Trailer with a look, and here's more:

This is a free prologue for Hoversteppers, and it includes:

• 2 stages
• 2 Characters, and the starter hoverboard
  10+ Challenges

Hoversteppers is a freestyle hoverboard skating game. Explore stages, complete challenges against the clock, or freestyle your own way.

Continue here to read the full story.

Trackmania Website has details on the Rally Update Trailer mentioned yesterday (thanks Frans). While the racing game is not abandoning its titular tracks, the expansion of rally racing will invoke new off-roadish surfaces and new driving mechanics when it launches on Tuesday. The launch will include the chance to win some goodies:

We are now proud to announce the launch of the second episode with the Rally car, on February 27th. More than 240 new blocks & items inspired by the original Rally environment are coming with this update. 166 macroblocks will also be added for the gamepad editor. This release will be accompanied by several activities for a chance to win goodies:

• A Discovery campaign will be available from February 27th, allowing you to discover this new car. The first three winners on March 20th of the campaign will win Trackmania goodies.
• Two special Tracks of the Day will be released on February 27th and 28th, mixing sensations between the Stadium car and the Rally car on brand new blocks! The winner of the first Track of the Day will win Trackmania goodies.

The Rally car features a dynamic and reactive gameplay, with a slippery feel. The original gameplay has been kept on tech and dirt surfaces, and it has been adapted to the new Trackmania surfaces such as plastic, ice and wood! The car also works with the new physics, like reactors and cruise control effects.

Continue here to read the full story.

• IGN Fan Fest '24 (pay what you want and help charity).*
• Save 25% on Skater XL - The Ultimate Skateboarding Game on Steam.
• Save 30% on ULTRAKILL on Steam.
• Save 45% on DORAEMON STORY OF SEASONS on Steam.

• Plano Symphony Orchestra presents Video Games Live.

Unofficial games, patches, and mods.

• The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind Rebirth 6.6 Available for Download.

• G.I. Joe: Wrath of Cobra - Trailer.

↑ Official trailers. ↓ Content creator videos.

• Firearms Expert Reacts To Helldivers 2’s Guns.

• Nightingale Ultimate Beginners Guide.
• Kotaku’s Essential Guide To Helldivers 2.

Thanks Console General.

• Xbox Insider Release Notes - Alpha (2403.240221-2200).
• Xbox Insider Release Notes - Alpha Skip-Ahead (2408.240220-2200).

• Reddit admits more moderator protests could hurt its business.
• The dangers of parents sharing their children’s lives on social media. Thanks RedEye9.
• The Best Ad Blockers You Can Install. Thanks Neutronbeam.
• Pidgin, the universal chat client 2.14.13 Released. Thanks Ant.
• Tor browser version 13.0.10. Thanks Console General.
• X rolling out audio and video calls to non-Premium subscribers.

Thanks Console General.

• Doctors Concerned About Neuralink's First Patient.
• Evernote v10.77.3.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader DC 2023.008.20555.

• A former Gizmodo writer changed his name to ‘Slackbot’ and stayed undetected for months.
• U-Haul says 67K customers' data was stolen in cyberattack.
• LockBit extorted $1B+ from victims over four years.
• 'Most disturbing website on Internet' can find every single picture that exists of you.

• AT&T says outage was caused by software update – but DHS and FBI investigating. Thanks DSLReports via Ant.
• Amazon to pay $1.9 million to settle claims of human rights abuses of contract workers.

• Nightingale Early Access Review in Progress - IGN.
• Skull and Bones- the good, the bad, the ugly - and the utterly bizarre - Eurogamer.net.
• Skull And Bones review- an exceptionally boring live service shipping sim - Rock Paper Shotgun.

Thanks Neutronbeam.

• Case: darkFlash DLX4000 Review - TechPowerUp.
• Keyboard: Cooler Master MK770 Keyboard Review- Incredible Typing Experience, Bold Color Scheme - Tom's Hardware.
• Monitor/Projector: Asus ROG Swift OLED PG49WCD review - PC Gamer.

• Robert De Niro Once Produced a Wild Video Game Starring Christopher Reeve and Aerosmith…

I guess I'm a trendsetter, as just hours after I got sick yesterday came a relative flood of articles like this one citing a noticeable surge in Norovirus cases here in the northeast. The description of the symptoms of Norovirus fit my case, though how relatively quick my recovery was seems anomalous. But I do tend to rebound from being sick pretty quickly, so maybe this is the explanation. Either way, I'm certainly not going to complain about feeling better.

Obituary: Flaco, the owl that escaped from Central Park Zoo, is dead after hitting a building.

Trendy Round-up
Thanks Ant and Neutronbeam.

Brunch Link

• 3 Long-Term Effects Of A ‘Plastic Wrap Parenting’ Style. Thanks Max.

Science
Thanks Max.

• Treatment Breakthrough: FDA Approves First Ever Drug For Frostbite.
• Opioid cravings were reduced by anti-obesity drug in small study. Opiods are ironically also anti-obesity drugs.
• The brightest object ever observed in the night sky is a black hole that’s growing by the equivalent of one Sun a day. Thanks Acleacius.

Media

• Boy Kills World - Official Trailer (2024) Bill Skarsgård, Jessica Rothe, Andrew Koji.
• Villains Inc. Official Movie Trailer. Thanks RedEye9.
• Star Trek- Discovery - Season 5 Official Trailer - Paramount+.
• The Dismantling of USS Kitty Hawk. Thanks The Flying Penguin.

Auction

• Neil Gaiman auctioning off his comic art and collectibles.