SteamDB Charts shows that Baldur's Gate 3 has already made a big splash in the short time since its launch. Larian's RPG sequel is listed as the second-most played game on Steam for the last 24 hours, trailing only the free-to-play Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. And the game's concurrent user peak is already ninth on the all time list. And it may be set to climb, as the game's user count achieved a new peak even as these words are being written, so we'll have wait and see what new heights it can achieve.

A tweet from Killer Instinct reflects an announcement from EVO 2023 that a free 10th anniversary update is coming to Killer Instinct later this year (thanks VG247). Details are scant, but more information is promised soon on plans to update the fighting game:

Our friends @IronGalaxy are back! And together, we’re bringing you Killer Instinct's free 10th Anniversary Update later this year – including a balance update, improved matchmaking, and 4K support for Series X|S.

More info coming soon!

Continue here to read the full story.

• Japan Should Be Proud Of The Term "JRPG" says Hideki Kamiya.

• Save 30% on The Witch of Fern Island on Steam.
• Save 30% on Monster Prom 3- Monster Roadtrip on Steam.

Unofficial games, patches, and mods.

• New 21GB AI-enhanced 4K Texture Pack for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.

• Diablo 4 players are getting banned for using that "seasonal exploit bug."

• Diablo 4 season journey bug will be fixed “in a few days.”

Content creator videos.

• Legendary Leftovers - Diablo 4 [Ep 7] - Carbot. Thanks Ant.
• Firearms Expert Reacts To Remnant 2’s Guns.
• RTX Raider. Thanks DSOGaming.

• Final Fantasy 14’s 10-Year Journey to Xbox.

• How to Automatically Delete Passcode Texts on Android and iOS (may require registration or subscription).

Thanks Roddy.

• Microsoft removes several Intel CPUs from Windows 11 official supported processor list.
• OpenAI is bringing some exciting new features to ChatGPT this week. Thanks Ant.
• Asian MIT Student Asks AI for a Pro Headshot, Gets Turned White.
• How to prevent video game input lag.
• My server is broken :( - Linus Tech Tips. Thanks RedEye9.
• Call to Pause Superconductor Experiments Roasts AI Doomerism.

• AI Swipes Data By Listening to Keystrokes with 95% Accuracy.
• What to do if your Wells Fargo deposit is missing.
• Chatbots- Why does White House want hackers to trick AI?

• Elon Musk Says Twitter Will Pay Legal Fees Of 'Unfairly Treated' Users.
• The FBI is investigating a multiple-state hospital ransomware attack.

• Misc: Tesla Solar Roof Review: Was it Worth It? - Marques Brown (video). Thanks The Flying Penguin.

Have simple fried eggs gone out of style? MrsBlue and I gave a second chance to a local diner yesterday and stopped in for breakfast. I ordered fried eggs, and our server asked "over hard?" When I said I wanted them sunny side up there was a flash on her face suggesting this was unusual. It was as if I ordered meat extremely rare or asked for mayo on pastrami or something. And when my eggs arrived, they were hammered beyond belief, with solid yolks. It's no big deal to get overcooked eggs, but like I say, her reaction and the way it turned out made me wonder if what I thought was an extremely common order might be more unusual than I think.

Stylish Round-up
Thanks Ant and Neutronbeam.

Brunch Link

• The barbecue style that turns a tough cut of meat into tender deliciousness.

Stories

• Italian fugitive Vincenzo La Porta caught in Greece thanks to football photo.
• Lobotomy-chic trend on TikTok has ugly history. Thanks RedEye9.
• Virgin Galactic to send astronauts to the edge of space. So, a Virgin Atlantic flight with no flight attendants?

Science

• Healing Power of Light- Biomimetic Materials Pulsed With Low-Energy Blue Light Can Reshape Damaged Corneas. Thanks Max.
• T cells burn out just a few hours after encountering cancer tumors.

Media

• Ai robots taking over ping pong 👀. Thanks RedEye9.

Creature Features

• Cat Moves Security Camera to Expose Dog While They Chew on Remote. Thanks VideoSift.
• His disability makes him a forever puppy 🥹. Thanks RedEye9.

Blizzard News preps Overwatch 2 players for the launch of the Invasion story missions in the first-person shooter sequel on August 10th. This is serious enough that John Cena stars in the Invasion Story Missions Trailer, though this just centers on his notorious elite hacking skills, and he does not appear in the game. Here's word:

With the cities of Rio de Janeiro, Toronto, and Gothenburg under siege, it will be up to you to save the world. Dive into Invasion Story Missions featuring many of your favorite Overwatch 2 heroes and all-new challenging enemies. Will you be able to stop the forces of the Null Sector?

On August 10, answer our enigma, John Cena's call with the Overwatch 2 Ultimate Invasion Bundle featuring permanent access to the Invasion Story Missions, the Invasion Premium Battle Pass featuring over 80 tiers of cosmetics, including an all-new Mythic skin for Ana, 20 Battle Pass Tier Skips, 2,000 Overwatch Coins, and two exclusive Legendary Null Sector themed skins for Cassidy and Kiriko.

Continue here to read the full story.

The August Humble Choice* is live, offering a new selection of DRM-free games to subscribers. Besides the chance to play a selection of games from the store's library, each month Humble Choice members get a selection of titles to keep. The Humble Bundle Blog has the details:

Navigate the labyrinth of your fractured mind while solving a murder mystery in the groundbreaking RPG Disco Elysium: The Final Cut. Exult in the thrill and gruesomeness of medieval combat with best-in-class multiplayer first-person melee in Chivalry 2. And that’s only the beginning….

With August’s Humble Choice, you’ll treat yourself to narrative games that’ll transport you, high-stakes 2D action, sims that’ll both challenge and delight you, and more. All eight games are yours to own and add to your PC gaming library forever when you’re a Humble Choice member!

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

Big Moxi Games announces Wardens Rising, a PvPvE base defense shooter coming next year to PC and consoles. This is a repeat, as the game was first announced over two years ago, though we've heard nothing about it since. Word is: "Wardens Rising is an action-packed thrill ride that combines the hero-focused, base-defending mayhem of League of Legends with the hero shooter gameplay and special abilities of Overwatch." The new Announcement Trailer is familiar, as it includes the same footage as the 2001 version. It's been a while, so here's a refresher:

Wardens Rising is an action-packed thrill ride, combining top-down hero shooter action and base defense concepts to deliver an experience unlike any other. With the fate of humanity at stake, you’ll choose from five Warden classes and dive into battle to fend off waves of invaders in the solo campaign or in online multiplayer co-op with up to four of your friends. Fortify your defenses and upgrade your character’s items and abilities to dominate hordes of enemies, take down bosses, and save humanity from the ultimate, interdimensional threat.

In each battle, you’ll lay waste to hundreds of enemies traveling inexorably down paths leading to vital energy cores you must defend using a mix of unique hero abilities and a customizable loadout of technology that includes a pet companion, cunning traps, walls, portals, and more. Between battles, you’ll unlock and upgrade new technology to become powerful enough to defend more challenging maps and invasions, progressing through the regions and taking on invasion bosses.

Continue here to read the full story.

Neon Doctrine announces Drill Man Rumble, a single-player and multiplayer brawler set to arrive on PC via Steam in November. This will feature platformer action with hand-drawn 2D graphic which can be seen in the EVO Reveal Trailer. Much like Mystery Men's Shoveler, in this you play an ardent devotee of one specific tool. Here's a bit:

In this fast-paced action title, you’re cast as a Drill Warrior, nominated by your tribe to take part in the Great Tournament! Bring honor and glory to your tribe by choosing one of 11 playable Drillers and battle it out across a variety of single and multiplayer game modes. You must master your Driller’s unique ability and, above all, avoid being hit — one hit takes you down!

In Drill Man Rumble, you must prove yourself as the most fearsome Driller in the multiplayer Arena Mode for up to four players (online or offline), hunt down your fellow Drillers for sport (and riches) in the endless, eight-player Bounty Mode, or DIY (Drill It Yourself) in the single-player Drill Mountain story campaign. But that’s not all; Drill Warriors will face hardcore platforming challenges and leverage skills such as Rebounding Mayhem and Super Speed. Whether it’s online or off, the world of Drill Man Rumble will test you as you pursue your quest to become champion!

Continue here to read the full story.

• Baldur’s Gate 3’s Statement On Microtransactions Warms The Heart.

• Save 80% on Legend of Keepers- Career of a Dungeon Manager on Steam.
• Save 25% on Cassette Beasts on Steam.
• Save 60% on Jupiter Hell on Steam.

Official patch.

• World of Warcraft Hotfixes: August 3, 2023.

Thanks Console General.

• Xbox Insider Release Notes - Alpha (2308.230802-2200).
• Xbox Insider Release Notes - Alpha Skip-Ahead (2308.230802-2200).

• The tablet market is in the toilet. For the toilet, in the toilet, by the toilet. Thanks Ant.

Thanks DSLReports and Ant.

• FCC Hikes ACP Low-Income Broadband Support for High-Cost Areas.
• The internet's other archive.
• Threads is getting a web version and a search function 'in the next few weeks.'
• Elon Musk’s X can’t send Blue subscribers their ad revenue-sharing payouts on time.
• X user “super pissed” that Musk ordered takeover of his @music account.
• Malwarebytes 4.5.34.275-CU 1.0.2089.

Thanks Neutronbeam and Console General.

• AMD rumored to be skipping high-end Radeon RX 8000 RDNA4 GPU series.
• Microsoft PC Manager 3.4.5.0 beta.
• The Chip Titan Whose Life’s Work Is at the Center of a Tech Cold War.
• HP covers printer's USB port with warning sticker to make sure you don't go right ahead and use it.
• 5 Ways Fix Z Banding in 3D Printing.
• How to Build a PC: The Ultimate Beginner's Guide.
• Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25921.

• TikTok will let Europeans disable For You feed.

• Influencer Kai Cenat to be charged with inciting riot after Playstation giveaway causes chaos in Union Square.

• The Expanse: A Telltale Series Episodes 1-3 Review - IGN.

• Sound Card/DAC: Creative Labs Sound Blaster Katana SE - Christ Centered Gamer.
• SSD: Inland TN446 1TB SSD Review- Tom's Hardware.

• Ukrainian Soldier Says He Owes His Combat Skills To Video Games…

It's been a summer of extreme weather in a lot of parts, here included. But the heat broke this week, and it's pretty fantastic out there today. If you've been suffering, here's hoping it's better by you too. It does seem borderline ironic that such nice outdoor weather comes on the first weekend of official availability of Baldur's Gate 3, but what are you going to do?

Round-up
Thanks Ant and Neutronbeam.

Stories

• Mega Millions jackpot could break record $1.537 billion set in 2018.
• Companies crack down on customer perks and rewards like airline miles.

Science

• 'Potentially hazardous asteroid' detected with new algorithm.

Image

• A Spectacular Sight- Webb Space Telescope Captures Stunning Images of the Ring Nebula.

Media

• Fireworks Market Sets Off Massive Chain Reaction. Thanks The Flying Penguin.
• Wrong Call! The Incredible Story of Transair Flight 810. Thanks RedEye9.
• Best World Records of August 2023 - Guinness World Records.

Creature Features

• Practicing my walk 😺. Thanks Kxmode.

Follow-up

• NASA says it has resumed full contact with its Voyager 2 spacecraft. Thanks RedEye9.

The Funnies

• Don't — StBeals.