Globalnews.ca has details on a lawsuit Epic Games has filed against another beta tester for leaking "highly confidential information" about Fortnite in a story similar to a report from last month (thanks Gamasutra). The suit is against Montreal-based game tester Lucas Johnston. Word is: "The company alleges Johnston violated a non-disclosure agreement and is seeking yet-unspecified damages exceeding $85,000." Here are further details:

The court document claims Johnston took a screenshot of a new playing environment on Aug. 30 while he was working for Keywords Studios in Montreal, which provides user experience testing to game-makers.

Two weeks later, the image ended up on a Fortnite Competitions’ official user forum, more than a month before its scheduled Oct. 15 release.

The company claims the leak “deprived the claimant of the element of surprise,” tipped off its competitors to its strategy and affected its reputation among its peers.

“As the creative projects created by the claimant require a long period of time between the start of their conception and their commercialization, confidentiality is thus, throughout the process, essential in order to offer its users innovative projects at the forefront of the video game technology industry,” the company wrote in the filing.

According to the allegations, which have not been tested in court, an internal investigation by Keywords Studios traced the origins of the leak back to Johnston, who was allegedly seen taking the screenshot on security camera footage.

Unity of Command II is now available on Steam, offering this RTS sequel for Windows from 2x2 Games and Croteam. This Pre-Beta Showcase Video offers the most recent look at gameplay. Here's word on the launch:

Turning once again, and this time more generally, to the question of invasion, Unity of Comand II lands on Steam today! This allied effort in creating a deep, yet accessible and sophisticated strategy title has resulted in the ultimate war game!

Built on a brand new bespoke 3D engine, the game retains the signature art style of Unity of Command series and delivers updated, highly polished fluid gameplay. Easily accessible yet hard to master, Unity of Command II is the highly anticipated sequel to the cult classic that’s been turning novice players into battle-hardened grognards since 2011.

Unity of Command II lets you take command of Western Allies during the Second World War. Players will manage the army’s divisions as well as their supply and logistics. For the first time in the series, players will face Fog of War. Enemy AI and panzers will always seek to capture players' units’ stragglers — victory will depend on the general's ability to regroup and strike back!

Continue here to read the full story.

Headup Games announces the Portal Proficiency DLC for Bridge Constructor Portal is now available as promised on Steam. A trailer from last week features GLaDOS explaining what this offers, and I'm making a note here, huge success:

Return to the Aperture Science Enrichment Center and experience a brand-new challenge. Finally, you are now able to not only construct bridges, but you can even place portals yourself! It’s just like the real thing!

Face up to 30 brain-teasing, remarkably unsafe test chambers in three chapters. Create insane constructions and decide where to place portals to show if you really are proficient in working with Portals. Only the bravest and smartest participants will succeed and receive the Golden Condolence Letter.

Portal Proficiency DLC Features:

• New Aperture Science test series with 30 new, brain-teasing levels
• Place the portals in the new test chambers yourself!
• Create complex constructions in the Aperture Science labs

Continue here to read the full story.

We know a Lannister always pays his debts, and GamesIndustry.biz explains that companies sometimes do as well. They report that Starbreeze has submitted an administrator-approved plan to Swedish court outlining a how they will repay all their debts, with interest, to their creditors. Here's an outline of their proposal:

Starbreeze proposes to pay its supplier creditors everything they were owed as of the date they filed for reconstruction (Dec. 3, 2018) within five years, with 5% interest. Minor supplier creditors have the option of going with that arrangement or instead being paid everything they are owed within a year, but without interest.

The company's two largest creditors, Smilegate and Nordea, are being handled separately as they had provided financing via loans. Shares of Starbreeze's new publishing operation post-reconstruction are also being used as additional collateral for Nordea. Negotiations around the Smilegate loan are ongoing.

All told, Starbreeze said it had debts totaling SEK 395.7 million ($40.80 million) as of last week. However, it also cited an external firm's accounting of its assets as totaling SEK 1.6 billion ($164.99 million), with most of that being the value of the rights to the Payday intellectual property.

• Humble Unreal Engine Game Development Bundle (pay what you want and help charity).
• Steam Midweek Madness - Sonic Franchise, Up to 85% Off.
• Steam Daily Deal - Pogostuck- Rage With Your Friends, 30% Off.
• Steam Daily Deal - Vaporum, 50% Off.

• Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Nov. 12th Update: Black Market Revamp Now Live.
• Diablo III Patch 2.6.7 Now Live.
• Fallout 76- Hotfix Notes – November 12, 2019. Thanks MP1ST.
• FIFA 20 Title Update #6.
• Heroes of the Storm Patch Notes – November 12, 2019.
• Star Wars: The Old Republic - Claim Your Free Mini-pet to Celebrate Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order’s Launch.
• Prey VR Multiplayer in Typhon Hunter Available Now.
• Red Dead Redemption 2 November 12th PC update detailed; no stability improvements, crashes still occur.
• Get Ready for TERA’s Latest Content Update.
• World of Warcraft Hotfixes: November 12, 2019.
• Capcom-Unity Housekeeping Update: CAPCOM Account.

• CADENCE of DOOM. Thanks Ant.

• Doom creator John Romero on what's wrong with modern shooter games - The Guardian.
• "Expectations for full-price games is very high. You need a large budget to have a chance" - GamesIndustry.biz.

• GamesIndustry.biz - Ignore the critics -- Tax Relief is vital to the UK games industry.
  "The UK is extremely good at making games, and boasts a wide range of incredibly talented game development and publishing companies -- from indies to AAA. These companies (and the individuals working for them) are making ground-breaking games, and pushing the boundaries of creativity. This aspect of being "culturally British" should not be ignored, and the Cultural Test in its current form rightly takes the efforts of the individuals working on the games into account."

• Winners and Finalists 2019 - VR Awards 2019.
• Counter-Strike: Global Offensive » Keeping Things Transparent about team ownership.

• Sony Plans Faster PS4 To PS5 Transition.
• Bee Simulator Is Now Available For Xbox One.
• Tell Surreal Stories in Where the Water Tastes Like Wine, Coming to Xbox One November 29.
• "Reverse Horror Experience" Carrion Coming to Xbox One Next Year.
• Disney+ Is Available Now For Xbox One.
• The Biggest Inside Xbox Episode Of The Year Will Be At X019.
• Xbox Insider Release Notes - Alpha Ring (1911.191111-1430).
• Xbox Insider Release Notes - Beta, Delta and Omega Ring (1911.191111-1430).
• New Xbox One shuffle button will make tackling your backlog a lot easier.

• ASUS & Google Team Up for ‘Tinker Board’ AI-Focused Credit-Card Sized Computers.

• Twitch publicly launches its free broadcasting software, Twitch Studio.
• Google: You can trust us with the medical data you didn’t know we already had.
• Amazon gains unfair edge by making sellers use its shipping, complaint says.
• Disc Sales Slump Hard As SVOD Explodes.

• Nvidia RTX 3080 graphics card could be powering gaming PCs in June 2020.
• Benchmarks Of JCC Erratum- A New Intel CPU Bug With Performance Implications On Skylake Through Cascade Lake.

• Don't miss this patch: Bad Intel drivers give hackers a backdoor to the Windows kernel.
• Kaspersky DDoS report Q3 2019. Thanks DSLReports via Ant.
• New 5G flaws can track phone locations and spoof emergency alerts.
• True to its name, Intel CPU flaw ZombieLoad comes shuffling back with new variant.
• Don't trust the Trusted Platform Module – it may leak your VPN server's private key (depending on your configuration).
• This November, give thanks for only having one exploited Microsoft flaw for Patch Tues. And four Hyper-V escapes.
• From AV to oy-vey- McAfee antivirus has security hole of its own.

• A US federal court finds suspicionless searches of phones at the border is illegal.

• Herman Miller is getting into gaming…

Link of the Day: How to develop a chick from an egg in a clear plastic cup. Simultaneously fascinating and disturbing.

NVIDIA announces the release of new GeForce 441.20 WHQL Windows drivers. These are game ready to play Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order on NVIDIA graphics cards when Respawn's Star Wars action/adventure is released on Friday. These also add support for another three G-SYNC Compatible displays as well as for Stormland, an upcoming virtual reality release from Insomniac Games. Word is: "The new Game Ready Driver provides the latest performance optimizations, profiles, and bug fixes for Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. In addition, this release also provides optimal support for the new VR title Stormland."

Publisher Graffiti Games and developer Driven Arts announce plans for two closed beta sessions for Days of War, their upcoming multiplayer shooter set in World War II. The game is currently in Early Access on Steam, but word is these betas will include new maps and weapons. The first test will kick off on November 22nd, and the second will follow on December 13th, and those interested in taking part can sign up on the Driven Arts Website. Here's a Closed Beta Trailer with a look at the new content, and here's a two sentence summary of the game:

Days of War is a competitive online first-person shooter that reimagines the team-based, closed quarters, non-stop action of classic World War II multiplayer shooters. With tight controls and intense action, players will feel immersed into the battlefield.

Continue here to read the full story.

YAGA is now available for Windows and consoles, with the PC edition of this comedic role-playing game offered through the Epic Games Store. A look at gameplay can be found in the Official Launch Trailer, and here's more yada, yada, yada on the game:

Yaga’s darkly funny narrative and action role-playing premise tells the story of Ivan, a one-handed blacksmith with incredibly bad luck, who must take on the impossible tasks given to him by the tzar. All the while the mysterious witch, Baba Yaga, watches over Ivan’s fate as he bludgeons a variety of nefarious monsters and legends all of which have been inspired by Slavic folk tales.

Utilizing the games deep forging system, players can craft a vast arsenal of hammers and tools that Ivan needs to survive this dark underworld of pagan beliefs and motley creatures. Players can also explore the different combinations of talismans, magic items, curses and blessings, all of which fundamentally change the way Ivan plays and thus, further increases his capabilities.

Continue here to read the full story.

A new Public Enemy Weapon Pack is now available on Steam for The Surge 2, Deck13's action/RPG sequel. The Surge 2 is required, and this is sold separately, or as part of the game's Season Pass. There are details and screenshots in this post. Here's word on this pack as well as the more DLC coming to the game:

To acquire today’s new weapons, such as the Strongarm Twinblade sword or the Codename: Zarathrustra punching gloves, players must delve into the most inhospitable places of Jericho City in search of the one-time “citizens” who wield them. All that remains is to take what’s yours from their bodies.

Looking ahead to December, new full sets of cutting-edge gears for your exo-rig are coming as part of the Season Pass. Due to arrive in January 2020 is “The Kraken” DLC, also included in the Pass, which features a narrative-driven adventure set in a brand-new location with new enemy types and bosses.

Publisher WIREGAMES and developer GD ENTERTAINMENT announce Primordials of Amiryon, a "tug of war" MOBA coming to PC next year. They are showing this off starting today at Reboot Infogamer in Zagreb, but for those of us not local to Croatia, they provide an Announce Trailer with a look. Here are the details:

Primordials of Amiryon is a tug-of-war multiplayer online battle arena where players rule kingdoms and build armies to war for ever greater power. "One will rise, Many will fall”. Compete in 1v1 duels against other Primordials and their armies, simultaneously balancing resource management while choosing upgrade paths for buildings, champions and minions to gain key advantages on the battlefield. While even the greatest Primordial may not control every unit on the battlefield, some have abilities and ultimates that can turn the tide of war.

Primordials of Amiryon features:

Continue here to read the full story.

• Call of Duty Modern Warfare 11/12/19 - Update Details and Patch Notes. Thanks Charlie INTEL.
• Dota 2 Update - November 11th, 2019.

• Confront the past. In VALKYRIE, a new Overwatch short story. Text is here.
• Sonic The Hedgehog Movie (2020) - New Official Trailer - Paramount Pictures.

• Andrew Yang discusses collegiate esports on the campaign trail.
• Another Fortnite pro has been banned by Twitch.

• Yaga Is Now Available For Xbox One.
• Mad Games Tycoon Is Now Available For Xbox One.
• This Week’s Xbox Deals With Gold And Spotlight Sale.

• MSI Preps 240 Hz Optix MAG161 External Monitor for Laptops.

• IPv4 - this time it’s really over. It's over, Johnny!
• Close Election in Kentucky Was Ripe for Twitter, and an Omen for 2020. Thanks Boing Boing.
• Disney+ Goes Live & More Details Emerge.
• Disney+ says it’s working to ‘quickly resolve’ its launch day streaming issues.
• Spotify's free streaming can now be used on Sonos speakers.

Thanks Neutronbeam.

• Epic Games acquires photogrammetry startup Quixel to make games more realistic.
• Chinese SSD Manufacturer Races Forward to PCIe 5.0.
• Seagate Announces FireCuda 520 PCIe 4.0 SSD.
• Understanding "disk space math."
• New NVIDIA Studio Driver Arrives For Adobe Max, Supercharges Adobe Apps With New RTX Capabilities.

• Facebook's iOS App Caught Using iPhone Camera In The Background While Scrolling.
• Cyber attack on UK Labour was short-lived attempt to take down websites: source.

• Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition review - PC Gamer.
• Conan Unconquered - Christ Centered Gamer.
• Kingdom Under Fire II impressions: Burning bright - TweakTown.

• ADATA SU750 1TB Solid State Drive on ThinkComputers.org.
• ASUS ROG STRIX Scope keyboard on Guru3D.
• Crucial X8 1TB Portable SSD on LanOC Reviews.
• Dream Machines DM5 Blink Gaming Mouse on Mad Shrimps.
• EK-Meltemi 120ER Fan on TechPowerUp.
• Intel Core i9-9900KS CPU on TechPowerUp.
• OWC Envoy Pro EX Thunderbolt 3 and Plugable TBT3-NVME2TB Portable SSDs on AnandTech.
• Thermalright True Spirit 120M Rev.B CPU Cooler on Nikk Tech.
• Thermaltake Level 20 GT RGB Razer Keyboard on Modders-Inc.

• Gaming as recruitment tool paying off for US Army…
• In Japan, Fans Question Famitsu-Related Cameos In Death Stranding. Then they're gonna love when it wins game of the year on Geoff Keighley's award show. Thanks Neutronbeam…
• Nutaku confirms gaming chairs are for wankers. Asking for a friend…

I thought I hit the lucky number here, but it turns out I was mistaken. I realized the notice that appears below this space was out of date in saying "Over 1.1 billion visitors since 1997." Before updating this I double-checked our hidden visitor counter to make sure I was correct. You may not be aware this sits at the bottom of the main page here, as the text color matches the background, so you need to highlight it to view it. As shown in this screenshot, I managed to hit the lucky number right on the head, as I was visitor number 123456789! I thought President Skroob would be so proud. I mean, what are the chances? As it turns out, the chances were 100%, because the counter was disabled as part of the updates here, so anyone who checked this lately would see the same thing. As if he doesn't already have enough on his plate with our responsive redesign, I've pestered Frans about this, so hopefully this can be figured out. Now I have to shoot for being visitor 234567890.

Consecutive Links:	Thanks Ant.
Stories:	Snow cancels over 1,200 Chicago flights; temperatures to plunge in Midwest, South, Northeast. A Prisoner Who Briefly Died Argues That He’s Served His Life Sentence. Thanks Boing Boing. "Rin Tin Tin" Revived As 'Canine John Wick.' Goes on a revenge spree after his master is killed?
Science:	There’s Growing Evidence That the Universe Is Connected by Giant Structures. Can Empathic Concern Actually Increase Political Polarization? Thanks Max. A natural biomolecule has been measured acting like a quantum wave for the first time. Thanks Max.
Media:	Expert Jenga mastery. Neutron Stars, Almost As Extreme As Black Holes. I Was the Fastest Girl in America, Until I Joined Nike.
Follow-up:	Boeing says 737 MAX should resume commercial flights in January; shares jump. Baby Fish Feast on Microplastics, and Then Get Eaten. Alex Trebek gets choked up following 'Jeopardy!' contestant’s answer.