There's a new list of the Top 10 Selling Video Games (Retail and Digital), June 2020 on the NPD Group website. Also, a pair of tweets from Mat Piscatella discuss video game sales figures in the US for June 2020 and year-to-date. Word is these have both hit the highest point in a decade. Here are the tweets and the top 10:

June 2020 tracked spending across Video Game hardware, software, accessories and game cards totaled $1.2 billion, gaining 26% when compared to a year ago. This is the highest tracked spend for a June month since $1.3 billion was reached in June 2009.

Year-to-date tracked spending across Video Game hardware, software, accessories and game cards reached $6.6 billion, an increase of 19% when compared to a year ago. This is the highest total for the year-to-date period since $7.0 billion was achieved in 2010.

Rank	Rank Last Month	Title	Publisher
1	NEW	The Last of Us: Part II	Sony
2	1	Call of Duty: Modern Warfare	Activision Blizzard
3	3	Animal Crossing: New Horizons*	Nintendo
4	2	Grand Theft Auto V	Take 2 Interactive
5	5	Mortal Kombat 11	Warner Bros. Interactive
6	6	Red Dead Redemption II	Take 2 Interactive
7	835	Ring Fit Adventure	Nintendo
8	4	NBA 2K20	Take 2 Interactive
9	11	Mario Kart 8: Deluxe*	Nintendo
10	14	Minecraft Dungeons*	Microsoft

* Digital sales on Nintendo eShop not included

Kill It With Fire: HEATWAVE is now available for Windows on Steam, offering the promised second free playable demo for Kill It With Fire, the upcoming game of over-the-top arachnophobia. The first demo, Kill It With Fire: Ignition is still available as well. Here's more on the new one:

To help you become a licensed Kill It With Fire exterminator, the arsenal, map and more equipment are upgraded in the new chapter to maximize your spider hunting skills. In the meantime, the eight-legged enemies should not be underestimated as there are more types of spiders with different features and more challenging tasks. The new content includes:

• Spiders do not limit themselves at bedroom, restroom and living room any more, now you can explore the kitchen, laundry room, and garage for their traces, complete new objectives, and find new equipment.
• The first two missions have been re-mixed with content from later in the full game.
• Each mission now features an Arachno-Gauntlet with a unique challenge.
• Cheese Puffs now come in multiple flavors which can transform spiders into new types.
• Exciting new upgrades, including a radar display on the spider tracker!
• New Equipment: energy drink, assault rifle, frying pan, and molotov.
• New Spiders: Queen Spider, Jumping Spider, Invisible Spider.
• Destructible glass and other objects, updated spider SFX, improved spider climbing, and much much more!

Gaming Factory announces Gallic Wars: Battle Simulator, a tactical strategy game (with roguelike elements, naturally) coming to Windows on October 16th and to Switch at some point after that. This Release Date Trailer offering a look at the game's combat and environments, which are not what you would describe as hyper-realistic. The game's Steam Listing shows both August 10th and October 16th release dates, so this must have changed along the way. Here's the description:

Gallic Wars: Battle Simulator is a rouge-like tactical strategy game.
Fast gameplay, crazy rag-doll physics and challenging rouge-like approach to strategy.

Features:

• One of a kind approach to the strategy genre
• Cartoony style inspired by Asterix and Obelix comic books
• Fast gameplay
• Powerful magic and mighty generals
• Ragdoll physics - everyone likes ragdoll physics

Fight your way through roman legions. DEPLOY your troops, PLAN their movement, use magic and items to give yourself an edge, and WIN

Continue here to read the full story.

• DEATH STRANDING UPDATE V 1.01 OUT NOW.
• Predator: Hunting Grounds Patch Notes 1.14.

• SUPERHOT: MIND CONTROL DELETE Is Now Available For Xbox One.
• Forager update finally brings year's worth of post-launch content to Switch and PS4.
• Designing Intimacy in We Should Talk, Available Now on Xbox One.
• This Week On Xbox: July 17, 2020.
• Official PlayStation Podcast Episode 371: Ghosted.
• Xbox Insider Release Notes - Alpha Skip-Ahead and Alpha (2008.200716-0000).

• Lenovo's Funky Gaming Phone with a Side-Mounted Pop-Up Cam Is Real.

• Cloudflare DNS goes down, taking a large piece of the internet with it.
• TheOldGuard Online video game. Includes the chance to win a 1000-month Netflix subscription.
• Child spends $20,000 of parent’s savings on Twitch subs and donations.
• Bitcoin hasn't hit $500K, so now John McAfee has to eat his own...well, just click.

• Tiny videocamera worn by an insect. Just like the Fifth Element.
• EVGA Precision for Windows Game Bar Beta.
• Notepad++ version 7.8.9. Thanks DSLReports via Ant.

• Ew, that's unsanitary: SEO plugin for WordPress would run arbitrary JavaScript inputs instead of scrubbing them.
• Seven 'no log' VPN providers accused of leaking – yup, you guessed it – 1.2TB of user logs onto the internet.

• Judge green-lights Facebook, WhatsApp hacking lawsuit against spyware biz NSO, unleashing Zuck's lawyers.

• The Outcast Lovers on itch.io is a free visual novel follow-up to The Night Fisherman…
• Forager Now Available with Xbox Game Pass on Console and PC…

Last Link of the Day: Fox Family Plays in the Garden.

GOG.com is now offering Warhammer 40,000: Rites of War for free as part of their big sale on Warhammer games. This turn-based strategy game is available on this page where it's yours to keep if you pick it up over the next two days. Other games in the sci-fi series are up to 75% off, and you can find them listed right here. Since it was released in the last millennium, here's a refresher on Rites of War:

Rites of War features a tightly crafted storyline composed of 24 missions and varied victory conditions as you lead the Eldar in their fight for survival. Additional scenarios allow for control of Tyrannid and Imperial armies and a glory point system lets you build and customize your own army, with 8 distinct troop classes ranging from War Machines to Assault Troops to Devastator Squads. A level-based experience system enhances the game's RPG (Role-Playing Game) element, allowing you to upgrade and customize units, enhance warrior skills and employ "psyker" (psychic) abilities.

• 24 mission campaign features a tightly crafted storyline, detailed atmosphere and varied victory conditions.
• Additional scenarios let you command Tyrannid and Imperial armies
• Glory point system lets you build and customise armies, with your choice of unit types, wargear and warrior skills

SUPERHOT: MIND CONTROL DELETE is now available on GOG.com and Steam, offering a third installment in this stop-motion shooter series. This is free to those who own the original SUPERHOT, and carries a 40% launch discount for everyone else. Here's the Release Trailer and here's more of the super hotness:

You stand in the center of a firefight. A hail of slow motion bullets is inching slowly towards your face. You see bright red enemies frozen in place as they run towards you. Weapons in hand, they’re stepping over the shattered remains of the foes you just dispatched.

Everything is sharp, silent, and still. Light flickers in the red crystal shards coating the cold concrete floor around you. There’s a gun slowly turning in flight right in front of you. An enemy must have dropped it as their dying body exploded in a shower of brilliant red shrapnels.

Continue here to read the full story.

Paradox Interactive announces they've raided the icebox and acquired Iceflake Studios, the Finnish developer of the upcoming Surviving the Aftermath. They say this brings their collection of studios up to nine, spanning six countries. Here's more:

Iceflake Studios was founded in 2007 and has developed games for PCs, consoles and for all current VR and mobile platforms. The studio is currently developing Surviving the Aftermath with Paradox, a survival management-strategy game now available in early access on PC and Xbox.

“When we started our discussion with Paradox, we knew that we had a very like-minded approach. Our collaboration with Surviving the Aftermath has been excellent and showed how similar our approach to development is. So when Paradox suggested that we could become part of the family, we were thrilled,” said Lasse Liljedahl, Co-Founder and Studio Manager at Iceflake. “It did not hurt that we were fans of Paradox games ourselves, to begin with! This new step helps us to focus on our dream of becoming one of the best developers in the game genres we love so much.”

8 Circuit Studios announces that starting today you have the chance to score a Steam key for Project Genesis, their upcoming first-person shooter set is space, where no one can hear you scream "Khaaaaaan!" Word is:"To earn your Steam key, simply create an account on the Project Genesis website and link your Twitch account. Then watch your favorite Streamer play Project Genesis for a minimum of 60 minutes when they have drops enabled." Here are some details:

Starting today, Project Genesis, a team based space combat & FPS genre mash up, will let viewers of Project Genesis streams on Twitch earn a chance to receive a free Early Access Steam key.

A sci-fi online multiplayer game, Project Genesis merges frenetic space combat in battle craft with close quarters skirmishes in first person using an unusual, but oddly gratifying, “breach and board” mechanic. The game draws gameplay inspiration from titles like Star Wars Battlefront II (2005), where players can play in two game modes at the same time depending on their preference of play: FPS or space combat. Once a giant capital ship is targeted for infiltration in space, players can use their battle craft to breach a cruiser’s hull and fight inside aboard decks in FPS mode, completing high-risk high-reward objectives. The opposing team must consider the attack strategies and counter accordingly.

Early Access to Ooblets is now available on the Epic Games Store, offering a cutesy farming adventure for Windows. You can see some of its wholesomeness in action in the previously released Early Access Trailer. Here's word:

Ooblets is a farming, creature collection, and town life game where you build up your farm, befriend townsfolk, grow ooblets, and have dance-offs.

Features

• Grow crops on your farm and sell them in town
• Build your team of ooblets, level them up, and unlock new dance moves
• Style your character in a bunch of different outfits and accessories Join an ooblet club to get your first little baby ooblet
• Compete in dance-offs to earn new ooblet seeds and win tournaments
• Expand and decorate your house from a dinky shack to a stately farmhouse
• Get to know the townsfolk and befriend them if you'd like!
• Complete daily challenges, earn badges, help the Mayor save the town from questionable forces, and unlock the secrets of Oob
• Explore Badgetown to find new ooblets and seeds

Continue here to read the full story.

• Worms Armageddon - Patch 3.8 - Live Now. Here's one of those trendy new patch trailers.

• Deathground Gameplay Teaser - Dinosaur Survival Horror Game. Thanks DSOGaming.
• LATEST 2020 GAMEPLAY trailer for G STRING. Upcoming standalone game that started as a Half-Life 2 mod.
• Street Power Match Mode - Gameplay Trailer.

• Next Earth: The Journey Trilogy by Minsan — Kickstarter. "Next Earth: The Journey Trilogy is a real-time puzzle arcade adventure launching in Q3 2020 on PC (beta in August 2020). Set in the near future, the Earth is being evacuated to escape the threat of the Octians against which we are defenceless." Here's the Steam Listing.

• Overwatch Teams Up With Talented Creators for Summer of Music.

• Playstation 4 System Software 8.00 Beta Invites Are Rolling Out; Full Changelog Shared.
• Watch Geoff Keighley go hands-on with the PS5 controller at 12PM ET.
• Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus Is Now Available For Xbox One.
• Next Week on Xbox- July 21 to July 24.

• Google adding new 117 emoji in Android 11 coming fall.

• 10 best fixes for the web's biggest annoyances. Thanks Neutronbeam.
• Peacock's Biggest Movies Are Already Leaving: Fast & Furious, Jurassic Park, And More. What??

Thanks Neutronbeam.

• Intel’s new Core i9-10850K 10 Core Desktop CPU has been listed online for $450, up to 5.2 GHz boost clock.
• Intel’s Alder Lake-S iGPU has been spotted in “SiSoftware” database with 32 execution units/EUs.
• Translate Ancient Hieroglyphs With Google's New AI-Powered Tool.
• The 15 Best Mac Apps You Should Download Now (2020)- Free and Paid.
• Java for Windows Version 8 Update 261. Thanks DSLReports Forums via Ant.
• Meet White Castle's New Robot Chef, Flippy.

• Twitter admits 130 A-lister accounts compromised to promote Bitcoin scam after 'social engineering' attack.
• Cloud provider stopped ransomware attack but had to pay ransom demand anyway.

• Halo 3 on PC delivers The Master Chief Collection's best port yet • Eurogamer.net.
• Rocket Arena Review: A Fleeting Blast From the Past - USgamer.

Thanks Neutronbeam.

• Alphacool Eiswolf 2 AIO GPU Cooler Review - TechPowerUp.
• Asus ROG Strix Go 2.4 Wireless Gaming Headset Review - IGN.
• Corsair iCue Nexus - LanOC Reviews.
• CORSAIR iCUE NEXUS Companion Touch Screen Review - Neoseeker.
• Creative Outlier Air Earbuds Review - APH Networks.
• Dell XPS 17 vs MacBook Pro 16- Which is a better buy? - Windows Central.
• EK-Quantum Magnitude WaterBlock Review - Guru3D.
• Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (Gen 8) Laptop Review- Terrific Typing, Super Slim - Tom's Hardware.
• QSAN XCubeNAS XN3004R Four-Bay 1U Rackmount NAS Review - TweakTown.
• Samsung Odyssey G7 32" Monitor Review - TechSpot.
• Sony WH-CH710N Active Noise Cancellation Headphones Review - Geekyranjit.

• Microsoft Flight Simulator is getting an in-game marketplace for selling mods…
• Crossfire dev Smilegate opens Barcelona studio to develop triple-A projects…

Happy National Tattoo Day! Tattoos, of course, long ago graduated to the mainstream after once being the sole province of sailors, bikers, and criminals. Nowadays there are grandmothers with tats in places they can't show you. I, however, remain ink-free. I'm not actually anti-tattoo, I'm just not sure I feel strongly enough about anything to make that commitment. The New York Giants logo? Or the QUAKE logo? I dunno, maybe some day.

Obituary: Rev. C.T. Vivian, civil rights veteran who worked alongside MLK, dies at 95.

Inked Round-up
Thanks Ant and Neutronbeam.

Breakfast Links

• Mosquito Bites: Everyone is at Risk. Thanks Acleacius.
• How Fantasy Literature Helped Create the 21st Century.

Stories

• Laser-Shooting Planes Uncover the Horror and Humanity of World War I.
• Vantablack? Meh. Meet the Ultra-Black Vantafish.
• $64,000 Arribas Castle Destroyed in Seconds.

Science
Thanks RedEye9.

• Bacteria that eats metal accidentally discovered by scientists. Thanks Neutronbeam.
• 3 Countries Are Scheduled To Send Spacecraft To Mars This Summer.
• NASA delays the launch of its next powerful space observatory, the James Webb, by seven months.

Media

• Honest Trailers - The Rock.
• Your Dog thinking You're the "Alpha" is NOT a Real Thing.
• Can Lego BREAK a Steel Axle?

Auction

• Over 50 Animatronic Dinosaurs Are Up for Auction in Canada.

Follow-up

• Iceland is broadcasting the world's screams to relieve coronavirus stress. Thanks brother19.
• James Bond: No Time To Die release date could be delayed, according to new reports.

The Funnies

• The Results Are In - Savage Chickens.

Torchlight II for Windows and macOS is now available for free, as promised, on the Epic Games Store. As usual, their latest freebie will be yours to keep if you claim it over the next seven days. After that it will be supplanted by another giveaway. Or giveaways, as they reveal their next gratis games will be Next Up Hero and Tacoma. Here's a quick refresher on Torchlight II, the action/RPG sequel from Runic Games:

Torchlight II is filled to the brim with randomized levels, enemies and loot. Capturing all the flavor and excitement of the original, Torchlight II expands the world and adds features players wanted most, including online and LAN multiplayer.

Beyond a Steel Sky is now available for Windows and macOS on Steam, offering a rush-job sequel to Beneath a Steel Sky, the 1994 cyberpunk point-and-click adventure. For those who can't get their floppy drive working, they say there's also a bundle with the original game, but we can't find it at this time. Not to worry, though, it's is available for free on GOG.com. The game carries a 20% launch discount and you can get an additional 10% off if you have Broken Sword 5 in your Steam library. Here's word on the game and its pedigree:

From Charles Cecil, creator of the Broken Sword series, with art direction by Dave Gibbons, legendary comic book artist behind ‘Watchmen’, comes ‘Beyond A Steel Sky’, the long awaited sequel to the cult classic ‘Beneath a Steel Sky’.

You are Robert Foster. A child has been abducted in a brutal attack. You have vowed to bring him home. The trail has led you to Union City, one of the last remaining mega-cities in a world ravaged by shattering wars, and political meltdown.

Continue here to read the full story.

Early Access to Dead Age 2 is now underway on GOG.com and Steam, offering a survival/RPG sequel for Windows, macOS, and Linux. Here's the Early Access Launch Trailer and here's word on this return to the zombie apocalypse:

Dead Age 2 follows a group of determined survivors who have fled to Freedom City in search of a cure for the plague that triggered the zombie apocalypse ten years ago. Join them on their journey for survival as they complete quests, scavenge valuable resources, and build up their base to live long enough to see the world at peace.

Tense turn-based tactical combat against gangs of looters and hordes of brain-devouring monsters can result in death for their character — permanently — while unlocking persistent upgrades can bring hope for the future of the weary group of survivors. With a branching story-line and six unique endings, every decision made counts as the player’s group must befriend other survivors, navigate difficult choices, and maybe even find romance along the way.

Continue here to read the full story.

It's been a little dry lately. But I hear it's raining cats and dogs in Idaho. The SCS Software Blog announces the release of the Idaho expansion for American Truck Simulator. This is now available for Windows, macOS, and Linux on Steam Here's a recent trailer showing off the highways and byways of the Gem State, and here's word on the pack:

So what exactly does Idaho have to offer? This new expansion features:

• Over 3,300 miles of new roads to discover and explore
• 11 new cities - drive through downtown Boise, Coeur d'Alene set on a gorgeous lake or Idaho Falls with a lovely touristic center
• A brand new viewpoint feature that gives you a new perspective of the world
• Expanded fan-favorite industries such as farming, timber harvesting or wood processing
• Visit the famous Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve
• Over 40 recognizable spots from the Historical Highway Marker program
• State-specific geographical landmarks such as canyons, valleys or basalt rock formations
• Many familiar truck stops and rest areas that truckers will know from the real world
• Finely-tuned road layouts and true-to-life signage
• Idaho-specific achievements to unlock

Continue here to read the full story.

Bungie announces that development of Beyond Light for Destiny 2 is destined to go beyond its original planned September release. Word is this first-person shooter add-on is now expected on November 10th:

We have made the decision to move the release of Destiny 2: Beyond Light to November 10.

As the first chapter in a new trilogy of expansions, Beyond Light is the beginning of a new era of Destiny 2. We have a powerful story to tell and incredible new features that we're really excited for players to experience. As always, our goal is to make the coolest, most entertaining expansion we can possibly make for our fans. To that end, we are doing what’s best for the game and moving the launch date.

The past few months have been a challenge and will continue to be during this pandemic. We’ve learned to create together in a new way, by having to work apart from one another. Despite these hurdles, we’re still committed to the same level of quality that our fans expect.

Over the coming weeks, we’ll be unveiling more of what we’re working on for Beyond Light and what that also means for Season of Arrivals, which will now extend to November 10. Beyond Light sets the stage for an incredible future in Destiny 2 and, though it’s coming later than we originally anticipated, we’re excited to continue that journey with you this November.

Bossa Studios announces an August 27th release date for Surgeon Simulator 2, their medical malpractice sequel. They also announce a closed beta for the game will run from August 7-9 for those who preorder it from the Epic Games Store. Finally they reveal that it will offer a Creation Mode, highlighting the news in a new Creation Mode Trailer. Here's more on this chance to play doctor:

After pulling back the hospital curtains on upcoming operation sim, Surgeon Simulator 2, last month, Bossa Studios has today unveiled yet another medical marvel in the form of the Bossa Labs Creation Mode. A secondary gameplay option, playable alongside the title’s story mode, it will provide players with a set of easy-to-use tools with which they can create any number of levels and experiences, ready to upload and share with the wider community. In addition, the brand new Creation Mode Trailer also confirms that Surgeon Simulator 2 will launch on 27th August 2020, with players able to access a Closed Beta weekend (7-9th August) by pre-ordering on the Epic Games Store now.

Surgeon Simulator 2 is the gut-busting sequel to the original bonafide operation sim, Surgeon Simulator. Released in 2013, Surgeon Simulator was notorious for its chaotic gameplay and hilarious disregard for medical accuracy. For the sequel, Bossa Studios has prescribed a double dose of physics-based pandemonium and a full course of unbridled creativity, providing players with all the tools they need to doctor their own chaos, thanks to the Bossa Labs Creation Mode.

Continue here to read the full story.

#Funtime is now available for PC and consoles, offering a twin-stick shooter from OneGuyGames. The Windows, macOS, and Linux edition is available on Steam. For a fun time check out this trailer and these details:

The Quantum Astrophysicists Guild releases #Funtime with OneGuyGames today. #Funtime is a twin-stick action shooter featuring bright lights and space fights! Blast your way through grids of multicolored madness while changing color to adapt to your environment and overcome the digital hordes. Persistent ship upgrades will keep you going further and longer into the great unknown. Buy it this week on any platform for a special launch week discount of 25% off!

OneGuyGames singular employee Brandon Robinson describes #Funtime as "all about action. It's a high-score chasing twin-stick shooter with a color swapping mechanic thrown in to keep things fresh. Match the color of lasers or fire to avoid taking damage. Color background tiles to destroy similarly colored enemies and receive triple the points. Take cover in safe zones of the same color. Each of these simple color interactions stack together to create a unique, yet familiar arcade shooter experience."

Continue here to read the full story.

Good Shepherd Entertainment and Shiny Shoe announce that Wild Mutations has left the station, offering free new DLC for Monster Train, their roguelike deckbuilding game for Windows. This trailer offers a look at this and here we have a description:

“Wild Mutations” improves Monster Train’s endgame and competitive play experiences with over 35 new mutators to use across all run types, plus advanced challenges, balance updates and more. Battle your friends and the community on a rotating series of challenges with new mutators that’ll turn your knowledge of the game’s existing mechanics upside down. And it’s just the beginning, as the Monster Train team continues to develop new content for the game with community feedback for future updates.

Set on a train ride to hell, Monster Train brings a new strategic layer to roguelike deck-building games with three vertical battlegrounds to defend at a time in solo play and competitive multiplayer. Construct a deck of spells and minions from over 220 cards and position your champions carefully to win!

Continue here to read the full story.

We should talk is now available for PC and consoles, offering a conversation game that allows you to capitalize on your eloquence with word thingies. The Windows, macOS, and Linux edition is available on Steam. Here's the official website which offers this trailer from last year, since a picture is worth a thousand words. Here's more on this game that rewards you for choosing your words wisely:

Using a unique narrative choice mechanic, you'll craft sentences in response to the in-game characters in We should talk. Through this careful choice of words, you'll be able to express yourself as you discuss ongoing problems about life and romance with Sam, your in-game partner, over text messages, while also chatting with friends and strangers at your favorite local bar about what’s on your mind.

The combination of words you choose impacts the conversations you have, how genuinely you can connect with your partner, and whether your relationship can survive the night. It's up to you how you respond -- depending on how you communicate, you'll see one of many possible endings.

Continue here to read the full story.

Publisher tinyBuild announces the acquisition of the Hello Neighbor development team from Dynamic Pixels. This presumably also includes the Hello Neighbor IP, as they say they are investing $15 million in the franchise. Word is the team will be named Eerie Guest Studios and will work out of Hilversum, Netherlands. Here's more:

Today, publisher tinyBuild announced that they have acquired the development team of Hello Neighbor from Dynamic Pixels. The new team will be called Eerie Guest Studios and based in Hilversum, Netherlands. Overall, tinyBuild plans to invest over 15M USD in the franchise, the acquisition being part of this sum.

“We are working on more acquisitions to strengthen the brand and investing heavily into cross-media,” - says Alex Nichiporchik, CEO of tinyBuild. - “We just announced Hello Neighbor board game, there’s a graphic novel coming in October, and our internally produced Hello Neighbor Animated Series pilot hit 12M views on YouTube”

Continue here to read the full story.

Steam now offers a new Deemo Pack and Cytus Pack as DLC for DJMAX RESPECT V, the latest installment in this series that keeps giving birth to new games despite using the rhythm method. Each carries a launch discount and there is also a bundle of both for even more savings. Here's word:

Today, NEOWIZ announced that it’s hit rhythm game DJMAX RESPECT V is receiving two brand new DLC: The Cytus Pack and the Deemo Pack. Both are available for $14.99, with a week-long launch discount to celebrate their release. These two DLC are collaborations with the hit rhythm of the same name from renowned development studio Rayark.

The Deemo Pack includes 10 tracks from Deemo games, as well as a unique UI skin and Special Gear. Meanwhile, the Cytus Pack includes 12 tracks, a unique UI skin and Special Gear. Both packs will be on sale for a week at a 15% discount.

• Summer Sale at Green Man Gaming.* "Spectacular Summer Savings & 48-Hour Featured Deals."

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

• Aquaman and Black Manta Rise to the Surface in Fortnite.
• Secret Government - Content Update #1 is live NOW.

• Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Eivor’s Fate - Character Trailer.
• 40 Minutes of Stronghold: Warlords Campaign Gameplay.

• Why Ian Livingstone is building a school - GamesIndustry.biz.

• Dota 2’s The International 11 might be pushed back to 2022.
• ESL One Cologne will be held online this year.
• Ubisoft Launches Collegiate Esports League for Rainbow Six Siege.

• Last Word is an RPG about the power of debate - Engadget. Thanks Neutronbeam.

• Xbox One X and Xbox One S All-Digital Edition production discontinued ahead of Xbox Series X launch.
• See the Future of Xbox on July 23 on the Xbox Games Showcase.
• The Xbox Series X will not support games that require Kinect.
• The Vale: Shadow Of The Crown Demo Is Now Available For Xbox One.
• We Should Talk Is Now Available For Xbox One.
• eFootball PES 2021 Season Updates Are Now Available For Digital Pre-order And Pre-download On Xbox One.

• Twitch says US Army's fake giveaways violated its rules.

• AMD's next-gen RDNA 2 rumor: 40-50% faster than GeForce RTX 2080 Ti.

• Who’s Behind Wednesday’s Epic Twitter Hack?
• Twitter: No evidence hackers accessed user passwords.
• The Benjamin Netanyahu Twitter hack that never was.
• DHS CISA tells government agencies to patch Windows Server DNS bug within 24h.
• Iranian Spies Accidentally Leaked Videos of Themselves Hacking.

• Game developers are struggling to stay productive during the pandemic. Thanks Neutronbeam…

Last Link of the Day: Ryan Holiday's 33 Favorite Pieces of Advice for Life. Thanks Max.

Early Access to episode one of S.C.A.R is now available on Steam, offering the chance to play this first-person shooter also known as Simulating Carnage And Rockets. This recalls the early days of first-person shooters with retro graphics and old-school features such as rocket jumping. You can see this in action in the recent Weaponization Trailer. The game carries no launch discount, but it's priced at only USD$4.99. Here's more:

S.C.A.R is a retro inspired shooter where the relentless hordes of demonic creatures have only one thing on their mind, your untimely demise. To avoid becoming a red stain on the wall, you’ll look to gain the advantage over your relentless foe armed with an assortment of ridiculously devastating weaponry in the form of shotguns, grenade launchers and death dealing rocket launchers.

S.C.A.R is a nostalgic throwback to the epic shooters of yesteryear, its fast paced and unforgiving nature means that you’ll need to stay frosty as you blast your way through the relentless hordes of demonic beasts.

Continue here to read the full story.

Is it rabbit season or duck season? Either way, Nacon announces they've let the dogs out and released Hunting Simulator 2 for Windows on Steam. This follows the release of the console editions of Neopica's, well, hunting simulator. The previously released Launch Trailer shows off Shia LaBeouf taking out Bambi along with scenes of nature, wildlife, aiming, and yes, how you can pet the dog. Here are some details we tracked down:

In Hunting Simulator 2, you explore bigger, more varied and more spectacular natural environments thanks to completely redesigned graphics and sound effects. The game provides many hours of challenges and immersion among the flora and fauna of some of the most beautiful areas of Europe and the United States. There are over 33 animal species to find in Hunting Simulator 2. The artificial intelligence for each species has had significant work put in to recreate their unique and realistic behaviours.

Continue here to read the full story.

Game over, man! The No Man's Sky Website announces the release of a new update called Desolation to Hello Games' space exploration game. Hold the spaghetti, as this will allow you to get in touch with your inner Ripley by offering the chance to explore derelict ships and perhaps encounter hostile aliens. Here are the full version 2.6 patch notes, here's a Desolation Update Trailer, and here's more:

Being a small dot amongst the stars can bring a sense of awe and wonder, but we’ve always wanted to explore a little more those feelings of fear and dread that come from being alone in the depths of space. Terror in the face of the unknown, or the dawning realisation that you’re treading in the footsteps of those who met a lonely end at the edge of the universe – it’s a rich science fiction tradition, and one not really touched on in No Man’s Sky – until now.

The Desolation Update adds abandoned freighters to explore to No Man’s Sky, along with a very different style of gameplay. Alone or in groups, players can breach the airlock and explore the hazardous, procedurally generated, interiors of these derelict capital ships. The only trace of the crew is in logs they’ve left behind, a mix of procedurally generated and hand-written text that means each vessel has its own unique story for you to piece together.

Continue here to read the full story.

3DClouds announces King of Seas, an action/RPG set to raise anchor this autumn for Windows and consoles as a new addition to the ever-more crowded pirate game genre. You can get a first look at the concept in this Announcement Trailer which helps reinforce their allusions to Pirates of the Caribbean by gently riffing on Hans Zimmer's score. Here's word:

Scheduled for release in autumn 2020 for Windows PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch, King of Seas immerses you in a time of pirates, ferocious sea battles, hidden treasure and lost islands, all set in a stunning procedurally generated game world. Embark on an epic journey to avenge the death of your father, navigating through unknown waters and waging battle with other ships as you stake your claim to become the king of all pirates.

King of Seas’ dynamic game world will react to your every action forcing you to evaluate your strategy at every turn and adapt to the new challenges facing you. Naval routes might change meaning you will need to look for new ways to conquer settlements or adverse weather conditions might require new, more dangerous routes to be navigated when heading to islands to trade goods or upgrade your ships. Engage with an intriguing cast of characters who may steer you towards hidden treasures or lead you into deadly traps as other pirates look to plunder your gold. One thing is for certain, there are adventures to be had and battles to fight as you shape your empire on the high seas.

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3on3 FreeStyle: Rebound is now available on Steam, offering the Windows version of this playground basketball game first released on consoles. This is free-to-play, and word is new player rewards are being offered through the end of July. The Launch Trailer offers a cinematic look, and here are some details:

Rebound is a retooled version of the original 3on3 FreeStyle console game with the PC audience in mind. Rebound brings a tailored user interface and experience such as a full-featured chat system added exclusively for PC. It continues the dynamic, strategy infused gameplay of the original, and has a roster of unique characters, each bringing their own unique play styles, a signature feature of the FreeStyle series. 3on3 FreeStyle: Rebound carries over the Unreal Engine foundation of the original game, and the same free-to-play gameplay which made the original release one of the most popular free games downloaded on consoles.

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And they say all the good ideas are already taken. Steam now offers a playable demo for Line Simulator, which is a virtual reality simulation of standing in line that requires an Oculus Rift headset. As if this idea could get any more engaging, they say: "The purpose of this demo launch is to increase player engagement with the game and begin collecting feedback for refinement and implementation."

Line Simulator is the newest virtual reality experience about standing in line with five exciting levels that will perfectly recreate some of your favorite line standing experiences. Leaving the house no longer needs to be an option, as you enjoy this high tech flawless recreation of standing in line.

• Curse of the Dead Gods - UPDATE 0.19.1 - Serpent Champions' Weapons.
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• Free Play Days – Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint, Ash of Gods Redemption, and Frostpunk: Console Edition.

Thanks Neutronbeam.

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Thanks Neutronbeam.

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• VPN Providers Disable Servers in Hong Kong to Protect Users from China's Security Law. Thanks Neutronbeam.

• Death Stranding Benchmark Test & Performance Analysis - TechPowerUp.

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• The Dell XPS 13 (9300) Laptop Review: Return of the King - AnandTech.
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• Patriot Viper V380 Headset Review - TechPowerUp.
• Sabrent Rocket Q 8TB NVMe SSD review - PC Gamer.
• T-FORCE DARK Z 2x32GB DDR4 3600MHz Memory Kit review - BabelTechReviews.

• Michael Dowse To Helm "Just Cause" Film. Thanks Ant…

In the past few days the waterfowl have reemerged on the pond here, as the babies have grown up enough to venture out with their folks (there are ten ducks pecking around outside my door as I type these words). This brought forth something that helped mend how heartbroken I've been since one of the adult swans was killed by a careless driver. Yesterday three adult swans went for a cruise around the pond with three cygnets. So it seems the swan who lost its mate has managed to group up with the other pair of swans to raise all their young together. I already had great affection for the swans for what loyal mates and good parents they make (not to mention their grace and beauty), but seeing this extra level of socialization makes me love them all the more.

Round-up Most Fowl
Thanks Ant and Neutronbeam.

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