A free weekend is now underway for Sid Meier’s Civilization VI on Steam, offering the chance to sample the Windows, macOS, and Linux editions of the turn-based strategy game. If you find yourself yearning for just one more turn after the free period concludes, the game is on sale for 75% off. Here's a refresher:

Originally created by legendary game designer Sid Meier, Civilization is a turn-based strategy game in which you attempt to build an empire to stand the test of time. Become Ruler of the World by establishing and leading a civilization from the Stone Age to the Information Age. Wage war, conduct diplomacy, advance your culture, and go head-to-head with history’s greatest leaders as you attempt to build the greatest civilization the world has ever known.

Civilization VI offers new ways to engage with your world: cities now physically expand across the map, active research in technology and culture unlocks new potential, and competing leaders will pursue their own agendas based on their historical traits as you race for one of five ways to achieve victory in the game.

CARRION is now available on GOG.com and Steam, offering the Windows, MacOS, and Linux edition of this action/horror game from Phobia Game Studio and Devolver Digital. Here's the Launch Trailer with a cinematic set up of what to expect. They call this a reverse horror game, since the player takes on the role of the monster:

CARRION is a reverse horror game in which you assume the role of an amorphous creature of unknown origin. Stalk and consume those that imprisoned you to spread fear and panic throughout the facility. Grow and evolve as you tear down this prison and acquire more and more devastating abilities on the path to retribution.

Continue here to read the full story.

Spacebase Startopia is due to officially launch on October 23rd, but the sci-fi empire building and management simulation/RTS game is now available for pre-purchase on Steam. Those who pick up either the Standard or the Extended Edition for Windows, macOS, and Linux will gain immediate access to the game's beta test. This post explains: "The beta is available English and German and offers an impressive amount of replay value, including three tutorial maps, three singleplayer missions and an early version of Skirmish mode with randomized parameters, 15 rooms and 5 tech tree levels. More content will be added as part of regular updates in the lead-up to the game's full release." Here's a new gameplay trailer and here's more on the game itself:

Spacebase Startopia captivates with its original mixture of economic simulation and empire building strategy paired with classic RTS skirmishes and a good dose of humor. In addition to the challenging single player Campaign and the versatile battle mode, there are also competitive and cooperative multiplayer modes for up to four players. And as if maintaining the three Space Station Decks, entertaining the eight Alien races and defending against enemy invaders were not enough of a challenge, the dynamic narrator AI is not going to mince matters and commentates the events in a lovely but sharp-tongued manner.

Continue here to read the full story.

In a post on LinkedIn Andrée Cossette announces she is leaving Ubisoft after 22 years, where she has most recently been serving as Managing Director of Ubisoft Quebec (thanks GamesIndustry.biz). The company has seen several recent departures amid their sexual harassment scandal, but she says this is not actually why she's resigning. The post is in French, but there's an English translation that reads as follows:

It is with great emotion that I turn the page today on 22 years at home Ubisoft and that I begin a new professional chapter, which remains to be written. I had the chance and the honor to collaborate at the beginning of Ubisoft Montréal, and then to found in Ubisoft Québec 2005 alongside Nicolas Rioux. The role of general manager of the studio brought me great challenges and I was able to put in place an ambitious plan for the future. At the same time, I began a deeper, more personal reflection, which allowed me to realize that I was no longer where I wanted to be and that it was time for me to pass the torch and think about other projects for the future. My decision is the result of a long reflection and is not related to the current situation within the Ubisoft Group. When I look at the last 15 years at the Quebec City studio, I am extremely proud of our career. You are an incredible team and it has been an honour to rub shoulders with you and work with you. You have been a real inspiration to me.

I don't know what the future holds, but I know that the Ubisoft Quebec team is in good hands.

Thank you to everyone I've had the chance to meet over the past 22 years. See you very soon I hope.

Deep Silver and KING Art Games announce plans for a "pre-season" open beta for Iron Harvest 1920+, their upcoming alternate-history dieselpunk mech game. The game is due on September 1st, but they say the open beta will begin on July 30th. Here's a new Skirmish Gameplay Trailer showing off what to expect, and here's more on the plan:

Iron Harvest features intense co-op and competitive multiplayer and will host ladder matches, ranked matches, and leagues with seasonal tournaments and content. Starting on July 30 all interested players in the free open beta ("Pre-season") will be get a taste of the seasonal content and can earn in-game rewards and rankings. Players who compete during the open beta Pre-season can qualify for an exciting final-round Iron Harvest competition being hosted at the 2020 gamescom expo in Cologne, 27-30 August.

Today’s trailer allows for a glimpse on the three factions, Polania, Saxony and Rusviet as they ready their giant war machines and go all in, in the war that followed the war which was supposed to end all wars.

Continue here to read the full story.

Infinity Ward Tweets that more bans are on the way for those found cheating in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Warzone. You have been warned:

1. Cheating will not be tolerated. More banwaves are coming. If you receive a ban it is for unauthorized manipulation of game data. Don't fall for unscrupulous services offering cheats and modifications, these are fraudulent. For a list of security and enforcement policy details please visit https://support.activision.com/mwpolicy

2. Please do not use unauthorized 3rd party software to mod or hack. This includes tools such as hex editors, that equip items you have not acquired properly. We define this is cheating and there is no place for that in our game. This is a bannable offense and you risk losing your account.

3. Unauthorized 3rd party software includes, but is not limited to aimbots, wallhacks, trainers, stats hacks, texture hacks, leaderboard hacks, injectors, hex editors or any software used to deliberately modify game data or memory. Don't do it. This may result in being banned.

4. Avoid tutorials and services that offer ways to modify your camo. Anything that suggests altering the memory on your console or PC in order to acquire new gear, items or loadouts beyond what is offered in game is a hack, and is considered cheating. We will enforce accordingly, which may result in being banned.

• Borderlands 3 Patch and Hotfixes: July 23, 2020.
• The Fertile Crescent - In development RTS inspired by Age of Empires gets an update.
• PULSAR- Lost Colony -- Beta 29.85 Release Notes. Thanks Ant.
• Xsyon - Pets Are Here.

• Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney- Apple 'crippled' App Store with 30% cut - CNBC.
• Interview: 343 explains how it’s ‘rebooting’ Halo with Infinite - VGC.
• People Can Fly Interview- Getting to Know the Dark and Desperate Sci-Fi Universe of Outriders.

• Suikoden creators announce RPG Eiyuden Chronicle- Hundred Heroes for PS5, Xbox Series X, Switch, and PC. Kickstarter next week.

• Epic Games awards more than $42 million in grants for developers.

• Tannenberg Is Now Available For Xbox One.
• Max And The Book Of Chaos Is Now Available For Xbox One.
• This Week On Xbox- July 24, 2020.
• Official PlayStation Podcast Episode 372: Perilous Rituals.
• Next Week on Xbox: New Games for July 28 to 31.
• Xbox Insider Release Notes - Alpha Skip-Ahead and Alpha (2008.200723-0000).

• Galaxy Note 20 Ultra Smart Clear View Cover has an antimicrobial coating.

• Comcast is bringing back G4TV in some form.
• U.S. Department of Energy Unveils Blueprint for the Quantum Internet at ‘Launch to the Future: Quantum Internet’ Event. Thanks Hypothermia.
• Some Nest thermostats can no longer connect to the internet, so Google is replacing them.

• Microsoft releases Windows 10 build 19042.421 with a ton of new features.

Last Link of the Day: Russian Road Rage - Animals Attack. Thanks JDreyer.

1C Entertainment announces the Desert Wings - Tobruk expansion for IL-2 Sturmovik will take off on August 6th, offering the chance to experience the siege of Tobruk in the World War II flight simulator. Here's the previously released Announcement Trailer with a look, and for all the details you can check out the official IL-2 Sturmovik Store or the Steam Listing. Here's the announcement:

IL-2 Sturmovik: Desert Wings – Tobruk, the latest addition to the long-standing and critically acclaimed IL-2 Sturmovik series of Aerial Combat Simulators is set to release on August 6th at 19:00 CEST (10:00 PDT / 13:00 EDT) this year via Steam and other digital platforms. Pre-orders will be available starting on July 30th via the official IL-2 Sturmovik store with a 15% discount for those who want to opt-in first!

Get ready for another tour of duty – IL-2 Sturmovik: Desert Wings Tobruk will let you experience the famous Desert War through the eyes of those fighting for dominance high above the battlefields of North Africa. You can fly over 40 aircraft and variants from the Royal Air Force, Luftwaffe or Regia Aeronautica. Experience combat in the legendary Spitfire, sturdy Hurricanes, stubby Martlets, and rugged Kittyhawks, or take flight in deadly Messerschmitts and Macchis.

Continue here to read the full story.

Atomic Wolf and L.INC reveal that Liberated is coming to Windows and Switch on July 30th. You have the chance to sample this hand-drawn cyberpunk action/adventure, however, as there's a Liberated Sneak Peek on GOG.com and Steam you can play right now for free. Here's a trailer with a sneak peek at the sneak peek, and here's what they say about it: "In the free trial, you will witness a dramatic tipping point in the story and try the action-driven gameplay. The entire thing is the abridged third chapter of the game, with many scenes omitted to avoid major spoilers." Here's more on the game:

The award-winning, visionary new take on digital comics
Liberated is an action-adventure game that unfolds across the pages of a comic book. Seamlessly merging the art of hand-drawn graphic novels with interactivity and side-scrolling action, it’s a revolutionary combination of video games and comics.

Freedom is a matter of perspective
In this near-future dystopia, the eerily familiar always-online society gives way to complete government control—all in the name of safety. But in the midst of it all, an insurgent group known as “Liberated” rises.

Continue here to read the full story.

Iron Conflict is a competitive online real-time strategy game coming in Q3 of this year to Steam. This will offer 10v10 online battles with a mix of units spanning different eras from World War II to the present. The chance to experience how this works is on the way, as developer Angela Game promises a beta in the "near future." In the meantime you can get a look at the concept in this Teaser Trailer. Here's a description:

Iron Conflict boasts fan favorites, such as the Type 99 tank and the aforementioned F-35 – along with hundreds of other WWII airplanes and tanks. Map tiles, on the other hand, are randomized – making each battle different from the last. Terrain and buildings can obstruct both lines of sight and lines of fire – creating the opportunity for traps, escape, and exciting games of cat-and-mouse.

Continue here to read the full story.

• Paradox Weekend Sale with games up to 80% off - GOG.com.

• No Man's Sky Desolation Patch 2.61.1.
• StarCraft II 5.0 PTR Patch Notes.

• Coffee Noir - Business Detective Game Trailer.
• Unsouled: Linot boss fight gameplay.
• Guinness World Records Should Stay Out Of Gaming. Thanks Simon.

• Amidst pandemic, the ESA focuses on positive impacts of gaming - GamesIndustry.biz.
• Dontnod's Tell Me Why aims for a transgender story not "rooted in pain or trauma" - GamesIndustry.biz.

• Ghost of Tsushima sold 2.4 million units in three days, becomes fastest-selling PS4 first-party original IP.
• Xbox Game Pass is Microsoft’s true next-gen Xbox.
• One week later, it looks like Microsoft is already breaking a big promise with Xbox Series X.
• WWI multiplayer shooter Tannenberg launches today on PS4.
• Allison's Diary: Rebirth Is Now Available For Xbox One.
• Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Summer Mode.

• Samsung Galaxy Buds Live confirmed to feature Active Noise Cancellation.

• Report- Viewership on Twitch, Facebook Gaming Up Over 50% in Q2 2020.
• QAnon- TikTok blocks QAnon conspiracy theory hashtags.
• 3 ways Amazon is improving Alexa on your Echo.
• The Witcher Season 2: Lauren Hissrich Teases What to Expect (video). Thanks Acleacius.
• Sharkboy & Lavagirl to return in new Netflix movie, Robert Rodriguez says.
• The Men of Fish Tinder Are Now Being Ranked on TikTok. Thanks Digg.

• Intel Roadmap Update: Alder Lake In H2’21, Ice Lake-SP Late This Year.
• It Turns Out, Intel's Fastest Rocket Lake-S Chips Will Boost To 5 GHz After All.
• Western Digital Boosts Capacity for G-Technology G-DRIVE, G-RAID, G-SPEED Shuttle Products. Thanks Hypothermia.
• AORUS FI27Q wins the European Hardware Award for Best Gaming Monitor. Thanks Hypothermia.

• Twitter hack could have been aided by more than 1,000 employees.
• FBI warns US companies about backdoors in Chinese tax software.
• Garmin dealing with massive service outage after ransomware attack. Thanks Neutronbeam.
• Congrats, First American Title Insurance, you've made technology history. For all the wrong reasons. Thanks DSLReports via Ant.
• OnePlus accidentally exposes customer information — again — in the stupidest way possible. Thanks RedEye9.

• Google, Facebook, Amazon, Apple hearing faces delay.
• He Might Have Been Able to Fake His Death, if Only He’d Spell-Checked. Thanks Neutronbeam.

• Carrion review- The best kill-‘em-all monster-movie game in years - Ars Technica.
• Hyper Scape Review - IGN.
• Into the Radius VR game and Performance Review - BabelTechReviews.
• Red Dead Redemption 2: PC graphics benchmark review (revisited) - Guru3D.
• We should talk. - Christ Centered Gamer.

• AMD Ryzen 4000 Review Shows Strong CPU and Graphics Performance - Tom's Hardware.
• Asus ROG Zephyrus M15 (GU502) Review- Solid, but Outshined by AMD - Tom's Hardware.
• Cooler Master ControlPad Review - Analog Control, 24 Keys - TechPowerUp.
• Cooler Master MS110 Keyboard and Mouse Combo Review - OverClocked Inside.
• Fractal Design ION+ 860P Power Supply Unit Review - Nikk Tech.
• Lexar NM700 SSD Review - Vortez.
• Phanteks Enthoo Pro II Case Review - Dual Systems, Affordable - TechPowerUp.
• Phanteks Enthoo Pro II Full-Tower Chassis Review - TweakTown.
• Secretlab TITAN 2020 Cyberpunk 2077 Edition Gaming Chair Review - TweakTown.
• Western Digital Black P50 Game Drive SSD 1TB Review - APH Networks.

• League of Legends’ new Champion is Yone – here are his abilities, lore, and more…

Running too late to ramble... sorry about that. Or, you're welcome, depending on your perspective.

Rambling Round-up
Thanks Ant and Neutronbeam.

Story

• No Longer in Shadows, Pentagon’s U.F.O. Unit Will Make Some Findings Public.

Science

• First Methane Leak Found on Antarctic Sea Floor Confirms Researchers' Fears. Thanks Max.
• European Telescope Takes First Picture of Another Solar System. Thanks Acleacius.
• 3 Great Mysteries About Life on Mars.

Media

• A devoted husband suspects his wife is cheating on him.
• Mail Delivery Gone to the Dogs.
• I don't the soccer - is this a striker? Damn!

Follow-up

• AMC Delays Re-Opening After "Tenet" Delay.