Activision offers three new trailers for Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, a Die Maschine Intro Cinematic with a look at the origins of the zombie infestation, the promised Zombies Reveal Trailer, and a Zombies First Look Video. There's an accompanying post on the Call of Duty Website with more on the next iteration of the now obligatory zombie mode in the next version of the military shooter:

Alongside a mind-bending Campaign and the next generation of Multiplayer combat, Black Ops Cold War will include another signature mode that’s part of Black Ops core DNA: Zombies.

This four-person co-op mode is set to take veterans and newcomers alike on a bold and terrifying journey that expands on an iconic part of the Call of Duty franchise. Long-time fans will likely find something familiar with this new chapter, but that’s for players to discover on their journey...

What’s canon is canon, but... with Black Ops Cold War, Zombies is starting fresh with a new narrative and a – shall we say, new? – cast of characters. The mode includes new ways to progress, classic fan-favorite Perks, and an arsenal of Cold War weaponry that will help survivors dominate the legions of undead.

Continue here to read the full story.

The Steam Blog announces the Steam Digital Tabletop Fest will get underway on October 21st at 1:00 pm EDT, offering a virtual celebration of the games that games that exist in both the physical and digital space. Here's what this will bring to the table:

The first ever Steam Digital Tabletop Fest, celebrating games that cross between physical and digital, will make its debut October 21st thru 26th. Produced in collaboration with Auroch Digital, the event will feature virtual let’s plays, panels, talks and more streaming activities that explore the fusion between physical and digital games with legendary designers, upcoming studios, and you.

Working with Valve, indie studio Auroch Digital is helping curate the program of events and line up speakers such Sandy Petersen (Call of Cthulhu RPG, Quake, Cthulhu Wars and more!), Steve Jackson (Munchkin, Ogre, Car Wars and many more), Ian Livingstone (Co-founder of Games Workshop and Fighting Fantasy, Chairman Sumo Group plc), Elizabeth Hargrave (creator of the hit game Wingspan) and author and New Yorker writer Simon Parkin talks about how a board game helped the allies win WW2, among other topics.

Continue here to read the full story.

• Humble Software Bundle: Be a Creative Superhero! With Painter, CorelCAD and CorelDRAW Graphics Suite (pay what you want and help charity).*
• Humble Comics Bundle: Kieron Gillen & Jamie McKelvie Showcase (pay what you want and help charity).*
• Space Game Sale on Steam.
• STAR WARS: Squadrons Pre-purchase - Green Man Gaming.*

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

• Taking advantage of NPC's - Cannon Fodder. Thanks Ant.

• Rainbow Six Siege players claim they’re still owed money by Luminosity Gaming.

• Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered detailed – PlayStation.Blog.
• Feather Is Now Available For Xbox One.
• Need for Speed- Payback and Vampyr are your PS Plus games for October.
• Xbox Insider Release Notes - Beta (2010.200929-0000).
• Xbox Insider Release Notes - Alpha (2010.200929-0000).
• Xbox Insider Release Notes - Alpha Skip-Ahead (2011.200929-0000).

• Google Announces Pixel 4a (5G) and Pixel 5: Focusing on the Mid-Range.
• Here's everything Google announced at its Pixel 5 event.
• A new Google Assistant feature, ‘Hold for Me,’ waits on hold so you don’t have to.

• Twitch launches a rights-cleared music catalog for streamers, Soundtrack by Twitch.
• Conan the Barbarian live-action series is coming to Netflix.

• AMD Combo PI 1.1.0.0 BIOS Update.
• HWiNFO version 6.32. Thanks DSLReports via Ant.

• Spelunky 2 World Record Speedrun Is Only Three Minutes Long…
• Overwatch was briefly offered for free on PC, but the giveaway was taken down…

Last Link of the Day: That's not a basking shark Dude. NSFW.

In this tweet CD PROJEKT RED studio head Adam Badowski responds to the report that the developer has gone back on their commitment to avoid putting their staff through crunch to complete Cyberpunk 2077:

These last 6 weeks are our final sprint on a project we've all spent much of our lives on. Something we care for deeply. The majority of the team understands that push, especially in light of the fact that we've just sent the game to cert and every day brings us visibly closer to shipping a game we want to be proud of. This is one of the hardest decisions I've had to make, but everyone is well compensated for every extra hour they put in. And, like in recent years, 10% of the annual profit our company generates in 2020 will be split directly among the team.

Vice's Motherboard reports that Activision has banned around 20,000 Call of Duty Warzone accounts for cheating in the free-to-play battle royale shooter. This includes a streamer who received notification of his permanent ban in the middle of a match he was streaming. "It’s rare that any one particular cheat will last long term without getting detected at some point," a former Activision employee told them. "It’s always a game of cat and mouse, people that actively use cheats should understand it’s highly likely you’ll be banned at some point and you’ll just have yourself to blame." Here's more on what went down:

On Tuesday, the makers of the popular cheat called EngineOwning, which players have to subscribe and pay for to use, said on their website that the cheat is now "detected," meaning players who use it will get caught by Activision for using it.

It's unclear if this is the cheat that all the banned players were using, but several users inside the EngineOwning forum also complained of being banned on Monday.

In a thread titled "Awesome, Until Banned," a customer wrote that "this hack was an amazing tool for getting to learn the game in and the maps. And after having stopped using it a little over a month ago, I woke up today to see this. I've noticed the bans going around, and the fact that the software was detected, but seriously?"

The next One Special Day event is Friday, and the organizers announce they have lined up a record number of partners for this fifth fundraiser. Word is: "In a new record for the event, over 75 games industry partners have now pledged their support, ranging from mobile and PC developers, through to media and trade bodies." There will be the opportunity to support this through purchases or straight donations, and there's also a One Special Night event on Thursday. Here's a new video that conveys the impact of this charity for disabled gamers and here's more on the festivities:

Since its inception in 2016, One Special Day has raised over $1,000,000 towards the work of SpecialEffect to help people with disabilities in the United Kingdom and all over the world. The companies supporting the event raise money by donating revenue, holding events and contributing to special Humble Bundles. This year, many will also be staging virtual fundraising challenges, including Zoom quizzes, socially-distanced physical challenges and livestreams.

Some campaign highlights to look out for include:

• One Special Bundle, which is available now on the Humble Bundle website and features titles from nine partners.
• One Special Night, which takes place on Thursday 1st October from 8pm and sees SpecialEffect hosting eight of the games industry’s leading lights, including Double Fine’s Tim Schafer, for an evening of exclusive online talks.
• One Special Game, a competition where fan-artists have been given the opportunity to create their own poster for iconic games such as Mass Effect, Stardew Valley, Monument Valley and Need for Speed, with the winners announced on Friday 2nd October.

The range of events and activities, coupled with the number of games industry companies rallying to the call, makes this the biggest One Special Day yet. And that’s very good news for disabled gamers all over the world!

Continue here to read the full story.

Presumably coincidental to the One Special Day story above, The AbleGamers Charity announces tomorrow begins their Unlocktober fundraising initiative. Their goal is to raise $1 million dollars over the course of the month for the disabled. Here's the plan:

At its core, Unlocktober is an entire month of fundraising to support The AbleGamers Charity in unlocking opportunities and enabling play for people with disabilities. Streamers and content creators can get involved by hosting their own fundraising initiatives and setting up a donation page at www.soeveryonecangame.com. Creators that raise over $500 during their campaign are eligible for an exclusive AbleGamers fundraising hoodie!

Continue here to read the full story.

Publisher THQ Nordic announces a November 3rd launch date for SpellForce 3 - Fallen God, a new standalone expansion for Grimlore Games' strategy/RPG. Word is: "The second standalone expansion for SpellForce 3 - Fallen God will arrive on November 3rd. Mark that day in your calendar, you can start changing the fate of the Trolls. This noble race has always been pushed around, seen as monsters or cheap workforce, they were hunted, enslaved, and exploited. But a people can only take so much, before breaking its chains and stop being 'prey'." This will come to us via Steam, and in the meantime a new Release Date Trailer provides a look at what to expect. Here's a full description:

Your dwindling, nomadic tribe of trolls has just one goal: survival. Plagued by vicious poachers for your precious tusks and weakened by disease, hope is almost lost - until an enigmatic Elven stranger offers you, the young chieftain Akrog, a path to salvation: you must resurrect a fallen god.

Continue here to read the full story.

Miju Games announces Abracadabrew will magically appear as a full launch on Steam on October 14th when this memory-based game leaves Early Access. Sadly, this does not feature a soundtrack by the Steve Miller Band, but it does offer local co-op support for up to four players. Here's a Release Date Trailer and here are the details:

Abracadabrew is a fun and chaotic, memory based, local couch co-op game for 1 to 4 players. Cooperate with your friends while using your memory skills to brew as many potions as you can before dawn. Gather ingredients hidden across the place, communicate and stay focused to unlock new brain-racking potions combinations!

Continue here to read the full story.

• GOG.com Midweek Sale: games featuring cute yet deadly furry animals up to 90% off.

• Blightbound - Help Has Arrived. Update 0.4: Helping Hands is now LIVE! Here's a video.
• Iron Man Mod released for Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Thanks Neutronbeam.
• Phobos Episode 2 Mod for Doom 3 is now available for download.
• Spellbreak Release 1.1. Thanks MP1st.

• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare & Warzone - Season Six Battle Pass Trailer.
• Introduction to the HyperVerse - HyperBrawl Tournament.

• ESL and DreamHack to Merge, Brands Will Remain Intact.
• Activision Blizzard allowing CDL teams to defer league payments.

• Swordbreaker The Game Is Now Available For Xbox One And Windows 10 (Xbox Play Anywhere).
• Bartlow's Dread Machine Is Now Available For Xbox One.
• Birthday Of Midnight Is Now Available For Xbox One.
• Inertial Drift Is Now Available For Xbox One.
• Red Wings: Aces Of The Sky Is Now Available For Digital Pre-order And Pre-download On Xbox One.
• Foregone Is Now Available For Digital Pre-order And Pre-download On Xbox One.

• Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold - World’s First Foldable PC.
• Lenovo’s latest ThinkBook 15 has built-in wireless earbuds. Thanks Neutronbeam.
• Xiaomi Announces Mi 10T & Mi 10T Pro- More Budget, But With 144Hz.

• Wi-Fi 6 vs. Wi-Fi 5 Benchmarked- How Does the New Generation Perform?
• How Memes, Lulz, and "Ironic" Bigotry Won the Internet. Thanks Digg.
• You can now make Zoom or Microsoft Teams calls via LinkedIn. Thanks Neutronbeam.

Thanks Neutronbeam.

• Statement Regarding the SP-CAP and MLCC Capacitor on GeForce RTX 3080 Graphics Cards. Thanks Hypothermia.
• Here’s why PC builders are demanding to know how many capacitors are in the RTX 3080.
• Realtek Second Generation 2.5GbE Provides an Advanced Ethernet Solution for Modern Demands.
• AI for Every Enterprise: NVIDIA, VMware CEOs Discuss Broad New Partnership. Thanks Hypothermia.
• Amazon warehouse robots 'increase staff injuries.'
• ClockTuner for Ryzen (CTR) Guide by 1USMUS.
• These weird, unsettling photos show that AI is getting smarter. Thanks Digg.
• Western Digital Unveils USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 SanDisk Extreme PRO Portable SSD v2.
• Half of young women will leave their tech job by age 35, study finds.
• Visual Studio 2019 version 16.7.5. Thanks ConsoleGenRL.

• How bots threaten to derail the 2020 U.S. elections.
• 64 new variants of 'Joker' malware have invaded Android app stores. Thanks Roddy.
• Kylie Jenner's make-up firm warns of Shopify data breach.

• Take-Two faces legal trouble over Randy Orton's tattoos.

• Crusader Kings III Review — FRAGS OF WAR.
• The Dungeon Of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet Of Chaos PC Review - DSOGaming.
• The Walking Dead- Onslaught Review - IGN.

• Elgato Wave-1 Microphone - LanOC Reviews.
• Fractal Design Celsius+ S24 & S28 Prisma Pre-Filled CPU Water Cooling Systems Review - Nikk Tech.
• SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD v2 and WD My Passport SSD (2020) Review - AnandTech.
• SanDisk Extreme Pro v2 Portable SSD Review- High-dollar Design and Performance - Tom's Hardware.
• SanDisk Extreme Pro 2TB Portable SSD Review - TweakTown.
• Silverstone ECM24-ARGB M.2 to PCIe Adapter Card Review - ThinkComputers.org.
• TEAMGROUP MP34 512MB PCIe 3.0 NVMe M.2 SSD Review - The FPS Review.
• XPG PRIMER Mouse Review - TechPowerUp.

• There's a freaky gaping chasm in Microsoft Flight Simulator, with an airport at the bottom of it. Thanks Neutronbeam…
• Release MAME 0.225. Thanks Ant…
• System Shock 2: How an underfunded and inexperienced team birthed a PC classic…

Honest Trailers - Firefly. Time to rewatch the series again.

Obituary: 'I Am Woman' singer Helen Reddy, '70s hitmaker, dies at 78.
Obituary: Mac Davis, country legend and Elvis songwriter, dead at 78.
Obituary: Timothy Ray Brown, 1st person cured of HIV, dies of cancer.

Shiny Round-up
Thanks Ant and Neutronbeam.

Breakfast Link

• Dune Gets a 500-Copy Collector's Edition from Folio Society.
• The Arcwave Ion is designed to 'give men a female orgasm.'

Stories

• A boy sent his Baby Yoda doll to Oregon firefighters. Now they take it on their calls.
• Swearing parrots removed from public view at popular Lincolnshire attraction. Thanks Boing Boing.
• 'Dusty Hunter' Scores Cecil B. DeMille's Liquor Collection.

Science

• Newfound brain structure explains why some birds are so smart—and maybe even self-aware. Thanks Max.
• Scientists create 'super enzyme' that eats plastic bottles six times faster.
• Study: Neanderthal genes may be liability for COVID patients.

Media

• If you don't know Bo, now you know.
• Russian Dog Doesn't Give AF.
• The Mystery Flaw of Solar Panels - Real Engineering.