A post from Blizzard rounds up issues that have popped up since the launch of Diablo II: Resurrected and what's being done to address them:

As we continue to monitor Diablo II: Resurrected launch, we would like to share our team’s primary focuses through Day 2 of our journey.

Some players have reported offline characters disappearing or losing progress, and we believe we have identified the issue. To prevent this from impacting your experience, we made a post detailing how to avoid losing offline character progress. We intend to release a permanent fix for this today for PC and for consoles shortly thereafter.

Furthermore, our team is working to resolve the issue of character lockouts. Many of these characters are already in the process of being unlocked. We anticipate this process will take a few hours to complete.

Continue here to read the full story.

It's a grand day for grand tacticians, as Grand Tactician: The Civil War (1861-1865) is now out of Early Access and has officially launched on Steam. This is a real-time strategy game that allows you to relive the war between the states by taking command of either side. But this isn't the end of development, as this Post-Release Road Map explains where the game goes from here. Here's the overview:

Grand Tactician: The Civil War (1861-1865) is a real-time strategy game combining a strategic campaign with tactical battle game-play. Run your nation, muster, manage and support great armies, and maneuver them to defeat the enemy. Once the opposing armies meet, command your troops to victory in battles fought on historical battlefields.

Those who play The Lord of the Rings Online and those interested in the Tolkien-inspired MMORPG should take a look at this post (thanks Dave). To pave the way for the next expansion, everyone is being offered a coupon code that permanently unlocks all current quest packs for free:

Get caught up just in time for the upcoming Fate of Gundabad Expansion with a special coupon Code that will let you acquire all currently-available quest packs permanently on your account(s)! However, you will need to act quickly, as this Coupon Code is available to redeem through November 30th, 2021.

The Coupon Code is: LOTROQUESTS2021 (1/Account, available to redeem through November 30th, 2021)

The Steam Blog reports on the top releases of August 2021 on Steam, as usual breaking down both the top-selling premium titles as well as the best-performing free-to-play games. And if these games achieved this level of success without your help, this page has links to where you can make up for lost time and start buying them up. Here's part of the abstract:

Standalone releases draw much deserved attention on our monthly Top Release lists, but a new expansion or DLC release can add just as much excitement to a game from the past. So for this month, we've included a tab for the Top 5 DLC releases of August, based on revenue they generated after launch. Long-time fans of the Age of the Empires franchise were more than excited to get their hands on two brand-new DLC releases this month. It's quite a refreshing surprise when you consider that the series first launched nearly 25 years ago, receiving remasters and definitive editions along the way, and is now creating brand new content for fans of the series.

• Save 30% on The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners on Steam.
• Save 33% on TROUBLESHOOTER: Abandoned Children on Steam.
• Save 80% on The Sinking City on Steam.
• Dream Teams Bundle (pay what you want and help charity).*
• 20th Eelyear Platinum Collection by Digital Eel. 10 games for $1.00.

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

Official patches.

• Diablo II: Resurrected - 9.24 Update.
• ENCASED — Hotfix 3.
• Phantom Abyss - Brace for the Invasion Update.

• Inscryption - October 19 - Demo on Steam.

↑ Official trailers. ↓ Content creator videos.

• A long rest fixes everything in D&D - Viva La Dirt League. Thanks Ant.

• SOC Investment Group: Activision Blizzard execs need to be held accountable for toxic working culture - GamesIndustry.biz.

• Citizencon Returns in two weeks.

• Inside Xbox Series X-S Optimized: Kerbal Space Program Enhanced Edition.
• Multiplayer Party Game A Gummy’s Life is Available Now for Xbox One and Xbox Series X-S.
• Little Kite Is Now Available For Windows 10, Xbox One, And Xbox Series X-S (Xbox Play Anywhere).
• List of Exclusive Games Coming to Xbox Consoles.
• This Week On Xbox- September 24, 2021.
• Official PlayStation Podcast Episode 411: B.R.I.D.G.E. of Spirits.

• How to Disable and Enable 120Hz Refresh Rate on iPhone 13 Pro Models.

• Worker surveillance rises as more companies offer remote work options (may require registration or subscription).
• Facebook Files: 5 things leaked documents reveal.
• Meet Josiah Zayner, America's Most Censored Person. Thanks Max.
• Google Chrome could be making some big changes to your favorite extensions.
• A teenager on TikTok disrupted thousands of scientific studies with a single video.

• We're still making terrible choices with passwords, even though we know better.
• Exploit code for three iOS 15 zero-day flaws published.

• Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou reaches agreement with US to resolve fraud charges.

• Diablo 2 Remake Has Blizzard Seeking to Redeem Image After Scandal (may require registration or subscription)…

Last Link of the Day: Marvel Suing to Keep Rights to ‘Avengers’ Characters.

Capcom-Unity announces Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak, an expansion that will arise for the Monster Hunter action/RPG for PC and Switch in summer 2022. This is a ways off, but there's a first Teaser Reveal Trailer to whet our appetites. Otherwise this is being played pretty close to the vest for now:

As the direct expansion to Monster Hunter Rise, you can expect a massive amount of content coming with Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak, including an all-new storyline with more new monsters, new locales, gameplay elements, a new quest rank, and more!

We’re keeping some of the finer details concealed in darkness until a later date. In the meantime, we have more fun game content coming up for Monster Hunter Rise (including one more Capcom collab!), so stay tuned to the Monster Hunter social medial channels (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube) for the latest news and updates on all things Monster Hunter!

Continue here to read the full story.

Focus Home Interactive has now opened up its own Focus Home Interactive Store to peddle its wares. As seen as the fledgling Epic Games Store first took flight (or Steam, back in the day, for that matter) the gaming community doesn't always welcome the opportunity to register a new account and use a new shop. Therefore the announcement has a particular focus on perks this will provide, including a free game with any purchase:

Players around the world will now be able to access the entire Focus Entertainment, Deck13 Spotlight, and (very soon) Dotemu library, to purchase their favorite titles to download on PC (Steam keys), or in unique physical editions for consoles and PC. Players will also be able to find exclusive merch for their favorite franchises from the richly-varied universe of Focus games. This includes the intricate A Plague Tale: Innocence statuette, the sublime artbook of Othercide and much more.

To take full advantage of this galaxy of games and merch, the Focus Entertainment Store is launching today with special discounts offered until October 7:

• Up to 90% off for the players who create a Focus Account (free of charge)
• The Surge game free with any purchase on the store
• A set of 3 lithographs offered for the first 10,000 purchases

Continue here to read the full story.

Epic Online Services announces Easy Anti-Cheat support is now available for Linux, macOS, and Valve's upcoming Steam Deck:

To make it easy for developers to ship their games across PC platforms, support for the Wine and Proton compatibility layers on Linux is included. Starting with the latest SDK release, developers can activate anti-cheat support for Linux via Wine or Proton with just a few clicks in the Epic Online Services Developer Portal.

Easy Anti-Cheat is available for free through Epic Online Services on all PC platforms, helping all developers to uphold a fair and safe gaming experience for players on the operating system of their choice.

Here's an interesting development related to that list of future GeForce NOW! games that appeared a couple of weeks ago. NVIDIA explained at the time that this was an "unauthorized " list of "speculative titles, used only for internal tracking and testing." So okay, no big deal. Except now SteamDB creator Pavel Djundik tweets that Ubisoft has sent a DMCA takedown notice over the list, suggesting there's more to this than mere speculation. Eurogamer confirms that as a result, this list of games is no longer available on Github.

MGM and Outright Games announce the release of The Addams Family: Mansion Mayhem for Windows on Steam as well as for consoles. This is a puzzle arcade game set to tie-in with The Addams Family 2, the animated sequel set to hit theaters in a week. The game involves a madcap romp around the family home, which has been likened to a museum (where people come to see 'em). Here's a Launch Trailer and some creepy, kooky, altogether ookie details:

'The Addams Family: Mansion Mayhem' will take players on a scare-iffic adventure that's fun for the whole family! Help Wednesday, Gomez, Morticia and Pugsley save the beloved Addams mansion in this horrifyingly hilarious 3D adventure with shared screen, up to 4-player local co-op. Players can test out the different character abilities to navigate the four unique spooky locations; Gomez's ancient family Mazurka Saber is perfect for slicing and gliding, while Morticia's fashionable and friendly Spider Sling can shoot webs, grapple, swing and pull objects. Pugsley's hand-crafted bombs are a blast to roll around on and blow things up and Wednesday's pet octopus Socrates is ready to blast off and hover using a powerful ink spray. Get ready for family game night to get terrifyingly exciting!

Continue here to read the full story.

Angela Game and Imperium Interactive Entertainment announce a closed beta test for Myth of Empires will take place from October 2-10, and registration is now underway on Steam if you're interested in participating. Word is: "This test marks the first global beta for Myth of Empires, a game which select players had the chance to experience in April and June in the first closed alpha and the localization alpha test, respectively." This is tricky timing to get attention, as this test will land in the middle of the Steam Next Fest, so there will be hundreds of other demos vying for your attention at the same time. Here's the previously released Announcement Trailer and more on how this multiplayer sandbox game hopes to stand out:

“This beta test brings us one step closer to the Myth of Empires experience we’ve long envisioned,” says Meng Liang, Producer at Angela Game and Project Director at Angela Game’s T’ien-Kung Studio. “It’s our first global beta and the biggest test yet, in terms of both content and scale. We can’t wait to see how players respond to all of the new gameplay and improvements we’ve put in the game.”

Myth of Empires is a multiplayer sandbox game featuring a high degree of freedom. Players will fight to survive and earn their place in a world torn apart by war, build fortresses, lead armies in massive battles, siege enemy cities, and establish their own empires!

Continue here to read the full story.

• Weekend Sale: fun and relaxing games up to 90% off - GOG.com.
• Save 50% on Forza Horizon 4 on Steam.
• Save 40% on ROMANCE OF THE THREE KINGDOMS XIV on Steam.

Official patches.

• Factorio - Version 1.1.41 released as stable.
• Two Hundred Ways got an update.

• Company of Heroes 3 - CoH-Development - Developer Diary.
• Histera: Fall of Human - Official Teaser Trailer.

↑ Official trailers. ↓ Content creator videos.

• Diablo Music (Guitar Covers). Thanks Tom via Ant.
• RIDE 4 in FIRST PERSON is INSANE - Ultra High Realistic Graphics [4K HDR 60fps]. Thanks PlayStation Universe.

• PS5: Kena Dev on What Next-Gen Made Possible - Next-Gen Console Watch - IGN (video).

• Notice Regarding the Postponement of the PLAYISM Game Show: Premium Edition.

• Terraria State of the Game - September 2021.

• September Xbox Update: Play Later Discovery, Updated Microsoft Edge, and More.
• What new and returning players can expect in Death Stranding Director’s Cut, out today on PS5.
• The Addams Family- Mansion Mayhem Is Now Available For Xbox One And Xbox Series X-S.
• RainCity Is Now Available For Digital Pre-order And Pre-download On Xbox One And Xbox Series X-S.
• Lost Judgment Is Now Available For Xbox One And Xbox Series X-S.
• A Gummy's Life Is Now Available For Xbox One And Xbox Series X-S.
• Next Week on Xbox: September 27 to October 1.

• Apex Legends Mobile- Closed Beta FAQ.

• Cryptominers' $9.5M sea utopia foiled by actual risk of bio shock. Thanks Neutronbeam.
• Malwarebytes 4.4.7. Thanks DSLReports via Ant.

• From 2021 Semiconductor Shortages to Global Chip Glut. Thanks James.
• Shopping For A Car In The Pandemic- Here's What To Keep In Mind. Thanks RedEye9.
• AMD Scores Its Highest Server CPU Market Share in Years: Report.
• AMD and Mediatek Could Be Negotiating a Joint Venture.
• How to get the free Windows 11 upgrade early.
• Paint.NET version 4.3. Thanks DSLReports via Ant.

Thanks Ant.

• Popular iPhone apps using sneaky techniques to identify you.
• MoD apologises after Afghan interpreters' data exposed. Thanks DSLReports.
• This ransomware-dropping malware has swapped phishing for a sneaky new attack route.

• The UK's Advertising Standards Authority introduces new guidance on annoying premium currencies.
• Facebook overpaid FTC fine to protect CEO, lawsuits allege. Thanks DSLReports via Ant.
• China's central bank says cryptocurrency transactions are illegal.

• CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-P1 Review - APH Networks.
• Graphics Card: ZOTAC GAMING GeForce RTX 3080 Ti AMP Holo Review - AusGamers.com.
• Headset: Quick Look: Cleer Roam NC True Wiress Earbuds Review - TechPowerUp.
• Keyboard: CORSAIR K60 RGB PRO Mechanical Gaming Keyboard - Nikk Tech.
• Keyboard: JWK Lubed Silent Linear Switch Review - Overclockers Club.
• Misc: Overclockersclub checks out the new Duo camera from Reolink (video).
• Motherboard: Acer Nitro XV282K 4K Monitor Review- Pixel Density Meets 144 Hz - Tom's Hardware.
• Motherboard: Asrock B550 PG Riptide review - Guru3D.
• Motherboard: Colorful CVN B560M Gaming Frozen Motherboard Review - TweakTown.
• Motherboard: Intel Xeon W-1390P and Supermicro X12 Motherboard Review - TweakTown.
• PSU: Lian Li SP750 Gold SFX Netzteil Test - OCinside (German).
• RAM: Lexar Hades OC RGB DDR4-3600 2x 16 GB Review - TechPowerUp.
• RAM: OCC checks out some Mushkin Redline Lumina RAM (video).

• CoD hackers explain how cheating in Warzone helped them crack Vanguard…
• Want To See A Watch Made For A Video Game? This is a — oh, who am I kidding? Ubisoft isn't giving me a $1000 watch no matter how hard I try…

In 1993 many were taken aback by the casting of the Super Mario Bros. movie. With Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo as the titular brothers, Dennis Hopper as King Koopa (not to mention Mojo Nixon as anything), this turned the crazy up to 11. Now the new Super Mario Bros. movie has been announced, and its casting decisions are one of those "hold my beer" moments everyone loves so much. So what are we talking about here? Start with Chris Pratt and Charlie Day as Mario and Luigi, and Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach. Move on to Jack Black as Bowser, Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad, and Fred Armisen as Cranky Kong. The only thing that would make this all better would be for it to be a live-action affair, but this will be an animated feature, so we'll have to settle for hearing the characters, as much as we want to see Chris Pratt running around in overalls.

Plumb Crazy Round-up
Thanks Ant and Neutronbeam.

Story

• Hurricane Sam forms in Atlantic, forecast to strengthen into Category 4 storm: See path.

Science
Thanks Max.

• 23,000-year-old footprints suggest people reached the Americas early.
• Serious Infections Linked to Autism: Study.
• Scientists Create Artificial Mitochondria That Can Make Energy for Damaged Cells.

Media

• 2015 Japanese Motorcycle Race. Did not see that coming. Thanks Merdoc.
• Contractor Destroys Recently Remodeled Bathroom (NSFW). Thanks Boing Boing.