Heads up Borderlands fans! 2K Games is now offering the chance to pick up Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep: A Wonderlands One-shot Adventure for free on the Epic Games Store. This standalone version of the acclaimed 2013 quest for Borderlands 2 allows you to experience its tabletop-inspired story without owning the base game. It's yours to keep as long as you claim it over the next week. All this is intend to remind everyone of the upcoming release of Tiny Tina's Wonderlands, and perhaps inspire everyone to head over to Pre-Order. Here's word on the giveaway:

Smash skeletons, defeat dragons, and battle giant golems in Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep: A Wonderlands One-Shot Adventure. Experience the acclaimed 2013 quest that started it all in this standalone campaign jam-packed with fantasy, fun, and mountains of magical loot!

The Queen's been captured and her kingdom is in peril; only you and your friends have any chance of restoring peace to this eccentric, enchanted land. Blast your way through treacherous forests, spooky crypts, and fearsome fortresses, but beware—your journey can change in an instant on account of Tina's gleefully chaotic whims. Dive into this epic tabletop romp and get ready for the fantasy fight of your life!

The Overwatch Website announces Cassidy's New Blood Challenge is now underway in Overwatch. This event offers the chance to earn unlocks for the next two weeks. Here's a trailer, here's a comic, and here's word, which does not confirm whether or not the new blood is from McCree:

Get ready to buckle up and claim bounties with your favorite gunslinger—Cassidy’s New Blood Challenge is here! Now through November 23, play games to earn exclusive rewards, including a player icon, sprays, and the Sandstorm Cassidy skin. Plus, read the first issue of the latest Overwatch comic: New Blood.

Continue here to read the full story.

The Fallout 1st Limited Preview is now underway in Fallout 76. This offers all players of the RPG prequel the chance to sample this new premium content. All the details can be found in this previous post on the Fallout Website. It includes the original Fallout 1st Trailer. Here's a bit:

Once you’ve joined a world, you can set up the Survival Tent as a forward operating base at a moment’s notice by opening the favorites menu, pressing the “Survival Tent” button, and finding a valid spot to build it. While the Survival Tent comes pre-loaded with a Scrapbox, you can also build one in your C.A.M.P. Find it in the build menu’s “Stash Boxes” tab, place it, and then begin storing crafting components to your hearts’ content. During the Limited Preview, you will also be able to unlock free items for your C.A.M.P., like the Mechanic’s Wallpaper and Floors, which will remain in your collection even after the preview is over.

If you would like, you can join Fallout 1st to retain access to the Survival Tent and continue adding scrap to your Scrapbox once the Limited Preview concludes. And don’t worry, you’ll still be able to remove scrap from the Scrapbox whenever you’d like—even if you decide not to become a member. Learn more about Fallout 1st and begin your membership by heading here on Fallout.com.

Continue here to read the full story.

Hot Rod Custom Cars is (are?) now available for Windows and macOS on Steam, adding new jalopies to collect, repair, and customize for Car Mechanic Simulator 2018. A previously released gameplay trailer is here to get you revved-up about this. Here's word, daddy-o:

Do you remember classic, famous cars such as the Ford A? Do you enjoy customs? And are you still having fun playing Car Mechanic Simulator 2018? That's something totally for you! Hot-Rod Custom Cars bring you brand-new, exclusive, classic yet tuned cars directly to your garage!

Cars inspired by hot-rod models from 40′ to 60′ golden era years have unique shapes, parts, performances, and driving them is a unique experience. Discover it by yourself! Take care of old-school engines, long bodies, mirror-like rims, and pedal to the metal!

Continue here to read the full story.

• Save 40% on Red Solstice 2: Survivors on Steam.
• Save 80% on Beholder 2 on Steam.
• Save 40% on Edge Of Eternity on Steam.
• Save 67% on The Surge 2 on Steam.
• Save 62% on Chucklefish Strategy Bundle on Steam.

• Destiny 2 Hotfix 3.3.1.3. Thanks MP1ST.
• Minecraft Free Character Creator Items.
• Rogue Company Sinister Shadows Update. Here's a Season 4 Battle Pass Trailer.
• Steam Client Beta.

↑ Official patches. ↓ Unofficial games, patches, and mods.

• Quest for Glory IV: Shadows of Darkness - One of the best Adventure-RPG's gets a must download enhancement.

Official trailer.

• Dead by Daylight - Portrait of a Murder - Announcement Trailer.

• Todd Howard: Making Starfield Was Now Or Never, Even If Elder Scrolls 6 Had To Wait - IGN.
• Bringing League of Legends to life: Secret Cinema's first games experience - GamesIndustry.biz.

• Join our THQ Anniversary Contest! - GOG.com.

• Tim Cook: Users Who Want to Sideload Apps Can Use Android, While the iPhone Experience Maximizes 'Security and Privacy.'

• Zynga hires a VP of blockchain gaming.
• Mozilla Firefox Finally Arrives in Microsoft Store for Windows 11.
• Comcast admits “widespread” outage as tens of thousands of users report problems.

• Chip Shortage Creates New Power Players (may require registration or subscription).
• Unity Announces Intent to Acquire Weta Digital. Sir Peter Jackson's company.
• CPU-Z Invalidates Gigabyte's 8 GHz World Record Amid Lack Of Evidence.
• Release 1.9.17 · clsid2-mpc-hc. Thanks Ant.

• Microsoft Patch Tuesday, November 2021 Edition.
• Average ransomware payment for US victims more than $6 million, survey says.

• Zynga reports revenues of $705m in Q3…
• Revealed: Just who are the best games companies to work for in Canada…
• Dead by Daylight joins the Epic Games Store…
• Workers Win More Concessions From Call Of Duty Publisher…

Apologies for the extended downtime today. We're still trying to track down what happened, but at least we're back. I'll fill you in when I know more.

Here's a heads-up that our server is "migrating" to a new location at our host later today. This will result in a rare scheduled downtime beginning a little before 2:00 pm EST. If all goes as planned the disruption should be minimal, as we're told to expect this to take "up to 15 minutes." Apologies in advance for the disruption. If it turns out the site will be offline longer than expected, we'll make an update on Twitter to let you know what's going on.

Ubisoft is now celebrating its 35th anniversary by giving away free copies of the Assassin's Creed Chronicles Trilogy, the offshoot variation of the stealthy Assassin's Creed action/adventure series. All you need to do is claim it through Ubisoft Connect between now and November 12th and it's yours to keep. Here's a refresher:

Expand your Assassin’s Creed experience and discover the forgotten stories of three remarkable Assassins in brand-new settings with fresh 2.5D stealth gameplay.

Features

• Play the adventures of three cult Assassins: Each chapter comes with a unique hero and a new setting all interconnected through a common plot that will only be revealed at the very end.
• Stealth in a new dimension: Experience the thrill of being a master Assassin in 2.5D. Sneak and hide to avoid detection and fool enemies using whistles and disguises.
• Experience a fast & fluid """"assault course"""": Whether you’re running from danger, negotiating obstacles or stealthily climbing you will truly feel the freedom of moving as an Assassin.
• Master three different combat styles: Each chronicle comes with a different assassin equipped with a distinct range of weapons and gadgets.
• Navigate multiple planes : Switch between environmental layers and choose the right path according to your needs.

That burning rubber you smell is from Forza Horizon 5 stepping on the accelerator and peeling out, offering a new installment in the open-world driving series. This is available for PC and consoles, with the Windows edition offered through Steam as well as the Xbox Game Pass. Reviews for this started rolling out last week, so you can look here for a roundup. Here's the previously released Official Launch Trailer, and here's the roadmap:

Your Ultimate Horizon Adventure awaits! Explore the vibrant and ever-evolving open world landscapes of Mexico with limitless, fun driving action in hundreds of the world’s greatest cars.

This is Your Horizon Adventure
Lead breathtaking expeditions across the vibrant and ever-evolving open world landscapes of Mexico with limitless, fun driving action in hundreds of the world’s greatest cars.

This is a Diverse Open World
Explore a world of striking contrast and beauty. Discover living deserts, lush jungles, historic cities, hidden ruins, pristine beaches, vast canyons and a towering snow-capped volcano.

Continue here to read the full story.

Football Manager 2022 is now available for PC, Xbox, Switch, and mobile, offering the latest chance to manage an association football/soccer club without picking up one of the ulcers that can accompany such a job. The Windows and macOS edition is available on the Epic Games Store and Steam. Each store also hosts the playable demo if you want to kick this around before settling on whether to commit. As stated in this post there is also a physical release which does not include a disc: "Those purchasing a physical copy of FM22 will notice that, for the first time in the series’ history, there is no disc included in the box. This is part of our continued commitment to reducing our impact on the environment. In place of the disc, you'll receive an activation code for Steam." Here's the Launch Trailer and here's word:

Football isn’t just about being the best and winning. It’s about overcoming the odds, realising your dreams, and earning your success. Fighting your way to the top and shocking the world or clawing your way back from the brink – these moments taste sweetest.

Game Description

• There are 123 leading football leagues at your disposal. Have you got what it takes to spend big (or small) budgets wisely and guide your club to the top of the game?
• Build a world-class backroom team that can assist with everything from Recruitment to Player Development. Lean on their expertise as you navigate the everyday challenges faced in football management.
• Scour Football Manager’s world-leading database of more than 500,000 real players for undiscovered talent or build your squad from within, training your prospects to realise their ultimate potential.
• Play the beautiful game your way, creating a footballing identity on the tactics board that your players can buy into. It’s up to you to produce a system that delivers success time and again.
• Immerse yourself in our best-looking Matchday experience yet and watch your footballing vision come to life on the pitch. Make all the key decisions as you steer your team to glory.

Continue here to read the full story.

Jurassic World Evolution 2 is now available for Windows, Xbox, and PlayStation, proving that a sequel, like life, finds a way. The PC edition is available on the Epic Games Store and Steam. Owners of NVIDIA RTX cards should check out his article on the game's support for NVIDIA DLSS technology. Here's a Launch Trailer, and here's a little chaos theory:

Jurassic World Evolution 2 is the much-anticipated sequel to Frontier’s ground-breaking 2018 management simulation, Jurassic World Evolution, offering an all new narrative campaign voiced by cast members from across the Jurassic World film franchise, exciting new features, four engaging game modes, and an expanded roster of awe-inspiring dinosaurs.

Learn what it takes to be a park management master in Campaign mode, a compelling, original narrative that puts you at the heart of the action following the earth-shattering events of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. Work alongside iconic characters from the films, including Dr. Ian Malcolm (voiced by Jeff Goldblum) and Claire Dearing (voiced by Bryce Dallas Howard), and lead the efforts to control, conserve, and contain wild dinosaurs now rampaging across the USA.

Continue here to read the full story.

Another tweet from Ralph has another unconfirmed game tidbit as part of what seems to be a heyday of viral marketing conducted via leaks (thanks Charlie INTEL). The tweet has the Grand Theft Auto IV logo and Ralph's comment of "2023" suggesting when to expect a re-release of this open-world crime game from 2008. This tweet has more: "Remaster - PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PC; inc. variants. To release bundled with Episodes from Liberty City." Last but not least is word that this unannounced remake will not include multiplayer support: "To launch without Multiplayer; Single-player only."

The recent announcement that God of War will come to PC said to expect it on Steam on January 14th. A tweet from Epic Games states the action/RPG will come at that time to the Epic Games Store as well. The tweet points to this news post which includes the previously released God of War PC Announce Trailer and this blurb:

God of War, one of the best-selling games on the PlayStation 4, is coming to PC and the Epic Games Store. Given a new beginning, Kratos leads his son through a Scandinavian wilderness filled with mythological Norse creatures. The third-person action-adventure has dragons, dark elves, and other formidable foes.

Kratos has been living a new life as a father in Midgard. When his wife Faye passes, Kratos and his son Atreus journey to the highest peak of the nine realms to scatter her ashes.

Continue here to read the full story.

A post to the Scorn Kickstarter offers an apology from Ebb Software CEO Ljubomir Peklar for a previous update announcing the release of Scorn has slipping into 2022. As noted on IGN, the tone of this struck a sour note, earning the scorn of backers who enabled the game's development. The new post takes full responsibility for the misstep, apologizing for a flippant and dismissive tone that did not help the bad news go down any better. An even more recent update revisits the situation, provides a better explanation of the delay, and promises better communication going forward. Tangible promises to make this happen include the plan to add a dedicated community support role to the team and to present a monthly developer deep-dive to keep everyone in the loop. Here's a bit:

I would like to start by reiterating what I said on Saturday. Our update was poorly judged and the tone was not fair for a community that has backed us from the earliest point and supported the project. I sincerely hope you can accept my apology.

As you will have seen from the news or in Friday’s update, Scorn will be moving its release date out into 2022. In truth, the longer development timelines come down to a few things. Large scope, high production values, and some overly ambitious estimates with our initial timelines. As we start to move towards the final stretch of development, I’d like to share a brief update on where we are as a studio and what steps we will be taking to be better at keeping our community informed of development progress in the future.

BLUE REFLECTION: Second Light is now available for PC and consoles, offering a Japanese schoolgirl RPG sequel. The Windows edition is available on Steam. The Launch Trailer offers a look (ear-piercing squee warning). Here's word:

BLUE REFLECTION: Second Light follows the adventures of three students – Ao Hoshizaki, Kokoro Utsubo, and Yuki Kinjou – who find themselves transported to a mysterious floating academy, searching for clues to find their way back home, with only their names as memories. One day, a path leading to a new land appears. Since the new land surrounds the world the heroines inhabit, they refer to it as “the heart of the world” and name the unexplained new area Heartscape. Inside Heartscape, the characters will be able to find ingredients for cooking, along with materials for crafting, battle, and building special facilities inside the academy. They will also discover memory shards, and the moment Ao and her friends touch one of these enigmatic lights, the memories begin to reignite bit by bit. Collect more memory shards to uncover each heroine’s memories, while at the same time stepping closer to unlocking the mystery of this world.

Continue here to read the full story.

• Special Sale: THQ Nordic games up to 80% off - GOG.com.

• FIFA 22 - TITLE UPDATE #3. Thanks MP1ST.
• Fortnite Battle Royale v18.30 - November 9 Hotfix: The Combat Pistol Appears.
• Into the Radius VR 2.0 Release.
• Steam Client Beta.

↑ Official patches. ↓ Unofficial games, patches, and mods.

• Black Sea - A charming ZX Spectrum game released by Mananuk with loading screen by ERRAZKING.
• Mass Effect DLC With Lost Source Code Returns Thanks To Mod.

• Forza Horizon 5 crashing on PC? Fixes to try first.

• Name's Sherlock: Prologue Trailer - Sherlock Holmes Chapter One.

↑ Official trailers. ↓ Content creator videos.

• Valve & Their Broken Promises. Thanks Ant.

• WB Games Montreal's Cancelled Batman Game 'Project Sabbath' Art Reveals Older Bruce Wayne.

• Forza Horizon 5 Is Now Available For PC, Xbox One, And Xbox Series X-S (Xbox Game Pass).
• Battlefield 2042 PS4 and PS5 Pre-Load Now Live, Here's Much Space You Need.
• Memories of life working on Final Fantasy IX, available with PlayStation Now.
• My Singing Monsters Playground Is Now Available For Xbox One And Xbox Series X-S.
• This Week's Deals With Gold And Spotlight Sale.

• The M1 Macs are the new software engineer status symbol. Thanks Neutronbeam.

Thanks Ant.

• UK consumers skeptical about 'common digital identity'.
• Microsoft to stop supporting OneDrive on Windows 8 and earlier.
• Instagram is Launching a Subscription Service For 'Exclusive Content' From Creators.
• YouTube TV gets Hallmark Channel.

Thanks Neutronbeam.

• You don't really need to upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11 (not yet, anyway).
• What’s Harder to Find Than Microchips- The Equipment That Makes Them (may require registration or subscription).
• Nvidia Announces Jetson AGX Orin Energy-Efficient AI Supercomputer.
• The Long Search for a Brain Computer Interface That Speaks Your Mind (may require registration or subscription).
• NVIDIA Launches A2 Accelerator: Entry-Level Ampere For Edge Inference.
• Samsung Announces First LPDDR5X at 8.5Gbps.
• Noctua Introduces Intel Alder Lake Low-Profile Coolers.
• CORSAIR Kicks Off Limited-Release CORSAIR COLLECTIONS with K65 RGB MINI Keyboards.
• Samsung Takes Shots at Apple by Gifting Cleaning Cloths.
• Macrium Reflect 8 Free is now available.
• Most UK workers haven’t changed their device during the pandemic – that’s a big problem. Holy FUD Batman! Thanks Ant.

• These cybersecurity vulnerabilities could leave millions of connected medical devices open to attack.
• Microsoft- Chinese hackers are targeting Zoho ManageEngine software.
• Meet Lyceum- Iranian hackers targeting telecoms, ISPs.

• Bipartisan bill to require algorithm-free versions of tech platforms.
• These Parents Built a School App. Then the City Called the Cops (may require registration or subscription). Thanks Neutronbeam.

• Age Of Empires IV Review - Resistance Is Feudal - GameSpot. Thanks Neutronbeam.
• Call Of Duty: Vanguard review (campaign)- war, war never changes - Rock Paper Shotgun.
• Forza Horizon 5 Review - Game Pass continues to flex its muscles - GameWatcher.
• Forza Horizon 5 review: the best modern open world driving game - Rock Paper Shotgun.
• The Jackbox Party Pack 8 - Christ Centered Gamer.

• Case: Cooler Master NR200P Review - TechPowerUp.
• Case Fan: Thermaltake ToughFan 12 Racing Green and Turquoise - OCinside.
• CPU: Intel Core i5-12600K "Alder Lake" CPU Review - TweakTown.
• Keyboard: Ajazz AC064 Mechanical Keyboard Review - 64-keys, 65% Form Factor - TechPowerUp.
• Keyboard: Drop Carina Barebones Mechanical Keyboard Kit Review- Dropped the Ball - Tom's Hardware.
• Motherboard: The Intel Z690 Motherboard Overview (DDR5)- Over 50+ New Models - AnandTech.
• Motherboard: Gigabyte X570S AORUS Master Motherboard Review - ThinkComputers.org.
• Mouse: Logitech Pop Mouse review- Emoji button meets colorful simplicity - Ars Technica.
• SSD: Cigent Secure SSD K2 960GB Portable SSD Review - TweakTown.
• SSD: Kingston KC3000 M.2 SSD Review- The Fastest Flash You Can Get - Tom's Hardware.
• SSD: WD Red SN500 NVMe SSD review - Guru3D.

• Nexon Releases Earnings For Third Quarter 2021…
• Call of Duty: Vanguard players discover guns don't hit exactly where you aim…
• 10 Longest Video Game Swords Ever, Ranked By Size…

When No Time to Die opened, I mentioned this would be a rare Bond movie that I didn't see in the theater. This ruined a string that dates back to going with my dad to see revivals when I was a kid. But with MrsBlue's asthma we tend to take an extra cautious approach to braving the pandemic. At the time I mentioned the condition for me going to the movies would be a two-week quarantine in a hotel. Amid all that it never occurred to me that this would all be so moot, as the movie hits pay-per-view today, just a month after its open. So I only had to wait a couple of weeks beyond our joking quarantine period. Time to start shaking up a batch of martinis!

Obituary: Dean Stockwell Dies: ‘Quantum Leap’ Star Was 85.
Obituary: Max Cleland, Vietnam Veteran and Former Senator, Dies at 79 (may require registration or subscription).

No Time to Round-up
Thanks Ant and Neutronbeam.

Play

• Saturday Afternoon Ikea Trip Simulator. Thanks Boing Boing.

Breakfast Links

• Why You Should Assume Everyone Is Stupid, Lazy, and Possibly Insane (Including You). Thanks Digg.
• New "Spider-Man" Poster Teases Villains.
• The thunder that opens Led Zeppelin's 'When the Levee Breaks.' Thanks RedEye9.
• What if every team was named after the most abundantly populated animal in their geographical area?

Stories

• French couple who said windfarm affected health win legal fight. Thanks Max.
• Heinz debuts 'Marz' Edition ketchup made with tomatoes grown in Mars conditions. Thanks RedEye9.
• Peruvian family dog turns out to be a fox. Thanks brother19.

Science

• Chicago companies pursue next frontier of alternative proteins. Thanks Acleacius.
• The Pupil in Your Eye Can Perceive Numerical Information, Not Just Light. Thanks Max.

Media

• Kurzgesagt CEO Philipp Dettmer- 'Everything can be made into a story.'
• ‘Peanuts’ Voice Actor Shares Memories Of Charles Schulz.