For Honor’s Year 5 Season 4 – Title Update 2.0 launches today, introducing a new playable Hero to the game: The Pirate. Armed with their signature cutlass and pistol, Pirates are the first of the Outlanders, an all-new group of Heroes coming from vast horizons. Players can purchase the new Pirate Hero from first-party stores for $7.99 as part of a package that includes the new Hero, one exclusive Ornament, one Elite Outfit, seven days of Champion Status and three scavenger crates. Players can also unlock the Pirate Hero on February 10 for 15,000 Steel in-game.

Coinciding with the launch of the title update, For Honor is free to play on PlayStation 4, the Xbox One family of devices, and Windows PC through Ubisoft Connect and Epic Games Stores, as well as on PlayStation®5 and Xbox Series X|S through backward compatibility, from today to January 31. Free weekend players will have full access to the Standard Edition of For Honor, which includes the story mode, all multiplayer game modes, 30 heroes, and 30 maps. Those who want to keep battling after the free period will be able to carry on their progression and heroes to the full game.

We have made the difficult decision to end development of Hyper Scape and shut the game down as of April 28th. We set out to create a vertical, close-quarters, and fast-paced shooter experience and we are extremely grateful to our community for joining us on our journey. We will be taking key learnings from this game into future products.

To the Hyper Scape community, thank you for your passion and dedication to the world of Neo Arcadia both inside and outside of the game. Your devotion to the game we built will always be cherished.

Seek out new star systems and discover the exciting potential of the subspace realm in Galactic Civilizations IV! You are the all-powerful leader of a spacefaring civilizations and will discover thousands of worlds and dozens of civilizations - both old and new - as you explore the galaxy and try to build a civilization that will withstand the tests of time.

Choose from over a dozen unique civilizations - each with their own unique traits and abilities - and make your mark on the galaxy.

We had an amazing time with our community during the game’s alpha period, and now we’re ready to open the floodgates with the beta. All the civilizations that were previously locked during the alpha testing phase are now available to play, plus we’ve added one more: the Terran Alliance. You can look forward to plenty of additional new features and gameplay improvements throughout the beta, too, leading all the way up to launch later this year.

Siege of the Atlas Content and Features:

• Updated Atlas: The end-game Atlas of Worlds has been simultaneously simplified and also made deeper. The region system has been removed, and individual Atlas Passive Trees have been replaced by one gigantic Atlas-wide passive tree which creates a more flexible way for players to engage in the content they like best while also increasing its challenge and reward.
• Four Pinnacle Bosses: The new storyline is capped with four new Pinnacle Bosses, ultimate boss fights for players seeking additional challenges. These bosses can potentially drop a selection of extremely valuable new unique items.
• Endgame Item Crafting: Players can master the Eldritch Implicit Modifier system to improve their best items. New currency items allow them to craft powerful new implicit modifiers onto items that enable new build opportunities.
• Archnemesis League: Players can collect modifiers to use on Petrified Monsters that are encountered throughout Wraeclast in order to create their own mini-boss fights. Each modifier provides a reward and a monster behavior and will stack in subsequent fights to create progressively more dangerous and rewarding encounters. These modifiers can be combined to create recipes for even more challenge and reward.
• Game Balance Improvements: Spellcasters and Archers have been targeted with a massive selection of balance buffs, so that they are even more competitive with Path of Exile's best builds.

DEATH STRANDING DIRECTOR’S CUT on PC enhances the groundbreaking title with higher frame rates, ultrawide monitor support, and a stunning photo mode. Thanks to the power of Intel’s new Xe Super Sampling (XeSS) graphics technology recently revealed at CES 2022, DEATH STRANDING has never looked more hauntingly beautiful. Navigate a fractured world as Sam Bridges on a treacherous journey to reunite America, complete with an expanded storyline, new stealth missions, combat abilities and more.

• Epic Games Lunar New Year Sale 2022 - Save Up To 75% On PC Games. $10 coupons still to be had.
• GOG.com Lunar New Year Sale.
• Steam Lunar New Year Sale. New free stickers to be had.
• Humble Software Bundle: Windows 11 Migration (pay what you want and help charity).*
• Save 86% on Sid Meier’s Civilization VI Anthology on Steam.
• 2022 tinyBuild Lunar New Year Sale on Steam.
• Hunt- Showdown -- Lunar Sale is now on! - Up to 63% off for New and Existing players.
• Save 75% on Weird Worlds- Return to Infinite Space on Steam.
• Save 75% on Infinite Space III- Sea of Stars on Steam.
• Save 75% on Protagon VR on Steam.
• Save 75% on Sea of Stars - Soundtrack on Steam.

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

• PULSAR: Lost Colony - v1.18 Release Notes.
• Get 2 DLCs for Bright Memory: Infinite as gifts.

• League of Maidens: The Other Side of Time - Official Gameplay Trailer.
• MY HERO ONE'S JUSTICE 2 - Kurogiri Now Available in Season Pass 2.
• Star Wars: The Old Republic: Legacy of the Sith Story Teaser.

↑ Official trailers. ↓ Content creator videos.

• Immersing with Music- Approaches to Musical Storytelling in 'Cyberpunk 2077.' Thanks Ant and Kxmode.

• HUMANKIND - Happy Lunar New Year! Join the Community Challenge.

• The Elder Scrolls Online: High Isle and the Legacy of the Breton revealed.

• Crusader Kings III Is Now Available For Digital Pre-order And Pre-download On Xbox Series X-S.
• Two Point Collection Early Adopter Bonus Is Now Available For Digital Pre-order And Pre-download On PC, Xbox One, And Xbox Series X-S.
• The Longest Road On Earth Is Now Available For Xbox One And Xbox Series X-S.
• Rugby 22 Is Now Available For Xbox One And Xbox Series X-S.
• New Games with Gold for February 2022 - Xbox Wire.

• YouTuber Drowning in Anime Copyright Strikes Got Everyone A Win.

• Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22543. Thanks Console General.

• FCC aims to stop broadband bill shock, reviving plan nixed by Ajit Pai.

• NetherRealm producer ‘leaks’ Mortal Kombat 12, possibly deliberately…

The frenetic mech-action game puts players in the role of an Outer, a new breed of human who fights on the front lines against corrupted AIs known as “Immortals” in customizable mechs called Arsenals. In addition to the adrenaline-pumping story campaign, the title features online 1 vs. 1 or 2 vs. 2 Versus modes, as well as Co-op modes allowing up to four players to take on Colossal Immortals. All online modes support PC cross-play for both Steam and Epic Game Store owners.

So, here’s what we’re going to do: Everyone on Steam who has already bought HITMAN 3, or anyone that buys the game through to February 19th 2022, will be granted a free upgrade.

-> All HITMAN 3 Standard Edition owners will get a free upgrade to the HITMAN 3 Deluxe Edition.

-> All HITMAN 3 Deluxe Edition or HITMAN Trilogy owners will get a free upgrade to the Seven Deadly Sins Collection.

GeForce RTX 3050 graphics cards come equipped with 2nd generation RT Cores for ray tracing, 3rd gen Tensor Cores for DLSS and AI, and 8GB of high-speed GDDR6 memory. Meaning, for the first time, you can play ray-traced games on a 50-class GPU at over 60 FPS. RTX-powered ray tracing and DLSS are the new standard in gaming (there are already over 200 RTX-enhanced games and apps), and the GeForce RTX 3050 makes them accessible to millions of gamers.

Venerable previous-gen 50-class cards are fast falling behind in popular rasterized titles, they lack the performance for competitive gaming in the most popular shooters, they’re unable to offer their users transformative ray-traced effects that take image quality to the next level, and they can’t benefit from the miraculous performance boosts offered by NVIDIA DLSS.

Capcom Co., Ltd. today announced that in its consolidated business results for the nine months ended December 31, 2021, net sales were 88,163 million (up 35.9% year-over-year). Operating income was 35,096 million yen (up 43.9% year-over-year), and ordinary income was 36,148 million yen (up 50.1% year-over-year). Net income attributable to owners of the parent was 26,708 million yen (up 52.4% year-over-year).

During the nine months, Capcom’s core Digital Contents business drove up revenues with solid digital sales growth for new releases Resident Evil Village and Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin as well as for catalog titles, leading sales volume for home video game software to exceed 25.8 million units (up 30.3% year-over-year). Capcom also made efforts to steadily increase earnings through leveraging its major brands in films, licensed products and in esports, as well as in its Arcade Operations and Amusement Equipments businesses. As a result, Capcom achieved its highest net sales as well as highest levels of all profit items for the end of a third quarter in company history.

Kao - pronounced K-O - will be familiar to any fans of 3D platformers in the early noughties, having made his debut on SEGA’s legendary Dreamcast back in the year 2000. Now, two decades on, Kao is back in business and about to embark on his biggest adventure yet, setting out to find his missing sister and solve the mystery of what happened to his long-lost father.

Players will join Kao as he picks up his magical boxing gloves and travels the world confronting famous fighting masters who are under the influence of disturbing, dark power, all while exploring a colourful and vibrant world alive with activity and visual flair.

Submerged: Hidden Depths is a ‘relaxploration’ adventure that sees sibling duo, Miku and Taku, uncover the mysteries of a sunken city in a vast and vibrant world. Lost at sea in their fishing boat, our protagonists will need to scale crumbling skyscrapers, encounter new creatures and solve long abandoned puzzles  if they’re to piece together this enigmatic story.

There’s a sensory fullness to Submerged: Hidden Depths that creates a relaxing experience, with rich and colourful environments, soothing sounds of the ocean and calming sunrises. Players are invited to slow down and immerse themselves in the serenity at their own pace.

• Welcome the newcomers to GOG’s New Year Sale.

• Hunt: Showdown -- Update 1.7.2 is now LIVE.
• Necromunda: Hired Gun - Celebrate the Lunar New Year with an update and dozens of new weapon skins.
• Nigate Tale - Version 0.4 is ready for download.

• Halo Infinite devs remove Behemoth map following CTF complaints.

• Apex Legends: Defiance Launch Trailer.
• Atelier Sophie 2: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Dream - Story Trailer.
• Orbital Bullet - Upcycling Update Trailer.
• V RISING - Fighting Across Farbane.

↑ Official trailers. ↓ Content creator videos.

• Star Wars: 1313 - Unseen Boba Fett Gameplay. Thanks IGN.
• Austin Powers in Mass Effect- Part 2. Thanks JDreyer.
• Video Game Genres Have Terrible Names, Let’s Fix That - Slightly Something Else (NSFW). Thanks Neutronbeam.

• Wekufu - A dark, Hand drawn 2D Hack and Slash Platformer (Canceled) by Stickerb Games — Kickstarter. To resume in Q2.

• PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS -- PUBG Epic Fails Contest.
• Join Rocket League’s Celebration of Music Featuring Grimes.

• JGOD reveals his favorite "no recoil" XM4 Warzone loadout.

• A glimpse at Horizon Forbidden West PS4 gameplay.
• Character spotlight on Atelier Sophie 2, out February 25.
• Taiko no Tatsujin: The Drum Master! Is Now Available For PC, Xbox One, And Xbox Series X-S (Game Pass).
• Thea 2: The Shattering Is Now Available For Digital Pre-order And Pre-download On Xbox One And Xbox Series X-S.
• Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX 2 Is Now Available For Xbox One And Xbox Series X-S.
• Xbox Insider Release Notes - Alpha Skip-Ahead (2202.220124-2200). Thanks Console General.

• Gaming Chromebooks might soon become a reality, complete with RGB keyboards.
• The best antivirus software for Chromebooks in 2022. Thanks Neutronbeam.
• Apple reportedly working on tech enabling iPhones to accept NFC payments.
• A $15 "Minimum viable computer."

• China orders web operators to spring clean its entire internet.
• You can now download Opera GX from the Epic Games Store.
• Mozilla Firefox 96.0.3, See All New Features, Updates and Fixes.
• Mozilla Firefox ESR 91.5.1, See All New Features, Updates and Fixes.
• eBay Launches Authentication for Trading Cards.
• "Halo" TV Series Full Trailer This Sunday. Thanks Ant.
• Atari releasing giftable "surprise" NFT lootboxes to celebrate 50th anniversary.
• Peacock Lost $1.7 Billion In 2021.
• "Star Trek: Picard" To End With Season 3.
• Finally, There’s a Way to Play Wordle More Than Once a Day.

• How the Computer Chip Shortage Could Incite a U.S. Conflict With China (may require registration or subscription).
• Security feature required to run Windows 11 is causing performance issues. Thanks Simon.
• Intel's Flagship Alder Lake Chip Beats Apple's M1 Max, But There's a Catch.
• We dare you to game on this tiny 32-9 ultrawide monitor.
• Gaming Monitor vs. TV: Which is better for gaming?
• How to Partition Your Hard Drive for Optimum Performance.
• A union election is moving forward at Amazon’s JFK8 warehouse.
• Don’t cheap out on essential hardware.
• DVDFab version 12.0.6.0 and StreamFab version 5.0.1.8. Thanks Console General.

• FBI warns over Iranian cyber group, tells organizations to up their defenses.
• Chinese hackers target German pharma and tech firms.
• ID.me CEO backtracks on claims company doesn't use powerful facial recognition tech. Thanks Neutronbeam.
• There's been a big rise in phishing attacks using Microsoft Excel XLL add-ins.

• Ubisoft Singapore responds to findings of TAFEP workplace misconduct investigation.
• $300,000 in fines issued as Canadian officials take down dark web marketplace.
• DeepDotWeb operator sentenced to eight years behind bars.
• Indonesia bans some crypto trading and sales.
• Court papers: Texts from HMRC could show taxpayers' location.

• Outrun + Tony Hawk + A Fighting Game-! - Buck Up And Drive! - Indie Showcase (video).
• 'Reverie Knights Tactics' review- comfort food for tactical RPG fans - NME. Thanks Neutronbeam.

• Graphics Card: EVGA GeForce RTX 3050 XC BLACK Review - TweakTown.
• Graphics Card: Overclockersclub checks out the new MSI RTX 3050 Gaming X (video).
• Headset: Jabra Elite 4 Active review - TechRadar.
• Headset: Monolith by Monoprice M1570C review - SoundGuys.
• Misc: Oura Ring 3 Review- A Missed Opportunity for Wearable Tech - The New York Times (may require registration or subscription).
• Motherboard: ASRock Z690 Extreme Intel LGA1700 Motherboard - OCinside.
• Motherboard: MSI X570S Carbon EK X Review- Carbon under Water - Tom's Hardware.
• SSD: Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus B47R 1TB SSD Review - PS5 Speed Test Debut - TweakTown.

• Epic Games to expand with a new studio in Poland…
• Throwback Thursday: Anachronox. Remembering a gem…
• "Mortal Kombat" Sequel Officially Set. Thanks Ant…

Jeopardy! Round-up
Thanks Ant and Neutronbeam.

Breakfast Link

• Log cabin cubicle: Meet the man who built it.

Story

• How Dubai is pushing back its encroaching deserts. Sand bags?

Science
Thanks Max.

• Everything we see is a mash-up of the brain's last 15 seconds of visual information. Thanks Acleacius.
• Why we are living in an era of unnatural selection.
• DNA Mutations Are Not Random: New Research Radically Changes Our Understanding of Evolution.
• Robot performs first laparoscopic surgery without human help.

Media
Thanks Acleacius.

• Newly Restored Pink Floyd Footage Shows The Band At A Haunting Turning Point.
• South Park Enlists Orchestra For Kyle’s Mom Rendition Ahead of Season.
• Live Streaming 99 World Webcams - Relaxing Music - Beautiful Earth. Thanks VideoSift.
• TOTAL IDIOTS AT WORK 2022. Thanks VideoSift.

Follow-ups

• NIF: US lab takes further step towards nuclear fusion goal. Thanks Max.
• Western monarch populations grew over 100-fold in 2021. Why?
• A YouTuber’s Plane Crash Draws Doubts From Aviation Experts (may require registration or subscription). Thanks j.c.f.