During a Free Access period between this Thursday, March 16 through March 20, new players can deploy to the new Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II Season 02 Reloaded map and other locations, as well as check out the Special Ops Raid Episode 01.

The Free Access period will feature a selection of Multiplayer and Special Ops experiences, including the brand-new Himmelmatt Expo map that launches tomorrow with Season 02 Reloaded and fan-favorite Shipment, along with four additional maps and a variety of game modes.

Broken Shackles: You didn’t take to the stars; you were taken to the stars as an alien captive! Now, you and your fellow prisoners have overtaken the ship and found yourselves banding together to survive and thrive as a diverse new community. Can you rise to greatness from this humble origin… and will your former captors take notice?

Payback: No one would have believed your world was being watched keenly by intelligences greater than your own — until they invaded. But you did not go quietly into the night! Your civilization has repelled a would-be conqueror from space, and with sudden access to their advanced technology, you’re about to discover just what else is out there beyond the stars!

Many corporations create toxic work environments, but that’s nothing compared to the CEO that is the literal devil. And if stakes weren’t high enough, a quickly rising floor of lava surrounding flammable walls of paperwork puts the “dead” in deadline. Storm into 40 office-based levels throughout the Ten Circles of Hell with the help of an ability granting stapler from the office mascot, Mr. Stapley. Rocket jump, air dash, and fire flaming staples to chase the frantic dream of escaping the HellO Corporation.

Avoid spike-covered walls, blistering lazer beams, and infinitely-spinning saw blades, among other dangerous obstacles made to keep all employees from clocking out. Create customized routes through levels thanks to versatile and addictive level design in the ever long chase for Diamond Rank times, top spots on the leaderboards, and of course, bragging rights.

Years ago, the land took to the sky, becoming a mysterious series of floating islands, where the power-hungry Church of Aloe now rules with an iron fist.

Enter Vernal. A young woman bent on finding her estranged father. With the help of some abnormal martial prowess and an amnesiac automaton named Chervil, She'll need to make her way across this mysterious land if she wants to satisfy her need for revenge, and the truth.

Take control of Vernal in this beautiful pixel art Metroidvania. Unravel the secrets of her past and the mysteries of Haricot as you battle your way through this broken kingdom.

• Funcom 30-Year Anniversary Sale on Steam.
• Save 80% on ONE PIECE: PIRATE WARRIORS 4 on Steam.
• Save 67% on DEATHLOOP on Steam.
• Save 85% on Moonlighter on Steam.
• Humble Software Bundle: The Maps Bonanza Encore (pay what you want and help charity).*

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

• Turtle Rock Studios Continues Its Story, Announces Former Riot Games Principle Narrative Writer, Jared Rosen, as New Narrative Director.
• How are investors feeling about video games today?
• Unity report: Mobile players on the rise but active payers decline.

• Valheim (Game Preview) Journeys to Console for the First Time Today with Xbox Game Pass.

• Destiny 2 Lightfall difficulty changes are putting players off.

• The Crew 2 - US Speed Tour Cities - Season 8 Episode 1 Trailer.
• The Division 2: Necessary Tactics Apparel Event.
• Tchia - Gameplay Series (6/7) - Open World Activities.
• The Last of Us Part I - PC Features- Audio Descriptions, Controller Support, and More.

↑ Official trailers. ↓ Content creator videos.

• Re-Making The Last of Us Part I - Noclip Documentary. Thanks Ant.

• Restoring a missing piece of history with MLB: The Show's Negro Leagues - GamesIndustry.biz.
• GOG Interview- learn more about The Wreck’s emotional journey, its inspiration, main themes and more, straight from the game’s creator!

• We've got one Hell of an Art Contest starting NOW! — Battle.net.

• World of Warcraft: Dragonflight- The 10.0.7 Content Update Goes Live March 21.
• Episode 3: Purge Brings Citizen Sleeper’s DLC Arc To A Close, But The Story Is Far From Over.

• Uncover an Insidious Plot in Environmental Thriller The Forest Cathedral, Out Now on Xbox.
• Narrative-driven sci-fi RPG Citizen Sleeper rolls onto PlayStation March 31.

• Amazon Prime Air drone business stymied by regulations, weak demand.
• Samsung denies that its S23 Ultra Space Zoom moon photos are fake.
• Samsung’s fake Moon photos aren’t a giant leap for mobile photography.

• Reddit suffers ‘major outage’ due to internal systems issue.
• Google announces AI features in Gmail, Docs, and more to rival Microsoft.

• OpenAI announces ChatGPT successor GPT-4.
• This should be illegal… PC Audio Product Scams - Linus Tech Tips (video).
• ASUS Unveils TUF Gaming B760M-BTF WIFI D4 Motherboard: Reverse Mounted Connectivity.

• Software for sale is fueling a torrent of phishing attacks that bypass MFA.
• Vulnerability Summary for the Week of March 6, 2023 - CISA.
• Ransomware gang exploits now-patched Windows vulnerability.
• NatWest limits cryptocurrency transfers over scam fears.
• Ransomware Group Claims Hack of Amazon's Ring.
• LockBit claims it stole SpaceX schematics, may leak them. Thanks DSLReports.

• FTC Finalizes Order Requiring Fortnite maker Epic Games to Pay $245 Million for Tricking Users into Making Unwanted Charges. Thanks Neutronbeam.
• The facts on 2018 loosening of regulations on banks like SVB.

• Elden Ring's Expansion Is Already Blowing People's Minds…
• A Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Skin Just Sold For $160,000. Speaking of mind-blowing…

The wait is (almost) over. The PC edition of System Shock – the fully fledged remake of the groundbreaking original from 1994 – will go on sale on Tuesday 30 May this year.

We had hoped to bring the game to market by the end of March, but that turned out to be just beyond our reach; we are after all merely human (unlike Shodan!)

The System Shock remake combines the cult gameplay of the iconic original game with all-new HD visuals, updated controls, an overhauled interface and all-new sounds and music. From never before seen enemies and quality of life gameplay tweaks, to a revamped hacking system and visceral new combat options featuring a brutal dismemberment system, the System Shock remake welcomes players new and old back to Citadel Station and the arms of the delightfully villainous SHODAN.

This new Game Ready Driver provides the best gaming experience for the latest new titles supporting NVIDIA DLSS 3 technology including Atomic Heart and the closed Beta of THE FINALS.

Fixed Bugs

• Higher CPU usage from NVIDIA Container might be observed after exiting a game [4007208]
• Stability issues may be observed on certain laptops with GeForce GTX 10/MX250/350 series GPUs [4008527]
• Adobe application stability issues using 531.18 [4009055][4008751]

Unlike most other flight simulators, Terminal Velocity™ is all about combat. With low inertia flight mechanics that allow players to bank, roll, and loop easily across treacherous maps and a straightforward control layout, they’ll be thrust bow-first right into the action.

To maintain their aerial superiority, they’ll have access to an arsenal of weaponry and several game-changing power-ups to conquer deadly enemy fighters in the air and on the ground. They’ll feel the ultimate power of flight as they take to the skies and soar through alien environments and show off their aerial skills through dozens of tight tunnels and underground caverns. It's all about action, speed, and destruction!

Paranormal investigator Lou Hill can’t stop thinking about a mind-blowing case dating from the Summer of 1954. Help Lou retrace the steps of three kids’ summer vacation from decades ago, and collectively come to the truth behind their supposed encounter with a vampire. But Jimmy, and Christine, now in their 40s, may have murky memories of the time…and what really happened to Doug?

Recall the trio’s story via choice-based gameplay and explore the multiple roads of a branching interactive fiction without friction. Solve accessible, brain-tickling puzzles while learning more about the paranormal investigator himself in a dual-timeline story inspired by books with choices and branching narratives from the past. Decipher details between generations to finally close the book on a case left open for nearly 30 years.

Miniland Adventure: Prologue is now available on Steam to play for free! Prologue is just part of the gameplay that awaits you in the full game. Start with a small patch of land, that with time you can expand with biome tiles that you receive every day and create your own world!

In the game's prologue, your task is to build your world and fight against your enemies. The world doesn't generate itself - you do it, shape the world as you wish. Start with nothing, and build dream houses for goblins and yourself. Every day you receive a bunch of biome tiles, that you can place wherever you want. There are multiple biomes in the game, including different forests, deserts, grassland, snow land, savanna, highland, and more.

• Bloober CEO defends Konami- 'They do know what they are doing'

• Publisher Sale: Classic titles from Retroism up to 75% off - GOG.com.*

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

• Former Diablo devs launch Gas Giant Games.
• Unity Gaming Report 2023 Highlights the Resilience of the Gaming Industry.
• Hogwarts Legacy Has Officially Overtaken Elden Ring's Lifetime UK Sales.
• Square Enix shows a trailer for Symbiogenesis NFT game, says it’ll have 10,000 characters.

• "The Last of Us" Ratings Overtake 'Dragon.' Thanks Ant.
• "Last of Us" S2 To Up The Action, Keep (spoiler).
• The Best Video Game Adaptation: - The Last Of Us Season 1 Review. An excuse to link my favorite (basically only) podcasters.

• American Truck Simulator: 1.47 Open Beta.
• Steam Deck OS Stable Update 3.4.6: March 13th.
• theHunter- Call of the Wild - Showcase Update - Patch Notes. Here's a Free Trophy Cabin trailer.
• VALORANT Patch Notes 6.05.
• Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem -- Patch 1.1.7.0 - Chapter IV: Endgame.
• World of Warcraft Hotfixes: March 13, 2023.

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

• Doom 3 gets an overhaul mod that bridges the gap between classic Doom, Doom 3 and modern Doom.
• Myst FPS is a hilarious dig at the classic adventure game, and it's free on Itch.io.

• There Are 'No Plans' For Diablo 4 On Game Pass.
• Microsoft Signs 10-Year Deal to Bring Xbox PC Games, Call of Duty & More to Boosteroid Cloud Gaming.

• Star Citizen: "We're sorry for the super rough start - our team is all hands on deck working to get things running as quickly as possible."

• Conan Exiles Age of Sorcery - Chapter 3 Launch Trailer.

↑ Official trailers. ↓ Content creator videos.

• SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake - Accolades Trailer.

• Trackmania World Tour Stage 1 Playoffs recap. Thanks Frans.

• The Resident Evil 4 Remake Demo Has Some Cool Secrets.

• First PlayStation Plus Free Game For April 2023 Revealed.
• This Week's Deals with Gold and Spotlight Sale.

• Google is bringing AI chat to Gmail and Docs.
• TikTok accused of mishandling sexual harassment allegations.
• Meta confirms it will lay off an additional 10,000 employees. Gonna keep going until they get whoever made that Zuck avatar.
• Lifehacker, Enthusiasts’ Guide to Everything, to Be Sold to Ziff Davis. Thanks Neutronbeam.
• Mozilla Firefox 111.0, See All New Features, Updates and Fixes.
• Mozilla Firefox ESR 102.9.0, See All New Features, Updates and Fixes.

• Unannounced Zen 4-Based Phoenix Mobile CPU Hits Nearly 5GHz.
• Qualtrics accepts $12.5B all-cash acquisition offer to go private.
• Building tiny keycaps into a small business.
• SQL Server Management Studio v19.0.2. Thanks Console General.
• Report: Tim Cook overruled Apple design team’s request to delay XR headset. Steve Jobs' head rolling over in its bottle. Thanks RedEye9.
• Tiny data centre used to heat public swimming pool.
• Microsoft lays off AI ethics and society team.
• Dell's US Product Line Rumored to Cut All Chinese Ties by 2027.

• MMO community pours one out for hacked player who lost 20,000-hour account renamed to "Same Password Everywhere."
• Staples-owned Essendant facing multi-day "outage," orders frozen. Did someone hit the "hard" button?
• Zoll Medical admits 1m+ patient, staff records exposed.
• LA housing authority discloses data breach after ransomware attack.

• Dish hit with $469 million verdict over commercial-skipping technology.

• Truxton - Christ Centered Gamer.
• The Wreck review- a raw road trip down memory lane - Rock Paper Shotgun.

• Keyboard: Keychron Q1 Pro review- they actually pulled it off - The Verge.
• Laptop: MSI Sword 15 A12UE review- Decent performance at a reasonable price - PCWorld. Thanks Neutronbeam.
• Monitor: Cooler Master Tempest GP27Q Review- Mini LED at an Attractive Price - Tom's Hardware.
• Motherboard: ASRock B650 LiveMixer Motherboard Review - ThinkComputers.org.
• Mouse: Razer Naga V2 Hyperspeed Review - TechPowerUp.

Happy Pi Day! It warms one's geeky heart to see this celebration of circular logic has become so mainstream. MrsBlue and I might have considered celebrating today with a pizza pie, but the BlueTower is currently being inundated by snow. It came down all through the night and is expected to continue all day. I've seen predictions that accumulations could be as much as a foot. It will probably be less than that, but it's pretty safe to say I won't be making any pizza runs today. I hope everyone in the path of this storm is properly hunkered down.

Obituary: Former Colorado Rep. Pat Schroeder, pioneer for women’s rights, dies. Thanks RedEye9.
Obituary: 'Fosbury Flop' high jumper Dick Fosbury dies at 76.

Pi Round-up Squared
Thanks Ant and Neutronbeam.

Breakfast Links

• Solar Panels Floating in Reservoirs: We’ll Drink to That (may require registration or subscription).
• The Illusion of a Frictionless Existence. Thanks Max.

Stories

• Online tests suggest IQ scores in US dropped for the first time in nearly a century.
• Only four midsize SUVs score good rating in IIHS rear-seat safety tests.
• EPA proposes first standards to make drinking water safer from 'forever chemicals.' Admits inaction has resulted in "thousands of deaths."

Science

• Study of Erections Finds 'Growers Versus Showers' Are a Real Thing. Measuring ding-dongs. For science!
• Black Widow Spiders Are Getting Slaughtered by Aggressive Brown Widows. Thanks RedEye9.
• Keytruda Unlocked: How Should Merck Proceed with Trials? Thanks Acleacius.

Media

• Banks Are Collapsing... Here's Why. Thanks The Flying Penguin and RedEye9.
• Was Blitz Spirit Really A Thing?: The London History Show.

Creature Features

• FL GATOR VS FENCE. Thanks Boing Boing.

Follow-up

• Could waste plastic become a useful fuel source.

The Funnies

• A Hole in the Floor - Savage Chickens.