Aladdin joins SMITE 2 as a part of the ‘Tales of Arabia’ Pantheon. Developed completely on Unreal Engine 5, the new God brings unique mechanics to the game. Aladdin is a highly mobile God thanks to his ability to run along walls and structures. His companion, the Genie, grants him three powerful wishes throughout the game including a chance for revival upon death. Aladdin’s ultimate ability allows him to use his Lamp to capture enemies in a one-on-one challenge.

Four further Gods have been added to SMITE 2 with the free-to-play patch including Geb, the Egyptian God of Earth, and Mulan the Chinese Ascendant Warrior. Agni comes to SMITE 2 representing the Hindu Pantheon, while Ullr from the Norse Pantheon rounds out the long list of new playable Gods.

Chernobylite 2: Exclusion Zone is a post-apo action RPG game, mixing free exploration of huge and extremely realistic open world, challenging combat, unique crafting, team and base management with non-linear storytelling. You’re a planewalker who travels through parallel worlds in search of the precious, high-energy material called Chernobylite. Cut off from the world, trapped in the Zone, attacked by hordes of nightmare creatures, you must fight for survival and unite the handful of remaining survivors.

Welcome to Forest Reigns, a survival FPS with RPG elements set in a post-apocalyptic Paris overwhelmed by an evolving forest.

It isn’t just part of the environment—it’s a conscious entity with its own desires and intentions. Interact with it to reveal its mysteries, use it for defeating enemies, or face its wrath as it reacts to your choices.

Immerse yourself in a non-linear story with dozens of missions. Cooperate or compete with the unique in-game factions. Every decision influences the story's final outcome.

Descend into the shadow-choked depths of Moroi’s Cosmic Engine, a maddening labyrinth of twisting corridors and forgotten horrors. Plagued by amnesia, your name, past and sins are beyond memory, shrouded in darkness. As you claw your way through this realm of torment, you face grotesque inhabitants in a land where dark-as-night humor is the only silver lining. Cling to your sanity in an otherwise deteriorating existence styled as grimdark fantasy, a subgenre of fiction distinguished by bleak, dystopian settings and scenarios.

Wage war against Moroi’s battalions of mages, guards and the cursed undead while wielding a gruesome arsenal of unorthodox weaponry. Tear through the flesh of your foes with the jagged teeth of a hellish duck, or unleash a storm of projectiles with the aid of a flying brain. Around every corner lies an unexpected discovery or new instrument of death.

This patch fixes compatibility issues with Windows 11 update 24H2.

• Annihilate The Spance (Windows) on Steam. "RTS base builder with constant production and minimal micromanagement. Direct fleets of autonomous ships in huge battles. Features a singleplayer story campaign with 3 distinct playable factions and many subfactions, and full level editor. Test your abilities in the shifting tides of the Spance."
• Asfalia: Fear on Steam (Windows, macOS). "Adventure awaits you in this colorful, family-friendly point-and-click delight! Navigate through a world painted with emotions, where even 'fear' becomes a playful friend. Solve puzzles, collect stickers, and share giggles in a heartwarming journey in the world of emotions."

• Mark of the Deep on Steam (Windows). Updated demo. "Mark of the Deep is an epic pirate-themed adventure with a strong narrative and a thrilling mix of Metroidvania and Souls-Like elements. Embark on this journey, explore the mysteries of a cursed island and find your missing pirate crew!"

• Godfall studio Counterplay Games has reportedly ‘disbanded’ - VGC.

• Simulation Promo is here! - GOG.com.*
• Save 40% on Ready or Not on Steam.
• Save 35% on Lethal Company on Steam.
• Save 50% on Funko Fusion on Steam.
• Save 20% on The Bus on Steam.

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

• Space Ape Games launches offshoot studio NextBeat - Game Developer.

• Larian gives Baldur's Gate 3's Withers a pair of -big naturals- to celebrate 100m mod downloads - Eurogamer.net.
• Marvel Rivals Fans Are Using the Invisible Woman to Detect Alleged Bot Matches - IGN.
• Marvels Rivals will add a new hero every 6 weeks - VGC.

• Stop Killing Games- UK Edition - Accursed Farms (video). New U.K. petition.

• Gothic: A Shadow's Quest by THQ Nordic - Gamefound. Tabletop game plans.

• Pirates VR Jolly Roger - Official Launch Trailer.

• Everhood 2 - Release Date Announcement Trailer. March 4th.
• Mark of the Deep – Cinematic Release Date Trailer - Launching January 24, 2025.
• Skull and Bones: The Legend of Nian Event Trailer.

• 33 Immortals Third Playtest is Back from Jan 28 to Feb 7 - Xbox Wire.

• Why China may be OK selling TikTok to Elon Musk - CNN Business.
• MrBeast in Talks to Become Partner in Potential TikTok Ownership Group - TMZ.

• NVIDIA GTC 2025 Quantum Day - NVIDIA Blog.
• Elon Musk Says His Boring Company Could Dig The $20 Trillion Tunnel Connecting America With Europe For '1000X Less Money' - Benzinga. Pulled that figure out of his tunnel.
• Prediction: This Will Be Wall Street's First $5 Trillion Company -- and It's Not Nvidia - The Motley Fool. Amazon. Article has to be AI-written to bury the lede under that much blather.

• Inside Meta’s race to beat OpenAI- “We need to learn how to build frontier and win this race” - The Verge.
• Healthcare Leaders, NVIDIA CEO Share Industry AI Innovation - NVIDIA Blog.
• ChatGPT wants to become your reminder app with 'Tasks' feature - 9to5Mac.

• Sonos' chief product officer is also leaving the company - Engadget.

• US SEC sues Elon Musk over late disclosure of Twitter stake.
• Investigation: GamersNexus Files New Lawsuit Against PayPal & Honey - Gamers Nexus. Different (for now) from the recent lawsuit by LegalEagle.
• Court tells SEC to lay out why it has declined Coinbase's request for crypto regulations - AP.
• Lawsuit: Allstate used GasBuddy and other apps to quietly track driving behavior - Ars Technica.

PGA TOUR 2K25 features several franchise advancements, including the addition of new EvoSwing mechanics with a whole host of new shot types, ball flights, roll physics, and visual improvements; the most immersive and customizable MyCAREER experience to date; a diverse suite of creation tools; and much more. In addition, fans can look forward to a roster of 11 male and female pros at launch*, including Tiger Woods, Max Homa, Matt Fitzpatrick, Justin Thomas, Tony Finau, Lydia Ko, Tom Kim, Brooke Henderson, and more.

Project Pantheon is a free-to-play live service game that will take players on a journey into a strange afterlife, where they are tasked by Death itself to aid in restoring order to a shattered reality. Players explore diverse maps, battling enemies in dynamic PvPvE combat. Successful extractions will see players haul back valuable loot, while failure may result in losing their gear for good. In their hidden fortress, players will be upgrading their base, customizing loadouts and experimenting with gear to find their optimal playstyle. An open market will foster a player-driven economy that is going to allow players to trade and support each other.

Closed Alpha 1 serves as a primarily technical evaluation, focused on validating the stability and performance of Project Pantheon’s backend systems, server infrastructure and community channels. This phase is critical for ensuring a smooth reliable experience throughout Alpha testing and will heavily depend on player feedback to fix any issues.

Founded in 2012, EFGAMP represents more than 20 heritage institutions and other organizations, ranging from grassroots initiatives to national libraries, that collect and preserve digital games. Its members include renowned members such as VIGAMUS — The Video Game Museum in Rome, MO5.COM in France, Computerspielemuseum in Berlin, The Netherlands Institute for Sound & Vision, and Embracer Games Archive. GOG is the first Polish institution to join, marking a significant step in bridging the private sector with cultural organizations across Europe.

14th century Europe. Bloody conflicts sweep the lands, and the Black Death comes for the survivors. In the wake of the disasters claiming thousands of lives, the decimated human population struggles for survival. It's a moment of weakness. In Vale Sangora, somewhere in a forgotten corner of the Carpathian Mountains, vampires seize their opportunity to walk out of the shadows, overthrow the feudal lords and claim what they've been denied for centuries: freedom, and ultimate power that comes with it. Legends turn into reality, and history as we know it will never be the same.

THE BLOOD OF DAWNWALKER is the first chapter of the Rebel Wolves’ original dark fantasy saga. You play as Coen, a young man turned into a Dawnwalker, forever treading the line between the world of day and the realm of night. Not fully human, not entirely a vampire, you have 30 days and nights to save your family or swear revenge on your sire and destroy everyone standing in your way.

Inspired by folklore and strange tales in ancient China, Threefold Recital creates an oriental fantasy realm inhabited by humans, beastlings, and majestic dragons. After a golden age spanning thousands of years, the bustling metropolis of Bluescales now faces tumultuous times. Here, magic and technology coexist, complicating social governance. To further stir the pot, the secret art behind ancient miracles—presumed long lost—is resurfacing. Beneath the city's clamor, a storm unlike any other is quietly brewing...

A long, long time ago, there lived a wolf, a fox, and a snake. But these weren’t just your ordinary wild animals. They were very patient and wise, and after a lot of hard work, they gained human form and became "beastlings", as they liked to call themselves.

• UNYIELDER demo on Steam (Windows). "UNYIELDER is an intense Single-Player Boss-rush Movement FPS with an absurd and exploitable Rogue-Looter. Assemble your Arsenal of Destruction, Smash your way through Antarctica, Face your own Final Boss."

• Freshly filed Sega trademarks hint at the return of another classic series, 25 years after its last entry - Eurogamer.net. Ecco of a bygone era.

• Valve dev says SteamOS isn't about killing Windows- 'If a user has a good experience on Windows, there's no problem' - PC Gamer.

• Humble Software Bundle: Make Your Own Games In Unreal Engine 5 from GameDev.tv (pay what you want and help charity) - Humble.*

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

• Games Workshop profits surge amid video games and Amazon TV deals - The Independent.

• Marvel Rivals devs promise to release a new hero every 45 days, give or take, in efforts to “keep everyone excited” - VG247.

• A video game’s Scottish Gaelic translation got deeply political - Polygon.

• Until Dawn Movie Has A Unique Mechanic Inspired By The Game, See First Footage - GameSpot.
• Helldivers 2 developer will be involved in film adaptation, but not as much as you may have hoped - Eurogamer.net.

• PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS - Patch Notes - Update 33.2.

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

• Fallout- New Vegas got a bunch of brand new lore-friendly quests - DSOGaming.

• Fortnite - Karvinus Rooftop Rumble launch trailer.

• Trigger Happy's Sam Prebble on perfecting the survival horror of Total Chaos - and playing the genre's classics for the first time - Rock Paper Shotgun.

• Develop-Brighton is now accepting speaker applications for its 2025 conference - MCV/DEVELOP.

• Starfield's abandoned gore and dismemberment system sure would have made it less grey - Rock Paper Shotgun.

• All the Games Reportedly Set for Release on Nintendo Switch 2 - IGN.
• Halo Finally Looks Set to Make the Jump to PlayStation This Year - IGN.
• (For Malaysia) Level Up New Year’s Play! Purchase PlayStation 5 and stand a chance to win rewards! – PlayStation.Blog.
• Honkai- Star Rail Version 3.0 “Paean of Era Nova” Arrives January 15 – PlayStation.Blog.

• Asus Zenfone 12 Ultra gets a launch date in AI-filled teaser - 9to5Google.
• Turnip Boy Robs a Bank - Mobile trailer.
• Why Apple is offering rare iPhone discounts in China - BBC.
• US finalizes rule to effectively ban Chinese vehicles, which could include Polestar - The Verge.

• The ‘Largest Illicit Online Marketplace’ Ever Is Growing at an Alarming Rate, Report Says - WIRED (may require registration or subscription).
• Meta will lay off more ‘low-performers,’ says CEO Mark Zuckerberg - The Verge (may require registration or subscription).
• TikTok- Firm calls report of possible sale to Elon Musk 'pure fiction' - BBC.
• Mozilla Firefox 134.0.1, See All New Features, Updates and Fixes. Thanks Frans.

• NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 reviews go live January 24, RTX 5080 on January 30 - VideoCardz.com.
• DLSS Accelerates Performance In Assetto Corsa EVO, DYNASTY WARRIORS- ORIGINS, SMITE 2 & Honkai- Star Rail - GeForce News - NVIDIA.
• Apple will soon receive ‘made in America’ chips from TSMC's Arizona fab — company in final stages of quality verification - Tom's Hardware.
• Arm crafts plan to raise prices by up to 300% — mulls designing own chips to rival competitors - Tom's Hardware.
• Overclocker pushes Intel Core i9-14900KF to 9.12 GHz, setting new CPU frequency world record - TechSpot.
• Samsung tops patents for third year in a row - Axios.
• The Next Robot Invasion - The New York Times (free account required). NYT goes ADD on CES.
• Der8auer reverse engineers NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Founders Edition- blown away with findings - TweakTown. Thanks Max.
• Truck with $1.8M in smuggled electronics seized by Hong Kong Customs — 670,000 undeclared chips and 80,000 PC hardware component - Tom's Hardware.
• HDMI 2.2 — Everything We Know So Far - Audioholics.
• Visual Studio Code version 1.96.3.
• Evernote version 10.122.1.

• Sony patents include idea to lower input lag by using AI to predict which buttons you'll press next - Eurogamer.net. Next: Full AFK mode.
• A Spymaster Sheikh Controls a $1.5 Trillion Fortune. He Wants to Use It to Dominate AI - WIRED (may require registration or subscription).
• Amazon must solve hallucination problem before launching AI-enabled Alexa - Ars Technica.

• The Sonos app fiasco: how a great audio brand nearly ruined its reputation - The Verge. Thanks RedEye9.

• Hackers have devised a simple text scam to bypass Apple's iPhone protections - Macworld. Thanks Ant.
• Vulnerability Summary for the Week of January 6, 2025 - CISA.
• Stolen Path of Exile 2 admin account used to hack player accounts - Bleeping Computer.
• FBI hacked thousands of computers to make malware uninstall itself - The Verge.
• YouTubers Sponsored This Scam- Pluralsight Revokes Lifetime Licenses & demand you pay again - Louis Rossmann (NSFW). Thanks RedEye9.

• Google faces UK investigation over search dominance - BBC.

• Dynasty Warriors: Origins Benchmarks & PC Performance Analysis - DSOGaming.
• Aloft Early Access Review - IGN.

• Keyboard: Epomaker Galaxy 100 wireless mechanical keyboard hands-on review- A num pad and 500 hours of battery life - NotebookCheck.net. Thanks Neutronbeam.
• Monitor/Projector: ThieAudio Origin In-Ear Monitors Review - Basshead Love - TechPowerUp.
• Motherboard: ASUS ROG Strix B860-A Gaming Wi-Fi Review - TechPowerUp.
• Motherboard: Gigabyte B850 Aorus Elite Wifi 7 Review - Tom's Hardware.
• SSD: Samsung 990 Pro 1TB SSD Worth It? A 2025 analysis - Guru3D.

Boosted Round-up
Thanks Ant, Neutronbeam, and Max.

Breakfast Links

• I aggregated (110) "Best TV Shows of 2024" lists because Metacritic wouldn't - Final Update - Reddit.
• The Perm Is Back: How the Broccoli Haircut Became Popular Among Gen Z Men - Xataka On.

Stories
Thanks RedEye9.

• Planes are dumping ocean water to fight the Los Angeles fires. Here’s why using saltwater is typically a last resort - PBS Newshour.
• Starbucks’ new rules: Buy something or get out - CNN Business.
• Elon Musk Promotes Video Claiming He Saved 'Thousands of Lives' From Wildfires.

Science

• Why we need parasites, despite them leeching life from others - Live Science.
• Why you probably aren't washing your towels often enough - BBC. Thanks RedEye9.

Media
Thanks A.M.

• Prime Target — Official Trailer - Apple TV+. Thanks Dark Horizons.
• PRESENCE - Official Trailer #2 - In Theaters January 24.
• Boating Nutshot - Ozzy Man Quickies (NSFW).