During the Evo Awards SNK announced an Open Beta test will begin on Thursday for Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, to prepare the fighting game for its planned April launch. A post on Reddit shows this will run for four days beginning at 3:00 am EST February 20 on PC via Steam, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 4/5. An Open Beta Test Announcement Trailer accompanies the news, and the description has more details:

An open beta test for FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves, aiming to improve the online experience, will soon be underway! Choose from eight furious fighters, including Kain R. Heinlein—the boss of the previous title, GAROU: MARK OF THE WOLVES—and, for the first time, B. Jenet!

FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves features a unique art style that stimulates the senses, an innovative REV System that supercharges the excitement, and two distinct control schemes that will thrill newcomers and veterans alike. Get a taste of the action ahead of its April 24 release—no PlayStation®Plus or Xbox Game Pass Core/Ultimate subscription required!

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• Two big Final Fantasy remakes are reportedly still in ‘active development’ - VGC.

• Hideki Kamiya says the reaction to his Game Awards reveal made him cry - VGC.

• Save 55% on Symphony of War- The Nephilim Saga Deluxe Edition on Steam.
• Save 53% on Dark Deity Deluxe Edition on Steam.

• Saber got the contract to develop Halo Anniversary because its CEO ‘offered to do it for free’ - VGC. Thanks PC Gamer.
• Infinity Nikki studio Papergames generates almost $1 billion in 2024 - Eurogamer.net.

• Doom Time Tracker- Displaying Steam Playtime on Ulanzi Pixel Clock - 3DShooter.com.

Unofficial games, patches, and mods.

• New Kingdom Come- Deliverance 2 Mod Enables Async Compute - DSOGaming.
• The Gray Cowl of Nocturnal is another DLC-sized mod for Skyrim - DSOGaming.

• Phil Spencer Reassures Xbox Gamers Their Library Isn't Going Anywhere - MP1st.
• Game Pass: Phil Spencer says Xbox isn’t ‘trying to funnel’ players away from game ownership - VGC.

• Build your ideal Assassin hideout just the way you like! 😉 - Ubisoft.
• MINSK Gameplay Demo 4K (New Post-Apocalyptic Horror Game 2025).

↑ Official trailers. ↓ Content creator videos.

• Don't be THIS guy - Marvel Rivals #2 - Carbot. Thanks Ant.
• Empyreal - Dev Interview Ep. 2 - Secret Mode.

• All 2025 Evo Awards Winners and Game Announcements - Sports Illustrated.

• Sony's live-service shooter Fairgame$ has been delayed to next year, insider suggests - Eurogamer.net.

• Google deactivates Android's earthquake alerts after false alarm in Brazil - Android Police. Thanks Reddit.

• More details of Spotify's new Music Pro plan have leaked – including the price - TechRadar.

Thanks Neutronbeam.

• Intel 8th, 9th and 10th Gen processors removed from Microsoft's Windows 11 24H2 CPU support list - Tom's Hardware.
• RTX 5090 supplies to be 'stupidly high' next month as GB200 wafers get repurposed, asserts leaker - Tom's Hardware.
• Silicon is Earth's second most common material and scientists want to use it to grow super affordable lasers - TechRadar.
• What Is Arch Linux, and How Is It Different From Other Versions of Linux? - How-To Geek.
• Nvidia H100 purse hits the market for $65,000 - Tom's Hardware. You know what that would go nicely with? An $8,990 lizard-embossed leather jacket. Thanks Max.
• How to write Windows to a USB device using Linux - Neowin.
• 8 mistakes that will kill your SSD early - PCWorld.

• Older AI models show signs of cognitive decline, study shows - Live Science. Senility should liven up the already lively AI party.
• AWS Turns to Ancient Logic to Tackle Modern AI’s Hallucinations - PYMNTS. Thanks Max.
• Fake AI "true crime" documentaries are taking over YouTube - Boing Boing. A post-truth culture isn't going to build itself. No wait, yes it is.

• Quantum Encryption Breakthrough Uses Light and Color to Create an Unhackable Internet - SciTechDaily. Thanks Max.

• No penalties even when deputies share a woman’s nudes after an illegal phone search - Ars Technica. Thanks Reddit.

• Tomb Raider 4-6 Remastered completes a trip down memory lane that remains unwelcoming despite its historical value - VG247.

Thanks Neutronbeam.

• Headset/Earbuds: Technics AZ100 earbuds review- audiophiles and multitaskers unite - The Verge.
• Motherboard: BIOSTAR Z890 VALKYRIE LGA1851 Motherboard Review - Mad Shrimps.
• PSU: FSP Hydro PTM X Pro 1000W ATX 3.0 PSU Review - Tom's Hardware.
• VR/AR HMD: Asus AirVision M1 AR glasses review- An expensive and shaky first effort - Tom's Hardware.

• Famous Video Game Characters Who Still Don't Have A Voice Actor - GameRant…
• Anyone in the US can now buy Nintendo’s Alarmo clock from the online store - Engadget…

Our winter storm isn't as bad as expected so far, and we're already cleaned up and dug out from the overnight activity. So I'm starting to form a superstition that posting warnings about potential blackouts here helps in avoiding them. Like carrying an umbrella helps prevent rain, which has been verified by rigorous scientific analysis. With that in mind, I'll mention there's freezing rain and more wintry mix in the forecast for later today, so hopefully our good luck in this area holds.

Obituary: Tributes Paid After Death of Half-Life 2 and Dishonored Artist Viktor Antonov Aged 52 - IGN. The architect of City 17.

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

Stories

• Bored with chess, the world’s top player wants to remake the game - Washington Post. Thanks Slashdot.
• Breakthrough Packaging Cuts Mercury in Canned Tuna by 35% - SciTechDaily. Goes from unhealthy levels all the way down to unhealthy levels.

Science

• Scientists Just Found a Hidden Set of 'Modes' in The Human Ear - ScienceAlert.
• Moon rocks reveal hidden lunar history - Ars Technica.
• Researchers find cancer's 'off-grid' power supply – and how to cut it - New Atlas.
• New Research Shatters the Perfect Pitch Myth - SciTechDaily.

Creature Features

• Dogs can understand what you say - Cabebe Faso. Thanks VideoSift.

Follow-ups

• NASA Is Offering $45,000 to Help Rescue a Stranded Astronaut on the Moon - Daily Galaxy. NASA used to be a lot more extravagant than that.
• Among world’s top researchers 10% publish at unrealistic levels, analysis finds - News - Chemistry World.

The Funnies

• FoxTrot.