An Among Us 3D Teaser Trailer shows off plans to bring the first-person VR edition of Among Us to PCs with traditional flat-Earth monitors. Among Us 3D has a Steam Listing where it can now be wishlisted that says it is "coming soon." Here's what it reveals:

Among Us 3D is a party game of teamwork and betrayal. Experience the core Among Us gameplay you know and love — tasks, sabotages, Emergency Meetings, and venting — now in an extremely immersive, 3D environment where everything (yup, everything!) is close up and personal.

Grab your crew of 4-10 players and launch into a fully 3D version of the hit multiplayer game. Work together as Crewmates to complete tasks before one or more Impostors kill everyone aboard.

Continue here to read the full story.

A new Dev Diary- Ep 03 for NASCAR '25 looks at plans for the next "flagship" title in this stock car racing series This includes a confirmation that it is coming to PC as well as consoles, as the announcement reads: "Get your first in-depth look at iRacing’s first standalone NASCAR video game, coming to PC & consoles later this year." The video looks at an all-new Career Mode, featuring NASCAR driver and Executive Producer Dale Earnhardt Jr., Truck Series Champion Ty Majeski, and the development team. Here's more:

NASCAR 25 will feature all four premier NASCAR series - the NASCAR Cup Series, Xfinity Series, Craftsman Truck Series, and, appearing along NASCAR series in a standalone title for the first time, the ARCA Menards Series. All four series, along with real drivers from each, will feature extensively in NASCAR 25’s Career Mode, as well as in other gameplay modes such as quick races, seasons, and online multiplayer.

Continue here to read the full story.

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is now available, offering a spin-off of the Yakuza series with a tropical flair. It's for PC and consoles, and you can find the Windows edition on Steam, along with the previously released playable demo. Here's the review roundup from earlier this week if you want to do a little research. For more, check out the Launch Trailer and the following description:

Embark on an over-the-top, modern-day pirate adventure with an ex-yakuza, now pirate captain and his crew as they engage in exhilarating combat on land and sea in the hunt for lost memories and a legendary treasure.

Goro Majima, a notorious ex-yakuza suddenly finds himself shipwrecked on a remote island in the Pacific. Unable to remember even his own name, he sets sail in search of clues to his lost memories, accompanied by a boy named Noah who saved his life. Before long, they’re caught up in a conflict between cutthroat criminals, modern-day pirates, and other scoundrels over a legendary treasure.

Continue here to read the full story.

The Game Developers Choice Awards announce its special honorees for the 2025 Game Developers Choice Awards, which won't be officially handed out for another month. This year's Lifetime Achievement Award will go to Remedy's Sam Lake, renowned for writing games including Alan Wake, Quantum Break, Control, and Max Payne, not to mention being Max Payne himself, or at least the original physical model for the character. And the ceremony's Pioneer Award will go to Lucas Pope, most famous for designing Papers, Please and Return of the Obra Dinn. Here's word:

Organizers of the 25th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards (GDCA), the premier accolades for peer recognition in the digital games industry, have revealed the recipients of two of the award show’s most prestigious awards. This year, the international game development community will honor Sam Lake, writer for games such as Max Payne, Alan Wake, Quantum Break and Control with this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Additionally, Lucas Pope, the renowned mentor, designer and developer who has worked at major game companies for over 20 years in the industry, will be recognized with the Pioneer Award for his outstanding contributions to the industry. The Pioneer Award is given to key individuals who elevate video games and the industry as a whole, including 2023’s recipient Mabel Addis, the first female game designer, and other industry icons including Jordan Mechner, Gabe Newell, Alexey Pajitnov and many others.

A Nested Lands playtest is now underway for those who want to step into the muddy shoes of a medieval villager for this "survival city-builder RPG." The test is for Windows PC on Steam, where you must request access, but this is described as an open alpha. A new Feature Trailer is here showing off an existence that looks pretty miserable even before people start dropping like flies from the plague and the weird cultists arrive. That all sounds pretty hard to resist, but here's more in case you still need convincing:

Developed by 1M Bits Horde, Nested Lands challenges players to overcome adversity and provide for their villagers, all while surviving an array of harsh conditions. This Alpha round is designed to test players on how far they can extend their settlement and how autonomous it would be. Villagers will build, craft, and sustain themselves, but only if guided properly. As the village grows, so will the impact of the player’s decisions, as they will begin to shape the lives of each villager.

The world is brutal, so be prepared for bandits to raid the village. Fend off their attacks, reinforce the settlement, and most importantly, SURVIVE THE PLAGUE.

Continue here to read the full story.

• Deck of Haunts Demo on Steam (Windows). "Deck of Haunts invites you to become a malevolent Haunted House. Lure humans into your cursed halls, manipulate their fears, and drain their essence to grow your power. Use strategy to build your mansion and expand your dark influence, turning your home into a terrifying, inescapable nightmare."
• Hyper Empire on Steam (Windows). "Play a 4x game in 40 minutes... or less! We streamlined 4x strategy down to a game that captures the fun in a manageable play time. Lead your faction against escalating enemies and expand the reach of your empire. Multiple paths to victory allows for a variety of strategies. Build your empire."
• KIBORG on Steam (Windows, macOS). "KIBORG is a relentless rogue-lite beat’em up where you enhance your body with new cybernetic implants each run. You’ve been sent to the worst prison in the galaxy for crimes you didn’t commit. Death won’t provide an escape, but a violent reality show may offer a way out."
• Moadra on Steam (Windows). "Endure... Evolve... Or Die. Embrace the unknown and traverse a vast alien world riddled with bizarre creatures, deadly hazards, and grim mysteries. Seek redemption, and confront the terrifying sin buried in the depths of the forgotten planet Protea VI."
• Static Dread: 15 Nights at the Old Lighthouse on Steam (Windows). "Lovecraft meets Papers, Please. Play as a lighthouse keeper and guide ships safely into the harbor using your radio. Survive the presence of something impossible, and don’t let the shadows consume you!"
• Train Valley Origins on Steam (no platforms listed). "The cutest management game about trains. 🚂 Choo-choo! Manage increasingly complex railroad. The rich history of railway transport awaits! From steam engines to futuristic marvels. Explore different eras and countries and witness the evolution of train technology."

• Neon Doctrine Publisher Sale 2025! on Steam.
• Wargaming Publisher Sale 2025 on Steam.
• Quebec Games Celebration 2025 on Steam.
• Save 70% on TROUBLESHOOTER- Abandoned Children on Steam.
• Humble VTT Bundle: FALLOUT: The Roleplaying Game Complete Collection for Alchemy VTT (pay what you want and help charity).*

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

• Overwatch 2 achieves the improbable, clawing back a 'Mixed' rating in recent Steam reviews after a well-received perks update - PC Gamer.

• Ashen Arrows - Official Launch Trailer.
• Pinball FX VR - Announcement Trailer - Meta Quest.

• CoD- Black Ops 6 And Warzone - How To Unlock All TMNT Melee Weapons - GameSpot.

• Call of Duty: Warzone & Black Ops 6 - COD x Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Bundles Trailer. Vanilla Ice warning.
• For Honor - Content Of The Week - 20 February.
• HUNTERxHUNTER NENxIMPACT - Pre-Order Trailer.
• INAYAH - Life after Gods- Next Fest 2025 Demo Walkthrough on Hard.

↑ Official trailers. ↓ Content creator videos.

• Sonic's Last Life - mashed. Thanks Ant.

• Like a Dragon- Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii Interview – PlayStation.Blog.

• How to Watch the ID@Xbox Showcase at IGN Fan Fest 2025 - IGN.

• Guilty Gear -Strive- Starter Guide - Queen Dizzy Video.

• Amazon’s Appstore is pulling Android support - The Verge.

Thanks Neutronbeam.

• WinUtil Is the Ultimate Tool for Setting Up a New Windows Computer - Lifehacker.
• Listen up, PC gamers- it’s time for DisplayPort cables to die, sorry not sorry - TechRadar.

• NioCorp loses $500K in suspected BEC scam • The Register.

Last Link of the Day: Frank Reynolds in Cyberpunk 2077 (NSFW). "It's Always Sunny in Night City."

World War Z Aftermath is now available for free on the Epic Games Store along with Garden Story, as these Windows games are this week's regularly scheduled freebies. World War Z: Aftermath is a repeat, while it's the first time Garden Story is on the giveaway list. They're for keeps if snagged properly between now and next Thursday when the store will give away free copies of Mages of Mystralia. Here's what you can get this week for the fairly reasonably price of zero:

World War Z: Aftermath is the ultimate co-op zombie shooter and the next evolution of the original hit World War Z that has now captivated over 15 million players. Fight off hordes of ravenous zombies in intense story episodes across new zombie-ravaged locations around the world.

Garden Story
Unify a broken community as the newly-appointed Guardian of The Grove. Traverse a vibrant island to combat invasive Rot, inspire its inhabitants, and rebuild your home. You won't have to do this alone: fruity friends await, ready to lend a hand!

Funcom announces May 20th is the official release date for Dune: Awakening, its multiplayer survival game based on the classic science-fiction series. For those eager for this chance get some sun, the game's Character Creator & Benchmark Mode is available on Steam. Arrakis is not known as a hotbed of fashion, but this will allow you to design your character in advance, while also testing how the game will run on your system. This post on Steam has details, including that this will launch with a $49.99 USD price tag. A new Release Date Reveal Trailer celebrates with a look at why you should be dead before the game even starts. Here's more on the date and the new trailer:

Today, Funcom finally lifted the veil on Dune: Awakening’s release date. The open world, multiplayer survival game set on Arrakis will come to Steam on May 20! Players can begin their journey today by diving into the brand-new Character Creation & Benchmark Mode, available now through Steam. Created characters can then be imported into Dune: Awakening at launch.

Continue here to read the full story.

Rockstar Games announces a free upgrade for the PC edition of Grand Theft Auto V will march forth on March 4th. This includes all the updates and improvements previously only available on Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5, a handy reminder of the console-first nature of this series as fans anticipate Grand Theft Auto VI. In addition to gameplay and graphical enhancements, this will also bring the opportunity to purchase a GTA+ Membership. Word is: "This upgraded version of GTAV on PC also features all of our recent player experience improvements for GTA Online, including kernel-based anti-cheat protections and proactive voice chat moderation to help keep GTA Online fun for everyone." The post includes updated system specifications and this outline of tech improvements:

Technical Enhancements
Depending on hardware support, GTAV players on PC who upgrade will be able to enjoy:

• Ray tracing features only available on PC such as ambient occlusion and global illumination — plus ray traced shadows and reflections first debuted on consoles
• Support for AMD FSR1 and FSR3, and NVIDIA DLSS 3
• Faster loading times using SSD and DirectStorage on supported devices and configurations
• Enhanced support for higher resolutions, higher aspect ratios, and higher framerates
• DualSense® controller support, with adaptive triggers
• Enhanced audio with support for Dolby Atmos and improved fidelity of speech, cinematics, and music

NVIDIA announces the release of its new GeForce RTX 5070 Ti graphics cards with another variation on its Blackwell RTX architecture. We have a roundup of reviews from yesterday, and there are more in today's Hardware Reviews roundup. An accompanying post has the latest DLSS 4 news, saying it is available right now in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and coming tomorrow to Marvel Rivals and the Delta Force: Black Hawk Down Campaign. Last, but not least, a new driver release brings a new 572.47 GeForce Windows driver with support for the new cards. The description makes this sound optional unless this applies to you:

Our latest GeForce Game Ready Driver is required for users adding the new GeForce RTX 5070 Ti to their systems, and also includes support for Marvel Rivals’ approaching DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation update.

The Tea Division announces a launch date for Vanguard Exiles, saying this auto-battler designed by Magic: The Gathering creator Richard Garfield will enter Early Access March 11th. The recently launched playable demo on Steam remains available to check out before then. The news comes with a new Gameplay Trailer and some details on what to expect:

Having been referred to as “a boardgame that can’t be a boardgame”, it’s easy to see how this description fits. Imagine a tabletop strategy game where the board constantly rearranges itself with each round, with players given one of countless Squad combinations to control. Set in a fantasy post-World War I diesel punk era where magic and technology fuse, your goal is simple: conquer enough territory to end the round in victory, where your strategy and decisions on the battlefield will be all that stands between you and a glorious victory...or a crushing defeat.

Continue here to read the full story.

TRIBE NINE is now available for PC and mobiles, kicking off a new action/RPG from Akatsuki Games. This is free-to-play, and you can pick up the Windows edition on Steam. A new Gameplay Trailer is here with a look at what's described as "brutal" gameplay, and this post has details on version 1.0 for those who played the prerelease version. Here's more on this chance to visit Neo Tokyo:

Players control characters as they venture through the vibrant "City" of Neo Tokyo, taking down formidable enemies to liberate the city. The party consists of three characters who all fight on the battlefield simultaneously. Ally units will respond to the battle accordingly, luring enemies and healing allies. When the time is right, you can even unleash a combo attack by all three party members.

Each character possesses a unique personality, with various battle strategies and methods that change based on the combination of your party members.

Continue here to read the full story.

Coatsink announces Augmented Empire will be coming to Windows PC, offering a way to play this "critically claimed" VR game without a headset. This features "an all-star cast" including Kate Mulgrew, Nick Frost, and Garrick Hagon, though we're not sure the PC Edition Announce Trailer is being submitted to the Academy for its consideration. There will be a chance to sample this, as a playable demo is set to arrive in April as part of a Steam Next Fest. Here's word on this cyberpunk narrative RPG:

In Augmented Empire, you step into the divided city of New Savannah in 2058. Citizens are graded, with those deemed to have the highest societal value living in luxury at the top, which outcasts and criminals languish in squalor below. Playing as the former poster-child of civil obedience, circumstances turn your world upside down and force you to lead a team of misfits and criminals to survive.

Continue here to read the full story.

• Ertugrul of Ulukayin on Steam (Windows). "Become a medieval warrior in this action-adventure game. Discover traditional myths and fight for your tribe. Mount your horse, sharpen your weapons and explore an ancient semi-open world."
• Instants Demo on Steam (Windows). "A heartwarming journey through time. Use your wits and creativity to lovingly craft photo albums and piece together the story of one family throughout the generations."
• Radiolight on Steam (Windows). "Ashwood Creek, 1985. A child disappears without a trace. A local policeman is drawn into a national park, seeking the truth. Mysterious radio signals beckon him further and further. Investigate, survive and face the unknown in Radiolight— an '80s thriller by solo dev Krystof Knesl." Here's a trailer.
• Solasta II on Steam (Windows). "In a Mana-infused land, a dark force led by the enigmatic Shadwyn threatens Neokos. Bring your party of adventurers together across perilous realms in this Turn-Based Tactical RPG based on the SRD 5e ruleset. You make the choices, dice decide your destiny."
• Sugardew Island - Your cozy farm shop on Steam (Windows). "In this cozy farming game, you have to run your own farm shop. Take care of your animals and your farm, sell your goods to the cute Forest Folk, upgrade the island and fulfill small orders from the Harmony Tree to fill the island with life again."
• Weeny Wise on Steam (Windows). "A Co-Op Adventure, Puzzle-Platformer game. Embark on your adventure with your companion in the magical world of Weeny Wise.Invite a friend to join for free with Friend’s Pass to solve puzzles together, cross platforms, and stand against creatures enchanted by Ragna."
• Wandering Monolith: Rogue TD on Steam (no platforms listed). "You are the Wandering Monolith, falling from the sky. Summon towers, expand the board, defend your core, and build your deck of upgrades to conquer countless worlds."
• YOUR HOUSE Demo on Steam (Windows). "A narrative puzzle-thriller that blurs the lines between games and books, reality and fiction, puzzles and storytelling."

• Space Marine 2 studio is making a game with Hasbro - Polygon.
• If there's a PUBG 2, it won't be from PlayerUnknown - "I have no investors telling me to make things" - Rock Paper Shotgun.

• Marvel Rivals topped 40 million players before U.S. developers were laid off - Game Developer.
• Unity reports revenue downturn but says business rebuild is making 'progress' - Game Developer.

• 13 years on, Ubisoft adds Steam achievements to the one mainline Assassin's Creed game you can't actually buy, but not the updated version you can - PC Gamer.

• The Last of Us News on X: The Last of Us Season 2 premieres April 13 on Max. 🔥.

Official patches.

• Avowed - Patch 1.2.2 Notes.
• Black Myth: Wukong 1.0.14.17737 Patch Notes.
• Dota 2 - Explore Wandering Waters in the 7.38 Gameplay Update.
• The First Descendant - The First Descendant Hotfix 1.2.8.
• Hades II - The Warsong Update Patch Notes. Thanks Hardcore Gamer..
• Marvel's Spider-Man 2 - Marvel's Spider-Man 2 PC – Patch 3 Release Notes.
• Palworld - Update v0.4.15- Random Pal mode rework! Bug fixes.
• VALORANT Patch Notes 10.03.
• Voidwrought - New Game+ and Hardcore Mode Unleashed.

• GeForce NOW Thursday: ‘Avowed’ on GeForce NOW - NVIDIA Blog.

• Sportvida CyberDash - Release Date Trailer.
• Attack on Titan VR: Unbreakable - The Global Challenge - Thunder Spear Unlock Event Trailer.

• UNCG Lands Unreal Academic Partnership with Epic Games - UNC Greensboro.

Official trailers.

• The Crew Motorfest Season 6 World improvements.
• The Crew Motorfest- World Improvements Trailer.
• Hotel Architect - Steam Next Fest Demo Trailer.
• Yooka-Replaylee - Rextro Bytes Back.

• Why We Love to Get Lost in Games- The Enduring Appeal of Metroidvanias - The New York Times (free account required). Thanks Neutronbeam.

• Nintendo Download- Sauntering Sundries - Business Wire.

• iPhone 16e has Apple Intelligence’s best AI tool, but you don’t use Camera Control to activate it – 15 Pro owners should be mad - TechRadar.

• Memory Lost - PC Release Date Announcement. March 6th.
• Tado thermostat told users it would start charging for its app - The Verge.
• Twitch streamers' uploads and highlights can no longer exceed 100 hours.
• MrBeast: Life Is 'So Much Easier When You're Broke' - Kotaku. This dude is pure emotional intelligence.

• Nvidia brings back scalper-beating Verified Priority Access program for RTX 50 Founders Edition GPUs - Tom's Hardware.
• These Are the SpaceX Engineers Already Working Inside the FAA - WIRED (may require registration or subscription).
• FreeFileSync 14.2. Thanks Ant.

• I just tested AI deep research on Grok-3 vs Perplexity vs Gemini — here's the winner - Tom's Guide. Thanks Max.
• AI cracks superbug problem in two days that took scientists years - BBC.
• AI Platform for Teaching American Sign Language - NVIDIA Blog.

• DOGE Now Has Access to the Top US Cybersecurity Agency - WIRED (may require registration or subscription).

• Sony Responds to Ex-Destiny Developer's Lawsuit - GameRant.
• Sony responds to Marathon reboot director's $200m wrongful dismissal lawsuit, alleges 'disturbing communications' with female employees - Eurogamer.net.

Thanks Neutronbeam.

• Case: Ocypus Iota C70 Dual Chamber Chassis - TweakTown.
• Graphics Card: ASUS TUF GeForce RTX 5070 Ti OC - Guru3D.
• Graphics Card: ASUS GeForce RTX 5070 Ti TUF OC Review - TechPowerUp.
• Graphics Card: MSI GeForce RTX 5070 Ti VANGUARD SOC - Guru3D.
• Graphics Card: MSI GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Vanguard SOC Review - TechPowerUp.
• Graphics Card: Palit GeForce RTX 5070 Ti GamingPRO OC - Guru3D.
• Graphics Card: Palit GeForce RTX 5070 Ti GameRock OC Review - TechPowerUp.
• Graphics Card: MSI GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Gaming Trio OC Plus Review - ThinkComputers.org.
• Headset/Earbuds: Abyss JOAL Headphone Review - Major HiFi. Thanks Neutronbeam.
• Keyboard: Epomaker Alice 66 Mechanical Wireless Keyboard - Mad Shrimps.
• Keyboard: Lemokey's L5 HE 8K Magnetic Keyboard is a Refreshing Take on Performance and Build Quality - IGN.
• Motherboard: ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi AMD AM5 Mainboard - OCinside (German).
• PSU: ASRock Taichi TC-1300T power supply review - Tom's Hardware.
• SSD: Corsair EX400U 2TB USB4 External SSD - Christ Centered Gamer.

Variety has the news that Amazon MGM studios is taking full control of the James Bond franchise, as producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson are stepping back (thanks The Flying Penguin and Neutronbeam). This is surprising considering how steadfastly Broccoli retained the final say through all sorts of negotiations over the years. I was talking a bit about this earlier with our pal Redwood and expressed the concern that this doesn't seem like great news for the long run, using Star Wars as an example. It also bears noting that the ratio of good James Bond movies to bad ones is not that favorable, so it's hard to argue that Eon Productions' stewardship over the years was all that impressive. But in fairness, Cubby Broccoli died in 1996, so Barbara's run is the character's second golden age (the first being the Connery years). So yeah. it will be interesting to see what comes of this. Fingers crossed.

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

Stories

• SS United States finally leaves Philadelphia to begin its last chapter - CNN.
• Snow Village in China apologizes for winter wonderland made of cotton and bedsheets - CNN.

Science

• Not So Random After All- Scientists Uncover Surprising New Clues to the Origin of Life - SciTechDaily.
• Milk boosts gut-friendly bacteria while cheese alters microbiome balance, study reveals - Medical.net.
• Harvard Scientists Just Discovered Why Humans Burn Energy Like No Other Animal.

Media

• Leroy and the Bread - 5secondfilms.

Follow-up

• 'Pandemic puppy' owners report a greater burden of dog ownership - Phys.org.
• Going Gluten Free Could Come at a Cost to Your Nutrition And Your Pocket - ScienceAlert.

The Funnies

• xkcd- KM3NeT.