Ubisoft announces the creation of a new subsidiary based on its Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six brands, saying this is a partnership with Chinese giant Tencent. This is in line with a rumor that emerged a couple of weeks ago which turned out to be spot-on. Ubisoft has been riding the struggle bus, and word is this deal adds a cool €1.16 billion ($1.25 billion USD) to its piggy bank:

Today, Ubisoft announced that it is accelerating its transformation by taking an important step in rapidly evolving its operating model with the creation of a dedicated subsidiary based on its Assassin’s Creed®, Far Cry®, and Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six® brands. Following the formal and competitive selection process initiated by the Group earlier this year, Tencent’s will invest €1.16bn for a minority stake in the new subsidiary. This new subsidiary will focus on building game ecosystems designed to become truly evergreen and multi-platform. Backed by greater investment and boosted creative capacities, it will drive further increases in quality of narrative solo experiences, expand multiplayer offerings with increased frequency of content release, introduce free-to-play touchpoints, and integrate more social features.

Dotemu and Tribute Games announce MARVEL Cosmic Invasion, an arcade brawler featuring characters from the rich history of Marvel Comics. This will bring co-op support when it launches later this year for PC and consoles. An Announcement Trailer is here and about halfway through it starts showing off gameplay. Here's more on the cast of characters. the visuals, and the story:

Opening with spectacular hand-drawn animation reflecting the game’s visual homage to colorful '90s era MARVEL comic books, Dotemu revealed the first set of playable characters from the roster: Captain America, Wolverine, Spider-Man, Storm, Phyla-Vell, Venom and Nova. The trailer’s sneak peek at gameplay finds these legends uniting to throw down against menacing enemies in classically inspired side-scrolling brawls.

In MARVEL Cosmic Invasion the immortal Super Villain Annihilus has launched an unprecedented attack across the galaxy, threatening all life as we know it. Fighters both Earth-born and cosmic must now join forces in a star-spanning adventure against the deadly Annihilation Wave. Brawl through the streets of New York City all the way to the depths of the Negative Zone to foil Annihilus’ vow to spread death across the cosmos.

Grinding Gear Games announces Dawn of the Hunt will rise in Path of Exile 2 on April 4th, adding the first major content update since the Early Access launch of the action/RPG sequel. All the details on what this will bring to the party are on this page. As it explains, the update will add a new Huntress class along with other changes, as discussed in the Content Reveal Video. For another look at what to expect there's a Gameplay Trailer. Here's more on the new ranged/melee hybrid:

Obliterate your enemies with the hybrid ranged and melee Huntress Step into the bloodstained boots of the Huntress, a dexterous and ferocious spear-wielding warrior. Banished from her homeland, she now stalks her prey using both ranged spear throws and close combat attacks. Her brutal arsenal is designed to make combat feel like a relentless pursuit, always in motion, moving into and out of melee range at a moments notice.

The Huntress can also Parry incoming attacks from monsters, stunning them before following up with one of several counterattacks. For example, use Disengage after a Parry to quickly jump back, gaining a Frenzy charge, then follow up with an empowered spear throw.

• INAYAH - Life after Gods on Steam (Windows). "INAYAH – Life After Gods is a thrilling action-platformer with metroidvania elements. Immerse yourself in a story with multiple choices, explore diverse biomes, face more than 20 bosses, and develop your character with a unique progression system."
• Galactic Getaway on Steam (Windows, macOS). "Explore a cozy, uncharted planet and make it your own in this wholesome multiplayer life-sim! Befriend creatures to gather rare resources and build your dream home. Play fun minigames, farm crops, and craft decorations as you shape your perfect slice of galactic paradise!"
• Sports: Renovations on Steam (Windows). "Give sports facilities a second life in this relaxing story-driven simulator! Restore the glory of old gyms, courts and pitches, and add a sprinkle of your own style."
• YOUR HOUSE on Steam (Windows). "A narrative puzzle-thriller that blurs the lines between games and books, reality and fiction, puzzles and storytelling."

• Shadow Labyrinth - Release Date Announcement. July 18th.
• StarVaders - Official Release Date Announcement Trailer. April 30th.

• Hogwarts Legacy expansion reportedly scrapped in Warner Bros. games overhaul - VGC.

• Learn Python & AI Agent Development (pay what you want and help charity) - Humble.*
• Humble Software Bundle: Music for Dummies (pay what you want and help charity) - Humble.*

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

• Assassin’s Creed Shadows – A Guide To Allies.
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 - Season 03 Zombies Trailer.
• Call of Duty: Warzone - Stories of Verdansk - Declan Rice "The Showdown."
• EVERYBODY'S GOLF HOT SHOTS – Announcement Trailer.
• King of Meat- Announce Trailer.
• Monster Energy Supercross 25 - Career Explosion.
• PATAPON 1+2 Replay – Announcement Trailer.
• SUPER ROBOT WARS Y - Announcement Trailer.

• Pac-Man-inspired action platformer Shadow Labyrinth launches July 18 on PS5 – PlayStation.Blog.

• Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown - Mobile Reveal Trailer.

• Facebook launches Friends tab- a new feed that ditches algorithmic junk - The Verge.
• Tor Browser 14.0.8 (Windows only). Thanks Ant.

• LibreOffice version 25.2.2. Thanks Broadband Bulletin via Ant.

• How AI went from dooming radiologists to making them better - The Globe and Mail. Thanks Max.

• Can a video game improve your relationship life? - Boston.com. Thanks Neutronbeam…

Last Link of the Day: Honest Trailers - The Electric State.

As its Spring Sale rolls on, the Epic Games Store's regular Thursday giveaway is here as well. There are two freebies this week, so everyone can pick up Cat Quest and/or Neko Ghost, Jump! completely free. These are for keeps if you make with the snagging over the next seven days. After that, a new giveaway arrives, listed as a mystery game for now. Here's today's non-sales pitch:

Neko Ghost, Jump! is a puzzle-platformer where you not only switch between 2D & 3D camera perspectives but also between your physical & ghost forms to solve puzzles, combat enemies, and clear levels faster.

Cat Quest is an open world RPG set in the pawsome world of cats! Leap into a grand adventure in purrsuit of the evil Drakoth and your catnapped sister! Explore Felingard's huge overworld map, risk life and limb delving into dungeons for epic loot, and lend a paw to a furry cast of characters in a flurry of side quests.

Rebellion announces Atomfall has dropped, and this postapocalyptic survival game is now available for PC, Game Pass, and PlayStation, and Xbox. You can pick up the Windows edition on the Epic Games Store and Steam, and while there isn't a launch discount, there's an opportunity to pay more for the Deluxe Edition (also available as an upgrade). This is an alternate history game based on real-world nuclear accident in the UK in the 1950s, and its Britishness is a stated feature (S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Churchill?). Here's more on that, the game, and the deluxe version:

A UK-based post-apocalyptic survival-action game, Atomfall is inspired by the real life Windscale nuclear incident in the 1950s. Players will embark on a fictionalized adventure meeting a cast of weird and wonderful characters as they try to uncover the mystery of what happened at the Atom Plant and escape the Quarantine Zone.

Atomfall’s Deluxe Edition is available digitally. This Deluxe Edition gives players the Basic Supply Bundle DLC, which offers additional items and supplies to uncover as you explore, including an exclusive melee weapon variant, additional loot caches and an item recipe. It also gives players an Enhanced Supply Bundle, which includes an exclusive pistol variant, metal detector skin and character upgrades. Alongside this, players will also enjoy access to the Story Expansion Pack: Wicked Isle DLC when released*. Players who purchase the Standard Edition can purchase the Deluxe Upgrade to enjoy the same additional content.

Karma has finally caught up with us, as KARMA: The Dark World is now available for PC and PlayStation 5, giving rise to a new first-person psychological thriller from Wired Productions and Pollard Studio. The Windows edition is on GOG.com* and Steam with a 10% launch discount. There's also a playable demo on Steam. The weepy Launch Trailer features cinematics and gameplay hinting at the game's emotional journey. Here's word on the game, which draws its inspiration from film directors and other developers inspired by film directors:

Inspired by the works of legendary creators such as David Lynch (Twin Peaks), Hideo Kojima (Metal Gear Solid, Death Stranding), and Christopher Nolan (Inception, Interstellar), KARMA: The Dark World blends psychological horror with immersive storytelling, challenging players to uncover the deepest secrets hidden in the minds of their targets. Developed in Unreal Engine 5, the game delivers an intensely atmospheric experience with stunning visuals and a haunting narrative.

In KARMA: The Dark World, players take on the role of Daniel McGovern, an elite Roam Agent tasked with mind-diving into the memories of suspects. What begins as another routine investigation soon unravels into a dark conspiracy that challenges everything he believes. As McGovern navigates the minds of those he pursues, he must confront disturbing truths and question his own reality.

The new Paths to Power DLC is out for Sins of a Solar Empire II, adding the first DLC to Stardock's real-time/4X space strategy sequel. This requires the base game, which gets an update to version 1.4 as part of the launch. Patch notes are in this post and here's the full Update Changelog. It's available on the Epic Games Store or Steam depending on where you initially bought the game. Check out the Launch Trailer for a look, and here are the details:

Prepare for new challenges with Paths to Power, the first DLC for Sins of a Solar Empire II! This DLC features new mission-driven scenario maps that forces players to achieve special goals to achieve victory. Test your strategic skills and shape your fate as you battle through new, high-stakes scenarios in the vast universe of Sins of a Solar Empire II.

Paths to Power includes over 10 new scenario mission maps to play-through in single-player action. You’ll need to put your skills to the test as each scenario will give you different initial play conditions and objectives to win.

Stunlock Studios announces Invaders of Oakveil will launch on April 28 for V Rising on Steam and PlayStation 5, updating the open-world vampire survival game to version 1.1 in a nameworthy patch that includes a combat overhaul. The Invaders of Oakveil Reveal Trailer has a quick cinematic. Saying the game has now sold five million copies, the announcement outlines the new content in version 1.1:

What Awaits You in V Rising Update 1.1 - Invaders of Oakveil:

• Explore The Oakveil Woodlands:
  A new forest biome filled with uncharted lands, deadly enemies, new bosses, and dark magic techniques waiting to be seized.
• Castle Arena & Duels:
  Build a custom battle arena in your castle, set the rules, and engage in epic battles with friends. Or challenge foes anywhere in the world with risk-free one-on-one duels.
• New Weapons & Spells:
  Wield powerful new weapons and spells, unlocking fresh combat strategies and playstyles to conquer formidable enemies.
• Improved Combat:
  V Rising’s biggest combat overhaul yet is here! With a deep stat rework, rebalanced gear, and powerful new customization tools, your Vampire’s path to dominance is truly in your hands!

Fallen Tree Games and Kwalee announce May 13th is the new release date for The Precinct, its not crowdfunded Police Quest-inspired sandbox police simulation. Before you schedule your vacation around this, remember that the game was announced as coming last August and delayed barely a month later. It was then due last fall, which obviously didn't happen either. Here's a new Release Date Trailer and word on what to expect from this return to the 1980s when it arrives:

You are Officer Nick Cordell Jr. As a rookie beat cop fresh out of the Academy, you’re on the front line of defence for Averno’s citizens. Dive into a world of thrilling car chases, procedurally-generated crimes, and a healthy dose of 1980s noir as you protect the populace and solve the mystery of your father’s murder in the line of duty.

The Precinct combines police sim detail with action sandbox spectacle. Patrol the streets and respond to callouts to fight criminals petty and powerful. Choose your own tactics in thrilling chases and shootouts. Feel the shifting power struggles of Averno's gangs in a living city full of procedurally generated crimes, from parking infractions to bank heists, street racing to drug deals.

MicroProse announces it is publishing Strategos, a wargame that will put your real-time tactics to the test during the Age of Antiquity when it arrives later this year. As seen in the Publishing Announcement Trailer this does not appear to be based on Stratego, the classic board game that introduced so many of us to the world of turn-based strategy. It does promise a "deep, historically rich strategy experience," and the Steam Listing is live with screenshots and details. Here's more:

Simulate large scale warfare with the armies of antiquity in Strategos. With thousands of men on screen, you can recreate real or speculative historical battles between the major and minor powers of the ancient Mediterranean.

Strategos is an ancients wargame with large scale formation movements and disorder, unordered charges, pursuing, evading, routing and morale shocks, fog of war, terrain effects, flanking and command and control simulations that bring a hardcore tabletop feel to digital, real-time wargaming.

AI Limit is now available for Windows and PlayStation, offering an action/RPG set in postapocalyptic China. You can get a load of this in action in the Launch Trailer, and the Windows edition is on Steam with a 10% launch discount. Word is this is set after the "collapse of the artificial ecosystem," which naturally has us curious:

After the sudden yet mysterious collapse of the artificial ecosystem, natural disasters and wars ensued, the civilization was wiped out. And in the centuries that followed, a strange substance known as the Mud spread everywhere, and monsters emerged.

You will step into the last city of mankind - Havenswell, exploring cold and damp sewers, layers of slums, sky city above the lake, etc., seeking the truth about the destruction of civilization in monster-infested ruins. Travel through wonders, face mysterious and deadly enemies, and put an end to an eerie and desperate history.

Twilight Monk is out for Windows and Switch, and the PC edition of this 2.5D action/RPG is on Steam with a 10% launch discount. The game promises "metroidvania exploration, RPG elements, and a sprawling overworld map," as well as hand-drawn art, all seen in the Official Launch Trailer. Here's the pitch:

Set in a hand-drawn world, this 2.5D action RPG blends metroidvania exploration, RPG elements, and a sprawling overworld map. With dungeon hubs, narrative depth, and level-up mechanics, it offers freedom and classic adventure in a richly crafted fantasy setting.

The land of Speria is shrouded in darkness, with monsters ravaging villages. Survivors gather at Crescent Isle’s monastery, seeking hope from the Moonken Monks. Raziel Tenza, a Twilight Monk descendant, must stop the traitor Nox and restore peace, as internal conflicts threaten even the monks’ unity.

As sure as 2025 follows 2024, Revound announces Tennis Manager 25 is coming to PC and consoles on May 15th, serving up a new installment in this sports management series. The game's Steam Listing is live, and the Windows and macOS edition will come to GOG.com and the Epic Games Store. The Officiel Announce Teaser is here, which is in English, despite the French in the title. Here's more on this chance to get in on the tennis racket:

Get ready for Tennis Manager 25! Discover the new features of this 2025 edition every week by following the page and adding the game to your wishlist.

Take control of a tennis academy and dive into an immersive and strategic experience. Scout the talents of tomorrow and shape their future on the court. From training young prodigies to managing professional tournaments, you’ll have to make critical decisions to climb the tennis world ranking.

• Bubble Ghost Remake on Steam (Windows) (Windows). "Guide a small ghost and its bubble through an enchanted castle full of dangers and challenges in this incredible remake of the popular classic "Bubble Ghost". With over 40 levels of skill that include ingenious puzzles and challenging obstacles, get ready for hours of addictive gameplay." There's a playable demo.
• Cinemaster Cinema Simulator on Steam (Windows). "Run your own cinema! Set showtimes, print tickets, buy new films, pop popcorn, upgrade and clean theaters. Vending machines, staffs, upgrades, and much more are coming soon!" Playable demo available.

• Cabbie! on Steam (Windows, Linux). "Cabbie!® is an epic high-speed adventure where you boost, drift and jump your way to victory in a frantic race against the clock, for one to four players."
• Pirates Outlaws 2: Heritage on Steam (Windows). "Pirates Outlaws 2 is a swashbuckling roguelike deckbuilder. Collect & fuse cards, gather powerful relics and adapt your strategy during each run. Become a reputed pirate, loot the Sea Masters, challenge giant creatures and triumph in the great Arena!"

• Cosmi: Forbidden Forests - Announcement Trailer. Collection of 10 C64 games arrives in May.

• Oddventure – Your Choice, Your Story. Early Access Begins 3.04. Meaning April 3rd.
• Seafrog - Official Release Date Trailer. April 15th.

• GameStop stock slips after company announces plans to raise $1.3 billion to buy bitcoin - Yahoo! Finance. Investors realize they can buy their own bitcoin.

• Get Fortnite Twitch Drops During Mode Mayhem (video).

• The Last of Us creator Neil Druckmann "curious" about how people will react to season 2, as elephant in the room is dodged - Eurogamer.net.

Official patches.

• American Truck Simulator - 1.54 Update Release.
• Arma Reforger - Update 1.3.
• THE FINALS - Update 6.1.
• Maximum Football - Welcome to Season 2: Vice Blitz.
• No Man's Sky Relics - 5.61.
• The Outlast Trials - Hotfix Patch Notes - Under Surveillance - March 27.

• GeForce NOW Thursday- ‘inZOI’ on GeForce NOW - NVIDIA Blog.

Official trailers.

• Agent of Veil Official Announcement Trailer.
• Bullet Noir - Devlog 1 - Wolcen Studio Indie Initiative.
• First Break Labs - Upcoming Games 2025.

• The Trackmania World Tour 2025 is back in 2v2 - Trackmania. Thanks Frans.

• Nintendo introduces new lending system for digital Switch games - The Verge.
• Latest Nintendo Direct Reveals Nintendo Switch Games, Virtual Game Cards and a New Smart Device App Nintendo Today.
• Nintendo Download- In an Eras Era.
• I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream - Console Launch Trailer - Nightdive Studios.
• Shadow of the Orient - Consoles Release Trailer - Out 27 March 2025.
• CarGo! 🚚 Xbox Launch Trailer.
• High On Life Coming To Switch Very Soon - GameSpot.
• Cattle Country Demo ridin' out to PS5, Xbox & Switch.

• After 50 million miles, Waymos crash a lot less than human drivers - Ars Technica.

Thanks Frans.

• Vivaldi bundles Proton VPN into its web browser - The Verge.
• Robinhood is moving into banking services with luxury perks and same-day cash delivery - Engadget.
• Mozilla Firefox 136.0.4, See All New Features, Updates and Fixes.
• Mozilla Firefox ESR 128.8.1, See All New Features, Updates and Fixes.
• Mozilla Firefox ESR 115.21.1, See All New Features, Updates and Fixes.

• TSMC’s $100 billion pledge won’t resurrect US chipmaking, says Intel’s ex-CEO - Ars Technica.
• How Extropic Plans to Unseat Nvidia - WIRED (may require registration or subscription).
• H&M to use digital clones of models in ads and social media - BBC.
• I spent $5000 to debunk the biggest data recovery myth: the "2 MiLlIoN dOlLaR cLeAn RoOm!" - Louis Rossmann. Thanks The Flying Penguin.
• The worst advice that PC enthusiasts love to offer - XDA. Thanks Neutronbeam.
• GIMP 3.0.2 Released. Thanks Reddit via Ant.

• OpenAI’s new AI image generator is potent and bound to provoke - Ars Technica.
• I Opted Out of AI Training. Does This Reduce My Future Influence? - WIRED (may require registration or subscription).
• Garmin adds AI and a subscription tier to its app - The Verge.

• How to protect your site from DDoS attacks - before it's too late - ZDNET.
• 10 pesky Windows 11 24H2 bugs still haunting PCs despite several patches - ZDNET.

• TikTok: Trump says he may cut China tariffs to help seal deal to sell the app - BBC.
• OnlyFans fined over user age-check information failings - BBC.

• Synth Riders 80s Mixtape – Side B DLC (HP Reverb G2) - Christ Centered Gamer.

• CPU/GPU/AIO/SSD Cooler: CPCPS - PCCooler RZ620 CPU Cooler - TweakTown.
• Graphics Card: Sapphire Radeon RX 9070 XT Pulse Review - TechPowerUp.
• Keyboard: Epomaker P87 Mechanical Wireless Keyboard - Mad Shrimps.
• Laptop: Asus VivoBook 18 laptop review- The display monster for just under $1,000 - NotebookCheck.net Reviews. Thanks Neutronbeam.
• Monitor/Projector: Acer Predator X34 OLED - IGN.
• Monitor/Projector: EIZO FlexScan EV4340X 43- 4K Monitor Review.
• SSD: Netac NV7000-Q M.2 SSD Review - Another Budget-Friendly SSD - ThePCEnthusiast.

• Atomfall: How a forgotten nuclear disaster inspired a video game - BBC…

As I announced yesterday, we have website maintenance scheduled today. To recap: We should go offline shortly after 2:00 pm EDT while the server is moved to a new rack. Barring complications, we should be back online shortly thereafter, but with a new IP address. Most DNSs should update pretty quickly, but this is a decentralized process, so it could take longer for some to be able to reach us again. Again, apologies for the interruption.

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

Story

• Egypt submarine sinking- Several killed after vessel carrying Russian tourists sinks, embassy says - CNN.

Science

• Listen to the first sounds ever known to be made by sharks - Science - AAAS. You're on Shark Talk, please turn down your radio. Thanks Slashdot.
• Toxic dust on Mars would present serious hazard for astronauts - CNN.
• Venus Flytrap Wasp- 99-Million-Year-Old Amber Reveals Bizarre New Species - ScienceAlert.

Media

• All Dams Are Temporary - Practical Engineering.
• Why Have We Stopped Using the Card Magnetic Stripe? - BBC Earth Science.

Follow-up

• 'There is always room for more'- Marvel drops big hint that it isn't done with its Avengers- Doomsday cast announcements - TechRadar.

The Funnies

• xkcd- Rock Identification.
• A Better Alexa - Savage Chickens.
• Savage Chickens.