NVIDIA support now offers a new version 576.26 hotfix Windows driver for GeForce graphics cards, as its recent struggles to release a stable driver continue. This lists a bunch of bug fixes, while saying it also incorporates the fixes from the prior hotfix, which arrived just last week. Here's the latest:

GeForce Hotfix Display Driver version 576.26 is based on our latest Game Ready Driver 576.02.

This Hotfix addresses the following:

• [RTX 50 series] [Black Myth]: The game will randomly crash when Wukong transforms [5231902]
• [RTX 50 series] [LG 27GX790A/45GX950A/32GX870A/40WT95UF/27G850A]: Display blank screens when running in DisplayPort 2.1 mode with HDR [5080789]
• [Forza Horizon 5]: Lights flicker at nighttime [5038335]
• [Forza Motorsport]: Track corruption occurs in benchmark or night races. [5201811]
• [RTX 50 series] [Red Dead Redemption 2]: The game crashes shortly after starting in DX12 mode. No issue in Vulkan mode [5137042]
• [RTX 50 series] [Horizon Forbidden West]: The game freezes after loading a save game [5227554]
• [RTX 50 series] Grey screen crashes with multiple monitors [5239138]
• [RTX 50 series] [Dead Island 2]: The game crash after updating to GRD 576.02 [5238676]
• [RTX 50 series] [Resident Evil 4 Remake]: Flickering background textures [5227655]
• [RTX 50 series] Momentary display flicker occurs when running in DisplayPort2.1 mode with a high refresh rate [5009200]

Beholder: Conductor is now available for Windows on Steam, offering a return to the totalitarian state of Beholder. As the title notes, you are now a train conductor, which will again call upon your ability to monitor the activities of citizens and report them to the powers that be. Train your eyes on the Launch Trailer for a look, and read on for more:

You have been appointed senior conductor of the legendary train, which all the citizens of our vast country are happy to see in their cities. Your responsibilities are maintaining order in the carriage assigned to you and providing assistance to passengers along the way. Your tools are reporting, intimidation, searches and ejection. Remember: the conductor is always right.

Carefully monitor everyone who enters the carriage and decide what to do with fare-evaders. Observe and report all suspicious, unauthorized and basically any passenger activity. Search the baggage and call the police if you find prohibited items.

Speaking of totalitarian regimes, Eurogamer.net translates a report from Russian news agency RIA.ru saying the Russian government may be set to seize assets from the executives behind the World of Tanks series. Wargaming.net pulled out of Russia after the invasion of Ukraine, but apparently Lesta Games is still operating the multiplayer tank game locally in Russia. According to the translation, the distinction between the game's two owners does not seem to matter to the Russian government, which has an ax to grind:

Indeed, Russian news agency RIA.ru, which is owned by the Russian state, reports that the country's prosecutor general wants to seize the shares held by Lesta owner Malik Khatazhaev, as well as those of Wargaming owner Viktor Kisly.

Evidence for this action appears to be Wargaming's subsequent support for Ukraine, including an in-game campaign designed to raise funds for ambulances. This campaign was nothing to do with Lesta Games, but is being used as evidence the lucrative company does not support Russia's "special operation" in order to potentially seize its funds.

A new Fieldwork Pack is now available for Windows on Steam for Space Engineers, the space exploration simulation from Keen Software House. As the title implies, this gets you out in the field, where you'll experience improved PvE encounters, new blocks and prototech, alone with other improvements. The pack is 50% off for the next week, and this post has more details along with a trailer. Here's word:

The Fieldwork Update is here! We’ve improved PvE Encounters, including a full rework of Cargo Ship and Unknown Signal encounters. This update also adds the new Prototech Fusion Reactor, a Small Oxygen Tank, and a Large Grid Small Connector - along with a wide range of quality of life fixes and improvements.

The Fieldwork Pack includes new decorative blocks with visuals ideal for building secret bunkers, mad scientist labs, mobile research outposts, and more. Perfect for engineers working off the grid.

Badlands Crew is now available for Windows on Steam, kicking off a tactical adventure game with a 15% launch discount. This takes a different path from Space Crew and Bomber Crew, as it goes all Mad Max on one of those ever-more commonplace post-apocalyptic worlds. The Launch Trailer is here to pump you up and give you a big head, showing off customization options and gameplay that emphasizes teamwork. Here's more:

Set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, ravaged by warring factions, Badlands Crew puts players in charge of a heavily-armed, fully customisable Battle Wagon, leading a ragtag team of survivors across the dangerous and desolate Badlands. With intense tactical battles, evolving missions, and deep crew management, the game blends strategy and action in a high-octane road trip of survival. "We’ve completely reimagined what a Crew game can be,” said Jon Wingrove, Co-Founder of Runner Duck. “Badlands Crew is bigger, bolder, and more tactical than anything we’ve done before – and we can't wait for players to hit the road."

Castle Craft is now available in Early Access for Windows on Steam, offering a casual fortress defense sandbox game. As seen in the Launch Trailer, this features voxel-powered graphics, and as the title and description notes, places greater emphasis on the structures you build than the resources you mine to fuel the process. It's 15% off for the next two weeks. Here's how developer Twin Earth and publisher Astra Logical describe the game:

Welcome to Castle Craft, where chaos reigns and creativity knows no bounds. Dive into an epic siege sandbox where you can build massive castles in a fully destructible voxel world.

Prepare your economy and defend your fortress against relentless hordes of quirky enemies in magnificent battles that combine mayhem with physics-driven fun.

Castle Craft is the ultimate mashup of voxel sandbox shenanigans, action-packed gameplay, and horde defense madness.

The Steam Wargame Fest is underway, kicking off a week of games that recreate the intricate tactics and strategies of warfare. This is getting the full "fest" treatment, so there are presentations, playable demos. Here's the Official Trailer showing off what to expect. Here is its description:

Are you ready to fight for your life? Doesn't matter, you'll have to anyway in Steam's Wargames Fest! Join us for discounts, demos, and more on games that have you leading a team into battle: April 28th through May 5th at 10am Pacific

Devolver Digital announces Mycopunk, an upcoming chance to join a squad of fellow robots to break some of Asimov's laws of robotics in this co-op first-person shooter. It's in development at Pigeons at Play for an Early Access release on Steam later this year, and there's a playable demo to sample right now. The Reveal Trailer shows off gameplay featuring colorful cel shaded graphics. Here's more:

A ragtag squad of robot rejects is hired by the SAXON corporation and given one last shot at profitable glory (and avoiding the scrap heap). They are the New Atlas Hazard Crew, a ramshackle squad of exterminators sent to uncover the mysteries behind a planet-wide fungal catastrophe.

Embark on a series of dangerous planet-side missions to drive back the mycological menace. Could this be a simple natural disaster like they claim? And did SAXON really misfile your taxes? Or was that your own fault?

Developer ClockStone and publisher Headup announce Bridge Constructor Studio is coming to PC and consoles in Q3, following its launch on Meta Quest at the end of 2024. This version of the engineering puzzle/creative sandbox game will support traditional monitors as well as VR, and the Windows edition will come in Q3 to GOG.com, Epic Games Store, and Steam. The Announcement Trailer takes a look, and here's the chance to bridge any gaps in your knowledge:

Bridge Constructor Studio is the latest entry in the best-selling Bridge Constructor series. Players put their engineering skills to the test as they design their own constructions in animated 3D mini-dioramas, then start the simulation to watch their creations face the ultimate stability challenge. Combining the best elements of previous Bridge Constructor games with a modern, charming visual style – and featuring an intuitive building system, easy controls, no budget constraints, and optional challenges – it’s the ultimate playground for seasoned builders as well as newcomers to the series.

• Kaamos: Puzzle Roguelike on Steam (Windows). "Kaamos is a bite-sized turn-based puzzle roguelike where battles are fought by matching tiles on a grid with looping rows and columns. Build your character and deck of tiles by looting equipment from your foes. Traverse a dark medieval world where the Sun went down and never rose again."

• Strategos on Steam (Windows). "Strategos is a real-time tactics wargame set in classical antiquity. Simulate large-scale battles with over 120 factions, and 250+ units, from the ancient world. Create custom battles, or take command of historical ones."

• Broken Arrow - RELEASE DATE ANNOUNCED. June 19th.

• id and Friends (pay what you want and help charity) - Humble.*

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

• The Prince is now available within For Honor! As a skin, of course 😉.

• “A Minecraft Movie: Block Party Edition!” Announced.
• Jay and Silent Bob fire up Call of Duty… their way 😶-🌫️🎮.
• Elden Ring Spectral Steed Whistle Ring Costs $200 - Siliconera.

• Battlefall: State of Conflict - WARGAMES Fest Update ( 0.1.2 ).
• Drill Core - [MANDATORY MEMO] Oversight Depts Update Now Available 💼.
• V Rising - Update 1.1 Invaders of Oakveil OUT NOW.

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

• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Mod Enables Hardware Lumen & Improves Ray Tracing - DSOGaming.

• Journey developer thatgamecompany to co-host game jam with $10,000 prize pool - Game Developer.

• Wholesome Direct 2025 returns to Summer Game Fest - Polygon.

• Kickstarter adds a 'tariff manager' to let creators add surcharges to previously funded projects - Engadget.

• Poop Drones Are Keeping Sewers Running So Humans Don't Have to - WIRED (may require registration or subscription). Poop drone pilots get all the girls. Thanks Neutronbeam.
• OnePlus lowers Watch 3 price by $150, promises refunds for early buyers - Ars Technica.

• Microsoft Confirms $1.50 Windows Security Update Hotpatch Fee Starts July 1 - Forbes.
• Notepad++ version 8.8. Thanks Console Genral.

• OpenAI Adds Shopping to ChatGPT - WIRED (may require registration or subscription).
• How Agentic AI Enables the Next Leap in Cybersecurity - NVIDIA Blog.
• NVIDIA Brings Cybersecurity to Every AI Factory - NVIDIA Blog.
• Huawei unveils Ascend 920 in China one day after Trump bans Nvidia H20 AI chip exports - TechRadar.

• Validation of the Farsi version of the video-game addiction scale for children- its associations with social media addiction and executive functions - BMC Psychology.

Last Link of the Day: Cyndi Lauper, Chubby Checker among the 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees.

A report on MTN describes a deal between Blizzard and Nexon involving a new StarCraft game and Overwatch mobile, according to a translation of the Korean text on VGC. Rumors of a new StarCraft game include the possibility of another attempt at a shooter and word of a recent bidding war over the rights. Now comes the suggestion that Nexon won that war, which seems a natural considering the franchise's enduring popularity in South Korea. Here's word:

According to MTN, Nexon has been chosen by Blizzard to publish the mobile adaptation of its popular hero shooter, and as part of the negotiation process, will also work with Blizzard on a new StarCraft game.

“Blizzard has been bidding since the fourth quarter of the last year for major Korean game companies, offering content development rights using the ‘Starcraft’ IP and the Korean and Japanese service rights for ‘Overwatch Mobile‘ as a package deal,” the report claims.

The May the 4th Sale on GOG.com* is underway, getting a head start on next week's Star Wars Day. The Good Old Gamers also announce this celebration includes six classic Star Wars games comprising five bundles which are now part of the GOG Preservation Program. This promises continued, albeit third-party support for these titles going forward. These vintage games aren't full-price to start with, and they are all 75% off for the next 10 days: Dark Forces (Classic, 1995),* X-Wing Special Edition,* TIE Fighter Special Edition,* Battlefront (Classic, 2004),* and Rebel Assault 1 + 2.* Here's word:

That’s right – while we kick off intergalactic celebrations with May the 4th sale, we also decided to put special attention into some of the most classic Star Wars games out there; those titles shaped us, and it’s about time to go back to them.

The following titles have been updated to run as smoothly as possible on modern systems and are now made to live forever:

• STAR WARS™ Dark Forces (Classic, 1995) (-75%)
• STAR WARS™: X-Wing Special Edition (-75%)
• STAR WARS™: TIE Fighter Special Edition (-75%)
• STAR WARS™ Battlefront (Classic, 2004) (-75%)
• Star Wars™: Rebel Assault 1 + 2 (-75%)

FromSoftware announces minimum and recommended PC system requirements for ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN, the upcoming action/RPG. It does not look like many gaming computers will need upgrades to experience what this has to offer when it arrives next month:

Paradox Interactive announces Crusader Kings III players Khan now pick up Khans of the Steppe, new DLC for the historical strategy sequel. It's available for Windows, macOS, and Linux on Steam, and the base game is required. The pack is also part of the Chapter IV Bundle, so be sure not to buy it twice. This offers the chance to get onto your high horse and be a Mongol mogul. Watch your steppe in the Release Trailer, and read on for more:

The winds sweep across the Great Steppe as you look over your people, preparing to ride toward the horizon in search of greener pastures, lands to conquer, and new treasures to claim. In Khans of the Steppe, the second Core Expansion for Crusader Kings III, the nomadic life takes center stage, offering a rich tapestry of new challenges and opportunities. Become — or defeat — the Great Khan as you harness the unique powers of the nomads, navigate the ever-changing Steppe Seasons, and bend the world to your will.

French publisher SUPER AC announces Prohibeast, an upcoming real-time stealth-tactics game that will participate in a Games Made in France 2025 festival next month. This is a stealth/tactics game where you command animal variations on Eliot Ness and his squad of "untouchables" famed for battling Al Capone and other gangsters for control of Chicago during prohibition. It has a listing on Steam saying it's "coming soon" and a Reveal Trailer from last month takes a look. In this game prohibition bans the consumption of meat, not alcohol. This is anachronistic as well as anthropomorphic, as it is set in the 1930s, swapping the depression era for Al Capone's heyday in the prohibition era of the 1920s, which is a strange oversight. Here's word:

In Prohibeast, a real-time tactical infiltration game, dive into a 1930s Chicago plagued by corruption and the smuggling of meat. As meat consumption is banned, Al Capone expands his criminal empire through a ruthless black market. In the face of widespread corruption, Eliot Ness and his team of Untouchables are ready to strike from the shadows to take down the underworld from within.

• Larian honcho Swen 'The Hammer' Vincke takes a new victory lap on 'high-profile people' who say singleplayer is dead- PC Gamer.
• 343 wanted to make Halo 3 Anniversary and other games, but resource issues and contractor limits stretched the studio too thin, says former art lead - Videogamer.

• Newegg Announces Fiscal Year 2024 Results - Business Wire.

• Call of Duty Players Are Abusing a Controversial Cardboard Box Emote Solid Snake Style - IGN.
• Turn-Based Haters Trying to Review-Bomb Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - MP1st.
• Why Some The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Lore Fans Are Disappointed With Oblivion Remastered’s New Dark Brotherhood Door - IGN.

• Why ‘Until Dawn' Video Game Writers Aren't Credited on the Movie - The Hollywood Reporter.
• Ex-PlayStation narrative director starts Until Dawn film petition to credit game writers - Eurogamer.net.

• Bethesda asks The Elder Scrolls fans to suggest Oblivion Remastered improvements, with difficulty scaling among top ideas - Eurogamer.net.

• Larian Studios CEO Defends Baldur's Gate 3 Stardew Valley Mod - GameRant.

• Car Subscription Features Raise Your Risk of Government Surveillance, Police Records Show - WIRED (may require registration or subscription).
• Innovative Eyewear launches Reebok Smart Eyewear - VentureBeat.

• 4chan back from 'catastrophic' attack with tale of cash woes • The Register.

• Evernote version 10.136.4. Thanks Console General.
• 7 Open Source Apps for Windows You Should Be Using - How-To Geek. Thanks Neutronbeam.

• SAG-AFTRA National Board Approves Commercials Contracts That Prevent AI, Digital Replicas Without Consent - TheWrap.
• NieR Director Yoko Taro Worries Game Creators Will Lose Jobs Because of AI, Leading To Them Being 'Treated Like Bards' - IGN.
• DARPA calls for AI proposals to accelerate math research • The Register. Thanks Slashdot via Ant.
• WhatsApp defends 'optional' AI tool that cannot be turned off - BBC. Apparently got the definition of "optional" from AI.
• Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Deploys Thousands of NVIDIA Blackwell GPUs for Agentic AI and Reasoning Models - NVIDIA Blog.
• Sam Altman says OpenAI will fix ChatGPT's 'annoying' new personality – but this viral prompt is a good workaround for now - TechRadar.

• 'Prime numbers' discovery upends millennia of accepted beliefs - Earth.com. Thanks Max.
• How Malwarebytes' new security tools help stop online scams before it's too late - ZDNET.

• Illegally fired FTC commissioners on fighting for their jobs back - The Verge.

• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 PC Performance Analysis - DSOGaming.
• The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered review- A warts-and-all remaster of an iconic RPG - VGC.

• CPU/GPU/AIO/SSD Cooler: TRYX PANORAMA SE ARGB 360 Liquid CPU Cooler Review - ThinkComputers.org.
• Headset/Earbuds: 1MORE SonoFlow SE HQ31 Wireless ANC Over-Ear Headphones - Christ Centered Gamer.
• Keyboard: Epomaker Carbon60 Review - APH Networks.
• Mini PC: Shuttle XPC nano NA10H7 Barebone Mad Shrimps.
• Sound Card/DAC: iFi audio ZEN Blue 3 Lossless-Hi-Res Bluetooth Transmitter & Receiver - Nikk Tech.

We had a simple example of the importance of timing over the weekend, as the BlueTower was hit with a three-hour power outage. At the wrong moment this kind of event could easily ruin an entire morning or evening update here, not to mention make it impossible for MrsBlue to do her work from home. And unless it came in middle of the night, losing electricity would almost certainly disrupt our quiet lives as homebodies. But in this case it struck very shortly before we went out to dinner on Saturday, and ended right before we arrived home. In a perfect world, there would be no blackouts, but if you're going to have to have one, this was the way to go.

Well-timed Round-up
Thanks Ant, Neutronbeam, and Max.

Stories

• Major power outage hits Spain and Portugal, halting trains and flights - CNN.
• Pushing the Boundaries of Buttons - Hackster.io.

Science

• "China Disrupts Earth’s Rotation": NASA Confirms Massive Project Is Slowing the Planet With Unprecedented Global Consequences - Sustainability Times.
• Space photo of the week- Iconic 'Eagle Nebula' gets a major glow-up on Hubble's 35th anniversary - Live Science.

Media

• Maclunkey Treasure Island - An All-Star Live Reading of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.
• Star Wars: Heir to the Empire - The Beginning (Anime Fan Film).
• Meawhile in columbus zoo - r/AbruptChaos. Thanks The Flying Penguin.