Hysterra has broken out, as Early Access to RailGods of Hysterra is now underway for Windows on Steam, beginning a Story Lord-free co-op survival adventure from Digital Vortex Entertainment and Troglobytes Games. In this up to five players must confront Lovecraftian horrors, which can be glimpsed if you train your eyes on the Early Access Launch Trailer. The news is celebrated in this post, which discusses what to expect right now, while also laying out a roadmap (railmap?) of what to expect between now and an official launch at a to be determined date. Here's word:

In RailGods of Hysterra, the world has been devastated by the arrival of the Great Old Ones –cosmic beings of unimaginable power. As a Dreamer, awoken from the Dreamlands and inseparably bound to your RailGod, you must survive in a reality twisted by madness. Shuttle between the last outposts while exploring gloomy, mysterious landscapes haunted by sinister cultists and nightmarish creatures inspired by Lovecraft's narrative universe.

The Classic Offensive Website now displays the hashtag #AllowClassicOffensive along with a message saying "Valve has requested we do not distribute Classic Offensive," a mod intended to recreate the gameplay from Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (thanks Reddit). This links to a timeline showing that the run-up to launching the mod was rocky, as Steam's guidelines for allowable mods shifted along the way, despite the team being told its project would be allowed as far back as 2017. This is discussed in the Classic Offensive FAQ which raises questions about whether Valve's overall stance on modding its games has changed:

By further digging into Valve's statement: the past three decades of Valve modding, and Valve's stance on modding with the recently updated Distributing Source Engine Games / Mods guidelines, shows that they are now against general modding of their games.

While they have licenses for using some of their tools like Hammer, modding as a whole only applies to a very small list of their games and must solely be done using Source SDK 2013:
- Half-Life 2
- Team Fortress 2
Valve can at any time take action on any unlicensed mod or "skin" for any reason, this includes the Portal, Counter-Strike, Day of Defeat, Left 4 Dead franchises, despite their history with modding and various websites distributing mods like GameBanana, ModDB, Nexus Mods and more.

NCSoft announces that Blade & Soul NEO is "coming soon" to Steam, which will broaden access to this remastered open-world MMORPG that launched on its PURPLE platform earlier this year. For a refresher, we have the previously released Launch Trailer and a 20 Minute Features Showcase Trailer. Read on for more:

A modern reinterpretation of the original Blade & Soul's wuxia-themed fantasy world, Blade & Soul NEO enables gamers the opportunity to relive the original storyline as a hero determined to restore honor to their clan.

Players immediately join the well-known Hongmoon Clan, led by Master Hong, only to witness its sudden destruction by the villainess Jinsoyun and her accomplices, Yura and Gubong. Left to die, MMORPG fans will begin their journey of discovery, intrigue, and adventure, solo or with friends.

MicroProse announces it is the publisher for Afterconflict, an upcoming Cold War first-person shooter in the works at Afterconflict Development. This is described as "ruthlessly authentic," which is a bit of an exaggeration since it's set in the late stages of an alternate-history World War III. There's the chance to play a Windows tech demo right now on Steam, where the game is said to be "coming soon." Here's more:

MicroProse is proud to announce that it will publish Afterconflict, a brutally realistic Cold War-era tactical FPS set in an alternate late-stage World War III. Developed with military simulation purists in mind, Afterconflict puts players into the boots of NATO and Warsaw Pact soldiers locked in unforgiving battle across the scarred landscapes of a divided Europe.

As a first taste of the game’s meticulous realism, a new Tech Demo is now available on Steam. Players can try their hand at the game’s Firing Range — though mastering even basic shooting mechanics won’t come easy.

Early Access to Survival Machine is now underway on Steam, offering a game that allows you to take your base-building survival on the road via the game's titular machine. Grapes Pickers, Games Operators, and PlayWay offer a Release Trailer and a playable demo to draw you in and a 20% discount in an effort to close the deal. Here's more:

Survival Machine is a 4 player co-op, 3rd person, survival-adventure game set in vibrant, diverse landscapes. Navigate the ever-changing world aboard the colossal Machine that doubles as your fortress, homestead, and transport. Whether braving the game solo or with friends, explore biomes full of random challenges to gather resources, craft new upgrades, and build structures that will help you survive.

Activision announces an event tomorrow to show off Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4, the upcoming skateboard game remakes. This will take place at 9:00 pm EDT in the historic El Rey Theatre, but for those who can't make it to Los Angeles, there will be a livestream on Twitch so you can watch from wherever you are. Word is: "This event is a tribute to the artists and skaters who have cemented Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 as the greatest of all time in both gaming and skate culture." Here's more:

The excitement will be broadcast globally via an exclusive Twitch livestream. Join hosts Salema Masakela, Steezus and Nora Vacsoncellos by tuning in starting at 6:00 PM PT / 9:00 PM ET for:

• Interviews with beloved skaters featured in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4
• Gameplay sneak peeks featuring top skaters and creators
• Live musical performances by Lupe Fiasco, Danny Brown, Adolescents and Urethane

• Touhou Spell Carnival on Steam (Windows). "Strategy RPG Meets Bullet Hell Mania — Battle in a grid system with a unique blend of real-time strategy elements and bullet hell madness! Hone your strategy skills by moving characters to grid-specific areas, grazing enemy bullets, and unleashing special skills in one simultaneous, action-packed battle!"

• Props for the honesty: Tim Sweeney says the reason 'people characterize the Epic Games launcher as clunky' is—wait for it—'because the Epic Games launcher is clunky' - PC Gamer.

• Save 70% on Urbek City Builder on Steam.
• Save 30% on Cuphead on Steam.
• Save 20% on WARRIORS: Abyss on Steam.
• Save 40% on Scene Investigators on Steam.
• 9 Circles of Bullet Hell: A Survivors Bundle (pay what you want and help charity) - Humble.*

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

• EA suggests it has no plans to raise game prices yet despite others doing so - VGC.
• EA says business primed for 'accelerated growth' following layoffs - Game Developer.

• GTA 6 Trailer 2 Smashes Record For Quickest Time To Reach 1m Likes On YouTube. - r/GTA6.

• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Success Continues as Its Soundtrack Tops Billboard Classical Music Album Charts - IGN.

Official patches.

• Starship Troopers: Extermination - Update 1.4 Patch Notes.

Official trailers.

• ARC Raiders - Thank you, Raiders.
• Fortnite - Pull of the Force - Fortnite Galactic Battle Gameplay Trailer.
• God Save Birmingham - PAX East 2025 Demo Gameplay Walkthrough by Dev - No Commentary.
• RoadCraft - Sandbox Memories Trailer.

• Remedy's next big game is being made for less money, but can still be great, CEO says - Game File.

• EVE Vanguard Makes A Lot of Big Promises, But Delivers Good Gunplay - IGN.
• Elden Ring Nightreign - Raider Class Hands-On Impressions - IGN First.

• Alruna and the Necro-Industrialists - Launch Trailer - Nintendo Switch.

• Samsung is hosting a virtual Unpacked event on May 12 at 8PM ET - Engadget.

• MrBeast's 'Beast Games' Renewal For Two Season Eyed At Amazon MGM Studios - Deadline.

• Meet Amazon’s robot, Vulcan, the first with a sense of touch - CNBC.
• What were the intended uses of those icons in moricons.dll- - The Old New Thing. Thanks Anatoly Shashkin via Ant.
• Release UniGetUI 3.2.0 · marticliment-UniGetUI · GitHub. Thanks Console General.

• NVIDIA’s Rama Akkiraju on How AI Platform Architects Help Bridge Business Vision and Technical Execution - NVIDIA Blog.
• Cadence Taps NVIDIA Blackwell to Accelerate AI-Driven Engineering Design and Scientific Simulation - NVIDIA Blog.

• Which mobile browser is the worst for data collection- • The Register. Wait, how did you guess?

• The FTC has lost its appeal against Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard - VGC. Would have been funny watching them try to put the toothpaste back in the tube if the FTC had prevailed.
• Exclusive: US lawmaker targets Nvidia chip smuggling to China with new bill - Reuters.
• Delta Air Lines class action cleared for takeoff • The Register.

Last Link of the Day: Black smoke signals first day of Vatican conclave has failed to elect new pope - The papacy - The Guardian.

Captain Blood is now available for PC and consoles, and the Windows and macOS edition of this seafaring action game is on the Epic Games Store, GOG.com,* and Steam with a 10% launch discount. This will take players to the Spanish Main of the 17th century to engage in some of the piracy for which the setting is so famous. Traveling the seas by sail is time-consuming, but this news still reflects an extremely long voyage. The game's first mention here was 21 years ago when 1C Company put a product page online, and in 2006 it was delayed until 2007. Somewhere along the way its title became Age of Pirates: Captain Blood, but this has reverted back to just Captain Blood. By 2010, the big news was a new website, which is now only suited to those desperate to find a Filipino Casino. Wikipedia says the project was abandoned somewhere along the way due to legal issues, and at some point it was declared "vaporware." But Captain Blood must have lawyered up at some point, because here he is. 1C Company is out of the picture, and this is developed by Seawolf Studio & General Arcade and published by SNEG. It carries a 10% launch discount, and there's a playable demo on GOG.com and Steam. Here's the Launch Trailer and here are some details:

Captain Blood is a pirate-themed action game set on the Spanish Main in the 17th century, where you step into the boots of a fearsome pirate on a quest for gold and glory. Expect wild adventures with cannon firing, pistol shooting, swashbuckling sword fights, and plenty of pirate shenanigans. This action-packed hack'n'slash features fierce hand-to-hand combat, hordes of enemies, and a classic fighting system with flashy combos and epic finishers. Prepare for intense deck battles where you can fire the ship's cannons and fend off blood-thirsty boarding crews. Collect gold to upgrade your fighting skills, buy new weapons, and become the most feared buccaneer on the high seas. Fight for wealth and glory!

Early Access is now underway on Steam for La Quimera, a sci-fi first-person shooter for Windows set in a dystopian Latin America from developer Reburn. It is described as story-driven, and the Early Access Launch Trailer revels in that along with a look at gameplay. A quick search tells us quimera is Spanish for chimera, the mythical hybrid creature of Greek mythology. The description does not explain the connection:

Year 2064. The majority of nation states have become extinct. A series of natural and human-caused catastrophes in the 2030s and 2040s triggered the collapse of global systems, led to the fragmentation of human communities. The political entities in this new world are microstates and even amidst the current inter-state and corporate conflicts, typically see no point in maintaining their own armies, having to rely on mercenary forces — the "golden age" of private military companies, so called PMCs, has arrived. As PMC operatives, you’ll take on intense high-risk campaign in a dystopian world of future Latin America across a breathtaking megalopolis and lush jungle combining highly advanced weaponry and technology battling against rival factions.

Tsukuyomi: The Divine Hunter is now free-to-play for Windows on Steam, dealing out a roguelike card game designed by Kazuma Kaneko. The description includes this warning about AI-generated content: "The developers describe how their game uses AI Generated Content like this: Cards are automatically generated based on gameplay logs." Here's the deal:

• Deckbuilding Roguelike In this dungeon-exploration game, players use a variety of cards with different abilities to battle enemies and make their way forward. Each run is unique—the types of cards you acquire and the structure of the dungeon change every time you play. Lose a battle, and everything you’ve gained during that run will be lost.
• Battle System Combat unfolds as a turn-based card battle. Players draw cards at random from their deck and must adapt their strategy to the current situation. Each turn, you can take a single action: attack or defend using a card from your hand.

A post on X from DRAGAMI GAMES expresses the developer's deep gratitude for the response to Killer is Dead, which has now surpassed one million lifetime sales (thanks Gematsu). But in an extreme example of a long tail, this success spans more than a decade, as the stylized action game was released on consoles in 2013 and on Steam the following year. Here's word:

“Killer is Dead” has surpassed 1 million copies sold worldwide! We are deeply grateful for all your support—thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

• Blight Night on Steam (Windows). "The shadows whisper secrets you were never meant to hear. Step into Blight Night, a retro survival horror where the past won’t stay buried. Relive the chilling VHS-era terror of the 1980s, where every sound makes you question if you're truly alone."

• BOTSU on Steam (Windows). "ARE YOU READY TO BOTSU? It’s the ultimate robo-sport showdown! Compete online or split-screen in a series of ragdoll, physics-based battlesports to prove your mechanical mettle."

• Trash Goblin - 1.0 Launches 28th May 2025. Bonus points to Spilt Milk Studios for revealing the date up front.

• Asus ROG Ally 2 leaks with AMD Z2 Extreme CPU and 64GB RAM — black variant features a dedicated Xbox button - Tom's Hardware.

• Well that didn't pan out: Former Rockstar boss said in 2018 that he was glad not to be releasing GTA 6 in the Trump era, but here we are with GTA 6 releasing in the Trump era - PC Gamer.

• Unity Reports First Quarter 2025 Financial Results.

• We Might Be About To Lose A Powerful Force In The World Of Video Game Preservation - Time Extension. Thanks Reddit.

• The new Diablo 4 Berserk crossover skins will cost you up to $150 - PCGamesN.

• ‘The Last of Us’ Director on Dina’s Bisexuality, Introducing Isaac and How the Show Has Inspired Her Adaptation of ‘The Sims’ - Variety.

• Assetto Corsa EVO - Version 0.2.
• Stardeus "Ship Combat" Major Update.
• Starfield Update 1.15.214 – May 6, 2025 [BETA].

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

• Black Myth: Wukong Multiplayer Mod V0.8.1 Released - DSOGaming.
• Need for Speed: Underground RTX Remix Path Tracing Mod V0.4.1 Released - DSOGaming.

• PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS Weekly Bans Notice (04/28~05/04).

• Mad Catz Announces New Community-Designed Arcade Controller.

• Minecraft ended virtual reality support today - Engadget.

• Welcome teamLFG to the PlayStation Studios family – PlayStation.Blog. Former Bungie developers rebound.

Official trailers.

• Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel - Update SVARTALHEIM DESCENT – Official Teaser Trailer.
• Tempest Rising - Accolades Trailer.
• Tour de France 2025 - Pre-Order Trailer.

• Elden Ring Nightreign Interview- reimagined game design anchored by in-depth combat – PlayStation.Blog.
• EVE Online: Frontier: Vanguard Fanfest 2025 Q&A with CCP CEO Hilmar Veigar Pétursson - Wccftech.
• Indiana Jones and the Great Circle's Jens Andersson on defining 'a MachineGames adventure' - GamesIndustry.biz.
• PLAYERUNKNOWN reveals how Prologue- Go Wayback! lays the groundwork for an Earth-size game - Epic Games Store.

• Fallout 76 - The Big Bloom begins.

• How 2017 Changed BioWare 1000 Ways - Mark Darrah on Games (video). Thanks PC Gamer.

• Grand Theft Auto 6 dropped a whopping 84 brand-new screenshots and illustrations, and here's every single one - PC Gamer.

• Next Level Savings promotion comes to PlayStation Store May 7 – PlayStation.Blog.

• Official Announcement Trailer - Mirren- Star Legends - Mobile Pre-registration Open.

• Disney+ Hits 126M Subs, Iger Optimistic About Outlook - Variety.
• Gmail to drop support for 'outdated' 3DES encryption in incoming SMTP connections - Neowin.

• Nvidia and MediaTek rumoured to announce new Windows on Arm laptop chips at Computex 2025 - PC Gamer.
• AMD posts highest Q1 result ever — Strong CPU sales, but GPUs and gaming trail behind - Tom's Hardware.
• Intel's XeSS Support Extends To Over 200 Games While XeSS 2 Is Now Officially Supported By 13 Games - Wccftech.
• One company's 20-year stranglehold on CPU coolers is finally ending - XDA. Thanks Neutronbeam.
• Windows 11’s big Start menu revamp is real – Microsoft has shared a first look at the redesign, and I’m very glad to see it - TechRadar.
• Microsoft testing another Windows 11 Start menu Search change that users already hate - Neowin. Different strokes.
• World First: Neuralink Patient Makes YouTube Video With Brain Implant - ScienceAlert.

• Will AI fix legacy IT struggles or create new ones? - TechRadar. Why not both?
• AI taught to analyze Windows crash dumps, released to open source — 'like going from hunting with a stone spear to using a guided missile - Tom's Hardware. Spears are generally much better for hunting than guided missiles.
• What is Mistral AI? Everything to know about the OpenAI competitor - TechCrunch.
• ‘A Frankenstein of Love’- Family Uses AI to Bring Murder Victim Back to Life in Court - Xataka On.

• Microsoft's Dirty Secret- Your Old PC is Now Trash! - Dave's Garage (video).

• Senate Dems propose ban on presidents investing or endorsing crypto assets - The Verge.
• Genshin Impact Will Start Verifying Player Ages In US As "Required By Law" - GameSpot.

• Revenge of the Savage Planet review - Eurogamer.net. Thanks Neutronbeam.

• Graphics Card: ASRock Radeon RX 9070 Steel Legend OC Review - TechPowerUp.
• Monitor/Projector: LG 45GX950A Review- The Ultimate OLED Ultrawide- - TechSpot. Thanks Neutronbeam.
• Mouse: SCYROX V6 Review - TechPowerUp.
• SSD: Patriot Viper PVP30 Portable SSD Review - ThinkComputers.org.

CNN reports on the impact of today's deadline that requires U.S. domestic air travelers to present REAL ID-compliant identification. I find it weird that this is surprising anyone, as the REAL ID act was passed in 2005 and the original deadline for new ID was 2008. But 20 years(!) after it was mandated, and 17 years after it was first supposed to take effect, this is still catching people off guard.

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

Breakfast Link

• The 4-Word Sleep Trick That Stops 3 A.M. Overthinking - Psychology Today.

Stories

• Trump admin picks COVID critic to be top FDA vaccine regulator - Ars Technica.
• Why More CEOs Are Heading for the Exit - Wall Street Journal. The skies are filled with golden parachutes. Thanks Slashdot.

Science

• Vagus Nerve Stimulation Erases PTSD - Neuroscience News. What goes on in vagus stays in vagus.
• Neural Processing Gaps Explain Other-Race Face Blindness - Neuroscience News.
• A supercomputer figured out when all life on Earth will end - BGR.

Media

• Honest Trailers - Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Ni!
• Cheating Expert Answers Casino Cheating Questions - Tech Support - WIRED.

After a tease, Bungie officially announces Edge of Fate, a new paid DLC for Destiny 2 coming to the free-to-play first-person shooter on July 15th. This will kick off The Year of Prophecy, and today's revelations also lay out the plan that this and future annual seasons will each feature two paid expansions and two major free updates for all players. The Year of Prophecy Page has details and preorders the Edge of Fate Standard Edition as well as a three variants on Year of Prophecy Editions. The news also prophesizes that Destiny 2: Renegades is the second premium expansion in the Year of Prophecy. As seen in the Teaser Trailer this is a crossover with the Star Wars universe. The Destiny games are set centuries in the future, while Star Wars was a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, but in the future it's probably easy to get a DeLorean up to 88 mph to work this out. Here's a bit:

When The Edge of Fate releases on July 15, players will be reintroduced to the Nine, powerful and mysterious beings who existed long before the Traveler, and face a new threat that predates everything Guardians know about Sol. Two major characters will step into the spotlight: Lodi, a new ally from a distant place, and the legendary Warlock Vanguard Ikora. The Edge of Fate will propel Guardians into a multiyear saga that will unfold across multiple expansions.

The expansion will take place on Kepler, a new destination inspired by the puzzle-solving and pathfinding challenges of Destiny 2’s dungeons and destination design, which encourages deep exploration, mystery, and player-driven discovery. New enemies, weapons, gear, and destination-specific abilities await those brave enough to dive into its secrets.

Following a recent spate of cost cutting measures, Electronic Arts Reports Q4 and FY25 Results, saying "Q4 marked a strong finish to FY25." The report reiterates previously announced plans to launch the next Battlefield game in Fiscal Year 2026, which will end March 31, 2026. Word is we can expect a full reveal in Q3 of this year. Here are the highlights:

Selected Operating Highlights and Metrics

• Net bookings for FY25 totaled $7.355 billion.
• The EA SPORTS portfolio delivered another record net bookings year in FY25.
• EA’s American Football franchise exceeded expectations and reached over $1 billion in net bookings in FY25.
• Celebrating its 25th birthday, The Sims franchise continues its strong momentum with double digit growth in the quarter.
• In EA SPORTS FC, player monetization was up double digits, starting with the mid-January gameplay update.
• Split Fiction has sold nearly 4 million units since its hugely successful launch in March.

The EA financial reporting mentioned above says Split Fiction has "sold nearly 4 million units." A post on BlueSky from Hazelight updates this, saying the co-op action/adventure has actually now surpassed the four million sales mark in the two months since its launch:

4 MILLION!!!!
So many of you have picked up Split Fiction already, it’s amazing… 🤯

Seeing the fun you have with our game and the love you show for Mio, Zoe and each other warms our hearts here at Hazelight ❤️

And so many hot dogs made…😨

• Void Scout - Release Date Announcement Trailer. June 2nd.

• Save 70% on Thief Simulator collection on Steam.
• Save 90% on Jalopy on Steam.
• Save 50% on Builders of Greece on Steam.

• Corsair Gaming Reports Strong First Quarter 2025 Growth in Revenue, EBITDA and Gross Margin.

• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is selling more than twice as fast as other JRPGs on PC, analyst says – here's why - GamesIndustry.biz.

• Presenting... Sea of Thieves: The Art of Piracy.

• Dead by Daylight - 8.7.0 - Steady Pulse.
• Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise Of The Dragons - Two New Fighters Join the Fray.

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

• New STALKER 2 Mod restores two Duty side quests that were cut - DSOGaming.

• Meta investors ask whether there is 'light at the end of the tunnel' for Reality Labs - Game Developer. They should ask AI if the "metaverse" was a bubble.

• Epic Games' plans for Unreal Engine 6 are dividing developers - Creative Bloq.

• Double Dragon Gaiden- Rise of the Dragons - Characters 1 & 2 DLC Trailer.

↑ Official trailers. ↓ Content creator videos.

• Stupid RPG Classes in Video Games - Viva La Dirt League.

• Everwind - FPP Survival RPG in the world of floating islands by Enjoy Studio S.A. — Kickstarter. "Everwind is a sandbox survival game with RPG and combat elements. Expand your airship with steampunk machinery and embark on a journey to discover the mysteries of this world's rich history and lore!"

• Elden Ring: Nightreign - Ironeye Hands-On Impressions – IGN First.

• Knock on the Coffin Lid - Console Release Date Reveal Trailer.
• Above Snakes - Console Announcement Trailer - Nintendo Switch.

• Service Update- Original & Large Size Download Limitations on Free Accounts - Flickr Blog. Thanks Ant.
• POP Peeper version 5.6.3.

• Your Service Teams Just Got a New Coworker — and It’s a 15B-Parameter Super Genius Built by ServiceNow and NVIDIA - NVIDIA Blog. Your teams of service just got new terms of service.

• The Signal Clone Mike Waltz Was Caught Using Has Direct Access to User Chats - WIRED (may require registration or subscription).
• Tulsi Gabbard Reused the Same Weak Password on Multiple Accounts for Years - WIRED (may require registration or subscription).

• A new bill would force Apple to allow third-party app stores - The Verge. Not in time to save Epic all those legal fees.
• Meta wins more than $167 million in damages from spyware maker that targeted WhatsApp - Engadget.

Last Link of the Day: Crash leads to dramatic rescue of semi truck driver dangling off bridge - ABC7 (video). Thanks Boing Boing.

"Oh, just fixing some leaks," is some relevant dialog from the beginning of Trailer 2 from Grand Theft Auto VI. Rockstar released this new look at the upcoming open-world RPG today, presumably to help ease the sting of the game's recently announced delay. The description has a bit of on the game's dual protagonists:

Jason and Lucia have always known the deck is stacked against them. But when an easy score goes wrong, they find themselves on the darkest side of the sunniest place in America, in the middle of a criminal conspiracy stretching across the state of Leonida — forced to rely on each other more than ever if they want to make it out alive.

The video game companies negotiating with SAG-AFTRA have presented the union with what Variety reports is a final offer to end the ongoing strike seeking a deal for voice actors in the burgeoning artificial intelligence era. The story includes a copy of the offer, and despite this being called "last and best," it also has a counteroffer from the union. On one hand it appears the two sides are close, with tentative agreements on 24 of 25 proposals. On the other hand, the outstanding issue remains how to handle generative AI, which has been a sticking point all along. "We are hopeful the union will not choose to walk away when we are so close to a deal," Audrey Cooling, spokesperson for the video game companies tells Variety. "Our proposal includes wage increases of over 24% for SAG-AFTRA-represented performers in video games, enhanced health and safety protections, industry-leading terms of use for AI digital replicas in-game and additional compensation for the use of an actor’s performance in other games. This is our last and best offer, and we hope the union will return to the table so we can reach a deal." Here's the response from the union:

“SAG-AFTRA condemns the video game companies’ attempt to sow confusion in the community by releasing misleading rhetoric about our ongoing negotiations. The statement suggesting that the union would “walk away” from negotiations on this contract is absurd and the opposite of the truth. It is the employers who have threatened – through backchannel representatives – to move work to foreign countries and recast performers, in an unsuccessful effort to intimidate our negotiating committee and membership to capitulate to their demands.

It is the employers who have characterized their last counter as “their last and best offer,” the union has taken no such step. To the contrary, SAG-AFTRA responded to that offer within 72 hours – on May 2 – with our own response to the open issues relating to artificial intelligence. We have to date received no response to our counter offer of May 2.

Starbreeze announces a deal with Plaion to take over as publisher on PAYDAY 3, its first-person heist shooter sequel. The game was released in September 21, 2023, but if you think that makes the timing odd, you are apparently wrong, as word is it is "opportune":

Background and rationale

• Starbreeze has reached a mutual agreement with PLAION regarding the publishing rights for PAYDAY 3. With the game now on the market for over 18 months, the timing is opportune for Starbreeze to assume full publishing responsibility.
• This will enable Starbreeze to accelerate content development and pursue broader business opportunities for the PAYDAY franchise as a whole.
• While this agreement marks the conclusion of the current publishing arrangement, it also lays the groundwork for a long-term partnership between Starbreeze and PLAION on future PAYDAY franchise projects.
• To finance the transaction, Starbreeze will issue new shares representing 10 percent of its outstanding share capital.

NVIDIA announces details about DLSS 4 updates coming this month to MechWarrior 5: Clans, New World: Aeternum, and Spirit of the North 2 along with the addition of DLSS Super Resolution support for Bodycam, Lost Skies, Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree, and Necrophosis. Along with these software announcements is hardware news, as there's word to expect GeForce RTX 5060 graphics cards, systems, and laptops to be available for purchase beginning May 19th:

Starting May 19th at 9 a.m. Pacific Time, GeForce RTX 5060 graphics cards and GeForce RTX 5060 Laptop GPUs will be available from add-in-card partners, OEM partners, system integrators, and retailers worldwide. The graphics cards will start at $299, and laptops at $1,099.

GeForce RTX 5060 GPUs and GeForce RTX 5060 Laptop GPUs boast the same NVIDIA Blackwell RTX architecture advancements as the rest of the RTX 50 Series, including DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation, the latest Ray Tracing and Tensor Cores, superfast GDDR7 memory, and more. With these features, GeForce RTX 5060 offers double the performance of the previous generation GeForce RTX 4060 in games with DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation, and offer an even larger jump in performance and responsiveness for gamers upgrading from older GPUs such as the GeForce GTX 1660 or GeForce RTX 2060. With GeForce RTX 5060 you can play your favorite games at 100+ FPS.

A post on Steam catches us up on Battlefield Labs, the collaboration with the community to help shape the future of the Battlefield series of first-person shooters. Now that server performance and stability testing is complete, the plan is to invite more players into the program for global scaling testing. Those interested can still sign up here. Here's more on how this is expanding:

Alongside testing new content, we'll continue to iterate on our initial focus areas, such as balancing the different weapon archetypes and damage values, as well as movement and combat pacing mechanics.

Destruction also remains an ongoing topic across our play sessions. We’ll continue to test destructible objects across a variety of maps and fine-tune damage levels of surfaces.

A post on BlueSky announces that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has sold over two million copies since the launch of the RPG just 12 days ago. The game was an immediate hit, selling a half-million copies in 24 hours and hitting the one-million sales mark in just three days. Here's word on the latest milestone:

Twelve days in, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has crossed two million copies sold.

We’ve watched in awe as so many of you began your journey.

Feeling every step, every emotion, every revelation alongside you.

To those just joining us: welcome.

Tomorrow comes.

• Ctrl Alt Deal on Steam (Windows). "With your superior intelligence and sneakiness, you can find a way to escape from this heartless megacorp! (As long as no one realizes you’re actually a self-aware AI...) Spy on humans, offer them deals, and negotiate your way to freedom in a turn-based strategy game of corporate dysfunction."

• Pixel Gun 2 on Steam. Voxel Gun? "Say hello to your new favorite arena shooter—Pixel Gun 2! Build insane gun combos, flex your skills, or just surf the chaos. Limits? Nah, we respawn past those. Whatever you're lookin’ for—nostalgia, hardcore competition, pure fun, or just a time-killer—you get it here."

• Tales of Seikyu - Release Date Trailer. Fantasy life simulation on May 21st.

• Lords of the Fallen Developer CI Games Boss Claims He Has Data That Proves "'Modern Audience' Is A False Myth" - Wccftech.

• Overwatch 2 x Street Fighter 6 Collab leaked on PSN - ResetEra.
• Dave the Diver is coming to Revenge of the Savage Planet.

• The Last of Us Season 2 Episode 4: TV Show vs Game Comparison - IGN (video). Thanks Ant.

Official patches.

• FOUNDRY - Update 2: Galactic Commerce is LIVE. Here's a Galactic Commerce Trailer.

• Coming to Game Pass: DOOM: The Dark Ages, Revenge of the Savage Planet, Dragonball Xenoverse 2, and More.

Official trailers.

• Empyreal - Official Character Trailer.
• RoboCop: Rogue City - Unfinished Business Gameplay (4K 60FPS).

• Dorian Hart on Looking Glass Studios & Irrational Games - Deep Dive (video).

• GTA 6's delay doesn't mean the games industry's in trouble - it's already dead - Eurogamer.net. "But over time this will change. There'll be fewer triple-A games in the traditional sense, and those that remain will be exceptions, either in the dwindling GTA mold - if GTA 6 took 12 years, how long until GTA 7? Does it change the approach entirely, to something faster like the olden days? Or even arrive at all? - or from platform holders with secondary incentives, or the still independent studios such as Larian, that know their limits and need only turn enough profit to fund the next one. Or, as we're already seeing, in the form of ever more prevalent remasters and ports of games that seemed to barely come out yesterday."

• Xbox is selling a lot of games on PlayStation - The Verge.

• How to securely attach an Apple AirTag to pretty much anything - ZDNET.
• Musk’s politics see Tesla sales collapse in Europe - Ars Technica.

• Intel Arc Celestial discrete GPUs have hit pre-silicon validation and that makes me a little more hopeful for their eventual launch - PC Gamer.
• LG's new OLED technology literally stretches the boundaries of display tech and promises to turn almost any surface into a screen—or should that be the other way round? - PC Gamer.
• Hyundai bets $21B on Atlas humanoid robots for US car assembly - Interesting Engineering. Thanks Slashdot.
• GeForce RTX 5090D Is Reportedly Getting Banned In China In Q2 As US Export Restrictions Take Effect - Wccftech.
• Windows 11 is getting a new Start menu this month - The Verge.
• WinSCP version 6.5.1. Thanks Ant.

• ChatGPT's hallucination problem is getting worse according to OpenAI's own tests and nobody understands why - PC Gamer.
• NBC Sports Will Use AI-Generated Voice of Jim Fagan in NBA Coverage - The Wrap.
• Report: OpenAI is buying AI-powered developer platform Windsurf — what happens to its support for rival LLMs- - VentureBeat.

• Trump would cut CISA budget by $491M amid ‘censorship’ claim • The Register.
• US Border Agents Are Asking for Help Taking Photos of Everyone Entering the Country by Car - WIRED (may require registration or subscription).

• DOJ asks court to split up Google’s ad tech empire - The Verge.

• Revenge of the Savage Planet review - PC Gamer.

• Case: AORUS RTX 5090 MASTER Review - Vortez.
• Graphics Card: GIGABYTE RTX 5080 GAMING OC Review - Vortez.
• Graphics Card: RTX 5060 Ti 8GB: Even Slower Than The Arc B580! - Hardware Unboxed (video).
• Monitor/Projector: Acer Predator SpatialLabs View 27 3D - PC Gamer.
• PSU: FSP VITA GM 1000W PSU Review - Vortez.
• PSU: SilverStone Hela 850R Platinum power supply review - Tom's Hardware.
• Sound Card/DAC: Fosi Audio K7 Gaming DAC-Amp - OCinside.

• Overwatch 2 is preparing to answer the internet's current obsession- Who would win, 1 gorilla or 100 men, and it's all going to be livestreamed - PC Gamer…

Today is the anniversary of the Hindenburg disaster, which took place on this date in 1937. As impossible as it seems from footage of the accident, most of the passengers and crew actually survived the calamitous fire, which resulted in 36 fatalities. This put a quick end to dirigible travel, but the crash came not even two years before the first jet aircraft flight, so it seems doubtful it had much of a future anyway. But it did hold out long enough for the disaster, which is referenced in Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures: See You in the Funny Papers from 1987 as part of one of the funniest animated sequences I have ever seen.

Oh the Humanity's Round-up
Thanks Ant, Neutronbeam, and Max.

Science

• New quantum theory of gravity brings long-sought 'theory of everything' a crucial step closer - Phys.org.
• Giant Global Survey Identifies What Makes Humans Flourish - ScienceAlert.

Media

• Taken: The Musical. I have a very particular set of scales.
• When you’re running late to your tee time. Don't you hate when you overshoot the green and end up in the bunker? Thanks VideoSift.

Creature Features

• Parrot sings classic rock hits in awesome and hilarious style - Boing Boing.

Follow-up

• Washington Post Cartoonist Who Quit Over Bezos Cartoon Wins Pulitzer - TheWrap.

The Funnies

• xkcd- About 20 Pounds.