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  • Unreal Engine 5.4: Industrial Factory Demo Pushes RTX 4080 to Its Limits

    Unreal Engine 5.4: Industrial Factory Demo Pushes RTX 4080 to Its Limits

    The new Unreal Engine 5.4 is bringing some amazing visuals, but it’s also asking for a lot from your computer or gaming console. Even with the best graphics cards, you might have to lower some settings to keep things running smoothly.

    A cool video on YouTube by MXBenchmarkPC shows off a stunning Industrial Factory tech demo made with the new Unreal Engine.

    At 1440p resolution, it runs smoothly at around 80/90 frames per second (FPS) in both daytime and nighttime scenes. But when you crank up the resolution to 4K, even a powerful RTX 4080 struggles to reach a steady 60 FPS.

    Getting games to run at 60 FPS in Unreal Engine 5 might be tough, especially on high-end computers. And it’s even harder on current gaming consoles. Take Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, for example.

    On the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, it only runs at 30 FPS, even though it looks amazing. And on PC, most players won’t be able to run it at 4K and 60 FPS, based on the game’s system requirements.

    Unreal Engine 5.4 came out at the end of last month. If you’re interested in learning more about it and its new features, you can check it out on Epic’s website.

  • 3 Years Later, the Call of Duty Rival We’ve All Been Waiting For

    3 Years Later, the Call of Duty Rival We’ve All Been Waiting For

    Ubisoft is known for its shooter games, like Rainbow Six Siege. I’ve been playing their FPS games for a while, even going back to the original Tom Clancy titles on PC.

    Remember Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfare or Rainbow Six Vegas? I used to be the top free-for-all player in Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfare!

    Now, Ubisoft has a new game called XDefiant, originally called Tom Clancy’s XDefiant. It’s been through alpha and beta tests to see what players think and to make it better. It’s led by Mark Rubin, who used to work on Call of Duty, and it’s supposed to feel like the old Call of Duty games.

    Our friend Samuel Tolbert tried an early version and said it was fun but needed more work.

    The community agreed. They saw potential but wanted improvements. So, the game got delayed to fix things like the network and party system.

    Now, it’s finally coming out. The Preseason starts on May 21st on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. It’ll last six weeks before the regular seasons start.

    During the Preseason, you can play as different factions like Echelon and Phantoms, on maps like Arena and Times Square. There are modes like Domination and Escort.

    After the Preseason, there will be new content every season, like new weapons, maps, and factions. Year 1 will have four new factions, twelve new weapons, and twelve new maps.

    I’m excited about this game. I’ve been waiting for something that feels like the old Call of Duty games. It’s funny because I’m also working on leaks for the next Call of Duty game, and it’s making me nostalgic for the old days. Here’s hoping XDefiant brings back those memories!

  • Shell Yeah! Crab Soulslike Makes Waves, Exceeding All Expectations

    Shell Yeah! Crab Soulslike Makes Waves, Exceeding All Expectations

    Isn’t it frustrating when someone steals your house? Well, that’s exactly what happens to the hero crab in Another Crab’s Treasure.

    You’re sent on an adventure to get your shell back and figure out what’s happening in this super-polluted part of the ocean. The game mixes tough combat like in Dark Souls with a cute cartoon style, and it’s been a huge hit, even beyond what the developers expected.

    In a recent update on Steam, the developer, Aggro Crab, talked about how surprised they were by the game’s success. They’ve sold over 150,000 copies across all platforms, and players love it, giving it a 93% rating on Steam. It’s shaping up to be a big indie hit.

    But with success comes challenges. Having so many players has revealed lots of bugs and issues in the game. The team knows they’ve got work to do to fix them.

    However, there are only 11 people on the team, and they’re exhausted from working on the game non-stop since launch. They’re slowing down on patches for a bit to rest up and make sure they can properly test any changes before releasing them.

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    It’s tough when mistakes happen, but the team is doing their best to make sure Another Crab’s Treasure gets even better with time.

  • Bloodstained’s Final Curtain Rises! Chaos & Versus Modes Unleashed Next Week

    Bloodstained’s Final Curtain Rises! Chaos & Versus Modes Unleashed Next Week

    After almost ten years since its record-breaking Kickstarter campaign, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is getting its final free update. The developers, ArtPlay, founded by the legendary Koji Igarashi of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night fame, announced Update 1.50.

    This update brings two modes that were promised during the Kickstarter back in 2015: Chaos mode and VS mode.

    Chaos mode is a challenge where players face a series of tough rooms and bosses solo or with friends, trying to survive as long as possible. As they progress, they unlock powerful upgrades.

    VS mode is a player-versus-player mode where you battle it out in a new arena against waves of demons. You earn souls by defeating demons, which you can use to upgrade your gear or mess with your opponent, like fogging up their screen or reversing their controls. It sounds like a blast!

    In addition to these modes, there will be cosmetic packs for Miriam, the game’s protagonist. One of these packs will be free, but the others will need to be purchased.

    While Update 1.50 completes the promised stretch goals, it won’t be the end of new content for the game.

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    There’s a paid expansion on the way featuring Classic Mode II, a retro-style mode with a bigger map and its storyline, which is supposed to be part of the game’s official story. No release date has been announced yet.

    And even though this is the final update for Ritual of the Night, there’s still talk about a sequel brewing in the studio. We haven’t heard much about it lately, but maybe this last update will kickstart some news about it.

  • Helldivers 2: United We Stand, Linked by PSN We Fight!

    Helldivers 2: United We Stand, Linked by PSN We Fight!

    Hey, Democracy Defenders! Listen up: Helldivers 2 is changing things up on Steam. Soon, if you play on Steam, you’ll need to link your account to a PlayStation Network (PSN) account.

    Starting May 6th, all new players on Steam have to link to a PSN account. If you’re already playing, you’ve got until June 4th before it becomes mandatory.

    Arrowhead Game Studios, the folks behind Helldivers 2, say this linking rule is to stop bad behavior in the game, like griefing. But a lot of players aren’t happy about it. They’re speaking out on social media and Steam, saying it’s not fair.

    After the announcement, the game got hit with tons of negative reviews on Steam — over 14,000 in just one day.

    People have a few reasons to be upset. Not everyone can access PSN everywhere, so some players might get locked out of the game. And there are worries about data security, especially after a recent data breach at Sony (though it mostly affected employees, not customers).

    So, while making a PSN account is easy, the change has stirred up some concerns among players.

  • Street Fighter 6: Akuma Arrives! New Trailer Sets Stage for May 22nd Showdown

    Street Fighter 6: Akuma Arrives! New Trailer Sets Stage for May 22nd Showdown

    Akuma is coming to Street Fighter 6, and we got a full trailer of him at Evo Japan 2024. It’s not just a tease; we know when we can play as him — starting May 22nd.

    In the trailer, we saw Akuma in action, showing off his classic moves and some new ones too. He’s got a bunch of cool tools in his arsenal like demon flips, flying supers, and teleports.

    His new stage, Enma’s Hollow, looks dark and ominous, perfect for a character like Akuma.

    One exciting thing about Akuma is that he’ll have more than 3 Super Arts. We saw his classic Raging Demon move in the trailer, separate from his regular supers. It’s not clear yet if there are special conditions to use it. Plus, he can use his Level 1 super, the Messatsu Gohado, on the ground and in the air.

    If you’re a fan of Akuma’s classic look, don’t worry. He’ll have a nostalgia costume available too, so you can play as him in his old style.

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    His moves from Street Fighter 5 are back, including the updated Tatsu and Goshoryuken.

    And Akuma’s got some new tricks up his sleeve. He can teleport to dodge attacks, then launch into a combo that ends with a teleport spike. It’s all pretty cool stuff for fans of the series!

  • Genshin Impact 4.7 Leaks: Clorinde’s 5-Star Weapon is a Total Game-Changer

    Genshin Impact 4.7 Leaks: Clorinde’s 5-Star Weapon is a Total Game-Changer

    Clorinde is a new character in the game Genshin Impact. She’s getting a lot of attention because of her powerful weapon, rumored to be a top-tier one. But there’s a problem with it.

    The game developers haven’t officially confirmed much about Clorinde yet. We know she uses electricity powers and carries a sword, but her rank in the game is still a mystery.

    (Repost) 4.7 weapon ascension materials
    byu/Baizhoe inGenshin_Impact_Leaks

    Leaked info suggests that Clorinde’s weapon might be a five-star one, meaning it’s super rare and strong. It’s called Absolution and is supposed to be great for dealing damage. But there’s a catch – its design might not match Clorinde’s look.

    Some leaks showed that after upgrading Absolution, it becomes bright and colorful, which doesn’t fit Clorinde’s darker style. Players are worried about this design change and hope they can switch back to the original look without losing any power.

    Despite the design issue, Absolution seems like a perfect fit for Clorinde’s fighting style. It boosts critical damage, which is crucial for her role as a main attacker. Plus, it ties in with her special ability to increase damage over time.

    The sword might even benefit other characters besides Clorinde. Its bonuses could work with any sword-wielding character, and it might even get a damage boost from another character’s ability.

    But remember, leaked info can be wrong, and things might change before the game update releases. We’ll likely get more details closer to the update’s launch in late May.

  • Starfield’s May Update: Maps & The Sims-Style Ship Design Seal the Deal!

    Starfield’s May Update: Maps & The Sims-Style Ship Design Seal the Deal!

    Last September, I was in RPG heaven. Baldur’s Gate 3 came out on PS5 just as Starfield arrived, followed by Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty a few weeks later. I felt torn, wanting to play Bethesda’s new space adventure while also loving Larian’s fantasy world.

    Plus, I was curious about V’s adventures in Dogtown with Idris Elba. With so many games vying for my attention, I had to make choices, and unfortunately, Starfield fell by the wayside. But now, with news of a big update coming on May 15, I’m thinking of giving it another shot.

    I didn’t expect to lose interest in Starfield like I did, especially since I’m a huge space fan and have loved games like Oblivion, Skyrim, and Fallout in the past. But as I played Starfield, I got frustrated with the maps and how hard it was to get around.

    It got to the point where I stopped playing altogether. However, after hearing about the May update and all the improvements it’s bringing, I’m considering diving back in.

    The update addresses some of the main issues I had, like improving the surface and city maps, and even adding a decorative mode for ship interiors, which I love because I’m a big fan of The Sims.

    Bethesda released a five-minute video outlining all the changes coming in the update, including a 60fps performance mode on Xbox Series X and new options to adjust difficulty and encumbrance.

    But what caught my attention was how they’re improving the maps. Many players, including myself, had trouble navigating cities and finding shops or locations. The update promises to make these improvements, with clearer markers for shops and easier navigation overall.

    The surface maps were also a pain to use, with a cluttered UI that made exploration less fun. But the update is changing that too, with a new aesthetic and clearer terrain details.

    It looks vastly improved in the snippets shown in the video, and I’m hopeful it will make exploring cities and planets much more enjoyable.

    Ship customization was another big draw for me, and I’m excited about the new decorating mode that lets us fully furnish and customize our ship interiors.

    Plus, they teased a future feature: a land vehicle. I’ve always wished for something like a Star Wars speeder to make planet-side exploration easier, and I can’t wait to see how it changes the game when it’s added.

  • Call of Duty Leaks: MW3 Season 4 Set for Epic Crossovers with Fallout, Gundam, and The Crow!

    Call of Duty Leaks: MW3 Season 4 Set for Epic Crossovers with Fallout, Gundam, and The Crow!

    Call of Duty Warzone and Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 have been mixing it up with crossovers for a while now, and it seems like there are three more on the way with the Season 4 update in June.

    A Twitter account called @CODWarfareForum shared a screenshot of code found by data miners after the Season 3 Reloaded patch. This code hints at potential crossovers with Gundam, Fallout, and The Crow.

    It might seem strange for Call of Duty and Fallout to team up, but both are owned by Microsoft now. Fallout has also become popular again because of the new TV series.

    The Crow, a movie from 1994, is getting a re-release in theaters for its 30th anniversary. But the crossover with Call of Duty might be to promote the remake coming out this summer.

    Usually, crossover events in Call of Duty last for a week. Players can earn in-game rewards by playing Warzone and Modern Warfare 3 multiplayer modes and gaining XP. There are also bundles you can buy with special items.

    In a recent crossover with Warhammer 40K, they added a special skin for the Juggernaut kill streak instead of a full suit of Warhammer armor. We might see something similar with Fallout and Gundam, like a Juggernaut skin-wearing Power Armor or a Gundam mech.

    Or maybe we’ll see something unexpected, like a pip-boy operator teaming up with a Gundam and Eric Draven from The Crow. Things have been getting pretty weird in Call of Duty lately!

  • XDefiant Drops This Month! Get Ready for Ubisoft’s Free-To-Play FPS Mayhem

    XDefiant Drops This Month! Get Ready for Ubisoft’s Free-To-Play FPS Mayhem

    XDefiant, a free-to-play first-person shooter featuring factions from various Ubisoft games, finally has a release date, and it’s coming very soon. Ubisoft announced today that XDefiant will be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC (via Ubisoft Connect) on May 21.

    XDefiant Release Date Delayed
    Image Source Ubisoft

    This is when the XDefiant preseason will begin, giving players a chance to try out the game before its official first season starts. This release date announcement follows several betas and tests for the game, which were paused last year.

    In a blog post, the XDefiant team thanked everyone who participated in the Server Test Session and shared feedback. They’re excited to launch the preseason on May 21, which will last for six weeks before transitioning into the seasonal cycle.

    Ubisoft has already outlined the first four seasons, which will make up the game’s Year 1 roadmap.

    During XDefiant’s preseason, players can expect a lot of content, and it’s all free. This includes different factions from games like Splinter Cell, Ghost Recon Phantoms, The Division, Far Cry 6, and Watch Dogs 2. There will also be several maps and game modes available.

    Additionally, a new Ranked Mode Practice Playlist will be live during the preseason, allowing players to practice for the upcoming ranked mode. This playlist will feature 4v4 versions of various game modes.

    All rewards earned during previous test sessions will be available when the preseason launches.

  • The Witcher 3: Unannounced Story Expansion Shocks Fans – Coming Soon!

    The Witcher 3: Unannounced Story Expansion Shocks Fans – Coming Soon!

    If you finished playing The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and still want more of the story, you’re in for a treat because there’s a surprise expansion coming your way.

    But it’s not a surprise for Geralt, the main character, because he probably knows what’s going to happen to him already, considering his life is full of adventures.

    This expansion isn’t a new area in the game, though. It’s a Dark Horse comic that will be released on 8 May.

    It’s called The Witcher: Corvo Bianco, and it’s like the endgame for Geralt. The writer, Bartosz Sztybor, said that Corvo Bianco is where Geralt can retire and take a break from fighting monsters to make his wine.

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    It sounds different from what we’re used to seeing Geralt do, but it’s still interesting.

    It’s nice to see The Witcher franchise doing well despite some recent setbacks. The comic will bring Geralt and Yennefer together again to face new challenges.

    If you want, you can preorder the comic now, or you can wait until 8 May when it comes out.

  • Genshin Impact’s New Electro Queen: Clorinde’s Banner and Skill Breakdown

    Genshin Impact’s New Electro Queen: Clorinde’s Banner and Skill Breakdown

    When will the Genshin Impact Clorinde’s banner come out? The five-star Electro character has been officially announced by Hoyoverse, and she’ll likely be released in an upcoming update.

    Genshin Impact Leak Clorinde Rarity Role
    Image Source Reddit

    Clorinde is one of the new characters in Genshin Impact, along with Sigewinne and Sethos. She should appear on the next Genshin Impact banner.

    Clorinde is a champion duelist from Fontaine and uses a pistolet, which is like a pistol and a sword combined. We know about her abilities from leaks, so you can start planning your team and builds.

    Her release date is likely June 5, 2024, with the Genshin Impact 4.7 update. But since five-star characters usually come in the second phase of an update, we’re not sure exactly when she’ll be available. We’ll update you as soon as we know more.

    Clorinde has some cool abilities. She can perform rapid strikes with her normal attack, dash forward with her charged attack, and do a plunging attack from mid-air. When she uses her pistol, her attacks turn into Wild Hunt attacks, dealing Electro damage. She also has some special moves like Night Watch and Arkhe Ousia.

    She has some passive talents too, like Dark-Shattering Flame, Lawful Remuneration, and others. These talents give her bonuses like increasing her attack damage and critical rate.

    Overall, Clorinde looks like a powerful addition to Genshin Impact. Keep an eye out for her banner!

  • Nintendo Switch 2: Powerhouse Docked, “Crazy Low” Handheld – A Performance Balancing Act?

    Nintendo Switch 2: Powerhouse Docked, “Crazy Low” Handheld – A Performance Balancing Act?

    Rumors are swirling online about the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2. Some say it might have higher power when it’s connected to the TV but much lower power when you’re playing it like a handheld.

    In a recent podcast called Broken Silicon, some people talked about what they’ve heard about the new Nintendo console.

    Nintendo Switch 2 Predicted To Arrive In 2024
    Nintendo Switch 2 Predicted To Arrive In 2024

    They said that NVIDIA, the company helping Nintendo make the Switch 2, wanted it to be really powerful when it’s plugged into the TV, like hitting 4 teraflops. To do this, they might make it run much faster than people expected.

    But when you’re playing it as a handheld, they might make it run slow, maybe even slower than 800 megahertz. They’re doing this for a few reasons.

    One is to make the battery last longer. Another reason is to keep the console from getting too hot or making too much noise from the fan. This is important because Nintendo wants the Switch 2 to be safe and quiet for kids who might use it.

    They also talked about a fancy thing called ray tracing, which makes games look more realistic. They think Nintendo might use this mostly in games they make themselves, while other companies might use a different trick called DLSS to make their games look better.

    The new Switch hasn’t been officially announced yet, but some people think it will come out later this year or early next year. So, we might hear more about it soon.

  • Fallout 4: Decoding the Mystery – Fixing the Mysterious Signal Bug

    Fallout 4: Decoding the Mystery – Fixing the Mysterious Signal Bug

    If you’re playing Fallout 4 and you can’t listen to the Mysterious Signal on your pip-boy radio, don’t worry. You can continue the mission. You need to go to the Harbourmaster Hotel, which is marked on your map.

    Fallout 4 Next-Gen Update
    Fallout 4 Next-Gen Update

    Getting to the hotel might be tough, especially if you’re still new to the game and don’t have strong weapons. But if you save your game often, you can keep trying until you make it.

    When you reach the hotel, be careful because it’s now a raider base surrounded by a fence. You’ll have to fight the raiders to get inside. Or, you can try running in and hoping to reach the door before they attack. I threw grenades over the fence to take out some raiders before going in.

    When you open the door, you won’t be able to listen to the Mysterious Signal anymore, but you’ll start the next part of the quest: Investigate the New England Technocrat Society.

    Inside, you’ll be attacked by ghouls, but once you defeat them, you’ll be ready for the next part of the quest, which involves finding the All Hallows’ Eve password.

  • Halo Infinite Unleashes “This Helldivers 2 Mode” – Prepare for Epic Cooperative Chaos

    Halo Infinite Unleashes “This Helldivers 2 Mode” – Prepare for Epic Cooperative Chaos

    Gamers on PC and PS5 are having a great time with Helldivers 2, a game inspired by Starship Troopers. It’s a co-op shooter game released in February, and it’s been really popular on Steam and has a lot of players on PC. But for Xbox users, it’s sad because the game is only on PlayStation.

    Some people hope that Helldivers 2 will come to Xbox, but it’s unlikely. But there’s good news! A new mode inspired by Helldivers 2 is coming to Halo Infinite, a free-to-play game, in about a month.

    This mode is called Helljumpers, and it’s being made by a group of community creators called The Forge Falcons.

    Helljumpers was announced in February, and since then, The Forge Falcons have been showing sneak peeks of what it will look like on Twitter. The mode’s map looks like the city from Halo 3: ODST, and it will come out in June, maybe a bit earlier or later.

    Like Helldivers 2, Helljumpers will be a co-op game where you do missions, upgrade your stuff, fight bosses, and more. The Forge Falcons are using special tools to make it feel like Helldivers 2, even making their music for it.

    In Helljumpers, you and your team will go on a big campaign, fighting battles and doing cool stuff. It might take about 2 to 3 hours to finish, or 5 hours if you do extra things.

    We haven’t seen gameplay yet, but there will be a trailer in May. Before the mode comes out, they’ll show more bits of gameplay.

    Helljumpers shows how cool Halo Infinite’s Forge tool is. It lets people make awesome stuff like this, and it’s one of the best things about the game.

  • Tankpocalypse 2.0: Overwatch 2’s DPS Passive Buff Makes Tanks See Red

    Tankpocalypse 2.0: Overwatch 2’s DPS Passive Buff Makes Tanks See Red

    The April 30th update for OW2 made Orisa weaker and made DPS heroes much stronger. They did this by making a change that boosts the power of DPS heroes. This change reduces the amount of healing an enemy gets after they’ve been hurt.

    When this change was first added, it made healing 20% weaker, but then they made it 15% weaker. Now, they’ve put it back to 20% in the latest update. Tank players didn’t like this change at all.

    Tanks are the biggest and toughest heroes on the battlefield. Because of this, they often get targeted first. This new change makes it much harder for healers to keep them alive.

    Just one day after the update, tank players started questioning why the developers made this change. They remembered how bad it felt when healing was reduced by 20%. One player on Reddit got over 700 likes for asking why they were going back to 20%.

    Another player said that playing tanks was already hard at 15% weaker healing, but it got even worse at 20%. They also said it felt bad for support players because they felt powerless.

    Someone else agreed that the change was just too much.

    People are talking about this on the official Blizzard forums too. Some are asking the developers to undo the change. One player said that all their friends had uninstalled the game because of this change, even though the game was feeling good before.

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    Some players even wondered if the developers were making these changes while drunk.

    But maybe the developers have a plan. Alec Dawson, the Lead Hero Designer, hinted that there are more changes for tanks coming in the mid-season update. He said we’ll get more information about this soon.

    We don’t know exactly what those changes will be, but considering how hard it is for tanks right now, any good changes will be very welcome.