Next year’s Awesome Games Done Quick runs from 8th-15th January, and will once again be an online-only event as organisers look to move its in-person component away from its usual haunt of Florida. Earlier this year, organisers said the state’s “continued disregard for COVID-19’s dangers… and an increased aggression towards LGBTQ+ individuals” made it impossible to provide a “safe and welcoming” event for all. While the lack of an in-person event might be a disappointment for some, Awesome Games Done Quick 2023 will still feature an extensive speedrunning schedule, running 24 hours everyday across the week with an occasional pauses for breaks....

Everyone will be able to play from 8th to 9th October, with early access starting from the 6th for pre-order customers or EA Play members. You’ll be able to begin preloading the beta from 5th October to jump in when ready. The series’ Conquest mode will be on offer to try, with rocket launchpad map Orbital set to host the action. Four specialists will be available to play as. Earlier this month, Battlefield 2042’s release date was pushed back by a month to 19th November, from its previous 22nd October launch date....

As part of The Vault, the looter shooter is available from today until 26th May. More free games will follow afterwards every Thursday. The news comes as part of the Epic Mega Sale, which has discounts up to 75 percent on over 1600 games and add-ons. That includes some top tier games like Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands (20 percent off), Ghostwire: Tokyo (34 percent off), Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade (29 percent off), Sifu (20 percent off), and Far Cry 6 (50 percent off)....

It comes almost a year after Gearbox boss Randy Pitchford stated that PlayStation cross-platform support would be cut from an upcoming Borderlands 3 patch without explaining why. The decision was then reversed last month, again without explanation. Confirmation came by way of the official Borderlands Twitter page, which finally gave us a window - if not yet an exact date - as to when PlayStation players will be able to hook up with their pals on other platforms: spring 2022....

An update last night removed this feature for the game. Steam’s family sharing feature offers users exactly what you would expect. It allows players to share the games in their Steam library with their nearest and dearest. They can then go on to earn their own achievements and save any progress made in a shared game on the Steam Cloud. It’s unclear why this feature has suddenly (and quietly) been disabled from Modern Warfare 2....

Activision falls under the latter category with what is possibly the most creative (or bizarre) tie-in I have ever seen. In Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2/Warzone 2.0, players can now vote on which team they think will win future matches. Those who guess correctly get 10,000 XP, that national team’s flag as a Calling Card, oh and a remix of their national anthem. Yes, you read that last one correctly, and reader, these remixes have become the highlight of my day....

You can check out the new teaser for yourself below. American Arcadia tasks players with escaping a seemingly idyllic life of luxury. However - plot twist (which admittedly I may have spoiled with my opening sentence) - this life is not all it is cracked up to be. Rather, residents in this apparent utopia are under the watchful gaze of “countless anonymous observers”. Shudders. “As a favourite of the audience, one has nothing to fear, but a drop in popularity comes at a cost: death,” reveal Out of the Blue....

We kick off by talking about the PS5 being the biggest console launch ever - an impressive feat during a pandemic. We then move on to Digital Foundry’s analysis of some multiplatform games, which are shown to run better on PS5 than Xbox Series X - a surprise given all the talk about Microsoft’s console being the world’s most powerful. Microsoft has issued a statement on this, and it looks like developers are still getting to grips with the Xbox Series X, which reportedly came in quite hot....

The company’s overall revenue has increased 38 percent ($34.7m) owing to sales of The Witcher and Cyberpunk 2077, but GOG reports year-to-date losses of $2.21 million. During a presentation on CD Projekt’s Q3 revenue for 2021, CFO Piotr Nielubowicz stated organisational changes would be made within GOG. “Regarding GOG, its performance does present a challenge, and recently we’ve taken measures to improve its financial standing,” said Nielubowicz. “First and foremost, we’ve decided that GOG should focus more on its core business activity, which means offering a hand-picked selection of games with its unique DRM-free philosophy....

Having consumed the various pages of this guide from essential tips and tricks to a detailed look at the Leaders and managing Districts, you are well placed to strike out on your own and lead your Civilization to glory. That said, forewarned is most certainly forearmed and we have so much more to give. So, whether you’re hungry for solid starting strategies, wondering how best to rule your population in the mid game or looking for that late game push, we have you covered with some strong plays at each of the three main phases of play....

Just as it’s dazzling to see how far the F1 series has come since Codemasters took over. I remember the reveal of the studio’s first take on the licence, the hastily put together but nevertheless admirable F1 2009 on Wii, all taking place in a scruffy function room above the modest but loveable White Horse pub in Silverstone village, with the stuffy F1 powers that be at the time refusing to give up prime paddock space without charging an extortionate amount....

The shortage has affected PC graphics cards, as well as supplies for Xbox, PlayStation and Switch consoles. According to a report in CNBC, Intel shares have fallen by 8 percent due to component shortages. “We’re in the worst of it now, every quarter next year we’ll get incrementally better, but they’re not going to have supply-demand balance until 2023,” said Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger. Gelsinger said he also believes PC sales will continue to increase....

You’ll first encounter A Merry Chase while trying to lift the Internal Lockdown during the Directorial Override mission, but you can return to complete the mission whenever you want. Delve into the depths of the Maintenance Sector and find out what’s wrong with the Break Room. On this page: As you approach the Janitor’s Office, Jesse will notice a weird light coming from the break room opposite. You can choose to investigate the light straight away or come back later on....

Evil Genius 2 follows a similar formula to its much-loved 2004 predecessor, blending base building and real-time defense as players - cast as a criminal mastermind - oversee the running of their evil lair, boss around minions, thwart do-gooders, and build a doomsday device in a bid to achieve global domination. Rebellion’s sequel retains the comedic tone and appealing retro stylings of its predecessor, but introduces new villains, henchmen, agents, room types, and traps - and keen-eyed observers might spot a few of those in Rebellion’s new gameplay trailer....

It’s actually a fair bit shorter - although the overall length depends on how much of its side activities you want to do - but below we’ll outline our answer to the question how long is Cyberpunk 2077 in full, based on our experience playing the game ahead of release, as well as how many Acts there are in the game too. Before diving in of course, it’s worth giving our initial impressions and full Cyberpunk 2077 review a look too (not to plug!...

All three will help you become one of the most famous mercenaries in Night City - but only one will physically and mentally improve your stats: earning XP. With experience, players will be able to learn new abilities that’ll help you progress throughout Night City. It also rewards players with different points, some that will go directly into your ‘stats’ like Body and Cool - which improves your Health and Stealth and others that’ll improve your abilities....

Your choice of Life Path will not only determine which prologue you experience, but will offer dialogue options and other interactions unique to your path. Alongside attributes, choosing your Life Path is one of the first decisions you’ll make in Cyberpunk 2077, and is an important part in crafting your own character in the world of Night City. On this page: For more help with Cyberpunk 2077, we have pages on Cyberpunk GOG rewards, fast travel and attributes....

After a beta period of PC, Dauntless is now available on PS4 and Xbox One, as well as relaunching on PC through the Epic Games Store. It’s possible to play Dauntless crossplay between certain systems - with the possibility of Dauntless Switch and Dauntless mobile crossplay down the line, too. UK: 3pm (GMT) Europe: 4pm (CET) East Coast US: 10am (EDT) West Coast US: 7am (PDT) Though developer Phoenix Labs has confirmed the above Dauntless release times, as with any game launch, the timing could vary slightly per platform....

Despite developer EA Motive having repeatedly stressed its Dead Space remake was still in the early stages of development each time its been given an airing since its announcement, VentureBeat journalist Jeff Grubb had given fans hope it might be arriving as early as this autumn in a report written late last year. This week, however, Grubb revised that initial claim, saying EA was now aiming to release in early 2023 - and, lo, the publisher has finally made that official during its latest Dead Space developer livestream....

Though not explicitly mentioned by name, these glowing objects are optional collectables to find that, when deliveries to a terminal, reveal a personal interest of Kojima’s. There’s a total of 56 in total to find, and you’ll have to find them all in order to get Death Stranding’s Platinum Trophy - making them a must for completionists. If you’re looking for more from the critical path, our Death Stranding walkthrough can help....