Steam

Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero released on Steam earlier today and, oh boy, it's doing numbers. At the time of writing there are 121,330 players according to SteamDB which, with a little bit of context, proves to be an overwhelming number... Read more.View the full article

Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge Australians will finally be able to officially buy Valve’s Steam Deck in their home country — two and a half years after the handheld gaming PC first went on *****, and a year after it arrived in Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Australians have been asking for this for years — and Valve promised to make it happen way back in November 2021. It’ll arrive this November in the same primary configurations Valve sells elsewhere: a 256GB configuration of the original LCD model, or 512GB and 1TB versions of the newer OLED model that also come with longer battery life, a better screen, and more. They’ll cost AUD $649, $899, and $1,049 respectively. (While the OLED model does cost $250 AUD more than the original, it has so many important... Continue reading… View the full article

EA Sports FC 25 looked to continue the franchise's success while adding a new Rush mode that works in multiple ways. The yearly football installation has been released to mixed reviews but is still a fun addition. The various game modes and multiplayer options still allow for fun alone or with friends. FC 25's major downsides are technical issues, which will hopefully be fixed with time, and the lack of any major new features. View the full article

An update to Team Fortress 2 has been released. The update will be applied automatically when you restart Team Fortress 2. The major changes include: Scream Fortress XVI has arrived! Featuring 7 new community maps: Toxic, Darkmarsh, Freaky Fair, Dynamite, Circus, Outburst, and Blazehattan Added the Terrifying Trove CaseContains 21 new community-created cosmetic items that make up the Terrifying Trove Collection Has a chance to give a taunt Unusualifier as a bonus itemAdded 4 new community-contributed taunts to the Mann Co. StoreTaunt: Crushing Defeat Taunt: Peace Out Taunt: Commending Clap Taunt: The PunchlineAdded 22 new community-created Unusual effects12 new effects for Unusual hats 10 new effects for Unusual tauntsAdded the Scream Fortress XVI War Paint CaseContains 12 new community-created War Paints that make-up the Scream Fortress XVI War Paint Collection Has a chance to give a taunt Unusualifier as a bonus itemAll players who launch the game will receive a Soul Gargoyle if they don't already have oneGrants access to Merasmissions and Halloween item transmutations Tracks Merasmissions completed and souls collectedAll Halloween Contracts have been reset, allowing them to be completed again Added new Contracts for this year's featured community maps Completing a Halloween Contract will give players a classic Halloween item and the chance for a Terrifying Trove Case Continue last year's event by collecting the souls of ***** players for your Soul Gargoyle by ******** enemies, doing map objectives, or collecting the Soul Gargoyles that spawn in the maps All cosmetic and taunt Cases will grant Halloween 2024 Unusual effects instead of their normal Unusual effects during the event. This does not include Crates. Join Halloween matches by using the Special Events category in Casual Scream Fortress XVI runs through November 7th, 2024 General Added UI scaling based on resolution for better HiDPI support Fixed the reload speed attribute in Mann vs. Machine not scaling projectile speed and gravity correctly for the Huntsman (community fix from Marxvee) Fixed the damage bonus attribute in Mann vs. Machine not scaling correctly for the Huntsman (community fix from Marxvee) Fixed not being able to pickup currency in MvM if it's on a teleporter Fixed Keyless Winter 2016 Case not playing the special winter case sound Recompiled some skybox models to fix UV issues Updated the Scariest Mask EVER to fix some issues with clipping Updated Sapped Unusual effect to fix the animation playing at the wrong speed Added check to prevent copying a disguise target's action slot item when disguised as them Exposed CTFBaseBoss::SetResolvePlayerCollisions() for VScript users Updated/Added some tournament medals Updated Sapped Unusual effect to fix the animation playing at the wrong speed Updated several maps to fix localization issues Updated zi_murky, zi_devastation_final1, zi_atoll, zi_woods, zi_sanitariumGeneral ChangesZombies no longer spawn instantly- their respawn timer is now dependant on the map Changed team names to "Survivors" and "Zombies" (Instead of "RED" and "BLU")Note: this change is only visible in casual mode or servers with mp_tournament set to 1Survivor Spy can now disguise as a Zombie and will be seen as a Zombie by the ****** team (Thanks Sprinkles!)Note: disguised Survivor Spies will still be highlighted by Zombie Spy’s “Reveal” abilityThe Pomson 6000 now puts Zombie abilities on cooldown on hit Survivor Pyro can now ******** Zombie Engineer's EMP Grenade by hitting it with the Homewrecker Walking in to Zombie *******'s ***** now consumes the Spycicle and prevents initial damage Standing in Zombie *******'s ***** now emits additional sound effects and a burning green HUD overlay Added new ***** icons for every zombie *******Zombie ChangesRemoved the out-of-combat speed buff from all Zombies Zombie PyroZombie Pyro has a new ability - "Dragon's Breath"Fires a Dragon's Fury fireball The initial cast of the fireball can reflect projectiles and airblast enemiesZombie Pyro now deals mini-crits to burning players on melee hit Zombie Pyro now creates a small ********** on ******, knocking back enemies in a 125 hu radius Zombie Pyro no longer emits a Gas Passer cloud on ******Zombie DemomanAdded new sound effects to telegraph Zombie Demoman's Blast Charge abilityZombie HeavyZombie Heavy's health reduced to 450 (from 600) Zombie Heavy now drops a Medium Health Kit on ******Zombie *******Zombie *******'s ***** damage vs buildables is now reduced by half Zombie *******'s ***** now applies a screen overlay to players standing in the poolZombie MedicZombie Medic now emits health like a dispenser to nearby Zombies Zombie Medic can no longer ******* while using Heal Added a new sound effect for Zombie Medic's Heal abilityZombie SpyZombie Spy no longer emits particle effects while cloaked, making him fully invisible when not attacking. Jumpscare warning!Zombie ScoutWith other zombies getting slower, Zombie Scout's speed stands out more than ever beforeBug FixesFixed a bug that allowed Zombie Demoman to survive his own Blast Charge (Thanks gasous nebule!) Fixed a bug that caused Zombie Demoman to not receive ***** credit when ******** players with Blast Charge Fixed a bug that caused Zombies to not gib correctly Fixed a bug that caused Zombie cosmetics to persist on RED players after the round restarts Fixed a bug that caused Zombie *******'s ***** Pool to nudge players slightly in certain circumstances Fixed a bug that caused players to have the incorrect player skin when respawning at round start Fixed a bug that would cause players to become stuck in spectate mode when attempting to join a game in progress Fixed an issue with "game_text" entities not being correctly cleared after round resetUpdated zi_murky (additional changes)Survivors now spawn across the map in multiple small groups instead of all at the sewage plant Added a life preserver shop to connect to the lonely shack in the southern end of the map Added a new dock network with a series of platforms leading to the roof of the central boathouse Added a small ramp to the left-most sewer pipes Removed some awkward ladder-ramps and replaced them with proper docks De-cluttered the roofs across the map Removed the floating large medkit Removed expensive reflections from the water Reduced ****** correction intensity Clipping improvementsUpdated zi_atoll (additional changes)Set a culling distance to most props Added occluders on the lighthouse to improve performance Updated zi_woods (additional changes)Fixed the announcer not being silenced when time is addedUpdated zi_sanitarium (additional changes)The roof is now accessible Added several routes to the roof Slightly reduced the intensity of the fog Added more pumpkin ****** Raised the skybox heightUpdated cp_gravelpit_snowyImproved performance by combining props Improved clipping Increased volume of laser **** finale Miscellaneous improvementsUpdated koth_sawmill_eventFixed an overlayUpdated koth_undergrove_eventFixed several out-of-bounds exploits in the Underworld (thanks MN!) Adjusted overworld pumpkin ***** placement and increased maximum ***** count to 6 Fixed an incorrect texture on RED's sideUpdated koth_synthetic_eventMoved spells away from mid Detail adjustments Clipping fixes Very minor lighting changesUpdated pd_mannsylvaniaAdded even more Bats! Added more spawnpoints for pumpkin-****** Added new nag voiceline for if Dracula does not receive any blood donations Removed setup time, replaced it with a normal countdown instead Increased duration of the Vampire Powerup after leaving Dracula's Castle from 15 -> 20 seconds Decrease dropped blood bag timer from 15 -> 10 seconds Decreased respawn wave times for the losing team from 4 -> 2 seconds Decreased respawn wave times during a neutral gamestate from 4 -> 2 seconds Changed the main spawn doors to have windows Removed Rare Spell spawn by the graveyard area, replaced with Common Spell Health and ammo pickup adjustments Clipped stairs by the Castle's exit portal Minor visual updatesUpdated ctf_applejackFixed the projectile weapons from not working inside the buildings Removed bullet collision from the intelligence room handrails Removed the prop jump up to the ******* balcony, to help snipers feel more comfortable there Removed the vents with missing textures Fixed the bug with being able to get stuck in the blue shed Fixed a stuck spot in mid shed (ty Midnite!) Fixed a texture being weird in the intel rooms Fixed a ****** displacement in the red intel yard Removed the collision from the food in the red spawn tableUpdated cp_ambush_eventFixed exploit where players were able to build into RED 1st base (Thanks MN!) Improved lighting at RED base in stage3 Fixed lantern being clipped into cliff wall in cavern at stage1 Fixed odd shadows cast by some props Fixed coffin from being non-solid in stage2 Fixed spawncamping spot in stage2 at RED indoor exit Fixed few hovering lamp props Fixed some prop fading too soon Fixed rare issue where players fell of directly to lava on underworld teleportation Clipped few crates to make it easier to jump on themUpdated arena_lumberyard_eventRecreated the game mode in VScript Significantly increased server performance Instead of using the best-of-seven round system on top of casual's best-of-three system, the map will simply run 15 traditional game rounds like ZI and VSH Updated the healing ghost appearance for RED team Text pop-ups are now drawn in chat instead of in the middle of your screen Reduced volume of the incoming spell Removed the random Skeleton King and the Horseless Headless Horseman Removed the rare spell given to the last player standing Converted some medium health kits into small health kits Removed small health kits from the second story of both churches Fixed a pumpkin ***** that was stuck in the terrainUpdated pl_embargoFixed an exploit that allowed BLU to teleport to RED spawn (thanks Jameson) Fixed the lack of countdown at the end of the roundView the full article For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

World of Warcraft has detailed all the activities, currencies, and rewards that will be available during its 20th anniversary event. Armed with this knowledge, World of Warcraft fans can jump into the event starting October 22 to ensure they get as much out of the celebration as possible. View the full article

Valve has today confirmed that the Steam Deck will begin officially shipping to Australia next month, in November 2024. The announcement comes as Steam marks its first-ever appearance at PAX Australia, where attendees can trial Steam Decks on the show floor. Since March 2022, Valve's handheld gaming computer has been shipping to North America and Europe, as well as Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Taiwan. Now Australia will be added to the regions where Steam Deck can be shipped to, directly from Steam itself. "We've been working on bringing Steam Deck to Australia for a while," the company said in a statement accompanying today's news. "It took a bit more time than we expected, and we’re pleased that we can finally make this announcement." Steam Deck will be available in three models for the prices below, which include GST. 256GB LCD: $649.00 AUD512GB OLED: $899.00 AUD1TB OLED: $1049.00 AUD IGN's 2022 review found that "when the Steam Deck is living up to its promises, it's absolutely incredible," but noted some important caveats concerning its battery life and compatibility issues. Luke is a Senior Editor on the IGN reviews team. You can chat to him on Twitter @MrLukeReilly. View the full article

Even though I'm a satisfied owner of Moza's GS V2P, the Vision GS wheel's extra features blew me away. Space age enough to look like it belongs in some kind of anti-grav hoveracer, the VGS, as it's known to its friends, represents a new peak of engineering within Moza's family of swappable wheels. I was fortunate enough to put this ****** through its paces recently and have gathered my thoughts below. For now, though, let's identify the first hurdle of entry if you're of a mind to wrap mitts around one yourself: price. You can, of course, skip that eye-watering window shopping by clicking here to jump right to my words instead. Our Moza Test Setup Moza VGS Steering Wheel Let's kick off with the positives, because they're certainly in the majority with this premium peripheral. I dig that the VGS has got a bit more real estate and heft to my 'old' GS V2P—we're wider from 300mm to 310mm and a kilogram heavier for a total of 4. As you veterans probably already know, larger wheel diameters always sell the experience a bit better, though you do take a slight hit on force feedback strength because of it. Not a big problem with the R12 I’m using, though, as it arguably has too many Nms of force to begin with. The biggest and most obvious addition, however, is that handsome new face. Boasting a 60Hz refresh and responsive touch capability, this fully customisable 7.1 cm screen is as gorgeous to gaze at in the flesh as it is handy to have. Better yet, it’s absolutely brimming with in-built presets, so you can more or less load up Moza’s Pit House software, skip the tinkering, and instantly reap some benefits in your favourite sim. What those benefits are is up to you, your imagination and needs. With north, south, east, and west flicks of your finger, you can transition into whatever info you *******. Gears, revs, position on a track map, tyre telemetry, split time lists, or just a big ol’ analog speedo that’s probably anachronistic for your favourite F1 car—the possibilities are uploadably/downloadably endless. This fully customisable 7.1 cm screen is as gorgeous to gaze at in the flesh as it is handy to have. The only limitation here is the need to play a sim that will share/play nice with its telemetry. There’s a stupidly comprehensive list of which games do that and to what degree here. Personally, I had great compatibility with iRacing and my modded-up copy of Assetto Corsa Competizione. So maybe start with those and wait for support to grow outwards from there with Moza's (reasonably frequent) updates. The wow factor of the Digital Dash doesn’t quite stop there, either. Moza has also implemented a gyroscope function that ensures your info stays right side up and readable, even when you’re hand-over-handing out some doughies. Sadly, there is a slight delay present here—sort of a compass-like jiggle that’s slightly imperfect but not hugely detrimental to Moza’s intent to keep you informed. But, hey, if that’s somehow not your preferred way to get your info, you can always just sight your RPMs the old-fashioned way. The VGS includes a top-mounted 10-pip indicator that can also be tailored to your chromatic preferences to the tune of 16.7 million colours. Alternatively, you can configure them to represent race flags. Super handy stuff. Build quality-wise, this sticks to Moza’s usual m.o. by looking and feeling exactly like what you’ve paid for. We’re talking about an aerospace-grade aluminum alloy backbone fleshed out with a composite carbon-fiber faceplate and high-quality grips skinned with hand-stitched faux leather. I can confirm after many an endurance race: the VGS is durable, comfy, and has no flex issues at the wheel base connection point. I’m also all about the inputs, in particular the extra and highly accessible rear-mounted buttons you can set to just about anything (I went with KERS and DRS). Having middle-fingertip access to those feels natural and effective, but your thumbs will still be kept well busy with a 72-input smorgasbord that includes a 7-way funky switch, a universal joystick, 3 rotary encoders, 2 thumb encoders, and short-travel/backlit buttons. I couldn’t find a bad egg among any of them in terms of placement or responsiveness. At the end of the day, I think Moza has once again proven to be quite the innovative and release-happy competitor. The VGS is well-built, brimming with tactile inputs, is highly customisable, and performs brilliantly. Vanity side bonus: its Digital Dash and visual aesthetics—clearly inspired by the Porsche Vision Gran Turismo—make it a real head-turning piece of hardware, even for non-racer normies. And when it comes to your actual petrolheaded peers, well, their eyes are going to be greener than an Aston Martin. Back to top Adam Mathew is our Aussie deals wrangler and has Five Star Games to thank for a VGS test unit. He plays practically everything, often on YouTube. View the full article For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Image: The Verge Microsoft is planning to update its Xbox mobile app on Android to allow US users to purchase and then play Xbox games on their mobile devices next month. Following a US court ruling earlier this week that forces Google to stop requiring Google Play Billing for apps in the Play Store on November 1st, Microsoft is ready to take advantage of the changes. “The court’s ruling to open up Google’s mobile store in the US will allow more choice and flexibility,” says Xbox president Sarah Bond in a post on X. “Our mission is to allow more players to play on more devices so we are thrilled to share that starting in November, players will be able to play and purchase Xbox games directly from the Xbox App on Android.” The court's ruling to open up... Continue reading… View the full article

As you play through the end of the Saiyan arc in Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero, you will have to beat Great Ape Vegeta, a tough boss who challenges what you've learned. Unlike other opponents, many of your go-to strategies can't defeat this giant ******. You have to approach this ****** differently than you may be used to if you want to overcome this challenge. View the full article

Everywhere you look at the moment there seems to be new mech games popping up, but many of them are fresh faces and relative unknowns. Few can boast the same level of experience and prestige as a series like MechWarrior, and the latest edition of the series, MechWarrior 5 Clans, is arriving in just a few days time. While that's exciting news in of itself, what if I told you that millions of you will be able to play it at no extra cost when it drops? Well, I'm about to, so strap yourself in. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: The huge new MechWarrior game finally has a release date After three decades, new MechWarrior game goes back to the roots After Armored Core 6, rival MechWarrior returns with new game View the full article

There are 20 Space Marine Legions in Warhammer 40K, with two being unknown. The canon is fluid and dates back to the magazines and books released in the 80’s—so it’s hard to verify when exactly each Legion was first mentioned, but thanks to dedicated fans, we have some idea. All Space Marine Legions in Warhammer 40K What’s the difference from one Space Marine Legion to another? A lot, it turns out. Image via Saber Interactive The Legions, once called Legiones Astartes, were created by the Emperor of Mankind to conquer the galaxy on multiple fronts. They were each led by a Primarch—the genetically engineered children of the Emperor with superhuman abilities far surpassing the Space Marines in their Legion—and each also had a different specialty. View the full article

Metaphor: ReFantazio features a number of unique mechanics that are either entirely new or are based on established Persona and Shin Megami Tensei ideas. One such mechanic is the Archetypes, powerful beings that the player and their party can transform into in order to give them the upper hand in combat. However, there's a lot more to Archetypes than simply being Metaphor: ReFantazio's version of Personas. View the full article

Sumo Digital has crafted some of the greatest racing experience over the past twenty years. Their work with Outrun 2 and Outrun 2006 enabled that to be even more timeless an experience than the original Outrun was, while the Sonic and ***** All-Stars Racing games were gems of the kart racing genre with top-shelf gameplay that topped even the Mario Kart series in many ways and inventive track design that got better as the series grew and evolved. Now, they're back after a five year break from kart racing with Team Sonic Racing with a new free-to-play experience for PC users. View the full article

Spiritual successors have become a ******* part of gaming over the past decade, with games like Mighty Gunvolt Burst offering up Mega Man-like experience, Bloodstained offering up a variety of Castlevania and Metroidvania gameplay, Taxi Chaos offering up something akin to Crazy Taxi and ***** Rush Cyberfunk paying homage to Jet Set Radio with a darker tale. One thing we have not seen over the years is something that blends courier work with a Crazy Taxi-style time limit and a Jet Set style of flair. It's an interesting blend because the two sub-genres go well together and yet haven't been combined until now. Even a more regular courier-style game hasn't been something we've seen much of beyond Courier Crisis on the PS1 and Saturn nearly 30 years ago. View the full article

month to the day since Satisfactory left early access, the community-driven mod manager has been updated to support version 1.0. Satisfactory Mod Manager v3.0 was "rewritten from scratch for better performance and smaller size" and includes some pretty significant new features, including support for installing and managing mods on dedicated servers and a brand new UI... Read more.View the full article

Overwatch 2 has officially teased the 42nd hero coming to the game in Season 14 and it appears to be the Scottish leader of a rebel group called the Phreaks. Likely a new tank, Overwatch 2 fans have seen clues about hero 42 from as far back as Project Titan and the original FPS. View the full article

The Backyard Sports series, which recently made its return with the release of Backyard Baseball '97, will be releasing five more games in the near future. The game publisher's official Steam page shows games based on football, basketball, hockey, and soccer, as well as a second baseball title, in the works and coming soon. View the full article

Destiny 2‘s second episode brought the powerful Bitter/Sweet grenade launcher to the fray, alongside a series of nerfs to some beloved perks. This *******’s **** roll helps offset those losses slightly while throwing some firepower into the equation. Grenade launchers rose to prominence in the meta at last after a series of buffs in Lightfall and beyond. Bitter/Sweet is another name in this Destiny 2 trend, and it’s made a name for itself during its release in Episode Revenant. View the full article

In the newest season of Diablo 4, players have a new level cap and a lot of new things to do and explore. Like most seasons, this will change how you level your character and build that class, as many of them can be quite different with the changing seasons. This season has a new campaign, Vessel of Hatred, that will help you reach this level cap at record speed, which you can then focus on getting Legendary gear and more Paragon levels. View the full article

Brighter Shores, the new MMO being developed by RuneScape creator Andrew Gower and his brother Paul, has been delayed: Instead of launching into early access on November 5 as planned, it will arrive on November 6. No, it's not much of a wait as these things go, but the reason for the postponement is pretty funny... Read more.View the full article

Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero recently became the most-played fighting game in Steams history, despite only being available in early access. Due to the strength of its massively well-known IP, it was already likely that Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero would be successful, but the game may become one of 2024s biggest hits. View the full article

Pre-orders went live today for the highly anticipated PC port of Red ***** Redemption, finally revealing the cost: $49.99. That's the price listed across Steam, the Epic Games Store, and Rockstar's own website on Thursday. That $50 will get you the complete single-player experiences of Red ***** Redemption and the Undead Nightmare expansion, as well as bonus content from the Game of the Year Edition (it does not, however, include multiplayer). Rockstar finally announced earlier this week that the PC version will arrive on October 29, a full 14 years after Red ***** Redemption first launched on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 back in 2010. In addition to the aforementioned content, it'll also include the following features: Native 4K resolution and beyond at up to 144hz on supported hardwareMonitor support for both Ultrawide (21:9) and Super Ultrawide (32:9)Full keyboard and mouse supportUpscaling technologies support for Nvidia DLSS 3.7 and AMD FSR 3.0Nvidia DLSS Frame GenerationAdjustable draw distances, shadow quality settings, and more The long-requested PC version was developed by Double Eleven, which also worked on Red ***** Redemption's PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch ports. Before this week's official announcement, it was long-rumored and all but confirmed after the PlayStation Store bizarrely claimed in August that the game was "now on PC," following evidence of a port being unearthed by datamines of Rockstar's website. We don't need to tell you that Rockstar's Wild West epic is a modern classic, but if you are looking for more while you wait for it to hit PC, check out IGN's 2010 Red ***** Redemption review. We handed it a 9.7/10, calling it "one of the deepest, most fun, and most gorgeous games around." Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she's not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons. View the full article

Diablo 4 players can begin the "Deeds of a Champion" main story quest with the title's Vessel of Hatred expansion, but many have encountered a bug that bars them from speaking with Councilor Sihek and moving forward in the quest. Those who are able to knock out objectives without issue should find Sihek outside the Kurast Undercity. However, there's still a way you can meet up with him if the NPC fails to make an appearance. View the full article

Amazon Prime Gaming is giving away over two dozen games over the course of October 2024. Nearly half of them are already available for Amazon Prime subscribers to claim as of today, October 10. View the full article

On Wednesday, Nintendo announced Sound Clock Alarmo, a $99 bedside smart clock that uses motion sensors to detect when users move during sleep to keep track of sleep patterns. The clock, which is only available to Nintendo Online subscribers until January 2025, changes appearance based on the selected alarm, with different clock faces corresponding to various Nintendo games like Super Mario Odyssey, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and Splatoon 3. Unlike other sleep trackers that require you to physically wear something (such as the Apple Watch), Alarmo uses millimeter-wave presence sensors to track user movement, and it feeds that data into an internal system that keeps track of user sleep patterns (Alarmo does not send any sleep information to Nintendo). The clock tracks how long the person has been sleeping and how long it took them to get out of bed after the alarm went off. Sleepy users can also use gestures to trigger a snooze function without physically touching the clock. Read full article Comments View the full article