Steam

****** Boss: Rockay City has taken a long, difficult road from its launch through to the present. While the celebrity studded co-op ****** game, which draws on Payday 3 and Grand Theft Auto 5 for inspiration, was poorly reviewed when it originally came out, its creator has worked hard to improve and add onto it as time has gone on. The result has been positive enough that ****** Boss has gone on to garner warmer user reviews on Steam and found and established a healthy community of players. Now, in another move likely to boost ****** Boss' reputation even further, its DLC will remain free to keep for, as a press release notes, "the foreseeable future." Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: ****** Boss, 2023's worst-rated FPS, might actually be good now Once-hated Payday rival ****** Boss blows up on Steam with rave reviews Payday 3's bizarre FPS rival is finally coming to Steam with free DLC View the full article

Former U.S. President Donald Trump had his Twitch account unbanned today, the company announced. Trump’s Twitch account was indefinitely suspended following the ******* on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Three and a half years later, though, the company is reinstating the account as Trump has become the official *********** nominee for president in 2024. View the full article

It turns out those numbers in the hundreds of thousands of dollars vying for the chance to game with Pokimane weren’t all that they seemed, as confirmed by the streamer and CDawgVA, whose charity auction is offering the session. Soon after the online bidding went live, bids for gaming sessions with streamers like Pokimane and Ironmouse skyrocketed into the hundreds of thousands, with Pokimane’s session racing to $500,000. Some of those bids seemed suspect, however, with names like Mark Cuban among the bidders, as well as usernames that contained hate speech and slurs. On July 15, CDawgVA confirmed that many of the sky-high bids were false bids via stolen credit cards and fake email accounts. “There’s nothing sadder you can fake in life than donating money to charity,” an understandably ******* CDawg said. View the full article

A Bethesda developer has accidentally shared some hints suggesting that The Elder Scrolls 6 will take place in Hammerfell. This turn of events is bound to further strengthen the fandom's long-held suspicions about the setting of The Elder Scrolls 6. View the full article

very strange thing happened during the recently-concluded 2024 Steam Summer *****: Almost 700,000 copies of Bohemia Interactive's military simulator Arma 3 were sold, an astounding figure that includes the game's biggest single-day sales figure ever... Read more.View the full article

The play test weekend for Overwatch 2’s new support hero Juno is off to a bumpy start, and it looks like it’s due to sheer excitement for the cheery Martian. OW2 is currently experiencing widespread server issues and errors, and even a server ******, likely due to so many players attempting to log in at the same time to try out the hero before she releases in season 12 next month. View the full article

No Mans Sky continues to improve upon itself since its abysmal release back in 2016, and its latest update gives players a variety of reasons to once again revisit the game. In the same vein as Cyberpunk 2077, No Mans Sky was a highly anticipated launch that fell far short of player expectations upon release. Also like Cyberpunk, No Mans Sky's developers were able to turn this around and have been continually working to repair its reputation through consistent improvements to the gameplay and graphics. View the full article For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

AMD confirmed to Hardwareluxx that each Zen 5 core complex **** (CCD) measures 70.6 mm², compared to 71 mm² for eight Zen 4 cores. We also know that Zen 5 is built using a 4nm FinFET process courtesy of TSMC, while Zen 4 used a 5nm FinFET process. Read Entire Article View the full article

Jaw Drop Games has shown off its impressive array of dinosaurs for the upcoming survival-horror game Deathground. This is the latest dinosaur glimpse for the title, which previously revealed that it would feature more scientifically accurate feathered dinosaurs rather than the more purely reptilian types seen in other media like the Jurassic Park movies or the Dino Crisis games of the '90s and 2000s. While some may argue that the idea of a "six-foot turkey" may not seem intimidating, the studio is setting out to convince players otherwise. View the full article

Final Fantasy 14 is over 10 years old and players are finishing up its newest expansion, Dawntrail. With six expansions, including A Realm Rebron, Final Fantasy 14 is one of gaming's greatest comeback stories. From a critically-panned launch to becoming one of the biggest games of all time for Square Enix, all of it was thanks to the consistently excellent work from the developers. But which expansion reigns supreme? With so many to choose from, and each expansion with its own unique characteristics, it's hard to choose. But we've gotten together to rank every Final Fantasy 14 expansion to find out which one we loved most. So hit the jump to see our favorite expansions in Final fantasy 14 below. Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn The story of Final Fantasy 14’s rise from the ashes is well-documented. Following a disastrous launch, producer Naoki Yoshida took reins on the project and rebooted the game with A Realm Reborn, which literally destroyed the world of the launch game, and built on top of it the beloved MMORPG we know and love today. A Realm Reborn was a two-fold project that fixed the frustrating gameplay and RPG systems of the launch version while telling a story that literally incorporates the destruction of the launch version into the wider narrative. And while A Realm Reborn quite literally saved FF14, the need to reboot an entire MMO and reintroduce players to the game is its greatest weakness. Compared to later expansions, A Realm Reborn feels downright glacial when it comes to pacing, and the need to revamp the world means its story is far more bloated than it needs to be in later expansions. While A Realm Reborn will always be cherished for saving Square Enix’s MMORPG, you’ll be hard-pressed to say the later expansions aren't better. - Matt Kim Final Fantasy 14: Stormblood Stormblood is often looked at as one of the lesser-liked expansions, which, to me, speaks to how strong the rest of them are. That’s because Stormblood is still a crucial piece to Final Fantasy 14 that worked to conclude long-standing conflicts and show you just how evil and destructive the Garlean Empire was. I vividly remember the feeling of taking back Ala Mhigo after all these years of them being under Garlean rule, and taking back Doma Castle after seeing how Domans had suffered from the occupation. There are moments in which Stormblood undercuts its own messaging and perhaps didn’t fully find the nuance necessary to elegantly tell a politically charged story. However, it gets the larger picture right, and the liberation of the peoples across the different regions was invigorating nonetheless. Stormblood’s zones might not be the most exciting of the bunch, but there’s a tranquility I still feel when flying across the Ruby Sea, over the plains of Azim Steppe, and past the rice patties in Yangxia. I often reflect on the stories of oppression and rebellion in those moments because of the smaller stories told throughout the expansion. I also remember Yotsuyu as one of the most complex villains of FF14 – her heartbreaking story represents how sadistic and corrupting living under oppression can be, which culminated in one of the best boss fights to this day. Stormblood may not have been the best expansion, but it had peaks that make FF14 what it is today. - Michael Higham Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail With Dawntrail fresh in my memory, it’s a bit hard to gauge its place in the Final Fantasy 14 pantheon, but even with all its implications yet to be explored, it still stands as a worthy addition to the MMO’s long history. The land of Tural opens FF14 to so many different themes and cultural influences it wasn’t able to incorporate in the past, and although it does come with some mixed results, the vibrant foundation it lays leaves even more room for growth. Newcomer Wuk Lamat is a large focus and although she’s not the strongest character in FF14, she has the heart necessary to carry out Dawntrail’s message of finding peace through mutual respect and embracing our differences. Dawntrail’s lasting legacy is in the second half of its story where things turn in unpredictable directions. Its fusion of references to ancient civilizations, its ****** ********* roots, and the old-timey ********* West somehow make sense when they clash with the cyberpunk-tinged sci-fi elements that eventually come to the forefront. It’s able to touch on classic Final Fantasy narrative themes from a fresh perspective. We explored the depths of the pain we feel from losing the things we love most during Shadowbringers and Endwalker, but the way Dawntrail contextualizes mortality is powerfully intimate. In its best moments, Dawntrail can be as impactful as anything else found in FF14, and for that alone, this expansion deserves its flowers. - MH Final Fantasy 14: Endwalker Endwalker is the culmination of a 10-year long story arc for Final Fantasy 14. From the days of A Realm Reborn, players became embroiled in a celestial battle between the gods Hydaelin and Zodiark. Beset in the real-world by a global pandemic that delayed the expansion by a year, Endwalker was a reward for players who stuck with the MMORPG from its earliest days who can now see the conclusion to a long-running storyline. The stakes were high but Endwalker is FF14’s most emotional expansion to date, reinforcing Final Fantasy 14’s core themes of how friendship and courage can overcome even the greatest challenges. And with so much of Final Fantasy 14 now playable in single-player, a new player could play from A Realm Reborn through Endwalker and feel that they’ve finished one of the best Final Fantasy games of all time. But thankfully, Endwalker is not the end of FF14, and the newest expansion, Dawntrail, is setting the stage for the next 10 years of Square Enix’s beloved MMORPG. - MK Final Fantasy 14: Heavensward What a difference an expansion makes. Free from the need to fix an entire MMORPG, Final Fantasy 14’s next expansion after A Realm Reborn, Heavensward, is able to jump right into the action. With the Warriors of Light on the run, they escape to the frozen, holy land of Ishgard which has been too busy embroiled in a war against dragons to do much in Eorzea. What’s immediately apparent in Heavensward is that it quickly establishes the themes and storytelling the FF14 team seems to revel in: dramatic, high fantasy that harkens back to the old pixel games like Final Fantasy 6. Heavensward is such a throwback to the classic sword and sorcery fantasy of early Final Fantasy games, while also introducing the dark courtly politics that would make George R.R. Martin grin. If A Realm Reborn took a lot of time to get going, Heavensward is action-packed almost from the jump and from there sets the bar for all later FF14 expansions. To quote FromSoftware, the real Final Fantasy 14 begins with Heavensward. - MK Final Fantasy 14: Shadowbringers Final Fantasy 14 truly found its voice in Shadowbringers. Lead writer Natsuko Ishikawa stepped into the role and her poetic storytelling style gave the expansion its identity, focusing on its characters with a level of depth and emotional sincerity never before seen in FF14. From the moment you step into The First, there’s an immediate sense of urgency that sets the tone for how dire the flood of light has been on the entire realm, flipping the script on typical light versus dark stories. And in horrifying ways, leaned on showing rather than telling. Shadowbringers captured its grand moments with a weight and excitement that few RPGs are able to pull off. It earns those moments by building characters like the Crystal Exarch, Ardbert, and Emet Selch in a complex web of heroes and villains to carry its heavier themes, and contextualize despair and tragedy in a world separate from anything we’d known in Eorzea. FF14 began to ask the big questions about loss, grief, and the lengths people will go to preserve the things that matter most to them, and did so with nuance. And if we want to count the post-launch content, Patch 5.3 capped off what was already one of the best stories in the series with another incredible conclusion, reaching a height that I don’t think FF14 will ever be able to top. My precious crystal cat boy gave his all to save a realm, and all of my Scion friends were there to witness his greatness as he immortalized his life’s work at the Seat of Sacrifice. From its writing and narrative themes to its music and visual storytelling, Shadowbringers not only proved itself as peak FF14, it’s arguably peak Final Fantasy. - MH These are our rankings for our favorite Final Fantasy 14 expansions. Let us know below in the comments which expansions are your favorites. Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's Senior Features Editor. You can reach him @lawoftd. View the full article

After another controversial event brewing behind the scenes, one of the most popular faces in the competitive League of Legends scene has voiced his criticisms against one of the biggest fanbases in the community. Former pro player and caster Caedrel blasted the “extreme side” of Karmine Corp’s LoL fanbase after he read a tweet saying that 15 thousand fans would boo Faker at an upcoming Red Bull event that will be held in Paris. The 28-year-old didn’t hold back with his response, saying that the recent upswing of “disgusting and unacceptable” behavior has gotten out of hand. View the full article

Jack Sparrow has officially arrived in Fortnite as part of the new limited-time Pirates of the Caribbean crossover, the Cursed Sails Pass. By completing quests and working down the Pass' free rewards track, Fortnite players can unlock exclusive cosmetics, such as Jacks Cutlass and Bane Pickaxe and Jacks Prize Back Bling. View the full article

Last month saw the announcement of one of the most bizarre gaming mash-ups since Cheech & Chong in Call of Duty: Cosy 2D pixel adventure Dave the Diver, and sultry anime waifu shooter Nikke: Goddess of Victory... Read more.View the full article

The ship has sailed on the Pirates of the Caribbean crossover event in Fortnite, which means there’s lots of pirate-themed chaos you can delve into. Part of this event includes the Pirates of the Caribbean NPCs you can meet around the map. All of the characters in this event have special dialogue and some unique items available for purchase. You also sometimes need to interact with them for event quests, so it’s crucial to know all of the Pirates of the Caribbean Cursed Sails NPC locations in Fortnite. View the full article

Hunt Showdown has been a mainstay of multiplayer horror gaming for years now, standing alongside ***** by Daylight, The Outlast Trials, Phasmophobia, and GTFO as a top choice for fans of supernaturally tinged online play. Though it's managed to keep itself relevant by supplying players with a steady output of new additions and updates, ensuring the game never becomes stale, it's also been nearly five years since Hunt Showdown left Early Access. Considering its ongoing success, it isn't much of a surprise to imagine that creator Crytek has been working on a sequel. It could be real, but it could be something else entirely. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Hunt Showdown is about to get cheaper forever, but there's a catch Hunt Showdown's massive upcoming upgrade finally gets launch date Hunt Showdown update 1.15 brings big changes to progression View the full article

This year’s BitSummit is now underway, with the first day recently ending in Japan. BitSummit is Japan’s leading independent games expo, featuring a whole host of new and upcoming indie games from all over the world. This year’s event, BitSummit Drift, takes place at its usual venue of the Miyako Messe in Kyoto, and I’m here covering it for all three days. Read More... View the full article

You can score bonus milestone points through the Monopoly GO Roll and Conquer two-day event. Double Bank Heist points are back, providing a chance to earn more Roll and Conquer rewards like Peg-E tokens for the Prize Drop and dice rolls. Get the most out of the Roll and Conquer rewards through this detailed guide to the Monopoly GO 48-hour event. Don’t sleep on the free dice links or daily events, which can provide the resources you need for the tournament event. View the full article

Elden Ring grants players several different weapons to shred enemies with. Sometimes you want to forego all of them and turn your own body into a ******* instead. For players that enjoy this type of playstyle, our Martial Arts build might be just for you. The best Martial Arts build in Elden Ring Learning from the master. Image via FromSoftware For this Martial Arts build, your main ******* will be Dane’s Footwork, which is a new Hand-to-Hand Art ******* introduced in Shadow of the Erdtree. Hand-to-Hand Arts are unlike other weapons in Elden Ring, emphasizing close-quarters battle with quick attacks that cause Stance damage. Combining this with a powerful Ash of War pushes this build’s power over the edge. View the full article

For any speedsters in League of Legends‘ new Swarm game mode, there are several different items you can choose to thrive on the battlefield—including the deadly Paw Print Poisoner. Although there are plenty of powerful weapons to pick from, the Paw Print Poisoner is a useful item you can equip during your skirmishes with the Primordians since it leaves a poison trail behind the champion as they run around the map. It’s a great way to thin out massive numbers of enemies or weaken hordes while you reposition for a better ******. View the full article

PowerWash Simulator players, including those who have access to the game through Xbox Game Pass, can now claim a DLC pack completely free of charge. Whenever a game is added to Xbox Game Pass, its DLC typically still requires users to pay money to access it. This goes for nearly every Xbox Game Pass game with DLC, including first-party games from Microsoft. View the full article

Team-based hero shooter Marvel Rivals has released a new trailer showcasing cosmic being Adam Warlock in action. Although Warlock's inclusion in Marvel Rivals was announced over a month ago, this is the first time fans are getting a good look at what he'll be able to do in the game. View the full article

Photo: Stephanie Lindgren Evo 2024 starts Friday July 19th, kicking off a weekend full of one of the most intense fighting game competitions in the world. This year over 10,000 players will participate in a host of games, making this the largest Evo ever while also setting the record for the largest esports tournament. Evo has been getting ******* and *******, with participation bolstered by the release of new versions of the tournament’s most popular games. Street Fighter 6 made its Evo debut last year, and boasted the largest number of entrants in the franchise’s history. This year both Mortal Kombat 1 and Tekken 8 will make their first Evo appearances. In addition to those heavy hitters, Evo 2024’s other featured games include Guilty Gear Strive, Gran Blue... Continue reading… View the full article

Ever thought of creating your home country in Infinite Craft? It’s more than possible in the browser game, but to create any nation that exists in the world, you need to know how to make Country. Like with almost every complex recipe in Infinite Craft, creating Country isn’t that easy. You need to unlock other substantial items before you can craft it, but don’t worry, we know all the steps. Here’s what you need to do. View the full article

The ending of Modern Warfare 3’s Zombies story is coming in season five, and it’s a bittersweet one. MWZ caught gamers by surprise when MW3 launched in November 2023. But a slow cadence of content ever since has left gamers longing for the return of classic round-based zombies ever since, and thankfully, it’s coming back once season five winds down. View the full article

You know what's out? Binary morality in RPGs. You know what's in? Vast and complex constellations of individual "reputations" that measure how each particular faction, town, and individual you come across feel about you. It worked in Fallout: New Vegas and, by ****, it'll work in anything else you're tempted to stick a light side/dark side meter into... Read more.View the full article