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Xbox pulled back the curtain on its latest controller design, the ***** Vapor Special Edition Controller, as part of its ongoing Vapor Controller series exclusively available on the Microsoft Store. Like other Vapor Controllers from Xbox, the ***** Vapor Controller comes with a special dynamic background for Xbox console users to enjoy. View the full article

Fans of Destiny 2’s Crucible PvP mode haven’t had this much to look forward to in a very, very long time. As part of an update today, three new maps have entered the Crucible as part of a new PvP Map Pack for Into the Light, the final update before The Final Shape launches in just under a month. View the full article

The more you play Hades 2, the more you’ll start to notice how often you go to the cauldron in the Crossroads. While Fate Fabric can be used in the cauldron, you can also find and use Golden Apples. They are important, and we’ll show you how to find and use Golden Apples in Hades 2.Hades 2: How to find and use Golden ApplesGetting Golden Apples isn’t something that you can do on the first run. You need to beat Eris. For anyone who’s had to take on Hecate in Hades 2 can probably understand boss battles in the game are no easy feat. However, Eris seems to be less of a challenge. She’ll show up at the end of the Rift of Thessaly which is on the way to Olympus. Since Hades 2 is a roguelike, reaching this point will be different than when I got to it since the stages are random. Once you get to Eris and beat her, she’ll drop a Golden Apple. Screenshot: PC InvasionGetting to the surface in Hades 2 requires the&n...View the full article

Destiny 2 continues to carry forward the momentum generated by the hugely successful launch of Into The Light, this time making three expansions—Shadowkeep, Beyond Light and The Witch Queen—free to play until The Final Shape launches on June 4. The offer was announced today as it went live. The goal is clear: priming new Destiny 2 players for The Final Shape’s story by allowing them to experience the plot threads that led to the current moment for themselves. The limited-time offer even includes all of the current seasons. Lightfall’s absence from the list is certainly odd in its own right, but PlayStation Plus members can exclusively enjoy similar access to it as well. View the full article

The Fields of Mourning is the third dungeon region of Hades 2, and since it ramps up the difficulty here are the best tips for how you can get through it and beat the Infernal ******. Hades 2: Best tips to beat the Fields of MourningThe Fields of Mourning present you with more than one Boon or buff per room, which is a nice adjustment to the previous regions Erebus and Oceanus. If you’re struggling to make it through this section of Hades 2, here are some tips on how to tackle the Fields of Mourning.Change your *******. By this point in Hades 2, you should have unlocked more weapons. While the Witch’s Staff is incredible, if you’re feeling stuck in the Fields of Mourning you may find better luck with the other weapons. Personally, the second best ******* has to be the Moonstone Axe which inflicts high AoE damage but moves slower than most weapons.Take advantage of Terrain ******. You can find various environmental elements in the Fields of Mourning that c...View the full article

Amazon is offering the Jackery Explorer 100 31,000mAh Power Bank for $99.99 after you clip the $30 off coupon on the product page. This is the largest capacity power bank we've seen that's TSA carry-on eligible. It also uses superior LiFePO4 battery cells, can charge up to 3 devices simultaneously, and boasts up to 100W charging output via USB Type-C. Jackery Explorer 100 31,000mAh Power Bank for $99.99 At first glance the Jackery Explorer 100 looks like one of those large power stations you might use as a backup battery for your home. But actually, this thing is pretty small, small enough to fit on the palm of your hand. It measures only 5"x3.4"x3.4" and weighs about 2 pounds. This is a 99Whr power bank, which means it just barely squeezes its way under TSA's sub-100Whr requirement. With a 31,000mAh total capacity, this is definitely the largest TSA carry-on eligible power bank we've posted on IGN. Unlike most smaller power banks which use lithium-ion cells, the Jackery Explorer 100 uses LiFePO4 cells. They're usually more expensive and also a bit heavier, but in exchange you get inherently safer battery chemistry and a much longer lifespan, both in terms of number of cycles and calendar aging. The Jackery Explorer 100 has three outputs: two USB Type-C with PPS and Power Delivery up to 100W total, and a USB Type-A with 28W of charging for a total of 128W. The Steam Deck supports up to 45W max charging, the ASUS ROG Ally up to 65W, and the Nintendo Switch up to 18W. That means ou can charge a Steam Deck, ASUS ROG Ally, or Nintendo Switch at its maximum charging speed. In fact, you could almost charge all three at their maximum charging rate simultaneously. Jackery is a well known brand that's based out of Fremont, California. They're very reliable and are often a great alternative to the juggernaut ******** companies like Ecoflow and Bluetti. This power bank is UL 94V-0 certified and includes a 2 year warranty. For more options, check out our favorite power banks for 2024. View the full article

Respawn and EA have today released a major update for the popular battle royale shooter Apex Legends, which gives it an anti-cheat upgrade. Sadly it's causing issues for Steam Deck / Linux players. Read the full article here: [Hidden Content] View the full article

Destiny 2 is pulling no punches when it comes to trying to build hype for its upcoming expansion The Final Shape. With that, Bungie has decided to do something almost unprecedented in the history of Destiny, offering the three previous expansions for free for a limited time. Unfortunately, while old Destiny 2 expansions and seasons are free-to-play until The Final Shape drops, but the best parts are still gatekept.A Brief moment of freedom for GuardiansScreenshot: BungieThe announcement was made alongside the weekly updates (this particular one bringing the next Pantheon boss) and showed off a lot. Players who play Destiny 2 from May 7 to the release of The Final Shape on June 3 can experience the Shadowkeep, Beyond Light, and Witchqueen expansions. Along with this, players can try out the subclass tied to Beyond Light, Stasis during this interval. Sadly, unless you have the game on PlayStation grab Lightfall for free during May, you’ll have to pay for the expansi...View the full article

Ubisoft will release Rocksmith+ for PlayStation consoles and Steam on June 6, 2024. The subscription service, which is designed to help users learn to play guitar and piano, launched for PC in September 2022 before coming to mobile platforms last summer. Ubisoft recently confirmed that it will hold its annual Ubisoft Forward showcase on June 10. Read More... View the full article

Remedy, the studio behind Alan Wake 2, will be stopping development on Project Kestrel, which was a collaboration with Tencent. The company will be focused on other IPs. Even after making the co-op, free-to-play title premium, the studio decided to turn their attention elsewhere. The creators of Quantum Break have been really active in the last few years, confirming remakes of the first and second Max Payne, a sequel to Control, and several other games that are in development with code names. Tero Virtala, CEO of Remedy, has confirmed that Project Kestrel is in the conceptual stage. View the full article

Proton 9.0 is now available to download on Steam Deck, and it brings some considerable improvements with it, not just for portable gaming, but also for gaming on Linux systems in general. Downloading this free update will bring new life to your Steam Deck as it adds loads more playable games to Valve's pocket powerhouse. The Steam Deck sits in a class of its own when it comes to Linux gaming because no other major handheld manufacturer actively uses the operating system. Competitors such as the ROG Ally and Lenovo Legion Go use Windows instead, and the debate is neverending as to which is the best to use for a handheld gaming PC. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Razer just made the Meta Quest 3 comfortable and stylish in one go Get $100 off this Alienware OLED gaming monitor, if you're quick Nvidia RTX 5080 GPU will launch before 5090 after all, says leaker View the full article For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

You’re going to take a beating in Hades 2 no matter how well you play. However, thankfully, there are plenty of ways to heal and regain Mana during your various Hades 2 runs. How to heal in Hades 2There are a number of ways to heal in Hades 2, but some are more reliable than others. Some can be acquired before you enter, and other will have to be picked up along the way. A number of these will both heal and regain mana in Hades 2, so go for the double if possible.Screenshot: PC InvasionPre-game healingIf you’re struggling a bit with health in Hades 2, you should equip a few items before you head into battle. These will boost your health as you play, either at the end of each encounter or when you drop to zero.Aracana—The handy cards can provide a huge boost to your health in the game. By equipping cards such as The Centaur, you will receive a boost to Health and Mana every five turns. Cards like The Titan will just give you an overall boost to hea...View the full article

Helldivers 2 was slated to be one of this years most successful games until its community began review-******** it, plummeting its ranking on Steam, after Sony announced that for players to continue playing online with friends, they would have to link a PlayStation Network account. This was previously only required for players accessing the game on PlayStation 5, though a planned update wouldve extended this requirement to PC players at the end of May. View the full article

Nintendo Switch exclusive Master Detective Archives: Rain Code is coming to PlayStation and Xbox consoles, as well as PC. Spike Chunsoft announced its trio of ports just six weeks shy of the game's first anniversary. View the full article

Who are the Hades 2 voice actors? What makes Hades and its successor so great isn't just the epic gameplay, challenging enemies, and brutal bosses, but the emotional story that goes with it. As we move on from Zagreus to Melinoe, we still carry on from the events of the first game, led by a huge cast of new and returning characters. With so many powerful, emotional, and humorous voice lines propelling the Hades 2 story forward, you might be wondering who the Hades 2 cast members are behind the Greek Gods, Goddesses and other Hades 2 characters. There are some recognizable voices in there, as well, so here's every member voice actor in the roguelike game, who they play, and from where you might recognize them. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Hades 2 Arcana Cards explained The best Hades 2 boons Is Hades 2 on Game Pass? View the full article

The latest monthly Humble Choice bundle is up and it looks like another great package of games for you to get cheap. Read the full article here: [Hidden Content]-***** View the full article

According to a new report from Jon Peddie Research (JPR), the client PC CPU market reached 62 million units in Q1, 2024, representing a healthy 33 percent growth from the same ******* last year. However, the shipments are still down 9.4 percent sequentially from Q4, 2023, when the manufacturers shipped 69 million units globally. Read Entire Article View the full article

Nintendo has released its financial report for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024, and while the company saw a decline in hardware and software sales, its first-party titles fared well at retail. Hardware sales for this ******* declined 12.6% year-over-year (yoy) to 15.7 million units, and software sales decreased 6.7% yoy to 199.67 million units. While this represents a decrease from the previous fiscal year, sales are steady for a platform in its eighth year after launch, which has sold 141.32 million units over its lifetime. The total number of million-seller titles during the fiscal ******* was 31, including titles from other software publishers. These titles include The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom which sold 20.61 million units, Super Mario Bros. Wonder sold 13.44 million, and Pikmin 4 sold 3.48 million. Read more View the full article

The video game industry has reacted with shock and anger after Microsoft shut down several game studios today, May 7, 2024 including Arkane Austin and Tango Gameworks, the developers of Redfall and Hi-Fi Rush respectively. Both developers and fans have shared their disappointment at the closures, announced to staff via email on the morning of May 7, 2024. Head of Xbox Game Studios Matt Booy told employees of the studios, which joined Microsoft under Bethesda parent company ZeniMax, the cuts were a result of the "reprioritization of titles and resources." "This is absolutely terrible," wrote Arkane Lyon director Dinga Bakaba on X/Twitter, whose studio survived the closures and will continue working on Marvel's Blade. "To any executive reading this: friendly reminder that video games are an entertainment and cultural industry, and your business as a corporation is to take care of your artists and entertainers and help them create value for you." This is absolutely terrible. Permission to be human : to any executive reading this, friendly reminder that video games are an entertainment/cultural industry, and your business as a corporation is to take care of your artists/entertainers and help them create value for you. — Dinga Bakaba (@DBakaba) May 7, 2024 "Don't throw us into gold fever gambits, don't use us as strawmen for miscalculations or ****** spots, don't make our work environments Darwinist jungles. You say we make you proud when we make a good game. Make us proud when times are tough. We know you can, we've seen it before. "For now, great teams are sunsetting before our eyes, again, and it's a f**king gut stab. Lyon is safe, but please be tactful and discerning about all this, and respect affected folks' voice and leave it room to be heard, it's their story to tell, their feelings to express." Several other developers weighed in on the closures too, which also affect mobile game developer Alpha Dog Games. It's unclear how many staff have lost their jobs across the three studios, but Microsoft, currently valued at more than $3 trillion, declined to expand further when contacted by IGN. "Arkane Austin and Tango being shut down is the biggest let down from the Microsoft acquisitions. "Arkane Austin and Tango being shut down is the biggest let down from the Microsoft acquisitions," wrote Anthony Panecasio, level design team lead on Splinter Cell Remake at Ubisoft Toronto, on LinkedIn. "They were making exciting new IP, even if they were rough around the edges. I played both Redfall and Ghostwire: Tokyo to completion when they launched and still have fond memories of them." Sebastien Mitton, co-creative director at Arkane Lyon, called the closures a "very, very bad wake up call" on X/Twitter. "A thought for our brothers and sisters in Texas, Canada, and Japan who are going through a very difficult time. Our hearts go out to all of you in this terrible ordeal." Adam Boyes, co-CEO of Iron Galaxy Studios and former PlayStation executive, didn't comment on the closures directly on X/Twitter but did share a screenshot of a GeekWire article from April 25, 2024 which showed Microsoft posted a 17% increase in revenue and $21.9 billion in profit in its latest financial earnings report. [Hidden Content] — ᴀᴅᴀᴍ ʙᴏʏᴇs (@amboyes) May 7, 2024 "To everyone whose been pestering me for years about why we didn't allow Moon Studios to get acquired by a big publisher, that's why," wrote Thomas Mahler, boss of the studio behind Ori and the ****** Forest, on X/Twitter. "I've lived through the 90s and saw what happened when smaller studios got acquired by EA." Myriad developers also shared job opportunities and offered advice to their industry peers affected by the closures. "I am absolutely shocked at the closing of Arkane Austin, Tango, and Alpha Dog," said Epic Games principal engine programmer Emanuel Masciarelli on LinkedIn. "If I worked with you and can help you get a job, either here at Epic or at another company that I have connections with, please, please, reach out. I can help with resume reviews, anything." Fans of the affected studios have also taken to social media to express their shock and anger over these unexpected closures too. "My heart just broke," said BethA69 on a Reddit post discussing Arkane Austin's closure and the cancellation of Redfall's downloadable content. Hi-Fi RUSH was a break out hit for us and our players in all key measurements and expectations. We couldn’t be happier with what the team at Tango Gameworks delivered with this surprise release. — Aaron Greenberg U (@aarongreenberg) April 21, 2023 "This is honestly pretty painful," added Shameer2405. "Redfall was one of my most anticipated games last year and even though it disappointed me, I thought it had a lot of potential to be better. It's a shame that's not going to happen anymore." Those discussing Tango Gameworks and its 2023 hit Hi-Fi Rush shared similar sentiments, with many pointing to an X/Twitter post from Microsoft executive Aaron Greenberg that declared the game "was a breakout hit for [Xbox] and [its] players in all key measurements and expectations." He said Microsoft "couldn’t be happier with what the team at Tango Gameworks delivered" when it hit two million players after a month and received high praise from critics. But just over a year later the studio was shut down. "So this is how it ends," wrote Tango Gameworks creative director and Hi-Fi rush director John Johanas on X/Twitter. "Unfortunately I don't quite have the words. But at least thank you to everyone who supported us." "Tango being shut down after the success of Hi-Fi Rush is bonkers. "This whole acquisition thing was great for the industry, right?" asked PimentaGui on ResetEra. "Microsoft's spending spree continues to have long lasting terrible effects on the industry," said Baoben. "Tango being shut down after the success of Hi-Fi Rush is bonkers," added Einbroch. Microsoft acquired ZeniMax in 2021 for $7.5 billion and with it came Bethesda studios such as Arkane, Tango Gameworks, and Alpha Dog Games. Its acquisition streak reached new heights in 2023 with the $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, which finally went through in October 2023, just six months before it closed these other studios. Xbox also announced The Elder Scrolls Online developer ZeniMax Online Studios would absorb Roundhouse Studios, but the other Bethesda teams would be unaffected. Starfield and The Elder Scrolls 6 developer Bethesda Game Studios, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle developer Machine Games, ***** developer id Software, and the aforementioned Marvel's Blade developer Arkane Lyon are all unaffected. Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He'll talk about The Witcher all day. View the full article For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

This excellent deal is back and lower than before! Amazon is offering the powerful and high capacity Anker PowerCore 737 24,000mAh USB Power Bank for only $88.95, a massive 40% price drop from its original $150 MSRP. This is close to the highest capacity power bank you're allowed to bring on airplane carry-on, and it also boasts an absolutely massive 140W of USB power delivery to charge even the hungriest MacBook Pro. Anker PowerCore 737 24,000mAh Power Bank for $88.95 with 140W of USB Type-C Power Delivery The Anker PowerCore 737 can be used like any other power bank; it does a fine job of charging any of your standard mobile electronics. It has two USB Type-C ports and one USB Type-A port. One of the USB Type-C ports is ***-directional, meaning it can be used to charge devices AND it can also be used to charge the power bank itself. The massive 24,000mAh is just under the TSA's 27,000mAh limit; it can charge a Nintendo Switch OLED over 5 times, iPhone 15 Pro Max over 5 times, Steam Deck over 4 times, and an ASUS ROG Ally over 9 times. The power bank is physically larger than smaller capacity ones and weighs in at 1.4 pounds. What really makes special about the PowerCore 737, however, is it's massive power delivery spec. The 737 is capable of delivery 140W of power output That's enough power to charge the 16" MacBook Pro laptop even while you're using it. That kind of power output is hard to find in a power bank and usually pricier. The Anker 737 is our pick for best Steam Deck / ASUS ROG Ally charger We picked the Anker 737 as our favorite portable charger for the Steam Deck and ASUS ROG Ally portable gaming handhelds. Portable PC gaming has never been better, but there's still a way to go when it comes to batteries in these incredible devices. Both the ROG Ally and Steam Deck suffer from a short battery life when gaming on the go. For instance, when playing most games at 60 FPS, you're likely looking at four hours of battery life, at most. During our review, we even found games like **** of War or Spider-Man would tap out in under 2-hours as well. At the end of the day, you'll never get the full potential out of your Steam Deck or ROG Ally if you're not equipped with a decent portable charger. Still hunting around for a deal on a handheld gaming system. Check out these deals: The best Steam Deck dealsThe best Nintendo Switch deals View the full article For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Warzone gamers, you can stop looking up new controllers to replace the ones you planned on smashing now. One of the game’s most annoying issues in recent memory is finally being fixed. A ****** bug that appeared alongside last week’s Season Three Reloaded update that has been causing automatic tactical sprint to interrupt reload animations is getting squashed with an update set to be deployed on May 8. View the full article

The next big DLC from masterful 4X strategy developer Paradox Interactive is finally here, as Stellaris The Machine Age brings a new ****** empire, another endgame crisis, and a slate of new origins to the sci-fi grand strategy game. Out now, you can expect a whole host of premium content alongside a free update, both of which offer up a plethora of new ways to play. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Steam's top space grand strategy game faces a sentient ****** uprising The biggest space 4X game on Steam is about to get a new expansion Stellaris launches new, cheap subscription to get all its DLC View the full article

Whether it's improving traffic AI, adding new readouts for buildings and income, or the vital Move It, Cities Skylines 2 mods are almost always designed to make the Colossal Order sequel easier and friendlier. The city building and strategy game has plenty of challenges to throw at you, especially if you want to build a functional road network and keep the garbage backlog down, but it doesn't sweat you too hard. Well, until now. An ambitious new CS2 mod with a brutal edge, this is like an unofficial hard mode - Cities Skylines 2: Glutton For Punishment Edition. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: The best city building games on PC 2024 Cities Skylines 2 update breaks buildings, fix could take three weeks Cities Skylines 2 DLC pulled from Steam as dev outlines refunds View the full article

Enlarge / Line up those colors and close those gaps... for science! [/url] In 2020, a new minigame appeared in the video game Borderlands 3, located in the resident scientist’s laboratory on the spaceship Sanctuary III. Although the arcade game may seem like just another way to pass in-game time, the tile-matching puzzle game—Borderlands Science—has allowed millions of players to help map the human gut microbiome. Borderlands Science is one of the first examples of a citizen science game being embedded in a mainstream video game; it translates players’ tile matching into sequence alignment of microbial DNA strands that encode ribosomal RNA. Ultimately, this can help deduce the genetic relationships between different gut microbes—crucial information for demystifying the complex web of interactions among diet, ********, and microbiome. Since launch, over 4 million gamers have played Borderlands Science, collectively solving over 100 million puzzles, making this one of the largest citizen science projects ever. Not only has the game generated huge player engagement, but the results have outperformed state-of-the-art computational methods, according to an analysis of the project published in Nature Biotechnology. Read 12 remaining paragraphs | Comments View the full article

The Super Famicom (known as the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in North America) was the successor to the original Family Computer. That system debuted in Japan in 1983 before finding its way to ********* test markets as the original NES in late 1985. Nintendo wasn't in a hurry to release... Read Entire Article View the full article