PC Showbiz and Celebrity Breaking News

Remedy Entertainment has shed a little light on the upcoming Alan Wake 2 expansions, and one seems to suggest that the game will cross over with Control once again.The developer confirmed that there are two paid expansions in the works for Alan Wake 2 in an updated frequently asked questions page on the game’s official website.These are Night Springs and The Lake House. Players who purchased the Deluxe edition of Alan Wake 2 will receive both of these additions as part of the game’s expansion pass, however, their individual pricing or launch dates have not been shared at the moment.Night Springs involves “[playing] as several familiar characters from the world of Alan Wake and experience the unexplainable in multiple self-contained episodes of Night Springs“, a fictional television show set inside the game’s world.On the other hand, The Lake House is the name of a facility that is the headquarters of “an independent government organisation to conduct secret research”.Protagonists Alan Wake and Saga Anderson will contend with the crisis emanating from The Lake House on “two separate adventures”.The mention of the “independent government organisation” is very likely to be the Federal Bureau Of Control, introduced in Control, Remedy Entertainment’s paranormal action title released in 2019.Control had an expansion which integrated the events of Alan Wake into its own timeline, thereby cementing the Remedy Connected Universe as a core concept of both games.It isn’t totally surprising that Alan Wake 2 might return to Control, but it is pleasing news for fans who have missed the brutalist setting of The Oldest House and the weirdness of its research and records.Alan Wake 2 is out now for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.In other

The Chinese Room have shown off a snippet of their psychological horror Still Wakes The Deep, set on an oil rig that becomes distorted by paranormal forces.The footage, which was presented in the Xbox Partner Preview event last night (October 25), was split into two scenes. The first had protagonist Caz McLeary trying to climb across the exterior of the rig, and then the second saw them try to avoid something that is stalking them in a flooded room.

Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Call of Duty and Universal Music announced a secret Chase & Status gig with 25 tickets for fans to win.Hosted in London, and accordingly titled LDN Calling, Chase & Status and DJ Bou have tasked fans with three missions to complete before October 31.Every completed mission increases an entrant’s likelihood of winning a ticket, and they will be able to invite a plus one along with them.All three missions will be released through the mission hub and announced through the band’s and Bou’s social channels.As well as the opportunity to attend an exclusive concert in a secret location somewhere in London, the event will offer fans the ability to play Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 ahead of everyone else.

Xbox Partner Preview presentation, Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth showed off a new Animal Crossing-inspired island where the player manages a thriving resort.Accessed by riding a dolphin to its shores, Dondoko Island is a much more slower paced addition to the anticipated action game. Developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio said “sometimes even the yakuza need a breather” in its trailer, revealing a “cosy DIY lifestyle” for hero Ichiban Kasuga.

The Finals has announced another beta for the upcoming free-to-play shooter and players will be able to earn in-game extras and keep them for launch.Held from October 26 to November 5, this will be available for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S players and it will an open beta allowing for cross-platform play.Two maps from the closed beta will return, Monaco and Seoul, and a new map titled Skyway Stadium will be introduced.Players can get to grips with The Finals mechanics and movements in the practice range before entering one of the four game modes.Cashout involves teams of three players who will compete to find cashboxes, secure them and then deposit them in vaults.

Final Fantasy 14 adds harder achievements is dependent on the response of one of its most dedicated fans, who has already bagged all 2,700 achievements.Speaking at this year’s Final Fantasy Fan Fest in London, producer and director Naoki Yoshida expressed his admiration and appreciation for the anonymous player.“First and foremost, I want to just say, wow, big congratulations,” he said (thanks to Rock Paper Shotgun). “To see that player just stick with it – just pressing on – as a creator of an MMO [massively multiplayer online game], that’s a really fantastic thing to see.”There are 2,751 achievements in the game, ranging from talking to characters, to diving into dungeons alone, to cyclical side quests, to specific numbers of wins in the player-versus-player modes.However, if that player is looking for further challenges to test their skills in Final Fantasy 14, Yoshida welcomed their input into potential new achievements that could come to the game.“Of course, we will continue to make achievements in the game,” he answered.

Roblox as a way of showing support for Palestine in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.Kotaku spotted a post on X (fka Twitter) describing a pro-Palestinian protest on Roblox: “y’all my cousin is 15 and couldn’t join a protest so she just went to one on [Roblox] bro i’m crying”.They added that their cousin wasn’t able to drive herself to a protest in real life due to her age and that there was no one else available to take her there, so she settled for a virtual show of support instead.The kids are ok https://t.co/VBifgRJL7W pic.twitter.com/HzYQGv0uSP—

Frasier Fantasy is a parody of both Frasier and Final Fantasy, tasking the player with throwing the ultimate dinner party, and it’s free to play.Developer and composer Edward La Barbera credited the game’s concept to Lost In Cult illustrator Stephen Maurice Graham, who mocked up a “single boxed copy of Frasier Fantasy“ back in 2020. Check out the trailer below:“Frasier Fantasy is a loving tribute to the show, Frasier, in turn-based RPG form.

Dota 2 and Scotch whisky brand Ballantine’s have collaborated in celebration of the game’s 10th anniversary and unveiled two limited-edition Ballantine’s Finest x Dota 2 bottles.As well as this, an exclusive short film featuring the characters Brewmaster, Juggernaut, Lina, Marci and Monkey King on a quest to secure a dram of Ballantine’s has been revealed. Check it out below:Fans outside of Asia will be losing out, however, as the whisky bottles are exclusive to China.“Ballantine’s has a storied history of collaborating with the unexpected, especially partners who have stayed true to their original vision,” said Mathieu Deslandes, global marketing director of Ballantine’s at Chivas Brothers, in a press release.“Dota 2 is a globally iconic game, with a particularly big influence within China’s gaming community, so it was a no-brainer for us to work together during this historic year for the game.”Earlier this month, Ballantine’s collaborated with AC/DC to create a limited edition whisky as “a tribute to the world’s Finest music artists” in its ‘True Music Icons Collection’.It also crossed over with Borderlands 3 after appointing Mad Moxxi as its chief galactic expansion officer (or CGEO) of the brand.

Baldur’s Gate 3 player has customised their character to look like Taylor Swift, however, they’ve selected an extremely bloody origin story for the bard.In the role-playing game, players have the option to create their own character or embody one of the eight origin stories – Astarion, Gale, Lae’zel, Wyll, Karlach, Shadowheart and the Dark Urge.That last one causes the character to battle with an internal impulse to kill others, which the player can choose to try to overcome.Based on the screenshots that Reddit user mokomokojojo1 of their Taylor Swift, it seems that they were not totally successful in that task.

Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 PC requirements are incredibly important to check before Sledgehammer Games‘ upcoming shooter launches.

Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader has shown off its conviction system that will track players’ responses to crises and determine the game’s ending.Developer Owlcat Games explained the three convictions that will be scored based on player actions – Benevolentia, Hereticus and Imperialis. Check it out below:The Benevolentia conviction rises with benevolent actions, such as saving the population of a dying planet.

Phasmophobia for consoles for the second time as a result of “unforeseen challenges”.Posting to the game’s Steam page, Kinect Games shared how the fire from the summer has changed the way that the team work together on Phasmophobia.“As we still try to adapt to our new remote working life after the fire incident and to establish a new office, we’ve encountered unforeseen challenges in adapting the game for consoles,” it said, ascribing these “combined factors” to the extended development time for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.Additionally, the entirety of the Maple Lodge Campsite map has been reworked in the interest of optimisation for the PlayStation VR2.It now has a “new reception building, more hiding spots, new decorative assets and better performance across the board”, with the developer offering a brief look at the revised layout in screenshots.Last but not least, Phasmophobia‘s Halloween event – scheduled for on or around October 26 – will task players with the crafting of a potion in Maple Lodge Campsite’s new cauldron. Recipe cards will be scattered in the rest of the maps with instructions on how to brew the potion.“While we had hoped to present you with a special launch alongside the Halloween event, the complexity of our current challenges means we need more time,” continued Kinect Games.“We will keep you updated on our progress and provide a revised release date as soon as we have more information to share.

Pillars Of Eternity and Pillars Of Eternity 2: Deadfire, has said he would develop a third game if it was on a Baldur’s Gate 3 budget.Sawyer talked to Touch Arcade about the anniversary of Pentiment, Obsidian Entertainment‘s medieval murder mystery game, and how the developer’s technology and goals for its games have evolved over the years.Presently, the team is split between the development of Avowed and The Outer Worlds 2, however, there is still a lot of love for Obsidian Entertainment’s older games and a resurgence of enthusiasm in classic role-playing games after the success of Baldur’s Gate 3.When asked whether Sawyer would want to work on Pentiment 2, Pillars Of Eternity 3 or Fallout New Vegas 2 if there were no time or budget restrictions and he was able to recruit anyone he liked, he answered Pillars Of Eternity 3.“I think if it truly was an unlimited budget, I think I would try Pillars 3 because I know what the budget was for Deadfire, which was not a whole lot,” he said.“I have heard from multiple people what the budget was for Baldur’s Gate 3, and I’m not gonna talk about numbers, but if I got that budget, sure, I’ll make Pillars 3.”He added that while he’s pleased with the way that the previous two Pillars entries turned out, it would be “a lot of fun” to make the next Pillars Of Eternity game with no limits.Regarding the hypothetical third game’s combat structure, Sawyer would follow what the fans wanted, but he shared his bias towards turn-based combat.“I just think it’s easier to design more intricate combats. I like games with a lot of stats, obviously,” he elaborated.

Warhammer Age Of Sigmar: Realms Of Ruin has shown off its fourth and final faction ahead of its launch in November: the Disciples of Tzeentch.“Favouring intellect over brute strength, Tzeentch’s minions are gifted with arcane powers and eldritch mutations,” explained Frontier Developments in the announcement on Steam. Check out the video deep dive from the developer below:Though these units are not particularly physically strong, these characters are chaotic, wielding “raw magic, insidious cunning and the worst kind of change”.As spellcasters, the Disciples of Tzeentch are specialised in magical attacks and debuffs.

Diablo 4 is sitting at a “mixed” rating from player reviews on Steam following its launch on October 17.Blizzard Entertainment previously announced the game would arrive on Steam at the same time as the Season Of Blood, the second season for the game since its release in June.Season Of Blood added a new narrative chapter through the onslaught of a vampiric invasion of Sanctuary, and it is also the vehicle with which the developer will optimise Diablo 4 in a “five-point strategy”.Yet, it appeared that Steam players were not that impressed with the improved Diablo 4. Of the almost 500 player reviews that have been submitted, over half of them are negative, leading to an overall “mixed” rating for the game.Issues in the end game experience were a common theme in these reviews, as well as criticism of microtransactions and the offerings in the game’s battle pass.Others used their reviews as an opportunity to petition for a Diablo 2 Resurrected release on Steam as it is exclusive to Battle.net for PC players.In documents from the lawsuit between Microsoft and the Federal Trade Commission, it was concluded exclusivity to Battle.net actually acts as a detriment to the number of monthly active users in the game.Positive Steam reviews of Diablo 4 conceded that the game is entertaining but there are a number of missteps like the complexity of the game.“If you want a new ‘turn your brain off and blow up demons’ game, it’s already in a really good state for that.

Gwent: The Witcher Card Game will place the future of the game in the players’ hands as CD Projekt Red steps away from rolling out changes following update 11.10.“This is the last handmade developer-prepared content update for Gwent,” said designer Moleigon of update 11.10 in a video posted to the game’s official YouTube channel. Check it out below:“So after this we won’t be preparing changes to cards any more.

Paradox Interactive has revealed that Cities: Skylines 2 will not use Steam Workshop to support its mods.Instead, Paradox Mods will be the one-stop shop for creative side of Cities: Skylines 2. This will create a cohesive experience for both PC and console players, without those playing on the latter feeling left out by the features available on the former.“One of the core reasons for this is its inclusivity; modding capabilities will be extended to players across platforms – both PC and console – aligning with our commitment to provide as many as possible with the opportunity to modify and enjoy the game,” explained the publisher in a post to its forums.The route to the total integration of Asset Mods across all three versions of Cities: Skylines 2 might lead to teething issues with players, acknowledged the publisher.“As with all major updates, we are fully aware of the learning curve it might present, but we’re committed to providing resources to ensure a smooth transition to Paradox Mods,” it affirmed.Moreover, the in-game editor will be “basic” at launch, but will continue to “expand and enhance” to allow players to let their imagination run rampant with their cities.Cities: Skylines 2 launches for PC and PC Game Pass on October 24, however, the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S versions were delayed to spring 2024.“We have come to realise that we need more time to reach the quality targets we have set,” said Colossal Order and Paradox Interactive back in September.

Don’t Scream has landed.In the game the player’s goal is do precisely what its title states, because if you do scream when scared, the game ends.Inspired by ’90s found footage film horrors including The Blair Witch Project, Don’t Scream challenges the player to explore the fictional Pineview Forest for 18 minutes. However, time only passes when the player moves and through “dozens of dynamic scares” (no two playthroughs will be the same).Check out the trailer for the upcoming game below.What sets Don’t Scream apart from other found-footage horror games is that the player’s microphone must be calibrated to register any sounds that the player makes in real life.“A mere squeak or quiet gasp should be flagged as a scream,” said developer Joure & Joe, but the team of two developers clarified that speaking softly should not trigger the game to end, making it possible for streamers to play with their audience.Developed in Unreal Engine 5, Don’t Scream is expected to enter early access on Steam on October 27.

Post Malone will be collaborating with Apex Legends for “two weeks of beautiful mayhem” in an upcoming crossover event.In the announcement to X, Post Malone was shown in a video to be prone on the floor and then calling out, “Can someone res me? Yo!” in an echoey room. Check it out below:Get ready for two weeks of beautiful mayhem #ApexLegends pic.twitter.com/q4OEzyvmUQ— Post Malone (@PostMalone) October 16, 2023That was the extent of the information about what this event might be about, though it was confirmed to start on November 7 and assumedly end on November 21.Also, the end of the video showed what seemed to be a new Octane skin, though it’s not known whether or not this will be a free addition or unlocked through challenges in the crossover event.Apex Legends has crossed over with a number of other games, films and TV shows, such as Star Wars, Mass Effect, Power Rangers and more.

Alan Wake 2, has shared that the sequel will receive a “significant” amount of downloadable content (DLC) and that it will be free to all players.Speaking at EGX in London over the weekend, Lake revealed that fans will learn more about what’s in store after Alan Wake 2 has been launched. Check it out below:Sam Lake confirms there is FREE DLC coming to Alan Wake 2 post-launch as well as the paid DLC projects! @EGX @SamLakeRMD #alanwake2 #EGX2023 #HorrorCommunity pic.twitter.com/cH27jO9T7G— John (@TheVoidRetro) October 13, 2023“We do have free DLCs drops coming, and they too are pretty significant,” he said.

Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name will not feature an English dub when it launches on November 9 – this will instead arrive in a post-launch patch.Voice actor Yong Yea, who plays protagonist Kazuma Kiryu in the game, pointed out the fine print on publisher Sega’s official website for Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name in a post to X.Since Like A Dragon: Gaiden is a few weeks away and many may not know about this, thought I should let you know the English dub will not be available on the 11/8 launch date and will release as a post-launch patch (no official date yet).

Counter-Strike 2 players are no longer able to pull off a “Michael Jackson peek” thanks to a game update, but they’ve replaced that with a “Shakira booty dance”.Earlier this week, Counter-Strike 2 players were using a custom control to lean their character’s body out of the way of bullets, and the result looked somewhat similar to Michael Jackson‘s lean in ‘Smooth Criminal’.While it was entertaining, Valve removed the “foot pinning bug” that let players perform the trick in the most recent patch.The update also solved the spaces where players could clip through ceilings in some maps, adjusted Inferno, Mirage, Nuke, Overpass, and Vertigo, improved player visibility and added a few Steam Workshop tools.Yet, it did not take the Counter-Strike 2 community long to find another musical artist to emulate in their matches (via Dot Esports). Repeatedly pressing “A” and “D” on the keyboard causes the player character to sway back and forth.

Hexworks has shared that the PC and PS5 versions of Lords Of The Fallen will launch “as intended” while the Xbox version may not be totally ready.In a post to X (fka Twitter) on October 12, the developer expressed its gratitude for the content creators who have been playing Lords Of The Fallen to identify technical issues ahead of the sequel’s arrival.“We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the content creators who have worked with us to enable the rapid deployment of patches, updates, and performance improvements ahead of tomorrow’s exciting launch of Lords Of The Fallen,” it said.“As such, PC and PlayStation 5 players will be able to enjoy the game as intended.

Starfield modder has made a mod that replaces all of the sci-fi game’s ships with Thomas The Tank Engine.Modder Trainwiz shared that they have a number of Starfield mods in the works and that “some might be serious”. This one, in contrast, causes issues with building ships, flying ships in the third person perspective and any texture related mods that the player might be running.“For his crimes against God and his invention of murder, Thomas was smote, thusly,” read the description for the mod, titled “Really Useful Starfield”, on Nexus Mods.https://t.co/4JIM24WZB0I have replaced all ships in #Starfield with Thomas the Tank Engine.

Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 developers from Sledgehammer Games have spoken to NME about the game’s longer time-to-kill mechanics, along with planned changes to visibility and weapon balance.Last week (October 6), the first beta for Modern Warfare 3 kicked off on PlayStation. As fans got their hands on the upcoming shooter, a few of its features stuck out – one of which was the game’s unusually long time-to-kill (TTK), a measurement that determines how long it takes one player to kill another.While this varies between Call Of Duty games, Modern Warfare 3 has one of the series’ longest to date.

One More Level and publisher 505 Games have revealed ‘Aerial Assault’ from Daniel Deluxe, which will be included in Ghostrunner 2‘s soundtrack.Deluxe will return to feature on the anticipated cyberpunk action game’s soundtrack, as well as Arek Reikowski, Dan Terminus, Gost and We Are Magonia. Check it out below:Ghostrunner 2 will include “incredible boss fights, a deeper exploration of the world beyond Dharma Tower, worthwhile combat improvements, nonlinear levels with complex motorbike sections, exciting new modes, and all the action you loved about Ghostrunner“, said 505 Games.Set one year after the events of Ghostrunner, the last of the survivors are under threat from exiled Ghostrunners who would see humanity eradicated in a new world order.The Interface Council is the only ally left and the player will assist these characters in the restoration of hope for humanity in a desperately deprived cyberpunk city.Ghostrunner 2 will be released for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S on October 26.There are three editions on sale – Standard, Deluxe and Brutal.

Counter Strike 2 players have discovered a trick that lets them seemingly dodge bullets, and in practice it looks a little like Michael Jackson‘s lean in ‘Smooth Criminal’.Reported by Rock Paper Shotgun, the “Michael Jackson Peek” in Counter-Strike 2 is achieved by running in the game while inputting a custom key bind. It’s as easy as pasting this code into the game’s autoexec file in the player’s Steam folder on their PC.When active, the player’s character leans in a similar way to the lean seen in Michael Jackson’s music video for ‘Smooth Criminal’ in 1988.

Valve has been in contact with several game developers who were hit by hackers who used a vulnerability to hide malware in their games on Steam.The hackers’ intention was to play the malware off as an update to the installed game on players’ PCs, then infecting them when the “new build” was downloaded.Fortunately, less than 100 players had these compromised games installed on their systems and they were also contacted by Valve to notify them of the security breach.Wondering why Steam devs will have to confirm via SMS before publishing new game versions or adding users? (https://t.co/EIyLHyA02N….) Looks like it's related to hackers taking over Steam dev accounts & adding malware to game builds. (Screenshot via @SteamDB from Sept.

Blizzard Entertainment has shared how it will overhaul Diablo 4 through game changes in Season Of Blood to ensure that fan feedback has been heard.While Diablo 4 was off to a strong start in June, patch 1.1.0 led to significant decreases in player damage output and capabilities in what was already a challenging game to play.The responses from fans were so disastrous that Diablo 4 developers held an emergency Campfire Chat – a livestreamed event where the team run through the latest changes to the game – in July in order to apologise.Though the sentiment towards Diablo 4 from its fans has been gradually getting warmer and warmer, Blizzard Entertainment wanted them to know that the feedback has been actually acted upon in the upcoming Season Of Blood. Season Of Blood, which kicks off on October 17, will involve a “five point strategy” that “[focuses] on addressing player feedback and making systemic improvements”, as said in the most recent Campfire Chat.The five points are “update elemental resistances”, “make uniques more exciting and impactful”, “class improvements to address commonly talked about issues”, “update damage buckets” and ensuring that all of these changes feel like bonuses to players.Community lead Adam Fletcher and designers Adam Jackson and Charles Dunn talked through these points, starting with the fact that resistances will now be additive up to a 70 per cent limit in Season Of Blood. Furthermore, uniques have been subject to a “giant pass” that has altered almost every unique in Diablo 4 with new statistics and larger ranges, for example.The full list of changes in patch 1.2.0 are available on Blizzard Entertainment’s website.In other gaming news, Rocket League players were dismayed to discover that