Assassin's Creed Shadows is seemingly not out of hot water with gamers just yet, although this time, the flak seems to have been mostly unwarranted. Earlier this week, rumors popped up on Reddit claiming to reveal the Assassin's Creed Shadows Animus Hub, which was supposedly the upcoming RPG's dedicated launcher, and a host of in-game season passes and rewards. The leak purports to detail the first free battle pass, which is referred to as "Eye in the Dark" and will consist of 20 reward tiers. Completing the battle pass allegedly rewards 9,050 Isu coins, which can be used to purchase various cosmetics in the form of character, weapon, and mount customization options. Somewhat comically, there appear to be in-game collaborations with the likes of VISA, Red Bull, Intel, BAPE Clothing and Sprecher, although how these will play out in the game is a mystery. This news made quite a stir when it was first announced, since Ubisoft was very clear when it confirmed the game's delay last month that there would be no season passes in Assassin's Creed Shadows.

As it turns out, though, the rumors were kicking up enough speculation about the return of paid subscriptions, battle passes, and season passes that Ubisoft took to its official Discord server to address the rumors directly. Although Ubisoft confirmed that the Animus Hub is a piece of software it has been working on, all the content and rewards offered in the Animus Hub will be free content. Ubisoft was, however, careful with its words, not denying the existence of season passes and battle passes, instead only commenting that those passes will not be paid. Additionally, Ubisoft confirmed that there will be additional in-game content available for free in the Animus Hub.

Denuvo has taken its fair share of flak over the years for a variety of warranted and unwarranted reasons, but it looks like the company has finally decided to put its foot down, or at least try to. Recently, Denuvo started a Discord server, seemingly in an effort to address the gaming community's complaints about a variety of topics. These include alleged performance impacts and hardware degradation caused by its anti-piracy and DRM software commonly used in modern games. Needless to say the Denuvo Discord server was met with about as much enthusiasm as one might expect, and the Discord sever was shut down just two days after it opened. Although the server has since been resuscitated, the company has muted unapproved community members. Today, however, Rock Paper Shotgun published an interview with Denuvo's product manager, Andreas Ullmann, and in it, Ullmann goes on to defend Denuvo's existence and outright dismiss gamers' concerns about the anti-cheat and anti-piracy software.

Addressing a question about "toxicity" and oft-genuine concerns from gamers over the use of Denuvo anti-tamper and anti-cheat software, Ullmann seemingly implied that gamers are just upset because the software works, robbing gamers of the ability to simply play a game for free instead of paying full retail price. When asked directly about why Denuvo doesn't address the claims of performance hits to games that implement it, Ullmann placed the onus on game developers to perform those comparative tests, again calling the gaming and piracy community toxic in the response. He dismissed the idea of Denuvo or a third party performing comparative analysis of the impact of anti-tamper and anti-cheat software, citing intellectual property concerns and community mistrust for a lack of first-party testing. At the same time, Ullmann admits that Denuvo has had performance impacts on games in the past but remarks that it's "interesting" that there aren't more incidents of reduced gaming performance. These comments were also made in spite of Denuvo's own marketing materials claiming that the software has "No impact on in-game performance."

Assassin's Creed Shadows has had a bit of a rough time of late, with Ubisoft initially pulling out of the Tokyo Game Show entirely and delaying the launch of Shadows to February 2025, attributing its absence at the show to the buggy, incomplete nature of the 2025 entry into the Assassin's franchise. In the announcement confirming the launch delay and the Tokyo Game Show Absence, Ubisoft also communicated that it would be shaking up the Assassin's Creed launch and monetization strategy significantly. Apparently as part of that monetization switch-up, Ubisoft has also changed the price of the Assassin's Creed Shadows Collector's Edition, cutting it by a whopping $50.

Ubisoft confirmed the price change on Discord in an official Q&A, announcing that, due to dropping the three-day early access that Collector's Edition buyers would originally have received, the Collector's Edition would now cost $229.99 instead of the previous price of $279.99. Meanwhile, the Collector's Edition will still include all the other paraphernalia and real-world loot that it originally bundled. The aforementioned delay and changes to the monetization strategy not only saw the cancellation of the Season Pass model previously used by Ubisoft, but it also meant that all Assassin's Creed Shadows players would also get the game's first expansion for free along with the base game.

Unknown Worlds has finally announced the next sequel to its popular indie survival game franchise, Subnautica, and released a teaser trailer alongside the reveal. While details are still scant, the first trailer divulges some key information about the upcoming game. For starters, and likely the biggest divergence from Subnautica and the Subnautica: Below Zero expansion, is the addition of multiplayer gameplay, supporting teams of up to four players. For now, it looks like gameplay will either be single-player or online co-op, although it's unclear whether teams will be able to mix the two, popping into four-player sessions alone or with one or two players sitting it out.

Just judging from the trailer and Steam Store page, it looks like Subnautica 2 will take many of the same game mechanics—crafting, resource management, and an open-world sandbox—as the other games in the franchise, and build on them, instead of trying to rewrite the story. Likewise, it looks to be leaning into the Lovecraftian horror themes earlier on in the game. There also seems to be a new upgrade mechanic that will allow players to augment the biology of their characters, which should add an extra layer of depth to the game. Unknown Worlds has not yet published the full retail price for Subnautica 2 or pinned an exact release date, but it will release as an Early Access game sometime in 2025. Fans of the genre and franchise can wishlist and follow the game on Steam, Epic Games, or Xbox or join the Discord community.

Nintendo is living up to its litigious reputation this week, with news reports emerging of the gaming giant issuing a massive wave of copyright strikes on any YouTube videos containing footage of emulation. In addition to this, it seems like Nintendo may have had some harsh words for the lead developer of a popular open-source Switch emulator.

As of an announcement today, the open-source Switch emulator, Ryujinx, is no longer available for download from its GitHub repository. One of the more active developers for the project confirmed via a message in the official Discord that the lead developer, who goes by gdkchan, was contacted by Nintendo with an "offer," although given the outcome of the interaction, it was likely less an offer and more a threat. Shortly before that, Retro Game Corps, a popular content creator in the Nintendo emulation community, posted on X that his YouTube channel had received multiple copyright strikes, requiring that he move away from showing game emulation on-screen.

Lossless Scaling, an all-in-one paid gaming utility for scaling and frame generation, is set to introduce an outstanding 4x FPS mode to its Lossless Scaling Frame Generation (LSFG) technology. Officially announced in the Lossless Scaling Discord and showcased by the YouTube user Vyathaen, the upcoming 4x FPS mode is expected to arrive in the upscaler's frame generation option within this week. While YouTube videos may not fully capture the experience and benefit of this improvement, beta testers have reported that the latency remains consistent with the current 2x FPS option, ensuring that most games will remain perfectly playable given a sufficiently high base framerate. For those seeking a more comprehensive demonstration, the Lossless Scaling official Discord server features a Cyberpunk 2077 video that better illustrates the capabilities of the 4x FPS mode.

The journey of Lossless Scaling has been marked by continuous innovation since its initial release. Version 2.1, launched in June, introduced a 3x FPS mode, effectively tripling framerates. Additionally, it brought performance optimizations that enhanced the speed of the 2x FPS mode compared to previous iterations. The update also included refinements for scenarios where the final frame rate surpasses the monitor's refresh rate. The software is universally compatible with all GPUs and PC games, including emulated titles, requiring only windowed mode and Windows 10 1903 or newer. While the LSFG frame generation technology and LS1 upscaler are proprietary, for upscaling, users can choose one of the many underlying options depending on their GPU like AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution, NVIDIA Image Scaling, Integer Scaling, Nearest Neighbor, xBR, Anime4K, Sharp Bilinear, Bicubic CAS. Below, you can check out the YouTube video with 4x frame generation example.

Elgato, a brand of CORSAIR, today announced the launch of two new capture cards, 4K X and 4K Pro. Equipped with the latest chipsets and outstanding specifications, these capture cards enable creators to give their audiences the best viewing experiences on all platforms—without compromising their top-tier gaming experience on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, high-end gaming PCs, or handheld consoles like Nintendo Switch. 4K X, a USB card, features up to 4K144 passthrough and capture. 4K Pro, a PCIe card, boasts up to 8K60 HDR10 passthrough and 4K60 HDR10 capture. Setting yet another benchmark in streaming technology, Elgato is again putting gamers at the cutting edge of content creation.

"Over 10 years ago, we revolutionized the process of capturing and sharing high-quality gameplay content for creators worldwide," said Julian Fest, SVP and GM of Elgato. "Today, we're excited to continue removing barriers for creators with the launch of 4K X and 4K Pro. Combining HDMI 2.1 connectivity, vivid HDR10, and flexible VRR passthrough up to 8K60 for the first time in a game capture card, these products will take user-generated content to greater heights."

NVIDIA has released the latest version of its GeForce graphics drivers, the GeForce 546.34 WHQL Game Ready drivers. The GeForce 546.34 WHQL Game Ready drivers bring the same game optimizations and fixes that were previously introduced with GeForce 546.33 WHQL drivers release, which include optimizations and support for DLSS 3 in THE FINALS and Squad games, as well as support for DLSS Super Resolution in Fortnite Chapter 5. The only new thing with this release is the support for the newly announced NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090D graphics card released in China.

The list of fixes include muted colors when streaming gameplay with Discord and multiplication of the NVIDIA system tray icon whenever user is switched in Windows.

DOWNLOAD: NVIDIA GeForce 546.33 WHQL Game Ready Drivers

Update: The GeForce 546.34 WHQL Game Ready drivers only support the new GeForce RTX 4090D graphics card. For other graphics cards, you can download the GeForce 546.33 WHQL Game Ready drivers.

Elgato, a subsidiary of CORSAIR, is thrilled to announce a new line of custom hardware for content creators. Made in collaboration with Bethesda Game Studios, the line celebrates some of gaming's most beloved franchises. For its first release, fans can collect limited-edition gear inspired by Starfield, Bethesda Game Studios' first new universe in over 25 years. And there are more drops to come, spanning the publisher's award-winning lineup of IPs from The Elder Scrolls to Fallout.

Officially licensed by Bethesda Game Studios, the Starfield Wave:3 microphone and Stream Deck make ideal companions for any explorer. Sporting an iconic design, Wave:3 ensures creators always sound loud and clear, whether they're directing squad fire or chatting with their crew. Meanwhile, Stream Deck empowers them to control any workflow, from piloting their starship to managing a livestream. And with a bonus digital kit, gamers can download free icons to personalize their Stream Deck in Starfield style—no matter which device or model they have at home.

Earlier this month Discord announced that they would be rolling out a new username system that removes the 4-digit discriminator at the end of the current usernames. This change enforces that each user name is unique, and no copies of a specific spelling can exist on the platform. Discord claims this change is being made in part because they've noticed that almost half of all friend requests on the platform fail to reach the intended accounts. The problems with this change are probably immediately evident to most of you, as the platform has over 200 million active accounts, and the statistical probability of multiple people wanting to claim the same name is astronomical.

Rusty Lake, an indie game studio based in Amsterdam and creators of Cube Escape and The Path Within games, experienced the primary issue with the new system first hand: username theft. While Discord gave the company an advanced reservation to pick their username, Rusty Lake found that another user had already claimed their name. On Twitter Rusty Lake posted about the issue and issued a warning to other indie developers using Discord for their communities,

We just received an email that we, as Verified Owners, could finally submit a new username and wow... 'rustylake' is already taken! If we as a server owner with 240K+ members can't even claim it… [...] Now we have a risk of impersonation + extra legal costs to file a possible trademark infringement. In any case
[Discord] was helpful enough to respond with an automatic response email to this issue and the follow up is directing us to another helpdesk.

Unrecord is a single-player FPS that tells the story of a tactical police officer from the perspective of his body camera. As you work to solve a complex case, you'll need to use your tactical and detective skills to succeed. Unrecord is a tactical shooter where players can expect an immersive and narrative experience. Unrecord features complex dialogues, innovative gameplay mechanics, tough moral dilemmas, and a unique shooting system. The storyline in Unrecord can be compared to a detective novel or a thriller. The player will have to investigate several criminal cases and confront a diverse cast of characters. The game's plot and presentation will be central to the gameplay experience, and players can anticipate a range of gameplay sequences as well as numerous plot twists. Wishlist Unrecord now to stay up to date on the latest news and updates! Read on for a post-reveal and response to questions and concerns from players. Yes, it's a game.

1. Scam or Real Gameplay Footage?
There have been many doubts raised about the authenticity of the gameplay. The game is developed on Unreal Engine 5, and the game footage is captured from an executable and played using a keyboard and mouse. It is not a VR game. In reality, it seems rather flattering to compare the graphics of Unrecord to reality, but fortunately, we know that a game first focuses on gameplay and universe on which we primarily concentrate. Considering the high production costs of a video game and our global reputation at stake, if Unrecord were a scam, it would be a blockbuster scam. Therefore, it is logically not one. We do not use any real videos or external rendering to Unreal Engine for the creation of Unrecord. Unrecord is (un)real.

QuakeCon 2023 Returns to its Roots, Reuniting Fans with a Modern Upgrade to the Classic BYOC - It's official! After three years of digital-only events, QuakeCon 2023 will mark the return of the beloved BYOC, in-person at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas from Thursday, August 10 through Sunday, August 13.

"QuakeCon is our favorite event of the year, and we can't wait to finally see our incredible QuakeCon community in-person again, celebrate games, and frag all weekend with thousands of friends." said Marty Stratton, Studio Head, id Software. "For our first year back, QuakeCon 2023 is focusing on the fan favorite BYOC and the players that made QuakeCon the best gaming gathering for more than 25 years."

Whether it's generating a shiny new avatar or putting into words something you couldn't quite figure out on your own, new experiences using generative artificial intelligence are popping up every day. However, "tons of people use AI on Discord" might not be news to you: more than 30 million people already use AI apps on Discord every month. Midjourney's server is the biggest on Discord, with more than 13 million members bringing their imaginations to pixels. Overall, our users have created more than 1 billion unique images through AI apps on Discord. And this is just the start.
Almost 3 million Discord servers include an AI experience, ranging from generating gaming assets to groups writing novels with AI, to AI companions, AI companies and AI-based learning communities. More than 10 percent of new Discord users are joining specifically to access AI interest based communities on our platform.

The Windows app of Discord, the popular social-networking software, apparently trims the graphics card memory clock of NVIDIA GPUs by an innocuous 200 MHz, or so observe gamers. NVIDIA GeForce GPUs dynamically adjust memory clock speeds in response to load, as part of their power-management. Ideally, with gaming workloads, the GPU is supposed to hit its maximum rated memory frequency, but some keen-eyed gamers with monitoring tools noticed that with the Discord app running in the background, the memory clock tops out at T-minus 200 MHz (i.e. if it was supposed to be 7000 MHz, it tops out at 6800 MHz). Even under the infernal stress of Furmark, something that's designed to push memory clocks to the maximum rated speeds until the graphics card runs into thermal limits; the memory clock is seen falling 200 MHz short.

NVIDIA took note of this issue, and assured that a fix is on the way in a future GeForce driver update. In the meantime, it posted a DIY workaround to the problem that involves downloading the GeForce 3D Profile Manager utility, making the utility "export SLI profiles" (applicable even to single-GPU machines), editing the exported SLI profiles file as a plaintext document, and importing the profile back. This basically alters the way the driver behaves with the Discord app running. The NVIDIA 3D Profile Manager utility can be downloaded from here, and step-by-step instructions on using it to fix this issue, here.Update Feb 6th: NVIDIA released a GeForce driver application profile that automatically downloads to your driver, which should fix this issue. You don't need GeForce Experience to receive the update.

Get ready to connect with your Discord friends and communities on Xbox! Discord Voice chat is coming to your Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One consoles. You will be able to chat with anyone on Discord via voice channels or group calls directly from your console making it easy to connect with friends across mobile, Xbox, and PC. The update will start rolling out to Xbox Insiders today and will be available soon for everyone.

Today's update enables a highly requested feature - Discord Voice on Xbox consoles allows you to talk with your friends and community while you play your favorite games. Planning a few rounds of multiplayer action in Halo Infinite with buddies on both console and PC? Exploring new biomes with your friends in Minecraft? See them already playing a game that supports cross-play? Connect to their voice channel and chat as you all play.

NZXT, a leader in PC gaming hardware and services, today announces its first step into streaming with two external capture cards-the Signal 4K30 and HD60, as well as a coinciding chat cable. The NZXT Signal capture cards help creators to get into streaming without a large investment. Simply plug it into a USB gen 3.2 port and any HDMI device such as a game console, camera, or computer, and you are ready to stream with any video-capturing software such as OBS. Both the Signal 4K40 and HD60 capture cards have all the features you need in order to have great streaming and capturing experience, and full NZXT CAM validation of each capture card's settings.

-Leading gaming accessory maker Turtle Beach Corporation today revealed the Company's all-new Turtle Beach Recon Air Wireless Chat Communicator headset is now available at participating retailers worldwide. The Recon Air is designed for gamers who have a killer home entertainment system for game audio and need a headset to hear and talk to other players, and it's perfect for anybody who wants a sleek Bluetooth wireless chat headset that can be used for audio and video conferencing and a variety of daily needs. Turtle Beach's Recon Air delivers high-quality inbound and outbound chat with friends and teammates and is a great tool for congratulating the other team on their epic loss. The Recon Air's microphone is tuned for gaming to pick up voice chat loud and clear and is also noise-cancelling to minimize background distractions. A rechargeable 10-hour battery powers the headset throughout the day, while a reversible ear hook and swappable ear tips ensure comfort. The Designed for Xbox Recon Air delivers crystal-clear chat on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One, and there's also a version for PS5 and PS4. Both models are also compatible with Windows PCs, Mac, and Bluetooth-enabled iOS and Android mobile devices. Recon Air is available at www.turtlebeach.com and participating retailers worldwide for a $39.99 MSRP.

"The Recon Air is an affordable chat headset designed for gaming, as well as for staying connected with friends, family, and co-workers and making sure your voice sounds great while you talk," said Juergen Stark, Chairman and CEO, Turtle Beach Corporation. "It's now my go-to headset for meetings on Teams and Zoom when I travel."

Leading gaming accessories provider Turtle Beach Corporation (NASDAQ: HEAR) today announced the Designed for Xbox Stealth 700 Gen 2 MAX as an all-new entry to the best-selling brand's Stealth 700 series of premium wireless gaming headsets. By simply flipping a switch, the Stealth 700 Gen 2 MAX offers players the ability to connect lag-free via wireless USB or Bluetooth to more gaming systems, including Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One, PS5 and PS4, plus Nintendo Switch, Windows PCs and Mac, and compatible iOS and Android mobile devices. Stealth 700 Gen 2 MAX also increases battery life to 40+ hours, with 15-minutes of charge delivering over eight hours of playtime.

The Stealth 700 Gen 2 MAX continues delivering the superior high-quality audio with powerful 3D spatial surround sound and ultimate comfort that have made it the best-selling and highly acclaimed premium wireless gaming headset. IGN recently included the Stealth 700 Gen 2 in its latest Best Gaming Headsets 2022 story, naming it the Best Xbox Series X|S Gaming Headset. The Stealth 700 Gen 2's premium features like large and powerful 50 mm Nanoclear drivers, Aerofit cooling gel-infused memory foam ear cushions, ProSpecs glasses-friendly comfort, Superhuman Hearing, a metal-reinforced headband, as well as Bluetooth for talking on Discord, taking calls, listening to music, and connecting to the mobile companion app - all make a return with the Stealth 700 Gen 2 MAX. The Designed for Xbox Stealth 700 Gen 2 MAX is available for pre-order today from www.turtlebeach.com and at participating retailers worldwide. Available in Black or Cobalt Blue, Stealth 700 Gen 2 MAX for Xbox launches globally on May 8, 2022 for a $199.99 MSRP.

HyperX, the gaming peripherals team at HP Inc. and brand leader in gaming and esports, today announced the release of the Cloud Core Wireless gaming headset. The latest addition to HyperX's extensive headset lineup, Cloud Core Wireless features DTS Headphone:X spatial audio and offers signature HyperX comfort and durability engineered to elevate gaming sessions.

Designed for immersive in-game audio experiences, Cloud Core Wireless is equipped with DTS Headphone:X spatial audio and 53 mm drivers to deliver clear and accurate positional sound for gaming. This new gaming-grade wireless headset broadcasts at 2.4 GHz and offers up to 20 hours of battery life and 20 meters of wireless range.

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced an all-new gaming peripherals lineup that channels the minimalist feel of monochrome through a striking Moonlight White color scheme. The ROG Strix Scope NX TKL 80%, tenkeyless mechanical RGB gaming keyboard, ROG Strix Impact II ambidextrous gaming mouse, ROG Strix Go Core gaming headset and ROG Cetra II Core in-ear gaming headphones are all now available in North America in this stunning colorway.

ROG has a long history of weaving Aura Sync into a huge ecosystem of devices to let gamers shine a light on their personalities through their gear - but many players also seek a minimalist look. That's why the ROG color palette is expanding to include the Moonlight White series, providing a commanding counterpart to the signature red-and-black color scheme.

EKSA, the leader of the best performing headsets for gaming, is pleased to announce the launch of their next generation line of gaming headsets. Today marks the release of the all new E910 5.8 GHz Wireless Gaming & Music Headset. Nothing on the market even comes close to the features incorporated into this new headset.

Founded by hardcore gamers for hardcore gamers, the EKSA R&D Team spent two years researching the market and put together the best elements into their headsets. A company spokesperson explains, "Besides 7.1 surround sound gaming headset for immersive gaming audio (Especially for FPS games), we have also developed the ultralight gaming headset and the ENC headset with advanced AI (Artificial Intelligence) algorithm & Deep Learning speech de-noising technology."

Immerse in the action like never before, without wires to get in the way. Meet the JBL Quantum 350 wireless gaming headset, the latest addition to the JBL Quantum Series. Designed to bring together the most accurate audio experience with gamer-grade lossless connectivity and comfort for epic gaming sessions, this headset is a must-have for gamers looking for an upgraded set-up.

When every sound matters and split-second timing is key, never miss a moment with lossless 2.4G wireless connectivity. Optimized for PC or PlayStation gamers via a wireless USB dongle, the JBL Quantum 350 delivers the ultimate competitive advantage during gameplay. From the quietest footsteps to the loudest laser blasts, JBL's QuantumSOUND Signature provides cinematic-quality audio from 40 mm drivers, and the immersive JBL QuantumSURROUND puts the player in the center of the game. The headset is also compatible with the JBL QuantumENGINE PC software, letting gamers customize the EQ, sidetone, mic and more.

Razer, the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers (Hong Kong Stock Code: 1337), today announces the Barracuda X Wireless Multi-platform Gaming and Mobile Headset, for gaming on multiple devices at home or outdoors. Offering true versatility and freedom backed by long-lasting comfort, powerful drivers, and a crystal-clear mic, the Barracuda X is an all-purpose, 4-in-1 wireless headset compatible with PC, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch and Android devices.

Many modern wireless headsets are designed for use either at home or on-the-go, and switching between devices can be a time-consuming process, with unpairing and pairing over Bluetooth often leading to connection issues. The Barracuda X has been designed with ease of use and versatility in mind - with its reliable ultra-low latency wireless connection combined with a comfortable, sleek, and ergonomic design, powerful Razer TriForce drivers and a detachable, Discord-certified Razer HyperClear Cardioid microphone, it is the perfect all-in-one-solution for multi-platform gaming.

Sony Interactive Entertainment has acquired a minority stake in Discord as part of their latest Series H funding round, this comes after talks with Microsoft for a complete acquisition failed. Sony hopes to integrate Discord with the PlayStation Network ecosystem on consoles and mobile starting early next year to allow for a more seamless experience. This recent news helps explain Sony's decision to retire the PS4 communities feature which boasted tens of thousands of active users. The complete press release from Sony Interactive Entertainment can be found below.

Discord has reportedly ended acquisition talks with Microsoft after they rejected a 12 billion USD bid according to people familiar with the matter. Microsoft was not the only company interested in buying Discord, other interested parties included Twitter and some valuations but the company at 15 - 18 billion USD. Discord raised 100 million USD in its latest private funding round with a valuation of 7 billion USD from Greenoaks Capital and Index Ventures. Discord is now focused on increasing revenue from its 140 million users which sat at 130 million USD in 2020. The company is also preparing for an initial public offering sometime in the future.