After a couple of slow week's we have a packed week of new releases for you this week, kicking off with some nuclear stalking action in this week's AAA title. This is followed by a tactical turn-based strategy game set in WW2, a fantasy open world survival crafter, a game for wanna be pilots, a MOBA battle royal hero shooter mixup, a murder on a train with a comedy twist and finally a tactical shooter set in an anime universe. Star Wars Outlaws is also out on Steam this week among many other new releases.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl / This week's AAA release / Wednesday 20 November
Discover the vast Chornobyl Exclusion Zone full of dangerous enemies, deadly anomalies and powerful artifacts. Unveil your own epic story as you make your way to the Heart of Chornobyl. Make your choices wisely, as they will determine your fate in the end. Take over a role of the lone stalker and explore photorealistic seamless open world in a 64-km² radioactive zone with a variety of environments that reveal post-apocalyptic atmosphere from different angles. Steam link

Valve's latest third-person MOBA-like hero shooter, Deadlock, has had a pretty serious cheater problem, despite still being an invite-only public test. While the game has thus far operated on a player reporting system to identify and punish cheaters, a recent game patch has introduced a rather comical—and seemingly effective—anti-cheat system that can either ban cheating players or turn them into frogs until the end of the match.

Valve says that the new anti-cheat system is set up to be fairly conservative at the moment to avoid any false positives. Aside from the new anti-cheat, Deadlock's September 26 update introduced a new hero, Mirage, whose design and gameplay seem rooted in the jinn from Arabic myths (aka djinn or genie) and added a pretty vast collection of gameplay updates, balances, and quality-of-life improvements throughout the game.

The month of April continues with more low-key releases and this week's major release is a somewhat new take on the MMO genre which focuses on players being nice to each other. As for the rest of this week we have a VR Western, a gigantic game, some roads in need of repair, a zone free of infection and turn-based tactics game involving mutant animals.

Sky: Children of the Light / This week's major release / Wednesday 10 April
Sky: Children of the Light is a peaceful, award-winning MMO from the creators of Journey. Explore a beautifully-animated kingdom across seven realms and create enriching memories with other players in this delightful puzzle-adventure game. Steam Link

We're thrilled to unveil Gigantic: Rampage Edition, the definitive release of the beloved MOBA hero shooter, Gigantic, created by Motiga. Developed by Abstraction Games, this premium edition promises both veteran players and newcomers an exhilarating journey into the world of team-based multiplayer gaming. Set to launch on April 9, 2024, across PC, PlayStation, and Xbox platforms for $19.99, Gigantic: Rampage Edition amplifies the original game's thrills with dynamic gameplay, a diverse hero roster, and exciting new features. With zero microtransactions, players can unlock all content through gameplay or in-game currency.

Closed Beta Testing
Get a taste of Gigantic: Rampage Edition's Rush Mode in a Closed Beta Test on Steam, starting February 22 at 12:00pm PST / 9pm CET. Sign up on the game's Steam page for a chance to join the action-packed playtest. Gear up for Gigantic: Rampage Edition - the ultimate MOBA hero shooter adventure awaits! Stay tuned for more updates and announcements and join the discussion on our Gigantic Discord!

Titan Forge Games and Hi-Rez Studios have made the biggest announcement in SMITE history—SMITE 2! Become a god and wage war in SMITE 2, the Unreal Engine 5-powered sequel to the legendary third-person action MOBA. If you love rewarding teamwork, challenging competition, intense action, ability-driven third-person combat, or godly mythology, you'll see why 40+ million players love SMITE.

SMITE, EVOLVED
More than 40 million players have enjoyed SMITE. Now the next generation of action MOBA begins, with immersive next-gen visuals powered by UE5, more impactful combat, and new creative gameplay options to shape the game in your own way.

Inside sources have claimed that Bungie is working on a third project—codename: Gummy Bears—alongside Destiny 2 (their bread and butter IP) and the still mysterious Marathon reboot. Several media outlets keep close tabs on activity at the Sony Interactive Entertainment-owned studio—"Gummy Bears" is believed to be a "light-hearted" and "colorful" alternative to the other multiplayer experiences in Bungie's stable. Paul Tassi (writing for Forbes) believes that Bungie's "Matter" concept is synonymous with "Gummy Bears"—past job adverts have outlined a "team-based action game" that takes: "inspiration from fighting games, platformers, MOBAs, life sims, and frog-type games, wrapped up in a lighthearted, comedic world."

TheGamePost has chosen to follow up on their previously leaked summertime information with another major claim—multiple sources have alleged that Epic's Unreal Engine forms the technical foundation of "Gummy Bears," a team-based combat title with isometric gameplay. Switching to an outside toolset would be quite an unusual move for Bungie—the veteran development house has relied on its (extremely mature) Tiger Engine for more than a decade. One insider placed emphasis on the new IP being built in Unreal Engine 5 for current-gen platforms. PlayStation-specialist site Insider Gaming has contacted Sony for comment on the situation, and conducted a quick investigation: "As far as the accuracy of this report, Insider Game has yet to verify it with its independent sources. However, a quick look at Bungie's career page shows a job listing for an "Unannounced Project" where the required skills include the ability to code in C++. This is the programming language used for Unreal Engine."

CORSAIR, a world leader in high-performance gear for gamers and content creators, announced the launch of two showstopping PC gaming accessories that enhance even the most intense play: the NIGHTSABRE WIRELESS Gaming Mouse and K65 PRO MINI Optical-Mechanical Gaming Keyboard. On their own, each delivers superior responsiveness and performance needed to ascend to the top of any leaderboard. When wielded together, these premier products complement each other perfectly, enabling you to endure any challenge and achieve more in today's most competitive FPS, Battle Royales, MOBAs, and more.

The NIGHTSABRE wireless gaming mouse delivers the powerful features and versatile play to satisfy the most demanding gamers from any genre. NIGHTSABRE's exquisite symmetrical shape fits any grip style, putting pro-player performance comfortably in your hand and keeping it secure with remarkable textured side grips.
NIGHTSABRE boasts 11 buttons, including a left and right scroll wheel tilt, to program to your exact gaming specifications. Save custom settings on up to five onboard profiles, so you can deftly switch between vastly different games in an instant, even on-the-go. Gain true wireless freedom as you play over sub-1 ms SLIPSTREAM WIRELESS or Bluetooth.

Sometimes Dota gameplay patches are small. Sometimes they can get pretty big. This one... is huge. It's got all the things you were probably expecting - balance changes, new items, hero reworks, UI improvements. But we also included a few changes you probably weren't expecting, like a new hero attribute type and - brace yourself - the map is now 40% bigger.

But all these new gameplay features won't matter if the match you get into isn't a good one. So we're also shipping some much-needed matchmaking improvements. Excited? Confused? Head on over to the New Frontiers update page for all the details. But don't head over just yet, read this sentence first: The Berlin major is on April 26th, and Fantasy/Player Cards are now available. Okay, now go. Here's the link again.

REDMAGIC is proud to launch the first generation of its 4K gaming monitor. With an ultra-fast refresh rate of 160 Hz, its display is designed for gamers who demand amazing visual quality and performance. Introduced as a "Dive into the gaming reality", the 27-inch gaming monitor features over 2000 mini-led lights with a 16:9 aspect ratio. It delivers 99% DCI-P3 with a HDR VESA-certified display 1000, and equipped with a dedicated anti-glare feature.

"At REDMAGIC, we believe in providing gamers worldwide with the ultimate e-Sports experience. We strive to deliver high-quality gaming equipment, using professional solutions to optimize the user experience. Our objective is to expand our focus beyond peripherals to other e-sports categories, making multi-terminal gaming more professional and enjoyable for gamers. It is our commitment to provide innovative and high-quality products to the gaming community that we value user feedback and take it seriously in the design and development of our products," said the REDMAGIC team.

SteelSeries, the worldwide leader in gaming and esports peripherals, today unveiled three new additions to its award-winning family of Aerox mice, creating the fusion of ultra-lightweight design and customizable button options for maximum precision, speed, and comfort to every style of gamer. Similar to the way innovations in aerospace bring advanced technologies and design improvements to new product categories, the ultralight and structural designs first seen in the Aerox 3 expand their reach with the new Aerox 5, Aerox 5 Wireless, and Aerox 9 Wireless mice. Less weight equates to speed and endurance. Speed and endurance equate to wins. Whatever the game, players want an edge, the ability to play better, and the ability to win. Whether they're playing competitively online or trying to advance past the last boss of a Souls game for the 17th time, the ultra-lightweight Aerox line of mice gives gamers the ability to move quicker, more precisely, and with less fatigue so they can maintain their level of gameplay no matter how long the gaming session.

Customization is key. From the apps and shortcuts on a mobile phone to a coffee at Starbucks, nearly everything in life is customizable today. The way people play games should be no different. Now, gamers can customize the programmable buttons on the Aerox 5, Aerox 5 Wireless, and Aerox 9 Wireless and have immediate access to whatever they want, whenever they need it, at their fingertips. From shortcuts and macros for Fortnite or League of Legends to the synced RGB lighting for a gamer's battlestation, the new lineup of Aerox mice can be customized to suit any style of play or environment.

A job posting with ZeniMax media, the Microsoft-owned game publisher that holds id Software, Bethesda, Machine Games, among other big studios, reveals that id Software is already working on its next first-person shooter. The posting calls for a UI programmer and senior graphics programmer, to "work on legendary id games for PC and next-generation console systems."

It's anybody's guess what this game could be—the next DOOM, making the 2016 reboot part of a trilogy? The next Quake, with MOBA elements or the Ranger timeline reboot? Definitely not the next Wolfenstein, since Machine Games handles the franchise? Something entirely new? Regardless, the posting hints at the likelihood of this new title only targeting PC and next-gen consoles (Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5), cutting out legacy ones (Xbox One, and PlayStation 4).

CORSAIR, a world leader in high-performance gaming peripherals and enthusiast components, today announced the launch of the KATAR PRO WIRELESS Gaming Mouse powered by SLIPSTREAM WIRELESS technology. At just 96 g, it is well-suited to fast-paced FPS and MOBA gameplay. With a compact symmetric shape ideal for claw and fingertip grip styles at a great value, the KATAR PRO WIRELESS will make an excellent fit for any PC gamer.

The KATAR PRO WIRELESS maintains gaming-grade wireless performance with sub-1 ms latency thanks to SLIPSTREAM WIRELESS, for a faster-than-wired connection that registers every move, click, and scroll when it matters most. Powered by a single AA battery for up to 135 hours of battery life, the KATAR PRO WIRELESS is equipped with a 10,000 DPI optical sensor and three DPI presets that can be switched on-the-fly. Its six buttons are fully programmable through CORSAIR iCUE software, letting you combine multiple commands into single one-click macros for clutch plays, remap any button or key to a more convenient location, and much more.

Razer, the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers, today announced the Razer Naga Pro wireless gaming mouse. From MMO to MOBA, Battle Royale, First-person shooter games, and more - the Naga Pro's three swappable side plates make adapting to different game genres easier than ever before. The Razer Naga Pro is the newest addition to the Razer HyperSpeed wireless line up, and draws and improves upon the success of the Naga Trinity, which first introduced the three-in-one modular design. It packs all the latest and greatest in gaming technology while still retaining its core, fan-favorite design. Built to offer gamers greater choice and customization, the Naga Pro caters to many different games and playstyles.

"We are all gamers, but we play in many different ways," says Alvin Cheung, Senior Vice President of Razer's Peripherals Business Unit. "Customization has always been a key component of inclusivity by enabling more gamers to play together. The Naga Pro embodies this ideal and gives everyone the control to play their own way, unrestrained by a cord."

In a typical Battle Royale game, players fend for themselves, scour the map for loot, remain in the playable area and strategically plot to become the sole survivor. Mantisco's Hunter's Arena: Legends delivers a fresh approach to gameplay: In addition to their rival Hunters, players must contend with up to 10,000 artificial intelligence (AI) enemies, bringing together into one title the best MMORPG1, MOBA2 and Battle Royale features.

Developing a game with up to 60 players and 10,000 AI enemies was a massive technical undertaking. Mantisco needed to deliver seamless gameplay with exciting battles that keep players in the middle of the action. Intel helped Mantisco optimize gameplay through Intel Xeon servers and 10th Gen Intel Core CPU utilization that allow battles to take place simultaneously across the map. Using Intel VTune Profiler, which provides detailed profile data to improve CPU and GPU computing-intensive tasks and CPU threading performance, Mantisco created continuous and explosive moments of conflict among human and AI opponents alike through a dynamic monster respawn system.

When it comes to competitive gaming, sound is survival - and JBL knows great sound. Today, the company announced the launch of first-ever JBL headset range in India designed exclusively for gamers, featuring the JBL QuantumSOUND Signature. The JBL Quantum Range delivers immersive audio quality and pinpoint accuracy to provide a true competitive advantage. From the thrill of tracking enemies in FPS games, to engaging in epic MOBA battles, the JBL Quantum Range amplifies victories with a sound experience that transforms each headset into a crown for the everyday champion.

The launch follows an exciting announcement of the JBL's association with lifestyle power brand and gaming organization "100 Thieves" bringing on board some of the top competitive global gamers in the industry. The exciting new range will cater to a burgeoning gaming industry in the country. The online gaming segment was estimated to be a $1.1 billion opportunity by 2021, according to a Google-KPMG report in 2017, which is now expected to increase at much faster pace. With one of the world's largest youth population, India is poised to become one of the world's leading markets in the gaming sector.

Amazon Game Studio's Crucible is a free-to-play team-based action shooter that's set for release on Steam May 20th. Crucible is an interesting-looking game with MOBA and hero shooter elements where you fight enemy players and AI enemies with your team while adapting to the map. When playing the game you gather Essence the in-game currency to help level up your character. The game will come with three game modes at launch Heart of the Hives a two teams of four first to three game, Alpha Hunters a eight teams of two last team standing game, and Harvester Command a two teams of eight game. You can view the gameplay trailers and more information below.

CORSAIR, a world leader in high-performance gaming peripherals and enthusiast components, today announced the SCIMITAR RGB ELITE, the latest upgrade to the award-winning range of SCIMITAR RGB gaming mice, providing MOBA and MMO players with 17 fully programmable buttons and the patented Key Slider control system for convenient access to a multitude of shortcuts and macros, alongside a leading 18,000 DPI optical sensor. The SCIMITAR RGB ELITE will be right at home on the new CORSAIR MM500 Extended 3XL Premium Anti-Fray Cloth Gaming Mouse Pad. With dimensions of 1220 mm x 610 mm (48" x 24"), the MM500 is the biggest mouse pad that CORSAIR has ever produced, with room for everything on a player's desktop.

For MOBA and MMO players who need quick access to a host of shortcuts, commands, and complex macros, the CORSAIR SCIMITAR RGB ELITE combines a total of 17 programmable buttons with an upgraded 18,000 DPI optical sensor. The SCIMITAR RGB ELITE's patented Key Slider control system allows users to reposition the side button cluster 8 mm forward or backward to find the most comfortable position for a grid of 12 fully programmable side buttons. 50 million click-rated Omron switches and durable construction give the SCIMITAR RGB ELITE the longevity to last through years of late-night raiding.

The first sign of disaster appeared earlier this month when Epic Games announced that they were moving some of their employees from Paragon's development team over to work on Fortnite instead. The entire Paragon community was worried as the MOBA's future looked very dim. Given the game's lackluster performance, Epic Games have decided that the best course of action is to close down Paragon for good. The company will be pulling the plug on April 26, 2018. Players are entitled to a full refund for every purchase they've made regardless of platform. The refund process is relatively easy. The first requirement is to have a Epic account. Non-PC players will need to create one. Once you have linked your Epic account, you can start the refund process here.

Researchers at the University of York have discovered a link between young people's ability to perform well at two popular video games and high levels of intelligence. Studies carried out at the Digital Creativity Labs (DC Labs) at York found that some action strategy video games can act like IQ tests. The researchers' findings are published today in the journal PLOS ONE.

The York researchers stress the studies have no bearing on questions such as whether playing computer games makes young people smarter or otherwise. They simply establish a correlation between skill at certain online games of strategy and intelligence. The researchers focused on 'Multiplayer Online Battle Arenas' (MOBAs) - action strategy games that typically involve two opposing teams of five individuals - as well as multiplayer 'First Person Shooter' games. These types of games are hugely popular with hundreds of millions of players worldwide.

Razer, the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers, today announced the Razer Naga Trinity gaming mouse and Razer Tartarus V2 gaming keypad. The customizable mouse and keypad can adapt to a wide range of games and playstyles, particularly Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) and Massive Multiplayer Online (MMO) games.

The Razer Naga Trinity, the ninth iteration of the best-selling Razer Naga family, is a modular mouse featuring three interchangeable side plates. Users can opt for the iconic original 12-button thumb grid of the Razer Naga Chroma designed for MMO games like "World of Warcraft", or the seven-button thumb wheel of the Razer Naga Hex V2 for MOBA and hack-and-slash titles like "Heroes of the Storm" and "Diablo III." A new two-button configuration completes the trifecta, sporting a minimalistic feel that is perfect for general use.

Razer today unveiled the Razer Phone, an Android smartphone with groundbreaking audiovisual technologies and processing muscle that takes personal entertainment to the next level. The first device from Razer's mobile division, the Razer Phone comes with a phenomenal display, cinematic audio and enough power to last a user all day, all in the palm of his or her hand.

The Razer Phone is equipped with the world's first 120 Hz UltraMotion display that delivers the fastest refresh rates and smoothest graphics among today's smartphones. UltraMotion's adaptive refresh technology synchronizes the GPU and display to remove image tearing or lag while driving efficient power usage. The 5.72-inch display - a Quad HD IGZO LCD - delivers vibrant and sharp images with a wide color gamut.

Tt eSports, Thermaltake's gaming peripherals division, has announced their new take on what an RGB, MOBA or MMO-oriented mouse should deliver. The Nemesis Switch Gaming Mouse features, as its distinguishing feature, a patented switch system that allows for the customization of up to 12 switch keys. Eight of those are available straight away on the left-hand side of the mouse, with four additional keys being hidden inside the mouse.

"But what good are they for if they're hidden and thus inaccessible?", you ask? That's a good question. That's where the patented system comes in: you simply push the panel where the eight side keys are held, and like magic, four other keys come from inside the mouse. Due to this lever system, you'll certainly lose time with the mechanism rolling inside the mouse and exposing either set of keys, so maybe you should take care which actions you configure these extra four keys with. The twelve macro-supporting programmable buttons are configured by Thermaltake's Tt eSports Plus+ mobile and PC application. The Tt eSports Plus+ app also stores activity logs, performance statistics, and other information.

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced Strix Impact, a wired optical gaming mouse with a lightweight and ergonomic ambidextrous design optimized for multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) games. Built with the essential qualities of lightness, speed, comfort, and durability that MOBA gamers need to triumph and have fun during marathon sessions, ROG Strix Impact is a reliable and effective gaming weapon.

Flexible customization options available in the intuitive ROG Armoury software let gamers change different aspects of the operation of ROG Strix Impact, and ASUS Aura Sync RGB lighting lets them express their personal style and synchronize lighting with other Aura-enabled products. ROG Strix Impact is built to last with durable Omron switches that are rated to 50 million clicks. Thoughtful design details include a DPI switch and indicator to adjust tracking speed on the fly, and a low-friction, drag-free cable for fast, easy movement.

Start a fight in Epic Games' new MOBA, Paragon with the GAME READY pack, free when you buy select EVGA GeForce GTX graphics cards or notebooks. $115 of in-game essentials help you hone your skills and look good on the battlefield of Agora.

The Paragon GAME READY pack ($115 in-game value) includes 1,000 Paragon Coins (worth $115) - In-game currency to spend on additional Master Challenges, skins, and boosts; Seven Hero Master Challenges - Those who would dare reach the highest levels of skill can tackle Master Challenges. As you increase your Hero level, you'll unlock new card packs, unique taunts, and valuable rewards; and two Exclusive Skins - Look good while dominating the competition.

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced the latest ROG Sica gaming mouse with a new Glacier White finish and upgraded Omron switches. ROG Sica is an ambidextrous gaming mouse optimized for MOBA gaming for gamers of all grip types. ROG Sica features a simple independent two-button and single clickable scroll-wheel setup. An improved exclusive easy-swap switch socket design lets users customize click resistance with Omron switches that offer 20-million-click durability. The left and right mouse buttons are separated from the main mouse body to reduce travel distance to ensure increased button tactility and responsiveness.

ROG Sica has a 1000Hz polling rate and packs an optical sensor that tracks at up to 5000 DPI, and at speeds of up to 130 inches per second and 30g acceleration to give users swift, pixel-precise mouse tracking. ROG Sica's Glacier White body features a glowing ROG logo and intricate Mayan-stenciled side panels to give it presence. It has a gold-plated USB 2.0 connector, and low-friction Teflon feet.