The latest game to fall into the trap of annoying or even estranging fans by using generative AI without disclosing it is The Alters. Accusations from the community over the use of generative AI in The Alters have been coming from all corners but most prominently from Steam reviews and the game's subreddit. The accusations included everything from AI-generated text in parts of the environment to AI-translated dialogue that included part of the AI prompt in the final game. These accusations became so commonplace that gamers even started to suspect that some of the visual assets had been created with generative AI. Adding insult to injury, there was no disclosure on the game's Steam page that confirmed the use of AI, so it seemed as though 11 Bit Studios was trying to hide the use of AI-generated content in The Alters.

After the allegations started to make the news, though, 11 Bit Studios responded to the accusations, explaining that generative AI was used during the development of The Alters, specifying that "AI-generated text for a graphic asset, which was meant as a piece of background texture, was used by one of our graphical designers as a placeholder." The studio goes on to explain that the asset was never meant to make it into the final version of the game, and that it has conducted a thorough investigation and determined that this is the only instance of AI-generated placeholders making it into the game. 11 Bit Studios also says that there are instances of "last-minute translations" made to some of the licensed movies that characters can watch in the game—these are seemingly the examples pointed out by a game localization expert on LinkedIn. According to the statement put out by the game studio, the studio's usual translation partners were not included in the localization hotfix, which largely adds to the concerns of those who oppose the use of generative AI in media and gaming, since that work would likely have been done by a human instead of an LLM. Ultimately, the studio made the decision to use AI instead of its translation partner because of time constraints, and it acknowledges that it should have disclosed the use of AI from the outset.

Monster Hunter Wilds players on PC have recently had a bit of a rough time of things when it comes to performance, with the game's recent Steam reviews seeing a number of players complaining about random stutters, FPS drops, and a general lack of optimization. Even gamers playing on relatively high-end recent GPUs, like the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT report that their experience has been tainted by poor performance, even if the actual game content is good. With the latest Monster Hunter Wilds patch, though, Capcom is attempting to address those performance issues—and the resulting slew of negative reviews—as announced today in a post on X.

While there are new monsters, weapons, cosmetics, equipment, and other in-game content, the majority of the focus of the 1.020.00.00 update (full notes here) is on those performance updates. Capcom has changed the way shader compilation works, now making the CPU-intensive task take place the first time you run the game after an update as well updated a slew of upscaler and frame generation changes, primarily adding DLSS 4 and FSR 4 support for GPUs newer than the GeForce RTX 2000 series and AMD Radeon RX 9000 series. The new fix also allows players to mix upscaling and frame generation methods, which should allow players to better tune the game's visuals and performance. Additional fixes to the game include reduced VRAM usage from texture streaming and a more accurate calculation of estimated VRAM consumption. Steam users also now get a notification upon launching Monster Hunter Wilds if they are running an unsupported operating system or out-of-date GPU drivers, or if they are running the game in compatibility mode.

The Expanse: Osiris Reborn is an upcoming squad-based RPG from Owlcat Games that promises to adapt the popular sci-fi story of The Expanse. The story-driven, party-based RPG will, however, skip out on The Expanse's iconic space battles. Instead, The Expanse: Osiris Reborn will focus more on interpersonal relationships and the effects of the story on the Belters and the inhabitants of the inner planets. Players will base their operations out of a ship, and the studio is leaning into the property's hard sci-fi origins, using physics and environmental cues to make space feel like "a very dangerous and unwelcoming place to be," but they won't be able to use that same ship to wage war in the vastness of space.

In a recent interview with CNET, the game's creative director, Alexander Mishulin, explains that, while Osiris Reborn won't revisit the story of Holden and the crew from The Expanse, the game will explore the repercussions of the events of season one and two of the TV series. Players will, however, run into characters from the Rocinante crew in their adventures, and they will seemingly experience the horrors of the Protomolecule first-hand. The game will allegedly take inspiration from a number of games, including Mass Effect, Dark Souls, and Baldur's Gate 3. Specifically, the game studio says that Osiris Reborn will offer a lot of flexibility when it comes to the type of character you want to build and how you want to develop them throughout the story. Additionally, NPCs and companions will each have their own personality and develop on their own time, even if they're not part of the player's party.

Ark 2, the long-awaited sequel to Ark: Survival Evolved, was originally slated to launch as early as 2023, but it was later delayed to late 2024, and shortly after that deadline was missed, the Steam release date was simply changed to "to be announced." Now, however, the studio behind the Ark franchise, Studio Wildcard, says that it is optimistic for a 2027 launch. In an interview with PCGamesN, co-founders of the studio, Jesse Rapczak and Jeremy Stieglitz, said that the studio put Ark 2 on hold partially to make Ark Survival Ascended, which has helped the team further come to grips with Unreal Engine 5 and test out the new capabilities and technologies on offer from the new game engine.

"A small portion of our team continues to refine the mechanics of [Ark 2's] combat... It's very difficult to do soulslike combat in a multiplayer PvP context," says Stieglitz, adding that at least 18 months of focussed development work will be required to turn the existing content for Ark 2 into a playable early access game. Ark Survival Ascended has since launched in the meantime, and in the interview with PCGamesN, the game studio's executives say that it is still looking for the right time to pivot its development efforts from Ascended to Ark 2 without compromising the revenue stream generated by Ark Survival Ascended. Wildcard and prior Ark 2 trailers have made a number of ambitious promises when it comes to Ark 2, including a revamped traversal system, soulslike PVP combat, and a switch to third-person gameplay. The new game will also include NPC enemies—other than the wild beasts usually encountered in current Ark games—further complicating the development of the new game.

GravaStar, the brand known for fusing futuristic design with cutting-edge tech, today launches the Mercury V75 Pro, a high-performance 75% Hall Effect gaming keyboard engineered for competitive gamers, streamers, and esports professionals. As the flagship model of the new Mercury V75 Series, the V75 Pro is designed to redefine responsiveness, precision, and style in one powerful weapon of play.

"The V75 Pro is built for gamers who demand both top-tier performance and standout design," said Yong Huang, Founder & CEO of GravaStar. "It's our fastest and most responsive keyboard yet - and with the hand-painted Neon Graffiti edition, we're pushing the boundary between gaming gear and art."

Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc. today announced LITTLE NIGHTMARES III, developed by Supermassive Games will launch on October 10, 2025, for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One, PC via Steam and Xbox on PC, and Nintendo Switch and Switch 2. Pre-orders started today on all platforms except on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2, which will start at a later date. The franchise has now sold 20 million units since the release of LITTLE NIGHTMARES in 2017.

Trapped in the Spiral, a world filled with delusions, Low & Alone are looking for a way out. Through their journey, they enter the Carnevale, a decrepit funfair which is the focus of the new trailer and gameplay deep dive.

We're happy to announce that Senua's Saga: Hellblade II Enhanced will arrive on August 12 as a free update for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, and Steam. A PlayStation 5 version will be released on the same day - players can purchase the Standard Edition for $49.99, which includes the award-winning Senua's Saga: Hellblade II complete with new features to enhance your gameplay experience. We are also offering a Deluxe Edition at $69.99 which, as well as the base game, includes Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice optimized for PlayStation 5.

This edition also includes the Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice Original Soundtrack, so we think it's a great value package for those of you who are new to the franchise on PlayStation. For those of you who already own the PlayStation 4 release of Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice, you can upgrade to the PlayStation 5 version for free.

Mark your calendar for a trip to purgatory! Saber Interactive's 3D Realms label and developer Anshar Studios have revealed that Painkiller, the modern reimagining of the classic action franchise featuring co-op gameplay, will launch on October 9, 2025, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC via Steam. Pre-orders for the game's Standard and Deluxe Editions are available today on digital storefronts, with the Standard Edition also available to pre-order on PlayStation and Xbox at physical retailers. Get a fresh look at the carnage that awaits in the brand-new pre-order trailer!

The Standard Edition of Painkiller is available to pre-order digitally today for $39.99 and includes the "Iron Crusade" skin pack as a pre-order bonus, featuring skins for all four characters - Ink, Void, Sol, and Roch - along with skins for six weapons: the Electrodriver, Stakegun, Shotgun, SMG, Hand Cannon and Rocket Launcher. Physical pre-orders of the Standard Edition on consoles will come with the retail-exclusive "Burnished Pride" weapons pack, which includes additional gold skins for those six weapons.

Our team has proven skilled at "bringing lost and forgotten games back from the depths" despite the difficulties often involved with restoring older titles. Of the preservation projects we've undertaken, fans may be surprised to learn that System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster presented us with some of our greatest challenges to date. We've already spoken about the extensive reverse engineering required due to incomplete and missing source code in an article for the PlayStation Blog, and how this contributed to System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster taking over six years to complete. However, something we haven't delved too deeply into—until now—is how getting the game's co-op multiplayer up and running also required clever development solutions and considerable time to get right.

"When we started on the multiplayer, it was completely non-functional," says Nightdive developer Sam "Reki" Piper. "Years of neglect due to changes from both NewDark and community mods left it in a really dire state. Add to that any errors introduced during reverse engineering, plus the infamous bugs already present in the original game, and… well, you get the picture."

Skullcandy is bringing a seismic shift to the gaming audio scene with the launch of the Crusher PLYR 720—the first gaming headset to feature Skullcandy's patented Crusher multi-sensory bass technology and an open-back design for an unmatched immersive experience. The Crusher PLYR 720 fuses Skullcandy's fan-favorite multi-sensory bass, THX Spatial Audio, and open-back acoustics to deliver an entirely new way to experience your favorite games. Explosions rumble through your chest, engines growl with depth, you can hear a creeping enemy with pinpoint accuracy, and every impact shakes you.

The open-back acoustics and advanced positional tuning mean the audio creates a realistic, expansive soundstage. The signature dual Crusher drivers, acting as sensation drivers, provide the best immersive acoustics for gamers. The result gives gamers a heightened level of hearing and sensation that allows them to feel what is happening in the game before they see or hear it. Unlike haptic headphones on the market, Crusher PLYR 720's bass drivers fire directly into your head and ears—not just around them—delivering a more natural, visceral sound you can truly feel. It's less like controller rumble and more like adding an adjustable subwoofer to your gameplay.

CD Projekt Red has officially announced that Cyberpunk 2077's next update, Update 2.3, will be delayed to an as-yet an undetermined date. In a post on X, the game studio revealed that the next major update to Cyberpunk 2077 was supposed to land as soon as June 26, but the developer says it will "need some more time to make sure we're happy with it." CDPR also clarified that the scope of the next update will be similar in scope to update 2.2, which launched in December 2024.

Cyberpunk 2077's Update 2.2 addressed a lot of issues in the game and introduced a host of new features, too, including extended vehicle customization, a new photo mode, and a substantial number of character customization options. The exact contents of Update 2.3 have not yet been disclosed, but the hint that the scope will be similar to Update 2.2 suggests that the next update, ostensibly the game's last major update, will likely feature similar quality-of-life changes, bug fixes, and minor in-game upgrades or cosmetics. Unfortunately, those who were hoping for a meatier update with more playable content or story may need to look elsewhere.

Microsoft is letting Xbox Insiders try out a new library in the Xbox PC app on Windows that brings together games from Steam, Battle.net, Xbox, and Game Pass in one central spot. Once you install a supported title, it automatically shows up in your library and in the recent games list, so you don't have to hunt through different launchers. You can also hide any storefront you don't use in the app's settings to keep your view clean. Before the holidays, Microsoft will roll this feature out to handhelds like the ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X, so you can carry your entire collection on the go. Over time, more PC storefronts will be added, making the Xbox PC app an even more complete hub for your games. To get started, just download the Xbox Insider Hub on your PC, join the PC gaming preview, and you'll see the combined library appear in your Xbox app.

Instructions per clock is a metric used to define and compare CPU architecture performance usually. However, enthusiast colleagues at ComputerBase had an idea to test the IPC improvement in GPUs, comparing it across current and past generations. NVIDIA's Blackwell-based GeForce RTX 50 series faces off against the Ada Lovelace-based RTX 40 generation, while AMD's RDNA 4-powered Radeon RX 9000 lineup challenges the RDNA 3-based RX 7000 series. For NVIDIA, the test used RTX 5070 Ti and 4070 Ti SUPER, aligning ALU counts and clock speeds and treating memory bandwidth differences as negligible. For AMD, the test matched the RX 9060 XT to the RX 7600 XT, both featuring identical ALUs and GDDR6 memory. By closely matching shader counts and normalizing for clock variations, ComputerBase isolates IPC improvements from other hardware enhancements. In rasterized rendering tests across 19 popular titles, NVIDIA's Blackwell architecture delivered an average IPC advantage of just 1% over the older Ada Lovelace.

This difference could easily be attributed to normal benchmark variance. Ray tracing and path tracing benchmarks showed no significant IPC uplift, leaving the latest generation essentially on par with its predecessor when normalized for clock and unit count. AMD's RDNA 4, by contrast, exhibited a substantial IPC leap. Rasterized performance improved by around 20% compared to RDNA 3, while ray-traced workloads enjoyed a roughly 31% gain. Path tracing results were even more extreme, with RDNA 4 delivering nearly twice the FPS, a 100% increase over its predecessor. These findings suggest that NVIDIA's performance improvements primarily stem from higher clock speeds, increased execution unit counts, and enhanced features. AMD's RDNA 4 represents a significant architectural advance, marking its most notable IPC gain since the original RDNA launch.

When storage speed and flexibility matter most, why compromise? Whether you're a creative pro managing massive media libraries, a gamer juggling terabytes of AAA titles, or a developer running virtual environments, your workflow deserves storage that's as fast, flexible, and beautiful as your Mac Mini M4 setup.

Introducing the Satechi USB4 Slim NVMe SSD Enclosure—a high-performance, travel-friendly storage solution designed to unlock the full potential of your device. Inspired by the sleek simplicity of Apple's USB SuperDrive and built for modern pros, this enclosure combines USB4 technology, expandable capacity, and a premium, minimalist design.

Valve has rolled out a significant upgrade to its in-game performance tools with the June 17 Beta client update. Instead of a simple FPS counter, Steam now offers a full Performance Monitor that tracks frame rate alongside CPU and GPU utilization, clock speeds, temperatures, and memory usage. Players can view real-time graphs for each metric or opt for a pared-down display showing only FPS. The overlay also flags when frame-generation features like DLSS or FSR are active, clearly separating true rendered frames from those created by upscaling technology. This clarity helps gamers understand whether a smooth experience results from extra generated frames or genuine improvements in rendering.

Competitive and detail-focused users will appreciate knowing both the true game-frame counts and upscaled FPS so they can fine-tune settings based on actual performance. If the monitor shows full GPU memory, reducing texture quality becomes an obvious fix, and if CPU usage is maxed out, dialing back physics or draw distance may be the answer. Currently, the Performance Monitor is only available to Steam Beta participants. Valve plans to roll out additional metrics over time and notes that not every feature will be compatible with every system from the start. Anyone curious to try the new tools should switch to the beta client and explore the updated overlay options. Once these features reach full release, millions of PC gamers will have powerful diagnostics at their fingertips, making it easier than ever to balance visual quality with smooth performance.

Gearbox and 2K today opened Borderlands 4 pre-orders, with the rather unexpected $69.99 base game price resulting in a simultaneous sigh of relief following the gaming industry's recent move towards $80 AAA games. Following the pre-order launch, Borderlands 4's Steam page revealed the game's minimum system requirements as a bit of a mixed bag. According to the Steam page, the new looter shooter will only run on an AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT or NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070, but this seems to largely be related to VRAM, since the minimum requirements also mentions that 8 GB is the minimum VRAM amount. An SSD and an eight-core CPU—listed as the AMD Ryzen 2700X or Intel Core i7-9700—will also be mandatory for Borderlands 4. Even the recommended specifications for Borderlands 4 are rather moderate, with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 and Radeon RX 6800 XT making the cut.

In addition to the reasonable PC specs, news also broke about an ECHO-4 Collector's Edition, a curious edition to the line-up of special edition bundles for Borderlands 4 that seems to be exclusive to GameStop for now. The Echo-4 Collector's Edition bundle is a host of physical Borderlands 4 memorabilia, including a cloth map of Kairos, an eight-inch Echo-4 figure with LED lights, a Vault symbol necklace, a card with five SHiFT codes for Borderlands 4 golden keys, and four double-sided lithography art prints—all for $149.99. The one glaring omission from the Echo-4 bundle is an actual game key for Borderlands 4. That is clearly labelled as "sold separately" on the GameStop page.

Today, 2K and Gearbox Software announced that Borderlands 4 is now available for pre-order. The next installment in the critically and commercially-successful franchise that started a new genre of games will launch worldwide on September 12, 2025 via PlayStation 5 (PS5), Xbox Series X|S, and PC through Steam and the Epic Games Store. It will also be coming to Nintendo Switch 2 later in 2025.

"I've been blown away by how high the team at Gearbox have raised the bar for Borderlands 4," said David Ismailer, President of 2K. "The development team crafted a premium AAA adventure that evolves the series' gameplay and storytelling in new ways, while delivering on the quintessential Borderlands looter-shooter experience fans know and love."

Level up GeForce NOW experiences this summer with 40% off Performance Day Passes. Enjoy 24 hours of premium cloud gaming with RTX ON, delivering low latency and shorter wait times. The hot deal comes just in time for the cloud's highly anticipated launch of Dune: Awakening - a multiplayer survival game on a massive scale set on the unforgiving sands of Arrakis. It's perfect to pair with the nine games available this week, including the Frosthaven demo announced at Steam Next Fest.

Try Before You Buy
Level up to the cloud, no commitment required. For a limited time, grab a Performance Day Pass at a price that's less than an ice cream sundae and experience premium GeForce NOW gaming for 24 hours. With RTX ON, enjoy shorter wait times and lower latency for supported games, all powered by the cloud. Dive into popular games with upgraded visuals and smoother gameplay over free users, whether exploring vast open worlds or battling in fast-paced arenas. Take the experience even further by applying the value of the Day Pass toward a six-month Performance membership during the limited-time summer sale. It's the perfect way to try out premium cloud gaming before jumping into a longer-term membership.

BOXX Technologies, the leading innovator of high-performance workstations, today announced the launch of Creativ PCs, a groundbreaking new line of Creator PCs engineered to deliver the industry's most performant system for demanding creative professionals. This introduction marks a significant expansion of BOXX's product portfolio, building on its decades-long legacy of powering the most intensive professional workflows. Designed from the ground up to eliminate performance bottlenecks, Creativ PCs are meticulously optimized for professionals in architecture, media and entertainment, manufacturing engineering (CAD users), and creative fields utilizing applications such as Unreal Engine and Adobe Creative Cloud. Creativ PCs promise unparalleled speed, stability, and responsiveness, enabling users to tackle their most ambitious projects with unprecedented efficiency.

"For decades, BOXX has been committed to empowering professionals with the most powerful and reliable hardware," said Kirk Schell, CEO of BOXX. "Creativ PCs represents a significant leap forward, specifically engineered to meet the intense demands of today's architects, artists, engineers, and designers. We've poured our expertise into creating a system that not only keeps pace with their innovation but actively accelerates it. I'm incredibly proud of our team for delivering what we believe is truly the most performant Creator PC on the market, enabling our customers to realize their most ambitious visions without compromise."

On June 7th, Titan Quest II made its grand appearance at the Future Games Show: Summer Showcase 2025! Our Lead Systems Designer, Balint Marczin, took the stage to give an overview of Titan Quest II - what to expect, what sets it apart, and why fans should be excited - while the audience had the chance to watch some brand-new gameplay in action.

This brand-new gameplay is featured in the deep dive video, showcasing a flurry of combat skills and their powerful modifiers - giving fans a fresh look at what's in store. You can catch the full video here:

Developer and publisher Funcom is proud to announce that Dune: Awakening is now available on Steam! The time has come to rise from survival to greatness and challenge the power of an Imperium in what is not only the biggest Dune game ever made, but also one of the most ambitious survival games to date.

Those who bought the Deluxe or Ultimate Edition have had the opportunity to play the in the 5-day head start that began on June 5th. During that time, Dune: Awakening saw 117,087 people play at peak concurrency on Steam, a number that is expected to soar even higher now that the floodgates are open and the pre-order phase is concluded.

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) is proud to announce an all-new series of Ally handhelds built from the ground up with improved ergonomics and a seamless player-first user experience. Developed in partnership with the incredible team at Xbox, the new ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X offer best-in-class ergonomics and a full-screen Xbox experience that marries the best of Xbox and PC gaming in one cohesive package.

"We wanted to take our handheld to the next level, but we could not do it alone." said Shawn Yen, Head of the Consumer product team at ASUS. "This revolutionary partnership with Microsoft allowed us to forge a brand new device with ROG muscle and the soul of Xbox." The ROG Xbox Ally sports an AMD Ryzen Z2 A Processor with incredible power efficiency, while the ROG Xbox Ally X offers the new AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme Processor for next-level gaming performance. Both launch holiday 2025 in select markets, with additional markets to follow.

Within the discrete graphics card sector, NVIDIA achieved a remarkable 92% share of the add-in board (AIB) GPU market in the first quarter of 2025, according to data released by Jon Peddie Research (JPR). This represents an 8.5% increase compared to NVIDIA's previous position. By contrast, AMD's share contracted to just 8%, down 7.3 points, while Intel's presence effectively disappeared, falling to 0% after losing 1.2 points. JPR reported that AIB shipments reached 9.2 million units during Q1 2025 despite desktop CPU shipments declining to 17.8 million units. The firm projects that the AIB market will face a compound annual decline of 10.3% from 2024 to 2028, although the installed base of discrete GPUs is expected to grow to 130 million units by the end of the forecast period. By 2028, an estimated 86% of desktop PCs are expected to feature a dedicated graphics card.

NVIDIA's success this quarter can be attributed to its launch of the RTX 50 series GPUs. In contrast, AMD's RDNA 4 GPUs were released significantly later in Q1. Additionally, Intel's Battlemage Arc GPUs, which were launched in Q4 2024, have struggled to gain traction, likely due to limited availability and low demand in the mainstream market. The broader PC GPU market, which includes integrated solutions, contracted by 12% from the previous quarter, with a total of 68.8 million units shipped. Desktop graphics unit sales declined by 16%, while notebook GPUs decreased by 10%. Overall, NVIDIA's total GPU share rose by 3.6 points, AMD's dipped by 1.6 points, and Intel's declined by 2.1 points. Meanwhile, data center GPUs bucked the overall downward trend, rising by 9.6% as enterprises continue to invest in artificial intelligence applications. On the CPU side, notebook processors accounted for 71% of shipments, with desktop CPUs comprising the remaining 29%.

Capcom, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of video games, has announced PRAGMATA will release in 2026 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam. A new trailer for the sci-fi action-adventure game debuted today in the PlayStation State of Play broadcast. The latest footage of the highly anticipated title introduces its out-of-this-world setting, playable characters, and a glimpse of the unique action-packed gameplay.

Set in a vision of the near future, PRAGMATA transports players to the moon. After a chance meeting aboard a seemingly lifeless lunar research station, spacefarer Hugh and android Diana find themselves caught in the crosshairs of a hostile AI in control of the station. Stranded and surrounded by enemies, only together can they hope to survive.

IO Interactive, the award-winning developer and publisher behind the globally-acclaimed HITMAN franchise, and Amazon MGM Studios today officially unveiled 007 First Light, a story-driven action-adventure game featuring a standalone original, re-imagined origin story of a young James Bond. Coming in 2026, 007 First Light will be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC on Steam and the Epic Game Store.

This unique, standalone original story has been created by the passionate development team at IO Interactive. In 007 First Light, players will step into the shoes of a young Bond, a promising yet rebellious Royal Navy air crewman who is recruited into MI6. His sharp instincts and heroism in combat propel him into the agency's rigorous training program for the once revered, and newly resurrected, elite 00 section.