MSI is thrilled to unveil its exclusive "Cool Down, Build Up" promotion, running from July 1 to September 30, 2025. This limited-time event rewards customers with Steam codes when they purchase select eligible MSI products—adding extra value and elevating your tech experience just in time for summer. As part of MSI's commitment to simplifying the PC-building process, MSI continues to lead with its EZ DIY features. These user-friendly innovations embody MSI's "One-Concept" philosophy, aimed at reducing complexity and improving functionality across motherboards, cooling solutions, power supplies, and PC cases.

New Product Launch: MPG CORELIQUID P13 360 / WHITE
In conjunction with the promotion, MSI is also introducing the MPG CORELIQUID P13 360 / WHITE, a next-gen liquid cooling solution featuring:

• EZ Cap: Minimalist, toolless design for quick setup.
• UNI Bracket: Easily install on Intel and AMD platforms.
• Customizable 2.1" LCD Display: Customize with system stats, images, videos, or GIFs.

1047 Games, the developer behind Splitgate and the recently announced follow-up, Splitgate 2, has just announced a round of layoffs to an undisclosed number of "valued 1047 Games team members," according to an announcement on LinkedIn. The studio says that the decision was made at a time when the company is "redirecting resources to build the best game for our players." In addition to the job cuts, 1047 Games's co-founders, Ian Proulx and Nicholas Bagamian, are not receiving salaries at this time. The announcement claims that the studio is working on the next phase of Splitgate 2 and using community feedback to perfect the gameplay experience.

Adding insult to injury, the company's CEO was recently criticized online for wearing a hat that said "Make FPS Great Again" to the Summer Game Fest event shortly after releasing Splitgate 2, which faced a somewhat negative reception because of generic battle royale gameplay mechanics and aggressive monetization tactics. Currently, the game has a "Mixed" review rating on Steam just over a month after its initial launch into Early Access. According to an X post by Proulx, he was unaware of the game's aggressive monetization and $80 launch bundles, which were also part of the reason the game was heavily criticized at launch. The first Splitgate game also had a somewhat mixed response at its initial Beta launch in 2019, so it would not be surprising to see the game and developer bounce back from this hit, however, some of the original Splitgate community seems to have been burned by the rocky launch and CEO's recent statements.

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:

Soulframe is the next big project from Digital Extremes, and the game studio has been quietly testing a pre-alpha version of the game since 2023. Since then, it has been steadily growing its player base, expanding its pre-alpha test pool in small batches every so often. The last time the pre-alpha test was expanded, Digital Extremes gave away guaranteed Preludes access codes to anyone who signed up and linked their Twitch and Soulframe accounts for a very short time. In a recent announcement, though Digital Extremes revealed that it would be expanding its Soulframe test yet again, although this time players have to put in some leg-work to get it done.

According to the announcement, Digital Extremes will be giving away Soulframe Preludes access keys as Twitch Drops during a June 6 Summer Game Fest stream, which is slated to happen at 6 PM Eastern Time (10 PM UTC). To gain access to the pre-alpha test version of the game, prospective players will need to watch the Twitch stream for at least 30 minutes. In order to claim the Drop, players will also need to create a Soulframe account and link it to their Twitch account ahead of the stream. Anyone who watches The Game Awards's stream at that time for the required 30 minutes from a linked account will be able to claim a Soulframe Preludes access key. Soulframe is a fantasy action RPG set in a mythical world that seems to borrow elements from many places, but from Norse mythology more than anything. It is set in an open world with procedurally generated dungeons, and it asks for a slower, more methodical approach to gameplay than Digital Extremes's hit free-to-play game, Warframe. When Soulframe eventually launches in earnest, it will also be free-to-play, but a launch date has seemingly not been set, despite early talks of a January 2025 launch.

Today, Grimlore Games and THQ Nordic shared another update on the development of Titan Quest II, revealing both community insights from the recent playtest and a revised Early Access timeline.

Originally slated for a Winter 2024/2025 release, Titan Quest II will now launch in Early Access in Summer 2025. The decision comes in response to a crowded ARPG release window and a desire to give the game the spotlight it deserves.

Electronic Arts has confirmed that the next Battlefield title will arrive by March 31, 2026, at the latest, and a full public reveal is scheduled for this summer. The announcement came as part of EA's most recent financial report and shows the company's confidence in the franchise's future. EA CEO Andrew Wilson described the upcoming game as "a pivotal step in defining our next generation of blockbuster entertainment." His comments signal the publisher's intention to rebuild goodwill after fan disappointment with Battlefield 2042. Closed testing began in March under strict non‑disclosure agreements, but a significant amount of gameplay footage has nonetheless appeared online. In response, developer DICE announced plans to expand the trial in May by inviting additional participants from Europe, North America and Asia. Players who wish to join the tests may still register through the official Battlefield website.

During this extended phase, DICE will concentrate on fine‑tuning fundamental gameplay systems. Key focus areas include balancing weapon archetypes, adjusting damage values, refining movement mechanics and pacing the flow of combat. The team will also continue to evaluate destructible objects—such as barricades, vehicles and buildings—across multiple map environments. These tests aim to ensure that world destruction feels both dramatic and fair, allowing players to use terrain changes to their tactical advantage. Further community updates will delve into the roles of individual classes and the full scope of the all‑out War Mode later this year. EA has adopted a more transparent development process than it did for its previous release, sharing frequent insights and responding directly to player feedback. Four internal studios—collectively known as Battlefield Studios—are collaborating on this project. DICE is leading the multiplayer experience, Motive is creating both multiplayer maps and single‑player missions, Criterion is focused on the solo campaign and Ripple Effect is developing a brand‑new series component.

Morbid Metal, the upcoming hack-and-slash action roguelite, debuted a new trailer during the Triple-I-Initiative showcase, and announced the game is coming to Steam in early access in Summer 2025. The one-minute gameplay trailer shows off some of the fast-paced, ever-changing action you can expect in Morbid Metal. In Morbid Metal, you can create a roster of up to three characters, each with their own unique move sets, and shapeshift into any of them at will. After each death, you'll have to start your run over, but you can unlock new characters and permanent upgrades along the way. The game takes place in a simulation created by humans to escape climate collapse, and you'll play as the latest AI, ordered to become mankind's next evolutionary step by eliminating other AI to prove you are the best and the strongest.

Ubisoft will be publishing Morbid Metal from independent developer Screen Juice. Starting in 2017, Felix Schade spent years developing the game solo before founding Screen Juice in 2023. A pivotal moment in the journey came when Schade shared early gameplay footage online seeking feedback. The gaming community quickly embraced it, sparking momentum that helped shape the game's evolution. Since then, Schade has expanded the company while continuing to lead as game director.

Welcome to ISLANDERS: New Shores! Whether you're a longtime ISLANDERS fan or discovering the series for the first time, get ready to build, relax, and explore like never before! ISLANDERS is all about effortless creativity and smart, minimalist strategy. It's a city-building experience without the stress—no complex resource management, no overwhelming systems. Just beautifully generated islands, a carefully curated set of buildings, and the freedom to craft something amazing at your own pace.

Whether you're chasing high scores or simply creating a scenic paradise, ISLANDERS delivers that perfect mix of calm and challenge. With ISLANDERS: New Shores, we're taking that philosophy even further! Expect more variety, more creativity, and more ways to play, all while keeping the same simple, satisfying charm that made the original such a hit.

In our game Herdling, you leave the city behind to start an adventure through the mountains. But you won't be alone. Always with you: your herd of fantastical mountain creatures. Your task is to guide and shepherd these creatures, called "Calicorns." Together you journey through autumnal forests and vast mountainscapes full of treacherous pathways, encountering mysterious discoveries and breathtaking views. You have to learn how the Calicorns behave, how you can responsibly guide them, and explore everything they are capable of.

The herd of Calicorns is the core of the game. The player as the protagonist—named Via—has to move with and around the Calicorns to guide them into the correct direction, and help them find their way around obstacles and dangers. This careful navigation in hazardous environments takes turns with wide open plains that allow the herd to stampede—a powerful, exhilarating movement that can also take the Calicorns up otherwise slippery slopes when used strategically.

Last month, we covered ASML's plans to leave the Netherlands after a crisis with the Dutch government that prevented skilled immigrants from entering and working inside ASML's facilities. However, it appears that ASML has managed to strike a potential deal with the Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte and his office about the company's plans to stay in the country. In an effort dubbed "Operation Beethoven," the Dutch government aimed to keep the tech giant in the country, with a deal now seemingly in place. AMSL's roadblocks and reasons for potentially leaving the Netherlands were difficulty in obtaining building permits, constraints on the electrical grid, transportation bottlenecks, and a need for supporting infrastructure like hospitals, schools, and housing. The most prominent of them was importing foreign labor in the form of highly skilled engineers and scientists needed to develop next-generation lithography machines.

According to the NLTimes, ASML now plans to potentially expand in the Brainport Industries Campus (BIC) in Eindhoven, with a creation of 20,000 new jobs in a 2.5 billion Euro investment from the Dutch government. "BIC is an interesting option for us, which we are now exploring together with the municipality of Eindhoven," noted ASML CFO Roger Dassen. Given that ASML needs to double its operations in the following decade to meet soaring demand, the company has many uncertainties. Questions of finding skilled immigrants and building infrastructure to support their needs remain the company's priority. In the Summer, the plan to support ASML's expansion will be voted in the Eindhoven City Council, which will decide the fate of ASML's stay in the Netherlands. An interesting comment from January from AMSL CEO Peter Wennik is, "Ultimately, we can only grow this company if there are enough qualified people. We prefer to do that here, but if we cannot get those people here, we will get those people in Eastern Europe or in Asia or in the United States. Then we will have to go there." The final decision still awaits.

Hello! Nick Suttner here. You may have seen my name on PlayStation Blog before in various guises (most recently, as the writer behind Carto), but I'm super excited to be coming to you today as co-founder of the small studio Furniture & Mattress, to reveal our debut game Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure. What the heck is role-puzzling, you may ask? Well, we've spent the past few years building the kind of world that you'd expect to find in a role-playing game: curious towns and moody wilderness areas to explore, quirky characters to meet, and weirdo monsters to battle in dungeons. But in Arranger, everything is expressed through the language of a puzzle game. Hence: role-puzzling!

The entire game world exists on a sprawling, interconnected gameplay grid, and as our protagonist Jemma moves around, everything on the same row or column moves with her. She can also loop herself - or other objects - from one edge of the grid to the other. Over the course of our 8-10 hour, single-player adventure, we regularly twist and subvert these simple mechanics in a host of interesting ways, trying to keep things breezy while still providing some satisfying head-scratchers. (And several assist options to skip past them if you're not in the mood.)

Late last year, Square Enix unveiled Visions of Mana—the Japanese publisher stated that they had set a general 2024 launch window for their colorful action role-playing sequel, with a planned release across PC, plus current and past generation console platforms. Microsoft's recent Xbox Developer_Direct presentation included a prominent slot for Visions of Mana and its development team—many news outlets started to speculate about the ongoing relationship between Square Enix and Xbox Game Studios. The game appears to be scheduled for a "Summer 2024" launch, although some leaked material alludes to a "Day One" release on the Xbox and PC Game Pass subscription service.

Square Enix is perceived—by the wider gaming community—to have close ties to the Sony PlayStation ecosystem, due to a regular rollout of exclusive titles. For example, the Final Fantasy franchise back catalog is not well represented on Xbox systems—this could change in 2024 and beyond; a port of Final Fantasy XIV Online was announced by Phil Spencer last year at a Fan Fest event. The embracing of Xbox platforms is certainly a novel concept at this point in time, but Microsoft's gaming division has been fighting hard to form new allegiances. Eurogamer has reported that references that tie Visions of Mana to a "Day One Game Pass launch" have been scrubbed from the internet: "There's no longer any mention of Game Pass when searching for the game and its entry on the Xbox website simply states "coming summer 2024" on both console and PC. As such, this could be a mistake. But many fans are hopeful of its Game Pass arrival."

Designed for Xbox premiered its first collection with a variety of gaming accessories in playful pastel tones last spring. This year, it's time to sparkle and shine for Designed for Xbox's second collection! The new Designed for Xbox Summer Collection 2023 will include 7 shimmery, glimmery accessories for every Xbox player wanting to outsparkle the competition. Designed especially for you and crafted by our amazing partners, each product brings a unique flare that will surely brighten up any gaming session.

PowerA Advantage Wired Controller for Xbox Series X|S - Sparkle
Add some stellar style and performance to your game with the PowerA Advantage Wired Controller for Xbox Series X|S in an all-new purple sparkle design. With glittering swirls of purple and gold, this one-of-a-kind controller looks like it was sent from a deep-space nebula. Licensed by Xbox, this controller features two mappable Advanced Gaming Buttons you can program on-the-fly, and 3-Way Trigger Locks for game-specific trigger depth. Works great on Windows 10/11 too. Quality backed with a 2-year limited warranty.

What do heists, dinosaurs falling out of the skies, and puzzles all have in common? If it is anything other than "games coming to Xbox Game Pass", I would very much like to know! We have games coming soon that we announced during the Xbox and Bethesda Showcase (looking at you, Exoprimal), and we even have a surprise return today with Grand Theft Auto V. Let's get to the games!

Available Today: Grand Theft Auto V (Cloud and Console)
When a young street hustler, a retired bank robber, and a terrifying psychopath find themselves entangled with some of the most frightening and deranged elements of the criminal underworld, the U.S. government, and the entertainment industry, they must pull off a series of dangerous heists to survive in a ruthless city in which they can trust nobody—least of all each other. Includes both the Xbox One and the Xbox Series X|S versions of Grand Theft Auto V.

Microsoft is determined to get the entirety of its Windows 10 userbase onto the final version - 22H2 - by early summer. Older iterations including 21H2 (issued in November of 2021), will not receive official support beyond the date: June 13 2023. The announcement crept out quietly last week, via the company's Learn Documentation center: "Home, Pro, Pro Education, and Pro for Workstations editions of Windows 10, version 21H2 will reach end of servicing. The upcoming June 2023 security update, to be released on June 13, 2023, will be the last update available for these versions. After this date, devices running these version will no longer receive monthly security and preview updates containing protections from the latest security threats."

The reminder does not give specific details about rollout timings, but news outlets reckon that OS-focused enforcements will begin in early June: "To help keep you protected and productive, Windows Update will automatically initiate a feature update for Windows 10 consumer devices and non-managed business devices that are at, or within several months of, reaching end of servicing. This keeps your device supported and receiving monthly updates that are critical to security and ecosystem health. For these devices, you will be able to choose a convenient time for your device to restart and complete the update." Microsoft provides further advice and recommends that users update (manually) to version 2H22 at the earliest opportunity, or take the larger step of transferring to Windows 11. Last month TPU reported on a similar official advisory blog entry, where the author/product manager (in effect) proposed "that current Windows 10 users move to 11 as soon as possible, in order to enjoy a continued stream of feature updates."

In Remnant 2, the Handler and their loyal companion work together to take down the toughest enemies. Venturing into the apocalypse alone can be daunting, so bringing a friend is always a good idea. Introducing: The Handler Archetype. Venturing into the apocalypse alone can be daunting, so bringing a friend is always a good idea.

Unimaginable Worlds. Unrelenting Odds. Remnant 2 is the sequel to the best-selling game Remnant: From the Ashes that pits survivors of humanity against new deadly creatures and god-like bosses across terrifying worlds. Play solo or co-op with two other friends to explore the depths of the unknown to stop an evil from destroying reality itself. To succeed, players will need to rely on their own skills and those of their team to overcome the toughest challenges and to stave off humanity's extinction.

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."

According to Bloomberg, which first predicted the arrival of Apple custom processors in MacBooks, we have another piece of information regarding Apple's upcoming MacBook Pro lineup, set to arrive this summer. As you are aware, MacBook Pro right now comes in two different variants. The first is a smaller 13-inch design that is powered by Apple's M1 chip, while the second is a 16-inch design powered by an Intel Core processor. However, it seems like that will no longer be the case when the next-generation lineup arrives. Starting this summer, all of the MacBook Pro models will have Apple's custom silicon powering these devices, which bring Intel's presence to an end.

And the successor to the now-famous M1 chip seems to be very good. As per the report, Apple is upgrading the architecture and the total core count. There are two different chips, codenamed Jade C-Chop and Jade C-Die. Both are 10-core designs, equipped with two small and eight big cores. The difference between the two is the total number of graphics cores enabled. The smaller version will have 16 graphics cores, while the bigger one will have 32 graphics cores. On the SoC, there will be an updated Neural Engine, for better AI processing. These new processors will come with up to 64 GB of RAM in selected configurations as well. The report also notes the arrival of HDMI port, SD card slot, and MagSafe for charging.

Last time we have reported that the situation with NVIDIA taking over Arm is getting serious, and it was reported that their talks were getting quite advanced. Today, we are getting new information regarding this, from the sources of Evening Standard. According to their information, the deal is supposed to be done by the time summer ends. That puts the timing of the deal very close to the present, so we could expect to see more details very soon. The venture is worth a lot, as Softbank is asking as much as 40 billion GBP, which is around 52.62 billion USD. It also goes to show just how much Arm Ltd. has grown in value from the 31 billion USD number Softbank paid in 2016 to acquire it.

TechPowerUp partners with Montech to bring you the TechPowerUp-Montech Summer Giveaway. Montech is an emerging AAA gaming PC hardware brand with top-tier gaming PC cases, power supplies, case fans, and gaming peripherals, with a vast product line under development. The company made its intentions crystal with premium cases, 80 Plus Gold-rated full-modular power supplies, and case fans with the latest impeller and bearing designs. As part of the TechPowerUp-Montech Summer Giveaway, nine lucky winners from the Continental United States stand a chance to bring home some cool Montech gear.

Three lucky winners get a Montech Air X (black+mesh) mid-tower case, each, that packs a pair of large 200 mm front intake fans that build positive air pressure along with a rear 120 mm exhaust, and give you a wealth of storage, cable-management, and liquid cooling preparation. Three other lucky winners get a Montech Gamma II 650 W, a top-shelf full-modular power supply that's 80 Plus Gold rated, offers APFC, DC-to-DC switching, flat ribbon cables, and a noise optimized 120 mm fan. Lastly, three lucky winners get a Montech Beta 550 W PSU, which covers all the bases for a gaming PC, providing all the essential connectivity for a stable single GPU build, with 80 Plus Bronze efficiency. So that's 9 lucky winners, and 9 pieces of Montech hardware to go. Open for entries from the Continental US (excluding Alaska), the giveaway runs till July 30. To participate, simply fill up a short form that helps us contact you if you've won.

For more information and to participate, visit this page.

Summer is traditionally a season for togetherness - family vacations, backyard barbeques and outdoor festivals. Of course, all things traditional have been upended recently and the concept of togetherness has been redefined. As a father of two young girls whose job requires experiencing the latest Dell gaming systems and gaming titles, I've had to balance home with work. Sure, we might take turns playing our favorite games, but even in our cozy family ecosystem we all need space to do our own things. It's that recognition of individual needs that brings families together and makes me appreciate the Dell G Series even more - this is a product ecosystem designed for gamers at every level.

With its myriad of form factors, colors and configurations, the G Series stands out as one of the broadest selections of gaming systems Dell has ever offered. Its appeal parallels the strong growth of the PC gaming industry and the big tent of gamers it welcomes. What's consistent across the G Series ecosystem is the upscale design, performance muscle and great value - ultimately delivering the best gaming experiences without a significant investment. Dell is introducing the new G7 15/17, a powerful gaming laptop that stands out with its own sophisticated style that can easily go from classroom to gaming.

2020's Game Developers Conference (GDC), originally set to be live from March 16th through March 20th, was one of the first tech shows to be cancelled in wake of the Sars-Cov-2 outbreak. Now, the organization has announced that the event has been rescheduled a full 5 months later for August 2020. The event has been set for a three-day "GDC Summer" still taking place in Moscone Center in San Francisco, USA, starting August 4th and ending August 6th. Passes for the exhibition are already available, with early takers being offered heavy discounts over the on-floor passes.

GDC has been the stage for a number of high-profile gaming and services announcements, with the 2019 edition seeing announcements for Google's Stadia, EPIC Games detailing new features for its Unreal engine, and AMD taking the lid of their (then) upcoming 3rd generation Ryzen CPUs. Intel was first expected to detail their Xe graphics architecture at GDC 2020. It remains to be seen whether the blue giant will still be doing so in wake of this delay, or if the company will find an in-house (albeit likely online) alternative to get word of mouth flowing on their upcoming high performance graphics architecture.

A Steam page store has appeared for Guerrilla Games' PlayStation exclusive Horizon Zero Dawn. If you haven't played this game yet, I'll assume you don't have a PlayStation; and if so, boy: are you in for a treat. Horizon Zero Dawn has you playing as Aloy, a native to this alternate reality where dinosaur-like machines have taken over the wilds. As you expand on the story and go on to discover the secrets to this world - and to humanity's downfall - you'll travel across a seamless, richly-detailed open-world experience that rivals The Witcher III: Wild Hunt.

Horizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition will feature both the base game and its The Frozen Wilds Expansion, which adds dozens of hours, new equipment, new lands, skills, and Machines for you to hunt. This looks like Sony's way (and continued efforts) to show you, years later, what you've been missing out on in the PlayStation platform, and I bet Sony's wishing these exclusive games hitting the PC will give you the PlayStation 5 hitch. Now if only the same happened for the incredible God of War...

This Summer, push your PC's capabilities without making it sound like a jet engine, by giving it the ultimate pacifier: be quiet! You could buy their vast selection of CPU coolers, fans, cases, or power supplies from your favorite retailer, or try your luck with the TechPowerUp be quiet! Upgrade Kit Giveaway. Open from today till the 13th of June for residents of the United Kingdom, European Union, United States, and Canada, the Giveaway lets you win an entire upgrade kit that consists of a be quiet! Silent Base 601 Window Black case, a Straight Power 11 650W power supply, and a Dark Rock Slim CPU Cooler. The first runner up wins a combination of the same case and CPU cooler, while the second runner up wins the CPU cooler. All you have to do is to fill up a short form that helps us get back to you if you've won. It's that easy to give your precious hardware the Summer vacation it deserves.

For more information, and to participate, visit this page.

Prices of PC DDR4 memory modules are normalizing to 3-year lows as the pre-Summer PC upgrade season looms and several AAA game launches line up. 8 GB (2x 4 GB) dual-channel DDR4 memory kits have dropped to around USD $50 on popular PC component retailers such as Newegg, 16 GB (2x 8 GB) kits can be had for $80 at DDR4-2667 speeds. Premium 16 GB dual-channel kits (DDR4-3200 and above) start at $99. Premium 16 GB kits with RGB embellishments now typically start at $120.

Perhaps the biggest news from these memory price drops come in the form of capacity. 32 GB dual-channel (2x 16 GB) memory kits now start for as little as $144, for a kit with two dual-rank DDR4-2667 modules. Premium 32 GB kits, with RGB lighting and speeds as high as DDR4-3000 now start at $180. HEDT builders also have reason to cheer, as 32 GB quad-channel (4x 8 GB) kits start for as little as $150, and premium kits with DDR4-3000 frequency can be had for as little as $184. Newegg and the US aren't the only places you can find sharp drops in memory prices. Even across the big pond in Germany, we've been tracking significant drops in memory prices, with 16 GB dual-channel kits starting at 79€, premium 16 GB kits around 100€, 32 GB kits at 160€, and premium 32 GB kits around 190€.