Welcome to the middle of October and a slight shift in pace, as this coming week has multiple big releases, albeit no AAA launches. Our top pick for this week involves strapping yourself into a massive, walking machine of destruction in a franchise that kicked off all the way back in 1989. This is followed by some galaxy conquering, a friendly wolf and its human friend, you starting up human civilization on a new planet, a Roman style city builder, silence please and something unknown that's waking up.

MechWarrior 5: Clans / This week's major release / Thursday 17 October
In MechWarrior 5: Clans, players take on the role of a newly graduated pilot from the Smoke Jaguar cadet program, thrust into the heart of the Clan Invasion of the Inner Sphere during Operation Revival. This pivotal moment in the MechWarrior universe sees players leading a five-mech "Star" squad across numerous planets with diverse biomes, engaging in an expansive campaign filled with immersive gameplay and intricate combat encounters. Armed with customizable BattleMechs featuring cutting-edge technologies, players explore a wealth of tactical options and strategic possibilities. Steam link

After nearly 15 years of legal disputes, Infineon Technologies and Qimonda's insolvency administrator have reached a final settlement, with Infineon agreeing to pay €800 million. The conflict centered on the valuation of memory business assets that Infineon spun off in 2006 to create Qimonda, once a global leader in memory chip manufacturing with 13,500 employees worldwide.

Qimonda's journey was short-lived. It debuted on the New York Stock Exchange in August 2006 but filed for insolvency by January 2009. Legal proceedings initiated in 2010 focused on claims that Qimonda's balance sheet was underfunded during the spin-off. The insolvency administrator alleged that the transferred memory business was undervalued, leading to a lawsuit for reimbursement of the share value discrepancy.

Lead a nation of your design through a history shaped by your choices in Millennia, a new 4x historical strategy game from C Prompt Games and Paradox Interactive. Guide your people from the stone to a near future, maybe taking detours through historical ages of plague or steampunk technology in Millennia, available now. From us at Paradox Interactive & C Prompt Games, we hope you love the game!

Define history; turn by turn and age by age. In Millennia, you start with a blank slate on which to write a new society and culture. Choose traits and government forms as you accumulate power through a variety of domains (government, war, art, etc.), using these powers to expand and exploit the world around you. Develop a production chain to transform common resources into valuable goods, and then trade the surplus to a distant settlement, boosting its population and production. Define your nation as a land of warriors, explorers or learners as you adopt new traits over time.

Welcome to the month of March, which we kick off with some American play fighting and although this is the biggest release this week, it's not what we'd call a AAA release. We obviously have a range of other games for you as well, ranging from a morally ambiguous RPG to a muddy driving game followed by a physiological horror title, a very Finnish adventure and nine days of preparation.

WWE 2K24 / This week's major release / Friday 8 March
WWE 2K24 boasts a star-studded roster featuring WWE Legends like "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, Undertaker, and Andre the Giant, alongside current WWE Superstars like "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes, John Cena, Rhea Ripley, and Roman Reigns, whose larger-than-life entrances and signature moves are heightened by ultra-realistic graphics. WrestleMania is the biggest event in sports entertainment, where Superstars become WWE Legends. Experience a gripping retelling of WrestleMania's greatest moments in 2K Showcase of the Immortals, where you can relive a collection of some of the most unforgettable, career-defining matches. Steam Link

One of the key features of Helldivers 2 is The Galactic War. Super Earth's territories are under siege on all fronts by monstrous enemies hell-bent on destroying humanity's way of life. From the war table aboard your ship, your team can watch as the conflict unfolds and take part in battles across the universe. You will do your part to advance the frontlines in the name of Freedom and Managed Democracy.

The Helldivers
Helldivers are the true heroes of Super Earth. As an elite soldier, you have the full might of Super Earth's arsenal at your disposal. Use your lethal array of stratagems and weaponry to defend its colonizers and liberate planets from enemy forces. Rise through the ranks and take on increasingly difficult missions to solidify your place in Helldiver history - and if one Helldiver should perish, that's just an opportunity for another Citizen to realize their dream. Prosperity and liberty are your core values and it's your privilege to spread them.

Dear Citizens, it's finally time for The Frostpunk 2 Official Gameplay Trailer (watch the video below)! Discover a city-survival game set 30 years after an apocalyptic blizzard ravaged Earth, transforming our world into a harsh, icy wasteland. In Frostpunk 2, you must face a new deadly threat that appears on the horizon—human nature and its unsatiated thirst for power. Frostpunk 2 will launch on PC in the first half of 2024 and will be available day one with PC Game Pass and later with Xbox Game Pass upon release on Xbox Series X|S. The game is also coming to PlayStation 5.

The city has undergone significant changes since the events of the first Frostpunk. As it's grown in both size and population so has it given rise to diverse and conflicting aspirations among its citizens. However, Frostpunk 2 remains rooted in its focus on an emergent narrative set in a harsh, post-apocalyptic atmosphere. The game takes place 30 years after the apocalyptic blizzard that has taken place in Frostpunk. Earth is still overwhelmed by the neverending frost and harsh, icy climate. You play as the leader of a resource-hungry metropolis where expansion and internal conflicts are an unavoidable reality. It's up to you to make decisions about your City's future and face their consequences.

Intel has secured a $3.2 billion grant from the Israeli government for constructing a new $25 billion chip fabrication facility in southern Israel. This represents the company's largest-ever investment in a manufacturing facility. Intel's expansion aims to strengthen global semiconductor supply chains and reduce reliance on singular geographies like Taiwan. The new Fab 38 plant will be built alongside Intel's existing Fab 28 facility in Kiryat Gat. Construction has already begun, with operations slated to start in 2028 and serve until 2035. Intel expects to create thousands of local jobs as well. The company will receive a reduced 7.5% corporate tax rate and has committed to $16.6 billion in local procurement. The grant comes amid Israel's ongoing conflict with Palestinian militant group Hamas.

However, Intel's decades-long presence and investments in the country showcase economic priorities persevering. Its key processor technology was and is being designed in Israel labs. The Kiryat Gat expansion aligns with Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger's strategy of manufacturing diversification through mega-investments across the US, Europe, and Israel. It follows the company's record $20 billion fab project in Ohio. With significant government subsidies at each site, Intel aims to restore market dominance against rivals like AMD and Nvidia through scale of manufacturing. The new Israeli fab will complement Intel's lineup of leading-edge technologies and help maintain Israel's reputation as a global semiconductor hub.

Detectives, we have arrived! After much anticipation, Sherlock Holmes The Awakened has been released! Enjoy the Lovecraftian madness. We made this game during one heck of a time. We made it while our country is at war. We faced challenges such as constant power outages, irregular work schedules, air raids, evacuations, losing our homes, saying goodbyes to our loved ones (through immigration, or worse), and losing team members so that they could defend our country.

We worked from our homes, our office, and from underground bunkers or train stations. It was an enduring and unending nightmare. But with all this chaos around, working on The Awakened helped us maintain a little sense of normalcy. We truly gave it all - sweat, emotions, and spirit to the development of this game.