Over the past month and a half, PC hardware retailers have tasked themselves with sharing of all sorts of bad news to their respective customer bases. Inet AB has outlined the outlook for regional availability of GeForce RTX 5070 graphics cards, but a newer blog entry focuses on the Team Red side of things. The popular Swedish store put a spotlight on today's launch of RDNA 4 products: "we have learned how the recommended prices, also known as MSRP prices, work for the launch of the AMD Radeon RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT. We are not allowed to say exact prices.., but simply put, they will apply to a limited number of cards. For this release, we will have MSRP prices from three manufacturers, all of whom have both an RX 9070 and an RX 9070 XT at MSRP." According to Inet's product table, the brands are: ASUS, PowerColor and SAPPHIRE. Respectively, the PRIME, Reaper and PULSE product families serve as substitutes to (absent) AMD-built equivalents.

So far, the retail launch of Radeon 9070 Series has experienced fewer hiccups—when compared to recent GeForce RTX 50-series releases. Unfortunately, Inet has indicated that price climbs are in the pipeline for AMD's brand-new RDNA 4 generation. The shop's blog elaborated on shifting circumstances: "the prices only apply to the first shipment of each model. For Sapphire and ASUS it will be just as usual, we have only received one shipment, and you can buy it until it runs out, but with PowerColor it will be different. In other words, only the cards that were released with MSRP prices at release will be sold for the lower price." Earlier today, Overclockers UK's initial batch of "baseline price conformant" stock was depleted rapidly—forum and social media posts boasted about "thousands of units" being amassed in a warehouse, prior to launch. Gibbo—a well-liked OCUK employee—shared some additional insight (yesterday): "I feel stock will be fine for a few days. MSRP is capped quantity of a few hundred, so prices will jump once those are sold through. Re-stocks and pricing is unknown going forward, nobody really knows what April will bring due to instability in world with USA starting to rage a trade war, we are all hopeful it won't impact computer stuff, but who knows."

Inet AB—one of the largest Swedish e-tail stores—has alerted its customer base with foreboding information. NVIDIA and its board partners are expected to launch GeForce RTX 5070 graphics cards tomorrow (March 5)—reviews have started to trickle out; including TechPowerUp's freshly-published evaluation of the Founders Edition. According to the Scandinavian shop's blog, they anticipate major supply problems: "unfortunately it looks like we won't be able to release the cards then. This is simply because we don't seem to be getting any cards in stock. Just like with other models in the RTX 50 series, we will release new cards one by one as they land in stock, and only make a fuss in cases where we might receive large deliveries." A week and a half ago, supply chain insiders alluded to significant problems that have reportedly affected GeForce RTX 5070 and RTX 5060 production pipelines.

Like many other global PC hardware retail outlets involved in the sale of "Blackwell" GPUs, Inet has offered helpful guidelines in anticipation of limited shipments: "we hope to start releasing cards and (pre-built) computers with GeForce RTX 5070 in the coming weeks. If you want to buy RTX 5070, we recommend that you keep an eye on inet.se and use 'Notify me' on each product page, then you will receive an email when we release them for order. Keep in mind, however, that many people use this function, so the cards may run out quickly after the email goes out." VideoCardz and Australia's Hardware Unboxed have both predicted a grand battle between GeForce RTX 5070 and Radeon RX 9070 XT cards. Team Green tends to stick to its intended release schedules—according to industry watchdogs—even in the face of mounting problems. The tides could be turning again; recent events have allegedly pushed the global launch of GeForce RTX 5060 cards into April.

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.

If you've played a Hazelight Studios game before, you know that the characters they create for you and your co-op partner come with unique personalities, backgrounds, and motivations that produce unforgettable moments as their stories unfold. Hazelight Studios is keeping that trend up as they introduce two new player characters in Split Fiction, which is launching on March 6. Take control of two unpublished authors, Mio and Zoe, who you will quickly find are worlds apart! When you first meet Mio and Zoe, they have been lured into Rader Publishing Headquarters with the promise of a potential publishing deal which goes horribly wrong, trapping them inside a simulation of their stories which you have to help them escape. In this blog, we're diving deeper into their characters so that you can confidently pick your favorite when you get your hands on the game!

Mio Hudson—Science Fiction author
Reserved. Decisive. Realist. Introvert. Raised in the city with her father, Mio has barely scraped by for the last couple of years. She isn't looking for fame or recognition as an author, she's just in it for the money. Her love for all things sci-fi is reflected in her literary works, taking place in neon-lit cyberpunk cities, harsh futuristic weapon plants, and even in the coldness of outer space. Expect to see her love for sci-fi shine through in the abilities she gains inside the simulations, where she may become a gravity-defying ninja equipped with a lethally sharp energy sword, wear an advanced exosuit that grants remote control of drones, or dual-wield laser blasters in futuristic combat armor.

Keep Driving is finally out! It's hard to express how it feels releasing a game we've worked on since 2016. We failed once, put it on ice, came back to it and devoted all our effort to make it happen. It's been helluva project, much bigger than we initially thought it would be, but we're incredibly proud to finally say: IT'S OUT! Thanks so much to all of you who have come on this ride with us in the months since we announced. When we revealed our game last fall, we would've never thought we'd have this much support at launch. We really hope you enjoy this game, we've worked so hard on making it.

What is Keep Driving?
Keep Driving is a management RPG about slowly making your way through a procedurally generated pixel art open world. Pick up hitchhikers with their own personalities and stories; upgrade, customize and repair your car. Solve challenges on the road using a unique turn-based "combat" system, using your own skills and whatever's lying around in the glovebox to make it through and explore your summer possibilities.

Paradox Interactive AB (Paradox) has signed a binding agreement to acquire all shares in Haemimont Games AD (Haemimont Games). The acquisition is a further step in Paradox's strategic focus on growing in the management games genre, by building a strong internal capability that complements the Group's current studio organization. "We are very happy to welcome Haemimont Games to Paradox!" said Fredrik Wester, CEO of Paradox. "They bring a tight-knit team with long experience in developing management games with many well received projects in their portfolio. Moreover, they have a strong creative streak, technology developed for their niche, a new IP in development and a strong culture that fits Paradox's way of working. We have strong faith in their team and leadership, and our main focus now is to ensure that they can continue to create great games under new ownership."

Following the acquisition, Haemimont Games will be a wholly owned subsidiary of Paradox. The current leadership and team will remain active with the studio, and the studio's ongoing projects will remain in development. "We're delighted to become a part of the Paradox family!" said Gabriel Dobrev, Founder of Haemimont Games. "The cultural fit between our companies is remarkable, and we already feel at home. This partnership empowers us to push the boundaries of our games, delivering deeper and more intense experiences to our players. It also opens new horizons for our team, technology, and creative processes, which we're eager to explore. Expect amazing new games from us!" The acquisition consists of an upfront cash consideration and a performance-based earnout of similar size that is to be paid out over the coming years. Haemimont Games and Paradox have agreed to not disclose the purchasing price at this point. The acquisition is financed with cash at hand and expected to be completed within a few days.

The Board of Directors of Starbreeze has appointed the current board member Juergen Goeldner as interim CEO of Starbreeze, taking office with immediate effect. A recruitment process for a permanent CEO has been initiated. Juergen Goeldner has spent 40 years in the gaming industry and has had several executive positions. His last executive position was as CEO of Focus Home Interactive. Juergen Goeldner has been a board member of Starbreeze since 2023. "The company has a clear strategy centered around creating attractive games on our own and licensed IPs. The board's consolidated assessment is that the execution of strategy needs a different leadership. Juergen Goeldner has been part of the board since 2023 and, with over 40 years of industry experience, is a strong interim solution," says Torgny Hellström, Chairman of Starbreeze.

Tobias will be available to Starbreeze for a smooth transition. "On behalf of the board of directors, I would like to thank Tobias Sjögren for his achievements during the past three years. Tobias took over the helm of Starbreeze in a challenging phase of its journey and we wish him well in his future endeavors," Torgny Hellström continues. "Starbreeze has a strong history of developing and publishing games globally. After launching Payday 3, the company is well-positioned to leverage the strengths of the organization to monetize and develop the IP portfolio. I am looking forward to assuming an operative position and, together with the management, ensure the execution of this strategy," says Juergen Goeldner, interim CEO of Starbreeze. Juergen's role as a board member and the nomination to chairman is not affected by this appointment.

Ubisoft has confirmed that development on Tom Clancy's The Division 3 is underway, with the reappointment of a series veteran—Julian Gerighty will become the Executive Producer for The Division Universe "once Star Wars Outlaws - a game he is currently overseeing as Creative Director - has shipped." The publisher's low-key press release reveals that Gerighty is not making an enormous geographical move—he is simply moving up the rankings at Massive Entertainment (a Ubisoft-owned studio located in Malmö, Sweden). The French video game publisher revealed initial plans for the next mainline entry in their popular online-only action role-playing series: "A core focus of Gerighty's is to build a team for Tom Clancy's The Division 3, which will be led by Massive Entertainment, while making sure Tom Clancy's The Division 2 remains well supported. Outside of that, his attention will be on a solidification of brand identity."

He will oversee work on existing live service games, including Tom Clancy's The Division Resurgence (on mobile), and franchise spin-off—The Division Heartland—a free-to-play survival-action shooter (developed by Red Storm Entertainment). Gerighty stated: "We may have over 40 million players, but The Division is still in its early years as a franchise. There are so many incredible stories to tell, places to explore and people to protect." A high bar has been set with presentation, he continued: "I think that we delivered that with Tom Clancy's The Division's cutting-edge visuals, incredible gameplay, and promise to the player that they can't get this experience anywhere else, and then again with Tom Clancy's The Division 2. It's about refinement, it's about pushing the quality bar consistently forward."

As we close in on 15 years since the release of Battlefield 1943, and Bad Company 1 & 2, we are announcing that their journey is coming to an end. Starting April 28 2023, Battlefield 1943, and Battlefield: Bad Company 1 & 2 will be removed from digital storefronts and you will no longer be able to purchase them.

This is in preparation for the retirement of the online services for these titles which will happen on December 8 2023. For Bad Company 1 and 2, you can still continue playing them and use their respective offline features, such as the single player campaign. You can also read our FAQ and Service Updates for further information on the retirement of online services.

Update 14:17 UTC: EA updated their press release this morning, to clarify that the inclusion of Mirror's Edge was an error. They stated via Twitter: "We currently have no plans to remove Mirror's Edge from digital storefronts."

Church Of Kopimism: The New File Sharing Religion (updated)

With file sharers all over the world being hunted by copyright holders and aided by the governments they lobby, there's now a new angle to this fight: file sharers turn their hobby into a religion. Since 2010, a group of self-confessed Swedish 'pirates' have tried to have their beliefs recognized as an official religion, but were denied several times. However, just before Christmas, they have finally succeeded in convincing the authorities that the Church Of Kopimism is a real, genuine bona fide religion. How they exactly achieved this isn't clear, however. The Missionary Church of Kopimism was founded by philosophy student Isak Gerson, who is one of a large group of Swedes that believe file copying to be a sacred act. Gerson is ecstatic at this development and hopes more people will now feel able to come out as 'Kopimists'.

Gerson explained to TorrentFreak, "I think that more people will have the courage to step out as Kopimists. Maybe not in the public, but at least to their close ones. There's still a legal stigma around copying for many. A lot of people still worry about going to jail when copying and remixing. I hope in the name of Kopimi that this will change."