As expected, a new trailer for Borderlands 4 officially launched at The Game Awards this week, and, although it has poured cold water on speculation of the return of Gaige, the DLC vault hunter from Borderlands 2, there are some intriguing details in the trailer. For starters, we got a look at what looks to be the next Borderlands villain—or maybe even villains—and it looks like the inter-faction conflicts will play a much larger role in Borderlands 4, with larger-scale conflicts at least being part of the lore, if not the actual gameplay.

The new Game Awards trailer picks up where the previous teaser trailer left off, as teased by Gearbox CEO, Randy Pitchford, but it turns out the robotic arm didn't belong to Gaige, the mechromancer, as previously suspected. Instead, the character picking up the mask at the start of the new trailer appears to be the cruel leader of some sort of robotic bandit militia preparing to do battle against an army of soldiers or drones, who bear some similarities to the Eridian from past Borderlands games and are being led by a single general, who also seems to be a main villain in the game—perhaps some invading force looking to exploit the planet. The resulting conflict between the two rival factions is on a larger scale than we've seen in previous Borderlands games, although there have always been inter-faction conflicts in Borderlands games. Of course, new enemies and factions aren't the only details included in the new Borderlands 4 trailer.

Welcome to the last week of the month of November, which is a weak week for new game releases. The biggest release this week combines steampunk with magic in a fantasy world. This is followed by some sin slaying, some neon coloured blood, a Japanese inspired shop, a scary enigma and finally some parkour in an unexpected environment.

New Arc Line / This week's major release / Tuesday 26 November / Early Access
Take a stand in the eternal conflict between Arcane Magic and Steampunk Revolution and tip the uneasy balance between sorcery, elves, dwarves and mysterious monsters on one side and steampunk gadgets, zeppelins, and tesla guns on the other in this single-player, party-based, story-rich RPG. Steam link

While the current generation of AMD graphics cards employs RDNA 3 at its core, and the upcoming RX 8000 series will feature RDNA 4, the latest leaks suggest RDNA 5 is not in development. Instead, UDNA will succeed RDNA 4, simplifying AMD's GPU roadmap. A credible source on the Chiphell forums, zhangzhonghao, reports that the UDNA-based RX 9000 series and Instinct MI400 AI accelerator will incorporate the same advanced Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU) designs in both products, reminiscent of AMD's earlier GCN architectures before the CDNA and RDNA split. Sony's next-generation PlayStation 6 is also rumored to adopt UDNA technology. The PS5 and PS5 Pro currently utilize RDNA 2, while the Pro variant integrates elements of RDNA 4 for enhanced ray tracing. The PS6's CPU configuration remains unclear, but speculation revolves around Zen 4 or Zen 5 architectures.

The first UDNA gaming GPUs are expected to enter production by Q2 2026. Interestingly, AMD's RDNA 4 GPUs are anticipated to focus on entry-level to mid-range markets, potentially leaving high-end offerings until the UDNA generation. This strategic pause may allow AMD to refine AI-accelerated technologies like FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) 4, aiming to compete with NVIDIA's DLSS. This unification is inspired by NVIDIA's CUDA ecosystem, which supports cross-platform compatibility from laptops to high-performance servers. As AMD sees it, the decision addresses the challenges posed by maintaining separate architectures, which complicate memory subsystem optimizations and hinder forward and backward compatibility. Putting developer resources into RDNA 5 is not economically or strategically wise, given that UDNA is about to take over. Additionally, the company is enabling ROCm software support across all products ranging from consumer Radeon to enterprise Instinct MI. Accelerating software for one platform will translate to the entire product stack.

Welcome to the last full week of October and boy is it going to be a busy week of new game releases. This week's AAA release is said to force you to go rogue on your tour of duty. Next you'll be starting your own tentacle cult, which if followed by being kicked out of hell for the second time, an inaccurate history lesson, being blown away by the wind and finally being turned into a blue hedgehog.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 / This week's AAA title / Friday 25 October
Developed by Treyarch and Raven, Black Ops 6 is a spy action thriller set in the early 90s, a period of transition and upheaval in global politics, characterized by the end of the Cold War and the rise of the United States as a single superpower. With a mind-bending narrative, and unbound by the rules of engagement, this is signature Black Ops. The Black Ops 6 Campaign provides dynamic moment-to-moment gameplay that includes a variety of play spaces with blockbuster set pieces and action-packed moments, high-stakes heists, and cloak-and-dagger spy activity. Steam link

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

Welcome to the month of September, the start of autumn for some and the start of spring for others. The new month starts off at a higher tempo than last month, but there are no AAA releases this month, although there are multiple larger releases. This week's major release is a new take on the traditional first person tactical shooter genre, where there are two of you. This is followed by a WWII tactical stealth adventure, a trucking game, but in space, a godly remake, a tavern and finally a sleuth game with a Japanese twist. Don't forget to change over your wardrobes this week.

Spectre Divide / This week's major release / Tuesday 3 September
Spectre Divide is the genre-evolving, competitive 3v3 tactical shooter driven by Duality. Use Duality to control two bodies in real-time, letting you defend two sites at once, cover your own cross, or even trade yourself. Master tactical gunplay and an arsenal of future tech to achieve infamy. Steam Link

Latest reports indicate that sanctioned Chinese PC hardware manufacturer DeepCool's products have appeared on major US online marketplaces under the brand "Shaking Tank," as revealed by YouTuber Greg Salazar on social media platform X. This comes two months after the US State Department sanctioned DeepCool for alleged business with Russian firms involved in the Ukraine conflict, barring US sales and imports of their products. Despite this, retailers like Amazon and Newegg list apparent DeepCool products under the Shaking Tank brand. These listings show product renders with the DeepCool logo blurred or removed. Fan hubs previously displaying the DeepCool emblem now show blank spaces, and product packaging has obscured identifying marks. Examples include the DeepCool AK620 and LS720 models, now advertised as ShakingTank AK620 and LS720.

The nature of this rebranding still needs to be clarified. While DeepCool adopting a new name to bypass sanctions would likely face severe legal consequences, more plausible explanations include a reseller rebranding remaining inventory or retailers clearing sanctioned stock. This situation questions trade sanctions' effectiveness and enforcement in the global marketplace, leaving consumers uncertain about DeepCool's future in the US market and potential impacts on international trade regulations.

Welcome to the end of August and this week, we have a bunch of new releases for your perusal. This week's AAA release allegedly has something to do with criminals in a galaxy far far away. The remaining releases this week contain some other big releases as well and the week starts off with a post-apocalyptic survival city builder, which is followed by you waging war as a god, if that's what you're into. If big flying robots are your thing, then there's a game for you this week, alternatively we have a game for those that prefer fast cars. The week ends on a bit of a slower note with a Japanese action-RPG and an office RPG or sorts.

Star Wars Outlaws / This week's AAA release / Friday 30 August
Experience the first-ever open world Star Wars game, set between the events of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Explore distinct locations across the galaxy, both iconic and new. Risk it all as Kay Vess, a scoundrel seeking freedom and the means to start a new life, along with her companion Nix. Fight, steal, and outwit your way through the galaxy's crime syndicates as you join the galaxy's most wanted. Not on Steam, but available on uPlay and EGS. Gold Preorder ($110) gets headstart on Tuesday

Tachyum today announced the final build of its Prodigy FPGA emulation system in advance of chip production and general availability next year. As part of the announcement, the company is also ending its purchase program for prototype systems that was previously offered to commercial and federal customers.

These last hardware FPGA prototype units will ensure Tachyum hits its extreme-reliability test targets of more than 10 quadrillion cycles prior to tape-out and before the first Prodigy chips hit the market. Tachyum's software emulation system - and access to it - is expanding with additional availability of open-source software ported ahead of Prodigy's upstreaming.

Welcome to the first week of August and for those of you living in the Nordics, welcome back to work after a month of holiday. This week's major release is based on a manga that became an anime hit on Netflix that involves bouncy things. This is followed by retro fields, a Scottish game that has neither kilts nor bagpipes, a rather different take on Warhammer 40K, a creature centric game, a steamy heist sequel, pirate cats and a kingdom of rats. No huge releases this week either, but still a pretty solid line-up of new games.

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime ISEKAI Chronicles / This week's major release / Thursday 8 August
Spin a new tale of the Jura Tempest Federation together with all your favorite characters from the animated series! Players can enjoy thrilling action battles that combine flashy special moves and powerful combos. Through leveling up bonds with friends, Rimuru will learn Special Attacks, and even have allies join in to back up Rimuru's attack. Finish off formidable enemies that are coming to destroy Tempest with Secret Skills animated in retro 8-bit style! Steam link

After several slow weeks of new game releases, we now have a week that's overflowing with new game releases. The most anticipated release this week is an online PvPvE dungeon crawler, built on Unreal Engine 5. This is followed by a crusty space game, an evil game, a game that involves attracting birds to you, a dystopian New York of the future, a bit of Japanese folklore, some more dungeons, fighting some gods and finally being a Japanese goddess. Yes, we threw in a bunch of extra games this week, yet we're not able to cover all the new releases that are coming out.

Dungeonborne / This week's major release / Friday 19 July / Early Access
Dungeonborne is an immersive first-person PvPvE dungeon crawler. Venture solo or join forces with trusted companions to hunt for treasure, explore ominous dungeons, and battle terrifying monsters and cunning adversaries. Escape before succumbing to darkness and greed. Embrace your role as a Fighter, Priest, Rogue, Swordmaster, Pyromancer, Cryomancer, Death Knight, or Druid. With first-person clarity, feel the power of each spell, the weight of your weapons, and the strategic impact of every decision. Charge into battle, unleash devastating skills to disrupt enemy formations, cast life-saving buffs on allies, or use tactical throwables to turn the tide. Steam link

As we enter the last week of June and head towards darkness again in the Northern Hemisphere (remember, it's only six months until Christmas), we can look forward to another slow week of new releases. This week's major release is a remake of a puzzle adventure game from 1997. There's also a strategy game DLC, a shootout, a time travel adventure, some racing and some chasing to look forward to, if that's your kind of thing.

Riven / This week's major release and remake / Tuesday 25 June
Riven takes you on a journey through dense jungles, awe-inspiring caverns, and monolithic structures. Explore a world bent to the whims of a man who sees himself as a god and where every corner will immerse you in an otherworldly adventure. Uncover a story of intrigue, betrayal, and a civilization teetering on the brink of collapse as you solve intricate puzzles to unlock the secrets of Riven. Built from the ground-up and expanded from the award-winning original game released in 1997. Steam Link

After a couple of slow weeks of new game releases, we're finally back on track with a wealth of new game releases this week. We even have a AAA title, although some of you might disagree with it being such, mainly due to the blue aliens and there being four different editions of the game. When it comes to the rest of this week's releases, we have a city builder with sacrifices, a medieval inspired MMO, a very sandy game that has nothing to do with giant worms, a Viking inspired online co-op game, a DLC for a very popular RPG game and a dystopian city builder.

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora coming to Steam / This week's AAA release / Monday 17 June
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is a first-person, action-adventure game set in the Western Frontier. Abducted by the RDA, you, a Na'vi, were molded to serve their purpose. Fifteen years later, you are free, but find yourself a stranger in your birthplace. Reconnect with your lost heritage and discover what it truly means to be Na'vi as you join other clans to protect Pandora. Steam link

Bologna-based independent developer Dreambits Studio are pleased to unveil their Medievalpunk demolition derby game War of Wheels, coming soon to Steam. Explore the destructible environments of the realm and smash through automobile armies in this epic single-player experience, with a new demo available now!

In War of Wheels, speed through fierce battles in the kingdom of Zeranthia as you fight opposing armies, while building your own, as you attempt to gain control of Aether, the kingdom's powerful source of magic. Discover multiple realms, filled with arctic glaciers and scorching volcanoes, as well as cities, dense forests and vast plains. Discover hidden secrets, outposts and Aether mines, as well as huge pitched battles to test the capabilities of your combat car.

Welcome to the 20th week of 2024 and this week kicks off with a huge AAA space saga that some of you have been eagerly waiting for. However, we have a second AAA title this week, which is a few years old Playstation game that, despite the title, doesn't have anything to do with ghosts. The rest of this week's releases involve aliens, rhythms, world wars and pirates.

Homeworld 3 / This week's first AAA title / Monday 13 May
Tactical, beautiful, and wholly unique, the GOTY-winning sci-fi RTS returns with Homeworld 3. Assume control and battle through fleet combat in dazzling, fully 3D space while the award-winning story unfolds on a galactic scale. Strategic freedom is yours. Hulking space derelicts called megaliths bring 3D terrain into the classic Homeworld battlespace. Use the crumbling remains of an ancient civilization to funnel foes into a brilliant ambush or hide your fleet from powerful enemies. Fortresses teem with menacing turrets and invite your strike craft into dangerous trench runs deep behind enemy lines. But not everything is in your control. Dangerous space phenomena like particle storms and asteroid fields will test even senior commanders. Steam Link

Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is a highly unique, Japanese-inspired single-player game that blends multiple genres to create an action-packed adventure unlike any other! First revealed in June last year during Xbox Games Showcase 2023, this new title from Capcom will release day one with Game Pass, as well as on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and Windows in 2024.

A New Tale of the Kami Awaits
The story begins when the legendary Mt. Kafuku is covered by an evil defilement and the 12 masks, including their special powers, are stolen. Our protagonist, Soh, must work together with Yoshiro, the Maiden with divine powers, to purge and cleanse the villages of the defilement. The masks worn by Soh and the villagers each feature a different divine power, and these powers are the key to protecting Yoshiro. As you cleanse additional villages from their evil defilement, you'll recover more masks and work together with the various villagers that each mask unlocks to bring Mt. Kafuku back to its original beauty.

EdgeCortix, the Japan-based fabless semiconductor company focused on energy-efficient AI processing, announced today that the Acquisitions, Technology and Logistics Agency (ATLA), Japan Ministry of Defense, will include the groundbreaking edge AI startup alongside an elite group of leading Japanese companies to represent Japan's air and defense innovation landscape at ATLA's booth at the Singapore Airshow to be held February 20 - 25. The Singapore Airshow is one of the largest and most influential shows of its kind in the world, and the largest in Asia, seeing as many as 50,000 attendees per biennial show. Over 1,000 companies from 50 countries are expected to participate in the 2024 show.

EdgeCortix's flagship product, the SAKURA-I chip, will be featured among a small handful of influential Japanese innovations at the booth. SAKURA-I is a dedicated co-processor that delivers high compute efficiency and low latency for artificial intelligence (AI) workloads that are carried out "at the edge", where the data is collected and mission critical decisions need to be made - far away from a datacenter. SAKURA-I delivers orders of magnitude better energy efficiency and processing speed than conventional semiconductors (ex: GPUs & CPUs), while drastically reducing operating costs for end users.

Welcome to the second week of new game releases in 2024 and yet another week full of minor releases. Don't let that put you off though, as there are plenty of new games launching, some of which are not quite what you'd expect. As such, you can look forward to a week of RPG titles, a game where things go boom, a lot of beer, some bonesaws and repairing computers.

Archaelund / Monday 8 January
Explore a vast open world and crawl through dungeons in first person, then fight tactical turn-based battles from a top-down perspective. Guide your adventuring party through Archaelund, mankind's last frontier, and uncover its many secrets.

As we enter the last month of the year, the first week of December starts with a movie based AAA title that is likely to be popular with some and loathed by others. The rest of this coming week's releases aren't quite as impressive, with one exception it seems. However, you can look forward to a mix of underworld dreams, some 4X space action, eggs, another post-apocalyptic MMO and a horror game.

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora / This week's AAA title / Thursday 7 December
Abducted by the human militaristic corporation known as the RDA, you, a Na'vi, were trained and molded to serve their purpose. Fifteen years later, you are free, but find yourself a stranger in your birthplace. Reconnect with your lost heritage, discover what it truly means to be Na'vi, and join other clans to protect Pandora from the RDA.

As we enter the last week of November and the first day of December, we might not have any AAA releases, but this week's major release does nonetheless hold a high production value and promises something a bit different when it comes to WWII RTS games. This week's other releases involve shapes, a JRPG, a retro FPS, something to do with the Sheriff of Nottingham and finally a world of steam.

Last Train Home / This week's major release / Tuesday 28 November
Embark on a desperate mission through the depths of a war-torn wasteland. Your goal is to guide Czechoslovak soldiers back home onboard an armored train, but the path ahead is fraught with peril. Caught in the middle of a brutal civil war between Russia's Red and White Armies, your unit must remain in fighting shape, managing what little resources you have and maintaining morale at all costs. Venture through the bleak and unforgiving landscape of Siberia, where the freezing cold and the merciless environment will push you to your very limit. Resources are scarce and your crew is exhausted, but you must keep pushing forward.

A free Episode One of Season One of Stargate: Timekeepers deployed today on Steam. Pre-orders for the stealth, real-time tactics, commandos-style game created by Slitherine in official collaboration with Amazon MGM Studios are also now available.

Stargate: Timekeepers propels players into the heart of the Stargate SG-1 universe, where they will lead a team of specialists through a riveting campaign filled with story and adventure. Episode One plunges players into the heart-pounding chaos of the Battle of Antarctica, with valiant Eva McCain being teamed up to navigate treacherous challenges in an attempt to stop the deadly Kull warriors.

Get on board the Last Train Home, a Survival RTS set in grim World War 1, inspired by real events of the Czechoslovak Legion trapped in the chaos of civil war in the heart of Russia. Aboard an armored train, you must venture into the unforgiving landscape of Siberia and safely bring your soldiers back home. Play the freshly released demo at Steam Next Fest now, before Last Train Home arrives on PC on November 28!

About Last Train Home
The Great War is over - but the fight continues. Command a legion of soldiers desperately trying to make their way home amidst the chaos of civil war. Lead them through the unforgiving wilderness onboard an armored train. Manage your crew and resources and try to survive.

This coming week, one of the most hyped AAA games of the year will launch and early previews of the game suggests it might just manage to mostly live up to the hype. However, the rest of this week is rather slow, maybe because all of the other publishers know most people will be busy playing their fancy new space game and won't be interested in what else might launch this week, although some appear to be riding on the wave of said space game. That said, there are still some minor releases this week, with at least a couple that might appeal to some of you.

Starfield / This week's AAA title / Wednesday 6 September
Starfield is the first new universe in over 25 years from Bethesda Game Studios, the award-winning creators of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 4. In this next generation role-playing game set amongst the stars, create any character you want and explore with unparalleled freedom as you embark on an epic journey to answer humanity's greatest mystery. In the year 2330, humanity has ventured beyond our solar system, settling new planets, and living as a spacefaring people. You will join Constellation - the last group of space explorers seeking rare artifacts throughout the galaxy - and navigate the vast expanse of space in Bethesda Game Studios' biggest and most ambitious game.

IBM today announced that it has received an additional Trusted Supplier accreditation from the Department of Defense (DoD) Defense Microelectronics Activity (DMEA) for delivery of embedded security services customized for a U.S.-based advanced microelectronics manufacturer. IBM Consulting's accredited security services were previously recognized with the prestigious James S. Cogswell Outstanding Industrial Security Achievement Award for overall security program excellence in 2022.

Microelectronics are used in most defense technology platforms—from mobile devices to computers and advanced weapons systems. This makes microelectronics supply chains critical to our national security and economic prosperity. However, they also represent one of the most complex defense-critical supply chains to secure because of their global reach and manufacturing. IBM Consulting's award-winning accredited security services takes this complexity into account, allowing for not only the identification, but also the remediation of microelectronics supply chain vulnerabilities.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative force in chip design, with recent examples from China and the United States showcasing its potential. Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, believes that AI can empower individuals to become programmers, while Lisa Su, CEO of AMD, predicts an era where AI dominates chip design. During the 2023 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, Su emphasized the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration for the next generation of chip designers. To excel in this field, engineers must possess a holistic understanding of hardware, software, and algorithms, enabling them to create superior chip designs that meet system usage, customer deployment, and application requirements.

The integration of AI into chip design processes has gained momentum, fueled by the AI revolution catalyzed by large language models (LLMs). Both Huang and Mark Papermaster, CTO of AMD, acknowledge the benefits of AI in accelerating computation and facilitating chip design. AMD has already started leveraging AI in semiconductor design, testing, and verification, with plans to expand its use of generative AI in chip design applications. Companies are now actively exploring the fusion of AI technology with Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools to streamline complex tasks and minimize manual intervention in chip design. Despite limited data and accuracy challenges, the "EDA+AI" approach holds great promise. For instance, Synopsys has invested significantly in AI tool research and recently launched Synopsys.ai, the industry's first end-to-end AI-driven EDA solution. This comprehensive solution empowers developers to harness AI at every stage of chip development, from system architecture and design to manufacturing, marking a significant leap forward in AI's integration into chip design workflows.