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January 30, 2026

Weekend PC Download Deals for Jan. 30: Steam Board Game Fest

The Steam Board Game Fest 2026 features deals on tabletop-style video games, showcasing titles that reflect traditional board games. Steam is also offering sales on popular games from developers like Square Enix, Rockstar Games, and Xbox. A free weekend for the game Dead by Daylight is available. GOG.com is hosting a New Year Sale, while the Epic Games Store has ongoing sales. Fanatical is offering discounts on the game Cairn. Xbox Game Pass users receive exclusive discounts, and various other platforms like Gamebillet, GamesPlanet, Green Man Gaming, Humble Bundle, and Ubisoft are also providing deals and promotions. Green Man Gaming offers a coupon code for 15% off PC games, and Humble Bundle has a subscription service with monthly offerings. Feedback from the gaming community is encouraged.

AppWizard

January 19, 2026

7 features that still make World of Warcraft awesome for relative newcomers like me in 2026 — as Blizzard Entertainment celebrates its 35th anniversary

September 2026 will mark the 35th anniversary of Blizzard Entertainment. World of Warcraft was launched in 2004, and the author initially avoided it due to social reservations. In 2024, the author embraced the game during the Mists of Pandaria Remix event. World of Warcraft features a fast-paced Tab-Target combat system and epic Raid dungeons with challenging bosses. The Mists of Pandaria Remix event allowed players to revisit past expansions, leading to the introduction of the Legion Remix event. The game offers a diverse range of playable Races and Classes, and recent updates have increased solo-friendly content, such as Delves in The War Within. Endgame content includes cosmetic hunting, gear customization, and various activities. The author is involved with the Tree of Hope Guild, enhancing their multiplayer experience. World of Warcraft: Midnight is set to release on March 3, 2026.

AppWizard

January 18, 2026

Diablo 4 and PoE 2’s fastest competitor drops a new update at the perfect time, earning its most players ever

Torchlight Infinite has gained attention in the action role-playing game (ARPG) genre with its latest season, Vorax, which introduces features such as custom monster cultivation for arena battles, a 'grafting' system for unique gear creation, and a new hero variant, Vendetta Erika, who operates as an agile assassin. The update also includes new spellcasting mechanics and endgame bosses, alongside a comprehensive UI overhaul aimed at improving aesthetics and readability. On January 17, the game achieved a peak concurrent player count of 23,715 on Steam, surpassing its previous launch high, with an additional 7,600 players on the Chinese client.

AppWizard

January 14, 2026

Hytale’s developer warned us the adventure sandbox ‘isn’t good yet,’ but it already feels pretty good to me

Hytale has launched in early access today, marking a significant milestone in the gaming industry. The game was previously canceled by Riot Games last summer but has made a successful return, receiving a positive reception. Preorders have generated enough funds for several more years of development. Initial feedback indicates a promising foundation, with players already creating mods, including a version of Doom within Hytale. The game is not available on Steam, requiring players to visit the official site to access it.

AppWizard

January 9, 2026

Minecraft has redesigned its baby mobs to be even cuter, and I need you to stop and look at them because they’re just too precious

Minecraft is introducing a new update that adds eight baby animals to the game, enhancing the farming experience. The new baby animals include rabbits, wolf pups, kittens, calves, piglets, chickens, ocelots, and lambs, each designed to reflect their infancy more accurately than previous scaled-down models. The update features unique sounds for each baby animal to enhance immersion. Players can access these updates through the snapshot functionality and the Bedrock beta/preview. Additionally, Microsoft is planning a Minecraft spinoff in collaboration with Activision Blizzard.

AppWizard

January 3, 2026

The PC game releases we’re most excited about in January

January typically sees a quieter period for PC gaming, with many anticipated titles debuting later in the month. Notable releases include: - January 12: Quarantine Zone: The Last Check (Steam) - Players act as a checkpoint officer in a zombie apocalypse. - January 26: Highguard (Steam) - A free-to-play hero shooter facing skepticism. - January 29: Cairn (Steam) - A mountain climbing game praised by early players. Upcoming gaming events and sales include: - CES from January 6-9. - Steam Winter Sale (December 18 - January 5). - Detective Fest (January 12 - January 19). - Board Game Fest (January 26 - February 2). - Taipei Game Show (January 29 - February 1). Early access launches in January: - January 6: StarRupture (Steam) - A sci-fi base building and defense game. - January 22: Bladesong (Steam) - Players craft blades in a dark fantasy setting. - January TBA: Echoes of Elysium (Steam) - A co-op airship survival RPG delayed from December. Major updates and events: - January 20: World of Warcraft's Midnight Pre-Expansion Content Update. - January 12: Anthem concludes its service. - January 22: Cult of the Lamb: Woolhaven expansion introduces new content. Additional game releases in January include: - January 9: Pathologic 3 (Steam). - January 12: Big Hops (Steam). - January 15: Craftlings (Steam) and Legend of Heroes: Trails Beyond the Horizon (Steam). - January 16: BrokenLore: Unfollow (Steam). - January 20: Mio: Memories in Orbit (Steam). - January 21: Dynasty Warriors Origins: Visions of Four Heroes (Steam). - January 22: Nova Roma (Steam) and Arknights: Endfield (Epic). - January 28: The Seven Deadly Sins: Origin (Steam) and The Midnight Walkers (early access). - January 29: Don't Stop, Girlypop! (Steam).

AppWizard

January 2, 2026

Two free games are available for PC gamers on the Epic Games Store now

The Epic Games Store is offering two free games, Total War: Three Kingdoms and Wildgate, as part of its Holiday Giveaway, available for PC gamers to claim until January 8. Total War: Three Kingdoms, released in 2019, focuses on ancient China and combines diplomacy and warfare, while Wildgate is a multiplayer shooter set in a futuristic environment with customizable spaceships. The holiday promotion will end soon, with regular weekly giveaways resuming on January 8 with Bloons TD 6.

AppWizard

January 1, 2026

Designing a more magical survival game: a first look at Witchspire

Witchspire is a co-op open-world survival game developed by the Swedish team Envar, targeting Early Access in 2026. Players assume the roles of witches or wizards who reactivate an ancient monument, the Witchspire, and embark on a quest to return home. The game features an expansive environment with floating islands and diverse biomes, utilizing witchcraft as a gameplay mechanic. Players can build structures through astral projection, gather resources with magical tools, and use collectible familiars for combat and crafting. The game emphasizes a non-punitive progression system, allowing players to explore various biomes and engage in combat with spells and upgradeable gear. The world includes "corruption events" with darker elements, and the narrative unfolds through exploration of ruins and dungeons. Witchspire marks Envar's shift from outsourcing to developing original IPs, with plans to self-publish the game.

AppWizard

December 30, 2025

Warhammer 40k Rogue Trader developer announces its own launcher, but players are already “opting out”

Owlcat Games is developing its own game launcher to serve as a central hub for players, aiming to improve cross-promotion of its titles. Market research indicated that many Pathfinder 2 players were unaware of Rogue Trader. The decision has received mixed reactions, with concerns about the crowded landscape of game launchers and their functionality. Owlcat plans to roll out the launcher gradually, ensuring no mandatory registration or data collection from users. Players in the alpha test for Warhammer 40k Dark Heresy will be the first to use the launcher, which will provide access to all of Owlcat's games and links to social media and announcements. The launcher will allow users to buy, install, or launch games regardless of the original distribution method, but players can bypass it if accessing games through Steam.

AppWizard

December 24, 2025

They survived the MMO massacre of 2025, but 2026 is going to be a tense year for WoW and FF14: And for completely different reasons

In 2025, the MMORPG landscape faced significant turmoil with the closure of New World, withdrawal of funding for Greg Street's MMO, cancellation of a ZeniMax title, and the demise of a Warhammer MMO. Despite this, World of Warcraft and Final Fantasy 14 have remained resilient. Final Fantasy 14 has struggled with design and content delivery, lagging behind competitors like World of Warcraft, which has benefited from Microsoft's acquisition. Creative Studio 3's rigid division between casual and hardcore content has hindered player engagement, while World of Warcraft has successfully implemented variable difficulty. Director Naoki Yoshida is addressing job design issues in an upcoming expansion expected in late 2026 or early 2027. World of Warcraft has seen a resurgence with recent expansions but faces challenges in eliminating combat mods that players rely on. Both games are at a critical juncture, with 2026 expected to be pivotal for their futures.