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Epic Games Store PC Weekly Free Games 20/08/2026
AppWizard
August 20, 2026

Epic Games Store PC Weekly Free Games 20/08/2026

The Epic Games Store is offering two free titles, Cardpocalypse and the Epic Mage Bundle, from 4 PM BST on August 20, 2026, until 4 PM BST on August 27, 2026. Cardpocalypse, developed by Gambrinous and published by Versus Evil, follows a 10-year-old girl named Jess who causes a collectible card game to be banned at her school. The Epic Mage Bundle, developed and published by Sandbox Interactive GmbH, includes various cosmetic items and rewards for players in Albion, such as a complete Mage Wardrobe, Armored Horse Mount Skin, Spellbook Weapon Skin, and additional tokens and potions to enhance gameplay. Players must have the base game to access the bundle's features.
'I would love that but we're cheap and poor': Jeff Kaplan speeds through everything players should know about his upcoming cowboy survival game, The Legend of California
AppWizard
August 20, 2026

‘I would love that but we’re cheap and poor’: Jeff Kaplan speeds through everything players should know about his upcoming cowboy survival game, The Legend of California

Jeff Kaplan discussed Kintsugiyama's upcoming game, The Legend of California, set in gold-rush-era California around 1849. It is an open-world survival multiplayer game that combines exploration and player interaction, categorized as a first-person shooter rather than a simulation or traditional MMO. Players can engage in activities typical of a cowboy's life, such as trading, fishing, mining, and ranch building. Private servers will allow for player-versus-environment settings, while public servers can host up to 100 players, featuring competition and combat, but not building destruction. Server resets will occur monthly, changing the locations of key points of interest while retaining player unlocks. Future enhancements may include holiday events, pets, and horse breeding, with the potential for a "Toys to Life" concept. The game will undergo at least two more alpha phases before early access.
Windows 11's latest Patch Tuesday update is breaking games and turning off PCs — This temporary fix might get ARC Raiders and The Finals running again
AppWizard
August 20, 2026

Windows 11’s latest Patch Tuesday update is breaking games and turning off PCs — This temporary fix might get ARC Raiders and The Finals running again

A bug introduced in the Windows 11 update (KB5121003) has caused crashes for some users, specifically affecting installations of Windows 11 versions 25H2 and 24H2 with OS builds 26200.9168 and 26100.9168. Embark Studios has acknowledged the issue, linking it to a change in the inpoutx64.sys file, and is working on a fix while providing a temporary workaround. The workaround involves stopping and deleting the inpoutx64 driver and removing the corresponding file from the system. Users can also choose to roll back to a previous version of Windows 11 until an official fix is released.
Gallipoli (PC) Review
AppWizard
August 20, 2026

Gallipoli (PC) Review

BlackMill Games' World War I series has surpassed a decade of gameplay, with the latest installment, Gallipoli, focusing on the Gallipoli Campaign. This campaign aimed to capture the Dardanelles Strait and Constantinople but ended in a disastrous retreat for the Allies. Gallipoli features improved visuals, refined gunplay, and balanced mechanics, enhancing the gameplay experience. The game introduces new mechanics such as increased team sizes, a ticket system with unpredictability, realistic ballistics, a refined stamina system, and a suppression system that affects soldiers' performance. However, concerns exist regarding the limited rewards in the progression system, which may impact player engagement over time.
This app does with Pixel 11 Pro's HiLight what Google should have done in the first place
AppWizard
August 20, 2026

This app does with Pixel 11 Pro’s HiLight what Google should have done in the first place

Google's Pixel 11 Pro series features a "HiLight" LED system that provides visual notifications for calls and activity during Gemini conversations. The HiLight LED is customizable through the open-source HiLight Studio app, developed by Dhananjay Bhosale. Users can sideload the app and manage permissions using Shizuku. HiLight Studio allows users to assign colors, create light patterns, and save presets for notifications. It includes six effects: Rainbow, Random, Comet, Pulse, Breathe, and Wave, with options to adjust saturation and brightness. The app respects Do Not Disturb settings and can pause during low battery. However, some users may experience conflicts with the base HiLight functionality, as noted by a user who found that the original LED notifications stopped working after installing the app.
Windows 11 KB5121003 update breaks Teams and Outlook on ARM devices
Winsage
August 20, 2026

Windows 11 KB5121003 update breaks Teams and Outlook on ARM devices

Following the KB5121003 Patch Tuesday update, users on ARM64 devices like Surface Laptop 7 and Surface Pro 11 are facing startup failures with Microsoft Teams and New Outlook, while traditional Win32 applications remain unaffected. Reverting to the previous update restores functionality, but recovery options have not resolved the issue. The root cause appears to be broken AppModel Runtime package states, leading to dependency issues and 0x80073CFC errors. This problem is similar to one caused by update KB5094126 earlier this year. Creating new Windows profiles offers only temporary relief, and administrators are advised to pause the deployment of KB5121003 on ARM devices until the issue is addressed.
Microsoft says August Windows updates may cause gaming issues
Winsage
August 20, 2026

Microsoft says August Windows updates may cause gaming issues

Microsoft is investigating issues related to the August 2026 updates that may affect the launch of certain games or cause crashes on select Windows 11 systems. Users have reported problems such as games freezing, closing unexpectedly, encountering "EXCEPTIONACCESSVIOLATION" errors, and unexpected system restarts. The updates in question include KB5121003, which was part of the August 2026 Patch Tuesday and included enhancements like Secure Boot updates and improvements to File Explorer and Windows Search. Microsoft has encouraged affected gamers to report issues via the Feedback Hub app. In the past, Microsoft had to block Windows 24H2 upgrades due to known issues and lifted compatibility holds for several popular games.
Take-Two's former AI guy is, in a twist, skeptical about AI now: 'The guy should be selling you the gold if he's actually got the gold'
AppWizard
August 20, 2026

Take-Two’s former AI guy is, in a twist, skeptical about AI now: ‘The guy should be selling you the gold if he’s actually got the gold’

Take-Two Interactive laid off AI specialist Dicken and a significant portion of the AI team after a year, reflecting industry volatility. Dicken expressed skepticism about generative AI's role in creative processes, noting that many creatives view it as a departure from intentionality. He observed a divide in public perception, with Western audiences more resistant to generative AI compared to Asian audiences. Dicken highlighted challenges in integrating AI into workflows, including vendor lock-in and price volatility, drawing parallels to the Unity engine's pricing crisis. He noted a gold rush mentality among corporations eager to adopt AI, often without proper safeguards. Looking forward, Dicken believes AI will bring long-term changes to gaming but should be seen as a tool to enhance experiences rather than a revolutionary force. He advocated for a thoughtful approach to incorporating AI-generated content, emphasizing the need for alignment with a game's fundamental thesis.
After cranking up the difficulty, I am once again asking: How many of these games with pixel art styles can you identify?
AppWizard
August 20, 2026

After cranking up the difficulty, I am once again asking: How many of these games with pixel art styles can you identify?

The instructor shared that the previous pixel art quiz was too accessible and announced plans for more challenging quizzes. The upcoming quizzes will cover topics such as health bars, in-game currencies, and patch notes, with a new format requiring participants to identify games from distorted images. The quizzes will include a mix of easier and more difficult questions focused on pixel art games. Participants will have six minutes to identify as many of the 15 games as possible. Feedback will be encouraged in the comments section after the quiz.
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