gameplay update Archives

AppWizard

January 20, 2026

Ball x Pit was my Steam Deck obsession last year, and its first major update threatens to steal my free time all over again

The latest update for the game Ball x Pit introduces two new characters, The Carouser and The Falconer, along with eight new balls, enhancing its Breakout-style gameplay. The update, named the Regal Update, will be available for free on January 26. Ball x Pit has been recognized as the Best New York Game at the New York Game Awards and is one of Valve's top-played Steam Deck titles. The game is well-suited for the Steam Deck due to its short rounds and minimal system requirements.

AppWizard

December 2, 2025

Payday 3 tears up one of its worst systems and replaces it with a shiny new one, and it’s a huge step in the right direction

Since its launch in 2023, Payday 3 has faced challenges, with daily player counts on Steam for Payday 2 being approximately 20 times higher than for Payday 3. Starbreeze has canceled a Dungeons & Dragons project to focus on enhancing Payday 3 and has transitioned support for Payday 2 to another studio. The upcoming free update, Skills 2.0, will overhaul the skill system by eliminating the previous buffs (Rush, Edge, and Grit) and introducing a more intuitive structure with six main archetypes: Soldier, Ninja, Mechanic, Hacker, Conman, and Professional, each with three subdivisions. Players will have access to 51 skill points upon reaching Infamy level 150 and an online tool will help plan skill progression. Starbreeze has adjusted weapon damage to maintain balance and introduced various enhancements, including the ability to throw bags at enemies to stagger them and resolving a bug with throwing knives.

AppWizard

November 1, 2025

The next Civilization 7 update aims to deliver “more strategy, less ambiguity” with a total overhaul to naval combat

The upcoming Civilization 7 update, version 1.3.0, will significantly overhaul naval combat, introducing a system referred to as 'naval combat 2.0.' This update will categorize naval units into two types: Light Units, which are fast and melee-focused with increased vision, and Heavy Units, which are slower but capable of powerful ranged attacks. The update will reintroduce true ranged combat at sea, recalibrating melee and ranged strengths to align with these new roles. The new Privateer unit will allow players to ignore borders and pillage trade routes, impacting diplomatic relations. The update also includes the Civilization 7 Tides of Power collection, featuring new leaders, civilizations, and wonders, available for free for a limited time.

AppWizard

August 11, 2025

‘You’ll now be at the mercy of what loot you can find’: Rust’s latest update brings back hardcore mode tougher than ever, removing the ability to craft guns entirely

The "Hardcore update" for the survival game Rust reintroduces elements that increase gameplay intensity, including the fog of war on the map, requiring players to explore without a detailed layout. Players must craft a compass to mark their location, which only shows their position. Respawn cooldowns have increased to 15 minutes for sleeping bags and 10 minutes for beds, while base upkeep costs have doubled. Firearm crafting is completely banned in hardcore mode, with ammunition crafting costs significantly higher. The update also includes a redesigned game menu, optimized loading times (up to 65% faster), improved metal detector functionality, and visual upgrades. Additionally, the price of Rust has been halved from £35 to £17.50 to attract new players.

AppWizard

March 27, 2025

Greedfall 2 aims to turn around a disastrous early access launch with a combat overhaul and a big new boat

Developer Spiders has released the first major update for Greedfall 2 to address player feedback on its combat system. The update includes faster attacks, improved animations, enhanced character movement, and a refined target lock system. Additionally, it introduces new content such as the region of Olima, a new companion, and the Hub for managing parties and accessing workshops. The update will make existing saves incompatible, requiring players to start anew. Greedfall 2 has struggled to attract players, peaking at 375 concurrent users compared to over 16,000 for the original game.

AppWizard

February 7, 2025

Balatro 1.1 will include new jokers plus a revamp of a really confusing existing one

LocalThunk, the creator of the poker roguelike Balatro, discussed the upcoming gameplay update version 1.1, which is set to enhance the game in 2025. He was cautious about revealing details to allow for flexibility in development. The update will include a modification to the blue stake, reducing the number of discards by one. Balatro has been recognized with the overall game of the year award for 2024, surpassing other notable titles.

AppWizard

December 15, 2024

Final Fantasy 7 Remake patch levels everyone up and lets you speed up cutscenes to help you replay it before Rebirth comes to PC

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth will be released on PC on January 23, available on both Steam and the Epic Games Store. The recent 1.004 update for Final Fantasy 7 Remake introduces a "head start" option for new playthroughs, elevating characters to level 45, providing max-level materia, gear, accessories, extra items, and 50,000 gil. The update also allows players to fast-forward through "event scenes" at 1.5x or 2.0x speed.