industry

AppWizard
April 29, 2026
Otherside Entertainment announced that their upcoming stealth-focused heist game, Thick as Thieves, will be available for a fixed price of in the U.S., £5 in the UK, and €5 in Europe. The game will feature two playable thieves, two dynamic maps, six pieces of gear, and 16 contracts, with an introductory campaign estimated to last at least four hours. The multiplayer PvPvE component has been dropped in favor of solo gameplay. The launch date is set for May 20 on Steam and the Epic Games Store.
AppWizard
April 29, 2026
EA CEO Andrew Wilson stated that AI is intended to enhance existing roles in the gaming industry rather than replace them. He emphasized that AI serves as a tool to improve productivity, particularly in routine tasks, and mentioned that EA is hiring more quality assurance (QA) staff than ever before, with 85% of QA work being supported by machine learning or AI-driven algorithms. Despite recent layoffs at EA, including teams involved in the development of Battlefield 6, Wilson maintains that AI's role is primarily augmentation. However, the company faced criticism after allegations that AI was used to generate artwork for a premium bundle, raising concerns about the impact of AI on employment in the gaming sector.
Winsage
April 29, 2026
Monthly updates for Windows 11 from Microsoft now range from 4 to 9 GB, compared to 300 to 500 MB updates two years ago. The increase in update sizes is attributed to the integration of advanced AI features, cumulative delivery of updates, and a fixed monthly update schedule. Cumulative updates bundle all previous updates, leading to larger file sizes, while the monthly frequency forces consolidation of changes into single releases. Users can check what their PC is downloading during an update by navigating to Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options > Delivery optimization > Activity monitor.
AppWizard
April 29, 2026
The initial feedback on the Steam Controller has been largely favorable, indicating a promising reception. It is expected to attract a dedicated segment of core gamers who are willing to invest in specialized peripherals, even at a higher price point. While it may not dominate the broader market, its unique features could lead to respectable sales figures within its targeted demographic.
AppWizard
April 29, 2026
A group of hackers has declared Denuvo, a digital rights management (DRM) software, as "fully useless" after successfully bypassing its protections, which have been in place since 2014. They achieved this through two main strategies: direct cracking, which removes Denuvo from games, and hypervisor bypass, which deceives Denuvo into functioning normally. These methods have been applied to games like Crimson Desert and Resident Evil Requiem. Recently, a prominent hacker announced the release of hypervisor bypasses for EA Sports games, confirming that all games using Denuvo can now be played for free.
AppWizard
April 29, 2026
Total War: Warhammer 3 has received a significant update to its mod manager, released in late 2025, aimed at improving the user experience for modding. Enhancements include faster mass mod activation, reduced startup times for players with many mods, improved search filters for finding specific mods, clearer tooltips, and fixes for bugs related to mod profiles and text legibility. Players can still create 'mod profiles' for easier management of their favorite mods. The update encourages players to explore new mods and provide feedback to the developer, Creative Assembly.
AppWizard
April 28, 2026
The Blood of Dawnwalker, a vampiric RPG directed by Konrad Tomaszkiewicz, will be released on September 3. The minimum system requirements for the game include 16GB of RAM, an Intel Core i7-8700K or AMD Ryzen 7 3700X CPU, and a GPU such as Nvidia RTX 3050 or GTX 1070. Recommended specifications for 1080p at 60 fps include an Intel Core i5-13600 CPU and Nvidia RTX 5060 GPU. For 1440p at 60 fps, the recommended specs remain the same, but the GPU should be Nvidia RTX 4070-Ti. Ultra settings for 1440p and 2160p at 60 fps require an Intel Core i5-13600K CPU and Nvidia RTX 4080 or 5090 GPU, respectively. All configurations require 60GB of SSD storage. Preorders are available on Steam.
AppWizard
April 27, 2026
Bohrdom, a chemistry and physics simulation game by Cole Allen Thomas, has been removed from sale on Steam following a spike in purchases and reviews linked to Thomas' alleged attempt to assassinate former President Donald Trump at the White House Correspondents' Dinner. The game's sudden visibility and the nature of the reviews have raised concerns about compliance with Valve's moderation policies, which have recently shifted towards stricter enforcement. Many reviews show minimal playtime, suggesting potential exploitation of Steam's refund policy.
AppWizard
April 27, 2026
Gabe Newell, co-founder of Valve, integrated Steam with Half-Life 2, significantly influencing PC gaming despite initial skepticism about digital platforms. In a 2011 interview, he warned that the gaming industry is ever-changing and emphasized the need for continuous innovation to provide value to partners like EA, Ubisoft, and Take-Two. At that time, EA's withdrawal of titles from Steam raised concerns about the platform's future, prompting Newell to stress the importance of demonstrating value to developers. Currently, Steam remains a dominant force in digital distribution, maintaining a large user base and benefiting from seasonal sales. Publishers such as EA, Activision, Ubisoft, and Take-Two have returned to Steam after testing their own storefronts and the Epic Games Store, recognizing its extensive reach and user engagement. Steam has recently surpassed 42 million concurrent users and continues to expand its library, all while keeping its revenue-sharing model at a 70/30 split. Despite developer concerns, the return of partners indicates that Steam's value proposition is still strong.
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