launch issues Archives

AppWizard

November 15, 2025

Escape From Tarkov shoots to the top of Downdetector, debuts on Steam to ‘Mixed’ reviews as players struggle to log in: ‘Best extraction shooter that you CAN’T play’

Escape From Tarkov has achieved significant success without major digital storefronts like Steam and has established the extraction shooter genre. Its Steam debut coincides with the game's 1.0 release, leading to hundreds of connection issue reports per hour on Downdetector. This has resulted in a "Mixed" rating on Steam, with players expressing frustration over technical difficulties. The developers have acknowledged these issues and are working to stabilize the servers. Players have reported being unable to create accounts due to website maintenance and have encountered various error codes. Despite these challenges, Escape From Tarkov is currently the second best-selling game on Steam, with around 19,000 concurrent players.

AppWizard

November 15, 2025

A stylish new action RPG is making big waves on Steam, but its ‘AI chatbot’ NPCs have players howling in the wrong ways

Where Winds Meet, a martial arts RPG, received ten million pre-registrations and launched on Steam, attracting hundreds of thousands of players. Initially released in China at the end of 2024, it features a 10th-century China setting with 20 square kilometers of terrain. The game has faced mixed reviews due to AI chatbot NPCs that some players feel disrupt immersion. Its Steam rating fell to 'mixed' at launch but improved to 'mostly positive' as players appreciated the visuals and combat. Discussions on social media highlight both enjoyment and disappointment regarding the AI interactions, with players sharing humorous experiences. The game's use of AI reflects a broader trend in the industry, raising concerns about the impact on human creativity in game design.

Winsage

November 12, 2025

Windows 11 KB5068861 & KB5068865 cumulative updates released

Microsoft has released cumulative updates KB5068861 and KB5068865 for Windows 11 versions 25H2, 24H2, and 23H2, addressing critical security vulnerabilities, bugs, and introducing new features. The updates are mandatory and include the November 2025 Patch Tuesday security patches. Users can install the updates via Start > Settings > Windows Update or download them from the Microsoft Update Catalog. The build number for Windows 11 25H2 will change to Build 26200.7019, and 23H2 will update to 226x1.6050. New features include: - A revamped Start menu UI allowing removal of the Recommended feed. - Updated lock screen battery icons with color indicators and battery percentage. - A dedicated Microsoft 365 Copilot page for commercial devices. - Rebranding of the “Email & accounts” section to “Your accounts.” - Refreshed taskbar battery icons with clearer visual cues. - New Administrator Protection Preview feature for safeguarding admin rights. - API support for NIST post-quantum cryptography algorithms. Fixed issues include: - Taskbar app icon hover behavior. - Display issues in apps and browsers. - Context menu behavior in File Explorer. - Pen and handwriting input responsiveness. - Narrator launch issues during Windows setup. - Performance improvements in taskbar loading after sleep. This update is the final release for Windows 11 23H2, as support for this version ends today, and no optional updates will be released in December.

Winsage

October 20, 2025

Microsoft Releases KB5068164, KB5067017 & More As Final Windows 10 WinRE Updates

Microsoft has released final updates for the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) as part of October’s Patch Tuesday for Windows 10 versions 21H2 and 22H2, identified by KB numbers such as KB5068164 and KB5067017. These updates include an automatic installation of the Safe OS Dynamic Update (KB5067017) to improve recovery reliability and setup behavior. The Windows Preinstallation Environment (WinPE) will now show a message box for application launch issues instead of a debug command prompt. Additional Safe OS Dynamic Updates have been released for older systems: KB5067016 for Windows 10 version 1809 and Windows Server 2019, KB5067015 for Windows 10 version 1607 and Windows Server 2016, and KB5067018 for other supported Windows 10 editions. This release coincides with Windows 10’s final Patch Tuesday update under KB5066791, marking the end of regular support for all editions of the operating system. Users can access the updates through Windows Update or the Microsoft Update Catalog.

AppWizard

September 20, 2025

I’m a PC builder of 20 years. The latest games make me want to switch to console

The author has been a dedicated PC builder for nearly two decades, starting as a teenager with their mother's support. They have a strong passion for PC gaming, preferring it over consoles. However, they express sympathy for console users due to recent launch day challenges in PC gaming, particularly with the release of Borderlands 4, which faced performance issues despite high-end hardware. Other titles like Forspoken and Oblivion Remastered also had similar problems at launch. The author notes that building a PC can be daunting for newcomers due to the complexity and cost, with decent gaming PCs starting around ,000. They acknowledge the need for change in the PC gaming landscape, as the increasing costs and complexity may drive new gamers towards the simplicity of consoles.

AppWizard

September 19, 2025

Dev says Steam bug ruined “more than 10 years” of work and tanked their game’s 1.0 launch, Valve says oops and offers a Daily Deal slot “to help make up for lost visibility”

The developers of the indie game Planet Centauri experienced a significant setback during their 1.0 launch due to a bug in the Steam wishlist notification system, which resulted in their launch notifications not being sent out. This glitch, affecting less than 100 games since 2015, severely impacted their sales. Valve acknowledged the issue on September 12 and offered a Daily Deal to help mitigate the visibility loss, but industry experts noted that such deals cannot fully compensate for the effects of a failed launch. The developers highlighted the improbability of their situation, being one of only a few games affected out of over 86,000 on Steam.