notes Archives

AppWizard

April 17, 2026

Torchlight Infinite’s new season is the high-speed ARPG’s most popular yet

A new season of Torchlight Infinite, titled 'Lunaria,' has launched, achieving its most successful debut on Steam with a peak of 26,618 players. The update introduces new features such as an endgame farming system, a character focused on potion mechanics, and temporary alliances with bosses. Key gameplay mechanics include awakening statues in the Netherrealm to spawn monsters and collect rewards, alongside random events that enhance loot opportunities. The update also adds Rhapsodies for variability in farming, a Creation Engine for converting Creation Crystals into loot, and a new character, the Scent Weaver Sage, who uses elixirs in combat. Quality-of-life improvements include visual upgrades for characters and monsters, enhanced user interface, and a re-arranged main theme for the game's third anniversary. The 'Lunaria' season is available for free on Steam, along with a 'Midas Touch' event for additional rewards.

AppWizard

April 17, 2026

Slay the Spire 2 patch notes arrive for all, meaning an easier early game but harder infinites

The latest patch for Slay the Spire 2 has transitioned from beta to the main game, introducing several enhancements. Players can now experience improved map generation, a more forgiving Act One, and five new Neow relics: Hefty Tablet, Neow's Talisman, Phial Holster, Winged Boots, and Neow's Bones. Elite enemies appear one floor later, and rebalancing has adjusted foes like the Skulking Colony and Byrdonis. The Act Three boss, Doormaker, has been redesigned with a unique setup and three phases: Hunger, Scrutiny, and Grasp. All five classes have been rebalanced, with new cards introduced, such as Not Yet, Blade of Ink, Regent's Arsenal, and Borrowed Time. Shop relic prices have been reduced, and gold-generating relics are no longer available for purchase. Ascension level six now features 'Inflation,' increasing card removal costs. The patch also includes new art, visual effects, a 'Phobia mode,' and Badges for achievements. Achievements and epochs cannot be unlocked during daily and custom runs, and the main and beta branches will maintain separate records. The patch 0.103.2 is now live for all versions of the game.

AppWizard

April 17, 2026

European civil servants are being forced off WhatsApp

Apps like Signal and WhatsApp are recognized for their end-to-end encryption but are increasingly seen as inadequate for organizational communication due to their consumer-grade design. Benjamin Schilz, CEO of Wire, points out the risks of using such apps for professional purposes. Recent cybersecurity threats, including a Russian espionage campaign targeting these applications, highlight the importance of advanced features like access controls and metadata management, especially for large organizations. Belgium's De Waele advocates for controlled communication environments that include only government employees to mitigate risks. Transparency advocates have raised concerns about the privacy features of consumer apps obscuring important decision-making processes, as exemplified by a situation involving Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and a vaccine deal. The re-election of former U.S. President Donald Trump has prompted a shift in priorities towards secure communication channels within European governments.

AppWizard

April 17, 2026

Analysts say PC gaming is now the one platform where more than 50% of revenue comes from games outside the top 20

Newzoo's PC & Console Gaming Report for 2026 indicates that revenue from PC gaming is shifting, with games ranked 21 and below increasing their share from 48% to 56% in Western markets by 2025. This growth includes a 44% rise in playtime for these lower-ranked games, while overall PC playtime increased by 14%. In contrast, playtime for the Top 20 titles has stagnated or declined. Popular titles like Elden Ring and Skyrim remain significant, but there is growing interest in survival games and action RPGs, such as Rust and DayZ, which benefit from ongoing support and updates. The report also notes a resurgence in retro gaming, with classic simulators appealing to nostalgic players. Newzoo highlights that games like REPO and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 continue to perform well even after leaving bestseller lists, indicating a broader audience interested in previously popular titles rather than just new releases.

AppWizard

April 16, 2026

Pragmata PC performance tested: 18 GPUs take us to the Moon

Capcom's new sci-fi shooter, Pragmata, features a narrative centered on Hugh, the last survivor of a lunar rescue mission, and Diana, an android with hacking abilities, as they navigate a 3D-printed lunar facility. The game has locked out Radeon support, which has raised concerns about business motivations over technical limitations, despite the Radeon RX 9000-series cards performing well. AMD users can access FSR 3 upscaling, with FSR 4 available for RX 9000-series cards, while older RX 7000- and RX 6000-series cards are limited to FSR 3. The game supports various rendering modes, including rasterization, ray tracing, and path tracing. At 1080p, ray tracing performs well on most hardware, but at 1440p and 4K, higher VRAM cards show better performance. Path tracing requires upscaling and frame generation for optimal playability, with DLSS Frame Generation providing significant benefits for Nvidia users. The RTX 3070 lacks DLSS frame generation support, necessitating FSR 3 for testing, which results in lower image quality compared to DLSS. Overall, Pragmata is designed to leverage advanced graphics technologies, particularly for GeForce RTX 40- and 50-series card owners, while also offering a solid experience for AMD users, albeit with some limitations.

AppWizard

April 16, 2026

Yes, technically you can play World of Warcraft with hot dogs

Addison2k uses hot dogs as unconventional controllers to play World of Warcraft, navigating the game with a setup that includes 3D-printed controllers housing four hot dogs wired for touch input. One hot dog controls movement while another manages abilities, but limitations arise, such as the inability to control camera movement. During gameplay, he occasionally resorts to traditional keyboard controls for specific actions. His fellow players support him with humor, teasing about the absurdity of the situation. Addison2k successfully completes the game, but notes that his hands smelled like hot dogs afterward.

AppWizard

April 16, 2026

Supergiant drops a Hades 2 patch with a bunch of new dialogue, better romances, and buffs to the game’s weakest god

Hades 2 transitioned out of early access in September of last year. Following player dissatisfaction with the game's conclusion, Supergiant Games released a patch in October to address concerns. Recently, they released another patch with various improvements to enhance gameplay. The ongoing enhancements reflect the studio's commitment to refining narrative and gameplay elements based on player feedback.

AppWizard

April 16, 2026

Introducing the ultimate college bundle: built for student life

Eligible U.S. students can access significant discounts on select Windows 11 PCs and the Microsoft College Offer, which includes over 0 in complimentary value. This offer provides a full year of Microsoft 365 Premium, a year of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, and a complimentary design-your-own Xbox Wireless Controller. Notable discounted PCs include the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3x for 9, HP OmniBook X Flip for 9, and HP Victus for 9. Students can find qualifying devices from brands like Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Microsoft Surface at various retailers. Additionally, 86% of students report using AI to support their studies, and Microsoft 365 Premium includes features like Copilot for organizing notes, aiding in budget tracking, generating presentation drafts, and summarizing emails. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate offers access to hundreds of games, including new titles like Forza Horizon 6, with unlimited cloud gaming.

AppWizard

April 15, 2026

New Marathon update takes a leaf out of Arc Raiders’ book and encourages you to play nice

A recent update to Marathon has introduced the 'CARRI' system, which stands for the "CyberAcme Runner Reinforcement Initiative," encouraging cooperative gameplay among players. This system rewards both solo players and teams for completing contract objectives and successfully exfiltrating together. Players can earn CyberAcme Commendations, which can be spent in the CARRI Armory for various rewards, including weapons and salvage crates. Solo players can earn commendations by completing individual objectives and can receive extra commendations when extracting with others. A new 'toggle to open' setting for proximity chat and an end-of-run feature called 'Stay Together' promote friendly interactions. The update also includes a 'Mercy Kit' for reviving downed players from other teams and introduces eleven new Deluxe Unique weapons, balance changes, and adjustments to gameplay mechanics, such as railgun charging and extraction timers. The update is now live.

Winsage

April 14, 2026

This fake Windows 11 24H2 update looks perfect, until it avoids antivirus and steals your passwords

Cybercriminals are using sophisticated tactics to deceive users, particularly with a counterfeit website posing as a legitimate Windows 11 update. This site operates under the domain microsoft-update[.]support and is designed to trick individuals into downloading malware that compromises sensitive information. The site is written in French and mimics a genuine cumulative update for Windows 11, version 24H2, featuring a convincing KB article number and a blue download button. The malware is packaged as a Windows update using the WiX Toolset 4.0.0.5512 and is labeled "WindowsUpdate 1.0.0.msi," with properties that suggest it is from Microsoft. At the time of analysis, VirusTotal showed no detections for the malware, which conceals its harmful code within an Electron shell, making it difficult to identify. Users are advised to download updates directly through the Windows Settings app or from Microsoft's official support hub.