setback Archives

AppWizard

July 7, 2025

Romero Games have “completely” closed doors, but there’s still hope for the Doom creator’s new FPS

Romero Games has ceased operations after funding for their first-person shooter was withdrawn, affecting approximately 100 employees. An anonymous employee described the situation as a "big shock," noting that discussions with a publisher occurred just a day before the closure. The project was reportedly well-developed and had received positive feedback, but is now completely closed while the studio seeks alternative funding. The unnamed FPS had generated significant interest, and the Chief Technical Officer is advocating for former staff on LinkedIn. The game was announced in 2022 and was being developed using Unreal Engine 5. Prior to this, Romero and Carmack worked on a canceled game called Blackroom in 2016.

AppWizard

July 4, 2025

Romero Games’ new shooter loses funding, the studio may be closing, and it looks like Microsoft is to blame

Romero Games, co-founded by Brenda and John Romero in 2015, announced that funding for their latest project has been abruptly terminated, resulting in layoffs within the company. CEO Brenda Romero stated that the publisher canceled funding for their game and other unannounced projects at various studios, a decision made at a high level within the publisher. While the specific publisher has not been disclosed, former employees suggest Microsoft may be responsible, coinciding with Microsoft's layoffs affecting 9,000 employees and project cancellations at several studios. The future of Romero Games is uncertain, with indications from some employees that the studio may close. The studio was previously working on a first-person shooter, which had been described as a significant new direction for them.

AppWizard

July 4, 2025

Publisher pulls funding for Romero Games project

Romero Games has lost funding for its in-development project, leading to potential layoffs or significant changes within the organization. The studio was developing a first-person shooter using Unreal Engine 5, which had received backing from an undisclosed major publisher, speculated to be Microsoft. Studio head Brenda Romero announced the funding cancellation in a message, emphasizing that the team's dedication and performance were not at fault, as they consistently met all milestones and received positive feedback. The news has had an emotional impact on the team, many of whom have long-standing relationships.

AppWizard

July 1, 2025

Space Marine 2 will celebrate its first anniversary with a ‘large-scale update’ in September, and another year of free and paid content is on the way

Saber Interactive has confirmed that work on Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 3 has begun. The studio will continue to support Space Marine 2 with a second year of free and paid content, including new PvE missions, enemies, and weapons, encapsulated in a yearly season pass. A substantial update is scheduled for September to enhance gameplay. However, the introduction of a new PvP mode has been postponed from the 9.0 update to the 10.0 update, which will feature a new map, a confrontation between Chaos factions, and the ability to control the Helbrute boss. New Chaos armors will also be introduced. Further announcements about the 10.0 update and the PvP mode will be made in community updates in July and August.

AppWizard

June 25, 2025

“The issues were all internal”: Former Hytale dev says the Minecraft-inspired survival RPG’s cancelation has nothing to do with Riot: “The community should be angry at the mismanagement”

Hytale has been officially canceled, coinciding with the closure of its developer, Hypixel Studios. A former developer from Hypixel Studios attributed the game's cancellation to internal management issues rather than external pressures from parent company Riot Games. Hytale was announced in 2018 and garnered 61 million views on its trailer, aiming to compete with Minecraft. The future of the Hytale intellectual property remains uncertain, as it is still under Riot's control. The former developer expressed skepticism about the game's revival, noting that the original team had left or been let go.

Winsage

June 23, 2025

Microsoft dropped this CPU for Windows 11, yet it runs these games flawlessly

The brother's Windows 10 PC had memory issues due to a dead CMOS battery, leading to boot failures and a corrupted installation. The Intel Core i5-7600K processor does not meet the requirements for Windows 11, prompting a recommendation to build or purchase a new system. Instead, the brother transitioned to Linux, which allowed for gaming on existing hardware. The i5-7600K can handle games like Grand Theft Auto V, X4: Foundations, Terraria, and The Witcher 3, although some settings may need to be adjusted for optimal performance. The Linux community has facilitated smoother transitions for users with older hardware, and virtualization offers workarounds for running Windows applications.

AppWizard

June 20, 2025

Rematch launched without crossplay because of ‘unforeseen technical complexities’ and Sloclap is sorry, but it’s a hit on Steam anyway

Sloclap, the developer of the 5v5 soccer game Rematch, acknowledged the absence of crossplay at launch, despite initially indicating it would be available. On March 3, a developer mentioned efforts to include crossplay at launch, but on June 16, it was confirmed that it would not be ready. Sloclap cited unforeseen technical complexities as the reason for the delay and expressed a commitment to enabling crossplay as a top priority. They also stated that they are addressing performance issues such as lag and crashes, which are their highest priority. Future updates will include gameplay improvements, tournament support, leaderboards, and new game modes, although no specific timeline was provided. On its first day, Rematch recorded nearly 93,000 concurrent players on Steam.

Winsage

June 10, 2025

Intel Stock (NASDAQ:INTC) Blasts Up as Mac Support Dies

Intel Corporation's stock price surged over 8% during Tuesday afternoon trading, despite the impending loss of support from Apple for its Intel processors in Mac computers. The latest version of MacOS, Tahoe, will end compatibility for several older Mac models powered by Intel chips. Investors reacted positively to this news, viewing it as an opportunity, while the transition to Apple's own silicon has been ongoing for five years. Additionally, renewed trade discussions between the U.S. and China have sparked optimism among investors, contributing to Intel's stock gains. Intel is also expected to benefit from initiatives at the Department of Defense aimed at enhancing cybersecurity measures. Analysts maintain a Hold consensus rating on Intel's stock, with one Buy, 26 Holds, and four Sells over the past three months. The average price target for INTC is .29 per share, indicating a potential downside risk of 3.88% from current levels.

AppWizard

June 9, 2025

Pixel VIPs app makes an early appearance on the Play Store

The Google Pixel VIPs app has launched on the Play Store for select Pixel phone users, serving as a precursor to the upcoming Pixel VIPs home screen widget. This widget aims to consolidate information about preferred contacts into a single interface. The app allows users to connect with important contacts, view their last call and message, real-time location, and activity suggestions. It also enables selected contacts to bypass Do Not Disturb mode. The widget will support up to eight contacts, include birthday reminders, and offer notes functionality, with indications of WhatsApp integration. However, downloading the app does not currently provide access to the Pixel VIPs widget, which will require a future update or server-side change.

AppWizard

June 5, 2025

Dying by sandworm in Dune: Awakening is way, way worse than any other death you might face

In Dune: Awakening, players face the threat of sandworms, which can sense footsteps and cause significant fear. If a player is consumed by a sandworm, they permanently lose all items in their inventory, including weapons, armor, tools, and resources. Players on vehicles, such as sandbikes, also lose their vehicles if devoured. Some players reported receiving compensation in the form of bike parts after being eaten, but this was inconsistent. Upon respawning, players receive a single worm tooth for crafting a knife, though many recommend finding other materials instead. The best strategy for survival is to avoid sandworms.