strike Archives

AppWizard

February 26, 2026

New York Sues Valve Over Loot Boxes, Calls Them Illegal Gambling

New York Attorney General Letitia James has filed a lawsuit against Valve, the creator of Steam, regarding loot boxes in games like Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, and Team Fortress 2, claiming they promote gambling behaviors among youth. The state seeks to stop Valve's use of loot boxes and impose financial penalties. The lawsuit argues that loot boxes resemble traditional slot machines and that items obtained can be traded for real-world value, with a virtual gun skin from Counter-Strike 2 reportedly selling for over a million dollars in 2024. The lawsuit claims Valve intentionally makes high-value items rare to increase their perceived worth and highlights the potential for addiction and illegal gambling, particularly among young people. Valve has not yet responded to the lawsuit.

TrendTechie

February 24, 2026

От ffmpeg до торрентов для терминала: 7 новых TUI-инструментов, которые советуем

Many developers are turning to TUI (Text User Interface) tools for tasks traditionally done in GUI applications. MONICA is an interactive layer over ffmpeg that simplifies command usage, available on GitHub. The lic tool allows users to create a LICENSE file with a single terminal command by selecting a license from a TUI menu. It can be installed via Homebrew or pip and debuted in late December 2024, receiving 21 stars. PNANA is a TUI editor that combines the simplicity of nano with features from modern editors like Sublime, built with C++17 and FTXUI. Users need to compile it from source as no binary releases are available. CodeWeaver compiles a codebase into a single Markdown document, allowing for easy sharing and documentation. It can be installed via Go. Clox (version 1.3) introduces console clocks and calendars in the terminal, supporting various time zones and formats, and can be installed as a Python module. Torrra v2 is a TUI torrent client that allows users to search and download torrents directly from the console, enhancing UI speed and navigation. It can be installed via pipx or other package managers. A command for visualizing git history in the terminal is provided: `git log --graph --decorate --all --pretty=format:'%C(auto)%h%d %C(#888888)(%an; %ar)%Creset %s'`. An alias can be created for convenience. All tools aim to enhance productivity in the terminal and are actively evolving.

AppWizard

February 23, 2026

New report says older games like CS2 and League of Legends take up 35% of PC playtime, but Roblox reigns supreme

The gaming industry is experiencing significant changes, with a few major titles dominating player engagement. The "big five" PC games—Counter-Strike, Fortnite, Minecraft, League of Legends, and Roblox—account for 35% of player hours, while older titles make up about 10%. In 2025, newly released games, including annual franchises like Call of Duty, represented only 14% of player hours on Steam. A large portion of PC gamers, 45%, engage with games that are one to seven years old, and 41% play titles that are eight years or older. Despite challenges, industry revenue has been maintained or grown through price increases rather than expanding the player base. Roblox has emerged as a significant market driver, representing over 4.5% of non-China spending and accounting for 67% of net growth in 2025. Developers on Roblox are earning over 0 million annually, with a 70% year-on-year growth. Titles like Grow a Garden have surpassed engagement metrics for Blizzard's games, and others have outperformed Valve's Dota 2. The anticipated release of GTA 6 could signal a new era, although its 2026 launch is uncertain.

AppWizard

February 23, 2026

Newzoo: Top Games of 2025 on PC & Console

PC and Nintendo Switch are more welcoming to new intellectual properties (IPs) compared to PlayStation and Xbox. The top-selling PC game of 2025 is Battlefield 6, followed by ARC Raiders and Schedule I. New IPs like R.E.P.O. and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 are also performing well on PC. In the console market, sports games dominate revenue rankings for PlayStation and Xbox, while first-party titles excel on Nintendo Switch. Indie and AA games such as Hollow Knight: Silksong, Hades II, Fantasy Life i, and Tiny Bookshop are achieving impressive sales on the Switch. The top games by Monthly Active Users (MAU) include Counter-Strike 2, Roblox, and Fortnite.

AppWizard

February 21, 2026

Some users are claiming Discord’s default process priorities are causing performance problems in esports games, so I’ve tested it myself to see what’s going on

Some users have raised concerns that Discord's default process priorities may be too high, potentially hindering gaming performance by consuming excessive CPU resources and leading to lower frame rates in games like Counter-Strike 2 and Valorant. A test on a Ryzen 9 9900X rig with an RTX 5090 showed that while frame times were marginally higher with Discord active, the differences were minimal—often just a millisecond or two. For casual gamers, these variations are unlikely to affect the overall experience. Adjusting Discord's priority to Normal in Task Manager may help free up CPU resources for gaming, though Discord is generally light on processor demand. Users are advised against setting game priorities to High or Real Time, as this can cause instability without real performance benefits.

Tech Optimizer

February 19, 2026

The 5 Biggest Cybersecurity Threats to Watch in 2026: Is Your Business Safe From These Looming Dangers? – Travel And Tour World

In 2026, cybersecurity has evolved significantly, necessitating organizations to prioritize five critical threats identified by expert Danny Mitchell from Heimdal: 1. AI Vulnerabilities: Attackers can manipulate machine learning models by introducing corrupted data, leading to dangerous decisions by AI systems. 2. Cyber-Enabled Fraud and Phishing: Phishing attacks have become more sophisticated with AI, using deepfake technology to impersonate individuals and evade detection. 3. Supply Chain Attacks: Cybercriminals exploit vulnerabilities in software libraries and vendor relationships, compromising trusted software updates and access credentials. 4. Software Vulnerabilities: The rapid discovery of software vulnerabilities outpaces patching efforts, leaving systems exposed to attacks, especially legacy systems. 5. Ransomware Attacks: Modern ransomware employs double extortion tactics, encrypting and stealing data, pressuring businesses to comply with ransom demands. Mitchell recommends strategies such as auditing AI systems, implementing multi-channel verification, securing supply chains, prioritizing patch management, and developing ransomware response plans to combat these threats.

AppWizard

February 17, 2026

Kingdom Come Deliverance II & The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Heading to Xbox Game Pass

Aerial_Knight's DropShot, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, and Avowed are available today on February 17 through Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. Death Howl and EA Sports College Football 26 are coming soon on February 19, along with The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Complete Edition. TCG Card Shop Simulator is in Game Preview and will be available on February 24, followed by Dice A Million on February 25 and Towerborne on February 26. Final Fantasy III and Kingdom Come: Deliverance II will be released on March 3. Menace and Diablo II: Resurrected were released on February 5 and February 11, respectively, while High on Life 2 was released on February 13. Overwatch: Season 1: Conquest launched on February 10, introducing new Heroes and events. Microsoft Mahjong will have in-game benefits on February 24. Titles leaving Game Pass on February 28 include Monster Train, Expeditions: A MudRunner Game, Injustice 2, and Middle Earth: Shadow of War.

AppWizard

February 17, 2026

Coming to Xbox Game Pass: Kingdom Come Deliverance II, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, EA Sports College Football 26, and More!

AerialKnight’s DropShot is available on February 17 for Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, Handheld, and PC via Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is also available on February 17 for the same platforms, featuring a first-person action-adventure experience. Avowed receives an update on February 17, introducing new playable races, a New Game Plus Mode, and a Photo Mode. Death Howl will launch on February 19 for Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, Handheld, and PC on Game Pass Ultimate and Premium. EA Sports College Football 26 is available on February 19 for Cloud and Xbox Series X|S, allowing players to represent 136 FBS schools. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition launches on February 19 for Cloud and Console. TCG Card Shop Simulator enters Game Preview on February 24 for multiple platforms. Dice A Million will be available on PC on February 25 with Xbox Game Pass. Towerborne releases as a complete game on February 26 for Console, Handheld, and PC. Final Fantasy III and Kingdom Come: Deliverance II are set for March 3 on multiple platforms. Menace entered Game Preview on February 5 for PC, and Diablo II: Resurrected was released on February 11 for Console and PC. Overwatch: Season 1: Conquest began on February 10, introducing new heroes. Microsoft Mahjong will feature in-game benefits on February 24 for PC. Titles leaving Game Pass on February 28 include Monster Train, Expeditions: A MudRunner Game, Injustice 2, and Middle Earth: Shadow of War.

AppWizard

February 13, 2026

Visiting this decade-old MMO made me realise that being a hero is overrated

Foxhole is an MMO that recently introduced an Airbourne update featuring player-controlled aircraft. The game emphasizes the importance of players not being liabilities and mastering the basics before engaging in combat. A notable event in Foxhole's history involved the Logistics Organisation for General Improvement (LOGI), which staged a 49-day in-game strike to address burdensome resupply processes, leading to a response from the developers. The gameplay includes training drills, a top-down perspective reminiscent of a World War II version of Hotline Miami, and a focus on logistics. Players engage in discussions in global chat and work together on various tasks, such as constructing defenses and providing medical assistance. The game highlights the significance of fulfilling individual roles to support the collective war effort.

AppWizard

February 13, 2026

Promising good old fashioned co-op FPS action, Half-Life remake dev’s Rogue Point has finally hit early access

Rogue Point is a co-op, PvE FPS game developed by the creators of the Black Mesa Half-Life remake, recently launched in Steam Early Access. Players form squads of up to four resistance fighters against mercenaries hired by wealthy backers. Missions include objectives like eliminating targets, gathering intelligence, and rescuing hostages, with success yielding cash rewards for loadout improvements. The game features a Dead Drop mechanic for acquiring new gear without real-money transactions. Gameplay emphasizes tactical realism and strategic movement, with elements reminiscent of games like Ready or Not and Rainbow Six Siege, while also incorporating chaotic enemy types. Rogue Point is currently priced at .99 / £14.44, with a 20% discount for its first two weeks.