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Last Flag, the debut game from the studio founded by Imagine Dragons' lead singer, becomes the latest multiplayer shooter struggling to find an audience
AppWizard
April 18, 2026

Last Flag, the debut game from the studio founded by Imagine Dragons’ lead singer, becomes the latest multiplayer shooter struggling to find an audience

In 2026, attracting players to new multiplayer shooters has proven to be a significant challenge. Highguard experienced a decline in player engagement, fading from the scene within three months. Marathon, despite its high budget of 0 million, is struggling to justify its costs. Last Flag, a 5v5 multiplayer shooter developed by Night Street Games and co-founded by members of Imagine Dragons, launched on April 14 to a peak of fewer than 600 concurrent players, which has since dropped to just under 400. Despite a competitive price and a marketing push, the game has faced criticism for having bot-filled matches and a visual style reminiscent of Fortnite. Night Street Games is focused on building a sustainable community and is currently offering a free weekend on Steam to attract players. Mac Reynolds highlighted the difficulties of fundraising in 2026, indicating challenges for studios in maintaining operational viability.
BAFTA pulls game trailer over 'themes that may be a trigger' even after developer revision
AppWizard
April 18, 2026

BAFTA pulls game trailer over ‘themes that may be a trigger’ even after developer revision

Alyx Jones, founder of Silver Script Games, had the trailer for her upcoming game, The Quiet Things, pulled from the BAFTA awards due to its sensitive content. BAFTA stated the decision was made to protect guests from potentially triggering themes without sufficient warning. The trailer, which explores themes of abuse and trauma, is now available on YouTube and is described as less shocking than some other recent games. Jones emphasized the personal significance of her work, highlighting its focus on trauma, survival, and giving a voice to survivors.
silver Android smartphone
AppWizard
April 17, 2026

Death Stranding 2 is the top game to win in this $1 Fanatical Mystery Bundle

Death Stranding 2 is a sequel that continues the narrative of delivering packages in a post-apocalyptic Australia, focusing on themes of loss, grief, and human connection. Players control Sam Porter Bridges, voiced by Norman Reedus, as he works to unite communities and faces new threats, including red robots. The game features challenging gameplay with environmental hazards and tactical combat elements. It is available for purchase through Fanatical's Mystery Egg Bundle, where players have a chance to acquire it for a low price, though there is no guarantee of receiving the game. The bundle offers additional keys for a collection of games at a discounted rate.
How To Get A Better Framerate In Pragmata Without Sacrificing Too Much on Visual Quality
AppWizard
April 16, 2026

How To Get A Better Framerate In Pragmata Without Sacrificing Too Much on Visual Quality

Pragmata is developed by Capcom using the RE Engine, showcasing significant advancements in visual fidelity while maintaining gameplay reminiscent of the Xbox 360 era. The game performs well across various hardware platforms, including the Nintendo Switch 2, and most gaming PCs can handle it effectively. High-end machines, such as those with an RTX 5080, can maximize settings for an enhanced visual experience, but average gamers may need to adjust settings for optimal performance. The game features ray tracing technology, offering two options: a standard toggle for global illumination and reflections, and a path tracing mode that replaces traditional rasterized lighting. Lower ray tracing settings can sometimes produce noisy reflections, particularly in areas with shiny surfaces. Nvidia users can enhance visuals with the DLSS Ray Reconstruction setting, but it requires path tracing to be enabled. Recommended graphics settings for Pragmata suggest that players can enjoy high settings even with mid-range graphics cards. For example, an RTX 3060 Ti at 1080p can achieve around 97 fps with ray tracing on, but enabling path tracing can drop the frame rate to about 44 fps. Players are advised to start with the “Balanced” preset and make incremental adjustments to optimize performance and visual fidelity. Performance tests revealed that the RTX 3060 Ti at 1080p achieved 100 to 110 fps, while the AMD Radeon RX 9070 excelled at 1440p with 130 to 140 fps. The RTX 5080 delivered 100 to 110 fps at 4K, and the RTX 5090 reached 195 fps at minimum settings but dropped to 126 fps with the balanced preset. Enabling ray tracing at the Quality preset reduced the frame rate to 115 fps, and for path tracing, DLSS should be set to performance, as the RTX 5090 managed only 59 fps under maximum settings. Pragmata demonstrates scalability, accommodating both lower-end and high-performance hardware.
Pragmata PC performance tested: 18 GPUs take us to the Moon
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.
Metro 2039 is "much darker" than its predecessors, but most importantly it's a statement of intent
AppWizard
April 16, 2026

Metro 2039 is “much darker” than its predecessors, but most importantly it’s a statement of intent

Anticipation is high for Metro 2039, the next installment in the Metro series, following the release of Exodus in 2019. The game is set in a post-apocalyptic Russia, specifically around a devastated Saint Basil's Cathedral, and will explore themes of death, tyranny, and political manipulation. Players will assume the role of The Stranger, who must dismantle the authoritarian regime of the Novoreich, led by Hunter. Metro 2039 will feature a fully voiced protagonist, enhancing immersion, and gameplay will include close-quarters shooting and survival horror elements. The game is expected to launch in winter 2026, likely between October and December, and aims to reflect the experiences of its Ukrainian developers amid ongoing conflict.
'90s style Command and Conquer spiritual successor DORF smashes its Kickstarter to raise $300,000
AppWizard
April 16, 2026

’90s style Command and Conquer spiritual successor DORF smashes its Kickstarter to raise $300,000

DORF is a real-time strategy (RTS) game inspired by '90s titles, currently funded on Kickstarter, raising nearly 0,000. It features three factions: the Union of Imperial States, the Collective, and the Warbands. The game includes single-player campaigns, skirmish modes, online multiplayer, and a map editor. Additional content from the funding includes special online co-op campaigns, unique voice lines for units, and new environmental zones like snowy regions and megacities. DORFteam is expanding their development team, particularly seeking dedicated mappers. The tentative release date is set for 2028, but they aim for a 1.0 launch by 2027. Players can wishlist DORF on Steam for updates.
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