Titled Legacy Awaits, update 38 brings some fresh features, fixes up a whole lot of bugs, unlocks previously gated content that was exclusive to promotions, and adds a whole bunch of outfits for players to find in the wild.

The major additions include water resistance now affecting vehicles when they travel through lakes and waterways, quickly accessing community inventories, changing zombie spawning mechanics for noises, and more. Here are the improvements the studio detailed:

• Water will Slow Vehicles - Water resistance will now reduce vehicle speed while travelling through lakes and waterways. Be sure to choose the right vehicle type for the job as each handles differently. A 4x4, for example, will outperform a Sports Coupe in the water.
• Community Inventories - While over in the base, you can now access individual Survivors' inventories from the Community screen, allowing you to quickly view or equip their items, transfer items between you, or store their gear (including rucksacks) into base storage. No more hunting around the base to find the Survivor you need!
• Zombie spawning has been removed after certain noise events - Failed search crashes and door slams will no longer spawn new zombies. These noise events will now simply attract already existing zombies to the location.
• We’ve reduced the distance at which characters automatically attempt to climb down from ledges. Additionally, characters will no longer attempt to climb down unintentionally whilst the player is aiming, which could often lead to some frustrating moments.
• Rucksacks can now be deposited at claimed Landmark Outposts.

Aside from a whole lot of new outfits for survivors that can be looted from containers across maps, Undead Labs is making previously timed-exclusive items available to all players too. These include wearables from various crossovers like Age of Empires II and Sea of Thieves, as well as items from seasonal content updates like Halloween and Christmas.

"While you’ve enjoyed State of Decay 2 for many years, you may have heard that we are also hard at work on the next evolution of the franchise," said the studio in its last blog post regarding the future of the series. "Our ambition is to make the greatest zombie survival sim in the franchise, and to do so, we’ll be shifting our focus and resources to making the upcoming third installment, State of Decay 3."

Find the complete changelog for Update 38 — Legacy Awaits over here, which goes over a number of additional gameplay balance adjustments, as well as a whole lot of key bug fixes reported by the community.

State of Decay 3 does not have a release date attached to it yet, but it did receive a new trailer at the Xbox Games Showcase earlier this year with tiny snippets of gameplay. Undead Labs has been working with Obsidian Entertainment and other studios for the upcoming entry, which will also feature advanced co-op features and a world that's much further into the zombie apocalypse than before.

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Spare me. There’s nothing I want less than a bunch of memes of Jesus-as-a-shrimp, pie-eating cartoon cats and other A.I. slop added to all the clickbait already clogging my feed. But there is a silver lining: Our legal system is starting to recognize this shift and hold tech giants responsible for the effects of their algorithms — a significant, and even possibly transformative, development that over the next few years could finally force social media platforms to be answerable for the societal consequences of their choices.

Let’s back up and start with the problem. Section 230, a snippet of law embedded in the 1996 Communications Decency Act, was initially intended to protect tech companies from defamation claims related to posts made by users. That protection made sense in the early days of social media, when we largely chose the content we saw, based on whom we “friended” on sites such as Facebook. Since we selected those relationships, it was relatively easy for the companies to argue they should not be blamed if your Uncle Bob insulted your strawberry pie on Instagram.

Then, of course, things got a little darker. Not everything Uncle Bob shared was accurate, and the platforms’ algorithms prioritized outrageous, provocative content from anyone with internet access over more neutral, fact-based reporting. Despite this, the tech companies’ lawyers continued to argue, successfully, that they were not responsible for the content shared on their platforms — no matter how misleading or dangerous.

Section 230 now has been used to shield tech from consequences for facilitating deadly drug sales, sexual harassment, illegal arms sales and human trafficking. And in the meantime, the companies grew to be some of the most valuable in the world.

Then came TikTok. After the wild popularity of TikTok’s “For You” algorithm, which selects bite-size videos to be fed to the passive viewer, social networks are increasingly having us watch whatever content their algorithms have chosen, often pushing to the sidelines the posts of accounts we had actually chosen to follow.

As annoying as this development has been, it could be beneficial in the fight to gain more control of our online lives. If tech platforms are actively shaping our experiences, after all, maybe they should be held liable for creating experiences that damage our bodies, our children, our communities and our democracy.

In August, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ruled that TikTok was not immune to a legal challenge regarding its algorithm, which disseminated dangerous videos promoting a “blackout challenge” showing people strangling themselves until they passed out. TikTok delivered a video of the challenge to a 10-year-old girl named Nylah Anderson, who tried to emulate it and killed herself.

Placing the video on Nylah’s feed “was TikTok’s own ‘expressive activity,’ and thus its first-party speech,” Judge Patty Shwartz wrote. The judge, writing for a three-judge panel, rejected the company’s defense that the video was made by a third party and thus protected by Section 230. (TikTok has petitioned the Third Circuit to rehear its case with a broader panel of judges.)

In a similar vein, the Superior Court of the District of Columbia ruled last month that Meta could not use Section 230 as a shield against a lawsuit by the district’s attorney general alleging, among other things, that the company’s “personalization algorithms” were designed to be addictive for children, as are other harmful features such as infinite scroll and frequent alerts. There are additional pending cases across the globe alleging tech-company culpability for the distribution of nonconsensual A.I.-generated nude images, hate speech and scams.

The issue is likely to end up at the Supreme Court. In July, the justices returned two challenges to state laws that restrict the power of social media companies to moderate content to lower courts, without addressing the implications for Section 230. Justice Clarence Thomas, though, has repeatedly signaled that he is eager for a chance to whittle away at Section 230’s protections.

If the court holds platforms liable for their algorithmic amplifications, it could prompt them to limit the distribution of noxious content such as nonconsensual nude images and dangerous lies intended to incite violence. It could force companies including TikTok to ensure they are not algorithmically promoting harmful or discriminatory products. And, to be fair, it could also lead to some overreach in the other direction, with platforms having a greater incentive to censor speech.

My hope is that the erection of new legal guardrails would create incentives to build platforms that give control back to users. It could be a win-win: We get to decide what we see, and they get to limit their liability.

In the meantime, there are alternatives. I’ve already moved most of my social networking to Bluesky, a platform that allows me to manage my content moderation settings. I also subscribe to several other feeds — including one that provides news from verified news organizations and another that shows me what posts are popular with my friends.

Of course, controlling our own feeds is a bit more work than passive viewing. But it’s also educational. It requires us to be intentional about what we are looking for — just as we decide which channel to watch or which publication to subscribe to.

This brings me to a very different kind of lawsuit. A professor at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst named Ethan Zuckerman is suing Meta, arguing that Section 230 gives him the right to release a tool that helps Facebook users to control their feeds.

I hope he succeeds. Giving power back to the users would not only be good for us as citizens, and it would also test the tech companies’ longstanding argument that the problems with social media is what we are doing to ourselves — not what they are doing to us.

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Update 1.1 to the game makes the camera controls more responsive, and also adds edge scrolling and cursor lock. Meanwhile, the Frostbreaking element that expands buildable areas can now be performed across any cell instead of being limited by connections.

Construction canceling while mid-way, color-coded district outlines for better visual clarity, immersive Frostbreaking visuals with visible nomads, and other quality of life updates are here. Autosaves are now adjustable too, and they can even be disabled outright. A better cartography view, and ongoing research being highlighted on the Idea Tree and its button are included as new changes on the update as well.

The studio says improving performance has been a key focus in its post-launch update direction. This includes "large-scale optimizations" and updated "DirectX libraries" are a part of these changes. A whole lot of bug fixes, including one for the "macOS audio stack overflow crash" have also landed.

"This update is yet another early testament to the power of community's feedback," adds 11 bit studios. "We are committed to continually improving Frostpunk 2, and your input is crucial in shaping the future of New London. If you believe Frostpunk 2 is heading in the right direction with these changes, we would love for your voice to be heard."

Frostpunk 2 update 1.1.0 is now available to owners of the game across Steam, Epic Games Store, and GOG. Find the complete patch notes for the update here. The game is also coming to Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 platforms sometime in 2025. The studio announced last month that it has already recovered its production and marketing costs after selling over 350,000 copies just a few days into its launch.

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AMD has finally revealed the launch date of its upcoming Ryzen 9000 processors with stacked 3D V-Cache. At the moment, details are scarce, and all the official information we have is the launch date. If you want the latest Ryzen 9000X3D chip, mark November 7 on your calendar.

AMD's teaser does not provide much information about the upcoming processor, except for the launch date and the general facts about the AM5 platform and the Zen5 architecture, such as PCIe Gen 5.0 and DDR5 memory support. However, according to multiple rumors, AMD will launch its next-gen X3D processors with the Ryzen 7 9800X3D.

The Ryzen 7 9800X3D reportedly features eight cores and 104MB of L3 cache, with the maximum clock reaching up to 5.2GHz. This chip should tame the criticism that the initial Ryzen 9000 lineup faced after reviewers discovered that the previous-gen Ryzen 7000X3D models offer better game performance. However, as leaked MSI slides revealed, the gaming performance uplift over the previous-gen X3D models is not going to be mind-blowing.

The news about the launch of Ryzen 9000X3D processors comes short of Intel's launch of Core Ultra 200S chips, which should debut on October 24. Interestingly, Intel already confirmed that its latest processors are slightly slower than AMD's Ryzen 7000X3D processors. It is quite possible that for many, sticking to the more affordable Ryzen 7000X3D models will be a better option money-wise.

If you do not care about AMD's Ryzen 9000X3D processors, you might be tempted to get its latest Ryzen 9000 chips, which are now up to $50 off. The discount applies to the Ryzen 9 9950X ($50 off) and the Ryzen 9 9900X, Ryzen 7 9700X, and Ryzen 5 9600X ($30 off).

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What you need to know

• The U.S. Army wants Microsoft to reduce the cost of IVAS militarized augmented reality headsets to "be substantially less than" $80,000 per unit, which is the current project cost.
• IVAS has faced several delays and challenges for several years, but Microsoft's deal with the U.S. Army regarding the headsets could be worth almost $22 billion.
• Microsoft discontinued HoloLens 2 recently and the company's mixed reality efforts are largely dead.

When Microsoft discontinued HoloLens 2 and announced end of support for the mixed reality headset, many asked if the announcement would affect the tech giant's planned military headset. Microsoft clarified at the time that it is "fully committed" to its Visual Augmentation System (IVAS), even after discontinuing HoloLens 2. While Microsoft is committed to IVAS, it appears the U.S. Army may have some hesitations. That is, unless Microsoft can lower the cost of individual IVAS units.

Microsoft needs to get the cost of an IVAS headset to "be substantially less than” $80,000, as highlighted by a report by Bloomberg. That figure is the current projected cost of an individual IVAS unit. Microsoft's current deal with the U.S. Army could be worth up to almost $22 billion, but several hurdles have to be cleared before things continue.

The U.S. Army has been testing IVAS, and initial tests were not great. Soldiers experienced headaches and nausea during testing, but things have since improved. Army acquisition chief Doug Bush said that testing" is going much better than the first time around" and that "a lot of problems have been fixed." Those comments were made during the annual Association of the US Army conference last week.

Bush also shared the unit costs will be "a key factor next year when senior leaders make decisions about going into production."

IVAS units are militarized augmented reality helmets that can provide soldiers powerful insights in real time, such as issuing warnings for threats. The headsets also include night vision and are much more durable than commercial or enterprise augmented reality systems. Those specs and the cost of developing IVAS add up. Bloomberg highlighted that the display, battery, and chest unit of an IVAS unit cost $41,824 (as outlined by budget documents for the project). The rest of the cost is related to engineering, software support, and working with the Army.

While IVAS units are expensive, Microsoft is looking into ways to reduce costs. "We are going through the program to identify where we can reduce costs," said Microsoft Corporate Vice President for Mixed Reality Robin Seiler.

"It’s a fairly complex system, so when you look at cost reduction you have to look at it from a component level, from a labor level and from your supply chain," she added.

Table of contents:

1. Windows 10 and 11 news
2. Windows Insider Program
3. Updates are available
4. Gaming news
5. Great deals to check
6. A blast from Microsoft's past
7. Random fact about Microsoft

Windows 11 and 10

Here we talk about everything happening around Microsoft's latest operating system in the Stable channel and preview builds: new features, removed features, controversies, bugs, interesting findings, and more. And of course, you may find a word or two about older but still supported versions.

This week, Microsoft acknowledged quite a few bugs in Windows 11, especially version 24H2. These include the inability to clear 8.6 GB of temporary data on drive C, 0xc1900101 error, blue screens of death on PCs with the Voicemeeter app, issues on ASUS systems, app freezes when using camera, and more. Those bugs block the upgrade to Windows 11 version 24H2, but if your system is unaffected and you want to get the update right here and right now, check out this guide.

As for more positive news, customers with certain WD and SanDisk SSDs can now download new firmware to fix blue screens of death on Windows 11 version 24H2. Microsoft also released new Windows Recovery updates.

Windows Insider Program

Here is what Microsoft Released this week for testing in the Windows Insider Program:

The newly released builds for Windows 10 turned out to pack some interesting changes. Although Windows 10 is less than a year from its inevitable end of mainstream support, Microsoft still adds new features to the aging operating system. This time, the "About" section received quite a significant redesign.

As for Windows 11 Insiders, Microsoft paused the rollout of some features to users with Windows 11 version 23H2 in the Release Preview Channel. Those features include the Phone Link Start menu integration and some updates to the out-of-box experience.

Besides new builds, Microsoft released a new Microsoft Store update with revamped app and game pages.

Speaking of the Windows Insider Program, here are five things I want Microsoft to change. Ten years after the initial launch, the program is in dire need of some changes to reignite the excitement and make things less confusing.

To finish the Windows 11 section, here is what happens when you mix nostalgia with a modern operating system. Someone on Reddit applied an old-school coat of paint to Windows 11, turning it into a modern Windows 98 capable of running modern apps. It looks very cool.

However, if you would like something more modern, check out this mod, which promises a complete overhaul of the stock Windows UI.

Updates are available

This section covers software, firmware, and other notable updates (released and coming soon) delivering new features, security fixes, improvements, patches, and more from Microsoft and third parties.

This section kicks off with a new Surface leak. Earlier this week, someone in China listed a Surface Laptop prototype with Intel's latest Core Ultra 7 268V processor for sale. The computer is almost identical to the current-gen Surface Laptop 7, and it packs 32 GB of RAM and 1 TB SSD. The asking price was roughly $2,600 before the listing was taken down.

If you use Office 2016 or Office 2019, it is time to plan upgrades to newer versions. These apps have slightly less than one year of support ahead of them. To help users migrate to supported suites, Microsoft published a detailed guide with all the available options for different customers. Check it out here.

One way to ensure your Office apps are always supported is to move to the Microsoft 365 subscription, where Insiders can try a new tool for Excel and PowerPoint. Soon, those two apps will let you draw perfect shapes thanks to the Draw and Hold gesture, which came straight from OneNote and Word.

Oracle shipped a new update for VirtualBox, a popular cross-platform hypervisor. The latest version features various TPM improvements, fixes for Windows 11 version 24H2, Linux 6.12 support, and other changes.

Mozilla released a small update for Firefox. Version 131.0.3 delivers fixes for YouTube playback issues, crashes on Windows, and other bugs. In addition, the latest Firefox Nightly versions finally let you turn on the Mica material on Windows 11.

Microsoft Edge has been updated to version 130. It packs an updated Settings section and a big list of various changes under the hood. Microsoft also released a new feature update for Edge Insiders on the Dev Channel.

Other notable updates include the following:

• Admins will soon be able to migrate OneDrive data to Google Drive for 100 users.
• Logitech Options+ received support for the MX Creative Console and more.
• Stardock released a new version of DesktopGPT with Template Editor and more.
• NordVPN now has a native app for Windows on ARM.
• Microsoft released Copilot Scheduled Prompts for prompt automation.
• Microsoft and HID partnered to enable physical access cards for MFA.
• Microsoft announced the general availability of Azure Cobalt 100-based VMs.
• Windows Admin Center version 2410 Public Preview is now available.
• OpenAI's ChatGPT app is finally available on Windows to some users.
• PowerToys is getting utility grouping.

And here are the newest drivers released this week:

• Nvidia Studio Driver 565.90 with optimizations for the latest Adobe AI updates.
• AMD 24.10.1 with Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 support and more.
• Intel 32.0.101.6127 WHQL with notable FPS improvements in some games.

What will no longer receive firmware updates is the original Surface Laptop Go. This entry-level laptop reached the end of its relatively short four-year lifecycle on October 13, 2024. Another dead Windows device is Qualcomm's Snapdragon Dev Kit. The company discontinued the product and refunded orders, allegedly due to a faulty HDMI port.

Finally, here is this week's Microsoft 365 Roadmap weekly, where we track upcoming features for Microsoft's productivity apps, such as Teams, Outlook, Excel, Word, OneDrive, etc. The latest additions include offline features for the new Outlook on Windows, a new calendar for Teams, new themes for Outlook, and more.

Reviews are in

Here is the hardware and software we reviewed this week.

Steven Parker reviewed the TerraMaster F4-424 Max, a powerful 4-bay NAS with a 10-core Intel processor, 10 Gb Ethernet, DDR5 memory, and quiet cooling. It is not perfect, so prepare for having just 8 GB of RAM, a bit lacking OS, and odd quirks with native apps.

On the gaming side

Learn about upcoming game releases, Xbox rumors, new hardware, software updates, freebies, deals, discounts and more.

Microsoft's latest Xbox consoles are now available. On October 25, Microsoft launched three new versions: the 1 TB Xbox Series S Robot White, the 1TB Xbox Series X all-digital, and the 2 TB Xbox Series X Galaxy Black Special Edition. A teardown of those consoles revealed interesting hardware changes, such as a reworked cooling, a new 6nm chip, lower energy consumption, and heavily redesigned motherboards.

Playground Games released Update 13 for Forza Motorsport. The latest content update delivers Drift Mode, a new track (Sunset Peninsula), a bunch of new Mustangs, and plenty of under-the-hood (get it?) changes to improve different aspects of the game. Update 13 is available on Xbox and PC via Steam and the Microsoft Store.

Xbox Cloud Gaming is getting more Call of Duty titles. Starting October 25, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers will be able to play Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, Call of Duty Warzone, and the upcoming Call of Duty Black Ops 6 on all supported devices. By the way, the latter received its final PC specs and a dedicated trailer.

Microsoft also announced the next wave of games for Game Pass subscribers. They include South Park: The Fractured but Whole, Donut County, MechWarrior 5: Clans, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Ashen, Dead Island 2, and a lot more.

Interestingly, ahead of the Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 release, Microsoft pulled its $1 Game Pass trial. Therefore, if you are a newcomer to the service, you can no longer (temporarily) get access to the catalog for just $1. Now, the only way to play Call of Duty Black Ops 6 is to pay $11.99 for PC Game Pass, $19.99 for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, or $69.99 for the game itself.

To finish with Call of Duty, here are the new controllers and console wraps that Microsoft announced this week. You can now spec a Call of Duty-themed Xbox Wireless Controller or Xbox Elite Series 2 gamepad. Plus, Microsoft is now selling a Call of Duty console wrap for Xbox Series X.

GSC Game World revealed a preview of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, revealing how choices you make affect the storyline in the upcoming game set in the Chernobyl exclusion zone. The game is launching on November 20, 2024, on Xbox Series X|S and PC (including Game Pass).

Other notable gaming stories from this week include the following:

• Rare's Craig Duncan becomes the new head of Xbox Game Studios as Alan Hartman retires.
• DayZ received a big Frostline expansion with a new frozen region.
• Chronicles: Battle for Greece campaign expansion announced for Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition.
• Microsoft agreed to settle the "gamers lawsuit" over the Activision-Blizzard deal.
• Bioware confirmed that Dragon Age: The Veilguard won't have any third-party DRM.
• Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine II received its first major update.
• Alan Wake 2: The Lake House expansion is coming on October 22 and promises even more horror.
• The EA Play subscription is now available at the Epic Games Store.
• Marvel's Spider-Man 2 announced for PC, lands in January 2025.

To finish this week's Gaming section, check out our recap of the latest Xbox Partner Preview showcase, where Microsoft revealed a Control spin-off, FBC: Firebreak, Subnautica 2, and more.

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2023: Over 5,800 news posts | 2024 (till end of September): 4,292 news posts

Paul's Hardware (1.49M subscribers)

October 20, 2024

Video length: 10m 17s

0:00 Welcome to Paul’s Tech News - Oct 6, 2024

1:29 NVIDIA to Release up to 6 RTX 50-series GPUs in Q1 2025

3:35 More AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D CPU Reveal Date Rumors

5:17 Ryzen 7 5800X3D AM4 Processor Hits End-of-Life

TECH BRIEFS

6:22 AMD, Intel Team Up To Extend X86 Architecture

7:08 Intel & AMD Testing 12V-2×6 Power Connectors For Next-Gen GPUs

7:59 AsRock Went All USB Type C on the Z890 Taichi Aqua

8:41 Google is purging ad-blocking extension uBlock Origin

9:02 Hacked Robot Vacuums Across the U.S. Started Yelling Slurs

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JayzTwoCents (4.11M subscribers)

October 20, 2024

As you can imagine, everyone is pretty concerned about the next generation of Intel CPUs given the way things turned out for 13th and 14th gen CPUs... so what is Intel doing to keep this from happening again?! Let's talk about DLVR...

Video length: 17m 25s

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2023: Over 5,800 news posts | 2024 (till end of September): 4,292 news posts

2024 may almost be over, but what could be one of the year's best games is still on the way. The title I'm referring to is none other than Dragon Age: The Veilguard — the fourth mainline entry in BioWare and Electronic Arts' legendary RPG series, and the first in it since 2014's Dragon Age: Inquisition released a decade ago. The wait for  "Dragon Age 4" has been an incredibly long one, but now that it's finally almost here, excitement for the game is rapidly ramping up.

With the RPG now just a few weeks away, players interested in the prospect of a new fantasy adventure are wondering when specifically they'll be able to embark on this new Dragon Age journey. Luckily, the developers have announced the game's official release date, along with precise launch time information. You'll find all of that in the sections below, as well as everything we know about things like preloads and storage requirements.

What is Dragon Age: The Veilguard?

Dragon Age: The Veilguard is a single player action RPG set in the fantasy world of Thedas, and it takes place after the events of the series' previous game Dragon Age: Inquisition. Players will create and take control of a custom character called "Rook" (you'll be able to give them an actual name in the character creator) and adventure through the game as one of three classes — Warrior, Rogue, or Mage — with each class allowing you to customize and finely tune your playstyle with specialization subclasses. Like many other action RPGs, combat involves utilizing weapons, magic, and skills to take the fight to foes while avoiding their strikes with well-timed defensive maneuvers like dodges, blocks, and parries.

Naturally, most of The Veilguard's choice-driven story has been kept under wraps by EA and BioWare, though there are some things we know about the overarching plot of the game. Solas, a companion character that returns from Inquisition, threatens all of Thedas with a ritual that is said to restore lost elven immortality, but also rip open the Veil — the barrier between the world and the metaphysical "Fade" realm where demons reside. You and The Veilguard companions stop him, however, with the ensuing skirmish resulting in the arrival of a pair of elven gods that plan to destroy the world. In the aftermath, you and your allies are tasked with banding together to slay the two deadly deities.

The game will have seven different companions you can recruit, travel, and fight alongside, with deep backstories and romances to engage with if you're so inclined. Also, several characters from previous Dragon Age games will appear throughout the story. For example, Varric Tethras and Lace Harding will both be in The Veilguard, with the former originating from Dragon Age 2 and the latter first introduced in Inquisition.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard is coming to Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC (via Steam, the EA app, and GeForce NOW), and PS5, and costs $59.99 to preorder (notably, it's also Steam Deck verified). In addition to the standard version of the game, there's also a $79.99 Deluxe Edition with a suite of exclusive cosmetic goodies for Rook and their companions (see our Dragon Age: The Veilguard preorder guide for more information).

Dragon Age: The Veilguard — Release date and times

I often wonder if I've become cynical as I've aged, but at least sometimes, there's empirical data to back up a feeling.

Last quarter, Microsoft's financial results revealed yet another decline for its Surface division, which saw its seventh consecutive quarterly drop. There's no universe where those results can be spun into a positive, and honestly, it didn't have to be this way.

Surface has always fought with one arm behind its back, in essence. Surface worked hard not to step directly on the toes of Microsoft's powerful Windows OEM partners, like Dell and Lenovo, instead drilling into niches to find its audience. It felt like, at least for a time, that these restrictions helped Surface to find its differentiation, forcing it to innovate across every inch of the product to stand out in a bustling and competitive market. Surface reinvigorated the laptop market, forcing OEMs to re-evaluate their approach to design in a world where Apple has crowned itself the King of Hardware Style.

I would argue that every laptop OEM has become better and more interesting as a result of Surface, but it wasn't simply about hardware innovation, either. Surface co-creator and previous hardware chief Panos Panay had the charisma and showmanship to really sell the vision of the Surface brand.

Microsoft is spending more than ever on R&D, racing to commercialize AI tools like Copilot with the masses. But, I feel it's hardware, not software that will inspire the future of this paradigm. Perhaps Microsoft even agrees, which is why it shoveled out its uninspired Copilot+ PC range earlier this summer to a collective "meh" from consumers.

Unfortunately, Microsoft seems to have given up on innovating in consumer hardware endpoints, and its attitudinal shift couldn't have come at a worse time. This shift, from a focus on consumer hardware to other areas, is a cause for disappointment and regret, especially considering the potential that Surface once held.

Surface was so good, even Apple had to copy it

It feels odd that I'm going to bat for Surface, especially considering I wrote an article a while back about why I stopped buying Surface. It that article, I essentially argued that the Surface devices were over-engineered and didn't prioritize the little things. You know, like not getting hot enough to fry an egg. However, I didn't argue that Microsoft should give up and stop trying.

JayzTwoCents (4.11M subscribers)

Ever wonder how you can know when it's really time to upgrade something in your PC?

October 17, 2024

Video length: 21m 31s

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What you need to know

• Qualcomm announced an affordable Snapdragon X Elite developer kit at Build 2024 earlier this year.
• The device was supposed to ship in June, but faced major delays that only saw the first (small) batch of units ship to developers just days ago.
• Now, Qualcomm has announced that it is canceling the developer kit, and will issue refunds to all buyers, including the lucky few that received one.

In what can only be described as an embarrassing PR disaster for Qualcomm, the highly anticipated $900 Snapdragon X Elite developer kit that was first announced on stage at Microsoft's Build 2024 conference earlier this year has been canned, just days after the first units began shipping to those who ordered one.

Qualcomm let customers know in an email:

"The Developer Kit product comprehensively has not met our usual standards of excellence and so we are reaching out to let you know that unfortunately we have made the decision to pause this product and the support of it, indefinitely."

Those who have placed an order will be getting a full refund, including the lucky few who actually received the developer kit. Qualcomm says those who received one do not need to return it for the refund. Unfortunately, any outstanding orders will be canceled meaning if you don't have one yet, you'll never get it now.

Originally, Qualcomm intended to launch the Snapdragon X Elite developer kit in June, with orders opening on the same day that Copilot+ PCs became available. However, that date came and went and Qualcomm failed put the developer kit on sale. It wasn't until a month later when pre-orders would finally go live on Arrow, with a shipping estimate of just a couple of weeks.

Those who did place an order quickly found out that the developer kit wouldn't be shipping in the estimated time. In fact, it wasn't clear when the developer kit would ship. Those who placed an order when pre-orders first opened in July were left in the dark, with no accurate ETA from either Qualcomm or Arrow.

Many developers who placed an order documented their frustration with the process. Some developers that have received the device have already reviewed the hardware — Jeff Geerling called it a missed opportunity due to the hardware.

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Samsung has said it has developed the industry's first 24-gigabit (Gb) GDDR7 DRAM aimed at next-gen AI computing. Not only does the Korean company tout this as the highest capacity GDDR7 DRAM, but Samsung also claims it has the fastest speed at over 40 Gbps. It said that this memory "significantly" raises the bar for graphics DRAM "powering future applications."

Validation of the hardware with GPU customers will begin this year and then if everything is OK production will start early next year. Commenting on this development, YongCheol Bae, Executive Vice President of Memory Product Planning at Samsung Electronics, said:

"After developing the industry’s first 16 Gb GDDR7 last year, Samsung has reinforced its technological leadership in the graphics DRAM market with this latest achievement. We will continue to lead the graphics DRAM market by bringing next-generation products that align with the growing needs of the AI market.”

Samsung expects that this new memory solution will be used in various fields that require high-performance memory solutions such as data centers and AI workstations, and extending traditional applications of graphics DRAM in graphics cards, gaming consoles, and autonomous driving.

An important benefit of this memory chip over previous generations is the extra power efficiency that has been eked out by using technologies from mobile products in graphics DRAM for the first time. These methods include clock control management and dual VDD design. Samsung says by cutting out unnecessary power consumption, it has improved power efficiency by 30%.

Furthermore, Samsung says it has used power gating design techniques that minimize current leakage. This boosts operational stability during high-speed operations.

Samsung has not provided any pricing information for this memory solution nor has it given a date that it expect to release it on, but a good guess would be sometime in the second half of 2025.

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The latest map is set on planet Kadaku, and alongside all the standard enemy types Space Marines have faced before, the massive Hierophant Bio-Titans have now landed. A massive Tyranid enemy that will need to be taken down to survive this Operation map titled Termination.

Next, Lethal difficulty is here for Operation enjoyers looking for even more stress in their lives. According to the studio, this option limits the number of refills Ammo Crates give, has deadlier Majoris enemies, and armor restoring only works when near other Space Marines. Surviving this does grant some exclusive cosmetic items, though. Moreover, when playing Operations in solo mode, photo mode can be enabled to take all kinds of cool shots on the battlefield.

Here are the other gameplay balance tweaks that have arrived with Patch 4.0:

• Melee Archetypes: Fencing weapons' perfect parry window will now have the same duration as balanced weapons but it will start from the first frame of parry animation.
• Melee Perks: Chainsword, Power Fist, Combat Knife charged attacks perks get significant damage increase.
• Basic Auspex Scan: bonus damage on bosses is reduced by 30%.
• Melta Charge: damage to bosses is reduced by 70%.
• Enemy Spawn Director PvE:
• Tweaked idle spawns.
• Enemy variety within waves is now less random while enemy variety between waves is bigger.
• Extremis enemies can now spawn have additional enemies

As for why the reasoning behind these changes, that mostly seem to be making the difficulty harder, Saber said this:

"With Patch 3 we have noticed that Operations mode became noticeably easier, especially Chaos operations. We are happier with what we have right now compared to what we had on release, because before Patch 3 Chaos missions were unpopular. Still, we think that currently Operations mode is a bit too easy. Overall these changes are going to make Operations mode harder, but it is difficult to measure by how much. We will continue to monitor those changes and will continue to adjust the balance of Operations mode. This is not the last change."

Find the complete changelog for Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 patch 4.0 over here, which has further fixes, PVP and AI tweaks, and more. So far, the game has gathered over 4.5 million players, according to the developer.

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Over the past couple of years, Meta has faced a lot of challenges like slower growth in users, and competition from other social media platforms. CEO Mark Zuckerberg had previously mentioned that the company needs to streamline its operations and make better use of its resources, and called 2023 "the year of efficiency."

The exact number of people affected by these layoffs isn't really public. However, the layoffs are part of the job cuts that have happened since late 2022, when Meta had first cut its workforce by 21,000 employees.

A Meta spokesperson stated to The Verge,

“Today, a few teams at Meta are making changes to ensure resources are aligned with their long-term strategic goals and location strategy. This includes moving some teams to different locations, and moving some employees to different roles. In situations like this when a role is eliminated, we work hard to find other opportunities for impacted employees.”

Meta's first round of layoffs began in November 2022, when it first laid off around 11,000 employees. Then in March 2023, Meta laid off another 10,000 when Zuckerberg stated that he intended the company to be a "leaner org".

Zuckerberg said at that time:

A leaner org will execute its highest priorities faster. People will be more productive, and their work will be more fun and fulfilling. We will become an even greater magnet for the most talented people. That’s why in our Year of Efficiency, we are focused on canceling projects that are duplicative or lower priority and making every organization as lean as possible.

Then came the third round of layoffs where the Facebook company laid off another 6,000 and all of these layoffs reportedly saved billions of dollars. The recent layoffs mark Meta's fifth round of layoffs, and while we don't know the exact numbers, Meta is helping those laid off to find newer opportunities among other benefits.

Via The Verge

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With the YouTube Premium Lite subscription plan, users could enjoy an ad-free YouTube viewing experience. The difference between other YouTube Premium plans was that the "Lite" plan didn't offer access to YouTube Music or the option to download videos for offline viewing.

However, the YouTube Premium Lite plan was the need of the hour after YouTube Premium prices soared in several countries, in some cases by as much as 55%. Thankfully, Google is said to have started testing the YouTube Premium Lite subscription, after seemingly canceling it over a year ago.

Google confirmed to Android Authority that it isn't the old Premium Lite plan of the past, but an active test of a new plan. Google said, "We’re testing a different version of Premium Lite and some users in Australia, Germany, and Thailand may see the option to sign up." So, the feature is still not available in the US, but you never know.

Recently, more users started seeing the plan. Notably, Jonah Manzano, an Australian singer-songwriter shared a screenshot of the plan on Threads costing A$11.99/month, while some others saw the details of the plan a few months ago.

Some users in Germany also spotted the YouTube Premium Lite plan, which reportedly costs €5.99/month.

There is some uncertainty surrounding the YouTube Premium Lite plan's future for the subscription offering. Also, there is no clarity if the feature will expand over to the US or not.

Let us know what you think about this plan and do you want YouTube to start offering this practical plan in the US and more countries.

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Amazon signed its first deal with Energy Northwest, a Washington state public utility consortium. The agreement will fund initial feasibility studies to potentially build four SMRs near an existing nuclear plant by the early 2030s. Amazon would get first access to purchase the 320 megawatts of electricity generated. It also secured options to expand the site to a potential 960 megawatts, enough for over 700,000 homes.

Under the agreement, Amazon will have the right to purchase electricity from the first project (four modules), which is expected to generate 320 megawatts (MW) of energy capacity. Energy Northwest has the option to further build out the site by adding up to eight additional modules (640 MWs) resulting in a total project generating capacity of up to 960 MWs.

Amazon made its second investment in SMR developer X-energy. The company led a $500 million funding round for X-energy, which is designing reactors that could be used in the Energy Northwest project. With Amazon's support, X-energy plans to complete its reactor designs, get licensing, and build a fuel facility in Tennessee. It aims to partner with Amazon and utilities to deploy over 5,000 megawatts of SMRs nationwide by 2039.

Amazon's third deal was with Dominion Energy in Virginia to explore an SMR near an existing plant. Dominion expects electricity demand in the state to double in 15 years, making SMRs an attractive option.

Nuclear power matches the massive electricity needs of Amazon and other tech giants struggling to reduce their carbon footprints from data center operations. SMRs could provide continuous carbon-free power without the intermittency of solar and wind. However, SMR projects still require regulatory approval, and economic challenges remain.

Amazon is not the only tech company that has expressed interest in using nuclear energy. Google has also secured a new contract for nuclear power, while Microsoft plans to restart the Three Mile Island plant by 2028.

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It looks like one of the most awaited gaming CPUs, the AMD Ryzen 9800X3D, is just around the corner.

Part of the X3D series, it comes with 3D V-Cache, which basically puts an extra cache on top of the existing L3 cache of the CPU. This extra cache, that is 64MB in capacity so far, helps tremendously in some games. Allowing an extra boost in gaming performance not seen before.

AMD first experimented it with the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D CPU, with a massive success. It then followed it up with AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D, with even bigger success.

Now with the release of the AMD Ryzen 9000 series, which had poor and mixed reviews, everyone is waiting for the X3D series CPUs. While initially they were stated to release in September, that seems to have changed.

Now, after months of waiting, we finally have more idea about their release dates.

Ryzen 9800X3D Release Date

A well known leaker from Chiphell forums (translation), via @harukaze5719, has leaked the dates for the AMD Ryzen 9800X3D’s announcement and release.

The post says that AMD will announce the Ryzen 7 9800X3D CPU on 25th October, which is just a day after Intel Core Ultra 200 Arrow Lake’s release. However, the CPUs will start becoming available from the first week of November.

The post also claims that the clock frequency of the CPU is going to be quite high. However, while the price isn’t decided yet, the CPU is not expected to be cheap. This is interesting because the X3D series CPUs usually have lower clocks than the non-X3D. However, some other rumors too have claimed that Ryzen 9800X3D could have higher clocks this time around.

As for the release date itself, Hoang Anh Phu, another well known leaker, has revealed the exact date. In the reply to @harukaze5719, they hinted that the AMD Ryzen 9800X3D is going to release on 7th of November.

Conclusion

If AMD releases the Ryzen 9800X3D in early November, it marks the quickest entry of the X3D series of CPUs till date. There could be two reasons behind this move.

First is, the AMD Ryzen 9000 non-X3D CPUs are getting bad reviews. It’s possible that they aren’t selling that much either. Second, they want to counter Intel’s Arrow Lake series. With higher clocks, Ryzen 9800X3D is likely to beat every CPU out there in gaming.

In preparation for the release, AMD has also started pulling Ryzen 5800X3D out from many, if not most, markets around the world.

The problem is the pricing. Both Ryzen 5800X3D and Ryzen 7800X3D had a MSRP of $449 at release. If AMD is going to price Ryzen 9800X3D higher, people will not buy it as large numbers as before. Intel’s claim of lackluster performance of Arrow Lake in games isn’t helping the prices either.

Either way, it’s likely that we will soon officially hear from AMD about it.

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The current-gen Surface Laptop 7 is available exclusively with the Snapdragon X Plus or Elite processors. If you want an Intel chip, you have to settle for the Surface Laptop 6 for Business and its first-gen Intel Core Ultra chips. The leaked model, though, is powered by the Intel Core Ultra 7 268V, also known as Intel Lunar Lake.

Besides Intel's latest chip, the prototype features 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD, indicating a top-end model with a hefty price tag of 19,000 CNY (roughly $2,600). The buyer also claims that the device will only be available next year. For reference, the Surface Laptop 7 with 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage costs $1,999 for the 13.8-inch model and $2,099 for the 15-inch model. The seller is clearly inflating the price for exclusivity, especially considering the device has no quality issues and comes with the original package and a charger (still says "prototype").

Windows Central, citing unknown sources within Microsoft, says the company is indeed working on a Surface Laptop with Intel's Lunar Lake processors. However, it is unknown whether the device will launch in 2025 as the Surface Laptop 8 or the Surface Laptop 7.

Microsoft has already confirmed that Copilot+ PC features, including Recall, are coming to devices with the latest Intel and AMD processors. Therefore, it makes sense to expand the current lineup with additional options for those who are not ready to switch to Windows on ARM, regardless of how well it works and how well its battery life is. It might also be Microsoft's next-gen Surface Laptop for Business, as suggested by the vPro tag, according to the person who spotted the listing.

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SANTA CLARA, Calif., Oct. 15, 2024 –  Intel Corp. (INTC) and AMD (NASDAQ: AMD) today announced the creation of an x86 ecosystem advisory group bringing together technology leaders to shape the future of the world’s most widely used computing architecture. x86 is uniquely positioned to meet customers’ emerging needs by delivering superior performance and seamless interoperability across hardware and software platforms. The group will focus on identifying new ways to expand the x86 ecosystem by enabling compatibility across platforms, simplifying software development, and providing developers with a platform to identify architectural needs and features to create innovative and scalable solutions for the future.

For over four decades, x86 has served as the bedrock of modern computing, establishing itself as the preferred architecture in data centers and PCs worldwide. In today’s evolving landscape — characterized by dynamic AI workloads, custom chiplets, and advancements in 3D packaging and system architectures — the importance of a robust and expanding x86 ecosystem is more crucial than ever.

“We are on the cusp of one of the most significant shifts in the x86 architecture and ecosystem in decades – with new levels of customization, compatibility and scalability needed to meet current and future customer needs,” said Pat Gelsinger, Intel CEO. “We proudly stand together with AMD and the founding members of this advisory group, as we ignite the future of compute, and we deeply appreciate the support of so many industry leaders.”

“Establishing the x86 Ecosystem Advisory Group will ensure that the x86 architecture continues evolving as the compute platform of choice for both developers and customers,” said Lisa Su, AMD Chair and CEO. “We are excited to bring the industry together to provide direction on future architectural enhancements and extend the incredible success of x86 for decades to come.”

The advisory group aims to unite industry leaders to shape the future of x86 and foster developer innovation through a more unified set of instructions and architectural interfaces. This initiative will enhance compatibility, predictability and consistency across x86 product offerings. To achieve this, the group will solicit technical input from the x86 hardware and software communities on essential functions and features. Collaboration will facilitate the creation of consistent and compatible implementations of key x86 architectural features and programming models, extending across all  sectors – including data centers, cloud, client, edge and embedded devices – ultimately delivering downstream benefits to customers. The intended outcomes include:

• Enhancing customer choice and compatibility across hardware and software, while accelerating their ability to benefit from new, cutting-edge features.
• Simplifying architectural guidelines to enhance software consistency and interfaces across x86 product offerings from Intel and AMD.
• Enabling greater and more efficient integration of new capabilities into operating systems, frameworks and applications.

As vigorous competitors, Intel and AMD at the same time share a history of industry collaboration focused on platform-level advancements, the introduction of standards, and security vulnerability mitigation within the x86 ecosystem. Their joint efforts have shaped key technologies, including PCI, PCIe, Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI). Both companies also played a pivotal role in developing USB, a vital connectivity standard for all computers regardless of the processor. This advisory group takes this industry collaboration to the next level for the benefit of the entire computing ecosystem and as a catalyst for product innovation.

CEO Quotes from Founding Members

Broadcom Inc. President and CEO Hock Tan

“We are at a crossroads in the history of computing. The x86 architectural decisions we make today will affect programming models, frameworks and systems for decades to come. Broadcom looks forward to lending its industry perspective to the x86 Ecosystem Advisory Group as a pioneer in silicon development and x86 virtualization with VMware.”

 Dell Technologies Chairman and CEO Michael Dell

“Dell has a long history of working with the x86 platform. We look forward to collaborating with Intel, AMD and fellow x86 Advisory Group members to continue driving innovation for our customers and partners.”

Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian

“Google is excited to join this x86 Ecosystem Advisory Group to help shape the future of computing. Taking a pan-industry approach ensures consistent implementations, which aligns with Google’s commitment to fostering innovation and providing the best possible experience for our developers and users. By simplifying and standardizing across the x86 ecosystem, we can unlock new levels of performance, efficiency, and ease of use, ultimately accelerating the development and adoption of cutting-edge technologies.”

Hewlett Packard Enterprise President and CEO Antonio Neri

“HPE is honored to be a founding member of the x86 Ecosystem Advisory Group, helping shape a consistent future architecture with innovative new features that meet customers’ evolving computing needs.”

HP Inc. President and CEO Enrique Lores

“We are honored to join Intel, AMD, and other advisory group members to advance the x86 architecture. At HP, we believe that the future of work will require technology that drives growth and fulfillment for both employees and the companies they work for. Building a more efficient, secure, and customizable x86 ecosystem will help accelerate this evolution.”

 Lenovo Chairman and CEO Yuanqing Yang

“Lenovo is delighted to be one of the founding members of this important new advisory group, given our role in the industry for the past decade. When we work together as an industry ecosystem, we all benefit, but more importantly, so do our customers. I’m looking forward to sharing our technical expertise as we collectively accelerate the growing x86 market across client, edge and cloud.”

Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella

“x86 has been foundational to modern computing for over four decades, and we want to ensure it continues to evolve and benefit everyone going forward. By bringing together partners across the industry, the x86 Ecosystem Advisory Board will play a critical role in shaping future x86 architectural features and help drive software consistency and standard interfaces.”

Oracle CEO Safra Catz

“The x86 architecture has had a profound impact on the computing industry, driving innovations through constant evolution. As a long-time partner with both AMD and Intel, Oracle is proud to be a founding member of the x86 Ecosystem Advisory Group. We are committed to addressing customer needs by delivering technological advancements and fostering collaboration across the ecosystem.”

Red Hat President and CEO Matt Hicks

“Red Hat believes that hybrid cloud computing represents the path forward for innovative IT, from cloud-native applications and services to AI and intelligent workloads. Forming the foundation of these great leaps forward is architecture choice, specifically standardized and well-defined architectures like x86.  We’re pleased to be a founding member of the x86 Ecosystem Advisory Group and look forward to serving as part of the industry vanguard in furthering x86 technologies as a cornerstone of IT’s innovative future.”

About Intel

Intel (Nasdaq: INTC) is an industry leader, creating world-changing technology that enables global progress and enriches lives. Inspired by Moore’s Law, we continuously work to advance the design and manufacturing of semiconductors to help address our customers’ greatest challenges. By embedding intelligence in the cloud, network, edge and every kind of computing device, we unleash the potential of data to transform business and society for the better. To learn more about Intel’s innovations, go to newsroom.intel.com and intel.com.

About AMD 

For more than 50 years AMD has driven innovation in high-performance computing, graphics, and visualization technologies. Billions of people, leading Fortune 500 businesses, and cutting-edge scientific research institutions around the world rely on AMD technology daily to improve how they live, work, and play. AMD employees are focused on building leadership high-performance and adaptive products that push the boundaries of what is possible. For more information about how AMD is enabling today and inspiring tomorrow, visit the AMD (NASDAQ: AMD) website, blog, LinkedIn, and X pages.

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Set on a snow-covered archipelago called Sakhal, spanning an impressive 83km² (not including ice sheets), featuring a breath-taking winter wilderness teeming with new challenges and opportunities for survival. Brace yourself for a truly immersive adventure where the environment itself is as much your adversary as the infected and other survivors.

The snow-covered wilderness of the new Sakhal map will be teeming with danger, and not just from wildlife. There are new mountains to climb, settlements to explore, vast ice fields, an abandoned naval base, and a massive number of other points of interest to find and search for supplies solo or with friends.

Aside from the zombie menace, Bohemia has implemented new survival mechanics that have players seeking warmth and resources as well, with hunting being one new method of thriving in these frozen lands. New gameplay mechanics like rubber boats that can be driven, winter-themed infection types, a fishing overhaul, and more are a part of the expansion too.

Here are the key features as described by the developer:

• New Terrain: Discover an untouched archipelago where time stands still.
• Winter Landscape: Experience a late winter setting.
• Harsher Survival: Manage warmth and hunt for sustenance.
• Environmental Hazards: Discover the hazards of living near volcanic areas.
• Richer Wilderness: Meet new wildlife species that have adapted to the cold.
• New Gameplay Mechanics: Face new diseases, enhance fishing mechanics, and, for the first time, operate drivable boats to traverse the frozen waters.

DayZ Frostline is now out on Steam with a $24.29 price tag as part of a 10% launch discount that's running until October 29. Alongside the expansion launch, a massive update has landed for the base game as well. Find the full patch notes here.

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Earlier this month, Saber Interactive revealed that Space Marine 2 would soon add a new Operations map to the game. Today, in a new YouTube video and a new Steam page update, Saber revealed that the new Operations map now has a name: Termination.

The video also shows off gameplay from Termination as players battle the alien Tyranid swarms on the planet Kadaku. Oh, and they will also face a truly huge Tyranid enemy for the first time: the Hierophant Bio-Titan.

Along with the Termination Operations map and the new Hierophant Bio-Titan, the first major content update for Space Marine 2 will include the higher Lethal difficulty level for Operations mode.

People who bought the Gold and Ultra editions of the game will soon get some new cosmetic items for their Space Marine via the included Season Pass. Saber stated:

The Season Pass will soon come to life with a Dark Angels theme pack. New weapon styles, armor pieces, and color schemes featuring the Unforgiven, that will expand customisation options to unlock in the Battle Barge, are coming soon as part of the first Season Pass.

After that first update is released, more content is coming for Space Marine 2 players, including a new Neo-Volkite pistol, more new Operations maps, enemies, a new Battle Barge expansion, and the long-awaited Horde mode. PC players will also soon have the option to download a 4K texture pack, which should make the game look much better on supported rigs.

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This means Denuvo will not be a part of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, the popular anti-piracy measure used by many publishers and developers nowadays. There is a small drawback, though, with BioWare saying that "the lack of DRM means that there will be no preload period for PC players."

Here's when Xbox and PlayStation players can begin their preload of the game, plus global launch times for the RPG:

• Xbox Series X|S: October 14th 9 AM PDT
• Playstation 5: October 29th, 9 AM PDT

The studio has already shared hardware requirements for Dragon Age: The Veilguard PC players as well as details of the extensive testing this version is going through to make sure proper optimization is a major factor. It's even Steam Deck verified already.

Today, the studio showed off another PC specifications table with a little bit more information on what kind of performance players can expect with ray tracing and different FPS expectations. See the table below:

As for consoles, fidelity (30FPS) and performance (60FPS) modes will be available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S consoles. The new PlayStation 5 Pro will feature the same options in Veilguard, but BioWare says additional resolution and visual improvements will be seen when using the latest and improved hardware.

"The team at BioWare is proud of how immersed players will be when they enter the beautiful world of Thedas, with upgraded image quality thanks to Sony’s new AI-based upscaler, PSSR," says BioWare studio technical director Maciej Kurowski. "We’ve enabled Raytraced Ambient Occlusion (RTAO) in the 60FPS Performance mode, which previously was only available on the base PlayStation 5 with 30FPS Fidelity mode."

Dragon Age: The Veilguard is releasing on October 31 across PC (Steam, EA App, Epic Games Store), Xbox Series X|S, as well as PlayStation 5.

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In a post on the official Bing blog, Microsoft says the sweepstakes is available to enter for people in the US, the UK, Canada, France, and Germany. In addition to one winner getting the big $1 million grand prize, Microsoft will also give out $10,000 to two winners in each of the participating countries.

If you are not a Microsoft Reward member and live in those countries, you can become one by signing up for a free Microsoft Account and then go to this page to sign up for Microsoft Rewards. Current Microsoft Rewards members can go to the same page to get a free entry into the sweepstakes.

Microsoft is also letting Rewards members get extra entries into the $1 million sweepstakes by sharing the sweepstakes link with friends. They can also get even more entries into the giveaway by completing online tasks. The first such activity is completing the Explore on Bing online punch card, which results in 10 additional entries. More ways to earn extra entries will be revealed in the coming weeks.

Even more entries can be earned if people purchase $25 or more in the Microsoft Store. Also, each time a Microsoft Rewards member earns 50 or more entries into the sweepstakes, Microsoft will donate $5 towards UNICEF and the World Wildlife Fund.

Finally, you can enter the giveaway the truly old-fashioned way by mailing a 3 x 5 inch card with your name, mailing address, phone number with area code, date of birth, and email address to Microsoft. Details of where to mail it are found on the sweepstakes' official rules, which are found at the bottom of its website. The deadline to earn online entries or to mail them is December 31, 2024.

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