Eugen Systems Delays Launch for Additional Army General Mode Improvements, and Extended Beta Phases

Independent developer and publisher Eugen Systems announced today plans to delay the launch for Steel Division 2, the sequel to the critically acclaimed real-time strategy title Steel Division: Normandy 44. Players who pre-ordered a Digital Deluxe Edition of Steel Division 2, can now look forward to playing the final version of the game on June 18, 2019 before the wide release of the Standard Edition on June 20, 2019.

For an independent studio, this decision was not made lightly. The decision to delay the Steel Division 2 launch will afford the development team additional time to focus on improving the Army General mode. This single player campaign mode has grown over the course of development and is shaping up to be an entirely new game-within-a-game. Steel Division 2 fans can expect more details on the progress concerning the Army General mode soon this month and are encouraged to keep an eye on the official Steel Division 2 news feed on Steam for Developer Diaries on the topic.

In addition, the new launch date will allow Eugen Systems to deliver on direct requests from players for more frequent and extended beta phases. With more development time, Eugen Systems will focus on addressing direct requests and feedback from beta players to create the best possible single- and multi-player experiences when Steel Division 2 launches.

To that end, starting today, Steel Division 2 players can look forward to the biggest and longest Beta play session to-date with Beta Phase 3 starting today on Steam. Playable today, from April 18 through April 23, players can look forward to a ton of new content to experience, including:

• Four Divisions: The 20. Panzerdivision, the 29th Tank Corps, as well as the 78. Sturmdivision, the 26th Guards Rifle Division
• Three Game Modes: Conquest, Closer Combat and Breakthrough, featuring the brand-new Defensive Structures
• Three Maps: Autobahn zur Hölle, Vitebsk East (now updated with new lighting, a new mini-map, and a lot of fixes) and the well-known Orsha North
• And of course, more 5-Player coop

Starting on May 29, the Steel Division 2 beta will remain open and uninterrupted until the final game launch on June 20. Until then, Steel Division 2 fans can also look forward to regular updates and additional beta phases as development continues. For details on the upcoming beta phases and more on the recent delay announcement for Steel Division 2, please head to the page on Steam.

For full details on pre-order bonuses for Steel Division 2, please head to the official website at buy.steeldivision2.com.

Steel Division 2 is the sequel to the critically acclaimed real-time strategy title Steel Division: Normandy 44. Set during Operation Bagration on the Eastern Front in the summer of 1944, Steel Division 2 pushes the limits of the World War II tactical experience, delivering new 1:1 scale Dynamic Strategic Campaigns. Command entire armies during Operation Bagration, covering the Soviet counter-attack against Axis forces in Byelorussia. Battle in the multiple skirmish modes on 25 maps and customize your battlegroups in the brand-new deck system, allowing for an unprecedented level of customization.

To stay up to date on the latest regarding Steel Division 2, be sure to visit the game’s official website.

As the smoke clears on the events that unfolded on Monday at the Notre-Dame de Paris, we stand in solidarité with our fellow Parisians and everyone around the world moved by the devastation the fire caused. Notre-Dame is an integral part of Paris, a city to which we are deeply connected. Seeing the monument in peril like this affected us all.

In light of Monday’s events, we will be donating €500,000 to help with the restoration and reconstruction of the Cathedral. We encourage all of you who are interested to donate as well. In addition, we want to give everyone the chance to experience the majesty and beauty of Notre-Dame the best way we know how. For one week (April 17th to April 25th), we will be giving Assassin’s Creed: Unity away free on PC, for anyone who wants to enjoy it. You can download it now for Uplay PC HERE.

When we created Assassin’s Creed: Unity, we developed an even closer connection with this incredible city and its landmarks – one of the most notable elements of the game was the extraordinary recreation of Notre-Dame.

Video games can enable us to explore places in ways we never could have otherwise imagined. We hope, with this small gesture, we can provide everyone an opportunity to appreciate our virtual homage to this monumental piece of architecture.

Source: Blue’s News

Ubisoft announces they are delaying the release of Title Update 3 for Tom Clancy’s The Division 2. This patch, which includes a new eight-player raid, was due next week, but it’s now expected some time next month. This post explains further, saying they’ve received a lot of feedback on social media on ways the game can be improved. In the meantime, they’re running a Public Test Server to assess new features, though this does not include the new raid. Here’s the plan:

The team at Massive Entertainment has announced that, in order to ensure the best experience for Division 2 players, they are creating a Public Test Server to test new features and fixes before they are implemented. The PTS will be available to anyone who owns The Division 2 on PC, starting on Wednesday, April 17, and the developers will use feedback from players’ play sessions, surveys, and forum threads to improve the updates and address any issues that arise. (Operation Dark Hours will not appear on the PTS, in order to ensure that the entire community can explore it at the same time.) The full PTS schedule will be announced soon.

Furthermore, the team is moving the release of Title Update 3, which includes Operation Dark Hours (the eight-player raid) from April 25 to May 2019. They will use the extra time to perform further testing and balancing. Visit the official site for more details from the development team.

Destroy. Drive. Survive.

Gear up for an adrenaline fueled adventure in the all-new Dare Devils of Destruction DLC for Just Cause 4, releasing April 30th, 2019, on XBOX ONE®, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and Windows PC.

Watch the Just Cause 4 Dare Devils of Destruction Trailer HERE.

Complete new missions to unlock over 16 all-new weaponized vehicles that you can drop in at a moment’s notice. Experience new levels of destruction, attack missions in never before seen ways, employ new tactics against the forces of the Black Hand and cause pure mayhem in the world of Solis.

Put the pedal to the metal, earn the respect of rival gangs and take on three deadly challenge modes across 15 explosive new missions.

Survival: Speed through a gauntlet of landmines, wrecking balls and rings of fire in this ultimate drive for survival. Destroy obstacles along the way and race towards the checkpoints to secure victory.

Run: Drive through extreme weather and master high-speed stunts in Run. Obliterate your rivals with a variety of weapons as you try to cross the finish line!

Rampage: Master the art of destruction and create carnage within this explosive arena. Reduce targets and rival drivers to scrap metal to achieve the high score!

“This is the first of three explosive over-the-top DLC packs in the ‘Dare Devils, Demons and Danger Expansion Pass’. Each pack will bring more vehicles, new modes, weapons and activities that continue to make the Just Cause 4 sandbox richer, crazier and even more extreme. Every pack will integrate seamlessly with the main game and add new experiences and more amazing tools of destruction.” Said Victoria Setian, Senior Producer at Avalanche Studios. “It’s a privilege to be able to continue to expand our massive action sandbox in Just Cause 4. Thank you for all the support so far!”

Gold Edition purchasers will receive 7 days early access to the Just Cause 4 Dare Devils of Destruction DLC.

For more information on the Gold Edition, visit the Just Cause 4 website.

By Gavin Bonshor @ AnandTech

On Intel’s desktop Z390 chipset, there are around 7 different ATX sized motherboards to choose from in the $180-200 price bracket. This not only puts pressure on manufacturers to deliver a high blend of premium features for a better price than the competition and use unique visuals like a peacock’s plume to entice users. GIGABYTE’s Z390 Aorus Pro WIFI is one with its $195 price tag. The Aorus brand is aimed squarely at gamers and the Z390 Aorus Pro WIFI looks to stake GIGABYTEs claim in a highly contested segment with a premium feature set at an affordable price.

Read The Review Here

Source: TechPowerUp!

AMD has released the latest version of its Radeon Software 2019 Edition drivers. Version 19.4.2 beta introduces performance improvements for “World War Z,” with up to 24 percent performance improvement measured using a Radeon VII, and up to 19 percent measured on an RX Vega 64. The drivers also add optimization for “Anno 1800.” The rest of its feature-set appears to be carried over from 19.4.1.

The new Radeon Software Adrenalin 2019 Edition 19.4.2 beta drivers are available online at the AMD driver download page.

Check out these latest hardware announcements for today from around the web. Also included are some hardware news bits, and on some days, a few rumors tossed in for good measure. Click on the links below to read the official press release, visit the products web page, or to an independent news source.

• NZXT Releases H500 Vault Boy from its Shelter
• Razer Supercharges Windows Laptops and MacBooks with the New Core X Chroma
• Cooler Master Introduces New Square Fan Series
• AMD Readies 50th Anniversary Special Edition Ryzen 7 2700X
• GIGABYTE to Launch Aorus ATC800 CPU Cooler: A Beefy Tower
• EK Water Blocks Unveils Momentum CPU+VRM Monoblock for ASUS Maximus XI Extreme
• EK Releases the Second Next-Gen Quantum Line Monoblock – EK-Momentum ROG Maximus XI Hero D-RGB
• Rivet Networks Outs Wi-Fi 6-capable Killer AX1650 WLAN NIC
• DEEPCOOL Launches the Anti-leak Tech – The New Standard of Liquid Cooling System
• DEEPCOOL Intros Castle 240 RGB V2 Cooler with Anti-leak Tech Inside
• DIYPC Launches DIY-Model S Featuring Dynamic RGB Front Lightbar
• Sapphire Preps Radeon RX 590 Nitro+ 50th Anniversary Edition
• ASUS Republic of Gamers Launches the ROG Strix Helios Enclosure

Battlefield Engineer event with 6 exclusive rare vehicles to acquire starts today in War Thunder

Gaijin Entertainment announced its Battlefield Engineer activity in the military vehicle online game War Thunder. The event gives War Thunder players the opportunity to repair and trade rare military vehicles. Players will get a battle damaged I-180S fighter and will be able to repair it back to operational duty. Restore as many of those fighters as you can to trade them for other rare vehicles including: VFW SPG, Pr.122bis submarine chaser, the Ju 388 J interceptor, the Merkava Mk.1 MBT or the light cruiser HMS Tiger. Top performing players will also get the chance to win exclusive camouflage for those vehicles.

In the event players will receive a damaged I-180S after the first battle.The first step in repairing the aircraft is diagnosing the vehicle in a diagnostic test flight to find out which components are defective. The damage to the components is unique for each aircraft and in most cases they can be indicated by a visual inspection. Armament, flaps, brakes – these and other components can all be tested in a diagnostic flight. Participation in the battle will give the user new components and Aircraft Maintenance Technician Toolkits that will allow them to disassemble and reassemble the plane. Players gain access to more repair components for the I-180S simply by playing the game, alternatively they can also speed up the process by buying the necessary items they need via the Gaijin Market.

Additional I-180S fighters will be received as Vouchers that can be traded for the unique rare vehicles: i.e. the Merkava Mk.1 is the first MBT developed and built by the Israeli armed forces, the light cruiser HMS Tiger is the last traditional WW2-era British gun cruiser design and the Junkers Ju 388J is a German late-war high altitude bomber hunter, designed in response to threats posed by the new American B-29 Superfortress bomber. These models are only available to players participating in the Battlefield Engineer event.

First place ranking players in the team at the end of each battle will receive extra Aircraft Maintenance Technician Toolkits and in some cases a coupon for the unique camouflage. All spare coupons, components and toolkits can be sold to other players in the Market.

More details on the Battlefield Engineer event are available at the official website.

Will you call a truce to deal with the pack, or try to take advantage of the chaos?

Blackmill Games and M2H announce a special historical event for WW1 shooter ​Tannenberg on April 12 2019, and ​a 60% s​ale the following day!

Ravenous wolves are on the hunt in this limited time historical event for ​Tannenberg. In the same vein as the Christmas Truce events held in ​Verdun in the past, the Wolf Truce will offer a new experience for players until April 21.

Watch the Wolf Truce trailer HERE.

Players can buy ​Tannenberg​ on Steam for 60% off on April 13.

Tannenberg Wolf Truce

The Wolf Truce is a limited time special event which will run from April 12 until April 21. To take part in the event no extra steps have to be taken, players just need to play ​Tannenberg​ as usual. In any battle over the weekend, and every battle on Winter maps while the event is live there will be a pack of wolves descending on the battlefield, forced by hunger and the chaos of the war to seek human prey. Players on both teams will have to decide amongst themselves whether or not to call a truce to deal with the new threat – but the battle clock will continue ticking, and should one team be in a weaker position they may decide to try and take advantage of the unexpected attack…

Players will be able to earn a special medal if they and every other player can survive a wolf attack without attacking anyone on the opposing team, and ​Tannenberg will be on sale with a 60% discount on April Saturday 13th – the perfect opportunity for new players to grab the game and join the event!

Historical Wolf Truce

The event is based on historical records – hungry wolves attacking people was a real threat in many areas of Russia during the war, and there are newspaper reports of soldiers from different sides calling a temporary ceasefire to deal with wolf attacks. A Russian book roughly translated as ​The History of Russia in Faces: Book Two ​describes a ceasefire to exterminate wolves, while the ​New York Times​ went into more detail on an extraordinary truce in 1917 between German and Russian forces. In Tannenberg we tried to reenact this remarkable event, where players can choose to hold a truce or fight the wolves alone…

Find out more about Tannenberg on the games official website.

With a Free Surprise!

The Cold War is cold no more. NATO countries are facing their Warsaw Pact counterparts right in the middle of Europe, furiously fighting to control the Fulda-Gap and close key-locations.

But Germany is not the only European Front where the Soviet High Command is looking to overcome the West resistance.

On the south, a century-old hot border is ready to erupt into fire. Yugoslavia, although not a “Soviet” state, is willing to take advantage of the chaos in which the totality of Western Nations has been embroiled. Their eyes run along the Italian border and the important port of Trieste, the acquisition of which could be of immense value for its economy. The JNA (Yugoslav People’s Army) is equipped with hardware of high efficiency and it is not afraid to use it on its old enemy.

Italy, even if marked by endemic inner political weaknesses, is not blind to the Yugoslavian claims and maneuvers. Its Army is not the inefficient and burdened system that collapsed in WWII. Being a member of NATO and of the EEC has brought enormous economic advantages and its Army has benefited from decades of renovation and training in Europe and in military operations abroad.

Will the plains of Italy be the next battleground in the war that could end everything?

Veitikka Studios, developers of the praised wargame Armored Brigade, is proud to announce their first DLC, bringing Italy and Yugoslavia into the war!

The DLC comes with two new factions, 250 new units, and a colossal and ultra-detailed new map, the Gorizia Border!

Check the Armored Brigade Nation Pack: Italy – Yugoslavia product page for more details!

But news is not over. Since its release in November, Armored Brigade gathered enormous attention from the players’ community due to its flexibility, wide range of units and factions combined with a seldom-seen realism. However, its heavily skirmish oriented mode had put many people on the fence, wondering if any new game mode would be added in the future. The day has come, as together with the Nation Pack DLC developers will release an update featuring, among many other goodies, a Campaign Generator tool! And it will come for free!

We will release more information on the update (and the DLC, of course) further along the road, but for the moment suffice to say that it will allow to carry over your units from battle to battle following different geographic locations depending on your victory outcomes!