Ubisoft has announced that Fields of Elysium, the first episode of the second post-launch story arc of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, The Fate of Atlantis, is now available across all available platforms. Throughout Fields of Elysium, players will continue their odyssey in the Greek afterlife to uncover the great mysteries within the ancient realms of the gods.

Fields of Elysium introduces players to the paradise of Elysium, an otherworldly realm of luscious growth and no conflict, ruled by the goddess Persephone. As the story unfolds, players uncover its sinister secrets while trying to unlock the power of the Staff of Hermes to find a way out of Elysium. Helping Hermes, Persephone’s friend Hekate, and the human Adonis, players uncover the true nature of Elysium as it inevitably descends into civil war.

Each of the three episodes of The Fate of Atlantis will introduce new ability enhancements related to the three branches of the skill tree – Hunter, Warrior and Assassin. In this first episode, players will discover four new ability enhancements, including:

• Ares Bull Charge: Part of the Warrior branch of the skill tree. This ability enhancement summons a projectile that takes the form of a bull charging forward. The projectile knocks down any enemy it hits and pierces though them.
• Ares Madness: Also part of the Warrior branch of the skill tree. Ares Madness will allow players to have a new fighting set that overpowers their enemies for a short period of time.
• Might of Artemis: Part of the Hunter branch of the skill tree. Enemies, when hit by the stun, automatically take critical damage from any subsequent melee attack for the duration of the stun.
• Kronos Time Warp: Part of the Assassin branch of the skill tree. This ability will grant each head shot additional slow-down time and higher damage, which is perfect for fighting enemies.

In order to play Fields of Elysium, players will have two different options:

• Following the main game, players will have to complete the questline Between Two Worlds, the mythological main game story arc, and Heir of Memories, the Lost Tales of Greece questline that is available after completing the former questline. Finally, they must have reached character Level 28 or above.
• Otherwise, players will be able to use a shortcut created specifically for those who would like to play The Fate of Atlantis and who do not fulfill all the above conditions. Thanks to this shortcut, players will enter Greece at Level 52 with preset abilities and resources enabling them to start their adventure into the afterlife with the Lost Tales of Greece questline Heir of Memories. They will also have the opportunity to choose their hero. However, unlike the previous option, player progression using the shortcut will not carry over to the main game save, and they will not be able to obtain achievements.

The Assassin’s Creed Odyssey post-launch plan is the biggest and most ambitious in the franchise, and season pass owners are able to access two major episodic storylines, Legacy of the First Blade and The Fate of Atlantis. Players can dive into new episodes as they are released or experience the epic adventures in their entirety once all episodes are available. The season pass also includes Assassin’s Creed® III Remastered and Assassin’s Creed® III Liberation Remastered, which released for the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, the Xbox One family of devices including Xbox One X and Windows PC on March 29th, 2019.

For more information on Assassin’s Creed, please visit assassinscreed.com.

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.

• NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Released
• ASUS Announces GeForce GTX 1650 Family of Graphics Cards
• INNO3D Announces the GeForce GTX 1650 TWIN X2 OC, GTX 1650 COMPACT Graphics Cards
• EVGA GeForce GTX 1650 Series Elevates Your Gaming
• Palit Releases the Turing Architecture- GeForce GTX 1650 Series
• ZOTAC Announces the Power Sipping FHD-capable GeForce GTX 1650
• GIGABYTE Unveils GeForce GTX 1650 Series Graphics Cards
• MSI Announces New GeForce GTX 1650 Series Graphics Cards
• Colorful iGame GeForce GTX 1650 Ultra 4G Graphics Card Announced
• Thermaltake’s New 80 PLUS Platinum PSUs Have Digital RGB LED
• AMD Readying Commemorative 50th Anniversary Editions of Radeon VII, Ryzen 7 2700X
• DIYPC Releases Model C Chassis: aRGB lighting and 3 Glass Panels for $90
• HyperX Releases Predator DDR4 Memory at in 4266 MHz and 4600 MHz
• GIGABYTE Intros X470 AORUS GAMING 7 WIFI-50 For AMD’s 50th Anniversary
• Thermaltake Releases Threadripper-Specific Floe Riing RGB 360
• ADATA Launches XPG SPECTRIX D60G DDR4 Memory Module
• Intel 9th-gen Desktop Lineup is Here, Finally Fleshes Out the Coffee Lake Refresh

NVIDIA has launched worldwide its new entry level GeForce GTX 1650, giving you smooth performance on the latest games. With the GTX 1650 pricing starting at $149, the GTX 1650 is the great choice for gamers looking for a quick, easy upgrade, or those building a compact, power-efficient system able to play modern games. Like its other GeForce GTX 16-series siblings, the GTX 1650 is derived from the “Turing” architecture, but without RTX real-time raytracing hardware, such as RT cores or tensor cores. NVIDIA has not made a Founders Edition for GTX 1650. So the following reviews will be custom designs from various manufacturers. We’ve searched the web and posted the links to those reviews below.

• TOM’S HARDWARE
• TECHSPOT
• GURU3D – ZOTAC
• GURU3D – MSI
• TECHPOWERUP! – PALIT
• ETEKNIX – GIGABYTE
• TECHPOWERUP! – ASUS

Source: TechPowerUp!

AMD has released the latest in their driver suite, which brings about improved performance and support for Mortal Kombat 11 – that means gory details in full GPU-acceleration for the best possible gaming experience. Apart from that, not much to see here: there’s a fixed issue relating to AMD Link and Radeon Settings sometimes displaying incorrect parameters. The list of known issues is slightly larger, and follows after the break.

The new Radeon Software Adrenalin 2019 Edition 19.4.3 drivers are available online at the AMD driver download page.

Source: TechPowerUp!

NVIDIA has rolled out its GeForce 430.39 WHQL drivers, which introduce support for the new GeForce GTX 1650 graphics card launched earlier today. The drivers also add support for the new notebook variants of the GTX 1660 Ti and GTX 1660. Most importantly, the drivers add support for Windows 10 May 2019 Update (1903), which adds a standardized method of variable-rate shading. The drivers add or improve optimization for “Mortal Kombat XI,” “Anthem,” and “Strange Brigade.” NVIDIA tested and approved 7 more VESA Adaptive Sync-capable monitors for G-Sync support added through these drivers (full list here).

Among the other features is the new ability to merge two portrait monitors to a landscape display head. Fixes include MadVR not correctly rendering HDR mode using MPC-HC; a random desktop flicker seen in some multi-display PCs, and memory leaks noticed when launching certain games.

You can download the new GeForce 430.39 WHQL drivers through GeForce Experience or via GeForce.com.

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