First Major Content Update Adds Australian Forces, New Weapons, Maps, Customization Options, and More; On Sale for 50% Off Through December 1st

Tripwire Interactive is excited to release the Bushranger Content Update, the first free major content update for the award-winning tactical shooter Rising Storm 2: Vietnam, which debuted for PC via Steam earlier this year in May. The Australians were a major player on the anti-Communist side of the war for 10 years, between 1962 and 1972, along with supporting elements from New Zealand. Now playable in today’s update, the Australian forces come with new unique customization options and specially recorded voice-over.

To celebrate this milestone, Rising Storm 2: Vietnam is featured on Steam’s Midweek Madness sale for 50% off! This sale is live and will end on Dec. 1st at 10 a.m. PST. You can watch the new Rising Storm 2: Vietnam – Bushranger Update Trailer HERE.

The Bushranger Content Update for Rising Storm 2: Vietnam includes:

New Weapons

• L1A1 SLR – The backbone of the Australian Army’s arsenal, this 7.62 NATO semi-automatic is available for the grunt class
• L2A1 LMG – Machine gunners will be able to choose this fully automatic version of the L1A1, with an added bipod and fire selector for precision aiming
• Owens SMG – First brought into service during World War II, the gravity-assisted 9mm machine carbine was still used by troops during Vietnam
• F1 SMG – Similar to the British Sterling, this 9mm submachine gun comes with semi and full automatic fire modes and a detachable bayonet
• Browning Hi-Power Pistol – Semi-automatic 9mm sidearm sporting a 13-round magazine

New Maps

• Long Tan – NLF forces will be tasked with attacking a defensive position set in a rubber plantation on a dark and stormy night
• Rung Sac – Battle in the Vietnamese marshlands, culminating with a last stand in an old Indochina-era fortress
• Operation Forrest – A large-scale map taking place across swamps and farmland, this map features the games longest engagement distances to-date

New Commander Ability

• The Canberra Bomber – Australian Forces commanders can now call in English Electric Canberra bombers to carpet bomb an area along a set path. New UI features have been added to help commanders direct the trajectory of this ability as well as the existing Napalm Strike ability

New Vehicle

• Huey ‘Bushranger’ Attack Helicopter – Complete with folding-fin aerial rockets (FFAR) and adjustable miniguns for the pilot and co-pilot, and dual mounted M60 door guns for passengers

Bug fixes and improvements in response to community feedback.

For full, detailed patch notes for the Bushranger Content Update for Rising Storm 2: Vietnam, please visit: https://forums.tripwireinteractive.com/forum/rising-storm-2-vietnam/rs2-vietnam-general

Stay up-to-date with the latest Rising Storm 2: Vietnam news and information at www.rs2Vietnam.com.

The rivers will run red again with the new expansion of Field of Glory II that we announced last week, Immortal Fire, that will brings you 8 new factions (Achaemenid Persians, Etruscans, Antigonos, Lysimachos, Spartans, Latins, Lydians, Kyrenean Greeks, Thessalian Greeks), 10 new units (including the fearsome Persian Immortals) and 30 new army lists!

Now, we can finally tell you when you will be able to expand your army: Immortal Fire will be released next Tuesday, November the 5th!

Find out more about Field of Glory II: Immortal Fire at the games official webpage.

Panzerkrieg is one if not the most anticipated expansion in the whole Order of Battle series.

It covers the crucial years of 1942-1943, years which were marked by some of the most impressive and massive battles in all of the war. We’re talking of battles like Sevastapol, Kharkov, Stalingrad, Kursk, and many more.

I bet you’re eager to play it, right? Can you wait one week longer?

That’s right, Panzerkrieg is going to be released on November 30th, one week from now!

We are all looking forward to release. Up until then we will show you more about the game, and we will also write about the scenarios as well as on some novelties in the carry-over system linking Blitzkrieg to Panzerkrieg, so stay tuned.

Source: Battlefield.com

Soon, you’ll experience battles on land, in the air, and at sea on the newest front for Battlefield™ 1™ as Battlefield 1: Turning Tides comes ashore. Read on and learn what awaits as you continue to conquer the entire Great War.

Battlefield 1: Turning Tides will be released in two waves – the first coming on December 11 for Battlefield 1 Premium Pass owners. This content drop will let you fight across a duo of epic maps: Cape Helles and Achi Baba. In a new Operation set on these maps, you can take part in the 1915 British amphibious assault of the Gallipoli peninsula. 6 weapons and 2 melee weapons will be added to your arsenal, and you’ll get to rule the waves with the L-Class Destroyer. There’s more coming after your December battles – you’ll be tackling the North Sea in January.

Coming January 2018, the second wave deploys you into the North Sea to tackle two other unique maps: Zeebrugge and Heligoland Blight. You’ll also get to charge into battle with the new Royal Marines and spawn on the C-Class Airship to deliver death from above.

As mentioned, Battlefield 1 Premium Pass owners get a two-week head start with Battlefield 1: Turning Tides. Once their head start with the North Sea content has ended, Battlefield 1: Turning Tides will be available to purchase as a standalone expansion pack.

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.

• EK Water Blocks Announces Availability of the EK-MLC Phoenix
• XFX Launches RX Vega 64 and Vega 56 Double Edition Graphics Cards
• ASUS Ships ROG Strix XG258Q ‘eSports’ LCD: 1080p 240 Hz Display w/FreeSync
• 8th and 9th Gen Intel Core Processor Model Names Revealed
• G.SKILL Releases Ultra Low Latency CL17 Trident Z RGB DDR4-4266MHz Kits
• GIGABYTE Unveils X299 AORUS Gaming 7 Pro Motherboard
• Sharkoon Prepares to Launch Their S1000 and S1000 Window Micro-ATX Cases
• FSP Introduces CMT110 and CMT120 Mid-tower Chassis
• MSI Offers Optix MAG24C 24-Inch Full HD Curved Gaming Monitor
• EVGA Z370 Micro Motherboard Starts Selling
• EVGA Launches GTX 1080 Ti K|NGP|N Hydro Copper
• Cooler Master Launches MasterKeys MK750 Keyboard
• PowerColor Radeon RX Vega 64 Red Devil Detailed
• ADATA Releases the XPG STORM RGB M.2 2280 Active-Cooled Heatsink – VIDEO
• Patriot Introduces Viper LED DDR4 Memory Kits
• Riotoro Intros CR500 Mid-tower Chassis
• GIGABYTE Announces Its AORUS K9 Based On Optical Switches
• Cooler Master MasterLiquid Maker 240 CPU Cooler Teased

Source: Blue’s News

1C Game Studios takes to their forums to announce ambitious plans to expand their IL-2 Sturmovik series with three new games to be released over the course of 2018 and 2019. They are also outline plans for a new aircraft, a playable demo, and announce a new name for their game engine. There’s a lot to unpack, so please make sure your seats are in the upright position as we take off. First off, they reassure fans that IL-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Kuban will emerge from early access into full release later this year. Then they take the lid off the three new games, Battle of Bodenplatte set during the closing months of World War II; Flying Circus Volume I, which bring the series back to World War I, and Tank Crew – Clash at Prokhorovka, entirely focused on tank combat in the second world war. The first of the three is already available for preorder, and preorders for the other two should start in the first half of next year. They also kick off preorders of two new planes, LA-5 FN and Bf-109 G-6, say they will unveil plans for a playable demo in Q1 2018, and say they’ve enhanced their Digital Nature Engine so much that they’ve renamed it the Digital Warfare Engine (which also has the advantage of sounding less like it was designed for a farm simulator). Here’s the rundown on the three planned new games:

Battle of Bodenplatte

Although it was technically an “operation”, for continuity sake, we’re calling it a battle! Battle of Bodenplatte will explore the air war near the end of 1944 and into 1945. This late-war setting offers a wide variety of classic fighters and fighter-bombers for you to fly including some of the hottest piston powered airplanes to ever grace the skies. In addition, we’ll introduce our first jet aircraft! The Allies flew many low-level tactical missions into Germany from bases in Belgium and Holland during this time. In a desperate attempt to stem the tide of war, the Germans launched a surprise attack on Allied airfields on January 1, 1945. The ensuing battle became legendary.

Flying Circus – Volume I

Flying Circus will finally give our loyal and patient Rise of Flight customers a new way forward into the future! Our eventual goal is to essentially re-build ROF inside of the Sturmovik universe and give WWI all the latest technology like VR, 64bit, DX11 and improved visuals. We will start by focusing on re-furbishing ten of our existing WWI airplanes and providing a partial map of France to fly and fight over. Subsequent Flying Circus products will further expand content and we’ll work to integrate Flying Circus into our Campaign and Career systems over time. Volume I is merely the first important step and it will be a lot of fun! If Flying Circus proves popular we can eventually fire up the Great War assembly line and break out the canvas and timber once again to make some new crates! Guynmere, Fonck, Coppens, McCudden, Bishop, Rickenbacker and von Richtofen shall fly again 100 years later!

Tank Crew – Clash at Prokhorovka

Tank Crew will be expanding upon our initial adventure into tank combat by including ten new tanks and armored vehicles and improving our two existing tanks. Tank Crew will create a ground combat component that can be integrated into single-player content and multiplayer servers. Our tanks will be multi-crew in multiplayer which most other leading tank games are not capable of. Our playable tanks will also be modeled both inside and out with realism in mind and improved damage modelling. The map will feature the southern portion of the Battle of Kursk with the village of Prokhorovka and town of Belgorod included. The map will also be built somewhat differently giving tank players a better ground environment then our current large maps. Further details about Tank Crew will be released as development ramps up.

Crack the Chinese Puzzle in Crusader Kings II: Jade Dragon

Caravans have roamed the Silk Road for centuries, bringing wealth and knowledge from far away. Even the richest rajas of India are humbled by the stories of the mighty Chinese Emperor. Can you navigate the fickle desires of this distant ruler? Choose a life of subservience, in the hope of future rewards, or bide your time until your dynasty is strong enough to invade the Empire itself. Dare to take on new political challenges in Crusader Kings II: Jade Dragon.

Jade Dragon is the newest expansion to Crusader Kings II, the beloved medieval strategy role-playing experience from Paradox Development Studios. In Jade Dragon, the riches and overwhelming power of China sits off map, but makes its presence known through tributaries, armies and demands.

For more information about Crusader Kings II: Jade Dragon, visit the games official website.

The Generals and High Officers have gathered in the War Room for hours. On the large tables and all over the walls maps and military charts are displayed, with thousands of counters of different size and colors covering every theater.

The air is dense, and you can feel the pressure. Suddenly, a voice from a speaker captures everyone’s attention. A few words in code are heard from the speaker. The mother of all Operations has begun.

The wait is over. The Operational Art of War IV, the most anticipated wargame of the year, has been released!

Fight on land, sea and air, but beware! Understanding how the new Supply System works is vital to keep your troops fighting and marching!

Finally, the new Battlefield Time Stamp feature takes on TOAW’s unique way of handling game turn resolution and makes it easier for players to plan ahead!

Watch the The Operational Art of War IV – Introduction Trailer HERE.

The Operational Art of War IV is the top-notch military simulation that every wargamer needs! Grab it now!

By Steven Lynch @ Tom’s Hardware

Originally spotted at Computex 2017, this mid-tower ATX chassis sports a tempered-glass side panel, RGB lighting functionality, and a price tag that won’t break the bank. The Bitfenix Enso is constructed of steel and plastic, measures 210 x 489 x 454mm (W x H x D), and is painted in black inside and out. Tipping the scales at just 15lbs, this chassis is fairly light considering its 4mm thick glass.

Read The Review Here

By Richard Gouge @ HardOCP

Today we are reviewing Reeven’s first AIO cooler to come to market, the NAIA 240. It breaks with tradition a bit in that it is a refillable system rather than permanently closed as we see in many others. Let’s see if its Frag-Harder lights and custom color liquid help it keep our overclocked Ryzen 7 cool.

Read The Review Here