August is shaping up to be a great month for games, with highly anticipated games and the return of classic titles. For this month, gamers will finally be able to try their hands on Black Myth: Wukong, Star Wars Outlaws, and Visions of Mana. We have been waiting to play them for a long time now. Especially Black Myth: Wukong and Visions of Mana.

On the other hand, some recently announced games will also be releasing in August 2024, which includes Dustborn, and a retro classic Star Wars: Bounty Hunter. Thus, we are getting two Star Wars games in the same month. Let’s hope Outlaws does not disappoint.

Read more: 20 Best Skyrim Builds in 2024

Videogames releasing in August 2024

• Thank Goodness You’re Here (PC, Switch, PS5) – 1st August
• Star Wars: Bounty Hunter (PS4, PS5, Switch, PC, Xbox One, Series X/S) – 1st August
• The Mortuary Assistant: Definitive Edition (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Series X/S) – 2nd August
• Creatures of Ava (PC, Xbox Series X/S) – 7th August
• Cat Quest 3: Pirates of the Purribean (PC, Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Series X/S) – 8th August
• Steamworld Heist 2 (PC, Switch, PS5, PS4, Series X/S, Xbox One) – 8th August
• Preserve early access (PC) – 8th August
• The Crush House (PC) – 9th August
• Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse (Remastered) (PS4, PS5, PC, Switch, Xbox One, Series X/S) – 14th August
• Kena: Bridge of Spirits (Series X/S, Xbox One) – 15th August
• Black Myth: Wukong (PC, PS5) – 20th August
• Dustborn (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Series X/S) – 20th August
• Concord (PC, PS5) – 23rd August
• Endzone 2 early access (PC) – 26th August
• World of Warcraft: The War Within (PC) – 26th August
• Visions of Mana (PC, PS4, PS5, Series X/S) – 29th August
• Gundam Breaker 4 (PC, Switch, PS4, PS5) – 29th August
• Monster Jam Showdown (PC, Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Series X/S) -29th August
• Shadow of the Ninja Reborn (PC, Switch, PS4, PS5, Series X\S) – 29th August
• Star Wars: Outlaws Remastered (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) – 30th August

Read more: Zenless Zone Zero (ZZZ): List of All Characters

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Magnum Studio’s The First Descendant is gaining popularity among FPS lovers. The game is currently under maintenance for an upcoming update. This update will include new elements, such as a new character and Gluttony, a new void intercept battle.

Read More: 10 Best Tips for The First Descendant: What You Need to Know!

What to Expect in Update 1.5.0?

Firstly, let’s talk about the upcoming character. We will see a new playable character: Luna. Luna’s abilities were detailed in the patch notes. With her skills, we can increase Power Modifier, Critical Hit Rate, and damage output for our team.

Moreover, Luna has the ability to switch to a soothing musical mode. In this mode, she can hit her enemies with musical notes. If you successfully hit with a note, you can restore ME (Mana Energy) and boost your team’s performance. In simple terms, Luna can enhance her allies’ combat effectiveness.

Something worth mentioning is that Luna’s skills contribute to an Inspiration Gauge. If you fill this up, you can unlock upgraded versions of her abilities. Also, there is a unique weapon exclusive to Luna. If you can land well-timed shots, you will be rewarded with an increase in her Ability Power Modifier. This makes her a strong and valuable asset in any combat situation.

However, the update doesn’t stop at a new character. It also introduces Ultimate Valby, new ultimate, and Gluttony, a new void intercept battle.

Magnum Studio has released a trailer to showcase all the exciting additions. We saw the new ultimate, Gluttony, and the new character: Luna.

I can’t wait for the new update 1.5.0 for The First Descendant. With a mix of new character, epic battles, and gameplay improvements, the future of the game looks great.

Also check out: Rainbow Six Siege Striker and Sentry Operator Guide: Loadout, Gadgets, Tips, and more

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A44 Games, the studio behind the recently launched title Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn, is reportedly facing internal clashes, with sources indicating that mass layoffs are close.

We got the news right after the developer’s announcement that the game had over, 500k players since its launch.

According to Steam Charts, the peak concurrent player count for Flintlock on Steam reached only 541 since its release. The number is really low, and it falls below the industry benchmarks.

Read More: What is Steam Game Recording Beta and How to Use it?

Layoffs Already Started in A44 Games

According to our sources, the staff members have already begun to leave the New Zealand-based studio. This report directly contradicts the positive player engagement figures shared by A44 Games.

I do agree the 500k player milestone is impressive on paper, but actual sales are believed to be lower. Data from Steam Charts, a third-party tracking service for the popular PC gaming platform Steam, show that the peak player count since its release is only 541.

A44 Games has not yet commented on the reports of staff departures or potential layoffs. The studio’s future plans, including any ongoing support for Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn or development of new projects, remain uncertain at this time.

Also check out: Full List of Ultimate Skins in League of Legends

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The Esports World Cup is the ultimate event for gamers to prove themselves and leave their footprints. From 2024, the Esports World Cup will be held annually in Saudi Arabia, Riyadh.

A total of 21 games have been selected for the EWC 2024, which will run from June 28, 2024, to August 25, 2024. The Esports World Cup also has a total prize pool of 60+ million USD that will be divided between the top 16 clubs and winning teams from different games.

More Related: Apex Legends Esports World Cup 2024: Teams, Schedule, and Standings

Esports World Cup 2024 List of Games

The Esports World Cup 2024 features a total of 21 games from different genres that include PC and mobile gaming as well as sim racing.

Prize Pool

As mentioned earlier, a total of 60+ million USD in prize pools have been allocated for the Esports World Cup 2024 event. Among the total prize pool, 20 million USD is reserved for club championships, which will be distributed between the top 16 clubs based on points. A total of 33.8 million USD will directly go to the winning teams from 21 tournaments.

There is also a 50,000 USD reward reserved for MVPs from each tournament, totaling 1.1 million USD. The remaining prize pool, which accounts for 7.6 million USD, has been distributed in the qualifiers.

Here are the detailed prize distributions for the club championship and each game/ tournament:

Club Championship Prize Distribution (20 million USD)

Games and Tournament Prize Distribution (33.8 million USD)

Schedule

The Esports World Cup 2024 will run from June 28, 2024, to August 25, 2024. The entire series will run through 7 different events.

Standings

The EWC2024 has individual tournament standings as well as a club championship. Here are the standings as of right now:

Warzone 2.0

League of Legends

Note: We’ll update the tournament standings as soon as each tournament finishes.

Club Championship Standing

Note: We’ll update the club championship standings as it changes.

The post Esports World Cup 2024: list of games, prize pool, schedule & standings appeared first on GameRiv.

Being gamers, we often run into moments where we regret not being able to record specific gameplays and miss out on some hilarious or memorable clips. Software like NVIDIA GeForce Experience and AMD ReLive give you those options, but if you’ve used them for a long time, you know how unreliable they are.

Thankfully, there’s a new competitor in the market. Steam has now come in clutch with its latest Game Recording Beta software that allows you to record, replay, clip, and share your gameplay anytime. The good thing is that you can use this software to record any non-Steam game, too.

Why is Steam Game Recording Software Better?

You may naturally think that recording software like GeForce Experience and ReLive are better for their respective graphics cards. Well, you are not wrong. However, Steam Game Recording software is designed in a way that utilizes less resources and takes full advantage of the NVIDIA and AMD graphics cards, eliminating any cost of performance while recording.

That’s not all! Besides the record and replay system, the Steam Game Recording software gives you some other extra features, like marking specific moments, clipping, and sharing, that you may not find in other software. Moreover, the Steam Game Recording software also has some lightweight but powerful tools that enhance your experience while revisiting the recordings.

In short, with this software, you get everything you can find in other recording software and even more.

How to Setup and Use Steam Game Recording Beta

The Steam Game Recording software is currently in a beta version. You need to opt-in to Steam’s recent beta version to get the Game Recording Beta. After you get the update, you need to tweak some settings to enjoy the feature.

To Setup and Use Steam Game Recording Beta:

1. Go Open your Steam client and go to Steam> Settings> Interface> Client Beta Participation.
2. From the drop-down menu, select Steam Beta Update. The client will ask you to restart it. Press the ‘Restart Now’ button.
3. Steam will restart and download the new update, which includes the Game Recording software.
4. After Steam finishes downloading the update, go to Settings> Game Recording. Here, you’ll find two recording modes [off/Don’t Record option if you don’t want the software to run in the background]
5. If you want to keep recording your gameplay in the background, go to the Record in background mode. From here, change the settings, such as the length of the video, quality, raw recordings folder, shortcut keys, and record microphone to your liking.
   • Note: We recommend using the Record in background mode if you want to use the replay feature.
6. If you prefer to press a button to start recording, go to the Record on demand mode. Similar to the previous option, change your settings as per your liking.
7. Now enter a game [If you want to record any non-steam game, you need to add it to Steam beforehand: Game> Add a Non-Steam Game to My Library] and turn on the Steam overlay. You’ll see the Game Recording tool on top of the screen. Use the tool to clip/ save/ add markers/ share your recorded gameplay.

There you go! It is as easy as this. If you’re coming from other softwares like GeForce Experience or AMD ReLive, the Steam Game Recording beta may, at first, seem a little too complex. However, to get some extra features, a little complexity is expected. Nonetheless, give it a few days, and you’ll be thankful for all the features and benefits this software is giving you.

More Related: The infamous Michael Jackson peek is back again in Counter-Strike 2

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I recently visited Steamcharts to find out what people were playing on Steam these days. Suddenly, I saw a game named Banana in the “Top Games By Current Players” list, which I had never heard of or seen before.

My curious mind wanted me to comprehend more about this weirdly named game and why it had over 250,000 concurrent players [while writing] and growing. So, I searched for the game on Steam, and this is what the official description says about this game.

Banana is a clicker Game, in which you click a Banana! In Banana you click the Banana to gain even more Bananas! Every 3 and 18 hours, you get dropped a banana. Each banana is also made by the community in discord. Come hang out with us and let’s grow into something awesome !

Without further delay, I downloaded the game, which didn’t take long as the game had only 17 MB of download size. However, don’t be deceived by its download size, as it took a whopping 61 MB of my storage, which made me appreciate how some of the modern games like Warzone 2, RDR 2, and Starfield take so little storage space.

All puns aside, upon entering the game, I was greeted with a 640×480 window with the settings tab opened. The settings tab has only two options to tweak: Fullscreen mode and Resolutions. Thankfully, the game supports the monitor’s native resolutions, so I wasn’t forced to play in the 1980s standard resolution format.

After I closed the settings tab, there was a nice ripe banana in the middle of the screen with a click counter on top. The counter goes up as you click the banana. That’s it. That’s the game. There’s nothing more or less to it. So, why are so many people playing it?

What Made Banana So Hyped?

Apparently, the game drops a banana every 3 hours, which you can sell in the community market for 3 cents each. You don’t need to keep playing the game to get these drops. According to Banana’s current community market, 77 bananas are available in the range of 3 cents to hundreds of dollars. These bananas drop randomly every 3 hours. Depending on your luck, you can get some rare and expensive bananas. As the community in Discord creates these bananas, you can find some hilarious bananas such as Dogenana, Belugana, Pepenana, and more.

Everyone would typically think that people are playing the game for money, as it takes nothing to keep it on. However, if you think rationally, you can only get drops worth 24 cents in a single day and $1.68 in a week, considering you keep the game on 24/7. Moreover, after selling each banana, you get to keep only 8 cents a day and 54 cents a week. So, any normal human being knows that it isn’t worth it.

So, the question still remains: why is it getting popular? To me, Banana is just a product of a ripple effect that was somehow ignited among like-minded people. Everyone is literally playing it because others are. Remember how Among Us became popular? That game was released in 2018, but no one even knew it before mid-2020. It only became famous as streamers and content creators started to play it.

However, unlike Among Us, which is fun to play, Banana has nothing to offer. Even the game’s main character, the banana itself, does not have a proper hitbox. I often found that the clicks registered even after clicking outside the banana picture. However, I don’t blame the developers, as they probably made it just for fun and didn’t expect it to go viral like that.

Nonetheless, it is just a matter of hours or days when the game reaches its peak. After that, the player count will start going downhill, and maybe in weeks or months, players won’t even remember that there was a game called Banana that became one of the top-played games on Steam.

More Related: ELDEN RING: Shadow of the Erdtree — What to Expect

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FromSoftware’s highly-anticipated DLC, “ELDEN RING: Shadow of the Erdtree,” has reportedly been revealed through a hands-on experience. Here are some details related to the new DLC:

• It’s said to last around 30 to 40 hours.
• There are over 10 big bosses, plus some extra ones on the side.
• There are 8 new types of weapons, including Martial Arts.
• The bad guys move faster.
• There’s a new thing called Shadow Realm Blessing.

'ELDEN RING' Shadow of the Erdtree Hands-On

▪️ Reportedly 30-40 hours long
▪️ 10+ full bosses + side bosses
▪️ 8 new weapon types – 1 being Martial Arts
▪️ Enemies are faster
▪️ New system – Shadow Realm Blessing pic.twitter.com/kL4u2jhBZJ

— ScreenTime (@screentime) June 4, 2024

Read more: Tencent is Reportedly Working on the Mobile Version of Elden Ring

ELDEN RING: Shadow of the Erdtree Preview

In the new Elden Ring DLC, there is so much to talk about. Here are some key details from the Shadow of the Erdtree preview:

1. You can access this DLC by interacting with Miquella in Mohg’s throne room.
2. When you interact with Miquella, you will get to enter the Land of Shadow.
3. You’ll find new items called Scadutree Fragments and Revered Spirit Ashers to get stronger.
4. Also, you will find symbols like Three-Path Crosses all over the place.
5. In one place called the Belurat gaol, there are these sad things called Living Jars that show how scary the world can be.
6. You will get to explore Belurat castle and a dungeon called Castle Ensis.
7. Some new bosses like big iron braziers that walk around, birds called Gravebirds, people with sharp blades, and trolls that use magic.
8. There are also new weapons you can use, like big swords, special blades, martial arts moves, and more.

In the end, my time playing Shadow of the Erdtree left me hungry for more. The devs have introduced new elements that will keep the players engaged. I hope to finish the story as soon as possible when it is fully released on June 20, 2024.

Also check out: Get Ready to Traverse the Shadow Lands – Everything We Know About Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree

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According to a recent article posted by exputer, Respawn is reportedly looking for a “Game Design Director” to become a part of Respawn’s incubation team to “create a great game.”

Although Respawn swiftly tried to hide its motive regarding what type of game they were trying to develop, the job qualifications in the Linkedin hiring post hinted at something interesting.

Apparently, among other qualifications, Respawn is looking for someone with “significant professional experience designing Multiplayer FPS experiences.” So, the question is, why is Respawn looking for someone with Multiplayer FPS experience? The answer is obvious: they’re trying to develop an FPS multiplayer game.

However, the real question is still, what FPS multiplayer game are they talking about? There are a few possibilities. The first is the canceled Star Wars FPS game, which was a result of EA’s mass layoffs earlier this year. The second possibility is Apex Legends‘ story-based FPS game, [which is very unlikely as it was also canceled. Moreover, it was rumored to be a single-player title]. The third and most probable answer left is a sequel to Titanfall, which has long been wanted by the community. It also checks out all the boxes.

Various sources on the internet have different theories regarding what the game could be. However, most speculations are directed toward Titanfall 3. However, it may just be a coping mechanism for the players who just want Titanfall 3 to be released. But for now, only Repsawn knows what they are cooking.

More Related: Everything We Know About Valve’s Upcoming Game ‘Deadlock’

The post Respawn is Reportedly Working on a New “FPS Multiplayer,” Rumors Say it’s Titanfall 3 appeared first on GameRiv.

When Valve is working on something, it has to be special. Although the publisher tried to keep it a secret, the internet has opened up about Valve’s upcoming game called Deadlock. So, what is Deadlock? Here’s everything we know so far.

What is Deadlock?

Deadlock is reportedly Valve’s upcoming 6v6 hero-shooter title. According to Gabe Follower, the game is a mixture of Overwatch, VALORANT, TF2, Dota 2, Smite, and Orcs Must Die. However, there are some important factors. First of all, Deadlock is a third-person shooter. Secondly, unlike VALORANT or CS2, the game does not have bomb-defusal game mode. Instead, Deadlock has a tower defense mechanism similar to MOBA games. In the screenshot above, you can see there are 12 heroes in Deadlock. So, upon release, there should be more than 12 characters.

Deadlock’s Character and Map Design

The character designs are said to be inspired by the heroes from Dota 2 and have similar abilities as them. Gabe Follower also mentioned that the maps in Deadlock are “modern steampunk European city.” Also, the gameplay has a “fantasy setting mixed with steampunk. Magicians, weird creatures and robots. Fast travel using floating rails, similar to Bioshock Infinite.”

Who is Developing the Game?

Dota and Dota 2’s developer IceFrog is reportedly developing Deadlock under the radar.

When will it Release?

As of this writing, there is no ETA of Deadlock. Only a few screenshots and information have surfaced from various sources over the internet. However, based on the leaked screenshots, it looks like the developers have come a long way with the game, and it is currently being tested in a closed alpha.

More Related: Gen.G Wins MSI 2024 As Chovy Gets First International Trophy

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Helldivers 2 is facing a massive backlash from its PC player base after publisher Sony Interactive Entertainment announced that all Steam users will soon be forced to link their accounts to a PlayStation Network account.

Read More: 7 Best Stratagems in Helldivers 2 to Get Advantages in Missions

Do This or Else

According to SIE, as of May 6th, all new Helldivers 2 players on Steam must connect to a PSN account before playing. Existing players have a bit more time, but will be required to link accounts by June 4th.

I assume you did not read this when you launched the game then pic.twitter.com/P2QRwBaYtp

— PhineasJack (@PhineasJack67) May 3, 2024

Sony claims this PSN linking is “critical” for “safety and security”, allowing them to ban abusive players and handle appeals. But the game’s community is furiously pushing back.

A Flood of Negativity

Within hours of the announcement, Helldivers 2’s Steam page was inundated with over 14,000 negative reviews from angry players. The game’s “Overwhelmingly Positive” rating plummeted as comments piled on raging about the surprise PSN requirement.

“I paid $40 for this and got well over 100 hours, but I will not be making a PS account,” one player declared. “I hope this kills the player count. It’ll be the only thing that will make Sony reconsider.”

Locked Out?

A major concern is that PSN is unavailable in many countries where Helldivers 2 is sold on Steam. Players in Belarus, Lithuania, and most of Africa may have no way to create the required PSN account at all.

Arrowhead’s community managers can only say they are “looking into” this issue, offering no clear solution yet for players who could be permanently locked out of the game they paid for.

Not happening.

Removing access from Steam players unless they make a PSN account and link it months after release is absurd. Review changed to negative and I have filed for a refund. pic.twitter.com/xMVQUR3tLq

— Pirate Software (@PirateSoftware) May 3, 2024

Appealing to Sony

With outrage intensifying across Reddit, Steam, Discord, and social media, Helldivers 2 developer Arrowhead appears to be directing players to contact PlayStation Support with grievances.

In a tweet, Arrowhead CEO Johan Pilestedt linked the PSN support page, suggesting disgruntled fans should “reach out to Sony” directly on the account linking issue.

As of now, it seems Sony is digging in on the controversial policy despite the overwhelming blowback from the PC community. Whether the publisher will ultimately walk back or modify the PSN requirement remains to be seen.

But one thing is clear — Helldivers 2’s previously celebrated PC launch has descended into chaos and division. What started as a multiplayer success story is rapidly becoming a poster child for consumer backlash over heavy-handed platform policies.

Also check out: Top 5 Armor and Armor Passives in Helldivers 2, Ranked

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