Month: June 2022

For the first time in the series’ history, Strategic Command will be taking you to the 19th century battlefields of the American Civil War. In this turn-based strategy game, you will control the armies, research, production and diplomatic policy of either the Union or the Confederacy during a time of great innovation and dramatic battles.

Thousands of volunteers are enlisting, and you will need to organize them into Brigades, Divisions and eventually Corps.

Research will have to be undertaken to improve their weaponry and fighting skills, and you will be able to choose from a variety of famous Generals to lead them, including Lee, Jackson, Grant, McClellan, Beauregard and Sherman.

Watch the Strategic Command: American Civil War in 2 minutes trailer HERE.

FEATURES
6 campaigns covering the Civil War from first shot to last:

• 1861 Blue and Gray
• 1861 Manassas to Appomattox
• 1862 Scott’s Great Snake
• 1862 Trent War (Alternate History: What if the UK recognized the Confederacy?)
• 1863 Lee Rides North
• 1864 Make Georgia Howl

- New unit types, including Balloons, Rangers, Monitors, River Gunboats and many more!
- New technologies, including Naval Engines, Ironclads, Skirmishers and the Field Telegraph.
- Riverine warfare is now possible, with waterways that can be navigated by 3 types of river vessel.
- Coastal and inland fortress defenses play a much greater role in Civil War strategy, guarding many key ports and waterways. Built before the war, their locations are known to both sides.
- Deactivating Partisan scripts, historical event popups and the European intervention mechanic now requires only a single event to be disabled.
- Official mods have been included with the game, allowing players to choose between two brand new map styles and the “classic” style used in our previous games.
- PBEM++ and Hotseat Multiplayer

Strategic Command: American Civil War is now available to be downloaded on our store, don’t miss the opportunity to buy it with a -10% discount until Monday 4th July.

Source: TechPowerUp!

AMD has released the latest version of AMD Software Adrenalin. Version 22.6.1 WHQL adds support for Windows 11 22H2. It also adds optimization for F1 2022. Among the issues fixed are a performance drop noticed when playing “Fortnite” with multi-threaded rendering and DirectX 11 API; a stuttering issue noticed in “Overwatch” with cards such as the RX 6700 XT; higher than expected CPU usage with Instant Replay; and missing fan-tuning options on graphics cards such as the RX 590.

The Radeon Software Adrenalin 22.6.1 drivers are available online at the AMD driver download page.

Source: TechPowerUp!

NVIDIA has released the latest version of its GeForce Game Ready drivers. Version 516.59 WHQL comes with optimization for F1 2022. The drivers also introduce support for Windows 11 22H2, and the “new” GeForce GTX 1630, besides CUDA 11.7. The drivers also fix a handful of issues, including artifacts noticed in Red Dead Redemption 2 (Vulkan), Minecraft Java Edition, and Second Life, when connecting using third-party viewers. Incorrect light-source rendering in Neverwinter Nights; and black textures in Path of Exile. A stuttering was noticed in games when you invoke the Xbox overlay, which has been fixed. Lastly, a bunch of stability issues with Unreal Engine 5 has been fixed.

You can download the GeForce 516.59 WHQL Game Ready drivers via GeForce.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 Launches GeForce GTX 1630 Graphics Card
• INNO3D Launches GeForce GTX 1630 Twin X2 OC+  and Compact Graphics Cards
• COLORFUL Launches GeForce GTX 1630 NB 4G Graphics Card
• EVGA Debuts the GeForce GTX 1630 SC Graphics Card
• Gainward Announces GeForce GTX 1630 Ghost
• GIGABYTE Launches NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1630 series Graphics Cards
• CORSAIR Releases K70 RGB TKL Optical-Mechanical Gaming Keyboard
• MSI Intros MAG CoreLiquid B-series AIO CPU Coolers
• Thermaltake Announces the Divider 370 and 170 TG ARGB Chassis
• EK Announces Mana LiteBlock for MSI MAG Z690 Torpedo

TRANSFORMERS collaboration, a new map, major improvements with HD textures, weather effects, gun firing, explosions and much more…

Wargaming, publisher and developer of the naval multiplayer free-to-play game World of Warships, is launching its latest content update, featuring a brand new map of the Faroe Islands, a return of Convoy battle type and the third instalment of the TRANSFORMERS Brand collaboration. In addition to all this new content, Update 0.11.5 like the ones before, will bring visual improvements, with an update to US destroyer models.

New Faroe Islands map

Launching this update is the introduction of the new Faroe Islands map, which was selected as the next playable location by players in Autumn 2021. Designed for Tier VII-X ships and superships, battles taking place on this map will be set against a backdrop of flowing mountain ranges covered in thin veils of snow, nestled in islands with steep shores falling in the North Atlantic ocean.

Latest of the graphic improvements: U.S. Destroyer models see a revamp

A number of U.S. destroyer models, present since the release of the game, have been dramatically upgraded. Mahan, Benson, Fletcher and Gearing will all be revamped, including slight changes to their physical parameters and balance characteristics. However, the broader gameplay features of these ships will remain the same. Update 0.11.6 will bring more of these updated U.S. ships, expanding to the models of Sampson, Wickes, Clemson, Nicholas, Farragut and Sims.

Alongside the improvements to these models, World of Warships has also seen a number of graphics updates across the board. Visual effects throughout the game have been overhauled since the beginning of the year. This includes major improvements with HD textures and local weather effects being refined on 8 maps, as well as new effects for guns firing, depth charges detonating under water and on islands, and aircraft explosions on the decks of destroyed carriers.

The return of Convoy battle type

Making a triumphant return from Update 0.10.8, Convoy mode is back for battle! Fought in teams of 12 with Tier VIII–X ships, two randomly distributed teams will participate in an attack-and-defend battle across one of six different maps. Players will need to escort two to three Convoys of AI-controlled cargo ships, sailing along their own defined route. Either the defenders will manage to fend off the attacks so at least one of the transport ship arrives at destination, or the attackers will succeed in sinking the lot!

There’s more than meets the eye: TRANSFORMERS are back!

Defeat your enemies in style with Hasbro’s TRANSFORMERS franchise! To commemorate the third TRANSFORMERS collaboration, World of Warships will have special content from the critically acclaimed toy line! These special camouflages were originally released only on World of Warships Legends, but now are available for PC! Such as Iowa’s Freedom Fighter skin to represent the Autobots to Bismarck’s Messenger of Oblivion for the Decepticon, it’s time to deck your ship in style. This limited-time content will be available during the update. One shall stand, one shall fall! Which will you be?

For a full list of updates and changes, find the full patch notes HERE.

Watch the Update 0.11.5: U.S. Independence Day trailer HERE.

Visit the official World of Warships website now for more game info and to sign up to play World of Warships for free!

Get ready for an entirely new level of destruction in Company of Heroes 3. In our latest look at the explosive RTS, Relic explores its brand-new destruction system, which allows players to topple bell towers, shatter buildings, and dramatically alter the landscape of war on a scale never before seen in the genre.

“I have a feeling there will be many people who will end up playing, and they will press tactical pause just to turn the screen a little bit to take advantage of seeing all the destruction and all of its glory in that one frame,” says Jason Brackman, Principal Technical Artist at Relic.

Just how deep does environmental destruction go in Company of Heroes 3? Falling debris and collapsing buildings can now actually spell doom for nearby units. However, toppled buildings can also provide new tactical advantages, allowing players to carve out a new piece of cover. Players can even pre-destroy a map with tactical bombing runs, further altering your strategy and options on the battlefield.

Watch the Company of Heroes 3 Destruction Developer Diary HERE.

Company of Heroes 3 is the ultimate package of action, tactics, and strategy. Take charge in the heat of real-time battle, then command as a General, guiding the overall campaign where every decision matters. Overwhelm your opponents with new and familiar factions, units, and international Battlegroups. Command ground, air and naval forces and build supply lines to crush enemy advances on the new Dynamic Campaign Map – no two playthroughs are ever alike!

For more information about Company of Heroes 3 head to www.companyofheroes.com.

The new update brings napalm, Israeli helicopters and more

Gaijin Entertainment announces that the Danger Zone update for the online military action game War Thunder is live now. While the US F-14 Tomcat fighter is probably the star of the show here, this content-rich update brings dozens of other new legendary vehicles and new features. Israeli and Chinese helicopters, the latest Chinese tank, an improvised Italian self-propelled gun, the most advanced German battleship of World War 1 and other types of new military hardware await War Thunder players. Napalm can now also be used in War Thunder battles, literally flooding the jungle, city streets or ship decks with liquid fire.

Watch the “Danger Zone” update trailer HERE.

Aviation containers with napalm are the new weapon type in the game. It is an incendiary mixture that burns strongly and for a long time, and also sticks to surfaces, including wet ones. Although napalm is primarily associated with the Vietnam War, it was first used as early as 1944 during the liberation of France. Napalm could be quite useful in War Thunder battles as well. I.e. players might cover the approach to a point with a rampart of fire or burn down a forest to prevent ambushes. Man-made fires are especially effective against lightly armored and open-top vehicles.

The new Chinese tank ZTZ99A is a further development of the ZTZ99 MBT, but it is difficult to recognize the fact due to the almost complete overhaul of the design. Just look at the new arrow-shaped turret, equipped with state-of-the-art anti-cumulative dynamic and composite armor, capable of withstanding even tandem cumulative rounds. At the same time, the ZTZ99A is not only better protected, but also more mobile than its predecessor, and can reach a top speed of 75 km/h on an asphalt road.

The update adds the Israeli helicopter tech tree to the game. While some of the vehicles are Israeli variants of the machines the players already know, such as Cobras and Apaches, there are completely new ones, like the Hughes MD500 TOW light attack helicopter. It is a flight, tiny and very agile helicopter capable of carrying the venerable TOW and TOW-2 anti-tank missiles, as well as Hydra-70 unguided rockets. Also the first machine from China’s future helicopter tech tree debuts in War Thunder. It’s the Z-19E, a modern and locally developed attack helicopter that performed its maiden flight in 2017.

The German battleship SMS Bayern entered service in July 1916 and missed the epic Battle of Jutland, but took part in the last major operations of WW1. Its eight 380mm guns and enhanced armor more than make up for its slowness and make it one of the most powerful ships in the War Thunder blue-water fleet.

Finally, fans of the exotic vehicles should pay attention to the 100/17 su Lancia 3Ro, a Škoda 10cm Vz.1914 howitzer mounted in the field on an army truck chassis to increase mobility. This improvised Italian SPG was brought to the game by War Thunder players Nicola “Kolin0” Faggiani and Riccardo “BlueBeta” Lo Verso under Revenue Sharing Program, and now their work is officially a part of War Thunder.

Visit the official War Thunder Website for more game information.

Source: TechPowerUp!

NVIDIA has released the latest version of GeForce software. Version 516.40 WHQL comes Game Ready for “Fall Guys: Free for All,” NVIDIA Reflex support for “ICARUS,” and RTX ray tracing support for “Jurassic Wold Evoluion 2,” “Resident Evil 2,” “Resident Evil 3,” and “Resident Evil 7.” Among the handful issues fixed with this release include shadows not rendering correctly in “Enscape,” brightness settings are not getting applied correctly on certain Lenovo notebooks with Advanced Optimus enabled; and Club 3D CAC-1085 dongle being limited to 4K-60 Hz display-mode.

You can download the GeForce 516.40 WHQL Game Ready drivers via GeForce.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.

• LG Announces Pricing and Availability of DualUp Monitor
• Antec Unveil its New Fusion 120 ARGB Fans
• TEAMGROUP Launches New ELITE SO-DIMM DDR5 and ELITE U-DIMM DDR5 Standard Memory Modules Running at 5600MHz
• GUNNIR Announces Custom Arc A380 Photon OC Graphics Card
• Creative Announces Stage Air V2 Under-Monitor Soundbar
• EK Announces Quantum Momentum² Monoblock for ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Extreme
• Patriot Viper Gaming Launch its New VPR400 RGB M.2 NVMe Gen4x4 SSD
• AGON by AOC Announces AGON PRO AG344UXM with 170Hz MiniLED Panel
• SilentiumPC Fluctus 120 PWM/ARGB Fans Now Available in 3-Pack Kits
• Thermaltake Releases Divider 170 TG ARGB Micro, Mini Tower PC Case
• JONSBO Offers 40mm ARGB Fan HF1415 with a Thickness of 15mm

By Jorg Neumann, Head of Microsoft Flight Simulator

The longest-running game franchise at Microsoft, Microsoft Flight Simulator, today announced that it looks forward to celebrating its 40th Anniversary with the community in November 2022.

With more players than ever enjoying the incredibly detailed aircraft and authentic representation of our planet, Microsoft Flight Simulator forged new territory with versions now available on PC, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and mobile devices via Xbox Cloud Gaming.

The 40th Anniversary Edition, a completely free offering for those who already own Microsoft Flight Simulator or play it via Xbox Game Pass, is a comprehensive celebration of the franchise with both a tribute to our past as well as an introduction to new and highly anticipated aircraft types.

The nod to the past will re-introduce some classic airports and several of the most famous planes from earlier versions including Microsoft Flight Simulator X and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004: A Century of Flight!

We have also listened to our community and will incorporate the most requested aircraft types: helicopters, brought to life with an all-new Fluid Dynamics Simulation, gliders that allow you to experience the planet in a totally unique way and a highly detailed, true-to-life airliner!

Watch the Microsoft Flight Simulator – 40th Anniversary Announcement trailer HERE.

Here is just a small sampling of what simmers will find in the Microsoft Flight Simulator 40th Anniversary Edition:

Historical Aircraft:

• Wright Flyer
• Ryan NYP (“Spirit of St. Louis”)
• Douglas DC-3
• De Havilland Canada DHC-2-Beaver

Helicopters:

• Bell-407
• Guimbal Cabri G2

Gliders:

• DG Flugzeugbau LG8-18
• DG Flugzeugbau DG1001E neo

True-to-Life Airliner:

• Airbus A310

Many of these aircraft were made in collaboration with the best third-party developers including iniSimulations, MilViz, Bluemesh, Aeroplane Heaven, and others.

Microsoft Flight Simulator also announced today a unique collaboration with the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum to bring one of the world’s most famous planes, the “Spirit of St. Louis,” to life in the simulator as part of the 40th Anniversary Edition.

Finally, in an exclusive partnership with the Halo franchise and 343 Industries, Microsoft Flight Simulator introduces an incredibly detailed Halo Infinite Pelican add-on. It’s available for free today in the in-sim marketplace for owners of the sim and Xbox Game Pass members.

We can’t wait for you to experience so many new offerings coming to Microsoft Flight Simulator. Invite your friends to experience the wonders of flight. The sky is calling!

Microsoft Flight Simulator is available on Xbox Series X|S and PC with Xbox Game Pass, PC Game Pass, Windows, and Steam, and on Xbox One and supported mobile phones, tablets, and lower-spec PCs via Xbox Cloud Gaming.