Author: Donster

World of Warships PC Celebrates Summer with a Boatload of New Content

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!

MMORPGs World of Warships | Donster | June 16, 2022 |

Company of Heroes 3 – Destruction Dev Diary

company-of-heroes-3 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.

Company of Heroes 3 Strategy and Wargaming | Donster | June 16, 2022 |

Hell is Coming to War Thunder

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.

MMORPGs War Thunder | Donster | June 16, 2022 |

NVIDIA GeForce 516.40 WHQL Drivers Released

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.

Hardware Video Cards | Donster | June 16, 2022 |

Just Announced Hardware for 16 June 2022

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.

Hardware | Donster | June 16, 2022 |

Microsoft Flight Simulator Celebrates Franchise’s 40th Anniversary and Introduces Halo Infinite Pelican as Free Add-On

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.

Flight Simulation Microsoft Flight Simulator | Donster | June 14, 2022 |

Commandos 3 – HD Remaster Announced

commandos-3-hd-remaster Publisher Kalypso Media and developer Raylight Games today announce the anticipated HD remaster of the pioneering strategy title, Commandos 3. Experience the relentless battlefields of World War II Europe in Commandos 3 – HD Remaster, which features a full high-definition revamp of the third instalment in the acclaimed real-time tactics series. Players can put their strategies to the test in September 2022, when the classic real-time tactics title will be charging its way on day one with Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass.

In Commandos 3 – HD Remaster, lead a notorious special forces unit deep behind enemy lines during World War II and utilise the improved controls and user interface to help the Allies to victory in high definition. Reworked 3D models and textures have been incorporated into the unforgiving battles as players fight their way through the deadly trenches of Stalingrad, defeat the enemy in the fanatical heart of the Third Reich in Berlin, and deploy tactical know-how to survive the storming of Normandy on D-Day.

Commandos 3 – HD Remaster will be released with Xbox Game Pass on Xbox One consoles, and PC Game Pass in September 2022. The title will also be available on other platforms.

Features

Remastered in high definition: includes reworked 3D models and textures built from the ground up, improved controls, refined UI and beginner-friendly tutorials and hints
Lead 6 daredevil commandos: the special units under your command, from the Green Beret, Sapper, Sniper, Diver, Spy and Thief, are experts in their field and crucial to the success of your mission
Relive iconic WWII campaigns: from training camp to 12 daring missions, experience history across 3 major frontlines including Stalingrad, Central Europe and Normandy
Story and action-driven missions: follow a crack team of commandos in a time of great peril, Commandos 3 HD – Remaster includes even more detail and action than its predecessors
Rally your troops for multiplayer: compete in ‘Deathmatch’ or ‘Collect the Flag’ modes for 2-8 players, all with distinct victory conditions

More information and a intro video can be found on the Commandos 3 – HD Remastered Steam page.

Commandos 3 - HD Remaster Strategy and Wargaming | Donster | June 14, 2022 |

Strategic Command: American Civil War Release Date

Strategic Command American Civil War, will be available on June 30th, 2022 – Live Stream Preview on June 14th

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. Your decisions will determine whether the United States leaves this conflict as one nation or two.

Out on June 30th – Wishlist now on Matrix Games

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 defences 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

On June 14th there will be a stream preview on Slitherine Twitch Channel where we will have the chance to see the gameplay of Strategic Command: American Civil War for the first time, in addition we will be in connection with the developer who will give us many details about this new title.

Strategic Command: American Civil War Strategy and Wargaming | Donster | June 13, 2022 |

Just Announced Hardware for 13 June 2022

Hardware | Donster | June 13, 2022 |

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II Announced

call-of-duty-modern-warfare-2 The sequel to the record-setting Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® is almost here. Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® II will kick off a new era for the franchise when it releases worldwide on Friday, October 28.

Watch the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II World Gameplay Reveal Trailer HERE.

Players will experience what made Task Force 141 become the iconic and legendary squad that it is, featuring familiar heroes and new allies who will be challenged to work together in missions across Europe, Asia and the Americas. The Campaign is set to be an incredible experience, featuring offshore sieges with underwater combat, all-out explosive assaults from 30,000 feet above enemy strongholds, and high-stakes, low-profile stealth missions. Players can also join up with their duo for evolved Special Ops, a tactical co-op mode that will advance team-building skills, and also sets the scene for the near-endless hours of gameplay available in the world-class Multiplayer.

In Modern Warfare II’s Multiplayer, players will be able to try out and level up the multiple base weapons, explore a wide range of maps and modes, meet an international cast of Operators and more. Modern Warfare II will also have an incredible post-release calendar, set to include a massive amount of free post-launch content drops featuring new maps, modes, and blockbuster special events that can’t be missed.

Visit the Call of Duty Blog for more details.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II First-Person Shooters | Donster | June 9, 2022 |