For a while now there have been rumours floating around about a secret expansion for Dragon's Dogma 2. Now, we have our best evidence yet, as a mysterious 77GB patch for the game has been discovered on Steam. 

The mysterious update, which was quickly hidden from public view in the Steam database, brought the game up from a 65GB install size to a 77GB install size, indicating that new content had been added to the game.

Adding fuel to the fire, Capcom recently shared new artwork for the game in celebration of its 2nd anniversary, revealing a mysterious new character with their back turned to the main party, wearing armour that can't currently be found in the game.

As Capcom does appear to at the very least be testing a new build of the game, we anticipate that an announcement will arrive within the next few months.

KitGuru Says: Dragon's Dogma saw huge updates with its Dark Arisen upgrade back in the day. Now fans are hoping that the sequel gets similar treatment. 

With every qualifying purchase of a GeForce RTX 50 series card, NVIDIA will now provide a free game code for PRAGMATA. NVIDIA to Bundle PRAGMATA With GeForce RTX 50 Series Graphics Cards, Including Desktop and Laptop Series GPUs If you have been waiting for a GPU upgrade, this might be an excellent time to buy a GeForce RTX 50 series GPU. While the prices for most RTX 50 series cards are high due to market volatility, with every qualifying purchase of the RTX 50 series cards, users will now get the latest game PRAGMATA for free. NVIDIA just announced the […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/nvidia-announces-pragmata-geforce-rtx-50-series-bundle/

Cities: Skylines series might finally have a rival. 1:1 Studio has announced its debut title, City Masterplan, a city-builder focused on 1:1 scale construction across 24x24km maps. The game is currently listed on Steam without a release date, but we know it's built on Unreal Engine 5.

Unlike most city-builders, City Masterplan will move away from traditional grid-based construction, allowing players to place roads and buildings without rigid constraints. Also, the developer promises a realistic traffic simulation and supply chains, a dynamic environment system, various architectural styles complemented by advanced PCG (Procedural Content Generation) technology, and iconic buildings with real dimensions.

The system requirements published on the game's store page are quite high, but not completely surprising for a city-builder such as this. Minimum specifications for processor and GPU are currently listed as “Pending”, but it's known that you'll need at least 16GB of memory and 60GB of storage. As for the recommended requirements, it states 32GB of RAM, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090 or an AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT, and an AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D or an Intel Core i7-12700K.

The game's release date hasn't been announced yet, but those interested can wishlist it on Steam.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru says: Are you a fan of city-builders? Do you think City Masterplan can dethrone Cities: Skylines as the latter did to SimCity?

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is now officially Steam Deck Verified following the release of patch 1.3. In addition to bringing the “Verified” status, the update addresses stability, performance, and user interface issues, specifically targeting text legibility and UI scaling problems previously reported by the community.

Before this update, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach had a Gold rating on ProtonDB, though users reported issues such as crashes and artifacts. The version 1.3 update aims to fix many of these issues with several changes previously mentioned in earlier patches to ensure a more consistent experience across compatible hardware.

The patch notes confirm that version 1.3 implements various input and user interface improvements alongside general stability and performance optimisations. Specific technical fixes include resolving hitching and frame drops when using the sniper rifle, as well as several minor graphics-related bugs. According to Kojima Productions, these changes are directly responsible for the title achieving its “Verified” status for the Deck.

The detailed patch notes can be found below:

• DEATH STRANDING 2: ON THE BEACH is now Steam Deck verified.
• Fixed hitches and stutter that could occur when zooming in with sniper rifles.
• Implemented performance optimizations.
• Fixed multiple rare crashes and improved overall stability.
• Addressed various minor graphics-related bugs.
• Various input and user interface-related improvements and bug fixes.
• Implemented various text and localization-related fixes.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru says: Have you tried Death Stranding 2 on Steam Deck already? How does it perform? 

The popular PS3 emulator is now closer to true plug-and-play disc backups as encrypted ISO support has been added to the utility. RPCS3 Removes the Requirement of Loading a Decrypted PS3 ISO and Can Now Directly Play Encrypted ISO Files The popular PlayStation 3 emulator RPCS3 continues to make steady progress in simplifying game loading. As one of the most popular PS3 emulators on the planet, RPCS3 has undergone several changes over the last decade and has brought major updates in the last few months. A few months ago, RPCS3 devs made it possible to directly load the game through […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/rpcs3-enables-encrypted-playstation-3-disc-iso-loading/

Now Steam will rate your system for the expected FPS on a title, nice?!  Raptor Lake (13th / 14th Gen) still a big part of the Intel strategy, Ryzen 9950X3D pricing, and…

Each month, all those with a Humble Choice subscription are able to get their hands on a solid 8 titles for the relatively low price of £11.50. For the month of April, Humble is offering a variety of games both big and small, including the likes of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla; Planet of Lana and The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria.

Available to add to your library from now until the end of the month, April’s Humble Choice line-up features the following:

• Assassin's Creed Valhalla
• Daemon x Machina Titanic Scion
• The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria
• Until Then
• Planet of Lana
• Artisan TD
• The Procession to Calvary
• Buddy Simulator 1984

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla needs little introduction, with the massive and sprawling open-world action-adventure RPG launching back in 2020 to somewhat mixed reviews. While in many ways the most refined version of Ubisoft’s RPG take on the AC franchise, its abundance of content and 100+ hour-long main campaign left many fatigued by the end. Still, if you aren’t burnt out by the franchise, Valhalla does have a lot to offer.

The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria meanwhile is a survival crafter in which you play as a dwarf embarking “on a new adventure to reclaim their legendary home of Moria beneath the Misty Mountains”. With pretty visuals, solid survival / building mechanics and a strong dedication to the IP (including the voicing talents of John Rhys-Davies as Gimli), Return to Moria is one of the better LotR games to have been released in quite some time.

Planet of Lana is a visually gorgeous puzzle-platformer which evokes major Ghibli vibes, telling the story of a “vibrant, beautiful planet” which has been invaded by a faceless army. Featuring “unique companion-based gameplay;” stealth; puzzles and platforming, Planet of Lana is certainly worth checking out.

Between AAA giants and indie hits, April’s Humble Choice line-up offers something for everyone.

KitGuru says: What do you think of this month’s offerings? What type of games do you subscribe to Humble Choice for? Let us know down below.

Valve is reportedly developing a new feature for the Steam client that lets buyers gauge how well a game will run on their system. Newly discovered code strings in the Steam client suggest that the store will soon provide estimated frame rates for games based on real-world hardware data shared by the community. 

The discovery, first highlighted on the ResetEra forums by dex3108, points toward a Steam Store interface where users can select their specific CPU and GPU configuration to generate a performance chart. This comes after Valve's recent launch of the “SteamOS Performance Logging” beta, which has been gathering anonymous frame rate and system data from Steam Deck and SteamOS users.

Image credit: dex3108

By aggregating this data, Valve can provide a “normalised” expectation of how a game performs at various resolutions and settings, effectively creating the world's largest live benchmark database. However, because PC performance is influenced by a chaotic mix of background processes, thermal throttling, hardware combinations, resolution, and upscaling technologies, a simple average might not tell the whole story. To solve part of this problem, it would be nice if, in addition to the system config, users could also see the exact graphics settings.

Also, for handheld gamers, this tool could serve as a much needed “Verified 2.0”. While the current green checkmark system tells a user whether a game works, it doesn't indicate whether it runs at a locked 60 FPS or a shaky 30 FPS. Crowdsourced FPS charts would allow Steam Deck owners to see exactly what kind of performance “Verified” actually translates to in practice.

KitGuru says: This is perhaps the most consumer-friendly move Valve has made since introducing the refund system on Steam. 

Ubisoft and indie developer Screen Juice have officially announced that their action roguelike, Morbid Metal, will slash its way into Steam Early Access on April 8th. Initially a solo university project by Felix Schade in 2017, the game's high-octane combat eventually caught the attention of Ubisoft, leading to a publishing partnership that has enabled the project to scale up for its debut.

The defining feature of Morbid Metal is its real-time shapeshifting mechanic. Players take control of the last remaining AI and can cycle between three characters: Flux, Ekku, and Vekta. Each character brings a unique fighting style and signature ‘Protocols' to the fray, allowing for a level of combat fluidity rarely seen in the roguelike genre.

To keep the loop engaging, the game introduces several layers of mid-run and permanent progression. Players will encounter Devil Bargains, which offer powerful buffs at a significant survival risk, and the Emporium, a mid-run shop for health and ability upgrades. Outside of the simulation, the Void Nexus serves as a permanent skill tree where players can spend currency to ensure their next run starts with a better fighting chance.

While the Early Access launch provides hours of content across three major biomes and ten enemy archetypes, this is only the beginning. A comprehensive development roadmap is scheduled to be unveiled on April 17th, during the “Find Your Next Game” showcase. This event is expected to outline upcoming biomes, additional playable characters, and potential console ports. The game launches with a strategic entry price of $13.49 during its initial launch window, after which it reverts to its standard Early Access price of $17.99.

KitGuru says: With over 25K wishlists on Steam, seeing Morbid Metal finally cross the finish line will please quite a few. The character swapping looks incredibly responsive in trailers, and if the meta-progression in the Void Nexus is deep enough, this could easily become the next “must-play” title for action roguelike fans.

The latest Steam Hardware and Software Survey results for March 2026 show Linux crossing the 5% market share threshold for the first time in the platform's history. According to the data, Linux-based systems jumped to 5.33% of the total user base, a massive 3.10% increase over the previous month.

As noted by Phoronix, this surge is likely due to the continued success of Valve’s SteamOS, which now accounts for 24.48% of the Linux install base, as well as broader improvements in compatibility through the Proton translation layer. As for Windows, it remains the dominant force with a 92.33% share, but it saw a 4.28% decline as more users began exploring alternatives. Within the Windows ecosystem, the transition to Windows 11 has accelerated, with the operating system now claiming 66.85% of the market after a 10.57% monthly gain. This migration came largely at the expense of Windows 10, which plummeted by nearly 15% to settle at 25.36%. Even the ageing Windows 7 saw a uptick to 0.08%, suggesting a small but dedicated group of users is still clinging to the legacy platform.

Image credit: Phoronix

Mac users also contributed to the diversifying ecosystem, with macOS seeing its market share nearly double to 2.35%. This 1.19% increase suggests that Apple's continued push into gaming with its M-series silicon is finally starting to move the needle, even if it still trails Linux by a significant margin. Beyond operating systems, the hardware data highlights the impact of rising component costs, as 16 GB of system RAM reclaimed the top spot from 32 GB, now holding a 40.97% share. In the GPU sector, the RTX 3060 has returned to its position as the most popular card, while the newer RTX 5070 has established a strong 5.40% foothold among early adopters.

KitGuru says: Gaming on Linux is definitely becoming more popular. Seeing Linux surpass 5% while Windows 10 users jump ship in massive numbers suggests a major hardware refresh cycle is underway. Whether gamers are moving to Windows 11 by choice or being pushed by the lack of Windows 10 support, the reality is that the PC gaming market is becoming more varied than it has been in decades.

Crimson Desert was a hotly-anticipated brand new IP prior to its official launch earlier this month, with the ambitious open-world title garnering a ton of attention thanks to its pretty visuals, freeform gameplay and player agency. Upon its launch however, the game suffered from a number of issues, including rather awkward controls. Fortunately, the team at Pearl Abyss have been quick to respond to criticisms – with Crimson Desert having now climbed its way to a ‘Very Positive’ score on Steam.

With over 100,000 Steam reviews, Pearl Abyss’ Crimson Desert has managed to claw its way into a strong position, currently sitting at a Steam Score of ‘Very Positive’.

This marks a stark difference from its launch reception, which saw roughly 2/5ths of all reviews landing at a ‘Negative’.

Thanks to a number of patches as well as rather candid responses from the studio’s CEO, opinions on Crimson Desert have shifted. As mentioned, not only has the game managed to climb out of its mixed review status, but a solid number of the prior negative reviews have since been altered.

In case you missed it, Pearl Abyss have offered quite a few hints at what to expect from the game’s future, suggesting that Crimson Desert could receive free updates and even robust modding tools.

Considering the fact that Crimson Desert released just two weeks ago, the current shift in perception towards the title is interesting to see – and shows how big of a deal listening to fan feedback can be.

KitGuru says: What do you think of Crimson Desert two weeks following launch? Are you pleased with its current state? Let us know down below.

Death Stranding 2 has officially launched on PC, arriving just less than one year after its initial release on PS5. Thanks to this new version of the game, total sales for Death Stranding 2 have pushed over 2 million. 

According to Alinea Analytics (via Eurogamer), Death Stranding 2 sold around 425,000 copies on Steam during its launch week. On PS5, the game has sold over 1.6 million copies to date, so the PC version has pushed the game's total sales to over 2 million.

For reference, Death Stranding 1 has shipped an estimated 1.6 million copies on PC, so Death Stranding 2 still has some ways to go in order to catch up. It might take some time though, as the sequel launched as a full-priced £70 game, while the original launched at £49.99. Many will be waiting to see that price come down through sales before picking the game up.

So far, the PC version of Death Stranding 2 has overwhelmingly positive user reviews on Steam, with fans impressed with the graphics, performance, new combat options and audio design.

KitGuru Says: Have you picked up Death Stranding 2 on PC already or are you waiting for a sale? 

As PC hardware continues to evolve and modern games relentlessly chase higher levels of visual fidelity, striking the right balance between image quality and performance is becoming increasingly challenging—even on decently powerful rigs. DEATH STRANDING 2: ON THE BEACH, as a cutting-edge AAA release, would normally fall into that same category. However, the original DEATH STRANDING earned a strong reputation on PC for its excellent optimization, delivering smooth performance across a wide range of PC configurations thanks to the efficiency of Guerilla Games's Decima engine, which achieved great performance/visuals ratios — with games such as Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/how-to/death-stranding-2-on-the-beach-pc-performance-analysis-tuning-guide-how-to-get-best-experience-on-pc/

Due to delays and internal reboots, Marathon ended up being in development for much longer than initially planned. With a six year timeline, the cost of producing the game rose exponentially for Bungie, with estimates putting the final number in the $250M to $300M range. Despite positive reviews from those that have given the game a chance, Marathon has reportedly only shifted an estimated 1.2M copies so far, with the vast majority of that coming from the PC market. 

According to Alinea Analytics (via VGC), Marathon has sold 1.2 million copies so far, which would indicate total revenues of $55 million so far without counting for things like premium battle passes or cosmetic skins from the in-game store. The firm estimates that more than 800,000 of these players bought the game on Steam, leaving the PS5 platform with a 20% share of the total playerbase and 11% on Xbox.

While these sales aren't great considering the high cost of producing the game, Marathon has found a loyal audience. Those that do actively play it tend to really enjoy it, leading to a mostly positive overall user score on Steam. Bungie will no doubt be hoping that this positive word of mouth will continue to spread over the game's first year to help boost sales.

I myself have played quite a bit of Marathon since launch and I do tend to enjoy it a lot more than Arc Raiders, in part thanks to the feel of the guns and movement and in part due to the futuristic flavour of the game, versus the more grounded and gritty look of Arc Raiders. With that said, Arc Raiders has quite clearly resonated with a much broader audience so far.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Did you end up buying Marathon at launch? Do you think the game will eventually find a broader audience, or do you see it as remaining niche? 

Valve has officially released the SteamOS 3.8.0 update to the Preview branch, and while the patch notes are extensive, one line has stood out: “Initial support for upcoming Steam Machine hardware”. This confirmation comes at a critical time, following a wave of release date uncertainty due to memory shortages.

By baking support for the OS directly into the OS, Valve is signalling that, despite the global RAM crisis and supply chain hurdles, the Steam Machine is very much alive. The update even includes improved video memory management for discrete GPUs, a feature unnecessary for the Steam Deck but vital for the high-performance RDNA 3/3.5 silicon powering the Steam Machine.

For existing Steam Deck owners, the update also provides “preliminary support for hibernation” for the original LCD model. For years, Deck users have struggled with a sleep mode that drains the battery at times. This new hibernation state aims to mimic the deep-sleep functionality of a Windows laptop, effectively preserving battery life for weeks rather than days. The feature is currently tucked away in BIOS v133 and may not yet appear as a dedicated UI toggle for all testers. The LCD model is also receiving a “Memory Power Down” option and the return of “Bluetooth Wake”, allowing docked users to wake their device using a wireless remote or controller.

Beyond the Deck, SteamOS 3.8.0 also reduces input latency for handheld controllers from a standard 5 to 8ms to a staggering 100 to 500 microseconds. The update also adds native TDP control and speaker audio support to the Asus ROG Xbox Ally series, as well as full controller support for the Lenovo Legion Go 2 and OneXPlayer F1. By updating the desktop mode to KDE Plasma 6.4.3 and switching to Wayland by default, Valve has also enabled HDR and Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) support for external displays, ensuring that when the Steam Machine does eventually land in the living room, it will be fully compatible with the latest 8K and high-refresh-rate OLED TVs.

KitGuru says: Seeing the Steam Machine mentioned in the patch notes suggests a launch might be around the corner, but if the current memory situation doesn't improve, then Valve may have a hard time meeting demand, or getting the price as low as consumers expected.

Weirdly, the latest open-world title developed by Pearl Abyss doesn't even run on Intel GPUs. Crimson Desert Developer, Pearl Abyss, Confirms The Game Does Not Support Intel Arc GPUs; No Indication of Future Support Either [Update - 3/21/2026] - Intel has offered a statement on the lack of Arc GPU support in Crimson Desert: "We’re aware that Crimson Desert currently doesn’t launch on systems with Intel GPUs and we’re hugely disappointed that players using Intel graphics hardware can’t jump into the world of Pywel at launch. Getting games running smoothly is always a partnership between developers and hardware makers. Over the […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/crimson-desert-doesnt-run-on-intel-arc-confirms-pearl-abyss/

Vampire Survivors studio, Poncle, has been hard at work on a new game alongside various DLCs for its breakout hit. The new game, Vampire Crawlers, is a direct spin-off that incorporates deck building elements for a new addictive gameplay loop. Following a demo release earlier this year, Poncle has now announced the release date for the game. 

Vampire Crawlers will officially launch on PC (via Steam), Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and Nintendo Switch on the 21st of April. Like the original Vampire Survivors, it will be a cheap game even at launch, hitting the market with a $9.99 price tag. You can watch the full announcement trailer below:

Vampire Crawlers is described as a ‘turboturn deckbuilder', offering bite-sized chunks of gameplay for quick sessions. Players won't have to pause for animations to complete before triggering their next move, and the game intelligently stacks and executes your ability inputs, so you can speedrun through rounds and watch the chaos play out.

The game will also offer customisable cards, so you can create new cards with a variety of effects and multipliers as part of your own unique strategy.

KitGuru Says: I was a big fan of Vampire Survivors and ended up sinking an unspeakable number of hours into it. Hopefully Vampire Crawlers can capture that same magic with a new but equally fun gameplay loop. 

A quick way to open your favorite PlayStation 3 games right from Steam, making them more accessible than ever. RPCS3 Adds Option to Add PlayStation 3 Games Directly to Steam for a Quick Launch; Also Runs in the Big Picture Mode The RPCS3 team has been making some serious progress in recent times. The software recently enabled directly mounting the PlayStation 3 ISO files to run the games, and now it has just added the option to launch the titles from Steam. At the moment, Steam is the biggest platform on PC and is quite popular even on gaming handhelds. […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/rpcs3-brings-playstation-3-games-to-steam/

Typically when you pre-load a game on Steam, the game files are downloaded in an encrypted format and then you have to sit and wait for the files to decrypt once the game is officially available. Unfortunately, something went wrong with the Death Stranding 2 pre-load set up, resulting in the full game leaking into piracy sites. 

Pirates can play Death Stranding 2 on PC a full day early. As spotted by PCGamer, the game has already been uploaded to piracy sites, as one early pre-order customer discovered that Steam had pre-loaded the game files completely unencrypted.

It is unclear how long the unencrypted version of the game was available for, but it would have been long enough for one person to download the entire 113GB game. As Death Stranding doesn't use any aggressive DRM like Denuvo, that meant that the game was easy to crack and load up in full. Assuming the leaker had a Gigabit connection, the entire game could have been downloaded in roughly 20 minutes.

Death Stranding 2 doesn't officially release on PC until tomorrow. The full game on Steam should unlock for pre-loaders by 2PM (UK time) tomorrow.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: It is unfortunate that pirates now get early access to Death Stranding 2 ahead of pre-order customers. My big question is, was the fault here on Steam's end? Or did the team in charge of the game's Steam page make a configuration error?